The Secrets We Keep

Posted on Tue Aug 4th, 2009 @ 6:55pm by Lieutenant JG Drew O'Connell

1,547 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Behind the Mask of Familiarity
Location: Commander Arkham's Office
Timeline: Current

Drew stepped out of the Captain's ready room and considered the commanding officer's attitude. If the files he'd read were any indication, Rowena Arkham, the ship's executive officer, would prove to be the exact opposite. The pleasant, even helpful attitude of Captain Lane would be so far removed from that of Rowena Arkham that the very thought of these two serving together would prove an unsolvable enigma. Still, Drew nodded at the few officers on the bridge as he made his way to the nearest turbolift.

"Computer, locate Commander Arkham," he requested once the doors of the turbolift shut.
=/= Commander Arkham is in the Executive Officer's office. =/=

As you should be, Commander,' Drew thought. "Deck two, Commander Arkham's office." The turbolift complied with a tone before shooting off to its destination. As an afterthought, Drew tapped his commbadge, "Lieutenant O'Connell to Commander Arkham."

Arkham sighed a little, rubbing her unseeing eye tiredly. New crew had been arriving left and right it seemed. Tapping her commbadge, she replied with a curt and somewhat cold, =/= Yes? =/=

"I was hoping you were free to meet, Commander. I've just reported aboard the Archimedes and should like a moment of your time to check in and to discuss the current status of the ship, Commander."

Arkham snorted a little. =/= Make it quick, please. I've other places to be. =/=

"I'll be arriving shortly then, sir. Thank you, O'Connell out." Drew tapped his badge again to close the channel.

Idly, Drew wondered how his sixteen year old brother was faring on the new ship and in their new quarters. Fortunately, in the days after the USS Rook's destruction, Ian had come to respect his older brother, perhaps even to appreciate him. They had had fewer arguments since those tragic events and Drew was even beginning to think that living with his younger brother might be feasible. Of course, sharing the small quarters on this Nova Class vessel might push them back to a breaking point. Only time would tell.

The pneumatic hiss of the turbolift doors opening interrupted Drew's wandering mind and brought him back to reality. He stepped out of the lift and headed two sections down to find the XO's office. Tapping the control panel beside the door, he announced his expected arrival.

Arkham was, in typical fashion, seated behind her desk. Recent events had not treated the Executive Officer kindly -- the older woman looked distinctly careworn and somewhat grayer than usual. Running a hand along the crumpled skin grafts of the left side of her face that covered her prosthetic jaw, she smirked as much as her ruined features would allow. She stood, looking over the young man, her cold cobalt gaze seemingly dissecting him.
"Welcome aboard," Arkham rasped coldly. Unsurprisingly, she did not extend a hand for the man to shake; she had always been paranoid when it came to people. "Mr...O'Connell, is it?"

Drew smiled, noting the fact that Arkham didn't extended her hand in the customary handshake. It wasn't so much a slight, if her personnel file was any indication. It simply was who she was, a weathered, paranoid old Intelligence operative. Producing an ovoid device from his inner jacket pocket, he placed it on the desk before her and activated it. Four quadrants lit red, then each turned green in clockwise succession. He was certain she recognized the device from her service in Intelligence. "Not that I don't trust you, Commander, quite to the contrary, however, this ship has shown it has its share of problems and someone else listening into our conversation is hardly out of the realm of possibility. So now that it is safe to talk, that's correct, Lieutenant Andrew O'Connell, sir, Chief Intelligence Officer."

"Of course," Arkham said coolly, taking a seat behind her desk, and motioning for the young Lieutenant to take a seat in the large comofrtable chair in front of it. "You should know, young man, that my office is quite possibly the safest place on this ship. I...value my privacy, Mr. O'Connell -- I will not interfere in your office; likewise, you will not interfere in mine. If I feel you have...violated my privacy, I will deal with it. Swiftly, and without mercy. As I'm sure you've heard about me."

Drew smiled as he took the chair across from her. "I have heard about your ruthlessness, Commander, so I won't be quick to cross you. Your office is your domain and I intend to keep out of it as long as we remain allies. You can't fault me for the paranoia the office brings, though, sir. Your experience bears that out, I'm sure."

Arkham raised a single silver eyebrow, giving her a look of great gravity as she next spoke, "Of course. You will forgive me, however, if I do not consider you an...ally, just yet. You've just waltzed onto my ship, young man."

"Understood and appreciated, Commander. I suppose I should rephrase that to 'as long as we keep playing for the same team', though I hope to gain your trust one day." Leaning back in the chair farther, Drew crossed his ankle over his knee and tried to appear comfortable. "Per protocol, I've received a cursory report regarding the Archimedes' problems. A saboteur aboard had infected the bioneural gel-packs with a biochemical agent, effectively destabilizing them and the ship's systems. Presumably, the same saboteur was discovered by Ensign Turoc, the Yajuta who lies lifeless in sickbay right now. Have I missed anything?"

"As far as you are allowed to know, no, you have not," Arkham said coolly. "It is believed, currently, that the biochemical agent may have been introduced into our system by a faction that made an attempt on my life on Citadel Prime. But that, of course, has been downplayed considerably."
"Now," Arkham said, taking a sip of tea from a cup on her desk, Arkham added simply, "I suppose you have questions. I'll answer what I can, of course."
"Of course," Drew replied smoothly. "I've been informed Lieutenant Lucy Carter is being held in the brig indefinitely, reportedly for her own safety over any actions she may or may not have performed. The latter is by Captain Lane's own admission, the former was in my report. Is there anything you could add that would make this series of events make sense?"

"There are numerous things that could be added," Arkham said, smirking. "Of course, whether or not they make the situation clearer is a matter of debate. Following the attempt on my life we were joined by Captain Alexandra Harwood -- she obviously represents her own interests here. And the matter of Carter's background has been somewhat downplayed -- I recommend you scan her files, focusing particularly on the matter of her DNA, Mr. O'Connell. Furthermore, there is the matter of Kevin Larkin...I'm sure you're familiar with him...the only survivor of the destroyed USS Dragoon?"
"I am familiar with his personnel and psychological files, Commander. I've not yet ruled him out as a suspect but then, I've not ruled anyone out a suspect." Drew shrugged. "I've only just begun the intelligence gathering process."

"As you can see, we are not short of intrigue, Lieutenant," Arkham chuckled, passing the younger man a PADD.

"Yes ma'am, that much I can see," Drew replied, sharing the brief chuckle. "I am wondering if it has occurred to you that any one of this crew may be resposible for all the problems that have befallen Archimedes, except of course, for those who have just arrived. Namely, myself, Lieutenant Montgomery, Lieutenant Wagner, and Lieutenant Martin can be excluded as these events occurred before our arrival."

Arkham chuckled a little. "Young man, I've been in Intelligence too long to exclude anyone without definitive proof. But Occam's Razor would assume that none of you are involved, yes."

"Well, Commander, as you say, there is a lot of work to be done. I'm eager to get to it. A conspiracy of this magnitude is mind-boggling to start, though it does become clearer as the puzzle pieces interlock."

Arkham nodded a little. Adopting a tone that all but asked the younger officer to leave, Arkham said, "Indeed, Lieutenant. I suppose, then, it'd be wise for me to let you get to it. Do feel free to stop by, of course, if you should want some advice or have any further questions."

"Thank you, Commander, I'll keep that offer in mind." Drew stood from his chair, nodded at the XO and exited her office. She wasn't quite the 'Arkham Horror' as the moniker and her reputation had created for her. Stepping out into the corridor beyond her office, Drew realized she was the second command officer who didn't trust him enough to offer a handshake. The corner of his mouth drew up in a smirk, this crew was already paranoid and distrustful of each other, even if they wouldn't admit it.

His job was to safeguard these people against the things that go bump in the night. To make them feel safe in an unsafe universe. He had a lot of work to do...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Commander Rowena Arkham
Executive Officer

and

Lieutenant JG Andrew O'Connell
Chief Intelligence Officer

 

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