Well Deserved R & R

Posted on Fri Aug 26th, 2011 @ 3:47am by Melody Johnson

2,028 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 76 - Home comings
Location: SB400 Promenade
Timeline: Current

When Melody had finished her meal she looked over the map of the starbase the dock master had given her. She noticed that there were several Holosuites listed so when the waitress brought her the check for her meal she asked her who she would have to see to book one. The waitress told her that she needed to see Mr. Driggett at the Skyline Lounge and then gave told her how to get there. Melody paid for her meal, tipped the waitress and headed for the Skyline Lounge where she booked a Holosuite.

Melody stopped in front of the control panel next to the double doors of Holosuite 11 and input the code she had been given by Driggett.

"Welcome to Holosuite 11, Miss Johnson," said the familiar computer voice used universally by computers belonging to the Federation. "Please select a program," it said and a list of programs appeared on the small monitor above the control panel.

Melody looked at the paperwork that Driggett had given her with the number of the program she had created at Driggett's Holosuite Programing station. She found the number on the list and selected it.

"Loading Program M Johnson 5709 Bravo," the voice of the computer said and after a few seconds it said, "Program loaded. You may enter the Holosuite and enjoy your program."

The doors slid open with a whispering hiss and Melody stepped across the threshold. As the doors slid shut behind her and disappeared, Melody looked around and smiled.

The sky above was a crystalline blue and the sun caressed Melody's skin with warming "fingers". She was surrounded by a lush forest of tall pines, oak and a smattering of maple trees. The forest floor was carpeted with lacy ferns and pine needles. The soft sound of birds chirping, squirrels chattering over some treasure and the occasional cry of the Bald Eagle that aimlessly soared overhead echoed around her. Melody breathed in the fresh, clean mountain air and was energized by the scent of pine and mountain lavender. She stood in the middle of a well established path that wound through the forest...disappearing into the trees ahead of her.

This had been her most favorite places to go when things at home had gotten to stressful. It was located in the forested mountains that nestled her home town on Earth. She had discovered it one day while exploring and she had fallen in love with it. She went there so often that every detail of the area was permanently etched in her memory. She had never told anyone about it...keeping it all to herself...and it became a place of secret solitude and peaceful beauty. She would spend hours wandering the deer trails that wound through the forest and when it was time to leave....she would return home feeling new....cleansed of whatever stress she had when she first arrived....peaceful...calm and ready to deal with the reality of her home life.

Melody began to follow the path in front of her. She stopped to watch a squirrel bury a nut then scamper off to find another one then continued along the path. Farther along she stopped again to watch a doe and her fawn graze on some wild berries then she stole past them...making sure not to make a sound and scare mother and baby away. "This is their forest," she thought to herself. "I'm just a visitor here."

After a while the path began to make a gentle descent...becoming a little more rocky and the forest thickened. Even though it had been years since she had been on this path....she could have traveled the rest of the way blindfolded. She could remember every twist and turn...every obstacle..as if it had been yesterday and her heart began to race with anticipation as she neared her final destination.

Melody came to a stop when the path sharply descended a few yards to a small stream that was fed by a waterfall that cascaded over huge slabs of granite rock into a small pool of clear water. She made her way down the embankment to a spot that was close enough to the waterfall to feel the mist formed from the cascading water's spray. Almost to the bottom of the embankment was the flat surface of a huge boulder that had been smoothed and polished by centuries of water flowing over it. It was so perfectly flat that it resembled a patio or granite deck.

Melody removed her clothes...except for her bra and panties...and walked over to the edge of the boulder. A smile crept onto her face and she took a deep breath and dove into the pool. She surfaced and floated on her back...letting the gentle current caused by the waterfall...move her in slow circles around the pool until she became so relaxed that she felt that she could easily doze off while floating on her back. So she swam to a place in the pool where it became the stream and it was easier to get out of the water. She got out and climbed back onto the boulder. She rolled up her pants to form a pillow and lay down on her back. The warm surface of the boulder penetrated the muscles of her back as the sun rays that were filtering down through the canopy of trees warmed the front of her body. Melody closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the waterfall, the birds and squirrels and the whisper of the breeze wafting through the tall pine trees until she could no longer fight it and drifted off to sleep.

Melody stretched lazily and opened her eyes. She sat up and looked around. "Computer....time please," Melody said.

"Twenty thirty and forty two seconds," the computer voice replied. Four hours had passed since Melody had entered the Holosuite.

Melody was surprised that she had been asleep for so long. Reluctantly she got to her feet and got dressed.

"Computer...end program," Melody said and jumped off of the boulder. The forest dissolved revealing the drab walls of the Holosuite and the double doors slid open with a whispering hiss.

Melody made her way back to the Skyline Lounge and paid for the overtime she had spent in the Holosuite and went out onto the Promenade. She strolled, casually along...stopping occasionally to peer into a shop's window. Due to the hour most of the shops were either closed or preparing to close and there wasn't nearly as many shoppers milling around as there had been earlier. At least not in the area where the shops were. The Food and Beverage Court of the Promenade, however, was a different story. A couple of the larger restaurants actually had lines outside of their doors of patrons quietly waiting to get in.

The Food and Beverage Court surrounded an indoor courtyard with an elaborate fountain in the center...obviously created by one of the period's prominent artists. The larger restaurants and the cafe she had had lunch at were on one side of the courtyard and the other smaller cafes were on the other separating the busiest establishment on the Promenade, the Skyline Lounge.

Melody was able to see inside the establishment since there was no wall between the inside of it and the courtyard. The Skyline Lounge was a nightclub with a fairly large bar, a dance floor and stage with live entertainment and a casino. And it was standing room only (and even that was cramped). To the right of the night club were two of the smaller cafes...neither of which were open for business.

"Looking for something a little less lively?" A voice asked from behind her and Melody whirled around...her hand instinctively going for the place where her phaser pistol was usually holstered but there was nothing to grab but air since she had left the Blaze unarmed....and found herself facing an Andorian male in a black and gold Star Fleet uniform. When he saw her reaction he immediately held up his hands and said, "whoa. Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Then you shouldn't sneak up behind people like that," Melody said...relaxing a little. "It could be hazardous to your health."

"You're right," the Andorian said with a nod. "Again I apologize," he said with a shallow bow.

"Sooo....you were saying?" Melody prompted him to return to the subject he had originally approached her with.

"Yes....well....if you are looking for a place less....," the Andorian didn't finish his sentence but, instead, gestured toward the nightclub indicating it's busy and crowded atmosphere. "It's on Promenade Level 2....just above this one," he said pointing to the Mezzanine above them. "It's called O something's Tavern. I don't imbibe so I have never been there but it's my boss's favorite hangout."

Melody looked where the Andorian was pointing, then looked back at him and said, "thank you."

"You can get up to the Mezzanine by those stairs over there," he said pointing to the stairway at the far end of the courtyard.

"Thanks," Melody said again.

"Again....I apologize for startling you," the Andorian said with a smile. "You have an enjoyable evening," he added...turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

Melody followed the Andorian's directions and took the stairs to the second level of the Promenade. She stepped onto the Mezzanine and looked at the spot the Andorian had indicated. The small carved wooden sign hung from a iron hanger by a wooden door read, "O'Dell's Tavern". She walked up to the door, grasped the brass door knob and pushed the door open.

O'Dell's Tavern looked like pictures she had seen of the pubs and taverns in Ireland. It consisted of two rooms. The front room had a bar much smaller than the one in the nightclub and a few wooden booths against the opposite wall. The back room had two antique dart boards and slate boards for keeping score on one wall and an antique billiard table on the opposite side of the room. Four patrons were playing darts and several others stood around watching them and the two who were shooting pool. There were two vacant booths and a couple of empty bar stools at the bar. Melody sat on one of the empty stools and when the bartender walked up to her and asked what he could get her she said, "whatever you have on tap." The bartender returned with a frosty mug of ale.

An hour later, Melody was in the back room...a pool stick in her hand...and aiming at her target ball.

"She hasn't got a shot," the large human male called Hank, and her opponent, gloated to his buddy.

"Care to make it interesting?" Melody asked without looking away from her target ball.

Hank laughed loudly and said, "Ahhh....honey. I don't want to take your money."

Without straightening up...one hand still in position on the cue stick...Melody reached into the pocket of her pants and took out two bars of latinum and softly slapped them on the rail of the pool table then returned her hand to the cue stick and refocused her aim.

"Well....damn, girl. If you insist," Hank said with a laugh. "Consider that matched," he added and put an equal amount on the rail next to Melody's bars. Several of the onlookers joined in for a piece of the action.

"Eight ball in this side pocket off of the far bank and your six ball," Melody said. She ignored the comments and snickers of doubt...took in a breath and held it....steadied her aim and gently slid her stick forward until it met with the cue ball, then she straightened up and watched as the cue ball connected with the side of the eight ball sending it across the table where it careened off of the cushion on the opposite side of the table and rolled back...glancing off of Hank's six ball and slowly dropping into the side pocket Melody had called.

Anyone.

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