Sector Six's Sticky Situation

Posted on Sun Jan 11th, 2026 @ 5:05am by Lieutenant Commander David Erickson & Lieutenant Karane Inda

3,512 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X04: All the Friends We Can Get
Location: Sennak Beach, Sector Six
Timeline: Two days after Cat and Moose

One of the perks of being in geosynchronous orbit was that David had very little to do during his shift, and had extra time off. After his initial inspection of the planet with C'Hira, two days prior, he decided a more recreational inspection was due, and with an extra day off, he knew exactly what he wanted to see, and who he wanted to see it with.

He walked down the hallway to Karane's quarters and rang the chime, leaning on the door frame, trying to look casual.

Karane appeared at the door a few short seconds later, she had evidently been taking a nap.

As the door opened, David flashed her a smile. "Hey you," he said. "Listen, I need your help winning a bet. I was talking with a local, and they mentioned a beach with, and I'm quoting here, 'shells in the sand containing the most beautiful colors in the quadrant' and I countered that I've already seen the most beautiful colors in the quadrant, so I need you to join me at the beach and help prove it. Wanna go for a dip?"

"Wait..." she said slightly confused. "Sea shells, colours, beach..." she was still rather groggy.

"A beautiful beach in Sector Six," David said. "I was attempting to be romantic by implying those sparkling hazel eyes of yours are more beautiful than the colors of the shells." He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "So, if you're up for an excursion, I'd love to have you join me."

"Yeah... sure... but. I don't have a swimsuit. I'll need to synthesize one." She said perking up a little. A little blush started to form on her cheeks. "Do you have a preference? One piece, or two piece? Belly button showing or covered?" she asked.

David got a wicked grin and leaned down to whisper in Karane's ear, increasing her blush and earning him a smack on the shoulder. "All right, all right, a two-piece," he said, laughing, standing back up. "And don't forget open-toed shoes of some sort. Planet rules." He shrugged. "Meet you in the transporter room in an hour?"

"Fine. But I'll change when we get there OK. I'm not going to walk around the ship in it." She told him. "And pack the sunscreen, I don't want to end up looking like a lobster!"

"Yes Ma'am," David said, snapping a salute. He gave her another kiss and hurried down the corridor to get packed.

An hour later, David was standing in the transporter room with a rucksack, wearing shorts, a simple shirt and sandals, ready for the beach. He was chatting up the transporter operator about where they were headed when the doors opened and he grinned. "All right, towels, umbrella and sunscreen is ready to go. All I need is a chaperone."

Karane arrived not long after. She was wearing a hoodie type zip up jacket and a simple pleated skirt. "Ok, I'm here. And yes, I'm wearing it underneath!" She walked past him and trotted up onto the transporter pad.

David stifled a laugh and shrugged. "Good to know," he said. "I love the anticipation." He stepped up onto the transporter padd after her and nodded to the operator. "Energize."

A moment later, they were standing at the entrance to a walkway leading over a small rise. David held out his hand to Karane with a smile. "Shall we?" he said.

Karane hesitated at first, but then took his hand allowing him to lead her.

As they came over the rise, the tall plants obscuring their view gave way to a stretch of fine, white sand going from horizon to horizon. In the distance was a vast, blue ocean, waves lapping at the shore. The tide was out, leaving a strip of land in between the white sand and the blue ocean showing a rainbow of colored shells.

David gave an appreciative whistle. "Not bad, indeed," he said.

"Its pretty." Karane said. "So, does this class as a date?"

"Excellent question," he said as they stepped onto the sand. He gave it a moment's thought. "I suppose it does. So that brings us up to five. Before we know it, we're going to make this whole 'spending time together' a regular thing." He gave her a teasing smile and brought her hand up, kissing it. "If I'm lucky, that is."

Karane simply blushed, her heart pounded in her chest.

The beach had a fair amount of visitors, most of whom were quietly lying on their respective towels or blankets. "Any particular spot you fancy?" he said. "Something near the water, or further back?"

"Over there," she said pointing to a less busy part of the beach.

"As you wish," he said, leading them over to a free spot where she'd indicated. He put his bag down and opened it, pulling out a towel for each of them and setting one in front of her, then pulling out an atomizer sprayer. "Sunblock, as you...requested..." he said, his brain shutting down at the sight before him.

She unzipped her hoodie and pulled it off. Underneath was a pure white frilly bikini that didn't leave much to the imagination. She then unclipped her skirt to reveal the bottom half which matched and was like a tiny skirt design complete with frills. "Is this OK...?"

David stared in shock for a moment. His mind flashed back to the first time he'd seen her remove her clothing during their away mission the array and he once again silently thanked whatever gods had blessed him. "It's....so much better than 'okay'," he said. He lost the battle with his impulse control and leaned forward, kissing her a bit deeper than he might have if he'd been more focused. "Way better than okay," he repeated after a moment.

"I'm glad... But I'm not used to being all... you know... 'girly' and stuff." She said as she looked down. "So... what now?"

"Well for the record? You're very good at it," David said with a small smile. He grabbed his towel and spread it out, then spread her for her, then reached into his bag and pulled out a collapsible umbrella. It unfurled quickly, providing them some shade if they so desired, then he extended the pole and stuck it into the sand, securing it.

"As for what comes next, we could go for a walk, talk, look at the shells. Or we could go for a swim, or..." we could say the hell with the beach and go back to my quarters, his mind supplied as he took in her swimsuit again, but he pushed that aside for later. "Or lie here and soak up some sun."

Karane sat down on the towel. She looked away, still bright red in the face. "You could put the sunblock on me... you know, if you want to."

"I could be persuaded," he said, his voice slightly teasing. He sat down behind her and carefully sprayed along her back and shoulders, using a hand to gently spread it evenly across her neck, then shoulders, then back, being careful as he moved under the straps of her suit. He looked at her blushing face and smirked. "Kinda defeats the purpose of applying this if you're just going to turn red anyway," he whispered in her ear before kissing it gently. He continued rubbing in the sunblock down her arms and then her sides to her hips. "Going to need you to turn over to get the backs of your legs."

Karane shook her head. "You forgot... the front of me..." she said in a low hush.

David let out a slow breath, letting it tickle the back of her neck, then leaned forward again, whispering in her ear. "Karane," he said, quietly, "you have my word, I have in no way forgotten the front of you."

He wrapped his arms around her and carefully sprayed her front, tactfully rubbing it into her collarbone, chest and stomach, keeping his hands as respectful as he could manage, while nibbling teasingly at her ear. "You know," he said, "if you're not careful, you might have me thinking you're enjoying this." He moved down to her legs and carefully rubbed it into her thighs and down to her knees, squeezing one playfully. "Am i right?"

"I... I... I might be enjoying the attention." Karane said with a smirk. "You seem to be enjoying getting to touch me all over too." She teased. "Be honoured, not anyone gets to do this!"

"How perceptive of you," he said, continuing to finish the rest of her. "As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying it even more so than the first time." He kissed her cheek then got a cheeky grin. "Unless you think I brought a hyperspanner to the beach," he teased. He took a moment to compose himself and sat back, removing his own shirt. "Would you mind returning the favor?"

"Erm... yeah..." she said as she turned to face him, her skin glistening in the sun.

He took a moment to appreciate how she glowed, grinning at her, then reluctantly handed over the sprayer and turned his back to her. "Much appreciated," he said.

She took the spray bottle and began to apply it to his skin. Slowly she ran her hands over him, discovering the muscles of his body. "Is this alright?" She asked. "I'm not being too rough?"

"No, you're fine," David said. "Only way you could be rougher is if I started to break something in Engineering. In that case I'm pretty sure you'd have my arm up behind my back."

"If you break something in my engineering, then I break you..." she warned. "You might be my b...b...boyfriend... BUT! Main Engineering is my baby!" She said as she looked away. "Well, I guess until I have one in my belly I guess..." she took her hands off of David. "Not that I want that or anything!"

David turned to look at her. His expression was serious for a moment, then he gave a small smile. "There you go, jumping ahead again." He leaned over and kissed her, taking the atomizer and spraying his front, and his legs. He rubbed his legs quickly and his arms as well. "What say we start with a walk along the beach?"

"Uh huh..." Karane said still blushing. "Sure." She didn't have much more to say as she rose back to her feet. "Maybe we can walk in the water a little?"

"Sounds good," he said. He finished applying and stood up as well, offering a hand again.

Karane smiled as she took his hand again.

They walked down to the shore, stepping into the water. David watched the shells pass as they walked. "What's your take on this planet? What I've seen so far has been...I can't quite articulate it, but it's off-putting."

"I have to agree with you." Karane said. "They almost seem... too welcoming..."

"The brass, maybe," he said. "But the populace? They all look tense or downcast." He watched the other beachgoers. "This is one of the few places I've seen anyone look remotely relaxed. And there seems to be a strict class system. Easy to be welcoming when someone else is setting up the party."

Karane looked around. "Yeah, I see it now." She replied. "They look a little relaxed, but still on edge. But, to them there are two half naked aliens on the beach with them..."

"You'd think they'd be more appreciative, then," David quipped. "Believe it or not, I'd never been to a proper beach until I visited Earth. Ectu is known more for its lakes than its oceans. I visited a place called 'Pismo'. It was absolutely breathtaking. The horizon looked much like here," he said, gesturing towards the water. "I couldn't fathom how people weren't terrified such a large body of water. Then I went for a swim and couldn't get enough."

"I prefer pools to swim in. Somewhere which is more controlled and no currents that can be a danger." Karane responded. "Its only natural to be scared of of dangerous things that have the possibility of harming or killing you. Its natural instinct."

"Mm. That explains why you make me nervous," he teased, giving her a gentle nudge. "I do enjoy a good pool. And a good lake. But there's something about the cool salt waters of the ocean that feel timeless and magical. Everything in life has a little danger to it, right? Sometimes that makes it worth attempting."

"Oh..." Karane said her tone lowering. "You think that I'm dangerous..."

David glanced down at her. "Dangerous? No. But relationships come with the risk of being hurt. That's just the way it is." He nudged her again. "That, and I'm aware of how you can throw a punch." He gave her a grin and squeezed her hand affectionately.

Karane laughed, a genuine laugh. "You should see the amount of times I've had to replace the master systems console in Engineering after it's pissed me off!" She laughed.

David grinned. "I believe it," he said. "And I'll admit to smacking the nav console around a bit when I get frustrated, more so when I was younger." He gave a wry smile. "T'kal would lecture me no-end about getting control of my emotions. I more or less learned. Well, more or less, more or less." He shrugged. "Enough about me. Your turn. What was little Karane like? Bookworm? Tree-climber? Or just running around the playground, beating up secondary school kids?" He grinned at her.

"Younger me huh..." she replied. "Well, My older sister was always the 'girly girl' of the family. And always the one who was the most academic." She said. "I was the 'tomboy' sister. Only girl in the robotics club at school. Only girl in the club to beat their fighting robot with my own design." She explained. "He cried like a spoilt baby when my robot literally tore his apart. I've been playing with technology since," she told him. "Only joined Starfleet after developing an... 'interest' in an engineer called Charles Tucker..."

"Interest?" David said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Someone have a little crush?"

"S...sh...shut up! I was sixteen!" Karane stuttered turning bright red.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. I fully admit having a crush on Hoshi Sato when I studied her in history class. Of course, my communication skills were nowhere near hers," David admitted.

"She was on the NX-01 as well. I went to see that ship in the Starfleet Museum. Although, I spent most of my visit in the engine room." Karane told him.

"Same here, First Year field trip at the academy," David said. "Although I didn't get to see much of the ship." He'd been gently leading them slightly further into the water as they walked, the surface up to the middle of Karane's shins, enjoying the sand shifting underneath his shoes, wishing he could feel it on the soles of his feet. "What else besides Engineering do you enjoy? we've already discovered two of your hidden talents. What else is there? You know, other than giving me a hard time."

"I can cross stitch..." she muttered. "I know, its far too 'girly' for a girl like me. But its something I do when I'm alone.. "

"What do you mean 'too girly' for a girl like you?" David said. "You're no more or less a girl than any other. You may be a huge machine nerd, which is hot enough as it is, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to do other things. I say cross-stitch to your heart's content. Am I too 'manly' to draw? I don't think so. Not that I'm especially good at it, but that's not the point."

"Draw?" Karane pondered. "Like realistic drawing? Or like line drawing... or Manga maybe...?"

"Realistic for the most part," David said. "I like to sketch my memories of important places," he glanced at her, "and people. Some people even get a whole page of sketches." He leaned down and kissed her temple. "I've enjoyed manga, but I'm not as skilled at that style. Have you done any?"

Karane looked away. "I... might have..."

"And now I officially have to see them," David said, grinning.

"They're not any good! I swear!"

"Oh come on!" David said. "I'm sure I'll love them. And I'm not just saying that because you're my g-g-girlfriend," he teased. "I bet you could teach me a thing or two, and I'd enjoy collaborating."

"Maybe... when I'm ready..." she said suddenly distracted. "Hey... have you noticed that guy behind us. He's been keeping pace with us for a while now."

David, admittedly, hadn't been paying much attention to their surroundings anymore, instead focusing on Karane. He turned to look where she pointed, but didn't see anyone in particular standing out. "Who?"

"The guy with the open red shirt behind us. He was sitting across from us, then followed us once we started walking." Karane explained.

"I mean...I see some other beachgoers. Are you sure it wasn't someone just taking a walk, like us?"

"No, I think he's definitely observing us." She replied.

"All right," he said, turning to face her and put his arms around her. "Do you want to leave? We can cut this short, head back to the ship." He gave her a devilish grin. "Could go to my quarters and cuddle up together with a book."

"Lets get off the beach first. Make it look like we're heading for somewhere..." she suggested.

"Good idea. "Exit is through the showers so we'll have to shake him before there." He put his arm around her waist and steered her back the way they'd come. The sudden shift in direction had the desired effect and he saw one man react while the other beachgoers went about their business. The man had an open red shirt, exactly as Karane described. David didn't get a good look at him, but thought he looked familiar. Perhaps it had been someone at the initial meeting.

He walked with Karane over the shells and back to the sand, taking a roundabout route to their things. One disadvantage of being the only humans there was that they couldn't just 'blend in'. However, now that he knew who he was looking for, he was able to keep an eye on their tail.

Once David had taken time to shake all the sand out of their towels and return all their items to his rucksack, he hefted it and took Karane's hand again and they walked towards the designated exit.

The only way off the beach to be in compliance with local laws, was to go through a building that functioned as both locker rooms and security checkpoint. There were separate entrances for men and women. The signs had helpful pictograms showing people could enter, use the showers and facilities, shake out any sand from their belongings, then have their bags inspected once they exited.

"Meet you on the other side," David said, reluctantly letting her hand go. He didn't like her being out of sight if there was a security issue, but knew she could handle herself.

Karane nodded. "Indeed. Don't forget to get all the sand!" She smirked.

---

David walked into the men's side and quickly stepped into the showers, cleaning every grain of sand off of himself. He thought it a bit extreme that any removal of sand, even a grain, even accidental, was a punishable offense, but, as Terrans would say, "when in Rome..."

He thought he saw a flash of red as he stepped back towards the changing area and quickly looked around the corner, but saw no one. He went back to his bag and reached in, pulling out his communicator and flipping it open, establishing a frequency.

"Erickson to Ark--" he stopped as he felt someone put a rag over his mouth. He fought the instinct to inhale to shout and instead threw himself backwards, his not-inconsiderable size smashing his assailant against the wall. He tried jamming his elbow back into his attacker, but the man recovered faster than he thought and, worse still, hadn't let go.

David then heard a scream from the women's side and rationality left him. He slammed the man into the wall again, grabbing his arm and trying to rip it away from his face. He almost succeeded, and pulled away enough to shout Karane's name, but a second pair of hands grabbed him and before he could look to see who it was, he was thrown to the floor, the air flying out of his lungs. He instinctively coughed and tried to inhale, as another rag was placed over his face. Whatever chloroform-like substance was on it was fast acting, and David's vision blurred as he rapidly lost consciousness.

Posting by:

Lt. Cmdr David Erickson
Chief Navigator

Lieutenant Karane Inda
Chief Engineer

 

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