22 Fingers and Counting

Posted on Thu Mar 31st, 2022 @ 10:28am by Commodore Jacob Kane & Commander N'Garzi Zora

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD04 Early
1366 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Prepared for a full day, Zora grabbed her combadge from the side and attached it to her jacket, making sure it was straight and her uniform looked presentable. She grabbed the PADD she was working on the night before from her coffee table and made her way to the door. As she stepped over the threshold she felt a familiar sensation, one that felt out of place during this moment. She materialised a few seconds later, about a foot from where she had started. She stopped in her tracks and looked around, studying her surroundings. What had activated the transporters and why was she seemingly in the same location from where she had started.

She checked the door that had closed behind her. Deck 5: Section 11 Delta. This was correct. She looked up and down the corridor and everything seemed normal. There was no one around, but the door opposite hers, quarters belonging to the Washingtons, was exactly where it should be. Had she imagined the whole thing? Maybe the night's sleep hadn't been as fruitful as she had originally thought. She shook her head, her headwrap shaking slight on top of her head. Maybe she would speak to the doctor about some sleeping techniques, this mission had clearly taken its toll.

Making her way down the corridor, she stopped at the doors to the turbolift. She pressed the call button, but as soon as her fingers graced the smooth, black panel, the buttons reconfigured themselves into a variant style. Biometrics scanners must be on playing up again, she thought to herself as she struggled to press the desired button. After a few curse words, the lift eventually arrived and a young crewman stepped out. Waiting for him to pass, Zora went to step into the lift when the same feeling swept over her and she materialised a few feet inside, the doors closing behind her.

"Bridge," she ordered before the lift shot into motion. She pressed her combadge lightly, "Zora to Operations," she said.

"Petty Chief Ersh here," came the quick response. Leiko must still be on the surface.

"Check the biometrics please, I'm having a day."

"Yes Commander," was the only response before the line went dead.

She arrived at the bridge and had only taken a single step before being transported into the command room, eyes turning in her direction. Seeing ti was the first officer, people decided not to question what was happening, and Zora didn't care to explain, instead making her way to her seat and reliving the officer on duty. She crossed her legs and turned her terminal to face her so she could log in and check the duty roster for the day. Once again, touching the terminal changed the configuration just like when she had summoned the turbolift. What the hell, she thought, feeling her zen energy fade away.

"Is anyone else having biometric control issues?" Zora asked loud enough for the entire room to hear.

There was a unanimous chorus of no just as her combadge chirped. "Petty Chief Ersh to Commander Zora. Erm, it looks as though someone has altered your profile Sir," he said sounding a bit uncertain.

"Altered how?" Zora asked.

"I'm still looking into it," he replied in a tone that indicated that he didn't want her to shoot the messenger. "Should have it fixed in no time."

"Make sure you do," Zora replied, feeling her eye twitching slightly. Only a few people had the expertise to complete such a task and over half of them were currently on the surface. So that left only one person petty enough to do this. The El-Aurian made her way to the door of the ready room and using her sleeve, pressed the button to request access.

"Come in."

Zora stepped inside and then materialised across the threshold, the doors closing behind her.

Kane blinked, alarmed by the sudden sound of a transporter, followed by the appearance of his XO. "Commander?" he frowned. "Is there something wrong with the door?"

"We have a problem, more so I have a problem, a major one; Lieutenant P'rel," Zora replied, trying her best to remain calm.

Kane lowered the PADD in his hand. Ah, P'rel. Incredibly valuable as an asset. Absolute liability as a member of a professionally-functioning crew.

"Explain," he simply said, fingers already massaging one side of his temple.

Zora pulled up a seat that was on the other side of the Captain's desk. "In short I relieved her of her duties and responsibilities last night, mostly for failing to recognise that Starfleet ships have a dedicated command structure, partly because I want to proverbially kick her butt. And this is how she has responded, changing my biometrics settings so the computer believes I'm not who I should be." She leaned forward in her chair and rested her arms on her knees. "I probably overreacted to her "ways" but this is not the way an officer should respond."

The Captain pursed his lips. Another Commanding Officer would see the funny side of it and allow some levity in this situation. He wasn't the sort to laugh these things off. Indeed, as an XO he would have come down hard on unprofessional behaviour. And yet, he had the balance of what P'rel offered; while she was a wildcard she had a strategic insight he had nowhere else on his crew. That was valuable, especially with the situation they were potentially working towards.

"What would you ask of me, Commander?" he finally asked. "Exile her from the ship?" It wasn't really an option he was actually going to put on the table, but it would be interesting to hear where Zora was at with it.

Zora raised an eyebrow, his question sounded loaded and she wondered where his head was at. She had an idea; P'rel was a constant, a known factor to him, someone he depended on, Zora was new, indispensable. She didn't like playing games, not in this manner, but now she wondered if Kane did? Was he playing with her, now? "The thought had crossed my mind," the El-Aurian said, trying to gauge his response. "I need to know how useful she is right now? She hinted at what she was working on..." Zora trialled off, leaving that statement hanging in the room like an elephant that just wouldn't budge. "If I come down hard on her, will I have your backing or does her "mission" surpass my job to manage the crew?"

"It does not..." he countered. His jaw clenched as his finger went back to his temple again. Maybe P'rel was a liability. "Or should I say, it should not. She has information and connections that are useful, and is working on something of particular sensitivity. And yes, I'll share them when we have something substantial to act on." He let that process momentarily. "However if her behaviour is preventing anyone from doing their job effectively then that is a cause for concern." He nodded at her. A Captain and their First Officer shouldn't be keeping secrets from one another. Trust was important, regardless of his opinion of her approach. "I won't permit her quite so much of a leash."

Zora's eyes narrowed slightly, it wasn't quite the response she had expected and it absolutely wasn't the response she wanted. "Are you asking me to reinstate her, or ordering me to Sir?" She asked bluntly. She wasn't one for beating around the bush and this certainly wasn't the time to either.

Kane's brow furrowed at that question. It felt like an ultimatum, and normally he would have bristled at such a thing. However he could understand her need for plain speaking. Perhaps it was time to bring her into the circle.

"Tomorrow morning. 0900 hours. Meet me here, with Lt P'rel. After that I'll let you decide what you want to do," he said finally. Give Zora all of the information, let her make her own decision on the matter. Perhaps it would be character-building for her to have to make the judgement herself. "For now, let her stew in her quarters. Keeps her out of trouble. Mostly."