Blind Trust

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 4:15am by Cailus Griffin & Commander Mindo
Edited on on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 7:35am

Mission: New Moon Rising
Location: Main Engineering
Timeline: After "Dancing With Danger"

Even though his shift on the Bridge was long since over, the Pandora's Chief of Security didn't stop working. As always happened after a battle, there was a mountain of work to be done by the ship's Tactical Department, and Cailus was riding his people hard to get it done quickly before another crisis struck. Indeed, he had been about to return to his quarters for a much-needed shower when one final issue emerged at the hands of the new Chief Engineer, causing no small amount of irritation.

Thus, his soot-stained uniform still smelling strongly of ash, Cailus strode into Main Engineering with purpose. He didn't even bother looking around at the busy engineers or the thrumming warp core, instead bee-lining for the nearest engineer as she worked her console.

"Crewman," he said sternly, as he stopped behind her. "Is the Chief Engineer around?"

The young lady looked back at the door to the Chief Engineer's office. "I think he's in there," she said. "Something about his desk being the wrong size. I just started my shift, sir. I haven't met all the new people." She shrugged. "I wish I could be more help."

"It's fine, thank you," Cailus acknowledged with a dismissive nod, moving off in the direction she'd indicated. He hadn't really explored Main Engineering before, but as he strolled through everyone, he mused that there really weren't any surprises. The Pandora's engine room wasn't particularly different to the old Churchill's engine room, really, even though the Pandora had been built a century later.

Approaching the office, he rapped the door firmly with his knuckles, faintly curious about who the new Chief Engineer was. They had presumably come aboard on the shuttle from the Palatine...

"What?!" came a shout from inside. Then, "er, uh, Enter!" The door swished open to reveal Mindo, back to the door, on his hands and knees with a cutting tool in his hand, using it on the legs of what used to be a much taller desk. On its side at the other end of the room sat the old chair, now replaced with one closer to the ground.

It actually took a moment for Cailus to find him, and another moment for recognition to strike; he wasn't overly familiar with the man's rear end, after all, but the LEGs were a dead giveaway.

"Mindo!?" he said in muted surprise, frowning. "You're our new chief engineer?"

Mindo turned around to see Cailus. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. His frustration with the desk was still bothering him.

"I think I need to replicate a new desk altogether," said Mindo. He stood up and wiped his hands on his trousers. "Hi Cailus."

Confused, Cailus took a step inside, mind working fast underneath a veneer of awkward professionalism. "I had no idea you'd been assigned here," he said cautiously, disregarding the desk completely. "You came over on the shuttle?"

"Yeah," said Mindo, taking a drink from whatever potion was inside the bottle on the floor next to him. "I thought Shae would have told you," he said next. "I've only been here maybe an hour. Haven't even seen my quarters yet."

Mindo activated his LEGs via the small switch on the right hip and hovered to Cailus' height. "How are things?" said Mindo, trying to act casual with the man who initiated a gigantic inquiry into Mindo's most personal matters and then up and left the ship right after. At least, that's how Mindo saw it.

"Well enough," Cailus replied simply, the frown deepening at the liquor. It was all well and good knowing about the Fesarian biological requirement of alcohol, but a very deep part of Cailus' sensibilities couldn't quite shake off that unease at such a sight. "I haven't seen Shae since before the battle. Speaking of which, did you take the aft torpedo launcher offline a few minutes ago?"

Mindo nodded. "Crewman Zo got here before I did. He took care of it with the Commander. We're getting it repaired."

Still awkward, Cailus nodded curtly, crossing his arms in front of the levitating Mindo, the Fesarian's extraordinarily youthful features still quite offputting. "Do you know how long it'll take to repair? As long as that launcher is down, our aft defensive zone is compromised, and my techs still need to inspect it after you're done. The Tzenkethi could have more ships on our tail at any moment, and the Palatine's ability to protect us is limited."

Mindo held up a hand. "We'll have it fixed within the hour. I won't let us explode before then." Mindo moved back to the bottle. "Drink?"

Flummoxed by the offer, Cailus stared for a moment before raising a hand. "No...never on the job." Glancing away for a moment, he sighed as he came to a decision. "Look, Mindo, if we're going to be serving together for the next couple of years, we have to talk."

Mindo nodded and took a drink before answering. "With or without the command staff in the room?"

"Without." Standing firmly in place, his back ramrod straight, Cailus drove straight in, resisting the urge to scratch his beard. "Did you come here to escape the people blackmailing you?" he said bluntly, looking at Mindo intensely.

Mindo laughed. "I don't know why I'm here," he said. "I got the transfer orders about two weeks ago. No explanation. You know, if I really wanted to 'escape' them, as you put it, I'd defect. Why do you ask?"

Cailus' expression didn't relax an inch. "Because I'm responsible for your safety and the safety of everyone else on this ship," he said sternly, Shae and Aoife in his mind's eye. "Those people, regardless of what they call themselves, pose a threat to you. I don't care if they wear a uniform. They're criminals."

"Isn't every person with power?" said Mindo with a small ironic smirk. "After you left the Tornado, we found evidence of spies on board. Greep wanted to look into the matter. You remember him?"

With raised eyebrows, Cailus nodded. "Of course. He's the first officer I've ever served with who has a beak."

"Anyway," Mindo continued, "I haven't seen or heard from Greep since then. And now I'm here. I wish I could tell you I'm here of my own free will, but I'm not. And I don't know why I was transferred..." Mindo looked down in thought. "Though sleeping with a Changeling probably didn't help." Mindo's mind flashed back to Caradan. To the goodbye they had never shared. His transfer had happened so fast. He'd hardly any time to adjust.

"You...slept...with Caradan?" The sheer strangeness of that actually broke through Cailus' gruff demeanour as he eyed Mindo with poorly concealed amazement.

Mindo shrugged.

"Okay," Cailus said with bemusement, shaking that errant thought off for a more serious one, considering Mindo carefully for a long, silent moment. Given how he and Shae had gotten to the Pandora, he could hardly judge Mindo's reassignment, especially when it was probably done for the same reason: to escape. The man was certainly a talented engineer, if slightly inexperienced. There was still the possibility that Mindo was lying, or even that he was an agent of the same dark forces that had enslaved Shae and Aoife...but there was no evidence supporting that.

With effort, Cailus breathed, nodding slowly as he scratched his beard; the damnable smoke just wouldn't go away. "Fair enough. I believe you." Reluctantly, he added "I apologise for...asking."

"Why are you here?" asked Mindo. "You and Shae? And Aoife?"

Hesitating, Cailus glanced away, plainly uncomfortable and even, oddly, a little annoyed. "Because...well, you remember what she told you in that holo-brig? She and Aoife were in danger, so I..." And he trailed off, blinking at a much belated and pained realisation.

Mindo was confused. He tried thinking back to being in the holo-brig, with Shae disguised as Cailus trying to force a confession from Mindo. "I'm sorry, Cailus," he said. "I was sort of... preoccupied in the holo-cell." Cailus remained silent for a moment. Mindo furrowed his brow and moved forward a little closer to Cailus. "Are you OK?"

His eyes hard and cold, Cailus nodded curtly. "I'm fine, Mindo. I simply realised something. I was about to judge you for an action that violated regs, an action that you apparently didn't even do, when I did the same damned thing for Shae."

Pausing, Cailus took another breath, trying to dispel that tight tension in his arms. It was strange to have such a private conversation with the loud noises of Engineering around them, filtering through the office door. "Mindo, there is another thing. I investigated you, at length. While I don't apologise for that, I do regret any distress I may have caused you. Regardless...right now, it's my job to protect you. Can you trust me to do that?"

"No," said Mindo. "I can't trust anyone anymore. Especially you."

Oddly enough that simple honesty caused Cailus to relax a little, although he still looked as friendly as a block of steel. "...Fair enough, Mindo," he said slowly, focusing on Mindo's eyes. "Fair enough. I'll keep your secrets." Pausing, he raised a solitary eyebrow, still looking Mindo in the eye with the same, unflinching intensity. "Do you trust Shae?"

Mindo stopped and considered the unexpected question. He turned away from Cailus and set himself down on the floor next to his drink.

"You can't have all my secrets, Cailus," he said at last. "Whether you keep them or not."

Examining Mindo's response carefully, Cailus already knew the answer. The raw complexity there was stomach-churning. He knew that Mindo was a victim, just a dutiful and capable Fleet officer, ultimately little different than Shae in his circumstances...but deep down, far below conscious thought, his instincts screamed that there was something dangerous about the man.

"Very well," he finally said, half-turning toward the door. "Mindo, one more thing: if you or Greep find any kind of threat from your past that could affect this ship, even if it's insignificant, I expect to be informed. No hesitation. I don't need you to trust me, Mindo, but I'll damned well do my duty to keep you safe. Is that clear?"

Mindo scoffed. "Cailus, around me, no one is safe. Especially me." Mindo took a big gulp of his drink, then added, "I thought you'd figured that out by now."

Halfway out the door with the loud business of Engineering suddenly blasting forth into the room, Cailus sighed, looking briefly up at the ceiling in exasperation before glancing back at Mindo as he drowned his sorrows on the deck.

"Tough," he said gruffly, the steel in his voice as sharp as ever. "That changes from here on, kid. Get used to it."

Mindo watched as Cailus walked out of Engineering, taking another drink and picking up the cutting tool. He went back to his desk.

"Tough?" he muttered. "Get used to it?" Mindo rolled his eyes, and went back to cutting.

OFF