One Anomaly to Another

Posted on Mon Aug 12, 2019 @ 1:51am by Lieutenant Annora Tessaro & Civilian Jason Haines

2,656 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Security/Promenade
Timeline: MD 10, 1040

[ON]

"Is Lieutenant Tessaro available?", Jason asked the Petty Officer at the desk.

"Can I tell her who is here?", the Petty Officer asked.

"Sorry, Lieutenant Haines", Jason said.

It had been a long night in the cell, his conversation with the Commander was interesting, and his new directives from temporal didn't exactly leave him really energized. Regardless, he wanted to make sure to come see Annora as she had done something important for him yesterday, many would have overlooked it, but he hadn't.

Glancing at the clock, Annora noticed it was getting close to the lunch rush starting around the square mile. She knew her security teams usually increased patrols of the area during high traffic times, but she liked to occasionally check out the scenery for herself also.

"Ma'am, Lt. Haines is here to see you."

Petty Officer Nelson's voice interrupted Annora's musings. She knew he'd been released earlier that morning, so it wasn't a huge surprise he stopped by.

"Send him in Mr. Nelson, Thank you."

She stood up at the doors opened.

"Lieutenant, I hope our accommodations were sufficient."

The tone in her voice revealed the comment was mostly in jest.

"Well, the room service left a little to be desired, but cleanliness A+ and very quiet", Jason replied with a smile. "All in all, I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5. How are you today Lieutenant Tessaro?"

Taking a seat, she responded to his question.

"All things considered, I can't complain. Glad the accommodations were satisfactory. Next time, book ahead and we'll see about upgrading to a deluxe suite. What can I do for you?"

"Well", Jason replied. "Commander Soran said there has been excitement lately and that I should check In with you to get a brief"

"Ah. Well there's always excitement on DS5, I think I know which specific incident she's referring to. Our two groups of friends got into a scuffle last night."

She slid a PADD over with the pertinent information.

"They seemed to be behaving and I didn't want to make them feel threatened so I reduced the size of their escort. Next time, I'm putting at least three guards on any one escort duty."

Rob read the review and remarked, "Why didn't the Commander boot them last night?"

"Boot them to where? The portal. They will get sent back in due time. One could easily argue the Vulcans were acting in self defense. For now, both sides are confined to quarters. The Vulcans won't leave without their prisoners, and the Andorians have no desire to leave without being provided some assistance."

That aside, the logistics would be difficult. One could throw them in the brig for some time, but eventually they would have to press charges or let them go. Either way, they'd eventually be back to square one.

"Well", Jason said. "If I were in your shoes, I'd want them off sooner rather than later, as giving up six guards for escort and guarding between the two groups per shift is ridiculous. I guess it is the boss' call. Let me know if you need help with anything in this arena."

"We have a plan in place to return both groups through the portal. As far as I know, we're just waiting on a few final pieces of the puzzle to fall into place. At present, there's not much for either of us to do. When the time comes, I'm sure we could use some help running interference on the Vulcans."

While she couldn't condone their actions, Annora understood why they took such actions. The best option was still to implement the plan as discussed with the Commander.

"Sure thing", Jason said. "I'll have a couple of my staff tail the groups and their escorts. So, there will be four people on them at all times. Now, totally unrelated to business, I wanted to say thank you."

"Not sure what I did, but you're welcome."

It was likely related to their latest portal encounter, but Annora wasn't sure.

"What you did was treat me like Jason Haines, human being", Jason replied with a smile. "when others were treating me like anything but. It means a lot to me."

She blushed a little

"Yesterday morning? It was surprising to see you after what happened the previous night. It's not often someone shows up after their own funeral. Of course, it's even more rare that a funeral occurs three hundred years after the revival. Despite all that, for all intents and purposes you were still Jason Haines, and weren't an active threat to the station."

He chuckled and with a smile said, "All that said, I've been trying to come up with a way to express my appreciation other than with just words. Something meaningful. And I must say, I am drawing a blank as I don't know much about you. The poker game where we were all supposed to learn more about each other sort of got derailed. So what is it that makes Annora Tessaro smile, besides four of a kind?"

She returned the smile.

"That kind of a hand will make most people happy, unless for some reason you want to lose. You already know about my martial arts skill. Lieutenant, care to go for a stroll while we talk?"

"Please, lead the way", he replied. "And in regards to your skill yes, I do know. If I remember correctly, you have a strong left hook. Would have broke my jaw if I hadn't moved."

"Thanks. I've had enough training on hand to hand combat from various instructors. They'd be upset if I can't throw a decent punch."

Grabbing a phaser and tricorder from her desk, Annora headed out the door.

"Mr. Nelson, I'm heading to the Promenade. Be back this afternoon."

Once in the turbolift, she continued the conversation.

"Well, I spent my first few years on a freighter before my folks moved to the colony on Patsayev 4. Spent a fair amount of free time on the ski slopes. Worked in a spaceport for a few months before joining the Service."

Jason listened intently to her story. He was sure it was going to be interesting given the time-frame she came front.

"What did you do at the spaceport? What made you want to join?", he asked.

"I packed the cargo and helped move it on and off waiting freighters. Nothing too difficult. I joined the MACO because their recruiting poster made it sound exciting."

The turbolift stopped at the bottom deck of the promenade. There were a few looks from people at the sight of two Starfleet officers arriving, but most inhabitants ignored them.

"Boot camp was twelve grueling weeks on Delta Pavonis, followed by another two months for infantry training. Spent just over a year with my first unit before transitioning to Embassy Security."

Jason smiled and waved to the people looking at them and then asked Annora, "So, how did the MACO's compare to similar type of work in this day and age."

"Closest comparison would be the Marines with a bit of Security thrown in the mix. Despite that, we technically didn't carry out a law enforcement role."

It was a distinction she felt important to make.

"We would assist the local authorities when the need arose, such as arresting a violent felon. They would make the actual arrest, we were just there to provide the muscle. We provided security for embassies, and on a case by case basis assisted Starfleet Security. The most famous example were the MACO stationed on the Enterprise during the Xindi crisis. Some of the border colonies liked having a MACO detachment to ward off pirates and raiders."

"So, if you had to choose, modern day security of the MACO's?" , Jason asked. "From a job satisfaction point of view that is."

Reaching a three way intersection, Annora turned down the left hallway.

"A lot less paperwork involved with the MACO. By the time I received my commission we were at war, so a lot of the red tape disappeared. I'd say this current job is safer, but considering recent occurrences, I'm starting to doubt that statement. In my previous job, things were a lot more black and white in terms of friend or foe. All things considered, I'd say working for Starfleet by a slim margin."

A ' hrmm' escaped Jason and he said, "Well, I am glad I am not the only one seeing the distinction between friend and foe out here a little tricky and that is when there are no time or inter-dimensional travelers."

He chuckled a little.

"I wonder if the general populace knows how delicate the situation is here", Jason said. "What can and does happen here seems to be a bit phenomenal, even by standard temporal theories."

"I'm not sure the general populace pays much attention to the politics of the station. Maxed out, the civilian and Starfleet populations combined are equal to moderate sized city. Not as big as San Francisco, but considerably larger than DS9. Generally speaking, if you take care of the basic needs of food, shelter and safety it keeps the people happy. If they own a business, that's obviously another concern for the person."

She smiled as a thought came to mind.

"We may not agree with their tactics, but on that aspect the Ferengi may be on to something."

"True", Jason replied looking at her. "So, you've told me a lot about Lieutenant Tessaro Chief of Security. What about Annora Tessaro, what makes her happy in the day? What sort of things will she be doing when she finally decides to hang the uniform up?"

"When I finally retire?"

She hadn't seriously considered life after retirement, but did have a general idea of what her plans were.

"Oh, I'll probably find an out of the way planet with easy access to some decent ski slopes. That, or sign on with a freighter and simply see where they take me."

"I'm scuba diving person myself", Jason said. "so, I haven't done anything major in the snow. What is skiing like?"

"Scuba diving is fun, but I feel skiing is easier to get into. Requires less specialized equipment. Dress warm, strap on some skis and you're pretty much on your way."

She sidestepped some civilians haggling over a statue.

"There's many forms of skiing, but I prefer the classic downhill style. Ride a chairlift to the top of a mountain and travel down to the bottom. If you're lucky you get to be the first one down the mountain after a fresh snow fall has covered everything. Some decent jumps and turns make for a great course. At West Point I skied competitively, but prefer doing it just for fun. A whole lot less pressure, and if you want to take an easy course just because, then you can."

"No, specialized equipment", Jason replied. "But it sounds like it would be easy to find oneself in sickbay with a wrong step. At least with scuba diving you are less likely to break a leg or arm. Plus, I don't care for the cold all that much. I hated winter time in Montana."

He smirked at the civilians and their bidding war for the statue.

"True, but at least you don't have to worry about running out of air halfway through your trip. There is an element of risk involved, but if you know what you're doing it's no more dangerous than many other athletic activities. Plus, it's not too difficult to dress properly and stay warm during the ski trip."

There was also the risk of an avalanche, but she conveniently left that out. In most proper ski resorts the risk was negligible.

"Underwater is peaceful to me", Jason said. "There people can't bother me and with a decent re-breather you can stay underwater almost indefinitely. Once I get my feet under me as far as my job goes, I am in hopes to do a little diving down on the planet. It should be interesting to see what sort of marine life is there."

"At least you won't have to travel far for your diving trip. Whether it's underwater on the slopes, there is something relaxing about being out in the elements more or less by yourself. I won't argue with you there."

She slowed down as they approached 'Gourmet Alley.'

"Since we're here, want to grab lunch? It's on me."

"Yes, it is great to be outside. Yes, lunch sounds great and no, it's on me", Jason replied. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Nothing particular. Just not Klingon, I'm not that adventurous."

She usually just picked a place at random when she ate at the Promenade during the lunch hour.

"Talking about scuba diving has me craving a bit of seafood. How about the Crab Shack?" Jason asked. "Not allergic to seafood are you?"

"Crab Shack it is then. I rarely turn down a lunch offer."

Thankfully it was early enough there wasn't much of a line.

Jason looked at the menu there were earth dishes that he recognized, but the rest was foreign to him. He hadn't had either Vulcan or Klingon seafood before.

"Ladies first", Jason said.

"I'll have Poseidon's Plate. Thanks."

The mixture of familiar Earth fish and some from other worlds intrigued her.

After she ordered, Jason said to the person taking the order, "Well, let's go with the Vulcan surprise combo number 5."

He let Annora pick where they sat after he paid. The place wasn't too formal from a seating point of view or at least that is how it seemed.

Choosing a table near the entrance, Annora took a seat.

"It seems Fate has plans in mind for both of us. Although in our respected lines of work, it may still all end in a bang."

"Indeed", Jason replied. "As my father used to say, 'keep sticking your hand in the lion's mouth, you will get bit.' Guess I got bit and in some whacky way survived."

Annora grinned as she raised her glass.

"Join the club. Here's to several more decades of staying one step ahead of Fate."

Jason raised his cup and said, "Here, here."

He took a bite of his food and his eyes widened slightly.

"Just a touch spicy", he croaked as he took a drink.

After he finished his sip and wiped his mouth off, he asked, "So, have you only skied the holo-decks here or have you tried to identify anywhere planet-side that would be good for it?"

"The planet, no I hadn't considered it." Her focus had been on the portals and everything surrounding them. "I know there's some mountains but don't know how viable they would be for skiing."

Jason said, "I'm going to see if there is a good place to scuba planet-side. I tell you what, teach me to ski and if you don't know the fine art of scuba, I'll teach you."

Swallowing her bite of the Betazoid equivalent of salmon, Annora considered the offer.

"Deal, once we send our visitors back and finish any resulting paperwork we can look into some R & R."

"Deal", Jason said with a smile, taking a sip of his drink. "Although, we may want to call it a training and recon mission. We are investigating certain areas to ensure they are safe for Sciences to do research. And you might want to be the person to ask when we think we are ready to take it to the planet. I am in the dog house right now."

"Sounds like a plan, and if the area just happens to be best accessed by skis, then so be it."

After lunch the two officers parted ways. Annora continued her patrol while Jason left to take care of other business.

[OFF]

---

Lt Annora Tessaro
Chief Security Officer
DS5

Lt.(jg) Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
DS5

 

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