Lt. Commander Laria Herren and MSNPC Varl - Let the Coward Do His Thing
Laria Herren
((Adirim Bolen’s Manor - Paoike Colony, Drever IV))
Laria led Varl and T’Ama to the source of the noise. Ironic, given that either of them probably had more sensitive hearing. But she didn’t need a Vulcan’s senses to hear the frantic noises now. The trio came to an open door looking into the master bedroom. As she approached she had an idea of what was happening but silently hoped she was wrong.
Nope, that’s exactly what it was. Adirim Bolen folding up some clothes and gathering a few personal items from his nightstand before stuffing them into a luggage container. He was in such a rush to leave he didn’t even close the bedroom door. Or notice the three of them standing there. Her already low expectations were still too high. She vocalized her disbelief quietly as she watched the colony’s brave leader hurriedly packing up to leave.
Herren: He isn’t- ::She sighed and muttered under her breath.:: Oh you are kidding me…
T’Ama: ::barely audible:: Mmmmhm…
She looked to Varl with a look of fury that could kill, asking his permission to do what she was about to do.
Varl: ::Quietly:: Go ahead.
Laria marched into the bedroom with purpose and cleared her throat before talking in the angriest version she had of her diplomatic voice. A barely-restrained tone of contempt and disbelief.
Herren: Going somewhere, Mr. Bolen?!
The colony’s leader dropped the pair of shoes he was packing and spun around to face them. He had a momentary deer in the landing lights look before coming up with an excuse that she wasn’t about to buy for a second.
Bolen: Oh, hello! I, um- got an urgent call from a former friend of mine at Cardassian Central University. He thinks that a university on Renavi might have a promising compound that could address the blight. So I was going to go ::Pause:: pick it up.
Laria crossed her arms, not responding at all. How stupid did he think they were? If he had some idea of a cure he would be running around shouting it from the rooftops. She needed a moment to come up with a coherent and non-judgemental answer to that.
T’Ama: What’s the compound?
Bolen: Don’t remember the name, it was a call over subspace, fairly technical. But I’m sure that the staff at the university will figure out what I’m talking about.
Varl had taken a few steps back out into the hallway, observing as the Starfleet officers gave his boss the talking to he wished he could.
Herren: That’s it, then? The going gets rough and you decide to leave your entire colony to fend for itself?
So much for being non-judgemental. At least she was calm. Everything she’d seen pointed to Adirim Bolen, by intentional sabotage, neglect, or stupidity set the colony up in a precarious situation that could tip at any moment. And now he was packing up and deciding to bail on the colony. After months of his people’s livelihoods wilting away and dying before them and just as the consequences of the environmental toxins were working their way up to the food chain. Starting with a small child. Not to mention that the “lord mayor” apparently had an escape craft of some kind hidden away. The one area where he had shown some forethought.
Bolen: I…
Even he had to realize how bad it looked. He trailed off right at the start of his explanation, staring them down at a complete loss for words.
T’Ama: Adirim…
Lieutenant T’Ama stepped forward with a softer approach. Laria smiled internally. She was glad to see someone else showing the initiative to be diplomatic and try and calm things down. Her approach was definitely better than Laria’s own approach. She had let her passion get ahead of her. Something about Mr. Bolen’s behavior had been so disappointing and angering. A betrayal of a people by their leader of a decade. So she let the operations officer lead the conversation while standing in the back with crossed arms.
T’Ama: Tell me… Why are you really running away?
Laria knew that El-Aurians had a reputation for being good listeners and advisors and counselors. She was watching those abilities in action from the Vulcan/El-Aurian officer. It seemed so natural, and she watched the Betazoid nobleman fold and confess his reasons.
Bolen: This is getting to be too much. Giant creatures attacking people, storms, people getting sick. I can’t handle this. And I really don’t want to become a casualty of one of those hazards.
Well that was honest, at least. It was pathetic behavior from a supposed colony leader in charge of an entire community. However, it was honest.
T’Ama: Is that all? It’s all just too much for you? Where do you keep the ship you’re going to leave on?
Bolen: Yes, exactly! ::Pause:: I keep a luxury shuttle kept in a hangar built beneath one of the buildings in the abandoned expansion. Just in case.
T’Ama: ::shaking her head, sadly:: Where were you going to go, Adirim? The Sixteenth House doesn’t want you back.
If the lord mayor found that alarming, that they knew that, he didn’t show it on his face. He just went right into sharing his “plan” of escape. If it could be called that. T’Ama’s question had prodded at a tender spot.
Bolen: Renavi isn’t too far away. Or maybe just stick in orbit for a while and monitor the situation. Somewhere, anywhere safer than here right now. And once things calm down…
What, he would come back and take over like nothing had happened? The more Adirim talked, the less respect she had for him. Not that she really had any to begin with.
T’Ama: Definitely a coward and unsuited to lead.
Laria nodded.
Herren: Agreed.
Bolen: I- Look, I admit I’m in over my head. But I called Starfleet here to bring expert help. And now that you’re here I know the problem is in more capable hands than mine. There is nothing cowardly about self-preservation. It’s rational and I’m not abandoning anybody.
Herren: Just because you have a rational basis for something, that doesn’t make it virtuous or not cowardly. We’ve put ourselves at risk working to solve the mystery of what’s happening here. Lieutenant T’Ama here was hit in the eye with hail. One of our teams had a close encounter with the megafauna you’re so worried about. But we’re still here.
Which was all part of their job. They were Starfleet, danger was part of the job. But Bolen was the de facto leader of a planet. That wasn’t a job for a bored aristocrat looking for a hobby. When a crisis came a leader had to step up and deal with the danger.
T’Ama: Response
Bolen: Think whatever you want of me, but I’m making the smart choice. ::He frowned, feeling defensive.:: And besides, you can’t keep me here! I’m free to leave if I want.
Which was true. She had neither the inclination nor the power to force him not to leave. However, she was not about to let Bolen get away with it. He could go about his merry way. And she would document in her report every detail of Bolen’s cowardice. They were there to investigate the colony issues, after all. And it was becoming increasingly clear that a failure of leadership was right at the top of that list.
Herren: That you are. You’re free to give into your own worst instincts and run away without a plan of where you’re going. We’re still going to be here cleaning up your mess. And we will be sure to fully document everything that’s happened.
T’Ama: Response
Perhaps there was another way to make Bolen shout down his inner coward and stick around with his people who didn’t have private escape shuttles. If shame wouldn’t work, maybe fear could.
Herren: Of course, it might be wise to get a flight plan from him, don’t you think lieutenant? If these toxins are moving up the food chain as we suspect, you could already be sick and start experiencing symptoms during the flight. That would be very dangerous alone.
She looked at T’Ama and smiled a bit. It was technically true. She wasn’t lying to Bolen. Simply painting a picture of the potential worst case scenario for him. It seemed like the Betazoid man scared easily. And he probably wasn’t thinking much about the possibility that the danger he was running away from had already gotten him.
T’Ama: Response
That seemed to leave Adirim speechless. He fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling with the look of someone who was finally confronting the truth about himself. She had a feeling that they had forced him to take a good long look in the mirror. It didn’t seem like he was coping well with what he saw.
Herren: Mr. Varl, where do the ships from Deep Rockets land?
Varl: There’s a supply warehouse to the east of the main plaza and a small landing strip that divides two fields behind it. It should be unlocked if you would like access.
Herren: Thank you. ::Turning to T’Ama:: Should we go check it out, or anything else you want to ask?
She had all of the data Varl had shown them on her PADD. Next up on their assignment, examine the site itself and see if it was a hotspot for contamination.
T’Ama: Response
Lieutenant Commander Laria Herren
Mission Specialist/Second Officer
USS Constitution-B
A239402AG0