Suspicion Unresolved

Posted on Tue Feb 20th, 2024 @ 2:36am by Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant JG Gage Tohoyia
Edited on on Tue Mar 12th, 2024 @ 8:24pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Rowena's Quarters - Deck 2 Section 31 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 2100 hrs

Rowena was in her quarters going through her drawers. She had laid clothes on her bed. She wore mostly uniforms of course, but she wanted to see what she had and wanted to see what she wanted to keep and what she wanted to throw out.

As she had emptied her drawer, she started to sort everything on her bed. She knew she had a lot to do, but she needed to look at something else other than data and intell.

Gage made his way from the SCIF to the Commander's quarters. He passed a few familiar faces and received a smile from one person. Maybe he was getting settled in. But when he reached his destination, he paused outside of the door, wondering once more if this was the right decision. He had to do something. To do nothing would be a dereliction of his duties. He waved his hand in front of the door chime and took a deep breath.

Rowena looked up from her work. She heard soft whispers. She shook it off and then walked to her living room area holding a dress she probably hadn't worn in ages. She stopped in the middle of the room and dropped it on the floor. She tilted her head to the side and then stepped over the dress and walked to the replicator. She stood in front of it a moment.

She then put her hands on her ears and blinked as she turned towards the door. She then narrowed her eyes. "What?" She almost whispered. She blinked again and then walked to the door and opened it. "Ehm...Lieutenant, have you been standing here long?" She wondered why she opened the door in the first place, but she shook it off. "D-do you have news?"

Gage shook his head. "No, Commander," he said. "Just a moment or two. I... I was hoping we could have a conversation. Some data has come up and I need your guidance on it." Gage thought that Commander McGowen looked unsettled somehow. But perhaps that was just him being overly analytical.

Rowena nodded. "Of course." She walked in and quickly picked up the clothes on the floor and tossed them in her bedroom and then closed it. "I wasn't really expecting company. Can I get you anything?" She walked now calmly to the replicator.

"No thank you," Gage said. He didn't want to be holding a glass of raktajino if his questions provoked some kind of unexpected response. "I'll get right to the reason I am here, sir. It was brought to my attention that you've been doing some unusual research in the SCIF. Specifically accessed several mission files, all of which were instances when the crew mutinied. You also were looking for ways to keep the command staff out of the computer and how to rapidly evacuate the ship. I know I am new here but there are not very many reasons someone would make such inquiries. I'm hoping that you're going to read me into whatever danger you think is threatening the ship."

Rowena looked shocked to Gage. She put her hand on her head. "Did I do that? Why would I do that?" She then looked at both of her hands and started to shake. She then looked up at Gage. "I can't hold this on long. Gage the ship is in danger. You can't go to the captain, you can't go to the first officer. You must seek the Paranormal unit. This started..." She started to breathe heavily. "The Malificus....they are all dead. The Pioneer...will...I can't..."

Rowena put her hand on her head again. Then she looked up to Gage again. "Lieutenant, I am sorry, what were you saying?"

Gage didn't say anything immediately. The Commander's words were running through his head and he was trying to understand what had just happened. She was clearly unwell or being affected by something that he didn't know about.

"Ah, we were just talking about the upcoming rotation in the SCIF. I wanted to see if you had anything you wanted to change," Gage said. It was a weak reply but the best he could do given the circumstances.

Rowena tilted her head as if taking in his words for a moment. She then shook her head, "I think the rotation is good as it is. Unless you feel changes are needed. Do you?" She looked at him intense.

"No ma'am" Gage said and left the Commander's quarters. This meeting left him with more questions than answers.

A Joint Post By

Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer & Second Officer, USS Pioneer

Lieutenant Junior Grade Gage Tohoyia
Infiltration Specialist, USS Pioneer

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