Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cara Meow (Ship’s Xenoanthropologist and Sociologist) in Downtime on Space Station Deep Space K-5
[snip]

Cara Meow had just walked in, and she went straight up to the bar.

“Commander?” she asked Joe, “Or are you just Joe now? I wondered if it was you, Sir. I was looking at the station directory and I noticed Joe Milligan, Green Dragon Tavern and the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant. I didn’t think there could be more than one Joe Milligan. I took the liberty of telling the rest of the ship. And you missed quite a firework display when that comet entered the system!”

Xavier said nothing as the new patron spoke but raised an eyebrow ever so slightly and looked at the bartender, who, it turned out, was in fact called ‘Joe’. Relaxing forward with his forearms resting on the bar Xavier decided that, once in a while his imagination was likely to be right.

“Hello, Doctor Hunter,” she nodded, “are you okay?” and “Hello!” she said to whoever the other good-looking man at the bar was.

‘’Okay? Okay!’’ Hunter replied raising his voice for once ‘’ He ‘’ pointing a finger at Joe ‘’ Probably poisoned me ,I knew he never liked me from day one .He’s a psychopath and just ruined my date with Sara..... something I have been waiting for months if not years !’’ the doctor finishing off with an intense irritation and frustration.

“How about some water?” Xavier helpfully suggested. “It’ll help to dilute whatever you drank, maybe try soda next time?” .

Hunter looked at Xavier ‘’What? I’m not about to take anything from him and you best be careful for my order was a shot of whiskey ‘’ the doctor checked the time ,picked a bag which he had put next to his stool ‘’Excuse me ‘’ he told Xavier and left to find a bathroom.
Half an hour later Hunter emerged,dressed in his favorite white shirt with real gold buttons and black trousers and sat back on the same stool…apparently totally forgetting the poison.

And the show was going to go on apparently..........

Two female voices were heard bickering ‘’What’s wrong with you just cause you saw a paper Dragon at this bar ?’’ Cross was heard yelling at Kate the nursing officer ‘’ I just love dragons ‘’ Kate replied yelling even louder .

“Dragons are pretty cool,” the quiet comment was directed to Joe and accompanied by a casual shrug as the commotion drifted in the direction of Xavier and the others near him. “That’s what made me stop and come inside, in any case.”

‘’You think there is a real dragon inside with a knight in shinning armor waiting for you ‘’Cross retorted back but Kate was not about to back away ,they weren’t in sickbay and she was not about to take orders from the CMO ‘’ You dragged me to all the shops to buy clothes , shoes and everything in between, not to mention how many bikinis you tried and I’ll let you know you choose the ugliest one ....there!’’ Kate was quiet cuffed with herself for standing up to Cross.

Kate marched inside but not before telling the female doctor ‘’You can go to hell for all I care ‘’ .As she made her way the N.O caught sight of Faith and Dariusz ,seeing them made her smile and heading towards their table ‘’Oh I’m so glad to see some of the crew around here and get away from that devil ‘’ she said referring to Cross ‘’She wanted to go to that ‘Sin Disco’ tks,tks ‘’ she finished off shaking her head in disapproval.

“I heard there are really long access lines at that Sin City Club,” Cara told them. “And the drinks are watered down and an incredible robbery… unbelievable! Also, that Post Duotronic Acid-Tellurian Cargo Hold music sounds just like my ex wailing and crying after I left him… The club probably smells like him too! Maybe Joe has a dancefloor here that we can use? We just need a DJ?”

Cross never entered the ‘Dragon bar ’ she headed straight to the Sin City Club.

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” Cara asked Kate. “Joe Milligan is here. She’d be crushed if we left the station, and she never knew!”

Kate’s eyes widened ‘’Where?’’ she asked searching through the crowd in all directions until her vision fell on the barman ‘’Oh my God its true’’ she whispered to no one in particular and ran after Cross who by now was already on her way to the Sin club .

“You seem like a fairly popular guy,” Xavier made the observation to Joe, after all he couldn’t help overhearing what was said. “Bartender, heartbreaker, assassin,” with the last word his head tilted towards Slick, apparently a Doctor if what the woman had said was right, by the name of Hunter.

‘’Cross, Cross stop ‘’ Jane shouted at the top of her voice as she kept on running ,making other people look at her as if she had just escaped from an asylum. Finally getting hold of the CMO the nursing officer who was by now out of breath managed to say ‘’The …Cmdr.J.Joe is at the bar ‘’.

The doctor looked at Kate in a manner that said ye right but Kate nodded furiously. The next thing was Cross sprinting back to the bar ,on entering she saw him Her adrenaline had already been turned on, she frantically jumped on a chair then proceeded to a table and lastly on the bar ‘’ Joe ‘’ she cried out , the last jump was on him, wrapping her hands around his neck and both legs situated on every side of his torso ,no words came out instead the tears did the talking.

Then she turned to Xavier. “Hi! I’m Cara!” Her whiskers twitched, and her tail beat twice.

“Pleased to meet you Cara, I’m Xavier,” the man replied and offered a hand in greeting. The X was pronounced as a Z, rather than the eX it was often heard as. “Seems like I wandered into a reunion of sorts,” he laughed lightly and turned to look at the Bartender and woman wrapped around him. “I take it most of you aren’t regulars on the Station then?”

“No, I’ve never been to this bar before,” Cara replied. “I’m not sure about the others, but I haven’t been aboard our ship quite as long. No, this is what passes for ‘shore leave’ for us folks out there at the edges of known space! You look like you’re waiting to ship out yourself? Are you.....”

The male doctor felt a hand rubbing his back turning around he saw his date ‘’Sara you looking amazing ‘’ he complemented her and indeed she did. ‘’Shall I offer you a drink? ‘’ he asked ‘’ Sure tequila ‘’ Sara replied back with an air of confidence .

‘’Two shots of tequila please ‘’ his eyes were firmly set on the bottle just in case , one shots became two, then three ‘’ Lets go to the dance floor ‘’ the woman got hold of his hand ‘’ Oh but dear I don’t really know how too....’’ .The music changed to a slow one and that changed Hunter’s mind, loosing themselves among the other dancers ,Hunter positioned one arm from the elbow around his back and the other on Sara’s hip and for someone who had just been poisoned he sure could sway ,occasionally being seen whispering to each other .....when the dance was over Hunter and Sara could be seen leaving the bar .

At that moment a station announcement sounded which made it impossible to hear what anyone was saying. FINAL BOARDING CALL FOR PASSENGERS FOR THE SS ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO TELLAR PRIME. PLEASE GO TO GATE 5 IMMEDIATELY

Wincing from the volume of the announcement it took Xavier a moment to reply, having lost the rest of Cara’s words and pausing to pick up his drink and take a sip. “The edge of known space?” He asked, “That sounds exciting. What is it exactly that you do on your ship? Oh wait!” He put down his glass and looked around to see if the bartender was free. “You’re at a bar and haven’t got a drink yet, that situation needs to be fixed. What’s your poison?” He jokingly referred to Doctor Hunters behavior earlier towards the drink he had been served. “Did you want to get one for your friend that ran off to get her a moment ago?” With his free hand he motioned to the woman that had launched herself at the bartender, Joe.

Xavier Khauv

“Oh! thanks, the poisoned whisky too, please!” Cara replied. “Like that cat in that old twentieth Century song ‘Ça Plane Pour Moi’!” She followed his hand. “Kate?? She’s not really a friend. She’s a Nurse on the ship. I don’t know what she’d drink… She went to get Doctor Cross. There are a lot of medics here aren’t there? Ha! …Me, myself, I’m a xenoanthropologist. I study the alien behaviours, cultures, and societies that we meet, and it usually is exciting, but the last mission has brought everyone down a bit. Joe, the barman, used to be our COS… long before I joined. Then he left. Then he came back as our XO, then he left again. He missed out on meeting the Ascended beings that are playing God with the natives… but let’s not talk about work anymore. Not when there’s Doctor Hunter’s dad-dancing to watch on the disco floor!”

• Cara Meow

pssst....when the dance finished Hunter left the bar with Sara.

Cross did eventually let go of Joe ,the love of her life though still clinging on to his arm ,afraid that she would lose him for the third time.

She raised a hand and waived at Xavier then gave both him and Cara her most angelic smile,though there was nothing angelic about Cross .Sure with her long blonde hair and curls falling around her cupid face, clear rosy skin and the soft fullness of her lips but one thing would stand out .....her extraordinary intense red eyes and the impossible to forget the haunting look in them.

Cross CMO.