The Captain's Table Pt I
15 May 2020Maggie Oz
It was good to be back in the saddle.... and a lot more comfortable now I had a full size bum.Nice and low key, just running the election trail again. A slightly different route this time so a new set of folks. I dropped in on a few old ones too.
I'd taken some advice and had a cybernetic liver included in my new leg so I can now drink like a fish and stay as sober as a judge!
A day or two of shuffling promises and I, as usual, became a bit bored with the whole thing so returned home to Tannhauser.
I'd not been home an hour when the comm rang
It was James Hong, the 2nd Lifer serving on the Achenar's Will
"Hello James" I answered
"Hello Maggie, sorry to bother you".
"Not at all, it's lovely to see you again."
James was a strikingly handsome man. Rather tall at around 210cm and a rugged physique from his many years of Naval Service.
His swarthy complexion and Asiatic heritage gave him a very attractive, exotic look.
If you were looking that is, which I wasn't ...... not really
"Maggie, I hate to impose .... but .. I .was ummm wondering if you might well... umm if you might ah... might be able to ummmm helpafellowout?"
I grinned at his boyish nature
"Of course James, I'd certainly do whatever I can for a fellow CG. What did you have in mind?"
"Well, it's just there's this thing you see, a ahh formal dinner, with the Captain of the Achenar's Will, we have them every few months. It's all part of the tradition of the Officers' Mess on board a ship of the line you see.
And well, usually it's very much a shipmates only thing but every now and then, well reasonably often actually, they decide to umm make the dining in night a ahh a .... a ... Plus One event.
As it's ... well terribly bad form to ask any of the crew to come as your partner, it's sort of well, expected really, that you invite a ahhh, a civilian from a nearby system that you might fans.. ah um .... have ah ... met at some point ... for .... some reason " I took great delight in letting him ramble on, he had me at "dinner with the Captain of the Achenar's Will".
"Ah I see. So you're wondering if I know anyone who might be able to be your arm candy for the night?" I replied with wicked delight
"Oh.. ah well I guess so, I suppose ... I'm I mean I think, well I really mean that I was perhaps thinking that maybe um you could umm perhaps...."
"I'd be delighted to come, James," I said, putting him out of his misery
"You would! Oh, splendid" he said with charming enthusiasm " I'll .. ah pick you up shall I ?"
"Yes that would be lovely, flight couches are never kind to evening wear"
"OK then, I'll see you then"
"When?"
"Hey?"
"When are you going to pick me up, James?"
"Oh, sorry, I'm such at twash, umm tomorrow .. err evening. about 18:00, is that OK?"
- To-fucking-morrow ! !!! It'll take me that long to decided what to wear, I have NO shoes and my hair is a bloody disaster for goodness sake!-
"Yes that would be lovely, I'll see you then. Come up to the Palace, I'll have a Royal Marine meet you at the space dock" I said with a duck like calm.
"Oh, Righto then," he said and hung up sporting a grin of a size I'd not seen on anyone for some time.
I punched the intercom "PRIISSSS!! Emergency !!! "
A few moments later Pris arrived
"What's wrong?" She asked breathlessly
"I've been asked out to dinner!" I replied
"Hey?" she replied with a hint of annoyance
"To dinner, on an Imperial Capital Ship, formal "dinner with the Captain", with that James fellow I was telling you about"
"Oh my Goodness!"
"Yes!"
"What will you wear?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Do you have shoes?"
"NO !"
"Your hair's a mess"
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING"
"Madam?"Called DAC in his sleepy toned voice
"Not now DAC!"
"Ahem, MADAM, I believe I can help"
"What?"
"When I heard the mention of "dinner with the Captain", I .."
"You were listening to my call?!" I said testily
"Madam I AM the comm unit, I can't help but listen"
"Oh .... yes I suppose so"
"As I was saying Madam, when I heard the term "dinner with the Captain" I immediately ran a 'net search using Dining In Night focussing on a subset of Plus One events. I refined this based on the latest fashion reports and added a weighting factor of your particular style and I have come up with an algorithm that has determined the most probable best case solution for your attire"
"What?"
"I think I've found your kit, Madam"
"Ok well let's have a look then," I said dubiously.
The broadscreen lit up and a CGI of me in the proposed "kit" was displayed
"DAC?" I asked
"Yes Madam" it replied hesitantly
"Why is it that having you run me a bath entails dicing with death and you are still unable to make me a simple "Cup o' Joe" and yet in the space of 10 minutes your are able to show me the PERFECT evening dress? O.M.G I love it, you are amazing!"
DAC was quiet, either modest or simply unable to process
On my image, DAC had created a delicate triple Dutch braid for my hair, each interwoven with a gold thread beaded with diamonds. All three joined to a loose pony tail at the back of my neck. Turning my unruly red ringlets into a sleek and sophisticated look with a homey touch.
He had dressed me in a Bottle Green Long Sleeve, backless A Line with a front split and plunging V neck to make best use of my recent ... enhancements
The shoes were divine, Golden Cuban Heel Dancers, I was in heaven.
"I have taken the liberty of placing the order with the Achenar Fashion house and I have sent them your updated sizing. They will be here by this afternoon. I have also arranged for a Senior Stylist from "Silhouette of Capitol" for a home appointment at 15:00 tomorrow afternoon"
"How in the Emperor's name did you manage to arrange a home visit from the Empire's top stylist in 10 minutes when the waiting list is 3 months, and that's for billionaires? "
"Silhouette's AI owes me"
"My God DAC, you are a dark horse"
DAC said nothing... no doubt trying to search for records of a dark coloured equine computing device.