Start at the Very Beginning

Posted on 14 Apr 2021 @ 7:09pm by A'Koja Dea - Private Investigator & Lieutenant Theodore Winslow

Mission: M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Environmental Ring
Timeline: MD01 1400HRS
1830 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Everything smelt fresh and new in the Environmental Ring which meant it was finally open to exploring and boy were people exploring it that day. It was busy and lively in a way nowhere had been on the base up until then. People were walking, children were running around and families were having picnics or swimming in the pool. It was an enjoyable atmosphere that was infectious even to security officers.

Theo was having fun but if anyone asked he would have denied it and said it was about building relationships and proving that security forces were not all bad, on power trips or worse but deep down it was not just that simple. He was dressed in gym clothes because after the introduction to A’Koja and some basic starts on getting some communication going he had other drills to run and security offices to test for fitness. But until then he could afford to relax just a little and play a game with people who did not judge him for being solemn or quiet. And if he was honest it was fun teaching the children a game of football.

He kicked the ball towards the makeshift goal area and watched as the younger kids on his team scurried to get it and claim the goal as their own. He held up his hands in a triumph as they scored. “Good job.” He called.

A’Koja spied them out in the field and set down a few tote bags of things she’d packed for this afternoon. She’d dressed more practically, picnicking attire with plain kicking around shoes, nothing like her on the job look. She’d flattened out her crazy hair and pinned it back from the sides in the least threatening look she could manage. It wouldn’t do to off-put the kids she needed to talk with. She ascertained from the people sitting on the side of the field who the parents likely were. They sat in a knot unto themselves, strangers in a strange land. The oldest child looked to be about 14 or so. He wasn’t with the adults or the children. He was standing apart from it all on a stone wall leaning on a tree looking disaffected to cover something else. A’Koja noted him but didn’t approach or make eye contact. Snakes and moody teens had to be approached slowly, roundabout, with utmost respect and caution.

She watched with appreciation as Winslow managed the game with the children. There was a wordless understanding between them for the most part about who was on offense and who was defending— except for the youngest boy who kept picking up the ball with his arms and running off the field laughing, forcing everyone to chase him down until there was a tackle pile.

A’Koja grinned with the infectious joy of the scene as she strolled up beside the fracas.

Theodore followed the chase at a more leisurely pace and mostly to make sure the boy was not squished in an attempt to get the ball. “Let him up. We do not need another medical trip. Your parents will not let us play football again” He instructed in a calm voice smiling as everyone got up grinning and breathless at the fun they were having .

He took the ball and kicked it back down the field finally noticing the woman stood there watching. Theo waved and started towards her. “You made it then Ms Dea. All settled in?” He wondered as they reached each other.

“Oh I’ll worry about that later.” She waved it off. “You got them playing! Did they seem to know the game already? Or did you begin from scratch?”

“Already knew. Pretty sure football or soccer is universal throughout the galaxy in one form or another.” he admitted. He had not really put much work into getting them to play football. He had just brought the ball.

A’Koja jogged over to the kids and started kicking the ball too. She played fair for a while but then…

She playfully snatched the ball and held it aloft. They said a lot of things and a small audio/video device on her collar recorded for later study. “This, you want this?” She looked at one of the kids, with his missing baby teeth. “You want this back?” She hugged the ball and knelt and looked him in the face. She pointed to herself, “A’Koja.” She said. Then she pointed at him.

“Duvan,” he said.

“Duvan,” she repeated, pointing again to him, then to herself again “A’Koja” then to Winslow “Theo” Then back at the boy, “Duvan” and lastly, she pointed to the ball under her arm the same way, as if asking for a name.

“Vad!”

“Vad.” A’koja stored that away. Nouns tended to be an easy place to start. She awarded him the vad.

Theo watched intrigued as the woman interacted with the children. At his name being mentioned he gave an awkward wave and a smile. He could see why she approached the language barrier with the youngest child as he was a lot more open than the teenager under the tree or the parents watching them and everything around them. “What do you need from me?” He asked softly as Duvan ran to his friends laughing.

“Here, wear this for me. The more observations I can review with the language, the better.” She handed him a collar clip with a little audio/ visual device. “Can you gather them in a circle, maybe over in the shade? I need them to teach me preschool.”

He took the device and hooked it into the top of his shirt, pretty sure the clip would not go over the thick band of the jogging trousers he wore. “Yes ma’am.” He offered a smile as he jogged after the kids and grabbed up the ball as they seemed to like a good game of chase.

A’Koja joined them with her tote bags. She set them to one side like a big mystery and didn’t let anyone peek. “Shoo! Shoo! Wait!” she said to the Little girl with her grabby hands, putting her bags behind her protectively. “Theo, will help.” She told them, prompting him to sit in the circle with them.

“Come on.” The security chief said sitting down on the grass patting it to get everyone else too. The grass even in the shade was warm but he resisted the urge to lie down and enjoy it like he would any other time he came to the Environmental Ring.

She gave Theo a bag of candy. “Theo is our awards manager. You do promise not to eat the awards?”

Theo looked down at the candy and already nearly had a piece of it near his mouth as he was asked to promise not too. He grinned and put the piece back as everyone laughed at the exchanges. “Sure. I can be keeper of candy.”

A’Koja pointed to her nose, and then to Theo’s nose and then to one of the children’s noses. She made a curious look as if to say what is *that* on your face?

All of the children shouted out “Hebne!”

“Oh! Hebne!” A’Koja said, smacking her head with her hand. “Of course! Candy all around Theo!”

It was strange to hear his name being repeated so much. It was normally chief or Lieutenant not Theo. He passed onto the candy before claiming his own piece with a wink. He slowly became more comfortable, maybe he was good at dealing with children after all.

She went on to her eyes and ears and mouth. They discovered words for arms and legs and hair and fingers and belly buttons. The children learned quickly that they were being awarded for pointing to things and saying what they were and started shouting out things for grass and shoe and pants— anything they could run to and touch.

A’Koja pulled the next thing from her bag- some chalk. They would draw pictures on the pathways and name things. Shapes. Colors. Creatures of which she wasn’t especially sure if the anatomy was accurate or what planets they were from if they were. One of the children who called herself Ayalou, realizing that A’Koja wanted to learn, began to spontaneously sing a song and, hardly missing a beat— the others sang along.

“Oh! We get a recital.” A’Koja whispered.

“She’s a smart kid.” Theo said, glancing at A’Koja. He nodded at Ayalou encouragingly. The security chief was relieved to see how different she looked in the weeks since the incident had nearly robbed her of her family. The children seemed to be adjusting so much better than the adults and he really wanted to find out why properly and help them if he could resettle.

On about what A’Koja took to be the third verse, there was a squabble between two of the children; A’Koja supposed they disagreed on the lyrics as one seemed to be corrective and the other offended.

From a bit of a distance, the teen barked something at them both, telling them a third completely different line. Everyone accepted he was right and re-sang the verse.

A’Koja looked to the teen with a thankful nod, though he only turned away with crossed arms.

Like a little choir director who was pleased to have a captive audience, Ayalou launched into a different favorite song. This one came with clapping and motions and wiggling arms like something that swam and something that crawled and something that jumped. A’Koja paid close attention, trying to suss out verbs. Some of the creature names she recognized from the chalk drawings. “This is very, very good. Do you think we can arrange this again tomorrow, Mr. Winslow?” She asked.

Theo quickly went through his mental time table of what he had planned for tomorrow. “Sure. Do you mind it being an hour later? I have security cadet drills that I cannot reschedule.” He admitted tossing the ball at Duvan for the boy to keep. He would bring another game tomorrow, variety would help this process. “Bring tomorrow.” He requested slowly. The boy grinned and ran off to his parents with his prize.

A'Koja appreciated watching the officer with the children. They liked him and the trust would count for a lot in building the connection they needed. “No, an hour later will be just fine.” She held out a hand for him to return her little camera and put it away in her pocket. “I’ll send you a progress report when I work over all of this tonight.” She went to gather her bags, slinging them over her shoulder and grinning as she left. She walked backwards a bit and called out to him cheerfully, “I think tomorrow we can graduate to kindergarten!”