All Aboard! (Part 5)

Posted on Wed Jul 31st, 2019 @ 10:19am by Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn & Lieutenant JG Pippa Patterson & Lieutenant Trei Jansum & Lieutenant JG Paris Deville
Edited on on Wed Jul 31st, 2019 @ 10:29am

1,305 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Caverns of the mind
Location: Research Facility

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

Shut up he told his stomach contents. He scrubbed and scoured until the mold was gone and all that was left were the stains that would never come out. He stood up, coughing, and headed out to find the others.

[NEW]

"Just did," Pippa said. "The water supply was damaged and most of the plants are dead. Some of the subroutines have been neglected. I've got them back online."

Paris crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a wall. He began to hum a tune softly to himself. Something to keep his head busy while everyone else did their thing. He looked around the room at everyone, as if taking it all in, working things out in his minds. He took in their observations and how they worked. What they labeled as priorities and what they ignored. Even the little hints in their face trying to pick up cues that would lead to other things. Even though he was a pilot, and on their side, he was still a con and thief in mind so his brain always looked for angles. Ways to lock onto others desires, fears, and hopes. He used to use this skill to exploit others, but now, it was to better understand those he was working with. Maybe even help them should the time ever present itself. Paris slowly uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, feeling the pocket watch he kept in one, which he gripped tightly as he switched the tempo of his humming to a different tune.

Amber paused as she passed Paris and smiled. "What have you observed?" she asked.

Paris smirked, immediately removing his hands from his pockets, and placed them behind his back. He took a step towards her before speaking softly. "That... when you smile, not one of those smile for the sake of smiling or smile to hide something, I mean REALLY smile you get these cute little dimples on your-" He stopped quickly, leaning back and clearing his throat, before continuing in a firm tone. "Oh... you mean... with the facility?" He nodded his head and looked around, before focusing back on Amber. "Are you sure you want to know?"

She chuckled softly. "We'll discuss dimples later." Her eyes met his for a moment and then she schooled her expression into a more professional demeanor. "Yes, I really want to know."

"Do you recall how we entered?" Paris said before waving his hands in front of him slowly with a smirk. "With the greatest of ease. No lock. No codes to punch in. No computer to confirm we were Starfleet or Federation. The doors just..." He repeated the gesture, taking a step closer, before stopping in front of her. "...opened. As if welcoming us inside." He raised his brow slightly before giving her a smirk and look. "That's not all these old eyes observed."

He gestured toward the door they came in, still focused on Amber. "Tracks leading out, not in. Aside from ours at least." Paris stated before adding. "Before we came, the freshest tracks leading away from the facility were made by Starfleet Standard footwear. The souls are all the same. Not hard to miss." He gestured toward the other door. "I am willing to bet there aren't any at the other door, meaning they all left here and went towards the same direction." He looked around, holding his hands out slightly, before looking back to Amber. "And with everything the others have said, its easy to conclude, they left of their own free will without any care for protection or to lock away their secrets. Neighborhood like this, no matter what the reason, you lock the door after you leave. I don't care what kind of primitive camouflage you use. Its standard protocol for facilities like this."

Paris stopped and raised a brow, a smile forming on his face, before his hands slowly eased behind his back. He inched closer to Amber, never losing his eye contact, until finally stopping close enough to speak in a tone that would be unheard by anyone who wasn't a Ferengi. "But tell me, Commander. Despite all these theories, and observations by your well trained team, what did your logs tell you? Anything new that these people didn't already deduce without needing to read them? Anything you can confirm or deny in regards to our theories?"

"Yes," she said, equally softly. "They talked of finding a primitive tribe of cave dwellers. They went back several times to observe without interfering. Over several weeks, their logs became less detailed, more simplistic. Until they dwindled to a few words, then nothing. I also observed that they were negligent in taking care of this place. They stopped performing routine maintenance, they let the water filtration system in the hydroponics lab get clogged, and as you said, they simply walked away. I'm a telepath, Paris. I feel things as well as observe them. This place was abandoned by its inhabitants before they physically left. The question is, why."

Paris looked into her eyes, smirking slightly, before replying. "I was led to believed, the why, is what we are here to determine." He gave her a playful wink before stepping away grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, but we know more than we did before," she replied. "And we know where to go next. Or one of the wheres."

"Then it sounds to me, Commander." Paris replied softly, smiling, before adding. "The next step is to follow the trail to the next clue." He raised a brow before concluding. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I do indeed," she said.

"Well then." Paris replied, holding onto his smile, as he took a step back and returned his hands behind his back. "On your order, Commander."

"When the others are done looking around." She smiled. "You asked them to use their senses. I should give them the opportunity to do so. Besides, Mr. Jansum has some cleaning up to do."

"Hey... I understand." Paris replied quickly. "Far be it from me to stop them from doing something I suggested... However." He said softly, raising fist while extending his index finger, before stepping forward towards Amber. "There is only so much we can get, and in my opinion, they already did a phenomenal job using their sense and discovering several things that led us to our current conclusion. With the information you, and they, have come up with we should proceed to the next logical location in this mystery. Our mission is, of course, to discover the why and there is only so much information we can gather by the scene here and the logs you have gathered. People could very well be in danger and we have no idea of knowing whether time is working for us or against us?" Paris looked into her eyes before adding. "Of course, should the XO see things differently, I will respect your decision and push no further. My concern is, not only for the Scientists, but us as well. Whatever is responsible for this could very well begin to work against us and we may not even know it."

"Good point." She raised her voice. "Jansum, are you finished?"

Jansum came around the corner just then. "Yes, ma'am. My bathroom will never be dirty again."

She raised an eyebrow. "I would hope not." Amber tapped her combadge. "Quinn to away team, report back here. We're going to check another site."

____
OFF

Lieutenant Trei Jansum
Chief Security Officer

Lieutenant JG Pippa Pettigrew
Assistant Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant JG Paris Deville
Chief Flight Control Officer

Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn
Executive Officer

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