"Who said anything about a shower?" K'Lara stared which caused Lataro to stop laughing. They looked at each other, and they felt a sudden magnetism between them that they had to obey.
They closed the gap between them and embraced each other in a deep and passion-filled kiss. Lataro picked K'Lara up and headed into his bedroom.
K'Lara's head now nuzzled on Jonathan Lataro's arm. He was laying on his back with a hand behind his head and K'Lara laying beside him as he stared in to the darkness. The two of them had just had a passionate evening. One for the record book, Lataro thought. He just laid there and smiled delightfully surprised at the way their relationship was progressing. Jon still couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago he was a new officer aboard the Virgo, unrecognized by the lady who now sleeps soundlessly beside him.
Jonathan just couldn't sleep. The away mission still bothered him. He knew that he could've done a better job on it, and with the captain not showing his delight with it made him nervous. I think that I am going to go back over there, he thought. He looked over to his nightstand to see what time it was but his eyes just couldn't focus.
"Computer! What is the current time?" he asked as quietly he could not to awaken K'Lara.
<It is 0230 hours.>
K'Lara stirred slightly and opened her eyes. "Hi, Lover," she said softly.
Jon smiled. "Hi," he said kissing her forehead.
"You okay?" she said lifting her head up far enough to see him.
"Yeah. I am just fine, hon. Just thinking."
"Really? About what?"
"Nothing in particular. Go back to sleep."
"Well..." she said rolling on top of him. "I am not sure that I am sleepy any more!"
"Really? Well I think I may just have to take care of that won't I?" he said with a smile. Jonathan reached up and grabbed her head gently pulling her head down to kiss her.
Lataro had slipped out from bed and written a small note on his PADD for K'Lara. He now was on the deck in uniform heading for the bridge. The early morning crew was not reporting for duty, so the halls were still empty. Lataro made his way through the winding maze of halls and decks to reach the a functioning turbolift. Ensign Trent's engineering teams and his own Damage Control teams were still out repairing the massive damage sustained from the last attack. Included in the damaged systems were a number of turbolifts, and still the hallway where his quarters were. Finally, Lataro found a turbolift and entered it. "Bridge."
Commander Surok and Ensign Valdago were on the bridge. Lataro immediately noticed Ensign Valdago dozing off at Ops and tapped him on the shoulder. "Tired, Ensign?"
Valdago immediately popped to in the seat and looked over his shoulder to see Lataro gleaming down at him. "No, sir!" he said frantically.
"Good, then stay awake."
"Commander Lataro, what can I do for you? I believe that you have today off," Commander Surok asked.
A smile formed on Lataro's face. Commander Lataro... hmmm... has a ring to it. Too bad it is not Captain Lataro, he thought. Lataro had just got a promotion from Captain Maruu. He didn't quite understand him. At times he thought that the Captain was unhappy with the work Lataro was doing, but at times like these he gets a promotion. Go figure. I must be doing something right.
At present, the thing that concerned Lataro was the Klingon Battle Cruiser. It was known that the mission didn't pay off as the Captain had hoped for, so Lataro wanted to correct that. "Commander Surok. I would like to investigate the J'Rigagh once more." Lataro asked sitting next to the commander.
"I do not understand. Have you not all ready been on board and produced nothing of consequence?"
"Yes. However, the captain expected more and I didn't provide it. We only went to engineering. I would like to investigate the rest of the ship."
"Your thought processes are logical and your motivation is justified, however, I do not see any other data you can obtain from being over there."
"Commander, as I said, we only went to engineering. I didn't even look what was in the cargo bays or what happened to the crew. Many questions are still left unanswered."
"How long will you be if I was to authorize this away mission?"
"Sir, with all due respect, the last time a time limit was imposed, I didn't not get anything. Let me look and take as much time as necessary."
After a few minutes of thought, Surok finally agreed with one limitation, a constant com line open.
"Agreed."
K'Lara turned over and threw her arm over an empty space. She felt around, but no one was there. Her hand came across the PADD that Lataro left for her which startled her. "Jon?" she asked. "Computer. Lights!"
K'Lara sat up and her eyes slowly adjusted to the light. She began reading the PADD:
My Dearest K'Lara,
I didn't want to wake you so I left this note for you. I couldn't sleep and was going crazy about that mission on board the J'Rigagh, so I am going to go at it again. By the time you wake, I will either be there beside you or on my way back, but you probably are going to be mad at me at any rate. I am sorry, but please don't be mad at me. This is something to help satisfy my mind, and I appreciate everything you did or tried to do to help me, but I guess, knowing myself, I have to complete this mission even if it kills me. Besides the fact that your shift starts in a few hours, you probably wouldn't have been able to go with me, but I guess I could have been considerate enough to ask. Please don't be mad.
Love,
Jon
"Computer, where is Lt. Commander Lataro?"
<Commander Lataro is no longer aboard the Virgo.>
Location: J'Rigagh
The environmental suit shut out most of the noise, and the only thing heard was his own movements and breathing. The ship was dark and spooky just like it was the first time Lataro and the away team was there. His light illuminated the hall enough for him to see about 10 feet. Lataro had all ready inspected the upper decks and the remnants of the bridge level. Klingon warriors had once graced this area but now nothing of the bridge remained. It had been blown away by what looked like a chronoton missile. The damage was extensive and the crater was open to space. The only thing that kept Lataro in place was the magboots which he had on. He whipped out his tricorder to get a sample reading of some of the ship when he noticed a blinking light in the remnants of a control panel. Lataro approached it carefully and noticed that the light was part of a series of lights that registered the cargo bays of the ship. Also, it had a display that showed that there was partial life support in Cargo Bay One.
Interesting. I wonder what they have down there? he thought.
"Lataro to Virgo."
[Go ahead, Commander.]
"I am reading some life support functions still active on board. Can you verify?"
[There are faint signs coming from within the ship.]
"Confirmed. I am going to check it out."
Lataro began walking down the corridors. Each deck was a mirror image of the other: dead, lifeless, and dark. Klingon bat'leths and daggers occasionally floated helplessly in space as other personal artifacts also floated around. Items such as family crests, and sashes floated helplessly as Lataro walked by. Finally, he reached Cargo Bay One. He pulled out his tricorder, took a reading, and determined that the door was still functional. Behind the the doors came faint signals of something but did register that minimal life support was being upheld in there. He wondered immediately why he didn't see this, or rather Lt. Richardson didn't see this before.
"Lataro to LaForge. I would like a site-to-site transport. Five meters north of my current position."
The familiar tingling began at Lataro's torso and ended at all extremities. He was beginning to hate this, but just as he started to become accustomed to it, he had rematerialized just where he said he wanted: five meters from the bulkhead door. On the other side, he saw what was giving off the reading, a collection of animals that seemed to have no pattern were locked in cages. He didn't understand what these cages were for, but maybe a science team from the Virgo might have better luck as to finding out what this was all about.
"Lataro to Virgo."
No answer.
"Lataro to LaForge."
Again no answer.
"Hmm. I don't like that," he whispered.
From behind, something with great strength picked up Lataro. Lataro begin flailing his arms and legs trying to figure out who or what had him. He could not see his assailant.
"What?! Lataro to Virgo! Come in Virgo!" he said frantically. Suddenly, with great force, Lataro was hurled through the air in such a way that it knocked Lataro out. His head banged the inside of his helmet with such great force that it cracked his helmet and sent blood trickling down his face. He now laid like a rag doll on the floor as the mysterious figure loomed over him.