Horseback Riding, Part 1

Posted on Tue Mar 28, 2017 @ 1:54pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Opal Oliver (Deceased) Dr

1,712 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Holosuite 3
Timeline: MD 3 1200

Opal had wondered if she would see Caleb again, but she simply couldn't just let a man like that walk away without trying at least once more to get his attention. She had sent him a formal invitation, on old-fashioned card with filigree metallic corners in artistic shapes and with copperplate writing, asking for the pleasure of his company at the holodeck.

There had been an away mission that had been traumatic, and now that they were back safely, thank the spirits! It seemed like a good time to get on with some relaxing. Life was too short, Opal had decided. After her experience on the planet below, and after she had feared her own life had just ended without ever having done half the things she could and should have done before shuffling off, as it were, she had a new resolve to just let it happen... No, not just to let it -- to make it -- so she would never again feel that she hadn't done anything and now it was too late.

Caleb had accepted, much to her great delight, and she was a bundle of nerves as she prepared. She replicated some riding clothes and a hard hat, tying up her fine blonde hair into a formal roll with even finer, almost imperceptible, soft netting securing it in place, in the time honoured fashion of a formal horsewoman. In her jodhpurs and fitted jacket, her boots almost to the knee and her cravat, she looked very formal, but also very smart. She hoped she hadn't done too much? If he was expecting a cowgirl, she was going to be in trouble. She approached the holosuite and gave a last Picard-style tug to her short jacket before walking through the doors to the suite.

The doors opened into a large barn. It smelled of fresh hay and horse and manure, a real living, breathing environment. The large doors of the barn were open onto the paddock and she could see Caleb standing there with two magnificent horses, a large black stallion and a smaller American paint mare. The stallion was already saddled and ready and Caleb was cinching up the western saddle on the paint. He wore jeans, cowboy boots, a flannel shirt, and his black Stetson. A large silver belt buckle was at his waist. He looked up when she entered and smiled, and then looked a bit puzzled as his striking dark eyes roamed over her more classic English riding outfit.

Stunned by the handsome and striking look of her host, Opal melted again. It seemed this man had many ways to affect her knees, as she was just learning. She did her best to stride forward with some form of dignity still intact though.

"Good morning," she opened. "This is amazing! It even smells right!" She admired the program and the horses. She also admired those dark eyes, but she didn't say anything about those at this time. She approached from the side and patted the mare's neck, moving forward to her head and stroking her soft, silky muzzle. She snickered and held up her head for a fuss, shaking her mane, causing it to whiplash out unexpectedly. "She's a beauty!" Opal said, a little breathless, in admiration. "Thank you for choosing her for me. I love your choice," she said to Caleb, beaming at him.

Caleb smiled. “It’s Zandy’s horse, but she won’t mind,” he said. “Only other horse Ah had programmed an’ ready,” he admitted. “She’s a bit spirited, so keep a firm hand,” he told Opal. He dug a carrot out of his pocket and handed it to Opal. “Make friends,” he said with a smile. “Ya look…” Caleb colored a bit with embarrassment. “Ah like your outfit,” he said. “Though Ah will miss yer hair,” he said with a smile, eying her hard riding helmet.

Zandy's horse? Dayum, she thought, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason. Never mind, it could be worse. He could have said he programmed her for his ex-wife.

“Need help up?” Caleb offered. “Are ya used ta a Western saddle? Don’t ya use somethin’ else in England?” he asked as he finished cinching up the paint. “This is Samara Sunset,” Caleb told Opal, running his hand down the chestnut and white paint. “Ya can call her Sam, if ya wan’t. That one’s Walker.” He indicated his black stallion.

"I would lay money that the last thing he does is just walk," Opal commented, her breath taken by the magnificent stallion. He was such a handsome beast, every bit suitable as a partner and compliment to his rider.

"In England we do use side-saddles, but only for shows these days. I usually ride astride," she explained the saddle preference. "This is very sweet of you, to go to so much trouble," she added, slipping up onto the pretty paint.

"No trouble at all," Caleb said with a smile, impressed with how well Opal mounted. He moved over to the stallion. "Walker was the name of an ancestor of mine," Caleb said. "A great-great-somethin' grandfather. He was a Texas Ranger. Ah've got his guns, too. Alas, the real Walker is back home on Earth at mah parents' ranch."

Caleb swung his lanky body with ease up onto the large horse. Already tall, he was even taller than Opal now, the paint a couple hands smaller than the stallion. "This is home," Caleb said, extending his hand to sweep over the ranch that spread before the barn. A low, single story house, a bunkhouse, and a chicken coop and fenced in garden made the extent of the area, with long stretches of Texas prairie surrounding them.

"Is it a true representation?" she asked, taking it all in a little breathlessly. "It's huge...and very beautiful. If I ever get back to Earth, would you show me the real thing?" She watched the chickens scatter with a lot of drama, feathers and clucking as they rode past their coop on the way out of the yard. "Silly things. They're safe inside there!" she commented with a light laugh at the comical little poultry birds.

Caleb chuckled. "Yes, it's a true representation," he told Opal. "They run a couple hundred head of cattle. Not as much as in the old days. Most of our stock goes to those fancy non-replicator restaurants. Though mah family has always been of the more traditionalist bent. Ma would never allow a replicator even in the house," he said with a laugh. "There's a creek just over that hill," he said, pointing. It was hard to judge the distance with the way the flat land and horizon interacted. "Nice trail ta ride along, have a picnic."

"Oooh, yes please! Lead on!" she enthused. It was all lovely and she was beginning to see more of this man, none of which decreased what she liked about it one tiny bit. Exactly the opposite.

"Great." Caleb gently nudged Walker to lead out. On reaching the gate, Caleb expertly leaned way over to pop the latch and swing it open. He waited until Opal was through before leaning down again to secure the gate. Then he fell along beside the doctor on her Paint.

"When did ya learn ta ride?" Caleb asked her. "Don't meet many nowadays who can." They made their way along a path picked through the grass, kept short by grazing cattle and horses, as the sun rose gently into the sky above them.

"I learned as a child. In the days when life was good and before the... I was about 12," she said, having second thoughts about talking of when childhood ended for her.

Caleb looked over at Opal curiously, but decided not to pry. She seemed hesitant to talk about whatever it was. "Those were good days," Caleb agreed with a smile, though he figured he was several years older than the pretty young doctor. "Ah grew up on the ranch." He gestured to the wide open spaces around them. "How about you? Not many people have horses anymore ta learn ta ride 'em."

They crested a hill and looked down over a winding, silvery river that meandered across the slightly rolling land of the open pasture. It looked deep enough that their feet would get wet if they crossed on the horses, perhaps neck deep off the horses. The path followed along the near side, however, and Caleb turned them that way.

"I was born on a quiet little terraformed backwater planet in the Alpha Quadrant, not far from the Eye of the Gods nebula. It was idyllic until there was a new influx of settlers brought in by the government who brought in new diseases. They didn't have symptoms, but the virus they brought was something our native settlers didn't have immunity to. My father was one of hundreds who died. My mother couldn't stay there, so she tried to find somewhere else to start again. It was hard at first, and I know she struggled to settle again, but when she finally found someone new, she married again. My stepfather was nice to her, and she adored him to bits, but he hated me... Well, he must have... Anyway he was hideous." She shuddered and changed the subject.

"This is the most beautiful landscape ever! I can't believe there's such a fantastic place in real life anywhere in the whole universe. Are you sure you haven't embellished it a little? Or maybe a lot?" she asked.

Caleb chuckled. "Just wait until summer comes around. Then it's a soul-baking hell," he teased Opal. He glanced at her, sympathy in his eyes, but he didn't comment on her tragedy. Everyone had one. He certainly did. "It's a bit of the best of mah memories of the place," Caleb said. "No place is ever perfect. But if you're ever on Earth, feel free ta drop by. Mah folks are hospitable people an' they'll put ya up," he assured Opal.

"They sound lovely." she said. "I'm sure I couldn't possibly put them to so much trouble... "

TBC

Commander Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical
(Matthew)

Dr. Opal Oliver
Civilian
(NPC Jools)

 

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