backlog - JDL | Comm Ivanova & Ltcmdr Reiber & Cmdr Archer | Black Ops

Posted on Mon May 18th, 2015 @ 12:49am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander James Archer & Lieutenant Commander

1,976 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Agua Mala

A while after Miss Black had left his lab, Ethan continued to look at the i-23 complex and the official orders from Starfleet Intelligence that had prohibited him from gaining access to those files. Turning to the terminal, he summoned up the comm and sent Commodore Ivanova a brief message requesting an audience with her at her earliest convenience. Once that was sent, he retrieved the genetic sequencer unit that he had been going after when the young officer had come into the lab with her unusual request.

"I have to say, Contessa," he said as he looked at the Darwin's Bark Spider in the terrarium beside the terminal. "That was one of the strangest visits I've had yet. So where were we?" He asked, not expecting an answer as he returned to his work.

"Ivanova to Reiber." The combadge on the scientist's shirt grumbled with the Commodore's distinctive voice, "Please join me in my ready room as quickly as possible." The com quickly cut leaving him in virtual silence once again.

---

Black was a problem. A big. Giant. Glaringly obvious problem that needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible. The preliminary reports had been damning to say the least and as such, Rochelle found herself alternating between pacing back and forth and angrily drumming her fingers across the surface of her desk as she waited for Reiber to arrive.

Putting his testing on hold as the request to see the Commodore was granted, Ethan left the lab and headed to the nearest turbolift. There, he requested the bridge and cleared his mind before focusing on the events that had taken place just a short while before. Once he entered the bridge, he went directly to the Commodore's ready room and pressed the chime to await permission to enter.

"Enter." The Commodore called and halted her pacing long enough to rest her hip against the edge of her desk nearest the replicator.

Giving his uniform jacket a quick check, Ethan entered her ready room. "Thank you for granting my request, Commodore," he said. "I wouldn't have bothered you if it weren't important."

She nodded in return, gesturing from him to the couch in invitation for him to take a seat. "I'm quite glad you chose to bother me concerning this." Rochelle answered, folding her arms across her chest, "Before we begin, is there anything I can offer you? Coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee, black, please," Ethan said as he took a seat. He wondered how much the Commodore was aware of the situation as he hadn't relayed the exact reason for the request, but he knew that it was highly likely that his inquiry and subsequent denial of Lieutenant Black's medical file had set a chain reaction off.

Within seconds of his request, Rochelle practically slithered to the replicator to retrieve the order and found herself coiling her fingers around the warmth of a raktajino for herself. "I know everything that happens on my ship, Commander. I'd be a piss poor excuse for a commanding officer if I didn't." She said as she set his mug down on the coffee table in front of him, "To say I'm surprised about your request..." Her head shook, "Wish I could. However, I will say that I'm greatly concerned and turn the spotlight on over to you."

Was the woman a telepath or was she merely so completely on top of things that she had no need of people reporting to her in person? Ethan had to wonder as he accepted the coffee. "To summarize what you undoubtedly already know, Commodore, Lieutenant JG Black came to my lab a short while ago and handed me a PADD which contained one word. I-23 Complex. A quick search in the database revealed that it is usually seen in species with a very low impulse control, aggressive tendencies and similar traits. I took a DNA sample of Lieutenant Black and it revealed the same complex and when I requested her medical records, I was ordered to cease and desist by Starfleet Intelligence followed by a Classified injunction against such. That is when I decided to contact you. Why is a member of this ship carrying such DNA and why did Starfleet Intelligence clamp down on a simple request so quickly?"

"Ah see..." She smiled, setting down her own mug and taking a seat across from the man, "I didn't know the details. That's where you come in, dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's." Her hands folded neatly in her lap. "I'm not sure why Intel would go to such lengths to protect someone who's still wet behind the ears. Frankly it doesn't make any sense to me either, but what I do know is that I won't allow this kind of drama aboard my vessel. The Vindicator, as you well know, is a science and exploration ship. That's granted, however, she is not a Petri dish for genetic experimentation, and that's what this is starting to sound like."

"There is one other thing," Ethan said. "After Starfleet Intelligence sent the Classified notice, Lieutenant Black said this goes much much higher than even what Commander Archer's clearance has." He took another drink of his coffee, wondering what the Commodore would make of that. For his part, he was merely a biologist and planned on staying that way. "That seems to indicate that despite her protests to the contrary, Lieutenant Black seemed to have a wary familiarity with the subject at hand."

Rochelle's lips quirked into what could only be described as the wryest of smiles, "Then Lieutenant Black is truly ignorant of what Commander Archer does and doesn't have access too, but that's neither here nor there." She dismissed the thought with a quick wiggle of her fingers, "I took the liberty of requesting that Commander Archer join us. He should be here within the next few moments, I hope that's alright."

A Commodore was asking him if it was alright that she added someone else to their meeting? Ethan looked at her with more respect. "Certainly, Commodore. I'm afraid this is far outside of my normal line of research, although the genetic implications are fascinating. It would be more satisfying if it concerned arachnids, but I do hold a degree in genetics."

"To each their own, I suppose." Rochelle replied with a small smile. Spiders were easily listed among the top three things the young Commodore absolutely couldn't deal with. While she knew her fear of the eight-legged freaks was completely irrational, there was simply no way for her to deal with it or get over it. A greater part of her had fought against Reiber's project being brought aboard the ship until she'd be assured of the fail safes that had been put in place to keep the creatures in the lab where they belonged. "While I'm intrigued by the situation, I'm not interested enough to allow it to metamorphose into anything more troublesome than it already has."

James was still stewing from his heated conversation with Rochelle and now his mother dumping a strange child in his lap, when he received a message from the Skipper requesting his presence. "Oh for fucks sake, what now?" James messages back that he would be there shortly. "Amelia, I have to go see the ships Captain for a few minutes. Make yourself at home, but do not leave these quarters." With that, he heads out towards the nearest turbolift. A few moments later he makes his way across the bridge and rings the chime.

"Speak of the devil... Enter!" The redhead managed to bite back a chuckle as the doors to her ready room hissed open for a second time. "Take a seat, Commander. I don't believe you two have had the chance to be introduced. Commander Reiber is one of our biologists and he's come with rather interesting news."

"It's a pleasure, Commander." James replied, taking a seat beside the other officer, "Let me guess... You're a biologist so..." He sighed, "you're going to tell me that Lieutenant Black is some sort of mutant creature that poses a security threat to the ship?" He asked looking between the two of them expectantly.

Taken aback, Rochelle cast a wary eye towards Reiber, "Actually..."

"The pleasure is mine, Commander," Ethan said. "Actually, while it doesn't appear to be a security threat, there is something which Starfleet Intelligence does not want anyone to know about Lieutenant Black." Keeping the summary brief, he related what he had told Commodore Ivanova about the i-23 Complex and the order by SFI to stop requesting her medical records.

"Wait... wait..." James held up his hand asking for a moment to process what he just heard. "You mean to tell me that Black is a mutant creature that poses a security threat to the ship? My day keeps getting better and better." James laughs. Looking at the two other officers who didn't find the same amusement in the situation, he stops laughing, "You two are serious?"

"I took a DNA sample from her myself, Commander," Ethan said. "And in regards to Lieutenant Black being a mutant or anything other than what she seems to be, only her Medical records will reveal that."

Rochelle nodded along with what the biologist had to say, "Considering that Ocampa generally die before their ninth terran year... I'd say there's some sort of mutation to the mix of blood. Not even the Trill are long lived enough to cover up that kind of dominant gene, then again I'm not a scientist." She shrugged and looked back at Archer, "Mutant is speculation, security risk, however, is not. I'm sorry James."

James sighs, "I need a drink." With a puzzled expression, he looks at Ethan, "Classified Medical records? Medical records are never classified and why does I23 Complex sound so familiar?"

"You tell me and then we'll find you that drink." Rochelle's eyebrow hiked as she watched the two men interact.

"It's unknown outside of certain species with a very low impulse control, aggressive tendencies and similar traits," Ethan said as he finished his coffee. "Has Lieutenant Black ever displayed any similarities to such?"

"She's an overly ambitious kid, of course she exhibits poor impulse control," James ponders on the topic for a minute, "No... I remember what I23 is. It's a compound of proteins and amino-acids used for 21st century leave in hair conditioner," James turned a little red because he knew this information, "Don't ask me how I know about the hair treatment, but someone is pulling a prank on us."

"How does that explain it being in her DNA?" Ethan asked. "I seriously doubt that it was introduced into her system to give her great hair. She received the name of the compound on a data packet which she brought to me and nothing more."

"I have no idea," James quipped, "That's your job to find out. You're the scientist, I'm just the Intel guy. Isn't that right, Rocky?"

"True." Rochelle agreed, nodding as she conceded Archer's point.

"I may be a scientist, Commander, but as you pointed out, you are Intel and Starfleet Intelligence is the one that slapped a classification on her records," Ethan pointed out.

"I'll find out what the deal is with her medical records," James acknowledged, "You find out why there's hair conditioner in her blood, then we can reconvene for drinks."

"Understood," Ethan said. "This should prove to be quite interesting. Of course, I highly suspect that however it got in there, it has nothing to do with hair conditioning or anything else we can imagine at this point."


--- to be continued... ---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR NCC 78213-E

Lieutenant Commander Ethan Reiber
Biologist
USS Vindicator NCC 78213-E

Commander James Archer
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS VINDICATOR NCC 78213-E

 

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