The Day After - Love on the rocks Part 3

Posted on Sat Apr 18, 2020 @ 9:59pm by Civilian 'Arrival' Geral Lasuma & Civilian Sha'rae Astare & Captain Maritza Soran

1,958 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Various
Timeline: MD 03, various

[ON]

[Lasuma's Yacht]

Geral woke up, for the first time in months, alone.  His normal morning routine was now off, but even as he was about to go back under the covers he smelled coffee.

Jumping up he had expected to see Maritza in the living area with a peace offering and that they would be spending the morning clearing the air.  However when he entered his hopes faded as he saw Sha’rae picking up right where she had left off.

Turning to see her boss try to cover the disappointed look on his face with a half-hearted smile, she smiled at him.  “Good morning sir.”

“Morning…I suppose you heard?”

With a shrug she nodded.  “I don’t think there is a soul on the station that hasn’t.”  She knew better than to ask about the details of his business dealings, especially those she had not already been a party to, but in this case she had to ask.  “Can I ask you a question?”

Leaning against the credenza, “You want to know if it’s true…Did I bet Gevran as to whether or not I could bed the Captain.”

She shrugged as she nodded, “Well….yes”.

He took a breath, letting it out in a huff.  “Was there a bet; yes.  BUT when it was made and what is was about are totally misconstrued.”

She tried to keep from laughing but she knew he could see her expressions.

“Go ahead laugh it up…”

A chuckle escaped as she went red.  “I’m sorry, but it seems you really stepped in it big time.”

Sitting down he reached for his coffee.  “Yeah…  Well what do I do now?”

He watched her curiously as she opened a cabinet and set a salt grinder on the table.  Picking it up he looked at her, puzzled.  “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Well sir, humans have a saying and to get out of this one you are going to have to, as they say, eat crow…I just thought you might want a little salt.”

Sitting down she covered his hand with hers.  “Look, I haven’t seen you this happy in a long long time.  I know you care about her but you tried to mix a blossoming relationship with a business arrangement and it blew up.”

Leaning back she continued.  “So you screwed up.  But if you want her back you are going to have to admit to it.  Tell her the truth…all of it.”

His hand went to his face as laid his mouth on the top of his fist.   

[Maritza's Quarters]

She wasn't sure when shed fallen asleep, From the weariness that seemed absolutely bone deep she could only assume it wasn't that long ago. Maybe two hours? She was twisted up in her sheets and had to kick a bit to get free. She felt like shed been steam rollered. Everything was stiff and sore. And she was cold. Shed gotten used to waking up warm.

Letting the sheets drop she went through the motions of getting dressed, dealing with her hair. It was quiet. Her mornings hadn't been silent in months. It felt...spooky.

Then she moved to the little kitchenette. "Taurine, three thousand miligrams, caffeine 200 miligrams. Protein, twenty grams. Multi-vitamin." The replicator complied, adding a glass of water. She swallowed the pills in one go, ate the spongy cream cube in one bite, and shoved the glass back in the replicator. Breakfast gone in 20 seconds. It was her shortest one in months. Good. She had just clawed back thirty more minutes in her day. Even if it was tasteless and textureless and blander than bland.

[Lasuma’s]

Geral had spent his lunch in his office and was finishing up his meal when a call came in.  Opening the channel it was a sales rep with the manufacturer for the new yacht he was interested in.

=^=  Mr. Lasuma , I just reviewed your inquiry concerning our yacht line.  I wanted to thank you for choosing Origin to see to your needs and to say we are all exited to be working with you.  You will pleased to know that the features you selected can all be installed and we can begin immediately with your customizations.  Did you have any questions? =^=

“Yes actually, I do have a few.  The upper and bow observation areas.  Are they transparent hull materials or do they have coverings that move into place when needed?  For the excursion craft.  I’d like to double the number of bikes if possible.  And in case torpedo replenishment is needed.  Can the ship be re-armed using local facilities or is that exclusive to your company?”

=^=  Well to ensure proper hull integrity and strength, the observation areas are all transparent hull materials with a polarization filter installed to protect against direct starlight  Of course their opaqueness can be adjusted as needed to accommodate personal preferences.

=^=  Going from two to four on the bikes will not be a problem and as for re-arming we can provide those services or you can be outfitted locally.  A copy of the weapons schematics is included in the database and can be provided to local licensed authorities.  As you are currently located on a Federation facility they can handle any rearming needs you may have.  =^=

Geral nodded.  “Excellent.  I’ve already taken your holographic tour and was impressed with what I saw so let’s get things started.”

=^= Very good. There are just a few formalities to complete.  First will this be a corporate or personal registry? =^=

“Corporate.”

=^=  Which model did you want?  Did you want the 890 Adventurer or the 890 Executive?  =^=

“I don’t have the brochure file right here at the moment but the Adventurer had the top landing bay and the Executive the bottom, correct?”

=^=  That is correct.  =^=

“Then let’s go with the Adventurer.  I was actually sort of put off by having to have the shuttles lowered out by a docking arm.  Plus the Adventurer looked more…robust.”

=^= I understand that.  Now will there be a trade in of any kind? =^=

That actually made Geral pause.  He had planned to have his current ship repaired and made available to his employees but why use a hand me down...his people deserve better.  “Yes.  I have a craft here at DS5…and a smaller vessel at my headquarters on Bajor.  You know now that I think about it I need to adjust my order.”

=^=  That wouldn’t be a problem.  What do we need to change?  =^=

“Oh no changes to the load out.  Just the quantity and type.  I will need one 890 Adventurer and one 890 Executive delivered to me here on Deep Space 5 and one 890 Executive delivered to my headquarters on Bajor.  Another thing. On the Executive model, I would like the master suits replaced with regular guest accommodations. I can have the total deposit amount transferred to the account you provided earlier and once your people have made delivery, appraised and taken possession of my current vessels I will send payment on the final invoice.  I trust that is satisfactory?”

The salesman looked like he was about ready to collapse but held his composure.  =^= That is more than satisfactory.  I will submit the order as soon as we have confirmation of the initial payment. =^=

“You will have it within the next few minute.  It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

=^= Oh the pleasure is all ours, Mr. Lasuma.  If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me. =^=

Closing the channel he smiled. He was more than sure of his pleasure considering he just tripled his commission.  But it wasn’t like he didn’t have the funds.  Pulling up the image of his purchase his first thought was to wonder what Maritza would think.

[CO's Office]

Lunch had been the same as breakfast, designed in a lab and produced in the most replicator efficient form of pure chemistry.   But even swallowing the handful of pills couldn't take the edge off the gnawing sensation in her gut that was distracting her from all her work.  

Out of habit she opened her desk drawer, and left around at the back and the underside of the desk.  The draw had never  ever held anything of interest, making the search pointless as well as fruitless. 

She went to her replicator. "200miligrams cordafin."  

"Unable to comply. That is not a prescription associated with your medical record," the computer told her. 

"It was worth a shot," Maritza told the replicator. She could overide it. But that would leave marks in the record that she didn't want to run risks`

She went back to her desk and started on the next death notice. Dear Mr and Mrs Gandolfini. I regret to inform you that your son, Giovanni, has been involved in a fatal accident whilst carrying out his duties. To the end he perfomed his duties with the care and diligence of an exemplary officer and
was a credit to the uniform... He had been changing the bussard collectors on a shuttle craft when the SIF had failed and he'd been sucked into space. Right now he occupied a torpedo tube on the USS Odyssey.

What had happened to him, and so many of his colleagues was a tragedy. She'd lost so many people in the last few years. The Serenity, the Onedin, And so many many here.

She finished the obligatory cause of death paragraph, signed it, sent it. The turned her padd to the next file. Dear Vedek Lavan, I regret to inform you.


[Guest Quarters - 2100]

Having arranged for quarters on the station while his yacht was packed up and repaired he sat back and sipped at his whisky sour as he listened to the latest news from Bajor.  Turning off the report his thoughts immediately turned to Maritza.  Normally they would be having a dinner or he would be insisting that she actually delegate some issue or another so that she could have a dinner.  Smiling at that he swirled his drink in his hand as the smile faded.  He had given her an amount of time he thought appropriate and he figured, he hoped, she would take his message.  

“Computer begin recording.  Maritza…You have every right to be upset with me about last night and for that I am truly sorry.  However there are things that were out of context that you need to know about…not that it makes what happened any more less wrong.  Anyway I’m sorry.  I would like the chance to explain…everything.  I will be in my new quarters if you would please call or stop by whenever you get the chance.  No expectations, no crowds, just you me and the truth.

“Computer end recording and send to Captain Soran’s personal database.”

Returning to his news he finishing his drink and waited.  Either she would call, stop by, or none of the above; but either way he was determined to be awake just in case.

[Maritza’s Quarters]

At a little after 2100 she walked through the doors of the Commanders Stateroom, stripped her uniform as she walked towards her bed, and let it drop where it fell. She'd written fifty death notices, and had toured the hospital, and dealt with a hundred other little things and a few crazy big ones.

She flopped down onto the bed as her terminal pinged. "You have a message form Lasuma Geral," the computer said.

Maritza rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a long minute. "Delete it."

[OFF]

Captain Maritza Soran
CO
DS5

Geral Lasuma
Owner of Lasuma Enterprises

Sha'rae Astare
Valet to Geral Lasuma

 

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