Intergalactic Men of Mystery - Part 1

Posted on Sat Aug 31, 2019 @ 2:23am by Civilian Jason Haines & Lieutenant JG Erich Hartmann & Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca

2,649 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Promenade - Various
Timeline: MD 13, 1900 Hours

[ON]

A-List

Given everything that had gone on for him, Jason had wound up rescheduling the station crawl a couple of times on Erich. He hadn't wanted to, but life sometimes didn't give you a choice. Sighing a little, Jason stepped into the 'A-List', the primary officer's lounge.

It was an interesting view, but had as much originality as most Starfleet designed lounges. The place was nice to come to when needing to get away from the office and not get too lost in the hustle and bustle of the Promenade. It was a good starting point for tonight's 'adventure'.

Jason went to the bar and got a small glass of water. He was dressed in casual civilian clothing. Black pants, red shirt. They were nice, but nothing that screamed 'look this way'. He sat in one of the leather chairs and relaxed, keeping an eye out for Erich.

The German entered in while buttoning his cuff, looking rushed. He had almost forgot the appointed time to meet, mostly because if wardrobe: should he dress fancy, or casual? It was always a faux pas to go too far one way or another, so Erich had tried to fall in the middle. His grey trousers and coat were of good tailoring but not above his pay grade, and his white shirt was bright, but not ostentatious. He looked around the room for his friend.

Jason saw Erich and gave him a brief wave. He got up and went over to him.

"Ah, Agent Phoenix, we meet again", Jason said. "Looking most dapper this evening. I hope you will be able to handle all the ladies that flock to you tonight looking as stylish as you do."

Jason smiled and extended his hand to Erich.

"I hope you are prepared for the evening at hand."

“Not even a little, so that any accusations you make about tonight, I can admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter-accusations.” Hartmann retorted.

Jason laughed, "Well, I can see you come with a healthy level of paranoia. Do remember, just because you are paranoid doesn't mean someone is not out to get you. So, I was thinking of some places to hit tonight. I want to go to REDO's as there is a tattoo I want to get, and I want to get an eye on the place anyway given some rumors. Then La Panini’s for a bit of food, then we hit the Box for a drink or two. I want to lose a little money given how events the other night messed the place up a little. There is a new dance club opening up that is going to try and not get on the radar of the management of The Dilithium Chamber until they get going."

He paused a moment before continuing, "Unless you are there for actual station business, I recommend you stay away from the Chamber. The Raddon family are racist jackasses. Enough about them though. Finally, I am thinking that the staff at Universal Relaxation may be able to put, well, a relaxing touch to the end of the evening. Thoughts?"

Hartmann tried to think of a witticism but found nothing in his mental attic to suffice. “It’s better than any plan I could conjure,” the German admitted, “I’ll even help fight the ladies off you when you tire of their attention.”

"Oh no", Jason replied. "Chuck Finley here is the side-kick tonight. It is my job to keep them focused on the suave, Intergalactic Man of Mystery, Agent Phoenix, mostly. How else are you going to keep your cover strong? Come on, let's see if we can get into some mischief."

He motioned for him to follow out of the lounge.

====

Alanna didn't want to be in her quarters tonight. She needed to get out and do something. Jason was busy and she didn't want to spend the evening alone, and she wasn't in the mood to read. Maybe she could go dancing? It always helped her in the past. Even if she'd miss Jason, it might be a way to pass the evening. But she didn't want to go alone. So, she called Brianthe. "Hey, how would you like to go dancing tonight?"

Brianthe grinned. "You're not my type, sweetie. Is lover boy unavailable?"

She ignored the comment about Jason. "Ha! I want both of us to go dancing. You need to get out as much as I do."

"Sure. I've got nothing planned. Get on your dancing shoes and I'll meet you down by the promenade. We'll see what trouble we can get into," Brianthe said. She had just the dress for tonight, too.

"Great. See you in twenty minutes." Alanna would leave the trouble to Brianthe--if she actually got into any. Either way, tonight promised to be fun, and it had been too long since she done something just for fun. She chose a sapphire blue dress with a halter-top and a flared skirt, suitable for dancing. She added a pair of heels low enough to dance in and headed for the promenade.

Brianthe chose a gold-colored dress with full sleeves topped by a brown leather bodice and matching heels. "You should wear that color more often," she told Alanna when she caught up to her.

"Thank you. You look amazing, as usual," Alanna said. Her friend always managed to look a little bohemian, making Alanna feel a little prudish, even though her dress wasn't. "Let's see what catches our fancy, shall we?"

====

REDO

Jason led Erich through the promenade, pointing out various store fronts. Most seemed rather mundane.

"The first level of the promenade is rather boring", Jason said. "Nothing too amazing."

Hartmann grunted an acknowledgement.

Jason stopped them in front of a business with a basic sign at the front; REDO. It didn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary. Going in, Jason looked around. The front didn't seem to be anything too out of the ordinary. They were met by an attractive Andorian female.

"Good evening", she said with a smile. "I assume you are here for a tattoo as all of our other services are only performed eight to five."

"Indeed", Jason replied smiling at her. "I'm Chuck, this is John."

"Well Chuck", she answered, handing him a padd with various tattoo options. "I am T'elaria. Do you have an idea of what you want for a tattoo?"

"I sure do", Jason replied, typing something up. "Mine is rather simple."

"Indeed, it is", she said. "Two strips of latinum. Come on, let's get you to the chair."

Jason gave her his account reader and she got to business. Jason winced a couple of times, but he tried to stay focused on the room. All-in-all it didn't seem like anything too shady. Looks could be deceiving though.

After about thirty minutes T'elaria held up and said, "All done."

Jason looked at and nodded with a smile.

"Looks great T'elaria", he replied. "Thanks for the nice job. I've heard horror stories about people's tattoos gone wrong. Obviously, can't have been from here."

He showed Erich the tattoo on his bicep. In what looked to be a computer screen readout, it was simply the words, 'Scientific Anomaly #1' in red with black trim.

"Your turn", Jason said. "What are you getting?"

Erich blinked in astonishment. “None for me tonight, thank you though.” He said to the Andorian.

====

"Hey, why not stop and get a tattoo?" Brianthe asked as they passed a shop. "The back of your dress is low enough for one at the base of your spine. Maybe a butterfly?"

Alanna shook her head. "No, I don't want one. Do you?"

"Not really. I prefer henna tattoos myself." Brianthe raised an eyebrow. "We could get henna tattoos here. They look great and last a couple of weeks once they're set. How about it?"

She looked at Brianthe for a moment. "Okay."

The two walked in and found the henna artist. Fortunately, she wasn't busy tonight. She let Brianthe talk her into a tiny blue butterfly on the small of her back.

"Who's with Haines?" Brianthe asked when she came out of the back room.

"Jason?" Alanna didn't expect to see him here. She looked out the glass window. "That's Lieutenant Hartmann, the new Chief of Operations."

"He's cute. Should we go talk to them?"

"No. You go get your henna tattoo. I'll wait here." Alanna wasn't sure what the two men were up to, or if Jason wanted to see her tonight. If this was business, he wouldn't.

====

"Come now", Jason said as he and Erich came out of the other room. "Mr. Phoenix, that is a letdown."

It was then he saw Alanna. If he were bothered by her being there, he didn't show it and she didn't feel anything coming from him like she did earlier.

"Ah, the Baroness von Wells", Jason said with a smirk. "Arch-nemesis of Agent John Phoenix, what a surprise to see you here. What evil plot are you hatching tonight?"

She had no idea what Jason was playing at, but she went along. She smiled sweetly. "My dear whatever-you-call-yourself-today, if I am plotting anything, you would be the last to know."

Jason smiled and said, "How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself, Chuck Finley, Private Eye. If you need things found, I'm your man. Well, except for tonight, as I have promised my good friend Mister Phoenix to help him find all the essentials he needs on the promenade."

"Finley, did you say?" She raised an eyebrow. "And your Mr. Phoenix is in need of a tattoo? How droll."

"Oh no", Jason answered. "Mr. Phoenix is way too sophisticated. I on the other hand, not quite so much."

"So you are the one with the vulgar tattoo?" she asked, sounding both bored and haughty. She was secretly curious about what sort of tattoo he got, and why.

"I don't know if it could be called vulgar", Jason replied. "Mister Phoenix, would you call it vulgar?"

Hartmann put on his best over-the-top British accent. “I’d say it as vulgar as a sailor fresh out of the brig. As for my lack of one, it’s simple practicality old boy: no identifying marks. Easier to blend in, yeah?”

"I shall have to examine that tattoo of yours," Alanna replied. "And determine for myself if it is uncouth or vulgar."

"What tattoo?" Brianthe asked, joining the group. "Hi," she said turning to Erich.

Erich Hartmann had a soft spot for ladies. No one would ever accuse him of being a Casanova, nor a womanizer, but he couldn’t help but notice a woman’s beauty, and this one was striking to him. A beat longer than decorum allowed; he reciprocated the greeting.

“Hello miss.” He said politely.

"Call me Brianthe," she said, smiling at Erich. "So, what brings you gentlemen out this evening?"

Alanna tried not to smile at Erich's reaction to Brianthe. It happened a lot. She looked at Jason, amused.

"Mr. Phoenix here needed a tour of the station", Jason said with a smile. "After all, there is so much more on this station for a secret agent to see other than jeffries tubes and conduits. And what crawl of the promenade would be complete without a memento of the occasion, such as a vulgar tattoo."

"So what's your excuse?" Alanna teased. "Two gentlemen on the town?"

"I am not quite sure if I could qualify as a gentlemen", Jason said. "but Mr. Phoenix is. I am just here to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble."

"Well," she said, giving Jason a mischievous smile. "The Baroness prefers men who are not quite gentlemen."

Brianthe grinned at Jason and Alanna. At that moment, she decided to change plans for the evening. She smiled at Erich. "How would you like some company this evening?"

Hartmann returned her smile. “I would say it would allow me to blend in rather nicely. However, my dear, I cannot guarantee either your safety or your virtue whilst in company of dangerous rogues such as ourselves.”

Brianthe's laugh was soft and had a bell-like quality to it. "My dear Mr. Phoenix, I sincerely hope you won't guarantee my virtue."

Erich tried to be nonchalant about the back-and-forth flirtation. If one paid close attention, one would notice his pupils dilated slightly and a smidge of sweat forming on the name of his neck.

“I... see that it is we who should worry about our own virtue.” The German replied.

Brianthe chuckled, delighted by his reaction.

Jason gave Alanna a smirk. The evening was taking a bit of a twist, but he was ok with things.

Alanna grinned back. "Well, Mr. Finley, it looks like I will be privileged to have your company this evening." Her smile turned devilish. "I hope you can keep up."

"I am sure that I can", Jason said with a smile. "It is my friend I am worried about. I hear your compatriot is quite cunning. I wouldn't want her to cause Mr. Phoenix too much distress. You know these spy types, sort of break after you bend them a little."

"They don't call her a femme fatal for nothing," Alanna said. She leaned closer and whispered, "As for you, I promise to be gentle. At first."

Jason chuckled and whispered back, "Ooh, a challenge. Intriguing, but Chuck Finley never backs down from a challenge."

"Good." She grinned, enjoying this game of his. "Then consider tonight a challenge."

"And just what prize comes from this challenge?" Jason asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "What sort of prize do you want?"

“I’ll give you the latinum for a room if you cease the mating dance before me!” Erich teased.

Alanna shot Jason a wicked grin.

Jason laughed at Erich's comment.

"So Mr. Phoenix, we have reservations for dinner in ten minutes", Jason said. "Do we let these lovely, but dangerous, ladies accompany us, or shall we give them the challenge to find where we went? I am more inclined to have them come with us to keep them in our sight."

“The Devil before you or the Devil behind you eh?” Erich rubbed his chin in thought. “I suggest they go with us, but preferably arm in arm; less chance they can reach for concealed weapons.”

Alanna chuckled and looked at Jason to answer.

"Well, I am more of the man of the hunt", Jason replied. "but I do see your wisdom Mr. Phoenix. Arm in arm it is."

Jason extended his arm to Alanna.

She put her hand in the crook of his arm. "Mr. Finley, are you certain that it is not we who must be wary of you?"

"I never said that you didn't", he replied with a wink. "Us men with vulgar tattoos should always make you wary."

"My heart flutters in fear," she teased. "But then, faint heart never won fair Finley."

"An interesting choice of words", Jason replied. "That phrase could be interpreted in a number of ways.

She smiled. "That it could."

Brianthe slipped her hand into the crook of Erich's arm. "Come on, they'll only get worse if we stick around."

The Teutonic gentleman leaned in closer to the lady. “You mean this shameful display only escalates? I pray we don’t make it onto FNN.” He said, meaning the Federation News Network, the UFP’s top news station.

Brianthe grinned.

Jason's stomach growled a bit and he said, "I believe there is a table at La Panini's waiting for us."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

---
Chuck Finley, Private Eye, a.k.a. Lt.(jg) Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
DS5

John Phoenix, Spy First Class, AKA LT JG Erich Hartmann
Chief Operations Officer
DS5

Baroness Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

Ensign Brianthe Oaxaca
Femme Fatale and Botanist
Deep Space Five

 

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