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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #3: "Some Other Side of Paradise"

  1. #2551
    Member Elendil's Heir's avatar
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    As soon as Dobson is gone, Rangin realizes he might just have called Ebling on her communicator, or that of one of her guards. Dobson asks at the reception desk anyway and they page Ebling, who answers a few minutes later on Rangin's communicator. By that time Dobson has returned to his side. "I'm out for a walk outside, just east of the resort," the Tellarite officer says. "What can I do for you, Mr. Rangin?"

    Fastolfe says, "When I last looked in the box last night, there were four knives remaining. Someone's been here in the house ever since we arrived, I think. Even when most of us were out for a meal or going to the nightclub last night, at least one of my staff was here - and there's been no sign of a break-in. The people now in the house include me; Miss Adjetey; Caleb Hotchkiss, my bodyguard and valet, whom you met at the door; Dan Stimmons, my personal assistant; and Paula Goldman, my publicist. The two next door are guests whom I met this morning at breakfast and invited back. I'd really rather not drag them into all this. And yes, of course, you foolish girl, I already guessed I'm a suspect in Wilson's death."
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 28 Jun 2014 at 08:29 PM.

  2. #2552
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    Kylah raises her eyebrow and murmurs, "I suppose we will have to wait until the murder is solved before we know who is the bigger fool--I, for believing you to be more human than caricature, or you, for disabusing me of that notion." She smiles before continuing. "Of course you could see you were a suspect, but if you are innocent, you could not have known why--that your knife was found at the scene of the crime and, presumably, used as the murder weapon. Surely you did not think your 'Lord Fastolfe' character's infantile performance yesterday was so convincing that we would suspect you for that reason alone?"

    She steps closer to him. "Look, Mr. Fastolfe," she says, purposely dropping the artificial title. "I am grateful for the names you gave us, and it is most generous of you to wish to leave your new friends out of this situation. But like everyone else at this resort, they are involved, like it or not. We will be speaking to them. Further, now that you have described your morning, I am even more confused by your behavior. You arose, dressed, left your room to attend breakfast, picked up two strangers, and returned for a tryst. And yet at no point were you driven to complain that the spores--your reason for coming to this spa--had worn off?" Shaking her head, almost disappointed, she adds: "That is not consistent with your public persona, you know. Did you forget that your spoiled, hot-tempered alter ego would have raised an uproar about such an outrage?"

    With a swift, apologetic glance at Graham, Kylah continues in a slightly sharper tone. "One more question from me, and then I must yield to our senior officers for now. Do you have any financial connections with this or any other entertainment/resort facility?"

  3. #2553
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    Graham had been pleased by Kylah's diligent interview of Fastolfe, and somewhat bemused by seeing this other side of the actor displayed, but those feelings are cut short by a flash of anger when he calls her a "foolish girl." He physically twitches and has to restrain his instinct to face-plant Fastolfe on the floor and cuff him, then continue the interview that way.

    She's bending over backwards to give you the royal treatment, and that's he kind of chauvinist bullshit you pull, he thinks, reminded, yet again without intentionally going there, of his daughter Kylah's age.

    "You don't need to yield to anybody, Ensign Kylah." Graham says as he takes a step forward and jabs a finger toward Fastolfe. "Just for the record, you mentioned not wanting to drag those folks into it...We've got a murder weapon with your prints on it. If it weren't for Ens. Kylah's recommendation, that I took and respect, I'd have gotten a warrant and a dozen Security officers would've kicked in the doors here while the Yorktown commandeered your yacht in orbit. The whole mess would be all over the nets already. Everybody in this house would be sitting on the floor in cuffs. Would that be at the least rude? Even over the line? Would you be able to pull some strings to get somebody at Starfleet to bust my chops and maybe assign me to some methane-atmosphere craphole for the rest of my career? Maybe. But I don't particularly give a damn." He shakes his head. "So if you're going to throw insults around, your lordship, I'd suggest that directing them at the officer who's looking out for your interests here isn't the wisest course of action."
    Last edited by general_urko; 29 Jun 2014 at 03:23 PM. Reason: minor edits for clarity/typos

  4. #2554
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    Outside, east of resort. mouths Rangin to Dobson and he heads off quickly in that direction.

    "Ah, thank you sir, my apologies, this is just a courtesy call to see if you have been contacted by Dr Halsey at all today?" he asks politely, trying to keep his breath calm, while keeping his footsteps rapid. He wonders if he can get to the Lt Cmdr to find out if she is still feeling the effect of the spores or if she is not being as honest as perhaps she should.

    Rangin begins to worry, a high ranking officer of Star Fleet. how could he be thinking that she would be anything other than upright and honest. Was he backsliding so far he might be seeing corruption when there is none? No, he would check and it would all be fine, the Lt Cmdr would have be as truthful as expected, and Rangin would feel relieved though guilty, that he had doubted a senior officer. But always better to be safe than sorry, anyone would understand that. Wouldn't they?
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  5. #2555
    I'm the Cute one! =^.^= anyrose's avatar
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    Dobson nods that she understands Rangin, then follows him when he heads off to meet Ebling

  6. #2556
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    Lord Fastolfe's expression darkens and he says, "I will not be threatened or insulted in my own house, even a temporary one. I did not kill Wilson. I have nothing more to say, and this discussion is now over. Leave now." Miss Adjetey rises at once and gestures towards the door.

    Ebling says, "Yes, I got a comm message from him but haven't responded yet." Rangin and Dobson find her without too much difficulty. She is in civilian clothes and hiking half a kilometer or so away from the resort, on trails crossing the rolling grasslands there. Her two plainclothes guards are not far away. A few other people, presumably also resort guests, walk by from time to time.

  7. #2557
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    Kylah goes through a swift array of emotions when Graham speaks. First surprised pleasure that he would tell her she need not to defer to him; then vindication when he acknowledges that she was the one to convince him that Fastolfe should not be considered the prime suspect. And finally, rising worry and even anger, as Graham proceeds to forget his role as above-it-all Mission Commander and return to his tough, threatening, bullying demeanor--and, by making it all about Protecting Kylah from an Insult, Graham has made her look like some damsel in distress.

    Fastolfe's reaction is utterly predictable. Of course, she elicited the same reaction in Jaxo and Halsey herself. But we need Fastolfe's cooperation! she thinks furiously to rationalize her own behavior, And I wasn't actually threatening anyone.

    Kylah pushes her anger at Graham aside and focuses only on Fastolfe. "No--please, the Mission Commander is simply--he meant no threat. He is just being gallant. But he is right in that as I said myself, I did not and still do not believe you to be the murderer. I beg you to assist us, at least answer my last questions. The more you assist, the quicker we will be led to the real killer."

    She swivels to Graham and sends him a sharp look. "I thank you for your defense, sir, but it is understandable that this man should be upset. He is likely being set up, his belongings taken from him and used to murder someone in his name. Of course he is being difficult!" And I do not need your bloody protection! she adds purely with her eyes, before returning to Fastolfe. She examines Fastolfe's face, hoping in some way she is getting through to him. "I am not seeking your help to find a murderer, because I understand you just wish to be left in peace. But this person, or a group of them, is trying to destroy you, either purposely or merely as a callous side-effect of framing you for this horrible crime. They are the ones at whom you should direct your anger. Do you not see that?"

    Still staring at him searchingly, she lowers her voice. "Even if you are too angry now to finish the interview... will you not at least agree to answer my questions later? To help clear up your name and avoid any further disruption of your life?"
    Last edited by choie; 29 Jun 2014 at 08:07 PM.

  8. #2558
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    Graham's not sure if Kylah is doing an inspired job playing the role of "good cop" or if she's just really pissed off at him. Probably both, he thinks, somewhat glumly.

    But he makes a mental note:Adjetey, Stimmons, Hotchkiss, Goldman. All by Fastolfe's own admission had access to the murder weapon. All in all, his own personal theory isn't that Fastolfe himself murdered Wilson - but there's enough evidence, he thinks, to get warrants for his house and ship and detain everyone he's named. There is, he thinks, more than enough evidence that Fastolfe is involved somehow, and while Graham has plenty of sympathy for poor and powerless people who might be innocent but panic when confronted with attention from law enforcement, somebody like Fastolfe should know better and help the investigation along, if he's truly innocent.

    He wishes he'd worked out a plan B with Mahmoud so warrants would be working in parallel: for the moment, he stays silent as Kylah speaks, and does not move. Things would get easier if Fastolfe's people are stupid enough to assault an officer while we slow walk it out of his house, he notes...although that makes him worry about Kylah's safety...

  9. #2559
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    "Interesting indeed, Mr Dobson. Why would Dr Halsey need to contact Lt Cmdr. Ebling? It's not as if she has reported a loss of the spores and he said earlier that he only had the three people coming in. Perhaps it was because she had not responded and nothing more. Then again, I do wonder if he had contact Lord Fastolfe as well." Rangin looks across at the Crewman, "We might want to find out what Dr. Halsey sent out, or perhaps when he sent out messages to the various people."

    "Oh well, any ideas on how to wander up to a superior officer and scan her for an alien substance, or lack thereof, without her really noticing?"
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  10. #2560
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    Fastolfe does not look assuaged. "This way, if you please," Miss Adjetey says firmly, when Graham, Kylah and Dr. T'Var do not immediately leave.

  11. #2561
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    Swallowing, Kylah is genuinely regretful--and worried. Does he truly not see the peril in which he is placing himself?

    "I do hope you will reconsider, and contact us when you are calmer," she says to Fastolfe, her voice soft and small as she backs away. "On this planet there are far worse dangers than being insulted or threatened with detainment. Please do not let pride make you vulnerable to them."

    She blinks, reluctantly breaking eye contact with the rock star, and turns to Graham. She cannot leave before he does. He must not make things worse, she thinks, wishing with all her might. Fastolfe will end up requesting an attorney, and will likely stand mute for the rest of our stay.
    Last edited by choie; 30 Jun 2014 at 11:21 PM.

  12. #2562
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    "You know, the funny thing is, if Wilson hadn't been so keen to paper over your assault and battery yesterday, we might have confiscated all these knives--he might still be dead by some other means, but the physical evidence pointing to you might not be such a slam dunk," Graham says, shaking his head and smiling slightly."Look, Fas--Lord--Fastolfe--I don't like your attitude, and I'm pretty sure you don't like mine. But truth be told I'd prefer we didn't turn this into a big public confrontation until or unless it's absolutely necessary." He shrugs. "Maybe you see it differently--maybe an arrest would bolster your image. For what it's worth, if my comments are what's got your back up, I apologize."

    Graham feels sure that he has sufficient evidence to get an arrest warrant for Fastolfe--he's also sure that at this point that while he doesn't want Fastolfe going anywhere, that would be more hassle than it's worth, so he manages to be and sound sincere.

    "At the end of the day it's your call how things go down from here. Just bear in mind that if somebody is trying to frame you, they're doing a bang-up job, so all of us just going our merry way is not one of the options at this point."

    He gives a nod to Adjetey and starts to turn toward the door, gesturing for the team to do so as well. "Miss Adjetey. Doctor, Mr. Kylah..." He adds over his shoulder, "think about it, but not too long, I'd suggest."

  13. #2563
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    "No ideas..." Rangin looks hopefully at Dobson, "oh well, maybe we will just have to try upfront honesty instead. See what kind of a reaction we get."

    Rangin sets his tricorder to scan continuously for spores in the area, before heading up towards Lt. Cmdr. Ebling. There are not supposed to be any spores in the area other than those in the guests, so the only readings he should get are from the guests...he hopes.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  14. #2564
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    Dr. T'Var nods at Lord Fastolfe and his manager, and follows Graham to the door.

    Rangin's scan shows no spores around except those in Ebling and the other guests. They are consistent with earlier readings and indicate, as he was earlier told, that the five people within scanning range - other than the two Yorktown guards - are all under the influence of the OC3 spores. Ebling does not seem to have noticed you yet as she walks along.

  15. #2565
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    With a last lingering look at Fastolfe and his manager, Kylah brings up the rear behind T'Var and Graham as they leave. Her emotions are skittering around, trying to settle on self-remorse or indignant anger aimed at Graham. She's able to handle both at once, of course, but she'd prefer for one to take precedence. She'd really prefer to turn her anger completely outwards--but she is not that unaware of her own mistakes. I should not have tweaked him for his idiotic attack display yesterday, she chants mentally, wanting to smack herself on the head for letting that "foolish girl" line get to her. Then she rallies. But even so! I was trying to give him credit, to acknowledge that he is better--or at least to let him think I believe him to be better--than the indolent, spoiled personality he puts on. And I might have convinced him if not for Graham!

    She clenches her hands into fists and waits until the door closes behind them, then stalks forward as quickly as her shorter legs can manage so that she is in front of the other two crewmates. "Well, sir," Kylah says, her voice deceptively calm but eyes flashing with barely controlled defiance. "As someone new to investigations, I would be most grateful to hear your critique and summary of how that interview went."

  16. #2566
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    Graham rubs his chin, hesitating a moment before responding to Kylah's question. "I thought you did a commendable job, Ensign, buttering Fastolfe up and persuading him to be cooperative," he says, nodding. "And even though he's chosen not to be for the moment, you elicited some valuable information that strengthens our hand if he decides he wants to do things the hard way..."

    Graham shakes his head. "Question is, does somebody want us to spend a lot of time and effort on Fastolfe, when it's a total dead end? Or could we glean something out of getting him to play ball, or pushing him into cooperating?"

    He scowls. "Doc, Mr. Kylah...interested in your thoughts. If I had my druthers, I'd fake an arrest of Fastolfe, with his cooperation, to draw out...well, somebody...I'm struck by the Hsus mentioning him earlier. But when it comes down to it, I think we have enough evidence to get search warrants for his house and ship, and even an arrest warrant for him to keep him on ice for awhile and persuade him to play ball... Not that I'm ruling out his involvement. But either way I think this is bigger than Fastolfe. What's with the extra missing knives...not to be morbid, but who are they for?"

    "All things considered, I'm inclined to pursue warrants while hoping he comes around...other ideas?"
    Last edited by general_urko; 01 Jul 2014 at 09:07 PM. Reason: added last line

  17. #2567
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    Kylah swiftly puts her hands behind her back so that she can make her fists still tighter. "I have no ideas," she says, still quiet. "I thank you for your compliments, sir, but I fear I still do not understand Federation law properly, for all I was required to study it at the Academy. I do not understand why we had to leave--the hotel owns the property, not Fastolfe. Did we not have the right to ask politely to speak to the two guests in the bedroom? Lord Fastolfe does not employ them and presumably they are not under his spell, however impressive his--his--" She is flustered for a moment, trying to think of a euphemism. "His prowess may have been," she finally says, hating herself for looking away and flushing, and thus forcing herself to turn back to Graham in renewed pride. "Do we need warrants for you or Dr. T'Var to scan the house for transporter traces? After all, someone could have transported in and stolen the knives that way. Would it have violated some law to have scanned the knife case for fingerprints, DNA, anything?"

    She shakes her head. "I do not know. That is why I say it is beyond my understanding. In any event, it is too late now, for we are personae non gratae at the moment. The human 'spilled milk' idiom applies here." Kylah exhales, frustrated. "As for the extra knives, I too fear how they might be used. Although perhaps one of the missing ones was the true murder weapon--it would explain the lack of fingerprints other than Fastolfe's on the existing weapon we found by the body.

    "For a useful suggestion... Perhaps one of us--Dr. T'Var, you are the only one who did not speak during the interview, you might be seen as an appropriately neutral party--perhaps we could contact Ms. Adjetey privately and ask her for a list of the comings and goings of everyone in the house. Any time that bedroom was unoccupied, it was vulnerable to someone either sneaking in or transporting in and snatching the weapons.

    "Meanwhile, I suppose we could contact the Yorktown and request background checks on the entourage and employee names he mentioned. I would also be curious to see if Fastolfe's name appears in connection with any executives of either WR&R or its competitors, even though I meant what I said to him about not considering him a prime suspect--for what my instincts are worth," she adds harshly. "In fact, there is the bigger picture to consider. What companies are the most likely bidders for the license rights if WR&R is rejected? Or any other companies interested in colonization? Do we know that, other than the one with which Palver is involved?"

    Again she fleetingly thinks of Jan and his investment background, unpleasantly reminded of the need to speak with him. Her stomach roils in nausea but she swallows and goes on. "Cross-checking all of the guests with one another, as well as the employees, would be useful. Now that we know it is likely Mr. Wilson was not killed in the residence area at all, there is little use in confining our questions to those few guests near the courtyard. I suppose most of what I am suggesting is background research that can be done best by those on the Yorktown, but perhaps our security crew could be assigned the task of double-checking to see if anyone can corroborate Lord Fastolfe's movements last night. Whoever stole those knives and killed Wilson had to know that Fastolfe was not in a public place surrounded by fans."

    Running out of energy, Kylah looks down at the ground in stormy thought. "That is all," she murmurs, distracted by the necessity of getting in touch with the man whom she would rather never see or speak to again.
    Last edited by choie; 02 Jul 2014 at 12:00 AM.

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    Once Rangin is satisfied with his readings, he stops allowing Lt. Cmdr. Ebling to hike off into the distance and sighs.

    "Oh well, as she said, still affected by the spores. I wonder why that is though, given the other three people. Come on Dobson, let's go back to the infirmary and see how Dr Halsey is doing with his tests. Hopefully he will have finished with Mrs Calvin and we might get a first look at his results. If you can access the information, you might want to check what appointments Halsey did make for this afternoon."

    Rangin starts trudging back towards the resort and wonders how the others are doing. Probably better than Dobson and himself.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  19. #2569
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    Dr. T'Var clears her throat. "With respect, Ens. Graham, the old Earth saying that 'two wrongs don't make a right' is a logical one. I believe the better course would have been to ignore Lord Fastolfe's insults and to press politely forward with our inquiries, neither insulting him in turn, nor threatening him. He is a proud and temperamental man, and we must bear that in mind. Ens. Kylah, I am not a lawyer, either, but as I understand Federation law, one who lives in a particular place, even if temporarily rented as Fastolfe is doing with regard to this guest house, has certain rights of privacy and exclusivity. I believe he was within his rights to ask us to leave and, in the absence of a search warrant, we were obligated to respect his wishes."

    Rangin and Dobson find Dr. Halsey once more alone in the Infirmary. He does not look pleased to see them.

  20. #2570
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    "Ah Dr. Halsey," Rangin says politely and quietly, "how did it go with Mrs Calvin? Was there anything of interest you could find, did you manage to find a reason as to why she lost the effect of the spores or is it still a mystery?"

    Rangin wonders why Halsey looks so unhappy, perhaps because he found nothing, perhaps because they were just in the way or maybe Lt. Cmdr Ebling had responded to Dr Halsey's call and mentioned Rangin had been in touch. Either way, the Dr. eas likely to let him know shortly.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  21. #2571
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    Kylah is so frustrated she wants to stamp her foot like a child. Instead she just shakes her head. "Then by all means, we must get a search warrant, so that we at least have the option available to us. I doubt we needed one to scan the knife case--Fastolfe would probably not have argued if one of us had pulled out a tricorder at the moment we discovered the additional weapons missing--but regretfully I did not think of that." Let us see if the officers representing science and security will take responsibility for that omission themselves, she thinks sullenly.

    "In any event, surely the hotel staff can enter their own property if they believe something might be amiss. There are multiple potential witnesses in that house who can verify when the knife set was vulnerable--if it ever was. Unfortunately his employees are all beholden to Lord Fastolfe. And his two guests are... they probably feel a bond with him." Her face turns warm at the thought. She has no idea what sex is like for non-empaths, but the spores likely add something extra to any such... activities. Jan had indicated his satisfaction and pleasure despite her own lack of experience and even, at times, participation--

    "I can say one thing," she blurts, desperate to get those excruciatingly awkward thoughts out of her mind. She takes a quick look at T'Var that only grazes the Vulcan's face before returning to a neutral spot far away. "For what it is worth, Lord Fastolfe did not expect what we found--or rather, did not find--in the knife case. I am certain his surprise was genuine." She brushes her hair away from her face in an attempt to cool her burning skin. "So... so what are your orders, Mr. Graham?"
    Last edited by choie; 04 Jul 2014 at 02:54 PM.

  22. #2572
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    Graham frowns. "Two wrongs don't make a right...fair enough, Doc." He pauses. "I think I can tell by your body language you think I screwed up too, Mr. Kylah," he adds. He takes a deep breath and exhales. "But in this case I wouldn't change what I did. Sometimes for the sake of an investigation you have to turn a blind eye to stuff that ranges from the obnoxious to the truly criminal... Yeah, it's true easier if Fastolfe cooperates voluntarily, but he's not holding many cards...and how much crap I think we ought to put up with is directly related to that... "

    He shakes his head. "Anyway, we are where we are: first things first." He opens his communicator. "Graham to Delaney. Several more of a set of five knives, identical to the murder weapon, belonging to Fastolfe are missing. These are off-world products: is there anything about them that would enable us to find them using tricorders or the Yorktown's sensors? Access the one we have on ice and analyze it if that would help."

    "Graham to Yorktown. I'd like to request a search warrant for the house occupied by Lord Fastolfe, for his ship, and for any records that might connect him to the victim and WR&R from the Starfleet JAG, ASAP. Multiple witnesses saw Fastolfe assault Wilson yesterday. A weapon matching those in his possession, with his fingerprints on it, was found by the body. By his own admission, he cannot provide witnesses to account for his whereabouts for the entirety of last night, when the murder occurred. Moreover, also by his own admission his staff had access to the possible murder weapons - I'd like them and their possessions on the warrant." Graham lists the staff Fastolfe named. "A transporter signature was detected near the body, possibly implicating his ship and necessitating an audit of its records."

    He pauses and looks at Kylah. "Anything we scan without a warrant might not admissible in court...the biggest piss--uh, let down would be to detect something meaningful but have a judge throw it out."

    He shrugs and addresses T'Var and Kylah. "In any event, fingers crossed Fastolfe changes his mind. If he doesn't, if this warrant comes through we sit him and his entourage down on their butts while we take our sweet time searching...that will give us some time to try talking to him again. In the meantime...you made some suggestions, Ensign, and Rangin and Dobson might have found something -- what would you each like to do?" he asks, while waiting for the Yorktown's response.

  23. #2573
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    Kylah grinds her teeth in silence during Graham's multiple orders through his communicator, an entirely gratuitous display of how large his dicta is. Yes, why not threaten anyone and everyone, no matter how much cooperation is needed?

    Finally he asks what she wants. What would I like to do? Best not to ask me such a question. But rather than give the truth, which involves her blade and his scruffy throat, she swallows and says merely: "I believe it is time for me to speak with Mr. Hsu. Your recommendations for how to accomplish this in private would be appreciated, sir."

  24. #2574
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    Dr. Halsey says to Rangin, "Mrs. Calvin is entirely free of the spores' influence now. She can't explain it, and neither can I. She was not subjected to any stress or emotional stimulus that she can recall that would have triggered an adrenaline surge."

    Delaney replies to Graham, "I have the scans of the knives from the murder scene and in the resort's vault, Ensign. Let me see if there are any unique characteristics to them." He calls back shortly. "Good idea, Booker. The two knives both have trace amounts of ridonium, an alloy commonly used in Argelian metallurgy. It doesn't naturally occur on OC3. Scanning now... hmm. My tricorder can only locate the two knives we know of. I see no sign of the other three anywhere."

    Cmdr. Vargas hears out Graham's request for a search warrant, and says, "All right, Mr. Graham. I'll relay that information to the Judge Advocate on Starbase 27. It might be enough to get us a search warrant; we'd need several, actually, to cover all of those points - Fastolfe, his guest house, his ship and otherwise-private records. It could be several hours before we hear back."

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    Despite her annoyance, Kylah is surprised and curious about the apparently vanished knives. A thought occurs to her. "There is one place we have not been able to scan," she murmurs. "Could the knives... could they have been transported into the safe in Mr. Wilson's office?"

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    Delaney says, "Hmm. Could be. I hadn't thought of that."

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    "Well, interesting idea...hide the real murder weapon inside a safe only the deceased--and, apparently, you the murderer--knows exists and how to crack." Graham frowns. "Sure points to an inside job..."

    He rubs his chin. "The Hsus were sure eager to hear about Fastolfe. Maybe..." he pauses, on the one hand not happy about potentially putting Kylah in danger but at the same time respecting the fact that she came up with the idea of trying to cajole something out of the Hsus one-on-one. "Maybe that's an opening for you to talk to Mr. Hsu, Ensign," Graham says to Kylah. "You could ask to speak off the record--because you're concerned I...ah, your new mission commander isn't taking Fastolfe seriously as a suspect...how far would he go to nudge things along?"

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    Kylah barely manages to avoid raising a cynical eyebrow. "With respect, sir, I cannot imagine it will be easy to convince Mr. Hsu that you are not taking Fastolfe seriously. Even if Fastolfe has not complained of the interview and threats, there was the altercation yesterday to consider, and Mr. Hsu knows we have two knives in custody, one of which you confiscated yourself; further, we have been focusing on the nightclub where Lord Fastolfe was last seen in public... No, he must know of your suspicions."

    She pauses in thought. "But perhaps that is the angle that at least gets me in to see him. Of course we know the real motive is to ask about Mrs. Hsu, but for a way that offers some 'official' reason... what if I am worried that you are in fact spending too much energy on Lord Fastolfe? I can express my concern that the rest of the team is being led to blame Fastolfe, while only I believe he is being framed by someone with inside knowledge of the hotel. Then I might bring up Mrs. Hsu and... oh, I could carefully mention her messages from Mr. Wilson's communicator that are supposedly moved to my own communicator behind an encrypted password--something I should actually do, although of course it would be temporary and you would know the password."

    Kylah's eyes gleam with calculation. "Indeed, if I am correct and Hsu is behind any of this, both my instinct about Fastolfe and my supposedly secret information about Mrs. Hsu give him at least two reasons to target me!" She smiles to herself in satisfaction, as if being targeted is actually a positive thing. And why not? She will be protected--heaven knows she cannot seem to shake free of Graham even when she wants to. She words things more diplomatically. "Before you cavil, Mr. Graham, I am sure there is no real danger. In the first place, this is a long shot--Mr. Hsu's guilt alone does not explain the spores' strange ineffectiveness--and in the second, I have no doubt you and the team will keep me quite safe." With a convinced nod, she clasps her hands in front of her. "Do I have your permission, sir?"
    Last edited by choie; 07 Jul 2014 at 12:10 AM.

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    Rangin looks back at the confused Doctor with a grimacing nod., "How bizarre. Is there anything else that might have impacted the spores, some counteragent, perhaps something impacting the Berthold rays which might damage the spores as a side affect. Any extra planetary substances that would cause this kind of effect on impact?"

    "Cheer up Doctor, its only a mystery until we solve it. Then again the only thing she did say, from speaking to her earlier was that she had had some very vivid dreams that night. Could they have been lucid enough to cause this effect, perhaps if enhanced by something else?"
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    Lizzy's hands are clasped in front of her. "Can I go dad? Please?"

    Jane answers from just behind him and to his left. "Of course you can, dear. Go tell your friends."

    Their daughter beams and runs out to accept her first invitation to an overnight trip away from home.

    "You know you can't always be there, Boo," Jane says. "And you can't let that constrain how she lives her life." He can almost feel her hand placed reassuringly on his shoulder...unconsciously he raises his right hand to touch it...


    His arm is halfway across his body when Graham snaps back to the moment and re-directs it, a little awkwardly, to rub his chin.

    "I...no, I mean, yes, permission granted...it's a--ah, logical plan," he replies, glancing at T'Var and somewhat hoping she can come up with a reasonable objection, as he can't.

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    Heartbeat thrumming in excitement, Kylah catches Graham's look at T'Var and, with a flick of her eyes, takes only a second to examine the Vulcan herself before stepping backward--in hopes of drawing the mission commander's attention away from any problems T'Var might be likely to raise. "Thank you," she says a touch too loudly. But she cannot help her relief. At last a chance to do something worthwhile, to focus on the man she, personally, thinks most likely to have some involvement in the crime.

    After the endless mistakes she's made--starting yesterday afternoon and evening long before the murder, and continuing blunders all through today--Kylah truly, desperately, needs something to prove she is not a failure. That she has worth. That she is more than just... whatever she has been considered by everyone except Velir.

    "Well, then, perhaps you might work out a plan of how I should be covered, sir? And I can go to the CP to copy the messages to my communicator, so that I have them in case things lead in a direction where I might need proof. Also, it might be useful if I am seen by myself at some point. Presumably the security cameras have been fixed," she says dryly, although it does strike her that this is something they should have confirmed by now. "If Hsu is monitoring them, it could lend credibility to my claim of acting alone if he later checks and sees that I was indeed by myself at some point today. And nothing is more important than credibility to a potential blackmailer," Kylah adds with dark humor. Of course, she has more experience in blackmail than anyone might imagine. At least now it is for a higher purpose than her uncle's various machinations.

    "What do you think, sir? I can go to the CP, transfer the data, and be done in less than fifteen minutes. You might return to the CP then, and you can tell me... whatever it is you might tell one of your security officers on such a mission." Kylah almost bounces on her heels when a thought occurs to her. "Oh! In the meantime, I wonder if it would be worthwhile for you to ask Ve--Ensign Rangin to ask Dr. Halsey for a list of any guests introduced to the spores two days ago? I just realized that we are all assuming that the problem is restricted to yesterday's batch--and with good reason--but one must be methodical about such things. Do you not agree, Dr. T'Var? Mr. Graham?" Her voice is almost merry, and she cannot suppress a rare genuine smile. Velir would be proud of me.
    Last edited by choie; 07 Jul 2014 at 09:15 PM.

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    Rubbing his chin, Dr. Halsey says to Rangin, "No, I'm still baffled. I've never seen or read of anything like this happening before. The Vice Admiral should be here soon, and we'll see if my scans of him shed any more light on the puzzle."

    Dr. T'Var says thoughtfully, "A calculated risk, but one worth taking, I think, Ens. Kylah. I suggest you keep an open channel on your communicator, and that we have at least two Security officers close at hand but out of sight for your meeting with Mr. Hsu. I do not personally suspect him, but believe it is better to be safe than sorry for one unaccustomed to interviewing a possible killer."

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    "If all other options have been eliminated, then whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." quotes Rangin trying to remember if he got it right. If there is no other way for the spores to be removed other than the known stimuli, then Mrs Calvin must have been affected by the known stimuli. The only option remaining then if you cannot find anything else and she says that she has encountered nothing that would cause it, is that one part of it is false. Either your skills as a physician, or perhaps more likely, she is lying about the lack of stimuli."

    Rangin pauses for a moment. "Oh wait, that's ... Occam's Razor, most likely reason is usually the correct one." before looking back at the Doctor. "Could you tell if she was lying or perhaps mistaken about any external stimuli?"
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    The doctor shrugs. "She seemed to be telling the truth to me, and not mistaken. She seemed genuinely puzzled as to why the spores had 'gone away.' Hmm. Maybe there was some stimulus, internal or external, while she was sleeping? A very powerful dream might cause an adrenaline surge, but... for several people on the same night, and the very same people who had been introduced the spores as a group, less than a day earlier? I have a hard time believing that."

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    T'Var's words make Kylah frown slightly, stemming her excitement a bit. Her respect for the doctor adds gravitas to T'Var's opinion. "Yes, I will do whatever you both suggest, as long as it keeps me safe and does not hinder the success of the plan," Kylah says somewhat absently. She is less worried about the scheme--she doubts any problems will arise--than about T'Var's dismissal of Hsu as a likely suspect. "But Doctor, you... you truly do not suspect him, even as an accessory or conspirator? I do not understand. To me, the evidence seems to point to the involvement of someone with extensive technical knowledge as well as access to the resort's security and surveillance systems. Whom would you consider your prime suspect?"
    Last edited by choie; 08 Jul 2014 at 11:35 PM.

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    "Lord Fastolfe still seems the most likely suspect to me," the Vulcan physician says. "He had motive and means, and likely opportunity, as well. Sometimes the most obvious theory of a criminal case is the correct one."

    Graham's communicator beeps. It is Ens. Faisal Mahmoud, who says, "About two dozen witness statements have been submitted, Mr. Graham, and I've reviewed them. Most are from employees at the nightclub. What would you like to know?"

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    Graham can't say that he's thrilled T'Var didn't have any objection--on the other hand, Kylah is neither really frightened of nor pissed off at him, so he considers that progress.

    "Couldn't hurt..." he starts to say in response to her suggestion when his communicator beeps.

    "Well of course anything that smells fishy to you Fai--ah, Ensign. Specifically I'm interested in any rumors about Wilson, and any sightings or comments on the behavior of Wilson, Fastolfe, the Hsus, and Dr. Halsey." He glances at Kylah and T'Var. "Any specific interests or questions, team?"

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    Kylah blinks in surprise at T'Var's theory, but tries not to display her surge of disbelief. Motive? What motive did Fastolfe have? Temporary rancor about a house? Spoiled and temperamental he may be, but surely he does not murder everyone who disappoints him. There would be a trail of bodies throughout the galaxy! And Kylah finds the idea that Fastolfe possessed the means and opportunity dubious as well, despite his weapons and brief periods of solitude. It took much more than a knife and one or two hours to execute this plan.

    No. There is a lot more in play here, and she cannot credit that such a simple solution is at all likely.

    Distracted by the communication from Ensign Mahmoud, she listens to Graham and after some thought, nods. "Yes, sir: Ms. Adjetey and the other members of Fastolfe's group. If we cannot get a schedule from them directly, perhaps someone at the nightclub might know when and where they were seen with Fastolfe--or not."
    Last edited by choie; 09 Jul 2014 at 01:28 PM.

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    Rangin considers the Doctor's words. "Well then, if she is telling the truth and the spores did lose effect. And others in the group had the same...then shouldn't all members of the group be similarly afflicted. Could you tell if someone has been re-introduced to the spores, or perhaps how long someone has been under the influence?"

    Rangin begins to get a bad feeling about the Lt. Cmdr. once again.

    "Also, if there were no spores available here, as they are under lock and key in the one room as far as I am know or you tell me otherwise, then how far would you have to walk to find a patch of them outside the resort perimeter?"
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    There is a pause as Mahmoud looks over the witness statements submitted thus far. "Let's see... several had heard rumors that Wilson had occasional affairs with some visitors, and two had heard rumors that Mrs. Hsu and Wilson were having an affair, but none knew anything for sure. Five had heard rumors that Wilson was due for a big promotion within WR&R; three heard that he was to be demoted. One heard that he was a Klingon agent, but didn't believe it. Wilson and Fastolfe were both at the nightclub last night but no one saw them talk at any point. Mrs. Hsu stopped into the nightclub for a few minutes and spoke to Wilson, but no one heard what they discussed. Wilson also spoke with Vice Adm. Hardin briefly, and a little later with Mr. Palver and some other guests. Uh... looks like Dr. Halsey wasn't there at any point. Fastolfe was with an entourage of four, and they shared a table."

    Dr. Halsey tells Rangin, "After the initial introduction, there's no reliable way to tell how long the spores have been in the body, even when reintroduced. Anyone who wanted to find spores off the resort premises would probably have to walk at least half an hour or so away."

    Delaney walks into the CP yawning. It is now 1733 hours. It's been a long day, and just about everyone feels very, very tired.

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    Kylah shakes her head at the conflicting rumors. "Mr. Graham," she says quietly, glancing along the path back to the resort. "I will go and transfer the data now. If I may make a final suggestion before I do: in addition to asking Mr. Rangin to confirm with Dr. Halsey the status of any new spore introductions from two days ago--assuming there were any--perhaps we should check directly with WR&R headquarters about Mr. Wilson's reputation. I apologize, this might have already been done; I do not recall if the Yorktown has already contacted them."

    She steps away and looks somewhat furtively around. There is a miniscule chance that someone is watching them. If so, she does not wish to seem on good terms with her crew mates. Of course this is usually not a problem for her, but at this one brief moment things are relatively calm, even if she does wildly disagree with both superior officers on various points regarding the case.

    "Please give me at least fifteen minutes before returning to the CP to meet with me. Twenty would be better," she mutters to T'Var, just in case Graham is listening to Mahmoud again. "If there are further plans to be made, we can talk at that time." With a tight shake of her head, she stalks away from the others. On her way back to the hotel entrance, she glances behind her at the others, then quickens her pace into the cooler, air conditioned building and almost jogs to the CP. A thought strikes her and she lifts her communicator and sends a very brief text-only message to Velir. I am going to the CP now. If you are not there already, please let me have the room alone until 17:50. I will explain. Kylah hesitates before signing: Yours, Kylah.

    As she puts away her communicator, her thoughts are scattered: wondering how should she contact Hsu in the first place, whether her exhaustion will win the battle for her brain, why she feels the increasing need for Velir's reassuring presence, what lies behind all the contradictions in Mahmoud's report, how Collins is doing up on the Yorktown, whether all of this subterfuge is really serving any purpose--

    Everything cuts off when Kylah opens the door to the CP and sees Delaney. Her heart sinks for an instant, but then she stands in the open doorway. "Excuse me, sir, I was not expecting to see you," she says in an awkward but clear voice. "I--I know this is a strange thing to ask, especially from a junior officer, but... would you possibly be willing to leave the room for a little while? There is... something I need to attend to in private." She lowers to a whisper. "Mr. Graham and Dr. T'Var are not far from the guest residence courtyard, if you wish to meet up with them. They will be returning here in twenty minutes. Or perhaps you could get something cool to drink, or... anything, really. Please?"
    Last edited by choie; 09 Jul 2014 at 11:06 PM.

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    Rangin looks down at the communicator and sees the message from Kylah. "Thanks for the answers Dr Halsey. I hope you have more luck with the Vice Admiral's checkup. If you have any answers, please let me know."

    He sends a quick message back to Kylah. "Understood. If you need me, call. Velir"

    "Dobson, where do you suggest we try next? I have one idea of where to scan, but after that I'm drawing a blank." Rangin asks his stoic security companion.
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    Delaney seems a little surprised at Kylah's request but says, "Uh... OK. Maybe I'll sit outside in the sun a little." He leaves.

    Dobson thinks and says, "Perhaps we might take one more turn around the park where all the guest houses are, sir? It's been awhile since we've been there."

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    Kylah looks after Delaney as heads down the corridor, then steps into the room and lets the door close behind her. For a moment she just stands there in the CP, at last truly alone for the first time since... since when? It feels as if has been ages. But no--it has only been since this morning, in the rest room near the courtyard, when she was tending to her bruises.

    She shakes her head. So much has happened. It feels as if this day has lasted months, not hours.

    When she moves to the evidence safe, Kylah is suddenly struck by a flash of concern--did Delaney ever bring the communicator back down from the suite, where he was using it to attempt to crack into Wilson's own mysterious safe? Oh, I am a fool! Why did I not ask him that before he left? Praying she will not have to delay things further due to her stupidity, she moves to unlock the safe and, hopefully, retrieve the communicator from within.

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    Kylah opens the safe with her thumbprint but finds it empty. She calls Delaney, who says, "Oh, yeah. Wilson's communicator is still in his suite; I'm still trying to crack the code of his safe to get it open."

    Delaney next calls Graham and says, "If I may make a suggestion, Mr. Graham, it's been a really long day for us all, and I think we could all use an early dinner and then some shut-eye. We'll all be a bit more on our game in the morning."

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    Delaney disconnects so quickly Kylah has no chance to ask him a follow-up. Annoyed both at him and--especially--herself, Kylah contacts Delaney again. "Forgive me, Lieutenant, but I need access to that communicator to transfer the voice messages from Mrs. Hsu. Will there be a problem if I go to the suite for that purpose? I would imagine whatever your tricorder is accessing is different from the voice message storage and I will not need to interrupt your process."

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    Rangin heads out the door and waits until they are outside "Good idea Dobson, who knows what we might find." Rangin stifles a yawn, "there is one last place I want to scan if only for residue. The Lt Cmdr will be on her hike, so I just want to scan the general area of that floor for Wilson's blood. It's the same floor as Wilson's I believe. Don't expect to find anything around, and once we have done that we can try the guest house area."

    Rangin heads off with Dobson trailing not far behind.
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    "That's..." Graham takes a moment, truly not certain how he wants to respond. We haven't been frosty even when we've been rested, he thinks. "That's sound advice, sir. Thank you. Stand by."

    Graham sets his communicator to reach the on-site team. "This Graham. We've had a long day. Please wrap up what you are doing within the next 15 minutes and rendezvous at the Federation research station. Do not initiate any net new activity today..." He pauses. "That is not a request, that is an order. You've all been working hard, it's time to re-group and rest up. Contact me directly if you have questions or need clarification."

    He then contacts Mahmoud. "Faisal, this is Booker. We're going to pack it in for the day: please rotate Security personnel as appropriate. Maintain the details on Ebling and the Admiral, and I want eyes on Fastolfe's house. Let me know if you need support requisitioning staff from the ship....Oh, and I believe Dobson's been working with Mr. Rangin--I'd like to keep her seconded to my investigative team."

    He glances at T'Var. "I hope you agree--or at least don't object. I...ah, I want to apologize, Doc, you've been solid and I haven't necessarily been at my best...I just...well, it is what it is." He gestures toward the research station. "Onward?"

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    Delaney scratches his head and says to Kylah, "I'm not sure if there would be any impact on the decryption subroutine if you accessed voicemail while that was going on. I'll meet you at the suite to help you with it, if you like...?"

    Rangin's tricorder scan of the hallway floor around Lt. Cmdr. Ebling's suite, and then the entire fourth floor, detects no signs of blood, either Wilson's or anyone else's. A scan of the area around the park, other than what was already noted where Wilson's body was initially found, also comes up empty.

    Everyone hears Graham's message.

    Ens. Mahmoud acknowledges his orders and says he will comply; Graham has complete confidence in his cabinmate and old friend.

    Dr. T'Var chooses her words carefully. "I have noticed what seem to be some indications of fatigue and stress among the landing party, Mr. Graham. Although I, as a Vulcan, naturally have higher endurance, I believe a meal and a sound sleep would do us all good. And no apology is necessary, of course." She falls into step with him as they leave the resort, step out onto the grounds and begin to make their way towards the Starfleet research station.

    Omicron Ceti is beginning to set, and the sky is turning reddish-orange. A few wispy clouds linger on the horizon, and the breeze is picking up.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 12 Jul 2014 at 06:26 PM.

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    Kylah takes a deep breath of relief. "No, thank you, Lieutenant. There is a specific reason I must be alone for this--Mr. Graham will explain if you see him--"

    Graham's message interrupts her sentence. Kylah raises her gaze to the ceiling in frustration when she hears his order. Why in the name of all the known stars has he changed his mind when he agreed to undertake this plan in the first place? He is as indecisive as Collins.

    Well, Kylah refuses to bend. This 'lone wolf' ploy will not work if it is tried twice.

    Fifteen minutes. I will have to be quick. "Kylah out," she says to Delaney, and hurries out of the CP. She has to move as quickly as possible without attracting too much attention, and meanwhile also look as if she's trying not to attract too much attention. A bizarre line to tread, but if there is one thing Kylah learned under her Uncle's tutelage, it is the art of subterfuge.

    She reaches the floor of Wilson's suite, and just manages to see Rangin and the crewman leaving in the other direction. Instinctively she backs out of sight until they are gone, then continues to Wilson's suite. If there are any guards there, Kylah greets them and explains that she has been asked to take a last check of the room for the night. Inside, her eyes take a hasty measure of the room searching for the communicator, which she expects to find near both Delaney's tricorder and the wall safe. And there it is.

    Kylah yanks out her own communicator, simultaneously checking the time. Barely eight minutes left. She gnaws habitually at her lower lip while setting up a link between her tricorder and Wilson's communicator, accessing the voice messages just as she did early this morning. Hurriedly she hunts to find the two timestamps that she has memorized: the messages sent by Mrs. Hsu, one from three days ago and one from yesterday. A few tweaks later and the messages are transferred to her tricorder; she will transfer them to her own communicator later.

    She realizes she is sweating despite the processed air--and despite the fact that she is not actually doing anything wrong. The nervousness amuses her, and her lips twitch as she fights the instinct to twist in a crooked smile. "Getting into the role," her uncle called it.

    Once the messages are copied, Kylah hurriedly soft-deletes the corresponding messages on Wilson's communicator: a move only necessary in the off-chance that either of the Hsus get access to the device. She hides them carefully, password protects them, and replaces the communicator where Delaney left it. The entire process will be reversible once this plan is through, the evidence returned exactly as it was found.

    Kylah takes a last look around before leaving. If there are guards, she wishes them goodnight. When she has left the resort again, Kylah checks her chronometer. Late. Rolling her eyes, she pulls out her communicator for a final time and contacts the mission commander. "Kylah to Graham. I am on my way, sir. I apologize for the delay but the assigned task took slightly longer than expected." Actually Kylah has no regrets whatsoever. The job went smoothly--once she finally located the communicator, that is--and she performed it with extreme speed and efficiency. It is only when she reaches the outdoors again, seeing the beautiful setting sun and feeling the breeze lift her hair from her neck and shoulders, that Kylah has an uneasy sense of deja vu.

    It was almost exactly twenty-four hours ago she was on her way to the Italian restaurant to meet Jan. Looking forward to a pleasant evening, something to take her mind off her troubles.

    Inhaling raggedly, Kylah starts jogging, then running in the direction of the research station.
    Last edited by choie; 12 Jul 2014 at 12:30 AM.

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