Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper & Scientist Pa’akia: And Just What Do You Want?
Robin Hopper
((Holding Cell – Paak Homeworld, Paak System, Barossa Nebula))
The scientist stepped forward and passed Robin the tray. The science officer accepted it gladly and took it back to her cot, sitting and placing the tray down beside her. There were no implements provided to eat the cubes, so she picked one of the gelatinous food shapes up and examined it briefly before popping it into her mouth. It tasted like wet cardboard – but after the stress of the past 24 hours, and the frigid temperature of her holding cell, she gobbled it up happily.
Pa’akia: My name is Pa’akia… And you are Lieutenant Commander Robin Hopper.
Hopper: ::Mouth full of cube:: Oo cab juzz call be “Wobin”.
Pa’akia: What?
Robin shrugged, doing her best to appear nonchalant and non-threatening, despite the fact that gobbled down a cube of fibrous gelatin as eagerly as a starved prisoner (and was, therefore, clearly in no condition to appear nonchalant or threatening).
Hopper: ::Swallowing:: Robin. You can just call me Robin. It’s like we said yesterday – we are structured like a military, but we’re really just explorers… ::Indicating her uniform:: I’m a scientist. Like you.
Pa’akia moved over towards Robin, taking a few steps forward, and then spoke softly and conspiratorially.
Pa’akia: Yes. I know. That’s why I wanted to come and speak with you… I believe we need you and your friends’ help…
Robin, about to shovel another sustenance cube into her mouth, paused. She lowered the nutrition brick back down to the tray, despite her stomach’s protestations, and looked at the Paak scientist with keen interest. While Robin was hardly feeling charitable towards the Paak people at the moment, Pa’akia was the first person they’d met who didn’t seem to have taken extreme offense (or worse, disinterest) at their predicament – which felt like an opportunity worth exploring.
Hopper: Our help? Why? ::Looking around the cell:: Better yet, how? I don’t think I can be of much use to anyone in here.
Pa’akia: ::Regretful:: Yes, I’m afraid our people haven’t started things off on the best Paak, have we?
Robin closed her eyes and sighed, more annoyed by the continued use of the blanket term “Paak” than anything, but she muttered in agreement all the same.
Hopper: You can say that again.
Pa’akia: I’m not sure where exactly your friend is being held, though I have inquired. You have been deemed less of a threat to the peaceful continuance of law and order, and so I have been permitted to speak with you about… ::Quietly:: Warp technology.
Robin leaned forward and whispered back in hushed tones…
Hopper: ::Quietly:: Why are we whispering?
Pa’akia looked over her shoulder at the soldier, around the room, nervously.
Pa’akia: There are some among the Paak – myself included – who have begun to see PAAK for what it really is… Not a benevolent guardian, but a captor, holding us back from progress.
Hopper: You mean, keeping you from developing nuclear weapons and so on? ::Snort:: Trust me, that’s actually pretty benevolent.
Pa’akia: Be that as it may, as many times as we have been held back from self-destruction, we have also been held back from progress. However, this is not exactly a popular paak yet. My position could be compromised if it was discovered I held such convictions.
Hopper: ::Brow furrowing:: You mentioned that your warp vessel was damaged during some sort of, uhhh… ::Snapping her fingers, trying to find the word:: umm…
Pa’akia: Judgement.
Hopper: ::Pointing to Pa’akia:: Yeah, that’s it.
Pa’akia: That was somewhat accurate, Lieutenant Commander, however it perhaps would have been more accurate to say that the facility housing the experimental engines was damaged during the recent wave of electromagnetic emissions from PAAK. We decided then not to risk the engines and converted our vessel to utilize more conventional propulsion systems… The warp drive – as you call it – is still intact. Though it is fragile. I worry that it could be at ri–
There was the sound of wireless chatter from the other side of the room, drawing both Robin and Pa’akia’s gazes towards the guard standing by. They activated a ear-mounted device with the press of a finger, listening closely to some sort of private message, before nodding to Pa’akia.
Paak (Soldier): Delegate Pai’Lak is coming to speak with the prisoner.
Pa’akia: Mmm… ::To Robin:: I am not sure of Pai’Lak’s stance on your case, or on… any of the rest of this. I will speak with him.
Hopper: ::Shrug:: I’m not going anywhere… ::Popping another grey cube into her mouth:: Goob luck!
((Corridor, Outside Holding Cell))
Pa’akia opened the door to the cell once more and she and the guard stepped out, just in time to see Delegate Pai’lak approaching. While she was sure he wouldn’t be familiar with her – his reputation preceded him, and she immediately raised her hands over her head, forming the traditional sign of the Crystal of Benevolence above her head and bowing slightly in respect.
Pai’Lak: Scientist. May I ask as to the purpose of your visit to one of our…special guests?
She lowered her hands and stood up straight once more, smiling plainly to the delegate.
Pa’akia: Not a problem, Delegate. My name is Pa’akia – I am the scientific representative for the extrapaakials’ tribunal. I am attempting to learn more about them; Their scientific and technological advancements, and other such paak.
Pai’Lak nodded, his initial skpeticism seeming to melt away. Pa’akia hoped her explanation, which was truthful enough, rang so for him.
Pai’Lak: Of course. My apologies. ::Motioning towards the door, palm held upward:: I myself need to discuss something with our guest. Would you care to join me? Or do you have other business to attend to?
Pa’akia: I would be honoured. I believe that Lieutenant Commander Robin Hopper is feeling more conversational now… Though, if the last day is anything to go by, she may well accidentally say some truly horrendous things.
Pai’Lak: Very well.
Pai’Lak nodded, moving towards the door, seemingly unphased by the obscenities of the offworlders. He pressed his hand to the controls of the door and stepped through when it opened.
((Holding Cell))
Pai’Lak: Lieutenant Commander Robin Hopper. ::Holding his hands above his head, forming a triangle:: I am Delegate Pai’Lak, of the Paak Diplomatic Delegation.
Robin, having just scraped the last bits of gray jello off her tray with her finger, removed her digit from her mouth, chuckling awkwardly.
Hopper: Uhh, ha ha, I… I was pretty hungry. ::Clearing her throat, standing:: What can I do for you, umm, sir?
She wasn’t entirely sure what the right pronoun was for the Paak delegate – but figured any option would be less troublesome than “paak”. He smiled.
Pai’Lak: Ah, It would appear your technology is finally making some sense of our Paak.
Hopper: ::Tilting her head back and forth:: Well, yes and no… Unfortunately, the translation still appears pretty unforgiving.
Pai’Lak: Paak. Well, translating some Paak is better than no Paak.
He straightened his robes and folded his hands together, sleeves falling over them. She crossed her arms and waited, wondering what exactly this pale old Paak wanted from her. Pa’akia, meanwhile, watched on from across the room. If Robin had to guess the scientists’ mood, she’d go with ‘nervous’.
Pai’Lak: I am…pleased to inform you that your Paak has arrived, and is requesting a meeting to negotiate your release.
Hopper: My Pa– ::stopping herself:: You must mean Ambassador Vataix? That’s great news! So, am I free to go then?
Pai’Lak: Before they do arrive, there were a few matters of Paak that I wished to go over with you. If you wouldn’t mind.
Robin let out an obviously-annoyed and grumbly sigh, but leaned back against the wall of her cell.
Hopper: Yeah, fine, you and everybody else. You know – I don’t know who you all think you are. Take someone prisoner all for a mistranslated word and then expect us to be all polite and helpful about it. ::Rolling her eyes:: What do you want?
Pai’Lak: Response
Robin glanced to Pa’akia and then back to Pai’Lak. Truth be told, she was trying to work out which – if either of them – she could trust to genuinely provide her and Wil with any sort of useful support in exchange for her help. Now that she had a bit of food in her belly, she was actually beginning to work up the energy necessary to tell them both to leave her alone… But, until she actually saw Rivi and whoever else had come along, she wasn’t about to count herself as “rescued” just yet.
Hopper: I might know a thing or two. You’ll need to be more specific – after all, saying anything to any of you feels a bit like walking on eggshells. ::Pausing:: Not sure if you’re familiar with that expression or not… You see what I mean?
Pa’akia: Not entirely.
Pai’Lak: Response
Hopper: Whatever. Hit me with your questions – but I want to know that the others are really here. Is there any chance I could speak with them, tell them what’s going on here?
Pai’Lak: Response
TBC
