The “Milli-Cochrane Caper” {Act 2.4}

Posted on Thu 28th Jan, 2021 @ 8:38pm by Renato Solis & Mozatholm Zaldekulmu

2,660 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Denouement
Location: Brown Sector- Replimat/Junk reclamation
Timeline: MD4:1500

-Start-

The reclamation level near to Brown was a cavernous interior suite with load-bearing pillars scattered amongst long racks of junk weighted down over long decades. Whole industries now existed dealing in the scrap, reporting to the station only what they knew the station wanted to hear. Junk could be dumped, and forgotten about, only to surface years later in a new life. The powers that decided the fates of those who lived here had not deigned to intervene in a long time, so long as the energy credits flowed the way they ought to.

Kya knew the overhead cameras were a deterrent at best, the Reclamation pit was a dirty place for trash and the folks who sifted through it. She carried a palm stunner, high-voltage punch activated confidence mounted on her wrist, and had tussled a time or two before. It was Moz she couldn'
t help but worry over. He was the right age to want to prove to everyone how much of a man he was. They had both come here before, but each time was a harrowing encounter in the winds. When they arrived at the level she stopped him before the crowd became thick.

"Moz, I don't need to hold your hand but you do need to stay right in front of me, and listen for what I say. It gets loud, we can get separated, just try to get what we came here for as fast as we can."

"Hmph. My mother will have horsefits if she ever learns I've been down here," Mozatholm muttered to Kya. He sighed. "I think we should look for remnants of steel or aluminum I-beams, trimmings from floor tiles or carpeting, and scraps of dry wall or wall plating," Mozatholm said. "Not that there's any way to prove that any of the stuff we might find here came from the places we're looking at--not unless we actually go to those places and compare. The stuff in these bins could be from anywhere."

The only information Renato had given them was a loose series of lines scribbled into the padd. "Filed comparisons to granular media file- awaiting match; herbal smoke/chemical traces, unique? No logs of duranium paneling being scrapped; resell?"

Kya had much experience interpreting his scratchy handwriting and half-formed thoughts. She walked it through with Moz, hoping he would correct her if she got something wrong.

"Well, looks like no large panels were processed here, but over a dozen are inventoried. I'd say we start there, check for unique chemicals caused by herbal smoke, and I'm not sure about granular media, does he mean dust? I think he just needs us to find the panels that divided the two establishments to prove they removed them and have a hidden doorway."

"Yes, 'granular media' sounds like dust or a powdery substance," Mozatholm agreed. "And he wants us to bring them back to the community Center? I'll look for panels that smell like herb smoke."

Kya rolled her eyes, "Chicken scratch in a digital age, the man expects us to.... I'm not, not in this place. One second here, Moz.."
=/\= Kya to Renato, I'm not guessing my way here, what are we looking for?

=/\= I sent my notes? Find those panels and

Kya cut him off, "No, granular media means what? You'll need to use full sentences, like does this mean we need to bring you a sample of something?

His reply was equally terse, "Yes. They had to remove the panels, they didn't have equipment to dispose or destroy, so they paid off a junker and disposed of these labeled as "Industrial wall panels for repurposing." None of those have been salvaged or bought, so they are still there, in the salvage yard. They are huge and don't move easily; we would see them move. The man I was tracking left a powdery residue which reacts to UV light by melting into a polymer that's fairly resilient. He left it in his footpath, and so far I've got no match, but I'm willing to stake money it's on those walls due to repainting done by dry media and cured under UV light, massive bulbs of which are operated at Madame Morbo's. So I've heard."

In as much as she was willing to jump at his flaws, he was also equally brilliant. She forgot that from time to time, caring for him as she did. "I'm sorry, we just find the wall panels and get a good sample of the powder if we can?"

"Never say sorry Kya, thank you, yes. If I was down there men would see my face I don't want to talk to so... this is a big favor, I owe both of you."

Kya looked at Moz, at a loss for words. She just shook her head once and started walking towards the industrial salvage section, pushing Moz with her gently "...as fast as we can, let's go."

The foreman of the Industrial yard looked at lithe and fit Kya with inappropriate eyes. She hated the gaze, but was used to it, figuring this would at least buy them leniency. She asked to see the heavy waste, and he pointed, eyes never making it to her face. The Human was stocky, bald, and carried a permanent scowl, when Kya winked at him, his face flushed ruby red. The gate swung open, and they walked through. She just hoped Moz didn't judge her, but now they were inside the yard with no questions asked.

"Okay, Dimensions of 3.2m x 1.9m... Where to start?" The two of them were surrounded by a large cargo bay full of various panels, plates, hull slips, sheaths, gantries, shaft walls and any other large, flat stackable salvage sorted here.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Mozatholm muttered under his breath as he looked at the bewildering collection of paneling. "If Renato was able to describe the panels so precisely, there must be a searchable inventory somewhere. This is actually better organized than I thought it would be. I expected to find just a pile of junk."

Kya was still overwhelmed from the task, so she accepted the small benevolence from Moz as intended. He was right, and so looking intently, she saw the directory on a booth where a vendor was inside yelling at several viewscreens. Kya hoped they could ask but was grateful to see a panel and map of their deck. He pointed and walked that way, seeing the large industrial sections weren't far. Without ceremony they moved along their path, but a group of rough looking individuals stood to one side, staring at them. She hated being here, her stress was mounting.

"Oyo Bajjo Girl? Dabo! Eh?!"

Kya heard it, and knew it was directed towards her from the goons. Her parents had both taught her to pick her battles carefully, but she hated being called Bajjo, and she hated being called a Dabo Girl. So her Dad's advice won out, "Talk is cheap, so are punches." However the fact that Moz was with her immediately tamed the beast. So she only halted a moment without looking back. It was enough for the goons to see her react. They made their best effort to walk near other people but the big guys were manhandling anyone in their way.

"Bajjo, where you going?!" They called as a predator did, leering with blood on the lips.

Occupied with trying to find the exact panels that Renato wanted, the idiots behind them calling for a Dabo Girl in a junk warehouse annoyed Mozatholm to no end. "What are they, drunk?" he muttered to Kya. "If they want to play Dabo, they need to go to Yari's." It was only when he glanced up at Kya and saw the taut expression on her face that he made the connection between 'Bajjo' and her. He swore. "I should have come down here with some school friends," he muttered. "This is no place for a lady like you."

He couldn't glare at the thugs and tell them to leave his mother alone; Kya was Bajoran, Mozatholm a Sentallian, and they both looked it. No one would take them for mother and son. Then he paused. "Hey, I think I see the panels we want. They're two rows down," he said to Kya and tugged at her hand in the direction he wanted to go. It would at least get them out of the goons' direct line of sight.

She couldn't agree more, ignoring the hecklers was the best path forward and the tall panels had decorations that were the colors of Morbo's. She quickened her pace, her heart racing to hear the foot falls behind her. She placed the palm phaser in its comfortable resting spot, and told Moz, "Go scrape the sample, I'm going to talk to the foreman over there."

Mozatholm followed Kya's gaze and nodded, satisfied that he could keep her in sight. "All right. I shouldn't need more than about five minutes." He walked over to the panels that looked like what Renato wanted, took out a razor blade and plastic sample bag, and began flaking bits of paint off of the luridly-colored panel.

Kya split off from Moz, an official floor manager of some sort was poinitng and directing, she tried to get there in time but those three had anticipated this and stood arrayed around her. This is nothing more than a shakedown she told herself.

"What do want? I am not here for you." She snapped.

Dekkart, Brizl, and Kefko

The one called Dekkart spoke to her already, the visual feed provided by a jeweled medallion on her simple shirt linked to station personnel files and provided information, the other two were not on station registry. Illegal occupants, meant organized crime. It also meant no desire for police involvement. Dekkart was listed as a confidential pilot for a station security force, another sign they wouldn't want police involvement. Confident of her plan she squared off with them.

"What we want Bajjo is to offer our help. These parts are confusing and people can get swindled or hurt or worse, something could happen-"

He was cut short as Kya showed her palm phaser, which was also illegal. The message was very clear, "I am also capable of breaking the law."

Kya mustered all of her menace, "I can hit one of you at least, who wants to go to jail today for assault?"

Dekkart looked at his friend, a taller Xenexian with rocks for teeth and leathery skin. From their body language Kya determined this one wasn't so afraid of phasers. Her plan wasn't to shoot any of them though. She simply pointed it to her side at a very tempting target, a small broken replimat unit. She could run very fast, and the station sensors were always watching. If she fired this, all of them went to jail until the story was told.

"Brizl, back up. Listen Girly, we have to play nice on a station like this, you go making enemies pointing weapons, well, I might have to have my friends come find you. In the 200's block right? Some little place for bums and junkies?"

Renato was listening now, Kya had opened a comm to him. She hoped he was doing that thing he did so well.

He didn't disappoint, Immediately Renato filled her ear, so she calmly replied, "Section 221-B actually, your should have Allemandr Siskar send his illegitimate daughter to see what services we offer, I'm sure the inheritance transferred to her without legal issues, and her location being public knowledge surely wouldn't have her arrested? Or perhaps Brizl here can find a boy young enough to suit his interests? Kefko, yes I know your name, and that you are hiding from dozens of loan officers from the Klingons to the Ferengi, so definitely look into our gambling addiction services and therapy."

Secrets between men were an exploit as old as the age of time. Brizl would find himself out an airlock soon enough, Kefko would be fired, men under heavy debt were piss-poor security. Dekkart might be a problem down the road, but he was employed by the Siskar's who didnt make a mess of things. Renato would follow up on this anyway, leaving no thread unpulled.

Dimly, Mozatholm heard Kya's voice and swore under his breath. Some guys were just jerks. He would definitely make sure to bring some of his tougher school friends with him the next time he had to come here. Mozatholm carefully finished collecting his paint flakes sample, 'zipped' the sample bag closed, and tucked it and the razor blade inside his shirt.

Kya rounded the corner to meet him, a forced smile on her face. "All set, you find that residue for him?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll pass science class this semester," Mozatholm replied, with a sideways glance toward where Kya had come from. "Let's go. Are you all right? I didn't like the way those guys suddenly came up around you all at once."

"Me neither. Let's go get you home and paid, ok, sweetie?"

Mozatholm eyed her. "Thank you for coming with me, Kya. I don't think I would have wanted to go there by myself, and I'm glad you were with me. But next time, let me get some school friends. We know how to look like we're just messing around, when we're actually paying a lot of attention to things. It might not be safe for us, but it is definitely not safe for you."

***

Kya was crying slightly, not from distress as much as a response to her volume and emotion. Her shakiness hadn't left her in the hour since coming home.

She was mid rant when the subject changed, "And to send Moz on his own?"

Renato was behind his desk trying to shield himself under the assault, "Moz would never go by himself, and you've seen his friends they'd have made a day of it."

Another tear for the lessons inflicted on her, he had answers for everything and that foolishness wasn't going away. The man had come from wretched depths and lost all sense of proper living. This took time to restore, and this was another thicket to clear. She tried to reason, "He needs the money and will do anything to impress you. When will you understand that you have to be better now?"

That pressure was not something he wanted to admit to, it was far easier to be himself, by himself. but that person ended up in a bad place. Kya had been a north star for so long he had come to rely on her tobe his better sense and reason. His ability to self- diagnose was broken. Insight for years on all the people around him, not one speck for himself.

"Kya, I'm really trying. I am so sorry they scared you. I'm seeing some men about it today and they will-"

"NO! Renato, we are not those people anymore, to solve things with more violence? We allow our enemies to live because we do not wish to become killers,we do not threaten, we do not extort. That's what you told me about Lexy's father right? Live by it Renato. Those men need to be handled but we are not bad people. We are not. And damn you for forgetting."

Kya left, still angry, and still hurt. Renato held the residue sample, a token of his obsession, a drug he justified taking since it dispensed justice. He knew how judgement left the mind when chasing a high. He had to prove the case, and had sent two loved ones into harms way. His carelessness had now provoked a larger problem, which lead to violence sure enough. Now it was Renato's turn to shed a tear for the lessons learned, he would be better.

-End-

 

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