Selected Quotes February '24
Posted on 04 Mar 2024 @ 4:43pm by Commander Calliope Zahn
Selected Quotes - February 2024
New Friends, Resurfaced Memories: The Dinner Party, Part 1
“Cardassia, without a doubt. It was challenging work. The people were tenacious, proud, but surprisingly open to cooperation. The planet was a hellhole, but together, them and us, we were making it better. I could see it. You know, the Federation is good at giving people hope. We can put aside all that fear, and political and emotional bullshit and really do some good. That’s when we shine. That’s when…”
New Friends, Old Opinions: The Dinner Party, Part II
And you may call me Bong-Cha. I’m ‘Mrs. Chung’ no longer, but people insist on hanging that around my neck, so you may have got the wrong impression. As if my ex-husband were the best part of my life. Your kind doesn’t treat its females with any sort of respect, so I assume you understand the feeling.”
New Friends, New Beginnings: The Dinner Party, Part III
Moon frowned slightly, “She’s…” Protective? Selfish? Cruel? Loving? “...not staying much longer. Only here for a visit.”
Permanence
“You look like you fought pirates. ‘No Mercy,’” Buster said with a grin, his eyes twinkled. He gestured to Wallace’s knuckles and, the Marine noted, parried the question, “Real ink. Old school, baby. Old school. Needles. I love it. Real pain with those, baby. Real blood. Not any of this tickle shit with modern tattoos. What say you, little sister, want some real ink?”
Splish Splash
*Clearly you know I’m right. You haven’t an answer for being taken for granted here. I didn’t raise you to role play in some human patriarchal domesticated fantasy.*
Make it Yours, Then Make it Mine
“Razal and his fleet are not inventions, Brek,” She insisted. “They existed. They ruled our seas in bygone times and he amassed treasures so incredible that they defy description.”
“Yeah,” Brek said with a sigh. “That’s what they also say about a mess: it’s hard to describe, especially in detail.”
—
“I’m not asking you to explore this archipelago with your meagre talents and resources, little beetle. I’m asking you to get your hands on that map. Make it yours. And then make it mine. I’ll know what to do with it.”
Brek looked at her agape. Was the old crone willing to waste her non negligible fortune on the sort of tale only younglings ever believed in? “You can’t be serious.”
“Don’t try me, Brek. If you don’t give me that map, you can kiss your inheritance goodbye. It will all go to your brother. A real pity that, coz all he deserves is a kick in the backside.”
Shifting Views
This will be the last failure, he mused, standing aright and stretching his back. He would not corner the man just yet. Makrin had still to locate his target; he knew Sawyl was on the planet, but did not know what form he was taking at this time to hide. His contact had suggested that Van Der Laar had a lead, so the best course of action would be to track his adversary, letting the fool lead him to the target, and then resolve the matter once and for all.
Installation Details
Louke turned to Ibis, studying her in the soft lighting of the interior. She still appeared gaunt from her experience, but not nearly as haunted as she had the first time he had seen her when she toured the Pathfinder’s bridge with the children. “You may not know this about me, but I have lived quite the varied lives. I’ve had to start and restart a few times over the past decades, so the idea of finding yourself at a place of rebuilding what you once knew is somewhat familiar.”
A Change of Plans
“Can’t get rid of this cursed albatross,” said the first. “Should have been scrapped like intended in the first place. Damned senior officers and their pet projects.”
Cooler Heads
Quintin Grant was a genius, and he made sure everyone knew it. The technicians and junior engineers who milled about the lab annoyed him, so he sent them all away early that morning. He often preferred to work alone, or at least with someone who could keep up. As the number of other people in the station he felt could do that was suddenly reduced to zero, he pressed on by himself.
Unauthorized Access
“If not today, then tomorrow, Leblanc.” Lance said, still not giving him the pleasure of turning to face him. “I’ve all the rights to this ship and you’ve only a few straps of administrative tape. Give up the petty games.”
Reaching Out
Rice nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t take a crystal ball to see that it was going to happen. Harshman doesn’t want us anywhere near Korix. She thinks we need to fix all our problems in the Federation before trying to help someone else.”
“There are a lot of problems.”
“There are always a lot of problems. Problems are just part and parcel to life. Doesn’t mean we should stop helping people. Right?
Deja Vu
"Of course, I did," Chris admitted with a charming grin. “But there are many beautiful women, and if I kept them all in my head, I would have no room for the full layout of the Stardock Class station.”
Theory Testing
"It is our hope that you will, actually.". Hannah chuckled and Sahar merely looked contemplative. "This sort of testing hasn't been done before, so we're not sure which side of your telepathy will come back first, receptive or transmissive. It's possible neither will, but we're going to operate under the assumption that they will. When you go into the scanner, I'd like you to focus on something emotionally charged but not something that will leave you feeling poorly after you come out if you focus on it for a long time."
"Like a... memory? Or an event?"
"Whatever would make you broadcast feelings without conscious control."
For a prolonged moment, Ibis looked pensive, and sighed on an exhale. "Okay. I think I can do that."
"Lets get started."
Almost But Not Quite Over
“Leaving? He’s in the station brig!”
Pushing off of the desk she had been leaning on behind her, Calliope stood up straight, her eyes wide. “He’s WHAT?”
“The reports said he tried to steal Station property– A runabout.” Saaba explained.
Honor, Respect, Domain
“When a man inherits something..especially if he is to keep it for a long while, I believe it is important for him to make it his own.” He said, sitting down across from her and folding his leg over the other. He maneuvered his fork on the plate. “How are you? It has been at least thirty seconds since we last spoke.”
—
She shook her head. “All over that damned shuttle.”
“Over more than a shuttle. Over honor, respect, and domain.” Leblanc said, unapologetic about an idea he was sure was not particularly meaningful to her in the current situation.
Honor, respect, domain? Calliope shook her head. All she saw was two male egos.
Not for Sale
She was smiling, and for no reason that he could fathom, he felt a bit uneasy. It didn’t last long though. He needed a new angle, and clever as he was, he found one in less than twenty seconds : “Right. So latinum doesn’t speak to you. What are you after, then?”
“I’ll put it plainly: I don’t see you having anything that I want.”
That hurt a little, but he shrugged it off.
Recollections
It had been months since he’d had the dream. Nearly a year, if he truly thought about it. Time and distance did not matter, though, as it still held the same power years out from the event as it had in the weeks he spent recovering from the initial ordeal.
Old School and New
“We have to make inroads somewhere. Hopefully this contact will have some regard for the security of their Northern compatriots and won’t write it off like Mongolia.”
—
Rice stopped cutting and looked up at Gordon. “Did you want to change Federation foreign policy? We can make that happen. There are ways.”
—
Gordon didn’t answer right away. He didn’t suppose you got away with printing some newly fabricated scientific secrets out and dipping them in coffee grounds to make them appear to be older than yesterday.
Accidentally Briefed
“Shit,” Madison swore. “I’m never sure if the Fleet makes things better or worse. Well. Can we buy out some of them, at least? Until I can get the next run to market? Will Saluz extend us another loan, maybe?”
—
“I arrived at about the part where you were guessing the going rate on ransoms these days.” Gordon deadpanned his own reply. “But before the part about picking up abandoned children. I’m not sure what I missed prior to that. You aren’t planning to overthrow the sitting Suranj, are you?”
“Goddammit, Gordon.”
Old Flames: Liaisons
Maddi kissed him. There was no better way she knew to stop Gordon Stillwell talking.
Old Flames: P.S
Gordon marveled. If only it could remain as simple as sending unreasonable people back to nursery school when they couldn’t keep their mitts to themselves… He imagined the conference deliberation if they concluded in a settlement for the Pyrryx to collect a juicebox and take an afternoon nap until they were ready to stop genocide and slavery like civilized people.
Shirt and Pants Optional
Irwin put an arm around Jalaine and for some reason beyond her, she allowed it. He was simply incorrigible.
Practicum in Neurology
A gasp of startlement escaped Hannah's lips, and her eyes flew open. They settled on the tall vulcan man, and she rested a hand on her chest. "You nearly frightened me to death."
"That is highly illogical. Fear is not something that can physically manifest" The Vulcan replied, eliciting a chuckle from Hannah.
"So you say. It felt physical to me. As for the music, I find it helps me concentrate to have such background noise. Instrumental only, as I find vocal music to be quite distracting when one is trying to think about a problem such as this." Her broad sweeping gesture included all of the research that was currently on display.
"Logical."
Oh, I've gone from highly illogical to logical eh?
Engineering Report
"I hope the Corps of Engineers wasn't too upset you left to join us," Corvus smiled as she sat down as well.
“The Admiral was…disappointed, but he was no stranger to my wanderlust.” He said with the first hint of a smile, “In truth, I think he knew I would be moving on soon, even if I didn’t.”
"Well, I don't expect you'll find any shortage of projects and tasks here," DeHavilland continued, getting straight to business. "Commander Quinn was a brilliant Engineer in his own right, but what this station needs is a hands-on, shirt-sleeves, Chief.”
Custom Order
“I wish we were anywhere in reach of an actual designer for a real consultation. Betazoid, Rigel, Risa, Trill, Earth, why even if you would manage the short shuttle ride from here to Bolarus!” said the older lady, rather loudly.
“Bolarus? I know I’ve been gone for a while. Have they had a new wave in fashion… again?” Ibis had always thought the Ferengi and the Bolians were competing for the most attention grabbing clothes. Not that either could hold a candle to the imaginations of Betazoid lines. Whereas most of the bizarrest catwalk art pieces on Earth were understood to be for the shows only, it seemed the women on Betazed were willing to actually wear the designs that could only be called clothes in so much as they were propped up by a body inside of them. Once in a while Bolarus would invent a sensation that even out did the Betazoids, however. It was like an arms race, egging one another on in absurdity.
—-
So you… you run this shop?”
“First day. First customers. One of my partners,” she smirked at the word, “said I should have a grand opening, but I just wanted to see how things would go. He called it a ‘soft opening.’” Moon shook her head. She’d had to look up the term, discovering it was an archaic idiom from Earth’s past. Something about opening before you opened. “I was a costume designer on Earth, but there’s not much theater out here - yet.
—
“Okay, well,” Moon said. “I assume your programmed wardrobe is a little out of date then?”
“Horridly!” Jalaine agreed, pointing at the current exhibit. “Look, she wears nothing but these plain, conservative looking Terran blouses! She looks like a little prairie house woman.”
By Light of Day
Shirin shook her head, but the slight grin told him all he needed to know. “Do your Ceremony - personally I found it boring when I went, but that’s me. I’ll let Cyrus know it’s just us this time out.” With a short salute, she turned and headed out of the room.
Intruder Alert
He didn’t know how to explain that dusting for fingerprints would be a waste; how did you convince a logical being that the individual in question was not wearing his own skin? “Besides, he most likely had gloves on. I think the best thing now is to follow up on my own lead and see if he’s sniffing around the same area.” Of course, that was providing his lead was any good; Oly needed a new console to work from, what with the unit destroyed beyond repair. Something that wouldn’t immediately flag Intel the moment he logged in.
“Indeed, it would have been illogical not to wear gloves,” T’Sheng agreed as she pondered over what it meant to be an intelligence officer. It seemed to impose a life where one had to second-guess everything. A life where one was forever in the shadow, trying to collect information, misinform the enemy and, hopefully, keep a solid moral compass. It was, truly, fascinating: so much like diplomacy and yet so different.
“How do you feel about joining me for a tour of the Itonian colony?”
“This is a sound idea. I may query you further about your priorities, though. You have been warned.”
Once Upon a Time
“Legends are born every minute,” Brek said with a sigh. “Ara presented your father as a successful trader, but he is clearly just a gambler.”
“I don’t see that it matters.”
“Luck versus hard work, that's the difference.”
“Said the Ferengi who quit Starfleet for an easy life. You may not be aware of it, but Cmdr Rubens knows everything about your downfall.”
“What downfall?” Brek sat up. Kreca was getting on his nerves now. “There was no downfall at all. I just made a choice.”
A Bend in the Course
“Did I miss notice on a sale, old friend?”
Faruz glanced up, a bit wary, but his expression lit up at sight of the El Aurian and his young charge. “Not at all, not at all. Just a bit of morning excitement. You just missed the fun.” He waved the two into the entrance to his store proper. “The girls are clearing out the lodging; it would seem my guest decided to seek a more … suitable arrangement for his situation.”
Detours
Their milling around had started following Kreca’s announcement that the vessel she would be boarding was called the Nebulon Noodle. Those two words, put together... they had a terrible effect on Brek.
—
Brek shrugged. “This is Starfleet’s way. They always give you more than you expect. It’s big budgets all the way through with them. This is why I like humans so much. They’ve got plenty to give.”
“Hmm usually, when people give, they also take.”
“Nonsense!” Brek said between two mouthfuls. “You should see what I got the other day from Cmdr Zahn. Three full cardboard boxes of collectibles! Great value for zero latinum there, I can assure you!”
She observed Brek a moment and then added: “Some would say she bought your loyalty, at the very least to this Station.”
Refractions: A Thousand Papercuts
“Alright, Bridge, we’ll experience about half a second of shieldlessness during the shield geometry shift. Hopefully the pirates shooting at us won’t…get lucky.” she said, furrowing her brow.
The Mice Will Play
Her eyes rose to the finely figured male, who spoke to her. Blue of skin and white of hair, his muscular chest was bound by what looked like a roman toga.
Why can't men in reality look like that?
Don't Rock the Boat
"Bring my son to me? What do I know of babies?" he snarled at her disappearing form. The babe in his arms began to fuss, and he shifted his hold to more gently cradle the child. "You can't just..."
"That is not my problem anymore!" she shouted back at him turning and stalking right up to his chest and poking him hard. A strand of blonde hair fell into her eyes, accentuating the anger in them to a degree that actually took him aback. Why was she angry at him? He took a step back defensively, closing his arms tightly around the newborn. The motion startled the baby into fearful cries. That stopped him instantly, but he noted that it didn't phase her in the slightest.
Interesting
"Alice...please." he spoke more softly, trying to ease the situation of its tension and calm the child. His hand smoothed over the crying baby's back in a slow circle. "Don't do this here and now...We can talk ab-"
"Don't you Alice please me! That was how this mess got started!"
A Capitalist Send-off
Jup was sensitive about the whole profits thing, Marcello remembered distinctly. Apparently he'd done very poorly in his youth on Ferenginar. He was too trusting, too kind, and a terrible liar. He'd been told he'd never amount to much. That he'd be lucky to make ends meet as a common laborer and he'd die horribly in debt.
Reminiscing
“And whose fault is that?” Talis playfully tapped his nose. “Mr. The prophets never did anything good for me” How do you think you got such a treasure such as myself to stand by your side, hmm?”
Recalculations
He had left his Target sprawled on the ground, struggling to catch his breath, pausing only to deliver a sharp kick to his side before running into the crowd to make his escape.
Wallace, Wallace, & Shearing
“Family law is always hard, but I always tell my clients to keep a cool head. So far, both the Omoleyes and Childresses have headed that advice as have their attorneys - ” Marcus began, though he got no further as Rice interrupted him.
“It must have been a hell of a fight you had with your brother,” the diplomat said coldly.
“Uh. Excuse me?”
“To do this to him. You must really want to drive the knife home, yeah?”
“As I said, Wallace, Wallace and…”
“No, no. I heard that. Experts. Best in the business, but probably not the only ones.”
—
“It’s not every day a kid loses his parents, but immediately finds people who will love him and fight for him unconditionally. Not everyone gets that. This kid did. Let’s make sure he gets to keep it.”
Corvus’ No Good Rotten Day
“A Tirket got loose from an Antican freighter docked,” Thad explained, clearly not impressed with the situation himself, taking his customary seat in front of her desk. “Commander De La Fuente said something about them liking to chew on power conduits, and being capable of moving through tight spaces. Not sure how that got it to the CIC, but that’s where it was. Scared the hell out of the gamma shift,” he explained, adjusting the data PaDD on his knee.
“What is a Tirket?” Corvus shook her head.
“Cross between a Gila monster and a Koala bear,” he offered dryly.
She paused, her cup to her lips. What the hell did that even look like? A furry, fluffy long-bodied lizard or a giant leathery-looking bear-creature. She was about to shake her head, confused when the point hit her on the forehead. “Is… that a joke?” She asked.
“Only if it’s funny,” he replied, smirking slightly.
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