Walking Spanish down the promenade
Posted on Wed Jul 31st, 2024 @ 2:32pm by Commander Rovak & Ambassador Oriath Velt & Lieutenant Commander Alex Flynn & Lieutenant Onda Duros & Ensign Ubia & Crewman Slar & Freddie
1,433 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Startup Sequence [0]
Location: Transporter Room 7
Timeline: 1700 Hours - MD14
The Luna-class starship T’Pol had arrived a week behind schedule. Rovak was halfway to the docking terminal when he got the word that Kovar and Velt would be beaming aboard. It took nearly five minutes to get there even with the turbolift network all to himself.
As he arrived, the party beamed in. Captain Kovar, flanked by Ambassador Velt and Commander Flynn. Behind them stood an enormous Gorn, Crewman Slar, Flynn’s yeoman.
“Commander, we are here to serve.” Kovar stated.
“Your service honours us.” Rovak responded in the traditional Vulcan way. "With all due respect Captain, we had expected you a week ago."
"I am aware, Commander. The Ambassador managed to discover several distractions along the way. Excuse me, I must speak with Admiral Singh." Kovar lost all interest in the rest of them immediately and made his way to the Admiral's location.
Rovak found Kovar disagreeable not least of all because people sometimes got them mistaken, but particularly because he was a joyless martinet who behaved like anything more pleasant than slight discomfort was decadent and excessive.
“Rovak, you old space-dog.” Velt approached him quickly, wrapping him in a hug that he simply went limp in response to. The Ambassador smelled strongly of synthahol. Peach ovkod, or at least an approximation of it.
“It is agreeable to see you again, Ambassador, Captain, Commander.” He looked at Alex, who seemed to be swaying.
“Hello Rovak. I’m also going to hug you.” She was slurring her words a little, but Alex was true to them and embraced the Vulcan much more gently than the Ambassador had. He reciprocated ever so slightly with a light touch to her rear mid-back. He knew it was something he needed to practice.
“I see you have both been of good cheer. I should remind you that you are in uniform. Even if you are no longer a member of Starfleet, Ambassador.” Rovak said gently.
“Don’t worry, I’m going straight to bed. We’re on Vulcan time.” Alex said with a yawn, already wandering towards the nearest turbolift with a continuing wobble.
“Come with me Mr Rovak, you must show me this new station of yours. The sights worth seeing.” Velt said with enthusiasm, watching the Gorn assist Alex by guiding her in the right direction when she seemed to be veering away from the turbolift.
First they went to the centrepoint, the ten-deck tall centre of the sphere, where the walkways from all six dock hubs converged. Staircases and elevators facilitated travel between the levels. The promenade space was almost empty, any business had the level it was situated on to itself. He wondered how long it would take until it was filled.
“Where are the bars? The restaurants?” Velt asked, aghast, and starting to sober up.
“I imagine they are a work in progress. We are still very far from most hubs of civilisation, most of the civilian population here are refugees.” Rovak explained. "Perhaps you could use some of your many contacts to attract merchants from within the Federation, and beyond."
“Egh.” Velt made a disgusted noise that Rovak assumed was more related to the default appearance of the promenade than the presence of refugees.
“If it’s of any consolation, I have Freddie’s program from the Mercury in storage. He has for a long time hoped to own his own establishment.”
“Freddie. Ha! I’ve missed that hologram. See that he has everything he needs, would you?”
“I should remind you Ambassador, that I am not at your command.”
“Oh, I know Rovak, but old habits die hard. And you always did follow my orders especially well.”
“After the first few incidents on Starbase 51 you mean.”
“Well, yes, naturally. Where to next?” Velt asked.
“Perhaps the embassy would be more agreeable for you, Ambassador.”
“Rovak, you and I have been through too much together for you not to call me by my name.”
“That may take some getting used to.”
Together they made the journey to the embassy, reminiscing about Starbase 51, their adventures on the Mercury, and everything else they had shared.
"Well, it's alright." Velt said as they crossed the threshold into the Embassy. The lobby was a simple room, with a desk at the end of the room with a shifting holographic representation of Federation worlds on the wall behind it. There was a Deltan woman sitting at the desk in a purple diplomatic corps uniform.
She looked up at them with surprise, removing some sort of device from her head and stowing it in her desk. "Ambassador! My apologies sir, I had not been notified you were aboard. I am Ensign Ubia." She said, moving from behind the desk to greet the pair. "Good day, Commander. I don't believe you've visited before. Can I give you both the tour?"
"Please, Ensign." Rovak responded, sensing Velt still seemed dejected.
"Through there is the diplomatic security office. Through here we have the atrium." Ubia said, leading the men through.
"Now this is more like it." Velt said as they entered the embassy proper. A massive multistory room with an artificial sky beaming warm sunlight through the skylights. A white marble and gold finish gave off an opulence one did not normally find in Federation architecture, but one which matched the Ambassador's personal tastes.
"Lieutenant Onda was very specific with Admiral Singh's engineers." Ubia explained, leading them to the bar.
"Of course, I taught him well." Velt said with a laugh. A number of table and chair settings, potted plants and a fountain filled the rest of the space.
"If you'd be kind enough to wait here, I will let the Lieutenant know you are here."
"Computer, activate program Rovak Mercury-Alpha." Rovak instructed as they took a seat at the bar.
Behind the bar, the holographic image of Freddie came to life, wearing an expression of surprise that soon turned to wariness. "Well, well. Oriath Velt. I trust you aren't going to run out on your tab this time."
"How are things, Freddie? Just send the bill to the diplomatic corps." The Ambassador said, reaching over the bar to shake the hologram's hand. Freddie seemed to think about it for a moment, before his composure broke and he shook the Caitian's hand, passing through the bar surface to give him a hug. He returned to the other side, and started to look through what was available to pour.
"Well gentlemen, what the hell are we drinking?" Freddie asked with a curious brow-raise.
"Just water, please. I am still on duty." Rovak responded.
"Oh don't be such a Spock, Rovak. We're celebrating. Part of the fun of being Captain is delegation. Atna's just got here on the T'Pol, put her in charge."
Before Rovak could object, a bositerous voice came from across the atrium. "Oriath! Son of a pah-wraith!" It was the Bajoran senior diplomatic officer, Onda Duros. Duros and Velt embraced like old friends, clapping each other on the shoulders. "Where the hell's the rest of you?" The Bajoran asked.
"You'll have to ask my Doctor. He always told me I was on track for an artificial heart, needing one finally got me to listen to him. But tonight, caution goes to the wind." Velt said, tapping his combadge. "Velt to Atna, Commander Rovak would like you to take over in the CIC for the rest of his duty shift." Velt lied.
Before Rovak could respond, Atna's cold, clear voice came through, acknowledging the request without complaint.
"Three Risan sunrises Freddie, and keep them coming." Velt instructed. Rovak looked at the drink for a moment once it was served, and resigned himself to his fate. He knew better than to argue with Velt, or at least to leave him revelling unsupervised.
It was several hours later when Rovak found himself in the hallway outside his quarters. Velt was regaling Duros and Freddie with tales of Starbase 51. "The Colonel says 'why? why defend our enemies, liquid monstrosities who would've murdered us all without a thought?' And then Rovak kicks the Colonel into the fissure and says 'For peace!' Most baddest-assed thing I've ever seen." Velt said, slurring more than a few of his words, and spilling from the bottle he carried.
"I do not believe that is an entirely accurate recollection, Ambassador." Rovak said, retaining his composure, though his head spun. "Now if you will excuse me gentlemen, some of us have work in the morning." Rovak said, passing through the doors, and falling face-first onto his bed, where he awoke several hours later still dressed.
RSS Feed
