the stars, their feet unable to leave the earth. They never saw outer space. Your ancestors never went to Mars, which was practically next door. The kind of life you lead--it would have been the most incredible flight of fancy to them. The things you take for granted." He nudged Cohen's shoulder. "You don't know what you've got." "What have I got?" said Cohen. He still looked skeptical.
Geordi leaned back in the chair, his arms folded. "Why don't you tell me?" "This is silly," said Cohen.
"Consider it an order," said Geordi, still friendly.
Cohen stared at Geordi, trying to figure out if the engineer was kidding or not. He didn't seem to be. "Tell you what I've got." "Right." Cohen gave it some thought.
"Nothing comes to mind." Geordi blew air through his lips. "You help keep this ship running," he said. "That's one thing.
There's a thousand people on this ship that depend upon the engineering department--more than any other--to get them where they're going. Now, maybe you consider your duties to be routine, even humdrum. But it's the ability to stay on top of those duties, even when they're tedious, that makes you a good officer." "I suppose," said Cohen slowly. "I mean... I can look at it with an eye that all these people need me." "Right!" said Geordi.
"And, well, I do get shore leave, occasionally. And with the holodeck..." "Exactly," smiled Geordi. "You can simulate anyplace you'd want to go. And only the very latest starships are outfitted with holodeck technology." "And it's not like I've got a dead-end job," said Cohen. "I mean, there's room for advancement." "Now you're getting it!" "I mean, it's not like I'm chief engineer.
Now that's a dead-end job." Geordi opened his mouth and then closed it again.
"Oh! No offense!" said Cohen quickly.
"None taken," Geordi said evenly. "I suppose some people might perceive that job as such, but I assure you--" "Oh, you don't have to assure me of anything," Cohen told him. "I understand fully." "Well, good." Geordi smiled. "We were talking about you." "About good things, yeah." Cohen was looking back out the viewport. "When I see the stars, it reminds me of Jackson's eyes. She has the most gorgeous eyes. When she would look at me in that way, with her eyes twinkling--there was nothing like it. You know what I mean?" No. Because I've been blind from birth, and I can see a single burning coal from thirty paces, but I can't see a woman's eyes burning with love from thirty inches away. "Sure I do," said Geordi. "There's nothing like it, you're right." "And I could always have something done about the hair, right?" he said, running his fingers through his thinning pate. "And just work out more to drop those extra pounds. It's not really a big deal, is it? Just self-discipline." Right. Dealing with his "shortcomings" is no big deal. As opposed to me. If I have my "shortcoming" attended to--my sight restored-- I lose the sensory abilities of my VISOR, and that would simply be too much to give up. "Just a little self-discipline," Geordi echoed.
"And even if Jackson and I did break up --well, hell, we did have all that time together.
And when we were together, it was fantastic.
Fantastic woman, great conversationalist, great sex. There's nothing like a relationship when it's working, huh, Geordi?" I haven't had a serious relationship in close to two years. "Nothing like it," said Geordi.
Cohen stood, filled with new confidence. "You know, Geordi, I'm going down to engineering just to run a routine systems check. I mean, it's not due for another two hours but, hell, you can't be too careful, right?" As Geordi nodded silently, he went on, "And then I'm going to see Jackson and tell her just what she's missing out on. And if she still wants to keep it broken off, well, there's lots of fish in the sea, or stars in the skies. Right?" "Right," whispered Geordi.
Cohen got up, clapped
Geordi leaned back in the chair, his arms folded. "Why don't you tell me?" "This is silly," said Cohen.
"Consider it an order," said Geordi, still friendly.
Cohen stared at Geordi, trying to figure out if the engineer was kidding or not. He didn't seem to be. "Tell you what I've got." "Right." Cohen gave it some thought.
"Nothing comes to mind." Geordi blew air through his lips. "You help keep this ship running," he said. "That's one thing.
There's a thousand people on this ship that depend upon the engineering department--more than any other--to get them where they're going. Now, maybe you consider your duties to be routine, even humdrum. But it's the ability to stay on top of those duties, even when they're tedious, that makes you a good officer." "I suppose," said Cohen slowly. "I mean... I can look at it with an eye that all these people need me." "Right!" said Geordi.
"And, well, I do get shore leave, occasionally. And with the holodeck..." "Exactly," smiled Geordi. "You can simulate anyplace you'd want to go. And only the very latest starships are outfitted with holodeck technology." "And it's not like I've got a dead-end job," said Cohen. "I mean, there's room for advancement." "Now you're getting it!" "I mean, it's not like I'm chief engineer.
Now that's a dead-end job." Geordi opened his mouth and then closed it again.
"Oh! No offense!" said Cohen quickly.
"None taken," Geordi said evenly. "I suppose some people might perceive that job as such, but I assure you--" "Oh, you don't have to assure me of anything," Cohen told him. "I understand fully." "Well, good." Geordi smiled. "We were talking about you." "About good things, yeah." Cohen was looking back out the viewport. "When I see the stars, it reminds me of Jackson's eyes. She has the most gorgeous eyes. When she would look at me in that way, with her eyes twinkling--there was nothing like it. You know what I mean?" No. Because I've been blind from birth, and I can see a single burning coal from thirty paces, but I can't see a woman's eyes burning with love from thirty inches away. "Sure I do," said Geordi. "There's nothing like it, you're right." "And I could always have something done about the hair, right?" he said, running his fingers through his thinning pate. "And just work out more to drop those extra pounds. It's not really a big deal, is it? Just self-discipline." Right. Dealing with his "shortcomings" is no big deal. As opposed to me. If I have my "shortcoming" attended to--my sight restored-- I lose the sensory abilities of my VISOR, and that would simply be too much to give up. "Just a little self-discipline," Geordi echoed.
"And even if Jackson and I did break up --well, hell, we did have all that time together.
And when we were together, it was fantastic.
Fantastic woman, great conversationalist, great sex. There's nothing like a relationship when it's working, huh, Geordi?" I haven't had a serious relationship in close to two years. "Nothing like it," said Geordi.
Cohen stood, filled with new confidence. "You know, Geordi, I'm going down to engineering just to run a routine systems check. I mean, it's not due for another two hours but, hell, you can't be too careful, right?" As Geordi nodded silently, he went on, "And then I'm going to see Jackson and tell her just what she's missing out on. And if she still wants to keep it broken off, well, there's lots of fish in the sea, or stars in the skies. Right?" "Right," whispered Geordi.
Cohen got up, clapped
Similar Books
The Devious Duchess
Joan Smith
The People of the Black Sun
W. Michael Gear
How to Love
Katie Cotugno
Xmas Spirit
Tonya Hurley
Brimstone and Lily (Legacy Stone Adventures)
Terry Kroenung
Team Genius: The New Science of High-Performing Organizations
Rich Karlgaard, Michael S. Malone
The Diary of Brad De Luca
Alessandra Torre
Ashton Park
Murray Pura
Cold Hard Truths 1: Vices
Nash Summers