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"Crossing The Line"
[Previous Post:"Healing"]
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<<Believe what you want,but our enemies are out there threatening our citizens and way of life.  To even believe that our borders are safe from intrusion is pure folly.  Does the Senate truly believe that we are the only ones possessing cloaking technology?>>
- Pro-Counsul Trepak addressing the Romulan Senate


Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 63077.1525

There was an eerie hush that had spread to every deck, every corner of the ANUBIS as it drew ever closer to the border of Romulan space.  Even the Officers had begun to whisper amongst themselves as if their own voice might contribute in the ship and its crew being discovered.

"You have to be impressed by the Romulans," the Shillian ILO said from her station located directly behind the sitting CO.

"How so?" the Native American queried, not certain as to why Maya would be impressed by anything the Romulans did.

"Their simple reputation is enough to rattle this crew, even if only a little," the newly appointed Intel Operative pointed out.  "If for nothing else, we should be impressed by this and even more cautious because such reputation is rarely the creation of someone's imagination."

"Don't know about you Captain," the COO chimed in with, "but that's not making me feel any better."  Lt. Thomas half grinned as he glanced back to the ILO, certain that Maya would not be nominated for a *morale officer's* award any time soon.

"Steady as she goes,"Erik offered in a calm voice, trying his best to ease the tension without dismissing it.  Arrogance could too easily lead to mistakes, so it had been in some ways a good thing that the crew had been on their proverbial toes for this part of their journey.

"We will be entering Romulan space in 60 seconds," the Kzinti Sec/Tac Officer reported.  "Long-range sensors are not showing any activity along the boarder."

"Helm, be sure to stay clea rof the tachyon detection grid," the Native American reminded the FCO.  "That system will be just as effective in locating the ANUBIS as any other ship using a conventional cloaking device."

"This is where being on the HATHOR would have been an advantage," the Asian CSciO pointed out with agulp.  "Smaller ship means fewer chances of us getting caught by that detection grid."

"The ANUBIS may be larger,but I would not worry too much," Annie, the ship's Avatar announced with a hint of pride. "What we lack in maneuverability we more than make up for in capability," the artificial being added as she closed her eyes for a brief moment.  When Annie opened her eyes again, bright red lines appeared on the main view screen, each line representing one of the mobile tachyon stream that made up the detection grid.

"When were you planning on letting us know about this little trick of yours?" The Native American CO questioned, not at all trying to hide his annoyance.

Annie remained silent.  The truth had been that both her previous Captain and ILO would have known, and like any true-to-form computerized system the Avatar had not been one to forward information without first having been asked.

"Twenty seconds to border," Hex announced, in a way rescuing the Avatar from a less than enviable situation.

"Helm, adjust course and speed to keep us as far away from those tachyon lines and take us to warp 6 as soon as we have crossed over and are a safe distance from the detection grid."

"Ten seconds," the Kzinti Officer announced, her whole demeanor having become *smaller*.  An almost absolute silence spread through the ship as people collectively held their breath. From an outside point of view the entire thing would have seemed comical, but to the crew of the ANUBIS this had been a rather stressful experience, one that marked a very long 17 days to their target deep inside Romulan controlled space.

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

Lieutenant Elan Talak Fairborn
Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS

AND

Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA

Also

Captain Erik Morningstar
Commanding Officer
USS PARADOX