Episode 2.02: Rivulets of Copper, Eyes Aflame

[Renny]

Cole pauses only a beat, only his experience allowing him to show a composure he doesn't feel.

"Handle it Mr O'Neil, please. Once she's safely aboard, we'll work the scene. I'll let the Precinct Captain know what we've found."

He flips his communicator open and calls Precinct Captain T'Paara.

[Patrick Goodman]

By way of acknowledgment, O'Neil flipped his communicator open. "O'Neil to Drake, medical emergency! I have a female Vulcan at my coordinates, exact age unknown but she appears to be in excellent physical condition. Multiple lacerations and stab wounds, severe exsanguination. Request emergency beam-up, with trauma team standing by."

[Davy, aka GM]

By way of acknowledgment, O'Neil flipped his communicator open. "O'Neil to Drake, medical emergency! I have a female Vulcan at my coordinates, exact age unknown but she appears to be in excellent physical condition. Multiple lacerations and stab wounds, severe exsanguination. Request emergency beam-up, with trauma team standing by."

"Locking onto your coordinates. Stand by, sir," Petty Officer Anderson responds calmly over the comms. A moment later, he adds. "I have her sighted. Beginning transport."

The whine of the transporter effect once again fills the air, and excruciating pass by before the woman disappears from view, leaving the ensign alone with the dead.

Meanwhile, it takes a moment for the two comms networks to sync up and connect him to the V'Kor precinct captain. "T'Paara here. What is your progress, Lieutenant Cole?"

It's about this point that Lear and Welsh emerge carefully from the stairwell. Chief Morais silently indicates Cole's position, and David has Welsh guard the stairwell as he moves up to meet the lieutenant.

[Patrick Goodman]

O'Neil stood, then checked his tricorder to verify again that he had detailed scans of the Vulcan woman's condition and location for evidence before turning towards the outer hallway again. "The survivor's been beamed up, sir," he said to Lieutenant Cole. With that, he pocketed his communicator and began making detailed forensic scans of the bedroom with his tricorder.

After a few moments, he realized that it was quite dark in the room. With no element of surprise to maintain any longer, it made sense to bring up the room lights, even though he didn't want to. "Lights," he said half-heartedly, almost hoping the universal translator wouldn't hear him. If it did, he'd be forced to look at the situation in normal lighting, and that wasn't going to be anything resembling fun.

OOC: Anything of interest on the forensic scans? And does the lighting control in the Vulcan apartment understand him enough to turn the lights on?

[Renny]

Meanwhile, it takes a moment for the two comms networks to sync up and connect him to the V'Kor precinct captain. "T'Paara here. What is your progress, Lieutenant Cole?"

"We have entered the apartment of the Principal Investigator. We have found a critically injured Vulcan female who has been beamed up to the Drake for emergency treatment." He pauses for a moment, "I'm also sorry to report that the we have a body that we believe is Investigator N'Varas".

[Davy, aka GM]

Unfortunately, the lights turn on at the ensign's command and reveal the horror of the scene in full detail. The pooled blood is starting to turn a darker green and it seems to the ensign's senses that the wet rust smell intensifies. With body positions visible, O'Neil realizes that the male victim in the bedroom was probably already near death when he was decapitated; the body shows evidence of multiple wounds to the torso, and some cuts that clearly came from in front have either penetrated or sliced through the back. The removal of the head appears to have been done with such force that the bedroom floor received significant damage; the blade was sharp, and the strike was powerful - and probably furious.

O'Neil also realizes the head had to have been purposefully moved to its current position; there's no way it would end up where it lies with an overhead blow like the one implied by the evidence. It can only have been kicked or moved by hand (or with the blade).

The amount of blood left behind by the female victim is extensive, leaving the ensign to wonder if she could even survive transport.

*~*~*~*~*

In the corridor, the conversation with T'Paara continues; there is a lengthy pause after Cole delivers his report. Finally, the precinct captain responds, "Do you need assistance in securing the floor and the building? Do you have reason to suspect the murderer is still on the premises?"

[Patrick Goodman]

O'Neil closed his eyes and inhaled slowly so as to maintain control. He'd been through a lot of simulations, but they weren't the same. "Damn," he whispered as he exhaled, then he opened his eyes. Satisfied that his scans had covered the basics more than sufficiently, he tightened the tricorder's scanning beam and began taking detailed scans of the site, looking for any physical evidence that the killer might have left behind. He started with a close scan of the Vulcan investigator's body.

OOC: Looking for anything the killer might have left behind - fingerprints, DNA, metal fragments from the blade, threads from clothing. Hell, is there a footprint in the blood that could at least give us an approximate size of the perp? It's clear the attack was quick and vicious, but it was still three against one. Does it look like they fought back?

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Insight + Security vs. Difficulty 2. Tricorder scan is providing access to the data, so no Advantage gained there; however, O'Neil's Forensics Focus will come into play.

Also, Nolmir is taking over Lear for the rest of the scene, at a cost of 2 Threat.

Lear's character sheet: https://patrickgoodman.org/forums/index.php?msg=87

Nolmir, since Lear has been introduced before, you have the honor of improving the character. You can:

Raise a single Attribute by 1.
Raise a single Discipline by 1.
Give him a Talent.
Give him a Focus.
Give him a Value.

Let me know what you're giving him & I'll update the character sheet.

Current
Momentum 4
Threat 5

Cole is on comms with the precinct captain in the lobby when Lear arrives. The V'Kor officer mentions securing the building.

OOC: Lear can wait for Cole to be done and give him orders, or he can do things like gather forensic evidence from the attack on the V'Kor bodyguard in the hallway (and leading to the apartment from the lift/stairway), start securing the floor (which will be a room-by-room search), or some other task. Welsh has a tricorder on his person for your use, and he's available to perform the Assist task for anything Lear attempts.

[Nolmir]

Lear approaches Cole and ducks his head inside the door before quickly retreating as he sees the eviscerated body. He takes a moment to adjust his uniform as he collects himself, then gestures to one of the security crewmen. "Right then, Mattin, let's canvas the floor, see if anyone saw or heard anything. I'll start in this hallway, you take the southwest hallway."

OOC: Let's give Lear a point of Presence, Davy.

[Patrick Goodman]

O'Neil Insight + Security (9/4) Task, TN13, D2, Forensics Focus in play

Rolled 2d20 : 1, 15, total 16

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Well, I'd hoped for better so I'd have a little excess Momentum to spend, but I'll take it. If everyone else is okay with it, I'm possibly going to spend a point out of the pool on Obtain Information, depending on what the results here show, because a question came to my mind earlier this morning.

[Renny]

OOC: I'm good with the spend

[Nolmir]

OOC: Sounds good to me.

[Renny]

In the corridor, the conversation with T'Paara continues; there is a lengthy pause after Cole delivers his report. Finally, the precinct captain responds, "Do you need assistance in securing the floor and the building? Do you have reason to suspect the murderer is still on the premises?"

Cole considers this for a second.

"I would ask that your people prevent anyone from leaving the building via the ground floor. We have this floor tied up pretty tight and our tricorders picked up someone leaving via transporter as we arrived so I suspect our killer has already left."

Cole is about to conclude the call when he realises some cooperation might be in order.

"Do you have your own crime scene people you'd like to send up?"

[Davy, aka GM]

O'Neil
OOC: 2 Successes vs. Difficulty 2. Success!

The scan reveals usable trace DNA from at least five sources that do not match N'Varas, his mate, or the dead V'Kor agent in the apartment.

Next to the dead V'Kor agent, O'Neil discovers one partial sliding footprint - as if the foot without weight on it was being slid next to the other...like a martial artist straightening out of a stance - revealing the outer edge of the toe section. Not enough for a complete size comparison, but it could be useful matching a style.

He also sees that blood has pooled around two of the three runner carpets that surround the bed (the one on the side opposite the carnage is untouched). He notices that someone wiped their boots on the carpet at the foot of the bed, just beyond the blood saturation. That will help build a possible profile of the boot print. Near that area, he notices some fibers on the same runner have been disturbed.

The V'Kor agent appears to have been completely surprised by the attack. Scans show no defensive wounds. N'Varas actively fought the attacker, and clothing fibers can be found under his nails (no blood, however). He received multiple defensive wounds before the fatal blow.

Finally, the composite floor has been fractured at the impact point, with several fragments scattered through the pooling blood. Two fine metal shavings were presumably left behind by the weapon.

Cole

"I would ask that your people prevent anyone from leaving the building via the ground floor. We have this floor tied up pretty tight and our tricorders picked up someone leaving via transporter as we arrived so I suspect our killer has already left."

"No one has left the building since our arrival. We will continue our vigilance, and I will expedite a request for transporter logs; we should know shortly who left the building," she responds.

Cole is about to conclude the call when he realises some cooperation might be in order.

"Do you have your own crime scene people you'd like to send up?"

"Our forensic investigation unit is en route; I will see that they collaborate with your personnel upon arrival," the precinct captain offers. There being no further business to discuss, T'Paara ends the call.

Lear
Mattin nods and heads where directed as the lieutenant begins his canvas. The commotion of the night appears to have woken most of the tenants in the corridor, and each answers relatively quickly when approached.

OOC: Presence + Security vs. Difficulty 1 to get residents to answer questions. Since most tenants are Vulcans, the Vulcan trait will work in your favor, reducing the Difficulty to 0.

Current
Momentum 4
Threat 5