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Stratosphere Diving

Posted on Wed Jun 26th, 2019 @ 5:13pm by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Mona Gonadie

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: Over the gas seas of Kabul 5
Timeline: 2396 - Post tribunal

Mona had just finished planning and replicating a pair of form-fitting suits specially built for something special that she'd been planning for a few days now and she was about to spring it on her bond-mate. She was now packing them into a pair of duffels, as well as the helmets, oxygen supplies, and water and emergency rations, just in case. The suits had beacons already and the jump coordinator would go over everything with them as they neared the jump window, so as far as she was concerned, they were ready.

She just needed her Minay to come home now.

"Mona to Dox. Minay, will you be home soon? We don't want to be late for the first part of our vacation."

Across the mighty starship, Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox was walking through the corridors of the ship, PaDD in hand and still working away to tweak the flight crews duty roster as her shift had ended twenty minutes ago. Startled to attention by her comm badge, the distracted Romulan Flight Chief stopped to reply outside of a turbolift. Hnaev! She cursed internally in her native Rihan.

Tapping her badge, she replied as she entered the lift. "Deck Eight. I'm on my way, Mona."

The 'everything' in question was both the impromptu downtime while the Hera was docked at the Artan Family Fortress and the couples impending bonding ceremony at the end of the week, which she was extremely nervous about. GOOD nervous, but nervous nonetheless. And when Mnhei'sahe Dox was nervous, she worked.

After a short moment, Dox made her way off of the lift and to their shared quarters as she finalized the report on her PaDD and entered the room talking. "Sorry. I just needed to make sure the rotation was set for the next few days. We're going to be short-handed with everything going on and... uh... what's in the bags?"

"It's what we need to get to our vacation spot," Mona replied mysteriously with a wink as she handed off the green bag to her lover with a wink and a kiss as she shouldered the purple bag. "Our jump coordinator is meeting us on the main flight deck in ten minutes so we need to get moving. I've already had clothing and transport back arranged so don't worry about that."

As she headed out of their quarters, Mona kept talking. "The hard part will be landing on the right floating island in the gas seas after a thirty-kilometer skydive."

Pausing for a moment to process what her Miradonian bond-mate had just said, Dox hiked the green bag on her shoulder and ran a short burst to catch up as the door to their quarters hissed closed behind them. "Wait, what? Skydiving? We're going skydiving? In a space station?"

"Nope, Kabul five. They have a few floating islands and I've reserved one with a bungalow for two days and one night and we're being dropped off via shuttle thirty kilometers above it." Mona grinned mischievously. "It's about four in the morning there now and a skyhopper will pick us up at sunset tomorrow. Right now though, we're about to skydive through the stratosphere of a planet and glide on the best updrafts this side of the Magellanic rifts."

The Romulan pilot's eyes went a little wide as they arrived at the turbolift and entered. "Main Flight Deck." She said to the computer as the lift began to move. As a cadet, Dox had passed all of her jump tests with high marks, but she greatly preferred flying IN a ship whenever possible.

"Thirty kilometers? Uh..." But looking over at Mona's deep Amber eyes and watching her brilliantly colored plumage flair out ever so subtly with excitement, Dox couldn't help but smile. "Okay. We... can do this."

As the lift doors opened, Dox was visibly more than a little nervous but she wasn't going to allow that to ruin Mona's plans.

As they stepped out onto the flight deck, there was an older inner system shuttle already waiting for them with a Trill man in a bomber jacket waiting for them. "Mona and..." He had to glance down at his datapad to read the name again and still, he didn't want to butcher it so he tried sounding it out. "Mn... Mn-hay..."

Rolling her eyes ever so slightly as her face went flat, this was not the ideal first step in this process for the young Romulan red-head. "Mnhei'sahe." Dox said plainly before slowing it down to repeat it phonetically. "Min. Yay. Say."

"Min-yay-say it is then." The man then jotted down a few notes before putting his datapad away and addressing the pair of them. "My apologies, ladies. I am Tanic Dan and I'll be your Jump Coordinator today. Mona as you're a repeat customer and you've filed your partner's certifications, I'll make this as brief as I can. Once we board you'll get changed and we'll head to the jump window. Before the jump I'll inspect your suits and make sure they've been made and kitted out to the exacting specifications needed to survive a thirty-kilometer stratosphere jump. Once in the jump window, I'll reverse the gravity so you'll be pulled to the ceiling and remove the deck plating. Then when you're ready, I'll let you freefall out and towards the gas seas. There are nav buoys in the sky and on the island. If anything goes wrong, we will have transporter locks on both of you, but that is no guarantee that we'll be able to get you out safely. If you miss the island, the updrafts can carry you up and back around to it but it can be tricky and only a highly skilled glider suit pilot might find their way back. Do you understand?"

Her usually freckled, olive skin went slightly pale as Dox listened to Tanic Dan speak and resisted the urge to say something sarcastic. "Uh... yes. I understand." As she spoke, she managed the slightest of weak smiles towards Mona. "Repeat Customer? How many times have you done this here?"

"Understood," Mona replied with a grin. "This will be the third time."

"Aye, and she's given us some glowing reviews and tossed enough business our way that we've been able to expand to the dune seas of Kabul two as well." Dan motioned for them to climb aboard as he spoke. "Boss couldn't help but give her a discount. As for amenities on the island, same arrangement as before. Fresh food and drink, no modern amenities, blue lagoon package. Perfect for those that want to get away from it all."

After Mona climbed in, she unzipped her duffel and started pulling out her metallic purple bodysuit so she could start getting ready. "You're going to love the sunrise. At that altitude, it's breathtaking."

Still nervous, but doing her level best to quash her anxious stomach for Mona's sake, Dox stepped in and set her bag down on the bench seat along the starboard bulkhead of the small shuttle. Watching Mona, Dox began unpacking her suit as well trying to make sure she followed the Miradonian pilot's lead. "Do, uh, Do we just change here? Does this fit over my uniform or..."

Pulling the metallic green bodysuit out of the bag, it was clear that it was going to be quite form fitting. "Uh... I think that's a 'no'. So, I haven't done this since the Academy. I... uh... might need more than a little hand-holding, Mona." The anxious Romulan had an awkward grin as she let Mona know about her slight insecurities.

"You've got about an hour to get ready," called Dan as he headed into the cockpit and closed the privacy door behind him. The shuttle engines then started up and they got underway.

The brightly plumed aviatrix chuckled softly as she pulled her own uniform off. "I'm here for you, Minay. Everything will be ok. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

The butterflies in Dox's stomach abated slightly at the sight of Mona in all her glory. The stunning display of colors on the feathers that crowned her head continued down in a rainbow of waves that hugged the Miradonian's every curve. Dox took a moment, as she began taking her own uniform off somewhat awkwardly, to get slightly lost in her own thoughts. It was a mystery of space, time, and the universe to the young Romulan that she somehow found love with Mona Gonadie.

"I know you won't. How can I be so nervous here and have no problem riding that hoverbike of mine 500 meters over the tops of buildings?" Dox let out a slight chuckle as she stripped down to her underwear.

"Seriously. You've done some things I wouldn't dream of, like actually fighting people. You know you're known as Lieutenant Murder-punch on the lower decks, right? If they caught wind that something like this scared you..." Mona shook her head as she started pulling her suit on while simultaneously enjoying the toned sight of her lover.

For a moment, as Dox shook out her own metallic green body suit and began stepping into it, her eyebrow cricked up. "Lieutenant Murder..." Then her eyes narrowed as she sneered slightly, muttering out the most likely culprit. "GavARus."

As she pulled the suit up, tugging it awkwardly over her more than ample rear, she continued. "And I'm not scared, I'm just... nervous. There are subtle differences that I can argue the minutiae of indefinitely if need be. I am Romulan, after all."

"Oh, I know that. But they won't." Mona leaned in as she pulled one arm on and planted a kiss on Dox, a bit of a smirk on her face. "You know the holodeck does nothing for me so this is a rare treat so let's relax and enjoy ourselves."

Smiling more relaxed now, Dox slid her arms into the sleeves and turned around for Mona to help her zip up the sparkling material. "That sounds like a deal to me, Jhu Dhael." Dox replied with her Rihan name for Mona which translated to 'Angel Bird.' as the pair continued to get ready for their unconventional vacation.

Mona zipped up her lover's suit and sealed the neckline, making sure it was tight for atmospheric entry. She then turned around so Dox could do the same for her. "I know you're going to love this. The jump itself is relaxing until the last few kilometers. then it's just fun. Then we get a tropical floating island all to ourselves. How romantic is that, right?"

As Mnhei'sahe zipped Mona up, a slightly more difficult task with the Miradonian's chest being significantly broader than her own, she responded with a quirky smile and a chuckle.

"I absolutely can't wait to see it. I know I'm a little nervous, but I am excited. And this is a largely new experience for me. Something that you love that you get to share with me. And that means everything."

As Dox sealed the neck of Mona's suit, she lightly kissed around the back of her lover's neck. "I'm a pilot... but now you get to show me how to really fly."

"The best flying is always on your own with nothing but you and the sky. We'll be using gliding suits, which is as close as we can get." With that, Mona secured Dox's air, water, and emergency rations pack onto her back and made sure the valves were ok before sticking her comm badge into her helmet where she could hit it with her chin.

"Plus, I'm from a race of birds. This sort of thing comes naturally."

Chuckling slightly, Dox began repeating Mona's actions, affixing her mates air, water and ration packs in place. As she did, she gave each a sharp tug to make sure they were perfectly secured. "Yeah. You definitely have an advantage here. But I can't wait to see you fly for real."

Handing Mona her helmet with her Comm Badge fixed in place, she looked slightly contrite. "I'm... sorry for letting my nerves get me a little... snarky."

"But in my defense, I'M from a race of assholes. That sort of thing comes naturally." Dox joked with that quirky smirk she frequently had when joking with her best friends and, of course, Mona.

"That's one of the reasons I love you so much. We're perfectly matched." Mona rested one hand on the back of her mate's neck and pulled their foreheads together, thrumming softly. "And I wouldn't have you any other way, my Minay. My Moon Goddess."

In that moment, Dox felt her anxiety fade as their physical contact, bolstered by Mona's rhythmic thrumming, activated the pairs empathic link. A literal bond innate to Mona's race that Dox's largely dormant psionic capabilities, inherited from the Romulan's shared biological history with the Vulcan race, allowed her to share.

The bond had been steadily growing in renewed strength over the last few months and as the red-headed Romulan closed her eyes and relaxed, she could sense Mona's energy enveloping her own. In her mind's eye, Dox could see her own faint, red glow swirling with Mona's radiant blue to form a vibrant purple that filled her senses with warmth.

The bond that was once so strong as to allow them to share their dreams when touching swelled unexpectedly. What had been weak for months suddenly felt like it was building in strength second by second. The young Romulan was taken aback slightly by the renewed intensity of their bond. In that moment, it felt as if it had been almost completely restored.

Perhaps it was their impending nuptials or the excitement of what they were about to do together, but Dox smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's... I can feel you again. Like it was before."

I knew we would get back to what we had. We are as one, my Minay. Mona didn't use words. She didn't need to right now. That's how deep their bond was once again.

"Knock knock!" called out Dan as he cracked open the cockpit privacy door. "Are you dressed for success?"

As she spoke, Mnhei'sahe took a deep breath and collected herself, a wide grin on her face from the experience of their renewed bond still strong in her mind.

Not hearing any complaints, he stepped out and grinned in approval, waving a scanner. "Just going to get the checks out of the way so we can address any issues while we have time to correct them. Not that I expect there to be any."

He ran the scanner over both of them, the screen lighting up green with all checks. "Excellent! I just need to make sure you both know how to engage the glider wings and control them and we're all set. Mona, if you would do the honors?"

The brightly plumed Miradonian pointed to a set of controls on the gloves that could be reached with the thumbs on either hand. "These control the glider functions. The big control here activates and deactivates the glider panels on the arms, body, and between the legs. The main thing to remember is to spread out like a bird. If you need to narrow the panels, those controls are on the other hand. Easy enough to remember, but easy to forget in freefall."

As she did when Mona first showed her the unique flight controls that the Miradonian inventor had innovated for the helm of the Hera itself, Dox simply observed, taking it all in quietly. As she watched the demonstration, her own thumbs mimicked the motions. Hovering over the buttons indicated, committing the controls to muscle memory.

With a smile and a wink, Dox nodded. "I think very got it. And I have an exceptional guide."

"Well, you're all set! We'll be at the drop window in forty minutes so hang tight until then. There's some granola bars and water in the locker there if you need it, but I recommend jumping dry." With that, Dan headed back into the cockpit to continue the flight.

-=Forty Minutes Later=-

Over the comms came the voice of Tanic Dan as the shields around the inside of the main bay of the shuttle came online. "We're approaching the jump window! Seal up those helmets and grab the roof handles, ladies! I'm reversing your gravity in three minutes and dropping you in five!"

As Mona quickly sealed up her helmet, she helped make sure Dox got hers sealed up ok and tapped her comm badge with her chin before grabbing the roof bar with both hands. "Now we get to the fun part!"

Stepping over to the side of Mona, Dox grabbed the roof bars. While it had been years since she had last done this in the academy, the muscle memory was intact and, much like while in a fight or piloting at the helm of a ship, the young Romulan's anxiety vanished in the moment that she knew she needed to function.

Still, she turned towards Mona and tapped her comm badge with her chin and a smile. "Lead the way."

Once they were holding on, the gravity shifted and they fell on their backs, laying on the roof of the shuttle's launch bay. The bar then retracted out of their reach and the floor of the shuttle retracted on rollers so that they could see through a forcefield the gas seas and the tiny islands below which were just barely still in the local night cycle - a thirty-kilometer drop just waiting for them.

After what seemed like ages, Tanic Dan came over their comms with one last check. "Check check! Both of you give me a thumbs up when you're ready and I'll drop the shield and set you free!"

There was no hesitation as Mona gave a thumbs up and turned her head over to look at her lover through her helmet's HUD.

Shaking out a last-second bundle of nerves, Dox took a breath and turned to Mona with a smile. Simply seeing the look of raw excitement in her bond-mate's eyes was enough to overwhelm her anxieties. She gave a thumbs up and looked back down towards the swirling seas of gas stretching out before them.

That's when the final forcefield was removed and the two were blown out of the shuttle. They were now in freefall and in complete silence other than the sound of their own breath and the pinging of the suit sensors in their ears. The atmosphere was thin enough that they hit max velocity within seconds.

Mona maneuvered around by shifting her weight so she was across from Mnhei'sahe and looked up at her. "This is amazing, isn't it?!"

It astounded Mnhei'sahe at just how effortless it looked for Mona. Miradonian's were, of course, an avian species and flying was in their DNA and that showed as the Romulan pilot watched Mona slide through the upper atmosphere without a care. Dox, however, was a learned pilot. And while she was extremely skilled at the helm of a starship, just staying stable in her position as she fell took a conscious effort, holding her arms, legs, and head just right to keep herself from rolling out of control.

It was intense but she had to admit that it was extremely exhilarating as she looked down at Mona. A slight grin turned into a broad smile that erupted, not into a spoken reply to her lover's question, but into a joyous and deep laugh that rolled out and crescendoed as she locked eyes with Mona deeply. She got it.

Grinning wider, the brightly plumed Miradonian dove in a spiral for a few seconds before pulling up out of it into a double barrel roll, using her natural buoyancy to lift her back up level with her lover and easily coming up alongside her. Pointing off towards a growing brightness on the horizon, they were just in time to see the sunrise at around the twenty-six-kilometer mark, the light hitting the gasses and crescendoing across the land in colors too vibrant to even describe, the roiling gas seas starting to simmer from the morning light.

The brilliant burst of light crested the curved horizon and, in an instant, filled their field of view. Reflecting and refracting through the gasses, the morning sunbeams cast a pattern of swirling colors across their shimmering metallic suits like a projection. But the only thing more breathtaking then the sunrise over the horizon was seeing that light dapple across Mona's smiling face as she hovered to Dox's side, between the Romulan woman and the sunrise. The sunlight hit the Miradonian's large, amber eyes and they seemed to almost glow with their own luminosity. The fine turquoise and golden feathers on the edges of Mona's face shimmered with a pearlescence as the colored light seemed to kiss her beautiful face and it was all Dox could do to not let a tear escape her eyes as they continued to fall.

...to be continued.

 

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