A Messy Meeting

Posted on 11 Jul 2017 @ 3:40pm by Ensign Elizabeth Bordeaux & Lieutenant David Moreau Jr

1,256 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Finnean Crisis
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 3 || 1800 Hours

David was off duty at last after doing intense phaser and hand to hand combat training with Security personnel and after a long shower and shave, he changed into a white t-shirt, a pair of black jogging pants and comfortable black shoes. His stomach rumbled and reminded him that he hadn't eaten since lunch time, so he decided it was time to go appease the stomach gods as that was one battle he would never win.

He entered the officer's mess hall on deck five and looked around; since it was between shifts - no, it was nearly Gamma shift, he reminded himself, there wasn't many people there. He approached the counter and stood there as he looked at the options available while he tried to decide what he wanted. "Decisions, decisions," he muttered to himself. "I should have stayed back in my quarters and just replicated something."

Across the hall, Liz Bordeaux was sitting at a table with a plate of salmon and a side of rice. Next to her was a PADD, which she studied intently, containing new data on the Convergence Zone. Not that it's doing any good, she thought.

After another minute, David selected a double portion of lasagna, a salad and a side of garlic bread, then he looked around. While there were seats open, he couldn't help but notice a rather petite black haired woman sitting by herself with a PADD by her. The look on her face was one of concentration, but the mess hall was no place to be studying, he decided. With his tray in hand, he approached her table.

"Hey," he said casually. "Mind if I help get your mind off of work?" He hoped it was work and not some personal matter and prepared to be told to mind his own business.

Bordeaux looked up from the data, then had to look up some more. Before her was a hulk of a man. Not only tall, but bulky as well, with toned muscles that were visible under his white T-shirt. Liz guessed that his biceps were easily as wide as her head. On his tanned skin, she could make out tattoos that were half-covered by the sleeves of the T-shirt. Thankfully, she managed to keep her jaw from dropping, and with concentrated composure, she turned off the PADD before motioning to the other chair. "Not a problem at all, Mister. . . ?"

"Moreau," David said as he set his tray down across from her and eased himself in the chair as if he were afraid he may break it. "David Moreau. I'm the new Chief of Security here. I don't know many people, so I thought I'd introduce myself."

Liz extended a hand. "It's a pleasure, sir. Elizabeth Bordeaux, science officer, but everyone just calls me Liz." Chief of Security. Fitting, she thought.

"Bah, Sir is for old men and officers you don't respect," David said with a laugh. "I'm just David." He paused. "Bordeaux? Now that's a coincidence. I'm from Bordeaux, France on Earth originally. It's a pleasure to meet you, Liz."

She chuckled at his dispense of formalities. "I'm afraid I've actually never been. It's my mother's family name, and we grew up in Canada." She raised an eyebrow. "It is a peculiar coincidence though." Giving him a suspicious look, she said, "This isn't just some ruse, is it? Some ploy to pick up women with names that sound like cities?" She gave him a slight smirk.

"You've seen right through me, Liz," he said as he held up his hands. "I changed my last name and where I was born just so I could meet the prettiest girl on the ship. You'll have to take me into custody now. My career is ruined."

That elicited a laugh. She pointed at him with her fork. "I bet time travel was involved as well. Great effort." She lowered her culinary weapon, and then said, "No, but really, that is interesting. It's nice to have some sort of connection with someone else on the ship, regardless of how silly it is." Liz folded her hands under her chin, and said, "So tell me, what's it like as head of security on this ship? Exciting?"

"Time travel, bribery, extortion, contortion, and a dozen balloon animals." David laughed and reached for his own fork. "It is," he agreed as he started to cut his lasagna up and took a bite, then washed it down before he spoke again. "Right now, I'm still getting the feel for it and making sure all the senior staff is phaser certified. I've heard the old ship was boarded several times and I won't have department heads not knowing which end of a phaser points at the enemy while they cut down our crew. It's my ultimate goal to get everyone from the Captain down to the greenest enlisted certified. How are you with a phaser?"

"Oh jeez. I don't think I've even held a phaser since Academy training," Liz replied. Sheepishly, she added, "And even then, I wasn't that great at it." She shrugged. "Phasers don't really come with the blue uniform. But, I'm willing to learn." She gave him a smile. "You offering training classes?"

"I'd be happy to teach you, Liz," he said after taking a bite of his garlic bread. "In fact, if you're volunteering for training, I'll even go light on you, but that offer won't last long. After the offer expires, I'll have to go hard and force you to make balloon animals to shoot at."

Liz chewed her food tentatively for a moment, before nodding her head slowly. "OK, sure. I'd be up for that. And it beats the balloon animal training." She looked at him. "That is, if you have the time."

"I always have time for people who want to learn," David said after another bite of his food. "I've spent eighteen years in Starfleet and I never cease to get a thrill when someone wants to learn something new. Especially when they're the ones who ask about it first. What shift are you on?"

"Alpha shift, though if there's an analysis going I might get off at 1330 instead."

"Perfect," he said as he finished his first helping of lasagna. "How does fifteen hundred hours tomorrow sound? I'll be off duty and the phaser range usually is free around that time."

She considered it a moment before finally agreeing. "Yeah, that sounds good. You sure don't waste a lot of time, do you?" she asked, giving him a smirk.

"I'm only slow when I need to be," David said with a smile. "The rest of the time, it's warp speed ahead. I'm not getting any younger and I have to keep up with all the beautiful Ensigns at the table. Er, on the ship."

"Mmmhmm," she said, looking at him sidelong as she raised her glass. "Well then, warp speed ahead." The two glasses clinked together in a toast.

He laughed and toasted her before he took a sip. "Aye, aye, Captain Bordeaux," he said. "Your order is my command. What are your next orders?"

Waving her hand dismissively, she said, "At ease, lieutenant. No new orders at the moment." She wiped her mouth with a napkin before placing it on her now empty plate. "Well, David, from Bordeaux, it was a pleasure meeting you. I'll see you at 1500 tomorrow?" she inquired.

"It's been my pleasure as well, Liz," David said as he came to his feet. "Until tomorrow."

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