Regulation Four Seven Three Subsection Four States...
Posted on Sat Feb 1st, 2025 @ 2:56am by Lieutenant Commander Corin Layal & Lieutenant Christopher Blake
Edited on on Sat Feb 1st, 2025 @ 4:26pm
1,744 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Sins of History
Location: Escape Pod Access - Deck 4 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD012 0730 hrs
Chris looked down at the Padd in his hand and then back to the console next to the escape pod. Test mode, launch procedure initiate, Readout came back green, end test mode and reset. The pod passed the standard maintenance test, but Chris wasn't about to trust just some read outs. He clicked open the main hatch and placed the small blue sphere inside before closing the hatch once more.
"Computer, isolate Pod 5 from Internal Ship atmospheric systems." Chris said calmly as he watched the blue sphere closely for any change in color. If it change to red within the next few minutes it could tell there was an issue with the oxygen recyclers or worst, a leak. It was a trick he'd been shown on his last posting that he had taken with him. Last thing they needed in an emergency was someone in a leaky pod.
Since it looked like Layal was going to be on board for a few weeks she made a point to learn the layout of the ship, including where to go in case of emergency or a call to abandon ship. It wasn't that she disliked space travel, it was just that she'd never really lived on a ship, and for the last five years she'd been cozy and safe on Earth. No, she didn't feel quite as safe out here, especially knowing that there was a group of Cardassians that still revered their prisoner, and there were still so many questions about the case unanswered.
Layal traced the path that the computer had directed her to in order to find the nearest batch of escape pods. She knew she had arrived at the correct place because an officer had one out and appeared to be doing some kind of maintenance or test.
"Hello. I'm Corin Layal. I'm on temporary assignment here to prosecute a case," the Bajoran announced from down the hall as she made her approach. As she got closer she added. "Everything alright? With the pods I mean?" She tried not to sound nervous.
Chris smiled slightly as he watched the blue ball... do absolutely nothing. "Perfect actually."
He tapped the panel and the pod opened with a slight hiss. He reached in and grabbed the ball and popped it in his pocket before turning to face Layal. "Welcome aboard, Layal. I'm just running the standard maintenance checks if you want to walk with me."
Chris gave her a lopsided grin. "Unless you want me for some legal magic stuff in which case I'm going to be useless to you."
"No..." Layal reached out and touched the pod lightly with the palm of her hand for a brief second. "No, I just... well, never lived on a ship. Starbases sure, but I've been stationed on Earth for a while now. Ships were always just vehicles to get from Point A to Point B. I thought it might be a good idea to walk through the safety and escape protocols. You know, just in case." She spoke nonchalantly, despite the unease she was feeling.
"Oh," Chris said with a lopsided grin. "If it would make you feel better, you can come along while I check the pods. It's not that interesting, but I can show you the safety features and hopefully put you more at ease. As for the point A to Point B, you kind of need to think of a ship like this as a point all on it's own. There's always a new view outside the portholes."
"That's probably not a bad idea, if you don't mind the company," Layal replied. "It would be a good refresher for me. So how long have you been on the Artemis? Did something draw you to this ship specifically or was it a random assignment?"
Chris thought about the assignment as they walked to the next set of pods. "I wanted to do something good I think." He replied after a moment.
"I like flying shuttles more, but a ship like this can be interesting as well."
Chris quickly checked the standard readouts for the pod as he spoke. "So each Pod has it's own independent systems but communicates with Artemis while attached. And if detached they will broadcast not only the recovery signal but the pod status so any approaching ship will know if there's a problem"
Layal nodded. She remembered this from the Academy, but it was nice to have the technical terms and systems refreshed in her mind since it wasn't something she'd thought about in quite a while.
"How about you? Did you pick the Artemis specifically?"
Layal snickered, "No, I didn't pick the Artemis at all," she said honestly.
"Your JAG officer was reassigned right at a crucial point in the case, and they needed an experienced prosecutor who could get out here on short order and get caught up without delaying things. I just happened to be the lucky person who had her name drawn this lot," Layal said dryly. "My current cases won't see a trial call for another three months at the earliest, so I should be able to see this case through without any issues. The younger officers will be gunning for this position though. It'll be filled in no time."
Chris nodded. He'd heard something about the reassignments. "Well, you're already here so if you're inclined to stay I'm sure we'd keep you." He offered her a lighthearted grin before tossing the ball into the pod and closing the door behind it.
"Here, watch this. If it stays blue we're good. Red means there's an issue with the oxygen." He motioned to the porthole in the door and watched the blue ball intently for a moment.
"No change." He commented before retrieving the ball and stood back next to Layal.
"What would the differences be between this kind of position on Artemis and at a station or planetside? Aside from the obvious that we go to the cases instead of having them come to you."
"Now, that is a loaded question. I'm not sure you want the whole answer to that," Layal responded with a good-natured playfulness to her tone. "It's nothing to do with the traveling. We get dispatched to cases all the time. You're a pilot right? So you may not have had the chance to experience the push and pull between say the prosecuting authorities and the policing authorities of Starfleet anytime you have a major case investigation. Just not sure about how the dynamics could possibly work that well out here for very long is all..." Layal deliberately trailed off.
"So how often is there an emergency scenario, and people are trying to evacuate and these things are flashing red?" She asked.
Chris shrugged. "Inertial dampeners usually take care of the pushing and pulling for me. But I see what you're saying."
"Could it be an ego thing? Some people think they're always right and don't like it when they're wrong and take it personally? Because as a pilot... THAT I would understand." He through back to some he'd trained with, and his own reckless past and suppressed a wince.
"As for an actual emergency. Hopefully never. These ships are designed with so many redundancies and features that we can handle most of what is thrown at us. Even older vessels will go through refits and have upgrades placed on them to handle some new anomaly." Chris stopped walking and held his padd out for her to see as it listed some of the newer features on the Artemis. "Between all that engineering gibberish and a competent crew you're as safe here as on a station."
"Oh sure. It's not that I don't think ships are safe. I just like to be independent - know my way around. And, am very self-aware of the fact that it's been a while since I've gone through any of this." Layal flashed him a friendly smile. "I appreciate the refresher. It's coming back to me."
"As for the other thing. I don't think it's ego. Maybe sometimes. But in reality the legal system puts up a lot of roadblocks to getting convictions. Puts up a lot of roadblocks to preventing crime before it happens too. This can be frustrating for investigators who think that everything that they did should be admissible at trial, or will help get a dangerous person put away," Layal explained.
"And people like me --" Layal paused and held her arms out as if she were putting herself on display, "Get to be the bearer of bad news."
"If those roadblocks keep an innocent person from being accidentally imprisoned or convicted then I'm ok with them." Chris stated with a lopsided smile. "Justice isn't just catching the bad guys, it's protecting the good ones. We can't lose track of that."
He tossed the blue ball into the air and caught it as he stopped walking to turn to Layal. "Besides, you're just the messenger. Can't really fault you for doing your job and reminding everyone of the message."
"Right. Until someone tells you to do something in the courtroom that you legally can't," she quipped. "Anyway, I'm just here for a couple of weeks tops. Maybe a little longer if this Gamcet case turns into a full blown trial. I don't plan to get involved in anything else while I'm here."
"And I'm going to hold you to the promise that I won't be needing any of these," she added gesturing back towards the escape pods that had just walked past. "It was nice meeting you officially by the way. I don't want to keep you... Unless there is anything else you think I should know?"
"I think you're good." Chris said with a lopsided smile. "Nice meeting you as well Layal. If you have any questions just look me up. Don't take offense, but I really hope I won't be needing your expertise any time soon though."
"None taken. I don't wish my services on anyone," Layal replied with a friendly grin. "See ya around."
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Christopher Blake
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Commander Corin Layal
Judge Advocate General, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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