Swapping Stories
Posted on 31 Dec 2020 @ 3:45pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Lieutenant Theodore Winslow
Edited on on 01 Jan 2021 @ 3:15pm
Mission:
M1 - Emergence
Location: Infirmary, Recovery Ward
Timeline: MD 05 1700 HRS
1591 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure
His mountainous shoulders wider than the standard bio bed, Oberu shifted under the shiny Starfleet issue blanket. His dry mouth worked as he reached for the cup on the side table. During the procedure to repair his burns, the Grazerite had bellowed enough that he hurt his throat. He didn't remember passing out, but he had eventually. There was a clock on the wall monitor. He didn't know when he had come in, but it felt like most of the day had passed. He pushed back the covers and stood his full, towering seven and a half feet. Much of his height was in his massive chest. His legs were long compared to most people, but proportionally smaller on himself. A few of his inches of height measured in the rise of his horns as they curled back around. They weren't as big as his father's had grown, as he was still twenty something. But he no longer bothered to cover them.
He stretched and examined his burns. The skin was new, and no longer painful to the touch. He lumbered towards the door of his room, but found it wouldn't open from the panel. Leaning down to look through the little window of the door, Oberu saw a Fleeter in a gold security uniform posted there.
The man turned as he heard a noise behind him and watched the man through the window for a long moment before shrugging turning away. He was not letting him out until Leiutentnat Winslow turned up. Luckily he did not have to wait long as the man in question appeared down the corridor carrying a tray. He stepped aside to let him in. "Good Evening. I thought you might be hungry after surgery and resting."
Oberu accepted the tray with his thick, four fingered hands and looked over the food curiously, sniffing so that his nostrils expanded. They had been considerate enough to give him vegetarian dishes and he was relieved he would not have to explain his preferences. "Thank you," he said with genuine gratitude as he sat back on the side of his bed. He dug into the meal heartily.
Theodore stood some distance away and allowed the man to eat before he started to talk to him. People responded better on a filled stomach than when they were empty. "I am Lieutenant Winslow, by the way, this bases chief of security."
Having cleared his plate, Oberu was finishing a slow chew as his hunger was satiated, somewhat. In point of fact, he was perpetually hungry. "Oberu. I'm the mechanic. The ship's mechanic. The ship's mechanic aboard the Borderless." He had a low, meandering vocal pattern. He rubbed his forehead, not really remembering how he came to be here. Just that he was injured by a plasma fire and the treatment was painful. "This is a base?"
"This is a base Oberu. Obsidian Command to more exact." Theodore commented on thinking that from this room it could be anywhere in the universe. It had been the first time in a situation like this he could concede that point to the person he was interviewing. "The Borderless was in a pretty bad shape from what I heard. What happened to you?"
"I was shunting an overload and the valve misfired. There was a plasma back flash in the manifold. Liv got hurt in the fight, so Sparks tried to help me with the burn kit, but it felt like it made it worse. I took a lot of pain medication. I didn't know what else to do."
Theodore winced. He had never received something as painful as a plasma burn but he could imagine it had hurt and the fact the man was still alive despite that had his respect. Not everyone could have held it together. "Luckily we chanced upon you all then." He mused.
"luckily." Oberu echoed as he brushed a hand over some of the new skin on his other arm, testing it.
"I have a few questions about the ship and the people that were on board."
"What about us?" At the idea of being questioned, Oberu's tone sounded a little more defensive.
"We need to know what you guys were up to. We are looking through your cargo right now." Theodore really hoped the goodwill he had been building was able to last with that question.
The grazerite's nostrils flared a little and his facial muscles tightened. "Did Liv give you permission?"
Theodore winced at the tension that was now in the room. It was easy to see the man was not happy with the fact that Starfleet Officers were now looking all over the ship that was his home. Olivine’s record which was giving them just cause let alone the way the ship came in with injuries people.
“Sadly Liv’s record and the way you came in give us a justification cause.” The human admitted. Whether her crew knew or not she was potentially a dangerous woman to everyone onboard.
"My parents always said to respect authorities." Oberu said in his baritone, his round dark eyes considering the officer in his uniform and what it was meant to represent. "They said the authorities were there for everyone's best interests. You probably think you're working in our best interests."
It was not the first time that Theo had been asked or heard that question in his career. He nodded, he firmly believed that he had people’s best interests at heart. “I do believe that in 99%of cases I am doing the right thing and the 1% left is when I am only human and get it wrong.”
"In my experience, the authorities are barely there at all. They may talk big but the peace and security is an illusion so thin, anyone can come and take it away. And they did. My colony was absolutely laid to waste. It was the most brutal.... awful... " Oberu covered his face with his hands as if he could block out the terrors. "We didn't have soldiers or officers or police. We didn't train for our defense. We had nothing but trust in the goodness of the universe. You have to protect yourself. No one is going to do it for you."
“I am sorry that you went through that. I can not relate for the most part so I can not pretend but you do have my sympathy.” The security officer said formally before he relaxed a little and sat on the biobed opposite. He could not comfort well at all, his words always seemed false. “Your story is one of the reasons I joined Starfleet. I grew up on a colony that was the other way there was peace but for the most part, it was a dictatorship. I did not want to be like that. I wanted to be something different, a force for good no matter how small one man is in a universe this size." He believed in Starfleet but not even they could be everywhere for everyone. It was just too big of a stretched to be that idealistic even for him.
"I wish my colony would have had people like you, had the will to fight. Maybe it's too late, but I have it now. That's why I'm with Liv and Sparks, so we can set somethings right where we see them."
"So what were you trying to set right now?" Theo wondered wishing Oberu's colony had people with any type of guts to fight against whoever destroyed them.
"We're Fenris Rangers. So we take up different calls, you know. But we were supposed to help some homeless Romulan families." Oberu wasn't very keen on laws and rules and shared what he knew innocently. "I think somebody intercepted Liv's messages, because they were waiting for us."
Some viewed them as terrorists but the Fenris Rangers were not Maquis in his opinion. "Who was waiting for you?" Theodore felt like he was just asking lots of questions instead of interacting properly.
"We've made more than a few enemies, but lately there's been a group of Ferengi mauraders that plague us most. Liv has no effect of them. She thinks someone has been paying them to come after us. Those ships looked a lot like some old Lorton class refits that I heard they stole a while back. They're real sturdy stuff. Small, fast, battle class. They used to be from a prewarp civilization in Klingon space, and the mauraders fit them with modern warp tech."
"Betazoid's have issues with Ferengi. It is a well-known fact." Theodore revealed having always wondered about what made them silent to Betazoids. "Have not heard of Lorton class in years. You are right they sound tough." They had been lucky to get out of dodge if what he was imagining was anything to go by.
Oberu snorted a sigh. "We weren't there for the families. I hope they find another way."
Theodore nodded. He was sure that they would find a way. "I will leave you to your meal and rest Oberu. If you need me the medical officers can get me and anyone else you need." Theo said softly as he left sickbay. He really wished the man well, some people it was a professional courtesy but this man he really meant it. Not many people operated in the grey to do good but this one seemed like he really did want to do good. At least someone wanted to do that.
