STF

ASTRO 110 Stellar Cartography ---Ten Years Ago ---

Posted Sept. 12, 2019, 12:25 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Jacen Drayke (Chief Engineer/2O) (Steven Sigle)

Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in ASTRO 110 Stellar Cartography —Ten Years Ago —

Lexi pulled the edge of her turtleneck up over the tip of her nose. Fieldwork was always fun and a nice change to get you out of the humdrum existence of the classroom but some work was far more appealing than others. Lying on a blanket in the Owyhee Canyonlands, Oregon could have been fun if you had a case of beer, some smores and a bonfire to keep one nice and toasty. Instead, Cadet Garfield was lying on hardpan cushioned by a thin itchy wool blanket freezing her keister off trying to find what she assumed was something everyone but her on the planet could find.

“God it all looks the same to me,” Lexi said gazing up at the sky. This class was mind-numbingly dull and pointless to her field. She didn’t give two hoots about dust and ice floating in the cosmos. Sure it was this dust and ice that seeded planets with a myriad of life forms but it was not real life. Just organic soup with a small percentage of actually doing something in the right conditions. “And I don’t see the red,” she banged her binoculars against her palm. Everyone is always like ‘you can see the red and that is how you find Mars but it ain’t red. Not that I can see. Maybe mine are broken,” she whacked the small handheld device against the ground she was laying on trying to see if that would help. “Trade with me,” she said to Chris who was lying next to her. She didn’t need to look at his face. She had known him long enough to tell what his expression was. He wore this mesmerized expression for two things and two things only. One was when he saw the perfect ten body and negative two intelligence girls that always seemed to be preening about like peacocks on the prowl. The other was when he was gazing at the stars.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

“I most certainly will not trade with you… this is mine. There are many like it, but this one is mine. You need to just get better at this, if I can figure out biology and get a B+ out of it when I clearly had no clue what I was doing a third of the way through you can figure out the location of planets and stars in our solar system. It’s not like I am asking you to map the stars from the surface of Vulcan or Orion… it’s OUR planet.” he said with that last part with an emphasis on the last part as he looked over at her as if she had just insulted his family heritage.

“And I am the one that always asks for directions regardless of where it is to make sure we are in the right spot. Last month in Switzerland with the ski club, the bar in the middle of the Outback, the kiosk in front of the fine arts building on campus,” she rattled off a few of the thousand places she had asked for directions in the past month. It was not that she got lost that easily. It was more that Alexandra Garfield hated wasting time milling about when someone could simply point her in the right direction. “Chris, start pointing it out because I swear to god,” she put the binoculars over her eyes, “there is no Mars in this sky!”

“Besides you are looking at the wrong location doll, it’s that way.” he said pointing the other direction from where she had been looking as he couldn’t help but shaking his head. “Did you flip the coordinates again? What happens if you need to take over and help on a bridge one day? We are expected to be jack of all trades in many ways in situations of emergencies.” he said chastising her as he put down his pair and moved over to his bag as he put it between the two. Unzipping it it seemed to be a mix of books, equipment, and what seemed like a butt load of candies and snacks.

“I’d just flag someone passing by in warp and ask for directions or go down in a firey hunk of twisted metal,” Lexi said peering into Chris’ bag. “Me however I am going to be Violet Jessop but the rest of you guys....I’d make sure someone is always more senior than me on the bridge at all times. Did you bring anything good? Correction, did you bring anything I like,” she moaned seeing mounds of chocolate but not what she liked.

Settling back she waited and then found something else to complain about. “What time is it,” she pulled the collar of her coat up tighter around her neck. “Aren’t we almost done here?”

“Where is Professor Harlen? She was here earlier?” Chris asked as he looked around, he saw other students spread out but didn’t see their professor at all. “Or what about… what’s his name… that boy toy of yours… Schmidt, Schmity, Schmitten? The way too Jewish sounding name even for you… you do remember your boyfriends name right? I am gonna need some help here Lexi doll.” he said as he finished digging from the bottom of the bag and found the Recces cups as he handed them over to her.

“Stein,” she propped herself up on one elbow as she unwrapped the candy.

“Stein yes… that’s it, Norah Stein…” he said as he moved over to her as he picked up her binoculars as he helped point the direction of Mars so she could see it and take down the notes. As she finished he slid over a few more pieces of candy, knowing she couldn’t stop at just one.

“Um Noah not Norah. I am dating Noah Stein,” she corrected him. The dig wasn’t intentional or mean. Chris just never worried about getting his facts straight half the time when he felt it didn’t matter.

“How hard is it to remember Noah Stein? I remember your doxy dollies,” she said popping a Recee’s cup in her mouth and there are a lot of them. Heidi, Priscilla, Margo, Dianna, Rochelle, Tianna not to be confused with Tatiana, Stacy, Becky,” she started to punctuate each name with a valley girl accent. “Daniella who rhymes with Stella and my most favorite is Sierra. She was a real piece of work there bucko. Madeline, Allessandra, Cassandra,” she paused and gave him a quizzical look. “Do you scan the registrar list and group them by rhymes because I am seeing a pattern cowboy.”

“I mean, in all fairness I don’t really try very hard. In all my years I have been close to… three women to a point that I really got to know them… unless we count relatives and then there is maybe five.”

“Eww, no relatives. That is a whole branch of genetics that has its own section titled if you are in the first row of the Punnet Square Beware. Let’s not count relatives,” she took another bite of her candy and opened up another piece. “Besides there has to be at least one girl that has broken ol’ Pooh bears heart.” Lexi couldn’t help but snicker using that nickname. It had zero to do with romance and everything to do with the fat teddy bear from the Hundred Acre Woods. Why his parents settled on the name was still a mystery to her.

I don’t have time for a lot of the stuff, either they want the jock, or the pretty boy which I like that… play some football or rugby have a good time… mountain climbing all the stuff they like. Then I get bored of just that, I always had far more varied interests.” he said as he stopped to take a bite of a baby ruth as he began to get caramel a nougat stuck at the roof of his mouth.

“Yeah like a blonde with highlights, blondes without highlights, redheads, brunettes, brunettes with red highlights,” she poked fun at the type of women that always seemed to fit a mold. It was like they were Stepford Wives all with the goal to land one Cadet Christopher Robin.

“Sad truth is of the three, you are one of them and we never even dated… and the other is Paul’s wife cause he found an amazing girl when he married her. He got lucky, middle school sweetie. How the hell do you know someone is the one at twelve?” Chris said as he threw the wrapper in the bag wondering if maybe she had a bit of a point, he didn’t mindless the endless supply to an extent but it did somehow feel far more exhausting than rewarding at times.

“There is the couple Shaun and Kate. I have heard they have known each other since they were like five and live next door to each other. They are from West Virginia or something so I guess for them it is not weird but sometimes you just know when you know,” Lexi shrugged it off and pulled another Recees Cup from the wrapper.

“Half the time as long as their assets are big enough to offset their clear lack of any moral fiber I get past it for a bit. I mean you mention Sierra, that chick was beyond irritating. Always had a story when you did, never seemed to shut up always tried to mimic those around her.”

“She just liked you and who couldn’t. I mean you are rather amusing at times,” Lexi tried to find something nice to say but couldn’t help at shake her head the polar opposites of her and Chris’ type. Noah was tall, skinny as heck, and at times could lull you into a coma with the tone of his voice. Still, he was a science major so the hunk factor was not expected as it was with those in the security school.

“She was insufferable blow hard, but she had 34 Es so I put up for it for… at least two weeks wasn’t it?” Chris said as he nodded as if in agreement with himself.

“Two weeks, six hours, and ten minutes. I remember that day in the mess hall vividly,” Lexi shook her head. Chris was an amazing guy but when the current woman left him it was rarely through tears begging to stay and more like direction on where he could go.

“Then after three weeks I get bored of their idiotic, I mean Sierra started correcting me on the proper day to celebrate holidays and I just lost it. I don’t care if first contact is in the spring if I wanna wish a Vulcan a nice day and thank them for their work who bloody cares if I did it in the Fall?” he said as he reached into the bag as he grabbed another piece, pausing to look at it before just shoving it back into the bag.

“Chris I am not sure Rumarie is exactly the type of day you wish someone the best on,” she let out a belly laugh. “God how you and Ian manage at times is a wonder. I mean sure that guy was a bit stiff but wishing he had a happy ancient pagan festival day where barely clothed Vulcan men and women, covered in slippery Rillan grease, chased one another s not something most Vulcans want to remember or admit to. I mean it is like that kegger we went to last weekend. I am pretty sure we were celebrating Rumarie three bottles of Romulan Ale in,” she broke into a fit of laughter. “I will swear on my future career that you and Ian did streak across the parade field later that night.”

“Least you make hanging out easy, you know I can be cocky but you don’t hold it against me, challenge me yet don’t patronize me. You can be loose and easy but you know how to buckle down and do things the proper way, it’s why we make the best Dynamic Duo”

“Wonder Twin powers activate,” Lexi stuck out her hand in a fist. The action was silly and no one would ever understand it but them. It came from a holoshow about two friends that shape-shifted and saved the world when it needed it. Lex decided after a night of way too much study and way too little sleep it would be a thing between them. She was still trying to sell Chris on it so every time she got the chance, she gave him the opportunity to partake in it.

Chris paused as he looked at her, he liked Lexi sure but she came up with some lame ass things for them to do. Still it made her happy, and he liked to make her happy as he formed a fist and wimply pressed it up against hers as he rolled his eyes and looked the other direction to see if someone was watching them.

… and it’s why you are gonna be my partner for this event, Norad can just team up with… oh look Sierra he can have her, she can stare into his soul with those listless soulless eyes… that’s if the professor ever shows.” he added, and is if on cue he could hear the sound of a throat being cleared as foot steps behind them began to walk near the front of the hill as Professor Harlen appeared.

Cadet Christopher Robin

“I will do all you biology homework next term if you can even tell me what color her eyes were,” Lexi winked at him. Chris was complex but also exceedingly simple. He enjoyed the verbal repartee but also wanted someone who saw him for more than a piece of eye candy.

“She has eyes?” Chris asked, smirking slightly as he saw Noah coming towards them. “See Norm is coming… he can rescue you from all the stars, though I get an impression he maybe just as lost as you when it comes to finding them. Why you dragged him along this class is beyond me, he is an xenoarchelogist… this is literally never going to help him.” Chris said as he leaped up from the ground offering his hand to steady Lexi as he began putting all his gear into his bag.

“You never know. He might get stranded on an archaeological dig somewhere and need to find his North Star to bring him to me. The North star led the three Wiseman to Jesus. Vikings used it to sail the along with countless other mariners and Lewis and Clark calculated where they were and how to get back home. It’s kinda romantic when you think about it. So many people used it to find their way back to the people they love. Space is vast so anything that is there to anchor you to what you know is a good thing right,” Lexi said in a soft voice. Right after the words left her mouth she blushed a bit and looked at the ground. She and Chris talked about their significant others but it was rare when Lexi shared thoughts like this. Thankfully the professor spoke before she or Chris did next.

“Wait… I told you that… I took you up that first week we meet to the planetarium… I was trying to ask that waitress from the sandwich shop out and thought that would be a good pick up line… you are reusing my sap for real feelings? That’s kind of gross…” Chris said as he shook his head in mock disgust. Truth be told at first he may have been telling that story for her, and he might have even meant it if he could focus on one thing long enough to realize how he felt. The truth was Chris didn’t really try and thing too hard on the sappy and romantic, but Lexi had caused some moments of pause in his two years of friendship. Granted he would never tell her such things, he would ruin what they have and in every way he felt what they had he needed more than to find out what was under the sweater she was wearing.

“All of you should have found the planets in question,” Harlan said stepping around all the students lounging about stargazing on the ground. “Now is your turn to see who gets the A tonight. Everyone will randomly be assigned to a partner based on their academic standings. If you are passing stand on this line. If you are not you are on the other line. Now just like a country line dance, doe see doe right up to the person with the A you want as your partner.

“This feels a lot like arranged marriages…” Chris said under his breath as he and Noah faced off to each other.

Well at least this doesn’t make it so awkward, she thought as Lexi looked at Noah. “Guess we need to do more studying nights,” she smiled at Noah. There was only one person she was going to team up with tonight. It was an unspoken rule between them. She passed Chris in Biology and he got her to the passing mark in anything stellar related.

“I don’t know. I mean we don’t have to get an A in every class do we,” Noah looked at her.

“You didn’t really just say that… to her? How long have you dated her now? My word man you can’t joke about that, what kind of Jew are you… not going for grades… we have stereotypes for a reason!” he said as he looked over at Lexi seeing the terse look on his face he quickly walked away for a second so they could talk. His Jew jokes had always been in jest and she often liked them, but others sometimes found Chris to have gone a tad too far.

“No, but why would we not want to stay at the top of our class. I mean the top one percent gets to pick their placements after graduation and if we have a snowball’s chance in hell of being stationed together we need to be in that one percent right. Besides Chris has the best snacks. You know the way to win me is snacks and coffee and sadly you are a bit thin on both baby,” she teased Noah. “That is why I am going with him,” she pointed at Chris.

“Where do I sign up if my partner eats all my snacks for compensation and recompense?” Chris said as Lexi began to make her way over to him. He wasn’t smirking so much but he did have a very soft small smile as she made her way to him.

Coming back to the pair he looked as Noah slinked away, finding Sierra as he looked back over to Lexi.

“You going to trust Nick”

“Noah,” Lexi let out a half laugh correcting him in the middle of his sentence.

“to not get swept away…” he said looking over at the line up as Noah’s pickings began to be slim. “In this pretty.... grey eyes?” he said with a small shrug as he get his eyes to move above chest level from Sierra.

Cadet Christopher Robin

“I am pretty sure he can handle her. She is your type, not his. He likes sweet sincere types. Not the type that is only going to get to know you to get an A,” Lexi dug through Chris’ bag until her words processed in her own mind. “Except for me. I’m not like that,” she playfully hip-checked Robin.

“I’m not sure she’s my type… I don’t know… maybe I have the wrong type.” he said as he let a small smile come across his face. Chris may have self doubts at times but the curves on the Vulcan woman that was teaming up with the young Bolian across them did give him pause. “You know I really need to research ponfar more…”

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Across the world at Kathmandu
==========================

“Oh my god I thought Oregon was cold,” Lexi bounced around a bit staring at the twilight sky in Durbar Square. The buildings were so ancient. The air reeked of scents not typically experienced by those in the Federation. This small slice of the Earth was protected as a cultural and heritage site which meant life here still resembled the archaic ways from the past. “Are you sure we are going to find the Aurora Borealis here,” she looked around blowing on her hands.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

“Wait… wait what?” Chris stopped dead in his feet looking back at her. “Aurora Borealis… do you know where we are?” Chris said as he looked at her, this was a common trait for Lexi, if the it wasn’t a field she was passionate about she often let the details slide. She was an enigma in some ways, some might find her to be a grade hound going for top of her class but so many times he found himself dumbfounded how she let so many smaller things slide all the same.

“We are hunting for the Corona Borealis love… Corona… like the beers we are going to have if we finish this up in time? Now put some ass into it and keep going I am not going to miss the barbecue.”

Cadet Christopher Robin


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