Just a few days had elapsed since the illustrious meeting on Deck 55, but Ensign Solari’s unwavering diligence had already yielded significant progress in identifying any suspicious activities spanning from one month before Frontier Day to the day prior.

The challenge lay in determining how far back Cam needed to investigate and precisely what he should be searching for. Fortunately, the program he had designed to assist him proved effective, with easily adjustable filters. It was still akin to searching for a needle in a haystack, and much of the data required his personal scrutiny.

Currently, Cam found himself in possession of separate office space, a welcome change that he readily embraced. This development was primarily thanks to his inquisitive colleague, Lieutenant Praga, who had been overly curious about Cam’s activities since he was summoned to the Director’s office and seemed to vanish for a few days.

Up to this point, Cam’s only substantial achievement had nothing to do with the original directive. He had stumbled upon some questionable Ferengi individuals involved in what appeared to be the sale of stolen equipment. Cam promptly reported this to Director Peri’s office, resulting in the Ferengi’s apprehension a few hours later. This accomplishment left Cam feeling rather satisfied, even eliciting a chuckle.

Cam was deeply engrossed in sifting through another list of potentially suspicious activities when his commbadge chimed, and the voice of one of the Lieutenants who had attended the meeting came through.

“Oin’sun to Solari.”    

“Yes, Lieutenant? How can I assist you?” Cam inquired, his curiosity now piqued.

“I wanted to touch base to see how your work is coming along? I have been going over the transporter logs for the last couple of months and have identified a list of all civilians who have used the transporters during this time. I have no idea when the transporter systems were tampered with but there was a slight increase in malfunctions reported across the station around this time. The repair work seemed to be linked to a power disruption so I am not sure they are linked. I have highlighted several ships that had people beam to in the lead-up to Frontier Day. The odd thing is that they were docked so beaming over doesn’t fit. I am sending you their IDs if you could dig up any more information.”

A moment later Cam’s PADD had an alert come up stating an unread message was waiting. 

Cam meticulously reviewed the message displayed on his PADD, making precise adjustments to his search program parameters. 

He then instructed, “Computer, perform a comprehensive cross-reference of the newly added data’s IDs in the period we have established.”

The computer fell into a brief silence, its digital gears whirring as it processed the data. After a moment, it calmly reported, “The result indicates there are eighteen thousand, three hundred and fifty-six potential threats.”

Cam paused in contemplation for a moment before issuing his next command. “Computer,” he began, “now cross-reference these results with the exhaustive dataset we’ve diligently compiled throughout the past week.”

This time, the computer’s brief silence didn’t last as long. After only a moment, it calmly stated, “The result shows two hundred and thirteen potential threats.”

Cam’s sense of progress gave him a glimmer of hope, but he realized that he needed assistance to sift through the extensive records. Without hesitation, Cam swiftly pressed his communicator and uttered, 

“Solari to Oin’sun, Lieutenant, you better get down here.”

Cynndle looked up from the console he was working at and tapped his combadge, “Sure thing.” With that, he got up and made his way to the offices Solari was using. 

About 10 minutes after they had spoken Cynndle walked into the space. “So I guess you found something interesting?” 

Cam eagerly thrust his PADD beneath Oin’Sun’s nose.

“Take a look at this! I cross-referenced the IDs you provided with the data I’ve been compiling leading up to Frontier Day.”

“I gathered, what did you find?”

“These findings represent only two hundred and thirteen results out of thousands! I called you with the faint hope of sorting through it together, but in the short time it took you to arrive, I stumbled upon something,” Cam exclaimed, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Cynndle looked at the young ensigned, “And?”

“Apologies, Lieutenant,” the young Ensign said, continuing, “I observed that these are the same five ships that were docked during Transporter maintenance, every time. What’s more, these dockings were cleared by two different Flight Ops officers each time, which is highly unusual.”

“That is very odd. Something to look into for sure.”

Cam fell silent for a moment and then responded with a grave tone, “Lieutenant Commander Francka and Lieutenant Hanson. I work with them, or rather, I work for them. I don’t know what to do.”

Cynndle glanced back at the door then at the PADD, “Well for starters we should inform Lieutenant Commander Peri about this and about Francka and Hanson. At the very least it is damned odd, at the worst, they could be changelings though I hate to suspect someone based on only a little evidence. We should also pass on the information about the ships so that it can be disseminated to the fleet so they can be tracked down if needed.” 

He paused for a moment, “Either way these are complications that we cannot let slide.”

Their eyes met, and in that silent exchange, they both felt a surge of excitement coursing through them. It was the kind of thrill that came from a puzzle’s final piece falling into place. Ensign Solari’s fingers danced over the holographic controls as he prepared the data for transmission, while Lieutenant Oin’Sun’s sharp gaze remained fixed on the screen, ensuring that every crucial detail was included.

As Ensign Solari initiated the transmission, the information flowed out in a stream of encrypted data packets, like a message being sent across the vast reaches of space. They knew that Director Peri’s discerning eyes would soon dissect the intricate web of connections they had unearthed. Their findings were more than just information; they were a beacon of hope in a complex investigation that had tested their skills and resolve.

With the data on its way to Lieutenant Commander Peri, they shared a silent nod, acknowledging the significance of their discovery. It was a moment that would shape the course of their mission, one they wouldn’t soon forget.