Party In The Brig!

Posted on Sun Jul 1st, 2012 @ 2:08pm by Jackson Banning V & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Cassidy Wilde & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Ignatius Reilly

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Brig
Timeline: The Morning After 'Guardian Angel In Green'

It was time to face the axman. Darwin stared at Oralia’s office door for a long moment before finally stepping up and being admitted. Inside, he could see that Oz was pacing like a caged tiger. Tigress, in her case. He swallowed and did his best not to flinch when she turned her gaze on him.

“Well? Care to explain to me why the Cherry Pit’s resident harlot demanded you go to her quarters for an ‘emergency’?”

“Ah...,” she just had to jump to that one first, didn’t she? Darwin shifted slightly then answered, “Well, she had located Eli Ziyad and was calling on me to go get him.”

“Uh-huh. And why you, Mike?”

“Well... she and I--”, he stopped when Oz held up a hand.

“I get it. Mike, what you do in your off time is whatever you do. I expect, however, that you will not engage in or abet any illegal activities while off duty.”

“But I didn’t!” He was quick to defend himself. “Seyla just trusts me, I guess. She’d rather call on me than on some random Security dude. And she had reason - apparently some shady character threatened Mr. Ziyad right in front of her.”

The news made Oz mentally take a step back. She looked at Darwin with new regard. “Follow up on that, Mr. Darwin. I understand that Mr. Ziyad wasn’t the only wayward drunk you picked up last night.”

The tension between them eased considerably; Darwin knew by the way she’d shifted topics that the Seyla matter was put to bed with no further troubles. He grinned slightly and nodded, “Yeah, I also managed to locate one Ignatius J. Reilly. She’d been in the process of getting drunk and having another cursing lesson.”

“Another? She had more than one?”

He nodded. “Her first one was with Admiral Wegener; her second with Jackson Banning. You’ll be so proud to know that not only does she know what an asshat is, but she’s also been telling people what words you use during sex.”

Oz’s cheeks turned fifteen shades of red. With her lack of hair, Darwin could see the color also rose along her neck and scalp. “She what?”

“Oh yes, Commander. She told me that she said something to the Admiral about it, that it wasn’t fair you could use the word while ‘mating’ but she couldn’t use it in conversation. I was there when she also told Mr. Banning, rather bluntly, that he should mate with you.”

If Oz hadn’t already been feeling a bit sick, she certainly was now. She even looked slightly ill, a touch green around the gills, as old timers used to say (back before humanoids with gills were a reality). “Ah... That’s.... that’s lovely. Really.” She looked up at Darwin, having sat in her desk chair, “Is this what having children is like?”

“What? Constantly being embarrassed by what they say or do?” Darwin was enjoying this, sort of. He chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose it is sort of like having a toddler. She’s picked up on all sorts of words from those around her but she doesn’t understand their usage, or when not to use them.”

“And we’re sure she was the monster in the turbolift?”

“Oh, yeah, the guy took one look at her image and just about fainted from fright. He was taken to Piper Medical for minor injuries. The damage to the turbolift is being repaired by Engineering.”

“What minor injuries?”

“He shot his foot. Aiming for Iggy, but she was too fast for him.”

“I’m not sure whether to be happy about that or not.”

“Well, if he’d been successful, would we then be charging him with a crime? Iggy is sentient; it wouldn’t be like he’d just swatted a bug on the wall.”

“Ugh...,” Oz put her face in her hands. The spider had more issues surrounding her than Oz knew how to handle. “Okay, I’ll handle Iggy in a bit. Before then, let’s go over these...,” Oz started to move on to discuss the more mundane, less personal aspects of their work, but she caught a whiff of the pheromones on Darwin and nearly lost what little breakfast she’d had. “On second thought, Mike, report in with Chase to give him the details from last night.” When he’d nodded and left, she sat in her chair and tried to calm her stomach.

* *Later, in the Brig* *

One of the things Darwin hadn’t told Oralia about was that he’d left music playing for Iggy. He’d done so at the spider’s request. As a result, when Oralia walked into the holding cell area, she was surprised to find that Iggy was rather happily bouncing to the beat inside her cell.

She was also trying to ‘sing’ along with the song:

She gotta pack much back
So, fellas! Yeah! Fellas! Yeah!
Has your girlfriend got the butt? Hell yeah!
Tell 'em to shake it! Shake it! Shake it! Shake it!
Shake that healthy butt!
Baby got back!

“Iggy!” Oralia spoke up then ordered the computer to stop the music.

Oralia! Iggy’s happiness at seeing Oz came through the energy barrier without any impediment. Can we go home now?

“We need to talk,” Oz answered.

* * The Start of Cassidy’s Morning * *

Cassidy was amazed the person she had contacted about ‘exotic’ pets had such a variety. Considering the isolation of the station, it only made sense that he also had a healthy supply of what those pets needed for food. From everything she remembered about tarantulas, she knew they ate insects, small lizards, rodents and even small birds if they had the chance.

She hadn’t been able to bring herself to buy a mouse to bring as a present. It seemed a rather heavy meal in her way of thinking, not to mention it probably would result in even worse digestive after-effects than what she’d been exposed to last night. Cass snickered. Mouse farts! Well, technically spider farts, but from eating a mouse. Sort of like her brother James after eating spicy Mexican food. Very nasty indeed. So, she opted for the giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. It scrambled and skittered around in the small cardboard box she carried in her hand. Every few seconds, it paused and hissed, as if pissed off to be confined to such a small box. If it knew where it was going and what it would face when the box was opened, it would probably fall over dead from fright.

Funny, soon Cassidy would be going to see the giant slimy worm himself, so it cracked her up that her morning seemed to be filled with giant insects. Too bad she couldn’t feed Harding to Iggy. The resulting gas cloud from choking down that bastard would destroy the station though.

Dressed in faded low-rise jeans with flared bootcut legs and a pretty vintage poet’s style top, she entered the office for the station’s brig where her new arachnid ‘friend’ was being detained, still giggling about barking spiders. Now came the fun part. Telling the officer on duty she was there to visit Iggy.

“You’re here to see Ignatius?” The brig officer’s brow wrinkled in disbelief but he shrugged and announced her presence for Commander Zeferino’s benefit. “Go on through, Ma’am.”

In the holding cell area, Oz had turned to watch the door through which Cassidy Wilde would come. Soon as Ms. Wilde appeared, she asked, “Just how do you know Ignatius?”

Hi, Cassidy!, came Iggy’s chipper voice.

Switching the small box to her left hand, Cass smiled at Commander Zeferino and held out her hand, introducing herself while at the same time she greeted Iggy.

Hi Iggy.

“I’m Cassidy Wilde. I work at The Nexus Club and met Iggy last night. You must be Oralia,” she greeted the other woman. Damn. Jackson hadn’t been kidding. Oz was beautiful.

Slightly disarmed by the newcomer’s Southern lilt and beauty, Oz paused before taking her hand. “I am Oralia Zeferino, the Station’s Chief of Security. And guardian of this little monster,” she nodded back at Iggy. “Were you there for her cursing and drinking lessons last night?” The question had a hard edge to it.

“Part of it yeah.” Jackson had appeared at the door, but he stopped there. His gaze remained on Oz, but his tone was somewhat reserved. “Hi Oz. Cass. Iggy.”

Oz and Iggy greeted Jackson at the same time but with completely different tones. Iggy happily chirped: Jackson! Good morning!

Oz, however, was a bit angrier and jabbed a finger in the air at him. “You! You...,” Oz stopped before her anger boiled over completely. “Ugh. You fed her beer and gave her a cursing lesson? Do you realize she’s not exactly an adult?”

“Take it up with the Admiral. She was already tipsy when she got to my office, and it wasn’t me who left his computer terminal on and readin’ her a list with definitions. How’re you feelin’ this mornin’ Iggs?”

The arachnid answered by singing, Baby got back! I feel just fine this morning, thank you. Oralia’s minion made certain that I had water before he left me in here.

Rubbing her forehead, Oz sighed then looked Jackson and Cassidy over. How could she instill in Iggy the right ideas and proper behavior when others around were undermining that? “Were you bringing Iggy an escape method hidden in a box, Ms. Wilde?”

Chalking this up to another surreal conversation and situation, Cass wiped the smirk off her face and looked away from Iggy to Oralia. “No ma’am,” she answered without hesitation and raised the small box up and gave it a slight shake, for which she was promptly rewarded with a hiss. “I was only bringin’ her breakfast, that’s all.” The cockroach kept running around the inside of the box now that it was riled up again.

“I wasn’t sure what she’d like, so I brought her a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach,” she shrugged. “I didn’t think I could take Iggy out for breakfast, so I brought it to her.”

“Yeah,” Oz laughed and ran a hand up her neck and along the stubble on the back of her head. “Iggy’s not exactly welcome in most - or any - of the restaurants on the station. Other diners kinda get freaked out.” Her smile at Cassidy was genuine as she lowered the energy barrier on Iggy’s cell. “I’m glad you chose the roach and not a mouse.”

Hissing dinner! I like roaches, I cannot lie! Iggy paraphrased a line from the song she’d just listened to. Mice are too fuzzy.

Oz shrugged, as if to say, ‘See what I’m dealing with?’ To both Jackson and Cassidy, she said, “It seems that Iggy has a better social life than I do.” Her gaze lingered a moment longer on Jackson than on Cassidy.

He held her gaze and shrugged as well. “Better than mine too, lately. At least she’s alright. And glad you are too, Oz. I heard things got a little tense down on the planet.” Jackson still had not moved any closer to either the two women or Iggy’s cell. Maybe, if he was lucky this run, he’d get out without any questions about Connor.

Cassidy picked up on the tension in the room between Oz and Jackson then smiled to cover it. Moving over to Iggy’s cell, she squatted down low to be closer to the spider’s level. “I hope yer hungry Iggy, it’s a big one. I picked the biggest one they had. Would ya like me to just open the box or did ya want me to let it loose?”

Sensitive about having live cockroaches loose in her Brig, Oz spoke up, “I’ll hold it for her till she kills it.” It wasn’t the most pleasant task she had as Iggy’s keeper, but it was better than possibly allowing a roach to escape into the depths of the Brig.

Cassidy, thank you! Iggy’s appreciation was evident in her tone. She moved forward and touched Cassidy’s hand. To just her, she said, Connor is the cause of the tension. I told Oralia to eat him, but she refused. And now there is drama.

The arachnid’s focus shifted as Oz took the hissing cockroach from Cassidy and held it for Iggy. Iggy happily wrapped her front legs around Oralia’s hand and sank her fangs through the roach’s crispy shell. Good stuff!

You’re very welcome, sugar, Cass sent only to Iggy. Humans don’t eat their mates...er...well, not in the way yer used to. Killin’ a mate would be seen as very bad. She hesitated, then inwardly laughed. Though the eatin’ part can be a lotta fun. We just do it differently. Oh...she probably shouldn’t be going there. Moving away from the cell, she glanced at Jackson, then busied herself looking around the brig.

I know what you mean, Cassidy. I have witnessed this other form of eating, Iggy piped up, broadcasting to all three now that Cassidy had moved away. Oralia often--

“Hey! Let’s not talk about what I’ve done. Or haven’t done!” Oralia interrupted the spider. She had the feeling that Iggy was about to divulge yet another wonderfully embarrassing tidbit about her private life. Her cheeks burned as she glanced at Cassidy. “Sorry, Iggy thinks I should have eaten Connor, my...” What was Connor? “...um... my former live-in... significant other,” she finished lamely.

Jackson muttered at Iggy’s thought, but cut it off when Oz spoke. “Alrighty then, this had been fun but that’s not exactly what I wanted to hear first thing in the mornin’.” He winked at Iggy, before speaking to Cass. “Come see me when you finish with Harding.” He turned and studied Oz for a long moment. “I have somethin’ for you in my office when you get time.”

Before he could turn to leave, Oz caught his sleeve. “Hey, you know Connor went down below, right? Have you heard anything about him? I thought maybe, since you have eyes and ears down there, maybe...?”

Jackson paused, looking down at her, taking his time to choose his words with care. “Nothin’ since he left. I...I need to get going Oz. Come by the office when you finish up here. I have Connor’s guitar and thought you might wanna take it home.”

It didn’t occur to Oz right then to ask how Jackson had gotten Connor’s guitar or why. She simply nodded. “I have some things to do, but I’ll come ‘round this afternoon or evening.” She smiled at Cassidy. “It’s good to meet you, Ms. Wilde. It seems you’ve made a friend in Iggy, so I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” Iggy, meanwhile, sucked on her cockroach, more caught up with her meal than with the conversation.

“Sounds good, I’ll be there. Later Iggy, and you behave,” he called out.

Cassidy waited politely, then smiled at Oz. “Yes, I do believe Iggy and I are friends now.” She tilted her head. “Ya sound like yer from my neck of the woods or at least rather close. Maybe we can get ta know each other sometime and then I’ll be able ta say we’re friends, too.”

“I’d like that. And I’m from King’s Cabbage quway in North Georgia,” Oralia replied. She used her hometown’s pronunciation of ‘Quay’, rather than the usual pronunciation, which would be ‘key’.

Bringing her hand up to her chest, Cass nodded and smiled. “I’m from Savannah. Look at us. A couple of Georgia peaches so far from home.” She glanced over at Iggy. “Ya know, if I had planned this out better, I woulda brought her a giant worm ta eat...but it woulda been hard ta stuff him in a box.”

You have a giant worm? The idea caught Iggy’s attention so fiercely that she dropped the now-dead cockroach and took a few steps towards Cassidy. I like worms best. They’re juicy. Except gagh... they bite back. Dangerous dinner. You do not need to box the worm; I will come to where you have it.

Jackson paused at the door and smiled. “You have no idea how much I wish you could eat this worm Iggy, but he’s even too big a mouthful for you. Ladies,” he nodded to all three females. “See y’all later.” Then he turned to depart.

Cassidy threw back her head and laughed hard. “Oh honey, if I could trust me, I’d love to serve up this worm for ya, but that would land me in here for a long time.” Turning her head, she called after Jackson.

“Jackson, wait up. I wanna talk ta ya before I go see the worm.” Smiling back at Oz and Iggy, she did the same thing to Oralia that she had done to Jono right after meeting him. She reached out and impulsively hugged her. “Come by the club ta see me or I’ll call ya. It was great meeting ya, Oz. If ya let Iggy out again, she’s welcome ta come see me, too.”

As Cassidy left, Oz muttered, “I don’t let her out; she escapes!” She looked down at Iggy, who turned to look up at her. “Get your meal, let’s go home, Iggy.” Without a word, Iggy grabbed the roach and scaled Oralia’s back till she could perch on her shoulder. “We’ll have our talk there, but I need to make a stop first. And you’ll need to hide while I do it.”

Okay, I can do that, I promise, the spider agreed and held on as Oz headed out.

**********
Lt. Michael Darwin
Facing the Firing Squad

LC Oralia Zeferino
DeFacto Parent to a Precocious Toddler

Ignatius J. Reilly
Incarcerated Toddler

Jackson Banning V
Visiting The Inmate

Cassidy Wilde
Bringing Breakfast & Making New Friends