Pawns

Posted on Jun 01, 2015 @ 3:20pm by Commander Jacob Crichton
Edited on on Jun 01, 2015 @ 3:21pm

Mission: The Lights of Hyperion

= Pawns =
(cont'd from "A Rock And A Hard Place"

LOCATION: USS PHOENIX
SCENE: "Shanty Town"
STARDATE: [2.15] 0531.1200

The replicator was gutted. Several of its components were spread out on a threadbare blanket next to the hollowed-out chassis. Hunched in front of the machine was the large green form of Chaucer the Gorn. A small toolbox was at hand, and periodically Chaucer would reach into it and withdraw a tool that looked almost comically small in his large, clawed hands. Chaucer had gotten used to working with tools built for smaller humanoids - aboard LIMBO, there had been no choice - but as he once again pinched a too-small hyperspanner between two scaly fingers, he silently wished for the set of engineer's tools he'd had back on his homeworld of S'sgaron, before his forced exodus.

Barnes, the hulking Ancient One, stood a respectable distance away, not wanting to interrupt the Gorn's work but also not wanting any of the refugees to get any ideas and try to steal the replicator's components. Barnes had some experience in improvised engineering, and as he stared at the growing catalogue of parts on Chaucer's blanket, he couldn't help but imagine the variety of improved explosives they might be turned into by a clever refugee with too much time on his hands.

Or maybe one working under orders.

Barnes hadn't told Embry about his plan to examine the replicators. The community leader had a lot on his plate already; fomenting rebellion was hard work. With Embry distracted with maintaining channels of communication with the various cliques and gangs in Shanty Town, Barnes was free to do a little investigating of his own, and the question of the replicator's malfunction wouldn't stop eating at him. At least the Gorn seemed to know what he was doing, though it had started to attract a large enough crowd that Barnes was getting restless. The big man kept scanning the crowd with his eyes, searching for the faces of any of Embry's other lieutenants, or even his own deputies... anyone that might report back to Embry. Barnes was confident he could pass this off as more preparation for the coming revolt - Embry was a canny negotiator, but he sometimes had the bad habit of only hearing what he wanted to hear - but Barnes would feel a lot better if he could just avoid the conversation altogether.

[[Help.]]

Barnes turned, saw that Chaucer had turned to look at him. The Gorn was holding a piece of tech in his hand, and immediately Barnes could see the burns on the device's casing. They were a various shades of green, scored directly into the durasteel surface of the component. Barnes thought they looked like radiation burns, or maybe plasma.

"This is the cause?" Barnes asked.

The Gorn didn't reply with his Vox. He fixed the big man with his cold, predator's eyes, and lifted one shoulder up, then dropped it. It was a gesture he'd seen humans make many times, and it seemed to be a generally noncommittal reply.

"You don't know?"

[[No.]]

Barnes sighed. "No, you don't know, or no, you do?"

Chaucer only stared at him. If he was as frustrated by this stunted form of communication, it didn't show. Barnes had an idea that the Gorn had gotten used to it. He rubbed his eyes and tried to come up with another approach.

"Do you think this damage is why the replicator malfunctioned?"

[[Yes,]] said the Vox.

"But it didn't *cause* it?"

[[Yes.]]

"Meaning what?" Barnes asked, to himself. "This damage... something caused it, and then it caused the replicator malfunction?"

[[Yes,]] the Vox said. Barnes thought even Chaucer looked relieved.

"Okay," Barnes said. "So what caused it?"

Chaucer's Vox was silent, but Chaucer repeated the shoulder lift-and-fall gesture.

"It was faulty when they installed the replicator?"

[[No.]] Chaucer even shook his head, as if to emphasize his disagreement with this hypothesis.

Barnes sighed. He was getting tired of 20 Questions. "Overuse? They really did just burn the replicators out?"

[[No.]] The Gorn shook his head again.

"What then? Sabotage?" Barnes asked. His reply was so sharp that the Gorn flinched.

Chaucer couldn't reply, but he pointed a clawed finger at the component that Barnes was now holding. Barnes looked at it, not sure what the Gorn was getting at. The Gorn's finger didn't waver, and his steady yellow gaze never left Barnes.

"Something about this device?" Barnes asked lamely. He didn't know what Chaucer was trying to tell him. He examined the device again.

Something finally seemed to trigger in his memory, and with a start Barnes recognized the component. It was a nucleonic particle inversion something-or-other; the exact name escaped him, but he knew it functioned as something like a battery for the matter realignment field, generating the necessary energy field to rip apart and reassemble matter into food. It was buried so deep inside the replicator's guts precisely because the emissions it gave off could be dangerous if they weren't shielded. There was no way someone could sabotage this piece without attracting a lot of attention, and risking a small explosion besides.

Barnes looked at Chaucer. "Not sabotage."

[[No,]] buzzed Chaucer's Vox.

"Shit." Barnes balanced the burnt component in his palm and regarded it. He didn't know what had caused the damage, but it looked like he could rule out Embry. Something had fried the component from inside the replicator, and Barnes didn't have time to worry about what. There was, after all, a rebellion to plan.

Chaucer rose to his full height, though he was still a few inches shorter than Barnes. He activated his Vox. [[Help.]]

"You did help," Barnes said. "Just... I was hoping for answers, not more questions."

Chaucer didn't reply, but he inclined his head slightly in what could have been a nod. Barnes gave the Gorn a weak smile. "Sorry for the wild goose chase, Chaucer. I know it's asking a lot, but do you think you can put this thing back together?"

Barnes wasn't sure if Gorn could show annoyance on their reptillian features. If Chaucer was irritated at having to undo everything he'd just done, he didn't show it. With no hesitation, Chaucer activated his Vox: [[Yes.]]

"Thanks," Barnes said. The Gorn turned and hunched before the repliactor chassis again, and began the process of reassembling the machine. Barnes would feel better when all those components were no longer in plain view. However, he decided to keep the damaged component; the replicator's weren't working anyway, and Barnes had a feeling the burnt device had more to tell him.

Neither Barnes nor Chaucer noticed the passive face of Savaar, Embry's Vulcan lieutenant, as he watched them from the crowd. Without a word, Savaar turned and disappeared into the crowd.

=[/\]=



SCENE: Crichton's Quarters



It was late. Or maybe it was early - Jake couldn't tell anymore. He was finally off shift. He'd spent the day fruitlessly investigating the mysterious radiation events that had been reported throughout the ship. He'd scoured the computers for evidence of any similar recorded events and come up with nothing. He'd run a series of simulations trying to account for how the radiation was somehow bypassing all the ship's shields and defenses, and couldn't figure it out. The radiation appeared to violate the laws of the universe: suddenly appearing, sometimes accompanied by shimmering, explained lights, then disappearing. No obvious source, nothing for it to radiate from... but it was real enough to leave burns, on the ship and anyone unlucky enough to get caught in a blast.



So far, Montoya was the only serious injury, and reports were that she was recovering in Sickbay. That no other crewmen had been hurt probably was a small miracle. Jake didn't want to think about what happened if the event in Montoya's cell repeated itself in one of the cargo bays.



At the end of his rope - and three hours past the time he was scheduled to be off - Jake had finally decided to go home. He needed to see the kids. He needed to sleep. Rochemonte, Maynell, and the others assured him they would work on the problem non-stop until he was back on duty, but in his exhausted state Jake would only get in their way.



Jake thanked the young ensign who'd been watching the kids after they'd returned from daycare that afternoon, then did his best to be enthusiastic and attentive as Ben and Dahlia began to assault him with details about their day. It made him feel guilty, but the truth was Jake was much too tired to pay close attention to the accounting of what they'd learned that day, or what games they had played, or what other kids they did or didn't like. In a haze, Jake made the kids dinner - replicated food, nothing fancy like what Xana would make for them - had unenergetically read them both a story, and then kissed them good night.



"You're tired, Jake," Dahlia said as Jake tucked her in.



"You noticed," Jake said, giving her a weak smile.



"There's a lot to do, huh?" asked Dahlia.



"More and more every day," Jake sighed. "But don't worry. Once we get to Elandipole, we'll finally get a chance to catch our breath. It'll just be a little while longer, I promise."



"I can help," Dahlia said, her expression brightening. "I could come to engineering with you. Remember how I used to help you fix stuff at our house on Earth?"



"I do," Jake nodded. "And you'd be a big help, too. But there's too much dangerous work right now, and I don't have the time to properly teach you."



"You don't need to teach me," Dahlia countered. "There's lots of stuff I know how to do."



"Sometime soon," Jake said. "I promise. Right now, there's too much going on."



"Okay," Dahlia said, her bottom lip drooping in an expert pout. Jake kissed her on the forehead and stood, eager to collapse into his own bed and finally get some sleep. As he stepped out in the hallway, he heard Benito's lilting giggle coming from up the hall. It was strange- Ben usually was a good sleeper, out like a light after Jake had tucked him in. It wasn't like him to stay up late playing with his toys. Jake turned and started up the hall towards Ben's room.



As he neared the door, Jake saw the lights. Whorls of gold, blue, pink reaching out from Ben's open door to splash against the wall of the hallway. Jake's eyes widened. He heard Ben laugh again.



"Ben!" Jake cried, and dashed into the room. The aurora borealis hung in the center of the room, up near the ceiling. Ben was seated on his bed, staring up at the lights, a wide grin on his face. He turned to look at Jake, and pointed up at the shifting, swirling incandescence above his bed.



"Look daddy!" he said. "It's pretty, right?"



"Ben, come here," Jake said, reaching for his son without taking his eyes of the lightshow. Ben hesitated, looking back up at the lights, so Jake repeated the command more firmly. "Benito! Now!"



Ben looked disappointed, but he crawled off the bed and went over to Jake. Jake gathered his son to him and backed out of the room, never taking his eyes of the light. The light hung there, totally indifferent to the comings and goings of the humans in its presence, its glowing, wispy tendrils reaching lazily out in all directions. As Jake moved up the hallway and lost sight of it, he could see it had started to dim.



Jake went to Dahlia's room next. The girl sat up as soon as Jake came in with Ben. "What is it, Jake?" she asked.



"We need to go, Dee," Jake said. She got up and went to him. Jake led his children through the living room and out of his quarters, stopping just long enough to snatch his comm-badge from the table. He activated it as he and the kids stepped into the hallway.



"Crichton to Engineering," he said.



[[Engineering here,]] came the voice of Cindy Rochemonte. [[Jake, you're supposed to be resting--]]



"There was another event in my quarters," Jake said, cutting her off. "I need you to get a team down here immediately. Do some scans, find out whatever you can."



[[Understood,]] Cindy said. [[Where are you going?]]



Jake looked down at Ben and Dahlia, who were both staring up at him with nervous expressions on their young faces.



"Sickbay," Jake said. "I need to make sure my kids are okay."



=[/\]=



LOCATION: "Shanty Town"

SCENE: Embry's Tent



"Ah, there he is!" Arthur Embry beamed as Savaar and Chaucer stepped into his tent. Embry smiled at the Gorn and gestured to a seat. "Please, have a seat. I'm so glad you accepted Savaar's invitation. I am very much looking forward to speaking with you."



Chaucer went over to the offered chair and slowly lowered himself.



[[My name is Chaucer,]] his Vox buzzed on his wrist.



"Yes, yes. And I'm Arthur Embry. I trust you remember me from before?"



[[Yes.]]



"Good, good," Embry said. "Actually, it's that marvelous device of yours that has caught my attention. Do you mind if I look at it?"



Chaucer hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. The Vulcan, Savaar, was still standing there, his green eyes fixed on the Gorn. Embry's persistent smile never wavered, and finally Chaucer held out his wrist. Embry took his gently in his hand, holding the Vox up to catch the light, to get a better look at its scarred and dented chassis.



"It's well worn," Embry said. "Old, but cared for. I assume you've kept up the repairs yourself?"



Chaucer reached out with a clawed finger: [[Yes.]]



"Yes, I could tell," Embry nodded. He released Chaucer's wrist and smiled at the Gorn. "I expect you know your way around machines, don't you?"



[[Yes.]]



"I thought so," Embry nodded. "It makes sense, that Mr. Barnes would go to you for help with the replicators."



Chaucer stared at Embry. He wasn't always very good at reading the intentions of humanoids, but he'd definitely gotten the sense that the Ancient One Barnes had been trying to keep their fact-finding expedition with the replicators a secret. Barnes had kept looking around, scanning the crowd. Chaucer knew that Barnes was a man of some influence in Shanty Town, but Embry was the voice of the people. Chaucer was used to being out of his depth, but even he could smell a power struggle when one was brewing.



Still, he trusted Embry. The community leader had looked out for him in the food line, helping to make sure that the Gorn got his fair share when some other humans had tried to take his spot in line. Embry had been very visible, always out at the front of the attempts to unite the community of Shanty Town. Chaucer didn't know what trouble there might be between Barnes and Embry, but he decided he could at least hear Embry out. He owed him that much.



Besides, his range of available responses was limited, so at least Embry couldn't trick him into giving anything away.



[[Help,]] said the Vox. It seemed like the thing to say.



"Yes," Embry nodded. "You were helping Barnes. Very effectively, by the way, or so I've been told. That's why I wanted to talk to you."



[[Yes.]]



"You've seen the state the repliactors are in," Embry sighed. "You might have heard, I've spoken with our host, Captain Kane. He's insistent that our troubles down here in Shanty Town are not the most pressing issue on his plate. Now I appreciate that he's understaffed and that his crew are trying their best, but they've said they won't be able to get our replicators back in working order for quite some time."



Chaucer listened, perfectly still on his chair. He wasn't sure where the human Embry was going with this.



"You've seen the effect that all this uncertainty is having on the population," Embry said. "People are getting uneasy. There have been fights. Someone could get hurt if we don't calm things down, don't you think?"



Chaucer considered what Embry had said. His own experience with humans had shown him they could be quite petty and vindictive at the best of times. Throw in hunger and desperation, and there was no telling what the refugees might do.



[[Yes.]]



"I'm glad we agree," Embry said. "We need to calm things down. And for that, we need food. We need working replicators. And for that, we need to cooperation of Kane and his crew."



[[Yes.]] All this sounded perfectly reasonable so far. If the citizens of Shanty Town were to survive, they would need the help of the PHOENIX's crew.



"But Kane won't come down here to speak with me," Embry said, sounding offended. "Can you believe that? He won't take the time to come down here for a face to face. I'm sure if he could only see our plight in person, he would be more amenable to reason, but I can't make him understand our situation over a viewscreen."



Chaucer tilted his head slightly to one side. Everything Embry was saying sounded like it was true, but he still hadn't mentioned what part the Gorn was supposed to play in all of this. Surely, Chaucer wasn't going to convince anyone of anything, not with his little Vox chirping out its four phrases over and over.



"This is why I need you," Embry said, finally coming to the point. "Tell me, Chaucer... how much do you know about a starship security systems?"



Chaucer only stared at him. Embry stared back for a moment, then he laughed.



"Forgive me," he said. "I'll have to get used to conversing with you, my friend. Let me rephrase: are you familiar with a starship's internal security?"



Chaucer considered the question. He was no expert, but his time on S'sgaron and the Ferengi freighter had given him a lot of opportunities to work with a variety of starship systems and subsystems. Technology could be as varied as all the species of the galaxy, but most bipedal humanoid species tended to use tech with enough fundamental principles in common for an experienced engineer to figure out.



Chaucer decided on his response. [[Yes.]]



"I thought so," Embry smiled. He put out his hand to rest it gently on Chaucer's shoulder. "Then my friend, we have work to do."



=[/\]=



Shawn Putnam

a.k.a.

Jake Crichton

Chief Engineering Officer

USS PHOENIX