And then something happened [closed to K for now]

[charmed_bastard]

Corporal-or-something-like-it Pryce Halliwell was having what amounted to a normal day on scenic tour-destination Zion 8. Her superiors ignored her except to hand over duty rosters and grunt orders. Smalltalk was simply non-existent. And apart for the occasional bright spot of seeing Wheatfields, or Laura, or one of the local friendly androids,

Comments

[most_feared]

Well, seemed like this place had ideas for him. Okay, he'd bite. Until he could have a word or two with whoever was in charge.

He strolled into the security office, giving the equipment a glance but not worrying about it too much. It was close enough to MiB headquarters. "I take it there aren't going to be a lot of incident reports over here?"

[charmed_bastard]

Pryce saluted, for all the good she expected it to do. "We don't even have much petty theft, sir. It's fairly uneventful." Blatant code for 'boring.'

[most_feared]

He raised an eyebrow at her 'sir', but kept his own posture less regimental. "At ease. Feel a little like a damned redneck sheriff in the boondocks of space. Alright. These replicators better make good strong coffee..." He walked over to one of the wall stations, flipping through some sort of menu screen.

[charmed_bastard]

Wait. Wait. The man was actually talking to her? Pryce blinked.

"They have an espresso, if you're into that. It's not bad. Less noisy than the earth version."

[most_feared]

"I normally just go for black coffee. Two sugars." Which the latter part he directed toward the machine, pressing a button as he did and waited for a plain cup with coffee in it to materialize under it.

Huh. Sorta took the personality out of it if they couldn't have the bugs making it, and giving Mnyrrklk his 'I'm the good twin' cup.

[charmed_bastard]

Pryce wasn't behind him to order her usual morning espresso. She normally would have been, but the computer was actually signaling, a worried beep.

The young woman's narrow eyes got as wide as they ever did. "Sir. Agent. We seem to be getting a distress call?"

[most_feared]

He held his coffee and reluctantly went over to join her at her workstation.

"...Huh," he grunted, a little too nonchalantly.

[charmed_bastard]

"You don't understand. We don't get these. We haven't. There isn't anyone OUT there." Pryce's brows furrowed, but she acted quickly and fairly efficiently, for someone being beeped at insistently. "Computer, is the signal a text or audio message?"

[most_feared]

"Neither. It is a generic distress signal with no accompanying message."

K took a drink of his coffee as it spoke, and responded as soon as he swallowed. "Computer, is it coming from a ship?" Damned frumpy computer voice...

"Negative. It's coming from a local planet."

[charmed_bastard]

"...and it's not from a ship ON the planet?"

Negative.

"...has a ship landed on the planet recently?"

Negative, the computer confirmed, sounding ever so slightly irritated.

[most_feared]

"Take it that doesn't happen a lot around here," K said to Pryce rather than the computer. Which he could guess from her prior statements, though you never know.

[charmed_bastard]

"There's nobody on those planets that we know of," Pryce reported-- which would be a confirmation, unless he was used to unoccupied planets generating spontaneous distress signals.

[most_feared]

"'That we know of' plays a big part in that statement, I think, 'cause this place makes damn sure we don't know a fuck of a lot of anything. I'll have to check the docking bays and see if there's a ship that I can handle there..." And then another drink of coffee. Because he had a feeling he was going to need the whole damn cup for this.

[charmed_bastard]

"So... is security investigating this, sir?" The pseudo-military formality was easier to fall back on. Blame college ROTC.

[most_feared]

"Of course... Now I have to go see what weapons we have to take down." Like hell was he going down to any planet without being armed to the hilt. Even if he had to ask the replicator for Y-sticks, rubber bands, and plastic forks.

He went into his office, gazing at the wall of computer terminal with a flat expression that buried the look of "Oh fuck."

[charmed_bastard]

"Should I-- no, a team won't scramble here. I think there's an armory. Computer, do we have an armory?"