Cat-Like Behavior

Posted on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 @ 3:29am by Lieutenant Commander Zim Drex

Mission: Heart of an Explorer
Location: Lt.Cmdr Drex's Quarters
Timeline: MD20 0130hrs

Fade In:

On Drex's quarters. The room is darkened. A glistening curtain of stars hangs beyond the viewports. The view pans past several PADDs, some halfway through technical schematics and diagrams; lengthy engineering reports. The camera circles toward the bed where the Bolian is fast asleep. He tosses to one side and the camera pans to face him. Though beyond the bed, the figure of a man sitting in a chair is seen silhouetted against the viewport.

Drex's eyes snap open suddenly.

"Computer, lights."

An electric whirring brings the room up to full illumination on them both. The man in the chair wears a gold collar Starfleet uniform. Drex, wearing a set of dark grey pajamas rolls toward the window and startles heavily at the sight of someone in his quarters. "Stikes! My god...you scared me. How did you get in here?"

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries, shall we? I came for your report."

"Dispense...!? What are you doing here? Seriously. I saw you leave with the Romulan captives back in the Alpha Quadrant." Drex clings to his blanket, squeezing tightly on the pale blue edge.

"Drex. You're not naive. You don't honestly think I was going to let you loose with a highly valuable, highly classified piece of equipment in the Delta Quadrant. Without any way of tracking your progress."

"Well then you already know the Captain's approved it, and we've already started refitting the Iapetus for the project." Drex says, looking around the room.

"We could only use passive scans to keep from alerting the attention of your chief of security. He's an extremely competent man, isn't he?" Stikes crosses his legs and notes Drex's casual searches. "If you're looking for a way to alert security, don't bother, I can assure you this room is completely isolated."

Drex looks back at Stikes. "I'm not. I'm just wondering how you got in here."

"Your loyalty to the Federation is truly remarkable, Commander. Oh. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way. How long do you think before you can collect some field test data?"

"Well, it all depends on the mission. We're exploring, not fighting in a war, so I doubt we'll be seeing combat anytime soon."

Stikes chuckles. "You sure about that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Drex asks, sitting up in his bed.

"Nothing Drex. Enjoy the rest of your night." Stikes stands and starts toward the door. Drex fights with the blankets, and finally kicks both feet over the side of the bed, intent to follow.

Stikes passes through the door and starts down the corridor.

Drex exits after him, and looks up and down the deck, but sees noone.

:Fade Out