Escape from New Sydney, Act 3
Posted on Thursday 11 April 2019 @ 21:32 by
Edited on on Thursday 11 April 2019 @ 21:50
Mission:
Academy Days
Location: New Sydney (11 Years ago)
Timeline: Following Act 2, 11 years ago
1546 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure
O'Hara's Pub, New Sydney, 11 Years ago
Stephanie threw the front door of the O'Hara family business, took in a deep lungful of air and screamed at the top of her lungs. "DAFFY, YA FECKIN' WAGON! HAUL YER SORRY ARSE OUT HERE!"
Michael was the first to appear in the bar. "Stephanie Iris O'Hara!" He said as he started moving toward her. "I know you an' yer Mum don' see eye t' eye but I'll na let anaone talk t' m' wife like that, na even m' daughter. Now ya had best explain yerself, Missy or ye'll na like th' consequences."
Liam had appeared and taken up a seat on a bar stool far enough away to observe and not be involved. He idly snacked on the bar's complimentary peanuts as he watched. As far as he was concerned, this was better than a trip to the holoarcade.
"She needs t' explain herself t' me, Daddy! Ya both do! I made a bloody fool o' m'self tonight. I came in while she was cleanin' up th' broken bar stool. She told me Bokar's men were lookin' f'r me when they broke it. So I went straight 'round t' Gralth t' tell him t' leave you out of it. She used me, she manipulated me, an' both o'ya lied t' me! Why would ya borrow money from Bokar?" Stephanie seethed with barely contained fury and was still seething as her father tried to block her path to prevent her from tearing through the pub and the upstairs apartment in search of her mother.
It was then that Daphne appeared behind the from the back room and strode straight in behind the bar, with the object of keeping it between herself and her rage-filled offspring. She picked up a rag and feigned wiping a spot on the bar. "I'll not deal with you till you've a civil tongue in yer head, young lady."
Michael cringed. He knew that would pull every trigger the girl had. Before he had realized he had done it, The O'Hara family patriarch had caught a flailing Stephanie about the waist as she tried to charge the bar. He sat his kicking, grunting and cursing child on a bar stool at the opposite end from where Daphne was standing. He held her there with his hands gripping her shoulders. "Steffy, Imma let ya go. Before I do, I need ya t' promise me yer gonna sit still an' be calm an' stay sittin' th' feck down. D'ya promise?"
"No. I'm about t' kill yer bitch wife." Stephanie said flatly.
Michael had had enough. "Look, ya ungrateful little bint! Yer mother an' I provide a roof over yer head, the food ya eat an' th' clothes on yer back an' I'd see ya treat th' both o' us with a fair sight more respect." Michael then turned on his wife, jabbing a finger in her direction. "An' you. If I knew were this kind o' manipulative she-witch, ye'd still be workin' f'r Madme Badox. An' t' yer own daughter, no less! What kinda example are ya settin' f'r our children? I'm fed way th' feck up with botha yer shite an' I'll na have it in m' house anymore!" To punctuate the point he let go of Stephanie with one hand which he balled up into a fist and slammed down on the bar. He walked behind the bar, past Daphne who smartly made it a point to not be in his way and poured himself a drink.
Stephanie stood up from the stool and walked away from the bar, up the stairs and into the apartment. She ignored the glare from Michael. Twenty minutes later she came down with a bag slung over her shoulder. Michael and Liam were nowhere to be seen, but Daphne stood behind the bar, still wiping that same spot with that same rag.
"It's a wonder ya've na worn off th' varnish. Pretendin' t' be useful must be exhaustin'." Stephanie said as she turned tward the door.
"Off to stay with yer whore of a girlfriend?" Daphne didn't like Sarah a t all. The feeling was mutual.
"Funny comin' from you," She said. "The only reason yer not still turnin' tricks is because ya bewitched an innocent, hardworkin' man with a good heart inta startin' a family tha' he didn't wan'. An' why? Because your selfish arse didn't wanna be a whore any more but blow jobs are yer only marketable skill. Liam an' I aren't yer children. We're yer leverage. Daddy deserves better than you, an' so do we."
"Why you self-righteous, arrogant little bitch! Who in the hell do you think you are?" Daphne asked, giving her daughter a look could have melted neutronium.
"I thought I was your daughter... But a mother doesn't do t' her daughter what you did to me. Now I think I'm th' child of a single parent. Yer more a child than I am." She walked out of the bar.
Several hours later, on the other side of the colony, among the cramped, single room flats that occupied the lower rent district of New Sydney, Stephanie sat on the queen-size mattress that occupied over half the room.There was no bed frame, no box spring. just a mattress on the floor. Aside from a small video screen and a barely functional replicator, there was no other furnishings. Stephanie wasn't here for the decor. She was here for the company. A gorgeous woman with hair, eyes and skin all shades of deep milk chocolate stood in front of the replicator and kicked it once. Doing so made it whir into life and produce a steaming mug of something...
"How goes the search?" Sarah asked as she handed the mug to Stephanie.
"Frustratin'. At this rate, I'm na sure how imma get what Bokar wants by t'morrow. I may be in serious trouble here." She set the terminal aside and took the mug. "Thanks babe." She took a sip.
She spit it out. "Sweet baby Jesus! What is that?"
"Raktajino?" Sarah said sheepishly...
"Baby, when was th' last time you had this replicator serviced?" Stephanie asked her voice full of genuine concern. "Lemme take a look at it."
Sarah held up her hand. "Absolutely not," she said, then drew closer to Stephanie and put the hand on the redhead's shoulder. "I don't want you to think I'm letting you stay here just for free replicator maintenance. She kissed the redhead on the nose.
Stephanie smiled slyly. She leaned in slowly and began nuzzling Sarah's neck. "Perish th' thought," She purred. " I thought ya were lettin' me stay here because I was good in bed. Th' fact tha' I can fix yer replicator is just a bonus."
Sarah tried to give Stephanie a judgmental look, but couldn't hold it up as her face cracked into a smile. She held one hand up to Stephanie's face to stop her from continuing. "Dial back your warp drive there, Miss Thing," she said. "Since my replicator doesn't appear to be up to the task, I am going out to get us some coffee. And you..." She gently but firmly pushed Stephanie's face away with her open palm, "...Have a deadline."
Twenty minutes later when Sarah returned, Stephanie had the replicator in small bits, spread out on a kitchen counter that was far too cramped for the task. She meticulously examined, cleaned and set each part aside. She was so absorbed with the task that she did not her the other woman enter, and only looked up when Sarah cleared her throat loudly and deliberately right behind her.
"And just what do you think you're doing, Miss Thing?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I'm using differential calculus to solve a complex set of equations to explore a method of travel faster than warp ten."
Sarah blinked. "I'm never sure if you're kidding when you say things like that."
"Good," Stephanie smiled broadly. "Wha' does it look like I'm doin?"
"It looks like you took apart my replicator..."
"An entirely self-servin' venture I assure you. I can't afford t' sleep until I'm done, and I don't want you to keep going out for more."
"Paranoid much?"
"It's na paranoia if they actually ARE out to get you. If Bokar had a mind t', they'd snatch ya up off the streets and dangle yer life out like a carrot on a stick... An' mos' likely kill ya anyway t' get their jollies. If somethin' bad happened t' ya because o' me, I'd na be able t' live with m'self."
Sarah sighed audibly and asked "Well, if you're so worried, shouldn't you be looking for whatever Bokar wants?"
"Who says I'm na? I'm runnin' a decryption algorithm and I'm at an impasse until it's done. I thought I would do somethin' nice f'r the most beautiful woman in th' quadrant... Ya know, t' pass th' time."
"Really? What could she possibly want with my replicator?"
"Raktajino."
LTjg Stephanie O'Hara
Chief Engineer
USS Merlin
