Conditional Release

Posted on 19 Nov 2022 @ 10:13pm by Yuliette Marayan
Edited on on 20 Nov 2022 @ 4:06pm

Mission: M3 - Into the Deep
Location: OC, Brig
Timeline: MD06 Evening
878 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Lieutenant Alvin Keen had a very interesting upsweep to the front of his hair. Yuliette had watched it bob like the feathered crest of a bird for over two weeks as he came and went on his shift in the brig.

The night shift brig officer would often stop at her cell and look at her with a kind of sorrowful pity, as he did yet again.

Yuliette sat up, her feet not touching the floor from the bunk she was seated on. "It's alright." She reassured the jailer. "I'm getting used to it. It's much nicer than some other holding cells I've been in" She could tell that didn't make Alvin feel any better.

He shifted his feet. "I did what I could to have your application expedited, Doctor. Chief Winslow was reassigned, and the new Chief, Commander Sikan, hasn't seen all of the paperwork yet. I think your request for asylum is probably going to need completely resubmitted."

The slim woman slipped off the bed and turned to pace the cell in thought. She'd spent the past fortnight sleeping in safety to the point that her body was starting to feel weary of resting. She pressed her fingers around the simple cuff of the plain linen shirt that had been provided to her.

"I'm sorry about the wait." He apologized again. He played with a circlet, some kind of metallic cuff in his hands.

"Oh, well. It's not the Risan Lux Hotel, but you've kept everything clean and efficient. You turned the heat and humidity up which has been very comfortable. I've had everything I requested—" she motioned to the growing stack of reading materials on the ledge. She offered a lopsided smile. "I guess my only complaint is the occasional drunken neighbor." They'd never imposed on her to share the cell though, and the guards had employed sound barriers when it became unreasonable. She smiled up at him like he was a visiting friend, as though there wasn't an energized live shock force field humming inches away.

Keen reached one long arm to the control panel, entering an authorization code and confirming it with his thumb print. The field snapped off and the hum of the field emitters died.

Yuliette moved aside, expecting an inspection or some regular update of the cell. But Keen knelt down and before she'd realized what was happening, the circlet was around her left ankle, tiny lights rising to life. Her ankle was thinner than most people's and the bracelet hung a little loosely, but not so loosely that she could maneuver it off her foot. She gasped.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Marayan," Lt. Keen apologized, his tuft of hair springing back as he tipped his face up at Yuliette, "but I can't hold you here any longer without your request being heard, and I can't release you either. I've had to change your status to a conditional release. You're to remain on the station until your claim can be processed."

Yuliette felt a fresh flush of panic. She held her pant leg up at the knee, looking aghast at her new ankle bling. She felt betrayed.

"You're free to go." Keen said as he came to standing again, brushing his hands off on his trousers, glad to have gotten past the unpleasant business of ankle tagging a small woman who posed no actual threat in his estimation.

She looked at him, her mouth agape. "Go... where?"

"Anywhere." Keen answered brightly, as if he were giving her a gift by releasing her. He seemed confused why she hadn't already stepped over the threshold of her cell. "Anywhere on the station. Well," He scratched the back of his neck, noting an additional provision that seemed obvious. "Everywhere on the station that's open to civilians."

"Where can I stay?" The question was basic enough but behind it was her unspoken fear. Where could she stay that was safe? The station was large and active and the people she was afraid of were deft at getting around security checks.

"I'm heading off shift. Let me help you get some assigned quartering and a basic living credit." Lt. Keen offered. "After that, I'm going to stop for dinner with some friends, if you want to come along."

She swallowed hard, managing her terror and trying to convince herself the fear was unreasonable. She shook her pant leg to get the fabric to fall over the embarrassing device. it glowed a little through the weave of the plain linen.

"Okay," she finally agreed. Going out with Lt. Keen was the next best thing to having a body guard. Even if it was only going to last the evening.

Keen picked up her books for her, tucking the whole stack under one arm. "Lets go by the claims desk and get your personal items."

He held out his other hand in a small gesture to help her step over the lip of the cell and Yuliette accepted the touch out of politeness. The warmth of his hand was brief before he let go once more, but she felt it like a shock to her heart. The zing of kindness.

Yuliette only wondered how many security officers would she have to befriend to ensure she was never alone.