JP T’Kard & Arlo Thornton — Flip of a switch, Part 1
jkpbem
(( Multifunction Room “A”, Maklau Resort Hotel, Risa ))
Arlo arrived several minutes early for her interview with Commander T’Kard. Dressed in a crisp, freshly replicated uniform she took a seat in the corridor outside the Multifunction Room and silently waited, composing herself for what would likely be an emotionally taxing and draining interview. She had never met a member of Starfleet Internal Affairs before but their reputation for evidence gathering and decisive action preceded them wherever they went.
The hotel staff, always so eager to want to help or offer the use of facilities, left Arlo alone as they walked past the couch- no doubt under instruction to do so. It made her wonder how much sway Starfleet had with the Maklau Resort. When she had first learned the Resolution survivors would be staying at Risa for shore leave and psychiatric evaluation, she had idly wondered if it was some sort of clandestine Starfleet facility where Command sent potentially traumatised crews for observation and treatment. If the staff had been told to avoid interacting with Arlo while she waited to be interviewed- maybe her theory was a little more concrete than she had expected.
The door opposite the couch opened and Arlo saw a woman standing in the doorway, presumably the mysterious Lieutenant Commander T’Kard. She got to her feet promptly and took a step forward.
Thornton: Commander T’Kard, I presume?
T’Kard: ::smiles:: Guilty as charged. ::chuckles:: Sorry, just a little Internal Affairs humor. Please, come on in.
T’Kard waved a hand to guide her guest into the room, then closed and locked the door before following her in.
T’Kard: ::gestures toward the wall of windows:: Beautiful view, isn’t it? Risa is a spectacular place. Usually I’m holed up in some dreary government building or school cafeteria. Can I offer you some cocoa?
Arlo stepped into the room, shaking her head.
Thornton: No thank you. I’m allergic to caffeine.
Looking around the multipurpose room, Arlo was immediately taken with the sweeping vista afforded the Internal Affairs operative. The ocean glittered like it was strewn with a million billion diamonds underneath a cloudless blue sky. Maklau Bay curved around in a verdant display of green. It was simply stunning to behold.
Thornton: That’s some view. ::she looked to T’Kard.:: I guess being IA has to come with some perks to offset all the hostility you probably get.
Ten months earlier, Arlo might have responded with the same hostility. But in her quest to be a more well rounded and less prickly person, she had taught herself to approach every situation with a pleasant disposition, free of suspicion and planning for the worst case scenario.
T’Kard: Most officers go their entire careers without interacting with Internal Affairs. Unfamiliarity can be a dangerous thing. We’re not all Hugo’s Javert. We just want what all Starfleet officers want. The truth.
Thornton: I get that. You don’t need to worry, Commander. I’m here to cooperate fully.
T’Kard: ::sips:: Mmm. That’s good cocoa. I’d prefer this interview to be rather informal. Just a few questions and you’ll be on your way to enjoy the rest of your holiday.
Arlo raised her eyebrow at the phrasing and wondered if T’Kard was fully briefed on recent events. In any case, she wasn’t entirely sure she could “enjoy her holiday” while her career was up in the air and the board of inquiry lurked over them all like the proverbial sword of Damocles.
Thornton: I see. ::she said neutrally and slipped into a chair opposite T’Kard.::
T’Kard: Interestingly enough for a conduct case, the facts surrounding Lieutenant Silveira’s actions seem not to be in dispute. I am more interested in the state of mind Lieutenant Silveira was in at the time. ::glances at PADD:: Could you tell me more about this… force field incident that occurred just prior to the altercation?
Thornton: Of course. ::she crossed her legs and wrapped her hands around her knees, interlacing her fingers. She cast her mind back to that awful day, trying to keep a clear head and not give in to the temptation of emotion.:: It came out of nowhere. I don’t know the Lieutenant well- in fact I had met him for the first time a few minutes earlier- but he just went… berserk without warning; shouting that he was “coming for” Doctor Rack- er, Commander Wyke.
The discovery that Ben Rackham had actually been Liam Wyke, an officer from Starfleet Intelligence, had taken Arlo aback. She still wasn’t used to the idea.
T’Kard: And what did you think about that particular episode?
Thornton: It alarmed me. ::she replied.:: He’s a Starfleet officer- he is trained to comport himself in a professional manner, not to act crazed.
T’Kard wasn’t expecting Lieutenant Commander Thornton to be so voluble, and although there was a recording of the interview in process, T’Kard hurried to keep her note-taking at the pace Thornton was speaking. It seems that the astrometrics officer had taken the time to collect her thoughts about the events in question. But, no matter how well prepared a witness was, there was always some detail or another that was yet to uncover.
T’Kard: And what actions, if any, did you take in the face of the behavior you witnessed?
Thornton: I ordered him to calm down. Twice I believe. He ignored me. He said he was trying to distract Rackham, sorry- Commander Wyke.
T’Kard: And would you say that this “crazed” behavior, as you characterise it, accurately describes Lieutenant Silveira’s actions throughout the entire encounter?
Running one hand through her auburn hair, Arlo took a moment to consider her response. In the days since the destruction of the Resolution, she replayed its events over and over again wondering if she had misinterpreted or missed something.
Thornton: No. When I reported to Acting Captain Adea, Silveira was composed if maybe a little too suspicious of Commander Wyke. But on the whole, he seemed to be of sound mind- which is why I found his sudden shift in behaviour to be so disturbing. It was as though someone had thrown a switch in his brain. Though I should say that I’m a scientist and not a counselor so I’m hardly an expert.
Hm. T’Kard wrote a few additional words down on the PADD and circled them, thinking they might be worth coming back to later.
TBC
Lt. Commander T’Kard
Investigator, Officer Conduct Division
Starfleet Internal Affairs
Justin D238804DS0
Lieutenant Commander Arlo Thornton
Astrometrics Officer
USS Resolution
as simmed by:
Lieutenant JG Etan Iljor
Science Officer
USS Resolution
C239203TW0