Why are you Smirking Lieutenant?

Posted on Sun Nov 18th, 2018 @ 7:12am by

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: USS Arcadia - Captains Ready room
Timeline: 8 months ago
1936 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

GUEST STARING: The Crew of the USS Arcadia


Oliver looked at the intel chief's comm badge on the table and then looked back up. He had not planned to explain his history with Sandel to any of his senior staff, but there was something about Lea that made him reconsider that decision.

Taking off his own comm badge, the ship's commanding officer began. "Well, after a few months at intelligence oversight I asked for an internal transfer to investigation and stayed there for the next few years. My last big case before I was assigned to the Bunker Hill as its XO was an investigation into allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and sexual harassment on Starbase 52, which was under Sandel's command at the time. Several officers of her senior staff ended up getting court-martialed.

"There was no evidence that the Admiral herself was involved in any wrongdoing, but my report chided her for negligence and failure to exercise proper oversight of her staff and of her station. I heard she was slated for a promotion, maybe even her own sector command, but after the Landen affair, her promotion didn't come for another few years."

That, of course, was something Lea could have easily dug up herself. With a more sheepish smile, he continued.

". . .aaand I might have slept with her daughter. The night before her wedding. And I might have also convinced her that she should cancel the wedding the next day."

Before Lea could respond, he said, "In my defense, the guy was a complete douchebag. He treated her like he owned her. She was miserable."

And she was hot. But that's not something the intel chief need to hear.

Lea blinked, then swallowed a berry, blinked again, then in the same dry, casual tone continued, "yeah, that'll do it."

. . . . . .

Chrys slid the PADD from her sweater and held it out. "Getting information. Seems our CO has been very naughty and the Admiral is definately after him."

I'lien steepled his fingers. "Explain, please, Lieutenant."

"Well I can understand her being mad, when the Captain slept with her daughter just before said daughters wedding." Chrysanthe replied. "Its all on the padd. She maybe taking it a bit far as far as I am concerned but still, she hates Lee." So saying she finally took a seat. "Though I wonder if Lee knows that certain parts were recorded. Some of those.. positions... are a bit beyond human ability but he makes it look very easy"

. . . . . .

[NOW]

Oliver sank into the comfort of the lounge sofa and popped a few blue berries into his mouth. They were very sweet, but not as sweet as the look on Sandel's face yesterday. It was priceless. And in a few days' time they would finally depart the ship yards, and he would finally have the chance to prove his grandfather wrong, to prove anyone who had ever doubted him wrong. He would prove to them that he earned his command of the Arcadia.

"Jesse, Shreva's Symphony No. 24, please." He asked of the ship's AI.

As the Andorian master's triumphant melody filled the room, he closed his eyes and popped a few more blueberries into his mouth.

Sweet

The time had come and Chrys was going to tell the CO what she had in her possession. She stood outside his office and hit the chime.

Lost in the rousing notes of the symphony - and his own triumph - Oliver would have missed the door chime if Jesse had not lowered the music volume and notified him of his visitor.

=/\=Captain, Lieutenant Capulet is here to see you.=/\

Opening his eyes, the ship's commanding officer straightened his posture as well as his uniform jacket. "Thank you, Jesse. Let her in."

The double doors to the ready room hissed open, and as the science chief stepped through, he greeted her with a big smile. "Good morning, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

The smile she sent him in return was one of downright slyness. "Ah mon Captain, it is more like what I can do for you, though, I think in some things you may be able to give lessons." she added vaguely as she moved to stand before his coffee table.

Oliver arched a slight eyebrow at the response, but more out of curiosity than dismay over her sly tone of voice. "Is that right?"

She held out the PADD but didn't allow him to take it, instead showing him the screen, without volume. It played something the CO would not want shown around the ship.

Oliver watched quietly as the video played on the holographic screen. At first there was nothing but what appeared to be a static shot of a living room from an elevated angle. Security footage? He wondered. The room itself was posh, and judging from its layout as well as from the scenery outside of the ceiling to floor windows, it seemed to be part of a much larger apartment in a highrise building somewhere in a metropolis on Earth.

The sun outside had already set, and the view of the illuminated skyline was quite stunning, with a mixture of contemporary and older architecture styles. In the distance he could make out a giant and brightly lit Ferris wheel on the back of a river meandering through the city, and right behind it was a complex of older structures flanked by two towers, one of which appeared to be a clock tow. . . Wait, was that London?

Before long - in fact, less than ten seconds into the feed - a young woman in an elegant sleeveless white dress emerged from the lower left corner of the screen. The brunette's face was half covered by her flowing long locks, but there was something familiar about her - it's as if he had seen her and that dress before.

She wasn't alone. With both of her arms she pulled into view a dark brown haired man in a stylish black tuxedo. Before he could have a better look of either of them, the two apparent lovebirds embraced each other in a round of intense smooching while both pairs of their hands impatiently removed the few inconvenient articles of clothing that still separated them and their burning passion.

They soon made their way to the couch in the center of the living room, leaving behind a messy trail of outerwear as well as undergarments. Once freed from the last feeble constraints of cultured norms, they indulged their passion without any apparent constraints. And those positions . . .

Then suddenly Oliver remembered. His eyes widened as curiosity turned into surprise; his brows tightened as surprise turned into dismay. Taking the PADD held before him, the Arcadia's commanding officer paused the feed with a quick tap of the holographic display. Looking up, he asked coolly. "Where did you get this, Lieutenant?"

Chrys gave him an innocent look. "In the course of my investigation into the Admiral, I came across this."Her lips twitched "It is the real deal, I checked and found a sealed copy in the admiral's personal files. Its a very... interesting video, and one that costs a nice penny on the open market. However, there are only a few copies left since I accidentally unleashed a virus through the seller's computers."

Oliver frowned. "But you still kept a few copies?"

She smirked now. "Only a couple. And some I could not delete due to the fact that they are behind major firewalls."

"And the others you kept because?"

She gave a shrug. "One never knows when they may come in handy. That you can keep" she waved a careless hand at the PADD in his hand. "I managed to delete the admiral's sealed copy as well."

"I doubt the fate of the universe would ever depend on this, Lieutenant." retorted Oliver. Now that the initial shock had passed, he had come to see the recording for what it was: a little embarrassing perhaps, but hardly something to loose sleep over, so long as it was safely tugged away, of course.

"Did you find out who made the recording?" he asked, "and have you talked to anyone else about it?"

Innocent brown eyes gazed out at him from a very innocent expression. "I believe that the Admiral had her daughter under observation at the time. And I may have mentioned it in passing to the executive officer and the chief of Intelligence, during the course of the mission. Both declined to watch it." Her tone was casual and oh so innocent. Then her lips quirked. "One never knows what can happen in the future sir"

Oliver didn't know why Admiral Sandel had wanted to spy on her own daughter, but he doubted that he had been the reason. For one, his encounter with Tatia was entirely accidental. Then there was the Admiral's pride. However much she hated him, she would never seek vengeance at the expense of her daughter's reputation, or rather her own reputation.

As for his XO and intel chief, he was even less concerned; he trusted their discretion. In any event, it's not that he could just order them to forget what they had already learned about the existence of the recording. Nevertheless he planned to bring up the issue next time he had a chance to talk to either of them in private, just to have a better idea of what their thoughts were. Yes, he trusted their discretion, but there was no telling how they would think of him personally because of the recording. And what his crew thought of their commanding officer was important.

So what about his chief science officer?

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Lieutenant, but you seem to be rather . . . entertained by this." He said, waving slightly the PADD in his hand.

What had been his first clue? she mused to herself with sarcasm. "Oh well I guess you can say that Sir. But don't worry I won't be telling anyone else." - Not for Free anyway.- She added to herself. "I guess I find it funny that with your background you were not more cautious."

"Oh, I see." Responded Oliver with a mock disappointment on his face. "Well, I thought you would have found the video itself more entertaining. I mean, come on, those are some impressive positions if I may say so myself." He smirked and waved the PADD in the air. "But, in my defense, it would be quite a mood killer if I checked my surroundings for recording devices every time I meet someone. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for planning ahead, but sometimes you just have to let spontaneity take the lead. Yes, there's always the chance of something goes wrong, but again all good things in life come with one risk or another. Don't you agree?"

Her lips quirked slightly as if she was fighting back a smirk. "In somethings sir." she replied. "As for the positions, I would suggest you visit Risa a bit more for practice and... education." She snapped a salute. "I should get back to my duties Captain."

"I think I did pretty well, considering that was the first time I tried some of them, but I'll keep Risa in mind." said Oliver. "I appreciate you bringing the recording to my attention, and I trust your discretion, Lieutenant." At that he dismissed his science chief with a simple nod and watched as she turned and exited the room.

There was definitely something more to her than met the eye, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Not yet anyway.