Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Let the games begin…Arrival at the event
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Three days later
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Vanessa stepped out of the Captain’s yacht and inhaled deeply. To get to Earth in the fastest amount of time with as little disruption as possible to the crew of the Genesis, they had taken the Yacht. The ship was large enough to avoid feeling claustrophobic but small enough that three days in the space meant everyone was ready for some elbow room.

The scent of salt in the air sent a wave of nostalgia through Vanessa. Both in Boston and in San Francisco, the salt for the oceans hung faintly in the air. The echo of seagulls rounded out her immediate wave of homesickness that crashed over her. Vanessa had no idea how much she missed being home. Looking over her shoulder at Calvin, she smiled widely. “We should go to the Lost Albatros for drinks later.” The Lost Albatros was a frequent watering hole for cadets from the academy. Everyone found themselves there at least once and some far more often. It was a dive bar but like most dive bars, the burgers were amazing.

Vanessa Slade CNS

He just stared at her for a minute. “I haven’t decided if I am talking to you.” He said with the seriousness of a heart attack. He would have been very difficult to deal with if he wasn’t her commanding officer.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and gave him a side glance.

“On the other hand, I could do with a beer.” He looked about, “Isn’t Boston known for their lobster rolls? I’d kill for a real lobster roll.” It probably cost a fortune, but as a Star-Fleet captain he had few expenses. On the other hand, they really didn’t get paid either so it was a lot of saving nothing.

Marius

Vanessa looked all around herself as if she had dropped something before turning her gaze onto Calvin. “Oh,” she said dramatically putting her hands on her chest, “were you talking to me because I thought you just said you weren’t.” She let the moment last only a second before continuing. “You know you are acting like I did this but you sir are far more decorated, far more known, and out rank me five times over. It is not like I entered us into some kind of sweepstakes and we won. Now come on. Let’s get some of the best damn lobster rolls on the planet.”

“I’m a Captain, I make pronouncements. I can’t help who hears them. Not to mention, orders aren’t exactly a conversation, so I could just make everything an order.” Not that would help him in the long run. They had to live on this Planet together. It was a fairly big planet, but still.

“You know we are supposed be a team. If you start barking out orders they will see us as a weak link. Try this with me,” she walked backward as she talked. “Hey Vanessa up top,” she held her hand up looking for a high five.

He raised his hand near hers and then pulled it back before she could slap it. “You don’t ask, you have to earn that.”

“You seriously need to work on your team building skills,” she let out a laugh. “That kind of attitude is going to have you picked last at the next interdepartmental kickball game.”

Calvin chuckled and the ended with a snort. As if he just told the funniest joke ever.

Vanessa navigated the streets without thinking arriving at the Lost Albatross. The interior of the place had not changed. No one needed to state that it was a Starfleet bar. The walls were adorned with memorabilia both current and past. The lights were dimmed and in the corner was the Table for the Missing Soldier. She paused for a second before taking a seat at a table that was reserved for patrons.

Vanessa Slade CNS

Marius stared at the name for a moment. “I don’t think Albatrosses much less lost Albatrosses were known for their food.” However he knew that Vanessa was a Boston native so that her knowledge and experience should be able to find the best food within 100 miles.

“No, but they are fascinating birds. A lot of pilots have them as their symbol. They have the largest wing span of any living bird at ten feet so when in flight they look like a mini plane. Albatrosses can fly without flapping their wings. They tend to glide and can stay in the air for days or weeks if necessary and cross oceans almost in a single journey. They are also relatively fast at 127 km/hr. They mate for life only coming ashore to lay their eggs.”

“What is that bird doctor called?” He made a face. “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow in flight?”

Vanessa stopped dead in her tracks and her nose scrunched up in the characteristic way only females could master when they were dumbfounded at something a man said. “What is it with men and boy movies,” she quipped shaking her head. “You know men give women a ration of crap about the Galactic Movie Network,” she snuck in a quick breath before continuing, “with their stories about the woman that is married the rich man but suddenly has to go to the country because she inherited a dilapidated farm from a Great Aunt and falls for the hunky handyman. You all however have your own middle school boy humor genre that includes the Denobulian classic Naked Phaser, the Betazoid comedy Blazing Saddles and Stirrups, or the Ferengi gem Grand Nargus and the Holy Profit.”

She let out a small chuckle. “I have nine brothers and the ancient Earth classic Airplane was a staple in my house. When anyone asked about directions the response was ‘We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. What’s our vector, Victor?’” She let the references settle in before stating, “They aren’t bad movies and funny if you have any sort of humor in your body. ” Starting to walk again she added, “and your opinion of me just went up ten points didn’t it,” she gave him a wink as they continued their trek through the streets.

He didn’t really respond to that. It might be the biggest bird on Earth but he had seen many larger fly and he never saw an Albatross. “I… its amazing how you can be surprised by things so close to home when things so far away is common.”

“Well remember I have never really left Earth before joining the Genesis,” she admitted. “I am sure you have seen and done a million things far more interesting that what we have on Earth but something amazing things are just under your nose.” She paused giving him a half smile before adding, “like the lobster rolls at what seems like a dive bar.”

“I have found that planets that don’t have humans have animals that aren’t scared of humans. So seeing an amazing animal is usually a situation followed by a lot of screaming and running.”

He wondered where the military aspect of this ‘bar/restaurant’ came from. “Is this a military friendly bar?:”:

Marius

“Yeah, it’s owned by a Vet. He lost his leg on Taltra Prime when the colony was attacked by some smugglers. He took it hard. He was in counseling for a while and eventually decided to leave Starfleet. He showed up at the VA and became one of my clients. Like you, he used to work out a lot. Instead of sitting across from me and in a room, we started going for walks which turned into jogging and eventually into running.” Vanessa wore an expression showing she was thinking about a happy memory as she spoke. “We kept running by this place and one day he decided to buy it. Roycephus Green might not be serving actively in Starfleet but he keeps the troops well fed and watered.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

Marius stared for a moment, “I know the feeling.” While anyone could read the cover sheet of his service docket and see the similarities.

He squinted at Vanessa. “You know what they say in the marines, once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, thrice is enemy action.”

Marius

“I think that was a quote about some spy in intelligence and not the Marines,” she raised an eyebrow at him. “Or the Intelligence community stole it from your Marines. I think a better quote is once is chance, twice is coincidence, thrice is fate.”

“They stole it from us.” He said immediately. The truth irrelevant to his continued belief. “And thrice is enemy action.”

“Sure they did,” she nodded with a knowing smile.

“Is that my Nessie Slade,” a boisterous voice yelled out as a man with a single leg walked up to the table. The man was very gregarious and half swept her up from her seat into a hug.

“Did he just call you an mythical undersea monster?’

“You don’t,” Roycephus shot back with a hearty laugh. “What else would you call the rare sitting of a non-male in the Slade brood? Oh there are rumors that they have a sister but at social events, with that clan, you struggle to catch sight of her. Mainly because she is wearing a baseball cap to avoid drawing attention from her mah or Fader O’Malley as she drinks at the bar like she has hair on her chest and swearin’ with all the vigor of a sailor.”

“Nessie is my family name because there is no nickname for Vanessa. They made a diminutive form,” she explained it to Calvin.

“Oh my god, it is good to see you back here. How is Vulcan?” Roy asked.

Vanessa stiffened slightly and realized the answer to his question was going to be slightly problematic. “Still allies of the Federation.” Vanessa did not think this through and was second-guessing her choice of restaurants.

“And who is this,” Green gestured to Calvin.

“This Calvin. He is a former Marine and a Captain I know.” Vanessa left the specifics out and hoped it would be enough of an introduction to appease everyone. “I was raving about the Lobster rolls once at a conference we were at and thought since we were both in town I would bring him here.”

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Sir,” Green snapped off a salute. Even though Roy had not served in active duty in years the phrase once a Marine always a Marine rang true in the corp. Vanessa had stated that the man she was with held the rank of Captain which outranked him any way you looked at it.

“Ooorah,” he said slowly and quietly. “Navy Captain, Marine Major Sargent. Best part of that, is I’ll draw two pensions.”

Even at a whisper his words seemed to be a battle cry. Although the place was a far cry from crowded the patrons and Roycephus responded with a far more vigorous rendition of the Marine core chant of Ooorah. The boisterous response was fleeting as the rest of the patrons settled back into whatever they were previously doing.

Calvin looked about. If he had any doubt of how many military people were in the room the quick chant removed them. That being said there were enough civilian patrons to end the chant quickly.

“The monster over here told me that this was the spot.” He looked about. “Nice little place you have here.”

Marius

“Really,” she looked at him with a raised eyebrow and half a smirk. Vanessa was not mad that she might now have earned a nickname with her Captain. This was bound to happen though the more one got to know another person. She came from a close-knit community under the shadow of a major city. The second they arrived in Boston, it was only a matter of time before her thousand-pound rucksack of baggage tore at the seams and spilled all over the floor.

“Thank you,” Green nodded with a look of pride on his face. “Nessie here dug in deeper than an Alabama tick the moment I let out a musing about the joint. Glad she did though,” he rubbed the thick mat of salt and pepper coming off his chin. “Can’t imagine what I would be doing without it. The transition was hard but this is a way for me to give back. So what are you both doing here?”

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Here, specifically for the best lobster roll on Earth.” He paused. Actually that was pretty much the only reason why he was going to enjoy any part of this trip. Real non-replicated lobster. Replication got a bad rep, it wasn’t as nuanced as real food could be, but it was consistent as hell. Always good, always fresh, always tasty. Just… consistent.

“Here in general, because of orders…” Then he stared at Vanessa. “Orders that a junior officer got her Captain involved with.

Maruis CO