Ticonderoga Chapter Six.

[Frontierzone]

Please note. The apostrophe in such words as “he’s”, “she’s”, “they’s”, “you’s”, etc. represent a sort of aspiration, that is to say, a breath, or pause, in the word.

In other words, “you’s” would sound like “you-uh-s” to our ears. This aspiration exists in both the native Meea’zian language, as well as in their use of the words in their particular “pigeon” version of Interstellar English, such as the form spoken by Miki.

Also, I'm looking mostly for Grammar. However, feel free to comment on style as well.

Chapter Six.
A Sad Turn Of Events.



Nivda Turo paced back and forth in the brig, stewing over something. Every now and then, he’d stop, look up at Miki, whose cell was across from his, and sigh. Then, it was back to pacing. Then, stopping and sighing. This routine seemed to go on for a long time before his cellmate, Sindor Miklik, finally punched him on the right shoulder, and yelled, “Stop that! You’s’re drivin’ me’s flargin’ bonk-bonk!”

“Ow! That hurt!” cried Nivda, rubbing his hurt shoulder.

“Well, you’s were getting on me’s nerves, Nivda,” retorted Sindor. “Why don’t you’s just simply tell she’s?”

“Me’s can’t!” exclaimed Nivda, with an embarrassed expression. “She’s is the boss-lady!” He then stared down at his feet, and added, “Me’s can never ever ever tell she’s.”

“Suit you's's self,” said Sindor. “Don’t tell she’s. But, no more pacin’ an’ sighin’ an’ drivin’ me up th’ flargin’ bulkhead!”

“Okay! Okay!” Nivda replied. He then sat down on his bunk, put his head in his hands, and started to cry.

Miki wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on in the cell across from her cell, which she shared with Grinda Maki-lo. Miki was doing her own share of pacing. How did it come to this? She wondered. Why did Nivda have to go out an’ steal an Admiral’s yacht? An’ a Shardon Admiral’s yacht on top of it!

She stopped momentarily, when she heard Nivda yell “Ow!”, but she paid no attention to the conversation that followed, figuring whatever it was, Nivda must have provoked it. He’s does have a way of gettin’ others flurped at he’s, she concluded.

After quite some time of pacing, Miki sat down on her bunk, and began to worry about their defense. She didn’t even seem to notice that Nivda was on his bunk, directly opposite from her, crying.

But Grinda noticed. “Poor Nivda,” she said, with a sigh.

Miki looked at her, puzzled. “What th’ flarg are you’s talkin’ about?” she demanded.

“Can’t you’s see for you's's self? He’s's crying, poor thing. And, no wonder. You’s won’t even give he’s the time of day,” scolded Grinda.

“Huh? What th’ flarg’s that s’posed ta mean?” asked Miki, sounding more confused.

“Hmph,” sighed Grinda. “You’s are the boss-lady, but you’s don’t know everything. If you’s can’t figure it out, then too bad,” she retorted. She then turned back toward the other cell, and sighed. Poor dear sweet Nivda. Hang in there, my friend. Someday, she’s’ll understand, and come around. Never give up. Poor guy.

Sindor sat down on the bunk, beside Nivda, and tapped him on his good shoulder. “Hey, pal. Me’s'm sorry me’s hit you’s so hard,” he said. “We’s’re still friends, okay?”

Nivda looked up, sniffled, and said, “Sure. We’s have always had our disagreements, but we’s will always be friends.”

Sindor patted his friend on the back, and said to him, “Tell me’s, Nivda, what’s wrong?”

Nivda sniffled again, and said, “You’s know what’s wrong. Me’s love she’s. Me’s have loved she’s for months, now. But, me’s can’t tell she’s, because she’s is the boss-lady.”

“Me’s would like ta point out,” said Sindor, “that she’s ain’t th’ boss-lady no more. We’s’re all under arrest on th’ same charges, an’ we’s’re all goin’ ta end up in prison.”

Nivda thought it over, then said, “You’s may be right, Sindor. But, right now, me’s can’t tell she’s. Maybe, after me’s have thought some more about it, me’s will get up the nerve to tell she’s, but not right now. Me’s need to rest.”

“Okay, pal. You’s rest,’ said Sindor. He then got up from the bunk, and let Nivda lie down. Poor guy, he thought, as he watched Nivda cry himself to sleep.

Aw, poor Nivda. Thought Grinda. Crying he’s self to sleep. Why doesn’t he just tell she’s? And why doesn’t she’s ever notice Nivda’s little attempts to get she’s attention?

“Look at he’s,” said Grinda, aloud. “Poor guy.”

Miki looked up, to see what Grinda was talking about. “What? Oh, he‘s,” she said, matter-of-factly.

Grinda’s jaw dropped. “Is that all you’s can say? The poor guy is crying he’s's self to sleep, and all you’s can say is ‘oh, he’s’?” she noted, incredulously.

Miki looked at Grinda, and said, “It’s pathetic. Me’s know he’s’s scared. We’s all scared, but…”

“Oh, me’s give UP!” shouted Grinda. “Miki. It isn’t because he’s is scared!”

Miki got a puzzled expression on her face. “Huh?” was all she could muster.

Grinda sighed, and sat down beside Miki. “He’s is in love, Miki…” she started to say.

“But… You’s’re married!” Miki interjected. “Why would he’s be in love with you’s?”

Grinda half sighed, half chuckled. “No, Miki,” she said, patting her friend’s right shoulder. “Not me’s. He’s is in love with you’s.”

Miki stood bolt upright. “Me’s?! But-but-but-but…” She plopped back down again. “Oh, no… Poor guy is right.” Miki gave out a sigh, and then said to Grinda, “Me’s have to rest. This is too much for me’s. Far too much in one day.”

Grinda got up, and said to her friend, “Of course. Me’s’ll be over there, if you’s need me’s”

Miki sighed, and lied down. “Thanks, Grinda,” she said, and she tried to get some sleep.

“You’s are welcome,” said Grinda, as she looked toward the cell across the way. She began crying herself, thinking about her husband, Hando Maki-lo, out there, running guns for the Meea’zian underground, in Nova Roman space.

He’s is going to return, to find me’s gone. They’s will tell he’s that me’s have been arrested. And me’s never got the chance to tell he’s about this, either, she thought, rubbing her belly. She hadn’t yet begun to show, but the test was positive. Me’s will have we’s first born in a Human prison. She began to weep softly, at the thought.

Sindor watched Nivda, as the latter lie on the bunk, hugging his pillow. Nivda was curled up, having finally cried his last tear, and was now dreaming. Poor Nivda, thought Sindor. He’s’s dreamin’ of she’s. Look at he’s, just huggin’ he’s’s pillow, an’ talkin’ to it, like it’s she’s, an’ all.

Sindor looked across the way, and saw Grinda was now weeping. “Grinda? Are you’s goin’ ta be okay, cuz?” he asked, with a concerned look on his face.

Grinda looked over at him, with tears running down her cheeks, and sniffled. She tried to catch her breath, and then addressed him. “Hi, Sindor. Yes… me’s think so…” she said, sobbing.

Sindor looked with concern at his cousin. “You’s don’t seem okay to me‘s, Grinda,” he stated. “Me’s know it’s gonna be tough, goin’ ta Human prison with you’s hubby out there. But, when he’s gets back, he’s’ll be told, and me’s’m sure he’s’ll be able ta visit you’s. Me’s’m certain the Humans allow… um… conjugal visits.”

She started to cry again, and then she switched to a sort of half-cry half-laugh. “Oh, Sindor! You‘s… you’s don’t under… understand…” she said, trying hard to pull herself together. “Me’s am… well… let’s just say, his last time home was… productive.”

“Productive?!” he shouted, waking both Miki and Nivda. “What the flarg do you’s mean, productive? All you’s two did th’ whole time is stay home an’…” He then realized what she was trying to tell him, and looked down at his toes, embarrassed. “Oh… you’s mean… um… ‘productive’ as in reproductive, is that it?”

She then nodded her head, and began to weep again. “Yes…” she said, sobbing violently. “Me’s… baby… will… be… born… in… a… Human… prison!”

Upon hearing this, Miki got up, went over to her friend, and held her. While Grinda cried on Miki’s shoulder, Susie entered the corridor leading to the cells. She heard the sobbing, and went to the females’ cell, to check and see what the matter was.

Nivda, in the meanwhile, was sitting on his bunk, thinking. Sindor turned toward his friend, and said, “Wow! Me’s never thought about that.”

“Huh? Oh, that. Yeah, poor Grinda. And poor Hando,” replied Nivda. “Their first born, and in prison, no less. Do you’s think that the humans will be more lenient, since she’s is pregnant?”

“Yeah, me’s think so,” Sindor replied. “They’s’re a very soft hearted species. They’s’ll figure somethin’ out.”

In the females’ cell, Susie was trying to calm Grinda down, and ascertain what was wrong. “Miki? What’s the matter with your friend? I don’t understand very much of your language, and with her crying, it’s even harder to understand her.”

“She’s’s pr… you’s understand we’s?” asked Miki, taken aback.

“Just a little, Miki,” said Susie. “But that’s not important right now. What’s wrong with her? All I get is her repeating something about a ‘Human baby prison’. What’s she babbling about?”

“She’s’s pregnant, and she’s’s afraid her baby’ll be born in Human prison,” Miki answered.

Susie’s jaw dropped. “She’s preg… Oh… Well, that explains her anxiety,” she said. “This puts a whole new spin on her case. I’ll have to let both the Captain and CMO know. Doctor Shalvera will want to examine her, of course.”

“Of course,” Miki replied. She then translated for Grinda, who nodded, and pulled herself together. “Um, me’s was just wondering, why’re you’s here, an’ how is it that you’s understand we’s?”

“I only understand a little, but that’s why I’m here,” said Susie. “The Captain knows that, before I went to Annapolis, I hitchhiked my way through space. I encountered some Meea’zians on one of my trips, and learned some of the language and culture. I‘ve been assigned as your Liaison Officer during your time here.”

“Oh, good!” exclaimed Miki. “We’s need someone who can understand we’s's needs and such. Will you’s see to it that Grinda gets the proper care?”

“Yes, of course I will,” said Susie. “Our CMO is one of the best in the galaxy. And you are all due for a full exam anyway. All prisoners must be examined in a timely manner. That’s another reason I was sent here, to let you know that you’ll all be escorted to Sickbay in less than ten minutes. In all of this confusion with Grinda, I nearly forgot.”

Miki translated this news to her people. Grinda and Sindor both seemed pleased at the news, but Nivda looked scared. “Examination? But-but-but-but…” he stammered. “Me’s hate doctors, with all of they’s’s instruments, and needles, and…” With that, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fainted.