Sulliban Slammers

Posted on Fri Jul 19th, 2024 @ 11:27pm by Ensign Vivienne Conrad & Ensign Liam O'Connor & Lieutenant JG Nayisa Wrea & Ensign Kateyo Fenn

Mission: Into the Qniverse
Location: At the party
Timeline: Just prior to Q's arrival
1640 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Liam approached the bar with a confident stride, feeling the light hum of the resort’s social hub buzzing around him. Tonight was about unwinding, and he knew just the drink to get the evening started. He leaned against the counter, catching the bartender’s eye.

“A round of Sulliban Slammers, please,” he ordered, a grin spreading across his face. The Sulliban Slammers were a favorite among the crew—a light, laconic drink that bore a resemblance to the tequila slammers from Earth but with a twist. Instead of the sharp bite of tequila, the Sulliban Slammers used a unique blend of fermented Sulliban fruit, which gave it a subtly sweet yet tangy flavor, followed by a pleasant, warming afterglow.

As the bartender set to work, Liam turned to scan the room, his eyes landing on the lively group of his crewmates. He couldn’t help but chuckle, appreciating the ends of belonging the party gave him.

Legoria II was a world renowned for its idyllic climate and stunning vistas, making it a perfect destination for off-world tourists. The planet’s twin suns bathed the landscape in a perpetual golden glow, creating warm, pleasant weather year-round. White sand beaches stretched for miles, framed by crystal-clear azure waters that sparkled invitingly under the sunlight. Lush, tropical forests teeming with exotic flora and fauna offered a refreshing retreat from the bustling city.

The main city, Serapis, was a marvel of modern architecture blended seamlessly with natural beauty. Skyscrapers with sleek, reflective surfaces towered over verdant parks and vibrant marketplaces. Serapis was home to numerous attractions: the Galactic Botanical Gardens, which housed rare plants from across the universe; the Harmony Spire, an observation tower that provided panoramic views of the entire region; and the Infinity Plaza, a sprawling entertainment district filled with shops, restaurants, and nightlife that catered to every taste.

He took a moment to appreciate the stunning view outside the bar’s large windows, the sight of the twin suns setting over the horizon casting a beautiful array of colors across the sky. It was moments like these that made all the hard work and long hours worth it.

The drinks arrived and Liam turned to see if anyone joined him.

After the delightful conversation with Astrja, Nayisa decided to rejoin the party. Her eyes fell on a familiar face, the engineer who helped fix some weird issues in the intelligence suite. She approached him and gave a friendly, yet slightly teasing, smile. "Surely those aren't all for you," she joked, referencing the drinks placed in front of him. "Unless you have some extra arms I don't know about."

"Careful Nay," Teyo called from not too far away. "It's probably a trap." He was leaning casually against one of the floor-to-ceiling stone pillars near the bar. His casual attire and very mischievous grin told anyone who knew him that he was there to play. "The booze is the web and you're the fly," he added as he lightly put his right fist in his left hand, for added effect.

Turning her head, Nayisa gave the quirky engineer a cheesy smirk. "I appreciate you looking out for a damsel, Fenn, but I'm hardly in distress. It's cute to know you'll swoop in to save the day, though." Her poke was accompanied by a wink.

Teyo laughed. "All damsels want to be saved, why do you think I have these?" He asked as he flexed his biceps so they constricted against his shirt. Returning her wink he moved closer to where the pair stood and helped himself to one of the slammers.

Liam noticed Teyo enter, their previous encounters having not gone so well. After speaking to some of the crew, he had a little idea why, but that wasn’t going to stop him from trying to play nice. He approached Teyo with a guarded but friendly demeanor.

“Teyo, I wondered if you’d make it,” Liam greeted, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice. He added with a small, almost imperceptible slight, “And the replicators here are working, I assume?”

The remark was subtle, yet it carried enough weight to acknowledge their past friction. Liam hoped it would also serve as an olive branch, a way to bridge the gap between them without ignoring the underlying tension. He waited for Teyo’s response, ready to navigate whatever reaction came his way.

"You assume correctly," Teyo answered doing his best to keep the venom out of his voice. He threw the drink down his throat and enjoyed the tangy flavour. It was hard to stay mad in a place like this but Liam's presence made it possible. He turned toward Wrea who looked baffled at the interaction between the two. "Didn't he tell you? He sabotaged my replicator access and tried to win my trust by offering to fix the problem."

It was understandable that Teyo confused Nayisa's curiosity for being baffled. She was usually careful with her emotions. "Hmm," she simply offered, reaching for her own drink. "That explains the very overwhelming tension here. Can we not talk about work for once, especially when drinks are involved?"

Liam's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, a mix of confusion and frustration swirling in his mind. He opened his mouth to respond, but Teyo's accusation caught him off guard. "Wait, what?" Liam exclaimed, incredulous. He struggled to find the right words, the accusation hitting him like a punch to the gut. "Teyo, I certainly did nothing of the sort," he finally managed, his voice tight with suppressed anger and frustration. "Frankly, I'm not even sure why you're angry at me, but I'd never mess with the ship's systems, especially not the replicators. That kind of tampering could affect everyone on board, not just you."

He glanced at Nayisa, hoping for some support or understanding, but her reserved response didn't offer much comfort. "I don't know where this is coming from," Liam continued, his tone earnest. "But I'm here to fix the issues, not create more problems. If you think I've done something, let's figure it out. Accusing me won't solve anything." especially your attitude problem he thought.

"Whatever," Teyo responded flippantly. He didn't have time for the human's lies and if he was the only one who saw Liam for who he truly was, then so be it. "Nay is right, I'm here to drink and have a good time, not to be fooled by you."

"You know what, what's your bloody problem? I've done nothing but try to help you, and you've been hostile ever since! Maybe the lack of caffeine has caused some sort of withdrawal symptoms!" Liam's voice, usually calm and composed, was now raised in frustration more than anger. He was the least likely person to get into a confrontation, but something about Teyo and the way he acted pressed all his buttons. "So come on, mate, spit it out! What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"My problem mate is how you have swanned in like you own the place," Teyo replied. His voice remained even but there was definitely a bite to it. "You're a lower decker, just like us. Except the way you're acting, anyone would think this was your command." He picked up another drink and threw it down his throat, not giving it enough time to savour the flavour. "Oh and trying to help fix a problem that you created, doesn't really count."

Seeing she wasn't going to get through to them, Nayisa squeezed around them to grab two more slammers. "Just gonna take these and leave..." There were plenty left, but she didn’t want to listen to them bicker. It was a party, after all.

Liam scoffed, "Do you even hear yourself, mate? No one owns anything here, and by pushing this 'class divide' nonsense, you're only making it worse. There's no such thing as 'lower decks,' just one crew." Liam was firmly against the idea of a division among the crew, whether it was about lower decks, junior officers versus department heads, or any other hierarchical rubbish. "If you're feeling intimidated by me, then maybe you're the one clinging to some sense of ownership! And let me make this clear one more time: I did not create this problem! Take your head for a wobble and wake up and smell the coffee."

"I can't smell the coffee, that's the point," Teyo bit back. "And if you're naive enough to think there's no division on a starship then you're more stupid than I thought." Liam was really doing his head in now, everything about him was so smug and false. "Do you think that playing the good guy really works?" He sneered. "Is that how you plan to get in Conrad's bed?"

"Viveiene!" Liam couldn't even understand where the conversation had just gone when he was interrupted.

"And what's that supposed to mean exactly?"

Typically speaking, Vivienne wouldn't have considered herself a particularly stealthy person, by choice if not disposition. She may have proven to be agile and swift-thinking under pressure but sneaking, which might have been her blunt summary of what Nayisa's entire role comprised, wasn't really her style. There had been no intention whatsoever for her to come in on the tail-end of a conversation through surreptitious means but such was the clamor of competing egos that there was noise enough to mask her arrival. Now stood with hands on hips, gaze flitting between the three faces as if laying bets on who was going to speak first, Vivienne cocked an eyebrow and seemed only seconds away from coaxing an explanation with a few well-aimed slammers tossed directly into expectant eyeballs when a timely interruption brought the entire conversation to an abrupt halt anyway.

"LADIES...AND GENTLEMEN!!"