Chapter 4

The interview with Crowne-Chambers had drawn on without anything of value being learned. The showman had merely been putting on a performance for Brown and Kostopoulos; talking himself up with a dramatic flair, without actually citing any examples of his alleged greatness.

Eventually, Brown had concluded the questioning and released Crowne-Chambers back to his quarters (and he had continued his self-appraisal to his security escort).

The security chief and the colonel had then conferred, agreeing that Crowne-Chambers was most definitely suspicious, but not necessarily a murderer. Soon, their next suspect arrived.

The name on Bird's itinerary was "T'Ves," so Brown had expected a Vulcan woman. And, at first, that's what he thought had walked in the door.

She was petite and willowy, with a tan complexion and a dome of dark hair in the common Vulcan style. She also, despite being very young, carried herself with the impassive dignity of that species, and was dressed in a slate grey, high-collared shirt of the type favoured by the same.

Upon closer inspection, however, her ears were noticeably curved, not pointed.

"T'Ves?" Brown asked as the Vulcanesque woman took the seat opposite him.

"Affirmative," she answered calmly.

He checked the medical report. T'Ves had willingly submitted to a DNA scan and was completely Human.

"You're not Vulcan," he said. Kostopoulos gave him a sidelong glance for his forwardness but said nothing.

"That is correct," T'Ves said.

Brown tried to conjure up a polite way of asking the questions in his mind, but came out with, "Then what's with the hair? The outfit? The name?"

Kostopoulos shifted uncomfortably in her chair, but T'Ves did not seem perturbed by the line of enquiry.

"I am not a Vulcan by birth," said the young woman, "but by identity. I relate to their way of life more than I do to that of my own species, so I have chosen to adopt their customs and philosophies. I legally changed my name when I reached eighteen Earth years of age."

Brown stroked his chin, digesting this. She couldn't be much older than 18 now, he thought, and, while he considered himself open-minded, he found it impetuous of the girl to abandon her own culture. Surely it was possible to adopt Vulcan beliefs without masquerading as one.

But, that was not what he was here to investigate.

Getting back on track, he asked, "Well, what brought you to the expo?" Like Zrae, T'Ves had not registered for a stall.

"I have been working on Vulcan for the past year as a junior clerk for the Science Council," T'Ves began in an even tone. "I was sent here as their representative to discuss possible collaborations with Abramson Industries."

"By yourself?" Brown asked, dubious due to her age.

T'Ves raised an eyebrow. "Given my heritage, I was the most logical candidate to broker an agreement between the Science Council and a Human corporation. It was also only intended as preliminary information-gathering - I would report back what I had learned, and, if the Council agreed with any of AI's proposals, more experienced individuals would take them forward."

"I see," said Brown. "What sort of things did you discuss with Ms. Bird?"

T'Ves was silent a moment, tilting her head slightly. "The proposal which I believe the Science Council would find most appealing was called the Quadros Project: Four long-range, warp-capable probes to be launched deep into each quadrant of the galaxy to chart stars, aiding in future exploration. As the Vulcans are withdrawing from manned deep-space missions, such expeditions are likely to become the norm for… them."

Brown had caught her hesitation on the last word. Was she about to say "for us" instead?

T'Ves continued. "Despite his wealth, Ms. Bird conveyed that Mr. Abramson lacks the requirements for such an undertaking, and Starfleet is more focused on manned spacecraft. Hence, the Vulcan Science Council seemed like his most prosperous avenue for collaboration."

"So you weren't there to pitch an idea?" Brown asked. "Like the others?"

"Quite the opposite."

"And you thought that this Quadros probe idea was the best one?"

"I thought it was the one most likely to be developed by the Science Council."

"You don't have an opinion on the matter?"

T'Ves cocked her head again. "I believe it would be advantageous. But I will relate it, and the other proposals, to my superiors and defer to their judgement."

"Mm. Is that what you told Ms. Bird?"

"Yes," T'Ves answered immediately.

"And how did she react to that?"

Silence.

"She accepted it," T'Ves said.

Brown again noted the hesitation.

"What else did you discuss with her?"

More silence.

"I… apologise, Commander," T'Ves said. "I should not have shared information on the Quadros Project with you without first consulting Mr. Abramson. I am quite sure that Ms. Bird would have wanted me to maintain a professional discretion. As such, I am unwilling to divulge any other topics we discussed.

"Rest assured, however, that when I left her, Ms. Bird was… hopeful."

Somehow, Brown wasn't assured at all.

"What d'you make of her?" Brown asked Kostopoulos once T'Ves had left.

"Bright kid," the MACO answered. "The Vulcans don't usually hire outsiders, even after the reformation."

"Aye, but that's what I mean," said Brown. "Living like a Vulcan when she's Human? What's that all about?"

Kostopoulos shrugged. "Some people aren't comfortable with the body they're born into. If she identifies more with Vulcans than us, who are we to say it's wrong?"

Brown said no more on the matter, but still didn't fully embrace the idea. While gender identity had long been accepted as malleable among Humans, species identity was another thing. One he wasn't sure his old-fashioned sensibilities could accept so easily.

He put it out of his mind for now as their next suspect entered - the first visitor Bird had met with on the evening of her murder.

Brown blinked as his eyes were assaulted with colour. The man before him wore numerous clashing, neon-bright colours, including a green jacket, orange waistcoat, purple necktie, and yellow trousers. His dark hair was slicked back within an inch of its life, and he sported a finely-waxed moustache that curled at its tips over a mouth full of teeth.

"Ah, you must be Lieutenant Commander Brown and Colonel Kostopoulos!" the large man boomed. He leaned over to shake both of their hands enthusiastically. "Lamentable that we meet under such circumstances. I wept when I heard the news. Alas, poor Reena!"

He produced a large red handkerchief with blue polka dots, dabbing at his eyes with it as he sat down.

Brown took a moment to gather himself before such a forceful personality. "Did you know her well, Mister…" He glanced at his padd.

"Wrigley!" the man offered. "Wilbur Oswald Wrigley, at your service. And no, I only met Reena yesterday evening. A delightful woman, all the same."

"And, uh, what was your meeting about?"

"Why, I wish to expand my family business," Wrigley answered as if it were obvious. "I humbly requested that Reena submit my request for investment to her employer."

"What is your family business, Mr. Wrigley?"

The bombastic other man's round face split in a grin. "Come now, Commander. Surely you've heard of Wrigley's Pleasure Parks?"

Brown shrugged. "I… don't get out much."

Kostopoulos broke her quiet streak. "They're theme parks which cater to a variety of… interests."

"We specialise in entertainment for all ages!" Wrigley boasted. He chuckled and wagged a chubby finger at Kostopoulos. "I see you're already familiar with them, Colonel."

Kostopoulos remained stern. "I visited your park on Tau Ceti Three once. Quite… exotic." She looked away promptly.

Wrigley chuckled again. "Ah yes, that is a good one." He looked back to Brown. "My grandfather, Walden Horatio Wrigley, founded the franchise in the late twenty-first century to help lift humanity out of its dark past and into a brighter tomorrow! Although some people are more familiar with our… mature venues…" Kostopoulos looked away again. "But we are primarily a family-friendly company, I assure you.

"However, it was an all-new venture that I brought to AI. Picture this…" Palms outward, he spread his hands apart, as if an image would actually appear between them. "A worldwide amusement park… Wrigley's Pleasure Planet!"

He let that hang in the air a moment, but both Brown and Kostopoulos remained expressionless.

Undeterred, Wrigley continued. "Rollercoasters that span mountain ranges! Water parks that encompass oceans! Entire coastlines dedicated to non-stop beach parties! A casino continent that never sleeps! And, of course, whole islands for, ahem, adult-only distractions."

"That's… ambitious," said Brown once he was sure that Wrigley was finished.

"Indeed," said Wrigley. "Hence my appeal to Reena and the enigmatic Willem Abramson. Only he would have the money - the scope - to fund such a dream." Wrigley looked downward at the table, his features as animate in despair as they were in excitement.

"Alas," he said, "it may never come to fruition without poor, dear Reena's recommendation." He dabbed at his eyes with the handkerchief again.

"T'Ling to Security Chief Brown," came the Vulcan doctor's voice over the comm. "I require your presence immediately."

This was already the best news he'd heard all day.