SEASON 2: EPISODE 01

NO REST FOR THE WICKED: Part Six

  Core had lost count of the number of drinks she had drunk.  She was not a big fan of beer but as it was what Masters was drinking she stuck to the same.  However, she knew she was quite drunk.

  “So why did you come out here?” asked Masters.  “For that matter how did you even find me?”

  “I called your house after you and your dad told me you were out.  You called them from here to say you’d be out so it seemed to be the logical place to start.”

  “What were you calling about?”

  “I went to the Starfleet War Memorial today and it got me thinking that maybe we should pay our respects there for those who died on the Swiftfire.”

  “That’s a good idea.”  Masters ordered them another round.  “How about for now we raise our glasses to those fine men and women of the Swiftfire who didn’t make it back to Earth with us.”

  Core clinked her glass with Masters and the two silent took drinks from them.

  “You know there are several good pre-Federation war memorials around the place.  In the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, where my favourite is, the memorial at Isurava.  Use to go there a fair bit when I was a kid.  It’s a beautiful place.”

  The name dragged up a memory for Core.  “I think I remember you talking about ages ago…back when we were on the Bonestell together.”  Core tapped him with her glass.  “You remember when we first met; I really disliked you back then.  I thought you were a stuck up hard case that thought just because he won a medal he could be a jerk to everyone else.”

  Masters chuckled.  “And I thought you were a slack, oversexed, brat that would hump anything if it stood still long enough.”

  “You can see the problem…we were both right!”

  That last comment reduced them both to fits of laughter, which was exaggerated due to how drunk they were.

  “Those were some crazy times,” said Masters once he got his laughter under control.  He raised his glass again.  “Here’s to the USS Bonestell, NCC-657…”

  “02,” finished Core for him.  She was surprised that he had remembered as much of the ship’s registry as he did.  Masters had left the Bonestell in 2369 after serving on the ship for around two years.  “Have I ever thanked you for putting in a good word with Captain Jeong when you left?  It’s probably the only reason I succeeded you to become XO.”

  “You can never be thanked enough.  You deserved it and that’s why Kyu-Seon made you his XO.”

  “Well, thanks again.”

  Masters tipped his glass slightly.  “You’re welcome.”

  “Man, our relationship back then was pretty messed up at the start.  Got to say I regret some of it.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Do you regret all of it?  Do you regret us?”

  Masters looked directly into her eyes and placed his hand on hers.

  “No, but like you said it was pretty crazy back then.  Our relationship at that point was not a healthy one.  But we’ve moved on to a much better and stable relationship.”

  Masters held her gaze for a few seconds before breaking it.  He then patted her hand and stood up.  “Got to duck into the bathroom.  I think it’s your shout, Susan.”

  Core watched Masters wander off but her thoughts were not on the present but rather the past.  She had spoken to Masters about dwelling on it but she could not help but think back to a time several years ago and the way things were.  She knew he was right, there was a lot that was wrong with their relationship back then.  However, there were also parts that still felt right to her even now and from time to time she would think about them and dwell on them.  She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the present as she flagged down the barman for another round.

  It was the early hours of the morning before Masters left.  Core had left hours ago, leaving him on his own.  Masters did not feel overly intoxicated since he had really slowed down after his drinking buddy had left, though he thought maybe he was so drunk that he had no idea what being sober felt like.

  As he headed for the transporter station, which would beam him back to his house hundreds of kilometres away he saw a lone figure standing in the scrub.  Masters decided to head over and check if the person was alright.  As he got closer he saw that it was a woman.

  “You know you shouldn’t be standing out here on your own,” he said.  He obviously startled the woman as she jumped when he spoke.  “Australia is full of dangerous and poisonous creatures that just hate humanoids.  You need to look out.”

  The woman looked him up and down.  “Are you one I should be looking out for?”

  Masters shrugged.  “Sure, I could give you a nasty bite if you want.”

  The woman laughed.  He was now close enough to make out a few details about the woman.  She had dark hair that dropped below her shoulders.  He could not quite see what colour her eyes were; by her hair colour he guessed that they would be brown.  Even in the dim light Masters was fairly sure she was attractive.

  “So what are you doing out here on your own?” he asked.

  “Just waiting.”

  She had returned to staring off into the distance.  He looked out where she was looking, trying to pick out anything.  He finally realised that they were facing east because the sky was lighter there then anywhere else.  Masters then checked the time.  “Ah, you’re waiting for the sunrise.”

  “Yes,” confirmed the woman.  “They say the Australian outback sunrise is one of the most beautiful things on this earth.  Have you ever witnessed one?”

  “No,” admitted Masters.  He had seen plenty of sunrises in Australia given he grew up in the country but he could not think of a time when he saw one in central Australia.  “I can’t say I ever have.”

  The woman turned and faced him.  “You’re welcome to see your first with me.  That is if you don’t have anywhere to go.”

  Masters looked into the woman’s eyes and smiled.  “Sure, nothing like sharing an experience.”

  Masters and the woman stood there for a while and watched as the blazing sun broke over the horizon and poured light into the once dark earth.  It was indeed one of the most beautiful sunrises he had ever seen.  It was awe inspiring and as it lit up the outback.  It was like there was no one else in the entire world.

  “It’s beautiful,” said the woman.

  “Very,” said Masters, who was no longer looking at the sunrise but at the person next to him.  He thought she was attractive in the dim light, but in full light she was just like the sunrise, awe inspiring.

  The woman turned to face him.  “You glad you stayed to watch?”

  “It was very…rewarding.”

  The woman motioned for them to head back towards the pub.  As they walked back he asked the woman’s name.

  “You can call me Nat.”

  “You can call me Jon,” said Masters.  “So, do you come here often?”

  As the words came out of his mouth he cringed.

  Nat shook her head.  “Not really.  I was mainly just here for the sunrise.”

  “Oh,” he could not keep the disappointment out of his voice.

  “But I had a good time here, so I’ll probably come back,” said Nat in a way that gave Masters no doubt she would be coming back, if she had incentive to do so.

  “Well you’ve seen a sunrise, how about a sunset?”

  “Nope.  Not seen one here.”

  “Well, I heard that Friday’s is meant to be particularly inspiring.”

  “I’m terribly busy on Friday.”  Masters’ heart sank.  “Pity it wasn’t on Wednesday.”

  “Luckily I heard Wednesday would be an encore of Friday’s, only better.”

  The smile that came to Nat’s face melted Masters.  “Do you know a time that one should arrive to see this inspiring sunset?”

  “Oh, you’d want to be here around four, local time.  It’s always a good idea to spend some time in the pub before, to loosen your senses.”

  They reached the transporter station, which was just outside the pub.  Nat walked up onto the pad first and inputted her destination onto a wall console.  She turned back to Masters.

  “It was nice meeting you, Jon.  Maybe we’ll meet again one day,” said Nat with a wink.

  “It’s possible; it is a small planet after all.”

  Nat gave him one last smile and turned back to the transporter and pressed a final command for the system to start transporting.  A second or two afterwards she was encompassed by a blue wave of light and disappeared.

  Masters stood there staring at where Nat had been her smiling visage fresh on his mind.  Masters could not remember the last time he had felt like this about a woman.  He wondered if it was just the easing effects of the alcohol but he hoped that it was not.  He guessed he would know in a few days time when he met with Nat again.  He walked onto the transporter pad and set it up to beam him home, his mind firmly placed on Wednesday at 4 PM.