Winston Chronicles: Qob/Tranquility Universe

[Mitar Precip 0]

2420

Guardian Precinct HQ Unspeakable District

Breakroom, Before morning shift.

The Precinct's breakroom was not the best of places. There were occasional insects, curses, and wanted signs many of which had been "edited" by Lawmen. The mood of the blandly lit breakroom was of frustration with talk of Minos, how he bested Marshal Savoy and what the Taurus Brothers were going to do about it.

For Mark Winston, all plans of his reassignment to the high-rise district for sniper training were put on hold. His assigned trainer was now unavailable. No sheriff was allowing any of their personnel on special assignment with the recent developments of Minos' escape. All Mark could do was wait and try to find out what plans were in store for him courtesy of Sheriff "Big Al" Knorr.

In the meantime he thought of showing a fellow lawman his recently liberated ODRI from the "Garage Shootout" case locker while killing time in the bland room meant to keep the local Guardians happy.

"Never seen a shared ODRI. Your very fortunate your father fixed this up so you can use it." Systems Control Officer (SCO) Dina Crystal commented as she held the Winston ODRI.

"Well, my father certainly was a planner. Have you had any luck accessing the encrypted data files he left on it?" Mark asked from the other side of the mess table.

"No, sorry Mark. I'm a system operator. Basically the equivalent to an operations officer on a Starship. I'm not a slicer." Crystal frowned as she handed the ODRI back to Mark. "I am familiar with some ODRI technology, but as you can see," Crystal showed her wrists, "I am not fortunate to own one."

"And I sure as heck am not going to some ODRI store on the corner to buy one like your partner did," Crystal added as she sipped her caf." Blegh.!! Can't any Guardian alive make a decent pot!" Dina promptly dumped her entire beverage in the recylcer.

Mark smiled. He liked Dina; he wasn't certain what the SCO of the Precinct HQ thought of him. Maybe he should try to get to know the voice he often heard on the hovercar's comm. What the heck?

"So how did you get to be the SCO of the lovely Unspeakable District?" Mark took the risk.

"Not quite the same way you got here for sure!" Dina laughed. "I'm referring of course to your father landing that shuttle on his assigned plot. What in the world was he thinking? They did tell him he was supposed to take registered transport from Alderbaran and have everything processed at the port?"

Mark wasn't certain if she was evading his question with another. He proceeded if it was an innocent remark about his Father's "famous" boldness. "Yes, they did. But everything we had..was tied into that shuttle we left-"

"Stole" Crystal inserted.

"It was our home." Mark carried on. "Mobile.... He wasn't about to have some Guardian Port official evict us. So he just said 'c'mon Mark'...and we took off with our plot assignment in hand."

"Lucky you weren't shot down."

"Yeah but the Alderbaran spaceport was just packed with asylum seekers like us. Too many people for them to handle" Mark threw his hands up. They let us go; they knew we weren't carrying anything illegal. They scanned everything."

Crystal smirked. "And gave the job to the Tranquility Port Authority, who ordered your father to land at the port and he refused... just kept going and landed."

"Right where we were assigned to be." Mark pointed out. "Thank goodness the shuttle fit in the plot of land... barely."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "I didn't really get to know your father. But what you two did... took guts. And how the heck you didn't end up in a cell I understand is another story all together!"

"You're right Lawman Crystal." Winston agreed. "Now how did you get to Tranquility?"

Crystal took her coffee and stood up looking at Mark briefly "Awwwh sorry Lawman, I have to hit the console. Another time perhaps. Maybe." The shortly cropped red head spun and did a beeline for the communications office.

Mark exhaled while attaching his ODRI to his wrist. "Definitely do not have your skills, Dad. definitely."

Edited June 19, 2011 by Mitar Precip