Starfleet R&D, huh?
Posted on Sat Dec 8th, 2018 @ 2:25am by Lieutenant Commander Garai Fenia PhD & Captain Akiva ben-Avram
Mission:
S1E2: Half Past Dead
Location: Overwatch Station
Timeline: MD 3
Fenia had been in Starfleet long enough to be able to tell when things were off. Normal transfer orders didn't get delivered to you by a courier who disappeared in the blink of an eye. Normal transfer orders didn't instruct one to proceed to location A in order to be given exact coordinates to where one was actually going. Normal transfer orders didn't show their true form once they got to said location. Officially it would say she was transferred to Starfleet R&D to work on new Stellar Cartography Tech advancements. That's what she had to tell her parents and her brother, though she was sure he suspected that she wasn't telling him the full truth.
Memory Theta was a place only the handpicked few got to go. Not necessarily the best of the best, but the ones with the right skills and it seemed that whoever was in charge of recruiting people thought she had them. Had they dug through her record? Why was she special?
After a few hours travel from Deep Space Nine, where she'd been in layover, she decided to give up the questions she likely wasn't going to get answers to any time soon and that she should focus on what was ahead. Memory Theta. While her ultimate goal was a posting on Memory Alpha, Theta was just as good, even though she'd never be able to talk about it, having had to sign the non disclosure agreement. She was set to meet Commander ben-Avram, the Administrator of the facility in a few moments as she beamed over.
"Here we go..." she muttered to herself as she stepped onto the Transporter padd.
Akiva stood a few paces away from the pad in Transporter Room 2 -- selected just as it was just down the corridor from his office. Referencing his data PADD, Akiva saw that the new transfer's bio showed a Science teal. Usually it was Mrazak who saw to the incoming Science personnel, but since he was out on a field mission, it fell to Akiva. He took a moment to browse the file -- a Bajoran with a long list of doctorates with a specialization in forensics. That... could actually be useful with certain unfolding events.
In a moment, the padd energized with a blue silhouette. Akiva waited for the energies to dissipate before stepping up to the platform and offering his hand. "Good day, Lieutenant Commander. I am Commander Akiva ben-Avram, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Memory Theta."
Fenia threw on a smile, and grasped Akiva's hand firmly shaking it. "Doctor Garai Fenia, good to meet you, sir." The bajoran said and stepped off the PADD. "Thank you for the welcome, I was told our field lead was a Commander Mrazak? Out playing boryhas with some unsuspecting souls? Stories do circulate amongst us former mortals."
"You have heard correctly," Akiva chucked, "on all counts. Typically Commander Mrazak would indeed oversee the arrival of Science personnel, but he is out on assignment. You will work under him, but as the station administrator, I still handle the paperwork." He stepped to the side and gestured toward the door. "If you will come this way? You seem to know more of Memory Theta than I did on my first day."
Fenia nodded as she followed Akiva. "I've been in the right circles. I guess." She said with a chuckle, "most of what I heard was when I was with Accident Investigations, since we sometimes dealt with weird crap ourselves." She knew she was on a Starfleet built station, yet so much of its interior was quite foreign from Starfleet structure she was used to, she noted as they walked. Garai wasn't sure if it was something that was actually modified, or just the weird vibes she was getting from the place.
"I didn't learn of Memory Theta until Mrazak attempted to abduct my daughter. My... android daughter," Akiva quickly added by way of explanation. "She was involved in the Information Crisis on Bynaus last stardate. At first I threatened to expose Memory Theta's actions. Instead Admiral Nyel decided I was fit to command the place, perhaps to ensure against future malfeasance." They came upon the door to his office, cutting short his unplanned tour down memory lane. Rather than go directly to his desk, Akiva made for the floor to ceiling window that overlooked the dwarf planet below against the backdrop of the Badland's persistent plasma storms. He invited Fenia to join him with a wave. "Down there is Tartarus, a fitting name for our Deep Storage facility. Only a handful of personnel ever need be on duty there since it's a gigantic vault that runs 99 levels deep." He turned to look at Fenia. "Our mandate is to hold fast its gates. We are permitted to study a few objects here on Overwatch, but any other study must be confined below."
Handing her a PADD, he resumed his vigil. "You may enter your security clearance on here. I know I don't have to tell you not to let anyone else have it, but you should know that, besides myself and a few key individuals, only Science personnel are permitted groundside."
Fenia nodded, tapping her clearance code in the designated area. "Anything going on currently I need to be aware of? Research that needs completing while Commander Mrazak returns from assignment?"
She was feeling excited to get started, yet at the same time a little apprehensive but she surmised it came from the fact that this was a whole different level of research than what you would get at Daystrom or any other high end research facility. This was the stuff one in the regular service fields didn't hear about unless something went terribly wrong and not even then most of the time. Yet she was going to. She was going to.
Cue barely contained euphoria. Though on the outside, such was displayed by widened eyes and a nervous energy rather than what one would imagine barely contained euphoria to be. That would come later, in private.
Akiva's eyes lazily drifted toward a corner table which held the inert, almost sleeping form a lifeless android. "No," he said at length. "Though I imagine you will be up to your neck in field reports once the field team returns and is debriefed." He sighed and shook his head. "If you don't want to ever sleep again, search the Archives for 'Clock Makers' -- and maybe say a prayer to your Prophets on the behalf of our team who are investigating a reported infestation."
Fenia arched an eyebrow at the motion, but said nothing, considering she knew next to nothing on the situation. What could she say? She'd only just gotten there and felt all too new for comfort.
"I'll get up to date as soon as possible and be ready for their return. Any idea of an ETA?" The bajoran asked.
Akiva shook his head. "There's been no communique, and as far out as Abadar's Gate is, it's possible they could get back here faster than a standard subspace transmission, what with the QSD. Feel free to monitor long-range scans if you like. Just don't mind Ferrofax. He likes to upset new arrivals."
Fenia raised an eyebrow as she refocused her attention on Akiva. "I'll get myself up to date with their mission and location, sir. Ferrofax? Are we talking the Facility AI? Is it that advanced?"
"You mean he hasn't already introduced himself?" Akiva looked shocked. "In that case, Commander, I would watch your step if I were you. He's rather fond of... surprises."
Fenia shrugged, "sometimes, I find, the scariest feelings come from close to home, rather than a distant place. But..." the bajoran nodded, "I will be wary."
"Do yourself a favor," Akiva said, taking the PADD back from Fenia after she'd input her codes. "Don't say out loud what scares you." He pointed up at the ceiling and mouthed the words -- He is always listening.
Akiva coughed into his hand. "At any rate, you'll find your quarters on Deck 3 near Holodeck 1. Station's orbital lounge is on Deck 5 if you're feeling sociable. Otherwise you'll find the primary Science sections on Deck 6." He extended a hand and a smile in parting. "Welcome to Memory Theta."
