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"Disappearing Acts and Foreign Languages"
(Previous Post: "Crystal Slipper on the Staircase")
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 14, Bio-Chemistry laboratory
Stardate: 30150.1700

The Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS had come to offer her assistance and expertise to the Doctor who had been tirelessly studying the strange alien device.  Everything possible had been done to get the SCARAB-Class Cruiser back to NEW ALEXANDRIA as fast as possible in the hopes of saving the life of the Intel Operations Officer; Ensign Shar'El.  Not wanting to find herself lost in unproductive thoughts, the Shillian Scientist had thought it best to participate in an activity that best suited her skill set.

"The regenerative properties of the shell are truly fascinating," the Chief Science Officer said the Doctor Doyanne, the Scientist having long ago abandoned her efforts to take over the research from the visibly exhausted Medical Officer.  "Even when exposed to the most extreme conditions the cells which comprise this shell maintain a nearly one hundred percent regeneration capability.  The medical, scientific, and should I dare say it, tactical applications of such a technology would be nearly endless."

"All I am hoping for is to find something in that shell that will cure the plague that is killing my people," Doctor Doyanne said, her extreme fatigue having taken such a toll on her that she had forgotten that the knowledge of her being Tarellian had not been common knowledge.

"Your people?" the Shillian woman asked not able to recall any instances during which she had read or heard that Doctor Lillie Doyanne had been something other than Human.  "What plague are you referring to?"

The question had been direct and filled with concern as the Chief Science Officer could think of only a single plague that had been decimating a single specific race.  If her fears should be confirmed though, the Shillian wondered as to how she would find herself react.

If Doctor Doyanne had indeed been a Tarellian, the plague that her people carried would have infected the entirety of the crew by now, but the Shillian scientist could not reconcile this reality with the fact that the woman had been assigned to the USS ANUBIS.  Certainly Admiral Koniki would have known of such an extreme medical condition and would not have willingly sacrificed an entire crew for some unknown reason.  This of course left only two possibilities to be considered; the first was that the Doctor had not been Tarellian while the second pointed to the woman possessing some medical technology that kept the plague she carried contained.

Whichever final conclusion had been correct, the truth had been that Doctor Doyanne had been on board the USS ANUBIS and that she now required the help and support of those who looked upon her as a shipmate.  That said though, the curiosity that had been at the very core of the Scientist had not been satisfied leaving the Chief Science Officer with a single sure way to find the answer she sought.

The Shillian turned her back to the Doctor for a moment as she gathered the courage to ask a single simple question, one that held the possibility of revealing a secret that could forever change the lives of everyone on board.  "I am truly sorry, but I have to ask. Please forgive me but I am sure that you will understand that I just cannot keep this question silent as it does carry with it a great deal of potential issues and concerns, not only for me but for the rest of the crew of the ANUBIS.  Lillie... are you Tarellian?"

When no reply came, the Chief Science Officer turned around and was surprised to see an empty work space as well as a bare work table.  Both the Doctor and the focus of her research had all of a sudden vanished.

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 30150.1730


The ANUBIS had not yet been secured to the docking links reserved for it while inside the NEW ALEXANDRIA base, so the attention of the personnel on the bridge had been focused on the final approach for good reasons.  Not having located Captain Morningstar as she stepped onto the deck, the Chief Science Officer promptly made her way to the officer of the Commanding Officer wanting to speak to him about what she had witnessed.


After having announced her presence using the door chime, the Chief Science Officer was granted access into the room and found Doctor Mizore standing in front of an exasperated Captain.


"Let me guess," Erik began as he met the inquiring gaze of his former Acting Executive Officer.  "Doctor Doyanne suddenly vanished from whatever lab she had been working in."  Captain Morningstar chuckled dryly at the bemused expression that had appeared on the face of his Chief Science Officer.  "Doctor Mizore came here to report the same thing having happened to Ensign Shar'El, My guess is that our esteemed leader, Admiral Koniki, kept track of what was happening and decided to take control of the situation as soon as we were in reach of the internal transporter system.  As soon as I have a confirmation I will be sure to let you both know, in the meantime return to your departments.  We are home."


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Setting: USS BASTET, Bridge
Stardate: 30150.1830


The ANUBIS had returned home and Captain Iverson would have been happy about this had she actually been able to know that the event had taken place.  Without a working main view screen and external sensors that appeared unable to identify the structure that surrounded the USS BASTET, the Captain had been blind to anything happening beyond the limits of her ship.

"Love what you have done with the place," the voice of the redheaded Chief Engineering Officer of the USS ANUBIS filled the empty bridge as she and the Avatar ANI stepped in.  The announcement had been meant in jest as the bridge appeared as if it had been only a few weeks into its construction schedule.

"What brings you two here?" the Captain asked as she rose from her chair, half wishing that she could run and hide in her office, if the doors to that room could actually open.

"Well," Lieutenant Paquette began as her eyes travelled the hanging wires and open access panels that could be found everywhere on the command deck.  "The ANUBIS returned home, ANI did her usual 'get touchy feely' with the mainframe of NEW ALEXANDRIA and she made a comment or two about the computer of the BASTET speaking a strange new dialect.  According to her it resembled a cross between a drunken Klingon chicken and a backwards walking, three-headed Andorian sloth.  Anyway I figured that we could drop in and see what the problem was.  If there is an actual drunken Klingon chicken hidden somewhere on this ship I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

"Thank you," Selene offered with a gentle yet genuinely grateful grin.  "I think Elan is trying to address that issue as we speak, not that there is a shortage of issues to be addressed at this time.  Doctor T'Leia was kind enough to help with Sickbay earlier."

"Of course Elan is working on the multi-linguistic computer," the redheaded Engineer laughed out loud, "because every ship in Starfleet should be able to speak Oltharian as well as drunken Klingon poultry," Sonja continued, completely amused by the sheer absurdity of the situation.  "ANI, stay here and see what you can do with the systems on the bridge.  I will go down and see if Elan can use a pair of smaller hands to help him.  Judging by the obscenities that this computer was spewing back to the mainframe I think senior 'bigger and taller' could use the help."


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Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"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)