The Invasion

Posted on 22 Aug 2024 @ 3:01am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant JG Kemm

1,824 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Shattered Unity
Location: Personal Quarters || Deck 6
Timeline: June 19, 2390 || 1700 hours

The quarters on deck six for junior offers would have suited just about any crew member who didn't have to share space with another officer or enlisted, but there were rare occasions when someone else decided that they liked someone else's quarters more than their own. Such as this instance and the quarters in question belonged to one Lieutenant JG Kemm.

Someone had apparently liked it enough to bypass the code to get in and the alarm which would have been sent to Security after several failed attempts. While that was unusual in and of itself that someone would violate the personal space of another in such a manner, it was far worse inside.

Every piece of furnishing had been defaced, torn, and tossed wherever it landed. Every item on the walls had been torn down, every personal item had been handled and tossed aside, and a large, crude drawing of Kelpien threat ganglia on a plate had been left on the wall.

Kemm stood inside the doorway, unable to process the visage before him. Of all of the things that could have happened over the last few days, there was no way that he'd expected such a horrible act. And what a greeting for after he'd returned from the Jem'hadar ship! If there was ever a time that he regretted being in Starfleet, this was it.

He managed to pull enough of his sorts together to tap his combadge. "Lieutenant Kemm to security," he said, his voice somewhat shaky. "There's been a break-in at my quarters."

=^=On the way, Lieutenant,=^= came the response.

Kemm sighed. The urge to start cleaning the mess, or at least scrub the graffiti off the wall, was very strong, but he knew he had no choice but to wait idly by until security showed up. For now, he resigned to opening a tricorder to inspect a few of his valuables for damage.

It was roughly a minute when a slender Risian female showed up. "What happened?" she asked as she approached and pulled her tricorder.

"I'm unsure how," Kemm said, looking up at the Risian, "but someone broke into my quarters... and did this."

"I am Ensign Rana," the woman belatedly told him as she looked at the chaos and horror in his quarters. "Do you have any enemies, Lieutenant?: My people are fond of saying all that is ours is yours, but this..."

"I don't have any enemies," Kemm replied, almost shocked that the ensign would suggest such a thing. "But with all of the new people on board, there's been a lot of survivors trying to stick their business in engineering. Trying to keep them all out has been a challenge."

"Do you have anyone that might know your security code to enter?" the Ensign asked as she started a scan of the drawing on the wall, muttering about the horror of it all. She was clearly deeply disturbed by it and it showed on her expression.

Kemm shook his head. "I've given my code to no one. And only my biosign is registered as an authorized user on the sensors."

The officer frowned. "Is it possible you left it opened by accident, Lieutenant?" she asked as she looked at the readings from her tricorder. "I do make out one other biosign that was here recently."

"My door is always locked," Kemm replied. "At least, it's programmed to be that way. Only opens with my biosign, and I don't think I've had to use my personal code in months."

Ensign Rana nodded and checked her tricorder again. "You should not stay here tonight. I would suggest going to Operations for another quarter assignment. I will have a forensic team and run a full sweep. Is there anything you require from here?"

Kemm sighed and frowned. "There aren't any available cabins," Kemm informed her. "With all of the survivors, every room is occupied until we reach Gavara. Besides, I have no intention of abandoning my home."

The Ensign frowned. "I do apologize," she said as she moved to begin taking a deeper scan of the horrific art on the wall. "I'll make sure the Forensics team removes this. Would you like help cleaning your quarters, Lieutenant?"

"Only if it's no trouble." Kemm took another moment to survey the violated surroundings. "With all of the extra personnel aboard, I can only imagine how busy security can be."

"It's been hectic. Missing items, missing people, requests for this or that, and it's all right now," she said as she moved to set a chair upright.

At that point, three officers showed up, all Enlisted and nodded to her. "Seven hours to go, huh Ensign?" the leader, a Crewman Second Class said.

"Unless you want double that, don't complain. The Chief is run ragged enough," Rana said and handed him her tricorder. "Initial scans are on here. Scan everything else."

"Yes, ma'am," the Crewman said and directed the other two to various parts of the quarters to begin collecting evidence.

Kemm frowned at the new arrivals. He knew all of this was necessary, and all he wanted to do was just clean up and get some sleep. He followed closely Rana, not for comfort, but to start cleaning his quarters once he was certain they were done with an area. He picked up the couch cushions to reassemble the furniture, but not after checking all sides to be sure nothing had been stained.

Other than some superficial damage and the ghastly artwork on the wall that was now being removed by an enlisted crewman after it had been thoroughly scanned.

Rana looked at Kemm as she finished setting up another chair. "I'm certain that we'll have whoever did this in no time, Lieutenant," she offered. "This is a hate crime and it will not be tolerated."

Kemm did appreciate that, but with hundreds of new crew aboard, even he wasn't sure where to start. He stood in the middle of the room, trying to think of anyone... "You know? For the last couple of days, there have been a couple crewmen on the damage control team who've been acting strangely around me."

"Do you know their names?" Rana asked as she pulled up her PADD.

"Crewman Th'ril," Kemm said slowly, making sure he had the name right. "Rigelian, I believe. And Petty Officer M'Kae, Xhosan."

The Ensign made a note of the names on her PADD. "I'll pull them in for questioning," she said. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked as she set the last chair upright. "I can have a drone patrol this section of the corridor more if you'd feel safer."

Kemm simply shrugged and shook his head. "Whatever you think is best. I might set up some sort of imagining device on this side of the door in the event they try again."

"Would you like Security to install a recorder?" Rana asked and checked her tricorder to make an adjustment, then scanned the quarters a second time. "Did you say a Rigelian?" She asked to confirm as she looked at the scan results.

"I did say that," Kemm confirmed, taking note of the sudden change of subject. "Are you picking up something?"

She looked at her tricorder again and scanned a piece of furniture a bit deeper. "It would appear that there is a faint trace of Rigellian DNA here, Lieutenant," she said. "I will have to cross check it with those on file to ensure no current Operations officer on board was responsible for this trace during the initial delivery, but I will see if Crewman Th'ril may have some answers for us."

"The ship is only a few weeks old," Kemm offered. He did agree with her assessment that there were plenty of opportunities for Rigelians to be aboard in the years it took to build the ship. "So I suppose anything's possible. I just don't want to have to worry about being broken into again. You'd think those who wear this uniform would be above such things."

"I agree completely, Sir," Rana said as she finished her scan. "I'm sure this was a one time thing. I do not understand why they would have painted your threat ganglia on the wall l ike that. It was beyond that of a Starfleet officer and most disgusting to even contemplate doing something like that."

Kemm shook his head. "Given what we've experienced in the last week, I'm not so sure I even know what to think anymore. There are times I wonder if it is indeed safer to be in the Alpha Quadrant."

"You would not be wrong, Lieutenant," she said emphatically before she lowered her voice. "I have heard that the very name of this ship is cursed."

The engineer couldn't help but chuckle. "Ensign, I have served with Captain Geisler for two years. I can therefore say with absolute confidence that the rumor is correct. The horrors that I have seen beside that man... you would not believe me."

The Ensign looked over at him and despite his chuckle, she felt ice cold fingers climbing her spine. The proof had been right in front of her on the wall before the gruesome image had been removed. "What have I gotten myself into?" she murmured almost to herself before giving a shake. "I believe you and won't ask why you're still here. I'm putting in for a transfer at the next base we get to."

Part of Kemm wanted to share his displeasure that, after all of this time serving with Geisler, he was still just a lowly engineer. He'd always thought this new engine room should be his, but instead it was in the hands of a Trill. He had nothing against the species, but surely time served still meant something. "That's your prerogative. Maybe I can hope that these bandits will do the same."

She felt bad for a moment and gave a curt nod. "My apologies, Lieutenant. I will compare the sample that I've taken and question the two crewman you mentioned."

"Thank you," Kemm confirmed. "If there's anything else I can help with, please let me know."

"I will, Lieutenant," Rana said with a smile. "If you need anything, all that I have is yours." It was a modification of the Risian saying, but she offered it in the same vein.

The Kelpian nodded before turning back to the mess that was also known as his quarters. After one more careful observation, he selected an area that had been thoroughly scanned and started to clean.

With a nod, Ensign Rana collected the other members of the team and headed out to make the report and round up the two officers in Engineering, as well as the records for any Rigellian currently on the Black Hawk who may have handled or touched his furniture. It was going to be a long shift.

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