USS ANUBIS - Mission 19
USS BASTET - Mission 15
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
POST INDEX
Post # Character Title
B001 Iverson Time to Relax
The BASTET is on a temporal survey mission
A001 Morningstar Waste of Time
The ANUBIS is finally given a new mission
B002 Enel Trouble Brewing
Zub's past-time proves to be not entirely safe
B003 Mitshiba Frozen
Aki takes a moment to think about her life
A002 Ya'Han Red Hot
Ya'Han is very angry about what happened to her
A003 Shar'El Icy Black
Shar'El tries to manage the crew's feelings
B004 A'Janni Contemplating Purrfection
A'Janni is haunted by thoughts of Sheetora
A004 Bruxa Sickly Green
Satella is strugling with the drills
B005 Enel Mellow Yellow
Friction arises between Zub and Gemma
A005 Morningstar Realm of Fears
The ANUBIS and crew are dragged into trouble
B006 Mitshiba There is Always Something
The search for the artifact gets more complicated
A006 Ya'Han Darkest Fears
Ya'Han experiences a troubling vision
B007 Iverson To The Rescue
The BASTET receivd a distress signal
B008 Enel The Persistence of Memory
Zub recalls their last joint mission
B009 Gemma Fearful Complictions
The BASTET arrives at HR 8619
A007 Stark Alone and Lost
Jayson, wandering the ship, lands at the Morgue
B010 A'Janni Haunting Memories
A'Janni hears a haunting voice
A015 Shar'El One Fear To Rule Them All
Shar'El tries to figure out her fears
A016 Morningstar Rude Awakening
Satella explains what happened
A008 Shar'El Empty Echoes
Shar'El finds herself alone in the IGC
B011 Andersson Fears Beyond Understanding
While in Sickbay, Sofia and Nicole talk
B012 Enel/Andersson What Goeth Before
Sofia goes to the bridge to attend to Zub
A009 Bonviva There Is No Record of...
Ben falls prey to what is happening to the others
B013 Mitshiba Measures of Fear
Aki confronts her fears
A010 Maya Orb of Darkness
Maya notices something odd while facing her fears
Post # Character Title
A011 Bruxa Greatest Fear
Satella is faced with a difficult decision
A012 Ya'Han/Enel Shared Fears
Ya'Han & Zub run io each other during a nightmare
B014 Enel/Andersson An Unexpected Connection
Zub tries to convince Sofia
B015 Mitshiba Someone Else's Nightmare
Aki briefs the senior staff on what is happening
A013 Lopez Old Fears, Fresh Wounds
Aki enters Adriana's nightmare
B016 Gemma Multiplying Terrors
Gemma fears losing control over herself
A014 Bruxa Real Consequences
Satella wakes up in Sickbay thaks to Ani
A015 Shar'El One Fear To Rule Them All
Shar'El comes across her worst fear
A016 Morningstar Rude Awakening
Erik is told about a solution to the nightmares
B017 A'Janni Fur Fearing Friend
A'Janni goes to Sickbay to see Zub
B018 Gemma Terrifying Truth
Another of Gemma's personalities surfaces
B019 Enel Frightful Facts
New information is given to the BASTET's staff
A017 Paquette A Friend In Need
Shar'El goes to speak with Sonja
B020 Enel Shifting Sand
Zub experiences a nightmare of his own
A018 Lopez/Bonviva Madness on a Galactic Scale
Adriana mediate between Xana and a med team
B021 Mitshiba Jumping Into The Impossible
The BASTET is having problems before the D-Jump
A019 Bruxa Mounting Irrationality
Things on the ANUBIS are getting worse
A020 Morningstar When Being Alone... Part 1
Unless helps arrives, the ANUBIS faces its end
B022 Iverson When Being Alone... Part 2
The BASTET comes to the rescue
A021 Stark Haunting Memories
Jayson tries to deal with what he experienced
B023 A'Janni/Enel Crawlspace Bantering
Sonja comes to the BASTET to help
A022 Ya'Han/Bruxa Working Things Out
Satella visits Ya'Han in the gym
A023 Shar'El Thoughts and Memories
Adriana goes to check in on Shar'El
B024 Andersson Beyond Medical Analysis
Sofia and Nic are concerned about Gemma
M15-001: USS BASTET: Iverson: 36084.0930 ("Time To Relax")
=-=
“Time To Relax”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Operation Rescue, Intel Epilogue” by Tiffany / (BAS) “Self Analysis” by Rachel

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36084.0930

Unemotional grey eyes stared at the image displayed on the main view screen which displayed a comet only seconds away from impacting against a planet resembling a pearl and emerald marble. The scene was even more spectacular in that it was frozen in time, a testament to the nearly unbelievable power of the USS BASTET to travel through time as its Captain so wished.

"What a magnificent sight," Commander Mitshiba announced from the science station. "Scary, terrifying, horrific, and yet still so magnificent."

"It looks like we could reach out and simply pluck that rock from space, saving the civilization of the planet below," Counselor Dima said, the joint Trill having a far more personal approach on what they were witnessing.

"Think of all the lives that we would save if we could," Doctor Andersson added, the Chief Medical Officer voicing beyond any doubts her support of the previously stated opinion.

"Sensors show 5.9 billion humanoid life forms on the planet surface," Ensign Enel reported from the tactical station.

"All of them have been dead for over a thousand years," Lieutenant Gemma clarified, the voice of the Intel Liaison Officer not hinting to there being the slightest bit of emotion about what would soon happen to those people, what had already happened to them long ago.

"Our mission is to observe and confirm the historical accounts of the demise of this world and civilization," Commander Mitshiba said.

"Let us not forget to see if the legends are true," the Caitian added with a gentle chuckle. "There are hundreds of worlds we could have been sent to investigate. Thousands even since we do have all of time and space at our disposal, not to mention countless other dimensions. Admiral Koniki had a very specific reason to ask us to check the end of this particular world. He wants us to see if the 'Heart of Kre'Gan'Shelrak' is real."

"The item you are referring to is called the 'Heart of *Kre'Gal'Shenrak*' and the legends are weak at best," Gemma unemotionally corrected from the Operations station. "To believe that the claims of its creation came from the collision of this comet and planet is a very loose interpretation of historical texts from other worlds that were more than likely mistranslated multiple times over the centuries. It is highly unlikely that we will see anything supernatural take place here."

"We were sent here to observe this event, and that is what we will do," Captain Iverson said, putting an end to the debate. "Whatever reasons the Admiral has, be them scientific, historical or otherwise, do not come into play as to what we are here to do.  Commander Mitshiba, are you ready?"

"Yes, Captain," the First Officer / Chief Science Officer acknowledged. "All available sensors are aimed at the planet and comet. As long as we move forward at less than 20 times the normal flow of time, we should be able to see every action and reaction as they happen."

"Lieutenant A'Janni, as stated by Commander Mitshiba, please move the BASTET temporally forward at 1/20th normal flow," the Captain ordered.

"Aye, aye," the Flight Control Officer acknowledged. "Setting Temporal Drive to 1/20th forward flow."

"I do not see why we are making such an issue to have the sensors catch everything on the first scan," the Intel Liaison Officer sighed. "We can go through this as many times as needed for us to get all of the data we are here to collect."

"Come on Gemma, we all know that you are not that cold, at least not anymore," Nicole said, shooting a sideways glare at the woman with multiple personalities. "I know that there is a part of you that would, like the rest of us, not find it in the least bit appealing to see the death of so many people take place repeatedly before us. I for one think that seeing this once will be more than enough."

"Impact in 4 seconds," the Voth Chief of Security announced, ending the discussion by forcing everyone to attend to their respective duties.

Silence gripped the bridge officers as the comet ever so slowly drew closer to the planet before crashing into it with an odd poetic grace. The shockwave through the atmosphere could easily be seen as it rushed over the surface, destroying everything in its path. The destruction caused by the collision of these two celestial bodies was absolute, leaving nothing behind.  Once all life had been eradicated from the surface, it was the planet itself that vanished next, reduced to nothing more than floating rocky debris where an inhabited world once stood.

"Radiation readouts are nominal," Commander Mitshiba reported.

"The field generated by the Temporal Drive does not appear to be affected by the impact shockwave," Ensign Enel added.

"What about any debris sent in our direction?" Captain Iverson inquired, her primary concerns being for the safety of her ship and crew.

"The Dimensional Drive is keeping the BASTET just outside of the physical reach of matter," the Flight Control Officer replied after giving his instruments a quick once over. "Nothing can affect us as long as the fields remain intact. For all intents and purposes, we are not even here. We are nothing more than unseen observers."

"I am sure that even if the inhabitants had been able to see us, the end of their world and life as they knew it would have made them pay us little to no attention," Doctor Andersson said, the physician doing her best to maintain control over her emotions.

Nicole gave her friend a comforting embrace while keeping the Intel Operative squarely in her sights, trying to judge what effect seeing the destruction of the planet had on the woman despite her efforts to appear cold and unemotional.

"The planet has been completely destroyed," Gemma reported. "The dispersion of the planetary mass is as expected and will reach optimal scanning parameters in 3... 2..."

"Helm, full temporal stop!" Captain Iverson ordered, prompting the Caitian Flight Control Officer to immediately comply.

"Full stop, aye."

"We are here," Selene stated as she rose from her chair. "Begin a complete sensor scan of the planetary debris field and let me know if anything interesting is discovered. Take your time, we have plenty of it. I will be in my Ready Room."

"Yes, Captain," Misaki acknowledged, this mission falling squarely in her field of expertise and duties as the First Officer and Chief Science Officer of the USS BASTET.

=-=
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M19-001: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: 36085.0715 ("A Waste of Time")
##########
"A Waste of Time"
Previous posts (ANU) "Operation Rescue, Intel Epilogue" / (BAS) "Time to Relax"
##########

“Good manners, madam, are never a waste of time.”
– Cyrus Redblock

--==/\==--
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Umbilical connection
Stardate: 36085.0715

Commander Shar'El stood in the middle of the umbilical connection linking the USS ANUBIS with the ship's base of operations NEW ALEXANDRIA. For the last six days, Captain Morningstar had left the ship, one hour earlier from the previous day, desperately trying to seek an audience with Admiral Koniki.

"With all due respect, what are you doing?" Shar'El asked Erik as the man approached her, the Native American was right on time in accordance with his gradually shifting self-imposed schedule.

"We have been *grounded* for nearly three months since our return from KANTARE. This situation has to be resolved," the Captain explained, his rage threatening to explode and take out both the ship and the entire secret base of operations.

"Confronting Koniki is not going to change anything," Shar'El warned her commanding officer. "If your visits were to make him change his mind, it would have happened a week or so ago. Now, you are simply wasting your time."

"Thanks to him, I have plenty of that commodity to waste," the Native American paused and drew a long deep breath before continuing. "Don't worry Shar'El, I promise to stay calm."

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to talk the man out of his plans, the Commander took a side step and allowed the Captain to walk past her, allowing him to step onto the base of operations unhindered.

=====
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section A, Level 3, Administrative Center Reception
Stardate: 36085.0735

"Good morning Captain Morningstar," the receptionist said in her customary welcoming tone followed by the radiant smile that had become synonymous with the woman. No matter the time of the day or night, no matter the crisis that the base administration was dealing with, Allyson was always at her desk, ready to cheerfully welcome whoever walked in. "I am afraid that Admiral Koniki is still not available to see you."

Erik could feel his anger mounting thanks to this latest inability to speak with the Admiral, but it was difficult for the Native American for his growing frustration to remain intact as he gazed upon the smiling woman sitting at the reception desk.  Recalling his promise to his First Officer, the Captain of the USS ANUBIS decided to let things be once again, maybe tomorrow would yield better luck. "Please inform the Admiral that I was here to see him, again."

"I do not believe that it will be necessary, Captain Morningstar," Allyson said surprising the Native American. As hard as he tried, he could not recall the woman ever refusing to do something that had been asked of her, in fact, she was well known for going out of her way to offer whatever assistance she could to those who came here. "Admiral Koniki left this for you," she added while offering a PADD to the bemused Commanding Officer.

As he read the content of the small device, the frustration that the Native American had initially felt, which had transformed into surprise and shock had once against shifted, this time into a sense of powerlessness. "Thank you, Allyson," Morningstar offered before exiting the reception area while appearing to have been handed a crushing defeat.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 36085.0830

After months of not doing anything, the senior officers were visibly thrilled to be asked to report to the Observation Lounge for a meeting.  Everyone was quietly speculating as to the specifics of the mission they would be sent on, and all agreed that whatever it was it would be preferable than to being stuck inside the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex for another second.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly," Erik said welcoming everyone to this unexpected yet very much anticipated meeting.

"There is just so much polishing the warp core support struts can handle," Sonja sighed. "I have been blinded more than once by the reflection of some of the lights on them, so I am happy to be out of there."

"Has our 'suspension' been lifted by Admiral Koniki?" Counsellor and Junior Ambassador Lopez asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

"I am surprised that all we got for what happened on KANTARE was a *suspension*," Doctor Bruxa dryly chuckled. "I was sure that we would face a court-martial."

"The NEW ALEXANDRIA complex, as well as all of the vessels and officers operating from it, do not fall under the jurisdiction of Starfleet, at least not directly," Shar'El pointed out. "A court-martial would draw too much attention to not only the organization as a whole but also would have outside people ask questions that I am certain Admiral Koniki does not wish to be asked."

"In other words," Xana half grinned as she leaned back in her chair. "It would have been more likely for the Admiral to throw us into a deep hole and made to vanish as if we had never existed at all."

"That's not a pleasant thought," Jayson admitted. "At least that story is now behind us and we can move ahead with our new mission, right Captain?"

Erik hesitated as he read the content of the PADD once again. "We are being sent to the HR 6819 star system, which is also known as the Gladiator's Arena."

Maya's face immediately lit up. "HR 6819 is a system comprised of three stars, two of them are locked in a tight inner orbit while the third has a much wider orbit around the inner two. When looking at a sped-up display of the system, it does appear as if the two inner stars are battling one another inside a circular arena created by the outer star. The interesting part of this *battle* is the fact that one of the two inner stars is actually a black hole, drawing stellar matter away from its adversary."

"Sounds very exciting," Shar'El sarcastically noted, jumping in to stop Maya from adding anything more about the specific details of the star system at the heart of their new mission. "I have one question, what are we being sent there for?"

"The gravitational pull of those three stars would make it impossible for a base to be set-up there," Ya'Han offered. "Even a ship simply passing through would have a hard time surviving the ever-shifting gravitational sheer."

"Is that it? Are we being sent on a rescue mission?" Jayson asked, the Ops Officer sounded almost happy, the man clearly willing to accept anything instead of being forced to stay put as they had been for several months.

"This is not a rescue mission," Morningstar admitted. "It appears that the inner stars have entered a new stage of 'competition'," the Captain said continuing with the analogy of the inner stars being fighters locked in combat with one another. "Long-range sensors have picked up some dimensional anomaly emanating from the area between the two inner stars. We are being sent to investigate."

"That's great news," the Chief Science Officer exclaimed, unfortunately, it was evident that she was the only one feeling this way.

"Wait," Sonja grumbled. "We are being sent to investigate a *dimensional* anomaly? Where is the BASTET? Isn't that *their* field of expertise?"

"Yes," the Native American cautiously agreed. "Such a mission would normally fall under the preview of Captain Iverson and her crew, but the BASTET is currently busy with a temporal survey mission, so the ANUBIS is being sent instead."

"That is just wonderful," Jayson lamented. "We have fallen so far that we can't even get our own missions and have to get the leftover scraps of others."

"We would not be in this situation if you had not taken your mask off and revealed to Cagal who you are and dragged the rest of us in with you," the redhead Chief Engineer angrily snapped. "ANI was able to interface with the base's mainframe and they are still trying to figure out who made the recording and are doing everything they can to avoid it becoming public."

"SONJA!" The other redhead snapped back. If there was one person that could stop the Chief Engineer from lashing out at the Chief of Operations, it was the Chief of Security. Paquette calmed herself, not because she feared a confrontation against Ya'Han but because the Nylaan woman was her friend.

"We have our orders," Captain Morningstar said, bringing everyone back on track. "As soon as the ANUBIS is ready to leave, we are to set course for HR 6-8-1-9. Dismiss."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M15-002: USS BASTET: Enel: 36085.0217 ("Trouble Brewing")
=-=
“Trouble Brewing”
Previous posts: (ANU) “A Waste if Time” by Francois / (BAS) “Time to Relax” by Jessica

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Deck 2, Senior Officer’s Quarters
Stardate: 36085.0217

The icy shards in Captain Iverson’s voice sliced through Zub Enel’s thin blanket. “Red Alert, Ensign. Man your battle ssssssssssssssssss….”

His golden eyes popped wide open. To his horror, he realized that not only had he fallen asleep beneath the Tactical station, but he had done so completely naked except for his thin, purple blanket. His down between his reddening scales quivered. The hissing from the Captain’s pursed lips steadily grew louder.

*POOM!*

Alarmed even further at the insane prospect of his sleeping naked on the bridge while in battle, Zub Enel eyes opened wide, again.

He was alone. In his own bed. In his night robe. 

In the low light he saw the polyglass pressure lid to his malt brewer hit flat against the ceiling with a deep, bell note. It parted into pieces that rebounded down at him. A hot, gloppy, maroon liquid erupted from the now lidless pressure vessel nearby. He cringed away but it doused him from crested head to clawed toes. The stinking mass seared his skin through his blanket and night robe. The lid pieces shattered loudly on the floor.

He crammed his 7-foot length against the back wall and the edge his bed. An alarm bell was ringing. 

A Security team rushed in with extinguishers: a Vulcan male and an Andorran female. The Vulcan asked Zub Enel, “Sir, is that blood?”

Zub looked at the reddish glop all over him. “No,” he said, “It is from my –"

The female Andorran’s blueberry skin color went to powder blue. “He’s in shock.” She slapped her comm. “Transporter Room, emergency beam out of Ensign Zub Enel to Sickbay.” She rapidly followed with his deck and room number.

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Deck 5, Sickbay
Stardate: 36085.0220

Zub held out his three-fingered hand. “Wait!” Too late. He rematerialized on a biobed in the same half-sat up position as he had been on his bed. The rising song of the transporter faded into the low lights of Sickbay.

Her blond hair tousled, Doctor Andersson strode up, face serious as she put on her uniform coat. She asked, “How can you be conscious with that much blood loss?” 

“I am not injured.” 

“I decide that,” Sofia said firmly. 

Nicole Dima rushed from the Doctor’s office instead of the Counselor’s. She pulled on clothes. Her blue eyes widened. “What’s happened?”

The Executive Officer, Misaki Mitshiba, had entered in a silk royal blue robe and fluffy white Tribble slippers. “Gemma says it was a small explosion. Confined to his quarters. Source unidentified, as yet.”

Sofia studied the readings from her medical scanner. Her professional frown changed to confusion.

Watching Sofia, Nicole gasped. “Oh no! What’s wrong?” 

Andersson adjusted her scanner and tried another pass. She reached out and swiped a finger across Zub Enel’s blanket. She sniffed it. Her frown became incredulity. 

Nicole’s swallowed. Even in the low light, the joined-Trill grew visibly pale. Her voice shook, “Sofia, what’s wrong?”

Sofia’s one word to the splattered Security Chief rose to full threat, “Ale?” 

It took a moment to register but then it was Nicole’s turn to frown. “That stuff is beer?”

Zub nodded sheepishly. He tried to straighten the soiled blanket over his short robe. “Allakas malt.”

Sofia yelled, “You’re not covered with blood? You beamed in here covered with malt? Are you kidding me?”

He answered hastily, “No, Sir. Ma’am. Doctor. Clearly something about the brewing process must have not been absolutely correct.”

Nicole put her arms akimbo. “He blew up his quarters.”

“With beer.” Sofia added with disgust. She squinted at him. “The replicators onboard can make you *kiloliters* of any beer in the universe. Why do *you* have to brew it?”

Zub Enel had managed to sit up on the biobed. His down danced. “Home brew is supposed to taste better. There are nuances that the replicator misses. This was my first batch.”

Pinned by the stares of the CMO, ExO, and Counselor, he hadn’t noticed Captain Iverson arrive in a thick, floor length, lavender robe and black sandals. “You’ve damaged my ship, Ensign, and are wasting the valuable time of my crew and mine.”

Mortified at all the fuss, Enel inhaled to apologize.

Having entered In an orange and black tiger-striped robe that ended halfway down his furry thighs, the Flight Control Officer A’Janni said, “But, Sir, he was *brewing.* He was crafting the elixir of the gods. All divine art requires sacrifice.” 

Somehow, as the much shorter Captain turned and glared, she seemed to tower over the Caitian. A’Janni went from a casual stance to attention. Iverson said, “Since we are always willing to sacrifice for each other, I volunteer *you* to help the Ensign clean up his ‘art’.”

A’Janni’s white eye darted to Zub. “What do we do with his still, Sir?”

She headed out of Sickbay, her sandals making soft sliding sounds. “Deep space, widest possible dispersion.” The doors sighed shut behind her. 

The doors opened to admit Gemma in a uniform so crisp and clean that the redheaded Intelligence Liaison Officer looked like she used her quarters only to change uniforms. She said to the scaly Voth, “The source of your explosion was a P-trap gas release valve malfunction. The unvented gas pressure blew up your apparatus. Next time, you should blow through the P-trap to ensure it is operational.”

A’Janni said, “No need. Stills are permanently banned.”

Zub protested, “It was not a still. It ….”

A’Janni talked over him, “Whatever it was, you’re banned from ever making alcohol. It is time to find a new hobby.”

Zub Enel felt his heart sink into his stomach and the weight take his stomach down. He had disturbed everyone in the middle of the night. He said sincerely, “I am sorry. I will clean up my mess here.”

“I appreciate that,” Sofia said. She and Nicole returned to her office. 

Aki tightened the sash of her blue silk robe, “Glad you’re okay.”

Gemma regarded him with her steady blue eyes. “Of all leadership positions aboard a starship, the Chief of Security should not be making his own alcohol. It starts rumors, undermines your authority.”

Her delivery had been cold. Zub knew she had intended well. “It was just a hobby. Thank you for calling out the misimpression it makes.”

She turned. Her ringlets bounced as she and Aki left Sickbay. 

A’Janni beckoned with a furry paw-hand. “Come on, afterward I’ll buy you a beer.”

Zub stood with as much dignity he could in a red, stinking, ale smeared blanket. 

A’Janni said as he and the big, glum lizard man exited Sickbay, “*I’ve* never blown up my quarters.”

Zub Enel raised a forefinger. “Yet.”

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise, seek what they sought.” 
 - Matsuo Basho
M15-003: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: 36085.0300 ("Frozen")
"Frozen"
Previous posts: (ANU) "A Waste of Time" & (BAS) "Trouble Brewing"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Deck 4, Astrometrics Lab
Stardate: 36085.0300

Following the debacle in Sickbay, courtesy of Ensign Zub Enel, Aki found herself all too awake to simply return to her quarters and sleep, so she made a detour to the Astrometrics Lab.  It might have seemed odd to see the Asian woman wandering the ship in her silk royal blue robe nightgown and fluffy white Tribble slippers, but as the First Officer, no one would have said anything to her. In the end, no one had said anything as Mitshiba did not encounter anyone else in her travels, likely thanks to the early hour of the day, not that such a thing truly mattered at the moment.

Looking at the holographic display of the remnants of the destroyed planet being studied in the Astrometrics Lab, Aki found herself thinking of the ship and its crew instead of the world and the billions of lives they had slowly watched be erased from existence. As the CSciO, her duties were to the scientific aspects of the mission, in this case the study of the planet and the accuracy of the historical accounts of the demise of the civilization that once lived there. As First Officer, her responsibilities also included making sure that every member of the crew performed their respective duties to the highest possible level of effectiveness.

Thanks to the BASTET being frozen in time though, the Asian woman found herself not thinking about any of this but rather about how she had found her way to be who she was today. As the only child of two scientists, her path had been defined from the very start. With each year that passed, her interest for all things science was fostered until it became all that she could dream of doing. Her joining Starfleet proved to be both an unexpected and welcomed decision as her parents feared that she might never set foot outside of a classroom.

Although Aki had moved beyond the confines of the various educational institutions she attended in her earlier days, she knew that the task of learning was a never ending one. The universe is an endless source of possible discoveries, made even greater thanks to the countless dimensions that extend beyond the limits of their own. Everyday brought with it the promise of something new, or something beyond what she could have ever imagined, and yet today her thoughts were not cast outward, but rather inward at herself.

Maybe it was the fact that the BASTET was frozen in time that made her think this way. Being over a thousand years in the past granted the CSciO a certain personal distance from all that she knew, permitting her to look at herself with a detached perspective. It could have also been her dealings with the complex and ever-changing personality of Gemma that prompted the Asian woman to analyze the person who was now standing in the Astrometrics Lab in her silk royal blue robe and fluffy white Tribble slippers. It was also very possible that the innocence displayed by the Voth Ensign made the Asian Lt. Commander wonder when she had lost her carefree attitude towards life in general.

Aki gave the holographic display of the planetary debris one last look before wrapping herself in her robe, taking a moment to look down at the furry slippers on her feet before walking out. It was easy to see that some things had changed in her life, but at the same time, some things had remained the same, namely the puffy slippers that she had even before joining Starfleet. They were a reminder of who she used to be, of where she came from, a token frozen in time very much like they were.

Making her way out of the Astrometrics Lab, Aki took a moment to silently thank Zub for giving her the opportunity to steal a brief moment of time for herself, fuzzy Tribble slippers and all.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer / Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M19-002: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: 36085.0925 ("Red Hot")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Red Hot"
[previous post were (ANU) "A Waste of Time" / (BAS) "Frozen"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 13, Gymnasium
Stardate: 36085.0925

Jayson stepped into the ship's gymnasium and quickly located the person he was searching for. The Chief of Operations appeared to be in quite the state as he rapidly approached the Sec/Tac who seemed to have a rather personal grudge against one of the training dummies. Under normal circumstances, he would not have interrupted such a training session, especially not one as intense as the one he was witnessing, but the reason that brought him here was time sensitive.

"Ya'Han, what are you doing? The ANUBIS is almost ready to leave."

"I'm training," the brightly red-haired woman replied as she launched a quick sequence of powerful strikes against her inanimate opponent. The sound of the hits made Jayson swallow hard as he imagined bones shattering from the force of the impacts.

Placing his life at risk, Jayson walked to stand between Ya'Han and the unwilling target of her anger.  "You have been *training* since we came back from KANTARE," he nervously said, fearing that she might strike him for no other reason than standing in her way. "I understand that Adriana said that this would be a good way for you to channel your anger and frustrations, but don't you think that you have pushed this far enough?"

"The ANUBIS is heading out on some survey mission," the Sec/Tac said, her fists tightly clenched as she glared at the man standing before her through narrowed eyes. "I am sure that someone else can manage the Tactical station during that time."

"Ya'Han," Jayson said, taking hold of the woman's shoulders. He knew that she could easily toss him aside, or worse send him crashing down onto the mat in such a way that he would not be able to get back up onto his feet without some medical assistance from Doctor Bruxa. Despite that, he needed to do something. "I know you are hurt. I know that you are angry. That was the second time that your brother managed to hold you captive in order to injure you, both physically and emotionally. You have to let it go. This mission is exactly what we all need, a chance to be busy with something other than waiting to see what the Admiral would do with us.  We will not have anything to worry about during this mission, we can simply go about our daily routines without always worrying that something would come out of nearby shadows to try and kill us."

The Nylaan woman wanted to scream and lash out at the man standing right in front of her, but she knew that the anger she felt was not directed at him. Jayson was right, and in some ways Ya'Han could hear the wisdom of Counselor Lopez in his words. The Sec/Tac desperately wanted to find a way to strike back at her brother for what he had done to her. What she found strange was that she now found herself siding with her father in his decision to disown Ya'Kun and deny him his birthright.

To be completely honest, Ya'Han had never held a great deal of love for her eldest brother. He was the heir to the throne of NYLA IV, and as such he often displayed many of the same attitudes and cruelty that their father did. Now, the youngest daughter found herself caught in the middle of a fight that she had never wanted to be a part of. On one side stood the father she had grown to despise, and on the other was the brother whose impatience had caused him to attempt a coup that failed.

She would have gladly remained ignorant of the entire situation, choosing to live her life as she had wanted to, away from the political manipulations of her family. Yet, it seemed that even as a Starfleet Officer serving the United Federation of Planets, she could not escape being caught in the tangle web of her family's drama.

"I know that there is no way I can force you to do anything," Jayson admitted. "As hard as I have tried and trained, I could never be a match for you, so all I can do is ask you to come back to the bridge with me. I know that Commander Shar'El would likely understand your position and situation, but I am worried that Captain Morningstar may not be as forgiving. He is dealing with his own issues, namely those brought upon him and his crew by Admiral Koniki, and I just do not want to see you caught in his lashing out."

Once again Ya'Han heard Adriana's words spoken by Jayson, hinting that the two of them had more than likely spoken about her, about her brother, and about how her running into him on KANTARE had so deeply affected her.  The Sec/Tac eventually nodded her head in agreement before offering a sheepish smile. "Let me put on a fresh uniform first, then I will head back to the bridge with you."

"Thank you," Jayson said.

"For what? Accepting to follow you back to the bridge or for not lashing out at you?"

The Operations Officer offered a smile, taking a second to glance back over his shoulder at the training dummy the Sec/Tac had been pounding on when he walked in. "Both, I guess. I know that Sonja has been replacing these on a regular basis, and from what I was able to gather, it has all been because of you."

"What can I say," Ya'Han grinned. "I just wanted to make sure that my friend had something other to do than polishing the warp core support struts," and with that the Sec/Tac walked away, vanishing into the changing rooms.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M19-003: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: 36085.1140 ("Icy Black")
=-=
"Icy Black"
[the previous posts were (ANU) "Red Hot" by Hanali / (BAS) "Frozen" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36085.1140

It was nice to be amongst the stars once again, seeing them streaking by as the ANUBIS traveled at warp speed proved to be a welcomed sight by all. Still, the mood on the bridge was subdued, everyone approaching this new mission with mixed feelings. After the events on KANTARE, it made perfect sense for Admiral Koniki to be upset, so his grounding of the ship and crew was not an entirely unexpected move.  Sending them on a survey mission after nearly three months of inactivity though proved to be more than the crew could stand.  The expression on the faces of the members of the Senior Officers was more than enough to indicate just how deep the disappointment and anger ran.

"At our current speed, we will reach HR 6819 in exactly 24 hours," the ExO / ILO reported from the back of the bridge, the presence of the raven-haired woman on the command deck just another indication as to the unsettled state of the crew.

"What did you expect?" Sonja angrily sighed. "We are at Warp 5. You do realize that most Zalan freighters go faster than that, right?"  The Chief Engineer's outburst drew a glare from the Captain. "With all due respect, Sir, we could reach our destination in only a few hours if we went to Warp 8."

Captain Morninstar said nothing, instead he just turned back to look at the front of the bridge and the main view screen. After a few seconds, Erik stood. "Helm, maintain heading and speed. I will be in my Ready Room," and with that said the man headed for his office without uttering another word.

"I truly hate to say this, but I agree with Sonja," Jayson said. "Why are we not heading for that triple star system as quickly as possible so that we can get this mission done and over with as quickly as possible?"

"The reason for this is quite simple," the Junior Ambassador / Ship's Counselor replied. "Captain Morningstar knows that Admiral Koniki is only going to send us on another pointless mission if we come back too soon. As difficult as it may be for all of us, we have to accept that it is best to take our time with this mission. Our absence from NEW ALEXANDRIA might actually be beneficial to everyone."

Adriana laughed. "I really don't see Koniki as being someone who abides by the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."

"The man needs to have a heart first," Sonja noted in a grumbling manner.

The ExO / ILO shook her head in a mixture of amusement and disappointment. "Let us make the best of this mission and us being out here. Since this is a survey mission, the odds of our running into any sort of trouble that would require us defending ourselves is minimal, so Ya'Han, why not that the opportunity to run security and tactical drills?"

It was easy to see that the Nylaan Chief of Security was not overly thrilled with their mission, but the suggestion offered by Shar'El actually managed to make the black and red-haired woman smile, even if only for a short while.  "I could come up with a few drills," Ya'Han admitted.

"Good," the ExO / ILO acknowledged before turning her attention onto the Chief Engineer. "With the ANUBIS heading to HR 6819 at warp 5, I am sure that we could do some live tests on the engines and core, maybe even the computer system. As I recall, didn't ANI report a lag in her processing speed while we were at NEW ALEXANDRIA?"

"Yes, she did," Sonja agreed. "I think she said that just to give me something to do, but I will give the computer core a full once over. With the engines actually running, I will be able to get some live readings instead of simulated ones.

Shar'El smiled as she turned to face Jayson, but the Chief of Operations spoke first. "I see what you are going, there are a few systems that I could check while we are out in space. I suspect that Lt. Commander Maya will not mind our making sure that the long-range sensors are as fine-tuned as can be."

"Don't look at me," Adriana said anticipating that the ExO / ILO would turn her eyes onto her. "I have my hands full with the crew's morale thanks to our extended stay at NEW ALEXANDRIA, and whatever time I may have free is taken up by my continuing ambassadorial studies. Xana is also trying to fill her time and I seem to have landed square in her crosshairs."

"Very well," the ExO / ILO chuckled. "I will contact Dr. Bruxa and suggest that she use this time to run some emergency medical drills that maybe could coincide with what you will be doing Ya'Han."

A slow, almost evil smile formed on the lips of the Nylaan Chief of Security. "I am sure we can come up with something to keep our Doctor busy, maybe a little more so than she would care to be."

"Drills and simulations," Jayson said to his beloved. "I don't think anyone would like to deal with actual emergencies."

"Don't you trust me?" Ya'Han teasingly asked.

"Do what you have to do," Sonja jumped in. "I am sure he would be amongst the first to volunteer to get hurt by you. Let's face it, he's already got a lot of experience being thrown on the training mats of the ship's gymnasium."

Shar'El remained quiet. Although this bantering between officers was not professional, the ExO / ILO was glad to see such exchanges take place as it indicated that things were, even if only in the slightest of ways, returning to what they were before their KANTARE and their subsequent being put out of commission.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
M15-004: USS BASTET: A'Janni: 36085.0700 ("Pondering Purrfection")
"Pondering Purrfection"
[previous (ANU) "Icy Black" / (BAS) "Frozen"]

[/\]

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36085.0700

Waking up this morning proved to be much more demanding than it usually was for the Caitian FCO. Being dragged out of bed by a ship-wide alarm was a sure way to get the day started on the wrong foot, especially when the alarm came at such an early hour of the day. A'Janni never had any problems falling asleep, and this held rue once he returned to his quarters after witnessing the chaos caused by the ship's Chief of Security. The problem was that his latest stint at sleeping proved to be less than relaxing.

"Had a rough night?" Commander Mitshiba playfully asked the Caitian FCO as he stepped onto the bridge.  A'Janni remained silent, his reply being nothing more than a glare in the direction of the imposing Voth.

"Be nice A'Janni. He is sorry."  The Caitian's head turned so fast that it risked snapping off his neck. It was not the words themselves that caused him to react in such a manner but rather the way they had been spoken. The FCO's one good eye glared in disbelief at the woman standing at the Operations station, the appearance of the person he saw not matching in the slightest way whom he had expected to see. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" Gemma's question was polite and although it did not carry any hints of concern, it did come across as asking more than the words simply meant.

"Problem? No, no problems. My apologies, I thought I heard something," and with that A'Janni made his way to the Flight Control Station, glancing over his shoulder more than once at the ILO along the way.  As he sat down, the FCO glanced over at the ExO, wondering if maybe she would investigate what had just transpired. To his great relief, the Asian scientist appeared to be far too preoccupied by the scan of the planetary debris to have noticed anything or be bothered to investigate it.

"Are you alright?" It was Counselor Dima who asked the question, the Trill having somehow managed to sneak next to the sitting FCO without him noticing it. "You definitely seem to be a little on edge this morning."

A'Janni quickly regained his wits, or at least did his best to do so before speaking to the Counselor now leaning over the corner of the Flight Control Station he was manning. "I am fine, Counselor," he said as his eye once again glanced in the direction of the ILO.

"Really?" Nicole sighed. "Maybe I should ask Gemma to join us. You seem to be rather fascinated by her at the moment."

"I am not fascinated by her," A'Janni quickly said, his whispered voice coming across as being far angrier than he would have liked it to be. "I am just tired. Zub's little mishap earlier this morning made it difficult for me to get the rest I needed."

"See, that I understand," the small woman said with a grin. "I was worried that maybe you and Gemma were at odds with one another. I mean, the way your head snapped after she told you to be nice, I was worried that you might lung at her."

"I would never do that," the Caitian said in his defense. "I was just surprised by her words.

"Surprised! Why? You do not think that Gemma can be kind and caring?" Even Nicole had to smile as she said this, knowing that those were not traits commonly associated with the ILO, even on the best of days.

"I am sure she can be. I simply heard someone else's voice speaking her words."

"Sheetora?"

The Caitian froze for a brief moment at the mention of the name of the Queen he had failed to protect back on KZINTI ALPHA. "I know that it was not her. I know that it could not have been her," A'Janni said, glancing once again at Gemma knowing that although the woman could take on the appearance and mannerism of the KZINTI royalty, she could never be *her*.

"I know you miss her," the Counselor said in a quiet and whispered voice. "Your memories of her, very much like the planetary debris we are currently studying, will be frozen in your mind for as long as you wish them to be. I am not saying that because it is a bad thing, in fact, it can be a good thing. You can enjoy that perfect memory, stretching it so that seconds become hours. Just make sure to not get lost in it. Again, like the BASTET, you will need to leave that memory behind at some point and return to the normal flow of time, to our every day routine.  As long as we are here, frozen in time, I do not see any problems with you taking a few *seconds* to enjoy whatever memories you have of Sheetora as I know she meant a great deal to you."

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG A'Janni [Access Character BIO for A'Janni]
Flight Control Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M19-004: USS ANUBIS: Bruxa: 36085.1300 ("Sickly Green")
=-=
"Sickly Green"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Icy Black" by Tiffany / (BAS) "Pondering Purrfection" by Jayson]
=-=  

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 36085.1300  

Looking at the half-dozen opened medkits scattered on the biobeds, Satela sighed. Running these emergency drills might seem like fun for those on the bridge. All they needed to do was to oversee how things were going. Sonja watched as the engineering teams rushed to fix something broken. Ya'Han supervised her security teams as they rushed to deal with some threat. Jayson just needed to make sure that all of the ship systems behaved as they should.  Medical emergency drills though were an entirely different story.

Rushing in to deal with someone injured was only the first step. Once there, the patient needed to be examined, stabilized and given all necessary medical assistance. This meant that the medkits were brought out, opened, and their contents possibly scattered all over the place. As the CMO, it was her responsibility to ensure that each kit was restored to optimal level. The wrong dosage of sedative could make a bad situation worse. A missing medical tool could mean the difference between life and death.

=/\= Stand by for drill #3. =/\= Bruxa could almost hear the smile in Shar'El's voice. She was enjoying this far too much for the Doctor's liking. =/\= This is a drill. I repeat. This is a drill. All non-essential personnel are to stay away from Deck 4, Aft section. =/\=

Satella's head dropped. The medkits had not been reset. There was just not enough time. Cmdr Shar'El was tagging these tests one after another as if they were links in a chain. A very small chain.

=/\= We have intruders in Shuttle Bay 1. They have damaged the power conduits in that section. Injured crew members have been reported. Security; contain the intruders. Engineering; address the power fluctuations before we lose atmospheric containment of the shuttle bay. Medical; take care of the injured crew members and stand by to assist both the engineering and security teams. =/\=

Looking at the third emergency response team, Satella motioned for them to take all of the medkits. "Hopefully, you will be able to get what you need out of one of these kits when needed. Now, go!"

Adriana walked in just as the medical team rushed out. "Your teams are ready for action. Shar'El will be very pleased."

The CMO growled softly as she studied the medkits left behind by the response team. "I think the Commander will only be happy when all of the teams come crashing down. I agree that these drills are required, but this is nuts. I thought we were heading out on a survey mission."

Adriana nodded her head in agreement. "We are. Shar'El knows that the crew is rusty following our months of inactivity. She just wants to make sure that we are back to our normal reaction time. If we are not there by the time we reach the HR 6819 star system, there will still be time to improve. Let's face it, no one is expecting the crew to face a catastrophe once we get there. Call it one of the perks of being on a simple survey mission."

The CMO did not even bother to look up from what she was doing. Those medkits needed to be made ready for the next drill. "A simple mission? You of all people know this crew. We don't do *simple*. We have gone toe-to-toe with the Lokustar. We have faced an engineered plague meant to exterminate anything it touched. We have faced countless evils that threaten the stability of entire star systems. We don't *do* simple."

The discussion between the CMO and CNS was interrupted by the Commander's voice. =/\= This is still a drill. I repeat, this is still a drill. Let's make things more interesting. The situation in Shuttle Bay 1 is still ongoing. Now we have intruders reported on Deck 29 in the Ventral Access Bay. Security and Medical are to respond. =/\=

The CMO's head fell, stopped only by the hand that came to meet it halfway down. "I am going to throw up. These drills are meant to prepare people, not discourage them."

The Counselor grinned. "You do appear to have a nice shade of green about your face. Like you said, we don't do *simple*. With that said, do you need some help?"

Satella snapped two medkit close and handed one to Adriana. "With all of my emergency medical staff out all over the ship, I have to take lead on this latest *event*. You can help me by carrying this. I have not had time to prepare the medkits from their previous use. At least if you are with me, you might be able to save me from a complete breakdown."

Lopez happily took hold of the medkit being offered to her. "We can't let that happen, now can we? I am sure that Ya'Han's teams are already there, so we better get moving. It will be like old times."

The Doctor chuckled as she raised an eyebrow. "Back then, you were happy to follow because it meant you would not be alone to face Amanda. Since you became a Junior Ambassador, you have not had as many visions. Either that or you have not been telling me about them."

Lopez took a moment to think. It was true, she had not seen her sister in quite some time. Had the hallucinations finally come to an end?

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Lieutenant JG Satella Bruxa [Access Character BIO for Satella Bruxa]
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS

[Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain]
M15-005: USS BASTET: Enel: 36085.1310 ("Mellow Yellow")
=-=
“Mellow Yellow”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Sickly Green” by Rachel / (BAS) “Pondering Perfection” by Jayson
=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36085.1310

Gemma’s highly symmetrical face was lit with amber light from her Ops displays as the Intelligence Liaison Officer turned her head toward the tall scaly Voth at the Tactical station. In the yellow light, her eyebrows, ordinarily red, were the color of butterscotch as she arched them upward.

“Ensign Enel,” she said to the Voth, “Your tactical scans are drawing off a lot of power that Commander Mitsubishi and I could use for collision debris analysis. Why are you minutely probing the space around us? With the BASTET frozen in time like this, no threat could possibly be that imminent.”

Chief of Security Zub Enel met her cold, blue eyed gaze with a golden one. “It occurs to me that we might not be the only observers of this cataclysm. Especially so, if it is associated with the Heart of *Kre'Gal'Shenrak*. If, as the legends suggest, this artifact or whatever it is, was created or released by this collision of the comet and planet, one could safely surmise that the Federation may not be the only power to be curious about separating fact from fiction and procuring said object, if it exists.”

The ILO’s eyes narrowed. Her lips pursed slightly. Her nostrils flared a fraction wider as she took in a breath. Not a display of impending rage, Zub concluded, because when Gemma was at work, she was so focused and emotionless that she could pass for a highly attractive automaton.

She said, her voice so cool that it canceled any possibility of compliment, “An important scenario to check. However, we have all the time in the universe to check for interlopers after we finish our scans. Please discontinue tactical scanning for now to free the extra power to the Executive Officer and myself.”

“Yes, Sir,” Zub Enel replied in a professional tone. The feathery down between his scales fluttered as he shut down his extra tactical displays. His scales felt warm. Gemma had rarely given him direct orders. There was an extra chill to her professional coldness. He wondered why this upset him.

“You seem ‘disturbed,’” came the Counselor’s soft voice at his elbow. Nicole Dima had slipped between him and a direct view of Gemma at the Ops station. The joined-Trill’s sapphire gaze took in the dancing fluff along the tiny stretch of his scaly wrist sticking out of his sleeve. Her gaze rose into his eyes, a gaze both curious and clinical. “Your pupils are dilated, too.”

Zub aimed his gaze away from the short woman with dark filigree on either side of her face.

The Counselor kept her voice quiet so it carried only to him – and probably to A’Janni the sharp eared cat man next to him at Flight Control. “You and I need to have a thorough chat about Gemma. After the survey.”

“Need?” The Security Chief frowned down at her. He felt his face burning. His down was doing a jig under his uniform.

The Counselor gave him a knowing smile. “After the survey. First thing.”

Zub Enel looked at the rank pips on her uniform. She outranked him, too, as did everyone on the bridge. He nodded in agreement. She studied his expression a moment longer and then withdrew.

A’Janni, the hulking white-tiger at Flight Control, leaned toward Zub Enel, “It is possible they are all feeling a little parental toward you after your beer disaster. It will pass.”

Zub turned to look at A’Janni. The Caitian’s single remaining white eye peered back at him with sincerity. Zub gave him a little nod. He turned his attention back to his tactical station feeling a flutter of gratitude.

He glanced at Gemma. Her eyes edged ever so slightly in his direction; a sign she knew he was looking at her. Her gaze immediately refocused on her displays. He followed suit, gazing straight into the center of his console like he was busy, too.

He felt his heart beating in his chest, not powerfully, but strong enough to notice. He decided he was not happy about the prospect of a counseling session with Nicole. They rarely spoke about anything personal. Still, he had heard she was persistent and unlikely to let him give her some offhanded explanation for whatever he was feeling. Her symbiont’s previous hosts gave her deep and subtle insight into the behavior of others. She would not relent until she was satisfied that they had thoroughly discussed Gemma.

He felt that Gemma was not a subject he was prepared to discuss, even with himself. Several memories of her flooded his mind; beautiful, frightened, stoic, vulnerable, friendly, deadly, steady, unpredictable, natural, otherworldly.

He shook his head to clear it. He forced himself not to glance at her again. He choked off a rising doubt that he would ever fully understand her or why his doing so mattered. He remembered that many insights had come into his life from the use of patience and observation. He took a calming breath. His down stilled. His heartbeat faded. His focus returned exclusively to his scans.

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in”
- Mickey Newbury, The First Edition
M19-005: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: 36086.1130 ("Realm of Fears")
##########
"Realm of Fears"
Previous posts (ANU) "Sickly Green" / (BAS) "Mellow Yellow"
##########

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”
– Judy Blume

--==/\==--

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1130

"We will be arriving at HR 6819 in 10 minutes," Lt. Stark, the Chief of Operations reported.

The Native American could feel the mixed feelings of his senior officers, some happy to have finally reached their destination thus putting an end to the drills set forth by Commander Shar'El while others dreaded the idea of the mighty ANUBIS and its crew being reduced to performing a simple survey mission. whatever their feelings might have been though, this is where they had been sent, and they would perform the intended tasks to the best of their ability.

"Bridge to Engineer, Lt. Commander Paquette."

=/\= Paquette here, =/\= the redhead acknowledged and immediately continued knowing exactly what the Captain was about to ask. =/\= You have nothing to worry about. The shields have been reinforced with inversed-gravitational polarity as per Maya's very lengthy and detailed instructions. The ANUBIS will still experience the gravitational sheer effects of the inner-most star and black hole but thanks to the shield modifications, maintaining outer hull integrity will not be an issue. =/\=

"Well done," Erik noted, keeping to himself the slight possibility that this mission might not be as boring as everyone was certain it would be. It was not every day that a crew encountered a triple star system, one of which was a black hole.  "Bridge to the IGC, Commander Shar'El."

=/\= IGC, Shar'El here," the First Officer replied. =/\= All sensor arrays have been made available for a detailed scan of the star system, the two stars, the black hole and most importantly the dimensional anomaly created by the gravitational eddies. Everything is in place to make sure we do not have to get too close to the stars in order to gather the information we are here to collect. =/\=

"Thank you, Commander," Erik offered, unable to hide the hint of disappointment in his voice. "Sounds like we might manage to get this mission done and over with a lot faster than expected."

=/\= Commander Maya has clearly expressed her desire to have every sensor scan and all of the data collected triple verified, just to make sure. So we might be there for a little while."

"Thank you, Maya," Jayson mumbled, saying what Erik was thinking but in a completely different context. It was clear that the Chief of Operations was not overly thrilled with the idea of them being locked in this survey mission for longer than they needed, but the Captain was rather pleased with the idea as this meant it would delay their return back to NEW ALEXANDRIA.

"Lt. Ya'Han, are the security teams ready?" Morningstar inquired of his Chief of Security who was sporting her customary mixture of black and red hair.

"Security details have been posted at all critical locations throughout the ANUBIS in case something unexpected should happen. They are ready to assist anyone in need. That said, looking at the shield configuration and the reinforcements made to the ablative armour by Sonja, I doubt that anything will happen." Ya'Han reported, the woman sounding rather confident that all of these preparations were an overkill given their mission's objective.

"Better safe than sorry," Erik matter-of-factly offered. "Bridge to the Quantum Physics Laboratory, Lt. Commander Maya."

=/\= Maya here Captain, =/\= the Shillian Chief Science Officer promptly acknowledged. =/\= Everything is ready down here. As soon as we come out of warp speed, we will begin a thorough scan of the HR-6-8-1-9 system focusing first on the gravitational forces of the black hole and its companion inner-most star. Once we have figured out where the dimensional distortion should be, we will focus our efforts there. That is of course based on the idea that the dimensional anomaly will be hidden from our sensors due to the gravitational interference, but we might get lucky and be able to locate it right away. In either case, I have the entire ship's science personnel ready to process all of the data we will be collecting. Commander Shar'El has even offered the help of her IGC techs to assist in the rapid gathering and processing of whatever we discover. We are as ready as can be. =/\=

"We will be coming out of warp speed at the outermost edge of the start system in 60 seconds," Stark announced prompting everyone to stand at the ready.

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Stardate: 36086.1139

With the rest of the ship and crew busy with the survey mission, Ambassador Bonviva, Counsellor Lopez and Doctor Bruxa took the opportunity to take a moment to be together in a more relaxing setting.

"Are you expecting more people to join us?" Xana inquired as she pointed to the lavish spread of food laid out on the small table set in the middle of the room.

"Not at all," Adriana replied. "I just know that the Captain is going to take as much time as he can with this survey mission, so I thought this would give us ample time to relax, enjoy each other's company and catch up on things. Although we were all stuck at NEW ALEXANDRIA, we actually did not get that much of a chance to talk."

Satella chuckled. "I think Adriana is worried that you were trying to avoid her," the Doctor suggested as she placed a few delicacies from the wide available variety into her small plate.

"I was busy with... family matters," the Bolian/Human hybrid explained purposefully keeping the details unsaid.

"I think you are going to have to give her more than that," Satella teased. "She went through a great deal of effort to get a lot of your favourite snacks on that table. I doubt she is going to accept one of your famous political non-answers. You are going to have to come up with something way better to stop her from getting what she wants."

With perfect timing, one that only the universe could muster, the ship violently shook causing the Counsellor and Doctor to glare at the stunned-looking Ambassador. "That was not my doing," Xana exclaimed.

=/\= RED ALERT! =/\= The Captain's voice echoed through the room, his usual unemotional tone making it difficult to know if this was real or some trick that the Ambassador had somehow managed to avoid answering the question.

The ANUBIS was again violently jolted sending the three women flying across the room.

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1140

"REPORT!" The Native American demanded while hanging on to the center chair to avoid being cast about like a ragdoll.

"The gravitational pull from the triple star system is several thousand times more powerful than expected," the Chief of Operations reported.

=/\= The initial report led us to believe that it was the gravitational sheer from the inner star and black hole that created a tear in the fabric of space, creating an opening into another dimension. Now it seems that the dimensional anomaly was initially there and the gravitational pull is greatly amplified by it. =/\= Maya reported from the Quantum Physics Laboratory.

"Damage and casualty reports are coming in now from all decks," Ya'Han added. "If it was not for the modifications Sonja made to the ablative armour and shields, I suspect that we would not be wondering what happened having been ripped into shreds."

Morningstar took a moment to survey the members of his bridge staff, making sure that everyone was all right. What he noticed though was that everyone seemed to be displaying a certain air of fear, a sentiment that in all honesty, he could not fault them for. "Can we break free from this gravitational pull?"

=/\= Not with all of our power currently being used to keep the ship in one piece, =/\= Paquette replied from Main Engineering. =/\= To be completely honest, I am not even sure how we have managed to stay together this long. The gravitational forces on the ablative amour and outer hull are completely off the chart. Now, before you ask, I will do my best to get you whatever power I can, but don't hold your breath. I am pretty sure that your primary objective is to keep the ANUBIS in one piece. =/\=

"Our speed has exponentially increased thanks to the gravity well we are caught in," Ya'Han reported. "It appears that we are heading directly into the dimensional anomaly and we will be reaching its outer boundary in less than a minute."

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Stardate: 36086.1141

"Are you all right?" Satella asked of Xana as the doctor helped the Ambassador back onto her feet.

"I am," the Bolian/Human woman hesitantly replied. "I usually have several drinks first before the room starts to spin though. What happened?"

"I... I don't know," Adriana replied, a hint of terror creeping into her voice.

"Are *you* all right?" the Doctor asked of her friend, easily hearing the panic in the woman's voice.

Lopez just stared back at her friend, her breathing rapidly quickening as wave after wave of sheer terror swept through her mind, fears that she could not even hope to reason against.  A few seconds later the whole room was plunged into darkness as the ANUBIS's main power went offline.

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1142

All was dark. Normally the Native American would find such complete darkness peaceful and inviting, but this time all he could feel was a growing sense of terror building within him.  When the emergency lights finally came on, the Captain quickly jumped out of his chair and went around to see if everyone was all right.  To his shock, Erik noticed that he was alone on the command deck of his ship, everyone else had simply vanished.

--==/\==--
Setting: EARTH Colony EPSILON THETA, Lopez's home
Stardate: 36086.1142

As the darkness gradually receded, Adriana found herself standing in the middle of her parents' living room, a location that belonged to her distant past. "What am I doing here?" She demanded in a panic.

"Don't you remember this place, sis? You are home. The place where *you* grew up."

"Amanda? What are you doing here?"

"Your fears brought me here," the twin sister replied.

"My fears? How?"

"I can't help you," Amanda said as she crossed her arms in front of her. "This is all your fault, and you are going to have to figure it out on your own."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette {fcharette1969@gmail.com}

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M15-006: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: 36085.1930 ("There is Always Something")
"There is Always Something"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Realm of Fears" & (BAS) "Mellow Yellow"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36085.1930

Nothing. Every rock, every piece of planetary debris, no matter how small, had been scanned, analyzed, and cataloged. The task had been a grueling one but in the end, the 'Kre'Gal'Shenrak', or anything else that might have been of any interest, could be found. Aki had to admit that this greatly disappointed her since the ExO / CSciO had truly hoped to discover, if not the item itself, some clue as to it being more than a mere legend.

"I am sorry," the Captain quietly offered to the First Officer who was standing next to her, allowing a very brief and unexpected peek into the usually unemotional woman. "All of the legends pointed to this being the origin of everything pertaining to that artifact."

"Legends have a way of changing over time," Aki said while looking at the display of the planetary debris displayed on the large forward screen. "We already knew that this was a long shot given all of the conflicting stories, but you are right, everything did point to this collision as being the birthplace of the 'Kre'Gal'Shenrak'." There was no hiding the fact that Mitshiba was very disappointed, her dreams of making a monumental scientific discovery having been snatched from her grasp.

"Captain, Commander," Gemma called out from the Operations station. "Ensign Enel was earlier concerned that others might be here searching for the artifact as we were." Zub's eyes narrowed as he heard this and glared at the ILO. What was she doing? Was this her way to further put him in his place and chastise his efforts? He quietly growled as the woman continued. "I dismissed his earlier concerns, mainly due to the fact that the odds of another temporal vessel being here at this specific moment in time was small, but it did give me something else to consider in regards to the item we are here looking for."

Selene and Aki shared a quick inquisitive glance before turning their attention back onto the ILO. "Go on," the ExO / CSciO prompted.

"All of the legends point to this being the *where* and *when* of the artifact's creation, but what if this was only a theory based on an observation?"

"Cryptic as always," the Captain noted. "Care to elaborate?"

"None of the legends mention that the creation of the artifact was witnessed from a ship," Gemma pointed out. "All the accounts of the item coming to be, which were in some cases very colorful, originated from other worlds. The inhabitants of these worlds likely witnessed through various means at their disposal the collision of the comet and planet. It is therefore conceivable that this cataclysmic event was erroneously associated with the creation of the 'Kre'Gal'Shenrak', a legend that was perpetuated and embellished over the centuries that followed."

"That's a very interesting hypothesis," Aki admitted. "One that I have to agree does make a lot of sense. I guess we never considered that the details were embellished to such an extent. The problem with what you are suggesting is that our search parameters have severely increased"

"Using the data we collected during the collision," Gemma said, obviously having done some additional research before offering this newest theory. "The impact of the comet and destruction of the planet should have been well visible from at least 15 light-years, this means that there are three inhabited star systems from which the legend could have originated from."

"Why do I have the feeling that this is not going to be that easy," A'Janni sighed.

"Because this is the BASTET my friend," Zub said rolling his golden eyes. "We never do anything easy."

"According to our records, there were four inhabited worlds in those three systems," Aki said as she read the computer's answer to her query. "One became inhabitable a few hundred years after the collision due to severe tectonic shifts. One suffered an atmospheric catastrophe when a meteor, likely a piece of this planet passed so close that it ripped the atmosphere from the planet's surface. The third annihilated itself following a biological war while the civilization on the fourth and last world simply vanished, leaving behind only traces of its existence."

"Lt. Gemma," the Captain began as she firmly settled herself back into her chair. "Bring us back to normal temporal space taking into account the time needed for the nearest system to become aware of what happened here. Lt. Commander Mitshiba, we will need the D-Drive to provide us with some cover so that we are not detected. Lt. A'Janni, as soon as everything is in place, set course for the nearest civilization. Looks like our search for the 'Kre'Gal'Shenrak' just went into overtime.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer / Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M19-006: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: 36086.1145 ("Darkest Fears")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Darkest Fears"
[previous post were (ANU) "Realm of Fears" / (BAS) "There is Always Something"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Ya'Han's Room
Stardate: 36086.1145

How could this have happened? One moment the Sec/Tac was on the bridge of the ANUBIS as it was being dragged into the dimensional rift, and the next she was back home, in her room, a place that she had not seen since her running away over 15 years ago. For many, finding themselves back in such familiar surroundings would have triggered joyful memories and feelings, but this was not so for Ya'Han. Being back in this place instantly enlisted deep-rooted sentiments of dread and fear, so much so that the Nylaan desperately refused to accept that this was real.

Ya'Han scanned every minute detail of her room, searching for anything that would indicate that this was some sort of recreation. Under normal circumstances, the Sec/Tac would have called for the computer to end the simulation, just in case she had somehow found her way into a holodeck, but the fear that this might actually be real, however unlikely, made it impossible for the Nylaan to even whisper the slightest word. Each step she took was as cautious as could be as if the floor itself might somehow find a way to lash out at her for daring to be back.

Everything about this place was as she remembered it. The colors, the decor, the smell, even the texture of her bedsheets were a perfect match to what she remembered them to be. Again, this should have provided the woman with some sense of familiar comfort, but experiencing all of these sensations created the complete opposite reaction in the Nylaan. She could feel her pulse quickening and her throat tightening. The more she studied her surroundings, the more she desperately tried to find a logical explanation for her being here. This had to be some sort of hallucination, a recreation based on her memories, but why? Why would someone go through the trouble of doing this? What did they hope to achieve?

Finding herself caught between two worlds, one she had long ago left behind and the one she wanted to return to, the Nylaan unwillingly found herself drawn to one particular item. The small brush resting on the edge of her desk was exactly where she remembered it to be on the day she had decided to run away. The item seemed to almost call to her, begging the now purple-haired woman to come closer.  She eventually reached out to it with a trembling hand, fears hindering any possibility of thoughts being interjected into her actions.

Ya'Han gazed at the brush which was now firmly held in her hand. Tears threatened to escape from her eyes as she lost herself in the simple memories of brushing her hair every morning and night. Her hair represented who she was, who she was meant to be, and more important who her father deemed her to be.  The Nylaan's soul was torn by the memories that flooded her mind, the recent events with her brother only adding another layer to the mixture of tormented emotions she was experiencing.

The sound of the door opening made the woman turn and the moment she noticed who was standing in the doorway, the brush slipped from her grasp to crash onto the hard floor by her feet.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!"

Never before had her father come to her room. It was beneath the Royal Sovereign to step into the room of one of his daughters, he much preferred to have them brought to him, wherever and whenever he felt the need for their presence by his side.  Therefore, this could not have been a memory, but this in no way made her able to handle what was happening any easier.  With each step he took, taking him closer to her, Ya'Han felt a surge of panic mount within her.

"You left!" The aged man accused. "You abandoned your life, your family, and your responsibilities to your people. You have no right to be here, no right to be in my presence. You are nothing! Do you hear me, NOTHING!"

Even as she watched the man raise his hand, the woman just stood there unable to tap into her Starfleet training. When the back of his hand crashed against her jaw, Ya'Han fell to the floor noticing along the way that her hair had turned as black as the empty space between the stars.

"You are dead to me," the High Sovereign said as he leaned over the woman at his feet. "You are nothing, undeserving of life itself." As he said this his right foot found the inside of her abdomen causing her to gasp for hair.  The strike was repeated several times until the Nylaan was left as a crying lump on the floor.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]  
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1150

"Ya'Han!"

The voice was not that of her father, but after the beating she had just received, the Nylaan could not help herself but try to push herself away.

"It's okay. You are safe," the familiar voice reassured. As the Sec/Tac finally manage to look up at the person speaking to her, she recognized the features of her Commanding Officer, Captain Erik Morningstar.  "Captain?"

"You are safe," he said, offering a helping hand to the black-haired woman. "Are you okay?"

Ya'Han wanted to explain the beating she had just suffered, but as she returned to her feet, the Sec/Tac realized that she felt no pain. The stinging of her jaw or the crushing pain of her abdomen was gone as if nothing had happened.

"What happened?" She asked of the man.

"Not sure, but I think it would be a good idea for us to find the others."

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M15-007: USS BASTET: Iverson: 36086.1430 ("To The Rescue")
=-=
“To The Rescue”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Darkest Fears” by Hanali / (BAS) “There is Always Something” by Dawn

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1430

The search for the 'Kre'Gal'Shenrak' had turned into a full-fledged mystery. Following the discovery, or lack thereof, of any signs of the fabled artifact the crew of the USS BASTET set course for the nearest system to see if maybe the creation of the item had been erroneously linked to the explosive destruction of the planet. Thanks to the Temporal Drive, the search for hints proceeded relatively quickly, allowing the senior officers to scan decades of records and events in the span of mere hours. Unfortunately, it quickly became evident that the first of four stops would not be where the answers to their quest would be found.

"Absolutely nothing," Lt. Gemma said, the ILO having been tasked with reviewing everything they could to see if there was even the slightest mention of the mythical item. "If the Kre'Gal'Shenrak was created here, they are keeping it a tight-lipped secret."

"Since we know that this world will succumb to massive tectonic shifts in just a couple hundred years, it makes no sense that the item would have gained such notoriety after having been kept such a complete secret," the First Officer offered. "It is far more likely that the artifact came from one of the other three planets that we have yet to investigate."

"The next nearest planet is the one that will suffer a catastrophic atmospheric event following a meteor impact," the Chief of Security added. "It is amazing that the comet responsible for the destruction of the first planet will also the reason for the end of our next stop."

"I would not refer to that sequence of events as being *amazing*," Counsellor Dima argued. "Two distinct civilizations came to an unexpected end because of a single comet. To me, that is a show of unimaginable misfortune. Imagine what might have happened if that comet had been stopped or diverted, thus saving two worlds."

"It is unwise to venture in such speculation," the Captain warned. "The Temporal Prime Directive makes it clear that we cannot interfere in any way that might alter the timeline. We have no way to know what either of these civilizations would have become or achieved over the next thousand years or so."

"Either one of those civilizations could have given birth to the greatest minds our galaxy has ever known," Nicole said. "Musicians, poets, philosophers, scientists, the possibilities are endless."

"Either one of them could have also created a weapon the likes of which no other world had ever seen or could even have imagined," Enel offered as a counter-argument.

"They could have found a way to travel from one world to the next without using ships like the Iconians or found a way to assimilate those races they came in contact with like the Borg," A'Janni said painting an even grimmer possible future. "Either way, there would be countless worlds with a history very different than the one they know today, turning their civilizations into ruin and their people into slaves."

"It only takes a single small pebble to create a wave that will ripple across an entire ocean," Gemma said, making everyone turn to look at her to see which of her personalities had come out to offer such a profound view on their unexpected debate.  "It is an unfortunate reality that it is easier to destroy than to create."

"Woah," Doctor Andersson exclaimed as she walked further onto the bridge after having stepped out of the turbolift. "What did I just walk into?"

"Nothing much," Nicole sighed. "They are just all ganging up on me about the possible negative effects of changing the timeline. I am arguing that in saving an entire civilization, we are bound to see someone great come out of it."

"Possible negative effects?" Sofia gasped. "Is it not more of a certainty? I see what you are saying, but you also have to consider the other side of that coin. How many Adolf Hilter or Khan Noonien Singh has there been through the course of human history? As great as it would be to see another great composer or philosopher, the odds are just as good that this saved civilization would see a blood-thirsty tyrant who would affect and kill millions if not billions."

Nicole was visibly disappointed in the lack of support from her friend and lover. Even if the Doctor did not agree with the Counsellor, it would have been nice for Sofia to offer a common front in this unexpected debate.

"Distress?" Gemma asked, her gaze locked on the display of the Operations station.

"Upset maybe, but I would not refer to myself as being distressed?" the joint Trill said.

"I mean, we are receiving a distress signal," The ILO clarified. "The signal is specifically addressed to us."

"How is that possible?" Selene asked.

"The signal was modulated to follow our specific temporal and dimensional signature," Lieutenant Commander Mitshiba said. "This required a great deal of work on the part of whoever sent it, not to mention an intimate knowledge of the unique systems of the BASTET.

"Who could have such knowledge?" Zub asked, suspicious about the signal and its origins.

"Admiral Koniki?" Ajani offered as a possible answer to the question presented by the VOTH Chief of Security.

"There is another," Iverson said followed by a deep sigh. "What sort of trouble did Erik manage to get himself into this time?"

"According to the information provided in the distress signal, which is not a lot, the ANUBIS was unexpectedly pulled into a dimension rift," the ILO relayed. "We have the coordinates where the signal was sent."

"Looks like our search for the Kre'Gal'Shenrak is going to have to be put on hold," Iverson said as she settled herself in her chair. "Bring the BASTET back to the present and as soon as this is done, set course for the coordinates provided by the distress signal. Mr. A'Janni," the Captain added wanted to draw the attention of the one-eyed Caitian upon her. "Maximum speed."

=-=
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M15-008: USS BASTET: Enel: 36086.1445 ("The Persistence of Memory")
=-=
“The Persistence of Memory”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Darkest Fears” by Hanali / (BAS) “To The Rescue” by Jessica

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1445

At Captain Selene Iverson’s order, the Executive Officer/Chief Science Officer Misaki Mitshiba at the Science station and Intelligence Liaison Officer at Operations coaxed the BASTET’s Temporal Drive to smoothly slip the starship from a millennium in the past to the present.

Abandoning the search of an elusive artifact, Flight Control Officer A’Janni, the hulking white tiger man, set course toward the distress call from their sister ship.

His voice rumbled through the bridge, “Course laid in to the call’s point of origin. The USS ANUBIS was in the HR 6819 system.”

 Captain Iverson said calmly, “Engage Transwarp drive. Maximum sustainable speed.”

“Aye,” A’Janni responded. “Accelerating to Transwarp 7.9. Warp equivalent 16.9.”

The inertial dampers made the acceleration negligible to the crew, but the wavering note of the warp engines grew loud enough to underscore that the BASTET was hurtling through the universe.

The furry Caitian at Flight Control rocked back in his chair and crossed his arms over his massive chest. He watched his displays. Chief of Security Zub Enel at the Tactical station began long-range scans. He studied and dismissed a single ship nearby, the IKS TOK’PAR, a manned Klingon freighter moving away at a serene Warp 4. Mimicking A’Janni, the Voth leaned back his 7-foot tall frame and folded his scaly arms over his chest.

Zub’s golden-eyed gaze stayed focused on the tactical scans of empty space around the BASTET, but his mind returned to the last time he was with the ANUBIS crew. It was joint mission to find their missing members in another dimension. He winced as he remembered being forced to kill an assassin who looked exactly like the silvery-haired ANUBIS Chief Medical Officer Satella Bruxa. On SPACE STATION NOWHERE, a completely lawless port of call run by a shadowy syndicate.

Apparently thinking about the same mission, the felinoid next to Zub rumbled, “You think that junior ambassador still hates you?” The Security Chief glanced toward Flight. A’Janni’s single white eye twinkled.

“Adrianna Lopez,” Zub said, remembering. “Kidnapped, beaten until she went blind and then beaten more.”

“Once free, she clearly went after the first big, ugly brute she saw,” the FCO said with a smirk.

“Only because she saw me first,” Zub replied.

A’Janni had been sliced nearly in half by a monster in an arena they both were forced to fight in.
The Caitian tiger man sobered. His deep voice grew softer. “Thank you for taking care of me until Medical arrived.”

Zub Enel gave him a nod. “Thank you for fending off the Junior Ambassador.”

“You have such a profound effect on females,” the Caitian stated. “I truly *don’t* envy you.” The big cat man fell silent, once again scanning the displays at Flight Control.

Zub checked his Tactical scans that showed empty space laying ahead of the hurtling starship. He recalled his attempted interrogation of a nubile blonde version of his remote and ever controlled Captain. Selene Iverson’s double, Fiona. It had ended with the athletic woman pressed against him, sensuously rubbing places on his crested head he didn’t even know were sensitive. The ANUBIS ExO Shar’El, a serious and perceptive female skilled at spycraft, had been quite put out with his intel gathering ineptitude with winsome women. He felt his scales again tingle and redden with embarrassment at his failure to "stay mentally clear” in spite of his experience as a Security Chief.

The scaly Security Chief’s golden gaze centered on the red-headed ILO at Ops. Shar’El seemed to know a lot about the Gemma’s backstory. Shar’El even seemed to have some sort of influence over whatever made Gemma shift into so many different personalities because the ILO had been uncharacteristically pleasant shortly after her time with the ANUBIS ExO.

Zub decided to somehow meet with Shar’El to learn more about what she knew and could do to Gemma. He frowned. He doubted someone as smart and perceptive as the ANUBIS ExO would cooperate with what she’d undoubtedly perceive as yet another of his clumsy investigation techniques.

Gemma stared back at him, her highly symmetrical face as inscrutable as ever, her blue-eyed gaze utterly cold. Zub realized he had stared at her all the while he thought about Shar’El. He raised his three-fingered hand to signal he needed nothing from her. He returned to the Tactical console. Out of the corner of one eye he could tell she stared at him a while longer before she too returned to her Ops console.

A’Janni leaned close. He whispered to keep his voice from carrying. “Wasn’t there a tall, blue woman who found her kid on that stink hole of a station? An ambassador. Xena?”

“Xana Bonviva,” Zub answered in a whisper the same softness.

“Pretty,” the FCO whispered. “Maybe she likes cats.” His single white eye dilated.

Zub Enel narrowed his eyes at the pilot. “I suspect their crew, like the BASTET’s, has many and bewildering cross-currents rippling beneath those pretty faces.”

The white tiger face transformed into indignation. “I’m not complicated. I’m quite simple.”

“As I have always suspected,” the Voth Security Chief retorted, his face serious.

A’Janni’s one eye sized up Zub for an instant or two before he smiled. Zub smiled back. They returned to their duty stations.

Aki, the ExO, announced from the Science station, “Here’s what I have for where the ANUBIS distress signal came from. HR 6819 is an unusual triple-star system. Two of the stars form a close binary that orbit a common center of gravity, but one of the inner stars is actually a black hole that is feeding off the stellar material of its companion. The third star orbits this cannibalistic binary system. These intense gravity fields warp the space they orbit through. There have been reports of dimensional anomalies forming there. The ANUBIS may have been sent to survey those. Looks like they might have been pulled into who knows where.”

A puzzled look brought the ILO’s arched eyebrows together. “We are the best equipped to study dimensional anomalies.”

The Asian ExO gave a nod. She too looked puzzled.

Selene spoke for the first in a long time. Her voice was dry, her tone academic. “They went because we were previously engaged. Commander Mitshiba, Lieutenant Gemma, I want long-range scans of all dimensional anomalies in that system. We need to know what sort of situation we are rushing into. At the very least, map the anomalies so Lt. A’Janni has something to steer us toward with more precision. Ensign Enel, not that I hope we find any, I want you to start scanning for starship debris.”

“Sir,” went up in a chorus.

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant.
 - Salvador Dali
M15-009: USS BASTET: Gemma: 36086.1650 ("Fearful Complictions")
=-=
"Fearful Complications"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Darkest Fears" / (BAS) "The Persistence of Memories"]
=-=  

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1650

"Now arriving at HR 6819," A'Janni said. The Caitian sounded mildly surprised.

The BASTET had made fantastic time. This made the ILO smile, not that anyone would have noticed. The joy she felt was tempered by darker memories. Memories that went far beyond their last foray with the crew of the ANUBIS. Her entire career was based on counting on a very select number of individuals. These people each helped within the boundaries of their respective skills. None of them would ever just reach out and help because there was a need.  To see the Captain and the other so quick to react was something pleasant for her to witness. From the OPS stations, the ILO had taken the time to study the Sec/Tac and FCO. The two hour trek might not have seemed long for most, but for Gemma it had been more than enough. Her further study of A'Janni and Zub though would have to wait though.

Gemma scanned the sensor readouts from the Operations station. The HR 6819 triple star system was an oddity in itself, but the data being collected was even stranger. "Long-range sensors are picking up a tremendous amount of gravitational energy. The levels are far more than would be expected from a linked star and black hole. I recommend that we drop out of transwarp speed before we get too close."

The Captain nodded her head and motioned the FCO to comply. The streaking stars on the view screen gave way to more stationary specs of lights. Two brighter dots drew the attention of the bridge officers. Despite their distance, the effect of the black hole on its companion was clearly visible.

Cmdr Mitshiba gave the preliminary report. "Lt Gemma is right, the gravity well created by the system is nothing like we have ever seen. The sensor distortion caused by the graviton emission is making it impossible to locate the ANUBIS. They may have been drawn into a dimensional rift or simply destroyed. We will need to get closer to obtain more details."

It was Ens Enel who spoke next. "I recommend that we remain at a safe distance. Long-range sensors are definitively picking up something else at the center of that system. The readings could be interpreted as being from a dimensional rift. The problem is that what I am seeing here doesn't make sense. The system's gravity well does not seem to originate from a single source. What is more interesting is that the gravitational pull greatly increases as you get closer to the center. By all accounts, the ANUBIS should have been destroyed long before reaching the outer limit of the system. Long-range sensors are not detecting any debris or energy output of any sort."

The ILO magnified the image on the main view screen, focusing on the central two stellar bodies. "There is something between the inner star and black hole. By the looks of things, the ANUBIS was *not* destroyed," she said as the bridge officers watched the ship in question. At first glance, the barely visible SCARAB-Class cruise appeared intact. "It looks like it is stuck in some kind of opening in the fabric of space-time."

Cpt Iverson was sitting on the edge of her seat now. The woman with the Vulcan-like demeanor was carefully studying the image on the large screen. "Dimensional rifts can have powerful gravitational forces, but nothing like this. Also, if this was an opening into another dimension, why would the ANUBIS just be hanging there motionless? We are obviously dealing with something different. We need to figure out what that is."

It was no surprise to see the ExO/CSciO already hard at work trying to figure out what it is they were dealing with. "Long-range sensors are having trouble focusing on the ANUBIS. The gravitational forces are off the chart. Based on what we can see, though, we are not dealing with a dimensional rift. It looks more like the ship is caught in a visible pocket of sub-space."

"Whatever that thing is, we need to find a way to get the ANUBIS out of it." The Caitian FCO was ready to dive headfirst into the situation.

The Voth Sec/Tac wasted no time to point out the fatal error of his plan. "If we get any closer, we will be unable to fight against the gravitational pull. The hull will not be able to withstand the stress and the BASTET will be torn to pieces in mere seconds. I am still not sure how the ANUBIS managed to remain in one piece."

Mitshiba offered a suggestion. "The eye of the storm. That dark mass at the center of the system could be some sort of sub-space storm. It would explain the extreme and uneven gravitational pull. It would also account for how the ANUBIS made it all the way there in one piece. It could have been dragged in by multiple secondary vortices."

Gemma nodded as a smile flashed on her lips. "By avoiding the main gravity hubs, the ANUBIS could have managed to only deal with a portion of the gravitational pull. This is likely the reason why they made it to the center intact."

"Intact might be claiming a lot," the joint Trill said. "We can barely see the ANUBIS. We have no way to know what kind of internal damage it has suffered."

Dr Andersson quickly joined in, this time agreeing with her friend. "There could be a lot of casualties on board. We need to reach them, somehow."

Zub sighed. "There is no way for us to get to them. The BASTET is not as armored as the ANUBIS. Sensors cannot get an accurate reading on the shifting gravimetric vectors. We would be moving in completely blind."

Selene leaned back into her chair. "We need to find a way to reach the ANUBIS and its crew." It made sense to hear concern in the woman's voice. What was unexpected was the hint of fear that seemed to also be in her words.

Misaki should have been the first to jump to work. This was the kind of challenge the Asian woman lived for. Instead, the ExO/CSciO cautiously approached the Captain. "I am not sure that we can. At least not without putting the BASTET and the crew at risk.

Gemma's eyes narrowed. The ILO might have been able to dismiss the fear from Cpt Iverson. It was possible that the woman at OPS had misheard. To hear the same feeling from Lt Cmdr Mitshiba though was a great deal more troubling.

The Captain stood from her chair. "We need to find a way to reach them, and quickly. You all know what you have to do, so get to work." With that said Selene disappeared in her Ready Room. Gemma took a moment to process what had just happened.

 ** The Captain is scared. **

** That's impossible. You are mistaken. **

** Look at Aki. She's terrified. **

** She's not terrified, just concerned **

** Fine. Tell me that *you* are not scared. Come on, be honest. Tell me that you are not wanting to just have the ship turn around and leave. **

There was a pause. As quickly as the voices in her head were arguing before, now there was only silence. "I am not... scared," Gemma said out loud.

Sofia moved closer and put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Glad to hear you say that. To be perfectly honest, this whole thing is making me shake like a leaf."

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
USS BASTET

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer] 
M19-007: USS ANUBIS: Stark: 36086.1700 ("Alone and Lost")
"Alone and Lost"
[previous (ANU) "Darkest Fears" / (BAS) "Fearful Complications"]

[/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor
Stardate: 36086.1700 

He was wandering the empty corridors of the ship, not certain if he had been doing so for just a few minutes, hours, or even days. All he could remember was being on the bridge when the ANUBIS was suddenly dragged into the heart of the triple star system. Seconds later, everything went dark, and when the lights came back on, he found himself walking through the corridors of the ship.

With each step he took, the OPS Officer wondered if he was going somewhere specific or looking for someone. This not knowing bothered him, but he could not stop from taking the next step. It was as if some unseen force was dragging him or pushing him. The fact that he had not encountered a single other soul had not gone unnoticed by Stark, but again he could not bring himself to question the reason why, as if the answer or the question itself was simply too frightening to consider. So, he just kept on walking, putting one foot in front of the other, barely looking ahead and most certainly not daring to look back.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the location indicator on a door. There was nothing special about this, Jayson had seen similar signs a thousand times before identifying the deck and room, but this time he found himself puzzled by what he read. According to the sign on the door, he was on Deck 7, right in front of the Morgue.  As hard as he tried to recall how he had made it here, the OPS Officer could not remember which turbolift he had used to reach this deck, or even if he had used a turbolift at all.  Even stranger was the feeling that this was where he needed to go, and that thought instantly scared him into a near panic.

Jayson found himself battling fear on two opposite fronts. He feared what he might find in that room causing him to both want to rush in and stay where he was. The inner battle felt as if it lasted days but eventually, the OPS Officer managed to break the stalemate.  With the highest possible level of caution, Stark entered the Morgue, still unable to understand why he felt so driven to be there.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Morgue
Stardate: 36086.1720

The air was cold, and the lights seemed to be working at only half intensity, making the room feel like a perfect set-up for one of those old fashion horror movies.  Jayson could feel his heart beating in his chest and yet he continued to move towards the far wall which housed an unnerving number of square doors, each able to hold a single body in stasis. Driven by the same force that had brought him here, the OPS Officer was drawn to one particular door, one that was strangely enough already partially opened.

He reached out with a trembling hand, half expecting whoever was behind that door to suddenly leap out at him.  As Jayson slowly started to pull the drawer, his fears shifted from what might jump out at him to who he would find. Maybe this was why he had been walking the corridors of the ANUBIS in a sort of a trance, something had happened to someone he knew and needed to come here to confirm the unthinkable.

Inch after agonizing inch the drawer was slowly opened, Jayson dreading with increasing fear what he would find inside, but all he saw was a medical blanket. The fact that there was a body beneath the general form did nothing to ease the man's rapidly growing fears, especially given that it was clear to see that whoever was hidden beneath was a woman.

As simple as that detail was, it made the OPS Officer's heart race even more as his mind focused on the one person he feared finding in such a place. She had become his everything and he could not bear the thought of her not being by his side anymore. Slowly he reached for the corner of the blanket and hesitated for several moments before starting to peel it away.

He could no longer breathe. The only thing Jayson could do was to watch in horror as the features of the woman were gradually revealed. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed that the woman in the Morgue was not Ya'Han, but his relief was short-lived as he quickly recognized the woman as someone else who had once been dear to him.

"Leena?" he gasped in a whispered tone. "What are you doing here?"

Obviously, he did not expect a reply, so it made perfect sense that he nearly died when he felt a hand land on his shoulder causing him to abruptly turn around to see the same woman standing there, her flesh burnt and scared from what h could only guess was the explosion that had killed her and their unborn child.

"You left me," she said to him. "Why did you leave me? Why did you leave *us*?" Leena added, casting her gaze down to her swollen belly making it perfectly clear that the *us* was referring to her and their child.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M15-010: USS BASTET: A'Janni: 36086.1715 ("Haunting Memories")
"Haunting Memories"
[previous (ANU) "Alone and Lost" / (BAS) "Fearful Complications"]

[/\]

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1715

The battle-scarred Caitian stared at the forward screen, his one good eye locked on the enhanced image of the sub-space bubble at the heart of the HR 8619 star system.  Even with the image magnified to its highest possible resolution the USS ANUBIS, which was stuck therein, could barely be seen. The BASTET and its crew were here now, but there was little any of them could do to help the other ship, and this despite the FCO's complete readiness to leap into action.

This was not the first time A'Janni felt such powerlessness. Memories of his last days on KZINTI ALPHA as the protector of the royal family came rushing back to him. That and their current situations had nothing in common except for one point; the white-furred Caitian's inability to do anything about what had come to be. The feelings of frustration and anger he was experiencing were gradually joined by hints of fear in his abilities, and the other members of the crew, to save those they had come here to rescue.

The Captain had retreated to her Ready Room letting the senior officers work at solving the puzzle that stood before them. They needed to find a way to navigate the unpredictable gravitational pull of the system while keeping the ship in one piece. For his part, the Caitian FCO tried to see if he could plot a safe course that would see the ship reach the ANUBIS without condemning the BASTET to the same fate.

"It is useless, you will never find a way to reach that ship."

A'Janni quickly looked over his left shoulder to see who had said this, but to his surprise, he found everyone else hard at work leaving him with the belief that he had imagined this. He silently questioned the possibility that this was his fear of failure that was casting doubts on his work and abilities. Of course, the FCO hoped that this was not the case, so he promptly returned to his work, pushing out of his mind what he had just heard.  Maybe it was just Zub playing a trick, trying to goat his friend into a reaction. Whatever the cause of this was, the Caitian knew that it was best for him to dismiss the whole thing and focus on the task at hand.

The FCO's clawed fingers had barely returned to his console when a chill swept through the Caitian making his fur stand on end. Again, he looked over his shoulder in search of a reason for this, and again he found nothing that could account for what he had just experienced.  After shaking his fur back down, A'Janni dismissed this latest unexplainable event and returned to his work.

"They are going to die, just like you allowed us to die."

This time there were no doubts in the Caitian's mind as to who had said those words. The voice matched perfectly that of the former Queen of KZINTI ALPHA, a woman A'Janni painfully knew to be dead leaving only one person who could have spoken with the same voice and tone. The FCO glared with his one white eye at the ILO who appeared as busy as everyone else at her station. He knew that Gemma could take on the appearance of Sheetora and speak in her voice, so it was with some shock that he saw the redhead working at the Operations station instead of the Kzinti royal.

"Are you alright Lieutenant?" Doctor Andersson asked, easily noticing the perplexed expression on the FCO's face.

"Yes," he hesitantly replied. "I just thought I heard Gemma say something to me."

"I can assure you that she did not say anything," Sofia politely said, glancing at the woman who seemed more than happy to ignore the conversation between the two officers.

A'Janni was confused. He knew what he heard and was just as certain as to whom as spoken, so if it was not Gemma, the only other option was that Sheetora had come back from the grave to haunt him, and of course, that was an option he was less than comfortable with. An option he had never really considered, but one that he now found himself fearing more than he could have ever imagined.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG A'Janni [Access Character BIO for A'Janni]
Flight Control Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M19-008: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: 36086.1720 ("Empty Echoes")
=-=
"Empty Echoes"
[the previous posts were (ANU) "Alone and Lost" by Jayson / (BAS) "Haunting Memories" by Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 36086.1720

Shar'El felt disoriented and unsure as to what had taken place and how she needed to proceed from this point forward. The last thing she remembered was the ANUBIS falling into the center of the HR 8619 system, pulled by extreme gravitational forces before everything went black. Now, the ExO / ILO sat at her station overlooking the whole of the IGC which stood strangely empty. Not a single tech was present and none of the monitors were active making the large room feel utterly empty. It was as if the Intel Gathering Center, the literal heart of the ship's covert operations force, had been abandoned by all of its staff, save one; the raven-haired Ullian woman.  

It was odd for her to be in her second home so alone. As a Ullian, she was always aware, even if only subconsciously, of the broadcasted memories of those around her. Simply looking at someone made it possible for her to see their most prominent memories. These images and the feelings attached to them quickly became background noise to the woman who had learned to pay little attention to the random memories of fellow shipmates.  If something managed to pique her interest, she could not act upon her curiosity due to the restrictions imposed on her by Captain Morningstar. He had made it very clear that she could not scan any member of the crew without their express permission. As counter-intuitive as this restriction was, the ExO / ILO did not really mind the imposed limitation as she possessed many other means to gather information for anyone is she so wished. The problem right now was not that she could scan the memories of others but rather that she was alone, a fact that bothered her far more than the woman cared to admit.

All of her previous efforts to contact the Captain or any of the other senior officers proved unsuccessful meaning that the ExO / ILO was either the only one left on the ANUBIS or that the internal communication system was, despite the results of the repeated diagnosis, not working at it should. This should have sent Shar'El rushing out into the corridors searching for any sign of life or cause for the silence she was now forced to endure. For some reason though, the raven-haired woman could not bring herself to stand from her chair, let alone leave the IGC. It was not like her to be scared, and yet there she was, sitting alone and unable to move for fear of the emptiness she might find.

Without the memories of others to keep her company, the Ullian focused inward on her own recollections. Images and the feelings linked to them quickly came rushing in making the ExO / ILO realize with great sorrow that her happy memories were greatly outnumbered by those she would normally do her best to push back and ignore. As productive as her career in Starfleet had been, Shar'El could not escape the reality that things had rarely been rosy and nice. Thus, was the price required by those working in the field of Intel, a price that she wondered if she had not paid more than should have been required.

The war against the Lokustaar had certainly provided more than its fair share of dark memories, but it was her covert dealings with Admiral Koniki that seemed to cast the largest and darkest shadow on the Ullian's life. Her physical appearance was altered by his expressed request, the man assuring that this was only to help her during sensitive Intel gathering missions. His argument made sense as being recognized as a telepath able to access people's deepest memories would have more than often cause people to run the other way or lash out against her. The fact that she was ordered to keep her true origins and transformation from Captain Morningstar had just made a bad situation worse. It took quite some time for the ExO / ILO to earn the man's trust and respect, and that achievement was one of the few bright moments of her life and career.  If only there were not so many other moments that came to tip the balance to the other side.

A shiver crawled down her spine as a frightful thought formed. What if Captain Morningstar learned about even just a fraction of what she had done before joining the ANUBIS? Her involvement in projects such as the 'Crown Authentication' during which she was tasked to scan the memories of high-ranking Federation diplomats to confirm their allegiances and the "Gamma Operative" which saw the creation of an exceptional agent who currently served on board the BASTET as ILO would most certainly be more than enough for Erik to never trust Shar'El ever again. That thought and the possibility it created filled the raven-haired woman with a dread beyond measure and added just another reason for her not to move from where she was.

Feeling this way was certainly not how she reacted to a situation, but for the time being, this was who she would be, fearing and welcoming all at the same time the reality of her solitude.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
M15-011: USS BASTET: Andersson: 36086.1740 ("Fears Beyond Understanding")
=-=
"Fears Beyond Understanding"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Empty Echoes" by Moi / (BAS) "Haunting Memories" by Jayson]
=-=
 
Setting: USS BASTET, Sickbay
Stardate:  36086.1740

There was just so much the physician could accomplish on the bridge as the others did their best to find a way to reach the ANUBIS and its crew. More than once in around dealing with the bout of paranoia from Lt. A'Janni, Sofia had found herself staring at the image on the main view screen, an image that was equal parts amazing and frightening. There was something about the way the black hole stripped the outer layer of the innermost star, the stellar matter circling the empty bubble of nothingness in which the SCARAB-Class cruiser was trapped in. Part of her wanted to find some hidden charm and beauty in this unique cosmic display, but alas Doctor Andersson could only find herself experiencing a growing sense of uneasiness and discomfort.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Sofia left the bridge to return to her domain where she hoped that her feelings would subside. From the confines of her Sickbay, she would not be tempted to glance at the three central elements of HR6819 which she was convinced was the source of her feelings.

"Are you alright?" Nicole tenderly asked after the two walked into the room and the door hissed closed behind them. The joint Trill had followed her lover for several reasons, the most important being that the CNS had picked up on the CMO's growing discomfort.

"There is just something unsettling about that system," Sofia admitted. "For some stupid reason, I can't look at that buddle where the ANUBIS is without having my thoughts filled with scenarios each worse than the previous. This is not our first time facing something less than pleasant, but this one seems to be hitting all the right nerves to make me shiver."

Nicole grinned. "I thought I was the only one that was able to do that to you," she teased.

"Funny," Andersson sighed as she rolled her eyes. "That is not the same thing. I tell you, honestly, there is something about that system that just gives me the jitters."  The physician was expecting some amazing remark from the Counselor but instead, Nic simply nodded her head in agreement.

"I am feeling it too," Dima said. "I checked with Misaki in case there was some kind of energy coming from that system that might explain how I felt, but she reassured me that there was nothing."

"Nothing that our sensors can detect," the CMO speculated. "What if all of these gravitational anomalies were affecting us on a biological or even psychological level?"

"That's a far-fetched idea," the joint Trill noted. "A lot of scientific research has been done on the effects of exposure to increased gravitational forces, and none have ever offered a possible link to any sort of psychological reaction. You, yourself have run tests on, I know, I saw you on the bridge, and I could see the disappointment in your face as you found nothing to explain whatever you were trying to uncover. The BASTET would have to be a lot closer to the gravitational anomaly for us to even start experiencing any sort of physical manifestation, the ship's artificial gravity generator and dampening field would protect us from the greater majority of whatever we would encounter."

"I know all that," Andersson snapped. "I know that it makes no sense that I feel the way I do, but that does not change the fact that I am feeling like I am ready to jump out of my skin.  I am not sure how to explain it other than to say that I am scared."

"Scared? Scared of what?" Dima asked.

"Nothing... everything," she replied, the physician appeared to be on the edge of tears. "I am afraid of what might be happening to the crew of the ANUBIS. I am afraid of what might happen to us. I am *terrified* of what could happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me," Nic offered, taking Sofia into a warm, caring embrace. "I am not sure why you are feeling this way, but there is no need. Nothing will happen to me or any of us on the BASTET. Captain Iverson and Commander Mitshiba are taking every possible precaution." The Trill Counselor paused as she took the blonde-haired woman's face into her hands. "Nothing will happen to us," she again reassured before lovingly pressing her lips against those of the Doctor.

=/\= Bridge to Doctor Andersson, =/\= It was Mitshiba's voice who interrupted the sweet moment shared by the two ladies.

"Andersson here, go ahead," Sofia replied after quickly tapping her communicator, her face still in Nicole's tender hold.

=/\= Could you return to the Bridge please? =/\=

"Is everything alright?" The CMO inquired, her fears had suddenly returned, filling her mind with even worse horrors than she had been imagining before.

=/\= It's Ensign Enel. He needs medical attention. =/\=

Nicole sighed before she spoke in a whispered voice. "What did he do this time?"

"I will be right there, Andersson out."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M15-012: USS BASTET: Enel/Andersson: 36086.1745 ("What Goeth Before")
=-=
“What Goeth Before”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Empty Echoes” by Tiffany / (BAS) "Fears Beyond Understanding" by Tiffany

=-=

Setting: HR 6819, PLANET HR 6819a,
Stardate:  36086.1745

“You don’t have room for another medal, Zub Enel,” said Selene Iverson, the resplendently attired captain of the USS BASTET. Her alabaster skin held a sheen of powder-blue from the HR 6819 system’s two blue giant suns. She offered the Knight’s Double Crux medal to the towering Voth. “Hold it up so all can see. We’ll figure out where to put it later.”

Zub Enel and the Captain bobbed on a dock anchored in a deep, water-filled crater. Erosional slump had stair-stepped the crater down into several terraces that created a natural amphitheater. The Security Chief raised the medal high. A thunderous cheer went up from hundreds of people in Starfleet and ambassadorial clothing.

The applause lingered, the 7-foot-tall lizard man thought. He smiled proudly and twisted his waist left and right to show off his latest medal. A deep throated chorus alternated, “’Zoo Ben El!’ and ‘Speech!’”

As Zub grinned, the Captain, her face creased by a fixed smile, leaned closer. The smile did not reach her cold, gray eyes. “Traditionally, this is where a Roman slave would whisper ‘Remember you are mortal.’”

The Security Chief gazed down at her offended. He had not ballooned with pride. He tried to remember how he had earned this latest medal. He looked down at row upon row of medals that clinked and flared in the bluish sunlight. He stopped smiling. If pressed, he could not remember earning any of them. He realized none of them were his. He started to frown.

The cheering had changed to booing. People of all alien races who had been cheering moments before were now pointed with various appendages and shouted disapproval. Rocks and dirt clods began to rain down on the floating dock.

The Captain said, “Let’s get under the dock before a rock brains us.” She slipped off her uniform coat, dropped it, and hopped boots-first into the black water of the crater. She disappeared into the inky depths.

Calls of “Fake”, “Liar”, “Cheat” grew louder. The rocks began to find their mark on Zub’s three-fingered hands, his chest, and his thighs. He winced in pain. He knew he should jump into the water, but the very thought of doing so made his feathery down stand out stiffly.

“Zub Enel!” The Captain called up through the planks of the dock. “Jump!”

“I cannot swim,” he admitted. “I will sink.”

“Jump anyway!”

He hesitated. Water was untrustworthy. It refused to hold his weight. He would plunge like a stone. It would force itself between every scale, into his ears, up his nose, into his mouth. He could make the motions of swimming, but water would suck him down like he was made of failing lead.

A rock the size of his crested head smacked into his chest so forcefully that he staggered back. He felt ribs cracks. He gasped in pain.

The captain yelled from under the dock, “Jump! That’s an order!”

Zub jumped immediately. He had to shield his face with his arms to keep rocks away. He marveled at the force of the missiles, from a crowd that had adored him moments earlier.

The water shoved cold claws through his clothing. It smelled like rotten eggs as it forced up into his nose. It squeezed harder as he sank, pulled down by the combined weight of all the medals and his natural negative buoyancy. The rapidly increasing depth pushed his stomach upward against his lungs, compressing what air he had managed to gulp.

In the icy blackness, he flapped his arms in hopes a downstroke would stop his plunge. As he reached up, a pair of hands closed on one scaly wrist. He startled, thinking a former fan had dove after him. Both of the hands closed tightly. He felt a rhythmic pulling. He realized it was the Captain trying to swim him upward.

He used his other arm to downstroke and frog-kicked his legs in a supreme effort to assist the Captain. Water streamed passed his cheeks, but the wrong direction. He sank despite their combined efforts.

The medals! He realized he had to lose their weight to have any chance of rising. He used his free hand to yank open his uniform coat. He got his shoulder exposed, but he could tell he needed to free his other hand to get the coat off his arms.

Cold water insinuated deeper up his nose. His lungs ached for air. They felt half their normal size as the increasing depth shoved his diaphragm ever inward. He felt Selene kicking strenuously. His captain must be suffering similar torture, he surmised.

He tried to shake her loose. Her grip tightened more. She kicked harder. To no avail. Water still flowed upward around his chin. This meant they were sinking. He weighed her down.

They were still struggling to rise when his boots kicked the pebbly bottom. His up-stretched arm was long enough that Selene’s feet could not reach the bottom. She began to kick desperately, but his boots remained firmly planted.

Blind, he pulled her down and roughly tore her hands loose from his wrist. He gave her a mighty shove upward. She was gone.

The desire to inhale, inhale anything, grew a hundredfold. He shed his coat. A hand batted against his head. Selene’s hands bumbled from above. She pulled herself down using his own weight to anchor herself. One hand loosened and cupped his cheek. Her lips pressed over his.

The desire to share a final kiss, even with a woman as beautiful as his captain, was far outstripped by his need to breathe. Her hand moved to his chin. She yanked down. She locked her open mouth around his and blew hard. A warm breath expanded his tortured lungs. She let him go and was gone.

Zub felt his heart stop.  She had literally given him her last breath. It was not his to take. He stood rooted to the crater floor with her air. He realized he could not waste it. He flailed his arms around trying to find her.

She’d given him a few more minutes, time he used to search the inky depths for her. She was nowhere. He hoped she was naturally buoyant and had floated to the surface. The surface was a place of wrath for the medals he had not earned. He worried the mob would that their ire out on her. He began to swim powerfully. Stroke after stroke upward.

His boots never lifted off the crater bottom. He felt the watery blackness force through his nose, into his mouth, into his lungs. He choked but could draw in only more water. His last thoughts were of admiration for his captain and bitter shame for taking a bit of undeserved pride for all those medals he had not earned.

=-=

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1745

The physician quickly stepped onto the bridge followed by the Ship's Counselor, both women had no trouble locating the Voth Chief of Security who appeared rather out of it.

"He just froze in place," Misaki reported. "We are not dealing with a temporal phenomenon though, I checked," the ExO / CSciO added.

With that knowledge in hand, Nicole approached the towering reptilian to his left while Sofia did the same but to his right quickly taking hold of his arm as she did so. There was no way she would be able to hold him if he fell, so it was best for everyone if she could manage to bring him out of whatever trans he as fallen into. From her hold of his arm, she could tell that his heart was racing while his golden eyes were fixated on a point far beyond the limits of the room they were all in.

"What are you going to do?" Nicole whispered to the woman standing on the other side of the scaly giant.

"Wake him," Sofia replied as she glanced at the medical tricorder held in her free hand. "At least try to. According to these readings, he's in some sort of waking dream state."

"It is unwise to wake people like that," the Counselor warned. "The sudden shock of being returned to reality could cause problems."

"Him falling on someone would be just as bad... I have to try."

=-=

“Ensign. Enel.” A woman’s voice, familiar, speaking loudly and deliberately. Someone had him by his lower arm.

He opened his eyes. The bridge seemed inordinately bright. Everyone there, including the Captain, looked at him with concern. The CMO gave him a shake strong enough to make her blond hair shimmer. She asked, “Are you with us?”

“I,” he frowned trying to make sense of what had just happened. “I had drowned.”

Sofia Andersson looked skeptical. “Not here. You were standing at your station like a lodge pole.”

“A rotting one,” A’Janni at Flight Control added.

Sofia turned her head to the captain. “I’d like to take him to Sickbay for a full examination. Whatever happened to him could happen to all of us.”

Gemma piped up from Ops. “I can cover Tactical.”

Selene, dry as bone, not a single soggy hair anywhere, narrowed her gray eyes at Zub Enel’s stare. She said to the CMO and CNS flanking the lizard man, “Proceed.”

As Sofia and Nicole lead the 7-foot tall Voth toward the turbolift, Gemma moved quickly to his station.

"You are alright Ensign, we have you," the physician said in as much a reassuring tone as she could, causing her helper to glare at her before looking up at the walking lizard's full height and mouthing a single silent question.

"WE?"

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.” – Mitch Albom

and

Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
M19-009: USS ANUBIS: Bonviva: 26086.1740 ("There Is No Record of That Person...")
=/\=
"There Is No Record of That Person..."
[the previous posts were (ANU) "Empty Echoes" by Tiffany / (BAS) "What Goeth Before" by Tiffany and David]
=/\=

There is no illusion greater than fear.
-Lao Tzu

=/\=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bonviva Quarters
Stardate: 36086.1740

Another day in space; another day in school.

On one hand, Ben Bonviva-Crichton was used to this.  It didn’t matter what ship or station he was on, he had to log in, see what other SF kids in the area were online and go through classes.  He never actually *met* these kids, and from day to day the kids could be there or not, but this was his class.

At first when he joined his mom on this ship, he wasn’t sure if he’d be joining Starfleet Junior Academy like he had for years.  His mom kept muttering things like “Ben it’s *different* on this ship” and “Being an Ambassador only gets me so far”. 

Then one day he heard (okay, eavesdropped) on his mother talking with Commander Shar’El.  He figured it was okay since after a few moments he realized they were talking about *him*.  Ben listened to his mother explain about Starfleet Junior Academy and how she didn’t want him to miss out on socialization.  At that moment he really wanted to ask his mother if it was okay to cut classes but still chat with people but he figured that might be pushing it too far. 

Suddenly, Commander Shar’El looked across the room as if she was looking directly at Ben (even though he would have sworn he was hidden) and said softly, “I understand this more than you know.”  

Then Commander Shar’El left their quarters.  But shortly after that discussion, Ben magically started school again.  

Suddenly it seemed like everyone on the ship when they saw him (which really wasn’t that often) asked about his schoolwork or tried to help.  Lt. Ya’Han would give feedback to Ben about his sprinting when he practiced PE in the holodeck.  Lt. Stark passed some PADDs over with a wink one day in The Black Hole and said they were for his book report.  Ben didn’t think the comic books he got from Lt. Stark would be on *any* book report but he still devoured them.  Junior Ambassador Lopez seemed to know when Ben’s hardest tests were and would stop by with strawberry milk and cookies afterwards.  Lt. Commander Paquette and Ani came by one day to make updates to his program access so he could be sure to interact with the kids in the quadrant in real time while masking where he was broadcasting from.  When he started using the programming from Lt. Cmdr. Paquette to do research for his science report and diorama on gormaganders and their habitats both Dr. Bruxa and Lt. Cmdr. Maya just happened to “find” extra PADDs and programs on the subject.

Then there was the conversation with Captain Morningstar.  One day on the way back from the holodeck to his room, Captain Morningstar stepped into the lift with him.  His mother had already stressed not to bother the Senior Staff, but she was adamant he was not to bother Cpt. Morningstar unless it was life and death.  

But then the Captain just seemed to look at him that day on the turbolift and said, “So how are classes, Mr. Bonviva-Crichton?”

Ben didn’t know which classes the Captain meant, but the one thing he did know from listening to adults, was that Captains liked details.  For the next several floors, Ben monologued about all his classes in excruciating detail in case there was something the Captain was looking for.  Finally when Ben reached his floor he said, “I hope that’s what you were looking for, Captain.  Sir.  Sir Captain.”

Captain Morningstar, now having been given an extensive report on 5th grade, simply said, “Very good.  Carry on.”

Ben figured that was Captain talk for “You’ve passed”.

So today was like any other day on the ANUBIS for Ben.  

After having breakfast with his mom, and watching her go, Ben logged into the computer to have class begin.  Except today he couldn’t log on; the computer stayed black.  No Federation symbol; no symbol of his school.  Just a blank screen.

“Computer, start Starfleet Junior Academy,” Ben announced again.  He had to log back into school to upload his report which he forgot to do earlier and if he didn’t do it now he’d get an incomplete.  

=/\= There is no program by that name,=/\= the Computer tried.  

Ben scrunched up his face as he thought about it.  Maybe the school was closed?  But no, he figured that still would come up with something other than a blank screen.  “Computer start EBH,” he said referring to the Emergency Babysitting Holo which was more than Emergency use and definitely not always for babysitting.

=/\= There is no program by that name, =/\= the Computer replied.

Weird.  “Computer, call Dahlia Bonviva-McInnis on the SS KALI,” he tried.  His sister had decided she didn’t want to live on a Starfleet ship again so she was living with their aunt on a civilian ship.  

=/\= There is no ship, nor person, with that name,=/\= the Computer replied.

“Okayyy something is wrong,” Ben muttered.  He looked outside his window but the stars seemed to be the same.  “Computer, contact Ambassador Bonviva.”  His mother might kill him if she was doing something important but Ben was really confused.

=/\= There is no record of an Ambassador Bonviva on this ship or in Federation records,=/\= the computer said.  

“Computer, contact Junior Ambassador Lopez,” Ben tried.  

=/\= There is no record of an Junior Ambassador Lopez on this ship or in Federation records,=/\= the computer said.  

Ben really tried not to panic.  One by one he went through the people he knew on the ship; then he went through his family.  Even his father who was in prison, or his grandparents on EARTH and BOLARUS IX.  And for each and every one the computer’s response was the same:

=/\= There is no record of that person on this ship or in Federation records,=/\= the computer said. 

At this point, Ben was having problems breathing and all he could hear was the drumbeat of his heart.  After going through each person he knew, the 10 year old boy was at a loss.  He stared at the door for a long time before getting up.  He knew what he’d find but he knew he had to try anyway.

He opened the doors from his quarters into the hallway…and there was no one in sight.  

“Computer, how many people are on this ship?” Ben asked.

=/\=There is 1 person on this ship,=/\= the computer replied.  =/\=You.=/\=

“Ben?”

The 10-year-old boy shook his head and suddenly realized his mother was there; standing in front of him looking very confused.  

“I thought it’s nearly dinner time and—oomph,” Xana said as her son launched himself into her arms.  She held him tight and realized he was shaking.  “Benito,” she said softly, “what is wrong?”

“Mom, I was all alone,” he said.  When his mother gave him a puzzled look he said, “The computer couldn’t connect me to class and I tried asking the computer for you or anyone and….”

Ambassador Bonviva looked at her youngest child.  “And what?” she asked softly.

“The computer said I was the only one on the ship,” Ben whispered.  “But why would the computer say that?  Computers don’t lie.”

Not having a rational explanation, the mother just held her son and kissed the top of his head.  

=/\=
Sarah Albertini-Bond
USS ANUBIS
M15-013: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: 36086.1800 ("Measures of Fear")
"Measures of Fear"
Previous posts: (ANU) "There Is No Record of That Person..." & (BAS) "What Goeth Before"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.1800

In the world of science, everything can be measured and quantified. Weight, height, width, molecular density. No matter how large or small something is, no matter how slow or fast it travels, it can always be measured. The same is true in the field of medicine, in fact, the ExO / CSciO believed that such measurements were required to be far more precise as the life of a patient more often than not depended on the precise accuracy of those measurements.  The problem here was that there was no way to quantify or measure, either through scientific or medical means, fear.  If so, things would have been a great deal easier for Aki who was desperately trying to figure out what had just happened with Zub.

The theory, based on her observations as well as her own feelings, was that something was causing people to experience a heightened sense of dread and anxiety which manifested itself as fear.  Of course, there was no way for the Asian woman to prove this in the slightest possible way as all of her instruments showed everything to be within expected parameters given where they were and what they were looking at.  The only anomaly was the sub-space bubble where the ANUBIS was trapped, but so far, every single sensor scan had not shown anything that might remotely account for what they were experiencing.  The best the ExO / CSciO could do was to observe and speculate.

Looking at Captain Iverson, everything seemed to be exactly as it should be. The woman was not displaying any overt signs of heightened discomfort, then again, Selene was not the type of person that would show such emotions. In fact, if her file did not state otherwise, Mitshiba would have sworn that their Commanding Officer was at the very least half Vulcan. So, being unable to use Selene as a test subject to test her theory, Aki turned her attention onto the Caitian FCO, Lt. A'Janni.

Unlike Selene, A'Janni openly displayed his emotions making it very easy to gauge his mood and state of mind. Right now, it was beyond evident that the Caitian was experiencing a higher than normal amount of discomfort, the man-cat appearing ready to jump at the slightest thing.  As a scientist, Aki had to consider that there were several other reasons which could account for this, seeing the ANUBIS trapped as it was being one of several valid options. Still, the ExO / CSciO could not simply dismiss what she was observing from the FCO. Something was troubling him, something was making him more nervous than usual, all that was left to do was to figure out what that was.

Aki turned her attention onto Gemma next. Like the Captain, the ILO was not the type of person who displayed emotions, actually, to be more accurate, the woman with multiple personalities was not the type to show emotions depending on who she was.  As the Starfleet Officer currently in charge of Operations, the woman was as cool and in control as could be. She gave a clear impression that nothing could rattle her cage. On the other hand, some of her other personalities., such as the Russian Assassin Anya or the disagreeable Abrasivnyy were not shy to let everyone around them know exactly how they felt.  Right now, reading Gemma proved to be as difficult as trying to decipher an ancient, forgotten language while standing in a variable-gravity room and blindfolded.

The more Aki thought about this predicament, the more she felt herself grow concerned that she would not be able to find the explanation she was so desperately looking for. The possibility of failure in any scientific research was always omnipresent, but for some reason, the Asian woman was feeling it more this time around than ever before. This research did not only involve her and her quest for scientific knowledge and discovery, it involved the entirety of the BASTET's crew and possibly that of the ANUBIS as well. That simple thought was more than enough to make the ExO / CSciO feel a tightness in her chest making it harder for her to breathe.

How could she be expected to find anything while being in such a state? How many lives depended on her ability to move beyond the theory that she was unable to either confirm or refute? The stress would have been crushing enough as the CSciO, but in her role as ExO, Mitshiba only felt even more pressure in her getting to the bottom of this problem as quickly as possible for everyone's sake.

Although she was not daydreaming of a watery world, Aki understood in many ways how Zub Enel felt, his claim of feeling like he was drowning matching very closely how the Asian woman felt at this moment. That feeling, and all of the thoughts that cause it, were less than pleasant and the ExO / ILO feared on top of everything else that her feeling this way would condemn the BASTET to an unceremonious end.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer / Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M19-010: USS ANUBIS: Maya: 36086.1800 ("Orb of Darkness")
---
"Orb of Darkness"
(Previous Post: (ANU) "There Is No Record of The Person..." / (BAS) "Measures of Fear")
---

Setting: Unknown Laboratory
Stardate: 36086.1800

It was not unusual to find the Shillian in one of the many science laboratories found aboard the USS ANUBIS, the only problem was that the particular lab Maya was currently in was not one of those, and yet there was something oddly familiar about it.  The shape-shifting scientist knew this place, down to the smallest detail and still, she could not put those recollections into perspective granting her the knowledge of where she was. It was as if she had found her way into a long-forgotten dream.

Slowly, the Shillian made her way from one test station to the next, carefully taking in the mixture of old-style chemistry equipment and high-tech equipment operating side-by-side. Everything she saw provided a clue as to what this place was all about but the Chief Science Officer was unable to make any sense of it all. Some of the workstations seemed to be analyzing soil samples while others appeared to be breaking down blood into its most basic components. Having Geology and bio-chemistry side-by-side made no sense, but still, there they were and in some strange way it all felt right.

Maya heard the distinct sounds of someone working, promoting the Chief Science Officer to alter her search pattern to investigate the origin of these noises. Again, the Shillian could not recall ever hearing anything like it despite the sounds growing increasingly familiar as she approached their source. It only took a few seconds for the Shillian to find the cause of these sounds, and she was more puzzled than surprised to discover that it was someone and not something that was the culprit.

"I was worried that you might have forgotten your way around this lab," an aged man said as he tinkered with some of the chemistry containers that were within his immediate reach.

"I know this place," Maya said, the admission being as much a statement as a surprise to the Shillian.

"Of course you do," the man confirmed as he slowly turned to face the stunned woman who had finally connected all of the clues into the only possible answer.  "You spent more time here than anywhere else," he added. "I guess that is my fault, but there was no time for you to grow up the way you should have. Our world was dying and I wanted to make sure that you would survive. I needed you to live so that you could remember us, remember your people, and if I can be a little selfish so that you could remember me.  I would appear that despite all of my work, all of my efforts, I have failed."

"You have not failed!" Maya exclaimed tot the man she recognized as Sonah, her father. "I have not forgotten you. I have not forgotten our people. I have done my best to carry on your legacy and be the best scientist that I could be."

"You being a scientist does not equate to you being a Shillian," Sonah said in an accusatory way that instantly made Maya feel much smaller, a power that only a father could use on one of his children. "You have forgotten who you are. By forgetting your roots, by forgetting this laboratory, by forgetting me, you have forgotten yourself, and in doing so you have allowed the universe to forget about us as a race. The Shillian people deserved better than to be forgotten by their only living daughter.  I deserved better than to be forgotten by *my* daughter."

The Shillian collapsed onto her knees, stricken down by a sadness that she could not dare to counter or contain. Her father's words had cut her deeper than anything could have ever hoped to, leaving Maya distraught in the realization that she had accomplished the one thing she feared most. She was the last of her kind, the last known survivor of a lost civilization, a woman burdened with the responsibility to carry on the legacies of her forefathers. She always feared that living her own life might lead her to forgot who she was and where she came from, and now she was confronted with that reality.

It was not the 30 years old woman kneeling before her father, it was the young Shillian child sobbing at the realization that her greatest fear had come to be. All of her years of training at Starfleet Academy meant nothing if she forgot, even in the slightest possible way where she came from and being told that this was exactly what had happened proved to be too much for the woman to bear.

"Father... I am sorry," Maya said through her tears, but as she struggled to look up at her father, she realized that he was no longer standing there. The Shillian woman quickly looked around her and discovered that the laboratory had also vanished, leaving her to be alone in the open area of an empty cave.  "FATHER!!!"

The only reply she received was the echoes of her voice, each driving deeper into her mind and soul the reality that she was the last of her kind, alone and doomed to perish like the rest of her race. Desperation quickly took hold of her mind leaving the Shillian feeling a solitude the likes of which she could have only imagined in her worst nightmare.  It was then, as the ultimate darkness threatened to overwhelm her that she noticed something, a small spherical object floating a dozen or so meters above the rocky ground. The ball could not have measured more than 10 centimetres across, but yet it felt as if its presence filled all that she could see.

Maya was not sure why or how, but the Shillian felt a connection to the small dark orb as the shape floated there.  As she carefully studied it, she noticed that it appeared to actually be an inversed shape, a three-dimensional emptiness like a hole in the fabric of space and time.

Lost in a universe of tormented emotions, the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS held on to the only shred of her being left and reached out to the small sphere. Part of her hoped that the emptiness would simply claim her and end her suffering, but another part of her hoped that the answers she sought were somehow being held within that voice.

For the briefest moment, the Shillian looked away from the orb, searching for the means to get closer, and when she did, Maya found herself back on board the ANUBIS, sitting at the Science station as she had been when the ship was pulled into the centre of the HR6819 system.

---
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M19-011: USS ANUBIS: Bruxa: 36086.1820 ("Greatest Fear")
=-=
"Greatest Fear"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Orb of Darkness" by Jessica / (BAS) "Measures of Fear" by Dawn]
=-=  

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cargo Bay 2
Stardate: 36086.1820

The tightness of her chest was making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Despite all of her training, there was no way that the CMO could have ever been ready for this. Neat rows of bulged sheets covered every inch of the cargo bay floor. Beneath each was the body of a fallen member of the crew. The bloodstains piercing through the cloth material hinted as to the brutality of their demise. The sight of rows upon rows of these sheets was enough to make the physician sick. The knowledge that this was only one of many other rooms had crushed whatever was left of the woman's spirit. They were dead, every single one of them.

The emptiness of the ship echoed Satella's inner-most feelings. She was alone, wandering the vacant corridors without purpose. Her reasons for being had been taken away from her, one after the other leaving the Doctor with nothing. The CMO had no idea what had happened, but now it mattered little. All she could do was to return to her quarters and wait for her own end.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bruxa's Quarters
Stardate: 36086.1830

Satella walked into her quarters and found them as empty as the rest of the ship. Even though the sheet-covered bodies were several decks away, the stench of death hung in the air. How could this have happened? The physician could not recall how her shipmates had come to fall. All that she could remember was her absolute powerlessness to do anything about it.

Feeling emotionally exhausted, the physician collapsed onto her couch, not daring to close her eyes. She instead glared at the door, waiting for whatever was out there to come for her. How could a creature none one had seen have managed to kill everyone? Not just killed but eviscerated them all in the most horrific of manner. Each body she came across displayed wounds worse than those she had seen before. Whatever this beast was, it was beyond vicious, possessing not a shred of care for any other living creature.

As she sat there, Satella began to wonder if she would even bother to fight the creature. It had displayed its ability to kill more times than the CMO cared for. No one, no matter their strength of skill had been able to fight off the attack. So, what chance did she have?  That thought grew heavier on her mind, making the physician consider something that she had never thought possible. Life in Starfleet was dangerous and there were no assurances that anyone would see tomorrow. Knowing that this was her final moments though made her face this reality like never before.  Life was fragile, that she knew all too well, but it never stopped her from moving forward. That was until now.

Satella was afraid, terrified about what would happen next. Her life had been dedicated to easing the suffering of others. Even when nothing could be done, it was her duty to ensure that their last moments of life were as peaceful as possible. The final moments of her life were quickly approaching, and peace was the furthest thing from her mind.

The physician's heart quickly hastened as she heard something walking down the corridor. The footsteps were heavy, like those of a giant. Sharp edges, likely claws, could be heard scraping along the walls. This was it, the beast had found her, not that she ever believed that it would not.  Satella quickly considered reaching for a weapon but soon decided that it was pointless. Surely, she would not have been the first to fire at the beast. The only certain thing was that she would be the last to see it. She would be the last to feel its claws ripping through her flesh, muscles and bones.  That thought scared her more than the creature itself.

As a physician, Satella understood pain. She also understood death and the inescapable truth that nothing could stop it. That was part of the reason why she was such a devoted CMO, doing her utmost best to help others.  She knew that her end was near, but that was not what scared her the most. Recalling the brutal injuries she witnessed on her shipmates, the idea of her suffering was what frightened her the most. No one had died quickly; their life essence being drained from them over many excruciating moments. Now it was her turn to endure this torture.

Once again, the physician considered reaching for a weapon, but this time with an entirely different target in mind. It went against everything she believed, everything she had worked so hard for, but it was her only escape. The only way she could save herself the agony that was heading her way was to end her own life.

Satella jumped as the beast smashed against her door, nearly knocking it to the floor with a single blow. Time was running short and she needed to act quickly. Could she gather enough courage to end her own life and save herself a most unpleasant end?

With a trembling hand, she held the phaser and pointed it at her chest. Fear of death kept her from pressing the trigger, but fear from pain kept the weapons firmly in her grasp.  One way for the other, her life was over, now all that mattered was how much she would suffer. The CMO could not bear the thought of suffering like she imaged so many others had.  Just as she was about to end the debate, Satella noticed something. A small sphere was floating in the far corner of her room by the ceiling. Although it possessed no eyes, she could tell that it was watching her. It was observing her, not only her actions but also her thoughts. How? She could not say. All that the CMO knew was that something was not as it seemed.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Lieutenant JG Satella Bruxa [Access Character BIO for Satella Bruxa]
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS

[Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain]
M19-012: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han/Enel: 36086.1845 ("Shared Fears")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Shared Fears"
[previous post were (ANU) “Greatest Fear" / (BAS) "Measures of Fear"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 36086.1845

Following Maya's return to the ANUBIS and a quick sharing of what they had experienced, Captain Morningstar and the Nylaan Sec/Tac escorted the Shillian scientist to Sickbay. The trio hoped to find more members of the crew along the way or at the very least find some explanations as to what was happening to them. It was clear to see that the Captain had no intentions of leaving anyone alone, a decision that the two alien women were visibly in agreement with.

When the three officers walked in to find the medical department as empty as the rest of the ship, the Captain let out a sigh before turning to look t the red-haired Nylaan. "Looks like the next step is up to you."

Ya'Han understood what Erik meant. Although she was the ship's Chief of Security, her medical childhood education combined with the rudimentary first-aid Starfleet Academy training made her the best candidate to perform the examination of the Shillian. The now white-haired Nylaan nodded her head and invited the Shillian to lay down on the main examination table.

"Maya," the Captain said. "Any ideas or speculations as to what is happening to us?" The Chief Science Officer just shook her head, giving a rather uncharacteristically short and silent reply hinting to the extent of her own recent experience with whatever was happening to the ANUBIS and its crew.

"Maybe we are dead and this is Hell, Gre'Thor, or whatever other names you want to give it," The Nylaan said as she opened a medical tricorder and started the medical examination of the Shillian.

"Is that what you truly believe, Lieutenant?" Morningstar was curious, but the Sec/Tac could tell that her Captain did not believe in such a nightmarish location. The truth was that neither did she, as the Nylaan's did not believe in any sort of deities. Their prayers were always directed to the High Sovereign, pleading for his benevolence while hoping with all of their hearts to be spared his wrath. Hell, in whatever form, was nothing when compared to what the latest ruler, her father, could do to his own people.

"I am just trying to find some explanation for what we have seen and experienced," the white-haired Nylaan replied.

"It is far more likely that we are dealing with some sort of dimensional rift or creature with its foundation firmly encased in the realm of fears," Maya said. "There are far too few similarities with what any Hell is described to be when compared to our individual experiences. The one common thread is fear. We all experienced something that finds its roots in what we are each most scared of."

As Maya said this, an alarm went off, making the Nylaan's hair instantly revert back to its bright red color. "That's the intruder alarm," the Sec/Tec said.

"Computer, identify the location of the intruder," the Captain ordered but no reply came. After sharing a quick glance with Ya'Han, the Sec/Tac rushed out of Sickbay for no other reason than to make sure that the intruder was not right there on the other side of the doors.

As soon as Ya'Han crossed the doorway, she found herself somewhere unexpected. Not only was she not in the corridor outside Sickbay, but she was not on the ANUBIS at all.

"What are you doing here?" A booming voice demanded. The Nylaan paused for a moment before slowly turning to face the person who had spoken, already knowing what to expect having recognized the distinct tone of the Voth Chief of Security of the USS BASTET.

Zub Enel waited as the USS ANUBIS Chief of Security’s black-eyed gaze flicked around the intersection they stood in made by two high, arched corridors. Her gaze, blacker than the deepest, most starless void, focussed on the cross-shaped set of stone arches high over their heads formed where the two corridors met. A banner hung there too vertical to see what was on it. Her waist length hair, red as newly spilt blood, shaded over to a gleaming, rich purple. Her expression changed from menace to fear. Her hair shifted back to red-haired fury. “Oh, no. Not here again.” 

The USS BASTET Security Chief pointed behind her with a scaly finger ending in a claw. “Maybe this has to do with that.”

The Nylaan had the build and litheness of dancer, but she had been trained endlessly for combat. Her senses were so highly tuned that very little could sneak up on her. She felt a spike of shame that there was something in this corridor that she had missed as she entered from the ANUBIS Sickbay. She had even been facing that direction before she turned to face the towering Voth. She spun to reface the direction he had pointed, her hands already up and ready for attack or defense. 

Zub Enel looked over the Nylann’s flaming hair at an orb that hung in the corridor at about two meters off the floor. It proved hard to focus on precisely. Something about its dark surface defied the appearance of solidity. He frowned as he concentrated on it, as he tried to bring it into sharper focus.

Ya’Han’s voice betrayed her concentration. “It is like an inside-out ball, if that makes sense.” She approached it cautiously. Zub Enel trailed her equally curious. The inverted ball did not move. 

“This makes no sense," Ya'Han said. "This is not a memory, because if it was, that ball would not be there, and neither would you."

Zub Enel's head snapped back a little at the unexpected abruptness of the woman's words. "I did not ask to be here, but I suspect that it wanted us here together, the question is why?" He said pointing with a single clawed finger at the small dark sphere.

Before the Nylaan could offer any sort of theory as to why the two of them had found their way inside the Imperial Palace of NYLA IV, the ANUBIS' Sec/Tac heard the familiar sound of military footsteps heading their way. With no time to explain what was happening, the red-haired warrior took hold of the Voth's arm and pulled it so that the giant reptilian to whom it belonged to would follow. The two running Starfleet Officer only made it as far as the next corner before they came to a sudden stop, the pair faced with another with a group of Imperial guards heading straight at them.

"Are you not royalty or something?" Zub Enel asked of the much smaller woman by his side.

Ya'Han just turned her head and glared up at the towering reptilian before she extended a hand in the direction of the latest set of guards heading their way. "There she is! We have found the traitor! Catch her!"

Over 2 meters tall, the lizard man assumed a fighting stance. Despite the armed imperial guards converging on them from two directions, his voice was calm. He asked her, “Traitor?"

"Long story," the Nylaan sighed.

With nowhere to run, the two combat trained officers only had one option available to them; that of fighting they way through.

“You gee and I will haw,” the Voth said, repeating something A’Janni had said to him during one of their joint combat efforts. 

For the barest instant, the athletically built Nylaan glared at him in consternation. She then threw herself at the guards in front of her. Zub tried not to watch her fight. She was the picture of grace, deadly grace. Her boots caromed off walls and faces. Her fists and blades of hands landed in motion too blurred by speed to completely see. 

He caught motion out of the corner of his eye and in a lightning grab seized an ornate spear being thrust at his face. He was able to hank the pole arm free while kicking the former owner in the chest. The guard flew backward and took two down with him. Zub kept his spear and whirled it left and right, over his back, low to the floor. Wood cracked. Bones crunched. Men yelled in pain. He kicked, punched and with his spear moved like an inexorable flailing machine down the corridor opposite from Ya’Han. 

Winded, Zub Enel advanced toward the last guard who had stood still behind the others. Zub’s hands smarted from delivering so many blows. His toes gave off sparks of pain despite his boots. His long arms ached as he lead with the spear. The last guard was by far the biggest. He grabbed Zub’s spear just behind the tip and held it fast. His brutish face bore the scars of many a hand-to-hand encounter. The guard bared his teeth, many of which were missing. Zub feared he was not altogether able to take down this last and well rested opponent.

Ya’Han passed Zub in a running parabolic step along the wall. Arrestingly beautiful with her taut female form and silky, blood red hair curling into a wide flat fan behind her, she planted one foot on the floor and the other halfway through the big man’s face. The man let go of Zub’s spear. His smashed features lost focus. He collapsed backward.

“I was going to take him,” Zub heard himself say in protest. 

“You took too long. Now follow me,” Ya'Han ordered. “Father often sends his forces in waves. We can’t wear all of them down. I know where to hide and regroup.”

She stepped back down the hallway behind him and sprinted away. Zub wondered how two people were not always regrouped, but he followed her. He glanced up the corridor where she had been fighting. Bodies lay strew everywhere and motionless. 

His long legs let him catch up, just as she pulled aside a long banner hanging against the wall of the high vaulted corridor. She threw open a door behind it and disappeared inside. Zub followed, but took a moment to stop the banner from swinging. He latched the heavy door to a smallish room with a stone balcony. The scent of a forest flooded in as did sunlight.

She was standing in the center looking up over his shoulder. He followed her gaze. The dark orb hovered in the corner where two walls met the ceiling. It seemed somehow to be watching them even though its strange surface had no eye or eyes.

She said matter-of-factly to him, “We can hide here only a short time before they start checking all these mouse holes.”

He looked down at her. She was not breathing hard in spite of fighting and running. She assessed him with her dark eyes. Her tone was paternal. “You fight with combinations of blows. Having a pattern to your attacks will kill you.”

He opened his mouth to protest. In the sunlight spilling into the little room, her long hair shone blood red as if each stand had been spun from rubies. He decided not to risk angering her. He said as conversationally as he could, “I constantly drill on various forms of martial arts. They have yet to fail me.”

“Yet,” she said with finality. Her gaze returned to the orb. “Why is that thing is doing this?”

“Doing what,” Maya asked from her biobed. Nearby, Captain Morningstar regarded Ya’Han through narrowed eyes. The BASTET Chief of Security had vanished along with the sunlit mouse hole in her father’s castle.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501

and

David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“Oh, fear not in a world like this, and thou shalt know erelong, know how sublime a thing it is to suffer and be strong.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
M15-014: USS BASTET: Enel/Andersson: 36086.1900 ("An Unexpected Connection")
=-=
“An Unexpected Connection”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Shared Fears” by Hanali & David / (BAS) "Measures of Fear" by Dawn
=-=

Setting: USS BASTET, Sickbay,
Stardate:  36086.1900

"He's coming around," the joint Trill announced, quickly bringing the CMO to Enel's bedside.

Sofia carefully studied the medical readouts on the panel over his head. The indicators were much lower than they should have been, but on the good side of things, they were now moving back to where they should have been. "His vitals are returning to normal."

"Where is Ya'Han?" Zub asked, the BASTET’s Chief of Security almost bolting off the biobed where he had been placed with great effort and difficulties.

"I'm guessing that she is on the ANUBIS," Nicole asked, her head ever so slightly tilted to one side. "Why? Do you believe her to be somewhere else?"

"I was with her," the Voth explained while searching his surroundings for any sign of the redhead or the palace they had been in only moments ago. "We had to fight a group of Imperial Guards in order to escape."

"See," Sofia said scolding Nicole. "I told you that you let his head hit the side of the bed when we were lifting him up."

"I did not let his head hit anything," Dima argued back. "Trust me, I have the bruises to prove that his head did not hit the side of the bed but my arm instead.  I can assure you that I took the worst of that impact," the Trill added rubbing the arm in question.

"What's going on?" Enel demanded, his golden eyes bouncing from the blonde Doctor to the joined-Trill Counselor and then back again in a matter of only a few seconds.

"We were escorting you from the Bridge when you suddenly passed out," Nicole explained. "We had to get help from nearby crew members to get you here."

"Passed out?" Zub repeated with puzzlement. He started to sit up. “I was with Ya'Han on her home planet, or at least I believe that it was her home planet judging by her reaction and familiarity with the environment."

"Relax," the CMO said, gently pushing on the Voth's shoulder so that he would lay back down on the biobed. "It was nothing more than a dream. Take a moment to rest and give me the chance to run some tests, I am sure that I will be able to explain everything in a few minutes."

"How is he doing, Doctor?" Commander Mitshiba asked as she walked into Sickbay. The news of Zub's unexpected fainting spell had summoned the First Officer to make sure that everyone was alright.

"I am doing fine," he replied emphatically, looking straight at the Asian woman, "and I was not dreaming. Right now there are Imperial guards actively looking for Ya’Han. They will seize her. She will have to face them alone.” Zub added with urgency, looking at the Doctor. “My muscles are still aching from the fight. Scan me if you do not believe me.”

"Those are involuntary muscle responses, and they are perfectly normal especially when experiencing vivid dreams," Sofia said trying to reassure her patient that he had only dreamt his latest escapade. She flattened a hand on his chest to keep him from bouncing out of bed. His heart was thumping hard.

"It was not a dream," Enel argued. 

Sofia brought her face close to Zub Enel, so close that his golden eyes focussed on hers. She asked firmly. “If you weren’t dreaming, how are you planning to get back to Ya’Han?”

The Voth searched her face. His grim commitment faded into a look of despair. “I did nothing to join her previously. It simply happened.” 

“So,” the Doctor said gently, “maybe you didn’t really go anywhere. Remember, we carried you in here. Trust me. You were dreaming.” Zub Enel allowed the Doctor to push him flat on his back again. 

He looked directly into her brown eyes, “Tell me why I would dream of a dark sphere?"

The diminutive Counselor opined, “Might be dream symbology for something like The Sum of All Fears.” Her blue eyes studied the prone lizard man for a reaction. She added, “Some people call it their Little Black Beast. You call it a dark sphere.”

"Dark sphere?" Misaki repeated, those last words catching her complete interest. She stepped up to the biobed. “Others have mentioned seeing an orb during their nightmare. The mentioning of a sphere is the first and only common element among the dreams. Please describe it to me.”

Zub Enel had to speak over the warbling of a medical scanner Sofia was begun to wave over his arm closest to the ExO, Counselor, and herself. He said, “It was no bigger than 10 centimeters, say the size of a large fruit. Ya’Han said it looked like an inverted sphere. It looked like a kind of three-dimensional hole to me. It hovered near us; before we were jumped by the guards and later in our hiding place. I cannot be certain but it seemed aware of us. We were discussing its possible purpose when I found myself back here.”

Save for the warbling scanner, the trio standing near him were silent as they absorbed his words. Commander Mitshiba reached up and lightly squeezed her delicate chin, her eyes piercing through him as she thought.

The warbling stopped. Doctor Andersson said to the two women, “Interestingly, his arm shows signs of heavy use. His hand shows inflammation associated with bruising, particularly around the distal ends of the metacarpals.”

Nicole’s voice was a bit husky. “You slay me when you talk doctor, Doctor.” She smiled.

Sofia checked her scanner without a return smile to the Counselor. “Knuckles, dear. His knuckles are inflamed like he has been landing hard blows. Oddly, there is no associated bruising.”

The three females swept the scaly Voth with curious gazes. Zub Enel shrank down in the biobed a bit, not comfortable being so dispassionately scrutinized.

The diminutive joined-Trill asked the Doctor, “Psychosomatic? He dreamed of hitting someone and believed it so thoroughly that his body reacted?”

“Hmm,” was all Sofia said. She squeezed Zub Enel’s bicep. He winced. “Hmm,” she repeated. Framed with blonde hair, her pretty face was pinched with thought.

Next to her, the ExO’s deep stare of concentration cooled. She focused on Zub Enel’s face. “It is possible that Ya’Han returned to her ship when you returned to us. That means she may well be safe. And as confused as we are. I want to see if I can hear her side of this experience you shared. This sphere may be the key to unlocking this mystery.” The ExO turned and headed out of Sickbay.

Doctor Andersson called after her, “You mean you believe he and Ya’Han were actually fighting palace guards together?”

The doors of Sickbay cut off her view of the departing First Officer.

“Let’s say she does,” Nicole said. She looked at Zub Enel with her bright blue eyes. “It is only a step further to say that this dimensional anomaly cannot only affect the minds of the crews on both ships, but it can also reach across the distance between our ships and force shared nightmares.”

“It can and did,” Zub replied with conviction.

“But why?” asked the doctor, her tone rhetorical, her gaze far away.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

and

David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M15-015: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: 36086.1920 ("Someone Else's Nightmare")
"Someone Else's Nightmare"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Shared Fears" & (BAS) "An Unexpected Connection"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Corridor
Stardate: 36086.1920

Aki's mind was working at trans-warp speed, trying to piece together everything that was said. The BASTET had never before now encountered anything like what was at the center of the HR 8619 system, so there was no basis of references to work from. The ANUBIS was caught in the middle of an ever-changing storm of gravitational forces making any rescue attempt impossible, yet that is what they needed to do. Added to the physical complexities of the situation was the mental aspects that were slowly revealing themselves. There was something about this system and the anomaly at its core that drew people's fears out, forcing people to face what frightened them the most in an 'out-of-body' manner without being able to control the 'where' or 'when'.  If that was not enough, it now appeared that these fears and the nightmares they caused could be shared by members of the respective crews across the void that separated the two ships.

Being able to travel to other dimensions meant that the crew of the BASTET was accustomed to facing the strange, unexpected and unknown, but this situation was definitively ranking up there as one of the strangest situations they could have ever expected to come across. How were these nightmares shared? Was the sharing random or did it use some kind of mental link? If so, what linked two people like Zub Enel and Ya'Han?  The Voth and Nylaan were and different as could be. possessing completely different psychologies, history not to mention biology? Was this connection a natural phenomenon or was it somehow artificially generated?

There were just too many questions to answer at this time.

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 36086.1930

The Asian ExO/CSciO stood at the far end of the elongated table following her report, the members of the senior staff who were in attendance looking at her as if a third eye had suddenly appeared in the middle of her forehead.

"Let me get this straight," the Caitian FCO said, his one white feline eye staring right into her soul. "Not only are you suggesting that the anomaly at the center of that system is triggering our worst fears, but it is also, through some unexplained magical means, allowing those fears to be shared with members of the ANUBIS' crew?"

"I believe that the Commander is suggesting that it is we who are sharing the fear-induced nightmares of the crew of the ANUBIS, not the other way around," the Uxali scientist said, the woman sitting where the ILO had been mere seconds before. "It would suggest that the carrier waves for this process are, either in part or in whole, using anti-graviton particles, thus operating in the opposite directional forces of the system's gravitational pull."

Aki offered a gentle smile. It was always a delight working with Wimdalli, the woman's scientific knowledge had been proven more often than not to be more than a match for anyone else aboard the BASTET, including Mitshiba. The question though was would her knowledge combined with that of the ExO/CSciO be enough to conquer the daunting task that stood before them?

"What do we do next?" Captain Iverson asked. Everyone, including Aki, took a moment to look around, each waiting for someone else to offer a possible course of action. When no one spoke, the ExO/ILO eased herself down into the chair, suspecting that the discussion as to the possible courses of action might take more than a few minutes.

The Asian woman's gaze dropped onto her hands which were resting, fingers interlaced, on the section of the conference table in front of her. That is when she noticed something odd, the finish of the tabletop was not as he remembered it to be. Maybe it was the lighting or just her being at a different location than usual, but the perceived differences were enough to make her looked up. As she did, Aki realized that she was no longer on the BASTET's Observation Lounge.

The table was old and damaged well beyond repair. The lights, at least those that were working, flickered weakly, laboring for each display of whatever life they could muster. The room appeared as if it had emerged on the losing side of some epic battle hinting at the state of the rest of the ship. Aki, realizing that she had somehow been dragged into someone else's fear-induced nightmare, decided to play along and investigate the scene. Hopefully, she would be able to discover who was the originator of this dismal and frightening display.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer / Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M19-013: USS ANUBIS: Lopez: 36086.1940 ("Old Fears, Fresh Wounds")
-=-=-
"Old Fears, Fresh Wounds"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Shared Fears" / (BAS) "Someone Else's Nightmare"]
-=-=-

Location: USS ANUBIS, Counselor Lopez's Quarters
Stardate: 36086.1940

The Hispanic woman sat in the middle of the room, on the floor, rocking gently as she held her legs tightly against her body. Looking at her someone might believe she had gone crazy, especially if they heard her whispered nonsensical mumblings. It did not take a Counselor to see that Adriana was in emotional distress, it did not take years of experience in the field of diplomacy to realize that Lopez needed help, but in the middle of the chaos that were her quarters, she was alone surrounded by nothing more than the shattered remains of what had once been her life.

All of the furniture had been tossed about as if a wild beast had stormed through her personal domain. Anything that might have meant something to Adriana had been trashed beyond mere recognition. Everything she knew, everything she possessed had been destroyed, reduced to pieces too small to be counted. There was nothing left for her to cherish and it made sense to believe that this was the reason for her current emotional state.

"Counselor Lopez?" The whispered question of the First Officer of the BASTET was met with nothing more than the continued soft rambling of the rocking woman sitting on the floor. Commander Mitshiba knew who Adriana Lopez was, her long thick wavy hair made it easy for anyone to recognize the ANUBIS' CNS and Junior Ambassador. Misaki still felt the need to ask though as the manner in which the woman had been found did not fit what she knew about her.  "Counselor Lopez, I am Lt. Commander Mitshiba. Do you remember me?"  Misaki waited for a reply or even any sign of acknowledgement, but as the seconds passed the Asian woman accepted that she would not be greeted or welcomed in any way.

Carefully, and with the utmost caution, Mitshiba knelt next to Lopez, placing herself as close as she could in order to offer the woman some support without making her feel threatened in any way.  The Asian woman cautiously leaned in closer allowing her to make out what the Hispanic woman was whispering to no one in particular.

"Gone... destroyed... shattered... everything is gone... I have nothing to live for.  My hopes... my dreams... all gone."

Mitshiba gave their surroundings a quick glance figuring that Lopez was feeling the effects of the destruction that surrounded them far more than the First Officer of the BASTET could have imagined.  "Adriana," she said as she gently took hold of the rocking woman's shoulders in a show of friendly support. "This is nothing more than a nightmare. I cannot explain how we are all being made to endure our worst fears, but that is all that you are experiencing at the moment. This is not real, you are only seeing your fears of losing all that you have spent a lifetime gathering be destroyed. Once you wake up, you will be back on the ANUBIS and everything will be as it was."

There was no way for Misaki to know this for sure, but she needed to say something to try and help the troubled woman. Misaki wished that it had been the BASTET's Counselor who had been brought here, at least Nicole would have been far better equipped to help Lopez deal with coming face-to-face with what she saw as her fears given form.

"Leave me alone!" Adriana barked as she pushed the Asian woman away before resuming her mumbling. The reaction surprised Misaki who was trying her best to understand how anyone could fear to such an extent the loss of mere physical possessions. However sentimental as those items might have been, the Hispanic woman's reaction seemed to be rather disproportionate.

"Adriana," the BASTET's First Officer said with a little more force, "This is nothing more than a dream, a nightmare. Nothing here is real."

"Gone... lost to me... I can feel it... there is nothing left."

Again, Mitshiba wondered how anyone could feel the loss of any item to such an extent. This inability to understand made the Asian woman try a more direct approach. Taking a solid hold of the Hispanic woman, Misaki forcefully turned Adriana so that the two of them would be face-to-face. "Get a hold of yourself. These are just items. You cannot possibly *feel* their loss to such an extent."

Lopez narrowed her eyes and pushed Mitshiba back with enough force to have her lose her balance and land on her back.  When the First Officer sat up, she noticed that the Counselor was pointing a trembling finger in the directions of her bedroom.  Hoping that she might discover a clue as to better understand the woman's reaction, Misaki proceeded as instructed.

Pushing her way through the dust and shattered pieces of what had been the Counselor's possessions, Mitshiba made her way to the bedroom and soon as she looked inside an icy chill crept down her spine as her breath froze in her lungs.  Adriana had not been mourning the lost of her most personal possessions, she was struggling to comprehend the full extent of losing something much dearest to her.

Despite knowing that this was only a fear-induced nightmare, Misaki could not draw her eyes away from the horrific scene. Laying on the Counselor's bed was the body of someone who very closely resembled the mumbling woman. Mitshiba recalled reading in the Hispanic officer's dossier that she had a twin sister and assumed that the mutilated body she was looking at was hers.

The believed loss of her twin sister explained far more how Adriana was behaving, in fact, seeing the countless gashes and deep, bloody wounds all over the woman's body made the First Officer wonder how Lopez had managed to remain as calm as she was.  Even though this was not her fear or nightmare, the scene made Misaki feel enough to more than understand what the Counselor was going through.  All she needed to do was to find a way to help her.

The First Officer quickly began to scrutinize the corners of the room where the walls met the ceiling. In every reported account of someone seeing the dark sphere, that is where it was found. It did not take too long before Misaki discovered what she had been searching for. Overwhelmed by the occupant's sadness, the Asian woman quickly lowered her gaze and began to search for something to throw at the strange looking hovering ball.

After finding some small piece of debris large enough to be thrown, Mitshiba looked up to see that the sphere had vanished.  In a matter of a single blink of an eye the Asian First Officer was back on her ship with memories of a nightmare that she would never be able to forget, even if it had not been hers.

-=-=-
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
 
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
M15-016: USS BASTET: Gemma: 36086.1950 ("Multiplying Terrors")
=-=
"Multiplying Terrors"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Old Fears, Fresh Wounds" / (BAS) "Someone Else's Nightmare"]
=-=  

Setting: USS BASTET, Observation Lounge
Stardate:  36086.1950  

What Lt Cmdr Mitshiba was describing was either pure fiction or utter madness.  No matter how excited Wimda was about this, the ILO was not ready to accept the explanation given. As far as Gemma was concerned neither dreams nor nightmares could be forcefully shared. If they could, it would be a weapon of unimaginable devastating power.  Seeing the Asian woman suddenly fall into a catatonic state was proof enough of that.

One second Misaki was talking and acting like everything was normal. The Asian officer was visibly enjoying being a CSciO for a few minutes. That did not last long though as the next moment the Lt Cmdr was just sitting there, motionless. The expression in her eyes had gone completely blank before gradually reflecting a sense of terrifying horror. Whatever nightmare she was being forced to share was obviously on the scale that the ILO understood all too well.

Cpt Iverson was the first to reach the woman's side after she suddenly stopped moving. A'Janni was not far behind, his own disbelief having been suspended for the time being. Gemma stayed seated, knowing that there was little any of them could do. The ILO was all too aware of just how powerful nightmares could be. All they could do was wait for the woman to wake. Only then would they be able to help, and that assistance would be limited to picking up the pieces.

It only took a few minutes for Misaki to return. The expression on her face spoke volumes as to the extent of her experience. Gemma was not at all surprised to see the woman literally vibrating from her ordeal. Fears were powerful tools, tools that the ILO had more than once used to get her way.

The Caitian leaned in closer, holding the woman's hand with firm tenderness. "Commander? Are you alright?"

Mitshiba took a moment to gather her thoughts. She needed to know that this was the real world and not a continuation of the nightmare. When she was satisfied that her ordeal was over, the Lt Cmdr turned to look at the Captain.  "It was Adriana's nightmare. Her greatest fear is losing her twin sister. It was horrific. What she saw went far beyond basic fear. The experience was scarring, to say the least. We have to get them out of there before it is too late. I would hate to even guess as to what any prolonged exposure would cause."

It was Gwenvel, the El'Aurian counselor, who offered her thoughts. "A complete shattering of their psychological identity. Experiencing such nightmares, even for only a few minutes can be highly traumatizing. To endure such visions for any length of time without a break could cause irreparable damage. It could even prove fatal depending on the intensity of the emotions. I believe Lt Cmdr Mitshiba is right. We need to get the ANUBIS and its crew out of there before it is too late."

A'Janni cast his one good eye onto Gwenvel. "That is easier said than done. The shifting gravitational pull from the inner star and black hole will rip the BASTET apart in seconds. There is no way for us to get close enough to do anything. This ship was built for speed and travel, not combat. Without an Ablative Armor to help, we cannot hope to reach them."

It was the Uxali scientist who offered her opinion next. "I think the situation is even more complicated and dire than that. Right now, due to our relative proximity to the system's center, we are only experiencing our own minor fears. Yes, some of the crew, as we have just witnessed, are sharing nightmares. Judging by what Misaki described, those experiences are far more intense than ours. I worry that our staying will only increase the manifestation of our own fears over time. Although the ANUBIS is right in the middle of the anomaly, I believe we are in a much worse predicament. We have to deal with both their fears as well as our own, and by the looks of things, both are rapidly growing. There is no way to know how much longer we will be able to function."

The Captain just stood there, quiet, thinking, colder than the ILO was used to seeing the woman. In many ways, Gemma admired Selene's ability to remain perfectly calm no matter the situation. Over the years, the Intel Operative had learned that emotions could easily lead to one's downfall.

Following a few moments of contemplation, Iverson spoke. "We cannot abandon the ANUBIS and its crew. We will remain here as long as possible and work to find a way to help them. Aki, are you able to resume your duties?"

Everyone could see that the Asian woman was hesitant to offer a reply. It would take some time for her to shake the images she had been exposed to thanks to CNS Lopez. Eventually, the ExO nodded her head.

Accepting the reply for what it was, Cpt Iverson stood at her full height. "Return to your stations and let's find a way to reach the ANUBIS. Dismiss."

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate:  36086.2000

Gemma made her way to the Tactical station. She had done all that she could from Operations. With Ens. Enel's absence, the ILO would be able to consider other possible options. Of course, first, she would need to have to deal with something far more pressing. Her own mounting discomfort as fears began to invade her thoughts. It was unrealistic to believe that anyone could be without any personal fears. Gemma had seen more than her share of horrors, each able to instill in her fears that most would never be able to imagine.

If that was all that the ILO needed to control, she would have been able to. The problem was that the fears she felt were not just her own, but from countless others all at the same time. Neri's fear of rejection. Dalra's fear of crashing. Wimda's fear of not being able to figure out a scientific mystery. Those were just three of hundreds of fears washing over Gemma's thoughts.

Before saving the ANUBIS, she needed to save the BASTET first. Before saving her fellow shipmates, Gemma needed to save herself. This would not be an easy task, given all of the fears she was experiencing. With each passing minute the waves of terror grew stronger threatening to wash her from this reality. If fighting against one's worst fear was a near impossible task, how would the ILO manage? She faced one tidal wave after another of horrific images, each more terrifying than the previous.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
USS BASTET

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M19-014: USS ANUBIS: Bruxa: 36086.1950 ("Real Consequences")
=-=
"Real Consequences"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Old Fears, Fresh Wounds" by Marissa / (BAS) "Multiplying Terrors" by Rachel]
=-=  

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 36086.1950

Her eyes opened ever so slowly as if the physician was afraid of what she would see. The last thing she remembered was being alone, in her quarters, a phaser in hand. Had she managed to summon the courage to press the trigger? Had she broken her medical oath to avoid becoming prey to whatever beast was coming for her? Was this place eternal light, or unending darkness?

Satella took a moment to take in her surroundings. The softness of the material against her back felt oddly familiar. It did not take the CMO long to realize that she was resting on one of the biobeds of her own Sickbay. Despite this, Bruxa hesitated to get up. What if the beast was still out there? That thought alone was enough to freeze the silver-haired woman where she was.

She was surprised when a face framed by short purple hair came into her field of vision. It was by no means the beast she had feared. In fact, the Avatar proved to be a more than welcome sight. "Ani? You are functional!"

"I appear to be the only one, Doctor," the android said. Had she not known better, Dr Bruxa would have sworn that the android was displaying concern.

Feeling a wave of courage fill her small body, the physician sat up on the bed. A quick scan of Sickbay revealed that the two of them were the only ones in the room. "Where are the others?"

Ani instantly regained her customary mechanical demeanor. "Everyone is at their station. The problem is that they are non-responsive. My efforts to revive them have so far failed with one exception, you."

Fear crept back into Satella's mind, but in a very different way. "You mean that you and I are the only ones aboard?"

The avatar shook her head. "No, we are not the only ones aboard. We are the only ones able to act freely though. Everyone else appears to be in some sort of fear-induced catatonic state."

Bruxa quickly swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She had no idea what she could or should do, but it seemed like the right thing to do. "Captain Morningstar? Commander Shar'El?" The senior officers? They are all incapacitated?"

An expression of quasi annoyance flashed over the face of the avatar. It came and went so fast that Satella could not confirm that she had actually seen it. "That would fall under the definition of 'everyone else', Doctor."

A thousand and one things came into Bruxa's mind. There was a lot that needed to be done, but she was not the one who could do any of them. After all, she was only a physician and not a Command level officer, or engineer.  Since her expertise was in the medical field, Satella proceeded on that path. "If you were not able to wake anyone else, how did you manage to revive me?"

Again, Ani seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a split second. Far too small to be measured by the CMO, but just long enough to make her believe that she had noticed it. "All I did was to restart your heart."

Satella's eyes opened as wide as her tiny frame allowed. "I WAS DEAD?!?"

The android wasted no time to nod in an approving manner. "Using the internal sensors, I was monitoring the vital signs of the crew. I performed an emergency site-to-site transport the moment your vitals went flat-lined."

Placing a hand on her chest, Bruxa sighed with relief as she felt her heart beating. "I owe you my life."

Ani shook her head this time. "I only acted according to my programming. Now, I would greatly appreciate your help as there are several others near cardiac failure."

Jumping off the biobed, the CMO reached for the nearest Medkit. "Any idea as to what is happening?"

The android followed the Mikulak woman. "Internal sensors are not picking up any intruders. The ANUBIS is locked in the high gravitational fields of this system. The only unexplainable anomaly is a small sphere of nothing roughly 200 meters to our starboard bow."

Dr Bruxa froze in place at the description of the anomaly. "A small sphere? Let me guess, roughly 10 cm wide and looks like it curves inward instead of outward?"

Ani nodded her head. "Yes, did you see it before going unconscious?"

It was Satella's turn to shake her head. "No, I saw it *while* I was unconscious. It is a long story, but I will try to explain it on the way. Right now, we need to see if we can revive Cpt Morningstar. There is no way I can handle this situation without a command-level officer."

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Lieutenant JG Satella Bruxa [Access Character BIO for Satella Bruxa]
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS

[Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain]
M19-015: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: 36086.2000 ("One Fear To Rule Them All")
=-=
"One Fear To Rule Them All"
[the previous posts were (ANU) "Real Consequences" by Rachel / (BAS) "Multiplying Terrors" by Rachel]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 36086.2000

Memories are the foundation upon which a person's identity is built. Each event, each experience, no matter how small, adds to this construct, like a brick to a wall. This creates a unique structure that can never be perfectly replicated, either in part or whole, not even in twins. As a Ullian, Shar'El was all too aware of this fact, having sampled the memories of countless people since her very first day of life.

She could easily remember her own first smile as seen through the loving eyes of her mother. Back then, her ability to see the memories of others was sporadic and random, but over time she learned to control it, to target it. Shar'El could recall her teacher's nods of approval following some of the more difficult mental exercises she was required to perform.  She also could clearly remember the way her instructor appeared nervous when he told her parents that she had a *special gift*. At the time she could not understand why, but over the years that followed, she began to understand why they had begun to act differently around her.  The raven-haired Ullian could also remember the expression of pure excitement on Admiral Koniki's face when he welcomed her to NEW ALEXANDRIA. It was the first time in many years that she had felt wanted by someone.

From that day on, the memories that the Ullian would sample quickly became much darker. As an Intel Operative, she was expected to dive into the minds of the sick and twisted in order to retrieve vital information for the completion of their mission. This quickly changed Shar'El, leading her to seek solitude whenever she could but never able to fully avoid the broadcasted memories of those around her.

There were still the occasional happy memories, such as when Shar'El experienced the birth of Benito William Bonviva-Crichton, the youngest son of Ambassador Xana Bonviva. That particular memory, being from the mother's own point of view, had given a unique perspective of the Bolian/Human woman to the Commander. Unfortunately, for every such memory, there was an equally sad one waiting to be stumbled upon by the Ulian. One such example was the day Jayson learned of his pregnant fiancé's death. That memory shaped the man who today was the ANUBIS' Chief of Operations as much as it helped shape the ExO / ILO's own way of looking at him and life in general.

Those were only a few of the thousands of freely shared memories that unwillingly became part of Shar'El's mental structure.  As an ILO, the raven-haired woman had learned to push those memories to the farthest recesses of her mind, which was not always easy. As part of a crew, the Ullian had allowed herself the luxury of assimilating those shared memories under the excuse that it would help her be a better First Officer. In her role as second-in-command, managing the resources of the ANUBIS was her responsibility, which included the allocation of personnel to positions and duties where they would be the most effective. Therefore, knowing about the current state of mind of an individual was primordial in her decision-making process.  Unfortunately, this created in the long run an effect that Shar'El could never have fully expected.  Those freely shared memories had become an integral part of who she was.

It was because of this that, while lost in a world of fears, Shar'El found it increasingly difficult to tell if the fears she was confronting were hers or someone else's. All that the Ullian knew was that each fear-created environment she was subjected to was darker and scarier than the one before, leaving the raven-haired woman to wonder if she would ever be able to make it through. It had taken everything she had to break the hold her fear of solitude had created, but now she wished that she had stayed where she was,

Every scene she found herself in was completely different from the previous with one odd exception. No matter where she was, no matter what unspeakable horror Shar'El would have to face, there was a small spherical shape void that seemed to be following her. As the ExO / ILO moved from one nightmare to the next, she began to actively search for the odd presence. Part of the reason was that she wanted to know what role it played in all of this, and it also helped her deal with the fear-generated nightmare that surrounded her.  At least that was until the Ullian found herself back on NEW ALEXANDRIA, in one of the restricted Section I.

As much as she knew that this was not real, Shar'El could not help fall prey to the waves of terror that were washing over her in rapid succession. This area was the source of some of her worst memories, most of them not being her own.  With the utmost care, the ExO / ILO moved through the maze-like corridors, her fears growing as to what she might encounter with every corner she took. The possibilities were nearly endless, leaving the Ullian in a desperate search for a way out of this latest nightmare. Despite knowing that the sphere-shaped void had an important role to play, she dared not take her eyes from their search for what would most certainly come after her.

Her blood nearly froze in her veins as she heard the sound of heeled footsteps heading her way. Such a sound should not have caused this kind of reaction, but it was beyond Shar'El's control to stop herself from reacting in such an undignified manner.  All she could do was to brace herself and prepare for what she knew would be a more than nasty confrontation.  The echoes of the footsteps grew increasingly louder until it was beyond tolerable for the Ullian who closed her eyes and fell to one knee to focus all of her mental strength to ward off the terrifying effect of this one sound.

When the debilitating sound finally ended, Shar'El opened her eyes to see a pair of shoes directly in front of her. Slowly, her eyes made their way up until they met the unimpressed expression of the woman looking down at her.

"Figured I would be dragged into *your* nightmares," the woman the Ullian initially knew as 'Project GAMMA' was visibly not in a mood to offer any assistance, but what was worse was that the genetically enhanced operative was, despite the ExO / ILO's best effort to claim otherwise, was the one thing she truly feared above all else. "Get up," Gemma sighed. "Let's get you out of this nightmare. I do not intend to spend any more time in your head than I absolutely have to."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
M19-016: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: 36086.2015 ("Rude Awakenig")
##########
"Rude Awakening"
Previous posts (ANU) "One Fear To Rule Them All" / (BAS) "Multiplying Terrors"
##########

“It is said that all you have to fear is fear itself. Obviously, they never had to deal with the likes of Gemma.”
– Admiral Charles N. Koniki

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.2015

The Native American woke up with a startle that almost saw him jump straight out of his chair.  Thanks to Ani's gentle yet unyielding push against his left shoulder, Erik remained seated forcing him to quickly look around in order to understand what was happening. It took several moments of frantically searching the ship's command deck before he concluded that this was not the nightmare he had been living earlier. With an expression that the Doctor had never seen on the man before, Morningstar looked directly at Bruxa.  "Am I alive?"

Satella gently smiled and nodded, the man's nervous whispered voice hinting to the severity of the nightmare he had been extracted from. "Yes, you are alive," the CMO confirmed before adding a quieter "Now."

"Now?" Morningstar repeated in a way that not only questioned his current physical status but also the possibility that this was not the reality he had hoped for and that his nightmare was far from over.

"It's a long and complicated story, so it might be best if I wait for the rest of the senior officers to gather before giving any sort of explanation," Doctor Bruxa said. She understood the Captain's need for information, but she was hesitant in giving specifics at this time. Maybe it was just her own fears hindering Satella's judgment, but there was no way she would be able to tell Erik that the Avatar and CMO had, for all intents and purposes, killed him to get him out of the fear-induced nightmare he was locked into.

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 36086.2045

It took roughly half an hour to get the senior officers together, and even then, there were two notable absences which the Native American quickly pointed out.

"Where are Xana and Adriana?" The Captain wondered, still waiting for his Chief Medical Officer to give him and those gathered in the room some sort of explanation for what had taken place.

Ani glanced at the Doctor and quickly realized that she was not in any state to answer the question, so the avatar decided to do it. After all, the Captain had made a query that, as an extension of the ship, she was more than able to answer. "Junior Ambassador Lopez is currently in Ambassador Bonviva's quarters, likely trying to convince her to allow the medical team present with them to kill her son."

The entire room, except for Doctor Bruxa, exploded in an unbridled display of angered disbelief. Surely the avatar had to have been wrong or malfunctioning.  Faced with a possible revolt, Satella had no other choice but to give the explanation she had dreaded and delayed for as long as she could.

"Please," the CMO said motioning for everyone to sit down. "I will try to explain, but I need you all to understand that I do not have all the answers." Satella paused for a brief moment, making sure that she had everyone's fullest attention. This small delay also allowed her to gather all of the courage she could to face what she needed to do next. "According to Ani, the ANUBIS somehow made its way to the center of the HR6819 star system. For a reason that I have not had time to research, it appears that the crew has been subjected to some sort of psionic attack causing us to experience our worse fears. It was only after my heart stopped and Ani responded to the medical emergency that we discovered a way to get people out of this trans-like state."

"Wait! What?" Ya'Han exclaimed first. "You *killed* me?!?"

"It was the only way we could bring you back," Satella quickly said in her defence. This was why the CMO did not want to explain how this had been accomplished, she knew that the reaction would be less than kind. "From what I was able to see, the physiological stress created by our nightmares would have led to a cardiac failure in the long run. We only applied a certain level of control to the process which allowed us to resuscitate you back to life."

"Well," Jayson mumbles, "that explains the chest pains I am experiencing. I am guessing that the resuscitation process was not as smooth for some as it was for others."

"Obviously, it was successful at least once when it should not have been," Sonja said, clearly aiming her words at Jayson.

"Stopping our hearts in a controlled setting makes perfect sense," Maya said, interrupting anything that the Chief of Operations might have wanted to fire back. "It was the best and likely the only way to ensure that we would all come out of this experience alive."

"What about that black null sphere?" Shar'El asked, moving the discussion onto something other than the crew's brush with death.

"I had totally forgotten about that," Satella said turning her gaze onto the ship's avatar.

"The ANUBIS appears to be locked in the high gravitational fields of this system. The only unexplainable anomaly is a small sphere of nothing roughly 200 meters off our starboard bow," then turning to the First Officer, Ani continued. "Doctor Bruxa explained that she saw this sphere in her visions, can you confirm that you too saw this?"

Shar'El took a moment to confirm with the others without actually speaking. The simple looks and occasional nods were all that the First Officer needed to know before returning her attention to Ani. "Yes, we all did, and I can confirm that the crew of the BASTET is also aware of our situation and this null sphere."

"Wait!" Ya'Han said once more. "You mean that our nightmares were actually shared with members of the BASTET's crew?"

"Yes," the First Officer confirmed. "I was able to have a rather lengthy discussion with Gemma."

"You were lucky," the Nylaan Chief of Security noted. "Ensign Enel and I were too busy running away from palace guards to have any sort of discussion. How did you and Gemma manage it?"

"It's... a long story," Shar'El said not ready to detail the fact that because Gemma was the source of her fears, the two of them were able to talk with little to no interruption from anything else.

"We can discuss the *how* at some later time," the Native American cut in with. "What we need to focus on right now is how we are going to get the ANUBIS out of this gravitational sinkhole."

"The crew of the BASTET is working on that problem as we speak," Shar'El informed the Captain as well as the rest of the gathered officers. "They are still trying to understand exactly what happened to the ANUBIS since the gravitational forces are too random and powerful to allow them to come directly to our rescue."

"Then, I suggest that we get to work in figuring out a way to help them help us," Morningstar stated, the Native American clearly ready to call this gathering to an end.

"Captain, there is one additional matter that I need to inform you about," Doctor Bruxa added. "I have not been able to perform most of the tests I need to better understand our current physical and psychological situation. That said though, I was able to reach the following conclusion based on my observations and all of the data collected during the resuscitation process of the crew. In order to avoid falling prey to our fears once again, I had to inject a sizeable dosage of neuro stimulant into each patient, which will wear out within the next 12 hours or so."

"What happens after that time, Doctor?" Sonja asked, already hating the answer even though it had not been given.

"After that, we will be on our own to fight off the effects of our fears as they consume our every thought. I dare not give anyone more of the stimulant as it could cause irreversible damage to several organs, and I am wary about trying to stop and restart someone's heart again should they fall back into this fear-induced trans."

"In other words," Jayson sighed. "We have less than 12 hours to figure out a way for us to get the ANUBIS out of this mess or we all die?"

"I am afraid that, although your explanation is a little rough, it does summarize our situation rather bluntly," Satella hesitantly agreed.

"Well," Morningstar said as he rose from his chair. "It looks like we have no time to waste. Doctor Bruxa, please use all available resources to see if you can give us more time to work with. The rest of us will do our best to come up with a solution within the time we currently have. Dismissed!"  As the senior officers exited the Observation Lounge, Erik motioned for Shar'El to stay behind.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I hate to ask..." The Native American began but the rest of his words were unnecessary as his First Officer already knew what he was about to ask.

"I will make myself available to Doctor Bruxa should there be a need to contact the BASTET. I knew the moment I mentioned the unique context of my link with Gemma that I would be the best option should the situation call for an exchange of information."

"Thank you," Erik nodded before allowing his First Officer to regroup with the others.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M15-017: USS BASTET: A'Janni: 36086.2100 ("Fur Fearing Friend")
"Fur Fearing Friend"
[previous (ANU) "Rude Awakening" / (BAS) "One Fear To Rule Them All"]

[/\]

Setting: USS BASTET, Sickbay
Stardate: 36086.2100

The Caitian FCO casually strolled into Sickbay before heading for the Voth Chief of Security who was still laying on the main examination bed. As varied as the species were in the Federation and Starfleet, it was obvious that the building codes for starships still held humans and like-sized humanoids as the main guide.  Zub Enel's imposing 7 feet height easily dwarfed the size of the bed causing his scaly legs to stick out at the end, a sight that made A'Janni grin as he approached.

"Comfy?" The Caitian playfully asked

"Hardly," the Voth sighed before looking around to see if the CMO was within earshot. "Doctor Andersson appears to be overly concerned about my well-being following my sharing Lt. Ya'Han's nightmare. I am not entirely sure why insists on administering all these tests, but I can assure you that her concerns are most certainly not aimed at my immediate comfort."

The FCO smiled as he leaned over to looked directly down onto the Chief of Security. "Hang in there you big lizard, I might be able to help you in that matter."

"You? Help me! How?" The tone of disbelief in Enel's voice was palatable.

Just then, Doctor Andersson returned with a handful of PADDs in one hand and a tray containing half a dozen hypospray in the other. The CMO had to almost run into the furry FCO to realize that he was there. "Lt. A'Janni? What are you doing in Sickbay? Have you had a similar experience as Ensign Enel? Are you feeling any dizziness or lightheadedness?"

The Caitain chuckled. "I am fine, Doctor. I can assure you that I did not spend any time, be it real or imaginary, with the ANUBIS' Chief of Security. That's his fantasy," A'Janni said, his lighter cut short when he felt a powerful hit from the lizardman in question.  "Are those for him?" A'Janni continued, pointing to the hyposprays as he asked the question.

"Yes," the CMO quickly and enthusiastically replied.  "I need to make sure that what happened to him is not contagious or something."  As the Doctor was buzzing around the examination bed, A'Janni saw for the first time just how frantic the woman was, as if she somehow feared that whatever condition Zub had would not only spread to the rest of the crew but also possibly injure them in some way.  Purposefully position himself in the way of the Doctor, the imposing wall of fur stood his ground when this time she actually ran into him. "Can you please stand aside? I have a great deal of work to do."

"Doctor, I came down to inform you that Captain Iverson wants everyone to report to the Observation Lounge. Lt. Gemma experienced a similar vision to that of 'big and scaly'."

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" It was amazing to see both Sofia and Zub say this in perfect unison but for completely different reasons.

"My apologies," A'Janni said, his words more aimed at the standing Doctor than the uncomfortably resting Chief of Security.  Although visibly upset, the CMO took her PADDs and hyposprays back to her office, leaving the furry and scaly giants to chat some more.

"You did that on purpose," Zub Enel said as he sat up and quickly slid to his feet which was not much of a drop. "You could have mentioned this the moment you walked in. Actually, you could have just called from the bridge and saved me the last few tests I was subjected to.

"I was doing you a favor," the Caitian rebutted. "I didn't tell the whole story about Gemma's little trip into the lowest level of 'fear-furno'. When she came back from her shared adventure with Shar'El, she started briefing us on what she had learned, then, all of a sudden, something changed."

"Something?" The Voth asked, puzzled.

"Well, someone changed," A'Janni said, sounding a little troubled and concerned. "One of Gemma's personality came out, one that I had never seen before."

"Someone should have told me!" The Voth was on his feet and already halfway to the door. "Captain Iverson and the others could be in grave danger."

"Don't get your scales in a knot," the Caitian said, causing the Chief of Security to turn and look at the FCO. "It was not Anya or even Jinx. No, that personality was brand new and nothing more than a talker. When I left she was in the middle of a rather long-winded story and I am sure that by the time we both return, she will still be going. Trust me, taking our time to get back is only going to make things easier on us, not harder."

Although Zub Enel was still very skeptical about what he had been told, he agreed to follow A'Janni's lead in waiting for the Doctor to return from her office before making their way back to the bridge and observation lounge at a very leisurely pace.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG A'Janni [Access Character BIO for A'Janni]
Flight Control Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M15-018: USS BASTET: Gemma: 36086.2110 ("Terrifying Truth")
=-=
"Terrifying Truth"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Rude Awakening" / (BAS) "Fur Fearing Friend"]
=-=  

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate:  36086.2110

One moment the ILO was at the Tactical Station making sure that all was as it should be. The next moment she found herself dragged into a world of fears. The worst of it was that this world was not of her making. The sterile, hospital-like scenery was familiar, very familiar. It was like a distant memory, one that she knew meant something to her. A memory that somehow defined who she was, but it also was a memory that she feared. Whatever this place meant to her, the mysteries and answers it held, would have to wait.

Right now she needed to locate the originator of this nightmare. Gemma suspected that this was along the same lines as what Zub experienced. Somehow the crew of the BASTET were made to share the nightmares of those aboard the ANUBIS. With that in mind it took the ILO no time to find the person responsible for this particular dreamscape. Amongst the two crews there was only one other person who knew about this place.

When Gemma found Shar'El, the ANUBIS' ILO was on her knees, on the verge of tears. There was no denying the fact that the curly auburn-haired woman delighted in seeing that. Her counterpart was visibly afraid, terrified even. She could have stared down at her for hours, days even. The problem was that there were more important things for both of them to do.

When the ILO woke up from this dream, she found herself back on the bridge of the BASTET. Cpt Iverson and Lt Cmdr Mitshiba were visibly concerned. Their expressions gradually changed as they looked at the woman. Something had changed, or more specifically someone.

Misaki cautiously placed her hand on the ILO's shoulder. The gesture seemed to be more about ensuring a safe distance between them than anything else. "Are you alright?"

The answer came with such jubilation that it took both other women off guard. "I am fine. You have nothing to be concerned about. I have never felt better."

Cpt Iverson was visibly suspicious, her Vulcan-like coldness gave nothing away. This was not the woman they had expected to see return to them. Beyond that, the way she claimed that everything was fine seemed not entirely truthful.  It was Selene who leaned in closer next. "Are you sure you are alright, miss?"

The smile on the woman with the short blonde hair grew even larger. "The name is Lygill, and yes, I am perfectly fine. Starfleet is not in the habit of putting agents in the field who are not in perfect health."

A quizzical air washed over the Asian ExO/CSciO. "Starfleet agent? Are you an SFI Operative?"

Lygill almost burst out laughing. "My dear, I am much more than a simple Intel Operative. I could tell you stories that would make big tall and grumpy faint."

Aki turned to glance at Selene before silently mouthing the words "Tall and grumpy".

Selene nodded her head. SFI plus tall and grumpy could only mean one person. "Koniki," the Captain said.

Lygill put her arms around the two women, drawing them into a small huddle. "Speaking of the Admiral, did you know that he keeps the heads of his worst enemies in a secret chamber? Well, is *former* worst enemies. The man can be rather unstable at times. Anyway, I am sure that this is not what you wanted to hear. How about we make our way to the Observation Lounge. There I will be able to tell you more about why I am here."

Dealing with Gemma on the best of times required a certain level of finesse. Dealing with any of her other personalities could prove potentially dangerous. This especially when the personality had never before been encountered. Agreeing that this might be the safest course of action, Cpt Iverson invited the woman to take the lead.

As they made their way, Misaki motioned for A'Janni to get and fetch the CMO. Just in case.

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Observation Lounge
Stardate:  36086.2130

At first Selene and Misaki had not dared to sit. For all they knew the woman might be as dangerous, if not more, than the Russian assassin Anya. It soon became evident that physical skills were not this personality's greatest assets.

Lygill was telling a tale to defy all imagination. What was disconcerting was that both the Captain and First Officer were starting to believe her. The details given were too specific and constant to have been a lie. The only question was how had she managed to witness all that she was talking about?

The woman with the short blonde hair was pacing up and down the room. Her gestures added a sense of grandiose flair to her stories. Misaki even started to wonder if Lygill was not more of a storyteller and an Intel Operative.

Iverson stretched her shoulder and leaned over the table. "As interesting as all of this is, you have yet to tell us why you are here."

The woman did not skip a beat as she turned to look at the inquisitive CO. "I was getting to that. You see, being a 'shadow operative' operating under tall and grumpy means that I am only sent where it is absolutely necessary.  This little conundrum you and the ANUBIS are facing is right up my alley. Remember my mentioning the cataclysm that claimed ARADEY SIGMA? Well, that was caused by an implosion quantum device. A device I was sent to install and trigger."

The ExO/CSciO tilted her head. She wanted to question that statement before, and now it seemed she would have the opportunity. "The dossier on ARADEY SIGMA claimed that the planet was destroyed by a micro-singularity traveling through the system. There was even evidence found to support this claim. The energy trail could be followed for several lightyears."

Lygill just smiled. "Of course, do you think I would have left evidence of my being there. An acceptable explanation needed to be found, so I gave them one. The energy trail was easy enough to manufacture. It is amazing what you can do when using an out-of-balance warp drive. The energy signature left behind is almost identical to that of a quantum singularity. Like I said, Koniki does not send me for your run-of-the-mill missions. I take care of what no one else can, and I make it look simple and easy."

Selene rolled her eyes as she leaned back into her chair. "Let us say that the Admiral did send you here to help. What do you suggest we do to save the ANUBIS?"

Before Lygill could start answering, Enel, A'Janni and Andersson walked in.  Although she was the last to step into the room, Sofia was the first to speak. "Is everyone alright?"

True to form, it was Lygill who answered. "Absolutely. I was just telling your Captain and First Officer why I am here. You see, Admiral Koniki thought it best to send a 'shadow operative' to help you in this most distressing situation."

The Caitian's ears perked up. "Shadow operative?"

The woman smiled with a confidence that was almost disarming. "Of course my fine furry friend. I am the one who is sent in when no one else can get the job done. Did you know that the split of the Kzinti people upon them joining the Federation was orchestrated by SFI? I was not the one responsible for it, but it was another 'black operative' who managed to split them apart. It was thought that they would be less of a threat to everyone else as separate entities. They would just be too busy fighting against themselves."  All three new arrivals just stood there, stunned by this unexpected revelation. This gave the woman more than enough time to resume her explanation. "Now, as I was saying, I was sent here to help find a solution to your ANUBIS problem."

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Intel Operative
USS BASTET

[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
M15-019: USS BASTET: Enel: 36086.2115 ("Frightful Facts")
=-=
“Frightful Facts”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Rude Awakening” by Francois / (BAS) “Terrifying Truth” by Rachel
=-=

Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 36086.2115 

Standing beside him, Zub Enel smelled A’Janni’s stress hormones spike. The newest incarnation of Gemma’s mention of the KZINTI people clearly upset the big tiger of a Flight Control Officer. The tall, scaly Security Chief narrowed his golden eyes at her. 

He sensed no obvious danger from this newest Gemma personality. She had short, blonde hair in a layered, feathered cut that hung over her eyes. She exuded a smoldering sultriness that many of Gemma’s personalities possessed. She had Gemma’s generous lips. Unlike Gemma, those lips stayed in constant motion.

The woman’s conversation had only a middle. “… which was a fine way to act for a minor prince whose title was in dispute by his own mother despite irrefutable genetic evidence that he was her son by the king. Since this minor prince refused to accept his lowly station in the vast array of royal peerage, he acted as if unfairly demoted at birth regardless of the fact that he had seven brothers and three sisters ahead of him and his father was in the most robust of health ….”

A’Janni’s claws made a rat-a-tat on the wall behind him that drew Zub Enel’s attention. The Caitian’s furry face was scrunched in pain. His fuzzy ears were horizontal. He squinted his one eye and whispered, “Maybe you and I are having a shared nightmare and *she* is it.”

Zub whispered, “Is she not talking about you?” He winced when A’Janni punched his arm.

The smack caught the woman’s attention. Her gaze was admiring as it swept over both of them. Her smile broadened. “Do I detect a question from one of you massive gentlemen?”

A’Janni hesitated. Zub Enel replied, “We were late … “

“I noticed,” she said coquettishly. 

Zub ignored what he saw as her attempt to distract him. 

Standing beside A’Janni, Sofia Andersson scrutinized Gemma’s newest incarnation. She said, “We haven’t met.” 

After Commander Mitshiba’s brief introductions, Lygill smiled broadly at the three. “I’m happy to help extricate the ANUBIS from its predicament.”

A’Janni’s voice rumbled as he asked the glib woman, “You know the royal court on KZINTI ALPHA?”

“Indeed,” asserted the blonde. “A lovely planet filled with feline beauties like yourself. Well, not *like* yourself as I can tell that you are a Caitian and not Kzinti.” Clearly on a tangent, Lygill turned her fullest attention onto the CMO. "By the way, how did you manage to offset the hypersonic cerebral numbing effect?"

Sofia and Misaki gasped in unison. "The cerebral what?"

The woman dismissed the whole thing with a wave of her hand. "Never mind, I forgot for a moment what ship I was on. In the earlier days, Federation ships used to cause cerebral damage to Caitians. It only required a minor modification of the phase coils to resolve the matter. I am just not used to thinking about the wellbeing of a Caitian."

Lt. Cmdr Mitshiba shrugged her shoulders. Never before now had she heard of such a problem with Caitians aboard Federation ships.

A’Janni narrowed his eye. On KZINTI ALPHA four years earlier, he had failed to prevent the slaughter of the entire royal family. He had fallen in love with the queen, Sheetora. She, too, had not survived. To help draw out the assassins, Gemma assumed the role of Sheetora. This Gemma-Sheetora aided her ancestors and Starfleet on a time-traveling plan that spanned two centuries. Moments after Sheetora triggered a counter-rebellion, she was again killed. 

A’Janni fought down trembling in rage for his failure to protect the Queen and toward another invocation of Gemma claiming knowledge about KZINTI ALPHA. “When were you there?”

Lygill shrugged. “Several years. I can’t say exactly.” She smiled fetchingly, “If it is important to you, I’ll try to be more precise. After all of the covert missions I have been on, I tend to get some of the finer details and timelines mixed up. Something that would not have been an issue had I been assigned to the PARADOX. Now, that was a ship that could travel through time in style.”

A’Janni battled resentment of Gemma. He wondered for the thousandth time why she could be so many people but never again Queen Sheetora. Not even a glimpse.

Enel struggled not to inhale the strong scents wafting off the Caitian. When A’Janni remained silent, Zub asked her, “What does royal rivalry have to do with freeing the ANUBIS?”

“Excellent question,” she declared. “I was simply illustrating how someone’s perspective of being mistreated leads to conflict against an entire kingdom. And yet he did so with very little, if any power. Royal power, I mean.”

Zub Enel frowned. Security duties had let him listen to many victims, perpetrators and witnesses. Lygill’s answers seemed both obtuse and suspiciously verbose. He had nothing to pin his suspicion on. “The ANUBIS is trapped in a ruling class power struggle?”

Commander Mitshiba looked perplexed. “An attack from this system?” 

“Yes,” the blonde woman asserted to the ExO. “And no. It is like what Mahender Simian Singh, a Chess grandmaster, told me while playing our 100th game.” She deepened her voice. “‘Pawns are never hapless. Each is a queen biding her time to unleash her power.’”

A’Janni shook his head as if to clear it. He waved toward Zub beside him. “He has the simplest of intellects. For the sake of his wee nub of a brain, state simply how we free the ANUBIS.”

Lygill gave the Security Chief with a smile that mothers reserved for favorite children. “Of course.” She looked around at expressions of puzzlement and growing impatience. “You’re all busy and highly intelligent people anxious to get right to the solution.”

Iverson said, “In 10 words or less.”

"I am afraid that it is not that simple." Lygill then paused as she counted her words, then smiled as she came under the given count. "You see, this anomaly at the center of the system is..."

Everyone held their breath as the woman paused. This continued for a few more seconds as her short blonde hair changed to be longer, wavier and of a distinct red color. “We all must die.” There was silence. Anya's gaze centered on Zub Enel’s face. “Simple enough?”

Zub Enel paled as he absorbed Anya’s solution. “As a working hypothesis only, say that somehow everyone aboard the BASTET and ANUBIS dies. Then what? The ANUBIS will still be trapped. We do not have power to pull them out.”

The ILO sighed as she shook her head. “‘Hypothesis?’” She scowled at A’Janni. “You taught him such a big word.”

A’Janni said, “Careful. Zub locks up people when he doesn’t understand what he hears.”

As she goggled up at the Voth, the Russian woman's face lit like being imprisoned by him would be most exciting.

The Captain’s steel-gray eyes fixed on the assassin that replaced the vociferous woman. “Doctor Bruxa aboard the ANUBIS has already proposed death as a way to stop the nightmares. Unless you have solutions beyond death and resurrection, I need everyone to return to their duty stations.”

Anya snarled. "The dying part is just to allow everyone to be able to focus on what is needed."

"Which is?" Mitshiba asked

To everyone's surprise and relief it was Wimda who would answer that question. "In order to save the ANUBIS and her crew, we have to reach the sphere and destroy it. The only way we can do that is to use the BASTET's D-drive."

The ExO/CSciO appeared almost insulted. "I already looked into using the dimensional field generated by the drive to shield us from the gravitational forces of this system. It will not work."

The Uxali scientist smiled. "We do not use the D-drive to force our way into the system, but to get around it. More specifically, to reach the center by us going through another dimension. The plan was discussed with the ANUBIS' ILO and she agreed to help us. This will require some exceptionally precise dimensional jumps, and the ANUBIS will provide us with a beacon for us to aim for." 

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“It is still not enough for language to have clarity and content... it must also have a goal and an imperative. Otherwise from language we descend to chatter, from chatter to babble and from babble to confusion.”
- Rene Daumal
M19-017: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: 36086.2130 ("A Friend In Need")
"A Friend In Need"
previous posts were (ANU) "Rude Awakening" / (BAS) "Frightful Facts"  

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 36086.2130

As soon as the meeting was called to an end, the redhead Engineer rushed back to her domain at the heart of the ANUBIS. Engineering was where the true action was, where any plan concocted by others was made to happen. Whoever's bright idea was the latest one to save them from impendent doom, it was usually up to Sonja to calibrate, alter, redesign, or flat out construct something in a way that no one had ever thought of before.  Their current situation was no different except that no one had yet come up with that one idea that everyone else would rally behind.

"Sonja, can I speak with you?" The question from the First Officer instantly made the Chief Engineer turn around, not only because of the query but because of the odd tone in her friend's voice. There was also a distinct 'out-of-breath wheezing coming from the woman.

"Was something chasing you?" Paquette inquired, taking a moment to look over the woman's shoulder just in case something had indeed been following her.

"No," Shar'El replied before taking in a long deep breath. "I was trying to catch up to you.  I never realized how fast you walk."

"I'm the Chief Engineer of the ANUBIS," Sonja said as if that single statement explained everything. "I have to be in twelve different places all at the same time to make sure that she is operating at peak efficiency.  The better I take care of her, the better she can take care of us." The redhead engineer paused for a moment, carefully studying the expression on her friend's face. "But you already know that, so what is this all about?"

"I need to discuss something with you," Shar'El explained. "Something that I know will not be as easy as it will sound."

"Nothing is ever as easy as it sounds," the engineer smiled as she sighed. "Lay it on me spy-girl. What earth-shattering plan do you have in mind?"

"It is more of a 'dimension-shattering' idea I am afraid," the First Officer clarified. "We need to create a signal that the BASTET will be able to track through another dimension so that they can return to this dimension as close to us as possible thus avoiding the various gravitational pulls of this system."

"Why was this not mentioned during the senior staff briefing?" Sonja demanded. "Wait, let me guess, this plan of yours is something that you and that Gemma chick came up with. Either you don't trust her and wanted to check the specifics of this plan with me first to avoid making a fool of yourself in front of the others or you don't trust me in being able to make the impossible a reality. So which is it? Choose your words wisely woman," the redhead said, offering a halting finger or warning.

Sonja was visibly upset, at least that was the way she wanted to appear, but somehow Shar'El appeared to be far more preoccupied with something else, something that was frightening her. Of course, this concerned the Chief Engineer how had never before now seen the ILO be afraid of anything.

"It's not you," the black-haired woman said, her gaze cast down as if trying to hide something from her friend. "I just need to know if you can do it?"

The redhead wanted to help, to understand what was troubling her friend so much. Unlike the Ullian, the Terran could not just look at someone and see whatever most recent memories were haunting their thoughts, all Sonja could do was to be there for her and in this particular case to follow her lead, which meant focusing on the proposed plan.  "The BASTET and ANUBIS share a lot of the same systems, with a few mission-specific pieces of equipment. I can create your signal, but I might not be able to limit its range.  We might end up broadcasting your location to those giant Masters or the Lokustar. Granted that those monstrous beasts, according to all of the reports, are locked away in their home dimension, but it would still be us taking a huge risk. There is no way to know what other big scary baddies are out there waiting for an invitation to give us a hard time."

"It's either that or we accept our fate and die," Shar'El coldly said as her demeanour changed to be distant, colder."

"I will get you that signal ready," Paquette said matching the other woman's tone. It was obvious that right now was not the time for either one of them to be a friend to the other. There was a task that needed to be done and unavoidable consequences that needed to be dealt with.  "With Ani's assistance, I should have it ready for you in two hours. In the meantime, it might be prudent to mention this to the Captain. Let him decide if this is the path he wants us to take."

The Commander nodded her agreement, although somewhat reluctantly. "Thank you," she offered before turning around to make her way out of the ANUBIS' Main Engineering section.

"Any time, Shar'El. I am always here for you. I hope that you know that?" It was evident that Sonja was trying to offer her support to a friend. No matter what was bothering the Commander, the two of them had gone through too much to not be there as a friend when the need presented itself. As Paquette watched her friend leave without even glancing back, all she could do was hope her friend would be okay.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Lt Commander Sonja Paquette [Access Character BIO for Sonja Paquette]
Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M15-020: USS BASTET: Enel: 36086.2145 ("Shifting Sand")
=-=
“Shifting Sand”
Previous posts: (ANU) “A Friend in Need” by Lorraine / (BAS) “Frightful Facts” by, um, me (and Rachel!)

=-=
Setting: Mindscape

The BASTET’s Chief of Security Zub Enel stood alone on the surface of a planet that circled the blazingly bright HR 6819 triple-star system. Halfway up the sky stood two bright blue stars. The biggest had an iridescent swirl like a tress of cosmic hair caught up by a breeze. Intellectually, he knew that the delicate swirl was stellar mass being drawn into an unseen black hole that orbited the brilliant blue-giant star. The beauty of this celestial sharing of light was unsurpassed. It made him ache. There was no such white-hot sharing in his own life.

A hot breeze riffled the soft down that rose from between his scales. He inhaled the heavy scent of the swaying, bright yellow plants that dotted the ruddy, iron-rich plain. The lay of the terrain rose gently for several kilometers to low hills. He looked around at the hills. They ringed the plain completely. HR 6819b - the planet’s prosaic designation - was a heavily cratered world, but ancient. Its rugged surface had softened and flattened as though its pummeling by meteors had completely ceased in a past so deep that it was lost to reckoning. Wind and vegetation, uninterrupted for eons, was reducing any high ground to crumbly red sand.

His golden eyes swept up again to the two blue stars with the wisp of shared light. He felt the ache intensify deep inside. His insides felt hollow, vast and deep, a black shaft burrowed far into the crust, an empty space entirely devoid of any trace of love. This lonely darkness yearned for light, even the most impoverished spark. Yet, standing alone on a deserted planet, there was no one or no thing to give him even one photon of their light.

The ache grew so sharp that he took in a shuddering breath. He grimaced his scaly face against the rare agony of tears burning their way through ducts atrophied and collapsed from disuse. He flexed his three-fingered hands into fists. He thrust out his chest as a show of stoicism. He exhaled slowly.

His breath etched him away like he had been molded entirely out of the red sand. A long cloud of red dust took away his bulging chin, his chest, his biceps. He watched himself erode away. He felt no alarm at being thus diminished. As an empty husk, he served no purpose. He felt it was best if he allowed himself to be returned to the universe for reuse.

A wind made a low roar in his ears. Not a hurricane wind, just a strong one coming from behind. Grains of his crested head were carried off on red twisting tendrils. He felt his ears disintegrate into sand. They too were carried downwind. He felt himself being reduced to just another dune on a soon to be uninhabited planet circling blinding blue stars.

His arms lifted away in curving parodies. They rose like he was preparing to direct an orchestra to start playing. Instead of a downbeat, his arms simply stretched out into long streaks of flying sand that dispersed as they were carried along.

His head eroded in the breeze, a stiff breeze he could still feel and hear roar. His neck joined the gracefully twining strands of himself. He felt like a sand sculpture abandoned on a beach long after the judging was over. The wind performed an egalitarian reclamation of him, winner or loser.

Even without a head or brains, he began to puzzle his fate. He surmised he must be dying. He had always imagined succumbing during a fight, in agony from many wounds or the searing last moment of being disrupted. He had vowed that thusly injured; he would fight for every last particle of consciousness. Dying in battle meant that he would not surrender to Death, he would not go peacefully into that good night. It had never occurred t him that dying could indeed be peaceful, prosaic, as soft as shedding spores into a warm breeze.

He stood in the scented, shrubby bowl of that wide ancient crater like a broken statue with only the lower half remaining to tell the tale of himself. His legs softened, rose and stretched downwind like thick red smoke that dissipated into dust and then into nothing.

His boots were all that marked his existence. The wind whittled them steady down until only the footprint of where he stood remained. He looked at his footprints in the red dirt. The only testament of himself having ever existed. The wind pushed little dunes of sand forward until the tracks were filled. He stared down at where he had been. No trace. An empty life lost to the elements.

Only the ache in his heart remained, as strong as before, but floating in thin air.

Setting: USS BASTET, Sickbay,
Stardate: 36086.2145

Zub Enel heard Doctor Sofia Andersson say, “That’s got him back.” She must have been standing close. He could smell peach soda. He opened his eyes. Her face, framed with sweat straightened blonde hair, was staring intently at him. Opposite of her, Nicole Dima’s pretty face was pinched together by a look of high concern.

His heartbeat boomed from the biobed monitor overhead. His hands resting beside his thighs tingled like they had fallen asleep. His feet tingled as well. They felt grainy. Part of his massive head crest that had nerves were sparkling to life. His voice sounded rough. “What…?”

The blonde doctor sighed hard into his face. One hand dropped with a thump on his chest. “You were stone cold dead. I could not stop you. You were supposed to wait for me to carefully control the end of your life, but you simply faded away.”

“Like I just blew away in the wind?” As he started to rise, her hand firmly held him in place.

Nicole’s voice was breathless with a mixture of relief and pride. “She brought you back!” Her blue eyes glowed toward the Doctor as brightly at the blue-white stars of HR 6819.

The CMO took a moment to take a small folded white towel and press it to her sweaty face. She finished by rubbing it on her blonde hair. Her hair flew up before cascading in messy loops down to her shoulders. Her eyebrows were almost touching each other as she continued to frown down at him. “Don’t *ever* die on me again.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, his voice still rough. He smiled up at both women. It was clear they cared about him. Not cared *for* him in a romantic sense but cared just the same. His apparent passing had distressed them. He felt guilty and pleased at the same time.

Andersson tossed the towel out of sight somewhere near his boots. She studied the readouts over his head. “You seem to be coming back stronger by the minute. Do you remember anything?”

He said, “I was on a planet circling this star system.”

As a joined-Trill, Nicole’s dark green filigree gracing the sides of her neck and face floated on warm pink. Her sapphire eyes were toward the middle distance. Her tone was academic, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if Aki found a planet out there in this crazy system?”

Sofia’s lips formed into a line for a moment. She said to the scaly Voth, “You were here the entire episode. Your vital signs kept dropping. I shot you full of stimulants and you still sank away. Eventually, you flatlined.”

Zub Enel noted he did feel more than a little jittery. He guessed it was from the stimulants. “How did you bring me back?”

Doctor Anderson held up a small device with a slivery T sticking out the top. “Hurrah for 33rd century medical technology,” Sofia declared. Setting the defibrillator on a small white tray next to Zub’s elbow., she continued. “External Defibrillator. You’ve got a lot of bone and tissue tucked into that massive frame of yours. I had to apply it several places and for a long time. You may find burns under your clothes.”

“Thank you all the same,” he said. He smiled in sheer gratitude for not being allowed to permanently join the rusty dunes of HR 6819b.

Sofia did not smile, but she took the time to comb her fingers through her drying hair. “One hopes this has cured you.”

Nicole shook her head as she looked down at him like she was trying to shake away the memory of his untimely death. “These nightmares are now killing people. I’m glad we have a solution to that, albeit controlled death and resurrection is truly extreme. Some people may hesitate to volunteer to die.”

The Security Chief smiled up at the Ship’s Counselor. “We are all Starfleet. Everyone will step up.”

Sofia Andersson’s brown eyes focused on him. “Remember, you hunk of gristle, you’re so full of stimulants you won’t sleep for a week. Maybe by then all of us will have beaten this thing and be back at NEW ALEXANDRIA folding our laundry.”

Zub nodded. Both the Doctor and the Ship’s Counselor looked down at him with relief relaxing their beautiful faces. He ached in many places and his heart felt like it was beating twice as fast but at least he did not feel that big empty ache.

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“There was a charm in being reborn into the world when one was old enough to appreciate it.”
- Thomm Quackenbush
M19-018: USS ANUBIS: Lopez/Bonviva: 36086.2145 ("Madness on a Galactic Scale")
-=-=-
"Madness on a Galactic Scale"
[the previous post was (ANU) "A Friend In Need" / (BAS) "Shifting Sand"]
-=-=-

Location: USS ANUBIS, Ambassador's Bonviva's Quarters
Stardate: 36086.2145

Adriana took a moment to consider what was happening around her. On one side was Xana, sitting cross-legged on her bed, cradling her son in her arms as any loving mother would. On the other was the three-member medical team sent by Doctor Bruxa, each with a hypospray at the ready.  All that stood between them was the Junior Ambassador and Ship's Counselor who was trying her best to mediate some sort of understanding between them.  That task would have been difficult on the best of days given the Ambassador's character, but the fact that the medical team was here to kill Ben made things that much more complicated.

The moment the three teal uniforms walked in, Adriana knew that things would escalate. The absence of any 'red shirt' security likely was meant to make things easier. The plan to allow the crew to function without having to be concerned about falling into another of the fear-induced visions made sense, even though the *how* this was to be accomplished was a little unsettling. The Junior Ambassador had come here to talk, to see how both Xana and Ben were doing, and to convince the mother to save her son from these nightmares by allowing the unorthodox procedure.

The medical team though had far more specific ideas, both on what they needed to do and how they would accomplish it.  That is why Doctor Bruxa had sent three of them; two would distract the mother while the third, whichever was the closest, would press their hypospray against the child's neck and stop his heart.  Even the simplest of plans often ran into trouble, and this was would most certainly not be an exception.

"Counselor," one of the three men pleaded. "Please, step aside. You are only delaying what must be done. Captain Morningstar has authorized this."

"I don't care if it was the Galactic President himself who authorized this, you ARE NOT GOING TO K..." Xana's voice drifted. The last thing she wanted was to alarm Ben, and yelling was already not helping, but to mention that they wanted to kill him would have been too much for the child to understand. "You are not going to do whatever you are here to do, so you might as well leave."

Adriana frowned slightly as she watched the mother and son.  She waited a long time before she settled on an approach.  "You took an oath," she said, hating herself for having to stoop to this level.

Xana looked at Adriana and said, "I did."  Her gentle touches on Ben's head never waivered. "But explain to me how a 10-year-old boy, one who still sleeps with a stuffed animal, is an enemy of the Federation."  When Adriana said nothing to this the Ambassador continued on.  "He is not a weapon, he is not a madman who is trying to create a criminal empire.  Ben is a boy who still believes in fairy tales, even though he suspects he's too old.  His worst crime is trying not to brush his teeth or making animal sounds with his armpit.  If the Federation and Starfleet think that is a crime, then Gods help us all because we've done far worse."

The CNS/Junior Ambassador sighed, her shoulders sloping down.  This was so much harder than she wanted it to be, and she even knew it would be hard.  Looking at Ben, the Hispanic woman realized something.  "You'd be saving your other children," she said quietly.  "You're a mother to 4 children, by doing this you're saving 3."  Pausing, she lifted up her head to meet her friend in the eyes.  "And I can't imagine that Ben is trying to hurt his siblings. Or anyone else. No one imagines that."

That seemed to take the wind out of the Ambassador's metaphoric sails.  She gently eased herself away from her son and stood in front of him, an impenetrable wall of azure.  "Two of my children are adults, living their own lives."  Xana paused for a moment, "And my firstborn, Dahlia... her mental health is better off without me."  Swallowing a lump in her throat she said, "It's a damnable thing to realize that your child's problems begin with you."  

Suddenly Xana seemed to recognize the others in the room.  The violet gaze went from officer to officer.  "Do you need all those shots?"  Swallowing the lump in her own throat she asked, "To do -- this.  To do this do you need all those shots?"

The officers looked to Adriana, unsure how much to say.  The CNS nodded at them before turning back to her friend.  "No," she said softly, "only 1 shot is needed."

The Ambassador held out her right hand as she spoke to the closest office. "Give it to me."  When the officer didn't move she said, "I'm a nice woman, but I'm still an Ambassador and I am ordering you, soldier."

There were several moments of discomfort before the closest officer handed over his hypospray.  The Ambassador nodded and took the steps back to being next to her son. Raising her hand she placed the hypo next to her neck.  "Ben and I will --"

"That is *not* what is what is trying to be done," Adriana broke in.  When Xana said nothing she continued on, "You'd be leaving your other children motherless.  You'd be leaving behind the Federation--"

Xana looked at her friend.  "The Federation has other, better, Ambassadors.  And children can live without a parent, however painful that might be.  But don't ever ask a parent to willingly let go of their child.  Every parent would do what I'm doing."  Nodding she said, "Go ahead, kill Ben, and I will kill myself."

Adriana sighed as she stood on the verge of tears. As a Counselor, she knew to never underestimate the lengths to which a mother would go to defend her offsprings or the sacrifices they would willingly make to protect those they loved.  "This is not necessary," the Hispanic woman said motioning for the three medical officers to withdraw. "As extreme as the solution is, it would only last for a few moments."

"To see your child in pain, even for a fraction of a second, is an eternity that no mother should endure," Xana replied, finding a glimmer of understanding in her protégé's dark eyes.

"His nightmares are going to grow, both in frequency and intensity," Adriana explained. "Each runs the risk of dragging a member of the BASTET's crew in with him, hindering their efforts to rescue us." The CNS could see the Ambassador pressing the hypospray against her neck with more intensity. "If we are to make it out of this, we need to be there for each other," Lopez continued, very carefully moving closer to the azure woman.  "Ben is not the threat," she paused between each statement, making sure that Xana was receptive to her words. "The medical team is not the threat, and neither are you and I. The threat is those nightmares and what they do to us."

The two women gazed into each other's eyes, caring brown meeting determined violet.  Again, Adriana motioned for the medical team to leave, never breaking her eye contact with the Ambassador. Since the doors to these quarters had not been heard opening and closing, it was a foregone conclusion that they were still there, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Xana," Adriana continued, now cautiously reaching for the azure woman's hand and the hypospray it held so tightly.  "There are always other solutions, you taught me that. So, if the nightmares are the real threat, allow me to stay here with you. As long as Ben stays awake, there will no be any need to use this," the Hispanic woman said as her fingers gradually made their way to the small medical device. Once the hypospray was in Lopez's grasp she turned to the medical team. "GET OUT! I will take care of this, and if Captain Morningstar asks, tell him that I am taking full responsibility for this and everything else that will happen in this room from this point on."

The medical team complied allowing the azure woman to gaze upon the woman without being concerned about anyone else. To make things even easier, Adriana tossed the hypospray now in her hand clear out of the room. This made Xana smile and offer a relieved soft-spoken "Thank you."

"Sometimes, when we are surrounded by madness on a galactic scale, the best thing any one of us can ask for is to have a friend by your side," Adriana said while offering a heartfelt smile.  "I single light can help us find our way out of the darkness," Lopez added before turning her attention to the young boy. "Come on Ben, you get to skip nap-time."

-=-=-
Sarah Albertini-Bond
USS ANUBIS

and

Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
 
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
M15-021: USS BASTET: Mitshiba: 36086.2200 ("Jumping Into The Impossible")
"Jumping Into The Impossible"
Previous posts: (ANU) "Madness on a Galactic Scale" & (BAS) "Shifting Sands"

///^\\\
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.2200

The HR 8619 system was a scientist's dream. The gravitational tug-of-war between the central star and the black hole could have been the source of countless research papers, not to mention providing a visual backdrop that Aki would never tire of looking at.  Unfortunately, this system was proving to be much more of a nightmare than anything else, all because of a small sphere, a spherical void that somehow seemed to be responsible for everything the two crews were enduring.

In order to save the ANUBIS and its crew, the BASTET would perform a simple task, at least simple for a ship equipped with a Dimensional Jump Drive.  To avoid dealing with any gravitational anomalies that might extend beyond the HR 8619 system into other dimensions, the ship would travel to the dimensional coordinates X: -004 / Y: 084 / Z: -002; where the planet  ELYSIA was discovered. This jump though would not be for sentimental reasons or to allow the crew for a quick visit. It was simply deemed safer to jump to a known dimension instead of risking any unpleasant first-time encounters.

Both Captain Iverson and Commander Mitshiba hoped that the BASTET would be far enough to avoid any gravimetric problems while remaining close enough to manage a pin-point return to their home dimension.  As delicate as the process of traveling from one dimension to another was, the arrival "target" was usually measured in the tens of kilometers, not in fractions of a single meter.

If the demands of performing a pin-point jump were not enough, it had become clearly evident that the crew of the BASTET was not immune to the psychological effects created by this void sphere. At first, it was believed that the main threat was in the sharing of the crew of the ANUBIS' nightmares, which had been addressed, but the rapidly increasing number of reports indicated otherwise. Now they needed to be concerned about falling prey to their own nightmares, which of course created an entirely new set of problems for them to overcome.

"We are receiving a report from engineering," Gemma said. The woman was visibly unimpressed by what she was reading. "Someone tried to take the D-Drive offline. It took three people to stop him, but they believe they were able to stop him before anything was damaged."

"Things are getting worse," Captain Iverson said. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"Jumping to another dimension without confirming that the ANUBIS initiated the trans-dimensional bacon would seal their fate," Aki noted. "We have no idea what frequency or modulation they will be using, which would greatly delay our ability to find it once we jump."

"We will not be of any help to anyone if members of the crew start to attack the equipment or each other," the woman standing at the Operations station said. Given the coldness of the words, Aki half expected to see Anya there instead of Gemma, but the ILO had been the one to offer this honest reminder and evaluation of their situation.

As the senior officers present on the bridge were considering this, all of the workstations went dark for a few seconds before com back online.

"What just happened?" Selene asked, the Captain managing to remain as stoic as could be despite all that was happening around her.

"The main computer just went offline. Emergency back-up systems have been engaged," Aki reported.  "Looks like the D-Drive was not the only piece of equipment someone wanted to disable." The Asian woman sighed before opening a communications channel. "Bridge to Sickbay."

=/\= Sickbay, Doctor Andersson here. =/\=

"How is our Chief of Security?"

=/\= Ensign Enel here Commander, =/\= Zub replied. =/\= What can I do for you, Commander? =/\=

"The main computer just went offline. We need a security team to check it out."

=/\= I will be right there, Zub out. =/\=

"That may take care of the ship as a whole, but without the main computer, there is no way the D-Drive will be able to engage," Gemma pointed out.

"We will just have to do the calibrations manually," the ExO/CSciO countered, glad to see the blonde German now standing where the ILO had just been.  With a nod of her head, Gabrielle acknowledged the unspoken order and quickly made her way to the nearest turbolift. As soon as the woman was off the bridge, Aki turned her attention to the FCO. "Helm, with the main computer offline, things are going to get bumpy. Keep an eye on the ship and manually maintain our current distance from the center of the system. As soon as Gemma, sorry Gabrielle gets the D-Drive ready and the ANUBIS engages the beacon, we can initiate a jump."

The Caitian's one eye opened to its fullest. "You want me to perform a pin-point accuracy manual dimensional jump?"

"Only on the jump back to this dimension, Lieutenant," the Captain said.  The woman's constant calmness was both a source of strength and frustration for the rest of her crew.  No matter how you looked at it, doing an impossible task, or even only half of one, was still an impossibility, yet her show of confidence in A'Janni and the rest of the crew made everyone present believe that this would be like any other task they had previously done.  Nothing was impossible for the BASTET and its crew.

///^\\\
Dawn Bohr

Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer / Chief Science Officer
USS BASTET - NCC 74977
M19-019: USS ANUBIS: Bruxa: 36086.2215 ("Mounting Irrationality")
=-=
"Mounting Irrationality"
[the previous post was (ANU) "Madness on a Galactic Scale" by Sarah & Marissa / (BAS) "Jumping Into The Impossible" by Dawn]
=-=  

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 36086.2215

Satella sat at her desk, reviewing the latest reports. The report from the team that she sent to the Ambassador's quarters rested alone to her left. Lopez had decided to take matters into her hands. As much as the CMO did not support this, she understood her friend's motivation. From a medical standpoint, stopping the heart only to restart it seconds later was simple. It had been proven to be a quick and easy way to end the effects of the void sphere. Cpt Morningstar understood this, and so did every other member of the senior staff.

By choosing to ignore this, the Bolian/Human mother not only risked her son but the entirety of the crew. Thanks to the neuro stimulant injected into everyone, they roughly had another 10 hours before problems arose. At least that had been the timeline she had given the Captain. According to the stack of PADDs to her right, this timeline had been greatly overestimated. Instead of simple nightmares, the crew was now demonstrating extreme paranoia and even waking delusions.  So far, Ya'Han had been forced to confine several dozen crewmembers to their quarters.  If things continued at this rate, none would be here to see the 12th hours. In fact, it was likely that they would not even make it half way there.

The captain had tasked her with finding ways to give them more time. Right now, all she could do was report to him on how much less time they had. Feeling a growing sense of powerlessness, the CMO reached for her communicator. "Doctor Bruxa to Lt. Cmdr Maya."

=/\= Go ahead Doctor. =/\= The Shillian's reply was short. This hinted that the woman was exceptionally busy.

Despite knowing this, and how important the work of the CSciO was, Bruxa continued. "Sorry to bother you Lt. Cmdr. I was just wondering if you had figured out a way to block the phere's effects?"

=/\= I can't even identify what sort of method that thing uses to affect us. All of our sensors report nothing emanating from it. In fact, the only reason we know it is there is thanks to the absence of any readings from that area. As far as our sensors are concerned, there is a 10 cm hole in space 200m meters from us.  I am sorry Doctor, but there is nothing I can give you at the moment. I have scanned for all known particles and even some that are purely theoretical. I even went as far as to search for anti-particles and energy waves. Whatever that sphere is, it simply does not register on our instruments. =/\=

The news was not entirely unexpected. Satella knew the extent of the woman's abilities in the field of scientific research. If she had found something, all of the ANUBIS would have known by now. "I am sorry for having bothered you, Bruxa out."

The CMO lost herself for a brief moment in her own thoughts. There was nothing she could do. The neuro stimulant was not working as it was hoped it would. Sedating those who displayed irrational behaviors was not an option as they would likely return to experiencing their worst nightmares. This in turn would hinder the crew of the BASTET's effort to rescue them. Hope was quickly slipping away from her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The sound of the doors to Sickbay were heard opening and closing. Seconds later, it was Ya'Han's voice that echoed through the room. "Doctor!"

There was a distinct sense of urgency in the voice of the Nylaan. This caused the CMO to quickly rush out of her office to find the Sec/Tac holding her bloodied arm. "What happened?"

Ya'Han clearly appeared less than happy. "One of my own security officers attacked me. I was keeping two others from trying to kill one another when he slashed me. I didn't even see him pick up the blade."

Fetching a tray of medical instruments, Satella tried to downplay the situation. "Ya'Han, you are good, but even you cannot see everything."

The words meant to ease the situation had the opposite effect. "I am the Sec/Tac! It is my *job* to see things before they happen, especially when they deal with weapons. I lost track of the weapon and lost track of my men. I am lucky that I was not killed. If I am unable to defend myself, how can I be expected to protect others?"

The CMO quickly went to work on the injured limb. "You are being too hard on yourself. We are surrounded by shear madness and mounting irrationality. You cannot expect to have all of the answers. You cannot expect to be able to solve this situation by yourself." Satella paused for a moment, taking in her own words. "The only way we will get out of this is if we stick together. We cannot allow our fears to overcome us. Right now, we are all acting in an irrational manner. Whatever it is that is toying with us knows that we have a way out. It is trying to distract us from completing our work."

Ya'Han glanced at her arm, the wound she had come in with now almost a distant memory. "Easier said than done I'm afraid. The ANUBIS is on the verge of becoming a ship of madmen."

After giving her patient's arm one last look, the CMO raised her gaze to meet the Nylaan's eyes. "We have to think clearly. We cannot allow our fears to dictate what we think, feel or do. We cannot sedate anyone as this would only shift the problem onto the BASTET. So what else can we do?"

Ya'Han's eyes narrowed. "Guess throwing everyone into the brig is out of the question. We could isolate everyone into the cargo bays." The fiery redhead quickly reconsidered that option. "They would just start fighting amongst one another. We have to keep people as far away from one another. That is the only way to limit the damage and casualties." The woman thought for a moment before speaking again. "Computer, seal all sections. Drop all emergency bulkheads and lock all doors. Disable all transporters. Put the ship under full lockdown, authorization Ya'Han Tango-Alpha-Six-Nine-Three."

=/\= Initiating ship-wide lockdown. =/\=

Satella tilted her head to one side as she looked at the Nylaan. "Do you think this will help?"

Ya'Han shrugged. "It can't hurt. The only problem now is that you and I are locked in here together."

Satella smiled. There were worse people to be stuck with. Then again, she could not think of anyone more dangerous than the Nylaan, especially when she was sporting such a bright color of red in her hair.

=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson

Lieutenant JG Satella Bruxa [Access Character BIO for Satella Bruxa]
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS

[Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain]
M19-020: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: 36086.2225
("When Being Alone is All You Fear, Part 1")
##########
"When Being Alone is All You Fear, Part 1"
Previous posts (ANU) "Mounting Irrationality" / (BAS) "Jumping Into The Impossible"
##########

"What if fear was something that could actually be seen and touched, what do you suppose it would look and feel like?"
– Kai Meressa, a quote from the Bajoran Holy Textes 'Tales of the Orbs'

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.2225

The Native American stood in the middle of the command deck. His instincts were to enquire why Ya'Han had called for the ANUBIS to be on full lock-down, but deep down he knew exactly why. That was why he had not overridden her order to the computer.  Her call had been the right one given the state of affairs. Despite their greatest efforts, the crew had been unable to fight off the constant mental assaults create by their own fears, fears that were now manifesting themselves outside of the realm of dreams.

As the Commanding Officer, he was required to lead by example, but truth be known, Morningstar was having a hard time keeping his own fears at bay. He and the rest of the crew of the ANUBIS needed to find a way out from this mess, and there was only one way he could see this happening.

"Morningstar to Paquette," the Native American said after tapping his communicator. Erik did his best to hide his feelings because if he fell, what hope did the others have?

=/\= I've got your damn beacon right here, =/\= the Chief Engineer snapped. =/\= I just need to check a few things and perform some minor adjustments and we will be ready to do. =/\=

Morningstar was pleased to hear this, but the sound of what seemed to be hammering quickly transformed his joy into concern. "Sonja, what kind of *minor adjustments* are you making using a hammer?"

=/\= That's not me, =/\= the engineering quickly replied. =/\= I have a couple of my own people trying to break into the Robotics Lab, and they are being rather insistent. =/\=

"Why is Ani not helping?" The Captain inquired. "She is not affected by whatever that void sphere is."

=/\= No, she is not affected by that blasted thing, and she was helping, at least that was until Ya'Han triggered the emergency lockdown. Not only did it seal people in the areas they were in, but it also took Ani offline. So right now, she's nothing more than a motionless piece of junk, a state that I would very much appreciate those trying to break in imitated even if only for a few moments. At least that would give me the chance to finish this blasted beacon. =/\=

"Captain," Stark said interrupting the discussion. "I am not sure why, but the ablative armour is registering a massive increase in pressure. At this rate, the armour will collapse in 20 minutes and the outer hull will not be far behind. I can't explain why this is happening, the external sensors are not showing anything different than before."

"It's that void sphere," Maya announced from the science station.

"Are your sensors able to pick up anything from it?" Erik asked recalling all of the previous reports where the sphere in question or anything coming from it showed up on any sensor scan.

"There is no empirical evidence to support my last statement," the Shillian woman offered. "But the conclusion is sound. There is nothing in this system that can account for what we have been experiencing. Taking everything into account, we should not even be here, at the center of this system, in one piece.  Although many have attributed this to luck, I never abandoned the possibility that an outside force, for an unknown reason, was responsible for this.  The appearance of the sphere in all of our nightmares was the first clue that something else was happening to us. The change in how we are made to experience our fears was the second clue, as it came to be after we found a way to offset the initial problem. Each time we find a way to not give in to our fears, something happens to change the rules, and the sudden increase of pressure against the ablative armour is no exception. Something, namely the void sphere until we find another designation for it, is somehow responsible, doing everything it can to make us experience more fear each time."

"What do you suggest we do about this?" Jayson demanded as the Chief of Operations glared at the Chief Science Officer, the Terran man clearly not in the mood to play any sorts of games.

"I am sorry Lieutenant," Maya politely offered. "I have no solutions for our current predicament. I realize that my earlier statement is nothing more than a theory, one that is impossible for us to prove at this time. If I am wrong, then what we are experiencing is beyond the reach of our science and technology to explain, and if I am right, each effort we make to stop things from getting worse will be met with an event or set of events that will nullify all that we had hoped to achieve.  I am truly sorry, but I fear that I have no answer to provide you or anyone else at this time."

"I can't believe this," Stark exclaimed. "We went toe-to-toe with the Lokustaar. We dealt with the Masters and countless other bad guys and this is how it all ends? We all die because of a small 10cm sphere that our sensors can't even detect?"

=/\= Paquette to Morningstar, the beacon is done and operational! =/\= The good news seemed to revitalize the bridge officers who quickly returned to their stations and duties.

"The beacon is transmitting as designed," Maya reported. "As soon as the BASTET picks up on the frequency of our signal they will be able to set their dimensional sensors to find it."

"We are going to live!" Jayson said unable to hold back his enthusiasm.

"Wait," the Chief Science Officer continued. "The beacon has stopped transmitting.

"Internal sensors show the presence of several others in the Robotics Lab," Stark reported. "Whoever was trying to break in earlier apparently succeeded and managed to turn the beacon off. With the ship on lockdown, there is nothing we can do about it."

"Computer, end ship-wide lockdown and re-establish all normal ship functions," the Captain ordered. "Authorization, Morningstar-Zeta-Zero-Zero-Alpha."

=/\= Acknowledged, =/\= the computer confirmed. =/\= Lockdown had been terminated. All functions have been restored to normal operating levels. =/\=

"Erik to Sonja, the lockdown has been terminated, Ani should be back online momentarily and help you restore the beacon."

The officers on the bridge waited for some kind of reply or acknowledgement but all they got was an eerie silence.

"Stark to Paquette, did you hear the Captain? Get the beacon back online. Without it, we are all dead."

=/\= I heard him, =/\= the Chief Engineer said, a distinct tone of sadness in her voice. =/\= Thank you, Ani came back online just in time to save me, but I am afraid that the beacon has been damaged beyond repair. =/\=

"We have to get the BASTET back!" Jayson gasped as he frantically searched for a way to do just that.

=/\= I am afraid that it is too late, =/\= Shar'El said from the IGC. Although the ExO preferred being in her domain, she always kept an eye and ear open on whatever was happening on the command deck. =/\= I saw a dimensional vortex open and close a few seconds ago. The BASTET is gone and without the signal from the beacon, they will not be able to find and rescue us.  It looks like that void sphere has won. =/\=

An uneasy silence spread through the bridge of the ANUBIS, everyone processing as best they could the realization that this would be the end... their end.

... TO BE CONTINUED

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M15-022: USS BASTET: Iverson: 36086.2235
("When Being Alone is All You Fear, Part 2")
=-=
“When Being Alone is All You Fear, Part 2”
Previous posts: (ANU) “When Being Alone is All You Fear, Part 1” by Francois / (BAS) “Jumping Into The Impossible” by Dawn

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 36086.2235

"What do you mean we lost the beacon?" Although the stoic Captain had not raised her voice while speaking those words, there was no doubt in those present on the command deck that their Commanding Officer was less than pleased by the announcement.

"I cannot explain it," the Caitian Flight Control Officer said in an apologetic tone. "The signal was perfectly clear when we jumped, but now I am not reading anything from the ANUBIS."

"I can confirm that this is not from our end," it was Commander Mitshiba, the First Officer and Chief Science Officer having quickly looked into the possibility that this had been caused by some equipment malfunction. "All of our systems are operating well within normal parameters."

"Could it have been a result of us performing a manual calibration during the jump?" Selene already knew the answer. The question was a longshot, one that would have placed the blame on Gemma who had taken on the duties to manually calibrate the Dimensional Drive. Just asking the question aloud made Iverson feel like she was questioning the skills and knowledge of the woman, something that she was not.

"The jump went as smoothly as could have been," A'Janni said without hesitation, not wasting a single second to come to the defence of the absent officer. "I would even say that it went better than most of our previous ones."

"Something must have happened on their end," the joint Trill added, taking the side of Gemma, pointing out the only possible explanation to account for the unexpected loss of the beacon that was meant to guide the BASTET back to the ANUBIS.

"Without it, there is no way we can jump back and be anywhere close to the ANUBIS," the Asian women said, hoping to leave behind the search for a reason and instead focusing on finding a solution. "Due to the gravitational interference from the system, we are not even certain of the exact location of the ship, that is why we needed the beacon. Our best sensor readings had an error factor of plus/minus fifty or so meters."

"That will do it," the Voth Chief of Security who was back on the bridge stated. "Fifty meters too close and we risk creating a dimensional vortex right on top of the ANUBIS leading to its destruction. Fifty meters too far and we risk being pulled by the gravitational forces and ripped to shreds. Without the beacon or any other way to clearly pinpoint the exact location of the ship, there is no way for us to proceed as planned."

=/\= Engineering to bridge, =/\= it was the Germanic woman, her thick accent making it easy for her to be identified by everyone. =/\= Why have we not moved closer and jumped back? =/\=

"Something happened to the beacon," Misaki informed. "We lost the signal and therefore have no way to precisely locate the ANUBIS."

=/\= Understood, I am heading back to the bridge, =/\= although it was the same person who had spoken, the voice had not been that of the Germain saboteur but that of the ILO herself, another voice that the senior staff could easily recognize.

"All right, what are our options?" Captain Iverson inquired, hoping to see that someone would be able to offer something better than them doing nothing thus leaving the ANUBIS to face its end alone.

"Jumping back would prove pointless," the Caitian offered. "Nothing there has changed that would allow the BASTET to get anywhere close enough to the ANUBIS to beam the crew aboard."

"I doubt that our targeting scanners would be able to even get a lock on anyone," the Voth added. "That was one of the reasons we needed to get as close as possible, the gravimetric interference is just too great.

"What about using our dimensional sensors to see if we could find another way to help them?" Nicole proposed.

"While we are in this dimension, we can move closer to the general whereabouts of the ANUBIS," Misaki agreed but her tone clearly hinted that there would be a sizable *but* to follow. "Once there though, I am not sure what our sensors would be able to offer that could help. The resolution of our trans-dimensional scans is extremely limited and are mostly meant for us to avoid arriving at our destination and finding ourselves inside some planet or other large celestial body."

Gemma stepped onto the bridge at that point, the ILO was visibly upset with their inability to carry out their initial plan. "What is our new course of action?"

"The top option appears to be for us to use the dimensional sensors and try to figure out something for us to do that would help the ANUBIS," the Flight Control Officer replied in a half sarcastic manner.

"That might not be such a bad idea," the Intelligence Liaison Officer offered as she turned to look straight at the First Officer. "On the way back, I was thinking that there may be a lot more about this void sphere than we have been giving it credit for. I started considering that possibility following something that Lieutenant Commander Mitshiba said during one of our conversations."

"Care to elaborate?" The Captain asked, curious to hear more as this was the first time she had heard anything about this.

"Commander Mitshiba theorized that the sphere we encountered in our dreams and nightmares, which matched the one the crew of the ANUBIS discovered near them, might have its origin from another dimension," Gemma explained.

"It was just a thought," Misaki said as if trying to distance herself from the mentioned theory. "We simply did not have enough raw data to formulate any solid working theory.

"That is the beauty of theories," the Uxali scientist continued, replacing Gemma. "A theory is born out of an idea, no matter how simple or complex it may be, and it is then either proven or disproven. The theory that the sphere could have originated from another dimension was mostly based on the idea that there is simply nothing like this in our universe, at least not that we know of, but there have been some mentions of similar instances with links to other dimensions. It is, therefore, a valid option for us to investigate this possibility and see if our sensors are able to pick up some trail leading to where the sphere came from."

"Helm, set course for the relative center of the HR 8619 system in this dimension, take us in at half impulse," Iverson ordered. As much of a longshot as this might be, it was still better than doing nothing, and the Captain knew that time was of the essence if they were to save the ANUBIS and its crew.  "Commander, Lieutenant" Selene continued addressing the First Officer and Intel Liaison Officer. "See what our dimensional sensors are able to pick up. Ensign Zub, keep an eye open for any possible threat. The last time we were here, things were especially peaceful, but I do not want for us to get caught unprepared should something unexpected comes our way."

Silence took over the command deck of the USS BASTET as the ship made its way into what should have been the center of a star system that existed in a completely different dimension. Here, in this universe, there was only emptiness where two stars and a black hole had been before, which of course made the task of getting closer to the center a great deal easier.  as soon as the ship was where it needed to be, the Asian Commander spoke up.

"Sensors are picking up something," Misaki reported. "Or more accurately the absence of anything. Baring 002 mark 1 and I would guess it is roughly 1500 meters away. It appears to be a perfect match to the sphere described by Commander Shar'El."

"Interesting," the Uxali scientist currently manning the Operations Station noted. "Whatever this sphere is it appears to be crossing into multiple dimensions all at the same time. We will need to do a deeper dimensional scan to figure out how this is possible."

"Is our proximity to the sphere posing any risks to the BASTET?" The question from Captain Iverson made perfect sense as they were clearly dealing with an unknown the likes of which they had never dealt with before.

"I am not detecting any radiation or anything else that could be considered dangerous emanating from that general location," Ensign Enel reported. "In fact, sensors are not picking up *anything* whatsoever."

"Makes sense," Misaki said, as she nodded her head. "Our sensors are not calibrated to scan for such matter. The dimensional sensors though are definitely picking something. According to these readings, the sphere is actually more like a rod piercing through the fabric separating the dimensions. What is interesting is that one end of it appears to end in *our* dimension."

"Like treading a needle through multiple layers of thick fabric, the rob encountered something that stopped it from going any further," Wimdalli theorized.

"The extreme gravitational forces of HR 8619!" The Asian officer exclaimed. "That had to be the answer. It is the only explanation that makes sense given this new data."

"Can we use this data to help us save the ANUBIS?" Captain Iverson inquired.

"Unsure," the Lieutenant Commander said, her fingers dancing on the science console with frantic determination.  "The other end of this *rod* appears to be located in the dimensional coordinate X: -034 / Y: 311 / Z: -401."

"The Chaos Dimension," it was Gemma who said this, the Intel Liaison Officer having returned. "Now all of these fears and nightmares are making a lot more sense. Captain, since both ends of this *rob* appear to be at fixed inter-dimension locations, we might be able to use it to help us reach the ANUBIS."

"Wait a minute," the Flight Control Officer warned, presenting a single trembling finger to the other officers. "Please tell me that you are not expecting us to use whatever that thing is to guide us back to the ANUBIS."

"If this is beyond your piloting skills, I am sure that Gemma knows someone who would be able to take up the challenge," Zub fired back at his friend.

"I was just wanting to warn everyone that it would not be a smooth journey," the Caitian amended. "I can fly this ship through whatever you wish with one eye closed," he added using the common expression.

"The last thing we need is a blind pilot," the Captain sighed. "Lieutenant Gemma, please return to Main Engineering, we are going to need your expertise in manually calibrating the D-Drive. As soon as you are ready, we will return to our dimension, once there we will extend the field to encompass the ANUBIS and take it out of the clutches of that system.  Hopefully, once all of this is done, we will be able to head back home together."

=-=
Setting: Dimension X: -004 / Y: 084 / Z: -002, Space
Stardate: 36086.2250

The USS BASTET sat in the middle of empty space, preparing to follow a path that it only could see. From out here, there was no sense of concern or even fear, the crew knew what they were doing and the ship would travel as only it could, stepping from one dimension to another almost effortlessly.

A small, barely noticeable rift surrounded by a gentle shimmering effect began to form in front of the BASTET and son came to envelop the ship whole.  When the rift vanished, so had the vessel and all aboard.

=-=
Setting: Dimension X: 000 / Y: 000 / Z: 000, Center of System HR 8619
Stardate: 36086.2250

An identical, barely visible rift, began to form and quickly grew in size, matching the size of the ship that had created it. By the time the shimmering effect was at its largest, the USS BASTET stood nearly on top of the USS ANUBIS.

Time seemed to come to a stop as the effect quickly grew larger, washing over the much larger SCARAB-Class cruiser. As soon as both ships were completely engulfed the two vessels vanished as if they had never been there to begin.

=-=
Setting: Dimension X: 000 / Y: 000 / Z: 000, Empty Space
Stardate: 36086.2255

Another insignificant rift opened, well beyond the reach of the gravitational forces of the trinary star system. It quickly grew to a size that allowed not one but two Federation vessels to emerge and return to their home dimension.

Whatever fears, whatever complications the two crews had faced, they had done so together and in so doing found their way back, safe and relatively sound.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 36086.2330

Erik opened his eyes to see three women looking down at him, only one of them being from his own crew.

"Welcome back, Captain," Doctor Bruxa said.

"What happened?" The Commanding Officer of the ANUBIS demanded.

"Things got a little rough," Captain Iverson explained. "The BASTET was never designed to bring another ship through the dimensional barriers, and certainly not one the size of the ANUBIS.  "There were some injuries on both ships, but our respective Chief Medical Officers have taken care of everyone, so you have nothing to be worried about."

"I guess we owe you big for saving us," Morningstar said.

"Tell you what, make sure that we get back to NEW ALEXANDRIA and we can call it even," Iverson offered. "My engineering section is in shambles and I am not sure that we will be able to make it back on our own."

"Done," Erik quickly agreed.  "I will send Sonja and whoever else is available to help with your repairs."

"Speaking of which I should head back," Selene said as she turned to Doctor Bruxa. "He is all yours" As Iverson made her way out of Sickbay, she turned to the third woman that had been there with them, the Chief Medical Officer of the BASTET. "How is Gemma?"

"She is fine," Doctor Andersson replied in a whispered tone. "As fine as I can tell, which I guess is a good thing when considering everything else. She is still unconscious, but her readings are normal, which means that her nanites are operational and doing their job.  The explosion was pretty bad, and she is lucky to have survived."

"We are all very lucky," Iverson noted before glancing back over her shoulder at the Commanding Officer of the ANUBIS who was now sitting on the biobed, the man not giving any indications that he was traumatized by what his crew had lived through.

=-=
Jessica Solarik

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

&

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M19-021: USS ANUBIS: Stark: 36086.2345 ("Haunting Memories")
"HauntingMemories"
[previous(ANU) "When Being Alone (Part 1)" / (BAS) "When Being Alone(Part2)"]

[/\]
Setting: USSANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate:36086.2345

Jayson reviewed the data being displayed on the Operations station, carefully takingin the results of their *survey mission*. If it had not been for the help of the BASTET, the ANUBIS would have likely never escaped from that gravitational well they had found themselves trapped in, and the crew would have more thanlikely still have been fighting for their lives against their worst fears.

"How is she?"

The question took the OPS Officer by surprise. Although he was aware of the presence ofothers around him, his thoughts had taken him somewhere completely different, making him unaware that someone had approached him.

"Sorry? Who?" He asked, turning to look at the person who had just spoken to him. A smile immediately appeared on his lips as he realized that it was Ya'Han who had been the one to draw him out of his daydreaming if one could call it that.

"The ANUBIS," she clarified. "How is she?"

"Those gravimetric forces we found ourselves bouncing off of did quite a job on our systems and hull," he replied. "I am surprised that we made it through in one piece."

"She's a tough egg," Ya'Han said smiling.

"The Terran expression is 'a tough cookie'," he grinned back. "But, if weare to use your analogy instead, I can say with certainty that the shell of *this*egg has been cracked following this latest mission. The Ablative Armor is offline and will take quite a bit to get back up. The outer hull suffered multiple micro-fractures which the bio-regenerative hull should be finisheddealing with in the next 3 to 4 hours. I am also picking up several fractures of the main support frame. Paquette and her engineering teams are going to havetheir hands full, that is as soon as they return to the ANUBIS. Right now, they are too busy doing repairs on the BASTET."

"They did save us," Ya'Han said. "I think helping them get home is the least we can do for what they did for us."

"Saved us?" Jayson's question lingered in the air as it escaped his lips. Yes,the BASTET and its crew had saved them, at least physically, but the OPS Officer did not feel 'saved'. Even looking into the woman's enchanting black eyes, her face framed by the cascading black and red hair that had become her standard. He wanted to agree with her, to believe that everything they had seen and endured was well behind them, but he felt something gnawing at him, at the very core of who he was. "You are right," he said, forcing a smile toappear on his face. "As long as we get home, nothing else matters.

"Speaking of going home," Ya'Han said as she took hold of his arm. "The Captain gave everyone time off to rest. The ship can make its way back to NEW ALEXANDRIA without the majority of its crew present, so how about we go back to our quarters and rest?

It was easy to see that whatever nightmares she had dealt with had not had the same effectas his own. Then again, she had learned early on that her worst fears needed to be confronted and challenged, unlike him who had spent the great part of his adult life running away from his deepest fears. That was one of the reasons headmired her so, her strength was like no other, and in many ways, she did help him by just showing that there was a way for him to do the same.

"You go," he said before placing a tender kiss on the back of her hand. "I need to check one last thing and then I will meet you in your quarters."

"Our quarters," she corrected. "Don't be too long, you know how much I hate waiting." She smiled at him as she left, displaying again the extent of her strength. He only knew a fraction of the hell her childhood had been,and it was likely because of that that she had managed to come out of this experience relatively unscathed.

As soon as Ya'Han vanished behind the doors of the turbolift, Jayson called up Counselor Lopez's appointment calendar. Adriana had made it available to Jayson so that he could schedule an appointment should the need arise. He quickly scanned for the earliest possible time and booked himself in that slot. Surely, she would have her hands full after all that had happened to the crew, but he was thankful that he would be able to have a few minutes of her time to help himdeal with his nightmares and fears which, despite their growing distance from HR8619 were still haunting him.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M15-023: USS BASTET: A’Janni/Enel: 36087.0830 ("Crawlspace Bantering")
=-=
“Crawlspace Bantering”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Haunting Memories” by Jayson / (BAS) “When Being Alone, Part 2” Jessica 

=-=
Setting: USS BASTET, Deck 15, Maintenance Access Crawlspace
Stardate: 36087.0830

The massive Chief of Security jammed himself feet-first down the narrow Jeffries Tube that connected Decks 14 and 15. He shoved down with his three-fingered hands against rare sections of wall bare of sensors or conduits. With so little clearance he felt his uniform jacket catch on the lower rim. His shirt rode up with it. Humid air eased across his exposed, scaly belly. His shoulders came free of the tube. He dropped to the crawlspace floor with his arms still up the tube and his shirt and jacket shoved halfway up his chest.

“There’s a sight no one should see,” said a female voice. 

“All of his dates end at this moment,” he heard the huge, tiger-like A’Janni say.

The Voth quickly pulled down his clothes. Too tall for the small room, he hunched his shoulders forward and rested the back of his crested head against the curved ceiling. A’Janni’s furry presence took up most of the remaining space. A sturdy, redheaded woman occupied the rest. Her head didn’t reach the ceiling. 

Zub Enel immediately told the woman, “I apologize for a clumsy entrance, Commander Paquette.”

“You made a memorable first impression, Ensign,” the redhead quipped. “Now, if you’re all tucked and buckled, I will show you gentlemen how this device works.”

The scaly Voth inhaled to answer yes, but the Commander had already forged ahead. She held out four, thick, metallic rods. One had a spearpoint on one end. Another had leaflike panels folded against its rod. There were two straight rods. “You and the tomcat here are going to reopen this access tunnel with these. She clanged the spearpoint against a crumpled wall with two metallic lips raised in a bizarre, lopsided smile.

ANUBIS Chief Engineer Sonja Paquette pressed the spearpoint against the lowest point of the metallic smile. “You pound this spear completely into the wall.” She lifted the rod with folded leaves. “Screw this on and pound *it* all the way in. Then, the real fun begins.” She handed Zub the spear.

As Enel examined the piece, Sonja added, “My design.” She bent down and lifted two heavy objects. “Recognize these?”

The furry Flight Officer exclaimed, “War hammers!” 

“Don’t make this harder than it is,” Sonja said. “You two are going to use these to pound on the end of the rods. You just hit and hit and hit. Don’t stop until these two rods are buried in the wall one after the other.”

She handed Zub one hammer, the other to the furry Caitian. A’Janni asked, “And after we drive these two rods in?”

She gave him a squint. “You stop.”

A’Janni’s white eye gazed with exaggerated patience over the short woman’s head at Zub Enel. Zub asked her, “I do not understand what we are doing.”

The short woman slapped at Zub Enel’s shoulder nearest the Jeffries Tube like she wanted to pass. “You’re hitting these parts on their ends.”

“Because?”

Commander Paquette gripped the bottom of the Jeffries Tube. “The D-Drive explosion crushed together most of this crawlspace. We need access to the entire space to finish repairs. This device is designed to force open the space. You beat it into place. We rotate it causing the leaves to expand and they shove the metal walls aside. You push the device further in and start over. Eventually, the entire length of the crawlspace will be open.”

Zub nodded his understanding. 

A’Janni pointed at the collapsed tube. “Isn’t every component in there crushed and useless?”

She hung two-handed from the bottom rim of the Jeffries Tube. “Components as useless, say, as two giant, musclebound brutes who are just standing around INSTEAD OF POUNDING?”

“Yes, sir,” they both said. Zub Enel held the spearpoint between the metal lips at the bottom of the smile that had once been a crawlspace. A’Janni hit the other end. A note rang out in the small space.  Sonja’s boots disappeared up the Jeffries Tube.

It took them a lot of pounding to drive the spear halfway into the crease made by the two pressed together halves of the crawlspace. Metallic notes rang out as each officer alternated blows on the rod.

A’Janni stopped to rub his arm. “Laborers used to sing rhythmic songs to help them keep going.”

The Voth sang with a descending melodic line, “Meow meow meow meow.”

A’Janni scowled. “Try a more manly song.”

“Like?”

A’Janni began a steady beat, two beats per line. His deep voice boomed in the cramped space.

There was once was a cat with a hungry belly
The name of the cat was Whiskers Jelly
His throat was dry and his bowl was bare
Meow me furry cats, meow (1)
 

Zub frowned. “This is a manly Caitian work song?”

“More pounding!” echoed down the Jeffries Tube.

A’Janni gave a grin and started pounding and singing again. Zub joined in hammering to provide the second beat, but he refused to sing. The manly Caitian work song turned out to have multiple verses, each sillier than the last. There was a chorus, too, that A’Janni sang with an eardrum rupturing howl. 

Soon may the kittyman come
With birds and mice and some tasty nums
One day when the critters come
We'll eat ’til our bellies are full (1)

They exhausted themselves pounding in the spear and then the rod with folded leaves after screwing it on. They sat against their respective walls heaving in breaths while they examined the two remaining rods to see how they worked.  Zub had to admit that the traditional Caitian work song had helped his stamina.

Taking a moment to regain their vigor, the Caitian looked at his friend before starting to laugh.

"What?" Zub Enel asked, quickly looking at his hands, arms and body to try and identify what had amused the FCO to such an extent.

"Nothing," A'Janni said. "It's not you. I was just thinking that despite how rigorous Starfleet training may be, it never covered anything like this."

"Maybe it should be," the Voth said in all seriousness. "Being able to perform physically demanding tasks in small areas, such as a Jeffries Tube should be included in the physical training of every cadet.  You never know when it might come in handy, like now. Maybe a little bit of training back at the Academy might have made it easier on you."

"On me?!?" the FCO gasped. "You are panting just as much as I am, maybe even more, so don't try to make this all about me."

"Alright you two!" Sonja snapped as her head popped out from the ceiling opening. "You can stop with the flapping of scales and puffing of fur. If I wanted to hear two animals trying to prove they are better than the other, I would have gone to the zoo. Now, quit with the testosterone-induced pissing contest and get back to work. There will be plenty of time for you two to compare how small your brains are once we are done here."  Stunned by the woman's words, the Voth and Caitian remained motionless for a few seconds until more specific orders barked their way. "What are you waiting for? With the first rods in place, use the other two to form a perpendicular lever. As you turn the levers clockwise, the inner rods will push against the walls of the crawlspace. This is where you get to show me just how smart you two are by using those big arms of yours, now GET CRANKING!"

Zub and A'Janni wasted no time to comply, each pulling with all of their strength on the end of the perpendicular rod in order to make the embedded ones turn as instructed. 

"I am glad that I don't serve on the ANUBIS as an engineer," the Caitian said.

"Why? Does she scare you?" The Voth asked, teasing his friend.

"No," A'Janni quickly said. "I just see her more like a Drill Sergeant than as Chief Engineer."

"Listen you two," The woman's voice echoed through the crawlspace like thunder. "I do not have access to the engineering staff or equipment from NEW ALEXANDRIA. Instead I am stuck here with 'scaleausorus' and 'furzilla' for the next several WEEKS unless we can get all of these repairs done. SO MORE TURNING AND LESS TALKING!"

Zub nodded his head as the two of them doubled their efforts. "You are right," the Voth said, his voice strained. "Now, do Caitians have a song for pulling?"

=-=
David Michael Inverso

Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977

“How can a rational being be ennobled by anything that is not obtained by its own exertions?”
- Mary Wollstonecraft

and

Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG A'Janni [Access Character BIO for A'Janni]
Flight Control Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
M19-022: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han/Bruxa: 36087.0830 ("Working Things Out")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Working Things Out"
[previous post were (ANU) “Haunting Memories" / (BAS) "Crawlspace Bantering"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Gymnasium
Stardate: 36087.0830

When she woke up earlier that morning, Ya'Han quietly got dressed in her workout outfit and left Jayson to sleep some more. She could only imagine the nightmares he had endured while the ship was stuck in that gravitational hell hole. If her own nightmares were any indication, he would need a great deal of rest and a few counseling sessions with Adriana.  On her end though, rest and counseling were the furthest things from the Sec/Tac's mind. She had long ago learned of other methods for her to deal with her troubled thoughts, so she left and went to the gymnasium.  Over the two or so hours that followed, Ya'Han had pushed herself more than she had ever done before; the sweat-stained towels and broken battle staff scattered all over the training mats attesting to this.

Ya'Han had been so enthralled in her activities that he failed to notice someone entering the gym.  It was only when they spoke that she realized she had not been alone anymore.

"What did Jayson do this time?"

Hearing the question, Ya'Han put her physical training on hold and turned to greet whom she had expected to be her friend the Chief Engineer, instead, the Sec/Tac found the ship's CMO with her arms crossed and her shoulder leaning against one of the training apparatus.

"He did nothing," Ya'Han replied through clenched teeth before returning to her exercises which consisted of striking with all of her might a training dummy with the battle staff currently in her hands.

Satella watched as the fiery redhead unleashed a fury like no other, leaving the Doctor glad that she was not the target of the relentless and repeated attacks. It took a minute or so but eventually, the staff shattered in the hands of the warrior, leaving her panting and visibly frustrated that her training had once again been halted by no decision of her own.

"I am glad it was not him," Satella said taking the opportunity to resume speaking with Ya'Han. "I suspect that whoever it was that got you so angry would not have a single bone left intact after what I have just seen. Should I get Sickbay ready for when you do run into them?"

"Is there a reason for your visit, Doctor?" Ya'Han said, panting and looking at the silver-haired woman as if a single wrong word or movement from the physician might trigger a repeat of the performance she had just witnessed.

"Ya'Han," Satella said as she rose her hands in a defensive posture. "I am not a threat. Not to you nor your relationship with Jayson. I know that I crossed a line that I should not have when things were not going well between the two of you, and for that, I am truly sorry. I simply wish for him to be happy, just as you do.  I would very much like for us to be friends once more."

"Friends?" the Sec/Tac said, having nearly regained her breath, another testament to her physical fitness and prowess.

"Yes, friends," the CMO confirmed. "Let's face it, I see what you can do and frankly I would never be able to leave my quarters ever again knowing that you might want to do but a fraction of what you just did now to me.  Let's be honest, you can be scary at times." Satella glanced at the woman's bright red hair for a split second, not daring to keep the warrior woman well in sight for longer than that.

The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds before Ya'Han chuckled, making Satella relax ever so slightly, but when she saw that the bright red of the woman's hair was growing darker, the Doctor knew that she was out of any immediate danger.

"You have nothing to worry about," the Nylaan said in a reassuring voice as she went to fetch another battle staff. "I would never do anything like that to anyone I am friends with or even just a shipmate. That is not my way. I guess that makes me the outsider in my family."

"Is that why you were training so hard? You are preparing for your revenge against them?" To be honest, no one truly knew of Ya'Han's personal past. It was a general knowledge that her father was the High Sovereign of NYLA IV and that he had been less than a caring father figure to her by most standards, but none knew the extent of what the woman had endured as a child.

"Not revenge," the Nylaan said. "I am simply training to be better than I was, training to make sure that no one can ever treat me the way I was treated."

"You are one of the lucky ones," Satella said immediately drawing a glare from Ya'Han. "That's not what I meant," Bruxa quickly said realizing that what she had said had not come out the way she wanted. "I meant that you are one of the lucky ones in the way you deal with your fears, your nightmares. Most people find themselves demoralized after facing their worst fears, barely able to get back up. You are the complete opposite; your fears are what drives you to be better and stronger. Whatever scars were inflicted on you to make you this way has served you more than anyone could have ever dreamt of. They failed to break you then, and it is not the fear of what they did or what they might do that will break you now."

The two women looked at each other one again, Satella waiting to see if she had explained her thoughts properly and Ya'Han letting the wisdom of her friend sink in.  After a few seconds, the Nylaan nodded her head and smiled. "You would make a decent Counselor."

"Not the first time I have been told that," Satela said returning her friend's smile. "To tell you the truth though, I am quite happy being a Doctor.  I have seen what a Counselor has to go through thanks to Adriana, and there is no way I want to deal with half of what she does.  So, are you done training?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wanted to know if it was safe for others like myself to use the equipment without risking pieces of shrapnel flying my way."

"Sorry," Ya'Han said looking at the latest staff to be in her hands. "I guess I have been pushing myself pretty hard.

"Ya think?"

"The gymnasium is all yours," Ya'Han said placing the staff back on the rack from which she had retrieved it. "I think I'm do for a good shower."

"How about we go for breakfast after that?" Satella asked. "Two friends sharing a little something to eat before the day starts."

The Sec/Tac agreed and made her way to the showers, content that her morning training had done far more than she had expected it would or could have ever done.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501

and

Rachel Jackie Johnson

Lieutenant JG Satella Bruxa [Access Character BIO for Satella Bruxa]
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS

[Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain]
M19-023: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: 36087.0830 ("Thoughts and Memories")
=-=
"Thoughts and Memories"
[the previous posts were (ANU) "Working Things Out" by Hanali and Rachel / (BAS) "Crawlspace Bantring" by David and Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge, Upper level
Stardate: 36087.0830

It was exceptionally rare to find the ExO / ILO anywhere other than the IGC or the bridge. If she was not in either location, the raven-haired Ullian usually was making her way from one to the other.  There were times when her duties required her to be somewhere else, but the general perception of the crew was that the Commander existed solely in those two locations. It was therefore quite the oddity to find her simply sitting at one of the tables of the upper level of the Black Hole Lounge, her wandering gaze cast on the people below.

"Commander Shar'El," the Ship's Counselor joyfully said as she approached the sitting ExO / ILO. "What a pleasant surprise to find you here. I thought that with Sonja on the BASTET, you would be helping with the coordination of the repairs on *both* ships."

"Sonja is a highly competent officer, Counsellor," the ExO / ILO said, never taking her eyes off the crowd below and her voice lacking in any emotions. "Her being on another ship does not in any way reduce her ability to oversee the repairs on this ship. I am sure that she is being given minute-by-minute reports from Ani who, as we both know, can supervise all that is happening on the ANUBIS better than anyone else."

Adriana smiled and playfully shrugged before sitting down with Shar'El without even being invited to do so. "What will you be having this morning?" The CNS was trying to strike up a conversation, using the absence of any cup or plate on the table as her *in*.

"Nothing that is on the menu of this establishment," the ExO / ILO coldly replied before shifting the discussion onto a different subject.  "How are Ambassador Bonviva and her son Ben? Last I heard, the three of you had quite the confrontation with one of Doctor Bruxa's medical teams."

"Yes, well, I am sure that Satella is going to give me an earful about that at some point soon," Adriana said sighing. "As much as she and Captain Morningstar believed that what they were doing was the right thing to do, I will stand by my decision to oppose them. All I can offer as justification though is the fact that both are doing well this morning despite what I might have said or done."

"It does seem to be one of your newer and more prevalent character traits," Shar'El observed. "Disregarding orders or courses of action agreed upon by the majority. It would be wise for you to keep in mind the possible repercussions of such defiance, Counselor. So far though, I will admit that you have been most fortunate as this new attitude has elevated you to the position of Junior Ambassador and maybe even Ambassadorial 'nanny'." It was only after she had said this that the ExO / ILO finally turned her head and looked at the woman now sitting with her.

"You could not have seen my memories of that particular event," Adriana said, confused and puzzled, especially given the fact that said memories had not been at the forefront of her thoughts, at least not that she could recall.

"Relax Counselor," Shar'El said, smiling for the first time. "I did not probe your memories. I should not have to remind you that I am the ANUBIS' ILO and the officer in charge of the IGC. This means that Ani is not the only one able to keep a close watch on what is happening on this ship."

There was a tone of sadness in Shar'El's words, but Adriana quickly decided not to press the issue. The events of their last mission, the crew facing some of their worst possible fears, had affected them all in very different ways, and everyone needed to process the significance of what they saw at their own pace.

"I will let you return to... whatever you were doing before I arrived," the Counselor said as she stood. "I came to get a few fresh fruits from the kitchen to have on the table in my office. I find that most find the scent of fresh fruits, if not their taste, quite relaxing. If you wish, I am sure that I could find an opening for you in my schedule."

"Thank you, Counselor," Shar'El said as she returned her eyes to the people coming and going on the main floor. "That will not be necessary. I am sure that your Counseling schedule is quite full given what the crew has just experienced. I would not want to add to your duties."

"Commander... Shar'El," the Hispanic woman said, leaning in closer to the still sitting ExO / ILO. "It would not be a bother at all. That is what I do, at least when I am not disregarding orders or courses of action agreed upon by the majority." 

The CNS had hoped that her last statement would have been enough to enlist a smile or even some reaction from the raven-haired woman, but alas it did not.
"Thank you," the Commander replied, purposefully omitting to address the woman by either her rank, position, or by name which would have clearly indicated the nature of their relationship at this time as being either personal or professional. "As I said before though, it will not be necessary."

Understanding that there was nothing more she could say or do, the CNS left the ExO / ILO to her affairs, whatever they might have been.

Shar'El felt a slight twinge of regret in having dealt with Adriana in such a cold manner, but for the time being the Commander could not afford to be ExO the crew had come accustomed to dealing with. The visions she experienced while the ANUBIS was trapped in the center of HR 8619, and the fears she had no other choice but to face had made it clear to her that she needed to be the ILO she had initially been trained to be first and above all else.

She was not sure what this would mean for the future, but all that Shar'El knew was that she needed to go back to NEW ALEXANDRIA and discuss the matter with the Admiral. Whatever would come from that meeting would dictate the path that she would need to follow from that day on.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
M15-024: USS BASTET: Andersson: 36087.0845 ("Beyond Medical Analysis")
=-=
“Beyond Medical Analysis”
Previous posts: (ANU) “Thoughts and Memories” by moi / (BAS) "Crawlspace Bantering " by Jayson and David
=-=

Setting: USS BASTET, Sickbay
Stardate:  36087.0845

The blonde Doctor sat on a chair set at the feet of the biobed where the ship's ILO was. Sofia's chin was supported by her arm which sat on the corner of the bed in a pose very similar to that of a famous statue created by Auguste Rodin back on EARTH in the early days of the 1900s. Unlike the statue though, her gaze was not cast down but rather fixated on the wall-mounted display over her patient's head.

"How is Gemma?" Nicole asked, making her way to stand behind Sofia to see things from her perspective.

"Heart rate is normal. Arterial pressure is normal. Neural responses are normal," the CMO listed using her free hand to nonchalantly wave towards the display she had been reading from. "According to every single reading, Gemma is fine, in fact, she should not even be unconscious, but we both know that this is thanks to her damn nanites. So my reply to your question should be more along the lines of 'Gemma's nanites are functioning perfectly'. Thanks to them though, I cannot give you any sort of honest medical diagnosis as I can't tell if her heart is actually beating on its own or if it is the nanites making it beat at such a perfect, steady rhythm."

"You need to relax," the joint Trill said as she began to massage her lover's shoulders with the tender expertise of a Risian masseuse. "I think you are trying too hard to see Gemma and her nanites as separate entities. Like her many other personas, Gemma is much more than what we or any device we have at our disposal see.  You need to accept that she is not like any other being we have ever had to deal with."

"You make it sound so easy," the Doctor said as she closed her eyes and allowed herself the luxury of enjoying Dima's talented touch.

"It is that easy," the Counselor reaffirmed.

"It is easy for you," Sofia pointed out as she looked over her shoulder and up to see the woman standing behind her. "You have several lifetimes of experiences to draw upon to see her as something more than she is."

"No," Nicole said smiling. "My being able to make your toes curl by massaging your shoulders is a result of those experiences but being able to look at Gemma in a different way is my own, and it can be yours just as easily."  The blonde woman could not help herself but allow a faint moan of delight as the woman behind her displayed the extent of her abilities to 'make her toes curl' with a simple touch. Being unable to take things any further given their current location, Nicole stopped and pulled a chair to sit next to the now grinning Doctor.  "Let me show you what I mean.  What do you see?"

"A woman that loves to tease me almost as much as I love her," Sofia replied as she gazed deeply into the Trill's blue eyes.

Nicole grinned as she applied a single finger to the other woman's chin and gently turned her head to look at Gemma. "What do you see now?"

"Gemma, unconscious," the Doctor replied, not entirely certain as to where this was going.

"Good, keep going. What else do you see?" The Counselor prompted.

"All of her bio-readouts are perfect. They are an exact match to all of the previous readings we have on record for her while she is *her*."

"What medical conclusion can you extrapolate from this?"

Sofia took a moment to think. "Her nanites are working fine, and are performing their task of making us see what they have always done before."

Nicole nodded in an agreeing manner, "Conclusion?"

"Her nanites are working just fine, but that still does not tell me how Gemma is."

"You are a stubborn woman Sofia Andersson," Dima said with a sign. "Do not look at Gemma and her nanites as being separate entities, instead look at them as a whole, a single entity that has managed to combine psychological, biological and mechanical aspects better than anyone or anything else we have ever encountered."

It was Sofia's turn to sigh as she focused her sights on the woman. "Alright, Gemma and her nanites are one, each an integral part of the other, merged and inseparable. Therefore, if the nanites are working as they should, showing us the exact same thing as all of the other times before, we have to conclude that Gemma, as a whole, is fine since the nanites are following their primary programing." The CMO paused for a moment before turning to look at the CNS. "So, why is she unconscious?"

"You can't expect me to have all of the answers," Nicole admitted with a smile. "If the nanites are working as they should, you have to accept that they are doing what needs to be done to keep Gemma alive and 'operational'. We might never fully understand or even know whatever is going on in that head of hers, but we have to accept that as long as her nanites are working, she is in as good a condition as we could hope her to be."

"I wish I could be as confident as you are about how she is," Sofia said. "We have seen so much from her, things that at times make no sense whatsoever, things that seemed to surface for no apparent reason. I just wish that there was something I could do beyond being a simple, powerless, observer."

"Maybe one day," Nicole said, extending her arm to reach Sofia's far shoulder and pull her in closer allowing their heads to lean against each other's.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Lieutenant JG Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

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