Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Lyrics to "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac.
Rommie walked up and down the halls of her ship, slowly inspecting every bit of her interior. She was already pleased with the diagnostic she ran on the hull after Harper cleaned it for her.
Her hologram appeared in front of her. "He did an exceptional job, don't you think?"
Rommie nodded at her hologram and brushed her finger against the wall to check for dirt, but found none. "Yes, he did. He even designed minibots to work on the inside this time. So, are we going to dance with him?"
The holograph sighed. "Yes, but I need a bit of time to create the proper simulation. Not to mention decide on music. I'm not sure what would be appropriate. Any ideas?"
Rommie shook her head. "Not really, but we can look in that music archive he's been rooting around in and select a couple of songs."
The hologram nodded. "I'll work on the simulation. You pick the songs." The hologram shut off.
***********
Rommie found Harper on the mess deck about an hour later. He was sitting at a table eating a sandwich and drinking a cup of coffee. She took a seat across from him. "Hi."
"Hi Rommie. I'll get to the slipstream drive maintenance in about an hour or so."
"I'm not here about the drive. I'm here about my offer to dance with you," Rommie smiled.
Harper blushed. "Oh yeah. So when is the big event?"
Rommie smirked. "Harper, it's just a request for a dance. But since you asked, I was thinking tonight, my quarters. We can connect you to my mainframe from there."
Harper looked disappointed. "Rommie, you mean I'm not gonna dance with you for real?"
Rommie blinked as she processed the information. "What do you mean?"
"Well, dancing isn't something you just set up a program for. You really have to experience it as an avatar to get the most out of it. Otherwise it's just a simulation, and I wouldn't have to even be there, then what's the point?" Harper leaned in close so no one else could hear. "Besides, you've seen my moves already. You know I can't dance that well. I'm not about to critique you here."
Rommie nodded. "Alright, then we do this for real then. My quarters, around eight. And wear something nice."
"I'll be there." Harper finished his lunch and left.
Rommie pursed her lips slightly 'This is going to be harder to try out than I thought. I'm going to have to get some help here.' Rommie ran down the list of other crew members she could ask for a lesson and arrived at one person she felt comfortable asking: Trance. Her only worry was what excuse to give without having to explain why she needed to learn to dance. Rommie thought about what to say for a second, then went looking for her in hydroponics.
***********
"You want to learn how to dance? I love dancing! But, why the sudden interest?" Trance twitched her tail a bit.
Rommie gave the excuse she prepared. "I thought that at some of the dinners we have with officials, some music should be played so that people could dance. In that case, I figured it would be a good idea if I knew how."
"Oh, okay. When did you want to start?"
"I have some time right now if you do."
"Sure. Could you play personal file No. 40?" Andromeda started the file and engaged privacy mode so they wouldn't be disturbed. "Okay, all you need to do is watch what I'm doing and see if you can follow me." Trance began to sway her hips and move her arms and legs to the music. Rommie watched, noting that Trance's style was more fluid and graceful than Harper's. After a few seconds she began to move in imitation of what she was seeing.
so i'm back to the velvet underground
back to the floor that i love
to a room with some lace and peper flowers
back to the gypsy...that i was...to the gypsy...that i was...
and it all comes down to you
well you know that it does, well...
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice...
oh....and it lights up the night....
and you see your gypsy.......
you see your gypsy....
"There you go, you're doing fine, Rommie." Trance giggled, enjoying herself.
to the gypsy......
that remains.....
she faces freedom......
with a little fear.....
well i have no fear....
i have only love.....
and if i was a child....
and the child was enough.....
enough for me to love....
enough to love......
Rommie began to lose herself in the music and the movements. She smiled. Harper was right, this was fun.
"Okay, let's try this with you using me as your partner." Trance wrapped her arm around Rommie and took one hand in hers so she could guide them both around the hydroponics bay.
she is dancing away from you now
she was just a wish
she was just....a wish
and her memory is all that is left for you now
you see your gypsy.....
you see your gypsy.....
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice....
(and it all comes down to you)
oooooo......oh......well it all comes down to you....
(lightning strikes...maybe once....maybe twice....
oh.............
i still see your bright eyes......(bright eyes)...
and i've always loved you....
and it all comes down to you
it all comes down to you.....
The music faded and the file ended. Trance said, "See, that wasn't too hard, now was it?"
Rommie shook her head. "What about other forms of music, you know, styles that have a faster tempo?"
"Well I suppose you could ask someone like Harper or Beka about that. They listen to a lot more of the ancient Earth music than I do. Then again, I don't think Harper ever dances. I could show you how to slow dance, though. That's probably more appropriate for official dinners anyway."
"Alright, show me."
**********
Rommie checked her reflection in the mirror one more time. The red dress she wore and black shoes were from some of the personal effects of the old crew. She knew Dylan allowed some of the new crew access to some of the clothing before, but she still felt a bit funny to be out of uniform like this. Even so, she did like the overall effect the dress had on her appearance. That done, she took a moment to move some of the furniture out of the way so that she and Harper would have enough space to dance around in. Her lesson with Trance earlier that day had been well worth the effort but she stepped on Trance's tail a couple of times while slow dancing. She didnt want to step on Harper's toes if possible.
She heard a knock. "Come in."
"Rommie, I was wondering if we could go over these logs and I ... Rommie?"
Rommie turned to the source of the voice. It was Dylan. "Yes, Captain?"
"You're... in a dress. Out of uniform." Dylan looked a bit surprised.
Rommie nodded. "I'm expecting company, sir."
"Oh, I'll come back later then." Dylan turned to leave.
"If this is an emergency, Captain we can talk."
"No, no." Dylan stammered a bit. "You're busy, and this can definitely wait. In fact we don't have to talk about this at all until morning." He left.
Rommie frowned slightly. This is just a dance, isn't it?
-- END CH. 2--
Let me know what you think, thanks.
Lyrics to "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac.
Rommie walked up and down the halls of her ship, slowly inspecting every bit of her interior. She was already pleased with the diagnostic she ran on the hull after Harper cleaned it for her.
Her hologram appeared in front of her. "He did an exceptional job, don't you think?"
Rommie nodded at her hologram and brushed her finger against the wall to check for dirt, but found none. "Yes, he did. He even designed minibots to work on the inside this time. So, are we going to dance with him?"
The holograph sighed. "Yes, but I need a bit of time to create the proper simulation. Not to mention decide on music. I'm not sure what would be appropriate. Any ideas?"
Rommie shook her head. "Not really, but we can look in that music archive he's been rooting around in and select a couple of songs."
The hologram nodded. "I'll work on the simulation. You pick the songs." The hologram shut off.
***********
Rommie found Harper on the mess deck about an hour later. He was sitting at a table eating a sandwich and drinking a cup of coffee. She took a seat across from him. "Hi."
"Hi Rommie. I'll get to the slipstream drive maintenance in about an hour or so."
"I'm not here about the drive. I'm here about my offer to dance with you," Rommie smiled.
Harper blushed. "Oh yeah. So when is the big event?"
Rommie smirked. "Harper, it's just a request for a dance. But since you asked, I was thinking tonight, my quarters. We can connect you to my mainframe from there."
Harper looked disappointed. "Rommie, you mean I'm not gonna dance with you for real?"
Rommie blinked as she processed the information. "What do you mean?"
"Well, dancing isn't something you just set up a program for. You really have to experience it as an avatar to get the most out of it. Otherwise it's just a simulation, and I wouldn't have to even be there, then what's the point?" Harper leaned in close so no one else could hear. "Besides, you've seen my moves already. You know I can't dance that well. I'm not about to critique you here."
Rommie nodded. "Alright, then we do this for real then. My quarters, around eight. And wear something nice."
"I'll be there." Harper finished his lunch and left.
Rommie pursed her lips slightly 'This is going to be harder to try out than I thought. I'm going to have to get some help here.' Rommie ran down the list of other crew members she could ask for a lesson and arrived at one person she felt comfortable asking: Trance. Her only worry was what excuse to give without having to explain why she needed to learn to dance. Rommie thought about what to say for a second, then went looking for her in hydroponics.
***********
"You want to learn how to dance? I love dancing! But, why the sudden interest?" Trance twitched her tail a bit.
Rommie gave the excuse she prepared. "I thought that at some of the dinners we have with officials, some music should be played so that people could dance. In that case, I figured it would be a good idea if I knew how."
"Oh, okay. When did you want to start?"
"I have some time right now if you do."
"Sure. Could you play personal file No. 40?" Andromeda started the file and engaged privacy mode so they wouldn't be disturbed. "Okay, all you need to do is watch what I'm doing and see if you can follow me." Trance began to sway her hips and move her arms and legs to the music. Rommie watched, noting that Trance's style was more fluid and graceful than Harper's. After a few seconds she began to move in imitation of what she was seeing.
so i'm back to the velvet underground
back to the floor that i love
to a room with some lace and peper flowers
back to the gypsy...that i was...to the gypsy...that i was...
and it all comes down to you
well you know that it does, well...
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice...
oh....and it lights up the night....
and you see your gypsy.......
you see your gypsy....
"There you go, you're doing fine, Rommie." Trance giggled, enjoying herself.
to the gypsy......
that remains.....
she faces freedom......
with a little fear.....
well i have no fear....
i have only love.....
and if i was a child....
and the child was enough.....
enough for me to love....
enough to love......
Rommie began to lose herself in the music and the movements. She smiled. Harper was right, this was fun.
"Okay, let's try this with you using me as your partner." Trance wrapped her arm around Rommie and took one hand in hers so she could guide them both around the hydroponics bay.
she is dancing away from you now
she was just a wish
she was just....a wish
and her memory is all that is left for you now
you see your gypsy.....
you see your gypsy.....
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice....
(and it all comes down to you)
oooooo......oh......well it all comes down to you....
(lightning strikes...maybe once....maybe twice....
oh.............
i still see your bright eyes......(bright eyes)...
and i've always loved you....
and it all comes down to you
it all comes down to you.....
The music faded and the file ended. Trance said, "See, that wasn't too hard, now was it?"
Rommie shook her head. "What about other forms of music, you know, styles that have a faster tempo?"
"Well I suppose you could ask someone like Harper or Beka about that. They listen to a lot more of the ancient Earth music than I do. Then again, I don't think Harper ever dances. I could show you how to slow dance, though. That's probably more appropriate for official dinners anyway."
"Alright, show me."
**********
Rommie checked her reflection in the mirror one more time. The red dress she wore and black shoes were from some of the personal effects of the old crew. She knew Dylan allowed some of the new crew access to some of the clothing before, but she still felt a bit funny to be out of uniform like this. Even so, she did like the overall effect the dress had on her appearance. That done, she took a moment to move some of the furniture out of the way so that she and Harper would have enough space to dance around in. Her lesson with Trance earlier that day had been well worth the effort but she stepped on Trance's tail a couple of times while slow dancing. She didnt want to step on Harper's toes if possible.
She heard a knock. "Come in."
"Rommie, I was wondering if we could go over these logs and I ... Rommie?"
Rommie turned to the source of the voice. It was Dylan. "Yes, Captain?"
"You're... in a dress. Out of uniform." Dylan looked a bit surprised.
Rommie nodded. "I'm expecting company, sir."
"Oh, I'll come back later then." Dylan turned to leave.
"If this is an emergency, Captain we can talk."
"No, no." Dylan stammered a bit. "You're busy, and this can definitely wait. In fact we don't have to talk about this at all until morning." He left.
Rommie frowned slightly. This is just a dance, isn't it?
-- END CH. 2--
Let me know what you think, thanks.