Lay of the Land - Part 1

Posted on Wed 27th Jan, 2021 @ 12:39am by Sipov Boros & Renato Solis
Edited on on Wed 27th Jan, 2021 @ 12:43am

1,204 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Denouement
Location: Deck 2245, section 221-B Renato's Office
Timeline: MD11 - 1900 Hrs

Sitting at the small table in his temporary quarters, Sipov called up the personnel directory for the Brown Sector and scrolled through it more out of boredom than anything else and wanting to see what services may exist in the area. He also wondered how current it actually was with what he perceived to be a highly transient or "homeless" population around him. There was some irony found in a titled Sherriff as well as what he assumed were a couple of Deputies although formal law enforcement wasn't exactly something he trusted or wanted to be acquainted with at the moment. There was one however that eventually caught his eye, a Private Investigator. Someone who wasn't exactly bound by the same laws and oaths as the previously noted would have a better finger on the pulse of the society that existed around him. Perhaps the man had even grown up within it.

He shut off the display and stood up grabbing his jacket and swinging it around to put it on. He rarely went anywhere without it. Space, even on a station this large made everything at least seem cold in his mind. Taking note of where to find this Renato Solis he exited his quarters and made way down the hall twisting and turning down several corridors as well as taking a turbo lift down a number of decks until arriving at what he believed to be the correct location. On his way he couldn't help but notice the amount of people sleeping in the corridors, the lighting throughout the majority of the deck he was now on was dim and the odor of bodies that hadn't received proper hygiene in some time stung his nostrils.

The shanty tents of blankets draped along the walls and crude attempts at additional shelter had him seriously wondering what the Federation did, if anything, to help these people. All he'd ever heard about them is that it was supposed to be a utopia. This was far from that, which he knew from personal experience. Looking at the door for a moment Sipov took a deep breath which he nearly regretted and then reached out tapping the panel to activate the chime to let whoever inside know that they had a visitor.

The chime sounded; a joyous cacophony cobbled together by a family who had moved on so long ago. Three bells, Bajoran made and tuned to C,F,G chords filled their ears in lovely resonance. Kya was layering delicate pasty and couldn't leave, so she sent Tannis, a lithe Barolian refugee who had survived a Borg attack long ago, and never left this place as a refugee. He could swallow a grenade and burp up plasma smoke, she wasn't worried about trouble on the other side of the door. Tannis waved and acknowledged her wordless request, standing from his family group at their bench row.

The large central room had two hallways, one lead into the deeper interior where people lived, and another which had Renato's office and the sole entrance. the long walk to the front door passed without further chime so he hustled a bit in case this person left. He answered the door and asked, voice booming, "Welcome traveler, what brings you here?"

Another blue man he thought to himself. He took a step back to show he wasn't there to cause any problems "Hi, I'm looking for Renato? I'm Sipov and recently just got to the station, I figured he'd be a good man to talk to he's probably got a wealth of knowledge. Are you him?" Sipov then extended his hand in greeting to offer a shake. While unsure as to what the customs were around here, he couldn't help but notice the area beyond the man in front of him didn't appear to go into what he expected to be a normal quarters. It was odd to say the least.

Tannis knew his role was to scrutinize the door ringer, so he took the momentary duty to heart. The center had a simple motto, "Find Help Here." Renato took it to heart, saying most of the people they would serve would come in looking hardened from the world. A good night’s rest and a chance to wash up would let us meet the real person underneath. Few were denied entry, and the rules were simple to follow.

Tannis wore a neutral face but did extend his hand for the Federation greeting of clasped hands. He nodded his head towards the sign, with elegant filigree Renato's... Find Help Here. "Welcome, this is his place, you have found us. There's... Well... you can wait for him inside if you like, there is dessert being served soon. Just, no weapons, no intoxicants, no violence."
Tannis was torn, Renato preferred to just let people in and deal with the aftermath, but theft and violence was a concern to a family man. Kya had a phaser and small shock rod which had been used a time too many on folks who broke the rules. Tannis has held a few people to the ground who had snuck a drug and set off Renato's addiction mechanisms telepathically. Their feedback into him had caused problems so the rules were ironclad.

He returned a nod "Of course, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just figured Renato would be a good man to know." Sipov thought it a bit odd to be reminded of social graces at the entrance to a man's office but it seemed like there was more going on here than he initially had thought. Once the man before him gave a little bit of room for him to pass by Sipov stepped past him and took note of something that smelled quite delicious. Once he made his way into the large room he stopped and turned around. Realizing he didn't know the other man's name he decided to inquire "If I may ask, what's your name? And what is this place supposed to be exactly? It looks like Renato is running on heck of an investigation service here."
Tannis chuckled, he couldn't help it. "I am not the best person to explain everything, I don't really know Renato as well as I should." Explaining Renato required a deep breath and was best left to time. He continued with a short hesitation, "I am Tannis, my children and a dozen others live here, so I apologize for the scrutiny, but we must be wary of late-night travelers especially."
"It's good to meet you Tannis." If there was one thing he'd learned over the years, it was never to upset the largest person in the room. Sipov took a look around to see just what he'd entered into. If someone had more nefarious ideas this would be a great place to lure someone into before you jumped them. But he didn't sense any threat at the moment. He almost felt bad for stopping by here later in the day but when inspiration struck sometimes it was best to go with it.

(Continues here.)

 

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