An Artform

Posted on 12 Sep 2015 @ 8:00am by Ensign (Lagh) Cyrin Fel & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov

1,575 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: IKS Saalm, Security Office
Timeline: MD04, 1100 Hours

[ON]

Fel did not like to be gone from his laboratory for long, but on occasion his projects required his presence elsewhere on the ship. The tall Trill entered into the Security Office, looking imperious and confident no matter his low rank of Lagh. This was a man who knew his worth went far beyond such meaningless titles. Fel held a large toolkit in one hand as he approached the desk that the Andorian he'd come to see sat behind.

"I will be testing a new internal security system," Fel said without any polite acknowledgement or preamble. "You will need to assist me." There was no care in his voice that he might be interrupting other work as well. There was only a haughty expression on his face and a cold look in his eyes that were the colour of duranium.

Keval's left antennae curled forward ever so slightly. The only acknowledgement, at least for the moment, that he had heard the other man. The Andorian finished what he was doing on the PAaD, then carefully sat it down

Only then did he look up. "Required?" he asked, and who precisely is requiring me?"

"Cyrin Fel," the Trill stated simply. There was no need to say more for an introduction. He was the mind behind many of the weapons that had been used to eradicate the Terran scourge from numerous worlds. Fel's designs, from handheld weapons like the Varon-T Disruptor to those of mass destruction like trilithium warheads, had killed countless millions. His latest weapon, Beaumont, had shown his deadly telepathic capabilities to the Queen Regent herself. Fel's arrogance at his accomplishments was as much a part of him as was his genius.

"Now, accompany me to Deck Four, Section 21," he continued after a moment. "We will be testing an intruder neutralising system."

Keval was impressed. Not overly so, but impressed nonetheless. "Of course," he said as he got up. He had planed not to be deferential, but that he realized as they walked would be career suicide and possibly life threatening. He had no desire to jeopardize either.

"I will need you to monitor the energy conduit levels and stability as the weapon engages the target," Fel explained. He might have spoken more slowly, as if to a child, but this Andorian seemed cooperative at least. Fel would give him the benefit of the doubt for now. "If you know how, I would also need you to run a disintegration vs dispersal scan. I need to see just how effective this will be."

So a little play acting wouldn't hurt. "I've heard a lot about you," he said, "you're a legend in your own time."

Fel grunted, "A legend implies fantasy and untruths." The Trill seemed completely unaware that he might be being made fun of. "My works should speak for themselves. If one doubts the veracity of what I have achieved they need only visit the worlds that the Queen Regent has been able to destroy using my weapons." He stepped into a turbolift and ordered, "Deck Four."

The Andorian edged slightly closer to Fel as the doors shut and the lift began moving, "I meant to disrespect sir, I know you have done much for the Queen and our people. It is an honor to work with you."

Keval hoped he wasn't laying it on too thick. Truth was he did have some respect for the man and knew he could be powerful and influential friend or a dread enemy.

He'd much rather make an alliance with him if he could. He gave the officer his best smile.

"Hmm," Fel sounded doubtful about the honour and didn't return the smile. His own lips didn't look like they'd ever smiled. "What are you specialties?" Fel didn't ask because he cared in any personal way, but wanted to make sure that there wouldn't be anything to interfere with his plans.

"Communications mostly," Keval said, but general operations as well." Both of which were true as far as they went and part of his service record. The fact that he was also quite proficient in security systems, and had been responsible for more than his share of hidden cameras in crew's quarters, was a fact he felt best to keep to himself.

"I know you like weapons, what else do you do for fun?"

"Fun?" Fel tossed the Andorian a glare as he stepped off the turbolift and began to walk down the corridor. "And just when I had begun to think you might be competent. 'Fun' is what the unimaginative do rather than pursue something worthy of their time."

Keval could not help but stare daggers at the other man, "I am competent," he said, his voice as even as he could make it. "I was speaking of other such disputes, doesn't it give you pleasure to watch someone die as a result of what you designed? I was thinking of what else gives you pleasure that is work related."

It hadn't of course been the direction he'd been pursuing, he'd been trying to seduce the other man, or at least lay the groundwork for it. But it was pretty clear that flirting was definitely not in his vocabulary.

"Pleasure to watch someone die? Perhaps, but only in the larger sense." Fel explained as they walked along the corridor, nearing their destination. "The death of one Terran is meaningless. The death of an entire world populated by their scum however is quite satisfactory." Even the man's joy was of the subdued, cerebral sort. Fel would have actually been surprised to know of Keval's intentions; physical and romantic relationships was not something he ever gave thought to nor suspected someone might wish to pursue with him.

Keval was equally oblivious to Fel's thoughts. "So tell me," he said as they approached their destination, a little about yourself. I want to be a good working partner.'

"All you need to do is what you're told, and that will be sufficient," Fel said bluntly. This was not a nice man, not one who engaged in idle chatter. He hadn't even asked for the other man's name yet. At last they stopped at a corner of the corridors, and Fel pulled off a panel to reach for the systems behind it.

"Now, communicate with the power distribution systems. I am going to need an additional 15% increase in what is available while I modulate the capacitors here to cycle that energy faster."

Keval had tried to play nice. He really had. Not so much because he was a nice guy. He wasn't. He'd manufactured evidence about his adoptive father to get him tossed into a penal colony. but he wasn't as bad as most in the KCA.

The fact that he'd rebuffed didn't especially bother him, he'd been turned down before, but it was the manner in which the other man had rejected him that rankled him.

"Of course sir," he said as he began to do as he was instructed, but inside he was plotting just how to get revenge from the out and out dismissal."

They worked in silence for a few minutes, altering the systems in this corner of the ship with efficiency and speed. Once they were done Fel tapped the communicator attached to the back of his left wrist, "Computer, begin transport, code Cyrin Dash Four One C."

Sparkling red lights swirled into existence nearby as the transporter deposited the items he'd made ready. There was a small turret that jutted from a plain, rounded bulb with long power cords dangling from the insides. There were also three different targets, each made from a different material. One was duly metallic, another some sort of composite ceramic, the third looking disgustingly organic like a sack of skin around a frame.

"Set up the targets in this corridor," Fel said distractedly as he busied himself with the weapon. At least when he had a task to focus on the scientist's uncaring rudeness was not so bad. It was the work that truly mattered. "It will take me a moment to connect the device to the grid."

Keval nodded his head. It occurred to him, perhaps because of his suspicious nature, perhaps because of paranoia, or possibly just because of the world he found himself in, that he could be the ideal live target, should Fel be so inclined.

So, he surreptitiously checked for his own weapons before moving out to check and adjust the targets that the senior officer had instructed him about.

Fortunately for Keval, Fel was not in the business of recruiting unwitting test subjects. Every once and awhile the Alliance would capture Terrans alive, and the Queen Regent would be good enough to allow a certain number of them to be at his disposal. The most recent one, a Terran named Taliesin, had died in a demonstration of his latest weapon, Beaumont.

At last the preparations were complete and he gestured for Keval to join him down the corridor to a place where they could observe. "Watch, and learn," Fel said as he typed into a PADD, powering up the weapon. "Killing people is an art form, and I the artist..."

Keval too was an artist, just a different kind, he couldn't help but admire the other man's work however.

[OFF]

Lagh Cyrin Fel
Weapons Designer
IKS Saalm

Keval zh'Erinov
Operations
IKS Saalm>

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