SD 960902.23 DL LtCmdr Yim'Bar Cho'Lu Hunger in Winter

[Andy C.]

Paradise IV:  Temporary Officer's Quarters

 

Yim’Bar sat quietly on a park bench admiring the scenes around him.  The warm breeze of the summer tantalized his antennae; the scents of nature filled them.  He could sense that the fall was not far off.  The tree’s leaves beginning the slow descent into the winter bareness of their existence.  The birds chirped in the distance, two song birds dipping and diving playfully with one another, no care in the world for anything other than the moment.  It combined to form a sensory load which conveniently took away the pain of actuality.  Yim’Bar had been excited to discover that he would be sharing this post with old friends, and then had discovered a scourge that would taint that feeling.  A cloud that rained on his summer experience.   The cloud was the security situation on Paradise IV.  The harsh winter was like summer compared to the cloud of hate which seemed to thrive everywhere within the dome.

Yim’Bar ‘s summer scene, technologically induced through the aid of a pair of goggles, ear phones, coupled with a fan he found lying in his makeshift quarters, was shattered by the reality of the cold barren environment to which he now found himself assigned.  His temporary quarters had been issued pending his final placement within the chain of command at the Starfleet headquarters building.  It seemed the quarters were as run down as they could possibly be.  Unlike anything he had ever been assigned too, these quarters reflected not a Starfleet friendly locale, instead like every scent he detected there seemed to be an air of “take it or leave it” a sort of underlining carelessness or spite perhaps.  He wished he were Betazoid, perhaps then he could divine the true emotion that was settled on this outpost. 

His space was divided into three sections, a main sitting space complete with table, one chair, a ‘lounger’ which could barely stand up to its own weight and a view screen communications system which could access the main computer.  The second space was an archaic looking food preparation area complete with a small refrigeration device that had a pipe which brought cold air directly from outside the dome, a few pots and pans for cooking and a surface that connected with the pans and generated heat through conduction.  The final space was the piece de resistance, a bed that seemed twenty five centimeters too short and ten too narrow for Yim’Bar’s frame lined the far wall, a small table worn from use sat next to it with a time piece lying on its surface.  The time piece was a digital indicator of the current Stardate, time and dome temperature.  A small lavatory connected to the room for personal hygiene and bladder extraction.  The room was basically square and shaded in the light green color associated with deep glacial ice.  The floors were covered with extremely short carpeting that seemed to be thick with unremoved chemical cleaning agent.  The base of the walls showed signs of rodent travel, especially in the food preparation area.  Paradise IV, certainly lived up to its billing, from the outside not so much from within.  Like most places it always looked good in the brochures and promotionals, the reality was something wholly different.

Because of the lack of normal quartering Yim’Bar tried to spend an hour or two where he was now, sitting on a bench on a warm summer day just before fall overlooking an ancient pond with the scents of the wild drifting from the head gear he wore.  It took his mind off the reality enough to bear with the current assignment.  A bulk of the officers he was assigned with came from the Vimy Ridge, he should be crowded with times of fellowship and remembrances but they just hadn’t surfaced.  He had spent a couple hours with Nick Reed but that was the bulk of it.  Most of his time he spent in an effort to detect or perhaps understand what was going on.  The whole colony seemed against the Federation.  To that end when he was not trying to lose himself in the summer fantasy he tried to get near the citizenry and discover the root or perhaps just the surface cause of the separation. 

Cooking was not his forte, he preferred to talk his way into a meal rather than fix one.  He got up, placed his head gear on the shoddy table turned off the fan, which created the breeze effect, and headed for what he called the Cantina.  The whole dome environment seemed to remind him of an ancient Earth Old West Town, the only thing missing was a pair of swinging doors at the entry.  As he entered he looked around in an effort to find someone familiar, there was no one, as usual.  He approached the bar and took a seat in the middle in an effort to allow others to join him if they so desired. 

“Hey Fleet,” the bartender practically spat.  “Something I can get for you? You know we don’t use credits in here, you have Latium right?”

Yim’Bar tapped his belt, “I do.”  He wondered how much it would take for this meal his emergency cash was quickly depleting itself and things needed to change soon or there would be issues larger than he could solve. 

The Bartender smiled, “Good, what can I get for you.  I would like to offer you a special, but there is not one on the menu.  How about I give you a meal and something to drink and you just say thank you and head on out.”

Yim’Bar did not want any trouble and his antennae were beginning to pick up an underlining current, the same one that seemed to be everywhere, was it mistrust?  “A meal and something to drink will be fine and most appreciated.  If I can afford it I might be inclined to drink a bit more and better support your establishment if you will allow it.”

The mood lightened a little and the Bartender cracked a more sincere smile, not so foreboding as the previous one.  “We’ll see Starfleet.”  He walked away and got busy making Yim’Bar’s order.  As he turned three of the local citizens entered through the main door, obviously just finishing their daily work.

Yim’Bar glanced through the wall length mirror across from him, sizing up the threat level of the men that had entered.  Two of them seemed harmless, loud talkers, dirty from a hard day’s work.  Followers.  The third almost stiffened Yim’Bar’s extra sensory preceptors.  His eyes were narrow and seemed to stare through the mirror at Yim’Bar.  He carried a small piece of timber in his lips and wore a low cut hat over his head that seemed to help conceal his entire face from view.  The two followers began to head to a table opposite Yim’Bar, their leader changed their direction, and they headed for the bar.

Yim’Bar sat up a little as they approached.  The leader climbed onto the stool next to Yim’Bar.  He smelled of winter, obviously he was a miner who farmed some of the elements below ground where the temperatures were freezing, not unlike Andor.  Seizing the opportunity, Yim’Bar gave a slight nod to the miner.  “Good afternoon.” He stated hopefully.

The miner’s eyes seemed to narrow further, “Nothing good about this afternoon.  I have good friends trapped in the mine.  Including family members.”  His demeanor worsened as he spoke, “If I were you, I would find somewhere else to go before the rest of my shift gets here for their nightly break.  Just a friendly warning.”  There was nothing friendly in the words; threat might have been a better term.

Yim’Bar had heard reports of fighting amongst the colonists and the federation personnel; that was not his style.  He wanted to avoid that at all costs.  “I am truly sorry to hear about your family and friends, I am sure we are doing all we can for them.”

“You lousy fleeter caused the earthquake that pinned them and you are sorry.  Thanks for your sentiments but they are unwanted.  You and your friends just need to leave the planet, that might help some.” His attitude remained and sharpened as he gently turned on the stool.  The two men with him got off their stools and moved closer.

Federation climate controls were never adequate for Yim’Bar he sweat all the time.  Paradise IV offered some peace to that, generally, but the heat was certainly rising around Yim’Bar.  He could sense the brutality that this man was about to release in Yim’Bar’s direction. 

“Gentlemen, Slav!” The bartender called out speaking the name of the miner. “This guy had nothing to do with the earthquake or Jennah’s entrapment.  The earthquakes were happening before they arrived.  Leave him alone.”

“Stuart this is none of your business!” Slav stated speedily.  “It's between me and this Federation slime.”

“There is no need to get loud; I will not allow this time to be interrupted for you, sir.” Yim’Bar said engaging everything in his being to calm himself.  He wanted to throw the man across the room and teach him just what a security officer could do if necessary.

“Sounds like we got a real smart fleeter here y’all.” Slav said to the room.  Others had begun to arrive.

Yim’Bar gently slid off the stool.  “I will be leaving.” He replied, lowering his height and shrinking his physical presence in order to avoid intimidating the men.  The press of miners was becoming quite large and volatile.  Slowly he started heading for the exit.

“Hey Fleet!” Stuart the bartender said.  “You owe me 2 strips for your meal and drink.”

Yim’Bar wanted to say that he had not been served and that it was completely unfair that he should pay for something he did not receive.  He wanted to lash out at all of the men present and wipe the floor with Slav right after he crushed Stuart’s face for such an insult as a charge for no food.  He chose to remove the three strips in his belt and lay them on the bar.  “Keep the change and thanks for the great service.” He replied, “My meal was fantastic.”

Stuart took the proffered payment with a smile, “Always ready to serve the Federation, friend.”

Yim’Bar exited penniless, tense, and hungry.  He could hear the laughter of the men, including the bartender, as he walked away.  He heard them talking about how easy it was to intimidate and take the Latium off wimpy Star Fleet officers like himself.  He was humiliated and walked back to the hole that served as his quarters disgusted with himself for trying to negotiate with ungrateful people.

 

Lt.Cmdr. Yim’Bar Cho’Lu

Security Officer

Paradise IV