Intelligent Date
Posted on Thu May 24th, 2018 @ 5:39am by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun & Michael Taggart & Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 10:03pm
2,036 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - Weary Travellers
Location: White Stag Pub/Empok Nor
Timeline: MD001 1700 hrs
Tags: SD 71395.1700
It's been a while since she was on Empok Nor. All the busy people around her, the shops, the restaurants... She was just looking for the one place. She could find the old man there, Calhoun, the computer had told her. Her eyes went around the place till she finally found the White Stag Pub.
She looked at the exterior of the place. It looked a bit outstanding on the promenade.
After a few minutes she stepped in to the pub. She looked around as if she was scanning the room. The place was busy and this was her first time here.
The White Stag was busy that night with the Pioneer and the Juno on shore leave, plus the usual locals. Mickey was in his glory serving the people he loved like his family. A fire roared in the hearth and the servers were dolling out the food.
Billy had been at the bar for a few hours now. As soon as Thal dismissed the department shore leave he ran to the White Stag. It reminded him of the good ole days in Europe, and Mickey was a hoot. "Right Mick... What's a filthy Scot like you gonna do if I best you in darts." Calhoun said the barkeep.
"Ye, best me... I dunnae think so ya oaf. I'll tell ye what, ye best me and ye drink fer free, fer the rest o da night." Mickey's Scottish accent rang out and could be heard over the din of the bar. He spit on his had and extended it to be shook. "Put er dere..." Billy smiled broadly spit on his own hand and shook the barkeep's.
Out of the corner of his eye Mickey saw a new face enter. "Well now the dart game will have ta wait I have to go play host." He walked up to the young woman who had just arrived. "Well now lass, welcome ta da White Stag. I am Michael Taggart and this is me home, now it's yer home. May I have the pleasure of yer name luv..." He smiled broadly and his blue eyes twinkled, one could see why the Scot gave the Ferengi a run for his money.
Hearing the thick Scottish accent next to her she turned around. "I am Jennifer Masters, Human Intelligence on the Pioneer. And thank you, you have a lovely place," Said Jenn with a smile. She went back to looking around. "Mister Taggart, would you know where I could find my friend and colleague Senior Petty Officer Calhoun?"
"That ole coot, dunnae why you want ta be with him. He is as grumpy as a gremlin. I'll tell ye what yer gonnae need to whet yer whistle if yer gonna chat that codger up. First one's on da house. What ye drinkin lass?" Mickey replied, curiosity was getting the better of him. It wasn't often a pretty young lady came to talk to the ancient one.
She thought about his question for a second. Then she said,"I drink a lot of things, but since I am on shore leave I want to go crazy. So make it sweet and strong. What ever you can conjure up in this pub will do, as long as it is sweet and strong. Now can you point me in to the direction of the old grumpy gremlin?" She put an even bigger smile up.
Mickey took an ale glass and raised a bottle that was filled with a golden colored liquid. "Dis ere is Strathearn Cider Brandy it is a mix of da finest Scottish cider wit da finest Scottish Brandy. Apple sweet, but twill knock ye on yer arse if ye not be careful." He pushed the glass over to her. "Da coot is over dere at the end o da bar. If ye need me, just shout fer ole Mickey." He said with a broad smile.
She took the glass and said, "Thank you, ole Mickey, I will be careful with my drink." She then proceeded to the end of the bar where Mickey had said Calhoun was seated. She then noticed him there. She took a small sip of the drink that was given to her. "Gosh," she whispered, "that is strong." She then put the glass on the bar next to Calhoun. "So this is where you hang out, old man? It's not easy to find you on this big station." She mostly announced herself.
Billy was a little drunk but nothing that he couldn't handle. He noticed Masters walking in, but said nothing. He wasn't sure if she was here to meet someone, as it turned out she was looking for him. A rare time that the El Aurian could not predict what someone was about to do. "Oh, look what the cat dragged in... Masters. You are just in time for some Whiskey. But first your question, yes this is the best place at Empok Nor. Isn't that right..." He raised his beer glass and cheered the crowd in the bar responded with a cheer of their own. "You exploring the station Masters?"
"Yes, that and I was looking for you. You're not easy to find. Who would of have guessed." She put a grin on her face. "Have you been here all this time. I have called you, but I get why that is now." She picked up her glass and took sip. "So is this a good time, or should I come back later?" She could feel the alcohol go straight to her head, but she tried to ignore it.
"Little secret, and take it from someone who knows. You can be off duty, but your duty is never off you. It is for that reason that when I go on shore leave I usually leave the comm badge at home." He laughed, "Pull up a seat and park it. By the way I meant to tell you, way to kick some Maquis butt the other day." Billy looked at everyone as a friend. But someone that you fought side by side with was little more than a friend in his book.
Jenn pulled out a seat and sat down and took another sip from her drink. "Thanks, old man. I should remember that." She then looked in to her glass. "Well, haven't been so rowdy since I rejoined Starfleet. And in a strange kind of way, it felt good." She whirled her glass around a bit and then took another sip. "You weren't bad yourself, I hadn't seen you so energetic since the dance we had the other night in after eleven." She said.
"Fights like that and dances like that take me back to another time and place. A time when men were men, and women were women. Every time that I am engaged in combat I remember those that fell before me, those thoughts invigorate me. Each victory is for them. You dear lady can cut a rug..." Billy responded as he took a sip of his whiskey.
Mickey heard the conversation as he hears all conversations in his bar. He poured four measures of the finest scotch whiskey he had. He placed one measure before Billy, one before Jennifer, took one for himself, and placed the fourth in front of an empty stool. Mickey called for silence in his pub, when the crowd quieted down he spoke. "As ye know we are family in dis pub. Fer our newcomers there are family toasts dat we present when da time warrants. Dis toast honors our crews those of da Juno, an da Pioneer. It honors the fallen from any age." He looked at Billy when he spoke that last bit. "So raise ye glasses. Cha bhi an co-ionnan aca am measg a-rithist tuilleadh (their equal will never be among us again, translated from Scottish Gaelic). All raised their glasses and when the toast was completed they drank. The only glass still full was the one in front of the empty bar-stool next to Billy.
Jenn participated in the toast, but immediately put the empty glass down. "Oh God, how can you people drink this. Call me spoiled, but do you guys drink this every day till you get used to it, or something." She laughed. "It was a nice toast, though, Mickey. Thank you!" And then she turned to Calhoun. "And you, your such a sentimental old bastard, aren't you, old man?" she smiled and softly punched him on the shoulder. "So tell me, when your not in a bar dancing with young girls, and your not doing your job, what do you like to do?" She looked at him curious.
Billy smiled broadly. "First off young lady, I am not a bastard my parents knew each other." His smile broke into a flat out guffaw. "Nothing beats a good scotch absolutely nothing. As for hobbies nothing relaxes me more than a good horseback ride through the woods. There is something about it, you and the animal and the trail, nothing else in that moment really matters. And you are spoiled if you do not like scotch, well that or you just have not had a good one. So, why exactly the interview?"
"I am just interested in you, my colleague, is that a crime?" She put an empty glass to her lips. She looked to it. "That and I may have booked a holosuite for us cause...you know they have this wonderful cook on the Juno, his name is Dan, peculiar Vulcan and he is highly praised by both the Juno crew and apparently admirals. He also takes request, so I asked him to cook us dinner, if you interested to join me this evening for a lovely dinner. We could ride some horse have food and you could even bring a bottle of Scotch that you like." She offered. "What do you say?" Her heart was pounding like crazy, she had been nervous about this moment all morning.
Billy took another swig of the Scotch and looked across the bar at Mickey. Taggart for his part was all smiles and mingled with his customers but he did manage a knowing wink at the El Aurian. Calhoun turned to face the young woman, and if he didn't know better he would think that he was just asked out on a date. But he was old enough to be her grandfather's greatest grandfather. But... she was beautiful and curiosity was getting the better of him. He smiled at her "You got it toots name the time and this ole GI will be there." His smile revealed all of the crags in his face but he didn't care there was something going on here, something Masters wanted and all he had to do was listen. Lucky for him it is what El Aurians do best.
"Great," said Jenn with a smile and a tap on his shoulder. "1900 hours, holosuite 2. I'll see you there." She jumped off the stool. And walked past the bar to the entrance and turned to Mickey for a moment. "Thanks for the drinks, ole Mickey, make sure old grumpy doesn't drink too much." She grinned to him before she disappeared through the entrance.
"Oh I'll try well enough but wit him dere's no stoppin..." Mickey called to Masters as she left.
Billy took another sip of his whiskey as he watched her go. For the first time in his long existence he was unsure what someone was playing at. When she disappeared through the doors he looked at the shot that was left for the departed. He could almost hear his friends from bygone days calling out for him to go for it, and what he was waiting for. He smiled and called for another drink.
A Joint Post By
Senior Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
Petty Officer 1st class Jennifer Masters
HUMINT agent USS Pioneer
Michael "Mickey" Taggart
Owner White Stag Pub, Empok Nor
PNPC Malbrooke
RSS Feed