Le Poeme Harmonique

Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2022 @ 7:20am by Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: DECK TEN - HADEES INFERNO NIGHTCLUB
Timeline: WEDNESDAY
2481 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

DECK TEN - HADES INFERNO NIGHTCLUB

It was somewhat of a minor miracle that First Lieutenant Woolheater had the night off. Sure, OK, it was a Wednesday, but Sam would take it. Especially for tonight. It was a special night. Sam heard through the Lance Corporal Underground (LCU) that tonight at the Hades Inferno Nightclub they were going to be showing, live, all the way from Risa, the band, Mezzo! This is one of Sam's favorite dance/symphonic metal bands. He so wanted to go and see them and hear them play one of his favorite tracks, "Le Poeme Harmonique". It was another long day. In order to get the night off he traded shifts. It would be worth it though.

As he made his way in the turbolift to deck ten, he realized that not only was there no time to change into play clothes, but how much he missed his girl Emily. The intense loneliness was always gnawing at him. Just when he thought he had rounded a corner, it was right there. He had stopped seeing Emily on a daily basis; but he still felt her close. Sometimes, he could hear her voice in his head. This was one of those times. Sam was looking to hookup too. He felt guilt about it. About wanting companionship. He tried not to think about it. He would have a drink or two; loosen up and then get lost in the music. It would help him feel better and...

The doors opened onto deck ten. The Promenade was busy but not packed for a Wednesday night. He made his way to Hades. He wished he had time to change but he didn't want to miss the live stream. He was a little ways away and he could already hear the song he liked, "Le Poeme Harmonique". It was playing from the recording and the live stream had not yet started. There was a queue, ~My God, listen to that bass!~, Sam thought as the song played and people danced inside. ~You can hear it outside the club. Man that's so cool. Good sound system!~ As he waited, he couldn't help but do people watching and move his body, just a bit to the music and checking out the hotties.

HADES NIGHTCLUB

Once inside, he went to the bar and requested a whiskey sour. What Sam didn't know is that this bar served both synthahol for those who didn't know and real alcohol for those who did. Samuel was in the former grouping and when the barkeep handed him a synthahol whiskey sour, Sam took it and didn't know anything better. There were some tables here. The standup kind. With little candles in glass flutes in the center. He sipped his drink as he both watched folks bump and grind to the music and did some more people watching. He was accutely aware that he was single and that he was still in uniform. A fact that would soon be visited on him.

The club was loud, as are most nightclubs. There was still about fifteen minutes to go until the livestream stated from Risa. The club was decorated in a semi-modern Greek style. Mythological creatures, Cerbereus, the river Syx, Charon and even Hades himself sitting above the dance floor in a Greek style frieze. On either side were the Fates, and attending Hades were the usual cast of characters and monsters.

As Sam walked, sipped, got bumped into and stepped on, he eventually found himself near a half-way empty table that was actually kind of close to the very large main viewscreen. There was a table with three dudes on one side. And this table with two chicks. The ladies motioned for him to come over and Sam siddled up to the table, "Hey?" the woman on the right said as her friend on the left was not shy at all in checking Sam out. "Hey" Sam said in reply. Both of them were pretty looking. And pretty wild acting for having synthahol. "You here alone?" Sam nodded, "Yeah. I'm hoping to change that though." They whispered something too each other and the one on the left asked, "So? Are you some kind of marine or what?" Sam grinned, he thought the question was humorous, "Some kind of marine; that's me alright." She looked pissed at his answer, "You guys are all the same!" Sam took a sip and set his tumbler down, "Oh? How so?" The woman on the left, Sam guessed her to be in her twenty-something and also looking like she had drunk a few too many said, "You think that just because your military you can do whatever the fuck you want anytime, anywhere." Sam's eyebrows lifted and he said, "Whoa..now hold up there. Where's this all coming from?" Her friend on the right said, "Don't mind her. She's on the rebound and got dumped last week." Sam didn't know what to say and managed with, "My sympathies". The woman on the left said to her friend, "I'll be right back" and handed her drink to her friend with a firm, "Hold my beer" statement.

After she left Sam said, "Look, I'm just here to have a good time OK?" The woman on the left, closer to Sam's age said, "You don't look so bad. Looking for a good time? Is that code for you want someone to give you a blow-job?" Sam did a wide-eyed look and said, "Whaaaaat???" She then continued by indicating with her head to the table behind them with the three dudes. She said, "Because I think one of them wouldn't mind. They've been checking you out since you got here." Sam turned to the other table to look and there were three guys there. Sam didn't have 'gaydar' and he was clueless. One gave him a sexy wink. Sam smiled back and tipped his glass and then turned back to the woman, "Uhhh....no. I mean I am here because I want to be here for the concert. That's my good time. I wouldn't turn down a free blow job; but I kinda at least have to know a name first and what dark alley to meet in so I have my facts straight for the ship's security report when I get out of the brig. And, I don't care if somebody is gay or straight. But that's not why I'm here." She looked at him as if she had just stepped in poo.

"So, what's your name then?" she asked. Then she took a drink and the girl did have a nice full set of lips. A point she made b y licking her lips with that sharp tongue of hers. Sam said with a grin, "Nuh-uh. I played 'show-me-yours-and-I'll-show-you-mine' with a girl once and I lost. She responded, "You're funny. I'm Candy." Sam couldn't help it and said, "And what a treat you must be." He said, "Name's Sam. I don't think your friend likes me very much?" Candy shook her head and shrugged, "Don't pay her any mind. She's bitter about getting dumped. She's on the rebound, or trying to be, and she's bombing." Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Oh. Well. When you put it like that then I should just have a thicker skin." She looked at him like a weirdo, "Are you a comedian?" Deadpanned he answered, "Do you see anybody laughing? No." Sam thought to himself, ~Man, how do I get into these situations. FFffffffffiddlesticks!~

One of the guys at the other table approached and said, "Excuse me?" Woolheater turned to see who it was. It was getting crowded up here now as more people occupied the standing tables. But, there was still some room to spare. "My friends put me up to a dare. They said that I couldn't get the courage to talk to you." Sam said, "Oh? Do I know you?" The man, in his later twenties, Sam guessed, said, "No, you don't. I just wanted to say that I think you're a handsome guy. I'd like to get to know you better. I'd like to offer you a space at our table if you're not with friends?" Sam grinned and he smiled and blushed, "Oh? Wow. Uh. I'm flattered. I mean. Good on you that you proved them wrong. Y'know. That takes...yeah. What's your name?" The younger man extended his hand and Sam grasped it and shook it, "I'm Leroy." Sam returned the handshake, "Good to meet you Leroy. I'm Sam. Look, I'm flattered, really. That took a lot of guts. I mean, you made my day thinking that I'm attractive. It's just. I'm not...I don't have the same feelings. Y'know? No disprespect - please know that - I'm so flattered. I could join you guys for a drink later? After the concert if you're still around? But, to be clear, I'm not gay." Leroy nodded, "You don't have to be gay to talk to us do you? Oh shoot. Dang. Well, but how do you know though? Have you ever played on the other team? I still think you're hot Sam." Sam didn't know what to say and the wheels in his head turned, "I...uhhh". Leroy laughed and gave him a quick bro hug, "You're cuter when your embarassed!" Sam was startled by the quick hug and said, "I'm not embarassed." Leroy said, "You are. But thanks anyway."

When Sam turned back to his original table Candy was there looking at him, so was her friend and so was a new guy. Sam retrieved his drink glass and Candy's girlfriend said, "When's the wedding loverboy?" Sam gave her a look as they all laughed at him. He said with some embarrassment on his face, "Shut up, it's nothing. Just saying hi and that's all." Her friends all nodded, "Oh suure!!". Sam finished off his drink. This was proving to be the longest five-minutes of his life. Boot wasn't even as tough as getting a drink in Hades.

Candy looked at his drink and said, "What are you drinking? That isn't synthahol is it?" Sam finished the drink and said, "Yup. Why? Synthahol is served aboard every starship and starbase?" The new guy standing next to Sam and on the arm of her dumped friend said, "Yeah, for suckers." Candy's friend laughed and said, "You do know that you have to ask for the real stuff, the good stuff?" Sam didn't know that but he sure as hell wasn't going to give them the laugh and he said, "Yeah. Of course. I knew that."

They laughed at him. And then, Sam laughed at how dumb he felt. He grinned broadly. Sam turned to the new guy and asked, "So what do you do?" The man looked at him and answered, "I'm a maintenance technician." To which, the other girlfriend which Sam still didn't know her name said, "That's just his day job. Tell them what you really do." He sheepishly, at first, and then with greate bravado as she coaxed it out of him said, "I'm a professional athelete. I enjoy being a professional athelete." She kissed him and Sam said, "Oh? That's so cool! What kind of athelete are you?" Turning to him with all seriousness he said, "I'm a jockey. I train and race horses. It's pretty cool being a professional athlete" Sam nodded and a little voice inside him said,

~OH god Sam! Just let it go. Don't say it. Please don't say it?!~

Sam gave a beat and then kinda looked at the man with a disbelieving face and said, "Well. I mean. I don't know if I'd go that far." The man uncrossed his arms and said, "What do you mean?" Woolheater said, "Well...c'mon man...you're basically a hobbit...with a fancy shirt. Right? I believe the horse is the actual, y'know, athlete here. If the horse pulls a muscle...you have to wait until the golf cart comes and gets you. And correct me if I'm wrong but...does the ship have stables? How did that ever get approved off the drafting table?"

The girlfriend said, "It's on the holodeck, moron." Sam did a facepalm, "OH! OK, so you just play professional athlete then?" And that's when her new "date du jour" tried to punch Sam in the face. "Wait? What? What'd I say?" Sam said as he dodged the poorly thrown punches. Sam caught the other guys fist and then swung it around his back in an armlock and put his head on the table rather forcefully. It was fast! The "date" grunted in pain and Sam said, "Look. I'm sorry. I have a big fuckin' mouth. I don't want any trouble. I just want to enjoy the music and not from the brig! I'm a let you go...jockey...don't fuck it up!" After another beat, the "date" was let go and he was hopping mad. People tend to get that way when they get their asses whipped in public. Sam, with his hands up, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean nothing. I just don't think you can call yourself a professional athlete...outside...of the holodeck. OK? We cool? We good? I'm sorry."

The girlfriend threw her drinky drink at Sam, some green drink that was not far from tasting like paint thinner. It went all over his face. The girlfriend and the date both stormed off. The girlfriend called over her shoulder to Sam, "Like I said, you think you can do whatever you want! Fuck off!" Sam stood there and sighed. Candy, now disgusted that her evening was ruined also left, "What an awesome evening this has been. Thanks so much for joining us!"

Sam thought to himself, ~Welp. My work here is done!~ as he attempted to wipe the drinky-poo from his face. Leroy handed him a handkerchief. "Have you never heard? Fleet and marine don't mix?" Two security guards showed up and came over. Leroy said, "Some people got mad, my friend here said something he shouldn't have, tempers flared and now its over." They looked at Sam as he wiped off the rest of the drink and then a Leroy and then at Leroy's crew. "Okay then" was all they said. The security checked with the club owner who didn't even see a thing. Leroy smiled and said, "Well, the concert is about to start and we still have room at our table."

Sam grinned and laughed at how the evening was going, "Sure. Why the hell not? I thought you said fleet and marine don't mix?" Leroy said, "I'll make an exception this time."


[OFF:]

1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=