Paint, pampering and a pub crawl

Posted on Mon Aug 24th, 2020 @ 9:05am by Lieutenant Helena Wells & Civilian Jessica Haugen

2,840 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: To catch a thief
Location: Various
Timeline: 1st April 2395

ON:

SB54 a simple name for a complex object and destination. While there were several around to help supply the Federations ships they were like a big military base in reality. Sure the Federation always claimed they were not a military but they were only a few seemed to try to be blissfully unaware of that function.

Like any military base, it attracted a slew of individuals, some looking to make a profit off the assigned personnel, others to try to make a profit off the profiteers. Trades, slavers, transients the gambit.

Anthony was finishing up some things so HG was wondering who to go with. Captain had wanted everyone to have a 'buddy' at least for security reasons. What to do, what to do, she wondered. There was always the tattoo on her back, it was not finished, well needed some amending and this was going to be the place to do it. No matter since those things were invented and now had much better ways of doing them, it still smarted a bit which meant a bit of real alcohol to wash it down with always helped. The later gave her an idea and she put in a call.

"Jessica, HG here, I need to hit the base want to do a little bar hopping?"

"Well I should really get the bar deep cleaned and..... oh who am I kidding. Where and when?" Jessica replied chuckling slightly.

"How about the transporter room one in say about ten minutes? I got a bit of tattoo to be worked on and then definitely need some sort of 'pain' killer to wash it down with. Besides, there might be all sorts of 'delights' to sample."

Jessica gave an appreciative hum "I'm always up for sampling some delights, I'll be there."

=== Transporter room one ===

HG wore a simple pair of pants and a loose shirt. She had a leather bag on a strap which contained an extra shirt just in case and a few other things. She was slouching against the wall waiting on Jessica when the later showed and she pushed herself away and gave her a hug. "Come on, let's get inked, drunk more or less in that order."

The hug was a little unexpected but Jessica hugged HG back. She wore a knee length spring dress and simple shoes leaving a lot of her fair skin on show, a small bag dangled from a belt at her waist. "Lets go." She simply said and stepped towards the transporter pad.

HG nodded and hopped up onto the pad of the transporter and turned to the ops person at the console. She held up a PaDD with an advertisment that read: 'Ink city for recording all your adventures.' "Here please!" she said.

The crewman looked at the Padd and smiled, he'd heard a few stories about the place. "Have fun ladies." He said then initiated the transport.

A few moments later the two materialized at the check in station for the base. An ops crewman was checking people through. He paused as the stream of uniformed people moved and got to the two of them. "Whoa hold up there!" he called. He scanned their ids and looked puzzled. "Says your off the USS Wolff but not getting a fleet id. Want to explain?"

"We're both civillian workers onboard the USS Wolff," Jessica started to explain.

The man handed the ids back and shook his head. "Since when did fleet ships start hiring civilians. Alright on your way," he jerked a thumb not waiting for an answer.

HG just smiled sweetly and just said, "Come on, should be just down to the right about thirty meters."

Even if you did not look at a direction on the PaDD or the station directory you could not miss the place. The outside was about as splashy as one could get with colourful decorations including lights and sparkles. "Ohh......looks perfect!" HG danced a little jig. "You going to get anything?"

"Tattoo's have never really been my thing Helena." Jessica replied. "Hair dye and makeup mostly... Nothing permanent."

"Well there is a nice shop down the way you could go to while I have this done but tell you what. Come one and watch and maybe you might get an idea or a let me give it a try. These days one can erase things just as easy as make them unlike the way back days. If you don't like it, if you get one then you can have it erased. Beats me getting you drunk and prison tattooing you in the middle of the night."

HG laughed as she made that mental picture but she would not actually do anything like that, well pretty sure she would not. "Tell you what, give it a try, then we go get coiffured which is not something I usually do either, and then it is bar hopping. Deal?" HG held out a hand.

Jessica took Hg's hand. "Deal, lets go see what they can do for you." Turning she headed for the entrance of the tattoo parlour.

HG entered and there was the hum of the machines. They were all specialised machines now that anaesthetised the area, the ink injected like a hypo syringe and all computer guided. The artists where really more programmers than anything anymore. A few still did things by hand but really delicate work required a bit of set up.

"What can I help you two with?" A gal looked up dotted up more than any Betazoid with spots.

"I have one I have been working on and need to have some redo and additions." HG held up the PaDD. "My friend here is not so sure yet what she wants if she wants one."

The woman looked over toward Jessica. "Virgin eh? Well nothing to be scared of honey. We could do a little flower maybe a rose on a shoulder or ankle. Nothing over done. Erase it all if you don't like it. "

"Maybe later," Jessica replied. "I'm not drunk enough to even consider it yet." She chuckled slightly.

HG had already slipped her top off and was laying on a towel. The artist making the last minute fine tune to the machine. "Hey you promised!" she said and winced as the machine got started. There was hissing as the head moved over her skin. It was not unlike a hypo spray in its operation but instead of going deeper into the bloodstream it was much more shallow with various inks feeding in that a computer actually controlled.

"Never seen anything like this," the guy somewhat grunted, "kind of mesmerising looking at it. What does it represent?"

"It represents the mathematics that allow two time dimensional physics which in turn completely merge quantum theory and Einstein and Newtonian physics together." HG said as casually as if she had said, "Oh sunny day out."

The man snorted a bit and shook his head, "I think you just warped way over my head lady. I did not understand a bit of that. Still pretty cool looking though."

"I've already given up trying to understand her." Jessica chuckled slightly as she watched the tattoo'ing from a reasonable distance away.

HG just laid still, wiggling would throw the machine off and it would have to be erased and restarted It took a bit of time, close to twenty minutes due to the complexity of the design. The artist had made small adjustments along the way to ensure that the design stayed on course. He got up and pulled a curtain so HG could get dressed and leaving some mirrors so she could check out the work.

She emerged a bit and paid up looking over at Jessica. "Well see survived it all."

"It looks good Helena." Jessica said passing Hg her bag. "But I don't think I'd ever get something as complicated as that."

"It is a reminder, a sort of way to write a journal without putting in the computer core. Anyway, of course not, something simple. You promised after all."

Jessica squirmed slightly. "I don't know what I would get, I've never given it any thought."

"Oh how about a little rose, maybe on the shoulder, or thigh, it is sort of the first right of passage." HG suggested.

"I know you won't let me live it down if I go back on a deal so, alright. Something simple.... up here." Jessica motioned to her upper right arm.

The woman proprietor said, "Come over here honey and sit down." She was already getting a machine set up. "Alright ready to go, now just hold still a moment or two."

There was a hum and sound of hissing for a moment and the woman nodded, "There you go honey take a look." She pointed to the mirror.

Though grimacing a few times during the process Jessica was relieved the pain wasn't anywhere near as bad as she had been expecting. Turning slightly to look in the mirror at the small red rose now emblazoned on her upper arm. "It looks good."

"There see was not that bad. Certainly better than the dark ages of needles and all and then bleeding all over. Alright a deal is a deal we get glamorous!" HG made pose and then paid up for the work and beckoned. "Lead on darrrlllinnnnggg."

"I'll take you to the place I went to a few times while we we're here for the repairs." She led Hg to a turbolift and took it up a few dozen decks.

"Lead on my tattooed lady," HG all but was laughing as she waved a hand.

"It should be just around this corner." Jessica told her after a short walk from the turbolift. A small room above which a sign for 'Kathleen's salon' hung.

HG eyed the place for a moment. She seldom got 'dolled' up. It just did not make much sense to her but she would keep her promise. "Alright, into the dragon's lair we go."

"It won't be that bad, surely you get your hair washed and trimmed every so often." Jessica led Hg towards the door. "Maybe a new hairstyle to freshen up your look."

HG gave her a look that probably could have curdled milk but nodded. "Well I suggested something for you, I will take your advice then. Please just do not make it something too outlandish alright?"

"We'll have to see what happens," Jessica giggled slightly as she opened the door.

"Good afternoon ladies," A short Andorian woman called out when she saw Jessica and Hg enter. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, this was a bit of a spontaneous decision," Jessica replied. "can you fit us in?"

"I reckon so," The Andorian replied. "Things have been a little quiet today, take a seat." She motioned to a sofa.

Slipping her bag off her shoulder Jessica sat down.

HG followed suit but was shuffling through various books that scattered on the desk.

"So what can we do for you today then ladies?"

"I think just a wash and a quick trim for me, then re-plait it." Jessica said running her fingers through her long plaited hair. "Helena here isn't so sure."

"Actually I think I do know," she corrected. She held up a look with the same longish hair she had but without the waves. It was straight and in one of the metallic colours. A deep ruby reddish metallic with the ends sporting just a hint of lilac. "If I am going to plunge into the pool, let's plunge in," she quipped to Jessica.

"Not what I would have picked but I think it will look good on you." Jessica told her.

"Well then, Helena if you want to sit down there. Angela will take care of you and miss.." She motioned at another chair for Jessica. "This one please."

HG nodded and took a seat. Just like tatoos things went quicker and easier. Well an old fashion wash was the same but a quick sonic, then straightening and colour were pretty much an easy peasy thing anymore. The old old ancient days one would spend hours for such a thing. This maybe around fifteen minutes top.

She wondered briefly what Anthony would think, but then again, he probably would just shake his head and go. "It's just crazy HG."

Another woman; the aforementioned Angela emerged from the back area. "You called Shi'ara?"

"This is Helena," Shi'ara motioned to Hg. "a good straighten and then some dying."

"Nice to meet you Helena." Angela said.

"Likewise," HG got settled. "Figured in for a penny in for a pound. Jessica over there more or less made a bet for me, but she has backed off a bit, still maybe just do a sort of dark ruby red without the highlights, might be a bit over the top."

"There's nothing wrong with a little over the top," Angela replied "some people really like their hair to stand out, picking up a brush she started to carefully run it through Helena's hair.

"Some accuse me of being too much, but then being a shrinking violet never got anyone anywhere. I have had to fight for a lot of my recognition. Still," HG made just a little shrug of the shoulders so as not to disturb her dresser. "I should probably not go too wild."

"Plain and simple isn't bad," Angela told her, "But wild can be fun, every woman needs to get a little wild every so often."

"Let's just do the deep ruby colour then," HG replied.

Meanwhile Jessica sat down near a wash basin that Shi'ara had shown her to. Slowly Shi'ara began to undo the tight plaits of Jessica's hair.

"Come on Jessica, do something special," HG egged her on. "Last chance before we are off again."

"Something special, like cut it all off?" Jessica said laughing. "That'l be the day."

"I was not quite thinking marine recruit style, no. Change up the colour maybe?" HG suggested.

"I've been blonde as long as I can remember, I don't think any other colour would suit me." Jessica replied as Shi'ara started to wash her hair.

"Well put some subtle highlights in then. A tad of pink perhaps? I think that would go well and be different, yet subtle."

"You think so?" Jessica asked.

"I think it would look alright if it's subtle enough." Shi'ara replied.

"Ok then, lets try it." She smiled up at Shi'ara.

"There you go. Nothing ventured nothing gained!" HG chortled across the way.

After a few minutes the straightening of Hg's hair was done, a few quick waves over with a colour wand and it was finished. "One ruby red colour." Angela said picking up a mirror to show HG the view.

HG looked at her hair in the mirror. She was not so sure yet on it but it also had a certain interesting look as well.

"Thank you, it is a nice bit of work," she said.

She turned to Jessica and asked, "What do you think?"

Jessica sat up now her wash was finished. "Looks good, I'm sure Anthony will like it." She chuckled slightly.

"He said something about wanting to play gangsters or something like that from the Earth's prohibition days. Your welcome to come along." HG replied.

"I'll have a think about it." Jessica replied as she moved to a chair alongside HG.

Shi'ara took the colour wand Angela had used and after switching it to the colour Jessica wanted quickly waved it over her hair adding a subtle highlighting of pink to the long blonde hair.

"Take a look miss, is that enough or would you like a little more?" Shi'ara asked.

Jessica ran her fingers through her hair. "I think that will be enough," She looked across at HG "What do you think?"

Shi'ara nodded and began Jessica's last request, to have her her replaited.

"Nice, well then, I am off to go play on the holodeck, catch you later or you can join up if there is time."

"Hold on," Jessica said, "I thought we were going to hit a few bars up after this?"

"OH! You are correct!" HG had forgotten. "No problem, I will just send him a message and tell him a bit later. So if you are ready let's pub crawl."

"Just a moment longer Jessica." Shi'ara said. "I have a couple more plaits to do. She quickly finished the last few plaits and then took a step back to let Jessica see the finished look.

"That looks brilliant, thank you Shi'ara." Jessica said as she stood up.

"You're welcome, enjoy the rest of your day ladies."

"Oh we will." Jessica laughed as she grabbed her bag. "Where do you want to start Hg? I know a good place on deck 145."

"Well then lead on," HG waved a hand. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." she grinned and took Jessica's arm laughing.


OFF:

Jessica Haugen
Lounge manager
npc Taliserra


HG Wells
Civilian Scientist
USS Wolff

 

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