October 2005 - Post Selection (1)
ON: Ulterior Motives (JP)
Day 2 Time: 18.00 Scene: Nick Downey's Quarters
Nick stared at himself in the mirror, brushing his moustache until his thin moustache until it looked just right. He had often thought about shaving it, but for some reason his fans expected to see Jack Moss, and that moustache was just as much Jack Moss as he was. He reached for a razor, but looking in the mirror again, decided the mustache made him look quite dashing- perhaps a bit like Errol Flynn, that ancient Terran swashbucker Nick had seen in those old films he collected.
Speaking of Jack Moss though, did June know about his secret life? Nick wasn't sure, though she certainly seemed like the type to read a Jack Moss holonovel but not admit to it. Nick still had an advance holodisk of "The Death of the Cavalier." He placed it surreptitiously on the corner of the table he had utilized as the serving table. If she happened to notice it...and comment on it....so much the better.
Nick admired his table-setting skills. He had thought of everything; candles, two glasses, the bottle in a bucket of ice. Now all he needed was the presence of a certain lounge manager. He was uncertain where the night would lead, but he had to admit that June Craig was certainly more interesting than most of the giggling groupies, vampish Dabo girls, and older society ladies who usually take an interest in him.
"Computer, lights down to 40 %."
As the computer complied, Nick walked to his collection of musical recordings. He was debating between Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin when a beeping noise emitted from his personal computer. Nick sighed and moved to a computer. He pressed a button and jerked back as a ghostly image of Counsellor Sulvik appeared on the console.
"Mr. Downey, it is agreeable to find you in your quarters at this hour."
Nick tried to control his irritation and failed. "What do you want Counsellor?"
"Such hostility is unwarranted, Mr. Downey." Sulvik replied placidly, an eyebrow raised. "I meant simply to congratulate you on your instruction on Shakespeare's comedies. It was quite sufficient."
"Um.....Thanks." Nick was shocked. It must have killed that old Vulcan buzzard to give him any credit whatsoever. If Nick wasn't so surprised he would have gloated.
"Mr. Downey, are the lights functioning in your quarters? It appears quite dim at the moment." Sulvik enquired.
For a moment, Nick panicked. A little voice somewhere inside him told him that Sulvik *knew.* But he couldn't know.
"I like it dim. I prefer to work with natural candlelight."
Just then there was a tell-tale click at his door. She was here. Sulvik must have heard the noise too, because there suddenly was a look of suspicion on the Vulcan's face.
"Am I interrupting anything, Mr. Downey?"
"No, not at all." Nick said hurriedly. "Leon Vancas (npc) was just stopping by for help on his paper."
Sulvik nodded, satisfied. "I see. I will leave you to your duties then."
As soon as he was sure the Vulcan had signed off and couldn't see him, he dashed to the door. The door opened, and June Craig was there....looking even more stunning than usual.
Nick grinned smoothly. "Welcome to my humble abode, Miss Craig."
"Mister Downey," June replied with a nod and an appreciative smile at his appearance. She then turned her attention to his quarters. It represented the first test. To her way of thinking, a cluttered room was also a cluttered mind. Berg (npc) had been like that. Although she seriously doubted that he could afford to be messy now that Bendrix had entered his life. Thankfully, Nick's room was spotless. The candle light provided a nice atmosphere. A confirmation that her host was an old hand at this type of game.
"Please have a seat, June."
June obeyed and, right when she placed on the table the copy of "The Death of the Cavalier" that she had brought with her, she noticed the very same disk a few centimetres from her.
"I see that you have one of these too," Nick said as he sat down. "I wondered whether you were familiar with the title?"
"Who isn't?" June said in an evasive way. "I would like you to sign it, Nick, that's if you wouldn't mind?" she added, sliding the flat plastic box, along with a pen, towards him.
He looked at her, puzzled. "I didn't know that you were the type to..."
"I won't disappoint you here, Nick, it's not for me, but for a so called friend of mine. Her name is Amy."
"Fair enough. Is it a hint that you don't like the cavalier series? I know it has its enemies, but I like to think that it isn't that bad. After all, the novels of Alexandre Dumas also received a barrage of bad reviews in their time, yet these stories are still popular even now."
June watched him sign the piece and said :" They are popular to 10 year olds, yes. The cavalier is a cheap series, Nick, that's why it sells to the masses. It provides for an easy dream."
Now that he had finished signing, Nick took the bottle of wine, making sure that the label wasn't visible to June. "Um... Let's see if a drink will lure you into saying something nice...?"
June observed the dark red liquid falling into the glasses. It was too smooth to be Gamzian wine, or god forbid, Bloodwine. "I like Nick Quentin Downey better than Jack Moss. I also think that you shouldn't be ashamed of what you've achieved. It's a brilliant money-making scheme. Besides, it also brings happiness into certain people's lives." She said, pausing. "The fact that these lives are often miserable is another subject altogether."
Nick grinned. "I knew that the compliment couldn't last long. So, what makes you tick, June?"
In order to muse on her answer she proposed a silent toast and took a sip of wine. It was a Pinot Noir, often dubbed Earth's greatest red grape. Probably Moss and Montefort's favourite drink. But she was determined to spend an evening with Nick, and not any of his other personalities.
"I prefer modern holonovels", she finally explained. "Detective or adventure stories, especially those set on luxurious resort centres. I know, this too sounds rather cheap. But I don't think I'd have been able to live in space for so long without a bit of escapism."
"Escapism... that's the key word, isn't it?" Nick said thoughtfully. "I mean, even intense work is nothing but a form of escapism in disguise. But I doubt that our Vulcan friends would ever accept such a concept."
"We are all in disguise, Nick. Even the two of us, tonight : dressed to kill, somewhat blasé, won't you agree?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, June?"
"I know we both have ulterior motives, and yet we just chit-chat like teenagers. It feels weird to me."
"Maybe it's because ever since I boarded the Dark Matter, you've been observing me to see when and where I would make a faux-pas?"
"You have a terribly long reputation, Nick, and I'm not a Dabo Girl."
"You also have a reputation of your own, June."
They gauged each other for a few seconds, then June said : "Heck! Let's not ruin this evening, Nick. My point is, and it should clear the air, I don't want Jack, Montefort or any of your other creations anywhere near me."
Nick grinned at her. "Phew, Nick can stay, then. More wine?"
OFF: JP by
June Craig
Lounge Manager
USS Dark Matter
and
Nick Downey
Teacher
USS Dark Matter
Day 2 Time: 18.00 Scene: Nick Downey's Quarters
Nick stared at himself in the mirror, brushing his moustache until his thin moustache until it looked just right. He had often thought about shaving it, but for some reason his fans expected to see Jack Moss, and that moustache was just as much Jack Moss as he was. He reached for a razor, but looking in the mirror again, decided the mustache made him look quite dashing- perhaps a bit like Errol Flynn, that ancient Terran swashbucker Nick had seen in those old films he collected.
Speaking of Jack Moss though, did June know about his secret life? Nick wasn't sure, though she certainly seemed like the type to read a Jack Moss holonovel but not admit to it. Nick still had an advance holodisk of "The Death of the Cavalier." He placed it surreptitiously on the corner of the table he had utilized as the serving table. If she happened to notice it...and comment on it....so much the better.
Nick admired his table-setting skills. He had thought of everything; candles, two glasses, the bottle in a bucket of ice. Now all he needed was the presence of a certain lounge manager. He was uncertain where the night would lead, but he had to admit that June Craig was certainly more interesting than most of the giggling groupies, vampish Dabo girls, and older society ladies who usually take an interest in him.
"Computer, lights down to 40 %."
As the computer complied, Nick walked to his collection of musical recordings. He was debating between Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin when a beeping noise emitted from his personal computer. Nick sighed and moved to a computer. He pressed a button and jerked back as a ghostly image of Counsellor Sulvik appeared on the console.
"Mr. Downey, it is agreeable to find you in your quarters at this hour."
Nick tried to control his irritation and failed. "What do you want Counsellor?"
"Such hostility is unwarranted, Mr. Downey." Sulvik replied placidly, an eyebrow raised. "I meant simply to congratulate you on your instruction on Shakespeare's comedies. It was quite sufficient."
"Um.....Thanks." Nick was shocked. It must have killed that old Vulcan buzzard to give him any credit whatsoever. If Nick wasn't so surprised he would have gloated.
"Mr. Downey, are the lights functioning in your quarters? It appears quite dim at the moment." Sulvik enquired.
For a moment, Nick panicked. A little voice somewhere inside him told him that Sulvik *knew.* But he couldn't know.
"I like it dim. I prefer to work with natural candlelight."
Just then there was a tell-tale click at his door. She was here. Sulvik must have heard the noise too, because there suddenly was a look of suspicion on the Vulcan's face.
"Am I interrupting anything, Mr. Downey?"
"No, not at all." Nick said hurriedly. "Leon Vancas (npc) was just stopping by for help on his paper."
Sulvik nodded, satisfied. "I see. I will leave you to your duties then."
As soon as he was sure the Vulcan had signed off and couldn't see him, he dashed to the door. The door opened, and June Craig was there....looking even more stunning than usual.
Nick grinned smoothly. "Welcome to my humble abode, Miss Craig."
"Mister Downey," June replied with a nod and an appreciative smile at his appearance. She then turned her attention to his quarters. It represented the first test. To her way of thinking, a cluttered room was also a cluttered mind. Berg (npc) had been like that. Although she seriously doubted that he could afford to be messy now that Bendrix had entered his life. Thankfully, Nick's room was spotless. The candle light provided a nice atmosphere. A confirmation that her host was an old hand at this type of game.
"Please have a seat, June."
June obeyed and, right when she placed on the table the copy of "The Death of the Cavalier" that she had brought with her, she noticed the very same disk a few centimetres from her.
"I see that you have one of these too," Nick said as he sat down. "I wondered whether you were familiar with the title?"
"Who isn't?" June said in an evasive way. "I would like you to sign it, Nick, that's if you wouldn't mind?" she added, sliding the flat plastic box, along with a pen, towards him.
He looked at her, puzzled. "I didn't know that you were the type to..."
"I won't disappoint you here, Nick, it's not for me, but for a so called friend of mine. Her name is Amy."
"Fair enough. Is it a hint that you don't like the cavalier series? I know it has its enemies, but I like to think that it isn't that bad. After all, the novels of Alexandre Dumas also received a barrage of bad reviews in their time, yet these stories are still popular even now."
June watched him sign the piece and said :" They are popular to 10 year olds, yes. The cavalier is a cheap series, Nick, that's why it sells to the masses. It provides for an easy dream."
Now that he had finished signing, Nick took the bottle of wine, making sure that the label wasn't visible to June. "Um... Let's see if a drink will lure you into saying something nice...?"
June observed the dark red liquid falling into the glasses. It was too smooth to be Gamzian wine, or god forbid, Bloodwine. "I like Nick Quentin Downey better than Jack Moss. I also think that you shouldn't be ashamed of what you've achieved. It's a brilliant money-making scheme. Besides, it also brings happiness into certain people's lives." She said, pausing. "The fact that these lives are often miserable is another subject altogether."
Nick grinned. "I knew that the compliment couldn't last long. So, what makes you tick, June?"
In order to muse on her answer she proposed a silent toast and took a sip of wine. It was a Pinot Noir, often dubbed Earth's greatest red grape. Probably Moss and Montefort's favourite drink. But she was determined to spend an evening with Nick, and not any of his other personalities.
"I prefer modern holonovels", she finally explained. "Detective or adventure stories, especially those set on luxurious resort centres. I know, this too sounds rather cheap. But I don't think I'd have been able to live in space for so long without a bit of escapism."
"Escapism... that's the key word, isn't it?" Nick said thoughtfully. "I mean, even intense work is nothing but a form of escapism in disguise. But I doubt that our Vulcan friends would ever accept such a concept."
"We are all in disguise, Nick. Even the two of us, tonight : dressed to kill, somewhat blasé, won't you agree?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, June?"
"I know we both have ulterior motives, and yet we just chit-chat like teenagers. It feels weird to me."
"Maybe it's because ever since I boarded the Dark Matter, you've been observing me to see when and where I would make a faux-pas?"
"You have a terribly long reputation, Nick, and I'm not a Dabo Girl."
"You also have a reputation of your own, June."
They gauged each other for a few seconds, then June said : "Heck! Let's not ruin this evening, Nick. My point is, and it should clear the air, I don't want Jack, Montefort or any of your other creations anywhere near me."
Nick grinned at her. "Phew, Nick can stay, then. More wine?"
OFF: JP by
June Craig
Lounge Manager
USS Dark Matter
and
Nick Downey
Teacher
USS Dark Matter