Lies, lies and more lies

Posted on 06 Nov 2021 @ 11:53pm by Commander Amelia Fox & Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant JG Rosaline Belikov & Ensign Adam Morgan & Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews & Lieutenant Xu Chang Lau

Mission: Picking up the pieces
Location: Observation Lounge
Timeline: Immediately before Enforced Dreamland post
2960 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Jon waited for their guests and turned to the officers who had arrived already.

"They lied in sickbay," he said simply. "Whatever they are ferrying around is getting into the belly of the ship. Harpers already reported finding 3 people with a strange substance on their person and acting ... well both were acting very strangely. We need to determine if it's something they have brought on board."

"If we scan the substance then we should be able to do a shipwide sensor sweep for it," Aidan suggested.

Jon nodded. “Get on that. I want to know that going on.”

The doors parted and Xu waddled through, in just a few hours her pregnancy having progressed from one one week along to what now looked like seven months along. She had donned a set of maternity uniform trousers and tunic to allow for the extra mass she was carrying before her. It was also this moment she realised that most of the senior officers were unaware of Xu being pregnant let alone going through this.

"Don't mind me.... You carry on, I'll just lower myself into a chair once I get there!" She looked at each of them in turn reflecting calm from her inner core at them, as if she had cast a Helios Benefic across the room. "Don't let the medical team know I'm here. I had to escape sickbay!"

Ever the gentleman, the Trill science chief shot to his feet and offered up his own to her. He'd find another place to sit, so she wouldn't have to walk much further.

"Thank you Commander" with a little effort the Operations Chief lowered herself into the chair, navigating her not so small bump around the armrests until she was planted in place. She had no idea how she would get out of the chair but that would be something she could figure out when the meeting ended!

Amelia acknowledged Xu with a smile of support before turning back to Reynolds. “Captain. We have to be very careful. These people are not Federation citizens nor are we in Federation space. Have they broken any local laws or their own laws for that matter?”

“True but they're also lying about what's going on here and I don't want a situation where this crews in danger,” Jon said firmly. “And if they are pedaling a substance that is affecting this crew we need to tackle that.”

"Can't we just scan their cargo?" Aidan asked as he found himself somewhere else to sit, "or somehow beam a few samples aboard for study?" He shrugged. "Or confiscate it on the suspicion of it being dangerous?"

“I would rather ask first Commander. As it's not our property but...... If it comes to it...” he let the words hang and locked eyes with Xu. “Im not going to have an angry Caitain barging in am I? Or your waters breaking?”

"I hope not! I'm still a minimum of seventeen hours away for giving birth sir and the Doctor was occupied in the labs when I made a break for it!" her craving for strawberry shortcake reasserting itself. "I just know that this is meant to be happening... more so now than yesterday. I can't explain it sir!"

Jon sighed. "The doc is going to be upset. Ok deal with that in a second. Back to this substance ..... "

Amelia nodded "I'll have a security team search the ship and confiscate any of this substance and bring it to sickbay for analysis."

Harper sighed as she made her way into the room. "I already have teams doing that." she said as she walked over to the replicator and ordered something with a very high caffeine content. "Some of the crew have already gotten their hands on this 'green' somehow and I've had to confine people to quarters as well as the brig."

Amelia acknowledged the arrival of the security chief as she sat down. "Nice work Ensign. How exactly did the affected crew members seem to behave?"

"It seems to affect different people in different ways. I had one crewman thinking he was talking to his grandfather, his inspiration to join Starfleet but he was actually talking to a plant in one of the common areas. Another was fighting with other staff whom she assumed were out to kill her, thinking people will talking about her but most seem to offer A sense of elation, of pleasure. I found a Vulcan laughing..." Harper replied in almost disbelief at her last comment.

Walking into the room, Kassie looked around at the collected officers before spotting the heavily pregnant officer. With a slightly confused look on her face, Kassie turned to the Captain "um, is there something wrong? I've still got some work to finish on my ship before we're ready to leave"

Durke followed Kassie into the briefing room of the big starship and looked at all the Starfleet personnel that were in the room ripe for the latinum picking. He didn't say a word while Kassie made her case in getting back to the ship.

"We would like to ask you about a substance that seems to be circulating around our ship since we took you onboard," Jon stated firmly. "We need to know what it is and understand it as its affecting several of the crew.

Kassie simply shrugged, "why are you asking me? I'm just the courier. I've already told you we weren't told what we were carrying, just that it needed to get to it's destination as soon as possible"

Durke responded to the captain's inquiry, "Like i said captain, its only a herbal medicinal tea that we carry. Might have some side effects, but what food item don't have at least one?"

I'Dis ship dropped out from warp near the Andromeda. He was surprised they sat defenceless in open space but he knew they would be far from that if they powered up their weapons. A careful approach was needed, a delicate touch as Humans said. The burly Orion nodded to the comms station on his ship to open a channel. "Starfleet vessel, this is the Orion vessel Vertessa. You are in a dangerous part of space, eyes are everywhere but I have made us safe for now. Respond."

Adam Morgan looked at the viewscreen as the Orion vessel approached with an intercept vector. He spoke as he turned to his superior that was in charge on the bridge for the moment, "That ship is coming in fast sir."

"Sir," Jons comm. badge chirped. "We have an unknown vessel just arrive and they are hailing you rather colourfully.

Jon's eyebrows rose as the ensign manning comms. on the bridge patched through the message. Well, this was an interesting development. A rather over the top campy feel of things from this Orion, not to mention dismissive with ending things with just "respond" from the identified Vertessa but another party suddenly here. Were they friends of the two they had rescued he wondered?

"Vertessa. This is the USS Andromeda of the Federation. We are in no danger but thank you ...." he looked round at his senior staff at uttering this bizarre statement. "for ensuring things are safe. We are trying to understand what happened to the planet that we visited several weeks back. And have picked up survivors."

"Yes, my scans indicate a recent explosion of a known courier vessel in the region. It is most unfortunate what happened here but I am not a scientist nor do I believe in wasting time wondering why when death itself floats around us. I am curious to know the condition of the survivors?" I'Dis asked.

Hearing they were talking to an Orion captain, Kassie felt more then a little worried. If these Orion's were members of the syndicate, then she was in bigger trouble then a Federation jail. The Syndicate didn't forgive failure, or competition in their space.

"I invite you to come over," Jon said after a moment. "Let us exchange information."

For a moment I'Dis considered this carefully. Access to a Starfleet ship would be a benefit few of the other Orions in the syndicate had, or any Orions for that matter in recent times. "Very well Andromeda. I will arrive with some aides of my own and we will have a discussion, whether we will exchange information that will be of benefit to both of us remains to be seen. Send your coordinates and we will prepare. Vertessa out." he said closing the channel.

Xu was listening intently to the exchange even if she was shifting uncomfortably in the chair as the baby seemed to have woken up and had started kicking at every one of Xu's internal organs within striking distance.

There was a chime on the door. Jon looked confused but pressed the button to open watching Oliver walk in.

"Just the person. We need someone to transport over our guests straight away," he informed him.

"Sir ... i shall get my deputy on it. I'm sorry the CMO has issued orders I am to stay by Lieutenant Xu's side and she's not meant to be here. I need to bring her back to sickbay preferably before Dr C'Tora realises," Oliver informed him.

Jon's eyes flicked between his transporter chief and Xu.

"Get her back to sickbay. I do not wish an irate Caitian on top of things," he said.

"Sir I am fine.... I would rather be here than holed up in sickbay. I'm pregnant and I've not seen my feet since yesterday but not incapable of doing my job!"

She was pleading with the Captain and looking to Ollie for the backup she needed. She had hoped that any pregnancy she went through would be a natural one and she wanted to make this as natural as possible, being at work was part of that.

Syvar had slunk into the room earlier, seemingly unnoticed. "The Doctor said she can stay, as I'll be on hand just in case sir," the young Vulcan doctor offered. He kept his distance, but still seemed ready to move just in case. "I'll just be over there, and out of the way unless she needs me," he added quietly.

"No I'm not risking her going into birth here. If the docs wanted her in sickbay, Oliver get her back down to sickbay. I'll come see you in a bit Lieutenant," he told Xu simply.

"Right you two I know that your lying because my species is empathic. Too many of my people are having adverse reactions to your tea," he said firmly. "I'm going to confiscate this stuff."

Kassie held up her hands, "I'm sorry captain, but I can't open the containers. We were told they had to arrive intact or we wouldn't get paid. I don't know what is affecting your crew"

Amelia stood. "I'll go greet our new arrivals captain and bring them up here. As for these two, in the best interest of the rest of the crew, I would recommend we confine them to quarters until we've cleared things up."

Kassie panicked a little, “no wait, if you need to confine us, put us on our ship so we can finish the repairs and be on our way. The last thing I need is problems with the Orions”

"Your confined to quarters here and we are confiscating all your goods until we know how dangerous it is to our crew," Jon said simply. "Ensign," he turned to Harper. "Have them escorted."

As the two started to be escorted to some standard quarters on the Federation ship, Durke thought that this was only a setback until they had a plan in their minds to get off this starship and possibly kidnap and sell in the process.....but a first step, was a first step.

As the two were led away Jon's brain clicked on the word Orions. "Im not having any surprises there either," he muttered and went to a drawer where he had had the CMO stash a drug that would ensure they would not be affected by any pheromones. He placed it to his neck letting it hiss and handed it to Datari, "It will prevent them using Pheromones on us."

The Trill nodded, taking the hypo and pressing it to his own neck before handing it to whichever male was close by. "Yeah, I'd rather not be affected by those," he agreed.

A few minutes after she had left, Amelia returned with the new arrival and two of his aides. "Captain, allow me to present..."

"I'Dis, Captain of the Vertessa, but you already know that Andromeda Captain. I did not get your name however." The burly man of green stated.

Amelia stepped in to smooth the water. "May I present Captain Reynolds of the Andromeda and I'm Commander Fox, the first officer. We rescued some... associates of yours and we were wondering if you'd mind answering some questions?"

"Would depend on the questions, Commander." I'Dis replied. "I may be more 'diplomatic' than my brothers and sisters but you are alone out here, and would be best to remember that. Not everyone is as 'friendly' and as 'accommodating' as myself." he grinned almost maliciously.

Aidan eyed the new arrival suspiciously, but also somewhat anxiously. Especially after having been forced to serve one of this person's colleagues. What did, however, intrigue him, was that this particular Don did not choose to hide his identity, much like the one whom he had served had done.

This Don was also suspicious and pissed, Jon noted. It clearly wasn't coincidental that they had two alien drug dealers show up and this guy waltz in trying to make out he had ensured their safety. This guy had his eyes on a certain green prize he reasoned.

"Your associates if they are that were peddling narcotic substances on my ship," Jon stated firmly. "Until we have analysed this substance and decided what to do in this situation they are in custody. Each has been given guest quarters. They are not in our brig.

What is your business here?" he asked the man directly noticing the female he had with him looked uncomfortable at something he had said. Worried they would confiscate the drugs he mused.

"I never said they were associates of mine, you can space the bastards for all I care." I'Dis said with a hint of venom. "I am here for what is mine and that is it. I take what I want and this is no difference." he said defiantly.

From what Reynolds had said I'Dis had enough information. Both drug runners were safe on board, their ship too. They had the product on board, I'Dis had ordered his crew to scan for it as soon as they came into the system. He smiled that they did not truly understand why he was there, but he knew they weren't stupid. So far, he had all the information to move forward.

"I'm fully aware of the Dons of the Agora crossroads and to date, none of them are peddling these green drugs. Your just bluffing to try get a slice of the action here. I even have a liaison to your people," Jon told him. "I know more about your set up that you know I do and you don't take anything off my ship and if your want to carry on like that your declaring war on the Federation. Your call buddy but it's something your other Dons have expressed a wish for quite the opposite actually.

I'm tiring of this whole thing to be honest. Everyone's lying," Jon shrugged at Amelia and Aidan.

But you know what," he rounded on the Orion again, "I don't want that green shit on my boat especially when its driving my people loopy. So Commander Datari - head to the bridge and get on an analysis of the samples we have please.

The Trill nodded and returned to the bridge, firing up his station to ling with the one in his lab, where hopefully his staff was making headway with the analysis.

"Reynolds to transporter room 1. Lock on to the merchant's vessel in the shuttle bay and prepare to beam it off the ship. Notify the owners and then they can be beamed back on board their ship and you," he informed the so-called Don in front of him ... "You can go claim what you think is yours off the people you just threatened to space and see how that works out when their bosses find out. In fact prepare to beam him and his party back to his ship immediately. You don't come on board my boat and try call shots with me."

He locked eyes with the Don just as defiantly as the room suddenly started to fill with some substance .... "what the ....."

occ - Wrapping this one up. No ones been beamed and the spys will now awaken parties and beam everyone into the correct places so we can move this forward. The don will awaken on his own ship with the drug dealers and the cargo heading towards the graveyard with jon and hawkins and morgan and the ctoras wife in custody BUT ...... in agreement to get the Don an audience with the drug cartel bosses they are tribute to the bosses and hes giving them a lift for that privilege. The Andromeda crew awaken and pursue once they realise their crew is missing and watch them head through the network portal. Then we are unable to follow further as of yet. Working on that!

OFF:

Captain Jonathan Reynolds
CO, USS Andromeda

Commander Amelia Fox
XO
USS Andromeda

Lt. Commander Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer

Ensign Adam Morgan
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Andromeda