Stranger Things

Posted on 11 Sep 2025 @ 4:40pm by Lieutenant JG Faith Benson & Captain Jasmine Somers FCapt & 1st Lieutenant Cassandra Matthews

2,864 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: S04 Episode 02 The Hackers Backdoor (Incidentals)
Location: USS Tomcat Various
Timeline: After Mission briefing and before departure

[ON]

Jasmine was finally walking the new corridors of her ship, which looked so clean and new, she was turning a corner when there was a dull thud and she like the other person were both flat on their asses she wondered who she had collided with, when she looked up she saw Matthews, the young woman looked scared but trying not to show it.

Jasmine quickly got up and helped Cass up. She studied her, "Sorry for the collision, Lieutenant" She did not say anything, just studied her a moment.

"Captain!" Cassandra gasped as she gratefully accepted the aid to rise. Her body was still healing from the multiple wounds she had sustained recently. Despite Hawthorn's assistance, recovery seemed slow. Relief washed over her as she quickly looked around the empty corridors.

"I should be apologising to you. I wasn't looking where I was going." Which was true. She had been checking behind her, convinced that she had heard someone following her. Though these days she couldn't be certain. Ever since the day of the briefing, she'd been on edge even after her talk with Stone. She still wasn't sure if she could trust him completely, but she had no choice. Not until now. "Do... do you have a minute?" she asked quickly, eager to seize this opportunity. She hadn't been able to get near the Captain for weeks due to Admiral Doe and his officers' interference. That had been on the Starbase fifty-one, though. Here on the Tomcat, his reach wasn't as extensive. She knew, however, that she had to act fast. "I have something to report," she added urgently.

Picking up on something, "Ah, Lieutenant Matthews, good. I have been meaning to ask you how your new MCO is settling in and get a departmental report. If you come to the CRR, you can give it to me there," Somers said and led Cassie towards the CRR. When they arrived at the CRR and entered, Lucy gave her a strange look from the small desk, Jasmine indicated for Cass to follow, when the woman was in. The doors closed. "Lights full, computer activate privacy mode," she said, and as the lights came up and a bleep sounded, she looked at Cassandra. "Okay, Cass, what is wrong? You look troubled. Please have a seat and spill," Somers said as she joined Cass on the small, comfy settee in the CRR.

Cassandra took the offered seat. Her agitation was clear. "We have a situation. My position has been compromised, as has the potential safety of Starbase fifty-one." Cassandra took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "By multiple factions. Every attempt I have made to reach you, Lt Commander Dodd, or even Faith... I mean, Lieutenant JG Benson has been blocked. I have been under surveillance, and my family and friends have been threatened. I don't know what they will do now that I’ve finally had a chance to speak with you. My daughter is hiding on the ship. But they... they might go after Thomas, Leland, or Thex now, possibly even Stone. Especially Stone — he... He knows too much now." Cassandra realised that in her panic, she was hardly making sense. "Sorry, I’ve been under a lot of stress. I know for a fact that we are dealing with at least three different factions.

They have all tried to kill me or take my daughter captive." She steadied herself. Think more precisely. "I know that one is Section Thirty-One operating under Admiral J. Doe. He is determined to obtain a sample of the pathogen that travelled back in time with Major Janeway. His agent claims they only want to study it and the effects of time travel on it for any kind of mutation or similar. I'm not a science expert, so I don't know. But I do know that a pathogen in the wrong hands is dangerous. I had all samples destroyed. The only remaining remnants are those in Major Janeway herself, and they are already being purged with the help of Doctor Ross." She ran a hand over her face. Glad that she had at least managed to keep that situation under control, at least, as her world had begun to fall.

Jasmine sat back, suddenly worried. "Is your family on the Starbase or Earth?" Jasmine asked. Oo, what the hell is going on! Oo, she thought to herself. The fact that three factions were vying for what ran through her new MCO's veins was alarming; Section 31 was a known quantity, predictable, and the other two were unpredictable. "Also, do you know who these other two are?" she asked.

"My daughter is currently hiding in the ventilation system of the Tomcat. It's too small for an adult to fit through to reach her. She's been practising on the Starbase on how to navigate the duct system," Cassandra explained. "C'Tirr is on his way to Cait with a decoy, hoping they will follow him and not try to follow us when the Tomcat deploys for our mission." Cassandra withdrew a padd from her inner pocket. "As for the other two factions, I believe one is linked to the Orion syndicate. As for the others, from what I have gathered so far, they have left faint traces of Tachyons as well as spatial anomalies. Unfortunately, they have adapted, and the signatures can no longer be traced or are being obscured in some way. Investigating has been... difficult."

Jasmine thought, "Your daughter can come out of hiding. I will grant you special dispensation and allow your daughter to remain on the Tomcat for safety; I will be her shield. Do you mind if I call in Benson for the other security matters?" Somers asked, "Am I to expect a visit from this admiral at any point?" she inquired.

"Bringing Benson in would be an excellent idea. As for Admiral Doe, I don't think he would directly target you. He seems to only go after those he can easily suppress. Given your connections and family, I believe he would employ a more indirect approach—something that wouldn't be easy to trace back to him. Visiting you isn't in his nature."

Her blue eyes remained deep in thought, still calculating. "He's a coward, an intelligent, powerful one, but a coward nonetheless. He won't face you directly." She nodded as if she had reached a firm conclusion. "He'd send someone else. Try to get close. Sideways, like. Probably ask someone to copy Janeway's medical reports as a friendly favour, then for blood samples, hoping to find traces of the pathogen in her DNA. Likely ask someone you trust who doesn't realise how dangerous that request is. He seems desperate to acquire it. I think that's where the connection to the syndicate comes in. During his career, he served as an ambassador to the Cardassians, Ferengi, and the Orion Syndicate. He knows how to play the field. I can't imagine what that pathogen could do in the hands of any of them." Cassandra looked back at Somers then. "To think that's only one part of the problem."

"Admiral Doe, not heard of him, but if Section 31 has observers, they may know you are here, so I will expect a visit from one of his Reps at some point, but he might decide to contact me directly", Jasmine said and thought a moment. "Leave the Admiral and his lackeys to me. I will have to notify Doctor Ross where the Major is concerned," she said.

Cassandra nodded, "Aye aye ma'am." For the first time in weeks, Cassandra felt her shoulders relax slightly, as some of the terror melted away. She was no longer alone in this. "We will need to protect the Hawksley family and... Thex too," her mind grappled with the names of her friends who had been threatened if she had tried to seek help. They would be in danger now, just like her daughter and herself. A moment of guilt struck her. Why hasn't she warned them? Because she'd been trying to protect them.

With a nod, she tapped her Commbadge =/\= Somers to Lieutenant Benson, report to my ready room post haste and bring a secure Padd with you =/\= she said.

Faith was currently lounging around with her feet up on another chair at a table in the Mess Hall. Giving a glance at the voice, she tapped her comm badge, =/\= One my way. =/\=, then kicked her legs from the chair as she stood up. Taking roughly a few minutes, she pressed the chime to the Ready Room. Once signalled, she stepped in, giving a glance to Cassandra.

The Captain looked up as her Security Chief entered the Captain's Ready Room...

"Ah, Lieutenant Benson, please take a seat. It appears that one of our own and her family are under threat. I have granted Cass permission to keep her daughter on the Tomcat under my protection. However, as this is a security matter, I must involve you," she said, turning to Cass. "Okay, Cass, tell us fully who, what, and why," she added.

Faith gave a look to Cassie for a moment, glancing to the chair and just moving over to stand behind said chair. Resting her hands on the back of it. "I see. So this must have to do with all of the restricted access all of a sudden, and someone's attempts to restrict mine."

Cassandra locked eyes with Benson, her expression a complex mix of relief and lingering unease. "Yes, Lieutenant," she said, leaning forward slightly. "This whole situation has been like manoeuvring through a labyrinth where every turn seems to tighten the noose. Restricted access, surveillance—those are their subtle warnings. It's how they let me know they’re watching me, and by extension, anyone I might look to for help."

She exhaled, raking her fingers through her hair in a gesture that could only be described as both exhaustion and frustration. "Let me start at the top. Section Thirty-One—their involvement is dangerous enough. You know how they operate, covert, ruthless, and completely off the books. Admiral Doe seems to think he can outmanoeuvre everyone with his pseudo-legal games. But there’s more. Other groups are circling this like flies on a fresh kill."

Cassandra withdrew a PADD from her inner jacket pocket and directed it toward Benson and Somers, bringing up various data sheets and images. Tachyon readings, reports of spatial rifts, all with timestamps pointing to moments when the Tomcat or Starbase 51 was nearby.

"One faction is connected to the Orion Syndicate. They’ve been unusually quiet until recently, but the timing matches. Smuggling routes, black market dealings, they’re desperate for power and leverage—and a weaponised pathogen could guarantee both. We intercepted vague transmissions—code fragments that were just enough to verify their presence."

Cassandra took a deep breath. "But the other group…they’re an enigma. The traces they’ve left behind—tachyons, anomalies—this isn’t their first time running across us, nor their first attempt at staying hidden. They’re advanced. More advanced than Section Thirty-One. It’s almost... surgical. Every piece of evidence we’ve managed to find seems planted just as much as it seems discovered. Every trail seems to lead us to a question, never an answer." leaning forward with an intensity that underscored the gravity of the situation.

"This chart implies temporal involvement. Tachyons and spatial anomalies usually point to time-based interference." She looked pointedly between Somers and Benson, her tone brokering no room for vagueness. Cassandra hesitated, then nodded grimly. "I can’t say anything with absolute certainty, but it’s a strong possibility. Whoever or whatever this other faction is, they understand things... operating on a level beyond what most of us know. And if that’s the case, protecting Janeway has been vital."

The Captain looked at Benson, "tachyons and spatial anomalies! Tachyons mean temporal incursion, spatial anomalies mean places like the Mirror Universe. Hmm, interesting. I will make some discreet enquiries on the tachyon front, Lieutenant Benson. I need you to make sure this ship is secure from any attempted incursions and increase the Security alert level until we get into space, and always when we are docked. Also, you have an Acting Deputy in Ensign Michelle, who is currently digging into those data dumps we got from that Terran outpost. She is also a qualified Investigator. She is to drop the decryption of said data crystals and investigate this; tell her only what she needs to know to get her job done," the Captain said to Benson.

Faith was more just listening to all of the information and speculations for the moment. Taking in information she might find more pertinent. She'd not met Ensign Michelle yet; she probably should do that. "I've a particularly curious question. Has anyone thought that this isn't just because of Cassie and wanting something, but it's a targeted vendetta? Moth the flame, circling, waiting for that one opening."

Cassandra leaned back, pondering that. As always, Benson raised a point more than fair. She tightened her grip on the PADD, her knuckles whitening as she looked between Faith and the captain. “A vendetta,” she murmured once more, her voice quiet but weighted, settling over the room like a thick fog. “If that’s what this really is, then it’s not just about chance or convenience; it means they’ve been watching for much longer, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

"Look at the line of evidence. If it were some kind of attack and you just happened to be who they figured they could use, it'd be more focused on you. Simply to get codes or information." Faith's violet eyes looked between the two. "Instead, it is a focused attack on everyone else they perceive to be close to you, or how to use them. I'd be much focused on us, like myself, for example. However, keep an eye out for when they think you're distracted, Cassie."

Somers looked at Benson, "It might also have something to do with the Cardassian poison running through Emily Janeway's blood. It is a rare poison by all accounts, so that desperate groups will want a sample. Do you have any idea how much Latinum such poisons could bring on the market?" The Captain said.

"It... it is my understanding that Admiral Doe hopes to use it in some way to influence the Cardassians. However, this is only hearsay from an agent who requested to remain anonymous. They are the same agent who discovered the code in the replicator system that had been set up to try and poison me," Cassandra added. She hated to throw Larmie under the bus, but now was the time for action. If Benson looked hard enough—and she would—she was definitely going to uncover Candice's hand in all of this. It was only a matter of time.

The Captain thought hard, "I can deal with the Admiral or any of his agents if they show up, but Lieutenant Benson, can you handle the rest of the Security details of Lieutenant Matthews and her family?" Somers asked.

Faith continued to listen and keep gathering more information for herself. Giving a little bit of a sigh as she started to piece things together even more. She wasn't going to say what would end up on the tip of her tongue just yet. Nodding to Somers, "Of course I can. I've got an idea about that. Holograms."

"I will look forward to seeing what you come up with, Faith," the Captain said, then looked at Matthews. "Okay, Cass, you get the nipper out of the Tomcat Jefferies tubes in your quarters. Like all officer quarters, they have a holoemitter installed so you can create a suitable babysitter. But is there anything else, Lieutenant Matthews?" The Captain asked.

Cassandra nodded, "Aye aye ma'am." Then, looking at Faith as she spoke again. "Doctor Hawthorne is involved. Agents are watching her as well. I am not entirely sure how deep her involvement goes, but she could be an excellent source of information once she is out of danger herself."

"I'll have to make sure to give the Doctor a good poke; turnabout is fair play, isn't it?" Faith gave a coy grin.

With a nod, "Okay then, you both know the current score, see to those things, will you, Faith?" The Captain asked, looking at her Security Chief, then back at Matthews with a smile.

Faith nodded a bit, "I'll get it taken care of."

"Excellent, both of you are dismissed. Remember those you bring into your confidence, and only enough for them to get the job done, okay? Good! Now get out of here, you two," the Captain said with a smile and watched the two women leave.

[OFF]

 

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