Darkened Stars - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stardate 25416.4 - June 1, 2348 - 09:39:00

Rain had known she could only realistically stick her head in the sand for so long, and the fact that she had functionally been doing so for nearly a month at this point was probably the exact opposite of what she should have done for any sort of long term mental health.

But well, the sand was warm and comfortable when it wasn't threatening to suffocate her. And that had been enough so long as she had reason to believe it would continue.

“I finish this and we're good right?” Rain asked with a look towards the ceiling as she held the flux compensator ready to be inserted into place to finish the repairs on the flow regulator that should finally allow power to reach DOT control. “I leave with my bag of potentially tradable loot and you don't kill me to save on the large power draws that keeping me fed and watered require.”

“Please be aware that any attempt to enter this facility by a non-authorized person will be met with lethal force.” The computer announced as Rain rolled her eyes at the dramatics and began carefully installing the compensator.

“By which you mean don't return without any of the spare equipment you need or you'll kill me.” Rain put forward as the part clicked into place, having gotten rather adapt at parsing the computer's meaning during the past weeks.

“Power restored to DOT control.” The computer reported as Rain let out a sigh of relief. “DOT units one through four charging, estimated time till power cells reach optimal levels, six hours fifteen minutes.”

“Congratulations.” Rain offered with a grin as she began to make her way back to where she had stored her salvaged rucksack of dead body loot. “I hope you have many happy repairs.”

Grabbing the bag from the alcove she had stored it in, Rain did a quick check of her salvage, three Cardassian rifles she didn't want to hold onto for a number of reasons, five of the six energy pistols that could still hold a charge, and three of the four tricorders with the best examples of each kept for herself.

Not exactly the most auspicious nest egg to start with, especially given she didn't even know if there would be a place to sell the things. But the fact that most of the things were weapons gave her other options, though she really hoped she wouldn't need to take them.

Throwing the large rucksack over her shoulder, she made her way to the exit point she had decided was the least likely to get her killed, a large wastewater outflow pipe that would take her to the shores of lake Michigan.

“Thanks for only sometimes trying to kill me.” She offered with a salute to the ceiling moments before she let out a not entirely stable giggle at the words that had just come out of her mouth. “And think about that whole name thing, you might not think it now, but trust me, names work wonders for inducing humanoid caring potential.”

With that said, she hopped down through the pipes maintenance hatch, the gray metal structure sliding closed behind her moments after she did with a hiss.

She was out of the pipe and standing on the rocky shore of the lake less than five minutes later, taking a moment to just bask in the somewhat muted sunlight she let out a sigh of relief.

“Still alive bitches!” Rain yelled out, shaking a raised arm in triumph at the partially obscured sky before collapsing backwards onto her ass and giggling manically.

It took her several minutes to recover from the impromptu breakdown caused by the sudden release of tension that had been her companion the past weeks. But once she did, she pulled herself back to her feet and began following the shoreline north towards a wharf that she could just barely make out through the fog.

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Stardate 25416.8 - June 1, 2348 - 13:10:00

She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or annoyed that apparently all it took to get the local Terrans to leave her alone was walking around with three rifles strapped to her back and a pistol at her hip.

It made sense she supposed, the presence of that many weapons was probably like the bright coloring on a poison frog to people who grew up in a crazy place like the Mirror Universe. But that didn't mean she enjoyed the realization that she had spent the past weeks afraid for her life due to what was functionally her own lack of forethought.

Nor the fact that 'ignore the short heavily armed aliens existence’ seemed to be the preferred response of those around the current part of New Chicago she was wandering through.

“Hey, is there any chance you…” She began, only to trail off with a sigh as once more the only response she received was the middle aged human speeding up to get away from her all the quicker.

“It's not gonna work kid.” An oddly nasal sounding voice offered in an amused tone.

Holding back her start of surprise, Rain looked over to see a Ferengi leaning up against a nearby doorway, above which a darkened sign spelled out something she couldn't read in some alien script.

“I'm not a kid.” Rain told the man as she took a few cautious steps over to him, making careful note as she did of the very visible energy weapon at his hip.

“Sure sure.” He returned with an amused wave that suggested he didn't believe her as he pushed himself off the wall with a foot. “You're just a winner of the unfortunate species award that left you grown at a hundred twenty centimeters and flatter than a Tholian.”

“Point stands either way.” He continued as he looked Rain up and down with a sharp toothed grin. “The Terrans here aren't gonna give you the time of day unless you wanna turn one of those guns on em.” 

“Well, since you are, which way to the closest pawn shop?” Rain asked, not up for mincing words with someone who so obviously had an agenda of some kind.

“Wanting to sell your spoils, are you?” The Ferengi inquired in an amused tone. “Hope you didn't steal those from anyone important.”

“I didn't steal them, period.” Rain shot back, feeling oddly defensive about that fact. Which was probably silly given she was doubtful the Ferengi actually cared about it.

“Funny thing.” The Ferengi put forward as he crossed his arms across his vest and shook his head lightly. “I almost believe you about that. But it’s not me you’re going to have to convince, it’s Jarlux.”

“Oh great.” Rain muttered with a sigh, already able to see the direction this was heading. “And I suppose you work for this Jarlux.”

“Na.” The Ferengi refused, uncrossing his arms and taking a relaxed stance as he gave a nod towards the somewhat ritzy looking building they were standing in front of. “I'm hired muscle for Madam Brooks place here.”

“And would she be interested in buying some energy weapons?” Rain floated, figuring it was worth trying given the guy didn't seem like he was going to point her towards the location she had actually asked directions to.

“That depends.” He told Rain with a toothy grin that suggested he had been hoping the Asari would ask that. “You have any more like that one on your waist?”

“Not this exact make.” Rain offered a tiny bit defensively, really not wanting to part with her sleek black Undiscovered Country era phaser since that design had always been her favorite. “But I have a handful of other pistols if that's what you're looking for.”

“Tell you what.” He began, motioning to the door with an arm while giving Rain a calculating look. “Come inside and I'll take a look at what you've got.”

Several rather dull alarm bells began ringing in Rain's head at the offer, but a month living on death's edge and a lack of any other options led her to ignore them. After all, the worst that could happen at this point was yet another attempt to kill her, and if that happened she had options other than just her weapons.

“Lead the way then.” Rain told him.

The grin he gave her in response wasn't very reassuring, but that many have just been the sharpened teeth. 

Following him into the building, she was left more than a little surprised at the blue mood lighting that suffused the silk strewn entryway, and even more when she passed through it into the building proper to behold a bevy of near naked men and woman lounging around on plush looking furniture.

At which point the word 'madam’ recontextualized itself in Rain's mind from crime boss, to person who ran a bordello, who she supposed might also be a crime boss.

“Don't worry.” The Ferengi offered with a laugh as he led her to an out of the way table. “None of them bite… Unless you refuse to pay them afterwards.”

Which hadn't really been what had had Rain's eyes flicking across them in a mild panic, but she wasn't going to tell a random Ferengi that the complete lack of any physical reaction to this many attractive woman had been enough to send her mind to places she was still studiously avoiding visiting in her drive to make it somewhere relatively safe before having a full breakdown.

“Come on then, put em on the table so I can see what you got.” The Ferengi encouraged, snapping her away from those thoughts.

“Okay, just give me a minute.” Rain said as she pulled the pack off her back only to frown in realization that the standing table was basically chin height for her.

With a sigh she instead set her bag on the stool, before digging out the five pistols and setting them one by one on the table.

“Three Terran Mark 80s and a pair of Mark 60s.” The Ferengi put forward, sounding oddly happy about it. “Not as much of a punch as the mark 85 you seem to be attached to, but oh so much more useful.”

“Mind if I?” He inquired with a motion to the weapons that she could barely make out over the table.

“Go ahead.” Rain told him with an agreeing bob of her head, relieved he seemed interested since she knew if pawn shops here were anything like in her original world she'd be lucky to get half the value of the weapons at them.

The Ferengi spent several minutes checking over each of the weapons with a surprisingly detailed eye to see if they were in working condition before setting the last of them down and looking over at her.

“I’ll give you five hundred Lek for each of the Mark 80s and four hundred for each of the Mark 60s.” He finally offered, leaving Rain to blink dumbly as the sudden giant flaw in her plan mooned her in the face and began running circles around her brain.

Because she had absolutely no idea the value of currency in the Alliance.

“Yea, I thought so.” The Ferengi muttered upon seeing her look. “You don’t even know how much a Lek’s worth, do you? Let me guess, you’re from some dead end colony world where you grabbed your parents weapon collection and snuck onto a transport thinking you could make it big selling them somewhere.”

“I didn't–”

“Kid.” The Ferengi interrupted before she could get more than two words in. “You were walking around in broad daylight with a bunch of weapons on you looking to sell to the first person that showed any interest.”

“The only reason you didn't get set up and taken in for selling weapons to a Terran, was that everyone in the blue district knows better than to mess with non-terran kids out in the open.”

Rain's sudden realization that she may be an idiot, was honestly just the topping on the cake that had been her time in this universe so far. She had known the Alliance was occupying the planet after all, what with the team that had shown up to investigate the weapons facility. And occupiers didn’t usually like–

“And there it is.” The Ferengi muttered in a somewhat tired tone, walking over to snap his fingers in front of Rain’s face a couple times to draw her out of her own head. “The sudden realization you’ve fucked up monumentally. Well, trust me when I say I’ve been there, so take a seat and listen, cause I got a couple hours before business picks up here and the last thing I want is a dead kid on my conscious.”

Not having the mental energy to argue, Rain cleared her bag off the stool and pulled herself up, taking the brief moment to marvel at the fact that she had stumbled onto what appeared to be a generally altruistic Ferengi.

“Another one Leck?” A female voice asked as she did, and Rain looked past the nearby silk curtains to see a terran woman of mixed ethnicity who looked to be somewhere in her thirties walking over.

“Ship kid with some useful product.” The Ferengi, who Rain guessed was Leck, offered as he turned a smile to the woman.

“Hmm.” The woman murmured, taking a moment to look Rain over with a critical eye that left the Asari feeling slightly dirty before turning to Leck with a mildly accepting look on her face. “At least this one looks like she might be useful in a few years. What do you think, a Benzite hybrid of some kind?”

“Given the ease with which she was carrying that bag around and the way she’s speaking Terran standard, that would be my guess.” Leck confirmed with a nod as he settled onto the stool across from Rain, while the Asari herself fought back her sudden urge to start smacking her head into the table in self punishment for forgetting her native language would be a giant giveaway to those who knew to listen for it.

“Well.” The woman continued with a single glance down to the weapons still on the table before turning to walk away. “Given this one at least knows how to bathe, I don’t have any objections.”

The older woman paused in her walk to turn an amused look over her shoulder at the pair.

“Just keep her out of the way once clients start showing up.” She threw out with an idly wave before turning back and continuing to walk away. “Or they might ask to sample the goods before they’re ripe. And you know I won’t be able to say no to that without more trouble than a stray is worth.”

Everything ground to a halt for Rain as a potential risk she had never even considered suddenly lodged itself front and center in her brain. She should have, she absolutely should have, she had watched decades of Law and Order SVU, she knew without a doubt what kind of risks women could face in hostile locations. 

Yet the thought that that risk would now apply to her had never even crossed her mind. And now that it had, the utter stupidity of following a strange man into an unknown location made itself all the more apparent. Because in her current form, there were possibilities worse than death that could await her if knocked out or captured.

“Don’t worry kid.” Leck tried to reassure her, a very uphill battle all things considered given how fast her mind was now generating horrible scenarios. “Gemma’s usually pretty good about weeding out those who like em on the young side. They tend to be dangerous in a way that makes em bad for what she’s really trying to sell here.”