by Dabin Reece
80710.0030
Following Pull Yourself Together
-=Bridge, USS Alchemy=-
80710.0030
Following Pull Yourself Together
-=Bridge, USS Alchemy=-
"Ensign Cristiane!" Dabin barked.
Dane jumped up from his post at Communications. He'd never heard the irreverent Dabin Reece yell like that. *He knows.* Dane thought as he swallowed. *Zanh Liis is going to filet me.*
"Report!"
"Uh, situation normal sir. Just personal comm traffic, nothing ship related."
"You seem awfully jittery Ensign. Do you need to go to Sickbay? Maybe a nap or a cup of tea?" Reece narrowed his eyes.
"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" Salvek asked from the center seat, spinning towards Dane's station.
"Is there, Ensign?" Reece asked.
"No problem at all, sirs." Dane said defiantly.
"I'd like a moment of Ensign Cristiane's time, if he is free to leave the bridge?" Reece asked Salvek.
"Five minutes." Salvek said, not wishing to see any station on the bridge unmanned for longer than that.
"I only need two." Reece said. He motioned for Dane to lead the way off the bridge to the entryway outside.
As he crossed the bridge Dane was already trying to figure out how Dabin Reece, of all people, may have stumbled onto his communiqué from Vox. Sure enough he was about to find out.
The door snapped shut behind them and Reece leaned against the wall.
"Phew, sorry about all the fanfare but I needed a way to get you off the bridge without rousing any suspicion."
"By yelling at me?" Dane asked.
"Well Liisy does it all the time so I figured if anything was going to seem normal, that was it."
"How is it, by the way, you get away with calling her Liisy? She's kill me if I ever addressed her as anything other than Captain Zanh."
"I don't know, try blowing up one of her ships, she seems to dig that. Anywho, here's what I need."
Dane folded his arms across his chest, as if expecting a request of absolute absurdity.
"I've been researching this link between February and I, and I figure if anyone can further the research to figure out why two Trills wound up linked telepathically, its going to be a race of telepaths, am I right?"
Dane nodded.
"If you want to know about money ask a Ferengi, if you want to know about cutlery ask a Klingon. I want to know about telepathy so I need to ask a Betazoid."
"So where do I come in, Commander?" Dane asked, growing tired of the backstory.
"Well February is such a patient thing, she indulges my using her as a guinea pig, but we've got shore leave coming up. She's not going to feel like sitting through a bunch of medical tests, unless I sweeten the deal."
"Oh, do tell how you intended to sweeten the deal."
"Well, that's where you come in. I need you to do some snooping around for me."
*Oh Lord not him too.* Dane thought. *Is Dabin Reece on the take from Vox?*
"I need you to find the top telepathy experts on Betazed, or failing that, the closest thing at a non-University Hospital. Here are my notes from my research, send them these."
Reece handed Dane a PADD. Dane turned it on and began scanning the information. Reece slapped him on the back of his hand.
"I didn't say to READ it. I told you to send it." Reece shook his head. "Just tell them you've got two Trill with an unexplained telepathic link, they can get all our information from the data on the PADD. But to sweeten the deal, I need you to ask them if they can possibly run their tests off the Hospital grounds. In fact, what I'd like them to do is..."
Dabin's voice trailed off, and he leaned in close to whisper in Dane's ears. Dane listened intently, and chuckled as Reece finished.
"You're kidding. Why can't you just ask them on your own?"
"Because, Ensign, if I run around the ship all day with this on my mind, Bru is going to figure it out. If I put you on the job, I can think about something else. Besides, I just set up a hot date for the Captain and Vedek, so I deserve something of my own now."
"Hot date?" Dane said, with a sneer.
"Yeah, and that's none of your business, Ensign."
"I take it you want this kept secret, so nothing gets back to Lieutenant Grace?"
"Bingo! You win a cookie."
"Speaking of cookies, did I smell animal crackers on your breath when you were whispering in my ear?"
Reece harrumphed. "Now, Mr. Cristiane, let's not get into who smells like what."
The doors from the bridge opened, and Commander Salvek stood with his arms folded behind his back.
"You're five minutes are up."
"Ensign you are dismissed!" Reece barked once again. Dane hustled back to his station. "Just teaching the boy some respect, you understand, Pointy."
"What are you up to, Commander?" Salvek asked. Reece frowned.
"I'm wounded. You think I'm up to something?"
"I've never heard you take that tone with a fellow officer, your behavior is peculiar."
"Thanks!" Reece said with a grin, and disappeared into the lift before Salvek could question him further.
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Commander Dabin Reece
Chief Science Officer
USS Alchemy NX 53099
Commander Dabin Reece
Chief Science Officer
USS Alchemy NX 53099