The Woman in Black

Posted on Fri Jan 18th, 2019 @ 9:02pm by Commander Edra Crow & Captain Henry Crow & Commander Vox Templar & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

Mission: To Boldly Go
Location: Interrogation Room
Timeline: 3 hours after Enter the Badlands

Following the surprising surrender of the ship in the Badlands, a team had been dispatched and found one sole occupant. The woman from the video of the freighter. The Jem'Hadar were dead, scans showing they had been poisoned. Now as the Mercutio headed back to the Starbase, the woman sat alone in the interrogation room off the Brig as the team watched her through the window.

Millie tilted her head just slightly, watching the woman. "So...she was the only one on the ship, da?"

Henry nodded, keeping his eye on the brunette sitting calmly at the table. She hadn't uttered a word since being taken into custody. One thing that kept coming back to his attention was the fact she wore glasses, and ones that reminded him of a very old style. "The Jem'Hadar she used to rob the freighter were all dead when the team found them. Toxicology said poison and their body language on the floor indicated it wasn't self inflicted."

Edra frowned. That didn't make complete sense. "Then how was it administered?" She looked around for the medical reports, reading through what was available. "Even an injection site may or may not be done by the person being dosed, unless it was in an unreachable spot. Besides that, I don't see her overpowering a few dozen Jem'Hadar by herself."

"She spiked their ketracel. First rule of a conspiracy is to eliminate the conspirators. But that leaves her."

Edra nodded slowly. That would account for the lack of brute force needed. But before she could continue, the counselor spoke up.

"And any idea who she is?" Millie took a step closer towards the glass. "Has she said anything?"

Banks was leaning against the back wall. "She doesn't appear in any of our databases but we knew that from the video from the freighter. Now that we have her, no DNA matches. We know she's Human, mid thirties, five foot ten, 140 pounds. Not her natural hair color, though I'm hardly one to talk."

"Most of that sounds like you," Edra quipped, with a glance back at her. "You have any connections that may have better intel?"

"I shook that tree, nothing's falling out yet." Banks' eyes zeroed in on the woman. "If I can get five minutes alone..."

Henry shook his head. "Not yet." He turned to Edra. "Why don't you and the Counselor take first crack?"

Edra looked to Millie. "Looks like we're up. You ready?" She stood but stayed where she was to let the Counselor go in first.

Millie nodded, pausing briefly at a small table to pick up her PADD. She took a brief moment to remove her rank pips from her collar, setting them where the PADD had been, and led the way into the interrogation room. She crossed the small distance to the table, pulling out one of the chairs. "Добрый вечер," she said, the automatic translator chirping the "Good evening" in response to her switch to Russian.

Edra watched Millie make herself as presentable as she wanted to be, and took it as her clue to her role in this. Edra would have to play hard ball. It wasn't something she was used to, unless she imagined Karissa had done somethings else to get in trouble. She followed the diminutive counselor into the room.

The woman raised her eyes to meet Millie's. "Are you the Captain's messenger?"

Edra answered before Millie could, walking around her to the far corner. "That doesn't matter much. We need you to answer a few questions. If you cooperate, we get done sooner, we can all get something to eat. But if you want to play games, you'll find we can play until we win."

The woman did not look at Edra, her eyes still on Millie but she did answer. "The only way you win is evacuating this side of the quadrant."

"We win either way," Edra responded. "But you can come out of this on the other side if you answer our questions. We'll even start with an easy one. What's your name?"

A thin smile almost formed. "I have a message for your Captain which he needs to give to his superiors."

Millie, who had finally seated herself across from the woman, never looked up from her PADD. "Я считаю, что командир спросил ваше имя." "I believe the Commander asked for your name," the translator chirped in response.

The woman took a breath. "Call me what you wish, but you are losing crucial time."

It was only Millie's eyes that looked up. "Ваше имя?" Millie asked curtly. "Your name?" chirped the translator.

The woman closed her eyes. "I will speak only with your Captain."

"The Captain is busy at the moment," Edra responded. "I am the second-in-command, so I'll have to do. Who is your message from?"

The woman looked at Edra, then to the wall which was the viewport for the rest of the crew watching the interrogation. "You are wasting valuable time, Captain. If you value your crew, and your children, you will recall your subordinants and meet me."

"Капитан не встретится с вами." Millie tapped quietly on the PADD, not looking up at the woman, as the translator stated "The Captain will not meet with you." She seemed...oddly unphased by the woman and her statements as she continued to tap away.

Millie's eyes lifted, finally, to Edra. "Спасибо, командир. Ваше присутствие больше не нужно." "Thank you, Commander. Your presence is no longer needed."

A simple movement held out the PADD in her hand. "Пожалуйста, обратите внимание, что мистер Vox следует моим инструкциям." "Please see that Mr. Vox follows my instructions."

Vox Templar observed the interaction from the corner of the room, the light shining through the holographic wall display lighting his eyes up in the dark room. He slowly pushed off the wall and calmly made his way closer, his boots making soft, definitive noises with each step on the deck plating. He let out a soft sigh as he studied the mysterious woman. His hand slid into his pants pocket to grip the folded knife he always carried. They might need his... professional skills if she continued to resist. Time was of the essence and they couldn't spend all evening doing the classic 'song and dance.'

Edra stepped away from the wall to take the PADD from the Counselor's hand and read it. Her eyebrow shot up for a moment before a knowing grin spread across her face. "I will be sure he gets it." She glanced at the unnamed woman and walked out the door.

Once out, she joined the viewing party, handing the PADD to Vox. "As instructed," she said with a grin.

Vox took the PADD and read the message carefully before looking at Edra. The ploy could work... He smirked faintly and resumed observing Millie work over the woman.

When Edra left the room, the woman seemed unfazed. There was serenity in knowing one's own destiny. "When billions have perished, will you reflect on this conversation as the moment you could have saved them? Assuming you yourself are not destroyed?"

"Что хорошего в сообщении, если вы не знаете ни мессенджера, ни отправителя?" Millie's eye raised. "What good is a message if you know neither the messenger or who sent it?"

"The message is not for you."

Millie's head turned just slightly enough to see the chronometer on the wall.

"Every second you delay, he draws closer. You have been granted a merciful warning to leave this side of the quadrant. A chance to spare your lives and countless others."

Millie gave a quiet sigh of annoyance. "У тебя есть примерно три минуты, прежде чем истечет мое терпение." "You have approximately three minutes before my patience expires." She quietly folded her hands, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

The woman leaned back in the chair, before taking her glasses off and folding them neatly in front of her. "Starfleet regulations state that an interrogator must identify themselves when asked even with name, rank, and service number. So who are you?"

"Don't answer." Banks mumbled under her breath.

Henry looked back and her, then back to the room. This woman knew how to play the game.

The only movement from Millie was a slight tilt of her head to the other side. She sat in expectant silence, her face never flinching. She turned to the chronometer on the wall. "Пару минут." "Two minutes."

"Are you a religious person? I was raised very strict and I think that was fate preparing me for my role." The woman closed her eyes, any emotion gone from her face. "I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name that sat on him was Death. And Hell followed with him." She opened her eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Религиозный фанатизм не впечатляет и не вдохновляет меня." "Religious fanaticism does not impress nor inspire me." Millie brought her hands up, using them to prop up her chin. "Любого с умом ребенка можно научить читать стихи." "Anyone with the mind of a child can be taught to recite a line of poetry."

Her eyes looked, once again, to the chronometer. "Капитан этого судна в настоящее время находится на вашем борту, и научные и инженерные команды разбирают его по частям." "The Captain of this vessel is currently aboard yours, having the science and engineering teams take it apart piece by piece." Millie gave yet another indignant, impatient sigh. "Приблизительно через минуту нам все равно не понадобится мессенджер." "In approximately one minute, we will have no need for a messenger anyway."

"Then my role is fulfilled. Let it begin."

Millie gave another exasperated glance up at the chronometer. "Какие-либо религиозные обряды или последние просьбы, прежде чем ваше тело будет утилизировано?" "Any religious rites or last requests before your body is disposed of?"

The woman gave no answer.

Vox calmly entered the room and stood near Lieutenant Stepanova. His cool gaze slid from Millie to the other woman as he spoke. "Our superiors have informed me that our time has run out, ma'am." He tilted his head and looked the other woman up and down with just his eyes. "Shall I prepare her for the next phase of interrogation? She may not be able to offer coherent sentences once I progress somewhat."

Millie glanced briefly up at Vox before returning her gaze back to the woman. "Стыдно, действительно, причинять вред такому милому лицу." "It is a shame, really, to have to damage such a pretty face." She gestured with her head towards the door. "Идти. Возьми свои инструменты. И скажи доктору Бэнксу приготовить этот нейростимулятор. Усиление боли может ускорить ваш процесс." "Go. Get your tools. And tell Dr. Banks to prepare that neurostimulator. The increased pain might speed up your process."

The woman opened her eyes, looking at Millie with near contempt. "Pain? That word should not cross your lips. This show..this theater...you know nothing of pain but your ignorance guarantees that you will learn very soon."

From her position on the other side of the wall, Edra looked over at Henry. This wasn't her forte, and she knew it. But she wondered when they gave the woman at least some of what she wanted. Of course, she only seemed to want to pass a message on to the Captain, so it seemed like an all or nothing deal. Not only rhat, it seemed only a matter of time before she called their bluff, so why not let her give her message? Well, she knew the answer to that too. Either way, this was getting into territory that, as a doctor, she didn't like. And if no one was going to budge, why were they even bothering? She looked over at Henry again. "What if she doesn't give us anything?" she whispered.

"She's given us everything already. Pull the plug and throw her in the brig....solitary so make sure the sound buffers are on." He turned and left the room.

Edra watched him leave, blinking in confusion. How had she...? Shaking her head, Edra pushed a button that notified Millie and Vox on the other side that they were done.