Security Clearance

Posted on Wed Dec 13, 2017 @ 9:30am by Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Commander Caleb Ryan & Ensign Jessica Mayhew

2,347 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Security
Timeline: MD 8 1300

There was a lot to learn on a station, and a lot of people to meet. It would take Alanna weeks before she really felt at home. One of the first things she needed to do was meet the senior staff. Padd in hand, she headed for security to find Commander Ryan. She walked into Security and looked for someone who could help her find the commander.

“Can I help you, sir?” The ensign at the front desk was a pretty blonde young woman, and she sat up straighter in the presence of the superior officer.

Alanna smiled. "Hi. Is Commander Ryan available?"

Jessica frowned. “Commander Ryan is on lunch,” she said. “But he doesn’t mind being disturbed.” She gave a smile. “He prefers lunch meetings anyway. Less formal. He is at Gino’s, if you want to track him down. I can call ahead and let him know to expect you.”

Alanna smiled. She generally preferred less formal when possible. "That sounds great. Thank you. Oh, and the captain said I need to get my phaser recertification done. Do you set that up, or do I talk to the Master-at-Arms directly?"

“I can put it on Lieutenant Ransom’s schedule, if you like,” Jessica said. “She’s just back in the armory, if you wanted to talk to her now.” Jessica hovered her hand over the comm or over a padd, ready to grab the one she needed for whatever Alanna decided.

"Why don't I talk to Commander Ryan now and come back later for my recertification? I'd appreciate it if you could set me up for a time. I'm pretty free right now."

“Sure,” Jessica said, picking up the padd. She looked at the options and got which was best for the lieutenant before saying, “Welcome aboard” and walking Alanna out.


[Gino's]

Alanna found the restaurant with the help of her padd and walked in. "Hi," she said, smiling at the maitre'd. "I'm looking for Commander Ryan."

The Human male behind the desk was tall and broad, with a square jaw and dark Italian eyes and hair. He was dressed in nice black jeans with a huge belt buckle with a star on it, and a black Western cut shirt with a string tie. He smiled at Alanna as she entered and made her request.

“Ah, Caleb. Yes,” he said in a baritone voice. “Welcome to Gino’s.”

He led Alanna into the restaurant under the large skull of a longhorn. A long bar stretched along one side of the room. Two crossed Winchester rifles decorated the wall over the bar, and the barstools were all shaped like saddles. A mechanical bull sat in one corner of the bar, though no one was riding it currently. The place was fairly well attended, the clink of glasses and silverware and quiet conversation around them. Other walls had pictures of famous Texans like Sam Houston and Stephen Austin. He led her to a back table that had a bit of privacy from some potted plants. A tall, lanky, dark-haired man with a handsome, if weathered, face and sharp blue eyes sat there. He wore a Security uniform and had commander pips on his collar.

“Caleb? Got a pretty lady here for you,” the man said.

The seated man wiped his mouth on a napkin. He looked to have just started into a medium rare steak with all the fixings. “Thank ya, Gino,” Caleb drawled in his Texas accent. He stood up politely and offered his hand to the blonde. “Commander Caleb Ryan. How may Ah help ya...Lieutenant?” he asked, checking her pips.

Gino gave Caleb a friendly grin and a wink. “Good luck.”

Caleb laughed and shook his head.

Gino turned away and yelled, “Charlene! Customer!” He looked back at Alanna. “Charlene will be right with you,” before he returned to the front of the restaurant.

Alanna grinned at the irrepressible Gino and took Caleb's hand, giving him a warm smile. "I hope you don't mind the interruption. I'm Alanna Wells." Her eyes met his, as they told her more about him as a person. "I just arrived on the station."

“Welcome aboard,” Caleb said. He gestured to the table. “Take a seat. Order lunch.” He waited until she was seated before he took his seat again, despite the fact that he was higher rank and she should wait.

An attractive blonde waitress sauntered over. She wore tight jeans and a red and white checkered shirt tied up to expose midriff and some nice cleavage. The name badge read CHARLENE. “Welcome ta Gino’s,” Charlene said in a thick Texas drawl as she handed an honest to goodness actual menu to Alanna. “Can Ah get ya somethin’ ta drink?” She set down a refill glass of Caleb’s sweet tea with lemon.

“Thank ya, Charlene,” Caleb said with a smile.

"Hibiscus lemonade, if you have it, " Alanna said.

She turned to Caleb. "What do you recommend on the menu?"

“Be right back with that lemonade,” Charlene said with a nod, and left.

Caleb chuckled. “Steak,” he said with a grin. “It is a steakhouse. Though the pork chops an’ chicken ain’t bad, either. If that ain’t yer thing, wait a week. Ah think Gino’s plannin’ on Japanese next week.” He cut into his steak. “So yer the new science officer, right? Got a memo you were comin’.”

Alanna smiled. At least he did his homework. "I wasn't very clear on that, was I? Sorry. I'm suffering from data overload." He was probably wondering what sort of flake she was. "I love steak, but I'm not sure what to have with it. Do you recommend salad, potatoes, onion rings, or veggies? Or should I simply ask the waitress? Never mind. I'll just pick something."

Caleb laughed. “Yer overthinkin’ things, darlin’,” he told Alanna. “Eat what ya like. Heck, order it all, if that’s what ya want.”

She gave him a sheepish grin. "I am overthinking this, aren't I?" She was definitely suffering from input overload. Food would help. Protein would help more. And not making a fool of herself in front of a good-looking co-worker… Well, she'd have to work on that one. "So, steak, potatoes, and a salad it is."

She placed her order when the waitress returned. "I take it from your accent that you grew up in Texas?" she asked Caleb.

“Born an’ bred,” Caleb acknowledged. “Seems ever’one signs up ta Starfleet ta get off that damn ranch, only ta want nothin’ more than ta return an’ go right back ta wranglin’ steers,” he said. “Ah ain’t quite ready ta hang up mah Starfleet spurs yet, though, much as mah bum leg might want me to,” he admitted. “But Ah do miss Walker.” Caleb sipped his sweet tea. “Mah horse,” he explained to Alanna.

"Do you get to go home very often?" she asked.

Caleb shook his head. “Every couple a years. Spent a year back home recoverin’ after mah wife died,” Caleb said. He glanced down and took a sip of his sweet tea, wishing he were off duty so it could be something stronger. Clearly that memory pained him still. “An’ Ah stopped by briefly before we were assigned here. Where’s home fer you?” he asked Alanna.

"My family lives on a small colony in the Catalan system. It's a fair journey, so I don't get back as often as I would like."

The waitress brought her food and set it before her. "Thank you," Alanna said. Turning back to Caleb, she added, "I'm sorry to hear about your wife." She could feel that he was still recovering from his loss, so she changed the subject. "That's where I developed my love of the woods. I like to spend time outdoors when I can. Fortunately, there are holodecks and arboretums on starships."

Caleb pointed his fork at Alana and nodded. “Right,” he agreed. “Cain’t say Ah know much woodcraft beyond what they taught at the Academy. Texas is mostly open prairie. But Ah do have a holographic version of Walker Ah like ta take out ridin’ when Ah can find the time. It’s some comfort.” He flashed Alanna a smile and dug back into his food, letting her start eating, as well, before they got to the business that had brought her to see him.

The food was excellent. The steak reminded Alanna of home. She would have to come back here for the steak again. Did the Commander say it was going to serve Japanese food next week? "I know my way around the woods, but I've never ridden a horse," she admitted.

“Ah, you’re missin’ out, Lieutenant,” Caleb said. “Sometime Ah’ll have ta take ya ridin’. There’s nothin’ like the freedom of the open prairie. Much like your woods, Ah imagine. Ya been down ta the planet yet?” he asked her. “Some mighty nice forest there. We even found an old castle. Good, thick old wood forest all around it. Pretty as a picture, it is.”

"No, I haven't been to the planet, not yet, anyway. I definitely want to see the castle and woods." It did sound lovely. She was eager to see what type of castle it was, what trees grew in the forest, what type of undergrowth. And maybe imagine what it would have been like to live there. She grinned. "I would also like to go horseback riding some time and learn what I've been missing."

Caleb chuckled. “It’s a date, then,” he promised her with a smile. He pushed his empty plate away. “So Ah’m guessin’ ya need yer security clearance,” he said, indicating the padd she had set on the table when she had sat down. “We can take care of that while we wait for the pecan pie an’ coffee.”

"Yes, please," she said. Both for the security clearance and the pecan pie. "I'm kinda hamstrung without a security clearance."

Caleb chuckled. “Good excuse ta be lazy on the job,” he said with a grin. “Jus’ blame me.” He tapped a bit on the pad. It was really just a formality. He had to check to be sure the person who presented the orders matched with the file he had received, facial recognition and biometrics. He held the padd up and scanned her face, then offered her the padd to press her thumb and give her voice print before he added his own.

“Should be all set,” Caleb told Alanna, handing her the padd back just as the pie and coffee arrived. “Thanks, Charlene,” he told the pretty, young waitress.

“Ya’ll got family?” Caleb asked, turning his attention back to the new science officer.

"My brother and parents still live on Catalan," she said. "That's about it. What about you?" She took a bite of the pecan pie and closed her eyes in pleasure.

Caleb smiled. It seemed both proud and...sad. “Ah have a daughter,” he said. “She’s a teenager, an’ a handful, but smart as all get out, an’ Ah’m proud a her. Mah wife...passed two years ago,” he said. He poked at his pie with his fork. “Mika was a science officer, like you,” he told Alanna with a sad smile. “Zandy is a lot like her sometimes. She just started an internship under the previous Chief Science Officer before she had to leave. Mostly yer standard gofer work, but it’ll look good on her Academy application. Ah hope ya don’t mind a teenager underfoot, Lieutenant.”

"Not at all. We always need people to do grunt work." She looked at Caleb for a long moment. "I'm sorry about your wife."

“Thank ya fer yer kindness,” Caleb said. “It’s been a difficult couple a years, but time does heal some.” He took a sip of his coffee. “How ‘bout you? Got a special fella in yer life?” he asked. “Or lady, if that’s what ya prefer?” His grin told her she didn’t have to answer, if she felt it was too personal a question, though the smile fell a bit. “Not that Ah’m askin’...for me, mind,” he said. “Not that ya wouldn’t be a good catch…” He chuckled. “Ah do love the taste a foot…”

"I'm hetero. There's currently no one special in my life." She wouldn't mind if he was asking for himself. He was quite charming. But that wasn't something a lady blurted out. She gave him a mischievous smile. "You do look cute with your foot in your mouth. Seriously, though, I don't mind the question."

Caleb chuckled and looked relieved. “Never know nowadays,” he said with a more open and friendly smile. “Well, there are plenty of eligible bachelors on Deep Space Five, Ah’m sure. Ah’ve been out of the game so long, Ah’m sure Ah wouldn’t know what ta do with a pretty young thing like you, though.” He laughed. “But if there’s any introductions ya want, let me know.”

Ah. So, he wasn't interested. Too bad. "You're not that old," she assured him. "Nor do I think you've completely lost your touch. You're probably just a little rusty."

Caleb chuckled. “Ancient,” he said with a handsome smile.

Charlene walked up then, laying a paper check down on the table. “No rush, hon,” she said, giving Caleb a wink.

“Ah’ve got this,” Caleb assured Alanna, handing over a credchip.

"Thanks," Alanna said. "And thanks for the clearance." She gave him a cheerful smile. "And I look forward to working with you."

“And you.” Caleb smiled and stood when Alanna did, extending his hand once more. “See ya at mornin’ briefin’ tomorrow, if not sooner.”

"I look forward to it," Alanna replied, shaking his hand.

____
OFF

Cdr. Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical

Ens. Jessica Mayhew
Security Officer
NPC Caleb Ryan

Gino Romano
Proprietor of Gino’s
NPC Caleb Ryan

Charlene
Waitress
NPC Caleb Ryan

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer

 

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