Post 11 - A Risa Morning

Posted on Sun Feb 7th, 2021 @ 12:29am by Andrew Munro
Edited on on Mon Feb 8th, 2021 @ 5:40pm

Mission: The Waiting Game
Location: Suraya Bay, Risa
Timeline: One day before shore leave

[ Suraya Bay, Risa ]
[ Day before shore leave 06:45 ]

A refreshingly cool breeze blew across Andrew Munro’s face as he gently trod water in the middle of the bay. At this time in the morning, few people were up and about and the local wildlife would take advantage of the calm to search for food undisturbed. An early morning swim had become a bit of a habit for him as he felt the water and exercise helped him to shake off the drowsiness of a good night’s sleep. It was reassuring to see the animals all exhibiting their usual behaviors, as though it were confirmation that all was right with the world.

Time for breakfast, he thought and made his way back to the beach with a relaxed breaststroke. A large sea turtle was basking on the warm beach directly ahead and so he changed course slightly, heading for an empty stretch of golden sand. His apartment was still about a fifteen-minute walk from where he currently was, but the warm air would naturally dry his stocky, hirsute body by the time he got there. It was one of the many things he loved about Risa.
The tourist villas occupied the prime locations with the best beach access and views of the bay, but his apartment complex was tucked in just behind them. It was popular with singletons from other worlds, too small to house a family but close to the social venues of the resort. He’d only just walked through the door when the comm system chirped to indicate an incoming message.

“Who is it?” Andrew inquired.

“Incoming message from Gordon Munro,” came the reply.

His little brother. Andrew sat at his desk and accepted the call.
The young man who appeared wore a Starfleet command division uniform and had an athletic build with incredibly neat hair.

“Do you even own any shirts?” Gordon teased, rolling his eyes upwards.

“Why would I want to cover this?” Andrew replied, flexing his chest then jiggling his belly.

“Ugh, stop!”

“So to what do I owe the pleasure?” Andrew grinned. He’d never quite grown out of making his little brother squirm.

“I’m afraid I’m not gonna be able to make it to Risa next month.”

“Oh. Everything ok there?”

“Yeah, great actually. A tactical officer position opened up on the U.S.S. Resolute and I got it. I’ll be joining the ship next week.”

“Ah well, congratulations then. We’ll raise a glass to that when you finally make it here.”

“I have the leave but…”

“I know, it doesn’t look good to start a new job and then take a holiday right away. Don’t worry about it, I know you’ve been shooting for that position for a while now.”

“Funny. There’s more to it than shooting you know.”

“Sure there is.”

Andrew smirked at the image of his brother. For some reason, they still couldn’t have a conversation without teasing each other. It just felt kind of natural. He was proud of his brother’s achievements, but could never actually say so directly.

“Well, I should let you get back to your flowers,” Gordon quipped, bringing the call to an end.
“OK. Have fun with your ray guns,” Andrew replied.

They exchanged goodbyes and terminated the call.
He had just enough time to take a short sonic shower and find some suitable clothes for a trek through jungle terrain before the door chimed. It opened to reveal a young Trill woman with short blond hair that seemed to accentuate the striking dark spots that framed the sides of her face and disappeared into her collar.

“Good morning! Are you ready to go?” she said, with an eager tone.

“Good morning Nilani,” he replied. “Yeah, just let me grab a coffee.”

Nilani was new to the project, and still a student at the Trill Science Ministry. Her studies required her to undertake a research placement and she was to be shadowing him for the week. Today’s agenda was collecting samples and specimens from an uninhabited region, where the weather control grid permitted the conditions for the native jungle terrain of the planet. There were already plans for jungle treks to cater to adventurous tourists and so the environmental impact needed to be assessed. Once she became familiar with the procedures and the area, she’d be taking over the lead role for the study.

Andrew replicated a large Raktajino and followed her out to the shuttlepod she’d arrived in. He intended to catch up on some admin whilst Nilani flew them to work, but as the shuttlepod climbed into the air he found himself distracted by the stunning aerial view of the bay. His communicator broke the silence, indicating another incoming call. Probably the lab, he decided as he accepted the call.

“Munro here,” he announced.

“Andrew?” a voice asked. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “It’s Jelafon,” the voice added. “We met at Lohlunat last year.”

“Oh, Jelafon!” Andrew exclaimed, finally realizing who the caller was. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How are things?”

“Great, Rodney and I are back on Risa but we have a big villa over on Isle Delfino this time,” Jelafon answered. “Speaking of which, we're having a little barbecue tomorrow. You interested?”

“I’m doing well, thanks.” Andrew teased. He recalled that they liked to host events and he was likely too focused on this one to notice that he hadn’t completed the usual exchange of pleasantries. He wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn't scouted out that big villa on their last trip and assessed its hosting capabilities. “That sounds great, I’ll be there.”

“Fantastic, I’ll message you the address.” Jelafon’s voice sounded energized just by the acceptance of his invitation. “Oh, do you still live next to that Ferengi?”

“Munt? Yeah, he’s still there,” Andrew confirmed.

“We have an Andorian couple coming, could you see if you could find some proper Andorian Ale?” Jelafon asked. "Maybe a little Rigellian Brandy too if he has any"

Munt lived in an adjoining apartment and spent his days haggling for supply contracts with resorts and often tried to sell surplus stock directly to tourists on the beach. The quality was always fantastic, it had to be in order to be able to sell it to people who could replicate anything they wanted. “I’m sure he’ll be able to acquire whatever you need. Just send me a list along with the address.”

“Oh, that would be amazing,” Excitement was now clearly evident in Jelafon’s voice. “See you tomorrow!”

“I’m looking forward to it! See you then.” Andrew said before ending the call.
Nilani was grinning at the shuttlepod controls. Andrew wasn’t sure which part of the conversation had amused her.
“They’re a sweet couple.” Andrew felt like he needed to say it. “Besides, you can meet some really interesting people at these things.”

Nilani put on a big smile, humoring him. It clearly wasn’t her idea of a party.
“Oh, I look forward to hearing all about it,” she mocked.

“How long until we arrive at the designated coordinates?” Andrew asked, in an attempt to change the subject. He was starting to feel old.

“Five minutes,” Nilani replied in a neutral tone, picking up on his need to get back to business.