What if the XO is the one responsible for the sabotage?
TOS Border Dogs - 1: "The Merlin"
- Thread starter TheLoneRedshirt
- Start date
What if the XO is the one responsible for the sabotage?
Gibraltar said:
^Then I hope she can breath vacuum.
Perhaps she... Turns Parker to the dark side. So to speak.
Femfatals tend to do that in noir sometimes.
Just a few thoughts.
The 1st person narrative is different. I think it works quite well, especially when you throw in an element of distrust or mystery as you have with the sabotage.
Looking at the fic more broadly and I like the grit added to what is generally regarded as one of the more innocent periods of Star Trek.
The 1st person narrative is different. I think it works quite well, especially when you throw in an element of distrust or mystery as you have with the sabotage.
Looking at the fic more broadly and I like the grit added to what is generally regarded as one of the more innocent periods of Star Trek.
Chapter 9
Erdon and I exited the lift at a trot. We followed the curved corridor until we came to the cargo hold. Three crewman with phaser rifles were standing by, waiting on us. I indicated for two of them to hand the XO and I phaser pistols. So armed, we readied ourselves to enter the cargo hold.
"Heavy stun," I said to the security detail as I twisted the barrel of the phaser to a higher setting. "Shoot first, we'll ask questions later."
I took the lead position at the door. I know, it's not protocol, but I was pissed! Erdon gave me a questioning look and I shook my head. No time for arguments. Holding up my fingers, I counted down from three, took a deep breath, and entered the cargo hold.
I crouched low and swung my phaser around, seeking a target. There were no targets. In fact, the cargo hold was bare. Completely and totally empty. The narcotics case - gone. The rest of the cargo was also gone. No one had beamed in after all. They, whoever they were, had merely transported the cargo off the Merlin.
"Son of a . . ." I began, but held my temper in check. Blowing up in front of the crew wasn't going to help, even if it made me feel better.
Turning toward the security detail, I started barking orders. “You three head to the other cargo bay. No doubt we were cleaned out there too. XO, I need you to get on the computer shut-down. Warp drive has top priority.”
Erdon gave me a startled look. “Not weapons and shields?”
I shook my head. “Whoever pulled this off could have already blown us away if they wanted to. Get the mains back on-line, then shields and weapons. I’ll be along in a while – I’ve got some thinking to do.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it,” she said as she headed back to the bridge.
Looking around at the empty cargo bay, I shook my head. We’d been royally had. No. I had been had, not we. I had made the cardinal sin of underestimating our opponents. That was something that would not happen again! While Erdon was trouble-shooting the computer, I had some pondering to do. The wall communicator beeped, startling me out of my funk.
“Devereaux to Captain Parker.”
I stepped over and stabbed the comm button. “Parker, go ahead.”
“Sir, we’re in the other cargo bay. It’s just like you said it would be – empty.”
I took cold comfort in that. “Thanks, crewman. You all can return to your normal duties.” I took another look around the cargo bay. The emptiness mocked me. You screwed up, Parker. Your ship is a sitting duck, your supplies are gone, and you still have a saboteur on board. With those happy thoughts ringing in my head, I headed for my quarters.
* * *
With the lights at their dimmest setting, I sat in the outer office of my quarters, looking through the small viewport at the stars and the distant Molari Badlands. My mood and my stomach were equally sour. I didn’t have the time nor the luxury to wallow in self-pity and reproach. I had to figure out who was playing me like a cheap piano.
Turning to my desk, I activated the library computer. At least it was still up and running. After staring at the Border Service logo for a few seconds, I called up the Merlin’s manifest of 78 officers and crew. Taking the most logical tack, I searched for the crew members with computer skills. 20 names appeared with levels from 1 to 4. Seeing that three of our crew held level 4 computer ratings surprised me. Usually someone with that high a computer rating would serve on an explorer ship or large starbase, not a border cutter. The three names were Ensign M’Roal, Lt. Rhys-Davies, and the lovely Lt. Brooks (Don’t call me Sharlon!) Erdon.
I blew out a breath in frustration. That still didn’t tell me much, if anything. On a hunch, I called up the time-line of computer malfunctions with the arrival of new crew members. The glitches dated back about 20 months. This time, three names appeared. Lt. Rhys-Davies, Lt. Erdon, and a third name that caught me by surprise. “I’ll be damned . . .” I muttered.
Using my command access, I was able to call up Captain Treadway’s personnel file which had not yet been deleted from the ship’s computer banks. This hunch proved eerily correct. Treadway’s mental and emotional decline started about the same time as the computer problems and the addition of the two officers and the one crewman – some twenty months ago. Before that time Treadway had an exemplary record. Coincidence? I didn’t think so.
But so what? All I had were suspicions, guesswork, and a tenuous time-line of events. Nothing with which to make any kind of accusation, certainly. Hell, I still didn’t really know what was going on. But my gut was telling me I was on to something, although I wasn’t happy about where my suspicions were leading. Frustrated, I turned off the viewer and headed toward the bridge.
* * *
“Report!” I barked as I stepped onto the bridge. Lt. Erdon was busy at the Ops console and turned to me as I sat in the center seat.
“Everything’s back up and running. We’ve got warp drive, weapons, shields, the works.”
She obviously saw the surprised expression on my face as she continued, “It wasn’t anything I did. It just all came back up a couple of minutes ago. I’ve been running system diagnostics and everything seems fine.”
“Could the one responsible for sabotaging the computer core set it on some sort of schedule?”
She shrugged, “I don’t see why not. It would be easier than the hack job itself.”
“Where can the core be accessed? From any terminal?”
Erdon shook her head. “No. There’s only four places on board where you can access the main computer core subroutines – there’s an access terminal at the core itself, here at Ops, engineering, and auxiliary control. But you still need an access code to change any programming or override any system protocols.
“Who would have that?”
Erdon gave me a funny look. “The commanding officer. You.”
Damn! This was getting complicated. I decided to go with another gut hunch. Yeah, I know. One day my gut is going to get me killed. “XO, you and I need to have a talk in private.” It was time for a come to Jesus meeting.
* * *
One of the disadvantages of the Kestral-class ships are their lack of ready-rooms or conference rooms. Finding a place for a private conversation can be dicey. I wasn’t comfortable meeting with the XO in my quarters, enticing as the idea was on a certain level. Instead, we went to auxiliary control.
We entered the small room, finding it empty as was the norm. I indicated for the XO to sit in one of the two available chairs. I took the other and dove in.
“Lieutenant, why are you on the Merlin?”
A delicate eyebrow rose on the XO’s forehead and she crossed her arms, which served to accentuate her chest. I willed myself to maintain eye contact.
“You’ve no doubt read my personnel file, captain. You know I was court-martialed.”
“And acquitted,” I continued. “Been there, done that. I need to know what happened, lieutenant.”
I thought she was going to protest, but instead she actually blushed and her eyes fell. “Okay. It’s not like it’s a secret.” She took a deep breath to compose herself. “I was serving on the Baton Rouge as Ops officer and was up for promotion to lieutenant commander. The second officer – an admiral’s son with more connections than brains was . . . infatuated with me. I had repeatedly warned him off – told him I wasn’t interested. Anyway, several of us were on Rigel IV on shore leave. You ever been there? Yeah, it’s a rough place. I was in one of the bazaars looking around when there he was – drunk with a gleam in his eye. I tried to move past him but he grabbed me, pushed me into an alley and told me all the things he planned to do to me.” Erdon paused a moment, out of anger or embarrassment I wasn’t sure. “Instead of getting scared, I got mad. Who the hell was he to force himself on me? When he had me against a wall and was tearing at my tunic, I lost it. When it was over he had three broken ribs, a broken jaw and probably sang soprano for a week.”
“So why did you get in trouble for that?” I asked, “It was self-defense on your part.”
“I was stupid. I didn’t file a report. The whole incident seemed like a bad dream that I just wanted to forget. I figured he’d learned his lesson and would be too embarrassed to tell anyone what happened. I figured wrong.” She took a deep shuddering breath. “Before I knew it, I was being accused of assault and battery along with conduct unbecoming an officer. The captain saw a political hot-potato and hung me out to dry. Thank God my JAG counsel was sharp enough to get me off. But the damage was done. The word got out that I was ‘unstable, promiscuous, uncooperative, etc. etc.’ I had a choice between duty on a subspace relay station or the Border Service.” She spread her arms and looked around, “So here I am! That’s the sordid tale captain. Satisfied?” Her voice had a tremor of barely contained emotion.
I nodded. “Yeah, lieutenant. I am. Sorry to bring up painful memories, but I needed to know if you were for real. I think you’re playing it straight with me, but I need to ask you another question.” I leaned forward staring into those emerald eyes. “Did you sabotage the computer, lieutenant?”
For a moment, our gazes locked. Then, she shook her head slowly. “No sir. I did not!”
Sarah Barnes Parker and her three sons may have their faults, but any of us can spot a liar a mile off. I knew the XO was telling me the truth. Don’t ask me how – I’m not a Vulcan or Betazoid. I can’t read minds, but I seldom lose at poker and I can find my ass in the dark with both hands.
I kept my gaze steady. “Alright, XO. I believe you.”
To my shock and surprise, the XO hugged me. Not that I minded of course. And it was a purely platonic hug, so get your minds out of the gutter.
Erdon quickly released my neck and blushed again. “I’m sorry . . . I’m just – relieved and grateful that you believe me. The worst part of my experience on the Baton Rouge was when the captain didn’t believe me. He accepted that scum-bag Style's story instead.”
I felt a little awkward myself. “Um, that’s perfectly alright, XO. No problem.” It was time to get back on track, so I explained what I had discovered from the personnel files. She frowned as I told her of my suspicions.
“I don’t know, Sonny. That seems pretty thin. And none of them have done anything I would call suspicious.”
I noted that she called me by my nickname for the first time. Apparently some bridge had been crossed in this encounter. “If they’re involved, they’re smart enough not to draw attention to themselves. Besides, who else could have pulled off the computer hack job?”
“To be honest with you, I’m not sure I could have done it, even with a level 4 certification. And like I told you on the bridge, you need the command codes to override the programming.”
I nodded. “That’s right. And I think they have the codes – at least the old ones.”
“You mean Captain Treadway’s codes?”
“Think about it – Treadway’s problems didn’t begin until the time you all joined the crew. Suddenly he’s having problems with drinking, depression, and begins a mental and emotional slide. What if something happened to cause that slide?”
“What – blackmail? Somebody drugged him? Mind-control? Sonny, this is getting kind of far-fetched, isn’t it?”
“No more far-fetched than someone hacking our computer at will and all of our cargo stolen from under our noses!” I sighed. “Look, we’ll talk later. But I want to keep an eye on those three. Anyway you can keep tabs on them when they’re off-duty?”
She looked doubtful. “Our internal sensors aren’t that finely tuned. I can put sensors at all of the critical terminals, but you know how well that worked in the cargo holds.”
I winced at that, but Mrs. Parker’s youngest son has a stubborn streak. “Set them up anyway, just make sure they’re well hidden. I’m heading back to the bridge.”
She gave me a look I couldn’t read. “What are you going to do?”
I smiled, “Try and track down that other ship. They’ve got a lot of stuff that belongs to us!”
* * *
Erdon and I exited the lift at a trot. We followed the curved corridor until we came to the cargo hold. Three crewman with phaser rifles were standing by, waiting on us. I indicated for two of them to hand the XO and I phaser pistols. So armed, we readied ourselves to enter the cargo hold.
"Heavy stun," I said to the security detail as I twisted the barrel of the phaser to a higher setting. "Shoot first, we'll ask questions later."
I took the lead position at the door. I know, it's not protocol, but I was pissed! Erdon gave me a questioning look and I shook my head. No time for arguments. Holding up my fingers, I counted down from three, took a deep breath, and entered the cargo hold.
I crouched low and swung my phaser around, seeking a target. There were no targets. In fact, the cargo hold was bare. Completely and totally empty. The narcotics case - gone. The rest of the cargo was also gone. No one had beamed in after all. They, whoever they were, had merely transported the cargo off the Merlin.
"Son of a . . ." I began, but held my temper in check. Blowing up in front of the crew wasn't going to help, even if it made me feel better.
Turning toward the security detail, I started barking orders. “You three head to the other cargo bay. No doubt we were cleaned out there too. XO, I need you to get on the computer shut-down. Warp drive has top priority.”
Erdon gave me a startled look. “Not weapons and shields?”
I shook my head. “Whoever pulled this off could have already blown us away if they wanted to. Get the mains back on-line, then shields and weapons. I’ll be along in a while – I’ve got some thinking to do.”
“Okay, I’ll get on it,” she said as she headed back to the bridge.
Looking around at the empty cargo bay, I shook my head. We’d been royally had. No. I had been had, not we. I had made the cardinal sin of underestimating our opponents. That was something that would not happen again! While Erdon was trouble-shooting the computer, I had some pondering to do. The wall communicator beeped, startling me out of my funk.
“Devereaux to Captain Parker.”
I stepped over and stabbed the comm button. “Parker, go ahead.”
“Sir, we’re in the other cargo bay. It’s just like you said it would be – empty.”
I took cold comfort in that. “Thanks, crewman. You all can return to your normal duties.” I took another look around the cargo bay. The emptiness mocked me. You screwed up, Parker. Your ship is a sitting duck, your supplies are gone, and you still have a saboteur on board. With those happy thoughts ringing in my head, I headed for my quarters.
* * *
With the lights at their dimmest setting, I sat in the outer office of my quarters, looking through the small viewport at the stars and the distant Molari Badlands. My mood and my stomach were equally sour. I didn’t have the time nor the luxury to wallow in self-pity and reproach. I had to figure out who was playing me like a cheap piano.
Turning to my desk, I activated the library computer. At least it was still up and running. After staring at the Border Service logo for a few seconds, I called up the Merlin’s manifest of 78 officers and crew. Taking the most logical tack, I searched for the crew members with computer skills. 20 names appeared with levels from 1 to 4. Seeing that three of our crew held level 4 computer ratings surprised me. Usually someone with that high a computer rating would serve on an explorer ship or large starbase, not a border cutter. The three names were Ensign M’Roal, Lt. Rhys-Davies, and the lovely Lt. Brooks (Don’t call me Sharlon!) Erdon.
I blew out a breath in frustration. That still didn’t tell me much, if anything. On a hunch, I called up the time-line of computer malfunctions with the arrival of new crew members. The glitches dated back about 20 months. This time, three names appeared. Lt. Rhys-Davies, Lt. Erdon, and a third name that caught me by surprise. “I’ll be damned . . .” I muttered.
Using my command access, I was able to call up Captain Treadway’s personnel file which had not yet been deleted from the ship’s computer banks. This hunch proved eerily correct. Treadway’s mental and emotional decline started about the same time as the computer problems and the addition of the two officers and the one crewman – some twenty months ago. Before that time Treadway had an exemplary record. Coincidence? I didn’t think so.
But so what? All I had were suspicions, guesswork, and a tenuous time-line of events. Nothing with which to make any kind of accusation, certainly. Hell, I still didn’t really know what was going on. But my gut was telling me I was on to something, although I wasn’t happy about where my suspicions were leading. Frustrated, I turned off the viewer and headed toward the bridge.
* * *
“Report!” I barked as I stepped onto the bridge. Lt. Erdon was busy at the Ops console and turned to me as I sat in the center seat.
“Everything’s back up and running. We’ve got warp drive, weapons, shields, the works.”
She obviously saw the surprised expression on my face as she continued, “It wasn’t anything I did. It just all came back up a couple of minutes ago. I’ve been running system diagnostics and everything seems fine.”
“Could the one responsible for sabotaging the computer core set it on some sort of schedule?”
She shrugged, “I don’t see why not. It would be easier than the hack job itself.”
“Where can the core be accessed? From any terminal?”
Erdon shook her head. “No. There’s only four places on board where you can access the main computer core subroutines – there’s an access terminal at the core itself, here at Ops, engineering, and auxiliary control. But you still need an access code to change any programming or override any system protocols.
“Who would have that?”
Erdon gave me a funny look. “The commanding officer. You.”
Damn! This was getting complicated. I decided to go with another gut hunch. Yeah, I know. One day my gut is going to get me killed. “XO, you and I need to have a talk in private.” It was time for a come to Jesus meeting.
* * *
One of the disadvantages of the Kestral-class ships are their lack of ready-rooms or conference rooms. Finding a place for a private conversation can be dicey. I wasn’t comfortable meeting with the XO in my quarters, enticing as the idea was on a certain level. Instead, we went to auxiliary control.
We entered the small room, finding it empty as was the norm. I indicated for the XO to sit in one of the two available chairs. I took the other and dove in.
“Lieutenant, why are you on the Merlin?”
A delicate eyebrow rose on the XO’s forehead and she crossed her arms, which served to accentuate her chest. I willed myself to maintain eye contact.
“You’ve no doubt read my personnel file, captain. You know I was court-martialed.”
“And acquitted,” I continued. “Been there, done that. I need to know what happened, lieutenant.”
I thought she was going to protest, but instead she actually blushed and her eyes fell. “Okay. It’s not like it’s a secret.” She took a deep breath to compose herself. “I was serving on the Baton Rouge as Ops officer and was up for promotion to lieutenant commander. The second officer – an admiral’s son with more connections than brains was . . . infatuated with me. I had repeatedly warned him off – told him I wasn’t interested. Anyway, several of us were on Rigel IV on shore leave. You ever been there? Yeah, it’s a rough place. I was in one of the bazaars looking around when there he was – drunk with a gleam in his eye. I tried to move past him but he grabbed me, pushed me into an alley and told me all the things he planned to do to me.” Erdon paused a moment, out of anger or embarrassment I wasn’t sure. “Instead of getting scared, I got mad. Who the hell was he to force himself on me? When he had me against a wall and was tearing at my tunic, I lost it. When it was over he had three broken ribs, a broken jaw and probably sang soprano for a week.”
“So why did you get in trouble for that?” I asked, “It was self-defense on your part.”
“I was stupid. I didn’t file a report. The whole incident seemed like a bad dream that I just wanted to forget. I figured he’d learned his lesson and would be too embarrassed to tell anyone what happened. I figured wrong.” She took a deep shuddering breath. “Before I knew it, I was being accused of assault and battery along with conduct unbecoming an officer. The captain saw a political hot-potato and hung me out to dry. Thank God my JAG counsel was sharp enough to get me off. But the damage was done. The word got out that I was ‘unstable, promiscuous, uncooperative, etc. etc.’ I had a choice between duty on a subspace relay station or the Border Service.” She spread her arms and looked around, “So here I am! That’s the sordid tale captain. Satisfied?” Her voice had a tremor of barely contained emotion.
I nodded. “Yeah, lieutenant. I am. Sorry to bring up painful memories, but I needed to know if you were for real. I think you’re playing it straight with me, but I need to ask you another question.” I leaned forward staring into those emerald eyes. “Did you sabotage the computer, lieutenant?”
For a moment, our gazes locked. Then, she shook her head slowly. “No sir. I did not!”
Sarah Barnes Parker and her three sons may have their faults, but any of us can spot a liar a mile off. I knew the XO was telling me the truth. Don’t ask me how – I’m not a Vulcan or Betazoid. I can’t read minds, but I seldom lose at poker and I can find my ass in the dark with both hands.
I kept my gaze steady. “Alright, XO. I believe you.”
To my shock and surprise, the XO hugged me. Not that I minded of course. And it was a purely platonic hug, so get your minds out of the gutter.
Erdon quickly released my neck and blushed again. “I’m sorry . . . I’m just – relieved and grateful that you believe me. The worst part of my experience on the Baton Rouge was when the captain didn’t believe me. He accepted that scum-bag Style's story instead.”
I felt a little awkward myself. “Um, that’s perfectly alright, XO. No problem.” It was time to get back on track, so I explained what I had discovered from the personnel files. She frowned as I told her of my suspicions.
“I don’t know, Sonny. That seems pretty thin. And none of them have done anything I would call suspicious.”
I noted that she called me by my nickname for the first time. Apparently some bridge had been crossed in this encounter. “If they’re involved, they’re smart enough not to draw attention to themselves. Besides, who else could have pulled off the computer hack job?”
“To be honest with you, I’m not sure I could have done it, even with a level 4 certification. And like I told you on the bridge, you need the command codes to override the programming.”
I nodded. “That’s right. And I think they have the codes – at least the old ones.”
“You mean Captain Treadway’s codes?”
“Think about it – Treadway’s problems didn’t begin until the time you all joined the crew. Suddenly he’s having problems with drinking, depression, and begins a mental and emotional slide. What if something happened to cause that slide?”
“What – blackmail? Somebody drugged him? Mind-control? Sonny, this is getting kind of far-fetched, isn’t it?”
“No more far-fetched than someone hacking our computer at will and all of our cargo stolen from under our noses!” I sighed. “Look, we’ll talk later. But I want to keep an eye on those three. Anyway you can keep tabs on them when they’re off-duty?”
She looked doubtful. “Our internal sensors aren’t that finely tuned. I can put sensors at all of the critical terminals, but you know how well that worked in the cargo holds.”
I winced at that, but Mrs. Parker’s youngest son has a stubborn streak. “Set them up anyway, just make sure they’re well hidden. I’m heading back to the bridge.”
She gave me a look I couldn’t read. “What are you going to do?”
I smiled, “Try and track down that other ship. They’ve got a lot of stuff that belongs to us!”
* * *
Parker's first attempt to solve the smuggling enterprise on his ship has failed and he's mad as hell. And he should be.
I enjoyed everything here. The investigation, the revelation on Brooks' background and Parker's anger over what he has allowed to happen right under his nose.
This is proving to be a fantastic mystery and I can't wait to find out who the bad guys are.
I enjoyed everything here. The investigation, the revelation on Brooks' background and Parker's anger over what he has allowed to happen right under his nose.
This is proving to be a fantastic mystery and I can't wait to find out who the bad guys are.
I liked the scene between Brooks and Parker--at least he's got one person on his side. But there's still the other suspects...
You are spinning an intriguing mystery here--what exactly did whoever is responsible for this have on Treadway and are they going to try something similar with Parker. I have a feeling if they do, they might be in for a rude surprise as Parker plants a size 13 in their posteriors as he boots them out the airlock.
Right now, I'm betting the bad guys are Orions, but anything's possible!
You are spinning an intriguing mystery here--what exactly did whoever is responsible for this have on Treadway and are they going to try something similar with Parker. I have a feeling if they do, they might be in for a rude surprise as Parker plants a size 13 in their posteriors as he boots them out the airlock.
Right now, I'm betting the bad guys are Orions, but anything's possible!
This remains my favorite story-line here currently, well except for mine that is..but it's a close second.
Keep up the awesome work. I don't know why more people aren't reading this.
I wasn't suspecting the implication of so many people...the plot continues to thicken.
Keep up the awesome work. I don't know why more people aren't reading this.
I wasn't suspecting the implication of so many people...the plot continues to thicken.
Sir,
More please.
Faster, please.
More please.
Faster, please.
Sorry for the lateness of my response, it’s been one of those weeks.
Terrific chapter here, most especially the conversation between Parker and Erdon. You’ve encapsulated their budding professional relationship especially well, most notably the in the touchingly spontaneous hug. Parker’s troubles vis-à-vis the crew run very deep, I’m afraid, and he’s barely scratched the surface.
You’re giving us terrific insights into these characters, while simultaneously maintaining an air of mystery about the ship and crew… no easy feat. Well done!
Terrific chapter here, most especially the conversation between Parker and Erdon. You’ve encapsulated their budding professional relationship especially well, most notably the in the touchingly spontaneous hug. Parker’s troubles vis-à-vis the crew run very deep, I’m afraid, and he’s barely scratched the surface.
You’re giving us terrific insights into these characters, while simultaneously maintaining an air of mystery about the ship and crew… no easy feat. Well done!
Thanks for the comments, guys! I hope to add more to the “Border Dogs” story this week. Some Real-Life™ events have slowed down my writing and posting a bit. Glad you’re enjoying the story.
Just a friendly bump.
Hutt, thanks for the bump. I hope to get back to "Border Dogs" in the near future. I want to finish my current "Bluefin" story and I'm also working on a "Bluefin Retro" story off-site, so it may be a while. I've found that writing a first-person story is both fun and limiting. Fun, in that you can really get inside a particular character's head, but limited in that everything is from his point of view. With that said, I don't intend to keep Captain Parker and the crew of the Merlin dangling in the wind forever - they'll be back!
Sorry for the long hiatus for Captain Parker and the crew of the Merlin! On with the story . . .
Chapter 10
After Lt. Erdon left Auxiliary Control, I sat down at the sensor console. I'd learned a few things over the course of my convoluted career - one of those being how to find and track warp signatures.
I had planned to go to the bridge and work, but I still wasn't certain about Rhys-Davies or M'Roal, both on duty up there. They were still on my short-list of possible moles. No point in letting them in on what I was doing.
It took a good bit of concentration to rig the sensors where they could search for a warp signature. I never heard anyone come in behind me 'til I noticed a shadow move on the bulkhead, then someone turned off the overhead lights and tried to turn off mine.
I rolled out of the chair just as an energy beam sizzled past me, impacting the sensor panel which exploded in an impressive shower of sparks and flames. So much for the last hour's work! Part of my mind that wasn't in the "save your ass!" mode, realized that the sound of the weapon was odd - not a phaser, but still familiar.
I expected another bolt to head in my direction, but nothing happened. Curiosity trumped self-preservation and I peeked around the console I was using as cover. No one was there.
Pulse pounding from the adrenaline rush (it's amazing how your body reacts when someone's trying to kill you), I grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall as a make-shift weapon. Okay, not the best choice against a beam-weapon, but better than nothing.
I had the presence of mind to go to the wall panel to call for help. But slapping the switch only brought silence - the wall comm was off-line. I was on my own.
Keeping low, I moved into the corridor and quickly looked left and right. The curvature of the hallway limited my field of vision. Eenie-meenie-miney-mo, I chose left.
I had only moved about six meters when I came upon a prone body sprawled in the middle of the corridor. The smoldering blast wound on his chest told me he'd be of little help explaining what happened. Lying next to him was a familiar artifact - a Klingon disruptor pistol. In fact, it was my Klingon disruptor pistol that supposedly was in a locked trunk in my locked quarters. Not good.
Footsteps approached. I whirled and raised the fire extinguisher to strike.
Crewman 2nd Class Shaedo Ri dropped the data solids she was carrying and held up her hands in surprise and fear. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her captain brandishing a fire extinguisher like a bludgeon. I quickly lowered the cannister and was about to speak, when her eyes fell on the corpse in the corridor. She let out a strangled scream, looked at me again, then turned and ran.
"Crewman!" I called after her to no avail. Great! I had a dead man lying in the corridor, likely dispatched with my disruptor pistol, and now one of the crew thinks the Captain is a homicidal maniac!
And the day had started so well!
I found another comm panel in the corridor. This one worked when I hit the button.
"Parker to Lt. Erdon,"
There was a pause before Brooks came on. "Erdon, go ahead Captain."
"We've got a . . . situation outside of Auxiliary Control. Get Mutt down here and a security detail on the double!"
Erdon's voice tightened with alarm. "What's wrong?"
"I just about got fried with a disruptor. One of our crew wasn't as lucky as I was. He's lying in the corridor with a hole bigger than my head in his chest."
"Who is it?"
It dawned on me that I hadn't checked. Shaedo Ri had come up on me before I had done so.
"Didn't get a look at his face yet. Get on down here. Oh, and if you see Crewman Ri running around the ship, you might need to calm her down a bit. She thinks I'm trying to kill her."
"What?" Erdon's voice took on a comical note of surprise.
"Just . . . get down here," I said, the adrenaline rush fading a bit as I punched off the comm panel.
I've seen a few dead men in my day, so I don't spook easily. Still, I didn't relish the task of identifying the poor guy sprawled on the deck.
Steeling myself, I moved back to him and knelt down. The sickly smell of charred flesh stung my nostrils and my stomach lurched. No, I didn't puke. Oh yeah, I recognized him.
It was Lt.(j.g.) Rhys-Davies.
* * *
Chapter 10
After Lt. Erdon left Auxiliary Control, I sat down at the sensor console. I'd learned a few things over the course of my convoluted career - one of those being how to find and track warp signatures.
I had planned to go to the bridge and work, but I still wasn't certain about Rhys-Davies or M'Roal, both on duty up there. They were still on my short-list of possible moles. No point in letting them in on what I was doing.
It took a good bit of concentration to rig the sensors where they could search for a warp signature. I never heard anyone come in behind me 'til I noticed a shadow move on the bulkhead, then someone turned off the overhead lights and tried to turn off mine.
I rolled out of the chair just as an energy beam sizzled past me, impacting the sensor panel which exploded in an impressive shower of sparks and flames. So much for the last hour's work! Part of my mind that wasn't in the "save your ass!" mode, realized that the sound of the weapon was odd - not a phaser, but still familiar.
I expected another bolt to head in my direction, but nothing happened. Curiosity trumped self-preservation and I peeked around the console I was using as cover. No one was there.
Pulse pounding from the adrenaline rush (it's amazing how your body reacts when someone's trying to kill you), I grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall as a make-shift weapon. Okay, not the best choice against a beam-weapon, but better than nothing.
I had the presence of mind to go to the wall panel to call for help. But slapping the switch only brought silence - the wall comm was off-line. I was on my own.
Keeping low, I moved into the corridor and quickly looked left and right. The curvature of the hallway limited my field of vision. Eenie-meenie-miney-mo, I chose left.
I had only moved about six meters when I came upon a prone body sprawled in the middle of the corridor. The smoldering blast wound on his chest told me he'd be of little help explaining what happened. Lying next to him was a familiar artifact - a Klingon disruptor pistol. In fact, it was my Klingon disruptor pistol that supposedly was in a locked trunk in my locked quarters. Not good.
Footsteps approached. I whirled and raised the fire extinguisher to strike.
Crewman 2nd Class Shaedo Ri dropped the data solids she was carrying and held up her hands in surprise and fear. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her captain brandishing a fire extinguisher like a bludgeon. I quickly lowered the cannister and was about to speak, when her eyes fell on the corpse in the corridor. She let out a strangled scream, looked at me again, then turned and ran.
"Crewman!" I called after her to no avail. Great! I had a dead man lying in the corridor, likely dispatched with my disruptor pistol, and now one of the crew thinks the Captain is a homicidal maniac!
And the day had started so well!
I found another comm panel in the corridor. This one worked when I hit the button.
"Parker to Lt. Erdon,"
There was a pause before Brooks came on. "Erdon, go ahead Captain."
"We've got a . . . situation outside of Auxiliary Control. Get Mutt down here and a security detail on the double!"
Erdon's voice tightened with alarm. "What's wrong?"
"I just about got fried with a disruptor. One of our crew wasn't as lucky as I was. He's lying in the corridor with a hole bigger than my head in his chest."
"Who is it?"
It dawned on me that I hadn't checked. Shaedo Ri had come up on me before I had done so.
"Didn't get a look at his face yet. Get on down here. Oh, and if you see Crewman Ri running around the ship, you might need to calm her down a bit. She thinks I'm trying to kill her."
"What?" Erdon's voice took on a comical note of surprise.
"Just . . . get down here," I said, the adrenaline rush fading a bit as I punched off the comm panel.
I've seen a few dead men in my day, so I don't spook easily. Still, I didn't relish the task of identifying the poor guy sprawled on the deck.
Steeling myself, I moved back to him and knelt down. The sickly smell of charred flesh stung my nostrils and my stomach lurched. No, I didn't puke. Oh yeah, I recognized him.
It was Lt.(j.g.) Rhys-Davies.
* * *
Great to see Parker and the Merlin back! What noir would be complete without an effort to frame the main character?
The mystery grows deeper and deeper...
The mystery grows deeper and deeper...
Glad to see the Merlin back.
Aaron McGuire
Aaron McGuire
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