Keeping the Chief Appraised

Posted on Tuesday August 17th, 2021 @ 4:42pm by Lieutenant Commander Calvin Hirsch & Lieutenant Oscar Vladinchi

1,204 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: S1-A1-Ep. 1: Spectrophobia
Location: USS Poseidon; Deck 7 - Security Offices
Timeline: Arrived at Betreka Nebula

[ON]

Oscar left the Captain's Ready Room with a PADD in tow, having filled out the necessary blanks before leaving. He had been instructed by by Lieutenant Commander Paul Sharpe to update the ships Chief of Security on the possible implications resulting from the investigation into the replicators possible sabotage. To Oscar, it was clear that it had been some sort of joke conducted by the Cadets on board, but he didn't know which one or which group. Implying an outside malicious force would do such a thing didn't seem all that logical to the Security Officer. Then again, he'd experienced and seen wilder things.

Noticing the Chief of Security was not on the bridge, Oscar proceeded to the turbolift and took it down to Deck 7. From there, after walking down the corridor to the Security Offices, he approached one of the offices maintained by the Chief of Security and requested entry.

Hirsch had lent a friendly smile. "Lieutenant Vladinchi. Please come in..." He then entered his office and set down a few security padds of his on the desk. Turning to the Lieutenant, Cal had crossed his arms and then looked at Oscar. "Have a seat Oscar. You finished your briefing with Captain Johnson. How did that go?" Asked Hirsch, curious. He had turned to the replicator and then paused. "Coffee Dark, hot." He ordered. The replicator began to swirl. "Anything for you?"

Oscar watched as his Chief ordered himself something from the Replicator. "It went rather curiously," the Security Officer admitted, his eyes focused as the matter siwrl began to appear. He grimaced at the implications.

A split second, there was a momentary lapse in the swirl, as in the amino acids matrix of silver energy growing in the replicator, crafting a mug of dark hot coffee. Only a connoisseur of coffee as much as Hirsch would have noticed or would have thought to question. "You know... What was the operational run down of the Captain's Replicator? What did they find, Oscar?" Asked Hirsch, finding the officer more than lately seemed to be working well. There was a lot for Security to do and a lot for Security to know right now. Having Vladinchi on as an assistant was proving invaluable."

"We have apparently a fault with our replicators from devious personnel or outside entities," Oscar replied. "The word 'sabotaged' was used. Apparently someone messed with a specific set of chips used to distribute information along the line to the replicator, or at the very least that is what I gathered. The datapad has all the information in detail and I apologize for my lack thereof. However I am suspecting that Cadets have begun to tamper with the ships systems as a manner to prank superior officers. I want to set up more patrols and routine bunk checks if you would approve. It just seems silly to me that some outside nefarious force would use this method of sabotage on our ship."

"What kind of personal outside entities?" Hirsch inquired. Although he already had an idea, the connections between the hardware failures, the chipsets, and resulting malfunctions in the complex software. Calvin subconsciously reviewed the routes and access nodes. However, he was not the Operations Officer. The countless security re-checks would now be more complicated.

"Pirates, sir," Oscar replied flatly. "The same that attacked us at the Bright Nebula, supposedly."

Calvin had paused a moment. "Mr. Vladinchi. How about you let me handle the replicator incident. I need to let my face be seen around and known as the authority from now on the Poseidon. "I thank you. Your work here has been prompt." Hirsch was uneasy as he had tapped at the padd. Too many issues were coming together, compromising the network's ability and safety to access and carry out command functions and orders. There was no telling where the chipsets could and would let down the Poseidon.

At the same time, Hirsch didn't want Vlandinchi to handle the Cadets. This was a situation he had to be investigated by himself.

"Please. Give me the Cadet or Cadets…." He had paused to shutter if more than one boneheaded teenager thought this was a fantastic idea to prank the crew.

"If I may?" Oscar asked as he motioned toward a PADD he had given his Chief. Once taken, he quickly added a few more windows of the rosters for the cadets on board - especially the Security Cadets. He then handed it back. "I've given my password for the entry on my list. That is all the cadets I've gathered who may have a possible reputation for this. I am not ignorant to the possibility that we may have a plant, but, honestly Chief..."

Oscar grumbled during the momentary pause, his russian accent thicker as he then remarked, "It's just so silly."

"True. Ocham's Razor." Hirsch grinned at Officer Vlandinchi. "So." He reviewed the list that was open on the padd. "Cadet Wildcrest" Cal had looked. "Her file looks quite impressive. Samantha Wildcrest, 15 years old, Freshman. Has cracked over 45% of the Starfleet Redundancy Code Testing at Academy Security." Hirsch blushed. "I could barely put a dent to those code breaking programs. We may have a future budding Security Program Analysist in her."

"I see we are carrying a total of eleven security cadets from the Academy at the moment. All have proved optimal results. This is your data keeping Lieutenant. What have you observed?"

Oscar straightened somewhat as he replied. "Nothing concrete, sir. When I did have the chance to observe the cadets, it was mostly during their off times or at the rare chance at station. I didn't notice anything particularly off, but I admit during the time of initially taking a notice of them, I was not under any impression as I am now. They seemed...capable, sir."

Calvin nodded, taking in the information from the officer. "Well. Time for a Security meeting. Our good gang should meet their new Chief." Hirsch had got tired of looking over reports and looking into computers. Cal needed to get his hands dirty. As well, Cal was still compiling his interviewing of the Engineering Officers from Lieutenant Sharpe's Department quietly for Captain Johnson. The report was ready to be completed, until this incident occurred adding a pause to the ponder.

"Yes sir," Oscar nodded firmly. "Do you require anything else of me, sir?"

"Thank you." Hirsch refocused his attention back to Lieutenant Vladinchi. "No. Lieutenant Vladinchi, you have been very helpful. You may leave." Hirsch casually nodded. He clasped his fingers together once more.

"Yes, sir," replied Oscar promptly. He about faced and left.

As Oscar left he couldn't help but gain an additional level of respect for his Chief. He had only encountered him a few times, but this most recent one has sealed the impression that Lieutenant Hirsch was on top of things. He would still need to investigate the cadets, though, his gut telling him. If he would disobey his superior to do so was the question. The thought lingered and toyed in his mind as he rounded the corner for the turbolift.

[END]

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Lieutenant Oscar Vladinchi
Security Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Calvin Hirsch
Chief of Security
USS Poseidon

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