The Case of the Disappearing Diplomat
Posted on Thu Sep 22nd, 2011 @ 6:52pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Commander Patrick Leroy & Admiral Ricky Wegener
Mission:
In Our Time of Need
Location: Kh'ali's Quarters
Timeline: Following 'A Night At The Nexus'
Yawning, Oralia Zeferino pulled two pins out of her hair and quickly rubbed her scalp with her fingers, shaking her hair loose in the process. She yawned again and blinked as she watched Gilroy walk towards her. She glanced behind her, making certain none of the Speaker's guards were behind her; she'd just left the Speaker inside his quarters and wasn't worried about him. "Hey," she greeted Gilroy casually and he fell into step with her.
"That went well, Commander," he smiled at her.
"It did. All was quiet, just the way I hoped it would be," she returned with a broad smile. "Hang on, Gilroy," she held him up for a moment then, much to his consternation, tapped his commbadge: "Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali, this is Oralia Zeferino. Just checking in to see if you made it home." Looking her over, Gilroy saw why she'd used his: hers wasn't visible anywhere on the curve-skimming sheath she wore.
Instead of Kh'ali answering her, however, the computer's monotone dulcet intoned: "Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali is unavailable."
Oz and Gilroy traded frowns. "Computer, where is LCDR Kh'ali?"
"Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali is not aboard Starbase 900," came the emotionless answer.
Confused and shocked, the security chief froze for a moment, trying to sort out that response. The computer wasn't known for her humor, but... how could Kh'ali not be on the Starbase? Tapping Gilroy's badge again, she ordered, "Lieutenant Darwin, get your team and get over to LCDR Kh'ali's quarters, immediately. I'll meet you there, Zeferino out." Without another word, only a quick nod to each other, she and Gilroy headed to the same location, getting there a moment after Darwin and his team did.
The doors of Kh'ali's quarters had already been forced open by security and a voice came from the bedroom: "Clear!" Two officers were inside, phasers drawn and confounded looks on their faces. Oz and Gilroy went in to the living room with Darwin, each of them warily glancing about.
Darwin spoke first: "Commbadge here, with a scrap of fabric attached. What color was Kh'ali wearing?"
Oralia tried to call up the color but was distracted by what was on the coffee table: a single white lily. Who was Kh'ali's stalker? And how could he have spirited her off the 'base so quickly? Stunned, Oralia scanned the apartment for anything else out of place. There'd been a struggle, she could see that: a lamp had been knocked to the floor; the commbadge with ripped fabric. Sighing, she gave orders to her staff to start a scan of all ships within the vicinity of the 'base. "Gilroy, contact the Marine CO and have him send his fighters out to track any ships that left in the last fifteen-twenty minutes."
"Aye, Commander," Gilroy nodded and headed away to make that contact.
The Security Chief then made a call she really didn't want to make: "Computer, connect me to Admiral Wegener." She waited while the Admiral was, most likely, rousted from bed.
"I trust this is fairly important to be calling me this late, Commander?" Rick replied.
"Apologies for interrupting your sleep, Admiral," she started, "But LCDR Kh'ali has disappeared. According to the computer, she's nowhere on the 'base."
"People don't just disappear, Oz. Something happens to them." He put the book down he'd been reading. Of course, he didn't tell her he'd been awake for several hours. "Lock down the base. Full security sweep, floor by floor if needed. Have our fighters follow up on any recently departed ships as well. And Oz, keep me updated."
"Will do, Sir," Oz acknowledged the orders and closed the commlink.
Kh'ali stood in stunned silence as she watched Oz and the security team flood into her quarters. Her thoughts whirled furiously, trying to process what she was seeing and hearing. Nowhere on the station? Just where the hell was she? No, that was wrong. She was standing right here. Thoughts turned to immediate action and she rushed forward.
"Oz! Oz, I'm right here! This is all some big mistake. This male here," she indicated Thumb who was close at hand, "zapped me but I never left my quarters!" Much to Kh'ali's dread, no one seemed to take any notice.
Thumb's laugh sounded cruel in her ears: "Try as you may. They can't hear nor see you. They'll never find you. Maybe you'll be quieter and behave now?"
Kh'ali's look could have withered a forest. Without a sound, the turned back, moving across the room. There had to be some way to let them know she was here. The lily! She made a grab for it, intending to move it, but her hand passed right through both the flower and the table beneath it. That stopped her only a moment. With a growl, she turned and rushed at Thumb, fists flailing as she raged in Klingon.
One of her furious blows glanced his jaw but he did not flinch. Thumb's combat reflexes had already set in and the rest of Kh'ali's attacks were swiflty parried or dodged. In the end he managed to get a firm hold on her again, dizziness from her first phasing helping him quite a bit.
"It seems you're not going to understand." He hissed in her ear "I've killed more people than the bruises and scars you can flaunter from your so-called klingon upbringing... Don't push me too far."
He made a swift move and Kh'ali felt something prodding her back like a metal stick or else... Then searing pain blinded her and she screamed.
"They can't hear you." He said with a hint of satisfaction. "The Neuro-stimulator: one of my favourites."
The stick prodded again. Longer this time and she screamed, longer.
Back from making a commcall to the Marine CO, Gilroy glanced at Oralia as she finished her conversation with the Admiral. Turning away from her, he wrinkled his nose as a disgusting odor hit him. He wandered into Kh'ali's bedroom and sniffed the air there, then went back to the living area and sniffed for the odor again. Again, his nose crinkled in disgust.
Gilroy's behavior was noticeable and had brought Darwin's attention to the part-Klingon. "What are you doing, 'roy? Pretending to be a service animal?"
Gilroy shot him a glare then, waiting half a beat to make sure he had Oz's attention as well, explained, "There's a foul odor in here. Male, I think, but I haven't a clue who or what species."
"I didn't realize Klingons had such a great sense of smell...," Oz said, an expression of doubt on her face. Of Darwin, she asked, "Any trace of transporter signatures or weapons' fire?" She knew the alarms would have sounded if a phaser had been fired, but there were other weapons that wouldn't trigger those same alarms. A projectile weapon, for one; though, that would have left a body and a projectile. She rubbed her forehead with just the tips of her fingers.
"No, Commander, no transporter trace. There's a high level of chroniton particles in here."
Dropping her hand away from her face and fully regarded Darwin for a moment. There was something about chroniton particles... but what? She couldn't recall. "Have Science go over the room with a fine toothed comb. Keep them in the loop."
"Yes, Commander," Darwin nodded and headed out to follow her orders.
"Gilroy," Oz waved him closer then tapped his commbadge, "Doctor Connor McKinney, Oz here. A situation came up but... I think I'm just about to head home." She heard what she thought was an acknowledgment and closed the link. "Thanks, Gilroy. Seal the room and post guards outside the door. Then get some sleep; pass that on to Darwin, too. For now, we'll let Lieutenant Chase handle the search." She was already fairly certain Kh'ali wouldn't be found, at least not in the normal hunt-and-find way. Something about the chroniton particles made her think that... she had some research to do.
"Your comrades seem to have some intuition it seems." he grinned as he dragged her in a corner. Kh'ali's head was swimming with pain, barely able to set a foot in front of the other
"Hm... better move out of here." he said finally.
"Afraid they...will....expose us too soon?" Kh'ali's voice was laced with contempt, despite the pain-induced slur. Her eyes were fiery as she looked back at Thumb. Overt action was a mistake at this point, so she'd bide her time....wait until his guard was down. The next time she would have the upper hand.
She growled aloud as he yanked her to her feet, but went without a word as he led her from her quarters, passing through the closed doors like a ghost. Moments later they were in the turbolift as it began to descend.
_________________
LtCmdr Oralia Zeferino
Lt. Gilroy
Lt. Darwin
Security Mavens
Lt. Commander Kh'ali
Out Of Sight But Not Out Of Mind
Thumb (Written By Patrick Leroy)
The Magician With A Good Trick
Admiral Ricky Wegener
Getting 'The Call'
