The Night Continues - Part 1

Posted on Sun Jun 16, 2019 @ 2:04pm by Lieutenant Jason Haines & Civilian 'Arrival' Avis Larant Ms

1,963 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Box of Delights
Timeline: MD5 - 2300

[ON]

"You know", Jason said to Avis as they made their way to the Box of Delights. "Although I don't like how Raddon runs his place, I have had fun with you tonight."

Jason's cheeks had a slight rosy glow to them. He wasn't drunk, but the drinks had been strong.

Avis had downed her share of drinks this night too although it hadn't been noticeable when she was dancing. Least SHE didn't think it had been. She certainly was in a good mood though.

"Raddon's an ass," she pronounced with no doubts then smiled at his compliment.

"Thank you Jason, I had a wonderful time with you too. You're a good dancer. As for the gambling...eh, that's all luck. Maybe next time your luck will be better," she chuckled.

Jason laughed a bit, looked about, and replied, "Well, as my dad always says, never gamble unless you are prepared to lose. Regardless, it was worth it. I think for the first time in an eon, business and pleasure were mixed and the universe didn't explode."

"Yes, that would be rather disastrous wouldn't it? Although I don't think business fared very well. Pleasure though, seems we agree that's gone well," Avis commented.

Jason smiled at her and said, "Yes, the pleasure went well. As far as business goes, I am not sure it was unproductive. I managed to get a bug in on the bar and one in the men's room. They will upload what they record on a random interval and if anyone removes them from the surface, they disintegrate. I got them from a Ferengi, before coming here. I don't know what race made them, but they are definitely not Federation. We rattled Mister Raddon, which tells us both that there is something to watch, even if we hadn't served a warrant on him. And last, we have been followed since we left the club. We might not have gotten everything we wanted tonight, but business has been good."

Avis blinked, "Well....you are good. Color me impressed, Jason. Some day I am going to have to do a story on you. With your permission of course."

"Say...if you hear something major with either of those bugs, you going to share it with me? I mean we did go in as a team, right?"

"It depends on how good the story about me is", Jason said with a smile and then took a sip of his drink. "Of course I am going to share. I am a man of my word. You just need to make sure your source of information stays anonymous."

"Oh you can trust me, no one in journalism wants to reveal their sources. Do that and you may never get another source. Besides, I like you, Jason so I wouldn't do anything which might get you into trouble," she promised.

Jason smiled and reached out his hand, his pinky finger extended.

"Pinky promise?" he said. "After all, the pinky promise is the most solemn promise an information source can make with the information seeker. Well that and threatening to break knees."

He chuckled.

"Oh wow, I haven't pinky promised since I was ten. Promised my best friend Olivia that we would be best friends forever and we would never bother with those silly boys. Gosh, I didn't keep that promise though. Fortunately she never broke my knees," Avis grinned.

"Actually six months later her father got a new job and they moved far away. Gradually we lost track of each other. And the boys part....well, I grew up, what can I say?" she quickly added.

"Yeah, us boys, we can be quite a kicker", Jason said. "After all, being made of frogs and snails and puppy dog tails makes us rather intriguing. Although, we can be a pain sometimes as well. Tonight was a bit of a display of that. So, the investigative reporter in you has never wanted to track down Olivia?"

"I find guys well worth the hassle though, don't want to sound like I'm whining," Avis wanted him to know, "As for Olivia, some day maybe I will locate her and even try and visit her, who knows? Right now I'm rather consumed with my career. I'm fairly new at this I will admit, and eager to make or break my rep as it were."

"You don't think ambition is a bad thing do you?"

"Back in the 1960's on earth", Jason said. "President John Kennedy gave an ambitious deadline of getting to the moon in nine years. Back then, that was considered next to impossible. Yet, it happened. If the President hadn't been ambitious like that, we might not be having this discussion because human kind wouldn't have gotten off their rock. So, ambition is not a bad thing, as long as it is for the right reasons."

He smiled and took a drink of his beer.

"Good answer, I like that. But I also agree on the right reasons part, afterall how many horrible wars causing millions and millions of deaths have been caused by ambitious leaders. Megalomaniacs who led their countries or worlds to ruin. Not that I will ever attain such lofty rank," she smiled.

"So what about you, Jason? Tell me about your past, promise I won't publish a word of it. You know...family, wife, kids if any, pet dog, that sort of thing. I'm curious," she now inquired as she sipped her own drink.

Jason smirked and said, "There is nothing too exciting in my past. I was born at a very young age. I'm a Starfleet kid, my mom was a doctor, my dad well, to say he is a spook is an understatement. No wife, that I am aware of. I don't think my parents set me up with an arranged marriage. No pets, we moved about in my early life too much, then after my mom died, my dad and I were too busy for pets. Then I went into Academy for some reason; I'm still not quite sure why. Now, here I am."

"We certainly have one thing in common, I was born at a very young age too," Avis chuckled but turned more serious to add, "Sorry about your mother. I lost a brother, older brother. He was in Star Fleet. But I still have a younger sister. Oh yeah...and I've had a pet dog and a horse too."

She was still curious...OK nosey even.

"No wife...check. But how about girlfriends? You can't tell me a handsome stud like you hasn't been drawing the ladies like flies to honey," she asked.

Jason laughed. "Stud? I don't know about that. I dated a little in Academy. My first assignment I didn't have time to date, there was too much being shoved into my head. My last assignment was on a rather small ship and the Captain forbid relationships. Here, I've seen a few cute ladies, present company included, but I am not sure, given my role, if I would be good boyfriend material."

"Why I could never join Star Fleet, nobody is going to tell me how to live my lovelife. Not that I have one currently but a girl can hope," Avis grinned then replied to his compliment, "Thank you."

"Your role? Oh you mean your intelligence job, being the spy, the cop? I don't know why that should prevent you? You have a right to a personal life afterall we only live once," she countered.

"Oh, it isn't that I can't in general", Jason said. "It is just that the job has the potential of putting one into compromising positions shall we say. And there are also secrets to keep. Apparently my parents were lucky and served in the same unit and had pretty much the same secrets to keep so when they did eventually hook up, they didn't have to worry about the same secrets, given that, as my mom would say," She would be busy saving my dad's ass from the latest stupid thing he had done on a mission."

"Other jobs can involve compromising positions too you know? Like mine for example. But yes, I do see what you are getting at," Avis conceded then was surprised to hear about his folks.

"So both your parents did this sort of thing? Well, then it's in your genes I guess," she grinned, "And good for your mom!"

"Very well no entanglements then, social wise, romance is out, least you are upfront about it, I like that," she continued.

"As far as it being in my genes, only on my father's side of the fence. The Haines line goes back quite a ways in Starfleet", Jason said. "My mom hated Starfleet. I am not really sure why she had been in and whenever I asked my mom or dad, they wouldn't talk about it."

He shrugged and then replied to her other comment, "I wouldn't say romance was out, but, I would definitely be someone hard to have a more traditional relationship with at this point in time. Who knows, if I met the right person, I might change careers."

"Wait so your mother wasn't in Starfleet then?" Avis was confused but she was also trying to play another angle here too, thus all the relationship questions.

"I get what you're saying about traditional relationships. They can be hard for a lot of people and even much harder to make them last," she gave a little shrug of her shoulders then decided to go for it.

"What about one night stands? How do you feel about those then?" even as she popped those questions she hoped she hadn't overplayed her hand.

Jason took a sip of his drink, contemplating Avis' questions.

"My mom was indeed in Starfleet", Jason said. "I don't know why she hated it, I don't know why she joined in the first place if that was how she felt, and I don't know why she stayed in as long as she did. I never got an answer from her and even after she had died, my dad wouldn't say anything about it. Of all the secrets in the universe, that is the one I want to know the most."

"Now as to your other question", he continued with a slight smile, then taking another sip of his drink. "I don't know as I have never been asked about my feelings on the subject of one-night stands. That said, if I had been out drinking, dancing, gambling, and spying with a pretty lady and she was interested in bringing me to her place or coming to my place afterwards, I would think that it would be pretty rude to say no."

"Ahhh, IF that happened then, interesting," Avis smiled.

A part of him knew he had a date with Alanna tomorrow, but dates could be cancelled or end with neither party being interested in only being friends or heck never wanting to see each other again, but Avis was interested in him right now. His mother would tell him that he was acting like his father. Looking at Avis' eyes though, the other part of him shoved those thoughts aside. As a friend in academy said, 'You only have the moment.' Which was true more or less, even for those in temporal investigations.

He reached under the table, placed his hand on her leg and gave her knee a slight squeeze.

Her heartbeat sped up but outwardly she remained cool and collected.

"So, what do you feel about one night stands?" he asked, giving her a wink and then finishing his drink.

...To Be Continued

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
DS5

Avis Larant
Investigative Journalist
DS5

 

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