KDLadage
Explorer
BABYLON 5 STORY HOUR
K. David Ladage
INTRODUCTION
The campaign is planned in two parts, each of which will be a five-year arc. The first covers 2254-2258 on board the EAS ACHILLES (a Hyperion Cruiser) and is entitled THE LONG, DARK NIGHT OF ACHILLES. The second covers 2263-2268 on board the newly commissioned ISA OCTAVIAN (an [CLASSIFIED] class Destroyer) called PUTTING THE GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
Each 5 year arc will have five seasons, each dealing with one year of the arc. Each season will be made up of 3-5 episodes (adventures?) that will consist of 1-3 sessions each. The first arc will have a dramatic impact on the initial starting conditions for the second arc.
We have just begun the first arc. The Player Characters are:
The most noteworthy Non-Player Characters are:
=================================
EPISODE 1: The Past is Never Truly Gone (Session 1)
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had been there during the Dilgar Invasion. She served her homeland well in no less than a dozen engagements. She had been damaged several times, but the engineers had always been able to put her back together, get her space-worthy and send her out for more. And she always performed without complaint.
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had been there during the Earth-Minbari War. She served her homeland as well as she could, given the circumstances. At the battle of the line, her entire engineering section was sliced off, like a butcher cutting the fat off of some piece of meat. She had her hull breached in several places... and in the end, she lay silent in space, her crew dead, her service to her homeland apparently over.
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had lay there, floating aimlessly in space, just beyond the asteroid belt. Nothing was there with enough gravity to pull her in, as Jupiter had long sense continued its march about the sun. She had been all but forgotten. But in the aftermath of the Earth-Minbari war, there was a need for Earth to rebuild its fleet. Like the aftermath of Pearl Harbor in World War II, when the first replacements for the lost Battleships were the repaired Battleships that had been lost in the first place, the initial fleet for the Earth Alliance would have to consist of ships that could be gathered and repaired quickly... after all, by the time the Minbari had surrendered, there really was nothing left of Earth's defenses. And so there came a time when small craft came for the ACHILLES and they told her that her service to her homeland was not yet over. In 2253, she was nearly complete when the first of her crew came on board to live. She was on schedule and would be ready for launch and her initial shakedown by 03-FEB-2254.
But that was yet two weeks in the future...
**************************** 17-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant JG Imeon was inspecting the aftward living quarters. The civilian contractors had just completed this area this morning and so she had to make sure that things were in working order and that nothing was left behind.
The aft quarters were divided into six segments, each segment designed to accommodate 40 enlisted crewmen with zero-G bunks, locker space, comms, computer access, and head facilities. She looked the section over and shuttered for a moment, thanking the powers that be that officers had staterooms; granted, junior officers stayed in four-person staterooms, but that was still a far cry from the 40-man facility she was looking over.
She completed her sweep through the fifth segment, and moved onto the sixth when she saw it.
-----
Dr. Alejandro Mohammed Hirito watched in amazement as the work continued on the outside of the ship. He could see the bright red glow of the Martian landscape far below the orbiting Newport News Construction Facilities. After some zero-G acrobatics to line the shuttle's airlock up with the one for the station, the good doctor was ready to get off.
The familiar sound of the pressure equalizing, followed by the iris-doors opening was accompanied by the sudden loud noise of construction equipment just inside the ship. Grabbing his bags, he pulled himself through the door, careful not to pull very hard, given that the lack of gravity made sudden movements a bit dangerous.
After steadying himself, he looked at the Officer of the Day and saluted. "Dr. Hirito reporting for duty," he said as he completed his crisp salute. Shouting over the noise, the Officer of the Day asked for his Identicard, which he produced.
After a couple of attempts for the card-reader to scan the card, the Officer of the Day sighed and pulled himself over to the computer terminal near his watch station and sat down. He then motioned for Dr. Hirito to sit down in the chair just in front. Both men strapped themselves down. "I am sorry Doctor, but our internal comms system is not yet fully operational. Word has it that the final pieces will be installed tomorrow. I will have to contact the Mars facilities to access your records."
After a few moments, and a couple hundred keystrokes, the Officer of the Day smiled. "Looks like you are ready to go. I will get a crewman to escort you to your stateroom."
"No need. I studied the layout of the ship before I came."
About that time, the security alarm went off.
-----
Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis was having the time of his life. Just a few hours before, the squadron was on a shuttle going up to the orbiting platforms to acquire their new Starfuries. The 'furies were completed and ready for delivery only the day before. The Wing Commander, William Palisades, wanted to get the pilots some flight time, and give the new fighters a workout. So... rather than having them delivered to the ACHILLES, he had his squadron pick them up, and run them through a workout as they flew them to the ship themselves.
"Lone Star, this is Snakebite. I am noticing a slight pull to the port. Seems like each time I fire the rotational thrusters for a port-side turn, I'm getting a bit more than I bargained for."
"How about the pitch and yaw thrusters?"
"Nope, just the rotational, and just when rotating port."
"Snakebite, come to an all stop and execute a full three-sixty rotational to the port. I will examine from the outside."
"Aye-aye, sir."
Lt. JG Abundis came to a complete stop, then waited for the Wing Commander to do the same. Gently, he nudged the ship over to the port side and completed a 360-degree turn. That was when the rotational thrusters locked in the firing position...
-----
Lieutenant Allen Phillips stepped off of his shuttle and onto Earth gravity for the first time in a month. Lt. Commander Alex Parsons stepped off right afterwards, and stormed towards the large doors that exited the shuttle facility. "Come on, Allen, we don't have all day."
It seems that several of the drawings for the newly repaired engines, documentation on work done to complete the repairs and many other important documents had never been released by Newport News when the engineering sections were completed last week. Several remote conversations later, and Chief Engineer Parsons was no closer to getting the information he needed. So... eight hours ago, he grabbed Allen Phillips and they two of them grabbed a shuttle for Earth and figured that they would get the documents and take them back, come Hell or High Water.
Allen had slept the whole way (seeing as how with his 20-hours-a-day work schedule, he had not gotten a decent nights sleep for a long while). He was quite certain that the information Alex was asking for was needed and should be provided; he was equally certain that Newport News would not be budging on the issue.
As they got into a taxi to head over to the main ground facilities for Newport News, Allen noticed two odd looking individuals staring at him, as if they knew him. He glanced over to Alex, but Alex looked at him as if to say "don't say a word." So Allen shut up, smiled inwardly and thanked the maker for the break this little wild-goose-chase was providing.
When they got there, however, all hell broke loose.
-----
Dr. Hirito arrived at the scene in the aft crew quarters. Lt. JG Imeon looked at him and stopped him before he could enter. "This area is off limits; may I see your Identicard, please?"
Dr. Hirito produced the card, "My name is Dr. Alejandro Mohammed Hirito. Dr. Courtier is currently supervising the upload of the medical data files back on Mars, so they sent me down here."
"I'm sorry Doctor. Not having met you before, I... Come on in."
Surveying the scene, Dr. Hirito sees the problem immediately. There is PPG scoring in several areas of the crew quarters. Some of it is obviously from a PPG Carbine, as it is far beyond the scoring a PPG pistol would do. Upon closer examination, he discovers cauterized blood on the bulkheads as well.
"I'll need to take this to the medical facilities to have it analyzed. Do you have any idea who it is?"
"Not yet, but the airlocks have been sealed so nobody gets off the ship until we complete a muster. We planed to begin once you have concluded your initial check of the scene."
"I am done here for now. Please keep this area sealed off, and begin your muster, Lieutenant. I'll be in medical."
-----
Alejandro was in a high-G spin for some 90 seconds before he passed out. All attempts to regain control of the craft were fruitless. Lt. Commander Palisades was eventually able to use the computers on his Starfury to take command of the disabled ship. Alejandro was still out cold.
"Squad, this is Lone Star. Let's head for the barn. Sidewinder, once you close enough, alert Medical that we have a patient coming in." Taking care as he pulled the ship into a towing position, he bean the slow flight to his new home. As they approached, he noticed that the emergency lights on the upper decks of the ship were lit. "Aw, hell. Now what?"
-----
Allen Phillips looked at the man he had not come to think of as "the suit." For the last ten minutes, he and Commander Parsons had been going back and forth over the issue of the documentation on the engine work.
"Listen Commander, the documents you are asking for have been classified. I can not, and will not, turn those documents over to you."
"Classified? How in the name of Christ are we supposed to support an engine when we have no documentation on what has been done to it!? How can we repair it if we have no documentation on what it is supposed to look like when we are done!? I can not do my job without those documents!"
"You will lower your voice when you address me, Commander. As the head of this facility, I am not so low on the totem pole as to have to answer to the likes of you."
With that, Parsons turned and left. Allen watched him leave, wondering if he would go too. Then he turned to address "the suit" and said "He's right, you know."
"Listen young man, don't you get started. I am not about to take any gruff from him, I am not about to take any gruff from you. It is not my job-"
"It is not your job to what, sir? To aid us? To provide us with complete information so that the 800 men and women on the ACHILLES don't suddenly lose power in the midst of some conflict on the Narn border? Please, sir, tell me what it is that it is not your job to do."
"Get out!"
"Not without the documentation we need."
"GET OUT, NOW!"
"Sir, if you don't give me the documentation we need, right now, I will ram my boot up your ass so far, you'll be tasting shoe-leather for a month."
At that point, Lt. Phillips was promptly arrested for assault.
-----
Captain Susan Ortega sat in her command chair, strapped in. She mulled over the terminal as she read her reports. It was obvious to Lieutenant JG Imeon as she entered the command deck, that her commanding officer was not in a good mood.
"What have you got for me, Lieutenant?" Captain Ortega said quietly without looking up.
"Muster is complete. Of the normal operating crew, we have only 346 on board at the moment. This is three shy of where we should be right now. Of the civilian contractors, we have only 693 on board, two shy of where we should be."
"We have five people unaccounted for, Lieutenant. I suggest you find them."
"Yes ma'am."
"Where is the Chief of Security? Why is he not giving me this report?"
"He is in medical, ma'am. Dr. Hirito called him down there three minutes ago."
-----
"Narn blood? Narn blood?" The phrase seemed wrong. No matter how many times the Security Chief said it, it did not sound any better.
"Yes. The blood on the bulkhead was definitely not human, Commander," replied Dr. Hirito. "After looking at it, I knew what it was, but I had the computers verify it. The blood is Narn, sir. How many Narn are on board this ship?"
Lt. Commander Gregory Addams laughed. "Captain Ortega would sooner run this ship into the sun as to have a Narn on board."
"Dr. Courtier feels much the same way, Commander. But none-the-less, there was at least one on board this ship, and it was recently. With a dead or injured Narn about..."
Activating his Comm-Link, "This is Lt. Commander Gregory Addams, Chief of Security for EAS ACHILLES. At this time I am issuing a general alert. All hands are restricted to their quarters. All civilians will cease activities and report to the supply docking bay." Looking back to the Doctor, "Thank's doc. I'll take it from here."
The iris door opened, and the security chief left quickly; almost immediately after he was out of the door, two men in flight-suits floated in carrying a gurney with Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis strapped to it, unconscious.
**************************** 18-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant JG Imeon flipped from screen to screen as she gave her morning report to Lieutenant Commander Gregory Addams. "Sir, this is the short and sweet of it. We were missing three military personnel; one was found -- Petty Officer Mark Simmons. He was lost in the aftward sections, and the problems we are having with the COMM system delayed his muster. His story checks out."
"And the other two?"
"Lieutenant Commander Parsons and Lieutenant Phillips were off ship, actually. They had taken a trip to Earth. Turns out that several pieces of important documentation on the engine work were missing. When they left the ship, according to Parsons, the Identicard Reader was not working, the terminal was down. The Officer of the Day took down the information manually and was going to enter it into the system once COMMS were back up. It was never entered; unfortunately, given the virgin nature of this crew, he cannot identify the individual he spoke to. Parsons is back on board and is working on the engineering section as we speak. Phillips on the other hand was arrested for assault in Newport News-"
"Arrested? For what?"
"Evidently he threatened the Supervisor of the facility. I checked into it and a few of the guys over there say they think he was provoked. I spoke with the XO this morning and he thinks he has some friends that can get the documents they were looking for released. I also had him transferred to military custody. He should be back on board in a couple of hours."
"O-kay... that takes care of the military guys. What about the civilians?"
"Two still unaccounted for."
"You checked the whole ship?"
"Not the whole thing yet. Since the security department has people securing a crime scene, we have almost no people available. We will be done with the internal sweep this morning, I will be taking a shuttle outside once that's done and doing a full external sweep of the ship as well."
"Alright, good work. I'll be on the Command Deck of you need me. Captain wants to have a word with me..."
-----
Lieutenant Phillips saw quietly looking out the window of the shuttle. He could see the ACHILLES, and truly wanted to be back on board, but was nervous. Nothing like getting arrested to impress your commanding officer. And just where in the heck was Lt. Commander Parsons?
As the shuttle came in on its final approach, he noticed the emergency lights flashing on the upper decks. Before he could react to them, he thought, for just a moment, that he saw three vacuum suits back on the aftward support structures. "Odd; standard protocol is that nobody be on the outside of the ship in a general alarm situation," he thought.
As the pressure evened, and the iris doors opened, before he could even move, he could hear the voice of Captain Susan Ortega and feel the penetrating eyes of Commander Elijah Clark burning through the back of his head. Pulling himself up to the door, he did his best to stand at attention as the Captain reprimanded him.
"Would you care to explain your absence, Lieutenant?"
"I was accompanying my Department Head to Earth, ma'am."
"Oh, and was being arrested on the agenda, Lieutenant?"
"No, ma'am."
"Would you care to explain to me exactly what you meant by 'I will ram my boot up your ass so far, you'll be tasting shoe-leather for a month' --I mean, this seems so in keeping with the Officer and a Gentleman aspect of Naval service."
"No, ma'am, it was entirely out of line and I apologize."
"Not good enough Mister. I am docking your pay for two months and restricting you to the ship. You will perform extra duties for two months as well, Lieutenant, any questions?" Alex knew that, by authority, the punishment he was receiving could not be legally carried out on any officer; they were Article 15 punitive measures that were applicable to enlisted persons only. However, since the alternative was to face legal measures instead, he figured that the Captain was giving him his slap-on-the-wrist and was going to leave it at that.
"No questions, ma'am."
"Dismissed, Lieutenant." she said. Alex Phillips was not sure, but for a moment he thought she cracked a smile.
-----
Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis was feeling better. He was in the fighter docking bay looking over his Starfury when Lt. Commander Palisades came in. "How are ya feelin' son?" There was something about the Texas drawl that disarmed most people.
"Fine sir. Just trying to figure out what went wrong."
"Find anything yet?"
"Nothing. Every piece of equipment checks out. There is no reason this ship should be acting funny."
"Alright. Stop banging your head against the wall. Every single one of these birds has an odd problem. The guns on bird one are off to the right, but everything checks out. The computer on bird two has a two second delay on any command that accesses the combat sub-routines, but everything checks out. One and on... problem, and everything always checks out. But... we are getting help. The Captain just informed me we have a volunteer from engineering who is going to be helping us out."
"A volunteer?"
-----
"I am really sorry Allen. I didn't mean to leave you out in the cold like that. I stepped out of the room so I could calm down, and expected you to follow me."
"It's my own fault, Alex. I was angry, and frustrated, and tired. I let my mouth get me into trouble again. Happens all the time. Of course, I am not usually arrested for it..."
"That security gal, what's her name?"
"Imeon."
"What kind of name is that?"
"Not sure."
"Not important. What is important is that she convinced the Security Chief to contact a few people back on Earth and ensured that the charges were dropped. It won't go to trial. Nothing more from this one, I think."
"That's good. Well, I have to get going."
"Where to?"
"I have been asked to go help with the Fighter Wing. Seems they have some new 'furies with some odd problems they can't fix. But I wanted to stop in and ask why we have people working on the aftward support structure?"
"We don't, why do you ask?"
"When I was coming on board, I thought I saw three vac-suits working back there. I noticed it because that was the section right under the main thrusters that I finished last week. Nothing needs to be done there, but someone is out there."
"You get on down to the fighter bay. I'll check it out."
-----
Lieutenant Allen Phillips entered the Fighter Docking Bay. Since the fighter compliment on the Hyperion is so low, the fighter jocks themselves are considered ther own 'Plane Captains' -- this means they are expected to inspect any and all work done on ther craft. They aid in the day-to-day maintenance of ther fighters. Allen could see that most of the jocks were not happy, as they all had one nagging problem that was driving them batty.
"You're Allen Phillips, right?" said Janos Abundis, derailing Allen Phillip's train of thought.
"Uh, yea. I know your name, but I am sure I will mangle it if I try to say it," he said smiling.
"Janos Abundis. The 'j' is pronounced like a 'y' in English, and the 's' on the end is only barely pronounced at all."
"Got it. So, what seems to be the trouble?"
"Well, the rotational thrusters are sticking. For some reason, they will continue to thrust for about two minutes after a complete turn. Sent me for a loop, let me tell you!"
"So I hear. I assume you checked the navigational computers and the primary thruster control systems?"
"Yep. All check out fine."
"Well. Then let's dig in..."
-----
Lieutenant JG Imeon was going over her notes. Too much of the puzzle that lay before her made no sense. She had contacted everyone that could have had an impact on this thing. However, she figured that the Chief Engineer had more to say than he was letting on.
"Computer, locate Lieutenant Commander Alex Parsons."
"Unable to comply. Internal Communications systems incomplete."
"Damn!" she swore under her breath. Activating her wrist-comm, she called for the computer systems group. "When is the new computer core supposed to be active?"
"About six hours, sir. The last of the central computer systems are being shuttled up from Mars this morning. We expect to have the core online by 1500, and all systems ran through their initial checks and such by 1730."
"Thanks." It was time to hunt down the Chief Engineer.
-----
"What the..." Allen Phillips said as he continued tracing the wires from the fighter's computer systems to the flight control systems. Attached to the wire was a tiny device that he could barely get his fingernail's to grip into.
"Find something?" Janos Abundis asked.
"I think so." Pulling his hand out of the mesh was tough to do without losing grip on the tiny object. It was less than three millimeters square, and a millimeter thick. It had two prongs that extended out of the bottom of it that had penetrated the wire it was attached to.
"What is it?"
"I have no idea. But I have a feeling that we will find one on the wires running from the central computer to the system being affected in each of these fighters."
"Let's find out."
-----
Dr. Hirito was completing his paperwork on the Narn-blood findings, while coordinating the effort to prepare for a complete data upload from the Mars facility of the crew's medical histories, when the quiet of sick bay was once again interrupted.
"Dr. Hirito, this is Lieutenant Imeon. Can you please report to the Chief Engineer's quarters immediately."
"I am kind of busy at the moment, is this a medical emergency?"
"You could say that. Our Chief Engineer is dead."
"On my way."
-----
"So you say you found one of these in each of the fighters?" asked Lt. Commander William Palisades.
"Yes sir," answered Allen Phillips. "Each fighter had one of these devices tapped into the wiring between the central computer and the area being effected. They have all been sabotaged."
"How did you find them?"
"I traced the wires from the central computer, which checked out, and the systems, which checked out. I figured since the systems were all checking out, it had to be the communications between each that was the problem. My only concern what that, in each case, it is a specific command that is being sent that seems to be the target. I couldn't figure out how that was possible, but I checked anyway. Once I found the first on in Alejandro's fighter, the rest were easy to find, because I knew what I was looking for."
"Good work, son."
-----
"My god, what happened here?" Asked Dr. Hirito.
"We have no idea." answered Captain Ortega. The Doctor looked about the room and saw that the Captain, Commander Clark, Chief of Security and every security person that could be spared was just outside of the Chief Engineer's quarters.
Once he entered the quarters, Dr. Hirito could see that the Chief Engineer had been sliced apart. His left arm and right leg were completely, and cleanly, removed. His torso was cut in at least a half-dozen places. The room was a mess with the blood all over the place -- zero-gravity had a way of doing that.
"So Doc, what did this?"
"I'll have to do an autopsy to be sure, but it was obviously a blade of some sort. A large one, by the looks of it. We'll need to get him out of here, without disturbing the state of the body. I'll need several body bags... unfortunately, most all of the equipment I'll need is on Mars right now."
"I have put a priority on getting your equipment and the computer core up here today," said Commander Clark. "It should be here within two hours. In the mean time, Doctor, I suggest you get what you need out of here."
"Chief, how is security right now?" asked Captain Ortega.
"Meaning?" inquired Lt. Commander Addams.
"I mean you have two crime scenes that need to be guarded. Do you have enough personnel?"
"Not really. I have only a third of my security staff on board. The rest were due to arrive over the course of the next week. I have already alerted Earth Dome that I want ther transfer leaves cut short; I was informed that it would still be about three days before any would be able to get here."
"Fine, I'll contact Mars and Earth and see if any security people can be spared to augment your staff in the meantime. For now, I want both crime scenes kept secure."
"Aye-Aye, ma'am."
-----
"What did I do?" asked Lieutenant Allen Phillips.
"I can't be sure yet, Lieutenant." answered Lieutenant Imeon. She sat back in the chair and tapped her fingers on her desk. "But in the mean time, I will be placing you under house arrest. You will be confined to your quarters until I sort it all out."
"Why!? I didn't do anything! I want to see the Captain!"
Just as he said this, the iris doors to the Security Office opened up and the Captain cam floating in. "About what, Lieutenant?"
"You approved of this?" asked Phillips.
"Yes. And it was not easy. Despite yesterday's events, I still think you re a good officer, with a lot of potential. But the theory that Lieutenant Imeon proposes makes too much sense for me to ignore."
"And this theory would be what?"
"Glad you asked," said Imeon. "Fact: yesterday morning you and the Chief Engineer left the ship without leaving a record of your departure."
"We already explained that, we-"
"You will not interrupt me again, Lieutenant. Fact: sometime earlier that day, someone died in the aftward crew quarters -- less than sixty feet from where your quarters are, Lieutenant."
Allen pulled himself into the chair in front of Imeon's desk.
Imeon continued: "Fact: according to the shuttle logs, your shuttle made an unscheduled stop in the orbital facilities for Mitchell-Hyundyne; this is the facility where the Starfuries were being prepared. Your stop would be about two hours before the fighter wing arrived to pick them up."
Allen's jaw dropped. "I slept that whole trip... I had no idea we made a stop," he was about to say, but the look on Imeon's face shut him up before he began.
"Fact: each of said fighters was sabotaged. And after careful inspection, you discovered the problem -- even though the entire fighter maintenance staff could find nothing. Makes me wonder what else is in those fighters, how about you?"
Allen started to answer, but was cut off.
"Fact: According to the ships personnel logs, you were the last one to see the Chief Engineer today. And just an hour ago, we found him dead in his quarters. I'm sure you don't know anything about that, do you Lieutenant?"
"No... I don't."
"What did the two of you talk about?"
"Nothing... I mentioned that I had seen some people working on the area I completed last week. He and I both agreed nobody should have been out there."
"What area was that?"
"The support structure beneath the engineering section."
"I'll check on that, anything else?"
"No. Nothing. After that, I reported to the Fighter Bay."
"Right. Well... given the circumstances, I think we need to keep you locked up. Since all of the evidence is, thus far, circumstantial, we are going to restrict you to quarters until this investigation is over. But, first I am going to inspect your quarters. Unless you have an objection?"
-----
Dr. Hirito was working on his autopsy, taking verbal notes when he was interrupted by the Chief of Security entering the medical facilities.
"Dr., have you determined what caused the wounds yet?"
"Not yet. All I know is that it was a large blade."
"Well, let me know. In the mean time, I have three bodies for you. Two are the last of the civilians, the third is a Narn -- obviously the one that was wounded, given the shape he is in."
"Where were they?"
"In vac-suits under the ship's engineering section. We'll need to contact the Narn Government for identification of the body. This is going to cause a real stink with ther government, I assure you. But I recognize the other two -- civilians assigned to work on the aft quarters."
Just then the wrist-comm for the Chief of Security beeped. "Addams here."
"Chief, I think I have the weapon that was used to kill the Chief Engineer."
"What is it? Where?"
"When we searched Lieutenant Phillips' quarters, we found it. It is a large blade with Narn writing on it."
"That was just what I didn't want to hear..."
**************************** 19-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant Imeon sat in her office trying to make sense of the last couple of days. It turned out that the little devices that had been used to disable the fighters appeared to be Dilgar in orgin -- yet another piece of the puzzle that did not make any sense. Then, without warning, the iris-door opened and in floated a man she did not recognize in a black uniform.
"My name is Bester... I believe you requested some security aid from Mars?"
"Yes, we did. I..." it was at that time that Imeon noticed that Bester's mouth had not moved, and he had a Psi Corps badge on. "Get out of my head!"
"I am sorry," Bester offered with a tone that told Imeon it was not sincere. "It is just a matter of efficiency."
"I don't care. And why are you here? Why would Mars send a Psi Cop?"
"Sure, I may be a Psi Cop, but I am still a licensed Police Officer of the Earth Alliance. Mars has enough trouble that they have no security-types they can spare, but I volunteered to come up and help you. The least you can do is show a little gratitude."
"Alright... gratitude. Right. First things first -- no scans, no driving into anyone's mind. We do this my way, and we do it by the book."
"Sure. By the book. Whatever you say. So... care to fill me in?"
"Sure... it all started two days ago..."
-----
"Captain, this was most definitely the blade that was used to kill the Chief Engineer." Dr. Hirito was nervous. This was the sort of briefing her boss should be giving. But, since she was out of the loop for the vast majority of it, and she was still back in the sick bay checking the data on the newly installed computer core, it was relegated to Hirito. "Rank has it's privileges," she had told him.
"I see in your report that you analyzed the blood of the victim against the blood on the blade." mused Captain Ortega.
"Also, I found micro-fragments of the blade in the leg and arm bones of Lieutenant Commander Parsons that matched the blade itself. There were, strangely, no details remaining to implicate the person that used the blade. I found no cellular residue, no fingerprints, no nothing, ma'am."
"What about the blood on the bulkheads back aft against the Narn we pulled in yesterday? Did they match also?"
"Also a match, Captain."
"Interesting. We have a hell of a puzzle here on our hands. We have two dead civilians, one dead Narn and a dead Chief Engineer. And this ship has not even left the repair dock. I cannot tell you how this makes me feel."
"Agreed Captain. I think we will need security around the medical facilities."
"Already taken care of, Doctor. But keep in mind, we are short handed Security staff... I can only spare one guard. We have two crime scenes and a suspect we are also guarding."
-----
Bester entered Allen Phillips' stateroom, Imeon closely behind. Phillips immediately saw the Psi Corp badge and nearly hit his head on a bulkhead trying to get as far away from the man as he could. "Stay out of my head!" Turning his attention to Imeon, "What in the hell is he doing here."
"Aiding us in our investigation." Imeon said matter-of-factly.
"Get him out of here!"
"Please, please... all this fuss over me? Why so paranoid, Lieutenant?" Bester said with a smile that was anything but happy.
"I do not trust psi cops."
"And what did I ever do to you?"
"Just stay out of my head."
"I will. I have no need to read your thoughts. I am here as an officer of the law, and at the request of your Executive Officer. I am here to help you. And if it makes you feel any better, I think you are being framed."
Imeon's wrist-com chirped. "Imeon here."
"Sir, the Narn body is gone."
"What do you mean it's gone?"
"I don't really know how to explain it sir, it's just not here."
=================================
K. David Ladage
INTRODUCTION
The campaign is planned in two parts, each of which will be a five-year arc. The first covers 2254-2258 on board the EAS ACHILLES (a Hyperion Cruiser) and is entitled THE LONG, DARK NIGHT OF ACHILLES. The second covers 2263-2268 on board the newly commissioned ISA OCTAVIAN (an [CLASSIFIED] class Destroyer) called PUTTING THE GENIE BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
Each 5 year arc will have five seasons, each dealing with one year of the arc. Each season will be made up of 3-5 episodes (adventures?) that will consist of 1-3 sessions each. The first arc will have a dramatic impact on the initial starting conditions for the second arc.
We have just begun the first arc. The Player Characters are:
- Dr. Alejandro Mohammed Hirito (played by Gary Walker): Born in Proxima Dome in the year 2227, Dr. Hirito is of Spanish, Arabic and Japanese decent. He is a skilled trauma surgeon. He holds an Earth Force rank of Lieutenant and reports directly to the head of Medical for the ship. He specializes in Xenobiology. {Scientist-1}
- Lieutenant Allen Phillips (played by Eric Coon): Born in Langston, Michigan in the year 2229, Lt. Phillips is a fairly typical midwesterner. He is a senior engineer specializing in normal-space propulsion systems. {Fleet Officer-1}
- Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis (played by Rich Bowman): Born in Mexico City, Mexico in the year 2231, Lt. Abundis was born to fly. He is a pilot (although not the top one, he is seat five in a six-seat squadron. Unknown to Earth Force or his crew, Janos is an unregistered Latent Telepath. Call sign: "Snakebite" {Pilot Officer-1}
- Lieutenant JG Imeon (played by Ryan Coon): Born on Mars Colony in the year 2229, Imeon is a woman of few words -- but they are words that count. She is a GROPOS at heart, but has been currently assigned to the Achilles' security department. {Soldier-1}
The most noteworthy Non-Player Characters are:
- Captain Susan Ortega (Commanding Officer): A capable leader and dedicated officer, she was offered command of a newer ship and turned it down, actually requesting the Achilles. {Fleet Officer-6/Diplomat-3}
- Commander Elijah Clark (Executive Officer): Brother to Senator (and Presidential hopeful) Clark, Elijah was one of the first officers assigned to the Achilles. {[Fleet Officer-4/Agent-2}
- Lt. Commander Gregory Addams (Security Chief): A strong and dedicated veteran, Addams has seen more action than anyone on board the ship. He is a likable guy, with a strong sense of loyalty -- but takes a long time to warm up to people. He was going to take an assignment on Earth, but Susan Ortega requested him personally. This bothers Addams because he has never met the Captain before this assignment. {Fleet Officer-2/Soldier-3}
- Lt. Commander Alex Parsons (Chief Engineer): Commander Clark requested Addams and got him. This is the one officer that Ortega was not happy about. She tried to stop it, but was overridden at the last minute by Earth Dome. Alex Parsons, for a senior officer has virtually no record of service that anyone can uncover. {Fleet Officer-5}
- Lt. Commander William Palisades (Wing Commander): A fighter jock, charismatic and all around "good ol' boy," Lt. Commander Palisades is the embodiment of his home in Texas. He has seen more action than anyone on board with the exception of Lt. Commander Addams. Call sign: "Lone Star" {Pilot Officer-4/Soldier-1}
- Dr. Amanda Courtier (Chief Medical Officer): A tall and attractive woman, Amanda Courtier has a personality that some consider "off-putting." She is demanding and highly professional, and expects the same of her subordinates. She is a bit of a racist (specieist?), having a dislike and distrust of alien species. {Fleet Officer-2/Scientist-4}
=================================
EPISODE 1: The Past is Never Truly Gone (Session 1)
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had been there during the Dilgar Invasion. She served her homeland well in no less than a dozen engagements. She had been damaged several times, but the engineers had always been able to put her back together, get her space-worthy and send her out for more. And she always performed without complaint.
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had been there during the Earth-Minbari War. She served her homeland as well as she could, given the circumstances. At the battle of the line, her entire engineering section was sliced off, like a butcher cutting the fat off of some piece of meat. She had her hull breached in several places... and in the end, she lay silent in space, her crew dead, her service to her homeland apparently over.
She was an old ship. The ACHILLES had lay there, floating aimlessly in space, just beyond the asteroid belt. Nothing was there with enough gravity to pull her in, as Jupiter had long sense continued its march about the sun. She had been all but forgotten. But in the aftermath of the Earth-Minbari war, there was a need for Earth to rebuild its fleet. Like the aftermath of Pearl Harbor in World War II, when the first replacements for the lost Battleships were the repaired Battleships that had been lost in the first place, the initial fleet for the Earth Alliance would have to consist of ships that could be gathered and repaired quickly... after all, by the time the Minbari had surrendered, there really was nothing left of Earth's defenses. And so there came a time when small craft came for the ACHILLES and they told her that her service to her homeland was not yet over. In 2253, she was nearly complete when the first of her crew came on board to live. She was on schedule and would be ready for launch and her initial shakedown by 03-FEB-2254.
But that was yet two weeks in the future...
**************************** 17-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant JG Imeon was inspecting the aftward living quarters. The civilian contractors had just completed this area this morning and so she had to make sure that things were in working order and that nothing was left behind.
The aft quarters were divided into six segments, each segment designed to accommodate 40 enlisted crewmen with zero-G bunks, locker space, comms, computer access, and head facilities. She looked the section over and shuttered for a moment, thanking the powers that be that officers had staterooms; granted, junior officers stayed in four-person staterooms, but that was still a far cry from the 40-man facility she was looking over.
She completed her sweep through the fifth segment, and moved onto the sixth when she saw it.
-----
Dr. Alejandro Mohammed Hirito watched in amazement as the work continued on the outside of the ship. He could see the bright red glow of the Martian landscape far below the orbiting Newport News Construction Facilities. After some zero-G acrobatics to line the shuttle's airlock up with the one for the station, the good doctor was ready to get off.
The familiar sound of the pressure equalizing, followed by the iris-doors opening was accompanied by the sudden loud noise of construction equipment just inside the ship. Grabbing his bags, he pulled himself through the door, careful not to pull very hard, given that the lack of gravity made sudden movements a bit dangerous.
After steadying himself, he looked at the Officer of the Day and saluted. "Dr. Hirito reporting for duty," he said as he completed his crisp salute. Shouting over the noise, the Officer of the Day asked for his Identicard, which he produced.
After a couple of attempts for the card-reader to scan the card, the Officer of the Day sighed and pulled himself over to the computer terminal near his watch station and sat down. He then motioned for Dr. Hirito to sit down in the chair just in front. Both men strapped themselves down. "I am sorry Doctor, but our internal comms system is not yet fully operational. Word has it that the final pieces will be installed tomorrow. I will have to contact the Mars facilities to access your records."
After a few moments, and a couple hundred keystrokes, the Officer of the Day smiled. "Looks like you are ready to go. I will get a crewman to escort you to your stateroom."
"No need. I studied the layout of the ship before I came."
About that time, the security alarm went off.
-----
Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis was having the time of his life. Just a few hours before, the squadron was on a shuttle going up to the orbiting platforms to acquire their new Starfuries. The 'furies were completed and ready for delivery only the day before. The Wing Commander, William Palisades, wanted to get the pilots some flight time, and give the new fighters a workout. So... rather than having them delivered to the ACHILLES, he had his squadron pick them up, and run them through a workout as they flew them to the ship themselves.
"Lone Star, this is Snakebite. I am noticing a slight pull to the port. Seems like each time I fire the rotational thrusters for a port-side turn, I'm getting a bit more than I bargained for."
"How about the pitch and yaw thrusters?"
"Nope, just the rotational, and just when rotating port."
"Snakebite, come to an all stop and execute a full three-sixty rotational to the port. I will examine from the outside."
"Aye-aye, sir."
Lt. JG Abundis came to a complete stop, then waited for the Wing Commander to do the same. Gently, he nudged the ship over to the port side and completed a 360-degree turn. That was when the rotational thrusters locked in the firing position...
-----
Lieutenant Allen Phillips stepped off of his shuttle and onto Earth gravity for the first time in a month. Lt. Commander Alex Parsons stepped off right afterwards, and stormed towards the large doors that exited the shuttle facility. "Come on, Allen, we don't have all day."
It seems that several of the drawings for the newly repaired engines, documentation on work done to complete the repairs and many other important documents had never been released by Newport News when the engineering sections were completed last week. Several remote conversations later, and Chief Engineer Parsons was no closer to getting the information he needed. So... eight hours ago, he grabbed Allen Phillips and they two of them grabbed a shuttle for Earth and figured that they would get the documents and take them back, come Hell or High Water.
Allen had slept the whole way (seeing as how with his 20-hours-a-day work schedule, he had not gotten a decent nights sleep for a long while). He was quite certain that the information Alex was asking for was needed and should be provided; he was equally certain that Newport News would not be budging on the issue.
As they got into a taxi to head over to the main ground facilities for Newport News, Allen noticed two odd looking individuals staring at him, as if they knew him. He glanced over to Alex, but Alex looked at him as if to say "don't say a word." So Allen shut up, smiled inwardly and thanked the maker for the break this little wild-goose-chase was providing.
When they got there, however, all hell broke loose.
-----
Dr. Hirito arrived at the scene in the aft crew quarters. Lt. JG Imeon looked at him and stopped him before he could enter. "This area is off limits; may I see your Identicard, please?"
Dr. Hirito produced the card, "My name is Dr. Alejandro Mohammed Hirito. Dr. Courtier is currently supervising the upload of the medical data files back on Mars, so they sent me down here."
"I'm sorry Doctor. Not having met you before, I... Come on in."
Surveying the scene, Dr. Hirito sees the problem immediately. There is PPG scoring in several areas of the crew quarters. Some of it is obviously from a PPG Carbine, as it is far beyond the scoring a PPG pistol would do. Upon closer examination, he discovers cauterized blood on the bulkheads as well.
"I'll need to take this to the medical facilities to have it analyzed. Do you have any idea who it is?"
"Not yet, but the airlocks have been sealed so nobody gets off the ship until we complete a muster. We planed to begin once you have concluded your initial check of the scene."
"I am done here for now. Please keep this area sealed off, and begin your muster, Lieutenant. I'll be in medical."
-----
Alejandro was in a high-G spin for some 90 seconds before he passed out. All attempts to regain control of the craft were fruitless. Lt. Commander Palisades was eventually able to use the computers on his Starfury to take command of the disabled ship. Alejandro was still out cold.
"Squad, this is Lone Star. Let's head for the barn. Sidewinder, once you close enough, alert Medical that we have a patient coming in." Taking care as he pulled the ship into a towing position, he bean the slow flight to his new home. As they approached, he noticed that the emergency lights on the upper decks of the ship were lit. "Aw, hell. Now what?"
-----
Allen Phillips looked at the man he had not come to think of as "the suit." For the last ten minutes, he and Commander Parsons had been going back and forth over the issue of the documentation on the engine work.
"Listen Commander, the documents you are asking for have been classified. I can not, and will not, turn those documents over to you."
"Classified? How in the name of Christ are we supposed to support an engine when we have no documentation on what has been done to it!? How can we repair it if we have no documentation on what it is supposed to look like when we are done!? I can not do my job without those documents!"
"You will lower your voice when you address me, Commander. As the head of this facility, I am not so low on the totem pole as to have to answer to the likes of you."
With that, Parsons turned and left. Allen watched him leave, wondering if he would go too. Then he turned to address "the suit" and said "He's right, you know."
"Listen young man, don't you get started. I am not about to take any gruff from him, I am not about to take any gruff from you. It is not my job-"
"It is not your job to what, sir? To aid us? To provide us with complete information so that the 800 men and women on the ACHILLES don't suddenly lose power in the midst of some conflict on the Narn border? Please, sir, tell me what it is that it is not your job to do."
"Get out!"
"Not without the documentation we need."
"GET OUT, NOW!"
"Sir, if you don't give me the documentation we need, right now, I will ram my boot up your ass so far, you'll be tasting shoe-leather for a month."
At that point, Lt. Phillips was promptly arrested for assault.
-----
Captain Susan Ortega sat in her command chair, strapped in. She mulled over the terminal as she read her reports. It was obvious to Lieutenant JG Imeon as she entered the command deck, that her commanding officer was not in a good mood.
"What have you got for me, Lieutenant?" Captain Ortega said quietly without looking up.
"Muster is complete. Of the normal operating crew, we have only 346 on board at the moment. This is three shy of where we should be right now. Of the civilian contractors, we have only 693 on board, two shy of where we should be."
"We have five people unaccounted for, Lieutenant. I suggest you find them."
"Yes ma'am."
"Where is the Chief of Security? Why is he not giving me this report?"
"He is in medical, ma'am. Dr. Hirito called him down there three minutes ago."
-----
"Narn blood? Narn blood?" The phrase seemed wrong. No matter how many times the Security Chief said it, it did not sound any better.
"Yes. The blood on the bulkhead was definitely not human, Commander," replied Dr. Hirito. "After looking at it, I knew what it was, but I had the computers verify it. The blood is Narn, sir. How many Narn are on board this ship?"
Lt. Commander Gregory Addams laughed. "Captain Ortega would sooner run this ship into the sun as to have a Narn on board."
"Dr. Courtier feels much the same way, Commander. But none-the-less, there was at least one on board this ship, and it was recently. With a dead or injured Narn about..."
Activating his Comm-Link, "This is Lt. Commander Gregory Addams, Chief of Security for EAS ACHILLES. At this time I am issuing a general alert. All hands are restricted to their quarters. All civilians will cease activities and report to the supply docking bay." Looking back to the Doctor, "Thank's doc. I'll take it from here."
The iris door opened, and the security chief left quickly; almost immediately after he was out of the door, two men in flight-suits floated in carrying a gurney with Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis strapped to it, unconscious.
**************************** 18-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant JG Imeon flipped from screen to screen as she gave her morning report to Lieutenant Commander Gregory Addams. "Sir, this is the short and sweet of it. We were missing three military personnel; one was found -- Petty Officer Mark Simmons. He was lost in the aftward sections, and the problems we are having with the COMM system delayed his muster. His story checks out."
"And the other two?"
"Lieutenant Commander Parsons and Lieutenant Phillips were off ship, actually. They had taken a trip to Earth. Turns out that several pieces of important documentation on the engine work were missing. When they left the ship, according to Parsons, the Identicard Reader was not working, the terminal was down. The Officer of the Day took down the information manually and was going to enter it into the system once COMMS were back up. It was never entered; unfortunately, given the virgin nature of this crew, he cannot identify the individual he spoke to. Parsons is back on board and is working on the engineering section as we speak. Phillips on the other hand was arrested for assault in Newport News-"
"Arrested? For what?"
"Evidently he threatened the Supervisor of the facility. I checked into it and a few of the guys over there say they think he was provoked. I spoke with the XO this morning and he thinks he has some friends that can get the documents they were looking for released. I also had him transferred to military custody. He should be back on board in a couple of hours."
"O-kay... that takes care of the military guys. What about the civilians?"
"Two still unaccounted for."
"You checked the whole ship?"
"Not the whole thing yet. Since the security department has people securing a crime scene, we have almost no people available. We will be done with the internal sweep this morning, I will be taking a shuttle outside once that's done and doing a full external sweep of the ship as well."
"Alright, good work. I'll be on the Command Deck of you need me. Captain wants to have a word with me..."
-----
Lieutenant Phillips saw quietly looking out the window of the shuttle. He could see the ACHILLES, and truly wanted to be back on board, but was nervous. Nothing like getting arrested to impress your commanding officer. And just where in the heck was Lt. Commander Parsons?
As the shuttle came in on its final approach, he noticed the emergency lights flashing on the upper decks. Before he could react to them, he thought, for just a moment, that he saw three vacuum suits back on the aftward support structures. "Odd; standard protocol is that nobody be on the outside of the ship in a general alarm situation," he thought.
As the pressure evened, and the iris doors opened, before he could even move, he could hear the voice of Captain Susan Ortega and feel the penetrating eyes of Commander Elijah Clark burning through the back of his head. Pulling himself up to the door, he did his best to stand at attention as the Captain reprimanded him.
"Would you care to explain your absence, Lieutenant?"
"I was accompanying my Department Head to Earth, ma'am."
"Oh, and was being arrested on the agenda, Lieutenant?"
"No, ma'am."
"Would you care to explain to me exactly what you meant by 'I will ram my boot up your ass so far, you'll be tasting shoe-leather for a month' --I mean, this seems so in keeping with the Officer and a Gentleman aspect of Naval service."
"No, ma'am, it was entirely out of line and I apologize."
"Not good enough Mister. I am docking your pay for two months and restricting you to the ship. You will perform extra duties for two months as well, Lieutenant, any questions?" Alex knew that, by authority, the punishment he was receiving could not be legally carried out on any officer; they were Article 15 punitive measures that were applicable to enlisted persons only. However, since the alternative was to face legal measures instead, he figured that the Captain was giving him his slap-on-the-wrist and was going to leave it at that.
"No questions, ma'am."
"Dismissed, Lieutenant." she said. Alex Phillips was not sure, but for a moment he thought she cracked a smile.
-----
Lieutenant JG Janos Abundis was feeling better. He was in the fighter docking bay looking over his Starfury when Lt. Commander Palisades came in. "How are ya feelin' son?" There was something about the Texas drawl that disarmed most people.
"Fine sir. Just trying to figure out what went wrong."
"Find anything yet?"
"Nothing. Every piece of equipment checks out. There is no reason this ship should be acting funny."
"Alright. Stop banging your head against the wall. Every single one of these birds has an odd problem. The guns on bird one are off to the right, but everything checks out. The computer on bird two has a two second delay on any command that accesses the combat sub-routines, but everything checks out. One and on... problem, and everything always checks out. But... we are getting help. The Captain just informed me we have a volunteer from engineering who is going to be helping us out."
"A volunteer?"
-----
"I am really sorry Allen. I didn't mean to leave you out in the cold like that. I stepped out of the room so I could calm down, and expected you to follow me."
"It's my own fault, Alex. I was angry, and frustrated, and tired. I let my mouth get me into trouble again. Happens all the time. Of course, I am not usually arrested for it..."
"That security gal, what's her name?"
"Imeon."
"What kind of name is that?"
"Not sure."
"Not important. What is important is that she convinced the Security Chief to contact a few people back on Earth and ensured that the charges were dropped. It won't go to trial. Nothing more from this one, I think."
"That's good. Well, I have to get going."
"Where to?"
"I have been asked to go help with the Fighter Wing. Seems they have some new 'furies with some odd problems they can't fix. But I wanted to stop in and ask why we have people working on the aftward support structure?"
"We don't, why do you ask?"
"When I was coming on board, I thought I saw three vac-suits working back there. I noticed it because that was the section right under the main thrusters that I finished last week. Nothing needs to be done there, but someone is out there."
"You get on down to the fighter bay. I'll check it out."
-----
Lieutenant Allen Phillips entered the Fighter Docking Bay. Since the fighter compliment on the Hyperion is so low, the fighter jocks themselves are considered ther own 'Plane Captains' -- this means they are expected to inspect any and all work done on ther craft. They aid in the day-to-day maintenance of ther fighters. Allen could see that most of the jocks were not happy, as they all had one nagging problem that was driving them batty.
"You're Allen Phillips, right?" said Janos Abundis, derailing Allen Phillip's train of thought.
"Uh, yea. I know your name, but I am sure I will mangle it if I try to say it," he said smiling.
"Janos Abundis. The 'j' is pronounced like a 'y' in English, and the 's' on the end is only barely pronounced at all."
"Got it. So, what seems to be the trouble?"
"Well, the rotational thrusters are sticking. For some reason, they will continue to thrust for about two minutes after a complete turn. Sent me for a loop, let me tell you!"
"So I hear. I assume you checked the navigational computers and the primary thruster control systems?"
"Yep. All check out fine."
"Well. Then let's dig in..."
-----
Lieutenant JG Imeon was going over her notes. Too much of the puzzle that lay before her made no sense. She had contacted everyone that could have had an impact on this thing. However, she figured that the Chief Engineer had more to say than he was letting on.
"Computer, locate Lieutenant Commander Alex Parsons."
"Unable to comply. Internal Communications systems incomplete."
"Damn!" she swore under her breath. Activating her wrist-comm, she called for the computer systems group. "When is the new computer core supposed to be active?"
"About six hours, sir. The last of the central computer systems are being shuttled up from Mars this morning. We expect to have the core online by 1500, and all systems ran through their initial checks and such by 1730."
"Thanks." It was time to hunt down the Chief Engineer.
-----
"What the..." Allen Phillips said as he continued tracing the wires from the fighter's computer systems to the flight control systems. Attached to the wire was a tiny device that he could barely get his fingernail's to grip into.
"Find something?" Janos Abundis asked.
"I think so." Pulling his hand out of the mesh was tough to do without losing grip on the tiny object. It was less than three millimeters square, and a millimeter thick. It had two prongs that extended out of the bottom of it that had penetrated the wire it was attached to.
"What is it?"
"I have no idea. But I have a feeling that we will find one on the wires running from the central computer to the system being affected in each of these fighters."
"Let's find out."
-----
Dr. Hirito was completing his paperwork on the Narn-blood findings, while coordinating the effort to prepare for a complete data upload from the Mars facility of the crew's medical histories, when the quiet of sick bay was once again interrupted.
"Dr. Hirito, this is Lieutenant Imeon. Can you please report to the Chief Engineer's quarters immediately."
"I am kind of busy at the moment, is this a medical emergency?"
"You could say that. Our Chief Engineer is dead."
"On my way."
-----
"So you say you found one of these in each of the fighters?" asked Lt. Commander William Palisades.
"Yes sir," answered Allen Phillips. "Each fighter had one of these devices tapped into the wiring between the central computer and the area being effected. They have all been sabotaged."
"How did you find them?"
"I traced the wires from the central computer, which checked out, and the systems, which checked out. I figured since the systems were all checking out, it had to be the communications between each that was the problem. My only concern what that, in each case, it is a specific command that is being sent that seems to be the target. I couldn't figure out how that was possible, but I checked anyway. Once I found the first on in Alejandro's fighter, the rest were easy to find, because I knew what I was looking for."
"Good work, son."
-----
"My god, what happened here?" Asked Dr. Hirito.
"We have no idea." answered Captain Ortega. The Doctor looked about the room and saw that the Captain, Commander Clark, Chief of Security and every security person that could be spared was just outside of the Chief Engineer's quarters.
Once he entered the quarters, Dr. Hirito could see that the Chief Engineer had been sliced apart. His left arm and right leg were completely, and cleanly, removed. His torso was cut in at least a half-dozen places. The room was a mess with the blood all over the place -- zero-gravity had a way of doing that.
"So Doc, what did this?"
"I'll have to do an autopsy to be sure, but it was obviously a blade of some sort. A large one, by the looks of it. We'll need to get him out of here, without disturbing the state of the body. I'll need several body bags... unfortunately, most all of the equipment I'll need is on Mars right now."
"I have put a priority on getting your equipment and the computer core up here today," said Commander Clark. "It should be here within two hours. In the mean time, Doctor, I suggest you get what you need out of here."
"Chief, how is security right now?" asked Captain Ortega.
"Meaning?" inquired Lt. Commander Addams.
"I mean you have two crime scenes that need to be guarded. Do you have enough personnel?"
"Not really. I have only a third of my security staff on board. The rest were due to arrive over the course of the next week. I have already alerted Earth Dome that I want ther transfer leaves cut short; I was informed that it would still be about three days before any would be able to get here."
"Fine, I'll contact Mars and Earth and see if any security people can be spared to augment your staff in the meantime. For now, I want both crime scenes kept secure."
"Aye-Aye, ma'am."
-----
"What did I do?" asked Lieutenant Allen Phillips.
"I can't be sure yet, Lieutenant." answered Lieutenant Imeon. She sat back in the chair and tapped her fingers on her desk. "But in the mean time, I will be placing you under house arrest. You will be confined to your quarters until I sort it all out."
"Why!? I didn't do anything! I want to see the Captain!"
Just as he said this, the iris doors to the Security Office opened up and the Captain cam floating in. "About what, Lieutenant?"
"You approved of this?" asked Phillips.
"Yes. And it was not easy. Despite yesterday's events, I still think you re a good officer, with a lot of potential. But the theory that Lieutenant Imeon proposes makes too much sense for me to ignore."
"And this theory would be what?"
"Glad you asked," said Imeon. "Fact: yesterday morning you and the Chief Engineer left the ship without leaving a record of your departure."
"We already explained that, we-"
"You will not interrupt me again, Lieutenant. Fact: sometime earlier that day, someone died in the aftward crew quarters -- less than sixty feet from where your quarters are, Lieutenant."
Allen pulled himself into the chair in front of Imeon's desk.
Imeon continued: "Fact: according to the shuttle logs, your shuttle made an unscheduled stop in the orbital facilities for Mitchell-Hyundyne; this is the facility where the Starfuries were being prepared. Your stop would be about two hours before the fighter wing arrived to pick them up."
Allen's jaw dropped. "I slept that whole trip... I had no idea we made a stop," he was about to say, but the look on Imeon's face shut him up before he began.
"Fact: each of said fighters was sabotaged. And after careful inspection, you discovered the problem -- even though the entire fighter maintenance staff could find nothing. Makes me wonder what else is in those fighters, how about you?"
Allen started to answer, but was cut off.
"Fact: According to the ships personnel logs, you were the last one to see the Chief Engineer today. And just an hour ago, we found him dead in his quarters. I'm sure you don't know anything about that, do you Lieutenant?"
"No... I don't."
"What did the two of you talk about?"
"Nothing... I mentioned that I had seen some people working on the area I completed last week. He and I both agreed nobody should have been out there."
"What area was that?"
"The support structure beneath the engineering section."
"I'll check on that, anything else?"
"No. Nothing. After that, I reported to the Fighter Bay."
"Right. Well... given the circumstances, I think we need to keep you locked up. Since all of the evidence is, thus far, circumstantial, we are going to restrict you to quarters until this investigation is over. But, first I am going to inspect your quarters. Unless you have an objection?"
-----
Dr. Hirito was working on his autopsy, taking verbal notes when he was interrupted by the Chief of Security entering the medical facilities.
"Dr., have you determined what caused the wounds yet?"
"Not yet. All I know is that it was a large blade."
"Well, let me know. In the mean time, I have three bodies for you. Two are the last of the civilians, the third is a Narn -- obviously the one that was wounded, given the shape he is in."
"Where were they?"
"In vac-suits under the ship's engineering section. We'll need to contact the Narn Government for identification of the body. This is going to cause a real stink with ther government, I assure you. But I recognize the other two -- civilians assigned to work on the aft quarters."
Just then the wrist-comm for the Chief of Security beeped. "Addams here."
"Chief, I think I have the weapon that was used to kill the Chief Engineer."
"What is it? Where?"
"When we searched Lieutenant Phillips' quarters, we found it. It is a large blade with Narn writing on it."
"That was just what I didn't want to hear..."
**************************** 19-JAN-2254 ****************************
Lieutenant Imeon sat in her office trying to make sense of the last couple of days. It turned out that the little devices that had been used to disable the fighters appeared to be Dilgar in orgin -- yet another piece of the puzzle that did not make any sense. Then, without warning, the iris-door opened and in floated a man she did not recognize in a black uniform.
"My name is Bester... I believe you requested some security aid from Mars?"
"Yes, we did. I..." it was at that time that Imeon noticed that Bester's mouth had not moved, and he had a Psi Corps badge on. "Get out of my head!"
"I am sorry," Bester offered with a tone that told Imeon it was not sincere. "It is just a matter of efficiency."
"I don't care. And why are you here? Why would Mars send a Psi Cop?"
"Sure, I may be a Psi Cop, but I am still a licensed Police Officer of the Earth Alliance. Mars has enough trouble that they have no security-types they can spare, but I volunteered to come up and help you. The least you can do is show a little gratitude."
"Alright... gratitude. Right. First things first -- no scans, no driving into anyone's mind. We do this my way, and we do it by the book."
"Sure. By the book. Whatever you say. So... care to fill me in?"
"Sure... it all started two days ago..."
-----
"Captain, this was most definitely the blade that was used to kill the Chief Engineer." Dr. Hirito was nervous. This was the sort of briefing her boss should be giving. But, since she was out of the loop for the vast majority of it, and she was still back in the sick bay checking the data on the newly installed computer core, it was relegated to Hirito. "Rank has it's privileges," she had told him.
"I see in your report that you analyzed the blood of the victim against the blood on the blade." mused Captain Ortega.
"Also, I found micro-fragments of the blade in the leg and arm bones of Lieutenant Commander Parsons that matched the blade itself. There were, strangely, no details remaining to implicate the person that used the blade. I found no cellular residue, no fingerprints, no nothing, ma'am."
"What about the blood on the bulkheads back aft against the Narn we pulled in yesterday? Did they match also?"
"Also a match, Captain."
"Interesting. We have a hell of a puzzle here on our hands. We have two dead civilians, one dead Narn and a dead Chief Engineer. And this ship has not even left the repair dock. I cannot tell you how this makes me feel."
"Agreed Captain. I think we will need security around the medical facilities."
"Already taken care of, Doctor. But keep in mind, we are short handed Security staff... I can only spare one guard. We have two crime scenes and a suspect we are also guarding."
-----
Bester entered Allen Phillips' stateroom, Imeon closely behind. Phillips immediately saw the Psi Corp badge and nearly hit his head on a bulkhead trying to get as far away from the man as he could. "Stay out of my head!" Turning his attention to Imeon, "What in the hell is he doing here."
"Aiding us in our investigation." Imeon said matter-of-factly.
"Get him out of here!"
"Please, please... all this fuss over me? Why so paranoid, Lieutenant?" Bester said with a smile that was anything but happy.
"I do not trust psi cops."
"And what did I ever do to you?"
"Just stay out of my head."
"I will. I have no need to read your thoughts. I am here as an officer of the law, and at the request of your Executive Officer. I am here to help you. And if it makes you feel any better, I think you are being framed."
Imeon's wrist-com chirped. "Imeon here."
"Sir, the Narn body is gone."
"What do you mean it's gone?"
"I don't really know how to explain it sir, it's just not here."
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