Stardate: 70108:1145
Title: Exploited
Author: CMO Ted Matthews
Time: Current
Scene: USS Horizon
It was difficult being left behind when people you cared about were going off to face possible danger, but the CMO understood that it was the way it had to be. If he went to the planet with the away team he would just get in the way and his skills could be put to better use here in sickbay in case anyone had to be urgently beamed up for medical treatment.
Tammin, efficient as ever, had already prepped the room in case of emergency. She still seemed a little cool towards him and Ted hated to admit that this bothered him more than he would like. After his experience in the dream chamber he had tried to be honest with himself and perhaps a few of his choices and some of his usual lifestyle preferences could do with changing.
Deciding he shouldn't dwell on the impending away team's mission or his relationships, Ted settled himself down and starting to read a copy of the information that they had bought off the Ferengi. Mostly it listed names of officials on the planet who could be bribed in order to obtain confidential information from dream chamber sessions.
There was, however, a few surprise pieces of information. The Ferengi, forever looking for ways to exploit a situation, had carefully noted any extraneous information they were given about Kah'Leel technology. Finally, it became clear in Ted's mind why they had eagerly been encouraged to enter the dream chamber when they arrived. The Kah'Leel government was losing control of its people and it was becoming increasingly worried about the threat from races outside of their world.
Through their many visitors they had glimpsed the darker side of other races and feared that they would turn on the Som'Nyan people and, as far as Ted could gather, a secret organisation had been formed that took information extracted in the dream chambers about alien technology and put it to use.
He took a brief moment to ponder the implications. Tammin softly knocked on his door and bought in coffee. Eager to get someone else's opinion on the matter he summarised what he had read.
"Who knows what kind of technology they have acquired? I wonder if the resistance knows about this and what kind of weapons they now have." Tammin had grasped the issues quickly.
"I should report this to the Captain." Ted hoped that this would not affect the plan they were just about to put into motion. If anything it made their mission all the more vital. They could not let Vaebn be exploited for all the useful technology he knew.
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Lt. Commander Ted Matthews
CMO
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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