Everyone was waiting in the Captains office, all except the Captain himself. Finally, about ten minutes after the briefing was supposed to have commenced, Captain Wallace arrived.
"Sorry people, I was down in the Infirmary with the Doctor and our most recent guest." He explained.
"How is the young lady ?" Commander Pol enquired.
"She's seems to be doing OK, although the Doctor is keeping her sedated until he has managed to repair some of her injuries. She's luck to be alive, the only thing that kept her alive was that stasis pod. She had third degree plasma burns to her face, hands and arms and was suffering from neural shock. The Doctor has assured me that she will survive her injuries." Wallace explained.
"Any idea on her identity ?" Pol enquired again.
"The Doctor's running a DNA scan to try and ascertain her identity. She's definitely human and is probably a Federation citizen, let's hope the scans can help. Commander Pol, any luck with the security sweep?. Have we found the other occupant of the vessel, the one who made the distress call?" Wallace asked.
"None. We found a couple of crates of Romulan ale hidden amongst some cargo in storage bay 17B and a couple of damaged plasma conduits which we reported to Engineering. But we can find no unauthorised personnel aboard the Supply base. We're still patrolling the more likely hiding places, but I doubt that we will find anyone." Pol replied.
"Captain, there is another possibility as to the source of the distress call." Garek announced.
"Do go on," Wallace replied.
"We've made a thorough examination of the ship. From the outside, it looks just what it is, an old Federation courier vessel. There are hundreds of these still in service and the Marquis proved that these vessels still have a place in space. There are more patches to the hull than the patchwork quilt that I had on my bed when I was a child, but it's airtight. Inside it's a slightly different matter, the cargo bay has been turned into some kind of workshop," Garek explained.
"Not unusual for a salvage vessel," Pol remarked.
"There's also a holo-research lab installed and we?ve found salvage from all over the quadrant. The ship has also undergone some major modifications, the impulse engines have been modified in some way and the warp plasma cooling system has been re-routed to cool the impulse engines as well. That?s how the ship managed to travel through the Briar Patch at more than one quarter impulse, at a guess the ship could have travelled at around one third, cutting the journey time across the "patch" by a day. They've still taken quite a beating and could do witha complete overhaul. The warp core could also do with some repairs andmaintenance. We've also found several system installed from Romulan, Cardassian and
Klingon salvage as well as Federation," Garek continued.
"Don't forget that stasis pod, it was Breen." Pol added.
"True, but it's not unfeasible. None of these systems are restricted or banned within the Federation, we?ve got Klingon plasma conduits, Cardassian plasma injectors and a Romulan ODN processor junction." Garek explained.
"You've still not explained where the distress call came from." Wallace said.
"I was coming to that," Garek said. "The most interesting modification to the vessel is with the computer system. All the primary systems are linked to the master CPU, using a bio-neural network. The CPU is most interesting, as we've found out that it's based around posetonic circuitry. In theory such a system would have a limited intelligence and the ability for self-determination. It is entirely possible that the computer could have been programmed to fly here and make the distress call. It would also explain how one person could pilot and operate such a ship, allowing the master CPU to perform many of the tasks."
"It sounds fine in theory, but is it really possible?" Wallace asked.
"Well we've had posetronic circuitry for years now, they've even been used to replace damaged parts of the brain. Of course the most advanced form of posetronics is the android Data and his posetronic brain. However, no one has come close to replicating the work of Doctor Soong and his team. What I can tell you is that the bio-neural network is non-Federation, possible Klingon but more likely Romulan," Garek answered.
"Romulan. Can you be sure?" Wallace asked.
"Not 100% no. The basic schematics are Federation for certain, but the neural fluid isn't the same as the fluid that's in the systems on this station." Garek replied.
"The only non-Federation race that we've shared the bio-neural technology is the Klingon Empire, but they?ve only made limited use of it aboard their ships."
"So it could have been developed by another race, using information gained from another source?" Wallace enquired.
"It's entirely possible." Garek replied.
"I think we have enough to impound the vessel for now. Commander Pol, I'd like that ship impounded under Federation law 29. Installation of illegal or restricted equipment on a starship. I want an around the clock guard on that ship."
"I?ll get right on it." Nevar said.
"Good. If there?s nothing else to report, then I guess this meeting is finished. Dismissed." Wallace said. "Commander Loran, please stay."
Everyone else left the Captain?s office and Garek took up the seat next to the Captain.
"So this CPU, just how advanced is it ?" Wallace asked.
"It's very sophisticated, we've not been able to gain access to it yet. Whoever designed it is good with computers. Better then me," Garek replied.
"That's what I thought." Wallace said. A puzzled look came over Garek's face.
"I don't follow Captain." He said.
"OK. Garek, which system is the most troublesome for you and your Engineering teams?" Wallace asked.
"Well I guess?" Garek said, pausing to think.
"The computer systems." The puzzled look turning to a grin. "Captain, you're not thinking about doing a spot of blackmail are you ?"
"More like a bout of you scratch my back and I?ll scratch yours." Wallace replied. "Just how much work is there to be done on that ship to get it back to spec?"
"To spec, you're talking at least four months, to get it space-worthy at least a month. And that's if we had a crew working on it full-time. With all the modifications that are underway, it could take more like six to seven month to get it back to spec." Garek replied. "Captain, you're assuming that the girl is the designer of the CPU. That?s a long shot isn't it?."
"True, but we won?t know until she regains consciousness. If she?s not, then we've still got a ship with restricted technology. If she is, then I'm sure we can persuade her to take a quick look whilst her ship is being repaired." Wallace remarked.
"It still seems like blackmail to me, however you try to justify it." Garek replied.
"Then I guess you?re relieved that it?s not your decision." Wallace said. With that Garek rose from the table and left.
"I think you could be making a big mistake." He said as he when through the door and back to the Engineering station.