Planning a Follow Up - Part 2 - BACKPOST

Posted on Tue Sep 16th, 2025 @ 2:01am by Lieutenant J'airesh Mora-Heath

Mission: Season 6: Echoes of the Zynari
Location: Dining Hall
Timeline: (Backpost)
1720 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

PREVIOUSLY:

"I think it will work." Zac replied. "I've been thinking on some activities we could do this time. Rafting, not white water just down a lazy river or if we don't want to try that we could do tubing. Maybe some para gliding or getting some paddle boats and just enjoying the day and the company." Zac sat straighter, "Oh! What about snorkelling?"

J'Air lit up more and more as Zac's list of suggestions grew. When he finally sat up and came out with *snorkelling* she beamed even wider.

ON:

"Ooooh! I like all of those, but snorkelling would really be the top of the list for me. I would 100% love that. The beautiful, warm tropical water and the fantASTic little fish and plants and organisms and coral and.... what if there were bigger creatures? Like Dolphins? She rolled her eyes. "OH, I would ADORE to swim with Dolphins!"

Seeing J'Air's reaction, Zac decided to tease her. "Well, if you aren't sure....." He trailed off laughing. "I think we can arrange to have us swim with dolphins and I agree that would be fantastic. I think Emily would get a big kick out of that."

J'Air really liked Zac's sense of humour. She laughed as well, picking up on his irony.

"Well" she said, trying to look serious again. "I really DID like almost all of your suggestions so it was very hard to decide, in actual fact." she was attempting a look as if she really had not decided but she wasn't fooling either Zac or even herself. She laughed again. "Okay, you got me! I really do like the Dolphins most of all but perhaps we could pick out some others for next time?" she shrugged. "I'm really glad you think Emily will like the Dolphins too".

Zac was grinning broadly at J 'Air's enthusiasm. "Happy to hear that you like the idea and yes I think Emily will by a kid in a candy store over this. I confess, I'm looking forward to it as well along with all the other activities we have been talking about. As for next time, perhaps we can arrange a swim with whale sharks. How cool would that be?" He sat back, his sandwich in front of him. "I think we have something for everyone to enjoy. What do you think and is there anything you would like us to do?"

"Whale Sharks?" for a moment J'Air's eyes widened, before she realised that Zac was teasing her again. She sighed and laughed. "Whales, yes. Whale SHARKS, no thanks" she gave him a playful, gentle push on the arm.

Zac realized J'Air thought he was teasing her. "No, no whale sharks are real. They are huge Earth sea creatures. They are sharks but as big as whales hence their name. They are also no threat to people. They eat plankton, not people."

J'Air looked hard at Zac and tried to work out if he was serious for once, or if this was a double bluff. His serious expression eventually convinced her and she began to laugh. "What am I like?" she put her palm to her forehead and chuckled more. "I really thought you'd made those up! Plankton not people? That's funny, you know. Very good!"

Zac smiled and shook his head, "No, they are real and are majestic creatures and swimming with them is something I'm already looking forward to after we first swim with the dolphins." He leaned back and looked at J'Air, "You know, I am really looking forward to this little excursion of ours. I just hope Emily and Chuck aren't disappointed."

"Agreed" J'Air responded with a wide smile. "I am too. I can't think of any reason that Chuck wouldn't love it as much as we will, unless he has some subconscious memory that might surface in response to being in the ocean and naturally I'll run this past him and let you know if we need to change it. I won't enjoy it at all if I know he's being gripped by some terrible 'deja vu" but is putting himself through it just to do what he thinks I want. He's so selfless like that but if I don't NEED something - life and death - then I can't bear for him to suffer on my account."

For a rare moment, during this unanticipated confidence shared, J'Air was very serious indeed, her eyes filling up with empathic pain for Chuck. However, characteristically, it wasn't more than a few moments before she shook it off and regained her signature smile. "Sorry I didn't see that coming and I shouldn't have burdened you with my worries, that was uncalled for. I do apologise" she recovered.

Zac looked at her for several seconds before he offered a reply. "First no apology is necessary when you are talking about the person you love. Next, yes check with Chuck. If this needs to be changed then it will be and no, you wouldn't enjoy it, none of us would if he wasn't. Thirdly, we're friends, good friends I hope and you never burden me. Friends help and care for each other, worry about them. So again no apology is needed or necessary."

"You are indeed a good and special friend Zac. Thank you for being so kind and understanding." J'Air replied, moved to receive such generous and thoughtful support. Her eyes went misty with emotion and she hugged Zac a second time, this time in appreciation and thanks, rather than in greeting like the first time. "I'm - we're - so lucky to have found such great friendships in you and Emily. I hope you both know what a joy your friendship gives us. Thank you" she managed to choke back any tears that were threatening to gather and blushed slightly to have been so vulnerable but although it was unusual, it had made her feel so much better.

"I think I'm going to buy us some nice drinks to celebrate...... a toast to friendship and how wonderfully it changes lives." she proposed. "What are you drinking?" she asked. "Just the one, and we have eaten so it won't have any ill effects on our work this afternoon, don't you think?"

Zac wrapped his arms around J'Air and hugged her back. "Hey, right back at you. You and Chuck are special and good people and you've been very kind to Emily and I and we'll never forget it. No no tears, this is a happy time time not sad. And" He continued, "You are a dear friend. We've shared a lot of good experiences starting with the ice planet. So I thank you for being my friend."

He nodded at her suggestion of buying some nice drinks. "I think that is a great idea. I'll have a rum and coke and yes just one. I don't believe we will suffer any ill effects in our work from this. I think this is an excellent idea." He smiled broadly at her.

J'Air grinned back. "My thinking exactly." she agreed. Taking up the ordering PaDD she input a 'rum and coke' and added an 'Andorian Sunrise' to go with it for herself, putting her fingerprint on it and sending it off. It wasn't long before there was a pleasant Server arriving at their table with the order. She sweetly put them down in front of each of them and left.

Thanking the Waiting-Person politely, J'Air then quietly, as soon as she was gone, swapped the two wrongly allocated drinks, laughing softly. She lifted the Rum and Coke from in front of herself and passed it to Zac, at the same time gently lifting the Sunrise, trying very hard not to swirl it. The beauty of an Adorian was the way it mixed as the different ingredients swapped places due to the viscosity of each, allowing the red port liqueur to dissipate down through the amber mead and into the thicker yellow peach concentrate that started at the bottom and seemed to burst upwards as it was displaced slowly by the other two causing it to form apparent peaks and going rosy as it was absorbed and merged like a sludge of sunset colours - after that, the ice cubes melted and diluted it into a drinkable liquid mix.

J'Air smiled at the mistake that was made, which ended up in Zac having her drink and she his, but they both seemed mesmerised by 'the Sunrise' watching it go through its transformation. It seemed relaxing and soothing to J'Air who was recovering from an emotional moment and felt so much better from the drink even before it touched her lips.

Zac smiled when their drinks arrived, he saw the mix up the waitress had accidently made and was about to switch the drinks before J'Air beat him to it. "Thanks." He replied accepting the rum and coke and J'Air having your Andorian Sunrise. "You know, no matter how many times I see that drink, it is still amazing to watch the transformation it goes through. It is simply beautiful. You made a good choice. I bet it tastes as good as it looks." he commented as his eyes still followed the ongoing transformation. he lifted his glass to her, "To good friends and good sunrises, may we never get tired of either and forever appreciate them."

"Amen to that!" she enthused gladly. "What a great toast! Never, indeed"

Before finally taking a refreshing sip of her drink, she held up the glass and chinked it against Zac's gently but with heart-felt sincerity.

Zac's glass clinked gently against J 'Air's. "Never, ever." He intoned with quiet sincerity. He treasured friends especially good ones like J'Air.

J'Air was delighted and even honoured to be counted as a good friend by Zac. She felt warm inside at that toast - a little warmer even than she was already beginning to feel as the sunrise gifted it's unique effects on the inside as well as in its visual display. It was so very lovely to have such lovely friends as Zac and Emily. And of course her dear, wonderful Chuck as well. A future with all of these three in it was a rosy one indeed.

END