Lessons from Rubicun III

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 12:45am by Lieutenant John Sandoval & Lieutenant JG Aeryn Jameson
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:20pm

Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: The Pandora's Box

A Mission Post by Lieutenant John Sandoval & Lieutenant JG Aeryn Jameson
Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: The Pandora's Box
Timeline:
Sat Nov 3rd, 2018 @ 4:16pm

ON

Aeryn sat opposite John trying not to choke as she sat laughing at his latest joke, she had no idea how he kept coming out with such brilliant anecdotes but tears of laughter were streaming down her face. She took a moment to recompose herself before eating another polite mouthful of her food. "I swear, I don't think I've laughed so much in ages!" She grinned.

John was struggling not to laugh as he told some of his stories. He took another bite of the delicious Margherita pizza that had been prepared for him. Ever the diplomat, he ate it with a knife and fork. "All true, every word of it," he said. "I swear, every diplomat I've met has stories like this. If you want a good laugh at a reception, find someone in a purple uniform." He thought for a second. "In fact, if you ever find yourself in a group with diplomatic officers, find the purple uniforms and ask specifically about their Academy experience with Commander Gillian Fontaine. Each story will be different, and each will be hilarious."

"I'll do my best to remember that!" Aeryn grinned as she took another bite of the ravioli she'd chosen to have for a change. After the heavy lunch they'd had she'd decided to go for a light dinner. "So, what would you say is one of your most challenging diplomatic cases so far?"

"Probably my own experience with the aforementioned Commander Fontaine," he began. "She taught the first year 'Introduction to Starfleet Diplomacy' course. Because of my civilian education I got a compressed academic curriculum, but her course was still a requirement. She absolutely insisted on taking us into negotiations that pushed our comfort zone to the very limits. Her view was that Starfleet deserved to know whether or not we could handle it when the situation got tough. This was especially true when it came to intercultural issues. If you were going to panic when you were asked to do something uncomfortable as part of a ritual greeting, for example, then you shouldn't wear the uniform."

Aeryn nodded. "Of course, I've seen diplomatic negotiations underway with people dressed in all kinds of outfits, or having to undergo certain cultural rituals as part of the process. To be honest I'm not sure I'd be able to go through anything embarrassing."

"Well, mine was quite embarrassing and incredibly awkward. I've heard of cadets going on traditional hunting expeditions, eating live spiders they caught themselves, as part of rituals. I've heard of cadets on Andoria spending three days camping on the icy surface, as part of a ritual indicating that they wanted to be there." John shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Mine was different. Have you ever heard of a planet called Rubicun III?"

"Rubicun III..." She shook her head. "No, I can't say I have. What made Rubicun so different for you?" She looked at John curiously, thinking how nice he looked in his light blue long-sleeve shirt & Khaki trousers.

"Rubicun III is a beautiful planet," John began to describe. "Green, vibrant, clean. Its inhabitants, the Edo, were free-spirited and healthy. They ran everywhere they went. They spent their days playing games, making art, making music, and making love, all in public spaces."

"Wait a minute....that does sound familiar." Aeryn looked at John curiously as she finished off the last of her food, washing it down with a drink.

John added "There's an interesting report from the USS Enterprise-D. Anyway, back then they had eliminated crime by essentially making every criminal act, even the simplest, capital offences. People risked death by even stepping on freshly-planted flower beds, so they didn't do it. After the incident with the Enterprise, which angered an interdimensional being orbiting their world, they agreed to be a bit more relaxed with visitors. All guests arrive by shuttle in a special landing zone, where they are briefed on rules and potential consequences. And accidents are forgiven more easily. Small changes, but enough to permit cultural exchange with the Federation." He took another bite of his pizza. He blushed a bit when he realized the direction this story was going, with the pretty lady wearing a cute dress across from him.

Aeryn couldn't help but notice John was blushing. "Are you...blushing?" She grinned. "Okay I have to hear the rest of this story." She relaxed back in her seat as she smiled warmly at him. She had to admit she was enjoying his company perhaps a little bit more than she really should, but they were just two friends having dinner. "So, what happened?"

“Well, the Federation needed to amend some treaty or other,” said John, “and it was decided to have the students do it.” He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt to cool himself a bit. “Commander Fontaine wanted to make her students uncomfortable, like I said. Imagine, twenty or so students of mixed gender and species. We land, are briefed about crime and punishment, assured we have diplomatic immunity, and are given Edo-appropriate clothes. Extremely short shorts and barely anything on top. We’re told to get changed — all together in the greeting room, because that’s the Edo way — and we proceed to the conference room.”

Aeryn couldn't help but notice the way John unbuttoned his collar, it seemed his story was making more than a little uncomfortable. "I can only imagine how embarrassing that must have been!" She grinned. "I'd have died of embarrassment!! So what happened next?"

He took a sip of his water. “Negotiations proceed smoothly. Everyone is happy with the agreement. So it’s time for the Edo ritual of concordance.”

"Which is what?" Aeryn looked at John her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Commander Fontaine made a point not to tell us,” he answered. “So I was quite surprised when a beautiful Edo woman sat on my lap and wrapped her legs around my waist. We were all surprised; appropriately gendered Edo paired up with us all.”

"You were paired up with someone for...." She didn't say the words. "That must have been....embarrassing!" She picked up her glass and took a sip of her drink. More to distract herself from the picture that was growing in her head.

“As I said, our outfits didn’t leave much to the imagination,” John said. “Or, um, interfere much. This was about when Commander Fontaine stepped in. In what I’m told was a rare move, she told us that we didn’t need to participate, and we would not be coerced. But such things were possible when dealing with alien cultures. Deltans. I’ve been to a Betazoid wedding, as I’m sure you have. So we all stuck around, and, um, endured the experience. Hardship though that was,” he added with a bit of sarcasm.

"So you had to...." She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "Seal a deal with....love making?" She couldn't help but blush at the sheer thought of it.

John inhaled through his teeth. “Yup. Apparently that’s how they do things on Rubicun III. Sex there is basically a slightly more serious handshake. So there I was. Sitting in chair at the conference room among all of my peers, making love to a beautiful woman while everyone else made love to their own counterparts. In hindsight, we were all sitting across from insanely attractive members of our preferred sex. Given what we saw on the run from the landing zone to the conference centre, maybe we should’ve anticipated it.”

"Oh my...." Aeryn grinned. "You are one very brave man John Sandoval." She relaxed back in her seat. "I couldn't do that, at the least I'd have wanted a private room!" Her smile beamed. "You obviously weren't married then, how would your wife feel about you being expected to do something like that?"

“Katherine and I weren’t married yet, no,” John began to explain. “But we’d been together a few months by then. Marriage was on the horizon. Commander Fontaine actually sent messages to the spouses or partners of any cadet in a relationship, explaining what was about to happen and essentially taking responsibility. She didn’t want to ruin our lives.” He had a sip of his wine. “Funniest thing, first thing she said to be when I returned to Earth was ‘No, John, your first posting is not going to be to Rubicun III.’ I froze at first, but she told me she was fine with it.”

"Seriously?" Aeryn looked at John in surprise. "I'm not sure I could be so...flexible. Though I guess understanding thst it was just to seal a deal." She sipped her drink.

“We actually had a good, healthy talk about it,” John said. “We both knew that we weren’t going to be physically together most of the time. I was going to be on other planets or starships. She was going to be on Earth. We’d made our peace with that. And we decided that, well,” he took another sip of wine, “people have needs and making love is a pleasurable activity and it isn’t fair to be exclusive. Intellectually we’re a perfect match, and I love her to death. But I’m hundreds of light years away. We gave ourselves permission to, well, play.” He put a huge grin on his face. “And that night I showed her what tricks Anya the Edo Diplomat taught me. Good times.”

"I'm glad you have someone like that. Kind of reminds me of a certain engineer here aboard ship. For his people making love is purely for pleasure, he has a way of making you feel..." She paused getting a little lost in the moment. "..special." She blushed, "Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry," said John. "I'm glad you have someone that makes you feel like that. I assume you mean Mr. Mindo? I met him the other day. Are you and him together?"

"Me & .Mindo?" She shook her head. "No. I was just feeling a little lost and lonely." She sipped her drink again. "Let's just say he took my mind off it nicely." She couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "My boyfriend was our last CMO when he was reassigned we decided it was best not to wait for each other." Her smile faded before she shook off her disappointment. "Like I said I'm glad you have someone whose willing to wait even though you're so far apart."

"Katherine and I talk on subspace every few days," said John. "And we write, sometimes even on actual paper. And we tell each other everything. We view it as an important part of healthy communication, and it's an assurance that our, um, needs are being met."

John decided to raise his wine glass, which had perhaps one (large) mouthful left in it. "Here's to those who wait for us, those who refused and don't know what their missing, and those who help each other scratch the occasional itch." He smiled widely, and hoped Aeryn would clink his glass. John had done his best to maintain good control over his thoughts during dinner, aside from during his last story perhaps, and hoped no stray imagery got passed Aeryn's shields.

Aeryn smiled as she raised her glass clinking it against his and taking a polite sip as she looked at him. She had to admit there had been one or two moments when thoughts had gotten past her shields. Thoughts that could perhaps be interpreted in more than one way.

"Well if you ever need a friend, for any reason..." She smiled leaving the sentence to finish itself.

John downed the rest of his wine, a bit nervously. He liked how flirty Aeryn was being. I was telling the Counselor about how I needed friends... he thought to himself, intentionally just a bit more loudly than his usual internal monologue.

Aeryn couldn't help but pick up on that thought, it was more or less, screaming from John's mind. "So are you wanting dessert?" She grinned as she looked at him, knowing that could be taken in completely the wrong way in the frame of mind they were in. Her question, however, had been a genuine one.

John grinned back and locked eyes with Aeryn. "I am wanting dessert," he replied. He reached for the dessert menu on the table, brushed Aeryn's hand on his way to it, and stopped himself before picking the menu up, leaving his fingers lingering on hers. "What do you recommend?"

Aeryn looked up from where John's fingers lingered on hers and locked eyes with him as well, "Perhaps we could, continue....in my quarters? I'm sure I could...provide some dessert you'd like." She smiled as she let her fingers gently trail against his.

"I'd like that," John answered. He stood first and offered his hand to Aeryn in a gentlemanly manner. "Please lead the way," he said. ...to wherever you'd like to take me.

Taking his hand Aeryn politely stood before walking out of the doors with John. Stepping into the nearest turbolift she stood silently admiring him for a few moments."Perhaps you'd like to....learn me more about the Edo." As the lift stopped, they exited and made their way to Aeryn's quarters. Stepping inside a few moments later Aeryn paused to wait for him to enter. "Would you like a drink or would you prefer to skip straight to dessert?"

"I think I've had the exact right amount to drink this evening," John said as he walked into Aeryn's quarters and straight towards her. The door hadn't closed behind him yet when he planted his lips firmly onto hers. He breathed hard, inhaling her scent. John put his arms around her waist and lifted her to his level.

Aeryn let herself be carried away by the whole moment, returning his kiss with all the romance the evening had lead to. Wrapping her arms around him she giggled as he lifted her.

At what was possibly the least opportune moment possible, John's leg began to act up. He backed up to a chair and sat down, taking her with him. "Sorry," he breathed. "Leg acting up."

"That's okay" Aeryn smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair as she sat on his lap in the chair. "How's about we err...." She looked towards the bedroom door, then back at John hoping the evening wasn't about to come to a very brief ending.

"I'd like that," John answered softly. "After all, my leg only hurts when I'm on it," he said with a grin.

"Then I'll just have to make sure you're not on it" Aeryn stood and offered her hand, helping him up she gently kept hold of his hand while leading him to the bedroom. As they walked inside she turned to face him, taking both his hands and walking backwards towards the bed. "So....how's about you show me...what the Edo taught you." She stopped walking and gently leaned towards him, kissing him gently yet passionately before she paused. "John....are you sure? That you want to do this?"

"I absolutely do," he replied. He pushed back into her, kissing her hard, and pushing the two of them onto the bed.

Falling back onto the bed, Aeryn smiled. "Good....because so do I."

~~The Next Morning, about 0630~~

John's eyes slowly came open and he surveyed his surroundings. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't in his own quarters; he hadn't been aboard long enough to recognize his bedroom's layout as home and someone else's not. Aeryn was still sleeping, her head on his chest, a light bedsheet covering them. He smiled at the memory of last night. Some dessert! he thought happily.

Aeryn slowly stirred, smiling as she came to the realisation that the night before hadn't been some wild dream after all. "Good Morning" She raised her head to give him a romantic kiss, "I thought I was going to wake up and find last night was just a very, very, naughty dream!" She lay her head back on his chest loving being cuddled up in his arms. "I hope you won't be too tired today, especially after last night."

"If I am?" said John. "Worth it." He grinned at her. This was a nice, peaceful moment. Her hair smelled nice. Her skin felt soft. "I hope I was able to pass along that which I learned from the Edo!"

"Hmmm definitely" She smiled. "But you may have to refresh my memory at some point." She grinned playfully.

"Computer," said John, waiting for the acknowledgement chime. "Time?"

"The time is 0632 hours," replied the computer.

He turned his attention back to Aeryn. "Still early. We can still rest a bit."

"I like that" She looked at him as she raised her head again. "Thank you for last night. I needed to feel wanted and you certainly made me feel that way and then some!" She grinned. "I don't like the feeling of being alone."

"I understand," John said. "When I was younger I didn't mind it. I had my books and could spend hours by myself in a museum or holodeck. But as an adult..." John sat up a bit, moving the pillows to support his back. "In the Marines, your brothers and sisters in arms were always there with you. When I was injured on Chin'toka, two other survivors stayed at my side until I was safe. In civilian university, we all cooperated closely. Friends I made near the beginning were with me when I defended my thesis. I had Katherine at the Academy. Now, on starships...I've gotten used to being with people. Quiet nights can be nice, but..." he trailed a bit, gathering his thoughts.

"Lonely..." Aeryn looked up into John's eyes. "I really enjoyed last night John, I'd be happy to spend my time and share my bed with you, whenever you want." Her fingers gently stroked his chest as they cuddled.

“I enjoyed it, too,” John said. “I-“ He was interrupted by the chime of Aeryn’s doorbell.

"Was that the doorbell?" Aeryn looked at John in surprise. "It's okay stay here I'll make out I was about to go in the shower." She grinned as she quickly threw on a bathrobe and headed out of the bedroom to answer the door.

The bedroom door closed behind Aeryn, and John stayed quiet a moment.

When Aeryn opened the door, she found another young woman, about Aeryn’s height, brown hair with blonde highlights, wearing a diplomatic-purple uniform. She was holding a cane.

“Doctor Jameson?” she asked. “My apologies for disturbing you so early, ma’am. Crewman Marcoux, Lieutenant Sandoval’s assistant. He accidentally left both of his canes in his office yesterday. Apparently his leg wasn’t bothering him and he forgot them. I wanted to bring him one in case he needs it this morning.”

"I'm sorry Crewman but Lieutenant Sandoval isn't here." She tried to look convincing but she wasn't sure if she was doing a good job or not.

“Ma’am, the computer puts him in here,” Marcoux said with a straight face. “It’s fine, ma’am. Part of my job is to make sure the department runs smoothly. That includes making sure the Chief can walk comfortably to work. Please tell him I’m preparing breakfast for the team, and we have a meeting scheduled for 0830 hours.” Marcoux handed Aeryn the cane, turned on her heel, and left.

"Err...Thank you Crewman" Aeryn quickly disappeared back into her quarters with the Cane, taking them back into the bedroom with her. "It was Crewman Marcoux with your cane." She grinned as she slid back out of her bathrobe and back under the covers with John. "That's a good Assistant you have there. She said to say she's preparing breakfast and you have a meeting at 0830."

“She keeps the machine running smooth,” John said, his eyes transfixed on Aeryn as her robe slid back off and she got under the covers.

"So...." She ran her fingers over his chest "Do we have time to enjoy each other once more before you go?" She lay back on the bed playfully luring him towards her.

“We absolutely do,” was John’s answer as he rolled toward her, kissing her with as much passion as he had the night before.

~~ An Hour Later ~~

Aeryn smiled as she finished brushing her hair, turning to look at John as he finished getting ready to leave. "Thank you for a wonderful evening and morning!" She put her brush down and accompanied him into the living room. She was almost sad to see him go. "John will I....see you again?"

“Only if I can see you again,” he answered with a grin. He gave her kiss on the cheek. He finished putting on his newly-replicated uniform. “I mean, at minimum, I need to pick up yesterday’s clothes from you!”

She smiled warmly. "I'll look forward to it. Now go and get your breakfast your staff will never forgive me if you're not there to eat with them."

With that, John left Aeryn’s quarters and made way to his office. Yes, he hobbled and needed his cane, but anyone who knew him would recognize the spring in his step.

OFF