"Mirroring a Conscience"

[LeftEar JoNs 0]

8.13.06

ISS Agincourt ICC-81762

“Mirroring a Conscience”

 

JoNs was hunkered down among a stand of medium sized trees, bushes and scrub grass, observing the large village down at the bottom of the hill. She wore civilian travel clothing of browns and tans and a lightweight black cloak of Klingon design, the hood covering her head. Her right paw rested on the Klingon disruptor holstered low on her hip. A travel cylinder rested across her back, containing some items.

 

With the Agincourt orbiting Psi Velorum, and the Marine deployment to collect tribute from the inhabitants and the Sciences deployment to investigate some sort of ancient ruins, the Caitian had seized the opportunity to do some profitable networking. Any planet, no matter the technological level, would always have a need for medicinal aid. It was just a matter of putting the feelers out and knowing what targets were prime; she had chosen a somewhat isolated village in the Northwestern Hemisphere of the planet, well away from the current locations being focused on. Once completing her duty shift and taking care of the Zimm fracas, she had arranged to quietly beam down to the planet surface via a well placed transporter tech bribe and threat, whichever you preferred. Satisfied that the village was clear, she started moving down the hill.

 

She remained in the open, approaching the village with confident strides. When she had gotten within one hundred yards, calls began to ring out in an alert to her presence. The village looked pre industrial with the tents and ramshackle dwellings, but also showed some evidence of technology. Interface consoles and equipment, while battered, could be seen throughout the village. The villagers themselves were lizard like, varying in shades of green to brown, and wore simple, functional work clothing. Kansas entered the main entrance to the village, giving the “guard” – a large lizard holding what looked like a third hand Romulan rifle from two hundred years ago – a look that said “Don’t be shooting yourself in the foot with that now” as she passed him.

 

There was a group of children playing a game just inside the village, and, well, children will be children. Oblivious to her arrival and the nervous excitement of their elders, they continued playing. Right up until an oblong sack of leather stuffed with something soft smacked Kansas in the side of the head. Well, ow.

 

You could have heard an isolinear chip drop. She angrily pulled down the hood and glared at the children. A female lizard, who was probably a mother of one or several of the children made a move to rush toward them. Kansas stopped her in her tracks with a low growl. She also heard that rifle being cocked behind her and then a tink of something hitting the ground, followed by the low muttering of the guard. Yep, that rifle was a piece of targ crud. Regardless, she did not fancy being shot in the back by ancient weaponry, even if it was very used.

 

The Caitian grabbed the ball from the ground and straightened, fixing the children with a long, cool look. The six of them, ranging in ages from very young to say pre-teen, had huddled around the oldest one, a female that was doing her best to look defiant. It needed work.

 

Kansas shifted her stance sideways, placing her right foot behind her and her left foot toward the front. She gripped the ball in both paws. “Well, who’s going to catch?” Her universal translator implant interpreted the statement into the standard language of the planet. A boy, not that much younger then the girl, broke away from the group, made eye contact with the Caitian, and then started running. Kansas heaved the ball. The boy ran about twenty yards, turned and then caught the ball. He yelled what sounded like “Zarhan” to Kansas; the translator couldn’t quite make it out. The remaining children took off running after their playmate with hissed cries and began the game anew.

 

She turned back toward the mother who looked much relieved. “The medical…eh…facility? The village doctor?” The lizard woman pointed in the general direction. “Uztach. He is that way.”

 

Kansas nodded her thanks and then began walking. She called over her shoulder to the lizard guard as she went. “The safety’s on by the way.”

 

She came to one of the larger tents, and it just had to be what passed for the village’s medical facility. A row of bunks was visible, along with console interfaces and clear cabinets containing instruments and what looked like old fashioned data slates. The few medical staffers turned at the new arrival, and an older male lizard emerged from a back office area.

 

He looked at Kansas and hissed his greeting, using her “business” name tagged on her from a prior legitimate mission. “Oz?” The Caitian nodded her affirmation. “This way please.” To his staff, he said, “Please go about your business, everything is fine.”

 

She walked down the aisle between the beds and the cabinets, the black cloak billowing behind her as she went. One of the medical staff’s slitted eyes locked onto the disruptor Kansas carried before she became studiously interested in the data slate she carried. Kansas entered the doctor’s office area.

 

He was kindly, but all business. “You have my supplies.” Kansas loved when they were direct.

 

“I do. You have my payment?” He nodded assent. She placed the travel cylinder on a nearby workbench and removed a smaller plasteel box of civilian make. Once entering the codes, the lid popped to reveal twenty five stripped down hypos. Kansas pointed to each grouping, quickly explaining the color coding as she had understood them from Doctor Levy.

 

“The red hypos are a minor derivative of several clotting compounds and stimulants, for use with patients that need adrenaline to stay alive as well as their wounds to clot. The blue hypos are a straight pain killer. The yellow hypos are antibiotics. The orange hypos are Cordrazine, nice little stimulant boosts either medical wise or non-medical, whatever you prefer. The green hypos contain Hyronalin, normally for radiation, but I’m sure you know how to apply the properties elsewhere. That’s all I have Doctor; you need to figure out the correct dosages for your people and what you can use where.” Kansas then gazed at Uztach expectantly.

 

Without a word, the lizard walked over to a nearby battered cabinet and removed a leather pouch and tossed it to the Caitian. “Rare gems gleaned from our distant beaches years ago, and some family heirlooms donated by our leading citizens.”

 

The heirlooms were necklaces and bracelets of semi good bone and natural stone quality, no doubt in the families for generations. The gems, while uncut, were more to the Caitians liking. She removed the five raw gems, and tossed the pouch back to the doctor. “Keep the jewelry, I don’t need it. Return them to the families; I’m not a robber...” she fixed the doctor with a meaningful look “… unlike some enforcers.” If the medical lizard understood that statement as it applied to what the distant villages on his planet were experiencing, he made no show of it.

 

Kansas placed the gems in a belt pouch, and then slung the travel cylinder across her back. Doctor Uztach carefully placed the medical equipment in a safe, locking it with a crude key and lock device. He turned and regarded the Caitian.

 

“Thank you. We can make good use of these supplies, especially when the harsher seasons hit…”

 

JoNs put up a paw, whether from embarrassment or annoyance it was hard to tell, to stop the lizard. “Doctor, I was paid. I did not do this out of the kindness of my heart. I need to be going. Good luck to you and your people.” She turned to leave.

 

“Can you tell me anything of what happens to our sister villages in the Southern Hemisphere?” The doctor blurted the statement, as if wanting to say it before his courage waned. The question was a veiled statement at best; what he really wanted to know is if his remote village would be payed a little visit as well by the Agincourt’s Marine enforcers.

 

Kansas rounded on the doctor, hissing. “Questions like that can be detrimental to both of us Doctor!” He backed up a few steps as she fixed him with a baleful glare and hissed again.

 

For a few seconds there was silence; Kansas was sure the medical staff was listening outside as well. She made a decision.” I…honestly don’t know what you can expect. Perhaps…a field trip for the children is in order to explore those distant beaches of yours, or a small vacation for your villagers. Within the next week or so, say. And leave a…minor payment behind, just enough mind you, not necessarily everything. Just a suggestion.”

 

With a nod and a tight smile, the Caitian again turned to leave the medical dwelling. The medical staff scrambled to get away from the small doorway and only succeeded in looking highly interested in the nearby cabinets.

 

Uztachs hissed voice called out after her. “Of course. Again, we thank you.”

 

Kansas stalked through the village, and exited past the same guard. The children were no where to be found. Dusk was beginning to settle and cooking smells wafted out from the dwellings. She crossed the flat plain to the hill. She flipped her hood back up and climbed on all fours back up to the trees that she had been using for cover. Once back undercover, she turned around, and regarded the village below, enjoying the brief solitude before returning to the rough and tumble life that constituted being a non Terran officer of the Imperial Fleet.

 

She tapped the wrist communicator hidden under her tunic sleeve, activating an encrypted channel. “One to beam up.”

 

Lt. (SG) M.S. “Kansas” JoNs

Chief Tactical-Assistant Security