Cmdr. Geoffrey Teller (Act 2 Start!) - That old Ketar V Smell

[Geoffrey Teller]

((Transporter Room 1, Deck 1, USS Thor))

Leaning towards a particularly glossy panel and examining his reflection, Geoff prodded at and scrunched his recently broken nose, convinced it wasn't right somehow.  He had no memory of the injury itself, just the last few seconds of weightlessness aboard the Penetrator.  When he came to in Sickbay he found out their plan had worked and the crew of the Penetrator was largely intact.  The Thor's medical staff had worked non-stop since then, learning as much as they could about Zet physiology while treating a broad spectrum of injuries.  Their efforts were regularly hampered by members of the Penetrators crew who announced themselves as middle management and demanded a complex series of meetings be undertaken, to what end no one seemed to know.  Fortunately one of the medical technicians hit on the idea of having the middle managers themselves meet to discuss the planning of these meetings, and they haven't been heard from since.  Geoff scowled at his reflection, that had been four days ago.  Someone should check on them.  

He leaned back from the console as their principal medical staff joined them.  Their new CMO Doctor Alieth had done a remarkable job triaging patients and performing hasty field medicine on the Penetrator, and Doctor Quen has performed with similar heroism back aboard the Thor, coordinating the on board relief effort and tending to the flood of wounded and confused evacuees.  Geoff had reviewed the mission report from the Captains team, and while he still had a number of questions around why the Captain chose to be on the Penetrator at all, his assessment of Ensign Katsim's performance was much more straight forward.  She'd done a fine job as part of the Captain's team and Geoff was lucky to have her accompanying them to the surface.  The officers took position around the transporter pad and Geoff nodded to Chief Larell, but paused before stepping onto the pad.  

Teller:  Doctors, Ensign, glad we're all here.  The situation is this ::Geoff tapped on a nearby display and showed images from the planet::  We began beaming down our evacuees to a location they designated as their 'mandated domicile,' but they're being turned away and we're not sure why.  We've had to temporarily stop relaying people to the ground until we can sort this out.  

Quen/Alieth/Katsim:  Response

Teller:  Well, in addition to making sure the people you treated actually have homes to go back to the Fleet Captain wants us to take a look around.  A through one.  I don't know about you three, but some of what we saw on the Penetrator left a real bad taste in my mouth. We need to understand the Zet better and until we do, lets keep digging.  Questions?  

Quen/Alieth/Katsim:  Response

Teller:  Very well, eyes open, best behavior...::Geoff was speaking to himself as much as anything, considering his introduction:: we're the friendly aliens you...  

Mercifully Chief Larell decided now was an excellent time for transport and engaged the cycle, whisking the away team off the ship.  

((Employee Esplanade 993 - Saldanian Life@Home Employee Mandated Domicile Services, LLC))

Arriving outside a massive but deeply dinghy apartment tower, the first thing to hit Geoff was not the enormity of the building itself, which must've been home to hundreds of thousands and stretched so far towards the sky it was impossible to see the top from his vantage point.  The first thing that hit Geoff was the smell, and it hit like a fully loaded ore freighter. It may have been a miasma of alien scents on a planet Teller had never been to, but Geoff had once smelled slums, and the memory had stuck with him.  It was a rank, stomaching churning aroma of hopelessness and misery mixed with cheap food and poor hygiene.  It was no way for anyone to live but according to the Thor's scans, the planet and several nearby moons were packed tightly with structures almost identical to this one.  The Borg would've described it as efficient.  

Geoff blinked and cleared his vision, reminding himself to observe objectively.  He had to keep a neutral diplomatic tone and represent Starfleet and the Federation in front of a whole planet.  Besides, It'd be rude to show up and start criticizing their civilization in the first five minutes.  The smell lingered.  

Their destination was an office several hundred meters into the structure but they had chosen to land outside, where some of their former guests were milling around or encamped along the perimeter.  Surprisingly, it wasn't long before he saw a familiar face.  

Teller:  Vice Associate Rod'gurs...what seems to be going on here?  Why aren't the crew going inside?

Shaggee seemed deeply morose, his six eyes blinking slowly and out of sync.  It was as unsettling as it was sad.  The zet muttered to himself, barely noticing their team.  

Rod'gurs:  A Capital Loss.  Declared Capital Loss. Ledger closed. Credit history gone.  No severance.  

Quen/Alieth/Katsim:  Response

Rod'gurs:  All of us.  Written off.  ::Shaggee made a noise somewhere between a giggle and a sob that Geoff found deeply unsettling::  Declared a loss.  It was the most fiscally prudent move for the Corporation.  

Teller:  Is there anyone we can discuss this with here?  

Shaggee seemed to fall back into a prepared sales presentation.  The words seemed repeated from deep memory.  

Rod'gurs:  The Saldanian corp arcology complete domicile solution is a remarkable innovation in low operational cost minimal survivability living.  To streamline administrative, judicial and civic oversight, local arcology directors will have broad discretion in matters of employee housing retention or termination.  ::The zet snapped out of his fugue, now making eye contact with Geoff.::  You might be able to schedule a meeting with them, but it'll be several rotations until they even meet again for an emergency.  We'd need to file an emergency motion and...

Teller:  I think they'll meet with us.  Lead the way, Mr. Rod'gurs.  Everyone else - take all the readings you can as we work our way into this structure ::Geoff stepped in something, paused, and shook his head.::...and watch your step.  

Quen/Alieth/Katsim:  Response

Tags/TBC!

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Commander Geoffrey Teller

Executive Officer

USS Thor - NCC 82607

Commodore A. Kells, Commanding

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