An unexpected inquiry

Posted on Tue 26th Feb, 2013 @ 1:04pm by Captain Eee-eee-rie--eeee-eek Nightingale D.Sc & William Lev
Edited on on Tue 26th Feb, 2013 @ 1:05pm

1,238 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Nightingale's Dreams, "USS Aescalpus"
Timeline: Three weeks ago.

Nightingale rubbed her head, and then shook it, briefly.

It had been a long day. The images of Section 49 Alpha were there, whenever she closed her eyes. She hated not sleeping well.

Which is precisely why she approached the replicator. "Akalid flower salad." She noted.

Akalid flowers were native to Velur IV, and were exceptionally nutritious, and filled with various anti-oxidants.

A commonly unknown fact was that it also dampened a great many delta waves, during sleep. It, instead, contained a potent anti-depressant drug, which was prone to inducing dreams in the mid-term memory range, rather than short, or long term memories.

The collection of orange and purple flowers disappeared quickly, and Nightingale closed her eyes, as she laid down in her freshly installed Aquarium-bed.

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Three Weeks ago
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"Lieutenant?" The deep tone of the Chief of Security on the Aescalpus asked, as he approached the Chief Intelligence Officer.

"Yes, Commander?" The Intelligence Chief asked.

"About that thing that we covered for the Admiral?" He asked, as Nightingale walked past the Security console, on to the bridge.

"Ah, First Lieutenant." The Captain said, with a nod, as she relieved the officer at the Science Terminal. "How do the sensors look today?"

"Cloudy with a chance of meat-balls." Nightingale dead-panned, following the routine joke of making weather-related puns directly pertaining to the literature that the bridge crew was reading. "Keep the shields up. They are supposed to be the size of asteroids."

"Quite. Wouldn't want to get tomato sauce on the paint-job. I understand the Engineering crew were up all night glistening the chrome." Captain Lev said, with a nod.

"The Chrome? Oh yeah. That was a nice piece of work." The Italian-accented man at Engineering noted. "Did you like the spinners on the warp nacelles?"

"Very... what's the word..." Nightingale struggled, trying to answer in English.

"Retro." The Captain noted.

"Quite." Nightingale said, with a nod.

"Captain, we need to discuss something with you in your ready room." The Security Chief said, with a nod.

"Of course, Commander, Lieutenant." The Captain said, eyeing the two of them.

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The scene shifted, as scenes tended to do, while one was dreaming. It became later that day, in a way that Nightingale couldn't quite explain.

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"First Lieutenant?" Captain Lev asked, as he appeared on the bridge after a lunch break, some time later.

"Yes, Captain?" Nightingale asked. It had taken some time for her to get comfortable answering directly to a Fleet Officer. It wasn't noticeable now, but when she spoke in English, she did, occasionally mess up Marine and Fleet ranks, and was prone to calling the Captain "Major".

"My ready room, please." Lev said. He seemed pensive about something.

"Of course, sir." Nightingale said, in translated Velurian. The bridge crew caught the unexpected change of tones, but said nothing. There were some things occurring that were not being discussed.

Upon entering the Captain's Ready room, Nightingale smiled. Two glasses of a brownish-gold substance on his side of the table. Bourbon. Two glasses of a brownish-gold substance on her side of the table. Triple Espresso with diced cinnamon stalks.

Nightingale nodded, to the Captain.

"Please, have a seat, First Lieutenant." Lev said.

"Aquatic Field to 30 percent." She noted, before sitting down.

"You're being transferred. To a Starbase..." Lev said. He put on his reading glasses, a hilarious thing to see, in the day and age of prosthetics that would easily negate their necessity. "...Ah... Protector. One of the weird ones we actually give a name, like Typhon or Bill"

Nightingale chuckled, as she drew the glass of Espresso to her lips. "Aquatic field off." She noted. It was one of the rare times she would turn her field right off. For Espresso.

"I'm going to be frank with you, First Lieutenant." Lev said. "Something you aren't used to."

"Quite." Nightingale said, nodding. "Normally you are Captain Lev with me. I was unaware your name was Frank. I believe your personnel record labels it as 'William'."

Lev looked up, and smiled. "Wow. It's been a long time since someone used my first name."

Nightingale's cheeks turned a deep midnight blue. "Sorry sir." She said, in translated Velurian.

Lev smirked, slightly. "You know, until you showed up around here, songfish, I was the oldest person on this ship."

Nightingale's cheeks remained dark blue. "You know, I don't think anyone's ever called me that." She noted, still in Velurian. "You're still a tiny little pilot fish in my eyes, Captain."

"I certainly hope not." Lev said, as he downed a glass of bourbon. "I'm supposed to take an assignment, once you go."

"Oh. So I won't get to-" Nightingale started.

"I'm refusing it." Lev said, sharply.

"Captain?" Nightingale asked, uncertain what to say.

"Songfish, when you leave this place, I'm going to be stuck with that unfeeling, cold, Vulcan, pain in the ass." Lev said. "And, worse. They're sending me on an intel gathering mission on a possible threat to Federation Security."

"This is a medical vessel." Nightingale said, uncertainly.

"Which is exactly why the political structures on Velur IV won't suspect it." Lev said. "I refuse to take the mission."

"Why, sir?" Nightingale asked.

"Because, Songfish, I have met some of the people involved, and I don't want to take their side on some petty scientific-related request for secession from the Federation, because I've learned far too much about them, through you." Lev said. "I've filed a complaint with the Federation Embassy over the mission orders."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nightingale asked.

"Because some day, Songfish, you'll understand." Lev said. "Your shuttle departs in about twenty minutes."

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Nightingale awoke, shaking her head. She got up, and tapped a few commands into the terminal above her Aquarium.

The news feed for the station began playing, and she barely paid it any attention, focusing on getting her environmental field generator on, so she could get to the shower, and do a proper algae scrub.

And then a name caught her eye, and she quickly tapped the screen.

Captain William Lev retired from Starfleet two days ago, after several allegations came to light that suggested that a Classified Starfleet Mission's details may have been shared with agencies outside of the approved departments of Starfleet.

While charges had been laid against the Captain, that same mission resulted in the Federation Ambassador to Velur IV raising counter-charges against the individual(s) responsible for it.

While no details have been made publicly available, it is known that William Lev is expected to follow in his Father's foot steps, and take up the Reigns of an interstellar clothing line, known as "The Perfect Fit", and moving it's Main Wharehouse Outlet to a Starbase.

There are also rumors swimming that he was asked to resign over allegations that he had an affair with his Executive Officer, Commander Johnathon Taves... The news feed skipped to the next news item, before finishing.

"Hah. That'd be the day." Nightingale said, with a laugh.

Her door chime rang, and she quickly drew a nightgown around her, which was quickly drenched by the environmental field generator.

She opened the door.

"Hello, Songfish." Said the man at her door.

He was holding a little. Black. Box.

Nightingale passed out.

-----------------------------------------

(Marine) Captain Nightingale
Chief Science Officer
Starbase Protector

William Lev
New Owner of "The Perfect Fit".
Starbase Protector

 

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