Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in CIO Arrival

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Peter Sigmundsson (Chief Intelligence Officer) in CIO Arrival

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in CIO Arrival
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The Transport vessel Delphic dropped out of Warp of the Starboard bow of the USS Atlantis. Seated in a passenger seat looking at the approaching Mythology class ship was an unusually large human. Even when sitting down he was too wide and thick. Peter Sigmundsson had requested a larger seat and even with that it barely fit his bulky frame, he preferred the open seats Starfleet provided to Civilian seats with armrests, creature comforts didn’t matter when you were the size of a particularly well-fed Klingon. He looked at his new home, she was larger than his former home, The Viking had finally been decommissioned. The last great ghost ship still on active duty was no more, he wondered if there had been some internal political change that finally got the brass to give the Viking the farewell it should have had nearly a decade ago. He remembered touring the original Mythology class over a decade ago, this was the first time he’d get a look at a fully manned one, the goliath that it was.

45 decks and all of them had working lights and were filled, it would be quite something to get used to, gone were the days where he could commandeer an entire deck for his duties, no more improvising a secure communications array out of equipment left over from the Dominion War and waiting a month to get antiquated equipment for a ship running at barely half capacity, no more investigating disappearing crew every few weeks, and biggest of all, no taunting crazed AI hiding in the computer core waiting for a chance to traumatize anyone not prepared. He shook his head and stood up, grabbing the duffel bag in the overhead compartment and left the passenger compartment.

Moments later he was standing in the back of a full shuttle traveling to the Atlantis with replacement crew and their belongings. He’d been a part of the group that had asked to be shipped over and not transported, it would take some time for him to get used to the idea of functioning transporters that could be used outside of emergencies.

When the shuttle finally landed in Shuttle bay 1 and Peter put his bag on his shoulder and left the craft and entered his new home for the foreseeable future.

CIO

Captain Niles Primrose stood by the large window at the hatch watching the new crew and civilians disembark. The arrival of the Lt. Commander was unexpected and no one liked the unexpected. Admiral Perkins had been selective at times with his information which was understandable but frustrating. Perkins claimed it was to protect Niles in case the mission went south. Separate cells allowed for people to really have no knowledge of everything that went on during a mission. This was a benefit and a hindrance at times. This was one of those times. If the intelligence chief leaned more towards crew loyalty, he was just going to be added to the list of those cavorting around Kelly that needed to be taken down. If not, his knowledge and experience would be a boon to the mission that brought Primrose specifically here. The man wore casual clothes instead of his uniform so that the man would not be spooked by his rank. Who wouldn’t be spooked by Niles’s demeanor or his reputation?

Seeing Sigmundsson in the crowd, Niles moved among them. In his mind, Niles always fancied himself a spy. Weaving among the people, Niles felt like his actions would be completely unnoticed and easily forgotten. The issue was Niles, as bland as he was tended to be someone few forgot. He did not have the height or build of most officers. His five foot six inches and two hundred and fifty-pound physical reminded most of some chubby, round awkward teenager. Nothing about the man was remarkable except his personality which for most instantly was irritating. Primrose lived in his own fantasy believing that he inspired fear, awe, and loyalty among the masses. He believed he was the best in all professions however in practice, most people found him to be a blathering idiot that had ascended the ranks stealing the credit of others and buying with favors or underhanded dealings. “Mr. Sigmundsson,” Primrose’s voice boomed out through the crowd. In his mind, Niles fully expected for the Lt. Commander to stop, search the crowd, and snap to attention in awe of his very presence.

Niles Primrose.

Peter had been contented to ignore the small man waddling around the crowd, blatantly staring at him across the room, even if he’d gone as far as following him around. He’d been travelling for a long time and wasn’t in the best of moods. When he screeched across the hall he stopped, sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right hand closing his eyes. He then slowly turned his head towards the man and opened them staring directly at him, his expression wooden. He turned on his heel and in only a few strides of his long legs he arrived, stopping barely a meter in front of the man. He looked directly down, he had over a foot on the man and was definitely heavier, only his weight wasn’t lard “Can I help you son?” He asked putting no small amount of annoyance into his voice.

CIO

“Son,” the man squawked and straightened his shoulders clearly trying to create an imposing posture. This only served to make his potbelly more pronounced and make the man look off-balanced. It was a stark and almost comical pairing against the six-foot eight-inch, two hundred and sixty-pound frame worn by the stranger Niles was taking on. A puffing sound escaped the man’s lips as if he had been running too long and was out of breath. “I will give you the latitude of feigning you do not know me because of the civilian attire but do not mistake that I know you, you know, who I am?” Raising his head as he talked, by the end of his confusing pronoun speech, Niles’ face was now at an almost ninety degree angle to meet Peter’s gaze.

Peter raised an eyebrow at the mans convoluted way of speaking but didn’t give an affirmative on knowing who Primrose was, He’d of course been warned about the weasily mans antics on behalf of Admiral Perkins, it was an open secret that the Admiral for some reason despised the Atlantis and her crew and Peter had been working to discover why that was.

The random people milling about the hatchway that were seasoned crew moved off to the side. They were definitely positioning themselves to see the fall out of what was coming. It had been a long a week since the arrival of the aliens that had attacked the captain fracturing her skill. As if this wasn’t bad enough, Captain Primrose slithered in, locking most of the senior staff up in closed-door meetings, so he could take over command of a crew that wanted nothing to do with him. There was a rumor that the new chief of intelligence would be arriving today. If the man Primrose was speaking to was the new chief, he probably had a lot of information about the idiot.

“You can salute me though,” Primrose nodded and waited. While there was no rule or purpose in this, Niles liked how it felt knowing people had to acknowledge him in the archaic manner. It made him feel powerful and put the other person in a place where they often were unbalanced or nervous.

Niles Primrose

Peter sighed, grabbed his bag, and dropped it on the ground with a loud thump, whatever was in it was heavy and some of it was metallic. He then slowly crossed two treetrunk arms across a wide chest and leaned down “I am capable of that, you are perfectly correct Niles.”

The clunk on the group made Niles back up slightly and widen his eyes. What the hell is in that bag? A body. His mind could not help but wonder what was in there for the sound it produced. Making a mental note, Niles stored away the idea that if this Sigmundsson became troublesome he would just alert security for a full body search. The image of Peter’s face when he was told he was going to get a level five security check in made the corners of his face curl up in a smile. Of course, he would not use it unless the man played ball.

Primrose looked at the man and made a slight nodding as if he were granting the man to pay him homage with a salute. This would also indicate the man was part of Admiral Perkins’s group and inspire respect and awe among those now watching thier interaction at the hatchway. The crew had been surprisingly unhelpful since his arrival. He knew it had to be because of the current senior staff of the ship. Once they saw how easily one could be replaced and who was really in power, they would change thier tune.

It was often said by those that worked under Peter that the most frightening thing about him was not his massive size or domineering presence, it was when he forced a smile. He did so now, a predatory smile… Well, less a smile and more a display of teeth. “But I don’t think that’s necessary, we have so many mutual friends”

“Why yes…we do,” Niles looked at one of the security guards who had been particularly unhelpful standing by the hatchway. “It is so good to know that we have mutual friends.” Primrose virtually beamed at the acknowledgment and now confirmation this man was on his side. Up until this moment the man’s bulk had been slightly unsettling. Now he understood the crossing of his arms and intimidating smile was not for him but for the masses around them.

He leaned in closer and in a hushed voice whispered “Mistress Justinia on Orion Prime, or perhaps Starbase Freedom’s Proprietor Narg the Ferengi Master of pleasure” He put a large hand on the man’s shoulder and squeezed gently “I’m sad I missed your trip to visit Narg last august or all twelve meetings with Justinia for January, March, and April”

“What…what,” Niles turned blood red and instantly began stammering as he looked around. Coughing nervously he cast his eyes on Peter, squared his shoulders, and stood up straight. Anger coursed through the man as he tried to resist looking up at Peter so that thier eyes could meet. This would never happen again. From now on, Primrose would make sure all meetings with Sigmundsson would be in a seated position with the CIO’s seat two inches lower than normal. If this man wanted to play dirty, Niles could do so also. “You are mistaken. Mistress Justinia is one of our associates. The reason I was there was to work on the Treaty. Narg is also the Ferengi Minister or Policy,” he let out a half laugh. Inside Niles seethed. How this man knew of his clandestine activities on Orion astounded him. Looking at the man his eyes narrowed slightly as if daring Peter to deny the claim.

Peter leaned back and his smile faded. He’d noted the crew standing around to watch the confrontation so he’d been certain that he couldn’t be overheard whispering Primrose’s “I hope you’ll remember to send my regards to the missus” He leaned down and grabbed his bag again then stood up fully and looked down “Anything else?” He asked.

CIO

“How dare you,” Primrose sputtered finally realizing Peter was not going to cave in and start to beg for Primrose’s forgiveness. “Anything else? You will be dismissed when I deem it so.” While the man’s regard to the missus was clearly meant to impart how much knowledge Peter had on Niles, the only thing the short, chubby man could focus on was that Peter had not crumpled into a mewling mess given the authoritative stares, Primrose had tossed his way. “Do not make me force your transfer off this ship into the hell hole on Coranta III. You can play ball or I will end your career.” Primrose’s power was completely in his mind. He did not have the power to place him or remove him from the Atlantis. The man was requested by the CO and XO due to Sigmundsson’s brilliant skills as an intelligence agent and analyst. “You are free to apologize and return to at ease.”

The at ease comment caused a snicker to ripple among the people in the room. It was clear Sigmundsson never saw a reason to snap to attention upon meeting Primrose nor had he held anything but a relaxed posture during the interaction. It was just Primrose’s warped sense of reality and ego that needed to remember the event in a different way than how it occurred.

“I have a tenner on the big guy putting Primrose through a bulkhead and not breaking a sweat. The bag has to weigh like fifty pounds and at the right angle based on Niles height it would totally be an accident,” one of the onlookers said pulling out a credit chip and holding up to the guy next to him.

“Okay, I am only accepting this because I want to see it happen. I am not betting against this but we should get the story straight. Niles just walked into it,” the man said and then looked around at the people near him. “If it goes any other way we regroup, come up with a story backing the new guy before we go on record.” A few annoyed and muffled replies came back clearly indicating no one was stupid and of course, that was going to be the plan.

Niles Primrose

Niles stood there looking at those around him and felt a sense of power. His mind drifted to the possible conversations the groups were having. He didn’t need to hear the actual words to realize they felt a pity for the large man who had been taken down several inches by Primrose’s authority and presence. Unfortunately, it had to be done. This Sigmundsson needed to know his place and although Niles had just explained that publically it would be a lesson the would remember and hopefully give Peter something to reflect upon later tonight.

Peter sighed, normally a weasel like Primrose would have been cowed by the mixture of dirt he clearly had on the man and using his sheer size. That only worked when they had half a brain and were connected with reality. You had too much freedom for the past decade, got to get used to being more subtle… or less subtle He thought to himself.

Primrose missed nothing. His keen ability to read people saw that Peter’s sigh and deeply contemplative stare were simply a way for Sigmundsson trying to apologize. Relaxing his stance he waved a hand in a dismissive gesture and put on a paternal expression.

The crowds of people watching raised an eyebrow wondering if the new expression meant Captian Primrose has officially snapped or if whatever anti-hallucinogenic had started to finally kick in. The smile was almost creepy and felt like the slippery grin worn by the more feeble-minded or the serial killer people described as there was always something off about that man.

“It’s okay Peter,” Primrose’s voice had a melodic quality. “I probably shouldn’t have been that hard on you. It’s okay. I don’t hold grudges and you can skip the apology.” Nile’s expression did not need a trained officer in espionage to read him. Even the small child in the corner eating a lollipop saw the stubby little man believed what he was saying. Niles leaned his head in as if waiting for a babbling thank you that he claimed he didn’t need.

“Son, I just spent the last four years assigned to the USS Viking, yes the ghost ship. We barely had enough crew to stay afloat, I lost a lot of good friends, good officers. Some people just disappeared for years at a time and then reappeared. That can happen on a spaceship, people just disappear. Did you know that Starfleet Intelligence has a form specifically for when people just disappear with no trace, Form November Tango - 234” He let the unspoken threat hang for a moment.

Niles’ face flushed blood red until something caught his attention. At first, the thought the large, brawny, hulk of a man was threatening him. It was only after he really listened to what Peter said did the meaning come clear. The reference to son was not derogatory to him but in reference to thier glorious leader Admiral Perkins. Everyone looked up to Reginal Perkins as a father figure so son was just spy code to reference Perkins. The mention of a ghost spoke to Sigmundsson’s ability to seem to be there one minute and then the next minute gone. What really clued Niles into the fact Peter was on Team Reggie and not Team Kelly was the comments about people disappearing without a trace. His mind drifted wondering if it would be possible to have Peter find a hatch close to the Mess Hall where he could blow the blonde bimbo out into space as Niles dined on a muffin and coffee. Oh you are good Peter. You are so good. Having the accident at a time while I am in public will clear me of all charges. Of course I will try to help you but I do respect how you would be willing to take one for the team. You are a team player.

Nile’s excitement at jettisoning the capricious Kelly kept his face red but the stern reaction was harder to maintain. Working hard to remain in this little improv Niles nodded and crossed his arms. The image would make all those wonder about how angry Primrose really was and fear the wrath of holy hell Niles would soon release on Peter. Locking eyes with Peter he did give the man a subtle nod to let him know he understood this was just an act for the simpering masses. “Yes, I do know Form NT 243.” Niles was too important to do paperwork. That was for lackeys and protoges to complete and submit. Niles was far too important to be bothered with menial tasks like that. It was a bit over the top he thought but this was probably Peter’s first real foray into political subterfuge. “I also know Form KA-N008 and have signed those personally myself,” he puffed out his chest in an attempt to project authority.

“KA-N008,” one of the onlookers whispered to the man near him. “We don’t have a KA-N008?”

“Yeah, we do. Kiss Arse - Noob. We had to be a little discrete so we made the letter B into an eight. It’s a special internal HR form we use for Perkin’s group when we get a really asinine memo we want to share. Generally, it is something about screwing over another officer, giving undeserved promotions, imaginary conferences, or scheduling tee times for golf. As you can see IQ has dropped sharply in the Perkin’s camp because when they discovered it they actually thought it was a real form. Sometimes you just have to go with the win and not question it.”

The large man then leaned in again and spoke in a low growl “I just had a very long uncomfortable trip to get here and I am very far from being in the mood for this tet-a-tet you seem to want.” He paused and sighed dejectedly, he was just so tired, he decided to change strategy.

“I understand,” Peter said slowly as if he were imparting a deep truth. Don’t worry Peter. We will get through this. Just keep sighing for the masses. We will talk soon. You are playing the part of being happy with your new transfer perfect. Don’t worry. It will be over soon, he thought looking at the intelligence chief.

“You know what let me be frank, if you try to threaten me one more time, try to use your non-existent authority on me, or just generally keep annoying me” He looked the man directly in his eyes, Peters expression had turned more and more wooden, emotionless. His eyes seemed to simply go blank as if there was a void where emotions used to be “I will break you in front of the crew in such a way that you won’t be able to look at yourself in the mirror for the forseeable future”

CIO

My god you a good at playing this role. If I didn’t know better I would think you actually believed what you are saying. Don’t worry. I got this, Primrose thought. Clearing his throat he belted out loudly. “Commander Sigmundsson I command you to your quarters to think about this. Dismissed,” Primrose waved his hand, spun on his heel and about-faced out of the disembarkment area.

Niles Primrose

Almost upon his heels, a man dressed in operations appeared next to Peter. “Commander sir,” the man replied in a far more genuine and affable tone. “Crewman John Penner,” he extended his hand. “I am so sorry about that. That man is an idiot and denser than a slab of hull plating. It takes more energy to engage him than just let him rant like a lunatic. For the record, we had a tenner on you putting him through a bulkhead. I would say you could pay me back by buying me a drink but the crew pretty much will be buying you around for the next couple of weeks.” Penner gestured to the people looking at Peter and giving him brief nods of hello as he met their gaze.

“Captain Bordeaux and Commander Garinder’Jen had planned to meet you but are tied up in meetings. They asked me to meet you and show you to your quarters and give you the nickel tour on the way.” Penner hoped Niles hadn’t soured the new chief about his posting. From what little the crew saw, the man seemed to have the patience of a saint and the zero interest in Perkin’s cronies. That made him instantly accepted and trusted.

“So I can embarrass myself and try to pick that up,” looking at the bag Penner let out a half chuckle. “Option B is we can get a hovercart, or Option C is you can carry it.” There was nothing malicious or sarcastic in the man’s comment or tone. Only Niles was stupid enough to miss that the bag had to weigh at least one hundred pounds and that any man that could casually sling a bag like that over their shoulder could snap your neck like a chicken.

NE Penner, operations officer