Posted by Lieutenant Commander Stark Nightstalker (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Main Engineering - Post Dinner Rush - Side Sim

Posted by Lieutenant Orvos Legen (Chief Engineer) in Main Engineering - Post Dinner Rush - Side Sim

Posted by Civilian Marishka (Lounge Host) in Main Engineering - Post Dinner Rush - Side Sim
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
snip

Orvos led the way to engineering in a sort of eerie silence. Few had ever seen him in such a mindset.

As they entered, a young blonde ensign strode up to Orvos. “Ensign, let’s take this into my office,” he stated as he led the way.

The doors swished open and he took his seat behind his desk.

“Sir,” stated Ensign Inesa as she stepped up to large monitor in the office. She pressed several buttons, and a stream of data appeared. “It’s an encrypted data stream that was piggybacked on a communication link to the ship. I haven’t been able to unencrypt it, however it did end up having access to communications, basic computer functions, holodeck controls, shield emitter arrays, weapons info.”

Stark balked a bit at that.

“It accessed those systems? How? Is it possible this is some sort of virus?”

“Possible yes, but not verified yet. I can’t seem to figure out the encryption. It’s not even in a language I understand.”

Orvos spoke again. “Very well, ensign. Leave the encryption available here. Mr. Nightstalker may be able to help with this.”

The ensign nodded and briefly looking at both Stark and Marishka before leaving. As she turned on her heels, Orvos being the quick thinker he was, turned to Marishka. “Before I get to work, here’s what I would like from the lounge delivered here, instead of my quarters.” The doors then swished shut, as Orvos silently keyed a few commands into the computer.

“We’re shut in, but you’ll need to likely leave soon. Thoughts?”

He paused, hoping to glean what they each thought before moving to the encrypted algorithm.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

“Inside job,” Stark said taking a closer look at the code, “Even with the ability to send a code in from the outside, you’d need to arrange access somehow to be able to implant it this successfully.”

Stark Nightstalker CIO

“A good point, which means someone on this crew is not who they seem to be, I would think,” he pondered aloud before Marishka chimed in.

Clearly Orvos knew there was much more to Marishka than she would ever tell him. Never the less, she appreciated his quick wit and decided she should probably tell him her thoughts.

“Remember, I’m new here. So let’s just say I have no idea about this encryption system but, now that I think aobut it, I did notice some irregularities on the holodeck. I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of them if you hadn’t burst in.” Marishka explained calmly, “Does the name Dawson mean anything to you?”

• Marishka

Orvos looked to be frozen for a moment after Marishka had spoken the name. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He tried to maintain a semblance calm, but it was evident by his firm on his chair that he was perhaps angry. “That man is most likely long dead. Why would you know that name now?”

Then as though a light suddenly turned on, he quickly turned his attention to his computer and the code before him. While he listened to their response, he put in a translation order to the computer to translate the lines of code from El Aurian to Federation Standard.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Part of Marishka didn’t really want to say anything more. Everything about Orvos’ actions before he had found them on the holodeck said he was to be kept at much more than arms length. Had the situation changed? Perhaps she could still reveal what she knew and keep her distance.

“He was a green eyed dance partner. What is he to you?” she asked quietly.

• Marishka

Stark stayed stony silent, no way was he answering that question.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Orvos froze as he listened to Marishka. What was Dawson to Orvos? What she said fit the bill, but how could Dawson have appeared in the holodeck? Unless…?

The computer chirped at the completion of its task, or at least what aspects it could complete. Orvos had only managed to input so much El Aurian language into the computer. The algorithm, however, was partially uncovered. So…it was El Aurian in nature, which meant Dawson could have been involved.

Stark was stony silent and Marishka giving snippets of information. Perhaps he was stressing them out. Nobody had yet seen Orvos act in this manor. To be consumed with something often led people to do some extravagant, out of character things. He didn’t feel he had quite done that, but what if it continued?

He took a deep breathe and exhaled, allowing the stress of the situation to leave as well. Looking at the pair, his eyes softened as he gestured for them to sit. “Dawson is a long story,” he began.

“He has been a close friend and confidant to me for centuries. I was once in charge of an El Aurian ship and he was my first officer. We trusted each other and took care of the entire crew together. Unfortunately, the last time I saw him was when I sealed him shut in a cryo chamber.” He let the words hang in there as questions were sure to arise. Orvos relaxed himself, allowing them the chance to ask what they may, to express what they felt. He had to be wise, especially now.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Stark unsheathed a claw and scratched under his chin briefly, “So when was the last time you saw him actually IN the cryo chamber?”

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka made herself comfortable and watched the interaction between Orvos and Stark. She had more to contribute but felt it was important that Orvos had the floor for the moment.

• Marishka

Orvos paused as he considered the question. He knew the answer, but the full story would never paint Orvos as some sort of hero, despite his feelings to the contrary. He had done what needed to be done. There had been no other way. Dawson was a formidable man, and it took all of Orvos’s engineering capabilities to put the man down.

“The very last time I saw him in that cryo pod was when I jettisoned his pod into space. I could see from the view port, him still asleep in it.” That was likely not the response they were hoping for, but it was only part of the story. “And before anyone jumps to any conclusions, I had VERY good reason to do so.”

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Marishka’s silver eyes met Orvos’. She had come to realize that this was obviously not a joke.

“No wonder he was looking for you. He asked for you by name and if you were on board.”

She paused and chose her words carefully. A half hour ago Marishka wouldn’t have cared if she offended Orvos but, now, she wanted him to understand her.

“I thought it might be you or Stark perhaps playing with me somehow. So I decided to play along and, perhaps, it’s a good thing I did. I told him that information wasn’t mine to give out either way but we all know he knows you here already. At least that’s what I would assume.” she finished.

• Marishka

Orvos sighed and leaned back in his chair. “That’s assuming it was him. You said he was one of the dancers. Was there anyone else that seemed off to you? I’m curious if someone was using him as a disguise.”

Stark declined to comment on what really should be done with formidable people, which jettison into space wasn’t top on his list. Jettison into the Sun while watching carefully came to mind… dismembering the body and throwing it into many different suns being more preferable, even then he’d perform a thorough scan…

He stayed quiet and listened carefully trying to ignore the prickly feeling of the potential of an infrared sight on the back of his neck from a formidable person who was not disposed of correctly. In the end, he made only one comment.

“Well clearly he’s back, what do we do now?”, the emphasis on we was emphatic, Orvos needed to know like it or not, they were going to help deal with this, for the entertainment value alone if not for loyalty to a friend.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

“He might be back,” replied Orvos pointedly. “I’ll admit it certainly seems likely, but we won’t know until he or whoever that person was finds me. The catch is, do we let them see if they can find me here on the Athena? Or do I leave?”

Orvos turned his attention to some of the translation of the code. His eyebrows knit together in disbelief. “If my translation of this is correct, it appears that this particular hijack request originated from Oed V?” he said as he then turned to the duo.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Marishka had never been to OED V but her tailor had spent quite a bit of time there as a teenager. At this time, however, she didn’t feel like it was worth mentioning.

Earlier in the evening Marishka had pledged herself to protect Stark’s young nephew and family. Now it seemed she and Orvos might be spending more time together than either one of them realized. Marishka had to wonder if the universe was playing a different game with her.

“I would stay but I’m not you. I’m not certain what to make of it but the woman Stark was dancing with certainly seemed a bit off to me.” she said glancing at Stark who would, no doubt, have more information.

• Marishka

“Yes, she seemed to be crushing on you a lot Orvos,” Stark’s eyes were thoughtful, “Gushing about you a great deal in fact”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Orvos leaned back in his chair once again. “What did he look like? Did she gave her name?” He asked curiously.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

“No name, brown eyes, long red hair, petite, passionate, thought of you with awe, knew Dawson and panicked when the other holodeck characters disappeared as if she wasn’t aware it was a hologram and was intensely curious about how a Caitian found their way to the place we were in,” Stark summed up succinctly flying back through his memory with an intent look on his face.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

“That program was never meant for a non-El Aurian to seriously encounter. It was designed with the El Aurian people in mind, a place to call home that looked like home. That place is as real as my homeworld gets. So if these people are regulars, it would make sense for them to find you both out of place. Nearly every person in there, while they may look like a hologram, they are actually El Aurians all over the galaxy. If Dawson is indeed alive, it would make sense for him to have somehow found a way into the program. This red haired woman does not ring a bell. You said they appeared to know each other?”

Now Marishka remembered seeing the woman Stark had described. As she listened to their conversation Marishka found it surprisingly easy to put the spark of crazy between she and Orvos aside. She didn’t know exactly what the red head had gushed about but Orvos’ prowess as an engineer and quick wit might be considered worth gushing about and, perhaps, he wasn’t all together terrible to look at.

“Why did this Dawson say he may have unwittingly put ME in danger? I have heard people say such things before but the reasons are always different.” she explained.

• Marishka

“What made him say that?” he asked curiously. “What led to that point?”

He trusted Stark, and now he was left to somehow blindly trust Marishka. There was a part of her that he longed to let loose to, but he knew full well the effects of her pheromones on those around her. He naturally would let his guard down with her, allowing himself to become enamored, however upon realizing such times, he would immediately bristle. It made for quite a crazy time for him. However, right now…he had to hope that she would be of value and not distract him.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Stark paced as he concentrated willing his mind to bring back the details from his nearly eidetic sense memory. “I sensed a distinct lack of animosity from the man, strange considering your past…”

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka had been trying to remember Dawson’s words instead of just the feeling of his lips on the back of her hand before he vanished.

“He regretted having met me in that fashion and said that he may have unwittingly put me in danger but hoped that that danger was just a figment of his imagination. Then he kissed my hand and left. He did say something about hoping to meet again but I’ve heard that before as well.” she said with a shrug.

Orvos could either believe her or not. They din’t know each other well enough to trust one another very far but, perhaps, circumstances weren’t giving them the choice.

• Marishka