Suspicion and searches

Posted on Sat Jul 9th, 2022 @ 2:17am by Captain Stenn

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: MACO Barracks F Deck
Timeline: Day 299 0700
783 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

MACO Barracks F Deck
Day 299 0700

Stenn was completing the morning briefing for the Detachment the day after O'Connery had come to see him for some training assistance and raised her suspicions concerning Engins Smith.

He concluded the briefing and the Operatives were about to disperse to their daily duties when he stopped them. "One moment please"

The group turned to look at him. "I have a question concerning morale"

It had been several weeks now since King's death on the planet with the mysterious sentient tower. The detachment had given him a suitable funeral and moved on, accepting Stenn back from his coma as their new leader.

"As you will be aware, discussions concerning feelings and emotions are not easy for Vulcans. But I do care about your welfare and wellbeing. I am interested in how you consider the ship's Morale Officer, Ensign Smith, has been able to assist in such matters?"

There were a couple of baffled looks that he was bringing up the subject, they had go used to his Vulcan demeanor. But then Private Jones spoke up. "John's pretty cool, he organizes some fun parties! Have'nt had one recently but he kinda set the tone as the wild-guy with the departure bash!"

"Departure bash?" Stenn asked "Do you mean the reception before the ship departed Earth?"
As he recalled it had been a rather formal affair, everyone in dress uniforms, several members of the Admiralty and Military Command Chiefs had been in attendance, there had a reception, some speeches and then a formal dinner.

"Yessir" Jones agreed "Once that was over John led everyone down to the other-ranks bar, we had a great time!"

Several other Operatives concurred, recounting tales of a party that contineud into the early hours of the morning. Although a couple of others looked confused.

"I don't remember that" Singh said "Yeah, a couple of us went down and had a couple of drinks, but I was in bed by midnight"

Others agreed, but Jones persisted. "You can't have forgotten John started that drinking game?! Everybody was doing those shots of that Denobulan Liquor, it tasted horrible! "

There was some back and forth with around half the unit agreeing and several others claiming they could not recall that event.

"I've got the pictures!" Jones insisted "Let me go get my album" Jones was known to be a keen recorder of events and had a large album of images and videos of Detachment activities.

Moments later he was back, thumbing through his PaDD he found the departure reception file. "Here we are"

He held it up and scrolled through the images, starting with several of the reception, some group photos of the entire detachment in their dress uniforms, King and Stenn seated in the middle. There were also some of the Starfleet Officers and crew. Ensign John Smith was not among them. Then it moved on to several taken later at the other-ranks bar. Not everyone was in these images, and those pictures there were, seemed fairly relaxed and nothing more than a few Operatives having a quiet drink.

"Damn I could have sworn I had a bunch of John and the rest of us doing that drinking game!" Jones seemed disappointed

"You probably got hammered and forgot to take any!" Somebody joked

Jones tapped his search function. "Oh wait here they are! Oh no, this was just last week at the basket ball competition in the cargo hold" He had several images of Detachment members in sports gear, including Smith as Referee, holding a basketball.

The majority of the operatives had been there and discussion ensued about which team had won. and how Smith had promised it would be a monthly event.

Stenn asked Jones to look at his PaDD, he handed it over willingly and Stenn scrolled through the various files. Besides the one from the basketball tournament there were no other images of Smith to be found. In nearly a year, the only pictures of the Moral Officer were from a few days ago.

Stenn returned the PaDD and wrapped things up, McAndrews dismissed the Operatives to their duties.

Later that morning Stenn was in his office and using his terminal searched through the crew roster for Smith. He did not have the same access to Starfleet personnel as the ship's Officer's did. He found Smith but there was only a very brief entry, listing name, rank and position, much of the rest of the record was blank.

He sat back in his chair and considered his findings, O'Connery's assertions were perplexing. Smith was clearly aboard, and accepted by the crew as the Morale Officer, yet he seemed to have little documented history.

Curious...