Summer breeze ...

[Shalin 0]

Shan walked through the city streets, looking about at the myriad strangeness about him. It was as if someone had suspended a world's development at steam power, but at the same time accelerated far beyond it. He had signed on for the Away Team for a chance to examine an incredible shift in technological development; a world where the fundamentals of technology seemed simple while creating wonders that were nearly impossible by Starfleet's standards. With a discretely bound notebook Shan took it all in, making notes about the steam systems, the piping, the intricate clockwork which seemed to run everything. It was all so nearly perfect.

 

Perfect, except for the shadow that followed him ten yards away - trying clumsily to be inconspicuous, yet so focused on his 'assignment' that Shan couldn't help but feel like he was on a leash ... a painfully short leash. This was supposed to be a discovery mission, yet half of the team were Marines. Shan didn't understand that at all - there was nothing in the mission brief that said 'Demolish', 'Secure', 'Overwhelm', 'Conquer', 'Subdue', 'Kill/Maim/Torture', or any of the other assignment terms that Marines would find catchy. This should have been an Away Team filled with science and engineering officers, with perhaps two Fleet Security officers. Bringing down Marines to provide security was a little like whipping out a flamethrower to start a campfire - it'll work, but it's not really a good idea since that's not what a flamethrower is for.

 

But here he was, walking through a city which was all but made for him with its incredible mechanical wonders and almost oppressively polite manners. Everyone was polite ... so joyously polite! People nodded pleasantries to each other, the men stepped out of the way of the ladies, people weren't loud, or boisterous, or in any way disruptive. All was pleasant and gentle, with the only perceptible threat being his trained-to-suddenly-kill-at-a-moment's-notice escort.

 

Shan pondered a moment on what to do about that. Lose him? No; odds were good he'd happily cripple Shan before risking losing him, and make a point of doing it painfully too. Use the local constable to delay him? More effective, if Shan wanted to have a constable beaten bloody just so he could escape his shadow - also undesirable. Con the locals into mobbing him? Ah, but there was that beating up of innocent people again; besides, he'd just track Shan down when he was done - probably by sense of smell. Heck, he'd likely enjoy it ...

 

... and with that came the answer.

 

Shan looked about, locating a nice tree to sit under. There he settled and took more notes ... and more notes ... and more as steam-powered buses, trains, airships, and walking machines wandered by. When he wasn't writing notes he leaned back and relaxed, allowing a soft wind to accent the day. Thirty feet away sat the shadow - a Marine who would be forced to sit for three hours and be totally useless.

 

Shan tipped his hat forward to cover his eyes, smirking slightly. Defiance came in many forms.