Hangar Management

Posted on 15 Nov 2016 @ 3:52pm by Commodore Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant JG Felix Langston

1,900 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Click Three Times
Location: Razmena
Timeline: MD 10 || 1830 hours

Shep sat at the console and monitored the away team and cycled through the communications frequencies the team used, but with nothing happening yet, he double checked the transporter locks on them and sat back. "Looks like we drew the boring duty this time, eh Lieutenant?"

Outside the forward window, a face peered inside. It was the Teplan who'd finally mustered the courage to check out the alien vessel.

Shep blinked, then smiled and waved a hand at the Teplan woman, but made no move to get up and leave the runabout until he figured out what she was doing other than being curious. He ran a scan of the woman and waited for the computer to tell him if she was armed or not, if the sensors could even detect alien weapons that might exist wherever they were.

The sensors registered that she was indeed armed. One couldn't work the hangars unless they were, especially when disabling a drunk pilot was a common occurrence. Her curiosity began to get the best of her, and she pulled out some sort of scanning device and began to poke around the runabout.

"Great," Shep muttered. "I scan her, she scans me...Langston, hold the fort."

"Will do," Felix answered. He kept a weather eye on Shep as he moved toward the woman in the hangar. He made a mental note of where his sidearm was and hoped he didn't have to use it.

He got up and headed for the hatch and stopped to check his sidearm before he activated the door and stood in the doorway. "Excuse me, but can I help you?" he asked the woman.

By now, the woman had moved to the nacelle. "Your plasma field is quite irregular for a ship of this size," she remarked, studying the nacelle closely.

Shep stepped out of the runabout and closed the hatch behind him before he walked towards the woman. "All the better to get us to Grandma's house," he said. "You mind not doing that? Grandma would really miss us if we didn't get back in time."

"What's a Grandma?" the woman asked, looking up at the strange creature, then back down at the nacelle. "Actually, I'm pretty sure this plasma field is in an illegal configuration."

"My mum's mum is Grandma," he said as wondered how many cameras would pick it up if he overpowered the woman and dragged her into the runabout. "Besides, I'm certain that it's not illegal. What's your name?"

The woman didn't give her name. Instead, she flashed her badge at the man and calmly asked, "Do you know what this means?"

Shep sighed inwardly. "Not a clue," he said. "But my boss can talk to your boss over a spot of tea while I stand here chatting with you."

"It means I'm a representative of the Razmenan Authority," she snapped back at him. "With one word, I can have your ship evicted from this station as this warp field is dangerous to this entire hangar block. You should summon your Captain or Leader of whoever is in charge back here immediately."

"Tell you what," Shep said. "Why don't I give you a little something for your trouble and me and my mate will just nip out and wait for the boss to come back."

"Are you talking about a bribe?" fired back the woman. "Bribing an official?"

"Bribe is such an ugly word," he said with a smile. "I prefer to think of it as mutually assured profit. You get something for being a good representative and I get to keep my ship from being evicted. Do you like ale?"

Felix watched the conversation intently, turning on the external audio receptors to better hear the conversation. His eyes went wide at the mention of a bribe. "Oh, man, Shep," Felix said softly, "I hope you know what you're doing." He decided to stay put, but knew he might have to make a mad dash should anything go wrong.

The woman eyed the man for a moment. "Ekoria," she told him. "That's my name. I'll take that ale, but only if it's on board your ship."

Shep smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Ekoria," he said. "I'm Shep and if you'll give me a second, I'll get you a ale unlike any you've ever had." With a wink, he went and keyed entry into the runabout and went inside, making sure to close it behind him. "We have someone who likes a good ale, Felix," he said as he went to the back and grabbed a bottle of Aldorian ale. "Here's to hoping she likes to share information, too."

"Gotcha, Shep," Felix said. "Just be careful." He spun his chair around to face the hatch and slowly stood up. He moved his hand close to his firearm.

With another nod to the pilot, Shep headed back out with the Aldorian syntheale that had been brought for trading purposes. "As promised, Ekoria. May you drink to health, wealth and long life." He remembered the briefing on the Teplan's and wondered if the Dominion had ever affected her people with the Blight in this universe.

She didn't accept the offered bottle. "The deal included me being on your ship," she pressed. "At least let me take a closer look at that plasma field."

"Ekoria, you said you'd accept the ale if it was on board my ship. The ale was on board my ship. Now it's here for you. Tell you what, you take the ale and tell me what the problem seems to be, and I'll talk to my mate and we'll see if we can get it to your specs. Does that sound fair?"

Ekoria shook her head. "You idiot!" She pushed the bottle away. "Do you not think that this hangar is monitored? I take that bottle, I lose my job. Now, your plasma field is in an illegal configuration. Shut it down, or leave this station."

"C'mon," he said as he headed back to the shuttle with a wink. "It's cool if you don't want a drink. I get that you're on duty." He opened the hatch and stepped in, but left it open for her. "Company, Felix."

Felix drew his gun and held it with both hands, pointing it at his and Shep's guest. "Hello," Felix said in a pleasant voice, then immediately switched to a stern tone. "Hands where I can see 'em." He kept a steely gaze on his target and a firm grip on his pistol. Good move, Shep, he thought, helluva trap.

"You would raise your weapon against a member of the Razmena Authority?" the Teplan sternly asked the second man, not raising her hands at all. "Your plasma field is already in an illegal configuration. In addition to your ship being ejected from this station, you are looking at prison time."

"We'll take our chances," Felix said sternly. "I can see you're willing to do the same thing since your hands still aren't in the air. I'll ask you politely one more time, then I'm not sure what happens next."

Ekoria eyed him for a moment before slowly raising her hands. She did not raise them high, but held them far enough away from anything that might be concealed. "Security will be patrolling this area in the next couple of minutes, alien. I would hate to see something happen to your friends that are already deep in the station. Put that down, let me inspect your plasma field, and this will all be over." In all reality, she just wanted to see the inside of this strange ship. It was far too clean compared to anything else she'd seen, and that alone was enough to baffle her.

"Alright, let's compromise," Felix said. "I'll put away my weapon if you stay within my eyesight. You can take a look around, but no funny business. Sound fair?"

"Fair enough," Ekoria replied. She still didn't trust the man, but it sounded like the hostility was over.

"Not to mention that ale that I promised you," Shep said. "I can get a case of it and put it wherever you want as long as I have the coordinates."

I don't live alone," she told Shep. "I have one random crate show up and it won't end well for me. Just the ale will be fine."

"You got it, Ekoria," Shep said before he glanced at Langston. "You cool, Felix?"

"Yeah," Felix said crossing his arms, "we're cool." I just don't want that lady on this ship for one more second, Felix thought. "I trust you're finding everything to your liking, Ekoria?" he asked.

Ekoria slowly put her hands down and retrieved her scanner. "We shall see." She activated it and began to look for the intermix chamber. "Your engine drive is this way?" she asked, nodding towards the rear of the craft.

"Mmm-hmm," Felix said as he nodded. "Rear compartment. I'll go with you." He motioned toward the rear of the craft.

Ekoria followed the dark-skinned man into the rear compartment. This craft was indeed a unique design, with the engine drive high above their heads. Once the panels were removed, Ekoria got a solid look at the design, and better scans of it. "Looks like I was mistaken," she told them. "Whatever your hull plating is made of really disrupts my scanners. Looks like your configuration is actually in good shape." She smiled and shut off the device. "I think I'll take that ale now."

"Splendid," said Felix, leaning against a bulkhead with his arms crossed. "Shep, let's not keep the lady waiting."

Shep gave a smile and went to retrieve the bottle of ale that he had gotten for Ekoria, then came back. "I hope you enjoy it, Ekoria," he said as he offered it to her.

She smiled, tucking her scanner in its pouch on her waist and opening the bottle of ale. Ekoria sampled the foreign drink, only to wince in disgust. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, quickly handing... whatever it was... back to Shep. "That's not the worst thing I've tasted, but it's up there. Thanks, but no thanks."

"It's not the worst," Shep said with a smile. "Is there anything else you need?"

Ekoria shook her head. "Just try to stay out of trouble," she said with a sly smile. "The door is... which way?"

"This way," Shep said and led her towards the hatch and opened it.

"Thank you," the Teplan told the taller man. "Enjoy your stay at Razmena," she said with a smile before heading back to her station.

"We will," Felix said as he smiled a little bit. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Back at her station, Ekoria checked her scanner. Of course, the whole thing was a ruse. Opportunity didn't present itself often on Razmena, but when it did, there was always profit to be made. She had been partially truthful. In fact, that small craft did have an unusual plasma field, in that it was completely stable. Not even the Confederation possessed fields of that strength. These would fetch her a fair price on the Black Market, and hopefully a direction out of this hangar.

She glanced up at the alien craft in her bay. Fighting a smirk, she also knew that she was soon going to be the least of that crew's concerns...

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