Ghost in the Shell: Part 1 of 3

Posted on 30 Sep 2014 @ 12:25am by Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm

922 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 5 - Intelligence Office
Timeline: MD 08 - 1000

ON:

Amynta Markos frowned, rubbing the back of her neck as she watched the files. They had been doing this for hours. Just...hours. She got up, walking to the replicator and getting two double espressos, moving to Siren. "Here...have one, Red," she said with a small smile.

"Thanks," Siren sighed as she took it with need, grateful that the tribbles hadn't ruined their replicator yet. She shot it back, like vodka, blinking her eyes that stared at the scrolling data on the screen. They were going through the data the Starfleet Intelligence Agent had given them, trying to find anything out of place. The problem was, the Cardassian way of storing and using data files was so outdated and haphazard, that it was hard to know what was just sloppy admin and what was wrong.

"I think we both need it," Amynta knocked her own back and sat down with her, frowning as she looked over it all. "I am not happy with this. If I was a Cardassian I would be ashamed."

"For as clever and sly as they are, they're behind in technology," Siren replied bluntly. "Might be politically incorrect to say, but they are. This system is a mess."

"It happens when you lose a war. You get stunted for a bit," Amynta said and frowned, considering it all for a long moment before sighing. "Okay, let's try cross referencing again."

Siren worked on the computer for a few moments before running the programme, putting her head in her hand as she watched, tired as the words scrolled up the screen. She frowned, leaning closer as she read. She put new commands in, separating off a group of partial files, putting them to one side. She touched the screen, drawing them together. The computer worked for a few more moments before beeping and blinking. "I'll be damned," she straightened. "I've been looking at the full deletions. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place. These are files with partial deletions within them...notice a pattern? All of these were edited at the same computer terminal."

Amynta moved to stand behind Siren, watching the numbers before a small smile came to her lips. "Do you see whose terminal it is?" she asked, her voice almost excited.

"We can find it out," she said gently, her eyes shining again with sudden hope they might be getting somewhere after so much work. "Let's see if this work; I've set up a programme to try and find out. It'll take a few minutes," she sighed as she sat back, rubbing her eyes. "Thank goodness for that, I was about to smash the screen."

Amynta laughed at the words, moving to her desk and taking the small mirror and lipstick, to touch up her makeup. "I was considering getting the alcohol."

Siren smiled gently as she watched her, tired as she studied her face and how she carefully did her makeup. "And pour it over the computer in revenge?"

"Or down our throats," she said, taking a deeper breath as she finished before adjusting some of the clips in her hair. "Whichever felt the best in the moment."

"I'm pretty tempted to find a bottle of something and just keep drinking until I'm plastered," Siren shook her head, rubbing her face softly.

Amynta placed down the mirror and got up, moving to touch her chin. "How have you been coping, Red?" she asked, holding her eyes. "It was touch and go for a bit, from what I heard." In truth, she had gotten out of sickbay as soon as she could. She had known she was in the way.

"I wouldn't know," Siren replied honestly, shaking her head lightly. "I was completely out of it. I just know what I've been told about surgery. I'm more tired than anything," she admitted. "Whacked, in fact. But if I don't work, I'll start thinking about it all, and I don't want to."

She nodded before touching Siren's cheek, a small smile on her lips. "I knew you'd be fine. My Red is a fighter."

Siren laughed gently at that, her eyes shining with warmth at Amynta's tone. "From what I hear, Dr. Wylde did some weird voo-doo stuff on me."

Amynta laughed warmly, her eyes shining as she pulled back. "Well, if you need a break...I'll cut you some slack. You know, this once."

"This once huh?" she pursed her lips before smiling, shaking her head at the woman so many people talked about as a scary witch lady, but who she really rather liked and admired. "Bet you'll make me make it up some other time too...."

"I will make you polish my shoes or something," she said lightly, playfully to Siren. She nodded, looking over at the screen. "I think we should go down to the surface again. See Taurus."

Siren nodded as she followed her gaze, tapping the screen with a sigh. "Especially as all those partial deletions were made on his consol, according to this."

Amynta let out a breath, nodding as she touched her back. "Let's go down now. He will just have to deal with my heels."

Siren chuckled at the words, pushing herself up with a small smile of relief that they were finally getting somewhere. "It's too easy for them to hide in that stupid system. Let's see if we can smoke them out..."

TBC:

PO2 Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake[

Lt. Amynta Markos
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

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