Star Trek HERITAGE

_____

FLAWED,

LIKE ME A Short Scene

By T.L. Shull

This short story is a fan written work and is not intended to infringe upon

the copyrights of Paramount Pictures, CBS Corporation, or Pocket Books.

It is provided free of charge to all fans for your enjoyment. Unauthorized copying or reproduction is prohibited. “Star Trek” is a registered

trademark of Paramount Pictures and CBS Corporation.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

This scene was created as a possible “interlude”

for Book Three of my Heritage series. While the

decision whether to include it has not yet been

finalized, I felt the scene was worthy enough to

share.

For those who may not have read “Star Trek:

Heritage, Book One – A Break with Tradition”,

you should note that Cassidy is the youngest of

three children born to Admiral Wm. T. Riker and

Ambassador Deanna Troi.

Unlike her two older siblings, Cassidy was born

with what is deemed to be a “birth defect” by

Betazoids – Xenon Syndrome or “Outsider’s

Disease.” She is unable to telepathically or

empathically sense any other species – but more

importantly – no telepathic/empathic species can

sense her existence either.

You should also be aware that Cassidy defects to

a Reman-led militia when she is eighteen years

old.

Hope you enjoy this little insight to Cassidy’s

mind. TLS

STARBASE 214

PROMENADE

KRELIOS’ GALACTIC CANDY SHOPPE

Her father held her aloft so she could see

into the clear glass cases that covered the

amazing assortment of confectionary delights

underneath. The array of choices was dazzling –

bright colored twists and dark-glazed bonbons sat

next to glistening marbleized spires that

resembled mouth-blown glass.

She had never seen anything like it.

She heard her father’s deep, soft and

humored voice at her ear. “I need your help Hop.

We need to pick out a gift for your mother.” She

felt him kiss her behind her ear “…and then I

think you can pick one out for yourself.”

She beamed with the thought of it,

stupefied by the utterly open field of choices

available to her. She was blissfully overwhelmed.

“So much…” she whispered in awe.

Riker laughed quietly. “There is a lot to

choose from, isn’t there? It’s why I need you to

help me decide. What do you think your mother

would like?”

Without missing a beat, Cassidy giggled.

“Chocolate!”

Riker laughed with her. “Yes, she would

like chocolate, wouldn’t she?”

“The chocolates are over here Captain,”

said a short green-skinned man with a sandy-

toned mane that surrounded his wrinkled face in

a perfect oval. “Our sculptors are the best in all

of the Alpha Quadrant.”

The man led them to a covered set of

shelving on the far wall of the unique shop on

Starbase 214 and proudly held up his hands as if

to model the showcase for them.

Cassidy gawked. “Wow…” she sighed as

her eyes scoured the selection under her gaze.

The chocolates here weren’t just dipped

balls or molded squares or shapes, they were

hand-sculpted pieces of art; each a remarkable

work unto itself and lovingly crafted by an

obviously gifted artisan.

There were animals and people of many

different species; there were carvings of

buildings that Cassidy had only seen in pictures

in her classpadds or hololessons; there were

ships, shuttles and even perfectly carved

spherical planets with etched continents,

mountains and oceans.

Cassidy’s eyes roamed over the mind-

bending selection trying to imagine the

expression on her mother’s face as she held each

object in her hands; laughing when she imagined

her mother’s confused look when opening a box

to find a chocolate Talarian hinder-beast. No, her

mommy definitely would not think a hinder-beast

was a pretty gift from her daddy.

Suddenly her eyes halted on a sublime

and beautifully carved representation of a soft,

feminine form. She had long flowing hair and

four delicate arms; from each arm sprung an

incredible array of delicate and fragile ribbons

floating away from her. If Cassidy didn’t know

any better, she would have thought it some kind

of bird if not for the distinctly humanoid form the

woman depicted.

She gasped audibly, “Look Daddy! Look

at that!!”

Riker shifted the weight of his five-year

old child and nodded. “Do you know what that is,

Cassidy?”

She shook her head. “No, she’s pretty

though.”

“That is the mythological creature called

Pfenola. A long time ago, before they knew

anything about space or stars or the galaxy, the

Argayan people believed that Pfenola drew the

heavens across the skies and brought the

changing of the seasons with her. When Pfenola

wanted it to be winter, she would drag ice

ribbons across the planet and when she wanted it

to be spring, she drew ribbons of clouds across

the sky to make it rain…”

Cassidy smiled brightly. “So those are her

ice ribbons?” She pondered as she looked over

the smooth lines of the incredibly detailed

chocolate ribbons of the small figurine.

“Yes,” said the salesman with the oval-

shaped mane. “She’s perfect isn’t she?”

Cassidy nodded with agreement.

“So you think Mommy will like that

one?” Riker asked her.

Cassidy’s head bounced enthusiastically.

“It’s perfect. Just like Mommy.”

Riker smiled and kissed her cheek.

“That’s right, just like Mommy.” He grinned and

let her down and directed the salesperson with his

hand to begin the arduous task of packaging the

fragile confection for the trip back to the ship.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see

Cassidy walking slowly around the store, simply

awestruck by the sheer glory of it all. He grinned

and thought: There’s nothing like a kid in a

candy store…

The salesman hurriedly pointed to his

assistant who began to gingerly remove the

chocolate goddess from the middle of the case.

The salesman then turned his attentions to the

petite child sheepishly gawking at his wares.

Proudly he pointed to another case on the

opposing wall. “Do you like sonterfruit glass?”

Cassidy’s nodding head spun so fast and

with such an excited expression, Riker laughed

aloud. “I take it that’s a yes, Hop?”

“I loooooove sonterfruit glass! You have

some?!” she asked the short, green man.

“Not only do we have some, we have the

finest blowers of it in the galaxy making it right

here in the shop!” He moved around the display

case and hustled Cassidy towards a high banked

area where, behind a translucent panel, she could

see a tall, thin man with pale, white skin blowing

air into molten sonterfruit pulp, turning and

bending it with a platinum rod and creating what

appeared to be the crystalline form of a creature

that looked remarkably like a Terran horse.

Cassidy watched him stone-faced with

unadulterated wonder. “Wooow,” she whispered.

“Look at him Daddy! Look! He’s making

animals with the sonterfruit!”

Riker turned to her and smiled, then

rushed up behind her and picked her up so she

could get a better look through the master candy-

blower’s window.

The man was intent on his work and as if

by magic, the animal’s third leg seemed to grow

from its underside. Then the artist turned the

piece and began to create the long and sinuous

final leg of the noble looking creature. Its mane

was draped back to look like wind swept through

it; the paws of the creature had talons instead of

hooves; the tail of it was scaled and each

individual scale was expertly woven into its

edifice.

Cassidy thought she had never seen

anything so beautiful in all her life.

Strangely though, the man stopped

working before the final paw was finished.

Cassidy pulled her head back curiously,

trying to figure out why the pale, thin candy-

blower looked so disappointed.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” said the green

salesman from their side. “It looks like he found

a bubble.”

“What does that mean?” Cassidy asked.

“It means there’s a flaw,” replied the

salesman bluntly.

“Where?” Cassidy asked. “I can’t see it. It

looks pretty to me.”

“You might not be able to see it, but the

artist can.”

Suddenly, to her shock and terror, the

man lifted the incredible work of art and smashed

it into countless shards on the stone-lined

worktop of his workshop.

“NO!” Cassidy cried out in distress.

“WHY?! Why did he break it!?”

The short green man turned his round

nose up to his customer and proudly replied,

“Because he found a flaw in the work. We don’t

sell anything that is flawed. He will recycle the

material and start over.”

Cassidy was horror-struck. “What flaw? I

didn’t see anything wrong with it!”

“Hop, it’s okay…” Riker tried to reassure

her.

“NO!” she cried. “It’s not right!”

“It was imperfect child! We take pride in

only selling the most perfect and beautiful

creations…”

Cassidy scowled heavily, pain crossing

her fair features.

The green man moved back to the display

case where sonterfruit glass masterpieces lined

the shelves, each one absolutely flawless. His

hand waved over it with a flowing gesture,

“Now, did you see something you liked child?”

Cassidy’s eyes were drawn back towards

the tiny shards of clear fruit glass being swept

into a pail by the man who had shattered the

beautiful animal. “I wanted that one…” she

whispered and her lips quivered. “I wanted the

one that wasn’t perfect.” She moved her head

into the crevice of her father’s neck and hugged

him tightly. “I wanted the one that was like

me…”

“What?” Riker asked sharply.

“I wanna go home Daddy. Please take me

home.”

Riker nodded and caressed her back. “Of

course Hop. Let’s go.” Riker accepted the bag

with the chocolate sculpture for his wife and

turned, Cassidy still in his arms, and made

headway back to the ship, knowing that this

small event would turn into another one of Dr.

Huilan’s short-notice therapy sessions.