Meet the Press, Part 3

Posted on 02 Feb 2013 @ 6:37pm by Raifi Zaren & Justin Baker
Edited on on 02 Feb 2013 @ 7:14pm

1,158 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: Starbase 103/ Earth: Baker's residence
Timeline: MD -02: 1230 hrs

[ON - Continued]

"Zaren, you're putting me to sleep just talking about it. Where's the juice. Planetary surveys? If I'm going to do PSAs to help repair Starfleet's tarnish, I don't need to leave Terra to do it."

She was standing in the way of his seeing something experience-altering because she didn't want to leave her cushy seat. He scrolled through the data. The statement Freya had wedged from one of the ground crew who had seen the Galileo off... "Newly designed and built Nova-class USS Galileo crash lands on Vega IX after first mission. Subject classified."

Jool stopped, even her anger at the incompetent who brought her cold coffee gone in a flash. "Did you say the Galileo?" She asked. "Meet me at the transport hanger and Zaren, get a bath, a haircut and wear something pretty and long sleeved. I don't want the tabs to think I'm slumming with the homeless. If you're lying and you can't get me on that ship, then I'm going to cut off your junk and wear them as earrings. You feel me?"

Zaren smiled broadly and was very pleased that she couldn't see him. Oh, hollow threats. How he'd missed them. "I feel you," he deepened his voice to hide the smile from it. "Absolutely. Ma'am."

"Good, remember - shower, haircut...long sleeves."

Jool disconnected the comm, smiling.

Zaren absently tapped his fingers on the desk in a repeating four-count. Both Jool and Trija had been sparked by the mention of the Galileo, more than any of the things he'd found fascinating about the potential discoveries waiting past Starbase 185. Something about it... itched them. Something was going on with this ship. Something more interesting than undiscovered planets; at least to the young. What was it?

Well. He was going to have to go on a Starfeet vessel to get to 185. If anyone would know, and be likely to talk, it would be the crew of that ship over the next couple days. In the meantime, he had a team to flesh out.

Camera... There were many men and women spread throughout the Service who had skills enough to handle Jool Fenta, but Zaren wasn't concerned about her so much. He was more concerned with the discovery. And since Trija had - perhaps unwisely - left it up to him, he could choose who he liked. And he chose Justin Baker. The cameraman had a highly selective eye, and a clever and analytic mind, and his shots - still and motion - were some of the best Zaren had ever seen. And it didn't hurt that they also had a long history of showing up for each other at the right moments.

Moving out of the shower room, his body still naked, Justin ran the towel through his hair as he tried to dry it of the water droplets which still clung to the strands. Smiling as he felt a woman's body press up against his back, he didn't need to turn to know. "Come on now sweetheart...you've got to get back to work before the husband notices you missing."

Feeling the press of the woman's lips against the side of his neck, Justin felt her hands start to encompass his waist. "Jamilla..." As his breath caught in his chest, the pair were interrupted by the sound of a chime from his office. Feeling her hand tighten, Justin ignored the noise as he focused on what was happening. Pushing his body back against the woman's body, he's breathing quickened.

As the comms unit within his office continued to sound, the noise just getting consistently louder, Justin found himself gritting his teeth as he realised that the noise was starting to pierce his ears and ruin the moment. Pulling away, he angrily moved towards his office, his body still naked as he slammed his hand down on the console, "What!"

"Hello, beautiful," Zaren beamed at him through the vidscreen, then cocked a brow at the sight. "Caught you at a bad time, did I?"

Narrowing his eyes as the face on the screen sparked a thought of recognition in his mind, Justin moved a hand through his wet hair in order to lift it back off of his face. "Raifi. You really choose your moments don't you. Unless this is urgent can I take a rain check?"

"I need you to catch a ride to the edge of Federation space, so... yeah. It's urgent. New story." Zaren glanced past Justin's shoulder and gave a wave, "Hello, there, won't be a minute," he told the woman in the background. "She's cute."

Leaning his hands against the table, Justin lowered himself to a height which allowed him to look the reporter in his eye. "She's cute enough, back on subject boy. Last time you demanded I catch a ride...recall how that ended up?"

"You got some amazing shots that won you two awards from the FNN and I ended up in a cell for a few days on Kurakos. And those were gorgeous shots, but these will be better."

Swallowing down an instinctive laugh, Justin found himself just shaking his head. "You're lucky you are cute Raifi, anyone else and I'd have hung up on them by now. How long I got?"

"Well, it's going to take you a couple days..." The Trill scanned his PADD thoughtfully. "There. I'll get the authorization codes from Natyal. You'll need to beam onto the USS Osiris as it's passing and ride it all the way out to Starbase 185. I'll meet you there. I'd say you've got about... an hour before departure, if you don't want to stretch the transporter beam too thin."

As a wicked smile crossed Justin's lips, he pushed himself away from the table. "Plenty of time Raifi...plenty of time." As he moved backwards, Justin pushed his hair back out of his eyes. As he turned to move back to the the naked woman leaning against the door jab, the cameraman looked over his shoulder once more, the smirk back on his lips. "You owe me again...I always cash in on favours I'm owed."

"Don't I know it. But I think this one might pay for itself." Zaren tilted his head, watching absently as the woman lolled, bare, and moved back into Justin's arms. "Don't get too distracted!" he called, then closed the call.

At least one thing had gone easily. Small favors and victories over Fate. He jotted off a memo to Trija, letting her know that he'd secured Fenta and Baker, and giving her their whereabouts and necessary starship hitchhiking data. Now it was just a matter of getting himself there. And he would see what the edge of known space had to offer.

[OFF]

Raifi Zaren
FNN Journalist
Starbase 103
(pNPC Lilou Peers)

Justin Baker
FNN Cameraman
Baker's Residence on Earth
(pNPC Pola Ni Dhuinn)

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