Stormy Waters

Posted on 23 Jul 2015 @ 7:06pm by Jynn
Edited on on 27 Jul 2015 @ 6:02pm

4,051 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 5; Holodeck
Timeline: MD02; 0500 hours

[ON]

The holodeck. Wintrow stared at it's controles for several minutes, trying to decide which program to run. It'd been a while since he'd ran any program for himself, or even by himself and it had been even longer since he'd enjoyed a quiet day on the water. His decision finally made, Wintrow loaded up his sailing program. A replica of his own small boat, and a quiet lake.

There was of course a stiff breeze, how else was he going to get any sailing done otherwise? Stepping inside, Wintrow could feel the breeze tug at his hair and he closed his eyes, smiling. He smelled the freshly mown grass of a paddock nearby on the wind, and he even smelled upcoming rain. But for now, the sky was mostly blue, and the sun was high in the sky. "Well, here we go," he murmured to himself as he walked down the dock towards his boat.

The door to the holodeck opened once more with a woosh, and Jynn swore he could almost feel the breeze before stepping in. He felt a surge of sensation run down his spine. It wasn't often he found himself planetside, especially so close to water. As a pilot, he had always been born for the skies. This was new, and he loved it.

He eagerly stepped through the door and onto the dock, finding himself flooded with sensations he had not experienced in years. Or ever! Holodeck or not, Jynn always invited a new experience. He saw Wintrow just steps ahead of him and the boat that laid beyond. He almost couldn't speak as he processed the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of everything around him. Not to mention the tastes! "Wintrow," he managed to shout out through his building ecstasy. The name rolled off his tongue as the taste of Scotch filled his senses.

Turning his head at the sound of his name, Wintrow saw someone approach. "Sir?" he queried, now fully turning to face the man. He studied the man, dark blue eyes carefully sizing him up. "Are you alright sir?" he continued, feeling a little overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions his new boss - though they hadn't been formally introduced yet - emitted.

Jynn paced over to Wintrow and held him gently on the shoulder. "Call me Jynn, friend." He looked the small craft over intently. He had never been on a land-bound vessel. "So, where are we off to this fine morning?" He took a moment to breath in the air around him. It almost felt like home.

The boy flinched away from the unexpected touch, his eyes wide in shock. "We, sir?" he managed, taking a small step back to create some space between them. "I was going to go out sailing, I wasn't expecting company." He followed Jynn's gaze over to his boat, then looked back at the Deltan. "You've never sailed before?"

"Never," he exclaimed in excitement. He noticed Wintrow's recoil and attempted feebly to restrain himself. He took his hand off of his shoulder and continued to speak. "I do hope I can accompany you. I trust a pilot such as yourself will be able to handle this sea-fairing vessel as well as any other craft you come across? We can call it a test!"

"Oh sure you're welcome to come along, it's easier to steer a boat when there's two aboard anyways. Do you want to man the sails, or the rudder sir?" Wintrow preceded the man on board then held out his hand to steady him. "Careful. I have to ask...can you swim?" He smiled ever so slightly at the last comment, still watching him intently. "I've been sailing since before I could walk sir," he stated, "and I know quite well how to steer a boat.

Jynn grasped Wintrow's hand and pulled himself aboard. He was sure to restrain his latent abilities as best he could so as not to make his new acquaintance uncomfortable. "I don't believe I've ever had the need to. So please don't push me overboard," he said with a wink. "I'll take the sails, Captain!" He'd never taken helm of a wooden vessel. This time he would trust himself in someone else's ability.

Giving him a quick instruction on how to man the sails, Wintrow took on the ropes for the main sail while gesturing for Jynn to take on the ones for the smaller sail at the front. "I'm used to sailing alone," he explained as he sat down at the rudder and started to steer the small boat out of dock. He reigned in the ropes on one side, then instructed Jynn to let go of the sail until it fluttered, then steered the boat into the wind. "Duck!" he called out, while letting the ropes go slowly until the wind caught sail on the other side. "Now pull in the rope on port," he said, as the boat started to sail towards their left. "THe more I let the beam go out sideways the more wind we'll catch, but you have to keep an eye on it, I don't want you to knock your head against it. Trust me, it'll knock you unconscious."

Ducking at his instruction and then grabbing the rope intently, Jynn was sure to follow Wintrow's every command. He almost couldn't concentrate as he took in all the sensations. The salt, the water, and the nearby fields. But he was sure to watch out for the beam. If there was anything he hated, which he doubted he was capable of, it was unconsciousness. Separation from the senses.

"Focus!" Wintrow called out, while hauling in his rope, slowing them down just a little, "ready to come about?" He told Jynn to let go of the rope again, a repeat of what they'd done when going left, now to move right towards open water now that they were out of the harbour. "Also we'll be picking up some speed as we're going with the wind."

With a quick duck down Jynn let go of the rope and followed the instructed motions. I got this, he thought to himself. With the promise of increased speed he began to get excited. Jynn was fond of sense exciting acts and there was probably nothing better than bringing a ship of any style to top speed. This was going to be great.

"Your emotions are all over the place," Wintrow spoke up after a silence of several seconds. "Why are you so excited about sailing? There's nothing really special about it, except trying to keep a boat under control. That can be a challenge, depending on the wind and speed."

"Right now it's the newness of it all. And the stimulation of the senses." Jynn was almost too scattered to truly realise what was going on. He had grown to rely on distraction and this had not always been a good thing. "You have no idea what it is like to experience so many feelings on so many levels for the first time. It's such an intimate experience with reality!"

"I do know," Wintrow countered, while easing up on the sails again, slowing them down. "I'm an empath and I can't always block feelings out." He got up and shrugged out of his jacket, casually tossing it forward.

Jynn grinned at Wintrow. "Perhaps we can share?" He wasn't always sure how others would take his most unique sense of emotions and was not sure it could be properly understood without underlying thoughts, but Jynn always loved to share his experiences with others. Perhaps the young Cadet would be as interested in his feelings as he was.

"Share?" The boy tilted his head in cautious curiousity. "Share how? I can only pick up your emotions, I can't actively read them, I don't know how. I never learned how." He sat down again and casually rested his hand on the rudder, still watching the helmsman.

As the ship sailed gently Jynn sat himself close to Wintrow. He did not say another word. Everything the fellow empath needed to know was now in the air around them. All he could hope was that somehow their experiences would be shared. He could certainly feel the tides of emotion as he assumed Wintrow could. He took a moment to look around, examining every small detail of their surrounding. To Jynn, at this moment, this was more than a simulation. It was an intimate experience of the senses. He turned and smiled at Wintrow, looking into him with his dull gray eyes.

Wintrow didn't really like the other male's close proximity, it made him a little nervous so he shifted slightly away and hoped it wouldn't offend. He was aware of the Deltan's general excitement, but not the deeper layers of the emotion itself. As their eyes locked, Wintrow could feel more than just excitement; he also sensed a hint of joy, and fulfilment. As he was distracted by the intense gaze, he leaned against the rudder, causing the long arm underneath the sail to come swinging back.

In a breath's moment Jynn's entanglement of sensations suddenly burst apart in a flash of pain and confusion. The boom of the boat collided with his head with a bash! As he felt his center shift Jynn's body went into autopilot. He grabbed hold of Wintrow in a futile attempt to anchor himself, but it was no use. His split-second action had only served to bring a second body hurtling towards the water below.

The two freshly acquainted partners hit the water with a splash. For Jynn, at this moment, there where no thoughts. Only emotion. Panic. Fear. His instinct knew that his first experience with water would be his last. He tried to grab the sky before the lake bed could grab him.

Wintrow gasped as his body hit the water and he was briefly stunned as
a strong sense of panic and fear washed over him. It wasn't his own
fear, because Wintrow knew quite well how to swim.

He reached out and grabbed the Deltan by the collar, hauling him up as
he reached with his other hand to grab the boat. Fortunately, the small craft had not drifted off. "Maybe we should teach you how to swim first..." he suggested dryly.

As soon as he was able Jynn clasped one of his hands tightly to the first part of the boat he could grab hold of. After taking a few moments to regain his composure he looked at Wintrow with a smile. "Perhaps you are right, my friend," he said with a bit of a chuckle. For what felt like a brush with death just moments before, Jynn was, oddly enough to anyone but himself, feeling quite happy again.

"The safeties are engaged," the boy remarked softly as he helped Jynn
back into the boat, " we can change the program to a pool if you like?"

Jynn sat back down in the boat with a wet plop. "That would be much safer, wouldn't it?" He had never considered learning how to swim. He was just so used to being in the sky. What new feelings he could experience under the water! "I would love to learn," he exclaimed. "Though I'm sure it won't be a quick process."

Wintrow shook his head then told the computer to change the program.
"It'll take several hours to learn."

"Got time," Jynn asked with a most inviting smile.

"Sure, I've got a little while," the teenager responded as the scenery changed to a swimming pool. Over the next few minutes, Wintrow explained the basics of swimming, to start with remaining afloat. "Just lay yourself out on the water," he instructed, "I'll keep you from going under until you can keep yourself afloat." He'd done this before; back on the Sarek, he had taught a young Vulcan his age how to swim.

Jynn leaned himself back and followed Wintrow's instructions as attentively as a young school student. He was nervous, but still enjoying himself. After a few minutes of near submergence and the helping hand of his instructor, he began to float, not gracefully, but floating nonetheless. "Like a boat," he exclaimed. He stared upwards at a point in space, fixated and concentrating his mind on the task at hand.

"Something like that," Wintrow agreed as he held his hands underneath the Deltan's body, but not touching it anymore. "You're doing quite well, but you need to properly learn to keep afloat before I can get you swimming. We can use a board to keep you from going under while we get you to create momentum with your feet." He chuckled but shyly so. "Unless you want something to keep you afloat, like these little inflatables children wear around their arms?"

He thought intently. He did like the idea of brightly colored floaties, "We should use the inflatables. Might be more fun." He was eager to be mobile. "You pick the color," he quickly added. Momentum, now there was language he understood. Let's get going, he thought to himself.

Wintrow blinked in surprise. "Are you certain?" he asked as he told the computer to replicate the inflatables. "These go around your arms...."

"Characterizations of creatures I assume are from earth? I believe I have seen them on ships before." Jynn paused for a moment to think. "Cute!" He put them on immediately. Well, let's swim," he shouted with a grin.

After several more minutes of coaching him, Wintrow nodded in approval. "You're a fast learner," he praised properly, like an instructor would a student (despite Wintrow being several years Jynn's junior), "you'll be properly swimming in no-time sir. But...didn't they teach you at the academy?"

"Skipped it for flight practice," Jynn said bluntly. "Guess I shouldn't have! This is quite fun, and apparently I'm a natural." He looked to his instructor. He never minded someone knowing more than himself. All that much more to learn from. "Anything else we should cover?"

"Not in this lession," Wintrow smiled, "this lesson is for you to get used to being in water and not panic. Though the safeties won't allow for you to drown, it's still essential that you get comfortable. Though I must take some blame sir..." He looked away as his cheeks burned scarlet. "I should've made you wear a safety vest."

Jynn almost set a hand on Wintrow's shoulder but refrained. "Don't worry. It was still fun. Besides, life's exciting when danger is your friend," he said with a comforting smile. "I suppose that concludes this lesson for the day. Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet you, not to mention the bonus of learning something new!" His brain was always open for more knowledge and this had been the perfect first experience with the young pilot he would be working with.

The boy nodded, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden emotions that washed over him. He staggered, rubbing his temples. "I need to learn how to block out things," he mumbled uncertainly. "Your emotions are very strong."

Jynn smiled at the compliment. At times he felt Betazoids appreciated Deltan emotion more than the Deltans themselves. Outside viewers that did not experience it all the time, they could truly appreciate its heights. But what WIntrow felt was not the true heights.

What Wintrow said struck a chord within him, it was truly a wonderful compliment, even if it was not intended to be. With a shiver down his spine and a slight flutter, Jynn's emotion reached the height of Deltan gratitude in but an instant, then leveled back down as he suppressed himself. He had hoped the young cadet would take it in compliment, but was unsure how the sudden and uncontrolled rush would be received. He almost looked worried for a moment.

"Thank you," he said as the rush ended, hopefully disguising the concern he felt.

Having closed his eyes, Wintrow still stood a little unsteady in the waist -deep water. "I'm not quite sure how often we will need to practice," he said slowly, while willing down a headache,"it also depends on our schedule sir...and you're my boss sir. I don't know what is appropriate."

"I am always eager to learn, whether from a colleague or a friend. Boss is scarcely a title I like to go by while on duty, but it is never required while I am off," Jynn said reassuringly as he kept himself afloat. "Perhaps we can find a time. Whenever you are willing. I do not want to take up any of your time if it is undesired."

"Like I said sir, it's not that I don't want to because I enjoy teaching like this, but I don't know if it's appropriate because you outrank me. And I don't want people to start talking sir..."

He didn't need acute senses to feel Wintrow's unease. "If you are uncomfortable, Win, then that is fine. You have already taught me more than I could have expected. Especially for a first encounter!" He sensed he was perhaps a little overexcited. "If you would like, we can conclude our lessons for the day. It's certainly been a pleasure."

"I'm not sure what to think sir," Wintrow replied uncertainly, "I'm not uncomfortable teaching you, but I am worried about ship's gossip sir..."

"Gossip? You mean like stories? What could they say about two coworkers bonding together off-duty? They'd probably think we get along great!"

"Or that we are a couple," Wintrow all but choked out. "And I'm not...I don't want to...I mean..you're quite cute but...you know?" The more he wanted to explain, the less comprehensible it came out.

"Cute," Jynn replied back, more a comment on his bumbling than a question of what he, himself, had been called. "Well, you can assure anyone who asks that, while I would love to be a 'couple' with you, I simply cannot even if I wanted to. There are rules, and us Deltans are not known for our monogamy, either.

This flustered the poor boy even more and his breath came in harsh gasps as he tried futilely to collect himself. What was going on? Why was he unable to think straight all of a sudden? "I can't breathe," he gasped as he tried to step back and tripped over his own feet. His eyes rolled up and he disappeared under water.

Jynn blurted out a curse in his native tongue then shouted out to the computer, "end program!" The blue skies and clear water suddenly changed to the backdrop that was the holodeck's walls. He ran over to Wintrow to be sure that he was alright. He didn't want to make the boy any more uncomfortable so instead of touching he just called out to him, "Wintrow! Wake up!"

Clothes still wet from having been in the water, Wintrow lay very still on the floor. His eyes were closed and he was breathing harshly, moaning under his breath. "What happened?" he whispered between gasps, not sure if it was safe to move. He seemed tense, as he opened his eyes and looked up at Jynn, fear in his eyes.

At this point Jynn could only feel the fear intensifying. He did not want to scare Wintrow, but at this point if the situation where to escalate, it could get far worse. He set his hand as gently as he could onto Wintrow's and held it lightly, attempting to use his healing hand to calm the frightened young cadet. He spoke as calmly as he could. "I think you're overwhelmed."

Sitting up abruptly, Wintrow pulled his hand back as if stung. "I did say your emotions are very strong," he mumbled guiltily, very slowly replacing his hand. He knew the man was only trying to help and he sensed nothing malicious about him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...I'm not used to sensing such strong emotions, not in such close proximity."

With a somewhat saddened look in his eyes the emotional powerhouse that was Jynn took a few steps back to give the Betazoid some room. He was aware of some Betazoids who were not able to completely control their empathy of others, but he had never personally encountered one of them before. It hurt to know that this beacon of energy could actually do harm to someone.

It wasn't often that he had to question himself, but at this moment Jynn was unsure of how to act, or even think. He did not want to project his sadness onto the unsuspecting friend he had just met. He did his best to mask his feelings and kept the attention on Wintrow. "Perhaps your control can be improved. Until then, do you feel comfortable around me? I wish you no harm and take no disrespect if you need space."

"I'm not full Betazoid," Wintrow explained, "I didn't know my mother was Betazoid until I was older. She died giving birth to me and my stepmother never told me. I can't read thoughts, only feelings but I never learned how to control it because I wasn't given the opportunity." Wintrow sighed, trying to regain control over his breathing. "I want to learn but I don't know how, or who to turn to. I'm not uncomfortable around you, not at all...but please, don't touch me without warning. I don't respond well to being suddenly touched, especially without my permission. I don't want to hurt you either..."

"Understood. I am sorry for your unfortunate circumstances, but I am sure a strong individual such as yourself will be able to learn given the proper teacher." Jynn paused for a moment, thinking for an answer. "Perhaps another Betazoid? I unfortunately could only be a test to see just how much emotion you can block. Even my checked state can be quite a lot for some people."

The boy nodded. "Probably a fellow Betazoid," he agreed, "or a Vulcan...but I'm but a lowly cadet, who should I turn to?"

"Well," Jynn began, a smile returning to his face. "He's closer than you think. Tinaro, the assistant Chief Flight Control Officer, is a full Betazoid and can certainly help you." He paused for a moment before adding a semi-serious note. "And he's already experienced the same surges in emotion that you have when being around me."

"Do you think he'd help me?" Wintrow looked hopeful, though terrified at the same time. "Would....would you ask him? Please?"

"Absolutely. When would you like to meet him?"

"After my shift?" Wintrow suggested carefully, already dreading to meet with another telepath. He was shy in nature despite evidence to current contrary, and though he loved to teach, it was difficult for him to reach out to new people.

"Such speed and eagerness! I like you," Jynn spoke in a way that suggested more of a friend's like than a couple's like. "I will certainly see if he can see you as soon as he is able. I am sure he will be eager to meet you."

"Thank you sir, I appreciate the help. When would you like to meet again for another swimming session?"

Jynn thought for a moment, wondering if he should give him some space. He'd certainly need time to process the day, at least, and a meeting with another Betazoid not long from now may well burn him out for a while. "Perhaps next week we can continue, but until then I will practice on my own. Maybe the infrequency of our meetings will belay any rumors of our current status," he said with a reassuring smile.

"As you wish sir," the boy demurred, "there's no status to speak of sir, at least not as far as I'm concerned. But you're a ranking officer here, and I don't want any rumours to affect your record sir." He shrugged lightly, then smiled a very boyish smile. "Just make sure you have the safeties engaged sir."

"Of course. Children's floaties and all," he said with a smirk.

OFF:

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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