A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma: Part 2

Posted on Mon Mar 27th, 2023 @ 8:19am by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette

3,645 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Investigate the Chintoka Shipyard Buildup
Location: Chin'toka shipyard
Timeline: Current.

Finchley watched as Shon and Isabelle walked off, dressed in the Breen uniforms. His idea hadn't been well received by either of them, however, they'd both been professional enough to decide off their own backs to agree to go through with it. He hadn't forced them, quite the opposite, he'd already said if they weren't comfortable, then not to do it. His hope now though was that they'd be convincing enough to get those in the room they'd go into to get them to go on the 'wild goose chase'.

Isabelle looked towards Shon through the visor of the Breen suit. “I seriously hope these guys aren’t looking for a fight, I’m no Breen warrior!”

“Don’t worry, leave the talking to me and stay behind me. I’m hoping they will be too in awe of the Breen. They did not sound particularly intelligent anyway.” They approached the room so Shon made some noise. They entered the room which was badly lit, she could hardly see anything through the visor and the smell was getting to her. The three human looking men looked up surprised raising their weapons.

Isabelle could only hope that Dex was a convincing a Breen, they were about to find out.

Put those weapons down if you want to live you fools.” Shon said in a loud confident voice. “Have you found anything yet?” She said agressively. The three were obviously scared of them.

“Nnn no, nothing yet. We have tried to..”

Shon interrupted him. “Then obviously you are not trying enough, remember Durand..you will end up like him. Go take your ship and search the other side of the shipyard. NOW!” She ordered. For a moment it looked like they were going to question her but then they shuffled out.” Shon whispered, “follow them make sure they have gone and then return.” She said to Isabelle.

Isabelle nodded, following on behind at a distance she kept a watchful eye to make sure the men did as Dex had instructed.

Whilst Shon and Isabelle made their way towards the room, Finchley looked at the schematic. Now that the XO and Chief Counsellor were going about their task, he could truthfully concentrate on his, free of the knowledge he didn't have to protect them. Moving off, he took out his phaser and began jogging towards his destination. A few minutes later he arrived at a set of bulkhead doors.

"I hope Kilbane's right about this" he said to himself. Power to the doors had long since stopped, so he used the manual opener to get the doors open. Taking out his wrist torch, he put it on and moved inside. The room was littered with wreckage and he had to be careful stepping over things to get to the set of consoles. Again, going into his pack, he took out a small power cell and plugged it in. It took a few seconds, but the console came to life, the picture on the screen dull and fading in and out. Figuring out the file system, he looked through it and found what he was looking for. The fading in and out of the screen made reading what was there difficult, but he managed to get through it eventually.

Standing back, his head dropped onto his chest "It's true then, they had begun experimenting with Varaxian LM-7" he said. He downloaded the file and removed the power cell from the console. Making his way out of the room again, he jogged back to where he had been before and waited to hear from Shon and Isabelle.

Returning to where Dex was waiting Isabelle nodded. “They did as instructed, gives us some breathing space at least.”

Dex nodded taking her Breen helmet off. “I thought I was going to suffocate in that thing, I now feel intimately connected with the Breen that wore that. No wonder they are so bad tempered. right, let’s have a look at this console. See if we can get some power to it.” The small screen was flickering on and off with a series of numbers and what looked like a language Dex didn’t recognise. Any idea of the language?” She asked her companion.

Isabelle took a look. “I’m not 100% possibly Breen maybe? Their written language is one that’s very rarely seen. It’s definitely not Klingon, or at least not a dialect of Klingon I’ve seen before.”

“I agree, it seems more digital in nature, wait..what was that?” A picture had flashed and blurred through the screen. Dex tried to adjust the old instrument to no effect. On annoyance she slapped the side of the screen and the picture returned. “That’s Vice Admiral Voron C’hook of the Federation security Council. What the hell!” she exclaimed.

“I don’t know Dex, but it can’t be good” Isabelle looked around. “We need to let the Captain know what we’ve found.”

“Where is he anyway?” Asked Dex. “Let’s go just a little further, this part sees to be well deserted and I do not think those goons will return anytime soon. Follow me.” They exited the room and carried on down the dark corridor. After another few yards what seemed like double doors were firmly shut in front of them. Dex tried moving them physically then opened a panel beside the doors and fiddled with the wires. There was a small flash and the doors slid open with a whine. The room was huge and they couldn’t see the walls in the blackness. “This looks like a surgical suite” Dex said, “look there are a couple of old biobeds and these instruments….I’m no medic but they look like surgical tools of some kind.” There were more bodies around the room and she walked towards one expecting to see…

.”Lieutenant come and look at this?” She took a sharp intake of breath as she looked at the skeleton. “This is not right” she said kneeling and shining her palm beacon over the body. “The clothes are Federation but, look, that scull, thorax and arms are Klingon, the rest of the skeleton looks like….look here” she shone her beam lower, this is a prehensile tail, what the hell!” she exclaimed, “and look, the remains of what look like positronic components or possibly Borg. What do you think?”

“I think somebody, or something has been conducting illegal biological research here” Isabelle looked at Dex concernedly. “We need to get the hell out of here!” She looked around numerous jars and bottles on shelves. For all we know there could be live chemical, or biological agents in here.”

“Go find the Captain and bring him here, I’m going to collect these bones together for the doctor to look at.”

“Right away Commander” Isabelle headed out of the lab glad to get the hell out there. Whoever had been there obviously enjoyed experimenting. It didn’t take long to find Finchley. “Captain! We’ve found something you need to see.”

Finchley was still preoccupied with the thoughts on what he'd found. His revere was interrupted as Isabelle found him and spoke.

"Yes, ok" he answered and followed her back the way she'd come.

Whilst Isabelle was gone Dex gathered the skeleton as best she could in a dirty sheet. She then began to look around at the bottles and jars on the shelves that Isabelle had mentioned. Some were open, some on their sides having emptied their contents on the floor. Dex avoided everything although she would have given a lot to know what was in them. If Kerr wanted them examined he would have to send a medical team in hazmat. Then she noticed a small bound notebook inside a glass cabinet. Intrigued she opened it not noticing a small blue vial had leaked and a drop hit her thigh. The notebook was written in Klingon and she thought of Karadis. She took it and put it in the sheet with the skeleton.

Finchley entered the large room and looked around. Two immediate thoughts struck him, this was either some kind of sickbay or medical room...or a mortuary, it just had that kind of feel to him. Seeing Shon, he asked "Commander, what have you found since I left, and why weren't you back where I left you?"

Dex was relieved to see Kerr and Isabelle. “Sir we managed to move the men over to another area of the shipyards. The console was badly worn but I did get a brief picture of someone I think you know Vice Admiral Voron C’hook. Why would his details be on a Dominion shipyard computer? You had not yet returned so I thought it prudent we explore some more. We found this what looks like a surgical unit and look?” She opened the sheet with the skeleton inside. “Klingon skull and upper torso, spine and continuance of something akin to a prehensile tail but, most of all inside some shreds of tissue remnants of what look like positronic or Borg components. As the Lieutenant says someone has been conducting illegal biological research. I also found a written, looks like a diary in Klingon. I thought we could take the bones back to the ship for the doc to look them over.” She wiped her brow, “it’s hot in here. Sir” she added.

"Yes, Vice Admiral C'hook, he was...a person of interest to us in Intelligence" Finchley replied cagily "As you can appreciate, I don't know you, and I don't know the Lieutenant, so for the moment, what I can say is that he was on a watch list. What makes you think I'd been anywhere anyhow, I was exactly where I was when you left, the Lieutenant can verify that?"

Shon looked straight at him. “I apologise Captain it’s just that my Vulcan hearing heard footsteps jogging away, and by logic it was obvious you had your own task or you would have come with us….Sir” she added.

"No, I asked you both to go in because that's my job, to delegate tasks to those who are meant to be capable, are you telling me you're not capable?" Finchley asked.

"And you're telling me your Vulcan hearing can differentiate between my footsteps, and possibly any number of other footsteps?" he he then asked. He moved up till he was standing right in front of Shon "You haven't made a very good impression on me since you arrived Commander, my suggestion is that you change that attitude you have, here's a job to be done, and I need people I can rely on."

He turned and walked towards the door "In answer to your question, no, it's not hot in here. Mark the co-ordinates of this room, log your findings and let's get on. This isn't the room we're looking for, nor is it the information we're looking for. Frankenstein freaks don't interest me, what does is what the hell the Dominion are doing back here now, what's triggered their interest, and why didn't the Federation blow this place to hell four years ago, what stopped them."

Isabelle looked at Finchley. “Perhaps it has something to do with whatever was being cooked up in this lab Sir, it’s all very odd. Anyway did you find what it was you were looking for Sir?”

“In answer to your questions sir there were no other footsteps than ours and yours, and how do we know this is not what triggered Dominion interest. A new breed of soldier with strength, mobility, aggression extreme intelligence and longevity. We have to consider that might be of interest. “ Shon wanted to say more, much more but knew that it was not an appropriate moment but, they would however have a conversation even if it meant her leaving the ship.

Finchley pointed down at the dusty corridor and said "Then how do you explain this Commander?"

Moving forward, he squatted down. Pointing back down the corridor he said "These are the Lieutenants and my own footprints in the dust, coming here. Those..." he pointed forward "...are the footprints of the three you sent on the 'wild goose chase', and these..." he said, pointing to a third set of footprints that went in a third direction "...are fresh prints, not of our current Starfleet footwear. It could have been anyone you heard."

Isabelle looked at the other set of prints. “If there’s another person here, then why didn’t I sense them?”

"They could have been using a neural blocker" Finchley replied "They were used during the war. To answer your other question, how could I find something I didn't look for."

He stood up again, "We don't have the resource right now to split our group up, we still need to try and get to the Command centre. Shall we go?" he added, setting off.

Isabelle was feeling that there was definitely more to Finchley’s side of the story that he wasn’t telling. “Captain, is there a reason you aren’t telling us everything? If I go from a Psychological point of view your denial speaks volumes. We’re your team Sir, you can trust us!”

Stopping, Finchley turned and said "The sheer magnitude of the things I know and am not telling you could stop a heard of Bison in their tracks Lieutenant. You're psychological point if view is wrong, perhaps you should re-appraise what you think you know. You may be my team, but I don't know you, trust is built and earned. Now, you may say that goes both ways, however, I have the Captain's pips, and when I make a decision, it's followed. So, like I said, shall we go?" and he turned round again and set off.

Right that very second, he missed having Karadis with him, one of the few he could actually say he could trust right now. Her and Kilbane...but Kilbane was his ace in the hole, his time would come shortly when the die was cast.

Isabelle looked at Shon as she followed on behind Finchley. This was one Captain who was going to test her ‘metal’ but she’d prove he could trust her no matter what.

Shon had realised discretion was the better part of valour so she remained silent. There was nothing she could do to make him trust her and she wondered who had let him down so badly in his past. She had left the bones wrapped up so she could pick them up when they left, if indeed they were going to be able to leave.

Making it through the next three sections without coming across anyone else, the Command centre was in front of Finchley.

"This is why we came this way...the Command centre" Finchley said "In order to ensure they could get back onboard, there would have to have been some kind of backup, a failsafe...sometimes referred to as a 'back door'. It's taken them four years to get back here, and there 'has' to be a reason they came back here. The answer's in here somewhere, let's see what we can find."

Shon began to look through files of papers and old style computer discs. The heat was getting to her and she loosened her collar. Just then she felt a touch on her back. Spinning round she had her phaser drawn and fired at the shadowy figure in the doorway. As soon as she had, she realised that there was no one there.

Finchley spun and drew his phaser at the same, looking in Shon's direction. Seeing she was looking towards the doorway, he called out "What did you see Commander?"

Sweat dripped from her brows into her eyes making it difficult to see and the pressure on her chest contracting her lungs until she could no longer feel the expansion of breathing. “I’m sorry Captain, I felt something touch me, I felt sure there was someone there….I thought I saw…….there was no one there”. She moved to the door slowly looking out and down into the dark corridor. Then she noticed the faint sound of swish, swish,swish, looking in the direction of the sound she saw dust motes cast into the air in rhythmic swirls and then she saw it. A thick tail moving from side to side of the corridor as it rounded the corner. She swallowed hard the taste of bile rising in her throat as she stepped back into the room. “Nothing, it was nothing, there’s nothing there Sir.” She looked at him sure he knew what she had seen and had chosen to lie about it. No wonder he had dismissed the bio lab and its contents. She looked at Isabelle and saw her give Kerr a knowing conspiratorial look.

Finchley looked at Shon for a number of seconds before deciding to say "Let's get back to the search, we need to find answers."

Isabelle nodded. There was definitely something off with Dex but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

Shon nodded, turned and continued her search. After what seemed like an age she found something. “Captain, there are orders for equipment, lots of it medical supplies, and diagrams. Some of the orders seem to be encoded. It’s like there is so much here, not hidden. They must have had complete faith that they were safe or maybe they just did not care.”

Finchley walked over and looked at the orders for the equipment that were on the screen. Most of it seemed fairly standard, things you would find in a Medical bay, but his attention was drawn to the encrypted files.

"Perhaps if we...", and he tried a couple of algorithms, but none of them worked. "Mmmmmmm...not Foxes and not T'Grans, perhaps it's Larnyx triathics..." and he tried again. This time it worked and a number of the files opened up.

Interested Dex examined the files, most of it was unintelligible to her but she knew that some of what she was seeing was illegal within the Federation and the Klingon Empire. “Captain, there is mention of a new drug to link different dna together to make a whole. It’s supposed to reduce rejection and increase strength and stamina. A form of it was used as a bio weapon during the Eugenics wars. I would advise we return to the lab to try to find some of these?” She asked questioningly.

"Khan..." Finchley said softly, "...and Doctor Soong..."

“Soong?” Isabelle looked at Finchley. “He’s the creator of Data isn’t he? I always have had a fascination with all things Android and synthetic.”

“Yes Lieutenant but Before Lieutenant Commander Data on Earth Eugenics were practiced in the 20th Century , the history is a bleak one, it is such that in genetic engineering no sensible person can be in favour of eugenics. The main reason for this presumption is that so much horror, misery, and mayhem have been carried out in the name of eugenics in the 20th century that no person with any moral sense could think otherwise. In fact, the abysmal history of murder and sterilisation undertaken in the name of race hygiene and the “improvement” of the human species again and again in this century is so overpowering that the risk of reoccurrence, sliding down what has proved time and time again to be an extremely slick, slippery slope, and has seemed enough to bring all ethical argument in favour of eugenics to an end.” Shon looked at Isabelle. “Then of course we have Kahn Noonian Singh in the late 20th Century. I am sure you learnt all about him at the Academy Lieutenant? The Eugenic wars were particularly nasty. It looks to me here that we have discovered something nasty afoot here.”

Isabelle nodded. “Illegal genetic experimentation. Not good at all.”

Finchley then had a thought "What if we turn this on it's head? What 'if', they weren't experimenting on eugenics, say, trying to create a 'superspecies', what if they were creating mock ups so they could see how they reacted to ways to kill them off?"

He paced back and forth, his mind racing.

"In that lab back there, we saw that there we parts of species that were 'spliced together'. A Klingon torso, human arms, Vulcan legs, Borg heads and so on. What if they'd found a way to reanimate those bodies, at cellular level, not conscious, but enough to have them be experimented on? I mean, it's not like they were short of body parts. Pieces of this 'yard were open to space, the bodies from those allies who died here during the war would have been well preserved, frozen yes, but still well preserved. To save time, 'splice' the bodies, and you have a subject of many races you can use an experiment on without having to repeat the process multiple times" Finchley said.

Shon wondered who the shadowy figure behind Kerr was. Tall and cloaked the hood completely covering the face provided no way of recognising the species. Through Dex’s eyes however the figure showed a malevolence that implied coercion. Her eyes closed for a minute to try to control the headache that throbbed inside her. Her eyes narrowed. “I do not think so captain. These species do not exist so why attempt to experiment on them. No I believe they are experimenting, possibly developing a new race of soldiers to replace the Jem Hadar.” Looking towards the door she could hear again the ‘swish, swish of the prehensile tail as it passed along the corridor. She turned towards Kerr the figure behind him gone.
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TBC.

 

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