USS Brahe

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====== The Tattle Tale ======

{{infobox> 
title = The Tattle Tale
series = [[lcars:stories:the_lost_years|The Lost Years]]
author = Fiona
rated = <color #22b14c>**G**</color>
originally published = 2021-09-07
characters = [[lcars:lauren_lauren|Lauren Lauren]]
}}

I like the tunnels. They’re long and you can see how they bend way  way away, so that it looks like people are walking up out of ground like  molemen in that holo mommy Cindy said I shouldn’t watch but I snuck out  and a bunch of us watched until T’Til tattled on us which is why we  call him T’Til Tattle Tale. I wish he had a tail because then he would  be T’T Tattle Tale Tail. I think about it and put a hand over my mouth  because I’m supposed to keep quiet.

Drilia gave me a mean look. She would probably wrinkle her nose at me  if she had one, but I guess not everyone has noses. I can’t help but  touch mine to make sure it’s still attached. “You need to be quiet,” she  whispered sharply. “We’re gonna get caught and TT is always listening.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t say anything. Freddie was on lookout and  Drilia was supposed to keep the light so I could see. Even with the  little red pocket torch, it’s hard to see where I’m supposed to put my  hands. I feel them get caught on the wires inside the wall, but it’s the  only way we can turn the kid sensors off and leave the residences.

I didn’t really want to leave but Drilia and Freddie said it’s really  neat outside the tunnels. I thought everything was just rocks and cold  and that didn’t sound like fun at all. I wanted to stay in and play with  the holos or momma Debby’s models, even though I accidentally broke the  last one. I know they only invited me because my hands are really small  and I kind of know how things work, but potato batteries are not the  same as sensors. I told them that but they just laughed and Drilia took  me aside and said she would cook me up in a stew if I didn’t help.

Something inside the wall bit me, but then the stripe on the floor  that said where kids couldn’t go turned off and Drilia smiled that  creepy big smile that made me think she was a snake. She turned the  torch off and didn’t help me up. Instead, she went to Freddie and kissed  his cheek to let him know we could leave.

Drilia and Freddie had been dating now for at least two weeks which  was forever. I just thought it was gross and I really didn’t want to  know if she would lay an egg or eat him or what if they got married.  Maybe she was more like a Mantis than a Snake. I was kind of glad she  didn’t help me up.

Freddie and Dilia stood on the line but wouldn’t go through. I think  they were scared and Freddie said, “You first, Lauren,” and I said, “No  way,” but Dilia took his side which I guess made sense but my moms fight  all the time so maybe Dilia and Freddie were in love and were going to  make snake babies.

“You messed with it, you try it,” Freddie said and Dilia added a  “Uh-hu,” and I guess that made perfect sense because I didn’t fight and  just said, “Fine.”

I was just going to put my food through and see but Dilia pushed me  from behind, so I fell on my face. It hurt and it was mean and unfair  and I was going to say so, or cry, but then I realized the alarm didn’t  go off and the force field stayed off which means I did it!

“Nice, Lauren,” Freddie said. He took Dilia’s scaly hand and they ran  off down the tunnel. I wiped my face and stood. I could hear their  footsteps as they kept running but I didn’t follow right away. I sat up  on the line, wondering if I should follow them or go home. It was late  and there was a curfew for kids so they didn’t get lost in the tunnels.

It was so quiet and spooky. After curfew, when all the kids were  supposed to be home and in bed, the grownups turned the tunnel lights  low. Sometimes my moms would take me to a friend’s home late and one  time when I got scared, they brought me home because I wouldn’t stop  crying. I kind of felt like that now; I wanted to go, because I wanted  to see what Freddie and Dilia saw, even if they were mean. But I also  wanted to go home at the same time.

I felt something beside me. I turned and T’Til was sitting next to me  on the line. He was cross-legged and wearing one of those Vulcan robes  his parents always made him wear. It was a little browner than his skin  and he looked at me with in a weird way. Even though Dilia was really  weird looking, T’Til was really weird . He always talked about  logic and tried to hide his emotions, but I saw him crying in the play  center a few times and his parents didn’t even hug him, just walked him  out. I understood Dilia, even if I didn’t like her. I never knew why  T’Til did anything and I especially didn’t know why he was sitting next  to me in the tunnel.

“You are in conflict,” T’Til finally said in a really, really boring voice.

I squeaked—because it was the only thing I could think to do. T’Til  just kept looking at me. “I observed Fredrick and Dilia’din pull you  aside today in class,” he continued. “Since this was a deviation in  their normal adversarial behavior, I concluded something nefarious was  afoot.” I was happy he paused for a second because I wasn’t sure I knew  what all those words meant. “I can see that my deduction proved correct;  though, I am surprised you have not accompanied them beyond the  threshold, nor have you retreated. Logic suggests you are in conflict.”

I think he was impatient because he I just sat there and tried to  understand what he meant. I thought I knew, but wasn’t sure, and T’Til  had a way of making me feel dumb even with stuff I thought I should  know.

He sighed. “You did a bad thing,” he said simply. “But, you do not know if you want to keep being bad or do something good.”

I understood this. “Uh-hu,” I nodded. “I want to see the surface,  though,” I said carefully. I was trying to sound smart like him, but I  think it just came out slow. I felt my cheeks flushing and tears in my  eyes, but I tried to do what T’Til was doing. I knew he didn’t like  crying.

“They will not see the surface,” he said evenly. “They do not know where they are going, and they do not have you to disable the other sensors which await them.”

“More sensors?” I asked, surprised.

T’Til nodded. “Indeed. The residences are vast with many intersecting corridors. Ours tunnels are but one in hundreds.”

I knew there were lots of tunnels. I didn’t know there were hundreds . “What’s going to happen now?” I asked.

“You may choose,” T’Til said as he stood. “You may follow them and  hope to see the surface or,” he offered his hand. “I will walk you back  to your quarters.”

I didn’t hear Freddie or Dilia’s steps anymore. I looked up at T’Til  and his hand. He wasn’t looking at me, but away, down the tunnel where  we had come. When Freddie and Dilia talked about seeing the surface,  they made it sound really easy and fun. When I thought about it, I  really wanted to go home.

I took T’Til’s hand. It was warm and his grip was firm but gentle. I  watched as his robe glided smoothly as he walked me down the tunnel to  my door. I noticed how he kept his hood over his head. I thought maybe  he was scared someone would know who he was. Then I remembered he was  the only Vulcan kid in class. Everyone must know who he is. I asked.

He didn’t say anything.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. When we got to my door, he  took his hand back and it disappeared into his robe. “Good evening, Miss  Lauren,” he said and turned. He started to walk away.

“Wait!” I heard myself cry. He stopped and faced me. “I just wanted  to say thank you and I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry I called you T’Til  Tattle Tale.”

He bowed slightly. “Good evening, Miss Lauren,” he said again. This  time I didn’t say anything as he glided away. I stood there for a while  until he disappeared far down the corridor. I didn’t know what else to  do, so I went inside and to bed.

A few days later, I found out that Freddie and Dilia got caught and  grounded. I asked T’Til if he told on them. He only looked at me blankly  and said nothing. Even though I’m pretty sure he told on them, he  didn’t tell on me, so I stopped calling him a Tattle Tale and just T’Til  until he moved away.

{{tag>stories "the lost years"}}