Galleria Food Court - Level 59

Pi'Lar shook her head, believing the name was just a play on words.

Capt Zh'Osha: No, I'm afraid I haven't, Admiral.

The Captain waited on the Rear Admiral's tale as she also waited for a server to head their way.

Tony smiled as he regaled Capt Zh’Osha with the history of Gabriel Bell.

RAdm Martinelli: Well, history has it that Gabriel Bell was a Human male and resident of Sanctuary District A in San Francisco on Earth, in the 21st century. He was a key figure in what came to be known as "the Bell Riots" during 2024. During the riots, Bell was one of the residents who held a number of hostages in the District's Processing Center, and protected them from harm. During that time, Bell was able to gain access to the Internet, allowing hundreds of residents to transmit their stories to the outside world. Later, due to rumors that the hostages had been killed, a SWAT team raided the processing center, killing a number of the hostage-takers, including Bell. After it was discovered that the hostages had come to no harm, public opinion regarding the Sanctuary Districts began to change. Bell's sacrifice made the Bell Riots one of the watershed events of the 21st Century and led to the closure of the Sanctuary Districts across the United States of America.

The Rear Admiral then spoke a little more quietly to inform Pi’Lar of what was not well-known.

RAdm Martinelli: But what many aren’t aware of is… In 2371, Starfleet officers Benjamin Sisko, Jadzia Dax, and Julian Bashir of Deep Space Nine were transported back in time due to a transporter accident. After Sisko and Bashir were placed in District A, they came under attack by other residents. Seeing the incident, Bell attempted to help Sisko and Bashir, but was stabbed to death in the process. This change to history resulted in an alternate timeline that the crew of the USS Defiant were able to observe in the future because the ship had been protected from the changes by a subspace bubble. In this new timeline, Starfleet apparently did not exist, and Romulan transmissions were detected in the vicinity of Alpha Centauri! Then, after realizing the implications that Bell's death would have on the timeline, Sisko chose to take his place, introducing himself to the other hostage-takers as Gabriel Bell. In that capacity, he ensured that none of the hostages were harmed, and managed to gain access to the Internet so the residents could tell their story. When the SWAT team raided the processing center, Sisko was shot while protecting a guard. After the riots were over, a sympathetic guard agreed to let Sisko go and informed the authorities that Bell had died in the raid. The Starfleet officers were later able to return to their own time period. Upon returning, Sisko and Bashir found that historical records regarding Gabriel Bell depicted Sisko's image.

Tony then looked around the establishment and continued…

RAdm Martinelli: As for this place… Benjamin Sisko’s son, Jake, decided to open a chain of restaurants that would incorporate what his father did to protect history and keep the name close to the original chain of taco restaurants that won in the franchise wars of the early 21st Century. Where every restaurant became known as Taco Bell. How’s that for some history, Captain?

The Chief of Fleet Operations continued with his broad smile as he waited on Capt Zh’Osha’s response to all that he had to say regarding Gabriel Bell and how Benjamin Sisko, the former Commander of Deep Space Nine, was involved in keeping Earth’s history intact. Tony was quite sure Pi’Lar knew full well who Sisko was since she came from DS9 when FAdm Skyner picked her up to bring her to SB34 to take of USS Whitestar.
_________________
Vice Admiral Anthony M. Martinelli
Commanding Officer, USS Sutherland
Chief of Fleet Operations, Gamma Fleet
Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

Pi'Lar listened intently to RAdm Martinelli's rendition of what appeared to be something that should be highly classified information! But listen she did nonetheless, her antennae show her focus on Tony.

Once he had finished his tall tale, Pi'Lar cleared her throat.

Capt Zh'Osha: But, Admiral, conceivably, owning an entire chain of restaurants would be flouting laws that were put in place to protect the timeline. By opening them, it's entirely possible he's created yet another alternate timeline. Maybe even an alternate dimension!

The Captain still showed her interest in the tail and besides the now very obvious still in the now quiet air that was recycling through the stations AC duct units.

Capt Zh'Osha: Having said that... Do you know where I can get me one of these 'internet screens'?

Pi'Lar snickered slightly, allowing her guard to drop and just enjoy the moment, not wanting to appear stuck up.

The Rear Admiral winced at what Capt Zh’Osha said about altering history and creating another timeline. Tony was sure Jake Sisko checked in with the Temporal Agents before taking on such an endeavor. He clued the Captain in so she wouldn’t have to worry about running into an alternate dimension controlled entirely by tacos.

RAdm Martinelli: My dear Captain, there’s no way Jake Sisko would’ve even ventured into the idea of opening a chain of restaurants without having the approval of the Temporal Agents his father came to know so well.

When the server brought over a pair of menus, Tony looked his over and selected the set of three Taco Supremes that came with fries and a soft drink. He chose something light and easy to take with him should Lt. JG Russ contact him regarding the arrival of Cmdr Kee to his office. Looking over towards the Captain, he made an inquiry…

RAdm Martinelli: What will you be having, Captain Zh’Osha? Everything here is good, if you enjoy Mexican-American food. It's all made by hand, so if you order off the menu, they’ll have the ingredients available. If you order those blue cubes, those would be coming from a replicator.

Tony looked around the restaurant at all the people enjoying their meals. It really was a good thing Taco Bell won the franchise war back in the early 21st Century. The Rear Admiral was familiar with the food from places like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and even Arby’s, which all had decent meals for their customers. But it’s the late 24th Century and those places just aren’t around anymore. Even the original Taco Bell eventually was phased out by people gaining access to replicator technology. That lead to the opportunity Jake Sisko had with his partner, Captain Nog. They opened the first restaurant here on SB34 since there just wasn’t a facility available on Deep Space Nine to allow such a place on the Promenade.
_________________
Vice Admiral Anthony M. Martinelli
Commanding Officer, USS Sutherland
Chief of Fleet Operations, Gamma Fleet
Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

Pi'Lar listened intently as she took the menu from the server.

Capt Zh'Osha: But surely, Admiral, simply by choosing the name he did has done that... In another reality he may have just decided to stick with 'Taco Bell' after all... I'll take a hard casing, extra salad, hold the tomatoes.

As the Captain finished giving her order, she handed back the menu and turned back to the Rear Admiral.

Capt Zh'Osha: Back on Andoria, we have a saying, I'll attempt to translate it for you if I can... 'The fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself'. By not being afraid to put up a fight with the Temporal Investigations officers, Jake Sisko would have fought tooth and nail to get what he wanted, no matter the cost! In another reality, Sisko would have been a weakling and not even opened a restaurant in the first place. I for one, am glad he did!

Pi'Lar watched with one eye as the server had already reappeared from the back room which she supposed housed the kitchens.

Capt Zh'Osha: That desire to know ones fear is something I'd like to see more of within the Service. Perhaps you would be able to assist me on that Admiral! I realize the Holodeck facilities are not as good as Earth Simulators, but I'm sure we have the program installed at least...

The Captain moved her arms from the resting place they had on the table as the server put down the plates of food in front of the two officers. Pi'Lar waited to see what RAdm Martinelli would think of her idea.

Tony was a wee bit confused on Pi’Lar’s obsession with bringing up the fact that Jake Sisko named his restaurant after the late Gabriel Bell, whom his father betrayed after Mr. Bell had been untimely murdered. Since the Temporal Investigations officers did not arrive to tell Jake and Captain Nog that it was not permitted, there was no temporal anomaly or skewers to the timeline creating an alternate universe over the naming of this restaurant. The Rear Admiral knew the people of Andoria, whether they be Andorian or Aenarian, loved to push obscure points into any argument. Especially with people alien to their own culture, they were very similar to Tellarites in most respects.

Looking at the three crunchy tacos with lettuce, cheddar cheese and sour cream, RAdm Martinelli smiled as he picked one up and took a bite. Tony really enjoyed eating here, and it didn’t take him very long to finish his first taco. His attention became more focused when Capt Zh’Osha started talking about the creation of a Holodeck program that helped the occupants face their fears. The program did exist back at Starfleet Academy, but perhaps a more vigorous program here on SB34 would prove to be beneficial to the officers and enlisted personnel of Gamma Fleet.

RAdm Martinelli: We’ll have to look into creating one here aboard Starbase 34, since there’s already one at Starfleet Academy. Ours will have to be more intense so the users don’t feel they’ve already done it and not bother wanting to try it. If I make it mandatory, it will become a chore and nobody will enter with an open mind willing to explore their own fears.

The Rear Admiral picked up his second taco and began eating it in his elegant manner. This was Tony’s favorite fast food to consume when he wasn’t sure how much time he had before his next meeting with different department heads aboard SB34. After a few more bites, he continued talking to Pi’Lar after a sip of his soft drink.

RAdm Martinelli: Would you be willing to oversee such a project when you’re not occupying your time playing mother hen aboard Whitestar as it undergoes repairs and upgrades? It will still be some time before the ship is ready to launch, even with you on board cracking your whip.

The Chief of Fleet Operations waited on Capt Zh’Osha’s response on whether or not she was interested in overseeing the creation of the Holodeck program that will get people to face down their fears. While Tony waited on Pi’Lar, he finished off his second taco and consumed some of his fries while continuing to sip on his soft drink. RAdm Martinelli wondered if the Captain was enjoying her lunch as much as he was enjoying his…
_________________
Vice Admiral Anthony M. Martinelli
Commanding Officer, USS Sutherland
Chief of Fleet Operations, Gamma Fleet
Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

As the Commodore walked through the Galleria’s Food Court, in one of the alcoves that showed the interior of Gabriel’s Taco Bell, E.J. could see RAdm Martinelli sitting at a table with Capt Zh’Osha. This made the Commodore giddy that he wouldn’t have to eat lunch alone! Entering the restaurant, E.J. made his way over to their table and announced his presence to the both of them.

Como Carpathia: Hello Admiral Martinelli, I see you’re having one of your favorite lunches! It seems Captain Zh’Osha is enjoying her tacos as well! Would you mind if I joined you two for lunch? I really don’t like eating alone. It makes people think I’ve got no friends…

The Division 1 Commander remained by RAdm Martinelli and Capt Zh’Osha’s table. E.J. hoped he wasn’t intruding on a private conversation between the two of them. If so, the Commodore would just have to look for somebody else he knew somewhere in the Food Court. With David promoted to Captain, he would be busy aboard Oriskany getting himself settled. Aléjandro was now his XO, but E.J. had no idea what Cmdr Delgado was doing and didn’t want to bother him. So…E.J. stood there quietly waiting for what he hoped with be an invitation to take a seat and join them.
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Commodore E.J. Carpathia
Commanding Officer, USS Infiniti
Division 1 Commander, Gamma Fleet

The Rear Admiral was happy to see Como Carpathia and had no reservations with him joining Capt Zh’Osha and himself at their table for lunch. Tony always enjoyed the Commodore’s company, even though they hadn’t spent much time together lately.

RAdm Martinelli: It would be great for you to join us, Commodore! Please, have a seat! We’ve just been chatting about how this restaurant got its name. The Captain here seems obsessed with the theory that time has been altered by it being named after Gabriel Bell, even though Temporal Investigations cleared it. She seems to think a skewer of the timeline has occurred and all kinds of alternate dimensional rifting have been created. Perhaps you can explain to her better than I can, how there’s nothing to worry about.

Tony got the attention of a waitress so she could bring Como Carpathia a menu. He really was pleased to have somebody else join in on the conversation, and even discuss Capt Zh’Osha’s idea for a program to help the personnel of Gamma Fleet face their fears in the surroundings of a Holodeck. The Chief of Fleet Operations was curious to see what the Commodore was going to order from the menu he was just handed. They never had lunch here together before, so Tony always wondered what E.J.’s favorite Mexican-American was. The Commodore’s favorite Italian dishes were well known…
_________________
Vice Admiral Anthony M. Martinelli
Commanding Officer, USS Sutherland
Chief of Fleet Operations, Gamma Fleet
Starfleet, United Federation of Planets

E.J. happily took an empty seat at the table and looked at the menu he was just given by the waitress. It only took him a few moments to find some of his favorite treats! Looking up at the waitress, he placed his order.

Como Carpathia: I’ll have two chalupas and a quesadilla on the side. I’ll take it with a medium horchata and for dessert I’d like some churros! Put a rush on that, I don’t want my friends here waiting on me to finish.

After the waitress walked away, E.J. looked over towards Capt Zh’Osha and wondered why she was so obsessed over a situation that obviously did not exist. He tried adding some wise wording to whatever it was that RAdm Martinelli told her regarding Gabriel Bell’s involvement as the namesake of the restaurant here on SB34.

Como Carpathia: If there were problems with Jake Sisko naming the restaurant after a person in history that his father had to portray in order to keep the timeline secure, the Temporal Investigators would’ve flagged this as a taboo subject, kind of like Project: Genesis was a hundred and twelve years ago. But it’s not and can be studied from any historical database of the early 21st century, up until the current era we’re in. So I wouldn’t worry about anything other than the repairs and readiness of USS Whitestar…and keeping the contents of your taco from getting on the front of your uniform.

The Commodore received his plate of food and immediately placed his hand on a chalupa and bit into it with a vengeance! He was hungry and it showed! While E.J. ate his lunch, he waited to hear what either RAdm Martinelli or Capt Zh’Osha had to say in regard to what he said about Gabriel’s Taco Bell being a safe topic and how there’s was no need to fret over alternate skewers in the timeline. This was a restaurant owned by Jake Sisko in honor of the man his father portrayed back in San Francisco in 2024. It was financed by Capt Nog of the USS Chimera, who never would’ve been involved with anything that was against Starfleet regulations or Federation law. Nog may have been mischievous in his younger days when he lived aboard Deep Space Nine, but when he put on the Starfleet uniform, all of that changed and he became an extremely honorable officer.
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Commodore E.J. Carpathia
Commanding Officer, USS Infiniti
Division 1 Commander, Gamma Fleet

Pi'Lar thought for a moment thoughtfully, before replying to both RAdm Martinelli and Como Carpathia.

Capt Zh'Osha: But surely you can see the issue... The mere fact we are able to talk about a temporal anomaly that changed our own past tells us something monumental was changed... Now, don't get me wrong, there's no sense in worrying over something we cannot change but I have to ask if Temporal Affairs were drunk off their ass on Synthahol at the time they made this decision!

The Captain watched as Como Carpathia drank what looked like liquid stomach discharges and wondered just how he could drink that stuff!

Capt Zh'Osha: I'm sure they cleared it, I'm just not too sure they were careful enough to not cause more anomalies. The mere fact we're talking about it says something changed.

Pi'Lar munched down the last of her tacos as she waited on the two men to reply to her.