A Few Questions

Posted on Tue Aug 4th, 2015 @ 10:41pm by Niro & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: EFS Korenna

Having napped for a bit and then reported in with Oz, letting her know about their missing Science officer, Darwin debated: go see Lt. Rutheridge or track down Niro? He checked the time: Alpha shift wasn't yet started. "Computer, locate Niro, male Enaran."

=^=Unable to comply.=^=

"What?" He was surprised by that answer. "Damned computer...," he muttered and went about it the manual way, researching likely places for Niro to be. He saw that the man had a ship, the EFS Korenna, which had left the Station last night. He wondered who the passengers had been. Locating the bay where the ship was, he headed out.

Arriving at the bay, he pressed the intercom button, "Niro, Lieutenant Darwin with Station Security. I need to speak with you."

“Of course, lieutenant. A moment please,” came Niro’s reply. Two minutes later, the ship’s main hatch opened and Niro stood in the entry. “Please, come in.”

Studying the man's features, Darwin crossed the threshold into the ship. "I've heard quite a few interesting things about you, Niro."

“Oh?” That seemed to amuse Niro. “This way.” He led Darwin along a corridor and to a small conference room that looked out over Archadia. “Please, have a seat and you can tell me about those interesting things.” Niro sat at the head of the table and relaxed back in his seat.

"No, I'd rather ask where you were last night, at approximately 1800 to 1900 hours." Darwin took a seat down the table from Niro.

Niro thought back a moment and nodded. “I can tell you my whole evening, if it helps,” he said. "Early evening, I stopped in to see Seyla. I was there maybe fifteen minutes? From there I went to the Well House here in the pit and met Owain. The barista there will certainly remember me. We left and came here to the ship. Owain stayed and I went to the quarters of Ensign Madhava, late lunch date, but it was cut short. I was there maybe half an hour, then I returned here and stayed until we hopped down to Archadia for dinner, which was late….likely 2300 hours or more.”

"When you went to Archadia, who was on the ship with you?"

“Just Owain. The crew is small and they are all out either on station or on the planet enjoying their vacation,” he answered. “What’s this about, Lt. Darwin?”

"One of our Science officers has gone missing. I have reason to believe that you may have been involved." Darwin's smarm-meter was going off the scale. He didn't like this fellow.

“I don’t see how that’s possible, really.” Niro smiled a moment. “I’m guessing that given the time frame in question, he was present for his duty shift? And I can account for my whereabouts pretty much all day.I was either in a public place or in places where logs are easily available.”

"I'll need your ship's logs for that time period and for your trip to Archadia. You know the missing man, Lt. Riley Sukotav. Ensign Madhava said that he stands in your way with her."

“Of course. Computer, forward ships logs for the past twenty-four hours to Lt. Michael Darwin, Security.” There was a beep and Niro nodded. “They should be there momentarily. As for Riley, I did see him this morning, about 0730, at Reva’s. That is the first time we’ve met, actually, so I hardly see how he could be an obstacle for me. Ensign Madhava might, perhaps, have an exaggerated idea of our relationship.”

He didn't buy that. Reva was - or had been - man-hungry, but from what Darwin had seen, she had a thing for Riley. "What is your relationship with the Ensign, then?"

“Two casual trysts is all, a visit or two while you have her under house arrest. It might interest you to know that today, I took her a meal but I left before we ate. She was angry with me for appearing at her door while Riley was there.” Niro shrugged. “That is all. She’s a little young for anything more serious, don’t you think?”

Frowning, and irritated by how close that remark came to his own thoughts (though, Darwin noted, he, at least was refraining from having a "tryst" with the young Ensign; this jerk, by comparison had willingly bedded her and now wanted to disavow any interest), Darwin asked, "She told you she didn't want to see you again, right? And her reason was that Riley is more important to her?"

Niro nodded again. “She did. Which, if you ask me, is a good thing. She has someone far better than me under her nose who’s so enamored with her he can’t think straight. Why is it then, she seems to be testing him at every turn? Perhaps he left on his own to consider the situation?”

"It seems that you've gotten her message, then. I'm glad. I expect you won't be going to see her again." He wondered how much of that Niro had just read in his head.

“Unless she wishes but rest assured, Lt. Darwin. Reva is ...little more than a child in a candy store, to use a human saying. There are others who have dallied there that you might want to question too. Me? She is not the sort I would be interested in for anything serious. If an Orion was to my taste, there are others who would be more...appropriate? The tall one with the tattoo for instance.”

Oh, yes, Darwin did not like this fellow. First disparaging Reva, then mentioning Edana.... "You said Owain went to Archadia with you? Is he still on your ship or back with Seyla?"

“Oh he’s still here. Do you wish to speak with him?” A slight smile settled on Niro’s face as he watched Darwin. He knew he’d hit a sore spot and Darwin’s hidden reaction amused him.

"Yes, I do. Where on Archadia did you go?" He knew the ship's logs would tell him, as would the Station's flight trackers.

Niro gave him the location of the restaurant, then pressed the panel on the table before him. “Owain, please come to the lounge on deck four.”

=^= Be right there =^= came his reply.

Darwin was content to sit in silence. He knew that some people just had the need to fill silence and their prattle could tell volumes about them.

Niro watched Darwin as they waited. The man interested him in several ways, but he was a project Niro wasn’t willing to look into just yet. A few minutes later, they could hear footsteps approaching in the corridor.

Owain entered, wearing a loose-fitting, open-chested shirt and, Darwin looked askance at them, big bell-bottomed pants. He was more flamboyant than Darwin remembered him. He strolled in and went to stand by Niro, a hand on the seated man's shoulder. "Darwin, good to see you. What brings you by?"

"Reva's boyfriend, Riley, is missing. Did you see him yesterday?"

“No actually. I know he and Reva like the Nexus and Cravings but Sey says she is on house arrest and not allowed out? What’s up?”

Niro reached up and placed his hand over Owain’s on his shoulder. “Darwin came to find out if I had anything to do with the missing Riley.”

"Oh, jeez, Darwin!" Owain shook his head at the man. "Niro and I have been far too busy with each other to worry about where Riley is."

Normally, Darwin didn't think twice about two guys being together. Eli and Chance, for example. He liked them together. Norval and Eric, too. But these two... Something about them turned his stomach. He sneered. "I see. Well, then it seems my inquiries here are done." He stood.

“No problem, Lt. Darwin.” Niro stood as well. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the answers you sought, but if I can help, please call. I know this means a lot to Reva.”

There were a half dozen snide remarks Darwin wanted to make, but he was in uniform and on duty. "Yeah, sure. What'll mean more to Reva is if you stay away from her." He would have stalked out, making a grand exit, but he wasn't sure he recalled how to find the hatch back to the Station. "Show me out?"

“Owain? Show him the door if you would?” Niro smiled at Owain and gave him a wink.

“Of course. This way Darwin.” Owain brushed past Niro, and led Darwin from the room. When they were outside in the corridor he looked up at Darwin. “So what do you think happened to him?”

He looked at the male prostitute and frowned. "I think your boyfriend back there might have had his competition removed. You're certain he was with you the whole time?"

Owain nodded. “The logs in his quarters will show that clearly if you wish to see them. The staff at the Well House will remember us, as will those on Archadia. Between us? I don’t think he really cares enough about Reva to want to remove Riley.”

"Caring for her is optional," Darwin said. He could see several reasons why Niro might get rid of Riley - none of them required that he like Reva. "Watch yourself with this guy, Owain. From everything I've heard, he's bad blood." He had no idea who he was talking to.

Owain laughed briefly. “I’ll be just fine, thanks. I’ve discovered that Niro is quite a surprise, you might say. We all want what we want, don’t we?”

"I suppose we do," Darwin acknowledged. He was glad the hatch was just ahead. "Say, you haven't heard any rumors about who helped attack Six, have you?"

Owain shook his head. “Then again, I’ve not been hanging out in the Pit much the past few nights. I’ve had a full schedule all week until last night and Niro. I’ll be back there tonight so I’ll keep my ears open.” He paused a moment and his voice softened. “How is Six? I’ve not seen her in several nights either.”

"Rattled, but recovering. If her attackers hadn't sedated her, she'd have torn 'em apart." Darwin sighed. "Well, anyway, thanks for answering questions. I'll see you around." He stepped through the hatchway.

"Take care and give Six my best? I miss spending time with her. I still can’t believe she passed me up for Suresh.”

Looking back at Owain in the open-chest shirt, Darwin could very well believe why she might have done so. "Yeah, I'll pass the message on!" He waved and kept walking.

Niro appeared behind Owain and pulled him into an embrace. “Everything good?”

"Oh, yes, it is. What good news! You know that stick in the mud was a stabilizer for Reva? Wonder how she'll be without him." Owain laughed.

“I suppose we’ll see. Come.” Niro pressed the panel and the hatch began to close. “We’re going to Saturnalia.”

******************
Lt. M. Darwin
Feelin' Soiled

Owain
The Perfect Playmate

Niro
Oh So Helpful (Not)