Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Samuel Andrew McIntyre (CNS) in The Crew Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume (Chief Science Officer) in The Crew Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Samuel Andrew McIntyre (CNS) in The Crew Lounge
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It’s’s’s’s’s’sosted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume (Chief Science Officer) in The Crew Lounge
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Deck Eight – Crew Lounge
USS Chimera
STARDATE: 79124.4 (CY 2402)

The doors parted with a soft hydraulic sigh and Ensign Samuel A. McIntyre stepped into the Crew Lounge.
It was a large, open space—designed for five hundred souls to breathe, unwind, and remember they were more than their duty assignments. Soft lighting cast a warm glow over polished deck plating and neatly arranged tables. Along the far bulkhead, massive transparent aluminum windows stretched from deck to overhead, revealing a slow drift of starlight as the Chimera cruised at impulse.
Sam paused for a moment, hands clasped behind his back out of habit. Off-duty, technically. Still, postinvestigatedconversation filled the air—engineers comparing diagnostics, a pair of science officers debating stellar cartography, a handful of security personnel laughing too loudly near the bar. The waitstaff moved efficiently between tables, their pace practiced yet unhurried.
He hadn’t made a reservation. Window seats were already taken, occupied by officers who’d thought ahead. That was fine. He wasn’t here for the view.
He made his way toward the replicator alcove built discreetly into one wall of the lounge. The LCARS interface illuminated at his approach.
“Computer,” he said evenly, voice carrying quiet command. “One sixteen-ounce ribeye steak, medium rare. Fried potatoes. Grilled asparagus sautéed in butter. One slice of apple pie. One cup of black coffee.”
There was a brief shimmer of blue-white light as matter resolved from energy with surgical precision. The aroma followed instantly—seared beef, butter, and fresh coffee. Realistic. Convincing. Starfleet replicators had long mastered the art of morale.
He lifted the tray easily, as if it weighed nothing at all, and scanned the room for an open seat. He selected a table positioned slightly off-center—good line of sight to the entrances, back to a bulkhead. Old instincts. You never completely shut them off.
Sam set the tray down with measured care and took his seat.
The steak bled properly when he cut into it. Medium rare. Exactly as ordered. He approved with a subtle nod and took the first bite. Tender. Flavorful. Not quite frontier-cattle-on-an-open-fire good—but then, nothing replicated evhimruly was. Still, it was respectable.
He ate deliberately, not rushed. Fried potatoes are crisp on the outside, soft within. Asparagus is still firm beneath the butter glaze. He alternated bites with measured sips of coffee, dark and bitter, grounding.
Outside the viewport, stars streaked faintly as the ship adjusted heading. Somewhere on the bridge, orders were being investigatedld equations were being recalibrated. Somewhere in Sickbay, a medic was likely arguing with a stubborn patient.
And here—on Deck Eight—crew remembered they were human.
Sam allowed himself to relax back slightly in his chair. Not slouching. Never that. But enough to loosen the shoulders.
Security demanded vigilance. Discipline. Strength.
But it also demanded balance.
Burn out a security officer and you compromise the ship.
He cut another piece of steak and glanced around the lounge again, eyes assessing without to appear looking like he was assessing. A Marine detachment corporal entered with two companions. A junior lieutenant from Operations appeared deep in conversation with a counselor near the window seating.
Life aboard a starship was routine until it wasn’t.
He finished the steak, cleared the plate methodically, and moved on to the apple pie. Steam curled upward from the crust. He took a bite.
Cinnamon. Tart apple. Flaky pastry.
Simple things mattered.
He wrapped his hands around the coffee cup, feeling the heat through the ceramic. His gaze drifted—not unfocused, just distant.
The Chimera was steady.
The crew was fed.
Security was intact.
For now, that was enough.
He took another drink of coffee and prepared himself for whatever the next shift would bring.

Ensign Samuel A. McIntyre Security USS Chimera

The doors of the lounge parted again with a quiet breath of hydraulics.

Nytha’rae stepped through, pausing just inside the threshold as she always did when entering a new spfrom ace. The air here carried a different rhythm than the corridors—warmer, slower. The murmur of voices layered together like wind through distant branches.

At her shoulder, Nytha’kae shifted slightly, the faint jewel-toned glow of his wings dimmed to a resting shimmer. The scents of replicated food stirred his curiosity, though he remained perched with patient stillness.

Nytha’rae’s gaze moved slowly across the room, not searching so much as reading—the movement of bodies, the small eddies of conversation, the rise and fall of laughter. Her bioluminescent markings softened to a quiet glow.

Then she saw him.

The tall human sat with his back to the bulkhead, posture relaxed but still carrying the quiet readiness she had come to recognize. His attention moved through the room even while he ate, the same way a forest sentinel watches the canopy while drinking from a stream.

Nytha’rae crossed the lounge with unhurried steps, bare feet silent against the deck plating.

When she reached the table she paused, offering the small inclination of her head that had become her greeting.

“Ensign McIntyre.”

Her voice was soft enough not to disturb the surrounding tables.

“I did not know this place had food that smelled like a small festival.”

Nytha’kae leaned forward slightly, eyes bright at the scent of the apple pie still on the plate.

Nytha’rae glanced briefly at the chair opposite him.

“May I join you” she asked.

LT. JG Nytha’rae

Sam looked up from his coffee as the voice reached him.
His eyes settled first on the woman standing beside the table, then briefly on the small glowing companion perched at her shoulder. He had noticed her the moment she stepped through the lounge doors—habit more than curiosity. A security officer learned to mark entrancfrom es, exits, and new arrivals without appearing to do so.
He set the coffee cup down carefully on the table.
“Of course,” Sam said, gesturing toward the empty chair across from him. “Please.”
His tone was calm, steady, and welcoming without being overly familiar.
As Nytha’rae took the seat, Sam slid his tray slightly aside to clear space. The remains of his meal sat neatly arranged—the empty steak plate, a few stray potatoes, and the half-finished slice of apple pie.
He noticed the way the small winged creature leaned forward at the scent.
Sam allowed the faintest hint of a smile.
“Your friend seems interested in the pie,” he said, glancing toward Nytha’kae before returning his attention to her. “Can’t say I blame him. Replicator does a decent job with it.”
He cut a small piece of the pie and nudged the plate slightly toward the center of the table, leaving the offer unspoken but clear.
Sam leaned back again, shoulders settling into the chair while still maintaining the quiet awareness that never quite left him.
“The Crew Lounge is one of the better places on the ship to slow down,” he added. “Food helps morale. Starfleet figured that out a long time ago.”
His eyes briefly flicked toward the panoramic windows where stars drifted past the Chimera’s hull like distant sparks.
Then his attention returned to her.
“First time here?” he asked evenly
Ensign Samuel A. McIntyre Security USS Chimera

Nytha’rae settled into the offered chair with the same quiet deliberation she used when entering any new space. Her tail curved carefully around the side of the seat so it would not brush the table. The soft bioluminescent lines along her throat held a calm, resting glow.

At the center of the table, Nytha’kae leaned forward slightly when the plate shifted. His wings gave a small, curious flicker of light before he delicately stepped down from her shoulder onto the edge of the table. He studied the offered piece of pie with careful interest before taking a small bite, his glow brightening briefly in approval.

Nytha’rae watched the exchange with a faint warmth in her expression before lifting her gaze back to Sam.

“Yes,” she said softly. “It is my first time here.”

Her eyes drifted briefly toward the wide windows where the stars moved slowly past the Chimera’s hull.

“This place feels… quieter than the corridors,” she added.

She returned her attention to hi,m, studying his posture the way she often did reading the small tensions in shoulders and hands that spoke of the day’s weight.

“How has your day been, Ensign McIntyre?”

LT.JG Nytha’rae

Sam rested his forearms lightly on the edge of the table as he listened. His attention briefly followed the small creature as it carefully investigfrom ated the pie.
He watched the glow brighten when it took its bite.
A corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Seems the replicator passed inspection,” he said quietly.
His gaze shifted back to Nytha’rae as she spoke about the lounge. He gave a small nod.
“It is quieter,” he agreed. “Ship corridors are meant for movement—people heading somewhere with a task in mind. Places like this are built for the opposite reason.”
He gestured faintly around the lounge.
“People come here to stop moving for a little while.”
Sam picked up his coffee again, taking a measured sip before setting it back down. His posture remained relaxed, but the discipline in the way he carried himself never fully faded.
At her question, he considered the answer for a moment.
“Productive,” he said at last. “Security reports, routine checks, the usual. Nothing urgent enough to ruin a good meal.”
His eyes briefly swept the room again—quietly taking stock of the people nearby—before returning to her.
“That’s usually a good sign aboard a starship.”
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
“And yours?” Sam asked. “Settling into the Chimera well so far?”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade Dr. Samuel A. McIntyre
CNS USS Chimera

Nytha’rae listened as he spoke, the soft glow along her throat steady and calm. At the edge of the table, Nytha’kae finished his small taste of pie and settled beside the plate, wings folding neatly against his back as his light dimmed again to a gentle shimmer.

“It sounds like a good day,” she said quietly.

She rested her hands loosely against the table’s edge, her posture relaxed but attentive.

“I am settling well enough,” Nytha’rae continued. “It took some extra work, but my quarters are finally in order.” Her bioluminescence gave a small, thoughtful pulse. “They feel less like a corridor now and more like a place to breathe.”

Her tail shifted slightly along the floor behind her chair as she went on.

“The science labs are new to me. Their tools… speak a different language than the forests of my home.” She inclined her head a little, as if acknowledging the learning curve. “But I am beginning to understand them.”

A faint warmth touched her expression.

“My department is also learning my rhythms,” she said. “And I am learning theirs. It takes patience, but they seem willing.”

Lt.JG Netha’rae

Sam listened without interrupting, giving her the same steady attention he gave most conversations—focused, patient, and observant.
When she mentioned her quarters finally feeling like a place to breathe, he gave a small approving nod.
“That’s important,” he said. “Starships can start feeling like metal boxes if you don’t make a corner of them your own.”
His fingers lightly turned the coffee cup in place on the table, more habit than nervous motion.
“Most crew learn that sooner or later. The ones who don’t… usually burn out faster.”
He listened as she spoke about the labs and the tools that spoke a different language than the forests she came from. The comment earned a quiet half-smile.
“That’s a good way to put it,” Sam said. “Technology has its own dialect.”
He leaned back slightly in the chair, broad shoulders settling against the bulkhead behind him.
“For some of us it’s the opposite problem. I grew up around cities and machinery. Took time for me to learn how to listen when things weren’t humming or beeping.”
His eyes drifted briefly toward the viewport again, watching the faint drift of stars.
Then he returned his attention to her.
“Sounds like your department’s doing what a good crew should,” he said. “Learning each other.”
He nodded subtly toward Nytha’kae resting beside the plate.
“And it looks like your partner here is adjusting just fine.”
Sam paused a moment before adding in a calm tone,
“You mentioned forests before. Your homeworld must be quite different from a starship.”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade Samuel A. McIntyre
CNS USS Chimera

Nytha’rae grew very still.

The soft glow along her throat flickered once, then steadied again as she studied his face carefully. At the table’s edge, Nytha’kae lifted his head, sensing the small shift in her breathing.

“Sam,” she said quietly.

Her head tilted slightly, confusion clear in her expression.

“You have seen my home.”

She gestured faintly around them, as if recalling something they had shared.

“I showed you the forests on the holodeck. You sat beneath the trees and listened to the ground breathe.” Her brow furrowed gently. “You spoke of learning to set the steel down.”

Nytha’rae leaned forward a little, genuine concern replacing the confusion.

“Are you well?” she asked softly.

Her bioluminescent markings warmed as she searched his face for signs of distress.

“If your mind is troubled or your memory feels unclear, we should go to Sickbay.” She paused, her tone earnest. “It is not weakness to ask for healing.”

Beside her hand, Nytha’kae shifted closer to the center of the table, his jewel-toned glow brightening slightly as if mirroring her concern.

LT.JG Nytha’rae

Sam froze for half a second.
Not visibly to most people—but enough that a careful observer might catch the pause between breaths.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Nytha’rae’s expression. She wasn’t joking. There was no teasing in her tone, no hint of sarcasm. Only concern.
Real concern.
He sat forward a little, resting his forearms on the table again.
“I’m fine,” Sam said calmly.
His voice was steady, but thoughtful now.
“I think we may have crossed wires somewhere.”
He shook his head once, slowly.
“I’ve never been to the holodeck with you.”
Sam’s gaze held hers, not confrontational—just direct.
“I would remember sitting under alien trees listening to the ground breathe.”
He leaned back slightly again, folding one arm across his chest while the other rested near his coffee.
“That said,” he added, tone lighter, “it sounds like an experience I wouldn’t mind having.”
His eyes briefly flicked to Nytha’kae, noticing the creature’s brighter glow, then back to her.
“No memory problems on my end,” Sam continued. “Just a simple case of two people remembering different conversations.”
He gave a small shrug.
“Happens.”
After a short pause, he added in a more curious tone,
“But now you’ve got me interested.”
His head tilted slightly.
“Tell me about those forests.”
Lieutenant Jr. Grade Samuel A. McIntyre
CNS USS Chimera

Nytha’rae grew still as he spoke.

The concern in her expression softened into quiet confusion, the bioluminescent lines along her throat dimming slightly as she studied his face again. At the edge of the table, Nytha’kae tilted his head, his jewel-toned glow settling as her breathing steadied.

After a moment, she inclined her head in a small, respectful bow.

“Then I must have mistaken you for someone else,” she said gently. “My apologies.”

Her tail shifted slightly beside the chair as she straightened.

“My name is Nytha’rae,” she continued. “Lieutenant. Chief Science Officer of the Chimera.”

At the sound of her voice, Nytha’kae gave a soft flicker of light and stepped a little closer to her hand resting on the table.

“And this is Nytha’kae.”

She paused briefly, remembering his question.

“You asked about the forests of my home,” she said softly.

Her gaze drifted toward the lounge windows where the stars moved slowly past.

“They are very old. The trees grow taller than many of the buildings I have seen on Earth. Their bark carries light through them like rivers beneath the skin.” The glow along her cheekbones warmed slightly as she spoke. “At night the canopy shines with bioluminescent leaves, and the air is filled with the sounds of animals and insects speaking to one another.”

She returned her attention to him.

“The ground is soft and alive beneath your feet. If you stand still long enough, you can feel the roots and the water moving below you.”

Lt.JG Nytha’rae

Sam listened quietly as she corrected the misunderstanding.
When she introduced herself properly, he straightened slightly in his chair.
“Ensign Samuel McIntyre,” he replied with a small nod of respect. “Security.”
His eyes briefly moved to the small glowing creature.
“And it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Nytha’kae.”
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly before his attention returned to Nytha’rae as she began describing her home.
He didn’t interrupt.
The sounds of the lounge faded into the background as she spoke about the forests—the living light in the bark, the glowing canopy, the ground that moved with water and roots beneath it.
Sam leaned back slowly, picturing it.
“Sounds like a place a lot of people in the Federation would pay good credits to see,” he said after a moment.
His gaze drifted briefly to the large windows of the lounge, where the stars slid silently past the hull of the Chimera.
“Hard to imagine something that alive when you spend most of your time surrounded by duranium and circuitry.”
He picked up his coffee again, taking a slow drink before setting the cup down.
“But I get what you mean about standing still long enough to feel the place around you.”
His fingers tapped the table once thoughtfully.
“Different environment, same idea. On a starship you learn to feel the rhythm of the ship instead—the engines, the crew, the way the place breathes when everyone’s working together.”
Sam gave a small shrug.
“Not as poetic as glowing forests,” he admitted. “But it’s its own kind of life.”
His eyes returned to her with quiet curiosity.
“What made you leave a world like that for Starfleet?”

Lieutenant Jr. Grade Samuel A. McIntyre
CNS USS Chimera

Nytha’rae listened quietly as he spoke, the soft glow along her throat holding steady while he considered her words. At the edge of the table, Nytha’kae shifted slightly, folding his wings closer as he settled beside her hand.

When his question came, she did not answer immediately.

Her gaze moved briefly to the window where the stars drifted past the hull of the Chimera. The light from them reflected faintly along the bioluminescent lines of her cheekbones.

“I left because I wanted to see how other worlds live,” she said at last.

Her voice remained calm, but thoughtful.

“On my world we learn the forests very well. We know how the rivers move, how the animals travel, how the trees speak through the ground.” She paused slightly. “But the universe is much larger than one forest.”

Her fingers rested lightly on the table near Nytha’kae, who answered with a small flicker of light.

“I wanted to learn how other worlds adapt to their mothers,” she continued. “How life survives in places that are dry, or frozen, or built of stone and metal.”

Her gaze returned to Sam.

“And I wished to help protect those places when people forget how to walk gently on them.”

The glow along her throat warmed faintly.

“So I joined Starfleet.”

LT.JG Nytha’rae

Sam listened without moving, giving her the same quiet attention he had since she sat down.
When she finished, he gave a slow nod.
“That’s a good reason,” he said simply.
His tone carried no sarcasm—just straightforward respect.
He glanced briefly toward the stars beyond the lounge windows again before continuing.
“Most people join Starfleet for exploration… or adventure… or a career.” He rested one forearm on the table again. “Not many sign up because they’re thinking about protecting worlds.”
His eyes returned to hers.
“That kind of thinking is useful out here.”
Sam picked up his coffee, finishing the last of it before setting the empty cup aside.
“You’re right about one thing though,” he added. “People do forget how to walk gently.”
He gestured lightly around the lounge, the ship, the invisible trail of Federation space beyond the hull.
“Civilization gets big. Fast. Cities, colonies, mining operations, shipyards.” He shrugged once. “Easy for people to stop noticing the ground under their feet.”
His gaze briefly moved to Nytha’kae again.
“I imagine your forests taught you to notice things most of us miss.”
He leaned back again, relaxed but attentive.
“Starfleet probably needs more people who think the way you do.”
After a short pause he added with a faint, dry hint of humor,
“And Security definitely does.”
Lieutenant Jr. Grade Samuel A. McIntyre
CNS USS Chimera

Nytha’rae listened quietly as Sam spoke, the soft glow along her throat holding steady while he finished his coffee. At the edge of the table, Nytha’kae shifted his wings slightly, settling again beside the plate as the hum of the lounge carried on around them.

His words drew a faint warmth to her expression.

“The forests teach us to notice everything,” she said softly. “If you do not notice the small changes, the forest will remind you in ways that are… less gentle.”

Her gaze followed his earlier glance to the stars beyond the lounge windows. For a moment she simply watched them drift, the reflections of distant light glinting faintly along her cheekbones.

Then she looked back to him.

“Where are you from, Ensign McIntyre?”

Her tone was curious rather than formal.

“You spoke of cities and machines as if they were the ground you grew up walking on.” Her head tilted slightly as she studied him. “Was it always that way for you?”

LT.JG Nytha’rae