PNPC PO3 Xandeus Filistrien - Obvious Discretions
LT Gila Sadar
((The Muddy Targ - Wallace Colony, Kahines II))
Lyara: And before we begin, for transparency purposes, you can ask any questions back.
Doing the interview of the colonists who first discovered the Klingon ruin in a Klingon Restaurant on a Federation Colony, while investigating said colonists for anti-Klingon sentiments was not how Xandeus anticipated the first leg of this mission to shake out, but he supposed that this was how this was going to happen.
Barto: Just the three of you here then?
Ensign Lyara shook her head, already busy with partaking in the delicacies afforded by their venue, while Xandeus observed the group.
Bergmen: Response
Hazel: ::tail flicking with interest:: Oh? And where are they?
Filistrien: They are currently getting the specifics of the archaeological survey negotiated with the Klingon research team. Since none of us are scientists, however, we were tasked with getting a first-hand account on the incident that led to the discovery of the site.
Barto: Huh. ::shrugs:: It’s nothing really exciting, but I won’t turn down a good meal.
oO Evidently Oo
Xandeus observed as the rest of the group dug into their meal, noting their different behavioural patterns. Barto and Hazel didn’t, thus far, seemed interested in being duplicitous in any way, and Mx. Fiell was keeping themselves quiet. Xandeus couldn’t tell whether this was from residual resentment towards the previous misunderstanding or from a genuine desire to allow the Starfleet officers to conduct the interview without interruptions.
He still didn’t have enough information.
Bergmen: Response
Lyara: So how exactly did you stumble upon the ruins?
A valid question, and quite possibly the most important one.
Hazel: My niece had run off from the house while playing so Barto and I, knowing the local fauna can be dangerous, went off to find her while her parents informed the administration.
Xandeus blinked as he saw Ensign Lyara start to transcribe the content of Hazel’s response onto the PADD manually. Not only was it dreadfully inefficient, but Xandeus was already fearing the very real possibility of grapok sauce spilling all over the PADD. He was not particularly enthused at the prospect of having to explain to Chief Vel what had happened to it...
Bergmen: Response
Barto: Well, it seemed the little devil should be credited with the discovery because we found her just staring at the old Klingon fortress.
So, it was in fact a child who discovered the ruin. Xandeus wasn’t certain whether this proved a benefit or a hindrance to their continued inquiries.
Lyara: And how old is your niece Hazel?
The Caitian seemed amused at that question.
Hazel: Barely four, not old enough to get a coherent story.
oO So, definitely a hindrance then. Oo
Ensign Lyara leaned towards him and Ensign Bergmen, and Xandeus had to struggle to not show his concern. Why was it that these Ensigns thought they could discretely discuss things when directly engaged in conversation with the people they wished to keep in the dark?
It was abundantly clear why neither of them were in Intelligence.
Lyara: ::Hushed tone:: You guys wanna let them doodle a bit? Have them visualize the area for us?
Bergmen: Response
Not wanting to show blatant disrespect towards his senior officers’ lead, Xandeus too lowered his voice, though he didn’t lean down conspiratorially.
Filistrien: ::quietly:: Well, it might be useful to know any specificities about the area from a local’s perspective.
The only good thing about this prospect, Xandeus decided, was that the PADD was now safely away from Ensign Lyara’s grapok sauce, as it was pushed towards the two colonists.
Lyara: ::Sliding the PADD towards the settlers:: Got a bit of an arts and crafts project for you guys.
The settlers stared at the PADD then looked back up to the three officers, and Xandeus frankly couldn’t fault them for their confused expressions.
Bergmen: Response
Barto: Uhhh-
Hazel: ::earflick:: Get to it, big guy.
Barto did as ‘requested’ by his Caitian co-worker, and it struck Filistrien that the two might be familiar with each other outside of work. He supposed that might be a given; if one grew up in a colony of this size, it stood to reason that one would develop a more intimate relationship with one’s fellow colonists than Filistrien would consider ordinary.
Filistrien: Has there been any greater alterations to the local landscape, since the site hadn’t been discovered until now?
Barto: Well, we’ve started moving the forest line further back since we need to make room for larger fields.
Hazel: ::scoffs:: It’s not like the trees got angry at us for that though, and we’re planting new ones out of the way of the new field allotments.
Barto: I didn’t say that-
Lyara/Bergmen: Response
Filistrien: Is that a common superstition on Kahines II?
Hazel: Trees getting angry? ::tail flicks:: Something like that. We’ve got some pretty big wildlife on the other side of the forest, but they never cross it. Something in the trees ward them off, but I think it’s got more to do with that awful scent they give off than tree ‘spirits’.
Lyara/Bergmen: Response
Hazel: It could be, but nothing we noticed from here.
Barto: All right, I think this should do it.
The stocky colonists reached over the PADD, featuring, frankly, very minimalistic additions to the existing map. Animal trails, the outline of the digsite itself, and some other minor details that wouldn’t show up on scans The kind that only the familiar eyes of a local would be able to identify at a blush.
Filistrien: What is this?
Xandeus indicated an area of the sketch that was slightly towards the edge of the ruin itself, which Barto had - very helpfully - marked with something that maybe, kind of?, resembled a skull.
Hazel: Ah, it’s a Scorpionmole Burrow. Nasty critters. They’re part of the reason why we had to go look for my niece. They tunnel into the ground, and if she wandered in there, we’d stand just about no chance of finding her.
Lyara/Bergmen: Response
TAG/TBC
PO3 Xandeus Filistrien
Signals Analyst
USS Artemis-A
As simmed by
LT Gila Sadar
Medical Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1