JP: Cmdr Rahman & Lt. Frankenstein: Whale Hunt

[Rich Yulin]

((Captain's Ready Room, USS Syracuse, the next morning))

::They couldn't be serious. And in a month's time? This had to be a cruel joke from Starfleet Command.::

::Roshanara rubbed her temples as she looked over a technical schematic of the legendary starship class. It was one thing to know about how these things worked. But no one who had ever actually worked on them was still around.::

::She pulled up various crew records. Maybe she'd have luck with some of the longer-lived species.::

::Success! There was at least one ship with an all-Vulcan crew. Maybe if some of them were still living-::

::"Lost with all hands."::

::Damn it.::

::She continued scrolling through the records. "Missing in action." "Lost with all hands." Quite a grim record actually.::

::"Temporal displacement."::

::She paused on the entry, pulling up further details.::

::"2379: 3 survivors recovered."::

::She looked over the personnel files. Engineer. Chief of Security.::

::She smiled when she saw the last survivor.::

::Chief Engineer.::

((Later))

Rahman: =/\= Frankie, I need a favor. =/\=

::On the other side of the screen was Roshanara's old friend Victor Frankenstein from her time aboard Medical Starbase 253--as a rehab patient. No, not Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist who reanimated a corpse. Victor Frankenstein, the Medusan who helped reanimate a Kriosian. It occurred to Frankenstein that an inordinate percentage of his conversations with corporeals in the last several months had begun with the phrase "I need a favour." At least this one wouldn't end in tears, like the discussion with Ensign Peters. ::

:: He hoped. ::

Frankenstein: =/\= Roshanara. Pleased to see you continue to draw breath. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= You won't believe what Command expects me to do. =/\=

:: This was, potentially, a rhetorical question. Frankenstein had yet to master the rhetorical question -- it seemed odd to him to pose a question when one didn't really expect an answer. He tilted his head slightly to the left and ventured what he felt might be a safe answer. ::

Frankenstein: =/\= ...Command a starship...? =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Hmmph, even more ridiculous. They want me to get a museum ship that's been decommissioned for over a hundred years spaceworthy. =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= Ah. =/\=

:: The Medusan was unsure of how he could have possibly guessed that, and so his suspicion had been confirmed. Rhetorical question. ::

Rahman: =/\= And they've given me a month. =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= That seems... =/\=

:: He paused, briefly. He knew nothing about starships, but judging by Roshanara's tone and body language... ::

Frankenstein: =/\= ...unreasonable...? =/\=

Rahman: =/\= It's all for the Khitomer Centennial. Apparently it's top priority because--get this--it was actually a direct request from the Klingon Empire's event planners. =/\=

:: If Frankenstein had had eyes, his lengthy pause would have included a blink or two. Instead, the glowing blue optical sensor of his exo-suit simply stared at the Captain. ::

Frankenstein: =/\= The Klingon Empire has... event planners. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= I don't get it, but my place is not to judge. So I've been trying to see if there's anyone still alive who's worked on these things, and for the most part, everybody's dead. =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= Tends to happen with corporeals. Incredibly fragile things. However, not all dead -- USS Ackerman, three survivors. Well, two now. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Yup. I saw that. And I saw you served with one of them. David Whale? =/\=

:: Frankenstein bobbed his head. Though the pair only served together for a matter of weeks aboard the USS Gemini, Frankenstein and Whale had spoken several times over the intervening years. Including approximately three months ago. ::

Frankenstein: =/\= Yes. Served briefly with Whale. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= I've tried to find him--and the other survivor Alton Vines--but I've reached a dead end. I don't suppose you could help me find at least one of them? =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= Vines unlikely - only know him from public records. Whale probably - have had some contact in recent past. =/\=

::Her eyes lit up on his screen.::

Rahman: =/\= Really? That's what I was hoping to hear. I've been trying to find any information on how to contact him, but he seems to have fallen off the grid. =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= Resigned from Starfleet some time ago, no longer a Lieutenant-Colonel. Frustration with the organization. An Assistant Director with Federation Security now - special division. Secretive, even. Not surprised with your troubles locating. =/\=

::She gave him a pointed look.::

Rahman: =/\= You wouldn't happen to know this secret, would you? =/\=

Frankenstein: =/\= Base of operations is Earth. Not always there, however. Usually quite prompt in returning messages left with his assistant. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Then I have a message I'd like you to send to him, old friend... =/\=

::Sorry, boys and girls, but the Venture Museum is going to be closed for some major renovations.::

TBC...

Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman

CO, USS Syracuse

I238705TZ0

&

Lt. Victor Frankenstein

as simmed by

Lt. Col. David Whale