Lt. Jg. Geoffrey Teller & Ens. Wil Ukinix - Shore leave Traditions - Part I
brian.cleary
((Main Engineering, USS Veritas - Stardate 239512.30))
::Finally working together again in Main Engineering, Ensign Wil Ukinix and Lt. Jg. Geoffrey Teller monitored the status of the crippled USS Veritas as it slid into its docking berth at Esperence Starbase. The damage to the ship from their recent adventures had been extensive and the yardmaster was estimating the repair time in months. The nav deflector itself was a lost cause, the melted and fused remains of which would have to be cut out of the hull and replaced entirely before the ship could be spaceworthy again.::
::The status board showed that the docking clamps and support umbilicals were attached and secured. With systems switched to external power, Teller took the warp core offline and stood back from his console with a sigh. After all the work they had done to bring the ship back online, it hurt to shut it down again so soon, but Teller knew it was only thing to be done. As the thrum of the core ceased, Ukinix slid down the ladder from the upper deck and bounded over to the status board cheerily, slapping Teller’s shoulders::
Ukinix: Well now that’s all sorted, what do you say we go down to the planet. Get a couple of beers or something. We should have a quiet celebration after getting off Limbo.
Teller: Sounds like as good a plan as any - last time I was here I was just passing through on my way out to the Veritas, didn’t have much of a chance to look around.
::Wil walked over to the nearby console. He knew nothing about Esperance, so he decided to look it up on the Starfleet database.::
Ukinix: The largest city on Esperance is “Adelaide”. Huh, ironic. ::Looking at Teller:: My grandparent’s winery on Earth is north of a city named Adelaide.
Teller: That’s a weird coincidence.
Ukinix: Actually I don’t think it’s coincidental. ::Looking on console:: The main part of the city is surrounded by parks and has a similar grid layout. In fact ::smiling ironically:: some of the street names are the same.
::Wil brought up a detailed map of the city centre.::
Ukinix: “Rundle Street” seems to be a hub for bars and restaurants. We could head there for a few quiet brews.
Teller: Sounds good, I’m going to hit my quarters and change - last thing we want is to be in uniform down there, we’ll attract every lowlife and scam artist in town. I’ll meet you in the transporter room.
Ukinix: We’ll have to go up to transporter room one, two and three are out of action.
Teller: Still better than a shuttle. ::shudder: Meet you there in a few minutes.
((Rundle Street, Adelaide, Esperance))
::It was sunset. There were people everywhere, of all different species, and it was noisy from everyone's chatter. Roads, in the traditional sense, were redundant here. Rundle “Street” was a wide, luxurious promenade, with tracks for the hover light rail that ran down the middle. On each side of the walkway were door to door bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Wil had read on his console that this eastern end of the 2.5km street was upmarket - the other western end was known for having a seedier reputation. They both looked around, deciding which establishment to go to first.::
Ukinix: ::Raised voice:: So much for a couple of “quiet” beers!
Teller: Sounds like music to me Wil - I got enough peace and quiet on Limbo to last me two lifetimes. Lets just pick a place at random, I bet the ale all comes from the same place anyway.
::Wil laughed when he saw an establishment that looked out of place in the rest of the upmarket locales. One of the interior walls was covered in fake wood - and hanging from it were many different types of analogue clocks. One of the other walls had flags painted on it, which Wil assumed was the flags of the old countries of Europe. Hanging from that wall was lots of cowboy hats. The people behind the bar were wearing English police “bobby” hats, chequered shirts and vests. In the middle of the otherwise open front of the establishment were a set of saloon doors made out of fake wood, for no particular reason. Behind the bar was a small replica of the Eiffel tower.
Ukinix: “Ancient Earth European Cowboy Beer Bar”. That’s so bad, it’s perfect.
Teller: ::chuckling:: It looks like the builder knew a guy who hung out with a guy that visited a guy who heard about a guy that had seen a guy who once told a story about a guy who had been to Earth, then said ‘yeah...that’s what humans like. Earth Stuff.’
Ukinix: C’mon, it looks really trashy. We have to check it out. Just for one drink, then we’ll go somewhere better.
Teller: I’m telling you right now, I’m grabbing one of those hats.
((Several drinks later))
::Teller’s scalded taste buds still smarted as they shambled back onto the highstreet and both men squinted against the bright light after leaving the dim ‘pub.’Teller’s oversized cowboy hat somehow sat so oddly it did nothing to block the glare::
::Geoffrey and Wil walked back into Rundle Street from the ‘Earth’ themed bar.::
Teller: I wonder how they got the idea that European beer is best served boiling?!
Ukinix: Sorry about that Chief. ::cheekily:: That had to be seen to be believed. But at least we’ve had a drink now. You pick this time.
Teller: Yeah once I explained the idea of second degree burns to them, the ale was entirely serviceable. How about that place?
::Teller pointed across the street to ‘Lusty Andorian Maid,’ which had a number of brightly lit holosigns advertising diversions and potables from across the quadrant. Loud music leaked from the doors every time a patron entered or exited.::
Teller: With a name like that, how could we possibly go wrong? I’m buying this round.
((Several more drinks later))
::Geoff and Wil stood on the stage of the Karaoke bar, belting out another old Earth shanty to the amusement and catcalls of the well sauced crowd::
Teller/Ukinix:: OOoOHhHhhHHhHHh
Keelhaul, that filthy landlubber, send him down to the depths below
Make that bastard walk the plank with a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho!
::The crowd cheered as both men finished the song by chugging down the entirety of their drinks before stumbling off stage towards the bar.:
((Several local “Eagle Eye Meadows” Whiskies later))
::Geoffrey and Wil had said goodbye to their musical fans and were still in the heart the seedier western end of Rundle Street. Wil had to look a few times at the front of the establishment in front of them to read the name properly - “Rocksoff”.::
Ukinix: What - what is this place?
::A large, well dressed Orion male approached them from the front of the establishment.::
Orion: Best holosuite in the city! Any pleasure or delight you like.
Teller: ::hiccup:: Hard pass….I’m not letting some ::hiccup:: poorly programmed forcefield rummage around…::hiccup::
::Wil just simply shook his head.::
Orion: But sir we’ve got a special tonight….::the Orion trailed off as Wil and Geoff wandered further down the street::
Teller:...don’t want to catch a computer virus!
Ukinix: Let’s call it a night. ::Lifting his hand:: I’m having trouble focusing.
Teller: One more round, then we’ll pack it in. Hmm...ya know…::hiccup::...that holosuite place does give me an idea...::hiccup::….I wonder how small we could make a holo-emitter?
To be continued!
=========================================================================
Lieutenant JG Geoffrey Teller
Chief Engineer
USS Veritas - NCC 95035
Capt. R. Rahman, Commanding
V239509GT0
&
Ensign Wil Ukinix
Engineering Officer
USS Veritas
V239511WU0