Old friends

Posted on Tue Sep 18th, 2018 @ 7:54pm by Lieutenant Seregon French & Lieutenant Alex Sexton & Commander Rita Paris

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: USS Hera

"Sir there are several ways this could go, but I will not be responsible for a member of the Admiralty being dismissed from Star Fleet. So I have a deal for you which I think we both will be comfortable with." And he produced the PaDD and handed it to the Admiral.

"This is now your property. What I know of your wife's infidelity stays locked away in my mi d. But if you choose to seek a divorce, I'll be called to testify and sir you know I'd have to tell the truth in open court. I don't think you deserve that." Said Alex

The Admiral hung his head pondering what his next step might be. "You have been like a son to me. And you still have your choice of station after the way you ran the department whilst French was convalescing. To be honest I can't believe you are still here." Said the Admiral

"Sir, when you gave me this investigation, I told you I would follow it through no matter where it lead and I did. I'm sorry I found out what I did. But the follow up has to be up to you. If I were to do what I thought they both deserve, you'd be serving at my court Marshall. The best thing for me now is to get as far from this mess as possible. And let you used your vast resources to deal with this situation in your own special Intel type problem solving routine. I don't want to be a part of that." Said Alex stoically

"I understand son. And in light of that, I've made arrangements for you to follow your friend. You leave in the morning headed for your new assignment on the USS Hera where French is the Chief of Security. I knew you two would not be depressed long, you're book ends." Said the Admiral as he stuck out his hand and clasped it together with Alex Sextons. The two men hugged and even kissed each other on the cheek. There was a very special bond between these two. Every since the met fifteen years earlier on an Intel mission. The respect and admiration just grew and grew.

"I'm going to miss you son." Said the older of the two men
"And I you. And believe me, if I thought I could, I'd rid you of this problem. But I'm afraid too many people saw me looking into this for the to be a viable option." Replied Sexton

"I wouldn't think of putting you in the crosshairs like that. You go and get on with your life. Watch your six and tell that play sister of yours I send my love." Said the Admiral

"Aye aye skipper." And he grabbed his padd and was headed for the door. He only looked back once on the shell of a man he once knew. Now, heart broken and hurt by the one woman in this universe who had the power to do so.

"Oh, before I forget, I put a little something special in your bag for your reunion with Frenchie. Enjoy it!" And he waved him off to ports anew!

As Alex Sexton headed for his quarters, he contemplated many things. One of which was how to help his old friend without implicating himself in the process. After all, accidents did happen! But maybe it would not take as drastic an action as that.

03:00 hrs civilian quarters near Fleet HQ.

A dark shadow of a figure lurked in the darkness, the residual traces of a beam in dissipating in the background. Stealthy and nimble, the figure crept and found its target location. With the ease of a seasoned professional, his disengaged all security lockouts. He conducted an infrared scan for heat signatures and found what he was looking for. Bio signs read normal for a man his age. Even though, he had brought with him some adrenalin and defibrillator just in case.

As he closed the distance between himself and his target. He asked himself if he should reconsider. But he knew it was too last for that. So he proceeded with caution and reached his target. The reason for this mission, the Admirals wife would be at her own quarters with the Admiral acting as if everything was ok. She would never know of this late night visit to her lovers house and nor would the Admiral. If things went as he wanted them to. There was no extra security measures as he did not suspect anyone would be on to him, and he has always acted as if he had nothing to hide.

As our dark figure entered his room, he deployed a net. The net would hold the target in place and reduce the chance of him using a weapon or calling for help. The message was to be delivered from a recoding device. As the net tightened, the target began to stir. The intruder took this opportunity to make his presence know by setting on the mans chest, and shushing him until he had his undivided attention.

The intruder pressed play on the device. The picture of his target and the Admirals wife danced to life in front of him. Then the message played for him. One so ominous that his eyes went wide with terror and tears began to fall from his eyes. The message stopped and the intruder asked one question, in a whisper. "Do you understand what most happen now in order to avoid what you just saw?" Asked the intruder in a low voice.

Shaking in his tightly wrapped bedding he responded. "I will disappear, never to have spoken to her again!" He said terrified

"No, you will not leave. You will tell her it was fun while it lasted but you have found someone else. You will tell her not to call you or you will tell her husband of the affair, and you will get on with your life never to bother her again, because if you do, bad bad very bad things will happen to the people you love and then to you, are we understood? " asked the intruder

"Yes, I understand and I will comply." Said the man

The intruder needed to make sure he understood. So he raised the cover near his feet. Found his toes on his right foot and took out his shearing scissors and without so much as a here it comes, snipped off his baby toe. He then wrapped it with a bandage he had prepared earlier. The man did not yell out, he simply flinched and bit down on his lower lip.

"The next time, it won't be a toe. I'll leave this so you can have it reattached. I'm not heartless. But if these instructions are not followed to the letter. Well you know the rest. And don't think your security system can help you find me. It's all been disabled and left and an unrepairable state. I'll leave you now. You toe will be in the freezer and the net will release you when I am ready. Don't move until then, or I might change my mind." The intruder got off of him and headed into his kitchen. His gloved hand opened the freezer and deposited the toe. He left the quarters and was immediately sight to site transferred and the transporter log scrubbed. Mission accomplished.

A week later:
The shuttle approach the USS Hera.

+(comm) USS Hera, this is the shuttle Roga 1 requested docking instructions, over."

"This is the USS Hera. Shuttle Roga1 you're two hours late and we're t-minus 23 from launch. Transmit your clearance codes and you'd better have a good excuse for this," came the voice on the other end.

"The one damn time I'm in traffic control," Paris muttered as she strode toward the flight deck at that efficient martial pace. "Pad eleven, Mr. Magurk."

+comm+ "coordinates have been transmitted. And we are lined up to proceed to docking bay of your choosing." Replied Roga1

"Shuttle Roga1, you are cleared to land at pad eleven." came over the radio.

The landing was a success, and waiting for him as the shuttle touched down was an old-school officer, an anachronism on the flight deck that was a hundred years or so behind the time. Like the spirit of Starfleet past in a minidress.

Alex secures the shuttle and tags his belonging to be beamed to his quarters later. As the shuttle bay doors open, Alex is not sure he is in the right time zone. "Cmdr? Lt Alex Sexton reporting. My apologies for being late, it was a very long trip." And he handed her a PaDD with his orders.

He looked her up and down quizzically as she was dressed in what could only be called a throw back uniform. "Is today throw back Friday or something?" He asked jokingly!

"I asked for a reason, Mr. Sexton, not an apology," Paris snapped as she took the orders and began marching off the flight deck at a military pace, reading as she moved, apparently assuming he was in her wake. "I'm supposed to be finishing a half dozen preflight checklist items and instead, because you apparently cannot tell time, I am having a conversation with you on my flight deck and explaining to you." The buxom blonde stopped in her tracks, turned and asked a simple question. "Mister Sexton, do you know the appropriate onboarding request once greeted by an officer on deck? You are a Starfleet officer, correct? Attended the Academy? Have perhaps come aboard a starship once or twice?"

Alex watched in amazement as his new xo ripped him up one side and down the other. Alex just smiled. “Permission to come aboard Commander?” He said with a chuckle.

"Will wonders never cease, he knows the words. Permission granted," the unusually uniformed executive stepped into his personal space, looming over him slightly, eyes narrowed. "I'm so very glad glad this amuses you so, Mister Sexton. I'm still waiting to hear the reason you are two hours late and showing up at t-minutes twenty minutes to launch." Glancing past him, she called out to the flight crew. "I know it needs maintenance, but the deck has to be cleared before launch. So just drop it into a bay for now."

Refocusing her attention on Alex, the irritated officer made eye contact just long enough for to indicate she hadn't forgotten about him, then the buxom blonde in the old-school uniform spun on her heel to resume marching off the flight deck again. "Still waiting to hear that reason, Mister Sexton..."

Alex tried to wipe the smirk from his face. "Ahh yes, about two days ago, I encountered an anomaly that completely shut down my sensors. Naturally I had to stop and fix the problem, before I could continue my journey. But as luck would have it, yours truly made it shuttle and all in one piece." Offered Sexton as his explanation for being late.

"One would think that in forty-eight hours one might have found the time to send a report," Paris muttered. "As luck would have it. I'll expect to see that report on my desk soon, Mister Sexton. In Starfleet we deal in procedures and results, not just wild stories."

The likely wild story of why the cranky commander was wearing a uniform a hundred years or so out of date was apparently not a topic for discussion at just this moment.

Departing the flight deck and moving into the Hera proper, Paris flipped the PaDD in her hand around to the newly-arrived security personnel. "Here's your welcome aboard package, including your quarters assignment, maps of the Hera, limited computer access and some appointments to keep. You need to check into the command in order to have full access, so that means a meeting with the first officer, a meeting with the captain, a physical and a session with the ship's counselor. Once everyone signs off, you'll be checked into the command, and be granted full access for active duty."

"Aye aye Commander. I will do my level best. That report will be on your desk in the morning. You guys are very efficient here on the Hera. Impressive. So as the ships first officer do you want to see me now or after the doc and the shrink?" Asked Sexton.

That got him a glance over the shoulder, followed by a frosty reply. “I see why you and French are partners. Yes, Mister Sexton. In your case I think you should most definitely come see me after you have cleared all the rest of those appointments. You and I can have a very long discussion about military etiquette, procedure and discipline.”

Alex had heard enough..."Hold on a minute Commander and no disrespect intended. There was never at any point in this discussion where I did not follow etiquette or procedure. You're moving so fast, it would be hard for most people to keep up with you. Now before we get off on the wrong foot, I've been in the position that you are holding today, and I have to say in my defense did a good job of it. I personally see you as an amazing example of a representative for this ship, but for you to say after five minutes of meeting me that I have a discipline problem, I'm sorry I can not let that stand. So you and I should talk this out, right here and now if you please." and he stood at ease facing her in her out of date uniform an attitude to match.

Those bright blue eyes scanned up and down the officer who had now moved to block her path, who was illustrating her point for her. “Showing up late without filing a report with two days time to do so certainly counts as a breach of military etiquette in my book. I was unaware that you’ve served as first officer of a starship, as few your rank have and it appears that your military record didn’t arrive with the rest of your paperwork, which a Security officer might see as suspicious. But were that the case, that just means you should be well aware of how much additional work you are creating for more people than just myself. Additional work that could have been easily avoided, had you decided to follow protocol.”

Leaning in a bit now, Paris narrowed her eyes. “Now you are making a demand for me to spend part of the eighteen minutes I have left before we launch in which I am supposed to be tending to a myriad number of duties, by demanding that I settle your issue with my perception of your actions and attitude right now? Oh yes, Mister Sexton, I believe we are off on exactly the right foot.”

“So now you can take your pick. You can fall in and we can finish this little chat of ours as we get you to your quarters and situated, letting me get on with helping the 748 people actually doing their jobs to launch this starship right now. Or you can be hauled off to the brig to have your interview with the Captain with a forcefield between you, and you can explain all of this to her instead of me. Take your pick and make your choice, Mister Sexton, because I’m inclined to have you beamed to the brig at this point just for expediency’s sake.”

Alex realized that he was not going to win this one and let it go. "I’ll take door number one. My quarters if you please. The brig never much appealed to me." said Alex also not budging.

“Excellent choice, Mister Sexton. Now if you can see your way to move aside, we can continue.” Little boys playing macho games interested Paris not in the slightest. She’d come from an era of chauvinism and glass ceilings, and had still risen through the ranks on her own merit even then. A modern security officer who deciding to exercise a little power play was laughable to her, and she wondered if he knew just precisely how large a mistake he was making. I hope French isn’t too attached to this one, because if he’s on my nerve this fast, I’m the GOOD cop….

Patiently she waited for the lieutenant to step aside. Because she’d be damned if she was going around him, and she debated that call for a beam out for him as she neither broke eye contact nor did she flinch in the least.

This was obviously her yard. But in time he would show her that he would be a better friend than a foe. But to hell with it, he was about to find his best friend in the universe. This was just a small hiccup on the road to success. There was no way she could know who he was, really. Those records were closed forever at fleet HQ. He just hated starting over as a Lt. when he had been so much more. But that life was well behind him now. As he stepped aside to walk behind his new XO, he considered asking her if they could start again, but she had formed an opinion of him and having been in command himself, he knew showing was better than telling, so he would show her what kind of officer he was. In due time! Best now to be lead...

Stepping to the turbolift, the anachronistic astronaut punched the up button as she eyed the other PaDD she had held onto, clearly trying to keep up with the work she was putting off to work his onboarding. When she spoke, she didn’t look up from her work. “So what’s your passion, Mister Sexton?”

A bit surprised, Alex answered her before the temperature in the turbo lift turned again. "I love many things commander. Music Art, the smell of a Sunday roast. But my passion is the Art of War. I've read most books on the subject and I'm reading T'sun Zu again. Not that you could tell from our first meeting, but I consider myself a Modern Day Samurai of sorts." he said almost regretting it. He asked her a question. "And your passion if you don't mind me asking. Other than this amazing ship of course."

As the turbolift arrived, Paris stepped in, turned and her eyes flickered up from her PaDD to insure that Sexton was aboard. She then refocused on her work as she called out, “Deck two, please. I study Vulcan philosophy and physiognomy, I enjoy cross-country running and investigating how quantum entanglements lend themselves to chronodimensional displacement.”

Spoken with a straight face, she strode out onto Deck two, parking the PaDD on her hip once more. “I chose your quarters on Deck Two because a number of the junior officers are quartered here who might need access to the bridge in a hurry. So best to learn your access ladder and Jeffries tube locations. I’ve assigned your quarters directly opposite the turbolift so that you will have easy access in times of rapid deployment. Do you have any questions, Lieutenant Sexton?” The buxom blonde of another age cocked her head slightly and raised an eyebrow, in what some might consider to be a vague approximation of a Vulcan expression. Because there was no smile on her face, only a passive neutral expression.

"You are a very interesting person Cmdr. Paris and I appreciate your efforts to welcome me in your customary way. Nothing I said or did was designed to draw a wedge between us, I hope you understand that. But like they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so I'm going to do everything I can to prove you wrong about me. Thank you for getting me this far, and I have no questions." replied Alex.

The curvaceous commander made eye contact with the security officer, and offered a perfunctory smile. “We will have that secondary conversation once you’ve completed your onboarding, and we’ll have more time to ‘get a feel’ for one another. I’ve noticed, from time to time, that my easygoing demeanor is mistaken for something else. But we’ll talk about that later. Meanwhile, the Hera launches in fifteen minutes, and I still have a dozen places to be, so if you’ve no further questions?”

The miniskirted anachronism spun on her heel to step over and press the turbolift button. “Welcome to the Hera, Mr. Sexton. Fasten your seatbelt- it’s liable to be a bumpy ride…”

“Now that I can handle. Have a good day Cmdr. I’ll get myself to my duty station right away. No sense letting them take off lite handed and I promise to get medical and my visit with the Captain sorted as quickly as possible, or I could be on limited access forever, and we don't want that." He said being serious this time. As he turned to enter his quarters and have his things beamed over.

And the two of them went on about their business!