Lt. Commander Ross: Last Calls To Make

[Hannah S]

((Temurian Settlement - Kiro's Lab))

This hadn't been an easy mission to begin with - but the more complications piled up, the more relieved Ross was to hear that Lyra and A'Mayri had come up with a solution. They had all pieces - now they just had to stick them together and call it a day. 

Ross: ::scrolling through the selling data:: Let's start with the biggest transactions. Where there are the most cores they will have the biggest potential for an interfering effect, right?

Kiro: Not necessarily the largest shipments. ::His claw tapped a specific line item.:: The oldest ones. ::His stomach tightened.:: The pattern suggests degradation accelerates with time. A shipment of twenty newly activated cores may be safer than five units that have been operating continuously for months. ::The words settled heavily between them.:: If we're looking for immediate danger... start there.

Voss: Looks like this ::pointing to the screen:: is the oldest purchase that’s within range of our current scanners. It’s a Klingon military base in the H'Atoria system.

Ross nodded in agreement. 

A'Mayri: We should be able to access their location, power usage and equipment function through our–::small pause:: through our connected channels. Sudden spikes of usage efficiency will show on the scans as continuous output rather than normal pulses of electricity.

Although it all sounded very logical, Ross was relieved that Lyra was the one translating A’Maryi's words into action. She initiated a scan and it only took a few minutes for data to begin streaming back. Sometimes science really did feel like a magic spell. 

Voss: By all the Four… eight cores and *five* have dangerously low microorganism populations. At normal power draw rates, they have a day or two left at most. If they’re being taxed at all, that could go down to hours.

Ross tenses his jaw. Immediately he wondered how many accidents had already happened in the Quadrant without their knowing. 

Kiro: Then you don’t have time to keep building theory. ::A pause, shorter than before:: You need to act on what you already have.

Voss: *We* don’t have time? Like we’re the ones who –

Voss had cut herself off. Ross threw her a short, warning glance, although he felt her frustration to the core (quite literally). A’Mayri had taken a careful step forward to stand beside her and they exchanged a small concerned look. Ross was glad she was here to support Lyra through whatever was going on; and he was glad she took the word with the eversame composure he wouldn't have been able to summon. 

A’Mayri: That has been noted, Kiro. Our Dilema now is what to do with that time. Ross–sir, are we able to update the MTF and have this information sent out to the outposts and their science and engineering departments? They will need to start implementation of containment protocols immediately based on the algorithm's time estimate. Starting with the Klingon Military base?

Ross nodded. 

Ross: We should certainly upload all info we have into our database through the MTF. Please create security copies of everything we got. As for the Klingon base - I'd prefer to establish direct contact as quickly as possible to avoid any more victims. The thrusters might have their own problems up there.

Lyra and A'Mayri didn't know about the mining rig yet - and maybe that was for the better.

Kiro’s claws tapped once against the edge of the console, sharper this time. The sound wasn’t pleasant, it held an emotional weight.

Kiro: The oldest clusters will be your priority. Those are the systems closest to sustained exposure thresholds.

Voss: I should hope that’s a priority we share.

Ross threw her another glance - this time slightly amused. It seemed they were equally fed up with their informant; it was an annoyance they were finally able to afford as things finally set into motion.

A’Maryi stepped away to connect her data padd back into the nearby chambers and control station, quickly dialling in commands before before she unplugged and handed the padd to Ross. He took it and threw his younger colleagues an approving look.

Ross: Excellent work. Thanks to your joined efforts this mess will not pose any further danger to the Quadrant. 

The Temurian seemed to know who his serious tone was aiming at. When he continued, the restraint in his voice tightened.

Kiro: There are also… distribution nodes. Places where shipments are broken down, recompiled, or redistributed.

Voss: *This* is what you haven’t been saying. Who actually makes these cores. Where they actually come from.

A’Mayri: ::quickly but carefully securing the remaining power cores, unplugging their equipment to be ready for transport:: It was suspected, such an invasive and elaborate set up had no means to create the cores in this vicinity.

Maybe it was time to finally put all cards on the table. Something told Ross that there was no use in trying to contain Lyra's frustration - and if he was honest, he didn't want to. There was something fascinating about seeing her losing her temper, the friendly spark in her eyes turning into something much more fierce. 

Ross: So what do you suggest we do about these nodes, Mr. Kiro? 

There was no use in taking this game any further right? The Temurian had to know they weren't simple traders. 

Kiro’s gaze flicked away from the console for the first time, toward the corridor behind them. His thoughts were far away and long ago.

Kiro: If you can disrupt those nodes, you reduce the rate of spread. ::A pause.:: That would slow the failures.

Voss: ::with a sigh:: So we have Klingons that could die within hours and a distribution network working against us every moment we spend trying to help them. Lovely.

Ross straightened up a little.

Ross: The first problem we can solve. The second will be someone else's. 

Starfleet Intel worked quickly and ruthlessly - and the more hints Kiro gave on their involvement in a potentially Orion business, the more Ross knew the coming months wouldn't be pleasant for the Temurians.

They were nearing the end. An unapectacular, pitiless finale for this tense, freezing mission: A’Maryi was already packing up their stuff, completing the image of a party that was over. The dance floor was empty. There was only one last soul, desperately spinning around their own axis, trying to make sense of this cruel world, in which your own people had formed an alliance that betrayed all your values to the core. 

Kiro exhaled once, controlled but thin.

Kiro: And it would force whoever is coordinating distribution to react.

They were still speaking in riddles. And somehow, although he wasn't an empath, Ross knew this would be Lyra's last drop.

Voss: Why are you protecting them? You think you’re protecting your clan, but now you’re just covering for whoever is forcing you to middle-man these cores! Just *tell* us! You get that we’re here to help, right? I mean, how else could we even prove it at this point? Just… or whatever. Don’t. It’s not like we won’t figure it out when we visit these distribution centers. And you can sit here on this asteroid and wonder if you could have saved more lives and chose not to.

Nothing Ross could have said would have added anything - he knew it was time to let the bomb drop, and yet he could feel that the Temurian was still battling with something. He would give him one last chance to come clean - to decide whether he would be given a choice or become just another faceless name in the formal investigation that would begin as soon as they left this asteroid behind. Frankly - Ross didn't care. He had seen people choose their own misery over and over again; and maybe it was this second he decided not to, when he quietly stepped over to Lyra and offered her the faint touch of his hand in her back - barely brushing the fabric and her skin underneath, but hopefully enough to give her some stability in this confusing mess, the support he had failed to give her earlier. For a split second, they turned back into a united front. 

It seemed as if a tiny eternity had passed when Kiro finally stepped forward and slipped the satchel from his shoulder. Without a word, he held it out to Lyra. 

Ross knew inside it they would find everything he had hidden. Internal correspondence. Routing data. Access keys? Maybe names. Maybe more. 

Whatever it was - Kiro had just handed himself in, and they all knew it. 

Ross: You did the right thing. 

Voss/Kiro: ?

A’Mayri had stilled mid reconnecting Kiro’s equipment back into their own independent systems, ready to move if the action had been intended or interpreted as threatening as her hand shifted to hover over her work belt.

A’Maryi: Ma’am, sir. ::careful tone:: Kiro.

Ross: ::low:: It's fine. 

He appreciated her awareness, but as tense as this situation was - he knew it posed no danger. At least not to them. 

Voss/Kiro: ?

It was over. Had they won? Ross didn't feel any euphoria when Lyra took care of the satchel and A'Mayri stepped back up to them, seemingly done with packing up. 

A’Maryi: ::clipping the small case back her belt, holding out the data chip she just updated to Kiro:: Whether you choose to ponder or act on your choices, this holds another copy of all the information we had gathered before we had collaborated, our combined testing results, and the new algorithms. I would implore you to handle this information with care.

Once Kiro had taken the chip, A’Maryi had quickly stepped back and stood beside Ross and Voss. For a moment, everyone seemed to hold their breath. It was time. Time for the curtain call, and it wouldn't be a nice one.

Ross turned around towards A’Maryi, dropping their masquerade by adressing her by her rank.

Ross: Ensign, please reach out to the Klingon base and share our findings about the cores with them. You can use my communication ID. They usually listen if it's Starfleet Intel.

Starfleet Intel. Ross knew they penny had to drop with every word he spoke, but he couldn't have cared less about it - he simply handed A'Mayri his PADD and his communicator with a stern nod.

A'Mayri: ? 

Ross: You can connect to the comm sustem of the MTF. Just hail the Klingon base and let them know we've been affected by the same danger - and that we found a solution. No hidden info, no secrets, this will hopefully be seen as a triumph for the bonds within the Quadrants. Just... ::he threw a hesitant gaze at Kiro:: Keep the Temurians out of it yet. I'm sure they will remember soon enough who they bought from. 

No need to stir the pot - but everyone in this room was well aware that Klingons weren't very forgiving unsatisfied customers.

A'Mayri: ? 

(OOC: Feel free to step aside for a bit - let's save some lives! You're of course welcome to rejoin the other tags any time!) 

With that Ross turned back to Lyra and Kiro. The Temurian was losing ground - and probably also hope. Could he blame him? 

Voss/Kiro: ?

Ross: You probably already figured - but you got yourself into a fine formal investigation. My name is Lieutenant Commander Ross, Starfleet Intel. This is my colleague Lieutenant Voss, our Chief Science Officer of StarBase 118. 

He didn't state her brand new position without pride. 

Voss/Kiro: ?

Ross: Your actions of the past month have endangered countless lives well above this Quadrant - however, I appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Kiro. I can assure you that you did the best thing you could given your position. 

He gave the Temurian a few seconds to breathe. Nothing of this came lightly - and yet Ross didn't feel much remorse for the poor being in front of him. He had a clear goal: wrap this up and bring the girls home. He was done with this day.

Ross: I can't offer you immunity. But I am sure the authorities will take note of your cooperation and support. If you decide to join us - ::beat:: which you are very welcome to do - I am sure that would be a positive signal for any further investigation. 

Voss/Kiro: ? 

***

Lt. Commander Evan Ross
Intelligence Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
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