Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds - Time For A Wander
Quinn Reynolds
((USS Gorkon, Deck 4, Holodeck 6 - Program: Tiffany's Diner))
An open invitation to a holographic diner had given Quinn a chance to chat with some of the Gorkon's junior officers, and she was enjoying herself more than she had expected. An introvert, she often felt ill at ease in social situations, but between Pace's effervescence and Spelvan's serene but intriguing conversation, she felt far more comfortable than she'd anticipated.
Reynolds: We've talked about the past — what about the future? What ambitions do you have? Any aspirations for command? A prize you'd like to win? A theorem named after you? ::She paused, then chuckled and threw in a less intense example.:: Sampling dessert on every planet in the Federation? That one I'm fairly sure is on Commander Marshall's To Do list.
Spelvan looked momentarily bemused by her phrasing, while Pace thought for a few moments, pushing the pancake around her plate. Quinn took the opportunity to take a few smile bites of her own pancakes, surer now than even she wouldn't get through the entire stack.
Pace: For now… I just want to help people. Deities know I’m no doctor, but if my research can help even one person… I’d be just fine with that.
Spelvan: Helping people is a worthy endeavor, and one that I share as well.
That earned him a smile from Pace, and there was a shared moment of camaraderie between the two. Quinn exhaled a quiet chuckle, and didn't push the subject. Some came out of the Academy like a rocket, eyes on the centre chair, and others wanted to acclimatise themselves to Starfleet life and see everything on offer before they set their heading.
Pace: So I guess now that our goals are spoken, we can check back in a few years' time and see how we’re doing!
Spelvan: Though I suppose our goals are not specific enough to warrant achievement in that time, we shall see how many people we have helped.
Reynolds: I'm sure when you look back in a few years, you'll be amazed at what you've achieved and how far you've come.
Growth was fast and occasionally furious in Starfleet, especially aboard a ship that had as many adventures as the Gorkon. Pace had already seen the incredible and the terrible in their alternate timeline, and Quinn hoped all their futures held more of the incredible than the terrible.
Pace: Well, we’ve talked about the past, future, and we’re in the present… Either of you have plans for your goals in the future? It's hard to formulate a plan, believe me, so I completely understand if your next plans happen to be sleeping for at least eight hours! No one can seize the day without a good night’s sleep.
Spelvan: I confess I am not one for making plans. However, I do plan on making the best use of shore leave as I can. I am still getting settled into my living quarters.
She nodded. It was, perhaps, a little unusual to meet a Vulcan who didn't have their future mapped out—or at least, roughly sketched—but variety was the spice of life. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, as the Vulcans said. Or, as her father would say, "it takes all sorts."
Reynolds: That's a good plan. ::She smiled.:: A lot of officers learn the value of shore leave the hard way. You're off to a good start if you have a healthy relationship with it from the beginning.
Spelvan: Incidentally, Vulcans do not need "eight hours," as you say, though rest is important for all creatures.
Pace: And rest can even mean things outside of sleep! It’s funny how much maintenance we need.
Despite herself, Quinn chuckled. An engineer should know exactly how much maintenance a complex machine needed—yet she was terrible at attending to the basic maintenance of her own biological engine. Forgetting meals, running on a few hours of sleep, and all the rest. She'd got better over time, but when the proverbial hit the fan, she was quick to fall into bad habits.
Spelvan: On an unrelated note, there is an "outdoor" area in this simulation as well, through those doors. ::He pointed to a set of double-doors near the jukebox.:: I explored it briefly before the two of you arrived, if you would like a change in scenery.
Pace: Ooh, I’d love to take a gander!
Reynolds: I'm definitely curious. I didn't realise they'd put in more than just the diner.
Pace returned her attention to her milkshake and pancake, both disappearing with a little more speed than before. Evidently, the idea of exploring a piece of twentieth century Earth had lit curiosity's fire in the Elaysian. Quinn was intrigued for a different reason. It wasn't the history—that was never one of her interests—but Corliss and Loxley's interpretation of it.
Pace: I wonder how different old Earth is from the one we know?
Reynolds: Quite a bit, I imagine. This restaurant is from three hundred and fifty years ago.
Spelvan: Response
Pace: ::She nodded and chuckled.:: It’s a good thing all our worlds have come a long way, I couldn’t imagine a life without space travel!
It was hard to imagine. Quinn's life was so bound up in being a Starfleet officer, she could barely conceive of an existence where she wasn't. It was why she was still in the uniform, after everything she'd been through over the years. Retiring her commission had crossed her mind more than once during the hard times, but she just couldn't leave it behind.
Reynolds: Makes you wonder who we would have been back then. I probably would have spent my life in a lab. ::She paused, and found a crooked smile.:: Maybe I would have worked for NASA. Or built one of those early space telescopes.
Pace / Spelvan: Response
Taking a final bite of her pancakes, Quinn pushed the plate away, a few of the batter treats still untouched. She was comfortably full, and with a walk on the horizon, didn't want to wander around feeling overstuffed. After a glance out of the window, she looked back toward her two dining companions.
Reynolds: Well then. Shall we have an explore outside?
Pace / Spelvan: Response
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
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