You Could Cut the Atmosphere With a Knife (Part I)

Posted on 19 Jun 2015 @ 3:04am by Jynn & Lieutenant JG Tinaro Cyi

2,828 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2 - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD02 - 1700

ON:

Tinaro Cyi sighed and plopped down on the bar stool. This was going to suck, he thought to himself. His pushed a stray stand of hair out of his face. Off duty, he just finished running as simulation in the holodeck and was wearing a light grey silk shirt, buttoned half way up, and billowing pants made of the same material. Carrying a PADD with the data read out from his simulation, he was trying to figure out why it had failed so horribly.

He knew at least some it was operator error. He was feeling more than a little distracted by the crew. The current situation was causing a lot of strong emotions from the crew. For Tinaro; close quarters plus strong emotions equal headache. That and the fact that the ship was not large enough for him to find a place to be alone. There were people everywhere! Ti decided if he was going to have to be around people all the time, he was going to have to be drunk some of the time.

He smiled lightly at the bartender and requested his usual drink. "Andorian Scotch, 184 or better please. Neat." He drunk like that lately. Beginning to review the sim data, he didn't even glance up as a man sat down next to him, but simply nodded a 'thanks' to the bartender as his drink was sat in front of him. His mind wondered to why he had accepted the position on this ship to begin with. Why he'd chosen to leave his research position was beyond him. He hated the cramped quarters here. But he already knew the answer to his own question. He knew he needed to get far, far away from California... From San Francisco... From Rick. Rick. He shivered involuntarily at his name. He didn't know why, the guy was gone... Dead. Ti shook the thought off and downed the glass of amber liquor in one swing of his wrist and smacked the glass upon the counter. Tinaro motioned for the man to fill it back up and he complied.

"Make it two," the other man said before he paused. It had been quite the day and he had felt it most appropriate to finish things off with a good drink. Suddenly, Jynn was hit with a moment of inspiration. "Wait, something with uttaberries in it. They must make wines or spirits with that, right," he asked as he turned to the Betazoid by his side. It sounded good at least. He had met Betazoids before and knew of the fruit. Whether it was Tinaro's facial features in particular or the combination of the face with the name he was not sure, but this Betazoid tasted like uttaberries. I'm sure he'd be flattered to know, Jynn thought to himself.

At first, the young Deltan sitting beside Tinaro could quickly be confused with a bald Trill, but in fact, on close inspection, the small swirls that lead up both sides of his neck and head were tattoos of known galaxies in the universe, though most everyone he knew would only call one of them home. Dressed in a loose fitting robe, it was hard to best describe his body type, but aside from the half foot height difference the two men side by side looked of similar build.

"Armada makes nice wine, the better vintages are 2364 or older. It's an acquired taste." Ti replied before turning to view the speaker for the first time. He nearly gasped at the sight of man. It was his Deltan department head. Ti had briefly met the man on his shuttle ride before being split up during the wargames. He glanced and the bartender. "Make that scotch a triple. And two glasses of Armada Uttacato 2360."

Jynn smiled. He always liked it when people looked at his eyes. "Thank you for the order. I trust you have good taste in your culture's selection of beverages." He held out his hand to shake Tinaro's. "I don't believe we've been casually introduced. This is more casual than a cramped shuttle ride, correct? And I do believe we will be getting to know each other quite well. And that will be nice. I find Betazoids fascinating."

Ti glanced at the outstretched hand for the briefest of moments before locking on the two wine glasses the bartender returned with. He took one by the stem of the glass and placed it in front of the CFCO and moved the other in front of himself.

"I see. Well here's to being... fascinating." Ti said before consuming the triple in a single swig. His face scrunched momentarily from the burning sting of it, his eyes watering at the edges ever so slightly. He covered quickly and placed the glass back on the counter and wrapped both hands around the steam of his wine glass, as if was his anchor.

"Interesting tattoos." Ti said by way of conversation, although was staring pointed into the pale blue liquid in front of him. He knew he probably appeared rude by not shaking the chief's hand but he did not think touching the Deltan would be good for either of them.

"All the places I've been, all the stars of seen, and all the ship's I've flown, to name a few. In a word, 'the universe.'" He barely paused a moment before correcting himself almost instinctually. "Two words. The. Universe." Much better, he thought, before continuing. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners?" He lifted the drink that had so graciously been ordered for him with the ink adorned hand that had forgotten why it was outreached in the first place. "To us? I'm sure we're going to make great partners!"

Ti reinforced his mental barriers and turned to look him in the eye again. "Yes great partners. I hope so as well." He tapped their glasses together and took a sip from it as was customary after toast. The scotch in his system as beginning to have the wanted numbing effect and the pain in this temples were being to recede. Ti allowed his eyes to wonder over the Deltan's bald and tattooed head. He caught himself. "The Universe." He said softly as if to himself. He locked eyes with the chief again.

"Why the Universe?"

Jynn took a large sip from the glass. In fact, about half the glass disappeared in an instant. He set the remainder of the fluid filled cup down on the bar and without hesitation blurted out "you taste different. But this is still good." The quick to talk Deltan sat in silence for a moment. That was unexpected. "Sorry, the Universe? Because I want to see it all. Experience everything in it. Perhaps this is a good way of keeping track of where I've been? That, and it looks cool," he exclaimed with a grin.

Ti smiled. "It does look good. But, trust me, you don't want to experience EVERYTHING it has. Some of it..." He shook his head and didn't complete the sentence. Instead he smiled disarming. He liked the Deltan. Jynn, he corrected himself, not the Deltan. He thought on something he said. "You said I tasted good? You meant the wine tasted good, right?"

"Both, though you're better. Just the berries. Sweet. That must be why. I've never had this wine before." Jynn was speaking quite fast. He was almost lost in thought. Or was it emotion (probably emotion)? Either way, it was fine. Stop, he told himself mid-thought. The man looks confused. Right. The taste!

"I believe the doctor's call it 'synesthesia'. I call it an evolved co-existance of the senses. When I look at people I get the sense of taste. It usually seems to correlate with something subconscious that I already know about the person. You're Betazoid, you must like uttaberries." Jynn stopped again. Maybe not everyone shares your enthusiasm, he thought to himself. He looked deep into the black eyes staring back at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Ti replied automatically quickly breaking gaze with Jynn. "Synesthesia you say. Sounds interesting. I guess it is a compliment I am associated with uttaberries. I do, in fact, like them. I suppose it would be horrible to be associated with a horrible taste. I imagine you did not like to look at the Klingons."

Jynn looked quizzically at the Betazoid. "Is there something wrong with Klingons?" Perhaps Tinaro had had some prior run in with his rather ridged friends. "I enjoy all sensation, though I can tell you most Klingons are rather metallic or bitter. One was like gagh, while one cute one tasted like jimbalian fudge, though I suppose that would not be a compliment to him," he said with a smile.

He took another oversized sip from the uttaberry wine and set the now empty glass towards the other edge of the bar for retrieval. Perhaps a younger vintage would have better matched Tinaro. Or something strong and sweet, like the equivalent to the human portwine. "And what of you, my appetizing accomplice? Tell me more about yourself. Are you as sweet as I suspect or are their many varied layers to the one called Tinaro?"

"No, I have nothing against Klingons." Ti lied. In truth, his species normal tolerance and pacifism was overridden by his personal encounters with them. He, of course, could not discuss this with the Chief. He couldn't discuss it with anyone, he reminded himself. He finished the rest of his wine as well and got bartender's attention and indicated the scotch glass.

"Me? There are not many layers. I am your simple run of the mill, Betazoid." Ti lied again. He smiled to himself. He was getting good at this. "Son of the 3rd House. Only son of the Matriarchs only daughter... blah blah. Pretty boring stuff. Although I DO have a very interesting cat. Her name is Isotope. She is probably smart than I am, but I am able to use the replicator so she has decided to tolerate my ignorance for the time being. No tattoos, Im afraid. Although, at my height, I could barely fit a Nebula on me, let alone the whole Universe."

"The whole universe started as a singularity, you know. It stands to reason that good things come in small packages!" Jynn's tone was noticeably more excited. It had been building throughout the encounter. His senses where thoroughly aroused. A new ship with so many new people! He was glad he didn't have to choose a favorite as he doubted that was possible. Even this 'simple' Betazoid held his interest firmly.

He looked at Tinaro with his dull gray eyes. "No one is simple. Everyone has many layers and parts. It's why we're all so interesting!" He could sense the unease in Tinaro. Was it because he was a Deltan? It was never difficult for a Deltan to excite someone in one way or another. Or was there something on his mind? I probably shouldn't prod, he thought to himself. "And I am sure I will come to learn that you are not as simple as you say. And your cat sounds like fun," he exclaimed suddenly. "But let's not teach him how to fly, shall we?"

Ti retrieved the new triple of scotch and downed it quickly and handed it back the bartender with a smile. "You can save yourself a few trips and bring them 2 at a time if you want."

Turning his attention back the cute Deltan sitting next to him. "A Singularity. Yes. I suppose I can be seen as singularly unique. But then again, everyone is unique in their own way. So if everyone is unique, logic would dictate that no one is. Quite the contrary, Jynn, I am very much exactly as I seem. Isotope isn't interested in piloting, believe me I've tried. Enough about me, tell me something about you."

Me, Jynn thought to himself. He didn't like being the center of attention. In fact, he preferred to focus all of his concentration on anything other than himself. People, activities, experiences. The more the better. It kept his mind scattered and away from what he really wanted. He began to focus on Tinaro as his thoughts began collecting themselves into a critical mass of emotion that exploded in a sudden chain reaction that could be felt, at least to some extent, by everyone in the room.

DESIRE.

He tried to swallow his emotion. It was so palpable he almost choked on it.

"Me? I just want to love." And there it went. The proverbial cat was let out of the bag, though this one was sure to be different from Isotope. He tried to collect himself (or was that scatter himself?) and suppress the power of his raw emotion. Scatter! "What is the average airspeed velocity of an unladen type-9 shuttlecraft," he asked quickly, spouting out the first collection of words his mind could put together.

The powerful wave of emotion crashed into Ti and crushed his mental defenses in the weakened state they were in. The 'Wall', a mental representation of his psionic defenses, came crashing down allowing a flood of emotions and thoughts to wash over Ti's consciousness. His eyes rolled upward, and it took all of his power to keep from screaming outloud.

He pulled into himself in desperation, trying to shut out the torment of thoughts and emotions not his own. The strongest of them emitted from his department head. He felt his body temperature rose and face flushed along with other assorted physical manifestations of his aroused state. FOCUS! Ti thought to himself. He envisioned the telepathic barriers in his mind's eye. Walls. Layers and layers of walls built one upon another. Strong, thick stone walls. He regarded the breach in the walls. Shatter stones spread all around him. He closed his eyes and focused on the wall, ignoring the flood. Stone on Stone. He thought on the wall and the wall only. It started to rebuild itself. Broken shards found their proper place and soon the flood as abated, the Wall restored. His inner-self faded as his energy waned, and Ti nearly toppled out of his bar stool physically. He opened his eyes, feeling moisture slide out of the corners as he did so. He heard Jynn speak and replied out of reflex. "A 8.5m x 4.61m x 2.67m Type-9 shuttle craft, with a single 400 cochrane warp engine, 2 800-millicochrane impulse engines, 4 RCS thrusters weights on average 2.6123 metric tons and reached a recommended cruising speed of Warp 6 in space and can reach full thrust in atmosphere, exceeding which would run the risk of atmospheric ignition." Ti wiped the moisture from his face. "I definitely need another drink."

Distraction. Jynn had remembered one of the best methods he had ever learned in suppressing his empathic and telepathic abilities. Tension! He smirked as he continued his stare at the no doubt sexually charged Betazoid before him. He could feel the same charge building in everyone throughout the room. Before Tinaro could have the ordered drink delivered before him, Jynn barked out at him "hand on the table, fingers spread. NOW," he exclaimed as he pointed towards the bartop they both sat before. It had sounded more like an order than perhaps the normally soft spoken Deltan could ever deliver, spoken to a subordinate more than a friend. It was as if he was on autopilot, a rather appropriate description for a flight controller. "Shall we a play a game?"

Ti pulled what was left of his will into order. Get yourself together. He collected himself a bit from shaking his head at the bartender. "I'm finished for the evening. Put it on my tab." He said hopping down from the stool, wavering only slightly. "It was... good to see you again, Lt. I'll have to take a rain-check on that game for now."

For a moment Jynn's desires almost subsided. He was disappointed, to be sure, but on the bright side he had not felt that emotion in a while. He almost wanted to thank Tinaro, but then he wouldn't be so disappointed, would he? "You don't know what you are missing, friend," he said with a smirk. The charge was coming back. It was electrifying. If he had a computer it would be warning onlookers to reach minimum safe distance. T-Minus Desire and counting.

Ti hung on to the sliver strength of his will like a drowning man to a life saver. The tsunami of emotions ebbing from Jynn were intoxicating. Ti knew he needed to go, and now. "I am sure I do." Ti replied before turning and heading out. 'That's what making this so damn hard ' he thought to himself.

To be continued...

OFF
Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Tinaro Cyi
Asst. Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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