Haunting of Deck 6 Cargo Hold

Posted on Sat Jun 3rd, 2017 @ 2:07am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Jeassaho Kea (*)

Mission: Mission 4 - Combustion
Location: Deck 6 Converted Cargo Hold
Timeline: MD -07 04:30
1364 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously on “You Need What?” :

"Bart... I saw her..." Rueben said looking paler by the moment. "She was so close i could have just strode up to her." He looked like he was about to choke up. He knew he had just ran off leaving Barton but he had needed space, he needed to work himself up to seeing his reason for living for the last few years. It hadn't happened the way he had wanted it to at all, he had chickened out and he had ended up getting information about her, by being the exact type of person he was now trying to leave behind.

“Brace the hatches.” Barton moaned, flipping around now to face the bar, propping one long leg up on the foot railing as he did so. “There’s not enough drink in this sector for that conversation.”

Jeassaho he’d met more than a few times over the years, she seemed a nice enough sort - pretty too. Perhaps for Rueben she was worth spending the last three years twisted up in a knot over, sleeping alone every night while Barton kept the company of which ever pretty young creature, of which ever gender, was eager enough to join him.


And now, the conclusion:


Jeassaho sighed softly as she rolled over confused that she had enough space to do so, normally Rueben at least slept with a leg or arm thrown over her like he was scared she was going to disappear in the night. She rolled over in the other direction confused as she looked around for him, she couldn't hear a shower and the light wasn't on in the bathroom. Slowly she rose and grabbed his tee off the side chucking it on over herself, padding out into the main room. She stopped looking across the lounge of their quarters and smiled as she saw him standing in the open doorway of their three-year-old daughter.

“What are you doing?” She wondered softly confused she had found him doing this a few morning's now. "She's sleeping for once." She added moving to join him. Rueben took his wife into his arms, moving so she could stand in front of him, both gazing at their sleeping daughter while he wrapped his arms around her shoulders like a scarf.

"Have you ever seen such a fragile child?" He was not really asking, more contemplating out loud. "A month premature, she'll be dainty all her life, nimble certainly but frail too."

Jeassaho looked up at him unsure. "You think she is frail?" Obviously, he had never seen their daughter playing anti grav ball in their quarters knocking everything over.

"Da i think she has spirit." Rueben smiled, catching his wife's thought about the destruction Ilina had brought on so many of their personal effects. "But that is still nothing more than a strong mind willing a shatterable body"

"Ru... Are you okay?" She wondered softly confused by his tone. He was thinking and thinking hard, she couldn’t understand his thoughts in Russian but she could feel them and they were worrying.

“I….” He started to reply but then the moment broke…

There it was that dream again. The one he had, had for years, it was a nightmare to him despite how pleasant and lovely it was, to him it was torture showing him a false life. The dream was what his life could have been if he hadn’t started asking around about Barton and the Cartels hadn’t gotten wind of it. Rueben slowly sat up rubbing his face brutally trying to shift the dream. The Captain could still almost smell the subtle perfume in his nose and could almost feel the slightest touch on his face of the Engineers hair on his cheek from cuddling close. He knew it was all false but the impression from the dream was there. He needed to take less of the pain medication if this was what it did to him, at least the booze left him alone in the darkness.

With one final rub of his face his rose to start his day even if it was only 04:30. He was sure that someone sensible would be awake, his senior team was starting to shape up to be a sound source of companionship and comfort on board the old ship and the rest of the crew reliable. He made a point most mornings now to walk the ship and inspect all departments in person so he knew at the morning meeting whether people were lying to him or not.

“Hello…” He called out as he wandered through the Cargo Bay hoping it was someone sensible on duty.

Tran was looking through the cargo bay. He had downloaded the ship's schematics into his tricorder. He held a flashlight in one hand and was tracing out the layout of the area. It wasn't bad for something hobbled together but definitely needed work. But it had so much potential.

His "danger sense" kicked in. Someone else was here. And he didn't know who.

The new Quartermaster didn't want his job to end before it had really begun.

"Hello?" The Captain called louder this time. He could hear someone wandering around in the Cargo bay and he hoped it wasn't one of the Ardanan guests again. He was fed up of seeing reports across his desk from Security about them.

Tran turned the flashlight toward what he thought was a familiar voice. It was the captain. He moved toward him.

"Hello, Quang." The Russain said with a yawn as he caught sight of the man and realised it was him he could hear wandering around. "What are you doing around so early?"

Quang shrugged as he replied. "Doing an informal inventory. Couldn't sleep. Still getting used to the ship. I like what I've found so far down here. Needs some organization but it can be done."

He smiled as he asked, "So hope that I didn't disturb you."

"Nah... I couldn't sleep myself so thought I would go for a walk." He said hopping up to sit on a crate with a huge yawn. "You should go check out the Grotto. It is much more interesting." The Captain, Alika and the Chief of Engineering were the only ones with access to The Collector's stash that had been the cause of the virus.

Tran shrugged good-naturedly with a smile. "Yes perhaps, but not nearly as profitable for the Mary Rose."

He looked about the area. "So, when she gets restored, room for a bar maybe? I was thinking of "The Yellow Flag".

"But I appreciate the thought. I'll check out this grotto. After I work out some plans for this cargo bay."

Rueben shrugged. He had been thinking about all the cargo spaces that the ship had and most of them were not useful at all for the adventure that they were on. "Perhaps... it would be nice to have space for everyone to go to unwind." He said sadly. "I think you would like the grotto... lots of toys."

Taking the hint that the captain wanted to tour around what Quang was already beginning to view as his area, he opted to back off and leave the captain to his wanderings.

"Excellent idea, captain. I'll find that grotto. I have always liked finding new things. So much potential profit. You have a good morning."

Rueben nodded, he was going to carry on walking and trying to figure out what to do about Jeassaho first of all as he couldn't keep having dreams that woke him up at Zero Four Hundred. "Let me know what you think. It's partially catalogued." He knew Engineers when they had a spare hour or so were going in and looking certain items over.

"Certainly," said the Vietnamese. "I'll keep you updated. You never can tell what might have hidden value." With that, he moved off. He wasn't sure of the exact location, but the tricorder with the ship's plans should do fine.

OFF::

Captain Rueben Gregnol
Commanding Officer
SS Mary Rose

Quang Tran
Quartermaster
SS Mary Rose