The Mystery Deepens

[DrDMatthews 0]

Many thanks to Captain Michaels and Commander Ridire whose invaluable assistance made this log possible. :-)

 

      Dr. Deborah Matthews straightened the collar on her lab coat just before the turbo lift doors opened. She wanted to look prim and proper before entering the bridge. When the doors swished open, Debbie stepped out and took a good look around. She rarely ever came up here so the sights and sounds remained new and exciting.

 

      The bridge of a starship was always a fascinating place, especially during a crisis. Every station was manned. The crew wore serious expressions. They remained focused on the situation at hand as others came and went. Debbie didn't expect anyone other than security to notice her presence and she wasn't disappointed.

 

      Debbie stepped toward the center seat but hesitated before approaching the Captain. He and Commander Ridire were engrossed in a conversation. She wasn't sure what they were discussing and it was none of her business. So she waited patiently until they finished talking before stepping to the Captain.

 

      Michaels looked at her, seemingly surprised by her sudden appearance. "Doctor, what brings you to these parts?"

      Debbie smiled. "I need to speak to you and the Commander....in private if possible."

      The Captain stared at Debbie for a long moment. That was all the time he needed to determine that his CMO had something important to say. "In the Ready Room," he replied softly.

 

      Debbie entered the Ready Room first, followed almost immediately by Mr. Ridire. The Captain arrived a moment or two later. Michaels took his seat behind the desk and motioned for Debbie to sit. The XO remained standing, choosing instead to lean against one of the windows lining the outer wall of the room.

 

      "What's going on, Doctor?"

      Debbie met his gaze. "I told you earlier that we had a mystery man in the morgue. His body was recovered from the Cairo but we've been unable to identify him."

      "Has your luck changed any?" asked the Captain.

      Debbie frowned and shook her head. "No, Sir, he remains a mystery. We still don't know who he is. But we do know who he isn't."

      The Captain looked at her questioningly. "Explain."

      "I was told the Cairo left Starbase 345 with an acting Chief Engineer," began Debbie. "His name was Lieutenant Richard Drew. Apparently, he wasn't on the ship's crew manifest. So we assumed our mystery man was Lt. Drew."

 

      The CMO leaned forward and folded her hands on the highly polished desk. "I was able to get a copy of Lt. Drew's personnel file from Starbase 345 along with an updated crew manifest. Our mystery man is not Lt. Drew. He's the correct species and he's about the same height and weight. But his DNA doesn't match Lt. Drew's."

      Captain Michaels frowned. "What's your point, Doctor?"

      Debbie drew a deep breath and plunged ahead. "There was a photo of Lt. Drew in his personnel file."

 

     She pulled a PADD from her pocket and quickly activated it. The photo in question promptly appeared on the small screen. She handed the PADD to the Captain.  "Earlier today, Dr. Eckert and I showed that photo to the only engineer to survive the Cairo disaster."

           

      Debbie glanced at Ridire. "His name is Aerso, he's Bajoran. I believe the Commander interviewed him shortly after he was rescued from the Cairo."

      The First Officer nodded silently and Debbie returned her attention to the Captain. "Lt. Aerso positively identified the man in that photo as Lt. Drew."

      "How can that be?" queried Michaels.

      Debbie shook her head. "That man came aboard Cairo claiming to be Lt. Drew. But we know he isn't. DNA doesn't lie."  She met the Captain's gaze. "That man impersonated Lt. Drew. And someone doctored that personnel file so our mystery man in the morgue could get aboard the Cairo."

 

      There was a long pause in the conversation. It was Commander Ridire who broke the silence.

      "Is there a real Lt. Drew?"

      Debbie nodded. "Yes, Sir, there is. We ran the DNA scan from the personnel file through the data base and it correctly identified Richard Drew. He is a bona fide Starfleet officer with a stellar record. But he wasn't on the Cairo when it left Starbase 345. And the unidentified body in our morgue doesn't belong to him."

      "So where is he?" asked Michaels who was still studying the photo of the impostor.

      "Unknown, Sir. His last assignment was at the Williamsburg Center."

      The Captain looked up. "Williamsburg?"

      Debbie nodded. "Yes, Captain. As I'm sure you know, a post at Williamsburg is quite an accomplishment for an engineer. Lt. Drew must have been highly qualified."

      Michaels couldn't help but smile. "Yes, Doctor. I am familiar with Williamsburg. It is an elite group....a very small and elite group."

      "Someone at Williamsburg is bound to know this Lt. Drew," added Ridire.

      "My thoughts exactly," replied Debbie. "With your permission, I'd like to contact them. Someone there may know where he is. And they might be able to send us a photo of the real Richard Drew."

      "Go ahead and contact them, Doctor," replied Ridire. "Let us know as soon as you hear anything."

         

      Captain Michaels dropped the PADD onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. "So...let me see if I understand this. Somehow, somebody is able to doctor a personnel file for an as yet unidentified man. This impostor boarded a Federation starship as a Chief Engineer and no one noticed he was a fake?"

 

      Debbie nodded slowly. "Yes, Sir. I think that's exactly what happened. Whoever doctored that file has access to Fleet personnel records which means they must have a fairly high security clearance."

 

     Captain Michaels sighed heavily and started rubbing his temples. Commander Ridire's reaction was quite different. He slammed his fist into the transparent aluminum window and uttered something unintelligible. Debbie assumed it was a curse. She and Michaels watched Ridire as he started pacing back and forth in front of the wall of windows, his anger mounting. It was clear they all understood the serious ramifications of her allegation.

 

     Debbie frowned. "Sirs," she began softly. "I'm afraid it gets even better."