The Ring! The Ring!

Posted on Fri 31st May, 2019 @ 5:16pm by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Lieutenant Damion Ildaran

706 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Intelligence Department
Timeline: MD 2, 1405

As they left the tram station, Tanith walked between the intelligence officer and the cheerful Chief Security Officer. Just a little criminal sandwich, she thought. This feels so weird. Something is so completely off about all of this, but I can't figure it out. Nonetheless, she kept a smile on her face.

"Exactly where are we going, then?" she wondered out loud.

Damion could not figure out why both women were smiling. He was filled with worry.

"Back to my department," Damion said. "We'll get off at Deck 200, which is after one more stop. Then we'll take the 50-deck tram and a lift to travel the rest of the way. As for letting you see the ring, that will require some preparation. First, I will have to persuade my department head that we need to allow you to handle the ring. Second, I'll need to get the ring from evidence storage--if my DH agrees to this. Third, for your safety, I'm not about to do this without a counselor present."

Isabella looked over to Tanith and put her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You will be alright and the both of us will be with you the whole time, okay?"

Damion wondered if Isabella had any idea to whom she was talking. He would have to ask her later what sort of personality changes she had noticed during Zelda's time in Security, if any. It would be helpful to know if Zelda had any more than the three personalities he'd met so far.

Tanith thought about it. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I don't think there will be anything dramatic, but I feel as if something will make sense if I see the ring and handle it." It was odd to feel both unsettled and certain at the same time. It was true that she wasn't afraid, however, and felt that pushing on would move things forward. "Just do what you have to do to make that happen. It isn't part of me any more, so I don't see how it could hurt me." Until she saw the ring, she had to hang on to control. Then she'd see.

Damion nodded. "I'll do my best to persuade Captain Grax, but he'll want precautions taken against evidence tampering, among other things. Still, as you wore the ring, finding your fingerprints on it is perfectly expected, and as the poison was beamed out of it in Sickbay, it shouldn't pose a danger to you or anyone else."

The woman just nodded. Now that she was close to seeing the object they were saying would have killed her whenever someone chose for it to happen, her stomach was in knots and she felt herself becoming angry. Who had done this to her? Had she known what was happening, had she agreed to it? She could imagine such a thing ... but maybe it wasn't her who agreed. Not Zelda, not unless she were completely duped. Not Destiny. Her self-preservation skills were pretty intense. Her mind circled endlessly around the facts she knew, and she realized that wasn't very much.

The tram slowed, stopped, picked up more passengers, and then sped upward to deck 200. When the tram reached deck 200 the three of them deboarded and then walked to another station to catch a different tram that stopped every 50 decks. They then exited that tram at deck 50 and caught a turbolift up to deck 15, where the Intelligence Department offices were.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Miss Endrade?" Damion asked in a low voice. "Last chance to change your mind. I'll take you back to the interview room and then go talk to my department head." He turned to look at Isabella Perry. "Were you wanting to sit with her?"

"I'll stay with you, if you want me to," Isabella said as she looked into Zelda's eyes.

Tanith looked at the woman and started to reject her offer, but then she changed her mind. Perhaps she could find out something helpful by talking to her. Maybe it was time for Zelda to work the previous contact she'd had with the woman. Meekly, she said, "Yes, please. I'd like that."

 

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