S1 M8: "By the Light of Helaspont"

[Solluk]

[Holodeck 4]

"Felinoids seem to have terrific natural agility and balance," Solluk shouted into the wind, and then wondered if it was racist to talk about his Caitian roommate that way.

"That is," he attempted to clarify, turning to shout at S'Murr "I don't mean to imply you people are all the same."

He swallowed, and added, "And I mean no offense by referring to you as 'you people.'"

Fortunately, his department-head had begun to climb, giving Solluk an excuse to make a move that may distract from his social awkwardness.  Imitating the maneuver, he climbed as well.

"These gliders should have thermodynamic scanning displays," he shouted, "so that we can stay aloft indefinitely by identifying rising air currents!"

(tag)

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck 4]

"Felinoids seem to have terrific natural agility and balance," Solluk shouted into the wind, and then wondered if it was racist to talk about his Caitian roommate that way.

"That is," he attempted to clarify, turning to shout at S'Murr "I don't mean to imply you people are all the same."

He swallowed, and added, "And I mean no offense by referring to you as 'you people.'"

Fortunately, his department-head had begun to climb, giving Solluk an excuse to make a move that may distract from his social awkwardness.  Imitating the maneuver, he climbed as well.

"These gliders should have thermodynamic scanning displays," he shouted, "so that we can stay aloft indefinitely by identifying rising air currents!"

(tag)

[Holodeck Four]

Ian strained to hear Solluk and shouted back.

"Don't let him hear ya or he'll become an even more insufferable git. Last thing he needs is his bloody ego stroked."

Ian saw Solluk climbing and banked hard to drop to his altitude which would make communicating easier.

"As fer instrumentation, the whole point of usin' a hang glider is ta feel the wind and learn it. Ta sense the shifts in the thermals and truly fly. Havin' this sort of experience Lad will make ya a better pilot whenever ya are drivin' the Tigris.

"However, the limit on how long one of these things can stay aloft is the thermals, by sundown, they drop off and that will be the end of our lift. Fun as this may be, I'm not plannin' on stayin' up here that long."

Ian got a devilish look on his face and grinned at Solluk.

"In fact, I'm plannin' a strafin' run on S'Murr down there then I'm headin' fer a landin'".

And with that, Ian put word to deed by standing his glider on a wingtip, a maneuver most people didn't even know was possible, before starting a dive toward the unsuspecting Caitian.

[S'Murr]

[Holodeck 4]

"Felinoids seem to have terrific natural agility and balance," Solluk shouted into the wind. "That is, I don't mean to imply you people are all the same."
"And I mean no offense by referring to you as 'you people.'"

"Well," S'murr shouted back, "My people are all felinoids!" He let out a laugh. He watched as Ian climbed higher, then rolled his glider and began zooming directly at him. S'Murr pushed the bar hard to the left, and the kite-like rolled into a tight evasive turn. He was about to put the glider into a dive to escape the wily human's mock attack run when he heard something odd. Like someone drumming their fingers on a drum with a loose head. S'Murr's stomach leaped into his throat, and the glider dipped its nose and began to quickly rotate around one wing. No matter what S'Murr did, he could not get the glider to stop falling.

As the ocean below grew quickly less below, spiraling up to meet him, S'Murr began to panic and became aware that someone was swearing loudly in Caitian. A moment later he was disconnected from his glider and swimming through the surf to the narrow sand beach. Crawling out of the water, he rolled over on his back and looked up at Ian and Solluk still circling high above him. He waved to them and caught his breath. Then began to laugh. He laughed so hard he found himself holding his stomach and rolling in the cool, dry sand.

"My landings need work," he said before breaking into roaring belly laughs again.

[Ian Galloway]

"Well," S'murr shouted back, "My people are all felinoids!" He let out a laugh. He watched as Ian climbed higher, then rolled his glider and began zooming directly at him. S'Murr pushed the bar hard to the left, and the kite-like rolled into a tight evasive turn. He was about to put the glider into a dive to escape the wily human's mock attack run when he heard something odd. Like someone drumming their fingers on a drum with a loose head. S'Murr's stomach leaped into his throat, and the glider dipped its nose and began to quickly rotate around one wing. No matter what S'Murr did, he could not get the glider to stop falling.

As the ocean below grew quickly less below, spiraling up to meet him, S'Murr began to panic and became aware that someone was swearing loudly in Caitian. A moment later he was disconnected from his glider and swimming through the surf to the narrow sand beach. Crawling out of the water, he rolled over on his back and looked up at Ian and Solluk still circling high above him. He waved to them and caught his breath. Then began to laugh. He laughed so hard he found himself holding his stomach and rolling in the cool, dry sand.

"My landings need work," he said before breaking into roaring belly laughs again.

[Holodeck Four]

As Ian started to dive he saw S'Murr stall out and begin to fall.

"I knew that bloody luinnseach mhor would exceed his limits."

He dove at breakneck speed toward the fluttering Caitian, cursing an ultraviolet streak as he could see having to explain to the doctor how he let a crewman get injured on a holodeck with the safeties engaged and did not relish that conversation.

As Ian closed, he saw S'Murr abandon the glider, dive into the ocean, and pop up treading water. He flashing over the top of his friend by no more than ten meters. Ian then banked hard through an ess turn to shed speed and ran onto the beach for a textbook landing.

Ian unhooked from the glider and waved back at S'Murr and laughed both in relief and in the sheer joy of the moment.

"I guess it's fact that if cats were meant ta fly, they'd have bleedin' wings, or at least know how ta bloody use them!"

[James H. Hawk]

[Bridge]

Julia smiled. "You're welcome. Now it's time to get to work." She said with a smile as she reached to the empty chair to her left and picked up a PADD. Passing the PADD to James she began to summarize the contents. "Helaspont Nebula. A place on the map that we've all seen but no one has ever gotten a good look at. You'll find everything we've got on the nebula - which isnt much and most of which is outdated. Stellar cartography will be working overtime this week." She said with a look of excitement.

[Bridge]

James took the PADD from Julia and started to skim through it. There wasn't much there and James was certainly no scientist so most of the information, however small it was, went over his head. He had a basic understanding but not much. "It's...umm beautiful?" He said not sure what to say.

[Naga Rylu]

Deck 11
K'lizh wavered. On the one hand, he was off-duty and his next shift didn't begin until the next morning. On the other, he was growing bored just standing still like this. He knew Naga wouldn't call him unless it was important, and anyway he enjoyed her company. It sounded preferable to letting people he barely knew ogle him for another half-hour. Reaching for his commbadge, he tapped it with his thumb. =/\=K'lizh here. I'll be there soon. Give me a bit to get dressed. Out.

Bridge
About fifteen minutes later he emerged from the turbolift, zipping up his uniform jacket. He had eschewed his boots for this occasion. While Caitians were not required to wear footwear in uniform, he had up until this point chosen to wear boots to maintain his professional image. He finally felt comfortable and confident enough to not have to go the extra mile trying to impress. He had done good work since coming aboard this ship, work to be proud of when he went home. He trod over to his Gorn companion and offered her a nod in greeting. "What do you need?"

The reptillian woman turned towards her friend and lifted her spine crest in a friendly sort of salute.  "We've arrived at the nebula, and the Captain wants us to launch probes to begin gathering data."  She looked back at the screen, tail swaying slightly in her excitement.   "I did not want to begin without you.  The preliminary assessment from our forward scanners are already a bit exciting.  I am optomistic towards our chances of discovering something fascinating."

[Klizh]

The reptillian woman turned towards her friend and lifted her spine crest in a friendly sort of salute.  "We've arrived at the nebula, and the Captain wants us to launch probes to begin gathering data."  She looked back at the screen, tail swaying slightly in her excitement.   "I did not want to begin without you.  The preliminary assessment from our forward scanners are already a bit exciting.  I am optomistic towards our chances of discovering something fascinating."

Bridge

Back to work. This was their primary assignment, so as department head it made sense for K'lizh to oversee his side of things. Sometimes it still amazed him that he had been put in charge of a department so quickly. He still felt like his Starfleet career had only just gotten started, in spite of everything that had happened since his graduation and commission on the field. But then, he had grown up reading about the adventures of Starship captains, most notably the exploits of Enterprises throughout history, and had always imagined himself going through just as dramatic a life.

"All right, let me just go get a raktajino from the conference room and I'll begin configuring the probes," he said. While he certainly had an appreciation for scientific discovery--every Starfleet officer needed one--it certainly didn't compare to Rylu's passion. But K'lizh enjoyed witnessing a display of enthusiasm from his normally-impassive friend. "I'll be right back."

Conference Room

The bridge didn't have a replicator in it, for obvious reasons. But drinks were allowed on the bridge, provided the necessary safety precautions were taken near sensitive equipment. K'lizh trod behind the bridge to where he could attain a much-needed energy boost. "Computer, one iced raktajino."

The replicator chirped an error. That item is currently not available.

"What? Why not?"

Replicator databanks are currently disabled. Menu selection is limited.

K'lizh hissed in aggravation. "All right, what is available?"

The available selection is: egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam; Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam-

"Stop!" K'lizh had no idea what spam was, but he wasn't interested in finding out. "Do you have coffee?"

Affirmative.

"All right then, on iced coffee, cream with no sugar." K'lizh wasn't fond of the human drink, but it would have to do.

Bridge

Upon returning to the bridge, clutching a silver mug with a safety cap on it, K'lizh pulled up a seat beside Naga. "Just a minute," he said, before tapping his commbadge. =/\=K'lizh to engineering, there seems to be a problem with the replicators. It can't access the menu database.

"All right, let's get you your probes," he said to Naga, then took a sip from his drink...

gagged, and spun around in his chair to spit it out over the carpet. "WHY does this coffee taste like greasy meat rations!?" he shrieked.

[Julia Rellek]

[Bridge]

James took the PADD from Julia and started to skim through it. There wasn't much there and James was certainly no scientist so most of the information, however small it was, went over his head. He had a basic understanding but not much. "It's...umm beautiful?" He said not sure what to say.

[Bridge]

Julia chuckled as a mischievous grin crept onto her face as she jokingly snatched the PADD back. "Well lucky for you, i am a scientist and a damned good one. You darn security people. No appreciation for the scientific beauty of the universe. You just want to shoot your phasers and torpedoes." She pulled up a photo of the Nebula... "Helaspont, there she is, the mystery and the beauty. You have to appreciate the wonder of it all." She said. You could hear it in her voice. With all of the activity with the Tzenkethi; Julia finally was in her element. It was the first time in a long time she felt like she was home on her own ship.

[Solluk]

[Holodeck Four]

Solluk's eyes widened as his roomate's glider failed and he entered into an uncontrolled descent.  His department-head dove in pursuit, cursing in a language Solluk wasn't familiar with.

Solluk opened his mouth to order the computer to freeze the program, but at that moment the crafty Caitian disengaged from his flight apparatus and dove into the sea.  Shortly, he surfaced again, swimming well.

Bringing his own glider into a controlled descent, Solluk eventually came down onto the beach.  Landing was tricky.  He hit the ground running, literally.  Then a stray current of wind brought him up and down and up and down, till finally he came to a stop and ditched the glider.

Jogging back to join the others, he grinned.

"I must give credit where it is due.  I have never seen a dive quite like it.  And I have never seen a feline willingly take a swim.  Not even to save its life!"

(tag)

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck Four]

Solluk's eyes widened as his roomate's glider failed and he entered into an uncontrolled descent.  His department-head dove in pursuit, cursing in a language Solluk wasn't familiar with.

Solluk opened his mouth to order the computer to freeze the program, but at that moment the crafty Caitian disengaged from his flight apparatus and dove into the sea.  Shortly, he surfaced again, swimming well.

Bringing his own glider into a controlled descent, Solluk eventually came down onto the beach.  Landing was tricky.  He hit the ground running, literally.  Then a stray current of wind brought him up and down and up and down, till finally he came to a stop and ditched the glider.

Jogging back to join the others, he grinned.

"I must give credit where it is due.  I have never seen a dive quite like it.  And I have never seen a feline willingly take a swim.  Not even to save its life!"

(tag)

[Holodeck Four]

Ian laughed and decided to break Vulcan protocol and slap Solluk on the back.

"Lad, ya never know what ya will or will nae do when ya believe yer life is on the line. My drippin' wet friend here discovered he was capable of things he never thought about, but it seems flyin' worth a tinker's damn is nae one of them. Now, while S'Murr here is dryin' off, what do ya say ta lunch?

"Since the Caitian has proven ta be a Philistine when it comes ta fine drink, perhaps Mister Solluk, I can introduce ya ta the finer points of what a real man drinks. Since it's lunch time, we'll start with a Black and Tan."

Ian turned to include S'Murr into the conversation.

"You, ya furry git are a lost cause when it comes ta what's a drink and what's not, but ya are welcome ta join us fer lunch."

[S'Murr]

[Holodeck 4]
S'Murr grunted.
"I would not say I went into the ocean willingly," he said. "I think with a few modifications, I could make a these hang gliders much safer and easier to manage. A few miniaturized  inertial dampeners, thermal sensors, doppler scanner, an antigrav unit - a small one..."
Looking up, he saw Ian and Solluk passing through the holodeck threshold.
"Where are you guys going?" he asked bounding after them. "Did someone say lunch? I have heard of something called Fishenships. It sounds interesting. Perhaps with a nice iced toffee-nut Raktajino."

[Ian Galloway]

[Holodeck 4]
S'Murr grunted.
"I would not say I went into the ocean willingly," he said. "I think with a few modifications, I could make a these hang gliders much safer and easier to manage. A few miniaturized  inertial dampeners, thermal sensors, doppler scanner, an antigrav unit - a small one..."
Looking up, he saw Ian and Solluk passing through the holodeck threshold.
"Where are you guys going?" he asked bounding after them. "Did someone say lunch? I have heard of something called Fishenships. It sounds interesting. Perhaps with a nice iced toffee-nut Raktajino."

[Holodeck Four]

As S'Murr spoke, Ian's expression looked more and more appalled.

"And here I thought yer apostasy was confined ta fine drink. The whole bloody point of flyin' a hang glider is that it doesn't have any of those bleedin' gimcracks. The idea is ta ride the winds by feel not by instruments ya bleedin' wanker. Bah, why do I even try?"

Ian shook his head and sighed.

"I believe Solluk understands me, but despite your blasphemy regardin' the finer aspect of pilotin' ya are speakin' my language when it comes ta the idea of fish and chips. Come, I'll forgive ya this one time because ya made me laugh harder than I have in a long ta with yer Icarus impersonation, so let's go ta Ten Forward ta have fish and chips, washed down with a black and tan."

Ian turned and smiled.

"Computer. End program."

As he spoke Ian began to chuckle.

"I think S'Murr me lad, ya have just managed ta contribute ta yer own nickname. Henceforth, ya will be known as 'Icky' fer flyin' too high and meltin' the wax on yer wings."

Ian laughed again and signaled for the others to proceed him, chuckling as he followed.

"Icky, Maker, but thatÁ¢â,¬Ëœs funny"

[James H. Hawk]

[Bridge]

Julia chuckled as a mischievous grin crept onto her face as she jokingly snatched the PADD back. "Well lucky for you, i am a scientist and a damned good one. You darn security people. No appreciation for the scientific beauty of the universe. You just want to shoot your phasers and torpedoes." She pulled up a photo of the Nebula... "Helaspont, there she is, the mystery and the beauty. You have to appreciate the wonder of it all." She said. You could hear it in her voice. With all of the activity with the Tzenkethi; Julia finally was in her element. It was the first time in a long time she felt like she was home on her own ship.

[Bridge]

"In my defense shooting things is pretty gun," James replied with a slightly less awkward grin than his last one. James was glad to see his captain seemingly happy and exited. The Tempest and its crew had been through so much loss and war lately and while the crew was strong and didn't let it show he knew it had taken a toll on much of the crew and Julia was no exception. Even James still felt partially responsible for much of what had happened.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by K'izh's outburst. James had heard something going on from the Conference Room but figured it was all good. That was until K'lizh returned to the Bridge and soon had his outburst. James quickly stood up and faced the Caitian. "Leftenent K'lizh do you want to be demoted to Janitor Third Class? Get those probes launched and then clean that mess up," James said in a calm and collected tone. Such an outburst didn't belong on the bridge, certainly not from a Department.

[Solluk]

[Deck 10, Forward]

Moments later, Solluk found himself staring at a plate of Fish and Chips next to a glass of Black and Tan.  There were a lot of 'ands' in his meal today.

"You might be surprised to hear it," Solluk offered by way of personal trivia, "but I'd never eaten animal protein before joining Starfleet.  Most Vulcans have a tradition of vegetarianism as part of a philosophy of nonviolence.  Even now, in an age where replicated foods make the point moot, many of my fellow Vulcans maintain the practice."

He stabbed a plank of fish with his fork, studying it.   "I myself only recently had an omelet for the first time.   This will be... interesting.   A fish doesn't seem appetizing in its original form.  Scaly, slime-covered, spined.   And yet... this seems appetizing enough."

(tag)

[Ian Galloway]

[Deck 10, Forward]

Moments later, Solluk found himself staring at a plate of Fish and Chips next to a glass of Black and Tan.  There were a lot of 'ands' in his meal today.

"You might be surprised to hear it," Solluk offered by way of personal trivia, "but I'd never eaten animal protein before joining Starfleet.  Most Vulcans have a tradition of vegetarianism as part of a philosophy of nonviolence.  Even now, in an age where replicated foods make the point moot, many of my fellow Vulcans maintain the practice."

He stabbed a plank of fish with his fork, studying it.   "I myself only recently had an omelet for the first time.   This will be... interesting.   A fish doesn't seem appetizing in its original form.  Scaly, slime-covered, spined.   And yet... this seems appetizing enough."

(tag)

[Ten Forward]

Ian took a long pull on his Black and Tan and sighed with great contentment. He eyed Solluk as he tried his fish and chips, and looked pensive as if deciding on something, before shrugging and replying.

"Since ya brought it up Lad, yer not like most Vulcan are ya? I mean not that there's anything wrong with how Vulcans act, but yer different from the stereotype. I've seen ya smile. Ya clearly showed enjoyment while hang glidin', and ya are willin' ta eat meat, even if it is replicated.

"Most humans learn ta respect Vulcans, but, as an emotional lot, we humans usually find Vulcans too stiff ta be able call ya friend, because we need those shared emotions ta truly bond with someone. Regardless of why ya are the way ya are, I, for one, like it and I can honestly say, I like ya too."

Ian paused as he speared a piece of fish.

"Anyway, that was on my mind and I figured now was as good a time as any ta say it. Now, that ya have tried fish, what do ya think?"