An unusual arrival

USS Spectre:

“Okay, it should be good to go. Let’s send me over first.”

Rogers and Shar Noor had spent the last two hours getting a quirk out of the transporter system. It had manifested itself after the return from Earth’s past and was probably due to a chronometric cross-circuit. Not dangerous; just annoying in that the bio filtre had a tendency to not recognize random non-biological patterns. Having completed a level one diagnostic and going over the pattern buffer, bio filtre and imaging scanners, the two were confident that they had eliminated the glitch. Placing himself on the main transporter pad’s centre spot and holstering his personal padd, David nodded for the Chief Engineer to initiate transport to the confrence room on deck seven of the star base.

Star Base 10:

Materializing just inside the main confrence room doors, David momentarily looked about at the assembled crew’s of Lotus Fleet, then noticed that it was slightly chilly in the confrence room. Looking down at himself, shock replaced his puzzled frown. He had successfully transported across, but the bio filtre had decided that his uniform was not neccessary. David stood, sans uniform, clad only in his standard utility belt and comm badge. Spinning about quickly, David slapped his comm badge hard, nearly bumping into a wide-eyed, red faced Lt. Commander Rivers in the process.

“Shar!”, he shouted hurriedly. “Beam me back!”

Just before the energization occured, Rogers’ motion at the confrence doors triggered their sensors, and they hissed open to reveal the corridor outside, teaming with base personell going to and fro. A handfull of these were standing about chatting and had glanced over when the doors had opened. They were startled to see the naked half human, half romulan framed in the doorway. A couple of the female yeomen smirked, one lieutenant let out a wolf whistle while a third, a commander, showed a definate frown of disapproval before David was caught in the transport beam and faded from their sight within the transport haze.

USS Spectre:

“No need Commander,” Shar said before David could utter a word. “I’ve corrected the problem already. The bio filtre read your uniform as hazardous and kept it in the buffer. I bet that was embarrasing,” he added with a grin.

Not bothering to reply, David just glared at his ship mate, the ‘Duh’ expression showed his thoughts toward the chief engineer’s joke sufficiently. Shar was adjusting the filtre controls already.

“Got it commander. A slight discrepancy between the filtre’s organic phase variance settings. We’re good now.”

Stepping off the pad David moved toward the controls.

“Okay, Mr. ‘We’re good now’! You go first!”

Once Shar Noor was in position David energized the system, watching the controls closely, and beamed him into the confrence room. His comm badge shirped immediately.

“Safe and intact commander. See ya in a few seconds.”

Star Base 10:

Confident now, Rogers set the controls for a thirty second delay, walked to the pad, and took position. As the timer reached zero, David was beamed back over to the star base confrence room. As he materialized, David quickly checked that his uniform was still with him then, slightly red faced, he followed his ship mate toward Captain Summers, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone in the room.

His arrival, both of them as it were, had not escaped the four keen eyes of the captain of the Artemis. But he nodded respectfully at the first officer of the Spectre as he passed by.

Andorians had no taboo whatsoever regarding nudity; but Kheren knew well that such was not the case with most humanoids... especially Humans, full blodded or otherwise. And so, he hoped his short but obviously respectful gesture would help the man get back some of his dignity.

After all, there were now more important things to worry about.

Kheren did not miss either the alert, cautious response of the Bajoran officer with Lieutenant Commander pips and security gold on his collar. Again he nodded, this time in appreciation as much as respect, exchanging a glance with Tyvya, his own acting chief of security.

If they should all become alert like this, we might just pull this off against the odds, he tought and saw the same thought in the icy blue eyes of the giantess.

They both remembered painfully how their ship had almost been commandeered by an impostor and by savage fanatics, just because thy had become lax in mere basic security protocols. From then on, they had allvowed on the Artemis to never fall prey to such complacency ever again; and especially not in these trying times.

Now, it would be easier to infiltrate Starfleet Command Headquarters than the Artemis... but Kheren felt releived to see that other officers in the fleet had caught on.

Yes, he tought again, we just might...