"Jackpot"
(previous post the amusing "This Is No Laughing Matter")
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Stardate: 60320.1700
Setting: TANGIERS SHUTTLE
Susan looked down at the PADD.
She blinked at it and scrolled down.
In true tradition, first class was let off the transport first. Not
wanting to ruin her - or Sol's - cover, Susan gave up on the idea of looking
for Matt and decided to try and figure the strange message out for herself.
If worst came to worst, she wouldn't be able to and Matt would simply
think that she genuinely had other business to attend to.
With a mental sigh, Susan stuck the PADD into her hand luggage and
disembarked.
-----------------------
When Susan stepped onto TANGIERS ORBITAL, her mind was still on the
PADD... which was probably why she didn't see the Cardassian until he had her
pinned against the wall.
"Sol!" He said, smiling.
Susan was starting to think that Sol knew everyone in the universe. She
looked around helplessly, hoping someone on the crowded main floor
would help. However, in that chaos, it was too much to hope for and she
returned her attention to the Cardassian. He was also not someone she had on her file.
"We meet again." she said, deciding to play it safe and hoping that
this was true.
The Cardassian inclined his head. "I didn't think we'd be seeing you...
you worried us when you pulled that 'into the sunset' routine."
Susan was starting to see a connection here. Matt had also mentioned
her 'taking off into the sunset.' Remembering his sarcastic comment about
Starfleet, Susan decided to risk it, "What'd you think? I went off to
Starfleet?"
Susan was rewarded by a smirk, "Honey, I know you aren't *that*
desperate. You get hold of Matt yet?"
Something inside Susan leapt for joy. Strange things may have been
happening... but at least they were connected. She nodded, "Yeah, he
caught me before I left."
**Literally** she thought, but decided to spare the Cardassian the
details.
He smiled, "Excellent." and he pulled away from Susan. "You ever played
poker before?"
Susan suddenly clicked. **Of course**. That's what the message had
meant... at least one of the words anyway.
Susan shrugged, "Who hasn't?"
The Cardassian smiled slyly, "Is there any kind of gambling you haven't
taken part in?"
"Probably not." Susan said. It was what she had been thinking.
The Cardassian laughed and walked away.
As far as Susan was concerned, she had two options: try and figure out
what Matt had meant by "red" and "hot"... or go crawling to someone else
from the ANUBIS for help. She would have liked to think that her pride kept her from the latter option. She also would have liked to think that she hadn't
been searching for a sign of someone from the ANUBIS when she stumbled upon
the dress shop and saw that satin dress in the window.
A smirk had made its way across her face before she consciously
realized what she was thinking.
----------------------
Susan looked at herself in the mirror in her suite and couldn't help
smiling. Her father would have killed her. He would have. He would have
slaughtered her. And then he would have locked her up in a penitentiary
for the rest of her life. But he wasn't here and she was staring at Sol.
Not Susan. Sol. Sol looking very hot in a red dress about to go and play
poker.
True, purchasing the dress had been a little bit of a gamble... after
all, the message probably didn't mean that she had to play poker in a red
dress... but it was a very nice dress and since she did have all that
money provided for her to aid her on this mission... well, it was worth the
chance wasn't it?
After giving herself one more look-over in the mirror, Susan picked up
the PADD. There was a problem, of course, there was no time specified.
Unless there was one and it was hidden. If it was, Susan had no idea where.
Deciding that there was no time like the present, Susan put the PADD
down on the dresser and headed for the second level where she had seen a few
poker tables. At worst, she'd be waiting there the rest of the night... at
best she'd run into Matt and that Cardassian and find out what they had up
their sleeves. Bajoran artifacts had sounded intriguing... but then again,
who needed three people to smuggle a few artifacts? Despite the obvious
danger in investigating this, Susan's curiosity loved the very idea.
--------------- 2005 post #169
It had three words on it.
"Red Hot Poker"
There was nothing else. Only those three words. Thinking that they may
have been Matt's idea of a joke, Susan got up to go and find him. Just as
she did, however, a hostess coming down the isle informed her that they
were about to land and could she please take her seat?
Stardate: 60320.1705
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, Main Floor
The dress was red.
And it was hot.
**Serendipity** she thought. **If this is the wrong interpretation of
the message then... who's fault is that?**
Stardate: 60320.1800
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, 5th floor
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za}
Ensign Susan Mei
Head Counselor
USS ANUBIS
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"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own." - Adam Lindsay Gordon
