Rocks And Shoals [Uncompleted]
Posted on 03/11/2020 @ 5:05pm by
Edited on on 06/24/2020 @ 5:35pm
Mission:
S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: USS Crazy Horse, Holodeck
Timeline: Day 0 at
Tahlin checked her chrono, then queried the computer. "Locate Lieutenant Salynn Oram."
The computer gave one of its affirmative chirrups that indicated a successful query. "Lieutenant Oram is in the Aft Lounge, Deck 11."
"Right, perfect..." The Bajoran tapped her combadge. "Lae'Or to Oram... If you've got the time, we could go on that rock-climbing expedition I talked about?"
The tinny sound of the Trill's response emanated from the environs. "Oh, I've got the time! I'm off duty as we speak, how does now sound?"
"Exactly what I was thinking... Holodeck One in twenty?"
"Perfect," came the enthusiastic reply. "That gives me just enough time to change, I'll see you there!"
[Aft Lounge]
There was a couch in Sal's quarters, naturally, as she was a senior officer aboard the ship. That couch, however, didn't come with the ambiance of the Aft Lounge found on deck 11. It almost reminded Sal of one of the dormitory common rooms from the Academy, but with more and cooler stuff. There was always a sense of bustle in the room, of relaxation and unguarded entertainment. She enjoyed it on several levels - the unspoken camaraderie, the throwback to previous lives and their less structured downtimes, and of course the stimulation of all the games and activities. Often as not, she would choose not to partake in the activities but merely 'people-watch', much as she was now. Two NCOs were playing billiards as she lounged in the corner, reading an honest to goodness paper magazine she had purchased on Starbase 614. Glossy and tactile, she had thoroughly enjoyed leafing through it, but the temptation of holodeck time with Tahlin was much more enticing. She threw the magazine on a side table as an antique curiosity to intrigue some other lounge lizard, and bounded out to her quarters to change. She had just the outfit picked out for this activity.
[Holodeck One]
Tahlin entered, and spied the Trill already present. "You're early, though only just... How are you?"
The Trill had been staring into space, or more accurately, into the gridded expanse of the bare holodeck when the Bajoran had entered. She was wearing what she hoped was an appropriate outfit for the climb, consisting of tan chino cloth shorts with rolled hems, a teal tank top made of breathable synthetic cloth, a matching headband to keep sweat and wisps of hair out of her eyes, and a pair of heavy black boots with strong ankle support. The holodeck safeties couldn't protect a klutz from her own carelessness, after all, and a rolled ankle would be a terrible way to end the day prematurely. She modeled the outfit for her host, a demure smile on her face. "I've been waiting for the chance to try this out," teased Sal.
Tahlin nodded. "Right... This program is along the coast, just so you know. Bajor has an inland sea--quite lovely. Relatively unspoiled by the Occupation... Shall we?"
It sounded divine, so Sal nodded enthusiastically. "Ready when you are!"
Tahlin called out, "Computer, initiate program Tahlin 7Alpha, Level 3."
Oram chuckled as the program took a second to materialize. "Level 3? You trust that I'm good enough to start at a higher level?" It was a harmless prod, as the two had already established that they had been on a climbing expedition at the same time two years prior on Risa, though they hadn't known each other at the time.
"Trust me, I looked at your file... You got an official reprimand for something about... What was it? ... Ah, yes, climbing around the Jeffries tubes as a cadet on your first training cruise... One-handed? ... That's bold."
The air shimmered, and there was the slightly disturbing sensation of sand appearing out of no where. Perhaps fifty meters away, a rock cliff shimmered in the sun. Two climbing packs of gear were at the base, and a few seabirds whirled overhead. Tahlin looked up, just in time to see a huge bird, similar to a Terran gannet, dive into the clear sea behind them, coming up with a fish in its beak.
Distracted by the statement Tahlin made, Sal didn't pay attention to the environs at first. "Hey, I was looking for the null spaces between the grav plates. Every ship has at least one..." It was then she noticed what her Bajoran friend had conjured for a program.
Tahlin grinned. "Yeah, that's what you say..."
Sal's breath hitched as the expanse of water laid panoramically out before them. She had been raised an inland girl, so the sight of so much pristine blue water and tangy salt air still enthralled her. "It's beautiful, Tahlin! Did you grow up with this view?"
"No, but this is where I spent three weeks of my fourteenth summer... There's a town not too far from here, and my mother and I took a holiday... Trust me, we needed it... My brother was off with his partner at the time, doing something similar... I spent a week, climbing all over these rocks. Broke a couple of toes," she said with a sheepish grin.
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XO Note: Post has been left incomplete due to the departure of one of the writers involved. Has been published post deactivation.
