Down And To The Right

Posted on Tue Sep 25th, 2012 @ 10:46pm by Lieutenant Cedric Shepherd & Lieutenant JG Marcus Augusta PHD

1,381 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Sowing the Seeds
Location: USS Ranger, Deck 9, Security Office
Timeline: Mission Day 3, 1620 hrs
Tags: Edmond Fletcher, S'teis, briefing, security

=/\= Security to Lieutenant Augusta, Please report to deck nine =/\=

=/\= Affirmative =/\=

The summons had interrupted Marc's bridge shift but his morning had already proved to be very light. The Majority of the work had fallen on science and operations and so security had found itself with little to focus on. Apparently that was all about to change.

Marc entered the turbolift and requested transport to deck nine. Still pondering on the exchange he had witnessed between the CO and Captain Jenner. The senior staff were due for dinner aboard the Dubai and perhaps Lieutenant Shepard would get some answers for the strain that Jenner had appeared to be under.

His thought was interrupted by the premature halting of the turbolift on deck 5 and the entry of Lieutenant Fletcher. Marc had only met the man several times in staff meetings, he seemed to be competent enough.

Lieutenant Fletcher stepped into the liftcar, making eye contact with Marcus at once.

"Mister Augusta," Fletcher nodded, respectfully businesslike as he stood to one side. "Deck 9?"

Marc nodded an agreement but didn't speak.

"This is irregular," remarked Fletcher. "Any idea what Shepherd wants?"

While Marc was perfectly happy to speculate on anything alone he wasn't one to share such speculation on a whim.

"I'm sure it will become clear what Lieutenant Shepard wants."
Marc took care to address his superior officer by his rank even while not in his presence, as a mark of respect.

The remainder of the lift journey was short and before long both men found themselves in the security office, nodding greetings toward the two others in the room, the chief himself and MCPO S'teis.

"Gentlemen, have a seat," said Shepherd, keying his LCARS screen to sync to the viewer in the office. "Computer, secure this compartment. Authorization Shepherd Beta Two."

The computer warbled its quasi-feminine assent as Marc and Fletcher took their seats.

"I have the visual log from the Dubai's communication with Ranger queued here," said Shepherd, half-sitting on his desk and pointing to the room's viewer. "I'd like to review it with the two of you. You've seen this firsthand, Mister Augusta, but I want to get Fletcher and S'teis up to speed before we talk options. "

Across the screen played again the greeting and dinner invitation from Captain Jenner. It was even more awkward and stilted when watching it in replay.

"Your thoughts?" Shepherd asked as the recording ended and the screen flipped back to the neutral UFP flag.

Marc remained silent, allowing Fletcher to voice an opinion which never came. Where Fletcher looked perplexed at the spectacle of Jenner, S'teis nodded thoughtfully but kept his own counsel. After a brief pause Marc began, thankful the doors were sealed.

"Everything about the captain conveys a lack of confidence. His failure to rise from his seat at any point in the conversation indicates a lack of ownership of his bridge, a sense of not belonging there. Something you wouldn't even expect from captains on a maiden voyage in my view."

Marc rose to his feet and walked toward the display. "Computer, begin recording from time index 4869." The computer dutifully complied and the recording began, displaying an almost shaken Captain Jenner.

"I'm unsure if your Exec would be able to join us or would likely have to stick by the science teams, or, or perhaps supervise the data transfer?"

"Pause." Marc Interrupted the computer.

"Not only does suggesting a course of action for another ship's XO seem irregular. But the stutter indicates a worry, or even panic."

Marc paused briefly to ensure he still had the room's attention. Fletcher was frowning as he followed along. S'teis remained inscrutable. Shepherd motioned for him to continue.

"Furthermore, his executive officer appears much the same way based on body language, no movement or deviation from an established line of communication.

"In short, Lieutenant, I believe that the entire conversation had been engineered to try and not arouse suspicion, but ironically that's evidently what it has done. Additionally, the Captain's look down to the right before almost every dialogue would be interpreted by any first year medical cadet as a classic sign of attempting to deceive.

"I would surmise that Captain Jenner is hiding something. He is concerned that the executive officer, based on his desire to keep her aboard the ranger, has the ability to reveal any potential secret which in turn leads me to question why the XO, my conclusion being that she is the only senior officer with any telepathic potential, even if she is only half Vulcan. And that we should treat any interaction with Jenner cautiously."

Marc paused for what seemed like an age while the other three took all he had said in. "Of course this is all conjecture."

Shepherd chuckled at Augusta's concluding nod toward modesty, and folded his arms while he thought a moment. "I concur with your general direction. The Captain's clearly covering something up. I'm not sure I'm willing to go as far as to say he's afraid of Commander Michaels, but something about her presence has his attention, for certain."

"He might want her on board," S'teis rumbled, pitched perfectly to carry.

Shepherd perked. "What do you mean?"

"Humans seem to me to try this reverse psychology trick more often than they should," S'teis continued. "He could be baiting Michaels into coming on board."

Fletcher was skeptical. "Why? Why not just invite her if he wanted her on board? He invited the entire senior staff to dinner."

"I make no claim to all the answers, sirs," S'teis shrugged. "Just voicing a theory. Captain Jenner is hiding something. Mister Augusta's conclusion that Jenner refused to be truthful on the communicator is plausible. I wonder, though, if the problem isn't that Jenner wouldn't be truthful, but if he couldn't be truthful."

"You think he might have been trying to send a message?" asked Shepherd.

"What message?" asked Fletcher, still unconvinced. "He needs another Vulcan on board his ship?"

"You think he could be under duress?" asked Shepherd.

"I've seen humans act the way Captain Jenner acted when they've got guns in their backs," S'teis nodded.

Marc nodded an agreement. S'teis had a point, the captain did seem under a lot of pressure. Numerous possibilities crossed his mind but the fact remained, he simply couldn't give an explanation.

"With respect, further speculation is pointless. All we know for certain is that Captain Jenner is exhibiting behavior we associate with deception. That doesn't make him guilty of it."

A silence prevailed over the room while before Marc moved on.

"However... my gut and experience make me think that caution and concern is warranted. In short, where do we go from here?"

"We need more information," said Shepherd. "Let's do this three ways. I'm going to go to this dinner, and I'll continue to gauge Captain Jenner and be on the lookout for other problems on the Dubai.

"Fletcher," he turned to the younger man. "I want you to invite Dubai's security group to come aboard a few at a time to work out with our department. They've been out here for months, so let's give them a chance to do something a little different. Work with Mister S'teis to come up with training exercises that mix our guys with theirs. During these sessions we'll watch and listen and see what their rumor mill is producing."

"Augusta, you get the fun part," Shepherd smiled a wolfish smile. "Think you can get Dubai's blotter without going through their Security Chief?"

Marc gave nothing away save a quick twitch of the brow. The chief knew that what he was asking was highly irregular at best, potentially dangerous at worst.

"It's doable," Marc said very matter of factually. He could get the security logs, he could get anything. The question was, how he was allowed to do it.

"Perhaps we should all get working?" Marc suggested to the room, hoping that Cedric would get the hint. He didn't want Fletcher or S'teis knowing his professional history just yet.

"Any other questions?" Shepherd asked the room. None came. "Alright then, let's get rolling. Augusta, if you'd stay a second or two longer, that would be great."

 

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