Peeling Back the Covers
Posted on 19 Dec 2020 @ 1:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Lance Quinn (*) & Lieutenant Theodore Winslow
Edited on on 19 Dec 2020 @ 4:24pm
Mission:
M1 - Emergence
Location: SS Appalacian
Timeline: MD05 - 2045hrs
773 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure
Lance had been pacing the cargo deck of the Appalacian for almost 45 minutes. The deck crew had been on-hand making sure that the bay was secure, and a medical team was giving the discovered refugees the once-over to check for sickness or medical concerns.
The sight of the security chief arriving was a welcome one. Lance wasn't used to this sort of problem; it wasn't especially technical or logistical. In some ways it was very much a moral one.#
"Lieutenant Winslow? Lt Commander Quinn. We've not met yet. I'm...well, I'm not sure what to say. We seem to have encountered a little...well, hiccup." He motioned at the cluster of tired and unkempt Romulans. "Namely, this ship appears to have been smuggling people."
"We have not had the time but I am sure going forward that will change sir," Theodore confirmed as he stepped into the cargo deck and saw the pacing man. He had not believed what he was being summoned for until he saw the people. "How many?" He wondered.
"Three men. Five women. Six children." Lance pursed his lips a moment, uncertain how he was supposed to proceed. "The medics will tell you their condition, but it doesn't look like they're carrying any diseases. He paused and leaned closer to speak quietly. "I thought Starfleet had a policy when it comes to smuggling people? It's supposed to be banned - particularly out of the former neutral zone, right?"
Theodore looked at the man one way and then another before he shrugged. "It is banned but they are here now. I believe there is a wet foot/ dry foot policy in effect." He said simply. Starfleet could not exactly send them back and he was not going to assist them in doing it so it looked like the 13 people were going to be with them for a while before they could transfer them.
Lance didn't entirely follow the foot reference, but assumed it was some sort of security jargon. His eyes lingered on a tired-looking man trying to protectively shield his small child and partner at the same time, suspiciously watching the medical officer running a scanner over them. In so many ways this felt wrong - unnecessary. Yet it sounded like Starfleet's hands were tied. "So that's it? What's going to happen to them?"
Theodore watched the same scene as the other man and frowned. Sometimes despite his world view on everything being black and white patches of grey snuck in and this was one of those situations."I do not know." He admitted watching as one of the children fell to the floor and the medical officer move instantly to help. "Uh oh," Theo commented as the father reacted.
Lance winced, shifting behind the security officer instinctively as a little dispute started to break out between the older Romulan man and a hapless medical officer. The Romulan's peers seemed to react just as defensively. "You might want to defuse this one, Lieutenant."
Theodore was already there moving toward the father holding his hands up. "We are here to help." He said simply tugging the medical officer back taking the tricorder from him. The Romulan stared at Theo as the security officer stared back. "Just want to help." He repeated slower hoping the universal translator got what he was saying in the right tone.
Lance hovered several feet away, very hesitant to get involved more than he already had done. He watched, sympathetically, as the Romulan man shielded a young boy. For them to have risked so much and come this far, it only made sense that they would be afraid and confused. And that meant things could escalate quickly. For all of that, he didn't have the first idea what to say or do in response.
The Romulan man uttered something the translator barely picked-up, still firmly protecting the young ones. The look in his eye was bordering on wild.
"Best we try to do something about this, Lieutenant Winslow," Lance urged, not even sure what that something was.
"Healing and this man is healer," Theodore said finally hoping the old fashioned word would cross the translator better especially if there was a dialect involved which there most likely was. It had worked a few times before and the security officer really did not want to have to force the subject.
The Romulan remained highly suspicious, but after taking a moment to examine his situation, he silently nodded at the medic while keeping a firm grasp on the child.
"I dread to think what Calliope is going to make of all this," Lance sighed.
