RnR was always something Vix Bennett looked forward to, and even more so when that RnR was Squadron wide and in the same location, which meant that she’d get to spend time with her brother as well.
But… she was running late. Everyone else had already headed down to the surface, and she’d hung back to brief the skeleton crew left running engineering in their absence. After many checks, they’d finally all but shoved her out of the door and now she was on her way to the transporter room, beach ready with her towel slung over her shoulder and hefting a big cooler of drinks. She sighed happily, she could already feel the sun on her skin…
Jason Ross wasn’t the type to show up late for anything, but for some reason, he was running late today. He’d managed to stow his gear into his new quarters and was relieved to see his trunks were delivered safely. A quick dig into one turned up his swim trunks, favorite towel, and beach hat. He’d had it forever. He used to use it for fishing trips as well. The trusty bucket hat with the semi-floppy brim had sported many flies and hooks over the years, but all of his fishing gear had been left behind on Earth. Not many opportunities to go fishing in outer space.
Grabbing his towel and shoving his feet into a pair of flip flops, he headed for the transporter room, whistling some old tune he’d had stuck in his head. Turning a corner, he spotted a tall woman carrying a sizable cooler. He stopped whistling mid-note and caught up to her.
“Hi,” he greeted with a smile. “You look like you’re going where I am. Can I take that for you?”
Vix turned in surprise at the voice to find herself looking at the most blinding smile she’d ever seen. Then she was almost blinded by the shirt the guy was wearing. It was a fashion choice, that was for sure. And… she didn’t recognise him, which meant he was one of the new crew aboard. He’d have to be, offering to carry things like that for her.
“Err… hey.” She smiled back. “If you’re headed for the beach, you got it right.” She looked down at the cooler. “It’s a little on the heavy side, I’m afraid.”
Jace grinned and reached out to take the cooler from her. “No worries, I got this.” As she handed it off, he didn’t quite smother the small grunt of surprise. The cooler was a lot heavier than it seemed to be when she was carrying it. “I certainly hope you’ve just got drinks and ice in here,” he teased with a wink. “Not a dead body.”
A quick glance at the cooler had him doing mental calculations at what would have needed to happen to any potential body to make it fit within the confines of the container. Okay… that was dark and way off topic.
Not something he cared to think about when his new companion was absolutely stunning. Long blonde hair and built like a legendary Amazonian warrior, she was breathtaking. One glance was enough to take in so many details about her, but he was too polite to start things off by asking about the large scar on her back. It was massive, curving all the way around to hug her waist.
“I’m Jace, by the way. Jason Ross, engineering.”
Vix froze for a moment. Well dammit, there went the easy manner. As soon as he realised that she was his boss, that smile would disappear. It always did. Well, no, that was a lie. Usually people knew who she was from the get-go. With her height and in uniform, she was kind of hard to miss.
“Pleased to meet you, Jace.” She offered her hand with a smile. “I’m Vix.”
Without missing a beat, he quickly balanced the cooler on his leg and reached out to give her hand a firm shake, his smile still firmly in place.
“The pleasure is all mine,” he replied, not releasing her hand immediately. “It’s great to meet you, Vix.” He didn’t want to come off as a creep, reluctantly letting go to continue walking with her. “I gotta say, I can’t remember ever getting assigned to a new ship and instead of reporting for duty, I get to head to a beach instead.”
His handshake had been firm, a good grip. She slid him a sideways glance and grinned. “Well, we’re a little unusual here on the Canterbury… well the entire squadron if gossip is to be believed.”
They turned the corner onto the corridor that held the transporter room.
“Far as I know the captain’s already on the surface, along with the rest of the senior staff. Hence the beach trip.” She shrugged, the movement easy. “Rumour has it there’s going to be a barbeque later.”
“I never listen to gossip,” he informed her, lowering his voice as if he didn’t want anyone overhearing them. “I mean, I hear it… but I don’t listen to it, if that makes sense?” Pausing briefly to allow her to enter the transporter room before him, Jace followed her in. “A barbeque? That sounds great! As long as they’re cooking up something that didn’t slither on the ground. I’m all for trying new foods, but some of the things I just… nope… I can’t,” he said with a shudder.
She chuckled as she stepped onto one of the transporter pads. “Tell me about it. But check what it is before you take anything, chances are my brother will hog the barbeque… he’s on the Kirk,” she said in an aside. “And he’ll grill up anything he can get his hands on, including the local snake population.”
Jace’s eyes widened slightly. “Good to know. I’ll be sure to find out what it is first. I mean, it’s not like people didn’t eat snakes back on Earth, but it was a small percentage of the population. The other thing I can’t and won’t eat… bugs. I know some cultures consider certain bugs a delicacy, but… “ He shuddered again. “Nope, no thank you. I don’t care if you cover them in chocolate or dip them in caramel. Nope, nope, nope. I’m fine with normal food, and I don’t care if that makes me boring or not.”
She grimaced, in total agreement. “Not boring, normal. Only weirdos and my brother like snakes and insects. I think one of our dads dropped him on his head as a baby.”
Their conversation was interrupted for a second as she nodded at the transporter tech, cutting him off before he could announce her name or rank. The transporter room disappeared, and a second later they rematerialized at the edge of a beach.
She blinked for a moment, letting her eyes readjust. White sands stretched out in front of them, leading down to a wonderfully turquoise sea that lapped gently at the sand. The sun blazed down, but it wasn’t the harsh sun of other planets. It was the warm, golden, syrupy colour of a late summer afternoon. A warm breeze lifted the edges of her hair, flipping it back over her shoulders.
“Well, this is better than I expected.”
“The light! The light… it burns us!” he hissed dramatically with a goofy grin. Squinting, it took a second or two for the world to go from a blindingly bright blur to pristine white sand, trees, and crystal clear water.
“Wow… that’s amazing. It’s… “ Turning to sweep his gaze along the beach, he nodded. “It’s like the Caribbean back on Earth.”
She looked at him, shaking her head a little. She’d rarely met anyone quite so… bouncy?
“It is?” She flicked a glance down at his arms, and legs, revealed by his shirt and shorts. “Do you burn easily? I have sunscreen. Well, you do,” she added, nodding to the cooler.
“Huh? Oh… yeah, I guess I do have it. Where do you want this, by the way?” he asked. “I don’t really burn unless I’m out too long, but sunblock would be good.” Good genetics from his parents gave him a good complexion that tanned easily most of the time. It depended on all the usual factors, though. Taking a look around, he noticed most of the beach goers were already in their swimsuits, instead of covered up. Those who weren’t were camped out underneath wide umbrellas on lounge chairs.
“If you don’t mind, sunblock would definitely be a good idea.” Setting down the cooler for a moment, he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it. “It seems people around here don’t appreciate a good Hawaiian shirt when they see one.”
Vix chuckled, doing her best not to stare. “Is that what that is? I thought you’d gotten it mixed up in the wash or something.”
She spotted a free parasol further down the beach and nodded toward it. “Come on, that one’s got our name on it. HEY!” She bellowed suddenly, seeing a blonde woman also heading that way. “YOU GET YOUR BEADIES OFF THAT ONE MASON!!”
