Seeing the Scary

Posted on Tue Apr 19th, 2022 @ 4:03pm by Lieutenant Etan tar-Lexros & Lieutenant Commander Diane Doctrine

Mission: Free write
Location: Intelligence Department
Tags: operations,intelligence

There was only one department in Starfleet that honestly worried Etan when he had to interact with them. Coming from a planet known for having a huge contribution to the Federation Council and the Diplomatic Corps, he'd been raised to see intelligencers as something of a passive threat. But at the same time, they were loyal Starfleet officers, doing their duty. On top of that, they often seemed completely separate from the usual operation of the ship - at least from the perspective of a lower-decks worker. Any mission where they were obvious to the maintenance crews usually meant they were in direct control of the whole ship. Still, Lieutenant Commander Doctrine was part of the command staff of the Resolution, and therefore he had to overcome his personal feelings and make sure to help her do her job (whatever that was) more effectively.

He rang the bell on her door, trying to fight the shake in his hand. "Lieutenant Commander Doctrine? I'm Lieutenant tar-Lexros."

"Come in," Diane was in her office working. She blanked her screens and waited for the visitor to enter. She wondered why the new Operations Manager would want to see her. Typically they dealt with the captain or first officer. Maybe he just wants to get to know everyone? she thought to herself. It would be interesting to say the least, she'd never served with an Atreonid/Efrosian before. She made a mental note to study up on their culture.

Etan walked in and glanced around the woman's office. It seemed to be fairly regular on the surface, but he was sure that there was some complication he didn't know about. "Hello, Commander. I'm the new Operations Chief, as you're likely aware. I understand it's uncommon for Starship Operations to have direct involvement with the Intelligence department, but I felt it best to meet with you, and to ask if you have any specific provisioning or repair needs which are not listed in the transition documentation left to me by Lieutenant Carey. Also, I wanted to confirm that there are no..." he thought for a moment, wondering how to tread more carefully about a potentially sensitive subject, "no 'gotchas' missing from the technical reports of this vessel which serve your needs, or which could present a difficulty to either of us. ODN junction taps would be the most obvious, of course, but I am certain there are more subtle technologies available which I'm not directly aware of. If there are any sections or subsections of this ship which contain equipment beyond my clearance, I'd like to know, so that I can request your aid in advance, if there are any repairs needed in those sections."

Diane listened and digested everything he said. She decided right away she liked this person for his prompt, upfront questions and concerns. Once he finished she waited a moment to phrase her response in a way that would not sound demeaning. "The intelligence department on this ship has a dedicated computer core, separate and unattached to the main core. The reason for this is to compartmentalize the sensitive and classified information from possible mishaps. My department handles its maintenance and upkeep. If at some point my department becomes too understaffed to handle those tasks, steps will be made to authorize you, or someone you designate from Operations, to help. It is located one deck down from our current position. Access is limited to keep unauthorized people out. Currently our computer systems are operating within normal parameters, perhaps a bit better even." She smiled, "I hope this information helps."

Ah, for once, someone else who could focus on the job, and not be part of the goings-on in the Captain’s quarters! He decided already that he was determined to consider Lieutenant Commander Doctrine at least his ally, if not a friend - along with the ship’s doctor. The moment of consideration didn’t bother him in the slightest, he often did the same to process his response. He smiled at her, somewhat more genuinely than he expected. “I understand completely, Commander. Any maintenance or repair equipment that you require, just ask, and I will have it dispatched immediately. I appreciate your frankness, sir. Anything that the Operations department can do to ensure proper function of your department and related equipment, and to keep the Resolution exceeding regulatory minimums, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

"I certainly will," Diane smiled back, "The same goes for you as well. I have some experience in Operations and Tactical and I don't mind lending a hand when needed."

Etan gave a decisive nod in response to Diane's offer, his white hair moving a bit and revealing that it was all finer than human hair (and all the product on the ship wouldn't stop at least some of it getting out of its proper place). He was still concerned in the back of his mind about what exactly Lieutenant Commander Doctrine's job exactly entailed; but he was simultaneously calmed by the fact that she had experience in Operations; and that she seemed, so far as he could tell from his limited perspective, to be on the same side. "Thank you, sir. So far, we're able to manage our load well; but if that changes, I will inform you."

"Very well," Diane answered amicably. She had a feeling there was something else on his mind based on his body language. She also had a feeling she knew what it was. "Not every starship in the fleet has an intelligence department... and because of that it has been my experience that some people in Starfleet are..." She paused searching for the right word, "Well, they seem unnerved by the Intelligence department. I'm not saying you are unnerved but I've come across some that have been. I've found it's largely due to the fact that most people don't know what we do. I mean, since we do use a considerable amount of computer resources and communications bandwidth... if you're curious I'd be happy to tell you what I can."

That was certainly an interesting offer from Doctrine - and while she wasn't saying that he was unnerved, he certainly had been upon walking in. That was gradually changing; and he decided to accept the pushing of his boundaries. It couldn't hurt to learn something that could affect the ship's operation, after all. "I would appreciate that, yes. Especially so that the Operations department can ensure that any resources you need are available when you need them."

Diane nodded, "Well, it starts with Starfleet Command sending us information gathered from all over the Federation about a wide variety of topics, especially shifts in politics, culture, and military readiness of Federation members and our neighbors. We also get regular updates from Starfleet Intelligence. Those things are usually of a classified nature. I share those things with Captain Carey on a need to know basis. Above and beyond that, if need be, I'm trained in a variety of covert operations so, once in a while, I'm called away from the ship for classified missions." She shrugged, "It's all in a day's work. Any other questions?"