Trip to Rigel (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 14 Jan 2014 @ 1:47pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant Asahi Kita & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Ensign Matthew Plumeri & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm & Commander Luke Wyatt

1,839 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Earth - Runabout Jermias
Timeline: MD 30 - 0925 hrs

Previously, on Trip to Rigel (Part 2)...

Lirha looked down at her PADD and began to thumb through some of the data displayed. "Now, Orion culture," she began, giving the team a quick briefing, "is much different from what you have experienced on Earth...or most places, for that matter. First and most importantly, remember that the Orion colonies are not chartered members of the UFP despite their location within Federation space. In fact, most Orions want nothing to do with the Federation and highly value their sovereignty. It would be a good idea not to wear your uniforms around because -- while you probably will not experience any open hostility -- it might possibly result in a difficult social situation if the topic of Starfleet comes up. Do not attempt to pull rank or enforce protocols and Federation law while we are there. They will not listen to you and it could create trouble for you. Should you witness anything overtly illegal, please contact me and I will advise you on the proper course of action. I recommend keeping your commbadges on you or in your pockets at all times...just in case." It was important for her to lay out some ground rules, especially since the last thing she wanted was to have to spend her time rescuing one of her colleagues from an Orion prison. It would be most embarrassing.

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

"There has always been a good deal of mystery surrounding Orions so I would like to clarify a few things," Lirha continued. "Orion society is matriarchal with a strong emphasis on families. Families are rather large and the typical person has between three and seven siblings...not to mention many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Most families are members of a clan which is a collection of families often arranged by marriage in order to provide the highest social class power possible within a region. Clans are similar to Klingon 'Houses', and loyalty runs deep within all members of a clan. Marriages are usually pre-arranged from a young age." She adjusted herself in her seat and continued to explain the intricacies of the society.

"Orions are generally very opportunistic, hedonistic, and materialistic. Some might even consider us to be egocentric," she added with a smirk. "They are some of the most savvy and keen people in the Quadrant and they thrive by analyzing risk and profiting off of chance. Like the Ferengi, Orions value wealth, business and profits, although we tend to use it for different means. Most Orions love wealth and possessions and they tend to live as luxuriously as possible...we generally believe that life should be experienced to its fullest, at all times. Poverty and modesty are both signs of personal and social weakness, so you will see some of the most elaborate styles of dress, adornment, and decoration. Because of this, we must all bring gifts and present them as often as possible when meeting someone new. I recommend visiting a shop as soon as we land and purchasing as many gifts as you can, then carry a small bag with those items around with you wherever you go. Often times after you present a gift, you will receive one in return...please do not re-gift...it is considered rude. Also, eye contact is very important and is shown as a sign of strength, especially amongst the women. If someone is speaking to you, do not look away until they do. If you are offered food, hospitality, or accommodation, try not to refuse unless it is completely necessary. Again, it is considered rude."

Matthew said, "So...they're cool, they have good taste, they like nice things and they don't like wet blankets. Check. Sounds like my kinda planet!"

Delainey smiled wanly at Matt and then posed a question of her own. "Where we're travelling, are most of the Orions well-off? I can't help but wonder what life is like for the less affluent natives, especially given the expectation to have large families and obtain the finer things." Of course, what Delainey really wondered about was their access to medical care. She didn't say so, however, because she didn't want to mention work on what was supposed to be a fun trip. Still, Delainey wouldn't have been herself if she didn't care about things like that, and however lame it might seem to others, she could find much peace and joy attending to expectant mothers and their children on her vacation, especially since she doubted anyone was going to choose to have a child aboard Galileo given all they'd just been through.

Lirha wasn't exactly sure what the counselor qualified as 'well-off' but she assumed she meant it as a reference to living in poverty. "Most of them, yes. Where we are going there is enough wealth that even the laziest person could scrap together a decent living," she answered, then began to elaborate upon the details of their specific destination.

"We will be spending most of our time in Vajripam, the capital city," Lirha continued. "It is a very transient port city with many planetary trade ports and many people constantly coming and going. Think of it as Vega Colony, only more robust. The population is about 7 million, mostly Orions, but there are also many other species who live there. It is not as diverse a place as say, Earth, but it is a very popular tourist city within the Quadrant. The weather this time of year should be warm, around 19 degrees, and Rigel VII is known for its wonderful sand beaches which I would encourage visiting. There are several within a few kilometers of Vajripam. The world is also famous for its very unique architecture...I believe on Earth, the buildings would resemble an ancient 'castle', only these structures are much larger and more elegant. They can be found all over the planet and there are several you may visit in Vajripam as well." She paused to give everyone a short moment to digest some of the information she had just presented.

"Suits me just fine...need to work on my tan anyway." Matt replied.

Luke took in all the information and then looked up from his seat, "Before we get there I think it would be cool to set up some sort in danger guide in case one of us gets into trouble and cant really say what" He paused "Not that I am expecting anything but you can never know" he shrugged casually.

"A danger guide?" Lirha raised her eyebrows with much curiosity. "...What type of trouble are you expecting?" she asked, unable to prevent a light laugh from escaping her lips. She didn't anticipate any problems once the group got settled on the surface, but perhaps the former Marine had considered something she had not.

"Well, unless we skip a hypospray or annoy... uh... anyone, I don't see a whole lot of trouble for us to get into." Asahi nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "I mean, I don't want to step on toes or anything, and I'm far from underestimating what could potentially happen, but so long as we keep our hands to ourselves, we should be alright, right?"

"Actually," Lirha mumbled quietly to herself and decided now was as good a time as ever to address what no one had already mentioned. "Now that you bring it up...the Syndicate does operate on Rigel VII...well, they operate on every Orion colony...but they are much more reclusive than they were, say twenty years ago. I do not think we will have any incidents with them and the local law enforcement discourages their activity. It is bad for trade and tourism," she tried to explain.

Luke shrugged "Well of course, anyway I wasn't saying anything would happen I've just grown accustom to taking extra precaution" He laughed "Lets just go and have a good time?"

Matt grinned, "I'm with that guy. Have a good time. Don't embarrass the Commodore and while we may all be scientists...we aren't on duty..for now." He teased and joked around. "Everybody remember where we're parked!"

"Yeah, I don't want to lose my ride home," Siren laughed softly, her eyes shining. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really looking forward to this. Never been before. This should be a right old adventure."

Matt clapped his hands once, "Absolutely! Look at how lucky we are...right? We're going to Rigel VII y'all!! Woo-hoo!!"

Lirha was happy to see everyone so excited and in good spirits, and she suddenly felt much more comfortable with having a big group of visitors accompany her. At first she had only intended to bring Siren and Nesh, but as interest in the trip grew, she had been happy to bring along other members of her crew and one guest. "It will be a fun time, I promise," she said, then suppressed a sleepy yawn with the back of her hand and leaned back in her chair. "Does anyone have any more questions before we arrive? If not...I am going to take a nap for a few hours." It was still early in the morning and since Lirha was technically on vacation now, she wanted to sleep in a bit longer now that the runabout was on autopilot.

"Nite, nite Commodore." After she had entered one of the cabins Matt asked, "So...I for one...am going to change out of my uniform and get into some play clothes. I wonder what the weather is like today on Rigel VII?"

Asahi chuckled, shrugging. "Hopefully better than it is in San Fran. Not really the type of guy to freeze my toosh off." He snatched up the PADD, before heading off to a cabin himself. "I'm gonna spend some quality time with the reading material. Catch you all later."

Matt nodded, "Later." He asked Delainey, "Join me for a drink in ten?"

Surprised internally, but outwardly pleased, she smiled and nodded. "See you in ten."

Matthew nodded, "Cool!"

Luke was still sat up front in the co-pilots seat, unlike the rest he wasn't tired so decided to monitor the ships system. He twisted the chair and set his feet upon the the unused console and sighed heavily.

Siren gave a small smile as she saw Luke settling in, folding her arms and settling her weight onto one leg. "Don't get too comfy there, flyboy, it'd be good if we could get there in one piece," she teased, winking to him before ducking out to join Lirha.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CPO Luke Wyatt
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

LT Asahi Kita
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer/Historian
USS Nimitz

Lt. Delainey Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.
Counselor/Medical Officer
USS Galileo

PO2 Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Blake]

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