Someone watching over me?

Posted on Wednesday 11 January 2017 @ 22:00 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Captain Melody Jones & Major David Scarlet

Mission: Old, New Ship
Location: Save'ena's Quaters
Timeline: MD10: Late Afternoon
4401 words - 8.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

==== Deck 2, Senior Officer Quarters ====

Melody strode with purpose down the corridor. Having just finished her duty shift, she decided to go see Save'ena and spend some time with her.

The corridor was empty, but as she walked Melody started to get a very creepy feeling. The hairs on her back of her neck suddenly rose and a chill ran through her. She stopped and listened for a moment before turning around. The corridor was empty but she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. In the ceiling above her was a sensor cluster and environmental support pod. She looked up at the sensor cluster for a moment, unable to shake that uneasy feeling.

==== Aux Computer Control Room off Stellar Cartography, Deck 6 ====

The room was dark, the only light coming from the computer display. A lone figure sat watching the hallway outsider her quarters, his love's, his only's, his girl's, quarters. CyberJynn has seen the 2nd Officer approaching and was now sitting slightly closer to the monitor as she slowed and stopped. She then turned and look up, seeming straight at him. Involuntarily, he jumped back slightly. Could she see him? No............

He looked closer at her. She looked young..... Too young to be one of the ships senior staff. And she was starting to become an annoyance. Always visiting his lady. Spending time with her. While his little skunky had to have friends, one of them being the ship's second officer wasn't one of the ones he would wish for her. The couple of times he asked her out for a date, skunky had to say no to him because 2O was hanging about. He would have to get to skunky while keeping 2O busy.

The 2O was chief helmsman as well, so a tripped alarm on a runabout or with landing instruments would keep her busy for a while. He just had to arrange it. CJ sighed. It also didn't help that his love honey had switched from her special quarters on deck 9 to Senior Officer quarters on Deck 2. It just wasn't fair for them. How could they spend time together with her in such a high traffic area? It did not help that as CAG, she was considered a command position unto herself and 'equal' to the CO when on a mission, and reported directly to the CO as Chain of command when not.

Why did his girlfriend and soon to be wife have such a high profile position? He sighed and watched as the 2O now resumed her journey and stopped and pressed the door chime.

==== CAG Quarters ====

Sav looked up from the couch where she had been sitting. After her duties today, she was feeling listless. She wanted to do something, but didn't want to bother anyone. She came to the door, wondering who it was. As the door opened, her muzzle and face brightened visibly, "MELODY!" As it was after normal duty hours for the two of them, Sav grabbed Melody into a hug, rubbing her muzzle along Melody's jaw and face, marking Melody once again with her scent.

Melody grinned as Sav enveloped her in arms "Hey there Sweetie. Do you mind some company for a while?" Save'ena presence had calmed Melody's nerves somewhat, but she still could not shake that uneasy feeling.

Sav nodded gladly, "Sure, common in. My door is always open for you." She led the way in to the kitchenette and sat Melody down and began making Melody her favorite cup of tea. Sav made licorice spice for herself. "What brings you by, oh pilot extraordinaire? At least, until I wrest that title from you," Sav kidded.

Melody was rubbing her arms try to dispel the chill that was still running through her, but it was stubbornly refusing to budge. Also the feeling of being watched by........ someone........... Distracted so, she had not heard Save'ena's question. She span round to face her "Sorry Sweetie, what did you say?"

Sav quirked her head to the left, her ears and whiskers focusing on Melody. "Okay, girrlfriend, something is bothering you if you don't pick up a friendly jab." She stepped closer, "Please tell me what is going on, what is happening with you, please?"

Melody looked around, a little uneasy. "It's hard to explain. On my way over i got this really funny feeling like........ I was being watched by someone.... I....I....can't explain it." She walked over a to Sav, and tilted her head to the side, a little shy "Would you just....... hold me........ please" she asked quietly.

Sav churred gently, "Sure thing, Girrl, sure thing." She glommed around Melody, holding her, and rocking her. As she did, she began backing up to the desk. She leaned against it, and put a hand down to 'steady' herself. In reality, she was diving into the Merlin, seeing if Melody was picking up on a security sweep checking where the 2O was, or some other ship function.

==== Aux Computer Control Room off Stellar Cartography, Deck 6 ====

In ACCR 643, the watcher was busy thinking to himself. These two definitely were close, and that might also mean, really close. Scenes of two girl pleasures filled his head and he almost missed a small alert that flashed. He shifted to intense focus as one of his monitoring programs showed a brushing touch by another program, but there was not a single trace of anything to show for it. Yet, somebody accessed the same sensor vision feed, but the only proof was his flag. Glitch maybe? No, couldn't be. He would have to be really careful as it could have been some program assigned to watch for intrusions into the senior officer's quarters.

==== CAG Quarters ====

Sav said to Melody, "I've got you. We're in my quarters." Sav was stroking Melody's hair when her body jerked and her churrs were momentarily interrupted. She found out they were being watched. Fortunately, Melody didn't pick up on her momentary distraction.

Melody felt safe in her friends embrace, but she was becoming more than that. More than just a close friend. Melody wanted to be close to Save'ena, close than she had been with anyone previously. She felt like she was on a roller-coaster. There were butterfly in her stomach. Her heart was pounding in her chest. 'Should I tell Sav?' she thought. 'I don't want to loose her as a friend. Will she feel the same way?'

Sav could feel Melody's heart thudding within her. It was time to take some action, but in a way not to alert the watcher what she was up to. Sav gave Melody's neck a quick kiss and said, "Oh, I just remembered, I still need to make you tea." She pushed away from the desk, "First though, a trip to the Fresher. You're still a little spooked, and some water on your face will freshen you right up. Common."

Save'ena's voice brought Melody out of her reverie. She frowned slightly "Ok...... I suppose some water could help." As she followed her into the Fresher.

==== Aux Computer Control Room off Stellar Cartography, Deck 6 ====

In ACCR 643, CJ let out an exasperated sigh. There were no sensor feeds in the Fresher, well, other than the life sciences 'is there a body signature and what type' sensor. And, he had not yet been able to get a personal sensor mounted into the fresher as his turn to take care of the mini-computers in the desks had not come up yet. He decided to work tracing the timelines with his flag to see what and how it had tripped as nothing was obvious. He set up a timer for 180 seconds, about the time two girls in a bathroom would be to touch-up their makeup.

==== CAG Quarters, Fresher ====

After both were inside and the door shut, Sav led Melody to the sink. "There you go, run some water over your face. I need to check on the fresher settings.

Melody went to the sink and ran some cold water into. Cupping her hand she splashed the water over her face. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her pulse was starting to slow and the creepy feeling that she had was starting to fade. She picked up a small towel and dried her face. She turned to see Save'ena heading for a control panel on the wall.

Sav proceeded to the environment control panel. She touched it, and stood there, eyes closed, for fifteen seconds. She breathed out a sigh of relief, "Nope, this room has no audio or video sensors in it. We're safe for a bit."

The 'For a bit' part of Save'ena' statement caught Melody's attention and an alarm bell started ringing in her head. She came over to her side "What do you mean for a bit? you mean I was right? I was being watched?"

Sav opened her eyes to look at Melody while still touching the panel and said, "You're not crazy, Girrl. You're being watched. When I leaned against the desk, it was to touch the control surface and check the visual/audio sensor feeds. Somebody was tapped in and watching us, actively, as the sensors were being manipulated real time. Fortunately, the Freshers only have life sciences sensors." She paused, then said, "My first thought: Is security running a drill and actively taking into account senior officers for the ship?"

Melody's jaw dropped open. Her initial shock was quickly turning into a slow burning anger "They most certainly are not, and I would have to see some damn good evidence that surveillance of that level was warranted, even for a drill."

Sav churred out to try and calm Melody. "Hey, hey, they could be, and they wouldn't inform you for a track and locate drill." Sav sighed, "Still, why for once located, to continue to monitor you? Nosy Security? But, I don't think Lieutenant Scarlet would allow that on his watch, if he knows about it. So... if not security, then somebody has tapped into the Security system and is watching you for other reasons." Sav did not extrapolate further as it might cause her to rote with the lies again. Still she was concerned for Melody as Sav had personal experience with several really bad reasons to watch someone.

Melody had started to pace, her mind was working. "I think we need to get to the bottom of this. If someone is tapping into the security systems we need to find out who and why. But we're going to have to be careful if indeed someone is watching our actions. She brought her hand to her comm badge "Jones to Scarlett. Can you join us in Lieutenant Tillatix's quarters immediately?"

=/\= Do you require a security team?=/\=

Scarlet began standing up from his desk before he even heard back. Considering those two and their history even if they should have a security team they'd say no.

Melody managed a small smile "No, I don't believe that will be necessary."

=/\= On my way.=/\=

In the fresher, Sav looked around, the reached over and dropped the access panel below the Fresher controls. She pulled out a specific circuit board and the control panel flashed a warning light. "There, a reason to get Lt. Scarlet in here. Now. lets get to the table so I can start you up some tea while we wait on him to arrive. Gotta keep up appearances."

Melody was still not overjoyed at the thought of someone watching her, but Sav's presence was starting to calm her down somewhat "That tea sounds nice, lead the way."

==== ACCR 643 off Stellar Cartography, Deck 6 ====

CJ was getting antsy. The girls had been more than a couple of minutes. His timer had went off right at 180 seconds and nothing. It shouldn't take that long. Then again, maybe they were reapplying their makeup after getting Melody refreshed. Then, he saw an alert go to security and jerked to attention. He traced it, then relaxed. It was an automatic sensor trip by a sensor in the Fresher going down. Just bad timing. He wondered if long, steamy showers by the CAG had managed to seep into the circuit, yeah, that was probably it.

==== CAG Quarters ====

The girls went out to the table with Sav sitting Melody down and then moving over to start up the tea. "See, feeling better now, right? And, what tea would you like? The sweet and spicy, or a different one? My tea set has fresh herbs for making many types."

Knowing that she was being watched, Melody was trying to act natural but it was not easy. She looked over at Save'eva, "Surprise me" she said, trying to get a twinkle in her eye. "It's a shame we're having to call someone out to look at that malfunction." She was trying to keep the usual tone in her voice but as she spoke, even she thought it sounded slightly wooden and stiff.

Sav churred, "Yeah, bummer about that warning light on the control Panel. I wander how fast someone will respond?"

Melody responded genuinely "Hopefully, not long."

The trip was short and silent. Scarlet just pondered over what could be the issue this time. Lieutenant Jones had sounded urgent, and angry, but not in fear. He gritted his teeth and braced for whatever could have gotten her so riled up. Was he just walking into a screaming match?

The chime for Lieutenant Tillatix's quartered sounded as he approached the door and stood at attention, waiting to be invited in.

Sav looked up from where she was pouring the water into the Tea Cups, "Hey, we have a visitor. It just might be a tech to attend to that warning light on the control panel. As this is senior officer country, keeping things fixed seems all the rage."

Sav went to the door and opened it, brightening and smiling to David. "Lieutenant Scarlet, nice to see you. Come on in."

"What seems to be the issue sir?" Scarlet asked. His voice and mannerisms calm, but firm. He didn't expect to be shot or get into a physical altercation, but his body was still tensed and ready for something.

Sav motioned to the fresher, "A warning light came on in the fresher, and one that is tied to a Security issue it seems. Please, right this way." She turned to Melody, "Come on, I can't be alone with a guy in a fresher now, can I?"

Melody called out "Coming Sweetie" as she followed them into the fresher.


==== CAG Quarters, Fresher ====

After the doors shut, Sav nodded to Melody to fill in David as she went over to the opened panel. She held up the circuit board, but waited to plug it in for after Melody told David what was going on.

As the door shut behind them, Melody turned to Scarlett. She spoke in a low voice but her words had a quiet intensity "David, someone is using the security systems to spy on me and observe my actions. Now, I'm not implying that you had any involvement, but do you know anything about this?"

Scarlet's eyes went wide and his nostrils flared. "Do you have any proof? This was not authorized."

Melody breathed a sigh of relief, at least Scarlet was as surprised and angered as she was that someone was using the security systems without authorization.

Melody quickly glanced over to Save'ena. She knew that Sav didn't want her special talent exposed. She looked back to Scarlet "I got a very creepy feeling when I was coming over to see Save'ena and she had a look into the security system and found someone was monitoring a live feed of my movements."

Sav's eyes momentarily went wide. The current proof would bring to light her cyberapathy skills, to, of all people, the CTSO. Not a good beginning. Sav's mind quickly flashed through her DC training as she touched the control panel. She had an idea. She quickly put in a level 3 diagnostics touch monitor program tied to the visual and audio circuits. That type of program would just touch a circuit to see if active or passive, then record a log about it. She back traced it to when Melody came into her quarters and then until now. This took less than 2 seconds.

As Sav did this, she nodded to David, saying, "I have a monitor program in place as part of my DC practice training. It was a fortunate happenstance that I had decided to just touch monitor the audio and visual sensor feeds in my quarters as those are supposed to be rarely used. However, when Melody came into my quarters and let me know she felt like she was being watched, I discretely checked the logs at my desk and saw those feeds active and monitoring us." She turned to the panel and stuck in a small transmitter. She stated, "Let me get the logs for you," as she transferred them to her Padd to be able to transfer them to David's Padd.

He looked back and forth between the two of them. "This is completely breaking protocols. When I find out what is happening... the perpetrators better hope they make it to the brig before I find them or someone is getting shot."

Melody chuckled "You won't get any argument from me." She looked over to Sav, "Is there anyway to trace who has been using the security feed?"

Sav sighed, "Sorry I don't have any more help for you. My program is for Damage Control purposes, to test for dead or alive, active or inactive circuits. They don't do any tracing, just let you know what, not why." She held up her padd, "Ready to transfer."

Scarlet looked down at his padd and looked over the logs quickly.

Sav brought up the logs on her Padd at the same time. "There, the outside camera, you can see where it became active when Melody came into the corridor, then turned off when she came into my room. On my room.... that's strange, it was active the entire time. At least, for the last half hour. Before that it was off." Sav got a strange expression on her face, "Did you tell someone you were going to come visit me, Melo... Lt. Jones? If they're tracking you, they may have overheard that and brought up my room feeds in looking for you."

Thinking for a moment, Melody shook her head "No, I decided to come see you right after I finished my duty shift. I didn't tell anyone."

"We need more pings." He said quickly. Looking at the two ladies he continued. "We need whoever is tracking you to access more security systems, preferably in different parts of the ship. With enough pings, I should be able to trace it back to the originating console." He left out the part about smashing the persons head into the console. "Are we certain they are tracking Lt. Jones?"

Sav followed along with what David was saying. She was about to reply when David asked his final question. Sav had been fearing for her friend, Melody, and had thought nothing about if someone was trying to track her. Or, was it somebody tracking them to get to somebody else? Sav's expression got incredulous and she momentarily shook her head to fight off all the what if's. "Uhhh, THAT... is a 'good' question, Lt. Scarlet. I would think most likely as Melody was the one to first feel the eyes watching her. But, somebody could be tracking us to find out about someone else."

Melody was now thinking to herself 'if it's not me they're after who? Save'ena?'

Sav turned and plugged the circuit board back in. The security TellTale went away. She turned back to the two, "To keep suspicions of the watcher allayed. He will now see the telltale gone, showing Lt. Scarlet did the repair. We have a couple more minutes to talk for 'diagnostics' and 'verification' before we have to leave the fresher and into his watchful gaze."

Sav looked at David, "It is known Lt. Jones and I hang out a lot, so whoever it is probably was monitoring me for any calls in from Lt. Jones for a visit. If it was me, why for monitoring Lt. Jones when she came to visit, and how did the watcher know? Besides, Lt. Jones is the pretty Terran single female who is naive about dating, second officer, and a more likely target. I'm the 'odorific' skunk girl with claws and teeth, not worth being a target."

Sav had heard the scuttlebutt around ship, and had been approached only three times for a date, and the two guys had both come up to her sniffing before asking, one guy twice, the other guy once. She turned them down, of course, but not because she didn't want to, she did want to, but because until she healed from the mesh, and to get reconstructive surgery to make her privates presentable, she was no good for any type of dating except purely platonic, and it seemed only L'Tandrey would accept that type of dating. Of course, she held at bay the alternative, that she WAS the target by an agent of Diostros, but, the problem was, she was forced by the overlays to not say anything, making her that much easier to get if she was the target. 'Damn them' Sav thought to herself, the them being Diostros, Mr. Thompson, and the Federation Psychic Counselors who had put in the overlays to begin with.

"Hey there," Melody waged her finger at Sav "Don't put yourself down Sweetie. Anyone would be lucky to have you..... I mean be with you" Melody stammered as she quickly corrected herself. Her cheeks now turning bright red.

Scarlet simply grunted. "You're assuming the watcher in interested in you primarily because you're female. You're both two very skilled pilots and hold very high positions on the ship. If something were to happen to either of you it would be difficult to make due." He looked down at his padd. "Ok. I will leave and set up my own net. After I leave, I want you to start moving through the ship. Verbally telling someone where you're going so it can be picked up by any live connections. After I find the watcher and... detain them... I will let you know."

Sav snorted out ironic humor, "Yeah, I'm sorry for thinking such, just past experience intruding." She shook herself and got serious, stating, "You're right, both of us are Senior Officers, and the 2O is a grand prize to hold hostage or remove from chain of command. I will make sure to always be overheard where going and see if you can nail this creep."

"And soon!" Melody added.

==== CAG Quarters ====

The door slid open and he walked out of the fresher. He turned sharply and glared at Jones and Tillatix. "It is fixed. And it did not require the CSTO to do it." He growled. "Next time you have this 'emergency', contact engineering or one of the security specialists instead of taking me away from my regular duties." He nodded sharply and briskly walked back out of the quarters.

Sav came to attention, letting the CSTO take out his anger about the simple circuit swap onto them. After he left, Sav relaxed and turned to Melody, churring gently, "He forgot he is the one who answered the fault as this is Senior Officer Country." Sav came over to Melody and gave her a hug, "So, go to the lounge for some eats and drinks, or crews mess? I haven't had any dinner yet, and you haven't said why you came by, thanks to the fault and all."

Melody relaxed once again in Sav's arms "Yeah that sounds nice, I haven't had any dinner yet either. The lounge might be a bit quieter then the mess hall possibly?" Melody tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. She had wanted to spend some time with just Sav but with someone watching her, this felt like it was impossible at the moment.

Sav churred gently as she held Melody. "Yah, tat sounds gud tah me." She muzzled Melody's cheek, and a sound growled out from her stomach. "Common, Snuggles, let's get to the lounge. My stomach is letting me know eat or be eaten."

The two left Sav's quarters and headed to the lounge.

==== ACCR 643 off Stellar Cartography, Deck 6 ====

While he couldn't see anything in the Fresher, CJ still did his timers and also monitoring the fault. While it took a little longer than 'it should', the fault went away, then the diagnostics sent back their information showing good, and out came the CSTO, 2O, and CAG. CJ shook his head at seeing two top brass together with his peachykins. This was getting harder all the time. He looked at his routing and verified his monitoring was through a DC channel, to the Engineering DC matrix, the Aux Eng nodes, the Aux bridge nodes, remote security nodes, and then along the video/audio surveillance matrix. He was a little worried as the CSTO had been there, but the man had no hacking skills, fortunately, but some under his employ might.

So, CJ began adding some hops in through TIC security scramble aux computers. That should keep his activities safe and make it seem like someone attached to TIC was monitoring his Peachykins, if anyone felt amiss. After all, who knew what all was up with Strat Ops and their intel services? Hopefully, anybody finding this route would conclude it was Strat Ops and leave well enough alone. Now, back to finding out more about his PeachyKins and what diet she liked.

He followed their talk, and then was disappointed once again to find out both were going to the lounge. How the heck was he going to ask Sav for their date when she was hanging out with the 20? Being with a bestest friend made it hard to accept a date. Unless there was another way. Maybe his roomy could ask Melody while he asked Sav? Something to try...

OFF:

Lieutenant Melody Jones
Second Officer / CFCO
USS Merlin

Lieutenant LG Scarlet
CTSO
USS Merlin

Lieutenant Save'ena A. Tillatix
CAG / Uroboros Squadron Leader
Bridge Command Specialist
USS Merlin