<USS Banshee> Re: "Turning Tides"
- From: Michael Burrows <mj_burrows@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 07:52:00 -0400
Great log.
Vintage Irish wine? C'mon, let's not stretch the boundries of fantasy to
breaking point. Unless of course, you are referring to a old bottle of
Guinness?
Cordially yours,
Burrows.
Brad Ruder wrote:
> ?Turning Tides?
> Ensign Anthony D?Vorak
> & Lt. Joshua Asper
>
>
>
>
> He increased his step as he maneuvered himself down the hallway on
> Deck Three. Many people were asleep at this hour, not many were up and
> about when they could get the much-needed sleep that came no so often.
> He approached the double doors of Three Forward and inched his way
> inside. The lights had been deactivated and no one was attending the
> bars. This was exactly how Josh Asper had planned it. He crossed over
> the lounge, nearly tripping on every table and chair in his path, and
> into a far back corner table that was often occupied by Anthony
> D'Vorak. He looked around and tapped his combadge. "Asper to D'Vorak."
>
> Anthony was sitting in his quarters, still trying to finish his book.
> He had been reading it for quite a while, and it seemed that every
> time he had started to read it again, something would interrupt him.
> Tonight was no different. He sighed as he reached over to his Comm
> badge on the side table. He tapped the badge. "What can I do for you
> so late Mr. Asper? There are plenty of nurses in sickbay."
>
> "Anthony, I could use your help on something very important. Got time
> to come down to Three Forward and talk with me." Josh's eyes darted
> around Three Forward as if he was going to get caught and punished.
> His main thing was to avoid being seen so that no one would tell Sara
> anything of his late night rendezvous with her best friend.
>
> Anthony yawned as he thought about his answer for a second. "I suppose
> if it?s that important. D?Vorak out." Anthony closed his book and
> tossed it on the couch. "I'll never get it read." He quickly ran into
> his room and slipped on some better pants. Anthony walked back into
> the living room and put his slippers on. He headed out the door of his
> quarters and headed towards the turbolift. "Deck 3...Forward." The
> turbolift whizzed through the ship and came to a halt on deck three.
> Anthony stepped out and walked towards the unmistakable doors of Three
> Forward. The doors slid open and he noticed Asper sitting in HIS usual
> spot in the corner. He trotted over to him and sat down. "So what was
> so important that you had to disturb my reading?"
>
> Josh looked at him with an amusing gaze, "There are more important
> things then shoving your life into ancient earth literacy. I need some
> information on Sara, and I knew that YOU could tell me." Josh felt a
> little weird asking for help from Anthony; after all, Anthony had
> shown a great interest in Sara, that often times appeared of more than
> just friendship.
>
> He put his feet up on the table. "You asked me down here?to ask me for
> information on Sara." He shook his head. "Why don't you ask her??
>
> "It's for something that I'm planning, a special date that we'll go
> when we reach Deep Space Nine. Come on Anthony, you've got to answer
> my questions. I don't know what to fill it with; I'm desperate. I'll
> do anything for help."
>
> "What could you possible do for me?" Anthony sat there uncomfortably.
> It was hard to give Josh information like this. After all he loved
> Sara too. He loved her enough to want her to be happy as well. He put
> his hands on the table. "What information do you need...I?m not saying
> I can get it all for you...but maybe I can help."
>
> "Just simple things, Tony. I'm not asking for her great-grandfather's
> favorite color here. I need to know, first, her favorite color
> flowers." Josh knew that what he was asking wasn't a lot, in his eyes
> anyway. His eyes scanned the room again for unwelcome guests, but kept
> his attention the PADD that was on the table, waiting for Anthony's
> insight. He wanted this meeting over, there was a lot that he still
> had to plan and do.
>
> He hesitated a bit. He knew she loved yellow roses, but his feelings
> for Sara interfered with his better judgment. He was about to say Red,
> when he remembered her smile. He would hate to not see it on her face.
> "Yellow...she likes yellow roses."
>
> Josh smiled at the apparent cooperation and quickly tapped the
> response onto his PADD. Setting it aside and clasping his hands on the
> table, Josh returned his gaze towards Anthony. "That wasn't so hard,
> I've only got two other questions. What is her favorite scenery?
> Forest? Ocean? Sky? I am completely in the dark, any idea would be
> appreciated."
>
> He looked at the stars as he thought long about her favorite scenery.
> He scratched his head for about five minutes before something came to
> him. "She absolutely loves spatial displays...nebulas and other
> natural space phenomenon." He rubbed at his chin for a few minutes. "I
> hear there?s an amazing one in the Sirrus system?doesn't come around
> too often?but I hear its spectacular."
>
> "Sirrus Five? The trinary star system with the disappearing planet
> display?" Josh had seen this as a child and had forgotten about the
> cycle. "Sixteen year cycle, right?"
>
> Anthony smiled. "That would be the one?I've seen pictures. I'm sure
> Sara would absolutely love it."
>
> Josh nodded and continued to tap his PADD. "What about initial
> scenery, not just space...like objects around her. Like this is Three
> Forward?" Josh couldn't describe what he was going for, he hoped that
> Anthony fared better.
>
> Anthony nodded; he knew what Josh was talking about. It?s not just the
> location; it?s the mood, the ambiance. He couldn't believe that he was
> telling all this to Josh. He loved Sara. He was hoping to use some of
> these techniques some day. He thought about Sara, then he looked at
> Josh. No matter how much it hurt him to do so. He wanted Sara to be
> happy. "Dim lights?lots of candles?flowers everywhere?She'll love
> it?guaranteed." He kept his answers short. So as not to draw any
> attention to the emotion entwined in his answers.
>
> Josh looked at him, tapped his PADD slowly, and then shuffled it
> aside. "Tony, what's up? You seem different, is it something that has
> to do with Sara?"
>
> "No?not at all." He popped a half smile. "I?m just tired." He looked
> around nervously and then back at Josh. "Is there anything else you
> need?I'd really like to get back to my book." He looked very anxious
> sitting across from Josh there. He just wanted to tell him what he
> wanted to know, then get back to his book.
>
> "Anthony, you're about as suspicious as a nice Klingon. What's going
> on...?"
>
> He stood up. "Nothing! I just want to answer your questions as quickly
> as possible and be on my way. You and Sara are together?okay?there is
> nothing I can do about it. I want her to be happy just as much as you
> do. That?s the ONLY reason I'm helping you."
>
> Josh looked at him, his sight never faltering. Then he looked down at
> the table. "You like her Anthony. As more than a friend, and it pains
> you to see me with her, doesn't it?" Josh was taking a gamble that he
> hoped would pay.
>
> He never thought he would ever be talking to Josh about this. "Maybe I
> do, and maybe it does pain me to see you with her... but it would pain
> me even more if I did something to interfere with her happiness." He
> looked over to the empty bar. "If you ever do anything to make her
> unhappy?you know you'll have to answer to me."
>
> "Are you threatening me? As far as I'm concerned it won't even come to
> that. I love her, more than anything I've ever loved." Josh was
> growing agitated; he didn't expect Anthony to say that he liked her.
> He expected an evasive answer and things would go on their way. Now he
> had to put up with this. "Anthony, if you love her so much, maybe she
> returns the feelings. You need to talk to her about this. If you
> don't?" He paused for a second gazing around the room. "?you will
> never know what might have been and you'll regret it."
>
> Anthony glared over at Josh, "First of all?it wasn't a threat?it was a
> promise." He relaxed again, "However, if your intentions are
> honorable, you have nothing to worry about." He listened to Josh talk
> about how Anthony should talk to her? "She seems so happy. If I talked
> to her, it might upset everything. I?m not willing to make her
> unhappy. If she doesn't feel the same way, things will never be the
> same."
>
> "Listen to yourself, Tony. You're the one that's afraid that
> something's going to happen. You need to talk to her, if she doesn't
> feel the same way then things will return to just being friends with
> her." Josh slammed the PADD onto the table. "If you don't tell her, I
> will."
>
> Anthony laughed, "Go ahead?she'll never believe that I was talking to
> you about this." He shook his head. "Tell her whatever you like."
>
> "You doubt how much she believes me." Josh stared at Anthony, this was
> a serious problem that could flourish and destroy his relationship
> with Sara. "She'll believe me."
>
> Anthony smiled, "I don't doubt she'll believe you?but when it comes to
> me?talking to you?she'll never buy it. If I just leave everything
> alone, we'll all be fine. " He sighed.
>
> "Anthony, I'm not an emotional man. I only show it when necessary, and
> that isn't often. Right now, I see that if you don't say anything
> it'll eat you alive. And as one of my friends, I don't want you
> regretting anything." Josh opened his emotional door, allowing his
> true feelings about Anthony spill out. He did, in all honesty,
> consider him a friend.
>
> "As your friend, Josh, I can't do that." Anthony had opened up too. He
> was always too arrogant to admit that Josh was one of his friends. "I
> think it?s too late for me Josh, I've been the best friend for too
> long; the best friend always gets screwed in the end." He put his feet
> up. "I do love her?with all my heart?I have for a long time. Both of
> you are my friends." Anthony breathed deeply again before continuing.
> "Whenever I say something, expressing my feelings for someone, it has
> this way of blowing up in my face. And I don?t want to lose her or you
> as my friend." He shook his hands frustrated.
>
> Josh sat down, as his breathing slowed. "Anthony, I don't give a damn
> if you?re the best friend, or the cousin once-removed. Right now, I
> want Sara to be happy. If she is happier with you, then so be it,
> you've got to find out." He realized at this point he was offering
> Sara to him, based on the possible chance that she liked Anthony
> better than he. He didn't want to lose her, she was so perfect, but he
> would rather see her happy with someone else than miserable with him.
> It was something he had to do.
>
> "I wont?I know she doesn?t love me like that."
>
> "How?"
>
> "I don't know?it?s easier if I just say she doesn't. It?s easier on
> you, it?s easier on me, and it?s easier on Sara. If you want to tell
> her, go ahead." He stood up. "If you look in cargo bay two container
> 326J you'll find a case of a vintage Irish wine. It?s Sara?s
> favorite." He looked at Josh. "Are we done yet?"
>
> Josh entered the final information on a PADD and looked up at Anthony.
> "I'm done, yes." Josh watched as Anthony walked towards the door, and
> before he reached it he shouted after him. "Anthony..."
>
> Anthony stopped as the doors whizzed open in front of him. He turned
> on the ball of his leading foot; he looked at Josh. "Josh?"
>
> "Thank you." Josh smiled and slapped the PADD against his palm.
>
> Anthony half waved as he trudged back out of 3F dragging his slippers
> along with him. Josh's words echoed in his ears as he walked into the
> turbolift and called out to it to take him back to his room. Josh was
> right. Anthony was afraid. He was so afraid to talk to Sara about
> matters of his heart; he had sat by for so many years listening to
> Sara talk about her boyfriends throughout the years. He was a much
> better listener, than he was at expressing himself.
>
> Anthony stepped out of the turbolift and passed by Sara's quarters on
> the way to his own. He just stared at the door with his finger hanging
> an inch away from the button. He hesitated. His finger shook and he
> was sweating like mad. He closed his eyes and looked at the door
> before?curling his finger up exhaling deeply and continuing on his way
> to his quarters. If Josh told Sara, and Sara brought up the topic. It
> might make things a little easier. He wasn't prepared to ask Asper for
> that favor. So as he entered his room he hoped. He prayed?that Josh
> took his hint.
>
> Josh, still in Three Forward, sat silent. He was now into more of a
> moral and ethical dilemma. He balanced his hands based on his options.
> "Anthony said it clearly he didn't care if I told her." Josh balanced
> again. "Then again, he said that he would rather me not tell her."
>
> Josh strolled out of Three Forward and towards the turbolift.
> "Anthony, if you want to tell her go ahead, but my lips are sealed."
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