416: Alone Together

by Lair Kellyn
80720.16
Following A Gathering of Friends

-=Dining Hall, USS Alchemy=-

Sitting by himself in the corner of the dining hall, the little mechanical being gently knocked the tips of his treads together as he stared out the viewport at the passing stars.

Confirmation of the information he had asked Lieutenant Dengar to look into for him had finally come- the results being given to MiM earlier by the gentle Chief Engineer himself. Rada had been very kind as he had delivered the disappointing news.

The Builder was no longer functioning.

In fact, MiM's Builder had apparently ceased functioning years before MiM even began wondering, or asking, who he was.

As the little bot considered his current situation and surroundings, he turned his auditory sensors in the direction of laughter echoing from the other side of the room. He directed large blue visual receptors at the source of the sound; a group of humanoids that he had now come to think of as his friends.

His protectors.

They had rescued him from certain destruction, and MiM was grateful for this. He was willing, and content, to take on any task that they would deign to assign to him around the ship, either Serendipity or Alchemy, to try to provide proof to them that he was very appreciative of all that they had done for him. No matter how menial, it was important to MiM to help, however he could.

MiM happened to glance now toward the opposite corner of the room. His expression changed, to as close to a frown as his craniofacial components could produce.

*The Vedek is sad,* MiM thought. He searched the room for the humanoid who usually made the Vedek happy and when he located her, he was even more perplexed.

The Captain was staring off into space as someone spoke to her, running her fingertip absently around the top of her glass, clearly not paying attention.

*Why are they not sitting together?* MiM wondered. His vocal processors emitted a small, chirping sigh, and he once again tapped his 'toes' together.

"Hi MiM!" A small voice greeted him cheerfully. Arie reached out her hand and extended it to the small bot. "I am pleased to see you."

MiM accepted Arie's fingers gently into his pincers and slowly moved his arm up and down to shake, just as LT. Commander O'Sullivan had taught him to do when they'd first boarded the Serendipity.

"When first you meet someone, greet them just so, and you'll be on the way to making a new friend." O'Sullivan had instructed, and MiM never once missed the opportunity to make a new friend since.

"Hello, Lair Arie." MiM said gently. "Are your Builders well?"

"Osa-mekh and Oko-mekh are over there," Arie gestured toward the center of the room, where her parents were engaged in conversation with the new helmsman Ensign Todd, February Grace, and the other new ensign aboard ship, Landry Steele. "They are busy."

Arie sighed gently.

"They are often...busy." MiM correctly observed.

"Yes." Arie said, but as soon as she'd given in to the sentiment she reminded herself that her parents' work was important. Of course they were busy. "MiM, why are you sad?"

"MiM cannot be...sad." The mechanical objected. "It is not in MiM's programming."

"But you are, I know it. You can tell me, I will not tell anyone." Arie swore. "Pinkie promise." She held her smallest finger out toward MiM in the fashion that Dabin Reece had long since taught her when swearing her to secrecy that he'd let her eat half a bag of marshmallows or two bowls of sugared cereal before returning her to the care of her parents.

MiM observed how slight and fragile the digit was, and hesitated to touch it. "MiM is strong, MiM might hurt Arie."

"Well shake on it then." She shook his pincers with her whole hand instead. "Tell me?"

"My Builder," MiM confided softly, "Is no longer operational."

"Oh," Arie said softly. "I am sorry, MiM." Every day since MiM had come on the ship, he had asked everyone he met if they knew who his Builder was. Apparently, someone had finally found out. "How do you know?"

"Rada obtained the requested information for me covertly." MiM replied. "I wanted to meet the Builder. I wanted to ask him," MiM stopped.

"Ask him what? Maybe I can find out for you."

"If he would make another like MiM." The little bot replied. Once again the small beeping/whirring sigh was heard. "I am the only one of my kind among this gathering of beings."

Arie considered this thoughtfully for a long moment.

"I am the only one of my kind among this gathering of beings too."

"Elaborate." MiM requested, tilting his head toward her.

"I'm the only Bajoran/Vulcan I know." She replied. "I also am...alone."

MiM suddenly forgot his own sense of disappointment and put his cold, metallic hand atop Arie's.

"MiM is alone. Arie is alone." His eyes widened, and illuminated Arie's features with a gentle, blue glow. "We can be alone together."

"Okay." Arie answered without hesitation, leaning her head against his and putting her arm around his small shoulder.

--------------------
Commander Lair Kellyn
Director of Engineering Research
and Development
The Alchemy Project