JP: Doctor Erin Reynolds & LtJG Jocelyn Marshall - So There's This Girl... (Part Two)

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Quinn Reynolds

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Nov 12, 2017, 7:28:11 AM11/12/17
to Gorkon (IC)
((Biodome, Ereina))

Marshall: This is just incredible. 

E. Reynolds: Isn't it? ::She breathed in a full lungful of air, echoing Jo's actions of a moment ago, and smiled.:: It's all so... alive. 

:: Alive was exactly it; the atmosphere was thick with energy of living things. For lack of a better word it was wonderful to be underneath a green covering just below the top of the dome looking up through a composite glass to the sky above.::

Marshall: A never ending list of maintenance work. ::she whistled:: Preserving all this life, what an experience. 

E. Reynolds: Maybe one day they'll be able to move it all back to Tyrellia. That's what we all hope for, anyway.

::Jo looked over at her friend and arched an eyebrow quizzically to her.:: 

Marshall: Since you’ve not turned into a Phylosian, what are you doing here? What projects are you working on? 

E. Reynolds: ::She chuckled, grinning at Jo.:: More than I can count. I'm very junior here, and botany was only a hobby back-- ::she caught herself, her smile slipping a little, and she issued a course correction to the sentence,:: --in the other universe. They move me around so that I can get the experience. And drag me into the occasional engineering problem, of course.

Marshall: Of course. Speaking of which… ::the Human gave the dark haired woman a playful dig with her elbow in soft ribs:: You decimated us at the war games. That polaron burst was perfect. 

::A blush flared across Erin's freckled cheeks, her smile turning sheepish and her gaze dropping to her feet.:: 

E. Reynolds: Yeah. ::Rubbing the back of her neck, she breathed an awkward laugh.:: I get the feeling that the point wasn't to see if you could win, but how long you could last. It was always going to be tough taking an unfamiliar ship into a fight with an experience captain. Honestly, I think the only reason T'Vei asked me along was to stop you from doing the same thing.

:: The experienced Captain had decimated their attempts at winning by installing a listening device on their Bridge. Obviously, the intelligent Bridge Officers hadn’t looked for something so simple, and it had been their undoing, however Jo had found it quite hilarious to see Sevo’s reaction to the treachery. T’Vei handed them their loss graciously.::

:: Catching the Botanist’s tinged cheeks made the Ops Officer smile. It had been a long time since they’d been in Engineering whiling away hours talking about not much more than manifold scrubbing techniques when Delta shifts ran over. Still, it was a nice memory to have for the younger woman, considering the rest of the other universe had been the opposite of joyful.::

Marshall: You were the best person for the job. I won’t deny it was utter betrayal at the basest level from someone I consider to be a good friend… ::she gave Erin a sideways glance with a cheeky grin:: It was smooth. No one knows the Triumphant like you. 

:: They passed a group of Tyrellian scientists in deep conversation regarding a shrub with less than optimal growth levels; perhaps conversation was a mild word, they were arguing about it, quite intently. There were lots of hand gestures that Jo hadn’t seen anyone make before. She raised an eyebrow at Erin as they moved swiftly along.::

Marshall: What’s it like living here? 

E. Reynolds: Peaceful? ::She raised her eyes, tracing the curving outlines of the foliage with her gaze.:: It took some getting used to. It was strange not having everyone I know just down the corridor. And sometimes I still struggle with how quiet everything is. ::She glanced toward Jo with a rueful smile on her lips.:: If it was that quiet on the Triumphant, something was terribly wrong.

Marshall: Not much different to the Gorkon now. Routine missions are respite. ::the still of the tranquil place was calming on her busy mind:: Although, I can see why they’d restrict visits. I doubt you’d be able to keep the ‘fleet away if they threw open the doors.

:: The quiet life was something most Starfleet personnel wanted in the end. A career on ship or base could be hard, not only the everyday living, but dealing with the bigger issues, the actualities of being on the frontier of space. It could be draining, and eventually everyone longed for a life of staying in one place. Jo was happy Erin had found that slice of existence on the biodome, and a slight pink tinge crept up on her face as she spoke.::

Marshall: I do miss you, though. Every time I go to Engineering, I’m half expecting you to be in there tearing something apart. ::she sighed, deeply, chest rising and falling:: And, before this gets too serious, I’m really happy that you’re happy here. You’ve even stopped walking so fast, no longer an Erin-shaped blur. It shows.

::There was a long pause, the only sounds that of their footprints on the wooden slats of the path, and the diminishing voices of the Tyrellian scientists. Again, Erin mirrored Jo's deep sigh, and her hazel eyes were unfocused on the path ahead of them. The faint pink of the botanist's earlier blush still lingered on freckled cheeks.::

E. Reynolds: ::Softly,:: I miss you, too.

:: Jo was sure she’d have stopped if it weren’t for the sheer momentum of her feet already moving. Her heart picked up a notch or two under her ribs. A large part of her hoped that her confession would have been glossed over and mixed in with the rest of her ramblings. She looked over at the woman, saw her gaze on the path ahead of them, and with a smile gently bumped her shoulder against Erin’s.::

Marshall: Are you hungry?

::Erin blinked, surprised by the sudden switch in mood and topic, then she smiled as well.::

E. Reynolds: Yes. But there aren't any burger joints in here. ::She chuckled.:: Or the entire moon, for that matter.

Marshall: Somewhere, an intrepid entrepreneur is preparing to pitch one to the Tyrellian government. 

:: The thought was mortifying and would, of course, never actually happen. It was a memory, of a conversation in a tea garden that seemed a long time ago, on a night Jo would have gladly driven up to the northern lights with the botanist, if only to be too late to see the stars, but catch a sunrise instead. Parallel to them, off the walkway and in loamy soil, a purple tree trunk spiralled upwards toward the ceiling above, combining bursts of violet and touches of blue flecked bark. Stopping, Jo rested her forearms on the railings that separated the footpath from the growth patches and her eyes followed as it twisted skyward.::

:: Jo looked to Erin beside her; hair up untidily, the shore of her scar just visible at the back of her neck, hazel eyes shining with reflected speckles of indigo coloured leaves. A feeling gripped at the pit of her stomach, the essence of infatuation, and she looked away, the flush of pink creeping up her throat. Her hand came up to scratch the nape of her neck. Deflect, make light of it.::

Marshall: Then, how about Iana Station? ::she smiled, teasingly:: Or do you only photosynthesize now?

E. Reynolds: Usually. But I suppose I can make an exception, since it's you. ::She grinned back at Jo.:: Did you have something in mind? Or are we seeing where our whims take us, once we're there? 

Marshall: I’ve heard it’s got decks that never sleep, no doubt half the crew will be there already. Whim sounds like a good idea. ::she tilted her head:: A lecture on the algorithmic beauty of botany over lunch, then? We’ll find you some photons to digest.

E. Reynolds: That sounds like a plan. ::She paused, glancing around at the forest of amethyst trees.:: I could do with visiting civilisation, at least for a little while.

Marshall: Civilisation is terribly overrated. ::she smiled, looking around at the greenery:: Plants make a lot more sense than most people do. ::she gestured to the path with a nod:: After you, Doctor. I’d only get us lost. 

E. Reynolds: You're preaching to the choir on that one. ::She chuckled, gesturing down one of the pathways.:: There's an access door this way, should take us out toward the exit.

:: Taking the route suggested toward the transport off the moon and over to Iana, the two continued to stroll and talk about everything and nothing, not quite sure what to expect from the station that had a reputation as an eternal party powerhouse in the sector.::


TBC

--
Operations Officer
USS Gorkon

&

Botanist
Ereina Ark Project

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