An ensign's debrief... (aka "girl talk")

Posted on Mon Oct 9th, 2023 @ 7:55am by
Edited on on Mon Oct 9th, 2023 @ 8:07pm

1,347 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Grabok Settlement, Campor III
Timeline: MD C11 2100 hours

Sarah and Lissa were sitting together on a top bunk in back of the shuttle sharing a bowl of popcorn.

"So what did you think of today?" Lissa asked. She had a few more years in as an officer than Sarah, and could tell she had been a little nervous about the mission at first.

Sarah yawned. "It was interesting!! I've never had to do this kind of thing before and I did feel out of my element. Dr. Lyngstad isn't very friendly, is she?!" She said. "What about you? Did you get the Commander to spill any gossip about the senior staff? Maybe his infatuation with Commander Chalan?" She asked. "Did you manage to do any shopping? Do you want a moon berry?" Alone, Sarah was perfectly friendly and fine to chat. It was large crowds that she didn't do well with.

"Chalan said not to eat those," Lissa reminded her. "They made Sar sick?" Lissa asked. "Anyway, I totally asked Tomm about Chalan and he just got pissy with me." Lissa shrugged. "Seems a little uptight to me. Lyngstad too? I've never had the pleasure of working with her." Lissa was keeping her voice low to avoid being overheard by anyone who might be nearby.

"They made Sar sick because he is Vulcan. You are not," she said. "He has a sensitive stomach anyway, poor guy," she said. "Oh my god, he DOES seem a little uptight. As for Johanna, I think she's just a bit...off in her own world. Sar says she's nice enough. I don't know," Sarah said, passing the fruit down to the Orion. "Anyway, even if Chalan said not to eat them, I've eaten like five and I am fine," she said. "It wasn't a direct order and Science scanned them!" She said. "It's just...while Sar's gone at the other side of the colony, it reminds me of him. You know we took that little hike the other day? We ate some of these out there," she said.

Lissa shook her head at the berries. "Not all orders come with the phrase, 'I order you...' I don't think so," she said passing on the berries. "So what is going on with Sar? You talk about him all the time, you came to the party with him the other night - all prepared to give him a private concert, but when I asked you said you were just friends... so what gives?" Lissa asked.

"Well. I guess if I am dead in the morning, you'll know why," she said. "Yeah. It's the crowds. I don't do well," she said. "And yeah, I guess...we're dating but it's...not really anything we've discussed, you know? Vulcans mate for life, generally. I DO like him, I just...don't want to rush into something and find out it's the wrong choice, you know? I am 24. I didn't date much in school, and only a little at the Academy. I was raised, too, in a more strict home. We don't date around. We don't sleep around. My parents would be OK with it, I am sure, but I just...want more time to think." She said. "In the meantime, he's nice, he's good company, I guess he's good looking," she said.

Lissa threw a pillow at her. "You guess? Come on..." She laughed. "But hey in all seriousness, now one is asking you if he's the one you are going to marry or anything. Sometimes you have to be in a relationship for a while before you know if it's meant to be for that kind of commitment."

Sarah laughed. "I know. But we probably will. I am not really...once I settle, it will be for life. I am husband hunting, and looking for a father for my children. It was SUPPOSED to be Noah Steinburg...we dated for the final two years of the Academy, but broke up about six months ago. It was too much for him-I am out here and he's back at the SF Shipyards. He's a mechanic, went through the Engineering program." It hit her then that she had a "type". How embarrassing! She hopped down, and began to change into her night clothes. "Anyway. Good girls don't date around. I was a..." she paused and dropped her voice. "I was a virgin until last year," she said to the Orion.

Lissa leaned over the bed to talk to Sarah. "Why do you keep saying like it that -- 'Good girls'?" Having sex with someone, or more than one someone doesn't make anyone good or bad," she said.

Sarah sighed. "It's because my parents always taught us that. I know..I try to unlearn it. But it's so hard. I still care about what they think, though it won't usually change my choices. Going to the Academy was the first time I'd ever been away from them for any length of time, and I DID go a little wild at first. And then Noah was American, and different from me. From us. They tend to be a bit more liberal with things like that-and the Aliens are, too. I couldn't IMAGINE my parents' reaction if I had brought home an alien back then. They're a little better now, but still. I am their only daughter and...I think they still worry."

"So are you worried about how they'll like Sar?" Lissa asked. She wouldn't really ever have to worry about things like this, her parents being of mixed races themselves.

"A little bit. But if it ends up being real love, I don't mind telling them that. Out here...I see how other people live. Less inhibited, less....stifled. It's nice. Even Sar, as serious and repressed as Vulcans are, is a bit more liberal minded about things. I don't think that he has even considered what other people would say," she said. She climbed back into the bunk. "What about you? Anyone out here catch your fancy yet? There's plenty of cuties out at the Romulan settlement," she said.

"I mean, I've dated, but no one seriously. And no one since this assignment. We get moved around so much it's hard to settle down. And I'm young yet. Definitely not in a hurry for anything serious," Lissa said.

Sarah nodded. "The new guy in Intel is kind of good looking," she said. "And since Sar's boss is dating HIS boss, I could maybe finagle something," she said. "Just so we have another couple to double with," she said. "Honestly. We're....moving slowly on purpose. It's not that I don't necessarily WANT to call him my boyfriend or even my partner, it's just that...Vulcan customs are difficult to learn and take awhile. So we're not fully bonded yet, really," she said. "We've started to try to meld but...it's slow going," she said.

"For sure, take it slow. But you guys are totally dating," Lissa commented, affirming it more for herself than Sarah. "I don't even think I knew we had a new guy in intel..."

Sarah laughed. "I guess we are...I only know because Sar listens to the women in Engineering talk, and because his boss is dating Commander Elliott, he hears these things," she said. "And then relays them to me, and asks me to help him understand gossip," she said. She yawned again. "I'll introduce you when we get back. I think Sar said his name was Mario or something like that," she said. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're finding the water source. Remind me to ask Sar for his map," she said.

"You're right. Have fun with that. I'm staying here to try to get to the bottom of finding a cure. Goodnight, Sarah. Sweet dreams. I know what you'll be dreaming about," Lissa teased as she straightened her covers.

Sarah chuckled. "Not getting eaten alive by that weird deer creature that's here," she said. "Goodnight, Lissa." After a bit, her breathing had regulated, and if anyone looked, they could see the soft rise-and-fall of the young woman's torso.

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