Tito/Vargas - Path of the Prophets - Connection Established

[Arys Trovek]

((Engineering, USS Narendra))

Catherine was, after her recent adventure with her new colleague Sera, happy to have returned to her usual routine. With the number of Officers at the Narendra currently limited, every now and then Cat got over herself and talked to some of them. So far it was going quite well. She was running a diagnostic on a set of broken replicators on deck seven when the doors to Engineering hissed open, and inside barged a man she didn’t recognize.

He didn’t look like an Engineer either. He wore a somewhat wrinkled suit and a cold expression on his face. There was determination in his eyes, and Vargas glanced over her shoulder, hoping to spot Renot or Sera somewhere, but neither were to be found

Vargas: … Hi. Are you sure that you are right here? 

The man stopped and stared at Catherine, evidently not recognizing the officer in front of him. Eventually, he nodded.

Tito: Very sure. Lieutenant Tito, Intel. ::Since she was there he would go and draft her.:: I need assistance. You are?

Vargas: Lieutenant Catherine Vargas. 

An intel person…. intel spooked Catherine a little, but she was fairly sure that she wasn’t the only one with that reaction.

Tito: I tried to reactivate a combadge, but failed. Can you help me?

Vargas: I think I can, but…. I am not sure I am the right person to ask to do this. Why do you need it reactivated?

Combadges got deactivated for a reason.

Tito: It’s classified but of the most urgency. ::He gave her a cold, stern stare.:: Do you need me to make an official request? I don’t have time for it but I will.

Catherine drew back slightly. She didn’t like being stared at. 

Vargas: I’ll help. What happens when you try to reactivate it? 

Tito: The computer simply replies that it is unable to make contact, therefore not able to activate. 

The woman blinked, and then her eyes widened. 

Vargas: So you don’t have the badge? That’s making it… a lot more difficult 

Tito narrowed his eyes, with Vargas' statement of the obvious. 

Tito: That is why I need assistance otherwise I would have done it already. What can you do to help? 

Vargas: If you deactivated it and it’s now not here any more, you can’t reactivate it… 

Tito closed his eyes. The time was running but he realised he had to keep his head straight and not blow up. Focusing he opened them to stare at Vargas again. 

Tito: I need it to be active. I have to reach out to its owner. 

Vargas: Why?

The man looked like he was about to explode.

Tito: I need to talk to her, or at the very least track her location. 

Catherine nodded. She didn’t like the way Tito spoke to her, and she felt like she could probably put in a complaint about him. She would still help. The last thing she needed was an intel officer who had a problem with her. 

Vargas: Okay… ::she nodded:: Can you give me the badge-ID? 

Tito nodded and tapped on the data in her console

Tito: Here it is.

Vargas: Most badges, when you deactivate them but not do not destroy them, retain a dormant link to the ship’s computer. We should be able to enable it, but I am unsure if it is enough for communication. 

Tito: That’s a start. I will take it.

Catherine worked quietly, looking over her shoulder at Tito once or twice. 

Vargas: Can you take a few steps back? You make me uncomfortable. 

Tito raised an eyebrow and stepped back.

Tito: My apologies, I wasn’t aware of that.

Vargas: Thank you. 

Now at a distance Tito couldn’t quite see what the Lieutenant was doing.

Tito: Anything yet?

Catherine shook her head, staying quiet for a while as her fingers flew over the console. Eventually, she exhaled. 

Vargas: I have a link. What do you want to do? 

Tito: Location first if you please.

Vargas: Location…. ::she pondered, typing a few more commands into the console:: it’s on Bajor. 

Tito gave her a deadpan look that since he wasn’t by her side she couldn’t see. In a slightly sarcastic tone he replied

Tito: That checks out, but I was looking for something more specific.

Vargas: I am working on it. Rakantha Province… it is… ::she waited, then pinpointed a location somewhere deep within the forest, and by a lake.:: Here. 

Tito took a step sideways, careful enough not to move closer to the Lieutenant.

Tito: That’s a start, can you put that in a PADD and keep the link connected?

They had something now. At least Ferri’s location. Not that it eased his thoughts as he followed all the nightmarish scenarios in the back of his mind.

Still there was hope.

Vargas: I can. ::she nodded::

Catherine uploaded the location to a PADD and handed it to the man, watching him leave in a hurry. She still didn’t know what was going on, but she did hope she had done the right thing with providing help.

‌

Lt. Catherine Vargas
Engineering Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
J239809TA4

and

Lt. J. G. Vitor R.S.Tito
Intelligence Officer
Starbase 118
O238907VS0