Intel Quest 4: The search for hope...

Posted on Tue Oct 10, 2017 @ 5:27pm by Lieutenant JG Jacob Hartley & Captain Madelina Weisz

Mission: Strange Matter
Location: Intel
Timeline: MD 29 || 1300 Hours

Jacob looked at the information, and then tapped his Comm. badge. "Hartley to Weisz." He said, hoping that this wouldn't be too painful. He knew the XO would be entirely professional, but it still made him nervous.

Maddy was neck deep in reports, something that seemed to take up a great deal of her life lately. She'd been reading over them for well over an hour already, and was grateful when she heard the voice break through the silence. The XO needed a distraction, and this was likely to prove pretty interesting considering who it was. She tapped her combadge to answer the call. =^=What is it, Lieutenant?=^=

"Ma'am, I've got the intelligence from the Romulan ship regarding the probe. It's...well, it's not exactly fun reading." He replied, as he stood up, stretching his legs.

=^=Bring me what you have,=^= the Commander ordered. =^=Weisz out.=^=

Jacob collected the PADD, and left the Intel deck, asking the computer for her location. As he made his way to her office, he thought of what he had found so far, and how to organize his thoughts. Reaching her office, he rang the chime, and waited to be given entry.

"Come in!" Maddy called from behind her desk.

Walking into the office, Jacob stood at attention. "Ma'am, I've got the report on the probe, and it's...as I said, it's not good news." He said.

"Yes, you already mentioned that, Lieutenant. What did you find?" Commander Weisz asked, giving Jacob her full attention. "You also mentioned it's not exactly fun reading, so we may as well get this over with. I've got a feeling it's going to totally ruin my day."

"To summarize it, the Romulan's came across the Ellipse, sent in a probe which brought the one they found out. As it turns out, that probe is from about 75 years from the future, which carried a virus. The virus is what killed them all, when they thought they had a cure because they wanted to turn it into a weapon." Jacob explained.

Maddy listened as Hartley spoke. She'd already known about the virus killing them, and that was because she'd witnessed it with her own eyes. "75 years from the future? I'm not sure if we're going to have to worry about the virus, though, but I won't know that until Zahara returns," she said, feeling her mood begin to dwindle. This time, it wasn't Jacob, but the information he had for her.

"I'm also concerned because it's entirely possible there was data in the probe that was from the future, which could potentially have given the Romulan's any future information. Frankly, this whole thing has disaster written all over it." Jacob said. "There's also an added problem to consider. What happens if the Romulan's were able to scan the exact composition of the virus, and try to recreate it? Without a cure, that's a weapon...well, I wouldn't want to stick around for it."

"Who's to say the Romulans were even the first to encounter the virus? Or how long ago the probe was sent from the future?" the Commander asked as she leaned back in her chair. "I understand your concerns, Mister Hartley, but you're speculating right now. Unless you have physical proof that it was scanned and recreated, then we're going to have to keep moving forward. I'm not dismissing the idea, but we're in space where there's an unknown obstacle around every turn. If we dwell on the 'what could be', we become useless."

"Fair point, ma'am, but they definitely scanned it. They thought they had a cure, it's why they released it, wanting to test it. Not their best idea, obviously." Jacob said.

"Considering what it did to them, I'd have to agree," Maddy said.

"I've still got the rest of the database being decoded, but if they did send any messages relating to the virus, hopefully we'll know it. The idea of someone using it as a weapon, frankly, terrifies me. Granted, the Romulan's wouldn't be the first to do such a thing, but this...well, if it does get loose, it's a whole new balance of power threat." Jacob said.

"And will become someone else's issue," Maddy pointed out as she rose to her feet. "We go where Starfleet needs us to, Mister Hartley, and our new orders will be coming in before we know it. We'll be moving on. Is there a possibility we'll have to deal with this some time in the future, absolutely, but remember... we have a cure. I'd say that restores the balance pretty nicely."

Jacob looked at her. "Wait, we have a cure? Since when...ma'am?" He asked, remembering protocol at the end. His eyes had widened, and it relieved him to hear that there was a cure. He remembered the dead bodies on the Romulan ships, and had no desire to be among them.

"Since our Medical and Science teams created it," the XO replied. "We're already one step ahead of the game, Mister Hartley, and perhaps that will help you rest a bit easier."

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, but it doesn't speak well for an Intelligence Officer who doesn't have the latest intelligence. If anything else crops up ma'am, I'll alert you right away."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Hartley," Maddy said as she reached for the tea cup on her desk to take a sip from it. "Not knowing isn't the end all, I can assure you. Shooting your Executive Officer between her eyes... that's a different story. Go see if any new information comes up and let me know. Dismissed."

Jacob inwardly groaned, but kept his face impassive. "Yes ma'am." Jacob said, leaving the PADD on her desk, and leaving the office. As soon as the doors closed, he closed his eyes and actually groaned. "Yeah, my career is definitely going nowhere." He muttered to himself, walking down the corridor.