More Good News

Posted on Tue Nov 18th, 2014 @ 2:20am by Marine Captain Quentin Harrison
Edited on Tue Nov 18th, 2014 @ 2:23am

The alien body was in cryo-stasis once again, and now Quentin was in a surface labroatory carefully examining the cummunicator. Definitely Starfleet issue, about 2354, give or take. Signature matches Ambassador-class ships....what a mystery, sure! Quentin leaned back from the computer screen. What the hell is this thing, and why the hell was Jack's last name spelled over and over in a radio signal?

Dave Lorenz came into the lab carrying a mug of coffee. "Still at it, huh?"

"Aye, and the more I uncover, the muddier the loch becomes and it's infuriating!" Quentin reached for the steaming mug of hot coffee. "Blacker than the devil's heart, it is!" Quentin smiled as he slurped, then he was serious again. "Why in the hell is Jackson..."

"We don't know if it was our Jackson or a different on, Q-Ball. All the message spelled was his last name. We don't know anything else." Dave took a sip of his own coffee, his eyes thoughtful.

"You have to admit, it's a bit odd. We ne'er had even been close to thinkin about the Delta Quadrant until Voyager was lost and came back." Quentin sighed. "Now, we have this body with a communicator dating back eight decades before Voyager and it mention's Jack's last name. I knew the guy was dark but nothin' like this."

Dave just nodded. "During my time in the Corps, I often pulled an Intel puke outta some hotspot or guided him to the embassy. A lot of shit they did was spooky, but this is just downright messed up. If we were both still in the Fleet I am sure Temporal Affairs would be here. But this is our iron in the fire and we need to work with 900's people. Something tells me this is just the tip of an iceberg we weren't supposed to find."

Quentin set his coffee cup down and turned on the holo-projector. "I am just a dumbass security goon, but one thing I was trained to look for was patterns, and i do believe i found one. Have a look" Quentin pointed to a series of ligature marks on the cadaver's neck, torso, and legs. "Our friend was not here willingly. You don't get these kind of marks unless you are restrained or strapped down."

"Nice catch," Dave nodded. "What else, Colombo?"

Quentin studied the autopsy holo, then frowned. "Up by the head, there's a sliver of metal. Computer, analyze metallic anomaly in the neck region of the cadaver."

the Long-Term Medical Hologram snapped on. "Perhaps I can help you gentlemen. The metallic anomaly in the cadaver's neck is a fragment of a duranium-based alloy. The fragment is not indigenous to any known local in the Delta Quadrant."

"Can you simulate extraction?" Davis asked.

"Of course," The LTMH sounded insulted. "simulating metal fragment extraction." The display showed the fragment being easily removed from the cadaver's holo-neck. "Enlarging an analyzing. analysis complete, the fragment is from a Type-III shuttle craft from an Ambassador-class starship. Specifically USS Guadalcanal."

"Any DNA or impressions?" David asked, his curiosity no piqued. This is looking bad he thought grimly.

"There is some RNA-protein remnants but it is degraded beyond my capability to analyze it. However, the proteins are human in origin." The LTMH replied.

"Save the information in the medical file." Dave ordered. "Quentin, let's get a team ready in case we have to take Banning into custody."

"Good luck with that one, laddie. That man is meaner than a targ in rut!" Quentin snorted.

"I don't care! Banning has been implicated in the death of a species we know nothing of. I am sure that whoever comes with Jim will be wearing a Fleet uniform and have questions up the wazoo and regulations galore. I am sure that they will want Banning held, and if he's as mean as you say we may need that team." Dave's eyes were serious.

Quentin just shrugged. "Okay...oh by the way, it's just you and me here, dumbass!"

Dave grinned. "Yup. Oughta keep things interesting!"

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Quentin & Dave

Dumb & Dumber Too