The Alpha Centauri Mystery - Part 2 by Ben Versteegt
Summary: On Alpha Centauri, after the Dominion War, a Cardassian with a phaser threatens to kill the Ferengi bartender Zaag, if he doesn't help him...
And now the continuation:
"The time is seven thirty." The cold computer voice said. "This is a wake up call. The time is seven thirty."
Sandra slowly woke up, still tired from the party last night, and turned around in her bed again. "I really have to do something about that stupid computer voice." she thought. "Maybe I can reprogram it..." Finally, she got out of bed, and put on her uniform. "Tea, hot." she ordered the replicator. She took a sip from it, but it was too hot. "When I say hot, I don't mean this hot, computer."
"Please restate your request."
"Never mind." Sandra said. She put down the cup, and undressed again. The tea had to cool down anyway, so she could use that time to take a nice sonic shower.
While she was showering, she heard a voice through her commbadge that was lying on the ground, together with the rest of the uniform.
"Lieutenant Graves to Ensign Burke. You are late, Ensign. We are waiting for you in the Science Lab."
"That's right!" Sandra remembered. Her shift began half an hour earlier today, to give the team enough time to study the samples they had collected. She rushed out of the sonic shower, put on her uniform in a hurry, and ran out of her quarters. There would be no time for breakfast at Zaag's today. Maybe lunch.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Sandra said when she arrived at the Science Labs. She had run the whole way from her quarters to the labs, and had to catch her breath before she could continue. "I completely forgot."
"I'll skip the court-martial this time, Ensign." Lieutenant Graves said. "But make sure you're not late again. Next time I won't be so... lenient."
"Aye Sir."
"Now get to work, Ensign."
Sandra went to one of the containers where the samples were stored. She carefully took one of them out of the container, and placed it under a scanning device. "Begin scan." she ordered the computer.
"Be very careful with those samples, ensign Burke." Graves said to Sandra. "They're not to be played with."
"I know, you Regullian snake-worm!" Sandra thought. But she didn't say it. "I'm glad he's not a Betazoid..."
"What exactly is so special about these samples anyway?" she asked Graves.
"That's your job to find out." was the reply.
Sandra sighed. This Lieutenant always had a reply ready. "He thinks he's so smart..." she thought. "I'll show him... someday..."
When it finally was time for her lunch-brake, Sandra decided to go to Zaag's for lunc. She didn't really like the food there - it was just food out of a replicator - but the place had an ambiance that Starfleet lacked. It was always full of interesting people and alien cultures. And she liked the bartender too.
She smiled while thinking of Zaag. The Ferengi exploited everyone he met, he would do anything for profit and he asked way too much latinum for his synthale, but... Well, Sandra thought he was cute.
She entered Zaag's bar, and looked around. The place was crowded, as usual, but her chair at the bar was still not taken. "You can say what you want about Zaag," Sandra thought, "But he sure knows how to make his regular customers feel welcome." She sat down in her chair, and waited for Zaag to notice her.
"Sandra!" Zaag shouted when he saw her. He walked towards her, pushing some of his waiters and customers aside. "How nice of you to show up. What can I get you? An Alvanian Brandy?"
"No thanks." Sandra answered. "I have to get back to duty in a few minutes. But I would like a Tarkalean tea."
"One Tarkalean tea coming up." Zaag said, as he walked to the replicator. A few moments later he returned with the drink. "Here you go." He waited a moment before he continued. He seemed to be thinking about something. "I didn't see you here this moring." he said. "I kind of expected you'd be here."
"Sorry." Sandra said. "I had to begin early today. We have received a few weird samples yesterday, so today we had to begin our research. Don't ask me why we had to research them this early, we just had to.
Researching samples and getting up early apparently go together like bacon and eggs."
"Sounds interesting, those samples."
"It's quite boring, actually." Sandra laughed. Then, as she remembered something, she looked more serious. "Although what is interesting, is that we normally receive information about samples we are researching. You know, where they were found... those kind of things. With these samples, we didn't get that information..."
"That is interesting..." Zaag said. "Very interesting..."
There was something about the way Zaag had said that, Sandra felt. Either Zaag wasn't the least bit interested, and acted - badly - like he was, or he really was interested, and then there was something going on Sandra didn't know about. "Why would Zaag be interested in those samples?" she thought.
"Zaag..." she looked the Ferengi straight into his eyes. "Is there something going on? Something I need to know?"
Zaag sighed. Then, after a moment, he moved closer to Sandra. "Listen carefully." he said, whispering. "About those samples..." He paused for a moment. "I need you help..."
