As they are guided back to the Conference Room, Rangin decides to ask Miss Gordon a few questions.
"It's a wonderful resort here Miss Gordon, I take it you have enjoyed the beneficial effects of the spores as well? Out of curiousity, what's the strangest matter to occur here? It all seems so calm and peaceful, does it always remain so?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Please, lead the way, Mr D'Angelo" Once the staffer starts walking, with his back to them, Collins will casually release the strap holding her phaser. She won't draw unless she has to, but every second saved is good. She'll also nod to Graham that he do the same.
Gren grunts. "Oh, yes, there was some paperwork to review before I came. This isn't your typical resort, after all. But it didn't take long."
Delaney crouches beside the pool to run his fingers through the cool water. Kylah notices a dark-suited WR&R staffer enter the pool area, see her and her shipmate, and make a beeline towards them.
Miss Gordon purses her lips and says to Rangin, "I think you should talk to Mr. Wilson, sir."
D'Angelo leads Collins and Graham down the halls.
The Yorktown landing party is carrying phaser-1s, which are not strapped in place, but stuck on the waistband of uniform pants or utility belts using the Starfleet equivalent of Velcro:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gWuRfodrMi.../phaser_t1.jpg
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/...CE77139E33D6A0
"I already have asked Mr Wilson several questions including the use of spores, which he said was open to all working here," replies Rangin in an upbeat tone, "but its always good to get a second opinion." He smiles back at her, "I'm just want to ensure the resort gets a fair report, as I'm sure you do to. It seems like such a nice place to be. What do you think?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Kylah keeps her peripheral gaze on the staffer but otherwise smiles at Gren. "It is a relief that the paperwork is thorough but not arduous," she says, still making an effort to look as pleasant as possible. She doesn't think it's a coincidence that the worker is heading right for them. "And of course you are right, this is no regular resort."
She pretends to sip her drink and takes in the view, including Delaney. "I hope you are enjoying this while you can, Lieutenant," Kylah murmurs casually, tilting her glass in the direction of the staff member heading this way. "We will probably not have much more time for such pleasures."
When WR&R worker gets close enough, Kylah will gauge any emotions she can sense from the stranger.
Miss Gordon says, "I really think you should talk to Mr. Wilson, sir." She walks a little faster.
Delaney looks up and sees the WR&R staffer, and stands. "Yeah, I think you're right," he says to Kylah.
The staffer is a short, heavyset Asian man. He glances at a datapad in his hand and asks, "Are you... Lt. JG Delaney and Ens. Kylah? Mr. Wilson would like to see you. Would you come with me, please?"
Kylah bids goodbye to the Tellarite and sets her drink down. She takes full measure of the staffer's emotions now that he's close by. "Lieutenant Delaney? Shall we go?"
"That's a shame Miss Gordon. I can understand your need to follow the company line, but I was just hoping for a confirmation that everything was fine. " Rangin sighs slightly disappointedly.
"If anything is wrong here, we need to know, and anyone could tell us details in confidence if that was the case, however unlikely that would be. I can't see that happening here, though. Am I correct, Miss Gordon? And please don't mention talking to Mr Wilson again, I would prefer your opinion, not his?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Delaney nods, and he and Kylah leave the pool with the staffer, who introduces himself as Mr. Khövsgöl, which Delaney thinks he recognizes as a Mongolian name. Gren waves farewell and leans back on her chaise lounge.
Gordon blushes a little but says nothing, and keeps walking.
Surprised by her blush and her non-commital state, Rangin begins to doubt his initial thoughts about the building.
Rangin continues on watching her reaction. "Well, as luck would have it, we are supposed to be dining here this evening. So if you know anyone who would like to...well...get something off their chest...that would be the time to let us know." Rangin finishes with a smile aimed at her and if she looks at him, he will try and hold her gaze.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
T'Var listens to the conversation between Rangin and Miss Gordon.
"Our apologies if Mr. Rangin's questions have caused you any discomfort," the doctor says in a soothing tone. "We look forward to speaking with Mr. Wilson, of course, but would also appreciate input from others as well."
T'Var does her best to give Gordon a reassuring smile.
Kylah gets the sense from Khövsgöl that he is calm, no-nonsense and committed to doing his job.
Gordon avoids eye contact with either the Vulcan or the Coridanite; she just keeps walking. "As I said before, ma'am," she says firmly to T'Var, "you should talk to Mr. Wilson."
D'Angelo leads Collins and Graham back to the conference room where the landing party started before splitting up. Khövsgöl, Gordon and D'Angelo do not enter the conference room; Wilson is already in the room, along with Mrs. Hsu, his aide. He invites the Starfleet shipmates to sit and says to Collins, with forced pleasantry, "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. When I asked you to make yourself comfortable here while I went to attend to one of our guests, I thought you would actually be remaining here. I'll try to be more clear in the future."
Following behind Collins, Graham notices her hand drop toward her phaser. Good instincts, he thinks.
Once back in the conference room, he listens to Wilson and can't help himself from replying, chain of command or no. "Right, right," Graham says, raising his hands apologetically. "Because your company grants Starfleet a license to operate on this planet." He pauses and starts to lower his hands, bowing his head a little.. "Whoa...wait...one second," he says, lifting his head back up. He stands and taps one finger on his lips and then tilts it toward Wilson. "I think...I just might...juuuust might...have that backwards, no?"
Last edited by general_urko; 05 Nov 2013 at 11:30 PM.
Wilson has a strained smile, and does not meet Graham's gaze. "That is correct, of course. Please let me make it up to you. It's lunchtime, and you're welcome to dine in any of our restaurants here." He nods to Collins. "Paying your own way, of course, as earlier requested by Lt. JG Collins."
Rangin considers the price of dining in this establishment and wonders if he would be able to afford more than a bottle of water given its upmarket nature.
"How was your guest?" Rangin asks Wilson, "Nothing serious I hope?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"He had some... concerns which I think I was able to address," Wilson says. "Some of our guests, especially the wealthier ones, can be quite demanding."
Kylah pays close attention to Wilson even as she glances at Lt. Collins. Their mission leader hasn't indicated whether she and Graham uncovered anything while they went in search of this mysteriously troublesome guest--or whether she's as irked as Graham is at Wilson's presumption. Kylah certainly can't blame the new security officer for reminding the WR&R representative of just how much his company owes Starfleet, although she does wonder if they'll ever start off on the right foot in these missions.
She remains silent and looks back at Wilson, trying to discern the truth behind this guest's problems. And she's more and more concerned about whether this guest is Admiral Hardin himself.
Wilson seems to be truthful and sincere.
"After lunch, I don't suppose you would mind us looking around and talking to the staff for a while and then following that seeing the introduction of someone to the spores." asks Rangin.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"That was what I thought you intended," Wilson says, nodding.
Kylah is far less interested in talking with the staff than the guests--the staff will likely reveal what they're told to reveal, and no more. She decides to address this, but opts for a less confrontational tactic than usual. There's some Terran expression about enticing insects with regurgitated nectar as opposed to fermented ethanol--a homily she's never quite understood, since why would one want to catch the insects in the first place? But the overall meaning applies here. Sweet rather than sour.
"Mr. Wilson, I must mention something. I understand you did not expect us to speak with anyone directly just yet, but..." She flips a hand over, somewhat sheepish. "Well, we are explorers by nature, else we would not be in Starfleet. Our tendency is toward action rather than waiting, and since the opportunity was available, we took it. And I can speak only for Lt. Delaney and myself, but our experiences were quite telling. You and your resort staff are to be congratulated, as the guests we spoke to were extremely content and satisfied, and seemed well informed about the various procedures too. I was even able to take advantage of your lovely pool and rested there for a bit, and your staff was attentive and the surroundings exquisite."
She looks at Delaney to let him confirm her words with a nod if he wishes, and then returns to Wilson. "One guest was even kind enough to offer me a little tour a little later on. He was so warmly enthusiastic about your facilities, you probably could not ask for a better ambassador. You would not object to that, I hope? If my own mission leader does not have any specific items on our agenda for this evening and does not object herself, of course," Kylah adds with a quick glance at Collins. Surely she will agree--a chance to explore and talk to a guest unimpeded by any officials is a golden opportunity. But Kylah is never entirely certain what Collins will say.
"Ensign Kylah is correct, Mr. Wilson." Collins states "Since we are here to access the spa, we can do it most effectively if we are unguided." She tries to keep her voice even and pleasant but her sense of something very wrong is nagging at her. She just can't bring it into focus. "We apologize for not letting you know before, but I made a judgement call given that we had no way of knowing how long you would be," she pauses briefly, "assisting the concerned guest."
"And I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the medical staff here and learn more about their work," T'Var adds.
Wilson spreads out his hands. "No apology necessary, Lieutenant. I was simply surprised to come back to an empty room, with no indication as to where you had all gone."
To Kylah he says, "Thank you for your kind words. We work very hard to make a visit to OC3 a pleasant experience for all our guests. You're welcome to speak to any of them, as I said before; I just ask that you respect their privacy and not bother them, if they don't wish to speak with you."
To Dr. T'Var he says, "Of course. We have a staff doctor and small medical staff. Let me know when you'd like to meet with them, and I'll arrange it."
Collins's communicator beeps twice. She excuses herself and steps out in the hallway, seeing that Khövsgöl, Gordon and D'Angelo are not there. She flips up the antenna and says, "Collins here."
"Singh here. Status report?"
Collins tells her briefly, and mentions Wilson's lunch and dinner invitations. The Captain chuckles. "You may put any reasonable expenses on the ship's tab, Mr. Collins. No need to pay out of pocket, as it were, since you're there on Starfleet business. The Comptroller General would probably prefer that you not each order caviar and the most expensive champagne, though. Anything else?"
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 07 Nov 2013 at 10:43 AM.
"Nothing concrete, Ma'am" Collins tells the Captain, "but I get the sense that Wilson and his staff are hiding something. I just can't put my finger on what."
While Collins is out, Kylah says, "I do thank you for allowing us to contact the other guests, as long as their privacy is respected. I assure you we would never wish to disturb anyone. I am fascinated to see the rest of the site. Since people often stay so long, there must be shops where they can pick up anything they might need--more clothing, souvenirs, that sort of thing?" She's actually hoping there is a dress shop here; she'd prefer to be out of uniform during her tour. Far less conspicuous.
She then adds with polite interest, as if just thinking of it: "I just realized that I should have asked after Admiral Hardin. They were briefly our guests too--although as well-appointed as the Yorktown is, it can hardly compare to this resort--and I am sure we are all hoping they get the rest and relaxation they need. I take it their stay has begun smoothly?"
"Try to put your hunch into words, Lieutenant," the Captain says. "What is it that's bothering you?"
"Yes, as I mentioned,* we have several gift shops," Wilson says back in the conference room. "All of the things you mention are available. Adm. Hardin and his assistant are still in orientation, I believe, or perhaps they've finished by now and gone on to lunch themselves. I don't know of any problems so far."
*See post 523.
"Ah yes, thank you, that is good to know--about the Admiral and the shops," Kylah says lightly. "I was not certain how extensive the shops might be; some resorts only have souvenirs, but your guests might have more everyday needs or desires."
"They're being cooperative," Collins explains, "but there's a reluctance. When we first arrived, Wilson had to deal with a customer issue but it almost seemed as though he needed to squelch a complainant." Collins sighs "I can't explain it anymore than that. Just the hairs on the back of my neck are twitching. All is not peaches and cream here."
"As I'm sure you've seen by now," Wilson says, "we try to provide for our guests' every need."
"I see," says the Yorktown's master, high in orbit above, to Collins. "Well, if it's just a hunch or a bad feeling at the moment, Lieutenant, keep your eyes open and see what else you can learn. I suggest you listen to your gut, but don't be ruled by it. Good luck. Singh out."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 08 Nov 2013 at 12:56 AM.
Kylah nods pleasantly at Wilson and takes a moment to look at T'Var, partly to see if the doctor is noticing how in-control she is, and partly to convey that she's content that Wilson is telling the truth about Admiral Hardin--unless he's a sociopath, she's detected no signs of unease or stress when she asked about the Admiral, which to Kylah indicates that fortunately it's not the Admiral who was the problematic guest from earlier.
Next she shifts her attention to Rangin, wondering how he's reacting to all this. She found Delaney a pleasant enough partner, albeit a rather silent one, but she would still have appreciated Rangin's company. Then again, she's not certain she'd have been as able to open up to Jan Švehla if Velir Rangin had been at her side.
As much as she's looking forward to potentially learning more about the resort from Mr. Švehla, she can't help imagining what it would be like to explore the beauty of the resort with Velir. Perhaps, if she is able to buy a 'civilian' outfit, she can somehow manage to visit Rangin on her way to see Švehla. Maybe seeing her without her Starfleet uniform will make a difference. It's possible that the uniform makes her look too young or too much like any other colleague.
Or it's just as likely that she is simply not attractive enough for his taste; he might prefer elegant, tall, slender women like Cecilia Bennett. Of course his lack of interest in her probably has nothing to do with her clothing or looks and everything to do with their different personalities. Finally, for all she knows he already has a romantic partner, even a spouse, back on Coridan.
Kylah hopes not. But she probably shouldn't focus on such things, anyway; she did not join Starfleet to get a mate. If anything, she joined to avoid such a connection. Still, she casts her warm gaze at him, almost willing him to look at her and... well, at least smile. Anything. I will be happy with friendship, she vows.
Last edited by choie; 08 Nov 2013 at 04:08 AM.
Collins reenters the conference room "Lunch, within reason, is on the Yorktown!" she tells her crewmates.
T'Var gives Kylah a reassuring smile.
"I would like to meet with your medical staff at their earliest convenience," T'Var tells Wilson.
"Of course, Doctor," says Wilson, nodding to Mrs. Hsu, who makes a note on her datapad. "We'll take you there right after lunch." He smiles. "You have five restaurants to choose from: The OC3 Bistro has casual dining, En Francais offers French and New Paris dishes, Giuseppe's is an old-fashioned pizzeria, Ryerson & McCormack is a steakhouse, and Otherworldly specializes in non-Earth cuisine."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 08 Nov 2013 at 09:48 AM.
"Well, we don't all have to eat together," decides Collins. "I'm heading to the steakhouse. Join me, Graham?"
From pondering who to talk to within the resort followed by having a look round, Collins call about lunch has put a big smile on Rangin's face. He wonders what's the best way to split up the afternoon after lunch. Wanting to see the medical side would mean joining the cool, calm and collected Dr T'Var for a while, though whether she would ask many questions is another matter. But after that, it would be tempting to look around the resort and see what could be dug up from speaking to the staff. Not so much what they are saying as not saying is causing some concern. Rangin wonders if any of the others are thinking the same and what plans they might have for looking around.
"I'd like to join you when you look over the medical area if you don't mind Doctor?", he asks of Dr T'Var.
He looks at the rest of the team before noticing that Kylah appears to be almost watching him, for what, well Rangin is quite not sure. It's as if she is waiting for him to say or do something. Well if she is waiting for something...
"Lunch?" he makes the request of Kylah.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
When Collins returns, Kylah's focus is temporarily distracted from Rangin. She's curious to know what the captain told Collins, and vice versa. And she's disappointed and surprised--well, not entirely surprised, actually--that Collins immediately tells the crew she's willing to break them all up yet again. Doesn't she want to know what we all learned, if anything? Kylah thinks distractedly. Or to let us know if she and Graham found anything? The many mysteries of Collins's leadership style continue to elude her understanding. And yet the woman keeps getting these assignments, so someone must be satisfied with her performance. Unless there's some Admiral Collins floating around the upper echelons of Starfleet.
Then her attention returns to Rangin, who seems to be in an even better mood as a result of Collins's announcement. He finally notices her and she's embarrassed to discover herself physically reacting to his gaze with a rush of blood to her face and quickened breathing. It's as if he'd brushed his fingertips over her cheek. I am behaving like a schoolgirl. He is merely looking at me!
"Yes, of course," Kylah blurts when he asks her if she'll be having lunch. He means together, doesn't he? Is it rude to exclude the others? Kylah casts a quick eye at T'Var and Delaney. If Collins wants to talk privately with Graham, that's one thing, but somehow it does not seem right to leave the rest behind. Rangin might not have just meant the two of them anyway. "Perhaps... perhaps we should we all try this 'Otherworldly' restaurant? Since three of us are not from Earth..."
Graham hesitates a moment after Collins invites him to lunch: his first instinct is that the team should get together to compare notes privately, but clearly Collins has a different idea. Probably she's being nice enough to chew my ass out for speaking out of turn one-on-one instead of in front of everybody, he thinks. "I never turn down a good steak, ma'am" Graham replies.
"And we all meet back here in an hour," Collins says, "at which point we'll review the day. Keep your eyes and ears open while you eat." She turns to Graham, "After you," she tells him.
Rangin is slightly surprised by the slight blush that was creeping across Kylah's face as he was looking at her and asking her to lunch. He wouldn't have expected it from a crewmate and he didn't think he had quite that effect on her, but even so perhaps there was more there than he thought.
Her invitation to the others was probably for the best, they did have a job to do and eating together would only help. They could swap notes before they came back to report to Collins. Rangin considered it a shame they were not eating together, just the two of them, although trying to duplicate one good evening on shore leave was more folly than anything else. Recreating a one-off was never a good idea although she did seem interested. Perhaps tonight, when it was more relaxed, he might speak to her and find out what she was thinking.
But that was this evening and for now, Rangin was hungry. "Good idea Kylah," he continues smiling at her, "Dr T'Var, Mr Delaney? Interested?" he acknowledges each of them.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham steps toward the door, then turns and points with his thumbs in opposite directions. "The steakhouse is...which way, Mr. Wilson?"
Kylah starts up from her chair and murmurs for Rangin's ears only: "Otherworldly indeed. We are on a planet millions of miles away, run by a Federation of more than a hundred constituent planets, and yet the resort conflates everything that is not Terran into one large group of 'others.' How quaintly Earth-centric." Her eyes sparkle playfully at him to show that she's not entirely serious.
"I'm just an Ensign from a junior member of the Federation. I know my place." Rangin responds with an equal sparkling grin. "Of course, I have no problems acceding to your taste in fine food. I believe you have more experience in such matters and could recommend something appropriate. No matter how otherworldly it may be."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"I would welcome your company and input with the medical staff," T'Var tells Rangin. "And I think our lunch will be an interesting experience."
nm
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Nov 2013 at 02:04 AM. Reason: duplicate post
Delaney says, "I'm in the mood for some pizza, actually, so I think I'll go to Giuseppe's. I'll see you later."
Wilson gives each of you directions to the restaurants, which are not far from each other; all are part of the resort complex. He excuses himself and Mrs. Hsu, as they have other matters to attend to, but says he will meet you back in the conference room in one hour.
Collins and Graham soon are settled into a booth at the Ryerson & McCormack steakhouse, which has dark leather seats, wood paneling, dim lighting and a clubby feel. A Bolian waiter offers to take their orders.
Kylah, Rangin and T'Var take their seats at Otherworldly, the menu for which shows dishes from several dozen worlds, including Vulcan and Coridan but not Elas. The restaurant has very eclectic decor, with a variety of alien art on the walls, and a strangely-textured crystalline ceiling. The waitress, seeing T'Var, says with a big smile that the plomeek soup is particularly good.
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Plomeek_soup
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Nov 2013 at 02:05 AM.
"Caesar Salad to start," Collins tells the waiter, "and the six ounce Filet Mignon, medium well, baked potato, and steamed broccoli. And a pint of Sam Adams Boston Lager. Thank you." She looks at Graham, trying to guess what he'd order. Maybe the twenty ounce Porter House?
Last edited by anyrose; 10 Nov 2013 at 09:27 AM.
Kylah is disappointed but not surprised that Delaney has opted to stick with Earth food. In her experience, humans seem far less accustomed to trying food outside their own. Meanwhile, she's had to do nothing but since joining Starfleet, considering Elasian food is never on any menu--also not a surprise. A wicked part of her vows one day to serve her human crew members a meal of Rokeg blood pie and gagh and pretend they're delicacies from Elas. She's not fond of the Klingon foods herself, and only forced them down out of diplomatic necessity during the many dinners held in honor of her uncle's friends and would-be coalition partners, but she knows the humans would probably run screaming when confronted with a writhing plate of gagh. The thought nearly makes her smirk.
She herself orders a bowl of the Plomeek soup and a baked Andorian tuber root with plenty of butter.
Graham shifts in his seat a little. "Ah...you know," he says to the waiter, "is there something that you tells guests they just have got to have--you know, a signature dish for the visiting steak-lover? I'll have whatever that is. Um, a whisky, neat, too." He looks around and then back at Collins. "Can't say I eat at establishments of this caliber all that often. How about you, L-T?"
The waiter tells Collins, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we don't have Sam Adams... anything. Perhaps you'd like to order something else?" He gives her a beer list which includes three lagers: Boston Prime, Pretoria Select and Weimar Golden Jubilee.
He says to Graham, "The T-bone is very popular, sir, and so is the prime rib. But everything's good here, really."
At Otherworldly, the waitress takes Kylah's order, nods and turns to the others.
Much as I enjoy a Sam Adams beer now and then, I kind of doubt they'll still be in business centuries from now....
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 10 Nov 2013 at 11:15 PM.
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