Star Trek: Constellations
Westfall/Star Trek TNG Crossover Fanfiction #1
Scene 9
“So, this is the place where you can use your power all you want?”
“Yes, sir,” Gemini was swinging her arms as she and Hudson walked down the corridor together. “The holodeck is also where you can go just about anywhere you want, too—oh,” she slowed as Chief O’Brien passed them. “Well, you got down here quick.”
Chief O’Brien appeared confused as he paused his trek. “Beg pardon?”
“We passed you leaving transporter room three—and you were going the opposite direction.”
The transporter chief shrugged. “Maybe you just got here slowly.”
“Touché,” Gemini chuckled.
Miles grinned and continued on his way, only to stop a moment later. “Wait; but I didn’t come from... ah.” He shrugged when Gemini and Hudson were too far to reinitiate the conversation.
“The holodecks can be programmed to be just about anything you want. You can visit distant planets, conjure up enemies to spar against, create a stage full of musicians to back you up and an audience to listen to you sing—not that I’ve ever done that one,” she rolled her eyes above her glasses as Hudson laughed.
“Is there anything on this ship that i’n’t incredible?” He ribbed her.
“I don’t think so,” she paused as her wry smile landed on him. Her eyes lingered, and with a sharp inhale, she turned to face the control panel beside the wide orange door. “Any requests?”
“Oh, anywhere with you—anywhere’s fine!” He hastily corrected, his face turning red.
Gemini kept her head turned, squashing a wide smile between narrow lips. “I’ll go for an old favorite, then,” she scrolled through the list of available programs.
“Program selected: Gemini 2.” The computer spoke.
“Run program.”
In a matter of seconds, the computer replied. “Enter when ready.”
She and Hudson stepped up to the doorway, prompting the door to open automatically. She then glanced up to watch Hudson’s reaction.
At first, Hudson’s mouth dropped open; but then, a smile tugged at his lips as his eyes scanned the scenery in wonder. Before him was a grassy field that seemed to stretch on indefinitely over vast, rolling hills. Wide oak trees dotted the landscape, along with small stone cottages resting far in the distance. The clouds billowed high overhead while the sound of birds was carried through the gentle breeze.
Gemini stepped inside, glancing over her shoulder when he didn’t follow. “Come on in,” she held out her hand toward him.
As his eyes refocused on the Aravasti woman in front of him, he found the beauty of the countryside paling behind her. The contrast of her brown-and-white hair, her green eyes beneath her glasses, and her warm smile seemed to draw him closer—but her outstretched hand sealed the deal. He reached out and took it, covering her thin fingers within his rough hands, and he stepped inside the holodeck. He paused only for a moment when the door disappeared behind them.
Meanwhile, Gemini’s own heart was fluttering as she surveyed their hands, and she turned her head to hide an overwhelming grin spreading across her face.
“Where is this?” Hudson asked after a moment of walking.
She looked out into the field. “The countryside near Haworth, England, on the planet Earth. One day I requested somewhere warm and peaceful with beautiful green rolling hills, where I could come and collect my thoughts, and the computer suggested here.”
“It seems so real,” he said almost dreamily.
“It is real—more or less,” she added with a smile.
They continued through the field together in relative silence, only commenting on the view or other pleasantries as they walked hand-in-hand.
“Oh,” Gemini said after a moment, tugging them both to a stop. “Would you like to see some fire?”
Hudson shifted bashfully. “I mean, if you still wanna; I’m just... curious,” he ended his statement much more nervously than he had begun.
Gemini’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely!”
With both hands out toward the sun, white light collected into her fingertips and burst out as golden flames.
The man, at first, shrunk back, but his anxiousness swiftly faded to astonishment as the fire danced and curled through the air around them. Not a single blade of grass was singed, nor did he feel any more than warmth as the fire passed beside him.
“You can touch it, if you want,” she said. “I can control if it burns, or not.”
Without much of a thought, the tall man obeyed. His hand cut into the swirl of flame, and he watched in wonder as its tongues simply curved around his fingers. “Gosh,” he smiled wide. “How do you make it not burn?”
“Like any skill, I train often to keep it under control,” she idly twirled one of her hands to swirl the flames around her arm. “However, an Aravasti can never harm someone they care about with their power—even if they tried.”
Hudson’s eyes left the flame and landed upon her. “Oh, that’s neat; like when you’ve bonded with someone?”
“Yeah.” The woman grinned almost proudly as she lowered her hands and doused the fire, meeting an expectant gaze from the man at her side. “I don’t always get to use it, so I will gladly take any excuse.”
“It’s a mighty good thing to have,” he commented, “especially since your job is protectin’ your crew. I bet this ship’s real glad to have you here.”
“I’m real glad to have them,” she borrowed his words. But as she watched him smile back at her, Gemini could feel a different kind of heat rising within her—a heat not related to her power. “And,” she added as the warmth spread to her cheeks, “it’s been very nice to have you here.”
Hudson seemed to be wrestling with his own thoughts as he rocked on his feet and looked out across the landscape. “I’m guessin’ this Starbase we’re goin’ to i’n’t gonna be this impressive.”
Gemini’s dreamy mood soured. “It’ll have similarities, but I’m not sure much can compare to the Enterprise.” She ran her hand through her brown strands of hair. “Hopefully the planet they bring you to will have scenery like this.”
“I wonder if they’ll bring us to Earth, since that’s where our ancestors are from,” he turned back to her. “What if I’m able to meet some distant relatives?”
“Oh, that would be—”
A rumble of thunder echoed across the sky.
Gemini’s eyes shot to the sky—now considerably darker than what it once was. “What?? I didn’t program rain!”
Before she could finish speaking, a pattering of rain began to rush across the field. It didn’t take long for the rain to intensify into a rolling storm.
Gemini squealed and threw her hands over her head as Hudson scrunched his face. “Computer: show the door—”
Another clap of thunder, however, masked her voice.
“Computer: give us an umbrella!” Hudson half-laughed. He froze when an umbrella appeared beside him. “Oh!”
Gemini giggled as he grabbed the umbrella and popped it open, huffing in relief when he pulled it over their heads. “I’m sorry—I swear I didn’t program a storm!”
“Oh it’s...” he trailed off, looking down at her as she huddled near.
She was so close, now; gazing out into the rain with her arms crossed against her drenched uniform shirt.
He held his breath, bit his lip, and stretched out his hand behind her back. He wrapped it around her and tucked her against his side. “This is fine,” he whispered.
She looked up at him with wet hair hanging around her face and raindrops clinging to her glasses, but her green eyes were focused intently upon him.
A warm smile returned to his lips.
She blushed as heat once again flooded through her body. She drew closer and laid her hand upon his chest, looking into his dark brown eyes in longing.
Thunder rumbled across the ground, and rain pattered upon their umbrella, but that didn’t stop the gap from closing between them. Hudson bent down, Gemini rose to her toes, and their lips met in a kiss.
A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder resounded overhead.
Both jumped—Hudson almost dropping the umbrella in the process.
“Okay—we should go now,” Gemini gnashed her teeth. “Computer—door!”
The door appeared and the two rushed through just as another bolt of lightning struck nearby.
Gemini was squealing and Hudson was laughing as they darted back into the Enterprise’s hallway.
They froze with paling expressions when they found themselves face to face with Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
The captain appeared just as surprised as they were, and he winced somewhat as he eyed their drenched clothing and dripping umbrella—and the water now puddling at their feet.
“Sorry, Captain,” Gemini finally spoke harriedly as Hudson shyly glanced to the ground. “We got... um... caught in a storm.”
Jean-Luc nodded with a hesitant smile. “I see that. Be sure you’re dried up before your shift.”
“Yes, sir.” She rose to attention.
The rain-soaked couple were silent as the captain walked on. They glanced at each other with nervous grins before stifling a laugh and hurrying back to their quarters to dry off.
Scene Notes
- I had to keep it a rainy scene for Hudson and Gemini's first kiss 😘 They're just entirely too cute, no matter what universe they're in.