EXETERRPG: Fwd: (2, 1230) CO, Captain Trip Williams and FO, Commander Ailynn Bracken

[Will Banowsky]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Will Banowsky <bano1853 at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 11:05 PM
Subject: (2, 1230) CO, Captain Trip Williams and FO, Commander Ailynn
Bracken
To: Will Banowsky via exeter-rpg <exeter-rpg at startrekfreedom.com>


Mission: Murder on the Exeter Express

Day: 2

Stardate: 2445.12.02

(USS Exeter –Observation Lounge – CO Cpt Trip Williams and FO Cmdr Ailynn
Bracken - 1230)

Ailynn watched as the door closed behind Ravok and Merek, Ailynn picked at
a lock of hair again, and fiddled with it. “Captain?”

"So Commander, thoughts on the theories?"

“Honestly?” She sighed. “They all have merit, until you actually stop and
examine all of the evidence at hand. I adore Erin, but she has not got the
tech ability for who knows what shifting. More may have had words with Nix,
but...I dunno. ”

"So you're saying they're red herrings?'

“It’s incidental at best, all we have seems...circumstancial. Here’s the
thing. Lets take Caity for instance. In one moment, we’re supposed to
believe that she’s a tech genius muderess, or part of a conspiracy, and the
next she hides a rolling pin, in a position where it’s going to be found in
5 seconds. Genius one second,  stupid the next. It’s too convenient.”

"Too convenient, it's inconvenient?"

“Convenience is probably the wrong word. My point is that we can’t expect
someone to be clever the next minute, but have so little back up plan that
stupid mistakes are made.”

"I mean I'm not saying the Caity theory has merit. But could planting
evidence that makes no sense, be used to throw us off the scent?"

“It could yes, and that I think is the point I’m making. I don’t know where
we are on that side of the investigation, but the levels of evidence
contradict each other. We have secret levels of transporting, information
available only to Lieutenant COmmander upwards in one breath, but a stray
dog hair, or a rolling pin shoved into a loose panel the next.”

"I have more questions then answers than answers. Though honestly, no
offense, I don't find Caity, umm, genius enough to pull this off."

“Caity is extremely clever, but it’s...clever like Ash is; with reading,
and...normally people. You’re right she’s not science clever.”

"Erin is."

“I know, and honestly, if I thought she was capable...I appreciate that you
never really know someone. Dammit Trip I know how this looks and I know
that I’m going on gut feeling.”

"Look, we need to be careful. Whoever is behind this wants to pit us
against each other. Make us paranoid."

“I know. It’s starting to work too. I don’t think Ravok trusts my
judgement.”

"You're one of the smartest people on the ship. Connected to two of his
 suspects. We're lucky he doesn't have you on his list."

“Give it time.” She nodded sadly. “Had crossed my mind, I’m ready if he,
she or they try.”

"Do you have an alibi? Just in case."

Ailynn shook her head. “I haven’t. But, maybe Ronnie can stay for the next
couple of days.”

“Possibly, but that doesn’t do any good for night of.”

“Can I ask something?”

“Yes?”

“Am I too close? To the suspects I mean?” Ailynn sighed, deeply.

“What do you mean?” Trip asked inquisitively.

“I’m not sure if I’m strong enough for this, I feel like I’m failing at
every step. Not just the investigation, the whole thing. Part of me wonders
if I’d have been better off staying on Mars as CMO.”

“Honestly, we’re all close to this. Yes two of the suspects are your
girlfriend and good friend, guess what, Erin is also close friends with
Ravok, Ravok and I are close to Ire. Merek is close to Ire’s fiance. At a
certain point, I have to ask the question, do we double back, and invite an
independent investigation from Starbase Freedom.”

“It’d be too late, trail will be cold by then; and it risks someone jumping
ship. We’ve got it covered.”

“But no, I don’t think you’d have been better off on Mars. You’d see me and
everyone around you leaving and you’d be wondering, why not me?”

“I know you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” Trip said with a giggle. “Can I ask you a question?”

Ailynn nodded. “Of course.”

“Do you think Ravok is too honed in that he is at risk of not being
objective?”

“Not in so many words. I worry though, and I’ve done it myself, that
there’s a danger that you start trying to make what evidence you have fit
the idea you have. He may be approaching things from a different angle and
that’s fine but…”

“But?”

“Third year of med school. I’d diagnosed something that I was so certain
was Chattel’s Syndrome. Symptoms fitted beautifully. However I’d failed to
take the single step back, and actually look at the patient. Missed a lot
of other evidence because I’d focussed on what I’d seen.”

Trip nodded his head.

“It may be he’s right, and if the evidence says that Caity, Erin or whoever
did it then fine, I have no issue.”

“What about Ire, More, or Sleeford? Are you as willing to write them off as
suspects are you are Erin and Caity?”

“Yes of course, all of them. It’s why I said ‘or whoever’ My objection to
Caity and Erin is based simply on physical strength. I’ll go and get blood
from all of the suspects. But I won’t find anything, that isn’t how muscle
supplements or Adrenaline shots work. I happen to think everything we have
is incidental.”

“Of course… here are some narratives, some questions to ask. And stop me
whenever they seem implausible. The only one who I can’t really see as the
murderer is Ire, but then Ire has the skills for it. And was raised by an
AI. He has a port in the back of his head he plugged into his fighter and
other things. Could his mind have been compromised by a foreign agent? Does
that sound plausible?”

“I’m nearly certain not. I did units in bioneural interfaces remember?
Depends how good the security sweeps are.”

“Ok, then what about these scenarios. Erin was gone for a year, at Star
Trek HQ recovering, after having a foreign agent implanted into her head. A
Cardassian Gul with malevolent intent. Gone for a year, around who knows
who at HQ, and we already know there were secret cabals and conspiracies at
Starfleet over the last two decades. Could Erin have been turned by a
shadowy group, say Roanoke? Or could Dulon still be present?”

“Honestly I don’t think so. It does raise an interesting point though. I
didn’t do her last brain scans. I’ll recheck. “

“Please do, I’ll also order a full psych eval. Probably for all of them.”

“Will do.”

“Ok, what about Caity, how well do you really know her, from before she
came onboard. How do we know she isn’t a double agent. If I was a double
agent, it would be a bit easier to move about as a civilian.”

“On deck 9 yes, I agree. However, unless they’re bringing things up into
here, or your lounge, Civilian staff are actually limited regarding ships
access.”

“And please, don’t take this the wrong way, but as attractive as you are,
don’t you think it a bit...convenient how quickly she fell for you? And
please, I’m not trying to make her a suspect, I’m just throwing out
possible theories that might be raised, so that we can have answers and
objections, if they exist.”


“I know, and I’m not disagreeing as such; It’s also really questionable why
the only people that we have any evidence for are the ones who had a
disagreement with someone yesterday, who was deliberately going around
poking the hive?”

“It isn’t just yesterday. They all had issues with him going back a few
months. Remember, Ensign More did already threaten him before, simply
because he was Bajoran. And Caity did tell him to ‘tread lightly’. Is it
flimsy yes. Could it lead to motive, I don’t know. I’m not a detective.
Again, some of the evidence towards Caity is too convenient. Do you think
there is enough to rule her out at this moment in time? Or any of them at
this time?”

“Rule out? No. I don’t believe I ever said that. I said, and I paraphrase
that she and Erin didn’t have the physical strength. Nothing else.”

“What about Sleeford and More. Sleeford, former enlisted Marine, fast
tracked through academy. More has a reputation of a hot head. Could you see
either of them with the know-how or at least desire to do it?”

“I can’t rule that out. There is a world of difference between knowing how
to do something, and actually physically being able to do it. My worry is
that we’re scrabbling around trying to fit what...4 people into the trinity
of evidence, in a flimsy way at best. Have we actually taken a step back
and looked at the timeline, what we actually actually know, interviewed
anyone else? That young Ensign...you remember, when I arrived on scene, I
was in uniform, I got changed in her room yes? She hear anything? Has
anyone actually done a door-to-door?”

“That would be a question for Ravok. It’s under his job duties.”

Ailynn was tired, hungry and had a screaming headache now, which was why
she carried on. “Look. I’m too close to this I know I am...I’ll step down;
from everything if you ask it of me.” She rubbed her temples.

“No I wouldn’t do that. If I were to ask you to do that, I would need to
ask Ravok to do the same. He’s close to Erin and Ire. Everyone is too close
and that’s the point.”

“I hate this.” She said simply, stifling a yawn.

“Do you think Ravok is harping on Caity because he doesn’t want to focus on
Ire or his former subordinate Paul or his current subordinate Stan?”

“Honestly no I don’t. I think that there’s just a touch more...evidence,
however circumstantial to suggest her. It hasn’t helped I think he thinks
I’m out to protect her at any cost, took my sentence in it’s worst light.”

“I say this with no disrespect, but he’s Romulan and he probably sees the
world through the lens of a Romulan. Secrets having secrets.”

“Possibly. We’re all guilty of that perhaps.” She yawned again. “Suspects
aside...This is all weird.”

“Go take a nap.”

“I will. I just can’t shake the thought that this an extra level of
planning, multiple red herring, multiple levels of false evidence. Serious
commitment to hiding tracks too. I mean...killing someone is one thing. But
then being so committed to hiding your tracks that you cave in the entire
back of the skull to hide the cause of death?”

“It makes me uneasy as well….” Trip paused. “Canvas the area, interview the
neighbors, see if you can’t find anything. Independent investigation….there
is something that didn’t sit well with me about Ravok disputing the time of
death. I mean, is it easier to assume that the time of death was wrong as
opposed to faking a security call?”

“I’ll confess that irked me, however no offense taken, he’s a creature of
logic, he may not be used to a medic of my calibre, time of death can be
tricky to pin down, there’s a lot of factors. In this case I can be
precise.”

“Plus, you ascertained all this data before you knew Caity was a suspect.
Data which I verified before informing you. Which I did on purpose I might
add.

“I’m going to eat and nap, then I’ll have a chat to the neighbours. I want
to look at the body again. There’s something…”

“Something?”

“Dunno. It was something you said, when we were playfighting earlier… about
him being drugged, there’s no traces of anything, but I want to...Hell I
don’t know. You know me, I hate open problems.”

“Yes, you do.” Trip paused. “There is another thing we need to consider.”

“Go on…”She said, intrigued.

“Are you familiar with Murder on the Orient Express?”

Ailynn slowly inhaled, nodding. “I’m afraid I am, Yes. All of them you
mean?”
“Is it impossible?”

“No.” She shook her head, “Sadly it isn’t. It’s all kinds of unlikely, but
there again, so’s a murder with this much...Look. I need a nap. Then I’ll
get back to it.” she stood up, “Wasn’t you was it?”

“I’ve got an airtight alibi. In bed, with my wife. But even that could be
chiseled at if you tried. What about you?”

“Wasn’t me either. That’s two down. Layla maybe? Fed up of blocking the
toilet?”

“I doubt it.”

“I’m going. With your permission?”

“Yes,”

Ailynn nodded, and turned toward the door, headed back toward her quarters
to get some rest.

“Ailynn, remember, Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no
matter how improbable, must be the truth. Not sure how true that is. But
head on a swivel. And I hate to say this, but for your protection, limit
your interaction with Caity. And I hate asking that. It kills me. But just
in case.”

She nodded. “The records will show I had a conversation with her about an
hour ago, no case details were given. Just an FYI. But you’re right.”

“This is one of those situations where I hate being right.”

“I know. I will say though, hating someone for what race they are, warning
them to tread lightly, whatever else the conversations were about. It’s a
big big step up to actually killing someone.”

“But, the thing is, no one ever knows who a person really is on the inside.
We don’t know what they bury, we don’t know what sort of things they are
submarining.”

“I know, and I don’t disagree. Just cautious is all.”

“Do me a favor Ailynn, contact each of our five suspects, send them to meet
with Counselor Jack Roberts as soon as possible. If they are innocent, I
want to make sure that they’re psychological health isn’t impared by this
to the point of no return.”

“I will.” She nodded. “With your permission?”

“Rest well.”

Trip then sighed as Ailynn left the room. “I think I’m in over my head.”

(reply none)
(posted by Will and Mark)
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