Two Stiff Drinks and Good Company

Posted on 07 Apr 2021 @ 11:10pm by Lieutenant Leland Hawksley & Lieutenant Paul Winchester
Edited on on 14 Apr 2021 @ 2:31pm

2,412 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Deck 03 - Officer's Mess
Timeline: Current

[ON]

- Deck 03 - Officer's Mess -

Hawksley had entered the officer's mess hall. He wasn't there for something to eat, instead of a good drink after having a good shift. Leland had taken a seat near one of the bows facing observation windows. Having a moment, he relaxed back into the seat. Leland had taken his nicotine vaporizer out for a brief smoke of expelled vapour. It wasn't anything he was proud of, but he enjoyed a drink with his nicotine.

Placing it back to his out of uniformed, khaki shorts, he was wearing his white plain tee-shirt. Relaxation was the name of the game off duty for him.

"Thanks, I'll have a bourbon on rocks, double, please." Hawk had just ordered from the mess hall attendant. Breathing outward, he looked outside the window and looked at his silver chronometer wristwatch. Winchester would be off his Security shift by now.

After finishing his shift, Paul was now heading down to the mess hall to meet up with Lieutenant Hawksley in the ship's Mess hall for a good drink and a laugh between two of the Tomcat's senior officers, for him it was a chance to unwind for the evening and hoping nothing would go wrong. However; he knew never say never in this job as he also knew that he had spoken with the Colonel about getting a certification in the use of ancient weapons.

as he entered the Mess hall, he briefly stopped to look around the crowded room as other officers laughed and joked with one another until he spotted the young officer, as he walked over to the table he said " Hey Lealand, How goes it?" as he slipped into the unoccupied seat.

"Hey, Boss!" Leland chuckled and gave a hearty handshake to the Chief, happy to see that he had come to join him for a few good drinks. "What are you drinking?" Leland had asked Winchester. If he was any guess, the Chief probably didn't drink plain old beer, but then again, appearances could be deceiving.

"Lieutenant Hawksley Nice to see you and after the day I've had I need a stiff drink," replied Paul as he sat down in the vacant chair and rubbed his eyes and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day than today had been, Still at least he could relax.

Just then the attendant of the mess hall had come around once more seeing as someone else had arrived. "What can I help you with Gentleman?" Asked the server, with her padd.

Leland had grinned. "I believe Mr Winchester here would like a drink."

"I'd like a scotch on the rocks to please," as he looked up at the attendant that was standing next to them as it was very rare for him to drink this stuff, however; after the day he had he needed it.

As for me a Whiskey Burbon, double on rocks... In a tumbler.." He hated to be picky, but that's how he usually enjoyed his drink.

"So how has your day been?" asked Paul looking at the Lieutenant, He continued, "Did you ask the Colonel about that emitter that you wanted for your holographic pet?" as he knew that the animal had helped him and wondered if it would be the same.

"I believe it went well. The Colonel had Lieutenant Dodd come up from Engineering... So I think that is a good thing."

Hawksley had laughed looking at the table. "I tell you, Sir. It probably was one of the most embarrassing things I've ever had to stand in front of a Commanding Officer and speak to. I've had my mistakes over time, but this..." He had tapped the top of his drink to emphasize the point... "This was the most embarrassing. But it's worth it to me, so." He shrugged.

"How is Security going? Did you get your certification yet?" He had wondered because Hawk had felt that Winchester had a lot to teach him on phasers and rifles... It was only a matter of time that he would be needed to be put to use as a Bridge Officer.

"Not yet, but I am working on it," replied Paul as he was now tired from the day's duties and wanted to rest and relax, even though he had to help with the new experimental Eva suit's. he landed back, " I don't suppose you would be interested in helping Lieutenant Dodd and me with some new experimental Eva Suits, would you?" as he asked the question to the chief Helmsman.

"I... Donovan?" He had asked Winchester. "Sure. Eva, as long as you don't expect me to walk on a hull or something." Wondering about Donovan, he had wondered. Perhaps he'd get into the suit, and then be thrown out an airlock by her.

"I said, Lieutenant Dodd, not Donavon," responded Paul, as he slapped his hand upon his forehead and continued, "Wash your ears out man," as he started to wonder what this ship was coming to. as he hoped that the young officer had not been drinking longer than he had been late to the mess hall. or at least he hoped he hadn't as he knew both of them had an Alpha shift at 06:00 hours in the morning.

Hawk looked back a bit surprised. "Well, I simply heard wrong. Nothing more." Leland raised a brow.

"EVA would be fine, as long as we're not hugging the hull of the ship." He had chuckled.

"Yeah, it seems that our Chief Engineer is designing new ones with nanotech that bonds to the wearer," replied Paul looking at his new friend as he knew that this was a step in the right direction and with his prosthesis helping out having the chip inserted into the arm would save time with calibration or hoped it would.

"Fascinating." Hawksley had replied. "Curious." He thought regarding the nature of the nanobots. "Let's hope that is where they stay, on the outside. However, that would be an incredible achievement from our current rather bulky units."

"Well, if you are going to help you need to speak with Lieutenant Dodd," replied Paul as he took a sip of his drink as he knew that he had to try the tech out later that had been implanted into his arm, he continued, "However; I don't know how the tech is going to be done with you as the tech was implanted in my Prosthesis."

Leland narrowed his eyes, suddenly fixating on Winchester's forearm. He had. "I had no idea." He furrowed his brow.

"Sir." He was now quite curious. "How did you lose your arm?"

"Paul looked back at the Cheif helmsman and then took a sip of his drink, he then replied, "I used to be the Tomcat's CAG and whilst returning from a recon mission to the ship," as he took another sip of his drink as he began to recount the moment the crash happened, he continued, " the throttle jammed open on approach and I could not eject in time and crashed landed the fighter on the deck,"

Hawksley had been taken back at the explanation. He had felt bad for Winchester. Although with today's technology there was no doubt, he could do all the things he originally had done, and probably more so now.

"I am. Wow. Paul... May I call you Paul?" He had felt it was ok since they were off duty and having a few drinks. "That is insane. Losing an arm, you must have been banged up pretty rough. Were you coming in hot to the deck?" As a similar flight officer, Leland couldn't help but feel invested in the Officer's accident.

"Sure you can if I can call you Leland?" replied Paul taking a sip of his drink, he continued " and as for the accident, Hot is not a word I would use for it, it was sheer terror not knowing if I was going to survive it," as he once more took a sip of his drink as he knew that this being the first time he had ever talked about it with anyone, he finished "and then it came to getting used to a Biosynthetic Limb was the hardest part," as he looked back at the Chief Helmsman.

Hawksley agreed. Hot wasn't the term to use. "Of course. No…" He paused, thinking of how he would handle a situation, not knowing if you would survive a landing in a bay, coming in hardly in control. "I don't honestly know how I would handle a situation. I don't think you can handle a situation."

He let a pause in the conversation. "Have you ever got used to having the augment?" Hawksley looked at Winchester's forearm at the side of the table. "They say the mind has a ghost memory, in situations where less fortunate have lost a limb and didn't have technology like Starfleet's to replace them."

"I didn't at first, but now I just don't notice it that much" replied Paul looking back at the Tomcats chief helmsman as he took a sip from his drink," However; it did take a great deal of hard work to get it to work through," as he remembered the prototype one he had that was was remote-controlled one.

Hawk had nodded. "You certainly look as if you have no issues. I had no idea you had an augment."

Leland then took his last drink from the tall glass, setting it down. He flexed his own arm, looking at it. "Do you have any extra power to it?" He thought. "That may be a stupid question."

"It's not a stupid question Lealend " replied Paul looking back at the helmsman once more " In fact, it's a good one and yes it does have its own power core, However; it is a biosynthetic one," as he moved his fingers around the glass as he lifted it to his mouth to take a drink. as he put the glass back down, he said, " Now I don't even notice it now you mention it,"

"Good thing for us. We have a Security Officer with good experience. With good moral authority. That you have been rebirthed and can keep us all safe. And... What else have you done on this ship? Had to stop any rowdy parties?" He had chuckled, hoping the Chief had an interesting story or two.

He simply gave five words to his new friend, " I pissed the Colonel off," as he remembered the meeting where he had called the Colonel out on her Honour as a warrior and a leader, he then remembered how he had been dragged down to the holodeck with the Colonel for her weapons programme.

Hawk looked at Paul and broke out into a laugh, the drink having a slight comfortable effect to elicit such an outburst. "You are shitting me? Colonel Somers." Leland found that amazing. "What did you actually do to piss her off? I don't know what that would look like?" He had counted his self lucky.

"I called her out on her honour as Marine and a leader," replied Paul looking back at Leland, he continued," At the time I didn't know her, all I knew was that she's the cousin of fleet Captain Somers and that's all," taking a sip of his beer again. he finished so she dragged me down to the Holodeck for some weapons training with the safety off,"

Leland's jaw literally dropped when he heard what Winchester had the guts to do and say to the Colonel. "You're shitting me?"

"and this was not Phasers, I'm talking about old fashioned Handguns, machine guns, swords, you name it," replied Paul as he looked at him, "you never will know if and when we will run into a situation where our weapons don't work," he stated as he knew that to be prepared for anything was better than nothing.

"What?" He continued in disbelief. "Is that even legal?" Sometimes what happened on the holodeck stayed on the holodeck especially during a grudge match between officers.

"and what got me demoted was that I pissed off Walon as I never gave her the intelligence codes that I had," replied Paul looking at him, "so be this a lesson, Don't piss off the Somers women," as he knew that he would have to face the Captain when she got back about it.

"You mean Walon went over your back to the CO." Leland was stupefied by the politics of the Tomcat. While it was a warning to hear this, it was also fantastically eye-opening, if not amusing from his position. "I... That's corn nuts!!!" He thought things through. "Walon is Intel, I have been seeking work with the Intel Department... Now... That's whack!" Hawk shuddered.

"Well, if you're looking for a secondary position, want to try Security?" replied Paul, as he knew that the more bodies he had when hosting events, the more the better, he finished," you up for it?"

Leland focused his thought for a moment. "Security. I never thought of it. I mean, here I am just asking you not long ago about tactical phaser practice... Why don't I try out a few first, see if I get the knack for knocking some heads around?" He didn't deny that he wouldn't find it a satisfying job.

"If you don't mind me getting the paperwork drawn up and submitted to the Colonel," asked Paul as he knew that whilst on the away mission the Colonel could look it over, as he once again took a sip of his drink he finished "Well, we better get some sleep as we have a mission to start in the morning"

"Good. I appreciate it, Chief." Hawksley had replied. He had finished his drink earlier. But enjoyed their chat. With that he reached his arms upward, stretching them in a wave of tiredness that the alcohol only hastened.

"Have a good sleep. We will need it." Hawksley had got up from his chair. "Good talk, Sir." He nodded respectfully. He had learned more about Winchester. The man had good depths.

"Very well, I shall bid you good night and see you tomorrow," replied Paul taking one last sip of his drink before he rose to his feet, he finished, "Good night Lieutenant," as he headed off to his quarters for his night's rest.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Jg Paul Winchester
Chief Security/tactical

Lt. Jg. Leland Hawksley
CHO
Tomcat

 

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