Calling In Back Up

Posted on Tue May 19th, 2020 @ 10:28am by Jeassaho Kea (*) & Fordyce Kirschler PhD & Jinx Jorasco & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers & Executive Officer Jake Ford & Alika Mahone

Mission: Mission 11 - Prospecting
Location: New Laurium - Market
Timeline: MD 02 20:00
Tags: Matt - Achievement, Becca - Achievement
1912 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Jeassaho looked up as Eden and Jake came wandering back to where the engineer was standing looking teary at the blood with a tricorder. She had scanned and rescanned the area, but nothing had changed or come up differently in the dingy side alley. It was simply Reuben’s blood. Where could he be? He could not have gotten far with this amount of blood, but it simply led nowhere. The only thing she could think on was the fact that he had been transported away, but it just seemed far fetched.

“You found her then? Are you okay Eden?” she asked, despite the worry she was feeling for her missing spouse.

"I'm fine." Eden nodded seriously. "I'm afraid I don't know what happened to Gregnol though. He was fine when I last saw him. I guess that makes me a suspect." She shrugged.

“I called Mahone down, as Uhin was busy,” Jeassaho revealed as she stood up from kneeling on the floor. The engineer needed some backup and the woman was Reuben’s chosen backup despite the difference in opinion sometimes. She needed to see the scene for herself.

"Hey, uh, Jea?" Jake pulled her aside slightly. "Sorry if it felt like I was letting you down earlier. I just...I'm sure you're worrying about Gregnol just like I was about Eden. I promise we're going to find him."

Jeassaho just nodded as she was pulled aside. There was nothing she could add to that for the woman. She had been bailed on, but she knew why. "I hope so, as you guys do not want me as captain," the Betazoid said bluntly as she saw people coming down the alley.

Eden settled herself right next to Jeassaho. "We will find him. I'm sure he's all right. He seems very stubborn. And that's a good thing in this case."

In that very moment came the petite terror herself, Alika Mahone. Upon the words 'disappearance' and 'Gregnol,' she had run from the ship (where she was rearranging her new room), barreled over one of the medics who was trying to get back on the ship, and made her way all the way down to the market. She may or may not have toppled over a few people on the way by. Her expression, a freight train of anger and confusion as she oh so loudly strolled up to the group, eyes alight with determination seen only in the holo films.

But then she paused, midway through about to demand everything in a flurry of questions and disbelief that they'd lose the one man who knew all the information about whatever it was they were doing. She took a deep breath (which looked rather goofy with the anger in her eyes), letting one sentence out upon exhale. "I need all the details."

"Easy, Alika," Jake interrupted, starting to return to a more characteristic state of level-headedness. "We don't know much at the moment. Gregnol was with Eden for a while, but they split off, and now he's not responding to comms. And we found some blood back there in the alley that Jinx is going to be double-checking is his or not." He took a breath. "Did you see Valiyi on the way down?" he added, wondering if the XO was aware of what was going on.

"No." Alika shrugged. "She's been at the Ardanan whatsit wherever making sure there isn't an intergalactic incident. At least I can find her." She frowned. "Blood? Whose blood?"

"It is his blood," Jeassaho commented with a sad expression. She wanted to go into the fact it was not just some, but she held back from going into more detail and just stepped back to allow the pair to look for themselves.

Jinx walked back up the alley to join him. “Jeassaho’s right. It’s Gregnol’s blood. Matches the DNA on file. And it’s a lot, so he’s gotta be hurting. Not sure it’s enough to kill him yet, but he definitely needs medical attention,” the tiny woman said. “There is no indication the body was moved by physical means. No drag marks or blood trail. I’m about to search for fingerprints in the area, but it’s a back alley, so who knows what I’ll find. Did the captain have any enemies?” she asked. “Someone with a motive to murder him?” She paused and pushed back her red hair. “Well, I guess technically it isn’t murder yet. Can’t have a murder without a body.”

"The captain probably has more enemies than I do," Alika stated dismissively. "Where did you say it was? Back alley? Is it still there? Can we go look at it?"

Eden scowled at both of them. Jeassaho didn't need to be hearing that right now. "Why don't just a couple of us go investigate and someone can stay here with Jeassaho in case someone tries to contact her? And we won't speculate about things until we have proof. I've always wanted to go on an investigation." Eden looked at Jake and then back at the others. "And I'm sure this outcome will be a cheerful one."

Jeassaho turned around and gaped open mouth at the phrase murder that was coming from Jinx. Did the woman not have a subtle bone in her body with saying that with her around? There was nothing technical about it. Gregnol was coming back. "The alleyway is further along." Jeassaho said, moving to where a few pallets had been left and sitting down. "I do not mind being alone here if you want to go check it all out. I am not sure what motive anyone would have to hurt Reuben, especially out here."

Jinx whispered to Zambi, and the cat-sized raptor hopped up onto the pallets beside Jeassaho and nuzzled into her side. “Zambi can sit with you,” she said. “She can alert me if there’s trouble, and I can give her a call when I need her.

"All right." Jake sighed. As maybe the most senior member of the crew present after the boss and Valiyi, he felt a need to take control of the situation before speculation and emotion got the better of them all. "If we're doing this we do it properly, that means no interference with possible crime scenes, and we record as much as we can. Jinx, as the scientist, you'll have to lead on the forensics side. Everyone keep your eyes and ears open, okay?"

Jinx nodded. “We’ll want to get holoscans of the scene,” she said. “That way we can recreate it if we need to. Someone who knows the captain and his enemies well should maybe create a mur--” Jinx paused. “A board with possible suspects and connections to Gregnol and the scene. Anyone on that list that is actually known to be on planet goes to the top. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I think we can rule out a random act of violence because of the care given to disappearing the -- captain. Someone should check local medical clinics or hospitals, just in case.”

"Holoemitters on the Rosie are shitty right now, so projecting a holoscan back on ship would be difficult," Alika pointed out. "Honestly, knowing the Big Boss, and I know him enough, he isn't gonna go without a fight. So I'm sure he's fine. Wherever he landed." She paused a beat. "If you guys are gonna investigate all that, I'm gonna go find Prissy Pants and get her to corroborate information with me on who the Boss Man's been about and around. He's got some enemies, I just don't know how far they'd have gone. Or if they'd even land here."

Alika squinted as she processed through a thought, before tilting her head toward Jake. "You think this has something to do with the cargo we found earlier?"

Jake grimaced at the thought. He'd not considered it fully up to that point, but it was definitely valid. "Let's not jump to conclusions without evidence," he replied cautiously. "At the same time...we shouldn't ignore any possibilities."

"Mm..." Alika had a hand on her chin as she thought, before her eyes snapped over to Ford, who had not yet spoken. "What do you think? Could we trip out the holoemitters on the not-so-holodeck so we could get Jinx's holoscan to work? It might give us more answers as to where exactly Big Boss has gone off to."

"What?" Dr. Kirschler said, a little too loudly. He'd been deep in his own thoughts, and being directly addressed snapped him back. He'd been listening passively, so it took him a moment or two to review the conversation. "The holoemitters? Shit, I don't know. Them things're one wheel down with the axle draggin'. We might be able to rustle up some parts down here to boost their output."

"Holoemitters are not going to work for it. They are too low res," Jeassaho commented from the edge of the alleyway that they had moved to as she took in the pool of blood that was there, growing darker and darker every time she looked at it. She had planned to stay where they had left her, but it was impossible to not get involved when it was her husband that had gone missing. She wanted to get involved even if it was as simple as scanning fingerprints to check later on.

Ford blinked, a little dumbfounded by the assertion, and turned to Alika to parrot Jeassaho. "The holoemitters ain't gonna work cuz they're too low res."

Eden wasn't a scientist, and she normally had nothing to do with investigations, but the idea was very appealing to her. "What can I do?" she asked the group at large.

"You... and Jeass, for that matter," Alika began, "might not hurt to go round up the crew a bit. Just because we don't know where he is might not mean he's not with someone else. We've got a bigger crew than the ship is credited for sometimes. People slip through the cracks. We've lost quartermasters before." She put her hands on her hips, eyes closed as she thought. "With what I've got on the Big Man, it's not likely he's with the crew, but it can't hurt to check. I'd rather be wrong about it, but I can't shake that feelin' I'm not."

Jeassaho did not want to go anywhere, but she was not in any state mentally to argue with the suggestion. "Fine. Come on Eden we can search it all out," Jeassaho commented on with a small smile looping her arm through the other woman's to tug her back to the ship.

"Uh, okay. Bye, Jake!" Eden said as she was pulled off in the opposite direction.

“Also check the planet’s medical facilities!” Jinx called after them. “Just in case!” She turned back to her work holo-filming the scene. “You all said you’ve been to this planet before. Piss anyone off then?”

OFF::

Eden Bowers
Chief Helmsmen
SS Mary Rose

Lieutenant Commander (LOA) Jeassaho Kea
Engineer
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Jinx Jorasco
Chief Science Officer
SS Mary Rose

Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

Dr. Fordyce "Ford" Kirschler
Chief of Operations
SS Mary Rose