Here We Go Again....

Posted on Sun Jul 7th, 2019 @ 3:42pm by Ensign Varnok Jahal & Lieutenant Samuel Clemens XV

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: Lieutenant Clemens Laboratory
Timeline: 2396

As he moved through the Hera to his next destination, Varnok headed towards his meeting with his new Senior officer in Intelligence. Standing outside Lieutenant Samuel Clemens laboratory, Ensign Varnok took a deep breath, “Here we go.” he muttered quietly to himself. He really hoped the promise of this new post would be everything he had hoped his joining Starfleet would lead. He pressed the chime to announce himself and waited.

Inside the inner sanctum that was really a tinkerer's play area, Clemens hit the comm in response, and called out, "Come on in! Ah'm back in th'aft area," his light Earth Missouri accent coloring the phrasing. He had no doubt as to who his visitor was, as he'd been expecting him, and the video feeds of anyone approaching the Intel Pod were quite thorough, interlaced throughout with tactical information, as well as the Intel jackets on any identified parties.

The lithe Cardassian scanned the room looking for the source of the voice. Moving through the space and around the cluttered workstations, he arrived in front of the red-headed Lieutenant. "Ensign Varnok reporting, Sir."

Clemens waved to a monitor behind him, and Varnok's Fleet jacket appeared. Another wave, and his Federation Intelligence Services profile appeared on the neighboring monitor.

He shrugged. "I want to know what else you bring to th'table, Mister Varnok. It's pretty clear you're great at organization an' process improvement- yer a brilliant officer, despite what yer former CO said without sayin' about ya. All bull^#$@, by th'way. I checked."

He leaned back, and all but put his boots up on the table, obviously making himself comfortable, and in doing so, implicitly inviting Varnok to do the same.

"We're Starfleet Intel- it's what we do. We Think, and we Know Things."

"The Commander saw sumpin' special about you. I do, too- but I wanna know what you think is special about yuhself. Go 'head. Pontificate fuh me."

Varnok seated himself in the chair offered, but remained at attention. “Sir, I do not feel I am the best at pontification.” the Cardassian stated, ”However, I am a skilled observer and am adept at using those observations to come to logical conclusions. I have an eidetic memory due to years of training on Cardassia that I have found useful in this line of work.” The Ensign continued, “I have also found my unique-to-Starfleet appearance allows me in infiltrate places, humans dare not tread."

Clemens looked curiously at the young officer with a clear history of abuse. Not wanting to stand out would be a reasonable reaction in his case. He decided to try a different tack.

"What do ya reckon yer best at? As in, thuh obvious choice fer thuh job, amongst others. Sumpin' that yer proud of?"

As the question was a variation of the last question Clemens asked, Varnok deduced that the curious Intel Chief was likely fishing for something specific. Perhaps a more emotional answer that was outside of the reserved Cardassian's general comfort zone. Perhaps, Varnok thought, his comfort zone was what the cagey chief was trying to challenge. He had, of course, a number of achievements that were all listed in his personnel file on the monitor behind Clemens, so repeating that which the Chief had already read was not the answer.

Thinking about all of that and more in what was only the span of fewer than three seconds, the sharp-minded Ensign replied, "Deduction."

Pausing for a brief moment, Varnok continued. "When I began at the Academy, my studies were focused on the sciences. But problem-solving was what fired my mind and still does. I am proud of my ability to navigate through the mazes put before me and deduce what before me is real and what is deception. Most all people wear masks of one face or another. Finding the truth behind... that is what drives me."

Clemens let a smile show, and leaned forward.

"Welcome aboard, Sherlock Varnok. We've get a whole heap off Moriartys out there gunnin' fuh us."

Ensign Varnok smiled back at his new Chief, "Thank you, as Sir Arthur once said, 'The game is afoot!'."