startrek76

"Adama to Boxey?" a com crackled nearby.

The Kolobite grimaced, "Uh oh! I'd better get that." He glanced around at the nearly empty room, "Grab a shadow while I see what grandpa wants."

Grandpa Adama? Wesley put the pieces together quickly and stood into his protective cloak of shadows.

"This is Boxey." The boy had produced a pocket com, instead of using the one on the wall. Wise move, Wes thought, if they couldn't trace it. Wesley wondered briefly about Galactica's internal sensor net.

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"Boxey? Where have you gotten to?" His grandfather's voice sounded incredulous,

"I'd have thought you'd be all over the observation deck, or trying to get up here for a better view?" Adama laughed, "Oh, well. I have a job for you while I go to the dinner, tonight."

"You do?" He tried to sound enthusiastic, then realized he was, actually, excited about doing something special for his grandfather. This was a rare request, and would likely be involved with the aliens, too. "I mean," he faltered, "Nuclear, Grandpa, what is it?"

"I need you to stay out of trouble and plan a tour for some of the Enterprise children. I am going to see if Captain Picard might be interested in allowing some of their children to visit Galactica" His tone changed slightly, "Of course, this means you will have a chance to tour Enterprise, too. IF it is agreeable to the Captain, that is." He paused to let his offer sink in. "What do you think?"

Boxey pretended to think it over, glancing at Wesley's hiding place, which the boy had tentatively left, seeing no video feed to the communication. No one would know he was there, so why hide? Wesley looked dubious at the prospect of Captain Picard allowing a delegation of children peruse his
ship, but it sounded good in abstract terms. He could always give Boxey an impromptu tour before the
real' one took place. No one would be the wiser about that, either. He nodded support in Boxey's direction.

"Do I still get my ride-along, tomorrow?" Boxey asked cautiously. He could sense a bait-and-switch and wanted to preempt it if possible.

"Oh," Adama feigned forgetfulness, knowing it would be disregarded, but it bought a micron to think, "Well, Boxey, I'm just not sure if we can do it under these circumstances. You'd have to be on the Enterprise and ... "

"IF I'm going to be on an approved tour, that would not be a problem."

Wesley nodded, grinning widely at the other boy's response. I'm glad we're not on opposing debate teams, Wesley thought.

"Right you are, Boxey!" Adama paused, "Well, I'll see what I can do about the tour, -- and the ride-along arrangements -- though I wish you'd consider the complications involved."

"I have, Grandpa, I have ... and you PROMISED."

"Lords of Kobol," Adama sighed, "so I did!" Exasperation tinged the admission, "I will also note your tenacious memory, which you should continue to demonstrate in your schoolwork, eh?"

Wesley rolled his eyes, at which Boxey stifled a snicker. These two were equals. He knew he was often in the same position, with his mother, Captain Picard and Commander Ryker all urging him to excel in school. Like Boxey though, he rarely had to struggle to obtain the academic blessings of his teachers aboard Enterprise. In fact, HIS trio of hair-shirts were more likely to chide him for
spending too much time studying, because when he was interested in something he wanted to know everything about a subject. But he was not in a position to argue with Captain Picard or Commander Ryker on the same level as Boxey did with Commander 'Grandpa' Adama.

"All right, Grandpa, I'll plan the tour, but I want my ride-along -- no matter what."

Adama sighed, "I'll see what I can do, Boxey, but the Enterprise is NOT my ship. My promise was made without that complication and I can't guarantee you'll get what you want at this moment."

Boxey's shoulders slumped, "OK, Grandpa. I understand."

Wesley went to his friend, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I can see how much the ride-along means to you, but I can't guarantee Captain Picard will cooperate. He's a little..." he thought for a moment, "Grumpy about having children on his ship in the first place. I'm not sure he'd like the idea of one in his shuttle bay at a time like this. It'd be a really amazing
thing to get permission to be anywhere NEAR a shuttle bay on the most routine shift." He smiled, "But I think I can help with the tour' if you'd like?"

Boxey looked up, "What'd you have in mind?" A sly smile played across his face as a hint of interest crept through the boy's words. Wesley ducked his head to miss an oversized pipe with pealing
insolation, "I'm sure it won't take you that long to plan a tour, though I'm also sure it is your
grandpa's plan that it will take you long enough to keep you out of trouble while they're having the diplomatic function, right?"

Boxey waved a hand in the air dismissively, "I don't need to plan anything! That's a plot if ever I heard one!" the eleven-year-old's voice betrayed a touch of exasperation. "I'll just get a lot of my friends together. Who wouldn't want to see the alien ship that can sweep Cylon raiders out of the
sky like swatting flions?"

"Well," Wesley smiled slyly, "Then why don't you come over to the Enterprise like we talked about and I could give you the tour? I'm pretty sure I can talk Commander Ryker -- that's Captain Picard's executive officer -- into making ME the host of the Enterprise tour -- that way, you'll already be
on Enterprise. Captain Picard doesn't really like the idea of kids on his ship, but he IS a
diplomat, I don't think he will turn down your grandpa's exchange tour idea. AND it means you won't have to sneak through the transmat portal."

Boxey smiled, "Wesley, we make a good team. BUT I was looking forward to the intrigue of sneaking aboard your ship. After all, YOU did it."

The two boys paused outside the entry to the alcove where the Galactica end of the transmat wormhole was. "Ok," Wesley said, "I'll go back and start planting the seeds that they want me to do a guided tour for some Galactica kids, you start getting your end ready."

"Got it," Boxey agreed.