Walk On The Wild Side

Posted on Sun Apr 9th, 2023 @ 7:19pm by Lieutenant Commander Tyrus Acevedo & Lieutenant JG Rafe Hunnicutt
Edited on on Mon Apr 10th, 2023 @ 2:35am

1,453 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The devil wears tripolymer
Location: Deck 3, Lounge

Rafe Hunnicutt grinned as he stood from the table, wearing a civilian Hawaiian shirt that seemed at odds with the uniform trousers he wore. Not only that, but the canary yellow with palms and flowers seemed extremely bright for the day. But it was a lucky shirt. He almost innocently leant over to pick up his winnings from the poker game, winking to the crewmen before he walked to the bar, whistling. Of course, yesterday he had lost royally to them, so it was fine that it went to him this time. Tomorrow, it might be someone else who won. He placed the chips down on the lounge bar, looking at the officer already there. It took him a moment to recognise, or more realise, it was the XO. "I'll have a beer, thanks," he said, to the person who was serving today. He knew it wasn't a real beer, but he'd take it anyway. If only for the flavour. He waited, looking over at Ty again. "Let me guess...long day at the office? Down the mines? Out on the asteroids? Need to relax with some calming music and a view that I believe the Ferengi would try to sell if they could get the real estate...?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Ty's mouth as he sipped the beverage he had been nursing for a while. "Something of the sort," the First Officer said in response to the man's assessment. "Contemplating and reflecting mostly, though a counsellor may say 'deflecting' rather than 'reflecting,' but it is what it is."

He was thinking about the mission but also about his childhood. Where are was this journey on the USS Wolff taking him? Personally and professionally, he was at a bit of a crossroads.

Rafe nodded as if he had said something very deep and profound. "Where I'm from, it quickly becomes mulling stuff over. It's not a bad thing, just...you know...be careful doing it as a hobby. Spend too much time looking in a mirror, the reflection might do something on its own." He took his beer, sipping it as he watched him.

"If I start seeing reflections doing something abnormal of their own action, then I know that I need to see the Counsellor," Ty remarked. "Where you're from" he echoed what had been said. Now, he altered it to a question. "Where would that be exactly?"

Rafe looked at him, considering the best response. He went with the honest truth though, rather than just brush it off with a general response. "Volan III," he said, giving a small shrug. "But spent a long time in Scotland after the evacuation."

Volan III was vaguely familiar, but it did not immediately stick out to Ty. It took him a moment, perhaps a moment too long to que up the information mentally. It was times like these that he wished he carried a PaDD with him at all times. "Volan III, that was near the Demilitarized Zone with the Cardassians?"

The added information about an evacuation seemed to line up with that. "Sorry," he said with a soft sincerity. "It sucks to lose one's home for any reason, but the way some of those planets were treated" Ty explained shaking his head.

Rafe nodded, smiling weakly before he sipped the beer. "Well, some people blame the Cardassians, others the Federation. I try not to worry about intergalactic politics and instead..." he raised the beer bottle to him, meeting his eyes. "...drink in moderation."

"Everything in moderation," replied Ty. "That is how I try to look at everything dangerous, deadly, or stressful. A little moderation goes a long way" he explained.

"And everything exciting?" Rafe asked as he looked at him, raising an eyebrow with a playful smile. "That in moderation too? Because in that case...you picked the wrong idea. We're on a spaceship. Cruising the stars...can't think of anything more exciting to be honest. If it wasn't for routine making even the most adrenaline-spiking things mundane, I'd be tripping over my feet in Engineering every single day."

"I did not go into Starfleet to read reports and sort through files," Ty said firmly. "Everything in moderation does not mean waiting around, just that I plan to last long enough to see my name in the 'history books' the expression is I do believe" noted Ty. "If you go to hard to fast, there won't be much excitement."

"No, instead it'll just be..." he made a gesture of his hand, mimicking an explosion. For a moment he looked thoughtful, before he smiled. "Mind you, in my line, you don't go too hard too fast, you go just the right amount of mad and hurried. Helps those pesky warp core breeches, you know?" he winked at Ty, the smile becoming a proper grin of humour.

Ty nodded in agreement and understanding completely. "Don't be fooled by the red," he said referring to the color his uniform was when on duty. "We're not all that dissimilar. I was Chief Engineer in my previous posting before I found myself here on the Wolff. Granted it was a bit different. You have the luxury of a Luna class to work with...pull half the shit we pull on a California class, and you'll be waiting for a tug to haul your asses back to the nearest starbase."

"I don't know, you should have seen how the team I was in rigged up a Lancelot-class ship to get it operational again," Rafe said lightly, his respect for the other man growing at knowing he had been an Engineer. But also, the suspicion. Who would want to trade the hum of the warp core for...the bridge? "Cali class ships have personality. I don't mind ships with personality, as long as that personality isn't homicidal maniac. Lucky with the Luna class in the sense there's just enough personality to be interesting, but steady enough so we don't run around threatening to eject the warp core."

"There are certainly some questionable engineers in the fleet," stated Ty. "I know of a few who seem to think every critical failure of the warp core merits giving the order to eject the core" teased Ty. "I like to trust my people. I would rather wait until the last minute before tossing out the core and leaving the starship stuck who knows where for who knows how long."

"Well, lucky for you...I am not the one who has the authority to push that button. No Sir..." Rafe grinned and gave a lazy Earth-style salute before he took another sip of his drink. "Also knowing me, and I feel I sorta do after all these years of being inside my own head...If I was ever going to do it, I would have programmed the red alert signal to play some music when the core ejected. Something...classic. Klingon opera? Vulcan wedding chimes? Bagpipes...something."

"Betazoid gong," Ty replied. "That is always annoying. Every damn meal, gong. Every guest arriving, gong. It is gong this and gong that."

Rafe laughed, covering his mouth with a hand to stop it. "Oh..." he lowered the hand and grinned. "That one. One day, I will have to use that one. Did you know you can programme a replicator to make any sound?"

Ty chuckled "Yes, and I once utilized it. I programmed the replicator in my previous ship's First Officer's quarters to tell them they could get it themself" he said smiling. "It can be a good practical joke."

"It's an excellent one! My hat is off to you..." Rafe said with an elaborate gesture, unable to stop the smile. "Of course, I can't do it to you."

Ty smiled. "Nope, because if you did, I would know who was responsible. I also would be sure to get my revenge" teased the First Officer.

"Understood," Rafe laughed as he held his hands up. "I surrender to your talents...maybe just as well, imagine what we could do if we ever teamed up."

"Not a bad thing," Ty replied. "I may just give that some thought Lieutenant" added Ty before giving a nod. "Best I be off keeping busy, but I enjoyed this little socialization."

"So did I. Hope to catch you here again," Rafe said and raised his glass to him. "Always an honour to meet a fellow prankster."

Ty gave a nod as he parted ways with Rafe who raised a glass. Ty looked forward to working with Rafe. Time would tell if he a friendship was the bloom from what had been planted, but if there was one thing Ty could use it was a new friend.

 

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