Skulking and Stalking

Posted on Mon May 15th, 2023 @ 4:56am by Caeda & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov
Edited on on Sun May 21st, 2023 @ 10:01pm

Mission: S1 Episode 5: Ex Post Facto
Location: Banea
Timeline: Date 2371-08-15 at 1430
2693 words - 5.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Andrei barely wasted any time after saying his goodbyes to Lyra. While he was a bit concerned, just as she was, he had every confidence that both of them could hold their own on this alien planet. So, in the spirit of the mission he’d called for himself, he went quickly toward the back door to the hotel. As soon as he was outside, the rain began to belt his uniform and the crown of his head, presenting a much less enjoyable experience than when he and Lyra had gone out on the balcony without clothing and coupled for anyone watching to see. Now, his uniform was becoming bogged down with liquid. Fortunately, his destination was very close by.

He walked through the glass doors of the government building, his hair only just beginning to glisten with water. All things considered, he was relatively dry where it counted, but his entrance in such a state still drew the attention of the woman behind the secretarial counter.

The Banean woman looked up and her grey eyes widened slightly on seeing Andrei. She was a bit older, neither attractive nor unattractive with grey flecked through her brown hair and a frame of dark blue and brown mottled feathers around her face. She stood up showing she was quite short and squat, and then put on a pleasant smile. “Good evening. How may I help you today, sir?”

“First, a towel.” he commanded without hesitation or a hint of charm or pleasantness. “And then you can point me in the direction of the military office. I have a meeting there and I have no intention of being late.”

The woman’s feathered brows raised slightly. “Alright… who do you have an appointment with? I will let them know you are here and I will have a towel brought to you.” She sat back down and looked at presumably a monitor behind the desk.

“Did I ask you to let them know or did I tell you to get me a towel and point me in the right direction?” he asked, with obvious terseness in his tone. He approached the desk and leaned on it, his impressively fit frame making him an imposing figure before her.

The secretary shifted back in her chair as he leaned in closer and she was obviously immediately nervous, but not outright afraid. “Sir, I don’t even know who you are and I am just doing my job.”

“I’m the Executive Officer of the ISS Vengeance and I’m telling you that your job right now is to do as I command and grab me a towel. After that, point me in the right direction and get back to work.” he said, his visible eye boring into her with an expression that said he had no regard at all for her work or, even, her life.

“Well… well who are you wanting to speak with?” The woman asked with a slightly wavering voice. From the door behind the desk, another Banean briefly stepped out with a towel, gave it to the secretary, who in turn offered it to Andrei.

Andrei accepted the towel with a quick snatch of his hand and sat about wiping down his skin and hair quickly. Once he was satisfied, he tossed the towel back to the Banean who had just bought it and looked back at the woman behind the desk.

“Actually, on second thought, I could use your help. Why don’t you show me where I should be going.” he said. He had seen a cue listing the names of some of the officials in the building and used what he knew. “Inspector Gilldol is already expecting me and I’m running late.”

For a moment, the woman just looked at him and appeared like she wanted to ask why it was so hard not to tell her in the first place. Why people had to be so difficult sometimes she really just didn’t understand. She moved to stand up and sighed as she left the desk and started down one of the hallways; she didn’t prompt Andrei to follow, she knew he was just the type that would do it. It was just a moment’s travel and they were outside the marked door for the inspector.

“If you just wait a moment I’ll see if he is ready for you.”

“Wait..” he said with a smile. He rolled his hair with a small amount of well-acted coyness. “I hate to admit it, but I drank a lot since I’ve arrived. Could you show me to the restroom first?”

She just stared at Andrei for a moment, her nervousness now giving way to annoyance. What a demanding, insufferable brat this man was. Man? More like a child. She made a sound between a scoff and a sigh and started to march down the hallway again to do as he asked. She was certainly out of patience.

Andrei grimaced at the back of this wretched creature’s head. To think she would dare treat him with such contempt. As they arrived at the bathroom door, he raised the butt of his phaser into the air and grinned.

“Look out.” He said in a low and apprehensive voice.

“Huh?” Without thinking, the woman turned and looked up at Andrei, her features pinched in annoyance that quickly gave way to fear and surprise as she caught sight of the weapon and watched it come down toward her.

WIth a thud, she went down. He didn’t bother to catch her, but after she’d collapsed and hit her head on the wall, he lifted her up with little effort and carried her into the bathroom. He opened a still nearest the far end of the room which was less likely to be opened than the rest. He placed her inside, quite neatly, on the toilet and grabbed her keys from her pocket. Once he exited the restroom, he used the keys to lock the door. Then, after putting them in his own pocket, he started toward the reception area again, looking for some sign of where he might find an information room.

The signs weren’t particularly visible to one who was looking in passing, but given Andrei was actively searching it would only take him a moment to find the discreet signage mostly meant for the employees of the building to navigate just a little ways down one of the halls that seemed to point to some sort of information storage room.

He followed the signs while being careful to move quickly enough that he wouldn’t be seen before someone else entered the hallway. Once he reached the door to the room indicated by the sign, he pulled out the receptionist’s key card and swiped himself in. He opened the door and quickly closed it behind him, only then looking around to see what he was working with.

Inside of the room were several computer terminals set up in a circle in the center of the room as well as three more all on walls; tall black rectangular lockers loomed in neat rows creating straight but narrow aisles between them. None of them showed any outside display of what could be considered an access terminal or a way to open them, but obviously there had to be some way. All of the monitors displayed the Banean crest as their idle screen, and it was very quiet outside of the muffled sound of the rain still pouring outside.

Quickly, Andrei placed a device on the side of the console and activated the neural interface in his black eye patch. Within moments, he was navigating a complex matrix that represented the security code for the console. He was no computer expert, but a glance at a previously logged account gave him all the information he needed to enter the simple security code. He was fortunate the Baneans didn’t try harder.

Fleet size, ship compliments, weapons, duty assignments, strategic codes, and future growth plans all presented themselves to him. Everything he would need to know to understand their strengths and weaknesses were at his fingertips. He placed his PADD on the console and started the download as he read some of the choicest entries.

Andrei had been left to his own devices for about twenty minutes when he heard muffled voices outside the door. Inside of the room, there was a singular, loud beep and then the door slid open as two armed men entered talking and laughing with each other. They didn’t immediately notice Andrei.

Andrei pocketed his PADD and shifted quickly into the shadows. He hadn’t had time to log out of the console and it was standing open. Even though he was outside of view, he knew it was only a matter of time until they noticed, that is, unless it logged him off automatically. He reached for his phaser and pulled it from his side. It was clear someone had to die today.

“So she asked me and asked me and asked me, so I finally told her exactly what I thought of her mother. She wouldn’t take a polite no for an answer! So I tell her and then I’m the bad guy.” One of the guards complained to the other. Both had rifles at the ready, but obviously they weren’t paying even a remote amount of attention to what was around them.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” the other Banean began, amused by his companion’s misfortune. “My wife adores me and shows me quite regularly and thoroughly.”

“Oh piss off.” The first one retorted and elbowed the second man in the side.

He only laughed in response, but then they passed the terminal that was still active. “Hey, what the…”

Frowning, the one with the attentive wife stepped toward the terminal and brought up what had just been active. On seeing the information, he immediately paled. “Shit. We need to contact the inspector now. This looks like some sort of breach.” He lifted his rifle to the ready and began to look around the room with his companion following suit.

“Come out. We just want to talk.” Obviously they didn’t know for sure anyone was in there, but if there was, he figured it was best to act like they already knew.

Andrei considered his options for a few silent seconds, not experiencing the fear most men would. Eventually, he stepped out from the shadows behind the men, silent as the grave, and quickly wrapped his arms around the throat of the man with the attentive wife, pulling him back swiftly and placing his phaser to the man’s temple. Placing his eyes on the other man and watching him with the accuracy his bionic eye and interface provided, he used his companion as a shield.

“Make a move and your friend’s wife will have to settle for sucking his ashes.” He said, cold as ice, and then gave a clear command to the man he was holding against his own powerful frame. “Drop the rifle; now.”

“Woah now. Woah. We just want to talk.” Both men lowered their rifles in the face of the threat. The one that Andrei wasn’t holding moved it down to his side all together and lifted his hands up slightly. “No need for anything rash.”

The man pressed up against Andrei was understandably tensed up, but he had the presence of mind to not try and reach up to grab Andrei’s arm or move in any way given there was a weapon pointed at his temple. He’d have to wait for the right moment, if the right moment would come.

“This is a classified area, sir. Whatever information you downloaded - I’m sure by accident - will need to be left here.” The first man said slowly but firmly.

Andrei looked at the man not in his control and smiled from ear to ear. A mirthful chuckle escaped his mouth between his pearly white teeth.

“I’m leaving here with everything I brought, and you know it. You are a worm. You are nothing, and you are at my mercy.” Andrei pressed the phaser pistol against the man’s throat and smiled brighter. “I didn’t say lower your weapons; I said drop them. And beg for your miserable lives.”

“Alright, alright.” The man in front of Andrei lowered his weapon down to the ground and as he straightened, he and his comrade shared a quick look with each other. “Listen, nobody here has to get hurt today. We can’t let you leave with what you took though.”

“Then someone has to get hurt.” Andrei said, and then he discharged his weapon without the slightest remorse or hesitation. The man in his arms began to scream in terrible agony before his atoms alighted and he disintegrated. Over the space of a few seconds. He looked at the unarmed man with a confident expression, raising his phaser. “Do your people have gods?”

The remaining man’s eyes went wide and he lifted his hands, backing away from Andrei slowly. He was obviously terrified and trying to get away now as he headed toward one of the long rectangular shelves seeking cover. “O-okay. Okay! Just… just go. Please.”

“I asked you a question and I expect you to answer.” Andrei said, training the phaser on him as he moved back, though he himself stayed otherwise perfectly still. “Do you creatures worship some invisible bird in the sky?”

“We have gods.” The man confirmed reluctantly and began to slip between two of the data centers. “I don’t follow them though. Listen, I don’t want any trouble, I just want to go home. You can go.”

“As soon as you leave, you’ll activate an alarm and I’ll be pinned down in here.” Andrei said, shaking his head. He focused on the man again. “What do you think will happen to you after you die?”

“I’m hoping I don’t have to.” The man replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “Not until I’m old and grey. We can leave together so you can see I won’t activate any alarms. Come on. I’ve got a wife and kid at home. Please, just let me go.”

Andrei had no compassion and the idea of having mercy on the man made no emotional impression on him whatsoever. He didn’t see the utility in keeping this creature alive, and he was already questioning his decision not to kill the receptionist woman and roll her into a garbage compactor.

“No, I’m afraid not.” Andrei said, and discharged the phaser without a second thought.

“No! No no no n-“ The Banean’s protests died off in an agonized shriek as his form was ripped out of existence by the brutal weapon. Andrei was left in silence then, the room open to him and one of the Banean rifles still on the ground nearby. The only sound was the quiet of the rain on the rooftop.

Andrei pocketed his weapon and ignored the Benean one on the ground. He didn’t intend to leave with any sort of serious resistance. He stepped over to the console and logged off, solving the problem that ignited that conflict in the first place, and then headed for the door. Stepping out into the corridor, he ensured the door was locked and then set a course back toward the men’s restroom to finish what he started.

The receptionist was still there where he had left her, completely knocked out and easy to do away with. Just as Andrei fired his weapon, there was a strange chirp that sounded like it had come from his commbadge, but it was hard to tell and that silence filled with the dull white noise of the rain followed. He was alone again, and he had his prize.

Now to get back to Lyra.

OFF