Ensign Britney Undercover (Part Four)

It's been nearly a week since I sent Ensign Britney undercover to infiltrate the Dregs of Society. I haven't heard a word from her.

The idea was for her to find out as much information as she could, and come straight out, but that hasn't happened. As she is so erratic and unpredictable, I don't know what to think.

Britney is about as reliable as a timepiece sold by a Ferengi dealer.

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Deanna Troi and Beverly enter my Ready Room, where I am about to have a stress pill.

"Captain." says Deanna, "We'd like to talk to you about Ensign Britney."

At the sound of that, I decide to have two stress pills instead.

"What is it, Counselor?" I ask.

"We have been studying Ensign Britney's behavioral patterns." Deanna continues, "It seems she has a lot of the qualities that are also inherant in Dreg behaviour. Reluctance to accept rules, bad discipline, never one to conform."

"So what are you two saying?" I ask.



"We think that Britney could easily be a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, or the modern equivilant FourLight Fever, where the captor, or person with them can start to believe or sympathise with their beliefs." Bev tells me.

I put my head in my hands.

"She could reveal a lot of Starfleet secrets!" I say in despair.

"That will not happen!" exclaims a third voice in the room.



"T'Pol." Deanna says, "I know you're friends with Britney, but..."

"My soulsistah friend Britney may be unorthodox." T'Pol declares, "I agree, she may have sympathies with the Dregs, but she is a good Starfleet member and will carry out her mission."

Riker enters the room.

"I hope you're right, T'Pol." he says, "We've had word from sources around the main Dreg neighbourhood that the leader now is a Desdemona Dreg, sister of the imprisoned Dirk Dreg. Not only that, she has a new recruit who is in her favour and will soon rise high in their circles."

I groan.

"We've got to get her out now, Captain." Deanna says, "Before it is too late. She may be either trapped in there and is playing along until she sees her chance, or has turned into a Dreg."

"Send me." T'Pol asks, "I was top at the sneakiness and break in group in the Terran Empire Qualifying Exam."

An idea comes to me.

"Very well, T'Pol." I say, "You can go down and locate her. We'll tell you where the top Dreg areas are."

Satisfied, T'Pol leaves the Ready Room.

Deanna, Bev and Riker look amazed.

"Why did you send her alone, Captain." asks Riker, "She'll get captured."

"And lead us right to their Headquarters, Number One." I say, "We'll place a tracker on her before she beams down. Mr Worf his full security team and us all will be close behind."

"You may have a good idea, Jean-Luc." Bev tells me after the others have left, "Let's hope we are not to late to save Britney from the Dregs."

To be continued...