Skip to main content
Topic: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business. (Read 2156 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.


BAD OMENS, WORST BUSINESS.


Stardate 57594.93
March 25, 2381
1935 hrs.


[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc |  somewhere unspecified in the outskirts of Aldea Prime | Certainly any shady business has gone south |Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
[Show/Hide]
Att: @BZ

Jahak pressed the case against his chest, leapt forward and ran even faster. The hybrid knew that he didn't look like a particularly swift, he was lanky, aparently starving, bookworm-like person who obviously had a deep need of a week's worth of hot meals in order to operate as he was supposed to. However, those who thought like that about him were utterly wrong. If there was one thing that Jahak excelled at outside the intellectual field, it was his ability to FLEE. The hybrid had found himself running away more times than he would have wanted to and he was an EXPERT in the matter. That was why he ran several meters ahead of his partner in crime, tracing the route that, hopefully, would get them out of that tricky situation. As long as none of them stumbled and dropped the suitcases they were carrying (which would reduce a few city blocks, at the very least, to a toxic wasteland and wipe them and their pursuers off the map) and as long as their persecutors didn't reach them.

The Orion were still quite far from his partner when Jahak looked over his shoulder, but they were considerably closer than they had been the last time he spotted them. "I knew it, I KNEW you were trouble," he snarled at the woman who was on his heels. "After all those years of listening to the bird-brain stories I should have KNOWN that behind all that nice and friendly and... whatever façade you have, your mere presence means TROUBLE," he grumbled bitterly. It was unfair. He knew it. The woman wasn't to blame for the fact that EVERYTHING had gone SO badly. The folks who had agreed to the trade with were as fishy as one could ever picture. And maybe, just maybe, he had also played a part in making that deal go as poorly as it had. Just a little bit. Just a tiny little bit, just something marginally noteworthy. At the end of the day NOBODY could blame him, he had only tried to save the situation as best he was able.

However, before he could say anything else, the hybrid stumbled. His heart halted in his chest as he staggered forward, clinging to the case as if his life was in it. Because, in fact, his LIFE was in it. Jahak stumbled, rushed, swayed from side to side, and finally, after a few terrifying seconds, he regained his balance. Safe. For the moment. The hybrid leaked air between his clenched teeth and endeavored to keep running, THIS TIME without looking back. At least not until he was sure he wouldn't stumble again...


Quote
Bila sipped his infusion loudly and leaned comfortably against the back of his chair. It was a drink of clearly unpalatable quality but it was obviously the best that that neighborhood could offer him. It was one of the most impoverished quarters of Aldea Prime far from the areas where pure-blood Aldeans, Klingons, and the myriad of alien visitors to the system frequented. This district was populated primarily by Gestalts, Orions, and people who were obviously not experiencing their finest hour. The hybrid knew from experience the face of the misery, poverty, and the questionable deals one engages in when life is at stake and there is little to lose. He recognized the elusive glances, the way people leaned forward pretending not to be interested in other people, the stares over one's shoulder looking for someone who could follow their footsteps. It was all too familiar, too close to his past experience... and it made the scales that ran down the sides of his neck bristle a bit.

The hybrid took one last gulp of the unsavory beverage, placed the cup on the table, and settled a small mountain of Stars beside it. Barely enough to cover the cost of the tea and a meager tip. As much as he wanted to throw money at all passers-by, at the owner of the little cafe and at his too-thin waitress, he couldn't draw attention to himself by showing himself to be too generous. That would only break his alibi as a Cardassian. And possibly attract unnecessary interest upon him. Still, it pained him ethically. But there was nothing he could do for these people. At least not that day.

So he just reached the rendezvous spot, where his sidekick just showed up. He called her by the name she had chosen as her alibi, and she greeted him with the name he had chosen for himself. He remained silent for a while, observing her in earnest, clad in his sinister Cardassian attire. He knew that it made him look more solemn and decadent, almost menacing. A brief smile flashed between the sparse beard on his face before he embraced again the mask of severity he should adopt during the negotiation. Business was business and Bila (now Jahak) knew when a smile was counterproductive. And under his new persona, a smile could only mean danger. "Are you ready?" he inquired with the authority and command that he should display, but which he did not truly feel.

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #1
[Lt. Zephyr Praise Kessa Lorn | Running From Consequences | Underhanded Deals | Don't Tell a Soul | It's All Your Fault!]





It was a good thing that Zeph was the sort to exercise, it was a bad thing that despite all this, she couldn't keep up with Bila.  She was shorter, slighter, and he was weighed down with the case that carried explosives that neither of them had gotten permission to bring on board.  Yet, she knew they could get forgiveness if they were just able to get their plan together.  Save the whole parasite thing, two Scientists arming up against the universe full of parasite infected A-holes to make sure that they went back to their own damn plane.  She wouldn't be sad to see the other side of them, and she knew that they needed to make sure that the thing worked before they tried it on someone.  The fact that her PADD, papers, notes, drawings, sticky notes of vibrant and bright colors, in her lab were covering the walls, desks, floor, and seating areas... proved how hard she and Bila had been working together to solve this thing. 

Now though, was the hard part.  Getting the amazing illegal, unreplicatable, radioactive material, that they would need to actually fabricate and utilize the weapon.  Of course, they had worked on some of the design work with the Chief Engineer.  She seemed all too happy to help them dive into how to create the chassis and weapon based on the original design they had in mind.  Something that could fire a beam of energy similar to what Heather could make at the parasite and send them back to where they came... or explode... she was really fine with either if it allowed them the privilege of going back to Earth and other places to see families and people they had left behind.

In front of her the large multi-raced man began to launch into a blame game of how this was all her fault.  She continued to run with him, working to jump over the debris, the uneven land, and what ever was in their path.  Hoping that he really  had a good grip on the case because if he dropped it they were both Aldean dust mites.  Zeph looked over at him, glaring daggers into his backside, hopefully causing him to shiver in the anticipation of instant Betazoid Mind Death coming up behind him.


“It's not MY fault!  You weren't the picture of calm, cool, or collected, I'll have you remember!” she shot back at him as they ran.  She didn't spare a glance behind her, she had her mind externally out there and it allowed her to know exactly where they were without having to slow down to look back.  “I'll also have you remember that this was YOUR idea.. oh I'm SURE we can go down to the planet and get some of the materials that we need.  Lets go on an adventure.  We're two cool people, lets make it happen!”

Suddenly, he stumbled, Idiot, trying to give me shit instead of concentrating on where you're going! she thought mentally.  He clutched the case for everything that he had and she grabbed the back of his shirt to give him extra support.  Hazel green eyes shifting upwards to make sure that he was all right.  “Watch where you're going or the Theurgy will be two less brilliant scientists and a whole lot more shit in the wind.” she reminded him waiting until he had his full balance.  “Come on we've got to keep going.”

Quote
Zeph was the picture of the Aldean woman as she did her shopping.  Looking around the small shop full of old antiques, mostly junk, and heavy collections of dust.  It made her want to sneeze at the sheer volume of the dust particles in the building but she was here to do a job.  Not here, persay but it wold look odd if a woman had only just appeared on the streets in nice Aldean robes and had just gone to meet with a Cardassian.  So Zeph had taken her time working her way to the rendezvous spot.  She had visited a bakery and purchased a small loaf filled with fish and some kind of sauce that was actually quite taste.  The crust just crisp, the pastry well done, and the filling just warm enough to be plesant but not hot enough to burn one's tongue.

Leaving there, she had stepped into the small antique store and found that it was useless junk that was what most people wished to get rid of when they were cleaning out their homes.  But, here, it also seemed to be collections of broken things.  There were small pieces of pottery here and there that had been broken and piled up in a ceramic bowl.  Likely for crafting, jewelry crafting, or something like that.  She didn't know what they could all be used for, but she was merely enjoying looking around.  There was a case with old lockets and jewelry in them but Zeph didn't know enough to know if they were a good price or a nice thing so she left them and stepped back out.

The chronometer on her wrist told her it was time to head over and meet with Bila.  So she began to walk that way depositing the paper from the pastry of earlier in a recycler.  Her robes were a crisp and lovely green color with a slight golden yellow trim.  She had opted for no embroidery or anything of the sort because that would call too much attention, she had left the finer fabrics behind as well, opting for something just low-middle-class instead of anything too fine.  She would call enough attention to herself.  When she met with Bila he was the ever present show of a Cardassian.  He offered her a hidden smile and she offered him one back as they met up on the corner.

“Of course, lets go.”  Together, they turned, her robes flaring slightly as she stepped in time with him.  Her face was serious, and a bit troubled, because she wanted to put forth the picture that she was not exactly thrilled to be walking around with a Cardassian to help her do her work.  As they walked, the area around them grew less market place and more shadows and dilapidated buildings.  Some of them leaned slightly, they were on the outskirts of the city.  It reminded her of the things that happened with Ravon and she really didn't want that to go down again.  As they turned a corner down an alley way, there at the back were three Orions with a case sitting carefully to the side so that no one could bump it, but it was also currently chained to one of the walls, a large iron looking ring had been hammered into the stone there ages ago, and they were using it now.  Zeph was already checking it out without trying to be obvious.  It didn't look as though the ring was likely very supportive anymore, it was likely more of a deterrent than an actual theft prevention situation.

The three looked up at the Cardassian and the 'Human' as they stepped up.  “Greetings.” Zeph said and the eyebrow of one of the Orion shifted upwards before his eyes slid to the Cardassian and she determined it was best to let Bila speak first.

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #2
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc |  somewhere unspecified in the outskirts of Aldea Prime | Certainly any shady business has gone south |Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
[Show/Hide]
Att: @BZ


He had promised himself. He had TRULY promised it to himself. In the name of the Prophets, because if he did otherwise, he would crash to the ground in a SPECTACULAR inferno of toxic fireworks. Honestly, he had promised not to look back again. But of course, Zephyr had turned out quite differently from the milquetoast egghead she had always been in Tom's stories, and she had OPINIONS. And by the Prophets, Bila had opinions too.


The hybrid nibbled on the inner side of his cheeks for a minute that took forever and entertained himself by watching where he put his feet. And remembering that the woman was Betazoid, so with little effort she could read what he thought of her opinions in his head as clearly as he would read it in a Padd. That or maybe she could chose to cast some kind of bizarre psychic death ray at him. Jahak groaned inwardly and wondered what sin he had committed to constantly end up in trouble around a Betazoid woman. At least they also seemed determined to save his scaly throat, somehow, so he had to thank Praise for her help in regaining his balance.


She relaxed her tone a tad, but Bila was already about to explode. "Of course this was MY idea and it was a GREAT idea, you know? It was glorious, flawless, I had taken care of every detail to the last detail. But of course, what could I expect from sharing my PERFECT methodology with someone into applied science?!?!?!. APPLIED SCIENCES?, YEAH, MY ASS! You all screw everything up with your uncertainty principle, your probabilities and your... your... STATISTICS" he spat out with obvious distaste.


The Cardassian-passing man embraced the case even further, pursed his lips and kept running in a sullen fashion for a few more seconds. "And furthermore! " he continued shortly afterwards, unable to stay quiet. " FURTHERMORE! You had the nerve to save my ass back there," he said bitterly, without specifying whether he was referring to his stumble a few feet behind or to what had happened with the Orions. "Thank you, MISS!" he snapped at the hazel-eyed woman, without a hint of gratitude in his voice. Oh yeah, he was ACTUALLY grateful, but he was SO angry and SO terrified that it was a little extra hard to wipe that all away and throw away a bunch of pleasantries.

Their pursuers soon seemed to grow tired of the chase and determined to move the issue to a higher level. Next to Bila's head, bursts of energy started buzzing against the nearby walls. "Left!," shouted Jahak, shifting into a small alley in that direction.

His ears registered something in front of him, turning a corner.

But of course... he had inherited those damn Cardassian ears.  So he COULD NOT be sure where he was heading. He has HOPE but certainity? Not at all.

Jahak uttered a small prayer before turning around and finding himself... in the middle of a bazaar. On a market day.

Perfect for losing his pursuers. Or to make a few collateral casualties.

"Follow me!" He barked to Zephyr, losing himself in the crowd.



Quote
She was playing her role beautifully, looking disgusted and upset about being involved in shady business for money with a Cardassian. Of course Bila knew it was just a character, but somehow it was painfully close to home. That it affected him so much was just nonsense, which made his expression grow even more bitter, and which, on the other hand, was perfect with his disguise. He was displaying a perfect example of an evil Cardassian. The very thought made him unhappy.

The urban landscape shifted gradually as they moved into the more neglected part of the suburbs, an environment that Bila knew all too well. Soon they found the group they had agreed to meet, three misfitting male orions who seemed to be protecting a briefcase chained to the wall. Oh boy, did they really think they were that kind of fools?

Zephyr spoke first, which elicited some distrust in the Orions. "Tèsený da si'múý!" he barked in kardasi before he turned to face the Orions, sour-faced. "You insult me, do you think I'm so gullible to trust that you have anything so valuable in plain sight here, where anyone can spot it? Don't offend my intelligence." He snarled with a heavy kardasi accent and a face twisted into a disdainful expression. "Take us to your leader, I don't have time to waste with nonsense" he said with an elegant hand gesture, an exact copy of what Parnak used when interacting with him. The Orions debated in their own language for a short time and, despite the fact that the
translator pinned to his lapel snitched on the content of the conversation, Jahak leaned
towards Zephyr, as if he was looking for a translation of the discussion or, at least,
confirmation of the translation he was receiving. After a couple more sentences, the one who
seemed to be the leader of the group turned his back on them and went into the ruins. One
of the other minions took the case and tore it from the chain to which it had never been
attached. The last green man stood behind them, looking around uncomfortably.
Bila stepped forward behind the leader with the confidence of one who is well aware of his
command and the rigid movements of one who cannot hide a military past.




OOC:
Kardasi
"Tèsený da si'múý!" -> Silence! , order from superior to a civilian

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #3
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | This is Not Going as Planned | Losing Their Tail | Blending In | Don't Drop the Case]
@Numen




Bila believed, bless his heart, that it was all his plan and it was flawless.  Had she not been running full tilt away from the people that they had been meeting, she would have reunited him with the truth.  He continued to dog on her own sciences, as if there was a lesser science of some sort.  The glare that she leveled at him would have killed him had he only gathered enough hair on his balls to look over at her at that moment.  Because, she was not only a brilliant scientist, but she was also a medical doctor, and if only there was some way that everyone could know the kind of research and so forth she had done on the Azurite they would actually be able to understand that she wasn't just a Botanist.  She was growing quite tired of that becoming something that was lesser.  Just because she liked to keep things alive instead of messing with the chemical side of things didn't mean anything.

“You know I could create a planet that would strangle the life out of you right?” she reminded him as they darted over rocks, and dashed around the random debris as they made their way closer to the city.  Once they were there, they could actually pour on some speed since it wouldn't be filled with all of this stuff around them.  However, then they were going to have to deal with people and hopefully not have to worry too much about catching someone's eye.  They would probably appear much more normal than those chasing them, but then, who knew how many people in the crowds belonged to them as well. 

“Statistics, do you know me?  Or my jobs?” she asked looking over at him.  “While you sit there making best friends with test tubes and cracking jokes that no one laughs at?” she shot over to him.  Zeph was just glad that she had a heavy hobby of spending time in the gym.  Not only for her fighting techniques that she wanted to keep brushed up on but also for the cardio that she was using now.  Keeping up with her Klingon mate was not ever easy and he helped her push herself even further by making sure that he didn't baby her too much. 

Then Bila was at it again, her nerve of saving him, and then yelling his thanks out at her.  “I saved my own ass.  Don't worry.” she shot back with healthy sarcasm because she wasn't the sort to just let anyone go down.  She wasn't a doctor for no reason.  Suddenly, he shouted left, and without thinking much of it she followed his trajectory to the left darting into the alley.  Sure enough, they popped out of the narrow alley and into a large crowd.  It was a market day, apparently, and already there were swarms of people calling out wares, calling out prices, calling to every man, woman, and child there.  It was filled with ripe scents of all kinds of baked goods, cooked fish, and stalls that were currently filling the market with their own special brand of scents.  There were people all over the place some with small cloth bags that already held their daily purchases, others with empty hands and sharp eagle eyes as they pursued the area for the best prices.

“Slow down, we have to act normal.” she stated as she pulled Bila from a run, and tried to slow him down.  She hooked her arm through his so they could look like they were a couple, and she paused next to one of the stalls that was surrounded by people.  While she pulled him down slightly.  “Look at the items on the table.” she said quietly in his ear.  As he did so, bending over from his taller height, she fixed his collar so it was popped instead of down, and she gathered up the robes to the side slightly with a belt so that it was a different drape all together.  She herself slid off her robe, turned them inside out, and then put them back on.  Before letting her hair down, the bouncy brunette curls dancing all around her shoulders and face a moment as they were freed.  Retying her robe they looked quite different now, as she nodded to him and they infiltrated the crowd once more so they could hopefully make it back to their shuttle without attention this time.

Quote
It seemed this was not the case, and she was glad that Bila had been able to catch that.  She had never really been big on shady back alley deals but here she was at her first.  She probably looked like a newbie too, but she was trying to portray the bored confidence as much as possible.  Bila told them to take them to their leader, it sounded like a line right out of old si-fi movies but she wasn't too worried about it, she just needed him to be the Cardassian that he was and let her be the person that she was.

The Orions began to speak in their own language, and Zephyr was both trying to get a feel for them mentally as well as trying to hear the translation of the languages that she was getting from him.  Bila leaned in closely, and she looked up at him but she knew that he was putting on a show.  So she moved her lips as though she was translating properly since she wanted to keep up the front, and her low whispers were just basically turning what she was getting from the device they were both wearing into what they could both understand, Standard. 

Finally, they seemed to have decided what was going to happen, and Bila stepped forward as the bolt in the wall fell out and the case was left dangling from the arm of one of the Orion.  None of these men were the leader, none of them had any of the clout that would come with being someone that would hold the kind of materials they were after.  No, but going away with them was a dangerous road that she wasn't willing to walk down.  That would end up in some really bad situations and she didn't really want to be rescued again.  One of the men disappeared into the ruins and she assumed that meant they were getting the actual leader so they could get this deal done.

Zeph remained quiet as she watched everyone, reading their body languages as much as their mental noise that was filtering over.  Zeph had met enough Orion in her time, they weren't that hard to read, she just hoped that they kept their pheromones on that side of the conversation and didn't try to use them.  Though, she found that stigma was something of an over exaggeration for the most part and not always utilized in the way that some people believed.  She truly believed that it was something much more similar to the fact like her own abilities, just because she could use them on everyone didn't mean she did.  Most Orion would likely be that way; though these weren't exactly the Orion you met in the market place.

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #4

[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc |  somewhere unspecified in the outskirts of Aldea Prime | Certainly any shady business has gone south |Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
[Show/Hide]
Att: @BZ


Once both scientists were well immersed in the crowd, Bila slowed down. His breath thundered like a fan, and he halted for a couple of minutes gasping for breath. She took advantage of that moment to hang on to his arm, which made the chemist tense the muscles under his uncomfortable Cardassian garment, awkward. He knew it was just another charade to help them blend with the rest of the shoppers, but Bila had never been a fanatic of physical contact. Ah, the sacrifices one had to make to save one's skin.


"Yes, statistics. You people with a penchant for minor sciences have to use them to make percentages of success in your experiments, to track the variability of certain cultures, the genetic variability and all that shit." The chemist resumed the discussion for the sake of his own peace of mind. "Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. In chemistry you mix A with B in X ratio under certain circumstances and you always, ALWAYS achieve the same result. You have to be precise, but there is no element of chaos and mayhem in chemistry, as there is in biology and botany.... for example" Bila's voice almost distilled horrified awe in the face of a science in which not everything could be controlled down to the smallest detail. "Chemistry, on the other hand, is an exact science. Perfect. It studies the very composition of everything, living or not. In fact, if it wasn't for us, half of you scientists would still be doing... alchemy or voodoo or magic or something like that, without having the faintest idea what you're playing at." He passionately explained, defending what he had devoted his life to.


For a few minutes, they simply strolled between stands and stalls. Their path wandered through the crowd, with shifts in pace and direction to confuse their pursuers. At one point, Zephyr asked him to look at a stall. Bila obeyed and leaned forward to inspect the trinkets. The owner of the shop began to proclaim the virtues of his merchandise, but Bila quickly determined that they were worthless knickknacks, mass-produced in some ill-adjusted replicator.


For her part, she began to stir up his clothes, and for a brief moment Bila froze. He was unable even to protest at the shameful outrage that was being perpetrated upon him. After a few minutes, the actions of the Betazoid demonstrated their purpose and both looked like different people.


Bila tried to protest. Or to say something. But he merely nodded approvingly. Awkwardly.


They moved on again, leaving behind a disheartened salesman who saw two potential customers turning their backs on his baubles, without being swindled by his words.


"Go-... good work," he finally said after a few long minutes of silence. With a concealed gesture, he sank his face further into the high collar of his jacket. As much as Zephyr had altered his appearance slightly, his grayish skin was too easy to spot and made him stand out from the people around him. It was better not to make it easy for their pursuers.


After roaming through much of the market, it mutated into an area of restaurants and food stalls. The crowd was thinner and much of it was sitting at different tables or bars. Bila allowed himself to smirk with confidence and raised the case.


"We di...." He didn't finish the sentence. Just a few meters behind them, the Orion who were chasing them pointed at the two scientist, picking them up again. “.... Oh fuck."




Quote
The group of Orions led them to an area even more sordid than the ruins where they had been found so far. The place seemed to have been forsaken to the elements for decades. Piles of rubbish were piling up in the rubble. At one point the chemist thought he could spot a large, shaggy predator in the shadows of a building. The animal gnawed at a vaguely humanoid carcass. He made a real effort to keep his face consistent with the role he had chosen. While Bila the hybrid had begun to panic, Jahak Preloc considered that this was just an ordinary Tuesday.


After a trip that seemed to take forever to the scientist, they arrived at a structure that looked like it was precariously standing, just by the seer force of leaning against the ruined walls of two other adjacent buildings. The way it tilted its walls made it look like a boozer resting on a colleague. In the centre of one of the walls there was a slanted lintel of a gate, flanked by what appeared to be a couple of filthy homeless men.


Bila was not fooled by surface appearances.


He had lived in or near destitution for some time, and he knew well that hunger and hardships prevented anyone from maintaining the bulky mass of muscle that those thugs in rags exhibited. Nor that watchful and dangerous stare. In addition, a quick study of the duo revealed how some of the tattered rags and shreds of fabric were actually strategically placed to conceal weapons.
The (apparently) full-blooded Cardassian felt a chill run down his scaly spine. They where getting into the lair of the beast, and although it was something they were actively looking for, it was still uncomfortable.


The Orions, for their part, exchanged a few gestures with the doorkeepers and, after a few faint whispers, pushed aside the mended piece of cloth that served as door and stepped inside the building. Bila and his companion followed them shortly thereafter. The group went down several flights of stairs in almost complete darkness, the tense silence broken only by the dripping of something in one of the corners and a dull murmur coming from the foundations of the building. After a descent which seemed to go on for an eternity the staircase ended in a small circular room carved out of the rock, completely empty except for a reinforced door and the roughneck which protected it. Neither the gate nor the Orion guard were disguised on this occasion.


Their guides exchanged some elaborate hand gestures with the guardian and a few more quiet whispers, and the gate opened in front of them. The music, light, and smells coming from the other side of the lintel almost overwhelmed Bila.


The place was a nightclub. Lights of innumerable hues flashed to the beat of music that was just too loud. Almost a hundred people of different species danced and interacted in the illegal pub. As they made their way through the crowd, Bila thought he could make out at least a dozen synthetic drugs being used here and there. The air oozed of alcohol, narcotic fumes, chemicals and pheromones. There were several dancers of both sexes perched on tall platforms, so sparsely clothed that the chemist had to make an effort to suppress the blush that threatened to ascend to his cheeks. Some of the sweaty dancers descended from time to time from their high stands to accompany a client to the darkest part of the hall. There was no doubt that the services they offered had little to do with dancing. Overall, it was one of the best (or worst) examples of decadent establishments in which Bila had been.


Their guides led them to a private booth and asked them to wait there with few words. Bila had no hesitation and dropped into one of the velvety couches that nearly filled the small space. He patted the seat next to him, inviting Zephyr to join him. "Are you ready?" he asked her. "Now comes the tricky part: the negotiation."

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #5
[Lt. Zephyr Praise in Disguise | Not Really Equipped for This | What is the Plan? | Can We Just Get Our Stuff and Go?]
@Numen




You know those times, you wish someone would stop talking.  Realize that no one actually cared.  That there was no one reigning science in the world of sciences, and if there was going to be one it would be Botany which dated back to before men could even start fires?  But, you know, it was okay to be wrong.  She just wished he would shut up about his wrong-ness.  Of course, everyone thought their science was the best.  Most of them were wrong, again, it was okay to be wrong.  But consistently long winded diatribes about it just made her want to stop running and let them catch her.  At least then, they might muzzle him. 

She didn't deign him with a response because he wasn't worth fighting with, and honestly, was now really the time to sit around talking about Science and how overly predictable his chosen one was?  Because the best things (and sometimes the worst) were found in those unpredictable moments.  Still, she wasn't going to keep going around in circles with him, if he wanted to sit there and fight about how amazing Chemistry was, then great.  He could do it to the mirror for all she cared.

They fixed their clothing and succeeded for the most part in blending into their surroundings.  It worked well until they got out on the other side of the market to the restaurants and stalls.  It was then that the Chemist had to open his big mouth and jinx them.  Sure enough, there were the guys waiting, apparently having figured out that they were using the market as a diversion and knew they were going to have to come out someway or another.  She cursed under her breath and looked over at Bila giving a sigh.

“Okay, it's time to get the hell out of here.  I'm not going back in their creepy underground over teched bunker, and I'm not losing the stuff we need to get this weapon started.  So.  We are going to get out of this, and then you're going to appreciate my amazingness that much more.”

Her eyes shifted to what they had available to them.  She grabbed his free hand and they darted forward as though they were running at the Orion's themselves which caused the men to look unsure of themselves.  Because they certainly hadn't expected that.  “Keep running.” she told the surprised Bila, She gave him a nod, she was not just a scientist, she was much more than that, though she didn't look it.  So as she let go of his hand she veered of slightly and with a quick jump she punched the Orion in the face as Bila raced past them with the case.  She felt the bone in his nose crunch under the force that she used.  She landed lithely on the ground in front of him, and while he was still trying to figure out what happened, crying about his nose, and holding a handful of blood she continued moving.  With a quick move she kicked her foot knocking his knee out of his joint and at the same time she threw her elbow up into his face to break his nose just a little bit more.  Since it was already broken he screamed loudly as he hit the ground with a broken leg and nose. 

His buddy came rushing over calling her all sorts of bad names in Orion but she also didn't care and she had no idea what they meant and it didn't really register for her.  Zeph turned to fight.

Quote
The place was much higher tech than it looked on the outside.  As Bila motioned for her to sit beside him, patting the seat there, she lowered herself down and did her best to look as comfortable as possible.  Bila asked if she was ready and she wasn't sure if he was just really nervous or if he was the sort that just was excited about what was to come.  They had finally made it into the lair of the unknown and in the hopes of getting what they actually needed to help defeat the parasites.  She wondered if it would have been wise to bring the Chief Engineer, but probably not.  With her mouth, her penchant for saying the wrong things at the worst times, and the fact that she told them to let her know when they had workable shit.. well it was best to let her do whatever it was she did best.  Something .. greasy.

“Sure, why not, this is totally normal.” she shrugged as though she did this daily.  She could tell he was nervous, and she was too, but someone had to have a level head on their shoulders and apparently the world had elected Zeph.

It was clear they were actually speaking to the big guy when the Orion stepped into the room blanked by no fewer than five body guards.  He was a big guy himself, by Orion standards, his green skin stretched taught over muscles and hidden underneath a very nice suit.  One that Zeph figured probably said a lot more about the kind of money that flowed through the establishment.  Each of the men behind him wore nice clothing as well and how they achieved the level of muscle on their person and were still able to bend down to tie their shoes was all together a new mystery. 

The leader sat down in front of the two and leaned back.  He pulled out some kind of black stick and lit it on fire beginning to inhale the fumes.  Another of the men brought out some kind of glass dish that the golden embers could be dropped into when they got too heavy for the stick to carry.  Zeph continued to sit there waiting for the man to speak first.  At first it seemed that it was going to be a game of chicken before he finally took a break making his large shoulders move as he looked over at the two of them.

“You're not what I expected.”

Zeph shrugged.  “I like keeping it that way, keeps people on their toes.”

The man smiled.  “You're cheeky.  I like it.”

“Well great, we're friends, can we make a sale now?” 

His smile widened as he sucked more of whatever poison was in the stick into his lungs.  If it wasn't on fire she would have maybe been able to decide what was in it but right now she could only smell burning plant life.  

“Did you bring the sum?”

“We wouldn't be here if we hadn't.” Zeph shot back quickly.

“You would be surprised.” he chuckled taking another drag on his stick.

“Look we are here to make a deal.  We have the money.  You have the goods.  This is a quick thing.  So can we get to it already?”

The man looked over at Bila.  “And you quiet man, you let a woman talk for you?”

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #6
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc |  somewhere unspecified in the outskirts of Aldea Prime | Certainly any shady business has gone south |Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
[Show/Hide]
Att: @BZ


"What do you me...?" He tried to say just before Zephyr clasped his hand and lunged ahead dragging him with her.

In the incorrect direction.

Towards the Orion

Fleeing meant to run in the OPPOSITE direction to your enemies, not towards them.

That was WRONG.

 UTTERLY WRONG.

Was that woman out of her mind?

Then he remembered.

That Betazoid had chosen a KLINGON over Ravon. Obviously the birdbrain had his problems, but he was the right choose. A Klingon was WRONG. That was an utter craziness.

 Hence, that woman was obviously nuts.


And now he was running after her towards his demise.

"I'm dead," he whimpered woefully as his mind's eye saw that woman put them in a fight they couldn't win. At least HE couldn't win it. He was a scientist, not a fighter. Running from danger? He could do that, but it was better not to ask him for a physical feat related to wrestling. He was unprepared. And his religion forbade it.

"Keep running." she told the surprised Bila

Oh, and for all the Prophets he would keep running as if life was going to end at any second, clutching the suitcase with all the strength of his frail arms. He ran and ran and ran while the sound of fighting echoed at his back.



He ran until he left behind the market and that impoverished area of the city and the Orions and Zephyr and everything else. Until his lungs burned and his breath sounded like a broken fan. And he kept running a little longer, until his forces began to fail and his knees shook and his thin, sinewy muscles cried out that he should stop.


 And then he ran even a bit farther.


When he finally stopped, he had reached a more civilized part of the city. One where the Orion transport inhibitors were not effective. One where he could stand up and finally lay the suitcase gently in front of his feet. Where he could search with trembling hand due to nervousness and exhaustion through his clothes and find the combadge concealed in an Aldean device, tapped it and requested:

"Theurgy, transport for two, on my signal and on the Lieutenant Praise's combadge."

Soon after, his form vanished from the planet... safe at last.




OOC:

At the moment I can't wrap my mind about the scene in the pub so... what about have Zeph solving the fight with the Orions and reaching the ship and:

A- not told what went so wrong and just make the story untold (hence we can work on it, or not, or reshape it how many times we want (if we want to) and exaggerate the tale every time it is told or whatever.

B-they  solve the past scene in a dialogue

C- We move the past scene between both as flash back (as we have done till this moment) but without mix it with the "present" scene

Up to you!


 

Re: Day 15 [1935 hrs.] Bad Omens, Worst Business.

Reply #7
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Time to Go | At Least He Listens | Safe at Home | Nothing to See Here Folks]
@Numen





Zephyr was all about the fight.  She supposed that was what originally attracted a Klingon to her.  The fact that she was pretty, slight, and very mousy looking but when it came to actually fighting Zephyr could hold her own.  She had been trained by the best and kept it up all the years on the Azurite.  As much as it would have been easy to let all that training go and allow for herself to just concentrate on the Science.  But, the thing she appreciated more so was the fact that she was able to really get her mind clear when she was fighting.  When she was fighting and working out some of the best ideas came to her.  She didn't need to think about the specific problem her mind was already working on it and sometimes when she emptied it out of all the complex details that seemed important to her, her mind would wade through all the trash to find the parts that really truly mattered.  It didn't always work but it did enough times that it was something she did daily.  Even now, when she was frustrated or whatever she would head to the gym on the Theurgy and get out some steam while working on her thought processes.

As the other Orion darted for her, Zeph slid into a lower stance so that she could take him on.  Most people under estimated her and it was one of her favorite things.  She didn't mind it because it gave her an advantage that most people couldn't get.  When you were male, beefy, and full of muscles people probably over estimated you, she had the opposite problem.  Her muscles were cleverly hidden underneath her uniform but when they were out, well, it was proof that Zeph was much more than just a happy scientist.

Zephyr lowered herself as the man ran at her, and popped up at the last moment with her elbow up in the air, the fist of that arm in the hand of the other for additional support as she shoved her elbow right into his lower chin.  The man cried out in anger as his teeth slammed together and he bit his tongue heavily.  Blood pooled out of his mouth and he spit it at her, she wanted to have dodged it but as fast as she could be she wasn't fast enough for close combat spit.  It slapped her on her cheek and in her curly brown hair.  She grimmaced thinking of all the nasty bacteria in his mouth. 

“Nasty.” she grunted shaking her head.  Bila, she still had a mental bead on him, and she could tell he was doing well getting away with what was necessary and hopefully she wouldn't be far behind him. 

He didn't say anything, he reached to grab at her, but she was slippery and she ducked out of the way to swing her fist at him and connect with his left eye.  He stumbled back as she went to kick him in the chest only to be grabbed from behind as the broken nose man finally got his wits about him.  They began speaking in Orion to one another, and he held her in place as the other was apparently about to punch her just for good measure.  Only, they wouldn't get their chance.  Zeph began laughing as the tell tale feeling of the transportation beam began to fill her senses. 

“No!” screamed the Orion in front of her as she disappeared into blue dust.  There was nothing they could do about it.

==Theurgy Zone==

As she materialized next to Bila on the transportation pads back on the Theurgy, back 'home' she looked over at him.  Blood still smeared on her cheek and in her hair from her little run in.  Zeph couldn't help but grin at him, he looked shell shocked and like he wanted to puke.  She reached over and took the case from him before he could lose his lunch all over it.   No need to make her whole lab smell like puke because the poor boy couldn't take any adversity. 

“Go take a shower, and a nap, and eat... or something.” she chuckled brightly, her eyes alight with the adventure they had just had together.  With that Zeph jumped off the pad with the case in her hand and headed for her lab, a big grin on her face. 

Illegal?  Yep.

Could she get in trouble?  Yep.

Would she?  Well, not if she could cure the parasites, right?

-FIN-

 
Simple Audio Video Embedder