Malparadiso Station Season 3.6
Episode 27: Arrested
Episode 27: Arrested
Yroi shut the door behind her, hoping that the Guard had not seen Slime. She glanced at the Guard, lowering her lobe until it nearly touched her back, her neck exposed, her eyes lowered.
She waited to be spoken to, appearing to be as subservient and stupid as possible.
“Your boss is looking for you, kleek.” the Guard said. “Give me your ID.”
Yroi reached into the pocket where she would normally keep it. Then she patted each of her worker’s suit pockets, avoiding the one that still held a credchip under her arm.
“Oh no!” she cried. “Those dwarvenkin must have taken it.” She held out her hands to ward off any possible blows. She wished she’d confirmed a story with Slime, but too late now. At least, she hadn’t seen any dwarvenkin in the tribe’s lair.
“Where have you been then?”
“I went back to my old pod to see if I left anything, but it was all gone.” She lowered her head to hide any expression. “It was trashed.”
“We are aware.” The Guard leaned back on Iabbeshank’s desk. “What took you so long to get back here?”
“There was some kind of commotion going on, sentients all crowded around.” She made her voice high-pitched and soft. “I was afraid, so I hid in a side tunnel until everyone cleared out. I try to stay away from trouble.”
“That’s a lie for sure.”
“Where is the Assistant Provisioner?” Yroi glanced around, looking for any clue she might use. “I need to check in with him.”
“We’ll tell him where you are,” the Guard said. He took her by the arm, and pulled her around the desk. They went out by the assistant’s desk.
The assistant did not react, as if they were not there.
“Please tell the chef where I have gone,” Yroi said, looking back.
The assistant made the smallest nod without looking up.
The Guard tightened his grip on Yroi's arm. “Shut up.”
They went out the Lev2 exit past the Beanatha, who blocked their way and asked the guard for ID and the purpose for taking the kleckovan.
“Where is her ID?” The snake woman took Yroi’s hand and held it to the Inspector console.
“Don’t waste my time.” The Guard grip tightened on Yroi’s arm. “I have a warrant for her. Sentient Zabayaba is aware.”
“Show the warrant to me,” the Beanatha said. As the Guard reached for the warrant, the snake woman did a slow blink at Yroi, who had no idea how to respond.
The Guard showed the warrant on his comm, letting the Beanatha see it but keeping it out of her reach.
“That is acceptable,” the Beanatha said.
The Guard grunted and put the comm back. He jerked Yroi forward. “Let’s get on with this.”
He dragged her to another drop, one that required his eye scan to open, and a code to operate. The Guard kept himself between the panel and Yroi so that she could not see what he entered.
This drop had a rear opening, unusual, access to some hidden tunnel?
She could not have gotten in the drop alone, so she saw no need to hide the code. Was he taking her somewhere other than the Lev1 headquarters?
She had no option but to go along and show as little resistance as possible, be the stupid little kleek that everyone saw.
When the drop stopped, the Guard put in another code, again hiding it, and the rear door opened.
She stood still, not even daring to massage the bruises on her arm. Other than the Guards who processed her, she saw nothing of the operation.
They searched her pockets, taking the water and Iabbeshank’s credchip. Her digits and eyes were scanned, an ID card pinned to her shirt, and she was led to a small room off a spiral. She was told to sit.
The door was locked behind her.
Had Iabbeshank set her up, or was xe in deeper than she was? And Granny? What about Slime, and Myril?
She remembered being terrified in the dark, thinking being arrested might be better. Wrong. She was more in the dark than ever.