Muscle Memory

Posted on Wed Oct 25th, 2023 @ 11:53am by Cadet Senior Grade Jason Grosvenor & Cadet Senior Grade Dylan Chappral RN

1,013 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: **ARCHIVED** 1 - Cruising through the galaxy
Location: Ship's Gym
Timeline: Two Days Before Launch 0630

Things had started early in the Chapparal house, they had for as long as Dylan could remember. For his father, it had been natural, he was a morning person. His mother on the other hand was not. She'd gotten up early out of a sense of duty, mostly to Starfleet, but to her husband and family as well. Dylan had taken after his father, not only in enjoying rising early but in many other ways as well. Which was why he had gone into nursing and not a field that required going out and shooting people.

It was just two days before the Stardancer launched and Dylan, even though he had spent the majority of his life in space, was nervous. The best way to curb anxiety or other unwanted emotions was through exercise. He would have explored some extreme sports, but those wouldn't be easy to do once they were underway.

The next best thing was just some good old-fashioned exercise. This was why at 0630 he found himself in the ship's gym, shirtless with his legs hooked over a chin-up bar pulling himself up. Releasing, dropping back down, and repeating the process. Sweat beaded his forehead and between his well-defined pecs.

For Jason, the moving day had started, and boxes of stuff that should have been sent home were sent aboard Stardancer. There was no reason for him to be aboard, there was still a lot of heavy lifting needed back on Earth. Jason wasn't really a gym rat but wanted to check out the gym down on the 14th deck. By now his clothes were aboard the ship.

The doors parted and Jason entered, shorts, running shoes and a tank top with earphones blasting music into his ears, and a water bottle, he noticed there was 1 other, as he walked towards the rowing machines he gave a smile, sort of "Hellow, how are you" smile as he walked through his field of vision.

He started setting himself up, placing his drink beside him, adjusting the seating on the rowing machine, and changing the overall theme of the music.

Dylan smiled back at the newcomer as he continued his exercise. When he finished his current set, still upside down, he called out "So, what are you listening to?

He could just about hear him, knocking a headphone off his ear, he leant back "Oh um... Runaway by The Riggs" He replied there wasn't a real reason why, he just liked the slow pulsing beat that was the song.

Dylan pulled himself up and his hands took hold of the bar. He pulled his legs off of the bar and jumped down to the floor. Grabbing a towel he'd set on a nearby bench.

"Sorry, don't mean to interrupt your workout but, haven't I seen you around before? You're science right?" Dylan asked.

Good guess since he had never been here before and since much of the crew was still to arrive. "Right, you are. I'm Jason." He said being polite, he would have liked to start his workout by now but seemed to be talking instead. "I'm guessing you're a pilot?" It was a stab in the dark and he hadn't had much luck these past few days.

"I went out with a pilot once, but I'm not one. I'm Dylan Chaparral. I'm a nurse. I think we may have had some classes together during freshman year. Xenobiology if I remember right."

"But I'm sorry, I'm rambling. You probably want to finish your workout."

Jason couldn't help but give a smile. "Haven't started yet" he laughed. "There was so much taught in Freshmen days I don't remember anything from it!" He honestly said that some material in the science stuck but he was easily overwhelmed during his first years.

"Being on the medical team, albeit just a nurse, I'm obligatedto ask if you've had your boarding physical? I mean I know we're all cadets. And you look in shape. but regulations are regulations."

The stranger was flirting albeit badly. "No one has orders to report aboard for a few days." He stated that he couldn't admire his confidence to pull something that Doctors did while Nurses just assisted.

The nurse would have denied that he was flirting with the man in front of him, though he did in truth find him good looking. If he knew that Jason was into other guys, he probably would have flirted, but done so well.

"True," Ethan agreed, "But you will have to eventually. You might as well get it over with."

Jason really didn't know what to do or say next, as a person who owned a galactic real-estate company, he knew when people were trying to get something, but the Nurse's looks charmed Jason unlike anyone before... Expect Ren. "No thanks," He started off, "But I have to be elsewhere, do you know where the changing rooms are?" He asked with a wink.

The nurse kept his expression deadpan as he said, "Lead the way, I'll follow. I have a feeling the view is going to be spectacular.

"I've never been on an Excelsior class before, "Jason replied a bit confused at his fellow officers' remarks, was he okay? "Where are they?" He asked, judging by the Nurse's outfit, he must have known where they were located.

"Make your first left there," Dylan replied, down that short hall and through the doors. You can't miss it. And just to clarify, I wasn't talking about the ship's interior."

Jason smiled and led the way, although he didn't start a workout, he was starting a more physical exercise with a man he just met. How scandalous this would be if the newspaper got ahold of this.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Dylan asked a very small smile on his face.

Jason smiled, "I can show," He said taking the stranger's hand and letting him lead them towards the showers. He wanted to workout today but this was a very special workout.

 

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