Post Number #83: The Art of Speculation

Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 3:27pm by Lieutenant V'Lar & Ensign Hannah Thrace
Edited on on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 3:28pm

811 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Obsidian
Location: Intelligence Department

Walking into an intelligence department was not something Hannah had ever expected to be doing again, not after what she'd done. Stood waiting for her was V'Lar. "So you're the famous Hannah Thrace." V'Lar said "An array of scientific qualifications that would make even the most decorated academics sit up and take notice but will forever..."

"Will forever been known as the Starfleet Officer who messed around with an Omega particle." Hannah said "And you are?"

"V'Lar, Chief Intelligence Officer and the one who needs your help." V'Lar said

"With?" Hannah asked

"This." V'Lar said bringing up a holographic image, it was the image from the holodeck "There's been a bit of suspicion regarding this station ever since we got here. Commander McMahon's been looking into most of that, my concern is that when we did an inspection of the station's computer we found evidence of several meetings including this one. I don't know who the Romulan officer and the Cardassian Gul are but the Starfleet uniform is listed as Lieutenant Commander T'Kia, he's Starfleet Intelligence's liaison to the Klingon Empire, the Bolian is Professor Lams Qoff he teaches Klingon history and politics at the University of Betazed."

"A very odd gathering." Hannah said

"Our present suspicion is that T'Kia is a Romulan mole, Captain Pontmercy has taken the appropriate action in that respect." V'Lar said "However what I wanted your expert opinion on is the Professor, he's handing over what is apparently a Klingon DNA sample. I can't help but think that's significant..."

"Because the Klingon Empire is a reason why the Cardassian and Romulan antics are doomed to fail?" Hannah said

"Bingo." V'Lar said

"Well." Hannah said circling the holograms "No one can ever say that the Tal'Shiar and Obsidian Order are stupid, in fact the Tal'Shiar is probably the best intelligence outfit in the quadrant even accounting for the last half century. They know that unless something changes the board state that they're not going to be able to defeat the Federation. Mess around with the Klingons and maybe you do." she paused "You only know it's a general DNA sample?"

"I don't know." V'Lar said "For all I know it's a specific sample. How bad?"

"Depends on intention." Hannah said "With a Klingon DNA sample I could develop a virus that is deadly to the species, that's pretty bad, what's worse is that if I have a specific Klingon's DNA sample I could take a much more targeted approach and create something specific to the individual it's called biohacking. That crest on the box however belongs to House Morkor, it's almost two hundred years old, that in itself doesn't mean anything because it could just be a keepsake box. The key to all this is who does the sample belong to? And the only way we're going to find that out is to talk to the Professor."

"I'll try and book an appointment but it'll have to be a lower priority for the moment." V'Lar said "We're focused on getting the base operational at the moment."

"If it helps make the appointment for me." Hannah said "He may be more inclined to talk to a fellow scientist than an intelligence officer."

"I'll keep that in mind." V'Lar said "What's your guess on why they'd take this sample to the Gamma Quadrant?"

"The Gamma Quadrant?" Hannah asked "They took the sample to the Gamma Quadrant?"

"We believe so." V'Lar said

Hannah took a few moments to think before glancing at the hologram "There's an old medical saying, if you're going to develop the cure you must first develop the ill. You need the virus before you can have the cure, the principle is to test the vaccine against the virus in controlled conditions." she said "If you were going to develop a virus from a DNA sample there's one other thing that DNA sample can be used for... breeding."

"You mean cloning." V'Lar said "Something that's common place in the Gamma Quadrant."

"And not as regulated." Hannah said "If their intent is to make this kind of move then they just changed the game."

"There are other things they could use clones for as well." V'Lar said "And we just got done with a mission where bioweapons were alleged... And we had to rescue Captain Michaels and we picked up Lieutenant Cruz from a Romulan warbird... and she mentioned being tortured."

"Who's your Counsellor?" Hannah asked

"Lieutenant Stokes." V'Lar said

"Marty Stokes?" Hannah said smiling, V'Lar nodded "I'd better talk to her then."

"We should have seen something like this coming." V'Lar said "This axe may not fall for months but when you're outnumbered and outgunned, extreme methods make the most sense. Especially when you're the Tal'Shiar."

*******

Lieutenant Junior Grade V'Lar
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase 11 - Obsidian Station

Ensign Hannah Thrace
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist
Starbase 11 - Obsidian Station

 

RSS Feed