Season 11: Episode 2 - Diplomatic Disaster

[Kyle Briggs]

Briefing Room

Lizzie nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Mr Hawke. We need more information before we can even begin to guess at motive. From my perspective, I need to find out how the poison got on board. I know that whoever brought in onboard is probably the perpetrator but we don't know for certain. As I said there are only a discrete number of ways this substance can be transported safely and all of them are obvious. Even if they disguised the container, it would have been noticed by someone. If Mr Hawke and myself work together, we can probably obtain the information as long as we have your support and authority to question anyone we need. These will not be formal interviews, so there will be no records on anyone's files. Do we have this authority Captain?" Lizzie asked him.

Kyle held up his hands is if defending off an attacker. "Sorry, Lieutenant. I'm still dealing with the negotiations. And I'm gonna take a look into our missing crew members and shuttle with Lieutenant Ferris. This investigation is all Commander Wu's." he said with a nod toward the First Officer. "He'll let you know how to proceed." With that, he offered everyone a nod and turned for the door. "Good luck, Number One." he called back over his shoulder as he exited the Briefing Room.

"Shuttle Aegeus to Bridge. Ready for launch."

"Briggs here, Commander. I'll be your contact now while Commander Wu is dealing with the other issue." he said. "You're clear for launch. Go get our people, Eli." he added.

[James A. Hawke]

[Briefing Room]

The voices in the room were inaudible to Hawke.  His focus was directly to the comm badge on the table.  The Commander wanted sensors reading and the Doctor wanted to conduct interviews with him.  James took the edge of the comm pinn and began spinning it.  The action might have looked random and distracting for the meeting but it was relaxing him and helping him think.

Think...Think...We don't have the sensor reading log so we can't look at the ship before the crime took place.  We don't have the video of the event leading up and during the crime...The commander is looking for the sensor data that we might or might not find.  The Doctor wants to look at individuals at this stage which is also good.  Wait a second....they are geniuses, let's the OPOSITE of what's expected"  James thought.

Abruptly interrupting anyone that was speaking he yelled "Let's also reconstruct the crime the opposite way!...My good I am an idiot and surrounded by geniuses...you are both right!"

Without any explanation,  He grabbed his coom badge from the table and pressed it
Lieutenant Hawke to Ensign Brooks and Cwm(R) Joseph Bryan, please report to the Briefing Room, I have a special project for you both.

"Don't you see it, we are playing the impostor game...he has been one step ahead of us as we argue.  Ok...We need to conduct the interviews because that is what they expect us to do.  We are walking into their trap."  James explained

"Crewmen Ainsley...how long does it take you to search for specific containments on the ship?  I don't want the odds of finding it...that is part of the trap....I just need to know can it be done" He asked as looking on the ship.

He looked at the two remaining officers on the Briefing room and said "Commander Wu and Doctor can I please have your Comm Badges?"  James asked.

He knew for a second he appeared crazy, but he felt he was on to something.

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Briefing Room]

The voices in the room were inaudible to Hawke.  His focus was directly to the comm badge on the table.  The Commander wanted sensors reading and the Doctor wanted to conduct interviews with him.  James took the edge of the comm pinn and began spinning it.  The action might have looked random and distracting for the meeting but it was relaxing him and helping him think.

Think...Think...We don't have the sensor reading log so we can't look at the ship before the crime took place.  We don't have the video of the event leading up and during the crime...The commander is looking for the sensor data that we might or might not find.  The Doctor wants to look at individuals at this stage which is also good.  Wait a second....they are geniuses, let's the OPOSITE of what's expected"  James thought.

Abruptly interrupting anyone that was speaking he yelled "Let's also reconstruct the crime the opposite way!...My good I am an idiot and surrounded by geniuses...you are both right!"

Without any explanation,  He grabbed his coom badge from the table and pressed it
Lieutenant Hawke to Ensign Brooks and Cwm(R) Joseph Bryan, please report to the Briefing Room, I have a special project for you both.

"Don't you see it, we are playing the impostor game...he has been one step ahead of us as we argue.  Ok...We need to conduct the interviews because that is what they expect us to do.  We are walking into their trap."  James explained

"Crewmen Ainsley...how long does it take you to search for specific containments on the ship?  I don't want the odds of finding it...that is part of the trap....I just need to know can it be done" He asked as looking on the ship.

He looked at the two remaining officers on the Briefing room and said "Commander Wu and Doctor can I please have your Comm Badges?"  James asked.

He knew for a second he appeared crazy, but he felt he was on to something.

Briefing Room

Lizzie listened to what Hawke had to say. She followed him to a point before he suddenly asked for the com-badges.

"Mr Hawke, why do you want our com-badges?" She asked.

Then it clicked.

"You want to keep movements discrete!" She answered her own question.

[Dimitri Brooks]

[Briefing Room]

He grabbed his coom badge from the table and pressed it
Lieutenant Hawke to Ensign Brooks and Cwm(R) Joseph Bryan, please report to the Briefing Room, I have a special project for you both.

[Junior Officers' Quarters, Deck 4]

=/\=Lieutenant Hawke, this is Mr. Brooks. I'm on my way.

A pneumatic door hissed in front of him, and it was a short-half jog to the nearest turbolift. Seeing another crewman down the carpeted passageway, he slowed to a walk. He was freshly transferred, freshly minted as Ensign, and didn't want to seem quite as keen as he was. Brooks sidled into the turbolift, and coughed his throat clear.

"Deck 1."

He felt the almost unperceivable lunge as he accelerated toward the top of the saucer section.

[Briefing Room, Deck 1]

Brooks jabbed the buzzer on the doors entry panel, stepping neatly inside. The room held nearly all of the ship's senior staff. He gave a gulp, and focused on Lt. Hawke.

"How can I help you, sir?"

[James A. Hawke]

[Briefing Room]

James looked at everyone in the room as he waited their reaction.  He knew he was not explaining everything, but he had too.  It was part of what he was thinking.  There was a time and a place to explain the plan but at this moment it was either.

"Mr Hawke, why do you want our com-badges?"

James waited a second and raised his index figure.  He was trying to symbolize to wait for one second.

"You want to keep movements discrete!"

James nodded and smiled in response.  She was into something and got half of the plan.  They needed to be discrete if the other half would work.  He figured that she was sharp and is now starting to understand his way of thinking I bet she is happy that she did not toss my ass in the brig earlier today.

He grabbed a PADD and wrote in large print the following and showed it in the room.

Assume we are being heard.

He turned off the PADD and placed in the room. James then disconnected his PADD from the network and began writing his second part of the plan.

"How can I help you, sir?"

James nodded at said "At ease, Ensign Brooks.  I am going to give you an important assignment that might be the key of this entire investigation"

James then handed over his comm badge to Ensign Brooks.  He wanted to place the comm badge in his hand.  "Our Comm Badges are based out of the same technology as the handheld communicator.   Now Communicator technology was the inspired by cell phone which was based out of an ancient earth sci fi show.  I forget the show's name.  Anyway, the way comm badges work in theory is that they relay their signal back into the ship or  a comm relay.  So each comm badge is constantly sending a signal to our sensors.  We don't have the sensor data but we do have comm badges.  So Ensign Brooks I want you to collect all of our comm badges and take them to SICKBAY.  Both Science Labs and Engineering might be compromised.  You are too work on this project ALONE.  When your shift is over you are to leave all the Comm badges in a secure location in SICKBAY.  You are to check each comm badge and find out individuals that were in Deck 6 from the time of death to fifteen minutes .  Let me know if you have any questions Ensign.  Good Luck...and Ensign,  don't try to be subtle about it"

The bait is set...now the trap

James proceeded to give the disconnected PADD to both Commander Wuu and Lizzie.

The plan does not hinge on Mr. Brooks finding the killer's badge.  The individual in clearly smart and has gone to great length to hide the sensor data.   The plain is also to have the killer come to us.   We are to conduct and interview and arrest a crewmember.  The crewmember would commit suicide and the body be stored in Sickbay near the comm badges.  The Killer would want to cover their tracks and try to go after the comm badges and try to get them when no one is around.  We will make sure that we will fall in their trap whichever it may be, my guess our attention will be elsewhere.  And that person will then find the killer because it will be next to the badges when all of us are distracted playing his/her game.  If this part of the plan gets approved. 

James waited for a response.

[Lizzie Vaughan]

[Briefing Room]

James looked at everyone in the room as he waited their reaction.  He knew he was not explaining everything, but he had too.  It was part of what he was thinking.  There was a time and a place to explain the plan but at this moment it was either.

James waited a second and raised his index figure.  He was trying to symbolize to wait for one second.

James nodded and smiled in response.  She was into something and got half of the plan.  They needed to be discrete if the other half would work.  He figured that she was sharp and is now starting to understand his way of thinking I bet she is happy that she did not toss my ass in the brig earlier today.

He grabbed a PADD and wrote in large print the following and showed it in the room.

Assume we are being heard.

He turned off the PADD and placed in the room. James then disconnected his PADD from the network and began writing his second part of the plan.

James nodded at said "At ease, Ensign Brooks.  I am going to give you an important assignment that might be the key of this entire investigation"

James then handed over his comm badge to Ensign Brooks.  He wanted to place the comm badge in his hand.  "Our Comm Badges are based out of the same technology as the handheld communicator.   Now Communicator technology was the inspired by cell phone which was based out of an ancient earth sci fi show.  I forget the show's name.  Anyway, the way comm badges work in theory is that they relay their signal back into the ship or  a comm relay.  So each comm badge is constantly sending a signal to our sensors.  We don't have the sensor data but we do have comm badges.  So Ensign Brooks I want you to collect all of our comm badges and take them to SICKBAY.  Both Science Labs and Engineering might be compromised.  You are too work on this project ALONE.  When your shift is over you are to leave all the Comm badges in a secure location in SICKBAY.  You are to check each comm badge and find out individuals that were in Deck 6 from the time of death to fifteen minutes .  Let me know if you have any questions Ensign.  Good Luck...and Ensign,  don't try to be subtle about it"

The bait is set...now the trap

James proceeded to give the disconnected PADD to both Commander Wuu and Lizzie.

The plan does not hinge on Mr. Brooks finding the killer's badge.  The individual in clearly smart and has gone to great length to hide the sensor data.   The plain is also to have the killer come to us.   We are to conduct and interview and arrest a crewmember.  The crewmember would commit suicide and the body be stored in Sickbay near the comm badges.  The Killer would want to cover their tracks and try to go after the comm badges and try to get them when no one is around.  We will make sure that we will fall in their trap whichever it may be, my guess our attention will be elsewhere.  And that person will then find the killer because it will be next to the badges when all of us are distracted playing his/her game.  If this part of the plan gets approved. 

James waited for a response.

Briefing Room

Lizzie read the note on the PADD, understanding what he was getting at immediately.  She gave him thumbs up to indicate her understanding. Waiting for Wu to concur.

[citrus_xsinensis]

Joseph sat in his chair silently, awkwardly, unsure of himself. It was his first assignment, and he had been here such a short time that that fact was still very much in his mind. He had at first thought it was a joke when another crewman had told him to report to the briefing room on the bridge.

The bridge? The briefing room on the bridge? I just got here. Why would they need me on the bridge?

He sat in a slightly-panicked but mostly confused silence. Twiddling his thumbs and not really knowing what was going on with the ship at large ... no one had told him anything yet.

Briefing Room

He entered to find Alex inside along with the Chief Medical Officer, Mister Hawke from Engineering and the young Crewman Kyle had met earlier put who's name escaped him at the moment. Everyone seemed a bit tense.

"Anything new, Number One?" he asked Alex.

As he saw the man walk through the door Joseph immediately shot up out of his chair and into a stiff salute position.

...

And no one else did

...

And no one else noticed

...

Joseph was in the back of the briefing room, and although it was a pretty standard briefing room size, built for no more than 13 people tops, it seemed incredibly long to Joseph right now.

The captain addressed a few other people in the room and then left ... and after a few awkward seconds, Joseph took his seat again ... virtually unnoticed by all those around him.

Welp ... I suppose I did pick the very back seat in the room ... apparently something urgent is going on.

Not much time had passed before Á¢â,¬"œ

[Briefing Room]
Without any explanation,  He grabbed his coom badge from the table and pressed it
Lieutenant Hawke to Ensign Brooks and Cwm(R) Joseph Bryan, please report to the Briefing Room, I have a special project for you both.

And again Joseph shot up into a stiff salute position, talking with the official military cadence that all crewmembers were taught.

"Sir, right-"

But Lieutenant Hawke kept talking.

"here sir ..." his voice trailed off as he realized he very possibly could have interrupted the man.
But as the seconds went by Lieutenant Hawke kept on going and Joseph's latest fear faded away.
Ensign Brooks then entered the room, and Lieutenant Hawke engaged him in conversation as well.

Joseph kept on standing, his stature slightly slackening as he realized that still everyone seemed to be busy with other things.

Yeah ... something urgent is definitely happening .... And I definitely have no idea what it is ... oh crud.

[Dimitri Brooks]

[Briefing Room]

James looked at everyone in the room as he waited their reaction.  He knew he was not explaining everything, but he had too.  It was part of what he was thinking.  There was a time and a place to explain the plan but at this moment it was either.

James waited a second and raised his index figure.  He was trying to symbolize to wait for one second.

James nodded and smiled in response.  She was into something and got half of the plan.  They needed to be discrete if the other half would work.  He figured that she was sharp and is now starting to understand his way of thinking I bet she is happy that she did not toss my ass in the brig earlier today.

He grabbed a PADD and wrote in large print the following and showed it in the room.

Assume we are being heard.

He turned off the PADD and placed in the room. James then disconnected his PADD from the network and began writing his second part of the plan.

James nodded at said "At ease, Ensign Brooks.  I am going to give you an important assignment that might be the key of this entire investigation"

James then handed over his comm badge to Ensign Brooks.  He wanted to place the comm badge in his hand.  "Our Comm Badges are based out of the same technology as the handheld communicator.   Now Communicator technology was the inspired by cell phone which was based out of an ancient earth sci fi show.  I forget the show's name.  Anyway, the way comm badges work in theory is that they relay their signal back into the ship or  a comm relay.  So each comm badge is constantly sending a signal to our sensors.  We don't have the sensor data but we do have comm badges.  So Ensign Brooks I want you to collect all of our comm badges and take them to SICKBAY.  Both Science Labs and Engineering might be compromised.  You are too work on this project ALONE.  When your shift is over you are to leave all the Comm badges in a secure location in SICKBAY.  You are to check each comm badge and find out individuals that were in Deck 6 from the time of death to fifteen minutes .  Let me know if you have any questions Ensign.  Good Luck...and Ensign,  don't try to be subtle about it"

"Aye aye, sir."

Brooks took the little whitemetal delta from the lieutenant, and turned the comm-badge over in his fingers for a moment as he processed what the man had said. Scratching a becoming-unruly tuft of hair at on the back of his neck, he spoke.

"I can do that, given..." he cut himself short, watching the PADD change hands, but not seeing the screen.

The bait is set...now the trap

James proceeded to give the disconnected PADD to both Commander Wuu and Lizzie.

The plan does not hinge on Mr. Brooks finding the killer's badge.  The individual in clearly smart and has gone to great length to hide the sensor data.   The plain is also to have the killer come to us.   We are to conduct and interview and arrest a crewmember.  The crewmember would commit suicide and the body be stored in Sickbay near the comm badges.  The Killer would want to cover their tracks and try to go after the comm badges and try to get them when no one is around.  We will make sure that we will fall in their trap whichever it may be, my guess our attention will be elsewhere.  And that person will then find the killer because it will be next to the badges when all of us are distracted playing his/her game.  If this part of the plan gets approved. 

James waited for a response.

Dimitri realised what he'd missed.

"Time of death? Whose? When?"

[Tekin Nevir]

"That's a bit... Harsh."

Jiseth downed her hydration bottle in several large, somewhat audible, gulps. Pity it was not gin, which at times had a rather hateful taste which mirrored the mood of their situation. As time drew on, there was a tinge in her hands. A dark desire to strangle almost every single person aboard the Discovery for the simple reason that they were all up in orbit safe, but most of all dry and warm.

"I'll be honest, Starfleet prisons are pretty much retirement homes unless you really screw up and get sent to a black site. Even then you're allotted a minimal amount of beatings compared to what the Tal Shiar would do to you. Sorry, that's probably not helping... For what it's worth, I've seen traitors and you just don't have the look. You feel too much guilt over something you didn't do. Like if you made a different choice somewhere down the line then somehow magically you wouldn't be in this mess. Hindsight is 20/20 like that, but so is our desire for hope. I'm not a spiritual woman, so advising prayer doesn't mean squat from me, but if you need help then don't be afraid to ask. Teamwork makes the dream work as they say."

She knotted her lips in thought for a moment.

"That chip... Did it look like it burned from the inside out or were the edges more charred than the center?"

[Planet - Cave]

Sukal seemed to just be completely off in his own little world, as the storm raged outside.  The sudden temperature difference between the outside of the volcano and the inside fractured the cap, as the mountain began a slow eruption, especially with its molten rock melting and hardening its way down the slope.

Nevir was silent about the differences in the colonies, and he only shook his head.  "I'm more concerned about Hrafn... and my career.  But I guess I'll have to face the Prophets someday.." he said, letting the words drift off until she brought up a good question.  Nevir went to the atv, grabbing the small case out and going back over to Jiseth.  He opened it, and sure enough, there was a good sized blackened hole in the center.  There were scorches around the edges, but they seemed more consistent with an overload than the middle of the chip.

"Its from the chip itself.  Look at the differences between the middle and the end.  I would almost argue that the overload was a secondary event.  The burns just aren't consistent.  Who did the last maintenance check on this?"

[Jiseth]

Sukal seemed to just be completely off in his own little world, as the storm raged outside.  The sudden temperature difference between the outside of the volcano and the inside fractured the cap, as the mountain began a slow eruption, especially with its molten rock melting and hardening its way down the slope.

Nevir was silent about the differences in the colonies, and he only shook his head.  "I'm more concerned about Hrafn... and my career.  But I guess I'll have to face the Prophets someday.." he said, letting the words drift off until she brought up a good question.  Nevir went to the atv, grabbing the small case out and going back over to Jiseth.  He opened it, and sure enough, there was a good sized blackened hole in the center.  There were scorches around the edges, but they seemed more consistent with an overload than the middle of the chip.

"Its from the chip itself.  Look at the differences between the middle and the end.  I would almost argue that the overload was a secondary event.  The burns just aren't consistent.  Who did the last maintenance check on this?"

[Planet - Cave]

There was a slight hesitation as the Romulan shook her head slightly back and forth.

"...The last time it went through a full system check was about a week ago. I don't recall who specifically performed the task, just that Ops did their routine stuff and Ferris signed off that the work was complete. The maintenance log went down with the Theseus, but several individuals should have copies on the Discovery."

Her head lowered as a pit grew in her stomach. Suddenly the food she had just finished was not sitting well and for good reason. What if she was found negligent? Ultimately she was responsible for all preflight inspections. If it were found that Jiseth missed a critical problem and failed to take any action because she was too busy joyriding in the buggy, they would pull her wings for sure.

"...It could have been something with the firmware of the chip. I guess we'll have to take it apart to be sure. At this rate it might be the only evidence that'll keep us out of a firing line of JAG officers."

[Tekin Nevir]

[Planet - Cave]

There was a slight hesitation as the Romulan shook her head slightly back and forth.

"...The last time it went through a full system check was about a week ago. I don't recall who specifically performed the task, just that Ops did their routine stuff and Ferris signed off that the work was complete. The maintenance log went down with the Theseus, but several individuals should have copies on the Discovery."

Her head lowered as a pit grew in her stomach. Suddenly the food she had just finished was not sitting well and for good reason. What if she was found negligent? Ultimately she was responsible for all preflight inspections. If it were found that Jiseth missed a critical problem and failed to take any action because she was too busy joyriding in the buggy, they would pull her wings for sure.

"...It could have been something with the firmware of the chip. I guess we'll have to take it apart to be sure. At this rate it might be the only evidence that'll keep us out of a firing line of JAG officers."

"Unfortunately the shuttle's computer would have the only records of any alterations between then and now.  There is no way they would have missed a defective chip.  Prophets, if there was any question about the chips we would have never even been given clearance to run preflight on it.  I don't think any one of the flight crew knew about this.  Its... its just oddly convenient." he said, shaking his head.

"I really don't think this was us.  Even the backup systems fried.  That's not negligence on our part or the maintenance crew.  That's downright sabotage.  If it wasn't for your manual flying, we might have ended up a crater on the planet.  If anything, JAG would find that you saved us, and possibly the shuttle too."

[Jiseth]

"Unfortunately the shuttle's computer would have the only records of any alterations between then and now.  There is no way they would have missed a defective chip.  Prophets, if there was any question about the chips we would have never even been given clearance to run preflight on it.  I don't think any one of the flight crew knew about this.  Its... its just oddly convenient." he said, shaking his head.

"I really don't think this was us.  Even the backup systems fried.  That's not negligence on our part or the maintenance crew.  That's downright sabotage.  If it wasn't for your manual flying, we might have ended up a crater on the planet.  If anything, JAG would find that you saved us, and possibly the shuttle too."

She looked up at him briefly, testing to see if he was genuine in his words or just trying to make her feel better. Luckily for her, Bajorans were notoriously bad at lying. Or maybe it was the Romulan paranoia not finding any fault in his demeanor. Either way, she nodded and slowly stood, using the cavern wall to brace up against until she got her balance.

"I worry that Mr. Ferris is going to try to come down in a shuttle himself and get caught in the same mess. Such a security breach... The thing that doesn't make sense is we're not exactly top tier of the command structure. Stranding us doesn't really do anything aside from create a distraction or... Or there's something here someone didn't want us finding while we poke around the planet."

[Tekin Nevir]

She looked up at him briefly, testing to see if he was genuine in his words or just trying to make her feel better. Luckily for her, Bajorans were notoriously bad at lying. Or maybe it was the Romulan paranoia not finding any fault in his demeanor. Either way, she nodded and slowly stood, using the cavern wall to brace up against until she got her balance.

"I worry that Mr. Ferris is going to try to come down in a shuttle himself and get caught in the same mess. Such a security breach... The thing that doesn't make sense is we're not exactly top tier of the command structure. Stranding us doesn't really do anything aside from create a distraction or... Or there's something here someone didn't want us finding while we poke around the planet."

The Bajoran sighed. "I'd like to think that if they wanted us away from the area, they would have said so before we departed.  I know we left quickly, but the first thing I asked about were these areas.  The only designated areas were the major cities and their military bases, neither of which fit here.  This area was selected for natural processes a year ago."

"I think the truth is that there is nothing better for them to do up there than to mount a rescue, and that includes possible sites and reasons for the sudden malfunction.  And if we violated some sort of airspace, you can be sure that the Captain knows about it by now."

[Jiseth]

It still made little sense. A cascading failure from a part so deep in systems and subsystems that no one would notice a problem until it went. Like an aneurysm for a machine. Her brown furrowed as she placed her gloves into her helmet which she held upside down by the brim in one hand.

"Alright... So it's not a fine example of local gentry out to get the scary imperialists. It means it was one of us. Not here, but a member of the crew. Except... Why now? Why a shuttle? Unless... Unless they needed to test whatever they were doing. If they could get to an Argo, they could probably get to somewhere more vital. Take out the whole damn ship."

[Niosa Obrea]

[Sickbay]

Niosa had been feeling the anxiety on the ship for a while now, but it was just a matter of meditation and in finding your inner peace and it would blow away.  However, it had been four hours and it had not blown away but the Betazoid had the feeling this was of her own making.  There were just so many minds on the ship and so many emotions emanating from them and it was almost as if she could get drunk on it all.

Of course reading minds was unethical, but emotions, especially directed her were unintentionally intoxicating.  Finding no relief from medication or from the herbal tea she usually prepared, Niosa decided to visit the sickbay.  Her hair was still up in a stylish manner and she was still wearing her sparkly low cut dress that she wore when tending bar.  Niosa found a way to display her humongous Betazoid wardrobe and did so everyday, even to go to sickbay.

With one hand pressed against her face she sought out the nearest medic with her free hand, "Excuse me, sir."  Her hand reached for and found the strong shoulder of an Orion medic and she decided to keep it there.  After all, it was an Orion.  Green wasn't really her favorite color but muscle was.  "You must do something about this awful headache."  She blinked her black almost pupiless eyes at him and pouted under the pain.  "Please, before my head splits in half."