Her feet ate the deck.

With a deft grace the woman weaved between the pedestrian flow, her arms pumping and her muscles protesting.

The trick was to look ahead, distance your mind from the here and now. Just be here, let your mind be 12 steps up ahead – half-conscious for obstructions whilst your body flowed into the gaps and around the logjams of the teeming crowds from a kaleidoscope of different races that crowded the Promenade deck.

Only when she ran, was she able to escape from the concerns that anchored her to the here and now; moving inexorably towards her future, the lithe young woman found it easier to distance herself from the past.

Strange the things that insinuated themselves, unbidden, into her subconsciousness. Sometimes it seemed that there was no distance extant, no exertion sufficient, no distraction compelling enough to separate Samantha Hyland from the unwelcome complications of her memories.

“Make a hole!” Sam warned urgently, between sharp intakes of breath, as a portly Bolian trader suddenly shifted into her path and jerked as he began to become aware of their divergent paths coming together.

————————————————————————————

And, in that instant, Lieutenant Sam Hyland was 6 years old again, giggling and roiling along the corridors of the Galaxy – class starship that had been her childhood home, tears of laughter in her eyes as a crewman echoed “Make a Hole! “as he hurried past the knot of Terran and alien children & her friend Nok wondered aloud.

“This hole she speaks of?” Nok’s Ferengi mind already starting to evaluate the receding rating, “What do you think people would pay if we could make another one?”

Young Sam snorted so hard, that a little snot bubbled out of her nose, and she busied herself with her sleeve, leaving Yeq’ra to playfully cuff one of Nok’s lobes with his blue hand and laugh.

 “It’s just a turn of phrase you idiot! No one’s going to pay you to get out of their way!”

“Ow! Cut that out!” Nok slapped the Bolian child’s hand away huffily. “Besides, you should always keep your ears open,” He nodded archly “that’s the…..”

“SEVENTH RULE of AQUISTION” Sam and Yeq’ra caught each other in each other’s arms and chorused in good natured – unison. “We KNOW!!!” They giggled and rolled their eyes theatrically.

“Well…” Nok pretended offence and then grinned wolfishly, “It’s a GOOD one and it’s one of my favorites!”

All three laughing children tore off towards the Holodecks, garnering a brace of semi-tolerant stares as they went.

————————————————————————————

Sam smiled at the memory even as her attention returned to the present & she broke her pace, putting out her outstretched hands to ward off the imminent collision with the unfortunate merchant.

Who turned into the transaction and a broad smile broke out on his broad, ridged cobalt – blue face.

“Ensign Hyland!” he beamed, dissipating the residual energy from their bodies into an unexpected and encompassing hug. “I thought that you had already LEFT us!” The Bolian boomed jovially. “My Ja’Lha, she will be OVERJOYED that you are still with us!”

Momentarily taken aback, Sam’s sweat-sheen brow wrinkled in recognition, and she laughed (her nose also crinkling prettily). “Mr. Aralis!” the young blonde woman laughed – Braq’ta Aralias was as familiar to her as the steaming bowls of Bolian Tomato Soup that she habitually had been ordering from his eatery for the last 5 years of her duty aboard Starbase 72.

“No, still here right now as you can see?” Sam extricated herself from Braq’ta’s embrace smiling awkwardly (not wishing to get his clothes sweaty) “And it’s Lieutenant now Mr. Aralias – has been for a while now remember?”

Braq’ta Aralias mimed slapping his own forehead in mock admonishment and continued “So it has Samantha! So-it-HAS! Splendid! SPLENDID”, he laughed good-naturedly.

Ever – oblivious to the fact that other people might actually have things to do in their day, the shopkeeper made to take Samantha’s elbow and enthused, “You have been my best customer you know? Most humans lack the gastronomical good – sense to enjoy the food of my people! But not you Lieutenant, eh? HAH! And now you are leaving us.” Braq’ta said with finality & looked genuinely sad – Sam decided that she would miss him.

“Well duty calls Mr. Aralias.” Sam shrugged and gently regained her elbow as the Bolian pontificated and nodded to the viewport and the voided vista of the internal spacedock beyond.

“Well yes, yes of COURSE!” He beamed “and which of those noble vessels will be taking our best customer so far away from us?”

Samanthan Hyland made a show of looking out across the chasm of internal space to the sleek shapes at repose or moving slowly at low impulse. She spied the familiar shape of her new posting and reached out a slim arm to point it out.

“It’s that one there.” She smiled as Mr. Aralias’ gaze followed her digit and he whistled, impressed.

“What a MAGNIFICENT vessel Lieutenant.” Braq’ta nodded, “I’m sure you will be transported to glorious adventures aboard such a beautiful ship.” He clapped her on the shoulder happily and Sam laughed out loud, despite herself and corrected.

“Oh, gods no Mr. Aralias!” Sam chuckled into her hand and pointed again “That’s the USS Hyperion, that’s a Sovereign Class Exploratory Cruiser!”

“This is not your ship?” the Bolian’s warm features faltered, he looked genuinely puzzled.

“A girl can dream!” Sam flashed a megawatt smile and helped Mr. Aralias pick out the scuffed & doughty hull of the USS Sacramento. “No, that’s my ship there, that one towing the big one into her berth.”