Flotsom or Jetsam?

Posted on Sat Jun 20th, 2020 @ 8:10am by MERCHANT RANKS Jonathan Smith & MERCHANT RANKS Charles Doolan

965 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Proving Ground
Location: SB214
Timeline: Prior to Mission Launch

Restless, as he always was when he had enforced idleness, Jonathan walked around the starbase. It was large enough, but there wasn't really much to do. He thought back, with a smile, to the trip he and Maryann had taken to Gedi Prime for the Starfleet Xenobiology and Anthropology Conference. Now that was a pleasure cruise!

The next thing the scientist knew, he was on the floor, tangled up with a boy he judged to be about 10 or 12, with a somewhat angry Arcadian standing over them, rapidly speaking in his native language, and obviously upset. Jonathan untangled himself from the boy and they climbed to their feet, the youngster putting himself behind the man.

"Ah, you're going a little fast for me," Smith said, holding out his hand. "I'm Dr. Jonathan Smith. Perhaps I can be of assistance. What seems to be the problem?"

The Arcadian backed up a step and took several deep breaths to calm himself. The boy was shaking periodically, hard enough for Jon to feel it. He put a hand down and placed it over the boy's, rubbing in a circular motion. Typically, that calmed mammalian creatures with which he worked, and he hoped it would work on the boy as well.

Smith waited patiently, not wishing to rush the Arcadian. Though generally a calm, reasoned species, members of the Federation of Planets for over a hundred years, they were known to have a temper on occasion. He suspected that somehow the boy had broken protocol and probably wasn't even aware of having done so.

"I am Arvonno Methlan, Third Counselor to the First Ambassador of Motherlode." The man bowed deeply, from the waist. "This one behind you," the Arcadian spoke more calmly, "Miał czelność wejść the private quarters of the First Ambassador. Jest to niesłychane! One does not wystarczy wprowadzić pokoje of the First Ambassador!"

"Um, okay, I think I'm beginning to understand." He turned to the boy. "Mr. Methlan seems to believe you entered the private quarters of the First Ambassador without permission. Is this so?"

Charlie's frightened eyes turned upward. "I guess so. But I was taking the lady something she ordered from the replicator catalog." He held out his hand and on it, in a silver box, lay a pair of earrings, strawberry gold with chocolate diamonds, and sure to dangle at least an inch from a humanoid ear.

Looking toward the much calmer ... third assistant had he said? No, third counselor ... Jonathan said, "I believe we have solved the problem. The boy was delivering this jewelry to a woman he believed to be in that room, something she ordered. The Ambassador's wife, perhaps?" Seeing the frown on Methlan's face, Smith quickly added, "Or his daughter? Perhaps a simple mistaken identity, or wrong suite entered with the order?"

The Third Counselor imperiously held out a hand. "The Ambassador does have a daughter who likes sparkly things. I will deliver them myself." Charlie's shaky hand dropped the earring box into the counselor's hand and then snaked back to his side quickly. It was obvious he'd had quite a fright. "We will let this pass this time. Nie pozwól na to!" He turned and walked away, stiff back and head held high.

"Whew!" Jon smiled at the boy. "That was scary, wasn't it?"

"I'll say. Thanks, mister. Dr. Smith," he corrected himself. "I thought he was going to toss me out an airlock! And I didn't understand a word he said. I would have been alright, though. Things always work out." Charlie gave the man an insouciant grin. "You need any errands run? I'm off duty now, and I owe you one."

For some reason, Smith was reluctant to let the boy wander away without finding out more about him. "Why don't you have something to eat with me," he said. "It's about time, and I hate to eat alone."

"Why are you eating alone?" Charlie asked. "Everyone's assigned to tables in the main dining hall, and there should be several interesting people to share your meal."

"Really? I guess I missed that. Well, let's go see, shall we?" One way or another, Jonathan was going to find out the boy's story.

Charlie shrugged and led the way to the lift and down to the starbase transient dining room. The dining hall was set up to provide some niceties, because often important people from around the galaxy washed up here in transit to somewhere else. A few niceties were required for someone like the First Ambassador of Motherlode.

At the entrance to the dining room, Charlie paused and ran his finger down the posted list, stopping about a third of the way down. "Yep, here you are. There's a Dr. Addams at your table, maybe that'll be interesting since you're a doctor, too. There's also Mr. and Mrs. Quincy Liechfield and their daughter, Serendipity. That's a mouthful, ain't it?" He grinned up at the scientist.

"And one empty chair." He shrugged, and from his own experience, pulled out a thought. "I guess you can get two desserts, if you're fast."

"On the contrary. You will get one and I will get one. Come along, you're my guest, though perhaps you'd better tell me your name, in case they ask."

"Charlie Doolan, Sir. But you don't have to feed me, really." He backed away from the entrance. "I don't fit in there."

"Charlie, I'm so pleased to make your acquaintance. Listen, and don't ever forget this. You, Charlie Doolan, belong anywhere you choose to be. Or in this case, anywhere I choose for you to be. So let's go have some dinner, maybe dessert first." He held out his hand and, after a moment, the boy took it and walked into the dining room with him.

 

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