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Opening Day: Arrivals >> Day 0: Afternoon >> A drink in Zoomie Land
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Message started by Vice Admiral John Jefferson on Feb 10^th, 2006, 11:18am

Title: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Vice Admiral John Jefferson on Feb 10^th, 2006, 11:18am

OOC Continuation of Some Holodeck Time (http://www.betleh.com/cgi-bin/b4/YaBB.pl?num=1139505256/0#3)

ON

<< Zoomie Land Bar - Serenity Base >>

John lead the way from the holodeck down to the Zoomie Land Bar, he had to admit it was his favorite watering hole on the station. Somewhere he could escape from the rigures of the day and from Taylor.

Boy did that man frustrait him something chronic, down to taking part in the betleH competition. Not the kind of thing a flag officer should be doing in John's book.

As they entered the bar a few faces looked up, including that of the barkeep. John smiled his usual aimiable smile as he approached the bar.

"The usual John?" It was always first names in here for the CO, his second home had no need to stand on ceremony.

"Yes please barkeep, a pint of your best bitter"

The barkeeper nodded then flicked his head towards Rolf "And the legs?"

"He's with me, he gets what he wants just put it on my tab"

"No problem, if you want to take a seat I'll bring your drinks over"

"Thank you kindly barkeep" It never really occured to him that he hadn't ever called the barkeeper by his real name, the thought simply never crossed his mind.

Turning to Rolf he spoke "Care to choose a drink and a seat?"

OFF

Tag Rolf (Please, no in post tags - tag at the end of a post or I get cranky ;D )

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Rolf Emerson on Feb 10^th, 2006, 10:06pm

On

“Do you have Haydian foods by chance?” Rolf asked

“Of course Admiral, what’s your pleasure?” The Bartender asked

“Haydian Sea Punch please.”

“Coming right up” the Bartender replied

The two men sat down at the table that John offered. Rolf looked over to him. So much was going through his head that he didn’t know where to begin.

“John, can I ask you a personal question? Does command get any easier the higher you move up the ranks?”

He paused considering his next words carefully. “Between the attacks on my character from the media in recent months, to my son being kidnapped 3 weeks ago, to the lost of a man I considered a personal friend. There are times when I really wonder if finding Atlantis and commanding Deep Space Seven was really worth it.”

He sighed as the bartender brought over his drinks.

“Maybe I should have followed tradition and waited until I achieved adult status before leaving home.”

OFF

TAG: JEFFERSON

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Vice Admiral John Jefferson on Feb 11^th, 2006, 9:38am

ON

John stared in to the middle distance for a few moments before even considering his reply, one on one interaction like this made keeping the facqade even more difficult. In a large group he could keep himself straight, yet with a single person he always felt like being open.

He shook his head and looked back at Rolf "Once, although it's hard to imagine. I was a lowly Lieutenant Junior Grade."

Lifting his glass he stared through the murky liquid watching it settle a few minutes passed in silence, eventually he took a sip of his drink and continued.

"It was the best day of my life, being promoted and being given my own flight to look after. I was the shining start of my squadron." A small sigh escaped his lips "I thought I was god's gift to Starfleet and then"

John paused again and peered in to his glass as if looking for the answer to lifes questions or maybe as if he was looking for the words to say.

"Three weeks later, two members of my flight were killed in the line of duty. My most joyous moment became my darkest hour. For weeks I wracked my brains trying to figure how how I let the pilots I was responsible for die. I even attempted to resign my commission out of the shame and pain I felt."

"I can still remember the words my squadron CO said to me, 'John' he said 'command is a pregnant dog
, and the further up the chain you go the bigger pregnant dog
it will become'"

John took a sip of his pint as he let the words sink in to Rolf's brain.

"And he was right too, as all Commanding Officers worth their salt are. It never got easier, the higher I go the more I have to sacrifice to see my job done"

He turned to look Rear Admiral Emerson directly in the eyes "November last year I was forced to send a Starfleet vessel to apprihend one of my closest friends. He simply drifted too far from the rules. I had hoped he could be apprehended without much fuss, but thats not how it came about."

The words choked John as he said them, eventually managed to force the words out.

"I gave the order that made a Starship captain blow his ship from the stars, it's only later we found out his family and a group of civilians were onboard too. But letting him escape with the knowledge he had couldn't be allowed to happen."

He took another sip of his drink

"So, no command gets no easier. Today I sit here with the weight of those deaths and many many more on my shoulders. I simply wish most days I could be an ensign again just flying my fighter in to hot zones and doing what my CO says."

"All I'm left with is the knowledge that I am making the Federation a better place, hundreds of thousands of people could have died if Mansfield had escaped, as it was and I know this is a cruel thing to say, the loss of 50 innocent lives is a small price to pay."

"You see thats what rising through the ranks has made me, a murderer in effect. Trading the lives of people I'll never meet, except in my haunted dreams."

John stopped speaking realising once agian he'd had been too open, darn
these one on one chats. darn
Duerkes and the others on the station for bringing betleH here.

Worst of all darn
Taylor for not doing what he should have done back on the Reagan.

"I think the answer to your question is a simple no"

OFF

Tag

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Rolf Emerson on Feb 11^th, 2006, 1:28pm

ON

Rolf didn’t realize the type of man he was blessed to get to know. Indeed John’s words hit very close to home for him.

“John, I didn’t know” Rolf started to say. “I’ve got the most difficult decision in my life to make coming up and I’m not sure I got the stones to make it.” Rolf said

He started nursing his drink. Haydian Sea Punch always calmed his nerves. In addition to it being very nutritious, it was very good for you.

“You see, ever since we discovered the Rul Galaxy, I had these visions that something bad was going to happen. It seems as though every race we encounter from the RG has an agenda. We’ve made a few friendly contacts, races who have expressed interest in joining the Federation. Then we got some who we can’t figure out. I’m sure you read my after action report on our latest encounter with the Bixx. I was too trusting. They were oppressed by the Cur and they requested asylum. Despite objections by my crew, I allowed them to settle down on Atlantis, and what happened? We learned that they had conceived a plan to travel back in time to the delta quadrant and evolve into the Borg. Now, I’ve got a painful decision to make. Do I give the order that will exterminate an entire race or do I allow them to carry out their plan and make this transformation into the Borg.”

He took another sip and waited for his friend to respond

PC TAG: JEFFERSON

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Vice Admiral John Jefferson on Feb 11^th, 2006, 2:54pm

ON

"This is one of the moments the prime directive wasn't created to cover" John drank some more of his bitter to cover his own thoughts, the answer to him was easy, genocide seemed the right outcome to him given the situation Rolf described.

Yet as a Starfleet Officer he knew he should abhor the idea.

"Rolf, I think each of us have a moment in our career where we are called on to make a decision we feel we can't possibly make" He tapped Rolf's rank insignia "these little things are the tokens which say we have to be capable of making tough choices"

"Wiping out the Blixx is plain wrong, you and I both know this"

He paused momentarily before adding

"But we also know letting them become the Borg would be worse. You have to pick the lesser of two evils and try not to think about it too much afterwards"

OFF

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Rolf Emerson on Feb 12^th, 2006, 6:24pm

ON

“Thank you John. For weeks I have been gripping on a decision of what to do. I know my rank says I’ve earned the right to make a decision. But there is WAY too much at stake” he replied. He gulps it all down in one swoop and requested an additional one. “Make it an extra large glass bartender.”

He sighed. “I was training a good officer to assume his own command, William Carpenter. Headquarters felt that he wasn’t Starfleet material.”

The bartender delivered another drink, “Thank you. I spent the better part of a year preparing that young man for his own command. I taught him everything I knew about commanding a starship, with my XO help we tested him and he was more than ready. That race murdered him for no reason.”

He calmed himself. “I’m sorry sir. Thanks to you, I’ve made my decision. I just hope history doesn’t condemn me for the decision I’m about to make.” He finishes off the second glass. “Thank you John, you’ve helped me more than you will ever know. I’ll be honest, when my uncle was reassigned from TF72, I was afraid of you. Admiral Chadwick I knew. I could anticipate what he wanted, you frightened me. Hell, you still do at times, but I’ve come to respect you John. Thank you, thank you for everything. I couldn’t have come this far without a good teacher” he extended his hand “Thank you sir, for everything.”

PC TAGS: JEFFERSON

Title: Re: A drink in Zoomie Land
Post by Vice Admiral John Jefferson on Feb 12^th, 2006, 6:52pm

ON

"Glad to be of help" Said John as he drained half of his glass "Command is hard, but that is why they pay us so much" He laughed, Starfleet and the Federation didn't believe in money. Everyone was supposed to do their job for the pleasure of it.

John didn't find that pushed him to succeed. Thats probably why his life had taken the twists it had so far, and probably why it would take yet more twists before the Competition's end.

"Being afraid of change is nothing new Rolf" Said John looking at the last third of his pint "Humanity has been doing it for years, I'm sure that your species has too"

"I think we just all have to learn to grin and bear it"

OFF