http/s6. - Lielhai III (Romulan colony world; light military presence)
Angel
did not believe in luck, but she did recognize good fortune when it
came her way. Having the center of her smuggling operation located at
the spaceport was not only smart "business sense," but it
probably saved her life. The surrounding city was in chaos, as was
the rest of the planet. Now, at the control center for the local
spaceport, she checked once again to make sure the perimeter shields
were still up and running. Once the plague had become a real threat,
Angel acted immediately, and her organization had taken over the
port's command and control center. A worried man looked at the
dying body on the floor, and then back to Angel.
"This is bad!
You shouldn't have killed him! Killing a Tal Shiar agent will only
bring more here!"
Angel turned away from the tower's window
and glared at him. "Oh shut up, Terrik. In case you haven't
noticed, we have enough trouble already. I hope everyone is inside
the spaceport, because it's completely sealed off now."
Terrik
nodded. "As far as I know. But now what? That plague is killing
everyone. Even if the shields do hold forever, which I doubt, what
then? We can't stay locked in here forever can we?"
As much as
she hated to admit it, Terrik was totally correct. Either the shields
would fail, and the nasty little bugs would get in, or they would be
trapped like prisoners…until 'help' arrived in the form of
unwanted Romulan military ships. The Tal Shiar agent
she killed
had already discovered who she was, but fortunately hadn't been
able to contact anyone else.
"This is a disaster," said Angel.
Not just for the obvious sense, but things were going nicely for her
up until this little 'event.' "Damn! All our business,
ruined!"
"Angel, please! We have to get off planet!" said Terrik. "As far as anyone can tell these nanite parasites devour flesh, and machine..."
Angel clenched her teeth and said, "I KNOW!" She hated being reminded of her own vulnerability, especially to other 'living' beings. Being an android was something she all too often took for granted. From all accounts (what few there were) these things were a menace to man and machine alike. Thus, Angel's faith in the shields were limited. Terrik was quite correct. They would all have to get off the planet very soon.
"Listen Terrik. Round up as many people from our
group as you can. Get them to the center of the docking port. There
are still a few space-worthy ships left, and I'll take care of
securing one for all of us."
"Wait a minute. How do I know you
won't leave us behind?" said Terrik suspiciously. He wasn't
stupid, and Angel smiled demurely. "Well, you simply don't have
any choice my dear." Her smile faded. "Go."
Not many people knew she was an android, and even fewer people knew she was an android that had escaped her Romulan creators in a rather violent fashion shortly before she was completed. Her initial design was to be an infiltration unit, for a variety of intelligence tasks for the Tal Shiar. Thanks to an enterprising (and now deceased) young programmer, her multi-phasic brain was completely self-aware, in as much as an artificial being could be. Instantly realizing her intended purpose (and not wanting it), Angel had killed those that created her, and destroyed the cybernetics lab that gave her 'life.' Her body was somewhat unfinished, and had chalk-white skin, hair and eyes. Her face also bore a blue tattoo of her prototype designation, but a little makeup covered that up. Besides, Angel had a streak of vanity, and cherished her rather original looks. Normally a slave to fashion, the practicality of the current situation dictated that she wore a simple, casual outfit. But she always had time for makeup and red lipstick. A girl had to look her best.
Outside the
spaceport walls, people were going mad trying to get inside, to their
only hope of escape. The city itself burned out of control, and
looked like something out of a nightmare insane asylum. Angel's
pale eyes watched from the monitors impassively.
Checking the
systems one last time, she noticed a few power stations on the planet
were showing critical. All the more reason to leave in a hurry.
As
expected, the shields were failing in certain places, and the more
ingenious doomed residents were finding ways to break into the
spaceport. Some were trying to crash an industrial vehicle through
the main gate.
Even inside the port, people were acting like
idiots as they fought over the last of the available transport off
the planet. Disruptor fire lashed out here and there, but Angel
ignored it as she ran to find a shuttle, carrying only her purse.
When she arrived at the hangar, she saw the local governor was also
'trapped' in the spaceport, as well as other
organizations she
would be competing against for the last of the transportation out of
here.
A large group of armed people were facing off with each
other, arguing intensely. One group was made up of the local
Governor-Intendant, J'krel, and his soldiers, if you could call
them that. More like they were hired thugs. The other groups were her
rivals for the crime activity on the planet.
None of them were
please to see Angel. And knowing that, she smiled. "Ladies and
gentlemen," she said in greeting.
"Just perfect. I was
wondering when you would show up," said J'Krel with obvious
distaste.
Another crime boss, Hanaj, was equally displeased. "I
rather thought you'd have the good courtesy to die, Angel."
Angel
held up her hands. "My! Whatever have I done to receive such a
nasty welcome? Hmm. And they say a crisis brings out the best in
people." She gave a short laugh. "I see that's not well
founded."
"You might as well turn around, you white-skinned
demon-woman!" spat J'Krel. "No one but my people are using
these last shuttles. Government business takes precedent over you
criminal scum anyway!"
Hanaj laughed. "As we've been
standing here aiming weapons at each other for the last 30 minutes, I
highly doubt that. Take a good look. Your 'government' is
failing."
Angel looked at both parties with a grin. She folded her arms and said, "There's a simple solution. We could all share…" She considered their looks. "No, I suppose that won't work, will it? Or, you could give a shuttle to me. All I require is one. There are at least three I see in working order.…Don't look so shocked. Listen. The virus or whatever it is will soon be at our collective throats."
"More lies,
Angel?" said Hanaj. "This is probably your doing
anyway."
"Please!" she said tiredly. "If anyone is to
blame, it would be the local government." She eyed J'Krel. "How
about it, Governor? Any military secrets that have run amok?"
"Don't
try and pin this on me, Angel!" he said.
Hanaj added, "She's
probably right. We all know how 'honorable' the Romulan
government is. This is probably a military test of a new
weapon."
Angel said, "While I would love to argue this point
ad nauseam, I suggest we reach an understanding. The situation is
deteriorating quite rapidly. I tried to seal off the port from the
outside, but things won't hold forever."
"Why should I
believe you?" asked J'Krel.
"I was just in the control
room." Angel held up a hand and had a fed-up expression. "But I
can see you idiots are content to stand here all day until everyone
is dead. But I plan on leaving." As she reached in her purse, no
less that twenty weapons were aimed at her.
"Don't even think about it!" shouted J'Krel.
Angel froze. "Easy!" She produced a small silver item. "Can't a woman freshen up a bit? By the gods, you people are too jumpy!" Snapping open what looked like a make-up case, the rest of the people in the hangar were not as tense, but still a bit confused. The stress of the situation was clearly evident. With a flick of the wrist, Angel flung the item in the middle of the floor, and sent a detonation transmission to it. The device exploded, and the android was already moving.
Angel's
speed and strength may have been superior, but a disruptor set on a
high setting would damage her like anyone else. She swiftly killed
J'Krel first, with a vicious blow to the side of his head. She
kicked the weapon out of another's hands, and through the smoke of
her explosive, everyone started attacking everyone else in a melee of
violence. It was no better than outside, thought Angel. This planet
was most assuredly doomed. She simply had to get off the surface.
She
was attacking the last of the solders in any way possible, and
avoiding disruptor blasts at the same time. People were dropping one
by one.
Hanaj tried to see as best he could. The blast
from that bitch's device blinded him, and now this cursed
smoke...
He fired at everything that moved, and slowly backed away
from the fight to seek cover.
Before he knew it, the fighting had
stopped. He could hear the noise of chaos coming from far outside,
meaning the local scum had finally broken though.
They'd all be
dead soon.
"Hanaj," a voice called out to him. It was
Angel. "You're the last one, Hanaj. Just you and me now. Why not
make it easier on yourself and put the weapon down, dear?"
"Curse
you woman!" he shouted. "I won't surrender to the likes of
you."
"You're dead if you don't. Do you hear that, Hanaj?
The shield is down, and the doomed masses are coming for us. The bugs
will be here soon after. Think about it. Lielhai is dead. Our
respective business here is gone, and we'll be lucky to get out
with our lives.
Hanaj, if the plague doesn't kill you, I will.
Unless, you put down that weapon. There's room enough for both of
us on that last shuttle. The others were damaged."
Hanaj was paranoid now, almost to the point of insanity. Angel could see that as she silently crept up behind him. Like most men she had come across, he was stubborn and hard-headed. Angel knew that he'd never cooperate. A shame, but no big loss.
Angel grabbed Hanaj and
spun him around, slapping the weapon out of his hand. She placed both
hands on the sides of his head and squeezed as she lifted him off the
ground.
She scowled and said, "No one to protect you, you
miserable fool! What a waste of my time, you and the others! I should
have let the plague take you all!"
Hanaj screamed as the pain increased from her grip on his skull. As much as she would have liked to drag this out, seeing as how this man had caused her so much misery and inconvenience in the last few months, it was about time to leave. The virus, disease, or whatever it was could be here any second. Not knowing what it was, she couldn't detect it until it was too late.
Hanaj died fairly quickly in her hands, and
crumpled to the floor with the rest of them. Angel sealed herself
inside the spacious shuttle, not even considering waiting for Terrik
or the rest of her people. Without an organization to maintain, or a
colony to exploit, they simply weren't needed anymore. The shuttle
was prepped and ready, and Angel took off.
She had time to see
people running all over the place, just like a swarm of angry
animals, which is what they were reduced to.
How had this happened? Angel had no idea. Being created by the Tal Shiar, she wished she had been privy to all their secrets, but alas, this was a new one. At any rate, Angel still had her contacts, and it was time for a new line of work anyway. Setting a course for El Adrel system, the small shuttle's warp engines kicked in, and she was away, leaving Lielhai to die. While in warp speed, she also sent out a communiqué to the remnants of her organization there. Her computer mind had already come up with a plan. She hated Section 31, but if her calculations were correct, Angel would be expanding her operation into the United Federation of Planets.
