Scientific Sleuthing (Part 4)

Posted on Wed Aug 7, 2019 @ 8:26pm by Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Civilian Jason Haines

1,224 words; about a 6 minute read

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

[Previously]

She could see his point. 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."

[Continued]


He looked at her skeptically.

"I'm glad one of us does", he replied. "I get a knot in my stomach when I have to make a status report to TI now. I've been here almost 2 weeks and they are getting antsier every time we speak."

"I didn't say I like it, or I agree with it," she said. She sighed. "I won't tell you what I think of them." She stared at the wall across from her. "So, they don't like you talking to me? Do they know that we...you know."

"They had wanted to keep my entire alternate role down-low from everyone, not just you", he replied. "It has been at my discretion as to who and when I reveal it to. As far as us, no. I don't plan to as it isn't their business. If you turn out to be some evil, time travelling bandit, I might have some explaining to do, but until then, they can be in the dark."

At least there was that. She nodded her understanding. "So, you want me to pretend there's nothing going on, right? That I don't know they think someone can turn Pangaea into a giant portal for an invasion force." She didn't like hearing that TI was getting antsy. That meant they were going to do something stupid before long and that meant something bad would happen to Pangaea or DS5. Or both. At the same time, she could feel that Jason was angry. At them? Most likely. There was also a hint of jealousy she couldn't put her finger on. T'gan for her ability to figure out what he was going? Perhaps.

"Something like that", Jason said. "but there are other things they want me to check into. Some near the portal and some not so much. "The extended portal concept was actually my idea, which I am very hesitant to share with them."

He got up and paced.

"Yeah, probably not a good idea, unless you want TI crawling all over this place. Wait until you have a legitimate reason." She looked up at him as he paced. "What else near the portal?"

"Various flora and fauna items, what happens if there are earth quakes, meteor strikes, etc", he replied. "More on what sort of impact they could have, such as the creature who likes to rip into metal doors."

"Brianthe knows the flora," she said. "I have a list of flora and fauna we've found to date." The geologists were looking into quakes, but there was nothing definitive yet. "That creature is fascinating. Have you had any luck with the Klingons?"

"Once again, their interest is more theoretical and what-if's", Jason said. "As far as the Klingons go, I have a meeting with the Klingon Ambassador two days from now. He is off station currently. That's assuming our visitors behave tomorrow when we send them home and don't try to start a fight again tomorrow and blow the station or portals up. I don't know why they are still here after what they did. I got more time in the brig than they did just for being a bit testy. Hell, one even got a date with you to boot."

He looked at Alanna a touch wistfully, remembering what the directors had said about her and T'gan.

"It wasn't a date. It was a fact-gathering expedition," she said. "And we had a security escort. Except for dinner, and the guard was right outside the door."

Jason smirked a bit, he would have to remember that line.

"Regardless, I will be happy when tomorrow is over", he said, growing agitated more thinking about the conversation he had, had earlier in the morning.

"Me, too."

"Is the Commander going to have you come down?" ,he asked.

She nodded. "I'm to go down with the Andorians." She wasn't too happy about it. Not that she wanted to be with Sovok. She would have preferred going down early so she could make sure everything was set up properly. Mostly to make sure it did go well.

"Me as well", Jason replied, breathing a barely audible sigh of relief. "I am glad that is where you will be."

"Why? There will be plenty of security on the shuttles and the planet."

Jason looked at her and said with a smile, "Call me paranoid. With these people, all of them, the closer you are to me, the better I will feel."

That was complete truth from both a personal and professional angle. There wasn't anything that said they couldn't intersect.

"To be honest, me too. I feel safer when I'm with you", she said, smiling back. Safer, better, happier.

"I don't see how you can feel safer with me", Jason said. "What happens when I can't say anything to you or even worse have to lie. You will know because of your heritage, but everyone else won't."

"I don't know what will happen," she said after a long moment. "None of us do. But what happens if you go your whole life afraid to hurt people? Afraid to take a chance at happiness? There are so many things that could go wrong every day. If my heart gets broken, at least I know what it feels like to love. We all take risks every day, but it's up to us which risks are worth it."

He sat back down and asked, "Do you really think it is that simple?"

"Yes, but it's not easy," she replied. "Simple things seldom are. But I've learned that anything worth having takes work."

"I knew there was a catch", he said with a smile, giving her leg a slight squeeze.

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked.

"Personally or professionally?", he asked. "And don't say both. One at a time here."

She chuckled. "Okay, let's start with professionally."

"Well, I don't see a need to change our original agreement of sharing information when possible", Jason said. "For example, I already shared with T'gan mapping I have started when events happen and where possible events might happen. The only thing I need to be able to override is you being able to backup my work. I don't leave it on any local systems."

"Everything automatically backs up to a secondary system. It's off the grid in case of a power overload," she said. "So experiments can keep running and data isn't lost. If you let me know, I can manually remove it." Of course, she'd have a look at what he was doing first.

"I'm sure we can work something out", he said. "But my ideas hit me at the oddest hours. You'll also have to let T'gan know that my why's for asking certain things are legitimate, but she can't be told my dual role, although I know she is wary for sure."

Alanna smiled at that. "No, she doesn't trust you. She knows you're up to something. I won't tell her." She paused. "So, what about the other?"

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant JG Jason Haines
Chief Intelligence Officer
DS5

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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