Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Later that same day after running into each other at the pool, Navale was flagged down by the resort’s concierge. “Apologies for interrupting your day, Ma’am, but a message was left for you.”

Navale paused as she passed through the lobby and approached the concierge. “Thank you,” she smiled as she took the message. Navale stepped to a quiet corner of the lobby to read it.

Instead of a digital message, the young man working the desk slid a small envelope made of a heavy white paper. The front had a tidy script that said Navale and the flap was secured with a small silver sticker, indicating it hadn’t been opened.

Inside was a flat card in the same tidy script that said: Experiments taken many forms. Join me for another one? 1900 hours, Tuanala Wharf. ~Sam

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Her face flushed with delight as she smiled. She glanced around the lobby to check the chronometer - 1645. We’ll she had a bit of time didn’t she.

---

Navale stepped onto the planks of Tuanala Wharf. Her hair was down, brushed until the curls laid softly against her shoulders. A seafoam green halter hugged her figure and made her tan skin seem to glow in the lowering sunlight. A sheer wrap skirt fluttered in the breeze. The pale blue and white accent swirling colors looked like waves crashing around her. Navale had tied and tucked the ends up to create a split along her left hip.

Her sandaled feet sounded softly on the wood as she walked further along scanning the crowd for Sam.

Lt. Cmdr. Kane, AMO

There were a variety of boats on one side of the wharf, while the other was more open to the local bay and the resort. Sunbathers and others dotted that side of the beach and the water. The sun wasn’t setting anytime soon, but it was lower in the sky already. Towards the end of the wharf was a structure with large wndows all around.

Halfway up the wharf, Sam stood, hands in the pockets of his lack linen pants. He wore a cream linen shirt with a subtle leaf and blue flower print, the top button open. As soon as he saw Navale, he smiled.

Navale spotted Sam and a smile lit up her face. Her steps quickened as she took him in. He looked amazing, dressed for the evening with the beach behind him.

As she approached, the smile deepened. “Well, good evening. You look lovely. I’m so glad you decided to accept my invitation.”

“Thank you, Sam. I’m so glad you sent it.” She leaned against the railing staring him in the eyes, “You look dashing.”

“Now, first question… how do you feel about boats?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Boats? Never spent a lot of time on them. I did take out a paddle boat in San Fran back at the Academy. I’m game.”

Lt. Cmdr. Kane, AMO

He grinned. “Well, that does make things earlier. I had a backup plan, but Plan A it is.” He moved closer and pivoted till he was next to her, then offered her his arm. “So I have a fun surprise for dinner, and it involves a boat. You ready for another adventure?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale slipped her hand onto his arm. Her eyes danced as she glanced up at him, “Oh, I’ve more than ready. I’ve been anticipating.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Have you now? Well, I do hope you’re not disappointed,” he said, dropping his voice a touch. Even though it was all playful, Sam really did want this to go well. He enjoyed her company and if that evening in Florence’s was symbolic of what was to come, he too was looking forward to this dinner.

Navale’s eyes twinkled, “Oh I am absolutely sure I will not be. I have an excellent dinner partner,” and she winked at him.

He led her along the wharf, past people milling about and the building (which turned out to be a busy seafood restaurant) until they reached the main entrance to the marina. He stepped down the main ramp to the boat slips, which spread out in long lines. Up three, he turned right, towards the end. The second to last vessel in this row was a small motorized yacht with a transparent bottom on the open part of the deck. It was sleek in design and had both interior and exterior space, but was not so big that it would be overwhelming for just a few people. The vessel was secured to the slip and was an easy step down onto the boat deck.

Navale walked along beside him taking in the scene. She loved the colors and movement around them. Where she had grown up was like a black and white 2D vid compared to the rest of the universe. It was depressing and sullen and sad. This was exciting and vibrant and she loved to see it.

Sam stepped down onto the boat and offered her his hand. “It’s more stable than it looks, but still be careful.”

Navale took his hand and grinned. “I’ll just pretend it’s a support beam between two active plasma injectors.” She stepped carefully, the deck was slightly damp from the water, and sandals weren’t exactly made for traction. She gripped Sam’s hand just a tiny bit tighter as she found her footing. She looked around, seeing the glass bottom and stared down into it watching the underwater world beneath them with delight.

Even around the boat slips, the occasional fish could be seen. The water was rather clear around here, tinged more green than blue, but with the clarity common to warmer waters.

A tall, broadly built man appeared from the cabin with a smile and bowed his head. He was Human in appearance, though that wasn’t a guarantee he was. He had cropped tight black curls and tan skin and his eyes were as blue and clear as the water, and was dressed in a similar style to Sam, though his linen shirt was a vibrant teal. “Welcome aboard the Suranna. I’m Ridley Balwin,” he said to Navale.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale looked up from the glass bottom, but only turned her head so she was still facing Sam. “Thank you Mr. Balwin. You’re boat is delightful.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He smiled widely. “I’m glad you agree, since I think so too.” Ridley turned to Sam. “Any changes to the plan?”

Sam shook his head. “Nope. Straight on out.”

Ridley gave a quick salute that looked all -too-much like a well practiced Starfleet salute and headed to the cockpit. This particular boat wasn’t quite big enough to have a more formal bridge area, but it still was a separate and covered space forward on the vessel.

Sam smiled at Navale and, with his hand still holding hers, lead her across the transparent deck towards a sitting area, gesturing for her to sit. “We’re going to cruise out to our dinner location, but we can see quite a bit from the back here, and of course you might see something underneath, but there will be more to see at our destination. It’ll get windy, so if you start feeling cold at all, let me know and we can slip into the cabins. There’s a recreation space with windows, so we can still see the sun start to set.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s