A Little Austrian Interlude

Posted on Sat Apr 16th, 2022 @ 11:58pm by Lieutenant Commander Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Niali Korial

Mission: *CD*
Location: CMO quarters/Holodeck
Timeline: Current.

The time had come for Commander Kerr’s torture. At least that is what she thought it would probably be to him, staying the course would test his mettle, or in the other case it would be round one to her. As she changed into the requisite blue serge long sleeved dress and starched white apron she smiled at the demure figure that looked back at her in the mirror. She had booked the holodeck earlier that day and the program was already running with the requisite articles they would need. She laughed aloud to herself wondering if Mr Kerr had discovered his inner Austrian Count yet and had changed into his costume. She poured a drink and threw herself onto the couch to wait. Maybe he had thought better of it and would not come? either way she found herself wanting to see him, even if it was for his apology.

Finchley drew some odd looks, even the odd snigger or two behind hands, as he made his way to the holodeck. When he'd replicated the Lederhosen, he couldn't quite make out what it was for. He'd done some research and saw it was from Earths past, worn in few countries like Germany, Bavaria and Austria. It was apparently 'peasant dress' from the era around the eighteenth century, and it was strange to say thee least. Arriving outside the holodeck, he could see the programme was already running, so assuming Niali was already inside, he opened the doors and walked in.

The Austrian mountains looked beautiful in the morning sun as it moved across the ice caps and onto the sweeping green meadows filled with flowers. The air tasted clean and fresh with the slight tang of cows as they grazed the sweet meadow grass. The occasional sonorous clang of the giant cowbells each space in wore. Niali sat on a hillock waiting for him as he passed through the arch. “You came then Finchley, May I call you Finchley?” She stood and walked over to him walking round him looking at his trim muscular body. “How do you like the leather?” She asked. “Surprised?”

Walking into the scenario, Finchley was pleasantly surprised at the surroundings he found himself in. Seeing Niali walking towards him and speaking to him he answered "Yes, you can call me Finchley, so long as I can call you Niali. The leather is...snug, but surprisingly comfortable" he answered "is there a specific reason for me wearing it though?"

“Of course Finchley, there is always a reason behind everything I do, well most of the time or, perhaps some of the time.” Her train of thought seemed to wander off. “Do you know where you are, and no smart answer like ‘the holodeck?”

"I haven't the faintest idea" Finchley answered.

Oh, she thought, this might be more difficult. “Can you at least sing?” She asked.

"Well, I can, but it depends on what it is you want me to sing" he answered.

“This,” she indicated the vista, “this is a scene from an very old Earth movie called The Sound Of Music, do you remember it or have you ever seen it…or, is it all lost on you?” She asked hopefully.

"I can vaguely remember something about it" Finchley replied "My Father said something about it being to do with a large family looking to escape from somewhere, but that's really about it."

She sighed, this was not going to be much of a success. “Right then, I suppose the only thing is for me to sing and you lay out the picnic hamper I brought. This was a silly idea.” She turned from him and began to cry wiping the tears savagely from her eyes.

"Hey, why the tears?" Finchley asked "I'm sorry I don't know what all this is really about, but if you want to sing, carry on, sing your heart out, I'll listen. I really didn't know what to expect with all this lederhosen and all, but we can still make a good time of this."

Niali spoke tears now gone. “My idea of torture was for you to wear the leather and sing along with me. This is a holo reproduction of my favourite old movie. It is what was called a ‘musical’ where everyone’s words are mostly sung. It was, in its time one of the most popular movies for a hundred years.” She looked at him and smiled. “You do look good in the lederhosen though but, please replicate yourself something more comfortable to wear and we can eat and look at the scenery.”
Suddenly she leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. “I have wanted to do that since I saw you sitting on the floor.”

Finchley was taken aback by the sudden kiss from Niali, but the surprise lasted only a couple of seconds and he began kissing her back.

"That was very nice, very nice indeed, thank you" Finchley replied "and I'm not changing into anything else, the lederhosen is comfortable. You've gone to a lot of effort to do this Niali, so I'm going to learn this 'Sound of Music' now, with you, if that's ok?"

“That’s okay by me. Orchestra,” she commanded and a full orchestra appeared, tuning up. She turned to him, “these are the words but they are for me. You are supposed to run up the hill with me hand in hand and grab me by the waist and twirl me round then I sing

The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
Stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more.

But, I do not want to do it now with you here. You need to watch the movie. There now, she looked at him “you must think me stupid and not at all like the torture you expected?”

Finchley laughed tentatively "No, I must admit, it wasn't the kind of torture I'd thought you were meaning, but then again, we don't really know each other that well. So, what now?" he asked.

She sat on the grass and crossed her legs. “Now, well I think you get a go to ‘torture’ me. Whatever you will, take your best shot? I can resist anything!”

"Well now" Finchley said "that could be a challenge I may not be able to resist. Tell me Niali, what's are your worst fears and wildest fantasies?"

She lay back on the grass looking up at the sky. “Wildest fantasies, cliff diving naked from the Firestone caves on Risa 200 feet of pure terror and exhilaration into the ocean. Worst fears, EVA’s, I hate them, terrified of floating off, terrified of being in that bloody suit, terrified of running out of air .” She thought for another moment “and The Borg.” She shivered. Then there are those terrors related to my profession but, they are corralled in my dreams. I don’t sleep very well. So, there you are.” She was silent, the pleasure somehow gone dictated by her fears and speaking them out loud.

"Well, now that I know them, we can do something different next, but for now, how about you bring out the picnic you've prepared and we can eat" he said, leaning over her and tracing his hand down her face. His hand stopped at her chin and he leaned forward and kissed her. As he did his hand moved down from her chin and traced down to the centre of her chest. Finding the top button on her tunic, he undid it saying "It's rather warm here...don't you think?"

She raised an eyebrow, “Trouble is you do not cool me down” she said softly her hand straying down, “rather you make me feel warm.” She kissed him and pushed him down onto the grass straddling his waist.

"Oooooh" he said "I take it we're going to talk about the first thing that's 'pops up' now, are we?"

She rolled off him. “I just noticed something, there is a whole orchestra looking at us and a heard of cows approaching.” She sat up, maybe romance is not on the menu for this evening. Everything has gone wrong, unless we continue this elsewhere. It depends what you want Finchley?”

"Perhaps you're right Niali, it's not the right time here and now" Finchley replied "I'm sorry that I've spoiled all of this by not being able to join in what you'd set up. I'll get watching this 'musical' you mentioned and we can come back and try it once again."

“No you didn’t spoil anything, I did, I expected things I should not have done and misread signals. You need to tell me what you want Finchley?”

"I want you, Niali, and it really depends on how much we give into one another's desires" Finchley replied "This was your desire, I didn't understand it, but now that I know, I can help fulfil it. My desires on what we do lie in a different direction, a different scenario, but that can wait, that can be put on hold till we're ready" he finished.

“Well we had better say goodnight, I want you to know I am ready to ‘go in a different direction’ with you. My desires can be rather dark and I do not want to put you off.” She stood “computer end programme” and left without looking back.

Finchley watched as the scene around him dissolved to leave the bare holodeck itself. He looked after Niali as she walked away "Goodnight" he said after her, unsure if he'd been heard or not. He picked himself up off the floor, and slowly made his own way out of the holodeck and back to his quarters.