Sensor Specialist Needed

Posted on Tue Jun 4th, 2019 @ 3:12pm by Dixoho Saa (*) & Chief Petty Officer Nathan Kline

Mission: Mission 9 - Daucina
Location: Daucine - Snow Plains
Timeline: MD 10:00
3213 words - 6.4 OF Standard Post Measure

From the outside, it looked snug, beautiful and well maintained. Stacked stones and hard wooden pillars make up most of the building's outer structure. It was impossible to see through the large, stained glass windows, but the sounds of dancing and singing from within could be felt outside.

The pub itself is packed. Travellers seem to be the primary clientele here, which often leads to exciting evenings. Several long tables were occupied by happy, excited groups of people, some are dancing on the table, while others cheer them on with clapping and yelling. The other, smaller tables were also occupied by people who are indulging in great food and drinks, while some do try to strike a conversation, others can barely speak a word between eating what must be delicious food. Even most of the stools at the bar are occupied, though nobody seems to mind more company.

It was where Dixoho sat looking out to the immense vast coldness of the snowy wastelands of the unexplored north of the planet.

Nathan hated this assignment. He hated the idea of spying on their own, or former own. It didn’t sit right. This was the kind of job for Alexis and her cold Betazoid spycraft. He was a sensor specialist with advanced training but that didn’t mean he liked it. He shook his head as he moved through the crowd of people. He just wanted something to eat and drink and the comfort of being alone in a sea of people. Just then a man who had about fifteen kilos on him slammed into him. His large frame absorbed most of the blow but he was unable to keep his balance and his momentum sent him into the back of poor bystander who was simply sitting there.

Dixoho turned around confused as a much larger form hit her into the glass window and stopped dead as she took in the older man. Of all the men in the universe, it was the man who was her husband in the other universe. “Nathan…” She whispered confused.

Nathan has prepared himself to apologize but he was thrown off by the women saying his name. Or at least he was pretty sure it was his name. “Do I know you?” He asked with his usual charming smile. “Sorry, for nearly falling on you.” He added.

“Another life… Maybe.” The woman said softly as she moved to gather herself. “It is fine. This place is packed it is to be expected.” The woman said in a soft tone that spoke of her shock over meeting this man of all people.

Nathan smiles as he looked over the women. The place was crowded and that left his options limited. “Do you mind if I join you? I promise I won’t stare.” He said as he tried not to be bothered by the fact that she was. He had to admit he was intrigued by her response to him and for the first time in his life wished he was able to read thoughts like Lexis could.

The woman indicated the chair opposite her and nodded. “Go for it. It is a pretty view.” She assured sitting a little straighter with her beer and the PaDD that she had been looking over. The view was breathtaking, stark nothingness.

“Thanks,” Nathan replied as he slid into the chair across from her and just managed to get the attention of a cute server passing by. He turned back to his tablemate once his order had been placed. “This place is fascinating.” He started. “I have been stuck at the academy for the last four months, so this is a nice break.” He looked up at her and realized he had never introduced himself. “I am Nathan, uh, Kline. I just realized I never introduced myself.”

“Last place before the great beyond.” The woman said with a small smile as she took him in. This man smiled a lot more than the one she had met. She could tell from the lines around his face. “I’m Dixoho Saa.” The woman introduced back.

“I know that name.” He looked at her with a questioning grin. He had looked over the manifest of the ship he was meant to assist and steal from and while he couldn’t be sure he thought her name may have been among them. “At least I think I do.” He paused, “So since the risk of sounding like a cliche is high no matter what I do,” He started teasingly. “You come here often?” He asked.

“Not in the slightest.” The woman laughed trying to work out whether he was flirting with her or just being friendly. “First time I have ever even heard of this planet. We have delivered some stuff here, getting some stuff repaired before we head out again. How about you? Plenty of Starfleet vessels in the skies.”

Nathan looked at her for a moment before responding, “I am an enlisted operations monkey.” He chuckled to himself. “A sensor specialist sent to meet up with the SS Mary Rose to makes some upgrade.” As he was speaking his food and drink arrived. He thanked the women who brought him his food before turning back to his table companion. “Long story short, never been before.” He laughed.

“Ah, so that is why you sought me out?” The woman asked finally realising that there was a reason why he was there and it wasn’t a random meeting at all. Now it all made sense why the universe had thrown the one man into her radius who could throw her for a loop.

Nathan looked at her with a questioning glance before he began to connect the dots. “That is why you look familiar.” He said with amusement. “You are a member of her crew. I am sorry.” He continued. “I don’t remember what you do. I suck with things like that.” He took a sip of his beer while he watched her.

“I am the pilot.” The woman said simply as she moved to gather her stuff and finish her drink up. She didn’t need to get caught up with Starfleet especially with this man. It was all too much when she was just starting to get over it all.

“That’s right.” He said with a grin as he watched her for a moment. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your evening. Thank you for letting me join you.” He added. He couldn’t help the guilt across his face at the thought of causing her to feel she needed to leave. If she were Alexis he would have stopped her, but he didn’t know the Trill and she didn’t seem to want to know him.

“No. It’s just I don’t trust Starfleet. They normally want something or to arrest me,” Dixoho said lightly as she took her steaming beer in both hands allowing it to warm her hands. This man seemed far too good to be true, maybe that is why he had been sent by Starfleet.

“I don’t blame you.” He smirked. The distrust was fitting with his current mission. “You never know whose agenda you are operating under or if you have all the information. When you are in Starfleet I mean.” He grinned at her taking another bite. “Hell, I have been in it all my life and I never know what is going on.” He laughed. “I have no authority or reason to arrest you and other than a meal and a drink I don’t want anything. I promise.”

“Then what are you doing here? You know who we are?” The woman demanded as she knew that she would never get out of there quickly with the crowds.

“Apparently,” He started leaning forward as if it were a secret. “The shipyard around here sucks with sensor upgrades on the retrofitted constitution class vessels. I am a sensor specialist on the USS Cosmos and was in the area so I offered my assistance.” He shrugged. “I only looked at the manifest out of curiosity.” Of everything he had just said his last sentence was the truth. He lied with ease which was one of the things he hated most about being asked to do it.

“I see.” The woman said. That made a little more sense to what she knew about how the senors had been acting and how they needed fixing. “So this is just random… you haven’t sought me out?” She whispered before repeating herself louder over the sounds of the pub.

Nathan pitched his head as if he were a puppy as he tried to understand what she had said. “Oh,” He finally said when the realization crashed around him. “Look, you are beautiful and from what I read a hell of a pilot, but I have an extraordinarily complicated messed up relationship with a woman I love back on my ship who has on occasion driven me to drink.” He smiled up at her. “So, I promise you. I have no ulterior motives and other than perhaps some company if you felt up to it, I ask nothing of you.” He was sincere.

“Don’t we all.” The woman mused. She was still feeling pretty much in limbo with Micheal. They had moved on but it was always lingering that he hadn’t realised it wasn’t her, it made her doubt herself. “We live in a strange universe when random people meet.”

Nathan looked at her with a grin. “Can I ask you a question?” He paused, “I keep getting the feeling that you know of me, or perhaps a deja vu version of me. Have we met? Were you in one of my classes?” He was so confused. He was used to women passing him by or flirting but she seemed almost nervous around him and he felt bad.

“No.” The woman said simply. How could you tell a random stranger that you knew there badass alternative version and oh wait it was your husband. “You must just have one of those faces. I’ve never been Starfleet,”

“Maybe,” Nathan grinned. “Please don’t leave on my account.” He paused for a moment. “I will buy you another drink for your trouble?”

“I will stay but you don’t need to get me drunk.” The woman assured as she glanced back out to the snowy plains to let him eat his meal in peace.

Nathan held up his hands. “That wasn’t my intention.” He smiled. “I am happy to buy you are hot chocolate or a Shirley Temple.” He smiled as he finished off his meal and pushed the plate to the side.

The woman just shook her head and sat back in the chair as she looked out the window again. It was such a distracting sight to her, white against nothingness when she was used to black against nothingness.

Nathan didn’t say anything. His attention moved between the window, the crowd, and the women sitting across from him. She was pretty and maybe in another life, he would have flirted with her or even asked her out, but this was this life. He let out a sigh.

“You look like you have loads on your mind?” The woman stated as she looked at him and caught the sigh over the noise from the place. It was awkward but only Dixoho knew why and it frustrated her a tad. It wasn’t exactly something that could just be brought up like that at all, it was something that was best left in her own mind.

Nathan nodded as he let out a laugh. “Life.” He said simply before forcing a smile on his face. “Do you ever find yourself longing for that part of your life that was simple?” He asked. He knew exactly what he needed to do to make his life simple, but that wasn’t an option. Not yet.

“Six months ago I had it and it was so simple.” The woman answered sipping on the cold coffee she had in front of her. “Want to talk about it?” She wondered offering to hear him out.

Nathan smirked with a shake of his head. “The women I love thinks she is protecting me by pushing me away and I stupidly won’t let her.” He grinned. “I sound like the punch line of a drama holo-novel.” He laughed at his pathetic story.

Dixoho looked at him and nodded. She could understand that notion. “Slightly but I bet it is a lot more painful in real life. Any reason she thinks you need protecting?” She wondered if it was the same woman that her in the other universe had moaned about.

Nathan looked over the women sitting across from him. She hadn’t signed up for this but she had asked. He paused for a moment. “She is a betazoid.” He said simply as if that explained it all. “She hasn’t had the easiest of lives the last few years, so she uses her superpowers against me. I am human, we process things.” He smiled.

“Ah.” The woman said. None of the Betazoid’s she knew did that on Rosie but she did know that it was sometimes a flaw in them as they couldn’t hide anything. “How does she use her abilities against you though? She sounds like she needs you in her life though?”

“Have you ever been told something by someone and the moment they tell you to hate them, or you want to storm out, but you don’t? You stop and you process it and realize that your first reaction to it wasn’t correct?” He started. “Well, she doesn’t let me get to the second part. Or at the very least she doesn’t believe when I say I am over something. She is the most beautifully frustrating women I have ever met.”

“Then maybe you should walk away?” She offered gently. She knew that feeling often and had known it more often the last six months and it made her relieved to not be telepathic. “It must be terrible to know all those thoughts from a lover or a friend.” She mused feeling almost sorry for this woman now.

Nathan nodded. “I have thought about that.” He replied. “I have even tried. The heart wants what the heart wants.” He looked over at the Trill. He hadn’t thought about what it must be like to be the one that feels everything. “I hadn't thought about that.”

The woman smiled and indicated to a passing waitress for drinks. She pointed to the special on the wall before looking at Nathan. “If you love her. You’ll make it work. Sometimes that is all you need is someone to remind you of the other side.” Was that what she was doing with Michael trying to make it work? “You guys could have a vacation here. I’ve been looking at the holiday spots and some of them are beautiful.”

He nodded. “If I could pull Alexis away from her work, I would.” He grinned. “You sound like you are speaking from experience. The whole make it work, thing.” He added watching her. She had been a soundboard for him and he had to admit he was curious.

“Kidnapping?” She said grinning back. “I guess I am. My boyfriend took a step forward in our relationship that I hadn’t taken. Left us a little uneven in our experience and expectations.” Was that a good way to explain things? Did it make sense?

“I take it he made that step without you?” Nathan replied as he simply listened. He had been there. Been the one to tell someone you loved them before they were ready to hear it or say it back. “You weren’t ready or available for the step?” He easily fell into the big brother role as he often did with Sarah.

“I wasn’t available.” It was the truth that she had been held in a cell for a month and the man had been with her doppelganger. “It is a complicated situation but it is getting better. I am at least able to be around him again without wanting to hate him for some stuff. Do you know how you are going to solve your issue?”

Nathan laughed, “Like everything with Alexis, brute force and determination.” He grinned. “She is a fighter first and foremost with a nobility streak. I have to get her to listen and then make her hear me.” The tone in his voice made it apparent just how much he loved the Betazoid.

The woman grinned a little hearing the tone of affection he had for the woman. It reminded her of the man she had met who had taunted her about his wife. “I say go for it. No matter what it is easy to see that you have something special for this woman.” Dixoho wondered if Michael spoke like, with that same tone when she wasn’t around. If only people knew that people spoke like that about them when they weren’t around, things would be so much better.

“Thanks, I will.” He grinned. “When I get back to my ship.” He looked over the women across from him. “For what it is worth, it is easy to see how much you love that man of yours. I have a feeling everything will work out. Just keep in mind, we are dumb and need road maps.”

“Indeed you are especially humans.” The woman teased with a wink. They both returned to their drinks feeling a little more light-hearted if it was possible considering their dilemmas but a sudden thought came to the Trill. “Wait did you say you were a sensor specialist?” The woman asked.

“Yes,” Nathan replied easily. “I used to teach at the Academy actually, until about a year ago.” He took a sip from his drink and eyed the Trill across from him for a moment not quite sure why she had asked in that way but had learned from Lexie to wait and all would be explained.

“Would you be willing to help me with a 150-year-old ship?” She wondered if he was brave enough to take on the challenges of the old ship that had been automated to an inch of its life.

“I guess that would depend on the class, and the sensor architecture.” He began getting lost in the logistics of it. “I am intrigued and would love to get my hands on anything that old.”

“Fancy coming to help me? I’ve been having trouble with a sensor that makes navigation hard.” The woman said thinking he looked intrigued enough that he might be willing to help her.

Nathan drained the remainder of his drink with a grin. “Sure, my ego would love to help a pretty woman with her navigational sensor problem.” He grinned as he stood up. “Lead the way.”

OFF::

Chief Petty Officer Nathan Kline
Sensor Specialist
USS Cosmos
(PNPC Tasha Belikov)

Dixoho Saa
Chief Navigator
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)