Sharing Stories
Posted on Mon Jul 2nd, 2018 @ 12:49pm by Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun & Chloe de la Vega
Edited on on Mon Jul 2nd, 2018 @ 8:48pm
1,476 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - Weary Travellers
Location: After 11
Timeline: MD003 2030 hrs
Richard hesitated as the doors parted for him and his guest. He looked over at Jennifer strolled into the establishment. Letting his gaze return to the room he looked around for a vacant place to sit, "would you like to sit at a table, booth or at the bar Miss Masters?"
Chloe was just cleaning some glasses, she didn't truly know why as the equipment she had did all that and more but she needed to keep up appearances somehow. The good doctor and one of intelligence staff walked in, she was good with faces, sometimes not so much with names. She smiled warmly at them as they entered.
"I am fine with everything, but lets sit at the bar. Chloe is nice company," She said as she made her way at the bar. The doctor is a nice, she just felt more secure with Chloe around. "Chloe, can I have a Martini without the olive." She looked at Richard. "I hate olives."
"Then let's go there," Richard replied with a broad grin, "Cloe makes a great omelet."
"I did not know that, I know she makes some nice mixed drinks," Jenn said smiling. She looked to Chloe. "Maybe another time, Chloe, the drink is fine."
Richard nodded at Petty Officer and offered a smile, "was just mentioning it is all."
He looked at the barkeep and offered her a smile, "Brandy would be nice Chloe."
"No problem my love." Chloe replied turning to prepare the drink. "And you Miss Masters? What will you have?"
"A martini without the olive," Said Jenn as she got herself on a stool. "Like I said, I hate olives. Although I do like nuts, you know peanuts, cashew, pistachio, almonds." She grinned.
"Now those are good." Richard gave his date of sorts a broad smile as he waited for his drink to arrive. He drew in a deep breath and watched as the bartender made her drinks, "I'll write you a prescription for a handful of those a day."
Chloe smiled softly as she turned with their drinks. Setting them down she looked at Jennifer, "Oh I think I can set you up with that. Plenty of nuts in here!" She laughed placing a bowl of pistachio nuts and a bowl of peanuts in front of them. "I do have some Vulcan nuts bit they're... a little hard to swallow." She added half struggling.
"Vulcan nuts do take a bit to get used to." Richard chuckled as he as he took a sip of his adult beverage. He looked over at Jennifer and grinned, "I'm impressed with your choice of snacks."
"Oh?" Jenn said as she raised her eyebrows, "I don't know what kind of officer you think me for, but this body isn't coming naturally." She took some pistachios and then continued, "I am pretty tidy and try my best to eat and drink healthy. I just don't like olives." She shrugged and grinned.
Chloe had wandered off to the other end of the bar to serve some other patrons. Hovering around acquiring gossip was one of her key talents but only when the information was relevant. She could see the good Doctor was complimenting Jennifer so she had moved down a little to offer some privacy.
"I, ah." The physician blushed as he realized his intended complement might have been misconstrued, "you're a beautiful woman Jenn." "I meant I approved of your choices."
"Yes, cause nuts are healthy and I have a healthy body, which was the conclusion that you came to back in sickbay." Said Jenn. "So I eat and drink healthy and keep my room tidy. Trying to do things right." She had no idea why he had to say that again. "I got it the first time. Not sure why you get so nervous about that." She put the nuts in her mouth and chewed them before taking a sip from her drink and then she realized he may have thought she gotten his compliments in a different way. She put her glass down. "Oh wow, no, Doctor, I never thought of us as anything else but two crewmates having a drink. And one of the crewmates being the senior officer. You." She laughed.
Richard shook his head and chuckled feeling a bit relieved, "good because it could have been taken a few different ways." He played with the edge of his glass and added, "you'd think I would be more comfortable around women wouldn't you."
Jenn shrugged and said, "I'd say, you're attractive, a doctor, if anything most guys I know would have taken advantage of that if that was in their case." She smiled and then continued to ask, "You must be getting a lot of attention on the ship, are you not?"
Richard chuckled and blushed at her compliments. and nodded, "I have had some success but would you believe that there was a time where I would have been sent to prison for talking to a woman?"
"To be honest, no," Said Jenn. "Couldn't imagine why either, but I don't know you that well. Usually I would run a background check on people I meet. But i recently discovered to do it the old fashion way." She grinned. "By asking."
"Then I'll tell you," Richard chuckled as he smiled at the woman, "up until about seven years ago I was considered a genetically altered human." He grinned broadly and continued his tale, "would you like me to start at the beginning?"
Jenn nodded, she was slightly intrigued. "That's always a good place to start," she said.
Richard nodded, "alright, it's now declassified so there isn't any harm." He took a drink of his beverage and a deep breath, "in 2307 an Azzian ship was found adrift in space just within Federation territory and towed to Starbase 32." "Baro Ko’liki Rasil Ve’hassi, my father and Vo’liki Ko’tim (Ve’hassi) Al’ abio, my mother, along with his entire staff were killed." He took a long look at the woman to watch her response as he continued, "I was found in stasis and at that point, the coverup began."
Jenn was a little stunned when he talked like that. She finally pushed out, "Wow, I have no words for that, I don't really know what to say to that. I wish I could say I can't believe the Federation, or starfleet in this case, did this to you, but messing around as a hacker in classified files I know better."
"Hacker," Richard furrowed his brow as he took in the term, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He chuckled taking in a sip of his drink and gazing at Jenn, "look up Baby Boy 147841."
He shook his head and smiled broadly, "but enough about me Jennifer, how did you get into this spy business?"
"Like everyone else that is in it. You get pulled in." She grinned. "Well, I loved hacking since the academy. Got kicked out because of it. Did some freelance stuff, and now starfleet has finally caught up with me."
Richard chuckled as he heard the last part of her response, "you mean you're here because you got caught." He shook his head and leaned forward slightly, "well however you got here I'm glad your on our side now."
Jenn laughed, "Got caught? You're kidding me right? They had nothing on me to catch me for. They ran into me in a bar and requested my help, it was then a recruiting officer asked me to come back. I always made sure I stayed out of trouble with starfleet. They're still wondering how I hacked them back in the academy."
"Alright, alright," Richard chuckled as his eyes sparkled, "of course I'm kidding." He reached over and took a handful of the pistachios, "if you had they probably wouldn't have wanted you back."
"Most likely," Jenn grinned. She put the empty glass aside. "This was great, thank you, doctor. We should definitely do this again."
Richard finished his own and then offered a chuckle as he glanced over at her, "it has been fun hasn't it?" "Yes let's do this again."
Taking a deep breath he glanced around for the bartender, "thanks for everything Chloe."
Chloe smiled, "No problem guys. Come back soon!" she yelled across to them. It was nice to see young people having a good time in her establishment, it made her happy.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Richard Ballston M.D. PsyD
Chief Medical Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
Petty officer first class Jennifer Masters
HUMINT Agent, USS Pioneer
Chloe de la Vega
Owner/Bartender After 11, USS Pioneer
PNPC Zano
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