Dead of Night

Posted on Sun 12th Nov, 2017 @ 5:30am by
Edited on on Thu 23rd Nov, 2017 @ 4:24am

524 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Alley in The Village, Deck 1554
Timeline: MD 3, 0100

A clatter sounded further into the darkness.

"What was that?" asked a nervous voice, stopping instantly and freeing his hands.

"Nothin'. Just some animal got loose and bumped into somethin'. You know they're all over the place here. Frickin' zoo," answered his companion. "Pick up the load, and keep movin'."

After listening intently, and hearing nothing more, the man did as he was ordered. "Who'd think the dead would weigh so much," he muttered.

The one who appeared to be the leader of the two didn't answer. A darkened shadow appeared to their left. "This'll do it. There's a bench in here. Let's set 'im down, make it look like he's takin' a little nap. Nice 'n neat, now. You know the boss don't like messes."

"This whole thing is a right mess. Killing him on a Starfleet station, that's not so smart, ya know."

"Yeah? I'll let you tell the boss that, knuckle-head." They dumped the recently deceased on the bench, only dimly seen in the dark. They were too far back for much of the village streetlight to reach this little alcove, and there was no moon. Sometimes, there was, brought out periodically like the rhythms of Earth, but this was not such a night.

The more timid of the two pushed a cap down on the man's head, which was leaning forward, chin on chest. It hid the slice in his neck nicely, and his coat hid the blood on his clothing. With luck, no one would find him for hours. "I'm just telling ya. This ain't going to be no picnic."

He stood back a foot and looked at their handiwork, then stepped closer and crossed the man's ankles. Stepping back again, he said, "Ya think he looks natural?"

His partner snorted, "As natural as he ever will agin. Let's get outta here."

They both pulled off the gloves they were wearing and tossed them in a recycler as they passed one on the main street, about a block from the alley.

"Where we going now?" the timid partner asked.

"Like the boss said, look natural. Be seen. Let's head over to that Casino. Where's it at?" he asked.

"One deck up, I think."

They walked toward the lift and then the smaller man put a hand out to stop his partner. "Wait a minute. We can't take the lift. It records everything. In't there a stairwell, or a Jeffries tube around here?"

His partner shook off his hand. "Numbskull," he slapped the back of the man's head lightly. "They have cameras ever'where. We just act natural. You got any reason to hide? No, 'course you don't. We were out for a stroll and there's nothin' happenin' here, so we're goin' to the Casino. Natural, got it?"

The other rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Natural."

They arrived in front of the lift and waited for it's doors to open. When they did, the men stepped in and the larger one said, "Deck 1553 - that's the Casino, right?"

The computer answered, =^=Casino Royale is located on Deck 1553.=^=

"Yeah, that's what I said, take us there."

 

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