RP Log: Interrogation, Step 1
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| 2023-09-23 22:15 | |
- Detention Center - Deck 10 <USS Phoenix NCC-170100-A>
- The detention center is a rather spartan area of the ship used to detain individuals who pose security risks or crew who have violated regulations or conducted misdemeanours. There are six brig cells here, as well as a console located in the far corner of the room that is used to lower the forcefields that contain the cells' occupants. The whole room, from decks to bulkheads to ceiling, is a drab grey and bright lights from overhead panels illuminate even the slightest trace of a shadow.
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] The prisoner is fast asleep in his cell. The guards inform you he has not been cooperative, or even nice. A bit of a single minded brute.
T'Shaav enters the detention area, carrying something she doesn't usually have with her, a chair. "Mr. Neidermeier, you need to wake up," she calls. Setting the chair down in front of the forcefield, she sits as though intending to have a conversation.
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] Jonathan asks in a turse tone, "Why, is breakfast here? Otherwise, frack off."
The Vulcan checks with the duty guards about breakfast and whehter it's already come or not. Turning back to the prisoner she says, unruffled, "I think you have had some time to think about your situation, Mr. Neidermeier."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "Damn straight, and I have the right to a lawyer. Ain't seen nothing of the kind, not even mentioned. I ain't no fleeter, don't have to answer to your military rules." Jonathan retorts.
"You do have the right to counsel," the Vulcan says. "But before you do that, I have something for you to think about." Her tone never does vary much, but she appears to be taking a less confrontational, less strictly military mode.
[Remote Uplink Device (5164): T'Shaav Uplink Device (5164)'Shaav: T'Shaav to Worthington. Report to my location, non-urgent.]
[Remote Uplink Device (5164): Worthington Uplink Device (16491): Aye commander.]
Lieutenant Commander Worthington arrives from Security Complex.
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "Been doin' too much thinkin'." Jonathan replies.
Worthington enters the room. "Good evening. I was already in the area commander," he says.
T'Shaav is sitting in a chair in front of Neidermeier's brig cell, number 6. She appears to be in dialogue with the prisoner. "Thank you, Mr. Worthington. Mr. Neidermeier could use his breakfast." She turns to the prisoner.
"Cells are good places for thinking. I have spent time in them, myself," she offers. "You may not know, we found another body in an airlock on deck 19, while you have been with us."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "That twasn't me." Jonathan says, "I ain't killed no body." He chuckles.
Worthington walks over to a replicator, considers, then gets something rather straightforward and simple. He approaches the cell, drawing his phaser and motioning with it, he deactivates the forcefield only long enough to slide the breakfast tray inside, before sealing the cell once more. Satisfied, he holsters his phaser and moves casually back across the room to stand next to his Vulcan superior.
"No, it was not you," the Vulcan says. "In fact, I do not really think you are a natural killer. Others? Yes. But not you. It does not fit."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] Jonathan growls at T'Shaav, then Worth, but takes the breakfast. He shields it from any possible thiefs, though none are here.
Worthington nods, not really sure what to say, not sure on T'Shaav's angle with this. He keeps his face passive and neutral for the time being.
T'Shaav notes the body language without necessarily appearing to. She checks this and that on her padd, giving the prisoner a modicum of privacy to eat. Turning back to him, she says, "I tell you something, Mr. Neidermeier. Mr. Worthington and I have been thinking about the things that have happened on this ship. We think your part in things was not so great as others. But the courts may not see it that way though. You see the trouble there."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "Oh yah? So by telling you my story you'll go lenient on me, is that it?" Jonathan retorts, "Confess all my sins and rat out any accomplices and things will go better for me."
Worthington smiles. "That's the rub though, isn't it," he says. "You see, we really don't have a choice in the matter. Starfleet officers aren't judges. Sure, we may be able to say a word here or there, give a legal official a reason to sentence one way, or another," he pauses for a moment. "But it's not our call to make. You see," he says, "The courts as it stands have a rather nice murder case. We've got 2 dead bodies aboard, and rather strong evidence linking you to one of the murders, plus an attack on one of our officers. Given that, I'm afraid, the courts would have no choice but to put you away for a while. Rest assured though, you will have plenty of time to think. Plenty of time. A lot in fact. If you're lucky, you may even get out in your lifetime." He pauses again. "On the other hand, if your involvement in this unfortunate set of affairs is a minor one, we could speak to the courts on your behalf. They won't take our word for it though. We'd need some strong evidence to convince them. Maybe you won't atrophy in a prison cell. Maybe, you won't find yourself hated wherever you go. Who knows. If you do give us something to work with though, the courts would have a very good reason to treat you more favorably. After all, their concern is seeing to it that the trouble stops. They just want this whole mess resolved."
T'Shaav gazes at the man. "Think about it this way," she says. "Let us say that five people commit an act together, say, a robbery of a museum, and someone is killed by accident during the heist. As they get caught, one by one, alone, facing the law, they begin to consider their own situations. One man thinks about the fact that he was just a lookout, but he did not plan it. One man thinks about the fact that he carried the latinum away and piloted the air car, but he did not kill the museum official. Each one faces justice alone." A beat. "Your compatriots do not care about you. They will not try to break you out of jail. They will not protect you when they are caught. But you are the first." A beat. "That means, you have the best chance of helping us understand how this all worked. If you were not the mastermind, you should not suffer the same fate as the coldblooded murderer."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] Jonathan looks about to say something, then catches himself, "You almost had me there. I'm no rat, even if there were someone to point a finger at. Nice try though."
T'Shaav thinks about it. "You know something, Mr. Neidermeier? I do not think you meant Rosanna Jenkins to die. You were the hired help, the backup man, the assistant. And she was not cooperating, was she? She insulted you, perhaps. Emotions rung strong--my people have struggled before with very strong emotions. Things happen. So, someone struck her, a little too hard, and she died. But there is a difference between accident and, not an accident." A beat. "If she died by accident, that is another matter and may help us to know that."
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "Fine, it was an accident, now what?" Jonathan asks.
Worthington smiles, showing teeth. "We already know that there's someone else to point a finger at. If you would like to spend the rest of your life rotting in a prison cell, you can continue in this illogical and vain attempt to hide your associates from us," he says. "Though, as you are no doubt aware, this ship is on a deep space exploration mission. While Federation penal colonies are rather nice by the standards of most prisons in the quadrant, I am afraid that we cannot offer you such eminities. Our mission takes precedent, and we'll be out here, at least a few years, maybe longer. I don't see any reason why you should get particularly much time outside of that cell. You are a proven danger to the ship after all. We have to insure you are kept under guard at all times. Though, we would honestly love nothing more than to rid our hands of you. If we had this whole situation resolved, you and your accomplasses could be back on your way to the Federation, back to the relative comfort of a Federation prison. Your time is limited though. That offer will not be on the table for very long, and we're not going to expend our own resources on someone who tried to murder one of our own, so your position aboard this ship is something you may wish to consider. You could be living here for a while." He looks around at the brig cell's dimensions. "I do hope you are comfortable in there."
T'Shaav sighs and shakes her head at Worthington. "Enough threats, Commander. Take a breath and calm yourself." She turns back to Neidermeier. "Pardon Mr. Worthington. He has been highly stressed lately."
Worthington nods. "One of my friends almost dying does tend to have that effect," he says to the prisoner, then nodding to the vulcan, He steps away.
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] Jonathan laughs, "You two are on different ships, your stories are so out of sync." He puts the food tray in the receptacle, "Thanks for breakfast."
T'Shaav appears unruffled. "You are the one with a story to tell, Mr. Neidermeier. But do think about what I have said." She stands. "Think about your situation, and perhaps we will have another conversation soon."
Worthington nods and prepares to follow the vulcan commander out. "Perhaps we will have another conversation soon," he says with a smile, echoing T'Shaav's words.
[Brig Cell Six - Saucer] "You all have heard of rehabilitation, right? The Federation is big on it. Not too many long term prisoners. Next time, lead with that." Jonathan rolls over and starts snoring.
- Interrogation - Saucer Security <USS Phoenix NCC-170100-A>
- The name of this room is rather more ominous than its actual purpose it is used primarily for interrogations and hearings during court martials and other judicial matters. The design of this room reflects that purpose, with its raised podium where the accused would be questioned, the curved desks that lie in front of the podium where the prosecuting and defense councils sit, as well as three rows of seats at the back of the room for observers. The podium is well lit by overhead panels, highlighting the insignia of the Federation emblazoned upon it, while the rest of the room is more dimly lit. There is an LCARS panel to the right of the door, with added functionality to assist in the proceedings.
T'Shaav takes a seat at one of the tables. "Your thoughts," she says neutrally.
Worthington considers. "I must admit commander, a briefing or discussion ahead of time on a plan for this would have better prepared me for the encounter," he says. "I improvised as well as I could." He considers. "Perhaps you could get him to talk eventually. I doubt he would want to spend years in a cell on this ship. That is a drastic thing for sure, but not unheard of on missions like this. Sometimes it's necessary. Such confinement itself does take a toll on a prisoner, and can result in increased compliance. What can we offer him though commander?" he asks. "We seem to be running out of carrots, if the carrot and stick analogy from Earth is fitting."
T'Shaav nods. "My apologies. I did not want to broadcast to every remote and console on the ship that I was questioning the prisoner, and I was only very recently alerted that you had returned. That said, this particular prisoner does not respond to negative reinforcers. Threats of punishment and of years in prison do not scare him. They are not what will induce him to talk."
Worthington nods to the Vulcan. "I am getting a sense for that sir," he asks, pondering. "The question is, will positive insentives induce him to talk? What sort of things could we offer?"
T'Shaav considers. "He is wrong about long sentences in rehabilitation. But he is not wrong by much. He probably would receive a long sentence himself, but the courts would show leniency if he cooperated. There are also various levels of rehab program. Some places are better to serve out your term in than others. Supposing we do this. I will tell the prisoner, lader, that I have disciplined you for inappropriate behavior towards him, and that he will deal with me. I will not, of course, discipline you at all. But I don't think you will be able to build rapport with him. I must try again. Perhaps Commodore Svetzvani will assist me."
Worthington nods. "I agree on that sir," he says. "I'm too close to the situation in more ways than one." He pauses. "Have you had any discussion with the Commodore about this? I'm not sure when she will be returning to Federation space. I know a few ships still remain at Carorkon, at least for the time being."
"I do not know. But she may consider it inappropriate to team question with me. I may seek her input as to method. For now, just avoid the prisoner, yourself. But see that he gets a better standard of food ration. Nothing elaborate. Just, let him notice that he is receiving something of better quality than the standard prison rations. One of your guards might let slip that Commander T'Shaav instructed you on the matter of his food, or not. You see where I am going."
Worthington considers. "A better idea sir," he says. "You instructed my guards, as if I had nothing to do with it and was not involved in any way, put on ice as it were."
T'Shaav nods. "Just so. Good thinking. This man is our best lead. We must turn him, Mr. Worthington. We must."
Worthington nods back. "Agreed sir," he says. "It will be done." He makes a note on a pad.
T'Shaav nods. "Very good. Good evening, Commander."