Third Time's a Charm [Bixox]

[Kali Reyes]

[Holodeck 3]

It looked much easier on holovid. A well-built man all cords and muscles would just keep pounding at a punching bag like a drum solo in an empty training hall. Except Kali wasn't a well-built man or made of muscles... or had any proper combat training aside from Starfleet's mandatory self-defense classes.

Every punch was amateur and unfocused. She was working up a sweat trying to not break her wrist in the process and every so often the punching bag would erratically oscillate back and knock her on her back. It wasn't a pretty picture with her flailing around on the mat like a desperate old turtle.

A chime told her someone had entered the holodeck. Her back muscles protested when she struggled to sit up and grin at the newcomer. "Oh god. They sent the rookie counselor this time. God rest your poor soul, Ms. Bixox."

[Aretah Bixox]

The strangest thing of living on a starship, no matter how short or long this would be, was how much Aretah enjoyed the small sounds the ship made. It was as if it was alive, and speaking to her. A few gentle strokes of her fingers over the panel outside the holodeck, a confirmation tone, and the door slid open.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize the holodeck was open until another being's emotions brushed against her mind. The other woman's words followed quick after. "Rookie medic as well, if you have a need, Crewman." Unsure if she was welcome to join her, she offered an apology, "I did not realize the holodeck was in use."

[Kali Reyes]

"Counselor Bay didn't sic you on me then?" Kali raised an eyebrow and then laughed. She flopped back onto the mat and started to unravel the bandages around her knuckles. "Oh, good good. That woman's a menace to modern medicine. You can quote me on that too."

A little thrum of stiffness spread along her fingers, but she raised them into the hot ceiling light above and stretched them. "Yeah, sometimes I like to turn off the notification lights on the doors. Makes for an interesting scenario when crewmen stumble in and see what other weird stuff I've done to the simulator." She thumbed the boxing ring. "This is new. Coded it myself. There's this really old training hall in New York - built into an unused firehouse back 20th century. Tried to emulate it. Can't get the smell of wet dog right, though. You're welcome to have a crack at it if you don't mind me working out."

[Aretah Bixox]

The note of amusement in Aretah's voice was so subtle it would be easy to miss. "Is there a reason I should have been sic'd on you, Crewman Reyes?" A lifetime of controlling her emotions made it easy to keep the amusement off of her face, but that did not mean she did not feel it. "I'll be sure to make a note of it." No she would not; there was no need to.

If they had known each other for a longer amount of time, Aretah may have  teased the other woman about what sort of interesting scenarios she had been caught in. Instead, she made a soft, noncommittal sound and looked around. "Are you sure 'wet dog' is the correct smell? I doubt they allowed many dogs into the ring." Stepping through the doorway, allowing the door to close behind her, she asked, "Where is the control panel located? I may be able to make an adjustment."

[Kali Reyes]

The note of amusement in Aretah's voice was so subtle it would be easy to miss. "Is there a reason I should have been sic'd on you, Crewman Reyes?" A lifetime of controlling her emotions made it easy to keep the amusement off of her face, but that did not mean she did not feel it. "I'll be sure to make a note of it." No she would not; there was no need to.

Kali colored a bit at the question which wasn't out of embarrassment, but from her irritation with Bay. She snorted again and closed her eyes instead of answering.

If they had known each other for a longer amount of time, Aretah may have  teased the other woman about what sort of interesting scenarios she had been caught in. Instead, she made a soft, noncommittal sound and looked around. "Are you sure 'wet dog' is the correct smell? I doubt they allowed many dogs into the ring." Stepping through the doorway, allowing the door to close behind her, she asked, "Where is the control panel located? I may be able to make an adjustment."

"Well I'm not exactly sure why New York City still smells like fumes and wet dog with 22nd century environmental detoxifyers, but I'd rather not question nostalgia," Kali replied as she rolled onto her tummy to push herself back up. With a lazy wave of her hand, the out-of-place control panel hummed back into existence near the antique corded phone on the wall. "Knock yourself out, doc."

[Aretah Bixox]

Mentally, Aretah shrugged in agreement. She had no idea why the city still smelled either. Perhaps it was simply part of the aesthetics, or history, or whatnot. Stepping up to the panel, she pulled up the controls. A moment later the existing smell nearly dissipated; with the exception of their own smells. Although she did not know the molecular formula for 'wet dog smell', the young woman felt she could create a fair approximation.

The panel's soft tones filled the silence as she adjusted the formula for the smell. Rain, wet plaster, animal dander, and just a hint of rot; not to mention a healthy dose of sweat and old cigars. A note of car exhaust from 'outside' rounded off her calculations and she loaded the smell back into the room. Looking to the other woman, she asked, "Is that better?"

[Kali Reyes]

While Bixox worked out her logical aggression on the console, Kali grabbed a jump rope from a basket of exercise equipment because a bit of cardio never hurt anyone (and jump rope was the least dangerous thing for her to use). She wasn't the most sporty crewman on the Discovery, but she had a personal 'upkeep' to take care of and replicator diets never hurt any.

"Three Vulcans came to Earth, to watch humans try give birth," she sang while she jumped. "One got scared and ran away, two got mad and didn't stay, and three went to Jupiter to get more stu-"

A powerful musk suddenly hung in the air. She took a generous sniff and exclaimed happily, "Oh there it is! Now it smells like old New York!"