| USS Majestic Episode 1 - Part I |
| Episode 1 "One of Our Caitians is Missing" - Part I The USS Majestic, in orbit around Mars at the Utopia Planetia shipyard, completes final construction, as the full crew arrives. LT Valentine discovers that some items needed for the construction are missing from inventory, such as hull plating, EPS conduits, spare computer components, and a handful of tricorders from various departments, alnog with other non-critical, but still significant pieces of advanced Federation technology. The Captain orders LT Mujumdar to begin a security Investigation, and LT Valentine meets with the Supply Officer, and orders a list of replacement parts, for those items found missing. While reporting to the Captain, LT Valentine attempts to repair a minor malfunction in the environmental system ducts, and discovers a monitoring device, secreted away inside Captain V'lor's quarters, which turns out after analysis by Security ENS Akinyemi, to be of Orion origin, sold to the Orions by the Romulans some two years ago, according to Orion Sector Counter-intelligence datafiles. Meanwhile, Ambasador Arnold comes aboard, and meets engnieering Cadet Powell a 3rd year SFA Cadet on his cadet cruise who is being shown the ropes by LT Kane. Arnold expresses his eagerness to be underway for Tango Sector to meet with the Kotic, a race new to the Federation, and also engage in a bit of gambling. It is obvious that he has not dealt very long with the culture of Starfleet, but Cadet Powell seems to develop a rapport with the Ambassador. The first assignment of the USS Majestic is to transport Arnold to the Kotic Treaty Negotiation in the Tango Sector, but with the delay in construction, the ship is sure to be over a week late. Sparks fly as the Captain and the Ambassador confront each other in the Captain's quarters over this, and also his quarters being searched during the ongoing investigations. It is discovered that a Caitian cremwmber, PO1 M'rit of Security is missing, and has been for some hours. Some of her fur is discovered in the Vent Ducts (and later DNA matched by ship's medical personnel), and some of the computer logs have been tampered with; a very difficult task.. After a thorough inspection of the Environmental system, which reveals nothing more than more Caitian fur, A list of suspects is prepared, based on time aboard, and other factors, and analyzed by the computer. The most likely suspect is another Caitian, Starman M'rell of the Computer Sciences Department. Starman M'rell is confined to quarters, but Captain V'lor orders her to be questioned in the brig, after Security Chief Mujumdar is relieved of duty under protest, and he is also confined to quarters for dragging his feet on both of the ongoing investigations. M'rel is questioned in the brig by LT Adel, now the Acting Security Chief, with the Ship's Doctor as both witness and verifier of the Caitian's identity by DNA Scans. The questioning slowly turns to interrogation, as M'rell begins to crack, and LT Adel calls for Captain V'lor to come to the Brig. As soon as the Security Field holding M'rell is dropped, she makes a leap to escape, but LT Adel, manages to snatch hold of her tail, and clutches her closely to him. A brief struglge ensues, and the Captain expertly applies a Vulcan Neck Pinch, and M'rell is restrained, with the aid of Dr. Sevastian. When Starman M'rell awakens, she asks for immunity from prosecution, in exchange for her story, as she reveals that PO1 M'rit was murdered, and V'lor suspects some kind of Caitian Love Triangle involving LT Mujumdar, and the missing parts, in ways yet to be uncovered. After some red tape, and delays, the supplies that LT Valentine ordered finally arrive, and she sets the welding and hull technicians to work port and starboard shifts to get the ship ready to depart on schedule in less than 4 days. CONTINUED IN EPISODE 2. |