Sea Legs (Updated 09*21*19)
After a little encouragement from other players I've finally decided to "move" my story from another thread to this one. Moves in quotes simply because I'm not moving anything, just copying the posts...
Forum Discussion
The days that followed were a frenzy of activity in the labs. After Niella caught Javiera up on their discovery, the team went about specific tasks for study. Lopita ran some entomological tests on the soil embedded in the meteor that was loosened by her earlier work. Masao began running analysis comparisons, and Alex started working on "something that will help us look inside the little bugger."
https://i.imgur.com/fdJNEhy.jpg
Javiera and Emily started working to decipher the language being spoken by the projection and documenting their work
https://i.imgur.com/tTBFSnw.jpg
The late evenings fell into a familiar routine. They'd sit in the break room eating their various packed lunches and try to discuss other topics, world events, politics, sports, but everyone's excitement about their various tasks would bring them around to work conversations sooner than later. Whichever table finished first would get up, push back the table and chairs, and someone would wheel in the white board and start presenting their findings to the team. Sometimes it was everyone, sometimes only a few would join in while the others got back to their own work. Oddly no one seemed frazzled, no one got on anyone else's nerves, no one's lack of sleep caused someone to be snappy. In fact Niella couldn't remember ever seeing her team so in sync with each other. Brainstorming sessions were more productive than ever. Niella chalked it up to the fact that her team had never been so excited about the same general project and counted her lucky stars.
https://i.imgur.com/u4oArak.jpg
While everyone continued their work, Niella found herself spending more time on the phone fending off intervention of various government agencies. Days were long and everyone found themselves catching cat naps in the midst of 17-18 hour days. Alex practically moved in, curling up in the sleep study chamber every night, while others would catch some Z's in the employee lounge and their offices.
https://i.imgur.com/7l4qdqD.jpg
Niella had actually just nodded off when her cell started ringing. It was Connor. Yawning, she answered the phone. "Hi honey. I was just dreaming about you, you were telling me I'm working too hard" Niella joked, still blinking the fuzziness from her head. "Funny you should mention that," Connor chuckled "Mama Shari wants us all to meet her at the Paradise. She says she misses us." "I just grabbed the dry cleaning on the way in today so you couldn't have planned it better, I have my favorite sundress!" Niella replied. "Fannn Tastic! Oh and hey could you swing by and grab me? The 5,000 is acting up and they're already there." "Uh, sure? Right now? Oh geeze it's 7:00 already?!" Niella exclaimed when she noticed the time. "Yep, be there shortly." She drew her office blinds and quickly slipped into her sun dress, figuring it'd take less time than running upstairs when she got home. She clicked off the lights to her office and headed home. waving goodbye to Masao and Lopita as she passed the Earth Sciences lab, still hard at work. She beamed with almost a maternal pride in her team and how dedicated they were.
https://i.imgur.com/WQfgn1o.jpg
As she stepped onto the dock at home, she could hear music from the back deck of the houseboat. It was a beautiful night, she could understand why he was waiting back there. "He probably thought he'd have to wait for me to get ready, after all, not realizing I already changed" she thought to herself. As she rounded the corner she saw Connor with drinks and candles waiting for her. "What's this??" she blushed as she hugged him. "Well," he said coyly "you've been working so hard I thought you could do with a night in. So I sent Karlie and Raj out to the Paradise Pub to hang with Karlie's mom so that we could have the place to ourselves.." He led her by the hand over to the table and handed her a drink.
https://i.imgur.com/EXaCCYH.jpg
Standing there awkwardly, he thought "I should probably make a toast... How can I be so good at writing words for imaginary people but so bad at trying to tell Ny how I feel about her."
https://i.imgur.com/u07E9hJ.jpg
He closed his eyes and just let the words come... "I want to say that the day we got married was the best thing that's ever happened to me... I want to say that but I can't... Because every single day I get to be with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, every single day. Every single day we're together I love you more. I am inspired by you more, I am amazed by you more, I'm even more blessed than the day before because I get to spend one more day with you." He leaned in, opened his eyes and staring deep into hers he said "I mean it Ny, you are my whole world..." and gently clinked his glass against hers.
https://i.imgur.com/zipzWdO.jpg
Niella swallowed hard as tears started to well in her eyes. She hoped he didn't expect her to make a toast anything like that, or even one at all because she seemed to have a giant stone in her throat... Before she could even start to form words Connor took the drink from her hand, set it on the table, pulled her to him and started slow dancing.
https://i.imgur.com/UBdDF7G.jpg
They said nothing as they danced, the sun set behind them and the warmth of the day faded into the cool crisp of night. They didn't need to. Staring into each other's eyes they could see everything they ever needed to say, everything they ever needed to hear. Soon it was just them, the candles and the moonlight, the entire world faded away.
https://i.imgur.com/S6eadmQ.jpg
Connor twirled Niella in and dipped her with amazing ease, placing a kiss on her lips that seemed to make time stand still. He brought her back up and without a word scooped her off her feet and carried her upstairs to their bedroom.
https://i.imgur.com/02C7dE7.jpg
Placing Niella gently on the bed and laying down beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and said "I meant it when I said you were my whole world... But I think we both know we have room for one more" he pulled her in for a kiss...
https://i.imgur.com/jYBCQdu.jpg
Back at the lab Lopita and Masao were still hard at work when out of the corner of her eye Lopita noticed something glowing and moving among some of the debris that had been separated from the biggest chunk earlier in the week. She had been using it for her tests and Masao had been hard at work running analysis's on numerous samples.
https://i.imgur.com/qa7DCr1.jpg
She walked over, bent down and scooped it up. "Well hello little guy, did you catch a ride on a rock? You must be so confused..."
And then she noticed he wasn't alone. One light beetle catching a ride on a rock she could believe, but not 4...
https://i.imgur.com/S7s2Olx.jpg
...
https://i.imgur.com/xWvQwA9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fdJNEhy.jpg
Javiera and Emily started working to decipher the language being spoken by the projection and documenting their work
https://i.imgur.com/tTBFSnw.jpg
The late evenings fell into a familiar routine. They'd sit in the break room eating their various packed lunches and try to discuss other topics, world events, politics, sports, but everyone's excitement about their various tasks would bring them around to work conversations sooner than later. Whichever table finished first would get up, push back the table and chairs, and someone would wheel in the white board and start presenting their findings to the team. Sometimes it was everyone, sometimes only a few would join in while the others got back to their own work. Oddly no one seemed frazzled, no one got on anyone else's nerves, no one's lack of sleep caused someone to be snappy. In fact Niella couldn't remember ever seeing her team so in sync with each other. Brainstorming sessions were more productive than ever. Niella chalked it up to the fact that her team had never been so excited about the same general project and counted her lucky stars.
https://i.imgur.com/u4oArak.jpg
While everyone continued their work, Niella found herself spending more time on the phone fending off intervention of various government agencies. Days were long and everyone found themselves catching cat naps in the midst of 17-18 hour days. Alex practically moved in, curling up in the sleep study chamber every night, while others would catch some Z's in the employee lounge and their offices.
https://i.imgur.com/7l4qdqD.jpg
Niella had actually just nodded off when her cell started ringing. It was Connor. Yawning, she answered the phone. "Hi honey. I was just dreaming about you, you were telling me I'm working too hard" Niella joked, still blinking the fuzziness from her head. "Funny you should mention that," Connor chuckled "Mama Shari wants us all to meet her at the Paradise. She says she misses us." "I just grabbed the dry cleaning on the way in today so you couldn't have planned it better, I have my favorite sundress!" Niella replied. "Fannn Tastic! Oh and hey could you swing by and grab me? The 5,000 is acting up and they're already there." "Uh, sure? Right now? Oh geeze it's 7:00 already?!" Niella exclaimed when she noticed the time. "Yep, be there shortly." She drew her office blinds and quickly slipped into her sun dress, figuring it'd take less time than running upstairs when she got home. She clicked off the lights to her office and headed home. waving goodbye to Masao and Lopita as she passed the Earth Sciences lab, still hard at work. She beamed with almost a maternal pride in her team and how dedicated they were.
https://i.imgur.com/WQfgn1o.jpg
As she stepped onto the dock at home, she could hear music from the back deck of the houseboat. It was a beautiful night, she could understand why he was waiting back there. "He probably thought he'd have to wait for me to get ready, after all, not realizing I already changed" she thought to herself. As she rounded the corner she saw Connor with drinks and candles waiting for her. "What's this??" she blushed as she hugged him. "Well," he said coyly "you've been working so hard I thought you could do with a night in. So I sent Karlie and Raj out to the Paradise Pub to hang with Karlie's mom so that we could have the place to ourselves.." He led her by the hand over to the table and handed her a drink.
https://i.imgur.com/EXaCCYH.jpg
Standing there awkwardly, he thought "I should probably make a toast... How can I be so good at writing words for imaginary people but so bad at trying to tell Ny how I feel about her."
https://i.imgur.com/u07E9hJ.jpg
He closed his eyes and just let the words come... "I want to say that the day we got married was the best thing that's ever happened to me... I want to say that but I can't... Because every single day I get to be with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, every single day. Every single day we're together I love you more. I am inspired by you more, I am amazed by you more, I'm even more blessed than the day before because I get to spend one more day with you." He leaned in, opened his eyes and staring deep into hers he said "I mean it Ny, you are my whole world..." and gently clinked his glass against hers.
https://i.imgur.com/zipzWdO.jpg
Niella swallowed hard as tears started to well in her eyes. She hoped he didn't expect her to make a toast anything like that, or even one at all because she seemed to have a giant stone in her throat... Before she could even start to form words Connor took the drink from her hand, set it on the table, pulled her to him and started slow dancing.
https://i.imgur.com/UBdDF7G.jpg
They said nothing as they danced, the sun set behind them and the warmth of the day faded into the cool crisp of night. They didn't need to. Staring into each other's eyes they could see everything they ever needed to say, everything they ever needed to hear. Soon it was just them, the candles and the moonlight, the entire world faded away.
https://i.imgur.com/S6eadmQ.jpg
Connor twirled Niella in and dipped her with amazing ease, placing a kiss on her lips that seemed to make time stand still. He brought her back up and without a word scooped her off her feet and carried her upstairs to their bedroom.
https://i.imgur.com/02C7dE7.jpg
Placing Niella gently on the bed and laying down beside her, he wrapped his arm around her and said "I meant it when I said you were my whole world... But I think we both know we have room for one more" he pulled her in for a kiss...
https://i.imgur.com/jYBCQdu.jpg
Back at the lab Lopita and Masao were still hard at work when out of the corner of her eye Lopita noticed something glowing and moving among some of the debris that had been separated from the biggest chunk earlier in the week. She had been using it for her tests and Masao had been hard at work running analysis's on numerous samples.
https://i.imgur.com/qa7DCr1.jpg
She walked over, bent down and scooped it up. "Well hello little guy, did you catch a ride on a rock? You must be so confused..."
And then she noticed he wasn't alone. One light beetle catching a ride on a rock she could believe, but not 4...
https://i.imgur.com/S7s2Olx.jpg
...
https://i.imgur.com/xWvQwA9.jpg
