Finding clues
Posted on Sat Oct 18th, 2014 @ 12:54pm by Commodore Samantha York & Commander Thaddius Storm & Lieutenant Austin Brown & Commander Hans Munich
1,390 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission: Deadly Diplomacy
ON
Austin sat at one of the science stations aft of the bridge, propping her head up as she scrolled through lines and lines of sensor logs. She had a tricorder interfacing with the station and cross referencing any data that might match any known covert equipment or devices that could by pass their security protocols. She was about to nod off when she jolted and starred at the display. "Commander, I have something." She called out as she turned to face the command section.
"What do you have?" Sam asked.
"A transporter trace sir. The time stamp matches exactly to the time of death according to the security reports." Brown replied.
"From where?" Sam asked. "And how did get through our security?"
"I can't say for certain where they came from, but it looks like the transporter beam originated from a ship or cloaked platform of some sort near the ship. as for how.. Damn! that can't be right.. Sir! StarFleet Intelligence codes were used to bypass our security and internal sensors."
"Starfleet Intelligence?" That definitely didn't look good. "Look deeper. How old are the codes?"
"Fairly recent sir. I can't say for sure, but the codes are still active. I would guess within the last 18 months; probably closer to 12. They match the new protocols introduced last year"
"Ma'am, please. I prefer that to Sir," Sam corrected. "See if you can learn anything about who or what transported over."
Sam tapped her combadge. "Admiral Hunter and Sergeant Beckinsale, please report to the bridge."
Moments later Amarylis arrived on the bridge and approached Sam at the Ops station. "Ma'am?" she said looking to York before looking to Brown.
Jayna was already on her way to the bridge and walked on right after Beckinsale.
"Lieutenant Brown found a transporter signal," Sam said to the two women. "They used Starfleet Intelligence codes to get through our security."
Jayna raised an eyebrow. "That puts an interesting spin on things."
She logged into an empty console and turned to Brown. "I'll have a look at the codes and see if I can find out where they came from."
"Let me know what you find," Sam said to Jayna.
Then she turned to Amarylis. "Lieutenant Brown can deal with the transporter, can you help her identify where the person transported from?"
"We'll find the source sir."
Sam smiled at Austin. "I know you will."
Amarylis looked at the screen with a puzzled look on her face. The codes seemed familiar to her, as if she had seen the format used before. She took the console and began to input commands. "Computer can you identify the intelligence codes used now?"
"Affirmative." the computer replied.
"Who do they belong to?" Amarylis asked expecting to hear Damion's name.
"Alexandra Vance." The computer replied.
"Vance?" Sam said. At first she was surprised, but then as she thought about it, it made sense. She turned to Jayna. "I want Admiral Hunter and intel on this. I want to know if it was Vance or if someone took Vance's codes and used them."
Jana nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"I have identified the source of the transporter signal sir. It came from a ship approximately 40,000 Km off our port bow. " Austin called out.
"Excellent. Can you identify it?" Sam asked.
"Looks to be a runabout, modified for long distance travel." Brown replied.
Sam nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant."
Amarylis motioned to York with her head for the two to step aside into a private conversation.
"What is it?" Sam asked quietly.
"Alex didn't enter those codes." Amarylis said in a lowered tone.
"Of course not," Sam said. "But someone did, and we need to find out who and how they got the codes. Any ideas?"
"Not sure. The program I used was Alexandra's. That's how I know she didn't do it. Problem is she keeps them pretty close to the chest. Either you have one heck of a hacker or she was trying to expose someone....Now that I think of it. On the holodeck, Alex told me things weren't as they seemed and I needed to watch who I trusted. I thought she was talking about the corruption at command but now I'm not so sure. I'm willing to bet someone on this ship right now doesn't belong. Once we find that person, I think we'll answer a lot of questions."
Sam nodded. "Work with Lieutenant Mira," Sam said, nodding to the Intel officer. "Hunter says she can be trusted. As she's new, few people know her. She might be able to find something we've missed."
"Understood ma'am." Amarylis said looking over to Mira. "Over here new girl."
Jayna turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "New girl? What would that make you? Old girl?"
"That would make me didn't get here yesterday girl." Amarylis snapped back. "Hunter says you can help us find out whose responsible for the murders as of late."
"That's right," Jayna said, sauntering over to Amarylis. "And I didn't get here yesterday. I arrived just before the ship left the Starbase."
"I checked the interior Communications logs." Munich spoke up. "To transport there had to be a lock, the most common is a Comm badge for triangulation of the signal for a Transporter Lock. We all tap a badge and say beam me up." Munich pointed out. "That instant signal; if from Vance or any of our crew would be recognized ; outside ID's will leave a hole the Computer cannot identify." Munich smiled. "It was not a member or our Communications network that di this, I am working on the information to get us either a known Identity or a frequency to track, if we know the channel we can know when they open their mouths, not the message itself but the source ma'am."
Jayde turned to Amarylis and Sam. "Could they have used Vance's com badge?"
Amarylis walked over to the console again and ran the program. Her face went white as she read the data.
"It's not possible."
On the screen the computer had identified the comm signal of the perpetrator. The name blinked on the screen before them.
Alexandra Vance
"Well that shows that this is not going to be easy." Munich said. "It is a bit harder when we have a dead person and a live suspect as our choices, both point to Federation involvement." He looked at the screen. "Maybe we can focus a signal anyway to see if we get a 'ping' off the signal?"
"Murder never is," Sam said, a twinkle in her eye. "Go ahead a see what you can find, Lieutenant Munich."
"So, if we believe the evidence, either Alexandra is alive and murdering people or someone is trying to get away with murder," Sam said. Although she believed Vance was still alive, she did not believe that she would murder the delegates. Now they had Wolfe's blade and Vance's combadge. Whoever it was had strong ties with Starfleet Intelligence. Time to talk to Hunter. "Take everything you've found to Admiral Hunter. See what he has to say about this."
"Really?" Amarylis said to Sam in a bewildered tone. "Morat shows up and you think Alexandra is off killing delegates? Political assassinations are not her game, if you knew her you'd know that. Obviously someone is trying to cover their tracks."
"No, I don't think Vance is doing this. But I do think the person has an intimate knowledge of Starfleet Intelligence," Sam said. "Which makes them very dangerous. Keep searching for clues. We can't afford to give them a second opportunity."
"There's a lot of people on this ship fitting that description, and just as many that hate both Alex and Damion. Either way this was not solely an outside job, someone had to have helped from within." Amarylis replied as she calmed herself.
"And one who currently isn't," Sam said, referring to Damion Wolfe. "That's why it's so vital we find the truth."
"Keep me informed of your progress," Sam said to all of them. "Hans, you and Brown keep looking for other transporter signals and communications. I'll be in my Ready Room."
____
OFF
Lieutenant Austin Brown
Chief Operations Officer
Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer
Sergeant Amarylis Beckinsale
Marine
Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer
Lieutenant Hans Munich
Chief Operations Officer
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