The Escape Artist

Posted on Fri Apr 1, 2022 @ 1:53pm by Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Lieutenant Commander Zachary Addams

563 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: We Will Take Care of You
Location: Corridors
Timeline: During the wait for the Delegation

Penny walked down the corridor and saw a flash of teal coming towards her, but she blinked and it was gone. Reviewing what her eyes just took in, she realized it had been Doctor Addams and she wanted to catch up with him and talk. He'd done the same thing twice since their last encounter in the lounge. She approached the end of the corridor at a T-junction and looked left, then right, trying to figure out where he went. She heard a footstep behind her and turned to see another flash of a teal labcoat and turned and hurried after, but, once again, she turned a corner and he was gone. *He's really good at this,* she thought.

She huffed and turned around in a circle, then closed her eyes and analyzed what her mind was telling her. Finally, she let out a huff and stomped off in frustration.

A moment later, a hatch to a jefferies tube swung open from where it hadn't quite closed and Zach slipped silently out, dropping to the deck. He closed the hatch and needlessly dusted himself off and turned around to continue on, coming up short as a pair of blue eyes stared him down.

"What are you doing?" Penny said, her arms folded and head tilted in curiosity.

"I..." Zach swallowed, staring like a startled gazelle. "I um..." he cleared his throat. "I was avoiding you."

"Yeah...got that," Penny said. "Why?"

Zach sighed. "Look, I'm not really much for confrontation, and the last thing I need is your boyfriend coming after me because I flirted with you."

Penny's brow furrowed. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend, then," Zach said. "Given his size, I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

"Wait...you mean Cullen?" Penny said.

"Look, who you're involved with on the ship isn't my business, but--"

"I'm not involved with him," she said, tilting her head in confusion. "Did he say we were involved?"

"No, no, no," Zach said, waving his hands. "But I don't need our First Officer offering to turn me inside out. So you tell me, something going on there?"

Penny let out a small sigh. "We've got a bit of a bond, I guess, but I'm not his property. I can decide things for myself."

"All right....bully for you," Zach said. "I'd still rather keep my intestines on the inside, not on the tip of his spear."

"He's not that bad, he just likes to say he his," Penny said. "Besides, it's not like you were asking me out."

"Yeah, course not," Zach said, now blushing a bit. *Especially not with him breaking my hand,* he thought.

"So...we're good?" Penny said.

"Yeah. Right as rain," Zach said, nodding and putting on his placid smile.

"Okay...good...." Penny said, looking at him, head still tilted. "Where were you headed?"

"My quarters," Zach said. "So, I'll let you get on your way."

"Okay," Penny said. She stepped aside as Zach passed and thought a moment, tilting her head. "Hey," she said, turning around. "Do you like to swim?"

Zach gave a slightly warmer smile. "I love it," he said. "I grew up in the ocean."

"Holodeck Two? 1900 hours?" she said.

Zach thought it over a moment. "I'll be there," he said. He nodded and kept walking.

Penny grinned and turned as well, heading back to the bridge.

 

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