The “Milli-Cochrane Caper" 3.4

Posted on Sun 12th Dec, 2021 @ 6:15pm by Renato Solis & Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark

3,115 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: A Good Day to Hunt
Location: Security Office
Timeline: TBD

{Brig}

The lump on Renato's head throbbed in memory of Theo's gentle touch. The risk to life and limb paid off if they could actually prove anything with this man, now that they had him. Promising to stay quiet and out of sight, Renato observed the interrogation. Theo was sullen, pouting, wearing dirty coveralls without any labels. Special fabric, just as was suspected. Renato smirked to himself. It hadn't occurred to him yet to ask if anything from Theo's lab had been recovered to explain ow he had built a lab in the middle of a Starbase. The level of secrecy, the sensor decoy they were trying t iece back together, a full on invesitgation had been launched. Several incoming messages alerted him to these new findings, which he read from the dark corners to the rear. Paul and Andrew were much closer, standing under the only light source.

From inside the holding cell Theo knew it was only a matter of time. They could only pin crimes with evidence to support them. So he crossed his arms and waited, knowing these Starfleeters wouldn't be torturing him. The destruction of his lab and the plan to immolate the phantom clones was in progress. He'd get a year at most; the crimes would simply vanish without material evidence. Thoughts of how close he was getting came to him unceasingly, his desire to perfect the immortality device before he got any older was impossible so long as he was in shackles. Escape was coming as soon as he could make an opening, get transferred. The station had a worm embedded into its programming, allowing him to use site to site once before lockout would occur, available to him even now. Being a cargo loader for the transmat bay wasn't accidental. It was just important to keep these fools talking, and right now that meant not saying anything.

As Andrew stood in front of Theophilus Boule, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety even now, with Theo in custody. The amount of chaos and damage left in his wake was not small and Eberstark wanted the man to be held accountable as much as everyone else in the room. For that to happen, they would first need a lot more evidence or a full confession and at this point, Andrew wasn't sure which one was more likely. The obvious lack of evidence weakened their position and he was sure Theo knew that as well as he did.

Finally looking in the general direction of the man in custody, Andrew spoke, knowing what the inevitable response would be, "I hope you appreciate the current situation you find yourself in, Mr. Boule. You could save yourself a lot of trouble by cooperating with this investigation."

Boule seethed with a malicious intent, "I do not recognize your authority to interrogate me, I am not a member of the Federation. I have broken no laws, and this arrest is unjust, I was fleeing from danger same as anyone when I was tackled. This..." He gestured to the cell around him, as though giving a sermon and displaying all of creation under his gaze, continuing, "... is just an unwelcome interruption."

The man he observed from a video feed in the next room was clever and as cunning as a rodent, Paul thought--and as slippery as one, too. Somehow, he had a back door. Paul couldn't read Boule's thoughts, but the sense of mockery, arrogance, and smug confidence was clear. Boule was just biding his time.

Andrew, be careful. If he can flee, he will, Paul said into the microphone pick-ups in Eberstark's and Ranato's ears. Renato looked at Paul sharply, agreeing in an instant. He typed furiously on the padd, looking for something he didn't quite understand, how Theo would likely escape if he could. Narrowing the possibilities would take time but he began to consider the method of escape.

Nodding slightly at the comment, Andrew knew he had to act quickly but also not overplay their hand when questioning their suspect. He simply shrugged at Boule, "Whether you recognize it or not, we do have the authority to question you and your intentions on this Starbase. Speaking of, care to explain what you were doing in Brown Sector? You must have known playing tricks with our sensor grid would only cover your tracks for you so long."

"I live there, and I do not want to talk to anybody. I sometimes work there, offloading cargo and its my life to live. I know nothing of... sensor tricks. I was as surprised as you when my body was found, but you'd have arrested me. I like to lay low; got an ex-wife who'd take all I have if she heard I had something to take. Maybe this is her trying to get at me, who knows? I didn't do it, whatever it is, and I can't answer your questions. When do I leave?"

Renato wanted to ask about the clone body, but held back, hoping to save his presence until the right moment. Mentally he circled around the thought.

Obviously the man was putting on a front as both a diversion and a show of strength. Andrew pressed the line of questioning, ignoring the man's ask to leave, "Perhaps. Although I find that very hard to believe after to speaking to Ms. Dresdione. Based on what she's told us, your past association with transporter experimentation, and working with a Starfleet Admiral who specializes in the biomedical field, do you really expect us to believe that you have no involvement with the body that was found?"

As Andrew waited, he wondered if Commander Graves would feed him some valuable information or if Renato would make himself known if only to get an emotional response out of Theo. Otherwise, they were running out of options to keep Theo talking.

Paul's voice came through to Andrew's and Renato's earpieces again. He sounded as grimly angry as either man had ever heard him. The forensics team investigating the explosion site has detected byproducts of thalaron radiation--what's left after the radiation destroys living organic matter. The blast site was full of it. It's a wonder that no one was killed. They've had to cordon off the area to be safe.

Renato needed to tie Theo to the lab, but the options were scant and this interrogation wasn't working. A tickle on his brow distracted him; he assumed it was a fruit fly landing on him and batted it away. They were common in Brown Sector, but not in this pristine part of the station. The motion attracted Theo's attention,

"Why am I being held? Who is here with us? I am entitled to be represented if I feel I need protection from your shadowy forms." Theo smirked like a cat playing with string.

Renato had nothing but felt words blurt out of his mouth. "Your murders leave a trail Theo, and my eyes have been following you." Renato stepped into the full light of the room, and was pleasantly thrilled to see Theo react with surprise at first.

It quickly faded into amusement, then rage as the murderer laughed in a vicious mockery. "My eyes have been following you..." Theo let the animal peek from behind the eyes for a moment, "I know you. You stabbed Benny what, two years ago when he stopped selling to you? This is the star witness making you waste my time?"

It clicked, in the moment of defeat a connection was made. Theo knew the street rats of Brown Sector; his hiding wasn't out of skill, but service.

"You bribed the neighbors, settled into their power grid, ran your ghastly experiments, and covered your tracks. Thalaron byproducts are illegal, and the lab is laced with residues that track to your clothing!"

Theo made a show of exasperation, "I work with EPS shuntings, Thalaron insulation shows up the same as Thalaron particles thanks to the non-polarized linings of the jumpsuit picking up the charges. Now how about you tell me why my body was found, have you answered that question?"

Hazarding to take a leap, Renato leaned into the questions and unflinching gaze, "Transporter duplicate. It tracks to the devices we found in your lab, and... Fruit Flies..."

It took a moment to make the connection, but once he realized how it had happened, Theo wasn't even needed.

"We have radiation issues in parts of the Brown Sector from folks playing with the power grid or stripping insulation, the same type you've worked with. If we detect among others, Thalaron particles, we have to degrade the materials in the junker shops. Those shops have radiation resistant insects that thrive off of the decay and waste materials. You have their bites on your face and neck, your clone did not. You have not been to the Junk shops, we have checked, so how again did you get those bites? How did your suit carry a positive charge of Thalaron particles? You had to have had a machine which produced them, and since your lab is the only other place than our transporter suites to handle thalaron byproducts, you had to have gotten them from there. It's YOUR LAB, you tried to kill me, have been experimenting on yourself, and now other people are injured or worse."

Theo fell silent. It was all he could do not to scratch the bites, if he had really thought it over, the bites only told a story of insects, not what kind or where. His brain failed to achieve a plausible reply in time and the jig was up.

"You really have nothing better to do with your time, asshole?" Theo finally spoke, but the sing-song arrogance had left. What was speaking now was pure, pragmatic evil.

Andrew couldn't help but grin slightly at the last few minutes he just witnessed. It was for reasons like this Andrew was pleased Stafleet had the assistance of Renato and his Brown Sector resources for this investigation. Undoubtedly, this detail would not have been picked up so quickly, if ever, if it weren't for Renato.

As he and Solis watched Theo simmer in the cell, Andrew pressed forward, "I don't suppose you would like to elaborate more on your experiments or how you were able to evade us for so long. At first, I thought you were being clever and meticulous in covering your tracks but now I think you may have just gotten lucky and knew the right people. Admiral Dobbs, for instance." Andrew paused to see if the mention of Dobbs had any impact on Theo.

Well, that made an impression, Graves said from their earpieces.

The mention of Adrian Dobbs triggered a post-hypnotic suggestion in Theo. He found the very thoughts of Adrian Dobbs caused dizziness and nausea, answering any questions seemed simply impossible.

Something is happening to him, Paul sent, his voice sharper than usual. He's suddenly frightened and feels ill. He knows what it is.

Andrew continued, "I can only assume that you were able to convince him to provide you with resources to conduct your experiments and you used that technology here to mask your movements and tap into our power grid. All in all, what have you really accomplished, then? Harming innocent people with your research while getting bug bites? Doesn't seem you have much to show for all your efforts."

Renato glanced for permission to speak again and was greeted openly, so he spoke with confidence. Just before he did, he pressed a button on his padd.

"We know everything Theo, just admit to it, and take your sentencing. Its the Federation, you wont be splitting rocks or lasering carbon off of hulls. Cooperation now will only make your life better."

Theo tried to summon a thought but Dobbs had programmed this to run deep into his amygdala producing dread at unimaginable levels. He was unable to speak, and forcing himself to would bring on a stroke. The last parts of his brain able to process thought independently of any kind wept at the loss of it all. if he so much as thought of Dobbs now, it would kill him.

Theo didn't smile so much as snarl, "It'll be a short sentence. You don't have evidence. I want legal representation.

Moments before, Renato sent a message to set a trap. Theo asking for a lawyer was the trigger.

The message had simply said

Renato tried very hard not to smile at the over-confidence in Theo, this insufferable attitude was going to be his undoing.

Andrew merely nodded and moved over to the console controlling the force field. He took a moment to confirm the settings were adjusted per Renato's suggestion, "That is your right, of course. I'll drop the force field and can escort you to a private room with counsel."

Renato raged in mock protest, "You can't let him hide behind a counselor Starfleet! He's a murderer!"

Andrew was acting like Renato didn't say a thing and simply hit the button. It was time for the hard sell. If Theo thought he could wiggle, he would try to. They had to convince the man he was done for.

Theo smiled and moved to leave the cell, stopping cold as Renato threatened, "I can submit my memories as evidence asshole, I'm Ullian. I haven't had aanything stronger than a drink in three years, and I remember the details of this case. You are going down, man!"

Theo stiffened. It had never occurred to him to investigate the annoying junkie, but Ullians had memory transfer, it was a potential solution to his problem! It was time to move, Adrian would help, maybe even going to Oblivion and dissect this one's brain to finally solve the synaptic transfer device.

Theo grabbed Renato by the arm, "You've given me much to think about. Catamaran."

Theo and Renato dissolved into component lights. The smile on his face faded though as he saw not one lick of surprise on anyone's face. The dematerialization took place, and in an instant Theo expected to see his personal craft, a derelict in a repair bay secretly ready to go. When he materialized a moment later, in an adjacent brig, he thought to grab Renato by the neck and head to snap the reedy mans neck.

Renato never left, no sooner had the beam taken them up, it set him back down, and put Theo into a new cell.

Renato spun on a heel and pointed at Theo, "Ha! Haaaa! Yes! You are guilty of all of it!"

Andrew shrugged as he looked at the confused face of Theo, "I'm not sure whether to be satisfied or insulted that scheme worked. Did you seriously expect us to let you out of confinement and escort you around the Starbase? Seeing as you just did a pretty decent job at incriminating yourself, I'd say your options are dwindling to..." pausing, "well just two I guess. Be stubborn, don't confess and stay confined for the rest of your life. Or, help us and potentially be able to actually see space again."

Theo's confession came moments later, Eberstark made it very clear there was no option. Questions were coming fast, he only heard them all through panic as one large request for him to tell everything.

"How long have you worked with Dobbs?"
"Why are there apparitions of yourself?"
"What were you doing in the ODN network"
"How did Dobbs contact you?
"How did you hide?"
"What was your goal?"
"Where is Dobbs!"
"What is hidden in the ODN Network?

Theo lost his composure, in almost manic release, he just started talking. The methods of interrogation often leave the subject bewildered.

"Dobbs told me I was his man, we've worked for years, this was one of his projects and I was so close. I had to cover my tracks though, anywhere I worked these Imprints would follow me. Something about the Synaptic transfer medium utilizing Medusan technology but with Vulcan biological settings and the pattern buffer. I usually have a device that purges it but I must have made a mistake rebuilding my lab here. The process, it creates Quantum entanglements but Thalaron radiation burns the biological plasma off and the synaptic patterns can't be held if there's nothing to attach to. The devices I placed will kill any apparition but its fatal to anyone else that's there.

"How many of these devices, where, are they also obscured?"

"I bought thirty of them, they are pulse grenades, Rigelian Bulbs. I put them everywhere ODN junctions meet EPS manifolds, for maximum coverage.

"When are they set to go off?"

"They will respond to any trigger of quantum plasma."

"Can we predict when that is?"

"No, it's based on ambient radiations and the time since the last one, but very soon, today probably."

Renato looked at Eberstark, "Even with his help, they are sensor shielded, it'd take us all day to find them. Dear God, Thirty of them.. he presumes..."

Concurring with Renato's grim assessment, Andrew continued Solis' line of questioning, "You at least know the general areas where you placed the thirty devices. Could you at least point them out on a schematic so we narrow down our search?" Pausing, Andrew considered another line of thinking, "How did you hide them from our sensors? Some sort of small cloak? Whatever is masking them could give off at least some sort of energy pattern we could detect. It may be small enough to hide behind normal operations, but if we know the specific energy pattern, we could isolate that."

Theo shook his head, "No they are placed near EPS, too small and inert totally covered up by the residual fields. I'll show you the ones I can recall, but the ODN is constantly shifting, I cant be precise. I stayed in peoples homes because they had access to a Grid tap, or their tent synced to wall, I can remember most of them I think."

Renato barked in an angry chopped tone, "We aren't looking for you best guesses. Get to marking the map!"

it would take the whole of Brown Sector to find these before one of them went off. Even one, meant the end of their community and many lives lost.

TBC...

 

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