Interlude – Embassy-gate - Part I
by Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
ON:
The young Bajoran man from Lightspeed Express Couriers exited the turbolift at a jog, and made a sharp turn to head down the corridor towards the collection of Embassies on the station. His obnoxiously bright red shirt bearing the service’s equally obnoxious yellow insignia fluttered slightly as he ran, as did his running shorts. A tan bag secured with a lock was slipped snugly over his shoulders
Although archaic in this day and age of instant communication between star systems, the courier service had managed to carve a niche out for themselves in inter-station communications, carrying messages and objects between residents who didn’t have the time or desire to do it themselves.
It was hard work to be sure, and it definitively didn’t pay well, but Ro Kann didn’t mind in the slightest. It was good honest work, and running around the station all day was good exercise, as well as allowing him to meet interesting people most of the time.
Case in point, he had never been to this area of the station before. He gazed wide-eyed at the myriad of interesting species around him as he dodged nimbly in-between them, heading inexorably towards the Romulan Consulate.
He approached the doors marked with the seal of the Romulan Empire, which opened and allowed him to pass through. He was then momentarily flummoxed by the guards who were standing menacingly inside the doors to the Consulate. He did his best to give them a wide berth and moved as quickly as he could over the receptionist, who seemed to be glaring at him as well.
Customer service was key; they had taught him in messenger training camp. Always remember to be polite, and when in doubt: give a big smile. So he shouldered the bag, turned on his most brilliant smile and demeanor and said to the receptionist, “Hi there! I’m from Lightspeed Express Couriers, and I have a first class express delivery for a,” he checked the PADD strapped to his wrist, “Isha t’Khellian,” pronouncing names properly was also something that they taught at the camp.
After completing Rh'vaurek's 'errand' i-Orinwen had returned to the consulate, ostensibly to wait for a friend but inevitably she ended up in the little room behind the reception desk talking. Though she was off duty now it was she who emerged to deal with the messenger.
Nahir scowled at him slightly and pressed a button on her desk. "Arrain t'Merek, a 'delivery' for the Ambassador has arrived," she said suspicion in her tone.
Before the Bajoran had time to react to Nahir's call, Arrienye was already out her office doors. She looked over at the man. She looked him up and down suspiciously for a moment before speaking. "I am the Head of Security here. And you are?" she asked, motioning to the guards with a small nod as she took up the padd she'd brought with her from her office.
Ro chuckled nervously as he looked at the haughty Romulan who had identified herself as the head of security. Alarm bells were beginning to go off in his head, and his mind was telling him that there was much danger afoot here. As steadily and politely as possible he said, “My name is Ro Kann…I’m a courier for Lightspeed Express Couriers onboard Deep Space Five, and I have a package here in this bag,” he gestured to the tan bag on his shoulder, “for an Isha t’Khellian.”
Arrienye glanced suspiciously at the bag, then up at the guards. "What package?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed every move the courier made.
He made a motion to unsling the bag from his shoulder, stopping for a moment when the guards weapons twitched in his direction. Momentarily contemplating how wrong this was and hoping that they didn’t really want to ‘shoot the messanger’ he removed the bag slowly, unlocked it, and drew the package out.
It was small. Roughly the size of a bio-neural gel-pack, a non-descript white color, and had the address and name of recipient on the front, as well as a fingerprint reader, “I just need Ms. t’Khellian to sign for it, and then I can be on my way. The box will respond to what is presumably her finger-print, so she will be the only one that can open this.”
Arrienye didn't seem to be listening to what he was saying, instead focusing her attention on the small package. She pulled out her comm. "t'Merek to Dais'Gehka N'alae. Your expertise is needed in reception," she just said into the device before turning her attention back to the Bajoran. "This package needs to be scanned to make sure no explosive devices are present," she told him.
For the first time Ro got slightly angry, “Of course there aren't! We scan all our packages thoroughly before sending them out to ensure that no illegal materials are present. Right after the guy gave it to us, we scanned it through and there were no traces of explosives at all…nor anything else for that matter! According to the machine, all that’s in here is a PADD and an Isolinear memory stick.”
"I don't care if your scans only turned up an empty package, it isn't going anywhere until my explosives expert gives it a thorough examination," Arrienye told him as a woman came into the reception area with a toolbox. Arrienye motioned to the package. "Now, who sent this?" she asked him, meeting his eyes.
“Uhh…The package was placed for delivery about an hour ago by some guy…a walk in. He asked about our rates and the times, and asked for the fastest option. Paid in full, and walked out. Very polite, but I don’t remember anything about what he looked like...just that he was average height and wearing a cap…now then, is Ms. t’Khellian here or not? I have other packages to deliver today!”
"You are staying right where you are until this package is deemed 100% safe, so I suggest you cooperate and answer my questions. You must remember something about this man. What kind of company operates without keeping any records on their clients?" she asked rhetorically as she heard the explosives expert working behind her.
Ro shrugged helplessly, he really didn’t have an answer. The company kept as good records as anybody else if they paid via an account, but somebody walking in and offering cold hard latinum was a good way to circumvent the usual safeties, without really breaking any rules. He would have to have a word with management when he got out of this little mess.
As he handed the package to the explosives expert, he said, “I really don’t know anything else, honest! I only saw him for a moment!” Still fixed with the Arrienye’s stare, he racked his mind for anything he could give this woman, looking around hoping something would jog his memory. Ironically, it was the woman herself who gave the answer. As she was tapping her foot impatiently, he gazed at the feet, and more specifically the shoes that covered them.
“Shoes! The shoes he was wearing were the same style as yours!” He blurted out. In his mind, he played it over again. He had been walking into the office, chatting happily with one of his fellow messengers about a poker game that was coming up that night, when he bumped into the mysterious man. He looked down to steady himself, and all he could see were the shoes. Very distinct shoes, which only belonged to the uniform of a member of the military of the Romulan Star Empire.
Arrienye looked down at her heavy boots with a raised eyebrow for a moment before looking back up at the man. "Are you absolutely certain?" she asked, an undertone to her voice giving a warming - ~You better not be saying this just to get away.~
“Yes,” he said confidently, happy that he had finally given the woman something to get her off his back, “I’m sure of it. They were exactly the same. He didn’t know exactly why this was important, but she had gotten something out of it. Maybe she and the mystery person shopped at the same outlet store.
"Hm," Arrienye just said. ~This will take some work, then.~ she thought, knowing just how many people were in that consulate that could be the senders. If he was telling the truth of course. As she was about to ask him something else, she was interrupted by the short woman next to her. "erie'Arrain," she began, "the package is cleared," she assured her. "Dismissed," Arrienye nodded.
He gazed at the explosives expert and said a little petulantly, “I told you so. No explosives of any kind. Now, I really don’t want to take up any more of your time if possible, so can you call Ms. t’Khellian out here if she’s in to sign for this please?”
"And who are you to demand that the Ambassador come out here?" Arrienye asked him. She planned to take the item to the Ambassador's office but was interrupted.
It was that point at which Isha stepped in. Her gaze flicked over the scene; the frustrated courier, i-Orinwen looking as though she wished she was elsewhere and t'Merek and her people doing exactly what they should be doing. She had been waiting and did not interrupt until they had cleared whatever it was.
"I am expecting no deliveries," she said. "From where does this come?"
"One of our own people, apparently. Judging by the courier's rather limited description," Arrienye answered, giving the man a look that showed quite clearly how unsatisfied she was at his lack of perception.
"Give it to me," Isha demanded, pressing her thumb to the pad that the man proferred. With the other hand she took the package as she cast a neutral gaze over the courier. Why would one of her own people feel the need to communicate in this manner? Isha did not have time to dwell on that right now. "With me, t'Merek," she said.
Ro had delivered the package to its intended recipient, had gotten it signed over, and so he now took the opportunity to escape as quickly as possible. He grabbed his bad and shoving one of the guards aside as the two women disappeared off to the office, dashed out of the embassy as quickly as his legs would carry him.
Nodding to the Ambassador, she followed her quietly to her office. Once they were inside, she remained quiet, standing off to the side.
Isha placed the package on her desk and stared at it for a moment. "What do you make of that?" she asked rhetorically as she applied her thumb to the seal. The wrapping slipped aside revealing a padd and an isolinear rod. "I am beginning to detest mysteries," Isha said as she lifted the rod between her fingers - it appeared innocuous. "You don't think it might carry a virus do you?" she asked t'Merek.
"I had one of the guards keep a scan for that running while the explosives expert did her job," Arrienye said, "He didn't report anything, so either it doesn't have a virus or the scans were unable to detect one," she allowed.
"I have a machine that is unconnected to either our internal systems or the station's. I will fetch it." Isha slipped through the door that connected her office with her apartment and emerged a few moments later with a small rectangular machine. "It will read the data but prevent any infection from being transferred - just in case," she added, not wishing t'Merek to think that she thought her precautions sub-standard. "We do not know its origin and under the circumstances, the more cautious I am, the better, don't you think?"
"I completely agree," Arrienye nodded in acceptance of her idea, feeling encouraged and a bit surprised at her resourcefulness. Of course, she didn't know t'Khellian that well and, while she tried to keep an open mind about others, so far, the Ambassador had not struck her as a security-conscious person.
"Very well," Isha said taking one of the chairs at the opposite side of the desk to that at which she usually sat so that t'Merek could take the other and they could both see what appeared when the rod was activated. Isha flipped open the screen and inserted the rod. "So what have you for me," she said to herself as the seal of Isha's House flashed on the screen before the rod activated. Though she might not realise it, t'Merek was somewhat privileged, for Isha worked alone and the only other person who, with her knowledge, had witnessed Isha doing this sort of thing was Rh'vaurek.
"At least there's no need for me to decrypt it," she said, understanding that the thumb seal had taken care of that, though it did leave the question as to who was so sure of her DNA sequence that they would use that as a key.
Arrienye nodded, moving to sit on the offered chair slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What I want to know is exactly who sent it," she said.
"Do you give any credence to the courier's description of the sender's footwear?" Isha asked placing her elbows on the edge of the desk and resting her chin on her interlinked fingers. "We may never know precisely who sent it, unless that padd reveals something that could link it to them - we can have that examined, but as it appears to be of Federation origin I am doubtful - something procured for the purpose. Look to that lock, that is more likely to be possible to tie to the sender, she suggested as a low quality image appeared on the screen.
"Not completely, but it's worth checking," Arrienye said before looking to the screen.
TBC
Ambassador Isha t'Khelian
Arrain Arrienye t'Merek
Courier
NPC’d by Colonel Darson
by Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
| Title | Embassy-gate - Part I | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Colonel James Darson & Commander Isha t'Vaurek & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek | |
| Posted | Sun Jun 27, 2010 @ 4:24am | |
| Location | Deep Space 5 - Romulan Embassy | |
| Timeline | An Hour after "Of What May Come" SD18 (Backpost) |
The young Bajoran man from Lightspeed Express Couriers exited the turbolift at a jog, and made a sharp turn to head down the corridor towards the collection of Embassies on the station. His obnoxiously bright red shirt bearing the service’s equally obnoxious yellow insignia fluttered slightly as he ran, as did his running shorts. A tan bag secured with a lock was slipped snugly over his shoulders
Although archaic in this day and age of instant communication between star systems, the courier service had managed to carve a niche out for themselves in inter-station communications, carrying messages and objects between residents who didn’t have the time or desire to do it themselves.
It was hard work to be sure, and it definitively didn’t pay well, but Ro Kann didn’t mind in the slightest. It was good honest work, and running around the station all day was good exercise, as well as allowing him to meet interesting people most of the time.
Case in point, he had never been to this area of the station before. He gazed wide-eyed at the myriad of interesting species around him as he dodged nimbly in-between them, heading inexorably towards the Romulan Consulate.
He approached the doors marked with the seal of the Romulan Empire, which opened and allowed him to pass through. He was then momentarily flummoxed by the guards who were standing menacingly inside the doors to the Consulate. He did his best to give them a wide berth and moved as quickly as he could over the receptionist, who seemed to be glaring at him as well.
Customer service was key; they had taught him in messenger training camp. Always remember to be polite, and when in doubt: give a big smile. So he shouldered the bag, turned on his most brilliant smile and demeanor and said to the receptionist, “Hi there! I’m from Lightspeed Express Couriers, and I have a first class express delivery for a,” he checked the PADD strapped to his wrist, “Isha t’Khellian,” pronouncing names properly was also something that they taught at the camp.
After completing Rh'vaurek's 'errand' i-Orinwen had returned to the consulate, ostensibly to wait for a friend but inevitably she ended up in the little room behind the reception desk talking. Though she was off duty now it was she who emerged to deal with the messenger.
Nahir scowled at him slightly and pressed a button on her desk. "Arrain t'Merek, a 'delivery' for the Ambassador has arrived," she said suspicion in her tone.
Before the Bajoran had time to react to Nahir's call, Arrienye was already out her office doors. She looked over at the man. She looked him up and down suspiciously for a moment before speaking. "I am the Head of Security here. And you are?" she asked, motioning to the guards with a small nod as she took up the padd she'd brought with her from her office.
Ro chuckled nervously as he looked at the haughty Romulan who had identified herself as the head of security. Alarm bells were beginning to go off in his head, and his mind was telling him that there was much danger afoot here. As steadily and politely as possible he said, “My name is Ro Kann…I’m a courier for Lightspeed Express Couriers onboard Deep Space Five, and I have a package here in this bag,” he gestured to the tan bag on his shoulder, “for an Isha t’Khellian.”
Arrienye glanced suspiciously at the bag, then up at the guards. "What package?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed every move the courier made.
He made a motion to unsling the bag from his shoulder, stopping for a moment when the guards weapons twitched in his direction. Momentarily contemplating how wrong this was and hoping that they didn’t really want to ‘shoot the messanger’ he removed the bag slowly, unlocked it, and drew the package out.
It was small. Roughly the size of a bio-neural gel-pack, a non-descript white color, and had the address and name of recipient on the front, as well as a fingerprint reader, “I just need Ms. t’Khellian to sign for it, and then I can be on my way. The box will respond to what is presumably her finger-print, so she will be the only one that can open this.”
Arrienye didn't seem to be listening to what he was saying, instead focusing her attention on the small package. She pulled out her comm. "t'Merek to Dais'Gehka N'alae. Your expertise is needed in reception," she just said into the device before turning her attention back to the Bajoran. "This package needs to be scanned to make sure no explosive devices are present," she told him.
For the first time Ro got slightly angry, “Of course there aren't! We scan all our packages thoroughly before sending them out to ensure that no illegal materials are present. Right after the guy gave it to us, we scanned it through and there were no traces of explosives at all…nor anything else for that matter! According to the machine, all that’s in here is a PADD and an Isolinear memory stick.”
"I don't care if your scans only turned up an empty package, it isn't going anywhere until my explosives expert gives it a thorough examination," Arrienye told him as a woman came into the reception area with a toolbox. Arrienye motioned to the package. "Now, who sent this?" she asked him, meeting his eyes.
“Uhh…The package was placed for delivery about an hour ago by some guy…a walk in. He asked about our rates and the times, and asked for the fastest option. Paid in full, and walked out. Very polite, but I don’t remember anything about what he looked like...just that he was average height and wearing a cap…now then, is Ms. t’Khellian here or not? I have other packages to deliver today!”
"You are staying right where you are until this package is deemed 100% safe, so I suggest you cooperate and answer my questions. You must remember something about this man. What kind of company operates without keeping any records on their clients?" she asked rhetorically as she heard the explosives expert working behind her.
Ro shrugged helplessly, he really didn’t have an answer. The company kept as good records as anybody else if they paid via an account, but somebody walking in and offering cold hard latinum was a good way to circumvent the usual safeties, without really breaking any rules. He would have to have a word with management when he got out of this little mess.
As he handed the package to the explosives expert, he said, “I really don’t know anything else, honest! I only saw him for a moment!” Still fixed with the Arrienye’s stare, he racked his mind for anything he could give this woman, looking around hoping something would jog his memory. Ironically, it was the woman herself who gave the answer. As she was tapping her foot impatiently, he gazed at the feet, and more specifically the shoes that covered them.
“Shoes! The shoes he was wearing were the same style as yours!” He blurted out. In his mind, he played it over again. He had been walking into the office, chatting happily with one of his fellow messengers about a poker game that was coming up that night, when he bumped into the mysterious man. He looked down to steady himself, and all he could see were the shoes. Very distinct shoes, which only belonged to the uniform of a member of the military of the Romulan Star Empire.
Arrienye looked down at her heavy boots with a raised eyebrow for a moment before looking back up at the man. "Are you absolutely certain?" she asked, an undertone to her voice giving a warming - ~You better not be saying this just to get away.~
“Yes,” he said confidently, happy that he had finally given the woman something to get her off his back, “I’m sure of it. They were exactly the same. He didn’t know exactly why this was important, but she had gotten something out of it. Maybe she and the mystery person shopped at the same outlet store.
"Hm," Arrienye just said. ~This will take some work, then.~ she thought, knowing just how many people were in that consulate that could be the senders. If he was telling the truth of course. As she was about to ask him something else, she was interrupted by the short woman next to her. "erie'Arrain," she began, "the package is cleared," she assured her. "Dismissed," Arrienye nodded.
He gazed at the explosives expert and said a little petulantly, “I told you so. No explosives of any kind. Now, I really don’t want to take up any more of your time if possible, so can you call Ms. t’Khellian out here if she’s in to sign for this please?”
"And who are you to demand that the Ambassador come out here?" Arrienye asked him. She planned to take the item to the Ambassador's office but was interrupted.
It was that point at which Isha stepped in. Her gaze flicked over the scene; the frustrated courier, i-Orinwen looking as though she wished she was elsewhere and t'Merek and her people doing exactly what they should be doing. She had been waiting and did not interrupt until they had cleared whatever it was.
"I am expecting no deliveries," she said. "From where does this come?"
"One of our own people, apparently. Judging by the courier's rather limited description," Arrienye answered, giving the man a look that showed quite clearly how unsatisfied she was at his lack of perception.
"Give it to me," Isha demanded, pressing her thumb to the pad that the man proferred. With the other hand she took the package as she cast a neutral gaze over the courier. Why would one of her own people feel the need to communicate in this manner? Isha did not have time to dwell on that right now. "With me, t'Merek," she said.
Ro had delivered the package to its intended recipient, had gotten it signed over, and so he now took the opportunity to escape as quickly as possible. He grabbed his bad and shoving one of the guards aside as the two women disappeared off to the office, dashed out of the embassy as quickly as his legs would carry him.
Nodding to the Ambassador, she followed her quietly to her office. Once they were inside, she remained quiet, standing off to the side.
Isha placed the package on her desk and stared at it for a moment. "What do you make of that?" she asked rhetorically as she applied her thumb to the seal. The wrapping slipped aside revealing a padd and an isolinear rod. "I am beginning to detest mysteries," Isha said as she lifted the rod between her fingers - it appeared innocuous. "You don't think it might carry a virus do you?" she asked t'Merek.
"I had one of the guards keep a scan for that running while the explosives expert did her job," Arrienye said, "He didn't report anything, so either it doesn't have a virus or the scans were unable to detect one," she allowed.
"I have a machine that is unconnected to either our internal systems or the station's. I will fetch it." Isha slipped through the door that connected her office with her apartment and emerged a few moments later with a small rectangular machine. "It will read the data but prevent any infection from being transferred - just in case," she added, not wishing t'Merek to think that she thought her precautions sub-standard. "We do not know its origin and under the circumstances, the more cautious I am, the better, don't you think?"
"I completely agree," Arrienye nodded in acceptance of her idea, feeling encouraged and a bit surprised at her resourcefulness. Of course, she didn't know t'Khellian that well and, while she tried to keep an open mind about others, so far, the Ambassador had not struck her as a security-conscious person.
"Very well," Isha said taking one of the chairs at the opposite side of the desk to that at which she usually sat so that t'Merek could take the other and they could both see what appeared when the rod was activated. Isha flipped open the screen and inserted the rod. "So what have you for me," she said to herself as the seal of Isha's House flashed on the screen before the rod activated. Though she might not realise it, t'Merek was somewhat privileged, for Isha worked alone and the only other person who, with her knowledge, had witnessed Isha doing this sort of thing was Rh'vaurek.
"At least there's no need for me to decrypt it," she said, understanding that the thumb seal had taken care of that, though it did leave the question as to who was so sure of her DNA sequence that they would use that as a key.
Arrienye nodded, moving to sit on the offered chair slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What I want to know is exactly who sent it," she said.
"Do you give any credence to the courier's description of the sender's footwear?" Isha asked placing her elbows on the edge of the desk and resting her chin on her interlinked fingers. "We may never know precisely who sent it, unless that padd reveals something that could link it to them - we can have that examined, but as it appears to be of Federation origin I am doubtful - something procured for the purpose. Look to that lock, that is more likely to be possible to tie to the sender, she suggested as a low quality image appeared on the screen.
"Not completely, but it's worth checking," Arrienye said before looking to the screen.
TBC
Ambassador Isha t'Khelian
Arrain Arrienye t'Merek
Courier
NPC’d by Colonel Darson