Basketball Buddies

Posted on Sat Jun 28th, 2025 @ 6:53pm by Lieutenant Megosho Gehente & Lieutenant JG Renata Novotná

1,989 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: recreation center

There's no better way to end a long day at the lab, getting to know your brand new science department, than heading down to the gym after your shift is over, Renata thought. She tied her hair in a comfortable ponytail for the workout session, uncovering her Vulcan ears for the first time since she boarded the ship, and ditched her uniform for a rugged "Viktoria Zizkov" sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. She quickly found her way to the massive recreation area, complete with a gymnasium and several sport courts, and decided to lift some weights. She's been pumping iron for about twenty minutes when she heard the sound of someone playing basketball nearby, and got curious.

Lurking over the basketball court, she noticed a tall, green-skinned woman practicing by herself. She immediately recognized her: the Orion Lieutenant from the bridge, the chief of communications. Too bad she couldn't remember her name. Nevermind, she thought, this is a perfect chance to get to know her better. Afterall, we'll be crewmates for who knows how long.

"Hello there." she approached her crewmate. "Would you mind if I join? It's been ages since I last played basketball."

Meg blew a strand of hair out of her face as she hinged up from the crouch she had taken to dribble the ball. Giving the newcomer a warm smile, 'sure - the more the merrier.' Brushing down the dark blue Timberwolves jersey she was wearing over her gym clothes, she looked over at the weights. 'You work weights often on your own?' She flipped the ball between her two hands as she sized up the Vulcan woman, trying to place where she had seen her.

"When I have the time." Renata said, looking up at her towering crewmate. "Sometimes I lift beer jugs, not weights."

'Well. If you'd like a spotter, I sure could use one in return,' Meg smiled. 'For the weights. The beer I can lift on my own.' She held the basketball against her hip, and began to extend her hand. There was something that suggested that the Vulcan wasn't quite as Vulcan-like as she first assumed, maybe the way she spoke. 'Megosho Gehente, Chief Comms Officer, by the way. Pleasure to meet you.'

"Renata Novotná. I do the science-y stuff around here." she smiled and shook her colleague's hand. "The pleasure's all mine". She then glanced at the basketball in Megosho's hand. "So, are we gonna play?"

Flashing a grin in response, Meg nodded as she offered the ball up to the shorter half-Vulcan. 'If by play you mean I give you an old-fashioned Orion-style whooping, then yes, we'll play.' Making her way to the halfway line, she waved towards the hoop. 'Half court, ones-and-twos OK for you, Slick?'

Renata was quite sure her tall Orion crewmate will make her run for her breath. If they were playing soccer, maybe she'd have a chance, but she's never been much of a basketball enthusiast. Nevertheless, her half-Vulcan physiology made her stronger than the average human.

"You think so, huh? Slick like my shiny little bottom." she laughed. "Let's see what you've got."

Oh I like this one,' Meg thought to herself as she bounced the ball against the gym deck, getting the feel of it. She fixed Renata with a stare and a smirk as she looked left, and broke right racing to get around the shorter half-Vulcan's shoulder and free to shoot for the hoop.

Meg's attack took Renata by storm. She was careless and inexperienced. 'Ah, she's good...', she thought to herself as she tried to block her opponent's attack without much success. The fact that Meg was almost a head taller than her didn't help matters.

Allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction, Meg puffed out a breath as she tried to side-step Renata. She wasn't making it easy, the shorter woman being up in her face and sticking close. That half-Vulcan physiology was helping somewhat. Meg decided to lift her hands high and shoot for the hoop from just outside the arc.

Renata tried to block her opponent as close and as hard as she could. When Meg lifted her hands, she jumped up, trying to get in the way of her shot.

Doing enough, Renata got in the way of Meg's shot, sending it spinning around the rim, and dropping to the court floor. Frustrated, Meg blew out a breath, then shot the scientist and evil smile. 'Not bad, not bad. Getting up in my face seems to work for you.'

"You can't imagine how many times I've been told that." Renata replied with a cheeky laugh. "Let's see how I can handle this thingy." She reached for the ball and picked it up.

Meg smirked at her comment, then asked, a little incredulous, 'you've never played ball before?'

"Basketball? Not much." she admitted. "I prefer to kick them... balls..." she smirked. "If you know what I mean... But now I try out my luck with throwing it." With that, she tried to attack the opposing basket and threw the ball in the air.

Taken aback by the sudden move, Meg only just managed to brush her fingertips against the basketball, doing just enough to direct it straight into the hoop. Hinging at the hip, and hands on her knees, Meg blew out a breath in frustration. 'Damn ... seems like it's two-nil to you.' She pointed at the shirt, 'is that what that is then, a football top?'

"Yaaaaay!!!" Renata jumped up in happy excitement, surprised on her scoring against her much more experienced opponent. "Am I good or am I good?" she laughed. "Just a sweatshirt, but if you refer to the logo, yeah, it's a team from Earth. Have you ever been to Prague?"

Breaking out into a smile at the other woman's delight at scoring, Meg shook her head. 'I've been close, relatively, I was teaching at Starfleet Intelligence's Berlin annexe til a few days ago ... never actually made it to Prague. Is it a nice place?' She could feel her breathing come back to normal as they talked.

"You should definitely visit." Renata replied. "It's the best place in the galaxy. Of course, I might be biased because I grew up in Prague." she slightly laughed. "My grandparents own a place there. They brew their own beer too."

'Hmm, sounds pretty good to me - a glass of beer in a pretty Central European city,' Meg replied with a smile, breathing finally under control. 'Could do with a local tour guide to show me the highlights if I ever go though,' she said as she retrieved the ball, moving it between her hands as she paced around the shorter woman.

"Sure! I can show you all the best pubs in town." Renata said with a playful grin in her eyes. "And of course boring stuff like Prague castle and the Charles Bridge and the famous astronomical clock." She tried to catch the ball but it was not an easy task. "Where are you from? I mean, besides Orion..."

'Those don't sound boring,' Meg flashed a smile as she dribbled the ball just out of reach of the Czech woman. She slowed so she could talk. 'I'm from the Rigellian colonies via Earth and Starfleet. It's been ... I dunno, a few years since I went back to my parent's. Usually Shoreleave takes me to the nearest planet with a bar and museum.'

"They're not boring. They're just the stuff tourists usually do." Renata smiled while trying to reach for the ball. "I've never been to Rigel. But I've heard some wild stories about that region." she said. "Bar and museum sounds like a fun combination."

'You bet - nothing like a cold drink after a long day of culture,' Meg replied, swishing the ball out of Renata's reach, and moving around her. 'Wild stories about Rigel huh?' she asked inbetween breathes. 'Tell me one!' She feinted left.

"Just the usual wild stories." Renata teased her friend. "They say it's not a very great place to wander alone in the cosmos, especially if you have precious cargo. On the other hand, they say one can make a fortune quite easy around there."

Meg chuckled in response. 'Ah, those old stories. There's some truth in it, obviously. The Syndicate is a powerful force in Orion society, but we're not all pirates.' She stuck out her tongue, 'some families make their money the honest way, growing produce and selling it at a mark-up.'

"No, no, nothing like that!" the science officer said, trying to dismiss the notion that she might be reinforcing racial stereotypes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean you're all pirates." she apologized. "Actually, I'm quite curious of Orion culture now. Especially the growing, producing, and selling stuff."

Bursting out laughing at the science officer's consternation and protests, she shook her head apologetically. 'I was just yanking your chain, dear. Orions can be dicks when they want to be, that's for sure.' Moving to get around Renata, Meg feinted, then pulled left, 'but I'll take you up on Orion cultural lessons if you want. But I'll need something in return?'

Renata tried to block Meg's movement, but failed. She was much taller and obviously a much more experienced basketball player. "Something in return? Sure." the science officer said, quite curious. "Name it."

Pulling up, Meg bounced the ball against the deck, catching her breath. Noticing the sheen of sweat on Novotna as well as herself, she grinned. 'Just a regular gym partner - I can't go too heavy on some of the weights when I'm on my own, ya know? And you can give me some Earth cultural lessons in return as well, if you'd like?'

"Actually, that sounds a pretty neat idea." Renata nodded. She definitely needed new friends, people she can rely on, people she can grab a drink or two with occassionally. "Gym buddies. It's a deal."

Hefting the ball, Meg motioned it in Renata's direction, and nodded, 'good - we should be on the same shifts, give or take, so we should be able to arrange a good schedule.' She tossed the ball to Renata's feet. 'Wanna go again? Or have you run out of stamina?' she winked.

"Yeah, I guess so." Renata nodded. "Me? Running out of stamina? You wish!" she laughed defiantly and grabbed the ball.

Cursing under her breath, Meg made a lunge for the ball, frustrated that she'd let Renata get at it. She covered it up with a wolfish smile as she crouched into a more defensive posture for a player. 'Nah,' she said with a glint, 'I like it when my partners have plenty of stamina.'

"Don't forget that I'm half-Vulcan." Renata replied. "Okay, sometimes I forget it myself." she then joked. "But I can bear more than your average human."

'Good to know,' Meg replied with a grin. 'How does that work for you - there can't be many with the same, uh, family history as you in Starfleet? Or where you grew up?'

"As I just told you, I grew up in Prague." Renata said, as she tried to get through Meg's defense and rearch the basket. "You're right... you can't find half-Vulcan half-Human people in every corner." she laughed. "We're a rare breed. And well... it's a complicated story."

'You'll have to tell me sometime,' Meg replied with a flash of kindness as she eyed the ball. 'You know, when you're not shooting hoops.'

"I promise. Maybe over a few drinks?" the science officer asked.

'Deal,' replied Meg.

By:
Lieutenant Renata Novotná
Chief Science Officer
USS Ark Royal

Lieutenant Megosho Gehente
Chief Communications Officer
USS Ark Royal

 

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