Operation: Rescue Waco

Posted on Sun Feb 12th, 2017 @ 8:50pm by Cadet Freshman Grade Benjamin Hall & Cadet Freshman Grade Waco Houston
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 6:18pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Transporter Room/Risa Surface
Timeline: 2388/08/10 1210 (August 10 2388 1210)

Previously:

http://thearmstrongcrazies.org/serene/index.php/sim/viewpost/20


On board the USS Armstrong:

Captain's Personal Log. We have arrived at Risa. Although this won't be easy for the crew after months on a starship or a starbase, the only planet beneath our feet having been one of sand, our time here is short. For my friend I have put myself in the position of going against orders, causing us a day's delay on our arrival to our new assignment, the newly built SCE hub of the Delta Quadrant. He's worth it.


Transporter Chief PO 2nd class Pasgen 186 was already in the transporter room when Carter arrived.

"Good afternoon, Captain." s/he smiled hish usual toothy grin.

"Petty officer..." Carter nodded back, then stared for a moment before walking up to hir, "I'm curious, Pasgen."

"About what, Sir?" Pasgen stopped what s/he was doing at hish console and began to finger hish brown curly hair as s/he looked into the captain's eyes a touch of a smile barely curving hish lips.

"Its well known there aren't many Hermats in Starfleet..." Carter said, his brows having slightly furrowed at Pasgen's mannerisms. "It's also well known they have a tendency towards segregation from the rest of the Federation, prefer to keep to themselves..and then... there's you.."

At that moment, Austin came into the transport room, whistling loudly while tossing a brightly wrapped package from hand to hand, his whistle cut off as he perceived he was interrupting a conversation, "Hey, sorry. Shutting up." he grinned and stopped toying with the package then.

"That's quite...alright." Carter said backing slowly away from Pasgen. He turned towards Austin, and asked briskly, "So what's in the package?" Behind him, Pasgen waved hish long fingers in a flirtatious greeting.

Austin looked back and forth between Carter and Pasgen, then smirked at Carter, "Little present for Waco, you'll see." He looked between Pasgen and Carter, "Want me to leave and come back in a few? Or are we ready to go?"

"Oh don't let me keep you..", Pasgen started cheerfully.

"We're ready to go." interrupted Carter, as he stepped up onto the transporter pad.

Austin winked cheerfully at Pasgen as he hopped up on the transport pad next to Carter, "And away we go!" It was hard not to be cheerful when he was going to see any of his kids. Seeing Carter get touchy because he interrupted.. what, he did not know, but it was just an added bonus.

Carter couldn't help but smile at his friend's happiness. He patted Austin on the shoulder and gave the order. A moment later they were shimmering away.

One moment they were looking at the fairly austere transporter room, the next the two of them were standing poolside at one of the many resorts that dotted the beaches of Risa. Warm breezes teased around them, birdsong filled the air and the sun glinting on the rippling water cast shimmering light on the barely clothed beautiful young lady walking past carrying a horga'hn. She barely paused at the handsome beaming in men, but did give a giggle and a wink, tipping her horga'hn flirtatiously before continuing on her way.

"Ah, Risa!" Austin grinned, breathing in the air, as both he and Carter fully turned to watch the sashaying hips of the young lady as she moved off. Carter only grunted in response to Austin's comment, and they both knew it wasn't about the weather..

Their concentration was broken by the youthful cry of "Dad!! You're here! I didn't believe it, but here you are and I still don't believe it!" As Waco, a half Ferengi half human young man, launched himself into Austin's arms, "Ok ok I believe it!" He laughed.

Caught off guard, and having forgotten for a moment why he was there, Austin stumbled back, then bear hugged his boy, "Waco! I'm so glad to see you, son!" He laughed.

Carter watched as Austin hugged his son. For the first time in his life he felt a twinge of envy towards his best friend going through him. "Hello Waco." he said, uncertain to what it was he was feeling.

Waco had squeezed shut his eyes as he bear hugged his dad, unwilling to let any betraying moisture to form, but when he heard that low gravely voice, they shot open and he saw that his dad was not alone. "Uncie Cardy!" he cried as he released his dad and threw his thin arms around Carter's waist, "I can't believe you're here! Dad said he was working for you but I never thought you'd be here too!"

Feeling very awkward, Carter stiffened and held his breath. Knowing Carter wasn't exactly a hugger, Waco let go quickly and beamed up at him, "Thanks for bringing me my dad, Uncie Cardy," he grinned.

Austin tugged Waco to his side as soon as he let go of Carter and kept an arm on his shoulder, "Yeah, good ol' uncie Cardy rides to the rescue once again," he laughed.

Carter hesitantly patted Waco on the head, "You're welcome, Waco." he said and glanced over at Austin, "Is your mother around?"

Waco glanced over his shoulder, then turned back and shrugged, "I think she's gone to feed the baby. She probably won't be gone long. Or I could take you to our room?" The look on his face suggested that he wasn't fond of that option.

"Na, let's leave her be for the moment," Austin smiled, giving Waco a tiny shake of the shoulder. Looking around he asked, "What say we find a quiet table and have a chat first?"

Waco grinned up at his dad, turned and pointed, "I got my stuff over there," And he bounded over to a table half hidden in some potted palms and other assorted greenery. Waco walked under some branches that would have whapped Austin and Carter in the face should they just walk straight up as the young half Ferengi did. He resumed a seat that had a good view of the pool area, three other chairs filled out the seating.

Austin barely avoided the branches as he took a seat. He chuckled, "I see getting your height from your mother is good for some things anyway.." He looked out from between the sheltering fronds and saw the view his son had been enjoying. Quite a buxom view it was too. Several views.. While Waco had his school PADD with him, Austin was sure it wasn't the only thing his son was studying.

Carter joined them, sitting down slowly and letting out a grunt of air as he took in the view. "What is that your studying?" he asked Waco, forcing himself to look away from the view.

Waco looked over at the pool area, blushed, stammered, then looked down at his PADD as if he'd never seen it before, then the question clicked, oh yeah, school studying! "Uh, oh, it's advanced financial forensics, basic Federation Standard, and um.." his voice dropped, "xeno-biology.."

Austin shared a glance with Carter, eyes twinkling. Teenage boys are the same the universe over. "Hey, I got something for ya. I'm hoping you'll like it," he said as he tossed the little package onto the table in front of Waco.

With a huge toothy grin, Waco plucked up the package and tore into the wrapping. He flipped open the box and saw a communicator very similar to the one his father and Unci Cardy wore on their Starfleet Uniforms. He knew the composition by heart: they're a crystalline composite of silicon, beryllium, carbon 70 and gold. Even without latinum, gold still held some value, and the communicator was worth at least half a slip. But wait, surely his dad wasn't giving him this to use for trade.. He tilted his head, "I like it.. but it's not the kind we use planetside normally.." There was a question in there.

With a grin, Austin leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table, "True. But that's the exact kind they use at Starfleet Academy right now." He could not help the hopeful look when he added, "If that's somewhere you might consider going?"

Waco's eyes went wide and he could do nothing but gape at his father as the implications started to sink in.

"I don't know if you heard," Carter said, giving a quick glance over to Austin, "about the new Starfleet Academy campus in the Delta Quadrant. It's on a Class-M planet, in fact..." Carter started looking around them again, "much like this one... Anyway, your father and I are heading that way."

Still gaping, Waco looked back and forth between his father and Unci Cardy, then he jumped up with a holler, "WaaHoo!" he ran around the table and hugged his father fast, then Carter, then his dad again before breaking into an impromptu dance by the table which caught the attention of a couple of lovely, nearly dressed, young ladies. Waco beamed at them, "I'm going to Starfleet Academy!"

The young ladies smiled back at him, "Oh congratulations!" they chorused together and then each gave him a hug that had the young man beaming even more, when he finally returned to the table after the young ladies left, he was blushing and smiling from ear to ear. Eyes twinkling, he grinned at Austin, "Bet you wished you were in my place then, huh dad?"

Austin laughed, "Uh maybe.." Then, "So you like the idea of the Academy I take it?"

"Heck yeah!" Waco enthused, but then his face fell and he shot both men a worried look, "But moogie.." He couldn't, didn't need to, say more.

"It's not just moogie." Carter put his hand up, not wanting Austin to say anything yet, "I want to know why you like the idea so much. What is it about Starfleet Academy that has you so excited?"

Austin had opened his mouth, but shut it when Carter stopped him. Waco gave Carter a tilt-headed inquiring look, "Are you kidding? I thought you liked Starfleet!" His gaze swung to his father, "Don't tell me you don't like it either??"

Austin laughed and patted Waco's back, "No no no, you misunderstand. We love Starfleet. But we want to know why, of IF, you do."

Waco laughed again and looked at Uncie Cardy, "Oh, why didn't you say so?" He tried to put some order to his thoughts, "First of all, you guys are in Starfleet and that's cool! But it's like.. you get to go all over the galaxy. You get to help all kinds of people. And well, there's so many kinds of people that no one is really the oddball..." The last was said a little quieter, but he quickly went on, "And adventures! Gosh, I bet there's never a dull moment!"

"Well almost." Carter started to smile, he always did like Waco. "Maybe you already have, Waco, but Starfleet will give you a chance to figure out who you really are, what your true talents are, and give you the skills to use those talents. Tell Moogie that, it might help."

At the mention of his mother Waco's face fell again, "She's not gonna let me go, is she?"

Austin shared a look with Carter then forced a cheerful tone into his voice, "How could she say no? What with me and Uncie Cardy behind you!" Waco gave his father a half smile, and turned to Carter for confirmation.

Carter nodded, "100 percent, Waco. I'll write you a letter of recommendation...but there's something I want from you in return."

Perking back up, Waco looked expectantly to Carter, "What's that, uncie Cardy?"

"Stop calling me Uncie Cardy."

*********

Captain Carter Hall
CO
USS Armstrong
Played by Kim

Doctor Austin Houston
CMO
USS Armstrong
Played by Andrea

Waco Houston
Austin's son & Future Cadet
Magellan Campus

PO2 Pasgen 186
Transporter Chief
USS Armstrong
NPC'd by Kim