Lunch

Posted on Tue Apr 27th, 2010 @ 7:05pm by Commander Ian Casey & Captain Anna Johnson

2,229 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Preparing The Fleet
Timeline: Shortly after 'Shop Talk'

Ian waited for Anna then stepped onto the turbolift. "So where's this restaurant you mentioned? It's been quite a while since I had a decent pasta dish."

"C143 on the upper level," Anna answered. "I've eaten there one other time it was pretty good food."

Ian entered the command and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. "Thank you for fixing my replicator," he said to her. "And for having lunch with me. It'll be nice to get away from the office for a little while."

"Not a problem I can use some down time myself." Anna said.

Ian started to say something else but the doors opened. Stepping out of the lift, he paused and looked around. "Which way?" he asked.

"It's down this way." Anna said leading the way. The host recognized Anna right away since she was the acting XO and also the person they had to go to when they needed supplies. "Ah Miss Johnson glad to see you dining with us today a table for two or are you expecting more?" He asked.

"Table for two is fine thanks." Anna said making a mental note to check on the owner's name again as she recognized his face but couldn't recall his name.

"Come here often?" Ian asked with a wink.

"Actually this is only my second or third time. He knows me because I'm the one they come to when they need supplies ordered. It's part of being Chief Ops." Anna said. "One of the other places I enjoy is the tea room."

"I see," he said with a nod. "Good to know I'm not just another name in a long line of 'guests' you've brought here." For a moment he could have sworn he'd been jealous, but that was absurd. They barely knew each other.

"No usually if I go anywhere on the station with someone its my sister. Since I'm her guardian for about three more years anyway." Anna said. "I stay so busy that I rarely take a day off though I'm thinking of asking for taking a couple of days soon."

"Must be nice," he said to her. "I'm too busy to take time off. Even if I could manage to get a day off I wouldn't have a clue what to do."

"My sister is still adjusting to being here. Up until about a month ago she had never left Earth. I'm trying to be sure she is settling in and getting use to the difference of living on a Starbase."

"I envy you," he told her. "My time off is spent alone in my quarters either reading through reports or attempting to play my violin."

"Mine use to be. Not the violin part. I actually have been working on a shuttle design that I'm perfecting before I present it and hope it gets used." Anna said.

"Really?" Ian asked, a little surprised. "Would you mind letting me take a look?"

Anna hesitated just a moment then remembered he said there were always extra parts left over when he fixed things so she grabbed a PADD from her belt and called up the file. "Its modular. The concept of it is similar to the pods on a Nebula class starship on a smaller scale. If you are sending a team down on a rescue mission you set it up as a mini sickbay. Science related then it becomes a lab etc." Anna said handing him the PADD. "I'm still working on the ease of exchanging and storing the needed parts since it would need to be changed out in flight instead of requiring being docked like a Nebula does."

Ian looked at the design for several minutes before he looked at her and said, "This is very interesting. How far into the design process are you?"

"I've done work on holographic models. It's less expensive that way. I'm getting ready to present it to Fannin and see if he will give me permission to build a prototype. Once I can show him the holographic version and how it works. It would be more feasible for a station to have something like this than a ship, since they would need somewhere to store the different parts." Anna answered.

"Will it have transporters?" he asked. "Maybe once you get approval we can see about modifying some of them to serve as Search and Rescue craft."

"I was planing on it having them yes. I have to get approval to make it first though." Anna said. "Unless I fund it myself and work on it in my spare time."

"If there's anything I can do to help don't hesitate to ask," Ian said to her.

"I'll keep that in mind." Anna said looking up as the server came to take their order. "I'll have the chicken alfredo with pasta and a salad with Italian Dressing and some sweet tea please."

"That sounds good," he said to her. "I'll have the same," he told the waiter, "Only I'd prefer an ice cold glass of raspberry tea."

Anna watched him a moment, "So I know you play the violin and that you can't can't fix a replicator with out there being parts left over. What else do I need to know about you?" She asked.

"I love flying," he said immediately. "That should be obvious though. I also like to attempt cooking, although my cooking is little better than my violin skill. When I'm trying to relax I enjoy reading a good book. What else would you like to know?"

Anna smiled, "I guess whatever you feel I need to know." She answered. "Though that is a good start."

"Well," he said, thinking about his answer, "You know most of it. My parents live on Earth. I have no brothers or sisters. I haven't had a serious relationship in several years." He paused again. "I'm not sure what else to tell you."

"Well then what do you want to know about me?" Anna asked.

"How about everything I just told you about me," Ian said with a wink.

"Flying is second nature to me. I'm certified at a high enough ranking that I can test other people for shuttle pilot certification. I have worked in both engineering and ops. My parents were from Earth but are both dead now and my brothers just started training at the academy. My sister is only fifteen so she is now here with me. In my spare time I like to read, I have a collection of bound books and add to it whenever I get the chance. I have a few small business on Earth that are run by people I trust." Anna said then leaned back as the server brought out their food.

Ian waited for the waiter to leave then looked at Anna again. "You didn't tell me everything I told you."

Anna thought for a moment, "What did I not tell you?" She asked.

"It's not important," Ian replied as he tried the food. "This is delicious."

Anna thought back over everything he had told her, "If its the part about a serious relationship then no I'm not in one. But to be honest if I were that would have been one of the first things I would have told you so you would know up front." Anna said.

Ian nodded as he ate another bite. "How is your sister liking living on a starbase?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"She's still adjusting. I don't know if it has sank in yet that its permanent or not. I'm sure its almost like living in a hotel inside a huge mall for someone who's never left Earth. She is making a few friends though and is coming out of the shell she has built around herself over the last few years." Anna answered. "I'll have to introduce you to her sometime. I would like her to at least know who the the department heads are in case she ever needs help."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ian said with a nod. "It must be tough trying to take care of her by yourself. If there's anything I can do to help don't hesitate to ask."

"She pretty much takes care of herself. She helps me cook and clean. I just have to make sure she stays out of any major trouble." Anna smiled, "But thanks for the offer."

"I'm always willing to help a friend," he told her. "It's an open-ended offer." He looked down and noticed his plate was empty. He really didn't remember eating all of it. "What do you have planned for the rest of your day?"

"I have to turn in a report to Captain Fannin then I'm hoping to take some time off to be with Jana." Anna said. "What about you?"

"I have to check on the maintenance schedule for the fighters then I'll probably relax in my quarters," Ian replied.

"We will have to have you over for dinner sometime. We make a pretty good tag team when it comes to cooking meals." Anna said. "I have been making sure to walk her to school and home unless she walks with a friend with the recent reports that have been coming in. I don't want her wandering the base alone right now."

"Dinner sounds great," he replied. "It gets rather boring eating alone all the time."

"I will let you know when." Anna said with a smile. "The server came over and set Tirimisu in front of each of them, "Compliments of the owner Commander Johnson." he said then slipped away.

"Wow," Ian said, looking at Anna. "You must come here a lot."

Anna shook her head, "Being acting XO has its perks sometimes." She said with a smile.

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you're a beautiful woman, right?" Ian asked with a smile.

"I hadn't really thought about that." Anna said, "I don't see myself as all that beautiful to be honest."

"You should," Ian said with a wink.

"I'm not that special." Anna said. "I think that can proven by my luck in relationships in the past."

"What kind of luck?" Ian asked, "or is that too personal?"

"Not much it just seems that every time I think a relationship might start going somewhere the other person seems to start avoiding me or they get reassigned and I never hear from them again." Anna said.

"That's sad," Ian replied. "I don't see how someone could do that to you."

Anna shrugged, "It's the story of my life." She said then tasted the dessert.

"Maybe you just haven't found the right person," he suggested.

Anna shrugged, "I haven't really been looking lately."

"Sometimes what your looking for shows up when you aren't really looking," he said, eating some of the dessert.

"What do you mean by that exactly?" Anna asked.

"Just that sometimes things happen when you least expect it," he said, looking at her briefly before turning his attention back to the dessert. "I'll shut up now."

"You don't have to shut up." Anna said, "That would make for a boring lunch."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just feel like I'm making a fool of myself."

"Why is that?" She asked truly not understanding why he was feeling that way.

"I don't know how to explain it," Ian said. "Do you ever leave the station?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I've been doing some work on Tiberius V so I think that qualifies." Anna smiled. "What about you?"

"Just a few flights around the station on patrols," Ian replied. "I don't lead much of a life."

"Well maybe you should. There are plenty of things to do on the starbase and near by." Anna said.

"You going to be my tour guide?" he asked, feeling defensive.

"If you want me to be I can." Anna said. "I'm one of the people who knows where most anything is on this ship. Though I do have to check from time to time." She answered not picking up on his feelings.

"Anytime you feel like playing tour guide just let me know," Ian replied. "I'm usually either on the flight deck or in my quarters."

"You can fell free to ask as well." Anna said as the waiter brought over the tab. "Will that be one check or two?" He asked.

"I got it," Ian told her as he reached for the bill.

"Thank you very much." Anna said with a smile.

"My pleasure," he said. "It's the least I can do."

"I'll let you know when you can come over for dinner after I talk to Jana." Anna said.

"Do you think she'll mind?" Ian asked her.

"She shouldn't mind if I have a friend over for dinner. I just don't want to blind side her is all." Anna said.

"I want to thank you for everything, Anna," Ian said. "I've really enjoyed talking to you."

Anna smiled, "I've enjoyed talking to you to Ian." She replied.

"I should get back to work," Ian said with a small sigh. "I'll be looking forward to our next meeting."

"Me too," Anna said as she stood to head out the door.

:OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Anna Johnson
Chief of Opeartions

Commander Ian Casey
Air Group Commander

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