Intel Reporting

Posted on Fri Mar 24, 2017 @ 5:54am by Lieutenant JG Jacob Hartley & Lieutenant Commander Alex Rho

Mission: An Orion to Die For
Location: Intel Office
Timeline: MD 1 || 1130

As Jacob looked at the outer door of the Intelligence office, he took a deep breath. A new assignment was always interesting, although his first ship assignment had been undercover. He figured that he would be doing a lot of data analysis, since that was what many Intelligence Officers did. It was amazing how many people thought that Intel work was like the old spy movies, like James Bond. He shook his head and rang the chime, waiting to be granted entry. Since he hadn't reported in yet, he knew his authorization code wouldn't grant him access.

Tom had been sitting at the desk in what had become affectionately called 'Reception,' when his holo-work had disappeared. As soon as the turbolift doors began to open, the sensors activated and multiple holo-screens came up. One was displaying an image of the lift doors, two more were showing images of the corridor, and one had brought up the personnel file of the man that had exited. There was also a spinning holo-image of the him. Tom quickly scanned the file for any pertinent information. In a moment he would be standing outside the door to his office. The door that wouldn't open like normal starship doors.

The computer chirruped a few beeps before responding, "Please state your authorization codes."

Jacob took less than a second to recall his Identification. "Hartley Five Beta Kappa Two Two Nine Charlie." He stated. He hated the fact that Intelligence authorization codes were long, but he always remembered his. His eidetic memory helped with that.

"Unauthorized code. Access denied," was all the computer stated. However, the only turbolift that granted access to Deck Forty-Four was silently locked and the ventilation system shut down for a brief second before restarting. Meanwhile, behind the door, Tom's desk was lit with flashing holograms, live feeds of the corridor, and ventilation system schematics that were about to pump enough anesthizine into the corridor to knock out an squad of Nausicaans. Tom had only a couple minutes to cross reference the man's voice pattern with what Intel had on file and his authorization codes. With seconds to spare, Tom found what he needed and input the information.

Outside the door, the voice of the computer spoke again, "Please restate authorization codes."

Jacob sighed. So far, he wasn't impressed with the ship or the system. "Hartley Five Beta Kappa Two Two Nine Charlie." He repeated the information. "Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer." He added, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

The computer chirped and the door slid aside to reveal, well, not much really. There was a desk being manned and a the tree that seemed to be growing right out of the floor. At the desk, was a nondescript young Terran male with brown hair, brown eyes and features that wouldn't be remembered ten minutes after he was seen. Looking up, he offered a vague smile. "Can I help you, Lieutenant?" he asked. Tom's own grey uniform bore the rank of a Chief Warrant Officer and the desk he sat at didn't seem to have a single thing on it, yet he managed to look busy. The information from a few seconds ago was gone.

Jacob resisted the urge to tell him what to do with the computer system. It needed updating, or replacing. No, instead Jacob looked at the man. "Yes, I'm here to report to Lieutenant Rho. I'm the new Assistant Intelligence Chief for this vessel." He explained.

Tom nodded. "Very good then, Lieutenant. And your name?" he asked him politely.

"Jacob Hartley." He replied. He really wasn't impressed so far, but he hoped that the rest of the staff would be better. If it was his department, he would have had sensors register the second someone got off the turbolift, knowing who they were before they rang the chime, and then done every scan needed before allowing entry.

Tom nodded, sliding his left hand over a spot on the desk, a holographic terminal came into view and he touched a spot on it. "Lieutenant Rho? There's a Lieutenant JG Jacob Hartley to see you, Sir."

"Send him in," came the response of a male voice that sounded a bit bemused.

"You can go right in, Lieutenant," the WO said as he touched another control on the terminal. A wall near the desk shimmered and revealed a door.

Jacob nodded, and walked to the door. Opening it, he saw the man he was looking for. "Lieutenant Rho, I'm Lieutenant Jacob Hartley, your new Assistant Intelligence Chief." He said, handing a PADD to the man, which contained his orders, whilst standing at attention.

A tall man with brown hair, green eyes and a salt-and-pepper beard, stood. "Welcome to Triumphant, Jacob. I'm the Chief of Intel. And first things first, here in Intel - get rid of the uniform unless you have to talk to Command or deal with people like Tom who you already met. Second thing, no ranks are required here. We know who is who and what their role is. With that being said, I'm Alex and I can pretty much answer any questions that you may have. Have a seat and get started."

Alex's office was of a simple décor. There was a desk with a holographic terminal centered on it and a number of PADD's stacked up on the left side. In front of the desk were two chairs. Other than his, those were the only places to sit. Behind the desk was a small replicator and an exotic plant that floated in a liquid solution that was suspended inside of a glass bubble which was suspended from the ceiling. What seemed to be an ancient filing cabinet was against the wall and off to right side of the desk. Alex himself was wearing a pair of denim jeans, a light grey pull-over t-shirt, and a grey blazer.

Jacob nodded. "Appreciate that, Sir. I've always preferred civilian clothing over uniform." He said. "I suppose the first question is what you want me to do here. I've spent most of my time as an Intelligence Analyst, although I have done some field work as well." He said.

Alex put the PADD on the left side of his desk, walked to the replicator and ordered himself of cup coffee. "First thing I want you to do is relax and sit down." As he ordered his coffee, Alex probed Jacob's mind. Grinning, he asked, "So what do you think of the ship so far? Pretty impressive, right? Oh, and my Intelligence department...I'm sure you find it more impressive than even Starfleet Intelligence Headquarters?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow, and looked at the man. "Honestly? I think the system needs a little work. Had to repeat my code twice, for one. I know, minor in the grand scheme of things, but just my opinion." He said, not wanting to lie. He didn't like the way some people would use little white lies to sound good. His adoptive father had always taught him to be upfront with everything. "But then, I have only seen the entrance to this office, so I can't comment on the rest of the department."

Alex grinned as he took a sip of his coffee. "She's a flagship, Jacob, and top of the line at that." He turned at went back to his desk, but stood next to the chair. "The system works just fine. I haven't processed your transfer yet so your authorization codes aren't in the system. As a matter fact, when the computer denied you access to my department, it had already locked out the turbolift and was about ready to release enough anesthetize into the corridor to drop a squad of Nausicaans. You're lucky Tom's quick." He took another sip. "Anything to drink?"

Jacob smiled. "Fair point." He agreed, with a nod. "Coffee would be welcome. I missed my morning coffee. Black, no sugars." He said. He thought about what the man had said. "At least the system works then. On my first ship assignment, security was...well, lax to say the least. But there were reasons for that." He said.

Alex ordered Jacob's coffee as he had mentioned it and brought it over to him. Lax Security, he thought to himself, that doesn't sound right. "Why don't you tell me about that and the rest of your last assignment."

"What security level are you, sir? No offence, but it was classified at level Beta One, and with good reason." He said, frowning. It wasn't that he didn't trust Rho, it was just...well, he didn't trust him because he didn't know him. His assignments had always led him to be cautious, especially when it came to sensitive information.

"Beta Two," he said simply. He wondered why people, no matter where he was at, were always worried about his security level. "You may proceed."

"USS Majestic." He replied. "I was sent in undercover, as there was a leak in Starfleet, and Headquarters had narrowed down the list. The leak was on another ship, the Cameroon, but I discovered that the Majestic had a Romulan Infiltrator, who was planning to deliver the ship to remnants of the Tal Shiar. I was able to alert the right people and keep my cover intact." He explained.

Alex took another drink of his coffee and nodded. "I see what you mean. But to be fair to the Security Department, the Tal Shiar can be rather devious and sneaky. You made aboard with your cover intact, after all." Alex took another drink and looked at Jacob. Playing devil's advocate could be fun sometimes. Especially with a fellow Intelligence officer.

"Actually, the infiltrator had taken over the Security Department, which was what made it worrying. They had reduced security so they could get their own people aboard." Jacob replied, before taking a sip of his coffee. "My cover had been built back when I was at the academy. It was a little worrying, but they failed thankfully. My last assignment before here though was mostly quiet. I was an Intelligence Analyst aboard the Essex. Did some field work, mostly data retrieval, although it did include using my Cardassian cover."

A brunette wearing a black cocktail dress and armband materialized in Alex's office and walked over to the desk. She smiled at the uniformed man sitting in one of the chairs. "Good day, Alex. F.R.E.D. asked that this be delivered to you and Dorsy refused. I told them that I would take it before they started..." She glanced back at the man sitting there. "You must be Jacob."

Jacob looked at the woman, and raised an eyebrow at her entrance and casual speech. Things were definitely...different here. "I'm afraid you have me at something of a disadvantage. That doesn't often happen." Jacob replied.

Alex immediately picked up on Jacob's body language. It seemed humans couldn't help but raise one of their eyebrows when they were surprised. It was obvious to the trained Intel Chief that his assistant was going to be even more surprised when they walked through the doors into the heart of Intel Country. "Thank you, Priscilla." He took the PADD and scanned it.

"Ensign Priscilla Delgado, Alex's Yeoman," she said to Jacob. "And as far as having you at a disadvantage, you activated the Intelligence security protocols in the corridor. Not only does word travel fast down here, but as his Yeoman, I was notified."

"So it would appear, Miss Delgado." Jacob replied. "Does everyone travel by transporter, or are you one of the lucky few?" He asked, curious now. Did they have personal transporters for Intel staff? He could have used them on his field missions, but he had managed without them. Still, anything useful was always welcome. "I admit, I find myself curious as to what other surprises this ship has to offer now."

"I have one, Alex has one, and the division heads have one," replied Priscilla. "Not every Intelligence agent down here has them yet, but quite a few of them do. It's a huge department."

"Here Priscilla," he said handing her back the PADD. "Everything looks good. And tell F.R.E.D and Dorsy to get along. Please. It may be a big department on a huge ship, but we're in a 'comfy' space with one another down here."

"I will Alex," she said. Turning to the new Assistant Chief, she added, "A pleasure, Jacob." And just as quick as she was there, she was gone.

Alex took another sip of his coffee. "Like she said, some of this is a rollout process. But since Triumphant is a flagship, we got quite a few of the new things. Some more than other, yes, but I'm trying to lobby for more."

"If I can help, I'm happy to do so." Jacob said. "I will admit, I look forward to seeing what else there is aboard the ship. Oftentimes, the right tools can be helpful. I know that there have been times when a personal transporter might have been of great use. But, we make do with what we have. Mostly, I enjoy cooking or my hobbies I cultivated for my cover more than fieldwork. I have...eight aliases at the moment." He explained.

"I'll keep that in mind, Jacob," said Alex, as he settled back in his chair. "Oh, there's a lot aboard the ship...even a nice promenade type of a deck. But all the real fun stuff is down here, which we'll eventually get to." Alex let the statement about the aliases go for the moment. It was that fact that he continued with the hobbies he had cultivated for his cover that caught him. Most Intel agents completely left their covers just that, covers. The Ullian filed that little nugget away for the future. "So some things about yourself that I wont' find in your personnel file. Or your Starfleet Intelligence file, for that matter."

Jacob thought for a moment. "When I was younger, my adoptive father was very strict, in the way he raised me. He was a former Starfleet Security Officer, and my adoptive mother was a former Intel Officer. They wanted something to focus on after their careers, although they were only fifty three when they adopted me. But the way he raised me, he taught me something important. Every man has to have a code to live by. His was family. He was loyal to his family, and to his friends. He taught that to me, although my code is also about patience." He said.

Jacob took a sip of coffee. "I wasn't always patient though. At the end of my first year of the Academy, my instructors felt I lacked patience, so for two weeks, they beamed me to a platform which was just big enough for me to stand or sit on, although I couldn't move much, and was there each day, beamed away each night. Only at the end of the two weeks was I told it was a simulation, but it taught me the important of patience. It taught me about precision, about remaining calm, not rushing into any given situation without assessing it first. The thing is, these days, most men don't have a code. That's why I joined Intelligence, because I haven't met someone yet in the service who didn't live by their own code."

"There are many of us like that in this line of work," he said. Alex knew all too well 'codes.' It was the Ullian 'code' that got some of his family murdered. It was the Ullian 'code' that he loosely lived by now. He had his own code, and his own interpretation of it, that he lived by, but that was something for another time...maybe. "How old were you when you were adopted?"

"Only a few weeks old. My parents owned a freighter. There was an accident a week after I was born, and all but a few people were killed, myself included. The freighter was salvaged, and my adoptive parents had it repaired, and put into use for a salvage and transport freighter. Technically, it's still my ship, and my business, but I always saw it as a past I never knew. Went aboard her once, and all I could see were ghosts of a past I never knew." He replied.

Ahh, so he actually owns a business. And a salvage and transport freighter at that, thought Alex. That could come in handy at some point, I bet, even if he didn't want to go back to it. Alex nodded and took another drink of his coffee and put the cup down. Alex waved a hand over the desk where the PADD was laying and several holograms popped up. He slid some of the data over and found what he was looking for. "Tell me about your assignment on the Essex as an Intelligence Officer."

"Not much to tell." Jacob replied. "Most of the time, it was simple data analysis, correlating reports and looking for any inconsistencies. A couple of times I was called on for a field assignment, mostly in data retrieval, once from a Romulan colony. Nothing too difficult, spent six days undercover. Took me two to retrieve the information, and another four to make sure I could get off planet without breaking cover."

Alex nodded, taking it all in. An analyst with lots of field work. Okay, thought Alex. "So, you wanted to know what I want you to do here? I think it's about time you see the rest of the department." Alex waved over a specific area of the desk. The holographic terminal activated and he touched a button on the console. Looking toward the ancient file cabinet, Alex watched as the wall near it shimmered, revealing a door. Touching another button, the holographic terminal faded away leaving a blank desk and he headed towards the door. "Follow me."

Jacob looked at the desk, and at the wall. "Okay, I'm impressed." He admitted, looking at the wall. "So where are we going to first?" Jacob asked, making a mental note to himself to not be impressed with anything else. Somehow, however, he knew that would be an impossible order to fill. But if this was just one office, what else did the department hold? So many secrets...it reminded Jacob of the old spy movies he had watched.

Alex walked through the door, PADD in hand. "We'll take the corridor to your right in just a minute. Straight ahead is the Intel Working Group Office Complex. In here, you'll..." Alex was cut off in mid-sentence by the computer and the flashing red lights near the ceiling. "Intruder alert. Unauthorized bio-signature." Alex watched as the blue shimmering light of the transporter enveloped Jacob and he disappeared.

A Bolian that had been standing there, walked up to him. "Alex, what...what was that?"

"That," Alex replied, "was was me failing to confirm his orders and get his authorization put into the ship's computer." He paused a second and ran his hand through his hair. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an Assistant Intel Chief to rescue." He smiled at the Bolian and turned down the corridor.

"Alex to Intel Secure Holding transporter. Beam me in." Alex then disappeared and re-materialized in the dedicated transporter room for the enclosed Intel Secure Holding and Interrogation Facility. He nodded to the Petty Officer on duty and exited the room, heading to the right. He paused and looked into Interrogation Room Two and saw Jacob, suspended in the forcefield enclosed, null-G interrogation chamber. Alex walked in. "That...was my fault."

Jacob's eyes narrowed at the man. He was definitely not impressed with the ship or department, and definitely not with his new boss. "Let me guess...my authorisation wasn't put into the ship's computer, and this is what happens when intruders enter the area?" Jacob asked, keeping his face neutral. Well, as neutral as he could.

Alex held up the PADD. "Just a moment and I'll take care of this. Trust me, you'll be safer in there until I get this done. In the meantime, welcome to Intel Secure holding and Interrogation Facility. You're currently in an interrogation chamber. The entire facility, Interrogation and Secure Holding is completely self-contained. The only way in or out is a transporter room. More secure that way." He looked down at the PADD and brought up the sign-off area for the orders. Alex placed his thumbprint on the spot and waited a few seconds. "Computer, authorize and install Lieutenant JG Jacob Hartley as Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Triumphant. Authorization, Rho-zeta-four-zero-gamma-gamma-two." Once the computer had acknowledged, Alex looked to the Petty Officer on duty. "Release him. But, not the normal way."

The Petty Officer incrementally activated the gravity so that the man inside wouldn't slam into the floor. Then he dropped the forcefield.

Jacob felt himself gently lowered towards the ground. As his feet touched the ground, he looked around. "That wasn't exactly the way I would have chosen to view this area, or get a demonstration of the security systems." Jacob said. Part of him wanted to plan some sort of intricate revenge on the man. But that was a part of Jacob he had long since buried. It had been, after all, a simple lapse in memory. He wasn't impressed, that was for sure. Well, not with the staff. But the system...that was impressive.

"It isn't the norm," said Alex, as he approached the man and handed him his PADD back. "But, this is the Intel Secure Holding and Interrogation Facility. It's completely self-contained and accessible only by transporter. A nice feature, I must say."

"I can't disagree with that. Definitely a good way to transport a dangerous criminal. Can you activate transporter inhibitors in case of an attempted breakout?" He asked.

"Yes," he said, "and always active for anyone with a personal transporter. Otherwise, the only transporting is done in the transporter room in here. Even ours won't work within these walls. However, if someone can escape from either of the Interrogation Rooms or a Holding Cell, then something else is gravely wrong." He headed down the corridor to the transporter room.

Jacob nodded. "If we get to that point, then we're all in trouble." Jacob agreed, taking note of the layout. "Have you had to use this room yet?" He asked.

"No," he said, "not as of yet. As a former analyst, would you like to see the Intel Analysis Facility next?" Alex walked into the transporter room and up to pad.

"Absolutely." Jacob said, following Alex. "I always found my work as an analyst fulfilling. I'll admit, my first field assignment was a surprise to me, but it was welcome."

They stepped on the transporter pad and Alex said, "Just outside Analysis, please." The blue light engulfed them and the transporter room disappeared. In its place, was a corridor and an unmarked door. Alex walked and saw that the place was abuzz with activity. "Feel free to look around and acquaint yourself with anything or anyone."

Jacob walked in and looked around. Finally, he was impressed, and very much so. The place was busy with people working, and as Jacob walked around, he saw multiple workstations, with comfortable chairs which was always a plus since they were used often, and for long periods. "Not bad." He said, keeping a straight face. "Certainly more well organised than my last postings." He explained.

Alex smiled. "Glad to hear," he said. "We certainly try."

A large bald man with green skin walked up and nodded to Alex. The Orion took the man in uniform to be the new Assistant. The one who set off the alarms. "I'm Galul. Is there something I can help you with...?"

"Jacob Hartley, your new assistant Chief." Jacob said, by way of introduction. "How often do you uplink and get new data packets from Headquarters?" He asked, looking at the man.

"Welcome aboard, Jacob," said the Orion. "We get new data packets on a regular basis. But as far as Analysis uplinking to Headquarters, that'd be a secondary option. The Network Data Center and Computer Complex, just down the corridor, uplinks with SI. As a matter of fact, the rumor is that they maintain a near constant connection and have random downtimes and, heh, 'outages.' But we get our data packets from them."

Jacob nodded. "Impressive. How many analysts do we have aboard, on duty at any one time?" He asked. "Sorry, I've been an analyst for most of my career in Intel, so I always take a personal interest." He added.

"That's okay, Jacob," said Galul. "There are roughly thirty-five analysts onboard. I would say the breakdown would be about twenty on Alpha Shift, ten on Beta, and five on Gamma. But they are not all in here, especially on Alpha Shift." He paused a moment and looked beyond Jacob to Alex for a moment. Galul saw Alex smile and nod his head. He then turned his attention back to Jacob. "Since your background is Intel Analysis, would you like to give one of these holographic monitors a try? Familiarize yourself with the database and so on?"

"Sounds good." Jacob said, with a small smile. "Mind giving me a quick demonstration?" He asked.

Galul looked behind Jacob to Alex and raised an eyebrow. A few seconds later, Alex nodded. "Okay," he said, walking over the nearest wall hologram that was active. "This is the current data packet that's up. We're updating our information from Headquarters on the Orion Syndicate and that sector of space." He grabbed the file with both hand and exploded it across the 'screen.' "As you can see, it isn't much at this point. We'll probably be gathering more as we go along. But this is it basically. Complete holographic interaction." The Orion stepped to the side and let Jacob have a shot.

Jacob nodded as he had a look, and began to interact with the screen, calling up some information, putting it to the side, and searching for different information at the same time. "Impressive." Jacob said.

Alex stepped forward. "The rest of the department, and ship, is just as much so. If you would like to continue exploring our humble abode, please feel free. Your codes and bio-signature have been added and there shouldn't be anymore problems. But I have a...previous engagement...that I must keep. Welcome aboard, Jacob."

"Thank you, Alex." Jacob said, as he stepped away from the holographic display. "I look forward to finding out more about the ship, and the department." He said, making a mental note to explore the ship and department in great detail. There was one thing he always did, and that was to know every exit, every entrance and any way anyone could use the ship to their advantage.