The Maid was in the Garden

Posted on Fri Nov 28, 2014 @ 8:32am by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings

1,994 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: All this has happened before...
Location: Gardens

The whine of a transporter sounded and on Nina's desk, in her quarters, a small card appeared with the following inscribed on it:

Da: 103.12.10. - 2

It was on plain white paper with no other markings or clues.

Nina was exiting the sonic shower, when she heard the whine of the transporter. She finished dressing into her uniform before she spotted the paper on the table. She was curious as to the initials and the numbers on the paper. 'Coordinates? Whoever did it was good at avoiding security protocol aboard ships,' she wondered. "Computer. List initials with Da that would have security training aboard Starfleet vessels and coincide with possible members aboard this ship."

"Ensign David Anders, Lieutenant Daniel Adams, and Lieutenant Cassandra Sanders," came the computer's FrEereply.

"The new counselor?" she wondered aloud before tapping her comm badge. "Lieutenant Blackburn to Lieutenant Sanders, please report to my quarters immediately."

"I regret to say I'm a bit tied up at the moment," Cassandra said. "Is there any way you could pop on down to my location? I'm on Deck Eight, Cargo Bay 2."

'Why would the counselor be in the cargo bay?' Blackburn wondered. "Very well. Blackburn, out."

Nina walked at a fast pace through the corridors until a few moments later, entered the cargo bay. "I found this in my quarters," she showed the paper to the counselor. The initials were linked to you when I asked about it through the computer. Any idea what it is?"

Cassandra was wrapped in a long red sash, hanging from a support in the ceiling. The majority of it was around her waist, and the rest around her leg as she braced herself like a circus gymnast, hanging a terracotta pot from another strut between two lights. She looked down as Nina spoke to her and smiled. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, fishing a similar card out of her uniform top. She unwrapped her leg and suddenly started falling, twirling horizontally as she unwrapped, grabbing the sash before she hit the ground, halting her descent and stepping lightly onto the grass below her.

*Doesn't even stop to look around her,* Cassandra thought. She'd been working hard to transform the cargo bay and thanks to some of her special skills, had made a considerable amount of progress. The deck was now comfortable grass, the walls were covered up and down with growing edibles, pots of root vegetables were hanging from the ceiling and flowers (edible and non) dotted the ground in patches. In the center was a small reflecting pool and there was almost no visual sign of the cargo bay left. Once the plants had grown in more naturally, the cargo bay would be almost unrecognizable.

Cassandra plucked the card from Nina's hand, comparing it with her own. "Hm, now I understand it," she said. "Someone wanted us to speak. My card says 'Stern 000000 140o 5'' '. So your card told you where I'd be, and my card told me you."

"Come again?" she questioned.

"William Stern, the man who coined the term 'IQ'," Cassandra explained, "followed by the color code for black, i.e., no color, and 5 seconds is how long it takes 140 degree water to burn. You are the only 'Blackburn' in Intelligence, am I right?"

Nina grinned. "I hope I'm the only Blackburn in Intelligence. Your analysis is quite good, doctor. You would serve well in Intelligence. So I suppose the next question is why would someone want us to meet?"

"No idea," Cassandra said, looking the cards and shrugging, handing them back to Nina. "But, since you're here, hand me that pot," she said, pointing to a small plant off to the side before grabbing another pot and walking over to a cone-shaped stand surrounded by flowers. She pulled the plant out of the pot and put it in a small recess, packing it in flush to the stand.

"So what made you turn the cargo bay into a garden?" Nina asked, as she picked up and handed the pot to Cassandra.

"Kind of you to notice," Cassandra said, smiling. "Starships are far too antiseptic and inorganic for me," she said. "A place with a little life to it is good for the crew psychologically and physically. Not to mention, it means extra air cleaning, oxygen production and fresh food for the crew. With a little growth and expansion I'll be able to have plants in everyone's quarters and non-combat rooms of the ship."

She took the second pot and replanted the contents. "In a week we'll have fresh fruit, flowers and vegetables. You'd be surprised what that can do to smooth a first contact or tense meeting."

She walked over to a lone flower in a stand. "Take this one, for example. This flower actually changes color when watered." She pulled out a spritzer and gave the flower a generous coating, watching it turn from white to blue, then back again as the droplets got absorbed. "Quite a conversation piece at a formal dinner." She smiled at Nina then bent to put the bottle down, but stopped as she noticed a new black mark on the backs of the cards Nina was holding. "I think we've one more puzzle," she said. "May I?" She held her hand out for the cards.

She handed the card to the counselor. "Here you go. And as to your project here, I approve. It's always nice to eat fresh foods."

"I agree," Cassandra said, somewhat distracted. She walked over to the shallow reflection pool in the center of the bay and knelt down. She dipped both cards in the water and held them up, watching lines suddenly appear.

One card said: 01000010 01100101 01110111 01100001 01110010 01100101

The other said: 00110011 00110001

"Know anything about binary code?" Cass said, turning and showing the soggy cards to Nina.

Nina took the cards and studied them. "It's an encryption method for field ops..." A minute later she spoke. "It says beware 31. My guess is that Section 31 is up to something."

"I think I've heard of them," Cassandra said slowly. "Part of Starfleet Intelligence, right? Why would they be operating here?"

"No, they're not a division of Starfleet Intelligence. I despise their methods," Nina stated. Any organization acting without rules or without being kept in check by a checks-and-balances system was trouble. "I'm not sure why they would be operating here and, more importantly, who would be in a position to know about it and warn us."

"Not to mention who is doing the operating," Cass said. "This far out, maybe it's just a reconnaissance job," she hoped. "But how do we know who, either way?"

"It's hard to know. Section 31 operatives are well trained. I can attempt a transporter trace but I'm betting they may have used subspace to do the transporting."

"Or rerouted, or masked it somehow." Cass gave a sigh. "Well, so much for a peaceful voyage. Do we just keep eyes and ears open?"

"That's about all we can do. I'll set up additional monitoring on our quarters, so if they transport again, I'll have a better chance of tracing it," Nina replied, placing her hands on her hips.

"Go team," Cassandra said, grinning. She held a hand out. "By the way, Hello. I'm Doctor Sanders. Call me Cass."

"Good to finally meet you. Lieutenant Blackburn," Nina replied, taking the counselor's hand. After a moment's pause. "I suppose you may call me Nina."

"Gracious of you," Cassandra said, laughing slightly. "Terran hm? Texas, judging by your accent?" Cassandra's Kansas drawl thickened a bit as she said it, grinning.

"Yes. I'm a member of the Cherokee tribe in Socorro, Texas."

"How long since you've been home?" Cassandra said.

Nina was silent for a moment. "At least over a year. My duty to Starfleet comes first."

"Duty is all well and good," Cassandra said, "but home and family are important too, and we both know how infrequent sufficient leave can be. How about keeping in touch?"

"When I have time. I stay busy...and this isn't a session," she replied.

"You're absolutely right, I apologize," Cassandra said. She walked over and sat down cross-legged on a grass-covered section, gesturing for Nina to do the same, across from her. "Now it is," she said, smiling.

Nina remained where she stood. "Counselor, this is hardly the time and I have no need for counseling."

"Humor me," Cassandra said, evenly. "You haven't been by my office to so much as say hello. For better or worse, we have a moment here. I'd like to know you a bit better." She gestured again to take a seat in front of her.

Sighing, she took a seat. "Very well. What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters, why is talking about home striking a nerve? And for seconds, how're your feelings regarding your relationship with the Captian? I understand you had a run in, during the incident."

"If you must know, it's because I lost my husband on Earth. As for the captain, our relationship is fine," she lied. She hated the fact that she had endangered the captain. As a former security officer, the well-being of a ship's or station's commanding officer had been drilled into her as being paramount.

Cassandra nodded. "Well, that's a start," she said. "How do you feel towards Doctor Anderson?"

"She's a fine doctor and can fight fairly well," Nina commented.

"Indeed she can," Cassandra said wryly, giving Nina a small smile. She leaned back on her hands, looking around. "You know, I knew this security officer...he was a stubborn old Russian who couldn't budge on anything he'd put in his head. We'd encountered a species that was attempting an experiment to make a bridge between alternate timelines. As a result, a few timelines overlapped onto ours, and another version of that old warhorse shot our Captain, believing him to be an intruder. He was all right, thankfully, but our office never let himself off the hook for it, believing himself responsible for his 'other self.' He wouldn't even say 'he shot him,' it was always, 'I shot him.'" She fixed Nina with a look. "So, how stubborn are you?"

"It depends," she said, keeping her guard up.

Cassandra gave her a big, warm grin. "Well, that's pretty much my answer, isn't it?" She stood up and brushed the grass from her dress. "All right, meet me here tomorrow," she said.

"Counselor, I have more important things to attend to," she protested.

"Would you rather I speak to the captain about clearing your schedule?" Cassandra said. Her voice was casual, but there was a hard glint in her eye. She wasn't a mother yet, but she was rapidly developing "that look."

"I'm asking for one little hour out of your busy busy day, so we can talk a bit more. You can help me plant flowers," she said. "Is that so bad?"

Nina let out an audible sigh. "Very well." To her, the counselor was the stubborn one.

Cassandra walked over to the nearest wall and plucked a yellow rose off the wall. She handed it to Nina and then clasped her arms behind her back. "I'm not that bad, once you get to know me," she said. "Friends?"

Nina looked at the flower and then at the counselor with a grin. "Do I have a choice?"

"Life is all about choice," Cassandra said. "It's why everyone in the universe is exactly where they want to be." She held it up and waited patiently.

Nina took the counselor's hand. "It was a joke. Sure, we can be friends."

Cass smiled and left the rose in Nina's hand. "Have a nice day, Lieutenant. I'll be in touch if I make any headway on our little mystery."

Nina nodded and left the cargo bay, not really sure what to make of the counselor.



Cassandra Sanders
Chief Counselor


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