A Walk in the (Artificial) Moonlight - Part 3

Posted on 10 Mar 2017 @ 1:37am by Lieutenant Commander Alexei Joran & Chief Petty Officer Bianca Donati
Edited on on 10 Mar 2017 @ 1:50am

1,196 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Gardens
Timeline: Current - ED 5 - Evening - Immediately after A Walk in the (Artificial) Moonlight (Part 2)

ON:

OLD:
"Well there are several in various levels of probability. The first being that nothing happens, and you continue to pursue me. The second, we could end up in bed together. This tends to be messy, and I am not entirely certain that the act, pleasurable though it is is worth it. Three, nothing could come of it and you would not continue to pursue me. Four, we could become...friends and see each other socially

"Ask a straight question, you get a straight answer, I suppose..." he muttered, half to himself. To her he said "In that case I have to ask--which of those four choices would you opt for?"

"Inconclusive" her response was quiet as she looked at him, a half smile on her face.

NEW:
"Perhaps a bit of research would be in order?" he asked, giving her a little smile of his own.

Both of her eyebrows lifted "elaborate?"

"It would be easier to demonstrate than to explain," he answered.

A tiny smile curved her lips upwards as she simply gazed at him, eyebrows still elevated.

Alexei reached up and carefully brushed a lock of her hair back from her face, then leaned in and gently kissed her. Pulling back after a moment, he looked at her then said "Insufficient evidence. More research is indicated..."

"What hypothesis are you testing?" Her question was a little breathless for she'd enjoyed the kiss very much.

"Uhmm..." Alexei fumbled for words for just a moment. "A...hypothesis of mutual attraction? Yeah, that's it."

She chuckled softly. "Well have to work on your reaction time for being put on the spot."

Alexei smiled at her for a moment, having thoroughly enjoyed the kiss. "Would you like to conduct further research before we reach a conclusion?" he asked with a grin. "Might give me a chance to work on my timing a bit."

"What will the variable be then? I think continuing to explore might be better, that way the experiment can proceed."

He wasn't exactly sure what she was referring to by exploring. Was she referring to exploring possibilities, exploring the arboretum--or exploring each other? He knew what he would prefer and that would be a combination of all three, but first he needed to determine what her thinking was. "What would you like to explore?" he asked her.

"Let's see what else is here. There must be other ecosystems." Biancas soft smile remained as her eyes swept the garden.

"Sure," Alexei said as he stood up and reached for her hand once again. "What would you like to see next?" The little grotto and the waterfall were a nice, quiet place--even romantic--and he surely would not have minded spending more time with her there, but perhaps there would be other places as they wandered through the gardens.

"The signage indicates that the stream will take us to various ecosystems. Let us see."

"Lead on," he said to her as he clasped her hand in his.

They wandered down the garden path over several quaint little bridges before the air turned crisp. It was cool and dry, in this zone

"This climate reminds me of Russia in early springtime," Alexei said. "Is cool but pleasant. In winter--not so much."

"Winter is unpleasant? "

"It can be very unpleasant," Alexei assured her. "The average temperature in Siberia in January is about minus 25c. Some places can get much colder. In fact, centuries ago the town of Oymyakon measured a temperature of -89.8 degrees." As the temperature seemed cooler, Alexei unconsciously (or perhaps purposefully) moved closer to Bianca and slipped a protective arm around her.

"That does sound most unpleasant indeed. I didn't enjoy cold weather training in Boot camp. "

"I didn't find it very pleasant when visiting there," he answered. "I much prefer the climate of Betazed."

He smiled slightly as he thought of growing up on Betazed.. "Especially the area around Lake El'Nar where I grew up."

"It is a nice area." Came the quiet response.

"I didn't know you had been there," he answered. "But I would one day like to take you back there and show you around."

"What would the purpose of showing me around an area I am well familiar with be?"

"Sometimes things are enjoyed more when you're with someone else."

"I reserve judgement, though I have not found that to be the case."

"Really?" Alexei found himself to be a bit perplexed by her answer. "I've found the opposite to be true in many cases. For instance I'm finding that sharing the experience of these gardens with you to be extremely pleasing."

Once again he smiled at a thought. "I also found the kiss at the waterfall to be extremely pleasing as well--and THAT'S something that HAS to be shared with someone else."

"As did I. Though this is a new experience, and as such can be written into my mind as is. I fail to see how taking me to something or someplace I experienced as a child would increase my enjoyment of the place."

"Many times what we experience as children seems very different if we experience it as an adult. And if you're sharing that experience with someone else, then you're making new memories and that can be wonderful as well."

"An interesting thought" Bianca acknowledged as she allowed her mind to work on that idea. Could the memories of her childhood be changed by altering the current memory of the place?

"Think of it like this," Alexei said as he thought of what he considered to be a good analogy. "If you see someplace in the winter and everything is covered in snow, then you see it again in the spring when flowers are blooming and there's life all around. you're still seeing the same place, but just from a different perspective, right?" It was a rhetorical question, so he continued. "I think our memories are much the same way. The memories remain much the same, we only see them now from an adult's perspective."

That comment brought her up short and she made a thoughtful noise as she processed that idea. It did bear thinking about.

"You know, I remember once when I was about 5 years old going to visit my grandparents in Russia," Alexei said. "Near their house was a wide raging river with a very long,, high bridge across it. I was so scared of that bridge that there was no way I would walk across it." He chuckled at the thought. "Years later, as an adult, I went back there and saw my "big" bridge. It was a freaking footbridge about twenty feet long and three feet or so high--over an IRRIGATION ditch...!"

Bianca snorted her amusement, and shook her head "I believe I understand."

Alexei grinned as they walked on. The next area they came to was a desert-like setting. There were various types of cacti and other flora that flourished in an arid environment. It reminded him of holo-vids he had seen of the high deserts of the western United States.

To be continued...

OFF:

LtCommander Alexei Joran
Chief Engineer
USS Redemption

CPO Bianca Donati
Marine/Diplomatic Officer
USS Redemption

 

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