Deep Space Nine
June 2375

Captain's Log, Colonel Kira Nerys, Bajoran Militia.

It's been barely two weeks since Captain Sisko disappeared along with Kai Winn, Constable Odo returned to the Gamma Quadrant, and Rom was made Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance.

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) docked two days ago and disembarked some new personnel. Our new first officer for one. Commander Gerald Strickland, formerly from the USS Sentinel. He's every bit the stern authoritarian, very by the book from my first impressions.

I've already spoken with Lieutenant (j.g.) Nog about the matter, and he didn't seem to mind the lateral movement to Chief Engineer. Lieutenant Robin Lefler was sent to the station from Jupiter Station to be the Chief of Operations. She seems a very sociable young woman, almost the polar opposite to her husband, Lieutenant Carl Draper, formerly from Starfleet's Asymmetric Warfare Group, some sort of Starfleet counter-terrorism/counterinsurgency think tank. He seems like a pretty solitary sort of character.
 
Lieutenant (j.g.) Adam Martoni, formerly of the USS Sentinel, is replacing Constable Odo as Chief of Station Security, his first day on the job is today as a matter of fact.

I've already scheduled interviews for each of the new crewmembers...
  
Colonel Kira Nerys took a sip of her raktajino as a bald fellow standing five and a half feet tall, stocky and powerfully built.

"Commander Gerald Strickland reporting as ordered, sir," The man said, coming to attention.

"At ease," Kira said.

Strickland popped his hands behind his back, feet spread about shoulder width apart, a drillfield perfect parade rest.

"Have a seat," Kira said.

"Yes sir," Strickland replied.

Kira thought. Ok, start with the basics.

"So where are you from originally?" Kira asked.

"Syracuse, New York," Strickland said.

Kira glanced at her PADD, sipping her drink, and looking over a couple details from Strickland’s service record.

"Admiral Ross speaks very highly of you from your last posting on USS Sentinel. Can you describe your work there?" Kira asked.

"I worked as the Executive Officer," Strickland said, "I had a very simple maxim, Never tolerate slackers."

Kira glanced over the PADD's content again, words such as authoritarian, hard nosed, and sharp eye for detail repeated themselves with the comments on Strickland's leadership style.

I wonder if he has children at all. He doesn't look like he would.

"I'm a very firm believer in running a tight, efficient ship," Strickland continued, "That way you have less to worry about."

---

“And we are officially moved in,” Robin Lefler said as she raised a large vase up onto the shelf.

Carl Draper raised an eyebrow saying, "And the last thirty-six hours don't count because of?"

"Because, we've just unpacked the last box," Robin replied.

Carl headed over to Robin, smiling, before he kissed her. "Well, that is certainly grounds for celebration..."

"Hmm, I love how you think." Robin said, smiling, closing her eyes, sliding her arms around the back of his neck.

Carl wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He felt Robin's mouth open as his tongue met hers and...
 
A bark could be heard from the next room as their two year old Alaskan Malamute trotted into the room.

The couple parted and Robin sighed, "Great timing, Goliath."
 
"Yes dear, I'll take him for walk," Carl said as he kissed his wife yet again before putting the leash onto Goliath's collar.
 
"I'm going to read a bit before we meet up with Commander LaForge, Commander Riker, and Counselor Troi tonight at Quark's," Robin said as she walked over to the couch with her padd and lay on her side.
 
"I'll see you there, honey," Carl said as he walked out the front door, with their leashed dog in tow.

---

"Come to Quark's, Quark's is Fun, Come Right Now, Don't Walk, Run!" The advertising jingle ran over the sound system of the Security Office as Adam Martoni rolled his eyes.

Great, Strickland's gonna come a calling...

True to form his comm badge chimed and he heard the New York accented voice of Commander Strickland, "Lieutenant, care to explain this?"

"Sir, I'm on my way to Quark's right now to let him know that he's supposed to clear advertising campaigns of any kind through Security and Ops," Adam replied.
 
He headed over to the replicator and said, "Raktajino."

The replicator brought the beverage out and Martoni groaned when he saw what it came in.

"Are you kidding me? I just hope Strickland hasn't ordered anything to drink right now," Adam groaned before grabbing his mug and drinking from it. No point wasting a perfectly good raktajino.

He took a sip, heard the advertising jingle again, and quickened his step towards Quark's. Stickland's going to explode.

As he speed walked towards Quark's he thought, Well, at least his advertising is ironically making me run over there.

As he arrived, Quark was busily talking to a large alien, Morn, he remembered his name was. The Ferengi turned and said, "Good morning Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

"I assume you have a permit for your latest advertising campaign?" Martoni said.

"I thought I'd cleared that with Security months ago," Quark said.

"Interesting," Martoni said, "Given that records for Security and OPS show not a single record of you having any sort of permission to advertise anything."

"Oh, I'm sure records get misplace all the time and..." Quark said.

"You might want to make sure those records are recovered or appear, if they even do exist," Martoni said, "Namely because I've been getting reports that practically all the Station's internal comm lines have your little advertising jingle playing on a loop. As well as replicated cups that play it whenever one intends to drink anything."

Talk about irony. Being known for pranks at Starfleet Academy, and now I'm having to be the equivalent of a prank buster. Adam thought.

"Oh, you must be Lieutenant Martoni, the new Security Chief," Quark said, "Pleased to meet you. Can I interest you in a late night session on the holosuites with an Orion harem."

"Tempting, however, the matter of your advertising campaign needs to be resolved," Adam said, "Namely by removing it from the station computer system."

From nearby Dr. Julian Bashir couldn't help but chuckle as he commented, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

"Fate does have a sense of irony," Ezri remarked.

"How so?" Julian said.

"Well, Julian, Adam Martoni was notorious for practical jokes of various kinds. For instance he was the one who engineered the great prank where the entire internal communication system played an old Earth tune. I believe it was It's a Small World After All. It was almost exactly similar in programming language to Quark's advertising campaign," Ezri replied.

"Oh, that was him?" Bashir replied, "I do remember having heard of the prank, but I had no idea he was the perpetrator."

---

"Come here often?" Carl Draper said, as he saw his wife heading over to him.

"I'm only stationed here," Robin replied.

Carl moved his left arm, offering it to Robin to walk with her. "So what prompted the change in plans? Not that I'm complaining, just curious."

"Well, I ordered a cup of tea from the replicator to relax," Robin replied, putting her right arm around Carl's left arm, "However when I went to drink it I found it started to sing."

"A singing tea cup?" Carl said.

Robin laughed lightly, "And then when I turned on the computer monitor I heard that same jingle."

"You mean this one?" Carl said, pointing at the information kiosk on the Promenade which was currently blaring Quark's advertising campaign.

"I guess this is karma's way of getting back at Adam Martoni for the It's A Small World incident," Robin replied.

"Come again?" Carl replied.

"It was after you graduated from Starfleet Academy. He created this particular program to play It's a Small World on all the Academy's systems. He meant to just hit the dorms, but he inadvertently put it on every internal communication line," Robin replied.

"Oh, right, I remembered hearing about that one deployment," Carl replied, "I'm surprised you haven't gotten called to Ops over this."

"Nog assured me he could handle it, and he told Strickland the same thing," Robin replied, "Besides, he's on duty at the moment."

"I wonder if Strickland is on the verge of a heart attack right now," Carl replied.

"How do you know so much about Strickland?" Robin asked.

"First off, everyone in the 10th Fleet knows Strickland's reputation for being the most high strung XO in Starfleet. His intolerance for slackers is legendary," Carl replied.

---

"Strickland to Martoni," Strickland said, holding his coffee cup in one hand. He was taking it with bigger sips than he normally drank namely because that damnably annoying advertising jingle would play the second the cup broke the vertical plane.

"Yes sir," Adam Martoni's voice echoed over the comm badge.

"Any headway on this situation, Lieutenant?" Strickland replied.

"Sir, I'm working on computing the bill for Quark for every second lost on the internal communication lines," Martoni replied.

"Status report, Lieutenant Nog?" Strickland said, walking into the Pit.

"Sir, the subroutines of Quark's advertisement are proving quite complex," Nog replied.

The comm channel was still open and Martoni said, "Sir, I'm on my way up to Ops at the moment, I believe I can handle the situation."

A few minute later the turbolift opened and Adam Martoni made for the Pit with long strides. Strickland stalked over to him and said, "Lieutenant..."

"Sir, I do believe I may know how to deal with this latest crisis," Martoni said as he climbed down into the Pit and went to the nearest computer terminal beside Nog.
 
"Deal with it, and I want a thorough report immediately afterward," Strickland replied.

"Yes sir," Martoni replied before he turned to Nog, "Try the tertiary subroutine. That sixth line of code. That should do it..."

Nog complied and the advertising jingle stopped all over the station.

"Very good, Lieutenant, now would you mind explaining how you knew how to deal with this?" Strickland asked.

"Eh-heh heh," Martoni replied, "Sir, I designed a similar program at Starfleet Academy."

"You mean you played a prank like a slacker?" Strickland said.

"Uh..." Martoni replied.

"Well, in that case, I shall be extremely interested to hear about that as well," Strickland replied.

This is going to be a long report. Martoni thought to himself.

---

To be continued...