RP Log: More Portents
| Roleplay Log | |
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| Participants: | |
Location(s):
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Stardate:
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| 2023-06-15 06:40 | |
- CAG's Office <USS Phoenix NCC-170100-A>
- This dedicated office is large and designed to meet the needs of the officer and billet assigned to it. The carpet is steel-blue with navy-blue trim, with the bulkheads, walls, and furniture in a subdued pewter colour. The room is bathed in a soft glow from the overhead lighting panels, and a glossy black panel set into the bulkhead opposite the door provides access to an LCARS interface. A sizeable desk is positioned in the center of the room, with a tall backed swivel chair behind it. A display curves out of the desk with a touchpad set into the desk at its base, and on the opposite end is a tall, built-in lamp. In front of the desk are two mid-sized chairs, and two workstations are built into the bulkheads on either side of the room in small cubicles.
Madhadaa is sitting at his desk, going over the Wing's readiness reports.
T'Shaav enters the office and nods to the wing commander. "Lieutenant, I have a queary for you not related to flight operations."
Madhadaa tosses the padd in his hand over his shoulder where it clatters as it joins a pile of it's brethren, "I'm all ears, XO."
T'Shaav is silent for a beat. Behind her mental shielding, she may appear to be thinking about how to put it, whatever it is. "Lieutenant, I realize that you protect your mental privacy as strenuously, perhaps even more so, than a Vulcan. Nevertheless, I wish to ask whether you have ever again sensed the mind you perceived fleeing the site of Crewman Jenkins murder. That is, would you know the mind if you perceived it again?"
Madhadaa shakes his head, "I didn't touch their minds, as I was dealing with the trauma of feeling the death of Crewman Jenkins. I only felt their panic and urgency as they fled the scene."
T'Shaav nods. "That is as I suspected," she says. "Another question. A hypothetical one. Supposing someone died aboard ship, but not in the dramatic manner of Crewman Jenkins, without, perhaps, the attendent pannic of the killer or killers. Would you perceive the death? Or are there so many minds aboard that the loss of one may not register on your mental sense?"
"I'm not a death detector, sir," Hatter says flatly. "Death is a natural part of life, it happens around us all the time. Even now statistically speaking there's death happening, whether here on the ship or the planet below. A telepath could go insane fixating on such things."
T'Shaav nods. "That is also as I suspected. I ask your pardon for any offense, but do keep this conversation between us for the moment. I cannot yet prove any facts behind my second question. And that is all I may say about it."
Madhadaa looks at T'Shaav a moment before saying quietly, "There's possibly been more, hasn't there? They aren't likely to act near where they've been discovered whether they know I sensed the death or not."
T'Shaav runs a scan with her tricorder, sighs, a bit out of character for her, and nods. "I believe there have. I have evidence that suggests it, and the evidence implicates an entire department of this ship. I was checking your office for any listening devices."
Madhadaa shakes his head, "I doubt it's that big. But none of my pilots and support staff are likely suspects. Very few can keep their thoughts and feelings completely private long term. Even you have been known to leak minor things you may not be aware of, sir. And you have better discipline than most."
T'Shaav nods. "True enough," she says. She considers, and then seems to make a decision. "I will take you into my confidence, Lieutenant. Then, perhaps, we can execute some work with the computer."
"I'm at best, an average computer operator," Hatter admits. "The academy taught me enough to handle the computers on my bird and ships like this, but I haven't a clue on how they work."
T'Shaav nods. "To begin, starting just prior to and continuing during the recent computer difficulties, three MIA reports were logged into the system. Security's records show that that department was unable to conclusively determine the status of the missing individuals. When computer function was restored, the missing person reports had become records, indicating that all three persons were transferred before the ship came to this region of space, an obvious bit of computer-based coverup. But I have concluded, tentitively, that one to three more persons aboard this ship are dead."
Madhadaa nods slowly, "An obvious conclusion, sir, yet not the only one. Could be misdirection or cover identities."
"Continue," the Vulcan says.
Madhadaa shakes his head, "I'm the wrong person to ask for details. Tactically, it makes sense to cause confusion."
"It does," she says. "However, we must confirm that every person who is supposed to be aboard this ship is aboard. Commbadges can be removed from victims and even deregistered from the computer. However, there are other means."
Madhadaa shakes his head again, "A task I wouldn't even know where to begin with all the civilians on board." He glances upwards towards the saucer, "This ship is more crowded than some starbases."
T'Shaav nods. "I may know of someone who can assist there," she says, tapping her remote. "I am summoning her here."
[Remote Uplink Device (5164): T'Shaav Uplink Device (5164) T'Shaav: Commander Ki'vek, please report to the CAG's office, deck 23.]
[Remote Uplink Device (5164): Ki'Vek Monitor Uplink (13369) Ki'Vek: Acknowledged.]
The door chime at Out sounds, "*be boowoop*"
Madhadaa calls out, "Come."
Lieutenant Commander Ki'Vek arrives from Deck 23 - Aft Corridor.
Madhadaa is sitting at his desk, talking with T'Shaav. There's several padds on his desk, but nowhere near as many in a scattered pile behind his desk on the deck.
Ki'Vek enters when granted and makes one of her customary bows just inside the door. "Reporting as ordered, Sir," she states, then moves further forward to let the door slide closed behind her.
T'Shaav nods to Ki'vek. "Commander, we have a matter." Then, she explains. "With apologies to Mr. Choma who has heard this." A beat. "starting just prior to and continuing during the recent computer difficulties, three MIA reports were logged into the system. Security's records show that that department was unable to conclusively determine the status of the missing individuals. When computer function was restored, the missing person reports had become records, indicating that all three persons were transferred before the ship came to this region of space."
Madhadaa listens and waits.
Ki'Vek takes this in and tilts her head to one side. "I assume that the validity of the records it is in question," she says.
"Naturally," the commander says. "It is entirely possible that three persons were killed during the period in question, and records were altered to conceal it. It is also possible, as Mr. Choma points out, that one or more, up to three malifactors onboard, altered the records. Though if they did so, it would have been more efficient," she includes Choma in this, "to simply replace their crew records with transfer records without the intervening step of creating missing persons records for security's attention."
Madhadaa shakes his head, "It's possible that the transfer record is to avoid raising suspicion when Sam Spade can't be found by a concerned resident." Madhadaa pauses and says, "If the computer had been operating normally, and you were looking for someone, you'd ask the computer where they were. If the computer says they aren't aboard, then you'd likely ask them where they were and get told they were transferred. You would never have taken it to security, especially for the civilians."
"You said that the MIA reports they were logged shortly before the troubles with our computer system," Ki'Vek says. "That it would be after we were far enough away for transfers to or from Phoenix to be easily accomplished. A transfer of any kind at that time it would have been noticed."
"Indeed, the MIA reports were logged just prior to and during the computer trouble. When computer function was restored, transfer records were found dating to before our departure for this region. Security then closed the MIA files."
"Sloppy, unless the dates coincided," Hatter notes. "Though I'm not sure I'd look that close if the computer provided a suitable answer as to why I couldn't find someone on board."
Ki'Vek nods once. "Then I would concur. We very likely have saboteurs aboard."
T'Shaav says, "I have been considering the possibility that we may have additional victims as well."
Madhadaa remains silent for the moment, having nothing to contribute.
"I would also suggest speaking with the coworkers and roommates of the missing people," says the snake. "If only to confirm that the dates in the records they coincide with the disappearances of the people. Interviews they may also reveal evidence regarding whether or not they were planning to be transferred or if they were making plans to stay aboard."
T'Shaav nods. "Perhaps. Mr. Ki'vek, I want you to lead a particular computer task in the meantime. I want to confirm that every person we arrived here with is still alive and well. I want to rule out the notion that this thing was done to conceal additional murder. Though it may be the prelude to it. Determine the location of every commbadge, civillian and Starfleet, and match them with the number of lifesigns aboard, including ones that may be inert. Unless you have a better idea of how to conduct such a sweep. Keep in mind that the computer mainframe may be untrustworthy per se, so isolate a terminal and system connection. You may wish to go through the Hadfield's systems, as she will have the processing power." T'Shaav adds, "Crewman Jenkins will obviously diminish the final tally by 1, of course."
Madhadaa sits there, watching the more senior officers talk back and forth.
"Understood, Sir," Ki'Vek says. She gazes for a moment at Choma, then back at the Vulcan. "Am I to coordinate in some way with the Lieutenant here?" she asks.
"Just so. Mr. Choma, until you are called for the away mission, and given the understandable lack of flight operations, I am detailing you to this assignment. You may have more insights similar to those you presented to me earlier. Thank you, gentlebeings." She stands. "Lieutenant," she says, nodding respectfully to the person whose office it is.
Madhadaa nods, "Aye, XO."
Ki'Vek nods to the Vulcan. "Commander," she says, then slides over to leave a clear path to the door.