Getting Lost Part IX
Posted on Sat Oct 14th, 2023 @ 8:10pm by Captain Edmund Merrick & Petty Officer 1st Class Kaylara Loran
Edited on on Sat Oct 14th, 2023 @ 9:16pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Aquil
Timeline: MD009 1100 hrs
As she mulled over the past few days, her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off to sleep.
Morning arrived, with Stefan waking up. At first he didn't remember where he was at until the gentle motion of the sloop as it bobbed up and down from the motion of the waves, and the sunlight showing the sleeping area he was in. Ah yes he was on a boat with Kaylara, having had fled the station to possibly work things out with her and at the very least offer her some tranquility. That is if he were the sort that could even make that happen.
He slid out of the sleeping area, and went to get a quick shower. He had found a pair of wrapped pajama bottoms of which he availed himself that fit, and put his laundry in the small washer that was on board. He hadn't bothered to put on a shirt. He set to work on breakfast and soon the scent of eggs and ham upon the skillet wafted its way through the lower deck and up towards the upper deck.
Kaylara woke with the sun on her face and stretched. She didn't intend to fall asleep, but the deck was peaceful. She still wasn't sure what she wanted as she kept vacillating. All she did know was that she'd regret it if she didn't try.
With that thought she caught the scent of breakfast and headed below deck. "Good morning. Do I have time for a quick shower or is breakfast ready?"
"Go ahead, you've got time, to have a shower. You might find some clean clothing in one of the cupboards. This boat reminds me of one of those hotels in Japan where they have clothing for those who are staying. Complimentary pajamas and such." Stefan pausing to gesture towards the shower and the cupboards.
"Great." She smiled and headed to the spare bedroom to shower and change into a wrap-around dress in a floral print that seemed to suit the occasion. She brushed out her hair and left it loose to dry, then padded, barefoot, back to the kitchen area.
Stefan had just put the omelets he had made upon the table, the dishes already set and ready for breakfast. Tea and lemon water was available, as well as freshly squeezed orange juice and buttered toast with jam. He looked up and his jaw dropped open, Kaylara looked rather beautiful. Was it due to the natural light from the sun as it peeked its way through the portholes into below the deck? His thoughts went back to his contemplations as where she was concerned, he mentally groaned it was going to be a difficult day for certain. She was so beautiful.
"Morning, did you sleep well?" Stefan asked having a bit of a smile as he gazed at Kaylara.
She laughed, recalling how she fell asleep. "Surprisingly, yes. I fell asleep watching the stars." She smiled at Stefan. "I should try it more often. How about you?"
"I slept." Stefan remarked with a smile. "Had some things on my mind that I was trying to sort out. Other than that, I am hungry and let’s eat." At the moment Stefan wanted to avoid any conversation where his thoughts had been last night.
That sounded...ominous. She wanted to ask, but not right now. She would rather enjoy today and see how it went before asking a question she feared would lead to heartbreak--and an argument. She was Romulan enough not to just walk away if he told her this was a bad idea.
With a nod of her head, she took a seat at the table. "The food smells great. Thank you." She was okay if he chose to keep his thoughts to himself this morning, too.
"You are welcome." Stefan responded, before he began to eat his meal. The meal was a quiet one, Stefan basically concentrating upon the food in front of him. He held his thoughts at bay for the moment, as it wouldn't be good to even have any sort of dour thoughts going through his mind.
However, during the meal, Stefan felt that something was just nagging in the back of his mind, and goosebumps were starting to rise upon his arms. He swallowed the last bite of his breakfast, and drank the rest of his drink. His eyes flashed around the room, then leaped from the table going over to where a barometer was upon the wall. He frowned seeing the barometric pressure plummeting down.
"Kaylara, we've got to get back to that little cove. We've got a storm coming in." right after he spoke those words, Stefan was up the stairs to unfurl the sails and get them underway. He frowned once again, seeing the waves start to become choppy and saw the distant clouds form into large dark ones, with lightning flashing amongst the darkness. From his reckoning Stefan felt they could get back to the cover before the rain hit, it was going to be close.
Kaylara paused long enough to put the dishes in the sink, then followed him up on deck. "What do you want me to do?" Even though she helped get them here, she still had little idea about what do to.
Even in the short time she'd been below deck to change and eat, the sky had grown stormy and there were whitecaps on the previously calm sea. She had no desire to be in open water when the storm hit.
"First off, put this life vest on." Stefan uttered gruffly. Handing one to her with his free hand with the other he was hanging onto the ropes for the sails. He had a life vest on as well. He didn't want to take any chances that him, or her would find themselves washed off the sloop and be in even more danger.
"Then Kaylara, you'll need to take the rudder, and I'll take care of the sails" Stefan added. "We can make it, I know we can." at the moment he had been hanging onto both the rudder as well as the ropes for the sails, having lashed them for the moment. "When you're ready let’s do this."
"Got it." She secured the life vest, then took the rudder. While she waited for Stefan, she looked around to get an idea of where they were. She had no idea what kind of storm they were facing, or how severe it might be, but she had confidence in his ability to get them to the cove.
The one thing that Stefan was grateful for, were the charts that had come with the boat. He had plotted the route back to the cove earlier. He could feel the wind as it caught the sails, glad that the wind was pushing them towards where there was safety. He also could feel the pull of the ropes he was using to help guide them back. And it was a fight to keep the boat under control. He didn't want to be dashed upon the shore due to the strong winds. He called out the directions to Kaylara for her to move the rudder. He could feel his muscles burn with the exertion that was taking to keep them upright.
A streak of lightning split the sky, just as they got into the cove. Stefan glanced upwards, knowing that they didn't have much time to lash the boat to the dock and get to the cabin. The boat moored safely, the hatch which led down below secured. Rumble of thunder, then another streak of lightning across the sky. Huge raindrops fell, and Stefan said to Kaylara. "Let’s go!" grabbing her hand and made a dash to the cabin, the sky ripping open and rain poured down as if buckets were being emptied.
Stefan's clothing was a sodden mess, but he paid no heed, quickly running to close the windows and secure the storm shutters of the cabin. "You can have the first shower whilst the water is warm." he stated. His attention concentrating upon the heavy rain which thundered upon the roof of the cabin.
Was it wrong that she found that fun? She probably would have felt differently if they'd capsized. Or maybe not, as long as they survived. She didn't mind doing data analysis, but a little excitement now and then was a good thing, as far as she was concerned. Either way, she felt exhilarated.
Kaylara stripped off her sodden clothes and dumped them in the sink, then took a quick, hot shower so there was plenty of hot water left for Stefan. When she was done, she rinsed out her clothes to wash later and put them in a small clothes hamper.
As she had nothing to change into, she wrapped herself in a towel and padded into the other room to search for some clothes. "Shower's all yours," she called.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant JG Stefan Zamfir
Field Officer Intelligence
Poseidon Station
Petty Officer First Class Kaylara Loran
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
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