What is wrong with people?

Posted on Sat Nov 9th, 2019 @ 5:30am by High Commissioner Jasmine Haynes & Patton O'Sullivan
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:16pm

1,735 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: 2429-12-03, 12:00 hrs

Jasmine could not believe what had transpired, a couple of hours ago. She was heading to the mess hall, to grab some lunch. She could not believe that Commander Viol, was willing to throw away their life, for a trivial asinine backwards belief system. She started to grab a plat of food.

Patton was coming down the corridor his mind on the day and what had transpired. He always dissected things to see what he could have done differently. A smile crossed his face when he met Jasmine at the mess hall door.

“It must be fate.” Paddy smiled, his eyes lighting up. “Want to sit together?”

Great she thought to herself, mister Romeo wants to sit with her. She liked the attention. But after dealing with the viol crisis. She was not sure, she wanted the company. But she could not be rude either. "Sure, why are you so chippy, if you say cause of me, I may smack you." She said, not wanting to hear some corny line.

“We won the day,” Patton replied. “And I hate eating alone, I am happy you are here.”

Jasmine did not his sentiment on how the day went. "Won the day? Commander Voil is allowing herself to be an escape goat. How is that a victory?" She asked Patton, curious to see what he was going to say. As she walked over to the serving bar.

“Wait!” Patton hurried after her. “What are you talking about!”

"The scientist we were working with. Commander Viol is being executed for failure to anticipate a failure in the launching test." Jasmine called out angrily. Jasmine was not sure if he knew. That would explain, his comment about being a victory day.

“We need to do something!” Patton responded with anger. “That is wrong, we can’t just stand by and let them kill her!”

"Prime directive is clear, we can't do a dame thing about it." Jasmine said, as her irish accent, was layed on a little thick. Like Patton, she was also upset, and that irish temper of hers, was starting to show.

“Then it’s wrong,” Patton growled. “Viol is one of us, more than theirs. We can’t just sit by and do nothing!” His eyes glittered. “There has to be something we can do!”

"Sadly know, now its up to the Admiral, to make that tough decision luckily." Jasmine said. She knew at her rank, she could get a command of her own. But on days like today, she was glad it was not her call to make.

Patton sat back in his chair. “It has to be difficult! Easy for me to say storm the palace as it were but I really liked her.”

"You did?" Jasmine asked, she wondered in what way he liked her. After all he was trying to pursue her. Was this his way of saying, he is giving up?

“Yeah she was like a sister,” Patton explained. “I mean I don’t have any but what I imagine.” He smiled at her.

"I see." Jasmine was not sure if she believed this like a sister bit. But she had no reason to be jealous, they were not an item. But she found it strange, that she started to grow an attraction to the Irishman.

“I hate our rules sometimes,” Patton confessed. “I get the reasoning behind not interfering in other cultures but don’t you think that there are exceptions?”

"It's not our place to question the morality of it all. We are Starfleet officers, we have an obligation to uphold the prime directive." Jasmine told him. They enforced the rules, not make them.

Patton shook his head. “I still don’t like it.” He looked at her. “I understand the rules and have sworn to uphold them but it doesn’t mean I have to agree.”

"Actually it does, as a security officer, you took an oath to uphold them." Jasmine reminded him. Despite how they felt, they had a duty.

Patton rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t mean I have to like them then. You can’t tell me that you think every rule we have you totally are comfortable with.”

"As I told you, its not about me being comfortable with the rules. I just need to enforce them. It's up to the Federation, to make policy." Jasmine said to him. She liked the fact he was speaking his mind. Like a good irish man should.

“I will enforce the rules,” Patton nodded. “We are in agreement on that. There are just some that make no sense to me at all. And they don’t have to, they weren’t just blindly made but made with good reason.”

Jasmine thought to herself, she could really use a beer, he was talking way to much about the prime directive, she thought about kissing him again, to get him to shut up about the rules, they have to follow. But she did that, then she would only be strengthening his point, that rules should be broken or challenged. Right now they were on duty. It was not appropriate to kiss another officer, while on duty.

“Hey,” Patton grinned. “You want a drink? I will get us both one. Then I have a funny story to tell you.” He thought for a moment. “You may not find it funny but I did.” He wanted to move past this conversation and talk about something else. They couldn’t change the rules. He hoped they would find a way to save Viol but at this moment he wanted to get to know Jasmine a little more.

"Can't drink on the job, unless you are referring to get another cup of coffee. Then I might be up for that." She pointed out to him, throwing him a bone. They were irish, and drinking at noon, would be acceptable on Earth, but not on the presidents flagship. She could see news now, President's Chief of Security intoxicated on duty. The president leads his crew to drinking. That would cover so well on the Federation News Network.

“Did you forget I don’t drink much?” Patton grinned. “Your mission to get me to be a good Irish drinker?”

"Not at 12pm, there are limits you know." She pointed out to him. She had no idea, why she was being so mean to him. She liked the chase game he was playing, but she was still trying to get over John. And she did not want to confuse herself. She was desperately trying to keep Patton at an arms length. But he had a way of weaseling into her good graces. She could not help but find it charming and annoying.

“Jasmine,” Patton said with a smile. “Would you like a refill On your coffee? A cup of tea? Lemonade? Juice.” She didn’t know what to do with him and he liked that.

"Why not, Coffee with two irish creamers and 2 sugars. I like my coffee sweet." Jasmine told Patton, as slide over her cup to him.

Patton grabbed her cup, along with his and headed off. Soon, he returned and sat hers down in front of her. Taking a seat he took a drink. “Believe it or not I forgot the story I was going to tell you.” Patton grinned. “I guess it wasn’t that memorable.”

"Then what should we talk about?" Jasmine asked him, a little lost on what to do next? Did she take her leave, or keep going through this interesting luncheon she was having with him?

“When this is over would you like to watch a movie over some popcorn?” Patton asked her. “Any movie you want to see.”

"A date, really. You realize I have a boyfriend right?" Jasmine said, thinking to herself he is coming on to strong. Ya she kissed him, but it was more of an experiment. Not an invitation to start dating.

“Does that mean we can’t be friends?” Patton raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were past the age where women couldn’t have male friends.”

"You don't want to be friends, you have made that very clear to me." Jasmine said to him, waiting to see what he was going to say.

“You are right that I would like more,” Patton agreed. “But I would still like to be friends. I won’t put pressure on you, as you said you still have a boyfriend. I’m not going to encroach on that. I will accept friendship unless at some point you indicate you would like more.”

"Do you think this insistence will pay off?" Jasmine asked him. She was curious, how long he would chase her for. In some ways it was flattering. In others, it was annoying. He deserved to be happy.

“I do,” Patton replied with a bit of emotion in his voice. “Because I am being honest and my hope is eventually you will see that I care about you.” This was hard for him he didn’t put himself out there. “We don’t choose those we care about but I knew from the moment I met you that you were going to be special to me. I am going to give it my best by being honest and showing you how so feel.”

Jasmine almost melted by his sweet words. She still had a boyfriend? Or did she? It was so confusing. She knew John would not want her to wait for him. All Jasmine could do was smile. While she struggled with what to say. "That is very sweet of you say, you may be waiting a while." She pointed out to him. But deep inside, she felt closer to him.

“You are worth waiting for,” Patton replied with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”

"I can't make you any promises today." Jasmine said. She was emotionally torn for her feelings for John, and for him. He was starting to creep his way into her life.

“I am not asking for any,” Patton assured her. “All I want is this chance.”

"Your not making this easy, to turn you down." Jasmine said, with a nervous smile. She liked his persistence.

“I’ m not planning to,” Patton smiled. “Anything less wouldn’t show you how committed I am.”

"Alright, but I can't promise you anything." She said, as the scene starts to fade.

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