Well, it's that time again. A new chapter is here!
Chibi-T: The horrors!
Ugh! Why don't you just go away, Chibi-T?
Chibi-T: Someone has to prevent people from reading your awful stories…
For my disclaimer, go back to chapter one. I shouldn't have to write it more than once!!
Chibi-T: But for the record, she doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Star Trek. All she owns is this pathetic story…
*sniff* So cruel… But anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter 3 ! I really enjoyed writing it!
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Chapter Three
Mokuba continued to lead me around the station, bouncing along happily while I walked sulkily behind him.
"Where are we going?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. The station was bigger than it looked.
"I told you, we're going to go eat," said Mokuba.
"Don't talk to me like that! I want to know exactly where we're going to eat." I snapped. Mokuba didn't seem fazed.
"We're going to Quark's."
The name hit me hard. Quark? The Ferengi bartender? No. I couldn't do it. Confronting Quark was to much. The Ferengi were like parodies of businessmen. I found it very annoying and insulting. Although, I must admit, I often found myself quoting the Rules of Acquisition to myself (so no one could hear) while engaging in business. It helped me focus. But meeting a Ferengi, especially this one, would be… embarrassing. Then again, I really didn't have much of a choice. Mokuba was dragging me along the Promenade like a dog on a leash. It was sickening.
After a few more turbo lift rides and some more walking, we stood at the entrance to the bar. Inside, people were laughing, drinking, eating, and talking. I didn't like it. Being in social circles always irked me. Holographic ones were no different.
"Come on, Seto! Let's find a table!" Mokuba said happily. "Or, on second thought, let's sit at the counter!'
"No. No counters." I said firmly. "Let's just find a nice, quiet table in a nice, secluded corner of this God-forsaken bar."
"Oh, alright," Mokuba said, disappointed.
"Good." I took charge, leading Mokuba over to a small table in the back, away from the gamblers and their Dabo wheels. Mokuba and I sat across from each other and were quiet. That is, until a shrill voice shattered our silence.
"Mokuba!" At the sound of the voice, Mokuba's face lit up. I turned to see who it was.
It was Quark.
I had wanted to avoid anymore "familiar faces", but, of course, everyone loved my brother. But you couldn't blame Mokuba for it. It wasn't his fault everyone liked him.
"Hey, Quark!" Mokuba called as the Ferengi made his way over to our table. He was panting, which wasn't surprising, given that he was not very physically fit.
"So, what'll it be, Mokuba?" asked Quark as he approached our table. He didn't acknowledge my presence. Maybe he didn't know who I was. Maybe here, he and I were enemies. Maybe…
"Oh, Mr. Kaiba!"
…...Maybe not.
"it's great to see you back!" Quark went on. "And by the way, one of my holosuites is malfunctioning. The customers are complaining, and Chief O'Brian doesn't have the time to figure out what's wrong with it, so could you take a look at it? Thanks." He said all this so fast I could barely catch a word. Quark wasn't bothered by my stunned silence either, apparently.
"I'll have a Raktijino to start," said Mokuba.
"And for the main course…?"
"The usual."
"Comin' right up," Quark said. "And what about you, Mr. Kaiba?"
"Um…." I racked my brain trying to think of futuristic beverages. "I'll have a Tarkailian Tea," I said at last.
"Alright, then!" Quark said as he skipped off to procure the drinks.
"Tarkailian Tea?" Mokuba asked, bewildered.
"Raktijino?" I shot back.
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Mokuba and I had finally started a decent conversation when our drinks arrived, and with them came a little surprise: Two plates of Gakk.
Quark set the food (if you could call it that) in front of us and went off to tend to another customer. I stared at my plate in horror.
Gakk was a Klingon favorite. They were like large, dark worms, and they were to be eaten alive. I got a little green as I watched them squirm around my plate like a mass of living, yet rotting, spaghetti. Clapping a hand over my mouth, I looked up at Mokuba. I almost puked.
Mokuba was busy shoveling forkfuls of the hideous things in his mouth.
"Mmm," he said after he swallowed. He looked over at me. "Something wrong? He inquired.
"………….."
"Oh, don't worry!" Mokuba laughed. "I know ever since you had that plate of dead Gakk you've been hesitant to eat them again, but I assure you, these are fresh and very much alive."
No kidding," I said, pushing a wayward worm back onto the plate. I could not eat this. There was no way. Oh… wait. It wasn't real. I wouldn't be able to feel or taste it. So I could stomach it. I could pretend to eat it.
Slowly I lifted a forkful of the Klingon delicacy to my mouth. One of them squirmed off the fork and on to the dish below to join it's disgusting kin. I gulped and shifted my gaze away from my fork. Even if I couldn't taste them, I was afraid I would gag just thinking about it. I took a deep breath and popped them into my mouth.
"Gak!" I choked.
"Yes, it's Gakk..." Mokuba said uneasily.
"No! I…." I dashed over to the nearest vacant table, where an empty bowl, waiting to be picked up by a waiter, lay.
BLORCH.
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"I still can't believe you barfed!" Mokuba was still ranting an hour later back in my quarters. I wasn't paying much attention. I had more important things on my mind
I had eaten Gakk. More importantly, I had tasted Gakk. I was sure of it. The revolting taste still lingered in my mouth. And it shouldn't have. I shouldn't have been able to consume anything in that imaginary place. It just wasn't possible.
"Seto? Are you listening?" Mokuba said angrily. I wasn't listening.
"Where did all that come from? I didn't eat anything all day..." I mumbled.
"Oh good grief!" Mokuba said, throwing his hands in the air. "I give up!"
"Good," I said. "I'm sick of your whining. So I barfed. Big deal. I'm sure plenty of people have done the same after eating the Ferengi's awful food."
"Well I…" Mokuba was cut short by the bleeping of the door chime.
"Come in!" I called, exasperated. The chime rang again.
"Come in1" Mokuba called. Whoever was out there ignored us and rang yet again.
"OH, GET IN HERE ALREADY!!" Mokuba and I said in unison. Some times my brother and I think alike.
Slowly the heavy door slid open as Mokuba and I looked on. A short, spiky-haired person cautiously entered.
"Yugi." I spat.
"Se- Kaiba," Yugi said, catching himself before he called me by my first name. Smart move.
"What do you want?" I said glaring at him.
Mokuba, sensing conflict, wisely backed away. He knew what I was like when I was angry.
And I was very angry.
"I…" Yugi faltered.
"If you don't have anything to say that's worth my time, then leave."
Yugi swallowed, then stood up straight. There was a new confidence, a new determination, in his large violet eyes. And for a split second, you could almost see why he became the captain of a Federation warship. Almost. But it was gone as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Kaiba, I have an assignment for you."
"I don't take assignments from you."
"Well then, Starfleet has an assignment for you."
"I don't take orders from them either."
"You are a Starfleet officer-"
"Not anymore."
"You're still enlisted!"
"I'm resigning."
Yugi sighed, seeing it was pointless to argue.
"Fine. But hear me out."
"Make it quick. I'm sick of hearing your voice."
Yugi's expression showed that he was very hurt by my comments, but his words showed no such emotion.
"There's been unusual Romulan activity in Federation territory. They're renegade ships led by a power-hungry treasure hunter. Or so it would seem."
"You don't know?"
"That's our mission. To find out."
"You're even more of a moron than I thought. You're gonna send the Millennium on an intelligence mission? She's a warship. It's way too conspicuous!"
"Maybe so. But we're the only ship in the Federation besides the Defiant with a cloaking device."
"Do you really think I care about your stupid mission?" I asked.
"I don't know," Yugi replied quietly. "But this is an important mission. A lot of things could go wrong. So I need good officers. Officers I can trust."
"What are you saying?" He couldn't have meant….
"I want- no, I need your help."
…….My help?.......
"I'm offering you your old job as chief engineer of the U.S.S. Millennium."
~To Be Continued~
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I love those cliffhangers… Anyway, I've already started to draft the fourth chapter, and it seems this story is going to get a little more serious than I had intended… but not too serious. ^_^
Chibi-T: Well, just don't foul it up too badly….
I'm ignoring that… Oh, yeah! I want to thank all of you wonderful people who reviewed… it makes me so happy to know you all like it! I only hope this story lives up to everyone's expectations. I'll leave more specific notes to the reviewers next time, okay? Well, until the next chapter… See ya later!
Chibi-T: I'll be there, too….
