Finding Tia [Part Two]

Posted on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 5:10am by Petty Officer 1st Class Tia Smithy(Kosugi) & Sergeant Trent Busby (Kosugi) & Cadet First Class Pallas
Edited on on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 5:10am

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Gladiator
1532 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

/ON/

Trent looked at Tia once more then commented, "Okay so, as I said, Cadet Pallas and I will go check on her." Trent replied, "Thanks for the help though." the marine replied, giving a nod and a slight smile. "You and Pallas worked together great."

The engineer gave a nod, "Okay well then, guess I'll see you later?" looking at Pallas. "You're going to be coming back to work here right?"

Pallas nodded. "My rotation through Medical is almost over, and I've spoken to Lieutenant Edruj already. I will need to check with Lieutenant Cortez to see where she wants me next, but I will definitely be coming through Engineering soon enough. Do not worry about missing me for too long," she laughed, giving the engineer a nudge on the shoulder before she followed Trent back out the doors and toward the turbolifts. "No reason for us to climb through the Jeffries Tubes; we can get there directly from Deck 11. Which makes Smithy's path all the stranger, even if she was sleepwalking..."

"That image of her in the turbolift, it looked like she was talking to someone. I found that perplexing as well." Stepping into the turbolift and had it go to deck 11. When the lift arrived at the designated floor and the door opened, Trent stepped out. "May have to ask her about that later on." he commented. "If she wants to talk about it that is." as they continued down the hall in the direction of the storage area where they figured that Tia would be at.

Trent paused at the door, his hand reaching out to open it, then he looked at Pallas. "Why don't you go in and check on her first okay? I don't know, maybe someone who may have a gentler touch than I have, go check on her? You two are more friends than she and I are." the broad shouldered marine having a sheepish smile on his face. "I know I'm acting reluctant on this one but, it makes more sense that you go in there and check in on her. Well it makes sense to me that is."

The cadet gave the sergeant another sideways glance, but then nodded in agreement and made her way in. The locker room was empty, except for Smithy, who seemed to be soundly asleep. Pallas walked over to her, looking her over carefully with the eye of someone who had spent almost a full rotation in Medical, looking for any external signs of injury or unusual markings. Seeing none, and observing Smithy to be breathing normally, she put an arm under the petty officer to steady her and then shook her gently. "Smithy, are you okay?" she asked.

Tia was snoring ever so slightly, when she was shaken she snorted as she was coming back to the waking world. "What, what?" then found herself looking into Pallas's eyes. "Er hello what are you doing in my roo-" Tia stopped short realizing she wasn't in her room. "Say where am I?" then looked at the bottle she still held cradled in her arms, memories flooding through her mind. "Oh..." her voice going rather quiet. "I am okay." trying to rub her face clean which was a bit dirty and adding some more streaks of dirt.

Tia managed to get to a seated position, still holding onto the bottle. "Did I miss my shift?"

Pallas smiled. "Not unless you were scheduled for another shift only a few hours after your last one. I think you were maybe sleepwalking? This guy, Sergeant Busby, came around looking for you... he's outside, by the way," she signaled toward the door. "Said he had been by your quarters and you had left your commbadge behind, so I took him to the scrap recycler we had been at before, and the engineers there helped us track you down with the Gladiator's internal cameras. It was strange... it looked like you were talking to someone invisible. Any chance you remember any of that?"

"Busby came to find me? How odd. Okay lets get me out of here, and we can find a break room and I can catch the two of you up to what happened." Tia rising to her feet, still clutching the bottle of bourbon. She leaned over and picked up the isolinear chip reading device and put it in her pocket. "Okay lets go."

She stopped at the door and looked up at Trent, "We're going to get some coffee and I can fill you both in." He stepped to one side to let her and Pallas out.

Once in the break room, Tia carefully placed the bourbon on the table, and then sipped her coffee before she spoke. "OKay, so I don't know if you believe in ghosts, but I do now." she took a deep breath then spoke again. "You see, I found out a friend of mine, who could have been more than a friend, ended up here on the Gladiator. However he was killed when the zealots had over run the Gladiator. I was talking to him, he was trying to show me something he wished me to find." Tia shivered slightly, and drank of her coffee a bit more, holding the cup in her hands for the warmth.

"I found a hidden place in his locker and found the isolinear chip with his personal log, along with this, this very bottle I had given to him in payment to get me off the ship we were in." her voice was calm, almost emotionless as she told her tale.

Trent just looked at her, didn't say a word as he sipped at his own coffee.

"He had planned on a date if we ever met again when I found a place to stay, to call home." the corners of Tia's mouth turning down as she went back to drinking her coffee.

"You are not the only person on this ship who believes in ghosts, whether now or previously," Pallas said reassuringly. "Nor should you be, since spectral entities, even actual ghosts, have all been well-documented by Starfleet over the centuries." The cadet pointed at the chip. "So what is on the personal log? Does it explain what happened, or give any clues that could be helpful for what is up ahead?"

"It shows an image of someone who had been on my, his and my former ship, and also a record of maybe his last day as it was the last thing on the chip. And it was sort of a last will of his wishes. "Tia shrugged. "I probably should get that to Lieutenant Wales." she pointed towards the bottle of bourbon, "That there, was the bottle I gave him as a reward in helping me escape." Tia gave a shuddering sigh. "Anyway sorry to have caused you both some concern."

Trent cleared his throat slightly. "Well you know, we're, all part of the crew on the Gladiator. Maybe, you might want to go get cleaned up before you know, go see Lieutenant Wales."

Tia nodded, quietly then looked at Pallas. "Thanks for coming to find me."

"Well, I was afraid you were having fun without me," the cadet joked, hoping to break the grim tension. At least a little bit. She placed a hand on Tia's shoulder. "You would have found me, too. Probably using more profanity, which I would have very much enjoyed." She looked over at the Marine. "Can you escort our friend here to her quarters and make sure she gets to Security safely?" Pallas looked back at Tia with a supportive smile. "I know you do not need it. It is for my own peace of mind, not for your actual protection."

Tia threw back her head and laughed, at Pallas's comment. "Oh you are probably right on that part." she took a look at Busby "I'll get to security on my own but, I'll agree with you with his escort. To my quarters, and honestly I think I could use a nap as well."

She looked back to Pallas, "Thanks my friend, you've lifted my spirits."

"Just glad you are safe. It may be worth it, in addition to talking to Lieutenant Wales, to let Commander Torma know about what happened. If there really are ghosts on the ship, it may be something Science could help tracking down. Actually, since you need to catch up on sleep, would you like me to inform Science about the ghost?"

"If he is still here, then perhaps so, as I've heard that ghosts stay around until something has been taken care of like. um... unfinished business. Yes please talk to Commander Torma." Tia squared her shoulders and looked at Trent, "Well time for me to go off to sleep."

Trent quietly nodded, then he looked at Pallas, "Thank you, I really appreciate your help."

"Any time, Sergeant. I am on 'Team Tia,' too," she chuckled. "Keep me posted if there are any other wayward dates you need help tracking down," she winked.

Trent laughed and shook his head, while Tia gave them both a perplexed look and then she and Trent departed.