Captain Ted was happily working under the hood of his cherished mid-20th century trophy 'muscle car'; something called a "Dodge Charger". He strained and grunted as he sought to tighten an antique fastener called a "bolt" with an antique tool called a "socket wrench". The wrench slipped and Ted banged his hand against the engine block, smearing a bluish grease all over his knuckles. Ted jerked back in reaction and banged the back of his head against the underside of the car's hood. "Mother#^*/!!" Ted snarled. Sweat was popping out on his forehead. Ted paused to wipe his brow with the back of his greasy hand, then suddenly realized that he had probably smeared grease on his face. He felt an inexplicable urge to check out his face so he eased himself out from under the hood and walked around to the door rearview mirror. As he bent down to peer into the mirror he was surprised to see that the bluish grease stain on his forehead was spreading around to his cheeks and jaw. Ted glanced down at the socket wrench which he still gripped in his right hand and was amazed to see that it had morphed into a chicken drumstick. Ted felt an irresistable compulsion to taste the drumstick. As he lifted the drumstick to his mouth, Ted heard a buzzing off to his right and his peripheral vision just barely caught the motion of a bee heading toward his right temple. As Ted bit into the drumstick, the bee lightly touched down on his temple with a tingling sensation. The drumstick turned to ashes in his mouth as Ted started screaming, "It's gonna STING MEEEEE....!!!"
Captain Klosowski lurched upright in his bed, sweating profusely. "That is absolutely the LAST time I'll ever eat anything grown on Andoria!" he swore to himself. A quick glance at the ship's clock in his quarters told him it was a little past 0300 hours.
A chill crept up Ted's back as he realized he was still feeling a tingling vibration in his right temple. Oh God! Was he still dreaming?! Then Ted remembered the subcutaneous chips that Section 31 had implanted in the right temples of both himself and Liaison Sutherland back on Earth. Guy was trying to contact him.
Ted opened the personal effects drawer near his bed and took out the special 'sunglasses' provided by Section 31. He slid them into place on his nose and ears, completing the short range subspace secure channel between himself and Guy on the surface of Andoria. On the specialized inner lenses of the sunglasses, Ted could see a superimposed view of everything visible through Guy's sunglasses just as Guy could see everything visible through Ted's. The subcutaneous chips also enabled audio reception of each other's voices.
"Sorry to wake you, Ted," Guy apologized. "But I figured this was the best time to communicate without interruption."
"Humpphh..." Ted snorted a little defensively. "What makes you think I was asleep?"
There was a pause before Guy replied gently. "Ted,... I was buzzing you for about two minutes before you responded. And it looks like the lights in your quarters are still off."
"Ohh.. Yeah." Ted became acutely reminded of the double viewing capability of their 'sunglasses'. "Computer," he commanded. "Low lighting." A soft glow suffused his quarters.
Ted ambled over to his replicator. "Computer, one six ounce cup of espresso, Italian style." A moment later Ted picked up the hot cup and inhaled a long, deep breath of the steamy vapor rising from the dark liquid. "AAhhhhhh.....", a contented sigh. Ted took a careful sip and sat down in a comfortable chair nearby. "Now then, Guy.... what's up, down on Andoria?"
"Well, several things, actually." Guy looked around his room, treating Ted to a quick view of the rather poshly appointed personal quarters Guy was enjoying. "Some intriguing details about Kallindra's family; but the important thing right now is I've learned the real reason for Madame Ambassador's sudden recall from Earth back to her home planet."
"Which is...?" Ted inquired as he squinted to focus on a piece of Andorian art that Guy happened to be gazing at.
"Kallindra's husband is Kal'trax, who also happens to be the director of the research outpost on Pandoria."
"Yes," Ted replied. "Kal'trax is the Andorian that Admiral Yeager told me I was to contact regarding the unusual phenomena there."
"Well that may be a little difficult to do," Guy paused dramatically, "seeing as how our local Star Fleet commander, Colonel Snavely, has placed Kal'trax in detention!"
"Whaaaat?! On what grounds?"
Guy got up and walked over to face an ornate mirror so Ted could see the sarcastic smile on Guy's face. "Snavely claims he has only 'quarantined Kal'trax for his own good'. But, thus far, he hasn't said why." Guy turned from the mirror and walked over to a small service bar with exotically shaped bottles, glasses and cups. "No doubt the detention of their research leader goes a long way toward explaining the rising tensions between local Star Fleet and Andoria."
"Hmmmm." Ted mused. "I don't believe Star Fleet back on Earth knows anything about this detention. Otherwise, Admiral Yeager would've surely briefed me about it before we set off."
"The detention of Kal'trax may not be the only reason tensions here are high." Guy drew a cup of hot water from a bar tap and lifted the lid off an exquisitely decorated small bowl containing sparkling azure crystals. He pinched a few of these between thumb and forefinger and sprinkled them into his cup. "Ted, have you ever tried zenth tea?"
"Can't say that I have." Ted arched an eyebrow. "Is that what you're having there?"
"Yes. It can be pleasantly intoxicating.... but with no hangover effects that I can tell!"
Ted became concerned. "Hangover effects?! Just how much of that stuff have you had, Mister?"
Guy walked back to the mirror. "Why, Ted.... This is only the second cup I've had all evening!" He gave a tentative sniff at the rim of his cup and then smiled enigmatically at the mirror. "It's amazing how long that first cup lasted me!"
Ted stared suspiciously for a silent moment at Guy's mirror reflected image in his glasses. "Anyway, you were saying about the tensions there....?"
"Oh, yes." Guy's demeanor became serious again. "Kallindra tonight passed along another secret bit of information that Andoria was reluctant to relay directly to Star Fleet." Guy took a sip and a sniff of his tea. "The Andorians believe that the Star Fleet 'research facility' on Pandoria is just a front for an undercover mining operation!"
"Mining operation?!" Ted was incredulous. "Just what do the Andorians think we're mining there?!"
Guy looked at Ted looking back at Guy in their double image reflections. Guy replied in a flat, deadpan voice: "Dilithium crystals!"