New Prospects

Posted on Thu Dec 24th, 2009 @ 7:02pm by Commander Jack Tolren

429 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: POWERING UP THE STATION
Location: Red Dwarf Bar, Derban City, Derban IV
Timeline: Current

David Mason sat quietly on a tall stool at the bar, tumbler in hand, he looked a little worse for wear. That was nothing new though, Mason never looked neat and tidy.

The Red Dwarf had it's usual clientelle; the Bolian miner with a missing eye, who always ordered Romulan Ale and made do with something resembling Alderian Brandy; the Tellarite freighter captain who smelled like wet dog and only stopped shouting expletives when a glass was to his mouth and the only reason the bartender refilled it.

Mason took a breath, the air was stale, slightly smokey, and had a distinct sulphury odour. There was nothing like sitting in a bar on a mining colony for contaminating your lungs, but needs must, he was here making a delivery, having a drink and then leaving.

"YOU SHOULD GET TO TYPHON IF YOU WANT MONEY!!" the Tellarite shouted.

Mason looked around, he wasn't sure who the Tellarite was shouting at, there was nobody near him.

"YOU! YOOOOU!" the fat man pointed towards Mason.

Mason raised his finger and pointed to his chest, miming, 'me'.

"Yes, my friend," he began to wobble his way across towards Mason. "You. Need. To go."

He paused as he stumbled onto the nearby barstool. "To the Typhon Expanse."

"And why is that my drunken Tellarite friend?" Mason asked, turning to face him and making sure the Type II phaser attached to his belt was clearly visible.

"Because..... because...." the man seemed to have trouble voicing his reasoning. "There is a new star system. The Jay-5-72 system, it has many many many good things."

Mason raised his eyebrows. He had never mastered the Vulcan look of fascination, raising a single eyebrow, they always both went up together. "What good things?" he asked, placing his hand on the Tellarite's shoulder.

"Dilithium, decalith...lith..erblulm," with that mumbled series of words the Tellarite fell on the stool and then rolled off onto the floor.

Clearly it was time to leave, perhaps this system was worth a look at, there certainly wasn't any work around here. Mason got to his feet, stepped over the Tellarite and walked out of the bar into the dusty street. The air was even heavier out here, dense dust clouds seemed to blow along down the street. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, the front piece forming a balaclava, and marched on along the street towards the Victoria.

It was definitely time to find a new bar.

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David C. Mason
Prospector/Surveyor/Trader
NPC written by Lt/Cmdr. Tolren.

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