Madagascar Revisited

Posted on Mon Feb 11th, 2019 @ 9:08am by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Asa Dael

Mission: Earthly Visitation
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: After Love is a Peculiar Thing

It was 1400 hours aboard the USS Hera as Lieutenant Junior Grade Asa Dael approached the holodeck, steps heavy with dread.

Normally an outing to the holodeck would be a fun occasion, or at worse a means to practice valuable job skills. Today had a different goal in mind. One short week ago Asa had been vacationing in Madagascar, enjoying the wind and waves, when they had been set upon by brutal kidnappers. Asa had been snatched up along with a gaseous life form they had befriended and had fought hard to escape long enough to signal to the Hera for emergency assistance. Lieutenant Mnhei’sahe Dox had lept to action like Asa’s own avenging angel and rescued them from the kidnappers while the gaseous creature named Virildi escaped. After emergency surgery, Asa was left with a couple of months light duty and a host of traumatic memories to process.

After a few sleepless nights Asa had sought out counseling via subspace with an old mentor to help process what had occurred. It was uniquely frustrating to need therapy when serving as the ships counselor, but Asa knew that without seeking help for their own problems they would be no good to anyone else. When their counselor had recommended exposure therapy, Asa had simultaneously dreaded it and known they needed to complete the therapy as soon as possible.

However the best part of Starfleet as a whole and of the USS Hera in particular is that no one need suffer or strive alone. The doctor trusted their friends would be there for them, and sent an invite along to Mnhei’sahe to join them on the Holodeck for a swimming trip. Dox knew all the details of what happened to Asa so likely had an inkling this jaunt had more than one purpose, but Asa had not specifically stated their goals when sending the invite. They were hoping against hope that the scenery today would not be problematic, but also knew Mnhei’sahe would be there for them if they fell apart.

Arriving five minutes earlier than Dox to program the holodeck, Asa’s face was set in a grim line of determination. Today would be enjoyable- one way or another.

After a few minutes, the door wooshed open to reveal the red-headed Romulan pilot, walking in wearing canvas sneakers and a Starfleet red sweatsuit with a duffle bag over her shoulder. "Hey, Asa. I'm here."

“Hey Mnhei’sahe!,” Asa greeted their friend warmly, “Ready to go for a dip?”

That said, the doctor took off the Grecian style dress they had been wearing revealing a mid-thigh pair of navy blue swim shorts and a lime green swim tank top. They were blessedly barefoot on the holographic sand and wiggled their toes slightly, digging into the warmth.

The holodeck portrayed a perfect representation of Itafy beach. The gently rolling azure blue waves, the sweetness in the air from local fried dessert vendors, the call of the gulls in the air, the hint of color from the nearby coral reef, and a few spots with beach chairs and towels laid out for guests to enjoy. The air was warm and gave the impression of the Sol system sun beating down on the occupant’s skin.

So far, so good thought Asa, proud of the lack of fear they felt from seeing the beach that had preceded such heartache when last they saw it.

Smiling, Mnhei'sahe knew what was going on. Asa was her best friend and had shared what had happened on the real version of this beach. And being no stranger to trauma, she was prepared to do whatever was required to help her friend. And today, that meant being seen in a bathing suit.

Dropping the bag on the simulated sand, she kicked off the shoes and pulled the sweats off to reveal a far too reveling, tight green one-piece suit. She was blushing slightly, smiling.

“Ooooo nice,” Asa said encouragingly, “Green really is your color.”

While Asa intellectually knew that Mnhei’sahe was shy about her appearance, the young doctor did not fully understand why. In the way of the truly young, Asa felt no shame about their body- save for the occasional zit that popped up- and saw no inherit flaw or cause of shame in their friends. They wanted her to see herself the way she truly was- a unique life full of love and compassion contained in a body strong and healthy. While as an asexual Asa would never really understand attraction based solely on physical appearance, they knew what it was to see the beauty in another’s soul reflected in their body, and Asa found Mnhei’sahe’s soul to be beautiful.

An impish grin appeared on Asa’s face as they made eye contact with Mnhei’sahe. “Last one to the water is a rotten egg!”

Challenge proclaimed, Asa was off running towards the water’s edge, all gangly arms and legs windmilling about haphazardly.

Laughing, Dox broke into a lighter run behind Asa. Under normal circumstances, she would fixate on what her rotund form looked like bouncing back and forth, but that wasn't even a consideration today. Asa's playfulness was infectious.

Without looking behind them, Asa reached the water and attempted a graceful dive in, but wound up belly flopping onto a wave, getting turned over and swallowing a mouthful of simulated seawater before popping up laughing and themself, hair askew in five different directions at once and a strap from their suit falling down.

Wiping water from their eyes, Asa called out, “Min, where’d’ya go?” The nickname was new, but said in a familial tone. Asa had been wanting to try it out for a while and figured might as well screw up all their courage today.

At the shore, Dox was gingerly stepping into the simulated water, testing it's temperature. "I'm coming. It's..." She stood up straight, surprised. "Oh, it's nice."

With a smile, she dove in after Asa, popping up nearby. She knew her chosen Rihannsu name was a mouthful and thought the nickname was charming, but drew no attention to it. "Thought it would be freezing like the academy pools."

“You are clearly woefully uneducated in the glories of a beach!” Asa enthused, “Some beaches have the glorious warm water. Ifafy is one of them, another is Cocoa beach off the coast of Florida, and I believe Trill’s waters are too, but that would be a question for the Captain. I have always wanted to visit there….purple oceans, can you imagine? That would be so cool.”

Ok, Asa, she didn’t balk at the nick name. At some point you’re gonna have to ask her to go with you to that grotto you know. Get brave. the doctor thought.

“Hey, um, Min, I was wondering, if it would be ok, would you swim with me over to the cave where I met Virildi? It’s really pretty and I think you will like it. And….well, and my therapist said it would be good for me to see the grotto is still beautiful and to remember the good things that happened that day. And I really, really don’t want to do that alone,” they concluded, uncertainty coloring their voice.

Smiling as broadly as her chubby cheeks would allow, Dox swam a little closer and said softly. "It's what I'm here for, silly. You're never alone, okay."

“Thank you,” was the heartfelt reply. “It’s just over this way….welllllll, I say just, it’s more like a 45 minute swim, but I go slow. Always loved swimming, was just never that fast at it. I sink like a stone as soon as I quit moving, so I conserve movement. That’s a nice way to say I lollygag, right?”

The doctor concluded with a playful wink. It was an effort to be their former self, but it felt good to laugh and be silly with a friend. Along the swim, Asa stopped here and there to point out colorful pieces of coral or to watch the sea life swirl around them. Every time a fish touched their foot the doctor wound up in giggles from the tickling sensation, and at one point grabbed a handful of seaweed floating nearby and made an impromptu wig atop their close cropped hair for Mnhei’sahe’s amusement.

Soon enough the two had reached a small cave, the interior covered in bio-luminescent vines and flowers glowing softly. It gave the grotto an alien appearance, but it was still beautiful to Asa’s eyes.

“You know, I never looked up what types of plants these are. I don’t figure they are native to the area, I certainly never saw anything else like them. What do you think?”

Looking around at the beauty of the grotto, Dox smiled as paddled in place. "I think you're right. This doesn't look like something from Earth. Not entirely."

Tilting her head, Dox pondered for a moment. "May an effect of your friend, Virildi?"

“It’s possible,” Asa conceded, “We didn’t really get a chance to talk too much about the flora and fauna, but it’s not outside the realm of possibilities they carried some spores or seeds within themselves when traveling. When we were making our escape,” Asa paused after a slight hitch in their voice belied strong emotion, “Virildi picked up some thumbtacks and threw them about, so they had the ability.

“Can you imagine how much Virildi has to share? What knowledge they have? The brief time we had together was so glorious…being joined with another being…I had never imagined. I guess that’s why many humanoids enjoy sex?” Asa asked, slightly blushing at the very idea.

Wading in place, Dox began floating on her back to look up at the grotto. She had gone out of her way to not think about the few minutes she had been merged with the shard of the cosmic entity that formerly inhabited this very holodeck, but it was a strong memory that grew stronger listening to Asa talk. "Yeah... it's... I've only got one experience for each, but for me, sex didn't even come close."

"I'm glad you got to have that experience." Dox continued. "Virildi sounds like they were very special to you."

“Yeah,” Asa said, letting out a plaintive sigh.

“It probably sounds silly, doesn’t it? Getting so invested in someone after knowing them so briefly? I can’t explain it, even to myself. I’ve never felt that way before…I could have spent hours communicating with them, soaking up their stories, telling them what few I have….Even now, I’m looking forward to meeting them again, even if it is in 300 years.”

Asa took a cue from Mnhei’sahe and began floating on their back also, staring up at the glowing ceiling of the cave, “It was all so intense, you know? I didn’t know feelings could be like that. Our friend that used to live in here….do you miss them? What was that like, if you want to share? ”

Dox sighed as she answered. "Yeah, I kinda do. It was only a couple of minutes, but it was amazing to not feel alone in your own body, like that. It was like... it's hard to put into words. The closest think I can think of isn't sex. I guess... I guess it's what being in love feels like."

Suddenly, Dox wasn't thinking of the entity anymore. Instead, she thought of the growing feelings still unspoken between herself and her Miradonian assistant flight chief, Mona Gonadie. She hadn't yet worked up the strength to tell Mona how she was feeling, but that feeling was the closest thing to the sensation of being joined. But what Dox didn't realize was that while she was thinking, the broad, warm smile had returned to her face and she had stopped speaking for a full thirty seconds, just floating there.

Of course Asa couldn’t let a target for shenanigans go without a bit of mischief, so the young doctor walked through the water up to the reclining figure of Mnhei’sahe and ever so gently booped her on the nose. Chicanery aside, Asa resumed floating with a grin and they asked, “So, who were you thinking about just then? Come on, Min, you know all my nonsense, gimme some of yours.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Dox looked back at Asa. "It's nothing, really. It's probably just me being stupid... but..."

She trailed off for a second. "It's... Ensign Gonadie. I just... I think... I really... like her." Then she righted herself in the water and cleared the water out of her face with a scrunched expression. "It's nothing, right? I'm just being stupid, right?"

With a laugh, Asa splashed Mnhei’sahe playfully.

“No, you aren’t being stupid, silly. It’s great! I mean, she did throw a coming out party for you and played makeover getting you in that green dress. Pretty obvious she likes you too, goofball. So, have you asked her out yet? Stammered in amazement? What stage are we at?”

While the doctor had no firsthand experience with romantic relationships, they had observed classmates first experience with love during the Academy and learned a good deal about the usual course these things took. The doctor also knew a bit more about Mona’s physiology than Mnhei’sahe did, and had surmised that any interest the pilot felt was already detected by Mona’s keen sense of smell. Knowing how Mnhei’sahe was fueled at times by equal part anxiety and frustration, Dael kept that particular detail to themself.

"What? No. No, I've not even told anyone really. Well, Death knew." Dox rolled her eyes with a grin. "SHE said I should just walk up and basically ravish her."

The anxious young Romulan laughed. "Yeah... I don't even know how to just say 'I like you, Mona'."

“Welllllllllll,” Asa considered, “Avian species frequently still rely on displays of plumage. So maybe a gift of something with a lot of color? Or preen for her, like fuss with your hair, or apply makeup while glancing at her? Sorry, I’m really bad at this. I just word vomit all over people everything in my head. Like that. And that. And that,” Asa continued with a grin.

Allowing Mnhei’sahe a chance to think, Asa dove into the water and did a handstand that was ruined by a sudden wave causing them to lose balance and topple over with a splash. Standing up with arms raised, they cried “Ta-da!” as if the whole affair had been planned.

Laughing out loud at Asa's playfulness, Dox was glad that they seemed to not be dwelling on their pain, and if talking about her embarrassing feelings for Mona was helping, then that worked out just fine.

"So, what about you? It sounds like you're still thinking a lot about Virildi? I know it's not exactly a one to one comparison, but it sounds pretty similar to me." Dox grinned mischievously as she spoke.

After a longing gaze to where Virildi had first appeared, Asa shook off the remembrance with a sigh. Flopping back to lay in the water, Asa began to swim towards the cave exit.

“Come on, let’s talk and float. The sun is setting and I always wanted to see the stars at night from the ocean. I hear you can see the whole Milky Way from the Sol night sky, and I was always around too much light pollution to enjoy it in person before.”

Once the pair had made their way outside the grotto, Asa lay on their back floating gently and responded, “Yeah, I think about them. Probably nothing will ever come of it though. After all, our lives aren’t exactly compatible, are they? They want to roam the stars, ride the eddies of space, explore planets and observe life. I’m shipboard most of the time and explore the galaxies inside the bodies of the people I treat. I surf the wave of thought to those I counsel, and conquer the invading hordes of disease and damage. Not exactly the same thing, huh? But then again, who knows, I have plenty of time to change course. My life has changed so much in the last 10 years, who knows where I will be in 300 years’ time. Whadd’ya think? Fashion model by then? Maybe a tightrope walker?” the last was said with an obvious smirk. Both people knew Asa would languish in either career, and likely kill themself if they attempted a tightrope.

Chuckling slightly, Dox replied. "Asa, you do roam the stars, ride the eddies of space, explore planets and observe life. That's literally our job description."

As simulated stars began appearing in the sky, Dox pointed up. "Look up there. Follow my finger. See that little cluster of stars there? Honey, that's where we really are right now. We're explorers. You just explore the inside and the outside at the same time. Which sounds a lot like what drew them to seek you out in the first place. It sounds like what love feels like."

Turning slightly, Dox booped Asa on their nose. "And I'm willing to bet Virildi won't be able to wait that long to know you again. You're worth it and then some."

Turning slightly, Dox booped Asa on their nose. "And I'm willing to bet Virildi won't be able to wait that long to know you again. You're worth it and then some."

Blushing slightly, Asa replied, “Thanks…it’s just, they are so awesome, so unique, and I’m, well I’m just me. I’m just a doctor. Ok yeah, I guess you are right, I do someexploring, and maybe a little unusual…..”then seeing the look on Mnhei’sahe’s face Asa giggled, “Ok, ok, point taken. I can see you aren’t going to let me get away with sulking. Maybe I will meet them again soon. There is still a trace of their psionic signature entwined in mine, who knows, maybe they can track that down. I could have asked the Doctor to remove the trace elements from our joining, but they aren’t harming me, and it’s a nice reminder, you know? After all, I’ve already jacked up being a 100% natural El-Aurian, what with the whole Death thing and Hera thing, what’s another cosmic residue added to the mix, right?”

Smiling, Dox added with just a bit of pride. "Asa, I already had the doctor isolate that sample they left in you when you were in sickbay. It's still a part of you, but we have the energy signature. And I may have loaded that signature into a sensor sweep algorithm in the Flight Control Office in my spare time in case you ever wanted to track them down. Just sayin'."

"For whenever you're ready. No rush." Then Dox lightly splashed the nervous young doctor.

Asa’s face lit up at this revelation. Bounding in excitement to give Mnhei’sahe a hug, they exclaimed, “You are the best! I mean, maybe not yet, they probably need time to recover…longer lived species sometimes have amplified recovery periods, especially among particulate life forms, and they would need to find a gas giant to take haven in if my guess is right. Sorry, I’m rambling, huh? Anyway, back to you and Mona. Soooooo what’s the plan for you to make a love connection. How wilt thou woo fair maiden?”

It was clear although the words were said with levity that Asa truly wanted their friend to be happy. Something about the scent of the water in the air and the quiet of the simulated stars lent an air of confidence to the two friends, it felt like the perfect setting to tell secrets. It was not hard for Asa to understand why so much of human storytelling started gathered around a campfire at night. The darkness of Earth was not all that dark when shared with a friend.

"Fine, change the subject!" Dox laughed, splashing Asa. "Honestly, I have no idea. I don't even know how to just TELL her. I've... I've never really done this before. Not really."

“Um, maybe she knows already?” Asa said, testing the waters to see how Mnhei’sahe would react. “Like, has she given any indications? Flirted maybe…whatever that looks like beyond the whole party and dress thing. Heck, I dunno. The one life form I crush on just merged with me and shared my dang brain. So just stick your fingers in Mona’s brain and beam her the knowledge. That should work, right?”

Ugh... Yeah, I think she knows." Dox blushed with embarrassment. "SOOOO... remember a few weeks ago when I was... uh... when I got..." She sank half into the water.amd groaned up bubbles.

"When I was on my... period..." Dox moaned out the words. "I was making an ass of myself and she was flirting like crazy, but I don't know if she was just messing with me."

By reflex, Asa responded, “Menstruation is a perfectly natural part of life. No need to be embarrassed by it. And from what I understand of people who experience sexual attraction, flirting is part of life too. Granted, all flirting looks like people messing with one another to me, but I think that’s part of the process? To flirt back without having some heart behind it would be a bit cruel, don’t you think? And Mona has never struck me as cruel. I think, my friend, there is a strong probability she likes you too. Tell me what happened while we swim back to shore, I’m dying for a funnel cake at the little stand.”

Swimming back, Mnhei'sahe skipped over the fact that that had been her first ever period of the uncomfortable details of how intense it was and instead focused on how she was feeling. "We... we haven't talked about it since that day. I mean, we work in the same office so I don't know what that means? I know... I know... I'm over thinking in."

“Hmmmm, yeah, that’s a toughie. First things first, what safeguards do you have in place to avoid any appearance of favoritism or retribution? I know you would never do that, but your reputation is hard fought and well deserved. And we both know that if there is one thing people do, it’s talk. So, to avoid the flight crew getting all uppity, how can we preserve that for you? It’s possible Mona was waiting for you to make the first move for the same reason, ya know?” Asa replied.

"I don't know... I mean... I know the rules about fraternizing and keeping stuff behind closed doors. But I haven't really thought about it. I mean, I have to say something first." Dox replied as they swam slowly back to shore.

"I should just say something, right?" The anxious aviatrix asked.

With a grin, Asa pointed towards the funnel cake stand the two friends began towards.

“Yeah, but it’s going to be ok. You are both professionals, just, maybe don’t worry if she’s your soul mate and just see if she’s a soup mate? Ask her out to dinner, just the two of you, but somewhere public, like 10-forward? It might take some of the stress off?” Asa said in a conciliatory tone. After all, if they could defy ancient demons together, surely two crew members could eat a meal together.

"That's a good idea. Just dinner and I can see if it's all in my head or not." As they walked, Dox looked at her fingers. "Ugh, I'm all wrinkly now." Then ran her pruned finger tips across Asa's back. "Feel the horror of the Romulan prune woman!"


With a mock shriek, Asa cried “Nooooo not the pruuunnnnneeeee womaaaaaaan! She will make me tooooo reeeegggguuuullllllaaarrrrr!”

Then with a wink continued, “Let’s rehydrate you with fruit punch and syrup, shall we?”

Some things in life would stay constants for Asa, and chief among them were a loving friendship with Mnhei’sahe and an abiding love of all things sugar.

"That sounds good to me." Dox laughed deeply as she talked. But after a second, she brought her voice down and soft as she looked Asa in the eyes.

"How are you feeling, honey?" She had a broad sincere smile, remembering why they had come to the holodeck to begin with.

With a sigh, Asa met Mnhei’sahe’s gaze. Wrapping their arms around their middle in an act of self-comfort, Asa considered the question. Their instinctual response was to affirm that all was right with the universe and disregard their own healing. However, time spent acting as counselor had reinforced to Asa some healthy emotional habits they had neglected in their own life, and being emotionally honest with close friends was one of them.

“Honestly…I’m not sure. Some days I feel like normal, like I can brush off the bad dreams and fear and it will just go away. Other days I wake up with tears drying from crying in my sleep. I abhor weakness in myself though, so I don’t let myself dwell. I have an entire ship to keep healthy after all, so I throw myself into the work. There were four nights in a row that I slept two hours or less because I stayed in my office working. Even the EMH is starting to look askance at me for it. But I started therapy, and I’m confident that is going to help. Today helped. I could experience this place as something positive….some sunshine to counter the darkness. There were moments in the grotto when I felt the fear creeping in, but I had you there, so I knew I was ok. I’m coping…albeit not always in the best way possible. If I’m still off kilter after a couple of weeks of talk therapy, I will ask the EMH for some pharmacological assistance to get ye old neurotransmitters behaving again. Not exactly reassuring to have a wreck of a doctor, huh?” they concluded weakly.

The pair had reached the funnel cake stand and Asa had procured a massive apple funnel cake and two drinks for the table while speaking. They placed the treats on the table while waiting for Mnhei’sahe’s judgement of their mental state.

Taking Asa's hands, Dox sat the pair down on the bench of the table as she spoke. "It's hard, and you know I know. But you're doing everything you can, right? You're going one day at a time and getting help when you need it, right?"

Dox leaned in and smirked. "And you're not literally beating yourself up, so you're way above my level. Just don't ever think your alone. My door is always open for you. Literally. I programmed it to open for you regardless. So whenever you need a hand, just grab mine. If you can't sleep, come over. Okay?"

With which Dox pulled Asa in for a long hug.

Returning the hug with a ferocity that many would be surprised by, Asa said in a reedy voice, “You do realize you just gave a level 5 cuddle-clinger access? But I will…I promise. Thank you for being there, and for letting me be there for you.”

Not letting go, Dox replied softly. "Like it or not, you're my family now. I'll always be here for you and vice versa."

"Family," Asa affirmed with a nod. "Thanks for being here....really. I promise next holodeck trip will be all fun, no therapy. Maybe we can even play around with reduced gravity or something..."

"Whatever you want to do, so long as it's not talking about my love life, or lack thereof." Dox replied with a smile.