From: SomeGod <psychon@oocities.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 00:09:37 -0700
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: More, and more and more Reception talk <yawn>

*************************************************************
ATTENTION:  	This text is of PG or less rating.  That means that people
with extreme sensibilities to Adult themes, Religous Leaders,
Politicians, Fundamentalists, people without a sense of humour (okay,
that's a tautology as it applies to all the aforementioned groups, but I
thought I include it anyway) and people with a low two digit IQ (another
tautology) should not read this text.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
There is nothing offensive in here, and nothing X-rated (oooops, there
goes the rest of my readership), so don't bother looking for anything.
*************************************************************

MD 14.2209
Scene: 10-Forward Lounge

	He shouldn't have done it.  He definitly shouldn't have demonstrated
how to snort tequila.  He decided to file it away under Bad Ideas.  The
thing about snorting tequila was not so much that half your face went
numb - the entire face if you snorted a shot up both nostrils - or that
your brain seemed to go on a holiday, it was that it removed all his
fear.  Which, one might have thought, would be a good thing, given his
constant tension and paranoia, but for Oz Fear was what kept him alive.

	"Oh, shure, I'd lurve to shee your planet.", he slurred, talking to the
High Duchess, his brain temporarily so addled that his body refused to
be afraid.  Somewhere deep inside the voice of reason cried out,
shouting 'No !  Are you insane, you drunken idiot ?  The planet is
swarming with those snakes !!!', but nobody listened to that voice.  For
the time being.
	"'ey, I'm the guy who flies shis big shingy here, shtarship, hick, I'll
be able to fly a little shingy, shuttle, whatever.  Shust shquare it
wish sche Big Bosh, an' A'll take a bunsh o' ush down t'morrow.  Hick.",
he continued.

	"A tour will be set up for you to enjoy our beautiful capitol and meet
some Corellian Citizens.", she said.  "I am certain you will find Our
citizens very kind and interesting."

	Oz snorted, then wished he hadn't.  It wasn't the disgusting sound it
made, rivalling that of an elephant with blocked sinuses trumpeting, it
was the pain.

	"Y'know, yer worship, shome'ow I really doubt dat.", he said, wishing
his facial muscles would stop feeling so paralyzed.  He'd never snort
tequila again.  Ever.  Not that eternity was that long.
	"I've met yer folks before.  Twice.  Didn't like 'em.  Nasty little
bastards, they were - ow !!!  Shtop kicking me !"

	"Did I step on your foot ?  I'm sorry.", Clarissa said sweetly,
wondering whether she would manage to get her heel fixed.  "Your
Highness, it is an honour and a pleasure to meet you."  She curtsied,
then turned to Oz.  "Oz, sweety, why don't you go and get us something
to eat.  I am sure her Highness would like some of those delicious
little biscuits."

	Watching the FCO stagger off towards the table, Clarissa smiled at the
High Duchess.  "Don't mind him, he's had a few bad experiences with
Corellians in the past.  I am sure, though, that he will find the tour -
interesting.  And so will the other officers that come."  She did not
mention that she was not too sure that the Captain would allow the tour,
seeing that it might be considered favouritism.

************

	"Go and do shis.  Go and do dat.  Go and fetch.  What am I ?  A dog ?",
Oz mumbled to himself as he was filling a small plate with the
aforementioned biscuits.  "Bloody snakes, anyway."  The effect of the
tequila on his face was wearing off.

	"Excuse me, I could not help noticing you talking to the High
Duchess.", someone next to him said.  Oz glanced at him.  One of the
lawyers.  He couldn't remember which one.  Not that his vision was good
right now.

	"Yeah.  What's it to you.", the FCO replied.  You couldn't trust
lawyers.  He was scared of snakes, but he despised lawyers.  The
difference between snakes and lawyers was that there were skidmarks in
front of snakes.

	"Oh, it just seemed like a very interesting talk you had.  So you are
going to visit the Corellian Capitol ?"

	Aha, he had been listening in.  "Yeah.  Seems so.  Can't say I'm
looking forward to it.", Oz shrugged.  "Can't stand the bloody snakes." 
Uh oh, tongue was still a bit loose and waggly.  Better be careful what
you are saying, he thought.  Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to
drink this much.

	"Snakes ?", the lawyer asked.

	"Corellians.  Whatever.", Oz shrugged and offered a biscuit.

	"Thank you.", the lawyer replied, nibbling.  "So I take it you are not
too fond of them ?"

	"Fond ?  Hah !!!", Oz snorted again, and again loudly.  People looked
at him from all over the place.  "Fond ?  Listen, I met those bastards
twice, and both times was the worst time of my life."  He was not quite
sure how that could be, but he decided it did not matter.  There were
lots of Worst Times in his life.  Most if it, in fact.

	"Indeed ?  Perhaps you would be interested in a visit to one of our
Mining Stations ?  There is one on the second moon which would probably
of interest to a discerning man as yourself.  I am sure you would enjoy
it.  In fact, I believe I shall offer your Captain and those of the
Senior Staff, such as yourself, who wish to accompany him, a guided tour
around the station.", the lawyer said, finishing his biscuit and taking
another one.

	"Oh, gee, I couldn't imagine anything more exciting than a bunch of
miners.", Oz muttered.  He had seen miners before.  Been one, although
his job desciption had also been slave, so that had been a bit
different.  He was not to keen to meet a bunch of oversized, overmuscled
smelly blokes with a low two digit IQ.  He said so.

	"If you 'xcuse me, I think I'm supposed to bring these back to the Big
Head Snake.", Oz said.  "Corellians like them.  Whatever faults they
have, they sure know how to properly bake insects."

	"Insects.", the lawyer said lightly stunned.

	"Yeah, sure.  Don't tell me you didn't know.  Flies, beetles and some
blueish dragonfly type thingy are mixed, squeezed, and then prepared
with flour and sugar and chili sauce- where is he off to ?"  He watched
the departing lawyer hurry away, slightly green in the face.

	"Aw, if you can't stand the heat, don't eat alien food.", he shrugged. 
Which reminded him.  He really could do with a Dogarian Vindaloo Laser
Chicken now.  Best chicken in the entire galaxy, as far as he was
concerned.  And not just because it had six legs.

	"'ere you go, yer majesty.", he said upon return, handing offering her
the plate.  The High Duchess delicately picked one and nibbled slightly
on it.  Clarissa noticed that she did not actually eat it.  Or bite into
it.  Just as she did not seem to drink, just raised her cup to her lips.

	"Why, thank you, Mr O'Graeach.", the High Duchess said.  "By the way, I
noticed you had an interesting talk with -"

	"-with what's-his-face ?  Yeah.", Oz shrugged.  "Damn lawyers.  Can't
stand 'em.  Always make my flesh creep.  When I was on Oran 3 they had
lawyers that had been alive for hundreds of years.  Or rather, they
hadn't died, and their flesh was sort of rotting and falling apart, but
-"

	"Oh, there is someone I have not yet talked to.  It would be very rude
of me not to.  If you excuse me, please.", Livia said hurriedly.

	"Why would she want to talk to Norman ?", Oz wondered.  "Norman's the
janitor for Alpha shift, and not a very good one."  He shook his head. 
He'd never understand royalty.  Of course, it was all that inbreeding
that did it.  They went Mental.  He glanced around.  "Look Clarissa,
everyone's busy lookin' good and important an' making a good
impression.  Nobody would notice if we just, you know, disappeared."

	"We aren't supposed to.  This is an official event.  We can't just
leave.", she replied.

	"Well, there is this storage room at the end of 10-Forward.  It
wouldn't be leaving, really, but nobody would disturb us.", he smiled at
her.

	"Oz, you really have a one-track mind.", she mock-scolded.  "Well, I
can't see anyone needing us in the next hour or so, so, why not.", she
grinned mischivious.  "Let's go."

	The moved across 10-Forward, past tables, past the bar, towards the
storage area which nobody ever bothered with.  Clarissa tried to open a
door, and found it locked.

	"Damn.  Seems we are out of luck.  They are probably all locked.", she
said.

	"Prolly.", Oz agreed, pulling a small plastisteel instrument from his
sleeve.	It was lighter than metal, harder than steel, and would not show
up on standard scans.  "Gimme a sec."  With a few twists he had unlocked
the door and opened it.  

	"Oooops, sorry.", he told the pair inside.  "Wrong door.  Ah - do you
know whether the next room is free ?"

	He closed the door again and locked it with a twist.  He looked at
Clarissa.  "Those two were engineers.  I think.  Difficult to say, with
their clothing in a pile like that.  But their uniforms looked like
engineering uniforms."

	"You sound surprised.", she replied.

	"I didn't know engineers did that sort of thing.  Hold on - open.  And
empty.  Let's just hope nobody disturbs us..."

	They slipped into the storage locked and locked the door behind them...

NRPG:
Well, I just thought I'd get things moving a bit.  So, what does Brennan
say ?  Can we do a trip to the planet ?  And the mining station ?  It
would be a good way for our own Mad Romulan to check out this odd energy
reading.  And for the MCO to do something.  And for O'Graeach to get
into serious trouble (Do the words 'Irish', 'Independence Movement',
'Terrorist Attack' and 'Bomb' lead to any snap conclusions ? <VBEG>)

Love,
Fabian


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