Shape Shifting Robots

Posted on Thu Jul 12th, 2018 @ 6:14am by Second Mate Quinton Beck
Edited on on Thu Jul 12th, 2018 @ 7:00am

2,193 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: From Within...
Location: Brig

-Start-

{Deck 25- Corridor}

Quinton let his blood boil, the rage was energizing during a time of little sleep. Multiple break ins, a spy for a security officer, and now mercenaries taking over his ship prepping it for black ops of God only knows what variety. He had to deal with this interloper, figure out where the holes in the net were and fix it. His meeting with Sheila had resulted in being told he had no say over what she did on this ship.

While talking to himself he had turned the corner to see a tall and imposing woman, one of Rohbards Rangers in plain sight now. They had dropped the act, stopped pretending to be workers when they stood out as mercs from miles off. She was waiting at the turbolift for him as he rounded the corner.

{Turbolift gantry- Deck 25}

Ilyce Payne leant against the wall opposite to the Second Star's lone Turbolift and waited for Captain Beck. Her orders said to deliver the message that she was his new shadow and keep him safe, but she couldn't wait til that order changed. He'd have to walk back, there's no way he'd be beamed all the way. So he'd have to use this Turbolift and since it had already been checked for surprises, "Ice" waited.

And she didn't have to wait long. Standing at the door she blocked his way to the lift. He was startled and muttering to himself, so she charged right into it. "The so-called Section 31 agent has instructions on her PADD to take you out, and whatever is in your vaults is attracting flies."

She pressed in the first words before he could open his mouth to reply. "She had orders to infilftrate, steal, and take you out. If that means killing you, then she's got permission from those with authority, and no, Sheila is not happy with how you've handled our outift, but she refused to allow any one of us to take you out, so we get to be friends. Since we don't know where to look to see whats coming, Sheila doesn't want you anywhere where you usually go." Ice stated.

Quinton leveled his most professional gaze her way. He barely registered the ploy to keep him under lock and key, under her guard and eye. Ilyce, "Ice" Payne may not have realized what she said, but it gave away a major piece of intel. Sheilas people were not loyal to him, they would take the ship from him at her order. It solidified a plan of action in his mind and he wondered if Icara would even realize he plotted her demise behind his kind eyes.

"she refused to allow any one of us to take you out"

It was all he heard for just a moment. With a simple phrase, Ice turned to his enemy. He kept his poker face up, better they believe him a buffoon, better they think he wasn't aware of every bolt and weld, every whisper and spark. None of them even realized Judah was his body guard, a holo-warrior with a 32 hour a day surveillance on his father figure. They didnt realize Quinton had made his contingencies before they stepped foot on board.

But they would soon.

"I can tend to myself, regards to Sheila's caring hand but I'm safe here in my home. Please continue, with your results, I am listening most intently."

He stopped at the Turbolift doors before crossing over, indicating for her to go first, he wouldn't expose his back to this pit viper.

"The TL's been cleared." She waited with a steely gaze.

He waited with an open palm in its direction.

Deep sighing, she entered as he followed.

She waited till they were in and the doors closed. "Look Beck, no one likes the Borg but they are everywhere. What we do is dangerous but our tools and training make it less so. We won't go after them but sometimes we go to where the harm is greatest to do the most good you know? Your ship wont ever be in danger, so can we move on to realizing there are bigger fish to fry than you ferrying cargo?"

It had to start somewhere.

"It is Captain Beck. Let's be perfectly clear now that bluster is set aside. You and yours do not rule this ship. My goals are not to fight Starfleets fight, or the Borg for the rest of my life and I won't have me and mine dragged to hell for a vendetta. You are relieved as of now of any duties relating to operation on the Second Star, you can report to Sheila for any duties she may have on her decks until further notice."

He expected her to draw a weapon, shout or claw his eyes maybe, it was impossible to gauge her demeanor. It didn't matter though, he was the Captain or he wasn't, and this was not something he intended on rolling over on.

The Turbolift had automatically redirected to Rohbards Garrison, Judah was always listening.

Ice kept a straight blank face. "I'll go crawl back into our hole then." She refused to give him the fight he wanted. "I'll look forward to being removed from the Intel roster and while I understand what you're saying, I'll leave you to take it to Sheils. Captain Beck." She answered feeling like there was nothing else for her to say to the poor man.

Quinton let her leave and the Turbolift resumed without his prompting. Entering the brig, Carson was there, another of Sheila's mercs pretending to be a crewman. For now, he needed the guard so that could wait. He only glanced Beck's way once when he entered, then went back to his monitors, uninterested.

The cell was muted, but she could see him. "Rose Vickers ala Section 31 is it?"

He didnt even look at the Section 31 agent when he spoke, his eyes glazing as he stared into his own existential doubts.

"Nobody who will ever help you knows where you are. I won't torture you, but I won't let you go until I know enough to protect myself. If they send someone after you, we will catch them too."

He knew the worst thing to tell a spy, a dark thing they could never manage to deal with.

"You'll never know a thing outside of these walls... And that will be your life."

He stood very still his eyes focusing intently on her. He detected an oddity, though there was nothing in particular he could point out. She was wrong, all of her that he could see. He waited to see if she would play the game or bide her time in silence.

Rowland looked to the Captain, in awe of the man who stood before him. Behind a mask called Rose, somehow this Captain of a merchant vessel had outplayed him. Though Rowland was able to blast a hole in the brig walls and escape anytime he chose, what held him back was the mystery. The more he learned of Quinton Beck the more enamored he became. Then the stories of Alan Beck had solidified this new agenda. Rowland chased Y'rrz for months when the Yridian simply disappeared. The Second Star had gotten his attention simply as a clue in the trail leading to the scurrilous rat, but since arriving he had gained a new desire.

"Captain..."

Alan Beck had been impossible to catch, a holy grail for bounty hunters but one nobody had found. His son, rising to be of equal measure was cut from the same cloth. Alan Beck had given life to Quinton Beck, and now who offered greater purpose to destiny was a matter of debate. Rowland had learned enough. He had come for a bauble, and learned so much more in his investigations on board. This ship meant more than a payday, it was a chance for Rowland to sit still and still be moving.

"Can we drop pretense? Allow me to begin, I know this will startle you, but I am not "making a move"."

"Rose Vickers" stood, plain and humble as any Human. The changes seemed to occur beyond normal sight. Wheels within wheels began to turn and the unassuming Rose began to morph slowly before his eyes. Pigment altered first, microscopic changes flushing in unison. Beneath her skin, migrating shapes and endoskeletal bulges re-adjusted and "Rose" faded as a larger masculine form emerged swelling into being. Forgoing the texture of skin, gleaming metal was now in place, organic and flowing like silk. The clothes Rose wore, no longer fit, but a sleek body fitting outfit revealed a torso and legs similarly mechanical.

With no composure Quinton reacted. "Oh fuck it's a Founder, Carson! Red alert, contact Starfleet security-"

"Captain I mean you no harm, I am not a Founder!"

Judah materialized, he was ready for this, having simulated it over a thousand times in the two seconds that had elapsed since Quinton began yelling.

"Captain please... I am Rowland, and I am come to you with a desire for service!"

Judah looked to Beck who looked at Rowland. Carson didnt know where to look, but was terrified by the prospect of a Founder in his line of sight.

"What the hell are you then, and why are you coming to me?"

Rowland felt the emotional tension, his EQ protocols were getting a workout.

"I don't know what I am. I do know I was once Human but much of my brain was repaired and my memories long gone. I... have an imperative... to chase things that interest me. Section 31 employed me to get some of it's lost items... I came to your ship intent to find the plunder of Y'rrz, a Yridian smuggler of great infamy. He stole Gamete from Angosian biotech firms working on DNA replication, there were others but that was my mission. He had what was essentially a super soldier formula for non-Angosian Humanoids. I wanted this for myself, but now... this ship and... well you Captain... make me want to chase something else. I am Rowland, and I offer to help."

Quinton realized this was the first wave of the Yridians debtors coming to claim. The story was palatable, but flattery fell cheaply to the ground with everything else that was said. How had the word gotten out so quickly?

"So if what you say is true, somewhere in the vaults, there is a formula for supermen? Do you have anything else to prove what you say?"

Judah contributed, "Scans on him reveal little, but there is a good chance I'd guess he is First Federation. I will continue to work that hypothesis."

Rowland shook his head. "I will submit to scans, and what I know will be shared freely. I am sorry to sneak on board, had I been aware of the grander scheme of things I would have approached you directly. As it was, the Ferengi seemed a direct line to the Vault."

Quinton knew that Fala Gaz was not the thief, did he mean Dr. Quill?

To himself... "Oh god, another weak point."

=0= Quill! Report to the Brig Immediately!

He found he was yelling, sickbay wasn't far, but to hear the Captains voice through closed doors and corridors shocked a few crew.

{Sickbay}

Quill was not that surprised that another bit of frustration had come to the Captain; it seemed that there are many of them of late. That is what happens when one gets a used ship and so Quill took his Medical case that he snatched off a near by desk.

"I will be back hopefully Soon Bunny." Quill told his nurse. "It seems the Captain has need of me, I have packed the needed items for any bursting blood vessel in his head by the sound of it."

Quill quickly made his way to the Brig; just now realizing how close to his Sick Bay the criminals and dangerous people are? Then he remembered, half of the saucer section was compromised. The medical detention area was their only detention area.

The fact the man did not use Doctor was suspicious but then Hue-Mons are so strange in a general sense.

Three bulkheads at open spanned the short corridor and right angle turn. He was there in seconds.

"I find a Comm link is less strain on the voice and stress levels sir." He commented. "What can I do for you?" Noticing the man from the space port Quill shook his head. "Three rules broken here..." He commented after a sigh.

Quinton was angry, but kept his tone level.

"Oh, three rules? Which ones Quill? The ones talking about stowaways, or maybe bribery, smuggling? You tell me what this man PAID YOU to betray all of us?"

He hit his comm badge,
=0= Othor, please get to the brig, we have a lot to unravel here.

Quinton had Sheila on one side, Starfleet the other, thieves and operatives working every angle. Quill had brought something with him now too.

This was getting out of hand.

-End-

Austen Gray
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