“This is truly remarkable,” Mettex exclaimed, his eyes aglow with fascination and his voice filled with awe as they departed the astrology lab. “I’ve never encountered such precise data on subspace manipulation at the quantum level. Your research, Director Shenia, is nothing short of groundbreaking!”

Shenia, the epitome of grace, acknowledged Mettex’s enthusiasm with a nod, her dark eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and humility. “I’m delighted you’ve found our work intriguing, Professor Mettex. We’ve poured countless hours into pushing the boundaries of our understanding in all areas of the sciences. Cloudbase is here to continue to innovate our knowledge of the known universe.”

Walking behind her husband and their Entharan host, Slyvexs felt a thrill coursing through her veins. The opportunity to explore the Cloudbase research outpost, a marvel nestled within the cyclohexane layer of the ninth gas giant on the Gerina system’s edge, was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’ (as described by the director when she told them about it). However, Slyvexs wasn’t the one who had been invited to it first. After meeting Shenia at a recent diplomatic function, she invited Mettex to tour this facility. Slyvexs couldn’t deny Mettex this unique opportunity, especially given his infrequent visits to alien laboratories. However, they were meant to be relaxing somewhere calm instead of doing more science work.

“Are you alright, my dear?” Mettex’s voice cut through Slyvexs’s reverie, filled with genuine concern.

With a soft smile, Slyvexs reassured him, “Yes, darling, all is well. I’m simply captivated by everything we’re seeing.”

Shenia, ever attentive to her guests’ needs, turned her gaze towards Slyvexs. “Doctor Slyvexs, if you are interested in visiting our medical research bays, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I can arrange for an assistant to accompany you.”

Slyvexs considered the offer briefly before graciously declining with a wave of her hand. “Thank you, Director Shenia, but I’m thoroughly enjoying our tour as it is. Please, continue to enlighten us.”

As the director of Cloudbase, Shenia exuded a palpable passion for their research endeavours. Leading them through the corridors lined with pulsating arrays and humming machinery, she painted a vivid picture of the innovative work being conducted within the outpost’s confines. Passing what resembled their own version of cetacean ops, Slyvexs couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Director, who provides the support for all of your groundbreaking work? Is it government-funded?”

Shenia paused, her gaze thoughtful as she considered Slyvexs’ question. “Actually, no, we are privately funded. Much of our research is supported by my father’s businesses.”

“Your father?” Mettex’s curiosity was piqued, his eyes gleaming with interest. “What kind of businesses does he oversee?”

Shenia’s lips curved into a subtle smile, a hint of mystery dancing in her eyes. “Oh, various enterprises spanning multiple sectors. But perhaps you’d be more interested in our temporal mechanics division. It’s truly fascinating.”

“I’m already intrigued!” Mettex exclaimed eagerly, his enthusiasm undiminished as they continued their tour.

Slyvexs couldn’t help but chuckle softly, her heart warmed by Mettex’s genuine engagement in their visit. She continued to follow from behind as Mettex’s curiosity piqued, and he fired question after question at Shenia about the work being carried out on Cloudbase.

Gerina IV, Gerina System, Swallow Nebula region, Delta Quadrant

Keli was enjoying herself as she bathed on one of the sunbeds on the pool’s edge. She was relaxed and enjoying the bright, warm sunshine. For the first time in a long time, the Odyssey’s chief security and tactical officer could not remember the last time she had been able to relax under an alien sun like this. 

A server came over and offered her a drink; Keli thanked them before she sat up and took it. Her companion, Marova, was beside her, sipping on a similar cocktail. 

“This is good,” Marova nodded as she finished sipping her drink.

Keli took her drink and sipped on it, too. “Oh, I like that. Nice and fruity. Quite exotic.”

“Talking of exotic,” Marova looked over the top of her sunglasses and gestured towards one end of the swimming pool. “Is it me, or does it look like Reuben is slowly coming out of that pool?”

Intrigued, Keli looked over to where Marova was pointing and saw Gray, Jonarom and Jaceon coming out of the swimming pool. The three men had just swam the pool length and were joking around with one another. Over the last few weeks, Gray had become like a big brother to Jaceon ever since they had rescued him from the Borg. Jonarom, on the other hand, appeared to be becoming more confident in social situations, so when Keli had organised for a group of them to visit one of the tropical resorts, she was surprised when Jonarom accepted the offer. 

Keli found herself unable to resist halting her steps to admire Gray’s impressive physique. Their bond had grown inseparable over time, forged through their shared dedication to Jaceon’s rehabilitation and the countless hours spent together off-duty. Yet, in that moment, as she watched Gray emerge from the pool, she couldn’t help but ponder Marova’s observation. Was Gray deliberately prolonging his exit from the water, or was he merely taking his time? Every contour of his well-defined chest and the marks left by his Borg implants on his biceps, back, and torso were starkly visible, drawing Keli’s gaze irresistibly.

“Reuben!” Maraova shouted at the top of her voice, “Can you go any slower out of that pool?” She then picked up a nearby piece of fruit and threw it towards Gray. 

Without hearing Marova, Grey had been shaking his head as the water dripped from it and hadn’t seen what she threw until the last second; as he saw the flying fruit approach him, he tried to catch it but instead fell backwards and back into the pool with a massive splash. 

His misfortune caused everyone to laugh. As Gray swam back up to the side of the pool, he got up and ran over to Marova. “Oh, you think that was funny, hey, lieutenant?”

Marova, who was still laughing, nodded. “It certainly was!” 

He turned to Keli, “Do you mind if I steal your drinking companion?”

“Go ahead, Reuben,” Keli said, smirking.

Maraova looked at her friend and then back to Gray but didn’t have much chance to respond when Gray picked her up, placed her over his shoulder, and ran straight back into the pool with her. They entered with a massive splash that caught almost everyone else.

Swimming back to the top of the pool, the two officers had huge smiles as they laughed. 

“Was that slow enough for you, Marova?” Gray asked. 

“You’ll regret that!” Marova said between chuckles. 

Keli finished laughing and went back to relaxing. This was perfect, she felt. She shook the thought of Gray coming out of the pool so quickly. There was nothing there. 

She hoped.