JP - CPO Ral Shal, LTJG Nilsen - Snitches get stitches, so don't tell Sherlock - Part 4
Lhandon Nilsen
((OOC: You may recall that I used part of this JP to set the scene for Richards. Now have the second half. All of it is together in one lovely sim, so brand new stuff for your eyeballs. The following takes place just before the sim Can I Borrow Your Codes?))
(Lower Aft Cargo Bay, Deck 11, USS Octavia E Butler)
His hunch was simple, what if that crate was here? It was quiet down here, the noises that were heard came from outside the cargo bay as the aft shuttle bay snaked around the exterior. Every so often, the shuttle lift would activate, and a small rumbling would be heard. As with everything at the aft, the rooms were tall. and he could feel the cold of the room and the echo of his voice if he was to speak.
The cargo was stacked on racks that almost hit the ceiling of the bay.
o0 Delta Victor Three Five Seven Zulu Zulu 0o He entered the code into the crane. One of the cranes from the ceiling reached down like the claw of an arcade machine and plucked the crate from its shelf.
As it was brought to the landing area he thought “should this be here?” This was followed by a whole bunch of other thoughts. Something was wrong, he could feel it.
With Lt Arlill in sick bay. Ops was under his care and this was his call to make.
That is how he saw ops, and the ship. It was his to care for.
He taped on the small PADD on the side of the crate after it landed to gain access, but as he did so, the PADD gave an error sound. An invalid code.
Nilsen: That should work.
His role allows him to open the crates as need be, it should have worked. He echoed that though
Nilsen: That should have worked.
He sighed and hoped that the OEB computer didn’t hate him today.
Nilsen: Computer, access this crate, authorization Nilsen Delta One Four Niner.
Computer: Unable to carry out the command, please specify which crate you would like to have access to.
Nilsen: This crate, the one in front of me.
Computer: Please specify
He sighed and rolled his eyes.
Nilsen: You know the Oumuamua never treated me like this, she loved me, I’ve half a mind to rip out your subroutines and just rewrite you.
Computer: Is that a threat?
Nilsen: No, no, no, no, no. It’s a figure of speech. We’ve talked about this.
Computer: Subroutines are still configuring to your preferences. Your feedback is noted.
o0 Take your feedback and shove it up your… 0o
This was not the first time that Lhandon had an issue with the OEB’s Computer. Prior to the Chey’d mission, the Computer thought he was having a mental breakdown and summoned not one, but two councillors to him.
Nilsen: Computer, access crate Delta Victor Three Five Seven Zulu Zulu authorization Nilsen Delta One Four Niner.
Computer: Unable to comply. You cannot access this crate. It is sealed by the owner.
o0 What? 0o
Nilsen: Who is the owner?
Computer: That is unknown.
He thought he would try again.
Nilsen: Computer, access crate Delta Victor Three Five Seven Zulu Zulu authorization Nilsen Delta One Four Niner.
Computer: Unable to comply.
o0 Darn 0o
He then thought he had put his gym time to good use. He took off his tunic so he had more movement with just his undershirt over his torso. He folded the tunic and placed it to the side. His muscles rippled with the effort. He grabbed the lid of the crate with his dominant left hand, just about getting his fingers in the gap between the lid and the crate. His biceps flexed as he held down the crate with his right hand and tried to separate them. The veins in his forearms bulged, but the strength and definition he had built through training were useless to him at this time.
He tried again, and then one more time, but it wouldn’t budge.
He sighed and huffed just a little.
Nilsen: Computer, scan the contents of this crate.
Computer: Working…Scan unsuccessful. Sensors are unable to verify the contents of the crate. The crate is lined with Poly-Protrerium.
Retrieving his tunic and putting it back on he knew he had to make a call. This was bad. A crate that couldn’t be scanned was a security risk, but he wanted to get a little bit more information first.
A call straight through to Ral
(( Hallway to Security Center, Deck 8, USS Artemis ))
Ral stood wearily against the solid bulkhead of the ship, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her. Her mind was a whirlwind of doubt, even though she knew deep down that she had no choice but to proceed.
So she got there, after she met Madison “I have a badge, but can easily be part of the organized crime ring” Nilsen said gave him all her discovery and evidence, and somehow did not lie to ship security when she bent the sequence of events so much that her statement could easily make a 360-degree turn. She wasn't lying, everything she said was true, up to some point.
But in the end, it wasn't her problem anymore. Smugglers, falsifying documents, missing inventory—that was all she could tick away from her shoulders. It's a Security problem now.
Chief straightened, stretched her back, and focused on the feeling of relaxation she felt. She could finally go back to her office, free as a bird, and attend to the boring, uninspiring things like the quarterly enlisted review.
In what kind of world would it be possible for her to grant just five minutes of tranquility, offering a comforting cup of hot cocoa or a refreshing glass of Kanar? As she stood next to the elevator, eagerly waiting for its arrival so she could escape into the comfort of the office, a nearby screen suddenly lit up with her name, and a series of beeps reverberated through the corridor.
Ral sighed contentedly, walked over to the screen, and answered the video call.
oO Sure, Lhandon Nilsen. Who you thought it would be, girl? Oo
A familiar face filled the frame of the screen, and Ral smiled.
oO Smile and wave, Chief. Smile and wave. Oo
Nilsen: You know those crates. Where are they meant to be?
Ral arched her eyebrow in a perplexed expression. She couldn't fathom what Lhandon was talking about.
Ral: You mean, where are the crates we collected and seized? They are still onboard in lockdown.
He was calling on his PADD and he angled it to show Shaw the crate.
Nilsen: Do they look something like this?
Ral: ::looks surprised:: That looks like a standard HV crate for controlled material. Your question… Do you mean you have your own discovered case or…same same registration? And no, our crates were all standard transport containers for not-that-important consumables. What’s inside?
Nilsen: That's the problem. I can’t open it. My codes don’t work, brute force doesn’t work, I’m loathed to get our security involved, but I think at this point, a crate that’s in a whole bunch of different places and cannot be accessed by normal codes almost justifies them showing up.
Ral: You’re ACOO, no? Your codes should work even on HV crates, at least on the level of the computer telling you why you cannot access the load, even if whatever is inside is for SFI. Given your facial expression, I guess the computer did not tell you why the code does not work. That would mean whatever is in the crate is not under your chain of command. Did you check if that crate is for your ship or if you just have to transfer it somewhere?
Nilsen: You're right, my code should have just opened it like any other crate. I can’t even make heads or tails of this manifest. Did you speak to Mads? What’d he say?
Ral: Yeah, I gave him all my notes and details on our findings from OPS, although he didn't seem too thrilled about how we ambushed him and that you were the one who recommended him to me. Plus, within the update, we caught another crate, this time from DS9, and found some type of instrument inside. He has that instrument for analysis, but I would not expect not for long, as I needed to report to our Security, and we both know how those guys and girls can be intrusive and defensible about their jurisdiction…
Nilsen: That’s Mads alright. He’s one of the good ones, I think the last time he smiled was 2392. He’ll get to the bottom of that box though, and maybe he might be able to pull some strings and get to the bottom of it. Let me know what he finds if he contacts you.
Lhandon was about to round off the call when one last thing came to mind.
Nilsen: Oh and when you speak to him, tell him to call his big brother, and then call mama, she won’t stop with the messages.
Chief raised a second eyebrow and gave the lieutenant one of their expressions that could only be interpreted as "Really?".
But then her eyebrows fell back into place, and she laughed as if the joke had arrived late.
Ral: Yeah, I will do that, lieutenant. That reminds me to call my mother as we are next to Bajor. If your next call falls into voicemail, wait three or four hours. By then, she'll have run out of topics for her monologue and will have to ask how I am. It's a little routine we have. You probably knew that. And yes, we have to love all our parents… ::sighs:: Because I love my mom.
TBC
Chief Petty Officer Ral Shaw, PNPC
Boatswain & Quartermaster
USS Artemis-A
Simmed by Jaseb Chevalier, A240009JC1
&
Lieutenant JG Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
HCO & Acting Asst. Chief
USS Octavia E Butler
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)