<USS Avalon> The Search, part one

by Lt. Delaney Scott, Major Adrian Jackson Phillips, Lt jg. T'Leara and a 
boatload of Marines 
 
The shuttle rocked gently as it took off again from the planet's surface. With 
the final work done at the survivors sight and their prep talk complete, the 
marines had picked up extra engineering and other staff to help in finding the 
shuttle, and dealing with mechanical. 
Adrian immerged from the cockpit and looked his shuttle at a mix of marine and 
Starfleet faces. He smiled as he spoke. "Alright, Duarte has got us headed to 
the crash site, any thoughts?" He asked all involved. 
 
T'Leara raised a brow. "You were able to get a lock on the missing shuttle?" 
she asked, trying not to sound too surprised. She'd have assumed the children 
would have masked it's signs better than that. 
 
Delaney looked over at the Vulcan whom she had just a day or so ago discovered 
was her "secret" repairman. "No, we don't have a lock. Just a probable search 
radius based on it's last known trajectory," she said. 
 
"She's right, though we had a glimmer of something similar recently in that 
area. Were headed there now to check it out." Adrian added in, smiling at Laney 
as he did. 
 
T'Leara nodded toward the engineer, secretly reassured by that news. If the 
children were so badly injured that they couldn't raise a shield, they could be 
in serious danger. Especially given that some of Taggert's people were aboard 
the shuttle. 
 
"Why you asking?" Rhodes wondered aloud. "Hoping we won't find it?" 
 
"I doubt that." Adrian replied as he looked over at Rhodes. "However, I think 
she was just curious. I think we're all curious as to what these weapons are at 
this point, I know I am." He said at last, looking back into the cockpit. "Just 
another minute or two till were there." 
 
"Scanners aren't picking up anything, sir," Duarte announces as they approached.
 
Laney had felt herself begin to blush at Adrian's smile, but she held back any 
comment. She was still very much in turmoil over when and how she would tell 
him the truth about herself...or if she even could. When this had first 
happened, she had thought she would have to spend her life alone. Then she'd 
met Adrian, and she had begun to wonder if there was hope. Perhaps it was a 
foo'ls hope, but... And anyway, what about the hush order? How could she 
justify violating yet another direct order and expect to keep her job...and her 
freedom?
 
"Curiosity can be a dangerous thing," Jorgens said to nobody in particular as 
he studiously examined his PADD. 
 
T'Leara swallowed hard, but otherwise refused to react to the comment. 
 
Adrian refrained from calling out Jorgens and Rhodes right there, he'd deal 
with them in good time. "Laney, is there anyway you think you can help Duarte 
boost our sensors to pick the missing shuttle at all?" He motioned for her to 
head up to the front to help Duarte out.
 
"Curiosity is only dangerous when you don't pursue it with caution," Laney 
piped up, oblivious to why the Marine would say such a thing, nor T'Leara's 
reaction to the comment. To Adrian she said, "Yes, Major, I'll have a look and 
see what I can do," and made her way up into the cockpit.
 
Carlisle frowned at the by-play. Her frowned deepened when she noticed the 
bruises the Vulcan woman still sported, almost but not quite hidden beneath 
carefully applied make-up. "I'm gonna grab the hand-helds and see if we can't 
boost them, too." she announced, suddenly needing to put some space between her 
and her fellow marines...at least two of them, anyway. 
 
A nod of approval came from Adrian to Carlisle as she went about to do that 
active duty. "When we find the shuttle we'll secure it first. Jorgens and 
Rhodes, you’re on point with me. Chapman will cover rear and Carlisle will stay 
with the 'fleet members and the shuttle till were clear. Remember to hold your 
fire until I say, and stay sharp." 
 
Duarte glanced up at Laney as she approached. "I keep getting hints, but 
nothing solid. I can't get a fix." she showed her what she'd picked up so far, 
hoping she could get something more solid. 
 
"Yes sir," Chapman answered brusquely, glancing warily at the other two, then 
questioningly back toward Adrian. Was he sure he wanted them at his back the 
way they were acting?
 
Laney glanced back over her shoulder briefly, then concentrated on the board in 
front of her...or she tried to. She had a sudden niggling thought that all was 
not copasetic amongst the Marines. She wanted to ask someone the most likely 
person being Adrian, as he was the only one of the Marines she really knew. But 
both Carlisle and Duarte were female, and she wondered if she could play the 
sisterhood card with them. "Um, Carlisle?" she asked quietly when the woman had 
joined her and Duarte in the cockpit. "Can I ask what's up with Rhodes and 
Jorgens? They seem...I don't know, snarkier than usual." 
 
Carlisle glanced over at her and gave only the barest shake of her head. "Hell 
if I know. They're starting to freak me out though." she admitted nervously. 
"Something's not right."
 
"Got 'em" Duarte announced suddenly. "There...See it? Put it with the other 
blips, and we've got them." 
 
Laney checked her readings and made a few adjustments. Doing so made the 
shuttle show up even clearer. "Yep, that's got to be it," she said, then called 
back over her shoulder, "Major Phillips, I think we've found the shuttle." 
 
"Excellent, bring us in a bit then ladies and scan the area for any life forms 
or anything we should be aware of going in." Adrian replied through the 
doorway, then turned back to the assembled group. "Gear up, it's about go 
time." 
 
Jorgens and Rhodes exchanged a glance. Jorgens tapped something in on his PADD 
quickly, then moved to follow orders. 
 
"Which group is the science chick with?" Rhodes asked casually as he geared up.
 
"She stays with Chapman for now. Laney is with Carlisle, and what do you keep 
tapping on that PADD of yours?" Adrian replied, looking over at Jorgens at the 
end. 
 
Laney had stood and was facing the rear compartment. A sudden alarm began to 
sound in her head---the way the two men were facing off had her suddenly very 
nervous.
 
"Just reviewing our assumptions about them, sir. Figured it wouldn't hurt to at 
least try not to screw up." Jorgens answered easily as he shouldered his phaser 
rifle.
 
Adrian nodded his head slowly. "I see. Well in that case, you wouldn't mind 
letting me borrow your PADD then since you brought it along? Our Starfleet 
friends should be informed at the very least of what we think is going on." He 
looked over, watching their reactions.
 
Jorgens slid his thumb across the bottom as if caressing a loved on, then 
handed it over. "Not at all, sir," he smiled, offering it over.
 
He took the PADD and grinned back. "Thanks." He said as he didn't even bother 
looking it over, knowing that whatever Jorgens had done had changed it. "Here's 
the info that we've thought up about what were up against. Let me know if 
either of you have any questions." Adrian's voice was surprisingly calm as he 
handed the PADD over to Laney and T'Leara. 
 
Being an engineer, and having keener eyesight than the rest due to her 
Changeling genetics, Delaney did not miss the gesture, and knew without a doubt 
(though she knew now how she knew, only that she was sure) that he had erased 
something. Mentally, though, she grinned. All electronics left an echo--nothing 
was ever truly erased until something was written over it, and sometimes not 
even then. She vowed as she took the PADD that she would retrieve whatever data 
Jorgens had been accessing. Then she would have to figure out how to tell 
Adrian. 
 
Rhodes very discreetly slid his thumb across the bottom of the one on his hip 
as he prepared to move out, just in case. 
 
T'Leara watched the movement and frowned ever so slightly. 
 
"Landing now, sir." Duarte announced. "Shuttle should be about ten clicks 
south." 
 
"Alright!" Adrian said, deciding to refocus the group. "Lets move out. Jorgens 
and Rhodes with me on point. Carlisle and Laney have left, and Chapman and 
T'Leara got the right. We move quick till were a few clicks out, then we'll 
slow it down. Clear?" 
 
"Yes, sir," Chapman answered quickly, gesturing for T'Leara to join him to the 
right. He was quickly echoed by Carlisle, who nodded toward Laney and moved 
left. Jorgens and Rhodes took their places, voicing the perfunctory "Yes sir" a 
bit less enthusiastically as the prepared to move out. 
 
Laney voiced her agreement and moved out next to Carlisle, keeping a wary eye 
on the two Marines here were acting strangely. Then, quite suddenly, it hit 
her: They were the ones who had attacked T'Leara! 
 
Were they also the ones who were spying on her? Laney answered herself in the 
negative---they'd have to have clearance to get into Engineering, and even if 
they had it (which she would make sure they didn't now), their presence in her 
office would be conspicuous. No, she realized, whoever was keeping tabs on her 
for Taggert had to be from her own Engineering team. That thought made her 
sick, so instead she concentrated on studying Jorgens' PADD.
 
The shuttle cruised into a soft landing in a small clearing and the marines, 
followed by the starfleet personell, moved out, heading directly north towards 
their objective. "Duarte, keep a low profile, but stay put for now. Inform 
Ketchum that we think we've got the co-ordinates, and for them to keep an eye 
out for anymore baddies showing up." Adrian replied as he moved quickly at 
point, knowing soon enough that he'd switch off with Jorgens. 
 
Laney noted right off that the PADD had been locked---Jorgens' attempt to 
conceal whatever it was he had been doing with it. She didn't bother to conceal 
the grin that spread across her face. It was a good thing Adrian had handed it 
to her, as she always had had a knack for fixing things. Even a bio-lock (set 
to operate only on Jorgens' DNA) was no match for her mecahnical skills.
 
He kept the pace pretty high, knowing full well how closely watched he was by 
them. Adrian switched his comm over to just Chapman for a moment as they moved. 
"Chapman, the vulcan is our informant. Keep tabs on her and let her know your 
on our side. I know you don't think me being with these two is a good idea, but 
I don't want them with either of our 'fleet people. No need for a response, 
just trust me." 
 
Next, he switched his comm over to the group. "Stay sharp, were approaching 3 
clicks out. Jorgens, take point." He said simply, dropping down to crouch as he 
waited for the other two marines to follow up behind him. 
 
 
Good grief, did he build this himself? Laney ondered, almost disappointed by 
how easy it ws to access the locked data on the PADD. What she saw, however, 
made what blood she still possessed run cold... Jorgens had not only been 
exchanging observations with Rhodes about T'Leara, but he'd been in 
communication (and she was determined how to figure out how he was doing that) 
with Taggert. There were several references to "potential research subject 
number 2", and her instinct told her he was referring to her. Asshole, she 
thought nastily. Too bad Adrian can't just shoot them. 
 
Jorgens took point, and readied his weapon. They needed to get this done before 
Chapman and the Vulcan there, or the others either. He was pretty sure, though, 
that the major wasn't going to follow the program. Nodding to Rhodes, they 
flanked the Major on either side. "So, sir. What's our plan. We're still 
neutralizing the weapons and recapturing the research right?"
 
Chapman nodded to the empty air at the reciept of Philip's orders. "Stay close 
to me, lady. I'll keep you safe from whatever the real danger is. Even if it 
ain't what it's supposed to be out here."
 
T'Leara looked at him quizzically.
 
"Let's just say I'm grateful not to be going in completely blind here. And I 
know who I owe for that. OKay?" He answered in response to her look. "Now get 
behind me, like I said and stay close." 
 
The engineer wished she could talk to Adrian. She wished she could warn him 
that Jorgens and Rhodes were up to no good, and had agreed that they would 
"take him out" if it became necessary to do so in order to achieve their goals. 
 
Could she tell Carlisle? The woman seemed trustworthy, just like Adrian seemed 
to be (and she still wasn't 100% on him, though their breakfast had gone well). 
But could she risk it? Laney decided that she was just going to have to take a 
chance, and tapping the Marine on her shoulder, simply handed her the PADD to 
read. 
 
That tone and speech was all too familiar to Adrian, and he knew he was 
treading on careful ground. "That is the current plan, and our orders after 
all." He said back to them as they approached what looked to be a man-made 
clearing up ahead. "Eyes sharp, approaching somethin' different." He said into 
the comms. 
 
"You have your people back. You should go back to your ship now," a child's 
voice warned in everyone's head. Suddenly the comm's erupted with static and a 
loud squelching sound.

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