Findings Ones Center

Posted on 20 Jul 2018 @ 2:28am by Lieutenant JG Jazmin Parks & Lieutenant JG Catherine Cooper
Edited on on 28 Jul 2018 @ 12:02pm

1,728 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Fractured
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: MD 1 || 0600

The arboretum was quiet this time of morning, still early most were elsewhere. It was beautiful scenery, plants and flowers everywhere. More like an Earth park, complete with benches, then it was a piece of starship.

Which is why Catherine Cooper liked it so much. The meditation, so vital to keeping her emotional equilibrium, was something she liked to do here when it was quiet or in her quarters. This morning found her in civilian clothes, having changed after her shift, cross legged in the traditional lotus position. The loose workout gear aiding whatever movement she wished. Her eyes closed as she breathed slowly in/out. Struggling to find that peace of clear mind so helpful to her. Time passed as she focused on settling her mind.

Jazmin wiped sweat from her forehead as it threatened to drip into her eyes. He runs were always long, but today she was pushing herself for time. Crewmembers stepped aside as she hurtled through the corridors, most of them recognizing the diminutive security officer on her routine run. Jazmin gave small waves of recognition as she passed and only barely slowed down as she slipped into one of the Jefferies Tubes, navigating the close confines and exiting a deck below. She loved the tubes, thankful that she had decided to add them to her daily run. It gave her a chance to add a bit of variety to her runs.

She slipped out into the corridor, her feet pounding out a rhythm that spoke of drive and determination. She had just rounded a corner and ducked into the arboretum, the smells and cool air heavenly. She calculate dhow long she had left...through the arboretum, down the corridor, turn left, straight...then Jefferies Tube conduit seven-three would take her to the next deck. Only two more decks to run.

She cleared perhaps seven steps when she saw that unlike most mornings, the arboretum was not empty. She slowed to a jog, then to a walk, lifting her arms up and crossing them behind her head as she neared a woman that she had not talked to much since arriving. She had certainly never seen her out of uniform, but there was no mistaking LTJG Cooper.

It looked as if the other woman was meditating, and she immediately felt a blush of embarrassment for intruding on what was obviously a private, quiet moment. She took one last look at the beautiful woman meditating and started to quietly pad away. Besides, this little break meant that she only had time to run one more deck instead of two.

Cooper, starting to pull out of the meditative trance, more sensed then knew someone was nearby and watching, opened her eyes seeing the Deputy Security Chief. Who, despite having been on board for sometime now, she'd not gotten to talk to that much. She'd meant to follow up but duties had not yet permitted. She unfurled herself and stood, her actions smooth and graceful, "Hello Lieutenant." She said with a smile. Then took in the other's outfit, "Morning run?" She asked.

Jazmin stopped, embarrassed that she had interrupted the other woman's meditation. She took a breath, then turned to face the other.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. My apologies at disturbing you. I know how hard it can be to get centered, and then at least for me, it's nigh impossible to reclaim it once I've been disturbed." She blushed. "I'm sorry." She wiped a sheen of rapidly cooling perspiration from her forehead. "Please, though. Call me Jazmin." She strode forward and extended her hand to the other woman.

Cooper's smiled broaden and she nodded, "Jazmin, nice. Catherine, Cat, or CJ, Ciege Engine, hey you works." She joked. She shook the offered hand briefly feeling oddly lumbering next to the smaller security officer. "Thanks for the understanding, the way I figure it though life has disruption and obviously I need more practice in rolling with it. Not always a bad thing." She gave off no feelings of being annoyed and actually seemed relaxed, "Just coming up for air anyway so great timing".

Jazmin smiled from a combination of endorphins from her run and Catherine's kindheartedness. She gave her arms and torso one last series of stretches before smiling and indicating the bench nearby. "Well, I think my run's done for today. Mind if I sit?"

"I missed a good run? Shame." She gestured to the bench and sat down, "Settled in alright? Now that you've been here a bit?" She asked, hands resting on her knees.

"I run every morning, so if you want we can arrange a time, I'm working on endurance at the moment, so I shoot for five miles, ten if I don't have a duty shift that day." She sighed. "It's been an interesting time since arriving here, I'll tell you that. Of course, with acclimating to my position and learning the ship and her idiosyncrasies, I really haven't had much time for socialization." She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, a blush rushing to her face. "I'm sorry. I tend to start gushing words sometimes, makes people think I'm trying to dominate the conversation."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sorry, let me start over." She flashed a heartfelt smile to Catherine. "I'm really enjoying my posting here, although I haven't really met too many people socially. As far as running, anytime you want a running partner, let me know."

Jazmin smiled, the cracks of insecurity barely showing. Oh God, everyone on this ship's going to thing I'm a total basket case.

Catherine smiled, sensing a kindred spirit. She followed the mass amount of information easily. Her active mind able to follow the jumps and flow. "Don't feel bad, I used to overtalk way more. I have
learned to shall we say, to moderate my speech but I still can ramble on if I am not careful." She shrugged with a brief self depreciating smile before continuing, "the meditation helps." A brief puase before she jumped to another statement, in order of some internal priority list.

"And yes a running partner sounds great I work overnight to evening or early morning suits me. Been awhile since I had a good workout partner." Then her mind jumped again as she pulled another thread of Jazmin's words. "And that can happen, work tends to overshadow much. You came at a rough time but as things settle for their brief spans, you will get to know others more. Either we will scare you off or you'll find your tribe." She joked attempting to put the other woman at ease.

Jazmin smiled, tentatively at first, but then it spread, finding herself relieved. Over a decade later she was still trying to overcome her habit of trying to "lock on" to possible new friends. Her counselor at the Academy told her she was like a tractor beam sometimes, seeing a possible friend and not wanting to lose them. Jazmin had seen her logic, after all, an orphan on the streets of an alien world would not want to let any possible friend or family go. But that ended twelve years ago. Jazmin thought she'd be past all of that by now. Her counselor told her it might take decades to break those patterns. Jazmin tried being patient with the process, but it was so...frustrating.

She mentally shook herself to the here and now. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate that." She smiled warmly. "I'm on the Beta and Gamma shifts so early mornings are best for me to run. Just let me know when and I can have my running gear on in a jiff."

She leaned back against the bench. "I love it here, honestly. It may be crazy, I always thought dance was my calling, but being here," she gestured to the whole of the ship, "makes me realize that protecting others was always where I should have been."

She smiled at Catherine. "I appreciate your understanding about my rambling on." She took a deep breath and looked towards the viewport. "Most people decide that I'm too flighty I suppose." She shrugged and gave her best old lady voice. "Mayhap so, mayhap not."

Cooper nodded her agreement over the running plans and the statement about protecting being a calling but when Jazmin got to the last she laughed, a rich laugh full of mirth, “Not at you…” She was quick to clarify. “Flighty heh, I could tell you stories but instead I’ll tell you what I was told…” She affected a formal male voice in accented English, ‘Ones true allies will understand and respect, anyone else is not meant for you.’ “She dropped the voice and continued speaking normally, “Which would then be followed with an admonishing finger wag and an order to refocus.” She smiled warmly at Jazmin, recalling the memory.

Jazmin laughed, it started as a chuckle then slipped into a full belly laugh. When she calmed down she smiled warmly at the other woman. "Thanks Catherine." She paused, leaning back again. "I haven't been this comfortable in a good long while, not since the Academy." She felt a twinge of sadness over Kelly's passing, but quickly pushed it aside. "It's good to have a new friend." She smiled shyly. "That is of course, if you count me as one."

Cat smiled to see her new friend so amused. "I aim to please." She joked. "And of course who else could I get to help me bury bodies". Again a joke but the sentiment of friendship was serious. Cooper was glad to get to sit down and have a proper chat. Per as was typical she judged quickly and thought they would get along well.

Jazmin giggled despite herself. She always felt self-conscious about it even though her fiance' in the Academy said she was cute as a button when she did. "I'll help hide the bodies and no one will even have a clue as to how many." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Ugh. I definitely need a shower after that run." She stood. "We should get together again soon, what do you think?"

Cooper smiled at the others reply, amused, "Sounds like a plan of action to me, I'm not hard to find".

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