Parallel Lives

Posted on 18 Sep 2015 @ 11:28am by Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant JG Tinaro Cyi

2,253 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Workout Room
Timeline: MD 04 - 0030 hours

[ON]

This was something new. It was something he had never done before; not as a child, not as a Cadet, and certainly not as an adult. He was starting to develop a bad habit. And yet, upon recognising his own new bad habit, Andreus Kohl had to chuckle about it. This lead to Kohl spontaneously bursting into laughter, as he jogged around the perimeter of Galileo's workout room.

Kohl had found he was staring at his feet when he ran now. Certainly, the habit was a response to the months he had spent in treatment and rehabilitation from a spinal injury. He supposed he was staring down at his feet because running anywhere but on a treadmill was something he hadn't been capable of doing for some time, and so he was afraid of tripping and falling. Or perhaps he was simply amazed to watch his own legs performing a simple feat like running. Even better, Doctor Allyndra's latest gene therapies continued to allow him to jog without need of the motor-assist bands that had become as familiar to him as one of his own limbs. Their absence had certainly motivated him to dress in shorter and tighter athletic gear than he had favoured lately.

It was only when Kohl reminded himself to look up, look where he's going, did Kohl take notice of another man who was jogging in the opposite direction, along the painted path that was parallel to his own. The first time they crossed paths, Kohl raised a single hand and simply said, "Hi," but he continued on his way as they each continued their separate circuits around the compartment.

Tinaro had slowed to a jog for a lap while he caught his breath. He was running on the 'fast' track hoping to distract himself from the seemingly insolveable problem of his engine design. He twisted slightly as he jogged and rotated his shoulders. They had loosened up considerably from the stiff soreness after surgery. There wasn't a noticeable scar, of course, which pleased Ti very much. After all the surgeries he had been through at this point he shuttered to think what he would look like with less advanced medical personnel.

He was running without a shirt on as usual, his long flowing pants billowing around him as his legs pumped rhythmically. His hair pulled back into a knot at the top of his head, there was nothing to obstruct the wind from his face, his favorite part of running. Rounding a corner, Ti returned the wave. The man seemed to laughing at something very funny to himself, that or having a nervous breakdown since he was previously stareing at his shoes. Ti hoped it wasn't the latter. Whomever it was, was too cute to be committed the thought to himself as he geared up to start another 3 laps at full speed. Short though he was, Ti knew he was fast when he wanted to be. If only he had longer legs he would have made it on a track team. If only He thought as he launched himself into a run.

As Ti's circuit around the fast track, and Kohl's circuit along the leisure track, brought the two men running nearly towards one another, Kohl wasn't looking at his feet. Kohl's watchful sapphire eyes were considering the mostly-exposed expanse of Ti's body. Lifting his gaze from one end to the other, it never occurred to Kohl that the slighter man's frame was too short. It never occurred to him. As they approached speaking distance again, Kohl asked, "What're you called?"

Tinaro slowed and looked at the handsome man jogging. "Tin...aro... Cyi..." Ti said slowing down as he neared. He raised his hand for a moment as the caught his breath. "Sorry about that. Tinaro Cyi, pleasure to meet you. I don't believe I've had the pleasure. Small ship like this, you'd think I've run into you before, pun unintended." Ti smiled at the handsome man. He definitely would have remembered meeting him, though uniforms do tend to de-sexy most people.

At Tinaro's approach, Kohl slowed his pace in a like-manner, until he was slowly ambling off from the running tracks. "Ah, I've spent the past week aboard Nautilus for the war games," Kohl said. Clearly, he believed that must be the only reason he hadn't taken notice of Tinaro's form before. Clearly. "I'm Andreus Kohl. I work in the Science department. I serve Bridge duty on alpha shift... but I probably sneak out too much to get back into the labs."

The name sounded familiar to Ti but he didn't place it right away. "Pleasure to meet you. I came on board right at the end of the war games. I am in Flight Control. Beta shift. We must be passing by each other all the time and never noticing." Ti smiled.

"Oh no, I would have noticed you," Kohl said with a steady gaze and absolute conviction in his timbre. His brow creased with a new sign of uncertainty, though, when he said, "I guess I've been skipping my end-of-shift handoffs. Stace is going to thrash me for that..." But then he shrugged, and he laughed.

"Oh." Ti smiled feeling his face and ears being to redden. It has been a long time since Ti felt himself blush. "Well, that happens.. sometimes.. I guess." Ti cleared his throat. "Um.. do you run here often?" Ti knew it sounded weird the moment it escaped his lips and cringed inwardly. Pull it together. He isn't the first handsome guy you had a conversation with. What are you 12 again?

For Kohl, that question brought to mind remembrances of his paralysis and long recovery. He felt himself stammering for an answer, when his vanity didn't want to reveal a part of himself that was anything less than strong. Kohl shook his head and waved a vague hand into the middle of the compartment. "No, I use the machines mostly," Kohl answered, "but I'm getting bored of them. Better to rely on my own body; I can't grow bored of that."

Ti sensed the unusual play of emotions coming from the science officer and was a little curious why that simple questions sparked such a myriad of emotions. Having more tact than to comment on it, Ti smiled and commented on his answer. "I think you will have a hard time convincing me machines can be boring. Perhaps you were just doing it wrong." Ti smiled deepened at his slight tease. "I run here at least once a day, if I can get away."

"In that case, I will likely see you tomorrow," Kohl said. At his mention of seeing Ti, Kohl made no effort to stop his eyes from peering down the length of Ti. "And they day after that, as well. I think I'm liking this track." He twirled a finger back in the direction of the painted lines on the floor.

Ti face flushed even brighter. "Uhm.. well. It is ...a uhm.. nice track." Ti cleared his throat and tried to center himself. "So, how long have you been assigned to the Galileo?"

"Since Stardate 66292.9," Kohl replied. He pointed a finger over to the bench where he had left his gym bag, and then he began to meander in that direction. "I've been assigned to Galileo since her very first mission. It's funny, we were fighting Klingons that time too. They were renegades from the empire, of course, but they weren't firing training torpedoes at us."

"No, I don't imagine they did." Tinaro said following him over towards the benches. Stepping nearby, Ti picked up his own gym bag and pulled out a towel and started to dry off his torso. "With all the factions, and infighting among the Klingons, I am surprised the Empire survived as long as it has. I am not a anthropologist, of course, but it seems to be counter-productive to longevity." Ti said speaking aimlessly as he dried himself.

Raising his water-bottle to his lips, Kohl tilted his head back and took a good chug. Gasping for breath afterwards, he chimed in with, "I think that's where all that genetic strength and bio-reduncancy contributes to their longevity." He chuckled a bit and shook his head. When Kohl took a good long look at the other man's eyes, he waved a hand in Ti's direction and he said, "You're from Betazed, I take it?"

Ti chucked a bit at this. "That I am. It is terribly obvious, no? I come to understand some of my people are often mistaken for human, eye color not withstanding, but I do not find I have that happen to me much. I must be very 'Betazoid'. What planet do you call home?"

"I hail from Argelius; another people often mistaken for Human. (And then people act like I was trying to fool them)," Kohl said, somewhat ramblingly. He held out his water bottle, offering to share with Ti. "I remember Betazoid appearances and accents from my cadet cruise," Kohl explained. "I served at the Federation Embassy on Betazed."

Ti took the offered water."I must admit I thought you were Human at first as well. So you say you served on Betazed?" He took a long draw from the water bottle. He didn't realize the was thristy until he drank some. "What a small Universe. My mother is Ivaian Cyi, the UFP Ambassador from Betazed."

"Ivaian Cyi is your mother??" Kohl asked in thrilled disbelief. That made him cackle with the delight of remembrance. "I was a member of Starfleet's diplomatic division in those days. I served as an aide at the Embassy. Ivaian loved me. She said if my commanding officer ever gave me a hard time, she would have him deported to Ferenginar. (Or Fabrini?) Your mother has one filthy sense of humour."

"You have no idea." Ti replied smiling. "My mother was always fond of the Starfleet Officers. At least until I became one." He took another swig of the water and handed the bottle back. "She was more than a little disappointed I didn't follow her into politics or my father in Academia."

"Did you ever consider it?" Kohl asked with far more curiosity than judgment. His own father's career had influence Kohl more than a little. Kohl took another quick swig from the bottle, and he added, "Starfleet even has plenty of politicians and academics of its own. You could have done what they wanted and what you wanted."

"Considered it? Yes. When one considers my mother is one of the most accomplished diplomats Betazed has ever produced and my telepathic prodigy father is a genius who's IQ I cant begin to come close is the undisputed leader of his field, it was a short consideration. But to all humility aside, I am an exceptional pilot. I would be a mediocre Professor or Ambassador at best. No I'd rather blaze my own trail than work in a field where I would never escape my parent's long shadows."

Kohl had to grin at Ti in an admiring fashion, but some hints of self-depreciation crept into his expression around the eyes. "I wish I had been as wise as you were, you are," Kohl remarked. "I raced after my father's footsteps into diplomacy and I caused a sort of a blaze all right, but it was more of a crash and burn. I made a hash of a trade agreement and that's how I became a nurse."

"I see. Both noble professions to be sure." Tinaro smiled and he moved toward his bags laying on a the bench nearby. "I punched my CO once and was demoted so it seems we both have... smudges on our records."

"Punched your CO?" Kohl said. His incredulity was so strong, he practically sputtered the words out. Kohl leaned back and he said, "I'd say that's more than a smudge. How are you even still an officer?"

"Very good legal representation at my Court Martial and a very compelling reason to punch him." Tinaro replied. "A sizable reduction in rank and chained to a desk until I properly repented was deemed good enough." Tinaro replied removing his shirt and reaching into his bag for a fresh one.

"You're in luck, Ti," Kohl said, as if he really were about to do the other man a favour. "The next time I decide I need to perform an illegal activity, you're going to be my activity partner. I'll have a better chance of skating out of it with you by my side."

"You definitely do. I can fly very very fast." Tinaro replied with a smile before pulling his shirt down over his head.

Kohl tossed his empty water bottle into his gym bag, and slung its strap over his shoulder. "I'd better get out of here or I'll never get any sleep tonight," Kohl remarked. He clapped Tinaro on the shoulder lightly. "It was pleasing to meet you, Tinaro Cyi."

"The pleasure is all mine." Tinaro replied. As much as he disliked casual physical contact, he smiled so not to make the situation awkward before moving to zip up his own bag. "It a small ship so I will definitely seen you around."


[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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

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