If you can't trust your own kind. . .
Posted on Mon Jan 30, 2017 @ 12:16pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Dorian Gabriel & Civilian Melvyn Raddon & Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant Annora Tessaro
2,231 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Rumours
Location: Dilithium Chamber Conference room
Timeline: MD4: 1230
Arturo was used to playing the imposing bouncer role for the club. It was his job to check out anyone choosing to enter the fine establishment. With the various technological devices in place throughout the Dilithium Chamber, from phaser suppressors to limited force fields, there was hardly any use for live security in order to prevent violence. The clientele knew that violence or unruly behavior would not be tolerated. More importantly, the Dilithium Chamber itself was equipped to not tolerate violent incidents.
Instead, Arturo's role was to ensure that the right kind of clientele made their way into the club and the wrong kind were assisted in finding their way elsewhere. For the most part, the Chamber had gained a reputation that preceded itself; however, from time to time new visitors to the station needed a gentle reminder of the rules.
The man put down his padd and stood up from his table just as he saw the two security officers head towards the main door. He stood and buttoned his jacket and straightened himself out as he approached the officers. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see 'Fleeters coming into the establishment; however, he could tell by their stride and their demeanor that they weren't here for a glass of vouvray.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Caleb said with cool professionalism. “Ah’d like ta speak with the owner of the establishment, Melvyn Raddon, an’ his lackey Dorian Grey,” he told the man.
Annora was glad to let Caleb take the lead this time around. Her first encounter with these people was less than successful. She expected much the same reaction as the last two times, but would still be interested in how things went.
"Is he expecting to meet with you?" Arturo responded. Various people wished to see either of the Raddons. However, the need for scheduling an appointment was more of a security concern than one of actual convenience.
“Does he need to?” Caleb asked pointedly. “Ah’m guessin’ he’s figured we’d stop by eventually for a nice chat.”
"Do we have an appointment? No. Although I'm sure when you tell him we're here, he'll want to see us." Annora knew Starfleet wasn't well like with the Raddons, but she also knew that flat out ignoring the officers wouldn't help the business.
Arturo locked eyes with the officers for several moments before he activated the comm unit within the canal of his ear. "One moment," he said as he turned slightly.
"Dorian, we have two Starfleet officers at the northeastern exit. They wished to meet with Mr. Raddon."
"Bring them in and escort them to the conference room. We'll meet them there," Dorian responded through the unit.
Arturo returned his gaze to the Fleeters. "If you'll follow me please," he said, gesturing them towards the adjacent doorway.
Caleb nodded and looked to Annora, allowing the lady to enter first before following.
Taking a deep breath, Annora followed the man to the conference room.
"Why are they in my business?" Melvyn Raddon said as he looked from his desk to the larger monitor before him. His office contained video feeds from virtually every corner of his establishment. It afford him the ability to be every place without physically being there. Although he enjoyed being amongst people, there were times that he valued his solitude.
More importantly, his latest endeavors had consumed more of his free time. It had consumed it to the point that he had relied more upon his son, Raymond, and his Head of Security, Dorian, to keep an eye on the smaller things that could prove to become bigger things.
"The last thing we need at this point is to have Starfleet coming here to investigate us. Deal with them and get them out of here, immediately," Melvyn said to his son and to Dorian with a tone that demonstrated how serious he was.
The doors to the conference room slid open as Dorian Gabriel entered the room and was quickly followed by Raymond Raddon. Dorian walked over to the chair directly across from the two Starfleet officers. He looked at them for several moments, thinking back to when he wore the same uniform and the power it gave him. However, his attention was shifted to his colleague as he began to speak.
"Oh, please, do not stop talking on account of us," Raymond said with a calm smile as he pulled out his chair and took a seat at the head of the table. He waved his hand over the table and a glass materialized, containing an amber-colored liquid. The room had been equipped with sensors that could detect the user and recall their typical food or beverage choice. The table itself had been outfitted with flat-surface replicators that created the selected item within seconds and directly before the user.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable. What drink can we provide for you? " Raymond said as he reclined in his chair and took a sip from the glass.
Dorian, on the other hand, maintained his usual solemn demeanor as he observed the two officers. He knew this was not a social visit, and that their purpose for coming here was related to the death of the Ferengi diplomat. A death that, while Dorian himself did not cause it, he still did not wish to answer too many questions. At least not until he had the chance to clean up a few loose ends.
"Commander Ryan, I'm sure you remember your predecessor, Mr. Gabriel," Raymond said, attempting to be civil. "How can I assist you?" he asked.
“Ah’m good, thanks,” Caleb said when offered a drink. “And Ah’ve met Mr. Gabriel only briefly.” He nodded to the man. “Ya’ll may have heard about the murder of one of the Ferengi diplomats outside the Box of Delights last night,” he said.
Raymond's brow furrowed a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that such an unpleasant thing occurred, but...I don't understand exactly what that has to do with my business...at all," he responded.
“Well, your business has a well-known reputation of fomenting interspecies tensions,” Caleb pointed out. “Given you an’ yours,” Caleb’s gaze encompassed the two men, “an’ your father’s very outspoken views on non-Humans, ya’ll can see why Ah’d want ta see what involvement ya’ll might have had. This establishment seems ta be the central hotbed of such views.”
"You know what I think is funny?" Dorian asked rhetorically while purposely avoiding the question. "A human child is murdered -- brutally, I may add -- and you bend over backwards to clear his murderer of responsibility," he said as he maintained his glare towards Lt. Tessaro directly. "But the second that some alien dies, then suddenly it's all hands on deck!" he said exaggeratedly.
“This isn’t just ‘some alien’, Mr. Gabriel,” Caleb replied. “This isn’t some street kid who had an unfortunate accident during a B&E. This is the second ranking member of a foreign diplomatic agency brutally beaten and murdered, left out for all the Promenade to see! This could have significant economic and military repercussions across the quadrant, gentlemen. Repercussions that will effect your business, Ah might add, Mr. Raddon.”
Dorian became incensed. "Some 'street kid'? Is that all you think that boy's life was worth? Just calling him some 'street kid'!?" He nearly shouted. "That Ferengi was the same bastard that kidnapped a ship full of Human children and refused to return them unless he was paid a ransom." Dorian gesticulated.
Raymond sat and watched the lively reaction from Dorian for several moments before decided to interject. "What Dorian is saying, although inartfully, is that your leaders seem to demonstrate a certain...negative bias towards the well-being of the Human inhabitants of this station," he said gently.
Caleb shot Dorian a look. “Ah’m not trying to minimize the boy’s death,” he said. “It was tragic. But it wasn’t murder on an inter-quadrant scale. And Ah am well aware of what kind of being Attache Nazl was. That does not change the nature of mah duty ta investigate this.”
Caleb looked back to Raymond. “Negative bias?” he asked. “The well-being of the inhabitants of this station -- all the inhabitants -- is mah very job,” he told the man. “Human or alien, mah job is to provide fairness and justice. If ya’ll have a specific complaint, there are channels through which ya’ll can register it.”
"Ms. Ibalin's business has earned a troubling reputation for being a source of underground fighting, drug distribution, and, well, ending up dead," Raymond said bluntly. "Yet I never see Starfleet Security taking time out of her busy day to interrogate her on the numerous bodies that have begun to accumulate on her doorstep," he said as he took another sip of his drink. "In fact, the only time I see a security officer in her bar is when he is enjoying a game of poker and a few stiff drinks," Raymond said as he pressed several buttons on the conference table.
The small holographic projection device built into the table presented several visual captures of Commander Ryan entering The Box of Delights with his former crew members, and several other captures of him laughing with a drink in his hand. "I have to tell you, Commander, I'm certain that if you spent as much time around your own kind in our establishment as you do over there, you'd come to learn that your fellow Humans aren't so bad to be around," he said jovially.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “The Box is the largest entertainment establishment on the Promenade,” he said. “Plenty of Humans patronize it. Ah’m not going to justify mah recreational activities during mah off hours. Not ta you or anyone,” he told Raymond. “Ah have already interviewed Ms. Ibalin for this case. Ah see no involvement of the Box or her employees. In fact, the last person that we seem ta be able to account being seen with the Attache is a Human woman patronizing the establishment.” He leaned forward. “So why don’t we begin. Where were you gentleman last night between the hours of 0200 and 0400?”
Before Raymond could respond to the officer's question Dorian cut in. "Cut the crap, Ryan. I've worn that same uniform, and I know the routine for an investigation. The fact remains that you don't have any leads nor any evidence to go off of. If you did, then you and Rip Van Winkle here wouldn't be here asking pedestrian questions," he said.
Caleb ignored Dorian. “If ya’ll would rather we have this conversation down at the Security offices, Ah can accommodate that.” He reached up to touch his comm badge and call for Security.
"You sonovabitch! You don't have the authority to make us--" Dorian shouted as he slightly rose.
"Dorian," Raymond interjected, raising his arm to calm down the anxious man, "in the spirit of cooperation with our own kind, we will answer their questions," Raymond said as he took a longer sip. "I was here in my office working late into the evening and early morning," Raymond said as he turned to look towards his employee, Dorian.
"I was working, in my quarters," Dorian said with a smirk as he looked towards Lt. Tessaro, "with a female friend. If you want more details, I'm sure I can arrange a much more...personal interview at both of our conveniences," Hh said with a smirk.
“We’ll do that,” Caleb said, noting down their alibis. “And you were alone, Mr. Raddon?” Caleb asked. “What about your father, Melvyn?”
"Well, Commander, I think I've indulged your curiosity more than enough," Raymond said as he placed the glass on the conference table and watched as it disappeared in a swirl of atoms. "I do appreciate the opportunity to host you to our fine establishment, and I do hope you're successful in your jaunt to find the Ferengi's killer," Raymond said as he stood from his chair. "If you have any further questions, you can direct them towards Mr. Gabriel," he said dismissively.
Caleb nodded and picked up his padd. “Thank ya for your time, Mr. Raddon,” he said, his lanky frame rising from his chair.
Annora followed suite as Caleb stood up to leave. She wasn't sure what he expected to get out of the meeting, but it went about as well as she expected it to.
Raymond stood as Arturo returned to the conference room and stood near the entrance, gesturing for the security officers to follow him. Dorian stood as well and watched the officers walk out of the conference room towards the exit.
"I don't appreciate being interrogated in my own damn office, Dorian," Raymond said, his facade of nicety quickly fading away. "This won't happen again," he said.
Caleb shook his head as they exited the Dilithium Chamber. “Ah don’t like them, an’ they’re hidin’ somethin’, but Ah’m not sure what killin’ a diplomat gets ‘em but a lot of heat,” he mused.
FIN
Raymond Raddon
Raddon Corporation
NPC Dorian Gabriel
Dorian Gabriel
Security Consultant
Raddon Corporation
Cmdr. Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical
Lt Annora Tessaro
Assistant Security
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