Two Tickets to Paradise, Part II

Posted on 09 Apr 2016 @ 9:56pm by Ensign Quinn Mackie & Ensign Kelly Khan

3,282 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: New Risa
Timeline: MD 4

Kelly stretched as she put the last of her clothes on and smiled at Quinn. "Rawr," she said. "Much, much rawr, Tiger. I'm glad I don't have duty shift tonight because I'd fall asleep at the helm."

Quinn chucked as he put on his shirt. "We're about to get in kayaks, remember?" he pointed out. "I don't want you falling asleep and capsizing."

"I'll be fine as soon as I get to my pack," she assured him. "I brought iced Raktajino and a few other goodies. As soon as I pick our stuff up, we can have a meal, then get the kayaks and start living the good life."

"Let's do it." Quinn picked up the PADD Kelly gave him earlier. "Looks like we're about 40 kilometers away from the transport site," he said, entering the coordinates and handing the device back to her.

Kelly took it and looked at it. "That's only a fifteen minute trip there and probably twenty-five back," she said. "I'd offer you to come with, but the vectorboard is going to be loaded down. Do you want scout out this area while I do that?"

"Sure," Quinn replied, already starting to look around. "I'll probably be... that way," he said, pointing towards the woods, "if I'm not here when you get back." He had to gather firewood and some other supplies from around what they'd adopted as their campsite.

"Don't forget to use trail markers, Tiger," she said as she readied her vectorboard. "I don't want you to get lost."

He chuckled. "You'll have to come find me if I do."

"Have no fear of that," Kelly said. "I will find you." With that, she gave him a wink and lifted off on her vectorboard after she programmed in the coordinates and headed off to get their supplies.

Quinn watched her leave, smiling at the sight and at the same time saddened that he was now alone. As soon as she was out of sight, Quinn turned and looked at the woods beside him. The entire area seemed naturally groomed and free of insects and otherwise unsightly debris. Most importantly, it was secluded enough for the evening. Given how it was at least afternoon, there would be little time left for kayaking when she returned. Smiling still, he entered the woods in search of suitable firewood.

It took her a bit of back and forth searching to find the equipment that they had brought with them and a little bit longer to find a place to set the vectorboard down. Once she had that accomplished, she hiked to the area after she locked her vectorboard and gathered everything up. It was heavier than she expected with both her and Quinn's stuff, but she had not be raised to complain and she made her way back to the vectorboard with it and began to get everything strapped down.

Kelly lifted off with ease and decided to stick to the river on her way back, using it as a guide and to scout the area before she and Quinn went kayaking on it. She found some nice rapids and a few clear areas and roughly an hour and fifteen minutes after her departure, she once more settled down into the small clearing where they had first landed. "Oh, Tiger!" she called out as she began to unstrap the equipment. "I come bearing gifts!"

His eyelids fluttered open, hearing Kelly's voice. It didn't take him as long as he'd thought to make his preparations, so Quinn had resorted to climbing several of the trees that had surrounded the small clearing. He fell quite in love with one of them and had found a way to lay on a thick branch and gaze out unto the lake.

What he hadn't planned on was falling asleep. "Hey down there!" he called back, starting to look around him to figure out how to get down.

Kelly looked up and spotted him in a tree. "What...are you doing up there?" she asked. "Don't think that it will save you because I can climb trees, too."

"Who says I'm hiding?" Quinn called down, looking down at Kelly. "It's incredibly peaceful up here. And the view's pretty spectacular too."

"I never said you were hiding, but if you are looking for a good view," she smiled and pulled her top off, showing him that she had no bra on under it. "How's this, Tiger?"

He smiled. While he could very easily stay where he was for as long as he could, Quinn began to climb down the tree. He saw their packs next to the vectorboard, and Quinn's mind instantly began to review everything he'd packed. "How hungry are you?" he asked, not even halfway down the tree.

"It depends on what there is to eat," Kelly said. "Or if that's what you're talking about, Tiger."

Quinn chuckled. "If we do that, we probably won't get on the water tonight." In fact, Quinn had already been thinking about using Kelly's PADD to contact someone who could hopefully bring the Kayaks to them. She'd been absent for longer than he'd thought she'd be, and another trip like that would cut into prime water time.

His feet hit the ground, and he began walking towards Kelly. "I can have some alfredo whipped up in no time though."

"Well...," she hesitated. "I guess we can eat first. Let me get the raktajino set up while you get the rest going, then I'll be ready to help you."

Quinn grabbed his backpack and opened it. As he extracted his firestarter, he wondered about Kelly's hesitation. He was thrilled--no, excited--no, overjoyed--that someone had not just taken an interest in him, but he had been able to take an interest in Kelly. And, it wasn't that he didn't want to be intimate with her. Even as he crouched over the kindling with his firestarter, his eyes wandered upward to watch Kelly prepare the raktajino. Clearly, he had a desire to spend as much time with her as he could.

This was also his only chance at leave and experience an open wilderness that wasn't comprised of photons, forcefields and replicated matter. This was freedom at its finest and he wanted to enjoy every second. Quinn, however, did not realized how badly he fumbled with the firestarter while watching his... was it safe to say girlfriend?

Kelly quickly got the Raktajino set up and heating, then made short work of getting her tent pitched. Finally, she headed over to where he was and watched him for a moment. "Did you need help, Tiger?" She asked him as she crouched down beside of him.

"Erm?" he asked, suddenly surprised that she'd asked him a question. That's when he looked down to see that he was trying to light a rock on fire, and not the kindling itself. Quinn cleared his throat in a feeble attempt to mask his embarrassment and placed the starter were it should have been all along. "No, I, uh... I got this." he said sheepishly.

She laughed softly. "A slip of gold pressed latinum for your thoughts," she said as she sat down fully and crossed her legs. She looked at him, very pleased at how sweet he was and how innocent he seemed and vowed not to eat him alive.

"Sorry," he nearly stammered, deliberately focusing on the fire just for the sake of getting it lit. It took only a moment of focus for the tool to properly perform its task. Satisfied that flames were now spreading throughout the firepit he'd created, Quinn looked back to Kelly. "I'd, uh... I was thinking about, you know, before..."

"Before?" Kelly prompted him gently. "Before we came to the planet...before I left to get our equipment?"

Quinn chuckled, a bit of confidence returning to his demeanor. "Before you left. When we were over there," Quinn pointed to an area nearby where they'd spent a while before. Even as he said it, a smile returned to his face. "You sure I'm not dreaming?"

"No, you aren't dreaming," she said. "I like you, Quinn. I liked you the first time I set eyes on you at the recreation center. You didn't hit on me, or try to grope, or anything. I think that's really sweet. I know I'm a bit aggressive, but I've always gone for what I wanted. You are so sweet and smart that how could I help but like you?"

His smile broadened. "Thanks," he replied. "I like you too, Kelly. I really enjoyed our time in the rec center too, and I never thought that I'd ever be here in the middle of nowhere with someone like you. You're a daredevil, a woman Evel Knievel, if I do say so. I like being here, with you."

"I like being here with you, too, Tiger," Kelly told him before she leaned over to give him a kiss. "and you aren't going to wake up to discover it was just a dream. Now let's get dinner started and get the kayaks."

The engineer reached into his nearby backpack and pulled out two packets. "Looks like we have pasta alfredo or cheesy potato soup." He'd brought a small variety as well for breakfast and a few ration bars for lunch while on the kayak. "You have a preference?"

"Whatever you like best," she said as she reached for her pack and began to rummage around. After a minute of searching, she pulled out a small container and opened it to reveal a dozen kinds of herbs and seasonings in individual packets. "I have lots of herbs and seasonings if you want to spice it up. I also brought E-Z Hydrate beef, pork and chicken, as well as dried peas, carrots, potatoes and onions."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear what she'd brought. "Prepared for the unexpected, I see," he commented with a smile. "Pull out the peas, I can use them in the pasta." He pulled out a collapsible pot and a water bottle and stood up to head for the shore line.

Kelly dug out the dehydrated pea package and pressed the moisturize button the pouch and waited the thirty seconds required. She turned to see him heading for the shoreline "Be sure to check it before you drink it," she said. "I only trust brochures on subjects like purification to a degree."

"It's got a filter!" he called back, as he opened the bottle to activate the filter. Once done, he kneeled at the shore, and plunged the bottle into the river, being sure to place the opening away from the flowing water. Quinn removed the bottle when it was full and then replaced the lid. He sampled it first, and satisfied with the taste, poured some of the filtered water into the pot.

He returned to the firepit and handed the bottle to Kelly. "See for yourself," he told her.

Kelly pulled out a small scanner unit out of her backpack and ran it over the bottle. "Huh. It's clear." She held the bottle up and eyed it critically for a moment. "No floaties, either. I hate floaties." She put the scanner away and handed him the bottle back, then the packet of peas. "They're all hydrated and ready to use."

"You didn't drink it," Quinn pointed out, surprised her sense of adventure didn't stretch to drinking river water. "Afraid of a little water?" he teased.

"It doesn't have caffeine in it," she said as she pulled two collapsible cups from her backpack and grabbed her thermos of Raktajino. "This, however, does." She poured two cups and offered him one. "It'll also do more than water, river or otherwise."

He chuckled and commented, "You don't want me falling asleep anytime soon, do you?" he playfully asked before taking a sip of the Klingon drink.

"We do have kayaking to do, don't we?" Kelly asked as she took a large drink of her own Raktajino.

"Of course," he said, before taking another sip of his drink. Quinn then knelt before the fire and poured the pasta packet in with the water. It wouldn't take long before it was ready. "I didn't grab any of those EZ packets," he explained to Kelly. "Usually when I go camping, I try to go without tech. Reminds me to appreciate what I work with, and to enjoy myself."

"Me and my Papa went camping a few times when I was younger," she said with a fond smile. "But most of the time it was in weather-controlled, forcefield shielded environments where everything was in perfect harmony. I may not be much of a nature girl, but I can appreciate what's around me. This place is amazing, Quinn, and I really want to thank you for allowing me to come with you." She offered him the package of peas for the pasta.

"Thank you for the vectorboard ride," Quinn said with a smile. "And after." He accepted the package of peas and poured them into the mix. "Don't thank me too much yet, though. We haven't got into the kayaks yet."

Kelly shook her head. "I am thanking you and you've only just seen the tip of what I can do on a vectorboard. I'm looking forward to kayaking, too. I don't mind getting wet and I know how to swim. Did you want any seasonings?"

She laid the container with the seasoning packets out for him to reveal cumin, garlic, basil, thyme, cayenne, Italian, onion and rosemary.

Quinn selected only the basil for now, thinking even the thyme or Italian would overpower the dish. He sprinkled only a pinch into the pot and continued to stir. It wasn't long before it was ready. He checked his backpack, only to realize he'd forgotten to grab a couple of cups. He still had quite a bit of raktajino in his cup, and he assumed the same of Kelly. "You don't mind eating from the same pot, do you?" Quinn asked, fishing out a couple utensils from his bag.

"Not at all," Kelly said. "It'll save time, not to mention clean up." She put the herb container back in her backpack. "Not to mention that we've already done far more than merely eating out of the same pot." She winked and settled down beside of him.

Quinn stabbed a couple noodles with his fork and sampled the meal for the first time. His eyes widened a little bit. "Man, that basil..." It was a strong taste, not to the point of overpowering his taste buds, and Quinn hadn't been prepared for that.

"Too much?" she asked as she took a sample on her fork and gave it a taste. She cocked her head to the side and nodded. "Just a tiny bit, but it brings out the flavor." She took a drink of her Raktajino and smiled. "Our first dinner together. I bet you never thought it would be like this, did you?"

"I think this day would be anything like this," he said with a smile, sampling the pasta again. "I don't think I could have imagined anything else."

"So you imagined sleeping with me and me having herbs and Raktajino and everything?" Kelly asked with a wide, teasing grin. "You have quite the imagination, Tiger."

He chuckled. "You have no idea," he replied. What he didn't want to admit was that most of those fantasies involved him in an R and D lab coming up with game-changing technology, not necessarily with a woman. After today though, there would be a little more variety to his daydreaming.

Kelly took another bite of pasta and looked at him. "So...are you going to ask, or you modern enough to let me ask?"

Quinn paused, wondering what exactly she was talking about. "Ask....?" he asked in return, his voice trailing off.

"Okay, I'll ask," she said. "Will you be my boyfriend, Quinn?"

Boyfriend? Kelly really was aggressive. In this case, however, Quinn didn't mind at all. "Only if that means you will be my girlfriend." A smile crept across his face.

"No, I won't," Kelly said, then laughed. "Quinn..if I asked you to be my boyfriend, wouldn't that stand to reason that I'd be your girlfriend? You are so cute."

His smile grew brighter. "It does stand to reason, indeed." He sat in mock thought for a moment and then said, "Why, yes, Kelly, I will be your boyfriend."

"Then I'll be your girlfriend," she said and leaned over to give him a kiss. "Now the rules. All I ask is that if you ever have any questions about me...please ask and I'll do the same."

"Sounds fair," Quinn replied. He might take her up on that sometime in the future. For now, he didn't even know what to ask. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her back.

"Do you have any rules?" Kelly asked him before she took another sip of her Raktajino.

"Um..." Quinn's voice trailed off as he tried to think. "I've never been in a relationship before, so... I don't exactly have any rules to set. Should I reserve the right to add one later?"

"You haven't?" She seemed surprised that she didn't even hear his question.

"The only thing that comes even close was when I took a good friend to our high school prom," he answered. "But, that was just two friends having fun. She went to France right afterwards and met a Frenchman." Chuckling, he added, "I didn't have that much of a chance, really."

"Well, I don't speak French, but I do speak and will fight like a Klingon to stay by your side, Tiger," Kelly said. "I want to make everything as special as I can because you are special."

Quinn shook his head with a smile. "I have no idea what I did to deserve you." He kissed her again. If it weren't for the knowledge that the sun's time above their heads was fleeting, he might have let that kiss be longer.

She returned the kiss and smiled. "You were you," she said simply.

Smiling with a bit of extra color in his cheeks, Quinn looked down to see that the pot was nearly empty. "Do you want any more?" he asked. "We'll need to be getting those kayaks soon."

"You can finish it," Kelly said. "How much do they weigh?"

"Thirty to fifty pounds," Quinn said with a shrug. He wasn't quite sure how much the rental shop's would weigh. He stood up and kicked some dirt onto the small fire to snuff it out.

Kelly came to her feet and rummaged in her backpack to pull out the ties she had used earlier to strap the equipment onto her vectorboard. "I'll be back before you can count the ways you want me," she said as she went and began to power up her board.

Quinn could only smile. "Sure you don't want me to tag along? We might have enough time to make it back here by nightfall."

"Hop on if you're coming, Tiger," she said as she clamped her magnetic boots onto the vectorboard. "I'm going hot and fast, so hang on like you've never hung on to someone before."

He quickly checked to make sure everything was sealed to prevent whatever pest from entering. Satisfied, he stepped onto the floating board and wrapped onto Kelly, this time not being so delicate and careful with his grip.

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