JP: David Whale & Roshanara Rahman: The Pitch

[Rich Yulin]

((On the porch of Alton Vines' cabin, Glenboro, Manitoba, Canada, Earth))

Whale: That went about as well as I’d hoped.

Rahman: ...yeah. I see what you mean now.

Whale: I’d like to say I’m sorry we wasted your time, but…

::But then, the door opened, and this time fully.::

Whale: Vines.  Ready to not be a dick?

Vines: Well, get inside. Before I change my mind.

::She followed Whale into the cabin, nodding at Vines in appreciation when she walked past him as he held the door.

Rahman: Thank you, sir.

Vines: Don't thank me yet. I haven't said anything.

::They stood for a moment in the living room area of the cabin, which was actually kept up in a tidy manner. Framed pictures of family and friends--or what she assumed were family and friends--lined one of the walls, and she couldn't help but notice there was a small model of a Constitution class ship sitting on the fireplace mantel.::

::She hoped that was a good sign.::

::Vines walked from the door and past them, gesturing to the couch and chairs near the fireplace.::

Vines: Well, have a seat.

Whale: Yeah.

:: He unslung his satchel and set it beside the small couch, then sat, grunting a little as he did so.  Being over forty now, he’d found that a lot of his old injuries from his time in Starfleet and the SFMC were coming back to haunt him.  It was only fair, he figured, that some of them would be bothering him now, given how many old wounds they were about to open up with Vines. ::

::Roshanara obliged, taking a seat next to Whale, leaving the assistant director to sit closest to the former chief engineer once he'd sat down in his own chair.::

Vines: So what's this all about?

Whale: Political bullsh-

::Vines cut him off.::

Vines: You don't get to say anything. ::He pointed to Roshanara.:: You, I want to hear what you told him that made him think this was a good idea.

::Roshanara gave an uneasy glance at Whale before looking back at Vines.::

Rahman: Well, I mean, it wasn't his idea, and to be fair, he actually thought it was a terrible idea. So, um, if you want to be upset with anyone, you should be upset at me, sir.

Vines: Okay, first of all, stop calling me "sir."

::He looked over at Whale.::

Vines: If you're going to bring a girl to see me, the least you could have done was tell her to act like I'm still a virile specimen and not her damn grandfather.

::Roshanara raised her eyebrow at that. Plus, why did he keep calling her a girl? Did all men talk like this in the 2260s?::

Whale: Then stop acting like you’re going to wave a cane and tell us to get off your lawn.

::Vines looked back at her.::

Vines: Second of all, little lady, doesn't matter if he thought it was terrible. He still agreed to it.

Whale: Remember what I told about my twin girls?  The doctor who helped… massage the files?

Vines: ::shaking his head:: Why do you always have to make things so complicated?

Whale: This was the favour he called in.  Introducing you and Rahman.

::The old man huffed.::

Vines: You need to make better friends.

Whale: I did what I promised -- I made the introduction.  What happens now is up to you two.  :: pause ::   But Alton, you have no obligation to any of this.  Just because she asks doesn’t mean you have to go along with it, no matter how attractive she is.

::At this, Vines actually chuckled.::

Vines: Hmmph, funny story actually. Did I ever tell you why I even got into Starfleet? I was too young and too dumb, not thinking with my brain, and there was this pretty young thing at the star port on Argelius II. One day, I-

Rahman: Ahem.

::Vines looked back at Roshanara in disbelief.::

Vines: Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you?

:: Whale leaned back and shrugged, looking toward Rahman. ::

Whale: Floor is yours.  Make your pitch.

::Vines gave another huff as he sat back in his chair.::

::Whale meanwhile stood and wandered over to the mantle.  He really needed to go back to the doctor about his back -- all the sitting in the flight over had cause so much stiffness he was feeling like an old man.::

Rahman: Mr. Vines, I'm here because next month marks the 100th anniversary of the Khitomer Accords, the treaty that began the new era of peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation.

::The old man laughed.::

Vines: Yeah, I still don't believe it. If you'd been around when Whale and I were out there, every day wondering when war was going to break out, you wouldn't be so trusting of those Klingon bastards either.

::Roshanara made a mental note not to have Vines speak to any of the guests at the centennial celebration before she continued.::

Rahman: Well, whether you believe it or not, peace was made, and eventually an alliance forged. And so now, one hundred years later, our two great powers wish to commemorate the occasion.

Vines: I see... and what? You want an old relic like me to come talk about the good old days when we were trying to blast each other's heads off before this "kitty-more accords?"

::She shook her head.::

Rahman: Not exactly. As part of the celebrations, Starfleet and the Klingon Defense Forces are arranging for a Parade of Ships to be on display. And among them will be the USS Venture. The original Venture that is.

Vines: Venture? De Luca's ship?

Rahman: ::nods:: And I need your help because the Venture was mothballed in 2272 and decommissioned a decade later... she's no longer exactly in... operational condition.

::At this, Whale interjected.::

Whale: It’s a museum, Vines.  She wants to take a museum ship and make it spaceworthy again.

:: He carefully picked up the model Constitution Class starship.  Stencilled on the saucer section, where ninety-nine percent of these models would read USS Enterprise, was the name USS Ackerman.  Frowning, Whale gently set the model back in its place. ::

::Vines, on the other hand, sat there for a moment looking at Roshanara before he leaned back in his chair and starting laughing hysterically.::

Vines: You can all the way out here- ::points at Whale:: --dragged this son of a bitch into this--all because you need a technical consultant? What's the matter? They don't teach warp systems 101 anymore at the Academy?

Rahman: They do, and we do have the information--but not the field experience. And given the timetable--

Vines: Timetable?

::Vines looked back at her as he realized what she'd said earlier. "Next month." He then laughed even harder.::

Vines: Oh, never mind, Whale. I forgive you. This is the funniest #$%@ I've heard in years. You just made my day. Hell, probably my whole year.

::Roshanara frowned as she looked down at the table. This was not going as she'd hoped at all.::

Vines: Aww, what's the matter, hon? Don't tell me you're too caught up in the brass's bull to not see the humor in all this. Someone is having a lot of fun at your expense.

::She sat there dejected.::

Rahman: ::quietly:: Believe me, I know.

::Vines let out a few more chuckles before he wiped away some tears.::

Vines: Oh, don't look so sad, dear. You're not gonna last long in the service if you can't find the humor in the absurd.

Rahman: I'll laugh when this is over.

Vines: So you want me to help you jump start the old girl, eh?

Whale: You don’t have any obligation to this, Vines.  You more than covered your bet with Starfleet -- we both did.

::But the gears in Vines' head were already turning. And if Roshanara knew one thing about engineers, it was they couldn't resist a problem to fix or a puzzle to be solved.::

TBC…

David Whale

Assistant Director with the Criminal Intelligence Operations

Lt. Colonel (Ret.), Starfleet Marine Corps

&

Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman

Commanding Officer, USS Syracuse

Project Manager, Starfleet Corps of Engineers

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