Captain Freeman sat on the Bridge of the Bristol and shifted uncomfortably in his command chair. He sighed a couple of times as he attempted to get settled, eventually causing his First Officer, Commander Cecilia Yilaan, to look over.
"Something amiss Captain?" she asked good-naturedly, looking up from the console she'd been studying.
"This chair is cold that's all; feels like it's been six months since I've sat here," Freeman commented.
"Shore leave will do that to you sir."
"Especially when your leave time is few and far between Commander. Well nonetheless it's good to be back," Freeman said, nodding. "What's our current status?"
"On course at Warp Five, estimated time to arrival just under six days," Yilaan replied.
At that moment, the ship's intercom chimed. "Captain, this is Doctor Giovanni down in Sickbay," the excitable Chief Medical Officer called.
"Go ahead Doctor."
"We've had yet another case of Rigellian flu symptoms crop up; this time in Ensign Matthews. I think someone might have been exposed on Rysa and carried it on to the ship," Giovanni reported.
"Doctor, wouldn't the transporter's bio-filters have screened that out?" Yilaan interrupted.
"Not necessarily Commander, and in any case you all allowed two groups to travel via shuttlecraft, remember?" Giovanni replied.
"Very well Doctor," Freeman inserted. "Recommendations?"
"I'd like permission to inject a mild antidote into the air supply; something otherwise harmless, but that would help the crew ward off more infections," Giovanni said.
"Sounds like a reasonable precaution; go ahead Doctor. Keep me advised of further developments," Freeman said, closing the intercom. He got up and walked around the Bridge to the Tactical Station where Lieutenant Ivanovna was standing at her post. He handed her an electronic pad with a manifest listing. "Was this all we got from the Rysians?"
Katrina Ivanovna looked the pad over. "Yes sir."
"Did you note this entry about 'four cases of perishable foodstuffs'?" the captain inquired. Katrina nodded affirmatively. "Do we know what these 'foodstuffs' are?" His Chief of Security merely shrugged. "Go find out; the last time we were told to load cargo on trust we ended up with a lot more than we bargained for," the captain stated grimly, referencing a past mission wherein the Bristol had unknowingly taken aboard a Klingon stowaway.
Ivanovna smiled, "Very good sir," and exited the Bridge via Turbolift One for Cargo Bay Three.
The turbolift and a short jog down a corridor quickly brought Ivanovna to Cargo Bay Three. The doors opened quietly and she stepped inside. After a brief glance over the bay's contents, she spied the four containers in question off to one side. She opened her tricorder and did a quick scan for the unexpected before unsealing one of the containers. Ivanovna peered inside and was startled to see an eye staring back at her; the frozen unblinking eye of a squid or something similar. She turned up her nose in disgust and closed the lid. An examination of the other containers turned up more seafood, some sweetmeats, and other delicacies.
Back on the Bridge, Ivanovna handed the Captain a pad containing a list of what she'd discovered in the four containers. Freeman made a face after quickly perusing the list. "We're transporting luxury goods?" he said in disbelief. "Now I know what was meant when Admiral Tra'Keth of Starbase Twenty asked me for a 'favor'." He paused, handing the pad to Commander Yilaan for her perusal, "Here I thought it was something of vital importance."
"I'm sure it is," Yilaan replied, handing the pad back to Ivanovna. After a pause she added, "To the Admiral."
"You know what they say sir; rank has its privileges," Ivanovna commented dryly.
"Thank you Lieutenant; take your station," Freeman responded neutrally, while Yilaan smiled broadly at the Security Chief's quip.
A couple of hours of relative peace and quiet went by for the bridge crew of the Bristol, before another intercom chime interrupted the monotony. "Lieutenant Ivanovna, this is Ensign Bradley."
"Go ahead Ensign," Ivanovna replied, touching her comm-badge.
"Lieutenant, I just had to break up a brawl in Deck Nine, Starboard. Seems a game of chess of all things got out of hand," the security officer reported. Yilaan and Freeman exchanged puzzled looks while she continued, "There weren't any serious injuries; just a couple of bruises and a cut lip. I have the two individuals who started it in Security right now."
"Escort them to the Brig, Ensign; I'll be down shortly," Ivanovna replied. She then leaned over the Tactical Station to look down at where Freeman was sitting. "With your permission sir?"
"By all means Lieutenant," Freeman replied, gesturing with one hand for her to go and attend to her security duties. He sat in silence for a moment before commenting sidelong to Yilaan, "Didn't we just come back from vacation Commander?"
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