Cmdr. Clifton / Investigation begins / tag: MacLaren

[Steve Bruin]

 *** USS Odyssey / Main Engineering ***

>> Snipped <<

:: The Security personnel acknowledged his order.  Clifton was about to summon Captain MacLaren when she entered. ::

Clifton: Captain, I was about to call you.

Captain MacLaren: What’s happened here?

Clifton:  Apparently this robot somehow activated itself and killed the Ensign there.

Captain MacLaren: Is it a highly advanced unit? Only those can adjust their own programming. Didna think that we had robots of that kind on board.

Clifton: What makes it seem impossible is that the robot wasn't even powered up yet, nor had it been programmed.

Captain MacLaren: Are we sure of that? Could someone have programmed it without reporting it?

Clifton:  The central processing unit isn't even hooked up, so how does a robot move on its own?

Tag: Captain MacLaren: It canna. We have to b dealing with some kind of sabotage. We need to investigate every scrape of video to see if anyone was near this unit within the last day or so. Perhaps they could have installed a programming chip and then removed it.

Clifton: I'm having the robot placed in a separate room with a containment field, if it does anything we'll know about it and no one will be in danger.

Captain MacLaren” Aye, that makes sense, and we need to have it taken apart for any forensic evidence of tampering. 

Clifton: It just makes no sense, any robot in the Federation is first programmed with the Laws of Robotics.  The only kind of android that could do this would be sentient, maybe like Mister Data, but this one wasn't programmed at all.

Captain MacLaren: That’s true, but someone could have installed something other than the robot programming itself. We also have to see if this was targeted. Who may have wanted this crewman deid? We will have to trace his activities too. Have you considered that this is a murder, nae an accident?

Clifton: Captain, to be honest I think this robot did murder the Ensign. I just don't know how it was possible.

Captain MacLaren: It doesna make sense, but this is either a deliberate murder, a diversion from something else, or a test of how to reprogram normal robots to become weapons. :: She paused for a moment:: Come with me, Chief. ::Turning to the others:: See that our shipmate is brought to sickbay where he can be prepared for a proper burial.

:: Johanna walked out into the Hall and put her finger to her lips until they arrived at her quarters. Once inside, she sat down and gestured for Clifton to do the same.::

MacLaren: Chief, I dinna believe in coincidences. We have on board someone who has supported the enemy. Now we have a deid crewman attacked by a normal robot. What if that is the project? What if that robot was somehow programmed remotely? Can ye imagine that havoc that could be wreaked on Federation ships and bases of that could happen?

Clifton: I see your point, and yes ... what a devastating weapon that would be.

MacLaren: We’d better find out in a hurry, aye? Maybe we need to get a grip on this even before following Silva. She’s too stupid to do such a thing herself, but she may have been coached, or she somehow managed to smuggle someone else in. Who else came on board when she did?

Clifton: One other woman beamed aboard, she passed a basic Security screen, but I can sure look deeper.

Tag: Capt. MacLaren

Clifton: Captain, may I suggest we have Commander V'lenn examine that robot for any evidence of what you suggested?

Tag: Capt. MacLaren

Clifton: I doubt Silva was connected with this, she was nowhere near Engineering and I had her under survellaince in her cabin.

Tag: Capt. MacLaren

Clifton: We'll reach the base in a few hours, and Silva will beam off. I'll have them keep a close eye on her, but not tip her off.  In the meantime I'll check into the other possibilities and get the shuttle ready when Gavin and I need it.  Whatever happens, we'll keep looking into this murder both during and after the Senator's dealings are complete.

Cmdr. Clifton

XO

USS Odyssey

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