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2/22/99

Riley's in the brig after having been found on the third floor, tangled and with a gun in his hand. Not too far from him was a very dead diplomat shot by his own gun. Looks bad? It really does, but there's always more than meets the eye.

SECURITY> Anya frowns at her terminal a moment and then begins cursing. It's careful, and thorough, and involves a lot of things that are not necessarily anatomically possible. She rips a sheet from the printer, wheeling her chair back to offer it to Niko. "We have a problem."

SECURITY> Niko, decidedly sandy-eyed, looks up from his terminal to take the paper then starts some cursing of his own. As it's all in Hellenic, with a sprinkling of another language or two tossed in for good measure, it's difficult to tell just what he's saying, but it certainly doesn't sound good. "Yeah," he agrees, finally. "Just a little one."

SECURITY> Anya just shakes her head, "How did they get it all together so fast? Normally a Court Martial takes -days- to engineer. Heck, we haven't even half completed the investigation and they want to bring this to -trial-?"

SECURITY> Niko mutters something about rottenness in the state of confusion. "This is bad," he decides, reaching for another blue can. "Unless we get some answers to the questions that we both -know- they're going to ask..." Well, no, he can't finish that sentence, and lifts his comm instead.

Your communit crackles to life and says "*tired, maybe a little desperate* Did you get anything on that chemical? On -anything- that would help?" No, no good morning. He's just a little short on manners." in Niko's voice.

SECURITY> Anya turns back to her terminal, murmuring about calling and seeing if Denner's found anything new.

SECURITY> Niko nods to Anya as he looks up from the comm-unit. "He was really intent on whatever it was he was doing when I went upstairs last night. Didn't want to disturb him." He shakes his head, then mutters, "At least he's got something he can -do-."

SECURITY> Anya nods thoughtfully, although there's a hint of something troubled in her expression. "Yeah, he's been at it more or less since everything went to hell. Maybe we should get some more pairs of eyes on those records."

SECURITY> Niko pauses at that, blinking. He calls up a record on his terminal, then shakes his head. "Sometime when I've actually got -time-, I'm going to learn how to speak computer. He was doing something, but I can't really tell what. Doublechecking things?"

SECURITY> Anya taps away at the machine, peering at the records. "I'm not sure what all he's been doing, I don't see the reasoning behind some of this. He must have exhausted all the normal stuff early on and is now doing more obscure things."

SECURITY> Niko shakes his head. "We can see what he found out when he comes in," he suggests. "Probably won't be too much longer, knowing Denner. Forensics ever report back with what they found in the Chief's office?"

SECURITY> Anya nods, offering a sheaf of doccuments, "Mostly they found Kyara's, and yours, and Addie's prints. There was one big thing to help us, scarcely a print of the Chief's to be found in the place, consistent with the way he tells it which is he's not been in his office since the night y'all were shot in the Vault. All that redecorating y'all did got rid of his prints and all, and none have been made since. Now he could've worn gloves, but why should he in his own office? It smells of someone else doing it."

SECURITY> Niko takes the sheet with a murmur of thanks. "And it -was- done from there," he murmurs. He frowns at the report, adding mostly to himself, "I know I didn't do it. Kyara... highly unlikely. And Addie's a brilliant kid, but somehow I think this is a little beyond her." He snags his soda for a quick drink, devouring the information on the sheet. "But unless we have a name... as much as they're rushing this through..." He frowns, then. "-Why- are they rushing it like this? Who stands to gain by having this trial happen quickly? Why would it be different if the trial weren't till the end of the week?"

SECURITY> Anya shakes her head, looking thoughtful. "Someone with something to hide? Someone who wants the Chief out of the way fast? He still can't remember anything this morning, heck, less than last night almost. That chemical is -really- doing a number on him. They want him executed and taken care of before it wears off maybe?"

SECURITY> Niko can't help but wince just a little at the evil e-word. "Someone who wants to get rid of him -and- Aberystwyth?" he suggests. "K--uh, rid themselves of two at once." He frowns, then, as he makes a few recollections from last night. "The drug's Stilvani. I was... unable to follow up on it earlier today, but do you know of any conflicts between Aberystwyth and, say, Lexington? It would seem too obvious, except the drug is so obscure..."

SECURITY> Anya considers this a moment and then turns to tap at her terminal. "Not that I -know- of, but I can see what I can dig up. Goodness knows Lexington has enough enemies."

SECURITY> Niko nods at that, though he says, with a grimace, "So does Riley." He turns back to what he was doing for a moment, then expostulates, "It's the -codes- that really get to me, though. Riley's code, Riley's... did you ever ask if he had the master key on him?"

You head towards the Security Central.

Clara makes her way in, several datacrystals in a protective container in one hand and a stack of folders under the other arm. Evidently she took time to shower and change into a proper uniform, but otherwise it's obvious sleep hasn't been a recent factor as she makes her way towards Anya's desk and lowers into a chair, handing over the crystals. "All the medical data on that blasted drug."

Anya nods sadly to Niko, "It was on him when he was brought in." Anya accepts the crystals, turning enough to pass them on to Niko.

Niko is engaged in the fine art of tormenting information from a terminal, while also drinking from a blue can and having an often-interrupted-by-terminals conversation with Anya. As Clara comes in, he looks over and offers a tired almost-smile. He's still in that same uniform from the day before, and looks as if he's gotten about as much sleep. He swears quietly at Anya's response, then takes the crystals, slipping the first one into a reader. "D'you know how to counteract it?" he inquires of Clara, skimming quickly through the information.

Clara nudges the stack of paperwork up on the desk, shaking her head slowly in a fairly miserable gesture. "It's a sneaky son of a Treltuvian fruit bat. While it may be a wonder-drug for old Stilvani men, in humans, it sneaks in via the central nervous system and attacks the oligodendroglia in the temporal lobe. In turn, this damages the myelin sheath, leaving the neurons associated with memory unprotected...and impaired. It also attacks the parietal lobe, leaving him in pain, exhausted, and incapable of defense."

Niko mouths 'oligodendroglia' a few times, then shakes his head. Comprehension isn't necessary. "Okay, so the answer to my question is 'no'?" He frowns a moment, then. "So -should- he be in the brig?"

<OOC> Leila is just in awe of the big scary words. Wow!!

<OOC> Jess is trying to say some of the big scary words, likely without success. ;)

<OOC> Clara wants to say the olio thing in Italian. It -looks- Italian.

<OOC> Jess snickers. "Yes, Luigi! I'd like some cappelini with a side of oligodendroglia! And then some tiramisu."

<OOC> Clara snickers a -lot-!

<OOC> Leila rolls!

<OOC> Jess would rather have easy mac than oligodendroglia.

"The answer to the question is no," Clara agrees, leaning her head back on the chair she's found and staring at the ceiling. "As to whether he should be in Medbay? I'd -love- to have him in Medbay, but I'll have to examine him again before I know for sure." She lifts her head then to peers at both Niko and Anya. "I'll tell you one thing, though. That stuff causes shutdown in the neural mitochondria. He'd been unconscious a while when we found him. I'm still running tests to see if he was out at the exact time of death for the diplomat."

A flicker of relief crosses Niko's face at Clara's words. "If you could.. expedite those tests, maybe." He pauses, then rummages through his papers and comes up with one particular one, frowning at it. "Is this drug likely to work its way through his system on its own, without being counteracted... in the next, say, 48 hours?"

Clara nods vaguely at Niko, rubbing at her eyes. "They're running as we speak. The computer's number crunching, which is the only reason I left to come deliver what I had." At the question, her brow furrows and she rifles through her own paperwork, finally lighting on one of the folders and perusing it. "In 48 hours, the myelin sheaths should be effecting self repair, yes. Memory function will -start- to resume."

Niko nods very slowly, expression grim as he offers that paper. "That," he says slowly, with a glance at Anya, "Could explain -this-." The paper, of course, is notification that Riley's court-martial proceedings are to start that evening, though the specific time is to be left vague. "Clara, if there's -any- way you can get those tests to finish up more quickly... the professor's at a conference, but he might be reachable later this afternoon. I'll try again, but I still don't know if he can help."

Anya looks up from her machine, nodding to Niko. The terminal still has the bulk of her attention, she's rummaging through various files. From her brow furrowed expression she's not finding what she's looking for.

Someone wanders in with food for baby ducks, just in case.

Clara leans her elbow on the arm of the chair, letting her head down to rub at the bridge of her nose with that hand. "How soon, Niko? When do you need the results?" She glances up to take the paper with a frown, then scans it. Too tired to explode, she simply hands it back with several muttered oaths in French. "I'll have it by this afternoon."

Niko's head bobs in a nod, though there are obviously some gears turning--or maybe spinning without actually accomplishing anything--in his head. "Thank you. That could be very helpful." He glances towards the brig, then says lightly, "Let me know when you'd like to get in to see Riley, and I'll turn off the screen. If you think he should be in medbay--or perhaps a private room somewhere--say the word. The regs I found say," he adds, with a certain odd emphasis, "That the CMO has the authority to order such a release, as long as it's to a secure location." And if that location is kept from certain folks wanting to take Riley off to a court-martial before evidence of his innocence has been found, well then, wouldn't that just be awful?

Clara steeples her fingers for a moment in thought, then pushes to her feet and gestures at the brig with her chin. "Anya, can I leave these folders here for a few moments?" she asks, then nods at Niko. "I'd like to see him now."

Anya nods to Clara, "I'll keep an eye on them."

Niko nods and moves to key off the screen, still obviously thinking quite a lot.

Niko tabs in his security code, releasing the locks on the brig.

You walk towards the Brig.

SECURITY> Niko tabs in his security code, locking the brig.

Riley hasn't budged from his position of the night before, he's half curled under a blanket on the bench thing. He doesn't seem to notice Clara's entrance, or in fact much of anything else.

Clara comes in with a hint of trepidation, sighing softly at Riley's position as she moves in closer to settle on the edge of the bunk at his side and rest a hand on his shoulder. "Hey there, sailor. You awake?"

Like cold molasses, Riley's thought processes are slow moving and all but stuck. He manages after a moment however to blink up at Clara, "Yeah, awake." Although considering the circumstances that's something of a debatable concept. He's still shaking like the night before, and doesn't appear altogether cognizant of his surroundings.

Clara shifts the hand up to smooth back Riley's hair, face unreadable, then moves aside her labcoat to pull out a scanner. "You look like you've been through a wringer," she notes quietly. "Are you in any pain?" The shaking doesn't seem to surprise her, although she's certainly unhappy about it.

Thankfully, just like molasses, the more you shake it around the more it seems to move, and Riley seems to at least manage to figure out -who- is asking him questions. "Some." There's a pause, "Y'should take a nap."

Eyes flickering up from the scanner's readout to her patient's eyes, Clara stifles her reaction to that which likely would have been frighteningly maudlin and offers a reassuring smile. "I will, love. When this is all over. You've got some minor cerebral damage, though. Things are misfiring upstairs. I'd like you to be closer to where I can keep an eye on you. Would you mind that?"

In the Security Center >> Niko heads back to his terminal, frowning thoughtfully as he snags another soda and starts to call up some more information.

"Not gonna complain, no." Riley offers the ghost of a rueful grin. "Brig's not exactly s'comfortable. But're they gonna let you haul me out of here?" He doesn't so much as budge, but he does look a bit mournful. "Y'look so tired though."

Clara shakes her head slowly, returning to examining the readout on her scanner. "I'm fine," she assures. "Just been doing a little research on whatever it is someone gotcha with. And yes, I can haul you out of here, so long as they get to keep an eye on you." She glances up thoughtfully towards the door of the brig, the same thought Niko had earlier finally occurring to her as well.

Riley tries to follow the direction of your gaze, although he seems to be having difficulty focusing. "Not like I'm likely to run or anything," he murmurs to himself. "They got me with?" He's very much out of the loop.

Clara exhales a deep sigh and turns back with another smile that doesn't quite reach red-rimmed eyes. "No, running isn't in the cards for you right now. Why don't you just rest for a moment, hmm? I'll be right back." She rises and heads back to the doorway. "Niko?"

In the Security Center >> Niko looks up from whatever it is that he's doing. "Want back out, Clara?" He inquires, heading back to the brig. He adds, more quietly, "How's he doing?"

Riley is more than game to rest, as moving is not exactly his favorite activity at the moment. He blinks a few times at Clara, squinting to try and keep her in focus as she crosses the room.

Clara shakes her head rapidly, gesturing the younger officer closer and lowering her voice not to carry. "Not so hot. I'd really like to get him where I can keep an eye on him." She glances beyond Niko, then lowers her voice even more. "Somewhere unpublicized," she emphasizes, then returns to normal volume. "Any guard you want to post is perfectly acceptable."

In the Security Center >> Niko nods firmly at Clara's words, relief unmistakable on his face for a moment. "Fire with fire," he murmurs. "Buy us some more time that way." Raising his voice to conversational levels, he adds, "I trust your judgement, of course, Clara. I'm sure we can come up with somewhere suitable." He hesitates for a moment at the mention of guards, murmuring something about discretion. But then Kaycen comes into Security, and Niko nods. "Perfect. Kayce, do you have a minute?" The older man comes over and Niko speaks very quietly to him for a few moments, dark eyes intent. Kaycen blinks a few times, obviously startled, then nods.

Clara doesn't smile, although an approving note does light at her eyes as she turns away to head back to Riley, sitting back down on his bunk and resting a hand on his shoulder again. "Ready for transfer, sir? I think we'll be moving you to a more...comfortable room now."

In the Security Center >> Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

The hand on his shoulder garners Riley's attention again and he forces his focus onto Clara. "Transfer, yeah." He takes a deep breath, steeling himself. Then he fumbles to get an arm under himself and force himself to a seated position.

In the Security Center >> Niko speaks to Kaycen for a few moments longer, and the older man heads purposefully from the room. Niko smiles rather grimly, then, with a nod to Kyara, keys off the security screen once more.

In the Security Center >> Niko tabs in his security code, releasing the locks on the brig.

In the Security Center >> Kyara gives a nod of greeting as she enters, her smile faltering a bit at Niko's expression. "What's up?"

In the Security Center >> Niko says lightly, "Clara thinks that Riley should be moved out of the brig. Kaycen's gone to arrange the room."

Clara edges closer in at the sitting up to attempt to get under one of Riley's arms and help him to his feet. "Nice and slow, now. Not like you'd be doing much else," she teases wearily, then peers up as the shield unlocks. "Suggestions for relocation?" she calls out to Niko.

In the Security Center >> Kyara pauses to assimilate that information. "Well, I certainly can't disagree."

In the Security Center >> Niko repeats, for Clara, "Kaycen's gone to arrange it."

Riley is certainly slow as he achieves his feet. Clara gets a rather muzzy, but exceedingly grateful look for her assistance, which is most assuredly needed. Riley's not the steadiest of creatures as the moment. "Check."

Clara adds an arm about the oversized and under-coherent Chief, leading him slowly towards the doorway. "Hear that? Kaycen's getting a place set up. That way I can keep an eye on you -and- do all my research at the same time. Mind a few chemical explosions in the room while you try to sleep?"

"What's a explosion or two between friends," Riley murmurs, quietly amused. Most of his attention however is on getting one foot in front of the other, which he manages a little better with each step.

In the Security Center >> Niko moves to offer a hand as well, saying lightly, "Little more warning, and I could've gotten a fume hood in the room. Next time."

You walk towards the Security Central.

Riley walks here from the Brig.

Kyara glances after Kaycen. "Where you putting him, Niko?"

Niko says vaguely, "In a room."

Kyara blinks slightly, then becomes distracted as Clara and Riley emerge, and she gives them a warm smile.

"Next time?" Clara snorts, appalled as she leads Riley out carefully. "This is -not- happening again. Besides, I'm done with the empirical experiments on the chemical reactions," she says distractedly, flashing a smile at Kyara. "Nice and steady, Riley. You're doing fine..."

Niko rests a hand lightly on Riley's arm, nodding at Clara's words. The cuffs, it may be noted, are not even mentioned.

Riley's attention is mostly on the floor and where he's putting his feet. This was he also doesn't have to meet the curious stares of various security types. He's very out of it, but he's also painfully aware of his status as a prisoner. "Where to?"

No cuffs is good. This would bring about a great deal of additional ducklings. Does this make Clara a quack? Tightening her arm about Riley and flashing a quelling look at the curious bystanders, she redirects the question at Niko. "Any news yet?"

Niko gestures towards the lounge with his free hand. "This way." Yeah, he's still being vague. He nods to Clara, tapping one ear as if to indicate that Kaycen's been communicating over the security radio.

Kyara drifts along, vaguely following the group to their vague destination.

Clara nods once, falling silent as she helps Riley along after Niko, neither surprised nor seemingly upset at the vagueness. An entire night of science experiments really does wonders for the temper.

Niko pauses a moment to speak with Kyara. He mutters to Kyara, "... here.... you... Security... you... room... I'm... and..." His tone brooks no arguments.

Kyara blinks, and glances toward Clara. She mutters to Clara, "He... I go... gotta... I'll..."

You sense Kyara blinks, and glances toward Clara. "He said if I go I gotta stay there. I'll let you make the call."

Riley does not appear to be fazed by all the muttered conversations, he wasn't really comprehending when people were speaking at normal volume either.

Clara's eye brows lift as her attention is distracted from Riley. "Kya, I can't buck Security on this," she says simply, apologetically. "It's not my call at all. My authority only extends to moving Addison to more adequate medical care."

Kyara hesitates. "He said it's my choice, and yours, depending on whether you object. If you don't, I'm going."

Niko almost looks like he's waiting patiently. Almost. He glances at his chrono occasionally, and peers at Anya as well.

Clara tightens her grip on Riley for a moment unconsciously as she mulls the situation over, then shakes her head again. "I'm sorry, Kya. I have a reason for isolating him," she explains. "Several, in fact."

Kyara's face falls, but she nods with considerable alacrity. I think it's alacrity- it sounds right, at any rate. "Okay," she says softly, taking a few steps back to drop into her usual chair, her expression neutral.

Clara sighs softly, blinking several times to clear away any random fuzziness from her vision before nodding at Niko. "Let's go."

Niko casts a look of vague sympathy over his shoulder to Kyara. "I'm going to need you later anyway," he offers, before nodding to Clara, heading for the lobby.

[travel foo to undisclosed location snipped]

Kaycen is still busily getting things set up. It's better than the brig, but not nearly as good as medbay. "Will this work?"

Clara surveys the room for a moment, then leads Riley towards the bed with a distracted nod. "It'll work. Any chance this place is bugged? Is it remotely monitored by Security?"

Riley pulls his head up long enough to vaguely scan his surroundings. He murmurs a heartfelt thank you to Kaycen as he slides onto the bed with Clara's assistance. He looks distinctly relieved to be off his feet, and his eyes sag shut. "S'lot better than the brig."

Niko shakes his head. "It's not." He exchanges a few quick words, then says, "Touching on that, could you switch off your comm-unit? Kayce's is already off, and he can keep contact with me via the security radio."

Clara's brows lift in surprise at the request as she pulls up her scanner again to give Riley another once over. "I can, but why? Unless I can bring a remote terminal in here to continue my work. I need to pull in my testing apparatus anyway."

Niko chooses his words carefully. "If you can't be contacted, you can't be asked where Riley is." He frowns for a moment, then says slowly, "There are some back hallways. Maybe through the tunnels..."

Clara straightens to regard Niko for a long moment, then rubs at her eyes again and nods wearily, switching off her comm. "Understood. The tunnels?" She glances about the room, as if looking for an appropriate panel.

Niko shakes his head. "Doesn't open here, but close. If we can keep it away from the cameras as much as possible..." He rakes a hand through his hair, then shakes his head again.

Clara folds her arms slowly, starting to look slightly frustrated, although not angry at all. "Niko, I can fully appreciate why we'd want this away from monitoring devices, but if you want that data by this evening, I -have- to have my equipment. There has to be a compromise here."

Riley sprawls a bit on the bed, after a night spent on a thin molded plastic bunk, this is a definite improvement. The conversation occurs more or less over him, although he makes an -attempt- to follow the conversation.

Niko says quietly. "We can get it here, Clara." He fumbles in a pocket, then offers a datapad. "Get me a list of what you need. I'll get it here as soon as I can."

Clara tilts her head, then looks away with a quiet noise of irritation and takes the datapad, moving to a small table at the other side of the room to sit and start typing rapidly. "It's an entire list of things, most of which can be hauled in on my portable terminal. Plus my med bag. And a coffee maker."

Niko nods agreeably. "No big medical gear?" he inquires. "Nothing that would really look out of place? I just don't want to attract too much attention, that's all. It's obvious that some powers that be want him gone -fast-, and, well, that's just not going to happen."

Clara shakes her head, still typing. "Nothing that won't fit in my portable's carrying case or the full medical bag...the one I have to carry over one shoulder. The coffee maker can be stuffed in the medbag." She glances back at Riley, then peers up at the other officer. "And chocolate?"

Riley heard a key and vital word. See, now -that- got his attention. Those eyes open back up and attempt to force focus, chocolate is -important- and if it's being discussed...

Niko nods firmly. "I was planning on that." He peers at the list. "Okay, good. This'll be enough for Kramer to release it to me, yes?"

Clara hands the datareader back over nod and nods wearily. "He's been back working with me since 0600. He knows what I need by now. He'll release it to you without problem."

Niko takes the datapad with a murmur of thanks. "Great. I'll get it to you." He pauses a beat, then says, "It'll be a bit. I need to check in with Anya, first. Why don't you try to get a nap, hm? Riley... doesn't she look tired?" Of course, now he's playing pot and kettle, but he figures Riley will maybe have better luck than he will.

Riley is more than willing to agree with Niko on this one, "Y'look -beat- love. Sleep's good, relaxing a bit. Time enough and all."

Kaycen puts in, "I can keep an eye on things easily enough, ma'am."

Clara give Niko a relatively irritated look, shaking her head stubbornly before casting an utterly sheepish look at Kaycen. "Riley needs the rest more than I do. I can stay here at the table." She peers over at Riley's comment, then pulls her lab coat more closed. "I'd rather get this work done."

Niko returns the irritated look with a rather wry smile. "Figured. Thought I'd try, though. You have to sleep sometime, though. Would you rather take a nap now," he adds, with emphasis, "or be falling over with lack of sleep -tonight-?"

"It may not matter by tonight if I don't find a way to reverse the process," Clara replies slowly, emphasizing certain words.

Niko considers that, then nods. "And we don't really have time to waste discussing it," he says, with a thin smile that's mostly a grimace. "Get better, Riley. Have fun, Kayce. Clara, I'll be back as soon as I can. Have Kaycen give me a buzz if you need anything."

Riley doesn't understand why tonight is bad of course, since he still hasn't really got the slightest clue. Nobody's even pointed out he's been drugged. He's confused. He just blinks a few times.

Clara nods in grimly determined agreement. "Of course. Thank you for all of this, Niko, Kaycen. I appreciate this," she adds, then leans against the wall by the chair to wait, forcing her eyes to stay open.

Kaycen nods, saying quietly, "Of course. It isn't right, what's happening."

Niko, on the other hand, just nods, with a murmured acknowledgement of Clara's thanks, and heads out of the room.

Clara's eyes start to drift shut a few time before she finally jerks herself up and out of the chair, giving Kaycen a sheepish smile before heading over to sit on the edge of the bed and smile down at Riley. "We'll get you feeling better, I promise. Tired?"

Riley reaches rather hesitantly to snag at Clara's labcoat. "Y'-really- need some sleep, love."

Kaycen didn't see any signs of sleepiness. Really. His smile is sympathetic, but he winces a bit at Riley's words. After a moment, he snags a chair, and moves to lean it against the door, folding into it. He's not looking directly at the pair, but, obviously, nobody's going to get past him. In either direction.

SECURITY> Anya shakes her head, "There's -no- trail between the two. Which is kind of odd in and of itself. Two diplomats here to be so un-inter-related."

Clara shakes her head slowly, smile still in place as she rests her hand on the one at her coat. "Not yet, love. Not yet. I still have some research to finish up before that's possible. Riley, do you remember a hissing sound at all?" She glances at Kaycen's movements, casting him a grateful look.

Riley shakes his head slightly, "Don't remember anything other than walking down the hall. Plenty of people and all, and then it's all grayed out."

SECURITY> Niko frowns at that, snagging one of his sodas and opening it. It's warm, but he doesn't seem to care, downing about a quarter of it before setting it aside. "God doesn't change history," he says quietly. "Historians do." He shakes his head, then. "It's not right. It's very not right. I've got to go take care of something else--back in a moment. Kya, could you do me a massive favor and try to contact Professor Riordan again, over subspace? He's at the chemistry department, school of science and technology, Evinast University. You'd likely have the most luck reaching him through his secretary, Brian Painter."

SECURITY> Kyara glances back and forth between the two. "What are y'all talking about?" She pauses to nod to Niko. "Sure, I can try."

SECURITY> Niko is evil. He just murmurs his thanks to Kyara. He ducks into Riley's office for a moment, returning with some of the red-canned soda, then heads out of the room.

Without thinking, Clara's free hand moves towards dark brown curls in a comforting smoothing motion again as she sighs. "I was afraid of that. Riley, I found a substance in your blood stream that's causing most of these reactions. You...you wouldn't have any reason to take Stilvani pharmaceuticals, would you?" And why is Clara blushing again?

Blink, blink. Riley's confused. "Not taking -any- pharmaceuticals, let alone Stilvani ones. Only drugs I've had have been stuff you've injected into me."

SECURITY> Kyara again gives Niko a curious look, then shrugs, calling to Anya, "Riley's got a comm unit in his office, doesn't he?" Without really waiting for the answer, she heads in there. Besides, she needs a soda.

MEDIC> Niko must really look interesting, datapad in one hand, soda in the other. The former is offered to Kramer--or Giani, or Jones, or whoever else doesn't look busy--along with a hopeful look. "Help?" He, on the other hand, ducks into Clara's office. Her coffeemaker is in there, or so he remembers.

MEDIC> Kramer is beside his desk when Niko returns from the office, in fresh but rumpled fatigues and looking nearly as exhausted as everyone else. Still, the portable computer and medical bag are already packed and ready to go, despite that he's had no instructions yet. He just knows these things. "Tell her I'll keep working from here," is all he says. "The analyzed data's all loaded into her computer."

MEDIC> Niko has somehow mystically found some method of carrying coffeemaker and soda--a bag, imagine that. "Thank you, Kramer. Very much. I'll pass it on." He pauses a beat, then says carefully, "She's going to be busy. She's turned off her comm. If you need to get information to her, give me a buzz and I'll pass it along." He takes up the stuff, and heads back out of the room, with another murmured thank you.

Kaycen shifts the chair so it's no longer blocking the door. "Nick's coming back," he explains.

Niko comes in from the Housing Hub.

Clara shakes her head slowly at Riley, withdrawing a hand and rubbing at her eyes. "I didn't inject this into you, Riley. I wouldn't. Not ever." She glances up at the warning, eyes widening with relief at seeing her work tools. "Did Kramer say if the analysis had finished up?"

Niko comes in and closes the door firmly behind him, using the simple expedient of kicking it, then moves to deposit his load on the desk. A moment of rummaging, and he brings out some sandwiches, tossing one to Kaycen. "It's in the machine," he tells Clara. "I've got Kya trying to raise the professor." He unpacks the stuff efficiently--coffeemaker, red-canned soda, sandwiches, and, of course, the chocolate.

Riley's brows furrow a moment, "Who'd drug me? -Very- rude whoever it was." Yeah, he's just a little zonked. Although he's trying to remember, "Was going down the hall, n'then...somebody waved me down, can't member -who- though. Familiar though..."

"Data, food, soda, chocolate..." Clara murmurs, eyes widening with gratitude at each additional goodie, and she starts to rise to cross to her computer before halting and turning to stare at Riley. "Very rude," she agrees carefully. "Do you remember anything about this person, love? Anything at all?"

SECURITY> Denner comes in the door, carrying a massive box of printouts and slides to a seat as his desk. He looks as out of it as everybody else, presumably he's been working all night as well.

Niko inquires, offering Riley a chocolate bar, "Any chance it was Lexington, or one of his cronies?"

There's a long pause as Riley attempts to think. The proffered chocolate bar gets a murmur of thanks. "Not Lexington, whoever it was was familiar and not bad. I don't remember being wary or 'nything."

Clara sighs and squeezes Riley's shoulder. "I'll get back to work," she informs the men darkly and heads over to the small table to set up the coffee maker and let it percolate while she gets the computer up and running.

Post-it Note> Kyara says "Niko? Good news and bad news..." into her communit.

Niko's communit crackles to life and blares "... Good news..." in Kyara's voice.

Niko starts to murmur something about getting back to work as well, then pauses at the comm-message.

Niko says "Wonderful. Hit me." into his communit.

Post-it Note> Kyara says "The professor's not in at the moment, but Mr. Painter said he should be back soon, and that he'll return the call." into her communit.

Niko's communit crackles to life and says "The professor's not... moment, but Mr.... back soon, and that..." in Kyara's voice.

Niko says "Brian's a good guy. If he says the professor'll return the call, he will. Great. I'll be back to security in a moment. Thanks a million, Kya." into his communit.

Clara glances up at the various half caught words from Niko's comm, brows lifting as she waits for the computer to come online and the coffee to be ready. "He's still not there?" she asks quietly.

Post-it Note> Kyara says "Sure, Niko." into her communit.

Niko's communit crackles to life and blares "... Niko." in Kyara's voice.

Niko inquires, "Clara, are there any particular questions I could ask that would help you out, assuming the professor knows about this chemical?" He doesn't say anything about the professor's wife spiking his drink with the drug. "He's not now, though, but he'll be back soon, and will return the call."

Clara exhales a heavy sigh, reaching forward to fill a foam cup with coffee. "Yeah. Find out if he's done any experiments on how the drug reacts in both human and Edreeni subjects, the length of the effect in both those species plus in Stilvani, who would normally have access to such a chemical, and what will counteract its effects."

Riley is engaged in the fine art of unpeeling the chocolate bar, somewhat distracted from more serious subjects. He manages a couple of bites of the thing and sets about rewrapping it. Motor control, what an amazing concept. "Counteracting would be good."

Niko takes out his datapad to mark down the questions, head bobbing in a nod. "Check. I'll have him send anything else he might find pertinent as well. I'll radio Kaycen as soon as I get any information." With that, he's out again, careful to close the door behind him.

SECURITY> Niko murmurs a greeting to the inhabitants of security, pausing a beat as he notices Denner. "Y'look like I feel," he mumbles, before heading into Riley's office.

Post-it Note> Niko walks here from the Security Central.

Post-it Note> Niko snagged a soda on his way in. Really. "Did he call yet?"

Clara glances over a Riley as she starts to type, a half grin in place. "You don't know the half of it, darling. I'm not sure if I'm more glad you're human or Stilvani at the moment."

Post-it Note> Kyara glances up... or rather, she wakes up with a start, lifting her head from her arms folded on Riley's desk. "Huh? Oh... no, not yet."

Post-it Note> Niko murmurs an apology. "Didn't mean to wake you. Sleep is good. Sleep is key. Sleep is--" Not going to happen, apparently, as a chime announces the incoming subspace call. "Timing." He reaches over to key in the sequence to acknowledge the call. "Uh, the reason I wanted you hear is that the professor tends to shift to Stilvani when he's flustered or excited or something. I figured, asking him about -this- particular thing..."

Riley looks excessively confused by that, but then does anyone blame him? The chocolate bar gets shifted aside. Even chocolate can't make it go away. He's obviously got the cylinders all firing out of order at the moment, and is rather dazed. "More glad?"

Post-it Note> Kyara nods, dragging herself to her feet so Niko can sit. "Good point," she giggles faintly.

Post-it Note> Niko fair drops into the seat, snagging another drink before the screen fuzzes, then clears to reveal a fairly average-looking Stilvani male. Both horns are straight, by the way. He looks decidedly puzzled, inquiring, "Nikolaos, is something the matter? Brian--well, he told me how many times you've called." He nods politely as he spots Kyara, with a murmured greeting in Stilvani. And if he notices that -her- horns aren't straight, he doesn't say anything. He's a very polite sort, after all.

Clara nods slowly, a blush spreading across her face even as her eyes flicker over the data that's gone through initial analysis. Too embarrassed to look up at either man, she explains, "It's a neurotoxin for humans...but it's an aphrodesiac for Stilvani." And my, isn't this data she's staring at just fascinating?

Post-it Note> Kyara nods in return, sort of hovering behind Niko, giving the professor a longer greeting in the clipped Stilvani speech.

That garners a long pause. And another long pause. And yet another. Riley just sounds confused. "Huh?" Type 'help for help.

Post-it Note> Niko gets maybe one word in five of the Stilvani, so he just kind of nods as the pair exchange greetings. "We're having a bit of a difficulty with a certain chemical, of Stilvani origin, and I thought you might be able to help." He pauses a beat, then names the chemical. And, as predicted, the professor gets a tad flustered, with a few phrases in Stilvani before he says, "Nikolaos, I'm not one to dictate what you and your lady friend here do, but I'm sure there are other drugs that would be much more helpful. It doesn't have the same effect on humans, not by far."

Clara shakes her head, still typing madly in between long pauses and absent sips of coffee. "Nothing, dear. Just a chemical reaction, is all. Are you hungry?" She doesn't look up to see if Kaycen's lost it laughing yet.

Kaycen's just sitting there eating his sandwich. He doesn't have a sense of humor, see, or if he does he keeps it well-barricaded. He offers, "You should eat, Chief. Something other than chocolate."

"Ver'much not hungry, thanks though." Riley murmurs quietly, food at least is a concept he can manage. Stilvani Viagra is not.

Post-it Note> Kyara's jaw drops, then she starts to /laugh/, trying to choke it down. "Oh... oh no... sir, you don't understand."

Post-it Note> Niko flashes a weary grin to Kyara. "Professor, my lady friend is just that--a friend." And he doesn't have any problems in that department, either, thankyouverymuch. Hmph. "An acquaintance of ours was exposed to the drug, though. He's one-eighth Edreeni, the rest human. Do you have any of the specifics on how the drug would effect him, and how long it would last? For that matter, how can we counteract it?" With a wry smile, Riordan observes, "This is not a drug people ordinarily want to counteract--not Stilvani, at least." There's another murmur in Stilvani, then he adds, "I can get the rest of that, though."

"How about some soda? Kaycen? Coffee or soda? I've got both over here," Clara offers, albeit fairly absently. Most of her concentration is still on her terminal.

Kaycen says politely, "Don't worry about me, ma'am. I'm fine. Just keep on with what you're doing... oh. Nick says that he's talking with his professor friend, and he can get some of the information you wanted."

Post-it Note> Kyara cracks up further, giving the monitor a startled look.

Post-it Note> Niko nods to the professor. "Please, I'd appreciate it. If you can zap it over the subspace, I'd appreciate it even more. Time is key, just now." Riordan nods, and moves out of the pickup to take care of the information transfer. Niko turns to Kyara, inquiring curiously, "What's so funny?"

Clara glances up at the news that Riordan is on the line, blinking with an air of relief. "Thank all the saints," she breathes. "I hope he can give us -something-." She shakes her head and types in another command before frowning at the screen. "Acetylcholine?" she murmurs, rather unhappily too.

Post-it Note> Kyara snickers, shaking her head. "Somebody that venerable shouldn't have that dirty a mind."

Kaycen says quietly, "He's trying."

Riley's eyes sag shut again, although he does not seem to be asleep. He's just trying to keep track of what's going on.

Post-it Note> Niko blinks at that. "The professor? Dirty? Is -that- the sort of thing he was saying all those years?" He cuts that off as Riordan returns, however. "The data transfer is starting. I can try to locate some way to counteract the effects, but I can't really promise anything. As I said, that doesn't come up very often." He adds something else in Stilvani, flashing a serenely innocent smile to Kyara. Niko nods, keying for the transfer to go directly to printing. He ignores the Stilvani bits. "No, anything you can do would help, professor. You've helped a lot as it is."

Clara just nods vaguely at Kaycen, evidently on the trail of something new as she mutters to herself in rather long and disturbing words. After a moment she rubs her eyes again and gives the monitor a look as if it had grown little green legs and told her not to panic.

Kaycen saw that happen in a holo once. He doesn't happen to see it now, though, as it's all in Clara's mind. He watches her silently, with a hint of concern, but doesn't interrupt.

Post-it Note> Kyara smiles slightly, murmuring a word or two in her native language before nods in agreement with Niko. "Thank you so much for your time."

Post-it Note> From the screen, Riordan returns the smile before saying, "I'll get on it, and contact you as soon as I can." The screen blanks, and Niko moves to check the printing of the data--and there's a fair amount of it. "He's a good guy," he says quietly. "Even if he's got a dirty mind." What, like those things are mutually exclusive?

Wiping away the baffled look, Clara resumes working, absently taking a sip of coffee as she stares at the screen. Without warning, she fumbles in her med bag and crosses over to Riley with a long, flat instrument. "Just hold still, hon. This won't hurt a bit," she assures, more than awake now as the puzzle takes hold again.

Post-it Note> Kyara tilts her head curiously. "I take it you two know each other?"

Riley is good at holding still, in fact he looks entirely disinclined to move. He spent the night on a bench in the brig, he's fine where he is and murmurs vague agreement.

Post-it Note> Niko nods, starting to peer at the already-printed pages. "He was my research advisor at school--ran the research I did for my thesis." His tone is a bit absent; he's already trying to decode the jargon.

Post-it Note> Kyara ahs, "That's how you knew who to get a hold of. He likes you," she notes.

"It is," Clara murmurs at the readout, shaking her head. She doesn't seem surprised, but very disappointed. "A buildup of acetylcholine. Saints in a handbasket," she mutters, crossing back to her medbag to crouch in front of it. "Is your vision blurred, Riley?"

Post-it Note> Niko looks up from the paper as a small beep indicates the last of the printing. "I'm glad," he says, with a faint smile "I like him, too. Best get this off to Clara. I'll be back in a bit. Maybe see if there's anything you can do to help Denner?" And with that, he breezes out of the room. If he doesn't stay still for too long, he's less likely to fall asleep, see.

Post-it Note> Niko walks towards the Security Central.

Kaycen gets up and moves the chair again, though he's watching the scene with obvious concern.

Riley pulls his eyes open to double-check, but considering it's been quite blurred for a while he's unsurprised that it still is. "Yeah," he replies in a quiet murmur. "Very fuzzy and hard to focus."

Niko comes in from the Housing Hub.

Post-it Note> Kyara nods, but sinks back into the chair drowsily.

Niko comes into the room and heads for the.. no, Clara's not at the desk. He drops the small stack of printouts there, though. "He's got it organized pretty well, Clara. Hopefully, it'll help. No way to counteract it, but he said he'd take a look and see if he could find anything."

Clara climbs to her feet again, this time with just a simple and innocent looking hypo in one hand. "Hey, Niko," she greets absently, heading back to Riley. "Okay, this is pralidoxime chloride. It'll stop the reaction from getting worse. But it won't stop it," she adds quietly, then blinks up at Niko. "He doesn't know how to counter it? Oh." Her eyes close for a moment before she attempts to administer the hypo. "Thanks, Niko. Anything'll help at this point."

Riley does not fear the hypo, it's not got any demonic looking needles of much evil attached to it. "Gotcha'. Not worse is good."

Niko repeats the name of the chemical under his breath. "Oxime?" he echoes. He really wishes he'd paid more attention in biochemistry, now. "Halting it's better than nothing." He peers at his chrono, then shakes his head fractionally, exchanging a concerned look with Kaycen.

Clara gives Riley's hair another light brush with her hand, glancing up in time to catch the look between Niko and Kaycen with a faintly heartsick expression, then doggedly returns to the table, pulling over the printouts. "Pralidoxime cloride," she explains, leafing through them. "It blocks the binding of the neurotoxin to an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. That enzyme keeps another substance from building up in his neurons," she explains, zoned enough to slip into medicalese as she studies.

Riley murmurs something about doctors needing to take classes in speaking standard, sounding faintly amused.

Niko nods at that. "Acetylcholine, yeah." He frowns a bit at that. He takes another surreptitious look at his chrono, then says lightly, "I shouldn't come back and forth much more. Is there anything else you need?"

Clara absently raspberries Riley, still studying the printouts before she peers up at Niko, her concern unhidable. "Delay, if you can. If it helps, put a call through to General Lawrence Conley. Tell him. He'll help if he thinks it's a good reason."

Niko repeats the name, brows furrowed. "Might give it a try, yeah." He mutters something about Ranshek, though, starting for the door. There, he pauses, then says quietly, "Good luck, Clara. I'll delay, though. You can count on that." And from the grim determination about him, he's going to do just that.

Niko leave the room.

Riley's eyes close again, murmuring something else vague about the general rudeness of whoever inflicted this fate.

Kaycen goes back to blocking the door, yeah yeah. This can be assumed, now.

Clara is completely absorbed in this new information, flipping through pages at a fairly rapid rate as her entire attention is focused on the task at hand. An occasional mutter comes from her, but otherwise, she's oblivious to all but the printout and her computer.

SECURITY> Niko drops back into his seat, peering between Anya and Denner. "Anything? Any word on when they're going to want him, even?"

SECURITY> Denner shakes his head, glancing towards the brig. "They haven't called. But it probably won't be long now."

SECURITY> Denner peers at the brig's door a minute, "Why's the security screen down?"

SECURITY> Niko echoes Denner's glance, and blinks. "Yeah, should take care of that," he mumbles, biting back a yawn. "Thanks, Denner." He gets to his feet and moves over to the brig.

SECURITY> Niko tabs in his security code, locking the brig.

SECURITY> Denner climbs to his feet after Niko, looking a bit confused. Peering into the brig he murmurs to the younger man, "Um, where'd the Chief go?" He looks rather worried.

SECURITY> Niko pads back over to snag his soda, recognizing the need for more caffeine. Matter of fact, he could go for it intravenously, just now. "Somewhere else," he says vaguely. "He's still under guard, no worries."

SECURITY> Denner ahhs quietly and nods, "Guard is good, someone's tried to screw him once, they might try it again if we're not careful."

SECURITY> Niko nods firmly to that, sliding back into his chair. He starts at the chime, and peers at his chrono--he's anticipating for the call to come sometime on the hour or the half-hour, though he could be wrong, and is starting to get a little more tense. He shakes his head, then, starting to call up something else on the screen, then gives that up as a lost cause, lifting his comm.

SECURITY> Niko says "Kya? Any word from the professor?" into his communit.

SECURITY> Niko's communit crackles to life and announces "... not... I... coffee." in Kyara's voice.

SECURITY> Niko gestures towards the coffee pot. "There it is. Help y'self." He rubs at his eyes, adding vaguely, "Wish Riley could remember the person in the hall. Maybe if he eats more chocolate..."

SECURITY> Kyara nods, making her way toward the coffee. After pouring and gulping down a whole cup, she suggests, "Try hypnosis."

SECURITY> Niko chuckles very quietly at that. "Uh, no. I don't think he'd really go for that. Nor would Clara."

SECURITY> Kyara smiles slightly, noting quietly, "Keep it in mind as a last resort."

SECURITY> Niko nods slowly, peering at his chrono. "Yeah. Last resort. Sure." He peers between Anya and Denner again, then to the door, then to Anya once more. He's doing a lot of looking.

Clara continues to work like mad. Fortunately she's not giving vent to the mass of obscenities running through her head at all the dead ends. Red herring for dinner anyone?

Kaycen likes fish. He could ask Denner to go fishing. Wouldn't catch anything, though. Denner never does, after all.

SECURITY> Kyara goes back to scrubbing mugs, though it's not an activity likely to keep her awake.

Isn't that because Riley always pushes him in the water?

Riley just lies here, still by and large oblivious to all the effort being made on his behalf by various individuals. The drug is a deeply evil thing. And he does -not-...Well only sometimes. Denner manages to fall in most of the time on his own.

SECURITY> Niko gives himself a small shake and turns back to the screen, keying up summaries of recent Council sessions. Miraculously, though, this doesn't put him to sleep.

SECURITY> Kyara finishes the mugs- it doesn't take long, as she's been doing little else in an effort to keep her mind off things- and gets up to peek over Niko's shoulder. "Hunch?"

SECURITY> Niko shakes his head. "Trying to find some way to link Lexington and Aberystwyth." Too bad his name isn't Concord.

SECURITY> Kyara blinks. "Is that what you and Anya were talking about earlier?"

SECURITY> Anya is watching her monitor when suddenly she looks rather horrified. Quickly schooling her expression she glances towards the others, murmuring, "Niko, something interesting."

SECURITY> Niko squints for a moment, trying to remember what particular conversation Kyara means. "Maybe?" At Anya's words, he nods and gets to his feet, moving over to peer at her monitor. He blinks several times, though he doesn't lift his gaze from the monitor. "Interesting," he agrees, though there's an odd tone to his voice. "Thanks, Anya." Kathlyn, who is rummaging at something on the other side of Security, glances towards the pair, then ambles casually for the door.

SECURITY> Kyara bounces impatiently, trying to get a look at Anya's screen. "/What's/ interesting?"

SECURITY> Anya flashes a glare at Kyara for the breaking of the casual facade.

SECURITY> Denner catches Kyara's bouncing and looks up and over in curiosity.

SECURITY> Niko casts a level look at Kyara, the subtle tension about him and the gradually kindling anger in his eyes hinting that, just maybe, she should drop the question. He shifts to lean against Riley's door, inquiring as he spots Denner's look, "How's it going?"

SECURITY> Kyara calms down at Anya's glare, and takes a cautious step back from Niko, giving him a disgusted look as she turns away.

SECURITY> Denner looks puzzled, but gestures with a sheaf of printouts. "Back checking every query about the time the cameras were tampered with. Trying to see if I can find so much as a hint of a way the registry could have been altered."

Kaycen shifts upright, one hand lifting to his ear. "Denner?" His tone is decidedly surprised.

Clara starts up from her research, obviously unfruitful so far, blinking owlishly. "The person or the critters?" she asks somewhat blearily.

Riley peers over in Kaycen's general direction as well, trying to ascertain what the man is talking about. "What about 'im?"

SECURITY> Niko nods, and pads over to catch a look at the sheaf. (His sheaf was quite a sight to see, after all.) "Find anything? I didn't know that the registry could be altered," he adds. "Though maybe with Riley's code..."

Kaycen frowns and gets to his feet, heading over to hunker by Riley's bed. "Chief, the person from the hallway--could it have been Denner?" Of course, his expression says he already has the answer.

SECURITY> Denner shakes his head sadly, looking quite worried. "I don't know if it can be either. But I was hoping... See, it'd clear the Chief if I could prove someone else'd done it."

Riley blinks several times, trying to force himself into a tray tables upright and seated position at the question. "Could've...but it couldn't. -Denner- wouldn't do -this-... He's -Denner-."

Clara's brow furrows heavily at the question. She blinks a few more times as if attempting to focus on something other than print and refills her coffee cup, for once having the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut.

SECURITY> Kyara rolls her eyes at Denner's self-obvious statement, but doesn't say a word.

SECURITY> Denner meant if someone else had altered the registry. His typist is slow. ;)

SECURITY> Niko shoves his left hand in a pocket, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, it would, wouldn't it." He rubs at his eyes with his right hand, inquiring, "How could someone get his codes, though? That's the thing that keeps bothering me. I mean... hacking into his computer? Something like that?" A pause. "Could you get it, Denner? You're good with computers and all."

Kaycen shakes his head slowly. "Chief... Riley... Anya checked the monitor." He offers a date and time, inquiring, "Was it around then that you were going to the library? Did you walk down that hall with him at any other time that day?"

SECURITY> Denner considers this at length but shakes his head sadly, "No, I couldn't just hack in and find it." He looks up at Niko with a rather sadly maudlin expression, "It's too complicated for me to manage."

Still frowning, Clara sips at her coffee and listens to the exchange with half an ear as she continues to work determinedly.

Riley shakes his head slightly, rubbing at the back of his head as if trying to banish a headache. "Not that I can remember. I was upstairs the rest of the day."

SECURITY> Niko nods at that, casting a look over his shoulder to Anya. "I'm sure you're doing your best, Denner," he says, though somehow his words don't ring right. Maybe it's the fact that the hand in the pocket has fisted.

SECURITY> Kyara taps her fingers thoughtfully against Niko's desk. "Surely you'd have on record who /is/ good enough to do something like that?"

SECURITY> Denner looks decidedly mournful, turning back to tap rather dispiritedly at his terminal.

Kaycen nods, with a quiet sigh. "Looks like him, then." He casts a wistful look at the door, then shakes his head. "Can't go."

Clara is aware enough though to notice Riley's rubbing at his head, and she sets aside both coffee and printouts to lean down and rummage through her bag for a couple of tablets, which she heads over to offer to him along with the coffee cup. "Anti-inflammatory," she murmurs. "Why would you want to leave, Kaycen?"

"No, -not- Denner," Riley protests, although he has to sink back to the bed and it loses its emphasis. "Denner -couldn't-. We've been friends for -years-."

Riley shifts back up as he's being offered the cup. He murmurs his thanks and downs the tablets with the coffee, "Thanks Clara."

Kaycen does not look even remotely pleased. "To get Denner." No, he's not at all vindictive. At Riley's words, he grimaces. "Riley... I'm sorry. I wish it -wasn't- him. But it looks like it is."

Clara nods expressionlessly, glancing up at Kaycen with worry even as she rests a hand on Riley's shoulder. "What exactly did the monitors catch?"

SECURITY> Niko tugs that hand from his pocket, and it magically becomes unfisted. Said hand rests on Denner's shoulder. He bends down to whisper in the man's ear. "We know. Give it up." No, he's whispering.

Kaycen looks over to Clara with a small grimace. After a pause, he answers. "The Chief was walking down the hallway towards the library. Denner came down the hall--at the time I indicated--and the two left together."

Riley finishes off the coffee, his fingers locked around the mug. "But how could he? How -could- he..."

Gears start flying behind Clara's eyes at the news as she worries her lower lip with her teeth. "At that time..." she murmurs, then half runs back to her computer, once more typing at full speed.

SECURITY> Denner just blinks up at Niko, his expression entirely innocent and confused. He's the very -picture- of bewilderment. "Know what?"

Kaycen peers after Clara, looking rather confused. He states the time again.

SECURITY> Kyara doesn't catch the words- she just shakes her head, muttering to herself.

Clara nods vaguely at Kaycen, still typing. "If I can extrapolate the exact time the substance entered Riley's bloodstream, wouldn't that indicate whether or not Denner were responsible?" Yes, Clara would be a terrible detective.

SECURITY> Niko doesn't hit Denner. Yet. But he really really -wants- to hit Denner, and it's obvious from his expression. "You don't have to admit it for us to throw you in the brig, y'know," he says, tone deceptively mild.

Kaycen peers at Clara. "That would be helpful information to have," he says slowly. "Depends how you extrapolate it."

SECURITY> Kyara does look up at that remark, her jaw dropping a fraction of an inch, though she manages to control her expression.

SECURITY> "Throw me in the brig??" Denner looks horrified, "Niko, you -know- me, right?" He sounds bewildered, scared, and miserable. This is Denner. Quiet, innocent, Riley's friend for years and years Denner.

"I just wish I could figure out when unconsciousness occurred," Clara notes vaguely, eyes flickering over the screen as she types. "But extrapolation by taking that time and comparing it to the information on potency given in these notes Niko got me. Different effect, but similar timespan for the varying races."

SECURITY> Niko says quietly, "I know Riley, too."

Riley manages to set the mug aside, sinking against the headboard of the bed and letting it prop him up. "He -couldn't- have."

SECURITY> Kyara just... stares.

SECURITY> Denner nods emphatically, "And he didn't do it either!"

Kaycen gives Riley a decidedly guilty look. To Clara he asks, "Could you.. compensate, somehow? I don't know."

SECURITY> Niko casts a quick look to Anya, as if asking whether she thinks he should tell Denner about the monitor thing.

SECURITY> Kyara tries to look encouraging in Anya's direction- hopefully a 'yes' answer would let her find out too.

Clara pauses to peer over at Kaycen, obviously puzzled. "Compensate? Compensate for what?"

Kaycen shakes his head. He's not a scientist, not even remotely. He's just grasping at straws. "I don't know. Make it so you can use it?"

SECURITY> Anya looks all but furious, she's still hammering away at her terminal. From her expression she's found still more damning information.

Clara's brows lower as she peers at the older man as if she's hoping she's not understanding him correctly. "You want me to falsify my data?"

Riley sinks back down flat onto the bed, just stunned a bit by the whole situation.

Kaycen looks decidedly shocked. "Of course not. For one, they'd catch that, and then the Chief would be back in the brig."

SECURITY> Aliana arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

SECURITY> Niko peers at Anya for a moment. That's answer enough. "Just come along quietly, Denner." Not that Niko would -mind- tangling him, of course...

"Thank you," Clara replies with sincere relief, then tilts her head at the computer. "I can't force the data to fit what we -think- the situation may be, though. I can only report what I find and nothing else. Still..." Tappity tappity tap. No, that's typing, not tap dancing.

SECURITY> There's a sudden flash of movement, and Denner whirls from his chair, making as if to run for the exit. Okay, so it's a stupid move, he panics.

SECURITY> Aliana pads in quietly...Pausing as she hears Niko...she pauses in the door way, trying to be helpful...yet stay out of the way.

SECURITY> Kyara blinks, jumping to her feet, though after an abortive step she stays well out of the way, figuring tackling Denner would probably be a bad thing in case Niko does end up firing his tangler.

SECURITY> Denner's move certainly is a bad one, as Kathlyn is currently by the door. And so it is that he gets tangled from both sides--Kathlyn and Niko. Poor Denner. He's gonna be down for a while.

SECURITY> Denner drops and hard. Owwwwch.

SECURITY> Aliana blinks as she sees the person tangled before her. After she considers him for a moment she looks up at Niko with a fair amount of confusion.

This has just not been Riley's month. Shot by Guido, drugged by Denner. He just looks snozzed.

SECURITY> Niko is angry, and it's very obvious. He snaps a call to medical, informing them of the tangling, then moves and literally picks Denner up and heads over to the brig, clearly intent on getting the much-smaller man put away before the tangling wears off.

Clara abruptly stops typing and just stares at the screen before closing her eyes against the data she evidently did not want to see. "Time of neurotoxin administration coincides with the time indicated by the monitors," she reports to Kaycen tonelessly.

SECURITY> Kyara is back to staring, but she shakes herself out of her reverie, edging toward Anya's desk to try and get a look at her screen again.

Kaycen is having a time, between listening to the very annoyed report that

Niko's giving him and listening to Clara. "What would it do?" he asks, clearly at a loss. "He wouldn't have been able to shoot Aberystwyth then, right?"

SECURITY> Anya's screen is of the security tapes of the second floor. Denner is intercepting Riley and apparently leading him off somewhere.

SECURITY> Niko tabs in his security code, releasing the locks on the brig.

SECURITY> Jones comes trundling in with a medical bag much like Clara's, although it looks a great deal smaller over his shoulder than hers. "You've got a tangling?" he asks laconically.

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Niko is not especially gentle as he drops Denner on the bunk. He swipes the blanket, too. "In here," he calls.

SECURITY> Kyara's eyes widen. "How'd you find that?" she asks in awe.

SECURITY> Aliana practices her clueless look...but as she glances around the faces, realization slowly settles in. "Him?" She asks without indicating which him she means.

SECURITY> Anya shakes her head, "We just didn't think to look for it, we were too intent on the missing tape."

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Denner just lies there, although there's a hint of something angry in his expression.

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Funny, Niko looks angry, too. And the things he's saying... bet you didn't know -that- about Denner's parents. Or llamas. And Denner's a pretty flexible guy, too, isn't he?

Clara reaches for her coffee, then lets her hand drop forlornly to her lap as she sighs. "Riley would have made it perhaps another ten minutes before collapsing completely and losing consciousness. My professional estimate is that he was unconscious for 58 minutes before the time of death in Diplomat Aberystwyth."

SECURITY> Kyara frowns slightly, then abruptly comprehension dawns in her expression. "But... but Denner? I mean, why?"

SECURITY> Jones nods complacently and heads into the brig to attend Denner, as inscrutable as ever. He works without saying a word, or even showing expression.

Kaycen looks decidedly relieved at that. "I'll tell the folks in Security. Thanks, ma'am. That'll be no end of help." He pauses, then adds, "Denner tried to make a break for it. He's in the brig, with Jones. Kath and Nick both got him." And you thought pissing off pudding was bad.

SECURITY> Aliana almost seems rooted in her spot as her gaze darts here there everywhere...The answer is out there, somewhere.

Riley is rather muzzily aware of Kaycen's report and looks well and truly stunned. "Make a break for it?"

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Niko mentions to Jones that Denner was hit by two tanglers, giving his own setting and calling out to get Kathlyn's. "I'm going to lock up behind me, just in case he comes out of it. Give me a yell when you want out."

SECURITY> Niko tabs in his security code, locking the brig.

Clara shakes her head at the monitor before setting aside the printouts and rising to circle around to the other side of the bed and clamber up to sit beside Riley, leaning against the headboard. "Jones is good. He'll take care of Denner, definitely."

Kaycen nods slowly. "Yeah," he says quietly, still trying to decide between the fury that Niko managed quite easily and Riley's own stunned manner. Kaycen's been around a while, too.

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Jones glances up from his work as Niko leaves and nods. "Sure thing, Lieutenant," he agrees affably and returns to scanning the downed man.

Riley is -really- having trouble wrapping his mind around this, but then he's still pretty heavily drugged. "-Why- would Denner do something like this? He's my friend."

SECURITY> Aliana leans against the side of the doorjam...going back to staying out of the way. She watches Niko with a rather curious expression as she attempts to listen.

Clara would be searching for the antidote at top speed, but her brain's gone into shut down mode. There's no telling how long she's been awake and thinking at top speed, but it's taken its toll. "I don't know," she replies sadly. "I like Denner. He's nice."

SECURITY> Niko has managed to stuff his temper in a very small box, though it seems like maybe the hinges on that box are loose. He heads over to Anya, asking her quietly, "'ja let the powers that be know about this development?"

Kaycen shakes his head. No answers here.

SECURITY> Kyara perks up, hopeful. "Does this mean you can un-arrest Riley now?"

SECURITY> Anya is attempting to do a half dozen things at once, but she nods to Niko. "It's caused some consternation, but the court martial's been tabled for now."

Riley just goes rather quiet, peering up at Clara a moment and then to Kaycen, and then just closing his eyes.

SECURITY> Niko inclines his head, though he pauses at the 'for now'. "Clara was able to find out when Riley was given the drug," he tells Anya quietly. "At that time." He taps her monitor, adding, "He would've been unconscious for fifty-eight minutes before Aberystwyth died. Kind of makes killing him kind of tough," he adds. Ordinarily he'd be triumphant, but he's still pretty furious, and not slept in far too long, hence the repeated 'kind of'.

Clara's chin hits her chest for a moment before she jerks it back up, blinking with extreme effort to widen her eyes to alertness. "Computer," she mutters to herself, starting back off the bed.

Kaycen shakes his head, moving over to Clara. "Sleep," he suggests gently. "The court-martial's been tabled. There's time."

SECURITY> Kyara manages to look elated and dismayed all at the same time. "For now? But he's been cleared..."

Clara blinks up at Kaycen as if he were speaking something other than Standard for a moment, then sits back down heavily on the bed, relief flooding her face. "Tabled." She glances back at Riley, then up at Kaycen. "Don't mind'f I share with him?" she asks plaintively, sounding more like a ten year old than a fully trained physician.

SECURITY> Aliana just listens carefully for now. If she keeps very very quiet, maybe they won't shoo her, right?

Kaycen shakes his head, managing to keep a straight face. "I don't mind at all, ma'am. Just sleep. Everything'll be fine."

Clara at least manages to shrug out of her lab coat and hook it on the edge of the headboard before falling back, a prim distance from Riley. She's innocent, y'see. Hey! Stop laughing! "Clara. N'ma'am. 'Kay," she agrees, eyes sliding shut.

SECURITY> Anya regards the monitor, nodding. "We'll ship them all the information. I'm sure it'll be tabled for good." She shakes her head, "Best to keep him a bit longer until we sort out what Denner did exactly. He's safer hidden off with Kyace standing guard."

Kaycen's never called Kay, but he nods agreeably enough. "Whatever you want," he says softly. "Sleep, now."

Clara mumbles something agreeably at someone named Niles as she turns onto one side, one hand reaching out unthinkingly to snag at Riley's sleeve before she's gone. Out. Snoooooze.

SECURITY> Niko nods firmly to Anya. He snags a chair, sitting near her desk, and rests his head in his hands, an exhalation of relief escaping him. "Keep him where he is," he agrees quietly. "Yeah. Good call. I'll tell Kayce."

Riley is not as out as Clara, but he is -really- mostly gone. Poor Kaycen, stuck in a room with a sleeping doctor and a drugged Security Chief. News of Denner's betrayal has hit him like a board to the back of the head.

Kaycen's a very patient man, though. He just settles a little more comfortably in his chair, flickering a benevolent glance towards the pair before turning back to his thoughts.

SECURITY> Anya continues tappity-tap-tapping away. "When he comes out of the tangle, we'll have to question him." She looks around at the rather bezonked Security staff. "Or maybe it should wait til morning. It won't hurt him to stew a bit."

SECURITY> Aliana peers towards the brig...then back at Niko.

SECURITY> In the Brig >> Jones finishes checking on Denner, then easily lifts the smaller man onto a bunk and settles him comfortably before heading back to the door and tapping at the frame. "All done, folks. He'll be fine."

SECURITY> Kyara frowns. "But if you wait, that's longer Riley'll have to stay... guarded."

SECURITY> Niko looks up in time to catch Aliana's glance, giving her a look of inquiry as he moves to get the screen for Jones. "Thanks," he says lightly to the doctor.

SECURITY> Jones steps out and nods at Niko. "Just holler if you need any more assistance," he adds, then heads off towards Medbay, imperturbable.

SECURITY> Aliana blinks as she is noticed and umms softly before she speaks, "I just stopped by to see if there was anything more I could do to help." A pause as she glances towards Denner, then back at Niko.

Room S4

Fairly utilitarian, this inner room of the Complex is so utterly ordinary from the outside that no one would think to look twice at it. From the inside, it's not much more spectacular. Mid gray carpeting is set off by light gray walls unbroken by anything resembling artwork or windows. A double bed is pushed close to one wall, perhaps a foot of space in between. On the other side of the room is a table with a trio of straight backed chairs off to one side of a doorway housing the necessary. A small warming unit and dormer refrigerator complete the room's meager furnishings.

SECURITY> Niko keys the brig locked once more. "I think we've got everything under control, thanks," he says vaguely. Peering at Kyara as he heads back to that chair, he says, "It's not like he's going anywhere -anyway-."

SECURITY> Anya nods, "That much longer, but doesn't he still need an eye on him until we know what's up with the drug?"

SECURITY> Kyara looks mighty frustrated. "Clara can do that," she mutters in response to Anya's remark. "Besides, what're you trying to keep him safe from? If Denner's locked up..."

SECURITY> Aliana nods her head and tries to make herself really itty bitty so she can just listen...noone said that Ali wasn't curious.

SECURITY> Niko just shakes his head. "The trial was set for -today-," he says, sounding very tired. "It shouldn't have. Denner couldn't have done that. Who did? Where did Denner get such an obscure drug?" He shakes his head. "Just drop it, Kya. Please. Riley's fine where he is. He's comfortable. And whoever Denner was working with doesn't know where he is."

SECURITY> Kyara's eyes widen as she squeaks, "/Today/?" She throws her hands up in frustration. "Fine. Just... let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

SECURITY> Niko nods to Kyara. "Of course." He rubs at his eyes, then asks, perhaps predictably, "The professor call yet?" If he's asked before, clearly he's forgotten.

SECURITY> Kyara shakes her head slightly. "I'd tell you if he did."

SECURITY> Niko nods at that, with a faint smile. "Of course. Sorry. Thanks."

SECURITY> Anya makes a shooing motion at Niko. "Niko, head out, get a nap. It'll be a while before Denner comes round."

SECURITY> Kyara nods her agreement with Anya as she turns to scrub the coffee pot before refilling it. "Go spend some time with Ela."

SECURITY> Niko shakes his head, though he does perhaps look a little guilty at the mention of Ela. "I can't. I have to stay here for when the professor calls."

SECURITY> Anya shakes her head, "We can always forward the call?"

SECURITY> Kyara gestures toward Anya with the coffee pot. "What she said."

SECURITY> Niko echoes the headshake. "Subspace. I don't know if Ela's got... well, she might. I don't know." He looks decidedly frustrated for a moment, then suggests, "I could steal Riley's couch for an hour or so, maybe?"

SECURITY> Kyara sighs. "Just rest, Niko."

SECURITY> Niko inquires quizzically, "Well, what else would you expect me to do in there? Compose a sonnet?"

SECURITY> Anya nods amiably, "He's not using it, take the blanket and go crash."

SECURITY> Kyara rolls her eyes. "I meant... oh, just go crash." She pauses at the echo, shaking her head.

SECURITY> Aliana offers quietly...Its hard to be unobtrusive, ya know? "Maybe Ela can come here?"

SECURITY> Niko nods and gets to his feet, snagging the blanket from wherever he stashed it. He blinks at Aliana's suggestion. "Maybe. Just don't let her bring the bat, okay?" He knows when he's gone too long without sleep, and knows that Ela would know, too. That said, he disappears into Riley's office.

SECURITY> Kyara blinks, peering after Niko. "The bat?"

Post-it Note> Niko takes the women's advice, and stretches out on the couch. He doesn't quite manage to get the blanket arranged, however, before he falls asleep. He's out like a light. Gotta love Edreeni couches.

SECURITY> Aliana blinks as she mouths after Niko, 'The Bat?' Some things are better off unknown...and what Niko and Ela do with a bat is one of those things.

SECURITY> Kathlyn makes an innuendo-laden comment that it, fortunately, lost. "I heard Chief Aleron got it for him. So whatever they're doing, she condones it. Encourages it, I guess."

SECURITY> Kyara chuckles, setting the coffee pot to refill. "I didn't realize Niko likes pets."

SECURITY> Kathlyn shakes her head. "No, it's a long cylinder, a bit more narrow at one end. Used for hitting things. Balls, siblings, obnoxious men."

SECURITY> Anya just shakes her head with the ghost of a chuckle, although it's swiftly cut off as she glances at the brig. She looks angry then instead.

SECURITY> Aliana ohhhs, 'I could see why he would not want her to bring one of those with her.'

SECURITY> Kyara blinks in comprehension. "Ah, I see." She nods agreeably to Ali. "Especially if he's being obnoxious." Her expression is carefully controlled.

SECURITY> Kathlyn starts to call up various things on her terminal. "Oh, not -Niko-. He's never obnoxious, -ever-." Sarcasm. Yeah.

SECURITY> Aliana ponders that for a moment, 'Is it possible for Niko to be obnoxious? Without hurting himself, I mean?'

SECURITY> Kyara snickers, glancing at Kathlyn, though she quickly stifles herself. "Hurting himself?" She gives Ali a puzzled look.

SECURITY> Aliana nods her head slightly to that, 'Indeed...He just seems so...well, nice."

SECURITY> Kathlyn nods to Aliana. "He is," she agrees. "But niceness doesn't exclude obnoxiousness."

SECURITY> Kyara gestures toward Kathlyn. "What she said." She sends a look of frustration toward the office door.

SECURITY> Aliana ohhs before shrugging her shoulders, 'If you say so...I must never have seen it.' She offers a quick wave, 'I am glad you got the real person...I had best get back to the bonded area.'

SECURITY> Aliana heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

SECURITY> Kathlyn casts a quizzical look after Aliana. Catching Kyara's frustrated look, she offers, "Hey, he -said- he's got a bat. You could go get it."

Riley manages to shake off some of the stunnednesss, forcing himself to something of a sitting position. "If Denner's taken into custody, I'm off the hook, eh Kayce? Is there any way you can snag my radio?" His words are somewhat slurred together.

Kaycen shakes his head. "Just relax, Chief. You still need to rest. What do you need? I can do it."

SECURITY> Kyara laces her fingers together, bending them backwards slightly with several quiet *crack*'s. "Too tempting. 'Sides, I doubt Niko would appreciate being awakened in such a manner."

SECURITY> Kathlyn considers that, then suggests, "We could wait until after he's awake."

SECURITY> Kyara nods agreeably. "Exactly. That'd be fair." Is she serious? It's hard to tell.

Riley shakes his head slightly, even half sitting he's not game to try shaking it normally. "Need to find out what in the name of all that's holy is going on. Obviously if I'm far enough out of the loop that -Denner- is hitting me with drugs, I'm too far out."

SECURITY> Kathlyn grins encouragingly. "Best go get the bat, then. We can't smack him with it if we don't have it."

SECURITY> Kyara peers at Kathlyn uncertainly. "Good heavens, you sound serious."

Kaycen lifts his chair, moving to the bedside. "We don't exactly know what all's going on," he says lightly. "Chief, this took -all- of us by surprise. Not just you."

SECURITY> Kathlyn nods. "Of course I do. Go on, then. It shouldn't take too long."

SECURITY> Kyara does, slowly, get up and head for the door. "Aye aye, ma'am." See, now she's safe.

Riley can't quite help but sink back down a ways, although he's still semi-propped up against the headboard. "But... Denner... and years and years. How could it've happened. I must have missed something, somehow I should've known. And I need to start getting caught back up."

SECURITY> Kyara heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Kaycen shakes his head. "Riley, some of us have been here almost as long as Denner. Anya's been here -longer-, for that matter. None of us caught it. None of us suspected a thing. Besides, why does it have to have been going all along?" Of course, that's worse. That would mean that Denner actually -was- Riley's friend, then betrayed him, and Kaycen realizes it a moment after he says it.

"And I've been here longer'n Anya," Riley murmurs, although he falls silent at that last, sinking the rest of the way flat. There's a long pause, "I just need'ta get m'radio back."

Kaycen winces just a bit, then shakes his head. He peers at Clara for a moment, as if considering asking her, then shakes his head. "Needs her rest," he murmurs. Raising his voice, he adds, "I'll ask Anya."

Riley manages something not unlike a nod. "Thanks Kayce. I 'preciate it. Thanks for the help."

Kaycen offers a faint smile. "Of course. Least I could do." He pauses to make use of his own radio, then says, "Anya says it's fine. Will you two be okay here if I go get it?"

Riley murmurs quiet agreement, looking exceedingly grateful. "We'll be fine, promise. Thanks, can't thank you enough."

Kaycen snags a chocolate bar from the desk and drops it on the bed near Riley's head. "I'll be back in a moment. Just sit tight." He moves to leave the room, the soft sthwik of the door locking behind him audible in the quiet of the room.

Riley chuckles quietly at the dropping of chocolate, fumbling the bar into his pocket.

That same sthwik noise heralds Kaycen's return, with the radio. "Here you go," he says, offering it. "Just don't try to call Nick, okay? The ladies got him to sleep--on your couch," he adds, with a bit of amusement.

Riley accepts the radio with a murmur of appreciation. He fumbles it into his ear. "Gotcha', glad he's sleeping. Everybody needs sleep it looks like. Security of the living dead."

Kaycen chuckles at that. "We're fine, Chief. Staggered shifts, that sort of thing. Anya's not letting anybody but herself work too hard."

Riley shifts into a half curl on one side, looking relieved to at last have his radio back after all of this time. It's a security blanket. Actually it's a radio, but the idea's there. "She should sleep too."

Kaycen nods. "She should, yes. She will, eventually."

SECURITY> Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

SECURITY> Anya reaches a hand to her radio ear, muttering quietly about already regretting giving him the dang thing. She does sigh however and start signing off her terminal.

SECURITY> Kathlyn looks over with a grin. "Have a nice night, Anya. Say hi to Tony and the squirt for me, huh?"

SECURITY> Kyara pauses to hand off the bat to Kathlyn on her way back to her seat. "That was... informative." She gives Anya a curious look. "You gave who what?"

SECURITY> Kathlyn takes the bat with a murmur of thanks, casting a speculative look towards Riley's office. "Informative?" she inquires of Kyara.

SECURITY> Kyara nods, settling down with a cup of coffee. "Ela says he's good in bed. Very good, even. Of course, she /could/ just be saying that without it being true."

SECURITY> Anya nods to Kathlyn with a rueful chuckle, "I'll whistle for Shan on my way out to come in and spell me."

SECURITY> Kathlyn blinks at Kyara, then says amiably, "Good for Ela." She nods to Anya as well. "Shan's slept. Let's harass Shan."

SECURITY> Kyara chuckles, though she gives Anya a long look over her coffee.

SECURITY> After a while a taller man with white hair shows up. He doesn't appear to be that old despite his all white hair. This would, of course, be Shan. We need more Security NPCs since we keep making our existing ones into bad guys.

SECURITY> Kathlyn calls an absent hello to Shan, lifting her borrowed bat in greeting.

SECURITY> Shan looks a bit startled, although amused, "They're letting you have weapons of mass destruction again Kathlyn, dear?"

SECURITY> Kyara nods a greeting to Shan, snickering at the comment.

SECURITY> Kathlyn grins brightly at Shan. "I sent Kya to get it for me, from Nick's girlfriend. Great, huh?"

SECURITY> Shan slides into a seat at one of the desks, "Nick's girlfriend needs a bat? Is he that often recalcitrant?"

SECURITY> Kyara snorts, and decides not to answer that.

SECURITY> Kathlyn nods, returning the bat to the desk. "Of course. He's a guy, after all." What a sweet smile.

SECURITY> Shan rolls his eyes at that, chuckling quietly. "We are not all so bad as that. Although it is truth that we -can- be." He leans to tab through the evening's reports and -blinks-. "Well," he says at last. "Exciting couple of days."

SECURITY> Kathlyn nods. "Gifted understatement, hon," she says calmly. "You shouldn't ask for days off. See what happens?"

SECURITY> Shan laughs ruefully, shaking his head. "Last time I took time off the Chief and Niko were shot, now -this-. I'm a jinx I tell you."

SECURITY> Kyara keeps a straight face as she nods. "So you're not allowed to take days off anymore."

SECURITY> Kathlyn gestures towards Kyara. "What she said. No more days off. Work all the time."

SECURITY> Shan shakes his head in a decidedly put upon fashion, "Alas, the sacrifices I am called on to make." He chuckles quietly, setting about to begin working on reports. "I am endlessly amazed by the quantity of chaos this place manages."

SECURITY> Kyara snorts in amusement. "That's not encouraging."

SECURITY> Kathlyn shakes her head. "You've not been here long enough, Shan. Give it time." She pauses, then adds, "It -has- gotten a little more surreal, lately, though."

SECURITY> Shan nods, leaning back a bit in his chair to pitch a piece of wadded up paper to Kathlyn and her bat. "I'm sure time will tell, yes."

SECURITY> Kathlyn looks quite pleased, snapping up her bat and using it to hit the paper. Someone was in little league.

SECURITY> Well, not her bat. Niko's bat. But you know what she meant.

SECURITY> Kyara murmurs something about requisitioning extra paper just for hurling around the room, and ducks over he coffee.

SECURITY> Shan dives after the paper wad, fielding it to first place. Another Secoff sends it to second. Double play. The rather aristocratic white haired man smooths back his hair and returns to his seat.

SECURITY> Niko walks here from the Chief Addison's Office.

SECURITY> Niko pauses in the doorway, just in time to see the double play. "Very nice," he mumbles, miming applause as he moves to snag a soda. His hair is all kinds of rumpled, as is his uniform.

SECURITY> Kyara points at Niko. "He's all yours, Kathlyn."

SECURITY> Shan regards Niko at length with amusement in his gray eyes, "It's a good look, Niko."

SECURITY> Niko starts to thank Shan, but then Kathlyn picks up the bat and starts towards him. He retreats into Riley's office--bad idea. She catches the door before it closes, and follows, closing it behind her.

SECURITY> There are a few decidedly startled Niko-esque yelps from Riley's office, and then the pair emerge. Funny, Niko looks a lot more awake. "Evil," he mutters. "Just give the bat back to Ela, okay?" Kathlyn seems agreeable enough to this, looking decidedly amused.

SECURITY> Shan stifles a quiet chuckle, "Well, you've been beaten about the head and shoulders with a bat, the day can only improve, yes Niko?"

SECURITY> Kyara shakes her head, holding out her hand to Kathlyn. "My turn."

SECURITY> Niko blinks at Kyara's statement, acking quietly as Kathlyn smirks and hands over the bat. "No, Shan. It can get worse."

SECURITY> Shan just begins laughing again.

SECURITY> Kyara smiles sweetly. "Now. You will go, and eat, and shower, and spend a little time with Ela, who was kind enough to brag about your skills, or I will follow her instructions regarding this here bat."

SECURITY> Niko looks almost afraid to do so, but asks, "What did she say to do with it?"

SECURITY> Kyara tries to remember the exact words, but gives up. "Something about beating you."

SECURITY> Niko doesn't really seem surprised. "Oh. Well, you don't have to threaten to beat me. That's kind of rude, seeing as how Kath just -did- and all, without giving me any other options."

SECURITY> Kyara hmphs. "I gave you an option. I suggest you hop to it." The bat taps lightly in one hand.

SECURITY> Niko peers down at himself. Yes, the insignia's still there. Then he peers at Kyara, looking a little puzzled. He does not, however, ask if Stilvani have a time of the month. He's not that stupid, or that tired. "Right -now-?"

SECURITY> Kyara mhmmms. "That would be logical. You need to eat, after all."

SECURITY> Niko squints at Kyara for a moment. "In a bit," he says, turning to go check the mailboxes. Too bad Aliana's not here. She could see his obnoxiosity in person.

SECURITY> Kyara tosses the bat... lightly... at Niko's back.

SECURITY> Niko gets smacked, of course, then turns quickly in an attempt to claim the bat. "Mine," he mumbles.

SECURITY> Kyara hmphs, folding her arms. She, for one, doesn't get the bat. "You're being difficult on purpose, Niko."

SECURITY> Niko nods amiably, beating out Kathlyn in a grab for the bat. "I'm allowed. I'm going up now, though. But give me a buzz if the professor calls, okay? Please?"

SECURITY> Kyara blinks, and hurriedly nods. "Will do."

SECURITY> Niko shoulders his bat and heads out of the room. "I'll be back. Have a nice evening, folks."

SECURITY> Niko heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Clara goes from lying on her back, one arm up over her eyes and completely unaware to sitting straight up and staring straight ahead, breathing rapidly. After a moment she relaxes, though, and starts to swing her legs back off the bed. The computer beckons.

Riley blinks a few times over at Clara, but is quiet. See, he doesn't want her to take his toy away again now that he has it back, see.

Kaycen is sitting near the bed, near-dozing, himself. "What?" he inquires, starting awake as Clara moves.

Riley is also repetitive and says things over again.

SECURITY> Kyara looks rather pleased with herself as she goes back to drinking her coffee.

Clara rubs at her eyes, shaking her head at Kaycen and murmuring, "Bad dream. S'okay, sir. Everything normal." Or so she thinks as she heads back to her terminal and pours another foam cup of coffee before glancing over at Riley and offering a smile.

Kaycen settles back against his chair, looking decidedly sheepish for falling asleep on the job. "If I'm not to call you ma'am, the least you can do is call me Kaycen. Or Kayce. Please."

Riley offers a sheepish smile of sorts, he's pretty sure Clara's smiling, it's hard to tell from this distance. "Normal's good."

Clara ventures an apologetic grin at Kaycen over her cup. "Sorry. Not quite awake yet." At Riley's affirmation, she bolts the coffee and leaves the cup to return to her previous seat next to him. "Any news?"

"Something about Niko being beaten, n'Denner's still asleep." Riley explains rather distractedly, "N'I sent Anya home."

Kaycen blinks at Riley. "Beaten?" He looks for a moment like he's going to get up, then just shakes his head. "Guess he's awake, then."

Clara blinks down at Riley in confusion, then back up at Kaycen in a questioning look before rubbing at her eyes again. "Who put you back on duty, Riley?"

Riley mmhmms quietly, "With a foam bat." He blinks at Clara a few times, looking innocent. "Nobody did..."

Kaycen looks decidedly relieved at Riley's response. "Oh. All right." He doesn't quite hear Clara's question, at least he doesn't acknowledge it. Gotta love selective hearing.

Completely puzzled for a long moment, Clara finally sighs and leans her head back against the wall. "Anya came to visit, then?"

Gee, what a -creative- shade of red Riley's just turned. He mutters something about radios.

Kaycen shakes his head. "I spoke with her, and then I went to get the radio from her. I wasn't gone more than a few minutes," he adds quickly.

Clara's head drops down and to one side to simply stare down at Riley, looking as if she were uncertain whether to be relieved or irritated. Finally she looks back to Kaycen with a raised brow. "Is that so? Maybe I ought to go get my electromagnetic sensor?"

Kaycen blinks. Electromagnetic sensor? "Electromagnetic sensor?"

Clara shakes her head vaguely, stifling another yawn. "F'get it. I don't wanna know right now," she decides, eyes reclosing for all that she's still sitting up, muttering vaguely to herself, "...adult...take care ... own decisions."

Riley looks more than a bit relieved that he seems to have been granted some reprieve and gets to hang onto his security blanket...errr radio. He murmurs something that approximates thanks.

Kaycen suggests, "Why don't you go back to sleep, Clara?"

And the main reason Clara's granting the reprieve is that the coffee didn't work. She makes a mumbled sound of ascension and sort of half falls half scoots back to lying on her side before sleep steals her away again.

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