JP Lieutenant Commanders Lael Rosek & Esa Kiax: Second Time Is (Not) The Charm - Part One
matt...@virginmedia.com
((Science Lab Eight - Cybernetics Lab, Deck 13, USS Chin’toka))
((Day Three of Shore Leave))
It had been two days since Esa had caught the strange communication, and she had gotten no further in determining its origin, or its intended destination. She’d even enlisted the help of Dr. Watts and SOUL, their resident sentient AI to help maybe determine the origin, but so far they had drawn a blank as well.
Watts: I’ll be honest here, Esa. I have no idea what I’m doing. I design and build Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence systems… I’m no codebreaker.
Esa laughed silently, not wishing to humour her complaining.
SOUL: Surely that would make you the perfect candidate for solving the puzzle then, Doctor?
The pair had been relatively unnoticed down in the bowels of the ship since the transfer, probably to avoid crossing anyone’s radar. Starfleet Command had extended Evie’s tenure to the Atlantis, and by extension to the Chin’toka for another year, provided that her assistance and research would eventually be of benefit to the region. So far, that hadn’t happened. The Consortium were basically gone, and their RoLFs hadn’t been a problem in almost a year. Her research into developing SOUL’s capabilities to provide some level of electronic defence to the ship, in the event of some kind of cyber-attack against their systems, was still relatively untested - due in no small part to the fact that she’d not actually gone to see the new Captain to ask for permission. Instead, she’d opted to operate in isolation, sandboxing everything and testing using simulations only.
Kiax: ::Jokingly:: It’s a good job I didn’t come down here for your help then. I came down here to see SOUL.
Watts: Using me just for my AI. That’s low.
SOUL: I am happy to help, Doctor. And I might remind you, that I am my own entity. I am capable of independent thought. I do not belong to you.
Watts: Yes, sorry.
SOUL: Nevertheless, I am pleased to report I have managed to crack a small portion of the encryption. Specifically the addressing components. As we already know, the message originated from a Private Terminal on Deck Nine - I believe it was sent from the terminal in... ::There was a slight pause in SOUL’s speech algorithm as he parsed the ship’s crew roster.:: Lieutenant Commander Rosek’s Quarters. It was addressed to an unknown location. The actual contents remain encrypted, however, with a passphrase that I am unable to determine.
Kiax: oO Rosek’s the leak? Oo Interesting. Thanks for that. Don’t mention this to anyone, if they ask.
Watts: Of course, Esa.
Kiax: Computer, locate Commander Rosek.
SOUL: I do not have access to that information. Ha-Ha.
Esa couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the AI’s attempt at humour.
Kiax: I wasn’t talking to you.
Computer: Lieutenant Commander Rosek is on Deck Fourteen - Chief Engineer’s Office.
oO I should go and talk to her… We didn’t exactly meet on the best of terms. Oo
Kiax: Thanks, you two. See you later.
She raised her hand in farewell and left the room, making the short trip down one deck.
((Chief Engineer’s Office, Deck 14))
She leaned back in her chair, staring at the PADD that contained her finished report for Mei. She’d been hemming and hawing all morning over whether she should see him today or wait until she heard back from Kellan. Pausing, she shook her head. No. It was best to get this over with. As hard as the conversation would be, she couldn’t risk damaging her friendship with Mei.
A wry, unamused grin twisted her lips. Friendship. It was surreal to think of everything that had changed in the intervening years. As a fresh-faced Ensign, she’d balked at the idea of trusting anyone with something so private. Growing up, it had been her and Kellan against the world. Even with how close they were, she’d kept things from him to protect him.
Between her father not being in her life and her mom off-planet more than she was on-planet, Lael had learned to look out for herself. No one else was going to. Though she and Kellan were only a couple of minutes apart, she’d been the twin born first and had always felt a certain level of responsibility for keeping him safe. Of the two of them, she was the more brazen one, more prone to taking risks. Kellan was quiet and reserved, preferring not to be noticed.
Even with her dad around and mom more involved in their lives, it still fell to her to look after him. She was the one with the connections to keep him out of harm’s way. She’d go to the ends of the universe for him. He’d done so more than his fair share of times for her growing up. Hell, he was one of the main reasons she was sitting here alive. He’d worked with Chythar and Elina on that artificial Al-Leyan hormone serum that had tricked her body during her season. If not for that damned serum, she’d likely be dead.
She reached for the mug of Al-Leyan spiced tea, bringing it to her lips and taking a thoughtful drink. As she was about to pick up her PADD and make her way to Mei’s office, the door chime rang. Arching an eyebrow, she turned toward the doors.
Rosek: Enter.
At the call, Esa stepped through the doors as they slid open. Since their first meeting, Esa hadn’t really spoken to the Chief Engineer, opting to steer clear of the person whom she’d probably offended by her foul mood during that initial contact. But, now there was no option but to avoid the discussion. As far as she knew, Lael had worked with the Captain for a long time - to the extent that she was probably one of his most trusted officers - and here was Esa, the newly promoted greenhorn, about to accuse her of treason. Selling classified Starfleet information to the highest bidder, which in the Expanse could mean any number of hostile groups wishing to see the Federation removed from the region. She clutched the PADD containing the accusation, and its supporting evidence, with an uneasy sense of authority. Serala had asked her to investigate, and this, sadly, was where it led.
She was surprised when the Operations officer who had taken care of the quarters arrangement for her and Maddy stepped through. As the woman drew closer, she detected a hint of apprehension coming from Kiax. Despite this, she offered what she hoped was a warm, comforting smile.
Rosek: Commander Kiax. What a pleasant surprise. ::motions to the chair next to her desk:: What can I do for you?
Esa took the seat, opting to perch on the edge, rather than sliding back and making herself comfortable, as was the norm for her. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to be comfortable for.
Kiax: There is a… ::She paused.:: Delicate matter that I need to speak with you about.
She fiddled nervously with the PADD, trying to make her mind up what to say next.
Lael didn’t miss the nervous gesture, somehow managing to keep a neutral expression. She had the feeling she knew what this was about, though she didn’t want to give herself away in case she was wrong.
Rosek: ::nods:: I’m all ears, Commander.
Kiax: Okay… ::She breathed deeply, attempting to steel her nerves.:: Here goes. In the late hours of Monday Evening, stardate 239712.18, the outgoing communications buffer caught a highly encrypted message, destination unknown, leaving from a private terminal somewhere on Deck Nine. The subsequent security sweep returned no results… Commander Serala and I suspected a leak of confidential Starfleet information - admittedly it is the worst case scenario, but the fact that there still is an un-transmitted message in the buffer that we can’t read, going to a place we don’t recognise, is concerning enough.
Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: Oh?
Kiax: Well, ma’am, on further investigation, it was discovered to have originated from your quarters.
Esa handed over the PADD, containing her evidence.
Kiax: On the authority of the Executive Officer, I was tasked with tracking down the potential leak, so I have to ask you, Commander; Where were you at 2100 Hours on Stardate 239712.18?
A wry, unamused grin twisted her lips as she studied the PADD. It was clear that she was caught. Though she felt very much like a child with their hand in the cookie jar, she regretted nothing. The best thing to do was to tell the truth. She’d learned her lesson about how lies could only make a situation worse. No. She wasn’t going to sacrifice her integrity and her honor for her pride again.
She offered the PADD back to Kiax, looking the woman straight in the eyes, her expression serious.
Rosek: Respectfully, Commander, I believe we can skip the theatrics. As a Starfleet officer, I’m fully aware of your duty to investigate anything that you or the First Officer feel might be a threat to the safety of the ship.
Esa wasn’t aware she was being theatrical. She’d simply asked a question. For all she knew someone could have broken into her quarters and used her terminal, implicating her in a crime she didn’t commit. And the spiel she’d given about acting on Serala’s authority was simply because she was Ops, not Security, and the fact she was carrying out this investigation was legitimately questionable. Instead of replying, she simply raised an eyebrow and fixed Lael with a stare that said “you didn’t answer my question”.
Rosek: ::calmly:: I don’t know you well and you don’t know me well. But if you were to study my record, you’d find that I’ve served faithfully as a commissioned officer of Starfleet for the last six years. I’ve received numerous awards, ribbons, and commendations for that service. I spent a time as the First Officer of a ship, hand selected for that position by our current commanding officer, Captain Mei’konda. In that capacity, I endured an excruciating forced mind meld, ready to sacrifice my life and my sanity rather than give up the command codes that would put my crew at the mercy of a homicidal madman.
Kiax: oO And you think that this absolves you of guilt? Right now I’ve got evidence against you and still no alibi… Oo
Lael leaned closer, folding her hands together and settling her elbows on her knees.
Rosek: So you can believe me when I say I would never betray the promise I made the day I accepted that first solid gold pip. I have never and will never put my personal interests ahead of the safety of this crew and of the Federation.
She sat back and reached for the mug of tea, taking a long drink from it.
Rosek: I’m perfectly willing to explain. However, unless Captain Mei’konda decides otherwise, I must insist that the only individuals made aware of these details are yourself, Commander Serala, and the Captain.
Kiax: Please do. And I’m already under orders to keep this under wraps, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Rosek: ::motions to the PADD on her desk:: I was preparing to deliver my report on the Valcarian confrontation and use that as an opening to discuss the situation with him just prior to your arrival.
Kiax: Fair enough. Still, I need to list a reason in the communications log as to why I released the message from the buffer…
((TBC))
Lieutenant Commander Esa Kiax
Chief Operations Officer
USS Chin’toka – NCC 97187
Community History Team Member
A239511ED0
&
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Eng.D.
Chief Engineer
USS Chin'toka, NCC-97187
I238110RH0