Test Drive #7 - Ten Forward and Captain's Yacht

[ten_fwd_mods]

Option 01. Ten Forward: The first thing you see is a bar. A large, lively bar filled with many different faces and many different smells, sights and sounds. This is Ten Forward, the Enterprise's off-duty lounge; feel free to get acquainted with your fellow travelers and try to find somebody who's in charge: this is your new home now, after all...





Option 02. The Captain's Yacht: Oooh, you sneaky stowaway! You've found yourself in a very exclusive part of the ship: Captain Picard's personal craft, used for short jaunts when a shuttle just won't do. (One must retain some decorum, after all.) It may not be as large as the Enterprise itself, but there are sure to be some surprises aboard once people start snooping.


[OOC: The Captain's Yacht is located at the very base of the Enterprise's saucer portion, so if you put someone in there you can also play them trying to get back to somewhere they know!]

Comments

[asklepian]

Well. Not all the humans on board were so non-chalant about the Vorta in their midst. Julian's gaze had fallen upon the distinctive aural ridges and froze, wide-eyed. Not quite as disturbing to him as it had been finding Dukat aboard, but still a development he's less than thrilled about.

He stands out, even in the Starfleet crowd, with his grey-shouldered uniform, the same style Weyoun would be more familiar with. He tears his eyes away to skirt along the wall, toward the replicators where the Vorta was standing.

"If you're looking for something to try, might I suggest chai tea?"

Julian is obviously suspicious, but willing to give the benefit of the doubt--for now. After all, the only Vorta who'd ever lied to him was a holographic simulation.

[voiceofthefounders]

Weyoun looks up from the menu, distracted from his perusal by a voice... And his face seems to light up.

"Ah, Doctor Bashir. So nice to see you again." He looks back to the replicator. "Hm... Yes, I think I will take your suggestion. Computer? Chai tea."

Whilst the replicator sets to creating the beverage, he turns to Julian, still smiling.

"Ah, now that looks more familiar. I must say, doctor, I find it... comforting to see a familiar face."

[asklepian]

Diplomatic to a fault, of course. The Vorta were nothing but. Julian wondered--Starfleet didn't exactly have regulations that he recalled for this sort of thing. Encountering an enemy agent while both of you were in the past, and your nations were technically not in a state of war. Hell, they hadn't even made first contact with the Dominion as of yet.

Considering that had ended with the destruction of a Galaxy-class ship, much like the one they were on, Julian didn't exactly want a repeat.

"The first one you've seen, I take it." Julian knows there's very few of them aboard. Ezri, Worf. Himself. He's not even sure where in the timeline Weyoun is from, he may not know Ezri or Worf at all.

[voiceofthefounders]

Diplomatic to a fault. It's all Weyoun knows.

"Yes, unfortunately so." He takes the cup of tea from the replicator, motioning out to the rest of the lounge. "A few of the people here filled me in on what has been happening recently. Temporal displacement... A rather... messy business."

He takes a sip of the tea and closes his eyes, making a happy little noise. Seems he enjoys it.

"Come, doctor, won't you join me? I'm sure we can find a table and... trade stories, as it were."

[asklepian]

After all, it is quite literally what he was made for. Julian is far less so. But they'll just have to work with that, won't they?

Julian inclines his head, in what seems to be agreement.

"Not only temporal, but spatial. To further complicate matters." As if this wasn't already complicated enough.

"Please," he says, indicating that Weyoun should make himself comfortable. "I'll be right along."

[voiceofthefounders]

If Weyoun can work with the Cardassians, he can work with you, Julian.

"Yes, it is a quandary, most certainly..."

And he lights up again when Julian agrees.

"Splendid. I shall await your pleasure." He remarks, smiling and nodding, before moving off to go find a table. He manages to secure one near the windows, setting the teacup in front of him.

[asklepian]

Comparing diplomacy with Cardassians to diplomacy with most Humans is setting the bar incredibly low for difficulty.

Julian turns to the replicator. If he were at all a religious man, he'd be taking a moment to pray to his chosen god for strength. Of course, he isn't--it's rare for Humans anymore. (Which begs the question, did the Vorta pray to the Founders?) But after the last few weeks, he's starting to seriously consider it. His grandmother still follows Islam, though calculating exactly where he has to turn five times each day to pray toward Mecca seems to be daunting. Does it not count if it's on the opposite side of Earth at the time, or did one get points for effort? He wonders.

Julian gets a cup of raktajino, because he needs something in his hands more than anything. And then he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath--another for good measure--and turns to confront the utter absurdity of joining an enemy for tea.

"I hope you're finding your stay agreeable thus far," Julian starts, settling into the chair opposite.

[voiceofthefounders]

He's taking another sip of said tea as Julian joins him.

"Mm. Quite. Even though I've only been here for little under half an hour, the people here have been most hospitable." He sets the cup down. "I requested a meeting with the ship's captain. It seems only fair that I make him aware to my presence."

He looks around the lounge, before out to the planet they're orbiting. One of many he's seen on the records of Federation planets, but the name... escapes him.

"The USS Enterprise..." He mumbles. "As memory serves, the Enterprise was-- is --A Galaxy-class Starship. The Federation Flagship." He reaches for the teacup once more. "I must say, it's an honour to be here."

[asklepian]

"Well, as you said, it is the flagship--most often, sent on missions of diplomacy and aid." Julian tilts his head--of course, Galaxy-class ships are also some of the most powerful, defensively. "Its crew would and does behave accordingly."

Julian smiles slightly behind his own cup. Of course, by the time he's from--and Weyoun, perhaps, as well, the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E is in service, though it had been kept out of the war.

"We are well before the Federation has made contact with the Dominion. The Bajoran Occupation hasn't even ended yet. I suppose we can think of this as a second chance at first contact."

He does truly hope this one goes better than the last.

[voiceofthefounders]

"What an excellent way of seeing this, doctor." Weyoun remarks, taking another sip of tea, positively beaming at the notion. "Unfortunately, I will be unable to make anything official until I can contact the Founders. Sadly, I think that will take a considerable amount of time..."

He trails off, looking pensive for the moment.

"Besides, it's not like I can invade at this moment in time, is it?" A pause. "Not that I'd want to, of course. The Federation does excel at making good first impressions, it seems."

Another sip.

"Why, Doctor, you've even surprised me. Judging by your uniform, I'd say we're from similar points in time. The fact that you recognise me means we've, at least, seen each other once..." He smiles wider. "Not many people would sit with a known enemy so freely. I appreciate your open-mindedness."

[asklepian]

"Honestly, we've not so much as discovered the wormhole as of yet. Communication through our technology is likely impossible. At least if you want your message to get there any faster than a few hundred years from now." We're both well and trapped within time and space. And Julian does intend to warn Picard to keep Weyoun's access to the ship's systems as limited as possible. Hopefully the Captain wouldn't tire of his constant delivery of bad news as of late and shoot the messenger.

"Of course, I was recently put through a bit of a wringer with Internal Affairs, stemming from the regrettable incident with Internment Camp 371." Not quite true, but he was certainly unwilling to let Weyoun know about Section 31. "In fact, if the officer in charge of the investigation knew I was speaking with you now, he'd have me clapped in irons." Again.

[voiceofthefounders]

A frown, there, at the mention of Internment Camp 371. Was Dr. Bashir that far in the past?

"My... apologies for the trouble, doctor. I know it may not mean much, but you have my sympathies for any mishandling, before and after your imprisonment." He bows his head. "Unfortunately, the order to have you imprisoned came from the Founders."

Which, alas, explains exactly why it happened.

"However, if I had any say in your conditions, they would have been markedly more favourable than Camp 371, I assure you."

[asklepian]

That reaction points to him being later. How much so, Julian couldn't quite yet determine. But it's a step in...a direction, at least.

"Oh, I know it wasn't your doing. And it was some time ago, now. I certainly can't hold a grudge for it." Especially since he'd escaped. He supposes that makes them even in that regard. "But, thank you. I do appreciate the sentiment."

Is he ever glad he didn't try for ambassador, this was exhausting.

[voiceofthefounders]

And, yet, Weyoun seems to be handling it with such an elegant ease. It just goes to show the different kinds of genetic manipulation that exist.

"I'm pleased to hear that it hasn't tainted your view of me, doctor." Weyoun comments, smiling. "That will, at least, make things a little bit more... pleasant between us."

[asklepian]

Julian's enhancements were nowhere near that vein. He has problems reading people, sometimes, even ones of his own species. It just goes to show, indeed.

"I'm glad for that, really. I'd rather keep any unpleasantness to a strict minimum." There's going to be enough in the coming years, without adding to it.

[voiceofthefounders]

"Then I shall endeavour to do the same." That pleasant smile is still on his face. "I always maintained that the Dominion and the Federation could co-exist peacefully. Perhaps this is how I'll prove it."