It was evening on the Universe---evening being a relative term, of course.627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIadDZRfHF
Cessan Selar was in her off-duty clothes, and she looked at herself in the mirror. For the first time in a long time, she liked what she saw in there.
She was nervous, so nervous that she could feel trembling throughout her body. For a moment she considered turning away from her intended course, but she had made a decision, dammit, and she was going to see it through.
She smoothed out her clothes for the umpteenth time and headed toward Wren's quarters. On the way she rehearsed for herself everything she was going to say. The ground rules she was going to set. The hopes that she had for this potential relationship. She would never have considered Wren her type, but there was something different about hir that was so---so offbeat. So different. Maybe that was what Selar needed. Someone to whom questions such as sex and relationships and interaction were nothing but matters to be joyously explored rather than tentatively entered into.
That, Selar realized, was what she needed. Whatever this residual urge was within her, driving her forward, it was something that needed a radical spirit to respond to. Someone offbeat, someone aggressive, someone....
......someone....
.....someone was with Wren.
Selar slowed to a halt as she neared Wren's quarters, her ears detecting the laughter from around the corner.
And then they moved around the corner into view: Wren 283, leaning on the shoulder of Ronald Greer. They seemed hysterically amused by something; Selar had no idea what. Just before they stumbled into Wren's quarters, Wren planted a fierce kiss on Greer's mouth, to which he readily responded. Then he popped what appeared to be some kind of chips into hish mouth, which Wren crunched joyously. They side-stepped into Wren's quarters, and the door hissed shut behind them.
Selar stood there for a long moment. This was going to be a problem. She had counted on Wren to resolve her---difficulty with her mating drive. Maybe a return to Vulcan was in order. Or maybe there was another solution, closer to hand.
Selar returned to her quarters, changed into her nightclothes, and stood before the memorial lamp which burned so that she would remember Voltak.
She reached over, extinguished the light for the first time in two years---never to light it again---and fell into a fitful sleep.
In his ready room, Rush had just finished mounting the sword back onto the wall. He heard a chime at the door and said, "Enter."
Johansen entered, and stood just inside the doorway. "I was wondering----I was about to head down to the Team Room and have a drink. Thought you might want to come alone."
"That sounds great." He regarded the sword for a moment and said, "You know what was interesting?"
"No, Nick. What was interesting?"
"When I tried to save Bioldyon----I did so without even thinking about it. It was---instinctive."
"That's good."
"Is it?" he asked. "I've always felt my instincts were based in pure savagery."
"Your survival instincts were, sure. Because they're what you needed in order to get through your life. To do what needed to be done. But even basic instincts can change, and that's not automatically a terrible thing. Being a starship commander isn't just about survival. There's much, more to it than that."
"And I suppose you're ready to tell me what that is."
"Of course. Chapter and verse."
"Well, Jonny---maybe---just maybe now---I'm ready to listen."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9m2gCRdNd
"And I'm ready to tell you, if you'd just stop calling me by that stupid nickname."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvWQzc58sq
He laughed softly and came around the desk. As they headed for the door, she said, "One quick question: You told me that you had a 'vision' of me, long ago."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69ty7xWgaE
"That's right, yes."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOko3xAqnL
"Just out of morbid curiosity----was I wearing any clothes in that vision?"627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXJBNW57ek
"Nope. You were stark naked."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMLRa5GPeE
"Yeah, well," she sighed, as he draped an arm around her shoulder, "it's comforting to know that some instincts never change, I guess."627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QOWZHwmAz
And they headed for the Team Room for a drink.627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvKoqNgFVG
THE END627Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47aefs7sPZ
