How Much Trouble Can Ferengi Be?

Posted on Tue Jan 25th, 2022 @ 10:07am by Lieutenant Commander Hamish Brott & Lieutenant JG Tilo Riehl & Lieutenant JG Katsumi Tanaka MD

838 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Ninety-Nine Bottles of Swill
Location: Bellwether Station | Infirmary

Riehl Stood in the corridor just off the transporter pad, looking through his medpac. The Trill wanted to make sure that he was prepared for anything the Ferengi threw at them while they were aboard their shuttle. As he finished rummaging through the duffel bag, his hand instinctively fell to the type I phaser on his belt. Smaller than he was used to, but it was discrete and powerful enough to disuade in a pinch.

As he heard footsteps approaching, he looked up from the bag, and adjusted it to sit more comfortably across his shoulder.

"Lieutenant Riehi, I presume," Tanaka said as she moved up along side, her medi pack slung over her shoulder. "I assume, also, that you have medical knowledge?"

'Enough to use the meditation,' he replied with a smile and a tap of the bag he had slung over his shoulder. 'I'm well aware I'm here to be the muscle and deterrence to any Ferengi funny business while I watch your back on the shuttle.'

She sighed. "Honestly I doubt there will be any trouble. They need our help, Ferengi who need help are quite docile until they get it."

Riehl smiled, extended a hand to shake hers, 'not all Ferengi are reconstructed. There's a long way for them to go before they're close to how we interact with different genders. It's a pleasure to meet you by the way.'

Human contact, again. Well, at least he didn't hug her. She quickly shook his hand with a firm grip.

"He's not wrong you know," the Bolian added having caught wind of the conversation. "Take it from me, I love the Ferengi. They are fascinatingly engaging individuals, but their society is vastly different than those in the Federation. Power, greed, and that's just on the surface."

'Pretty much what you get from most Ferengi unless you're willing to part with your latinum,' Riehl nodded in agreement. 'I'm sure they won't be any trouble,' the Security Officer reiterated. 'But we should just be on our guard.'

"The moment you drop your guard around a Ferengi is the moment you start noticing things conveniently being misplaced or completely going missing," Brott replied. "I'd hate to accuse them of anything or sound prejudiced, but they have gained a reputation for not being forthcoming with information, being greedy, and having sticky fingers" explained the Bolian.

'Cynical, but true,' Riehl replied gently, remembering the Bolian penchant for unfiltered talk. 'I'll keep an eye on them, and the Doctor for anything untoward. Though I dare say their bowels will be their first point of attention.'

Lieutenant Commander Brott looked at the Chief Medical Officer. "I'm not asking you to do anything other than tending to your patients but keep those Vulcan senses of yours alert. You may conveniently overhear something."

"Indeed. I shall do my best."

Brott nodded. "Oh I have no doubt that you will, Doctor" replied the large Bolian. "I'm just glad this appears to not be contagious whatever it is. By the looks of things and the smell, it reminds me of the time I had some red alert chili, but it ended up a bit more like a brown alert."

The Bolian chuckled a bit embarrassed with his openness, but his people were not known for filtering. "Astor and MacLeod were having a look around. I'd like for you to see what our Ferengi friends were eating and drinking the past few days. Their shuttle was a sty with bottles, some half-empty from what was reported to me."

'I'm sure we can retrieve a sample bottle or two,' Riehl replied with a confident smile. 'Shall we?' He indicated the transporter.

"MacLeod and Astor already brought some samples back for testing, but I wouldn't mind another set of eyes over there, a different approach and perspective."

Riehl nodded his understanding, 'aye aye, Sir!'

Brott smiled. "That's the energy I like," the Bolian said with a bit of a chuckle. He then focused his attention back on the physician. "Doctor, do what you need to to get these Ferengi in a suitable condition. I would like to start interviewing them when I can. Lieutenant Skye had some questions for them that I believe will be helpful in her continued investigation."

Lieutenant Commander Brott gave one last look around. He really did not envy the station's one and only physician aboard the station. Doctor Tanaka really did not have much to work with; treating one patient was difficult enough given the size of the infirmary. Having several patients aboard was nothing short of a nightmare. Brott let out a sigh. They would need to work on hitting them a proper EMH.

There had been an abundance of medical officers who had served aboard the station. None of them were like Doctor Tanaka. Brott suspected that he was probably lucky that this one was staying at least fir the time being. She pushed back, but she was settling in nicely.

 

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