Just A Rock?

Posted on Wed Jun 8th, 2011 @ 2:31pm by Captain Li Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Leto & Lieutenant Nick Marcinko

Mission: The Ties That Bind
Location: Intel Offices & Senior Staff Quarters

* * Intel Offices * *

"And there you have it." Li's fingers drummed on the desk as she looked at Nick and Nenita. "Engineering found nothing wrong with the doors and at this point, I am going with the sane explanation that it was a malfunction."

Nenita pursed her lips as she considered this last bit of information. "have you thought about having that darling husband of yours look over the quarters? As I recall Vulcans rely on touch telepathy, he might pick up on something you don't. Especially since he did mind meld with Rhys."

"That had to have been awkward," Nick chimed in. "But she's right. See if Sakkath can do a little Vulcan mind-sweep through the room using those mystical powers of his." He was moving his hands around slowly as if conjuring up some sort of spell.

Li chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I will, and then I want you two to give those quarters a thorough going over with everything you have. If you each take one, it should be done rather quickly, assuming nothing unusual turns up. Once that's done, we'll note anything we discover and send it on up the food chain." It was clear in her tone that she hoped nothing odd would turn up. Reaching for a padd, Li continued. "Nothing much else of note at the moment, aside from the usual business. We have a new resident who has been granted asylum from Enara Prime. I don't expect trouble from them as it would be stupid to try and get to him here, but I just wanted you two aware."

"I've seen him, actually," Nita spoke up. "Working for Jackson, seems nice enough, though I th ink he was a little nervous around me.

"Young kid like that, incredibly sexy woman like you--of course he was nervous! He was probably trying to roll his tongue back into his mouth!" Nick waggled his eyebrows as he put his feet up on the table.

"That's sweet, Nick. You're doing better at not sounding like a caveman lately." Li smiled at him. "Maybe settling down on a station will be good for you."

"We'll see about that," Nenita answered as she turned to Nick. "How soon can you be ready to start going over their old rooms?"

"Is now soon enough?" he asked.

"Well, Li, there you have it. Anything special we should be looking for?"

"Just the usual. Though there is a crystal in my old quarters. ONce You've checked it thoroughly, take it to Lt. Commander Leroy. And if anything weird happens, take pictures." Li moved the pad she'd been holding aside. "Then come back and tell me everything is perfectly normal."

Nick shrugged and decided to do what he was told. "I think I can do that," he said.

* * Deck 13 * *

Nenita and Nick stood outside the door of 13F, former quarters of Commander Rhys Balasz. Nita keyed in the security override code and the doors opened without a hitch.

"At least they seem to be working fine now. This shouldn't take long. Then we can check hers and be done in time for dinner."

"I am getting hungry," Nick mumbled as he began scanning the room. Not finding much on his side, he moved towards Nenita. "Found anything yet? I'm coming up empty."

She moved on into the bedroom, scanning as she went. Security had obviously done this, but what she and Nick were looking for was more off the beaten path. Rhys was good, however, and he'd scrubbed the room clean.

"Nothing here that I see, but not surprising. He was nothing if not thorough. Let's get on to Li's."

They exited and moved down the corridor do Li's quarters. Stepping through the door, both froze in their tracks and Nita dropped her modified tricorder. Before them, the crystal on the coffee table glowed a bright blue.

"Sonuvabitch!" she whispered.

"What...the hell...?" Nick said, lifting his scanner towards the crystal.

Nita blinked, and slowly bent down to get her tricorder, not taking her eyes off the rock. "My sentiments exactly." She activated the scanner and noted high theta wave activity. "Theta waves. Same as the lab on the Berkeley." She tapped her comm badge to send a message to Science but there was no answering chirp. Her communicator seemed to be dead.

Nenita....

The whisper seemed to come from all around her.

"Nick?"

"Okay, that wasn't me," he said, "but I sure as hell heard it. Was that rock talking to you?"

"Something did. It sounded like....nah, that's impossible. Is your comm working? Mine's dead suddenly, so if yours is okay, call science, get them down here with something to contain this thing and take it back up there."

He tapped his communication but got the dull tone that signaled it wasn't connected to the communications network. "No comms here," he said. "It has to be that rock. I wonder if it's activated by proximity to life signs?"

"I don't know. You heard what happened to Li with Leroy's crystal, they have to be related somehow. Let's get out of here and have them come get this thing." She shivered. That whisper had sounded familiar and after Li's experience on the Berkeley, Nita wasn't taking chances. She turned and activated the door.

They both stumbled into the corridor and turned to look at the still-open door, then each other. Both nodding to each other, like they'd used telepathy to send a message, it was understood: they were getting the hell out of there.

"Computer, seal the door to 13L. No entry to that room without command staff, security or intel present." Nick said as they walked away.

"Authorization code." the computer requested.

"Marcinko-Gamma-Two-Two-Omega slash Niner-Four-Four-Epsilon."

"Authorization acknowledged."

He looked to Nenita. "I don't want someone stumbling into that room without some backup and getting zapped or some crazy shit. That's one creepy fuckin' rock!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," was Nenita's only reply.

********
Lt.(jg) Nenita Quidley
Intelligence Officer

SCPO Nick Marcinko
Infiltration Specialist