Intelligentsia

Posted on Sun Dec 27, 2020 @ 12:38pm by Lieutenant JG Finchley Kerr

Mission: Episode 1: On Stranger Tides
Location: USS Devils Brew/USS Eagle
Timeline: MD 03/04
887 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

[USS Devils Brew]

Finchley scratched his head, metaphorically seeing as he was in an EV suit. Having been recalled back to the Devils Brew when he'd only literally just arrived on the USS Eagle, there he stood, along with an EV suited engineer, looking at the wreckage of...he didn't actually know exactly what it was, it was so badly damaged. Yes, it was a short range attack fighter, but from where he stood there were no discernible markings he could make out there and then.

"What is it that I'm supposed to be doing with it?" Finchley asked.

"Beats the hell out..." the engineer began, then changed his tact to "I'm not very sure Sir, I was simply asked to bring you to see it, help out if I can" when Finchley's head whipped round.

"Is this all there is?" Finchley asked.

"Of the main fuselage Sir, yes" the engineer replied "but we have the ships computer core and data centre in this room here" he added, pointing at the room next to where they stood.

"How did we come to get this...vessel in here anyway?" Finchley asked.

"Fuc...not really sure Sir, all we were told is it was retrieved from the area of space the USS Eagle's being sent to" the engineer replied.

"Right, you see what you can find out about the ships design, I'll go and see if I can do anything with the ships computer core and data centre" Finchley said. The engineer, nodded his head, bent down and picked up the tool box he had with him, straightened up again and moved off. Finchley meantime headed towards the room he'd been alighted to, hoping there was something he could do with the computer core.

Once inside the room, he set down the PADD he was carrying on the console next to him and looked at the computer core "I hope we can be friends..." he said out loud, without actually knowing why. The thoughtful engineering department had set up a portable power generator pack for him, so he quickly scanned the core and found where he could access a power input. Hooking the pack up, he moved back around to the display console and studied it.

"Well, it looks like we have power, and this..." he said, reaching forward and pressing on the console "looks like the start up sequencer" he ended as the display came to vibrant life. He studied the console for a few moments to work out what was what, then suddenly realised what he was dealing with. Quickly, he made his way to the room door and called out to the engineer "STOP WHAT YOUR DOING!"

The engineer turned round and said "I've only just started to clear away some of the scorch marks, I haven't begun scan..."

"That's perfectly alright, just..leave your things there and I'll make sure they're returned to your department" Finchley replied, trying to sound calm.

"If you say so Sir" the engineer replied, and downed his tool box, turned round and made his way towards the exit.

Finchley re-entered the room and went back to the display console. "Well, well, well...I wasn't expecting this I must say" he said to himself.

"Let's see what you have in your rusty innards" he added.

After trying a few different sequences, he was still unable to gain access, and this frustrated him greatly. He lightly banged his hand down on the console "What was it Commander Francis said again...think laterally."

Once again, Finchley tried a combination of sequences, and finally, success!

The main itinerary screen came up, and he began reading. He mad a few 'mmmmm' noises, a couple of 'ah's' and the occasional 'oh', but then he came across a single file, on it's own, that only had one word, the translation of which came out as 'mass death' or 'mass dying', he wasn't sure which. Whatever it was, he had a definite feeling of dread, nothing good could possibly come from anything marked as such, surely.

When he opened the file, he began reading. His face hardened the further he got into the text "Oh my God, surely they couldn't...not even they would be so..." but the words faded away as he read on. When he got to the end of the file, he noted that there were subsidiary files, so he opened them and realised he'd seen some of the information contained within before, recently. He had to go, he had to get a message to them. He closed the file, copied it to his PADD, then shut the console down and removed the power pack link.

Twenty minutes later, having informed the CO of the ship about his findings and why the computer should not be restarted again, he came out of the Captains Ready Room and headed for the Devils Brew transporter room. He was on his way back to the USS Eagle with information the CO needed to know and quickly. He messaged ahead to inform them he was coming and that he was boarding a high speed pursuit ship that would bring him to them. He also requested to speak urgently with Commander Carter in regards to the Eagles mission on his arrival.

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Lieutenant JG Finchley Kerr
Intelligence Officer
USS Eagle