Samantha_Kent

Oh, God, yes, Kansas...story of my life. It's gotten to the point where I will avoid group work even at the expense of more work on my own part, just because there's always at least a 75% chance of ending up with someone who just does not give a frack. ;) My brother IMed me the other day plaintively asking, "Why am I always in the group with the kids who do nothing but talk about video games?" ;) Apparently it hasn't stopped since I left high school.

Brian was standing next to Eagle, reviewing the security protocols being enacted on the Arcadia. The tactical officer had asked for his assistance, in a roundabout way, but he doubted that he could offer any fresh insights into shipboard security for a Sovereign-class starship. His gaze drifted back to the view of New Atlantis in the main viewscreen. Night had just fallen on this side of the planet. The huge space elevator and the city that spread like a starburst at its base were brilliantly lit. Memories...he had been haunted by them since the Captain had told him their destination, and even now he struggled to focus on the task at hand. Sam watched Brian watching the viewscreen, her dark eyes fixed on his face, her expression worried. She had heard what he had been talking to the captain about, and she didn't like it at all; she didn't know the details of his past and how he had come to the elements of darkness in his personality now, but she could tell from the tension in his face and voice that this place was somehow involved with it, which made her very reluctant to cotton to his plans to go down by himself. She gestured at him gently, trying to catch his eye across the bridge -- the few moments of calm that the bridge had settled into seemed as good a time as any to try to talk to him about this. He saw someone gesture out of the corner of his eye and it pulled enough of his attention away from the viewscreen to look over and realize it was Samantha beckoning him. With a mumbled excuse to Eagle he walked toward the port side turbolifts and nodded for her to follow. Brian didn't go for the turbolifts but instead stepped into the alcove to the right of them that led to the bridge restrooms and waited for Sam. Sam immediately stood up from her seat and followed him into the head alcove near the port turbolift. Keeping her voice low, she looked at him with an expression of concern, choosing not to go immediately on the attack but instead beginning with a careful, "Are you alright?" Brian frowned slightly and saw the worry in Samantha's eyes. "No, but I am going to have to deal with that." Sam shook her head slightly at him. Of course he was going to try to pull away on this; she should have expected that. She could only hope that maybe she could draw him back, convince him not to risk himself foolishly because of whatever he thought this planet held for him. "What is it?" she asked, glancing back out of the alcove towards the image of New Atlantis hovering on the screen. "What are you expecting here?" His gaze followed her glance to look again at the viewscreen. "I don't know...that is what scares me." Sam's worried expression deepened and she reached out impulsively and grabbed his arm. "Then why are you going down there alone?" she hissed at him, her tone hovering between frustration and abject fear. She didn't want to become a burden to him, she did not want to be "the obnoxious girl" hanging over his every move, but everything she was hearing about this place said that this was a bad idea and she refused to let him disappear down there without her at least speaking up to try to stop him. Brian looked back at Samantha in surprise as she grabbed him and then shook his head. "I can't stand the thought of anyone else paying for my mistakes. Though I don't think the Captain will let me go alone anyway." Sam nodded slowly at that, her hand still on his arm, almost as if afraid that if she released him he would be immediately sucked down into whatever waited for him on the planet below. "I hope you're right...I don't know what you think you're atoning for but if anything happens to you down there..." Her voice trailed off unhappily and she paused for a moment before continuing, looking down. "I don't even want to think about it..." He reached out and touched his finger to Sam's chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I'm not atoning for anything, Samantha. I am going because I am the best suited for the task. As for what might happen..." Brian blinked and shook his head slightly. "There are rules, even in illegal organizations...especially in the Syndicate. One of the most important is to never tell the authorities anything if you get caught. If someone is found to be a snitch, a black mark is placed on their name. They are to be killed on sight...no questions, no explanation." Sam felt the soft touch of his fingers guiding her eyes back to him, and she met his gaze with a wide-eyed, hardly reassured expression that she hated herself for. She reached up and caught his hand before he could pull it away. "Brian...you don't have to get yourself involved in this again. From what you're saying it sounds more dangerous down there for you, not less; why can't you let someone else..." She stopped. She was skating dangerously close to whining at him -- he was a big boy, he knew far better than she did how to take care of himself. "Promise me you'll be careful," she finally said softly, tightening her grasp on his fingers gently. "I'll be as careful as I can. But I have to know my status...I have to know if I am a marked man." Brian saw Samantha's eyes glistening as she struggled to be stronger than she wanted to. He felt the depth of her fear and felt a surge of warmth as he realized the extent of her love for him. A sudden sincere smile spread across his face. "I swear I will come back to you." With that, bridge be damned, he pulled her close and kissed her softly on the lips. Sam felt his arms around her and almost fell into him as he pulled her close, her worry for him overcoming the awkwardness their relationship had suffered up to this point as she pressed her lips back against his gently. For a moment she stopped worrying about anything, even the fact that they were only barely hidden from completely public view; for a moment nothing else was important. When they broke apart after a moment that seemed to last several hours, she looked up at him and quirked her mouth in a nervous half-smile. "I'll hold you to that, you know," she said softly. That sort of promise, in the long run, could not really be sure of coming true, but she couldn't fairly expect to get anything more concrete from him...she could only hope.

"Computer -- begin personal log: Lieutenant Samantha Jarel Turis-Kent, authorization 0-5-delta-sigma-8." BEEP. "Well...I don't know whether to go with the good stuff or the bad stuff first. A month of quiet time with that astrophysics survey and now all of a sudden so much happening at once. The Arc is heading for New Atlantis...it's a planet in the Triton cluster, a couple days travel from where we were working the solar radiation study. The planet itself isn't that extraordinary -- it's the nebula beside it that's the fascinating bit. Pacifica...'peaceful'...probably the only thing peaceful about the entire system. It's the breeding ground for the Pacifica space serpents...theoretically they're a delicacy, and the price for them on the galactic market is staggering. I had some on a few of the diplomatic trips with my father and to tell the truth I never saw the appeal. The taste reminds me of Paluckoo, not a taste I enjoyed much under the best of circumstances (and I don't think I ever ate it under good ones), but I suppose to each their own. At any rate...there's never been a Federation survey into the nebula on either the composition or the serpents themselves and I think I may have just booked myself a slot on one! Commander Alces was working on obtaining us a solar sailboat; apparently they're the only method of travel in the nebula that doesn't scare off the serpents. I've been going back through the library database for information on Bajoran solar sail technology; I know enough about it to hold my own in discussion but if I'm going to be riding in one I should get as much of the details as I can. It should be a fascinating trip, if only we can manage to get the licenses to even enter the place at all. Which...brings me to the bad stuff... New Atlantis is...no Risa paradise for shore leave. The more I hear about it the more I think it's closer to the stories I hear about places like Baham and Trinity...it's an underbelly world. Commander Alces had to bribe the government agency we contacted just to get our application processed at all...the captain seems worried about the possibility of stolen merchandise...and Brian... Prophets...Brian wants to go down there alone. I know he has a lot in his past, I know he's probably got old acquaintances down there...but I don't like this at all. If something happens to him down there... I'm trying not to move too fast with him; despite all the stress leading up to us finally dating, I think he may actually be more scared than I was about this. I don't know exactly what he's been through, and I don't know exactly what he expects. But I do know that if something happens to him down there and I haven't had a chance to make this work...Prophets, I don't want to see that happen. I love him and he's throwing himself into danger... The captain would never allow it, and I would be more of a hindrance than a help, I know, but I'm still tempted to ask to go with him, send someone else on this science survey...like watching him with my own eyes will somehow make him safer. At the very least, maybe I can talk to him, convince him to take someone with him. I don't know if he'll listen, but I have to try... End log." BEEP.

Rennaissance festivals in the pouring rain are kind of amazing.

During their off-hours, the two beat-up old cars liked to re-enact Mufasa's murder scene from The Lion King. [/exceedingly random mood]

Yaaaaay Jami, happy birthday! ;)

The 'Tarnished Star' was probably the cleanest it had been since it was built, or at least since it was recreated holographically. The gas lights mounted to the walls were dimmed appropriately. The solid oak bar and the racks of liquor behind it were spotless. The gouged and pitted tables were neatly pushed to the walls of the pub with the exception of one that sat in front of the fire that was cheerily burning in the river stone fireplace. That one table was draped with a perfectly white tablecloth and was set with sterling silver utensils surrounding gold rimmed fine china. Brian stood in the center of the tavern, nervously making sure his button down hunters green silk shirt was unwrinkled and properly tucked into his black pants. Sam's palms were sweating just slightly as she headed for the holodeck. She was more relaxed that she would have been a week ago in this situation, now that Malik was...well, informed. But Brian was still, at best, an uncertain pool she was diving into; she wasn't sure how much was understood between them or what was going to happen tonight on their first "official" date. She was wearing a subdued dark skirt and blue shirt, nothing fancy but not her usual civvies, another slight newness about this situation that didn't help to decrease her tension. She turned into the holodeck as the doors slid open and found Brian's "Tarnished Star" pub simulation waiting for her, albeit a bit different from when she had last seen it. The lights were dimmed and the place was neatly arranged around a central table which shone with preparation, and Brian was standing near it looking outright nervous. Sam didn't blame him; her smile as she looked across at him was definitely a little bit awkward. "Hello, Brian," she said. Brian looked toward the doors as he heard the distinctive hum of their opening mechanism. Samantha was for a moment backlit by the bright light of the corridor and he found himself a bit entranced by the sight of her as she walked in. He was pleasantly surprised to see her in skirt and thought that the ensemble complemented her figure perfectly. Realizing that he was staring a bit too long, he smiled sheepishly and steped toward her. "Good evening, Samantha. Welcome back to my little hideaway." She fought the urge to blush as he gazed at her, looking very handsome in his crisp dress shirt. He definitely cleaned up good, as the saying went, and she could tell that he had put some effort into preparing the simulation for tonight, which was definitely flattering. "Thanks...it's good to be back," she said, finally dragging her eyes away from his and looking around the room a bit more, stepping more closely towards him. He offered his hand to her with what he hoped was a reasuring smile. "The staff is off tonight so it is just you and I and the fire." There was only a moment's hesitation before she reached out and took it, feeling the warmth of his palm against hers, and returned his smile. "I guess that's all we need," she said, laughing softly. Brian led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her to sit before settling into his own seat. He watched Samantha a moment before grining and looking down at his plate. "This may sound hard to believe, but I have never done this before." Sam grinned back. "It...does sound hard to believe, but I will take your word for it," she said, then looked a little self-deprecating. "It's...been a while for me too." She looked across the table at him as she settled into her seat, unable to resist a certain amount of curiosity at how he had made it to this point in his life without having been on a date, but this hardly seemed the right point to bring that up. "So...what's on the menu?" she asked cheerfully, trying not to do anything to make this *more* nervewracking. He sighed, realizing that he had expressed himself very poorly and shook his head once. "I meant I have never gone through this much trouble to try to impress someone." Brian stood and pulled a bottle of champagne out of an ice bucket, peeling off the foil top and working on the cork as he spoke. "When I was working on this last night, I realized how important you were to me." The cork popped off as he froze, realizing he had said a bit much in his nervous babble. Sam caught the cork as it arced through the air and looked down for a moment. She was both flattered and a little embarrassed by his sudden effusion -- in some ways she didn't feel like she had done anything yet to deserve it, but on the other hand...it meant that maybe she could make this work after all. During their conversation with Malik earlier, he had seemed to assume this wouldn't happen before it had even begun, and that had stung a little bit, but here, perhaps because they were in private, he seemed more willing to admit that he wanted it. And...what with the whole drama regarding Malik and her own uncertainty about the right course of action, she had been almost afraid to admit to herself the other aspect of this whole thing...she wanted to be important to him because she wanted to help him, respected him...and loved him. And so she couldn't help the feeling of warmth that surged through her at his words. "Thanks..." she said, looking up at him again and holding the cork out to him, her cheeks flushing slightly with sudden emotion. Brian caught her gaze and felt his heart skip a beat. His hand touched hers as he took the cork and a smile spread across his face. "I should be thanking you." He poured the champagne carefuly and set the bottle back in the ice before taking his seat again. Reaching over to a side tray, he pulled the silver lids off of two small plates and bowls. "I didn't want to make this too elaborate so I just put together a salad and some seafood bisque for starters." Sam watched the smile grow on his face, an expression she didn't always see there, and that all by itself felt like an accomplishment that made the evening worthwhile. Her own expression matched it as she watched the presentation of the food attentively. "Sounds delicious," she said, looking from him to the salad and bisque and back. He set the plates in front of Samantha and then served himself. Picking up a spoon, he tasted the bisque and then stared at it a moment before looking across the table at her. "This is going to sound odd, but is this too formal for us?" Sam chuckled softly at his sudden second-guessing. "Possibly. I mean...I still would have enjoyed myself with you if the place looked like it did the last time I was here, I'm sure." She paused, then added hurriedly with a grin, "Not that I don't appreciate all the trouble you went to -- it's very flattering." Brian took a deep breath and tried to relax and enjoy the bisque. He hadn't felt this awkward around a woman in a very long time. It was dificult, it was uncomfortable, and it was infinitely worth it. But should it be this hard? He looked over at her and decided that it didn't. She had seen him durring one of his darker moments and still she was here at this table with him. Supressing a laugh at his own timidity, he leaned back in his chair and studied at Samantha. "I suspect you have alot of questions about me and you really do deserve some answers." Sam watched him as he glanced at her, wondering what was going through his mind; he seemed both more and less pensive than usual and as always was something of a puzzle to her. When he offered answers, she had to resist the temptation to jump at the opportunity; it wouldn't do to be too hasty about something that he had clearly avoided for years. "Whatever...whatever you'd like to tell," she instead said carefully, smiling and serving herself some of the bisque and taking a bite, noting absently that it was quite good. "I do want to know about you; it sounds like you've been through a lot." He nodded slowly and looked away from her, gaining a distant look on his face. "I'm not really sure where to start. Maybe with my parents?" Picking up his flute of champagne, he emptied half of the thin glass and then slowly swirled the remaining contents as his thoughts drifted back and forth through random memories. Sam nodded, leaning her elbows gently on the table as his expression turned pensive. "Sure," she said, wondering where his thoughts were leading him and how much of it he intended to let her in on easily. "My mother, Autumn Bryant Riley, died when I was 12." Brian spoke matter of factly, like he was describing the color of a bulkhead. There was no discernable feeling or quaver of emotion in his voice. "I was with my father at Starfleet Academy at the time. My parents alternated assignments. They were committed to their careers and each other equally so one would take a three year stint somewhere on or near Earth while the other was off on an exploratory mission or starship assignment." "It slowed down their career progression but they felt it was worth the sacrifice." He shook his head slowly. "My father came home from the Academy to tell me and then he locked himself in his room for three days. We had a funeral, but there was nothing to bury. The Admiral that came to the funeral said that she was killed in a lab explosion, but he was very vague." Sam's eyes widened as the conversation took an abrupt turn for the very serious; she tried to imagine losing either parent at the age of twelve and the sensation was not a pleasant one -- she had not known her mother as well as her father but she knew that at that age losing either one would have been pretty devastating. And if Brian was starting here with his explanations it probably meant he felt his stories only went worse from here. "Prophets..." she muttered, looking at him with an expression full of sympathy. "That must have been terrible..." Brian nodded slightly and looked at Samantha. "You sure you want me to go on before the rest of dinner?" Sam cracked a small smile at him. "I have many faults, Brian, but I am mostly accomplished at the art of listening and eating at once." She wasn't going to let him squirm out of this just to make her feel better -- this wasn't about her. He sighed resignedly and took a bite of his salad. "My father tried to find out what really happened to her, using his connections and friends. Then one day some people came to our door and told him that if he wanted to keep his career in Starfleet and his freedom he should stop asking any more questions. So he stopped his inquiries and to this day we don't really know." Sam chewed her bisque thoughtfully, not really noticing the taste of it, focusing more on the expression on Brian's face and the words he was speaking. She remembered the conversation she had had with Lieutenant Sema'J recently, his warnings that perhaps she was getting in over her head; abruptly she wondered if she had the stamina for this. If this was only the beginning of Brian's stories...what if she couldn't do it, what if after all the craziness leading up to it, she still turned out to be no better than the people who had hurt him in the past? She shook her head gently to herself; it was hardly the time to worry about that yet...for now she could only see where this went. She looked at him, her brown eyes firmly fixed on his face, listening, and when he had finished speaking she let out a low sigh. "Jesus..." she muttered. "That's...insane..." "The Federation has it's skeletons in the closet, Samantha. There are some people inside the system who don't subscribe to the moral standards they teach in the Academy." Brian placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward, looking at her over the flickering candle. "I've heard rumors and stories when I was on the fringe. Jobs being sanctioned outside and inside Federation space by mysterious people who had all the connections and clearances needed to get by border patrols without question." Sam nodded at him quickly; she was trying to tread a fine line here between being worried, even appalled, and appearing naive to him. He had experience in things she had never even dreamed of and in some ways as long as she had known him that had left her a little in awe of him. "So what do you think happened?" she asked cautiously. "Mom was a scientist, an expert in transformative quantum physics. She was always in demand to consult on countless projects." He set his fork down and glanced at the cieling with a look of suspicion. "I have a couple theories, neither of which I can speak of on a Federation vessel without red lights going off and finding myself escorted to an isolation cell." Sam opened her mouth as if to laugh but wasn't sure enough that he was exaggerating to actually let the sound out, and she glanced around at the walls of the pub around them. "That would tend to ruin an evening," she said in a vague attempt at humor, looking back at him after a few second's pause, her expression still sober enough to clearly show that she wasn't trying to make light of him. Brian stared at Samantha a long moment and then smirked. "I am surprised I haven't already." Sam saw the smirk appear on his face and felt a little more willing to let her own smile slide onto her lips. "Well, I asked, so it would be my own fault. But I don't ask questions when I don't want to know the answers." She paused, then chuckled softly and looked up at him, second-guessing herself again slightly. Just because it wasn't ruining the date for her didn't mean it might not be for him, and this *was* a date, not a psychiatry session. "But I'm only half of this date and you're welcome to talk about something more pleasant for now, if you want. We've got plenty of time..." He reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. "Its hard to pour out my whole life in one evening. Not only would it be emotionally trying, it would also take a lot longer than a few hours." A weak smile accompanied his lame attempt at lightening the atmosphere. "I plan on spending alot of time with you, Samantha. Hopefully most of it isn't filled with me dredging up memories." Sam felt his hand close over hers and looked down at it for half a second almost as if surprised to see it there, before turning her fingers up to wrap gently around his. "I'm sure it won't be." She paused, looked down, then back at him, fighting a shy expression from making its way into her smile. "I mean...I'm not here because I just want to be your psychiatrist." Her mouth quirked, compressing the left side of her face into a look somewhere between a grin and a wink, the first really relaxed expression she had made all night. She suddenly realized just how bloody seriously she was taking this; one way or another, some of her worries had recently been put to bed. She needed to recognize the happy elements of this as well as the difficult, or what the hell was the point of it all? "I hope you are not here for just the food either." Brian gave her a genuine smile as he started to feel a little more relaxed. "Everyone needs someone who will listen, who you can share with." He realized that trying to force himself to be more open may not have been the best idea. It would take time to tell Samantha everything and it looked like he might have that time with her after all. Sam's grin widened at the honest smile on his face. Just pulling that from him occasionally...that was worth it all. "No, not just for the food either," she said cheerfully. She could see him visibly relaxing and the sight loosened her own tension considerably. "And...I don't claim to always know the right answers, but I will always listen. And share." She paused, then squeezed his hand gently, looking straight at him, watching his face, hoping to the Prophets or whoever was listening that she could do this right after all. Brian had a hard time tearing his gaze away from her. "Let's leave the answers for after dinner." He glanced over at the serving tray, then looked back at Samantha and smiled. "For now I am just happy with you."

Heh...my college has a pirate club. ;) Best day of the year, arrrrrr.

"The balcony is also not on any of the other floors. As a matter of fact, this entire complex is only present in your mind."

Welcome, Justin! Seen you in the chat a few times, look forward to playing with you more! I think it's cool that you're bringing in new blood in the race category; that sort of creativity's always interesting. (Sam's only Bajoran because I want to be Kira Nerys when I grow up :rolleyes: ). Bear in mind though that for the academies, everyone is always human, to allow you to focus on the mechanics and making sure everyone knows what's going on; once you join an advanced sim, you submit a bio and begin developing a specific char.

C.S. Lewis predicted STSF! "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You, too? Thought I was the only one.'"

Malik sat on Sam's couch generally talking to her about the previous missions, sipping some tea with lemon and honey in it. Sam sat on the couch in her quarters, perched in the corner against the arm and drinking tea, as they talked about the recent missions. She couldn't restrain a certain amount of tension despite the relaxed nature of the conversation; she wondered if he had heard about her most recent conversation with Brian. And if he hadn't...she wondered how in hell she was going to bring it up. Malik sipped his tea some more. "So, how are things with you?" He looked at her and smiled, while sipping his tea. "Well enough..." Sam said casually, looking back at him and shifting slightly in her seat to face him. "We've got some astrophysical phenomena we've been dealing with since we left Nevuluz. Keeping us pretty busy." "That's excellent. Sounds quite interesting." Malik looked at her and he could see an uneasiness with her. "Something wrong, Sam?" Sam swallowed an overlarge gulp of tea hastily to cover slight surprise. Mal was more perceptive than she had given him credit for. "Umm..." The urge to evade the question was strong but she knew she would regret it later if she did. "I...I need to talk to you about something, Mal." She paused, trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject then finally decided on the direct. "I asked Brian Riley out." It came out slightly too fast, almost all as one word, but it came out. Mal would at least know what was going on...whether he would hate her for it; well, that was up to him. Pilot choked slightly. "....W-wait...come again?" Pilot looked at her, sitting his cup of tea down. Sam gulped as he fixed her with his eyes. "I asked Brian out," she said a little more slowly, fighting the urge to look away from him down at her cup, at the wall, anywhere else but at him. Malik looked at her, there wasn't hate in his eyes or his facial expression. He was more ticked at himself. "O-oh...thats, uh, wonderful Sam." Malik said in a low disappointed voice. He looked down at his coffee mug filled with tea. Sam swallowed. The disappointment in his voice was easily apparent and it made her feel terrible but she couldn't take her words or actions back now. And she couldn't restrain a small feeling of relief that he did not seem angry. Brian stood in front of Samantha's quarters, staring at the door. It should be easier than this, he thought. This is what he wanted wasn't it? With a deep breath to steel his nerve he touched the door chime. Malik looked up at the door chime. "Maybe I should leave...." he said in a low monotone voice. Sam jumped as the door chime rang, then stood up, placing her tea carefully on the table and turning to face the door. "Come in," she said, grateful for the slight distraction. Brian stepped into the room as the door opened and upon seeing Samantha and Malik standing, stopped short just inside the door. He opened his mouth as if to speak but at the moment couldn't find any words. The door slid open before Sam could respond to Malik's monotone comment and she turned to greet whoever was visiting and found herself looking at Brian. Oh god...poor timing... "Oh..." she said startled. "Um. Hello." Malik looked up at Brian then to Samantha. "Sam, all I want to say to you is....I just waited too long to express my feelings towards you, I didn't realize you were on the search for a significant other. I can only blame myself. I wish you and Mr...I mean Brian the best." Malik stood up and sat his tea down. "I will leave you two." Sam looked between the two of them and felt vaguely as if the floor was trying its best to drop out from under her. Malik was talking this both better and worse than she had hoped; she almost wanted him to be angry...to shout at her, to react violently. But this saddened acceptance hurt. She gulped again and glanced uncomfortably at Brian before muttering softly..."Mal, I'm sorry..." Malik sensed uncertainty in Sam, "Are you okay, you seem to be uncertain about something? It is okay again. I can only blame myself. I didn't want to come off too strong." Malik looked at her. Brian recovered a bit from the inital shock and made sure his mouth was closed like the door behind him. "Malik, I don't know what to say." He glanced at Samantha and then looked back at Malik, "This may not even work out. I'm not very easy to deal with." Almost immediately, he internally kicked himself for giving voice to his doubts. "Brian, I am not going to even doubt the relationship." Malik looked at them both. Sam looked between the two of them with an unhappy expression. She had been afraid this might happen if this situation arose...both of them were trying to pull back from her. And while Malik's passive response hurt, it was Brian's abrupt doubt that really stung. He refused to believe her capable of the loyalty that was what had caused this whole fiasco in the first place. "That's...beside the point," she muttered at him; further discussion on that could wait until somewhere more private. She then looked at Malik, who was clearly attempting to be noble about this. "Mal..." she said carefully, trying not to put her foot in her mouth any further than she already had, "don't blame yourself. I've...I've handled this poorly too. And I'm sorry." "No it is more my fault than it is yours. I should have told you earlier." Malik looked at Samantha. He moved towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay...really...we are all still friends." Malik looked deep into her eyes since that was the last time he would be able to. Sam let out a slow breath, refusing to shrink from his touch as he gently grabbed her shoulder. "That's good to hear..." she said softly, looking back at him as he stared at her. Brian watched them both, finally focusing on Malik. "I'm glad you are taking this well." "I've been trying out that Vulcan thing where you hold back emotion." Malik looked at Brian. "Before I am lover, I am a Starfleet Officer." Malik places his hand on Brian's shoulder. "Duty first." Brian smirked and thought of his younger cousin, Matt. "You are right though, we are going to have to work together no matter what." Sam felt herself relax just slightly as the two men spoke. There was no doubt this was awkward, but it was also not going down as awkwardly as it could have, and she felt a wave of gratitude towards Malik for his calmness. As he turned to face Brian, she stepped back just slightly in Brian's direction to allow Mal's hand to gently drift from her shoulder, and waited. Malik grip got tighter on Brian's shoulder, suddenly. "However, if you EVER hurt her, I will put my foot so far up your ass you will be throwing up Starfleet boots for weeks." Malik nodded firmly at him. "Understand?" Brian quickly tempered his anger, recognizing the emotion behind the threat and understanding Malik's concern. Instead of making a pointless argument he simply nodded his understanding. Malik's grip loosened up, "I am glad we see eye to eye." Malik looked at them both. "So, what now?" Well, so much for relaxation. It vaguely occurred to Sam to be flattered at Malik's defensiveness on her behalf but for a moment she was absolutely terrified that Brian would react harshly. But he didn't; he said nothing, merely nodded and Sam let out half a breath slowly as Malik's fingers loosened. "I...I don't know," she said cautiously, looking between the two of them as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. She hadn't believed that this scene, which she had been dreading now for weeks, could possibly be about to end without bloodshed (either metaphorically or literally), but it seemed like she might have gotten lucky after all. "Darn good question. A drink maybe?" Brain shrugged slightly, partially to try to release some tension. He looked at Samantha and felt a pang of guilt at his early doubts, but he couldn't shake his own pessimism. "Sounds good to me...mess hall we go?" Malik queried to Brian & Samantha. Sam nodded silently, feeling thrown a little off-balance by this, and looked between the two of them again, still feeling vaguely as if it couldn't be this easy but more relieved and grateful that it was. She knew Malik could sense thoughts and feelings, even if he did not always use it, and she hoped that he could tell how relieved she was, as if that would somehow make up for how she had handled this craziness. Brian gestured toward the door, "Mess hall it is then."

Hmmm, almost forgot about this. Mreh K'hal for sheer level of detail. :rolleyes: Will Marx runner-up.

Ok -- try this link: http://www.specksynder.com/librivox/timber...trometrics1.wav

Welcome aboard, Jay! I'm sure Will will be along eventually with his official spiel of links and resources, but let me be the first to recommend Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki and pretty much the best place ever to get Star Trek information. Also, feel free to ask around for help around here; we're all a friendly, helpful bunch. :rolleyes:

Well, the audio interface is what you should have gotten; it's just an mp3 file. The only explanation I can think of for why you couldn't hear it is that I hadn't amplified the file enough, so let me try this again: http://www.specksynder.com/librivox/timber...trometrics1.mp3 EDIT: Hmmm...ewww...I forgot that re-exporting mp3s multiple times causes quality degradation. Please stand by. :rolleyes:

But my webspace isn't related to STSF. O.o

::wonders why your office thinks my webspace is dangerous:: :rolleyes:

Ok, well, I have done some searching of the depressingly limited number of Star Trek: Voyager clips available online and while my store is not yet exhausted, I have so far recorded this: http://www.specksynder.com/librivox/timber...trometrics1.mp3 I have no idea if this is *the* astrometrics sound your friend is looking for, but it is certainly *a* sound made by the astrometrics lab while shifting visuals, so I'm hoping it might be. Let me know; if it isn't, I'll keep looking.

Welcome aboard, Mike! Hope you enjoy yourself here!

I may be able to help you out, as I have a program that allows me to record sounds as they play through my speakers; if you can point out to me a couple episodes where the sound you're looking for is used, I might be able to pick 'em up on YouTube or somewhere else and catch the sound that way...

Aw, frack! Now I have to do my French homework!

Welcome William/Alex! I too came from forum-based RP originally; you may find it's a bit of a weird transition for a while but definitely just as much fun. :rolleyes: Hope you enjoy yourself as much here as I have; feel free to ask around if you have any questions!

On a related note, has anyone ever actually read the packaging for SPAM? Clearly someone at the company said, "Well, no one's ever going to take us seriously anyway so let's have fun with this." There was also one that I saw a couple of months back that was along the same lines but also included some phrasing about SPAM leading you into a beautiful but fleeting dream and how "you will chase it, oh, yes, you will!" I don't even like SPAM but every time I think about this I'm tempted to buy some just to reward whatever overworked person was stuck with that job.

Sam Kent was in a hurry. The ship had only an hour to prepare an entire holographic projection of the information obtained in the caves on Nevuluz, and that meant that the science team was extremely busy. She hurtled along one of the Arcadia corridors at a quick jog, moving towards one of the holodecks to begin some sort of setup, her mind on the incredible amount of data they had managed to obtain and the fascinating technology that had lain buried, that still waited relatively unexplored below the surface, and, distracted by her scientific curiosity, she completely forgot to watch where she was going and barrelled around a corner and directly into the chest of a crewmate on the other side. Station keeping was probably the most tedious and mind-numbing responsibility of a helmsman, and Brian had been doing just that since that fleet showed up. At the moment he was looking forward to a quick shower and a possibly a nap before returning to his post in an hour. He looked longingly at the closed doors of the holodecks as he made his way toward his quarters. An hour spent in the 'Tarnished Star' was tempting but the Science division had appropriated all of them for the impending meeting. Turning back in time to see a blue blur round the corner allowed him just enough time to brace himself for the impact. He quickly caught the female crewmember before she went tumbling on to her backside and was pleasantly surprised to find himself holding Samantha. A pair of firm arms gripped her before she could tumble backwards into the corridor she had just turned from, and she glanced up to apologize for her distraction and found herself staring into Brian Riley's blue eyes. Her heart, which had been thumping from energy and adrenaline already now began to pound at an almost alarming level. "Oh...ah, hello," she said, grinning a little up at him. "Sorry...wasn't watching where I was going." A grin spread across Brian's face as he looked at her, "I have imagined you in my arms, Samantha, but not quite in this way." He had caught her in a position that looked a bit like he had just dipped her at a dance. Slowly he helped her upright, his gaze locked on her eyes, then very reluctantly unwrapped his arms from her. Sam flushed a little as his eyes locked with hers, still staying on her face as his arms released her, but her grin didn't waver. "Yeah..." she said, a little too quickly. "I'm heading for the holodeck...got a lot of programming to do." She glanced at him, wondering what he had been up to these past few hours. With the ship locked in orbit the helm must be pretty dull. "Ah...where were you headed?" He saw the color show on her cheeks and wondered why he had ever tried to convince himself to stay away from her. "My quarters, I need to refresh myself before I go back on duty for the big meeting." "Yeah...the meeting..." Sam said a little tiredly. She'd been in a hole with the archaelogical evidence of an entire civilization at her fingertips and rather than having the leisure time to bury themselves in it, the science department was being thrown directly into constructing and planning a program that would have to convince two enemy races not to blow each other to kingdom come. These combined stresses were starting to wear a little bit, but she forced a grin at him. "Lucky man...wish I had time for a shower." "You could join me." Brian glanced at another crewmember who, while walking quickly past, did a double take. He realized that neither he or Samantha had stepped back and they were standing awkwardly close. "They have every operations, science, and engineering officer working on this project. I am sure I could smuggle you away for a few minutes." The slight flush that had come from her run, combined with their definitely slightly awkward situation (in both the global and specific sense), abruptly deepened. Sam ran a hand through her hair and chuckled softly. "I doubt it...I was down there when that thing cut us off and played its little tape. Me and Daena and Oliver are going to need to be in on this if anyone is." Brian nodded slightly and found himself again getting lost in her eyes. "I didn't really expect you to say yes anyway. This could deter the annihilation of a race and I know you take your duty seriously." "I try," Sam said, forcing herself not to take a step back under the expression on his face. "We may have something really important here...something to save lives...don't come across that every day." She looked back at him as they stood there; the last time she had had a chance to speak to him his mood had been dark, even scared, and she had promised to help him, but now his mood seemed lighter, which she was pleased to see. She doubted that the things which had been troubling him then were any different now but at least for now things weren't quite so tense. He saw the look on Samantha's face and misread it as discomfort. Stepping back, Brian looked to the floor between them as his hand found his pocket. "Well you did say you want to make a difference. You seem to be doing a good job of it so far." A cynical smile formed on his face. "Me? I am the integral cog that makes sure a nearly 700-meter starship doesn't drift more than thirty meters from its assigned position." Sam watched him step back and wondered if she had put him off somehow. Was he upset at not being involved in the goings-on of this particular mission? She could understand that sort of frustration. "You must be bored out of your mind up there..." she said sympathetically, then cracked a grin, trying to cheer him up. "For your sake I hope our next mission is just one giant obstacle course." Brian chuckled and looked up again at her. "Nothing so extravagant, maybe just some shuttle work." He impulsively reached out and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up." Sam jumped at the sudden contact and reached up and grabbed his hand, holding it still at the wrist but not exactly pushing him away. "Any time..." she said, matching his quiet laugh with one of her own. "Is it working?" He looked at her grip on his wrist and then back at her. Lowering his hand, he kept the smile on his face. "I would've felt happier if you accepted my offer to join me. But I guess a shower alone is better than none at all." Sam raised both eyebrows at him, not sure whether to laugh or act embarrassed by this. Brian was definitely in a different mood than he had been in the last time she had seen him and she wasn't sure how to take that. "I guess so," she said. "And you can be clean enough for both of us when the delegates arrive." She muffled a low laugh at the image of herself in her current vaguely rumpled state appearing at a diplomatic function. "Oh, I am being purely selfish. I'm not cleaning up for any diplomat." Brian took a moment to look her over with some seriousness. "Though considering that you just crawled out of a hole in the ground, you look almost ravishing. I wouldn't be concerned unless one of them is looking for a mate." "At least I didn't have to fall in the hole. I got a nice cushy transport; you should see what the others look like," Sam said cheerfully, flattered in spite of herself at the compliment. "Unless I'm required to give a speech or something, I'm not all that worried, really...I'm just glad I don't have to deal with the diplomacy itself." Brian shook his head, "What little diplomacy I have seen kind of reminds me a bit of bartering, without a lot of the swearing. It's just as much a matter of selling yourself as your item, or idea." A cloud drifted across the glimmer in his eyes as memories tried to intrude a bit more than he wanted. Sam, with what was beginning to become the ease of practice, noticed a slight darkening of Brian's gaze and swallowed slightly. It had been only a matter of time before it came back. The urge to do her best to change the subject was strong, but she had promised to help him and evading the subject on his behalf somehow didn't seem quite the way to do it. "Diplomacy...well, I've seen a lot of it. Some of it's productive, some of it...really isn't," she said slowly, remembering a couple of times she and her father had watched potentially explosive situations go up in flames. "I really have no idea which one this is going to be." "With the people I was with, when a deal went really bad it usually involved disruptor fire." He crossed his arms and looked over her shoulder with a distant gaze. "I really doubt you have the time for me to start telling war stories." Sam sighed. She really didn't have time; the clock was ticking down and she had more work to do than she really liked to think about. But she wasn't going to let him avoid his problems simply on her account. "Some other time," she said firmly, catching his eye so he would know it was not a dismissal but nearer a request, and reaching out to tap him lightly on the shoulder. "Unfortunately I've got to be making sure this one doesn't end that way." Brian looked back at her and cocked his head to the side slightly. "Are you suggesting a date?" That caught Sam a little off-guard. Am I? she wondered. She supposed she was; promising to be a support wasn't worth much if they didn't have five minutes together to actually talk, but putting that term on it made it sound so...final. "If you like..." was how she finally responded, trying to make it sound slightly offhand and failing rather miserably. "Just don't want to seem like I'm ignoring you." He studied her a long moment, his gaze of his crystal blue eyes almost boring through her with its intensity. "Actually, the question is what you would like, Ms. Kent." Brian's voice dropped in pitch and sounded almost cold. "If you will excuse me, I have a shower waiting." A good part of his life had been spent being strung along by woman who had entranced him, he had no intention of being in that position again. Sam's stomach bottomed out at his sudden change in expression and tone. She had done it; she had crossed the line. In the back of her mind she had realized that she was stringing him along but as long as things seemed to be on an even keel, she had managed to persuade herself that she was doing the right thing. But clearly that wasn't going to work; the look in his eyes said that she had failed before she had even begun, and she heard words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Brian, wait," she said, reaching out again to grip his shoulder more tightly, halting him as he tried to leave. "That...wasn't what I meant. I want..." She paused. Whatever she said here was going to change everything and the sudden pressure of that made it hard to breathe. You have to make a choice... "I want whatever will tell you that I am with you. Whatever...whatever that is." Brian stopped as Samantha's hand grabbed his shoulder, though he didn't turn to look at her. He hadn't intended his statement as an ultimatum, but that seemed to be how it was taken. This was a woman he desperately wanted to spend time with, to learn about, to share with, and she had just offered that to him. Happiness, joy, those would be appropriate emotions. Instead there was fear and hesitation. It was his past that dragged on him like an anchor, that made him reluctant to throw himself freely into this relationship. But maybe she was his light at the end of the tunnel. Could he pass up the chance? He closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath, then turned to face Samantha and looked into her eyes. "Lets just start with a date. You may change your mind once you know me better." Sam nodded slowly, catching his gaze and doing her best not to blink under it. She had a feeling she had overreacted a little to his words and she got the impression that she may have startled him a little bit. Hell, she had startled herself, but something had had to be said. All caution was now effectively blowing about in the proverbial wind and the ball was in his court now. She had made her choice and she felt a little wobbly with it, as if a sudden tension that had been supporting her body had been snipped. She realized that her hand was still gripping onto his shoulder and loosened her fingers slightly. "Alright," she said quietly, forcing herself to keep her mind and her eyes on his face. A slight, almost tentative smile brightened his face. "When this is over, what say we reserve some holodeck time and have a quiet dinner? I know a little pub...it's not too pretentious." Sam relaxed a little at the change of expression; at least she had maybe done something right finally in this whole convoluted situation. For a moment there he had looked almost afraid, hardly the best beginning for...whatever this was going to turn out to be. "Alright...yeah...when this all calms down," she said, a little unsteadily, a half-smile as tentative as his creeping onto her face as tension continued to drain from her like water out of a leaking faucet. "Right...good." Brian felt a sudden surge of nervousness as the idea of dating Samantha became a reality. "Um...we don't have much time left. I should probably go." Not knowing what else to do he leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. Sam's grip on his shoulder tightened as he kissed her and she looked up at him, resisting the urge to gulp. "Right. See you then, then..." she said carefully, nodding, and turned, moving further down the corridor away from him and turning another corner out of sight. Once he was safely out of view she slowed a little and let out a long sigh. She knew this was the right thing to do, she had told Brian she would be there for him, she wanted to be there for him, but... Prophets and Jesus God...what am I getting myself into? And what in God's name am I going to tell Malik?