The Plan For Tracking

Posted on Tue Dec 1st, 2020 @ 7:37am by Captain Winfield Hood
Edited on on Tue Dec 1st, 2020 @ 7:38am

1,305 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Ties That Bind - Empok Nor Episode 2
Location: Empok Nor, CO Ready Room
Timeline: MD003 0800

Winfield sat behind his desk and grinned. He was over the moon about being back on the station and he would make sure that everything, and everyone that was last to get him there would be remembered. However, despite that he had another project to work on. Hood had to make sure that the station returned to normal operations. It seemed that Elloma Essu had requested to see him. Hood knew the woman to be by the book so if she bypassed K'Gunn to talk to him then it must be important. When he noticed her outside the office he gave her the signal to come in.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Elloma Essu, reporting as ordered Sir." She called out, as she snapped to the position of attention. In her mind, she was already figuring out what to say next.

Hood smiled as he motioned for a seat. "Lieutenant please have a seat. It is not often that one of my Junior Officers requests an audience. However, I am nothing if not available. So what can I do for you?"

Elloma was still adsorbing all the data, that had came in. And she found a few things, that made her very concerned. "Yes sir, sorry to break protocol. I thought it was time to bring you in, and up to speed on why I have been sent to Empok Nor. You see Captain, I was sent here by Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin and Captain Tyler Malbrooke on a mission of upmost importantance to Starfleet." Elloma started to say, thinking very carefully, how she wanted to proceed with this conversation. First though, she wanted to give him time to respond.

For the moment Hood was a bit upset that O Flannagain and Malbrooke would send someone on some sort of mission to his station and not mention it to him. However, he hid that anger well. "Go on Lieutenant I am listening."

"How much do you know sir about the disappearence of the USS Pioneer in 2395?" Elloma asked, as she handed him a data pad.

He quickly perused it and the memories of the data briefing and a passing conversation with Tyler came to Hood's mind. "I do not know anything more than the reports said. It is my understanding that the thrust into parallel universes was caused by a Cardassian experiment gone wrong." Winfield was curious to see where Elloma was going to take this.

"According to several intelligence drones, sensor logs from Empok Nor, and other sources, it appears that the USS Pioneer was not dormant, there is evidence to suggest that the ship was in use while the crew, was in their alternate realities." Elloma started to explain to him. Waiting to see his reaction.

Hood leaned back in his chair. "Is it possible that the crew's consciousness was in an alternate reality, and their bodies were here operating the ship?" This sort of conversation always had a tendency to make Winfield's head hurt. But it seems that headache or no they would have to get to the bottom of it.

"I never thought of that venue, but I can answer it non the less. It was not the crew. According to the logs, they vanished into thin air. By the crews own accounts and the biological testing, we discovered they were not aboard the ship, during the time in question. Something or someones were aboard, and they were pretty good at covering their steps." Elloma said, deep down she wanted to blame section 31, but she had no proof. All she had was a lead. A lead she needed to follow up on.

Hood could sense that the woman was not sure as to who would have done this yet. "If we can't answer the who as of yet, can we answer the why? Do we have any idea as to why anyone would want to do this."

"I have a strong suspicion and evidence that is leaning in the direction of a Starfleet Officer, but I am not sure if he is consiously or sub consiously doing this. Or doing this against his will." Elloma said, she wanted to tell her Captain, who she strongly suspected. She was not ready say to say his intentions were milicious, despite the evidence showing it was questionable.

"Questionable or not out with it. Accusing an officer is nothing to shake a stick at. Let me hear who you think it is and why. We can work on the hard evidence after." Hood replied. He was curious to see what the young woman thought. Was she really on to something here?

"Are you familiar with Lieutenant Calvin Quaid?" Elloma asked, wondering how much she neede to fill him in?

"Of course he is the Strategic Operations Chief. However, they have not been able to locate him since the evacuation." Hood replied wondering where she was going with this.

Elloma handed Captain Hood a data pad. "Here is the evidence I have collected so far. But this latest incident, is just one of many infractions, I have discovered during my investigation." Elloma started to say, allowing what she was suggesting to sink in.

Hood took the padd and reviewed it silently. The evidence was compelling but to suspect a fellow officer that was a large bill to fill. But there was the fact that Calvin had still not checked back in to answer for. "Lieutenant do you believe that Calvin is responsible for the Pioneer's disappearance?"

"Given the trail of circumstantial evidence, I would have to say yes." Elloma started to say, as she went on. "There is to much circumstantial evidence pointing at him to be a coincidence." Elloma pointed out. "I need to interview him, to discover the truth." She suggested to the captain.

Hood leaned back and threw a ball up against the wall of his office. He was lost in thought for a moment. "Lieutenant I am going to authorize you to lead an away team. Find Quaid and bring him back to the station for questioning. Tell him that you were sent as a search party as he has not returned since the evacuation. That should get him back here."

"Aye Captain, I will find him. I have lead on his inozation trail. He is trying to mask it, but I am one step ahead of him." Elloma said, as she started to gather the drone data, out in deep space, and coordinate his position, before he can mask his trail.

"Excellent bring him and make sure that he does not know that he is under suspicion. I want him to think that we are worried about him. Perhaps that will lead to some information here." Hood replied. Then as an after thought added. "Take what personnel you need. I will get you a ship."

"Thank you Captain, my team and I will bring him back. Will get the answers, that we are all looking for." Elloma said to Captain Hood. She was just as vested as he was, to get to the truth.

"Very well Lieutenant you have your mission. Dismissed." Hood turned toward the window in the back of his office as he pondered what had become of the fleet he knew. Quaid had been such an asset what could have gotten to him.

"Aye Captain." Elloma said, as she stood up and snapped to the position of attention. Then made a direct about face. She started to walk out of the room. Understanding the severity of the case. The scene starts to fade away.

A Joint Post By

Captain Winfield Hood
Commanding Officer, Empok Nor

Lieutenant Elloma Essu
Chief Strategic Operations Officer, Empok Nor

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