Chapter Text
She screamed longer and louder than she ever had in her twelve years of life. The inventory shelves, her favorite playground, lay on top of her, and the heaviest containers pinned her legs. All she could do was scream. Her father and brother came running from the front of the store, her mother from the rear. Together, they pulled everything off of her that they could, but they could not free her legs.
Within minutes, a security team found them. Horrified, they notified the captain of the starbase of the situation.
“These containers, what is in them?” the very tall, very broad-shouldered human security officer ordered, his voice leaving no doubt how he got the job.
Her father, Grom, gulped, then shrugged, and the others followed suit. “It came from the top shelf. It’s been there for years.”
The security officer and his partner, and equally tall Vulcan woman, aimed their phasers at the top container.
“No, no – “ Grom rushed to the officers, his hands outstretched. “Don’t do that!”
“Does it contain combustibles?” The Vulcan woman glared at Grom. “You are not authorized to sell or possess combustibles.”
“No, but…” Grom whined.
The other officer moved his weapon slightly, in Grom’s direction. “We can’t lift it. We must empty it.”
“Oh, all right…” Grom pulled a key from his pocket and opened each of the containers on his daughter’s legs.
The two security officers lifted the lids and casually threw the heavy contents to the side.
“Grom,” his wife gasped. “I had no idea we had so much gold-pressed latinum!” Like any Ferengi woman, she never wore clothes, so there was no hiding her very aroused nipples.
“Shhh” Grom sneered. “Nobody is supposed to know.” He nodded toward the officers, who seemed not to have noticed what they were tossing from the containers.
“Dad…” The boy, his eyes wide, whispered. “What —?”
Grom smacked the boy on the back of his very large head. “Shut up,” he hissed.
By the time the security team freed the girl from the containers, she had passed out.
Grom, his son, and his wife looked on the naked body, with its mutilated legs, and began to cry.
The male security officer tapped his comm badge as his partner lifted the girl. “Captain, alert Sick bay that a Ferengi juvenile has severe crush injuries to her legs.” He turned toward the parents. “How many of you will be coming to Sick Bay?”
Grom shook his head. “None of us. Have the doctor euthanize her. She has no value now.”