Is opening Pandora's box a good idea?

Posted on Sun Nov 22nd, 2020 @ 3:42pm by Lieutenant Finchley Kerr

"Computer, open Personal Log" Finchley said on entering his quarters.

The computer signalled the opening of the log and he began "The Captain has decided to take a careful approach to the upcoming mission, and I don't blame him, dealing with the Romulans can be tricky at best, deadly at worst. However, given the information I've gleaned from my Intel source, I can't help think that being cautious may not yield all the answers we're looking for, and it's doubtful we'll be in direct contact with the Romulans to ask them why they're getting involved, and why they're looking for this 'unique' Starfleet member. I do have one resource still to tap, though at this time I'm reluctant to do so for fear that it could leave them open to questions they'd rather not be asked by the people who would be asking them. Computer, pause" he finished.

Walking over to his desk console, he pulled up the star charts from the last mission. As he studied them, he looked to see where the confrontation between the Norris and the Romulans had taken place, and the vectors they'd come from. Something wasn't adding up, and then it struck him, the Romulans had quite literally come out of 'left field'. To Finchley's thinking, there's no way the Romulans would have known where and when the Chuck Norris would arriving, unless....unless they'd gotten the information from a source they were looking to keep quiet, a source....

"Computer, resume!" he said a little lounder and stronger than he meant. The computer resumed the log and Finchley said "Something about the Romulan intervention on the last mission for the Chuck Norris hasn't wrung true with me. I've read the reports, gone over the logs and the charts and I can come to only one conclusion, I think there's a possibility that the Romulans may have a source within Starfleet that's feeding them information...old term...they may have a spy, but I can't be one hundred percent sure. Questions I have are how did the Romulans know where and when the Norris would arrive, how would the Romulans have known the ship wouldn't have an escort that would protect them, do they know about this Starfleet member, if so, how? What did they know, and how would it help them if they captured them?"

He paused for breath, this was now getting to be bigger than he thought, and all his instincts we now on high alert. He had to push them down, he wasn't on an Intel posting at the moment, he was seconded to Starfleet on an Operations role. Still, he had to try and gather what information he could.

"Computer, level one secure channel, authorisation Kerr Zulu Golf eight nine two Hotel" he said.

==^==Secure channel open==^==

"Begin message" Finchley said "Information urgently required on your fleets vessel movements, within the last standard Starfleet three days, NO exceptions, co-ordinates five two eight by three six two by two two. Send within two hours, out."

"Computer close secure channel" Finchley said.

==^==Secure channel closed==^==

"Computer, close Personal Log and secure, Kerr Alpha one one three Sierra Delta wipe" he finished.

==^==Personal Log closed, wipe sequence in place if tampered with without proper re-activation sequence==^==

Finchley nodded his head, only he knew the re-activation code, so he knew the log was safe, what he needed now was the answer to his message so he could try and answer all the questions he had...