Seeking Elders (The Station Part III, Team One)

Posted on 22 Jun 2018 @ 2:05am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Captain Harvey Geisler & Commander Jayla Kij & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Petty Officer 1st Class Allen Miller

3,878 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: The Search Begins
Location: Three Levels Down - Vargass Station (Orbiting Alpha Trios III)
Timeline: MD 2 || 1000 Hours

It had taken some convincing on her part, but now Joey found herself standing on the deck three levels down from their previous location. There was nothing pleasant about this part of the rundown station, in fact, it was downright dismal. Now, she understood why the Aketi didn't want to join them. The Intel Chief didn't want to be here any longer than they had to be, which meant they needed to move... and keep their eyes out for any unsavory inhabitants. Lucky for her and her team, though, she placed all the Daaliks in a place she was sure none of these aliens would think to look.

She looked toward the Aketi after making sure that Miller and Jayla were close by, then began speaking. "You're familiar with this place. Where's the first place we should look? I don't want any of us here longer than we have to be."

"It's simple enough," remarked the translator, trying not to attract too much attention to himself. "Stay away from the guns, and start looking for people with purple hair on their skin."

Stay away from guns? This just got better and better, and if he was trying to blend in, it was going to be pretty hard considering that she, Jayla and Miller stood out like a sore thumb. "Purple hair on their skin, got it," Joey said, moving forward. This was going to be quite interesting, but hopefully, they'd get what they came for in the end. "Anyone we should completely avoid?"

The translator, named Arlo, nodded towards a red-skinned, three-eyed being whose back was to them. "The Golonites. The oil secreted by their skin is acidic to most humanoids, and they're not afraid to bite."

Joey couldn't help but smile. "Neither am I, but we'll make a note not to get too close to them. Right now, we're really interested in finding the elders to get some answers," she stated, glancing toward Jayla and Allen. "So, where would you two like to look first?"

"How about a place where most people tend to gather. Like a bar, or whatever they have that's similar," replied Allen.

"That sounds about as good a place as any. If we don't find the elders there, then maybe we'll find someone that will know where to look," she said, looking toward the Aketi. Joey knew he was nervous about being in this part of the station, but she'd see to it that he stayed safe, because despite paying him for his services, he'd been pretty compliant and that deserved protection. "Do you know where we might be able to find something like that down here?"

"These are the slums," said the translator. "The place where underhanded deals are constantly going down and if you're not already looking over your shoulder, then you might as well be dead. You're safer in the middle, in the open marker, than you are on the fringes."

"Safe is good," Allen replied. "Especially since she's still digesting," gesturing to Joey's stomach and capitalizing on what Jayla had said earlier. "She won't be able to eat again for a while." He turned to the woman he'd been on away missions with before and grinned. "Don't worry, I got your back."

Oh, Allen, Joey thought, but she couldn't help but grin. He was always going to be her go to when it came to away missions for that very reason, but now it made her miss Ricardo. The two of them together was definitely something else. "Then, we'll stick to the middle, but I'm going to ask someone if they know where we can find one of the elders," she said, looking around for the perfect person. She definitely didn't want to talk to the Golonites, but something caught her attention up ahead. "There! I saw a flash of purple that looked like it could have been on skin. Let's move." With that, she began to move through the crowd.

The translator, not filled with enough trepidation as to not follow these strange beings and not get paid, led the way through the crowd, hoping that one in front or behind him had any bright ideas. When they arrived to what Joey had seen, the Aketi's hand picked up some cloth that had been dyed purple. "I think you missed them," he dryly stated.

Glancing up, he spotted a group of Vegemons, each wearing yellow bands on their exposed left forearms. One of the Vegemons spotted him, and recalled exactly why they'd been long looking for him. The group instantly stopped what they were doing and began to move towards the translator.

"We have to go," said the translator softly. "Now."

That was out of character, thought Allen. He looked around, trying to figure out what spooked their translator into whispering in a crowded room. His eyes fell on a group of other aliens moving towards them. "He's right. Time to move, hot shot." Allen took a position between Joey, Jayla, and their translator and the aliens. There, he could push them on and provide some protection.

It didn't take long for Joey to figure out what was going on, or their need to vacate the area rather quickly. Now she understood why their translator didn't want to come down this way, but it had her wondering just how many enemies he'd made. "This way," she said, taking Jayla's hand just to make sure she didn't lose the Doctor during any of this. "We need to blend in with the crowd. I suggest finding cloth, or something like it, that will allow us to become a little inconspicuous while we're here."

"Yes," muttered the translator under his breath. "Like there's any way the three of you aliens would look any less inconspicuous with your spots and pale skin." In fact, he wondered if these creatures were sickly or carried some disease for being so pale. Was he helping them spread it around the station unknowingly? Was this their master plan?

"Could we use that to our advantage?" Jayla spoke up. "Like... royalty or gods or something? Are the people superstitious?"

It was at that moment that Joey knew she'd be taking Jayla with her on away missions, as well as Allen. The ideas she was coming up with were very original, and things that could probably work out in their favor. "That's not a bad idea actually. Are they superstitious as she asked?" the Intel Chief asked. "We can use anything you can tell us to our advantage, which would help us out, and probably in turn, keep you from being hunted down in the future just because you've been seen with us."

He shook his head. "There are religious nuts around, but they only tell of the end of all life as we know it. Most people don't care for that."

"That's not going to help us," Joey said, looking toward their translator. "Neither is the fact you seem to be wanted by a few individuals, which explains why you didn't want to come down here in the first place. I know you've expressed your lack of desire to leave this area, but I don't think we have a lot of choice. It's only a matter of time before those individuals that are after you decide to grow their search party, then we're really screwed. Let's go." With that being said, she moved in a direction that would lead them away from middle and those that were searching for them.

Feigning a sigh, the translator followed, sticking close to the man-eating woman. He kept one of his methane covered eyes constantly checking behind them, hoping that they'd be losing their predators. With each glance, it seemed that the party was not just growing, but getting closer as well.

"This way," he said, pushing ahead to the front of the group and turning down what passed as an alleyway. Reaching a secluded corner, he pried open a ventilation shaft. "Quick," he said. "In here."

Oh, this is going to hurt, Joey thought to herself with a mental groan, but their options were quite limited. How she was going to fit inside the shaft was beyond her as these weren't as big as Jefferes tubes. Who did she piss off in a past life? If there were such a thing. "I'll go first, then you," she said to the translator. "Jayla, you're next, and Allen you take up the rear. You might all need to push me when I get stuck in this damn thing." And rather than wait for a response, Joey climbed inside and began to carefully maneuver herself inside.

The translator stood watch, hoping that their followers wouldn't turn down the alley. "Hurry," he urged. "Time's running out."

Joey got into the vent and moved in enough so the others could move in behind her. "Where does this go?"

The Aketi did not answer as his focus was more on getting the maneater's companions into the shaft. "Come on you too!"

"You first," replied Jayla. "You're more vital to this mission than I am. Go on!"

He grumbled before finally entering the shaft.

Once the Aketi was in, Jayla scooted in behind him as quick as she could.

Allen waited until Jayla went in and, as directed by Joey, followed them. "Bringing up the back and following the rear. I love my life."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jayla couldn't help but giggle as she threw a grin over her shoulder at Allen. It was tricky, given the tightness of the tube they were in, but she couldn't resist. Kij held memories of men, after all, so she could appreciate the joke.

"If I get stuck, you're the one who's going to be doing most of the pushing," Joey muttered, moving through the ventilation shaft. When she came to a junction up ahead, she looked in all directions in an effort to figure out where they needed to go. Did it really matter, though? Whichever way they went would have a way out, and if there wasn't one, there would be. The Intel Chief played a mental game of eenie meenie miney mo before she chose to go left, occasionally looking behind her to make sure everyone was still with her.

"Take another left ahead," the Aketi called ahead. "It should take us straight to the residential areas."

As instructed, Joey took another left, carefully maneuvering herself so she didn't get stuck or hurt in the process. "I'm not sure we're going to find any of these elders you mentioned," she said, continuing to move forward. This place was just as shady on the inside as it appeared to be on the outside, and now the Intel Chief couldn't wait to get back to the ship and scrub herself until her skin was bright red. Vargass station... the people... it all made her feel dirty. "We need to find a safe place and get out of here the second an opportunity presents itself. I don't know about the rest of you, but I definitely don't want to be caught in here without anywhere to go."

"Just keep going straight," the Aketi instructed. "At the end of this, we'll pop out in someone's room." He hoped.

As they navigated the ventilation tunnel, something began to rustle among the debris and refuse littering the sides of the unit, only for something slither out and slide across Joey's leg.

Joey froze, keeping her eyes straight ahead for fear she might see something she didn't want to. Instead of completely panicking, she took a few calming breaths and spoke. "That better be your hand," she said to the Aketi behind her. Because, if it wasn't, the Intel Chief didn't know what was going to happen next.

He looked up, but wasn't able to see much of anything in the dark. "My hands are firmly on the floor, or whatever this is, thank you."

If it wasn't his hand, then that meant... something was on her. Panic set in and Joey fought against whatever it was rubbing against her leg, thrashing and squealing in an attempt to get away from it. "Something's on me," she cried, reaching out with her hand to try to grab it. Joey didn't want to look at it... didn't want to see what kind of grotesque thing was assaulting her in ways that should be illegal.

There wasn't much room for her to move around, and the more she struggled to get it, the more the space seemed to close in on her. Oh, who in the world did she piss off to make this happen to her? Not that an answer to that really mattered. Her fingertips grazed it, and after yanking it back, a scream left her lips. This wasn't happening. Like a rocket booster appeared from her backside, the Intel Chief quickly righted her position and flew through the shaft, unwilling to wait on anyone. "I touched it! It's on me! Get it offa me! Get it offa me!" And as she moved further down the ventilation shaft, her cries to get whatever it was off of her began to fade.

The Aketi just stared at her. If he'd heard the earlier rumor that she'd been advertised as an actual maneater, that rumor would have been dispelled by this very moment. It dawned on him a second later that such a scream put them in a very difficult position. If their predators were still on their tail, they suddenly had a way to find them. "Move!" he hissed. "Quickly now!"

"Enjoy the show if you can," Jayla called back to Miller as she took off after the Aketi and Joey as quick as she could. It wouldn't do to lose their leader as she had no idea what to do and she wasn't entirely sure of Miller's leadership abilities, either.

Allen laughed. "No problem, Doc," he called after her.

Joey wasn't waiting for the others as she moved through the shaft, coming to a hatch that lead out. Whatever it was that touched her was, hopefully, a safe distance behind her, but she didn't want to take any chances. Her heart was racing, her blood pressure was only slightly elevated, but it was the adrenaline surging through her that propelled her forward.

Why do this stuff happen to me? she wondered as she began to open the hatch. I don't like creepy crawlies, which is part of the reason I'm in space... to get away from things like that. But noooo. They have to find me anyway. While Joey rambled on in her mind, keeping an eye out for anything that might slither or crawl, she got the hatch opened and quickly moved through it until she was on solid ground again. It wouldn't be long before the others joined her, but she definitely couldn't spend another second in there.

The area around her was small and dimly lit. A bed rested in the far corner, or at least a pile of cloth and material that appeared to pass as a bed. Other furniture in the room amounted to a footstool, and a sink in the opposite corner. This was definitely someone's quarters, assuming one could call this a living space.

"This is just depressing," Joey muttered as she took a look around. Someone actually lived here? We're they a prisoner of some sort? That possibility was pretty great given how dismal her new surroundings were. They definitely beat being stuck in that ventilation shaft with things that shouldn't be, though. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she began to poke around to get a little insight on whoever it was that lived there while she waited for the others to catch up to her.

As he'd been behind the swollen woman, the translator slid out of the ventilation shaft. By doing so, he spotted what had made the woman squirm. Unafraid of violating personal boundaries, he kneeled down and pulled a long, slithery insect off of the back of her leg. "Centipede," he informed her, holding it up to the light.

It was still on her? A sense of panic rose up in her once more, and she put some distance between the translator and the centipede. It was enormous. Likely the biggest one she'd ever seen. "It was still on me!?" she asked, her heart rate elevating slightly. "So gross!" Joey gave a full body shiver and resisted the urge to vaporize it. "Do... something with it. And keep it far away from me!"

"Aw," said Jayla, climbing from the tube and getting a glimpse of the centipede. "It's kinda cute, isn't it?"

Allen came out and stood in the room looking around. "I don't think I've seen anything worse in my life." He looked at the creature that the Aketi was holding and then back to Joey. "Not something I'd want crawling on me. On someone else, though, yeah. I can think of a few."

Joey was actually beginning to feel sorry for whoever it was that had to live here, and it made her grateful for the things she had acquired throughout her life... made everything a bit more sentimental to her. "We need to get out of here," she said, keeping her distance from the centipede the Aketi was holding. There was no way in hell she was going anywhere near that thing. "I doubt we'll find anything useful here, and even if we did, taking it would be wrong given the state of this place. We need to keep moving and find one of the elders before we're due to meet Camila and the others back at the runabout."

If there was a chance to find anything useful, that opportunity evaporated rather quickly when the outside door opened and a Triosian woman, covered head to toe in purple hair, entered the room. She froze in the doorway, looking at the intruders in her room not with shock, but with haughty disdain. "Halrr," she slurred, looking at the translator. "What trouble have you gotten into this time?"

So, now their translator had a name. She'd been so preoccupied with their mission, Joey hadn't even thought to ask him what it was. "There was a rather large group after us, so we took to the ventilation system to get away," she explained. "We've done nothing wrong, and since Halrr has been with us, he hasn't either." Joey felt like seeing this woman was the light at the end of a very long tunnel. "I know it's unlikely you've ever seen our kind here before, which could play a part in why we're being hunted like we've committed some kind of heinous crime, but I assure you we haven't. We're only here to learn more about this area since we're not sure when we're going to be able to make it back home. Can you tell us about this place? Not just the station, but the area. What happened here?"

"Halrr always does something wrong," snapped the old woman, who noted that the younger Triosian looked away in shame. "He's following his father's path, and it didn't end well for him either."

Joey looked toward Halrr, then back to the elder in front of her. Everything she'd just asked had been ignored, and now she wasn't sure they were going to find out any answers. Still, their new friend hadn't done anything wrong, but the bad choices of his past were still coming back to haunt him. "It doesn't seem like there's much here for anyone outside of a life of crime," she said, moving to stand next to the translator. "The conditions here, while not the fault of anyone here, are less than sub par, and perhaps he's turning a new leaf. He's been helping us since we got here and hasn't asked for anything in return."

The older woman was going to circle back to the questions from the intruders, but the part that concerned her the most was that her home had been invaded, to no fault of her own. "You're one to talk," she stated, "breaking in to an old lady's room front the ventilation shaft. But no, crime is the standard around here. You either live long enough the mobs to stay fed, or you live each day wishing it was your last."

"Can you tell us what happened? Why things are like this now?" Joey asked. Maybe there was something that could be done, but that went well beyond her.

The woman shrugged. "There was a war that consumed us all, literally. The fact that we still live proved that we won. How we won, no one knows."

"A war? What caused this war?" the Intel Chief found herself asking. "Something pretty major had to have taken place for you all to be living in these conditions."

"The war to end all wars," replied the woman simply, her patience waning. "I was just a young child when it all ended. All I know was that it took everything to end the war. Our worlds, our ships, our lives. And the reward has been exile from the rest of the galaxy."

"Exile? Who, or what, is keeping you here?" Joey asked.

The woman grunted, moving slowly towards the door. Her home had been invaded, and these intruders only seemed to want to interrogate her. "No one is keeping me here," she said, locking her eyes with Halrr. "You have two minutes," she told him. "Unless you want security to take care of you permanently." With that, she left her own quarters, no longer feeling safe.

Allen's hand hadn't left his holstered phaser since they'd entered. This whole place was getting weirder and weirder. "You know, I'd rather not be taken care of permanently in the way she's talking about. Let's get out of here." He walked towards the door.

"Let's go," Joey said, following Miller out of the door. This entire trip turned out to be nothing more than a complete waste of time. Time she could have been dedicating to something useful like knitting an afghan that read Vargass Station screwed us, and all we got was time wasted. Shaking her head, the Intel Chief focused on making her way back to the runabout.

=^=Di Pasquale to Geisler. We've come under attack and are back at the runabout. What's the status of your team?=^=

=^=We're on our way back now. Sounds like you didn't have anymore luck than we did. Prepare the runabout. We're leaving this place.=^= Joey replied.

=^=The runabout's prepared,=^=Camila responded. =^=The bulkhead in the hangar is closed, though. Prepare to be beamed aboard.=^=

Joey looked around for Halrr and when she spotted him, she pulled a handful of Daaliks from their hiding place and handed them to him. It was more than they'd originally talked about, but there was still a little left over. "Try to stay out of trouble. Maybe we'll see one another again sometime. We all need to get out of here," she said. Instead of waiting for a response, the Intel Chief rejoined Jayla and Allen. =^=Energize.=^=

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