Kirk blinked wearily at the computer screen, where a few messages had appeared overnight. A few of them blinked to indicate their priority, even a few compics had come in from people he either didn't know or simply didn't want to hear from. He sighed, sipped his coffee and straightened. "Computer, display text messages sequentially, starting with the first one."
"Working," the computer complied as though it were not seven in the morning and she were earthbound and bored.
The text scrolled past lazily. Requests for procurement, credit transfers in and out of his account from various and sundry banks, information on crew transfers that he really should have paid more attention to. He sighed again, slouched, rubbed his eyes as though to clear them and asked, "Computer, stop display of text messages. Begin display of Compics starting sequentially."
"Working,"
A man's face appeared, looking informative and happy. "Men! Are you tired of thinning hair? Ever wonder how the Klingon warriors keep their hair so thick and lustrous well into their old age? We have the answer! This remarkable serum - "
"Computer stop message. Delete."
"Message deleted."
"For a Starfleet message account, you'd think that stuff wouldn't get through," he muttered under his breath. "Computer display next message," he sipped his coffee, which was beginning to cool.
"Working,"
"Feraizxhai Imports, your source for rare and valuable goods from across the galaxy, wants you to know that we have a new shipment of the finest aged Romulan Ale available now. Please call the number appearing at the end of this message and reserve your case today," said the soft and sultry woman.
Wonder if that's Bones' source for his Romulan Ale, thought Kirk with smile. "Computer, delete message." He chuckled again, and looked at the sender of the next message. He didn't know them.
The Compic began to display, but instead of the usual chipper salesman appearing, there was static. The screen crackled grey and within it there was a faint sound of explosions and screaming. Kirk stared with a growing concern. Even if this was a wrong number, it was serious.
Suddenly a woman's face appeared, and she looked terrified. She began babbling in a foreign language, but from her tone Kirk knew that she was pleading for help. Behind her the building rocked, more aliens ran for their lives and the explosions increased in intensity. She turned from the screen to see a fireball go up behind her. She turned back and began screaming, and the screen went dark. The UFP Banner appeared, as it did at the end of all Compics, and it seemed an incongruous ending to the panicked and unknown message.
"Computer," Kirk asked. "Replay message and apply universal translator."
"Not enough data to translate. Language is unknown."
Kirk sat back. He hadn't ever seen an alien that looked like her, but in all the hundreds of species belonging to the Federation he hadn't ever thought that was unusual. He tapped the desk.
"Computer, save message. Get me Admiral Nogura on a Compic, if he's available." He knew that sometimes the Admiral came in early, and maybe he could catch him before he started his morning rush.
"Admiral Nogura's office," a bright young ensign's face appeared on the screen. Kirk didn't know him.
"Is Nogura available?" Kirk asked politely.
"I'm sorry, Captain Kirk, but Admiral Nogura is away on family business for the next three days. Is there something that I can help you with?" The Ensign appeared to be helpful enough.
"I'm not sure," Kirk thought, tapping the desk with a stylus. "I just received a compic message, marked urgent. I don't know who this person is, but I think that the Admiral should see it."
"The Admiral is not taking any business, he's with his fourth great-great grandson," the ensign smiled. "Just born yesterday. You understand."
"I do. But at the same time I do think that someone should see this message."
"Perhaps we can find the right party to send it to in the Admiral's absence." The Ensign began tapping away at a keyboard. "I'm sending you my messaging address here. Please forward me a copy of the message if you would. I'll wait until I receive it, so we can resolve this today."
The address appeared on Kirk's screen, blinking a pale blue. "Computer," Kirk spoke. "Please forward a copy of Compic message number three to the address appearing on the latest Instant Message."
"Working,"
The Ensign waited politely, and in a minute his computer chimed the arrival of the Compic. "Here we are," he smiled, and began to view the message. His face fell, becoming serious. He stopped the message and began tapping away at his keyboard again. "Captain Kirk, I'm going to have to ask that you immediately delete your copy of that message. Delete the copy and delete the sender from your Sender's list. I'm going to send a technician out to you, just to check your computer."
"What is it? Who is it?"
"We are aware of this and, rest assured, it is being handled properly," the Ensign smiled again, this time with a forced cheerfulness. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention immediately."
"I don't understand, do you know who that is?"
"Thank you again for calling us at the Admiral's office. Have a great morning, Captain Kirk." The screen blipped black.
Kirk sat back, stunned. He thought a moment, and then quickly reached over and pulled two disks out of a drawer. "Computer, save a copy of Compic number three onto disk."
"Working,"
He then slipped in the second disk. "Now save a copy of all recent messages onto disk for PADD use."
"Working,"
The computer slipped and hummed for a moment, then spit out the disk. "Messages now ready for PADD use,"
"Thank you," Kirk said quietly, knowing that the computer didn't care. He put the disk with the one message in his uniform pocket, and then all the messages in a PADD. Then he looked up. "Computer, ring Doctor McCoy,"
"Working,"
Kirk looked around, almost furtively, at the door as the computerized bell rang for McCoy. After four rings, McCoy appeared, unshaven and groggy. "Jim? What in god's name are you doing up this early?"
"Bones," Kirk paused. "How would you like to go out for breakfast? My treat."
McCoy brightened. "Hey, that's a great idea! I think there's a waffle bar at that little place on the Station. We can eat waffles and watch the ship get patched up. Real waffles, too, not out a replicator."
"Meet me there in a half hour," Kirk said quietly.
"Half hour? You okay, Jim?" McCoy suddenly looked serious. "I think if I run I can catch the next shuttle out to the station, but,"
Just then the door to Kirk's apartment chimed. Kirk looked at the screen. "Just meet me for breakfast in a half hour," he forced a smile. "Kirk out."
He turned to the door, "Come in," he said as though he were expecting friends. The door opened and three computer technicians stood in the foyer.
"Captain Kirk? We're here to check your computer. That Compic you downloaded this morning may have contained some malicious code. We just want to check it out." The technician stepped forward, appearing nice enough, but the two that remained in the foyer didn't smile. They each carried a case, but Kirk doubted that the cases had tools in them. "Is this the computer?" the techinican gestured with a smile.
"Oh, yes," Kirk smiled. "Thank you, I was told that they were sending a tech but I had no idea," he forced a chuckle.
The technician smiled and sat at the desk, entering in a few passcodes and overstepping into the mainframe of Kirk's computer. "Captain, the computer is showing that the Compic was saved to a disk. Where is that disk?"
"Oh," Kirk did his best to appear surprised. "I copied all my messages to a PADD disk so I could review them over breakfast." Kirk handed the technician the PADD.
"Okay, well, we're going to have to take that copy," the techinican took to disk and gave it to another tech, who slipped it into a case without a word. "Well, I think that takes care of everything. Enjoy your breakfast with Doctor McCoy. Thanks for your time."
Kirk showed them the door, and then hurredly put on his uniform jacket. He felt the pocket and the slip of disk was still there. He ran out the door and hurried to make the shuttle to the station.
Space Station one rotated lazily in it's orbit over earth, and within it the line to the famous Galactic Waffle House hummed with civilians and Starfleet officers alike. Kirk arrived and scanned the small crowd for a sight of McCoy. Fortunately McCoy had arrived earlier and waved from the bar to Kirk.
Kirk stepped over and took a stool. "Couldn't we a get a table?"
"It's a thirty minute wait for a table. I'm hungry now. You want coffee?"
"No, thanks, I've had two cups already." Kirk glanced around the diner.
"Hey, Martha? Orange Juice for the captain." McCoy waved to a short-skirted waitress. She grinned at him warmly and stepped to get the juice. "You want to tell me what's going on?"
"What makes you think there's something going on?"
"Because you're looking around like someone is after you."
Martha, the waitress, appeared with a glass of orange juice and set it before Kirk. "You want to order?"
"The Double Special," McCoy smiled and sipped his coffee.
"And how do you want your eggs?"
"Sunny side up,"
"All right, and you," she pointed to Kirk with her stylus.
"Nothing for me, thanks," Kirk waved her away.
McCoy threw up his arms. "You drag me out of bed for breakfast and then you don't eat? What the hell is the matter with you?"
"Bones, did you ever get a strange message on your compics?"
"All the time. Who cares?" McCoy was nonplussed.
"I think I should care about this one," Kirk said quietly.
"Can we eat, first?" McCoy insisted. "I'd like to remind you that this was your idea."
They stepped to the ComStation and Kirk slipped in the disk. McCoy watched with curiosity, and when it was over he turned to Kirk. "Jim, you don't know this woman?"
"No, never seen her before. And the computer can't translate. When I told Nogura's office about it, they aked me to delete my copy. Then they sent over a technician and two thugs to make sure I deleted it."
"Then why do you have,"
"I made two copies, they took the other one. The computer only remembers the last copy that it made."
McCoy sighed and handed the disk back to Kirk. He thought a minute. "Do you really want to try and find out what this is all about?"
Kirk nodded.
"Okay, I gotta favor owed to me. I think we can redeem it now." McCoy turned back to the Com Station and pressed the receiver channel open. "Computer, get me the Office of Starfleet Intelligence."
"Working,"
The Screen flickered and displyed the bright silver and blue emblem on the OSFI. A young face appeared. "Good Morning, Office of Starfleet Intelligence. How may I assist you?"
"This is Doctor Leonard McCoy. I'm looking for Lieutenant Carter, in the AO division."
"One moment, please," the receptionist paused. "Lieutenant Carter has been promoted recently, she's now a Lieutenant Commander. She is in her office today. Let me get her for you." The screen flickered blue while the call was transferred.
"Lieutenant Commander, how about that?" McCoy smiled. "Wonder when that happened,"
The screen flickered to a woman's face. "Len McCoy, you crazy man! Where have you been!"
"Addy! We're earthbound for a few days and thought we'd just look you up and say 'Hi'. Congratulations on that promotion!"
"Why, thank you. I saw your ship on the register of girls in for repair and wondered if you'd look me up. Want to catch a drink sometime?"
"Well, actually, I was wondering if I could catch you in the office today." McCoy tried to appear as casual as possible.
"Oh," she sighed, in mock resignation. "You want to see me at the office. Does this mean you want something official?"
"No, it just means I want to see you at the office," McCoy smiled.
"Uh-huh," Carter smiled. "Well, I'm here all day and I have been in a bit of a lull lately. When can I expect you?"
McCoy turned to Jim. "What time?"
"How in hell," Kirk started. He saw McCoy's pressing glare and said quickly, "1300 hours."
"Thirteen hundred okay by you, Addy?"
"This is official business, you're using official time," she scribbled something on a PADD and smiled again. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that favor that I'm owing you, would it?"
McCoy shook his head, "I don't know if I want to call in that favor yet or not."
Carter sighed. "Okay, see you at thirteen hundred. Bring food," she added quickly, and the screen blipped back to the OSFI emblem, and then faded to black.
McCoy turned to Kirk. "You want to check in with the ship and meet me over there?"
"How does an agent with the OSFI come to owe you a favor?"
McCoy smiled a wry smile. "It's a long story, don't worry about it."
"How far is does this favor go?"
"I don't know, Jim. We'll have to ask her that when we get to her."
Kirk met McCoy at the gates of the OSFI complex, a series of quiet, tree lined paths surrounding nondescript buildings. A few officers wearing OSFI blacks and maroons walked the grounds, some carrying a few clothes, and some carrying stacks of paper and books. None of them acknowledged the two officers until McCoy stopped one of them.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for the Ambassador's Outreach Division?"
"Domestic or Alien?" the ensign blinked.
"Ah, Alien." McCoy said.
The ensign pointed. "Down that path, turn left at the third building. The entrance is on the north side, sir."
"Thank you,"
"Seems pretty quiet around here," Kirk commented quietly.
"This is all administrative here," McCoy said. "Nothing too dangerous. Addy helps take care of all the ambassadors around here thinking that they're being spied on. It's not too unusual to see Non-Agents on the grounds."
They went into a small, three level brick building. A receptionist in OSFI blacks greeted them. "Good Afternoon, sirs. May I help you?"
"We're looking for Lieutenant Commander Carter, we have an appointment for 1300 hours," McCoy leaned on the desk casually, as though he belonged there.
The Receptionist checked her PADD and nodded. "I do see that she is expecting you. Please step to the visor for a retina scan," she gestured to a small visor cropping up from the desk.
Kirk leaned forward and felt a familiar warmth envelop his face. The computer chirped a positive identification. "Kirk, James T. Captain." He stepped back and the receptionist handed him a small temporary badge with a smile.
"Thank you, Captain." She waited for the doctor to finish his scan, and prepared a badge for him. "Doctor, thank you," she handed him the badge and noted their arrival time in her computer. "Lieutenant Commander Carter will be here shortly to escort you upstairs." She sat back down and went about her business.
"I thought you said this wasn't official," Kirk leaned over to McCoy and whispered.
"It's the damn Secret Service, Jim. What the hell did you expect?"
A door slid open and out walked a young woman, the same one that had spoken to them on the Compic. "Len!" she greeted McCoy cheerfully. She walked up and gave him a brief embrace, which he gladly reciprocated. "Good to see you again."
"You too, Addy. And congratulations again on that promotion, when did that happen?"
"Two months ago. As soon as I took it I remembered why I should have turned it down" She gave a quick laugh. She turned to Kirk, "And this must be Captain Kirk," she reached out and they shook hands. "I'm so glad to meet you, heard so much about you."
She was very personable, and obviously very sociable. If her job was dealing with neurotic ambassadors, then she was very well suited for it. Her warm smile seemed to diffuse Kirk's immediate nervousness about his particular problem. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I'm glad that Doctor McCoy has friends in such strange places."
"I think Doctor McCoy has friends he doesn't tell us about because they are in such strange places," she laughed again. "Let's head upstairs, shall we?"
They walked up three flights of stairs to the top floor, past doors that had no handles, and walls with vary plain sconces that brightly lit the sterile walls. Carter opened a door with a cardkey, and held it open for them. "Just down the hall here," she pointed to a door just visible around the corner. "The door should be open."
McCoy pulled it open, to a small room with a variety of desks. Carter stepped in behind them, and pointed to her desk. "Just the first one, there. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" she gestured to the servitor.
"No, thanks," Kirk pulled up a chair to the desk.
"All right, then." She sat behind the computer and smiled warmly again. "Now, what can I do for you two today?"
Kirk knew that this was how she handled her regular guests. Diffuse them with hospitality.
McCoy cleared his throat, unsure of how to start. "Well, Addy, Jim here got an unsolicited Compic this morning. Prerecorded and sent to his box. It's a little unusual and I thought that you'd be the girl to see if it's anything serious."
"Sounds simple enough. Do you have a copy of the message or would I need to access your messages, Captain?" she turned to the computer and began searching for a file on James T. Kirk.
"I have a copy," Kirk stopped her. "There's no need to look at my file with the OSFI," he tried a smile.
"Too many skeletons in there, huh?" she laughed. "All right."
Kirk handed her the disk and she popped it into the computer. The familiar sounds of the message replayed, and as Carter watched, her warm smile faded to a forced smile. She stopped it midway through, as though she didn't need to see anymore. She took out the disk and looked at it.
"Who is it, Addy?" McCoy asked.
"Have you told anyone else about this?" she looked at Kirk.
"I told Admiral Nogura's assistant this morning. He sent out three hired thugs to erase it from my computer about five minutes later." Kirk said.
She sighed, "And you made this copy first, then a second which they then took from you."
"Yes," Kirk affirmed.
"Addy, do you know what that woman wants?" McCoy asked. "Is she all right?"
Carter paused. "Are you calling in your favor or not?"
"Is this worth my favor?" McCoy sounded like he was haggling.
"Meh," she shrugged. "This is mid level Federation Priority. But," she trailed off.
"Yes!" Kirk said suddenly. "We're calling in the damn favor! Now what the hell is this and how the hell did they get my mailing address?"
Carter reached up and flipped off her computer. She pressed a button under her desk and the door gave a soft click as it locked. She looked at them, suddenly very serious. "No one knows who this is. And it's not just this one person, there are several messages of this variety circulating amongst the Ambassadorship and Representatives to the Federation. No one knows who they are, what they are, what they want or where they're coming from. It could be real, it could be a scam of some kind. We don't know for sure."
"That's all you can tell me? You don't know anything?" Kirk began to get impatient.
"Now let's wait a minute." Carter held up her hands in a peace gesture. "Let's examine what we do know. The Subspace Provider on this message offers free messaging to anyone willing to provide a name. There are only three Subspace Compic Providers who make this offer. Two of them extend that service beyond the borders of the Federation. One of them extends a little ways into Romulan Space, and the other a long ways into Klingon Territory."
"So this person could be in Romulan Space?" McCoy asked.
"It's very well possible."
"Why would they be sending messages to me?" Kirk asked.
"Don't take this message personally," Carter shook her head. "Like I said before, several Ambassadors and Representatives have been receiving messages of this variety for a few months now. Just recently a few of the Admiralty has gotten them, and it looks like you're the latest member of that club." Carter smiled again, this time genuinely. "They get the computer to pick a Federation address at random. And there you are." She slid the disk back to Kirk across the table.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. "Is that it?" Kirk asked.
"Officially, yes," she nodded and smiled.
Kirk began to get very impatient. "Aren't you forgetting something, officially?"
"Yes, sir," her patient smile did not waver for a second.
"Now, hang on, Jim." McCoy tried to calm him.
"Look," Carter said quietly. "I can tell you, here and now, that the Federation is aware of this problem and it is being addressed."
"That's all you can tell us?"
"Here and now, yes," she nodded. She reached into a desk drawer and pulled out two business cards. "I know that you are to ship out as soon as your scheduled repairs are complete. In the meantime," she took a pen and wrote quickly on the back of one. "If you think of anything else I should know about, or something else comes up, please don't hesitate to call me." She handed the two cards to the two men face up, the silver embossed plate of the OSFI emblem flashing.
"Thanks," Kirk sounded less than impressed.
Carter stood, her smile never wavering. "If that's all that I can do for you today.."
"Thanks for taking the time, Addy," McCoy pushed his chair back under his desk.
"I think we can find our own way out," Kirk was brusque. Carter didn't stop him, but gave a furtive glance and a wink to McCoy.
Outside the building, Kirk walked quickly towards the paved pathway back to San Francisco. "Well, that was a waste of time. I guess that's what I get for trying to play espionage games on during my time off."
McCoy turned the card that Addy had given him over, in a moment of thought. On the back was written four numbers, "2100". He remembered Addy saying "here and now". He looked at it and touched Kirk. "Jim, I think I'm going to take off."
"But I thought you might want to," Kirk had been thinking about a drink in a little Samba Bar nearby.
"I'll see you later, Jim!" McCoy strode off, leaving Kirk alone on the pathways.
