Chasing Shadows
Posted on Thu Jul 19th, 2018 @ 8:53am by Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun
Edited on on Thu Jul 19th, 2018 @ 9:01am
1,921 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4 - The Sum of Our Parts
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: MD001 1000 hrs
Elloma was not sure what to make of the video feed. Crewman Goldberg murder was quick, and did not grab the attention of anyone. How could that be? She reviewed the footage several times, and was not getting anywhere, so she decided to recreate it on the holodeck.
The room was set, like it was last night before the murder. Elloma took a seat, she observed Crewman Goldberg. She was paying attention to every last detail. She wanted to make sure she did not miss anything. She was hopeful the holodeck recreation would be helpful.
She needed help, and she knew who to turn too. She tapped on her combadge. "Ensign Essu to Petty Officer Masters, please respond." Called out Elloma. She knew that the petty officer had investigation skills, and she worked in intelligence. She would be a great resource.
Jenn was seated behind her computer at the Intelligence department. She was shifting through intell again, trying to get the thoughts of earlier out of her head. Then she got a call from an Ensign Essu. She tapped her badge and said, "This is Petty officer Masters, what can I do for you, Ensign?"
"Can you please meet me in Holodeck 2, I require your technical skills." Said Elloma. She did not want to say over an open communication line, why she wanted her assistance. She was not sure, who maybe listening or eavesdropping.
Jenn silently sighed. "On my way, Ensign." She got up and shut down her computer and made her way to Holodeck 2. As the doors opened she walked on to the holodeck. She looked around as a strange scene unfolded before her. "Ensign, I don't know what you think stands for recreation but I don't want to be part of it."
"Its a holographic recreation of the after 11 lounge, before the murder of Crewman Goldberg, I know you have experience in holographic recreation. You have assisted other investigations in the past. I believe I could benefit from your particular set of skills with this murder." Said Elloma, deciding not to mince with words with Jennifer.
Jennifer nodded. "Right." Her tone was serious as she started to look around. "So what are the details surrounding the death of the crewman?" She looked at the body and looked at the area around the body. "Just keep talking, I can listen and investigate the crime scene."
"This is Crewman Howard or Howie if you prefer Goldberg." Elloma said, as she walked over to him. "What was it the Lounge owner said, she then called out. "He seemed nice, bit lonely I think. Kinda why I think he used to come here, bit of social interaction even if he did get a little boisterous after a few.” She continued to think about what Chloe had told her.
"He gets boisterous after a few, but he did not really talk to anyone. It seemed like everyone kept their distance." Elloma was trying to re collect her train of thought.
"Do you recall any altercations, or anyone showing signs of aggravation, over his boisterous encounters?" Asked Elloma. She was trying to see if anyone had a grudge against the crewman. Elloma did not know the crewman personally.
Elloma started to reciete what Chloe had told her, and her body posturing. “Honestly no... I may have given him a couple of slaps, threw him out once but he was pretty much a loner so...” Chloe replied half shrugging.
"Is any of this helpful to you?" Asked Elloma, wanting to start with the one lead she had, the attack of the lounge manager. Elloma looked to Jennifer, for help and guidance.
Jenn walked around the bar and even stood behind the bar and looked over to the dead man. Then she walked back out and knelled down next to the body. She examined the body. "That was a perfect description of a witness description of the man. You aren't telling me what I need to know. When was this man killed? Has a medical examiner determined the cause of death? Was he found this way or did people see him die?"
She got up. "Now before you answer me those questions, answer me this first, is this how you found the body? The state of it?"
"This is how the body was found." Said Elloma, laying peacefully in his chair, looking straight at that bulkhead." She said as she walked over to the body.
"Then there were no signs of fights or struggles. This man was poisoned. Now, answer my questions, cause I can't do this if you don't tell me what I need to know." Jenn said. She looked around a moment. "Sir," she said a bit uncomfortable and shrugged slowly.
"Autopsy is under way, after this recreation, I was going to pay Lieutenant Hermia O'Rourke a visit. If you are right, she will be able to find evidence of poisoning. Poisoning would explain why Chloe was struck over the head, the killer either poisoned the drink or all of the bottles, we need to also get over to the bar, and inspect all of those bottles. Before the lounge opens up today." Called out Elloma, with a slight sense of urgency in her voice.
"I do agree with you on that part, we must investigate that further," said Jenn.
"Well lets head over to sickbay, I will notify my guards to have Miss De Le Vega pros-pone opening her lounge so we can inspect those bottles. Now we have no idea what type of poison they would have used, so hopefully the good doctor can help us out." Said Elloma, trusting in the skills of Jennifer.
Jenn nodded and said, "Well if all the bottles were poisoned don't you think we would have more bodies lying around. Or are you telling me that he was the only one in after 11 that night?"
Elloma lead Jennifer out of the holodeck, her mind was thinking about the mission. However her heart, wanted to reach out to Tyler. She knew she could not contact him for a social call. She needed to keep things on the down low. The crew would not understand, or so she assumed they would not understand.
"Ensign, forgive me, but you seem very occupied. Have you heard anything of what I said?" Jen asked. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Elloma was instantly annoyed by that comment. She did her best to keep her calm and collected. She desperately wanted to say to her was, "Petty Officer Masters, I hear everything you say, the fact that you would insult me and thinking that using the word please, would suggest its alright, is insulting" instead Elloma, at the moment decided best to continue this investigation on her own. "A good security investigations officer does not speculate, we follow the leads and search for the facts. You suggested poison might be the method of murder, so I am going to follow up on that lead. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Than you for your help, your dismissed." Said Elloma, slightly annoyed by her comment.
Jenn shrugged. "Yes, sir. I only wanted to help. If you think it's called speculation, fine. Go follow your lead." She walked to the entrance of the holoroom. " You do know I am right. If the bottles were all poisoned you would not have 1 but more bodies. Good luck with your investigation." She left the room. She wasn't really in the mood to battle with this obvious rooky. Everyone knows this was no way to go at it. Unless you have all the facts you can't follow on to leads. She just follows a carrot once it's presented to her.
"I guess being a intel officer has made you forget, how to be an investigator. You have natural talent. But has it ever dawned on you, that maybe I am not bringing you in completely on the investigation. There are some facts I am choosing to keep to myself. But since you are being rookie, I will enlighten you." Said Elloma starting off.
She took a deep breath and went on. "Your a resource, my team has already completed its preliminary check. They took samples of all bottles already, took the cup he was drinking, took evidence from his clothing. We already determined that no one else was injured. But you knew this. What my team did not know was how, how did the murder kill him. So I asked you, in the past you have had some success, and you lead some pretty big cases. So I asked you to help me with this case and you suspect poison, now I am following up on that lead. Security Chief Myles, will handle any new cases, if any arise. My job is to find justice for Crewman Goldberg."
"I will not speculate or make the assumption that no one else was poisoned. As far as we know, but if you want to speculate, I too can play that game. Why poison a low ranking crewman? Answer that for me, Petty Officer Masters? What was the motive? Why poison? Are there more victims? Is this start, or did the unidentified subject get the target they were aiming for? We have a lot of work still to do, but speculating is a luxury I do not have. I am going to follow the leads. Clearly your not able to assist, without bringing in speculation. Once you go down that road, it tunnel visions your judgement. If you want to assist, you will loose the attitude and stop speculating and start following the leads. If you want to keep your attitude, we will call it a day and go on our merry way. The choice is yours Petty Officer Masters."
Apparently this woman wasn't prepared to let her go just yet. "It's as you said, I am an intelligence officer. I am just looking for intell. You want me as a source, I want in. I don't want to take over your investigation, but if you want me to be a reliable source I want to see the cards you hold and I want to see your timeline board. I am not here to do your ME's work. And like any good investigator I know speculation is the downfall of any good investigation. I will drop my attitude if you show me what you got. Do we have a deal, sir?"
Elloma pulled out a small data pad, it contained everything that they had gathered at this point. "According to the manifest, and interview statements, the deceased was minding his own business. Everyone we interviewed, stated he was minding his own business. Even the attack on the Bartender, was low key. But the suspect did not kill the bartender, only Crewman Goldberg. We are trying to determine the reason for the murder, to understand why he died, we needed to find out how he died. If it was poison, then we have a possible lead, the ME should be able to determine what type of poison."
"Well, you're the boss, let's go talk to the ME." She said as she looked on the padd.
A Joint Post By
Ensign Elloma Essu
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Petty officer first class Jennifer Masters
HUMINT agent, USS Pioneer
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