"Ming! Come take a look at this!" Ciara announced excitedly.
Ming turned away from a research project involving gas samples collected from a nearby nebula (the Karissa project was not the only project on his agenda!) and rushed over to see what had gotten Ciara's attention.
Ciara pointed at her monitor. "I've been using the ship's computer to process the possible isomers of the suspected pheromone molecule. We've been on the wrong track, Ming!"
Ming was puzzled. "How so?"
"Remember those other two mass spec peaks you showed me? It turns out that they're coenzymes--they operate in concert with the big molecule we've been working on to produce the pheromone effect!" Ciara said, very pleased with herself.
"Coenzymes...I never suspected that!"
"It's the only way a cross-species splicing like this could possibly work," Ciara continued. "I've come close to isolating the main pheromone molecule. We'll have a bit of work to do to make it match up with the coenzymes as well as the human receptors, but this should narrow down the field significantly."
"Have you narrowed down the coenzymes?" Ming asked.
Ciara tapped on her console. A picture of a huge, complex molecule flashed onscreen. "Coenzyme One, or Co1, has a molecular weight of roughly 5,000 grams/mole. Pretty big, but most lifeforms synthesize much larger protein molecules. DNA is much larger than anything we're trying to work on and it's synthesized in industrial environments all the time!"
Ming leaned over to look at the monitor, placing his hand on Ciara's shoulder--a move only partly intended to balance himself. Ming could tell by the feel that Ciara was wearing a uniform to the lab, as per his orders: shapeshifter or no, clothing was required for every member of the laboratory staff as a safety precaution. He felt something else, too...
"I'm sorry--is this uncomfortable for you?" Ming asked.
"Oh, not at all!" Ciara smiled. "Clothes take some getting used to, but I suppose it'll work out!"
Ming was examining the structure of the molecule when his commbadge chirped.
[Yellowhorse to Wang.]
Ming tapped his commbadge. "What's going on, Cody?" he asked.
[Remember that research project you had for me? I think I've got something for you,] Cody replied.
"Very good! We'll be down there in just a moment. Wang out."
Ming took Ciara by the hand--quite unconsciously--and they headed out the door of the lab to Security. If Ciara objected to Ming taking her hand, she said nothing...
"Lieutenant Ming Wang, Lieutenant Ciara Tierro, meet Private First Class Robert Alfred Benson," Cody announced, indicating a personnel profile on his Security screen. The picture was of a man about 2 meters tall and weighing 135 kilograms who was both extremely ugly and much too old to be only a private first class.
"Intriguing, but what's this have to do with the research?" Ming asked.
"It seems that Private Benson
has an amazing capacity to heal from wounds--which is good because most standard
regenerative therapies are reported not to work on him. Neither do most medications
in general. His personnel file indicates he's human but there are definitely
some mutations at work here. According to his file, he claims that his ancestors
were part of the 'superman' experiments of the Eugenics Wars, but that seems
unlikely.
For one thing, his parents don't have any mutations. Nor do their parents. Or
any of the last six generations of his family!" Cody replied.
"Not only that, but the Eugenics Wars were over three hundred years ago!" Ciara said. "Even if one of his ancestors were a product of those experiments, none of the mutations would have persisted to this day in his DNA sequence--certainly not as the result of anything 21st-century Earth could do. There are thousands of people who are descended from those experiments who are basically normal."
"Hey, I said the guy's a mutant. Apparently they weren't breeding for intelligence in his case," Cody wisecracked.
"Or, for that matter, stability or common sense. This man is thirty-five years old, enlisted in the Marines when he was eighteen, and has only moved up one grade due to discipline problems," Ming said, reading the file. "They've tried discharging him four times but the order's always been blocked."
Ming and Ciara suddenly looked at each other. "Where is Private Benson now?" Ming asked.
Cody tapped a few more keys. "Currently he's in the brig on the USS Parnassus--striking a superior officer," he replied.
"We're going to spring him!" Ming said. "I'll ask Captain Evans to have him transferred to the Ronin, and assigned to me. I can use another lab assistant. If my hunch is right, we may have found another piece of this puzzle!"
Ciara pulled on Ming's hand, as she lead him to her quarters. She was filled with excitement and happiness. They had made several big breakthroughs for one day and she wanted to celebrate! She had a bottle of a very old champagne she had been given as a gift for her last birthday and she had been waiting for the right time to open it. This seemed like the perfect time! And she couldn't think of anyone else she would rather share it with.
"Just a little farther . . ." she smiled as she continued to lead him down the corridor.
Ming was a little uncertain of himself.
This was the first time he'd ever been to a woman's quarters! But still, he
was excited. Any thoughts of Karissa--scientific or personal--were almost completely
out of his head at the moment. For that matter, his pain over his lost child
was almost completely diminished, too, or as far diminished as it would ever
get.
"Ciara? What's going on?" he asked, surprised.
"I thought we could celebrate," she said, as she led him into her quarters. "We made some really big discoveries and I felt it was deserving of a personal celebration!" She lead him to the couch and had him sit down.
Ming sat down, anxious to see what would happen next. His eyes were glued to Ciara, watching the telltale way her uniform slid over her body. For the first time, he really began to notice her appearance as well as her personality. Realizing that he was staring, Ming quickly--but reluctantly--broke eye contact and began to survey the contents of the room.
With a soft giggle, Ciara walked
toward the replicator, only she opened a cabinet under it. It was a refrigeration
unit. From it, she pulled a bottle of champagne. Quickly, she replicated a couple
of fluted glasses and returned to the couch. Swiftly, she took off the top wrapping,
and expertly popped off the cork, loosing very little of the golden liquid.
Quickly, she filled the two glasses, handing one to Ming. She took a seat next
to him and
held her glass up.
"To . . . great expectations!" she said. "From our current discoveries to the ones we'll find together in the future!"
Playfully, she touched her glass to his and took a large sip, never losing her smile.
Ming was startled by the cork--very rarely did anyone use champagne in a bottle these days--but recovered quickly and sipped at the sparkling beverage. "To discovery, indeed!" He said. "What do you suppose we'll discover next?" he asked, only a little nervously...
"Well, I think we'll have this pheromones problem worked out soon!" she smiled. "And I think we're on the right track with the other investigation too! I don't think that we'll find out who was responsible for Karissa and Benson over night . . . but I think we will find them . . . And that's what's important . . ." She took another sip of her champagne. The bubbled tickling her nose a bit, making her wriggle it.
Ming smiled as he watched Ciara twitch her nose. Very tentatively, he took her hand. Why he was so nervous about doing so now, he wasn't sure.
She met his gaze and smiled. "You don't have to be nervous with me, Ming . . ." she said. Tenderly, she ran a hand through his dark hair and caressed his cheek. "There's nothing you could do to me that I . . . wouldn't want . . ." A devilish grin crossed her face and a sparkle danced in her eyes.
Ming's heart began to pound. Is this really happening? he asked himself. Or is this another stupid dream? With an awkwardness normally seen in adolescents, Ming put his arm around Ciara's shoulders and drew her close to him. "I-I don't know how to do any of this. I want to, but I don't know how," Ming said, feeling very self-conscious.
She smiled and pulled away from him, but only so far. She tenderly let her finger tips brush over his lips.
"There's no right way to do this . . . Just let your feelings be your guide . . ." she said. Tenderly she leaned forward and kissed him. "That's what I do . . ." she giggled, again caressing his face and looking into his dark eyes. "Of course, if you'd like . . . I can take the lead . . . Learn as you go," she said. She moved to straddle him on the couch, as she took a deep breath in with her building desire.
Something deep within Ming took over--a part of him that he'd never experienced before. Ming took Ciara by the shoulders and pulled her toward him, kissing her firmly on the mouth. His hands then began to fumble with the closure on the front of her tunic. "Ciara, I've wanted you the whole time. Even when I was still thinking about Karissa, I wanted you...I just didn't know what to do," he said.
She sighed as she felt his hands over her body. She leaned into his for another kiss. "I know . . ." she replied. "I waited until now to make sure you were ready . . . " She was breathless . . . "I wanted to make sure that this was something you wouldn't have regrets about later . . ." Passionately she kissed him again, gently nibbling on his lower lip. "I wanted you from that night in the holodeck . . ." she said. "But the timing wasn't right. . . I could feel it . . ."
Ming was suddenly struck with inspiration. "Computer, play Madonna, selection 'Crazy For You,' he said as he ran his hands inside Ciara's now-open tunic. "You were right--I had too much on my mind to focus on you then," he said as the music started. "Touch me with your mind," he asked.
She closed her eyes, losing herself in his touch . . . but also reaching out with her mind to touch his . . .
Ming felt her passion flood into his mind. He kept his eyes open, wanting to continue his explorations. This time he wasn't drunk, he wasn't under the influence of someone else's biochemistry, and he was with someone who genuinely wanted him! How far is too far? he thought as he completely removed Ciara's outer tunic.
Slowly, Ciara opened her aqua colored eyes and looked at him. Her eyes spoke volumes as she met his gaze. "I want all you have to offer," she said simply.
She had felt his thoughts as if they had been her own and she wanted there to be no misunderstands of what she wanted . . . of what she knew he wanted . . . Her hands roved over him, enticing him further. If she had not been wearing an actual uniform, she would have shifted into something else, or nothing . . . she thought . . . Clothing was so restricting!
Ming kissed her again, and proceeded to disrobe her completely--but slowly, enjoying the experience of removing each article of clothing from her body. "You know, that's when I first sensed I wanted you--when you touched my mind that night at the poker game," he said. "I've known telepaths before but I've never actually been touched telepathically. That was very special to me," he said as he caressed Ciara's back and thighs.
"A lot of people don't consider it special . . . " she replied, "But I'm glad you did . . . Ming, I want you . . . If you want me . . . Take me . . . Or I'll take you!" she laughed, gently pulling his tunic off and letting her hands roam farther between them.
"You'll have to hold me down first!" Ming said, a smile on his face as he suddenly got bold. Without a thought he had Ciara pinned to the floor as he knelt on both knees above her. He then caressed her body and gave her yet another kiss, this one deep. Ming planted his tongue in her mouth and could feel her tongue shapeshift around his. He let out a little laugh.
"You know, I never thought about it, but those spots of yours do go down all the way," he said suddenly. They both laughed together.
"Yes, they do . . ." she replied, and pulling him to her for yet another deep, passionate kiss.
"Computer, dim lights to ten percent," Ming ordered. "Play Antonio Vivaldi, selection 'The Four Seasons', Concerto Number 2 in G Minor, Presto." The powerful ending to the Summer movement of "The Four Seasons" began playing as the lights dimmed...
The music ended, and Ming and Ciara lay content in one another's arms. Ming had never felt such peace in his life as he felt now. A wonderful companion, all the research he could handle, a tough problem to chew on--things couldn't possibly get any better!
With a contented sigh, she snuggled into his arms. "We'll have to do this more often," she giggled.
"Yes, let's make it a habit,"
Ming grinned as he held her more tightly. Anything that might have happened
during a certain holodeck excursion several weeks ago was now almost completely
abolished from his mind.
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