[Backsim] Chris Harrington: Up Denial River (Taybrim)

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Carter Greyson

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May 23, 2016, 2:08:14 AM5/23/16
to Starbase 118 IC
OOC: Because some people use text strippers to remove the links, here they are for reference: 


OOC2: X-posted to Ops list by permission of the captain. 

OOC3: In reply to the Ops post https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sb118-ops/pZUFntZ3Y88/pSm86gxXIQAJ Cmdr Taybrim: Bad News Part 1

((Harrington's Quarters, Cargo Ship Antares))
((Time Index: Connections In High Places))

::Chris had not believed that the search was over. More than that, refused to believe it. His linguistic skills and knowledge of comm relays would be more than sufficient to make it impossible for Starfleet to contact them. He was like a father to Chythar, since all Calvin did was foster the boy's interest and not do such a good job with raising him. In more ways, uncle Chris was the father CD never had. He knew of his adopted nephew's connections, and took a moment to write a letter.::

~*~
To: Lt. Commander Raissa Moonsong, USS Invicta & Commander Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops
From: Chris Harrington, Starfleet Retired, Deep Space 6
Low to Medium Priority

Hello. You don't know me, but I'm Chythar's adopted uncle, Chris Harrington. I want you to know that no matter what the official story is behind the disappearance of the USS Gorkon, I will help find it. I have refused to believe the kid and his crew are dead and will be doing everything in my power to help find it.

Keep your fingers crossed that we will be successful and bring them home.

Never Losing Faith.
Chris Harrington
Retired Comm Officer
~*~

::He clicked "send" and paced the length of his quarters a few times. He was impatient and wanted to get aboard whatever search ship was still going in search of the Gorkon. He'd already received a letter inviting him on the possibly unauthorized mission. Now he waited for the call that said they were leaving.::

((Harrington's Quarters, Cargo Ship Antares))
((Before Leaving DS6))

Taybrim: =/\= Mr. Harrington?  This is Commander Sal Taybrim of StarBase 118. =/\=  ::It was that gentle query of 'are you there?'

::Chris wasn't expecting a call so soon after his letter, though then again...given the circumstances he wasn't about to complain. He knew that Sal was like a brother to CD because of the connection mentioned in his nephew's records. Still, it would be polite to answer and fill in on at the very least. The time differential. He was asleep moments ago. Now he wasn't.::

Harrington: =/\=  Go ahead, sir.

Taybrim: =/\= I trust I'm not interrupting anything...? =/\=

::Bleary-eyed and tired, Chris got up and put on a shirt before walking toward his desk and engaging the visual display.::

Harrington: =/\= Negative, Commander. No interruption at all. I take it you got my message.

Taybrim: =/\= Yes, I did receive your message. =/\= ::a darkened pause:: =/\= The Gorkon... =/\=

Harrington: =/\=  Yes. Let me nutshell what I know of it. They went on a mission that was supposedly routine survey. They were investigating it, and somehow got pulled into the quantum fissure. Official story is that Starfleet declared them missing 239302.16. Since then, there have been two more FNS articles and expended resources that led to nothing. Our... ::He paused for a moment, and remembered he was now retired.:: ...Your evil overlords in the brass with the pips in the box have called off the search. They have yet to declare all hands lost to death. I, for one, refuse to believe this. I get the feeling from reading both your service record and CD's that you refuse to believe this either.

Taybrim: =/\= Response

::The words were just as painful now as when they were spoken back when he was forced into retirement. It was not a good day.::

((Flashback -- 238712.09 -- USS Zilog))

::The captain looked at the man before him, with a stern look of "I hate you" crossing the man's face. Harrington stood there patiently, at attention, knowing the reason he was here. He'd done something incredibly dumb, and now he was being punished.::

Porter: You are aware of the reason why you're here. You deliberately bypassed all normal protocols to get classified information on the Hobus supernova, through an encrypted comm line that even my best comm tech couldn't break. Do you realize the gravity of your situation?

Harrington: ::Nodded stiffly.:: Aye, sir. 

Porter: Exactly. What was it you were so desperate to find? 

::The death-glare he received from the captain would have turned a man to stone, if Porter was a basilisk in disguise. Still, Chris didn't flinch as he explained.::

Harrington: I was looking for information on Captain Kyrethia Skyfire. She was family, and I refused to believe her dead. She's a dear friend of mine. ::He paused and corrected himself.:: Was. Her family will be devastated.

::The captain sighed and motioned for him to sit down. The next words would be harsh, but necessary.::

Porter: Your only options are to spend the rest of your career scrubbing plasma manifolds with a toothbrush or retire. I did the best I could given the circumstances. Given your exemplary record, I would take the retirement.

::Chris glanced into the man's eyes for signs of fib or deceit, and found none. This was an honest gesture: to grant at least dignity in defeat or be humiliated for a career.:: 

Harrington: Aye, sir. I accept the retirement...

((End Flashback)) 

Harrington: =/\= I...had a similar situation just after the Hobus supernova. I refused to give up on his mother either, and had to find something on her death. I wound up pulling every string I could through non-conventional channels. You spent time as a diplomat, so you understand my meaning. ::He paused and took a breath.:: I hope. As a result, I was court-martialed and offered retirement or spend eternity in undignified maintenance. =/\=

::He wasn't expecting Sal to believe him. Nor was he expecting the man to actually *listen* to him. It was usual, in Chris' experience, for people to think he was otherwise out of his mind when in fact he was probably one of the most stubborn men alive and quite sane and a vast assortment of connections to draw on to find information.:: 

Taybrim: =/\= Response

Harrington: =/\= No. I was a comm officer aboard the USS Zilog. Rank of Ensign. Now I run a quaint little coffee shop in Seattle when I'm not on a quest to fulfill my stubborn curiosity and refusal to believe a family member is dead.

Taybrim: =/\= Response

TBC
===
​
Chris Harrington
Retired Comm Officer
​Deep ​
Space 6 (on Leave)
​


Lieutenant Commander Chythar Skyfire
Mission Specialist
USS Gorkon, NCC-82293
History Team Co-Facilitator
Medical Duty Post Facilitator
Dear Doc Columnist
Podcast Script Writer
O239002CS0

Ensign Carter Greyson
Engineer
Starbase 118 Ops
O239002CS0

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