Annoyed

Posted on Sun Mar 15th, 2020 @ 11:28pm by Lieutenant Commander Mara Ricci & Stephen Spires

Mission: S2:1: Into The Drowning Deeps
Location: Ricci’s office
Timeline: MD 4 - 0900

After her meeting with Ingram, Mara returned to her office. She barked an order to the engineers that she was not to be disturbed and locked her door.

She knew why she was so irritated at this whole situation; it was because she cared about Spires. If Ingram sent him away, she didn’t know what she’d do, but she was almost sure it would include a resignation. Somehow she had to convince Spires to be a bit more careful in his reporting.

That was like convincing a Ferengi to forego profit.

With a sigh, she picked up a PADD and started working on her daily report.

"Hey there, chere." Stephen hopped out of her chair and slid onto the corner of her desk.

Mara nearly jumped out of her skin. How she had missed the fact that he was there, in the chair she was about to sit in was beyond her, but she had. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"More like what am I not doing here," Stephen countered with a mischievous grin.

“Don’t play games, Spires,” she sighed, falling into her chair. “I’m not in the mood. Now what do you want?”

He gave her a shrug. "Just snooping. Wondering what you were doing. That's what a doting man is supposed to do, right?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, but she was grinning slightly. "I don't believe you have never doted a day in your life," she countered.

"Well, maybe I could," he retorted, "if I had some incentive. Whatcha' got for me today, chere? Anything tantalizing?"

She considered this for a moment. “I could show you the Pollux shipyard plans,” she answered. “They’ve only just begun construction, but they’re pretty impressive. There’s a holodeck program about it, if you’re interested. I think it’s time for the people to hear about what we came out here to do.”

Spires blew raspberries with his tongue. "Boring. Call me when construction is complete. Next?"

Mara sighed, agitated. "Okay, then," she replied, trying to keep her cool. "How about we head down to Carpathia and see how they're doing? They're putting up more structures every day and since Carcosia helped us get rid of that tower, they're having a lot less trouble of it, too."

"Ehhh..." The suggestion wasn't terrible, but it didn't promise much excitement either. Spires leaned his head back and forth as he tried to make a decision. "Nah. I got contacts who promised to let me know the minute something big comes up..." Staring at Mara's agitation, well, it made Spires start spinning his gears. "Unless... you know something going on outside of Landersfell," he said with a suspicious sidelong glance. "Is Starfleet working on another settlement perchance? Some secret operation on Carpathia that's separate from the independent colony of Landersfell? Nod once for yes, twice for no."

She gave him a look that said quite clearly what she thought of that idea. "Cut it out, Spires," she said, picking up a PADD and opening her daily report. "There's no secret operation. And even if there was, I couldn't tell you that. I'd be court-martialed for sure."

"Oh, please." Spires let out a cynical scoff. "Starfleet needs you more than you need them. Don't let anybody tell you different, especially that blue-blooded wannabe-admiral Ingram."

Even though Mara had just been in hot water with Ingram and she felt that he had been completely unreasonable, she still quite liked him and Spires’s insult made her bristle. “I’ve told you everything I can tell you,” she snapped. “Now either take me up on one of them or get out of my hair! I have work to do.”

Spires gave a half smile at her outburst. "Damn. What's crawled up your ass? Ingram's really gotten into your head, hasn't he?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you must know, he’s pissed that you know so much and he assumes I tell you everything,” she replied. “And now he wants you on our side or he’ll order you put in stasis until he can ship you back to our galaxy.”

"Seriously? He said that?" Spires threw his head back and laughed. "Hot damn! Let me outfit you with a recorder so next time he says something like that we have evidence."

“Will you be serious for a minute?” she replied. “This Station is Starfleet property. All he has to do is cite a reasonable security risk and nobody will bat an eye. Can you at least keep from editorializing in your articles? That would be a start.”

Stephen balked at the suggestion. "I haven't editorialized anything! It's my job to pose questions and I won't stop doing that just because a dickhead like Ingram has his dander up." He pressed his hands up in the air like they could force Mara to understand. "Do you think he's the first prick in uniform who's threatened me? Don't fall for his scare tactics. If he's going through you to get to me, that means I've struck a nerve. The last thing in the world I would ever do is let up."

Maybe she should be reading his articles after all. She was basically going off what Ingram told her and memories of past articles. She didn't want to admit to him that she wasn't reading them, though; she didn't want him to take it the wrong way. "Can you at least just write one favorable article now and then?" she asked. "Just to keep him off my back? If not for you, for me?"

"Favorable?" Stephen repeated incredulously. "Just what is that supposed to mean? I don't do quid pro quo, cher, and it kinda' pisses me off you would even ask." He crossed his arms in resolute defiance. "If Ingram wants a 'favorable' report, then his leadership needs to reflect that. Threatening me through third parties like a fucking mobster will guarantee rather unfavorable press coverage."

“For the love of- I didn’t say lie, Spires!” she retorted. “I just said report something positive for a change. Because there is a lot positive going on out here, if you would just look. A whole fleet of ships just arrived, including a hospital ship. As I said earlier, we just started work on the ship yards. There is a ton of interesting stuff happening!”

"Are you even reading my articles," Stephen challenged, "or are you just regurgitating your boss's opinions?"

She hesitated, frowning. “I prefer being on speaking terms with you,” she admitted. “Every time I read one of your articles, we argue.”

Stephen rocked back onto his heels and crossed his arms over a chest, effecting a punchably smug expression. "You mean to tell me... you're giving me revisions... when you don't even read the shit you're criticizing?" He shook his head with incredulous disbelief. "You can be a real piece of work sometimes, you know that?"

“I’m making a guess based on what you really written before,” she defended. “Oh never mind. Write whatever you want, but if Ingram puts you in stasis, don’t come crying to me!”

"Not like I'd be in a position to do so, would it?" He shook his head back and forth in angry disbelief. "Maybe that's what it'd take to get your head out of his ass."

"All right," she said grumpily. "You've made your point. Just try not to piss off Ingram, okay? And get out of here. I have work to do."

Stephen snorted at her candor and headed for the door. "Well, fuck you very much too, cher."

"Well, definitely, but not here and now," she said dryly.

"Not what you said last week," he quipped, taking his leave.

Mara grinned vaguely at his retreating form. Yes he was annoying while he was the reporter, but she found herself falling deeply for the man. And plus, the more annoyed she was, the better the sex.

So, with the promise of a bit of fun tonight, Mara went back to her report, determined to get it done this time.