House guest

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 is crawling around in the mulch of the side garden, close to the house peering closely at its foundation. He is out of uniform, dusty and flecked with small pieces of debris from ... who knows where. he works around the corner and sneezes when he gets a bit of dirt in his nose.

Arroz Arum: moves from the kitchen towards the front door, frustrated that the movers did not properly place the crates, and frustrated even more that his parents, as usual, did not label them properly. He steps out the door, just as a sneeze is heard. "What the devi...?"

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 looks up suddenly when he hears a voice, ready to explain himself to a nosy home owner. Then he sees it is Arroz. "Oh .. I didn't know you lived here." he states, wiping the dirt off of his hands and onto his pants. He looks down at them and grabs the tail of his shirt, using it as a towel. He steps forward and looks up at the younger man. "I was .. well .. looking at the way native houses are built." he explains. "They put me on medical leave and then promptly lent me out to the government like a servo wrench." he pauses. "When did YOU get back?"

Arroz Arum: moves away from the boxes and down the stairs, to offer his hand. A custom he has learned from the humans in Starfleet. "Just this morning," he says. "I sent you a message to let you know what we'd found," he looks at Nico closely, "You look worn out and... dirty," he frowns slightly, "want to come in for a drink?"

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 wipes his hands on his shirt again before taking the young mans hand. "You did?" he reaches into the side pocket of his pants and comes out with a PADD. Taps a bit and .. "Ohhh .. here it is ...." he reads and nods, then looks up. "I'm a little of both. Sure, if you don't mind." he brushes himself off as best he can before entering the house. "Good building. Nice structure." he hovers near the kitchen. "I've been crawling around the disaster area. Keep finding myself examining my own old house .. what's left of it." he sighs. "I'm glad you got a suspect too."

Arroz Arum: moves up the stairs and through the house, ignoring the packing crates, gets behind the counter of the kitchen and starts rooting around in a box for some glasses. "I have some Astra Apple Cider in the cooler. That much I was able to organize.  I only got here a couple of hours ago. It looks a lot better now, but it's still a mess." He looks down at himself, "guess I ruined my uniform. Oh well. I have four days leave."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 nods. "That'll be fine." he agrees watching him. He looks at the high cielings. "I ... got no problems with mess, as lng as its ORGANIZED mess." he chuckles and looks at he uniform. "You alright? You mentioned you were sick on Gati." he frowns slightly. "I mean is it medical leave or ... personal?" he looks around the place again.

Arroz Arum: pours them both some cold cider, "I think these glasses are clean." He pushes one across the counter to Nico. "I hate mess. It's unhealthy," he takes a sip. "That's nice," he says, rolling the liquid in the glass, "I got sick, yeah, saw an interesting doctor on Gati... if you can call him a doctor, but he suggested I take some leave so I put in for it as soon as we got back to where comms worked." He leans on the counter, "what do you mean, what's left of your old house?"

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 chuckles and looks down at himself. "Well, I'm healthy. But I have a busy life and it requires me to crawl around in muck, dirt and mire. And mostly I am clean .... just ..." he shrugs. He isn't exactly an iron and press kind of man. "Gati has a doctor? That's bound to be interesting." he sighs. "I lived in Beryl. Just made it out of my house, helped some people out, was one fo the first to call in firefighters. I'm homeless now." he shrugs. "I won't go back to living on a damn station." he growls and plucks at his smudges wrinkled shirt. "These aren't even my clothes. I lost everything but my life, so I came out of it pretty good."

Arroz Arum: lifts his glass for another sip, enjoying the smooth liquer as it slides down his throat, "What happened in Beryl?" he asks, "I transported here as soon as I could upon arrival, I haven't talked to anyone or even opened my bag to look at my PADD."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 blinks. "It burned to the ground." he states. "All of it. Looks like arson to me and the fire crews. Twenty deaths. And the place is leveled." he watches the kid. "Rumors are that is was Treman somehow. I got put on leave the day before and now I'm the man helping rebuild the place better. Not so much wood and glass anymore, I think."

Arroz Arum: opens his mouth in surprise, "OH, I'm totally stunned. The whole place?" He shakes his head, "I had no idea. I wonder if I knew any of them.." his voice trails off. "Awful. Treman? I had heard we are at defstat two... if I didn't have a doctor's note I wouldn't have been approved for leave." He leans on the counter, looking at Nico, "You alright then?"

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 nods. "Leveled." he confirmes. He paues. "I have the casuality lists. They're being updated every few hours. A lot of the survivors are in the hospital still." he nods. "You didnt want to. It was hot as the sun in there at first. Once I got out I wasn't allowed in until I was approached for the rebuild effort. Reconstruction is sort of my speciality." he leans on the counter too and grins. "I'm fine. You worried about me, kid?"

Arroz Arum: looks down at his empty glass. "Life is way too short. What a mess. It was a pretty village, only half developed if I remember correctly," he nods slightly, "You were pretty broken up over Slate, now this... a village gone, more people dead, even your house..." he pauses for a moment, "Would you like to stay here?" He lifts a hand, "Lots of room and the parents aren't coming for a month."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 nods. "Yea. It's not really been my month." he agrees. He blinks at the offer, his mind quashing inappropriate thoughts. Besides ... he DID need a place to stay. "Well .... sure .... Thanks for the offer. I was going to have to live on the station, like you." he pauses. "And I am a fairly responsible housesitter. Don't let my service record fool ya." he has no idea if the young man has looked into his record ... but he figures he may have.

Arroz Arum: shakes his head, "I hate the station. A junior officer like me has to share quarters with three other guys. In spite of inspections, the room is a mess, they never clean the shower, and you can't sleep at night. This place is big. There's a bedroom and a sitting room upstairs, plus all the space down here.  Not much for furniture though."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 chuckles. "Yea. They've let me keep having private quarters, even though I'm not a Commander anymore." he shrugs. "I'm quiet but not that big a housekeeper, I confess. But I can keep my clutter to my own personal space while I look for another place ...." he pauses. "Or just build one since I'm working on drawings." he looks around. "I'm not much on furniture. I'm going to be out a lot anyway with meetings." he snorts. "I think the councelor wanted me to get my mind off of Slate. Mission accomplished." he snorts.

Arroz Arum: moves away from the kitchen to look around the living room, "There is some more furniture coming. They want me to set it up, get some artwork, decorate the place. Or... Mother does. Father could care less about artwork." He sniffs. "The walls look empty to me.  I like the view though," he looks out the window at the ocean, "and it's fairly private too.  Must have cost some latinum." He nods to Nico, "Just don't leave dirty dishes in the sink, drives me crazy. Do you want top or bottom," he says innocently, hands in his pockets, looking at the sea.

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 moves with him to the window. "Yea .... I'm kind of with your father on the artwork. All I have is pictures of my work." he looks around. "I can do dishes. In the next couple months it may be as close as I get to washing my hands." he teases, looking out at the water. His brows raise at the question and he swallows before answering the question, as casually as he can. "Oh .... I've always been a top man." h admits, biting the inside of his cheek. "Your parents are still alive?" he wonders, probing a bit. "How old are they? Are you an only child?"

Arroz Arum: raises his eyebrows, "Of course they are still alive. I am only 23. They run a big business to the south, but they lost some money last year during the epidemic. I have a sister, she's married and lives down there too. They all work in the family business but me. I'm the maverick," he turns to Nico, "I was never interested in farming."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 shrugs. "Well, you never know. My parents were both firefighters." he tells him. "They had to drag my mother out of the stationhouse .. she didnt want to quit." he laughs lightly. "I was the maverick also. Joined with Starfleet out of school. My father has lost plenty of latinum to me on when I would be dishonorably discharged." he quips.

Arroz Arum: smiles, "My parents like to travel, so my sister and her husband and their kids live on the farm and look after it." He shakes his head, "Now that I've actually been on a real mission for Starfleet... I'm not sure I like it. I wish sometimes I'd followed my original plan to join the APF." He looks to Nico, "Were?  I guess that means they're gone? But you're from Earth, right. A long way. Funny you end up here, standing next to me in this house."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 grins. "A farm sounds nice. But the dirt might drive some people crazy." he teases, lightly. He moves to the windoa and begins to run his hand along the frame. "You know, Starfleet is not a prison term, no matter what people have overheard me saying. You can quit anytime. Hell, even *I* am considering resigning my commission half the time. So its never too late, Arroz." he looks back. "My father is still alive. My mother died just before I transferred here. And I'm from the moon ... Luna a lot call it." he leans against the apace between windows. "I've done a lot of traveling in my twenty years." he murmurs. "A lot of beautiful places, a couple dumps. But ... I like it here." he turns again to look out of the window. "Might make this my last stop, even if I don't have my time in yet. Find someone to take care of me in my old age."

Arroz Arum: watches Nico run his hands over the window frame. He shakes his head slightly, "The problem with Starfleet is that... well," he runs his hands over his bald head, "I think I chose the wrong branch. It's good I didn't get into the APF as well..." he sighs, "I thought I wanted to be a detective, and solve mysteries... but now I don't know. It just seems so... nasty. Dirty. Maybe I don't want to see the worst in people. And I have to go to... so many places that are filthy, where people are sick, or poor, or angry... it's not what I imagined at all." He shrugs. After a couple of minutes, "I like this house. And, I haven't been very far from Astra, but I like it too. It's home. It's special." He tilts his head, "Do you have a girl here?"

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 listens to him as he looks out of the window, peering close to see its thickness and what its madeor ... and how to improve it. "Yea .. you choose the wrong branch, but ... what's clean? Engineering .. a bit. Maybe you could help with the rebuild too somehow. I never really considered the neatness and hygenic qualities of my profession." he takes the silent time to tap on the glass. "This really is a beautiful place." and then Arroz mentions a girl and he looks back sharply. But then his face softens. "No. I .. had a lover on Tellar Prime a long time ago. Ten years we've been apart and we were together about seven years." he paises. "Been a long time since I thought of hi .. them." he trips over the last word, then glances at the floor, then finally, back out the window, allarently actually looking at the scenery outside the house for once.

Arroz Arum: shakes his head, "I don't think I'd be a good Engineer. I'm probably supposed to be an artist or an interior designer... or maybe an architect. I could never be a doctor," he shudders, thinking over what Nico had said. "Tellar Prime. Wow." He looks out the window too, "It is very beautiful here and it's special too. In all my studies I never read about another planet that was like this one. Alive, in her own way, they say in the myths. Softly sensual and with a sense of humor. Like they say a good girl should be," he shrugs at this, "I've only really known a couple of girls. And I don't know..." he confesses softly, "Maybe it was timing or someting but, they never worked out."

NicoP.Caito @hypergrid.org:8002 nods absently. "Interior design. That sounds like you. I build it, you decorate it." he looks over his shoulder. "Beautiful land, beautiful archetecture ... beautiful people." he listens further and narrowly avoids laughing. "I've never been married myself. Like you ... never worked out with the women." he looks at him, evenly. "But that's okay too, you know. Not everyone is suited to the so called normal life of marriage, hearth and home." he sighs. "Anyway I had better get back to my schematics. I'll come back here .. not like I have anything to pack ...."

Arroz Arum: nods to him, "Take the upstairs, it's tidy.  I'll sleep on the old couch. I like it, it's comfortable.  Do you cook?  If not I have a replicator coming. Or we can go to the cafe sometimes, if you prefer." Smiles, "That's an idea... have our own business? Something to think about," he doesn't really think it will happen, it's just idle chat. He looks around, "I have a lot to do in here. But hey... there are some spare clothes upstairs, and you could have a shower, it' all set up."  He moves away, starting to root in another box. "Just have a look in the dressing room there, if you don't mind old stuff, there's a ton of my Father's farmclothes there." He gets to work.

=^=

The Voyage Home

=^=
TO: CO­ SS ASTRAIOS
OIC­ ASTRAIOS COLONY SECURITY
OIC­ ASTRAIOS CID

FROM: Ens Arroz Arum, Security
STARDATE: 150411

SUBJECT: CID CASE 2413­03/1
=========================

Away Team to N'doto Moon on outskirts of Takaar Nebula included myself and Detective Evan Torg APF. Through questioning of the granite natives, we were led to one Latite Porphyry, the female acquaintance of the deceased Slate Talc. She was removed to the Gati jail through cooperation with Babu Chuku. Dect Torg interrogated her more completely as I sought medical aid for a serious condition that prohibited me from carrying out my duties for a few hours. The female remains in Gati brig pending extradition to Astra. Dect Torg to follow up with the legal matters that will bring her back to Astra. I continue to be unwell and have requested medical leave. My files have been transferred to Chief Security, and Dect Torg.

In service,
Ens Arum
=^=

Arroz sighs.  They are, at least, moving away from the nebula. He is sure it has some profound effects on humanoids, in fact, he remembers reading mission logs of the USS Neil Armstrong. That ship entered the nebula and he recalled the medical team advising some kind of injection to mitigate the possible symptoms. Nobody thought to give him one before he left Astra. He was just a little cog in a big wheel. 'Thank goodness at least this runabout has slipsteam drive," he whispers to himself, glancing at Torg, who is fast asleep in his chair.  Arroz looks to his PADD again, and begins to write...

=^=
TO: LTjg Nico P Caito
Colony Engineering Dept
Personal

FROM: Ens Arroz Arum, Security
STARDATE: 150411

Hey Nico I am on my way back from N'Doto. We found Latte and she's been questioned.  Definitely some suspicion there and they'll be bringing her back to Astra for further investigation. I fell ill when I was on Gati, or maybe before I left, pretty awful experience finding... well, you know. I've requested leave. I also found a message from my family that they've purchased a new summer house close to the Colony. They haven't moved in yet. I'm going to see the doc when I get back tonight, then head there for a few days. Just wanted to catch you up on the Talc thing. Must be hard on you.

A. Arum.
=^=

Deathly afraid

Arroz Arum sat ruefully on a chair by the science console on the runabout. Embarrassed the hell out of him, to get sick while questioning the suspect in a murder. But he’d felt off since getting to Gati, in fact, maybe even before. Seeing Talc’s dead body in a state of decomp outside the guy’s cabin on Astra, had made him ill twice. He’d put it down to the situation, but maybe he’d been coming down with something even then.

He felt slightly better now he was in the vessel and the ship’s gravity, which matched Astra’s, was normal to him. He’d changed his clothes, washed his face, brushed his teeth, taken something for nausea from the med kit.  What if it was something serious though?  Here he was, light years from home, finally in space after all these months of graft, and he had space sickness? Or was it worse. He checked his pulse. He’d tried the medical tricorder but it was fucking useless in this nebula. Some might think it’s colourful clouds twisting and turning was beautiful, it just made him queasy.

When he and Evan Torg had been looking for the ‘Blue Door’, Arroz had noticed a medical office. “Maybe there’s a doctor here.” He got up, took another drink of cool water, and pressed the button to open the runabout door. He walked through the village and past the buildings, ignoring the statue people, and trying not to look at the sky. Which way had it been?

Served Starfleet right if he had something serious and was forced to retire. On full pension.

Anjohl Morio chuckled as the little girl made a face at the taste of the medicine.  There wasn’t enough sweet sap on N’doto to really take away the bitterness of the bark once it was ground up.  But it would help her, he knew.

Her mother smiled at him as her daughter hopped down and they walked into the waiting room.  Morio held the clinic’s door open for her and the females moved out into the slowly brightening Gati day.  The mother spoke of trade in payment and Morio named a couple of vegetables in the greenhouse, where she worked.  Agreement reached, she took her daughters hand and headed into the Rainbow Hen building, where her store was, while the little girl skipped off in the direction of Gati’s miniscule school.

Going back into the clinic, he sat at the front desk, writing down the treatment and the payment received, his head bowed in concentration, always amused at the idea of using pen and ink.  The island was beautiful because of its lack of technology, he thought.  Even further back than Bajor before ….

He brushed that thought away and continued to write, dipping his rainbow hen quill yet again.

Arroz continued to walk through the pathways until he found the blue building again. He leaned against it for a minute, to catch his breath, peering inside the window. There was someone sitting at the front desk. Good. He opened the door with a flick of his wrist. There was an odd smell, but not too unpleasant. He looked around, seemed vastly different from the sickbays he was used to, but closer to what he might have seen in his hometown of Tachylyte. This was in the southern province of Keratophyre. As he thought of this he felt a thrill of fear run through him. Last year there was a huge epidemic at home, dubbed the KP virus by the media. Hundreds died before it was contained. He began to sweat. Starfleet had worked closely with Astraionian scientists and there was now an innoculation against the virus, which he’d been given almost as soon as it was ready, being Starfleet security. But what if it didn’t work? What if he’d come in contact with a carrier?  What if it had mutated? The vaccine wouldn’t work then. He could die!  He moved quickly to the desk, “I have to see a medic, quick!” he gasped.

Morio looks up when the door opens and a man stumbles in gasping to see a medic.  One look at the uniform tells the doctor that the man is Starfleet.  They’d been several reported, and as a result, Morio had been giving out all manner of medication to relieve anxiety.  It seemed they were more frightened at the idea of Starfleet than annoyed.

He stood.  “I am Doctor Anjohl.  Anjohl Morio.”  he introduces himself.  The man seemed pretty nervous.  He touches the man on the elbow and motions him towards an exam room, soft beds and a chair or two.  “What seems to be the problem ….”  he pauses, not being too familiar with Starfleet beyond his parent’s stories.  “Officer?”  he guesses.

Follows the Doctor, clutching at his chest,” Doctor Annnjohhll, I am sick, very sick I could have KP virus I come from there, on Astra you know they had an epidemic last year I threw up three times now in three days I feel so strange, it could be very very serious, please HELP ME,” he throws himself on a bed with despair, moaning, “I feel hot and cold, my heart is racing, my stomach is reeling, I feel dizzy.” He rattles off his symptoms, “names’ Arroz, Arroz Arummmm mpfh. Security Officer,” he adds in a weak voice. “Am I going to die?” he goes still, body limp on the bed, pleading eyes on Morio.

Morio watches the man and suppressed a grin.  He somehow reminds him of some of his child patients.  Listening, he straightens the man on the hospital bed and takes his pulse with his fingers.  It’s elevated, but the man seems to be in a state of extreme agitation.  He reaches for a thin piece of equipment and wraps it around Arroz’s forearm, then looks at the readout.  Confirming that his pulse was a bit high, but adding to that his blood pressure reading and body temperature.  Looking down at him and giving him a confident ‘I am a doctor you will be alright’ look, he notices a few beads of sweat, but … the man seems to be thinking himself into some kind of plague virus like the one on Astra.

“Well, you seem pretty anxious about having this plague.”  he tells him.  “But my guess is that it’s something else.”  he turns around and looks at some of the bottles around the room.  Deciding on one, he shakes out a lavender square pill that is about an inch on all sides.  “This should take care of your nausea.”  he tells him.  “It’s a local herb we compress and turn into these cubes.  Lie back and roll it on your mouth.  It will melt there in about a minute.”

He hands the man the pill and then stands over him, waiting for his orders to be carried out.  “Now tell me about your last … oh … say … week or two …”  he orders.  “You’re showing some very classic symptoms of severe anxiety.”  he tells him.  “Now if you’re security and don’t want to tell me details about some case, then don’t, but at least tell me if you’ve been under an unusual amount of stress lately.  My guess is you have been.”  he waits for the reply, still looking completely confident in his ability to help the patient.

Arroz lay in flaccid despair, dimly aware of the doctor moving his limbs, attaching some kind of device to him. What can be done? They’ve sent him to this odd little moon in the nebula from hell, no ship in sight, no hope of a proper sickbay or even a properly trained medical doctor. This is some rustic guy who writes with some kind of odd spitting feather. He can’t possibly know anything at all. He groans but take the square and puts it in his mouth, wondering where it has been, who has touched it, and whether it will make him sicker instead of better. All these germs everywhere. “Hundreds of people died from KP before they found the vaccine. I saw people from home just last week. And I miss home. I don’t like Starfleet. The recruiter told us we’d be exploring space and helping the helpless but all I do is sit in an office and do rounds and I don’t really like space anyway Doctor, I really don’t. And now I had to look at a dead body, and I mean really really dead like for DAYS and it STANK and lord knows what germs or rodents or fleas or bugs were on it or near it and I’ve been sick ever since.”

Morio listens to his patient ramble on.  He keeps his face relatively impassive, but he learns a great deal from this young man.  Even though he had not needed to, Morio had learned a great deal about psychology during his medical school days.  As he has suspected, it helped him a great deal with his patients.  Smugglers and pirates who didn’t want to tell him where they had been, never mind who they had been transporting.  An indigenous population for whom placing a cast on a broken arm often means doing things he once considered only while helping his grandfather put together an outdoor oven.  He even had a patient who claimed to be human, avoided him as if he were in infections Bajorian disease, and from a distance, seemed to heal twice as fast as he had any right to.

“Arroz, if you don’t like your job, why not just ….  quit?”  he asks simply.  “Because it is my professional opinion …. and I went to one of the best civilian medical schools on Earth …. and graduated third in my class, I will have you know …”  it was a source of pride for him…. although he did not finish first, neither did he finish in the middle or at the bottom.  “That is might just be your job that is making you sick.”  he looks at him evenly.  “This is your first time off your home world, isn’t it?”  he asks, softly.  Almost paternally, even though he is only about thirty-five years old.  He pauses and watches him.  “How are you feeling now?  Stomach any better?”

Arroz sits up, the bed creaking slightly. He shakes his head at the doctor, “Not the first time, not really, because I had cadet cruises to do, you know, on that old rusty ship they call the Pemmican what a name I don’t even know what it means never mind how to spell it, but you had to log a certain number of hours each year to get your helm certification which you need as security so I had to do a lot more than my friends and I couldn’t go outside the system though without an escort and sometimes we were grounded because of tensions in the sector with places like,” here he lowers his voice, “Treman. I don’ t think I’m allowed to quit, I have to do some years don’t I or I lose my pension, I don’t really know all the rules I fell asleep in that class and I didn’t really care at the time because I was going to be like Worf or Major Kira and be one of the finest security officers ever. You came from Earth? That’s a HUGE distance away why would you come here,” he throws up a disdainful hand, adding, “I feel hungry.”

Morio understands he must be feeling better when he sits up.  “Pemmican.”  he then goes on to spell it for him.  “It’s a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious food. The word comes from the Earth Indian tribe called Cree word pimîhkân, which itself is derived from the word pimî, "fat, grease".  It was invented by the native peoples of North America on Earth.”  he explains.  “They used … well whatever they could lay their hands on … meat and fruits … dried .. stuff lasts a good long time and doesn’t taste too bad either, from what I’ve read.”  he realizes he is rambling.  He sighs.  “I know what Treman is, I know where Treman is and …”  he lets out an exasperated sound.  “And I wouldn’t be presenting myself to you like a complete rube backwoods country doctor if they weren’t having another of their damnable coups.”  he inhales and exhales slowly, calming himself.  “I suppose you should be able to quit.  Starfleet is always on about how they want freedom for everyone.  That should include their own personnel, shouldn’t it?”  he chuckles when he mentions Major Kira.  “A Bajoran legend.”  he murmurs, although what he knew of her, he sometimes had a hard time believing she was really a woman.  “I went to Earth from Bajor and …”  he shrugs.  “By the time I was done with school there, I did a short residency on Deep Space Nine …”  he shrugs again.  “Then I became alienated by my own people, and Starfleet and … just … wanted to be someplace where I could actually help.  I found this place completely by accident, but there was a minor epidemic going on here at the time that I helped end.  All those nights reading on homeopathic and herbal remedies finally came in handy.  I still use the modern stuff … when I can get it … but …”  he stops himself again.  “I’ll tell you more over a dinner.  My treat.  Then I will send you back to your ship to finish whatever it is you are here to do.  We’ll have some rainbow hen soup.  Very delicious, very filling and very mild on the nervous stomach.”

=^=

Visit to Gati

Arroz Arum brought the shuttle to the ground with a large bang. So much for his training. He grimaced, wondering how much damage he'd caused, and how stupid he might look to the natives here. He felt a spurt of anger towards his Chief, who ignored his pleadings for a proper sized away team, and instead assigned this one Astra police officer to come along. He snorts as he gets out of his seat, pressing the button to open the door. "We're here," he says unnecessarily to his companion, to whom he has hardly said a word during the 4 hour flight. Slip stream to past the system, turn back and impulse to the moon. No sensors, no communications, no nothing.

Buni watches the small craft land completely unemotional as always. She does not look back at Babu, only watches, knowing he is as well. The soft ones leave the craft and she takes a step forward, having always been the one who mimics soft creature movement the best.

Detective Evan Torg APF (Astraionian Police Force) looks around the area. 'Drugs,' he thinks. 'Can't these yahoo's find another way to have fun?' He relaxes as the starfleet security officer flies the shuttle toward a landing. He hadn't said two words since the initial briefing at the station. 'So much the better,' he thinks. Grimacing at the bang as the ship grounds, he prepares to debark.

Arroz Arum: steps away from the shuttle, noticing one of the natives nearby, her blonde hair attracts his gaze. Her skin is strange looking. The rest of the place looks like a dusty warehouse area. Others are standing around like statues. In fact, it's hard for him to tell if they are real or stone, except that the breeze might move their hair or clothing. He glances back to see if Torg has followed him. The sun is strange here. It's almost as though he can feel the nebula in his bones. It's odd and discomforting, and he doesn't like it. "Let's get this done," he snaps to Torg. To the female he says, "Esign Arum, Starfleet Security. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Buni Sees the craft land with a thud. There isn't much damage, she calculates it in her head. The craft is Starfleet. Jude had described it to them. She glanced up even if the eyes in her head did not appear to move, as they were gemstones. The waving of the long hair told her they were being watched by Jude. Unless they tried to get into the caves, he would not interfere. But she wondered what these two soft ones wanted. One of them speaks and he seems slightly agitated. Her gravely voice replies. "Welcome to N'Doto. I am Buni." it rumbles like a small landslide. "What sueations to you have Ensign Arum Starfleet?" The voice caries all the emotion of the rock she is made of. Her hair, golden and indeed made of a golden like material, flutters slightly.

Detective Evan Torg APF: steps out of the shuttlecraft. "So this is Gati," he says to no one in particular. His eyes scan the area, following the starfleet security. He nods to the female as they approach. Beginning to speak, he closes his mouth when the ensign barks to him. Silently he wonders if this young ensign can handle police work. He listens to the females greeting and smiles. He is soothed by the voice. 'Don't lose your edge,' he warns himself. He frowns, hoping it puts her off guard. "Evan Torg, ma'am. APF"

Arroz Arum: looks to Torg, then back at Buni. "Recently Starfleet runabout NXC-442451 visited this village. The Helm Officer, Ens Slate Talc, left the vessel and somewhere here, purchased a drug or substance. Any idea where someone would go to buy such a thing?"

Buni cants her head at the other ... the one in red. "We welcome you also Evan Torg." she recognises the word ma'am from long ago memories. It meant manners, which some soft things had and some sof things did not. The other one the Ensign did not have them, apparently. She cants her head in the other direction as the mannerless one speaks. "We noticed that vehicle." she pauses. "We do not know if drugs were taken for soft ones elsewhere. But if you wanted to buy them, they are easy to come by here. They relax the soft ones. Keep them from trying to hurt each other....." she pauses again. "Most of them, at least." there were some that caused soft ones to be violent.

Detective Evan Torg APF: He listens and watches her intently, watching for signs of deception. Perhaps that was a slight wink, directing us in the wrong direction. Could that have been a grimace? Would that mean 'we do not know' was a lie? "Thank you, ma'am." He turns to his partner, "Ensign." He puts a tone of caution in the word.

Arroz Arum: raises his eyebrows. "I assume by 'soft ones' you mean humanoids? Astraionians? Humans? Anyone unlike you?" He examines her more closely. She looks like a shapely, walking rock of some kind. Torg says his rank, and he feels another spurt of indignation at this situation he's in but, hell, he has a job to do and the APF is watching, so better do it well. "THank you for your welcome, much appreciated," he says in a softer tone, "Forgive my ... unease. It's odd to me, to be here on a place near the nebula. It causes me to feel irritable." He puts his hands behind his back, looking at her, "Thank you for answering our questions so quickly. Would you know who the Starfleet officer might have visited while he was here?"

Buni looks at the mannered one that thanks her and gives the usual reply of "You are welcome, Evan Torg." and looks to the ensign. She is not being deceptive, only emplying the usual Gati neutrality that all of her people possess. They know and understand lies, and do not like them. Se turns to the ensign. "All who are not Gatian are soft, yes." she agrees. "Life here seems to have that effect when the technology so many of you have grown used to fails completely here." She keeps her face impasive, as there is really no other way for it to be. "We do not log the names of anyone visiting us." she tells him. "Soft ones come and go. Some stay ... some remain only a few hours and then leave. But the only one in a uniform anything like yours was the friend of Souleymane Senghor. I hear that was called a Fleet Captain and not anything else. You were looking for an ensign. That is a rank in your Starfleet, yes?" she asks, as politely as her falling rocks voice allows.

Detective Evan Torg APF: "Are you sure that you don't have a way of knowing who comes and goes? Does someone have a way of keeping track of such things?" Evan puts a slight edge to the tone, knowing that the ensign has eased up a bit. 'good job,' he says to himself, 'make sure she does not get the the upper hand.' He considers her answer further. Would that mean that the starfleet officer's communications badge be around here somewhere? Would the Fleet Captain being here be a clue that the drugs and the missing comm badge were to infiltrate the station or the colony? He eases again and smiles, adding a polite 'ma'am' as an afterthought to his last statement.

Arroz Arum: says to her, 'THe man we call Ensign Talc may have worn plainclothes when he was here to avoid detection. Our devices," he pulls out a PADD, "Do not function effectively here. However, I can show you an image of him. If this will work." He fiddles with the PADD, swearing under his breath. Can nothing be easy? "Well okay he was six feet two, black hair, grey eyes, slim, and about 24 in Terran years." He sighs at the end of this, looking around, wondering how many people they would have to talk to and when they would be able to leave.

Buni looks between them. "Your communications may work sporadically here on the surface. Even in orbit. I am told it is like trying to whisper in a typhoon. But on the surface you may be able to ... but the most reliable communication is by land line or by face to face communications. Many here employ runners to get messages back and forth quickly." quickly on Ndoto is a relative thing. She nods stiffly at the ensign. "We have seen the Starfleet plainclothes uniform here. Once by the Fleet Captain Toocool and once by another who visited Vacuum for a bit and then was seen by the Blue Door. he one who was at the Blue Door is liek the one you describe. But then he met with Jude Murphy and thenn he left." she pauses. "Jude Murphy has been known to distribute calming substances to others. It is very helpful to us. He keeps rumbles from occuring."

Detective Evan Torg APF: He waits a moment and listens to the exchange. Would that description help? Would her judgment of humanoid
subtleties be sufficient to discriminate from the other humanoids that come to Gati? As she answers he knows that his concerns are unwarranted. 'The Blue Door' and 'Jude Murphy' were clues that could be followed. "Can you direct us to the Blue Door, ma'am?"

Arroz Arum: glances to Torg, "Or better yet, this Jude Murphy? Would he be around? Let's cut to the chase and see the most likely person involved," he says. He makes no mention of the Fleet Captain, assuming she's not involved in buying drugs for junior grade officers. He makes a grunting noise at that thought. Hasn't had the pleasure of meeting her except from afar. "We know from someone on Astra that this Slate Talc made it here and planned to buy a drug that would help with... ahem... sexual ability." He shifts his weight, "Would this Jude fellow have that?"

Buni nods slowly. "You will not speak to Jude Murphy." she states. He has been tending the sick and will rest. But the Blue Door is right over there." she points to the high cliffs ... possibly through them. If thy look and move their eyes they may note in the black a black shadow with flowing black hair on top of the lighthouse. "But to reach it, you must walk around the island that way." she pointe between the purple building and the place that looks like a run down hotel. "Follow the path to the right .... then the board walk." she looks at them. "If you would like help with sex, the Blue Door has people who will help you."

*

Latite Porphyry is walking down the stairs after a little ... meeting with one of the men that frequents the club. She is starting to get the hint she will have to work years on her back to make enough money to afford transport off this rock. But there will be others who may come through that will exchange her body and sex for transport off this moon and to a place the poilice will never find her. She opens the door to leave and runs BAM right into a Starfleet Uniform. Her eyes grob big and she begins to cry immediately. "He was gonna LEAVE me! You were going to send him AWAY from me!!" she begins to blather on. "I didnt think two pills would KILL him! Just ... just ,,., make him see how he loved me more than Starfleet!!!" she confesses, crying loudly.

Detective Evan Torg APF: He looks to the woman and listens to her blathering. It could be most anything, but he senses it is a confession. However, he knows that jurisdiction is everything. "Kill who?" He asks, sensing that there is more to the story.

Arroz Arum: is feeling the results of the long walk to this place called the Blue Door. The world around him is turning grey. He arrives at the Blue Door - which actually has a blue door - just in time to run into a female who starts crying and making loud noises. He feels dizzy. There's a bench by the door, he disengages himself from the woman and goes to sit down. With a sigh he says, "Why did you run away."

Latite Porphyry moves to the bench. Maybe she could get out of this after all. she sits beside the Starfleet officer and places her hand on his knee as if thinking that could get her out of this. "So I wouldnt get arrested." she blinks her pretty eyes, seductuively. "It was an accident, after all." she shrugs. "I was just being silly I guess. So I should go back and convince everyone else of it too, shouldn't I?"

=^=

Unidentified compound

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­TO: CO­ SS ASTRAIOS
OIC­ ASTRAIOS COLONY SECURITY
OIC­ ASTRAIOS CID

FROM: DR. M. LANDFALL, OIC ­MCH

SUBJECT: CORONER'S CASE 2413­03/1
==================================

UFS MEDICAL, ­MAJEL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT
CASE NUMBER: 2413­03/1

DECEDENT NAME: Talc, Slate
AGE/HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 24 / 6'2" / 189 lbs
EYE/HAIR COLOR: Grey / Black
DATE OF DEATH: 150324
LOCATION FOUND: Northen residential area, Astraios Colony
GENDER: Male
CAUSE OF DEATH: Overdose - ­Homicide
ATTENDING MEDICAL OFFICER: Cmdr Morath Landfall MD, OIC­ MCH

COMMENTS: Victim was declared missing/AWOL on 150320 after missing three duty shifts. Victim was discovered in a advanced state of decomp outside of a cabin in the colony's northern residential area. An examination of the cabin presented evident of more than one subject had been in residence with further evidence in the cabin and on the body, of sexual activity with a yet unidentified female.

Samples taken from the scene were tested and traces of a unknown chemical compound were present on one of two glasses, two foil packets and the victim's stomach contents. This compound was ingested orally through drink and apparently in small doses, would produce a euphoria that may have enhanced any sexual activity....however, the amount found in the victim's system caused his organs to fail in rapid succession, causing death within hours if not minutes.

Examination of the body at the scene indicated, along with duty records, death occurred approximately 3 to 4 days prior to discovery.....this was confirmed by celluar analysis during the post­mortem. Also of note, was the surprising lack of signs of animal activity on and around the body....this may be due to the substance in the victim's system.

=^=

TO: CO­ SS ASTRAIOS
OIC­ ASTRAIOS COLONY SECURITY
OIC­ ASTRAIOS CID

FROM: Ens Arroz Arum, Security
STARDATE: 150403

SUBJECT: CID CASE 2413­03/1
=========================

Male subject, Ens Slate Talc, found deceased outside of his personal cabin NE side northern residential area, Astraios Colony. Investigation commenced after he had missed three duty shifts, was considered AWOL, to be apprehended and brought to charges due to dereliction of duty. LTjg Nico P Caito, Engineer, was known to be a friend of the deceased and was interrogated. Through him we found the cabin and the body. After post modem Caito was questioned again. A possible female acquaintance, Latte, may have been at the cabin at the time of death but so far has not been found (see APF Bulletin 11452). Information provided suggest the drug or illicit substance was likely purchased on N'doto, at Gati. Talc had recently visited there while Helm Officer. Request permission to take an Away Team to Gati in order to find where and from whom this substance was purchased.

In service,
Ens Arum

=^=

Cafe, Latte

LTjg Nico P Caito looks out of The Cafe's window for a moment, He watches the building across the way, completely lost in his thoughts.

Arroz Arum: sighs as he walks towards the restaurant. He assumes he'll find Nico there again, as the man was seen there every Friday. He was reluctant to do this interview, but it had been a few days since they had found Slate's body and he hoped Nico would be able to calmly answer some questions. The whole thing was gutwrenching. He moved to the ramp leading to the cafe and paused, trying to settle his thoughts, and prepare himself to look his role... maybe security was the wrong branch for him.

LTjg Nico P Caito blows out a breath and turns from the window. He sees Arum outside of it and groans. Too late to duck out now. He spreads his hands in a 'Seriously? SERIOUSLY' motion. Still, he is not sure if hes ready for this and already his back is up.

Arroz Arum: walks up and steps through the door. He nods to Nico, and strides to the counter to get a Raktajino. "Make it a extra large," he adds to the boy who is serving. While he waits, he turns, resting his back on the counter, looking towards Nico, and mouthing the words, "We need to talk."

LTjg Nico P Caito watches the security ensign walk in and order a raktajino. That makes him grin, as the boy at the counter blinks at him and stammers. "I ... we ... I ... we don't have replicated drinks here . m ... mister .... Maybe .. um ... our coffee?" the kid looks anxious. He snorts a laugh at the pair and calls out to the boy between he and the security officer. "Give him two." he says heading for the door. He doesn't want to have this conversation in this building. He pauses right out front, nearly.

Arroz Arum: ignores the boy and moves towards the cafe entrance, as he gets through the door he says, "Better stop right there, mister. You may be higher in rank but I am the Investigating Officer on this, and as such I have the right to question you and even detain you. Don't make me do that, okay?"

LTjg Nico P Caito stops out front as he's chased. He turns and looks at the ensign for a long time before he sighs, almost explosively. "What do you want, ensign Arum?" he asks. The coffee ruse didn't work, so he won't even have that to sustain him. he heads away from the cafe, stopping at the only other building near by.

Arroz Arum: rubs his palms on his uniform pants. He fixes his eyes on Nico, trying to look stern and businesslike. He follows the man as he moves towards what serves as the Pebble community hall. He lowers his voice, "You know what I want, Sir. Like it or not, we need more information about Slate, his friends, his movements. There's a mystery here we're trying to solve, and I would think, if you cared about your... friend, you would want to help us get to the bottom of this. Now, we can talk out here, in the cafe, or back at the brig. Your choice."

LTjg Nico P Caito listens to the voice behind him and whirls around. "The Brig?" he asks incredulous. He closes his eyes. "Listen here. My best friend was killed over a week ago. But *I* didn't even notice he was missing. So obviously I wasn't really such a good friend, was I? Or we wouldn't have found him literally feeding the local insects." he growls. Then ha pauses. "But sure ... what do you want to know about him? I'll do what I can to answer you." he looks pained. This has been eating at him.

Arroz Arum: looks to him, "Hey Nico," the man is out of uniform so maybe first names are okay, "look, I know you lost someone close to you. I don't want to harass you but I have a situation here that needs resolving. Slate missed a couple of duty shifts, it's happened before and he's been brought up on charges and had to pay a fine. We all figured it was the same thing again, only this time he might have had brig time. But when he failed to report at all, AND we couldn't find him on sensors, that's when the alarm bells went off. Either he was AWOL and off the planet, or something had happened to him here. So I need to talk to you about that. I AM sorry that he's gone and I know it must be hard for you. But I have a job to do and I need to talk to you to do it."

LTjg Nico P Caito pinches the bridge of his nose. "He was a kid .... Aroz." he may as well get informal as well. He didn't give a shit at the moment if the man was in uniform. "Slate was an irresponsible little kid. He always let his woman dictate when he would go in or be late." he shrugs. "I've been there sometimes. You wake up and the warm body beside you feels too good to leave for some cold Starfleet duty. Sure I was always able to say 'nah I gotta go in', but Slate .... he was a kid ... and his girl..." he shakes his head. "She considered her his top priority. Always convinced him he should stay to be with her. Am I even making sense?" he is trying not to be TOO crude about it, but ....

Arroz Arum nods, "I'm not a prude. I go to the Astra Spring festival same as everyone else. So she had him hooked but good?" He turns to look at the stream flowing by them, water more treacherous than it looked, the running rapids catching his glaze. "Sometimes I even question why I joined Starfleet. I was all set to join the APF," looks at Nico, "Astra Police Force," he explains in case the officer doesn't know. "Starfleet came and I got all google-eyed at the thought of the Federation and the Prime Directive. But all I'm doing," he kicks at a pebble, "is following up leads on small cases, and I haven't even been into space other than my training cruises."

LTjg Nico P Caito scoffs. "Like a fish on a hook for the last year at least." he nods. "Yea. I've heard of them .... I ... was thinking ... maybe its time for a change ... I'm so deep in engineering wells I feel like I could come out the other side of the planet." he sighs. "I was born on Luna . so .. I was assigned here a couple years back. That's how I met Slade. Recruiting." the word sounds sour, as if he now regrets recruiting the young man. he pauses. "Believe me it takes time, kid." he speaks almost automatically. "You won't hit earth for years .. if ever." he stops speaking, realizing he's no being encouraging and may actually be talking the kid OUT of his commission. "Slade ... he wanted to marry Latte ... but he'd finally managed to get HIS first shipboard assignment. Which meant he'd be off planet ... for who knows how long .. and she didn't like it..." he sighs. "They were gonna ..." and he stops.

Arroz Arum: raises an eyebrow, "What were they going to do?" He looks around. Things are pretty quiet. He can hear the hum of the engineering facility but there's noone in earshot of them. He makes a decision, "Nico, I am sorry to say, we did find what we feel might be the cause of death. There was an unidentified substance in Slate's body. The Doc hasn't been able to figure out what it is, but it's possible whatever it is, might have killed him, because there's no sign of anything else that might have done so," he's giving out some privileged information, but he wants to talk frankly.

LTjg Nico P Caito pinches the bridge of his nose. "Stupid, stupid child." he growls. Then he looks around, as if looking for people in earshot. "Latte really had him by the .... short hairs. And she was getting him to do things that ..... would get him trouble with the local police, never mind Starfleet." he pounds his right fist in his left palm. "I told him that girl was not worth a stint on a prison planet. And he told me it wasn't illegal because it wasn't even KNOWN." he snarls "Wink wink, nudge nudge." he growls. If Slade were alive the man looks like he was willing to beat him to death.

Arroz Arum: "So you're telling me whatever he had was illegal? It's certainly not a known substance, not to Starfleet Medical, nor to Astra Police. Question is, where did he get it, and why did he take so much? Was it.. a good high, or something to do with.. sexual functions? was she... kinky?"

LTjg Nico P Caito makes quotes out of his fingers. "Its not illegal if they don't even know it exists." he quotes his dead friend. He drops his hands. "That's how he put it. I told him that was bunk." he blows out a breath. "She told him about some drug she got from some dude that he got from some moon. That would rock his world, like she wasn't doing that already." he pauses. "Kinky is one word for her. She liked sex and he was a young man, just like you. Hard to say no to some people."

Arroz Arum: breathes out slowly. "Illicit drug, then. You think she deliberately put him in danger? Was she... sniffing around any other boys? You don't seem to think much of her." Takes out his PADD, "you think one of them purchased this drug?" He looks to Nico, "Any idea who they would have gotten it from here on Astra?" Scrolls through his Padd, "Who would have clearance to go to an inhabited moon... how many habitable moons are there near here," he's talking half to himself as he looks up the information. "There's Questa but that's virtually off limits for environmental concerns, only scientists allowed there now, any visit would be logged, I can check though. Then there's" looks further, "someplace called N'Doto, that's in a dead system almost inside the Takaar Nebula. Difficult but not impossible to get to. Beyond that, I can't see any other moons that support life in this Sector. I can check the shipping records for traders coming in from outside Astraios Sector but that will take some time. They all have to report their manifests and some are boarded."

LTjg Nico P Caito licks his lips. "She loved him, but she didn't want him leaving this system." he shrugs. "You know how that goes for families sometimes. If a guy isn't posted to a family ship he gets to leave his family behind for months or years at a time. She didn't want that. But I don't know how far she would have gone to stop him from wanting to." he listens to him list moons. "If this place is anything like Luna or Earth ... theres gotta be a place for this sort of thing. Drugs, unauthorized vehicles, stolen technology. Take the stars out of your eyes, ensign." he considers the list. "There some talented civilian pilots on this planet that could get to that N'Doto you mentioned. So try there first. If its habitable, then Starfleet will explore it sooner or later." he sounds a bit bitter .. as if he's lost his taste for Starfleet.

Arroz Arum: says softly, "I can go one better." He looks to Nico, "did you know Slate was assigned to pilot a shuttle that took Fleet Captain Toocool to N'doto recently?" He scrolls further, "and the duty shift was changed... he must have traded a shift with someone in order to go. Doesn't sound like him. Why do any extra work?"

LTjg Nico P Caito blinks. "No sh .... kidding ......" he shakes his head. "Yea, the only reason he'd pull extra duty would be for Latte." he shakes his head. "If he did then ... wow ... it would mean he transported an illicit drug in the same vehicle as the Fleet Captain?" he whistles low. "He might be better off dead if she found out...." he's doing some detective work of his own …

Arroz Arum: nods, whistling softly, "He'd be in a lot of trouble if he wasn't already..." he was going to say dead, but sudden realization he was talking to the man's friend stopped him. "Well I guess I can report this. Maybe I'll be going to N'Doto soon. We have a bulletin out for this Latte, but haven't been able to find her. Yet."

=^=

Medical recon

Arroz Arum: looks towards the medical officer making his way towards the cabin. Arum had placed a retaining fence around the site, and security officers were placed at some distance from them, to stop any curious passers by from messing up the scene. Arum looked a bit pale. "Sir," Arum said to the Doctor, "Thank you for coming. LTjg Tisch, the CID officer in charge of the investigation, is not here yet. Perhaps I can fill you in?"

Morath Landfall looks over the area and nods "yes please"

Arroz Arum: "We have a missing Security officer, name of Slate Talc, native Astraionian, recent graduate from Academy assigned to Operations on SS Astraios. He has missed three duty shifts and we were unable to locate him through scans for his combadge and his quarters were empty. We questioned a friend of his, LTjg Nico P Caito, who said Talc had planned a party over the weekend with a girl at this cabin," he points behind him. "Caito and I came here and found, on the right side of the cabin, the body of a male. Caito identified him as Talc. We now need to sweep the scene and examine the body to determine what happened." Arum draws a long breath.

Morath Landfall nods "anything i need to be aware of before i examine the body?"

Arroz Arum: "Not at this time Sir, although standard operating procedure requires we do not disturb the evidence until CID has a chance to sweep the scene. Also," he leans in to whisper, "The smell is awful."

Morath Landfall frowns slightly "any eta in the lieutenant?"

Arroz Arum: shakes his head, "Not sure Sir. She was dealing with an urgent matter. I suggest we go ahead and do your medical recon? We'd like DNA samples in the cabin, from the bed. It appears two people were here. And then a look at the body to determine time of death and..." swallows, "etc."

Morath Landfall nods "lets get started then"

Arroz Arum: nods, and turns to lead the Doctor to the cabin, where beverage containers and two glasses are scattered, as well as clothing... and a messy bed indicates the probability of sexual relations.

Morath Landfall mumbles to himself as he takes off his panck and get his tools "had some party in here"

Arroz Arum: takes out a camera and begins to document the scene. On the table by the glasses he notices a little twist of foil or paper. He carefully takes images from left to right to cover each part of the cabin. "Looks like it. According to Caito, Talc had planned to bring a girl here. We hoped you could get a sample of her DNA from the bed or," his voice sounds a bit tight, "from the body."

Morath Landfall starts with a general scan of the area then does detailed scans of the bed

Morath Landfall looks up from his screen "i should be able to get the samples"

Arroz Arum: continues his image taking, noting the clothing on the floor... and beside the bed, a small stain, dried up. "That looks like puke," he says to the Doctor. He swallows uneasily. The nasty smell from the body has already unsettled his stomach.

Morath Landfall kneels and takes the sample

Arroz Arum: Doctor, can you confirm the presence of two or more people here?

Morath Landfall looks over at the officer "at least two....there's another i can't be sure of until i run more tests back at the lab"

Arroz Arum: nods to him and says, reluctantly, "If we're finished here, we should look at the body?"

Morath Landfall nods and grabls his pack "lead on"

Arroz Arum: moves out of the cabin door, off the porch, and into the bushes at the side of the cabin. At the foot of a tree, hidden by some bushes and rocks, lies the body.

Morath Landfall coughs a bit as his looks the body over

Arroz Arum: begins to take pictures, noting the position of the body relative to the cabin, moving his own body slowly around in a circle to document all directions. His face is pale and sweaty as the aroma is unpleasant. But not so bad as before... either he's gotten used to it or the breeze from the ocean is helping fresh air to mingle with foul. "I wonder why he came here, it's not a path or anything, perhaps he was too weak to see properly.." he muses.

Morath Landfall: me kneels and conducts the pysical examination "hello....what's this....officer, i'll need shots of the hands please...theres something in them"

Arroz Arum: obediently takes close ups of the hands, but suddenly moves away behind the cabin, unable to stop himself from retching.

Morath Landfall looks over "first body you've encountered?"

Arroz Arum: wipes his mouth, leaning against the cabin a bit wearily. "No, not the first, sadly. But the worst. He's been here awhile, I guess. Funny no animal came near him. And although I didn't know him personally I'd seen him around at the Academy and in the Colony."

Morath Landfall opens his tricorder and begins scanning "decomp's advanced....look like he's been here at least a couple of days but i won't know for sure untill i do the post mortem...."

Arroz Arum: stays where he is, but pulls a small PADD from his pocket, scrolling through his notes, "He's missed three duty shifts, if he died before the first one that would make it on the weekend, at least four days ago."

Morath Landfall looks down at the body "could be right...i'll get a confirmation and hopefully a cause of death...." picks up and dons his pack "when you transport the body, place him in the isolation lab and post an officer at the door...no access except for security and myself"

Arroz Arum: continues with his notes, "THere was a girl, called Latte," one of many, I understand, but the most recent. Perhaps your DNA scan will help us identify her further." He puts his PADD away again. "There doesn't seem to be any sign of a struggle or injury that I can see. So at this point I'm going to log my report as 'cause of death undetermined', Sir, pending the outcome of your autopsy. Do you have a specific biobed to which we should transport the body? We should get it into stasis as quickly as possible, according to my training. I've documented the area for the CID."

Morath Landfall gets his padd out "stasis tube 1 then move him to the iso lab when the lieutenant is able to attend"

Arroz Arum: "I'll contact the transporter tech on SS Astraios and we will move the body now Sir, if you are finished."

Morath Landfall nods and steps back "ready"

=^=

Finding Talc

Arroz Arum: turns to look at the CID officer. "We just passed the Engineering Facility on the left, on the right are Fleet Captain Toocool's private lands, her official residence is there. Up here," he points to the buildings as they walk, "this is the village of Pebble. And," nodding to the large brown building with 'Cafe on it', "The Cafe. The missing officer, Slate Talc, I have seen him here with his friend on Fridays. Figured he might be here today as well."

LTjg Nico P Caito has put away his PADD now that the Colony Commander is gone. He considers a moment and figures it might be safe to put his combadge back on. He's no gung ho officer but he isnt the slacker Slate is either. He pins it back on and looks out the window, shrugging. He's had breakfast ... maybe he should consider ordering lunch while he waits.

Warfina Tisch: nods, i appreciate you letting me tag along to get the lay of the land, meet a few locals along the way and hopefully i can give a hand

Arroz Arum: looks to his PADD. "LTjg Nico P Caito is the friend's name. Engineering branch. Off duty today." Looks up, "Let's see if we can find him."

LTjg Nico P Caito turns his head to peruse the menu again. "Laf." he calls to one of the waiters. "The new menu isn't up yet?" the waiter shakes his head and replies. "Not yet. She has a lot of stuff to go through." Nico snorts and sighs. "Well, maybe when Slate gets here. He acts like Starfleet pays overtime. Or hes flirting with someone .... one of the two."

Warfina Tisch: as always i take in the surroundings, several starfleet off duty personnel lounging around, you can spot them a mile away, a few locals, the food smells passable, but it seems the alcohol might be the bigger draw, you can smell it spilled in the cracks of the floors, some times the super sense of smell is a curse muttering as my nose wrinkles

Arroz Arum: leads the way to the ramp of the cafe, all the smells making him feel hungry. "Here we are," he says, stepping inside, glancing to the tables, finding the man he's looking for, steps over to him and stands, hovering large, over Nico.

LTjg Nico P Caito turns from the menu when a couple walks in in uniform. One of them hovers over him and he looks up curiously, relieved that this time the person is LOWER in rank than him. "What is it, ensign?" he asks, putting the command tone inhis voice he didnt want to use off duty. darn Toocool for getting his mind on protocol. "As you can see, I'm off duty." he doesn't know the man, but he does see the Intel uniform. "I'm engineering. I know nothing, as you guys well know." he quips. The combat gear is making him slightly anxious, even though he knows he hasn't done anything wrong. But ... Slate ... how many times does he have to tell that boy ..... he isn't Astra now, he's Starfleet. And the Klingon ... security? His heart sinks slightly.

Warfina Tisch listens closely as Ens Arroz dialogues with the officer who on the surface appears to be casually relaxing but shows signs of stress and nervousness. Nods a greeting to LTjg Nico,* Hello we seek your collegue Slate Talc when was the last time you saw him?? *Said briskly and in the no nonsense way of the Klingon

Arroz Arum: looks down, his stance is slightly hostile. His eyes are fixed on Nico's face as Warfina states her questions. He tucks his thumbs into his belt, setting himself to look as wide and threatening as possible. "Off duty or not, you'll answer our questions."

LTjg Nico P Caito looks between the two of them. So this WAS about Slate, after all. He arches his brows, keeping himself calm. With the words of the ensign, he slowly stands, glancing down at him. "And Off Duty or not, maybe we should stick to protocal .... ensign." he emphasises the rank. He turns his head to the Klingon. "I saw him a few days ago. He was going to that festival thing ... told me it was going to be pretty ... loose." he says. "I had duty, so i didnt go." he looks between them again. "Why?"

Warfina Tisch: *frowning as my combadge chirps listens and looks to the LTjg & Ensign* Excuse me I have to go, urgent matters have come up. *Nods to Ensign Arroz and glares at the LTjg* Don't make any transfer plans I will need to see you after I finish this business *You overheard something about finding a body stuffed in a storage locker. I turn and briskly walk away*

Arroz Arum: doesn't budge an inch. He glances to Warfina when her combadge chirps, a muffled voice reports something about a body in a locker. He nods to her, indicating he will carry on. Looking back to Nico: "I don't care what rank you are. By order of the Colony Commander Security has the right to question everyone on Colony lands and Pebble Village falls into that. Now," his voice softens, "I'm aware you're Slate's friend. He has not shown up for 3 duty shifts now, which, even for him, is apparently not routine. Any idea where we might find him?"

LTjg Nico P Caito blinks as the Klingon speaks and leaves. He frowns. That made it sound like he was suspected of something. He turns to the disrespectful little pimple of a security officer. "The Colony Commander might hear about your insubordination in exercising your right." he growls, softly and then stops. "Three shifts?" he whistles low in amazement. It is unusual for him ... a day ... that's run of the mill and they don't even seem to take note of that. "Well ... He planned to go to the party with Latte .. then take her to his cabin .... for a lil ... R&R." he doubts the ensign will appreciate the humor. "I can take you there." he offers.

Arroz Arum notes the change of expression on the man's face. He ignores the threat. That's typical of those who dislike authority, and he's heard enough throughout his training to know it's jostling for position. "I'd appreciate that," he replies, standing back and gesturing to the door, "Who is Latte?" He raises an eyebrow slightly. A willing girl, a party...

LTjg Nico P Caito nods and heads for the door, explaining as they make their way. "Latte is his girlfriend." he explains. "Hot lil thing, actually. But not real keep on the whole 'go ff and explore the stars' thing. Her idea of travel is the other side of the planet, or maybe Treman when they aren't trying to kill each other off." and they head towards the cabin in the woods.

Arroz Arum: follows Nico as they cross the channel and head towards a residential area. He recognizes the beach, gesturing, "This is a nice place, I've been here a few times," looks around at the scattered buildings, "much nicer here than my quarters on the ship." He hopes they'll just find Slate sleeping it off, his combadge nowhere to be found.

LTjg Nico P Caito walks with him. "Yea ... this isn't the worst planet I've ever been on, that's for sure." he tries to relax as they approach, sort of glad someone is there from Security to keep him from beating Slates hung over behind. He frowns at the approach. "What the hell .. that stink ...." but his heart is sinking again. VERY bad feeling.

Arroz Arum: stops in his tracks as a horrible smell comes to his nose. "It could be an animal," he says, he'd noticed the domesticated cattle and horses as he walked. But he frowns. "I guess I need to take a closer look."

LTjg Nico P Caito snorts. "Yea ... an animal...." he murmurs and moves closer .... "But all dead organic material rots when it dies, kid."

Arroz Arum: moves closer, his eyes tearing up. He steps onto the porch of the cabin to peer inside. "Empty," he says. Stepping back, he turns to look at the side of the cabin. "I think there's something in those bushes," he says, moving closer. Suddenly he turns and grabs a tree trunk, retching.

LTjg Nico P Caito peers through the window and notes no one either but a bit more besides. Then he follows the ensign and sees him grab the tree. He moves in to look and sighs. He's older. His career longer. He's seen combat. But this. He swears in a very non-officerly manner. "Slate ....." he covers his mouth with his shirt.

=^=

MIA

The guy was AWOL, that’s all there was to it. Ens Arroz Arum sniffed. He sat in the duty security officer’s desk on the main floor of the building that housed, among other things, Starfleet Academy. He stretched his long legs out, sipping at his raktajino. Outside the window it was dark and quiet. Early hours of the morning, long after sunset and well before sunrise. There was still some activity, duty officers entering the building to use the transporter or arriving from the station and heading off to bed. Everyone else still had to abide by the curfew set since the USS Prophetic had been sabotaged while in the shipyards.

He picked up the PADD again with the evening reports from the different branches that worked in the Colony and on the station. Scrolling through them, most inconsequential for security, he found again the message regarding a missing operations officer.

=^=
Begin report

TO:
Chief Operations, SS Astraios
Duty Security Officer, Astraios Colony

FROM:
OiC Shift, Operations, SS Astraios

STARDATE: 150325

RE: ENSIGN SLATE TALC, OPERATIONS OFFICER

Ensign Slate Talc failed to report for duty shift 2230 hours stardate 150325. Did not respond to hails. Attempted to find him at his quarters, he did not respond to the door. Duty Security opened the door. Ensign Talc was not there. I bring this to your attention due to the fact this is the second shift in a row that he has missed.

In service,
LT Ayik Bjoki
OiC OPs Duty Shift Delta
Time index 150325.2312.2

End report
=^=

Arum sighed. He sent the required acknowledgement. He finished his coffee and lumbered to his feet, taking the PADD with him he ducked his head as he stepped through the doorway into the hall, turning towards base security. He would do some sensor sweeps of the Colony to see if he could locate the guy’s combadge. Probably on a bender and housed with some sweet soft thing. Forgotten all about his job for a couple days, is all. It happened.

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