During The Break...

[Cdr Rian Kwai 0]

During The Break...

Joint Log by Commanders Kania Kawalas Ace and Rian Kwai

 

Clang, clang, clang

 

     “Come with me, we need to talk,” Kania spoke quietly in Rian’s ear as she started to stand. The XO helped Rian up, then led her out of the conference room into the corridor. “Are you alright?”

     “Yeah, yeah,” Rian nodded slightly. “Dr Drake and Mr Maturin said I might get a bit dizzy from time to time until my platelet count returns to normal. But it’s no big deal.”

     Kania looked at her critically. “No big deal? You turned a funny shade of gray and I thought you were going to fall out of your chair.”

     “Honest. I’m fine,” Rian tried to smile reassuringly. “It’s just a bit of vertigo. My body chemistry should return to normal in a few days.”  When the look on Kania’s face didn’t change, Rian added. “Call Drake if you need to. I have no problems reporting to medical if I need to. It’s the last place in the world I want to be…but I won’t run from it. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

     Although not totally convinced, Kania relented. “Okay then…if it happens again, we’re going to get someone from medical up here to take a look at you again. Agreed?”

     “Just don’t…” Rian started, then shrugged. “Yeah, alright.”

     “ ‘Just don’t’ what, Rian?”

     “Just don’t…errr…can we not make a big deal out of this if it does happen again? I don’t know….it’s just that I don’t think a case of vertigo is going to make me look good. They might think I’m trying to get out of something by playing sick.”

     “Rian, no one is going to think that.”

     “Yeah, well, I don’t do ‘Damsel in Distress’. And I don’t want them to think I’m faking it to get out of trouble. How about if I feel like I’m getting dizzy again, I nudge you under the table or something?”

     “Just don’t let it get too far that you pass out onto the floor,” Kania flashed an amused smile.

     “Aye Commander, no passing out.” Rian nodded as if Kania was giving her an order.

     Kania nudged Rian to follow her down the corridor. “Come with me. We’re going to go to my office. I want to take a look at that—“

     “—video feed?” Rian completed her sentence. “I was going to ask you about it. Did you get a copy?”

     “Mr Robinson provided us with a copy as well as the review board. Let’s go see who else shows up on this tape.” Kania keyed in the access code to her office, then glanced behind her to make sure that Rian followed her to the desk terminal. She placed the data chip into the slot and watched the screen whirl to life. Both officers found chairs and sat watching the flickering images upon the holoscreen.

     The view screen was quartered, each camera angle showing a different perspective of the bridge. Because the ship was docked, a minimum number of officers from Republic were on duty. Some on normal shifts, and others relief officers, all in clear ‘Fleet uniforms.  All seemed to be performing normal duty routines. Around the bridge crew, a work detail from the station was buzzing around performing routine system upgrades, maintenance and instillation.

     The work crew's uniforms were dull gray coveralls with combadges pinned to a pocket. Their equipment and supplies were confided to an upper section of the bridge near the turbolift. Most of the maintenance crew was working towards the back of the bridge, near the science, Tactical and sensor relays.  Some would travel down onto the lower half of the bridge to perform some sort of  upgrade, then move to the back again for more supplies.

     “Well, nothing unusual yet.” Rian sighed, watching daily bridge activities unfolding normally. In fact, because nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, an already exhausted Trill started to zone out. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. “Whoah…Computer pause.” Rian barked.

     Kania, who initially jumped at Rian’s outburst, tensed further and leaned closer to the screen. “What? What do you see?”

     “Hold on a second. Computer, replay from time index 258.57. Slow the playback speed down to one quarter normal speed.” Rian too leaned closer to the screen. “Now watch…down here. Lower part of the screen by the OPS station…here he comes….now….Pause!”

     One maintenance crew member dressed in the same bland gray coveralls appeared on screen for just a few short seconds, examined the OPS station, then made his way back towards the rear of the bridge. His face was not visible to any of the camera angles for those brief moments; he appeared to be looking down at the floor. That was until he accidentally bumped into another crew member. At that point on camera picked up his profile, while another showed a front view of his face. It was this brief flicker of the man’s profile moments earlier that caught Rian’s attention. Well, to be more specific, the eyebrows. But if they had not slowed the action, then paused the playback, neither would have seen his face captured on the holofilm.

     “Does he look familiar to you?”

     “Prophets! That’s—“

     “—that Brock guy, isn’t it? Or looks like him? The guy from—“

     “—Section 31. The one involved with that viruses business. But what’s he doing--”

     “—here? Joined gods. I don’t know. But I bet anything, he had something do with—“

     “—the explosion at OPS.”  Neither the Bajorian nor the Trill had noticed that they were finishing each other sentences. They probably would have found it funny, if the situation wasn’t as serious as it was. “Or maybe not. He was only there for a moment. This proves he was there, but not that he did anything…yet.”

     “And messing with my station! He was only there for a moment, but that’s all it to plant something. Not to mention the expertise, being in Section 31 and all…that freak.” Rian roared as she stood. As soon as she did so, she immediately regretted it as the room seemed to tilt. She grabbed Kania’s desk to keep from falling over, then sat down as soon as the room stopped swirling enough.

     “Rian?” Kania moved quickly out her chair in time to catch Rian’s arm and help ease her back into the chair. “Rian, you okay?”

     Rian made a non-committal grunt until she could trust herself to speak again. “Just stood up too fast.” She sighed heavily. “IF this guy and Section 31 are involved in these incidents, and they’ve tried to pin one of them on me, then I’m in a lot of hot water. I mean these people are slicker than snot, let alone trying to prove to the high command that Section 31 even exists.  I mean, I only know what I know from what you and the Admiral have told me, but I’ve never had any direct contact with them….I didn’t even know they existed until a few months ago.  I don’t know I just…” she paused, pressing her palms of her hands to her eyes. The tone of her voice took a sudden downturn.   “…I think I need to lay down for a bit.”

     “What’s wrong?”

     “I’m just real dizzy right now. I can’t think straight.”

     “Rian, just take it easy. I’ll have security escort you back to your quarters to get some rest. We’ll figure what’s going on. You just get some rest. Okay?” Kania looked at her in concern. “Don’t worry about it.”

     Rian removed her hands from her face and smiled tensely, “Easier said than done, Commander. Easier said than done.”