Unity – Duck is Best When Not Accompanied by Deception
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
IC:
The Admiral sat at his favorite Chinese restaurant, running his eyes over the poorly written menu. He pondered for a moment what the "One Ton Soup" would do to his constitution, before settling for the "Loster" with "block pepper" sauce. The restaurant had been for here for many years - it had been a big hit with his cash-strapped classmates at the Academy - and it still hadn't corrected its menu. He didn't know whether to shake his head in disbelief or nostalgia. At least the service was quick. Within ten minutes, the Admiral had his meal in front of him.
Whilst eating his "roast cluck", the Admiral looked up to find that the seat opposite him had been taken. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, "cluck" spraying from his mouth.
The enormous black skinned man had appeared in much the same way as he had last time: that is to say, out of thin air. Clad in what appeared to be a set of casual clothing (all black of course), he sat down, his large frame easily sliding silently into a chair that groaned under the weight. He smiled at the smaller man, a smile that had a little too much shiny white teeth and not enough sincerity.
“A good day to you my dear Admiral,” he said coolly, his accent clashing horribly and out of place in the décor, “my name is Mannheim… Colonel Mannheim actually...SFMC. I apologize for accosting you while you’re eating lunch, but I was told by your aide that I could find you here. I have important business to discuss with you.”
The Admiral, known within clandestine circles as "Bushranger, simply stared at his guest for a moment. He was huge black man, dressed in a black suit and had a black eyepatch. The Admiral thought the eyepatch looked familiar, but this Mannheim certaintly was not dressed like a marine. "I'll have to fire my aide. But tell me, before we get down to this "business" of yours, have we met before?"
“No,” Mannheim lied smoothly, “I don’t believe that we’ve met before…if we have, it was long ago.” Not really so long ago, though it was nice to see that the memory wipe had indeed taken effect as it was supposed to. He turned his attention back to the Admiral, fixed him with a bemused expression as he placed his head in his hand and smiled again, “Though I know of you, and I think that you know of me…if only because you’re the one who’s been using my things without permission.”
"And this is the "business" you wish to talk about?" Bushranger said dismissively. He had finally decided that the whole Man-in-Black plus eyepatch get-up was all one big joke someone was playing on him.
“Uhh…” Mannheim sweat dropped a little, “Maybe my mind wipe worked a little bit too well,” he thought. He coughed a little to cover up his discomfort and flagged down a passing waiter to ask for a glass of water.
“Well then,” he said smoothly, moving back to the original conversation, “I suppose I should start at the beginning,” as the water was placed in front of him he leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial tone, “The game is afoot, Admiral.”
"Arr, and what game might that, me hearty?" The Admiral decided to roll with it. These alternate-reality games could be enjoyable if played correctly. "Is it some sort of treasure map? Where be the bounty?"
“Well, if there was one…it would be on Deep Space 5. Ah,” he said as he saw the flicker of recognition in the Admiral’s eyes, “You do know, don’t you?”
Either the boundaries of the game were blurring or this was a "real" reality. "What about Deep Space 5, Mr. Mannheim?"
Manheim shook his head in derision, “My dear Admiral…that would be telling wouldn’t it? I presume you know enough at this juncture…though you should be aware that certain factions are moving. And I know that you have that under control.”
"I wish I had your confidence," the Admiral said, absentmindedly. "But is this a warning? Whose faction is moving? What are you getting at, Mannheim?"
“I guess that all I really want to convey to you my dear Admiral is a hypothetical scenario,” his tone darkened for the first time, “The Leonidis. Hypothetically, if you were to know exactly what I was referring to…you would hypothetically stop from persuing any possible action you might be considering. Hypothetically speaking…would you understand that, Admiral?”
This Mannheim seemed to know too much. But what remained was determining whose side he was on. "If, hypothetically speaking, I had asked the captain of the Leonidas, hypothetically of course, to try and find someone, who could be or could not be, an old friend of his who may or may not be onboard Deep Space 5, and who may or may not hold the key to thwarting what I believe could possibly be, although it might be, a militant faction's coup d'etat, would you still hold that against me? I should bloody well hope not!"
“All Hypothetical my dear Admiral…all hypothetical. Well,” he said as he got up, “I wish that I could say that this has been a reassuring conversation. But either way, it was nice seeing you again Admiral. Here,” he pulled a few strips of Latinum out of a pocket and tossed them casually on the table, “Lunch is on me. Do give my regards to your daughter…she is a promising Marine, and has a bright future in front of her. For the time being anyway. Good day, my dear Admiral.”
With that cryptic last remark he breezed out of the restaurant and on to his next secretive destination.
The Admiral pondered this for a moment, still unable to shake the feeling that he had met Mannheim somewhere before, although his logical mind told him that this was impossible. Eying the money on the table, he decided to delay this decision and order some more of the "Chep's" Special.
OFF
Colonel Chester Manheim
Black Cell Operational Director
NPC'd by Colonel Darson
Admiral "Bushranger"
Starfleet Command
NPC'd by Lt Tan
by Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
| Title | Duck is Best When Not Accompanied by Deception | |
| Mission | Unity | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Vincent Tan & Colonel James Darson | |
| Posted | Thu Jun 17, 2010 @ 11:11am | |
| Location | San Francisco, Earth | |
| Timeline | SD 17 - 1240 (Backpost) |
The Admiral sat at his favorite Chinese restaurant, running his eyes over the poorly written menu. He pondered for a moment what the "One Ton Soup" would do to his constitution, before settling for the "Loster" with "block pepper" sauce. The restaurant had been for here for many years - it had been a big hit with his cash-strapped classmates at the Academy - and it still hadn't corrected its menu. He didn't know whether to shake his head in disbelief or nostalgia. At least the service was quick. Within ten minutes, the Admiral had his meal in front of him.
Whilst eating his "roast cluck", the Admiral looked up to find that the seat opposite him had been taken. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, "cluck" spraying from his mouth.
The enormous black skinned man had appeared in much the same way as he had last time: that is to say, out of thin air. Clad in what appeared to be a set of casual clothing (all black of course), he sat down, his large frame easily sliding silently into a chair that groaned under the weight. He smiled at the smaller man, a smile that had a little too much shiny white teeth and not enough sincerity.
“A good day to you my dear Admiral,” he said coolly, his accent clashing horribly and out of place in the décor, “my name is Mannheim… Colonel Mannheim actually...SFMC. I apologize for accosting you while you’re eating lunch, but I was told by your aide that I could find you here. I have important business to discuss with you.”
The Admiral, known within clandestine circles as "Bushranger, simply stared at his guest for a moment. He was huge black man, dressed in a black suit and had a black eyepatch. The Admiral thought the eyepatch looked familiar, but this Mannheim certaintly was not dressed like a marine. "I'll have to fire my aide. But tell me, before we get down to this "business" of yours, have we met before?"
“No,” Mannheim lied smoothly, “I don’t believe that we’ve met before…if we have, it was long ago.” Not really so long ago, though it was nice to see that the memory wipe had indeed taken effect as it was supposed to. He turned his attention back to the Admiral, fixed him with a bemused expression as he placed his head in his hand and smiled again, “Though I know of you, and I think that you know of me…if only because you’re the one who’s been using my things without permission.”
"And this is the "business" you wish to talk about?" Bushranger said dismissively. He had finally decided that the whole Man-in-Black plus eyepatch get-up was all one big joke someone was playing on him.
“Uhh…” Mannheim sweat dropped a little, “Maybe my mind wipe worked a little bit too well,” he thought. He coughed a little to cover up his discomfort and flagged down a passing waiter to ask for a glass of water.
“Well then,” he said smoothly, moving back to the original conversation, “I suppose I should start at the beginning,” as the water was placed in front of him he leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial tone, “The game is afoot, Admiral.”
"Arr, and what game might that, me hearty?" The Admiral decided to roll with it. These alternate-reality games could be enjoyable if played correctly. "Is it some sort of treasure map? Where be the bounty?"
“Well, if there was one…it would be on Deep Space 5. Ah,” he said as he saw the flicker of recognition in the Admiral’s eyes, “You do know, don’t you?”
Either the boundaries of the game were blurring or this was a "real" reality. "What about Deep Space 5, Mr. Mannheim?"
Manheim shook his head in derision, “My dear Admiral…that would be telling wouldn’t it? I presume you know enough at this juncture…though you should be aware that certain factions are moving. And I know that you have that under control.”
"I wish I had your confidence," the Admiral said, absentmindedly. "But is this a warning? Whose faction is moving? What are you getting at, Mannheim?"
“I guess that all I really want to convey to you my dear Admiral is a hypothetical scenario,” his tone darkened for the first time, “The Leonidis. Hypothetically, if you were to know exactly what I was referring to…you would hypothetically stop from persuing any possible action you might be considering. Hypothetically speaking…would you understand that, Admiral?”
This Mannheim seemed to know too much. But what remained was determining whose side he was on. "If, hypothetically speaking, I had asked the captain of the Leonidas, hypothetically of course, to try and find someone, who could be or could not be, an old friend of his who may or may not be onboard Deep Space 5, and who may or may not hold the key to thwarting what I believe could possibly be, although it might be, a militant faction's coup d'etat, would you still hold that against me? I should bloody well hope not!"
“All Hypothetical my dear Admiral…all hypothetical. Well,” he said as he got up, “I wish that I could say that this has been a reassuring conversation. But either way, it was nice seeing you again Admiral. Here,” he pulled a few strips of Latinum out of a pocket and tossed them casually on the table, “Lunch is on me. Do give my regards to your daughter…she is a promising Marine, and has a bright future in front of her. For the time being anyway. Good day, my dear Admiral.”
With that cryptic last remark he breezed out of the restaurant and on to his next secretive destination.
The Admiral pondered this for a moment, still unable to shake the feeling that he had met Mannheim somewhere before, although his logical mind told him that this was impossible. Eying the money on the table, he decided to delay this decision and order some more of the "Chep's" Special.
OFF
Colonel Chester Manheim
Black Cell Operational Director
NPC'd by Colonel Darson
Admiral "Bushranger"
Starfleet Command
NPC'd by Lt Tan