"What's our status?" Ryan
asked "We're travelling at warp 8.7, with the T'ak H'ran alongside. All
systems report green Captain." Nige said, rising from the command chair.
"So everything is running smoothly, good. Commander, I have a little job
for you." Ryan said. The Commander here has requested a tour of the ship
and I said that you'd be delighted to be of service."
Nige caught his face before his reluctance showed. Diplomacy wasn't something that he liked to do. He'd spent the last few days being diplomatic and now he was going to have to do it all over again. However, it would perhaps be a chance for him to find out more about the Gemini Device.
"Of course Captain, I'd be delighted." Nige said with unconvincing confidence.
Nige and Commander Byork headed towards he back of the bridge and left.
"There isn't a great deal for me to show you on this ship, there are only five *small* decks."
"Well then if you would like to follow me, I will take you to engineering."
Nige and Byork walked into engineering and climbed down the ladder to the lower deck.
"Can I help you?" asked McQueen taking a few steps towards the visitors.
"No thanks Lieutenant, just giving our guest the VIP tour. As you can see, the Ronin is a Defiant II class vessel. She has had a complete systems refit recently and is now a top of the range ship, even though her design is over ten years old. She is powered by a MARA quad core engine. For a ship its size, a core like this is usually completely unnecessary, but all the extra energy it generates gets channelled into the weapons systems which gives the ship its formidable fighting power."
"I see, we have completely different power generators for our weapons, it ensures that if one generator goes down, we still have another to run them from."
"This is the cloaking device control console" said Nige walking to the main control display. "Are you familiar with cloaking devices?"
"Yes, the Romulans use them"
"True, we actually got the technology from the Romulans. They loaned one to the USS Defiant for use in the Gamma Quadrant, but once the war with the Dominion was over, the Romulans relaxed their views on us using the cloaking device and allowed us to use it on all ships smaller than Intrepid class."
"I see, who are the Dominion?"
"That's a complete other topic, and before my time, I don't really think I'm the one to be talking to you about that. You should really talk to Captain Evans about that. He was around during the war."
"Maybe I will sometime."
"Anyway, that's about all there is to see in engineering, if you follow me, I'll show you the other points of the ship"
Nige took Byork through the rest of the main points of the ship, sickbay, astrometrics, science, the holosuite and the backup bridge. Byork also received a mini tour of the Aldrin.
The two were on their way back to the bridge when Nige began asking questions.
"You know that device, we have onboard, do you have any idea what it does?"
"Not a clue"
"Your government did tests on it though right?"
"They kept the results classified"
*Damn! He's holding out on me! I read the reports and know that he was involved in the testing!*
"You sure you know nothing? I'm sure my Captain would be very interested to know anything about this device."
"And if I knew anything, believe me I would tell him."
"I am the chief Tactical Officer and second officer onboard this ship! It is my duty to know of any tactical uses of this device"
"I will tell anything I know to your captain. No one else"
"Fair enough, I understand"
The doors to the bridge opened and the two of them stepped back out.
"Enjoy your tour?" asked Evans
"It was very enlightening, thank you."
"Would you care to follow me, Commander Kira is awaiting us in the mess hall."
"I would be delighted Captain."
Captain Evans and Byork walked off the bridge and Nige once again took the command chair. Lieutenant Porat was manning science. *That's odd that she should be here* thought Nige
"Commander, may I have a moment of your time... in private" she asked
"Of course, in the captains ready room then."
The two stepped inside.
"Nige, you've got to watch yourself. The Captain knows a lot more about the device than he's letting on, he's just questioned me on what Starfleet intelligence knows about it."
"You denied everything right?"
"Of course, but I don't know how much longer we can keep this hidden from him."
"Thanks for letting me know. Get back to your station."
"Ok, I bugged the mess hall by the way, we should be able to find out any information we need by listening to the recording later."
"Are you sure that was wise? What if they find it?"
"Don't worry Commander, I work
for intelligence. I know you're new to this game, but don't worry about it.
Stick by me and we should be ok."
