Graak Bobded - We're Off to See the Wizard! The Wonderful Wizard of Hopper's Appartment!
Ka Banning
((Betazoid Bob’s Used Yacht Emporium - A few minutes later))
Bobded: Call it a solid hunch.
Ukinix: Alright. Since you’ve left it too late to evacuate, you can join the skeleton crew as an engineering assistant. Head to the Beijing district, follow the noise, and report to Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire. Follow her orders, and anyone in a uniform for that matter. We’re setting up a temporary Ops there.
Graak knew some of these Fleeters by name. Most, he did not. If only because most didn’t enter his store. He was going to have a hard time working out who’s who in the short haul. He was going to have to work that out on the fly.
Bobded: You can count on me, Commander! I’m sure we will make a solid team.
Ukinix: You’re going to have to work your butt off, Mister Bobded.
Bobded: Response
Ukinix: ::Gesturing with head towards Beijing district:: Go on, go, before the artificial ::looking up:: sun and weather systems are turned off and most of the Ring is plunged into darkness.
Graak gave one last look at his shop. The only thing he couldn’t protect. He wasn’t sure what he was going to be returning to once this was all over.
Bobded: Well, I best be on my way! Good day to you, Commander.
And with that, Graak spun around. It was better that he left sooner than later. He didn’t want to linger and dwell upon the fate of his shop. So he started humming to bring himself some comfort.
Bobded: 🎶 Betazoid Bob is the best around~! Betazoid Bob has the best yachts in town…..~! 🎶
((THE PAST - Just Off World of Braigex Colony - Alpha Quadrant - Decades ago….))
The storm was closing in and just at Graak’s heels. Perhaps the whole idea of his escape being a cruel joke was closer to the truth than he had realized. Klaxons were sounding on the bridge. It wasn’t long ago he was still safely at Braigex Colony. Now he was trying to out run a neutronic storm. The ship rattled and creaked under the intensity. Graak could feel more than a few things clench.
Maybe if he reached the asteroid field, he might stand a chance.
If only he could do this.
If only.
He rerouted as much power to the engines as possible. The field was in sight.
Bobded: Come on. Please. Just a little bit more….
He was doing the best he could to avoid clenching his teeth. Although, he already had more than a few things clenched.
But there he was. He just made it into the field when he saw another warning coming up on the HUD. He was here. But there was no outrunning the storm. He was just going to have to settle for survival. Graak knew the one place he could hide was closer to the engines just below the decks. He threw the yacht into autopilot. That would keep just enough time for him to hide below decks and survive the storm. It would have been hell on the engines themselves. But at least he’d live.
He’d live to feel the yacht being knocked about like a toy boat in a raging sea.
But he’d only remember so much of the impact. Before he was out cold…..
((THE PRESENT - Beijing District - Habitat Ring - En Route to Robin Hopper’s apartment))
“Just follow the noise.”
That’s what Graak was told. Yet he didn’t quite hear anything yet. The artificial sky was a dusky red which cast harsh shadows across the cityscape. No doubt they would lose this soon once the storm hit. Graak was rarely in the Beijing District. He knew the Merchant District like the back of his hand. More so since he lived over his own store. But he kept walking. Sooner or later, he’d run across this makeshift ops. All the while, he kept seeing these vole-like creatures skittering about and melting into the shadows. Amity was a relatively clean place. He didn’t ever recall it being infested by vermin.
Eventually, he did hear a noise. But it wasn’t quite the one he was looking for. Instead, when he turned around, he saw a gaggle of Fleeters.
Iko: You’re kidding me…
Orrey: What? ::looking over:: Oh by the Elements.
Aitas: Response
Iko: What are you doing here?
Graak put on his biggest smile as he could. Given the nature of the day, the smile was starting to feel like a rarer and rarer thing.
Bobded: Ah officers! How good of you to drop by! I was just on my way to help a certain Commander Rocky-Skyfire with my expertise.
Aitas: Response
Iko: I’d shove you in the brig if it wasn’t powering down. And I don’t trust your repair work. But we’re on our way to Robin’s and I’ll at least agree that it’s probably just easier if we let you camp it out with us.
Aitas: Response?
Orrey: Wasn’t Commander Ukinix coming to talk to you?
Bobded: He did. And it is by his good graces that I’m here to help however I can. You can call him to confirm, if you wish.
Graak had never seen these little…. Creatures before. In fact, they kind of looked like Cardassian voles to him. But way more uglier. Cardassian voles were actually cute in a way. Hence why he’s heard of a rumor of a few people keeping fixed ones as pets. But these looked NOTHING like that.
Iko: Y’know what’s up with these things?
Orrey: Or who could have imported them onto the station?
Graak held up his hands.
Bobded: I have nothing to do with this! I’m not in the pet trade!
Aitas: Response
It was then one member of the group pulled out his tricorder and waved it over him. Graak wasn’t sure what he was up to. But he was a little suspicious.
Orrey: Are you feeling well? Pulse is up so is your core temperature.
Bobded: If you are implying that I’m lying, you are sorely mistaken! In case you haven’t noticed, I’m Betazoid. We are known for our honesty.
Orrey: ::glancing at Iko:: Or it could indicate deception. ::shrugging casually::
R U D E.
Bobded: Well, you are so very direct, aren’t you, dear doctor? I can assure you that I am not the deceptive sort!
Iko/Aitas: Response?
Orrey: I have a specimen to look at and you have some interrogations so I think we need to keep moving if Fureri is done at the park? I don’t want to see what happens to you if he gets caught in the storm..
He wasn’t sure what a Furrari was. It was likely more Fleeter jargon, no doubt. But nobody should be caught out in an approaching storm like this.
Bobded: Well your big bossman himself has at the very least implied that the temporary ops is a safe place to go. And lucky for you, I’m headed that way too!
Iko/Aitas: Response?
Bobded: How about this? We all head there together! Myself and the rest of you! What do you say?
Orrey/Iko/Aitas: Response.
Graak then heard the all too chilling creaking sounds again. It was a warning to him. They had to leave now.
Bobded: You know? As much fun as it may be to stay here, I think an even better idea would be to leave.
Orrey/Iko/Aitas: Response.
Graak saw the glittering eyes in the shadows. No doubt more of those nasty little creatures were watching them. For a moment, he felt like he was being sized up by those things.
Bobded: Now I may be just a humble and honest used yacht salesman and not a biologist, but I get the sense that they’re watching us a little too closely.
Orrey/Iko/Aitas: Response.
Graak Bobded
(Betazoid Bob)
Betazoid Bob’s Used Yacht Emporium
Amity Outpost
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