The transporter station sat two blocks south of the festival grounds. It was wrapped in low, arched glass like a hive swollen with energy. Wide footpaths funneled travelers through its entrance. The crowd thickened near the doors. Children tugged at adults. Officers off-duty still wore rank pips on their collars. A Tellarite family argued over where to go next. Someone carried a to-go container that smelled strongly of Andorian flatfish fried in oil.

Captain Raku Mobra stepped around a hovering luggage cart, careful not to brush against the hurried Bolian escorting it. Beside him, Greta matched his stride step for step. Her tan trousers hugged her hips with careful elegance. The cascade of obsidian hair fell between her shoulder blades. The jacket she had carried for much of the festival was finally worn. Her steps were relaxed and confident, amusement with her new friend visible across her alabaster facial features.

The floor was sectioned by glowing track lines that pointed to transport queues. Overhead screens listed fixed destinations for some of the transporters. At each pad cluster, an operator sat in a console booth behind a force-shield partition. Prospective passengers stated their destinations with minimal greetings or fanfare.

“Next! Destination?” There was neither frustration, nor patience in the older man’s voice. His hair was speckled with gray fibers. Most of them had crept in over the past year. An inner fire burned with whatever motivating thought carried him through another tedious day at the station.

“Hills and Ponds Township”, a husband told the surly operator as he turned to his wife. “Fifth Avenue Square.”

“So what does the Cardinal do,” Greta asked. She turned to Raku and added, “It’s not your usual kind of command, I take it?”

Raku gave a slight smile. “What makes you say that? She’s a fairly old vessel. A classic. The mission is pretty straightforward. Science stuff mostly.” He withheld talk of the ship’s sensor pod.

“You just don’t seem like a typical commander.” Greta’s gaze never seemed to leave him. “There’s something about you.”

“I’m just a simple guy from Free Haven.” Raku’s eyelids lowered warmly. His voice was deep with added bass.

They moved forward in the queue as the married couple disappeared in a flash of light. The woman in front of them wore an ambassadorial sash and was accompanied by two attendants. Her voice was thin and irritated. “No. I said platform two, not six. We are not going to the Barren Courts. Send us to Ethspire.”

The operator barely raised his eyebrows. “Ma’am, platform two is not available. The next opening is on six. You’ll be in the same geozone. You can catch a shuttle flight from there.”

Behind them, a group of young officers joked. “It’s too bad our time here is almost up. Maybe we should beam to Carsenton to avoid the final muster call.”

His lanky blonde friend snickered. “I wish”, she replied in a huff. “We’re already running late as is.”

The station hummed with restrained chaos. Raku folded his arms as he waited. He couldn’t help but hear the sounds of a dozen strangers conversing.

Greta leaned closer to him. “You didn’t answer earlier,” she said. “Are you sure you want to go?”

He tilted his head. “To the casino?”

She smiled. “Yes.”

“I’m not exactly dressed for it.” He stroked his jacket and looked down at his taupe jumpsuit.

“You’re in bright orange. You’ll be the most intimidating gambler in the room.”

“Only if they think this color is a warning… Like a caution sign.”

She gave a breath of laughter. “I have a suite. I love that place. It’s familiar to me.”

Raku studied her expression. The lights reflected faint gold across her angular cheekbones. “Familiarity can be dangerous.”

“I think that depends on who you’re with.” Her hand brushed along the back of his shoulders. “You’re safe with me.”

The next travelers beamed out in a flash of blue. Mobra and Greta were next. The operator’s gaze swept toward them.

“Destination?” he asked, expression unreadable.

“Riverside Casino,” Greta said. “Morgan Township.”

The man entered the code without further comment. “Ready?”

Raku stepped onto the pad beside his impromptu date. She adjusted her stance to position herself on top of the pad. The shimmer rose around them like a wave of cold mist. Light swallowed the room and then rebuilt it, piece by piece.

They rematerialized in a vaulted antechamber wrapped in golden marble. Arched doorways led to other rooms. The walls were decorated with swirling abstract patterns cut into polished bronze.

“Welcome to the Riverside Experience!” a squeaky voice chirped from ahead.

A Ferengi in a deep red vest and gleaming boots stepped forward with his arms extended. “May your credits flow like rivers and your chances never dry. We offer an elite selection of—”

He paused when he saw Greta. His mouth froze around his next syllable.

“Ah. Madam Bella.” He swallowed. “Your suite is ready, o-of course. Right this way. Please! Allow me to escort you.” The little man seemed to trip over himself as he led the pair.

His tone had changed. His beady eyes darted to Raku but didn’t linger.

Greta gave him a gracious nod. “Thank you, Parno. We’ll take the central route.”

“Of course,” he said as he scurried ahead to open the nearest passage.

They stepped onto the gaming floor. Dim, golden light washed across the space. Slot machines and holotables glittered with programmed randomness. Hovering trays drifted between tables. Some offered drinks, others scanned for biometric identifiers to monitor the guests. A band of tall, reed-like humanoids played something light and fluid on a stage to the far right. Their sound plucked through delicate coils turned into instruments.

They crossed toward the lift at the chamber’s far end. Their casual gait led them between tables without rushing.

Raku looked upward as they passed beneath the central dome. The ceiling was transparent in sections, revealing the black sky and stars beyond. The building was shaped like a flower blossom. Petal-shaped structures opened outward and upward from the main body like a lotus frozen mid-burst. The suite balconies ringed the upper petals, each framed by pulsing neon bands of pale orange and soft blue. The colors changed every few hours.

Their lift arrived with a soft chime. Before the doors opened, Greta turned to him.

“You look like you’re analyzing everything.”

“I’m taking everything in.” There was a slightly anxious tone in his words. “I don’t normally rush into things. I haven’t even dated in months.”

“Do you want to stop and get a coffee?” Greta redirected away from his tension.

The captain glanced at his wrist chronometer. “It’s late.”

She slapped his arm lightly. “I’m not planning to sleep anytime soon.”

He lifted his eyebrows. The corners of his lips lifted playfully. “Do you always slap officers?”

“I slap people who act like they’re not enjoying themselves.”

Raku smiled. “I am enjoying myself.”

“Mmm hmm.” Her voice grew quieter. “You’re very hard to read, captain.”

“Is that a complaint?”

“No. You’re just a puzzle.” Her eyes lingered on his for a long moment. Her dainty hand reached out and lightly straightened the collar of his jacket.

Their hearts beat nearly in sync as their chests rose and fell together.

The lift chimed again as the doors opened behind them. Greta leaned in and pressed her lips to his, slowly but without hesitation. The delicate kiss saw their lips connect and their tongues lock. Her hand ran from his collar, down to his chest.

When she pulled back, her hand fell to his hip. They stepped into the lift together, arms around one another’s waist. The doors slid shut with a faint hiss.