Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds - Pieces of the Puzzle (Part II)
Quinn Reynolds
((Upper vIq'mItlh City, veHrom’nagh))
Sevo picked up the damaged workstation from the ground. Quinn said nothing, a small frown pulling at her brow. She tried to make sense of the facts. What part had Pak’argh played in all of this? What was the purpose of such intense violence? And what kind of story could possibly demand such an uncompromising approach?
Sevo: ::She looked toward Reynolds as she spoke.:: Klingon computer systems use a crystal-based memory storage similar to isolinear chips because they’re robust, right? The data itself might be salvageable from the computer’s crystal memory.
V'Lar: If the data is recoverable, it is the most logical path of inquiry.
Reynolds: Yes, but... If the storage medium is notoriously robust, wouldn’t the assailants know that as well? If they did all this— ::she gestured at the assorted chaos and carnage:: —to get to the data, it’s strangely slapdash to damage a workstation and just hope you’ve destroyed what you came for.
Taelon: Response
Sevo: Give us a few minutes, and we should be able to recover it. Let’s link with our devices and we can share processing.
Taelon: Response
Quinn’s frown continued to linger, but she didn’t object to the proposed course of action. They could see if there was anything easily pulled from the device and if not, send it to the Gorkon for deeper analysis. She linked her tricorder up with Sevo’s, and the Trill carefully pulled out the data storage crystals from the ruined computer, placing one on her tricorder. They looked in good condition. If they were the reason for all the spilt blood and loss of life... why not take them, instead of leaving them for someone else to find?
Hell, why not take the whole damn computer?
After a brief scan, a hologram popped up above the Sevo’s tricorder. There were a few blank looks, but Quinn recognised it easily enough. With a few taps of her skinny fingers, she swept through the findings on her own device.
Sevo: It looks encrypted, or perhaps it’s just Klingon computer coding. I don’t have the necessary coding packages to read it. Anyone else?
V'Lar: I do possess programming experience but not with Klingon systems.
Reynolds: It’s the code for a Klingon operating system, not encryption. ::She shook her head.:: Looks like someone transferred a series of files onto portable storage, then deleted them from this workstation and the Glob Fly’s servers about fifteen minutes before Pak’argh’s estimated time of death. We might be able to recover some or all of it, but it’ll take time.
Taelon: Reponse
V'Lar: Perhaps the crystals should be transported to the Gorkon for proper analysis?
Reynolds: We’ll have to. ::She nodded.:: We won’t be able to recover the deleted data with the tools we have here. Sevo, if you could take care of that.
Sevo / Taelon: Responses
V’Lar returned her attention to her tricorder, while Quinn closed her tricorder, looking around the office. It was like a jigsaw puzzle when you didn't have the picture, working on a small section at a time, slotting the pieces together with no clue what you'd reveal at the end.
V'Lar: Admiral, whilst we wait for the analysis, I have completed the timeline.
Reynolds: All right, let’s hear it.
V'Lar: The data provides a clear sequence. The initial point of conflict was the central desk in the bullpen. From there, the assailant proceeded to the editor's office, where a second altercation occurred. The final engagement was between the assailant and the deceased female in this room, concluding with the assailant's exit via the far door. Given how far into the bullpen the assailant reached, I would surmise that they employed some means of deceit to gain access, but those means did not hold up to scrutiny.
Reynolds: I think, ::she glanced at Taelon,:: Lieutenant Taelon was right, and they’ve been watching Pak’argh. They chose a time when only their intended victims were present, which is why we only have the three DNA profiles.
Sevo / Taelon: Response
V'Lar: Without access to an official database, I am unable to determine their identity; however, sufficient data is available to generate a detailed forensic profile of the assailant. In addition, I have isolated a trace non-biological particulate from the unknown subject's blood trail.
Reynolds: We have access to the official databases, but the Klingons of this colony don’t register every person’s DNA. Only those charged with a crime. So possibly a victim, a first-time criminal, or one who’s never been caught before.
Sevo / Taelon: Response
V'Lar: It is boridium.
While V’Lar glanced toward Taelon, Quinn raised her eyebrows. It was an unusual thing to find in anyone’s blood, but especially in a Klingon’s, seeing as how the Empire rarely employed the element in their technology. It was quite a find, and could be helpful in locating their unknown assailant.
Sevo / Taelon: Response
Reynolds: Klingons don’t use it much, but Romulans have been known to implant boridium pellets under the skin of their prisoners to keep track of them. Our assailants might not have a history of crime here, but it’s possible they have elsewhere.
Sevo / V’Lar / Taelon: Response
Reynolds: Right. If we put the pieces together, we have this— ::she gestured to the larger room with both hands, unwittingly looking like a steward giving flight safety advice,:: —the assailants first came into conflict with Pak’argh in the bullpen, who then made a break for the editor’s office, and then out into the corridors, into the back alley, through the side street, and into the plaza where he died. My guess is he went for the data he or Krelah had downloaded onto portable storage, and was trying to get it out of the office. We know at least one person followed him out at this point, because we found evidence of a continuing fight in the alley.
Reynolds: While he was trying to get the data out, Krelah fought another assailant with boridium in their system. Possibly trying to stop them from following Pak’argh, possibly because she was a target herself, maybe both. She fell, they thought she was dead, they left, and told their accomplice Pak’argh had the data — which explains the security footage showing one of them taking something from his body. But at all times, they were careful to stay off cameras, choosing locations where there were none, or keeping their faces hidden when there was.
Sevo / V’Lar / Taelon: Response
Reynolds: Following V’Lar’s logic; if they’re aiming to suppress a story, and they’re targeting the people who knew about it, that leaves the investigating journalist. Possibly a fact-checker, too, if the Glob Fly employed one. That’s who we need to find.
Sevo / V’Lar / Taelon: Response
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
T238401QR0