Surprise (Sort of) Part 6

Posted on Fri Oct 24th, 2025 @ 4:05am by Ensign Tenzi Sh'reyva & Josef Forstinger & Ensign Tyler Williams & Chief Warrant Officer Aiden Mejia & Petty Officer 3rd Class Dallas Reese & Civillian Samuel Wynters

2,223 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: The Menagerie II
Location: Paddy's Loft / Ten Forward, Deck 10
Timeline: MD007

Dallas had wandered in without Aiden who he'd been inseparable from for the past few days since their date and made his way up to the bar. It was a comfort to see someone like Samuel behind the bar, slinging the drinks with ease, conversing with his patrons and being genuinely happy. That was the aspect of bartending that Dallas missed but would hopefully one day get back to it but back on Earth and not on a ship again. Not after everything.

Taking a seat near to an Andorian and someone else he'd never seen before, Dallas thought about what he wanted to drink for a few moments before turning to the man next to him. He knew that look - it was the look of someone who'd seen too many things, been in too many conflicts. He waited until there was a lull in the conversation and offered a hand, "Hey man, I'm Dallas."

Josef turned to Dallas as he spoke up, slightly raised eyebrow as the man set down the beer on his counter and looked him up and down-though this didn't seem in a mean spirit-as he quickly enough took his hand and shook it. "Josef. Nice to meet you." Still unaware someone else was constantly peeking at him...or was he ?

Aiden hadn't know Dallas all that long, but he knew he liked him. A lot. No labels yet, which was not surprising since he didn't believe in labels anyway. He'd originally thought about giving the other man some space, he didn't want to smother him. But after a few minutes, he'd changed his mind and headed to the party.

He arrived just in time to hear Josef's comment. He stayed back a few steps watching to see what would happen next.

"So that's your name," Tenzi interjected loudly, a broad grin spreading across her face as she faced Dallas. "I've seen you in Engineering often enough, but you always seem so busy."

"Yeah, I tend to keep myself busy when I'm on duty." Dallas gave her a kind of exasperated laugh. How did he not realise she was in the same department as him, was he that out of touch and into his own world?

Tenzi only laughed, the sound was sharp and musical over the din of the lounge, and shook her head like she couldn't believe him. "Busy's one thing," she said, leaning in with her elbows on the bar, a little unbalanced, "but I thought maybe you were just ignoring the rest of us mere mortals."

"It's hard to be a god sometimes," Dallas laughed. He leaned back onto the stool he was sitting on, "I'm guessing you're new to the ship? I haven't seen you around here before? Next round is on me if you're keen." With a quick glance around, he spotted Aiden hovering nearby and gave him a relieved smile before waving him over.

"Samuel," Tenzi said, shaking her glass in one hand while sucking on a cube of ice, "what did you say this little concoction was?"

Samuel smiled over at Tenzi as he replied. "That is a Manhatten, my dear." He picked up a glass that had just been washed and started to dry it with a cloth, as he continued. "It's an ancient Human drink, first created back in the mid-1900s."

While the talking continued, Josef used the opportunity to stop as Tyler was now talking to him. "Yeah, I indeed am. Good guess. And sure, I ain't someone to pass up a free beer."

Tenzi banged her glass down a little harder than she meant to, sloshing what was left of the ice and amber liquid across her knuckles. She didn't care. Her antennae were now crooked, pointing in opposite directions, as if they were just as tipsy as her. "Man-hat-ten,," she declared, drawing the syllables out. "Sounds less like a drink and more like a warning label."

Suddenly, she turned to Samuel behind the bar, jabbing a finger in his direction. "Don't you smirk at me, old man, I can handle your Earth poisons. Dunkels, pil-sen-ers, mat-hannens." She swiveled toward Dallas, eyes bright and reckless, adding, "Don't let him fool you--he serves these with extra extra gravity. That's how he makes the room lean."

Samuel was indeed grinning softly. Though it was not in a malicious way. He had known many Andorians during his long life, and he found that they were one of his favorite drinkers. They knew how to have a good time, and were never afraid to try new things. "Well, young lady," he retorted against Tenzi's old man barb, "There is an old Earth saying which i think fits perfectly here. Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, never fear." He looked over at Josef and asked, "I got that right, yes?" He was referring to the phrase, when he asked the Human from another time.

By now a blush had formed on the mans pale complexion, and his smile had only widened. Seems like all that alcohol was finaly catching up to him. Question was wether it would continue like a slow descent into inebriation or hit him like a semi truck.

He shrugged at his question "I mean...I guesss, we have a bunch of phrases. I mean-Ben used to say Freibier für alle, sonst gibts krawalle!." He laughed at the end of the sentence as if dwelling on some past memory.

"Beer... before liquor... never... fear?" Tenzi slurred, pausing as if each word was a little puzzle to untangle from her tongue. "Liquor... then... beer... never"--she turned suddenly, as if seeing Dallas there for the first time--"Oh, hey! You're the... the guy. Engineering... hunk." She jabbed a finger at him, not even trying to sit up straight anymore, just enjoying the company of those around her.

Samuel sighed softly as he reached under the bar and prepared a an anti-intoxicant that his people had invented nearly ten thousand years prior. While it would not affect other races the same as his people, he knew that it would help. He then smiled at Josef as he replied, "Well the beer certainly is free here, but if anyone riots in my pub, they'll wish they hadn't.

"I promise there won't be any issues," Dallas commented as he looked between Josef and Tenzi, "Except maybe someone throwing up." He had to laugh at it.

Aiden walked up behind Dallas. He wasn't quite sure what to do. Hug him? Kiss him? Talk to someone else?

He settled for something simple. He just said, "Hey there."

Dallas smiled wide and jumped up from the stool to give the man a hug, "Ah, you've made it!" He thought Aiden looked good tonight and kept a grin on as he named and pointed casually at the others, "Samuel, Tenzi and Josef. I, for one, am glad you're here because I'm pretty sure there's about to be a competition between these two."

In the meantime. The Inebriated man seemed to finally notice that his alien companion was quite drunk. "What, about to fall off your chair already, m'lady ?" he said mockingly, even though he himself was blushing all over and swaying slightly, his hand missing once before being placed on her shoulder in a pat. "You know there is no shame in...tapping out--"

Tenzi squinted at him, one eye half-closed like she was trying to line him up through a sight. His words sounded wobbly and slow. She slapped his hand away--not hard, more like brushing lint off her shoulder--and leaned in close enough that he could smell the liquor on her breath.

"You think this--" she lifted her glass, found it was empty, frowned, then raised it anyway--"you think this knocks me out? Ha." Her laugh was too loud for the space between them, and her antennae jerked back like they were also laughing.

She swayed, nearly tipping from the stool, then righted herself with both palms flat on the bar, like she'd meant to slam them there. She glanced over at Dallas with a mischievous look in her eyes, before her vision found Samuel behind the bar. "Samuel! Where are you, my chummy-chum...?"

Samuel looked over at Tenzi and arched a humored eyebrow. "Yes, dear?" He asked as he placed the new glass of the sobering agent in front of her. "Before you ask for anything else, try this. It's an old family recipe that I think you'll like.

Aiden shook his head from side to side and put his hand around Dallas' shoulders.

Tenzi peered at the glass as though it had suddenly appeared through sorcery. She blinked, then snatched-up the glass.

"Old family recipe," she mimicked in a wobbling voice. She tipped the glass back, swallowing half in one go. The liquid was sharp, earthy, with a hint of sweetness buried slightly--but it hit her gut like a stone dropped into a shallow bucket.

Her grin disappeared. She blinked at Samuel, then at Dallas, then at the man beside her, as though she were waiting for someone to tell her she had just been tricked.

Instead, her face went pale--a clash that went badly with Andorian blue.

"Oh no," she managed, slapping a hand over her mouth. She hopped off the stool and staggered for the door. Then she was gone, boots hammering the carpeted deck, hunting for somewhere less public to lose the contents of her stomach.

Josef grinned as her face went pale--even pointed and let out a laugh as she ran out. His laugh now much more unrestrained than before. "Hah ! I win--victory!" he jumped off his barstool partnered with a stumble "I told you--"

Getting up was a big mistake however, as now the beers did indeed catch up with him-and they hit like a semi truck. His last poignant words were "Fuck-" before the floor got closer and closer-and he had collapsed onto the floor of the bar halfway towards the door. He was not fully unconscious--signaled by his groaning. But he probably wouldn't be getting up anytime soon on his own.

Samuel watched with mild concern as Tenzi bolted towards the nearest head, to undoubtedly void everything in her stomach. Then, his eyes snapped back when Josef moved, then collapsed in a drunken heap. The El Aurian vaulted over his bar and moved to the Human's side, waving people back. "Give him some air." He reached down and gently hauled the man back up to his feet, before helping him into a nearby chair. Looking over at one of his staff, he then said, "Bring me that glass," he pointed to the other glass of cloudy fluid, like the one Tenzi had just consumed.

The waitress hurried it over. After she handed Samuel the glass, he added, "No more real alcohol for the rest of the night, for anyone. Synth only." He then turned back to Josef and handed him the glass. "Drink up, friend, this will help."

Josef's hand reached to grasp the glass and missed by a mile at first, before correcting itself and grasping it. "What...ish that ?" he asked--though before getting an answer goes to down it with a surprising speed. Coughing immediately after. "Aaah--what the hell-thish tastes worse than Cod Oil-the fuuuuuck-"

Though it seemed that the fluid was doing its work-and unlike with Tenzi--agreed a bit more with the Humans Physiology--but definitely not his taste buds.

Soon after, he seemed to wobble less and stabilize. "Oh, my head--Jesus Christ. I think I have to lay down--thanks for the drinks." He then turned, going to exit the Bar for now--though he'd probably be back eventually.

"I'll go find Tenzi and make sure she's alright," Dallas said somewhat reluctantly with a small roll of his eyes before giving Aidens hand a squeeze and starting to move away towards where Tenzi had disappeared to. He wished there was just one single night where there wasn't any kind of issue that popped up. "Last thing we need is one of the Engineers ending up in sickbay, Commander Nash would have a fit!"

Samuel gave him a grin and nodded. "Good idea. When you find her, let her know that, for at least the next month, it'll be only synthale for her from me." The El Aurian chuckled, then moved back behind his bar, helping other customers.

---

Ensign Tenzi Sh'reyva
Engineering Officer
USS Astrea


Josef Forstinger
Civilian
USS Astrea


Samuel Wynters
Civilian
USS Astrea


Ensign Tyler Williams
Security Officer
USS Astrea


Chief Warrant Officer Aiden Mejia
Boatswain
USS Astrea


Petty Officer 3rd Class Dallas Reese
Slipstream Specialist
USS Astrea

 

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