The Chief's Office: Defiled

Posted on Fri Oct 14th, 2011 @ 8:02am by Commander Oralia Zeferino & http://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Oz's Office

As Chance as walked her to the turbolift, Oralia, with the intent of not forgetting to research an all-female Federation ship she could transfer to, had repeated one thought in her head: I'm leaving... on a jetplane... don't know when I'll be back again.... The words came along with a bouncy lilt in her head; they were lyrics, though to what song she wasn't sure. Who left on a jet plane anymore? Frowning as she tried to place the lyrics, she walked into Main Security, where her office was and was immediately stopped by a lackey.

"Ma'am! We were just about to send a search team out for you!" It was Darwin, showing off his lame sense of humor. In the current situation, his humor was also a bit tactless.

"You could have comm'd me."

"Ah... yeah, we could have, but... actually," Darwin glanced away. He didn't want to admit that she hadn't been missed just yet, even though she was late coming in. "Well, anyway, the search continues. Science is helping us locate pockets of chronitons but so far, nothing on Kh'ali. They did say that there was a sudden spike of chronitons in here last night."

Nodding, Oralia said, "Last night? Have they come to check it out yet?" She'd stepped close enough to her office that the door, responding to her commbadge, swished open. A foul odor hit her, as did Darwin's sudden change of expression: he looked like he was gagging. She turned to look at her office and her own stomach rolled over. "Good god...."

"Ah... I'll call Medical and the crime scene techs," Darwin said and quickly stepped away from her office door.

Oz went the other direction, stepping into the defiled office and looking around. On her desk, a head rested, facing towards her chair. The body was... scattered. She grimaced as she looked down and tried to avoid stepping on blood or... anything else. Coming around the side of her desk, she looked at the face and recognized it: the guy who had contacted Li in the Wormhole. Now, she recalled Li's commcall during the night; she had nearly forgotten it. This man, now just a body, was supposed to have contacted her for 'protection'. Oz had alerted her people to be on the lookout for him. How had he gotten past her people in the outer offices? Who could have killed him? And why in her office?

From the doorway, Darwin told her, "Medical's on the way."

"Okay. Contact Li Hawke as well, have her come down here." Her eyes hadn't left the dead man's face and, as she stared at it, she realized there was something in his mouth. Moving closer, she tried to figure out a way to get the object without disturbing the scene. Growling, she realized she couldn't and stepped out of the office to wait for Medical and the crime scene techs.

A few moments later, Connor walked in, and slowed down as he saw her. There was a haunted look in his face, in his eyes, and his eyes avoided hers as he moved over towards her office doorway. He didn't say anything as he pulled some gloves from one pocket and began putting them on.

Waiting for Oralia to engage Connor, Darwin was a touch confused by the undercurrent between the two. Surprise came as the Security Chief turned and walked away from her office, gesturing for him to take over. He glanced between the two then stepped forward and told Connor, "No one's been in the office, according to the computer, until Or... uh... Commander Zeferino came in about twenty minutes ago." His brow furrowed as he looked the Doctor over. "Oz... the Commander said there's something in the guy's mouth. She wants it soon as possible."

Connor glanced at Darwin, nodding as he finished with his gloves and shoe protectors. "With the exception", he said distantly, his eyes having moved over in the direction Oralia had gone, "of the crime scene technicians...'n' Cmdr. Hawke", he added, his eyes returning to Darwin, "no one else is to come in here until I say."

"And the owner of the office, the Commander, of course," Darwin hedged carefully, thinking it strange that the Doctor would restrict Oz from her own office. He stayed in the doorway of the office, unwilling to enter and be amidst the blood and gore.

Connor stared back at the dark-haired human, swallowing as the lines formed between his brows. "No", he said firmly and went inside the office.

Darwin blinked then turned and went over to Oralia to pass on the message. For once, Oz showed restraint where Connor was concerned. She nodded tersely, frowning, but otherwise showed no other reaction. "Fine, Lieutenant, stay in the doorway and make sure we all follow the Doctor's orders."

"Yes, Ma'am," Darwin moved back to the doorway and watched as Connor went through the motions of examining the dead man.

Connor had pulled out his tricorder, first scanning from a distance all the scattered and pooled areas of blood, continuing as he moved in closer, to scan the body, and he recorded images from every angle he could think of, ending with staring at the victim's face. A face frozen in terror and pain. Feeling suddenly like he had been punched in the stomach, he stopped, crouched down, and pressed his forehead into his arm, as a violent scene unfolded within his mind, one of this man being hacked into the condition that was before him now.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up, and with sweat forming on his forehead, he pulled out a small kit from his pocket, taking out a tweezer-like tool, and forced himself to look at the dead man's face again. With a steady hand, he pulled out what was inside of the man's mouth. He examined the bloodsoaked item, and recognized it to be a folded piece of paper, one he could tell was written on. He proceeded to unfold it before placing it carefully inside a small plastic bag, and he sealed it closed.

Having had enough, Connor walked back to Darwin, handing him the bag, before proceeding to take off the gloves and shoe protectors. He looked past him towards the two technicians that had just walked in. "You can bag him now", he said, his voice breaking as he crossed to the other side of the room, and he sat down heavily in a chair, running a hand through his hair as he leaned forward.

Barely noticing the Doctor's discomfort (or, at least, not acknowledging it), Darwin took the plastic envelope and looked at the paper. "'u r next' and," he flipped it over, "'traitor'," he read then gave Connor a blank look.

Behind him, Oralia had approached. She glanced at Connor, her gaze lingering long enough that Darwin knew she was concerned about him, then asked, "I wonder whether the author means I'm a traitor and next to be killed or...?" She shrugged, "That the dead guy is a traitor and I'm next to be kidnapped like Kh'ali?" She didn't seem overly concerned, either way.

Connor snapped his head up, staring at her as the words and her tone sank in, "And that's what?" his own tone incredulous, "Just another day on the job!?", his brows furrowed heavily together, he reached a hand out, "Give me back the bag!", he demanded, standing and stepping towards her.

Darwin had handed it to her; Oralia now passed it back to Connor. "Yes, Doctor McKinney, just another day on the job," her tone was flat, but Darwin saw her jaw tense. Like Gilroy, he knew that was a bad sign; he was also left wondering just who had replaced their fiery Chief with this icy woman. "What did your scans detect in there? Any determination of weapon used? Was he killed here or merely slaughtered here?"

He stared at the bag, flipping it over as he read each side, his own jaw tensing. "I'm leaning towards he was killed here..." he said quietly, clearing his throat before he continued, "I'll be sure after I run a deep tissue scan 'n' I'll know more on the weapon used." He stared at her, the look in his eyes intesnse. "I can tell you this for sure, thanks to Chance's young cobber, our database was able to recognize...the victim is Enaran."

"Li Hawke encountered him; I recognized him. He's involved somehow in Kh'ali's disappearance. Was involved, I mean," Oralia moved away from Connor; he was too close for her comfort - she wanted to lean into him for comfort. Looking through her doorway at the techs picking up pieces, she asked him, "When they're done, Doctor, is the scene cleared to be cleaned?"

Her formality continue to stab Connor like a knife. "Yes", he nodded tearing his eyes away from her and towards the techs at work, and he flashed back to Li's telepathic 'dream'. After looking at Oz one last time, he headed out the door without saying another word.

Again, Darwin blinked in confusion and looked like he was about to ask Oz what was going on. Oz preempted him: "Stay here; run scans and tell me what happened here when I get back. Also, get this cleaned when the techs are done." Without waiting for a response, she headed out after Connor.

In the corridor, she hailed him, "Hey, you, Doctor McKinney!"

He slowed down to a stop, looking upwards, his body language saying, 'Now what?' as he turned around to face her, and he looked upset. What he said out loud was, "Oralia...just don't...", putting out his hands, telling her to stop, "I'll have my report to you shortly."

Just don't? Oz stopped several paces from him and stared at him. For a moment, everything in her stance and look spoke volumes about the pain he was causing. Slowly, that demonstration ebbed away and the lines of her face hardened. Nodding, she said, "Fine. The sooner the better, Doctor McKinney." She turned on her heel and headed the opposite way down the corridor; she didn't go back into Main Security, though.

He stared after her swallowing hard, unable to handle seeing her so hurt, feeling confused and angry that she would be. He followed her, walking fast to catch up to her.

Caught up in her struggle with her emotions, Oralia didn't notice Connor as he fell in step with her, not at first at least. When he touched her arm, she jerked away as if burned and turned to glare at him. "You left. No explanation, not even a note. And now?" She met his eyes and shook her head slightly, bewildered. "What is it you want from me, Connor? Do you want me chasing you like a lovelorn...," she faltered on the next word, "Moron? Loser? Or do you want me to leave you in peace and let you just burn it all away?" Repressing her tears and anger was giving her a headache... or perhaps the headache was from finding a dead man's head on her desk and his blood soaking into her carpet.

"You cheated on me!" he angled himself, pointing a finger at her as he tried to keep his control, and was failing. "I never hurt you that way, I couldn't..not even here..!" he jabbed at his head. "But I get it", he said, holding his head, and squeezing his eyes closed out of pure frustration, "It's my fault, you've made that clear. I...didn't love you enough, I drove you crazy, I chased you to him. You want to punish me...okay..or better yet..." he began walking away, "use that energy, 'n' keep yourself alive."

This wasn't the place to have this conversation but Oralia wasn't about to let him walk away after making that accusation. She caught up, caught his arm and hissed, "I didn't cheat on you! I never would have! I love you too much to do that to you." Releasing his arm, practically tossing it back at him, she sighed, "I can't believe you'd think that of me." She wasn't about to touch the 'punish' him concept; it confused her too much.

He grabbed her face, holding it firmly, and he kissed her. Although her body stiffened with anger, she still didn't pull away. He stopped the kiss, but he continued to hold onto her. "You always knew..", he said low, his eyes boring into hers, "just what to say to me, whatever it took to placate me..."

Said the way he said it, it was a harsh insult, one that incensed Oz. Without thinking, she jerked back, slapped him hard and got out of his reach. Standing with the back of a hand pressed to her lips, she wasn't sure who was more shocked: her, Connor, or her two security crewmen who witnessed it.

Stunned, Connor placed a hand over where there was now a red hand mark on his face, but the pain he felt went deeper than the physical sting from the slap. He backed up a bit, and unable to look at her anymore, he glanced over at the two security crewman, before walking away.

This time, she let him go. Instead, she looked at the two crewmen and nearly growled, "What?"

"Ah... Darwin sent us to watch over you. You know, because of the threat."

"Threat?" She sighed and rubbed her forehead. The day was barely begun and it was already a terrible one. Trying to recover from Connor's kiss, his statements, her action against him, the dead man in her office and the note's message, she noticed her hands shook. Balling them into fists and hiding them behind her back, she shook her head and said, "That was a red herring. I'm not next." She sounded more assured than she felt.

______________________

LC Oralia Zeferino
Shaken

LC Connor McKinney
Stirred

Lt Michael Darwin
Clueless