Delicate Matter

Posted on Thu May 4th, 2023 @ 2:22am by Lieutenant Commander Rin & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Senior Staff Command
Timeline: MD4
1049 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

With a nod to the guards at the entrance, Rin entered Senior Staff Command to find Gary looking over surveys of the area the Elysium survivors were now calling home.

"Morning, sir," Rin said, seemingly in a good mood. "Can we speak privately? It's a classified matter."

Gary looked up from the surveys. "Good morning Rin." He replied pleasantly. "Classified matter? Yes, by all means we can." As he moved from the main area to a small inner office, more a closet bit it afforded them the privacy that Rin requested. Once inside, Gary got to the point. "What classified matter Rin?"

"Lt. Nevada McKay is dead," she sated bluntly. "Died shortly before the accident. Dissolved into a cloud of nanites which I have now secured in Intel. I am looking for direction on the proper treatment of them. She was hoping they would be available for future study. I feel that just puts us back where we started in this whole unfortunate affair. I'm looking for guidance on the matter."

Gary took the news about McKay's death and was silent for a few seconds. "Unfortunate and sad to hear." He finally replied. "A useless death. A misguided death. You say you have her remains that is the nanites secure in Intel. Cannot be accessed by anyone other than you?" He prodded. "We don't want them getting loose. I share your concern by the way. Study means someone else would try to play god. As this just perpetuates and endless circle."

"Myself or you." Rin still had to actively fight tacking "sir" onto her sentences. Gary's casual attachment to protocol was still odd to her, but she meant to respect it. "And Lt. Reece is aware of them. I wanted a witness to the collection of the remains in case something went wrong. McKay's last message stated the nanites are hostile to organic matter."

Gary nodded with approval at Rin's statement. "Good thinking Rin and smart with Lt. Reece witnessing you. What kind of container have you got them stored in? Did McKay say anything else other than the nanites are hostile to organic matter? Not that isn't enough." He paused thinking on this hot potato he had dumped in his lab.

"Type D isolation containment. Airtight, non-organic, non-corroding materials. Access codes necessary on the container itself, as well as where it will be stored. I also have her research, which she kept separate from the main computer system." She pulled the data chip from her pocket. "I don't know the ins and outs of the science, but it's all here. If we want more info, Sthilg might understand it. Otherwise we'd have to read in a Science officer."

"Good, good Rin. Very well done. We can't take any chances with those nanites getting out. Can you imagine the damage they would do?" Gary sighed, "What in the hell was McKay thinking about? Don't answer, I'll tell you. She was thinking of her own legacy. She wanted to live forever. Now she's metallic dust." He looked at the data chip. "Maybe later we'll get Sthilg or a science officer to read it. However, for now it stays classified and needs to be locked away from any prying eyes. Only you and I to have access."

"And the Commodore?"

"Good question Rin. For now, this remains between us. The Commodore wasn't onboard when this all came to our attention. She has no knowledge of this, for now it stays that way." He looked at her, "What's your opinion?"

"Keeping things from superiors gets tricky, and it's a dangerous substance on her ship. I have no reason to suspect she'd do something foolish with the information, nor do I think she needs plausible deniability. But you know her more than I."

"All very true Rin and valid. My reason is to protect her from any fallout if this suddenly got out of hand and went to hell in a handbasket." Gary paused for a moment. "I've never kept anything from her. We have an excellent relationship and I want that to continue. I will think on it some more."

Rin nodded in acknowledgement. "I have a personal request to make. Should I die before before we make it home - and I have no specific expectation of that, this is purely a just-in-case - disintegrate my body. Don't put it in a casket to float in space. Disintegrate it. Don't let the technology get loose here. Don't give someone the opportunity to make these kinds of stupid mistakes. Please."

Gary was silent as Rin made her request of him. After a few seconds he spoke. "Rin, I...." He stopped. What did he want to say? That she was being foolish? Because she wasn't. She was being extremely responsible as he knew her to be. Finally, he spoke again. "Rin, I give you my word. If you die before we get home, I will personally disintegrate your body."

"Thank you, Gary." The use of his name was deliberate, just like most things Rin did. This wasn't just a request made to a superior. It was a request made to a friend, a friend whom she was confident would respect it.

The use of his name wasn't lost on Gary. He appreciated the fact that Rin considered him a friend as he did her and not just a superior officer. He nodded at her thank you. To say "your welcome" was wrong on so many levels he wouldn't even go there. As silence filled the air, he went back to an earlier topic. "I think I will tell the Commodore about McKay and her ill fated and dangerous experiment. She deserves to know." He looked at Rin, "Thank you for your opinion on this. I appreciate it and you Rin a great deal."

"Thank you." She didn't really have words for how much it did mean to her. Intel officers had the thankless of job of keeping their mouths shut and hiding the at least metaphorical bodies. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

"No nothing else Rin. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and taking the appropriate action to safeguard McKay's remains so no one else can use them for another ill advised experiment in trying to play God."