Stardate: 70711.2100
Title: Late Night Surf
Author: Lt. Micah Samson
Scene: Following "In the Absence of the Sun" and before "The Calm Before the Storm"
Time: After Sunset
Samson bid a hasty exit from the card game. He had graciously accepted the invitation without much knowledge of the game or how to play it.
A "night with the guys" wasn't really his thing, he much preferred the idea of some solitude with the sea. The interaction between land, ocean and air stirred his interest in the sciences and meteorology.
The prevailing winds swept across the holographic sea, causing the waves to form on the surface of the water. As the energy of waves, formed thousands of miles away, approaches the beach, the wave height grows as the water becomes more shallow before crashing onto the land.
To most the fascination is simply with interacting with the wave itself, but to Samson it was an opportunity to quite literally immerse himself in his profession and favorite pastime.
At times in his life there were some who referred to him as a nerd, but he never worried about what others thought.
Growing up on Risa had given Samson a healthy dislike of people who tried to be what they were not, simply to fit into a crowd and score some "Jamaharon". He was who he was and he liked what he liked, and he wasn't going to let the fact some people found his interests boring dissuade him from participating in them.
It wasn't that he had no interest in friendships or relationships, it was simply that he wanted to be accepted for who he was by his friends, and loved for who he was by the right girl. The trick was finding the right girl. . .and then finding the courage to ask her out.
He found his surf board propped up outside against the house. In the distance the bonfire raged, surrounded by the Lily T'Ana, February Grace, Fox Margolis, N'Dura, Lair Kellyn and Ashlyn Trind.
He trotted towards the fire, intending to enter the sea nearby so he could navigate his surf board by the light of the flames. He removed his shirt and shorts revealing the wet suit beneath, and made his way down to the beach. As he passed the fire he shouted hello to the assemblage. Lily, Fox and Ashlyn smiled and waved back, N'Dura nodded, and Lair Kellyn glared. . . As he swung around the fire, not looking as he waved, Samson suddenly realized the ground was rushing up at him.
"OOF!" In a tangle of limbs and guitar strings, Samson unceremoniously tripped head over February Grace, whom he had not seen sitting on the far side of the fire. Bru shrieked as she felt Samson's weight knocking her backwards into the sand.
"Oh gosh, Lieutenant Grace! I'm so sorry!" Samson scrambled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of sand in the process.
"Ow, my head!" Grace stared off into space, "Who's there?"
"Samson, Micah Samson. I'm so sorry, let me help you up." He held out his hand to her. February pushed her glasses back down to her nose, and her hand wandered up towards his, like she still couldn't quite find it.
"Are you ok, Bru?" came the voice of Lily T'Ana. "What happened?" The other women gathered round.
"He didn't see her, ran right into her." said Fox, having seen the whole thing transpire.
Samson's cheeks flushed, feeling quite embarrassed by the whole thing now. He finally grabbed her wandering hand. The first thing he noticed was how soft her skin was.
"I'm ok really. Please, I'm fine." February protested, as Samson hauled her to her feet. Lily ruffled her hair to get the sand out of it, and brushed it off her back. February stared at the ground as Samson retrieved her guitar. One of the strings had snapped but other then that it had seemed to survived the worst of it.
"I'm so sorry Lieutenant Grace, I broke one of your strings. I'll repair it immediately." He walked in front of her and offered it up to her. February just continued to stare at the ground.
"No, you don't have to Mr. Samson, just... just set it down over there, thanks. Lily can you help me back to my seat? My head still hurts." Samson's embarrassment slowly turned to a bit of guilt. Grace seemed to have not been feeling well as it was and he had added a knock upside the head to whatever else already ailed her.
Yet she had been nothing but sweet and forgiving to him despite all that. He made a mental note that at some point he would have to do her a favor of some sort to make it up to her, but perhaps now was not the time.
"If your sure you're OK. Would you like me to walk you to Sickbay?"
"No, I'll be fine. If that's the worst thing that happens to me this week I'll count myself lucky." February fumbled, looking for the log beneath her as Lily lowered her down back to her seat.
Samson retrieved his surf board, feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes upon him and anxious to make his way out into the water now that he knew February was not seriously hurt. As he hurried off, the women returned to their seats around the fire and Ashlyn Trind sat down beside Lieutenant Grace to give her a quick look over.
The last thing he heard was Grace's voice speaking to Trind.
"Doctor, I guess now is as good a time as any to ask you something."
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Micah Samson
Science Officer
