Tricobalt Investigation

Posted on 30 Sep 2025 @ 9:20pm by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant JG Shay Mitchell

2,933 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Imposters Among Us
Location: Armory
Timeline: July 8, 2390 || 0930 hours

The moment Camila left the Auxiliary bridge, she nearly sprinted to the nearest turbolift, dodging around personnel who quickly stepped aside at the look of fury on the Security Chief's face. She waited impatiently for the turbolift to arrive, then stepped in.

"Deck Four, Armory. Security overrider. No stops," she ordered as it engaged and headed to her requested destination. Even with her override, the journey from Deck Thirteen where Auxiliary Control was, the nine deck trip seemed to take an hour.

The doors barely had a chance to swish open when she stepped between them and sprinted down the corridor again. She hoped that Ensign. No, Lieutenant Mitchell had secured the last remaining tricobalt that they had and it had something in its programming that she could use against whoever did it.

She entered her Security code in the Armory door and submitted to a bioscan, then stepped in once she was verified. The officer on duty came to his feet, but she dismissed him. "Where is Lieutenant Mitchell?" she asked him.

"In the Vault, Commander," he said.

"Thank you," Camila said and headed to the secure area where the tricobalts were stored and entered her authorization once more and submitted once more to bioscans. She stepped in and looked around the small chamber, a feeling of horror crawling up her spine at once more being in such a small space with such a lethal weapon.

Shay stood near the tricobalt and looked toward Camila as she entered. "I escorted the tricobalt personally, and have not let it leave my sight," the young woman stated. "What's wrong with it? Or is that what we're hoping to find out?"

"It's what we're going to find out and who, if anyone, is responsible for not one, but two failures of what should have been one success," Camila said as she looked at the lethal warhead behind multiple layered forcefields on a cradle. She tapped her combadge. "Chief of Security to Cyber Unit. Report to the Amory."

=^=Acknowledged,=^= came the response a moment later.

"Let's get it prepped for them." she said as she went to lay her hand on the bioscanner, submitted to a retinal scan, voice print and entered her Security clearance for the second time that day. She grabbed the antigrav cart and maneuvered it beside the cradle. "Use the tractor beam and move it over nice and slow, Lieutenant," she told Shay.

Shay gave a sharp nod, already moving to the controls with practiced precision. Her fingers hovered for a moment over the tractor beam interface, then engaged it with a steady hand. The tricobalt warhead began to lift, cradled in a shimmering field of containment energy.

"Understood, Commander," she said, her voice calm but edged with a quiet intensity. "I'll move it slow and clean."

She watched the warhead shift, the hum of the tractor beam filling the small chamber. Shay didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate—but her thoughts ran deeper than her expression betrayed.

If this goes sideways… if there's a fault in the containment or a glitch in the beam… it won't be Camila who kills everyone. It'll be me. My hands. My responsibility.

She kept her posture straight, her eyes locked on the warhead’s movement. No room for doubt. No time for second-guessing.

Once the tricobalt was safely on the antigrav cart, Camila gave a sigh of relief. "Did you notice anyone near the tricobalt when you went to secure it?" She asked Shay.

Shay kept her eyes on the warhead as it settled into place, the tractor beam disengaging with a soft hum. She straightened, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned to Camila. "Only Tactical officers were present in the torpedo loading bay when I arrived," she said, her voice steady but thoughtful.

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly. "But… was there any point when the tricobalts were left unattended? Even for a minute? If someone had access—unauthorized or otherwise—it wouldn’t take long to compromise them. Especially if they knew what they were doing."

"Only I, Lieutenant Frex, Lieutenant Ryler and Commander Geisler worked on it," Camila said as she took the cart into the Armory weapons lab.

Ensign T'Ven and Ensign Chuha, both of the Security Cyberdivision, entered the Armory. "You wanted to see us, Chief?"

"Yes," Camila said. "I want a full analysis of the programming in this tricobalt from..." She gave them the timeframe that work started on the tricobalt and who the participants were, and what each had been instructed to do. "Find out what went wrong, how, and if it was caused by anyone."

"Yes, Commander," the Bolian said as she heded to open the panel and entered her code, pulling out a diagnostics tricorder and other specialty items.

The other Ensign, a Vulcan male, moved to the other end and began to disarm the warhead.

Shay watched as the two officers from the Cyberdivision began their work on the remaining tricobalt. If there were answers to be found, they'd be the ones to find them. "It was just the four of you that worked on it?" She repeated as the possibilities began to roll through her mind. "I hope that you will forgive me for this, Commander, but until we have more answers, I'm going to have to take you into custody. Will you cooperate and place your hands behind your back?"

"What?" Camila spun in surprise and looked at the junior Lieutenant in disbelief, a memory surfacing in her mind of her arresting Rosario, her former Chief of Security, on the bridge of the original Black Hawk when she was just the new Assistant Chief. Now history was repeating itself and she didn't even have her violin.

"I'm the one conducting this investigation, Lieutenant Mitchell," she said. "I am not a suspect."

"You just told me that you and three others were the only ones who worked on them," the young woman pointed out as she reached for the restraints on her utility belt. "I have to follow protocol here while this investigation is being done. And as much as I would like to, I can't take you at your word. You, as well as Commander Geisler, Lieutenant Frex and Lieutenant Ryler will all be placed under arrest until more evidence is gathered to clear each of you."

"You don't need to restrain me, Lieutenant," Camila said with a glare at Mitchell's hand moving for her belt. "I know the drill. Hell, I invented it on this ship. Not that it ever seems to fucking work for me. Fine. Conduct the investigation yourself and this ship can go to hell."

The young woman didn't even flinch, but she did find herself doubting her decision for a second as she lowered her hand back to her side. Would Camila really sabotage her own plans? There were clones running around, but she made it through without a hit. But, there was the fact that she was one of four people that worked on them.

Shay looked to the Cyberdivision officers. "Do what you can to clear the Commander and make it as fast as possible," she said, then looked toward Camila. "Shall we, then?"

"Let's," Camila said dryly as she removed her combadge and set it on the table by the tricobalt, then removed her tactical belt and placed it beside of the combadge. She turned and waited for Mitchell to escort her to the brig. "What a fine way to end my career."

"Your career isn't over, Commander," Shay pointed out as she grabbed the combadge and belt before escorting Camila from the armory. "This is, I hope, only temporary. For you and the others once they've been brought in." She didn't want to think that any of them were capable of sabotage.

"One way or the other, I've been nothing but a passenger when I signed up to be a shield," Camila said as she headed to the Brig at a slow, measured pace. "At this point, I have nothing more to give or say."

"Understood, Commander," she said, falling silent for the remainder of their short journey to the brig.

Once in the brig, Camila stepped into one of the holding cells and waited for the forcefield to be raised. "Don't forget to remove my access. You wouldn't want me escaping during your second term as Acting Chief of Security. Good luck."

Shay stood just outside the brig’s control console, watching Camila step into the holding cell with a mix of respect and quiet resolve. The forcefield shimmered to life, sealing the cell with a low hum. She gave a faint smile at Camila’s remark. “I have faith I won’t be Acting Chief for long,” she said, voice low but firm. “You’ll be back where you belong before this mess finishes unraveling.”

Then, without hesitation, she tapped her combadge.

“Lieutenant Mitchell to Security Dispatch. I want six officers dispatched immediately—three teams of two. Team One: apprehend Lieutenant Commander Joelle Geisler. Team Two: Lieutenant Ranul Frex. Team Three: Lieutenant Zayna Ryler. All charges to be held pending investigation into the tricobalt incident. Use standard arrest protocols and report once secured.”

=^=Acknowledged. Teams en route.=^=

She exhaled slowly, then turned her gaze back to Camila. “As for your access…” Shay hesitated for just a breath. “I don’t feel the need to revoke it. I do trust you despite current conditions. But I’m following protocol, not instinct.”

She keyed in the authorization to temporarily suspend Camila’s clearance, her fingers moving with reluctant precision. “It will be reinstated the moment this clears. You’re not the kind of officer who needs to prove her loyalty.”

"We shall see," Camila said.

===Four Hours Later===

In the Armory, Ensign T'Ven and Ensign Chuha worked for hours in synchronized silence, their focus locked on the tricobalt device suspended in the containment cradle. T'Ven, ever precise, manipulated the diagnostic interface with Vulcan efficiency, his fingers gliding over the console as he parsed the device’s quantum subroutine architecture. Chuha, vibrant and meticulous, leaned in beside him, her Bolian intuition guiding her through the tangled logic pathways embedded in the tricobalt’s onboard computer.

Their analysis revealed a disturbing pattern: the tricobalt’s timing protocols had been subtly altered, introducing a microsecond delay that could destabilize the detonation sequence. Chuha traced the anomaly to a corrupted yield calibration file, which had been overwritten with parameters that would either underpower the device or cause an unpredictable energy dispersion. T'Ven, cross-referencing the device’s access logs, noted a series of unauthorized entries originating from the Chief Engineer's programming.

The logs had been partially scrubbed, but the residual data fragments pointed to Lieutenant Frex. The sabotage was not crude—it was elegant, buried beneath layers of legitimate updates, suggesting intent and technical mastery. The implications were grave: had the tricobalt been deployed in a live scenario, the misfire could have jeopardized the entire vessel.

T'Ven tapped his combadge once Chuha confirmed his findings. "Ensign T'Ven to Lieutenant Mitchell."

Shay looked hopeful, but didn't want to get her hopes up. "Mitchell here."

"We have a preliminary report for you, Lieutenant," T'Ven responded, his Vulcan voice giving away nothing.

"I'm on my way" Shay found herself saying before she made the short journey to the armory. "What did you find?"

Ensign Chuha gave Shay a politei nod and presented a PADD. "The tricobalt’s onboard computer had been fed incorrect perimeter definitions, causing it to misinterpret spatial boundaries and target acquisition zones. This flaw, combined with the timing and yield inconsistencies, rendered the device tactically unreliable and dangerously unstable."

Ensign T'Ven continued. "All signs of sabotage unfortunately point to Lieutenant Frex," he said and presented the investigative findings in detail on another PADD.

Shay took both PADDs in hand, her eyes scanning the data with sharp focus. The room was quiet save for the soft hum of the containment field behind her, and the occasional tap of her fingers as she flipped through the layers of analysis.

She exhaled slowly. “Incorrect perimeter definitions… that’s not a rookie mistake. That’s deliberate misdirection. And the timing inconsistencies—Frex knew exactly what he was doing.”

She looked up at Chuha and T’Ven, her expression firm but appreciative. “You both did excellent work. Thank you. Keep digging. I want every byte of that tricobalt’s history scrubbed and cross-referenced. If there’s more buried in its code—backdoors, triggers, anything—I want it found.”

She gave a final nod. “I’ve got something important to take care of. Excuse me.”

With that, Shay turned and exited the armory once more, her stride purposeful as she made her way back to the brig. The doors parted with a hiss, and she stepped inside, her gaze locking onto Camila through the shimmering forcefield.

“You’ve been cleared, Commander,” Shay said simply, entering the override sequence. The forcefield dropped with a soft hum, and she stepped forward to reinstate Camila’s clearance. “Your access is restored. I never doubted you—but protocol is a stubborn thing.”

Camila looked up from where she sat on the flat, uncomfortable bench and came to her feet. "Just like that?" she asked as she stepped forward. "So, what do we know?"

Shay held up the PADD, tapping the screen once before speaking. "Just like that,” she confirmed. “The evidence is solid. The tricobalt’s onboard computer was fed corrupted perimeter definitions—deliberately. It was programmed to misread spatial boundaries and targeting zones, which is why it behaved erratically. That kind of sabotage isn’t random. It’s calculated.”

Her voice hardened slightly. “And all signs point to Lieutenant Frex."

"Frex?" The Security Chief blinked in disbelief. "Why would he do it? Is he a clone that got by us? Is he an agent? Did he get compromised? Where is he now?"

"That's what we need to find out," Shay stated as she offered Camila her combadge and tactical belt back.

"Have they been arrested yet, too?" Camila asked as she reattached her combadge and put her tactical belt back on, then checked every pouch and the phaser and battery.

"Yes," Shay replied. "Do you want Commander Geisler and Lieutenant Ryler released?"

"Yes," Camila said. "Did any of them give you any issues?"

Shay shook her head. "No. Everyone came relatively quietly. I have Chuha and T’Ven digging deeper in the event there's anything else," she stated, gesturing for the Chief to lead the way. "Do you want me to accompany you to question Lieutenant Frex? And I will let you give the order to release the Commander and Lieutenant."

"I want the Bynar involved with the investigation, too," the ombre haired woman said as they headed for the other cells. "I would prefer Lieutenant Rael at the interrogation of Lieutenant Frex as well."

"Should I get them personally and join you in one of the interrogation rooms?" Shay asked.

"Yes and have Lieutenant Rael bring a Medical tricorder as well," Camila said after a moment of thought.

"I'm on it, Commander," the Acting Assistant Chief said with a nod. They were much closer to getting to the truth, but who knew if they were ready for that. "I will rejoin you momentarily. Give me twenty minutes to get the last of our interrogation team." With that, she turned on her heel to go get Lieutenant Rael and the Bynar.

"Thank you, Shay and no hard feelings," Camila said to her parting back before she headed the other brig cells to release Lieutenant Ryler with an apology before she move to Joey's cell and lowered the forcefield.

"Commander, you are free to go," she said.

Joey stepped forward and nodded despite the internal freak out she was currently experiencing. "Thank you, Commander," she said simply. "I understand that this was necessary, and if I can help with the investigation, let me know."

"I will, but unfortunately, I was just released from the Brig as well. That pretty much excludes us from direct investigation, but thank you."

"I never thought I would see the day where you and I were both arrested," the Intelligence Chief said with a shake of her head. On the outside, she displayed disbelief that it happened, but on the inside, she was a total bundle of nerves. "If we were released, then that must mean that Ryler or Frex were responsible."

"I just released Lieutenant Ryler," Camila stated and let Joey figure that it was Frex that was the one that was still under arrest.

"Lieutenant Frex?" Joey asked as she feigned surprise. "Wow. I thought he seemed a bit shifty before we went to the lab to make the modifications. At any rate, thanks for coming to release me personally. It means a lot. I'll let you get back to it. Remember to reach out if you need me."

Camila wondered why Joey had called the Chief Engineer shifty. Granted, he was eager, but he was fresh meat on a ship on the front lines of known space. "Whatever the case may be, I'll get to the bottom of it. I'll let you know."

"Until then," the dark haired woman said before she sidestepped the Security Chief and made her way from the brig. Panic crept through her as she made her way to see Harvey.

With a sigh after Joey left, Camila went and began to prepare for the interrogation of Lieutenant Frex. It was going to be a long day.

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