Taking a lesson
Posted on Mon Sep 21st, 2020 @ 3:34pm by
Edited on on Mon Sep 21st, 2020 @ 3:38pm
1,903 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: MD005 1600 hrs
Jayden got off shift and headed home and took a shower. He dressed in what one would wear to play racquetball, having perused the computer as he didn't want to show up and be dressed wrong.
While they were at the O'Flannagains for dinner he had expressed an interest in learning to play racquetball and the commander, he still couldn't call him by his first name, had offered to teach him. He told him to meet him at sixteen hundred and not to be late. Jayden grinned when he remembered that his wife had said that Quinn was never late for dinner unless it was work related.
He headed down the corridor and got on the turbolift. He hoped he didn't do anything stupid while playing and picked up the game rather easy. Jayden remembered what Clarissa had told him. Relax and and fun.
Walking in, he saw the commander waiting for him and smiled. "I am five minutes early."
"I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up." Quinn told him with a smile on his face. Quinn was not sure if he wanted to play to impress him or to impress his girl. He had a feeling that he was going to back out, but it appeared that he was wrong.
“I got here as quick as I could,” Jayden said with a smile. “The Ops Chief had me run an errand for her on my way to change.” He grinned. “Remember I have never played before so you’re teaching me not slaying me. Your wife says your very competitive.”
"She would be correct, but I will hold back my competive ness." Quinn said, as he walked over to Jayden. "Have you ever played before?" Quinn asked, wondering how much he needed to teach him?
“This is the first time I have ever played,” Jayden said. “I am at your mercy, I know nothing.”
"The rules are pretty easy." Quinn said, as he walked onto the court that he replicated. "This area right here is the service area." Quinn started to say, as he pointed to an area on the court.
“That’s where you start the ball out at the beginning of each turn?” Jayden asked as he listened.
"You want to keep the ball in the court, try not to pass the 5 foot line, because this game is all about strategy, you want to control where the ball bounces back from. The ball can only bounce once." Quinn started to explain, hoping he did not loose Jayden yet.
Jayden listened to him, it seemed pretty simple so far. “So I am hitting the ball from at least five feet away, making sure it bounces once. Got it!”
"That's the first part, the next part is to remember to only let the ball bounce one, after you do, try to swing the ball in a direction you want it to go. The idea is to stop me from hitting the ball back to you. If you do that, you get a point." Quinn started to explain, hoping that Jayden was still keeping up.
"So i hit the ball with the with the idea that you won't be able to hit it back and I will get a point," Jayden nodded. It sounded easy but he had a feeling it would be anything but for a little while at least. "If you hit it back then I need to do the same until one of us misses?"
General idea of it." Quinn said as they continued to talk for a bit, and go over more of the rules. After a long winded conversation about rules, Quinn smiled as he asked. "Wanna give it shot?"
"Yes," Jayden grinned. "I am ready to give it a shot." He was excited to be playing and with the commander. O'Flannagain was a good leader and down to earth as well.
Quinn just smiled as he served a ball, the ball bounced off the wall and headed towards Jayden. He made sure it was a nice easy shot to hit back to him.
Jayden kept his eye on the ball and swung the racket, watching as it came towards him and he hit it back against the wall and towards the commander.
Quinn was hitting the ball back and forth with Jayden. He was taking it easy on Jayden trying to get him use to the rhythm of playing racquetball.
Jayden was getting the feel for what the game consisted of, he was waiting for the commander to throw some twist into it. The chief had told him once he had it down that there would be no mercy for him.
Quinn kept bouncing the ball back and forth, at a slow and steady pace. He wanted Jayden to become use to the rhythm the pace of the game. "Not bad." Quinn said, trying to encourage him.
“It kind of reminds me of tennis in a way,” Jayden replied. “Different though. I think this will be more intense when you decide to change up on me.”
"In a way its a lot like Tenis, but the ball can not just fly off. It's contained inside this room. As far as the intensity, that will come with time. Right now I want you to learn the rhythm." Quinn said, as they continued to play.
“I am patient.” Jayden nodded. “I want to get a real feel for it before I become competitive.” He was glad that the commander had patience with him.
"being competitive is not a bad thing. Its more about the sportsmanship win or loose that you should be focused on." Quinn pointed out to Jayden.
“You mean that it wouldn’t be good if I threw the racket at you when I lose,” Jayden grinned and then spoke quickly. “That would never happen, I am a gracious loser I was being funny.” He hoped he didn’t take him seriously.
"You dont seem like the type of guy, who would do that. I could be wrong, but I doubt it." Quinn said, as he served the ball towards Jayden.
“Never,” Jayden said sincerely. “I like being competitive and I like to win but at the end of the day, it’s a game.”
"It takes time to master a game, don't be a hurry to win at all costs, some lessons are better learned over time." Quinn said, wanting him to think beyond the sports metaphore on what he just said to him.
“I think it will be a while before I even think about winning,” Jayden confessed. “I would rather enjoy it and get a feel for what I am doing.”
Quinn was surprised by his comment, he litterally just contridicted what he said previously. Was he trying to apease him, get in his good graces?
“Does everyone get nervous around you or is it just me?” Jayden said with a laugh. “I need to relax and think of you as just another person on board instead of the boss.”
"I hope they would feel comfortable around me." Quinn said, but he knew he was the boss. And that would make some intimidated. "I am a pretty open person, easy to ge a long with, once you get to know me." Quinn pointed out.
"I'm getting there," Jayden said as he hit the ball back again. "This is the first time I've spent time with someone outside of being on duty." He smiled at him. "One of these days I may call you by your first name." The lieutenant had asked them to do that at dinner but he was still not comfortable yet.
"That's all I can ask of you." Quinn said, with a big grin on his face. He was eager to get on with the game. But he was taking it easy on Jayden, since he was still learning the game.
Jayden hit the ball, trying to put a curve to it and watched as it hit the wall and came back almost out of Quinn's reach. "That was cool."
"Not bad, not bad at all." Quinn said, as he decided to give him a small trick shot. To show him, he could do it too.
Jayden was ready for the ball, but it didn't come back where he thought it would and he just barely missed it. He grinned at Quinn. "That was sneaky, boss!"
"Boss huh?" Quinn just laughed, as he re served the ball nice and easy. "I think I would prefer sir, or Commander if you must." Quinn said, in a teasing voice.
Jayden made a decision and smiled back. "Just serve the ball, Quinn." It felt weird but he would get used to it. "I am on to you now."
"Oh now we are on a first name basis are we?" Quinn said, not sure he really liked that idea very much. His tone was a little more cold.
Jayden’s eyes widened. “Uhhh sorry Commander.” He should have remembered, the boss was always the boss.”
Quinn just laughed as he struck it off he didn't take it offensively like some senior officers might've. "Don't worry about it it happens to all of us at some point"
Jayden liked the commander, he didn’t seem like he got angry much. “You going to serve the ball?”
"Dunno, are you going to be able to get it?" Quinn playfully teased, as he got ready to serve the ball.
“Try me,” Jayden was determined to keep his eyes on the ball and hit it back, surprising then commander.
Quinn serve the ball at a slight angle which cause it to bounce at a slight angle call me it was it more of a tricky shot but he was confident that Jayden would be able to hit it.
Jayden followed the ball and successfully hit it back trying to put a spin of his own on it. The game was beginning to become a little more tricky.
Quinn appreciated his competitiveness. He decided to pick up his game a little bit just to give Jayden and a chance to see what it'd be like to play a real game. So far he had me taking it very easy on him.
Jayden waited for the ball and hit it back. “This is kind of relaxing.” And a little slow he thought. The lieutenant said that her husband was very good and likes to win.
"I find it to be, I am glad to hear, it might be for you. This is a good way to work out problems, come up with solutions or even work out frustrations." Quinn said, with a big smile on his face.
“Like when you are given orders that you don’t quite agree with,” Jayden nodded. “Or you want to move a relationship forward but you don’t know how she is feeling about it.” He smiled back. “A good tool to work it out!”
"ya, it has been. But where not done yet." Quinn said as the scene starts to fade.
Jayden grinned. He had a feeling he was about to be put to the test.
A joint post by;
Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Jayden Robertson
Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
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