Posted Sept. 5, 2020, 10:10 p.m. by Lieutenant Icarus Remington (Chief Intelligence Officer) (Terry Sullivan)
Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by Lieutenant Icarus Remington (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻“Ah, Lieutenant Remington,” Zachariah chuckled, finally turning to face the other. “Admiral Roebuck told me to expect you.” He offered no further verbal details, but his expression confirmed that the Admiral had indeed told Cobb exactly who to expect.
“So,” the captain continued, crossing the room to his desk and, without seeking confirmation, filled two glasses with a green, Aldebaran whiskey, “you have a passion for anomalies, eh? Can’t say I’ve met too many who could make such a claim.”
He handed one glass to the CIO then settled into his chair and sipped at the other. “Mind telling me the history on that?”
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus accepted the glass and only took a sip after Cobb did. “Yes, sir. I wouldn’t exactly call it a passion for anomalies, more like a . . . . profound interest in them.”
He sat down opposite the captain. “I’ll give you the short version, sir. My father was the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Rogue. My mother was a Romulan scientist serving on the science vessel, Laeosanen. There was an accident, the Rogue rescued them and was planning to return the crew back to the Romulans. My mother requested political asylum. When it was discoveed she was pregnant, the Rogue’s XO set them up, and wanted them executed as spies for the Tal Shi’ar.”
Romulans. Cobb had served the Federation for long enough to know their reputation. Had fought alongside some of them in the war to know the truth. He sat back in his chair and steepled fingers under his chin, nodding.
He took another sip of the whiskey and continued. “Before they could be tried, they escaped and disappeared to the backwater planet of Dessica II. That’s where I was born. When I was 10 years old, a vortex, or a portal, or an anomaly appeared and pulled them both in. I never saw them again. For the next 8 years I survived on my own, doing whatever was needed. Just before I turned 18, my father’s former CO, now a commodore came looking for us. His XO had died but confessed to the set up before dying. My parents were exonerated, but . . . . .”
Another nod. Permission that was neither needed nor sought to swallow those words before speaking them. An acknowledgement of loss and of being left all alone.
“The commodore brought me back to Earth, got me into the Academy on the Intelligence track. In my spare time, I tried to find out everything I could about these spatial anomalies. Eventually, I discovered about the Leviathan and her new mission, so I went to Adm. Roebuck and requested to be assigned here.
He took a deep breath and finished off his glass. “And that’s where we are today, sir.”
Reminton (CIO)
“Aye, it is,” Zachariah raised his own glass and drank from it deeply, then wiped a hand across his mouth and beard. “I’ve spent the last few days reading up on these anomalies. Seen one or two that might resemble the one you seek. But, son,” he looked up and fixed eyes on Remington. “It won’t bring them back. You…do know that, don’t you.”
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus hesitated before answering. “I . . . I understand that, Captain, but it’s a big galaxy. There’s still a lot we don’t know, so I’m not giving up hope, even if the odds are infinitesimal. If for no other reason, to get some closure, one way or another.”
Remington (CIO)
Cobb nodded. Closure. Answers. An end to the spiralling torture of mystery. Was that not all anyone ever wanted? Was that not the very purpose of the Federation and, within that, the ARU itself? To get answers. To gain closure on the countless losses of Federation vessels and crews at the hands of unknown and uncharted assailants?
“Then I sincerely hope you find it, Mr Remington,” he replied, draining his glass.
He lingered in silence for a few moments, his own tangled thoughts consuming him. Then with a shrug, he planted his palms on the desktop and announced, “Okay then, let’s get down to business. There’s someone I would like you to meet, a Commander John McHarrie. He’s our Abell-level consultant. Surprisingly amicable chap for one who works in such a field.”
There was no call for further elaboration. If Remington had read the files on the ARU then he’d know exactly how dangerous Abell-level anomalies were and exactly how crazy one needed to be to specialise in them.“I want you to become psychic, Mr Remington,” he laughed. “Right now we’re on the back foot with these anomalies, constantly being taken by surprise with no opportunity for advanced preparation. It’s no way to operate effectively. So I want you to use your skills and contacts within intelligence to start pinpointing these things for us ahead of time. Give us a chance to track them instead of them tracking us.”
He paused momentarily and ran a hand through his silver-flecked hair. “Now McHarrie believes he might have some ideas on other Abells out there. I’m hoping there’s information there that you can use. But anything you can find - strange deaths, mass disappearances, anything weird or unusual that might point to the presence of one of these things, I want it analysed as a potential mission site. Do you think you can do that for me, Lieutenant?”
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
OOC: Bump
Icarus nodded and replied, “Aye, sir. I’ll use everything at my disposal to try to get a jump on any kind of anomaly. Set-up a cross-referencing system to flag anything that has the potential to be one. I’ll meet with Lt. Cmdr. McHarrie as soon as we’re finished here.”
Remington (CIO)
“Good man,” Cobb replied. “In fact, I might come along with you. The man’s lab is a veritable circus of wonders and I am always keen for a peek inside.”
So, despite the CIO’s unorthodox passage into the ARU, it appeared to the Leviathan’s captain as if he would not only fit right in, but be a powerful asset at the same time.
“Do you have any more questions for me before we head to the lab?” Zachariah asked, suddenly eager to assist the other in settling in as much as possible.
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus hesitated, measuring his words carefully. “Sir,” he began, “may I speak freely?”
Remington (CIO)
© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service
Version 1.15.11
RSS Feed