"Fargo" Part Three

Posted on 20 Nov 2023 @ 12:19pm by Lieutenant JG Zara Ghemora

1,592 words; about a 8 minute read

Previously…

"It's alright, commander. We will get things moving as quickly as we can, but we must take things one step at a time," Ghemora said in an attempt to calm the engineer before turning to her investigative partner to ask, "Turok, do you want to get started on initial scans? Maybe Commander Lugo can show you how one might reach that particular section," she hinted as she turned back to the Ferengi. There was a small, silent look exchanged between the three before the Vulcan nodded, leaving the Security officer only to ask, "This crewman that found the deceased, where are they? I will need to interview them."

Commander Lugo spoke up, "Kid was shaken up after, so I excused him back to his quarters. Told him he should go directly there and wait for someone to come question him. Not the first time I've gone through these post-accident procedures." Ghemora gave the Ferengi a nod of acknowledgment before the engineer sent a note to her PADD as to where she could find the crewman. With their separate duties in order, Turok and the Cardassian shared a glance before splitting off to handle their individual, initial assignments…


Now…

[ON]

"Commander," the Vulcan indicated before offering a hand for the Ferengi to take a step to the side away from the rest of the crew that was milling about the space. Once there, Turok kept his voice low as he inquired, "Beside Crewman Hess, has anyone else proceeded into the tubes in the direction of the deceased?"

While the question was plain, Lugo seemed to take momentary offense before his face scrunched in thought a moment. "No," he declared with a shake of his head, looking up to the Vulcan, "Once Hess came out, I ordered no one else to enter and made them use internal sensors to confirm the crewman's claim before contacting the captain. But they're used all the time by various engineering crew to traverse the ship for work if you were hoping for an easy answer to who committed this atrocity."

Turok assessed the shorter man for a silent moment before offering a curt nod to reply, "Understood, sir. Would please direct me to the location of the deceased?" The Vulcan was sure to be as respectful as he could, even though he knew there was no need given the autonomy the captain had given him and Lieutenant Ghemora. After a heavy sigh and shrug from the Engineering chief, Lugo was halted as he approached the entry to the Jefferies tube, "Commander, it would be logical for me to take the lead to limit the dilution of my scans. I am sure you will have no deficiencies directing me to the correct junction from behind, correct?"

Giving the Vulcan a look that spoke volumes to the offense the chief seemed to feel at the perceived insult, Lugo offered the Science officer a slight sneer as he stepped aside and waved a hand across his body towards the opening. "Of course, lieutenant. Go ahead. And to the left." Those who worked under the chief could tell from the tone in his voice he had already been annoyed by this whole situation, but it was clear Turok was causing the Ferengi's blood to boil.

Taking the lead and crawling into the narrow Jefferies tube was slightly more cramped thanks to the overall smaller size of the Defiant-class, Turok moved slowly as he made regular stops to use his tricorder to scan ahead of the duo. Seemingly unsurprised by the results each time before he began moving again, the Vulcan ignored the growing agitation in the Ferengi stuck behind him as they made their way through the tubes to the location of the body.

Seeing it from a short distance away after a bend as a result of the seal that had been left open, Turok announced, "Hold," before he started scanning again, taking twice as long and requiring far more adjustments to his tricorder before he turned to look back at the Engineering chief. "I believe I will be able to navigate my way back once I have finished my investigation of the scene and had the body transported out. You may return to your usual duties, Commander."

Lugo stared at the Science officer for a lingering moment before grumbling out, "Fine, Lieutenant," as if the title was an insult, though not one that Turok seemed to react in any way to. "Just don't take all day. I still gotta get those repairs made so we can continue. Do what you need and get that outta here so we can return to work." The Engineering chief said nothing more as he turned in place and started back towards the exit the two had entered through, leaving the Vulcan to his scanning.

Now alone, Turok moved forward towards the body at a crawl, scanning all of the edges and surfaces of the surrounding tube meter by meter as he slid forward until he'd finally arrived at the deceased side. Scanning all around the corpse before focusing his full attention on the man, the Vulcan, despite his racial training, took a moment of pause as he took in the look of shock frozen in the dead crewman's open eyes. Resting his hand on the grating to support his weight, Tuvok inhaled and exhaled a deep breath; the Vulcan's subdued expression of emotion at the loss that lay before him.

With the moment of recognition and reflection given, Turok returned to the cold, logical task before him. With the surroundings scanned, his focus fell completely on the corpse, mapping its state; the position it was left in, and any other small bits of evidence that may have been left. It too the Science officer several minutes, with only the slightest raise of an eyebrow as a reaction to any of the readings his tricorder gave him. Once he was finished, the Vulcan sat back in the small tunnel for a moment of contemplation before tapping his commbadge.

"Turok to Medical. I have completed my scans and am sending the necessary readings to facilitate the transport of the body for further analysis. Please confirm." It was only a few moments before the Medical Chief confirmed and the slow growth of a glow enveloped the body, leaving nothing behind within moments. Taking one last scan of the area in which the crewman had been left, Turok was ready to retreat back when his commbadge chimed a request from his partner…

…Excusing herself and exiting the crewman's quarters, Ghemora walked a few paces down the corridor before tapping her commbadge and requesting Lieutenant Turok. "Ghemora to Turok. How is your investigation going? I got all I think I could out of Crewman Hess at the moment."

The Vulcan's dry, monotone voice came back, "Confounding, lieutenant. Could you come back to Main Engineering to discuss my findings?"

The answer caused a bit of surprise in the Cardassian as her eyebrow raised. "...On my way, Lieutenant," she replied before closing the commlink and heading back to meet with her partner…

Once the connection closed, Turok holstered his tricorder and proceeded to retrace his steps, being mindful to pay attention to his surroundings as he moved, if only to ensure he hadn't overlooked anything on his journey to the body's location in the Jefferies tubes. The thoroughness of the Vulcan could not be doubted as he found no need to pause and was soon stepping out of the same hatch he'd entered an hour or so earlier with the Chief Engineer seemingly waiting for him to return.

Lugo had been pacing; refusing to leave the area until the Science officer had returned. While both the number of 'rubberneckers' had reduced, as well as the number of Security personnel to secure the area, the Ferengi halted himself and gave Turok only enough time to stand and brush his uniform flat before asking, "You find anything, Lieutenant? Do you know what happened?"

The Science officer, pausing to assess the stout man for a moment, wore a stoically flat expression as he replied, "I have gathered all potential evidence and had the body transported to Medical for further study. Any findings will be available once the investigation has been completed and cleared for distribution by the captain. If there is nothing else, commander, I must confer with Lieutenant Ghemora before we proceed."

Lugo was visibly not pleased with the roadblock of an answer her got from the Vulcan but didn't seem keen to argue, especially since it had been made clear that his teams could get back to work to keep the ship moving at the efficiency Engineering was expected to keep it. "Understood, lieutenant," is all the Ferengi had to say before stepping away to start handing out orders to his subordinates who seemed to have already been ready to enter the Jefferies tubes to conduct their required repairs.

Seeing as he was no longer needed, and catching sight of the Cardassian coming down the corridor, Turok excused himself before starting down to meet Ghemora halfway down the corridor away from the many ears that filled the engineering section they'd originally split at.

Ghemora didn't delay as she came to a stop in front of the Science officer to ask, "So what did you find?"

[TBC]

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LTJG Zara Ghemora
Temporary Security Officer
USS Fargo

Lieutenant Turok
Deputy Science Officer
USS Fargo
[NPC]

Commander Lugo
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Fargo
[NPC]

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