If It Walks Like A Duck

Posted on Mon Jan 14, 2019 @ 2:34pm by

953 words; about a 5 minute read

Jim walked down the corridor to his guest quarters, a smile on his face. The XO had given him an assignment to work on after he changed into a Starfleet uniform. He walked into his quarters and headed for the replicator. Since he was still technically in Intelligence, he selected the duty-vest black undershirt variant of the uniform. After checking his badge and rank pips for accuracy he went to the sink and wetted his long hair down, then combed it out and tied it back into a shoulder-length ponytail.

Feeling like an officer again, Jim walked over to the replicator. "Pastrami sandwich, warm, with grilled onions and spicy mustard, with a kosher dill pickle, please," The replicator hummed and dispensed Jim's food, which he proceeded to demolish.

When he was done, he belched loudly and went over to the terminal "Computer, establish data link to destination four-four-zero-Xray-Zulu."

=/\= Data link established. =/\=

"Computer, begin message. 'This is James Holbridge, call-sign: Bouncer. I am currently on board USS Victory under Captain Kennit. I have attached myself to her command for the time being as circumstances beyond my control necessitated my departure from the Playhouse. Will advise. Holbridge out.' End recording and send."

Jim picked up a padd. "Computer, display logged checkpoints for Crewman Torres during his tenure on his ship. The screen instantly filled with dots, the majority of dots on the screen disappeared by two-thirds. Jim leaned forward and looked at a glowing yellow dot. "Computer what is the timestamp for the location marked in grid 09-03?"

=/\= Time stamp is 1613 hours and is located near the vessel's main air exchange pathways =/\=

"Cross reference with downloaded duty logs and verify Torres' assignment that day and time."

=/\= Crewman Torres was scheduled for duty in the galley, as per rotation. Note: Torres was 20 minutes late for his assigned shift, which began at 1600 =/\=

Gotcha, asshole! Jim smiled. Jim made a notation on his padd, then spoke again. "Access biometric data on Crewman Torres. Compile all bioscans completed, either by ship or shore personnel, then compare scans and note any significant change to biometric makeup of the subject.

=/\= There are two significant discrepancies. One, there was a reduction of 6 kilos of body mass as a result of a bacterial infection and resulting diarrhea. Two, an unknown organism was picked up by medical scans on he vessel's last voyage. The scan records were deleted by Crewman Torres. =/\=

"Access Starfleet Criminal Database."

=/\= Access granted =/\=

"Compile a list of all known associates of Crewman Torres in the Delta Quadrant as of this stardate."

=/\= There are three individuals. =/\=

"Name and current location." Jim said, leaning forward.

=/\=Maxor Biggs, Station DQ*, brig; Walter Dunsmore. whereabouts unknown, and Nathan Torrance, currently aboard this ship=/\=.

"Download the full background on the first two, please." Jim ordered. When his padd beeped, he looked at it and shook his head. "A pervert and a stim-slinger! Oy!"

Jim was about to send his findings when the doorchime beeped. "Enter!" he half-shouted.

The doors parted to admit SSGT Kathy Smith, and Jim's jaw nearly hit the deck. "Good to see you, too!" Smith remarked. "It's been awhile. Bet you thought you would never see me again," she said in a Georgia drawl.

"Hoped is a better word." Jim replied stonily.

"Just like I thought, you still haven't let the past go!" Kate said, sitting on the couch across from him.

"It's hard to let go when you're told by the woman you love that "we would be better as friends, oh and by the way, my husband and I are getting back together". I don't do well in the friend-zone, Kat!" Jim replied, considerable heat in his voice.

Kathy nodded her head. "I agree, that was not cool of me. You will be interested to know that he was a liar and a cheat, even after counseling. I divorced him 2 years ago, about the time you were heading towards Romulus."

Jim turned to face Kathy squarely. "That mission was supposed to be my first as CAG aboard the Arizona, and it was classified to the hilt! How did you...oh, Dave musta told you." Holbridge nearly spat the name of his former best friend, LCOL David Lorenz. "Loudmouthed bastard never could keep a secret. He was the CO of the ground force that went in to find that missing shuttlecraft from the Aries. The Remans got him before I could call in pararescue. When he turned up later, he and I had a falling out, and we haven't spoken since."

Kathy simply nodded. "He told me about it, and like I told you, you both need to talk this out, but I'm not here for that." Kathy pursed her lips in thought, then looked at Jim and continued. "I'm here to make sure we have an understanding. We parted on bad terms, and I'm sure that made for some hard feelings on your part. But I am not holding grudges; so, if you can't be friends with me, you need to stay away from me."

"I'll continue to give you the same regard I have, sergeant," Jim's voice became flinty.

"No, I don't want that. I want to be your friend, Jim. A real friend." Her eyes and voice softened slightly. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

Jim looked away. "Accepted. Now, I need you to leave so I can finish my work...." The rest of Jim's words were lost as Kathy rose from the chair and kissed him firmly on the lips.

"I'd say you were done, wouldn't you?" Kathy asked softly, a smile on her face.

Jim simply nodded. "Computer, transmit my report to Commander Hunter now!"

=/\=Acknowledged=/\=

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