Note: Paramount, the at-times-stingy-about-their-money-making-child-Star-Trek owns Star Trek, that oh-so-cool series of shows, and Alan Decker created and owns Star Traks, that very-funny-very-cool online series of stories. Next Frontier, the irreverent-bastard-offshoot-of-Alan’s-brainchild, is mine. Hope that clears things up.
Star
Traks: Next Frontier
“A
Roll in the Hay”
By
Cory Parker
As he awoke, Captain Bobby Halloway
rubbed his forehead and yawned. His
eyes slowly opened, revealing a brand new day aboard the USS Haymaker, a day
filled with promise, a day filled with excitement, a day… “What the hell
happened last night?” muttered Bobby as he surveyed his room. There were clothes strewn everywhere,
things were knocked over, and Bobby seemed to be wearing not much of
anything. As Halloway jumped out of
bed and searched for all the parts of his uniform, he tried to remember what
had happened the night before. Oddly
enough, it was a big blank. “That’s
the last time I drink that much bloodwine in one sitting,” he said to himself
as he searched for his boxers. Finding
the underwear, which had the words ‘Captain’s Privileges’ inscribed all over
them, he put them on and stumbled into the bathroom, stepping on a few red and
black plastic discs on the way there.
As Bobby splashed some water on his face to wake up, he noticed that the
sonic shower had been activated.
“Is that you Bobby?” came a feminine
voice from inside the sonic shower.
Halloway clinched his teeth as he thought of what to say.
“Yep, it’s me.” The shower stopped, and the door slid open
partway. Halloway leaned his head to
the side, trying to catch a glimpse of who the voice belonged to, and he also
wouldn’t mind seeing the voice naked, either.
“Hand me a towel,” asked the
woman. Halloway nodded and turned to
grab one. Hanging on the rack beside
it was the blue uniform of an ensign.
Without a word, he turned back around and gave the towel to the
outstretched hand coming out of the shower.
“Thanks. Now, don’t peek.” Halloway sighed lightly and turned around,
facing the other direction. Scenarios
raced through his mind, each more varied than the last. He still couldn’t remember what had
happened last night. There was a party
on the holodeck, he was sure of that, but who for, that eluded him. And the voice of the female ensign…”You
were incredible last night,” purred the woman into Halloway’s ear as she passed
by him, heading towards the bed.
“I was?” he asked quizzically.
“Oh, you were amazing. All night long, too.” The ensign’s blonde hair, slight Southern
accent, and gorgeous tan all pointed Bobby’s mind to one person.
“Ensign Spears?”
“Hmm?” Halloway silently sighed in relief. Damn, he was good.
“I was just wondering if you had
seen my commbadge.”
“Under the table,” she responded,
pointing in the direction while she dried her hair. Halloway nodded and bend down to retrieve it. “So, is what you said last night true?”
“Um…about what?”
“You know, that thing we talked
about last night at Cindy’s birthday party.”
Halloway thought quickly as he threw on his uniform.
“Oh, that thing. Yeah, it’s true.”
“Really?” asked the ensign with a
quizzical glance. “I wouldn’t have
guessed that.” Halloway smiled
slightly and racked his brain to try and discover what the hell she was talking
about.
“Well, you know, all in a day’s
work. Speaking of which, I think
you’re late for duty. I know I
am.” Spears glanced at Bobby’s clock
and cursed under her breath. Heading
for the door, Spears paused briefly by her captain and kissed him on the
cheek.
“Call me,” she said as she departed
the quarters. Bobby grinned widely for
a moment, then regained his composure and hurried off to the bridge.
“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” smiled
LaCroix as Halloway stepped onto the bridge.
“Late night?”
“You could say that, Commander,” he
answered quickly as he took his chair.
“How is everything today?”
“Oh, no you’re not,” said LaCroix
with a grin. “You’re not getting away
that easily.” She stared into his eyes
while she leaned on the armrest of her chair.
“Oh, yes I am. Status report first, then gossip.” Rachel sighed heavily and threw herself
back in her chair in frustration.
“Astrometrics reports that they
should be done in about 6 hours with their scan of the red giant out there,”
reported Halvox. “And speaking of red
giants, I’m surprised that you didn’t get a headache the size of one,
considering all that went on last night at Lt. Davidson’s birthday party.”
“It’s that Irish constitution,
Kerry,” smiled Halloway.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered under
her breath. Halloway pretended not to
hear and glanced at Gabriel.
“What’s happening, Gabriel?”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine here.
No ships on sensors, no threats to security. Well, except for…you know.”
“I know what?” Bobby was really wishing that he could
remember what happened the night before.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“You forgot that I had to take Crewman
Jacobs away after he attacked you for that passing remark you made about his
mother?”
“Oh, THAT! I thought that you were talking about something else. Of course I remember! Where is he now?”
“In the Brig, cooling his
heels. Shall I write him up for
assaulting a superior officer?”
“No, that’s okay. He just had a little too much to drink,
that’s all. He probably doesn’t even
remember it.” Halloway finished with a
nervous chuckle. Gabriel stared at him
for a minute, then nodded.
“Okay by me. You’re the captain, Captain.”
“Thanks. Anybody else?
Nope? Well, I think I’ll take a
walk. Commander, you have the bridge.”
“Oh gee, thanks.”
“Captain’s Personal Log,
Supplemental. I’ve been reviewing the
security scans of last night’s party for three hours now, and I’ve yet to learn
anymore information. Well, I did learn
about Bannon’s crush on that girl in Astrometrics, and Halvox’s ability to down
three bottles of bloodwine and not start hitting on anyone, unlike Commander
LaCroix, who gets one or two drinks into her, and the next minutes she’s
crawling all over some lieutenant like a…Uh, never mind. I’ll keep looking. End log.”
Halloway sighed loudly as he turned back to the monitor, where the
playback was paused and centered on Crewman Jacobs preparing to lunge at
Bobby. Just as he was about to resume
playback, the door to his quarter’s chimed.
“Come in,” called Halloway as he quickly shut off the monitor and
swiveled around in his chair to face the door.
“How was your walk, Captain?”
inquired Gabriel as he entered Bobby’s quarters.
“Fine, just fine. Something I can help you with?” asked
Halloway as he headed for the replicator.
“Bolian blue tea, hot.”
“Yes, actually. I was on the bridge just a moment ago…”
“No s**t.” Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry.”
“…and I noticed that someone was
accessing security scans from last night,” continued Gabriel as though Halloway
didn’t speak. “They were being
accessed here.”
“Here?”
“Actually, there,” said Gabriel as
he pointed to Halloway’s desktop monitor.
“May I inquire what you were looking for?”
“No.”
“Allrighty then, I guess I’ll be
going.” With that, Gabriel turned
around and prepared to exit Halloway’s quarters.
“Wait, wait, wait. I’ll tell you what I’m looking for, but
only if you keep it quiet.” Another
raised eyebrow. “Never mind, dumb
request.”
“Are you looking for intruders?”
“Uh, no.”
“Spatial anomalies?”
“Nope.”
“Signs of trouble?”
“Not exactly.” Gabriel sighed lightly in disappointment.
“What are you looking for?”
“Commander, I can’t remember what
went on last night. And stop doing
that with your eyebrow, you’re beginning to look like a damned Vulcan!”
“Sorry. Force of habit. So,
when does your memory go blank?”
“I can remember the first hour of
the party, but everything after that is a blank.” Halloway walked up to the monitor and flicked it on. Gabriel chuckled softly as he looked at the
frozen view of Crewman Jacobs about to go into a drunken rage at Halloway.
“I see that you’re up to the good
part.” He touched the screen with one
claw, and the picture sprang to life.
The people in the holodeck parted like the Red Sea as Jacobs dashed for
the captain. Just as the crewman was
about to deal a unexpected attack, at the last possible moment Halloway smacked
Jacobs across the face with a left cross, leveling him to the ground, and all
without spilling his drink. The
captain then calmly went back to fraternizing with two lovely female ensigns,
one of which happened to be Ensign Emily Spears.
“I must have been pasted already.”
“But you brought Jacobs to the floor
with one shot.”
“I know. I fight better when I’m drunk.” The security chief shrugged.
“Good to know.” Gabriel then hit the fast-forward button on
the monitor and skipped ahead an hour.
“Here’s another part of the evening that you should watch.” Halloway rubbed his forehead and watched as
he, Bannon, and Monty commenced in singing a wonderfully drunken rendition of a
Klingon opera tune entitled ‘The Sound of Killing’. “Definitely a highlight of my evening.”
“Oh, ha ha. When did I leave with Ensign Spears?”
“Ensign Aguilera. You left with her, not Spears.”
“I did? Then how did Spears end up in my quarters?”
“Ensign Spears ended up in your
quarters?” Halloway mentally slapped
himself and groaned.
“Yeah, she did.” Gabriel thought for a moment, then looked
at Halloway.
“Well, I can’t help you on THAT
one. But I bet I know someone who
can.”
“Now remember, the next time you get
to drinking, don’t go around punching bulkheads!” yelled Dr. Clinton as Lt.
Vanan walked out of Sickbay. “Crazy
Rigellian…” he murmured as he examined his next patient, an Alpha Centari woman
named Jessica Palso. “Let me guess, Lt.
Davidson’s party?” Palso nodded. “Headache the size of that red giant we’re
orbiting?” Another nod. Clinton sighed and pressed a hypospray next
to Palso’s neck, administering the medicine with a ‘hiss’. “You’re free to go. Just keep away from the hard stuff next
time.” As Palso was leaving, she gave a
nod to Halloway and Gabriel as they stepped into Sickbay and headed for a
grumbling Clinton.
“Doctor?” Scott looked up and threw up his arms.
“You too!?! Do you have any idea how many cases I’ve
treated today? More than I have ever
since we’ve been in this godforsaken sector!”
Halloway and Gabriel looked at each other.
“He’s no handling the stress well,”
commented Gabriel.
“Oh, most definitely not,” added
Halloway. Clinton mumbled something
about ‘appreciation’ and scowled.
“Can I help you with something, Captain?”
“You’re just pissed cause you
weren’t invited.” Clinton crossed his
arms and looked away.
“No I’m not,” he said in the manner
of a six-year-old.
“UHHHH-huh. Anyway, I need your help, Doctor. And you can put the tricorder down, I just
need some information.”
“Listen, after what happened last
night, I’m not in the mood to give out information to you right now.”
“But I’m the captain!” protested
Halloway.
“Doctors outrank captains.”
“In medical situations only!” Clinton looked confused.
“Oh. Well, what do you need to know?”
“Wait just a minute, I want to know
why you’re mad at me!”
“You don’t remember?” asked Clinton,
producing his tricorder, which Halloway promptly batted away.
“Just for the sake of argument,
explain why.”
“Well, I was here reading over a lab
study on Ferengi ear infections when you and Ensign Aguilera burst in here,
sucking more face than a Orion leech, and then you two proceed to hop onto a
biobed and begin to take off each other’s clothes. Naturally, I stormed out of my office, we got into a shouting
match, and you eventually left, but not before calling my mother a ‘vicious,
degenerate woman who has taken quite a few rides around the galaxy,’ if I
recall correctly.” Halloway gave a
nervous smile and kicked the floor with his left foot.
“Sorry about that, I was…”
“Inebriated, yes, I could tell.”
“I would consider it a personal
favor if you keep that fact to yourself.” Clinton laughed harshly and looked at Gabriel.
“You know about this too?”
“Unfortunately.”
“So, just the three of us, then,”
said Halloway as he put each of his arms on the other two’s shoulders. Gabriel and Clinton glanced at each other
in mutual consolation. “So, doc, what
happened after I left?”
“You’d have to ask Aguilera, she
went with you.”
“She works in Astrometrics, I
believe,” stated Gabriel after a moment’s thought.
“That’s funny because so does Ensign
Spea…Uh oh,” finished Halloway as he came to a frightening realization about
the same time Gabriel did.
“What does Ensign Spears have to do
with any of this?” asked Clinton.
“She was in the captain’s quarters
when he woke up this morning,” answered Gabriel.
“He didn’t need to know that!”
yelled Halloway.
“I figured he needs to be informed,”
replied Gabriel with a shrug.
“Captain, do you remember what we
talked about when Cimorene was on board?”
“Yeah.”
“About the little hypo right before
intimate contact?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you take my advice with Ensign
Spears?”
“I don’t know,” grimaced
Halloway. Clinton pinched the bridge
of his nose and sighed.
“I don’t know why I even bother…” he
muttered with a shake of the head.
“So, how the hell am I going to talk
with Aguilera without Emily seeing me?” asked Halloway, changing the
subject.
“I can call her here for some
reason,” suggested Clinton.
“Do it.”
The Astrometrics department on board
the USS Haymaker was abuzz with excitement over the red giant they were studying. Well, let me take that back. Most of the department was abuzz with
excitement. The youngest two members
of the department, Ensigns Spears and Aguilera, were not really buzzing with
excitement. They were more like
whirring with boredom. Wait, that
doesn’t make much…Oh, never mind. The
point is, they spent a lot of their time in Astrometrics working side by side
so that they could talk and alleviate at least part of the boredom of their
ill-chosen career field. “So, did you
get a response back from LaCroix about that transfer to Engineering?” asked
Spears as she initiated another scan of the red giant.
“Not yet, but you know how she is,”
responded Aguilera as she catalogued the scan previous to the current one. “How’s your work-study program on the
bridge with Ensign Bannon going?”
Spears laughed and shook her head.
“We’re talking about Bannon
here. Half the time he can’t even
remember my name. But he sure can
remember yours.” Aguilera grimaced and stuck out her tongue.
“Don’t remind me.”
“He’s a really nice guy,
Katrina. A little absent-minded, sure,
but he’s sweet. In a goofy sort of
way.”
“If you like him so much why don’t you go out with him?” The two erupted into laughter.
“Actually, I’m seeing someone,” said
Spears after she regained her composure.
“Oh, really? Some guy you hooked up with at the party?”
“You could say that.” Aguilera grinned and ran a diagnostic on
one of the lateral sensors.
“Me too.” Spears’ eyes lit up and she dashed across the lab to Aguilera,
who was still smiling like a Cheshire cat.
“Who!?! Who was it?”
“Guess.”
“AGGGHHH! Don’t do this to me, Katrina!
Brian from Sickbay?”
“Me, go out with a male nurse? Please!”
“Lt. Abbott down in Engineering?”
“Tempting, but no. Besides, I heard something about him and
LaCroix.” Spears made a face at the
sound of the commander’s name.
“Ugh! Bad move, Bud!” A smile
sprung on Emily’s face. “Was it
Bannon?” Now it was Katrina’s turn to
make a face.
“Yeah, right. Actually, it was…”
“Clinton to Ensign Aguilera.” The ensigns sighed as Katrina hit her
commbadge.
“Aguilera here.”
“Could you come down to Sickbay for
a moment? I, uh, have something I’d
like to go over with you.”
“Be right there, Aguilera out.” Katrina shrugged to Emily as she headed for
the door. “Gotta run, Emily.”
“I expect a full report when you get
back!”
“Oh, you’ll get one, don’t worry.”
“Be right there, Aguilera out,” came
the ensign’s voice over the comm as she broke communication. Halloway uttered a sigh of relief while
Gabriel looked quizzically at Clinton.
“Well, what did you want me to say?”
asked the doctor as he threw his hands up in frustration.
“I don’t know. Something with a little more subtlety,
perhaps.”
“I’d like to see you do better.”
“I am the chief of security, you
know. Subtlety is part of the job
description.” Clinton eyed over
Gabriel’s imposing red frame.
“Riiiiiiiiiight.”
“Look, you two,” interjected
Halloway, “she’s going to be here any minute, and I need to figure out what to
say to her.”
“You’re on your own there, Captain,”
responded Clinton, turning to his desktop monitor. Suddenly, the sickbay doors hissed open.
“Ensign Aguilera!” greeted Halloway
as he spun around to face the newcomer to Sickbay. Problem was, the woman standing before the three men was not
Aguilera.
“Expecting someone else, Captain?”
inquired Halvox with a glare.
“Uh, nope, Lieutenant. Can I help you?”
“We were just wondering where you had run off to. I’m no expert or anything, but I believe the captain’s place is on the bridge, not in Sickbay.”
“Unless he’s sick,” added
Clinton. Halloway turned his head to
give the doctor a look.
“Thank you, Doctor,” he said with a
certain degree of sarcasm. Not totally
dense, Clinton looked hurt.
“No problem.” Just then, Ensign Aguilera walked into
Sickbay.
“I hope I’m not interrupting
anything,” she said. “Doctor Clinton
called me down here about something.”
All eyes went to Clinton, who thought fast and stood up.
“Um, it’s…time for your physical,
Ensign,” he said, grabbing a tricorder and waving it around her.
“But I just had a physical last
week.”
“Uh, the…computer lost your
file. Have to start from scratch. Sorry.”
“Oh, I’m sure Monty can fix it,”
chimed in Halvox. “Computer, activate
EEH at this location.”
“No!” yelled Halloway and Clinton,
but it was too late. Gabriel merely
shrugged.
“Hello! You rang?” asked the hologram.
“Clinton lost Aguilera’s med file,”
explained Halvox.
“No, I didn’t!” denied the
doctor. Aguilera looked puzzled and
looked at Clinton.
“But you just said you did!”
“I…uh…um…” stammered Scott.
“Let’s have a talk, Ensign,” said Halloway as he
quickly grabbed Aguilera’s arm and walked her into the corridor. After they had left, both Monty and Halvox
stared at Gabriel and Clinton.
“Would somebody like to explain what
the hell is going on around here???” yelled Halvox.
“Ditto,” quipped Monty.
“Quiet, you.” The hologram threw up his hands in front of
him and backed away.
“Alright.” Halvox then glared at Clinton, who began to back up into his
office.
“Knock that off!” he yelled in
protest, but the pressure of her glare finally got the best of Clinton. “THE CAPTAIN GOT DRUNK LAST NIGHT AND HE
CAN’T REMEMBER A THING!” he shouted, eyes closed tightly and hands up
defensively. Halvox smiled and backed
off.
“You have to teach me that
sometime,” said Gabriel.
“Gladly.” It was here when Halloway reentered the room, sans
Aguilera. “Did it go well, you
boozer?”
“As well as can be…How do you know what happened?” Halvox pointed to the doctor. “Oh. Yeah, it went well. All I got out of her was that at some point in the evening, we departed from each other. She went to her quarters, and I headed for the mess hall.”
“Did you get some action?” asked
Clinton. A grin crept over Halloway’s
face as he crossed his arms and looked away.
“Twice…I think.” Gabriel rolled his eyes while Monty patted
the captain on the back.
“Good job, Cap! Sounds like you had a really good time last
night!”
“Too bad I can’t remember it,” he
sighed.
“Wait a minute! See if this recalls a memory!” The hologram opened his mouth wide, spread out his arms, and began belting out a song. “The hills are alive, with the sound of killing! With warriors they have seen slain for a thousand years, the hills fill my heart with the sound of killing!”
“Thank you Monty, that’ll be QUITE
enough!” uttered Halloway just as Halvox was about to punch the chief
engineer. “There is only one other
thing I have to figure out. Just what
exactly went on between Ensign Spears and myself. And I have to do it quick, before Katrina has a chance to talk
with Emily about last night.”
“Want me to call her here?” asked
Clinton. Gabriel sighed and shook his
head.
“Let’s try something else, shall
we?” muttered the security chief.
“Listen, I’ll distract Aguilera
while Captain Numbskull here talks with Spears,” suggested Halvox.
“Since when did you become part of this
group?” asked Bobby.
“You want me to tell Commander
LaCroix about this?” A resounding
‘NO!’ echoed through Sickbay. Kerry
smiled and placed her hands on her hips.
“Looks like I’m in, then.”
“So, what did the doctor want with
you, Katrina?” inquired Emily Spears as she heard the doors to the Astrometrics
lab hiss open behind her.
“I’m not quite sure what the good
doctor wanted with her, Emily,” answered Halloway with a small smile. ‘Here’s where it gets tricky,’ he
thought. ‘Give me Fallow and his
minions anyday…’
“Bobby! Er, I mean Captain.
What brings you down here?” Halloway strode up to the ensign and leaned
up against the console she was working with.
On the bridge, Ensign Blake Bannon
was awoken from his nap as his screen sprung to life, revealing a transmission
from the astrometics department. He
leaned forward in curiosity and watched as Captain Halloway was engaging in conversation with Ensign
Spears. “So, about last night…”
started the captain, still leaning with both hands on the console.
“You were incredible, Captain,”
purred Spears with a grin. “Absolutely
incredible.” Halloway blushed slightly
and turned away.
“Thanks, Ensign.” Leaning back for a moment, Bannon raised an
eyebrow. He had noticed that it was
becoming quite fashionable with the crew lately, especially Lt. Comm.
Gabriel. Thinking about this
immediately distracted him from the live transmission playing out on the
monitor, causing Bannon to look for an unused monitor to begin practicing his
eyebrow raises.
“So,” continued Halloway down in
Astrometrics. “How good was I, if you
don’t mind me asking?”
“The best I’ve ever met. When you made that one jump, I almost
died.” Now it was time for Halloway’s
eyebrows to rise.
“Excuse me!?!”
“That jump, you know, the one where
you got four of my pieces at the same time.
That was incredible.”
Completely confused at this point, Halloway stepped forward.
“Ensign, what are you talking
about???”
“Ensign, what the hell are you doing?”
yelled LaCroix as she watched Bannon standing behind the Ops station,
alternating his eyebrow raises from one side to the other. He turned around and stared at the
commander.
“What am I doing?”
“Yes!” Bannon blinked and looked around for a moment.
“What was I doing? Ah!
I was reviewing scans of that red giant. They’re over on the monitor at my station.” LaCroix looked over to the science station.
“That’s not a red giant,
Ensign.” Bannon walked back to his
seat and sat down.
“Of course not, that’s the captain
and Ensign Spears talking in Astrometrics.
How did you confuse that with a red giant?” he asked with an eyebrow
raised. LaCroix groaned and walked
over to Bannon.
“I’m talking about last night. In your quarters. The two of us,” said Spears on the monitor. LaCroix’s ears suddenly perked up.
“Well, this got interesting awfully
fast,” she said to no one in particular.
Bannon wasn’t paying attention; he was once again was absorbed in his
eyebrow raising practice. “And stop
doing that!”
“I’m aware of that, Ensign, it’s
just I’m a bit confused what you are talking about. Where exactly did I jump you four times?” Before Spears could answer, Ensign Aguilera
entered Astrometrics, followed by Gabriel and Halvox. Halloway rubbed his forehead and groaned. “Oh, boy…”
“Captain! What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“We were just talking about last
night,” replied Spears. Aguilera
placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, really?”
“Look, now she’s doing it!” shouted
Lt. Benn, pointing at the monitor as she passed the tub of popcorn over to
LaCroix.
“Shouldn’t you be piloting the ship,
Lieutenant?” asked the commander through a mouthful of popcorn.
“Monty fixed the autopilot
yesterday.” LaCroix shrugged.
“Good to know.”
“I wondered why you wanted to talk
with me earlier outside Sickbay. Now I
finally know what’s going on!”
“She must be the only one,” scoffed
Halvox. Gabriel let a small grin
escape his lips.
“It’s not what you think,
Katrina! At least, I don’t think so,”
responded Halloway as the ensign advanced upon him, eyes blazing with the fury
of a woman scorned. Aguilera hauled
her arm back and slapped Halloway hard.
The bridge crew, who was now all
watching the drama unfold, winced simultaneously. “Pass the popcorn, Blake,” asked Lt. Jane Smith.
“Huh? Pass the what?” he asked, turning and accidentally placing his hand on the console, shutting off the
transmission. The remainder of the
bridge crew screamed in protest.
Bannon looked back at the screen.
“Oops.”
“What was THAT for!?!” yelled
Halloway as he grabbed the side of his face in pain.
“After what we had, you go and do
this with HER! And I thought you were
someone special…” she cried as she dashed out of Astrometrics, eyes filled with
tears as she pushed past Gabriel and Halvox.
Halloway sighed and turned to receive a slap from Spears on the other
cheek.
“I don’t know what you told her,
mister, but I’m never playing checkers with you again!” she yelled, storming
out of the lab. This time, Gabriel and
Halvox stepped out of her way.
After a thorough verbal pummeling by
the bridge staff, Bannon reactivated the screen to see Ensign Spears departing
from Astrometrics, leaving Halvox, Gabriel, and Halloway behind. “Ah, dammit! We missed the best part!” yelled Benn, tossing the tub of
popcorn to the ground in a huff and heading back to the conn. Person by person, the bridge crew returned
to their stations, with LaCroix slapping Bannon in the back of the head before
departing. Blake raised an eyebrow
weakly and returned the monitor to a view of the red giant.
Halloway shook his head slowly as he
rubbed the other side of his face.
“This has not been a good day…” he mumbled as Gabriel and Halvox
approached.
“So, you played checkers with Ensign
Spears in your quarters?” asked Gabriel after a moment of silence.
“Apparently all night long,” stated
Halvox.
“He must be one hell of a checkers
player.”
“He seems to have a whole slew of
abilities when he gets pasted, not the least of which is getting two women more
pissed off at him than I usually am.”
“Very funny,” muttered Halloway with
a frown as he headed out of Astrometrics.
“I certainly think…”
“Kerry, if you want to keep your
job, I suggest stowing that sentence.”
“Sentence stowed, Captain.”
As Halloway slid slowly into the
captain’s chair, LaCroix leaned towards him and batted her eyes with a
smile. “Enjoy the walk, Captain?”
“Oh, you have no idea,” responded
Halloway as he ran his fingers through his hair. Benn turned and shot a smile to LaCroix, whose own grin was
widening by the minute. “Lt. Benn,
when are we leaving?”
“In about a half-hour or so. I’m waiting for Bannon to okay the report
from Astrometrics.” Halloway turned to
see Bannon sitting in his chair, eyebrow raised for no particular reason. “Make that an hour,” corrected Benn,
turning back to her duties. Halloway
sighed loudly and drummed his fingers on his armrest. LaCroix chuckled and leaned back in her chair.
“Just look at it this way,
Captain. Next Saturday is Crewman
Jacobs’ birthday.”
THE END