<USS Avalon> "Interview C"

"Interview C"
By: Ensign Melanie Redgrave and Lt.  Snuffy
 
The forensic labs were rather quiet as Melanie  walked in. She figured 
everyone had gone on lunch, which was fine with her.  After spending the 
morning 
talking to Idrys and Sierra she needed a lonely  moment to regroup. When she 
walked over to her table she noticed that her  terminal was blinking. She 
turned 
it on expecting a request from some high mucky  muck to be updated, so she was 
rather surprised to see that the computer had  finally IDed the last bio scan. 
 
“What kinda name is Snuffy?” She asked aloud as  she read over the 
information. She shrugged and then asked for Lieutenant  Snuffy’s location 
after seeing 
that the science officer had been the last one to  speak to Flubb.  She then 
picked up a new padd and headed for the science  labs. She walked into the 
first lab and looked around. “Lieutenant  Snuffy?”
 
“Yes?” A man replied from the corner. 
 
Melanie tried hard not to react to the fact that  a large bird had just 
spoken to her. “I am Ensign Redgrave from Forensics. I  have a few questions 
for 
you.” Melanie moved closer to the Lieutenant. "You  called the Captain just 
before his death. When he responded did he sound odd to  you?" 
 
“No, He did not. I had ask for an appointment  with him, but when I arrived 
He would not open the hatch.” He answered without  hesitation. “The XO 
arrived 
several minutes later and he would still not open  the hatch. She used her 
command codes to override the hatch and we found  him.”
 
Melanie was a little surprised that Skyler  hadn’t mentioned Snuffy being 
with her, but she figured it was her fault since  Skyler wasn’t thinking 
straight 
after reading her mind.  "What was the  reason you needed to see the 
Captain?" 
 
“I had received a message from the Aurelian  Ambassador to the UPF, that I 
was needed to return to my home planet ASAP.   I was there to present the 
request and seek permission to leave the  Avalon.  I have not been given the 
reasons 
for the recall request as of  yet.” 
 
 "Have you ever needed to make such a  request before?" Melanie asked as the 
questions naturally came to her. 
 
Snuffy shook his head. “No, this was the first  time to be recalled. My only 
other request to leave the Avalon was to do  scientific exploration when we 
encountered the Jaconians and a Founder.   This was a First contact with the 
Jaconians. Vikmil is a Jaconian presently  serving on the Avalon.” 
 
Melanie still needed to find a reason why the  Captain had been killed. There 
couldn‘t be an arrest without a motive. "And did  Captain Flubb grant that 
request?" 
 
“The request was never given to the  Captain.  He was dead when the XO opened 
the hatch.  The Xo has said  no to the request at this time.  I have asked 
her to contact the Aurelian  Ambassador to explain the denial.”
 
 "I was referring to the request to contact  the Jaconians." Melanie said 
quickly. 
 
“Captain Ketchum granted the request to explore  the Jaconian system.  T'Pice 
and I had detected a class M planet and were  not needed for that current 
mission. Captain Ketchum granted the request and we  maid first contact with an 
unexpected species.” 
 
Melanie sighed inwardly. This wasn’t going to  lead anywhere either.  "So 
other then your request to leave due to your  recall you had very little 
contact 
with Captain Flubb?"  
 
“That was correct.  He spoke to me on a  turbo lift once, but he never did 
come to the Sciences Lab for inspection or to  check on T'Pice or me. I thought 
he was a visitor when we were on the turbo  lift.”
 
 "Are you aware of anyone on board who  might have been at odds with the 
Captain?"  She asked hoping for a small  bit of anything. 
 
Snuffy shook his head. “There were some who  spoke in the Mess Hall, that he 
spoke funny. Some did not like his taking over  with no change of command 
ceremony, but I did not hear anyone who wanted to harm  him.  T'Pice and Vikmil 
have said the same to me.”
 
A strange new captain takes over for a more  favored leader. There could be 
an angle there. Melanie thought. "These last two  questions might seem odd, 
Mister Snuffy, but do you happen to own a pair of soft  soled civilian boots 
from 
Durvus IV, and are you by chance left handed?"  
 
Snuffy looked down at his feet and smiled.  “Boots would not work on my bird 
feet. But I am right handed.” 
 
Melanie nodded and tried not to blush. Of course  a bird wouldn’t wear boots. 
“Thank you for your time Mister Snuffy.” 
 
“If you have any further questions for me, just  let me know.” 
 
"I will." Melanie replied and then quickly  took her leave of the science 
area. She thought about what she’d been hearing  and wondered if it could be 
that 
simple. Could Flubb have been killed for the  simple reason that he wasn’t  
Ketchum?

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