NationStates Jolt Archive

(Neo Kirisubo and Sheilas and Bruces only)

The transporter beam assembled both Lt Commander Hoshiko Sato and Shez, the Sheila and Bruce's ambassador for this visit.

The transporter officer was dressed like Hoshiko was in the red wrap over jacket and black trousers.The female ensign was only slightly smaller and younger and had a security officer there as well.

Again the female security officer had a phaser on her belt but also had a short straight sword in a scabbard on her left hip.

They bowed to Hoshiko and her guest knowing this was the first NSUN visitor they had.

However first of all she had to check on Shez who had never been transported before.

Shiela, or perhaps more fitting in the situation, Shez. Was quite dis-orientated, she had whoozy feeling not at all helped by her half-drunk state, soon a headache hit her... and she grimmaced. Being in a pub and suddenly being somewhere else was not good for the Brucians psyche.

However she would get over it soon enough.

"You've just been through a transporter beam. You'll feel ok soon but lean on me if you need to.

The first stop will be my cabin where we'll maybe drink some more while we get ready for the holodeck programme" Hoshiko gently and quietly said.

It was like a bad hangover, and Shiela had more then enough of them to be able to function some.

"Just let me get my bearings for a moment and I'll be right." Her legs directed somewhat awkwardly as she took in the surroundings which didn't seem to make any directional sense, it was as if she was spining around.

However this soon faded and she was able to move without much impediment. She looked around at the inside gawking at the place.

"Blimy... this is just so.. just so fancy." It was as if she couldn't find the words to just explain how the ship looked at felt. It was completely foreign to the point where the words she had were not satisfactory to explain it.

She'd follow Hoshiko to her cabin, unaware any implications this may or may not entail

So when Shez was ready Hoshiko led the way to her cabin. It wasn't large but had a double futon bed, a connecting bathroom, a table and a few chairs and a wardrobe. There was also a food and drink replicator on the wall.

There was a the same gun metal theme to the walls here but she also had a silk wall hanging of a kimono wearing woman under a willow tree along with some Kirisuban text on it which looked like Earth Japanese.

"Have a seat Shez. I'll dig out some swim wear and kimono gowns for us" she said looking through her wardrobe settling for a skimpy silver bikini and thong for herself and pulling out a similiar set in black for Shez to take a look at.

The beers were safely on the table and soon they could visit the holosuite.

"Um, do you have a one piece cossie? oh I mean swimming costume?"

She siddled up to the table and for now just grabbed a beer, this place was just all together outside her comfort zone and while Hosh had been accomidating and understanding she felt much more at east with a bottle of beer in her hand. They hadn't prepared her for going into a space ship, but how could they? It wasn't like they could do a session on inter-stellar space craft could they?

"I could think of something Shez" Hoshiko called back and had a brainwave.

A tight black strappy top that was low cut in the bust was combined with the bikini bottoms to make a kind of one piece outfit.

So leaving this on the bed she also took out two red cotton kimono robes for them and changed into her bikini there and then. Her uniform was hung up again and slipping on the cotton robe and flip flops she joined Shez by the table.

"I found you something similiar but its not a one piece" she gently replied as she sipped her beer. She already liked Shez as a friend even although she barely knew her and had second thoughts about going too far.

She would let events unfold naturally instead and enjoy the holodeck programme with some drinks instead.

"Thanks great, that's perfect." Sheila happily replied as picked up the two piece once piece. Going to different corner of the cabin she started getting changed right there and then as well. Taking off the clothes she had on, and putting on her swimming cossie.

She then folded her clothes up and found a place that didn't have anything else on it and placed them there. Then she returned admiring the red kimono for a second before noticing the "Flip-flops".

"Thongs?! All this technology and you've still got thongs? Perhaps the future isn't all that different after all." She sort of squealed with delight as her feet slid into the comfortable foot ware.

"You know I was the champion Sheila in the sheila's section of the annual Thong Tossing Comp last year." Sheila said proudly, picking up her beer that she had temporarily put down and taking a small swig-like sip of the beer.

"Hmm. Not bad our beers are usually stronger but I like the taste."

Hoshiko smiled and gently said "Shez, I'm not familiar with that custom but perhaps you could show me how its done.

I have no idea who made this beer but its good. Neville knows his alcohol alright."

She'd glanced round to see part of her friends change and she did look good in the improvised swim suit and kimono.

"The programme will be the Fujiko bay beach so you'll have plenty of sun, crystal blue sea, white sand as well as a red tinted sky to look at. It'll feel like really being there right down to the sea breeze and you won't have any harmful UV rays to worry about either" she gently added as she continued to drink her beer.

"I'll show you on the beech, Speaking of which sounds great.. you ready?"

Shez was and she was eager just to see how real this thing was.

Hoshiko got a bag and after putting the old style cork back in the bottle placed all the beers in the bag along with two tall metal pint glasses.

So she led the way to the holodeck and entering the room Shaz would be able to see a black room with a yellow grid on the walls, floor and ceiling. It was 10 metres square.

"Computer, run programme 'Fujiko bay at noon' " she said and the door closed.

The grid then changed to a tropical beach which was lined with palm trees and looked exactly like Hoshiko had described it.

It did feel quite tropical with a cooling breeze the the pinkish red sky had the sun at its highest point.

The sand under their feet certainly felt real and the sea would certainly feel wet and cooling as well.

"Computer place two sun loungers with large red umbrella and a low table 5 feet away from me" she spoke into thin air and they also appeared just like that.

"Welcome to Fujiko beach Shez" she cheerfully added and taking of her robe and flip flops placed the beers and pint glasses on the table before she settled onto her sun lounger. The skimpy silver strapless bikini looked good on her lithe body and she looked ready for fun and relaxation.

bump

The bay reminded her of the many times she had gone to the beach as a child, the sun, the surf and the sand. The three parts that made up any good day at the beach. Her parents, Sheila and Bruce, would bring their beers along while the kids would have other drinks.

It was perhaps a little quiet, too deserted for Sheila's taste but still it was lovely. Sheila followed suit letting the red robe drop to the ground as she reclined in her own lounger.

"So must be interesting soaring through the stars... what sort of things do you find out there?"

Hoshiko smiled as she poured a beer into one of the tall glasses and sipped it.

"As space explorers we can see many things such as other planets, the formation and death of star systems and even alien races.

We also have to fight in self defence from time to time but we never surrender ourselves or our ships. Its our warrior code which is similiar to the old Samurai code of Bushido" she softly explained.

The sun felt so warm and she relaxed fully in this environment. She hoped Shez could take this for what it was and enjoy it as well.

That answer seemed to satiate her desire for knowledge and for now she just lay back relaxed and let the sun stream down upon her and her mock 1 piece swimming suit.

After about 5 minutes of just resting she started to laugh for no apparent reason.

Hoshiko was relaxing as she sipped her beer and chuckled when she heard Shez laugh for seemingly no reason.

The 'sun' continued to beat down and with it being set at noon it would have been pretty warm. Hence the need for a beer and swimwear.

"Whats up Shez?" she softly asked sitting up slightly in her sun lounger.

"oh, heh, nothing really, I was just thinking to myself that it's about this time, when I've just started relaxing properly when someone comes up with a 'crisis', of some sort requiring my immediate, undivided and full attention, but none of that here. It's almost like heaven.

Hoshiko smiled and softly replied "thats what the Captain, First Officer and the Lady Ambassador feel like most of the time.

I was the Third Officer and helm officer until I was made Ambassador Yamamoto's aide.

This is a bit of heaven and hopefully it will last. If you want to be this relaxed again again I'm sure you'll find me at the bar and we can arrange a time which suits us both."

She hoped they could continue to be friends even if politics and eventually got in the way.

"Oh, that would be great, thanks Hosh. Actually I want to show you something. I'll show you how to thong toss."

Sheila slid around and got up, moving a bit away from the table she bent down and attempted to draw a line in the sand to serve as the starting point for the toss.

Hoshiko gracefully slipped of her sun lounger and joined her friend by the line in the sand. She was wearing her thongs for now.

She would watch carefully as Shez showed her this sport from her homeland. Then have a go herself since she wasn't afraid of trying new things.

"The basic aim of thong tossing is to kick the thong off your foot and get it to land straight, the right side up, if they're the same then it's distance. The rules are simple one foot needs to stay behind the line, where the other foot which will kick can go over. That's basically it." she explained as she took up her position standing just behind the line facing it.

She lifted her left foot up and she swung it a few times before doing the 'toss' with determined force the thong soared into the air performing rolls as it went and landed about 3 meters away from them, the thong had landed upside down but otherwise perfectly straight.

Hoshiko smiled and then gave it a go.

Three swings of her slender leg later her thong left her foot sailing through the air making two metres distance but pointing upside down at nine o'clock.

She had no idea of how well she'd done on her first attempt and looked over to Shez.

"Good toss there Hosh, you're a natural. With practice you could be really good."

Someone might think that she was saying that just because it was polite to do so or perhaps that she was just trying to be encouraging, in fact there were probably alot of reasons why someone could not tell the whole truth in regards to that but then there was always Shiela.

There was not a shed of falseness in her statement she really did believe that with proper practice that Hosh could be a really good.

Hoshiko smiled and retrieved her thong ready for another go. This game was fun and just perhaps others of her crew could catch onto it.

After all they were in the space fleet to meet new people and see new cultures. Where better than the NSUN HQ to do that?

"Really Shez?" she softly asked slipping the thong back on her foot.

"Yeah, with enough practice you'll get to know how the thong comes off the foot better and you'd be properly able control the toss better. He wouldn't like me telling you this, but Bruce down in the pub. His first Thong Toss it hit in his head, he had no idea, he was blind drunk at the time, but I still don't know how he did it."

Hoshiko smiled and softy said "then I guess practice makes perfect."

So she had another go and flicked the thong of her foot achieving a similar result to last time getting it slightly straighter.

"I suppose being drunk would have something to do with it. Your reactions simply aren't the same" she added chuckling and placing a slender soft arm round Shez's shoulders.

"So whats family life like in your homeland? I'm not sure how us Neo-Kirisuban's would compare to the rest of the universe" she softly added.

"Married couple, and kids that's pretty much it, work's hard and usually demanding but we also know how to have a good time. I don't what to say that basically sums us up."

Hoshiko thought back to her two adoptive mothers back on Kirisubo Beta and smiled.

"We have families in a kind of way but its usually two women looking after a child. Its rare to see a mother and father type family since men only make up 10% of our total population.

Every woman has to bear at least one child and sometimes they get adopted firstly by the state and then get adopted by another family. I never knew my real parents but my adoptive mothers are trout farmers back home. I have very happy and fond memories of growing up in the countryside" she softly replied.

"What happened to all the bruces? what with 1 out of 10 how do you know... keep going. I'm a farm girl myself, there is nothing quite like the life."

Smiling when Shez said she was a farm girl as well they had more in common than met the eye.

By now her arm had slipped of her shoulder and Hoshiko had sat down in the golden sand.

"Theres only is three million of us and old spacer stories have us painted as warrior amazons and sometimes closer to sirens.

Lets say that the tales of us have spread since our population was dramatically reduced but thats another story.

Ten years ago after the disaster and the resettlement on our new worlds we quickly realised we had a major problem and this meant changing the way our society worked.

Men are required by law to have sex with a woman or donate sperm every fortnight. We still prefer the natural way although and each woman is bound by the same laws to have at least one child. Normally this means having to leave the exploration fleet and either go back into civilian life or take a job in the defense fleet.

Thats why off worlders will very rarely see a Neo Kirisuban over the age of 30 in the exploration fleet. All our men have to stay on the homeworlds and its rare to see a normal mother-father-child type family as a result.

Normally the mother would give her baby back to the state and then she'd be adopted like I was by another all female family.

Things are starting to improve ratio wise but it'll be another generation at least until the male population is slightly higher than it is now" Hosiko softly replied.

"Good to know... I'm glad things are getting back to normal..." She paused for a moment before asking "feel like a swim?"

"Of course Shez" Hoshiko said as she raced her to the water.

She waded in just after her friend and waded until it was deep enough to swim. The current was gently and the water cooling and crystal blue.

"Thats better" she added as she back stroked near to where Shez was.

Sheila herself dived into the water once it was up to knee level, it was only a shallow dive but it was enough to get her fully wet from head to toe. Emerging from under the water she sighed "Ah, that's nice."

She kept herself afloat partly with her natural bouyancy and partly by treading water. Something which she was obviously adept at.

Hoshiko floated beside Shez and softly remarked "this is as real as we can get it and it never ceases to amaze me that we can be on a beach ten kilometres above the earth."

She looked totally relaxed and at home. It was nice to get some R&R.

"What get's me is that we certainly by now should have ran, or swam, into the wall. This is amazing..."

Hosh just smiled and floated with Hosh relaxing, the water felt cool and comforting. It has been ages since she was just able to spend time with a friend, not feel pressured in anyway.

And she did feel that Hosh was a friend, despite only knowing her for a short time they had grown a bond between them.

"The holosuite boundaries move with you so you could walk down that beach for an hour and still not hit a wall" Hoshiko cheerfully replied.

"This beach will be there when you need it Shez. Its one of the favourite programmes on board ship as well" she softly added as she swam round the floating Shez with a graceful back stroke.

"Hmmm... after I got used to living on a ship I think it'd be quite boring same thing day after day, even the stars would end up being just balls of flame. What do you usually keep yourself busy with?" she asked as she started slowly backstroking herself away from the shoreline.

"Normally the holosuite programmes or listening to music is how I relax" Hoshiko softly replied as she backstroked with Shez.

"I've this favourite sword combat programme I like and its a great way of keeping in shape as well" she added with a smile on her face.

"Well, I think I'll just stick with this scenario... "

A smile played across her face... "Race you back..." she grinned like a little school girl, and in many ways it was like that. Just there having fun with friends.

She started to freestyle back to the shore, her strokes where strong and sure, by no means meeting any olympic standard or even national but she was still a strong swimmer, it was a question of how long it would take.

Hoshiko switched her stroke as the race began.

A steady breast stroke was her main swimming stroke as she trailed behind Shez.

* bump *

It was perhaps the stroke... Sheila zoomed ahead, freestyle was so much quicker than breaststroke, however they perhaps farther out then she thought, her stroke got slower and slower. As she struggled to continue on.

Hoshiko was able to catch up as the swim continued as Sheila tired and she noticed this.

"Are you ok Sheila?" she asked sounded concerned.

She knew you couldn't drown with the holodeck safeties on but if it was just tiredness then resting on their sun loungers with their beers would be the answer.

"No, I'm fine." Sheila managed to speak before not too long they were back on the beach.

"I guess, I just don't have the upper body strength or Stamina I used to have."

She flopped onto her lounging deck chair and lay there letting the water drip dry from her body.

"You'll be fine after a rest Shez" Hoshiko tenderly replied as she also rested on her sun lounger. She was sipping her beer as the sun beat down drying her off as well as warming her up.

Then her comm badge went off and she took it off her kimono robe.

Sighing she tapped it after she returned to her lounging position, listened and then replied in her own language.

"Shez, my Captain's told me that my ambassador and your Bruces have arranged a game of rugby union between an 'Empress Midori XV' and a local Sheila team to be played four days from now in your nation.

It should be a good match. We love our rugby in Neo-Kirisubo" she gently added.

"Oh, so you'll be able come and visit us then!" Sheila exclaimed excitedly... "Ooo, we've got so much to show you."

And Sheila was actually being quite honest, Sheilas and Bruces was quite a big land, however it's inhabitants were relatively few. With the population density of Farm animals being much higher. It would take hours for them to go anywhere. Infrastructure pretty much was sealed roads in town with a number sealed roads that crossed the nation but a vast majority of the roads where dirt.

There, however were alot of things to see ancient monoliths, interesting rock formations and the spooky Min-Min Lights, legends of Black Bruces stated that the Min-Min Lights where two sisters that where punished by being imprisoned in the ground. Despite however they frequently escape before getting imprisoned again.

There was alot of folk-lore and stories that were just waiting to be unleashed

"I'm sure I'll be there with the ambassador. She never passes up a good game of rugby" Hoshiko beamed as she sipped more of her beer before topping up her glass again.

She was still lounging and soaking up the heat feeling so relaxed now. You could still get tanned here but not sunburnt or suffer harmful UV rays.

The programme safeties protected them.

"I'll look forward to the match then. I might even be playing in the game as well" she added.

"Hosh, thanks for inviting me up here." she commented... "It's just beyond anything I could of imagined before." She looked over at Hosh and smiled warmly. "I don't think this I could ever forget this.. You know we could continue sun bathing back in Sheilas and Bruces, we've got a beaut beach. Could you take me around and show me some more of the ship?... oh, and could I meet the captain... I presume you have captain's, right?"

"That sounds like a good plan Shez. We do have Captains. In this case Captain Emiko Sato commands the 'Empress Midori'.

I can give you a tour as well easily enough and sunbathing in Sheila's and Bruce's sounds good as well" she cheerfully replied.

"But, I don't really want to leave..." Sheila half speaking, half-laughing. It's just so.... so nice.

"We don't have to leave yet Shez" Hoshiko softly replied.

"The Captain and she ship will still be here when we finish and we still have a long time in here as well" she gently added.

"It's not like you are going to fly away with me on board..." Sheila chuckled "Alright..."

She finished off the beer she had then reached over and cracked another one of the six-pack.

"Ahhhhhhh." she sighed contentidly as she relaxed back into her sun lounger sliding down a little further into the chair.

Hoshiko smiled broadly and a few sips later had drained her old beer.

So cracking open a fresh beer she poured it into her pint glass and while the head settled down contently stretched out and relaxed.

"Mmhhh" she contently sounded out as she relaxed.

bump

Sheila sighed... as she also relax with nothing really to say she just closed her eyes and lay in the warm and comfortable sun. Over a few minutes... she started to snore, nothing loud, but there was an enough of a blockage to make it noticeable that she was asleep.

Hoshiko smiled as she realised Sheila was asleep but she'd leave her to this.

Her comm badge chirped again and she quietly spoke with her Captain again. She was asked about the suitability of different crew members in different positions.

"Kitigawa would make a great scrum half but I'm not sure about Ito being in the pack even if she is in security" she added after listening as the discussion quietly continued.

About 15 minutes later she would awake with a slight groan as she stretched her arms, accidently bumping the table.

"Ohh... Must of fallen asleep... How long was I sleeping for?" perhaps not the best in terms of grammer but the message should get through easy enough.

"Oh not long Shez. It was just a little nap" Hoshiko softly replied having dealt with the business of team selection already.

She then left her lounger and moved over to her friends side.

"At least you can't sunburn here if you fall asleep. The safety programmes are on" she softly replied as she sat on the sand beside Shez.

bump

"I'm starting to feel, a bit odd, like I should be doing something. It's been great just being here with you but... but as the common saying back home is... "A Sheila's work is never done."

Hoshiko smiled softly and gently suggested "do you want to see the rest of the ship and then return to the Strangers Bar?

You are doing something already Shez but if you want to some diplomatic work you're in the right place to do it."

"That would be great, and Also I don't really want to tie up the holodeck any further... I'm sure there would be lots of crew members who'd be wanting to use it."

She got up from the lounge chair and started to dust he herself off, from the sand that had accumulated.

"We can always continue the tour after we get changed in my cabin" Hoshiko warmly replied as she slipped on her own kimono and flip flops.

When she ended the programme all the sand would cease to be anyway since you couldn't carry out holodeck matter into the corridor. Hoshiko wanted a shower anyway before getting properly dressed in her uniform.

As much fun as this had been she knew it had to end and they both needed to get back to work.

"Good thinking... I hope that the Captain won't mind but I only have the clothes I came up here with. I would at least like to make a good impression, we're generally very casual about the way we dress."

Putting back on her thongs and dressing gown/kimono, She headed along with Hosh back to her Cabin.

"We're open minded about this sort of thing. Clothing can be anything from scales to simple robes and we've seen plenty of cultures on our travels" Hoshiko replied as they made their way back to her cabin and the beach vanished until the next time it was needed.

So in the cabin she got a quick shower ready to change back into her skirt based uniform.

Shez's clothes weren't that bad and they were suited for her climate so they would do for meeting Captain Sato in.

Slipping out with a towel wrapped round her little body she organised her uniform again.

While Hosh had her shower Sheila got back into her own clothes, she was comfortable in them and she could feel herself. Something it seemed the the sherilas from Kirisubo wanted people to be more comfortable, wanted them to be themselves.

Formality was something that just didn't exist as in everyone was on the same level, some just had more power but greater responsibility hence levelling them out. A mix flowed between the hard working get the job done and the "larrakin" the one who made life just that little bit more bareable.

Hoshiko got her shower in the bathroom, dried herself off and put on her skirt and jacket uniform.

The honour blade rested on her left hip and now she was ready to show Shez round the rest of the ship once she was ready.

"You ready, then?" Sheila asked eager to go and meet the rest of the crew. She fiddled with her clothing a bit nervous but more excited than anything.

She looked over to Hosh and gave a grin, "Well, let's go."

Hoshiko gave Shez the full tour taking in main engineering with the giant twin warp engines and promising a shuttle ride so she could see the ship from the outside as well as Earth.

The mess hall, sickbay, some science labs and then the bridge was the final stop before the shuttle trip. The all female bridge crew gave Shez a polite welcome as they did their jobs and Captain Jun Sato was only too glad to see Shez in her ready room as she introduced herself.

There wasn't much for Sheila to comment on, about 90% of the stuff she was shown, of course she could probably work out to operate things, given enough time, but with the sick bay and the engines as well as most of the other equipment here, the most basic fundamentals were way past her. She was limited to noticing how things looked most of the time.

Bur finally as they approached the bridge, she gave slight head nod to each of the crew that said hello, an acknowledgement and greeting. You didn't really need words, so why use them?

"Thank you for the great welcome." She beamed to the Captain, "Hosh has been such a great host, it's really been great... This ship...it's... it's.. just amazing."

"We're pretty proud of our ship as well but theres bigger and more powerful starships back home" Captain Sato replied after she bowed.

"You're also our first UN visitor as well so I can give you an offering in return" she added moving to her ready room.

On the desk was a triple sword stand. Two of the weapons were different length scabbarded straight swords while another was a long slightly curved tanto dagger in a red scabbard with traditional binding on the hilt.

It was the dagger most crew wore on board ship and she presented it to Shez bowing again.

She just blinked ...looked at the swords and the dagger... "Wow, uh.. thanks..." she didn't know what to say, she never weilded a sword in her life, nor was she likely ever. When she got home the swords would probably be put away out of sight. There was obviously, however, something beyond mere swords going on here. She recognised it because it was such unfamiliar concept.

Who would give her something that would be of absolutely no use to her?

But so not to offend, she accepted, though she was clearly bemused, she did however note the dagger, that she had seen it many times before, but had no idea what it could mean.

Sensing the unspoken question Hoshiko explained.

"That is an honour blade and all crew wear it unless they already wear another sword.

The swords remind us of where we came from and the honour we must maintain as people. Our origin is the samurai of the Kirisuban Empire, warriors who served the empire with wisdom and humility during the long period of peace they maintained.

They're also quite practical weapons for us even now and the blades are live. the dagger is yours to keep so you can have a reminder of your visit and the people you seen."

Her eyes went all googly at the swords, she gingerly picked up the knife.. sorry, Dagger. It was a useless artifact in a sense of the term. Perhaps she could use it for something during cooking but no, this would would be too important, too much of an attachment. Those back home would never believe her but as long as she had this dagger she knew that it wasn't just some sort of weird crazy dream.

She held the Dagger in the open palm of her hand, aware of sharp blade safety, she didn't want to hold it.

Time passed for a few seconds which seemed an eternity as she just looked at the ornate Dagger, much fancier than the pure utilitarian knives and blades back home.

"Oh, thank you, I'll keep this to remember all of you." her smile beamed out at everyone there.

Hoshiko smiled and suggested "Shez I suppose we should get back to the strangers bar before the Bruce's think you've been kidnapped.

We'll probally meet again when the Empress Midori XV play in your nation in a few days and we can celebrate a new friendship as well."

"If your going to be their most certainly Hosh. I wouldn't miss it for all the eucalypts in the bush."

"Oh, if I know the Bruces there probably in some drunken state or other talking about the weather. How thery can just drone on and on about it is amazing."

"Oh I'll be there" Hoshiko replied as she led Shez out of the ready room now the tour was completed.

"Transporting is easier second time around" she also kindly added as they approached the transporter room.

It wouldn't take long to get back to the bar now.

"it wasn't that bad." she spoke understating the effects of the Teleporter, it was a peculiar trait that hadn't really been seen as basically her entire experience so far had totally been so far much more than she could ever imagine.

Entering the room... She disappeared and found herself back in the bar.

OOC: Do you want me to start a new thread for the game? or do you want to continue here.

ooc: a new thread would would best

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=553319