Star Trek: Starbase 777 - fobosse-house-second-floor

An empty room, with a single window looking to the outside. It was all fogged up, the outside invisible.

After everyone entered the room, she closed the door shut...

Kirio hovered near the door, crossing their arms. "Well?.." they prompted the room, gesturing vaguely. Very helpful, thanks man.

Groznin was a simple man, his one theory of what these things were had been wrong. He was mostly here to be kept up to date in what they knew and to manage his people if things got out of hand. He stayed to the back of the room and folded his arms. He did however have a few questions. “What exactly about the fog or this planet keeps you here? I understand that it has religious importance, but you all seem to be very afraid of it. There are other ways to worship that don’t involve constant rituals to keep a deadly force away.” Groznin wasn’t intimately familiar with most religions, but he was pretty sure that “practice” in most of them didn’t involve cowering in fear of the monsters attacking your house. (edited)

Garcia went up as soon as Rami indicated the way and now that they were here, she hoped to make sense of some things. “Okay so… I think we need to start with the obvious: what went wrong?” She then quickly realized that that question might not have been that obvious worded like that. “Sorry, what I mean is, some people were talking about rituals to keep the fog and the creatures away, to keep them satisfied, and that you weren’t expecting them to show at the same time as us, since its apparently not the season. So…” She gesticulated to the space around them. “What was supposed to happen that didn’t? Do you know?”

Words right out of his mouth, honestly, as he climbed the stairs behind everyone. That was basically what he had been wondering too, although he still had more to ask about the wards.

Tavek wasn’t about to miss out, so he climbed up the stairs too. Garcia had asked pretty much the stuff he was curious about, so he just listened.

She chose to stand in the middle, not taking a seat, just... idling. Rami's fingers were nervously squeezed between each other. "It protects us," she responded to Groznin, looking at him. "It keeps the planet fertile and safe from everything else. When we perform the rituals right, the creatures are kinder. I... I don't know what happened this time." She briefly paused, before continuing: "My dad and the elders of the village perform them, under the main church. I became old enough to join them only recently, and was supposed to perform it for the first time next year. I... dad doesn't share much about them. Sorry..."

What need was there for fertile land in this day and age? Just get a replicator and let the bees and bunnies frolick in the grass. (He kept that as an inside thought.) "How do you know that happens?" He asked. "Have you analysed the soil? Compared crop yields? Actually - no, it doesn't matter. That woman, the meteorologist - she sent us a lovely package and then conveniently wandered off into the fog. Is that a coincidence? Do you know anything about that?" Because it sounded very suspicious to him. (edited)

Groznin nodded. Yep, sounded like colonists to him, why live on a nice planet when you could live on a colony. He would never understand it. He didn’t say anything about Dmitri, it was rude yes, but there had in fact been a mysterious disappearance of a scientist, well that looked pretty bad. He raised his eyebrows in anticipation for a response.

She became... instantly uncomfortable by Dmitri's question. "I'm sorry, what?.."

He cleared his throat, preparing for a longer explanation. "The woman on the plaque in the medical center: Professor Alexandra Deima, Fatum I's lead meteorological researcher. She sent a capsule of fog into space hoping other people might be able to analyse it - and we did! But we didn't know where it came from. Then she wandered into fog, despite that being a verifiable deadly thing to do... But that would work out great for anyone who wanted her gone, wouldn't it? Not to mention, on the plaque, it said: 'curiositas nocet'. That means curiousity hurts. She was too curious, it seems." (edited)

She gawked at him, before beginning to shake her head and laugh nervously: "What?.. N-no. No! She... she died in the fog. My dad brought us the news, she... she walked into it! Where are you getting this from?!" Her voice raised in volume as she spoke...

"Dmitri—" It was a fine thing to question, but not the best move with Rami, it seemed. Kirio just shook their head. Maybe any investigation would have to be done on their own time..

"Someone." He wasn't giving them away. It's not like he knew her name or remembered her face clearly anyway. "Fine, then. Has the fog always been here? Who moved in first?"

"NO!" impossible volume for such small lungs, yet here she was. "No! You tell me what those words meant! Right now! Why are you spitting lies right into my face!"

2

"We don't know the truth behind it besides word of mouth," Kirio kept their voice even, calm. "It's just something we're investigating and were looking for more information on. It may not be true at all."

Ok, who was in the right…. None of them, Groznin decided. “Let’s all, try to be civil about this.” Groznin said to the both of them, attempting to be diplomatic. “We’re all just trying to get some answers here.”

Dark eyes, brimming with tears, bore themselves into Kirio's skull: "Oh! But of course! You want me to ignore the blatant accusation thrown in there as well, sir!?"

Oooooh shit. Maybe he shouldn’t’ve gone up here. Shit was getting a little too real for him.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm just relaying information and asking questions. Nothing I said is untrue. You've never had your own suspicions, then?"

Kirio's expression twisted into a frown, though they did their best to remain collected. "It isn't a lie until proven as such, but it— an accusation wasn't intended. We're just trying to learn more about this situation as a whole. That's all," oh my god if Dmitri doesn't shut up Kirio is going to shove him into the fog themself. They scowled at him. Dude. "

"About WHAT!?" she was frustrated, she was so fucking frustraited. It boiled her alive... "What am I supposed to be suspicious of, you dickhead!? The only people I'm suspicious of right now is YOU! You came here, and the fog came back here as well! It might as well be YOUR fault!"

Groznin reached out his hands in a “let’s all settle down” gesture. “Let’s all just.” Just what? Calm down? That seemed impossible. Forget this ever happened? No because they still needed answers. Groznin glared at Dmitri not specifically for what he was doing, but how he was doing it. “We’re all just trying to figure out what is going on here.”

"Give me one good reason for continuing to entertain you lot!" she glared at Groznin, "Before I force you all out of this room."

"Because more people will get hurt if we don't get to the bottom of this. You can have your issues with us, that's fine, but we have a civilian to find, and we'd like to make it out of here alive." Social fumble city today, weren't we?

Groz struck another look at Dmitri. He swore to god if he said anything else and got everybody kicked out into the fog…

"And you want my help all the while insulting me, my father, and my faith?" she moved her hands to the sides, exasperated. "You just insinuated that my father had something to do with my mother's death. Genuinely, what do you want from me?.."

5

Twelve glared at Dimitri then, having watched the situation unfold in silence. She headed over to the other and practically glared at him.

“I’m sorry about your mother. I’m… I’m sure a lot of us understand how much losing a parent can hurt, and you’re… look, I’m sorry that we’ve said all this shit to you, after coming in here and taking your hospitality for granted,” He exhaled, “But if we can prevent more people from getting hurt, and possibly solve this problem for good, it means we’ll be out of your hair.”

3

Fuck, this new idiot was gonna get them all kicked out into the fog. At least he’d known to shut his big mouth and not make this even worse. He nodded in agreement with Ed’s statement, not knowing what to say but knowing damn well he did not want to be seen by the colonists as one of the extremely rude guys here.

"...Oh." So that's what he'd been doing wrong; he'd forgotten the human element of all this. Even without knowing the disappeared woman was her mother, he had still been accusing her own father of murder - and now it was even worse. Even if it did turn out to be true, there were probably better ways of asking questions. "I'm..." He grit his teeth. "...Sorry." It was like it was physically painful to say. With that, he left the room. Everyone else could ask their questions.

2

Her mouth worked itself around some words, before she just hid her rapidly reddening face in the palms of her hands, heaving a sob: "Stop calling him a liar. I know he is a liar, I can tell, I can feel. I am not a stupid little girl anymore. I know he hides things. I know he tells me half-truths, because he has to. It's his duty. He... he goes down there to where the fog originates, to keep it at bay. He says he's keeping me safe by lying, before I can take on his mantle. But you'd be a fool if you thought that didn't hurt me every single day." She wiped her eyes, then. "I want you lot off my planet. What else do you need? I'll give it to you if I can, if that means that you all will leave." (edited)

6

“Understandable. Um… look, we just want to help. That’s what we’re here for, to provide aid. We need information on the fog, and the ways you guys keep safe from it, as much as you can reasonably offer us.” He offered a strained smile, “And then we’ll do our best to help. And then we’ll get off your planet, I promise.”

Groznin let out a breath when Dmitri left. They were not all going to be kicked out into the fog! Still he was weary, he didn’t think that Dmitri would do anything else to the other townspeople, but he wasn’t confident. “I’m very sorry for your loss Ma’am.” Groznin said with a bow of his head. “I hope you’ll let us help you find your father.” He was missing right, him and Maiek. That was the whole point of this wasn’t it. If they wanted her forgiveness, or the truth, what better way than finding the man behind it all. After he said that, he slipped out the door to find Dmitri.

"I was born on this colony, on this soil, so I don't have all of it's history. But it has always been the ritual under our main church, to appease it. Wards on generators or walls and floors, to keep it out of some places. It doesn't kill people, not really, it's... it's interested in your fears. Your feelings, those you lock away and hide. Skeletons in the closet, so to speak. Your priest, he spoke of something similar, but... that's not important right now." She paused, collecting her thougths, watching Groznin leave. "My grandmother built this colony. It is told that the fog came out as soon as we settled. After her passing, my dad took over. You... you ought to find him, actually. Yes. Find the priest, then my father, and ensure that he is well enough to perform the ritual again. He and the elders... they... should be in the main church. At least some of them."

3

"Okay," Kirio nodded, taking mental note of the information given. "Thank you. You said... He goes down, where the fog originates? Where does it originate, do you know? There's a chance he may be trapped down there.." (edited)

With Dimitri having departed and a officer already seemingly headed out as well, she presumed to go and have a word to him, the El-Aurian looked back at Rami. Twelve moved to speak initially then but, given how everything had ended up, reconsidered and thought better of it. No. The question she'd harboured wasn't want that seemed pertinent especially compared to all the other far more pertinent questions that happened to be being asked. The El-Aurian most certainly wanted to avoid making the situation worse at present. Given how she happened to be with social situations well, she decided the best play for her was silence.

"It's like a cavern?" She was fanning her face with her hand now. "I just... know that the entrance is in the church itself. I am not to be let in until next year. In fact... none of us are, besides my father and the elders."

Kirio nodded. "Thank you for your time. Really. I'm.. sorry, again, and if there's anything we can do to make it up to you.." They exhaled, a little red themself. "We'll find your father. We'll find the priest, too."

“Okay, find the priest, then your dad. Fog’s coming from the cavern. Cool.” He echoed to himself, “And, yeah, what they said. Thank you. Uh… y’know. For putting up with our starfleet bullshit.”

Twelve turned and with a parting. "Thank you for your time, Ma'am." Departed the room smoothly. Given a course of action had been arrived at, with her rank considered it seemed she needed to quickly have a word with a certain medical officer. So, she headed off to go have that word, her-no their jaw set stiffened with the effort to keep the emotional reaction to what had happened controlled. Emotion, a fact of individual existence that happened to have quite the deleterious effect upon efficient operation. They disliked it, especially what this seemed to be. Annoyance.

She nodded, then, with a tiny little sniff. "Good luck. I'm sorry that we ended up in this situation. But good luck. "

"You too. Stay safe," and on that awkward note, they were gone.

She followed them, making sure everyone exited the room, before descending downstairs...