Part 59: INTERLUDE: SHEA

Shea excused herself from the table to find the ladies room. Her highly intelligent mind analyzed her own behavior and the situation. Elfi was her best friend and so was Eric. She knew he had not asked to guard or accompany the princess, so why was she upset when she saw them like that?

Because she realized she cared for Eric much more than she wanted to admit. Mostly her thoughts were influenced from her educatin at the temple. Because she was a Sojonit and trained to think of men as helpless prey, ruled by their simple minds and one track hormones.

Men were scum easily baited by breasts, butts and the promise of satisfaction gained from sex in all its variations. This was the mantra of the Sojonit Order. Men could be controlled through sex and promises to part with their money, their riches and their secrets.

While it was true in most cases, she had learned it could be different. Rex her step father never looked at her for what she was, but treated her like a real daughter.

Nothing even remotley like the horror stories she heard in the halls of temple, and what some fathers did to their offspring. She learned that the stories were true but not the norm. She trusted Rex and learned to love him. He never made any attempt to see her naked or to make her come to him. Her father never touched her in any way inappropriate.

She had many challenges during the early Academy time, especially during basic training. While the rigid military rules protected her from the most, they could not protect her from all.

No one liked her, because of the mask. While others made friends, she remained an outsider. It was better during second year as she went the science route and her class mates were geeks and nerds like her.

Intelligent and scientific minded but akward and inept when it came to social interaction. The second year was intense studying and she had little time to feel sorry for herself. Of course she could always quit and go home and she had considered it more than once, but in the second year she learned what a Science Officer aboard a vessel would do and what wondrous things might be encountered. Not limited to one subject or field, not just researching but actually applying science on a daily basis to solve a myriad of challenges.

One day dealing with an alien life form and the next day observing a Quasar at close range and then on to isolate a virus for the Med Department, that was what she wanted to do, and so she decided to postpone her decision to quit and go into the third year.

There everything changed, Aboard the Devi she became part of a group and from day one no one treated her bad or tried advances and then came Eric and out of nine individuals became a family of nine friends, her first real friends.

She belonged among them like she never belonged anywhere before. She would not be jealous of Elfi. If she had chosen Eric as her partner then she would rejoice for both and be their friend regardless.

She smiled at her own silly emotions. Emotions were for girls and women, She was a Sojonit and in control, and more so her intellect was far superior to feelings, so why could she not completely dismiss it all?

Now where was this bathroom? All that thinking made her realize she actually needed to go. Eric and Elfi had approached the table and exchanged words with the Admiral. She was sure she could fool Eric and the others, but Elfi was a woman and knew her, she might be able to see through her disguise and recognize her as Wetmouth. Krabbel did, maybe Har-Hi’s fine senses would expose her secret as well.

The table was full so they could not stay for long, hopefully they were gone by the time she returned. Oh how she wished she could simply go over there and tell her friends who she was.

In her thoughtful state she had gone the wrong direction. The ladies room was at the other side. Here was only an elevator. The Computronic inside would surely know where another bathroom could be found