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Stow-away
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Antonio Coelho
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 05 Nov 2009
Posts: 40
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 7:51 pm    Post subject: Stow-away Reply with quote

Holodecks are amazing. They can deceive all the senses thanks to their mix of simulated and real matter, holograms and carefully applied tractor beams. They can make you notice anything, or, when used by someone imaginative, ignore it. This was a very important lesson, and one Antonio quickly had learned after sneaking aboard the Hartington. With a bit of rogue programming, he was able to cause the holodeck to cover him up, whenever anyone else was there, making him into part of the background, blinding the world to him, and to a lesser extent him to the world. A second set of commands kept the ship from registering the mild additional power drain on its resources, as he used the room to take care of his needs.

But it wasn't enough. A gilded cage is still a cage, even when you make it for yourself. He began to run simulations, so he could explore the ship, down empty halls, from cramped Jeffry's tubes to the lounge and even the bridge. It was exhilarating, as he learned, almost daring to call up the crew he knew that he should not meet, not yet. It was harder to hide those exercises, so he stopped. But the urge to leave the deck gnawed on him every time he watched it in use, every time he saw the crew he had hoped to impress with his creativity, his audacity.

In many ways, it was inescapable. One day, alike any other, he simply had enough. That was the afternoon he left.

The halls, though visually identical to their holographic selves, seemed ever brighter, their corners sharper, their curves clearer. The air, still recycled and refreshed, took on new meaning. Here, nothing could come between him and the crew.

Here it was only his wits on this journey to the lounge - his goal. If he made it that far without running into a crew member, he would be amazed. His only hope of being ignored? Proper clothing that any civilian or crew member might wear if off duty. If you looked like you belonged, people tend to ignore any stranger, and a low ranking enlisted man is easily mistaken for another, even by the trained. How far would his gambit take him? He had no idea, but it was an experiment worth trying.
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Davynn Qech
Graphics Chief
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Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 809

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Commander Qech was on her way back from lunch, looking forward to some time in her quarters where she could take some stress off of her back and maybe get some comm time with her parents. She hadn't spoken to them in too long, and her mother was always keen on asking questions about her pregnancy. Typical mother.

The corridors were filled with the usual bustle for this time, each one of the crew members nodding to her as she made her way past. In her desire to get back to her quarters, she almost missed him. The one out-of-place element in a sea of familiarity.

The others in the hallway paid him no mind. He looked like one of the crew, at least on the surface. But Qech, as First Officer, made it her business to know every single face on the ship. She prided herself in having a personal relationship with those she was responsible for, and this boy, whoever he was, did not belong here.

She stopped, looking back over her shoulder as he made his way quickly, a little too quickly down the hallway.

"Excuse me?" she called out. Her voice was polite enough, but there was an undertone of authority that was difficult to miss. "What's your name, Crewman?"
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Antonio Coelho
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 05 Nov 2009
Posts: 40
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Antonio turned around and smiled as inside an instant of worry flashed across his thoughts, carefully separated from his posture and face. Of everyone it could be, Qech would be the hardest to fool. Public records on Trill told him how much experience one of them might harbor hidden behind their youth. "Coelho, Ma'am," he said cheerfully, leaving a faint tone of mild hurt in his voice, as if they'd met before in passing. "Can I help you?"

Ask the computer who I am, I dare you! he thought, quietly, as if that could help him if a telepath was nearby - a fair loss in this game. I didn't alter the records, I want to be trusted here, but the call-function will trigger if you ask for me by name, and will overlay me into the system as if I'm in all those other files, as if I've been on gamma shift for the last month, shuffled about like a trainee who's everyone's assistant.

This was the riskiest part of his plan. Without doing anything that could actually need fixing, fixing they might not let him do, he couldn't leave the program in place for long with its expanded functions. It might become noticed. All of his effort at hiding would delete itself once the computer registered that he had introduced himself in the lounge, leaving only the mystery and joke of it all, if they would accept it as a joke, but now began the crucible.
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uvek
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Posts: 1417
Location: bluffton ohio

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The lounge doors swooshed open and the lanky Romulan emerged. He had enjoyed a dinner of gletten and tea (the last of his Christmas tea from the previous year), and felt quite relaxed. His session in the counselor's office was almost forgotten, though not the intensity of the emotions, and Uvek needed to meditate. He moved down the hallway and around the corner, noticing Commander Qech speaking with a crewman.

"Ma'am," he said by way of greeting, barely noticing the other indivdual. He intended to get to his quarters and his mind was fixed on that.
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Davynn Qech
Graphics Chief
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Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 809

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Qech nodded to Uvek as he passed. She didn't want to call security on the boy just yet, but his name did not seem familiar. And though his name was all she had asked for, she couldn't help but notice that he hadn't given his rank, something that would be automatic for any Starfleet officer being addressed by a superior; on duty, or not.

She let Uvek pass by, deciding not to alarm the newcomer by sicking security on him. The Romulan would always be a combadge tap away. But for now, she wanted to be sure. She approached 'Coelho', her expression Neutral. "Rank and Division please, Mr. Coelho. Or is that your first name?"
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Antonio Coelho
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 05 Nov 2009
Posts: 40
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Crewman, Third Class, Ma'am" he answered evenly. "I'm an engineer, no specialty. Coelho is my last name." Something's off in her reaction. Should I have studied military protocol more? Everyone I watched was always so casual off duty but she's as cautious as they come right now. Risks, risks.
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Marek
Command Council
Command Council


Joined: 27 Aug 2009
Posts: 1045
Location: The Dark Side of Utah

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OOC I love how this is playing out, it's tempting to throw Croft in the mix, his empathy would be going nuts but I'll let Qech torture the poor boy for awhile. Nice post.
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Davynn Qech
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Joined: 16 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Crewman, Third Class, Ma'am. I'm an engineer, no specialty. Coelho is my last name."

Qech nodded slowly. "You must be one hell of a miracle worker in engineering, Mr. Coelho. So far Lieutenant Ghan has managed to complain about every single engineer under his command. He comes to me with a new list of complaints every week, most are undeserved. I know, I've checked them off. Can't recall your name on the list, though."

Or on the duty roster, she thought to herself. Which I write up.

"Well, it isn't like a Tellarite to offer glowing praise. I'm sure that's the only reason your name hasn't come up yet. You can't have been here very long though, your face doesn't look familiar. Did you transfer when we docked at the station?"
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Antonio Coelho
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 05 Nov 2009
Posts: 40
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Yes I did, ma'am," he answered, glad to be able to tell that truth completely. "I'm still quite provisional in even having a rank so it touches me to know I've been able to avoid any complaints."

Close, too close. Of course I'd get the challenge of one of the senior staff here, and only two bulkheads away from my goal. The sound of the door opening and closing to the lounge cut off those thoughts for an instant, but Antonio kept his poise. Her next reaction could determine everything if she came to a conclusion now, and he would not give up before his time if he could avoid it.
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Davynn Qech
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Joined: 16 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Yes I did, ma'am. I'm still quite provisional in even having a rank so it touches me to know I've been able to avoid any complaints."

Qech folded her arms in front of her, her expression neutral.

gotcha.

Her voice was calm, almost conversational. But her next words were quite blunt.

"You don't belong here, do you Mr. Coelho?"

She locked eyes with him. "There were only a handful of transfers to this ship when we docked. Each one of them, upon reporting to the Captain, was sent directly to me so I could update the duty roster. You were not one of them."

She sighed and shook her head, lightly tapping her combadge.

"Qech to Lieutenant Uvek. I need security on Deck 8. It seems we have a stow-away."
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Aria
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 20 Mar 2010
Posts: 190
Location: New Hampshire, USA

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aria entered the lounge. She'd asked the computer where Commander Qech was and followed its directions. Sure enough, the Trill was standing not far away, talking to a crewman Aria didn't recognize.

Not that that was strange, she thought wryly. She'd only been on board the Hartington a very short while. Other than the command staff, she hardly recognized anyone.

She approached diffidently. "Excuse me, Commander. I don't mean to interrupt, but when you have a minute, could I have a word?"

She glanced curiously at the crewman as she did so. An odd coctail of emotions was rising off the young man; it was a mixture of worry, triumph, fear, and confidence. She wondered what the two were talking about.

None of your business, Aria, she told herself sharply. She didn't want to seem nosy...maybe she could ferret it out later.
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Davynn Qech
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Excuse me, Commander. I don't mean to interrupt, but when you have a minute, could I have a word?"

Without taking her eyes off of Coelho, Qech replied calmly. "I may be a bit, Lieutenant, is it urgent?"
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uvek
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 10 Jul 2009
Posts: 1417
Location: bluffton ohio

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Qech to Lieutenant Uvek. I need security on Deck 8. It seems we have a stow-away."

Uvek had just exited the turbolift on deck 2, prepared to enter his quarters, when the call came through. It caught him by surprise and also chagrin. A call this fast could mean one thing; the crewman the Commander was with a moment ago. Fvadt! He had barely noticed the young man.

"Deck 8." he said bluntly. Tapping his commbadge he called out. "Uvek to security, send a team to deck 8 immediately." The turbolift doors opened a moment later and the security chief moved with quick purposeful steps down the hall. Around the familiar corner was the commander, Lt. Aria Lioy and the crewman, looking quite pale.

Uvek put his best "don't test me" face and stepped up. "Commander?" He inquired, his body assuming a prepared but non-threatening posture. Moments later 2 hefty security men arrived, their yellow-collared uniforms flanking their chief and the pregnant commander.
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Antonio Coelho
Task Force Crewman


Joined: 05 Nov 2009
Posts: 40
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Well played, Commander. I knew if I ran into you or any of the other staff who does personnel, the charade couldn't hold up. You're far observant and attentive to your job to let someone out of place get by," Antonio sighed, defeated but not disappointed. "I surrender." His key phrase activated the deletion function of the program, just as though he had finally made it to the goal, now nothing was hiding the extra power usage and fun he'd had in the holodeck, no extra call commands would insert his name anywhere.

He raised his hands and put them on his head, taking cares to keep his movements visible and slow. "I was planning on turning myself in anyway once I got to the lounge. I thought, just maybe, that would've impressed you more."

It wasn't long at all before Uvek and his security had arrived. "Don't worry, sir," Coelho said. "I've already surrendered." The young man stood there as calmly as he could manage, waiting to see what would happen.
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Davynn Qech
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Joined: 16 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Qech shook her head. "Impress?... If you violated the sanctity of this ship to impress someone, kid, you are on the wrong boat."

She sighed, looking to Uvek. "I need to inform the Captain of this. Put him in a holding cell. I want to know how he got on the ship, where he was hiding, what his motive is if not just showing off, and anything else he'll tell you."

She then looked to Lieutenant Lioy, who was doing her best not to look outright intrigued by the whole situation. "I'm sorry if you were hoping to catch me off duty" she shrugged. "It seems I'm not anymore."
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