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"An Unexpected and Welcomed Opportunity"
(Previous Post: "Still Waking Up")
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Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Main Dining Area
Stardate: 30152.0730

The steaming cup of pureed gree-worm sat on the table held tightly in his small greedy hands as his shifty tired eyes wandered about the room without any actual purpose.  Rule of Acquisition number 22 clearly stated that 'A wise man can hear profit in the wind,' which had been the reason that had led him to book a three week Risian cruise getaway, his instincts having directed him to this particular ship at this particular time.

The moment he had become aware of the Black and White Ball he knew that this had been the reason for his having been on board. Unfortunately for him, and despite the Ferengi having made a loud and obnoxious show and fuss to the staff of the cruise liner, he had been categorically refused entrance to the event.  Like it or not he had not been invited to the elite and exclusive event. As far as Bruk had been concerned, this had been a missed golden opportunity to introduce himself to some very wealthy and influential individuals through which he would most certainly have secured countless highly profitable deals.

Instead the denied Ferengi had spent the entire evening and night alone in this public space, trying his best to figure out a way to salvage the trip while wondering how his instincts could have been so wrong. The smell of profit still hung in the hair but Bruk had begun to question his skills at being able to take the fullest possible advantage of whatever opportunity might present itself.

Rule of Acquisition number 74 echoed over and over in his head; 'Knowledge equals profit,' and right now the Ferengi seemed to lack rather heavily on both, far more than he could ever care for.  With each passing minute Bruk felt the would-be gold-pressed latinum profits slipping further and further from his grasp, depressing him that much more. The rather common, mid-class merchant had needed to find a way to make a profit on this trip and fast, or risk losing whatever small reputation he had managed to claim for himself.

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Since she had approached Ya'han back at the breakfast buffet, the Shillian had not stopped talking about the extensive research that she had been involved with through the night.  Even as the two women walked to one of the many vacant tables with their trays in hand, the undercover Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS continued to give elaborate details as to how she had managed to find one specific piece of information amongst everything else.

The two women sat on opposite ends of the small square table, their trays filled with a wide variety of fresh fruits which Ya'Han had figured had been the safest possible selection for her to sample this morning.  The undercover Chief of Security watched with great interest as the Shillian cut into one of the small green coloured fruits and brought the bite to her lips while she continued talking.  At the very least this should grant a few seconds of silence to be shared between the two, but alas the Scientist had found a way to enjoy her breakfast without actually taking the slightest break from her half whispered and overly detailed explanation.

The best that the Chief of Security could do at this time was to focus on her breakfast and hope that the Shillian would, sooner rather than later, actually reach the conclusion of her explanations and reveal the information of interest that she had discovered.

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There had been no reason for his gaze to have locked on either of the two women who had just sat down several tables away, but for some unexplainable reason the fullest attention of the Ferengi had fallen onto the woman with the black hair who now sat with her back to him.  A Humanoid female who appeared rather physically fit, the woman seemed to be the type to not be worth his time or effort.  Females such as her usually held interests worlds apart from his own, yet he could not bring himself to stop looking at her.  There had been something oddly familiar with the general shape and unique posture of the woman.

Bruk reminded himself several times of the Rule of Acquisition number 94 which firmly stated that 'Females and finances don't mix,' but still the Ferengi could not shake the feeling that the physical features of the woman with the black hair had appeared uniquely familiar.  Had his interest in her been instinctual or had the Ferengi been so depressed that he had unconsciously sought out someone who might be able to bring some joy to his currently miserable life?

The more he looked at the woman with the black hair, studying the way she moved and even the way her hair flowed over her shoulders, the Ferengi tried to imagine as to what pleasures she would be able to provide him with.  As great as Oo-Mox would have felt at this time, Bruk very much doubted that she had been the type to do such an act, her muscular frame lending itself to activities far more graceful and demanding.

Images, bordering more on dreams and fantasies, of the woman taking part in various physical activities filled the mind of the Ferengi causing him to smile, That was when Bruk figured out what had been so familiar about the woman and what he had found so out of place; her hair colour had been entirely wrong.  As a Ferengi merchant he had traveled to NYLA IV on numerous occasions and had enjoyed the hospitality of that world, especially that of the women belonging to the field of entertainment.  It had come to him as both a shock and surprise that a female from that world had been on board such a luxury cruise liner, but the possibility of her having been here as an escort of some rich and powerful guest had opened up a very interesting business opportunity.

Performers from NYLA IV were renowned for their multitude of skills and where always very highly sough, so Bruk began to formulate a plan that he hoped would see this prized female gem make this trip a most profitable and enjoyable one.

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Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)