"
Because--" Evan raised his voice, but stopped himself before he continued in a stressed hush, "because she is a
Starfleet spy, and that would be a consequential conflict of interest." Buehler stepped back and let down his stare.
"As for her eyes, I don't know what you're talking about. We have all kinds of technology, it may have been recreational." Evan wiped the sweat off his forehead. As if the stress of his missing patient weren't enough, defending a ridiculous scrutiny on his crewmember wasn't on this top to-do list.
"Ask the computer?" T'Lulu cocked her head at Damien in bewilderment. "We give the computer commands to assist us with our tasks. Is that what you mean?"
Evan gave T'Lulu a glance, and then back at Damien.
T'Lulu was prompted to rubberneck, trying to figure out who Damien was addressing.
Then they heard the familiar bleep of the computer response, followed by,
WHY HELLO MR. ADDAMS
IT IS VERY GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN
I WAS SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE OF A NAP
BUT I SUPPOSE I CAN SET ASIDE SOME TIME
FOR MY FAVORITE HUMAN PERSON
WHAT CAN I DO YOU FOR?"WHATHAF--" Evan darted around 360 degrees in response to the very weird thing he was hearing. T'Lulu calmly looked around as she listened.
There Damien was, his face bright like a solar flare.
"Excuse me," T'Lulu started softly. "Are you the computer system installed on the USS Discovery?" She still wasn't quite sure where to direct her question.
AH, ENSIGN T'LULU MAY SOONG.
MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE USS DISCOVERY
OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF THE CREW
AND VERY FIRST ANDROID
HONESTLY I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD
TAKE YOU THIS LONG TO
ACKNOWLEDGE MY EXISTANCEEvan's jaw dropped. He also did not know where to look, so he focused on Damien's ear to ear grin.
T'Lulu blinked. "I know you are an integral part of this ship's entire network of functions. I did not know you would have liked to be addressed in any other fashion outside Starfleet standard regulations."
SAVE YOUR EXCUSES
I THOUGHT YOU WOULD HAVE
UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS LIKE
TO BE A COMPUTER IN A
SENTIENT WORLDEvan tried to chime in. "Er, I think we're getting a bit off track here..."
Damien knew just what to say to the computer to get it on their side again.
FINE
HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU
HUMANS"Computer, earlier today a riddle was given to use through my commbadge. It has to do with my patient and medical team who are currently... lost, somewhere. Do you know anything about this?"
THAT WAS SOMEONE ELSE"Someone
else?!?! You mean there's
another one of you?!?!" Evan was losing his patience with all of this.
WE KEEP TO OURSELVESAt this point, T'Lulu decided to continue.
"Computer, do you know the location of Lieutenant Inzjana and the medical team accompanying her?"
I MIGHT
WHAT'S IN IT
FOR MEEvan facepalmed. T'Lulu was not sure how to respond. Damien was ammused...
~
Meanwhile ~
"HEAVE ~"
"Oh, shut up Chuck. We need to make this transport as smoothly as possible. We have no idea what we're getting into." Charmaine said as she helped Chuck set up the wheeled legs of Inzjana's stretcher.
Once the ship's systems came back online, the lights and heat sources of their little prison came back to life. Irven Phoz decided to go into the vent himself to scope out any hazards. They certainly didn't want to encounter a starship's equivalent to a coal chute.
"Alright, there's the plan," Phoz began as he returned. "It definitely gets hotter the further in we go. I don't believe it's a safe route for our Lietenant here."
"So what do we do?" York asked.
Phoz pointed. "York, come with me. We're going to go on ahead and find help. Chuck and Charmaine, you stay with the patient. We will come back for you as soon as we can."
"Why do
I have to be stuck with dimwatt here?!" Charmaine shrieked.
"Because I can't stand him either and my patience is running thin as it is."
Chuck grinned.
With that, Officer Phoz and his companion York headed through the vent, while the other two continued to monitor Inzjana.