Interlude – See nothing admit less
by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Post Details
On:
The Darkstar had barely begun to power down when the ramp dropped and Jarred followed by Richard walked down the ramp "The cargo bay is full of what now can be called classified materials, Rick and I were only able to get some quick scans of the contents, but we need to get them inventoried for transfer back to earth."
"What is it that you need me to do?" Jana asked Jarred.
"We could use some help translating the data on the computer core we recovered, we also managed to recover a few bodies, so if science and medical can do a post-mortem evaluation of the corpses, plus we also recovered some other artefacts that need to be examined." Jarred turned to Vincent, "Soon as there is a translation we should go through the core and see if there is anything of tactical value."
"Those would be invaluable to me and my department. Starfleet Command wouldn't mind either, mind you. We're always looking for new things to program into the AI for simulations. Miss Kasikova, if we find that data and if you could translate those files for us, many people would be grateful," Vincent said, chomping down on a cigar. "But you'll have to know the sort of thing we're looking for..."
Jana nodded and made some notes on her PADD. "I'll see if medical needs me or they will just give me the report."
"The big concern is who are these people, where are they from, and have they had contact with the alpha quadrant before, and what are their intentions." Jarred said as the group looked over the collection of items they collected "there's a crate that looks like weaponry so we'll need to evaluate them, these look like some kind of data storage device."
"Am I needed here?" said Dunham, his piloting job complete. He smiled friendlily to the other personnel that had join them.
"I don't think so Rick, I'll catch up with you later." Jarred said
Just then Jenna Minton arrived with a padd and an enthusiastic smile. " Someone sent for Administrative staff to assist with cataloguing? CPO Jenna Minton reporting for duty.... where should I start?" she asked the room in general as she didn't know who she should be reporting to exactly.
"Lets get an inventory of everything, the structure of the bodies, how the computers work, plus anything else we can uncover from the odds and ends that were collected, hopefully we can get as much as possible done before department of archival services gets here." Jarred said to the assembled group.
Jenna nodded and put on some spray hand covering to protect the artefacts more than her hands. She began with a box full of items and took out the first on, laid gently on some soft cloth just inside. It was a beautifully crafted item, with some lettering in an unknown form, apparently grouped into what appeared to be the equivalent of words on the side and a rather primitive manual switch of some sort that appeared to rock into two positions, presumably one on and the other off although that wasn't proven and Jenna knew better than to experiment to see if anything happened if she activated whatever it was.
She scanned it and logged the data on her padd, formulating a grid program to allow each item to have all its details in one box and a catalogue number to identify it. In order not to mark or spoil the item with a label or permanent number, Jenna had brought polybrenelene protective bags and she etched the first catalogue number onto one, slipping the item inside once its scan and description had been recorded.
"One down, 999 to go!" she commented lightly, even though it was clear there weren't *that* many artefacts, but cataloguing always felt like a long job, especially at the beginning. Her colleagues smiled, rolled their eyes, sterilised and sprayed their hands and began their tasks too.
* * * * * * * * * * *
SICKBAY
The CMO and ACMO arrived together, got suited up and went into the Quarantine Section to look at these newly arrived "first encounter alien casualties" they'd been called to attend. "Don't get too excited Ben, they were DOA" Chelsea commented as her ACMO raised an eyebrow at her on the way into the *decontamination* arches.
"Not an awful lot of need for this.... sheep-dip.... then?" he gesticulated around himself at the arches as they began to bombard them with sonic cleansers and scans.
"Oh but there is.... if only to protect THEM from us damaging them with our contaminants!" she smiled back, grimacing as she peered at him as if he'd turned green. Ben laughed and made gestures as if to wipe imaginary dust off his shoulders and arms.
"I'd like to sample off some DNA to send along to our new Pathology specialist." Chelsea commented, looking the first cadaver over.
"Can you get in touch with Jana Kasivoka as she was the one who was asking for an initial report.... or if you can't get her, try Greo Tovon.... he'd know I imagine?" Chelsea said, tentatively lifting flaps around the alien's neck and gently assessing them as some form of atmospheric processors, crossed between a form of 'gill' like organ but without fluidic function.
"What am I asking them?" Ben asked.
"Oh sorry" Chelsea tore her attention back to what she had been saying and left her fascination for the alien physiology aside for a moment.
"I want to know if we have authority to remove or sample anything or is this a 'look but don't touch' examination rather than a full-on autopsy?" she explained.
"Ah, ok!" Ben understood and flicked his comm badge.
=^= Kensington to Kasikova or Tovon? =^= he sent out a call. =^= Sickbay here. Just to clear with you, do 'we' have authority to sample or biopsy our new 'patients'? =^=
"This is Wallace, do a full anatomical scan, and compare it to the tricorder scans I took."
=^=I agree with Wallace. If something really 'odd' comes up let me know and I will make my way to sickbay.=^= Jana added.
Ben looked inquisitively at Chelsea. "Was that a yes or a no?" he mouthed.
Chelsea shrugged. "It was a no. We can only scan, no invasive biopsies or procedures." she concluded. "It works on an *if he didn't specifically authorise biopsies, then we don't do them* basis."
"I guess we can always add them later but we can't take them away if they weren't meant to be done." Ben agreed, setting up the scanner and starting it running on the nearest bio-bed to him.
"Exactly" Chelsea confirmed, doing the same with the scanners over the other two corpses.
=^= Computer, begin log. Auto-insert today's stardate and current time, Lieutenant Commander Doctor Chelsea Adams reporting, assisted by Lieutenant Benjamen Kensington.
Subject: Autopsy scans on three uncatalogued life-forms bio-labelled A) B) and C)..... =^= she paused and looked at Ben who, on hearing this, moved to the top of each bio-bed one by one and pressed the controls to invisibly mark with a removable fluorescent sign, a tiny letter of the standard alphabet showing on the foot of each, one by one. When he had finished, he showed a thumbs up to the CMO who resumed reporting to the computer as the scans progressed, flashing information and data onto the screen and adding it to the record.
-----
The secure transmission that Karen received was as unexpected as its contents were disturbing. This knowledge had to be kept to a minimum and if the message she received was accurate then there were already too many people aware.
It was a rare situation, a special case and with Commander Davies still out of action, it was up to her to deal with it, and to secure the silence of everyone involved so far. She flopped back in her seat with a sigh; this wasn't what Starfleet was about, but it seemed it was for the greater good.
Straightening again Karen hit her comm badge and summoned the team; a small group of officers within security and intel who had clearances a little beyond the norm.
She went with them, one red uniform bright against the four black ones. Two of them remained outside the hanger and the other two accompanied Karen through the door.
"Lieutenant Wallace," Karen said quite seriously, "this room is being sealed. I will require your flight logs and co-operation," she eyed those present - more people than she would have liked - before her gaze shifted to the materials.
Jarred knew how this worked from here, "Everyone stop what you're doing, we've been shut down."
"You see," Vincent said to the nearest man dressed in black, "You can't really call it "co-operation" if you force someone to do it." He did not receive a reply.
"Thanks for the co-operation," she said as her people went about their business - after this they'd all find themselves with new postings and others would replace them. "I don't like this any more than you do," she continued. "I'll be relying on you to properly debrief those present."
Jarred looked around as the gentlemen did there work, "just step back everyone, then we'll need to discuss this."
"I don't think there's much to talk about, Wallace. In any case, we'd better permission if we want to do that as well. I wonder what happens if I have to go to the loo? What with my weak bladder and all - I might not have time to ask permission." Once more, Vincent's jibes fell on deaf ears as the man in black continued to ignore him.
Karen perused a padd handed to her by one of her 'men in black - it contained a comparison of the 'goods' and the ships logs. "Wallace," she said, drawing him aside. "This inventory is incomplete. Where are the specimens?"
"In the bio lab undergoing study." Jarred said to the Commander.
Karen swore under her breath. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?" She hit her comm badge, and spoke to the men she had left outside. "Lieutenant, get to the bio lab and terminate the ongoing examinations. Have everything returned to the hangar, along with anyone who has been in contact with the specimens. So who has been involved?" she asked turning back to the DS5 officer present.
"Well?" Karen repeated, when no-one spoke.
"Thats it everyone else is here, we had the bodies moved because of potential biohazard, I'm surprised that these guys took this long to show up." Jarred commented.
Dunham stood, leaning against a table edge, he held his hands up in surrender, with a smile on his face. "This is getting tense, how about I go..."
"Nobody is going anywhere just yet," Karen said. "All this, everything you have seen. It never happened. You don't talk about it with anyone outside this room and you don't talk about it among yourselves."
"Why do women keep on telling me that....?" said Dunham with a chuckle, trying to make a little light of the situation, "you know I had an ex girlfriend, who told me exactly the same thing."
"I wouldn't know about that, Lieutenant," Karen replied. "But even so, you 'll wait, along with everyone else."
Jarred looked around as the gentlemen began to collect all of the items in the bay he leaned over to Karen and whispered, "You do realize that these guys report to the civilian government not starfleet."
"Whoever they report to, my orders came from Starfleet," Karen replied.
"Which also happens to report the civilian government, Commander," Vincent said. "As much as I wish we were, we are not a law or force unto ourselves." He took another dour puff from his cigar. "Easy on the merchandise!" he shouted at the black-clad men, but again, he received no response from them.
"Yeah, well we live in a democracy, our job is to protect the state" said Dunham.
"Well, we all seem to be of one mind," Karen said, sceptical as to whether Wallace shared their opinion. "Its deemed too sensitive and too dangerous to be public knowledge," she added, confident that she could trust her officers to keep the matter confidential.
Jarred handed her a PADD and looked at her, "these guys aren't supposed to be here, there's the orders."
Karen shook her head, "I verified my source, the orders stand," she said handing the padd back to him.
Dunham rubbed his forehead "man I knew this was a bad idea." There was a touch of anxiety in his voice, as well as a little stress. "I knew from the moment you called me into the office." Dunham looked at Jarred.
Jarred was confused, then something clicked "Wait if archival studies is here its joint fleet and civilian, who are these guys?"
"You tell me, Lieutenant," Karen suggested.
Dunham scratched the stubble on his chin, it was a tricky one.
Jarred closed his eyes, he could tell that these men were disciplined enough but not enough that they were sloppy in their thinking, "Stop them!"
Dunham looked towards the commander for the green light, she was after all the superior officer in the room, and Dunham in his modest experience had always found it better to act on the orders of a superior officer.
Karen nodded, "Put everything down and all of you over here before we go any further," she ordered. "I mean everyone!" she barked at one of the men who hesitated.
Jarred stood there, one of the men was thinking something he couldn't get a fix on, then he heard what sounded like the safety click off on a phaser, he looked towards the noise and stared at the man ~put the phaser back~ was all jarred could think as the man withdrew his hand from his pocket. Jarred walked over and took the phaser from his coat and a small folder fell out of his pocket, it didn't have a standard ID badge, "Who are you guys?"
Dunham wrapped the away mission phaser on his belt; suggestively with his fingers. Eyeing the civilian dressed men and praying they would get the hint. He wished to himself they did; he was a poor shot with a hand phaser.
"Settle down, Richie," Vincent said, mindlessly tapping the ash off the end of his cigar into one of the crates the strangers were filling. "This isn't the D.S. corral, you know. If they want this trash badly enough, I'm tempted to give it to them..."
Dunham shrugged, he wasn't sure who had the authority to do what in this situation. But he was pretty sure that it either lay with the chief of intelligence, of the commander, and not himself or the chief of strategic operations. He wondered to himself briefly, if the cigar Tan smoked was like the cigars of old earth, or if it was one that wouldn't give him cancer from passive smoking.
It was quite possible that Dunham was right, for at that moment, Vincent began coughing. He had a loud, barking cough that came in fits. He thumped his chest several times, as if to help clear the obstruction. The man in black stared in disgust as Vincent spat phlegm onto his shoes.
"Sorry about that, son," Vincent said as he looked at his cigar disdainfully. Whilst the man was looking down, Vincent quite deliberately tapped some more ash into the crate, this time depositing something else along with it. He caught Dunham's eye, gave him a wink, and quickly folded his arms to cover the left side of his chest, which was now missing a key piece of insignia.
So what now? Thought Dunham to himself, do we let them go with the tracer, or stop them here and now? He hoped the commander had seen the drop that Tan had made.
------------------------
In Sickbay, in the middle of an examination, Chelsea and Ben were interrupted by the intrusion of a Lieutenant in black. "Orders?" the CMO replied, her brow furrowed in confusion. "But we were ordered to.... "
"Yes well NOW you're being ordered to come with me!" came the brusque reply and the man hit his comm badge instructing the computer to transport the two medical officers and the three bodies, site to site. Before she could ask any more questions, Chelsea found herself standing in a Hangar, her scanner still in her hand, now bleeping alarmingly as it had been removed without prior log out from its control panel in Sickbay.
"What The Prophets is going on?" she spluttered as she found herself surrounded by personnel in Starfleet, civilian and Section uniforms and her *patients* being loaded into science body bags before she had even taken off her spray gloves.
Ben looked just as bewildered, perhaps more so, as he didn't know any of the faces around him yet, not even the 'locals'. He just shrugged and stood there in his lab coat.
"Wallace to sickbay these guys might not have the right credentials, don't let them touch anything." Jarred spoke through the comm.
=^= Adams to Wallace =^= Chelsea replied from the other side of the Hangar. =^= over here Jarred. You can stop them yourself. They just brought us and the 'visitors' back from Sickbay by transporter. They're all yours."
Jarred knew when he was beat, he just motioned to the group, "Everyone out, let these 'gentlemen' do their job. Let's go have a drink or two."
Off:
Lt Richard Dunham
Acting CAG
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO (NPC'd by jools)
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer
Lt. Jarred Wallace
CIO
Lt. Vincent Tan
CSOO
by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant Vincent Tan
Post Details
| Title | See nothing admit less | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Commander Jarred Wallace & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Karen Villiers & Lieutenant Vincent Tan | |
| Posted | Wed Aug 11, 2010 @ 6:53pm | |
| Location | Hangar 18 | |
| Timeline | *set following to 'best left to the experts' |
The Darkstar had barely begun to power down when the ramp dropped and Jarred followed by Richard walked down the ramp "The cargo bay is full of what now can be called classified materials, Rick and I were only able to get some quick scans of the contents, but we need to get them inventoried for transfer back to earth."
"What is it that you need me to do?" Jana asked Jarred.
"We could use some help translating the data on the computer core we recovered, we also managed to recover a few bodies, so if science and medical can do a post-mortem evaluation of the corpses, plus we also recovered some other artefacts that need to be examined." Jarred turned to Vincent, "Soon as there is a translation we should go through the core and see if there is anything of tactical value."
"Those would be invaluable to me and my department. Starfleet Command wouldn't mind either, mind you. We're always looking for new things to program into the AI for simulations. Miss Kasikova, if we find that data and if you could translate those files for us, many people would be grateful," Vincent said, chomping down on a cigar. "But you'll have to know the sort of thing we're looking for..."
Jana nodded and made some notes on her PADD. "I'll see if medical needs me or they will just give me the report."
"The big concern is who are these people, where are they from, and have they had contact with the alpha quadrant before, and what are their intentions." Jarred said as the group looked over the collection of items they collected "there's a crate that looks like weaponry so we'll need to evaluate them, these look like some kind of data storage device."
"Am I needed here?" said Dunham, his piloting job complete. He smiled friendlily to the other personnel that had join them.
"I don't think so Rick, I'll catch up with you later." Jarred said
Just then Jenna Minton arrived with a padd and an enthusiastic smile. " Someone sent for Administrative staff to assist with cataloguing? CPO Jenna Minton reporting for duty.... where should I start?" she asked the room in general as she didn't know who she should be reporting to exactly.
"Lets get an inventory of everything, the structure of the bodies, how the computers work, plus anything else we can uncover from the odds and ends that were collected, hopefully we can get as much as possible done before department of archival services gets here." Jarred said to the assembled group.
Jenna nodded and put on some spray hand covering to protect the artefacts more than her hands. She began with a box full of items and took out the first on, laid gently on some soft cloth just inside. It was a beautifully crafted item, with some lettering in an unknown form, apparently grouped into what appeared to be the equivalent of words on the side and a rather primitive manual switch of some sort that appeared to rock into two positions, presumably one on and the other off although that wasn't proven and Jenna knew better than to experiment to see if anything happened if she activated whatever it was.
She scanned it and logged the data on her padd, formulating a grid program to allow each item to have all its details in one box and a catalogue number to identify it. In order not to mark or spoil the item with a label or permanent number, Jenna had brought polybrenelene protective bags and she etched the first catalogue number onto one, slipping the item inside once its scan and description had been recorded.
"One down, 999 to go!" she commented lightly, even though it was clear there weren't *that* many artefacts, but cataloguing always felt like a long job, especially at the beginning. Her colleagues smiled, rolled their eyes, sterilised and sprayed their hands and began their tasks too.
* * * * * * * * * * *
SICKBAY
The CMO and ACMO arrived together, got suited up and went into the Quarantine Section to look at these newly arrived "first encounter alien casualties" they'd been called to attend. "Don't get too excited Ben, they were DOA" Chelsea commented as her ACMO raised an eyebrow at her on the way into the *decontamination* arches.
"Not an awful lot of need for this.... sheep-dip.... then?" he gesticulated around himself at the arches as they began to bombard them with sonic cleansers and scans.
"Oh but there is.... if only to protect THEM from us damaging them with our contaminants!" she smiled back, grimacing as she peered at him as if he'd turned green. Ben laughed and made gestures as if to wipe imaginary dust off his shoulders and arms.
"I'd like to sample off some DNA to send along to our new Pathology specialist." Chelsea commented, looking the first cadaver over.
"Can you get in touch with Jana Kasivoka as she was the one who was asking for an initial report.... or if you can't get her, try Greo Tovon.... he'd know I imagine?" Chelsea said, tentatively lifting flaps around the alien's neck and gently assessing them as some form of atmospheric processors, crossed between a form of 'gill' like organ but without fluidic function.
"What am I asking them?" Ben asked.
"Oh sorry" Chelsea tore her attention back to what she had been saying and left her fascination for the alien physiology aside for a moment.
"I want to know if we have authority to remove or sample anything or is this a 'look but don't touch' examination rather than a full-on autopsy?" she explained.
"Ah, ok!" Ben understood and flicked his comm badge.
=^= Kensington to Kasikova or Tovon? =^= he sent out a call. =^= Sickbay here. Just to clear with you, do 'we' have authority to sample or biopsy our new 'patients'? =^=
"This is Wallace, do a full anatomical scan, and compare it to the tricorder scans I took."
=^=I agree with Wallace. If something really 'odd' comes up let me know and I will make my way to sickbay.=^= Jana added.
Ben looked inquisitively at Chelsea. "Was that a yes or a no?" he mouthed.
Chelsea shrugged. "It was a no. We can only scan, no invasive biopsies or procedures." she concluded. "It works on an *if he didn't specifically authorise biopsies, then we don't do them* basis."
"I guess we can always add them later but we can't take them away if they weren't meant to be done." Ben agreed, setting up the scanner and starting it running on the nearest bio-bed to him.
"Exactly" Chelsea confirmed, doing the same with the scanners over the other two corpses.
=^= Computer, begin log. Auto-insert today's stardate and current time, Lieutenant Commander Doctor Chelsea Adams reporting, assisted by Lieutenant Benjamen Kensington.
Subject: Autopsy scans on three uncatalogued life-forms bio-labelled A) B) and C)..... =^= she paused and looked at Ben who, on hearing this, moved to the top of each bio-bed one by one and pressed the controls to invisibly mark with a removable fluorescent sign, a tiny letter of the standard alphabet showing on the foot of each, one by one. When he had finished, he showed a thumbs up to the CMO who resumed reporting to the computer as the scans progressed, flashing information and data onto the screen and adding it to the record.
-----
The secure transmission that Karen received was as unexpected as its contents were disturbing. This knowledge had to be kept to a minimum and if the message she received was accurate then there were already too many people aware.
It was a rare situation, a special case and with Commander Davies still out of action, it was up to her to deal with it, and to secure the silence of everyone involved so far. She flopped back in her seat with a sigh; this wasn't what Starfleet was about, but it seemed it was for the greater good.
Straightening again Karen hit her comm badge and summoned the team; a small group of officers within security and intel who had clearances a little beyond the norm.
She went with them, one red uniform bright against the four black ones. Two of them remained outside the hanger and the other two accompanied Karen through the door.
"Lieutenant Wallace," Karen said quite seriously, "this room is being sealed. I will require your flight logs and co-operation," she eyed those present - more people than she would have liked - before her gaze shifted to the materials.
Jarred knew how this worked from here, "Everyone stop what you're doing, we've been shut down."
"You see," Vincent said to the nearest man dressed in black, "You can't really call it "co-operation" if you force someone to do it." He did not receive a reply.
"Thanks for the co-operation," she said as her people went about their business - after this they'd all find themselves with new postings and others would replace them. "I don't like this any more than you do," she continued. "I'll be relying on you to properly debrief those present."
Jarred looked around as the gentlemen did there work, "just step back everyone, then we'll need to discuss this."
"I don't think there's much to talk about, Wallace. In any case, we'd better permission if we want to do that as well. I wonder what happens if I have to go to the loo? What with my weak bladder and all - I might not have time to ask permission." Once more, Vincent's jibes fell on deaf ears as the man in black continued to ignore him.
Karen perused a padd handed to her by one of her 'men in black - it contained a comparison of the 'goods' and the ships logs. "Wallace," she said, drawing him aside. "This inventory is incomplete. Where are the specimens?"
"In the bio lab undergoing study." Jarred said to the Commander.
Karen swore under her breath. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?" She hit her comm badge, and spoke to the men she had left outside. "Lieutenant, get to the bio lab and terminate the ongoing examinations. Have everything returned to the hangar, along with anyone who has been in contact with the specimens. So who has been involved?" she asked turning back to the DS5 officer present.
"Well?" Karen repeated, when no-one spoke.
"Thats it everyone else is here, we had the bodies moved because of potential biohazard, I'm surprised that these guys took this long to show up." Jarred commented.
Dunham stood, leaning against a table edge, he held his hands up in surrender, with a smile on his face. "This is getting tense, how about I go..."
"Nobody is going anywhere just yet," Karen said. "All this, everything you have seen. It never happened. You don't talk about it with anyone outside this room and you don't talk about it among yourselves."
"Why do women keep on telling me that....?" said Dunham with a chuckle, trying to make a little light of the situation, "you know I had an ex girlfriend, who told me exactly the same thing."
"I wouldn't know about that, Lieutenant," Karen replied. "But even so, you 'll wait, along with everyone else."
Jarred looked around as the gentlemen began to collect all of the items in the bay he leaned over to Karen and whispered, "You do realize that these guys report to the civilian government not starfleet."
"Whoever they report to, my orders came from Starfleet," Karen replied.
"Which also happens to report the civilian government, Commander," Vincent said. "As much as I wish we were, we are not a law or force unto ourselves." He took another dour puff from his cigar. "Easy on the merchandise!" he shouted at the black-clad men, but again, he received no response from them.
"Yeah, well we live in a democracy, our job is to protect the state" said Dunham.
"Well, we all seem to be of one mind," Karen said, sceptical as to whether Wallace shared their opinion. "Its deemed too sensitive and too dangerous to be public knowledge," she added, confident that she could trust her officers to keep the matter confidential.
Jarred handed her a PADD and looked at her, "these guys aren't supposed to be here, there's the orders."
Karen shook her head, "I verified my source, the orders stand," she said handing the padd back to him.
Dunham rubbed his forehead "man I knew this was a bad idea." There was a touch of anxiety in his voice, as well as a little stress. "I knew from the moment you called me into the office." Dunham looked at Jarred.
Jarred was confused, then something clicked "Wait if archival studies is here its joint fleet and civilian, who are these guys?"
"You tell me, Lieutenant," Karen suggested.
Dunham scratched the stubble on his chin, it was a tricky one.
Jarred closed his eyes, he could tell that these men were disciplined enough but not enough that they were sloppy in their thinking, "Stop them!"
Dunham looked towards the commander for the green light, she was after all the superior officer in the room, and Dunham in his modest experience had always found it better to act on the orders of a superior officer.
Karen nodded, "Put everything down and all of you over here before we go any further," she ordered. "I mean everyone!" she barked at one of the men who hesitated.
Jarred stood there, one of the men was thinking something he couldn't get a fix on, then he heard what sounded like the safety click off on a phaser, he looked towards the noise and stared at the man ~put the phaser back~ was all jarred could think as the man withdrew his hand from his pocket. Jarred walked over and took the phaser from his coat and a small folder fell out of his pocket, it didn't have a standard ID badge, "Who are you guys?"
Dunham wrapped the away mission phaser on his belt; suggestively with his fingers. Eyeing the civilian dressed men and praying they would get the hint. He wished to himself they did; he was a poor shot with a hand phaser.
"Settle down, Richie," Vincent said, mindlessly tapping the ash off the end of his cigar into one of the crates the strangers were filling. "This isn't the D.S. corral, you know. If they want this trash badly enough, I'm tempted to give it to them..."
Dunham shrugged, he wasn't sure who had the authority to do what in this situation. But he was pretty sure that it either lay with the chief of intelligence, of the commander, and not himself or the chief of strategic operations. He wondered to himself briefly, if the cigar Tan smoked was like the cigars of old earth, or if it was one that wouldn't give him cancer from passive smoking.
It was quite possible that Dunham was right, for at that moment, Vincent began coughing. He had a loud, barking cough that came in fits. He thumped his chest several times, as if to help clear the obstruction. The man in black stared in disgust as Vincent spat phlegm onto his shoes.
"Sorry about that, son," Vincent said as he looked at his cigar disdainfully. Whilst the man was looking down, Vincent quite deliberately tapped some more ash into the crate, this time depositing something else along with it. He caught Dunham's eye, gave him a wink, and quickly folded his arms to cover the left side of his chest, which was now missing a key piece of insignia.
So what now? Thought Dunham to himself, do we let them go with the tracer, or stop them here and now? He hoped the commander had seen the drop that Tan had made.
------------------------
In Sickbay, in the middle of an examination, Chelsea and Ben were interrupted by the intrusion of a Lieutenant in black. "Orders?" the CMO replied, her brow furrowed in confusion. "But we were ordered to.... "
"Yes well NOW you're being ordered to come with me!" came the brusque reply and the man hit his comm badge instructing the computer to transport the two medical officers and the three bodies, site to site. Before she could ask any more questions, Chelsea found herself standing in a Hangar, her scanner still in her hand, now bleeping alarmingly as it had been removed without prior log out from its control panel in Sickbay.
"What The Prophets is going on?" she spluttered as she found herself surrounded by personnel in Starfleet, civilian and Section uniforms and her *patients* being loaded into science body bags before she had even taken off her spray gloves.
Ben looked just as bewildered, perhaps more so, as he didn't know any of the faces around him yet, not even the 'locals'. He just shrugged and stood there in his lab coat.
"Wallace to sickbay these guys might not have the right credentials, don't let them touch anything." Jarred spoke through the comm.
=^= Adams to Wallace =^= Chelsea replied from the other side of the Hangar. =^= over here Jarred. You can stop them yourself. They just brought us and the 'visitors' back from Sickbay by transporter. They're all yours."
Jarred knew when he was beat, he just motioned to the group, "Everyone out, let these 'gentlemen' do their job. Let's go have a drink or two."
Off:
Lt Richard Dunham
Acting CAG
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO (NPC'd by jools)
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer
Lt. Jarred Wallace
CIO
Lt. Vincent Tan
CSOO