A Walk Amongst The Giants
Posted on Tue Jun 30th, 2026 @ 11:51am by Lieutenant JG T'Lar & Lieutenant JG Jacob Rosen
2,256 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Character Development
Location: Felton California/ Roaring Camp/ Henry Cowell Park
Timeline: Shore leave Day 6
T'Lar woke early as she normally did, though it could be said that she normally did not do so to the sound of seagulls crying, sea lions barking and waves crashing along the beach. She moved quietly, grabbing one of the hotel provided robes, and set about replicating a small carafe of coffee for Jacob.
He'd slept through the rest of the night without any return of the nighmare which had awakened him so brutally in the wee hours of the morning. T'Lar felt for him. She knew what those dreams were like. For years she'd been plagued by her own traumatic re-telling of the morning of April 19, 2375. The explosions, the fire, the smoke, and of course Brian being pinned under the fallen ceiling support beam; T'Lar being helpless to free him. She was heartened to hear that Jacob was at least considering going to counseling with Counselor Vali.
The coffee, being replicated to the specifications Jacob preferred, began filling the hotel room with the rich aroma of its dark roast. Jacob began to stir as the scent of his favorite morning beverage tickled his nose in that delightful way only coffee can do.
"You are spoiling me T'Lar." Jacob said as he padded into the kitchenette, almost drawn like a cartoon by the aroma of the coffee. He gazed out to the beach, reflecting on the sheer number of beautiful vistas they'd shared this shore leave.
"Good morning, Jacob. Coffee is ready. I was just about to replicate us some Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream." T'Lar said
"I take back what I said before. Now you are definitely spoiling me." Jacob said with a laugh. "Thank you T'Lar, what did you want to get into this morning?"
"I am very much looking forward to today. The ride is not very long. Only nine miles back into the mountains but the scenery is magnificent. They have trees as tall as buildings, with a base you could stretch 30 people around. For a desert dweller such as myself, such an arboreal region is deeply fascinating. We have nothing like it on Vulcan." T'Lar confessed.
"I am looking forward to it. Eventually we'll have to do a desert trip whenever the Sunfire gives us the opportunity." Jacob replied cheerily.
T'Lar replicated the waffles and served them to Jacob. She also replicated some maple syrup should he want some as that was how she enjoyed hers. After breakfast they showered, brushed their teeth and put on their riding suits, T'lar putting her hair up in a tight French braid. They loaded up the bikes and were on the road by 09:00, headed out of Santa Cruz towards the sleepy little town of Felton on the ancient Highway 9. For a motorcyclist it was a nice ride full of twisty turns and Jacob seemed to be really coming into his own on the bike after several days on it. A good twenty minutes later they found themselves at Henry Cowell Park.
They parked their bikes at the visitor's center and left their helmets with the bikes. It was a cool morning, overcast and the mist clung to the giant redwoods to the point where it was difficult to see the very tops of the enormously tall shaggy trees. The bark of the giant redwood was an orange/ brown color and extremely fibrous, and quite fire resistant. The redwood itself was not so much as evidenced by several giant trees being burnt out at the base by lightning, creating natural shelters for local wildlife. All along the base of the trees was a natural duff of spongy needles and seed pods from which grew baby redwoods.
As Jake and Tally made their way around the trail through the massive grove they saw rabbits and deer foraging in the forest.
"In between space postings, we would always return to the Pacific Northwest growing up." Jacob said as they walked among the towering trees, listening to the cool breeze move through the leaves above. Under the canopy the temperature felt like it dropped a considerable amount, not uncomfortable but noticeable nonetheless. "Every time, I always looked forward to being in the trees again. These though." Jacob patted the massive trunk of a tree. "These are on another level."
"Sometimes in our search for sentient beings we fail to appreciate that life comes in so many forms. I've never seen trees like this on any other world I've ever visited." T'Lar said with almost a hint of reverence in her voice.
"Out there we encounter so many beings that are truly ancient but not much from Earth really compares. These redwoods though, maybe they do." Jacob said with a smile, eyes transfixed upwards.
"Some of these trees have existed for over two millennia. That is truly astounding to consider all that has transpired on your planet in all of that time." T'Lar marveled.
In the distance they could hear the sound of the steam locomotive coming from the park next door, Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad. Wandering over they found that the next trip around the mountain would be starting in fifteen minutes.
T'Lar, having never ridden on the 19th century locomotive before suggested they take the excursion.
"Don't you think it would be fascinating?" She asked Jacob.
"Let's take a trip back in time." Jacob said, leading the way to the ticket station.
Having procured their tickets they watched as the steam locomotive engine was loaded with water. Three long toots of the horn later the conductor cried "All Aboard" and they joined about twenty five other people in open top cars. The conductor blew his whistle three times and the engineer answered back with two long blows of the steam horn before the wheels started churning with that famous "chugga chugga" sound that steam locomotives were known for. The train made its way through the meadow behind the general store and picnic grounds and entered to forest just as the sun was starting to burn off some of the overcast. This had the effect of sunrays being cast through the mist like celestial spotlights dappling the forest floor as they cut through the trees. The canopy over head was dense with barely any gaps save where the train tracks bisected the forest. Every so often the steam engine would blow its mighty horn and ring its bell and the sound would echo down the canyon walls as the narrow gauge locomotive chugged its way up, up, up the mountain. Along the way they passed through a tunnel and over a tall free standing wooden trestle spanning a large gap. Along the way the conductor pointed out interesting facts about the terrain, the trees, the local wildlife and the train itself. Eventually the train came to a stop in a meadow high on the mountain and the conductor led the group to what he called "Cathedral grove", a circular cluster of redwoods centered around an open area approximately thirty feet wide by thirty feet long. The conductor explained that a thousand years prior where they were standing was a massive old growth redwood that had long since died off from a fire and decomposed but that the trees making up the "walls" of the cathedral were born of its seedlings which had been growing around the base of the tree. He mentioned that the Cathedral Grove was available for weddings, and interested parties should inquire at the general store after they returned to Roaring Camp. They were given a few minutes to look around but told to return to the train when the steam whistle blew again.
T'Lar extended her hand to Jacob and walked through the Cathedral Grove hand in hand with him.
"Well Jacob, has the trip been everything I promised it would be?" she asked
"And more." He nodded in agreement. "This has been the best shore leave I've had in..."Jacob scratched his chin in thought. "Ever really. Kind of a shame to go back to work."
"I imagine the rainforest around your parent's home is somewhat similar, though maybe without such tall trees. I should like to see it sometime." She prounounced
"Not to this magnitude for sure. Also, yes. Yes I think I would relish the opportunity. Even in the rainy months it is its own kind of beautiful." Jacob said, slightly surprised at her interest.
"I have a question... You said to me that you didn't know why you caught my eye, but you were glad you did. I clarified to you how you managed to get my attention. My question to you is, when did I 'catch your eye'? I know you were flirting with me almost from the beginning... but when did it become more than that?"
T'Lar asked
"Initially for the record." Jacob replied with a smirk. "It wasn't flirting. It was a stream of consciousness spewing all kinds of bad jokes and humor to calm myself." He turned to look into her eyes. "Then, that first eye contact there was something there. I turned to you in the center chair and I think we saw each other. Really saw each other." Jacob's mind began to flip back to that day on the bridge, and felt that it was an interesting combination of feelings. Certainly the pressure of being in command, temporarily at least. However the feelings of fear mixed with the attraction and connection he found in T'Lar presented quite the nuance to the memory.
"Anyway we soon had much bigger problems with the whole Naussicans trying to burn us out of the sky thing. I told myself that I'd put myself out there, see if there was really an interest and if not... I'd cower and hide in the Ops Office until it was time for me to transfer, only leaving for staff meetings and meals." Jacob smirked at his own self-deprecating joke.
Suddenly the train whistle tooted and the conductor called "All Aboard" again. The happy couple made their way back to the train and took their seats for the return trip down the mountain.
Having completed their trip around the mountain and returned to the depot, Jacob and T'Lar disembarked the train and looked around the old timey western motif general store.
"Look Jacob... They offer old time western photographs. We should do one. They have costumes to dress up in. You can be Jake the gunslinger and I'll be Tally the saloon girl."
"You have much more confidence in my marksmanship than I deserve." Jacob said warmly. "That sounds fun, let's take some." He nodded in agreement.
They changed out of their riding suits and into 1880's period clothing, Jacob brandishing two six guns and T'Lar with her arm draped around his shoulder, showing some leg with a pair of aces tucked in a garter under her saloon girl gown. The whole thing was captured in sepia tone and printed for them on the spot.
"I am very pleased with the result. What say you, Jacob?" T'Lar asked.
"You make quite the impressive saloon girl." Jacob said, making the exaggerated motion of closing his jaw with a playful wink.
"It is hard to believe we will be back on the ship tonight." She said as they changed back into their riding gear. "I fear your absence next to me will be conspicuous."
"Well, we won't be completely apart." Jacob replied as they strolled down the recreated western streets, stopping to pet a horse tied to a post. "I'll never be that far."
"It's just that I've grown accustomed these past few days with being next to you. I find it... agreeable to my sensibilities. I guess what I am trying to say is, I will miss this time we've had together."
"I understand." He said, tenderly moving his thumb around the back of T'Lar's hand. "Spending this time with you has been wonderful. While we're leaving California, and back to our normal life, we can take this new dynamic with us." Jacob stopped, taking her other hand so that he held both and looked into her eyes. "We'll make the time for each other."
"I would very much like to do that, Jake." She confessed, leaning in to kiss him.
Jacob kissed her yet again, a tender yet passionate exchange. He took this instance to just embrace the kiss and be present one last time in their interlude together. "The one thing no one ever gets enough of is Time." He whispered as they broke apart. "I will cherish that time regardless of where it is T'Lar."
"As will I, Jacob." she promised.
The two of them decided to eat lunch at the chuck wagon before heading back to San Francisco. T'Lar had cornbread and vegetarian chili. Jacob opted for a chicken pot pie. They made their way back to their bikes at Henry Cowell and started the long ride back through Santa Cruz and back up Highway 1 to San Francisco. Arriving back at Starfleet, they made for the motorpool and turned in the motorcycles, retrieving their gear. Thusly encumbered they then made their way to the transporter pad and transported back to the Sunfire with the intention of meeting up for dinner after unpacking and refreshing themselves. It had been a week of discovery for both of them, and a look at the promise of a new day in both of their lives. Where it went from here was yet to be determined, but the story of Jake and Tally was far from over.
TBC
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