Goodnight Sweetheart It's Time To Go

Posted on Wed Nov 20, 2019 @ 12:52am by Civilian Jason Haines & Lieutenant Alanna Wells

2,391 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Lt. Haines Quarters
Timeline: MD21, 1130 - 1300

[ON]

As Jason took the turbolift from Ops to his quarters, he tapped his commbadge.

"Ensign Haines to Lieutenant Wells", he said.

"Wells here." She was almost done installing a new junction to prevent power spikes. Johnson's experiment the week before took out three consoles in two labs.

"I need to see you", Jason replied. "Can you come to my quarters. It is important."

She didn't like the tone of his voice. Whatever it was wasn't good. "It'll take me five minutes to finish what I'm doing, then I'll come see you."

"Ok", Jason said. "See you then."

It took her six minutes. She didn't want to look too worried, but it was hard to not hurry to Jason's quarters. That, too, took longer than expected. Why did everyone have to be going somewhere right now?

Finally, she rang the door chime.

"Come in", Jason said, looking up.

Alanna saw Jason immediately and stopped just inside the doorway, not wanting to accept what she saw.

Jason had his duffle on the couch and looked like he was packing it. He smiled at her but it was a sad smile. He went over to her and took her hand.

"I've been re-assigned", Jason said. "And some jerk in personnel thought it would be nice for me not to get the notice until two hours before I was to report to the ship, which is here. I need to meet my new Captain at 1300 at the shuttle docks."

"No." It came out soft and ragged. They both knew this was a possibility, especially after what happened, but still... She wasn't sure she could deal with this right now. At the same time, she couldn't say anything to Jason. "Where are you going?"

"A ship called the Marseilles", he said. "I'm not sure what they are going to have me doing. I know nothing about this ship, but if I find out it is something that could have a good position for you, maybe you could transfer. And if not, I am going to resign from Starfleet and come back here. I'll spin the dabo wheel for Yolanthe if I have to."

"If they have a position, even for a civilian scientist, I'll come," she said, hugging him. "You could always work with me on Pangaea. With all the research you've done, I'm sure Federation Sciences would take you on." That thought cheered her. She didn't feel right about this new assignment. She looked at him for a long moment. "Promise me you'll be careful. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Of course I will be careful", Jason said. "How am I supposed to rescue you the next time you get in trouble? I want you to have something. Maybe you and T'gan can put it to good use."

He took a metal box with a retinal scanner on it and gave it to her.

"I've reset the retinal receiver, so you can set who ever you want to have access to it", Jason said. "They are data chips with all the experiments I've done in between drinking and carousing. It is all high level and theoretical stuff that I am sure you and T'gan will dismiss from the start, but keep an open mind. These have never gone on to any connected system, so not even Temporal has this work."

"I don't dismiss your work, Jason," she said, taking the box. "Although I have dismissed Temporal's conclusions about it." A brief smile flashed across her face. "Is there anything you want me to keep for you, that you don't want to take with you?"

"Why don't you keep my guitar", Jason said with a smile. "I haven't quite found the inner music again to make it sound right, right now. Maybe when we see each other again I will have found it."

She nodded. "Maybe I'll learn how to play it while you're gone and we can play together?"

He looked at her with a cocked brow and said, "If you are playing when I get back, you'll be the one playing and I'll be the groupie."

She shook her head. "I'll always be your groupie." She put her head on his shoulder. "I'll send you fan mail while you're gone."

"You better", Jason said with a smile.

He pulled her close and leaned in and kissed her.

She clung to him as they kissed, knowing it might be a while before she could kiss him again.

"Promise me something", he said as he broke the kiss.

"What's that?"

"Don't stop going out and having fun", Jason said. "I don't want to have to call Brianthe to make sure you aren't stuck in your office or quarters."

She hesitated. "I don't know about that, but I'll try not to stay cooped up in my office or my quarters. Maybe I'll spend sometime on Pangaea? There's a lot to do on the planet."

"Well, I don't want to come back here and find out that you have forgotten how to have fun", Jason replied. "I don't want to have to train you all over again and I am sure Brianthe doesn't either. We've put a decent amount of time into you."

He smirked.

"I can't promise I'll go out socializing, but I can promise I'll try to get out and do something." She grinned impishly. "Besides, I really don't think either of us wants me out socializing without you."

"Why wouldn't I want you to go out and have fun?", Jason replied. "As long as it isn't with evil Vulcans."

"Because it wouldn't be fun if you weren't there," she said. "I may go dancing, but it will be on the holodeck where I can dance with a professional partner who won't try to flirt with me."

"You might find someone who is way more fun than I am", Jason said. "and a better dancer."

She shook her head. "Not gonna happen. I'm very happy with you."

"Likewise", he said giving her a wink. "Still, I don't want you not taking a break for fun, just because I am not here."

He threw the rest of his clothes in the bag.

"You know, I was just getting to the point where I didn't get turned around at least once a day on the station", he said as he zipped up the bag.

"If all goes well, this will be temporary. I can work a lot of places as a scientist. I love the opportunities here, but I'd rather be with you." She would try to get out every so often, but it wasn't a priority. She knew she was more likely to bury herself in work.

"It will be temporary, I assure you", Jason said. "I don't have to be a Starfleet Officer and I think the opportunities you have here will outstrip anything we get on a ship. You can go forever in space before finding anything."

He was right. DS5 was a dream assignment for a scientist. There was so much to learn about Pangaea and the portals. With his temporal science knowledge, she was pretty sure Jason could get a job as a civilian, if he couldn't get back as an officer.

"You know, I am still mad as hell at the Commander", Jason said. "but I didn't want to quite leave like this."

He sat down on the couch. He still had some time.

Alanna sat down next to him. "What, mad at Commander Soran?"

"Yeah, but that's not what's important", Jason said. "All that is important is trying to make the best of the next 45 minutes. Want to go find some tribbles?"

She chuckled softly. "Yes, I do."

He got up, slung his bag over his shoulder, "Well then, let's go get some ice cream and head to the stomping grounds of the fierce DS5 man-eating tribbles."

"Ice cream and man-eating tribbles, what more could a girl want?" She, too, stood. "Lead the way."

He took her hand and said, "I heard some want flowers, perfume, jewelry, and other stuff like that."

"Not me. I want books, ice cream, and you." She grinned. "And maybe some old sites to explore. I'm low maintenance."

Jason chuckled and holding her hand, he led her to the ice cream shop they had first gone to.

"Although only two weeks ago, it brings back memories", he said to her.

"It does." She smiled. "Good memories."

"I don't know", Jason replied with a smirk. "If we hadn't come here, we might not have been exposed to the truth about the killer tribbles. What flavor would you like?"

"Vanilla. All the better for fighting off tribbles."

Jason ordered her vanilla and himself a cherry vanilla. He smiled handing it to her.

"I haven't heard conclusive evidence that vanilla causes them any distress", he said taking a lick of his.

She took a lick of hers, enjoying the rich vanilla flavor. "You haven't smeared them with it. But then, I think you could use the same argument for chocolate or any other flavor."

"If I were going to smear ice cream on any living being", Jason said with a smile. "I definitely can think of better ones than tribbles to do it to."

She couldn't help laughing. "That's cold, Jason. Very cold."

"Only if you let it set or don't put hot fudge on it", Jason replied. "but, even leaving it plain, you can make a little game of it. A test of wills so to speak."

He licked his cone and gave her a wink.

"Nope. Not going to let it melt," she said, licking her cone again. "I'll lose this particular test of wills." She smiled benignly. "I choose my battles."

"It can be fun to lose some battles", Jason said. "to the right individual."

Alanna nodded and concentrated on her ice cream. She could definitely agree with that statement.

"I lost to you after all", Jason said, wiping his hand off as his ice cream melted.

She raised an eyebrow. "You lost? What did you lose?"

"Well, I tried to keep pushing you away", he said. "but here I am trying to think of a way to get time to stop so I can stay here with you, without getting put in the brig, again."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "I like to think we both won in this instance. We will be together again, one way or another. We just have to wait and see what can be worked out."

He kissed her back and looked at the chronometer and a sad smile ran across it.

"Looks like I have to get going if I am going to catch my ride", he said, sighing.

She wasn't ready for him to leave. She held him tightly. "It's too soon. I know, you have no say, and you had no warning, but still..." She was going to cry and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She buried her head against his shoulder. "Let me know as soon as you're underway. We can talk, can't we?" At least they would have that.

"Once I get in my quarters, I'll be on the comm.", he said stroking her hair. "The ship's in orbit around the station, so it will probably be just an hour or two. Can you keep the station in order until then? I am sure Erich or Scaliontis will have caused some sort of chaos during that time."

"That's a tall order, but I'll try." There was absolutely nothing she could do about Scaliontis.

"If anyone can, it's you", Jason said with a smile, wiping tears from her cheeks. "We'll get through this. It's a lot easier getting back here from a ship than through the portal."

That was true. They could always work something out. "It is. And we'll be able to talk to each other, which was problematic on the other side of the portal. She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "No one can keep Scaliontis in line--except maybe you."

He laughed and took her by the hand and started heading for the shuttle docks. "Nah, the man is in a class of his own. One thing for sure, he lives his life to the fullest it seems."

"Yes, he does. He and Andronikos are good for each other. So are Erich and Brianthe. They're spending more time together."

He sighed. Just as they were starting to build a circle of friends that they could do stuff with, this forced transfer came along.

"You know, I have a friend from academy who works in personnel", Jason remarked. "when I get settled, I am going to call her and find out who managed to pull this little transfer off. Two hours. Hell, even if it was twenty-four it would still be a load of targ..., it would still suck."

"Let me know," she said, looking at him intently. "And let me know how I can help. I'm going to put in a request with Federation Sciences, too." She kissed him again. "We'll make this work."

"Well, don't start doing too many calls before I find out what this ship is all about", Jason said. "It might be some great thing or given what I possibly could be facing from a legal point of view, it could be a ship full of misfits who are getting one chance to get their crap together, at least from the point of view of Command. I mean, I suppose this is better than court martial or demotion, but nothing says that still won't happen."

"Okay, I'll wait, but not for long. I have a feeling that the more this drags out, the more difficult it's going to get."

He took her hand and kissed it as they got to the turbolift.

"Docking ring", Jason said.

The turbolift hummed along and a few minutes later came to a stop. When they got out, down the hall just a little ways was his berth. Standing near it was Commander Soran and another Starfleet officer, a man that Jason didn't recognize. It didn't seem they were catching up on good times with each other.

Alanna squeezed Jason's hand. This did not look good.

[OFF]

Ensign Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
Deep Space Five

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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