Intel To Be Delivered

Posted on Thu Apr 18th, 2024 @ 12:06am by Chief Petty Officer Gildran Trusk & Captain Rylan Gray
Edited on on Thu Apr 18th, 2024 @ 12:07am

1,294 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Timeline: MD022 - 1230

At his workstation, Chief Petty Officer Trusk waited for the connection to be established. He waited eagerly for his screen to change from emblem to person. Trusk had prepared for this, ready to face off with this clerk. The Tellarite was looking forward to having what he was hoping would be a productive discussion.

"What," Kayson Nyx said. His answer reflected the impatience of someone for whom overworked was a near constant state. The Nyx symbiont had generations of intelligence expertise and hosts were generally chosen for aptitude in that particular field; Kayson, brilliant in his own right, was already specializing in Cardassian-Bajoran politics, and proved to be an idea choice when the time came. And while he begrudged the time it took, the Nyx symbiont and Kayson were well-suited to each other. The walls of his office were covered in maps, flow charts, and old fashioned photographs. His desk was cluttered with PADDs and more than one emptied coffee cup. Without waiting for a response, he spun in his chair, stood up and made some notes on the closest flow chart, nodding to himself as he did so.

"If your attention span is this short, your focus this divided, and your customer service skills so severely lacking, it us no wonder we don't have good Intel on the region yet" Trusk stated reading the Trill up and down. He snorted and then sighed. "Would you like me to request transfer to your office? Surely, even a Tellarite could keep better organized that squalor."

Trusk continued shaking his head. "That is a pig sty if I have ever seen one" quipped the Chief Yeoman. "And I for one would know, I'm a Tellarite. My eyesight isn't what it used to be but I can see you are over your head and buried in PaDDs."

Kayson favored Trusk with an irritated sigh and ended the connection. He stilled for a rare moment, breathing in and out, and then went back to tracing connections. Getting close, he thought to himself. Getting close. Still, I need more. Annoyed, because there were three field reports still missing, he stepped to his office door and only then, noticed that his clerk was missing. Probably why was being bothered directly; the fact that the individual in question was somewhere getting married barely registered. He stalked back into his office and sat down with a frustrated sigh. I'll just have to find them myself then.

Disconnected thought Trusk. He laughed to himself before making another attempt. He would continue attempting to reestablish communications until the man answered. If not, Trusk would aim higher and contact someone higher on the food chain if necessary.

Kayson left it unanswered while he hunted down and located the last of the three reports he needed. "Got you," he said triumphantly. Course reading was hard with the chime going off perpetually and so, he allowed the communication and then went back to reading. A speed reader, it wouldn't take him long to finish if there wasn't this blathering going on.

Trusk lurched forward. "Finally," he said to the man. "I was beginning to wonder if you had me on mute" stated Chief Yeoman Trusk. "Is this a bad time? I would be happy to give you time to do your job, but that is not a luxury I can afford to you right now. I need Intel reports, very particular Intel reports."

Kayson held up his index finger. "Wait," he ordered. "Almost done." He continued reading for several minutes and then settled back in his seat, eyes closed, while his agile mind made connections. Occasionally, as a question formed, he opened his eyes long enough to make a note on the PADD in front of him and then went back to sitting completely still, eyes closed.

"Pencil pushing little prat," grumbled Trusk under his breath. He looked at the screen and crossed his arms. "Your latest intelligence report on the Cardassian-Bajoran conflict is long overdue. I surely hope that the report's tardiness is outweighed by its thoroughness and effectiveness."

Kayson muted him.

When he was finished, he made a few more notes on the PADD and then, unmuted the rude ... whatever he was ... Chief something or other. "Alright," he said, bringing at least for the moment, his actual attention to bear on Trusk. "I am Lieutenant Nyx, a senior intelligence analyst specializing in Cardassia Prime and Bajor. Now, without the excessive verbiage, what is it that you want because I have a lot of work to do."

"Let me speak loudly and clearly so that you can comprehend my request" said Trusk. "Intelligence reports regarding Bajor and Cardassians. Up to date and transmitted to the USS Thunderbird to the attention of Captain Rylan Gray. Immediately."

Trusk had little regard for ranks when it came to doing his job efficiently and effectively. "Unless you want another starship entering that region blindly, I recommend you send those pronto."

"Not interested in your recommendations," Kayson said. "Or your time frame." He looked off to the side, his attention focused inward as his eyes moved back and forth, and then he returned his attention to the idiot currently preventing him from working. "Thunderbird. Hasn't launched as yet. The report you need requires material gleaned from field agent reports, three of whom were delayed. And before you get all puffed up about it," he said waving his hands as he spoke, "one died and the other two were recently released from Sickbay. I have those reports and I am incorporating the data. You should have the entire report tomorrow morning. Not sure when. But tomorrow morning for sure."

"Excellent, an entire report tomorrow at some point" Trusk echoed. "That means you have some assembled portions of a report. Calk it a draft. Throw some makeup and lipstick on it and call it a manuscript. Whatever you have, it is needed. We will look at the updated and revised version tomorrow."

Trusk was not entirely heartless. "My sincerest gratitude and remorse to those lost and injured," he prefaced. "My previous Captain is why partially why these reports are necessary."

"You don't see the whole, not the way I do,' Kayson said quietly. "There are ... connections … that need to be considered and adjustments made. Better that your captain waits until I finish. Lives depend on these briefings." His expression turned bleak for the barest of seconds; so brief was it that if Trusk had blinked at that moment he would have missed it entirely. "What's this about your previous captain?"

"I served aboard the Cairo, lieutenant" Trusk confirmed. He did not have the time to give a history lecture. "As you noted, the Thunderbird has not launched yet. We would not be going anywhere or doing anything with an initial incomplete version of your report. The only thing you are risking at this point is delaying the Thunderbird's Captain from having adequate time to study a region he's not all that familiar with."

"No," Kayson said quietly. He did not elaborate because he, like Trusk, had no interest in giving the Chief … whatever he was … a history lecture, especially not when it involved events that he, himself, had been personally involved in. "I am without my clerk and it will take till tomorrow morning to finish. Best I can do is move you to the top of the distribution. The admiral can wait even if you cannot."

"Admiral who?" Trusk did not really care. "Tomorrow as soon as you have it. I will inform Captain Gray to expect it within the next 24 hours."

Kayson didn't answer; he just disconnected and got back to work.

 

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