Is This the Party to Whom I Am Speaking?

Posted on Tue 20th Dec, 2022 @ 9:06am by Jaroth Dieklin & Kya Adtanis

906 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: A Fresh Perspective
Location: Brown Sector Constabulary Offices
Timeline: MD-5, 0900 hours

{Brown Sector Community Resource Center- "CRC"}

They didn't charge rent at the CRC, it was well known. Food, water, a safe place to gather your wits, it was help for people who needed it. So the squatter in unit six wasn't just overstaying his welcome, he was depriving a person in true need. She stood in the hallway, a few of the larger residents in easy eye lines to the door. Kya wasn't worried about violence, but the man had barricaded himself inside.

"iiJep, I can't stand out here all day, please, just be reasonable. We have a spot in the souk ready-"

A voice from behind a simple particle wood door cut her off with an emphatic voice, "I am hereby insisting, again, on my Citizen's Rights to occupy a space within the open floor plan of public sectors. As I have no other places to go, it can be considered criminal assault or cruelty..." Kya had heard it so many times it was a buzzing to her ear. He wasn't going to come out, he had a belief and he was sticking to it.

Tannis, a Barolian Ex-Borg, was her "Houseman" for the evening. He had a gaze that for all the world looked like he was able to see right through the wall. The empty socket where the Borg implants had been was probably a phantom sensation for its missing sense. He approached the door next to Kya, speaking softly, "Shall we open the door?"

Kya knew they could force him out, but the CRC didn't have any right to lay hands on any other citizen, so she shook her head to say no, and told him to stay there. Kya walked to the Kitchen, intent on securing all food and valuables lest iiJep believe he was entitled to it as well. She stopped right away, this wasn't how she wanted to live or have the others live. This was home, and it is safe. She especially didn't want Renato to see this, it would bring out the worst.

It was agony to consider her next action; she had to call the constables in.

=*= Kya Adtanis to Sector patrol... Sector Patrol?

She checked the comms panel, which was dedicated to speakers through the local area. She had the chief and the officers on duty listed, but there was no reply. She tried again, =*= Sectors report, anyone online?"

The sound of paper toweling being wadded up and tossed into a waste bin came to her ears, and then the voice. Yeah, Dieklin here. What is it, Ms. Kya?

Kya hated the obvious phrasing of the situation. She mistakenly tried to be subtle. "Dieklin, Oh glad you answered ummm, we got a person here who's in need of assistance from someone wearing a badge...?"

iiJep heard this, "You of all people are calling the law? Like you're better than me-"

Tannis cut him off slapping the door firmly, "Staying here is not an option, this is not a place for long term-"

"You live here don't you, I've seen you here for months-" iiJep said insufferably sure of himself but was again forcefully cut off.

"I Work Here!"

All of this was sent over the comm. It was a bad look all around.

"Oh. Somebody trying to squat there?" Dieklin asked. He paused. "Is that iiJep's voice I heard?"

“How can you not?!” As if on cue iiJep yelled again, waking a sleeping child to the unending fury of the attendant father napping beside it.

Kya pushed through, “We found him-“ More yelling made her stop, “-he has a slot in the Souk-“

“A soup can is not a home!”

“-SO I asked him to pack his stuff and he barricaded the door, and it’s disrupting our charitable mood here.”

"It's disrupting mine, too," Dieklin agreed. "You can just take the door off the hinges, you know," he added helpfully. "Dead easy."

"We have the ability to make him leave, but the optics and ethics are where we are having issue." She whispered even though it was plainly evident to all, "We don't have legal authority here and he knows it. We can't be a community center who helps people by pulling them kicking and screaming and throwing them on their ass. Can anyone come help with even a little authority?"

Tannis made hand motions to imply he was ready to take the door down, Kya pointed to the main room and her eyes did the rest as Tannis sulked away.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's not following your rules, so you have every right to kick his sorry butt out," Dieklin said. "But I agree, probably wouldn't look good for you all to do it. I'll be over there with a couple of guys in a few minutes; see if we can't straighten this out."

“Not to be a nag, but you’re the first person to answer in an hour. He’s well barricaded by this point, and I’m not sure there’s anything to straighten out. Who are you bringing, even? I really don't want this turning into anything… you know.”

"You've been calling for a bloody hour?!" Dieklin's voice sounded startled and annoyed. "It shouldn't have taken nearly that long. I'm bringing...Just a sec. It'll be me and Radak. That should shut iiJep up. Be there in a few. Dieklin out."

 

RSS Feed

Comments (1)