Fan Fiction ❯ Game Over [FFC] ❯ Wanna Bet? ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Tegan awoke from a restless night's sleep. Physically she was too much on edge. Unfortunately the ship's inventory didn't list a male pleasure droid. She made a mental note to pick one up on her next stop. Or better yet, she could take her earnings from this mission and have one custom made. Maybe one that looks like Rand Syler. Damn. She still couldn't get that creyid out of her mind.

Later the crew gathered on the bridge. The Acme Liquid Refreshment Dispenser hummed happily in its corner from the pleasure of serving drinks.

"Captain, there's a ship following us," announced Dave.

"Can you identify it?" asked Tegan.

"It's a Strellom scout ship. We're being hailed," replied Dave.

"Put it on the screen."

Dave's face moved from the main screen to a small screen on the console. Taking his place was the image of Commander Rand Syler.

"Captain Caprivi, what a pleasure," said Commander Syler.

"The feeling is not mutual," she shot back. "I thought you were supposed to stay behind to protect Strellom."

"When I told the general of our meeting, he agreed with me and sent me to find the star stone myself."

"I'm surprised he let you go."

"Why?" asked Rand with an uplifted eyebrow.

"Because you couldn't find an Arcturan Mega Elephant if it stepped on your foot," replied Tegan. Dell snickered.

"As charming as ever Captain," he replied dryly.

"What do you want Syler? I'm sure this isn't a social call."

"I want you to turn back and let me handle this."

"Excuse me?" Tegan looked at the viewer in surprise. "Pardon me one minute Commander," she said in a saccharine sweet tone. Tegan pressed a mute button, putting communications on hold.

"The nerve of that guy," said Adrienne.

"Want me to shoot him down?" asked Dell.

"That won't be necessary," returned Tegan. "Haukea, on my signal, lose this creyid ."

"Affirmative."

Tegan turned back to the screen and turned the communicator back on. "What's the matter, Commander? Can't take a little competition?"

"A little competition is it?" returned Rand. "Then let's make this more of a game. How about a little wager? The first one back to Strellom with the star stone gets the entire reward, plus the loser's ship." Rand smugly sat back in is chair to see how she digested that, "or are you kisran?"

Tegan knew he was goading her into accepting the challenge. She felt the crew's eyes on her. If she took his challenge, she'd have to watch her back. If she didn't, she'd lose all respect. Not to mention the fact that she'd never be able to face him. Though all he'd get with the Aries is a bunch of payments.

"You're on," she stated. "I'll be waiting for you on Strellom with the star stone, creyid." Under her breath she said "Now Haukea."

Rand watched as the Aries jumped to light speed and sped away. He wasn't surprised. He knew they would meet up sooner than she probably expected. But not as soon as he wanted. He would have to adjust his game plan. It could get complicated, but he needed to keep his eye on her. Maybe he should have toned it down at the start.

"I can't believe you took him up on it!" exclaimed Adrienne.

"You do stand a chance of not completing the mission," added Haukea.

"You should have just let me blast 'im," muttered Dell.

"The nerve of that creyid!" Tegan shouted. "Trying to get me to back out of a job. We'll show him. How long till we get to Reath?"

"Two days," said Haukea.

"Can you cut it down?"

"I am not sure," it replied. Haukea computed for a few seconds. "If we maintain light speed, we might make it in a day, but our fuel reserves will also be reduced by half."

"Is there a refueling station nearby?"

"Two planets over, but it will take a while to refuel," said Haukea.

"Damn. I'll lose time either way." Tegan plopped into her chair.

"You'll lose less at light speed," replied Adrienne. "Refueling will take about half a day, maybe less if the refueling station isn't outdated."

"Agreed," confirmed Haukea.

"Then do it," said Tegan.

The rest of the daylight shift, Tegan sat in her office researching information on the starstone. She would have to know every detail inside and out if she wanted to beat Commander Syler at his own game. It was late when she went to the bridge. The rest of the crew was off duty. Dave maintained surveillance. Every time Tegan let her mind wander, it seemed to drift to Syler. There seemed to be no way to get him out of her mind.

"Anyone care for a brandy?" asked the Acme Liquid Refreshment Dispenser. Or maybe there was.

"Give me the strongest drink you've got, and make it a double," she told the Liquid Refreshment Dispenser. Tegan walked over and took the drink that appeared on the Liquid Refreshment Dispenser's tray.

"Thank you for using the Acme Liquid Refreshment Dispenser," buzzed the unit.

Tegan nearly gagged on her first sip. "What is this?"

"It's called my Big Ten, a mixture of the ten strongest liquors in the universe," replied the Liquid Refreshment Dispenser.

After a couple of sips Tegan grew accustomed to the taste. Sort of sweet and sour, maybe a little fruity. Halfway through the glass she began to feel giddy. At the end of the first glass she was seeing double. She looked at Dave.

"I thought your eyes were white, with a couple'a dots, not brown," she slurred. In fact, Dave was beginning to look like Commander Syler. " 'S'not workin'," she muttered as she picked up the second glass.

"Captain, I think you've reached your limit," advised Dave. Tegan looked at all four of him on the screen. Now he was sounding like that creyid . Tegan downed the second drink. She staggered over to her seat, groped around to find the right one, sat down, and promptly passed out. Dave lowered the lights on the bridge and watched as the captain slept.

A couple of standard hours later, Tegan came to. She moaned and forced one eye open. The whole room spun wildly. "I warned you not to have the second drink," chastised all eight of Dave. She closed her eye.

"Stop the world, I wanna get off," she muttered.

"Are you all right, Captain?" asked Dave.

"What does it look like?" she snapped.

"Hangover city. Can't say I didn't warn you."

"Just give me whatever you gave me the other day." A few minutes later, a droid rolled over with a tray. Tegan opened her eyes at the noise. She groped at the tray, almost knocking over the glass of water. After swallowing the two tablets her head cleared a little. Dave reduced to two images.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" she asked the computer.

"What?"

"You look like that creyid of a commander. Sound like him too."

"You're still hung over, Captain," stated Dave. "Go to bed."

Tegan tried to stand. "When do we get to Reath?" she asked.

"Not for another ten standard hours."

"Fine." Tegan wobbled out of the bridge and back to her room, where she undressed and passed out on the bed.

Dave woke her eight hours later. "We'll reach Reath in two hours Captain. I know you don't want to waste time once we get there. So move, move, move, move!" shouted Dave at the top of his lungs. Tegan sat up with a start.

"You know, you are really a lousy alarm clock," she grumbled. Tegan looked at the screen. By Murphy, that must have been some strong drink. She had even thought that Dave looked like Commander Syler. But Dave was his ordinary digitized self. I must have Syler on the brain, she thought to herself.

Thinking about Rand Syler was a mistake. Just picturing that creyid set her body on fire. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she found the commander incredibly attractive. There was only one way to give herself the release she needed, since she didn't own a pleasure droid. Her hand slipped to the secret area between her legs. As her fingertips found the right rhythm, her mind wandered to the image of Rand Syler. The image of him arrogantly standing in the office on Strellom shifted to images of him covering her body with his own. Tegan couldn't help moaning as she imagined the commander doing all sorts of pleasurable things to her body. Her body throbbed and pulsed with the release she needed so much. Yet she wasn't satisfied. Tegan wanted a man to satisfy her needs. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted Rand Syler. Damn.

Tegan threw off the covers and got out of bed. "Hey Dave," she called.

"Yes Captain?" Dave's face appeared on the screen. If a computer could be said to go pale, Dave did. "Uh(."

"What?" demanded Tegan. She then realized she was naked. Last night she was so potted she forgot to put on her sleep shirt. But why should she be embarrassed in front of a computer. "Don't tell me there's no pictures of naked women in your data banks," she chided.

"That's not why you called me Captain," he replied.

"No. I want you to remind me to pick up a male pleasure droid on Reath." If Tegan had looked at the screen, she would have seen a very shocked computer. Instead she just staggered to the bath.

A half hour later, Tegan walked onto the bridge. "Good morning Captain," greeted the Acme Liquid Refreshment Dispenser. "Can I…."

"Just shut up and give me a cup of coffee. Black." Tegan snatched up the coffee and sat down.

"This should be an interesting day," muttered Dell.

"How long till we get to Reath?" she asked Haukea.

"We will arrive at Reath within the hour. Fifteen minutes after that, we will be in teleporter range of Nodnol."

"Nodnol?"

"The city where the Tinu Cafe is located."

"Dave, anything we should know in advance?" Tegan asked the computer.

Dave was silent for a few seconds as he accessed his data banks. "Nodnol is divided into two sections: Old Nodnol and New Nodnol," began Dave. "Parts of Old Nodnol can be dated back almost two millennia. Old Nodnol is being preserved for its historical value. New Nodnol is the main part of the city. It is one of the major cities of Reath. Everything is of the latest construction, having been rebuilt from scratch after Sol War II between Reath and its neighboring planet Samr. The Tinu Cafe is on the edge of New Nodnol near Old Nodnol." Dave ended his discourse.

Tegan finished her coffee as Dave talked. "Dell, Adrienne, you come with me. Haukea, stand by so we can be ready to leave once we have the information," she said.

"Affirmative," said Haukea.

Reath was teleportation protected. As soon as the Aries was in teleporter range, Dave teleported the team to a visitors' center. They arrived on a teleporter pad in the visitors' center, which was buzzing with activity. Tegan slid her BioID card through a reader, then placed her hand on a plate for scanning.

"Welcome to Reath Captain Caprivi," buzzed the computer as it matched her palm scan to the BioID. Each of the crew followed suit. "We hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Thank you," she replied as she stepped down from the teleporter pad. Tegan walked over to several service machines. The first machine converted galac debits from a card to solid, usable galacs. Tegan transferred a hundred galacs from her debit card to cash. The money might come in handy.

"So what's first on the agenda?" asked Dell.

"We need to locate the Tinu Café," replied Tegan as she found an Acme Information Computer.

"May I help you?" buzzed the computer.

"I need to reach the Tinu Cafe," said Tegan.

"Map or verbal directions?"

"Map."

"Please insert your debit card or five galacs." Deciding to save her galacs for an emergency, Tegan slid her debit card into a slot. Thirty seconds later it was returned along with a map of New Nodnol. A red line showed her the fastest route to the Tinu Cafe. A blue line showed an alternative route.

"Thank you for using the Acme Information Computer."

Following the map's directions, the crew rode a series of moving walkways that brought them to the front door of the Tinu Cafe. The Tinu Cafe on the outside looked like every other club they knew. Brightly colored with neon signs and artwork all over. A large, ape-like creature stood outside the door. The bouncer observed the crew as they strode into the building.

Inside it took a couple of minutes before their eyes adjusted to the drastic change in light. Colored lights and strobes flashed through darkness, competing with neon signs over the bar. Another set of neon signs directed customers to the proper rest rooms for their gender and species. "Do you need to check anything?" asked a watery voice. Tegan turned and found herself face to face with a blue skinned, green haired woman. The woman's head was encased in a water filled bubble that was attached to a tank on her back, the mark of a water breather living on land.

"No thank you," Tegan told the hatcheck clerk.

The floor was crowded as they tried to make their way to the bar. Adrienne heard snatches of conversation as she passed the tables. Surveying the bar, Tegan spied an empty stool. She sat down and waited for a bartender. Next to her was a balding man in a white leisure suit. Tegan thought polyester went out of use at least a thousand years ago. So did leisure suits. So did clunky gold chains like the ones the man wore.

"Hi there beautiful," said the man in a high, nasal voice. Tegan ignored him. The man was not to be deterred. "What's your sign?"

"Red," replied Tegan acidly, "as in stop." She stood and walked down to the other end of the bar. The man was about to follow when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I believe she said she wasn't interested," said Dell as he whirled the man around to face him. "I suggest you listen." Dell gave the lounge lizard his most intimidating glare.

"Yes sir," said the stranger as he backed away.

A group of ship's officers walked past them. A woman at the back of the group was talking to herself. "I don't care what Iggy says. I think trying to talk a man into giving up a promising career as an officer on an Interplanetary League star ship to become a saxophone player is a stupid idea." Tegan shrugged and moved to a stool at the other end of the bar, far away from the creep in the leisure suit. Adrienne leaned on the bar next to her.

"May I help you?" asked the bartender. Two of his tentacles were mixing a drink. Two more cleaned up a spill on the bar. Another two held a light pen and computer pad, ready to take Tegan's order. His green scaled face waited impassively.

"We're looking for some information," stated Adrienne in a low voice.

"Sorry, can't help you," replied the bartender. Tegan glanced at Adrienne, then took out a twenty galac note and laid it on the bar. The tentacles that were cleaning stopped and picked up the note, then held it to the light. The bartender examined the note and smiled. "What do you need to know?" he asked as he pocketed the note and resumed wiping.

"We've been told there's someone who comes here who might be able to tell us where we might locate something," said Tegan.

"Depends on what you're looking for."

Tegan thought for a second. She didn't want to say exactly what she was looking for. Jawf agents might be lurking nearby. "We need to find something special, that may or may not exist."

"You need the Professor," said the bartender.

"Who?" asked Adrienne.

"Yes," replied the bartender. The women looked at him blankly. "Sorry," he said with a chuckle. "A little inside joke we have. You're in luck. The Professor's not here all the time. He's in there." The bartender gestured to one of the private booths. Through the open curtain they saw two men. "The Professor's the one in the hat," added the bartender. Tegan thanked him for his assistance.

Over by the bar, she saw Dell arguing with one of the patrons. "You better make sure he stays out of trouble," Tegan told Adrienne. Nodding, Adrienne walked over to Dell.

As Tegan walked to the booth, she noticed the entertainment had begun. A young woman on the stage began singing a song about a woman that was having the worst day of her entire life. The song struck a chord in Tegan. Though it seemed very far away, she remembered having an equally bad day. Tegan stopped to listen to the entire song. The heroine, after losing her job and losing her boyfriend to her roommate, ended up with a handsome, wealthy man while the roommate wound up working in a grocery store. Shaking her head, Tegan tried to get her mind back on track.

Tegan approached the booth and looked over the two men. The Professor was dressed somewhat eccentrically, with a strange, floppy hat and a multi-color umbrella. His friend's clothing was simply outdated. She had only seen clothes like that in old holo-vids. Tegan heard the man with the Professor say "I can't believe this was built on the sight of our old headquarters."

"Times change Alistair. Things change," replied the Professor.

"Excuse me," interrupted Tegan. "I was told you might be able to help me."

The men stood and introduced themselves as the Professor and Alistair. Tegan reciprocated. They all sat. A waitress brought over a tray. On the tray was a china tea service, a plate of scones, and a bowl of whipped cream. "Would you like a cup of tea?" asked the Professor. "The Tinu Cafe brews one of the best pots of tea in the universe."

"Yes, thank you," replied Tegan, who only had a cup of coffee for breakfast. Alistair served the tea and scones. Tegan sipped her tea. The Professor was right. They certainly did brew an excellent cup of tea. The scone was also delicious.

"Now, how may I help you," said the Professor as he finished his scone.

"Do you mind if I close the privacy curtain?" asked Tegan. The Professor shook his head. After Tegan closed the curtain, she began. "I was told you could help me. I need to find a star stone."

The Professor studied Tegan carefully. "Why, may I ask, are you searching for something that may not exist?" Tegan explained the details of her mission, from Strellom's battles with the Jawf to the sudden instability of Strellom's sun to her meeting with the Lord High President of Strellom. The Professor waited a couple of minutes after Tegan finished before he spoke.

"Yes. I can help you Captain Caprivi," he said. "You must understand my need for caution. If someone like the Jawf came into possession of a star stone, there would be many problems. There are even people who would seek a star stone in order to sell it to a desperate solar system, extorting every last bit of riches from every planet in the system. I will tell you what I know about the star stone if you would do me a small favor."

Tegan looked at the Professor warily. "What do you need me to do?"

"I have a young assistant who travels with me," explained the Professor. "She fancies herself something of a chemist. She was attempting to create a paint that would change its color at the will of the painter. To make a long story short, what my assistant actually did create was a creature that survives by absorbing paint. It prefers wet paint, but it can dissolve paint right off surfaces.

"Due to my assistant's carelessness, the creature escaped my ship. My assistant hasn't been able to capture it." The Professor paused and sighed. "It will not do too much damage in New Nodnol because no paint is used. All colorants are fused on. But if the creature gets into one of the museums in Old Nodnol, art treasures thousands of years old will be destroyed. Capture the creature, bring it to me, and I will tell you what you need to know to find the star stone."

"It's a deal," said Tegan after considering the terms. The Professor told Tegan the last place the creature was seen. With a hand drawn map from the Professor, Tegan opened the privacy curtain. She found Adrienne sitting at the bar nearby with Dell looming over her. "Come on," said Tegan.

"Where?" asked Dell.

"Old Nodnol. I'll explain on the way," returned Tegan.