Happy Hour (Part II of II)

Posted on Mon Jan 21, 2019 @ 8:55pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Civilian 'Arrival' Avis Larant Ms
Edited on on Mon Jan 21, 2019 @ 8:57pm

1,353 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: The Box of Delights
Timeline: MD 3 2000

Previously on Happy Hour

The Bartender leaned across the bar. "You want to know more about Raddon? Why don't you take a trip to the Dilithium Chamber on the next level down. When you do, take a date. Like an Andorian. or A Klingon. Or a Vulcan."

Avis' eyes went big (yeah calculated gesture for dramatic effect, she couldn't help it). "Ooooh, Dilithium Chamber huh? Sounds very interesting. Wait....do you mean like a date date? Or more like a bodyguard?"

Yolanthe sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm being cruel. The Dilithium Chamber is a humans only club. Take a non-human date and you'll get turned away."

And now the Conclusion

Avis shrugged, "Hey, it's alright. I forgive you. I've had bad days too on occasion. So is Raddon somehow responsible for your lack of stock...or do you think he was behind the fire?"

She was taking blind shots here and seeing if she hit a bullseye.

The orange turned to clear yellow. "There are questions that really shouldn't get asked." The Bar tender turned away, signaling to a tall risan woman, who's legs seemed to go on forever, walking in an impossibly short, impossibly tight skirt with no effort what so ever. "Leave it to security."

OK, well she tried, Avis sipped her drink as she glanced toward whoever Yolanthe was trying to get their attention. For a moment she was tempted to reveal what she did for a living, investigating things like what the bartender was talking about but then decided it was too early yet. Once she got her first submission published then - at least to those who paid attention to that kind of thing and many did not - her career would be out in the open. But for now she wanted to remain under the radar.

Whoa? Tall woman. Avis smiled just a little. Her university team could have used someone that tall on the basketball team.

The Risan gave Avis a brief smile as she squeezed in next to her. "Whats up boss?"

Avis smiled right back, "Hello."

"Tell Table thirty two the Andorian Ale is out. We've got a terran pale ale, and a Bolian Mild left." As the Andorian moved away, the Bartender moved onto another drinks order, picking up a martini glass. "So, what brings you to DS5?"

"Well, I'm currently between jobs," Avis started, somewhat not a lie then continued, "I was always interested in seeing what the frontier was like so decided to take a cruise. Not sure how long I will be here to be honest, depends on how much I enjoy it." None of that untruthful just rather unspecific, deliberately of course.

What it actually came down to was she going to be able to find some juicy news stories.

"Well, this place is certainly exciting." Bottles started lining up on the bar, as different parts of a complicated cocktail were poured into the shaker. "A new planet out of nowhere, A Cardassian warfleet parked on the lawn. Starfleet officers going rogue and blowing up the Cardassians, Murders on the Promenade. If you were hoping for scenic and serene, this place isnt' it."

"Ahh yes, Pangaea, that is unique. And heard some stuff about the Cardassians. But Starfleet officers blowing up Cardassians? You serious?" she asked, she'd get to the promenade murders next.

"Absolutely. Starfleet brought this new ship out here for a war game, to test its experimental weapons. The Captain went rogue in the middle of it and shot down three Cardassian ships. Said he was doing it in the name of some pro-human organization. I forget the name."

Now it hit her, she had been fully immersed in a different assignment - it was a big universe out there after all, no one could keep track of everything - but yes the fanatics of the Free Earth movement had somehow managed to infiltrate or convince a sizable portion of a starship crew to mutiny. The ringleaders committed suicide but not before doing tremendous damage not just to the ships they attacked but to Federation diplomacy.

"Free Earth I think they call themselves," Avis suddenly interjected, "I vaguely recall seeing a newscast on it now that I look back on it. Charming bunch."

"Say...you been following that news about a starbase officer assaulting a newsman? Pretty wild huh?" Avis changed subjects then.

"No." More bottles were expertly thrown, twirled and rolled as the cocktail was built. "I don't get to see the news very often. Do they know who it was?"

Avis frowned as she tried to think hard..name, name. Then she snapped her fingers in that Eureka moment.

"Caleb Ryan...high ranking officer too. Belted this newsman for asking him a question he didn't like," Avis answered.

The tall womans jaw dropped. "No!" she gasped. "He didn't?"

"That was the name mentioned and I saw on clip on the news vid. He's a good puncher too," she smiled.

The bartender had turned a shade of pale blue, her hair only slighter darker. "I shouldn't laugh. But he's always so polite. How do the humans put it? A perfect gentleman."

"Well, to be honest. Some men are only playing the perfect gentleman, they can behave a good deal worse when something doesn't go the way they want it. But hey, I don't even know this Ryan, I'm not judging him."

Although if she ever interviewed the officer, Avis would be ready to duck any attempted roundhouse rights. But hopefully he wouldn't hit a lady.

"Well, he's been very fair to me." The bartender reached across the Bar, hand held out in the terran fashion. "I'm Yolanthe, by the way." "

"Bet he prefers bartenders to the press," she chuckled then accepted the handshake, "Nice to meet you, I'm Avis.

Yolanthe thought of all the trouble her bar attracted. "I think its a toss up, to be honest."

"You know him better than me so I will take your word for it," Avis glanced down at the glass, she wondered if she should? But then it's not like this was going so well she'd be hanging out here all night.

"Can I have another too please?" she extended the now empty glass toward the bartender.

"You had the last of the honey scotch. I've got a nice Trill equivalent left, nice smoky undertone too." Yolanthe reached back and held up another bottle, short and squat, with a small amount of mahogany brown liquid in the bottom.

"Oh well crap! Guess I will settle for the Trill stuff then," Avis conceded to reality, "Roughing it out in the frontier alright."

Once poured she carefully took a sip of the replacement liquor. It would do.

"Alright not bad but can't wait til you get another shipment of the honey scotch," was her immediate critical review.

Yolanthe sighed. "You may be waiting some time. We're a long way from earth."

"Yeah well this is a minor annoyance for me but can't be good for you and your business. No alternate sources you can purchase from?" Avis wished she knew more of the particulars behind this situation but Yolanthe had not been willing to delve into the details.

"When you make a point of selling the real thing... its not alternate sources, its shipping time." Yolanthe sighed, "We're weeks from earth, or Cardassia, or Andoria or Vulcan, out here. It all takes time."

"Oh yeah, I get that. Well, all I can do then is wish you best of luck. Sorry," Avis did feel badly for the woman, she certainly seemed like a decent sort.

"Thank you." Yolanthe kept smiling, but she turned the palest hint of green. "I'll survive. I'm a survivor."

"Yeah, I bet you are. Hang in there," Avis sipped on her drink as she again scanned the crowd, contemplating an early night.

"Always," Yolanthe grinned, tossing yet another empty, unreplaced, bottle into the recycling with a grimace. "People always underestimate how much it takes, to take me out."

[OFF]

Avis Larant
Investigative Journalist
DS5

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights
DS5

 

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