Pre-Launch Party, Part 1

Posted on Tue Jan 30th, 2024 @ 3:12am by Captain Remy Johansen & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Major Clay McEntyre III & Lieutenant Jules Mundy & Lieutenant JG Thivi & Lieutenant JG Joey #640 & Attaché Phesg Tel'im
Edited on on Sat Feb 3rd, 2024 @ 2:16pm

1,643 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Menagerie: side stories & mischief making
Location: Ten Forward
Timeline: The Night Before Launch: 2000 hours til morning

[ON]

Dr. Malcolm Beckett went up to the bar and made eye contact with a pretty server. She smiled back and walked over. "What can I get for you?" she asked.

Beckett's Scottish drawl only added to the doctor's charm as he gave his order. "Hello there, lass. Pleasure te meet ye tonight. I'll have a scotch 'n water on the rocks. The real stuff if ye got it. Name's Malcom. Ye might be seein' me in here from time te time. Thought I might catch yours too, if ye d'not mind."

"Coming right up, Malcolm," she said as she reached for a glass and a bottle. "I'm Talia. Pleasure to meet you too, sir."

"Nunnae that sir talk. I come in here te forget about work," he said flashing her a wink as she handed him his drink. "Thank you, Talia. I'll be seein' ye." He held up his glass as a thanks, and turned to look about the room to see who had arrived.

Nash Winters entered the bar with his wife, Sara. They were anxious and excited to launch their refit Galaxy class vessel. Nash’s eyes immediately caught those of Malcolm Beckett, Chief Medical Officer.

“Malcolm…..good evening. Been here long? This is my wife Sara. Sara, this is our CMO Dr. Beckett,” Nash said as he waved to Talia, the bartender.

“Hey, Talia, can I get a beer? Sara, anything for you? Thank you, Talia!”

Sara smiled. "Nice to meet you. Red wine, please," she said. "Dr. Beckett. That's a nice accent you have there. Where are you from?" She asked.

"Hey now, not officially, and not for long I hope," Malcolm said. "Not one for the administrative stuff. I went to medical school to be a doctor. That's all I want to do."

Nash took a sip of his beer and said, “That’s all well and good, doc, but you gotta live a little. We all have responsibilities, but don’t you want to have a social life? Interact with your crew mates?”

"Ye dunnae think that's maybe why I want nuthin te do with this chief nonsense," Malcolm said. "Next thing' ye know yer behind a desk all night, and ye have no social life at all."

Sara laughed. "Give the man a moment to sip his drink, dear," she said, sipping her own wine as it was handed to her. She looked around the room-it looked great and so did the people.

"Aye, I don't mind if I do," Malcolm raised his glass toward Sara and took another drink.

“I’ll drink to that,” Nash said with an impish grin as he took a slug of the beer. “I’ll see ya around, Malcolm. Don’t, uh, drink too much. With all the fun and frivolity going on, some of us might need your services. Sara, let’s go mingle.”

Sara smiled, and nodded. "Alright!!" She said, holding out her hand for him to take. "Have you met everyone yet??"

“Can’t say I have, darlin’. I think there may be some lower deckers and non-Starfleet crew I haven’t met. But now is a good time as any. There’s Vila….Commander Lorut. I think I like her. Smart cookie, won’t take any shit from anybody. We should get along famously. I think she wanted to bend your ear. She’s a scientist, you’re a scientist.”

Sara smiled. "I know her name," she said. "Some of her research is very good. I would love to spend some time talking with her," she said.

Vila was already there-Remy had told her to be on time or early or else. She was dressed nicely but not overtly showy-she was now the XO and had to set the example. Damn it. She wore a loose black dress, tied at the waist with a belt, her signature too-high heels, and red lipstick. A bit of blue eyeshadow dabbed into the ridges of her nose complemented the look. It was toned-down sexy, and still looked capable. She hoped. She made her way to the bar.

"Kanar, please," she said. "I am Dr. Lorut Vila, executive officer of this boat. Thanks for helping out this evening," she said to the woman behind the bar. She smiled when the woman handed her the syrupy blue liquid. "Thanks so much!" She said.

She turned around and made her way towards Dr. Beckett. As she did, she saw Nash and his wife, Sara, pass her by. "Hello!" she said to the two.

"Dr. Beckett. You look nice tonight," she said. "Fancy seeing you here," she said.

"Aye, same to you, Commander. You do look quite nice," Malcolm responded with a nod.

"Thank you," she said. "So...I hear you don't wish to stay on as the CMO. Who are you thinking of for that spot?" She asked, making small talk. He was cute enough, and she was feeling a little lonely these days.

Malcolm chuckled. "As long as its nae myself, I dunnae care really. "I'm sure once they announce th' Captain officially, folk will apply. They like te ken who they'll be workin' for."

Vila nodded. "Probably," she said. "For me, it's less about the Captain and more about the opportunities to study new things. Most of the BQ is studied and known already. I am bored. I need strange new worlds to look at, new races to meet," She said. "Anyway. The Captain and Commander Johansen will probably just end up choosing someone." She said. She, for one, was happy to put it off a bit longer. She hated having to do medicals and psych evals along with launch BS.

"Aye, perhaps," Malcom said nodding.

Tel'im entered, smiling around at those she knew. Walking up to the bar, the Romulan looked at the human behind it. "Scotch, neat--if you have the real thing, good, but synthesized will do just as well... I'm Tel'im--you are?"

"Hi Tel'im, I'm Talia. And we do have the real thing, you are not the first to ask for it," she said as she brought out the bottle and poured the drink. She slid it across the bar to the Romulan.

Tel'im smiled. "Pleasure... Excuse me." She made her way over to the others. "Dr. Beckett? I met your chief nurse--lovely woman. Commander... Winters, isn't it?"

Winters reached forward to shake the Romulan’s hand. “Just….Nash. This is my wife, Sara. Haven’t seen much of you around recently. Of course I’ve been preoccupied with the launch and the slipstream drive and all that. What did you say your name was?”

Sara smiled. "Hello! Nice to meet you," she said. "Welcome aboard."

"Tel'im--I'm essentially an expert on the Romulans, given we're operating in the area of the former Neutral Zone... How have you found the new engine systems? And, have you found life here agreeable, Mrs. Winters?"

"Our daughter and I only arrived the other day," Sara said. "We're settling in so far, but I am excited about getting to work. I will be assigned to the Mae Jamison center," she said. "I am a biochemist," she said. "And I am especially glad to get Alexandra into classes. Poor girl is bored to death without other kids here," she said.

"I know that feeling... I had to help my sister raise three young children at one point... If you ever need babysitting services, let me know." The Romulan took a cautious sip of the Terran alcohol, then turned her attention to Nash. "Sorry, were you saying something?"

“As Chief Engineer, I helped supervise the refit and I find our engine systems pristine. The new warp drive is innovative and efficient. The slipstream, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. I hope you get acclimated quickly and get comfortable here. You’ll find acceptance and tolerance in abundance here. You will be treated with dignity and respect aboard Astrea. Coming from a senior officer, you can count on it,” Nash said.

"I appreciate it, really I do... Most Starfleet officers are stand-up people, but I had a nasty run-in with a Telarite when I first got to Jupiter Station."

Remy walked briskly in, wearing a blousy shirt-dress in burgundies and violets and belted at the waist with black tights and black boots that went over her calves with a slight heel. She made a bee line for Vila, seeing Nash and a few other officers as well. She looked around the room. "I wish I didn't have so much on my mind. Looks like we're going to get quite a turnout."

Vila smiled, looking at Remy. "You look nice. Dr. Beckett and I were just chatting about his pick for CMO," she said. Well, actually, Vila was trying to sink her claws into him, but she was pretending to care about the medical bay. She did, really, but not at this current moment in time.

"Yes, well he's adamant he doesn't want it, so we have the posting out," Remy said with a shrug. "Who knows -maybe we'll get someone fresh out of med school who think they know everything and having our doctor here rethinking his decision."

Malcolm pressed his lips together and shook his head at Remy the way a parent might look at a stubborn child. "Nae, Commander. I told ye, I treat patients. That's what I signed up for. A job shadow now n then is just fine, but don't make me run no department."

Vila laughed. "Yeah, the paperwork is the terrible part. The first day I got CSO ever, I was so excited. Then my XO told me I'd have to do duty rosters, and reports, and all the rest, and I was less excited," she said. "I could do without the bureaucracy myself," she said, nodding. She sipped the Kanar, carefully.

>> To Part 2 >>

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