From: SomeGod <psychon@oocities.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 22:46:59 -0700
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Rumor Mill

MD 14.2330

Scene: Brig

	Seperated by forcefields, but still able to see each other, Ozwald and
Clarissa settled down in their new temporary homes, Oz with considerably
more ease than Clarissa.  It wasn't a better state of mind, it was
experience of dozens, if not more, prison cells.

	"I don't believe it !!!"  She kicked the wall, for good measure.  "Me. 
Clarissa Darling.  Hot Shot Fighter Pilot.  Bright Future Kid.  Top of
my class !  And I'm being thrown into the brig !"

	"'ere, calm down, you're going to hurt yourself otherwise.", Oz tried
to soothe her.

	"CALM DOWN ???", she exploded.  "One of those days I must get my head
examined.  How do you do it ?"

	"Do what ?", he asked innocently.  "I mean, I didn't do anything
*wrong*.  I got a bit drunk, and then we got a bit intimate.  I mean,
they didn't *have* to open that door, did they ?"

	Clarissa sank into a corner, trying to relax, which was a lot harder
than it sounded.  "Let me see.  You got completly pissed on an official
Starfleet Reception.  You insulted the High Duchess Livia.  Badly."

	"I did not !", Oz protested.

	"Oh, trust me, you did.", Clarissa said.  "I was there.  You also
talked to this ShipOres guy, and I don't want to know what you said to
him.  He looked rather annoyed as well.
Then there is breaking and entering.
Then there is fraternizing with someone under your command.
Then there is Neglect of Duty, i.e., not turning up to your shift.
Have I forgotten anything else ?"

	Oz shrugged for a moment, and put his hand in his pocket.  "Um,
maybe.", he said blushing.  "Starfleet doesn't *really* mind
pick-pockets, do they ?"

	Clarissa groaned.  "What have you done now ?"

	Oz took a little black cube from his pocket.  "I have no idea how I got
this.  But it's in my pocket.  So are a few other things."

	"What *is* it ?", Clarissa asked puzzled.  Why would anyone carry a
cube like this around...

	"I think it's a data cube.  Y'know, if you got data you don't want to
transmit via air or sub-space, you put it in cube, like this, and hope
nobody steals it.  All you have to do is plug it into the appropriate
reader and bingo, you got your data.

	"So it belongs to one of the two parties.", Clarissa stated.

	"Maybe.", Oz shrugged, a motion that made a few cards fall from his
sleeve.  It had taken him ages to get his jacket back, and he had worn
it during the reception.  It was his good luck jacket.  "Or it belongs
to a crewmember.  Y'know, someone who's a bit paranoid, or simply wants
to store love letters, or such ?"

	"You have to give it back.", she said sternly.

	"Are you mad ?  If I do they'll throw me into the brig and throw the
key away.", he protested.

	"It might be important !"

	"Then they shouldn't carry it around like this.", Oz replied.  "Look, I
could give it to security and say I found it."

	Clarissa began to consider lobotomy.  Or murder.
***********************************************
MD 15.0800
Scene: Ten Forward

	"Have you heard about O'Graeach ?", PO Darwin asked his co-worker PO
Lextor.

	"Nah.  What about him ?", Lextor asked, more out of politeness than any
other reason.

	"Apparently, he and this pilot girl were caught in flagranti on the
reception.  I hear it was all very embarrassing.  They are now locked up
for 24 hours."

	"Just for that ?  Come on, you're kiddin', right ?", Lextor asked.

	"No, it's true !" Darwin said.  "Of course, there are rumors that he
talked to the High Duchess while drunk.  Apparently that counts as a
major insult."

MD 15.0900

	"...and they say he was drunk and insulted the High Duchess.  Badly. 
And then he went to shag someone from his staff, I understand..."

MD 15.1000

	"...I was there !  He ripped his clothes off, completly drunk, and
tried to mount the High Duchess !"

MD 15.1100

	"...and Alistair was there, and he said that the FCO tried to rape the
High Duchess.  He was on drugs, too..."

MD 15.1800

Scene: Delta Corellis, Main Planet, Somewhere in the city, house, living
room

	The elderly couple was sitting on the couch, as they had done for the
past thirty years, watching the news, as they had done for the past
thirty years.  Nothing exciting would happen again.  It never did. 
There were, of course those negotiations, but the couple had little
doubt that the High Duchess would do the best for the planet.

	<...and now the news.  A shocking incident occurred yesterday on the
Federation starship USS CHESAPEAKE  that is supposed to mediate the
negotiations between our beautiful Republic (NRPG: Can't remember what
it is, I *think* it's a republic) and the ShipOres Corporation. 
According to an unknown source, during a Reception this man, Flight
Control Officer Ozwald O'Graeach, sexually assaulted our well beloved
High Duchess Livia and attempted to rape her, while being under the
influence of drugs...>

	"That monster !!!", the old woman hissed, throwing a pillor at the
picture of a red-haired young man.

	"That Beast !", her husband hissed fuming.  "He should be *shot*.  No,
shooting is too good for him.  No, he should be ...", he began to detail
what he would do, if he had the power.  It was not very nice.  But then
the powerless are never very nice in what they *would* do, if only they
could.

*******
MD 15.1900
Scene: Brig

	"...I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with 'P'", Oz said.

	"Prisoner.", Clarissa replied.

	"Right.  Your turn."

	"I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with 'P'.", she said.

	"Prisoner ?", Oz asked.

	"Right."

	"I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with 'P'."

	Clarissa thought for a moment.  "Prisoner ?"

	"Yes.  Your turn..."

NRPG:
Just couldn't resist <EG>  Maybe it's only a small TV station that would
listen to an unknown source (and just who would that stranger be ?),
maybe it's a major station.  Maybe only a few loonies will take it
serious, maybe we'll see major demonstrations.  Who knows...<EG>
As to the black cube - seeing that O'Graeach won't be joining any
away-teams I thought it prudent to have a reason for someone to kill him
on board.  It's all a big misunderstanding, of course...

Love,

Fabian


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