|
A burly gray-blue furred Demarian looms behind a tall mahogany desk, paws resting on the counter top as he watches people coming and going. A holographic sign above his station reads: INFORMATION.
Xanya and friends head inside and when seeing the information desk Xanya heads over to ask her first set of questions. "good day sir. Could you help me? I wish to speak to someone who might be able to help me get a search warrant? You see where council members from Danu Chroi's and we are here for to find some information regarding an investigation where doing." Xanya says and asks kindly.
The Demarian peers down his long, broad snout at Xanya, whiskers flexing outward. "Danu Chroi? So, you're not affiliated with the Stellar Consortium?" His fangs clack together for the "t" after he trills the "r" in "Consortium." He tilts his head, ears swiveling. "Complicated. Our judges issue search warrants based on evidence gathered by police and prosecutors, but their jurisdiction is limited. Are you investigating a crime committed within our borders?"
Kethren walks calmly just behind Xan, with a white tiger at his side, and a perpetually curious looking kitteny-ferrety creature on his shoulder. "We're following up some leads regarding an anomaly that occurred in the settlement on our planet."
Aina follows the first two, gaze flicking about as she blinks, taking in her surroundings. She's quiet, nose wrinkling briefly before she turns to focus on the Demarian. Head tilting slightly she offers a quick smile, but lets the other two in her group talk for now.
Xanya nods with Kethren's answer. "what my friend and fellow council member just said is correct. We're here to follow some clues regarding an anomaly that occurred in the settlement on our planet.
"And your planet is *not* a member world of the Stellar Consortium," the Demarian repeats, apparently seeking clarification. "What connection does this anomaly have to the Consortium? It seems you may have come a very long way to seek help that we cannot grant."
Kethren sighs "Our primary concern is learning the identity of the owner of a boot that appeared on our world. We know it was both manufactured and sold on Earth."
Xanya nods with Kethren and adds. "And we are from Impiruil Bail. it's a planet that lies beyond the rift. hopefully that answers your question about the consortium?"
Aina arches a brow as she turns to focus on the Demarian, "No. We are not a member of the Stellar Consortium." She glances at Xan, a slight frown forming for a brief second, then she turns a smile back to the Demarian.
"It answers the question," the Demarian agrees. His whiskers droop. "However, it suggests to me that you have no standing to ask for or, indeed, receive a warrant. The Consortium charter is fairly specific in protecting corporate entities from outside intrusions without proper standing. If you had some proof that a specific Consortium citizen might've been wearing that boot, for example. But it is just as possible that someone from the Fringe or even beyond the rift and beyond our laws wore it. I am sorry. I wish I had better news for you. Do you have some reason to suspect that this individual was connected to your anomaly?"
Kethren smirks "The anomaly in question involved the sudden appearance of a Hekayti burial probe in our town. That boot appeared with it."
Xanya looks sad as she hears the demarian give the bad news. and then nods with kethren again. "and my research into the boot told us that this boot was sold here in the Dreyer Sporting Goods store. Who ever owned it is unknown to us as of yet. it could have been anyone, if you ask me." She says and sighs a bit. "But please. isn't there any way you can help us? You see,... if we don't find out what happend to this Hekayti Burial probe. I fear as do many of our citicens,... that the Hekayti might take over ruling of Impiruil Bail. Many of us do not like the prospect of that. So could you please, Help us?"
"The boot appeared with the probe?" the Demarian inquires. "Or was the boot left behind? Is there any way to determine whether someone was standing in that spot before the...probe thing...materialized?" He scratches his left forearm absently. "I ask because we might be able to use face recognition algorithms to identify someone from a holovid image and confirm their Consortium citizenship. If they *disappeared* and fell under Consortium jurisdiction, you would be within your rights to ask the Consortium to conduct a missing person investigation. However, if someone just sent you an empty boot along with a probe, I just don't think there's enough to go on."
Kethren looks to Aina "Do you have the security footage of its appearance? Might be something in there we can work with."
"Good thinking Kethren." Xanya says looking from Kethren to Aina.
Aina blinks, then nods as she removes her pda from her pocket and taps at it a bit, "I do have the footage, yes. I don't think it shows a person rifting in, though...The boot just sort of appears with the object that showed up." She steps forward in order to share the footage with the Demarian, "We just want to be able to find out who the boot belonged to. All we need is one customers name from the company. I'm finding it hard to believe that's such a huge request."
Careful review of the holovid captured on Aina's PDA will show that in the instant before the probe appeared on Impiruil Baile, a human male with short-cropped red hair was walking through the space in town. The image is a little blurry, and it's in profile, but it clearly shows a man wearing boots there one second. The next, he's gone, the probe has arrived, and a boot remains behind.
Kethren waits with a curious expression "So, is there enough information in there that we can proceed with a minimal amount of red tape?"
Xanya looks at the video and smiles to Aina. glad she had it with her. Then Xanya nods with Kethren's question. Hoping for a good answer.
Aina arches a brow as she looks from the footage to the Demarian, but remains quiet, waiting to see what he says. Once the footage is played she holds it so she can look at it again, head tilting slightly. For a moment her fingers dance over the screen, then she moves to tuck the pda way.
"Well, it is good news in the sense that we have someone to hang your hope on," the Demarian replies. "The question remains whether that man in your video capture is a Consortium citizen. I cannot guarantee anything, but if you transfer a copy of that footage to my system, I know someone who owes me a favor who can run the image through our recognition database."
Kethren smiles as he reaches down a bit to scratch Nuala "Thank you, it would be greatly appreciated."
Aina pauses in putting the pda away and instead nods, a smile slowly forming, "That'd be great." She taps the screen a bit, lips pursing as she works on sending the footage to the right system, then nods, "There. I wonder if that person is ok...Where they ended up. Can't be too happy with only one boot."
Xanya smile brightly to the demarian. "that would be greatly appreciated indeed." She says and watches Aina work with her pda, then looks hopefully to the demarian.
The Demarian confirms the footage is on his PDA, then bobs his snout. "Excuse me. I will return shortly." He departs the information desk and steps through an authorized personnel only door, leaving the trio to wait.
Kethren sits down on Nuala, and starts to twiddle his thumbs.
Aina nods and glances at Kethren with a smile, then puts her pda away, "Hope they find the person. Honestly, I do hope the person is ok. What if they traded places with the tomb...Where was it last?"
Xanya nods. "and if so... where was the probe and where is that person now?"
The AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY door slides open again. From it emerges...not the Demarian. Instead, it's a prim-looking bald human male with dark eyes in a gray suit. He steps behind the desk, beneath the INFORMATION sign, and offers a taut smile to the trio. "May I help you?" he asks.
Kethren stands back up "No, thank you. We're already being attended to."
Aina turns to face the new person at the help desk, a brow arching, "No. The one that was here before you stepped out to look into something for us. Thank you, though." She flashes a quick smile, then frowns slightly and pulls out her pda again.
Xanya nods along with Kethren and Aina and continues to wait.
"I'm the information officer on duty today," the man replies, clasping his hands behind his back. "I'm not sure who you think you were talking to previously, but you were obviously mistaken about their identity. Are you sure I can do nothing to assist?"
Kethren raises an eyebrow "Then who, pray tell, was the demarian that went into the authorized personnel only area?"
Aina frowns a bit more as she looks up at the human, "You must have passed him on your way out here. If he doesn't work here, how'd he get behind the counter? And what kind of place are you running that allows just anyone to pretend they work here?"
Xanya folds her arms and frowns. "We shared important information with him. if he is not one of you own...then who is he?"
"Information Services does not employ a Demarian qualified for front desk work," the bald man says, brow knitting. "If you are quite finished wasting my time, you are invited to depart. I have other duties to attend to and other people to help."
Kethren nods "I ask again, who was the demarian, if he wasn't supposed to be here wasting /our/ time?"
Aina blinks at the human, the frown still there, "We're asking who he was, how he got where you are, and where he's gone. He went through that door right before you came out. We're not leaving until we get answers."
Xanya still has her arms folded. "Like my friend and fellow counsil members asked we would like awsners. We came here hoping to get a warent for an investigation where doing here. and now your telling us the demarian that claimed he could help us is not working here?"
"I suppose you can try to stay," the bald man replies grimly. "That should last until I finish reporting you to the San Angeles Police Department as trespassers. Now, please, I am giving you one last chance to depart without any trouble." He is pulling a commlink from a jacket pocket.
Kethren sighs a little and starts to head to the door "Alright, guys. We better get going. I think we'll have better luck getting answers out of a street mime on the way back to the shuttles."
Aina lets out a brief snarl as she stares at the human, "I think we'll go talk to them ourselves. Maybe they can find out what's going on here. Have them get ahold of your security footage, shut everything down for a few days. Who knows, maybe a few weeks while they look for the Demarian." With a snort she glares at the human, "Good day to you." Then she turns to follow Kethren.
Xanya shakes her head and nods with Aina. "Good idea Aina. Lets go to them. They might be able to help us more then anyone has done here." She says and leaves along with the rest.
The man behind the information desk seems content to allow the trio to depart, although he keeps the commlink at the ready.