The Recruit

Posted on Sat 20th Feb, 2021 @ 5:01am by Lieutenant Commander Dallas Briggs

1,340 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Business Not At All As Usual
Location: Star base 127 Headquarters, Beta Quadrant
Timeline: About 3 weeks ago

Admiral Cameron Burke sat at his desk wondering what had happened to his Op. He had sent Elliot and Meghan Jericho after a stolen smart shuttle only known as the Prototype. It was suppose to be a quick grab and return, but things could have gotten complicated. He had lost contact with the couple over a week ago. Did they get captured? Did they get killed? He had no way of knowing so he would have to send someone else to take a look.

The scalpel approach didn't seem to work so this time he would send a hammer to do the job. He would send in a Starship this time. He needed a liaison, a secret one that could send status updates directly to him. Now to find his recruit, someone that was close by and could get on the Thunder Child within a day or so. She was scheduled to leave for SB109 in a to days. The Thunder Child could easily decimate a Pirates Stronghold with her Fighters.

Burke now had to find that Recruit, someone that would blend in well in the Thunder Child. He glanced over the PADD that showed all the resources around the area. Several candidates popped up and were in range of the departure time for the Thunder Child. Then he found a Betazoid, only she didn't quite look like one. There could be quite a few advantages to this Betazoid named O'Dell. He tapped commands into his computer terminal opening a channel to the location where she was staying at the moment.

"Ensign Shanna O'Dell," a woman's voice answered, staring into the screen. She was quite surprised to see an admiral staring back at her, and one she'd never before seen, at that. "Were you looking for Commander Briggs, Sir? Or perhaps Lt. Ra'Cho? I'm on leave, so I'm away from Starbase 109's offices." She couldn't imagine the admiral was looking for her! And she was worried about losing her vacation, starting in only one more shift, if he were looking for her. What could she have done now?

"I'm sorry, Ensign, I don't know those names, but I am looking for you, and I just happen to know what you look like." The Admiral smiled. "I'm sorry to intrude on your shore leave Ensign, but a delicate situation has occurred, and I need your help." He paused for a moment, "Where are my manners, I didn't introduce myself. I am Admiral Cameron Burke of Starfleet Intelligence. It's a pleasure, but a necessity to meet you."

"Oh. Um, nice to meet you, but are you sure you're looking for me? Security officer normally on Starbase 109? I can't think what I could do for you, Sir!

Cameron smiled, "Normally you are, I just lucked out finding you. I have a job for you to do for me. It requires going undercover on a Federation Starship to secure my interests, well mine, and R&D's. I read your personal file and I think you being a Betazoid gives you certain advantages. You will go undercover on the Thunder Child and pass as a Security Officer while the ship heads for SB109. During the trip, I will have it alter course in search of a Prototype shuttle that was stolen by Pirates. I sent in a team already and have lost contact. Find out what happened to them. Your job is to keep me informed and if the prototype is to be scuttled for any reason, get me the blueprints on it."

Confusion shone on the young woman's face, but there was also a spark of excitement there. "Yes, Sir, I can do that. I was about to leave SB 127 for a vacation. Should I stay here and enjoy a busman's holiday instead?" she grinned, wondering what was so special about this shuttle prototype. He'd mentioned R&D, so it must be something Starfleet had developed ... or was it something they'd sneaked away from the developer, and R&D wanted it badly? She guessed all that would become clear during the mission.

"I see you aced the Advanced Tactical Training like I knew you would. I'm the one that put in a word to your Department Head to get you here for the specialized class. It will open the door to get you cross-trained to an Infiltration Specialist, Hazard Team, you name it. Ill send you an encrypted message with all the details to include your cover on the Thunder Child. She departs tomorrow and I need you on it."

Shanna's mind was racing. All kinds of things had been going on behind the scenes that affected her future, and she'd had no idea! She was going to have to figure out a few things or be at the beck and call and whim of others for her whole career.

"That's why this opportunity came my way? I had no idea. I thought it was just my turn to acquire new skills. Thank you, Sir, for taking an interest in my career. Just for clarification ... this is mostly because of my Betazoid abilities, isn't it?" It had to be. She was going to be expected to mess around in other people's minds, and then forward information to ... to whom? The admiral?

"Am I to report directly to you, Admiral Burke? And how far do you expect me to go in reading minds? Whose mind is of interest? I have to tell you that I have certain reservations about my abilities," she admitted.

Cameron nodded, "You will report to me on your operation and you are to use your best judgment on what you should read and not read. I don't expect you to read everyone's minds, just get a feel for someone when you need to find out if they are lying to you, and if they are then dig a little deeper." Cameron paused for a moment, "Tell me about the reservations, I can't have you second-guessing yourself." He needed to know now if she weren't up to the task. She needed to be 100 percent if she were going to be successful.

"Well, what you've said relieves my mind," O'Dell assured him. "My reservations are that it feels like an invasion of someone's privacy every time I go in uninvited. If there's an emergency, if someone is acting strangely, and I need to know if it's criminal hi-jinks, then I go in, but casually invading someone's mind is ... difficult. What you've described sounds fine. It's how I operated on SB109 - use it to determine criminal intent, or occasionally medical emergencies."

The Admiral shook his head, "No, no. I'm not asking you to read minds of everyone you come across. I want you to try to get a read on just those you need to. Also use your instincts, your gut feelings. I believe you have showed us that you've developed them."

"Very well, Sir. I will do my best for you. Is this the contact number for reports, or should I send written information to your office?" Shanna asked one last important question.

"You can send encoded messages to me via SB 127. Your recent training should have provided you with the knowledge to do so, along with many other skills that you will need on this mission." Cameron paused, "Do you have any other questions?"

"No, Sir," Shanna said, though she did have one or two, but they weren't the sort you asked an Admiral who'd just given you an assignment based on his belief in your abilities to complete it. "I'll report anything important immediately, and every three days otherwise."

"Remember Lieutenant, you are working for Starfleet Intelligence for now. I expect discretion and sound judgment from you. Maintain your cover at all costs. The ship will go where you need it, just find the Prototype and the other Officers and return them." The screen changed to that of the Starfleet insignia.

"Aye, Aye, Sir," O'Dell sighed to the empty screen. "Maintain my cover at all costs."

 

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