<USS Avalon> The Invitation
- From: Debra Mosqueda <mightymidgie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 17:07:59 -0800 (PST)
"She's definitely aiming it all at you, whoever she is. Who else is thin enough
to get into that crawlspace but tall enough to reach it all where she leaves
it in that gear? There isn't anyone else who could find it but you and she
knows it. Face it, kid, she's trying to get your attention."
Josh irritatedly straightened their quarters for what had to be the tenth time
that day while Mac lay upon the couch absentmindedly bouncing a tennis ball off
the ceiling over and over again. Finally, Mac caught the ball and looked at his
roommate. "You know, if it gets any cleaner the Doc'll start doing her
surgeries here. Give it a rest already, would you?"
Frowning, Josh stopped for a moment. Just a moment. Then he noticed the couch
had shifted out of place again. He began straightening it at once, knocking Mac
off as he did so. Couldn't he see he was making a mess? Mac landed on the
floor with a thud and started laughing until he was teary eyed. The taller
young man looked at him as though he'd lost his mind.
"It's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Mac sputtered. "You can't figure it out and
it's driving you freaking nuts!"
Josh glared at him, then resumed what he was doing. The fact was, it was really
starting to get to him. He wasn't accustomed to puzzles he couldn't solve. He'd
already gone over the roster in his head several times. Assuming all of the
"gifts" left in that lift shaft gear belonged to the person leaving them, she'd
be about a size three, with a shoe size of five narrow. From the time period
the things kept appearing, they'd have had to have been placed there during
Beta shift, meaning she was likely either a gamma or delta shifter herself, as
it was unlikely she'd risk doing it while on duty. There was no transporter
traces, so she'd have to be either relatively athletic to have climbed the
shaft herself, and nearly as tall as he was, or telekinetic. No matter how many
times he'd checked he'd been unable to find a single person aboard even coming
close to that description. Whoever it was, they'd remained aboard during shore
leave, as Josh had. The items had continued to appear
throughout the time most of the crew had been ashore. Attempts to catch the
person in the act had been unsuccessful, and his lack of skill with others
prevented him from asking for help. Mac hadn't reported it, either, though. He
couldn't swear to it, but Josh suspected he was enjoying it.
Mac jumped up from the floor and straightened his rumpled uniform. "Okay, kid.
Party time. What do you think she's left today?"
Josh just shrugged, having given up hope that the answer would be 'nothing'.
Clearing whatever she'd left behind out of the lift gear had been a start of
shift ritual for almost two months now. Why would today be any different? Sure
enough, the first work order they picked up after reporting in was the lift.
With a sigh, he turned and his heels and headed out the door, Mac right behind
him, ignoring the comments that followed them. Climbing as quickly as he
could, he steeled himself for whatever it might be this time. Another stilletto
heel, perhaps? Or, God forbid, more lingeree. Nothing could have surprised him
more than what he found. Carefully he disengaged the PADD from the gear in
which it had been wedged and read it, before tucking it in with the other he
always carried on his belt.
"What is it this time," Mac called up. Josh just shrugged as he dropped back
into the lift beside him. "What do you mean - " Mac mimicked the shrug. "Don't
you shrug at me. Come on! What'd you find?"
Josh began walking swiftly back to engineering. "Joshua! What was it?" Mac
pleaded, almost running to keep up with the young man's long stride. At last,
Mac sprinted to the door and barred the way. "I'm your best friend, remember.
You are obligated to tell me, now give!" He demanded. Sighing, Josh withdrew
the PADD from his belt and handed it over, then moved as quickly as he could
past his roommate, anxious to avoid discussing it further, knowing what his
friend would say. Mac looked down at the PADD and grinned. "You're going,
right?" He called after Josh. "Josh? Josh!" He hurried to catch up, determined
to convince him.
Written on the PADD were five words.
Lounge. Five o'clock. Be there.
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