Carpathia IV: Episode 265 - Analysis
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Aire's next act, under the advice of Amenaru, was to call condition yellow. This put the crew on alert and have all available for the investigation. Just seconds after the ambient lighting changed to yellow, the lift doors opened and Admiral Zhang burst out.
Admiral Zhang: Kit's message said it was urgent, and now we're on yellow alert?
Aire: Lazmaedia was here, Admiral.
Admiral Zhang let out a deep exhale as she rounded the security console to take a seat in Joust's chair.
Admiral Zhang: Past tense. She is not here now?
Aire: Not as far as I know, but she appeared to have disappeared.
Admiral Zhang: Hence the yellow alert, yes. Would you like to discuss in your ready room?
Aire scrunched up his face, squeezing his eyes shut tight for a moment. He didn't want to think of his ready room and, at this particular moment, he felt like he'd never want to go back in there again. Somehow, it felt permanently besmirched.
Aire: That's where I met her. I ordered Amenaru to seal it and that nobody enters without your permission. I believe we should assemble a forensics team to go over every last centimeter.
Admiral Zhang: I see. You'd rather not go in there. Can't say I blame you.
Aire: I don't know when I'll feel comfortable in there again. If you're okay with it, I'd like to call the senior staff to the bridge and we can tell them everything. Amenaru, did Lazmaedia trigger the surveillance cameras?
Amenaru: Unauthorized entry detection? Let me see.
Amenaru immediately set himself to his console, quickly going through the menus. Finally, he paused and leaned in close, his eyes as wide as teacup saucers.
Amenaru: She's huge! And she's drinking all your liquor. She's not very tidy about it either.
Aire grimaced and moved his hand around in a circle, as this was possibly the part he was least keen to remember.
Aire: Yes, Lieutenant, I was there. It seems she either didn't check or didn't care about the cameras. Kit, summon all senior staff to the bridge.
Kit: Yes, Captain.
While Kit worked, the regular bridge staff started filing out of the lifts in a mad dash to their stations. Joust was first, and, spying Admiral Zhang in his chair, took to the ceiling instead.
Joust: What is it, Captain?
Aire: Hang tight. I've summoned the senior staff. I'll fill you all in when Medical and Engineering arrive.
After Aire assured the crew they were in no immediate danger, at least, they didn't appear to be, they waited for the rest to arrive. Several minutes went by when, first, the port lift opened revealing Sorchae and Tamati. Shortly thereafter, the starboard lift disgorged Minnie and Ramei. With all present, the briefing could begin.
Right, I'll get to it. Lazmaedia was here. I don't know how she got here or where she went, but when I came onto the bridge this morning, she was waiting in my ready room.
They were a professional crew. Aire knew it, and so did Admiral Zhang. Nevertheless, several could not help but allow an audible gasp escape their lips in that moment.
Aire: When she entered... appeared, really, the unauthorized visitor cameras triggered. Amenaru, start the recording and put it up on the viewer.
Amenaru: Yes, Captain.
Amenaru got to work queueing up the video while Aire gave one last instruction.
Aire: You can watch this again if you like. Copies will be available for you, but for now, no questions. We'll watch this through once without pause.
Amenaru: Ready, Captain.
Aire: Play it.
The video started, the camera pointed at Aire's desk and Lazmaedia was already there, as if she had always been there. Indeed, as Aire noted and Amenaru pointed out, she was massive, with the hair on her head brushing up against the ceiling and her wings, spanning from fore to aft. She barely fit into the chair when Aire saw her, but now, seeing her standing was quite different. The first thing she did was collapse her wings into her back and start looking around.
After having a glance around, her first stop was the computer console. Leaning far down to half her height, she squinted at the screen and tried tapping at the buttons a little. With a grimace, she gave up quickly. Standing up to full height, she looked around again and spotted the gap leading to the lounge. A normal-sized person would simply stroll between the credenza and the window, but Lazmaedia had to turn to sideways and sidle her way through.
From there, the camera switched to the lounge area. Again, Lazmaedia looked around, brushing her hand through the potted plant nearby. Then, she noticed the liquor shelf. She took her time perusing the labels, as though she were shopping at a store. Finally, she selected one, a full bottle of Canadian whiskey and then turned to the chair nearest to her. It took some time for her to squeeze in. At last, she succeeded, with her legs splayed out far in front of her. Just like before, Aire thought she looked like an adult trying to sit in a chair made for toddlers.
Looking none too comfy, Lazmaedia pulled the stopper from the bottle and tipped the entire contents into her mouth, finishing all of it in one go. At the end, she gazed at the label one more time, casting a disdainful gaze at it. She tossed the bottle away, sending it flopping across the carpeted floor. What happened next surprised everyone. Instead of extricating herself from the chair to get another bottle, she simply held out her hand and her next selection zoomed off the shelf, straight into her hand.
Bottle after bottle, this continued for a solid 45 minutes. Select bottle. Down it all in one go. Cast it away with utter disdain. Repeat until all the bottles were on the floor. Not long after she finished the last one, Aire walked inside and then proceeded a very uncomfortable conversation, ending with Aire laying slack in his chair.
Aire: Someone take that chair she was in and throw it out an airlock after it's done being examined. I'm not kidding.
Trex: I shall ensure you never see it again, Captain.
Admiral Zhang: Feel free to shoot it too, if you'd like the target practice. I certainly don't want to sit in that again.
Aire: Okay, ideas, people. What can we deduce from this video?
Phobos wasted no time with his answer.
Phobos: I can offer some good news. She doesn't seem to understand our computer system. I'll still finish the analysis, but it appears likely that she hasn't gotten in.
Minnie: That's something, but how did she get here? She had to know things before she could even come.
Admiral Zhang: I should like to show this video to Voxx and Lamia. We've heard she can teleport, but not this far. She may have something else. Either that, or her ship is already nearby.
Kit: I had a chat with Jaze when he was here. He told me that Wishmaster could communicate with him telepathically. If Lazmaedia can do the same, she could have learned a lot from some of the vasthari we've already met.
Aire: All possibilities, but it's speculation. Can we discern anything definitive?
Silence, for a time, while the crew pondered.
Ramei: She likes booze.
All faces turned to Ramei, each displaying various degrees of consternation. All except Admiral Zhang, who didn't even try to stifle her giggles.
Admiral Zhang: Oh, come now with that face, Aire. You walked right into that one.
Aire had to nod.
Aire: I suppose I did. Not much we can say definitively, then. In that case, Admiral Zhang and I will prepare a memo to send along with the video to the admiralty. Amenaru, put that video in senior staff accounts.
Amenaru: Understood, Captain. Depositing now.
Aire: Everyone, review the footage. Share it with your teams. Discuss it. Meeting in the conference room tomorrow at 17:00 to review any new observations. Understood?
A chorus of "Yes, Captain!" sounded throughout the bridge.
Aire: We'll keep yellow alert for now until we're reasonably sure Lazmaedia is gone. Of course, we'll never know for sure, but I want everyone on alert for now. Return to your stations.
The non-bridge officers filed to the lifts while the rest of the bridge crew took their stations.
Aire: Admiral, we can discuss in the office in my quarters.
Admiral Zhang: I think that would be best.
Aire: Joust, you have the bridge. Let me know of anything even a little strange.
Joust: Understood, Captain.
Aire and Admiral Zhang headed to the unused lift on their way to Deck 4.
Conference Room, NCCS Shadowdancer-A, Five Days Later
Even after having a new chair brought in, Aire grumbled over his new accommodations. Though he would have preferred to work in his quarters, he couldn't have a lift between himself and the bridge. One makes do, but he did have a lovely page of notes for changes to make to the conference room should the designers ever consider a refit. At the very least, something that could manage a quick conversion into a ready room should the need arise. Perhaps a design a bit less sterile while they were at it.
One new addition that Amenaru installed for him was a door chime, which had just the slightest extra tinniness to it without any of the furniture to bounce off of. Another reminder that he was in the wrong place.
Aire: Come in.
The door slid open and, for once, Aire felt a bit of happiness well up inside. It was Phobos, followed by Amenaru, and he dared to think that they might have some good news.
Aire: Have a seat!
Aire indicated the chairs to his right and left, to which both obliged and sat.
Phobos: Thank you, Captain. We have completed the forensic analysis of the computer. There are no intrusions of any sort that we can find.
Amenaru: That he can find, really. Phobos can do the work much more quickly and completely than any of us.
Aire: Either way, that's great news. Admiral Zhang already gave permission to increase speed if we get the all-clear.
Phobos: You have it, Captain. There's nothing in the computer that could potentially infest Polaris Deep.
Aire stood, prompting Phobos and Amenaru to do the same.
Aire: Immediately, then.
Aire held out his hand so that they would go first and he followed them out of the conference room. Down the stairs to the bridge, where Joust jumped from the command chair back to his own. Before Aire even reached his, he started giving orders.
Aire: Helm, Q9. Maintain course to Polaris Deep.
Teek: Q9, yes Captain.
The thrum of the engines spun up to a happy pitch as the Shadowdancer streaked forward at its new cruising speed.
Aire: Commander, how's the analysis of my office going?
Joust: We've done all we can with what we have here, Captain. We're going to pass it to Polaris Deep once we get there. They have more resources.
Aire: Fine. I wasn't planning on going in again until after we get back anyway. Shouldn't be more than a couple of days now.
Aire leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, a smile gracing his lips for the first time in five days as he listened to the happy engine noises propelling them to their destination.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
