Miles With A New Friend

Posted on 23 Jul 2018 @ 3:34am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Gemma Alexander

3,697 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: The Search Begins
Location: Gym
Timeline: MD 02 || 1800 Hours

Gemma, who was currently wearing a standard t-shirt and sweat pants, finished her stretches and tied her hair back. She checked her workout shoes to make sure they were snug before getting on the running machine, fortunately the gym was fairly empty so she had her choice of machines. She started slow and worked up speed, it was important not to get lazy, just because ones main job was to sit in a craft that is.

Joey made her way into the gym, which was her usual routine before settling in for the night, dressed in a red fitted tank top that did absolutely nothing to hide her bump, a pair of black yoga shorts, a pair sneakers and had her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She took note of the people inside and couldn't help put smile. It seemed others had the same idea that she did, not that she could blame them. Working out was great for relieving stress and thinking, but at the moment, she didn't have to worry about either. No, for her, working out was a way to get rid of all those cheeseburgers and fries she'd been consuming as of late.

Crossing the facility, she removed her gym bag from her shoulder and placed it on one of the benches near the treadmills, taking note of Gemma. Joey couldn't recall ever meeting the woman before, but she was in a position to remedy that situation. "Hi, there," she said with a friendly smile before she began stretching. The last thing she wanted was to get any kind of cramps. There were times the Intel Chief was uncomfortable enough without doing anything that would add to that.

She noticed the Lieutenant out of the corner of her eye and when Gemma was spoken to she'd slowed then smiled, "Greetings Lieutenant" She said in her Earth British accent, it had taken some time before she trained herself out of the British 'Leftenant' but she got there. She didn't have cause to interact with the Chief Intel Officer which she supposed was a good thing professionally but something to remedy otherwise. "I expect you know me but to be polite I'm Gemma Alexander" She gave a little wave as she jogged slow enough to talk. "How's the yourself and the cadet?" She gestured to to the large stomach with another smile.

"Joey Geisler. It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Gemma," she said, moving to the machine next to Gemma's and starting it up at a slow walk she could work up from. Joey did pick up the accent and smiled. It had been a long time since she'd heard a British accent. "I'm doing well, thank you, as are the cadets. Twins. How about yourself?"

"Twins?" She replied, "You jump into things with both feet, I like it." She quipped with another smile, moving at a decent jog but not so fast she couldn't talk. She was genuinely happy for the other woman. She didn't feel she was ready for kids yet but that didn't mean she couldn't be happy at the good fortune of others. "I'm good..." She replied at first them mock frowned briefly, "Once they clear my craft that is, I swear I'll think I'll be finding bits of goo in random places for weeks." Though to be fair she really didn't think anything would survive the scouring the flight maintenance guys were giving it but it still hurt to see her craft covered in alien bits of biomatter and goo once they'd gotten around to helping her get out.

Joey couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I suppose I do have a habit of jumping into things feet first, and my pregnancy was no different," she said, looking toward Gemma just before she picked up her pace to a more brisk walk. "Goo? What in the world happened that you might be picking goo out of places during the next few weeks?"

Gemma laughed, “Right, not the center of the universe got it.” She joked, “So check it, one thing its easy to forget is space is like the old earth oceans. There are creatures in the depths that are a mysterious pain in the rear. So we’re patrolling along making sure there’s no baddies in the offing when one of these big creatures decides to take a fancy to my craft…” She was still jogging slower than she preferred so she could talk but didn’t mind, she’d work out harder later.


“I mean it’s grand ‘come hither’ engine style with energy that brings all the space whales to the area but really, show some restraint…anyway it latches on like a stalker ex-boyfriend. I’m moving, cutting power, shifting power nothing doing. Plus it’s draining me, ultimately my mates had to take shots at it and tracker me in. Course by then we’d kicked the hornet’s nest and a whole mess of them came after us. So picture it, I’m getting a tow so my ride is fending them off with the others while trying to haul myself while more are trying make our acquaintance. And I’m pegging them for all I’m worth, course by now my powers low so it’s more a slap…” She shrugged, “But as my Gran would say, it’s the thought that counts.”

She grinned, “Anyway they got the creatures that made it in proper when I got back and I’m right there so there I am in my cockpit as guts and good drip down my viewport…” She shook her head in bemusement, “Now that was a new one on me.” She glanced over with another ready smile, "How about you, up to any shenanigans?" Though she wasn't sure what a really pregnant woman would get into troublewise, she knew herself and others so didn't want to assume that was impossible.

"Sounds like you all had quite the eventful patrol," the taller woman stated, keeping steady at her current pace. "As for me, we went over to Vargass Station. We weren't there long before we nearly got arrested for disturbing the peace. That came from me climbing on a table to get the attention of everyone. If it wasn't got Jayla telling the ones doing the arresting that I ate the last person who tried, we might be sitting in a cell over there." Oh, there was more to come, but she was going to give Gemma the chance to process that first.

Gemma laughed, and glanced at the others form before continuing, "'ate the last person' oh that's good. So then what?" She asked curiously, adjusting her pace upward since she was just listening.

"We were let go, and found ourselves a translator shortly after. He was down on his luck and needed funds, so I kind of honed in on that. It worked out, but there weren't really any answers to be had in the part of the station we were on, so we needed to make our way down a few levels to look for a specific species," Joey continued, pausing for a few seconds so Gemma could keep up with the story. "Once we were down there, we were looking for aliens with purple hair growing from their skin... the elders, but before that could happen, our translator, who didn't even want to be in this part of the station to begin with, was recognized by others... likely people he owed money to."

She finally increased her pace and began a slow jog. "Of course, that meant we had to get the hell out of dodge, but they followed, which meant we had to use a ventilation shaft to escape. I went in first, then our translator, Doctor Kij and Petty Officer Miller," Joey said. "We were doing pretty well until I felt something on my leg. I made the comment to Halrr, our translator, that what I was feeling better have been his hand, but alas, it wasn't. I screamed like a little bitch and took off like a bat out of hell and finally made it to someone's living quarters. Turned out to be a huge centipede that hitched a ride on my leg the entire way." She gave a full body shudder at the memory, completely unafraid to admit she didn't like creepy crawlies even a little. And those who chose to use such knowledge against her were brave indeed, because there would be nine kinds of hell to pay afterward.

Gemma was torn between wanting laugh and sharing the very real concern over a giant bug crawling up ones leg in a tight situation. She compromised her mouth twitched into a brief smile but she wiped it into a more serious expression as she picked up her own pace, "Totally reasonable response." She thought for a moment, "I might resorted to weapons, not the brightest move with something that close to my person." She smiled. "Sounds like you had an eventful time of your own, I'm glad everyone got back safe. This zone is not for the timid to be sure." She said conversationally as she jogged.

"I thought my response to something touching me was pretty spot on, too, but not everyone agreed with me," Joey said, shivering at the thought of the centipede tagging along. In fact, it bothered her so much, the Intel Chief found herself checking her legs for stowaways again. "If I would have had a weapon, I might have used it, but all I had accessible inside the shaft were my stun gloves, and I couldn't risk using those for fear I might have hit myself. That could have caused not so nice effects on the twins. And you're right, this place isn't for the timid, but it does make me wonder why no one has bothered exploring this place before now."

Gemma jogged along for a moment before replying, "As you say likely for the best you had no weapon, in those confines it wouldn't have been good." She shook her head, "As for exploring, maybe other priorities. I mean it wasn't that long ago we had a kind of civil war..." Wolves in sheep's clothing scattered throughout Starfleet, shipmate fought shipmate in many cases. She wasn't sure but couldn't help but think that slowed a lot of Starfleet's normal operations way down. "Or could be there's info we don't have, though with us stirrin' the pot I figure we'll learn one way or the other soon enough..." She observed mildly, a fine sheet of sweat on her body as she looped along at a steady pace as distance rolled beneath her.

"Maybe so, but I can't help but wonder if there's something more to it," Joey said, picking up her pace only slightly. It was no secret she was paranoid. Perhaps, a great deal of that was her husband rubbing off on her, but how much of it was actually her? If she had to guess, perhaps, the majority of it was her. "Sorry, I have a tendency to read more into things than I should, but I can't seem to help myself."

Gemma shrugged a little, which with the jog just meant a shoulder shifted a second, "Well you are Intelligence, I'd be surprised if looking for meaning and patterns wasn't related to an occupational hazard. It's sort of what you do. It's got to be hard not to over analyze when stakes are high." She said sympathetically, "I have a friend in Intel he always said he tried to focus on getting more information. Hard intel always helped he said...course more often than not there wasn't any so it drove him to frustration."

She shook her head, he'd get as much information as he could until it was time to get moving but more often than not he was forced to move by circumstances before he had all he wanted, actually she hadn't heard from him in awhile. She hoped he was still alive, "At that point it seemed to boil down to instinct and training what one did next..." She said almost musingly as she moved along.

Joey couldn't really argue with that logic. "I'm also former Close Protection and Security Investigations, so that's got a lot to do with how my mind works, too," she said. "After so many years, it's a part of who I am, and definitely not easily forgotten."

Gemma, nodded, "It's a hard thing, easy to tell your brain not to worry over something. Harder to stop it." She jogged for a bit, "Close Pro huh? Then security now this?" She nodded acknowledging, "More experience than most get." Then she stifled a grin as a thought occurred, "I kinda feel bad for your kids, I don't think they're going to be able to get away with anything but they'll be in good hands so I suppose that's a balance." she said lightly but sincerely.

She continued, "My mum's a ship captain, course when I was toddling about she was just a department head, security no less, I used to swear she had eyes in the back of her head...." She smiled at the memory, recalling the times she'd be caught up to something or another by her entirely too alert mother. Her father was alert too but more inclined to let her get away with things. She clicked another mile.

There were other, less fond memories as she and her father waited to see if Gemma's mother would come home from some dangerous mission or another. She pushed those away with the ease of long practice. She was lucky to have both her parents and she was not going to tempt the universe by dwelling on the 'never happened'.

"I'm sure they'll be able to get away with some things when they're older, but starships aren't as big as we think they might be. There's no doubt in my mind we'll find out what they've been up to," Joey said, slowing her pace up a bit. She wasn't in any kind of pain, but she knew to stop before that happened. "I miss my days in Security, but when we went up against the Consortium, I took a hit that stopped my heart. I knew then that I needed to let that part of my life go. I was going to retire, but stay on the ship as a civilian. That didn't need to happen as I was given the chance to move in Intel instead. There's still an element of danger, but not nearly as much as there was before, and for that, I'm grateful."

Gemma glanced over with a 'damn' expression on her face briefly before she returned her attention to her jog, slowing down for the prep to cool down. She knew many had been injured during the time against the Consortium but details were vague. Wasn't like a junior pilot was on anyones 'need to inform' list anyway."Not many people get a second chance after that, sounds like you're making the most of it." She said after a moment. "Intel suiting you?" She couldn't imagine doing anything else but flying but what if life forced a change?

"I had plenty of close calls before that, but that was definitely the closest. And, if I have any say, I'll never have to deal with anything like that again," the Intel Chief said, taking a drink of the water she'd brought with her. "As for Intel suiting me, I think it does. I've not had any issues with it yet, and hopefully, it stays that way. I like my team, too, and I'd like to think that they like me as well. How about you? Being a pilot has to be incredibly exciting."

Gemma smiled broadly over at Joey for a moment, then replied "I love it. Like most things in Starfleet if something's exciting odds are you're being shot at, spacial anomaly is trying to tear you apart or maybe a space whale is taking a fancy to your craft." She joked then continued, "I wouldn't have it any other way, even the mission that are quiet and routine serve a need plus I get to fly so it's a double win.". There was a contentment in her voice, one of someone doing what they felt they were meant to and happy about it. If she could purr she might have done it. "You get to know a craft and its like an extension of your own body, when it's quiet you can almost feel like it's just you and the eternity of space..." She seemed to be remembering something and almost seemed to be talking to herself, she then looked over a little sheepishly, "Sorry, I can get a bit passionate about it."

Joey shook her head with a smile. It was nice to see someone passionate about their careers, and it was exactly how she felt, too. "There's no need to be sorry, Gemma," she said. "I tried to be a pilot recently thanks to some chocolate that Ensign Khan gave me."

Alexander was quiet a moment as her brain tried to link chocolate with piloting, then she gave up. "I can't see it, just what was in this chocolate?" She asked with a small smile. "Maybe the pilot corps would like to know for recruiting efforts..." She joked but there was a genuine curiosity in her tone.

"I don't know what was in it," the Intel Chief said with a sheepish smile. "Commander Walsh must have thought I was on drugs or something when I showed up in her office demanding a fighter. I got so sick. I ended up in sickbay as a result of it, and if I remember correctly, I think there was some kind of investigation into the chocolate Ensign Khan had. Just goes with the old saying. Never take candy from a stranger, though, Kelly isn't one. The person she bought it from, however, was."

Gemma's machine automatically slowed to the cooldown portion and she slowed further, "Ah" She said smiling in understanding, "I rather see now why the science types are so harsh about checking goods, seems like you were on some kind of drug." She continued after briefly checking her workout readouts as she thought it was good it wasn't an aphrodisiac. "Glad it worked out ultimately though, to my mind anything you can recover from is a good story or at least lesson." She observed then gave a short laugh as a thought occurred, "Just had a thought for a great title for a memoir. 'If Given Special Chocolate Ask for Ingredient list: A Life In Starfleet'. She mimicked an announcer voice. "After you safely retire of course..." She winked over at Joey.

Joey couldn't help but laugh. "That would make for an interesting read, and the stories I could tell..." she said, taking another sip of her water, though she shook her head. "Sadly, I can't talk about a lot of them since most of them are from my days as a CPO, but I could tell the others."

Gemma laughed, "There's always more stories, you'll have to tell me sometime.". CPO's tended to be tight lipped about their time she'd heard, likely because of the VIP's secrets they could be privy to. Gemma herself was curious but would never ask. Her machine stopped and she took a drink of water from her water bottle. "Listen I grow tea leaves in my quarters." She smiled, "A Brit and tea, typical I know but what can I say, it's pretty awesome." She said lightly shrugging then continued, "I can make a very baby friendly herbal blend for relaxing if you want. No caffeine, very safe." She promised putting down the water bottle and starting to go through the cool down stretches.

That brought a smile to Joey's lips, and solidified the fact she needed to get to know the rest of the crew outside of duty. "I'd like that," she said. "I can definitely use something to help me relax before bed."

Gemma beamed, "Can do, I'll work up something and get the instructions. There's these awesome little canisters you can use to lock in freshness though of course always best in the first few weeks." She said already plotting a gift of a proper tea set to go with it. She was sure anyone who wanted would be giving baby gifts but if it's one thing she remembered from her mother its the moms to be needed help too. And Gemma was always happy to spread the love of tea whenever possible well that and, flight or archery. She went into a deep bend to work out a slight tightness in her left calf.

"That's very sweet of you, Gemma, thank you. I'll keep an eye out for those canisters you mentioned, too," Joey said. "For now, though, I think I need to get back home. I've got a husband and two dogs who are probably wondering where I ran off to. It was definitely nice meeting you, and we'll have to make plans to get together sometime in the near future."

Gemma straightened and grinned, "Well there is that." She said, "It's this weird thing that loved ones want to see their other loved ones, like once in awhile, in person and everything. So demanding." She joked then nodded considering the rest of Joey's statement, "And that sounds like a slice of fried latinum to me." Then realized she'd slanged, "Sorry, a good plan" She thoughtfully clarified with another ready smile. There were worse ways to workout than by making a new friend, she thought as Joey left and Gemma prepared to hit the showers herself.

Joey laughed. "I can see us getting along really well, Gemma. Until next time," she said as she gathered up her things. She definitely wanted to meet up with the pilot again, and had plans to get in touch with her soon. With a smile on her face, and after waving, the taller woman made her way out of the gym.

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