'Drinks, women and assignments'

Blue Dwarf
Parotts Bar 2001
After the Valkyrie was destroyed
Sergeant Donover and a number of other security officers sat around a
table trying to drown their sorrows. Not just because the loss of
Lloyd, not because of having 'Nutter' Harris as the security chief
but for their lives in general for most of them were members of what
the others called the 'Red Shirt' squad.
"Another round lads?" Owen called from the bar.
Donover unlike the others had not had anything to drink as frankly
one drop of anything remotely alcoholic to pass his lips he would be
ratarsed in seconds. Since Donover wasn't drinking he was the one
who was collecting the rounds and nearly always seemed to be paying
for them and yet again he went over to the bar and collected the
latest set of drinks.
After setting down the tray loaded with drinks he left the bar to
leave the others to pay for their own drinks for once.
The unlucky sergeant made his way down the promenade wondering what
else could go wrong with his life.
"Hello." Came from behind him.
Donover almost leapt out of his skin and he turned to see who had
spoken to him. He was rather surprised to see that is was Alex
Potter, a presenter of the Blue Dwarf TV channel and the woman who he
had feelings for.
"Well if it isn't my favourite security sergeant Robert Donover."
Alex offered with a smile.
"Alex…" Donover started and then he ran out of things to say. But
after a moment he managed to bring himself to ask "I… er… was
wondering if you want to…"
Then came over the ship's interal com. "Sergeant Donover, report to
the science department at once."
Oh God, Donover throught to himself, he's just been assigned to that
damn time machine project. But before he was going he wanted to get
this question asked first. "Alex, would you like to have a dr…"
"Donover, NOW!!" Was snarled over the internal com.
"Maybe next time you can ask me that quesiton, Robert." Alex
said. "Till next time."
Donover watched as Alex walked away from him, his heart sinking into
his standard issue boots. Donover merely sighed and started off
towards the science department. Maybe next time, Donover throught to
himself.