A Slight Accident

Posted on Sat Mar 18th, 2023 @ 7:40am by Lieutenant Commander John Stryker II & Lieutenant Azrel Vox
Edited on on Sun Mar 19th, 2023 @ 5:11am

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: The Peace Ship
Location: Passageway
Timeline: M3 MD02 - 1800

John Stryker was making his way back from an early dinner, he planned on a conversation with Jason if he could manage that. Time was always such a nightmare between earth and wherever he was which meant, it could well be just a message to his son.

He was still the gawky tourist on this vessel, much larger than any ship he had been aboard in his career. He smiled at the thought of the number of Officers on board looking for advancement. Sometimes that was, as they say, 'slow as molasses.' But he was okay, Most of what he made was auto-deducted for Jason.

Looking here, there, and, everywhere as he walked along, most of the near misses with other crew had been avoided, but his string of luck ended when he ran into the five-foot-four-inch Trill, Chief Communications Officer, Lieutenant Vox.

"Whoa, seesh! I need to watch where I'm going. Are you alright Lieutenant Vox?" He asked, embarrassed by the situation. He had meant to greet her earlier in the day on the bridge but had not. Sometimes work interrupted other plans or ideas.

"I am thank you Sir. No worries. " Aze replied. She studied his face and hair style for a moment. She had seen him on the bridge a few times but for one reason or another she had not had the opportunity to greet him. She suddenly realised she was both stopping him from moving on and was staring at him. "Oh erm, sorry, you probably need to get going. Sorry. " she said averting her eyes.

"John Stryker, no need for the 'Sir.' We work together and there'll be enough of that goin' on. 'Wrongway Stryker' is what they call me. One mistake and you never live it down. I see by your tunic you're in security, had thoughts of that but got tricked into Navigation."

"If there's someplace I need to be, well, they'll call me, but I believe I'm off-shift for now, anyway." He added.

"Well, I am in Communications and I am also off duty, would you care to go for a drink?" Aze asked.

"Sure, we can certainly do that. Lead on, and Communications, now that's something that sounds interesting, fact is, I believe most positions on a ship are interesting if you have no idea what's involved." He replied. Getting to know the people he worked with was important to him, mainly because it was a slow process.

The two headed for the messhall. Once they had a drink each they found and sat at a table. "Communications is a very interesting area to work in. I do rely on the Universal Translator but where I can, I will use my knowledge of languages." Aze replied.

"Now that sounds interesting. Communicating with various species, and learning some of their languages must take a good deal of time, though the translator would certainly make it easier." He surmised.

"The translator does help but you get considerably more respect from other races when you speak their language without the assistance of the UT. " Aze commented

"Yes, I know that from experience. I do speak some languages well enough to get along with say Klingons, Ferengis, and a couple others." He admitted, "Some, not so well, but I'm learning as I go, Navigating doesn't have me in touch with other races all that much. Well, here we are, what can I get you?" Trying not to sound to forward, there could well be a man in her life, and she was just being friendly with a co-worker.

" I would like another Cortado coffee please." Aze replied

"Coming right up." John said with a smile. He walked over and ordered her drink and an iced coffee for himself. Then headed back to the table with them.

"Here you go." He said.

"Fabulous. I have become somewhat addicted to these. The blame is squarely on Torbin, my first host. He visited Earth quite a lot before and after he was joined and discovered the Cortado on numerous visits to Madrid and Barcelona. " She sipping her coffee.

"Spain, yes, I spent some time in Valencia, somehow I missed the Cortado, but I'll have to try one. Expresso was never one of my favorites, but then again, I hadn't ever had it with milk." Then he paused, "So my question is, where do we get milk out here? Must be replicated, if not that powdered variety, or some such."

"So, aside from this, what is there to do for fun and entertainment aboard here, other than the holodeck. Anything?" He asked.

"Well, I tend to jog early in the morning around deck 5. Then there is always the recreation facilities on decks 13 and 14. " Aze replied.

"Running, well, that's work along with all the other 'keep fit' activities I do, never have looked at them as being fun, just necessary, however the recreation facilities, now that sounds like fun."

"I sometimes keep to myself as well. You know time to think and ponder things " Aze replied.

"So, once we finish these drinks, we should investigate the facilities on decks thirteen and fourteen, maybe we'll get lucky and actually find something really fun to do." He actually had no idea what to expect.

"Sounds like a plan. " Aze replied sipping her Cortado. " You know, traditionally a Cortado is served with a small glass of Spanish Brandy but there is very little point if you are going to have the synthetic alcohol version. I happen to have a bottle of the real deal in my quarters for when I am off duty and I can really enjoy a Cortado. " Aze added.

"That's not considered contraband, now is it?" He asked, but good-naturedly. The fact was, he was never sure what was considered contraband or not.

"I sure hope not. If it is, you might find they will need a skilled doctor to surgically remove the bottle from my grip. " she said laughing,

"Oh, exactly. I have no idea what would or would not be considered something one should not have on board." He said with a laugh, "But then, where else would you keep it?"

"Well, the bottle I have is very secure in my quarters and that's all I will say on the matter." Aze replied with a smile.

"And I would think that it would be safe and secure in your quarters. I doubt they do periodic searches like at the Academy, well, in my day anyway." He told her. "Nothing was safe in those days."

"That is most certainly true. I remember many of my fellow cadets getting caught. " Aze replied.

"Hard to believe that the tradition lives on in the Academy. I do miss the place on occasion, well, not real often, and mostly just the city." He added.

"Yeah. San Fransisco is amazing. " Aze replied.

"Oh absolutely, fog, rain, cold, but on the sunny days? Beautiful! The sun glistening off of the bay, hard to beat that one." He recalled.

"Yeah, its very different to my home city on the Trill Homeworld." Aze commented.

"Yes I did a paper on Trillus Prime at the Academy, and as I recall it has its own beauty, at least in the holograms I saw of it. I've not had the pleasure of actually setting foot there." He explained.

"Well, Trillus Prime is her official name but the majority call home, Trill. I hope to be making a trip back at some point. My mother would not let me leave the family home before heading off to my posting aboard the Midway, without promising that I would come visit them. As there are so few Trills in Starfleet, I could be considered a bit of a celebrity back home. You see, as far as I know, there are around 20 currently in active service and out of that, only 8 are joined Trills like myself. So, if you would like to come with me on my next trip home, I am sure my family wouldn't mind you staying in our guest suite. The room has one of the best views. It looks south towards the Tamaran mountains. "

"Seriously, why, I would be honoured. A planet I've always wanted to visit without a phaser." John agreed. "You bet. Getting to know beings is something that I like doing, given the chance. So, drinking coffee with a bona fide celebrity, Aze, if I may call you Aze? You can call me anything but late for dinner. This is very cool."

"Of course you can call me Aze. Most people do. Or Vox, either works. Next time I have a chat with my parents over subspace, I will propose the idea of bringing you with me on my next shore leave. Now, in the cities, you might not attract so much attention, being spotless, but out in the country where I am from, not many have seen someone from another world. You might want to consider that." Aze advised.

"I suppose that would make me the alien, now, wouldn't it? And me? I'm up for it. I mean to be able to meet beings on their home world where it's not about some mission that could go sideways at any given moment, that would be splendid! You can count me in on that one." This would not be like setting foot on say the Klingon homeworld of Kronos, or Romulus, or even Vulcan for that matter, This would be something special.

"I am glad you think so. I will see what I can do to arrange it for my next visit home." Aze replied.

"I won't hold you to it, I mean it might not be acceptable with your parents to bring home a human." He offered, "But, then again, they might well be okay with it. Just food for thought. "

"I can't see my parents objecting to be honest with you. My parents are very open minded to the modern world. My grandparents however, I am not so sure about. Let me worry about them." Aze replied.

"That sounds like a winner to me. I'll go with you, doesn't matter if I need to stay in the closest city, a new world to explore trumps not being welcomed. No offence meant. Just I'll deal with whatever is needed." Responded the navigator, "Wouldn't be the first time I was not welcome somewhere."

"That maybe so, but your my colleague and my friend so I will make sure you are welcome. Once it has all been arranged, date wise, I will see if my parents can sort you out the essentials you will need for your stay. Mainly, a good guidebook and a transit pass for the transport networks. The only other thing I would like you to have is something, only I, well only a joined Trill or someone from the Symbiosis Commission can arrange for someone from another world, is a visit to the caves of Mak'ala. The only issue when a visit is arrange by a joined Trill, the guardians will want to see me privately for a brief check up. So, one of them will look after you for that time. "

"Hopefully I'll leave on the books, though I can't recall the last time I was on leave. I mean I do remember being on leave, going to Terra to see my son and his mother, wasn't the best of times, but yeah. I'd bet I have loads of time available. I'll check with those who know when we get closer."

"The idea of it is almost exciting, since I have never been there, and meeting new beings will be extraordinary!"

The two friends continued to discuss the idea of visiting Aze's homeworld and the town where she grew up.

 

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