I know you all, and will a while uphold
The unyoked humor of your idleness
- William ShakespeareIt is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all.
- James Thurber
"What do you want to do today, Alex?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do today, Jo?"
"I dunno, whadda you wanna do today?"
"I dunno whadda YOU wanna do today?"
"Duhhh, I don't know, what do YOU--"
"Will you two morons shut up!" shouted Max, and Jo and Alex burst out laughing. It was the same stupid comedy routine every morning since their forced 'vacation', and it was wearing a little thin, at least to Max. Jo and Alex on the other hand, never seemed to get enough of this ridiculous sort of tom-foolery, and it just drove her nuts. Which was the main reason they did it, Max suspected.
Carter meanwhile, was doing her best to ignore the entire exchange, just as she had been the previous several mornings, opting instead to stare wistfully out the 'El Taco' restaurant's windows at Starbase 901's enormous Promenade and all the people busily going about their business.
Naturally, as was her wont, Sam was sitting quietly, keeping an eye out for the ruggedly handsome El Taco manager Rick. He surprised her though by approaching the Banshees' table from behind her seat, and she gave an involuntary squeak when she heard his voice, and tried to hide behind Max.
"Good morning ladies," he said in his usual casual manner. "What's Starbase 901's loveliest starfighter squadron got on their schedule today, eh? Dogfighting Mullurans? Repelling pirates? Outhaggling Ferengi?"
"We're on vacation!" bleated Alex plaintively.
"The hell you say!" exclaimed Rick, looking at Carter for confirmation of this most extraordinary claim and receiving a nod. "What are you going to do?"
Max shot a glance at Alex and Jo and saw the twinkles in their eyes and decided to cut them off before another bout of juvenile hilarity ensued. "They don't know," she answered.
"Hmm," said Rick, scratching his chin. "There's always Serenity…"
"Been there," replied Jo, deadpan.
"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something," replied Rick, and after flashing Sam a quick wink, sauntered off to mingle with some of his other customers.
After finishing breakfast, the five ladies found their feet leading them in the direction of Docking Bay 94, where their Cat's Eye recon ship was berthed.
"Let's hang out with Cross and Dexter," suggested Alex.
"Yeah, I'm sure Dex won't mind seeing you," teased Jo, elbowing Alex in the ribs. It was no secret Dexter Gray, that the youthful sensor specialist aboard the Cat's Eye had taken an instant liking to the equally young starfighter pilot Alex.
"Well, I suppose you all can come along," Matthew Cross told Carter with a measure of hesitation in his voice. "But are you sure you want to? We're just scheduled to map some large asteroids out in the Belt today."
"Beats listening to these two all day," groused Max, hitching her thumb at Jo and Alex.
Cross shrugged. "Have it your way," he said, "but don't complain if you get bored out of your minds."
"Thanks, Cross," said Carter with a smile.
Cross acknowledged her gratitude with a thin smile of his own and a curt nod of his head. "Fasten yourselves in. We're about to launch."
"Here, Alex," said Dexter, rising from the sensor station along the starboard side of the cockpit. "You can sit in my chair."
Alex smiled sweetly and seated herself. "Thanks, Dex," she said.
With Cross in the pilot's seat and Dexter taking the co-pilot's, Carter, Max and Alex in the other three cockpit chairs, and Jo and Sam back in the ship's rear living compartment, the Cat's Eye lifted gently from the deck plates and slipped out through the hangar's atmospheric shielding. In a flash of warp particles, it was gone.
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