Tarantula!

Posted on Sun Apr 24th, 2016 @ 10:48am by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Ignatius Reilly & Jackson Banning V

Pausing by the door before she left, Oralia looked back at Ignatius and two of her children (the third, Kahuna, was watching a baseball game with Louie and Cyrus). “You three, behave. I don’t want to come back and find webbing hanging from the ceiling, okay?”

If that is what you do not want, then you should take us with you, Ignatius grumped at her.

“I don’t feel like towing a wagon filled with spiders through the station’s hallways. And I don’t think that Jackson’s partners would appreciate the loss in revenue because I brought a wagonload of spiders into the Nexus,” Oz countered.

Hmprh, bipeds are so.. Small minded, Ariadne sneered.

Oz glared at her, “You, young lady, mind that tone. Iggs, it’s on you to teach them manners.”

It would be easier to do so in a place where manners really count, such as in public, at a nice dinner establishment. Ignatius crept forward. Really, Oralia, how can I teach them manners here?

“The same way Darwin taught you movie manners. I’ll queue up a list of movies for you to watch.”

Make the choices spider-based. Tarantula! was a good one - with the tarantula hero stomping on the buildings and killing bipeds. Of course, the end was sad... the bipeds won out, Iggy said.

Oz stared at her a moment, weighing whether taking them to the Nexus would be better or worse than letting them watch a giant tarantula wreck havoc on a bunch of humans - particularly when the women in that movie just stood around and screamed. Not that the men were much better... “Ah, hell.”

* The Nexus *

Oralia, pulling a small wagon loaded with three spiders, entered the Nexus and smiled at the hostess. “A table in the corner, perhaps?” She pointed at the threesome and winced when the hostess’ eyes went wide. “Exactly.”

“Oh, certainly.” She led the way to a corner table that still had a good view of the stage, glad that the place was still not full, given it was early. They arrived and she pulled out a chair for Oz. “How’s this?”

“Um..., yeah, fine,” Oz pulled the wagon to one side of the table - on the side of the table away from the majority of the room. “Hopefully these guys won’t scare too many of the other patrons.”

Pah-shaw, Iggy said, They scare us.

Oralia stared at Iggs for a moment. “No they don’t. Anyway,” she looked at the hostess and said, “Could we - I - have a bottle of cabernet?”

And a bottle of beer, three saucers!

“Of course.” The hostess nodded, then looked to Oz at the beer request. “They drink beer?”

Oz nodded slowly. “Make it a very small glass of stout, not a bottle. Something from the tap.”

“Got it. I’ll tell your waiter. Shall I also inform Jackson you are here?” She glanced at the family of arachnids once more. She’d heard of them of course, and that they could ‘talk’ to you but it was an interesting experience.

A chorus of mental yeses came from the spiders. Oz simply nodded and said, “Please. Maybe he can make them behave.”

The hostess smiled and hurried off. She stopped the waiter approaching to give him the drink order, then stepped out to the main bar to find Jackson.

“I’m telling you, that is what this guy said to me.” Sam was having a discussion with Jackson as the bar was quiet.

Jackson laughed and shook his head. “That will teach you to go to Saturnalia alone. You never know what you’ll find...or what will find you.” When the hostess told of Oz’s arrival, he picked up his innocent, working hours lemonade and strolled out to the main show room. A few minutes later he reached the table and leaned down to kiss Oz.

“Hi gang.”

Jackson! The trio hailed him. Oralia laughed and looked up at him. “It was either this or a really bad, old movie that would have set some bad examples for them.”

A giant tarantula stomping on bipeds is not a bad example! It is something we should aspire to, Gilroy said.

Oz’s gaze at Jackson said, See?

He rolled his eyes but laughed again. “At least we know they won’t get that big. We hope. Where’s Kahuna?” He pulled one of the chairs closer and sat by Oz.

“Watching a game with Louie and Cyrus,” Oz answered. “How are things here? Normal?”

“They are.” He stopped as the drinks arrived and once everyone was settled with their respective glass or dish, he continued. “The rush will start in about a half hour, in time for Eli’s early set. Jan’s in her dressing room doin’ what Jan does in there.” He smiled, watching her intently for a moment. “What about you?”

“I’ve spent all day, cooped up with these three plus my mother and Eli’s mother. Can you guess how I feel?” She winked at him and laughed before leaning toward him to kiss his cheek.

The kiss brought a pleased expression to his face and a wicked glint into his eyes. “Lemme guess, now ya got both of ‘em askin’ about grandchildren?”

“Oh boy, yeah. And then these three were no help - Iggy is all for the idea. She wants to be a nanny again. Plus, then we’d both be mothers and connected on a different level,” Oz shot a glance at the largest of the three spiders.

Ignatius looked back, all eight eyes glinting in the lights. Yes, it is different being a mother. I have children to consider now; I cannot lark off on a dangerous mission anymore.

Oz glanced at Jackson and whispered, “As if she ever was supposed to ‘lark off on a mission’ of any kind - let alone a dangerous one.”

Yes, that oversight aside, Iggy snarked at Oralia, Now, I no longer have the desire to do so.

“Except a certain sailing trip aside?” Jackson teased Iggy. “Li said you all had a great time.”

That is not a dangerous mission! Iggy protested. I was with Darwin; anytime I am with Darwin, I am completely safe.

Oz blinked at the tone in Iggy’s voice. “I think someone has a crush on the Lieutenant Commander.”

I do not.

“Well, it’s understandable, Iggs. I mean, he’s a nice lookin’ fella, good at what he does….and no I don’t have a crush on Darwin. I’m just sayin’...” Jackson reached out and took Oz’s hand. “You stayin’ for Eli’s set?”

“Yeah, --”

Gilroy interrupted her: Could we help with Eli’s set?

Oz looked at Jackson, content to let him handle that question.

“Ahh, I don’t think so kiddo. He’ll be singin’ up on stage, so you two should just enjoy the show, since you haven’t seen him perform before,” Jackson answered. “Though he an’ I are doin’ a duet tonight about midway through his set.”

“Oh, good,” Oz smiled. She loved watching him perform.

All three spiders, though, whined, Awww....

“Jan’s offered to oversee things so I can slip out of here and then we can --” He stopped, suddenly aware of three extra sets of ‘ears’. What he’d been about to say didn’t need an audience.

Too late: Iggy had been listening beyond his words. She chuffed, her version of chuckling, and said, Naughty, Jackson.

“What? I’m just doing my best to make the in-laws happy,” he joked. “Besides, Oz has finally been cleared by the Docs to resume all normal activities. We have some lost time to make up for.”

“Yes we do,” Oz laughed.

Yay! Little humans! Iggy crowed.

“Well, there’s another vote for children,” Oz said to Jackson. “I wonder whether Chance and Eli are so eager to be uncles. ‘Course, everyone else gets the easy part.”

“That’s true. Right now, I’m more concerned with uh….you know.” Jackson winked at Oz.

“Performance anxiety?” Oz asked, laughing. She sobered when her commbadge chirped. Giving Jackson a guilty glance, she answered it, “Oz here.”

“Oz, it’s Gilroy,” he said, as if she might not know his voice, “We’ve been monitoring our patrol ship via long range sensors. Two hours ago, it disappeared from the sensor readings.”

“Have you notified Darwin or Dae?”

“You’re first on the list, Commander,” he reminded her.

“Dae’s still off duty and down on Archadia,” Jackson informed Oz. “Leto’s overseein’ things for now. What about Li?”

“Li is also still on leave; Darwin is due to return tomorrow, pending medical release,” Gilroy said.

“Medical release?” Oz’s brows drew together.

Iggy piped up, Oh, yes, he had to see Doctor Harding this morning. It was something Edana made him do because of something Li gave him.

Oz looked at Iggy then Jackson, trying to puzzle out Iggy’s statement while also listening to Gilroy: “...picked up something on the planet, it seems. He said he’ll be fine, though, and in the office in the morning.”

“Oh, okay. As long as he’s okay,” Oz was mystified. “Keep searching for the patrol ship, notify those who need to be notified, not as if you need me to tell you any of that. I’ll see you and Darwin in the morning, then.”

“We’ll be home in about three hours if you need us Gil,” Jackson informed him. “Good luck.”

“Duly noted,” Gilroy said before signing off.

Oz, bothered by the information he’d imparted sat back and held Jackson’s hand. “What could Li have possibly given Darwin that Edana would object to?”

Iggy’s beer seemingly exploded from her saucer as she huffed suddenly.

Jackson turned a laser gaze on Iggy. “It seems someone at this table knows, so ‘fess up Iggy. What was it?”

Iggy shuffled and pulled a napkin closer to herself. Well, she slowly said, Li came down and had, she physically moved closer to Oralia and Jackson and her thought-voice was softer; she was blocking anyone else from hearing her, relations with Darwin. Then Edana came down and was upset about that; he got that and Ed made him go see Harding.

Oralia looked at Jackson then Iggy then Jackson again and whispered, “I think that’s only part of the story.”

“Yeah, me too. Why did he have to go see Will?” Jackson asked.

To be checked over, Iggy answered with a non-answer.

Oralia reached over and pulled the spider’s saucer of beer away from her, making her protest. “Ignatius, what ailment did Darwin have? No..., better: what symptoms was he having?”

Oh, it was nothing serious. He was just able to read Edana’s and my emotions.

“Nothing serious? He’s just suddenly a telepath?” Oralia let Iggy have her saucer back.

An empath - there’s a difference, Ignatius corrected her.

“Either way, that’s a helluva leap for Darwin, who’s never been one before. I didn’t know us blockheads, as Eli refers to it, could just, you know, turn into one.” Jackson took a sip of his lemonade and frowned. “Whaddya know.”

“Well... he was rather tied up with Li for a while,” Oz said. “Maybe it rubs off,” she sounded doubtful, “and maybe it’ll wear off.”

Ignatius’s thoughts came across in a sing-song: Not likely.

“Not a doctor,” Oralia answered back and sipped her wine. “So much weirdness.”

“You can say that again,” Jackson agreed. “An’ now we’ve got a ship missin’ in an area where I don’t like to hear such news. Let’s hope it’s a glitch an’ it turns up before we have to go tell Riley an’ Suresh. An’ Li too, Seren’s on that ship” He paused and then uttered a curse. “So is Vic.”

Iggy perked up slightly, Reva is on that ship? Will we see her again?

“Well, that’s the question, Iggs. But we’ll do everything we can to find the ship. It’s possible that something has interfered with our sensors or the ship’s signature,” Oralia started downplaying the idea. “It’ll be okay and they’ll all come home safely.”

“Yeah, don’t worry.” Jackson managed a smile. “How about a dance before Eli gets started?”

I would love to! Iggy said.

Oz shot her a glare and stood with him. “A dance would be lovely, thanks,” she went with him onto the dance floor.

“It’s been a while since we danced.” He smiled gently down at her. “It’s also a good place to talk without bein’ overheard.”

“So is home, unless you mean overheard by spiders, not just other people,” Oralia replied, smiling. “I really do love you, J.”

“I love you too, an’ yeah, I meant the spiders. I don’t like Gil’s report, honey. Intel got a report in that one of the science officers workin’ on the current problem disappeared out of a turbolift earlier. I don’t believe in coincidence.”

“Funny, I don’t really either. But Iggy adores Reva and Vic, so I didn’t want to be too concerned about them. And that science officer is Ian Bren. Gilroy sent me a message about him earlier. Bren is another of Iggy’s, and her kids’, favorite people. It won’t go well to tell them about that. I’d rather have a handle on where Bren is and where the Kohanna is. Let’s give it a day, okay?”

Jackson nodded. “Okay. Let the teams do their thing. I’ll give ya one more thing to pass on to Gil. We can’t reach Dae either. It’s not unusual for him to be outta touch but if he’s not surfaced tomorrow, time ta start lookin’.”

“Shit... yeah,” she sighed. “I’ll contact the Archadian guard, too. I’m not supposed to be working yet, but I’m going back tomorrow, at least to be in the office.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Not that I don’t want ya home but you need it and they need you.” He leaned in closer to kiss her. “But not as much as I do.”

She purred happily. “How private is your office?”

“Very if the door is locked.” He smiled now. “You remember, that was the first place ya kissed me way back when.”

“You sure? It wasn’t in my quarters when I was on suspension?” She smiled in return.

“Did I? Or did you manage to avoid that?” He laughed softly. “What about Iggy and the kids?”

“Oh, maybe I did.” She had put her hands under his jacket on his back. “What about them? They can stay where they are. Maybe send Eli over to watch them for a few minutes? Of course, that’ll make what we’re doing obvious.” She laughed.

“Eli has 30 minutes till his set, he can go visit with them. We’ll slip away from the floor.” He motioned to Eli and tapped the side of his head. A moment later, Eli nodded and turned in the direction of Oz’s table. “Now then, we’ll just dance to the other side of the floor and take a back way.”

“Sneaky. No wonder they recruited you for Intel,” she chuckled and let him lead her across the dance floor.

**************
Iggy
Ariadne
Gilroy, Jr.
Oralia Zeferino
Jackson Banning