More Questions than Answers

Posted on 05/04/2020 @ 12:02am by Captain Cian D'Anvers

Mission: S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Crazy Horse
Timeline: Day 6 at 2000

The Admiral, and it would have to be an admiral wouldn't it, frowned and with the way the folds of his face accentuated the frown, Cian was fairly sure the look was habitual. He wondered with that small portion of his brain that wasn't in full report mode if the admiral had ever found reason to smile while on the job. So, the admiral was frowning but not without cause, truth be told.

"I've appended the reports from Engineering and Science which indicate that those isolinear chips on both the Blackwell and the Crazy Horse that were manufactured on Beta Orinae were sabotaged. I say sabotaged, rather than defective," Cian said, "because the virus uploaded with the prisoners' files was inert until activated by the isolinear chips. One without the other would not have caused the problems we experienced."

He sighed as he reached for his teacup and took a sip; the admiral's frowned deepened but this wasn't his first time reporting in. Then too, he wasn't the scariest thing that Cian had faced in his life. So that's one time his past actually worked in his favor. He'd learned to stand up.

"I've also appended Operations report on those chips and how they came to be installed on the Crazy Horse as well as Captain Burn's report. As you can see, the chips all came from the same batch." Cian paused to take a breath, a tactical move, since it gave the admiral a chance to speak up should he have the notion of turning this into a conversation.

"I've read the reports," the Admiral finally said as he too reached for a mug that was near to his hand. "And I've already launched an investigation into that." He held up his hand as Cian leaned forward. "I know, I know and you will be kept informed."

"Thank you, Sir," Cian said. Inwardly, and he would dare show it, he was pleased that the Admiral had relaxed enough to drink from whatever was in his cup ... probably Turkish coffee, if he remembered from that conference ... and speak in a tone of voice that wouldn't have his enlisted springing too nervous attention all over the base. "We believe that the sabotage was intended to help free the prisoner, Sifir. I've also appended a report from my Chief of Security that includes statements from everyone present at the time."

"Course," Cian continued as he raised his teacup to mid chest level, "it's clearly going to go deeper than that. It raises so many questions ... but ..." He finished the move and took a long sip of tea; he didn't speak again until the he'd set the teacup down on his desk. "I'll leave that to the investigators. Of the remaining prisoners, two died. I've appended the Chief Medical Officer's report. If the cells had been large enough for them to be housed together, all of them would be alive. When we dropped the remaining two off at Ventra IV, we made sure they knew about their needs. They were still in bad shape when we left."

Cian paused for a moment to take another sip but mostly just not to speak. Almost done, he told himself. Almost done.

"Also, you'll want to note what they found during autopsy," Cian said. "They were being controlled somehow. One of the chips self-destructed but the other was removed successfully. Its alien in design and construction so there's not much more I can tell you other than we'll be on the lookout."

"So," the admiral said, "we are left with more questions than answers. The death of the Blackwell's medical officer will be added to the charges against him and everyone will be on the lookout though he's nearly impossible to track given his abilities. "

Cian nodded. "Two mysteries and no real answers. Though we have a bit more information than we did before. That's more than we had before."

"That's true," the admiral said. "I understand your off to Skunil next."

"Yes, Sir," Cian said at once. "I'm to get a briefing at DS 20 and then we're heading into the Rift."

"Very good. I'll be waiting to hear ... with more answers than questions next time. Morelock out."

"Bridge," Cian said, "notify off duty personnel that they are free to visit DS 20. I'll be in my quarters."

"Aye, Sir," the Operations officer said. "Bridge out."

A Post By:

Commander Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse