Profit and Escape

Posted on Mon May 18, 2015 @ 3:40pm by Qinee & Second Lieutenant Emily Ransom & Civilian Aleczandra Naqiis-Ryan

572 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: Private docking facility
Timeline: MD 3/During evacuation

Qinee was thrown from her chair as the station shook once again, the emergency klaxons blaring. “Can someone shut those damn things off!” she scowled.

Nazl cowered underneath the side table in her office, hands protecting his lobes.

“Oh, do get up!” Qinee snapped, brushing off her richly brocaded dress. “They’re calling for an evacuation. Get our ship ready!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Nazl scurried out from under the table, bumping his knobby head. He hissed and rubbed it before running out of the office.

Qinee took a breath. She needed to keep calm, keep her lobes about her. She went to the diplomatic safe in the wall and opened it, pulling out the sensitive papers and documents and sliding them into a diplomatic courier pouch. She sealed the pouch and slung it across her body securely. Another bag she filled with her personal valuables until it bulged and she hurried out to the diplomatic docking space.

There was a crowd gathered around the small diplomatic courier ship and a security officer arguing with Nazl.

“No!” Nazl was saying. “This ship is for Ferengi consul employees only! We have diplomatic immunity to your orders!” he snapped.

“Nazl, what is going on?”

“This Hew-man is saying we cannot leave unless we are filled to capacity with evacuees! He has no authority to order this!”

Qinee looked out over the crowd. She wasn’t good at judging alien ages, but they all looked young. “Nazl, I believe these are children.”

“So?” her attaché asked.

“I think we can make room,” the Ferengi ambassador said. “Who is in charge here?”

A petite young woman pushed her way forward. She had shockingly rainbow-colored hair and Trill spotting down her neck. “I guess I am,” she spoke up. “The life pods by the school wouldn’t hold everyone, so we put the younger students in them with the teachers. We older students came here. I knew there would be less of a crowd in the private docking areas.”

Qinee scowled. “No teacher with you?”

The girl shook her head. “The younger ones needed them more,” she said.

“What’s your name, girl?”

“Zandra,” she replied. “Aleczandra Ryan. And if you need payment of some kind for passage…” She took a breath. “I know uumox,” she said. “And I am quite good.”

Qinee heard Nazl’s intake of breath and could practically hear him drooling and see his eyes glazing over. She studied the young teen with some surprise. “And where did you learn uumox?”

Zandra shrugged. “Let’s just say I know quite a lot of things.”

“Hmmm.” Qinee noted the girl’s hand strayed to her stomach momentarily. “Well, yes, you and your classmates may come aboard,” she said. “And no need for uumox.”

“What!” Nazl protested. “This is highly irregular, Ambassador! They should at least pay the customary fee of a strip of latinum. Each.”

“We will make a tab, Nazl,” Qinee said, gathering up her dress. “I am sure their parents will be more than happy to compensate us for their safe return.”

Nazl’s eyes glazed over and he drooled for an entirely different reason. Hostages were profitable!

Zandra looked at the other students and nodded. She hoped she had done the right thing. Turning back, she followed the Ferengi up onto the ship.

FIN

Qinee
Ferengi Ambassador
NPC Caleb Ryan

Nazl
Ferengi attaché
NPC Caleb Ryan

Aleczandra Naqiis-Ryan
Civilian
NPC Caleb Ryan

 

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