Finding the Proof & Aftereffects

Finding the Proof

Month 11 Day 3

1020 Hours

Lt Tall Bear

There were 2 guards outside Quarters 42 of deck 4; one at each door. Tall Bear carried a large kit, which he sat down outside the bedroom door, where the captain had stopped. “Document everything,” the captain instructed him. “This could easily become a case of ‘he said, she said,’ so we need to be able to reconstruct what happened when. The fact that a book was under a computer screen may be important. So document everything before you move anything, and again every time you move some thing.”

“Yes, captain,” he agreed. “That’s how we were taught to do it.”

She hesitated and then sighed. “Look at me, trying to tell you how to do your job. Do we know which side of the bedroom is MacDowell’s?”

“I can figure it out,” he returned. “She’s the only person with variable gravity on her bed.”

“That’s right, she is. Well, as soon as you get the bedroom documented, send a fresh uniform down to the brig for her. And then, as soon as you get the living room thoroughly documented, inform fabrication so they can get in and fix things.”

“Yes, Captain.”

She hesitated half a moment. “I haven’t seen the living room. Any of it, really. But I get the idea that all sorts of things were tossed about, knocked to the floor and so on. Would that include the computers?”

“The computers were smashed up pretty badly.”

“Then when you are done, also inform Oakhurst. It’s my understanding MacDowell had several projects she had her computer working on, and I haven’t heard that she had finished any of them. See what Oakhurst can save for her.”

“She’ll appreciate that, captain.”

“Well, you know what you need to do, so I’ll let you do it.” She started to turn away, then turned back again. “Let me know when you’re done, too. So I know if I need to find temporary quarters for MacDowell’s roommate.”

“Captain, you’ll be the first to know,” he promised. As the captain moved away, he opened the kit and pulled out the hologram recorder and its tripod.

Ingersol opened the bedroom door, and they looked inside. Both beds were made, everything looked to be in place. “Doesn’t look like the fight got this far,” Ingersol stated.

“I agree, it doesn’t look like it.” Tall Bear stepped to the middle of the room and set up the recorder, then stepped back out of the room and gave the command for the machine to record. Afterwards, he took a careful look around, to make sure nothing had actually been tossed around. It still didn’t look like any part of the fight had progressed to this room. “Okay, I guess we can take a fresh uniform to Mac. Computer,” he started, but Ingersol stepped over to one of the closets and took out a uniform without hesitation. “How do you know that’s Mac’s uniform?”

“Because I know which side of the bedroom is Della’s.” Ingersol grinned.

Tall Bear grunted, then opened a couple drawers, found underwear for Mac, which he handed the other man. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice, she’s going to need a full set of clothes.” He found a pair of pantyhose and added those to what the man held. “Okay, go ahead. Give those to one of the ladies to give to Mac. Mac is still plenty upset.”

“One of the-- Zhang is still active? She works C shift.”

“That’s right. Relieve her when you get there. Tell her I may need her to work a 12-hour shift when she reports this evening. Depends how long we hold Mac. Now, get going.”

As Ingersol left, Tall Bear took the hologram recorder into the living room and set it up. This room was a complete mess, with broken shards of computer screens, broken chairs and desks. Even the sofa was out of place. If it were up to me, I’d let her go as soon as she calmed down. On the other hand, after what she’s been through, and considering her upbringing, that could take a while.

 

 

Aftereffects

Month 11 Day 3

1030 Hours

Capt Jane Burke

 Jane entered her office from the hallway and paused next to Blossom’s tiny desk. “Blossom, I need to talk to the ship’s tailor, fabrication, and Smitty in engineering.”

“Yes, captain.”

Jane proceeded to her desk and sat down. This is where other captains would probably turn the details over to someone else, perhaps their yeoman. Why do I feel the need to handle things myself? Is it just because I’m a woman, and I think I can imagine what MacDowell is going through? Or do I feel some guilt for not having found some way to get rid of Winthrop long before this? Maybe some of both. I’ve been afraid something like this would happen eventually, and I didn’t even know he was using a black market drug.

“Captain, the ship’s tailor is on line 1,” Blossom announced.

Jane hit the button, and Lt Postern’s face appeared on her computer screen. “Lieutenant, I need a rush job on a Class C and a Class D uniform for Lt MacDowell.”

The older man frowned and mumbled the name a couple times before he could recognize who that was. “Captain, I haven’t started the new uniforms for lieutenants yet.” That much was obvious, because he wasn’t wearing a new uniform himself.

“I don’t care. Do these uniforms for this lieutenant, and put a rush on it. When you get them done, track her down and give them to her directly. Any questions?”

“She’ll look out of place. And she hasn’t got the seniority to be the first lieutenant in new uniforms.”

“Never-the-less, one of her C uniforms has been damaged beyond repair, and it doesn’t make sense for you to make her a replacement of the old design.”

“Beyond repair?” Postern sighed. “Very well, I’ll get right on it.”

“Fabrication on line 2,” Blossom said.

Jane punched the button, and Lt Eckleson replaced Postern on her computer screen. “Yes, captain?”

“Deck 4, Quarters 42 has sustained substantial damage,” she told him. “As soon as Security is done gathering evidence, you’ll need to get in there and put it back together. But I want it to look different.”

“Different, captain?”

“Yes, different. It seems one of the occupants was attacked in that quarters, and I don’t want her to have to come back to something that looks the same. Move the furniture, use a different color scheme, put some kind of pattern on the sofa. Make it so she isn’t reminded of that attack every time she enters. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr Smythe is on line one.”

“Smitty, I need a variable gravity field placed on the bed in one of the brig cells.”

“What in space for?” Must have caught him by surprise.

“Well, as best I can figure, this the time she would normally be sleeping.”

All the color drained from Smitty’s face. “Oh, no.” he shook his head sadly. “I told her to keep that temper in check.”

Yes, he immediately assumes she’s guilty. “We don’t know that she initiated the altercation,” Jane told him. “But the other party is in sick bay, so she’s in the brig at least until all the evidence is gathered.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, Captain. I’ll get on it right away.”

“Send the Harris woman,” Jane suggested. “MacDowell might appreciate seeing a friendly face. Burke out.” She broke the connection and sat back. Is that all? Is there anything else to be done? I can’t think of anything else. 4 hours to get that drug out of Winthrop’s blood. And then I shouldn’t intrude into the interview. That’s up to Tall Bear.

Debriefing

Month 6 Day 10

Capt Jane Burke

2208 Hours

  

It made Jane's skin crawl, to have Winthrop accompany her to Sick Bay. Still, I want him where I can see him. If this were a civilian ship, I could fire him and get a replacement. Promote Bear, maybe. Left just Takor, Abdulla and Bugalu on the bridge, but handling all stations will be easier if Winthrop isn’t there.

Ingersol lay on one examination bed, an arm bent over his face. Duck was on the next bed, apparently taking a nap. Verasis Flu spots covered his face. Across the room, Nurse Temple massaged Tall Bear's arm. Smitty stood at a computer console next to them, muttering to himself.

"Let yourself succumb, Beth," the AmerInd softly told the white-faced nurse. "The longer you put it off, the worse it will be."

She gave him a wan smile, her voice hoarse. "Where did you get your degree, Doctor? That's not true, even if everybody says it. I'm in no hurry."

"It can't be blood," Smitty stated.

Temple turned her head, paused her massage to rub her blood-shot eyes. "Not human blood," she stated. "Nor Sciss. We learned something from those lithium-based creatures on Penoc. Biochemistry is complex, but all built on the basics of chemistry. We call ourselves carbon-based, but our blood is based more on iron."

"You still think these squiggles represent... blood?"

Temple tried to hide a yawn. "I don't know. That was my first thought, but I could be deluding myself. Mac always has a reason for what she does, even if that 'reason' seems... well, kind of crazy." She resumed her massage of Bear's arm. "Maybe what you need is a cryptographer."

"The sooner you get sick," Bear told her, "the sooner you'll get well. Tell you what, I can reciprocate this massage, once you're healthy."

Temple's lips pursed. "I could have sworn you were chasing a certain redhead."

"On duty - that's my job," he returned. "Off duty - I'm not making any headway."

Jane so seldom got to hear any private conversations, she was loathe to let them know she was there.

Winthrop, however, had no such qualms. "You're not making any headway on duty, either," he snapped. "You find her twice and lose her twice! Explain yourself!"

As Bear's head swiveled toward his superior, his gaze flickered briefly at his captain. Jane wiped the scowl from her face, hoped he realized it wasn't for him. "She's one hell of a woman," he responded.

Winthrop turned red. "I was speaking of her ability to escape, not her skill in bed!"

Anger flashed in Bear's dark eyes, but his face remained impassive. "So was I."

"Tell me what happened," Burke invited, cutting off Winthrop's tantrum.

"She was ready for us. She'd padded one of Mr Takor's weapons, and turned out the lights, so as soon as the door opened, the corridor light alerted her. It only took a couple swipes with that... spear-thing to knock Ingersol out of the room and down for the count. I don't think he even saw it coming."

Ingersol sighed. "I've been trying to figure out what happened."

"Then she trapped me against a wall with the thing. But she made the mistake - I thought it was a mistake, at the time - of trying to get close enough to smash a bottle on my head, so I grabbed for her. I missed, but I got a Space of a shock up my arm. Everything went dim. I'd heard Mr Smythe approach, tried to tell him to keep away..." He sighed. "Having dispatched both of us, she disappeared."

"Smythe didn't even try to stop her?" Winthrop demanded.

Smitty looked up in outrage, but Tall Bear responded quicker. "Don't know how he could have. She would have decked him or shocked him. How does she do that?"

"We don't know," Jane told him. "That shock is why we said to avoid physical contact. Don't you believe in following instructions?"

"Not when it contradicts an order to restrain her," Bear replied. "I figured that was because she decks any man who puts a hand on her. If we can't touch her, and can't use weapons, we need some sort of hand-held tractor beam. Then at least we'd have a chance."

I like an officer who can speak plainly. Still... "Lt MacDowell is a petite young lady from a backwards planet. Yet she's beaten a muscular security lieutenant - yourself - twice."

Tall Bear shrugged off Temple's ministrations and began flexing his arm. "Thanks, Beth. Still feels tingly, but it works." He turned to his captain and one corner of his mouth raised a hair. "Mac's from a heavy gravity planet and works out regularly under the simulated gravity of her homeworld. In this gravity - what we consider normal - she packs twice the punch it seems she would. She also spent the first 16 years of her life with 8 older brothers; a rough and tumble lot, I hear. She sees my muscles and training, and raises me one electrical charge. I-"

"Sick bay to sick bay," came over the intercom. "Space, that sounds weird."

Jane pressed the toggle. "Dr Koontz. You sound like you might be alive."

"Captain? Ah, yes, there was nobody else down here to do it, so I released myself for duty."

"Glad to hear it."

"I've got a dozen requests from people who also want to be released."

"Good. Send them to the bridge."

"Uh, they're not all trained for bridge duty, captain."

"Right now, too few people can work, so I'll decide what they'll do on a case by case basis."

"Yes, sir. Is Dr MacGregor available? I have a... personnel question for him."

"Sorry, Dr Koontz, he's got the flu."

"I suspected. Maybe I can find Nurse Temple."

"I'm here, doctor," Beth said. "Is this about a nurse?"

"Yes, um..." He lowered his voice. "Nurse Monroe. How long has she been down with the flu?"

Beth frowned. "She was the 10th patient, if I remember right."

"That's what I remember, too. She's still sick? Or sick with something else now?"

Beth's voice became icy. "She says she's still sick. I'm not a doctor; I can't prove she isn't."

"I see. Captain, can you clarify the level of my authority-"

"Are there any other doctors around?"

"Um, if MacGregor is ill, I appear to be the only one capable of standing."

"Then you are in charge of sick bay. And all medical personnel."

"Thank you, captain. Sick bay out."

“If this represents blood that isn’t based on iron,” Smitty asked, “then what does it use to tie up oxygen?”

Temple turned again, and Tall Bear grabbed her to keep her from falling. “My turn, I guess,” she muttered, and let Bear help her onto a bed. Eyes closed, she quietly stated, “Copper, iron, lithium are the ones we know of. Bound to be others. Does it have to be oxygen they need?”

“Smitty, Nurse Temple is too ill to help you puzzle that out. Ask Takor. Biochemistry is one of his fields,” Jane suggested.

Smitty looked up, realized the nurse was in a bed. “Ah, good idea, captain.” He walked out slightly faster than his normal gait.

Jane turned back to Tall Bear. “Where were we?”

Tall Bear’s back straightened. “I want another crack at bringing in Mac.”

Jane turned to look at the other young security man. “How's Ingersol?”

“Concussion,” Temple stated.

“Back to work, Ingersol!” Winthrop ordered.

"Stay in that bed." MacGregor didn't open his eyes; he sounded worse than he looked. "He's a patient, Winthrop. Until he's released for duty, he doesn't follow your orders."

Winthrop leaned towards Jane. "Captain, I can't have MacGregor undermining my authority-"

"Winthrop, even I can't countermand a ship's doctor, when it comes to medical treatment," she reminded him sharply. She faced Tall Bear. "Sorry, lieutenant. You'll have to spar with her another time. Take half those being released from sick bay to help you search. Set phazers to stun, and shoot as soon as you see her. I don't want her getting away again."

"Jane!" Drake somehow managed to rise to an elbow, looking ghastly. He labored for breath. "Don't do it, Jane!"

She crossed over to take his hand reassuringly, hoped he wasn't too ill to be reasonable. "Duck, consider her actions. She's fought 2 men to a standstill, left one unconscious and the other nearly so. Twice. Ingersol has a concussion. She could have attacked Smitty!"

"She wasn't trying to hurt anybody!" Duck argued. "She padded Takor's weapon, to avoid cuttings. You told them to keep their distance, and that's all she's trying to do! Stay away."

There's no reasoning with him right now. She patted his shoulder. "Try to rest."

He grabbed her arm. "She's protecting herself, can't you see? She's suddenly deaf, must be scared, confused, doesn't know why security keeps attacking her! And that strange electrical charge. There's no telling how that might react with a stun! It may kill her!"

The death of a crew member always makes me feel old. Especially one with so much life left to live. Jane removed his hand and helped ease him down to the mattress. "It's a chance we- I have to take. Rest. She may need you, when they bring her in."

Duck's eyes closed as moisture squeezed between his lids. "Space, I'm sorry, Mac," he whispered.

Jane straightened her back and adjusted her tunic, then walked over to the intercom. "Captain to sick bay. Dr Koontz?"

It took a moment for the doctor to answer. "Yes, captain?"

"MacGregor and Temple both have the flu. Ingersol is here with a concussion. I know you're swamped, but you might have somebody come up and check on them from time to time."

"Thank you for the info. I'll ask the yeoman to pull their bed readouts to a computer down here."

"Yeoman?" The medical staff doesn't have any yeomen.

"She's not medically trained, but she's been here, helping in all sorts of ways for at least a week. Can't remember her name; not sure I've ever heard it, but a blue uniform."

"Yellow Dog," she stated in sudden realization. "Mr Takor's yeoman." So that's where she's been. She's so quiet when she's in the room, I didn't realize she was missing. "Send everybody you release to the bridge, as I said. Except medical staff, of course. Burke out." She turned to Winthrop and Tall Bear, jerked her head toward the door. "Come on. We should be there when the newly healthy arrive."

Another Look

Month 6 Day 10

Smythe

2116 Hours

Smitty entered his quarters, stopped just inside the door. What a mess! Discs and papers were strewn across the desk, a chair was overturned, an open bottle rested against the bottom of the couch with a dark pool of whiskey surrounding it. One of my bottles, not hers.

He sighed and stepped into the bedroom, where a blanket lay on the floor, a boot beside it. He shook his head, tossed the blanket to the bed, put the boot in the closet, returned to the living room.

He set the chair upright, sat down to consider the computer screen. “Computer, reset to what was displayed before Lt Tall Bear looked at this screen.” His eyes automatically squinted as the screen brightened considerably. I wanted to see what she was looking at when they found her, but I can hardly see anything at all on this screen, the controls have been set so far from normal. I don’t remember Tall Bear mentioning that.

He reset the screen controls to something closer to 'normal' and glanced through the various files. Interesting. Not sure it makes sense. That file she started on her own isn’t using Gaelund. Definitely not Sciss. Just squiggles, to me. I’ll transfer these files to the bridge, and we can all take a stab at them together. As he reached to do that, his gaze landed on the lower border of the screen. These files are already being shared. With… Takor’s quarters? Takor’s on the bridge. Then who- I’d better find Tall Bear.

When Smitty left his room, a loud thump made him dash down the corridor in that direction. Outside Takor’s quarters, Ensign Ingersol was against the bulkhead but now slid unconscious to the floor. Smitty stopped short as Tall Bear backed out of the Scission’s room. The AmerInd was being shoved by a long ancient Scission weapon, which had a towel wrapped around the business end. The weapon's length meant that only as Tall Bear was pressed against the bulkhead did his assailant emerge, looking worried, but – for the moment – the master of the situation.

“Colleen!” Smitty blurted.

She didn’t respond, although Tall Bear flashed a palm in his direction, apparently to tell him not to interfere. The AmerInd’s gaze never left Colleen’s face. “Okay, Mac, I’m against the wall. You don’t want to hurt me, or you wouldn’t have padded the weapon. I can’t get you, but you can’t let go. Stalemate. Now what?”

Rather than answer, she took a drink from the bottle she held in one hand. That one’s her brand. I don’t know if Takor can tolerate alcohol.

Despite the earlier statement that Coleen was now deaf, Tall Bear continued to reason with her. “Come on, it’s me. The guy who makes sure you can eat lunch and study without being pestered, remember? There’s no need for us to be at odds. Just go to sick bay and let MacGregor check you out. It won’t take long; it’s plain you don’t have the flu.” Then he grunted. "Okay, you don't like that idea, but you don't need to shove a blunted weapon through my chest."

She finished the bottle's contents, reversed her hold on the neck and began to edge down the weapon toward him. Bear grabbed for her, and she jumped back. His hand didn’t get any closer than half a foot from her, but Smitty plainly saw a great black spark jump that gap. Tall Bear slumped to the floor. Colleen staggered, dropped the weapon and bottle, and sagged against the wall, breathing heavily.

Smitty stepped forward without thinking. “Colleen!”

Her head jerked up, as if she’d heard him. The pupils of her eyes roiled with shades of gray and green. A tear ran down her cheek. She reached out, as if to caress his face, and she spoke, but no sound came from her lips.

Smythe took another step. Her eyes darkened to pine, her hand snapped back and she slid away along the wall.

Tall Bear groaned, and Smitty looked at the 2 men on the floor. Colleen stopped to also look at the men, her lower lip caught between her teeth. She took half a step toward them, then stopped, misery and guilt plain on her face. She tossed a pleading look at Smitty, then turned and raced away.

Bear's right, she insulated the weapon to avoid shocking him, so she knows she’s electrically charged. Planned to use that bottle to knock him unconscious, so she didn’t realize how far that charge could jump. I think she heard me. And Bear’s groan. That was after the discharge. But I couldn’t hear what she said.

Smitty made sure Ingersol was breathing, then stepped to the nearest intercom. “Smythe to bridge.”

“Burke here,” the captain answered. He could hear her stifle a yawn. “What is it, Smitty?”

“I could use someone medical here on five, if there’s anyone available. They found Co- uh, MacDowell again. Ingersol’s unconscious, and Tall Bear’s semi-conscious.”

“I suppose she had returned to your quarters,” Winthrop sneered in the background.

“She was in Takor’s quarters,” Smitty returned icily. “Studying the same files she had open on my computer.”

“Since you only mentioned Ingersol and Tall Bear,” Jane stated, “I assume Lt MacDowell is no longer there.”

Smitty swallowed and glanced around. “No sign of her. She could be anywhere.”

“Good,” MacGregor breathed, barely heard by the engineer. “I’m on my way.”

“Are you sure, Duck?” Jane asked. “You look like last week’s spent fuel cell.”

“There’s no one else,” MacGregor returned.

“Try to find time for a nap,” the captain suggested. “Smitty, did you make any sense out of what MacDowell was… studying?”

“It’s a mishmash,” he answered. “It might help if I could make sense of her notes. I only recognized half the symbols she used, a kind of engineering shorthand." And when, exactly, did she learn that? "The other half is not Gaelund. The files are still open. Have Abdulla clone them to the bridge and you can see it yourself.”

“Great Spirit, what did she hit me with?” Tall Bear wondered as he tried to climb to his knees.

“Electricity,” Smitty answered. “I think. It jumped further than she expected it would, but didn’t seem to hinder her as much as it did you. And the bolt was black.”

“My entire arm is numb,” Tall Bear complained.

"Dr MacGregor is on his way," Jane stated across the intercom.

Yes, but telling him he looked like last week's spent fuel cell was pure flattery. "Stay where you are, Bear," Smitty suggested. "Ingersol's still unconscious, and we need to wait for MacGregor. Then I'll help you two-" Or rather, the 3 of them. "-get to sick bay.

Unhappy Report

Month 6 Day 10

Jane Burke

2109 Hrs

Winthrop stood next to Jane’s chair as they argued over the ship’s blueprint she had displayed on her personal screen. He’s admitted the current search isn’t likely to find the girl, but the only alternative he’ll consider is that he draft everybody, close all the airtights and conduct a ‘proper’ search. Completely ignoring the epidemic, the planet we’re orbiting and any reaction they might have to our presence. A security chief without flexible thinking is worse than no chief at all!

The intercom on Jane’s chair arm beeped. “Captain?” Tall Bear sounded breathless and somewhat confused.

Winthrop punched Jane’s reply button before she had a chance to. “Winthrop here. What is it, Bear?”

“Ahh,” Tall Bear stammered, probably surprised to be answered by his immediate boss rather than the captain. “We… found Mac. MacDowell. But she got away. She was on deck 5.”

“Her quarters are on four,” Winthrop pointed out sharply.

“Yes, sir,” the Amerind agreed calmly. “She wasn’t in her quarters.”

“Then where was she?” Winthrop demanded.

“She, uh… she was in Smythe’s quarters.”

Winthrop turned and glared at the communications console. “Smythe!”

Something sizzled and Smitty peered out of an open hatch again. “Now what?”

“Why was MacDowell in your quarters?”

“How would I know?” Smitty barked back. “She’s never been-“ He stopped suddenly and his cheeks went pink. “I’ve got work to do,” he stated and turned away.

“Perhaps you know her better than you pretend,” Winthrop remarked.

Smitty’s face returned to glare at the security chief. “What are you insinuating?”

“Enough!” Jane put enough bite in her voice to make even Winthrop pause. With a brief glare at him that she hoped might make him remember his place in the scheme of things, she punched the button on her intercom connection. “Lt Tall Bear, what did you find MacDowell doing in Mr Smythe’s quarters?”

“Studying.”

“I don’t believe it!” Duck groused in disgust, and wrapped his blanket tighter around himself. Jane exchanged confused looks with Bugalu, who rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Exactly what was she studying?” Takor asked.

“I haven’t had time to look. Just a second.” The connection stayed open, and she heard a groan in the background. “You okay, Ingersol?”

“Space, she packs a punch!” Ingersol moaned.

Duck looked up. “She hit him?”

Winthrop interrupted. “How did she get away? There’s two of you, and she’s just a short bit of a girl.”

Some days, I wish he wasn't my subordinate so I could show him just what 'girls' can do.

It took a moment for Tall Bear to answer. “We underestimated her. She used her whiskey- she used a number of things as weapons. Threw whiskey in Ingersol’s eyes. We chased her into the bedroom, where she tossed a blanket over us. Then- I thought she was kicking us, but I found one of Mr Smythe’s spare boots next to us after she’d left, so I figure she hit us with the boot on her hand.”

“No direct physical contact,” Takor muttered.

“It felt like she kicked us,” Ingersol commented.

“After her!” Winthrop commanded. “She can’t have gotten far!”

“Just a moment!” Jane barked and paused to adjust her tunic. I have had just about enough of Winthrop! “Have you discovered what MacDowell was studying?”

“Kind of,” Tall Bear replied. "She’s got several files open, including basic radio, communications, some on theoretical radio transportation, engineering…”

“Yes, yes, very interesting,” Winthrop broke in. “But it doesn’t tell us where she’s gone! Get after her!”

“Mr Winthrop!” Jane said loud enough to get the man’s attention. “Must I remind you of one of the first lessons taught to security cadets? ‘Know your enemy!’ I, for one, am not sure Lt MacDowell is our enemy, but even if it turns out that she is – especially if it turns out she is – then it behooves us to learn all we can about what she is doing, in order to figure out what she might plan to do!”

“We have to find her, disable her, and get her locked up!” Winthrop argued. “We already know what she’s up to! She’s out to sabotage this ship! She attacked Mr Takor, and now she’s attacked two of my men! She’s got to be-“

“Enough!” Jane roared, rising to her feat. “Mr Winthrop, I am taking charge in this matter! For now, you will take a seat at the Weapons console, and your only concern is being prepared to return fire, should I order you to do so! Am I understood?”

“Captain, I am Chief of Security! It’s my duty-“

“You are an officer on my ship, and your first duty is to follow my orders! If you can’t, I will relieve you of all duties and have you confined to your quarters!”

At long last, it seemed she had gotten through to him. The wild defiance in his eyes finally settled, although she thought she still saw a hint of sly conniving. He gave her a sloppy salute. “Aye, aye, captain.” He turned and walked to the weapons console.

Takor stepped closer and quietly stated, "I do not believe Ms McDowell attacked me. It seemed pure accident."

"I'm aware of that, Takor." Jane sat back down, realized the intercom connection was still open. “Tall Bear, is there anything else MacDowell was studying?”

“Uh, yeah. Surprised me, but she had a file open on human biology, and…”

“Birds and bees,” Drake muttered, and Bugalu gave him a startled look.

“   another file,” Tall Bear went on, “that looks like notes, calculations. But some of the words, symbols don’t look familiar. I don’t even think they’re Scission.”

“Gaelund?” Jane suggested.

“I’d have to see it,” both Abdulla and Bugalu stated.

“Hmm. Tall Bear, leave the computer as it is; I’ll send someone down to take a look. How is Ingersol doing?”

“I’m okay, captain.” Ingersol’s voice came from further away than Tall Bear’s. “I just needed to, uh, catch my breath.”

“Good. Try to pick up MacDowell’s trail. And please be more careful the next time you find her. You might try talking to her.”

“He did try,” Ingersol stated. “It didn’t do any good.”

“Really?” Jane returned. “I thought you got along with nearly everyone, Bear.”

“Mac and I get along fine,” Bear answered. “But talking didn’t work because she didn’t hear me. Not just what I said, but any noise we made.”

“Yeah, she was acting pretty deaf,” Ingersol added. “Didn’t know we were there until she actually saw us.”

“Mac’s… deaf?” Bugalu muttered in shock.

I understand. How can she function as a communications officer if she can’t hear?

Abdulla tried to brush off her uniform as she turned from communications. “I’ll go look at what Mac was doing.”

Bugalu stood. “Captain, I volunteer to see what Mac was doing. I know how she thinks. I have an overview of both engineering and communications, a couple courses of biology, and her brother was my Academy roommate, so I can recognize Gaelund.”

“Captain,” Smitty said, emerged from inside the equipment and approached her chair. “I’ll go,” he stated. “It’s my quarters, I have the knowledge, including the theoretical.”

“Biology?” Jane asked quietly.

“Captain,” he protested.

“And recognizing Gaelunder?”

“One of my instructors was Gaelund,” he returned. “I still exchange letters with him, and he still sometimes forgets to translate a word or two. I can’t speak it, but I can recognize it. Did I mention it’s my quarters?”

Jane smiled. “Go. See if you can make sense of it.”

“Thank you, captain.”

Found Again

Month 6 Day 10
Tall Bear
2056 Hours

There were only 2 of them to search the entire ship. Ingersol waited in the hall while Tall Bear opened a door and took a cursory look inside, then Bear waited while Ingersol opened a door on the other side of the corridor. This is not a way to search effectively. I can understand Winthrop’s statement he needed more men- more people to do a proper search for Mac. But unlike him, I also understand that there aren’t any people to spare for that project. Great Spirit, Engineering is down to 3 people! Well, 4, but Della worked nearly 24 hours, and she’s down for a time. Smythe won’t stop until communications is finally working again. Or he winds up in Sick Bay. Surprised he hasn’t landed there yet.

Bear was so convinced this method wouldn’t work that he was startled when Ingersol’s eyes rounded as he looked inside the latest quarters he had opened, and he frantically motioned to Bear. Going over to stand beside his partner, Bear looked in, saw a familiar figure parked, as usual, at the computer viewscreen. Another thing she’s done that’s normal. For her. But I never thought to see her doing it here!

Moving as softly and quietly as they could, they stepped inside the officer’s living room, stopped warily when the door shushed closed behind them. Mac’s gaze stayed glued on the viewscreen. She’s so intent on whatever she’s studying, she doesn’t even realize we’re here. That’s not like her.

Tall Bear signaled Ingersol to go one way, while he angled to the other. But as he fanned out, Ingersol didn’t pay enough attention to his surroundings and bumped into a chair. They both stopped again, expecting some reaction from the woman, but she simply raised a hand to trace something on the screen with a finger. She didn’t hear that? How could she not?

“Mac?” Bear stated calmly. “We’re supposed to take you to Sick Bay.”

She raised her other hand, and it seemed both hands were pointing at different things on the screen while her lips moved.

Still no reaction. I’m definitely not used to her ignoring me. In fact, she’s acting like she’s deaf.

Mac reached with her left hand to pour herself another drink from a half-full bottle. As she raised the glass to her mouth, her eyes veered from the screen, and she caught sight of Ingersol. After a split-second of shock, she became a whirlwind of activity. The glass flew toward Ingersol, who screamed as some of the pungent liquid landed in his eyes. Then the bottle flew at Tall Bear, but he was lucky enough to duck it.

Knowing that whiskey in the eyes was painful but not fatal, Bear ran around the desk after Mac, who had disappeared into the bedroom. Blast, there’s 2 ways out of that room, and neither of them is guarded! He took a quick glance behind him, to find Ingersol following, his eyes squinty, red and watering profusely.

Blackness settled over Bear, and the softness that surrounded him made him realize a blanket had been thrown over him. He started to pull it off, but someone – most likely Ingersol – fell against his back and then slid to the floor, making Bear stumble and almost lose his balance.

Someone kicked him just above his ear. He staggered in surprise. Shorty can kick that high? After another stunning head blow, he fell to his knees. In a kind of dim semi-consciousness, he heard a dull thump, then a door swooshed open and shushed close. His thoughts whirled for a time before they began to make sense. Is it over? Did Shorty beat me? Us? How long has it been since that last kick she gave me? She must be gone. Winthrop will be enraged that she got away. Always full of surprises, that Mac.