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"The Meeting"
[Previous post: "One big happy family" written by the talented and lovely Tiffany Rose.]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 16, Black Hole
Stardate: 63072.1915

Elliot took a sip of his drink and was in deep thought, [[Perhaps she's at the bridge? Maybe the science lab on deck 11?]] then with a shocked expression on his face and a hand over his eyes he said to himself in a tone of disbelief, "ask the damn computer."

Ensign Thomas lifted his drink and got up from his seat, he walked to the end of the centre table which had a comm panel then pressed a button and said, "Computer please locate the aCSciO."

=^= Ensign Mitshiba is in the Black Hole, =^= the computer announced.

"What! that's impossible I've look..." the COO stopped in mid sentence as he turned around to search the room again and noticed in the doorway of the Black Hole, there stood Aki.  Elliot had been waiting for this opportunity and now that it was here he was quickly racking his brain on how to explain everything while making his way towards the aCSciO.

Akira Mitshiba hurried down the stairs to meet the COO, as they met halfway between the door and the centre table they hugged.  Elliot then broke the embrace and added, "it is so great to see you, I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you.  Aki I think that we have something to talk about, would you like to join me at one of the tables?"

The aCSciO nodded and walked to one of the tables nearest them, as they sat Aki looked Ensign Thomas in the eyes and inquired "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Elliot stared back then stumbled over his first few words, "Well this girl, well not a girl I mean lady, she was working with me earlier, well not just me there were others there too..." ET took a deep breath then apologised and continued, "let me start again, from the beginning, it is the best place to start.  I was working *that* day in engineering helping out with some maintenance on deck 3 transporter room 1, they were having some problems with the transporters not initiating the coordinate lock, there were a team of 5 personnel working on the problem including the CEO, I was checking through the algorithm programming when it came to the end of everyone's shift, so I went home then decided to go to the Black Hole for a drink before we were to meet up for dinner."

Ensign Thomas was still staring into the aCSciO eyes which were filling up then continued with his explanation, "I was sitting minding my own business when all of a sudden this girl came up to me, one of the girls that I had been working with that day and just kissed me, that must have been when you walked in and saw what you saw.  I asked the girl why she had done it and she said that her and some of her friends had been drinking some gamzian wine, and been playing an old fashioned human game called drinking dares, well that's all it was, a stupid drinking dare.  Now I could not explain this to you at the time as you would not accept any messages or calls from me and when you left I felt terrible that is why I have been following what you have been up to so I could meet with you one day in the future and apologise properly." 

Ensign Mitshiba exclaimed, "Thats it?" then put her head in her hands and spoke softly. "I've avoided you all this time over something as simple as that, I am so so sorry ET."

Elliot looked at the sad aCSciO and announced, "Well lets make up for lost time, lets go to one of the holodecks and take a walk on a beach." then continued, "What do you think?"

Aki shifted in her seat and thought [[Oh crap I left Adriana back in the corridor when I was showing her around, I should go back and finish what I'd set out to do.]]  Ensign Mitshiba looked at ET and admitted "I'm really sorry but I was showing a new friend around the ship when she told me that she had met you earlier in the day and that you were looking for me, then I ran off from her to come to speak to you, I should go back to see if she is doing OK."

The COO smiled and inquired, "Could I come along, I would like to meet your new friend, properly this time."

Aki and Elliot got up from their seats and headed towards the door, as they were exiting the Black Hole Ensign Thomas looked at the attractive black haired lady and said, "Thanks for understanding."

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Craig Mitchell { wmcraigmitchell@gmail.com }
Ensign Elliot Thomas.
Chief Operations Officer.
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501

[The Universe is a huge place, but you always seem to meet someone you know just around the corner.]