No Disguising The Truth
Posted on Thu May 21st, 2015 @ 10:48pm by Commander Dae Nalas & Lieutenant Commander Solis & Lieutenant Commander Nicolao & Lieutenant Commander Robin Swift M.D., PhD & Lieutenant Commander Earl Crane & Lieutenant Bajun Julisa & Petty Officer 1st Class Drusilla Dupree
Mission:
Breaking New Ground
Location: Piper Medical Center - Counselor's Office
* * * USS Inaba * * *
“Alright folks, this is it,” Solis called out. “I’ve received docking clearance, so the radio’s back up. We’ll be in transporter range in two minutes. I’m going to send you two along, then transport in as soon as the clamps engage.”
“Got it.” Dae replied as he checked his bag one last time. The chips Julisa had made were hidden in the lining. “Julisa?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.” Part of her hoped Earl would be in Sickbay; another part hoped he wasn’t. She knew he was trustworthy, but… She wasn’t sure she liked the old man.
From up front, they heard Solis speaking. “USS Inaba to Piper Medical transport. This is Dr. Solis. I have two to beam directly to level three. I will be joining them as soon as I am docked.”
=^= Acknowledged, Dr. Solis and welcome back. Transport when ready. =^=
Solis turned around to look back at them, his expression worried. “It’s time.”
Julisa nodded and waggled her fingers at him in a small wave. “We’ll see you in a few minutes.” She caught his worry and attributed it to what they were doing: returning to a Base where they weren’t sure who could be trusted.
“I’ll keep her in one piece, promise.” Dae smiled at him, then both stood ready to go.
“Energizing,” Solis informed them, then pressed the controls.
* * * Piper Medical Center * * *
Solis materialized in the medical transport room exactly three minutes behind Dae and Julisa. “Anyone been in here since you arrived?” He looked first to Julisa.
“Earl,” Julisa answered. “He’s being weird again. He hugged me. Hard. And said he was thrilled to see me. Then Dae told him to have Nico summoned to Sickbay.” She shook her head, mystified by Earl’s behavior.
Dae cleared his throat lightly. “Ahh, yes, about that, Solis. Earl informed us that Nico is in the psych wing and has been for a few days now.”
Solis frowned. “Well that’s an interesting development. I wonder why? If he’s in isolation, this might not be easy. Did Earl mention anything about that?”
“Just to give him a minute then he’ll come get us.” She looked out the door. “I hear footsteps coming this way.”
Solis took her uninjured hand and squeezed it gently. “So Earl’s decided he likes you again huh? Interesting.” He smiled and looked to Dae. “Long story.”
You can tell me when this is over…
Solis gave a barely perceptible nod as the doors opened.
It was none other than Earl. He entered the room like he usually did: grandly. He clapped Solis on the shoulder and grabbed Julisa in a one-armed hug. “I am so glad you guys are safe. C’mon, I’ll take you to Nico.”
Julisa pushed away from him, giving him a sidelong look. “Great, let’s go.”
Solis looked at Earl, then Julisa and just shook his head. “After you, Jules.”
As Earl led them out, Dae spoke. “Has he had any visitors Earl?”
“Oh, yeah, he’s been popular tonight. The Admirals have been here, Swift was. Dupree won’t leave.” He strolled down the hall, hands in his pockets, leading them to the psych ward and Nico.
“The Admirals, Earl?” Julisa looked at Dae, worried.
“And how did those visits go, Doc?” Dae looked concerned as well. “We have a little problem you see...one where we don’t exactly know who to trust right now.”
“They seemed to go fine. Rather silent, to be honest. But that’s what telepaths do.” He shrugged. “As for who to trust… I’m one. I sort of overheard their conversation.”
“Their silent conversation?” The attorney frowned at him; he grinned and winked back. “Ugh, you tapped in. So what was the conversation?”
They were passing an empty exam room, so Earl ducked into it, waving for them to follow him. He related the conversation he’d overheard.
Dae leaned against the wall and muttered. “Next question, has anyone come here looking for Solis?”
“No, should someone have come looking for him?”
“I hope like hell no,” Solis responded. “Since that’s a no, Jules, we may still be under the radar. She needs to get to Nico, Earl. It’s an emergency and both us and him could be in real danger soon if we don’t see him.”
“Okay, then moving right along,” he went back out into the corridor and a short walk later, he stopped. “Here he is. Nico? You okay for visitors?”
Nico rose from the far corner of the room and approached the window. He nodded since they wouldn’t hear him through the thick window. He then looked to Julisa.
”Lieutenant, what can I do for you?”
“Do you trust the Admirals?”
At her question his expression shifted. He looked back to Dru with a frown, then turned back to Jules. “Yes. They came to see me after Robin made them aware of….certain things. They are not the cause of this but I know who is.” Nico looked from Julisa to the men. ”Do you trust them?”
“These two? Implicitly. And I know who is behind this as well. We have proof that an admiral condoned the torture of a Federation citizen and a Starfleet operative,” she answered. ”Azoulay.”
Nico closed his eyes and nodded. “It was her...and me. What proof? How is this possible --” He stopped there, the implication of her words making him dizzy. “Tell me!” This last was spoken aloud, getting Drusilla’s close attention.
Julisa glanced back at Dae. “We can show you.”
”If you know then perhaps it’s time I got out of here. We can do this in Robin’s office.” Nico didn’t add that he was suddenly afraid of what this proof might be and wanted Robin there just in case.
“Earl?” Julisa asked without words whether Nico could go to Robin’s office.
“Yes,” he opened up the cell. “It’s off to Robin’s we go.”
* * * Counselor Swift’s Office * * *
It was a short walk through Piper to the counselor’s office. When they arrived, Dru opened the outer office door, since it was after hours.
“Lock it,” Dae ordered.
Solis sat down in one of the chairs with a groan.
Passing him, Julisa touched his shoulder. “Dae, you have the chips?”
“I do.”
Dae lifted his bag to Dru’s desk and slipped his hand behind the lining. He pulled out the chips and opened his hand. Immediately, Nico sucked in a breath.
“Let’s wait for Robin. I don’t think I can…..let’s wait.”
She’d taken one of the chips from Dae and was ready to insert into the computer. “All right, then we’ll wait.” He needs to hurry, she thought at Solis.
Solis nodded, but a look of concern crossed his face. I can understand though. Remembering it is one thing, seeing it is another and his shell’s still remarkably fragile.
“Yes, it is,” Nico responded. “Sorry Julisa.”
“It’s okay, Nico. I’m just not used to being cloak’n’dagger about things. More like hammer’n’nail in my world.”
Solis laughed aloud at her comment and raised his hand. “I can vouch for that...umm...yeah...okay...moving right along.” He looked to Earl and pointed. “Hush you.”
Earl shook his head, managing to look for all the world like he didn’t have a clue why he’d have to hush.
“It’s okay.” Nico moved back to the desk, sitting down in Dru’s seat and settling her in his lap. Moments later, the doors opened to admit Robin.
“Well, well,” he said, looking around his office, “the gang’s all here.” He looked to Nico and Dru. “You two holding up?”
“For the moment,” Nico answered. His arms tightened around Dru and he took a deep breath. “They have evidence, Robin.”
“Visual record,” Dae added. “Of Admiral Azoulay and….Nico. We’ve seen it but I’ll warn you it’s not easy to watch.”
Robin sat at his terminal and waited for the information to be queued. “If it’s anything like Nico managed to show us earlier, then I guess it wouldn’t be.” He turned the terminal around for Dae to access. “It’s your show.”
Dae started the video footage, mainly for Earl, Robin, Nico and Dru, since the rest had seen it. As they watched, the scene in the Cardassian’s office appeared on the screen and Nico tensed. Moments after it began, he turned away, unable to watch.
Robin continued to watch, squirming uncomfortably and trying desperately not to clamp his eyes shut. He had to watch it, though--he forced himself to. And the horrible part was that this footage only scratched the surface of all that Nico had gone through.
“Finally,” he said once the video had played itself out. His was the only voice heard as the room remained silent.
“I’ll be right back.” Nico Lifted Dru from his lap and hurried from the office. He had to get away, put some space between him and the images, if only for a moment, before he lost control altogether.
Solis watched him go, his expression sad. Finally, he turned back to the group. “So there’s the proof, and Nico has confirmed it.” He reached for Julisa’s hand and squeezed it. “Take it to Ray.”
Sitting quietly in the chair, Dru’s eyes were filled with tears. She tried to keep quiet, but could barely contain her emotions. She’d seen some of the images that Nico had shared with her, but this was horrifying. Finally, she stood to go after Nico, but Robin stopped her, taking her hand.
“We all may need to give him a minute, love,” Robin said, standing and hugging her gently.
“Julisa?” Dae spoke now. “Time to end this travesty of an investigation. For all of us.”
This wasn't the first, second or even fourth time Julisa had seen this, so she was slightly more inured to its contents. Even so, she had watched Nico rather than the video. "What if Ray can't be trusted?" She looked at each person in the room in turn. "We know this Admiral is corrupt. What about others? I find it difficult to believe she'd be able to act alone. Admirals Wegener and Hawke don't need to view this, but they need to know it exists."
Dae considered her words. “My concern is that if it goes to them first, she will claim it’s faked. Can you read Ray well enough to see if he’s clean?”
"If I touch him and he's not blocking me," Julisa answered. "If he's blocking me, though, I might not know that. Shall we go find him, surprise him with this?"
“Ray is human, I don’t think he can block anyone,” Solis informed them.
Dae nodded. “Besides, if he refuses to let you to I read him, we’ll have an answer.”
"'Kay, let's go," she said, already heading for the door. "Counselor Swift, you can keep that chip. We made copies."
“Right behind you.” Dae stopped and looked back at Solis. “I’ll keep her safe.”
Solis simply nodded. “You better.”
***************************
Lt. Commander Earl Crane, M.D.
Lt. Commander Dae Nalas
Lt. Commander Robin Swift, M.D. Ph.D.
Lt. Bajun Julisa
Lt. Solis
PO2 Drusilla Dupree
Nicolao
