Social Sector
If you are looking to spend your money, this is where you come. Shops line the walkways, enough variety to rob anyone of their money after one walk through. With all the different species you can see many different styles and needs, including mechanical upgrades of all kinds, restaurants, places for spare parts (though if you want a check up you have to go to the Facility Quarters), and of course, the bar.
There had been a little movement around the place now, Marons hadn't been to sleep all night, unsure about what to do with the lizard he was now looking after and the missing woman. Police had cordened off an alley he'd heard, but no news had come forth, good or bad.
D'mitri stood in almost the exact same spot that he had been in for quite some time. He had called for more security officers to come and assist him and had them combing the corridors till they found something. He kept tabs on them mentally so that he would be notified immediatly and quietly if anything came up.
An officer came over, she was looking harrassed and she was thinking rather loudly the words "pay rise" as she stuck a hand out holding an electronic notepad. "I managed to pull video from that camera sir, by watching almost a days worth of footage. I pulled five hours worth out, but I've managed to condense it down to half a minute. It shows the person who broke it... and what the murderer looks like."
D'mitri took the datapad and watched the video without saying anything.
The video was cutting, repeating in on itself; it showed two figures, one identified as a corpse in the morgue right now, the other one... a strangely fishy looking person. He was a half breed, obviously, the way his body moved was not completely natural, and the fact he needed breathing apparatus even in these circumstances. It showed the two arguing in the alley, the woman wearing the overalls of a maintanance opperator and the man normal clothes, they argued until they were both obviously becoming heated. The woman spun on the spot, dropping a tool that looked large and heavy. The man picked it up and struck the woman on the head... The autopsy reports showed that this was not the method of death however. He looked around frantically, grabbed the woman's unconsious body, and showed her pass to the scanner so he could drag it out or sight. After a cut of about two hours it showed him returning in her clothes, holding her tool with her badge on his front. With a quick movement he went straight up to the camera and brought the heavy tool down, smashing it to pieces.
"
Have we identified...it?"
D'mitri asked as he handed the data pad back to the officer in front of him.
"His real name is unpronouncable to anyone with solid vocal chords" the officer said sleepily "But I've had it from good authority that they call him Neddy, he's low level waste disposal. You know the kind, quiet, nervous, dissapears for a few days and no one knows where he's gone. Why he would suddenly kill this woman I don't know. Apparently they were dating, and appeared to be quite happy."
"
Put out an alert for him to all security forces on the ship. Let them know that he is dangerous but should be captured alive at all costs."
D'mitri thought for a bit before adding. "
And do what you can to get me a scan of this specific section for any life signs, evacuating our forces before hand."
"I already have sir, and I'll get them out of here as soon as possible" the officer said, walking away and thinking the words "pay rise" loudly again. She picked up her mike and began to talk into it, every mike in the area crackling out "alright people, clear out, we're going to do a scan for something living." They began to filter out of the area, slowly moving back to the markers of the police border.
D'mitri sat down on the cleanest spot he could find and closed his eyes. Using all his focus he created a bubble around himself to suppress his own life signature so that he wont hinder the scan.
The officer looked down at her pad, humming slightly as she scrolled through everything. "Well" she muttered slowly, moving slowly across the screen with her finger "Nothing... too local... so I guess scanning the tunnels... Anywhere particular we should go first sir?"
"
Check for any large rooms first. All the murders involved acid and they would require large vats."
D'mitri's response was a faint whisper from behind his bubble.
"I'll start checking if any shipments of acid have gone missing as well, to see where they went missing from. I doubt he could get them very far without getting noticed, so it's got to be near" the officer muttered, starting to tap quickly at her pad and still scanning through some rooms. She had to do it by hand, giving the cameras orders from below where to move.
D'mitri stayed silent as the officer did her job. She was very good at it and wondered if her desire for a pay raise was well earned and deserved. It would probably depend on whether or not they caught this murderer.
"Ok... ok" the officer muttered softly "There's... a lot... of heat coming off around this place. It's a bunch of offices, and the central heating to keep it warm should generate this heat... but it's quite hot, and judging from the lack of people in the area then I'd say it's got to be where she's being kept. I can't pin it down exactly, but I've found roughly where she is. Just hope she's alright..."
"
Give me the best route you can."
D'mitri jumped up and walked quickly over to the officer and waited for his order to be fulfilled so he could find her quickly.
"It's kinda difficult to tell" she muttered as she wriggled the cameras around slightly "But... through the door, continue on for five more right hand turns..." She bit her lip "It'd be easier if I wentwith you sir."
If D'mitri could frown he would have. He didnt want to bring someone along that could possibly get hurt but he had to agree it would be faster. "
Lead the way, but try and keep your thoughts down." he said. He wanted to keep a mental ear out for any sign of an ambush.
The officer raised an eyebrow at this, wondering quite how you did keep your thoughts down. She gave a short shrug, then walked carefully through to the door beyond the police tape, one finger keeping the camera tracked on her. She waved her police ID at the scanner and it opened for her, her gaze turning back to her commander "Don't worry sir, I'm armed and I can handle myself."
D'mitri continued to stare ahead at the door. "
You would be surprised how many times that was someone's last words."
"Sir, at this point in time I think people's last words have been repeated so many times that anything could be the brink of death" the officer muttered, walking ahead of him through the doorway and hoping he was going to follow. They were heading down the set of winding corridors, heading for the glowing red section. The officer was trying to keep her thoughts down, but whenever she tried she lost concentration so she decided just to do her job.
D'mitri followed the officer closely keeping silent as he continued to sweep the area for hostile intentions.
"Alright" the detective said finally, putting the pad away and drawing her gun slowly "It's... around here somewhere."
I suggest cutting to mental contact sir, in case they can hear us she thought, hoping that D'mitri could pick up on that.
"
I really have no choice in the matter."
D'mitri said as he readied his mind to act quickly should anything happen.
"Lead the way"
Sir the woman said softly as they walked along, slowing her step down slightly as she glanced around at doorways
That one up there... the covers are crooked... I think... we might... have found out place. D'mitri could hear the nervousness in her mind, she almost didn't want to go through that door.
D'mitri nodded and pushed passed the officer. Closing his eyes he focused all his attention on the doorway and what lay beyond it.
Two figures were beyond, both rather shakey but one was getting clearer by the second; the clear one was Rosie, and panic was obvious somewhere in her brain, and the drugs were clearing. The other one probably the killer, but his mind seemed shakey, not all there in more than one way. The wierd thing was the lack of malice in his mind, not any desire to hurt or kill actually inside his head.
"
There may not be any need for hostilities,"
D'mitri said as he leaned against the wall on one side of the door. "
Lower your weapon, but stay alert." With that said he quickly rounded the door frame and entered the room.
The officer bit her lip and lowered her weapon... carefully. She wasn't sure if there was no need for hostilities herself. She looked around for anyone who could be hiding in wait, took a deep breath and followed D'mitri through the door into the
acid vats.
The officer emerged some time later with Rosie, causing a cheer from a small crowd that had gathered together at the limits of the tape holding people back. "We've got some chairs here to push you about on, and some medics, do you want to sit here for a second?" the officer was still speaking slowly, clearly to Rosie, trying to get through the sedation and starvation.
Sitting shakily on one of the chairs,
Rosie closed her eyes and finally able to relax, her arms and other places still sore with bright pink lines running across them. Her head pounding, only drowned out by the sound of her stomach.
There were people around her now, a lot of people, working, scanning, observing her body and trying to see what had happened to her. There was a soft prick on her finger, barely an itch, as they drew a drop of blood for tests. Right now salve was being placed on the worst rope burns, trying to cool them down and speed up the healing process as someone went to get her a sandwhich.
Shying away from the mass crowd of people and the pain now in her finger,
Rosie began to feel uncomfortable and started writhing and squeaking rather loudly at the intrusion of it all. "Just leave me be, or take me to the medical ward. I need food." Sighing she tried to push some of the people away, weekly.
"The head nurse is coming down now" one of the medics said "She will administer to you here. It is best not to remove you from the area. Food is coming soon. Don't worry, we've got you." It wasn't exactly the most calming voice, but it was firm, authorative, something you could believe had you and was very used to handling people like you.
"I know you've got me, you haven't taken your damn hands off of me, leave me be. At least tell the spectators to go away." Frowning,
Rosie curled up a little to escape the prodding people. She wasn't in any mood to be poked and prodded right now and just wished for Archy and some nice soup.
It was barely a moment later that
Vesper squeezed her way through the group. She was already concerned, but when she felt the cloud lingering around Rosie, her eyes hardened and she looked at the crowd hovering around the poor woman. She looked at a medic. "Get rid of them. Now," she said, more authoritative than anyone on board had ever heard her with an edge to her voice that extinguished any argument they might have dared to think of. She walked right over to Rosie and knelt by her, giving her a smile as she put a very light touch of her hand on the other woman's arm. "Hey, you seem hungry." She held up a bag of clear fluid. "Saline solution? It'll help a little. Does anything hurt? I don't see anything broken..." She briefly brushed her eyes over her but didn't want to be too invasive so she went right back to her eyes, holding them still as she let her body process the anger and depression she took from Rosie. It made her almost feel like she ate too much. Her parents always told her she was in a constant state of starvation though, so her idea of 'full' was pretty low on the bar.
Flinching away from even the Dr's hand, looking away and shrugging. She was in no mood to be "touched" by people either. "Just do what you have to, I just want some food and my lizard. Anyone seen Archy? I'm perfectly fine. Just still drowsy and I have these damn cuts and bruises. Who the hell ties someone up with wi-wire." Her voice began to brake in distress and anger as her hands and arms still shook from lack of food, sedatives and overwhelming emotions. Holding an arm out for the drip of Saline solution,
Rosie had a flash back to the fact "Neddy" didn't like saline.
Vesper sighed through her nose, wondering how to be sympathetic to this obviously traumatized woman, but she didn't seem to care how she was treated right now, other than preferring to be ignored. "I'm not sure where Archy is but I'm sure you'll have him soon," the nurse informed her almost curtly. It took her all of ten seconds to skillfully insert the tube and she stood, holding the bag herself to keep it above the arm. She was grateful when one medic brought a wheel chair and Vesper offered to help Rosie, but didn't expect her to actually want it. "We'll take you to the medical ward, I'll make sure to lock anybody out and nobody will come in unless you want them to. Also-" She turned to one of the guards that was around attempting to help the chaos. "Find Archy."
Standing shakily and clutching tightly to the wheelchair,
Rosie slowly seated herself, she could feel the pounding in her head lessening from the saline already. "I want something to eat first. I know no one on the ship so guests wont be coming round, just find my Archy." Sighing she shakily brushed her bangs back and winced as she tried looking through her glasses. At some point in the scuffle they had gotten broken and the glass had cobwebbed.
The officer who had disappeared from earlier returned, smiling warmly at the two women as she found herself in slightly better company than the crowd. She was holding a large sandwhich in one hand and Archy in another. "Compliments from the large stoney gentleman at the back" she said, the large red rocky figure of Marons raised an arm as if pointing himself out to the two women "He said he'd been looking after Archy while you were missing." She wasn't sure where to put what, balancing the Gecko on the arm without the saline drip inside it and putting the sandwhich in Rosie's lap where she could get at it.
Looking up,
Rosie managed not to look so damaged for a second and almost smiled at the rock man, sighing slightly as Archy scuttled up her arm and nuzzled her ear and gave it a gentle bite as if to tell her off for dropping him and leaving him alone. "Tell him I say thanks, I'll come back some point to pay Archy's tab." Picking up the sandwich and thinking how dry it was going to be, she put it down and looked away from both the Officer and Vesper, her hands and arms still horribly shaky.
Vesper frowned at her actions, but was already pushing her towards the elevator. "We'll try something you actually requested when we get to the medical ward and then you can rest." Oddly enough, other than some salve and bandages, food and sleep seemed to be what the girl needed. And probably some mental therapy. That would be addressed later though. The door slid open for them and Vesper pushed the button to go up, glaring at anyone who dared to attempt joining them. They actually seemed hesitant, and some actually afraid, and it lasted long enough for the doors to close and they were alone. "Archy is adorable by the way," she complimented, smiling down at the two of them.
Wincing and not looking at any of the people they passed,
Rosie had seemed to switch off, her body slumped a little but her eyes moving as she watched Archy dance and walk up and down her shoulder and arm. Her mind just going off into nothing much at all and she hardly noticed the Dr had spoken once, let alone complimented Archy, he didn't miss it however and gave a little wiggle. Her hair was a mess, her glasses broken and clinging to her nose and her body was aching and sore all over, she just wanted to be asleep and not feel the hunger or pain any more.
Several moments later
D'mitri appeared out of the service tunnels with Neddy floating behind him. He made his way quickly and nonchalantly towards the lift.
Luckily by now many of the people stationed around the area were keeping crowds at bay. The most they would be able to see was a strange watery man being dragged along in mid-air by the cheif of police. Neddy knew it was straight to the
facility quarters for him.
Back to:
Closing Time
History:
Social Sector 1
Social Sector 2
Social sector 3
Stumble!