Posted by Lieutenant Allison Scott (Pediatrics/Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Orion Surface A Need to get Away

Posted by Lieutenant Allison Scott (Pediatrics/Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Orion Surface A Need to get Away
Parker twins https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/ogawa/notes/3619/
Orion surface start https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/ogawa/notes/10613/

“What in blazes is going on here,” a man pushed his way into the crowd. He had a far more serious expression on his face than the rest of the group. Instantly they stopped the playful jabs. The tension in the area increased ten fold. “You are the doctor,” he said never stopping his stride towards Ally. “You’re late,” he reached out grabbing for her elbow. “I don’t have time for this feculence. Move your skinny rear and earn what I just paid for.”

Lt. Ally Scott medical

His hand never got to Ally. A large fist with an iron like grip clamped down on the man’s wrist, the thumb digging into a pressure point. To the man’s credit and Rico’s surprise, he only flinched slightly at the touch. Clearly, the man was surprised to have been manhandled but was able to handle the pressure being applied. The tension around them only increased, and the men shot unsure glances at each other unsure of what they should do. They had been told not to harm the doctor, but they were unsure about her companion and with their boss directly in the firing line, they could only wait and see.

“Rico,” Ally said softly with her eyes squarely on him. She had seen him spar. She had seen him break up the occasional crew fight in the lounge when there was too much whiskey on a Saturday night. What Ally had never seen was this side of him. It scared her slightly. Not afraid for herself but more what the men had unleashed in him. The air around them seemed to be devoid of any sound much like the air inside the eye of a hurricane. All eyes were trained on him as both sides waited for Rico to react.

Rico looked at the man through narrowed eyes and his voice was cold and clearly held a warning to the man he held, he was applying enough pressure that if he squeezed just a little more and twisted slightly to his left, Ally would have a patient with a compound fracture right here as unlike his doctor girlfriend, Rico had taken no vow to do no harm. “I don’t care about the men with guns behind you,” Rico told him, “if they were going to shoot, they would have done it already. I’m Lieutenant Vanhall of Starfleet Security, Chief of Security on the USS Ogawa. Before we go anywhere with Doctor Scott, you are going to tell me what the hell is going on, what exactly you paid for and why we were just in a smuggling warehouse that got raided by OrSec. I shot cops for you to be here, now tell me what’s going on before you use those fancy words you’ve got to describe the feeling of needing a hook on your arm stump the rest of your life because I swear, I am so over this I will rip your hand of and shove it so far up your back end you could pick your nose with your tongue.”

“Rico,” Ally said then closed her open mouth. She wanted to point out that he was being an arse right then but she had forgotten the only thing that was stopping them from being swiss cheese was Rico. Frankly, she would have said it but the look Rico gave her silenced her as fast as any verbal command. Right now Rico was in command of the situation and a weird part of her was more attracted to him than ever. Yes they were possibly about to die but Ally was almost as aroused by the situation as she would have been if they had been in a five-star hotel room with white silk sheets.

His eyes shifted to Aly slightly as he spoke, then back to the man. This was wrong, all wrong to him and he was sure his girlfriend, for all of her eagerness to help and do what was right had somehow gotten herself involved in something way over her head. His mind went back to the Lauren woman she had known, he knew somehow she was involved in this, and he was going to need to have words with her at some point very soon. Putting him in danger was one thing, but putting Ally in danger with people like this was another thing entirely.

Lt Vanhall, CoS

“All I know is I was told to meet the driver here and take you and here into the warehouse. Your perky little innocent cheerleader is not as naive as she acts. This is not her first rodeo and if you think it is you should take a harder look at her,” the man grunted as he felt Rico’s hand increase the pressure with each word. His hand tightened into a fist ready to strike Rico but the credits were too good. Besides, the Syndicate would not let them leave alive anyway. If the Syndicate killed he and his team would still get the credits.

“So are you gonna hold my hand all night or let us and her do what we were paid for,” the man growled, “which as to escort you into the building. Ask your girl. She knew this was the plan all along,” he shot Ally a dirty look.

Looking at Rico, Ally chewed her lip not sure what to say. His eyes were on her like they were on the man only a second earlier. Ally felt her heart pound slightly. This would be the first test of their relationship. She had never lied to him, not yet. Ally debated the pros and cons of her next words to him yet her mind went blank. Instead of the truth, all she could think of is why she even involved the chief of security in the first place.

Rico yelling out her full name snapped Ally out of her stupor. Licking her lips she stepped forward. “This is not the first time I have done this,” she admitted realizing a lie of omission was the same as a lie to Rico’s face. Rico was a good man, an honest man. He trusted you until you did not give him a reason to trust you. Backdoor whispers and changing small facts to fit the story you wanted to sell would only force Rico away from you. He asked nothing of the people he trusted except that you gave him the respect he offered you. Any twisting of the truth to hide Ally’s true intention would create a wedge that nothing in the galaxy could free.

“Rico I need you to trust me,” Ally reached out hesitantly to touch his arm. “Just until we get in there,” she pointed to the building. “Once we get in there I will explain everything and tell you everything but I need you to just give me five more minutes,” she had almost a begging tone to her voice. “Please,” she said finally able to look him in the eye as she spoke.

“Holy hell you are stronger than you look,” the man said rubbing the spot where Rico had gripped him. “If you ever decide to dump the Fed I could find a spot on my team for you,” the man offered rhetorically. These Fed types rarely turned Merc but there was always the chance.

As they walked towards the building Ally took the few precious moments to prepare Rico for what was coming next. The problem was finding the words to explain what he was gonna see. “About two years ago a doctor by the name of Lauren Shan asked me to help her with some relief work. I had no idea of the scope she was talking about until we arrived at that location. Once I saw…I could not say no.” Ally stood at the door to the warehouse. Rico could see she was almost shaking as she spoke. The nervousness was not due to anything related to what was behind the door. The nervousness was entirely based on Ally worried Rico would not understand or be able to process what was behind the door.

“Shall we enter so that I can get paid and you can do the job you are required to do,” the leader of the men who met them at the vehicle sneered.

Ally shook her head and walked in the opened door but not before saying under her breath, “heartless mongrel.” Men like the ones that got them here disgusted Ally. They were able to sleep at night even though their apathy towards the problem was just as bad as participating in it.

Lt. Ally Scott medical

====================
Inside the warehouse
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The first thing Rico would notice was the stench as he entered the room. Unwashed bodies mixed with the scent of all things illicit. The air had a stale quality to it mixed with the smoke of at least two different illegal drugs known by even teenagers in the Federation. Felicium and tobacco were only what the untrained nose could smell. Someone like Rico might be able to find more. The sickening smell of rot came and went carried on a breeze from somewhere. It was infrequent enough that the source of the odor could have been from a rubbish bin inside or outside the warehouse. The bitter scent of the oldest profession seemed to linger on any piece of fabric they passed as Ally and Rico moved farther inside the cavernous space.

The lights were dimmed so you could make out shapes and images but not clearly until you were almost upon them. The room was set up almost like a refugee camp with areas cordoned off using sheets, old blankets, or pieces of furniture. The living spaces if you could call them that had an eclectic mix of tattered and worn next to chic and new. It was as if the contents of the rooms were both a storage area for a furniture store and a dump where people had pulled discarded items from a landfill. Nothing matched in any of the living spaces he and Ally passed. The only thing that was repeated in each space was the haunted faces looking at the pair as they passed. The walk between the rows and rows of cubicles seemed never-ending. The haunted eyes of the children they passed showed what they lacked without ever having to be asked.

The sounds of the warehouse were a cacophony of raucous laughter, intimate moans, crying children, and coughs of the sick. A few giggles of children could be heard but they were few and far between. Nothing in this space indicated happiness or love. The ghettos and slums of Orion held more typical sounds of a home or apartment than this warehouse ever could. The sounds of this warehouse were of sadness, pain, and sorry.

“Dr. Scott,” a woman called out seemingly out of nowhere. Ally spun trying to locate the direction through the fabric walls that surrounded her. “Dr. Scott,” she repeated pulling back a thin and tattered curtain. “I am glad you finally arrived.” The voice belonged to a woman in her late 50’s or 60’s. It could have been younger but that was not important. The worn visage spoke of a hard life filled with more downs than ups. “I am Brella. Thank you for coming,” she extended her hand.

“Of course. When we can help we come. You know that. Is everything set up,” Ally asked taking the woman’s hand and shaking it. The warm handshake instantly went stiff as did the demeanor of Brella.

“Why is he here? You know the rules,” she spat back angrily. “They will not permit this. Why did you even come? Get out. Take your Federation police with you. He is not welcome here.” The lukewarmness to the woman’s eyes had melted into an icy stare as she looked at Rico.

Lt. Ally Scott medical

Bump