Martinis And Mozzarella

Posted on Tue Oct 13th, 2015 @ 1:28am by Céline Valois & Helena Marinos

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Federation Transport Brisco

* Federation Transport Brisco *

A waiter stopped at the table and looked down at the two women with a smile. It was easy to smile at them, they had been so pleasant on this trip so far that he wished he had a dozen more just like them.

“May I get you another round?” he asked.

“How many days till we get to 900?” Helena asked.

“Two,” he answered.

“In that case, yes. Keep them coming till you hear one of us threaten to dance on the table. We have two days to sleep it off.” The waiter moved away and she turned back to the dark-haired woman across from her.

“I hope that was alright? Unless you were planning to turn in early?”

“I have nothing better to do. Why not relax a bit?” She pulled her hair back off of her shoulders. “So what will you be doing once we get there?”

“I’ve been hired as a performer at this little jazz place they have there. I know it’s out of the way but it seems to be getting more famous and some big names are lined to to play there. They needed a singer to sit in with the house combo. What about you? Oh, thanks.” The drinks arrived and Helena sipped her new martini.

“A singer? I’ll have to come by and listen sometime.” One of the olives from her drink found its way to her mouth. “I am a teacher. Science mostly, but I’ve switched from the older kids to elementary school kids, so I do it all now. The Federation had a need for a teacher, I thought it a good opportunity to see some new stars, so here I am.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Helena.” She offered her hand across the table. “These transports you see people so often by the time you talk you feel like you already know them.”

“I didn’t even think about introducing myself. We had been talking like old friends for so long.” She laughed and shook Helena’s hand. “I’m Celine Valois. It really has been nice talking to you. These trips can be so horrible sometimes.”

“This run especially,” Helena agreed. “I’ve been here three weeks but then I was coming from the ass-end of space down near Pacifica.” She plucked an olive off the little plastic sword and then laughed. “You ever wonder how it is that no matter where you go in the universe, they have these little swords? Whoever has the patent on these is probably too rich to know what to do with himself and living on Risa.”

Celine scoffed. “Risa is overrated. It was nice, but I didn’t find it to be the dreamy final destination that everyone seems to think it is.”

“It was alright. I played there for several weeks and had a lot of drunk businessmen think I was a souvenir that needed to be manhandled. There was this one bartender though, really nice guy. He kept the hordes at bay when I needed it.” Helena took another sip. “Where are you from?

“Verdanis, the Beta Cephei system. Beautiful planet and it closely resembles Earth.” Celine waved over the server. “I’m a bit hungry and was thinking of some mozzarella sticks. Want some?”

“I’m game,” Helena answered. “So you’re a teacher. Out there, it’s probably a good thing your experience is so varied. It being the real frontier, they will likely need someone who can go where needed, you know?”

“Two orders of mozzarella sticks, please, and extra dipping sauce,” Celine told the server. “I hear the new frontier is a colony that’s being built. But I don’t think I’m that brave to go there. And it would probably be a while before they actually put civilians out there.”

“Wow, that didn’t take long did it?” Helena shook her head. “I wonder how the locals are liking that?” Then she laughed. “You realize that if civvies are allowed out there we, as a teacher and an entertainer, would be at the top of the list to be drafted? Almost like the old USO tours in ancient Earth’s history.”

“The what tours?” Celine was curious, as a teacher, if this was something she could implement into her history sessions with the kids.

“Back in World War Two,” Helena answered. “Movie stars and such would actually go to the war zones and put on shows for the soldiers if you can believe that?” The mozzarella sticks arrived and she plucked one from the plate. “Even knowing combat could break out any moment. I’m glad to be in much more civilized times, let me tell you.”

“Interesting.” Celine pulled out a small data PADD and made a note to look up more information on the USO. She took one of the cheese sticks, scooped some sauce and took a bite. Her eyes went wide and started watering, she started mouth breathing and waving her hand in front of her face. “Hot!” was all she could say.

“You can say that again, honey.” Helena downed the martini to cool the burn from the cheese and her eyes watered. “Wow.” She motioned to the waiter, then pointed to the drinks. “Bring ‘em on and some water too.”

Her mouth had calmed down some and she decided it best to wait a bit for the waiter to return with their waters. “Anyway, I’m a bit nervous about starting out here like this. I’m sure I’ll meet several people and make some friends, but it’s a bit nerve wracking to start on my own like this. I’ve always been in the company of my parents or other friends I’ve known forever. But now? It’s just me.”

Helena smiled back at her. “Well, you have me, which is a good start. Besides, you’re a nice lady, you’ll make lots of friends. Just make sure to get outside the school circle, you know? You are no old-lady school marm. Trust me on that one.” A thought occurred to Helena and she, of course, had to ask. “You said just you, there’s no one special back on Verdanis who’ll be pining away for you?”

The sticks had cooled and Celine bit into another, but with water handy just in case. As she chewed she shook her head. “No. Well, Mom and Dad, but that’s about it.”

“Huh. That’s surprising. I suspect you’ll have to beat them off with a stick on 900.” Helena nodded with certainty. “How soon will you start work once we land?”

“They wanted me to start immediately, but I asked for three days to get settled and to get everything I need set up. I’d like to look at what the kids have been learning, their grades, what might be missing that needs to be added--that sort of thing.”

“Makes sense to me.” Helena gobbled down another mozzarella stick. “Is it true they have a branch of Starfleet Academy there? I heard a few of the kids on Pacifica mention it but I figured it was just kids dreaming of adventure, you know?”

“You heard right,” Celine replied. “I don’t know how busy they’ve been, or even who the cadets are. I wondered if they were just catering to those in this quadrant who wanted to join the Fleet or if they were sending the more adventurous cadets from Earth out here.”

“You’ll know soon.” Helena smiled and reached for the the new martini that had arrived. “If they’ve built a whole colony out there, I’d say this is just the beginning, Celine. No going back now.”

“True. I guess they really do want to expand out this way if they’re putting this much effort and so much resources into it.” She sat back in her chair leaving one mozzarella stick on her plate. “I haven’t really been able to study much of the atmosphere in the quadrant, at least when it comes to acceptance of Starfleet being out here. It will be interesting to see it for myself.”

“Agreed. Let’s hope it all goes smoothly. I’ve not seen any news reports of any big blowups so I consider that a good thing.” Helena pushed her plate away. “It may take two days to get over the cheese sticks.”

“I think I’m gonna’ need a nap. Not necessarily from the sticks, but I think those martinis were strong as hell.” Celine laughed.

“I heard that. I’m going to go catch the news and see if there’s anything on it about 900.” Helena emptied her glass and set it aside. “There’s a movie later tonight. You up for it?”


“What is it?”

“Some old movie with a guy named Tommy Lee Jones in it,” Helena answered.

“A movie with an old guy in it.” Celine smiled. “I take it if we don’t like it we can make fun of it purely for our enjoyment?”

“Oh you better believe it.” Helena grinned at her. “We can rope in the others too, make a party of it.” She rose from the table and pushed in her chair. “See you there at 1900.”

Celine waved her off and stood as well. She snagged the last cheesestick and wandered back to her quarters. Soon after she was yawning and lying down for a much needed nap.

***************
Céline Valois
Elementary School Teacher
aka
The Eater of Hot Things

Helena Marinos
Songbird
aka
The Eater of Olives