Ghost in the Shell: Part 2 of 3

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

1,417 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: Lyshan III: Supervisor Taurus' Office
Timeline: MD 8: 1100

ON:

Amynta smiled as she walked, her eyes dark. She arched an eyebrow at those that were looking at them as they moved through the facility, a warning look as she walked straight to Taurus' office.

Taurus stood, lifting his chin slightly at the sudden intrusion. The cardassian watched Amynta with a steady, cool gaze, his hands moving to rest on his hips. "Can I help you, Starfleet?"

Amynta watched him, a small smile curling her lips as she put the PADD down, looking at the human standing by Taurus' side. "Yes," she said casually and met Taurus' eyes. "I was hoping you could tell me what you have been deleting...from these files."

Taurus frowned, but features gave nothing away as he picked up the PADD to glance down over it. His features remained completely still, showing nothing either way as he glanced back up to her, shrugging lightly. "How did you get this?"

"I can get anything I want," Amynta said and sat down, watching him calmly. "I think we should have a talk...maybe without your pet?" she added, motioning to Reyn.

"I am not a pet," Reyn moved firmly behind Taurus, his green eyes shining with anger.

"He doesn't need to leave. Because there's nothing to discuss," Taurus shook his head, waving a hand casually. "This could have been done by anyone. I'm hardly ever here. Besides, our computer systems are a mess."

"I know they are a mess. But we know it is your computer...which means all I have to do, is to take this to your superiors," Amynta said bluntly, holding his eyes.

"If you do that, I'll slit your throat," Reyn breathed, taking a deeper breath as he touched Taurus' shoulder.

Taurus glanced to Reyn, reaching to touch his arm softly to reassure him. "It's okay," he said gently before looking back to Amynta with cool eyes. "Anyone could have used this computer at any time. I'm always busy around this place. Besides..." he looked at the PADD again with a sigh. "It might just have been random information we didn't need cluttering up the system, I like to do some...cleaning, now and then," he shrugged with a small smile. "It doesn't need to be sinister, does it? Such suspicious minds, you Starfleet..." he tutted.

"You are an intelligent man," Amynta said softly, glancing over at Siren before meeting his eyes. "Does this have anything to do with what is happening in the mines? Or is this covering up your mistakes?"

Taurus leant forward on his desk, planting his hands on it as he watched her unwaveringly. "I do not believe in ghost stories....whatever is happening down there? I just care about our production rate, and all of this is slowing it down. Do you really think I'd do anything that would compromise my production?"

"I think you would do things to hide anything that might harm you," Amynta replied smoothly as she watched him, calmly. "I can help. Or I can become your worst nightmare, Taurus."

Taurus tilted his head as he watched her steadily, as if sizing her up, judging the strength of his opponent. He finally straightened up, clearing his throat, a small smile curving his lips. "Such a strong, intelligent beauty would be welcome to chase me in my dreams," he said, with a small, but distinctly mocking smile.

Amynta took a slow breath, almost as if to weigh it all up. "We both play the same games. It would be a shame to have to put you down, Taurus. I am not after much. Just what I need to know. Nothing more."

"You already know all that you need to know," Taurus said softly, holding her eyes unflinchingly.

Siren looked between them with a sigh before reaching to touch Amynta's arm. "Come on...we can use our time better than this...."

Amynta let out a breath and nodded, looking at Siren before standing. "There's something down there that reanimated your dead and a creature that uses energy to kill," she said bluntly, watching him. She didn't care what lines she was crossing by telling the Cardassian. "Phasers don't work, disruptors don't work."

Taurus held her eyes, his jaw tightening as he watched her, clear calculation behind his eyes. "I know," he finally whispered.

She nodded gently, watching him. "And you'd send him down there?" she looked at Taurus before looking over to Reyn.

"If it was necessary, I'd go down there willingly," Reyn said bluntly, lifting his chin. "I'd do anything for this community. Anything."

"I only just found out," Taurus shook his head with a frown, watching her with violet-blue eyes. He was reaching a point of being torn. All his life he had been unsure where he fitted, or which ideals were worth the breath. Now, the lines were blurred more than ever. "Whatever you think you are chasing, it has nothing to do with it."

"And it has nothing to do with...materials disappearing?" Amynta asked bluntly as she motioned to the PADD of partially deleted files she'd shown him, watching him closely.

Taurus smiled softly, his confidence returned, rolling his shoulders in a motion that doubled as a shrug. "I have no idea what you're talking about. All I know....is that the paper work I get here is the worst pile of drivel you could imagine. You don't need all of that clogging up the system, so I clean a lot of it up...."

"Oh, I have already copied your database," Amynta said sweetly, shaking her head. "It's...badly organised, but we managed. Takes a woman's touch."

"I'm sure," he whispered, leaning close to her with a small smile.

Reyn gritted his teeth, his eyes going to Siren as he watched her, before back to Amynta.

Amynta arched an eyebrow, studying Taurus closely. "Do not think I am letting this slip, Taurus. If it is a threat against the Federation, I will shut you down."

"You have a very active imagination," Taurus replied softly, shaking his head slowly but his gaze remaining on her. "I suggest you find something more fulfilling to fill your time."

She smiled at that, almost sweetly. "You don't mind me having a look at your cargo manifests then, right? And perhaps your miners' reports of what they've...dug up."

"If that is what makes you happy in life, do as you please," the Cardassian shrugged abruptly, looking to Reyn. "We have nothing to hide. And you will find nothing."

Reyn nodded weakly, taking a deeper breath. "I think it's time for you two to go now," he said, looking at Amynta and Siren. "Now."

Siren smiled innocently to Reyn, nodding her head gently to him. "Of course. How about we even give you a headstart count of ten to start burying before we come looking," she winked, the smile fading quickly as she touched Amynta's elbow. "Come on, they're wasting our time, and they know it."

Amynta nodded, moving with Siren, a small smile on her lips. Once out, she chuckled softly. "He's not in the best of moods, is he?"

"I'm not sure you helped with that," Siren said lightly, looking across to her with a small smile, shaking her head. "He's stressed. Whether it's the general bad stuff going on around here or he's into something dirty, it'll slip."

She nodded, stopping to touch Siren's arm. "Suggestions?" she asked, meeting her eyes bluntly.

Siren gave it some thought, frowning as she considered him and the facts they had so far. "I don't believe so much missing data from his computer is a coincidence or just day to day clearing up. He's hiding something. When you spoke about him being involved with what was happening down in the mine with those things, his anger seemed real enough. But his whole manner changed when you started talking about the missing materials....he went from a genuine emotional response on the previous subject to suddenly doing the cool, sly Cardassian thing on the missing materials. That's what I'd lay my money on."

"My instinct says the same thing," Amynta admitted with a slight frown, shaking her head. "We need to dig further. I want to see what we can reveal. What evidence we can get them with."

TBC:

PO2 Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

Lt. Amynta Markos
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

Taurus
Supervisor
Lyshan III
[PNPC Blake]

Reyn Trell
Miner
Lyshan III
[PNPC Markos]

RSS Feed