From: Shawn _ (alamo_nate_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Oct 09 2007 - 13:43:51 PDT
=Suspicions=
(cont'd from "Field Test")
LOCATION: Engineering Module, GS-2
SCENE: Main Engineering
STARDATE: [2.7]1009.1344
It was calm in Engineering, for a change. Crichton was thankful- not having to shut out the sounds of dozens of people arguing was a welcome change from how things had been the past few weeks. And if Crichton’s suspicions about the saboteur of the sensor mask were correct, he was going to need all the breaks he could get.
He’d been analyzing the data almost nonstop since he and Cannon had returned from the mission. What he’d discovered so far was that whoever had set up the power-drain in the Aurora fighter had been very good. They knew their way around a power-distribution system, and they knew enough about the sensor-mask tech to know how to disrupt it. They were also very good at covering their tracks; if not for an incredibly slight phase-variance in the readings from the prototype-fighter, Crichton would have no way of knowing that someone had tampered with the device at all.
However, the saboteur had underestimated Crichton’s skills, and the phase-variance practically screamed “saboteur”. That alone was enough information to get Kane to conduct a full investigation, and with the Dominion blockading the station, there was no way for the saboteur to escape the GATEWAY. It would just be a matter of time before they were apprehended.
Still, it would speed things up considerably if Crichton could figure out who it was. The obvious answer was the escaped changeling, who was still hiding somewhere aboard GATEWAY station. But that didn’t make sense to Crichton. If the changeling knew about the sensor-mask, why wouldn’t they just send a message to one of the Dominion ships outside the station? Sending an untraceable message from the station wasn’t easy, but for someone with the level of skill needed to tamper with Crichton’s prototype, it was certainly possible, not to mention quicker and easier.
That left an uncomfortably short list of suspects. Unless there was an unknown player, the only people who could have tampered with the prototype were Lt. Yao, Lt. Cannon, Captain Kane, Commander Teague, and Crichton himself.
And, of course, Lt. Salor.
The Vulcan was obviously at the top of Crichton’s list of suspects, but he didn’t have the proof to back up his suspicions. And Kane had made it very clear that he was unable to move on Salor without the evidence to back it up. That was why Crichton had spent the last several hours hard at work in Engineering, trying to find the evidence to implicate his superior officer in the crime of sabotage. It wasn’t exactly how Crichton had pictured his first assignment after graduating from the ACT program. But then, nothing had gone even close to how he’d expected it to.
Crichton could hear the argument beginning to start behind him, and his heart sank.
**So much for peace and quiet,** Crichton thought. He spun in his chair to yell at the bickering engineers to keep it down, and saw the grim, pale countenance of Lt. Salor moving towards him. The Vulcan was scowling again, about what Crichton didn’t know, and he blew right passed the arguing engineers without even sparing them a glance. His dark eyes were fixed on Crichton.
“What did I do?” Crichton asked as the Vulcan came to a stop before him.
“I told you,” Salor scowled. “You didn’t listen.”
“Told me what?”
“The sensor-mask prototype was a dangerous pipedream,” the Vulcan spat. “A drain on valuable engineering resources and manpower. And it was a failure.”
“Actually, it was a success,” Crichton said, more than happy to rub it in Salor’s face. “There were a few… slight problems, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“What?” Salor blinked, his rage seeming to melt into confusion.
“We’re just waiting for the final decision from Kane, but the mask works,” Crichton said, loving this opportunity to twist the knife. “Sorry you couldn’t make it to the test-flight. I guess they thought I could handle it without you.”
“I have had enough of your disrespectful attitude, Ensign Crichton,” Salor said, his eyes full of hate.
“I don’t have time for this right now,” Crichton said, rolling his eyes and turning back around to face his console. “Unlike some people, I have things to do.”
He’d finally pushed it too far. Salor grabbed Crichton by the shoulder and violently spun him around to face him again. He leaned in close, so close that for a moment Crichton was afraid the mad Vulcan was going to bite his nose off, and spoke his next words through clenched teeth.
“You are relieved of duty, Crichton,” Salor growled. “For misconduct, insubordination, and violation of the chain of command.”
“Chain of command?” Crichton asked, the anger rising in him quickly.
“You went over my head when you sent your little note to the captain about the sensor mask,” Salor said. “I thought that Kane might reprimand you himself, but if he will not, then the task falls to me.”
“With all due respect, *sir,*” Crichton said, rising so suddenly that he knocked his chair over. “This is bullshit.”
“Eloquent, Mr. Crichton,” Salor said, grinning a sadistic grin and enjoying his own opportunity to do some knife-twisting. “But pointless. You will leave the Engineering module now, or I will have security escort you out.”
“This won’t stand, Salor,” Crichton said, leaning in close to the Vulcan’s face. “Kane knows all about you already. We all can see it. Your performance has been crap the past few weeks. *I’ve* been running engineering while you’ve been off someone sulking.”
“You will not get my job, Crichton,” Salor shouted suddenly. “I want you off my engineering staff. I want you out of engineering. You’re finished.”
“Whatever you say,” Crichton said. “I’ll just speak to the Captain, and be reinstated before tomorrow morning.”
“Funny you should mention that,” Salor said. “I’ve ordered a full diagnostic of the station’s internal communication system. To lighten the load, I’ve asked Operations to restrict access to it for certain personelle until further notice. Think your name might be on that list?”
Crichton was seeing red. He clenched and unclenched his fist, knowing that in another few moments he would be ending his career. He knew that he was going to throw a punch, knock this pompous, psychotic Vulcan on his ass and give him the beating he deserved. He knew it would end with him locked in the brig, would destroy any chance he had of getting Salor removed from command of Engineering, would burn every bridge he’d started to build with the senior staff. He knew all of this, and he didn’t care. All that mattered was beating Salor until his green blood stained Crichton’s fist…
**Wait a minute,** Crichton thought, realizing suddenly what he was thinking. And then, it hit him.
All around him, the engineers were arguing. The arguments were almost as fierce as the one he was having with Salor, and it was everywhere. Every single team, every single crewman and commander and commissioned officer, fighting. He imagined a red mist, filling Main Engineering, and choking them all, confusing them, enraging them.
And he imagined it rolling off of Salor in waves. It had started when he’d entered Main Engineering, had seemed to spread outward from him like a plague. And he suddenly remembered dozens of incidents in the past weeks exactly like it. And always, there was Salor.
It was him. It had always been him.
Somehow, Salor was causing it. The mysterious power failures, the fighting. He was spreading it like a disease. And when he was around, it intensified ten-fold. Crichton didn’t know how, he wasn’t knowledgeable enough in medical science to have the answer… but he *knew* he was right.
“It’s you,” Crichton said softly, his eyes wide and staring at Salor. “You’re doing it. You’re doing it right now.”
“What are you talking about?” Salor asked, genuinely surprised at Crichton’s remark.
But Crichton had nothing else to say. He took a look at the pandemonium around him, the anger, the dozens of separate, petty arguments, and strode quickly past Salor and out of Main Engineering.
-------------------------------------
LOCATION: Residential Module
SCENE: Crichton’s Quarters
TIME INDEX: 2 hours later
The first thing Crichton had done when he made it back to his quarters was to try and send a message to Captain Kane. He received a message informing him that his terminal had temporarily been deactivated for routine maintenance. Salor had wasted no time.
There was always the chance that Kane, upon hearing of Crichton’s suspension from duty, would take care of the problem himself. However, Crichton didn’t want to count on that. Although his suspension had already been logged into the station’s computer, Kane’s notification of it was probably sitting in a pile of PADDs on his desk. With all of the problems facing the station, it might be a long time before Kane got around to checking them.
The way he saw it, Crichton had several options now. He could try to contact Kane from a public terminal, but he had no doubt that Salor would be watching, and would intercept any message Crichton sent.
He could try to just walk into Operations, but seeing as how he was technically relieved of duty (not to mention the fact that there was still an escaped changeling aboard the station), that would be difficult. He might eventually get in to see Kane, but it would probably take him several weeks.
His third and best chance was to appeal to one of the other senior staff. His best bet was probably Lt. Cannon, but Nick had gone out on a limb for Crichton more than once, and it wasn’t fair to ask him to do it again. If Crichton was wrong about his suspicions, his future aboard GATEWAY was probably over, and with the civilian government preparing to take over, it might not end up too well for anyone who helped him.
But Crichton had to do *something*… especially because, now, he had something to go on. He had done a little research into the medical databanks, and had discovered a rare neurological condition that afflicted Vulcans, something called “Bendii Syndrome”. The symptoms were almost identical to what the Engineering staff had been experiencing- the afflicted Vulcan suffered a growing loss of emotional stability, and actually telepathically infected others around him with the same lack of control. If the Vulcan was sinking into a brooding depression, those around him would feel inexplicably depressed as well. If the Vulcan were a borderline psychotic…
If Salor did have Bendii Syndrome, then Main Engineering and even GATEWAY itself was in serious jeopardy. Crichton had no doubt that it was Salor that sabotaged the prototype, and that could very well have resulted in the death of both Crichton and Lt. Cannon. There was no telling what else the mad Vulcan might be capable of.
If Crichton could take his suspicions to Kane, Kane could force Salor to submit to medical testing. That would determine very quickly if the Vulcan CEO had Bendii Syndrome. The problem was figuring out how to do it.
And Crichton had a bad feeling that time was running out.
NRPG: Anyone want to give Crichton a hand?
Shawn
a.k.a
Jacob Crichton, Ensign
Assistant Chief of Engineering
GATEWAY Station, GS-2
“This will be the worst day of your life. …I’m bringing nunchucks.” – The Boondocks
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