gorkon Lt. (j.g.) Tahna Meru - Dogs: Fluffy, Slobbery, Precious, Best Experienced Outside

[Alieth]

The MAYHEM @Tahna Meru 😂

((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Gorkon))

 

Gorkon bingo.

 

What a concept.

 

Get into a little trouble, have a little fun...try not to get demoted.

 

They approached the doors, and Meru looked at her friend. For purposes of this assignment, using tricorders to keep tabs on nearby crew almost felt like cheating, so they’d been left behind. “Standard sensor checks,” that was their excuse if they got caught. The women shared a nod, and opened the doors—with the ship in dock, the bridge was blessedly empty, but they knew it might not stay that way for long. There was always some security officer around keeping tabs, and a whole shift ready to take over the bridge at a moment's notice. 

 

But for now, for at least a few minutes, they had the bridge all to themselves. It was almost too easy, and that made Meru nervous, but she didn't let it show, instead projecting an air of supreme confidence.

 

Tahna: Step one clear. Time to bring in the operative. 

 

Ena stood at attention, in the typical Bajoran military fashion, and making Meru giggle with her salute.

 

Ico: Aye aye, sir!

 

They’d enlisted the help of a massive dog bone to convince CC to wait in a Jefferies tube that led to the bridge. Now, they just had to get the uniform on, sit her in the Captain's chair, and take a picture. Simple. 

 

Tahna: To the tube! 

 

Ena squealed, and the girls moved to the Jefferies tube outlet. Meru opened the tube's hatch on the bridge, calling into it in a sing-songy voice. 

 

Tahna: Cheeeeesecaaaaake! 

 

Ico: Come here, puppy! Come here CC!

 

Watanabe: Borrobork!

 

Cheesecake’s bark echoed through the tube, but there was no sign of movement. Just the squeak of a giant dog bone rubbing against tooth and metal as an equally giant dog broke it into pieces. The Bajorans shared a glance. 

 

Ico: I think she doesn't want to leave the tube

 

Tahna: Why? I thought she would just come when called. It’s occurring to me that I don’t really understand how dogs work. 

 

Ico: I don't know, maybe the bone we have replicated is just too good? Maybe we should go in and look for her.

 

Another shared glance, and Meru began shaking her head, knowing what Ena was thinking before she even said it. Too much mischief had been accomplished together to not understand what that look meant.

 

Ico: I think I'm too tall to fit there.... hummm why don't you go inside? You can grab the bone or the CC collar, and I'll pull your feet from here to get you both out.

 

Tahna: You are barely taller than me. ::She held up her two fingers, barely separated, to illustrate the difference.:: A smidge!

 

Ico: Well, do you have a better plan?

 

Tahna: Replicate another bone?

 

But why would CC want this bone when she already had one in the tube? Meru frowned at the dark green carpet, sighed, and looked back to the tiny Jefferies tube. 

 

Tahna: Alright. Fine. But you better not drop me this time, or I’ll see your rotation in security is doubled!

 

Could she do that? She had no idea, actually, and there was a good chance they’d both be doing unpleasant jobs for the next month if they didn’t hurry up and were caught. Detail cleaning test tubes with a sonic toothbrush, scrubbing the transporter pads…who knew what the appropriate punishment was for sitting a dog in the Captain’s chair. Though there weren’t any strict rules against it as far as she knew (because hadn't needed to be), just…it wasn’t exactly professional or appropriate. 

 

Ico: Response

 

Meru crawled into the tube head-first, not having to go very far before she ran into the big dog and her dog breath and dog slobber and…dogs were best experienced in less cramped quarters, she decided. Room with more air to breathe and disperse the dog odors. 

 

Tahna: Hi, CC. Come on, now. 

 

Watanabe: Response

 

She grabbed the dog’s bone in one hand, her collar in the other, and waved the wet, slobbery, gross bone just out of Cheesecake’s reach. 

 

Yeah, dogs were definitely better experienced out of the Jefferies tubes in the open. 

 

Tahna: Okay, pull me up!

 

And please don’t drop me, she silently added, as she felt the hands gripping her ankles. 

 

Ico: Response

 

When they emerged into the twilight of the early morning bridge, Meru dropped the slobbery bone on the carpet, wiped her hand on her pants, and rolled over onto her back. She took several deep, blissfully dog-breath free breaths, eyes closed, before sitting up and looking at her friend. Her friend, who looked so smug to have not been the one dropped down the tube in pursuit of the hound.

 

Tahna: Get that uniform on her and get her in the chair, quick!

 

Ico/Watanabe: Response

 

((OOC: Leaving room for you to expand here as you wish, since I jumped a bit to catch up to the Addison sim.))

 

After begging, bribing, and wrestling the massive dog into the uniform (and using up more of their precious time), Captain Cheesecake Watanabe was born. Meru helped situate the dog in the chair (glad to have thought to bring a lint roller to clean up the mess afterward). She looked at Ena and giggled.

 

Tahna: Captain Watanabe on the bridge!

 

Ico/Watanabe: Response 

 

They had almost gotten away with it. 

 

Almost got in and out without being spotted, almost checked off a square on Gorkon bingo without facing any repercussions, almost broken FedNet and Baj-gram in one fell swoop. 

 

If it weren’t for a single meddling crewman (who, to be fair, wasn’t meddling so much as doing his job, but nonetheless…).

 

Addison: Whuh… ::He had to work to get the words past his dry tongue:: What are you doing?!

 

His PADD clattered to the floor, his mouth hanging open like he was trying to catch liccie bugs. Meru stared at the PADD, trying to buy time to think of an appropriate excuse. “Sensor checks” was their plan if they were caught without the dog, but with the dog… She frowned. The PADD was set up in word processor mode—he was writing something, and not a report. 

 

Ico: Response

 

Addison: But… You’re not supposed to b...be here. And that… dog really isn’t supposed to be here!

 

Tahna: Cheesecake Watanabe is a member of the counseling staff, she’s not just any dog.

 

Ico: Response

 

He finally noticed his PADD, forgotten on the floor, and retrieved it, seeming embarrassed.

 

Good. That writing was their bargaining chip.

 

Addison: What are you doing anyway?

 

Right, time for the excuse. He may or may not be interested in Gorkon bingo, but he surely would have some sympathy for creative expression, given his apparent writing on duty. Meru cleared her throat and stood at attention, locking eyes with the helmsman. She let confidence drip from her voice, confidence she didn’t feel but had gotten quite adept at faking. 

 

Tahna: Cheesecake Watanabe is a member of the Gorkon’s counseling staff, and belongs to Lieutenant Alieth, Chief Science Officer. We were making a birthday card for Alieth, to show our appreciation to her as our department chief.

 

Birthday card for Alieth? Maybe she should have spent a little longer coming up with an excuse. Though Alieth seemed to have a mischievous streak herself, so maybe this was exactly the sort of birthday card she’d appreciate. That was happening soon, wasn’t it?

 

Ico/Addison/Watanabe: Response

 

Tahna: We were already planning to clean up after ourselves, you don’t need to worry about any of that. It’ll be like we were never here. And, if you need someone to provide feedback on your…story…I like to read. 

 

She raised an eyebrow, offered a hint of a smile. The last sentence toed the line between a friendly offer and a threat, though she definitely meant it to be more friendly; neither of them were operating exactly within their specified job parameters tonight, it seemed.

 

Ico/Addison/Watanabe: Response

 

 

--

Lieutenant (j.g.) Tahna Meru

Science Officer
USS Gorkon (NCC-82293)
G239801TM4

[Tahna Meru]

This has just been too much fun to write! 😄

[Bryce Tagren-Quinn]

It has been a joy to read!! 😄

[Piweh]

Cheesecake is always so much fun to read about!