The Bitter Taste of Nostalgia

Posted on Sun May 31st, 2020 @ 2:11pm by Captain Abigail Laurens & Lieutenant Colonel Johnathon Hayter & Lieutenant Farizah Alani

Mission: Into The Delta Triangle

She was rattled, that much was given. Lockwood's arrival and departure had left her shaken. In the time after she had made the call to both Farizah and John she had retreated to her bedroom and changed into more appropriate clothing, an over-sized sweater, one she had 'borrowed' from David on her trip to the Gladiator and a pair of jeans while she waited, the feeling of being dressed at least making her feel a little more in control. Finally, she returned back to the living area and grabbed the bottle of scotch from under the bottom drawer of her desk and pouring a healthy measure into a glass, swallowing half of it in one hit before refilling it again.

The chime went off and the marine walked in quickly scanning the room with his eyes. He was in his jeans and tshirt. His holster now strapped to his thigh and pistol prepped and ready to go. He may not be going into a battle, but he wasn't the type to just walk around unarmed. He popped his lips as he looked at the captain and cocked his head. "That sweater looks familiar."

Pulling the sleeves down over her hands to warm them up, even though she wasn't actually cold, Abigail cast a withering look at Hayter as she picked up the glass and took a gulp of the dark amber liquid. "The Gladiator was cold," she responded simply.

"Wait... the old or new Gladiator?" John asked as he looked more shocked. "Cause I haven't seen the new one yet. Something about being rushed away from Earth to soon for our deployment."

"New..." Abigail grabbed a second mug and poured a glass, handing it to Hayter before refilling her own. "David and I had breakfast the morning we left," she explained quietly.

Farizah had arrived shortly after, hand resting idly on her phaser as she stepped through the threshold. Security overrides had their merits for sure. She heard voices and was disappointed to find Lieutenant Colonel Hayter there with the Captain. "Is this leatherneck bothering you, Ma'am?" Farizah asked, her hand still resting on the grip of her sidearm, the type-II.

The colonel turned a bit with the glass in his hand filled with the brown liquid and scanned the bolian. He raised an eye brow before taking a big gulp of the liquid. He was more than capable of coming back with a sparky comeback, but he was content with the drink and the fact that the lieutenant thinking he was a joke.

"Lieutenant Alani," Abigail started, turning toward the Bolian and offering a smile. "No... honestly, he's the least of my problems. Drink?" she asked, offering up the bottle.

"He's the least of everyone's problems, usually" she replied flashing a 'pleasant' smile at the marine. "I have some time before I am actually off duty, but by all means treat yourself to glass or few, and tell me what's troubling you?"

Abigail poured a second glass and handed it to Farizah. "Lockwood was here," she said quietly. "In my quarters." She walked across to her desk and picked up the device he had appeared from and tossed it to Farizah. "He contacted me via comms, this appeared in my quarters and then moments later he appeared in holographic form."

Guess I'm having a drink after all thought the Bolian. She found a nearby chair and straddled it, after the Captain tossed her the device. "Handy, and creepy" she said with some suspicions. "And here I thought I attracted the crazies."

"I want to know how the hell he got that into my quarters and how he ended up here," she said calmly, fixing her attention on Farizah. "And I want to know how I stop this from happening again. I do NOT want him here. Not now, not ever. Clear enough?"

"I would say either planted when he was last aboard or done so more recently like during shore leave" offered Farizah. "I hate to say it, but the later would not surprise me at this point. That thing you wanted done that didn't work out for us, yeah that was no random mechanical error."

Abigail shook her head. "It appeared in front of me while he was talking to me on the comm," she said calmly as she took a sip of her drink. "It wasn't planted before."

"Mmmm," replied Farziah rolling it around playful in her hand. "Momma like" she added. The Bolian looked at the Captain "Curiouser and curiouser," stated Farizah. "If it was not here before, then I would say it was potentially transported aboard or was cloaked."

"...Momma like..." John cocked his head and looked at the security officer. This was much more curious then anything. "If it was transported aboard, there would have been computer sensors that picked up on the beam. Operations and security safety protocol systems would have kicked in to warn us of that happening. If the system was bypassed, we could be able to scan for residual transporter activity in the room.

"As for a cloaking idea. I'd lean more towards this idea or something similar. Phasing, cloaking, or camouflage technologies would make more sense. Any of those would offer up a power fluctuation which we could can for. An admiral would have knowledge and possible sticky fingers to get such technology for personal use," he paused with a shrug and took a sip of his drink. He took a deep breath before he finished off his thought. "But there is a major issue with this theory. If this is how it got here, you have a stow away, or a spy on your ship. Someone in this Admirals pay role."

Abigail turned toward Hayter, knowing he'd be the one of the two that would truly understand the weight of her next words. "I was in pyjamas," she said quietly. "And I think he knows about David. He made a comment."

She swallowed half the drink and then glanced between both of them. "I want this stopped. I don't want to have to spend every night worrying about whether or not he's going to be popping in unannounced."

Farizah sighed. "Excellent, more for the Chief Intelligence Officer to bitch about" she said bitterly. "As if mock explosive devices were not bad enough, I have to deal with saboteurs, stowaways, spies, and jarheads" the Bolian muttered. Her eyes rolled over towards Hayter. "Trust all your little marines?"

"I trust all the Marines," Abigail said calmly. "They came from the Gladiator. I trust Captain Hawkins, I trust Colonel Hayter and I trust his people, just as I trust you and your people." She sighed and took a breath. "Get that... thing... to science. Let them take a look at it and see if they can work out what the hell it is. Lieutenant Alani, he was on my comms before he appeared here, can you find out where his communication came from? Check transporter logs and sensors and see if you can find out how it got here."

"Aye Captain," replied Farizah swiftly. She was not about to make a scene that she personally did not trust the Marines, but she also did not trust her own security personnel. "I will see to it personally myself. If I'm able to trace where the communication came from, do I have permission to hunt him down and castrate him?"

"Take him with you if you do," Abigail said with a nod toward Hayter. "He'll be your alibi."

"I believe the word you were looking for was albatross, Captain, but I'll do so."

"Hold on there," Hayter piped in as he raised his now empty glass to pause the two. "There are several things I joke about, but when it comes to a spy, I don't. So for this moment in time, put your personal trust in me to the side," he looked at the bolian and sighed. "She is right, the marines did come to this ship from Gladiator whom I chose myself and Hawkins cleared as well. For the past three years, we have had our long list of back stabing bastards and we weren't going to to bring them here as best as possible. But..." he turned his focus to the captain and backed the security chief. "We all need to be cautious with all personal. Marines, security officers... hell barbers. I'd be a bad senior officer is I didn't side with your security chief's skepticism. We need to be through with them all. I say clear me and Alani first, then go down the list. But when Smurfette is ready to hunt the bastard down, I'm happy to watch her back as she castrates the son of a bitch."

"With all due respect, to Colonel leatherneck," Farizah began with a smile "He is correct that we need to operate on a trust no one bases. I do not even trust my own personnel, and I am afraid that is not me being overly suspicious. We me have more than one spy or mole aboard. This could be a small infestation" the Bolian explained. "The best place to put one for access wise would be Intelligence, Security, Marines, but you cannot rule out Operations and Engineering."

Hayter smirked as he went over and started to refill his glass before offering to refill the captain's as well.The lieutenant may not like him, but he was more than sure he was going to enjoy working with her. And even better, he knew, without a doubt, she wasn't the spy. She was upfront and honest. That was what he was willing to trust over those that held back. "So what is this little duhicky that Admiral Pervy Dipshit left for you?"

"Some kind of holographic transmitter I assume?" Abigail said quietly, offering a nod to Hayter and holding her glass out to be refilled. "I was sitting at my desk, it appeared in front of me, he told me to turn it on, I did," She cast a glance at Farizah, taking in the strangled expression on the Bolian's face. "Yes, I know, not my finest moment."

"Good to know any questionable man can get you to do whatever just by saying to do it..." John nodded after topping her off. "Drink that glass in one gulp and promote the first blue skinned smurfette you see." He smiled in an evil way before shrugging and looked at Alani. "Can't say I didn't try."

"Captain, I will happily stun his ass if you want. Just give me the tiniest nod. I mean the tiniest" commented Farizah. She knew the Captain wasn't going to. "Just do the Colonel and I a favor and if a old woman offers you an apple, do not bite it."

"But I like apples," Abigail replied with a pout before shaking her head. "I was distracted and didn't think clearly, again, not something I intend to make a repeat performance." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "I shouldn't let him get under my skin, but he does."

"Well, he might get under your skin, but he makes mine crawl" replied Farizah. "I want to find him, and then I want the Colonel and I to have a very stern talking with him."

"Sounds good to me... love the stern talking. Nothing is better than playing bad cop, psycho bitch ready to castrate you to get a man to talk...," Hayter nodded in agreement with Alani. "Count me in. Nobody perves out on Davy's girl without a nut cuttin'."

"I cannot wait until you return to the Gladiator or wherever you can kick things and get your rocks off" replied Farizah.

Abigail glanced from one to the other, and shook her head, finishing her drink and setting the glass down. "Whatever this is..." she stated calmly, motioning with one hand between the two of them. "If it interferes with this ship, I'll have you both reassigned to a Ferengi garbage scow together, got it? Now I mean this with all the politeness I can muster...
Get out."

She caught the wide grin from the Bolian as the Chief of Security turned on her heel and started walking toward the door, only the sound of Hayter's voice trailing back as they walked out into the corridor. "So tell me, when you castrate the man, you going to use the old fashion rubber bands or the good old twist and yank?"