Down There Yonder

Posted on Thu May 7th, 2020 @ 12:12pm by Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers & Executive Officer Jake Ford

Mission: Mission 11 - Prospecting
Location: New Laurium - Market
Timeline: MD 02 19:00 Hours
1220 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"There you are!" Eden said coming up behind the man she recognized as her boyfriend. "I bought you something," Eden said then she realized all she had in her hands was a bag of squashed and patted out insects for Stan to munch on. "Oh but it's not here. Gregnol has my bag. So I guess I don't have anything for you."

"Eden. Eden!" Jake whirled, his eyes wide. "Where the hell have you been? I was going out of my mind when you weren't answering..." he took a second to look her over for signs of wear-and-tear or mishap. Nothing was out of place. "What happened? Where have you been?"

"Oh," Eden said, blinking at the less than normal Jake reaction. "You tried to call me? I didn't hear anything. I was down by someplace called Lisbon road with Gregnol and then I left to find Stan some goodies to eat since he's stuck on the ship. And I made my way around here, wherever here is, and found you."

"Eden..." Jake put his hands on her shoulders. He might have yelled were it any other person, but he just about managed to keep it in. Instead he just held her. "Gregnol's missing. There was blood, maybe signs of trouble. You were the last person who saw him." He paused, knowing that the next part wasn't something he wanted to face up to. "I've got to tell you that it does put you on the normal list of suspects. You understand that, don't you?"

She frowned for a moment as she thought he might be making a joke. When it was clear that he was not she opened her mouth and closed it again. "But he was fine when I left him. I guess it's been a bit. He was just standing there and I started explaining about how I wanted to find some goodies for Stan and he patiently nodded then I told him he was an old softie and left him with my bag. He was fine."

Jake took a breath, trying to calm himself more than anything. Eden didn't look flustered at all. "Okay. Okay." He paced back and forth for a few seconds. "Okay." It wasn't helping. "You're sure that he was fine? Alive? Not bleeding?" he asked. "Where was the last place you saw him?"

"Yes Jake, I'm sure he was fine. He had this exasperated expression on his face while I was talking to him, not unlike the look you're giving me right now. He certainly wasn't bleeding, he was relaxed except for the fact that he didn't think I
should be there. I think he thought it might be a dangerous part of town and that you wouldn't like me being there. He
said as much. He was standing just outside a group of small buildings and tents along a road, Lisbon, like I said. He didn't say he was going to move but when I came back about twenty minutes later he wasn't there any longer. I figured maybe he had some business and he still had my bag, I'd get it back from him later. I didn't think anything was wrong."

"So you left him alone for twenty minutes and then he was gone," Jake summarised. "At any rate, he was right: I don't think I like the sound of you wandering around certain parts of this colony without someone else being with you, Eden. I know you trained as a Starfleet officer and all, but..." he took a breath. "When you didn't answer my call I was worried about you. A lot."

"Sorry," Eden said leaning forward to put her forehead against his. "I really didn't mean to scare you. I'll stick with you for the rest of the trip, not that you're likely to let me wander around anyway now that I'm a suspect. I wasn't completely alone, I found Gregnol like I said and then I ran into Ford and PEARL. But I'm fine," she assured him.

"Ford was there?" Jake paused, thinking about it. How much did they really know Ford? He'd appeared basically at the same time they'd found the Temperance, all very convenient...he realised he was staying quiet. "Sorry Eden. I was just worried about you, when we found some blood I just lost my cool." Something that rarely happened, if he was honest with himself.

"Nah, that wasn't losing your cool, I've seen men loose their cool, you were still hanging onto it. And yeah, but not with Gregnol, I ran into him later. He seemed kind of off somehow, I felt like he was pretending to be friendly but all he wanted to do was be alone"

"Something's not right here, Eden. Gregnol's missing," he reiterated. "I just practically abandoned Jeassaho to come and find you. We need to try and figure-out what happened to him."

"Well . . ." Eden said taking his hand. "Let's go back to her and tell her what we know so far, which admittedly isn't much but you can keep an eye on me and so can she. You can lock me in a closet if you like." Eden said this seriously and looked up at him.

"Lock you in a...?" he realised that she wasn't even joking. "I'm not going to lock you up, Eden. I don't think the woman I know is capable of anything like assault, kidnapping and blatant conspiracy."

"Well I'm glad . . . but other people might not see it that way and right now it looks like I might be the last person to see Gregnol. Just saying I wouldn't take it personally. Anyway, whatever you want to do I'll stick close." She seemed to think about something suddenly and pulled on his arm. "Oh but if I get locked up you'll have to feed Stan. Or someone will."

"Precisely why I need to keep you out of being locked-up," Jake replied, softening a little. He lifted the arm she was pulling on and put at around her protectively. "Let's go back and find Jea. And maybe Valiyi while we're at it. XO is going to want to know about this."

"K," Eden said as they walked while she was tucked in his embrace. She seemed to be in deep thought and was reliving the past few hours she'd spent walking around the city and trying to remember if anything she saw could be of use. "I hope he's okay," she sighed. "The last thing I said to him was that he was a softie."

"Depends how many people heard you say it," he replied. "Gregnol might not want that big tough guy reputation breaking." He said it to lighten the moment, to ease her worries. Truth be told, he was just as concerned. But for Eden's sake he wouldn't show it.

"I know he wouldn't which is why I didn't say it in front of his crew," Eden answered seriously. "Anyway, we'll find Jea and hopefully make things all better."

"Yeah. I feel bad for bailing on her. Let's get going - the quicker we find the Captain, the quicker we can prove to people you had nothing to do with it."

Eden Bowers
Chief Helmsmen
SS Mary Rose


Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

 

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