Scientific Sleuthing (Part 3)

Posted on Wed Aug 7, 2019 @ 7:13pm by Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Lieutenant Jason Haines

1,612 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Haines' Quarters
Timeline: MD10 1800 hours

[Previously]

"I know." She paused. "Well, I know you've been lying to me, holding something back. I knew it had something to do with the portals." She took another drink. "And I know you've been using me to get information. I just didn't know what for." She looked into her drink, unwilling to see the truth of it in his eyes. "Thank you for telling me."

[Continued]

"Honestly, I haven't been using you for that", Jason replied. "After asking for initial access to your information banks that first day, I've really been pumping T'gan for information more than you. Seeing the portal and investigating the burial site with you were actually just interesting and sort of fun."

At least he was telling the truth about that. Alanna could feel it. It helped.

He paused and said, "I know this is going to sound wrong, but TI isn't interested in the microscopic level of the portals that you and your team get to. Actually I should say the division I work in, isn't. I am sure the research division is very interested in what you find. My division is more concerned about the danger the portals and planet present to the Federation. To say they are scared shitless of this is an understatement. Temporal simulations indicate something big is going to happen soon around here. My job is to figure out what it is, is it dangerous, and if need be, prevent it from happening."

"The danger isn't going to come from the portals themselves." At least she didn't think so." Not like you're postulating. Not unless someone tries to blow them up, like Raddon Corp." That could be catastrophic. "Or if the Vulcans come through, but that would be through the tunnels themselves. Or it could be the Cardassians. We've already had problems with people going in and out of the portals. That's why they're now under Federation Sciences." She looked up at him then. "Do your bosses know that? That we're more likely to get a ground assault from the Cardassians or Vulcans than an air attack. Unless someone figures out how to create a stable wormhole. If they do, the threat can come from anywhere."

Then an idea struck her. "What were you supposed to do if we found out?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked her.

She slipped off her shoes so she could put her feet on the couch and wrap her arms around her knees. "This is top secret, right?" she asked. "So, if we figured out what you were doing, or we got in your way, what were your orders?" She needed to hear it from him. She was still trying to process it all. It would probably take a day before it all sunk in. Right now, she needed more information. Well, she needed reassurance, but she wasn't sure she'd get that, so she would settle for information.

"Well, as you have gotten a good whiff of what I have been doing, we are going through that scenario now", Jason replied. "We are talking. If you got in my way, it probably wouldn't be you and me talking right now, probably Commander Soran and some of the Directors at Temporal. I am not entirely sure how the ranks balance out. And if that didn't work, I'd have no choice but to release Godzilla on Tokyo."

"Somehow, I think Tokyo is safe," she said wryly, not completely believing him. He was holding something back, something he was afraid to admit to her. However, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what that was. Pretending right now was infinitely better.

"You would be surprised", Jason said. "Over the years Tokyo and Godzilla have had an on again, off again relationship. But back to business, you need to know that I am not here to interfere with your research. As I said, I am looking at this from a different angle, more theoretical and sometimes it will seem more fantastic. Definitely a lot of what-if scenarios on my part."

"Then what are you afraid of?" she asked bluntly.

"What do you mean, what am I afraid of?" he asked.

"I'm Betazoid," she said. "Do you really want me to find out? I can. Right now, I can feel your fear and I know you're hiding something from me."

Jason took a drink and said, "I'd advise going into nightmares. As to what I am afraid of is that I have superiors that I need to make reports to, that view even the most slightest chance of success as meaning something is possible, no matter how infinitesimal that may be. And right now, I have to determine if I am going to write a report indicating that there is a .00000000000000000001 percent chance of success of someone being able to use the portal in the manner I was researching, have them run simulations and eventually find the scenario in where a portal could be stretched with no negative effects, and then decide something must be done to prevent it. As I said, amongst those I work with, there are people who are scared out of their mind of this portal and I am pretty certain there are those who want to try to abuse it."

She nodded. "I understand. The probability is greater than that. It's more like .0001275, according to T'gan, but I get your point." it didn't look good. Not for the portal site, and not for any possible relationship with Jason. She took another drink. "So, now what?"

"I don't know", he said, leaning his head back against the couch as he looked at the ceiling. "I don't have to report on it just yet, so it will go in with my other notes. I have a number of other theories to test out."

He let out a sigh.

"You know, this used to be fun", Jason said. "My junior year in academy I wasn't sure what to take for an elective and temporal theories 101 came up as a possibility. It was easy for me. I was one of the students teachers hate. Those who see the answers as opposed to work them through painstakingly. My senior year I took more and even chose to take the Kobayahi Maru along with the psych test. I used all my temporal knowledge along with a few maneuvers and was 2 seconds away from beating the test and the warp core somehow over-heated. There were a number of cadets hating the staff that day."

He tapped his fingers on his chest some. Alanna could fee frustration and anxiety coming from him.

"I was recruited by temporal, went for a year of training, saw some cool stuff", he continued. "Then I was put on the Geneva as an analyst. I got to review data on all different sorts of temporal encounters, map them out, check for correlations. Actually helped catch a terrorist because of my work. Then I was a fool and took a promotion. My captain, who never joked, said I shouldn't thank him for the promotion. I then had three weeks to read various demands, reports, streaming data, possibilities, and scenario response protocols. I know I forgot more than what I read. I was all set and primed for taking this on. Then it happened."

"Then what happened?" she asked.

He rolled his head and looked at her.

"I stepped onto the station", Jason said. "All the lives, all the energy, both positive and negative, the conflict, the strife, the achievements, the special little moments, the emotions. I think those who work on starships should have to take a break every five to ten years and work on a civilian integrated base or colony. A starship becomes a bubble where it is easy to shield oneself with rules, regulations, and directives. Then I got to see the portal in action, I got to see people try to work against the rules of it. I got to see the potentials and the pitfalls. And now, when I would love to just go home, tell my mom I had a bad day at school and have her make me a peanut butter sandwich, I need to be a big boy and figure out what to do with this all."

She put a hand on his leg in sympathy. "That's a good way to look at it. I never thought about how fortunate I was to work with scientists not only in and out of Starfleet, but in and out of the Federation. I can also take some time off to work on a site somewhere. It keeps me grounded." She looked at him and smiled. "It also gets me in trouble, but I think I like it that way."

"And then I have to think about how temporal looks at this on a far grander scale than most", Jason said. "What is done here could easily echo across infinite dimensions and timelines. Day one here I was like 'Ok, if they have you do anything, it's only 65,000 or so people. Statistically that would be bad, but acceptable. Then after seeing the portal, hearing of its use, and receiving guests, it really sunk in that this is beyond life altering. It could be universe altering on an apocalyptic scale if someone had an itchy trigger finger."

She could see his point, but she didn't like it. She thought Temporal was overreacting. She sighed. She wasn't sure what to say. There was really nothing she could say except, "I understand."

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

Lieutenant JG Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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