Dancing Through Time
Posted on Sun Apr 26th, 2026 @ 11:59pm by Lieutenant Addison Talbert & Lieutenant Junior Grade M'Ressa
Edited on on Wed Apr 29th, 2026 @ 4:49pm
2,125 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
In The Nick Of Time
Location: Holodeck 2 - Deck 5 - USS Herodotus
Timeline: MD006 1800 hrs
Part of her duties of being CMO was, besides keeping the crew healthy physically, it was also helping to keep the crew mentally healthy. Granted, Maris had been a Counselor and is someone who the crew could seek out, for counseling, but that was also under Addison's purview as well. Her thoughts went to M'Ressa and wondered how the pilot was doing.
"Lieutenant M'Ressa its Doctor Talbert, please meet me at the holodeck." She tapped to close the combadge and set on her way to the holodeck, to wait for M'Ressa to arrive.
About 10 minutes later, M’Ressa arrived outside the holodeck. Ever since she’d arrived in this universe, she hadn’t been able to catch up with all of the technological advances the federation had made in the century or so she’d skipped, and this holodeck was one of them. Replicators were easy for her to understand, they were basically more advanced food synthesisers, but this room just sounded like a whole other thing.
Addison was there, greeting M'Ressa with a smile. "Hi glad you arrived. I was going to do some dancing, and wanted to know if you'd like to join, or just go for a walk in the holodeck, for exercise. There are different things that are available." putting in an access code and the door opened with Addison stepping through the door.
Beyond the archway was a dance floor which was dark in color in the middle of some trees, strings of soft white lights were woven into the branches providing lighting. There were also some tables intermittently placed between the trees. With grass around as well.
M’Ressa looked around in awe, “Oh my, there was nothing like this back home.” she said, looking around the scene before her. Cautiously, she stepped into the scene. “It’s all real?”
"Hmmnn, an engineer or a operations person would be able to explain it better. But the holo-program, it does in essence use matter for the scenario. The food we eat is real, and the drinks as well. We can sit down on the tables and not fall to the floor. But when we are finished we have the computer save the program. This is a way for us to relax and get our minds off of being on the ship. It does help a lot." Addison motioned with her hand for M'Ressa to step in further.
"See that dance floor, care to dance?" Addison having a bit of an impish secretive smile. "The dance floor lights up when someone steps on it."
M’Ressa’s ears perked up at the mention of a dance floor and her tail twitched in excitement, “Really? Yeah, let’s do it.” She said, enthusiastically walking over to the dance floor. Pausing for a moment on the border of the raised floor, M’Ressa placed a foot onto one of the tiles and watched it light up. “Oh now that’s just Purrrfect” she said, deliberately emphasising the ‘R’.
Addison gave out a delighted laugh "Glad you like it." she looked around then . "Computer, cue in Twist and Shout." as the words and music came from the speakers.
Stepping out on the dance floor with M'Ressa, Addison grinned. "Lets twist and shout." the dance floor lighting up as she began to dance.
Listening to the music, M'Ressa started to move to the beat, swaying and twisting her hips. Her tail whipping back and forth. As she moved, a smile came to her lips. It had been a while since she'd cut loose like this and, although this wasn't her normal style of dancing, she was getting into the groove.
Addison became lost in the music, singing along with the words as she raised her arms in the air, slowly waving her arms side to side, bouncing up and down. Her eyes were lit up with laughter as well the tune being fun to dance too. At the end of the song she looked at M'ressa.
"What song do you like to dance to, have you had the chance to look at music that is available you could dance to?" Addison slightly tilting her head to one side.
"No, I haven't. Reading up on all the technical advances and cultural changes has take up a lot of my time. Do you have any musical recommendations?" M'Ressa asked, her tail twitching with anticipation.
"Computer play, 'can't stop the music.'." Addison giving the command, the beat of the song permeating her body and she couldn't help herself. The lights of the dance floor lit up, making a colorful display, as she moved to the music. Feeling carefree.
Feeling out the beat, M’Ressa started to move her body, stomping to the beat with each step. Her tail swinging around behind her as she moves her hips. “Hmm, very energetic.”
"Yes, definitely gives a good work out depending on what you do. I like to use this when I did cleaning at my home. I did sweeping, did dishes." Addison starting to do a bit more vigorous dancing, twirling around and jumping up and down her hair bobbing up and down.
“Yea. I used to enjoy putting on some of these old earth tunes while I did maintenance on the shuttles. Charlie would pull me out from under a shuttle, steal my tools and would force me to dance with him before he’d give it back.” M’Ressa explained before her ears drooped and her energetic movements slowed. It was like the mention of that name had deflated her. “We’d occasionally dance through the night shift, losing track of time. During the last few sessions we had together, before I became lost in time, there was a song he’d like to play. It was a kind of waltz.” She said as she unconsciously started to waltz, the upbeat music around her forgotten as she relived a memory.
Calling a halt to the upbeat music Addison looked with compassion in her gaze reaching out to gently touch her shoulder.
"M'ressa, Charlie sounds like he was a special person. What waltz did you dance to? Maybe hum some of the music? The holodeck will pick up the music and play it. And I'll dance with you." Addison holding out her hands.
“I’m not sure. I think it went hmm hmm, hmmm hmm” M’Ressa said as she started humming a tune from her memory. After a few moments, the speakers started playing ‘Are we dancing’ from the film ‘The Happiest Millionaire’. Hearing the music pick up, she started moving more confidently before she stopped still, “oh my……how’d I not see it. He was courting me” she said in realisation, bringing her hands up to her chest, placing then over her heart.
Addison waltzed with M'Ressa to the tune that was playing. She'd heard this song, from so long ago.
When M'Ressa stopped dead in her tracks, the memory bursting in the Caitian's mind, Addison stepped back. watching the emotions play in the helm officer's eyes.
"Oh..." Addison sweeping M'Ressa into her arms. "Yes it seems that he was courting you." she softly uttered, then released her from the embrace.
M’Ressa was flooded with emotions, joy from the memory, sadness and regret from the thought that she’d never get the chance to give him her answer, and a sense of nostalgia for her old life. Ever since she’d been brought to this universe, she hadn’t had the time to truly sit down and process the loss of her life. But now, everything was flooding in. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil the evening.”
A gentle concern as well as compassion was there in Addison's eyes, drawing M'Ressa to a nearby bench and having her sit down. Addison keeping hold of the Caitian's hand in a comforting way.
"You didn't ruin the evening at all, music has a way to open up avenues that a person doesn't expect." Addison replied knowing this to be a fact, as it had happened to her on multiple occasions.
M’Ressa gave a small smile, “I guess I’ve been avoiding thinking about my previous life. I’ve been to focused on catching up on all the technological and social advancements, I hadn’t taken the time to process the loss.” She said, looking ahead at nothing in particular as she let her mind process.
"There is nothing wrong in thinking of your previous life, and yes take time to process things. If you need to talk I am available, and I myself am having to process my former life as well, I can empathize on how you are feeling." Addison growing quiet, just to let the quietness of the program softly surround them, as the music turned to something soft and quiet.
"You are? You're not from this time either?" M'Ressa asked, turning to her with a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"I am from this time, but, I can't go back to my old life. If I do, I will be dead." Addison saying this matter-of-factly. "This is my only existence, my only life."
Her voice going quiet, as Addison's eyes growing distant as she mused about this.
“Oh? May I ask what happened?” M’Ressa asked, sensing a shift in Addison’s mood.
"Well, the shuttle I was flying back to meet up with my medical team, got hit by a bolt of purple lightning, it lost power and I found myself hurtling headlong towards the side of a mountain. I closed my eyes waiting for the impact, a strange feeling came over me." Addison turning her gaze back to M'ressa.
"When I opened my eyes, I found myself someplace else and being informed that I was dead, according to the timeline and that I won't be returning. I return, I would no longer exist. I saw the image of impact. Nothing left of the runabout." Addison's voice became husky with emotion. "This is my new life and I am not going to give it up."
M’Ressa’s face was a mix of emotions. Empathy for her situation, confusion about what or who could’ve pulled her out at the last second, and why’d they pick her. “Oh, that must have been……disorienting.” She said, unsure what else to say.
"It was, but truth be told, I am glad to have this second life, this second chance. They had told me that my skills were needed, so here I am. Well and they did offer me the choice of dying or living. I chose life." Addison responded. "There is so much I can still learn, and also be able to continue using my skills for the crew."
“Huh. So you had a choice. I didn’t really. I found myself on this universe with no way home, no way to contact my family. And I was even outside of my time.”
"You are right, I did have a choice, live or die." Addison giving a nod. "I wish there was a way for you to find your way back home. The person who might be able find a solution to you getting home would be Captain Thorrin. I am not knowledgeable in that aspect. He though seems to be rather resourceful."
M’Ressa shrugged, “I’m not so sure, when he recruited me on earth, he did mention that Starfleet currently has no way to get me home. So for the time being, I’m stuck here. Though it’s not all bad, I mean these holodecks are pretty amazing, and your replicators put our food synthesisers to shame”
Addison nodded, "I guess time will tell what will happen next, right?" giving a bit of a comforting smile. "For now, guess we'll have to make the best of things while we fly through the timestream. Perhaps you can teach me to pilot a ship better, just to polish up on skills."
M’Ressa nodded happily, “Sure, anytime. It’s not so difficult once you get the feel for it. I like to think of piloting at 60% skill, 30% intuition and 10% sheer luck”
"Lets hope that I have the intuition, the skill and the luck." Addison quipped. In the back of her mind, perhaps it was luck that pulled her out of that runabout before she crashed into that mountainside.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Addison Talbert
Chief Medical Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Junior Grade M'Ressa
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
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