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"Innocence is One of the Casualties of Knowledge"
(Previous Post: "Stars")
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 63077.1700

As a Scientist the Shillian held a true admiration for the universe and all of its mysteries, there had been something mystical about the ageless secrets that the Chief Science Officer had hoped to one day come across and discover.  As an Intel Operative though, the universe had lost much of its luster, stars that had once inspired the imagination had become nothing more than landmarks and indicators of strategic usefulness.  Although the physical size of the universe had in no way changed, the whole had seemed much smaller now then it had been only a few days ago.

The new Intelligence Liaison Officer made the rounds of the stations that comprised the Intelligence Gathering Center of the USS ANUBIS.  The amount of information that scrolled on a single screen at any given time had been mindboggling and yet there had still been so much that they were missing in regards to useful data for the current mission.

The location of RAADEJ III within the RIN-AJAD CLUSTER had only been an approximate set of coordinates due to the fact that even the Romulan Star Empire considered that world to be *out of the way*.  Still, locating an entire planet for a ship as well equipped as the ANUBIS would not be an issue, but the rest of their mission objectives would certainly prove to be far more challenging.

The location of the genetics lab that was at the heart of their mission into Romulan space had been kept secret to even some of the higher echelons within the Romulan Senate.  This could only indicate that whatever work had been undertaken within the limits of this lab had been of the greatest importance to the Romulans and anyone who stood against them.  Added to this the fact that information had actually leaked out in regards to the Genetic Memory Transfer project could only be looked upon to indicate that the work had either been near or already completed.  This meant that the next 17 days could possibly prove to be crucial to the success of the mission and the stability of the political landscape of the galaxy.

Information would prove to be primordial in the timely completion of this mission, not only because it would allow the crew of the ANUBIS to shave some precious time off their timeframe but also to give them the means to actually gain access to the lab and its work.  It had been a foregone conclusion that the security measures for this secret genetics lab would be of the highest degree and that finding the planet and lab, as important as they may be, would only be a simple first step in what would likely be a very difficult and demanding mission.

"Still no reply from our contact on ROMULUS," one of the agents said, having anticipated the question from the Intel Operative who had come o stand behind him.

As impressed as she had always been with the efficiency of the staff within the science department of the ANUBIS, the Shillian had to admit that the personnel of the Intelligence Gathering Center performed on an entirely different level.  Had she had known better, the former Chief Science Officer would have proposed the possibility that Annie had no been the only artificial life form onboard this SCARAB-Class Cruiser.

"We have intercepted an encoded transmission to a Romulan patrol ship," another officer said which immediately drew the attention of the Shillian.  "They have been ordered to investigate a disturbance in a sector that will place them within 200,000 kilometers of our planned travel route."

"Notify the Bridge and suggest that we alter course accordingly," the Shillian reacted with as she called up a star map and overlapped the flight path of the ANUBIS over it.  "Recommend course be set for 032 mark 312 and returned to our original course heading after an hour, this will almost double the distance between us and that Romulan patrol while costing us only 26 minutes in additional travel time.  We will need to look into finding ways to make up that time without increasing speed and without adding to our risks of being detected."

"Yes Sir," was the uniform reply from every single officer which left the Shillian Intel Operative to once again wonder if there had not been something *extra* about those working within this department.

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Jessica Solarik
Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS