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DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

[ Carrigan Trent | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Heather McMillan

Morning was ever a busy time for Trent.  It usually meant over going the previous day's reports, and addressing a number of those himself if there was a need to provide department heads with direction, or if there was something he should handle personally.  And one that did cross his desk had to do with one member of the crew in particular.  One whose well-being and integration into the crew he had taken a personal interest in.  And with reason, for no one in their right mind would have ever mistaken her for Starfleet material under normal circumstances.  And while the most junior crewman on any Starfleet vessel or installation received a great deal of basic training in survival, safety measures and damage control, as befitted anyone who ever worked in an environment as inherently dangerous as open space, she had less than that.  Nor did she have the months of training that even the most basic occupation in Starfleet would call for.

And yet, she was a provisional warrant officer and wore a uniform and occupied a post in the science department.  Oh, he certainly did have something to do about it, having presented her with her own combadge as recognition for her actions during the mutiny and he had fully endorsed and countersigned the recommendation to grant her provisional rank before Captain Ives' final approval.  And in a way, it did make Heather McMillan his responsibility. 

Since he'd first met with her and given her the combadge she now wore, he hadn't had a chance to pay her a visit.  But it was high time he did so, if only to see if she was doing all right.  Especially in the wake of the Science department report stating how a brainstorm of hers had not been approved.  And from what he knew of her, it was likely something he ought to look into himself. 

Entering the laboratory complex, he knew exactly where to go.  After all, one particular lab had been set aside for her and he was under the impression she was mostly left to her own devices out there.  And, as the door opened before him and shut behind, he looked at the ethereal young woman and spoke.  "Good morning, Heather.  How are you today?"

And given they were just in the wake of a boarding operation that had gone as close to according to plan as could have been wished for but followed by a brutally one-sided engagement with the Romulans, it certainly was a fitting question.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #1 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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"Sit, stay! Roll over! Oh!" McMillan flicked at her hair, sending the featherweight strands up and left them to very slowly float back down, "You don't even know what I'm telling you to do, do you?"

She was looking at a small fluffy rabbit, which was balancing at the edge of the table, resting on its hind quarters, while its front paws hung down in a gesture of curiosity at McMillan, who was giving it a hopeless look. "The learning algorithm should allow for unique behavioural patterns. I do wonder when they'd show?"

She adjusted her combadge uncomfortably, still getting used to it. Not for the first time, she was asking herself what she was doing in a place like this, amongst people of such great stature, and there she was, the little grasshopper. But then she would look at Bunny the bunny, who was now cleaning himself, and this lab, and all the things she can do to help the crew of the Theurgy, and she would give herself a private smile, her glow increasing ever so slightly, as she thought of new ways and ideas to improve living conditions. If there was one thing the Radiant could do, was to adapt and make life easier for everyone.

The door opened, and the young woman lurched forward in shock, "Gu-uh! Nothing!"

Nothing was in fact her state of mind for that moment when Commander Trent chose to make his entrance, and there was no better way to startle a Radiant than to walk in on one while their mind was not thinking, which happened surprisingly more often than most people would realize.

Turning around to blush a furious glowing pink at Trent, she patted her wildly flaying hair down, with Bunny hopping across the table to sniff at the man curiously, "I mean, good morning, Tre...I mean, uh, Carrigan? Uh...Trent, sir? Hi..."

She wasn't sure whether to hug him, or shake his hand, or wave or salute, so she opted of a trembling right arm and shifty eyes, looking for anything more attention-getting than herself, before being resigned and just looking up at him expectantly. "I've had better days, I suppose. OH, meet Bunny...the bunny. Imaginative and creative, I know."

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #2 –
Many people would consider Heather McMillan to be some sort of absent-minded, naive, vapid and thoroughly useless waste of air, based on much of her demeanor.  But Trent was not one of these people.  Granted, he had a chance to speak with her, and he had reviewed the reports about her actions during the mutiny.  Those were not the actions of some airhead whose IQ may or may not reach as high as her shoe size, but of someone highly intelligent.  If somewhat scatter-brained and decidedly not what anyone, he included, would consider typical Starfleet material.  But there was something about her happy-go-lucky demeanor that was a salve for the crew, putting people at ease and bringing forward smiles, and a sense of hope despite their predicament.

But that did not mean he did not have a healthy respect for her expertise and her inventiveness; and he certainly did take a liking to her.  And if he did take such a shine to her, then he could only wonder just how many of her crewmates she had gotten to in the best possible way? 

And as she startled, an uncharacteristically warm smile graced Trent's lips.  Usually, he was stone-faced and most 'smiles' he produced were either polite expressions or closer to a savage rictus when approaching a tactical matter and a hint of the warrior within, the predator, could be glimpsed.  But that was hardly something that was needed around the biologist. 

And he laughed.  Not at her, but simply because the situation was rather comical, between a rabbit giving him a curious once-over from the table, a glowing young woman with a halo of hair floating about her head and what could arguably be termed one of the ship's least popular officers.  "Relax, Heather, it's all right." 

Of course, he had noticed her fidgety motions, and that was to be expected.  After all, she was still new to the whole concept of wearing a uniform and dealing with senior officers.  "This is effectively a social call, nothing for you to worry about." 

As the rabbit sniffed at his synthetic hand, Trent gave the holographic critter a scratch behind one ear with his prosthetic.  It was a very good re-creation, he had to admit.  The fur felt right, at least to the sensors in his artificial fingertips, and he could feel the animal relaxing at the touch.  This was indeed very well done.

"There's nothing wrong with nice and clear names," he replied.  "And that answers one of my questions here, about how you started playing with cybernetics.  That is a very good start, Heather.  And maybe a good start towards something bigger, too.  Pets are pretty relaxing, and there are a lot of animal-assisted therapy sessions out there.  I think you might be on to something here."

"Of course," he added with a smile, "I don't think it would be fair to expect you to share your prototype too much.  Though, I'm certain giving you access to the holo-emitters in your quarters so you could upload the program could be arranged." 

This was not exactly something that would normally be granted willy-nilly, of course.  However, considering that Trent was the XO and Heather was hardly conditioned and inured to the stresses of Starfleet life, this was a rather small concession to help her cope with what had happened so far, and what was yet to come

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #3 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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McMillan returned Trent's smile with a shy one of her own. She personally found him very approachable, compared to most other people. Not that she found the other officers unfriendly or unwelcoming. It was just that they all tended to wear this sense of intensity about them on their sleeves for all to see, and it often intimidated the already skittish Radiant. With Trent, though, she didn't feel a need to be so guarded, and his laughter along with his reassurance put her at ease. Bunny also seemed to take a liking to him. Presently simulating the appearance of a common white rabbit, the photonic animal bent his head, allowing Trent to pet him some more.

"Okay," said McMillan, recovering from her initial shock, and she approached him, since he had clarified the purpose of his visit, "It's more of a hobby really. Obviously my main field of speciality is xenobiology and botany, though that's really how the idea for Bunny came about. I thought that if we could make a sort of tangible creature for experimentations, but one that cannot be harmed by anything, maybe we might be able to synthesize cures to toxins and sicknesses. I mean, I know that we could easily just do that through our computers, but the original idea behind Bunny involved an android with a simplified positronic brain, and an actual body with all the same compositions and organs that a rabbit has, and we could see firsthand the effects that a composition might have. Bunny won't actually suffer, of course, and...I'm rambling, aren't I?"

As she spoke, the glow around her had been shifting colours as she began to grow comfortable once again, and then turned a bright pink, making her look like she was made of pink lights for a moment when she realized she had started babbling. "I'm so sorry. I guess I do need to work on a brain-mouth filter, as you probably call it."

She smiled, regardless, and gently picked up Bunny, cuddling him in her arms. The rabbit, simulating the real animal, became quite relaxed in her hold, "I guess, the idea behind a therapeutic bunny still holds some water, at least. I had that in mind too. Soft, gentle and cuddly pets, even a solid-light projection of one could work wonders."

Her aura began to glow brighter when he offered to have holo-emitters in her quarters, so that she could have Bunny's company, the look on her face alone could have lit up a room. She placed the photonic rabbit back on the table, and before her nerves left her, quickly darted forward to hug the man appreciatively, "Thank you so much! I was afraid to ask, because it seemed so selfish a thing to ask, especially in light of all that's going on."

She drew back to look up at him, her hair flowing around her in soft, dancing cascades of shifting light and colour. "I've been toying with a few simulations of common pets that many find soothing and relaxing, especially tribbles, cats, hamsters, dogs, primarily of the Maltese Shih Tzu variety. I could make one for you. And I thought I'd send the specs and ideas down to Doctor Nicander eventually."

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #4 –
As Heather spoke about why she first created the holographic rabbit, and her intention to make a more elaborate physical manifestation as well, Trent listened.  Not just letting the words in one ear and out the other, but truly listened.  And something was bothering him about it.  Oh, of course any new treatment or medicinal compound would need experimentation and computer modeling, but to do it on something tangible?  Something that could be seen to react to it?  That particular notion did not sit right with the XO.  But he had no complaints about what she thought was a brain-mouth filter issue.  In fact, had she not brought up her line of thinking, he would not have come across this tidbit.

And then, she hugged him.  That was hardly the sort of thing one would expect from anyone in a Starfleet uniform, but then again, she was not what one could call regular Starfleet material.  The uniform was a way to help her fit in with the crew better, and even though was was now considered part of the ship's company and not just a civilian passenger, she was still an outsider and he returned that embrace, careful of the pressure he exerted as he recalled how she'd told him just how fragile she could be. 

But as she drew away, it was his turn to speak.  "Heather, I'm not certain I'm comfortable with the idea of using your creations for experimentation.  I can see the logic behind it, but it strikes me as being much too alike with the animal testing that went on centuries ago.  And given the amount of stress this crew is under, I definitely don't want to have anyone having to witness a lifeform, even a photonic one, going through that sort of thing.  Our computers can run the models completely internally.  And... I don't want you to have to see one of your creations suffer through testing of a compound that would harm it."

While he was no counselor himself, Trent knew all too well what it was like to seeing lifeforms dying in front of him.  He was first trained as a Tactical Officer and was very good at what he did, and between his research and what he did as a bridge tactical officer, he was exceedingly good at killing his fellow sentient beings by the job lot using shipboard weapons.  And he had killed his oldest friend in a fistfight during the mutiny, and watched Sjaandin Fedd drown in his own blood.  And that was before he had to witness three junior officers who'd put their trust in him get murdered by T'Rena.  And that was well after he had seen his ship destroyed around his ears, with almost two thirds of the crew being killed outright or dying from their injuries later.  So no, he did not want Heather to witness any more brutality than she needed to. 

But at her offer to make him a holographic pet, he did smile again.  "Heather, don't think I don't appreciate the thought because I really do.  But I can't accept your offer, not yet.  Not until everyone on board short of the Captain who needs one, has one of their own."  Looking after the crew was part of the Executive Officer's job, and accepting that kind of a benefit while some of his subordinates were denied such was bad leadership all around.  "But tell you what, write up the proposal to create holographic therapy animals and staff it through to Counselor O'Connor, and we'll go from there.  But so far as I'm concerned, I would approve it in a heartbeat."

But now that the more technical aspects of his visit had been dealt with, Carrigan could approach the rest of it.  "And I wanted to ask you, how are you holding up?"

And part of him wondered how she'd take his asking these questions.  After all, she had to have heard him on the PA during the mutiny, assuming command and exhorting the crew to fight back, before, that is, standing up to T'Rena very publicly; just as she had to know he had been in command for the destruction of Calamity, and that his gunnery had been instrumental in the boarding of Black Opal before he had personally secured terms of surrender.  And of his warning to the Romulan warbird.  And he had been more than ready to annihilate that thing if they wouldn't comply.  She had to know he was a hard man, fit for these tough times...

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #5 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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McMillan blushed first, and then her light faded away altogether, because she was truly ashamed. It wasn't really Trent's fault. It was completely her own. As a Radiant, it generally went against her principles to inflict any sort of harm against anything living, and she wondered what caused her to even contemplate such a thought in the first place. Well, she supposed she had justified that as it wasn't a living being, technically, Bunny wouldn't be harmed at all. Even so, she supposed looking at a creature as adorable as a rabbit and even seeing a simulated version showing signs of pain or discomfort would make anyone uncomfortable. Her face scrunched up as if she had just swallowed an extremely sour lemon.

"Yeah...I-I-I know...it was stupid..." she sighed, "It was really one of those things I didn't think through in my overexcitement and I just dashed right through the details. And I...well, that's just foolish, and I should know better."

She looked away from the commander, feeling even smaller than ever, and twirled her brown, lightless hair nervously between the fingers of her hand. Other than the wispy floating strands, she looked otherwise human without her glow, but she was feeling too ashamed to be radiant and glowy for the moment. "I mean, it's just as well that Tovarek stopped me from going further with the idea, and it was only when he spoke that I realized what I was doing...Carrigan...I'm a pacifist, and my people...we don't harm any creatures. Ever."

A single tear escaped from her as a greater realization came upon her that she was changing. "I'm scared...now...I mean, I don't know why it wouldn't have occurred to me what I was doing until someone else brought it to my attention...I...I think I'm losing myself."

She clenched her eyes shut again, as another tear flowed free, trying to regain control of herself. "Sorry...it's...I think I'm becoming confused and emotional...maybe unnecessarily so." She laughed mirthlessly, trying to reassure herself. "Well, I suppose that's how I'm holding up...b-but...what about you?"

She finally lifted her eyes up to look at the commander, her eyes etched with genuine concern, and slowly, a very faint aura of bluish light began to appear around her.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #6 –
Once he'd spoken, Carrigan realized one thing: Heather was under a great deal of stress.  She was not the most focused person he'd ever met.  In fact, she struck him as somewhat scattered on a good day.  But to overlook something like this, something that was so antithetical to her and her people, was something else entirely.  And as she was saying, perhaps she was indeed losing some of herself.  But most likely, it was the stress getting to her.

If recent events were starting to get to some of the most experienced, trained people on board, then Heather with her complete lack of Starfleet training and ingrained resilience was bound to be feeling the pressure as well.  And there was no way he could blame her for it.  As a tear ran down her cheek, the Commander reached for it with his flesh-and-blood hand and wiped it off with a fingertip.  "Don't you dare start coming down on yourself," he softly said, a narrow but warm smile on his gaunt face.

"You're on Starfleet's most advanced fighting platform, and you were supposed to be here just as a passenger, and embarked civilian.  If I had to guess, it would be to show to the Federation that even our combat-centric ships are still viable for exploration, if a civilian can work in their labs.  But that's beside the point.  You never went through Boot, or Basic Officer Training, let alone any Academy education."  The Commander was simply stating facts, quietly, gently even and without an ounce of reproach. At least, none that was remotely directed at the young biologist.  The events had overtaken the crew and no one on board could have expected things to turn that way. 

"Don't beat yourself up for the stress getting to you.  It happens to everyone, even me."  He did not say, though, that the Captain was also under the weather.  That wasn't his place to say, nor to risk undermining her authority by compromising the crew's confidence in her.  "The only reason you didn't think about it is because you're tired and stressed and you're trying to cope with things you never even thought you'd experience in your wildest flight of fancy.  I know you never wanted to harm anything or anyone, let alone Bunny.  And you know it too."

But asking him how he was holding up?  Part of him had seen it coming.  That girl, she was the kind to care for people, to keep an eye on them and to worry about others before herself.  "I got my head above water, mostly," he replied softly.  "But you know what?  Between you, me and Bunny here, coming to see you isn't just to look in on you like a good little XO should with provisional members of the crew once in a while.  It's because you have such a different view on things; you're not Starfleet so you approach everything without... institutional biases.  And everything you do, it's not coloured with all that institutional culture either.  And it feels good to be around someone like you."

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #7 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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She laughed softly, blushing again, but with a soft pinkish light starting to show on her cheeks. She was assured by his smile, but her emotions were already on an independent train of its own, "Oh dearrr..." said McMillan, dragging out the last part of the word, "...a little too late for that, now, isn't it?"

As he went on, the Radiant scrunched up her face in a cute way, whilst maintaining a weak smile, "I feel so much better now."

But she knew what he meant so she gently laid her hand over his, and listened to the rest of what he had to say, and she nodded, agreeing and accepting everything, "I...I guess so, I mean...well, we never do seem to get a dull moment, do we?" She reached out to pet Bunny, which responded to the touches and reacted as it enjoying it. She still felt a little uncomfortable, from her abrupt emotional outbursts and she kept blushing whenever he touched her. Her tears slowed down and she fought to regain control. Bunny hopped over and placed a paw on her arm, sniffing up at her curiously, and she smiled.

What he told her next, made her smile even more, and it also finally brought back her glow. A gentle warm beige colour of light, her hair began to take on multiple flecks of coloured lights as she looked up at him, her eyes literally shining. "Well, if it is unorthodox you want, you've come to the right place, I'd say. I mean...I...I-I enjoy your company very much." She did her best to put into the back of her mind the fact that Trent was more than capable of ruthless acts that would have sent most Radiant to the hills or the next quadrant in the universe if possible. And she just recalled the time she spent with him in his quarters.

Trent would not have failed to notice the hesitant movements she made next, whilst locking her eyes to his. She wasn't sure if it was right or proper, and she was half afraid to get a questioning look, but she decided to act on impulse before her nerves failed her altogether, and she stood up on tip-toe, using one hand to help pull herself up a little higher, to kiss him on the cheek, before lowering back down, and glancing up at him uncertainly, though she did her best to mask that fear, her eyes could not lie.

Is that okay? she seemed to be asking with her expression.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #8 –
Trent might never have trained as a counselor, but he did spend quite a bit of time in the care of Starfleet's mental health professionals.  While that and his own experiences with the demons that could arise from stress and guilt hardly qualified him to take over for Counselor O'Connor and her staff, he certainly had an insider's view as to what someone could be going through, as opposed to a strictly academic or vicarious experience of such things. 

And in this case, it seemed he'd said precisely the right thing.  He watched the scientist as she got herself under control and her tears stopped.  He had known for a long time that command wasn't necessarily just about giving orders and seeing them obeyed.  It involved counseling and coaching subordinates.  It involved looking after the well-being of members of his crew.  And that was part of his responsibility to Heather McMillan.  But mostly, he enjoyed every second in her company, just as he'd told her. 

And she enjoyed his, even despite the hint of reservation he could hear in her voice.  But then again, he knew how much she abhorred violence and there was no way she couldn't know of his role in recent events, including his willingness to vaporize a Mogai-class warbird and her entire crew.  Yet she accepted that there was more to him than just the man who was willing to end lives at the press of a control.

And that was further amplified when she rose to the tip of her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek.  This was the second time she kissed him like this.  And just like the first time, he found himself drawn to her and when he bent down, it was to her lips that he pressed his own. 

But this time, his synthetic hand went around her slender waist and, instead of pulling her to him, he stepped closer t her as he did so.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #9 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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Maybe it was chemistry, maybe it was natural, she couldn't quite remember at the moment, even if her mother did tell her there was something about humans that naturally attracted the Radiant towards them, despite their violent tendencies or capabilities. It was because while they were indeed capable of such unspeakable destruction, they were equally as capable for amazing feats of kindness and gentleness. While those didn't exactly seem like traits that would necessarily impress most races outside, the Radiant often found that to be like catnip to them. Without realizing it, her mind was going into warp speed when he began to bend closer, his lips aimed firmly at hers. Like gravity wells, she was pulled closer to his.

While there were half-human, half-Radiant hybrids, they were few and far between, and thus far, the truth of their race had yet to be discovered, so that's how rare they were. It was why most Radiant stuck to their own communities. It was hard to resist humans once they became involved with them.

When their lips connected, McMillan's mind went to thoughts about holiday celebrations where she saw fireworks in the sky, and the joy of dancing or running in an open field, or through a forest. Well, her mind was going everywhere, even as she lost herself in the moment, yielding to him easily. Her breath caught just a moment when she felt his artificial hand caressing her waistline, and one hand tentatively touched it, while her other hand was gently tapping his back, as if asking for permission to be there. Her every action and movement was akin to a timid rabbit, much like the holographic pet she had made for herself; tentative and nervously inquisitive, cautiously explorative.

But her growing warmth and gentle glow said she was very comfortable with this, so long as he was too.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #10 –
At first, when Carrigan initially responded to her kiss, he expected it would be little more than the friendly peck on the lips he'd given her in his quarters.  But he had not expected to be this attracted to this skittish young woman and it was not until he felt her hand atop his synthetic limb that he realized just how much she drew him.  Was it because they were opposites?  She was, after all, a shy little pacifist who could take some aggressive action if she had to, whereas he was skilled in deploying the kind of firepower that could sterilize a planet, but did not particularly enjoy erasing his fellow sentient beings from existence.

And despite his relationship with Amelia, this felt just right.

He could feel her slight, warm body pressing against his, and the gentle tapping on his back, he took as a sign; a sign for his synthetic hand to go all the way about her and gently pull her against him, finishing what his initial step towards her had started.  His other hand, his good hand, finally moved.  At first, it landed upon her hip and started to slide upwards along her slender side, before rounding about her arm and her shoulder to caress her neck and cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #11 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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"C-Carrigan..." No! Don't you bloody idiot! McMillan chided herself, Don't ruin this for yourself. Stupid, stupid girl! She was feeling unnecessarily nervous. Unnecessary she knew, because she trusted Trent. She played over in her head the things she had learnt about him since revealing herself to the crew at large. Initially, she was happy to just go through with whatever was happening here and let it lead itself. But she was afraid of what was coming, and part of her yearned for it all at once. It was giving her nothing short of a confused state of mind. "I'm sorry..." she laughed nervously as she finally pulled out of his kiss just a moment.

She laid her head on his chest, feeling wholely embarrassed by what she had just done. He was accepting her, letting her in, and there she was, the silly little Radiant, who suddenly had cold feet when she was already inside. Clenching her eyes shut, she groaned softly and looked up at the commander. "I utterly ruined it...ugh!"

She weakly tried to pull away, though not putting much effort into it. Her eyes studied the contours of his form as she avoided eye contact now. She enjoyed his every touch. It felt like gentle electrical currents along her skin, and wherever he touched, the light and colour of her skin shifted, as if the lights themselves were responding to him. In fact, she was starting to shine more than glow already, and she quickly controlled herself to keep her brightness from becoming blinding to the man. "I've...I've never felt like this before." She confessed. "I mean...it's...oh, I like it, sir...I mean Trent! No I mean Carrigan...uhm...I like it a lot...but I don't know what it's going to do to me...and more than that...to you...I mean...uh...well..."

She let her own body tell him what she was trying to say, and the lights began to shift and dance in a multitude of colours along her skin. It was like looking at a humanoid body of water with lights emanating from it, and it was almost painful to look at with bare unprotected eyes. "I can barely control it! I don't want to hurt you or cause any ocular damage...and...and..."

She dimmed her natural lights, and looked up to the ceiling, "I'm terribly sorry..." she laid her face upon his chest again, her hair following after her in a gentle cascade of shining threads.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #12 –
When Heather chose to pull back, Carrigan did not attempt to pursue the kiss.  He knew she was not one to be chased or pursued.  If anything, she was one who had to be kept calm and gently coaxed, and needed to be made to feel safe more than anything else.  But when she rested his head upon his chest, he wrapped both his arms around her and gently held her to his chest.  And he simply gave her the chance to say what she needed to, and to take what comfort she could against his chest. 

When she pulled away from him, Trent made no effort to hold her close.  After all, she was physically fragile and attempting to hold her, especially with his synthetic arm, could result to much damage to her delicate frame.  But mostly, he did not want to impose his will upon her.  Oh, it was one thing to be a senior officer giving her direction, but in these personal matters it would not do to force her into anything. 

Her glow, as she dealt with her own emotions, though, was something else.  Shifting colours and patterns seemingly at random, and growing much, much brighter.  And while his eyes had grown accustomed to the savage glare of starship weapons and their effects and highly energetic spatial phenomena.  But in this enclosed space, he found himself narrowing his eyes so he could keep looking at her without getting blinded.  But when it dimmed to such levels as he could tolerate without squinting, he looked at her.  And not just at her, but directly into her eyes as she further explained herself. 

"It's all right, Heather.  It's all right."  When she rested her head against him again, he stepped in close once more and held her to him.  "You don't need to worry about me, I can look after myself."  Then, he leaned forward and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.  "I'll never force you into anything you don't want, Heather."

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #13 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

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She felt her her heart flutter a little, with gladness, when she saw that he made no attempts to grip her, not that she could really have done anything about it even if he so chose to do so. But it felt very good to her. Everything from him spoke of a complete trust and a leadership that she very much admired. It was enough to make her ignore - or at least pretend that it didn't exist - the other part of him, the part that frightened her to the bone. His capacity for destruction and death, a powerful aspect that would have sent her screaming into oblivion if she paid it any attention. As her glow faded away once more, and as she rested her head against him, when his hands touched her, if he paid attention to where his hands moved, he would have seen that where he touched, she glowed, like a light that followed him anywhere.

She was in control, now, of herself, her body, and her mind. And she wanted to thank the man for letting her take the necessary time to sort herself out. So when he assured her, told her of his own durability in it all, and most of all, that he would not enforce his will upon her, whatever his desire was aside, it put the glittering stars back in her eyes, and she smiled up at him. Even the kiss on her forehead triggered a glow over the skin, like a warm kiss from the sun in return. She raised a hand to lightly caress his cheek, "I guess it's a good thing we want the same thing."

She raised herself on tip toe once more, leading her lips towards his, then paused, leaned back a little, and said, with a hint of mischief, "I hope."

Before she could lose her nerve, she then completed the last leg of the journey and kissed him, picking up where they'd left off earlier.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #14 –
Trent had once given in to weakness and doubt, but apparently there had always been that hard, solid core of competence and strenght left behind.  He had just forgotten about it.  And that inherent hardness was something that would be sorely needed in the coming days.  With that came a certain reserve, a blank facade he normally wore in front of others to constantly project this air of calm, cool and competent confidence.  But with Heather?  There was no need for such pretense.  In the privacy Heather and he shared, he could show himself to be human.

When she spoke, a soft smile appeared on his thin lips and he supported her rising by taking his artificial hand to the small of her back while his natural one came to rest upon her waist.  When their lips touched, he gently leaned into the kiss, and before long he felt his lips part beneath hers.  Her light, her warmth, the press of her slender body against him, Carrigan was losing himself into this moment to such a point that he did not really notice his hand of flesh and blood sliding up Heather's side until his thumb most lightly brushed against the swell of her breast.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #15 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

[Show/Hide]


McMillan shivered, with a mixture of excitement and even a bold sense of desire that came from a place she didn't know existed within her. When she was busy losing herself into the moment that was being shared between them. His own body, so strong it might as well be solid steel compared to a feather, felt...perfect. There was no other word for it, and as they kissed, she allowed him to explore or touch where he would. Her lips quirked upward as his organic hand ran along her side, and her hands gripped or made a nervous reflex as her ticklishness showed, and she was doing her best not to make any movement too sudden or disruptive, but it was like trying to stand still whilst sober in the midst of an earthquake.

But when it reached its destination, McMillan stiffened momentarily, considering, then her own hand wrapped gently over his, sort of guiding or giving him permission to go further, if he so wished, while her other arm wrapped around him to keep herself steady. All the while, she had yet to release herself from the kiss.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #16 –
Time seemed to slow for the Executive Officer, so close to the Radiant as he was.  He could feel every twitch of her muscles, every slight clenching of her hand a his fingers appeared to find a particularly sensitive spot.  And this information, he knew, he would be filing away for future reference.  Because he certainly had an impression it might come in pleasantly handy in the future. 

The closeness with Heather itself was a most pleasant feeling; he knew he was much denser than she was and he probably outweighed her by a factor of three or more, and he knew just how fragile she was beneath his hands natural or otherwise.  Some men might delight in this brute superiority in its own right, but for Carrigan it tugged at the deepest of his protective urges.  Certain Twentieth- and Twenty first-century writers referred to this as the 'sheepdog' instincts a minority of people possessed, placing them in positions to protect the 'sheep', those who lacked either the inclination or ability, if not both, to protect themselves from the 'wolves', those individuals who used their strengths to victimize others. 

But those thoughts vanished when he felt her hand upon his.  For a moment, he stiffened for he just realized where it lay, with his thumb squarely across the side of a delicate breast.  But instead of stopping him, he felt her tug at his extremity, and ever so slowly he allowed it so slide inwards and as it fully cupped her breast, he ever so gently squeezed at it through the layers of her uniform and what undergarments she opted to wear.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #17 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent


[Show/Hide]


McMillan had never really gotten 'round to having the "talk" with her parents when it came to these matters. It was either because they were embarrassed to talk about it, or because they were confident that she would figure it out herself. She was after all a biologist. If she wanted to think of it in the Vulcan sense and explain it as a logical course of action or such...but she most definitely wished they'd told her about it...or that humans would be harder to resist than she had thought. It was why some Radiant had eventually chosen to marry outside of their own race. Their children were the product of two distinctly different species, but they were strong, and often carried the best of both races. She idly wondered if that was  to be her destiny as well. What would her family think if she introduced them to Carrigan Trent? That would certainly be interesting.

These thoughts raced through her mind like a starship going at Warp twenty. Which was impossible, so far. Her blush reflected with her cheeks gaining a reddish glow while the rest of her gave off a golden light. She had to consciously keep her light from becoming blinding, and now worried what would happen if she got more excited and eager than she already was. She didn't want to accidentally blind him with a starburst. That would be absolutely horrid, and add to the fact that she had already done the unthinkable and wielded a phaser during the mutiny, even if poorly handled, she was still the first Radiant to ever violate the Code. So now she had one part of her thinking that if she had gone this far, why worry now? But on the other hand, she did not wish to lose herself completely, or forsake her roots.

Frowning to herself, she quickly smoothed her expression, easily disguised as a reaction to whatever his touching was doing to her, and certainly how she definitely enjoyed the feel of his hand on her breast, albeit over garments. So maybe it wasn't a disguise, since she was definitely new to everything, and she, for all her education, hadn't the foggiest on how to handle all of this. She was as unsure as a newborn, and though she enjoyed it, she wasn't sure if it was right, social-wise, and whether social even had anything to do with it. Was it too soon? Too fast? Too slow? Too whatever? Tilting her head back to look up at him, she bit her lower lip, exposing her upper teeth, with her eyes sort of looking up at him expectantly. She would follow his choice. Because by God, he'd better know more than she did, or they were both fucked. A frail hand squeezed his, for more prompting.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #18 –
When Heather pulled back from the kiss, Carrigan did not pursue it.  Instead, he looked into her eyes and offered her a smile in response to her own puzzled expression.  She was new to this, there was no way he could ever question it.  And that ignited two different lines of thinking in his mind.  On one hand, he wanted to slow down, put the brakes on and stop it where it was.  But on the other hand?  He wanted to do more, introduce her to this particular aspect of life. 

And now, there she was, squeezing his hand to her breast through her clothes.  And he matched her squeeze with one of his own.  He definitely did want more.  But he was not sure if she did.  "Heather," he softly started as he moved to open her jacket and he slipped his hand within, squeezing her breast against but this time a little closer. 

"Do you want more of this?"

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #19 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent

[Show/Hide]


So she wasn't the only one not entirely sure with what they were doing. Looking up at Trent, he seemed...hesitant? At least according to his eyes. Or was it because of her? Was she ruining it all for him? Because she was more than a little stupid when it came to this? But she really needed a guide to this whole part. Maybe he got the wrong impression when she squeezed his hand gently. She was glass...no, she was sand, in his touch, but she knew she could take this. She trusted him. But maybe she needed to say it. Was that what couples - were they a couple??? - did? Give each other telling signs verbally? Now she wished she had asked her parents for advice.

She had been about to speak when he said her name, and she looked up at him attentively, hand still resting on his wrist. His hands, more deft that hers could be at this point, slowly opened the seams of her attire, and his hands went under, and it was just this close to making contact. To her own surprise, she wished she hadn't worn a bra now. Was that normal? And then he asked if she wanted more?

Well, if nothing else, she was definitely curious, and so, with big, unblinking eyes, she nodded, her lips sort of puckering and pouting. Uncertainly, she took her hands off him, to clumsily try and shake off the rest of her jacket, and place her hands back on his forearms. She said in a shaky voice, "Yes."

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #20 –
There was hesitation.  There was trepidation.  And there was Heather beneath his hands.

Carrigan Trent was no stranger to women.  Hell, he was involved with one of the ship's physicians and here he was, falling for the delicate, clumsy, awkward newest member of the Science department!  But he had doubts, too.  She was a gentle little thing physically and otherwise and he was hardly certain of how she would react to his ever increasing advances.  But when his hand cradled her breast through her shirt (and indeed finding out she was wearing a bra, although part of him was wondering if those delicate breasts of hers did indeed require such support), she did not stop him. 

But she never protested or moved his hands.  And after what looked for all the world like a mix of confusion and hesitation, she shook out of her jacket, and she answered his question, if she wanted him to go further, in a positive manner.

Truth be told, the XO had been uncertain of how she would react to that, but he was not going to complain.  And another truth, he could feel his member starting to engorge in his shorts.  Tenderly, he gave her breast another squeeze, and he let both his hands slide down to her waist.  His fingers were moving, untucking her uniform shirt from her pants and gathering the fabric in his hands, and he started to lift it up and to pull the garment off her.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #21 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent
 
[Show/Hide]

 
McMillan's breath quickened slightly when he squeezed her breast yet again. Had he applied any more pressure he would like have left a bruise, as it was, marks would show long after his hand had released its hold. She also felt her familiar ticklishness as he slid his hands along her sides, and she barely restrained herself from squirming, lest she accidentally give wrong signals. She opted to bite her lower lip. Something she had seen in all those romance movies, read about in novels. It worked as a distraction, and then her eyes widened, as she realized at last just what he was doing with his hands.
 
Looking down momentarily, she blushed as she considered just where this was going. McMillan was as shy and as modest as they came, generally wearing sweaters and trousers and every other cover comfortably possible. This was going somewhere else entirely, and she had honestly never been more uncovered than her one visit to a beach back on Earth, and she had thought going in a monokini was particularly daring at the time. Once that shirt was off, there was just her bra, her pants, panties...well, in for a penny, in for a pound, she finally decided probably for the umpteenth time since this whole thing started.
 
Reaching up impulsively on her tip toes, she kissed Trent, and then lifted her arms so he could get the shirt off her, and she undid her pants, logic dictated this would be next to go, and she'd let him decide on the next part. But first, fair was fair, and she thought if he wanted to feel flesh, so could she, because she very gently, and in a manner that sought permission, gently tugged at the waist section of his own tunic, and she looked up at him wonderingly, her light glowing in pink and gold colours.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #22 –
Carrigan was moving slowly.  Part of it was born from a desire to savour the moment, to enjoy every last bit of it for as long as possible.  Another was to give Heather every chance possible to stop him.  But stop him she did not, for instead she rose up to the tips of her toes and kissed him, and then raised her hands to let him proceed.  And so, the XO did and he gently, slowly, dragged the blue shirt over her head and off her arms before discarding it onto the deck.

And then, his breath caught.  Between her blush and her shifting glow, Trent could see Heather was indeed quite pale, and her breasts were contained by a bra that was conservative in design, simple and bordering on cute, most decidedly not intended to be used towards seduction.  And, if he was any judge, worn more as a result of modesty and social convention than a real need for support.  And while he was gazing at her, he did not see her hands, and he only looked down when he felt them at the hem of his jacket, tugging at his own shirt.

And he also noticed one thing: her pants were undone.

But first, he acknowledged her silent request and he undid his jacket and let it fall off his shoulders and down his arms, and he aided her in removing his shirt.  And he knew what she would see, his chest now bare.  He was thin, gaunt even.  And at his left elbow was the joint between his cybernetic limb and the flesh and blood he was born with.  But he did not mind showing her this.  Nor did he mind matching the step she had taken next and exceeding it.  First he kicked off his boots, and stepping on his socks he freed his feet from them.  And only then did he undo his own trousers and let them fall, revealing his standard-issue shorts, and his prosthetic leg.  But, unsure of just how far Heather wanted to go, he brought his hands up and the tips of the fingers on both his hands caressed the soft fabric of her bra before pushing the straps off her shoulders.  And the, he reached behind her back, his fingers finding the bra's clasps and, just when he knew he was positioned just right to spring the hooks, he stopped and he looked into her eyes.  "May I?"

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #23 –
[ Heather McMillan | Upper Science Labs | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Carrigan Trent
 
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It was so strange, in McMillan's thoughts. Not what was happening between her and Carrigan Trent, no, that was clear enough even to one as woefully naïve as herself. Rather, it was the residual instinctive knowledge, and an awareness of memories that was definitely not hers suddenly creeping into her mind that was strange. Her parents had sometimes mentioned it as something the Radiant of Earth had lost, in their adaptation to Earth cultures, which was called the Memory of Light. Strange, but perhaps not surprising. The scientist in her suspected this could happen if the Radiant used their light as openly as they once did.
 
A noticeable change came over McMillan, even if only briefly. Her light had a sort of tangible sensation, and shape, around her body, and for a moment, it enveloped Trent as well, like an extension of a field of energy. She saw flashes of memory. A racial memory of things past, of how Radiant lived, and how they loved. That made her blush, and made her eyes widen a little, all actions hardly possible to be missed by the man standing before her unless he was blinded by drunkenness.
 
She came to when she heard Trent's breath catching, which was followed by a slight stiffening of his form. He was examining her and she realized, really realized how far this was going, and to be quite honest, it was extremely fast for a Radiant, probably normal for humans. Radiant could beat around the bush when it came to romance, or play at being close friends. A three-year courting was considered rushing things for them. What McMillan was doing was akin to jumping into things at Warp Thirteen. Still, what could possibly be expected of her? She was a Radiant, but Trent was a Human, and technically, so was she, since she had been born and raised as a human from England. She knew what humans were like. The only difference with her was she also had the upbringing and innate nature of her true people.
 
And as excited as she was getting about it all, which no doubt was being reflected by Trent, she wanted...a little more calm. She didn't quite know how to express that to Trent, considering how far they already were, but she hoped he would understand. As he had examined her, she now did the same with him, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips, though she did her best to maintain a neutral approach. Both had helped each other out of their jackets and shirts, and Trent beat McMillan to the punch, dropping his pants. As likely as it was to take things beyond her, she gracefully - or at least she tried to be graceful about it - let her pants slide down her legs, until it caught at her right shin, just as she slipped her left leg out, causing her to hang on to Trent for balance. Thankfully she was a literal featherweight, or she'd have taken the man dancing in trying to get the stupid pants off, all while trying to maintain a straight face, eyes locked with the man, and doing her best not to blush or apologize.
 
After five or six sideways kicks she finally got it off, and placed her hands on either of Trent's biceps. She smiled then, and glanced upon his body, her soft, fragile hands ever so lightly resting over his chest. She suppressed the urge to blurt out that she ought to make him something to eat. But she could feel the strength in that body, feel the heart that beat within, and the pure strength of will he radiated. It was what impressed her so much. She continued her visual and hand examination, placing her hands wherever her eyes looked, her touch gentle and warm, but also tentative, as if ready to pull back in haste if needed. But she didn't look of feel tense. Her expression was one of complete acceptance of everything she saw, cybernetic or organic. And there was a change happening to her as well.
 
Her skin was turning into light. Not blinding, or even bright, but a light nonetheless, and the pale human-looking flesh was vanishing beneath this light that seemed to be of the same colour as her skin, and her iris changed into two orbs of gold over a sea of white, but none of it would have been painful for Trent even if he stared. She felt it like a tingling along the entirety of her extremities, but the tangible aura had faded away, now only the radiance remained. "Ealénde mae sullail anniéri," said McMillan quietly, and then she blinked, realizing she spoke a different language.
 
"Uh...I mean...y-you are uhm...firm," she stammered out, showing a trace of herself, and she blushed, her cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of vibrant red, before fading into the light again.
 
Her two hands moved almost of their own accord to gently carress his cheeks, her thumbs lightly running over the cheekbones, circling close to the nose on either side, and down to his lips, and back to his cheeks. It was like she was committing to memory the feel of his face. She felt his hands feeling along the clasps of her bra, and when he asked her permission, she was so glad for his own self-control. Truthfully, she would have yielded quite willingly, and even if unwilling, there was little she could do to stop him, but she was very grateful that he cared to ask her permission, and it showed in her eyes.
 
This time, she shook her head once, slowly, her hair still flew up in all directions, making watery motions as it slowly sank back down.
 
"Just...just not for tonight?" said McMillan, inclining a tone that hopefully conveyed there was definitely an invitation to go further, at a later time. Her skin still looked like it had been replaced by that strange light of the same colour as her skin, bright, but not blinding.

Re: DAY 05: Creature Comforts [0930 hrs.]

Reply #24 –
Carrigan's synthetic hand was a bit of a paradox.  The sensations he got through the sensors in its surface were oddly precise, yet there was a distant feel to them.  But he could feel just as well as if it had been his fingers of flesh and blood that it would take a mere hair's breadth of movement and a fraction of an ounce of pressure for the hooks of Heather's bra to spring free and the garment to fall.  And he wanted it to. 

But her head shook and her hair, impossibly light, rose up in a halo about her head.  The sight arrested the veteran officer; he had never seen anything so beautiful.  And as the nimbus fell prey to gravity, he heard her speak.  She refused to go this far for the time being, but there was this invitation there, that they would cross that bridge later.  So, he released the tension he had been exerting on the hooks and the band and both his hands went to her sides, and to her arms before tenderly bringing the straps back on top of her delicate shoulders.  She had made herself clear, and he would respect her decision.

Running his hands up and down her arms and her sides, he looked upon her glowing shape.  And he thought of what she had said.  Somehow he was not certain that the translation she had provided was exact, but it still intrigued him.  "Firm?  What do you mean?" 

For he genuinely wanted to understand her, and her perception of the world.
 
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