Security Essentials

Posted on Tue Feb 28th, 2017 @ 8:03am by

Mission: Another Day in Paradise
Location: Anchorage - Security Complex
Timeline: after arrival

Bran stood in the off-center of what was the security complex. He wasn't sure of the situation but, well, this is where the computer sent him when he asked to see the security area of the base.

Somehow the lack of dust made it worse. Made it seem even more surreal than anything else. If there were thick layers of dust, that would have grounded the idea somehow. This large base - built in secret and then just abandoned. Vacuum sealed by being opened to space and then resealed to keep from being frozen to absolute zero. It was still chilled - made even worse for him because he was a joined Trill and he didn't even have an extra pair of socks to put on - nor a pair of gloves. So he wasn't quite freezing, but his hands and felt did feel number than most times.

He moved around the central office, noting the way the clear windows allowed the security chief to view in all directions as necessary. But there was the entrance from this area to the turbolift that would take them to the brig. Over there was the corridor that led to the armory and shooting galleries. Hell, if he read the schematics correctly, then there was even an actual range. Over there was processing and investigations. Over there were the conference and training rooms. Back up stations that allowed security to be run from here as well as Operations Center.

But, as he moved around, the soft thud of his footsteps didn't even echo correctly. This entire base felt off and odd to him.

But for now, for the time being, it was going to be his home. While others were trying to get the thousands of evacuees settled, Bran was taking time to see what could be done to set up the security offices - no, he corrected himself, security complex. Security needed to be in service as quickly as possible. To that end, he hoped that the consult with Ops would happen sooner rather than later. There was a lot of work to do.

Call it a good will visit or being just plain nosy, Gunnery Sergeant Lucinda Vasquez's curiosity was peaked as soon as she had arrived at this station...base technically. Forward Operating Base Anchorage. Whatever thought the Sergeant as she sought off to explore the facility. It would take her a while to see everything that there was to see, but the most important place for her to see was the security complex. Weapons and all. Regardless of her being in the Operations Department, she was a Marine in her heart and soul. She had no problem working with the 'fleeters' or civilians that helped comprise Anchorage's Operations Department, but once a Marine, always a Marine. She stuck out in the Operations Department like a sore thumb which was nothing new for a woman who was small in height but fully loaded and heavy packing in personality.

Blonde hair that was long and braided in areas yet entirely shaved to the scalp in others, ears pierced with loops and hoops of silver. She bore the 'lightening veins' of her species on her face though years of additional artistic work added onto them with ink, her body was very much her own canvas and she had a high tolerance for pain. Her heavy boots hardly made a sound as she walked as she approached the Anchorage's Security complex. Though as soon as she arrived, she noticed she was not alone.

A bit of growl came out as she crossed her arms, grabbing the man's attention no doubt. She was still learning names and putting names to faces. She saw the spots on the man which easily identified him as a Trill. "Ah I see we have at least one Trill with us" said the woman. "What's your name, Spots?" she asked as she retrieved a PaDD.

Bran had served in the Corps long enough to have instilled the awe of the majesty and mystery of gunnery sergeants. As she approached he was thrown back to that time, despite his interim years of service as a Fleeter, he retained some of that awe. Until she opened her mouth. "Wanna try that again, Gunnery Sergeant?" he asked, making sure to emphasize the rank. "And this time try it with a little less bigotry?" He was weirded out, tired and - well already put on edge by the behavior of people who'd lost everything and decided to try to get it back through anger, demands and violence. So perhaps he wasn't as open to the idea that maybe someone reducing him to just his Trill physiology. Especially not from someone who appeared to have gone simmunitions training without a helmet and attempted to catch all the rounds with her teeth.

Lucinda Vasquez scoffed at the remark about less bigotry. "Hardly a bigot. More of an equal opportunist. I have no more issues with Trills than I do Ferengi or Pakleds and for the record I am no prejudice either in case you were looking to throw that one at me too" she replied as she powered up the PaDD and took a look through some information. "But let's try it again for the sake of ending this sooner rather than later" she added. The woman started to search the Anchorage manifest by species, narrowing in on Trills.

"According to this information, there are quite a few Trills assigned the Anchorage. Though unless you identify as female, I take you are not Nurse Mezarah Lintz" she commented. "Help a Marine out and comply. You are welcome to resist, but it is only a matter of time before I call security or take care of this myself if need be. Call me over protective, but I'm cautious about intruders" she said firmly in a bit of a shrilling tone. "What's it going to be, Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked, waiting for him to give her the information she was seeking.

"Given the options, Shrek, I'll go with the calling of security," Bran said scowling at the woman. "I think I can hold my own there."

The Sergeant shook her head. "Hardly necessary to handle someone like you" she said with a sigh. "Computer, identify individuals in this room" she said aloud the the Anchorage computer. She lowered her voice as the computer processed her information request. "You could learn something from the computer, you know? How to comply to my requests in a timely manner" she said.

A few moments later, almost instantly the computer responded. "Gunnery Sergeant Lucinda Oppenheimer-Vasquez and Chief Warrant Officer Curither Bran" the voice said providing the information.

Lucinda let out a small scoffing of a laugh. "Hah" she said as she looked for a Warrant Officer by that name of her list. "I see...apparently there would be no point in calling for Security as Security stands before me" she commented. "Bran?" she said cocking her head. "Muffin" she added. "Mister Muffin it is...well, Sir Muffin if we are to be more formal" she said in jest.

"Since you love the computer so much, perhaps you could learn rank recognition from it," Bran said, his jaw clenching the more she spoke, "and then how to shut up once you've given only that information requested." He flicked his wrist and tapped on the screen of the PaDD docked there. "Oh, shit, you're Ops? Yeah, I'm sure all the staplers and paperclips think you're hilarious. But, aren't you a bit overdue for your estrogen therapy?"

Lucinda glared at the man. "Thank you for your concern about my estrogen therapy. Unfortunately, the Medical Department informed me that I will have to wait until a new shipment of medical supplies arrived. My appointment has had to be postponed. Someone had already used up the estrogen hyposprays we had...looks like I found who that was" she quipped. "Now, what is this about learning rank recognition, Sir? she asked, putting on her most 'sincere' look of concern and care.

"Yes, that's a requirement for practicing the military courtesies, as well as taking some professional pride in doing your damned job," Bran growled, wondering what the hell happened to the Corps if this insubordinate troll was any indication.

The woman wanted to throw the PaDD at him, but he was superior to her and the last thing she needed was to file a report of damaged equipment. Another broken PaDD and she'd be labeled a liability. He let out a hiss at the man. "You're a damn Chief Warrant Officer, not a God and not even an Ensign" she said shaking her head and setting the PaDD down. "Would you like me to fine some Department Head Marine Second Lieutenant or an Ensign to come bark orders and boss us both around? I don't think so" she said.

Looking at the man she nearly apologized for going off on him, but maintained her composure and stood her ground. "I will address you per regulations and guidelines state: Sir or if you wish the informal 'Chief' though that can get a little confusing" she said. "Now, if you want me to stand here and address you awkwardly as Chief Warrant Officer Bran, I will if that so pleases you" she said. "And as it so happens, Sir...I do. I take a lot of pride in my damn job."

"Then start showing it, Gunnery Sergeant Oppenheimer-Vasquez," Bran growled, "and acting like the Marine your uniform claims you to be. Which does not include referring to a Trill as 'Spots'." He looked around the area and let out a long breath. "This area needs to be supplied. I don't know if any of this equipment is working but it'll need to be tested. When this base gets going, security is going to need to get going without interruptions for malfunctioning, mothballed equipment."

Lucinda nodded "Well, yes that does sound like an issue that should be looked at. You need supplies and equipment to be checked" she said more or less repeating what Security Chief had stated. "Engineering and Operations personnel are being dispatched to dozens of areas of the base, Sir. We are doing the best that we can and following the requests as they come in. Have you sent a request for supplies through the Supply Officer or submitted any requests through the Commanding Officer's Yeoman?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I understand the importance that your Department serves. I will do what I can to move you up towards the top of the list, but for now I will have a look at what I can."

"I don't know, hostile invasion force just outside that asteroid belt, lots of scared, panicky people in here, I wonder why Security should have a quick set up over say...I don't know stellar cartography?" Bran growled at the woman.

The Gunnery Sergeant looked at Bran and scoffed "Chief, you are preaching to the choir" she said shaking her head as she gestured for him to direct her towards whatever equipment he wanted her to examine and inspect. "I'm not the one placing stellar cartography over security nor culinary services over intelligence. I just do as the work order tells me to from the powers that be. Be they suits or uniforms" she added. "Now, let's see what we have down here for equipment and make sure it's operational for you."

"Oh," Bran said as he scowled and looked around the room. "Yeah, okay." He put his hands on his hips as he thought about it. What was the absolute most important? "I think over here," he said as he walked toward the security stations, the ones that should mirror the operations center stations. "If we can get these as a priority, it'll allow us to do most everything we need to do in the short term. While we wait for Ops to get everything going the way it should. Reports, database access, access to the rest of the systems. Yeah, I think these should be the priority," he said, speaking softer than he had before.

"Hand me a PaDD, please" she said as she removed a tricorder that had been holstered at her side. She used it to take some basic readings of the equipment. She let out a small sound of both pleasure and regret "Well, you are correct that some of your equipment is a bit dated. However, we might not have to entirely replace the units. Cosmetically, we can leave some of this equipment as is and gut the innards, replacing them with some updated circuitry" she said, placing the tricorder away and taking the PaDD. "I'll authorize a priority maintenance request for servicing some of this equipment. Should move things along a lot faster than taking a number and waiting to be visited" she said shaking her head.

She crouched down at another piece of equipment, popping off the external casing which revealed the circuitry inside. "These isolinear chips have seen better days. No way these are going to get a second life in them" she commented shaking her head. "I'll need to confer with the Engineering Department, Chief, but I personally would like to switch your whole setup down here from isolinear to bio-neural gel packs. It would be far more superior in processing and boost overall performance" she added, looking up at him.

"I prefer the speed and responsiveness, not to mention the cognitive intuitiveness of the bio-nueral gel packs, so if we could go with that, I'd say go for it. Though," he said as he looked around the area, "it makes sense to stick with isolinear chips when they were going to space the entire facility."

Lucinda stood up again and brushed off her slacks. "Well, Chief" she said putting herself back together "There's no use in pissing the Chief Engineer off at this point. So, I'll check in with them and proceed with whatever they feel is the best course of action. Until then, I'll have a team of my own come down immediately to monkey wrench around and get whatever can be brought to life down here, brought to life again" she said with a nod.

"Well, I got..." he stopped as he once again scowled. He wasn't sure how many new members of security were on the Zumwalt when it landed, but he was pretty sure it wasn't enough to bring the department up to full staff. Not to mention, he still wasn't sure who he'd be working for as the department head. But, well, he was a Chief Warrant so that had to mean something. "I've got some free hands that can help out with the less technical aspects if you need." Even if it was his own team that did the majority of the 'helping' he hoped it would get them going faster. "But I'm going to request you not piss off the Chief Engineer with your charming personality until after you get my department set up."

Play nice and take the generous man's offer she said to herself. "Any extra hands you can lend my team would be appreciated, Chief" she said politely, though her raspy and sometimes shrill voice was still present albeit in a more natural state. "I only piss off people when it calls for it. I will do my best to discuss matters with the Chief Engineer in a productive manner, rest assured" she said. "I find my personality quite charming, don't you?" she added.

"If my mother was an actual mother, I'm sure she'd have raised me to be polite and change the subject instead of saying something mean," Bran answered.

Lucinda nodded "I understand how that is" she said as she walked around for a few moments before aiming herself towards the way she had entered. "I'm only a comm call away, Chief. I will go see if the Chief Engineer is around or if I'll need to schedule a meeting" she said calmly as she sought to part ways with the man for the time being.

Standing where he remained, Bran watched the odd little woman walk away. With her parting comments he suddenly started wondering if he should have mentioned that he was engaged and...well...even if she was, he'd discovered years ago she'd have no chance with him. Shrugging he started walking again, just choosing a direction and heading in it, to see what could be seen.