By Lt. Cmdr. Avery Breaux and Lt. (jg) Rada Dengar
80320.11
After Cat and Mouse and Before Mixed Messages
--=Holodeck Two =--
80320.11
After Cat and Mouse and Before Mixed Messages
--=Holodeck Two =--
Breaux spied Rada and strode over to him immediately. Rada observed from Breaux’s walk that he may have just had a little to drink. Rada had to admire the no fear attitude with which Breaux seemed to regard alcohol. Rada personally found nothing more inhibiting than worrying that he might spend a night completely uninhibited.
“I see you’re not drinking…still, that’s easily enough fixed...and CONGRATULATIONS on your promotion!” replied Breaux offering him a drink.
“No, thank you” replied Rada, “Not until I’ve finished eating.”
Breaux observed that Rada had actually chosen a selection quite similar to what he had eaten when they ate their recent meal together. "Excellent!...you liked what we had...I'm glad our food didn't scare you off."
“How do you like New Orleans ?” Breaux asked with that smile that only irreverence could bring.
“It’s very…alive” replied Rada, completely terrified of the place. "Alive it is...or crazy...or poorly behaved...or a sense of flair..." Breaux was noticeably weaving as he stood. How Breaux survived a childhood here he’d never know. New Orleans did seem to have a single redeeming feature in Rada’s mind, with all of this alcohol around he could afford to relax slightly as odds were that no matter what he did, no one would remember it in the morning.
“You’ve already tried the food…Now you’re trying the place…Is it what you expected?” Breaux asked.
“Exactly what I expected,” laughed Rada, even without drinking the spirit of this place was contagious, “It is quite untamed and definitely…unique”
“Yes she’s definitely unique...a lot of living has taken place in this city. If you take the time to truly look then she’ll change your life…still a holodeck does little justice to the real thing...but...we have the best of what's available...and I'm guessing this old holo program of mine has been pirated by more than a few of my Erasmus mates...to think this courtyard is strewn about the far reaches of space...that's comforting...”
“I tend to find the real beauty of a place is in our own memories. It can’t be recaptured no matter how well we might recreate it for our senses. That’s why the smallest souvenir can mean so much more than the most elaborate simulation. Some say you can’t go home again, with a memory you always can,” replied Rada, his tone revealing a little recent reflection on this topic as his smile left his face.
“Beautifully put...very insightful...You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” commented Breaux, placing his hand on Rada’s shoulder partly out of support for his fellow Engineer and partly for the assistance in standing up. “Should I assume…that there’s a memory you’ve been recently chasing?” A server with a cocktail tray passing Avery was stunned at the adroit manner in which Breaux spun, and retrieved a short glass with a mud-brown colored drink. Breaux brought the glass close to his face as though he were inspecting it, "Didn't spill a drop."
Rada looked around to ensure that there was no one listening and observed that with all of the words around them being drowned out by laughter they did have a strange kind of privacy in a place like this. He figured he owed Breaux the truth. It had been their first meeting which had set Rada to thinking in the first place about the lost dreams in life. He now took the drink from Breaux and took a sip, it burned his throat as it went down but it added warmth to counteract the cold shiver Rada had just felt through his body as thoughts of that last day came to his mind. He had only quite recently stopped blocking out those memories and whilst for a time his mind had been set to the happier days, it was now finding its way to their bitter end.
“It’s just recently I’ve been thinking about someone I lost long ago. It was a brief thing, just a few months really, but I…” Rada sighed “I suppose this place has really just reminded me of her. I’m sorry, I know that I’m not really being the life of the party.”
"Nonsense!...That's what mates are for!"...Breaux teetered slightly..."...at least it sounds as though you've lost in love, as opposed to battle or some inane Starfleet protocol..." Avery caught himself, "Tell me more..." He ushered the two of them over toward a Magnolia tree.
“There’s not that much to tell,” replied Rada as he and Breaux sat down on a small step in front of the tree. Breaux did thud slightly as he sat but to his credit he still didn’t spill a drop. “I met her on Earth whilst I was still at the Academy, we spent the best months of my life together and then one day she was just gone.”
“What happened?…Did she give a reason?” asked Breaux on a slight lean as whilst he was able to use one arm to support himself the other had to be used for his drink.
“She just left me a note saying that I wouldn’t understand and that it was for the best.” Rada paused for a minute to take a sip of his drink “I suppose she was right, I certainly could never understand. It just hurt too much for that.”
“Did you…ever…see her again?” asked Breaux thoughtfully, placing his arm on the tree as a better support “...Or was she just…one more part of yourself lost in time…forever a memory…yet still…impossible to revisit?”
“I haven’t seen her for almost seven years now…” replied Rada, he sighed, deciding now to go all in and to tell Breaux the rest, “but last night I did some searching and I found this.” Rada removed a PADD from his pocket and handed it to Breaux.
Breaux attempted to study it but given his present state it wasn’t that easy for him to realise what he was viewing. Especially considering that with his drink in one hand and the PADD in the other he had no way of supporting himself, meaning much of his attention was going in to staying upright.
“It’s an announcement of awards from a primary school science fair from a city located in the Southern hemisphere of your planet apparently called Melbourne . The computer flagged it for me. ” Explained Rada, he pointed at the PADD and said “Look at the third name in the grade one awards.”
Breaux scanned through the PADD and then immediately spotted the name Rada was referring to “Tam…Dengar” he announced. Rada just nodded. “…Surely though this could just be a coincidence I mean…I’m sure…that there are plenty of Dengars…out there.”
“That’s what I thought at first but then I looked around and I found a collection of holo-images from a recent school fair. She was there in the background. I’m sure it was her and now I don’t know what to do. I have to confront her and to find out the truth but I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Rada explained, completely torn about the issue, hoping Breaux had some of his trademark insight to give.
"I have some...connections...I'd be happy to help you make a connection if you'd like...and if you need moral support...I'd go with you."
“I appreciate the offer,” said Rada “but I think this is probably something I should do alone. When I next see the Captain I’m going to ask if I can take a day to visit Earth.”
Breaux understood the need for privacy, "Certainly...if you should change your mind, please...don't hesitate to let me know."
Lt. Cmdr. Avery Breaux
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Lt. (jg) Rada Dengar
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Lt. (jg) Rada Dengar
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012