Of Tar Babies and Briar Patches

Posted on Sun Aug 5th, 2012 @ 8:52am by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Lieutenant Natalia Bren M.D. & Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D.

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Piper Medical

Leaving Jackson alone, Oralia moved through the Piper Medical post-op ward without being stopped or questioned by anyone. Who would question her? She was the Chief of Security and well-known ‘round these parts. Oz didn’t really think about where she was heading, but when she found herself outside the ICU and, more specifically, outside of Natalia Bren’s room, where two of her minions were posted, she knew she’d headed in the right direction.

Through the small window in the door, she could see Bren. Her blood boiled and she saw red as she realized that this was the person who nearly cost her Jackson. Even Chase’s corpse hadn’t drawn her anger out the way the sight of Natalia did.

One of her officers, she vaguely recalled his name as being Chief B’jol or something similar, cleared his throat and spoke, “Ma’am? Are you here to interview the prisoner?”

She smirked at the idea of someone as critically injured as Bren being a ‘prisoner’. “No, but I do have a few questions for her,” Oz answered and pushed the door open.

“Natalia Bren, Section 31 Agent, tell me,” Oz started, angrily, “just why? Why Jackson? Why Cassidy?” She resisted her urge to grab the woman and do bodily harm to her.

For her part, Bren barely responded to Oz. Her eyes were open and she blinked just once before laboriously swallowing and turning her head away.

Oz used every ounce of her restraint to not snatch at the woman’s hair and make her look at her. Her patience brought a result, of sorts.

“He’s not who you think he is,” she rasped. Breathing was difficult, even though the machines around her were helping her do it. “You should know.”

Oz had no doubt Natalia was speaking of Jackson. What should she know?

“As for why.... The blonde bitch was just in the wrong place,” Nat’s face shifted slightly; she could no longer smirk but was trying, “Jack... he was a quick way to get to you.”

Those who are close to you.... Oz recalled now the warning for her that had been left with Connor what seemed like ages ago; the warning that had included a stab wound in Connor’s groin, just to prove to her that the sender could make good on his threat. Her scalp crawled from an adrenaline rush.

“Got your attention, didn’t we?”, the Trill taunted. “Poor little Oz, losing both men to us.”

Blinking hard, Oz took several deep breaths. Jackson and Connor? How had Natalia been involved in Connor’s loss? When the door opened and Darwin stepped in, she jumped and turned to look at him.

“Commander,” he said, his tone authoritative, “This is my investigation. I trust you’re not interfering with it.”

She glanced at Natalia, then him, and realized she’d stepped closer to Natalia, threateningly. Turning back to Natalia, she asked, “What involvement does Harding have in this?”

“Pansy,” Nat breathed the word then her head shook slightly, “No. Patsy.” Her eyes closed though her breathing labored on.

Brows furrowed, Oralia looked at Darwin. She still wanted to beat the ever’livin’daylights out of Natalia, but it seemed that Cassidy had beaten her to that task. Who could she beat on, then? Doc Harding seemed like a good target. “That’s who I’m going to talk to now, Dar.”

“Great, I’ll go with you. It seems I won’t get much from Bren right now.” He included in his tone a bit of admonishment towards Oz.

* * * Harding’s Office * * *

Reaching Harding’s door first, Darwin paused to let Oralia be the first to enter. “Doctor Harding, Lieutenant Darwin and I have a few questions for you,” she started without any preamble. The nurse who was in the office looked at Oralia then at Harding before taking Harding’s cue to leave. He hurried out.

“Come in Commander, Lieutenant. Have a seat.” He turned off the monitor on his desk as they entered.

Oz did so, suddenly finding herself tired. Was it the day - what with having Jackson nearly killed, and now the anger at Nat? - or was it from her grief and earlier injuries? Either way, she settled carefully into a chair while Darwin chose to stand. Darwin started, “What is your involvement with Natalia Bren?”

“Well that depends on whether you mean now, or previously. Twelve years ago, she was assisting on a project in the Briar Patch, near the Ba’Ku planet. She remained there for a few years, then was transferred out to various positions. I lost contact with her until I discovered her here. Now? She was our main surgeon.” Harding looked from Darwin to Oz, concern in his eyes but he remained silent for now.

“Did you force her to work on the project in the Briar Patch?”, Oz cut to the chase.

“No, that would be Starfleet assigning her as an assistant. She was loosely tied to it later, as she was the check in personnel for some of those involved, but that was all.” He paused a moment, then issued an order for the computer to close and lock the door. “I can tell you that she has been under suspicion for some time, however. It’s why I initially came here.”

“Suspicion? Of what, Doctor?” Darwin asked, his interest piqued.

“Illicit activity, I think is the term you would use, Mr. Darwin. Section 31.” He waved that aside. “There are quite a few known to be associated, it’s not really a crime in itself, but they thought there was more. She arrived about the time that things began to get strange with Archadia, did she not?”

“She did,” Oz nodded, “But you arrived just about the same time as well. There are some who say you’re in deep with Doctor Bren, that you are also Section 31 and involved in the same illicit activities she was involved in.” Both she and Darwin watched Harding carefully.

“From Natalia herself I suppose?” Harding looked from one to the other.

“No, actually, she’s said only one word about you, to me at least.” Oz answered.

“Interesting. It’s a lie of course, and if you’d like to see my orders, I’ll be happy to show you. As long as they go no further.” Harding studied Oz closely, curious as to who had been speculating.

“I’d like to see those orders, Doctor,” Oz answered. “It’s part of an on-going investigation. If the information needs to go further, it will. If not, then no one outside... well, outside of me will see the orders.” Beside her, Darwin frowned, but knew the way of things.

Harding pulled a pad out from a drawer in his desk, then placed his thumb print over a sensor at the corner. The screen filled with text and he passed it to Oz, then sat back as she read.

Holding the PADD in a way that wouldn’t let Darwin read over her shoulder, Oz quickly scanned the information thereon. There wasn’t much: his orders were to watch Natalia Bren; he was affiliated with Starfleet’s Special Ops; and a reference to something called “Project B”. Still holding the PADD, she asked the doctor, “Why would Natalia refer to you as a ‘patsy’?”

Harding smiled. “You are aware of the usual meaning. If she suspected what I was up to? And even if not, I’d make a convenient target to deflect suspicion away from her and her associates. It would be easy for her to plant that suspicion in the mind of one likely to believe it and hopefully support her story. Any ideas who that might be, Commander?”

Preferring not to answer that directly, Oralia asked, “Besides being the doctor who just saved his life, what sort of relationship do you have to Jackson Banning?”

That seemed to cause Harding to turn thoughtful. “I cannot answer that at the moment, for clearance reasons.” He glanced to Darwin.

Getting the message, Darwin offered, “I could step into the hall, Doctor.”

Harding nodded. “Thank you.”

At Oz’s nod and the doctor’s release of the door lock, Darwin slipped out of the office. Oz turned an expectant look on the doctor as she set the PADD back on his desk.

“I first met Jackson twelve years ago. Project B. He is one of those scheduled to report in to Natalia once a month. Several years ago, he dropped off the radar. I assumed he had gone out on assignment, and then later he surfaced again, first on the Berkeley, then here.”

Twelve years? Oz’s eyes narrowed at the doctor. Jackson couldn’t be more than thirty-two? Thirty-something? That would put him at age twenty, roughly. And out on assignment? That wording, coupled with Harding’s Special Ops ties... and with a ‘project’ involving Natalia.... Oz did the math and realized Jackson had a far more colorful past than she knew. “When you met him, how old was he?”

Harding shifted uncomfortably. “Perhaps you should ask him that.”

His answer made her blink and set off an alarm in the back of her head. “I will, Doctor Harding.”

“Thank you. Clearance only goes so far, but what Jackson chooses to tell you is his business. I can tell you that at the time he was stationed with Tora Sulan on the Ba’Ku planet. You are aware of the planet’s unique atmosphere which is why they were being monitored initially.”

The Ba’Ku. Oralia had to search her memory, and quickly recalled that the Ba’Ku didn’t age. Nodding, she replied, “I am aware of the effect the atmosphere has on the Ba’Ku people.” Not yet wanting to think about the connections between Jackson, Natalia, Sulan, Project B and the Ba’Ku ‘immortals’, she hesitated a moment then asked, “When will Jackson be released from Piper?”

“Assuming there are no complications tomorrow, then he can go home the day after. As I said to you earlier, the surgery was a bit more difficult, so I’d like to monitor him a little longer than usual.”

She was disappointed, but also a touch relieved. This conversation made her want to research Mr. Banning far more thoroughly than she ever had before. “Doctor, I appreciate your time. You’ll likely see me again soon. Also, I’m posting guards outside Jackson’s door.” She’d stood, readying to leave, then recalled something, “Oh, any luck finding a host for the symbiot?”

“There is one possibility. Normally it would require the approval of the Symbiosis Commission but given where we are, we don’t have the time. If it becomes necessary, we’ll just have to do it and ask forgiveness later. We are on a frontier and we have to do what we have to do.” Harding met her gaze solidly. “As far as Jackson goes, he was sworn to silence, but I think you’ve reached a point that you have a right to know.”

Oralia was about to comment that the Symbiosis Commission’s main goal was preservation of the symbiot, but Harding’s comment about Jackson stumped her. She stared at him for a moment and thought of all she’d learned in this brief conversation. “Then I’ll have to press him for some answers. Could I take him off your hands late tomorrow?”

Harding considered the question, his brow furrowed. “Do you intend to keep him with you? Just in case?”

“He won’t be left alone,” she answered. Even if she did leave Jackson ‘alone’, she’d have Iggy stay and keep an eye or three on him.

“Then I don’t see why not. He will likely rest better with you than here.” He smiled up at Oz.

“We’ll be on light duty together,” she quipped and smiled slightly. “Thank you, Doc. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and left his office.

“Take care Oz.” His voice stopped her as she started out. “Jackson may not be the only one who needs protecting.”

Her back straightened and she turned back to him. “Was that a threat, Doctor?” On the heels of Nat’s comments earlier, his statement sounded vaguely like one.

“No, it’s a heads up that you may not be safe either. You don’t think she is working alone, do you? Sulan’s safe in Intel, just make sure you are guarded as well. I don’t know enough yet to know what else she had planned, but I may soon.”

“We know she was working with Lieutenant Zachary Chase,” Oz stated, as if the Doctor didn’t already know that, considering Chase’s body was in the Doctor’s morgue. She went on to dismiss the Doctor’s warning for her, “I have no concerns that I’m in danger, but extra precautions will be taken for Jackson, and Sulan, should she come out of Intel’s area.”

“Thank you. Will you be back tonight? If so, I can have accommodations made in Jackson’s room.”

“Ah....” She considered the question and realized that Doctor Harding was far more observant than she’d originally thought him to be. But... spend the night in the same room with Jackson? Reasons why she could do so came to mind: she, and he, were adults most of the time; she was on light duty; she could claim it was for his protection, or hers. Yeah, none of her minions would believe the last part. Did she care? No, she didn’t. “Yes, please, Doctor. And thanks.”

“Consider it done, Commander. I’ll see you later then.” He turned back to his monitor and switched it on, a clear sign that they were done and he was back to work.

Oz left, picking up Darwin just outside of Harding’s office, and went back to her own work in her own office. First thing she looked up: Jackson Banning V, Project B, and Harding’s work in the Briar Patch.

__________________________

Dr. WIlliam Harding, CMO
Shedding Some Light

Natalia Bren
Slipping into the Dark

Oralia Zeferino, CSEC
Curious as a Cat

Michael Darwin, SEC
Relegated to the Hall