It's Like Riding a Bike, Right?

Posted on Sat Mar 14, 2020 @ 12:59pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant JG Natalie Cross

1,989 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Holosuite
Timeline: Backpost

Doors to the lift closed, and it headed in the direction of the holosuites. Her meeting with the CO went well. There was a lot to reflect on and to do. The situation with her predecessor was top priority, but she couldn't simply neglect the power struggle that was taking place. Keeping an eye on the Cardassians, Romulans, and Klingons also had to take priority. She'd have to learn to swim rather quickly or she might be in danger of sinking.

The lift came to a stop. She stepped off and headed for the holosuite in which her new XO was currently. She had to meet and greet with him as well prior to being able to get her hands dirty. She stepped up to the doors and paused for a moment. After taking a deep breath in and exhaling the doors opened and she stepped inside.

A wide vista met Natalie’s gaze as she walked from the corridor and out onto the hard-packed dirt of a stable yard. Prairie grass stretched over low rises in the mostly flat ground, and a few copses of trees stood here and there, and it looked like a tree-lined river glittered in the distance.

The sound of horse hooves clopped from the open stable doors, and a tall, rangy, middle aged man with black hair and eyes and ruggedly handsome features emerged. He wore jeans and a black shirt, and a black Stetson was pulled low over his eyes. He led a large black stallion in one hand, and a smaller paint mare in the other as he walked toward Natalie. Both were saddled.

“Howdy,” Caleb greeted, giving a tip of his hat. “Hope yer good with horses.” He held out the bridle of the paint to Natalie. “This is Samara Sunset, but she responds ta Sam. Let her get a smell of ya.”

The black stallion neighed and tossed its head. “Easy, Walker,” Caleb soothed, stroking the stallions neck.

Natalie took a step back as they approached. Her eyes fixes on the black stallion. It had become a natural reaction for her to back away anytime she found herself around horses.

When she was a child, her aunt had promised her to teach her how to ride. On one of the first times out, the horse got frightened of something. It took off with Natalie on its back, and she did end up getting knocked off. Since then she had avoided trying again, but today it looked like her lucky day.

"Hello," she replied, finding the courage to step forward towards Sam. She hesitated for a moment as Sam moved in closer to smell her. "I'll be honest, sir. I don't know how to ride."

Caleb smiled. “Nothin’ to it. Just don’t fall off,” he told Natalie with a chuckle. “Samara’s well behaved. She’ll take care of ya,” he promised Natalia. “But if ya don’t wanna ride, we can just go sit on the porch,” he offered, nodding to the low, one story ranch house on the other side.

The idea of not going for a ride sounded appealing, but she hesitated to accept it. This fear of riding had been with her since childhood, and it was maybe time to overcome that fear. She shook her head. "It's fine, sir. We can go for a ride."

“Wonderful. Let me help ya up,” he offered, then gave her instructions on how to mount Samara and helped ease her into the saddle.

Samara tossed her head and cantered a little, but made no movement that threatened to spill Natalie from the saddle.

“Comfortable?” Caleb asked, looking up at the attractive, dark-haired woman.

His assistance helped ease her mind and release some of the tension towards the situation. She sat in the saddle comfortably. After a deep breath she nodded. "Yes, this is okay," she said.

“Good. Here’s the reins. Just give a little pull on them the way ya wanna go, an’ she’ll listen. If ya wanna go faster, give a little kick inta her flanks.”

Caleb went over to Walker then and mounted with practiced ease, swinging his long leg over the stallion and settling into the saddle. “Tch, Tch,” he said, giving a little nudge, and the horses set out at a gentle walk.

“So what brings ya out ta mah ranch?” Caleb asked Natalie, looking back at her.

Pulling the reins in the direction of Caleb and his horse, Samara followed. "You do, sir," Natalie answered, looking around the surrounding area. It was a nice looking ranch. It reminded her of her own when she was a child. She didn't often think about it. A memory she repressed, for a good reason. "I just arrived at the station and wanted to introduce myself, and check in with you, sir," she added as her gaze returned to the front.

“Ah.” Caleb paused, thinking. “You the new intel officer?” he asked. “Ah seem ta recall somethin’ about that.” He settled into an easy pace on a trail that looked to be heading toward a ribbon of silver in the distance, a small river or something.

"Yes, I am, sir," she replied. This meeting was definitely different than her meeting with Commander Soran. But each officer had their own style. Natalie looked over at Caleb. "Do you do this often, sir?"

“Do what? Ridin’? As often as Ah can,” he told Natalie with a smile. “Though it’s a shame Ah cain’t have mah real horses up heah. Someday Ah hope ta build me a little ranch down on the planet an’ get some real ones again.” He stroked Walker’s neck as they reached the river and turned onto a track that followed it.

The way he talked she hadn't heard in a while. It brought her back to her childhood home once more. A neighbor of theirs used to own horses, and talk just like Caleb. She wondered if that was only because they were in the holodeck, or if he carried this out onto the station as well. "That sounds like a retirement plan."

Caleb chuckled. “Maybe,” he said. “Gotta think about the future,” he told Natalie. “What about you, Lieutenant? What brought ya way out here?” The horses ambled along the riverbank.

"Orders," Natalie replied, somewhat jokingly. It wasn't like her to make jokes, or relax in the company of superior officers, but maybe it was being outside that put her at ease. "I consider myself a career officer. I envision my career ending at HQ, maybe an admiral." She looked in his direction, and smiled.

“So this wasn’t yer preferred posting, then?” Caleb asked, looking over at Natalie as she rode beside him. “What’s yer experience?”

"Actually, it is sir. The HQ positing isn't until at least for another twenty to twenty-five years. I have a long way to go." Natalie looked at him. She didn't want him thinking she didn't want to be here. She was actually pleased with the posting. "I have spent a number of years as an analyst at various locations of interest."

Caleb smiled. “Locations of interest,” he noted. He didn’t press her. He knew the signs of things that needed to remain classified. “That’s good,” he said. “Can ya follow orders?” he asked her. “Ah had some trouble with that with the last intelligence chief,” he said wryly. “Or, rather, he followed the wrong set of orders.”

Natalie chuckled. Many of the senior officers she had spoken with had brought up the situation with the predecessor. She had no intention of following in his footsteps; but she also wouldn't judge him too harshly for doing it. At least not until the two have met. There was something to say about not judging the book by its cover. She looked over to Caleb. "Sir, I can definitely follow any lawful order given."

“That’s good,” Caleb said. “Ah can do business with that.”

They rode on for a few more moments in silence before Caleb spoke again. “Yer gonna have a lot on yer plate,” he said. “Xi’cadia, Romulans an’ Cardies -- Cardassians. There is somethin’ I’d like ya ta keep yer ears open for,” he told her. “A Ferengi named Dys.”

Natalie had heard about other parties from the commander. She had already made it a point of keeping an eye on them, but this was the first time she had heard about this Ferengi, Dys. "What can you tell me about Dys?" she asked.

Caleb was quiet for a long while before speaking again. “Several years ago, he was one of a cabal of arms dealers that had divided up the Alpha an’ Beta Quadrants. Five of ‘em. They rivaled the Syndicate. Ah was with Starfleet Intelligence at the time, an’ eventually a task force was put together. We rolled up several of ‘em, an’ Ah personally got Dys. But he had a lot a latinum, an’ that got him a good lawyer, an’ he’s out again. Been lyin’ low, an’ Ah wanna know where he’s at.” There was a bitter steel in Caleb’s voice as he spoke. “So Ah’d appreciate ya keepin’ her ears open, an’ lettin’ me know anythin’.”

Natalie listened and nodded. "I'll reach out to the grapevine and see if this man can be located." She had several contacts she could always rely on, but information didn't come without its own price. However, this seemed important enough that she'd be willing to pay. Natalie looked ahead. She stayed silent for a bit. She reflected back on her own history. It seemed everyone she had met so far at this station was looking for someone or something.

“Anythin’ else Ah should know about ya?” Caleb asked. “Or ya wanna ask about me?” He glanced over at Natalie.

Natalie glanced over in his direction. "Not at the moment, sir," she replied, not wanting this to come across as an interview or an interrogation.

Caleb nodded and then grinned. “Then let’s see how ya handle some real ridin’ then,” he told her. “Race ya back ta the barn. Hold on.” He gave Samarra’s rump a slap, sending the mare leaping forward into a gallop before taking off after her with his larger stallion. He would never have done this with a novice rider, but on the holodeck he didn’t need to worry about her getting thrown and landing on her head.

The unexpected slap had Natalie tighten her grip, and as the horse galloped before taking off she grew frightened and worried that she was about to get tossed from the horse. But she always was a quick learner. She regained her composure, got the horse under control, and took off towards the barn. She had little chance of winning, but she would give it her all in an attempt to win.

“That’s it, Lieutenant!” Caleb encouraged as he pulled up even with her. The stallion’s stride was clearly superior. It was the larger horse, and would likely win in most cases anyway. “Feel the wind in yer hair!”

The horses were fast approaching the fence around the paddock. It didn’t seem like Natalie’s horse was going to stop. Then Caleb gave a shrill whistle, and Samara Sunset leapt, airborne, clearing the fence with Caleb and Walker not far behind.

Caleb pulled on his reins, bringing Walker to heel, and grinned at Natalie. “Feel that? That’s called bein’ alive, Lieutenant.”

"Oh, I definitely felt that, sir." Natalie chuckled as she said that. The horse stopped in front of the barn. She held onto the reins as she moved to get off the horse. "Thank you so much for this, sir. I definitely want to try again."

[END]

Lieutenant (jg) Natalie Cross
Chief Intelligence Officer
Deep Space 5

Commander Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5

 

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