This story is the result of a challenge set by my brother to write an amusing story including the following items:
1. A tree
2. The color peach
3. Two shiny objects
4. Ro Laren
5. Something heavy
6. A tunnel
7. Water in any form.
Please enjoy the end product of my efforts!
Smirking, she tapped the computer panel and selected the program she wanted. The computer had other ideas.
�Unable to comply. Another program is in use,� informed the calm electronic voice. Ro scowled. She had been using the holodeck at this time each week for months and nobody had ever got in the way. She scanned the corridor, out of a wary force of habit, before pressing �open� and going in anyway.
�As far as I�m concerned, right now it�s my holodeck,� she said, defending herself to no-one in particular. Another habit she had gotten into, probably from spending too much time with Commander Riker.
On entering, Ro discovered herself in a forest � a tropical rainforest judging by the sudden rise in humidity and temperature. She was already sweating profusely, and had to remove her top layer to compensate for the climate, leaving her in just a cropped sports vest, her bare skin easy prey for jungle insects. Surveying the area, once the doors had closed with their customary whisper, she realised she had entered into a clearing. It was dark � in the dense rainforest undergrowth little light was filtering through to the floor, and at the edges of the clearing she couldn�t see more than a metre into the trees. It was noisy too, the air filled with a cacophony of birdsong, chattering and croaking. Just to the right of her she noticed that someone had cut a crude path through the foliage � the usurper of her work-out time.
�Gotcha.� She headed off, but was cut short at the sound of voices, from very nearby. A fighter by nature she tensed up, fists clenched, ready to fight. The voices were no more than a hundred metres away. A man and a woman, she determined.
It suddenly occurred to her that technically, she was the invader in someone else�s program, and who knew what it was being used for.........well, she had started now. Something told Ro that her curiosity wouldn�t let her sleep tonight until she�d found out who was here, and what for, no matter what it was. She sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow and pushing her headband back off her face before alighting on the nearest tree trunk and heading to a vantage point � up.
She climbed for a good twenty metres through the noisy clamour of loud fauna and bright flora that was the rainforest canopy, before seeing sunlight through the leaves above. Poking her head through the eaves, she got a view of more rainforest, stretching on and on over hills and mountains for miles around. She took a moment to look at it before she hard voices again. Looking a little closer to home, not fifty metres from the tree, Ro saw another much larger clearing.
Her eyes went wide. She shook her head, smiling in disbelief at her luck � what a rare opportunity she had been presented with.
�Oh,� she said to herself, �this is just too easy....�
*** Several minutes earlier***
�This is extraordinary!� exclaimed Picard, dusting off a small stone and holding it up to the light. In the sun�s glare it sparkled brightly, blinding the captain�s accomplice, Doctor Crusher.
�Hey,� she complained, leaning over and nudging his arm. He lowered it obligingly.
�Sorry. But look,� he replied, placing it in her hand. She remained sceptical.
�It�s a stone, Jean-Luc.� Picard raised his eyebrows.
�This is an archaeological dig, my dear doctor. Nothing is just a stone. Look at it.� He pushed it further into her palm, insisting. It was cold to the touch, quite unexpected in such a humid climate. Beverly sighed.
�All right.�
Turning the gem over in her hand she realised it wasn�t simply a small rock after all. It had grooves and ridges carved into it, and on closer inspection she saw it was a miniature figure, much like those on the wall carvings Jean-Luc had shown her earlier in their outing. It was, as he said, quite remarkable, and evidently very old. She handed it back and smiled coyly.
�I guess you still know more about this kind of thing than I do.�
Jean-Luc returned the smile. �You�re learning,� he said by way of a reply. She put her head on one side inquisitively.
�What were they called, again? The people who built it.�
�Maldanians. Of Maldan IV.�
�Of course. I remember.�
The �it� she referred to was the subject of the pair�s holographic archaeological foray, and was really quite impressive. The program was one Picard had created after a real visit to Maldan IV several years ago, in order to show Beverly the discovery his team had made � namely, �it�. Deep in the equatorial rainforest was the location of an ancient settlement, whose remains they now stood upon: a large tiered structure covered in vines and carvings of events, resembling ancient Aztec temples of Earth�s Peru. Inside were chambers filled to the brim with artefacts, and this was what so attracted the captain. Beverly accompanied him here every so often, to admire the mountainous forest views while he scrabbled and dug in the dust.
She turned to look at him, crouched down a short distance, scraping sand from an area of the stone they stood on, the top level of the temple. His actions reminded her of a young Wesley, making sandcastles on the beach in California, and she laughed to herself at the comparison. His head shone in the sun, damp from the humidity � it was a little uncomfortable in the sticky climate, but she was happy to put up with it in order to spend time with her friend.
Looking up at Beverly, Picard frowned. �What are you looking at so intently?� he asked good-humouredly.
�I was just wondering how you find it so exciting when you�ve been here before. You must have dug up the same artefacts dozens of times.�
The doctor wandered over to him as she spoke, sitting down on the edge of a section of rock. There was an outburst of sound as a flock of macaw-like birds flew up from the treetops a way off, chattering and squalling. Picard watched them go, shaking his head slowly.
�Uh-uh. Every time, it�s a new one. I know here I haven�t looked yet,� he replied, joining her on the rock. �So I know where to look next time.�
She looked at him questioningly. �Next time you come to the holodeck? Or next time you go to Maldan? I bet it isn�t the same there as it is here.� He didn�t reply, so she continued, �It must have changed a lot since your last visit.�
But he had got up again, enticed by another carving. �Interesting,� he said, �this is third dynasty. Everything else here is second. This section must have come much later. Fascinating.�
Beverly scowled playfully, feigning annoyance. He wasn�t intentionally ignoring her � he was far too much of a gentleman for that � it was just that right now, unravelling the mysteries of Maldanian civilisation was more interesting than conversation. She knew from experience that her only worthy rival in competing for Jean-Luc�s affections was archaeology. He was still talking, partly to himself.
�It really is incredible what they could achieve. Their architecture, their artwork, everything. Fascinating,� he said again, straightening up and surveying the view � part of which included Beverly. They exchanged a smile, and she saw what a good mood he was in. This whole process of excavation and discovery made him so happy. She wished, not for the first time that day, that her companion would be that passionate about her, not just ancient temples.
�I�m sorry, Beverly,� he said. It surprised her. His face looked suddenly subservient and melancholy.
�Sorry for what?�
He came to sit by her again. �I know you don�t find all this as.....exhilarating as I do. I�m sure you�d rather be...watching Shakespeare, or.....in New Zealand,� he said, hinting at a previous holodeck outing, in which the good captain had tried his hand at surfing, to little avail. Beverly laughed, remembering, and took hold of his hand.
�Jean-Luc,� she answered, looking at him affectionately, �I�m enjoying myself, even if I�m not all that excited about the ruins. It was your turn to choose the program, and you chose this one. So here we are. You have nothing to apologise for.�
There was a pause. He held her gaze, and she saw the contented look reappear in his eyes: he was happy again.
Picard smiled, reassured � he loved it when she was so casually intimate like that, taking hold of his hand. It made his heartbeat flutter in quite a strange, incontrollable manner, more so than the discovery of any new relic or piece of statue from Maldan. He wished he could find words to tell her that. It seemed so hard to discuss anything truly personal with his beautiful doctor when out in the ship, where any crewman privy to the conversation would be sure to jump to conclusions about their relationship. Here, in the middle of the rainforest, far from the prying eyes of junior officers, it was marginally easier to talk about...them. Still he found it a daunting prospect, and wished, not for the first time that day; that she knew why he brought her here: not for rocks and carvings, but simply to enjoy her company somewhere far from ranks and the chain of command.
Gazes locked, Beverly smiled conspiratorially. �What are you looking at so intently?� she inquired, echoing him. He replied without thinking.
�Just you.�
It was surprisingly personal of him. The doctor found herself blushing and let go of his hand, then got up and stretched, looking over to the West. The sky was blazing in the late afternoon with sunset approaching. At the horizon bright red clouds were set against a peach-coloured backdrop, which faded through yellow to pale blue towards the zenith above them. It was truly a beautiful day, though now coming to a close.
�It�s late,� Beverly intoned, changing the subject half-intentionally. �We must have been here for hours.�
�Hmm,� he said. �Does that mean you think we should be going, Beverly? Aren�t you enjoying yourself?�
She turned to him to protest, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand, and found he was standing very close behind her. She breathed in sharply in surprise. He took no notice, reaching up and taking hold of her aloft hand. There was an odd look in his grey eyes, and not entirely an unfamiliar one...it was very intimate and she felt butterflies in her stomach.
�Of course I am.....but it is getting late, Jean. Maybe we should go.� He really was very close to her.......
Picard nodded slowly. �Yes. Hmm. I�ll pack up,� he said absent-mindedly. Her red hair reflected the sinking sun, and its lustre made him very tempted to pull out her loose ponytail and stroke it. He hesitated. He didn�t want to move � he was really rather happy standing her with her, hand in hand atop the ruins. He could stand there �til dark if permitted to do so.
Their faces were close together in the nearing twilight, and his gaze flickered to her lips. Her gaze held his, and he couldn�t help it � he leaned in and he gave her a quick kiss before letting go her hand, and hurriedly moving away to collect his tools.
Beverly stood where he left her and watched him, a look of happy perplexity creeping onto her face. Maybe Jean-Luc harboured affection for something other than archaeology after all...her heart certainly hoped so, and she could feel it racing in her neck � he caught her eye momentarily and she was struck by his fine features in the evening light. She went to him without thinking about it, and pulled on his hand. There was the faint sound of thunder in the distance, the sky growing darker.
�Where do you think you�re going?� she asked, and grinned mischievously as he faced her.
�I � � he began, a little confused, before finding her lips pressed to his and her arms around his neck. She smelled wonderful. He reciprocated, pulling her closer, kissing her in return. His heart soared � this was certainly his most exhilarating find of the day. He would trade every Maldanian discovery � hell, his entire archaeological collection � if only he could do this more often...his hands found their way to her hair and pulled it loose from its tie as they had so longed to do moments earlier, so it fell down her back in auburn waves, and he ran his fingers through it. She laughed against him, relishing the rare feeling of the embrace, of his lips stroking hers....holding his face to kiss him again as a raindrop landed on his head. It trickled down his nose. Another landed on her forehead. Another on his neck.
Then another. Then another. Then another...
***
Suspended on her branch, Ro watched her superiors with eyes wide with glee. Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher. Just think what other officers would do to hear the story. She wasn�t a sociable person generally, far from it, preferring to talk to Guinan, sometimes Counsellor Troi, or even sit by herself and brood rather than talk to her fellow junior officers. But this would go down so well in Ten Forward she had a feeling that tonight could be an exception to her usual rule of solitude.
She felt like a child watching her teachers � the instant leader of her classmates, because she knew something they didn�t. And what a thing to know- the captain and CMO, the highest ranking male and female on the ship...a secret liaison on the holodeck...
�I can�t believe this is happening,� she thought aloud, then shook her head as she felt a drop of rain on her ridged nose. Then another. She looked across the sky � large clouds hard formed in the North. Without further warning the rain began to fall harder, becoming a curtain that before long soaked her protruding upper half, forcing her to move down below the leaves where it was a little drier. Ro frowned � down here she could barely see the targets of her espionage, and her foothold wasn�t as good. She felt fairly precarious. But she was gonna have to stay low � by now it was raining so hard the thundering sound of it almost drowned out the chattering chorus of the incessant wildlife.
Sighing, Ro squeezed out the rain and sweat from her top, and used the one she had removed earlier as a towel. It was wet enough without the rain, she thought angrily, settling herself into a more comfortable position to wait for the storm to subside.
***Several minutes later***
The dust layered on the temple quickly turned into a thick sludge in the rain, making a descent down the steep steps rather a difficult and perilous task.
�Come on, only one more level,� Picard assured Beverly, having to yell over the sound of the downpour. The two of them were soaked to their skins, Beverly�s hair clinging to her head and shoulders. It was hard to see or hear each other, so they were linked by the hand, eventually reaching the ground level and running for cover, kicking up splashes of mud that soon coated their legs.
He dragged her into a tunnel carved out of the ancient rock structure: a passageway leading don underground. Jean-Luc had told her on a previous visit that it led to a crypt, and she shuddered, looking into the dark.
It was much quieter in the tunnel than outside, and they stood for a moment dripping rivulets of water onto the ground. Picard sighed, and let himself slide down the wall into a sitting position. They were both breathing hard from the hurried climb down. Beverly wrung out her hair, spattering droplets across the floor, and then sat down beside him. She grinned.
�It�s never rained here before,� she said. Her friend was watching the downpour outside.
�In the rainforest there�s a thunderstorm every day. Every afternoon. We just stayed later than usual.�
He looked at her and returned her smile. �It�s dry in here,� he said, an attempt to make up for it. She raised her eyebrows behind her drenched fringe.
�Too late.�
�It�s better than nothing.�
Beverly nodded, still holding his gaze. They were both consciously ignoring the possibility of simply ending the program, and re-entering the ship where it was actually dry. She shuffled a little closer and cautiously linked her arm through his, hoping he wouldn�t choose to forget their encounter up on the temple roof.
�Now what?� she enquired, half-whispering. There was a pause before he responded while he searched her eyes.
He smiled, and she felt a wave of relief. He wasn�t going to make it awkward.
�I believe, doctor,� he began, moving around to face her, curling his arms around her waist and leaning her backwards towards the ground; �that we were rudely interrupted........�
***
Ro kept down after the rain had died down a little. She couldn�t see Picard or Crusher anymore and there was no use in getting wet for nothing. She was a little concerned about the ranch she was standing on � it wasn�t as thick as she would have liked and really she needed a stronger foothold.
Shooing away a monkey-like creature that had settles below her, Ro attempted to navigate her way further down. The branches were wet now and slippery, and there were shiny, slimy leaves everywhere. After a metre or so, her foot slipped out from under her, and she yelled out, hanging on by one hand.
�That was too close,� she told herself, and went to reassert herself, intending to proceed with more caution. As soon as she put her foot down again she lost her grip above, her hand slipping off a wet tree trunk. Her other hand couldn�t grab on fast enough and she fell through the damp foliage, letting out a scream as she went crashing through branches that scratched at her face and arms on the way down to the forest floor, a long, long way below.
***
A loud crashing sound and a scream came from somewhere in the forest, sending a plume of coloured birds flapping into the air. Beverly froze, as did Jean-Luc, now on top of her having tipped her backwards so she lay beneath him. Picard � his lips millimetres away from hers � let out a disgruntled sigh.
�It seems we are out of luck today, Beverly,� he said quietly, his breath tickling her face. She smiled up at him.
�Don�t you think we should go investigate?� she replied in a mock reprimanding tone, �I heard someone scream.�
�Yes, a woman. You�re right, we should see if she�s hurt.� And find out what the hell she�s doing in my holodeck program. Two interruptions were more than enough.
They got up and dusted down their damp clothes, before venturing out into the rain, by now more of a shower than a thunderstorm. Picard had managed to drag his bag of tools down from the top level and carried it slung over his shoulder, now taking out a knife to cut a path back through the dense undergrowth. They had taken a long way round on the way in to observe some floor carvings in the forest, but now went straight back through into the small clearing. Still, little light reached the floor there and it was fairly dark. Picard threw Beverly a handheld beacon.
�Here, check the edges.�
It didn�t take long to find the culprit of the scream. The beacon�s light caught a shiny metal object under a large fern.
�Jean-Luc!�
He pushed the leaves aside to reveal the object�s identity � the Bajoran earring of Ensign Ro Laren, who lay sprawled on the ground among the leaves and vines, a monkey-like mammal perched on her leg. It ran at the sight of them. Beverly instantly dropped to her knees to check her over � he marvelled at her medical concern and instinct, and the need to help Ro despite the fact she was obviously trespassing. He watched her pale hands with great respect and adoration as they moved expertly over the injured patient, sizing up the damage.
�She�s alive,� reported Beverly, �but she�s hit her head pretty hard. One broken arm.� She turned and looked quizzically at Jean-Luc. �What do you think she was doing up a tree?�
�Who knows? She may have been looking for us.�
�In gym clothes?� I don't think so. Here, can you lift her?� Picard obliged, stepping forward and gathering the ensign up off the floor. He stumbled backwards as he straightened up.
�Hey, be careful!� scolded Beverly, the doctor now rather than his friend, rushing to help steady him. �You�ll drop her.�
�I can�t help it; she�s too heavy with the bag as well.� They tried again, Picard carrying Ro and Beverly carrying the bag of tools. The pair exchanged a look.
�Maybe she wandered into the wrong holodeck,� suggested the captain a little sarcastically, heading for the door.
�Maybe. But I don�t get the feeling she would wander up a tree accidentally.� He looked at her, regarding the knowing look in her blue eyes. �You think she was watching us?�
�Almost definitely.� She pressed the computer panel outside to terminate the program. �This way; we�d better take her to sickbay.�
Picard shifted his burden in his arms, looking at her suspiciously. He didn�t know Ro well as a person, only her traits and tendencies as an officer - but he knew enough to get a feeling that she wasn�t the type to keep knowledge to herself if it could prove useful to share it. The concept of that evening�s events being made Starfleet general knowledge was not an appealing one.
He sighed. �Hmm. Let�s hope that head wound has an effect on her memory,� he said, shooting his companion a look. Beverly caught his eye and smiled, an idea forming in her head.
�Oh, don�t worry. I�m sure it will.....�
***The next morning***
Rolling over, Ro opened her eyes to see a blinding light from the ceiling above her �she�d seen it many times before. She was in sickbay. The thought made her groan, and she gingerly sat up, taking a minute to let her eyes focus. There was a sharp pain in the back of her head and a metal band around her wrist that felt cold against her skin
The room came visible just as a figure came round the corner � Doctor Crusher, entering from her office. Ro felt a strange flip in her stomach as she saw Captain Picard behind her. They were coming to talk to her.....she had a funny feeling that was bad, though she wasn�t entirely sure why. She forced a smile through her confusion.
�Doctor.�
�Good morning, ensign. It�s good to see you awake,� said Crusher, producing a hypospray from her lab coat pocket and pressing it to Ro�s neck. �You had us worried yesterday with that fall of yours. You were out for hours.�
�Fall?� What fall? Had she fallen? She was surprised, on looking down, to find herself in her usual red uniform. The last time she checked she had been in work out gear � on the way to the holodeck. For some reason she was stunned to find herself dry, though it seemed foolish to her to think that she should be otherwise. A frown furrowed her brow. �Doctor, how did I get here, exactly?� she asked, bewildered.
Crusher smiled. �We had to bring you on a stretcher from holodeck two. I guess you hit your head pretty hard when you fell off that rock face; that would explain the memory loss.�
�What? Rock face? Doctor, are you....are you sure that�s what I was doing?� Funnily enough she did remember being outside. It was possible, she reasoned, that she had been rock climbing. It was another pastime of hers, and she had fallen before. Even hit her head before. Perfectly reasonable...
The doctor put her hand on Ro�s shoulder and spoke in a reassuring tone. �Don�t worry about anything. I know it�s confusing when you can�t remember events like this, but you�re going to be fine. We fixed your broken arm up so you�ll be fit for duty tomorrow, as long as you keep the regenerator on for a few hours today. But no rock climbing for a few weeks, all right? Doctor�s orders. We don�t want you back in here.�
Picard took a step forward. �I�m sure with a day�s rest you�ll feel much better, ensign.� His smile was unusual. He never smiled at her - seldom looked at her for that matter. But although something wasn�t right, Ro couldn�t find fault with her situation. Of course, she must have gone climbing instead of her usual workout, and fallen, hitting her head and arm....regenerator. That explained the metal band. It made sense, despite her instinctive dislike of those in control of her. She had never fully trusted Starfleet superiors. And yet, why would they lie to her?
�Thank-you, captain,� she replied, still slightly unsure. As bad as Starfleet were in her eyes, surely they wouldn�t lie about a head wound. Memory loss was a common side-effect of accidents during recreational activities. No. Surely she was just paranoid. �Thank-you, she repeated. �I guess I�ll go home and, er...get some sleep. Rest. Goodbye, captain; doctor.�
She jumped off the biobed and headed for the door. Her superiors began talking as she left, and she eavesdropped out of habit. Picard was speaking in undertones, but she could still hear him, just about.
�I don�t think we have anything to worry about.�
�No. Tonight at 2100?�
�Absolutely.�
Ro stopped, letting the door close behind her, and frowned. Were they......? She had the feeling she was meant to know something about......something. About them. Wasn�t she? If it was that important, surely she wouldn�t forget it?
She shook it off: she must have misheard their conversation. Shaking her head, she headed in the opposite direction to her quarters, towards the bridge. No doubt Commander Riker was getting bored up there with no-one to yell at.
THE END
