JP Lt. Cmdr Martin Tucker and Lt. JG Roxanne Queen - Tale as old as time Part 3 of 3
Don K
((Time skip, Deck 4, Holosuite #4, USS Ronin))
Marty and Rox came to a halt in front of holosuite four, where he had slated their time. The meal was tasty and the company was perfect. Hopefully, she hadn’t caught him staring at her a few times during the meal. They came to a stop at the holosuite door. Marty keyed in a couple of codes and then spoke.
Tucker: Computer, play Tucker alpha four seven.
The computer beeped in compliance.
Computer: Enter when ready.
Rox reached out and grasped Marty’s hand. Marty was slightly surprised when she reached dout her hand and took his. He took it a step further, intertwining their fingers.
Rox: ::stepping forward:: Here we go.
Rox and Marty crossed the threshold and into the holodeck. Rox knew they were going to a beach, but this particular program delivered on that promise in spades. The sun was just above the horizon above the ocean. The wind blew in cool and salty and Rox found herself somehow warmed by the orange sun and cooled by the breeze. Over the water flocks of seabirds flew their calls echoing against the cliffs that ran parallel to the shore. Out in the water were great towers of rock and these caused Rox to pause.
Rox: I’ve seen this. Where have I seen this?
He was pretty sure she’d never been to Oregon, or at least that’s what he thought. But it was familiar to her it looked like, it made Marty curious.
Tucker: Response
Rox began to snap her fingers on either side of her head trying to remember. It was something from when she was a kid but she couldn't seem to find the words. There was only one thing in her mind and she decided to go with it.
Rox: ::singing:: da dum dum dum woo woo woo wooo ::loudly:: Old fashioned superstitions. We find too hard to break. Maybe you’re out of place!
Tucker: ::he rose an eyebrow:: Do you smell toast? Are you having a stroke?
Rox: The Goonies! ::looking around in disbelief:: This is where the Goonies are!
She was partially correct; the same coastline, just a few miles north in Astoria, the beach they were on was actually in Newport. But the fact that she had even known about the movie made her a thousand times cooler. Marty’s affinity for the 20th and 21st centuries was deep; he had a copy of a copy of The Goonies. The programming had degraded a bit when it was transferred to a medium. He needed to find a new copy somewhere; it’s one of the cornerstones of his collection of memorabilia.
Turkana IV was hot, dry and dusty nearly all the time. When it wasn’t, it was gray, mucky and humid. At some point as a child she’d come across a movie. A movie about kids who went to find treasure. They were all about Rox’s age at the time and she’d watched it dozens of times. More than the story itself was the environment. It was overcast, but not mucky and humid. It was sunny, but not oppressively hot. There was the ocean, the woods, cliffs, and caves. It was like nothing Rox had experienced to that point. She’d not consciously thought about the movie in years.
Rox: When I was a kid there was this movie and it was here! There were pirates and an octopus and booty traps!
Tucker: I have a copy of that movie, and you should come over to watch it with me. I’ve also been considering hosting a movie night once a month.
He knew basically then that he wanted to be with this woman. While yes, technically it was their first date, but it felt more than that. He felt a connection, and he hoped she did too.
Rox took off her shoes and let her feet sink into the sand. She took a moment to breath in the air and let the breeze blow through her hair. Marty watched as she let go of his hand and took off her shoes, enjoying the sand of the beach.
Rox: This is ::emphatically:: Amazing.
Marty smiled at this as the sun lowered on the horizon during the golden hour, casting a dreamlike glow over everything. After months of working on this program, he felt proud to have extended his home to the distant Alpha Isles.
Tucker: I’m delighted you’re enjoying this, Rox. I really am.
Marty smiled at her, took her hand again, and linked his fingers with hers. Rox gave his hand a squeeze and the pair began to stroll down the beach. The sound of the waves and the birds put Rox more at ease then she’d expected to be. She’d imagined spending most of the date trying not to panic completely. Marty seemed to make it easy to relax and that was nice.
Rox: So you grow up around here? Some ducks have all the luck.
To say he was nervous was an understatement; he was already going through end-of-the-night scenarios, and hopefully not acting like a fool. He felt they had a connection, even more than he had thought. He was absolutely comfortable around her; he knew if he needed it, he could open up to her in a way that he usually wouldn’t.
Tucker: I grew up not far from here, in the wine country. Rolling hills of green, I loved the view from my bedroom, which overlooked the vineyard.
Rox unconsciously raised her eyebrow at the thought of Marty’s bedroom.
Rox: I’ll add that to my list of sights to see.
They were the only ones on the beach for miles; he actually hadn’t added people yet, and actually liked the solitude. They came to a stop and turned toward the setting sun. Marty stood behind Rox, wrapping his arms around her midsection as they watched the sun set lower on the horizon. The light breeze, that salt smell in the air, it was damn near perfect.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear.
Tucker: I really want you to see this in person…
HIs proximity to her and the way his words tickled her ear lobe. She felt suddenly quite flush. It wasn’t unpleasant. She stepped in front of him and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She could barely get her fingers to touch behind his neck. She extended her toes to raise her head closer to his, but her feet sank into the sand. Her head fell forward to the center of his chest.
Rox: We’re gonna need a rock or a stepstool or something.
—
Lt. JG Roxanne Queen
Nurse
USS Ronin
T239811VK2
&
Lieutenant Commander Marty Tucker
Chief Of Engineering
USS Ronin NCC-34523
Capt. Karrod Niac Commanding
D240008MT1