The Surface

Posted on Sat May 8th, 2021 @ 3:40pm by Lieutenant Talsi Carey & Commander Marisa Sandoval & Lieutenant Commander Diane Doctrine & Lieutenant Commander Tony Johnson & Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey

Mission: The Mentarin Effect
Location: Planetside
Timeline: Current

Once the shuttle had landed, Talsi stood, adjusted her armour and steadied her rifle. "Jones you take point take left, Bhalet take right. I will take center." She replied, as the doors opened. "Let us make sure everything is clear before coming out. Clearly something that was not confirmed last time we came down."

"Just remember, this is not a hostile takeover," Marisa said. "If we are too aggressive, we may ruin any chance we have of getting to the truth. Make sure it's safe, then we'll talk to the people in charge." The last thing she wanted was for someone to think they had to defend themselves from security.

Rick nodded in understanding. He shouldered his phaser rifle and pulled out the smaller hand phaser holding it at the ready. "Why don't we use the shuttle's sensors to ascertain the conditions outside before we open the door?" he asked.

Sky looked at those present. “I’m not sensing any particular hostility, if anything there’s more curiosity about our arrival. Whoever it was that caused the Captain’s injuries must be keeping a low profile for now.”

"How far our can you sense?" Diane asked.

Sky looked towards Diane “With certainty, the area directly around us. In general, if we were in orbit it’d be a sense of life in general. As for telepathy I have to be in line of sight, or for anything deeper I need touch.”

Talsi paused, "I think it's best at least one of us keeps a rifle " she stated as she opened the door. Stepping out she looked around. Smog, the smell was bad. "Given visibility, distance would not be anymore than 250 meters for the shot."

"Hopefully it makes any hostiles easier to identify as well," Marisa said. "I agree that one of you should have a rifle. The rest of us can take phasers."

Diane had her tricorder out scanning as she left the shuttle. "Do we know where the captain was standing when he was shot?" she asked, "I'd like to see what vantage point a sniper might have used. There could be clues there."

It was a good idea. Marisa turned to Talsi. "Is there any video footage of what happened?"

"Report states he was shot in the back as they entered the buildings." Talsi replied as she gathered the information. "The buildings are off to the left, that they were to meet. That means, the shot probably came from one of those small buildings to the right, or the hill side at the very most."

Diane was now consulting a PADD she brought with her. "I have the medical report. We know the angle the bullet entered his body, if we know where he was standing it shouldn't be difficult to figure out where it was fired from."

"Commander Johnson, you were here, did you see anything, where it came from? how loud it was." Talsi asked, as she seen him taking up the rear.

"It wasn't too loud," Tony answered. "But not quiet enough to be a sniper rifle. Had to be from something more powerful to cover more distance." Pointing to one of the buildings in the western direction, he nodded. "That's likely where the shot came from."

Diane looked where Tony indicated and then studied her PADD.

"How many people knew the captain was coming?" Marisa asked.

"Only the government officials we were meeting," Johnson spoke. "Now with that said the plan could've been to take out anyone of us. But while looking through their sniper scope, they could have seen an opportunity for a more important target."

"Yes, but the question is why. Why not just tell us to leave?" Marisa asked.

(tag Tony)

"Are there any local authorities that might be investigating the shooting?" Diane asked. "We should probably try and coordinate with them."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Their leaders should be able to direct us to those investigating the attack."

"A good idea. Perhaps some of us could talk to the leadership while others look at the information they have on the shooting," Marisa said. And hopefully they could find out if it was a rebel faction or a member of the local government that was responsible for shooting the former Captain.

Diane looked up from her PADD and announced, "If the captain was there," she pointed to where he would have been standing, "Then the shooter was in one of those two buildings," she pointed west of their current position, "based on the information in the medical report. There's only so many ways he could have been facing and so many places the shooter could have hit him from based on the angle the bullet entered his body." She looked around the plaza they were standing in, "I'm surprised we haven't been met by a welcoming committee. This seems odd."

"That may work in our favor," Marisa said. "Commander Johnson, do you and Commander Doctrine want to take one other security officer and check out those two buildings while I take the rest and talk to the planetary officials?"


"Sounds like a plan."

Sky was listening to the conversation with interest, right now she was keeping her empathic senses alert. “I’m not picking up on anything in particular to worry about at the moment, but that could change.”

That's what worries me, Diane thought to herself. She was hoping to talk to local authorities first before roaming around buildings having no idea what might be inside. This situation was not ideal. "Commander Johnson, whenever you're ready," she took a step towards the buildings and waited.

"Let me know if you sense any changes," Marisa said to Sky. "My hope is that the people here reacted out of anger and now regret the outcome. If so, it will help our negotiations. If not...well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Excuse me Commanders, being chief Intel, wouldn't she be better used to look at other avenues, while you talk to the leaders, she can talk and seek other avenues." Talsi inquired.

"Clues to the perpetrator is another avenue," Diane replied, "and I would like to speak with the local authorities. However, I'm willing to consider other advice." Lieutenant Greyson had a point. Diane was used to working with security people as their tasks and goals often intersected.

Talshi nodded, "How do you want to do this?"

"I'd like to go where we think the shooter was staked out. If we can find any clues, even a hair, we can get a DNA sample to analyze," Diane explained, "We can take that sample to the local authorities and hopefully find out who it was, take them into custody, question them, and find out what's going on." She paused to gauge the other officer's reactions. "And, like I said, any other advice will be appreciated."

"Understood. But I was talking about teams..."

Diane rolled her eyes. The expression on her face made it clear she felt like an idiot. When she regained her dignity she replied, "I'd like at least one security person to watch my back." She was used to working alone but in this case, with a shooter on the loose, alone would not do. "Are any of you experienced with investigative work?"

"About 100,000 years ago I was." Talshi replied.

Diane's eyes narrowed a measure as she wondered just how serious Talshi was. She smiled and asked, "So, how much do you remember from that far back?"

"Like it was yesterday. Long story short. Unbeknownst to me I was placed in what you would cryostasis, approximately 100,000 years ago. the USS Wellington found my peoples ruins. I'm the last. However I will live about 900 of your years."

"Sounds...lonely," Diane said, "Any chance your people are related to El-Aurians? They are quite long-lived as well."

"Different ends of the galaxy Commander. Wrong colour skin, at 9 foot 8 I'm short for my people."

Diane grinned a bit, "All right, if it's all right with our first officer, you come with me." She looked to Commander Sandoval.

"It's fine with me. I'll take the rest and see who we can talk to," Marisa said.

"Looks like its the three of use," Tony announced.

Tal nodded and turned towards the buildings and started off