Investigations-Chapter 81

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[Tuvok's office]

"All through the subspace communication logs, there were these gaps, as though something had been erased." Neelix said.

"We have recently experienced a plasma overload. That could easily account for the anomalous readings in the logs." Tuvok said.

"Ah ha! I knew you'd say that. Answer this, Mister Vulcan. Why would those gaps, those deletions, occur only in the sub-com logs and only in the last month? I checked every log system we have. Sensor logs, power allocation logs, warp maintenance logs, environmental control logs. They're all perfectly fine." said Neelix.

"What are you suggesting?" Tuvok asked.

"I believe someone on this ship has been making covert transmissions and erasing the evidence." said Neelix.

"To what end?" Tuvok asked.

"I don't know, but I suspect whoever it was has been communicating with the Kazon." said Neelix.

"That's an extremely serious charge." Tuvok replied.

"I know. That's why I've come to you." said Neelix.

"Mister Neelix, I strongly suspect that your enthusiasm for your new journalistic endeavour is leading you to see villains where none exist. However, even the possibility that someone on board might secretly be communicating with the Kazon deserves investigation. I will pursue the matter." Tuvok states.

"And I will help you." said Neelix.

"I think not. This is now a matter of ship security. I must ask you to withdraw and let me handle it according to Starfleet protocols." Tuvok said.

"As a journalist, I have an ethical obligation to keep digging for the facts in this case." said Neelix.

"And I have the higher obligation to keep you from putting yourself and others at risk. You will drop this matter." Tuvok said.

"I see. All right, I leave it in your hands. Good hunting." said Neelix.

[Corridor]

"Higher obligation? Ha, I'll show him higher obligation. Huh, he'll have Eskarian egg on his face when I get to the heart of this. It's the job of a journalist to be independent." Neelix said to himself.

[Engineering]

"Lieutenant, I wonder if you could--" said Neelix.

"I'm a little busy right now, Neelix. What do you need?" B'Elanna asked.

"I was wondering if it's possible to look underneath a log that seems to have been erased, to see if there's anything left of it." said Neelix.

"Mister Hogan, could you please help Neelix out for a minute?" B'Elanna asked.

"You want to recover deleted logs?" Hogan asked.

"Ah, that would be ideal." said Neelix.

"Well, let me give it a try. Usually it's possible to recover data, unless extraordinary measures were taken to erase it. Now, this is strange. Computer, run a signal modulation analysis of this file." said Hogan.

"Security authorisation required." said the Computer.

"Engineering authorisation omega four seven." said Hogan.

"Authorisation accepted. Running analysis." said the Computer.

"What?" Neelix asked.

"I can't recover the logs, because these messages were sent without using any of the antenna arrays." said Hogan.

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