Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen - Have you tried to turn it off and on again?

[CPT Arianus]

(( The Office Building, Afalqi Project Launch Complex, Meranuge IV ))

Ta’Mora: You’re not Quwa-Am?

Ollie looked at the commander, unsure what the custodian was talking about. Did Jovenan know? The commander had already met with Da'al society, so…

But all she could do for him was shrug. She seemed like she didn't know either.

Bergmen: We are from Starfleet. Eh, you know, the United Federation of Planets?

Storm: We don’t know who or what Quwa-Am is.

Jovenan: That’s right. We’re here just to help. ::smiles:: I was at Tecra three years ago. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Lieutenant Storm extended both her hands toward the woman to show that she no longer perceived the woman as a threat.

Storm: What’s your name?

Ta’Mora: I’m Ta’Mora.

Ta’mora… Ok, they were finally getting somewhere.

Jovenan: Hello, Ta’Mora. I’m Jovenan. I’m a scientist.

Jaran: I’m Doctor Jaran. I’m, surprisingly, a doctor.

Bergmen touched his chest to show the Custodian that he was referring to himself.

Bergmen: Olliver. I’m a technician. Builder of things as one you hold in your hand.

He conjured a friendly smile. A welcoming smile. Calming smile.

Storm: And I’m Alex. Can you tell us who or what this Quwa-Am is?

Ta’Mora: You … really don’t know?

Jovenan: No, we don’t. We only arrived to this planet today. I’ve visited here once before, but only briefly. We’re here to help.

Jaran: Are you ok? Are you safe?

Custodian nodded, yet the tension she must have felt while looking at them still hadn't disappeared from her face.

Ta’Mora: Yes, yes. I am. It’s good you are not Hollow Holders.

Ollie furrowed his brows at the expression, which sounded like a piece that didn't quite fit with the rest of the language puzzle.

oO Hollow Holders? That sounds like some cult or something... Oo

He unclipped his tricorder from his belt and called up the transcript of their conversation from the UT on his combadge, along with the Da'al language dictionary.

oO Aammada Qawkili? Have that something with Quwa-Am? Oo

He quickly listed through rendition paraphrases in UT.

Aammada..
..Hold..
..Keepsake..
..Steal..
..Bringing back..

Qawkili..
..Emptiness..
..Void..
..Hidden..
..Unspoken..

It still didn't make sense. Even though he included the syntax for combining words into apostrophized wording that Da'als loved so much, the results did not bring him any closer to understanding. But there was still the second word that UT did not take and translate. Bergman scrolled up in the transcript to see if that could help... and it still came up empty because UT marked it as not a word but a non-phraseable clarification. Of what? Place? People? UT didn't know either.

Ollie was about to give up when he noticed, a few lines down, that what they had first heard wasn't exactly what Ta'Mora said. Not exactly. It wasn't Quwa-am. In the transcript, it was Quw?{a}?_am.

oO Quw'Aam? Oo

He adjusted the word to see if UT would catch up, and to his surprise, it did, immediately rewriting the meaning.

oO One who keeps a secret Oo

He glanced at Ta'Mora, still a little lost in thought. That started to make some sense.

Storm: What is it that you have there?

Ta’Mora: You can’t have it!

The woman grasped the object she held more firmly, causing her knuckles to blanch.

Jovenan: Lieutenant, Doctor, a word. ::steps aside, whispers:: I don’t think this is going anywhere, do you?

Bergmen followed others to step aside.

Storm: No. I don’t get the impression that she was involved.

Jaran: Not involved, but maybe she could know something? Or had a relationship of some sort with him. Why else would she be here all alone right now? But you’re probably right.

Ollie nodded in agreement.

Bergmen: And can concur. (beat) Just… I was checking UT feedback and found one mistranslation. Not Quwa Am, it is Quw and aaM. Different word. In Gidieni, you would translate it as Keepers of Secret. Not sure what they are, still. ::shrugs::

The commander glanced back at the still, somehow spooked Custodian.

Jovenan: Right. Let’s not waste much more time. Lieutenants, could you try to access Mister Havun’s communications, logs, diaries, any such documents? Check everything, try to restore deleted files, break through secured folders, so on. Remember our priorities. The Doctor and I will talk with Ms Ta’Mora here, see if she knows anything. At least what Mister Havun is like as a person, they were probably colleagues. We’ll join you when we oO get rid of her Oo have made sure she’s not hiding anything. Got it?

Crossing her arms, Alex tilted her head as she listened.

Storm: We can certainly try.

Jaran: ::putting on a non-serious tough voice:: I’ll make her talk.

Ollie noticed Storm glance in his direction.

Bergmen: As you say, ma'am.

Jovenan: Good. Let’s go.

Storm: Understood. ::Turning to Ollie.::  I know you’re good with computers or at least forms, right Ollie?

She tried to hide the smirk that wanted to break out.

Jaran: Better than am. That’s why I’m talking to a person.

Bergmen: Good luck. At least computers don't lie.

(( OOC: As did others, here I’m splitting Bergmen and Storm ))

The room was everything then, a sign of a lesser mind that would actually care for some advice and cleanliness. And it was on Ollie and Alex to find some meaning of where what was, and, if lucky, the item’s purpose too.

Storm: I suppose we should try to find his terminal under this mountain of ::She lowered her voice.:: trash.

Bergmen: I would start with a search based on a binary rule. Find a table big enough to hold one, our zero, which has a chair too, that is one. Once we find a single zero-one condition, we will have a high probability of finding what we are looking for. ::points to one table near the library:: What about that one? Has a table, has a chair… (beat) Looks good?

Alex made her way to the desk between the piles.

Storm: Do you have any experience hacking computers?

Bergmen: I would rather plead the Seventh Guarantee on that one. You?

Storm: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a tool in my belt. It’s more like a star in my sky. I can sure admire it, but it’s kinda out of my reach.

Bergmen: You know how to motivate people, Lieutenant.

Bergmen giggled as they set the PADDs, parts, and other “trash” aside on the ground to make space for themselves as they uncovered the monitor screen, then the keyboard integrated into the table's wood.

Bergmen: So let’s see what this baby hides…

The screen came to life, and computer code quickly scrolled across it as the system activated... until it suddenly stopped and stayed that way.

Bergmen: Ok, that can be a problem…

He opened his tricorder, set it on the table, and began pressing buttons in search of a solution.

Storm: Response

Bergmen sighed as he checked what the tricorder was telling him.

Bergmen: Looks like the kernel core is still on the drive, so it’s not a brick. But everything else is… gone. Deleted.

Storm: Response

Ollie shrugged.

Bergmen: Probably, we can try. There is always some possibility to restore data after it has been deleted. But none is 100 percent successful, so until we try, we will not know.

Storm: Response


TAG/TBC

--- ○● ---
Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1