PTWIN1701

Posted on Wed May 17th, 2023 @ 10:05pm by Lieutenant Commander Aria Winters

491 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: House of The Dying Sun
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Pre-Departure

For all the marvels of science, all the undeniable wonders of technology, nothing could quite replace the beauty of nature. Yet when you were in space, far from home, sometimes you had to just embrace the next best thing - even if that meant a holodeck programme at five am with an over enthusiastic personal trainer who would easily put academy drill instructors to shame and could be heard from the Delta Quadrant when unhappy. His respect was hard earned, his praise rarer than a Ferengi offering a refund and his photonic energy was... well, limitless.

And yet without fail, she would activate the programme at twice a week. Sometimes three. Yet never more than three times since she didn't consider herself completely insane.

Completing the programme (imaginatively titled PTWIN1701) once a week was mandatory - at least as far as Starfleet Medical was concerned. It ensured she completed physical therapy which focused on her old injuries while also ensuring she did not neglect overall fitness. And while her enthusiasm had been somewhat lacking in the early days of her recovery, she had grudgingly come to accept that the often gruelling demands of her tormentor had gone a long way to aiding her journey back into a uniform again. For that she could only be grateful even if at times she didn't say as much when her trainer was bellowing instructions in her ear.

What she truly enjoyed though were those few minutes when Erik's holographic persona disappeared and gave her a few moments alone to recover while admiring a breathtakingly view she would recognise anywhere.

Home.

Her mother had taken decades perfecting her 'sanctuary' for herself and her family, even if the demands of her work often took her away for weeks or even months at a time. It was secluded, spacious, serene... every room or outdoor area designed to capture as much sunlight as possible. Her mother hated the dark.

Stretched out before her were gardens full of life and colour, including cherry blossom trees which had been there at least as far back as she could remember. Eventually, she knew those gardens ended in a gradual slope leading down to a small cove, complete with a small stretch of golden sand and crystal clear waters which would in turn eventually lead out to the sea. And as she sat on the old bench, closing her eyes as a gentle breeze helped cool her skin, she realised how quiet it was. Beyond a few birds and insects, it was almost impossibly quiet. Especially compared to the cacophony of noise usually found aboard a starship.

Seated on the same bench where she used to make her mother tell her stories of her many adventures in her long life, Aria sipped from her bottle of water and just enjoyed these moments of peace. Because she was fairly certain that where the Eclipse was heading, peace might be in short supply.

OFF

 

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