Squaring Up
Posted on Mon Oct 30th, 2023 @ 9:00am by Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant JG Gage Tohoyia
Edited on on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 @ 8:13pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: SCIF - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 1100 hrs
Rowena was looking in to the replicator in to her office and checked the history list. "Staff Warrant Officer Masters, you had a sweet tooth." She said smiling to herself as she saw, hot chocolate, fresh mint tea with honey. Even some sweet juices were going about. And of course Rowena did notice the bottle of Scotch behind her desk with a note that said read: "Lieutenant, please accept this small token as a little welcome to your new post. Make sure you don't drink this alone, I recommend inviting Major Tremble now and then. Neil really needs some platonic company now and then, which I am now unable to provide."
Rowena really liked that sentiment. She'd make sure to to look up the Major with this bottle now ant then.
She sighed as she finally ordered a fresh mint tea with honey. She looked around her office. Aside from being a sweet tooth, Jennifer was also really neat and tidy. Rowena was somewhat like that too. It wasn't hard for her to find the department reports neatly organized and labeled. As well as full reports of what was going on on the ship right up to the point before she left. She shook her head, "What were you doing here?" But she had to admit, Jennifer was thorough, exactly what her personnel file described.
She grabbed the latest department report and with her tea mug in her other hand she walked out of her office into her department. Everyone had a place here. Everyone was doing what they did best. All the computer screens, data going back and forth. It all looked and sounded boring, but after her time in the Paranormal unit, boring was really all she needed right now.
The room was bigger than a meeting room. There were a total of 6 computer consoles and a big screen. Aside from her office, there was also the entrance to the intelligence vault, and then of course, if you left the nerve center, as she liked to call it, there was the check-in hall.
There was a front desk, with a security officer and a marine officer, and a nice little waiting area. But you couldn't get it without authorization, so make sure you're authorized before trying to walk into 'the belly of the beast'.
Gage managed to locate where the intelligence office was on the ship but was surprised when he found a screening desk with two officers, one security and one Marine, sitting behind a desk. They both looked at him when he walked into the space, their eyes assessing him, taking in his rank and collar color.
"Can we help you?" The security officer asked.
"I'm looking for Commander McGowen. I'm changing duty stations and have been assigned to the Pioneer," Gage said and handed over a PADD with his orders. The two officers looked at the orders and then back at him.
"Have a seat in the waiting room, please, Lieutenant. I'll let the Commander know you are here."
Gage nodded and found a seat in the small waiting room.
Rowena got a notification from the security and marine outside and she walked out to see who it was. When she saw the lieutenant she turned to the security and marine. "Do you two know how to use a computer, this is Lieutenant Tohoya, he is my new officer. And at least one of you can see colors."
She turned back to Gage. "Hello, Lieutenant, please come into our workspace. Let me show you around before I take you to the office. Do you want any refreshments?"
Gage stood up. After the cold reception at the desk, the commander's casual, friendly demeanor was unexpected but welcome. "Yes, commander, I would love a drink and some orientation. It has been a while since I've been stationed on a starship and never one of this size," Gage said. He glanced over at the two officers who'd been dressed down by the intelligence commander. They were purposely avoiding making eye contact with anyone. He smiled.
"After you, sir," he said and followed Commander McGowen.
Rowena walked into the greater room with all computers and intelligence officers. "Well, here we are. The SCIF. The nerve center of the ship, this is where all the magic happens." She pointed to the back. "That is the intelligence vault, that's what we need to protect in case of infiltration. All top secret high level security is kept there." She then moved over to a door relatively close to the vault. And this is my office." She walked to the replicator. "What can I get you, Lieutenant?"
"Lemonade, please," Gage said as he looked over the SCIF. He'd been in them before but not one quite like this and certainly not one that he would be in for more than a brief period of time. "Looks good, Commander. Now that we're alone, I am curious if you have any idea why I have been assigned to the Pioneer. Do you have a lot of use for an infiltration specialist like me? I'm happy to jump in wherever but I have spent a lot of time building up my infil skills over the past couple of years."
"I am sure we can find a use for those skills, but for now it would be great if you assist at the department for know. I would gladly read your report on your adventure in that camp." She winked at him smiling. She walked to the replicator. "Can I..." She stopped as she hissed a little. A sharp pain stung in her arm as she felt the mark on her arm almost burn a hole in her arm. She rubbed it a little and turned to the replicator. "Can I get you something, Lieutenant?" She ignored the pain.
Gage frowned. Clearly, the Commander was still in significant pain. "Are you alright, Commander? Is there something I can do for you?" He asked. "I suppose my report might dull your senses if you think that would help. I'm not the greatest writer." He felt so strange to be talking to a new chief and building a new working relationship. He knew that the two of them had to come together in order to give the Pioneer the information it needed to be the most effective.
Rowena rubbed her arm. "It's fine, Lieutenant, I may just need some rest. So much has happened." She smiled to him as she felt the pain disappear, but she knew she would have a new mark on her arm to go with it. She knew she had to put her trust and faith in her new crewmate, but for moment she would like to push away the memories.
"Can I get you something from the replicator," she offered.
"No, I think the lemonade is all I can handle right now. My body isn't sure what time it is now. I'm a little frazzled with the move," Gage said. "But I'll be back to normal in no time, I am sure. I am curious what duties you have in mind for me?"
"Fair enough, please join me in my office." Rowena pointed to her office as she walked to it. As they walked in she pointed him a seat. "Please sit down. I have a very important task for you when you're done with your report. Of course." She took a seat behind her desk. She leaned forward on her desk. "I need you to get me some information and speak to no one, not even the captain about this. I'll inform the captain soon enough. But I need someone that's been around, and not afraid to turn up some stones or dig really deep to get what is needed, you think you are up for that?"
Gage sat down in the offered chair, listening to what the Commander was saying. "Of course, sir," he said. "I have often worked on compartmentalized intelligence operations. I've also been told that I tend to get a little obsessive with my investigations. I'll turn over the stones and the pebbles and the chips until I find what you need. What's the target?"
"The paranormal unit. Starfleet claims it doesn't exist, like Section 31. But I used to work for them, they couldn't just have vanished. And I need answers. The lives of this crew depend on it. That is all I can say about this for now. But I won't let you go into this empty-handed." She opened a drawer and took out a padd. She put it on his side of the desk. "This is my share of information on the Paranormal unit, what I could find, but most importantly, everything I could find about the USS Malificus. My previous assignment before my hiatus and my placement on the Pioneer. The ship is mothballed. The crew was spread all over the fleet. Don't bother looking for them. They are all deceased or missing. We must get in contact with them. They are the only ones that can help with this. I want you to do this, the captain won't get very far with his connections, I tried that. this unit is as inconspicuous as Section 31." She leaned back as she let him take all the information in.
The information that the Commander threw at him was a lot to absorb. Gage, like most people in the field, had an understanding of Section 31. But he'd never heard of anything called a Paranormal Unit. He picked up the PADD and glanced down at it and then looked back up. He had the distinct feeling that he was about to get involved with something dangerous, which was right up his alley. "I've never heard of the Paranormal Unit before, sir. It sounds a little farcical, to be honest. But if you've got the intelligence, I can definitely run down the crew of the Malificus. I'm assuming that this is going to require me to leave the ship. Do we have clearance for this mission?" He asked. At least I won't have to undergo another skin modification procedure he thought as he waited for his superior's response.
"Lieutenant," Rowena then formally stated. "Under my authority as second officer and Chief Intelligence, this mission is classified. The captain is not aware of this mission, as this is classified above his head. I am giving you an order, any repercussion will be on me, do you understand me, Lieutenant?" She looked at him intently. She knew this was going to be a dangerous mission, but she couldn't get anymore people involved than there currently were.
Gage considered the repercussions but he'd been in the intelligence field for a while now and he knew that some operations were compartmentalized to protect others, not to keep them in the dark. "Yes, sir," Gage said. "I'm with you. Let's get down to business and see what we can do together."
Rowena nodded satisfied. "Very good, Lieutenant. Now let's see how your skills work. I have been trying to contact the Paranormal unit, but have been unsuccessful thus far. We're currently at Poseidon station, and I have it from one of my contacts in Starfleet Intel that there is a faction of the Science Council on the station. Most likely from another illusive unit, the Temporal Investigations. They may be easier to contact, but it still won't be a walk in the park. Maybe you could try and see if they are in the know of the paranormal unit." She rummaged through her notes and looked on a padd. "I have not much information either. I don't even have a name to that unit. But perhaps you have ways to get in."
Gage wasn't worried about gaining access. He'd done it before, many times. "If you give me the name, sir, I will take it and run with it right away. I've got some contacts I can lean on to make some introductions. We will find the people we are looking for."
Rowena looked at the padd at the little information she had. "Alright looks like I do have a name." She tapped her fingers on the desk a moment and then handed the padd over to Gage. "There is a Captain Thorrin. I don't know much about him. My contacts name in the paranormal unit was Colonel Jonathan Frasier. Maybe the commander is able to contact him again. I have been unable since my return to the fleet. He was the one that got me from the Malificus. I really hope he is still alive, or he is just holding me on a loop. But this is all the information I got."
Gage nodded and took the PADD. He read through the names of the contacts and the related information. "I under stand, Commander. I'd like to get to work on this right away. I have access to a contact from my time on Cardassia as well. Between both yours and mine, I should be able to turn up something," Gage said and stood up. "Permission to begin?"
"Permission granted," Rowena got up as well and she nodded to him and once again reminded him of the classification of the mission and then nodded to the door. "Dismissed, Lieutenant." She then silently watched as he walked out of the door, still feeling a bit uneasy.
Gage walked out the meeting feeling like he finally had a chance to prove himself on the ship. He considered himself to be an intelligence professional but all his experience was incredibly different than what he was doing on the Pioneer.
"Time to get to work," he said to himself.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Gage Tohoyia
Infiltration Specialist, USS Pioneer
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