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Shipwide Side Sim: FCIS Interview - Harris

Posted Nov. 14, 2018, 11:10 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) (Joana Ribeiro)

Posted by Colonel Calvin Harris (Commanding Officer) in Shipwide Side Sim: FCIS Interview - Harris

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in Shipwide Side Sim: FCIS Interview - Harris

Posted by Colonel Calvin Harris (Commanding Officer) in Shipwide Side Sim: FCIS Interview - Harris
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Deck 9 was a very versatile space. The movable bulkhead setup, allowed the space to be turned into almost any possible configuration one might need, and so, in Agent Ashley Newton’s mind, it was the perfect space to hold the interview with the two members of the crew under investigation.

The room was uncharacteristically small. It held only a table with four chairs, and nothing more. Newton had deemed that to be the strictly necessary. Gesturing for Cal to sit down in a chair across from where she stood, Newton asked “Will you allow me to sit without shooting me first?” There was no sarcasm in her voice, but it was clear that it was a reference to what had happened earlier in the CO’s office.

Harris smirked slightly. “Damn… that mean I can’t kick the chair out from under you either?” Following a soft snort, Cal nodded to the chair. “Sit down, Ms. Newton. I know you wanna get this over with nearly as much as I do.”

Sitting down, Newton placed what looked to be a recording device on the table. “If you don’t mind, Colonel, these interviews will be recorded so we can analyze them later and the FCIS can keep them for their records. Let me know when you’re ready to start.”

“Fire away” The Dresden’s CO nodded in agreement to the recorder.

Tapping the screen of her PaDD, Newton proceeded with the interview. Looking at Cal in the eye, she said in a professional tone, almost as if she had conducted a few of these before.

“For the record, please state your name, rank, and serial number.”

“Calvin Alexander Harris, Colonel, Starfleet Marine Corps. SEC number 8702857-1836.” He answered coolly and smoothly.

“Let me start by asking you a few questions about what happened. You and a team of your crew members traveled by shuttle to the planet Beta Prime, a planet that holds an old human colony with whom first contact had been made just recently. How did you come to know about this planet, and what prompted you to go down to the surface?”

FCIS Agent Ashley Newton

“OK…” Harris began. “… if your gonna ask stupid questions, this is gonna take forever Ms. Newton.” Running a hand through his hair, he continued. “The Dresden was the closest vessel with Diplomatic configurable space on-board when the request came through from Beta Prime’s planetary leadership. We dispatched straight away and formed a standard Diplomatic party to go down to the surface and being the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the people there… known as the Regians”

Harris, CO

Newton nodded briefly and took a note in her PaDD. “There are no stupid questions, Colonel. The more information we can get on record, the better. Now, if you’ll allow me to continue without you questioning the validity of my questions…”

“Oh lighten up Buttercup” Cal said softly under his breath in an annoyed tone.

“Beta Prime is not only home to the Regians, but it is also the place of an important base belonging to Starfleet Intelligence, something you should not have known about in the first place, and should never have stumbled upon were you actually fulfilling the goal of a diplomatic mission. However, your own Executive Officer’s logs record that you included your Chief Intelligence Officer, Captain Molly Wright, in the away team you took down. Why did you feel this was necessary? Especially when she was taken under the guise of…” Newton tapped her PaDD’s screen several times “… a Tactical officer. I assume, as Commanding Officer of a Starfleet vessel, you are familiar with the standard operations of a diplomatic mission, and that, taking an undercover Intel Officer, is not part of the protocol. Did you, or did you not know in advance, of the Intelligence base on the surface, and were you, or any members of your team…” She looked Cal in the eye “… including Miss Wright, intent on visiting said base?”

FCIS Agent Ashley Newton

Harris glared across the table at Newton. “No…” He said with force. “… no I did not.” His gaze was ice cold and fierce. “I knew nothing about that base till the Jem’Hadar took us there. The question /I/ should ask is why the hell Fleet Intel didn’t find it worth their time to warn me… someone who maintains a Security Clearance that’d make your head spin… that there was an Intel Base there to begin with. No one on my team, including Ms. Wright, knew of the Base’s existence. The only reason she went was to provide ME backup because SHE had a bad feeling about the mission. Good damn thing she came too… huh Agent Newton?”

Harris, CO

Ignoring Harris’s question, Newton took what looked like a few notes on her PaDD. Turning to Harris once more she continued. “Fleet Intel doesn’t have to get out of their way to make sure you are informed, Colonel. Especially when you have an Intelligence Officer on your staff. If you were not informed of that fact, I suggest you speak to Miss Wright about her job performance.”

Harris couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the young woman’s response. “One, Agent Newton… I was on Intel Missions as SAC (OOC: Senior Agent In Charge) when you were still in High School. So please don’t speak to me like I’m some dumb Jarhead, young lady, I have the experience and background to not only do your job but also your boss’. They don’t just hand out Masters degrees in StraOps to rejects and losers. So, when I need your opinion on the management of my staff… I’ll let you know!” There was no punch to his tone, just a cold… flat annoyance.

Newton tapped away on her PaDD once again before continuing. “According to your pre-mission logs, Captain Wright requested for her personally to be on the mission. You yourself state that, and I quote, ‘Normally I would not think it necessary to have Captain Wright’s skillset and expertise on such a mission but I have found when Intel insists on going somewhere, its best not to question cause they usually have a damn good reason’. Here you use the word ‘insist’, which suggests you didn’t want Miss Wright to be a part of the team in the first place and she forced your hand. Your wording also suggests that you didn’t question her on her request. Do you think it is possible she might have had information about the base, or even her own personal mission, that she might not have disclosed to you?”

“OK…” The Marine glared at Newton. “… if I can’t trust my CIO, just who the hell can I trust?! If Captain Wright knew something solid, she would have told me. Hell… I was the one that taught Molly to trust her instincts in the first damn place! What can of a mentor would I be if she did what I told her to and I second guessed her every move. If Molly Wright thinks it’s a good idea to be on a mission, I side with her… because I trust her!” Harris was speaking louder than usual but more of a force issue than volume.

There was a small smirk in the corner of Newton’s lip when she looked back at Harris. “Colonel Harris. I didn’t ask you about how trustworthy you think Ms. Wright is. I trust that if you didn’t think she was worthy of trust, you wouldn’t have her in your crew. I asked a simply yes or no question. Is there any possibility that Ms. Wright might have omitted information from you about her knowledge of the planet or her reason of requesting involvement in the mission? Yes or no, Colonel. Nothing more.”

“No.”

Newton nodded and took a few more notes.

“How would you describe your relationship with Captain Wright?”

FCIS Agent Ashley Newton

Cold blue eyes swept to Newtons. “Ms. Newton, the fact that myself and Captain Wright are romantically involved has not a damn thing to do with this, unless of course, you’re suggesting we regress 300 years in how we deal with the personal interactions of ship’s companies. Molly and I have, first and foremost, been close friends for a very long time and only recently began seeing each other. As for her position in the ship’s company, under Starfleet Regulations, the Chief Intelligence Officer AND I QUOTE ‘serves outside the Chain of Command as a personal adviser to the Commanding Officer in all matters related to both Intelligence and Strategic Operations as they pertain to the operations and actions of said vessel’.”

Harris, CO

“So, you are romantically involved.” Newton scribbled something on her PaDD. “I never said there was anything wrong with it, Colonel. I am well aware of regulation. I simply asked you to describe your relationship with Ms. Wright. It’s a very frequent question in these interviews. Something you should know. However, the fact that you were so adamantly defensive of your position suggests that you feel you are doing something wrong.” Looking back to her PaDD, Newton scribbled a few more notes.

“Defensive…” Harris growled under his breath. “… not exactly. More like annoyed at a wet behind the ears kid trying to make a name for herself by frackin’ around with my career and that of my partners.”

Newton carried on as if she hadn’t hear Harris’s comment.

“Since you have mentioned your romantic involvement with Captain Wright, I think it is the appropriate time for me to ask you a few questions about your past relationships, if you don’t mind.” It was clear that it didn’t matter whether Harris minded or not. It had been a mere politeness wording. Newton would ask the questions either way, and she was expecting the Marine to reply.

With yet another roll of his eyes, Harris responded flatly with a “Oh… but of course Agent. Do continue”

“Please correct me it I am wrong. Your first serious involvement was with former FNN journalist Vanessa Owens, yes? Commitment from which you have a daughter, Miss Alexis Dawn Harris, and which you and and Ms. Owens ended prior to her passing. You were then involved with Miss Belle Harper, Chief Security Officer on board of the USS Montgomery until she also tragically passed away.”

“Yes…” Calvin’s shoulders slumped at the mention of the women that had once held his heart. “… Ness & I went to High School together. Belle & I were co-workers.”

“I am no Counselor, but it seems to me that you have had some bad luck with the circumstances of the women you have gotten involved with. Lack of closure would be, I think, what many trained psychologists would call your current situation.” She paused. “From your own words, you are currently seeing Captain Wright, whom you worked under on board the Montgomery, and the USS Turing. She is currently the Chief Intelligence Officer on board the USS Dresden. Would you say that the circumstances of your past relationships made you prone to be manipulated into a relationship and/or manipulated by your partner in any way? Or at least overlook and accept requests on their part in order to satisfy them, to subside your fear of them walking away?”

Agent Newton, FCIS

“No.” Harris snapped sharply. “Ms. Newton, I do not feel that either of my prior serious relationships had anything to do with manipulation. Ness and I were high school sweethearts. Had Ali while she was in school, I joined the Corps as an Officer following the Academy to provide for my family. Belle & I, like Molly, we just… happened. Neither were in my chain and neither has ever done anything I would call manipulation. Get to your point.”

Harris, CO

Newton smiled. Almost as if she knew something the Marine didn’t. “I will get to my point in a minute, Colonel. But first I need to ask you a few more questions.”

“Of course you do.” Harris said with a slight sigh. “Please, Ms. Newton… do continue.”

“I also have the record of a short engagement on your part with Miss Erin Hazen, Ms. Wright’s sister. Would you say with complete certainty that you were not manipulated by her into engaging with her? Or did you knowingly engaged in a relationship with a civilian your daughter’s age?”

“Wow…” Harris loosely threw up his hands. “… boy if Intel hasn’t been thorough in their work! Listen, what Erin and I… two consenting and of age adults… did in our private time is honestly none of your goddamn business. If you want to go back ad bring up every extended ‘fling’ I’ve had in the last 15 years… you’re gonna be more busy chasing skirts than I was. And no…” Harris laughed. “… a 20 year-old co-ed did not manipulate me.” He then raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Aside from showing an old man could still keep up and was more flexible than he remembered. But…” He nodded. “… I’m sure that’s more information than you cared to know.”

Newton carried on with her note taking. She didn’t bother engaging with Harris’s last words. Frankly, she was used to being given more information than she needed. This was nothing compared to certain things she had heard in the past. “I’m glad you are so sure that you were not exploited in any way, Colonel. It makes things much easier for me.” There was a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“Were you aware of Miss Hazen’s age at the beginning of your involvement? And were you aware of her family relationship with Miss Wright?”

FCIS Agent Ashley Newton

“Actually, no… I wasn’t.” Cal shrugged. “But to tell the truth, Erin didn’t care nor ask questions and neither did I. As for her being Molly’s Baby Sister, as soon as I found out… I broke it off.”

Harris, CO

“Thank you, Colonel.” This time, the young agent’s words seemed genuine. “From your answers to my questions so far, I have the feeling that you are missing an important portion of information about Ms. Wright and the circumstances that surround her. Either that, or you are more naïve than I anticipated.”

“How well would you say you know Captain Wright?” Newton continued. “I presume you are aware that Wright was not the surname Ms. Wright was originally given when she was born?”

“Do you happen to know what was Captain Wright’s name at the time of her birth?

FCIS Agent Ashley Newton


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