Lower Decks – On an Alien Beach Part 1
Shore Leave on a Second Contact Planet... Cerritos had remained in orbit of Palanarea after the official Second Contact procedures had been completed at the behest of the Planetary League, the confederation that loosely united the world’s nations.
Boimler and Tendi looked around them as they came onto the beach. “I wonder if this would be like a beach on Earth?” the latter asked excitedly.
“Probably.”
“Almost certainly!”
“Only one way to find out,” Boimler said.
“Of course!”
Tendi then crouched down and ran her hands through the sand. She giggled.
Boimler smiled.
Mariner arrived on the beach and saw Tendi building a sandcastle. ‘Of course!’ she thought. She knew that Tendi wanted to experience sand that wasn’t like the sand on Orion. “What’s up?” she asked.
“I’m making an epic sandcastle,” Tendi proclaimed.
“Oh that’s great,” Mariner said with sarcasm. While Tendi was excited, Mariner knew that she would find that boring.
“I’m trying to relax,” Boimler said, “Before you inevitably draw me into some adventure.”
“You know me too well,” Mariner commented. She then noticed someone else arriving. “T’Lyn! Join us.”
“Greetings,” the Vulcan officer said.
“What are you doing?” Mariner asked.
“Observing my friends on this beach,” T’Lyn answered.
“What else?” Boimler asked rhetorically.
“Where’s Rutherford?” Mariner asked Tendi.
“I’m not sure,” Tendi answered as she tried to steady a precarious wall. “I think Billups had him doing something.”
“Right.”
T’Lyn looked at Tendi’s construction. She had to admit it was quite good for an admitted beginner. “Are you sure you haven’t done anything like this before?” she asked.
“No,” Tendi admitted. “Not even on a holodeck!”
As illogical as it seemed. Tendi had a point. Even with the dramatic improvements over the past two decades, Holodeck experiences were still a pale imitation of the real thing. “Of course.”
Mariner then came up to her. “Want to go for a swim?” she asked.
“That’s an illogical request,” T’Lyn responded.
“Why?” Mariner asked.
“You would recall that Vulcan is a desert world.”
“Oh.”
“The Vulcan fleet also doesn’t train its officers for aquatic duties,” T’Lyn added.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Apology accepted.”
“But maybe it’s not too late to learn?” Mariner asked.
“Maybe not, but socializing on the beach is what I came down to do.”
“Sure.”
Boimler had overhead T’Lyn and Mariner’s conversation. It was too bad. He wanted T’Lyn to join in, if only to help tone down Mariner’s competitiveness. ‘Oh boy!’
T’Lyn sat near where Tendi was building her sandcastle. It was already quite large.
A few more officers came along. “Barnes?” Boimler asked.
“Hi, Boimler,” Barnes said. “I thought I would join you lot.”
“Really?” Boimler asked with a smile.
Barnes nodded.
“Can you swim?” Boimler asked quietly, hoping that T’Lyn wouldn’t hear. (Though one always underestimated Vulcan hearing.)
“Of course,” Barnes answered at a similar volume. “Trill has similar coastal regions to Earth. I even brought my surfboard.”
“Surfboard?” Boimler asked.
“Yes. Surfing came to Trill late last century,” Barnes answered. “Our oceans may be purple, but they work the same as Earth’s.”
“Sounds good,” Boimler said.
“So, surfing,” Mariner said as she came up to them.
“It’s quite exciting,” Barnes said.
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Mariner said.
T’Lyn looked out to sea. The waves were getting bigger. She turned to Tendi. “I believe the tide is coming in,” she said.
“Don’t worry. I have planned for that,” Tendi responded as she placed several shells as re-inforcement.”
“I see.”
Shore Leave on a Second Contact Planet... Cerritos had remained in orbit of Palanarea after the official Second Contact procedures had been completed at the behest of the Planetary League, the confederation that loosely united the world’s nations.
Boimler and Tendi looked around them as they came onto the beach. “I wonder if this would be like a beach on Earth?” the latter asked excitedly.
“Probably.”
“Almost certainly!”
“Only one way to find out,” Boimler said.
“Of course!”
Tendi then crouched down and ran her hands through the sand. She giggled.
Boimler smiled.
Mariner arrived on the beach and saw Tendi building a sandcastle. ‘Of course!’ she thought. She knew that Tendi wanted to experience sand that wasn’t like the sand on Orion. “What’s up?” she asked.
“I’m making an epic sandcastle,” Tendi proclaimed.
“Oh that’s great,” Mariner said with sarcasm. While Tendi was excited, Mariner knew that she would find that boring.
“I’m trying to relax,” Boimler said, “Before you inevitably draw me into some adventure.”
“You know me too well,” Mariner commented. She then noticed someone else arriving. “T’Lyn! Join us.”
“Greetings,” the Vulcan officer said.
“What are you doing?” Mariner asked.
“Observing my friends on this beach,” T’Lyn answered.
“What else?” Boimler asked rhetorically.
“Where’s Rutherford?” Mariner asked Tendi.
“I’m not sure,” Tendi answered as she tried to steady a precarious wall. “I think Billups had him doing something.”
“Right.”
T’Lyn looked at Tendi’s construction. She had to admit it was quite good for an admitted beginner. “Are you sure you haven’t done anything like this before?” she asked.
“No,” Tendi admitted. “Not even on a holodeck!”
As illogical as it seemed. Tendi had a point. Even with the dramatic improvements over the past two decades, Holodeck experiences were still a pale imitation of the real thing. “Of course.”
Mariner then came up to her. “Want to go for a swim?” she asked.
“That’s an illogical request,” T’Lyn responded.
“Why?” Mariner asked.
“You would recall that Vulcan is a desert world.”
“Oh.”
“The Vulcan fleet also doesn’t train its officers for aquatic duties,” T’Lyn added.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Apology accepted.”
“But maybe it’s not too late to learn?” Mariner asked.
“Maybe not, but socializing on the beach is what I came down to do.”
“Sure.”
Boimler had overhead T’Lyn and Mariner’s conversation. It was too bad. He wanted T’Lyn to join in, if only to help tone down Mariner’s competitiveness. ‘Oh boy!’
T’Lyn sat near where Tendi was building her sandcastle. It was already quite large.
A few more officers came along. “Barnes?” Boimler asked.
“Hi, Boimler,” Barnes said. “I thought I would join you lot.”
“Really?” Boimler asked with a smile.
Barnes nodded.
“Can you swim?” Boimler asked quietly, hoping that T’Lyn wouldn’t hear. (Though one always underestimated Vulcan hearing.)
“Of course,” Barnes answered at a similar volume. “Trill has similar coastal regions to Earth. I even brought my surfboard.”
“Surfboard?” Boimler asked.
“Yes. Surfing came to Trill late last century,” Barnes answered. “Our oceans may be purple, but they work the same as Earth’s.”
“Sounds good,” Boimler said.
“So, surfing,” Mariner said as she came up to them.
“It’s quite exciting,” Barnes said.
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Mariner said.
T’Lyn looked out to sea. The waves were getting bigger. She turned to Tendi. “I believe the tide is coming in,” she said.
“Don’t worry. I have planned for that,” Tendi responded as she placed several shells as re-inforcement.”
“I see.”
