Out Of Orbit
Posted on Tue Dec 3rd, 2013 @ 3:44pm by Commander Ehlana Winter & Lieutenant Bajun Julisa
Mission:
Breaking New Ground
Location: Docking Bay
* * * USS Theseus * * *
“Are we there yet? Are we? Talk to me Earl, give me some good news. Pleeeeease….” Solis all but bounced on his feet as he circled the older doctor.
"Good news? Well...," the older doctor glanced at the Vulcan and wished, not for the first time this trip, that the Vulcan was a little more... Vulcan. Maybe then, Solis wouldn't have asked this same question at least thrice a day for the past two weeks. "The good news is that, yes, we're within sight of our destination!"
“Oh hell yeah!” Solis pumped his fist in the air, then rushed over to the port-side portal. There, just beyond the ship was SB900 in all its massive glory. He sucked in a breath as he looked it over. Somewhere there among the 600-odd decks was Julisa. Somewhere. “Get a load of this Earl. It just goes on and on...and on….”
"Isn't it wonderful?" Earl knew that meant he could lose Solis on the 'base, if only for a little while, at least. "Is Julie on the Station or stationed on the planet below?"
Solis turned and perked his eyebrow at Earl in perfect Vulcan fashion. “Julie?”
"Jules? Jujube?" Earl mimicked Solis' brow trick, though not as well. "Do you always call her Julisa? Surely you have a term of endearment for her."
A sly smile lit Solis’ face. “A few but none I can repeat or she will roast my ass and you very well know it.” He paused as his comm badge chirped.
“Solis.”
=^= Dr. Solis, fifteen minutes to docking. =^=
“Acknowledged, Solis out.” He grinned once more at Earl. “You hear that old man? Fifteen minutes.”
"Watch who you're calling old, buddy," Earl grumbled. He was on edge, not simply because Solis was on his last nerve, but also because, honestly, he was as eager to get to the station as Solis was. He, too, had a beautiful woman he wanted to see. "Fifteen minutes. It'll be the longest fifteen minutes. Let's go to the dock. Think Julisa and Ehlana will be there?"
“Likely camped out if I know them.” Solis’ tone softened. “I know you miss her. I don’t know how you’ve done it all these years, the constant separations. It would make me nuts.”
"Don't assume it didn't," Earl quipped. "But, El Aurian. We have the patience of saints. Me, I also had our son."
“Good point.” Solis turned back to the portal to watch their final approach. As they moved closer, his heart rate jumped up several notches. Too many months. But now….”Vacation! Enjoy it Earl.”
"Since you won't be there.., I mean, since you'll be off on your own, I will!" Earl grinned and clapped Solis on the shoulder.
“Bite me,” Solis answered with a smile.
"I'll leave that to Julisa."
Ehlana checked the time and picked up her pace as she stepped from the turbolift on the main docking bay level. She was running a few minutes behind and for a moment, wished she could just step backwards a few minutes so as to arrive on time. Temporal Affairs, however, frowned on such casual use of time travel. Docking usually took a little more time than expected, so maybe she’d get there before they left the ship. Maybe. She took a deep breath and moved just a little faster.
Like Eh'lana, Julisa was running late, too. For her part, she was placing the blame for running late squarely on her assistant Siri's shoulders: Siri had put the day on Julisa's calendar, but then had scheduled a court appearance just before the ship's estimated arrival time. It didn't help that the Theseus was actually ahead of schedule.
Approaching the dock, though, Julisa realized that being late likely wouldn't be noticed. The dock was in a state of organized chaos with disembarking crew and passengers, cargo being unloaded and supplies being readied for moving onto the ship. She looked about for Solis and found herself nearly getting run over by the chaos.
* * * Main Docking Bay * * *
Ehlana threaded her way through the chaos and nearly overran Julisa. “Oh! Sorry! And hello. Are they here yet?”
Steadying herself, and Ehlana, by taking hold of the other woman's arm, Julisa shook her head. "Hi. And, no, I haven't seen Earl's gray head yet," she said. She and Earl had a long-standing (for her) mutual love-hate relationship.
Ehlana smiled for a moment and nodded. “I have no doubt we’ll hear one or the other as soon as the hatches open.”
Julisa laughed and agreed.
***Docking Hatch***
Glaring at the engineer manning the hatch controls, Earl grumbled something under his breath about bureaucrats and red tape. Finally, though, the hatch was opened and the mass of people and cargo waiting surged forward. "How we'll see them in all of this...." Earl shook his head unhappily.
“I’m telling you Earl, I am so ready to….hey!” Solis was cut off as a group of Acamarians pushed past him, muttering about the trip through the gate. “I bet Spock never got such disrespect.”
"Spock...," Earl was just about to mention how elegant and reserved Spock usually had been, but changed his statement: "...never had multiple earrings. Or long hair. Stop running your fingers through it or you'll rip it out!"
“It is great isn’t it?” Solis gave Earl an ear-to-ear smile. “Spock should be so lucky. Hey! There’s the girls!”
Earl swung his head around and beamed brightly. "Ehlana!" He rushed forward, as much as the Acamarians would let him, and grabbed his wife in a bear hug. "I've missed you!"
“That goes without saying.” Ehlana hugged him tight, taking a rare moment to let her emotions show through. “It’s been far too long.” She reached up to kiss his cheek before taking his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“No need to ask me twice!” Earl tossed a wave towards Solis and Julisa, not caring whether either of them saw the farewell, and hustled Ehlana towards the nearest turbolift away from the docks and - best of all: Solis.
Meanwhile, Julisa didn’t notice the wave. Every bit of her attention was being swamped by Solis; his emotions, like those of so many Vulcans, ran deep and hot and she could feel every bit of them as he embraced her and held her tight. For them, words weren’t necessary for a long moment, not until Julisa finally had to breathe. “Solis,” she said, nearly overwhelmed by him.
“Yes?” He let go long enough to look down at her, giving her space to breathe. “Oh. We’re still in public.” The grin he gave her was positively wicked.
"That we are, so stop with those thoughts... at least until we're in my quarters." She said, laughing around her words. "C'mon, I'll lead the way."
“Lead on then.” He took her hand, holding her close in the shuffle of the crowd as they moved towards the check-point.
****************
Commander Ehlana Winter
In A Hurry
Earl D. Crane
Pushy
Lt. Bajun Julisa
In a Swirl of Chaos
Lt. Commander Solis, MD
Staying Out Of Earl’s reach...For Now
