Investigations

Posted on Tue Jul 4th, 2023 @ 9:44pm by Commander N'Garzi Zora & Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Ensign Ziahli Lorel & Lieutenant JG Nayisa Wrea

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: Vespae Station: Security Centre
Timeline: MD07
1994 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Zora had felt that something was wrong from the very beginning of all this, this being the very reason she had brought some security and intel officers along with her. They had spoken to Olon who had proved as unhelpful as when the Athena had first entered the system. His knowledge of the station's systems was extremely out of date and he cared more for their research than the injured crew or potential security risk to the station. In truth, she was frustrated and her usual calm and collected disposition had started to show cracks, something she was certain the other officers were aware of.

Taking an inward breath, she re-read the report from O'Connell and the other engineers. "A cascading virus implanted in the station's systems seems pretty concrete to me," she voiced as she handed the PADD back to Dash. "But you lot are the experts, I need your assessments."

Nayisa's nosey self had taken a decent look around the station's security center when they first arrived, taking in the monitors and where certain controls were. Part of it was a force of habit, looking for anything that might initially be out of place, but then it transitioned into understanding how the station's security department was run. When Zora spoke up, the intel officer redirected her attention, then leaned slightly toward the security officer to get a look at the PADD. She hadn't met Dash in person yet, but he was the only other Lieutenant in the security department, which had caught her attention. He seemed rather young. "Given how and when the shields and sensors failed, I'd agree that it's most definitely a virus," she said, glancing up at Zora. Nayisa could easily see the stress on Zora's face, but knew better than to comment on it. Not only was it wildly inappropriate, but it also wasn't the right time.

The chirp of a communicator, whilst likely to alert each of the trio, eventually resulted in Dash's activating.

[[Lorel to Dash. Are you still with the Commander?]]

Perhaps it was inexperience, or maybe the Betazoid had a read a similar preoccupation on Zora's expression earlier that had lead to the conclusion that contacting the Commander directly might have been an interruption not particularly well-received. What it came across as, of course, was a furtive attempt to figure out who was listening, as if the pair were recalcitrant teenagers trying to dodge their parents.

"Right here with her," Kevan responded, taking a few steps away from people, as though taking a private call. "Everything all right there, Ensign, or do you need me to come rescue you?" he quipped.

Several corridors away, the roll of Zia's eyes became her best attempt at smothering a playful smirk. Never misses a beat. "No, actually, I want to talk to her, I need to show her something. Currently en route, Lieutenant, if you'd like to confirm your exact whereabouts."

"Just clearing the security center. We're all clear here if you want to join us." Kevan replied.

Unable to look at the PADD anymore due to Kevan's distancing for privacy, Nayisa turned her attention back to the security room, repeating what she just read in her mind. She decided to approach a console to investigate, her hands clasped behind her back and her thumb lightly tapping her wrist as she read whatever was left on the displays. After a few seconds, she took out her tricorder and scanned the console, making sure to keep it sufficiently protected so it wouldn't get infected with this computer virus either. It was a new intelligence tricorder, and it would be a shame to have to destroy it. "So we know what it is and narrowed down who might have done it. Ugh, these files are a mess." Her expression wore mild disgust at the idea of even attempting to navigate such a corrupted sytem, and Nayisa moved to another console and began her scan again. "I can try to pull up security logs, see if we can catch anyone in the act, but it might be easier to try and identify the access code used to inject the virus and cross-reference with the manifest." She paused in her search to look at Zora. "Thoughts, Commander?"

"That seems like a good place to begin," Zora said as she tightened her hair bun. "Any intel we can find to help the crew on their mission would be highly useful." She couldn't help but wonder how P'rel would act in this situation, go rogue more than likely.

"I can do both simultaneously to increase the odds of finding something," the silver-haired woman reported. Then, more to herself, Nayisa muttered, "I feel like I should wear gloves before handling this level of corruption, though." The tricorder in one hand, she used her free hand to type on the console, trying to convince the infected computer to scan the security logs while she did her own digging. Internally, Nayisa was a bit amused by the rather obvious reply from the commander. Information helps the crew complete their mission? Who would have guessed?? she sarcastically thought.

Pausing, Nayisa put a hand over her mouth and slightly turned away in an attempt to stifle the yawn that came out of nowhere. Between the added workload due to P'Rel's absence and her all-nighter the other day, the idea of a consistent sleep schedule was one she had to abandon for a convenient one. As long as she got enough sleep to do her job, did it matter when she got her sleep? Giving her head a gentle shake, the silver-haired woman turned back to the console and continued. The computer was against the idea of running automatic scans, so she dug around a little before rolling her eyes. No wonder this virus spread so fast, their security protocols were out of date. Fine, guess she had to do things more manually. Playing computer, she repeated the steps to initiate the scan of the logs, and while she waited for that she began following the path of corruption left behind by the virus.

It took only another minute or so for the Betazoid to catch up with the group, having tagged out another of the security team to cover the task she'd been left with in order to speak with the Commander face-to-face. The quirk of a single eyebrow teased Dash on the way past, but was the only lapse in Zia's professional demeanour as she approached Zora. "Commander, you said to report if Olon said anything else useful."

Zora turned to face the Betazoid who seemed to be in a hurry to tell her something. Hopefully, it would be something useful that they could use to crack this case and wrap this all up as soon as possible. "I did," she confirmed. "What have you got for me, Ensign?"

Eyes gleaming, Zia flitted her gaze firstly towards Nayisa and then pulled herself upright further as she turned her attention to the Commander. "He hasn't been any more directly forthcoming," she started, grossly under-exaggerating just how uncooperative the man had been so far, "But he did have a lapse where he seemed to forget that I was present. He spent a considerable time staring at his console, scrolling through information that only seemed to leave him increasingly agitated him over time." If Starfleet had issued its own version of deerstalker, it would have been just about possible to imagine the security officer puffing over her pipe as she tried to Holmes her way into the investigation. "According to his mutterings and occasional outburst, he's looking for something that ought to be on the station but was possibly taken along with the other supplies the pirates raided. He seems... I would say far more concerned with the loss of this item than the list of casualties he's been left with."

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Zora said more to herself than the other officers present. Her earlier talks with Olon had made her think that there was something more to this and his lack of concern over the casualties was further proof of just that. "Any idea what he may have been looking for Ensign?" She asked.

Zia shook her head. "Not specifically. I would say that whatever it is, it's a recent acquisition, most of his concern seems to be about 'his research' and the 'loss of unprecedented data'. I thought," the Betazoid eyed Nayisa, "that Ensign Wrea might be able to figure out what files he was accessing during his searches. I couldn't get close enough to tell exactly but they didn't look like any of the official manifest we've been given access to."

Zora wrestled with breaking protocol but also wanting this mission to be over so that they could focus their efforts on Kane's trial. She also hated being left in the dark and not having all of the necessary information in order to command this mission. "Agreed," she finally said, clearly the proverbial devil on her shoulder had won this particular argument. "Wrea, see what you can find out. Good work Ensign," she added, turning back towards Zia.

Nayisa was listening as she typed away on the console and rolled her eyes at the mention of this Olon guy's behavior. What was it with certain people and their obsession with material items? "I'll try, but no promises," came her reply. Her tone was distracted, sounding automatic as she focused on the console in front of her.

Unable to fully mask the gleam of pride in her eyes, Zia nevertheless curbed her response to a simple nod of acknowledgement and turned her glittering attention to what the Intel officer was doing.

The console made a sound that resembled a dying rat when its corrupted systems made input commands no longer work, and a quiet 'are you kidding me' mumbled out of Nayisa's mouth as she moved to the adjacent console. Moving fast so she didn't lose her work, she got back to where she was in the system before continuing her dig through the computer's remnants. A moment later, she found the access code she was looking for and searched the manifest for a match. "Found our saboteur. One Freya Perein," Nayisa reported, bringing up the personnel file on the barely intact display. The fact that it took about three seconds for the file to even show up on the display made Nayisa groan. "This is painfully sloooow. Anyways, the access code was used near the medbay. The system's too far gone for me to get anything else from here."

Zora smiled, finally some progress. "Dash, Zia, find this Freya woman and detain her for questioning. Work with the station security, but as far as I'm concerned this is our case now, they're just there because that's the polite..." Before she could finish her sentence, her combadge went off.

"Dr Ki to Commander Zora. Please report to the Medical Wing. We have your culprit."

"Someone is clearly on our side today," Zora said before she answered the Doctor. "On my way Doctor."

Glad to no longer be working with a corrupt system, Nayisa pocketed the tricorder and wiped her hands on her pants, as if a computer virus could be transmitted through organic matter. "Where can I assist, Commander?" She asked.

Zora thought for a second. "I need more information, you lot see what you can find out, I'll speak to the saboteur in the medical bay. Be discreet," she added, as she looked at Wrea.

The intelligence officer gave a simple smile in response. "Of course, Commander."

Having made her way over to stand sentry with Dash, Zia glance up at the Commander's orders and then flashed the Trill a sideways look that barely sought to contain her enthusiasm. "Ready for some proper investigative work, sir?"

"With you, Ensign? Always." He just grinned.