Engineering Trust

Posted on Fri Oct 25th, 2024 @ 3:26pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Jackson Smith & Lieutenant Soto Gantt

1,424 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Interlude 1 Gamma Quadrant
Location: DS18

[ON]
DS 18 was still just barely in stable condition. Some clogged arteries, weak bone structures, heart palpitations, and bad joints. All in all, thought Gantt, I've spent too much time around the Medical team.

Widespread damage was expected after the broad attacks carried out on the station. Many systems needed still daily care to maintain current reliability; however, this conjoined team of engineers was making headway during which an idea had burrowed into his brain. It would not stop irritating him, even in the quiet, early hours of the night. Gantt was already knee-deep in diagnostics when Jackson approached. With a quick glance up from the console, Gantt signaled to him. "Thanks for meeting me here, Jackson."

"Gantt, you saved our lives back there," Jackson said, his voice low and sincere. "That explosion... brilliant." He watched his friend work, a sense of admiration washing over him. Gantt had always been resourceful, but this was next level. "Seriously, thanks. Now, what can I do for you, my friend?"

"One of these days we'll go on a mission that doesn't endanger both of us," said Gantt, his voice slowing as it lost hold of all conviction. He shrugged. "I'm glad you're here. Look around at this cargo bay. Plenty of damage, and it makes sense because they would have targeted certain areas. But something is nagging in the back of my brain that there's more to it. Do you see anything strange about their attack here?"

Jackson studied his friend's demeanor, a frown creasing his brow. Gantt's usual easygoing demeanor was absent, replaced by a quiet intensity that spoke of deep concern. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Jackson turned his attention to the cargo bay, his eyes sweeping over the scene with a newfound focus.

He circled the room, his gaze tracing the scars left by the attack. The blast marks on the bulkhead told a clear story of the initial breach, and the missing security cameras and sensors pointed to a calculated effort to disable the station's defenses. But as he continued his examination, a detail snagged his attention.

"Did they miss?" Jackson's voice cut through the silence, pointing to a blast mark just to the side of a seemingly intact security camera. "This shot looks hasty, almost like an afterthought. If that's the case, why didn't the alarms trigger?"

A chill ran down his spine as he turned to face Gantt, his unease mirroring his friend's. "This cargo bay was one of the first entry points," he murmured, his voice low. "If the alarms had gone off then, the outcome of this attack could have been very different."

"A lot of the logs during the attack were destroyed or scrambled. The alarms might have been too wrecked to sound, or they did go off but the systems to carry to across DS18 were damaged, or someone turned them off. But then why shoot the cameras?" Gantt shrugged his shoulders as though trying to get something off of them. A cloak of prying eyes that often peeked at him from a dark corner but disappeared before he could get a good look. "But you think something strange happened here?"

Jackson's brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping across the cargo bay again. "Something definitely doesn't add up," he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful. He paused, tracing a finger along a scorch mark on the bulkhead. "If I had to guess..." he began, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "...I'd say someone shut the alarms off. Then the boarding party fired on the cameras to cover their tracks." He turned to Gantt, a grim expression settling on his face. "We've got a traitor, my friend." A tense silence hung in the air. "And they're most likely someone on the station," Jackson continued, his eyes hardening. "An engineer... or someone on the security detail."

"I knew it!" said Gantt, clamping his mouth shut. He glanced around the room briefly as if listeners might sprout from the walls themselves. More softly he continued, "I've noticed things on the station. A movement here and a whisper there from the corners but they are gone the moment I try to find them. There may be anomalies in the computer's records. The traitor probably expected the whole section to be destroyed. What do we do next?"

Jackson bit back a smile, a wave of fondness washing over him at Gantt's theatrics. While caution was certainly warranted, he doubted they were being actively spied on at that very moment. Still, he decided to play along, leaning into the conspiratorial tone.

"This could be very dangerous to investigate," he whispered, his voice low and serious. "We need to tread carefully." He paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.

"Gantt, can you get me a list of possible suspects?" he continued, his voice taking on an edge of urgency. "People with access to this area, especially around the time of the attack. Any anomalies in the computer logs, anything at all. I'll take it from there."

He lowered his voice further, his gaze intense. "We don't know how deep this conspiracy goes, Gantt. We don't know how dangerous... or deadly these people are." He emphasized the last word, a subtle warning underlying his concern. While he enjoyed indulging his friend's dramatic flair, he also wanted to ensure Gantt understood the risks involved and didn't get in over his head.

"This whole thing seems a little crazy. I thought there was something strange but a whole conspiracy?" Gantt wiped his hands on his pants. Adrenaline was kicking in, making his skin feel cool and his palms sweaty. "I'll give you everything I can find in the logs but we weren't even here. So I could ask, say, Fhiri to help me scan them. Right?"

"Sure, you can ask for help, just be circumspect about your reasoning," Jackson said, choosing his words carefully. "It's unlikely any Firebird crew are involved, considering we were on the other side of the wormhole. But I'd rather not take any chances."

The memory of Lieutenant Fantome, the last traitor who had infiltrated their ranks, sent a shiver down his spine. He'd been manipulated, played like a pawn, and the sting of that betrayal still lingered. Jackson shook his head, pushing the unpleasant memory aside. The likelihood of another traitor among them was slim, but he couldn't afford to be complacent.

"Let's just take this slow and carefully," he added, his voice low and steady. "We need to gather more information before we make any moves." He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "And Gantt," he continued, "be discreet. Don't arouse any suspicion."

Gantt took a step back and let his eyes roam the room. Slow scan. Deep breaths. Happy thoughts. "No need to panic when we don't know anything. Could all be a mistake, you know? Patterns that only mean what we want them to mean or shadows that aren't real. I won't make a sound as I search the logs, if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean, my friend," Jackson responded, his voice softening with concern. He placed a reassuring hand on Gantt's shoulder, feeling the tension radiating from his friend's frame. The dark circles under Gantt's eyes and the weary slump of his shoulders spoke volumes about the toll the work on the station was taking on him.

"This will take some time to uncover," Jackson reassured him, "and there are no immediate threats. We can afford to be methodical." He gently steered Gantt towards the door, a subtle but firm encouragement to leave the unsettling atmosphere of the cargo bay behind. "Come on," he said, "let's get a drink and relax a bit. You look like you could use one."

Gantt let himself be steered by Jackson. He had a sudden memory of the two of them racing around the Firebird in a shuttle when they were both new recruits. He didn't often know Jackson's plans but he had learned to trust him, even in the shadows. "Good idea. I never thought I'd say this but maybe I've spent too much time in the dark, broken tubes of the station. Let's drink and talk about something happier."

[OFF]

Lieutenant Jackson Smith
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Soto Gantt (NPC by Leed)
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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