Lt A.Dewitt- Speculations and Accusations
Emma Banin
((Stellar Cartography, Science Lab, Deck 16, USS Khitomer, en route to Lagoon Nebula))
She studied the map, with the topographical elements and information added it certainly was a logical choice of culprits.yet she was still unsure. Once again although entirely possible It would be a bold move by them to run such tests, and she had to ask herself why they would choose to do so in an area that had only recently had a Federation presence.
A Dewitt: I think the Romulans have other worries at the moment. It’s a possibility but something tells me they’re preoccupied by other matters.
Hobart: Pirates, maybe?
She hesitated for a moment scanning the map and the information Nolan had added to the map for any clues or possibilities. The trouble was there were almost too many. It was all conjecture. All guess work.
A Dewitt: What if we’re looking at it the wrong way?
Hobart: ::soft chuckle:: That would be about as surprising as a finding Ferengi financing a casino. ::looking to Ayemet:: Did you have a specific kind of “wrong” in mind?
A Dewitt: Well it’s a heck of a coincidence isn’t it?
Hobart: Sencha in the Lagoon, two times in as many months, you mean?
She turned away from the holographic map and towards him, resting one hand on the console. She knew that providing Nolan with a series of what ifs was of no use to him or to the ship, but image would not be doing her duty if not to point out; possibilities.
A.Dewitt: It seems to me that if it isn’t either the Sheliak or the Romulans, or pirates , then it could be a natural phenomenon, a result of what we did, :she paused for a moment the idea not sitting well with her and yet the idea that persisted in her mind: it’s someone or something that is unknown to us or the Federation data banks.
Hobart: Or removed from them.
Ayemet: by whom?
She looked directly at Nolan, the implications of what she was suggesting not lost on her, and no doubt on him either.
Hobart: When we were in the nebula, running our tests, our orders were strict. Radio silence. No flight plan. For a brief window of time, as far as most of Starfleet was concerned, Khitomer ceased to exist, officially.
If their mission was ‘off the books’ and, as he had suggested it was as if the Khitomer and its’ crew did not exist, it could only mean one thing; someone on board had released not just their location but quite possibly the results of their failed experiments.
Ayemet: Then someone on board has been telling our dirty little secrets.
Nolan’s answer was cut off by the voice of her best friend and chief medical officer Talia Ohnari. The inoculation’s had mitigated the worst effects of the sencha waves on the last mission and since they were heading back to an area where the same energy readings were making a reappearance it made sense , yet it sat in the pit of Ayemet’s stomach reminding her that they could potentially face challenges on more than one front. They were vulnerable -and that could lead to mistakes.
Ohnari: =/\= Chief Medical Officer to all crew, please report to Sickbay prior to our arrival to the Lagoon nebula. Due to time constraints, we will also have a mobile vaccination station in Main Engineering, and on the bridge. ::pausing:: And yes, I do mean everyone. Ohnari out. =/\=
Hobart: If it was another sanctioned, off-the-grid mission like ours, Starfleet wouldn't have sent us to go look. But an unsanctioned one…?
Ayemet: But surely whoever sent this second mission, if that’s what it is, would realise the readings would be picked up and the nearest ship would be sent to investigate?
She could be imagining problems that simply did not exist. The danger with alot of their conjecture was that it was being made with only partial information available. So much so f what they were doing was speculation, albeit informed by experience and what little information that could glean from the data available .
Hobart: Response.
Ayemet: Unless that’s what they wanted.
Hobart: Response.
Ayemet: They wanted specifically the Khitomer, or someone onboard it.
Hobart: Response.
TAG/TBC
Lieutenant Ayemet Dewitt
Ship Counselor
USS Khitomer
NCC 62400
A239810JA2Q