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From: jvstin@aol.com (Jvstin)
Subject: Repost(revised)Jvstin story: Flashes of Light Part I of II

Flashes of Light

A Story by Jvstin

Direct all comments to jvstin@admin.con2.com

Freely distributable as long as credit is given

Personal Log:
 Lt. Paul O'Brien
 Biologist, USS Darwin

     Today is my last day on board this fine science vessel that has been
a home for the last year. I shall miss it.
      However, all things change, and so I must move on.  I even have
managed a plum change of assignment.  The famous USS Enterprise.       The
very same Enterprise that recently defeated the latest attack by the Borg.
 Unfortunately, one of their casualties was one of their science officers.
 He was turned into a Borg, and was killed during an attempted takeover of
the ship.
      My concern is that after the smallish intimacy of the Darwin, I will
feel lost on literally the largest ship in the fleet. Time will tell.

 Lt. O'Brien touched the screen to save the log, and turned back to his
bed for some badly needed sleep.  The following "day", goodbye time had
finally arrived.  Since the Darwin had arrived on Starbase One, the crew
easily could hold a party for their departing Biologist.  It was a
bittersweet affair, ended all too soon by the arrival of O'Brien's
replacement, the half vulcan Dr. Jan Hook, and the departure of the Darwin
for a mainly astrophysical mission to the Crab Nebula.  The Lieutenant
watched from a viewport on board the Starbase as the Darwin screamed into
warp, and was gone.

 The Enterprise was due to arrive in Earth orbit in forty seven hours, so
Paul had the chance to take leave on Earth, the world he was born on. 
This gave him the chance to visit his family as well as a visit to the
Starbase Science Institute in New Atlanta, and the Pacific Ocean Whale
Cloning Project.
 As usual, the Picard commanded Enterprise was almost perfectly punctual,
arriving exactly two days after Paul had arrived on Earth.  Instead of the
usual transporting onto the ship, Lt. O'Brien elected to take a runabout
from Earth up to the ship.  This allowed him greater ease in carrying his
personal belongings, as well as giving him a spectacular view of the
Enterprise in the bargain.
 The runabout soon came to rest in Shuttle Bay Four.  The new, larger,
Enterprise, naturally, could contain this larger variety of shuttle
usually limited to Deep Space stations and Starbases.
  As he is operations officer, it was natural for Lt. Commander Data to
greet Paul as he disembarked the runabout into the hangar.
 "Lt. O'Brien?  Welcome to the Enterprise.  I am Lt. Commander Data." 
That little matter of the emotion chip even allowed Data to smile along
with the greeting.
 "Sir.  Thank you  I am happy to be here."  Paul's reply came, sounding a
bit staid and formal.  Data even called attention to it.
 "Such formality off duty is quite unnecessary, Lieutenant.  I assure
you."  A security guard in the standard gold appeared.
 "I assume you would like to go to your new quarters?  Your first duty
shift, the Science division informs me, does not begin for seventy two
hours, so that you can gain a basic familiarity with the ship.  Good Day."
 With a nod, Data left the Shuttle Bay, tendering Paul to his escort.
 Lt. O'Brien resisted the temptation to dawdle or gawk as he was led to a
turbolift, and up into the saucer section.  And, finally, of course, to
the quarters that were now his.  As he was a Lieutenant, he did rate
private quarters of his own, rather than the bunk like arrangements he
endured during his time as an Ensign.
  Paul made a quick couple of trips back to the shuttle bay and back,
gathering the remainder of his belongings.  Although it could have waited,
he felt getting everything in his room and getting partially settled was
his first order of business.  Once his print of Convex and Concave was
hanging and many other personal touches were in place, Paul sighed and
looked about the pair of rooms.  Though he had no change in rank, going
from the small Darwin to the huge Enterprise had managed to net him some
more space.  Lebensraum for placing more things, in the future.
 An hour later, after a short nap to recharge the wonder circuits as well
as his body, Lt. O'Brien felt ready to tackle the Enterprise in all it's
glory.
 The ubiquitous computer panels on the corridor walls provided him endless
information on how to get from one place to another, as he headed toward
his first destination, the Biology labs.  Paul had decided to familiarize
himself with where they were, his colleagues, and so forth, before he  got
to business.  Even so, the size and technological sophistication of the
labs startled him.
 "This is almost as large as all the science labs on Darwin put together!"
He exclaimed to Commander Hudson, the head of the Biological Sciences
Division.  Hudson just smiled at Paul's amazement.
 "Yes, of course, the Enterprise is not primarily a science ship.  We
often have to take samples from planets with us. Thus we need greater
facilities here onboard, whereas you are more used to long stays on
planets, correct?"
 Paul nodded.
 "Well, then, let me show you your station and introduce you to the head
of the microbiology section, Lt. Commander Terik.  He will be your
immediate superior.  Also, especially since you deal with this sort of
stuff, you'll get to know the medical officers, since there is sometimes
cross fertilization between the two."  Both men laughed at his joke.
 An hour later, after meeting many of the bio officers, including the
quiet Vulcan Commander,  and with a PADD detailing the projects the labs
were walking on firmly under his arm, Paul felt ready to explore the more
recreational areas of the huge ship.
 Ten forward can be an intimidating place for the first time, Lt. O'Brien
thought, so he stopped off in his quarters to pick up some reading
material.  He dropped the Padd with the projects, and after a little
vacillation, picked up one with lighter reading material.  Well,
comparatively lighter, anyway: Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
 Without needing to use the LCARS systems again, he made his way to Ten
Forward.  After all, the name of the bar told you where it was--deck ten,
in the forward part of the saucer.  Paul stepped into the room, his eyes
looking around at all the crewmen and ship passengers, their drinks
ranging from the mundane to the exotic, and of course, the spectacular
view of space.
 He decided to have a drink of some kind, and, so, requested a root beer
from the Deltan tending bar.  He took the soda with him to a window table,
and quietly began reading between sips.  His little world was broken by
the voice of the Ship Consuelor, Lt. Commander Deanna Troi.
 "May I join you, lieutenant?" She asked.  Lt. O'Brien looked up, and
quickly nodded.  "Of course, Commander" he said, realizing who she was.
 "Ah . . . Data told me you sometimes tended to the formal.  And here you
are, in a place where people go to meet others, and you are reading. 
Sounds like you want people to see you, but you are unwilling to cast
yourself fully out into the social milieu."
 "Is that pop psychology or your own personal opinion?" Paul said, with a
trace of a smile.
 " A little of both, perhaps.  What are you reading, anyway?"  
 "A play . . . the Crucible, by Arthur Miller.  Mid 20th century."  Troi
nodded thoughtfully.
 "So, how are you enjoying the Enterprise so far, Lieutenant?"
 "Fine . . . I have met most of the science officers I will be working
with, and I hope I will fit in with them.  My first duty shift does not
start for a couple of days however."
 "Of course not." Troi replied.  "Standard procedure."  She smiled. 
"Good.  You like plays, I see.  Do you like Shakespeare?"
 Lt. O Brien beamed.  "Yes, of course."
 "Good.  Dr. Crusher's acting troupe is putting on a performance of Much
Ado About Nothing, tomorrow at 20:00 hours.  Deck 9 Section 2 is where the
theater space is.  Why not come by?  It would give you a chance to meet
your fellow crewmen in a relaxed setting without having this as a prop to
keep you from doing it."  She touched the PADD and smiled.
 Paul thought for a moment.  Duty wasn't a problem, so why not?  It would
be fun, maybe.
 "All right, Consuelor. Thank You."  He smiled as Troi stood and took his
leave of him.  After a few moments, Paul put away the PADD and finished
his root beer, and headed back toward his quarters.
Upon reaching his quarters, Lt. O Brien decided to continue his project of
becoming used to being on the ship and his new post.  He decided to use
the extensive LCARS computer system to do this, in between occasionally
unpacking and setting up another knick knack like his chessboard.
  By judicious use of the computer, he called up pictures and quick
biographies of the major officers of the ship.  No really personal
information was available, as that would be an invasion of privacy, but he
could get a better feel for whom he would be working for and with. He then
looked at basic deck plans, noting where major areas of the ship were
situated. After that, he then began to program the ship's computer to
recognize some of his favorite dishes.  Fortunately, he had the foresight
to download the molecular formulas or recipes, from the Darwin, before
leaving.  Lt. O'Brien did not have them committed to perfect memory.
 Still, soon the Enterprise E gained the ability to create new foods,
ranging from  beefy nachos to clam chowder.  He also tried to add a cola
drink made with vanilla syrup into the computer, only to be informed by
the computer that Vanilla Coke already existed.  Intrigued, he ordered a
glass, and one sip proved to him it was the same drink he had enjoyed for
years.  
 'Wonder who added that into the computer?' Paul thought.  It was not a
common drink in the twenty fourth century, and thus not a standard
beverage in the replicating files.  Paul had discovered a taste for it
while doing a little research on 20th century American culture, where he
found the secret recipe for a soft drink called Coke, as well as mention
of variations such as vanilla, and cherry. Apparently, someone else,
sometime, had researched it as well.
 By this time, however, Lt. O Brien was sleepy from his moving onto the
Enterprise, and so he went to bed, anxious what the new day would reveal
to him about his new job, and yes, home.  He slept soundly and long,
secure in the knowledge he had no real engagements until the play that
evening. So, he took advantage of the rare opportunity to "sleep in".  
 After waking and dressing, he made a log entry detailing his welcome on
board ship.  Saving it, he then decided to visit other areas of the
immense ship for most of the day.  He took a walk in the arboretum,
marveling at the sheer variety of plant life, both in terms of species
variation and the number of planets they had been collected from.  From
the tall bamboo of Earth's Southeast Asia, to the dwarf flowers of a
planet around Tau Ceti, it was a botanist's dream.  The arboretum was
large, and thus the plants could be arranged in several ways, including an
area seemingly tailored made for romance, replete with flowers devoting
passion and love on a double dozen worlds.
 Making a note to take possible future romantic liaisons here, Paul moved
on to other areas of the ship. Although Warp Physics was not his field, he
still wanted to see the heart of the ship. He took a detour back to his
quarters first, however, to change into his uniform.  Lt. O'Brien did not
want to be mistaken for a lost civilian.
After using the computer mapping system again, he soon stood at the
threshold of the Engineering section.  The huge pulsing blue light of the
warp core stood in the center of the circular room, entrancing Paul with
it's pulsing and humming.
     

 "She's a beauty, isn't she?" A voice emanated from behind him.  Paul
turned to face the smiling Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, Lt. Commander
Geordi LaForge.  
 "Yes, Sir. That she is.  I had to come down here to see it."
 "I know what you mean, lieutenant...?"
  Paul filled the gap quickly. "O'Brien, sir.  Lt. Paul O'Brien.  I am in
Biology."
 "Ahh."  Geordi looked at him for a moment.  "You would not happen to be
related to a Miles O'Brien, would you, lieutenant?  He was once
Transporter Chief on the Enterprise D."
 "Umm...I do not believe so, sir."  Geordi nodded and smiled. "So, would
you like to get a better look at the Warp Core?"
 So, Paul wound up getting a tour of the Engineering department, cut
short, much to the chagrin of Geordi and his rapt charge, by a minor
problem that had come up with a power conduit.  Commander LaForge
reluctantly bid Paul adieu, and Lt. O Brien departed, deciding to head to
the holodecks next.
 Holodecks, Paul had long decided, were one of the best inventions
Starfleet had ever provided its ships.  Before their arrival, crew and
officers had to deal with waiting for the opportunity for shore leave,
which made long voyages interminable.  Oh, there are books and games and
interactions with fellow crew members, both platonic and otherwise, but
the idea of getting "off the ship", even if only in an imaginary way, is
something most humans and other species want to do from time to time. 
And, furthermore, the planet that shore leave takes place on might be a 
inhospitable desert, or other clime most of the ship won't like.
 Thus enter the holodeck, allowing for imaginary visits to a New Orleans
nightclub, to a moonlight lake on Betazed, to skiing on Mount Pelicon on
Rigel.  If you can describe it, you can go there.  It is common, too, in
the 24th century, for Starfleet officers to take their favorite programs
with them from assignment to assignment, setting them up in the new ship
or station's holodeck or holosuite.  In an age where the average computer
storage space could never be filled, it was very common to do this.
 Lt. O'Brien had his own set of favorite programs.  Some of them were work
oriented, including a particularly good one he developed to model organic
molecules in a larger format.  It was an improvement on the standard
screens in the bio and medical labs, although he used it only for
particularly tricky problems. Still, being able to see a 6' tall hologram
of a protein made it easy to understand its function than a tiny PADD or
console.  He was not surprised to find no program similar to it already 
on the Enterprise, and he reminded himself to tell his colleagues about it
 when he was established.
 He then moved on to more relaxing programs of his.  A waterfall on
Generis 2, perfect for quiet contemplation.  A spectacular beach on Maui,
on his home planet of earth.  The sands were volcanic, and black.  The
tranquility of the ocean, and always perfect weather, the setting was a
spot Paul had used for romantic liaisons more than once.
 Lt. O'Brien also had a holo novel, which he added to the ship's computer.
 The setting was the fantasy writer Roger Zelazny's Amber series, which he
had discovered on his quest to learn about 20th century Earth.  
 In that vein, Paul also had a computer program of the most famous
amusement park of that period, a park in Southern California created by
the animation pioneer Walt Disney.  He began to send the file into the
holodeck, when the computer warned him in a female voice.
 "Program is already resident in computer core memory."
 Paul was curious.  Perhaps the name was the same, by the purest chance. 
He decided to access it under it's full name.  If it was different from 
his holoprogram, it would not work.
  " Computer access file Disneyland Earth mid 20th century"
 Much to Lt. O'Brien's surprise, the doors to Holodeck One opened, and he
found himself at the very familiar, at least to him, entrance to
Disneyland, just beyond the ticket booth.  He looked around briefly, as
the monorail passed above him, and crowds of people streamed past him
toward Main Street. Indeed, this was, Disneyland!  Paul exited the
program.  Time enough to play with that program later, and see how this
version compared to his own.
 Having finished his time with the holodeck, Lt. O'Brien returned to his
quarters to have a meal before the play was scheduled to start. No need to
have a growling stomach during the performance!
  He took a quick glance at a copy of the Shakespeare play over a late
lunch, refamiliarizing himself with Benedick, Don Pedro, Hero and the rest
of the characters.  He toyed with the idea of appearing at the play in
costume, and decided against it because he left the only suitable one he
had on Earth.  At a brisk pace, Paul soon found himself walking toward the
theater on Deck 9, and the evening's entertainment.
  The theater wasn't large, but then again, you could hardly expect
Lincoln Center to fit on a Starship of any size, even the largest in the
fleet.  Still, it had seats for several dozen people, and most of those
were filled before Paul had gotten there.  When he came in, though, he was
broadsided by the ship's consuelor and the man she was talking with, the
ship's first officer, who had momentarily come from backstage.  He was
dressed in full Shakespearean costume.  He had the plum role of Benedick.
 "Good to meet you, lieutenant" the friendly Will Riker greeted Paul with
a handshake.  "Deanna has told me all about you."
 "Pleased to meet you sir" he responded automatically which got a laugh
from the three of them.  Paul decided to sit with the Consuelor for the
performance, as Will soon returned to the backstage for his part in the
play.  They continued to make small talk for a few moments.  Consuelor
Troi, like Geordi before her, inquired if the biologist was any relation
to Miles O'Brien.  He was just explaining that he was not, when the
Captain entered the theater.  One could hardly expect the
Shakespeare-loving Captain of the Enterprise to miss a performance on his
own ship.  Paul's stomach felt like a lead weight.
 "Ahh, you must be our new Biologist.  I am Captain Jean Luc Picard" he
greeted Paul.  "Hello Captain, sir, I am Paul O'Brien."  He nearly saluted
him. Picard wasn't going to brook any such nonsense.  "At ease,
Lieutenant..And that is an ORDER."  He smiled. Paul was visibly unfrozen
from his stiffness.
 "See . . . that is what Will should have done, " Deanna teased.  Picard
took a seat, much to the chagrin of Paul O'Brien, right next to him, and
soon the curtain rose on the performance.
 Paul read the small playbill as the curtain went up on Leonato telling
Beatrice of Don Pedro's approach.  He noted that Data had the role of the
comedic Dogberry. Commander Riker had the role of Benedick, of course, and
the head of the acting troupe, Dr. Crusher, was playing his counterpart,
Beatrice.  He settled down and closed it to watch the action.
 Shakespeare was well suited to non holodeck theater.  The original
Shakespeare was done on rather spartan sets, and so it was relatively easy
to do on a starship.  Much Ado About Nothing was no exception to this
rule, either.  So, he watched with delight the acting troupe flex its
talents in a comedic play. 
  He soon found himself admiring the talents of the person playing
Margaret, the maid who gets inexorably wrapped up in the romantic gears of
the play.  While most interpretations Paul had ever seen of Much Ado About
Nothing portrayed Margaret as something of a slut, this Margaret, by
contrast, seemed much less distasteful. Between acts, Paul discovered by a
quick check of the playbill that the actress was one Lt. Lisa Carroll, of
Sickbay.  He silently filed away this tidbit of information and watched
the play to its humorous conclusion and the vigorous applause it merited
from the audience.
 Since he sat between Captain Picard and Consuelor Troi, Paul wound up
going along with them to talk with the cast, rather than leaving with the
bulk of the audience.  Social concerns aside, Paul decided to himself it
was a  good idea, anyway.
 "A fine performance Number One, Doctor." Picard said to Commander Riker
and Dr. Crusher backstage, as Paul stood by, smiling at the various
members of the cast.  
 "Thank you Captain."  Beverly Crusher responded warmly, and then focused
her trained eye on Lt. O' Brien.  "I haven't seen you at any of our
performances before, or even in sickbay."
 "The Lieutenant is not an android, if that is what you are thinking,
Doctor." Data joked as he joined the knot of conversation.
 "I'm Lt. Paul O'Brien.  I am one of the new science officers--biology, to
be precise."
 "Ah, I am the chief medical officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher.  I hope you
have just arrived, and not simply skipped the required physical."  She
smiled.
 "Oh, I just came on board when the Enterprise stopped at Earth. I have no
intentions of skipping any exams.  I will visit your office tomorrow then,
after my duty shift?"
 Then, the young woman who had played Margaret came over.
 "That was a great play, Doctor" Lt. Carroll said.  Seemingly without fear
or intimidation, she said hello to the personages Paul was around.
 She finally came to him.  "Hello.  I don't believe we have met.  I'm
Lisa.  I work in sickbay."
 "I am Lieutenant . . . I'm Paul.  Pleased to meet you, Lisa.  I am a new
Biology officer." he corrected himself.  Will Riker and Deanna Troi were
grinning from ear to ear, seemingly synchronized on the humorous
situation.
 Paul looked over the red haired medical officer.  About 4 inches or so
shorter than his 5'7" and well padded.  Lt. O'Brien recalled a fad in the
20th century for almost anorexic ideals of beauty.  He had always felt
that, although some good things were from that era, that sort of mindset
was deservedly dead.  The conception of beauty in Rubens' paintings was
more his speed anyway, and Lt. Carroll, he thought, at least, could have
easily graced one.  
 "Well, then, we'll be seeing each other time and again." Lisa said with
an inviting smile.  "I am sure we will." He replied with a soft smile. 
She then turned to talk with a nearby Vulcan.  Paul found himself
wondering, as he turned back to Troi and Picard, if Lisa was in a
relationship already.
 "So, I look forward to having you serve on the ship, lieutenant" Picard
said by way of departing his company, and the room.  "Yes, Sir." He said,
getting another laugh.
 "Don't worry Captain, I am sure Lt. O'Brien will be a fine officer
especially when he integrates himself into the crew."  Riker said, with a
particular inflection on the word integrates, one that drew a curious look
from Counselor Troi.
  Perhaps he was referring to his banter, or his lack of it with Lisa,
Paul wondered.  In any event, the people started breaking apart and away,
and the lieutenant was rewarded with one last glimpse of Lt. Carroll
walking off, talking with Dr. Crusher.
 With a lightness in his step, Paul left the theater and headed for the
TurboLift to take him back to his quarters.
 The next day, or to be precise in space, the start of the 08:00 shift
marked Lieutenant O'Brien's new position.  Putting on a fresh uniform, and
after a quick breakfast, he made his way to the Bio labs, and Commander
Hudson, to begin his work.
 That morning seemed to flow by in the Bio Labs.  Lt. O'Brien showed he
was capable of the workload on the Enterprise that, though there were more
science officers, was greater than the workload on Darwin.  Still, it was
challenging rather than suffocating, and he was inordinately pleased that
some of his colleagues had heard of him from papers he had done.  Lt.
O'Brien himself was glad to meet  and have th e chance to work with Dr
Ayil, a Deltan researcher whose work with cell membranes he admired.
 After a brief lunch without even leaving the coziness of the lab area,
Paul worked through the whole day.  It was good to be back looking at
stuff through the powerful computer-aided microscopes and modeling
proteins and cell and pseudo cell structures. And the computer power
available on the Enterprise was simply unfathomable.  
Calculations that Paul would have to wait for because of "low priority"
were done instantly for him here. Throughout the shift, though, he
occasionally mused about the intriguing Lt. Carroll, wondering when he
would encounter her again.  On the almost claustrophobia-inducing Darwin,
it was easy to get to know everyone because it was literally unavoidable. 
On the Enterprise, he feared, the reverse would be true.
  After his shift was done, Lt. O Brien decided to make his way to Sickbay
for his required physical.  The Fact that Lt. Carroll might be working
gave him a slight extra spring in his step.  Entering the large offices
and after a query to a nearby aide, Paul made his way to the personal
office of the chief medical officer.
 "I was only joking when I asked if you had your physical last evening,
lieutenant" Doctor Crusher said, smiling, when Paul told her of his reason
for his visit.  She sighed.  "Well, since you are here, and the worst
today has had to offer is a skinned knee, let us get it done.  Oh, Lisa" 
she called as she led
Lt. O' Brien to a monitoring bed.
  "Yes, Doctor?" Came a voice very familiar to Paul from last night, which
was soon augmented by the sight of the medical officer in starfleet blue
to match his own and the Doctor's uniforms.  
 "Would you please take body fluid samples from the lieutenant for his
physical?"  Dr. Crusher asked as she stepped to a readout panel.
 "Lisa's eyes soon met Paul's and he could not resist a shy smile.  Lt.
Carroll nearly almost bounded to a counter to get some vials and then came
alongside Paul, lying as directed on the medical bed.
 "Now, I'll need blood, lymph, and saliva samples."  She paused, flashing
a smile.  "I'll also need a urine sample, for which you can go into the
lavatory." She dropped her voice so that the Doctor could not overhear the
next bit.  "I'll also need a sperm sample, too"  The grin on her face
showed that, of course, she was joking.  She laughed aloud as Paul's face
turned a shade of red, which caused a quizzical quick look from the
Doctor.
 Lt. O'Brien regarded her with a curious but not unfriendly gaze as Lisa
efficiently took the required samples.  In the interval, they made small
talk.
 "So, did you like the play last night?"  Lisa asked holding up a dram of
his blood with an almost thoughtful look.
 "I liked YOU."  Paul replied, a bit impetuously.  He began to recant a
bit.  "What I mean to say is that I liked your performance."
 Lt. Carroll, laughing, curtseyed.  "Why, thank you, my audience loves
me!"  She then took a more serious tone.  "Do you act, Paul?"
 Lt. O'Brien shook his head.  "Never tried acting.  I've just seen and
read plays."
 Lisa nodded.  "Well then, you should stop by a troupe meeting sometime. 
What do you think, Doctor?"
 Dr. Crusher, well within hearing distance of the conversation, agreed. 
"If LT. Barclay can do it, Paul, so can you!  Do stop by sometime--we
always like new people.  The computer's social calendar will tell you when
we meet next, or of course, you can ask myself . . . or Lisa."  She smiled
at Lt. Carroll's mention.
 Lt. O' Brien nodded and haltingly suggested he was going to deposit the
urine sample.  He almost felt
eyes on him from Lisa as he made his way past her to the lavatory.  Upon
his return, Lisa again
seemed to appraise him.
 "Speaking of social calendars, Paul, are you working a later shift
tomorrow?" Lisa asked, her hands resting on the bed and looking at Lt.. O'
Brien from across it.
 "No." Paul shook his head.
 "Well, then, would you like to join me for dinner in Ten Forward tomorrow
evening, say, 20:00 hours?"
Lisa watched Paul carefully as he dithered and stammered out his response,
seeming to enjoy his slight discomfort at the Sadie Hawkins turn in the
conversation.
 "Err, ah, sure"
 Lisa smiled.  "I will see you then."  Paul nodded goodbye and decided
that a retreat from Sickbay, while way ahead of the game, was his best
choice.  Being on ship for only a few days and him *already* had a date. 
Lt. O'Brien reconsidered his thoughts about being lonely on the ship as he
headed back to his quarters.
 That night, his dreams were fevered with thoughts of Lisa.  Yes, he had
just met her, his rational side thought, but, yes she was also attractive
and interested in him.  His imagination played out various scenarios
inside his head.  Making love to her on a sandy beach, as the tide came
in.  Giving her a sensuous massage, followed by a gentle slow fucking. 
Kissing those wonderful, vocal lips of hers.  Paul was embarrassed, but
not entirely surprised, to find himself, early in the morning, rubbing
himself with his hand, bringing temporary if ersatz relief as his cock
spurted out his need for Lt. Carroll into the bed.
 The next day Paul tried to keep his thoughts about the upcoming dinner to
a minimum by immersing himself in his work.  As one might expect, the
tactic did not work.  He was not so careless as to damage any equipment or
ruin any experiments, but he could hear the whispering of his colleagues
that he "must have a date."  
 Finally, his shift was over, leaving Paul a few hours before the main
event in ten forward. While in his quarters, his stomach was butterflies. 
First dates generally did this to him  To come early, or not to come
early.  How casual the outfit?  He almost felt like a teenager thinking
about it all.
 Finally, he selected a simple sweater and slacks outfit, checkered black
and white for the sweater, black for the slacks.  He timed things to
arrive at ten forward at precisely five minutes to eight.  He scanned the
large space for signs of Lisa, but was disappointed that she had not
arrived.  Perhaps she believed in precision and would arrive exactly on
time, Paul mused.  He sat at the Bar and ordered a juice, and tried to not
to appear to be staring at the entrance.

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