What Do You Want?

Posted on Fri Dec 7th, 2018 @ 11:38pm by Stephen Spires & Lieutenant Commander Mara Ricci
Edited on on Fri Dec 7th, 2018 @ 11:41pm

Mission: S1E1: Welcome Home, Now Go Away
Location: Shuttle Bay
Timeline: MD 1 | 19.00

Modifying the shuttles was going well. In fact, Mara could tell she was going to be done well within the hour that she had allowed for it. In had been only twenty minutes and she was nearly finished with the first one. "I love it when a plan comes together," she muttered to herself as she checked the readings on the signal strength. Almost there. Just a little more boosting and it would be perfect!

Stephen Spires considered himself a patient man. He had allowed himself to be confined to the civilian quarter for the duration of the trip. There were opportunities to sneak out and see what he could find, whether natural opportunities or created ones. But the odds of finding anything of import were slim with the odds of dying an unnatural death were anything but. He was a journalist, not a scientist, and while he was a sharp wit, he couldn't begin to understand the number-crunching, space-bending transit which sent them through the galactic barrier into the true final frontier.

What's more was that he heard tell of a group of hitchhikers within the cargo bay. While that area was now restricted with armed men going in and out at random, the shuttle bay was less secured. It seemed only natural that, as the station slowed its braking maneuver and settled into position in orbit of the colony world, Stephen should take a gander.

To his delight, he was greeted by a finely toned backside belonging to a comely woman bent over a runabout's exterior with a tricorder in hand.

"Well, hello, there," he said, announcing himself. Nothing said he couldn't be there, so under the circumstances he decided to put his best foot forward and trust in his natural flirtation to win him over.

Because she had good ears, she had heard the person's footsteps, but it was Ingram's voice, not Spires' that she had expected to hear. And so, with a startled cry- followed by a pained cry as she smacked the back of her head on the opened access door that hung just above her. One hand on her head, she spun around to spot Spires. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I thought you were confined to quarters!"

"I didn't pick the lock, if that's what you're asking," Stephen said, hands raised. "Just thought I'd take a look around, seeing as how we've arrived. Figured you'd be on the Engineering module anyhow."

"I'm senior staff!" she pointed out as if this was the most obvious fact known to mankind. "Why would I be on the engineering module?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know--maybe because YOU'RE A FUCKING ENGINEER?!" Stephen threw his hands up again, this time in exasperation. He walked a quarter circle around the runabout and quipped, "So what are you doing down here?"

Mara just rolled her eyes and went back to work. "Why should I tell you?" she replied, disgruntled.

"Because I'll just figure it out eventually." His head gave a slight, arrogant bob on his neck. "And we both know you find me irresistible."

She glared at him over her shoulder. She hated how right he was. But, would it really hurt for him to know what she was up to? Perhaps it could keep him out of her hair to give him this little bit of non-news. "I'm modifying these shuttles to act as communications buoys," she said, turning back to the shuttle. "It's temporary, but will allow us to keep in touch over a longer distance."

Stephen's ears perked up at that. "Longer distance, huh?" Eyes narrowed and head playfully cocked to one side. "But who else is out here except us? Unless..." He grinned broadly at the sudden conclusion. "You lost the one of the modules!" The flinch in Mara's posture told him he was right. His head threw back in a cackle. Knowing full well the difficulty of the calculated phase space acceleration process, Stephen still couldn't help but ask, "Sweet lord, Mara, how the hell did you lose one of the modules?"

"I didn't lose it!" she snapped at him. "The weight was miscalculated and it just didn't come quite far enough. We know where it is; we just have to go get it. Long jumps are still too new; we haven't quite worked out the kinks, yet."

"Which one was it?" Stephen asked, falling into professional reporter mode. "Engineering? Support?" He gasped at her less than subtle body language. A body he had been intimately familiar with once upon a time. "Both? You miscalculated the weight on both?" Stephen clucked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You might be losing your touch, Mara. Nonetheless, your slip up is my gain. This will make a great lead story."

“I didn’t miscalculate anything!” she informed him irritably. “The jump was not my responsibility. Now quit making it more than it is. You’re welcome to report it, but if you make it sound like anything other than the minor set back it was, I’ll make sure your career is over.”

Stephen strut right up to Mara so as to better look down on her. "You can't do shit to me," he said firmly before adding, "but you're welcome to try." His right eye winked in both challenge and invitation.

Mara, however, was not one to be intimidated. She stood her ground as he approached and even pulled herself to her full height, keeping her eyes focused on his. “Careful,” she said, hints of both danger and lust in her voice. “I might take you up on that.”

"Eat your heart out, darlin'," Stephen said through a cocksure grin. "I already got what I wanted out OF you." He gently rapped his first against her chin and clicked his tongue. "Catch you on the flip side."

She gave him a smug little grin. "Oh, I don't think you have," she replied. "But, we'll see if you ever do." And without another word, she went back to work. Thanks to his distraction, she was now behind where she wanted to be at this point. She would have to work straight through to be done on time.

As Stephen walked away, he paused for a moment to reflect on the little exchange. Despite the flare of frustration from the chip he still carried on his shoulder, that went very well. He grinned with satisfaction on his way back to his quarters. There was a story to write.