A Stinky Situation

Posted on 08 Dec 2023 @ 10:43pm by Lieutenant Leland Hawksley & Lieutenant JG Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant JG Ted Silver & Master Chief Petty Officer Alexi Michelle

3,136 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Crew Quarters Deck
Timeline: Current
Tags: Hawksley, Silver, Michelle, sh'Zoarhi

[ON]

CPO Alexi Michelle had decided to take another tour of the ship for two reasons. The first was obvious, to learn where everything and everyone on the ship could be located. The second was that she was sort of feeling as if she was isolated due to her work. Too many hours of studying files and logs of past events and not enough interaction with others. To this end she had just entered one of the decks that housed crew quarters. Her initial thought as the lift doors parted was that someone was making something quite odiferous in their quarters. The smell was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes. "Good God, what in hell were they making?" She exclaimed as she waved her hand in an attempt the clear the air.

There is a brief few seconds just as you wake up before you realise something is wrong. Like being choked by something that you had eaten the night before not being digested enough. Maybe some bile had entered your throat due to indigestion during the night. This morning for Ted it was the most horrid smell that had entered his nose since he once for a bet. Sniffed a rare orchid that was known to smell like a cross between rotting flesh and B.O. But whatever this was smelt worse in-fact he felt like ripping his own nose off. Washing and dressing at warp speed with his eyes now watering he fled his quarters.

As he flew into the corridor Silver almost collided with another crew member.

“ Sorry…..my eyes are watering…..oh…..that’s so bad…….woo…..forgive my rudeness I don’t think we have met yet….Ted Silver……sorry……that smell……can you smell it or is it just me?” Ted said

Alexi had to take a quick step backwards in order to avoid getting barreled over as someone came rushing out of their quarters. The horrid stench wafting around them even stronger before the door closed again. She was hard pressed not to gag at the smell that appeared to be emanating from that particular room. Even though her eyes had started watering she could see the man was from sciences.

She glared at the door before she spoke, "Alexi, CPO Alexi Michelle, Sir. And unfortunately, yes, I can. Were you experimenting or something? Because that smell is a weapon unto itself!"

Ted looked at her and shook his head.

“ No. If anything, what’s in the Lab has a very beautiful smell. Whatever that stink is, it not personal coming from there. If anything, it’s coming from my quarters. Oh that’s bad really bad who can something even make that smell. Rotting flesh does not even smell that bad…….think I am going to be sick!” Ted warned.

Leland arrived, exiting the lift doors. He exited along with Thex, the second in Engineering, increasingly taking on more responsibilities. Thex was A proven officer and Leland enjoyed working with the Andorian.

The sensors in engineering reported a backup of the reclamation routine systems. What was the surprise was how horrid the smell that burned his nostrils was now occupying Leland’s senses. “Wha-“Leland spoke, as he bent over almost expelling his stomach lunch. “What on God's good earth is that-“

Thex felt the smell her nostrils filling with the rancid smell. "Blockage in the waste filtration system most likely." she guessed as she fished around in her tool belt. Doing her best to not gag she pulled out a small bottle of a green liquid and opened the top dipped in a figure. The Orion cinder wood was a powerful yet pleasant smell that would mask the worst of the stink. " Here." She said offering it to her boss. "A thin layer under your nose should help."

Ted wished he did not have such a big nose. At that precise moment he wanted to rip it off.

“ There is no way this smell is by accident. Someone someone ooh that’s bad bad bad…..going vomit… sorry someone’s done this deliberately……sorry…..oof….” Ted said before shutting his mouth. So he wouldn’t be sick and add to the smell.

Leland could barely concentrate as his hand reached out for the bottle from Thex. “Thank you.” Hawksley managed to breathe outward as his eyes were watering from the smell.

“I… Ohhhhh ohhhh that’s...” The Orion cinder wood had a very pleasant masking smell. “Oh my god…. That’s better….”

Hawksley’s eyes thanked Thex a thousand times over. “We… We need to get that conduit on J-12 outside, Ted’s quarters shunted to negative.” He pointed to a wall panel.

The computer system could beam away and sterilize any remnants of backed-up reclamation being expunged from Ted’s quarter's replicator.

“Ted…” Leland also handed the bottle of Orion cinder wood to help the poor Officer.

Sometimes Ted had a habit of going crazy. That was probably why he was still a Jay Gee. He took the bottle from his friend.

“ Thank you.” He said politely

Then after a brief second or two he began to throw the bottles contents over himself. Spinning around like a demented Emu.

“ Oh that is so much better my friends thanks, now what on my late Aunty Prudence is going on?” Ted asked

" Most likely somethings gone wrong in the ship's filtration system most likely. We'll need to check out the conduct to check for sure. " Thex replied making a note to get another bottle of the cinder wood. The only other one she had had body glitter in it.

Hawksley held his breath while accessing the conduit manifold outside Ted's quarters. Setting aside the cowling he breathed.

Tending to the conduit, Leland bent his left arm under the mechanical piping and sub-processor nodules. He searched for a latch under the 3/4 blue piping. Feeling the slip of the latch, he then locked it downward. A beeping, and then the main computer reported.

"Warning. Junction J-12 reclamation unit SS990 failure." Hawksley held his engineering tricorder to the unit.

"Un hunh. That's what I thought." Leland wasn't replying to the main computer, but the fact that his tricorder showed him information that looked oddly similar to that of Ted's last incident, where the holodeck had malfunctioned, locking him in the program with un-ruly guests on a sandy beach.

Hawksley then transferred his engineering tricorder screen to that of the hallway screen. Getting up, and shaking his head, Leland pointed to the screen.

"Ted. After that last incident on the holodeck, did you notice anything in the data coding indicating a former friend had coded it?"

It had been a while since Ted had even thought about his friend David. A while ago he had sent Ted the wrong holo program. It had been meant for his soon to be ex-wife. Who his friend had discovered was having an affair.

“ David? I did get a communication from him a few weeks ago. He remarried and was having a honeymoon on Risa. But this can’t be down to him? He was very sorry about what happened and while he was serving his punishment. He met his new wife in New Zealand, so things turned out ok in the end. But now you come mention it , yes there was something familiar.” Ted said

" What happened with David." Thex enquired. Why were human relationships so complicated she thought to herself as he antenna dropped slightly.

“David discovered that his wife was having an affair. So as revenge he made her a holo beach program , as a kind of I forgive you darling present. But of course he put in a little surprise at certain point. A crowd of beach goers turn nasty and attack. But by mistake he sent it to me and the other program, without a surprise he sent to her.” Ted explained

Humans Thex thought to herself as she nodded at the explanation. Always complicating things. Given her species rather unique mating habits affairs were beyond rare for andorians. True she had quite a few playmates in her time, but she always made sure that they knew how it worked for her for which none had complained.

"Ted. Thex. I am going to replace the coding in the SS990 failure with the reclamation unit with similar coding that David had accomplished on the holodeck in the past. I believe that program infected the reclamation matter syntax, which is a cross over system on the holodeck..." Leland started to laugh to himself, only stopping when another waft of... incredible stench clouded them. "This should reconcile the file matrix recall sensors for Ted's replicator."

" Okay, we'll head to the conduit," Thex said looking to her boss as she began to lead the way.

“ Why would anyone do this to me? I do think I upset anyone? Bay that smells bad……” Ted replied holding his nose.

Alexi had stepped back. Breathing through her mouth so as not to suffer the smell that wafted through the area. "Are you implying this was not a malfunction, but an intentional attack on a member of this crew?" She quickly pulled up her PADD and recalled what she could of the conversation so far. "I may wish to speak to this, David. I will require your cooperation, Sir."

“ I don’t think David could or would do this. No someone on the crew had a hand in this. Only someone with knowledge of our systems could have done this.” Ted replied

Leland turned back behind Thex and made a sorry grimaced face at Ted. Hawksley felt bad for the man's odd eccentric friendship that seemed to bite him.

Alexi frowned, "If this David was not involved, I will need a list of persons who are both displeased with you and have the required skillset to perpetrate such an event. I will also need to work with Engineering to determine where and when such modifications were made." She glanced over at Leland and Thex, "Your testimony should be recorded as quickly as possible. If you are able to do so during your duties to correct the problem, that would be advantageous."

Ted thought for a moment as far as he knew no one had it in for him. Except he did get a strange look off one of the lab assistants.

“ Well. There was Ensign Rutherford who gave me a strange look. I heard a rumour he was after my position but you know what a rumour wagon the Tomcat can be.” Ted said

Leland stopped. He turned back, as he gagged from the smells being emitted from the replicator. “If that is the same Ensign Rutherford who ran into me in the mess hall with his hot cup of coffee last week!” He narrowed his eyes and focused back on Alexi, Ted, and Thex.

" Is that really enough for someone to sabotage the ship to this level? A missed promotional and some spilt coffee" Thex added.

Alexi turned to Thex and nodded, "You would be surprised at the level of vindictiveness a person can display." She waved her arm between Ted and Leland, "What they consider a minor incident could be perceived as a major infraction that requires a suitable response. In this case, Causing both LtJG Silver and Lt Hawskley to deal with a very displeasing situation."

Ted was reminded of a friend of the family’s Great Aunt who held a grudge. Against her nephew for twenty years because at the age of two he knocked over a vase she liked.

“ Some people are like that even in this day and age. The Klingon culture is full of getting revenge on those who have wronged you.” Ted said.

Hawksley's eyes focused on Thex and then Ted. "Yes, a very displeasing situation!!" He nodded his head heartedly.

Alexi nodded in agreement with their statements. She made some notes on her PADD and looked up again at the others, "While this may be an act of... revenge, It would be prudent to investigate other options as well. Lt. Hawksley, if you would forward all maintenance records for this particular area to clarify when and who last accessed this junction, that would be appreciated."

"That would be one of my support teams. Team A3 I believe." Leland reported to the Intel Officer. "The last work done in this section was over a month ago." Hawksley rubbed at the side of his forehead in thought.

Alexi paused a moment before adding this information to the PADD, "May I inquire if that is a normal span of time between service in this particular operation area?" While she knew things had to be constantly maintained she was also quite aware that some things just lasted longer than others. However which specific systems they were was not in her span of knowledge,

The team name A3 started to poke at Teds brain.

" Who is on Team A3?" He asked.

“Ensign Tyrese Miller, Lieutenant JG Lydia Deepti, Lieutenant JG Euclides Nawel,” Hawksley reported the A-3 Team members.

“I have performance records on all. Characteristics as per everyone.” Leland lent a knowing eye to Alexi and then Ted.

“You might find more information you are looking for. I can’t speak about Officers unless a request of personnel record is directly requested.” Not that he had thought one of his officers was responsible for a reclamation incident. It was just damn peculiar.

“These units are manufactured, because of their very nature, are inherently self-containing, self-repairing. This issue seemed to be a literal corrupt coding in Ted's replicator, leading to a cascading in the area. This is a rare situation.” He stifled, holding his uniform jacket in a ball to his nose.

“ No I was just asking about them to see if any name would ring a bell. The only name that stinks…..sticks out is JG Euclides Nawel. I went to school with a girl called Jane Nawel rather large girl. Well you know what a pack of young children can be like. Although I was not involved in any teasing she still blamed the whole class.” Ted said

"Yeah, that sounds like a real winner," Hawksley stated. "What is it with you and former academy classmates? Yikes Ted."

“ Believe me there are quite a few things from my past as a kid , that I am not to proud about. Like nearly be killed when a children’s game of dare had me falling from a great height. Some people don’t believe children who face life changing events , grow up to be better people.” Ted said.

Leland turned up from his LCARs connection to the bulkhead. He tapped into the changes and sub-routines to the computer systems. “I’ve applied fixed coding to the reclamation cycler. The environmental systems applied transporter hazmat codes will clean up the mess.” In essence, the backup of the reclamation sludge would be transported molecularly right from the fibers of the rugs and anything else that was damaged in Ted’s quarters.

“This should fix our problem. As for how it happened. I remain skeptical that it was a former classmate, however, never say never.” Leland grimaced remembering his Holodeck misadventures caused by Ted’s Academy classmate.

Alexi made a note of the names on the team, with a special note to look into Newal and their possible connection to Ted's former classmate. She glanced up at Leland and asked, "who would have access to change the programming in this program? If that is not restricted, I will need to widen the scope of the investigation."

“Operations has access, albeit passively.” Leland regarded the excellent question from Alexi. “Engineering and Environmentals are the main pass gate to the reclamation systems. These systems can be accessed at Operations consoles and in Engineering.”

" Do you want me to run a full check on the environmental systems?" Thex asked her boss

"Good thinking Thex. Yes. Also, check in with beam wavelength guide systems and water reclimation. Just want to make sure that no bugs have been passed to the processor units." Leland ordered the always-thinking Lieutenant.


Alexi made notes as the Chief Engineer explained. "It may e difficult to determine the culprit without a time frame of when this sabotage occurred. Were you able to determine when reprogramming took place?"

“ How long before the smell dissipates , only I have a lot data on the…..oh oh it just occurred to me.If this is a personal attack on me will the lab be safe?” Ted asked.

“Perhaps we should run a level 3 diagnostic on the labs. Just to be safe for Ted.” Leland chuckled. “I will get to that once we finish up here. The smell should dissipate within 24 minutes as the biofilters, and ion transportation buffers have completed sanitization.”

Turning to Alexi, Leland paused. He took out his PADD and pulled up the script coding of the sub-routines. “There is always an innate imprint. The malware coding was uploaded…” Hawksley calculated. “7 days 15 hours 32 minutes 15 seconds ago.”

Ted tapped his chin in thought.

“ I saw Nawel hanging around the corridor. I even spoke to him because he reminded me of someone. But I could not remember who at that time. He must of did this to get back at me for not remembering his sister…..” Ted said

“Well.” Leland regarded what Ted had said. “I would pull up some records on Nawel and see if he accessed any systems concerning engineering, communications, or labs,” Leland spoke in between, clamping his fingers on his nostrils.

“Folks. It has been… Erm. A stinky situation, here.” Hawksley shook his head in disbelief. “This one will be going in my personal log.” Hawksley couldn’t help but laugh.

Ted nodded.

Alexi made a note of the time stamp. She would need to further investigate this at her desk in Security to see exactly where it had been uploaded and by whom. It could have absolutely nothing to do with Ted, or it could be the final and quite odorous step in someone's revenge. Or just a really nasty prank on someone's part. Whichever it was, there was little she could do currently at this particular location. And quite honestly, she really wanted to get somewhere else and get some 'fresh' air.

[OFF]

 

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