80714.2300
-=About fifteen minutes before the party=-
-=Crew Dining Hall USS Alchemy=-
Dabin Reece skidded into the dining hall.
It must have been the Tulila in him.
Reece's last host had a way of skidding into her editor's office when an article was late. Now, where Tulila got it from, was not quite clear.
So likewise, when Reece was in a hurry, he skidded as well. He looked around the room at the guests who had already arrived. Zander of course, this was partly his shindig. Rada Dengar, who would not dream of being late for his own promotion celebration, as such an act would certainly result in the downfall of the Federation.
Fleur was here, setting up tables with the help of Lair Arie, and a few others who pitched in. Still Reece did not see the man he was looking for. The person who said he had the information he needed.
Suddenly he realized he was looking at everyone in the light. If you want so see someone surrounded by darkness, look in the shadows.
There at the darkest table in the corner of the small dining hall, Reece saw two vacant eyes looking back at him. Dabin joined the man at his table.
"You got it?"
"I got it."
"Well hurry up and give me the details before February gets here, so I can forget them."
"As you wish." Dane said with a sigh. "By the way this was HARD. Blane has been on me like duranium on the ship's hull."
"Yeah, I'm crying a river for you. Details!"
"They are willing to help you out." Dane started, in a hushed voice so only Dabin could hear. "There is a, as the Betazoids put it, breathtaking outdoor café about half a mile from their research center."
"Shut up!" Reece hissed, covering his ears. The other guest in the room turned towards Reece wondering what had drawn his ire. Dabin removed his hands from his ears and smiled at the other partygoers. "Dane was just telling me he thinks Porky Pig is cooler than Daffy Duck. Can you believe it?"
"Both delicious with right glaze." Fleur grumbled, and the others in the room turned away.
"What did I say?" Dane asked, frustrated.
"I said details, not specifics! The more I know, the more Bru is going to find out if I can't keep my thoughts under control."
"I wouldn't worry. Your mind only seems to be in one place with she's around." Dane said, punctuating the comment with a swig of his drink.
"What's that supposed to..." Dabin started, then stopped. "Oh yeah. Touché."
"So what exactly do you want to know?"
"Did they get everything I asked for?"
"Yes they did. The Doctors were quite interested in studying a pair of telepathic Trill so they were willing to make any concessions I asked for to have a chance."
"Even the..." Reece asked, holding his fist up to his open mouth.
"Yeah. Even that."
"Well done Ensign! If Blane starts wondering what you were doing poking around the Comm just tell him you were working on something for me. I'll get you off the hook." Reece slapped Cristiane on the back.
Dane's eyes widened as he realized just how precious the offer made by Dabin Reece may actually become. If the Trill had any idea exactly what Dane intended to poke around for...
"I most certainly will do that, Commander."
Dabin stood up from the table, and set about trying to forget the entire conversation he had just had, before February would arrive. He decided to make himself useful, helping Fleur distribute food out along a serving line.
"Hiya!" He said cheerfully to Vedek Jariel, who entered the room looking as if he had just awoken from a nap.
[[Hi.]] Camen sighed back, without looking up at Dabin.
Dabin didn't need a telepathic link with the Vedek to be able to feel the wind sucked right out of him. Reece just hoped the little scheme he and February cooked up for Liis and Camen wouldn't do more harm than good. When the Alchemy arrived at Betazed, they would find out.
Camen crossed the room, and sat at the table in the corner with Dane. Cristiane existed in a world with a perpetual black cloud, but even he knew when to make room for a blacker cloud. He excused himself, leaving the Vedek alone in the corner. Jariel made no effort to stop him.
Dabin looked at Fleur, and realized she was looking quite depressed as well, even for her.
"Raff?" Dabin looked down at young Lair Arie, who, even as she grew from a child to a young lady, still insisted on calling him by the nickname she had given him as a toddler. Raff was short for giraffe, the innocent child's commentary on the spots on Dabin's neck.
"Yes, how can I assist you?"
"Did you see the wedding cake?" Arie asked.
"I sure did." Dabin replied.
The doors opened to the dining hall, allowing Lair Kellyn and Salvek to filter in.
"It looks delicious, despite the... you know.” Arie continued.
“No, I don’t know.” Dabin said, confused.
Arie rolled her eyes, as if the problem should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain, let alone a full brain and the life experiences of seven former hosts riding around in a Symbiont. “Maybe later we can play a few hands of Gin.” Arie offered, as if she were the adult and Dabin the child.
“Oh! Can we?”
“If you’re good!”
Dabin nodded. He excused himself from Arie and decided to give his well wishes to Zander and Rada before the rest of the crowd showed up. He’d have to wait till Tryst showed up to greet him as well.
“Rada! Let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion!” Dabin patted Dengar on the shoulder affectionately.
“Well, ninth actually.” Rada said.
Dabin’s brow furrowed in confusion. Rada went on to explain his comment.
“First was the Captain, of course. Then Halliday, and I saw you wife in the corridor before I got here. Of course since I got here, Fleur, Zander, Arie, Dane, followed by Salvek and Kellyn just before you walked over here. Oh wait, that’s nine people. I guess that makes you tenth.”
“Well, let me by the tenth to congratulate you then!” Dabin said sarcastically. Rada suddenly looked concerned.
“Not that I don’t appreciate it, Commander Reece.”
“Please, Dabin. Don’t worry, I’m not offended. No one deserves this promotion more than you. We’d still be stuck in that bubble without you. Or dead. Which is significantly worse.” Reece stuck out his hand and shook Dengar’s.
“Thank you for the kind words. Next time we are in a pinch together we’ll just have to remember how we faced the bubble and defeated it. It will be our little code.” Rada said.
“Sounds good to me! Reece and Rada’s bubble of DOOM! Or Dabin and Dengar’s bubble of DESTRUCTION!” Dabin said menacingly.
Rada laughed, and Dabin slapped him on the shoulder again before moving on to Zander Blakeslee.
“Am I the tenth person to congratulate you too?” Dabin asked.
“Give or take a few.” Zander said.
“I owe you some thanks too. If you hadn’t noticed that probe disappearing we never would have realized we were in the bubble to begin with.”
“Well it was you who launched the probe, so you deserve the credit, Commander Reece.”
“Oh, well we aren’t even going there. By the way you can just call me Dabin here.”
“Has the Captain said anything about the...”
“Paddleball? No. The Captain hasn’t said much of anything though. I’m more worried about what she’s going to say about...” Reece stopped, realizing he shouldn’t mention the quick kiss on the cheek February had given him in the Command chair.
“About what?” Zander prodded.
“Nothing, not important. Look, the Chief Engineer and I just set up a little code phrase. I think we need one too now that we’ll be seeing each other even more.”
“Interesting idea. How about when we see someone luck into something, we call it a paddleball?” Zander offered.
“Well I was thinking more along the lines of when one of us has a flash of brilliance, we call it a paddleball, but I guess your idea works too.” Reece shrugged his shoulders.
“Then I’m going to see if I can paddleball a refill from Le Marc.” Zander said, shaking an empty cup. “Besides I think you just paddleballed yourself a date.
Zander shook Dabin’s hand and stepped past him.
*Hey you.* Dabin heard her voice in his head. He turned towards the door, saw February Grace, and smiled.
Commander Dabin Reece
Chief Science Officer
USS Alchemy NX 53099