Posted by Civilian Dawson (Intelligence Operative) in Main Sim- Black Ops Team

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Main Sim- Black Ops Team

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Main Sim- Black Ops Team
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Stepping out of Sickbay, Faye kept a brisk pace to Transporter Room 2. She activated the comm unit and stopped, holding up a hand for Dawson to stop as well. She stepped a couple metres ahead and spoke softly. =/\=Mercury to Stillwater. Do you read?=/\=

She was all business again. Still? The discomfort from Sickbay had faded quickly after leaving but she knew it was still there under the surface, but those were memories and emotions to reckon with later.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Dawson had maintained pace with Faye. It was still mostly business from his perspective. Not that he expected anything to change, but his senses picked up on the minor shifts within her. He always found himself in the position of being an anchor. A sense of peace that surrounded most when he interacted with them. Hence the call sign ‘Stillwater’. The calmness he embodied masked just how deep of a person he was.

He obeyed and stayed put before she tested the comm line. Her words touched his ears from the distance through the tech. He spoke just as softly in reply. =/\=Copy Mercury, five by five.=/\=

-Dawson, Intel

=/\=Good. Calloway out.=/\= She gestured with her head for him to carry on with her and once he reached her, Faye started walking towards the transporter room.

“So, comms will be open with the bridge. We speak quietly unless otherwise necessary. If we need to cut the bridge out for any reason, the switch word is Rainbows. Doubt it’ll come up while we’re down there, but figured something different would make sense. Any questions before we get to the transporter and things get busy?”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Dawson mouthed the word ‘rainbows’ without a noise as a point to remember the word. He figured the bridge would be listening and providing input when necessary. But one question did itch the surface of his mind. He looked at Faye as the made their way briskly to the transporter. “Yes. Why Mercury?” he asked with great curiosity. Names always carried meaning, whether the person with the name knew it or not. Nicknames, even more so. His eyes observed Calloway as they walked, his mind taking in the emotions that might roil unseen.

-Dawson “Stillwater”, Intel

She bobbed her head, understanding the curiosity behind the name. After all, it wasn’t necessarily obvious. “Mercury, in Roman mythology was the god of many things, but in part languages, luck, thieves and travellers. He’s also the god of messages and trade, especially grain.” Faye snorted as they walked. “I’m not your typical Intelligence agent. Mercury sort of plays into my skillsets but also my background on Tracken, on a self-sufficient colony.”

Faye flashed him a grin. “But mostly it’s a play on the word mercurial, which comes from Mercury, and describes my moods and state of being to a T.”

Dawson laughed openly. “I’m not sure I’m all that surprised. Though I must admit, I thought it interesting that the Athena is a Mythology-Class vessel. And our Lounge host appears to have taken the hint on theme. But I never would have expected our resident spook to take on the call sign of a Roman god. Coincidence maybe? Either way, well done for surprising me. I’ll try not to let it happen often.” he teased.

Faye actually laughed (a rare thing for her in public), but it felt good to release some of the tension and worry that was pushed away from the surface of her mind. She could recalibrate her focus. “I think you’ll find I defy expectations at most turns. It makes true surprise that much more fun.”

“Excellent! Predictability can get quite boring,” he jested lightly as they stepped into the transporter room.

They stepped into the transporter room and Faye shifted the second strap of her bag onto her other shoulder and made sure everything felt secure. She looked over at the petite transporter operator. “You set, Kason?”

She gave a nod. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll beam you to the other side of the explosion area from the other team. Do you want the same deck?”

Faye nodded. “It’s as good a place to start as we’re going to get under the circumstances.” She turned to Dawson. “I have Morgan’s bio sig from his classified file. We’ll use that to hone in on his location, if he’s in fact there. You ready?”

“Absolutely!” he replied, his hands behind his back and feet giving some breadth to them.

Faye took a steadying breath and tapped her combadge. =/\=Calloway to Bridge. We’re ready to go. We’ll keep an open comm, but for our sake, please keep chatter to a minimum. We’ll only cut the comm ourselves if absolutely necessary.=/\=

=/\=Calloway to Transporter Room 1.=/\=

The operator answered. =/\=Transporter Room 1 here=/\=

=/\=Are we ready to sync transports?=/\=

=/\=Yes, Commander.=/\=

=/\=Good. Callahan and Sinara, good hunting. We’ll see you back on the ship. Bridge, keep a light on for us.=/\=

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Orvos’s reply chimed through. =/\=Good luck Commander. We’ll see you soon.=/\=

Dawson gave Faye a smirk at Orvos’s comment. “Always the encourager,” he said under his breadth.

-Dawson, Intel

“I’ll take all the luck we can get,” Calloway said, as she stood ready to transport.

“And… transport coordination underway…” the operator said.

A moment later, Dawson and Faye were enveloped by shimmering light.

They reappeared in a dark place that was full of debris. A few steps ahead was the obvious hole created by the explosion. They were at the ‘bottom’ of it, three floors down from where the away team had been. There were pieces of bulkhead and shards of metal everywhere in a circular pattern. The transporter had put them down just behind a safety bulkhead so they couldn’t see across to where the other rescue team beamed in. If they had been closer to the opening, they would have been able to look upwards.

Faye quietly grabbed her light and set it to a dimmer setting and tapped it before gesturing at Dawson to do the same. Then she pulled out her tricorder (set to silent) and began scanning to see if she could pick up the biosignature from Silas Morgan’s file. Nothing so far, but there was too much interference from the explosion. They needed to get some distance from the epicentre.

Calloway gestured forward and with cat-like grace began to step around and over the debris towards a passageway she could see a few metres down.

~Mischief Maker

Dawson had tightened his pack straps, ensuring everything was secure against his body. A few tools and weapons were also a part on his person, though they were nearly invisible to any onlookers. Thankfully they had cover. He dimmed his light to the same setting as Faye’s. He hesitated to use his senses, not wanting to alert any empaths or telepaths of their presence. Resorting to using his muted tricorder, he too got scans of the area. Faye was focused on finding Silas. He provided the support by scanning for anything nearby that might be a hazard to them. Whether a gas or residual solvents or odors from the explosion. He kept close to Faye, taking in the readings and visually taking in all he could.

-Dawson

There was a ruptured conduit in an adjacent section that was sending off sparks. That was potentially problematic given several decks had been ripped open and all the power systems were interrupted. It was interesting to note, however, that ten metres beyond the explosion ring, all the systems of the structure seemed to be operational, if not fully, then mostly. Dawson could see a few interruptions to internal sensors (the same ones they were experiencing in proximity to the exposition site) and auxiliary systems. All critical systems were unaffected.

~Mischief Maker

They hadn’t consciously agreed on the breakdown of roles as they moved along, but Faye noted that Dawson was focused on his tricorder and taking up a defensive and supportive position near her. Good. She liked that he had so seamlessly dovetailed his role to hers. This was one of several tangents of thought going through her mind in this moment.

The other thing Faye was acutely aware of was that aside from their counterparts on the other side of the explosion, there was no one in the vicinity. Which was curious given the area needed repairs and the Athena had told them they were sending people down. It made her insides twist a little, but the situation was what it was. She and Dawson had a specific mission and she had every intention of completing their task as quickly as possible.

They reached a T-junction and Faye turned to the right, only to come to a closed door. Her readings said the corridor continued and that was the direction they needed to go. Shifting her backpack off one shoulder and spinning it to her front, Faye grabbed a specialized emergency actuator and attached it the door. Unlike a regular one you’d find next to doors and hatches on a starship, this one interfaced with the electronic mechanisms of the opening and sent a signal that interrupted any sensors attached. That way, the main system wouldn’t register it unlocking or opening. It last only as long as the door was opened, but would give her and Dawson the extra time undetected they desperately needed. After all, who knew how long they would have before someone figured out there were a couple extra people here?

All of those kept Faye most of Faye’s thought away from the discomfort the whole situation created within her. It was inevitable and she had reconciled the fact that she might hate this whole thing but she had to do it, for her own personal reasons, if not for a greater ideal. This was more than just some task she in her role was obligated to perform. This was about a moral quandary. She could not, and would not, leave a person to be tortured (and possibly killed) if she could help it. Maybe it was too late, but Faye didn’t believe that. She might not have detected his life signs yet, but something deep within Faye truly believed that Silas Morgan was not only alive, but here on this structure. She was going to being him to safety and damn any one who got in her way!

It took longer for the device to work (because it was tackling multiple processes at once) and thus Faye waited, rather impatiently. She cast a look at Dawson to see if anything needed her attention.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Bump

Dawson took careful note of the readings he got before his eyes turned to his surroundings once more. When he and Faye came upon the T-junction, she pivoted right and he to the left. He kept close as he took in every detail.

While the device performed its work, Dawson spoke quietly to Calloway. “I’ve detected a ruptured conduit in an adjacent section. Could attract repair teams, though I’m surprised we’ve found nobody yet. And oddly enough, all systems ten metres outside of the explosion are practically untouched. It took us significant time to get down here. Why would there be no repair crews? My first guess is that, given their limited amount of supplies, they have to ration out what is essential to repair. If I’m right, most of the systems effected near us are non-essential. Which tells me, this could easily have been an intentional explosion. Best place to do blow something up would be near unimportant systems.”

He paused, allowing her a chance to respond as he kept his eyes peeled.

-Dawson “Stillwater”, Intel

“I agree,” Faye said softly. “These people are struggling. Everything is hodgepodge, including the systems. But the explosives were highly effective and precise. Not the sort of thing these people would just have laying around. It was very intentional and I would bet you anything they were given to them but someone outside the structure. I’m starting to get a better picture of these people.”

The device blinked and then the door opened. Faye shot Dawson a grin and then pocketed the device in case they needed it again soon. Moving with great caution and care, she stepped through the doorway and moved down a dimly lit corridor.

~Faye Calloway, CIO