All Wayfaring Hearts

Posted on Fri Apr 10th, 2020 @ 1:49am by Anthony Cardel & Executive Officer Jake Ford
Edited on on Fri Apr 10th, 2020 @ 2:02am

Mission: Mission 11 - Prospecting
Location: New Laurium
Timeline: Mission Day 01, 1200 hours
1353 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

“Not a bad way to start.” He said tapping his finger on the portrait of the crewmember.

New Laurium seemed to explode into hurried action at a moment's notice. At times the streets were empty and hushed with few if any residents or workers in the streets. The stillness was odd and seemed almost man-made.

Anthony had walked the streets familiarizing himself with the locals, taking notes as he did of security officers as he walked. They were mostly ex-mercenaries but a few had definitely been Starfleet at one point in their lives. He had struck up a conversation with a middle aged deputy on foot patrol between the line of restaurants and the main entrance to a major mining shaft.

“It’s the lifts that bring up the workers.” The pot bellied officer told him pointing to the top of the hill. Apparently the lifts could bring up as many as 500 workers at a time. And around lunchtime the miners hated eating their food underground and would race to the top to get a seat at the 30 plus dining establishments.

Anthony waited a few minutes and sure enough a strong gust of wind rushed down the street as the lifts arrived at the surface. It was a comical scene as hundreds of men and women could be seen running and often tripping over each other racing down the hill like a bunch of children released for recces. Anthony found himself jogging along cutting into a bar entrance before every seat was empty.

He grabbed a seat at the bar and hoisted himself onto the stool accidentally brushing against a larger patron. Anthony looked up and noticed the man was not a miner and looked like a security officer.

“My apologies.” Anthony said, holding up his hands.

Jake looked the man down. Human. Older, smaller. Pretty unassuming. "No problem," he replied, sensing someone not really out for trouble. "Let me buy you one." He motioned to the barkeep and raised his eyebrow to see what the other man might order.

Anthony smiled and nodded.

"Thank you...I'll take a whiskey sour." he said motioning to the bartender.

"Lively group of people." Anthony said as the noise in the bar was filled with laughter and shouts going back and forth.

"My name is Anthony." Holding out his hand in a firm handshake.

"Jake." He motioned to himself, then upwards. "Came in on the Mary Rose." He glanced about. "I came down here looking for something to treat my girlfriend, but an old mining colony doesn't exactly cover roses and chocolates, you know what I mean?" he smiled warmly. "So, what's your story?"

Anthony kept his face flat as his eyes flashed. He had skimmed the manifest of the SS Mary Rose and all he could remember was that a senior member of the crew, the Chief Armoury Officer was also named Jake. A perfect stroke of luck for him to gain some traction in getting close to the Mary Rose.

"Oh I wouldn't say there isn't anything for your gal on this planet." Anthony said smirking.

"I know a few traders on the planet. I'm sure you could find something she'd like or at the very least appreciate. New Laurium is a mining colony after all. Everything can be bought for a price." He said sipping his drink and looking the officer up and down. They certainty take their security seriously on the ship, Jake was well over 6 feet and seemed to be in tremendous shape. He had been use to the run-of-the-mill security officers on civilian cargo ships. Unless they were hauling deuterium most security on cargo ships were a joke with older and often balding former officers filling the ranks.

Ignoring for the moment that Anthony hadn't answered his question, Jake did pick up on the man's local knowledge. "Any good places to keep an eye out for? I've been around a bunch of these types of colony and they can see tourists coming. So where's the more legitimate folks at?"

"The east side of the city is a better place to buy gifts. I can give you a list of a few places." He said copying them from his Romulan padd to a spare he had pulled from his pocket. The Bolian had provided him with as much information as possible to Anthony and at times the information had seemed boring and dull but it had come in use far earlier than he had thought. He passed the padd to the security officer who tucked it into his pocket without another word.

"Your ship is here on a resupply or did you bring some more industrial replicators to the colony?" From what he had gathered New Laurium was growing so fast that it's current supply of 7 industrial replicators were running 25 hours a day.

"Just a delivery," Jake replied. He was careful not to mention exactly what they'd brought with them. It might create a stir in the wrong crowds. "Though I gather we'll be making use of those replicators too. Oh, hey, I didn't ask what you do around here?"

Anthony nodded, it was a common enough occupation for the ships docking and trading on the planet but the Bolian had been convinced that they were hauling something more than foodstuff or self-sealing stem bolts.

"Just passing through spent some time researching and visiting the outer planets of the Federation." He said taking another sip of his drink, and followed with his eyes a patron as he crossed the bar behind the Armoury Officer. At least the locals were pretty enough to look at he thought to himself.

"What sort of freighter are you serving aboard?" He asked, wondering if the question sounded innocent enough.

"I know from personal experience some of the Captains in this region love to skimp on the luxuries. The old Antares-types are fairly regular around here from what I've seen."

"Oh yeah, rode on a couple of those old birds back in the day," Jake mused, recalling some of his darker days out in the void. "Nope, Rosie's a classic. Refit Constitution-class." He said it with a little pride. The ship had become home in the last few months. "Captain Gregnol doesn't skimp on the luxuries, either. All the old bells and whistles. Fully kitted-out. You should see her in the dock, it's a sight to behold, I'll tell you."

Anthony expressed genuine surprise.

A Constitution-class?

In this part of the galaxy?

The padd he had been provided by the Bolian had never mentioned the class of the SS Mary Rose. He had expected a much lower profile freighter but he had been assured that this ship was the best fit for the job. He rarely took advice from anyone and especially when his gut feelings about the SS Mary Rose were getting steadily more pensive.

"I wouldn't mind seeing your ship up close. I can't remember if I've ever seen a Constitution-class outside of a museum." Anthony said, leaning on the bar.

"It's a free colony," Jake shrugged. "She's visible from most port windows up on the orbital station. If you want to take a look, you can drink it in right there. And if you want a proper look around, well that's up to the Captain."

"I might just do that." Anthony said seeing that a contact was motioning him over to table that had just freed up.

"I'll definitely reach out to you Captain, what's his name?" He asked.

"Captain Gregnol. He'll be around the colony someplace, but if you enquire after him I'm sure they'll let him know you're interested." Jake knocked back the last of his drink. "Thanks for the talk, Anthony. Hope you find what you're looking for. And...I hope I do too," he added, referencing the gift for Eden.

"Ah good I hope to meet your Captain, and I'm sure we'll cross paths again." Anthony said nodding his goodbye and moving to the empty chair at the table across from the bar.

Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

Anthony James Cardel
Passenger