“So.”, said Sydin as they stood in the main transporter room, preparing to beam down to Liraxa IV. She turned to Alcyone, who immediately felt her heartbeat accelerate. The woman’s brown eyes were almost piercing as she regarded her, and Alcyone figured that this must be what prey felt like. She steeled her expression and met Sydin’s gaze. 

“What is it, Lieutenant?”

“Well, I figured since I don’t know you yet, it would be good to get to know you.”

Get to know her? Usually, Alcyone would be thrilled. She was generally a sociable person and liked to maintain several friendships. But this was Sydin, and her first impression of her hadn’t been pleasant.

“Ah.”, she said tentatively. “What do you want to know?”

Sydin crossed her arms, letting the slight hum of the transporter room fill the temporary silence between them. She gave a slow, deliberate glance around, and then finally settling her gaze back on Alcyone. 

“You know,” she began, her voice casual but with an underlying sharpness, “I’ve been reading up on Rodulans. Not much to go on, really. Your people are… private, aren’t they?”

Alcyone shifted her stance, but stood firm. She didn’t like how this was starting, and she was fairly sure she also wouldn’t like were this was going.  Sydin was making her nervous, and it wasn’t a topic she liked to speak about.

“I don’t think I am the best person to answer that question.”, she replied after some thought. “As you may have read, I am only half Rodulan. The other half is human. I grew up on Colludia, not Basul Rodul. As you said, they are private people.”

Sydin narrowed her eyes. “So, did your Rodulan parent not teach you anything? Even if you didn’t grow up among Rodulans, you must have picked up something.” There was a pause before she added, “Or is it that they didn’t want you to learn?”

This was… highly uncomfortable. Alcyone shifted her weight once more, crossed her arms, and fixed her gaze on Sydin. Still, she answered. “I was adopted. I didn’t meet my Rodulan parent.” Her tone was blunt, and a little sharper than intended. 

“Adopted, huh.” Sydin seemed to chew on that for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to press further or drop the subject.

“Interesting,” she finally said, her voice cool. “So, you’ve got all this untapped potential, but no one to show you how to use it. Seems like a waste.”

Alcyone took a deep breath. Truth be told, she was used to people asking these questions – especially non-telepaths. Even on a specialised vessel such as the Callisto, it wasn’t uncommon for people to want to assess how easily someone could get into their mind, and how likely they were to do so. 

Of course there was a code of conduct to forbid it unless consensual, but Sydin wasn’t the first who wanted to know – just in case Alcyone didn’t adhere to these societal rules. “I am not even sure about that. Telepathy in hybrids is always fickle. What I do know is that my Rodulan genetics changed the way I age, and not in a good way.” She attempted a smile, and a switch of subject.

Sydin took the bait.  “Aging slower, or faster?” she asked, ignoring the shift in tone entirely.

“Because if it’s the former,” she added, her voice still sharp, “I’d hardly call that a downside.”

“Irratically.”, Alcyone explained, glad to have shifted away from the telepathy issue. “I grew slower than other kids my age, always lagged behind them. That wasn’t much fun if I am honest. Imagine you are twelve and look like an eight years old. Hard to make friends that way.” 

Especially if one considered that there was a physical component to mentally growing up. The brain first needed to develop, and for Alcyone, that had taken longer than for purely human children.

Sydin’s brow furrowed slightly, though she kept her arms firmly crossed and her posture still stiff. “I imagine it must’ve made things… complicated. Must’ve taken a toll on how people treated you.”

She glanced at Alcyone, the curiosity still there, though now slightly tempered with a hint of understanding. “And now? Has it evened out, or are you still waiting to catch up?”

“I’ve not aged significantly since I hit my early twenties. It’s annoying. People tend to think I am some ensign in the wrong uniform.”, Alcyone said dismissively, attempting a smile.

Sydin smirked, but it quite didn’t reach her eyes. “I suppose it has its advantages. But I can’t imagine how it feels to be stuck like that. Especially when your peers are all advancing.”

“Well, imagine it this way – you might look younger, maybe have an extended lifespan, but everyone around you is growing and developing and … growing old. Do you have siblings?”

Sydin raised an eyebrow. “No siblings. Just me.”

She leaned against the transporter console, her posture a little more tense than before. “What about you? Did you ever feel like your adoptive family treated you differently because of your heritage?”

“I was never treated differently. My siblings are not my parent’s biological children either. But… what I mean is, imagine you watch them grow old and then eventually… well, die. Same with friends, loved ones. So as enticing as staying young for a century does sound, I’d rather just age normally.”

Sydin thought about that, choosing her words carefully. “It must be lonely in a way. I suppose being different can isolate you, even if it’s not intentional.”

“A little, sometimes.” Alcyone admitted. “But I learned that fitting in is the opposite of belonging, and I want to belong. That’s what brought me to Starfleet. I can be the way I am and be accepted for my uniqueness, just like you.” 

“I wonder if that’s what makes Starfleet different – this idea of accepting people who don’t conform to the norm.”

“Do you always conform to the norm?”

Sydin smirked, the corner of her lips twitching slightly. “I wouldn’t say I’m the poster child for conformity. I prefer to keep my distance from people.” She paused.  “Though, I suppose being ‘normal’ has its perks. Less scrutiny, fewer questions. Isn’t it exhausting, always being the ‘different’ one?”

Alcyone thought about that, and then decided to push back on this. “Do you? Find it exhausting, I mean.”

Sydin’s expression shifted for a moment, a flicker of … something..  breaking through her icy demeanor. “I mean, it’s easier to just… fit in. To be someone people expect.”

“That would be boring.”, Alcyone shrugged, trying to acknowledge Sydin’s hint of insecurity without addressing it. 

“Have you ever met any other Rodulans?” Sydin asked, her curiosity resurfacing. “I mean, it must be a unique experience, connecting with someone who shares that part of your heritage. Or do you find that you’re just… different from them, too?”

“I haven’t met any. And I am not sure I could even connect to them. I know I can’t connect to most other telepathic species.”, Alcyone admitted. She had a Betazoid colleague she once attempted to connect to, but it had been painful for both of them.

“That sounds frustrating. You’re caught between two worlds but don’t fully belong to either.”

“I belong here.”, said Alcyone firmly. This was going a little too far, and made her feel a little too vulnerable. “And I believe we should get going.”

Sydin nodded. “Fair enough,” she said, turning toward the transporter pad. “Let’s see how well that confidence serves you on Liraxa IV.”