A Beginning

Jim wasn't quite sure where all this fresh new feeling was coming from. Perhaps it was an escape from the fear and pressure he'd been under for so long now. "Where did it begin?", he asked himself. He remembered a glance she'd sent his way, a curious inquiry.  The last time he'd seen something like that was way back in grade school, Sheila Somers and her glance back at him after he'd come in to the classroom late and out of breath from running. It was more like a "what's really going on" questioning look. He never really thought of Sheila that way until then. For that matter, he'd never thought of girls that way at all till then. Here it started again, way out here, deep in exospace. It was odd. The whole thing was like a strange dream. Gosh, she was pretty though,  especially in that dress with those flowers and that incredible music from centuries ago. It was like they were alone on the beach in Hawaii, after this "see who you like the most" dance and there they were looking at each other and knowing.  

Centuries ago and ancient Hawaiian customs seemed more appropriate and workable than anything today. Here it was 2314 and all he had was one close friend and something of a crew and these pirates all over him. His career had degenerated into this hopeless mess! He'd be lucky to pull out of this with his life, let alone his ship, and what about the hostages? Surely life was better hundreds of years ago on the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. He would have had even darker thoughts if Nomi didn't appear at his cabin door. "Can I speak to you please Captain Wallace?"