BACKPOST - Secure Cover

Posted on Mon Feb 27th, 2017 @ 10:51am by Ensign Noriko Ogawa

1,339 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Behind Closed Doors
Location: Flightdeck
Timeline: few days after borg incursion

ON:

[Flightdeck]

With operations slowly returning to normal and Noriko discharged from sickbay, she found herself back in her routine but on light duty. Taking a break from her shift, Noriko stood around near an area of the flight deck known as the smoke pit. Nobody smoked there but it was a place to stand out of the way of flight ops and shoot the breeze with other ground crew. Nobody was around which suited Noriko fine. She still was adjusting to her greatest fear coming true, and despite his assurances, she wasn't sure if her mate stiill loved her.

Jen had decided now was the time to deal with those who knew the truth about her reasons for being on the Tokyo. She'd already confronted a couple of those who had survived assimilation, and walked away secure in the knowledge that they would not blow her cover. To get away with this, she'd decided to cover her tracks by making it seem as though she was simply doing her rounds around the ship.

The Vulcan woman made her way onto the flight deck, looking around as she walked, being sure to keep out of the way of those working. Not seeing Noriko right away, she got the attention of one of deck workers. "I'm looking for Ensign Ogawa."

"She's right over there, sir." the young man said, pointing to where Noriko was standing out of the way.

"Thank you." Jen said, before starting in the direction of the spot Noriko was standing.

Taking a sip from her mug, Noriko noticed Commander Daxer speak to the deck worker who pointed her out. What exactly the lady wanted, Noriko had no idea but she was bound to find out soon enough. As she approached, Noriko smiled up at her. "Ma'am?"

"We need to talk." Jen said simply. She gave no hints as to her intentions as she looked at the young Ensign. "Walk with me, Ensign."

Noriko feel in step with Daxer as the two began walking down the flightdeck. "May I ask what about Ma'am?"

"About your assimilation." Jen said simply. They stepped out through one of the closer doors into a small office, and as the doors closed behind them, she thumbed the controls to lock the door. "More specifically about information provided to you by the collective..."

"What information Ma'am? I can't remember half of what happened."

"Information about me." Jen said, as she casually unholstered her pistol, aiming it at Noriko. "Information you're not supposed to have."

Noriko went white as a sheet, her hand trembling as she dropped her mug on the floor, the clattering sound lost for the pounding in her chest. "Ma'am. What information? I barely remember what happened, what I did under the control of the hive."

Jen didn't waiver, or tremble in the least, as she continued to hold her pistol, trained on the woman. "Experiences with the Borg are not so easily forgotten, Ensign." she replied, her own mind remembering every intricate detail of her own experiences, and the things she learned about each person that had joined the collective. She decided to give Noriko only a small example of that knowledge as proof of her claim that such things are not easily forgotten. "For example... When you were assimilated, I learned that you like your eggs scrambled, with just a pinch of salt, and pepper for taste..."

"I know Ma'am, every night I have nightmares but I never see anything other then a replay of my own assimilation. I don't recall anything else, I don't want to recall anything else." Noriko stiffened up a bit as Daxer described how she liked her eggs. "With all due respect Ma'am, anyone who's had breakfast in the messhall with me would know that. You want to prove you know something, tell me something only me and my partner would know, something personal from our sex lives."

"I've never had breakfast in the mess hall." Jen replied without missing a beat. Still pointing her gun at Noriko, she used her free hand to tap several buttons on the door console, locking it, and completely sealing the room from sensors. "You're deeply afraid that when the time comes, you will not be able to give M'Zera a litter of cubs."

Noriko looked at Daxer, feeling like she'd just been sucker punched. Nobody, not even her mate knew about that fear she carried. Tears flowed down her face as she looked at the other lady. "Commander please. I don't know anything. All I have are nightmares of watching others assimilated, helpless to defend themselves like I was."

"I'm not going to kill you, Ensign." Jen said, seemingly studying the younger woman. "If your memories of me ever resurface from your experience, you will understand why you are never ever to utter a word about any details you might later remember about me to another living soul."

Noriko wasn't buying the whole won't kill her bit, afterall why would she point a gun at her if murder wasn't an option? "Then why threaten me Commander? What is so important you have to threaten a fellow officer to keep them quiet?"

"That information is classified, and you don't have the clearance for me to tell you, but the memories will make their way to the surface..." Jen replied calmly. Though her emotions were under control, she was a mess underneath. It was true that she didn't want to kill Noriko, but she couldn't let her cover be blown. "And if you breath even one word of what you remember about me, I will be forced to place you, and anyone you've told under arrest. Somehow, I don't think you want that."

"My question still stands Commander. Why threaten me? If you'd told me I'd recall certain classified information from my link, I already know the penalty for disclosing classified information. But if I don't know what is classified how can I be expected to keep it a secret? Usually one is told what one is about to see is classified so I'd know what to keep secret. Now your telling me that I may have memories surface that are classified but you can't tell me what they are but I'd placed under arrest if I disclosed them?"

Jen sighed heavily, as she lowered her gun. "What I'm about to tell you is highly classified information, and since you apparently understand the consequences for revealing such information, I will save you the trouble of remembering..." She hesitated only a moment, the look in her eyes dead serious. "I am a deep cover operative, placed on this ship to observe, and report my findings back to Starfleet Intelligence... My target is the Captain." Jen waited to see how Noriko would react to this, her gun still held at her side, just in case it was needed.

Noriko nodded. "And you threatened me because you were afraid I'd reveal that? Seriously?" Noriko was surprised the secret was something so mundane. "So the captain has Intel keeping tabs on her. Scuttlebutt is that she's reckless but either brilliant or lucky, or both." She shrugged her shoulders.

"I would say both." Jen replied with a raised eyebrow. She put her gun away, but didn't let her guard down. "This incident has proven that much to me, even though she left me with one hell of a mess to deal with."

Noriko nodded. "What you do is your business. All I care about is knowing what's locked in my mind. If anything happens to surface, I will speak with you ma'am?"

"Absolutely, Ensign." Jen replied simply. She studied the young woman, trying to gauge her reactions. "I should be the only person you speak to about these memories, otherwise you'd blow my cover."

"Understood Ma'am. May I be excused?"

Jen stepped aside, pressing her thumb to the door's control panel. As it scanned her thumb print, and DNA, the computer unsealed the room, allowing the door to open. "You are dismissed, Ensign."

END:

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