Not a game, but afoot anyway

Posted on Thu Feb 17th, 2022 @ 5:45am by Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Alana Balfour [Whavi]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Security
Timeline: during CAPETOWN mission
1005 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

The security office was quiet which was how Officer Balfour liked it. At a desk near the entrance to the department she sat with a PaDD in hand. The report in front of her seemed like a joke, something she was having a hard time believing. It stated an Ensign was claiming her identity was being stolen and used for malicious purposes, Alana called bullshit. The ensign was probably just trying to get out of trouble and blame it on someone else. A little immature for a starfleet ensign but she wouldn't put it past someone with pink hair. For a moment she felt like she was prejudging the ensign and sighed. That wasn't fair at all.

The ensign in question was sitting across from her, twisting a strand of said pink hair around her finger. "I put in as much as detail as I could. This is like, the third time now something weird has happened, and its getting worse. I don't know what's going on. I don't know who would be doing this. Or why. Or what they get out of it." Miraj looked hopefully at Balfour. "Or how to find them and make them stop."

"There are numerous security features that make this type of 'theft' rather difficult and rare. You haven't been accessing banned files or holo programs from your person computer station have you?" Alana rose a brow as she waited for the other females response.

"What?" Miraj asked, as a sudden alarm gripped her. Had her mysterious if thief been up to worse than taking bribes or dodgy imports? You couldn't do much with an ensign's access level, even one who was also head of department. "No. I wouldn't know how. I can barely get a holodeck catalogue to work."

"For someone to have gained access to you personal information, which they would need in order to steal your identity, they had to have hacked your personal computer through a virus, or you perhaps you gave it to them unknowingly somehow." Alana tapped her chin with her index finger as she started across the table. She set the PaDD down on the table between them. "Where was the last place you took shore leave?"

"After the trip to the Mirror Universe. So Spacedock? I don't think I went down to Earth itself. I don't really like being planet side for long. It feels wrong. No engine hum." Miraj tried to think about any computers she would have used. Between Elysium, and all the shuttles she flew, there were dozens.

Alana nodded before asking, "Anyone you can think of that would have a vendetta against you? Have you ever been pranked before?"

Miraj shook her head. "Not really." She thought about who might have a vendetta. "I know Commander Vaii doesn't like me. But I get that a lot with fighter pilots. They're just annoyed that someone who isn't a fighter pilot is better than they are. I don't think its her style though. I kind of get the feeling she'd just drag me behind a bulkhead and kick ten bells out of me directly. I can't think of anyone in particular, sorry."

Though Lana hadn't interacted with the fighter pilot she doubted Commander Vaii would snoop to the level of identify theft. Was she really to believe the pink haired pilot across from her was innocent of all the accusations against her? Alana kept a blank face as she once again scanned the report.

"I've only been out of the academy a few months." Miraj added. "I haven't had time to annoy anyone really."

The security officers brows rose and fell quickly as she considered what little time was actually needed to cross someone. “You could very well just be… an easy target.” Lana bit her bottom lip in thought before adding, “I’d like to look into it further, monitor your access codes as well as track your whereabouts for the next few days. Possibly set a trap for these thief’s….”

An easy target. Miraj tried not to sag a little, even though it was definitely true. "Is that possible? How can you do that?" She had no idea who was doing this, she couldn't begin to think how to find them.

Alana nodded to the com badge Miraj wore, "We have systems that can allow us to track an individual, and alerts that will notify me anytime you 'identity' is used elsewhere. It a bit of an invasion of privacy, but it will only be temporary until I can find out who the thief is. With your permission that is."

"Yes. Absolutely. of course. Whatever you need." Miraj shook her head vigorously, her bunches swinging.

"I'm not making promises, but I'll do what I can. In the meantime, go about your days like normal and I'll contact you when I know something." The security officer said with a small smile, she was thrilled about the assignment but it would help the time pass in security.

"Well I hope it doesn't take too much longer." Miraj twisted the end of her bunches round a finger. "The worst of this is never knowing when someone's going to run at me screaming because they think I've done something to them."

Alana frowned, she hadn't considered how the other female would feel in the time it took her to solve this mystery. "I'm only a call away should you need me, don't hesitate to call security if anyone gives you a hard time. " She said reassuringly.

"Thanks," Miraj didn't want to be a bother, but it was good to remember that there were options if things got hairy. "You've been really helpful, I appreciate it."

Alana nodded rather then insisting she was just doing her job. She took a deep breath as the young Ensign left the room, leaving Alana to piece out how she would start her investigation. Perhaps she should conduct a few interviews, this Kaden character and his stabbing victim seemed like a good place to start....