Connections

Posted on Wed Oct 24th, 2012 @ 8:49am by Captain Alexsa Kendrick & Captain T'mpest Michaels

936 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Sowing the Seeds
Location: Astrometrics
Timeline: Mission Day 3, 1915 hrs

T'mpest watched the expression flicker briefly across Kendrick's face. She walked casually up to stand beside her. "You are... disappointed?" she said, soft enough so that no one else could hear her.

At first, Alex seemed not to notice the Commander's presence until she made some quizzical sound before replaying what T'mpest had said in her head. "I'm surprised you noticed, commander." Alex started softly. "There's not many instances where anyone has picked up on my true feelings. It's a practiced art that I've done very well at over the years."

"It is a Vulcan's nature to be observant," she said softly. Then she gave the Captain a half-smile. "And I've been watching you." She looked at the map carefully while Alex shot a look across at her--watching her?. "We both know there's something amiss here. But until we have more than feelings..." Her voice trailed into silence for a moment. "I will continue to observe. I believe time will bear us out."

"Something I never would have thought I'd actually hear a Vulcan, even half-Vulcan say, about having feelings." Alex said quietly, continuing their discreet conversation, even though the room was now practically empty, the other officers having already vacated. "I would call it more of a gut instinct, but would appreciate your continued cander in this. I know that Mister Shepherd and his staff are working on getting some access to the Dubai's logs, and I look forward to reading them, but I'm convinced, though without physical evidence, that that asteroid field has something to do with all this." Kendrick took a sharp breath in and exhaled before adding, "though once Captain Halliwell makes up her mind about something, there's very few who are going to change it, even me, without damn good cause."

"You've never met my mother," T'mpest inclined her head to hide her grin. It was true that she was more emotional than most Vulcans, but then, her mother, although human, was a force of nature. Despite her father's wishes, T'mpest had many of her mother's qualities. "So we give her cause," she replied quietly.

Alex looked at T'mpest again to gauge some form of expression on what she just said as she didn't expect to hear something like that coming from Halliwell's first officer. She couldn't help but muster an extremely feint smile. She might actually have an ally for her own self-serving interests--for now.

"If I could talk to one of the crew, privately, I might learn something," she added. "Or perhaps the two of us together?"

"Agreed, though what did you have in mind? We've already had the dinner date, so what's next--after dinner chocolates, coffee break, team meeting over data?" Alex paused a second before adding, "Abduction?" along with a weak, extremely weak smile.

"Abduction would be foolhardy." T'mpest brushed the idea aside. All it would do would be to get them in trouble and ruin any chance they had of finding the truth. "A meeting over data -- legitimate data -- would be idea. But first we must find the data."

Kendrick thought on that a moment. "Perhaps we should work aside from Lieutenant Shepherd and his investigations, maybe invite the Dubai's Science Chief aboard and work with him correlating their data with our own intermediary scans? I saw his reaction earlier at the dinner table, he seemed quite upset with something--perhaps in private he can divulge information that's been kept out of the logs, for whatever reason."

T'mpest thought on that for a moment. "I think that's an excellent idea. If nothing else, we could gather more information, which might, in and of itself, lead to answers." She, too, wondered if data was being left out of the official files sent to the Ranger. Perhaps she should have a look herself, slip a program through the download link and see if she could hook what wasn't being sent and drag it through. "My father is a computer expert. Perhaps I should have a talk with Mr. Shepherd."

"I'd still like to talk with Captain Jenner, alone. We've known each other for a while on and off, and while I hope I don't have to do something I regret, it's certainly crossed my mind that a telepathic link might be necessary, even if it's forced." Alex added, clenching her jaw from the uncomfortable thought.

"Perhaps old friends talking over drinks? He might be more comfortable with you in a private setting." She wasn't going to comment on the forced telepathy. She'd forced a mind meld before, but only under extreme circumstances -- and only with her Captain's full support. She was reluctant to approve such a move unless it was absolutely necessary. But that, too, was something she was reluctant to share with Kendrick. She still didn't trust the woman.

"With your permission, commander," Alex started without offering verbal agreement to T'mpest's plan, "I'll handle the details with Captain Jenner, if you want to invite Lieutenant Rinn aboard the Ranger and give him a tour of our own sensor array and go over data, I'm sure he'd like to see the differences between his own ship and ours."

"Very good, Captain. I'll send an invitation to Mr. Rinn. I look forward to his commentary on the data he's accumulated so far. And I'll invite Mr. Cooper."

Alex nodded thoughtfully before finally adding, "If you'll excuse me then Commander Michaels, I have some arrangements to make," effectively excusing herself from Astrometrics.

OFF

Captain Alexsa Kendrick
Internal Affairs Officer
USS Ranger

Commander T'mpest Michaels
Executive Officer
USS Ranger

 

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