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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>NRPG: Long time coming, but with a ton of work and help from Jackie and Alistair, finally able to put this one to bed.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RPG:</p><p class=MsoNormal>Mission: Murder on the Exeter Express</p><p class=MsoNormal>Day: 2</p><p class=MsoNormal>Stardate: 2445.12.02</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(USS Exeter – Science Labs, Lab 7 – 2O/CEO – Lt. Cmdr. Keira Merek, CSO - Lt. JG Erin Cortez, COO - Ensign SG - Paul Sleeford - 2036)</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Shaking his head Sleeford frowned, now this voice he did know, it was one of the new intake of Ops officers, the name escaped him at the moment but he’d spoken to them yesterday about their tardiness.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A smile crept over Erin’s face as she listened to the two recordings. A smile that said something had clicked within her and had given her an avenue with which to help the investigation rather than be a subject of it.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Okay, look. Voices are like fingerprints, right? They’re unique to each individual. The tone, the cadence, the rhythm of the speech, the accent, every part is different for each individual and each race within the federation and beyond.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nodding Sleeford, “That's why voice recognition is used for security doors and sensitive areas, you can't fake a voice print”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Example, if you took a typical Vulcan voice and put it against a recording of, let’s say the borg, you would be able to tell the difference especially if they are speaking the same words.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“True, the Borg are more mechanical in their voice print, Vulcuns are.. Oh I don;t know, monotone and boring”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Keira raised her eyebrow at the comment but said nothing.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“So, with these recordings, we don’t listen to the words, we listen to the manner they are said. Can you play the first one again, Lieutenant?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nodding Sleeford waited.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Erin’s eyes crinkled as she listened, “Sounds human to me. Thoughts?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“I know the voice, I just don't know where from. Is it from one of the newer officers or is it an original from Mars. “</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“And the second one?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford eyes lit up, “I know that voice, thats Ensign Thom, I had to take him to task about his lateness for duty yesterday morning, If it helps he spends a lot of time with Ensign Zella, both came on board and into Ops from Starbase Freedom. “</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"How sure are you? I know that second voice. I know it from somewhere and I can't place it.." Erin replied. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>”I’m sure Lieutenant, he has a slight nasal twang,edged with a large dose of arrogance. Thats Thom.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Erin replayed the second voice. Listening, she could tell that was a voice or at least a manner of speaking that she had heard before. As she racked her brain trying to place it, the sense of frustration was building in her. “I know this…. Why do i know this…..” she mumbled under her breath.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“We need to be as close to one hundred percent sure as we can be. Playing it by ear is not going to be good enough.” Keira said. “We’ll need to do a voice print verification with the computer. I will have to bring up the files.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She heard their responses but it didn’t register with her. The frustration at being so close to a clue to Nix’s death and, yet, having it far enough away that she couldn’t reach it boiled over within her and she slapped her hand down on the console. “Damn it all.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Thoughts, Erin?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Thoughts? I’m frustrated. But with regards to the voices. Voice print verification is the way to go.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Computer voice print verify both samples against Ops Officer Ensign Thom.” Keira ordered.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[First Sample 73% Match]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Not even the same species?” Keira offered.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Doesn't look like it. Something with the first one isn’t right. In my opinion, i don’t think it’s a human voice. The Cadence is all wrong.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford opened his eyes and smiled slightly, “The first voice could be Ensign Vella, his fathers a Bolean, his mother though I don't think he mentioned her, from what he said she’s from the Gamma quadrant, other then that I don;t know much” </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Second Sample 93% Match] </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Close, the same section of the choir, definitely.” Keira said.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Is it good enough to pass on the name to security though?” Erin postulated.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Keira shook her head in response. “You’d need over ninety-five percent, anything less than ninety-eight would prompt a secondary phrase for verification. Are there any differences in the atmosphere between standard and what one would have found in Tyko’s quarters? Temperature variations? Humidity?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pulling up the reading that had been taken by security when they had attended, Erin began to read. “Not that I can see. Nothing that would affect the voice anyway.” Erin paused as she looked down the details of the scans and her heart skipped a beat as she saw the beginning of the description of the body.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Standing up, she walked to the other side of the lab, desperate for a moment alone to collect her thoughts. Taking a glass of water from the replicator, she stood, taking a sip leaning on the cool wall of her lab.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Keira noticed the movement of her friend and she looked away from her work half expecting Erin to be on the floor in some kind of medical emergency. ~That’s just what this day needs, isn’t it?~ Keira was relieved to only see her leaning on the wall, not collapsed on the floor.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford looked across at Cortez, frowning slightly “Are you okay Lieutenant?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Erin looked at him, a tired look on her face and sighed, "No, I am not. I've, quite frankly, had enough." She replied a little sharply.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Something you want to talk about?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Taking a sip of her water, Erin turned to them both and said, "I'd rather not talk about it right now if it's all the same. I just… need a minute." She replied, closing her eyes. Thinking to herself that all she really wanted to do was run and hide but she knew her duties. Whispering under her breath, "just a minute...please…"</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“OK, take your time. I’m right here, if you need me. I’m going to set the computer up to check against the rest of the OPS Chief’s short list.” Keira said.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nodding, Erin took a breath and sat down on a stool nearby the replicator, fighting down the images flying through her mind.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Computer set up voice comparison and analysis with the investigation files against the following list.” Keira ordered. “What were those names again?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“The names are - Ensigns Henderson, Zella, Setrewy, Thom and Petty officers Zettra, Cummings and Hosk.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Ensign Henderson,” Keira said.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Negative.]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Ensign Zella,” Keira offered.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Negative.]</p><p class=MsoNormal>“Ensign Setrewy,” Keira tried. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Negative]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Ensign Thom has been ruled out already,” Keira said. “Petty Officers Zettra, Cummings and Hosk, computer analyze these three as well.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[All Negative.]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Well we have managed to rule some out. Maybe the two culprits aren’t new additions? Scary thought but what if they’ve been here since the beginning?” Keira said.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford looked at Keira with a worried look, “Oh god that's a scary thought. I’d had thoughts it might be but pushed them from my mind as being too outlandish to contemplate.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“You were pretty sure about Thom, and you remembered an intricate detail about his performance…” Keira started.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“It was nothing to be honest, he was late for shift, by 30 minutes, he claimed he overslept, I found it hard to believe as he’s on Beta shift. “</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“That’s right he was late for a duty shift. What if he thought it was someone else’s whose name looks like his, but isn’t? Are there any such people in the OPS rosters?” Keira offered.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Reaching over Keira's shoulder, Sleeford called up the duty roster for Ops, running the names each shift side by side, stopping he shook his head. “Well I’ll be damned, Ensign Thorn, Gamma shift. Starting the same day, I even spoke to him the morning after his first shift.. That would rule out Thom completely. Can we check for a voice print match for Thorn?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Erin listened to the words again, but the only thing in her mind were the words that she had read. Fighting back the anger, sadness and tears, she took a sip of her water and noticed that her hands were shaking slightly. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Pulling the file up now,” Keira said, “Ensign Malachi Thorn… this him?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Yes thats him, Joined from Freedom station, apparently transferred from the USS Destiny, some tale about not getting on with his supervising officer”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nodding Keira keyed up the relevant voice file. “Computer please compare both investigation files with voice print, Thorn, Malachi Ensign OPS officer.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[First sample 71% match, Second Sample 99% match.]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Then Thorns our man.” Shaking his head, “He seemed like a likable young man”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“I believe you are right. We need to send a security team over to his quarters now.” Keira said and turned to Sleeford, “You just came out of security, to accept your lateral promotion, are you familiar enough with their roster to recommend a team?”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Laughing Sleeford and smiled, “Oh yes. Normally i’d pick, More, Brenton, Borenson and myself. Send Borensonn and Brenton, their the two largest security guards we have, they can handle Thorn.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Are they on Beta shift?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Unless Lieutenant Ravok has made changes to the Rosta their on Gamma shift. They should be in the office now drinking their coffee and moaning about the amount of work they have to do.” </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Let’s try,” Keira said, tapping her combadge. “Merek to Security; Brenton and Borensonn, please respond.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^= Security, Brenton here. =^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“This is Commander Merek, is Borensonn there as well? What is your location?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^= Main Security Office, and yes he’s here, why? =^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Computer secure this channel, code Merek Seven-One-Nine.” Keira said quickly.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Voice authorization required.]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Merek, Faehht-fve-hwi-lhi, ” the blonde woman responded.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Code accepted, channel secure.]</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^= Whoah, what the…. =^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Listen to me very carefully. I’ve just secured the channel, I need you two to go to deck 11 section 12, and apprehend an Ensign Malachi Thorn. Then you need to lock him in the brig.” Keira explained.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^=Who’s authority? =^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Her facial expression betrayed that she was a little surprised that he would question her, “Mine. I’m the Second Officer, third incharge of this ship.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^=We should tell Lieutenant Ravok….=^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Negative. Time is paramount here, I’ll let Ravok know, by the time you get there, your boss will be all up to speed. When you are done, report to him.” Keira corrected him.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>=^= *Sigh* OK, I will ensure that my log reflects this is your order, and I did not do so of my own volition. =^=</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Listening to the exchange Sleeford bit his lip to avoid laughing out loud, as Merek finished he shook his head.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Fine, but log it after you come back. Merek out.” Keira said, “Computer, using the same active channel, Merek to Ravok.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Reply Ravok)</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“This line is secure, are you in a place where you can talk?” Keira asked.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Reply Ravok)</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“We’ve come up with some paydirt. I’m sending two of your guys Brenton and Borensonn to apprehend one Ensign Thorn we’ve got one match on one of the undisguised voice prints.” Keira explained.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Reply Ravok) </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford waited until the commander had finished talking to the COSec “Remind me commander when this is over, to tell you the easiest way to deal with the lunk heads down on deck eight”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Erin stood and looked at the pair, “So, we have one?” </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford turned, “yes Ensign Thorn”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“One of them that did….” she closed her eyes.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Keira only nodded.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“I’m….. do either of you mind if i go… i just need to get some air.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sleeford looked between Merek and Cortez, something was going on here that he wasn’t privileged too, something that could have implications on the case. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Of course. Maybe we should take this opportunity for a break.” Keira offered.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Holding in a yawn Sleeford nodded, “sounds good to me commander, I don't think we’re going to get much more here. “</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“I’m sure Ravok and the rest of security will get more information from the captive than we will from some recordings.” Keira said with confidence.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Reply Any)</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Posted by Jackie, Alistair and Todd)</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“<span style='color:black'>The only way to defeat fear is to tell it 'No'." No - we will not take shortcuts on the path to righteousness. No - we will not break the rules that protect us from our basest instincts. No - we will not allow desperation to destroy moral authority.” - Michael Burnham, Star Trek: Discovery</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“No, I’m from Iowa, I only work in outer space.” – Adm. James T. Kirk, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Todd Holladay<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SGT, IA ARNG (Retired)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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