Selective Noise Part 2/2

Posted on Sun Aug 2nd, 2026 @ 11:53pm by Lieutenant Darik Moreau & Lieutenant Alice Penrose

2,219 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Ghost Starship
Location: Lounge, USS Missouri

Continued from part 1

"I know a few songs..." Darik said as he glanced at her, giving a shrug. "Acoustic guitar. He taught me," he added, quietly, as he met her eyes.

"I love the sound of that," Alice admitted openly, tapping her icy glass as she thought on what a bonding experience that must have been for Darik and his father. "Mine is...just standard piano."

"Nothing...just about it," he said as his eyes went to her hands, her fingers, how she moved them. Yes. Elegant. She was a graceful mover. He was...sure he could teach her to fight, if she wanted to.

"I...enjoy it," she confessed with a half shrug, no matter how dull it might seem to others. "It's...calming, soothing."

He wouldn't have used soothing as a word for it...but he knew what she meant. He had that too, with the guitar. With archery. With his books. "Does it...make sense?" he asked, quietly. "When other things may not?"

"Always," she nodded, unable to deny it as she briefly met his eyes. "People speak about music as emotion, but there's also logic and order. Notes on a page, that tell you exactly what to do to create."

Darik nodded with understanding, giving her a small smile in agreement. "And if you go wrong, you just...start again. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Hm..." Alice narrowed her eyes in a way that made it slip she might not necessarily agree with that, but there was also amusement in the look.

He tilted his head a little at the sound, blue eyes shining with it. "Hm..." he chuckled and nodded, as if she had offered him a whole thesis rather than just a look and a sound. "Each to their own. I was never a musician."

"Well that's not true....not if you play guitar and play the songs you enjoyed growing up. I'd like to hear them," she replied firmly, neatening the dark green dress over her knees.

"I was never good at it," he warned her, looking at her with a small smile. "I can play, but I am not good by any stretch of the imagination. I want you to know that," he said in warning, his eyes bright with humour. "For when you listen to it."

"You know, where I grew up, people did this thing where they'd hand you a wrapped up present and apologise for it being bad before you'd even unwrapped it..." she said lightly with a small, wry smile.

"Did they?" he looked at her with a small smile, shaking his head at that. "I like that approach. Underpromise and overdeliver."

"You'd fit right in," she nodded to him with a soft chuckle, watching him over the rim of her glass.

He titled his head a little at that, taking a slow breath. "Not often I hear that," he said, but there was a small, almost pleased smile that came to him.

Alice shook her head and looked down at that, letting out a soft breath to quell the anger at the words. "That...still makes me antsy..." she admitted out loud, remembering their agreement.

"It's not as bad as I make it sound," he said lightly as he looked at her before he shrugged. "And a lot of it is my own doing, creating distance. It's difficult to integrate someone who keeps to themselves."

"Give me a few months," she teased lightly, a mock air of confidence about her as she sipped her drink.

Darik looked at her with a small smile, the teasing feeling warm. Comfortable. "To get used to it, or change me into an extrovert?" he teased back, eyes shining with it.

"I think you know which one," she met his eyes as she set her glass on the table with a clink, a soft laugh escaping despite her usual dry humour.

"Maybe," he said with a small smile, almost a smirk, looking at her with a touch of warmth. He found himself liking her, which...wasn't that surprising. It did make him lower his usual guards a little. There was something about her that he wasn't sure she...did on purpose. The way she seems a little bit...not off. Observant. Real. As if whenever she offered something of herself, it was with all of her, not...just the polite façade of a counsellor.

"In all seriousness, no one should be forced to be an extrovert, I can't think of anything worse," she shook her head as she crossed her legs and shifted to get a little more comfortable, leaning on the arm of the chair.

"Neither can I," he said and shook his head, sitting back as he watched her. "I prefer this. One on one conversation. But then again..." he met her eyes for a brief moment. "I am an only child."

"Huh," Alice tilted her head at the observation, not having given it much thought before. "Same," she admitted softly.

"Wonder if that has anything to say, on how a person prefers...interactions," he said as he met her eyes, a small smile on his lips as he tilted his head slightly.

"For some people, I'm sure," she nodded gently, thinking on their circumstances. "I have always...preferred peace and quiet." She used the word preferred rather than needed, although the latter was definitely true.

"Mm..." Darik nodded as he nodded, glancing to the stars outside at the words. "Silence, or just...selective noise?" he asked, finding himself a little curious how she curated the world around her.

"Selective," she nodded, not minding talking about it if he was genuinely interested. "I've learnt to tolerate more," she motioned around the bar with a hand, to indicate the ship. "In limited doses at least. Everything in moderation, it's good for the soul as much as the body."

For a moment, he just watched her. Before he nodded with acceptance as the last puzzle piece about her clicked into place. "I can't blame you," he said, lightly, before he picked up his glass to finish it. He placed it down again, but made no move to go anywhere. "I tend to...judge interactions. How much to invest in it. This is my first time as a Chief. It...will be different."

Alice nodded with understanding as she looked to him with gentle eyes. "It's more than just being good at your craft," she agreed. "It's leadership. Inspiration...motivation...mentoring people and careers."

"Hm," Darik's blue eyes focused on her, unblinking. "As you might be able to tell, I have a long history of mentoring people and their careers. My inspiration is legendary. I motivate people wherever I go..." he finally gave a small smile. "Luckily, I am nothing if not...adaptable."

"It's not for everyone. Some people prefer to just stay immersed in their craft," she gave a slight, half shrug, as if to say that was perfectly valid too.

"True. I suppose for me..." he stopped, considering it for a moment before he gave a small smile. "I always worried about not progressing. So when it comes, I go with it."

"Is that your way of saying you want to be a Captain?" she asked, but there was a note of playfulness that returned with it.

"Mm...Captain Moreau..." he said thoughtfully before he shook his head. "No. I don't think that is my destiny..." And he doubted Starfleet was ready for a half Cardassian for a Captain in his generation.

"It could be, if you wanted," she pointed out, a touch of firmness in her voice. She wasn't a telepath, but she could guess the direction of the thought.

He met her eyes, briefly, before he let out a breath. "I am not sure I would want to," he said, meaning it. "It takes a certain personality to be a good Captain."

Alice sat back in her seat, just taking a few long moments to watch him, taking him in...how he looked...the feeling of the man. "I think you are the kind of person who could do anything you set your mind to...and have no regrets about the things you passed by."

"Hm," he looked at her for a moment before he gave her a small smile. "I don't believe in regrets. I believe in service though."

"Then you came to the right place. It's what the Fleet's built on," she replied softly, with an almost fond smile.

"I know," he said, and there was a flash of humour, as if it was some sort of...joke. And in a way there was. He had always said 'I know' to his father, regardless how arrogant it made him sound. "My mother always put service first. I am my mother's child...I want to serve, and serve where I am of most use."

"But what do you do for you?" she asked with a weak smile, glancing to her hands. She didn't want it to sound like a counselling session, because it wasn't. But it was the first question that came to mind.

"I drink black tea with cardamon and a hint of honey. I go to the archery range on the holodeck, with my real bow and arrows," he said as he watched her, before he gave a small smile. "I enjoy the work, Alice. And when there is shoreleave, or a chance to get off ship...I go to museums. I read books about ancient worlds and civilisations."

"Exploring new worlds here," she said softly and thoughtfully, absently playing with a strand of dark hair. "Exploring fantasy worlds in books...exploring worlds of the past in museums...it sounds nice, Darik."

"I like learning," he said as he watched her, the way her fingers moved, the softness of her hair around her finger. She was clearly thinking, which meant he could watch her openly. "And there was a point where I tried to be the smartest in the room..."

"I think you still do," Alice admitted with a soft laugh, glancing to him knowingly. "There's nothing wrong with the pursuit of knowledge."

He chuckled, eyes warm as he looked down, shaking his head. "Or showing off..." he said and looked at her again, searching her face. "What about you? What do you do for you?"

"Find moments of quiet and calm," she replied honestly, shaking her head as she looked to the viewport. "I know, I sound utterly boring. But in this kind of position...I need it. I can stubborn my way through it, but I only end up regretting it later."

Darik nodded, looking thoughtful at the words. "You take on the emotions, worries and trauma of others," he said quietly. "Of course you need distance to just...hear yourself."

"Do you know what I miss out here?" she looked to him before chuckling softly at herself, shaking her head. "The sound of rain. I could spend hours just listening to the sound of the rain. Nothing replaces it here."

Darik let out a soft breath before he nodded, watching her with interest. "I never had that," he finally said. "Cardassia wasn't known for its rain, and the Moon's all...domes and environmental controls. I only really got rain when I was at the Academy."

"Some people would call you lucky," she chuckled softly, leaning forward to rest folded arms against the table. "Complaining about rain is a national pastime where I'm from. But I liked it...inside, of course. The constant sound, watching the trails, it was soothing."

"Inside, I am sure it has its charms," Darik said as he watched her, at the light that seemed to shine in her as she spoke of familiar things. "I just remember...training. Outside, in the rain...the wind blowing. I remember being really miserable..." he grinned, as he remembered. He had been so stubborn not to show it, so eager to be as good...no...better...than his fellow cadets.

"Yes...I suppose that wouldn't be quite as nice..." she pursed her lips with humour as she looked down to suppress a fond chuckle at his expense.

"Well, Security trains people...hard," he said and shook his head. He hadn't been there long before he had been transferred to Intelligence courses instead. Even so. He got to do some training.

"I wouldn't know, I barely know which end of a phaser is which," she admitted with a half shrug and a weak smile. "I only just managed to scrape a pass in the defence module at the academy."

Darik watched her closely, a slight frown coming to him. But he gave a nod of acceptance as well...not everyone was good at violence. And it was what using a phaser was. Violence, in another form. "I am sure that you'll be safe. Security are useful for...padding."

"Oh, I'll just be sure to hide behind you, if all else fails," Alice assured with a small, wry smile, finishing her drink.

Darik nodded, watching her for a moment before he took his PADD. He touched the screen for a moment before he smiled. "I can think of worse fates than being your shield."

---


Lt. Darik Moreau
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Alice Penrose
Chief Counsellor
USS Missouri

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