Cmdr Clifton / Speaks with hacker / tag: Johanna MacLaren

[Steve Bruin]

   *** CHB #14 Cyber-Cafe ***

   Seated in the rather unusual cafe, surrounded by patrons half his age who were either chatting on line or playing computer games, Clifton made an attempt to get in touch with someone he had no spoken to in over a year.  Going to a civilian chat room, he eyed the members who were present about found one he recognized, screen name BADSUZ. Opening a conversation, he tried thinking of a good way to identify himself without actually identifying himself to anyone who was monitoring.

Clifton: > hello BADSUZ, how have you been? <  He waited or a few moments, maybe she was away from her computer but more than likely she was not about to respond to an anonymous sender.  He would try again before giving up.

Clifton: >hey BADSUZ hope you have not had reason to visit MCF lately. That was where you were when I met you and your friends  <

   MCF stood for Millington Correctional Facility, and it was in truth where he had met she and her two friends.

Clifton: >need some help that I believe only you can provide. Willing to part with some latinum if you can help me solve tech issue with my new system.   <

   He was about to order another drink when she suddenly responded.

BADSUZ: What kind of problem, and no we are done with MCF.

Clifton:  Having trouble with comm system, just can't seem to get anywhere near what I want to read.  Would appreciate it if this were handled privately. 

BADSUZ: By all means, just send me personal comm freq and I can set up private line to help you.  Will only cost you 4 bars of latinum, by the way who is this?

Clifton:  Remember a Clifton who brought you paperwork instead of a lawyer when you needed one.

BADSUZ: Oh yeah, old guy ... not too bright, yeah.  Price just went up to 8 bars.

Clifton: Not a problem, can send through Bank of Bolius.  Stand by to receive freq, and we can talk later when I am not in crowded cafe.

BADSUZ: Waiting with baited breath, deposit latinum in account 8573320.  Will check to see that it is there before I do anything.

Clifton: Understood, thanks.

   From there he left the cafe and set about renting some civilian quarters under one of the aliases he had used from time to time.  Once there he set about getting his civilian terminal set up, and hoped that BADSUZ did not merely rip him off. Once the latinum had been transferred into the numbered account there was little more he could do than wait, as it turned out he didn't have to wait very long.  Just 20 or so minutes later a person contacted him via a system he hoped was well secured and called him by name. 

From there he was ordered to install a few browsers that would allow him to access the Galactic Dark Web, a virtually untraceable area of communications where they could speak with more freedom from surveillance.  

   Clifton told BADSUZ that he needed Starfleet records looked into, he needed to know if Rayder had really gotten orders as he had said, instructing him to give Silva what she wanted. This hacker must have really known her stuff because it took her just a few minutes to respond, what she told Clifton was surprising to say the least.  It was indeed true that orders had been issued to Security Chief Rayder instructing him to allow Silva access to anything she wished and to take any data with her when she left.  What was unusual was that although these orders had been channeled through Starfleet, their true point of origin was the U.F.O.P Office of Strategic Services.  This was an office Clifton had never heard of, and sounded just as bureaucratic as all the others he had ever dealt with in his life.

   Once he had made a note to check into that particular office, and also ask Gavin about it, he set about asking BADSUZ for a little more work.  He asked if she could find out what kind of data Silva took with her when she left, he also intended to look into that himself although by now it may have well been altered.  BADSUZ agreed to look into what she could for a fee of an additional 15 bars of latinum, feeling a bit financially assaulted he agreed and ended their discussion

   *** USS Odyssey / Transporter Room / Hours later ***

   The person who materialized inside the transport chamber was a human female of about 40 years in age, with light hair that fell just below the neck of her uniform this woman stepped off the platform with an air of authority that was difficult to dismiss.

Colonel: Crewman, I understood the captain would be here when I arrived.

Transporter Operator: She's on her way, ma'am.

   At that moment Captain MacLaren entered the room.

Tag: Johanna

Colonel: Ah, Captain MacLaren.  I am Colonel Saxon, I'm sorry that this is all so sudden, but here is a copy of my orders and my task here aboard your ship.

   She handed a Starfleet isolinear optical rod to Johanna and continued.

Colonel:  This part of an official process to familiarize officers from different branches of the Federation with how each other operate.  I am merely here to observe your ship for a few days and read over your mission reports for the last few months.  As you can tell from my uniform I am M.A.C.O. and not Starfleet, so this should be an interesting assignment.

Tag: Johanna

Colonel:  If you'll kindly tell me where my temporary quarters are, I'd like to get started immediately.

Cmdr. Clifton

XO

USS Odyssey

Colonel Saxon

MACO Officer

simmed by Steve

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