Vacation
Posted on Jul 28, 2014 @ 10:52pm by Raxl Dreyton
Edited on on Jul 28, 2014 @ 10:54pm
Mission:
The Tangled Webs We Weave
Location: Beach
= Vacation =
(cont’d from “Letting Go”)
LOCATION: Beach
STARDATE: [2.14] 0718.1140
The ocean was blue, with streaks of white, stretching out as far as the eye could see in either direction. The steady roar of the waves filled the air around him. Sometimes the breeze picked up, and brought with it the smell of the salt and the faraway calls of seagulls. It was perfect.
Raxl Dreyton was stretched out on a towel, underneath an umbrella that had been angled to keep the worst of the sun off him. Behind his dark sunglasses, his eyes were closed, and his quiet snoring couldn’t be heard of the crashing of the waves. A tipped-over glass, once half-full of strawberry daiquiri, now leaked the remainder of its contents into the thirsty sand. Three more glasses also twinkled in the sun nearby, long ago emptied and drying under the midday heat. Behind him was a sandy hill, on which sat the simple beach house that he’d called home for the last several days.
Brak picked his way carefully down the sandy slope and came to a stop next to Dreyton’s umbrella. The human didn’t stir as Brak approached, and Brak had a moment to regard Raxl Dretyon in wretched repose: the perpetual stubble had bloomed into a scruffy, graying beard, his hair had grown down almost to his shoulders, and his stomach had started to grow into a noticeable paunch. Brak had never known Raxl Dreyton to take fastidious care of himself, but lately it seemed as if the human had given up on grooming altogether.
“I’ll never understand what humans see in this place,” Brak said, loud enough to be heard over the crash of the waves .
“Go away, Brak,” Raxl Dreyton said sleepily. He didn’t stir.
“All you do is lie there,” Brak continued. “You’re probably not even awake for half of it. You know it’s free to sleep in your quarters, right?”
“I’m paid up,” Rax grumbled. “Go away.”
“Now if you had company, I could see the appeal,” Brak said. “A romantic evening, perhaps. Of course, that would mean convincing someone to voluntarily spend time with you.”
“I’m tuning you out,” Rax said.
“Of course, I *do* have quite a selection of programs made with the lonely gentleman in mind,” Brak said, with a pointy-toothed sneer. “For an additional fee, of course.”
“Not listening,” Rax said.
“Of course, you’re probably too *principled* to browse through my library,” Brak sighed, staring out into the vast blue expanse of the ocean. “You’d probably say it’s beneath your noble code of ethics or something stupid like that.”
“Not listening,” Rax repeated, more forcefully.
“Of course, when you think about it, it’s not really that much different than just doing it yourself,” Brak shrugged. “And let’s not pretend that *that’s* beneath your noble code of ethics too.”
That did it. Raxl Dreyton sat up, pulled his sunglasses off, and scowled at the Ferengi.
“What the hell do you *want*, Brak?” Raxl demanded. “I’m on vacation.”
“No, you’re *sulking*,” Brak said. “I’m guessing it’s that girl from back at Riss’s place that has you all mopey, yes?”
“I’m not sulking, I’m *relaxing*,” said Raxl.
“You’re sulking,” Brak said, toeing the knocked-over glass of strawberry daiquiri. “You only drink these when you’re feeling sorry for yourself.”
“That’s not true,” Raxl said, licking his lips. They were sweet and sticky with dried strawberry residue, and he wiped at them with the back of his hand.
“You want to blame Riss but you can’t help but feel responsible,” Brak continued. “You think revenge will make you feel better, but you know attacking Riss will get you killed. So, you stay put, but that makes you feel like a coward.”
Rax laid back down on the towel and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.
“And so, in an attempt to reconcile these conflicting emotions, you’ve decided to loaf around on a beach and get so drunk you don’t have to think about it anymore,” Brak said, staring down at Rax. “As far as solutions go, it’s very *you*.”
“Is there something you wanted, Brak?” Raxl asked.
“I have a job offer,” Brak said.
“Pass.”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Brak said, kicking some sand at Raxl. “This is the third job offer I’ve brought you this month, and you’ve passed on all of them. It’s like money doesn’t interest you anymore, and frankly I find that offensive.”
“I have money,” Raxl said.
“You don’t have enough if you’re planning to retire here,” Brak said. “Even with the friends-and-family discount.”
“If you really want to make yourself useful, you could hustle me up another daiquiri,” Raxl said, putting his sunglasses back on.
“I know you’re not interested in anyone’s opinion, but you’re right to feel guilty,” Brak said. “You *are* responsible, you know. You put that girl in that situation, and that’s why she died.”
“Fuck off, Brak.”
“Oh sure sure sure,” said Brak. “Riss is guilty too. And so was she, to an extent. But it’s not a coincidence that people around you tend to die, Dreyton. It’s like you go out of your way to piss people off. You dare half the galaxy to kill you, and you’re surprised when people get caught in the crossfire?”
“All the more reason for me to stay here,” Raxl said. “No crossfire. Unless you’ve finally decided to sell me out.”
“Your money’s still good,” Brak shrugged. “No sense in selling a paying customer. Sends a bad message.”
“So as long as I’m here, nobody’s shooting at me out there,” Raxl said. “That means nobody takes a disruptor blast that’s meant for me. And let’s not understate how stressful it usually is to be me. This is for my health as much as anyone else’s.”
“You know what your problem is?” Brak asked.
“Goddammit,” Raxl sighed. He sat up, and took of his sunglasses again. “What, Brak? What’s my problem?”
“You won’t own up to the kind of man you are,” Brak said. “You have this idea of yourself, this charming rogue , zipping around the galaxy, getting by on your wits and your luck, standing up to powerful people, never letting anyone tie you down or push you around. But that’s not really who you are. You’re a desperate man, Dreyton. Always sniffing around for an angle, always on the hunt for the easy win, because you know the kind of man you are when things get serious, and you don’t like it.”
“You don’t know me as well as you think,” Rax said, frowning at the Ferengi.
“Oh please,” Brak said, rolling his eyes. “I know you better than anyone in this whole stupid galaxy, which is a burden I did not shoulder willingly I might add. You can be yourself around me, because I’m the one person you’ve ever met that you don’t care about disappointing.”
“I’ve met lots of people I didn’t care about disappointing,” Raxl said. “You know what they all have in common? They’re scumbags.”
“Well there’s no need for name-calling,” Brak said with a sneer. “Look, Dreyton- your account is almost dry.”
“Nice try, Brak,” Raxl said, shaking his head. “I’ve got at least another week—”
“You’ve got until the end of the day,” Brak said, looking out at the ocean again. “Those daiquiris really add up.”
“I thought you said I was getting the friends-and-family discount,” Raxl said.
“I mentioned there *was* such a discount,” Brak said. “I never said you were *getting* it.”
“Even so, there’s no way I’ve drained my entire account in just six days,” Raxl said. “Not even with your mark-ups.”
“It’s been two weeks, Dreyton,” Brak said.
“Are you kidding me?!” Rax shouted, jumping to his feet so quickly he toppled his umbrella. “Why the hell didn’t you say something?!”
“I tried to bring you out for a job three times,” Brak said with a shrug. “You kept saying no.”
“And so you let me stay here for *two weeks*?!” Rax shouted, grabbing the Ferengi by his lapels. “While you helped yourself to all my money!”
“You were a good customer,” Brak said, with a toothy grin.
“Computer! End program!” Rax shouted. The beach around them disappeared, leaving them standing in a large, empty chamber. The daiquiri glasses, real and displaced by the sudden disappearance of the sand they’d been half-buried in, clinked together as they rolled around on the now barren metal floor beneath them.
“I’m not paying another credit,” Rax said. “I mean it, Brak.”
“Well, I’m afraid there’s an early-termination fee—“
“*Brak*!” Dreyton said, shaking the Ferengi.
“Which I suppose I could waive,” Brak said quickly. “For old times sake.”
Raxl released the Ferengi and turned towards the door.
“Let me know if you change your mind about that job!” Brak called after him. “And tell your friends about us!”
[=/\=]
Shawn Putnam
a.k.a.
Jake Crichton, Commander
Chief Engineering Officer
USS CENTURY