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 Captain Orvos Legen (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim- Black Ops Team
Posted by… suppressed (21) 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.”

“Which also means we could be dealing with someone or someones from outside of this hodgepodge of groupings? That or there is serious division going on with these people.” he noted, curious if the bridge would catch on to his thoughts.

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

As they moved down the corridor, two things were clear: this area was part of a maintenance area and this section came to an end. There was a lift of some kind around a corner to the left but also a door to just before it on the right. But there were also a couple rung ladder accesses that seemed to go up.

The interference had drastically improved as they were now away from the blast epicentre. From here, Dawson could tell that there were two people in an area that was through the door on the right. One Human, one Krisosian. Neither were Ducante, and Faye’s reading confirmed it wasn’t Morgan. However, she was getting a faint reading one level up.

~Mischief Maker

Dawson stepped within eye view of Faye and held a closed fist up. Once they held position, he pulled out a small flexible pipe probe from one of his plethora of pockets on his body. He flexed it out and quietly put the tiny camera around the corner to see into the maintenance shaft. Given their position and what was going on, he would know better what to advise.

-Dawson “Stillwater”

Faye came to a stop and waited patiently. In fact, not only was she highly focused (often the norm for her), she was rather calm on the surface. Underneath that, she was a flux of worry, but it was tightly contained. Yes, she had told him of her past experiences and how that might impact their work, but it was clear she had taken great efforts to prepare herself for whatever this mission tossed them.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Dawson’s probe showed that the way was clear. Nothing in their way, though, like much of the structure, it was in varying condition. They would need to be cautious.

~Mischief Maker

Bump

Dawson retracted the probe from peering into the maintenance shaft and gave Faye their designated all clear hand signal. Then briefly pointing to the room on the right hand side of the corridor, he gestured the number 2. He eyed her giving her the ultimate call on how to move forward.

-Dawson “Stillwater”

She nodded and pointed up. Morgan was that way. Stashing her phaser on a quick release clip on her jacket, Faye grabbed the highest rung she could reach and began to climb.

At their heart, all maintenance access ladder passages were the same, though this one perhaps lacked the cleanliness Starfleet vessels had. Faye didn’t mind though. There was something nostalgic about traipsing through this place from her freighter days. It reminded her of the grittier front facing portion of a certain station few mentioned and the clean record officers she worked with would never imagine themselves intentionally visiting.

Reaching the next level, Faye stepped to the side in the access point so Dawson could join her. She pulled out her tricorder and saw her quarry close by. His lifesign was still weak, but she was starting to understand that to be his status rather than their proximity. Down below them she just hoped the other team was close to finding Ducante. At least they were alone in this area. The others were doing their job of distracting rather well.

Dawson had followed her up, every step carefully taken to minimize any sound coming from potential clicking of his boots and weight upon each rung.

“He’s close by,” she said softly. She didn’t whisper, since that created harsh sibilants that were easier to hear than a quiet low tone. “Timing is everything. We need to get him, and get the shuttle. But the shuttle will draw attention. If the others haven’t found Ducante yet, we might disrupt their efforts. In that case, We might need to split up, you take Morgan back to the Athena with the auto-transporter beacons I brought and I can either retrieve the shuttle or wipe and kill the computer.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Dawson picked up on the readings and listened to what Faye had to say. He kept his eyes on their surroundings as she spoke, but quickly turned to face her when she finished. “That’s exceptionally risky. Your mission was to get Morgan to the ship. Let’s get him there. I can go the extra effort to take care of the shuttle.” His eyes didn’t leave hers, his intent quite clear.

-Dawson “Stillwater”

Speaking to the duo, he said through the comm link, =/\=We have Callahan in charge down there providing for distraction. Why don’t we use that to our advantage? Have them get the shuttle?=/\=

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

Faye shook her head even though the captain couldn’t see it. =/\=With any luck they will find Ducante soon,=/\= she said quietly. =/\=Maybe, if he’s in stable condition, but that explosion took out three decks. We should be anticipating medical emergencies here and the priority for them is to retrieve our Chief of Security, yes? If, and that’s a big question right now, Ducante is okay and he can just be beamed back, then maybe they can try for the shuttle.=/\= This was more than she would ever want to say over a comm in a covert mission, but there weren’t a lot of options just now. Besides, they were clear. There were no ‘residents’ anywhere near them just now. Which was good, because she had Morgan’s lifesign still. For now.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

=/\=Let’s not put too much on their shoulders then. Commander, I’m also in agreement with Dawson’s recommendation. I have every confidence in my former first officer to handle extra objectives down there. Let’s keep our eyes on the main prize./\=

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

She returned her focus to Dawson. “Splitting up is Plan B, not A. We’ll come to that if necessary. For now, let’s just find our quarry.”

Dawson gave an old earth salute before following Faye.

Calloway glanced back at her tricorder and continued to move, picking up her pace slightly, even as she took care to not make any extra noise.

Down the corridor, she and Dawson crept until Faye came to a set of doors. This area was still quiet and no one was around. But one door had been locked and was the location of the life sign, still far too faint for her liking. Pulling out a device, she set it on the door controls and entered a sequence of keys. Indicator lights flashed until there was a beep and the electronic lock was turned off. “We might trigger an alert with the lock, though I did send a scrambling signal to disrupt it. It’s not perfect though. Cover us,” she said before tapping the key to open the door.

Dawson immediately pulled out his phaser and posted at the entrance to the room. He allowed his senses to take in the presence of Silas behind him, the faint life slowly ebbing. If they pulled this off, he saw him making a full recovery. But the trauma on his mind would likely take a long time to heal.

The door slid open to reveal a dimly lit room. It was maybe set at 5%, just enough for her to see a huddled form on the floor. Slipping her backpack to one shoulder, Faye swung it around to her front and swapped out her tricorder for a medical version. She stepped forward as she turned on her light and knelt next to Morgan.

“Morgan,” she said softly, reaching a hand out to her shoulder. She removed her light and set it at an angle to she could see him better but it wasn’t in both their faces. He was curled up on his side on the cold floor, with no blanket or anything to stop the leaching of body heat. It was uncomfortably familiar to her. The bruising and dried blood on his face was telling and Faye’s mind automatically catalogued and assigned the injuries she could see visibly, but that also showed up on the tricorder, to the likely action his captors had taken.

A small groan emanated from the half-dead man and Faye pressed her hand to his shoulder more firmly. “Silas, we’re friends. From Starfleet. We’re going to get you out of here to safety.”

He tried to open his eyes and squinted from the bright light. Blinking, he tried to focus on the woman before him, but it was too hard to see anything. Instead, there was something reassuring about the hand on his shoulder, something that didn’t spell impending pain.

Faye watched him tense and then relax and she turned her head to look at Dawson. “He’s not stable enough to walk out of here. We’re going to have to beam him back,” she said as she reached into her bag for the transporter enhancer tags.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

He picked up her words and briefly turned to look inward. He could see just how bad Silas’ condition was in the dim lighting. He shook his head in pity.

Suddenly a thought came to mind. His eyes immediately flicked to Faye wide in thought. He slowly backed into the room to briefly speak. In hushed voice, he spoke. “Why don’t we hit two birds with one stone. What if Athena could beam us to the shuttle? From there, we can get it back to the ship and get Silas the help he needs. No need to split up. And no need to continue trapsing through this place.”

-Dawson “Stillwater”