SD 02/15/03 "Crime and Pigishment" aka "Welcome to our Planet, Now Go Home!" #5 - We're in Hell.
Just when I thought I had seen the worst of this place with the food, something else was revealed. Now I know why those men on the bus backed away from that woman in a hurry.
To begin with, when we first got some food in this once-great restraunt, none of it was what we ordered. It looked no better than the wilted greens and the Vulcan tofu on the other tables, and close up it smelled rancid. When we finally got the attention of the waiter, he apologized and took the dishes away. After a lengthy wait, he finally returned with the right orders. It wasn't as good as what the Freedom's replicators could do, but at least it was edible.
Of the others, Lera, Tempres, and Redfordes were silent most of the meal, Tempres showing the most activity of the three by feeding his kids a bottle when they got hungry. K'Lynxyl swallowed her pride, and the bean dish she ordered with it. She made a brave face of it, grinning while joking about what a number it would do to her stomach later on. Dammers was helping by trying to cheer her up with some conversation. It seemed to be working.
We also heard some conversation from the other tables. Much of it was directed to us, notably about "those are pretty well-groomed for Anticans," and comments about Demian taking care of his kids. Other talk was about a local food shortage. Lately the world has had to import much, if not most, of its food. Shipments arrive every few months, and today is the day. Thousands of pounds of ... Vulcan tofu.
Oh, yummy ...
We soon finished and the bill arrived. I offered to pay, and got a case of 'sticker shock.' The waiter explained that the kind of food we got was increasingly hard to find due to the food shortage, adding we ate the last of the fruit they had. So I paid it.
K'Lynxyl and Dammers were talking about heading their own way back, and as they were walking off, I got a comm. Brundle and Lott had been frisked by local cops whom seemed to be after the whole group. I rushed forward to catch up with the pair. When I got there however, although there were cops, something else had grabbed their attention ...
A woman was pointing to a harmless-looking man, claiming "harassment." She said she was bending over to pick up something she dropped, and caught the guy staring at her behind. The man, clearly frightened, tried to explain it was an accident. But the cops would have none of it. A policewoman clubed him, put the helmet-thing I saw clipped to their belts, turned it on, and he began convulsing.
I tried to step forward, but some local man came up to me and held me back, saying it was useless to interfere. The man's muffled screams turned into a piglike squeal. When the helmet was taken off, it was the piglike-face we had seen among a few on the space station. He begged for it to be reversed, but the cops ignored him while the woman began kicking the "male chauvanist." He fled, people he came near either backing away or hitting him away.
The scene stirred up in me not just the revulsion of this dehumanization, but some horrid memory like I had seen this once before on some level. Plus a feeling that went along with what this man was saying, nothing could be done for him.
The man explained he knew of a place of safety and comfort. It seemed he had come across Lott and Brundle earlier and led them here. We headed off with K'Lynxyl and Brundle deciding to take to the rooftops. K was moving so fast at times, she quite literally left her holographic dress behind. It had to wait for her to stop to catch up. ... And I thought that happened only in commercials.
I got a call from the ship on the way, asking if there was a riot that required measures from the ship, such as an electro-magnetic pulse. I just asked them to keep an eye on police frequencies. EM pulse? Whose idea was that?
Our guide soon led us into an alley. In a scene reminiscent of 1920 Gangster movies, he knocked on a door, a small panel slid open, and he gave a password. The door opened, and a doorman welcomed us to "The Sancutary Speakeasy." K'Lynxyl was on top of the fire escape for some reason. I just wonder what she saw that got her and Dammers laughing?