JP – Lt. Robin Hopper & Ensign Nathan Richards: In Other Words (Part 1)
Travis St. John
((Amity Outpost – Shuttlebay 4, “The Cellar”))
Nathan stretched as he pulled himself back to his feet. He had been underneath the shuttle for the better part of 3 hours getting the landing struts extended, but now the shuttle was off the ground. He wasn’t sure why the struts hadn’t received power when he installed the final power cells, but he was determined to find out today. He sat down on his crate, taking a drink of water. He looked down at his PADD at the time. It was still early.
He moved from his seat, and slid back underneath the shuttle to retrieve his tools when he heard the door to the bay open.
Hopper: Ensign Richards?
As she stepped off the turbolift, Robin rubbed her shoulder and rolled her neck slightly to-and-fro. Her knee had healed well since she had injured it on Idrustix – ironically it was the bed of the Talaxi Palms Hotel guest room she had been staying in that was making her sore now. Between all the work of taking on the Chief Science Officer role, and the mission, and all the post-mission reports… she simply hadn’t had time to get her proper quarters in order. That would have to change soon. She’d had enough restless sleeps in the last few weeks to last her a lifetime, it felt like.
As such, she carried a tray in her free hand with two cups of coffee in it – one of them already one-quarter-gone. She typically stuck to tea, but certain occasions demanded something a little stronger. In anticipation of getting some work done, she wore a fairly plain outfit – a fitted seafoam pinafore dress over a ribbed white t-shirt – though, as always, she kept her combadge pinned at the ready on the strap of her dress.
As she approached the Targhee, Richards spoke from underneath the work-in-progress shuttlecraft.
Richards: Oh, Hey! I’m coming out. Just grabbing something.
He rolled over and started to crawl his way out. There was a light tearing sound as he drug is back across the belly of the shuttle.
Richards: $%&^...oONot againOo.
Robin walked closer, setting the beverages down on a crate, and poking her head under the shuttle. Her chestnut brown hair slipped over her shoulder and she had to push it out of her face as she looked for Richards.
Hopper: ::Puffing hair out of her face:: You okay?
Richards: Yeah, I don't think this shirt is though…
Nathan pulled himself the rest of the way out, smiling up at Robin. He stood up and spun in a slow circle, trying to look over his shoulder at his back.
Robin assessed the damage with a slight grimace. A large rip ran from the edge of the shoulder panel down to Richards’ mid-back – where a small hole indicated the end point of the snag. There was likely still a bit of the top’s fabric under the shuttle.
Richards: I liked this tank top.
Hopper: Oh, well I’m sure you could replicate another one just like it.
She tried to smile reassuringly at Richards as she pulled an elastic off her wrist and quickly put her hair up into a messy bun to keep it from getting in her face.
Hopper: ::Indicating the two cups:: I brought coffee, by the way. I wasn’t actually sure if you drink it… ::Her smile going slightly crooked with embarrassment:: I just kind of got you one on impulse.
Richards: ::Eyes widening:: That's what I forgot this morning. Coffee.
He started to pull the tank top off but stopped, turning back to Robin.
Richards: Sorry, you don't mind do you?
Robin shook her head quickly and cleared her throat. oO Are you #$%&ing kidding me? Oo. She certainly didn’t — though it was hardly the professional thing to say.
Hopper: ::Ahem:: Uh, no, of course not. I can look away – or go, uh, get you something else to put on?
Richards: I'll replicate something in a minute. ::Glancing over his shoulder:: Maybe.
As he pulled off the ripped tank top, Robin indulged her curiosity as surreptitiously as possible. She’d been wondering since their first ‘session’ if Nathan Richards looked as good under his uniform as he did with it on. It wasn’t a thought she would freely admit of course… but she was only human. Taking him in now, in her peripheral vision, she was not disappointed. She sipped her coffee slowly, peering over the lid at his muscular arms and toned back, shamelessly imagining the other side…
Hopper: ::Crossing her arms with a smirk:: You didn’t plan this, did you? oO Not that I’m complaining… Oo
Richards: No, this really wasn't planned. ::Chuckling:: I'm not that smooth.
Hopper: ::Laughing, teasingly:: Mhmm? Well, just don’t expect me to follow suit. ::Ahem:: oO Settle down, girl. Oo Coffee?
She once again indicated the tray, sitting beside her on the crate.
Richards: ::Tossing the tank top aside, turning around:: Coffee. Yes. I could use the boost.
As he turned to face her again, she noticed the series of scars – long slashes – that crossed his chest and abdomen. Momentarily distracted from the ‘eye candy’ she only just restrained herself from reaching out and placing a hand to his chest.
Hopper: ::Wide-eyed:: Oh my god. Are you sure you’re okay? These aren’t new are they?
Nathan followed her gaze down to the scars across his chest, and smiled. He always forgot they were even there. He had gotten used to them over the last 12 or so years.
Richards: Oh, no. I've had these for a long time.
Hopper: Oh. God, I’m sorry. ::Putting a hand to her forehead:: That really wasn’t an appropriate question, was it? I just– Sorry.
Nathan stepped closer, softly patting the scars, taking his coffee from the tray.
Richards: It's okay. ::Smiling:: Really. I forget these are even here sometimes.
Hopper: ::Not entirely sure how to respond:: Ah. Well. Good. I mean, not good. I guess. But good that you… ::trailing off, sighing:: I thought maybe, with everything… the last mission… you know. ::Shaking her head:: Yeah, no. I didn’t mean to pry.
Nathan sat down on one of the crates, sipping his coffee.
Richards: It's kind of a long, sad story. We have the time if you want to hear it, but I wouldn't want to bring down the positive energy here.
Robin nodded, then looked around at their surroundings. Amity’s “Cellar” was aptly named. The drab grey walls could certainly use a splash of colour to bring them to life.
Hopper: Actually, that feels more appropriate for this venue than The Pointer Sisters… Besides, this shuttle project is also ‘therapy’ right… Maybe we can earn some points from Commander Carter for sharing... If you’re comfortable with that.
Richards: Well, I can tell you the story while we work. ::Gesturing towards the rear hatch:: Where do we want to start today?
Robin took a moment to collect her thoughts. oO Right. We’re supposed to be working… Oo She’d started a little groggy and had quickly found herself a considerable distraction – several, actually. But she hadn’t come unprepared. Setting down her nearly-empty coffee cup, she removed her mini-PADD from the large joey-style pocket at the front of her dress and glanced at her notes.
Hopper: Okay, let’s see… There are still a lot of systems that need work. Last time, we got internal comms and the onboard replicators working. ::Smiling:: So I guess you’ll have no trouble getting yourself a new shirt, Ensign. ::Tapping at her PADD:: The next step forward in system generation would be our externals. Sensors, comms, and shields – I’ll need to access the tactical console to work on those, I think.
Richards: After you. ::Smiling::
Robin tucked her PADD under her arm and picked up her coffee, turning and walking over to the shuttle. She reached up and activated the hatch release again.
Hopper: I would also love to get our door automation system online as well. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
As the hatch opened, she walked up the ramp into the shuttle, reaching her right arm up and resting a hand on the edge of the doorway as she paused for a moment, taking it all in. The shuttle interior was still a mess – but today they would make more progress, now that she had familiarized herself with the problem and knew the work to be done. With that, she headed towards the front and set herself down at the Tactical console.
Nathan followed Robin into the shuttle, watching her walk. Admiring the way her body moved. oO Easy…calm down Oo He tore his eyes away, taking another drink of his coffee.
Richards: ::Clearing his throat:: I'm going to…replicate myself a shirt.
He walked over to the replicator, giving it the command for another tank top. It wasn't long before he was able to pull the black top over his head, and cover up his scars again. He turned around and began cleaning up some of the debris that littered the cabin.
As she connected her PADD to the terminal, Robin set about identifying the system’s Single Points of Failure (SPOFs) again – accounting for the more recent firmware in the newer devices. The differences between generations were small, but in order to avoid even small irregularities from cropping up, modern ship upgrades were typically done holistically – requiring a good amount of time in drydock. This ‘frankenstein’ shuttle was a completely different story. And speaking of stories…
Hopper: I’ll be a while here – but I can listen, if you want to talk.
Richards: ::Chuckling:: Back on Earth, my family was in charge of taking care of Glacier National Forest in Montana…
Nathan took a seat close to Robin, and continued his story. He told her about everything that had happened with his sister and the bear. Everything that led up to his finding his sister. And his encounter. As he went through the details of the attack, he lifted his shirt again to show the scars. A silence filled the shuttle for a moment.
Robin hadn’t realized yet, but at some point she had stopped working on the code and shifted her focus entirely to Nathan’s account of the event. She clutched the PADD in her lap, her feet tucked up on the seat, staring wide-eyed across the shuttle at him. It was terrifying… and inspiring… and terribly terribly sad. The poor man had faced no shortage of pain in his life – it was remarkable that he was as warm a person as he was.
Richards: I received a package from Earth the other day. My father and younger brother, Blake, found the bear. They were able to take it down. They sent me a little souvenir that is sitting next to my bed in my quarters.
Hopper: That must feel.. ::at a loss for words:: ..complicated.
Nathan leaned back in his seat, looking up towards the ceiling. After he had received the package from his parents, thinking back on what had happened didn't hurt as much. He felt more at peace with it. Justice had been served, and he felt he could finally move on.
Richards: ::shrugging:: I've made my peace finally.
Robin looked about the cabin, her eyes unfocused, looking at nothing in particular – but staring off into the hypothetical.
Hopper: I don’t know how I would handle that… if something like that had happened to my… I never could have done what you did. ::A deep, contemplative sigh:: Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sure it’s not something you want to relive all the time.
Richards: It might sound weird, but I feel…liberated. Free, somehow. ::Looking over at Robin:: It was almost like that single moment dictated my thoughts and feelings for the longest time. I never let myself get close to anyone for the fear of something happening. I tend to be accident prone. ::Raising his right arm::
Robin frowned sympathetically. At least he had received his proper prosthetic now… A necessity after the last mission, during which he had evidently used his temporary arm as a makeshift ‘fuse’.
Hopper: ::Nodding slowly, her gaze returning to Richards:: I understand what you mean. About that worry, I mean. Especially in this line of work… Look at the last mission. We’re all taking on a lot of risk to explore the galaxy.
Richards: ::Crossing his arms:: I've never been in a serious relationship.
She raised her eyebrows, his statement catching her off guard. Nathan felt himself blushing a little, not actually knowing why he said that. He really hadn't allowed himself to get close enough to anyone for a relationship. Which is why being around Robin flustered him so much.
Richards: S..sorry. I'm probably over sharing at this point.
Hopper: ::A breathy, relieved laugh:: Oh! No… No, it’s fine. I mean, I try to be an open book – so I appreciate that you’d share that with me. It can be hard to really get to know anyone when you’re never standing still for long… I get it.
Richards: Well, at least you have Wong.
Hopper: Ikaia? ::Blinking in shock:: What? ::Baffled:: Wait… ::Realizing:: Oh! Oh my god!
TBC…
Lt. Robin Hopper
Chief Science Officer
Amity Outpost
V239806K11
&
Ensign Nathan Richards
Engineering Officer
Amity Outpost
A239905NR1
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