New Friends

Posted on Thu Jun 6th, 2024 @ 8:28pm by Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Ensign Jason Reece
Edited on on Fri Jun 14th, 2024 @ 9:03pm

1,635 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 5: The Price of Paradise
Location: USS Midway, Gymnasium
Timeline: M5 MD07 (2268.07.30) 0630

The morning after he finished all of his inprocessing aboard the ship, Jason woke early, so he could get a workout in before he reported for his first shift of duty.

After finding the gymnasium, he started by warming up. Once he was finished with his stretches, he moved over to the weights. Once he had the weight limit he wanted, he laid down at the bench press and started to begin his workout.

Aze had trouble sleeping and was up much earlier than normal. She made a note to speak to the doctor about it when she got the opportunity.

Instead of wasting the extra time, she put on her gym wear, a purple crop top with matching tight shorts that ended just above her knees.

Her Trill markings could be seen disappearing under the crop top above her bosom, reappearing between the bottom of her crop top and the top of her shorts and then back out down the outside of her legs to her ankles.

When she arrived at what she expected to be an empty gym, she found someone already there, starting their workout.

"Oh, Hi. I did not expect anyone else to be here this early," she commented as she headed over to the mats to start her stretch exercises.

As he was finishing his first set, Jason heard a young woman's voice off to his left. Once he set the weights down, he sat up, rolling his shoulders as he got ready for the second set. Looking over, he saw the attractive Trill and gave her a charming grin without even realizing it. "Morning, my name's Jason, Jason Reece."

"Good Morning Jason, I am Azrel, Azrel Vox." She replied.

She positioned herself in the centre of the mats and began her stretching exercises. Although she did not continue the dance classes she took from the age of 10 until her mid-teens, she still had the flexibility she had developed.

As she touched her toes..."I don't think I have seen you around before; I take it you are new to the crew?" she asked.

Jason had to admit, to himself of course, he was enjoying the view. After a few beats, he realized she had asked him a question. "Oh! Uh, yeah. I'm one of the new navigator. What about you?" He laid back down on the bench, as he didn't want to cool down too much while he was exercising. He started the second set as he listened for Azrel's reply.

"Chief Communications Officer. " she replied as she slowly did the splits on the mat, reaching out to touch the toes on her left foot, followed by the toes on her right foot, before moving her legs to a closed-together position and again touching her toes. She paused, sitting upright with her hands positioned just behind herself on the mat for support.

"I take it you came aboard at the station?" she asked.

As he continued to lift the weights over his chest, Jason grunted an affirmative. Then, when the second set was done, and the weight was put back down, he sat up, breathing a little heavier than before. "Yeah, just yesterday, in fact. Today's my first shift." He took a few breaths, then asked, "How about you? Been on Midway long?"

"I have. The Midway is my first assignment as a senior bridge officer. I think I have the layout of the Constitution Class figured out now but I had moments of getting lost. "

Aze then headed over to one of the weight machines that focused on the leg muscles and began a set on a light weight setting.

"I've studied every blueprint and schematic of this class that I could get my hands on," he replied excitedly. "While I'm just a navigator now, I want to progress to be Chief Helmsman, then one day, commanding my own starship!"

"We should all strive for what we hope to achieve in the future." Aze commented. "Torbin Vox picked up something called a bucket list on a trip to Earth. 16 of the 20 items listed were achieved."

"Was Torbin the pervious host of your symbiont?" Jason asked, before laying back down to preform his third set.

Aze was presently surprised that Jason had an understanding of the Trill species. She smiled. "Yes, my first host. Torbin was a renowned scientist. I haven't yet created my own bucket list but I have achieved a few things that would have been on it." She added.

"And what were the missing items, from both lists, if I may ask?" He asked the question as he got up from the bench and moved to the pull-up bar. Once he was ready, he started cranking out the first set quickly.

Aze moved over to Jason, standing next to him on the pull-up bar. " Let's see. Drinking blood wine with a Klingon, getting a bottle of Romulan ale, watching a starship leave drydock whilst in a spacesuit and meeting Captain James T Kirk."

Pausing in his exercise, Jason commented on what he heard. "Well, it might be difficult to do the first one, as we are at war with them. The Romulan Ale...there are ways to get that, or so I've heard. The third should be easy enough. And the fourth...well," he chuckled softly, "who wouldn't want to meet the legendary crew of the Enterprise? The only starship to successfully complete two separate five-year, deep space missions, and now working on her third. The only vessel known to have both travelled back in time and crossed the galactic barrier. Twice!" He shook his head and continued his workout.

"I heard he's quite one for the ladies. I would have to watch myself. I don't think my mother would approve. " Aze replied with a smirk on her face.

This made Jason grinned. Releasing the pull-up bar, he dropped the few inches to the deck. Looking over at her, he replied, "Somehow, I doubt someone with even Captain Kirk's savy, could sway you, unless you wanted him to do so." He moved over to the rack of barbells and picked up the twenty-five pound set. After moving a few paces away, he started to biceps.

"Dare I ask what you mean by that and how you have come to this conclusion?" Aze replied somewhat taken aback by the comment. Although she did wonder if it was a compliment suggesting she could resist the captain's legendary charm.

Looking over at her, seemingly unaware that he may have misspoke. "Only that, Captain Kirk's reputation is to go after women who are easily swayed by him. As you're the Chief Comms Officer, I would imagine that you're damn near brilliant, to be able to understand multiple languages in your mind. Also, with, what I would think is a long life of experiences for your symbiont, that would add to your mental armor." He started doing his exercises again as he added, "Of course, like I said, unless you wanted him to woo you."

"I must warn you, Jason. I am quite susceptible to flattery. I am only on my second host, so only 75 years of experiences as Torbin and a mere two years so far as Azrel. There are Trills out there who are the 8th or even 9th hosts to their symbiont."

He shrugged slightly as he finished his second set on the barbells. "It's still experience. And I'm not trying to flatter you, just saying it as I see it. However, I still do think you are impressive." He looked over and gave her a boyish, lop-sided grin. His features were full of honesty and openness.

"Impressive isn't something I've been called before, that's for sure. Thank you. " Aze replied.

After putting the weights back on the rack, he turned to her, smiled and nodded. "You're welcome." He then moved over to the rowing machine and, after selecting the difficulty setting, started his next exercise.

Aze moved over to a bench and sat down for a moment after her last exercise. "Being the only Trill onboard the Midway, it can sometimes feel isolating. " She commented.

He paused in his rowing to think about her predicament. "Well," he said between deep breaths, "While I will never know what it means to be Trill, at least I can be your friend." He gave her an honest, open grin as he finished speaking.

Aze smiled. "I really appreciate that. My species as a whole are still quite rare in Starfleet, joined Trills even rarer. We had to get the Chief Medical Officer special access to the Trill Medical Database, and files specifically on joined Trill biochemistry."

As he continued his exercise, he replied between reps. "My roomate...at the Academy...was an unjoined Trill."

She sat there looking at him as he continued on the rowing machine. She couldn't help notice his toned physique and that he was very handsome. He seemed to be a very genuine person, kind and honest.

"Um, are you free after your shift for a coffee in the messhall?" She asked.

When he finished the first leg of the programmed course, he took a quick breather, sweat dripping from his body. "Sure," he replied with a grin. "I'd like that!" He then began the next leg of the program.

"Great. I'd better finish my exercise and get ready for my shift." Aze replied, clambering onto the nearest rowing machine.

Jason simply nodded his reply, as he was focusing on the hard part of the course he chose. He was working to beat the recorded time for the distance he chose, and if he kept up the speed he currently had, he just might do so.

The two continued their respective workouts before leaving the gym to change and be on time for their shifts.

~OFF~

 

RSS Feed