The Turnkey
Posted on Wed Jun 13th, 2018 @ 4:39pm by Makeba Brown
Edited on on Wed Jun 13th, 2018 @ 4:42pm
2,635 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3 - Weary Travellers
Location: Brig - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 0300 Hrs
Makeba laid on the bunk in the small cell of the Pioneer's brig. The bunk was no where near comfortable but she was used lack of comfort. She hadn't slept on a real bed since her time in the fleet. Some of what the intel Chief had said during her interrogation had begun to sink in but she still knew that if given the chance she would destroy this ship and everything the Federation stood for. That is until the Federation realizes that interfering in other governments is not something that anyone should be doing. She noticed the Brig Officer at the console and thought that perhaps now was a good time to test the water as it were.
"Hey turnkey! Ever since this barge put into dock the service has gotten lousy. No one brought me dinner, and now I'm starving." Makeba said with a smirk.
Heidy looked up at the exclamation, and responded at first with a simple."Uh-huh." Leaning over to the left of the console she called up the reports for a quick check. "Not surprising, apparently you were sleeping when dinner was served. Guess I could call some for you. Good ol' Set Menu Three. Might be a while though given the hour."
"Last time I checked this bucket o bolts you call a ship had replicators. Shall I complain to the powers that be about mistreatment of prisoners aboard this ship. So I suggest you get your pretty little butt over to that replicator and get me some food." Makeba had a plan and it hinged on getting this one to open the field.
"Patience is virtue, sweetie, someone's on there way." Heidy responded carefully, keeping her response fairly level, given there were quite a few layers to her statement she figured it was meant to put her on the defensive, not reacting rashly was something she had to remind herself of.
Makeba sat up on the bunk and looked at the Brig Officer for the first time. The look was one of a hunter on the prowl. She was going to get under her skin and get the hell out of there. "Look at you... You think you're all high and mighty. When they have you locked away in the belly of this beast. A loley Brig Officer, tell me how often do they even bother to come check on you. Do you think they give a rats keister if you live or die. You are nothing but cannon fodder. I bet you don't even have the guts to come in here."
Heidy stared back at her prisoner, it was fairly obvious that she was trying to bait her into doing or saying something rash, her comment of cannon fodder brugh the back memories of the boarding action, it was her who'd sent four of her boys against them as a distraction. Death and Worth were subjects Heidy wrestled with daily, and a discussion on the subjects were always a draw, tentatively she responed. "Worth is relative, everyone has their own values in that regard, some options so matter to me more than others. I find it interesting you slapped me with both an superiority complex and then tried to take a hammer to that. But I don't have anything to prove to you, so that cell will be staying active and I'll be staying here."
"You like all Starfleet have a superiority complex. You think you are better than me. When in fact if you take a look around you are worth nothin. Maybe more than nothin. Say, if I wasn't here you would be here by yourself staring at this empty cell. It is like the tree in the forest when no one is around to hear. You are a Brig Officer, but if there is no one in the Brig do you really have worth. Do you really think that the big guy who sits in his comfy chair would think twice about sending you to your death? You do have something to prove, prove your worth." Makeba paced her cell as she ranted. When she was finished she stood in the middle of the cell and pressed her hand to the field. It began to shimmer and the electricity began to run through her body, but her determination pushed Makeba Brown through it. Her had began to slide through the field as the pain became excruciating and she screamed. "PROVE YOUR WORTH STARFLEET OR ARE YOU JUST A PAWN?"
Most of the rant was not really effective, Heidy not being one to attach importance to rank or position, and having selected this particular path because it was supposed to be a little bit quieter that some of the others, , of course no one like to be told continually they are not worth much, that was beginning to grate a little it was only when she began messing with the security field she felt the need to act. "Computer seal outer door Brig One. Enact prisoner protection protocols." She stated hurriedly but still with a level of calm. Stepped from behind the console, and went straight into a guard position not, expecting an assault.
Makeba kept pushing her hand through the field, in fact she got it about half way to the other side when the pain became too much to bare. So she took her hand back and spoke through panted breaths. "You see that Starfleet you stand back when you should charge forward. You don't believe me, do you? Let's see if I can peg you correct. You are a slight rebel, and you figure by being down here you will be away from the action. Which is the reason that most people join Starfleet. You also figure that by being in Starfleet you are serving something greater. Am I close so far?" Makeba's hand was a deep crimson and was bleeding from the punishment it took from the force field.
"Check, Check, and no i wanted a job that would get me as far away from home as possable." Heidy responded to the estimation of her character, with two truths and an outright lie. For two reasons, it may put Makeba off a little and she wasn't willing to admit to being easily read. There was a part of her that wanted to get her prisoners hand seen too, it that to was risky, instead she decided to take a jab. "So am I going to get the 'Strength is the only real measure and Aiding someone is a sign weakness' angle. Or are you going to continue to attack Starfleet's reason for being?"
Her breathing was rapid, and the pain was intense, but that was just something to break the monotony to Makeba. "No helping is strength. The brotherhood of man as it is said. But what is not helping and is not strength is pretending to help to better your own goals. When has Starfleet actually done anything that wasn't for it's own self interest? The entire Federation for that matter? Come on Starfleet search your heart you know what I am saying is correct." Makeba had this woman now it was time to back her into a corner.
"I disagree with you entirely" Heidy stated firmly after a short moment to gather the right expressions, her own experience at the tale end of her tale spin had given a strong perspective on this subject. "Anyone with a couple brain cells and a dose of compassion will work out that helping out generates good feeling towards them, maybe even a helping hand when they need it. Being aware of the good feeling and the cooperation, which is another of Starfleet foundations, that helping another person or group or species can generate does not invalidate the initial motive, as long as that motive remains active in at least some of it members."
That did it when Makeba heard this woman talk about the altruism of Starfleet she could tell that Heidy was just too brainwashed. Makeba punched the bulkhead in the cell out of frustration, leaving a bloody fist print. "Let me ask you something. Where were these helpers when people were dying on the Cardassian borders? When the Dominion came and committed genocide? Huh where was the help then, these were Federation citizens, people who did nothing wrong. Simple farmers and artists. Do you want to know what the lack of help did to these people? Turned them into warriors THAT'S WHAT. WHERE WAS THE HELP, THE HELPING HANDS THEN. LORD KNOWS WE HELPED STARFLEET."
"I DON'T KNOW!" Heidy yelled back her tone beginning to show a little frustration, the womans anger was clear and layered and she couldn't figure out the source. Every willing to take a risk and going for straight up honest appeal. "I was only nudging my teens when the Dominion kicked off! Bearly crawling during the problems on the border!" She stated. "I've read all I can trying to understand, you say there's something I'm missing tell me. If you blow everyone up, who's going to be left to listen! YOU ANSWER ME THAT!"
Makeba laughed, and her laugh had lack of mirth, in it's place was a hatred. "We don't plan on blowing anyone or anything up. We plan on leveling the playing field." Makeba motioned for Heidy to come to the cell. "You say you were so young when all of that happened. Come here, it's story time. At the time of the Cardassian, Federation treaty I was fresh from the Academy. Oh yeah, like you I was good ole Starfleet. I was a tactical officer. When things were coming to a head with the Maquis I saw the writing on the wall. I started helping from the inside. Someone had to, the Federation, Starfleet were both leaving these poor people out to dry all because of some treaty. Then just when the Maquis were gaining headway the Val Jean disappears, the Dominion arrives and wipes out the Maquis. Coincidence? I don't think so... Because no one raised a finger to investigate what happened there. After that I followed one of my mentors and here I am. I made the choice, the choice to do the RIGHT THING not the BUREAUCRATIC THING. YOU HAVE A CHOICE AND SO DOES EVERYONE ON THIS SHIP."
"Sweetie, I am now listening, so if you could dial back on the shouting that would be great. I get your upset and have been for a while, but still." Heidy quipped back at the final point which was once again shouted, there was a hint of shakeiness in her voice however, Makeba tirades had her on guard for the most part but also turning over the questions and statements she presented, if this was a play to get Heidy to do something or a genuine recruitment pitch that she wasn't certain of. But it was time to pitch a question of her own, a question that Heidy had yet to answer for herself, but was curious of what reaction it would provoke. "But coming back to point about choice, I'll put a question to you, I could kept coming back to it while I was reading up. From a tactical viewpoint how do you think things would have gone if the UFP had not made the Armistice with the Cardassians?"
Makeba cocked an eyebrow and visibly calmed down. It seemed for the moment that Heidy had gotten through the emotions. "What do I think... What do I think? I think that if there was no armistice there would have been a Federation/Cardassian War. People would have died, however, the Federation would have proven that it had the courage of it's convictions. Let's add to that shall we. Ultimately the Federation would have won the war, leaving Cardassian in no shape to be of any use to the Dominion. So there would have been no Dominion war. The devil you know is always better that the devil you don't my mentor taught me that. The war with Cardassia would have had significantly less fatalities than the Dominion War. So tactically speaking the Cardassians would have been the easier enemies. If you are going to have a war make sure that it is one that the people are behind and one that you can win. Not one that you limp to the finish line on." Makeba smirked and tore off a sleeve of her shirt as she bandaged her hand.
Heidy sat listening, the confidence in the way her view was put across was plane to see and tbe reasoning while it had some merit to it clashed with her own views of life and the steps that could and should be taken to preserve, there was one part she disagreed with however. "The point about the Dominion not being interested I'd have to disagree, the way I understand it the Cardassians were the most receptive to an alliance, that was the key, the military might was a secondary concern."
Her train of thought was cut short when a disembodied voice came though the comm on the console. "Brig One, is everything alright in there do you require assistance."
"Crap." Heidy exclaimed as she hopped up to her feet and paced quickly to the door. "Computer deactivate seal on outer door." She stood in front and offered a smile to the crewman on the other side bearing a tray, launching into a quick explanation. "Sorry about that, prisoner got a bit lively. All okay now." She backpaced and then extended her hands for the tray. "Cover me during the food exchange?"
He nodded as he stepped inside eyeing Makeba as he handed the tray over.
Makeba watched as the crewman brought the food inside. She sat on the bunk and stalked him with her eyes. She was on the hunt and wanted to prove a point. When he placed the food down Makeba took one step toward him, which also happened to be toward where the food was. He flinched in fear. Makeba pushed him hard from the back and he tumbled from the cell. She looked at Heidy as the phaser held fast in Makeba's direction. "Always fight the war you know you can win..." She said in a soft monotone.
"Thank you for the insight." Heidy retorted holding a hard unbroken stare at Makeba, aware of the crewman scrambling away and behind her, thankfully keeping out of her line. "Get the cell field back up." She snapped, waiting for the familer blue glow to spring up before lowering the phaser. "You alright?" She asked the crewman receiving a sheepish nod in return. "On your way then."
She waited a moment or two until the crewman left and the outer door closed. Turning back to Makeba. "You got your food, no freedom unfortunately for you. Now is there anything else you'd like to try? Or are you just going to sit and eat?"
"No freedom yet my dear DiLucca. Yet!" Makeba replied with a maniacal smile. She sat there and ate the sandwich starting at her captor.
Putting her phaser back on its hip mount, she twirled the chair once before settling herself down, her eyes met the constant stare for a short while, before she looked down at the console, taking the time to run a diagnostic or two on the brig systems. This one was playing a long game for sure, was it worth playing along for now. Time would tell.
A Joint Post By
Petty Officer Second Class Heidy Dilucca
Brig Officer, USS Pioneer
Makeba Brown
Maquis Tactical Officer, The New Maquis
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