When Clouds Gather, Pt II

Posted on Saturday, 28 November 2020 - 4:33pm by Warrant Officer Reza Jomiael & Zelon Bakar
Edited on on Saturday, 28 November 2020 - 4:33pm

Mission: Operation: Iktomi
Location: Freecloud
Timeline: BACK POST

Solace of spiced cinnamon blossoms permeated the air inside the converted suite as the patient awoke from a medically induced slumber. To his immediate left the resort’s medical physician sat upon the table, her right leg apathetically curtsied over the left. Contrary to her artificial nature, the woman was a precise being, the presence of which only slipped betrayal through a gentle hum of the overhead emitters. She gradually filed through a series of PaDDs documenting the procedure she’d just completed, hesitantly eyeing the replicated biobed next to her.

Luxurious as the residence was, the spare room had never been intended for medical diagnostics nor anything remotely comparable. Having been assembled in a hasty manner, although the room was sterilised it did not resemble that of a proper facility. Still, by some grace or finesse, perhaps familiarity towards working in such environments, the hologram made do. There was no visible strain of blood despite the small incision made to remove the collar, which now sat disassembled on a tray. Frantic sparks occasionally jettisoned from the debris leaving no argument if the device was in a broken state. Far beyond repair, it was only too hopeful that its victim would be able to recover given time.

The liberated slave rubbed his neck, quickly finding himself mothered over as the ginger woman henned about. She opened the locked door, giving little more than an decline of the head towards the guests present in the other room. It had been just over an hour. An uncomfortably tense one at that. Although heated words had long since fled the premises, Sorey was visibly anxious; his sporadic employer however didn’t appear to show any surface clues of upset. Kovri had left quite the impression, not all of it pleasant, yet it was clear the man was one of business.

Uncertain whether familial matters had ever been present in the man’s life, the basket sat undisturbed atop his entry table. The hologram busily treated over the sterilised surfaces as she brought any lingering remnants of her trade towards a large replicator in the back of the room. Eyes part upon the patient as his legs weakly swung over the bed, she frantically sped to his side to offer a means of physical support. “Be a dear and get a hoverchair would you?” she ushered towards the courier. Without a drop of hesitation the brunette sped off towards the lift, leaving the group behind as the physician stabilised her patient.

“He’s going to be weak for a few hours. No doubt groggy, but better that than feeling as if his head were sliced clean off.” She looked towards her charge. “I have a bundle of documents for his care,” the woman explained as she padded over to the basket, placing them inside. “See to it they’re strictly followed. There are references within for any care he might need — both directions and a network of capable specialists.”

Continuing to rub at his neck, the freeman had his palm swatted away with a warning not to irritate the spot. “Everything burns,” he frailly sponsored, quickly finding the surface of his skin scanned by the ginger.

“Normal, I’m afraid. Side effect. I couldn’t remove the cortical node implant, I’m afraid that will be permanent. For the moment I’ve rendered it inert; it was previously attempting to connect to a network off planet.” She looked over to her guests. “Best keep an eye on him. I suspect you haven’t seen the last of whoever he was involved with.”

Reza cleared his throat. "I anticipated something like that. Though I cannot say it is the news I want to bring back to the man who sent me here, I am confident that he was well aware that there may very well be repercussions for his command decisions," noted Reza. "I have essentially sworn my allegiance to protect the crew of his vessel, and the Orion....he may no exactly be crew, but the Captain feels responsible for him. By default that makes me responsible for protecting him as well," Reza Jomiael explained.

"What sort of care documents are we talking about?" asked Reza. "Did I just become his father or something? Because I definitely did not sign up on this mission for that sort of thing," countered the man shrugging his shoulders. "We have a decent physician aboard the ship, but he's also part of the reason we have the Orion, to begin with" added Reza shaking his head. That was a blunderfuck if he had ever heard about one.

Kovri stared blankly as the personal medical hologram shimmered, processing the information. Her face adopted a neutral expression as she turned to focus on the escort which had initially brought the once-slave forth. "Physical and mental well-being. A treatment plan, in plain standard. See to it that it's followed to the letter. You have no legal claim to the patient, so far as I'm aware. Per your earlier conversation however, you are, however responsible for him. And his safety."

Still not quite at normality, the frailest of the males looked over, his skin far paler than it had once been. "Got it. Only call him daddy in private," he ruddered. The casino proprietor washed away his face, looking aghast as the victim smirked. "I'm not going to be shocked for saying that out loud am I?"

Faintly glimpsing over the tanned male who had dragged him to Freecloud, he wondered exactly what was in it for the one who called himself Reza. "Because no offense, but that guy was a prick. Come to think of it, none of it was pleasant."

Unfazed by the conversation, the artificial medical practitioner looked over her work. "There is one other matter you should know. Your charge is not Orion. Closer inspection of his genetics revealed that. Given some time, his skin should fade to a more normalised hue." Daunted by the information, both the relative and patient shook their heads.

"I -- wait. What?" Liberated as the young man was, he sat there partly dumbfounded, despite his earlier comeback. Kovri began to open his mouth, instead opting to sit the matter out. The day had brought the oldest male enough to ponder over, and he'd already made a fool of himself after being dressed down by the courier.

"Apparently, you may look green, but you are not," Reza said with a small chuckle. "Interesting, I am curious what the reason behind this was, but it is not something uncommon. I know that some Klingons used to the undergo processes to make their appearance close to that of Humans, posing as them in some cases. I believe it happened on K-7 once," noted Reza. "Cuckoo birds," Reza added. "A species of birds on Earth that leave their eggs in the nest of other birds. I do not mind being 'daddy' to him, but I was expecting an Orion."


Confounded by the information drops pressed by multiple sources, the newly freed male shook his head. "This is going to give me a headache. I don't want to know any more right now. Just...write it down or something." The hologram looked curiously at him, surveying her patient before shrugging and walking over to the replicator to produce a data crystal.

"Plug this into a universal receiver port whenever you are ready. I've encrypted it to your bio-signature, so only you can access it." Willing or not, the once-enslaved shrugged before rubbing his temples.

"So...what now? Because I'd really like not to have to go out there like this. It's cold, for one thing. And now that I'm not forced to sell my body..." He frowned, still processing the newly gained freedom. It was going to take a long while before it was a familiar, if not welcome sensation for him. Talking in particular was something he was still hesitant towards. Looking at the medical programme he pointed at the free-agent who had escorted him. "He's not actually my legal guardian is he?"

She shook her head in the negative. "Once again, no. He has no legal claim or obligation. What business you two conduct here on out is between you."

"Great. Hear that? No leash. Or collar."

"And no protection," Reza retorted. "You may not have shackles, chains, nor collar, but your freedom will be at risk here. Your life may be in danger if you choose not to come with me. I'm not your legal guardian, but I have taken an oath to protect Commander Stillwater and by default, you as well. Come with me."

Reza looked at the liberated individual. "You would not be mistreated aboard the Standing Bear. Return with me and we can provide as much luxury as we can let alone protection."

Without an identity of his own, little remained for the smallest of the males to possibly refute. He was cornered. Again. "You all really know how to suck all the enjoyment out of getting freedom." Disquieting sighs ruffled from his throat as he fought back the urge to complain about the situation much further.

Looking to Kovri, the red-skinned man shrugged unable to compete with the offer. Or unwilling to be much further cooperative than he clearly needed to. "If I have to comply with the bodyguard, can I at least get a pair of clothes? If I have a choice in the matter, I don't want to prance around naked." Downtrodden, he looked over the room appraisingly with fair distinction between the fact none of it belong to him.

Some things never changed, even if he wanted the freedom to get small necessities of his own choice. Just something to say that he could actually have made a decision on.