Hide and Cheep

Posted on Sat Nov 2nd, 2024 @ 5:47pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,207 words; about a 6 minute read

Adrianna walked down the narrow hallway of the USS Arcadia, her gaze skimming over each door panel as she moved, pretending to focus on her duty schedule. But her heart wasn’t really in it, not when there was a “chicken” to find.

Halfway down, she spotted it– a tiny, ridiculous chicken sticker plastered onto a bulkhead, just below eye level. It was no bigger than her thumb, but it was a bright and unapologetically silly beacon of absurdity against the ship’s pristine, metallic decor. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she stepped closer, inspecting it.

She felt the tickle of nostalgia in her chest, Vance’s memory more alive than ever. Before he’d lost his memory, they’d shared so many inside jokes, promises that had been lost to time and circumstance… until now. This was him, in his own strange way, reaching out, leaving her a breadcrumb trail to follow. If only Zai knew what this meant.

Adrianna plucked the sticker off the wall, careful not to tear it, and placed it gently in her pocket. “You’re sneaky, Zai,” she muttered with a smirk, knowing the poor guy was probably following orders without any idea of the significance still.

***

Late the following day, Adrianna was headed to the crew lounge, her mind elsewhere as she rounded a corner near the mess hall. She nearly missed it– just a small flash of yellow and orange, peeking out from the bottom edge of the replicator unit. Her heart skipped.

Kneeling down, she found it: another chicken sticker, just slightly crooked as if hurriedly slapped in place. It had a goofy expression, one eye slightly bigger than the other, and its wings held up as if waving at her.

Adrianna couldn’t help but laugh softly, brushing her fingertips over the sticker. Each one of these felt like a tiny whisper from Vance, almost as if he were here beside her, still up to his old tricks. She could almost hear him saying ‘I’m coming’. This was his promise, the one she thought was lost to the past. And yet, here it was, unfolding before her in a series of ridiculous little chickens.

Slipping the sticker into her pocket beside yesterday’s, she straightened up just in time to see Zai walking by, casting her a curious look. She offered a knowing smile and shrugged. “Just… admiring the décor, cucciolo.”

***

Adrianna returned to her office after a long shift, barely awake enough to appreciate the warm, comforting aroma of her replicated coffee. She took a slow, deep sip, letting the rich taste revive her a little as she skimmed through the latest reports. It was only as she reached the bottom of the cup, tilting it for the last bit of coffee, that she noticed it– a chicken sticker, affixed to the inside bottom of her cup.

How?

She chuckled, shaking her head at the little cartoon chicken grinning up at her, legs spread wide in a victorious stance, as if it had conquered her coffee. Somehow, that ridiculous sticker felt more like a message than any words Vance could have left her. A symbol that he hadn’t forgotten. That he was reaching out to her, little by little… in the form of a gawddamn chicken, ruining her coffee.

She traced a finger around the sticker’s edge, her thoughts drifting. She shook any trace of coffee from it and placed it on her desk to dry.

Zai was getting creative, and she wondered just how he managed to sneak it there without her noticing. He’d probably laugh if he knew he was helping Vance keep a promise from the past– one as strange and sweet as this. Although, she couldn't help but feel a guilt for not explaining. Vance was his friend too. For the sake of not wanting to push, in case this wasn't Vance regaining his full memory, he would never know though.

Looking down at the four stickers, Adrianna knew that she needed to keep them safe. Every little chicken was its own piece of him, a small reminder that Vance, somewhere out there, was still thinking of her, leaving her a trail to follow and to ensure that she smiled at least once a day.

***

Each evening, Adrianna took a few quiet moments to work on her small book– a simple notebook she’d replicated, transformed into a keepsake of this strange, wonderful ritualistic game of ‘Hide and Cheep’. That was actually how she had labeled the cover: “Vance's Hide and Cheep” She’d numbered the pages from one to a hundred, each one waiting to hold its own little memento. Every sticker she found had its place, along with a brief note describing where it had been hiding:

“Given to me by Zai to acknowledge the game.”

“Bulkhead on my quarter’s floor, near Turbolift panel.”

“Mess hall replicator.”

Somehow, the book made the experience more tangible, as if each sticker brought Vance’s presence closer. She knew that she would flip through the pages every so often, imagining what he’d think if he ever saw it. He’d probably laugh, a soft, warm laugh she missed hearing, and tease her for documenting every silly chicken he left behind. Equally, he may have been impressed by some of the ingenious hiding spots– after all, Zai didn't make it easy for her.

Tonight, she added the latest find, pressing it carefully onto page four. Replicator, bottom of coffee cup, she wrote with a small smile, remembering the surprise she’d felt. That one was a little darker in colour further to its swim.

She’d filled nearly a weeks’ worth already, and there was still a long way to go. A hundred stickers, a hundred days… each one a quiet reminder, a small piece of Vance that she was carrying forward, page by page.

***

Adrianna had grown accustomed to finding chicken stickers in out-of-the-way places, but this one was a new level of daring.

She spotted it during a routine shift on the bridge, her eyes catching a tiny flash of yellow on the back of the captain’s chair. A ridiculous little chicken stuck there for all to see– or at least, for anyone observant enough to notice. Her heart skipped at the sight, realising Zai must’ve gotten bolder, and she bit back a grin.

The bridge was busy, officers moving in and out, each focused on their stations. She’d have to be careful; even the slightest wrong move would catch everyone’s attention. Feigning nonchalance, Adrianna walked over to the captain’s chair, pretending to adjust her uniform as she casually leaned against the headrest. She reached back, her fingers finding the small, familiar shape, and peeled it off smoothly. It took every ounce of her control not to laugh as she slipped the sticker into her pocket.

Back in her quarters that evening, she gently pressed it into her book on page five, where it belonged, underlined by her note: Captain’s chair, bridge. She could still feel the thrill of discovery, knowing each sticker brought her closer to a memory she’d thought she’d lost forever.

 

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