Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Engineer

 The positive beeps from the testing station were music to Cardassian ears as Sorripto watched a small cargo container materialize on the small pad about two meters from the test station.

Despite the success the look in Sorripto’s Cardassian eyes was one of fatigue. He was tired, and not the kind of tired you can sleep off. During his years in Starfleet Sorripto worked as an engineer and was the mind behind numerous sensor upgrades. He even invented and developed the nanite technology used to defeat the Borg back when he was an ensign the first time, the same technology which was now powering the site to site transporter he was testing. The same site to site transporter he used to save lives during his personal war with cultists and Section 31, a war he won at great personal cost. Even now Sorripto could sense some of the glares he was getting from the officers aboard the station.

Sorripto may have been a hero, but for some he will always be a traitor. The memories of those times came flooding back as Sorripto worked on his site to site transporter. He was one of the best engineers in the fleet and swore he would die in a gold uniform. However, Starfleet had other ideas and Sorripto spent his time in prison working at the nanite facility on Mars. Even as a prisoner he was practically running that place and his work was still winning battles and saving lives.

“The worst kind of inmate” Sorripto thought sarcastically to himself.

It was this time that has worn on him. Sorripto has worked nonstop for years since those days. Working back through the ranks to again wear the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He has turned down the chance for that third pip a few times now because his place is in the lab, and main engieering, and  he knew his work was not done. While he was serving time, and for about the first year after he returned to service, Sorripto wore blue. The blue took some getting used to, but he was always glad to put that gold back on again. He has been recognized in gold for a good while now, but the change of uniform did not change the fact that some in Starfleet will never give him another chance. Being a Cardassian probably does not help there.

“Back to work” Sorripto pondered as he shook of the feeling of the glaring.

Before Sorripto could return to work however he noticed the alert of an incoming ship.

“Must be the Alsea” Sorripto said aloud to the ears of only himself.

The return of the cadet cruise peeked Sorripto’s interest because the ship was late and his experience was that no cadet cruise is late without something having gone wrong. Sorripto gathered his things and quickly moved to second level of the lab. Through the window he could watch the ship come in and at this point he could use a break. Sorripto settled at the work station and watched as the ship came into view. It was only close enough to see in detail for a few seconds before every voice in Sorripto’s head told him something was wrong. It might be minor, but Sorripto knew damage caused by weapon’s fire when he saw it.

“What happened” Sorripto muttered.

Quickly Sorripto began to use the computer at his workstation to search through communications, records and files to see if he could figure out what happened. The buzz of access denied confused him as there was no practical reason for the files to be sealed. Sorripto continued but kept hitting a wall. Whatever happened onboard the Alsea was a secret, and one thing Sorripto hates is secrets.

Sorripto glanced around to make certain he was alone. When he knew no one was watching he quickly took a small, clearly handmade, device out of a secret compartment in his tool kit. Sorripto kneeled and plugged the device into the station’s chip access after making a few modifications to the current layout. Sorripto knew he only had a few moments, but he was determined to learn what he could. Sorripto had worked with several of those cadets on science projects during their stay and he was concerned for their wellbeing.

In the few moments Sorripto was able to access what he could he saw references to a battle and a mysterious enemy.

“That’s interesting” Sorripto’s said as his curiosity peaked.

In his brief search Sorripto found a microsecond delay in the reporting. For some reason there was a delay in the data being scanned, compiled and sent over. Sorripto had never seen anything like it before, but as it was minute he dismissed it just as quickly. Not wanting to bend the rules any more than he already had Sorripto removed his tracker, reset the computer, and returned to work. Anything else he needed to know he could inquire at the next briefing.

Back at his station a few days later Sorripto continued to work on his site to site transporter while watching the comings and goings of ships around the station. There was more security and technical teams than usual on the Alsea, and he had seen any of the Cadets yet, but given their recent brush with combat that did not surprise him. Just as Sorripto was about to return to work a brief glare caught his eye. It could be dismissed as one of the many work lights around the station, but it came from the window and it came from space. Sorripto had done enough work on tactical systems to know what he just saw. The Alsea just raised shields, in space dock.

“What the hell…”

Sorripto had no time to investigate why the Alsea just raised her shields, but he knew that after his end of day briefings this was going to be a sleepless night.

*     *     *

Sorripto returned to laboratory late into the evening. The station was quiet as the evening protocols had been set. Actually the lab itself was closed for the evening, but Sorripto was never stopped by a simple lock or the rules. This was especially true when he knew something was amiss. The problem was this simple lock was now secure three levels higher than normal. The engineering and coms sections of the station were on high security lockdown, but no such order had been given. The station was being secured secretly and leadership was keeping it from everyone. The Cardassian bypassed the lock and entered the lab. Sorripto quickly realigned a few isolinear chips and plugged in his override shunt. Within a few minutes Sorripto was into the secure Starfleet database looking for answers. Not only were the cadets nowhere to be found, but a gathering of high ranking officials took place and orders were to not discuss what came of it. 

"Odd" Sorripto thought to himself.

The first thing he noticed were orders for ship deployments, personnel assignments, and new command changes. The Cardassian knew something was up when the directive files were secured. Such files were only secured when the command changes were tied to a secret mission, and no such references were made. Sorripto had found the first thread of this mystery and he was starting to unravel what was happening. A few minutes of work in the files and the secure parts became visible to him. It was the first few words which caught Sorripto well off guard. Sorripto had heard of the change of command ceremony aboard the Horizon, and Kheren's resignation, but the first few lines of this secure file did not make sense. Under the command line it listed Kheren as a former officer who resigned under protest. This was not a retirement, this was an officer of respect and honor resigning in protest. The file contained vague references to a meeting which clearly went poorly. Sorripto wondered what orders would be given that would see such an officer step down. Kheren may have been heavily involved in Sorripto's fate a few years ago, but he had nothing but respect for the service of the Andorian.

"Something is seriously wrong here" Sorripto's inner dialogue was now being spoken aloud.

Sorripto poured through the files coming in and out of command of the station. Captain Jureth had raised the shields on the Alsea and the station and ships were placed on a secure lockdown in response. An action which apparently earned the Bajoran a reprimand in his personnel file.

"He refused to sign it" Sorripto chuckled to himself.

Sorripto continued to pour through the records. The Cardassian could read at inhuman speeds and compartmentalize data in his brain like a computer. There were more references to security issues, classified documents about the Alsea's sensors and something else but he was not sure what. The records of the Alsea's sensors caught his eye. He noticed a delay earlier in the day, but now it made sense. The sensors detected something which none of the cadets were cleared to know. The delay was the computer secretly storing the files before processing only the non secure data. These cadets were in a battle for their lives and protocol was still withholding intelligence from them. The warmer blood of the Cardassian began to boil as he remembered his own dealings with blocks in the past. As the final files decoded before his eyes Sorripto saw something that almost knocked him out of this chair. There were rumblings and secrets he had heard in the past but this was the first time it was confirmed to be real. Sorripto had taken down Section 31 and a secret evil cult, but this word as a secret even he had hoped no one was keeping. He betrayed the Federation once and there on the screen was the only word Sorripto could think of which would make him do it all over again. Just one word...

OMEGA

*     *     *

Sorripto was far enough ahead on his work that it did not take much effort to fool the logs into thinking he was still at it in the lab. Instead Sorripto had spent most of the day combing through records and using his backdoor hack into the Station's security system to watch everyone. He was putting together a picture of what was happening and it appeared the situation was worse than originally thought. Sorripto hoped that Kheren got his message and now he watched other Captains and their seemingly random patterns. Something was happening and the Cardassian was almost ashamed at how much he was enjoying the subterfuge again. Just as Sorripto watched the monitors for what appeared to be another meeting his console beeped. He reached over and turned off the alarm. 

"Now who is looking for little old me" Sorripto whispered to himself.

He had installed a tracker in the computer to find any reference or search for his name. It would help him avoid prying eyes, but also made it easier to stay one step ahead of anyone who would be looking for him. He recognized the name on the screen. Captain Jureth had just asked the computer for his location.

"I remember that guy" Sorripto thought to himself.

"I wonder what he wants"...

Just as Sorripto pondered this an indicator blinked in his lab. The Captain was at the main entrance to the engineering lab and was asking for him. Sorripto was a step ahead of the game, but he still was not entirely sure what the captain wanted. Sorripto had turned his back on Starfleet in the past and suffered for it. He would long have been Captain by now if not for his time incarcerated and demotion process. He had turned down promotion to commander to finish his engineering work, but no amount of work would ever endure him to the good graces of Starfleet brass again. Being a Cardassian certainly did not help. The first of his kind in Starfleet was reason enough for scorn. Sorripto wondered if he would have to turn his back on leadership again. Whatever it was, Sorripto knew his time in Starfleet might be coming to an end again.

"Roger, I will handle it" Sorripto responded to the page.

With a few keystrokes he activated the lab's site to site transporter and with a small smile awaited the future.