[Ten Forward:] Arrival of Starfleet Brass

[ten_fwd_npcs]

[[ Moments earlier, in Transporter Room 1... ]]


Picard re-enters Ten Forward tonight, this time leading a group of three. Only one appears to be in a Starfleet uniform, though it isn't precisely like the ones guests see every day. The color is command red, but there is extensive gold trimming which indicates that this officer is of a higher rank than any the Enterprise entertains on a daily basis.

"All of our guests, at one time or another, come to Ten Forward," Picard tells them. He looks tired already. After this, he will certainly need a cup of earl grey tea. "Most appear here on their first visit to the ship, and as such it's one of the few places they are allowed until they pass quarantine."

"Until you let them loose on the rest of the ship, and even give them employment, you mean?" the Vice Admiral counters.

Captain Picard sighs.

"Are the displaced guests allowed to mingle with the rest of the complement?" the woman asks, surprised. She stifles a yawn behind her hand, embarrassed by the slip. She's inexplicably tired all of a sudden.

"Yes, of course," Captain Picard answers. "The alternative would be keeping them under lock and key. We don't allow them in restricted areas, of course, but they are free to visit any civilian areas of the ship."

The third person among them, by far the most innocuous and average-looking of the group, slips into the crowd.

"Clearly we have a lot of work ahead of us," the Vice Admiral sighs, fixing Picard with a pointed look.


[ooc: ~casually floods the comm with Picard's face, oops~ OK, so here's the promised arrivals post for your June plots. If you're getting your characters involved in the little rascals plot, you can send one around to bump into one of our three NPCs. By tomorrow, you'll all look a little younger. If you signed up for an encounter with one of these officers, you can start first impressions here. We'll be sending links to a more formal "questioning" for all characters in the sign-ups post. This is NOT your only opportunity to get in on the kid plot. Once the first few tag in, they will be contagious and tagging them in their logs will pass the virus onto your characters. If this post gets flooded we may close it to new tags, just so we can give everyone who does tag in our full attention. If you want a thread with one NPC in particular, let us know in the subject line of your tag, otherwise we'll pull one from the random hat for you. Picard is not open for tags, but he does have an OTA post here if you need him.]

Comments

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"I just came on board," he says, smiling at her. "Donovan Coates."

He takes her offered hand, still smiling, and shakes, his grip firm without being hard.

(There's no point in pretending he's not one of the reps who just came on board, after all, given how many people would have seen him walk in with them. The fact that he's currently investigating for Starfleet Intelligence? That, nobody in this room but the Captain needs to know right now.)

"Are you one of the Enterprise's guests?"

[loiseau_ou_la_cage]

She realizes that her sneaking was less than effective when he says he just came aboard. Oh well. It was okay not to be stealthy anymore.

She shakes his hand, even more curious about the man in front of her. "I wouldn't say guest. More like unintentional prisoner. I suppose you've never been in that position." Anyone who had would probably sound a little more sympathetic than curious.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

There is always the possibility for someone in Starfleet Intelligence to wind up as a prisoner. A possibility, but fortunately, one that Commander Coates has never experienced, and his relief at that shows in his expression.

"No, not personally."

He has, in his time, had to debrief people of whom the same could not be said.

"That's how you think of it, though? As being a prisoner?" He gestures around him. "The Enterprise is a fine ship, with the best Starfleet has to offer aboard."

He's curious; Starfleet Command had sent them with the information that security had been incredibly lax around this whole affair, and he'd like to hear more from the guests' perspective.

[loiseau_ou_la_cage]

Elizabeth was too used to being a prisoner. It was a habit of thought she often had trouble shaking. It's no pleasure to have an experience the man (officer?) in front of her didn't have. "Oh, she's a fine ship, Mr. Coates. She reminds me too much of some rather unpleasant places, but that's no fault of her or her crew. I prefer to have a good quantity of open air around me." She still missed the gorgeous sunrises she saw in Columbia. Even in confinement there was beauty.

"The holodeck is fun, though." She smiles again, much more interested in discussing the fantastic technology all around her.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"It's rather difficult to find much open air on a starship," Coates agrees, but he carefully notes her comments. Q is bringing people aboard this ship who aren't used to or trained for shipboard life, not to mention the level of technology they're now being exposed to. That is Agent Learmont's area of investigation, but that doesn't stop him nodding at her.

"I suppose this technology must be fairly impressive if you haven't seen it before."

He says it in a friendly enough tone, even if he's mentally noting it for later.

[loiseau_ou_la_cage]

"Some is, some is old hat. Flying cities aren't anything new to me, but they all have their unique charms. The replicators are also amazing, I'd love to know how they work." She's a tinkerer by nature and having such fantastic stuff within her reach but off limits is a little saddening. "What are you doing here, anyway? I mean, it's nice to chat and all, but I hope the captain's not in trouble. He's dealt admirably with this nonsense."

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"Oh?"

That Captain Picard has dealt admirably with the things that are happening under his command is not the impression that Starfleet has formed based on the information that has been given to them. (The use of the term 'flying cities' instead of 'starships' also draws attention.)

"You'd say Captain Picard has performed well under Q's trials, would you? I was under the impression passengers had faced substantial danger."

And, in some cases, caused it. Khan Noonien Singh being aboard this ship is not pleasing news.

[loiseau_ou_la_cage]

Elizabeth shrugged. "We're in a metal ship in the middle of an intense vacuum with nobody close enough to save us if something goes wrong. We're already in danger from what I understand. That said, I've never been anywhere this safe before. It's a relief, to be honest. Sure there's some trouble and I don't necessarily like it here, but I can't think of a place I'd rather raise my daughter than here."

His questions are worrisome. Elizabeth felt like she had to defend the captain because he was doing his best given the circumstances.

[ten_fwd_npcs]

"More danger than here?"

The question is mild enough, as Coates asks it, the tone conversational rather than interrogative. He doesn't want to frighten the woman off: she's been very helpful, in her own way, and he's here to gather a less formal view of the situation than that the Vice Admiral and the DTI agent might acquire.

"Q brought you here with a child?"

While the welfare of their visitors is less of a concern than the potential security threat they face, it is a consideration they have to take into account.

[loiseau_ou_la_cage]

She nods but she's beginning to notice that he's asking questions and not answering them. That is strange and now she regrets mentioning Anne at all. "He did. Better with her than without her." She fidgets with the thimble covering the stump of her right pinky finger. "Why are you here? Is it because of us?"