Visitation

Posted on Mon Oct 23rd, 2017 @ 6:46pm by Captain Michelle Bartlett & Lieutenant Valeria Mordin

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Brig
Timeline: June 15, 2399 @ 0900

After finding out what had happened, Michelle headed for the Brig. She was immediately met by a Security officer.

"Sorry, ma'am. No visitation allowed." the officer said.

"By whose order?" Michelle asked firmly.

"Major Lo'Mah's, ma'am." the officer replied.

"Well... Major Lo'Mah can't do so much as order ME to the bathroom. Let me through. That's not a polite suggestion, Ensign." Michelle said.

"Aye, Commander." the officer said.

Ears like her's weren't just for decoration or heat dispersal. Her attention perked at the voices, and the orders thus given. Kneeling on the floor of one of the cells reserved for those prisoners that put up a bit more resistance than normal was one Valeria Mordin. She looked quite out of place in such an over-protective cell, but at the same time, she had an air of mischief to her that almost seemed to say that this wasn't her first time behind a security screen.

She remained seated as Michelle arrived, though looked up to at least meet her glance. The rabbitess seemed in good health, in good condition, and unharmed.

"Ma'am." she started, with a nod, "I always thought visitors brought a cake." she said with a soft smirk. Even in this, she found the chance to be optimistic.

"Trust me. If I had a nail file, I'd be using it." Michelle replied. "Are you all right?" she asked, first wanting to make sure that there was no harm done during what was clearly an unauthorized arrest.

"I'm uninjured. I offered no resistance to the restraint and thus invited no struggle or assault." the rabbitess replied as she now took the time to stand up, dusting off her knees as she did. "This wasn't my first time being arrested, ma'am." she said with a nod, "But most of those were from my childhood. I was something of a miscreant youth, though in my defense the schools in my district were boring."

"I didn't do anything I've been accused of." There was a touch of concern in her voice, hinging on fear. They arrested her with little to no evidence. How far could they really go with nothing?

"The mission specialist the Commodore attached is being sent back here to take charge of Strategic Operations in the interim. As best I can tell, you're completely innocent. Have you any idea how this may have started?" Michelle asked.

Valeria cupped her chin as she thought, "Nothing immediately springs to mind, Ma'am." she stated after a moment to reflect. "Thinking back to my assignments here, the first assignment of merit was the study of the Detrium Polyvolitite sample." she paused, "It's more commonly known in this sector as Firedust. Highly volatile, beta radiation crystalline form. Uses neutron collision to make more of itself. Fascinating, but explosive. Violently so."

"From there, I started to multitask. Protective cases with a molybdenum trioxide coating, followed by a new molylubricant for what few moving parts on the ship we do have. I was working on a project involving new crystalline designs for shield harmonic resonators when I was taken into custody." she relaxed her posture. "Aside from the firedust, none of those projects are even remotely dangerous. Though the harmonic crystal forms are exceptionally fragile."

"On my suggestion the firedust samples we had were to be isolated in containment drums until we were far enough into open space, or sufficiently close to a star, to jettison."

Michelle thought back to the explosion.... "It almost makes one wonder if perhaps a sample was taken. Even a small amount would have been enough to... say... blow up a yacht." she said as it clicked.

"You'd need about 15 grams, probably near the reactor for maximum ... what? I can't STOP thinking, you know." she said, now giving Michelle a smirk. "Though, it has a very recognizable radioactive signature. If you're wondering if it was involved in a scheme, set a tricorder to detect strong negative charge, high energy, free roaming electrons." she counted off each qualifier.

"You mean by the shuttle?" Michelle asked. "And don't worry.. I... I just can't accept the possibility that you are guilty of this somehow. You've been too open and too kind. I would have never been able to prepare for the meetings with your people were it not for your stories, and there's just absolutely no way you can be behind this."

At that, Valeria gave a soft smile... as close to an actual smile as she handed out these days, "Someday, somehow, I'll find a way to repay your confidence in me." It certainly helped her feel better about the current situation. "But yes, the Firedust has a very particular emission spectrum. If you think its been used, scan for that particular wavelength. The odds of coming across something with that similar an emission would be like finding someone who has half the same fingerprint as you."

"Aren't you glad you're telling this to the former science officer?" Michelle said. "I'll sneak into the Yacht Bay and scan it. Hopefully it wasn't used. Lieutenant Damian is mad as hell by the way."

The daughter of Ts'usu gave a ghost of a smile. "It helps. Otherwise I'd have to explain how to tune a Tricorder to setting fifty seven." she said, amused. The sound of relief was in her tone, and for the first time in the last hour or so, she was less afraid. Certainly less intimidated.

"Why is Lieutenant Damian upset?" aside from, you know, the detonation of a yacht and the death of at least 11 officers...

"He's rather unhappy with the fact that Lo'Mah just barged into the science lab the way he did and treated his department like criminals or some kind of threat. I mean... My god, you're scientists. You're practically the last people that are going to blow the damn ship up." Michelle said.

"I disagree. Science is the second location I'd enlist from if my plan was to destroy the ship. Engineering would be the first." she pointed out. "I trust Engineering is well defended?"

She paused for a moment. "No, I suspect my arrest had less to do with my station, and more about my species. My theory? I was arrested because I'm a Ts'usugi. In a few hours, something will surface supporting an attempt to undermine the talks here and it will implicate the Ts'usugi or the Dalacari. I suspect a third party is involved that seeks to drive a wedge between us."

"If I may be so bold, I believe your next step from here would be to contact the soldier Nyx Valentine. Marines, I believe is their official designation." she corrected herself. "She visited here earlier and seemed distressed over something. Over what, I shouldn't repeat. It's just suspicion and hearsay from me."

"I'm safe here, relatively speaking, Ma'am. Plus I can handle myself if things turn ugly now that I have my suspicions confirmed. I have several older siblings back home, ma'am. They made certain I could handle myself."

"I hope it won't come to that." Michelle replied. "What I do know is that whatever is going on here, it's something far more sinister than just an Organization plot. This is too competent to be the Organization. They couldn't run a piss up in a brewery."

"Be prepared for everything. Nothing is as the enemy presents it." she gave that hollow, ghostly smile again, "There is a story, about such a thought. It involved a warlord known for his trickery and guile. He was in command of a hundred men, and the army coming to his gates numbered ten times ten that many. Ten thousand." Valeria did the math for her.

"There was no way in Heaven or Earth he could win the coming battle. So... he told his men to light the campfires, warm up a meal, and throw open all the gates." she paused, "While he climbed to the top of the main gate and strung his instrument. Playing the lute, completely undefended... that's how the enemy found him. He smiled, bid them good evening, and welcomed them to the city gates."

"The opposing general took one look at the open gates, his enemy's calm stature, and the welcome... then turned and withdrew. They KNEW it had to be a trick... and that was how a hundred men beat ten thousand."

"So, the moral here, is to be wary of open gates, but remember who you are fighting." she said, as though reading from a children's book. A children's book of tactical warfare, maybe. "In this matter, I wish you luck. If the priority must come between solving this puzzle and securing my freedom, I can make myself comfortable here."

"You'll be out before they're even at the border." Michelle said. "I'm going to get this straightened out and get Admiral Marquette to have the JAG throw this out. None of this should be happening."

"All just a bad dream?" she said with an amused tone, before reaching up to give one of her lengthy ears a rub along the edge. Such a simple motion seemed to send a shiver along her entire form, from toes to tail, from ears to extremities.

"No, definitely not a dream." she gave a wink, her spirits restored, "I'll await my walking papers then. Thank you ma'am."

"Keep your chin up." Michelle said. "We will fix this."

She gave a nod, "I'll stay in good spirits, but I'll keep on my toes." as she said that, she stood on her tippy toes for a moment. A cute way to demonstrate the expression.

Michelle laughed a bit. "I'll work on getting that nail file. See you in a bit."