USS HATHOR - Mission 02
The Ice Planet
The Ice Planet
POST INDEX
| Post # | Character | Title |
| 001 | Shar'El | A New Mission A shuffled crew readies itself |
| 002 | Mitshiba/Maya | New Mission, New... Aki and Maya discuss the crew shifts |
| 003 | Enel | Meanwhile Enel and A'Jannie get into a little scuffle |
| 004 | Ya'Han | White Fire Ya'Han slides into her new role as CMO |
| 005 | Lopez | Old, New, Borrowed... Adriana visits Ya'Han in Sickbay |
| 006 | Mitshiba | A Matter of Color Aki speaks to Ya'Han about her hair |
| 007 | Mitshiba/Enel | Up a Notch Aki and Enel have a chat |
| 008 | Morningstar | Eyes Wide Shut Erik speaks with Nicole |
| 009 | Gemma | Hard About The HATHOR departs only to be called back |
| 010 | Enel | Space Weather Zub reacts to the ship's recall |
| 011 | Rixx | Settling in Bractor unpack in his quarters |
| 012 | Morningstar | Surprises Aplenty Erik takes command of the HATHOR |
| 013 | Ya'Han | Some Things Never... Ya'Han reacts to Erik's return |
| 014 | Rixx/Ya'Han | Whats Up Doc? Bractor goes to Sickbay for his medical |
| 015 | Mitshiba | Thinking, and Thinking... Aki contemplates their new mission |
| 016 | Rixx/Enel | The Least of My Worries Zub and Bractor chat in the mess hall |
| 017 | Rixx | Inside Bractor chats with Hailey, the HATHOR's Chef |
| 018 | Graham/Rixx/Enel | Things Are Looking Up Hailey's posting is explained |
| 019 | Shar'El | Guilt and Anger Shar'El reviews what happened |
| 020 | Lopez | Counseling the Counselor Adriana escorts Nicole out |
| 021 | Stark/A'Janni | Seeing and Listening Jayson thinks about Ya'Han |
| 022 | Graham | The Big Goodbye Hailey says her goodbyes to Cal |
| 023 | Rixx/Lopez/Enel | A Cook, Her Child and... Adriana, Zub and Bractor have a chat |
| 024 | Morningstar | Blink And You'll... Part 1 The HATHOR departs on its new mission |
| 025 | Graham/Morningstar | Blink And You'll... Part 2 Eric and Hailey talk |
| 026 | Paquette | Look Somewhere Else Gemma goes to speak to Sonja |
| 027 | Rixx | What Did I See? Bractor passes out |
| 028 | Mitshiba/Maya | This Can't Be Right Aki and Maya analyse the situation |
| 029 | Shar'El | Silent Observer As the ILO, Shar'El observes those around her |
| 030 | Enel/Shar'El | Minority Report Zub has a run-in with Shar'El |
| 031 | A'Janni | Bumpy Ride A'Janni surprises ya'Han in the cargo bay |
| 032 | Graham/Rixx | New Dimension Kaylah handles things in the Mess Hall |
| 033 | Graham/Ya'Han | Shattered Pasts Kaylah & Ya'Han spek of their troubled pasts |
| 034 | Mitshiba | Ripples While sitting at the sci station, Aki thinks |
| 035 | Enel | Stress Test Zub analysesthe energy energy field |
| 036 | Maya/Gemma /Paquette |
Cloak And Faster A plan is devised to increase speed |
| 037 | Enel/Morningstar | Meteor The HATHOR arrives at P8746 |
| 038 | Gemma | Hold on Tight The runabout heads for the surface |
| 039 | Shar'El | Mystery Three Shar'El contemplates her missions and duties |
| 040 | A'Janni | Wrong Planet A'Janni is in disbelief as to what is happening |
| Post # | Character | Title |
| 041 | Enel | Surprise The HATHOR draws the Masters' attention |
| 042 | Rixx/Lopez/Ya'Han | Blue, White, and Red The runabout enters the atmosphere |
| 043 | Gemma | Buried Alive Gemma ventures alone into the storm |
| 044 | Morningstar | Out of the Frying Pan... The HATHOR is forced into desperate actions |
| 045 | Ya'Han | Search and Rescue Bractor goes after Gemma |
| 046 | Shar'El | No Choice With the HATHOR down, Shar'El offers a plan |
| 047 | Shar'El/Enel | Bare Necessities The inhabitants pf P8746 are encountered |
| 048 | Gemma | Waking Vision Gemma remembers her rescue |
| 049 | Lopez/Ya'Han | Pounding Headache Ya'Han and Adriana deal with their predicament |
| 050 | Maya | Deeper Analysis Maya analyses the storm and cave |
| 051 | Enel | On The Double Grave news reaches the crew of the HATHOR |
| 052 | Gemma | Conflicting Thoughts Gemma experiences an internal conflict |
| 053 | A'Janni | What is Going On? A'Janni fights against the bitter cold and snow |
| 054 | Ya'Han/Lopez | Brute Force Ya'Han and Adriana deal with the assault |
| 055 | Shar'El | Unexpected An unexpected turn of event during the rescue |
| 056 | Enel | Cold Fury The team deals with the after rescue |
| 057 | Morningstar | Unexpected Something interesting is discovered |
| 058 | Mitshiba | Back Together Aki chats with Shar'El |
| 059 | Maya | Caught Between Ice... Maya is torn about their mission objective |
| 060 | Ya'Han | Preparations Ya'Han gets herself ready for search & rescue |
| 061 | Enel | Bringing The Hurt The crew heads out on their mission |
| 062 | Lopez | Cold Walking Adriana navigates the rough terrain |
| 063 | Morningstar/Enel | Rescued The team reaches the anthropologist team |
| 064 | A'Janni/Maya | Down The Rabbit Hole The team discovers a strange stone plaque |
| 065 | Mitshiba | Between A Rock And... Aki speaks with Zub, Bractor and Ya'Han |
| 066 | Gemma | Fractured Fragility Gemma is experiencing severe issues |
| 067 | Morningstar/Enel | Naked Truth The team searches for shelter from the Masters |
| 068 | Ya'Han/Gemma | Jötunheimr Ya'Han takes care of a recuperating Gemma |
| 069 | Maya | A Dream Come True Maya is thrilled by their discovery |
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“A New Mission”
Previous posts: "Final Strike" by the tenacious Francois
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Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C, Level 1, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.0700
Commander Shar'El, the Ullian Executive Officer of the USS ANUBIS, quietly walked into the station's sickbay and locked-in on the Chief Medical Officer as soon as she saw her. It did not take Sofia long to realize that someone had come in and invited the woman to come closer, not that she believed the invitation was at all necessary.
"Captain Morningstar is in therapy," the blonde-haired physician said, anticipating the Commander's reason for her visit. "He is progressing well, the implants for his eyes needed more adjustments than initially anticipated, but he should regain full visual acuity once all of his treatments are completed."
"I am glad to hear it," Shar'El said unemotionally. "Admiral Koniki has been asking about him and when he is expected to return to duty."
"I know," Sofia sighed. "The Admiral seems to believe that someone can lose their eyesight through a vicious attack and simply have a couple of implants popped in that same day. Our medical technology has come a long way, but replacing eyes is still something that takes more than the initial operation. Getting used to the implants is only the first step, there are several others beyond the scope of my medical expertise. I am sure that Nicole and Adriana have explained this to him more than once."
Shar'El gently smiled for a few seconds, finally showing some sort of emotion. "They have, repeatedly, but you know the Admiral, the man is not used to being told that he cannot have what he wants when he wants it. I think he is still upset about Erik not bringing Captain Antares and the ARCADIA back."
"Well, maybe if the Admiral had told us about Captain Antares and the ARCADIA from the get-go, we would not have gotten into the mess we did," Andersson yelled, the Doctor unable to hold back her seething anger.
"It is an unfortunate part of this job," the ExO / ILO pointed out with a hint of sadness before her features were drained of any indication of any further emotions. "Information is the most valuable commodity, it is also the most dangerous, so we all have to play this dancing game between what we need to know and what we fear to know. What we *want* to know never comes into consideration and sometimes it leads to other, bigger problems."
"Commander Shar'El, with all due respect, a man lost both of his eyes. Please tell me that you are not actually defending the Admiral for what he *thought* we needed and did not need to know about our last mission." Andersson was visibly still very upset, maybe even a little more than before as she suspected that the ANUBIS' ExO / ILO was siding with the Admiral.
"I am not defending anyone, Doctor, I am simply stating the facts," Shar'El said, sounding almost Vulcan as she did so. The Ullian was reliving the last moments of the ill-fated mission through Doctor Andersson's vivid memories which she was broadcasting with great intensity. "You all got out of there alive, that needs to be the one thing you hold on to at this time. Take care of Captain Morningstar, I will take care of the Admiral."
Having said that, Shar'El exited sickbay and regrouped with Gemma who was waiting outside in the corridor, out of sight of the now fuming CMO. "That went as well as expected."
The Ullian sighed deeply. "The Captain is still in therapy and Doctor Andersson is in no shape to even consider going onto another mission. Looks like we will have to do without a Chief Medical Officer."
"She may not be the only one who will end up missing our next mission," the ILO pointed out, echoing with perfection the Commander's lack of emotions.
Shar'El reluctantly nodded her head as she made her way down the corridor followed by Gemma, the two women heading to see the other members of their team to see if they would or even could take on the responsibilities of their next assignment.
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
“New Mission, New Command”
Previous post: “A New Mision” by Tiffany
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.0730
Aki sat at the FCO's station, the chair turned a full 180 degrees giving the Asian woman a clear and direct view of the empty command chair from where Captain Morningstar had led their previous mission. The First Officer was glad to hear that the Captain was recovering from losing his eyes, but Mitshiba could not help but feel a sense of loss as she gazed upon the vacant seat amidst an empty bridge.
The hissing of the opening doors leading to the bridge shattered the eerie stillness of the command deck, a disruption that the Asian woman was almost thankful for. It was with a small hint of surprise that Aki watched as Maya stepped onto the bridge, obviously not expecting anyone else to be there. The Shillian headed straight for the science station, not paying attention to anything or anyone else in the room, a sentiment that the former CSciO could easily relate to. There were times when nothing else but whatever research or puzzle she was working on would be the only thing occupying her thoughts, and the Shillian was clearly in that zone.
"Good morning, Commander," Aki said after having quickly debated walking up to the woman and likely scaring the spots clear off her skin. Apparently though, the effort proved futile as Maya jumped after hearing the greeting.
"What are you doing here?!?," the Shillian Scientist exclaimed, her hand pressed against her chest as if trying to make sure her heart would not burst out of it. "More to the point, why are you sitting at the Flight Control Station? Did something happen to A'Janni?"
"Our fine feline fellow friend is..." Aki paused for a moment as she searched for the right word to use to finish the alliteration. "... fit. I just wanted to sit down and gaze upon the bridge from a different angle, a different perspective."
Maya carefully studied Aki, the Shillian taking in everything that she was seeing and hearing to come up with a scientific explanation for the Commander's behavior. "You are worried about our new Captain? Shar'El may be scary at times, but I would not be worried about her or her style of command."
"I know, but it's not that simple for me," Mitshiba said as she stood from the FCO's seat and made her way to the Captain's chair. "I got used to working under Iverson. The woman was not the warmest of beings but you always knew what she expected from you, aside from perfection that is. Morningstar was far more relaxed, and granted I did not spend as much time working under him as I did Selene, but the differences were impossible to miss. Now, I will have to adapt once again and from what I know of Shar'El, she has a completely different character."
Maya tilted her head in a distinct display of confusion as she watched Aki standing next to the Captain's chair, the Asian woman's fingers gently tracing the contour of the seat. "I do not understand your apprehension. As a Commander, you had to deal with a great number of officers, each with their own characters and specific styles of working. Just look at the crew from our last mission, there could not have been a wider range of working or seeing things."
Aki chuckled and let out a sigh of amusement. "You only need to work with Gemma for that. No, my issue is that as the First Officer, it is my responsibility to offer some sort of counterpoint to any situation. With Captain Iverson, I had to point out the more 'human' aspect of a situation, reminding her of the emotions at play as she had a habit of looking at things from a cold, unemotional perspective. Captain Morningstar was the opposite, the man possessing a view of the universe that goes far beyond the limits of what we can see, which forced me to use science as an opposition argument. Now, I will need to figure out the best way to offer Commander Shar'El a view that differs from her own, and I am not entirely certain that I can."
"Shar'El is a Ullian," Maya pointed out. "Yes, she was surgically altered to appear more human due to the requirements of her being an Intel Operative, but that has not diminished her ability to look into someone's memories. In some way, that may help you. She vowed not to dig into anyone's past without their explicit consent, but I know for a fact that she is unable to ignore memories that are openly shared and broadcasted. Whatever situation we end up facing, just remember a similar instance and how you dealt with it. She will pick up on it and see it as your input on how to proceed, this without you having to openly confront her with your opinions."
The Asian woman let out a long, deep breath before looking up at the Shillan. "I doubt that it will be that easy, but I do appreciate you trying to help. I have to accept that adapting to a new CO is an integral part of the duties of a First Officer, duties that I accepted when I took on the position. Selene did warn me, but I was not thinking that I would have to address this particular aspect this quickly and in such rapid succession. That said, what are you working on?"
"I just wanted to make sure that the science station was ready for whatever we might have to deal with," the Chief Science Officer replied. "The USS HATHOR is an amazing ship, but it is far from possessing the research and sensor capabilities of the ANUBIS. That means I have to adapt my style of work to make sure I do not put undue stress on the sensor array or the main computer itself. Running multiple in-depth complex researches will just have to wait."
"If our last mission is any indication," Aki grinned. "There will be more than enough to keep you and everyone else busy. A smaller ship and crew does mean that everyone has more to do, a fact that oddly enough I believe Gemma will enjoy more than anyone else."
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
and
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)
=-=
“Meanwhile”
Previous post: “New Mission, New Command” by Dawn
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NOTE: THIS IS 5 HOURS EARLIER
=-=
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C - Level 5 - The Busted Gasket Pub
Stardate: 37012.0213
In a fitted green robe, tall reptilian Zub Enel sloshed the two flagons as he weaved unsteadily through the boisterous pub to a tiny table nearly engulfed by the giant humanoid tiger, A’Janni. A’Janni grinned and hung onto the table with one paw hand.
The scaly Voth thudded the flagons on the ale-soaked table. He fell more than sat in the chair opposite the furry Caitian. In a tailored yellow flight suit, A’Janni hoisted a flagon in salute to Enel. “Your ugly face,” he shouted over the drunken revelers.
“Your ugly caudal area,” Zub slurred. He joined A’Janni in a deep draught.
“Ahhhhhhhhh,” A’Janni gushed over his half empty flagon. He wiped his mouth on his bare forearm.
Zub hiccuped so strenuously that his forked tongue unfolded and flicked toward A’Janni’s striped face.
A’Janni ducked clumsily away. “Gah! Watch it,” he exclaimed. “You’ll put my eye out!”
Zub refolded his tongue. He wiped his lips awkwardly with a three-fingered hand. He slurred, “We should return to the ship.”
A’Janni finished his flagon and belched.
They staggered out back into a narrow corridor used to offload supplies. They steadied each other. They sang loudly but two entirely different songs.
Six males of various races blocked the delivery alley. A’Janni and Zub stopped to assess them. “Hippos,” the lizard man slurred. Both huge men triggered a hidden hypo through their pocket material into their thighs.
As he was rushed by goons, Zub fought muscle spasms. The alcohol neutralizer felt like it was kicking him. A’Janni twitched, too. The men with clubs arrived swinging.
A’Janni’s snarl bared saber sharp canines. He brought up a paw hand and blocked the club of a hairy Kazon male. He punched the Kazon’s chin with his other hand. The Kazon’s eyes crossed as he flopped. A’Janni kicked the next thug, a reptilian Tosk, who fell. A’Janni purloined his club and smacked the ridged head of a Markalian. The Markalian scowled. He attacked A’Janni with club, fists, and feet.
Zub Enel felt like his blood cells had swollen. Despite the sludge in his veins, he punched and kicked his way through a fleshy Imhotep, a bony-faced Hazari, and a Cardassian-esque Dralian.
Five of six thugs lay in the cargo corridor. A’Janni and the Markalian circled and traded blows furiously.
“Help him,” Ya’Han commanded from the pub’s rear exit, her dark gaze on Zub, her long hair black with red streaks, one of her calmer looks. Zub decided the casually dressed Nylaan wasn’t angry enough to fly down the alley herself like a bat’leth. He grabbed a club and whacked the Markalian unconscious.
A’Janni panted at Ya’Han, “He. Was. Mine!”
Ya’Han approached nonplussed. Her athleticism showed in the lightness of her step. “Nice work, gentlemen. I have signaled Security to come haul in these traffickers for investigation. Do either of you have injuries?”
A’Janni shook his furry head. He pointed at Zub Enel, “He stinks like a brewery.”
“I am uninjured,” Zub Enel said, “but feel off. Maybe from the anti-alcohol. These races are from the Delta Quadrant?”
“Say,” A’Janni growled. “Zub’s race is from the Delta Quadrant.” He eyeballed the scaly Voth. “It’s *you* leading this sentient-trafficking ring.” He raised his fists.
Ya’Han chuckled as she surveyed the bodies. “You two were right that nobody would use a disintegrator.”
Zub nodded. “Logical since nobody is allowed energy weapons. An energy discharge would bring Security. So, clubs instead.”
A’Janni shook his head. “A press gang. Unbelievable.”
Ya’Han regarded the unconscious goons. “These are only muscle, not who leads the gang.”
Zub asked, “Who has the brass to try running humanoid trafficking from the Federation’s most secret spy base?”
Security arrived in numbers. Ya’Han brushed at her waist-length hair. “Forensics will determine what ship they arrived in. That’s a start.” She straightened her spine. “Our volunteer work is done. Disengage and let the base authority take over.”
“Yes, sir,” both HATHOR crewmembers said.
While Security handcuffed and roused the traffickers, the three HATHOR officers walked down the cargo loading alley. A cargo crate lay along the wall. A’Janni silently pointed to Zub Enel’s nose. Zub gave the crate a sniff. Strong body odor wafted out. He nodded. The tiger man grinned in anticipation.
Ya’Han shook her head. “Whoever that is *is not* our problem.” She turned and gave a whistle. She pointed at the crate. Two Security crew ran toward them. The HATHOR crew moved on.
Zub Enel felt like his limbs were becoming rubbery. He paused to maintain proper balance. He asked Ya’Han, “While trafficker bait has a certain charm, I wonder if you have heard any news of a new mission for us?”
The lithe Nylaan shook her head. “Commander Shar’El will temporarily replace Captain Morningstar so he can properly recover his vision. I would guess a mission is coming soon.”
A’Janni narrowed his one remaining eye at Ya’Han. “Will she be CO of the ANUBIS or the HATHOR?”
Ya’Han shrugged. “Unknown. Depending on the mission, any of us could be reassigned to any ship. We might be under her command or not.”
Zub Enel winced as he recalled a previous mission with the black-haired Commander. The feathers between his scales stirred as he remembered his botched interrogation of a blonde doppelgänger of the BASTET captain, Selene. His intel attempt had ended with the athletic female pressed against him, sensuously rubbing places on his crested head. Shar’El, the ANUBIS ExO, a serious and perceptive female skilled at spycraft, had been quite dismayed with his intel-gathering ineptitude with attractive women. Zub felt his scales redden again at his failure to "stay mentally clear” despite his experience as Security Chief.
The scaly Voth’s golden gaze was unfocussed as he thought suddenly about Gemma, the red-headed ILO. Shar’El seemed to not only know Gemma’s backstory but to have some sort of influence over whatever made Gemma become so many different personalities. Gemma had been uncharacteristically pleasant shortly after time with the ANUBIS ExO.
If Shar’El did become his CO, Zub hoped to meet with her to learn more about what she knew and could do to Gemma. He frowned. He doubted someone as smart and perceptive as Shar’El would cooperate with what she would undoubtedly perceive as another of his clumsy investigation techniques.
“You’re all fluffy,” the tiger man observed. “And covered with little red dots.”
“I feel funny,” Zub replied as he attempted to control his embarrassment.
The furry giant next to Ya’Han quipped, “A reaction to Booze-B-Gon, I’ll bet. To Sickbay!”
Concerned, Ya’Han took Zub’s arm as they stepped from the cargo loading corridor into the main Promenade corridor.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Ensign Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Have you ever gotten the feeling that you aren't completely embarrassed yet, but you glimpse tomorrow's embarrassment?”
- Tom Cruise
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
“White Fire”
Previous posts: "Meanwhile” by David
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Observation Platform
Stardate: 37012.0735
The Nylaan stood ridgidly with her arms behind her back as she looked through the massive window giving into the docking area. The way her hands were clasped together in a not-so-gentle manner hinted to the woman's state of mind. No telepathic skills or abilities were required to know that something was not quite right with the Sec/Tac, but the complete absence of the costumary fiery-colored hair made it beyond clear that something huge was bothering Ya'Han.
"How are Zub and A'Janni?" Commander Shar'El non-chalantly inquired as the Ullian came to stand next to the troubled Nylaan.
"They are fine," Ya'Han replied without moving her body in the slightest. "But you already knew that. I suspect that you picked up on my memories of what happened earlier this morning, which is what drew you to stand there, next to me."
"You know me," the Ullian sighed while offering a meek smile. "That said, it was not your broadcasting those memories that brought me here, it was something else." The Commander's eye darted to the woman's oddly colored hair. "I was just trying to start a conversation without forcing you into a proverbial corner by asking you an overly direct question."
Ya'Han turned her head, sending her white-colored hair flowing over her shoulder. "Whatever corner I might be in is not of your doing but rather of my own choosing. With Doctor Andersson staying behind to care for Captain Morningstar, there is a need for someone to take over the CMO position on the HATHOR for our next mission."
"There are other alternatives available to us you know," Shar'El said, meeting Ya'Han's gaze with her own. "Zub Enel does not have to take on the fully duties and responsabilities of the Sec/Tac position. The way he and A'Janni handled things this morning could be used as a valid argument against the promotion that you have suggested we implement."
"Ensign Enel is a good officer and he deserves, at the very least, the chance to prove himself." Ya'Han explained. "As for there being other alternatives available, the list of officers who know the HATHOR, know the crew and are accustomed with the style of missions we are normally sent on is very limited. That is why I believe it best if I take over the CMO position for this mission."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Shar'El questioned with stoic seriousness. "Security/Tactical and Medical are as close to polar opposites as it gets. You have sent more than your share of people to whatever medical facility was the closest. Now, you would be the one taking care of those injured. I just want to make sure you have thought this through."
The Nylaan smiled as she ran her fingers through her white hair. "I may not be as versitile as Gemma, but I have worked hard to earn the right to display this color. You are not Nylaan, so I do not expect you to understand, but I am sure that you can pick up on some of my memories that led me to this selective achievement." Ya'Han paused for a few seconds before retuerning her gaze onto the docking area. "It might not have been at Starfleet Academy, but I am ready to argue that my medical knowledge and training easily puts me ahead of most second or even thrid year cadet. Yes, I initially chose to go into security because I had something to prove. I needed to show my father, my sibblings and most importantly me that I could take care of myself. I no longer need to prove that to anyone."
"That is true," Shar'El quickly agreed. "You have proven quite capable of taking care of yourself in what I consider some of the most difficult and unsavory situations."
"I know the HATHOR, I know the crew, and in a bind, you know that I will be able to take care of myself," Ya'Han continued. "On an away mission, I can pull double duty, acting as both security and medical. At least with me doing that, there will not be any questions or concerns as to who else might suddenly appear to possibly mess things up."
The Commander narrowed her eyes, easily picking up on the verbal jab at Gemma, but the truth was that Ya'Han was right. As good as the ILO was in all things, her skills and expertise came at a cost, that of an unknown variable that could not be predicted in any way. "Alright, we'll do it your way. I will admit that it will be strange to not having you on the bridge."
"I am sure that Zub will feel the same," the Nylaan said smiling. "The advantage of the HATHOR is that I will not be far. Actually, look at it this way, it will mean that the bridge will be one person less crowded, meaning one less person for you to ignore their uncontrolled memory broadcast."
"Don't worry about me," Shar'El retaliated with a hint of amusemet.
"You better get use to it, as your CMO, it is my job to worry about you and everyone else while we are on this new mission."
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
-=-=-
"Old, New, Borrowed, Blue"
[the previous post was Hanali's "White Fire"]
-=-=-
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.0815
Adriana sat cross legged on the only bed in the HATHOR's Sickbay, despite the reduced light intensity, her eyes diligently traveled over every detail of the room, no matter how small. At times Lopes would smile as she noticed something specific, but that did not deter her wandering gaze from continuing on their journey.
"It is amazing how a place, a location, starts to reflect the person or persons who spend the majority of their time there," the CNS voiced aloud to no one in particular. "I can see Sofia's and Nicole's influence in the room, almost as if they were here right now. Some might even say that there is a part of their spirit imbued in these walls. I am sure that Maya would agree, likely claiming that some small part of a person's energy is transferred into inanimate objects over time. A residual energy signature unique to each individual. I wonder how this will affect Ya'Han?"
"How is what going to affect me?" The Nylaan acting CMO said as she walked into the room, catching the last sentence of the CNS' ramblings. "Computer, raise light intensity to 80%."
"I was just..." Adriana's words drifted into silence as she stared at the woman's hair. As the Ship's Counselor, Lopez knew of the Nylaan's ability to change their hair color, usually reflecting what role in their society the individual played. As such, everyone had grown accustomed to seeing Ya'Han sporting a range of reds, indicating not only her role but also her mood. The only exception was when the woman decided to relax and allow herself to display the colors of a skilled and sensual dancer. "White?"
"It comes with the job," Ya'han said, pointing to the teal color section of her uniform. "At least it does for me," the Nylaan elaborated. "It will take me some time to get used to doing the job while keeping my hair to be that color. To be perfectly honest, I hope that I don't get used to it too quickly."
"You are expecting Sofia to return?" The CNS asked, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to investigate how this change of responsibilities would affect the woman.
"Captain Morningstar is not the kind of man who stays put for long," Ya'Han said. "I am sure that if given the choice, he would rather be here than stuck on NEW ALEXANDRIA. That means that as soon as he comes back, so will Doctor Andersson."
"Maybe," Adriana challenged. "Captain Morningstar will likely return, that is true, but there are no guarantees that Sofia will follow him. She might stay on NEW ALEXANDRIA or go wherever Nicole goes. The two of them have grown quite inseparable."
"I am here, in Sickbay as acting CMO to help during this mission," the Nylaan woman said, her nose twitching in a way that made the Hispanic woman recall the Caitian FCO when he was upset. "I am not planning on changing my career."
Adriana laughed. "Well, that is going to make some people very happy, and some people very sad."
"Sad? Why would anyone be sad about my wanting to return to my usual duties and responsibilities?" Ya'han paused for a second before continuing. "Wait, do you mean Zub? You think he will be sad if I went back? First, I doubt that we will be stuck on the HATHOR forever, and secondly, there is an entire fleet out there in desperate need of a good Chief of Security, and that tall lizard fits the bill perfectly."
"Nice to hear you have such confidence in him and his skills," Lopez said while nodding her head. "That was not who I was thinking about though. I figured that the criminal elements at large would not be overly happy to see you back on the job."
"Good," Ya'Han grinned. "That's the way it should be. I am only borrowing this room for the duration of our next mission."
"Borrowing?" Adriana repeated, laughing. "Guess the red hair is what will be considered as 'old' and the white hair what will be looked upon as 'new', we just need to figure out what you will be wearing that is blue."
The expression being completely unknown to the Nylaan left Ya'Han confused and puzzled as to what the CNS was trying to say. "Blue is the hair color for those in the science field on my world, and there is no way that I would ever try to take over Maya's role."
"Never mind," the CNS said as she jumped off the medical bed. She had hoped to use this as a way to start a discussion on the romantic situation between Ya'Han and Jayson, but it was evident that this kind of investigation would require a little more finesse and cunning. "I will let you get better acquainted with your new work area. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know. You and I are now working closely together, at least for the duration of the upcoming mission.
-=-=-
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
“A Matter of Color”
Previous post: “Old, New, Borrowed, Blue” by Marissa
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 37012.0830
As the Executive Office of the HATHOR, it was Aki's responsibility to make sure that the ship and crew were ready for their next mission. Verifying the status of the vessel was easy enough and the Asian woman had done so by reading the system report provided by the computer. Making sure that the crew was equally ready though required a far more direct and personal approach.
Aki thought it wise to start with what she believed to be the officer who might have the greatest trouble adapting, namely Lt. Ya'Han. Mitshiba did not in any way questioned the Nylaan's abilities, her service record showing her to be an exceptional Security Officer, one who had proven herself time and time again. The issue here was that this would be the first time the woman would take part in a mission in a role that had nothing to do with security.
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.0832
"How are you settling in?" Aki asked as she walked into Sickbay, finding Ya'Han working at one of the consoles.
"This is far from being the ANUBIS' Sickbay," the white-haired Nylaan replied. "I would have to work hard to get lost here. Everything is almost at arm's length, okay, that's an exaggeration but you get my point.
"Just making sure that everything is to your liking," Mitshiba added. "I know how particular some people can be when it comes to the layout of their department, although I will admit that Chief Engineers are the worst for that."
Ya'Han grinned as she thought of Sonja and how the woman despised having anything in her department out of place.
"I'm doing fine, thank you for checking up on me."
"No problem," Aki said while she continued looking at Ya'Han, so much so that the Nylaan picked up on the odd behavior prompting an inquiry.
"Is there something else?"
"Well, actually yes," the Asian woman admitted. The last thing Aki wanted was to start an argument or get on the former Chief of Security's bad side. She might not have been Gemma, but the general rule of staying on her good side still very much applied. "It's your uniform."
"My uniform?" Ya'Han gasped, frantically looking at every part she could, expecting to find some sort of blemish or maybe even a tear or rip. "What's wrong with my uniform?" She added after not having found anything that could explain Aki's words.
"Nothing," Mitshiba quickly said. "The uniform itself is fine, I was simply noticing the departemental color. As the acting Chief Medical officer, should you not be wearing teal or maybe even a lab coat when not outside of Sickbay?"
"What?" Ya'Han was completely taken aback by the comment. Taking over the CMO position for the upcoming mission had been one thing, but the thought that she would need to change her uniform had never crossed her mind.
"It's not crucial, and on a much larger ship, the need to identify someone from a specific department could prove lifesaving, but here on the HATHOR, there are very few people and we all know what everyone's job is," Aki explained.
"But..." The CMO added, knowing that something more had to follow.
"Your displaying the colors of security could lead to some confusion, namely from Zub who might feel required to check in with you for certain decisions." Mitshiba paused for a moment, carefully considering her next words. "If time is available, I am sure that Commander Shar'El will count on your expertise and experiences, but in a crunch, Zub needs to know that his decisions are final and not subject to possible modifications, other than from the Commander of this ship. On the same thought, your decisions in the field of medical care need to be seen by the crew as also being final, and the color of your uniform will play a huge psychological role in accomplishing that."
An awkward silence filled the room as Aki noticed Ya'Han's hair taking on a slightly red hue before going back to the pristine white that the Nylaan had been sporting when the Asian woman had first walked in. Mitshiba considered herself lucky that it was not Gemma standing there, but the truth still remained that having the CMO in a less than happy mood could possibly lead to issues, issues that might end up leaving the Executive Officer feeling a little more than her share of discomfort and pain.
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
=-=
“Up a Notch”
Previous post: “A Matter of Color” by Dawn
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Deck #3
Stardate: 37012.0835
As HATHOR Executive Officer Lt. Commander Misaki Mitshiba entered Deck 3 searching for now Chief of Security, Ensign Zub Enel, she could hear his deep voice echo as if from a vast empty space. Her previous Science Officer experience instantly told her he was likely in one of the four nearby cargo bays.
The Asian woman picked up her pace but cocked an ear. What he was saying grew clearer.
"We need to take this down a notch."
Her heart gave a little flutter. She did not need any trouble on the HATHOR while it still sat in its berth at NEW ALEXANDRIA. She frowned and hurried toward the voice of the yet unseen 7-foot-tall Voth.
"We need to take this down a notch," he said, his intonation slightly less threatening.
She could tell the voice was issuing out of the open double doors of Cargo Bay #4. She listened for others. There were none, save for Zub Enel's thundering basso profundo.
She spied the towering, powerfully built lizardman standing sideways to her. The ensign had his three-fingered hands up in a supplicating gesture. He spoke into what appeared to be nothing. He said, his voice more like a purr, "We need to take this down a notch."
Her brown-eyed gaze darted around the cavernous bay. The air chilled her skin as expected for such a large volume meant for storage not comfort. Engineers had neatly lined the walls with metal crates and equipment. Beyond a force field, she saw the busy landing bay through the cargo opening in the outer hull.
In her experience, it was not beyond possibility that Zub Enel was conversing with an entity she simply couldn't see. As a former science officer, Aki had learnt to keep an open mind about such things, so she paused to watch him and his immediate surroundings closely.
Ensign Zub Enel lowered one hand to his side and relaxed two fingers of his other, keeping one claw pointed to the cargo bay ceiling. He said a bit more firmly than the last time, "We need to take this down a notch."
"Do we have to?" she asked, her experience as an Executive Officer bringing to light what was likely happening here.
The mountain of scales and muscle startled and swung his golden-eyed gaze down at her. In a resonant note like a cello string being stroked once with a bow, he said, "Oh!" She could see his downy feathers between his scales rise, a sure sign of surprise.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I heard you doing whatever it is you're doing. Are you practicing conflict de-escalation?"
The Security Chief's scales had flushed a vivid red but then recovered enough to fade to his usual mocha brown. "Good morning, sir," he said in measured tones. "You are correct. I am practicing different approaches to outright hostility. I rarely get the time to rehearse such activities."
The ExO nodded at the big male. "Wouldn't it be more interactive in a holodeck?"
"Yes, sir," he replied. "Those sorts of algorithms tend to be tutorials with a test at the end. I was just trying it out on my own first. To get warmed up, as A'Janni would say. Is there something I can do to help you, sir?"
Aki smiled warmly. It appeared that her earlier concerns about Zub's adapting to his new role might have been greatly over estimated. "Nothing specific at this time," the Asian woman replied. "I am just checking up on the members of the crew before we head out on our new mission. It is a wise practice that can save a great deal of trouble later on, especially when the HATHOR is involved."
"The HATHOR?" Zub asked, not sure as to why the ship would make such a difference in what Aki had been talking about.
"The blink drive," the former scientist now executive officer replied in a tone that seemed to hint that this was the only answer that could have been offered. "Most missions require a ship to travel for days before reaching their destination, but here on the HATHOR, that journey takes only seconds. So, whatever issues that might have been present at departure did not have time to be explored and resolved by those involved, instead things are exactly as they were with the addition of whatever stress the actual start of the mission brings on. Think about it this way, on the BASTET or even the ANUBIS, you could have taken advantage of several days of personal time to further your training, but here on the HATHOR, the moment the Blink-Drive is engaged, we are all going to find ourselves knee-deep in whatever is waiting for us there. The advantage of them not seeing us coming is that we don't have time to prep for whatever they may be."
From her much lower perspective as compared to the giant Voth, the Asian woman could see an expression of thoughtful agreement forming on the reptilian's face.
"I understand," he rumbled. "The ship could still be ringing from a shouting match in NEW ALEXANDRIA when the Blink-Drive delivered it to its new location."
The ExO smiled patiently. "One would hope, of course, that we would conduct our interpersonal affairs in such a way as not to end up shouting at one another."
"One can hope, but you must agree that we do have a dynamic crew. Should things get loud, as you have witnessed, sir, I could help try to bring it down a notch."
Aki chuckled at the Voth's suggested remedy, imagining Zub trying to have Anya or Jynx 'take it down a notch'.
The Voth rubbed the palms of his hands together. "I thought next I might go to the bridge and review the control settings of the Sec/Tac station." His downy feathers fluttered into view, though he otherwise appeared at ease. "I might have to change some of Lt. Ya’Han’s presets."
Knowing a flutter of feathers might signal distress for the big Voth, the ExO narrowed her eyes though she strived to keep her face otherwise neutral. “Perhaps you're worried she might disapprove of any changes you make to the controls?"
Zub Enel's gaze dropped to his hands. He made a dusting motion with them. He remained silent; gaze downcast as though reluctant to speak against a superior officer.
"Let me ask you a few questions," Aki offered. "Do you believe that Captain Iverson and Captain Morningstar managed their commands the exact same way?"
Zub appeared hesitant to answer the question, like he worried that it might be some sort of a trick, but the Voth eventually shook his head. "No."
"Now, do you believe that Commander Shar'El will emulate either Captain Iverson or Captain Morningstar's style of command?"
A puzzled look flashed on the Ensign's face. The down between his scales fluttering as he gave the simple question some careful thought. "Commander Shar'El is likely to follow her Captain's ways in some things due to experience and habit, but I am sure that her style will be her own."
"One last question," Mitshiba continued. "Do you believe that Commander Shar'El will, at any point during our next mission, reach out to either Iverson or Morningstar to get their input or opinion should we face a crisis?"
The Voth gave a little scoff. “Of course not," Enel replied. "It would be highly inappropriate and inconvenient. A Captain is in charge of the ship and crew, decisions are usually required in a matter of split seconds. Maybe after the mission, once the mission report is turned in and analyzed, decisions might be re-evaluated but at the time, those decisions had to be made based on the situation and needs of the ship and crew."
"Exactly," the Asian woman smiled. "You are the new Chief of Security, which means that the safety of the ship and crew are your direct and immediate responsibility. This is not a training mission where you get the luxury of checking over your shoulder to see if your supervisor agrees or disagrees, your decisions need to be yours and based on your expertise, experience and gut feelings. Ya'Han is our CMO for this mission, she therefore will not have the time or opportunity to question any of your decisions, be them ship-wide in scope or simply in setting the controls of your work station into a format that better suits you." The two officers shared a moment of silence before Aki continued. "Let me say one last thing, medically speaking, Ya'Han would actually encourage you to edit the Security/Tactical station to your liking, if for no other reason than the shape of your hands as compared to hers. Split seconds can make the difference the HATHOR performing at its best or catastrophe. The tactical display, just like the position of Sec/Tac are yours to claim without ever having to second guess your decisions."
Though it seemed impossible for such a tall person, the Voth grew a little taller. His shoulders eased back slightly to bring out more of his barrel chest. His jiggling down disappeared. He smiled. “Thank you, sir, for clarifying the approach to my new duties. I will execute them to the best of my abilities.”
“The issue was never in doubt,” the diminutive ExO said with sincerity.
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
and
David Michael Inverso
Ensign Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.”
- Ray Bradbury
##########
“Eyes Wide Shut”
Previous post: “Up A Notch" by Dawn & David
##########
"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle."
- Paulo Coelho
--==/\==--
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Observation Deck
Stardate: 37012.0835
The Native American stood motionless with his hands clasped begins his back as he looked onto the docking area with his eyes closed. The action might have seemed strange to most, but knowing that Erik Morningstar had lost his sight not long ago during their last mission granted anyone in the know a hint as to the possible reasons behind the officer's behaviour.
"There you are," a concerned Ship's Counsellor said. "What are you doing here? You are scheduled to be in the infirmary for your next round of treatment."
Morningstar sighed before smiling, a gesture that was very much out of character for the Native American. "Being blind has given me a new perspective on life and the universe around me."
"Do I need to get Adriana back?" Nicole Dima lamented, the joint Trill having dealt with Erik's particular way of thinking and analyzing his situation a few times since the accident that cost him his eyesight. "And for the record, you are not blind, at least not anymore. Those implants have given you more than 80% of your visual acuity back, a number that would continue to increase if you did not skip out on your treatments. As amazingly remarkable as those implants are, that technology requires fine-tuning which will lead to you having equal if not better vision than you had before."
"Counselor," Erik began as he turned around and opened his eyes to look upon her with eyes that were not his own. "if these eyes are so superior to those I lost, why did I now have them implanted the moment I joined Starfleet or was brought onboard the NEW ALEXANDRIA project? We both know that Admiral Koniki is not one to pass up an opportunity to have his officers be better, stronger, faster through whatever means are available to him."
"That is not the point, and you know it," Dima fired back. "As a Counsellor, I understand what you are going through. The sense of loss, both physical and psychological is something that will take time for you to get over. The first step is for you to accept what has happened and not believe that you are less than you were before."
Morningstar smiled once again, taking Nicole aback. "You are misunderstanding me, Counsellor. I do not consider myself to be a lesser person than I was, simply different. Beyond the physical and literal implication of the statement, my being blind did give me a new perspective on life and the universe. I have always been the type to listen to the universe around me. I am sure that Counsellor Lopez mentioned that I often ventured out onto the ANUBIS' outer hull to take in the universe around us. As breathtaking as the view was, I often found myself closing my eyes and taking a moment to see beyond what my eyes could see. Some believed that when I did this, I was communing with ancient spirits or whatever power I believed was out there hiding in the emptiness between the stars. The fact is that all I was doing was trying to not solely rely on my sight to gaze upon our universe."
"You are a strange and complicated man, Captain Morningstar," the joint Trill admitted with a hint of quiet amazement. Through all of the symbiont's lifetimes, never had Dima dealt with someone the likes of Erik Morningstar.
"Commanding the USS PARADOX opened my mind to possibilities that most would never even imagine. Being able to travel through time and see things that had been lost in the darkest recesses of history opened my eyes in a way that I had never expected. Commanding the USS ANUBIS focused this new vision which was further challenged thanks to the USS BASTET and its ability to travel to other dimensioned as well as through time. Being on the HATHOR and using the blink drive added an aspect that was missing, the fact that our universe, however immense it may appear to be, is actually quite small. Our understanding of the universe around us is heavily influenced by our perception of it, a perception that is, for the greater part, dictated by what we see. Being blind reminded me of that."
"All right," the Counsellor acknowledged. "So, what's the next step? Clearly, you see, no pun intended, the implants and their fine-tuning as a low priority, maybe even a useless one. What is it that you want to do?"
"What I have always wanted to do," the Native American replied as he turned back to look upon the docking area and more specifically the USS HATHOR which was getting ready to depart. "To be more than a mere observer in the dealings and events of this universe."
"There is no way Admiral Koniki is going to accept you returning to active duty after what you have gone through," Nicole pointed out. "Sofia is nowhere ready to make that medical call and to be perfectly honest, neither am I. Granted this little chat has given me a great deal to consider, but I am far from convinced that you are fit for command."
"Maybe not command, but what about field recovery? I heard that Ya'Han is playing Doctor on the HATHOR's next mission. I am sure that Sar'El would happily free up a bed for her former CO."
"Now you are just being nasty," Nicole snarled. "First of all, you are not a *former* anything. You have been placed on medical leave, nothing more, nothing less, and we both know that Shar'El would follow you to the end of the universe and back, which I believe she has already done more than once. That said, I am willing to make a deal with you. I will speak to Admiral Koniki and present the situation. Ambassador Bonviva let it slip that the HATHOR's next missing is "noting of great importance" allowing her to take some well deserved time to be with her kids. If Ya'Han is willing to take you on as her patient and Counsellor Lopez is willing to take over your psychological evaluation, I would be willing to try and convince Sofia to release you for field recovery as you described it."
"You would *try* to convince Sofia?" Morningstar briefly chuckled. "I believe that she would follow you to the ends of the universe and back, as you described it."
"Touché."
--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
=-=
"Hard About"
Previous post: "Eyes Wide Shut” by Francois
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.0845
The ship was the same as it had been. The HATHOR was slowly becoming a new home for the ILO. That did not mean that everything was fine though. Far from it. Like so many times before, Gemma had to deal with certain unpleasant aspects of her surroundings. The latest one sat in the command chair located at the center of the bridge. Commander Shar'El was a competent officer, her service record attested to that. Her performance as an ILO had been the subject of discussions at many gatherings within the ultra secret base. So that too played in her favor but none of that mattered to the OPS officer. No matter what others said, the auburn-haired woman could only look upon the Ullian with distrust and resentment.
This was not due to some misplaced professional rivalry. Both were dedicated Intel Operatives, but their styles were nothing alike. Shar'El could pry into the memories of her 'targets'. Gemma had to use more direct methods to get the required information from her 'targets'. In another dimension, it was very likely that the two of them worked well together. Each could use their respective skill sets to counter the other's shortfall. Then again, in another dimension, likely not far removed from this one, one had already managed to kill the other. The problem was that in this dimension, the OPS officer could not bring herself to hurt the woman now in command of the HATHOR. She could not even bring herself to consider injuring her in any way. Something deep within her was blocking those thoughts from ever fully taking on tangible form.
A shiver swept through the ILO when the woman in question turned her head to look at the Ops office. There was something about her eyes and the way the Commander looked at the ILO that was eerie. "Are we ready for departure?"
Gemma knew the answer, but still she glanced down at her console to confirm the ship's status once again. "All systems are showing green. We are cleared to leave." The ILO made sure not to look up as she made her report. It would be counter-productive to be searching for any sort of confrontation. They had a mission to complete, and that would be what the ILO would focus on. The mission always came first, that was what made Gemma so effective... and dangerous.
It was Commander Mitshiba who spoke next. The Asian First Officer taking charge as she was supposed to. "Clear all moorings. Helm, hlf thrusters to the outer doors. No need to rush, once we are out, we will engage the blink-drive and be at our destination."
The Caitian FCO mumbled. "That means I better make the best of this 'trip'. Kind of takes the fun out of being a pilot."
The imposing Voth, in his new position as Sec/Tac did not let the opportunity to comment go to waste. "The idea of getting there being half the fun is only supported by those who can't handle the destination. I for one prefer that we get there quickly and dive right into the mission."
It would be Maya, the Shillian CSciO, who would speak next. "There are advantages in getting there slowly. How many scientific discoveries have been made by ships and crews simply 'getting there'? Scientific discoveries are not the only thing. How many lives have been saved because a ship just happened to be at the right place at the right time? I would dare to say that we, being society as a whole, would have missed out on a lot had we never been 'getting there'. I agree that being able to reach our destination quickly is an advantage. The incentive to get there faster has been a driving force in research. That is where the Blink-Drive came from. A need to find a better, faster mode of travel. Without that drive, we would never have breached the sound barrier, light barrier or even the dimensional barriers. As fast as the HATHOR is now, there are still limitations and barriers for us to overcome. I for one do not mind taking a little longer in getting wherever we are meant to be."
Commander Shar'El chimed in next. By doing so the Ullian hoped to end the Shillian's analysis of the pros and cons of the blink drive. "Right now, we need to get out of the docking area. We can see if we are taking the short or long road afterwards."
The FCO nodded his head, the way his ears were pointed up indicated that he was smiling. "We will reach the space doors in 45 seconds and will be cleared roughly 30 seconds after that."
Misaki looked at the woman sitting in the command chair. "We could always take a couple of extra minutes to navigate out of the asteroid field that surrounds NEW ALEXANDRIA. Would give A'Janni something to keep him smiling while we figure out how fast we want to reach our destination."
Shar'El nodded her head. "Helm, keep us on a nice and easy course until we make it out of the asteroid field. OPS, informed C&C of our revised departure flight plan."
Being the person she was, Gemma had never been the type to enjoy the scenic route. As an ILO, it was always better to get there and back as quickly as possible. The willingness of their CO to take it slowly annoyed Gemma to no end.
A gentle voice rang in the ILO's head. **She is in command, so it is her decision.**
The comment from Yshuni Talz was quickly countered by the Germanic woman known as Gabrielle Wolfe. **It's a stupid decision. This mission could be half over if we had not wasted all this time talking about just getting there.**
The Oltharian spoke next. **You need to learn to take time to smell the roses.**
Ema Fairchild's comment drew a silent, inner sigh from Wimda, the Uxali scientist. **There are no roses in space.**
The priestess gently growled. **Fine, admire the scenery then.**
Anya Petrov made her opinion known. **Sparkling pinpoints of light set against a black canvas. How utterly enthralling.**
Lireen would end the silent, inner debate with her comment. **You have to take the time to enjoy life. We will all meet our ends sooner rather than later. So, it is not a bad thing to take a few moments to look around and see the good that is around us. I know that you are not used to that, but we are far from the days when our possible death was mere seconds away.**
An incoming transmission drew the ILO's attention back to her instruments. "Commander Shar'El, we are receiving a message from NEW ALEXANDRIA's C&C. We are to return to the docking port. Our departure has been delayed."
The Caitian's ears perked up and turned back. "Looks like our trip is going to be even shorter than we expected."
The CO sighed and waited a few seconds before giving the order. "Helm... take us back."
=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
=-=
“Space Weather”
Previous post: “Hard About” by Rachel
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.0850
At his Tactical station, Ensign Zub Enel heard a huff from Lt. A’Janni, the white-tiger humanoid at Helm. Glancing over at the black and white striped Caitian, Zub saw flattened ears and a snarl. The Flight Control Officer was clearly irked at the aborted takeoff from NEW ALEXANDRIA, his chance to fly abruptly ended by the Return To Base order.
Zub, the Chief of Security, put on the patience of a sage. “Just another case of scurry and pause.”
A’Janni’s rounded ears swiveled toward the tall lizardman. His striped scowl morphed into confusion. He growled, “Are you trying to say, ‘hurry up and wait’?”
Ensign Enel felt his scales redden. He said in an apologetic tone, “I see that once again my reach for a common idiom is just short of my ability to grip it securely.”
The FCO gave him a head shake before his gaze shifted to the command chair where Commander Shar’El studied a padd. He looked at Zub and then pointed a claw to the flight controls. He turned toward them.
Enel got the message. He did not know the new Commanding Officer well. She might want silence on the Bridge unless there was something to report. The last thing he wanted was her, in front of everyone else, ordering the two of them to knock off the chitchat. He dropped his golden-eyed gaze to his security readouts and lightly gripped the sides of the Tactical station with his three-fingered hands.
The console had many images from viewers inside and outside the HATHOR. From under the ship he watched a gray-faced Mizarian laboriously drag in a thick power cable and attach it. Zub saw the coupling light up with blue bands, a secure connection.
Lt. Gemma, the copper haired female at Ops, said in businesslike tones, “External power now available.”
Chief Engineer Lt Commander Sonja Paquette’s voice issued from the overhead comm, =^= I saw that. Switching power to external. Let’s save our dilithium for a rainy day. =^=
Zub puzzled over the last sentence. Flummoxed as to the meaning, he whispered to the flying tiger, “Are not rainy days highly unlikely aboard an asteroid with an artificial atmosphere?”
The FCO did not lift his gaze from his console. “She meant a horse divided against itself cannot stand.”
The Chief of Security narrowed his eyes at the catman who struggled to keep his lips straight.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“The noble art of losing face may some day save the human race and turn into eternal merit what weaker minds would call disgrace.”
- Piet Hein
Settling In
Preious Post: Space Weather
Setting: USS HATHOR, Crew Quarters
Stardate: 37012.0910
Bractor had unpacked the last of his things from the boxes. This was the part of the job he hated. The constant moving was enough to cause depressions. He set a framed photo of him and his parents and his co-parents. He then set down an actual medal he had gotten for graduating with honors from the Academy.
He then looked out the window and gazed in wonder about what was out there. He tapped at the wall computer. He spoke into it, "Computer, begin recording."
He inhaled sharply.
"Personal Log first entry, I have gotten to the HATHOR without event or much fanfare. I look at the red of my uniform and all I can think of is I am a an Ensign Rickyl about to be bent into a thousand different ways. I have not gotten a chance to meet any of the staff yet, save for a surly foul-mouthed Bosun who told me to take my quarters and if I don't like it I can shuck right off."
He laughed a little as a mewing could be heard. He turned around to see his pet cat a gray Tabby he had named Peanut. He picked up the animal. Stroked him. Then spoke some more.
"Well good news is Peanut approves of the new diggs. My duty shift is Beta shift but it's customary to go to the senior officer's office and report in. That's going to be my goal, if they aren't there then tracking them down should be my priority. I don't know much about the ship but I look forward to serving. Computer end log."
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
Security/Tactical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
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"Surprises Aplenty"
Previous post: "Settling In" by Rob
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"If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth... for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light... pure and unblemished... not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe - God looks astonishingly like we do - or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us."
- Ambassador G'Kar
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 37012.0930
The Native American slowly made his way through the narrow corridors of the USS HATHOR, taking in the sights as if this had been his first time aboard the vessel. A slow, deep breath filled his lungs as he heard a familiar set of footsteps heading in his direction.
"Welcome back, Captain." Counsellor Lopez said as she greeted the man now standing still. There was something different about the Native American. Adriana was not quite sure what that difference was exactly but she had served long enough under Captain Morningstar to know that this was not the same man she knew. "I am glad to see you."
"As am I," Erik said grinning. "I mean being able to see you."
If the joke was not enough to confirm that something in the man had drastically changed, the grin that still danced on his lips was more than Adriana needed to know. She would need to keep a very close eye on their Captain just to make sure that these changes in him were good and not some psychological way to deal with the loss of his eyes. "Lt. Commander Mitshiba is waiting for you on the bridge. Commander Shar'El returned to NEW ALEXANDRIA as per Admiral Koniki's request. I am not sure that she will be coming back based on what I overheard from their conversation. I had some questions but she left before I could ask them."
"I am sure that you have lots of questions," Morningstar acknowledged. "Questions that are likely shared by everyone else on the ship. I will meet with the senior staff in 15 minutes on the bridge and try my best to answer them all, at least those pertaining to our next mission that is."
"I will inform the officers," Adriana stated, quickly noticing that Erik was preparing to head in another direction. "May I ask where you are going?"
"I need to check in with Ya'Han first, and I will take the opportunity to inform her of the senior staff meeting," Morningstar replied. "I understand that she is the new CMO and I would hate for her to feel left out because of her change in responsibilities."
Counsellor Lopez smiled as she heard this. The captain might have changed in some ways, but it was clear that the core of his personality had not changed, he was still the type to care about others before himself.
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.0935
"The implants look good," the white-haired Nylaan reported as she diligently looked at the Native American's new eyes. "There does not appear to be any signs of rejection. How is your visual acuity?"
"I would have to say around 85%," Morningstar admitted. "Right on the edge of my being able to make out small details from a distance, but clear enough to see that there is a hint of red hiding beneath your white hair."
Ya'Han's head snapped back at the unexpected announcement, causing her to quickly close her eyes and focus to make sure that no trace of her former role as Chief of Security appeared in her hair. Whether she liked it or not, the colour of her hair changed according to her moods and thoughts, something that she was still having issues controlling fully.
"It's okay," Erik said in a reassuring manner. "I know you well enough to understand how difficult this change can and will be. You have spent your entire life fighting the perceptions and ideas of others, to break free from your abusive father, to separate yourself from your troubled family and to escape from your world to become the person you *wanted* to be and not what someone else desired. Being a feisty fiery fighter is who you have made yourself to be, so this is going to be a difficult transition."
"Thank you, Captain," Ya'han said, her gentle smile indicating that she was much more than a simple red-headed fighter. "I will not let you down."
"I know you won't Ya'Han," Morningstar continued, sounding far more empathetic than ever before. "Even during your most difficult and demanding times, like when you infiltrated the Lokustaar to deal directly with Mordana, you never let any one of us down, not even Jayson."
"I do not believe he would agree with you on that part," the Nylaan sighed. "He still barely speaks to me."
"He will, in time," the Captain said. "Emotional wounds, like physical ones, take time to heal, and in almost every case, the person becomes better, stronger, wiser after it."
"Speaking from personal experience?" The acting CMO teased.
"We will just have to wait and see," Erik replied with a smile. "We better make our way to the bridge. I have several questions to answer."
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Turbolift
Stardate: 37012.0943
An awkward silence reigned as three officers just stood in the pod as it travelled to the command deck.
(from Rob)
** I haven't been this nervous since that simulator exam. Yeah, the one where we fought the Romulans. No-win situations are going to be the theme of my life I swear to Buddha! **
(from Francois)
Ya'Han grinned as her eyes bounced from the Ensign to the Captain who had made a point to stand in the back, his rank hidden from view. "Are you new to the HATHOR?" The white-haired Nylaan asked. "I am the new CMO, and although I have reviewed the files of everyone aboard, I do not recall seeing yours."
"I was just transferred," Brixx stated. "I am heading to the bridge to report to our CO."
Morningstar simply shook his head making it clear to Ya'Han that she was not to say anything, at least not yet.
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.0945
(from Rob)
The lift hummed and took the trio to the main bridge. The entire time, and it cannot be stressed enough, Bractor brushed off cat hair. This was the part of duty he always disliked kissing the keister of his new CO.
In his mind, he had a chicken in a cage and was dressed like a peasant presenting an offering as if to be welcomed by the tribe of the HATHOR. But in reality, everybody seemed to be at their duty stations and everything was going smoothly.
He approached the Captain's seat and cleared his throat. "Sir, Ensign Rixx reporting as ordered. I am one of the new transfers and, well, I am not sure who I am to report to."
**Good going Rixx they are going to have you peeling root vegetables for a month!**
Bractor put on his most friendly and energetic smile, trying to use all that likability that Bolians are known for.
(from Francois)
Aki offered a confused smile as she looked over the Bolian's shoulder to the pair standing directly behind him. The man appeared pleasantly amused while the woman was bordering on horrified.
An odd mixture of joy and surprise met the Native American as he stepped further onto the HATHOR's command deck.
"It is nice to see you out and about, Sir," Mitshiba said, the ExO accepting the change of command with apparently little trouble. As a former CSciO, Misaki could look upon most situations with distinct logic and analytical understanding. She was not sure why Commander Shar'El had been recalled to NEW ALEXANDRIA or why Captain Morningstar had taken charge of the HATHOR, all she knew was that this was the case and that they would all need to adapt and make due.
"Thank you," Erik acknowledged before turning his attention to the gathered officers. he made a point to meet the new Ensign's eyes for a brief moment, trying to convey without words that everything would be all right. "I will make this quick. I will be taking command of the HATHOR for our next mission, luckily for us, this one will not take us into the heart of a conflict or some galactic-scale danger. We will be heading to P8746, a small, isolated arctic planet where a team of Federation scientists have been studying a primitive society. They are overdue for their check-in and we are being sent to make sure everything is all right."
"P8746," Maya said, the Shillian already having turned to face her console and call up all available data on the planet in question. "That world is so far off any of the regular trade routes that they have not bothered giving it a name. In fact, it only appears on a fraction of star charts, which should be a strong hint as to just how 'out-of-the-way' that planet is. The primitive civilization discovered on it is said to be around the stone age in development. Could it be possible that the team did not report in because they had nothing to report?" The scientist's suggestion actually made a few officers chuckle.
"Commander, with all due respect," The OPS Officer chimed in. "If those scientists are anything like you, they would have reported, in full detail, just how each individual spends their day," Gemma pointed out. "If they have not reported in, it means something happened."
"Always the optimist, I see," Sonja sighed as she shook her head. "The transmitter could have been damaged by a falling rock, an earthquake, or the signal blocked by some sort of atmospheric ion storm. As much as I love technology, I am the first one to know how fragile it can be, especially when there is not an engineer readily available to do maintenance," the Chief Engineer noted.
"Why do you presume that they do not have an engineer on-site?" Counsellor Lopez inquired.
"No self-respecting engineer would ever consider going to an out-of-the-way ice planet to just sit around and make sure that nothing breaks," the woman said with absolute certainty. "Younger engineers want action, while older engineers want warmth and comfort."
"Guess that places you in the latter category," the OPS officer fired at the CEO promoting Sonja to menacingly stare at the woman. There was a small chance that Sonja could take on Gemma and win, but it was more likely that the multi-faceted woman would call upon one of her more physical personalities in response to the attack, and as brave as Paquette was, she knew better than to risk going up against Jinx or worse Anya.
"Our mission is to investigate and figure out what happened and fix whatever issue we may discover, this without affecting in any way the primitive society present on that planet," Morningstar said calling the meeting back to order. "Now, before we leave, I have one thing to take care of. Ensign Zub Enel, please step forward."
As imposing as the Voth was, it was clear to see that the summons had made him nervous. Slowly, carefully, the Ensign made his way to the Captain, coming to stop directly in front of the Native American. Morningstar glanced over to Mitshiba who simply smiled and nodded her head. Obviously, whatever this was all about, the Asian ExO knew what it was.
"Ensign Zub Enel, because of your exemplary service and continued performance of your duties to the highest possible level, I am pleased to promote you to the rank of Lt. Junior Grade effective immediately. Do you accept the added responsibilities of your new rank and position as the HATHOR's Chief of Security and Tactical Officer?"
"Yes, Sir," Enel gladly replied as Mitshiba offered a small blue velvet box to Morningstar which he opened to retrieve a small hallowed pip which he affixed to the Voth's collar. "Congratulations."
The gathered officer cheered, except for Bractor Rixx who was still trying to understand what kind of ship he had been assigned to. Seeing the slightly confused expression on the Bolian's face, Morningstar invited the Engisn to step forward as he glanced in the direction of the former Chief of Security now acting CMO.
The white-haired woman looked at Bractor before shifting her gaze upward to Zub. "Your first task as Chief of Security is to take care of your assistant and make sure they find their rightful place amongst the crew," Ya'Han said teasingly "I'll be in Sickbay should something go wrong."
"Great," A'Janni, the Caitian FCO sighed. "As if reptile-man was not big enough already, that promotion is going to make his head swell. I would not go too far Doc, it might explode a lot sooner than you think."
"Helm," the Native American interjected, avoiding the exchange from going further than it had. "Get the HATHOR ready for departure, again."
"Aye, aye, Sir," A'Janni acknowledged as he turned back to face his console at the front of the bridge.
"Captain," Gemma cut in sounding somewhat surprised. "Commander Shar'El is requesting permission to return to the ship. According to her, she has been reassigned as the HATHOR's ILO for our next mission."
"What is Koniki playing at?" Lopez whispered to Morningstar.
Erik just shrugged. "Permission granted," the Captain said to the OPS Officer before turning to face the CNS. "This is Koniki we are talking about. There are days I am not sure he even knows what his end-game is."
--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
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“Some Things Never Change”
Previous posts: "Surprises Aplenty” by Francois
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.0955
It was nice to see Captain Morningstar, the man radiant a confidence and calm that was contagious. The Nylaan had not been worried with Commander Shar'El taking command of the HATHOR for their next mission, but in all honesty Ya'Han felt more at ease with the idea that it would now be Erik sitting in the big chair. It was difficult to explain why she felt that way, after all, her childhood experiences with male figures being in charge had not been good ones, not one bit.
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FLASHBACK
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Observation Tower
Stardate: 14059.1445 (Ya'Han is 7 years old)
From the observation tower the entire Imperial city could be seen. The large, curved windows gave a near perfectly unobstructed 360-degree view. The youngest of the High Sovereign's daughters enjoyed behind here to look at the distant mountain range and ocean, especially at night when she would be able to add to this magnificent display the reflection of the stars on the gently moving waves. Of course, she had never been permitted to do this, so she was forced to reach the top of the tower by sneaking out of her room and avoiding the patrols.
Today, she had been brought here by one of her instructors who had wanted to use the display that surrounded them as a way to further make the point he needed to pass on to the youngest daughter of the ruler of NYLA IV. He knew that failure to make the young woman understand what he needed to explain would result in his life coming to a painful end.
"What do you see?"
The question had been simple enough, but the tone in which it had been asked hinted to there being more. Without knowing exactly what had been intended or required, the daughter of the High Sovereign decided to answer as best she could base on the words used and not the implied idea of which she had no understanding of.
"The Imperial city," Ya'Han replied with nervousness, certain that as detailed as her answer would be, it would not be sufficient to meet the instructor's wishes. "From here I can see the Eastern Market Plaza as well as the freighter landing platform. Beyond the city's walls, the Imperial Mountain range as well as the Ancestral Ocean. If I turn around, I can see..."
"Enough," the instructor snapped in anger, indicating with little effort that the answer had been, as expected, far from meeting his expectations. "You claim to see, yet you show that you are blind. Everything that you see from this tower is under the High Sovereign's control. He is master of everything and everyone you see here and beyond. His will his supreme and that is what you must learn to understand."
"My father may be powerful, but he does not control the mountains or the sky," Ya'Han challenged, her youthfulness and naive understanding of the political world that she was an unwilling part of all too evident.
"You know nothing," the instructor growled in disappointment. "Should your father, the High Sovereign wish it, he could have the Imperial Mountains reduced to nothing but rubble. He could darken the sky so that none would ever again see the sun or stars, and if he so wished it, the Ancestral Ocean could be drained to the very last drop. The sooner you realize that the High Sovereign is Master over everything that you see, hear and understand, the sooner you will be able to move ahead with your training and avoid becoming the target of his anger."
"I understand," the young Nylaan stated with distinct hesitation. "I think," she added. This had not been the first time that she had been told this, but something in her mind refused to accept these claims of supremacy. Ya'Han had been willing to accept that he was their ruler, a man of great importance and power, but she could not simply embrace the concept that his power over all was absolute. If so, why had he required the assistance of so many to do everything everyone claimed him to be responsible for doing?
"What do you see?"
The question was repeated but this time Ya'Han knew better than to give a reply based on her senses, instead she would need to formulate an answer based on what she had been told, what she had been required to understand. "I see a world that belongs to the High Sovereign, my father, and which is shaped by his will. The people of the Imperial Capital, as well as all of the inhabitants of NYLA IV are his to do as he wishes with, and they are grateful for his benevolence."
"Well said little one," the instructor smiled. "Next time though, you will need to say this in a way that will convince others in your honest belief of this. Like your eyes that see nothing, your words equally said nothing. To say what is expected is not enough, you must believe it in your heart and soul. Your world is now and will forever be shaped by the will of your father, the High Sovereign and ruler of everything you will ever know."
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End of FLASHBACK
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"Thinking about your father once again I see."
Ya'han immediately recognized the voice of Commander Shar'El, a Ullian able to see the memories of others. She had sworn an oath not to pry into the minds of any crew member without the expressed permission, but everyone knew and acceptable that the woman could easily pick up on any memory freely broadcasted, as the Nylaan's recollection of a single day of her youth had just been. "I am glad to see that you are back on the HATHOR. I figure that the reason for you losing command to Captain Morningstar are secret, so I will spare you the inquisition, instead I will simply ask what my new position and roles demand of me. What can I do for you Commander?"
Shar'El visibly hesitated in giving any sort of reply. Whatever Admiral Koniki had said, whatever his reasons had been, they had left their mark on the woman who, as far as Ya'Han was concerned, had seen and dealt with more nightmares than the Nylaan could have ever imagined, and this despite her less than stellar youth.
"I need you to keep this vial in cold storage, under the highest security level," Shar'El said handing over a small cylindrical glass container that appeared to contain a thick silvery liquid.
"May I ask..."
"You may not," the Commander interrupted, her tone clearly meant to be an order. "For reasons I cannot divulge, I cannot keep this in my quarters, therefore, Sickbay being under your care and supervision, is the best alternate option. I know that you will keep it safe."
"Commander, I am not the Chief of Security on this mission," Ya'Han said. "That position and role are Zub's now.
Shar'El's face failed to register any sort of emotions. "We are and remain who we are meant to be. The color of your hair or even the title that you currently hold, does not change the person you are, the person I know you to be, this despite what the Captain said to you earlier."
"How do you know this?" Ya'Han asked, certain that she had not been remembering that particular memory since Shar'El's arrival into Sickbay.
"As I said before, we are and remain who we are meant to be. You will always be a fighter at heart, a woman able to fight regardless of the odds to protect the people and ideals she believes in. As for me, I have been and will always be an ILO, no matter my rank or potion. The HATHOR may not be the ANUBIS with its Intel Gathering Center, but I still have at my disposal a fair number of tools and tricks to keep me informed as to what goes on around me. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to report to Captain Morningstar. Please secure the vial as instructed. I will be back later to check in on you and it."
Ya'Han found herself speechless as Shar'El made her exit, leaving the vial and its silvery content in her care. "Why do I have the feeling that this mission is not going to be as simple as the Captain made it out to be?"
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Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
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“Whats Up Doc?”
Previous post: “Some Things Never Change” by Hanali
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37012.1010
Bractor walked into the sickbay. He had a tired look on his face. It had been a long flight to NEW ALEXANDRIA and an even longer check in with all the officers who were way above his pay grade. It was time for the last one then he could go about remaining seen and not heard.
He saw the chief medical officer and in his best Bugs Bunny, chewing on an imaginary carrot said, "Eh What's up doc?"
Ya'Han stared back at Bractor, a puzzled expression engraved on her face. Yes, the years spent at Starfleet Academy had forced her to become better acquainted with some of the more obscure and strange Terran costumes and sayings, but as a cadet training in the field of Security, the Nylaan never found them to be of any real interest. As the acting Chief Medical Officer, she kind of understood the frustration she had often seen on other cadets and officers once she joined Starfleet after her graduation.
"Please take a seat on the medical bed," Ya'Han politely said, inviting the Bolian Ensign to sit on the only bed in the room.
Bractor smiled a friendly smile and sat on the biobed.
"If I remember my medical procedures, Rixx, Bractor. Ensign, Last four of my service numbers are Theta, Two, Two, one. Heads up I have RH negative blood. I am willing to come down and donate in my off hours since that's one of the types that is hard to synthesize," Rixx looked around nervously.
The white-haired Nylaan remained quiet, running her medical tricorder over the Bolian from head to toe before moving back up. This was her first 'patient' and Ya'Han quickly realized that she would need to brush up on her interpersonal skills. Again, as a Chief of Security, being friendly had not been part of the job, something that was evidently lacking as a CMO.
"Did you know the Gorn actually drink something called a Blood Fizz made with Bolian blood? They say the acidic nature gives it a yummy metallic taste. Never tried it though." Rixx was being serious about that last part, trying his best to fill the deafening silence that was filling the room. "But that aside Doctor, should I call you doc or do you have something you prefer?" He asked.
Ya'Han paused at the question. The thought had crossed her mind but had been dismissed almost as quickly. Titles had never been something that the self-exiled daughter of the High Sovereign of NYLAN IV had been overly fond of. They implied a role and position of authority, of control over others. She had grown used to being referred to as the Chief of Security, but that title was seldom used to address directly and in person.
"Although I do have extensive medical training, not to mention a detailed and practiced understanding of the internal organ layout of most humanoid races" the CMO said as she resumed the examination, "I am not a Doctor, Therefore, Lt, Ya'Han will do just fine."
Rixx, contrary to what others may have expected him to feel, was far from nervous. He could tell that this was the type of reaction the CMO had expected to see emanating from him. "There has got to be a great story behind that. Xenocultural and Exo-anthropology are hobbies of mine, it leads to a few questions if you will indulge me, if not you can say dismissed Ensign and we can. But you say you aren't a doctor, yet you are the Medical officer on duty? We didn't break any regs by letting you illegally practice medicine, did I?"
"Alright," Ya'Han said grinning. "Here is my life story in a nutshell. I was born on NYLA IV as the youngest of 13 children, daughter to the High Sovereign, a ruthless ruler who was not afraid to dispense his brand of justice as he saw fit, depending on his mood. I managed to escape my father's grasp and the Ferengi Alliance just before my 14th birthday at which time I would have been married off to Daimon Ardax, a Ferengi troll with whom my father wanted to expand a trade agreement with. I somehow managed to make it to EARTH and eventually joined Starfleet. As for the hair color, the Nylaan people have the unique ability to display their social status through the color of their hair. Commoners are easily recognized due to their solid black hair," she explained as her hair color changed to add a visual reference to her words. "Those who are able to learn a specific skill and trade also learn to display the corresponding color. Entertainers have green hair; members of the medical field display white colored hair. Those who elected to pursue a career in sciences are able to display blue hair while those in the military can be identified thanks to the red of their hair. As a daughter of the High Sovereign, I was forced to study and excel in all fields in order to earn all of the colors. That is why I said that, although I am not a Doctor, I do have more than the required foundation to hold this position."
"So, you are of royal blood?" The Bolian asked with a hint of suspicion. "If a Nylaan can learn to change their hair color to reflect their social standing, what stops a commoner from displaying royal colors, which by the way is what?"
Ya'Han was impressed by the sharp wit of the Ensign, making her realize how great of a fit he would be in Security. "Nylaan genetics makes it impossible for *commoners* to learn more than a single color, this despite learning multiple skills. It is also thanks to those same genetic restrictions that only those of royal blood are able to display the purple that identifies us as being that."
"Purple, interesting," Rixx said while focusing his gaze on the CMO's hair which had returned to the full white that it had been at the start of their conversation.
The Nylaan could tell that he was not going to let this go, and to be fair, he had every right to question her qualifications and story. That is why Ya'Han briefly closed her eyes and summoned the one color she had learned to despise and avoid. Hopefully, this would satiate the Bolian's curiosity and allow this subject to never be brought up again. "There, convinced?"
Rixx's eyes were opened at their widest as he witnessed the woman's now purple hair gracefully cascade over her shoulders. He may not have known her species or her personally, but she most certainly appeared the part of a woman with royal lineage when she displayed that particular color of hair.
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Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
and
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
Something smart should go here. But I happen to be dumb so.. Thank you for reading?
“Thinking, and Thinking Some More”
Previous post: “Whats Up Doc?” by Robert and Hanali
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1015
Aki stood behind A'Janni on his right side, out of his way but close enough to see the data being displayed on his controls. The Executive Officer wanted to make sure that everything was in order for their second try at departure from their base of operations. So far, everything appeared to be in order, not that there had been any issues the first time around. The reason for the delay in leaving had not been mechanical but personal, or more accurately 'personnel'. The Asian woman glanced back over her shoulder to see the Captain chatting with the CEO, Morningstar likely doing the same thing his First Officer was in the middle of.
"You can relax," the Caitian said, his ears pivoting on his head as if searching for something specific. "The Captain is just reviewing the settings of the Blink Drive with our Chief Engineer."
"You can hear them?" Mitshiba quietly gasped.
"Why do you think most Caitians end up as pilots or Flight Control Officers regardless if they are in Starfleet or not? Our ability to pick up instructions and orders even when in the middle of a crisis makes us the perfect choice for the position." There was a distinct pride in the felinoid's voice as he said this. "Also, being able to maintain a ship's horizontal attitude no matter how badly things spin around us is an advantage that most CO and ExO have learned to appreciate. It means less people flying about and getting hurt when things go from bad to worse."
Misaki chuckled softly. "Well, If Captain Morningstar or myself do not fully appreciate that part of your skills, I am sure that our new CMO will."
"I will admit that seeing Lt. Ya'Han in charge of Sickbay is a little disconcerting," A'Janni admitted. "I have seen the woman in action first-hand. She seemed far more at ease breaking bones than I can imagine her mending them."
"This crew is full of surprises and people able to do things that we never thought possible," Mitshiba said, shifting her gaze in the direction of the OPS Officer who visibly appeared to be in a less than pleasant mood, which for Gemma had never been much of an issue. Yes, there were a few of her personalities that were far more friendly and easier to deal with, but as a general rule, it was safer not to antagonize the woman, no matter what identity was on the surface at the time.
"Gemma has been mumbling the Commander's name under her breath," A'Janni said. "I'm not sure, but I do not think she likes the idea of having her authority as ILO challenged, especially not by Shar'El. You don't need above-average earring or any superpowers to know that those two do not like each other."
"I think we all picked up on that," Aki admitted. "There is obviously a history between them, and it leaves me wondering if that had anything to do with the Admiral's decision to have Morningstar take over as CO for this mission. I have the utmost respect for him, but the fact that he just lost his eyes and had implants put in to replace them should mean that he should be on forced recovery for more than the few days he had."
"According to him, our mission to P8746, or the 'Ice Planet' as I like to call it, is going to be nothing more than a recon with some fixes and repairs," the FCO said. "He should be able to sit in that big comfy chair and keep his eyes closed for the duration of the mission. Thanks to our Blink Drive, we can go there and back in just a few seconds."
"We can only hope," Aki admitted. "The Captain's eyesight, the friction between Gemma and Shar'El, and the fact that Ya'Han is new to the role of CMO, all of that makes me a little nervous should things not go as expected."
"We are going to an 'ice planet" that is so far remote from anything else that no one has bothered to give it a name," the FCO pointed out. "There is no strategic significance to that world, so the Romulans are out of the equation. From what the Anthropologists reported, there are no valuable resources on the planet, so the Ferengi are out. The only race we might need to be concerned about are the Breen."
"The Breen?" Aki gasped.
"Of course," A'Janni laughed. "We are talking about an ice planet after all. They might see it as a perfect location for a vacation resort. Cold and out of the way."
The Asian woman sighed. "I guess there are worse things that we could run into than the Breen. Still, I would rather if the only thing we end up having to deal with is some odd ice formation."
"We can hope."
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Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
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“The Least of My Worries”
Previous post: “Thinking, and Thinking Some More” by Dawn
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1020
Bractor returned to the Bridge. There was low talking amid birdlike chirping as several members of the crew were busy at their duty stations. The forward view screen showed the expansive landing bay. Lit by brilliant artificial light, a scattering of squat a-grav vehicles moved among personnel in Federation uniforms, civilian clothing, and what looked like various maintenance overalls in every primary color. As inside the Bridge, all those outside moved with purpose but not outright urgency.
Rixx wanted to report to the Chief of Security partly because it was expected of him and partly because he was curious, having never met a Voth in his life. The Chief was seated and had his huge back toward him. Lest the giant lizard of a man startle and lash out instinctively, Bractor stood close but out of arm’s reach. He cleared his throat quietly and say, “Lt. Enel. Ensign Bractor Rixx.”
Zub Enel pushed off the Tactical console, stood and faced him.
Bractor looked up at the 7-foot-tall lizard man with a mix of suspicion and awe.
**Long way from the Delta Quadrant?**
Bractor looked at his senior officer. "Two things seem to be in order, first of all.. *sir* congratulations are in order, Second I am your underling, I am willing to fall on my sword, but I don't do windows. Unless you count the time a Klingon threw me against the chalkboard and onto the trans aluminum to clean it. Though in my defense I did mistake smooth for rough when talking to him about the old forehead?"
In that time he was trying to either dazzle or baffle he had handed a copy of his transfer orders over. He looked like a newly minted officer and oddly was acting just like one.
Standing next to the Tactical station, Zub Enel gravely lowered a three-fingered hand and accepted the padd the Bolian had offered up to him. The young Bolian’s blue skin was shiny on either side of the vertical ridge that bifurcated his face. Ensign Rixx had a faint scent of one of the simpler aftershave solutions. He had shaved recently. That odor mixed with another, an aroma that reminded Zub Enel of Lt. A’Janni, the bipedal tiger man at the Flight Controls. The new crewman also had strands of fur on his otherwise tidy uniform.
Zub Enel glanced at the padd. It had been handed to him upside down. Without reading it, he kept the volume of his deep voice low so as not to distract the other senior officers prepping for taking the HATHOR out. He asked, “Have you brought a companion animal aboard, Ensign Rixx?”
Bractor wanted to smile but this guy seemed o drain all the humor out of him. "Well sir, I have a pet.. cat. Sort of a final gift my girlfriend gave me before we.. ended..." He rubbed the back of his head. He figured he would have plenty of time to talk about things like that once he made friends.
Zub nodded. “That is all very well. Please keep it confined to your quarters until you have checked with the Chief Medical Officer. She will determine if there is anyone aboard who might be allergic.” His golden-eyed gaze rested expectantly on the Bolian’s face.
"Well his name is Munchie and I assure you if he gets out its cause he chewed through three solid centimeters of hull plating. So you want me to report to Sickbay that I can do. Anything else? Inventory the armor? Visual on the torpedoes?" Rixx could feel at least an attempt at Bolian synergy would maybe make him look good if not be helpful.
Lt. Enel took in the answer contemplatively. He righted the padd and glanced over the transfer order. “I see you are being transferred from EARTH. Was that where the Klingon used you as a window cleaner?”
"Actually that was on Jupiter Station. I was sent there to handle a corruption investigation. Seems the quartermaster had a side business of selling surplus equipment to some Klingons and I was trying to give security a reason to bust the guy. So a little bit of goading was needed. I got a fractured shoulder, my CO got promoted and I got sent here. So I too am a long way from home."
Bractor paused for a moment.
"Sir permission to ask a question? I have never met a member of your species. I have seen them all. As a matter of synergy or just out and out curiosity, would you sit down with me sometime and tell me about where you are from? Xenohistory and culture is sort of a hobby of mine and I would love to get to know a little bit about where you are from? I am positive that you have met a Bolian before but I am willing to do the same? All off duty of course and at your leisure? Then again you can say Rixx get out of here and I will drop it?"
The towering Voth lowered the pad and gripped his scaly wrist. His massive shoulders rose in a shrug. He said, “Bolians are so common in the Federation that it is said one cannot swing a dead cat without hitting….” His eyes popped open wide. The feathery down between his scales rose into view and fluttered. His mocha brown scales tinted red. “I am terribly sorry. I am sure you care very much for your cat and such imagery is distressing. My apologies, Ensign Rixx.”
Rixx laughed, "Look a thing about me bossman is I am easy to get along with. My species has a almost empathic ability to work well with others. We call it synergy. I spend a few moments with a person and I can pick up on if they like me so that tells me if I am an irritant or not. Dead cat jokes don't offend me. To be honest I am pretty hard to offend. But yes I do care for that cat. Since you asked and probably did so out of politeness. Quick story, His name is Stripes, I inherited him about the time my ex came down with a terminal case of Ryerson Syndrome. I argued intractable suffering my first year in debate and was made vice president of the club cause of that. But basically she took her own life Intractable Pain, and I got the cat. Personally I am a dog guy.”
Lt. Enel had recovered his composure. “We can meet to discuss my origins after we arrive at P8746.”
"Sir one last question? I was going over the specs of the ship We got quantum slipstream tech or space folding? Just did the bare calculations and we seem to be going pretty fast or breaking the speed agreement that was imposed?" Rixx asked.
Still holding his wrist, the imposing Security Chief waggled the padd with Rixx’s transfer orders. “I appreciate you digging into the specifications. As you know from all the forms and signatures and oath taking and scrutinization on your way to this vessel, the NEW ALEXANDRIA starbase is so secret that it is utterly black. Among many secrets, the HATHOR possesses the ability to ‘blink’ out of existence here and arrive within a few instants anywhere there are known galactic coordinates. We lose the luxury of careful study and preparedness for our destination. We have to be flexible when we pop into existence there and quickly assess the situation. The advantage of the Blink Drive is that we can pop right back out of existence and arrive outside this base in another instant. The Chief Engineer can explain the details if you are curious.”
** Well, ask leading questions you get answers you never thought you wanted to know?** Bractor thought to himself.
"Well I assure you my lips and mind are utterly sealed.. Whats going to happen now?" He asked.
Enel half turned and set the padd on top of the Tactical station. “Now, Ensign Rixx, as aSec/Tac, you are welcome to stand by me and watch the operation of this station. We are likely leaving NEW ALEXANDRIA straight away. We will be at P8746 before the afterimage of the base fades from your vision.”
"With your permission sir, I am going to go to sickbay and have that exam. Then I am going to read up on procedures. I assume we aren't so secret we follow standard protocol for combat? I will review the manuals and if I have any questions I promise you that you will be the first being I got to. Who is the Chief Engineer?" He added lastly.
The Voth raised his eyebrows. “The Chief Engineer is Lt Commander Sonja Paquette. She will be the one cursing at some underperforming component in Engineering. On your way past Sickbay, be sure to ask Lt. Ya’Han about anyone being sensitive to cats.”
"Aye aye sir! I am off to go bring a certain sense of joy and annoyance to the crew." He stood at attention and waited to be dismissed.
“Dismissed,” Zub Enel said, not at all accustomed to doing that to fellow officers. As the ebullient Bolian strolled off the Bridge, Zub seated himself at Tactical to prepare for the jump. He would have to think about Ensign Rixx later.
=-=
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
and
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“On any given day, in any given moment, something could happen that opens up for you an entirely new path. Be still, be alert, be ready.”
- Marianne Williamson
"Inside"
Previous post: “Whats Up Doc?” by Robert and David
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Mess Hall
Stardate: 37012.1100
==
NMM: Special thanks to my roommate for writing the part of the Chef
Clank went the tray as it was placed in front of Bractor.
"When I said I wanted fresh food, I didn't want it to insult me. What is this?" Bractor asked.
The Chef sighed, "You know I wear a uniform I am part of Shipboar Services, Bosun Kendricks warned me about you!"
Bractor blinked, :I didn't ask for a night of steamy romance I just want to know what this is? It look like Treel'a a fish paste eaten by the Yridians."
The chef giving a very smart answer to the perfect and reasonable question, :You should be in security you solved that mystery."
Bractor sighed, "I am in security. I am the chief deputy. This is what passes for real food these days? No Rumbak stew or Otlac pie? I would even settle for hewman dish."
The much aggravated chef pointed at the replicator. " Its not very tasty but there they are if you want something not real."
Bractor decided to take a different approach, "Bractor Rixx." He shoved out his ig blue hand.
The Chef smiled and shook his hand, "Petty SecondHailey Graham but my friends call me Hails, you can call me Chef though everybody does."
Rixx relaxed some, "Well thanks for letting it desisicate a little. Not many folks are that culturally sensitive."
Hailey raised an eyebrow, "Yeah about that, I leave a tray out and serve it to an officer I usually get on my bad side."
Rixx and her both laughed loudly.
"Talk about cruel and unusual...: Rixx said.
"Tell you what from now on you com me ahead of time and let me know if you want the meal, I will set it aside and put it in the dessication unit, give you a chance to taste a little bit of home like cooking?" The Chef said.
Bractor nodded.
He found he may have made a friend.
Personal Log Supplimental:
So far we are in our way to a iceball world, using a system I am not allowed to talk about. In the upside its got a makeup simular to Bolarus. More then likely its going to be combat oriented. Not something I can say I am looking forward to.
I have made a deal with the head of the Mess Halls Alpha shift, she is going to use a dessicator to age some meat and plant matter for my sstem on real food meals so its easier to digest.
I am going to go to the holodeck soon and work on my marksmanship. My father gave me a copy of Ice Station Zebra and a bottle of Tranya when I graduated. I think I might when off duty have a few drinks and read a good book.
But I find myself and my thoughts going to that of Robert Frost's words
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
End Log.
Rixx stood up after writing his log Entry and getting his food. He figured he would now go on duty and start security sweeps of the ship, The buy life of an Ensign
===
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
=-=
“Things Are Looking Up”
Previous post: "Inside" by Rob
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Mess Hall
Stardate: 37012.1105
The aroma of freshly cooked food was not hard to differentiate from replicated, especially to a nose as sensitive as Security Chief Zub Enel's. Still, the ambrosia of it made his mouth wet as he stepped into the Mess Hall. He found Ensign Bractor Rixx standing at a table and across from him a seated female in a chef’s uniform picking at a tray of food. The woman’s uniform had emblazoned on it: Shipboard Services, Bosun Kendricks. Enel recalled seeing the words at many food services available on NEW ALEXANDRIA.
“Hello,” he said. The woman goggled up at him as most beings did when encountering a scaly creature nearly twice their height.
Ensign Rixx waved a blue hand toward her and said to Zub, “This is Petty Second Hailey Graham. I asked her to make one last meal for me before we depart to worlds unknown. I’m not sure when I’d eat again. I hope that was okay, sir.”
Lt. Enel kept his face neutral because it made him much more imposing. His voice boomed in the small mess hall as he spoke to the woman, “I have enjoyed your food during layovers.”
Her pinched look relaxed. She smiled. “That’s always good to hear. Your race is vegetarian, isn’t it?”
He nodded, letting a small smile but not a grin come to his lips.
She nodded too with enthusiasm. She said with an edge in her voice to Rixx, “Plant eaters are so much easier to please. “
Halls beamed up at Zub Enel with pride,"Thank you sir, you should try my saag pannier. Its a roasted spinach dish, I switch out the cheese with almond milk and you will think you are on the path with Alexander the Great!"
Rixx smiled, "Can I put in request for a cake?"
Halls facepalmed, "Why?"
To that Rixx said, "Rumor is there is a department head promotion and a cake is traditionally done thing. Since he is a vegan chocolate would be good?" Rixx was about to be interrupted on a galactic level.
Zub Enel cleared his throat, a sound like a large carnivorous reptile gurgling. The woman gaped up at him expectantly. He said gently, “We are about to leave base. All non-crew must leave the vessel. Immediately.”
She frowned. “What? Me and a small group of helpers have been assigned to this ship. We have orders to stay here and accompany the ship wherever it goes.”
It was Zub Enel’s turn to frown. “What?”
Just at that moment the ship counselors swept in past the hulking lizard man. They extended hands and gladly welcomed Petty Second Hailey Graham aboard.
Counselor Lt. Nicole Dima gushed, her Trill filigree floating on pink near her temples, “We’re so glad Koniki let you board.”
Counselor and Junior Ambassador Lt. Adriana Lopez’s Hispanic features were lit with anticipation. “It’ll be a little tight in here, but we will help you make it all fit.” She turned and beamed up at the befuddled Chief of Security. “Won’t we?”
Zub Enel was still confused. Reading his face, Dima said, “We made a proposal to Admiral Koniki before the mission about a pilot project to have the HATHOR equipped with non-essential personnel to help make things easier. As this mission is not expected to involve any heavy combat, Koniki agreed and voila, here is Hailey and her staff aboard the HATHOR.”
The Security Chief said to Lt. Dima, “I see. Thank you for clarifying,” he said to Lt. Dima.
He put his golden-eyed gaze on Petty Second Hailey Graham’s face. “Welcome. I am not sure what Shipboard Services you plan to provide but I will not stand in the way.” He began to smile as he thought about the possibilities.
Halls looked either like laughter or tears were going to be had. "Ship's business operations. It’s a mix of counseling and operations. Quartermaster for the ship. Cook for the officers, bartender as needed. Ship this small I can act as an emergency paramedic or Counselor if I pour enough rumchata down the right hole?"
Rixx in a very Abbot and Costello way said, "I would like to be the first to experiment for the rum."
Halls flashed an evil grin. "Lieutenant or above..." She patted him on the shoulder.
=-=
Kaylah J. Andrews
Petty Second Hailey Graham [Access Character BIO for Hailey Graham]
Shipboard Services
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
Qui vivra verra
and
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
and
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“I’m not a glutton. I am an explorer of food.”
- Erma Bombeck
=-=
“Guilt and Anger”
Previous posts: "Things Are Looking Up" by the dynamic trio of Kaylah, Rob and David
=-=
Setting: HATHOR, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 37012.1105
In the world of Intel, keeping control over one's emotions is crucial. Any outward display could prove disastrous through revealing a weakness that others would not hesitate to use to their advantage. While in the solitude of her quarters, Shar'El held fast to that prime rule, forcing herself to be as cold and unfeeling as possible following what had taken place. Despite her experience and mental training though, the ILO found it exceptionally difficult to control her emotions as memories after memories flooded her mind.
This mission should have been her first command, but instead of being on the bridge she sat alone in her quarters reviewing every second, every word, every action that brought her here; alone in her quarters. Koniki's explanation had been, as always, very short, and precise, trying his best not to reveal anything that might leave the ILO suspecting some ulterior motives. Unfortunately for the Admiral, Shar'El knew him well, maybe a little too well, allowing her to pick up on slight micro-expressions that told a different story.
The Ullian could clearly recall the Admiral sitting behind his massive obsidian desk, the two statues of Egyptian deities framing his imposing shoulders as if they were there as his protectors. "Captain Morningstar needs to get back on his feet and this is the perfect opportunity for him to do so following the trauma he suffered during your last mission. With Mitshiba remaining on the HATHOR as the Executive Officer, you will have the opportunity to dedicate yourself to your duties as the ship's Intel Officer, something that, as I recall, you hinted that you missed."
It was true, the ILO did miss being on the ANUBIS and running operations from the IGC, and she knew that the moment she removed any doubts from the Admiral's mind about this that she would be made to pay for it in one way or another. Losing her first command was not as traumatic as some might believe it to be though. Shar'El was pleased to see Erik back on his feet and in charge. Losing one's eyesight was often an experience that many never fully recovered from, so the ILO understood the Admiral's desire to see one of NEW ALEXANDRIA's best return to duty as quickly as possible to ensure that his recovery was speedy and complete.
What bothered Shar'El was the way the Admiral had emphasised the need for her to dedicate herself to being the ship's ILO. The mission, at least how it had been officially described to them, would not require an active Intel Operative, so it was clear that the man had something else in mind. It didn't take long for the Ullian's suspicions to be proven true as the Admiral detailed his plan listing a long string of expectations from the reassigned Commander. "The Gamma Project research team is ready for a new set of field tests. You will be spearheading this part of the research and will require the assistance of the new CMO to successfully complete some of the more delicate tasks."
There was no doubt in the Ullian's mind that the Nylaan would be able to perform anything asked of her as the new CMO for the HATHOR. Ya'Han might not have been as versatile as Gemma, but at least the woman was not an unpredictable timebomb waiting to go off and take everyone down with her. That said, having the Admiral force the ILO to use her friendship and the new CMO's lack of experience in that particular field did not sit well with Shar'El. As much as this idea made her sick, and setting ranks aside, Shar'El knew that Koniki was not the kind of person someone said no to, at least not without paying a hefty price.
The next memory to assert itself in the Commander's mind was when the lead scientist of the Gamma Project handed over the vile. The nervousness the man radiated spoke volumes as to how dangerous the liquid inside was, this despite the rather innocent appearance of the small glass container. Shar'El immediately suspected the purpose and possible significance of the silvery liquid in regard to the HATHOR's Chief of Operations, Lt. Gemma.
The two women were far from friends, but they had no choice in tolerating one another due to their respective responsibilities and duties. Gemma, through the mess that was her mind, held Shar'El responsible for what she had become based on a single memory in which the one and only living test subject of the GAMMA project had encountered the ILO by pure coincidence. As much as the ILO tried her best to prove the OPS Officer's misgivings and suspicions wrong during later encounters, Shar'El could not help but feel some level of guilt thanks to the part she had been required to play as per the Admiral's orders.
In the end, Shar'El likely knew more about Gemma than anyone else could have ever imagined. She knew of her background, of her creation and how she had come to change from an isolated solo operative to a productive, although at times unpredictable, member of a crew. Sooner or later, the details of the Gamma Project would have to be revealed, if not publicly at least to the one person whose life had been destroyed because of it.
Until then, Gemma would continue to wonder why Shar'El sometimes referred to her as GAMMA instead of her name, a name the multifaceted woman had claimed as hers based on what she could see inscribed on a faded metal wrist band she wore the day of her awakening. Whatever would come to pass would likely further fuel the OPS Officers immeasurable disdain of the ILO, a fact that only made the Ullian wish she could forget what her name truly meant.
Genetic
Augmentation and
Manipulation using
Microscopic
Automatons
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
-=-=-
"Counseling the Counselor"
[the previous post was Tiffany's "Guilt and Anger"]
-=-=-
Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 37012.1115
The two counselors walked side-by-side, the sight of the Trill and Hispanic women grinning the way they were was drawing some curious stares from anyone they encountered.
"Are you sure you can't stay?" Adriana asked.
"Sofia is taking this opportunity to catch up on some personal business and I think it will be good for me to be there for her. Also, it is difficult for us to have some real time together," Dima replied. "Added to that the fact that the HATHOR is going to be stuffed solid with the addition of a Shipboard Services staff would mean that I would have to share a room, and Sofia can be quite jealous at times."
Lopez rolled her eyes. "Stuffed solid! Really? How many lifetimes does it take to come up with a pun as bad as that one."
Nicole laughed. "I wouldn't know, I was not trying to be funny, but now that you mention it, it was quite clever."
"If you say so," Adriana said while shrugging her shoulders, an amused smile dancing on her lips. "Changing subject, anything I need to know about the captain and his recovery?"
"You know Erik better than I do, you were his counselor back on the ANUBIS," Nicole pointed out. "All I can tell you is that he worked hard to adapt to his new eyes. He was not going to let the fact that he had lost his eyes stop him from doing what he loves, which is to command a ship and crew."
"The man is beyond strong-willed, there is no denying that," the Counselor/Junior Ambassador said. "It explains why he was so anxious in getting back to the Captain's chair, but I can't help but wonder if this is not too fast. Based on the last report Dr Andersson submitted, there are still signs of physical trauma, and being on active duty is not going to help."
"Sounds like Ya'Han and you are going to have your work cut out for you. Captain Morningstar is going to have to take things easy," Dima said, the grin on her lips indicating that she knew exactly what she was saying.
"I might as well try to tell Maya to stop shapeshifting," the Hispanic Counselor sighed.
"With the right incentive, I am sure that you could convince Maya to not take any animal forms. I believe that the job you are going to need to do as for Erik taking it easy would be more in line with asking Gemma to stop being... well, Gemma, Anya, Jynx, or any of the other personalities that we have or have yet to meet."
"Thanks," Adriana said sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better."
"Glad I was able to help," the Trill woman said in an over-enthusiastic manner. "Now, I better get off this boat before someone decides to trap me here."
"I have no idea who could possibly want to do that or the reasons they would have to do something so underhanded and despicable," Adriana said, rolling her eyes once more.
"You might want to have Ya'Han check that out," Dima said as she walked away. "I've heard that excessive eye rolling may be a sign of neurological trauma."
"Hmm, I wonder who could have been the cause of that," Lopez said as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Enjoy your time off, and if you have a minute, check in on Xana. I know that she was planning on spending time with her kids, but it wouldn't hurt if someone made sure that everything is alright."
"Will do," Nicole said as she boarded the umbilical connection linking the HATHOR to the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex. "Remember, have fun!"
"Have fun she says," the Hispanic woman mumbled under her breath. "Easy for her to say that."
-=-=-
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
=-=
"Seeing and Listening"
Previous post: "Counseling the Counselor" by Marissa
=-=
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Observation Deck
Stardate: 37012.1120
He stood by the large panoramic window once again, looking at the HATHOR as he quietly waited for the ship to leave for its next mission. The more the OPS Officer of the ANUBIS thought about the situation, the more he felt torn. The idea had been that time away from each other would help them figure out their feelings, to allow the wounds to heal and hopefully allow them to get back together.
The anger he initially felt because of her romantically falling for his Lokustaar doppleganger now seemed like a long-forgotten nightmare. Both Counselor Dima and Lopez had individually and repeatedly pointed out that Ya'Han had not fallen for someone else, but rather had been attracted to a person who was for all intents and purposes him. As nice as the thought was though, he knew that this was not the whole truth.
The clone had proven himself to be stronger, more confident and certainly far more assertive in everything he said or did. His passion, his drive, even his life essence were measures beyond that of the real Jayson Stark. Ya'Han might have felt an initial attraction because the man created by the Lokustaar looked exactly like he did, but she found herself unable to resist the attributes that were undeniably his and his alone. Jayson spent a great deal of time dealing with his anger; anger directed at Ya'Han; at the Lokustaar and at the general universe as a whole. She had been and still was everything to him and thanks to the clone she had not been able to gaze upon the original man in the same way she had done so many times before. It was her decision to separate, to take time and space to figure things out, a decision that he both genuinely agreed with and wholeheartedly hated with every beat of his aching heart.
Looking at the ship, he tried to imagine her with white hair. He had seen her display that color before once, maybe twice. It was a lot easier for him to imagine her as he knew her to be, the fiery redhead who effortlessly threw him to the mat each and every time they spared in the ANUBIS' gymnasium. he could have just as easily imagined her with the green hair she always displayed when she danced. To say that the woman could charm someone with her dance moves was an understatement of galactic proportions, but remembering her in this particular manner proved just as painful as it was exciting. She had danced for him alone more than a few times, but remembering those romantic sessions proved to be too painful for him.
So, Jayson closed his eyes and took in a long, deep breath before whispering, "Safe journey my love. Please return to me, I will be here waiting."
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 37012.1125
A'Janni was rushing back to the bridge after having been asked to physically check in with Lt. Cmdr. Paquette. Gemma had reported a slight energy fluctuation and it had been thought that a direct and personal report would be more appreciated following Sonja' complaining that she could not get anything done thanks to all of the comm traffic.
As the Caitian passed by Sickbay, his ears perked up as he heard something odd. Not entirely certain as to what he had heard, the FCO decided to investigate. As he walked in, he heard the same sound but this time much clearer. For a split second, the man-cat had been certain that he had heard someone crying but the room proved to be vacant. Had it not been for his need to return to the bridge as quickly as possible, he might have taken a moment to investigate, but instead he just stepped back into the hallway and resumed his dash to the command deck.
Once the door was closed, the white-haired CMO emerged from behind one of the far corners, making a mental note that the room needed to be properly soundproofed.
=-=
Jayson Sousa
Lieutenant Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
=-=
“The Big Goodbye"
Previous Post: “Seeing and Listening” by Jayson
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Umbilical Connector
Stardate: 37012.1130
Halls had one of those instant self lighting cigarettes that you could still get, While they didn't kill you any more the light rush of synth nic hit her system. She saw officers coming and going but she wanted one thing right now to see her kid. She hated her ex husband right now, All the failed promises and all the birthdays he never showed up to. She was pushing thirty now and knew she gave him her everything, now she only had one thing to show for it,
Thats when she heard her mother call to her.
"Hailey! Oh Hailey!" her mother called out. She had come from their home on NEW ALEXANDRIA with her son in tow. It was the best thing her ex ever did. That Bastard!
Hailey kneeled down and Virgil ran to her. His arms outstretched. He had a crayon drawing in his hand.
"Grandma made me eat cauliflower!" The boy said.
Hailey grinned, "Its the only way to grow young man,"
Her mother said, "its stressful for your father and I to keep watching him when you go off. What if you don't return? We are in our seventies. Christopher has suggested getting back together. He is even willing to forgive you."
Hailey got mad, "Forgive me? He was the one who said and I quote I can't do this."
"Mom, Grams don't fight I am sorry!" The boy said sadly.
Hailey just hugged him tightly. "Listen I am only going to be gone a few sleeps at most. A few sleeps... Then I think we need to take you puppy shopping!" She reached out and tickled him.
The boy did as most boys did and giggled.
She looked at her mother and could see the disappointment. It burned through her like an icy wind. Before she could bring herself to say goodbye. The Computer said,
=/\= Boarding call all required crew are to board. =/\=
Hailey said one last time to her kid handing him back to her mother. "Three sleeps, then I will tell you the story about a heroic Bolian and his Dragon friend that saved the Federation from a nasty problem."
=-=
Kaylah J. Andrews
Petty Second Hailey Graham [Access Character BIO for Hailey Graham]
Shipboard Services
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
=-=
“A Cook, Her Child and Some Inner Drama."
Previous Post: “Seeing and Listening” by Jayson
===
Setting USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate 37012.1135
Rixx and a headache. He had been slowly doing a deck by deck sweep and saw the two. He whistled STREETS OF LARAEDO. As he went by. He cleared his throat,
"Hey El tee everything okay?"
Tall and scaly Zub Enel was holding a PADD and wearing a tricorder against his hip held by a shoulder strap. He looked down at his blue-faced Assistant and at then the Terran female ship’s Counselor. He said to her. “Lt Adrianna Lopez, this is Ensign Bractor Rixx. He is assigned as our new assistant Chief of Security.”
Adriana gave the azure-skinned man a quick and casual head-to-toe inspection, and just as she was about to speak she stopped herself. The posture she froze in quickly drew the attention of the two security officers. "Never mind," she said dismissively. "As the Ship's Counselor, allow me to welcome you aboard the HATHOR. If you ever need a shoulder to lean on, or someone to talk to, that is what I am here for." Lopez gazed into the Bolian's eyes, thinking back to what she had been poised to do. Asking their new Assistant Sec/Tac Bractor Rixx if he knew the Ambassador Xana Bonviva simply because they shared some common ancestry would have been shortsighted and would have certainly raised far more questions than needed at this point.
Zub Enel immediately said to Rixx, “Lt. Lopez has modestly omitted that she is also a Junior Ambassador. She has helped us many times to negotiate our way out of ‘misunderstanding’ with the locals of some of the planets we have visited.”
"Ambassador Xana Bonviva is a good teacher," Adriana said, thinking back to the woman in question and how she had often said that questions were best asked in a statement form rather than an inquisitive manner as it made the person or people more willing to provide a useful reply instead of a dismissive answer. If Rixx knew Bonviva, even if only by name, there would be some sort of reaction from him, one that she should be able to pick up on. Being a Ship's Counselor did mean that she was well versed in spotting those off physical twitches or facial indicators.
Rixx quirked an eye ridge, "That so? I was just really coming over to say hi and make sure things were okay. Thats the suck part of this job you gotta say goodbye to loved ones. I saw Halls here hugging her mom down at the other side of the umbil line hugging a kid of all things. Seemed like a depression medication ad on the trids."
He motioned at the Security Lieutenant, "Sir I didn't mean to be nosy but being the deputy around here I am just making my face known. The boss who seems to be everywhere I have been including the toilet.. and you want to talk about an obsessive hand washer..."
The Chief of Security’s scaly eyebrows crept toward each other as he tried to work out what the aSec/Tac had just said and, more importantly, meant. Zub always had trouble parsing new ways of speaking. The Bolian had a kind of streetwise manner about him, forthright, verging on disrespect. Zub wondered if Rixx had insulted him. His feathery down rose from beneath his scales. The edges of his mouth drew together. He held his breath. The familiarity of the rush of indignation made him recall that the hulking tiger man A’Janni teased him mercilessly. The FCO always said to the sometimes offended Zub, ‘If you don’t get it, assume it is a joke and laugh. You do know how to laugh, don’tcha?’
Zub Enel did his best to imitate a Terran chuckle. It came out a stilted “Eh. Eh. Eh.” but he followed with a big smile to clearly indicate he was not offended despite his halo of fluttering down and reddened scales He said, “Excellent observation, Ensign Rixx. It is true Security has to be everywhere.”
Recalling the blue man’s stated disdain for goodbyes, Enel sobered and looked closely at the Bolian. “If there are any of your own loved ones you wish to say goodbye in whatever manner you do, there is still time. We most likely will not depart without you. If we do, you will find yourself beamed aboard mid-hug.”
Lopez carefully studied the interactions between the two security officers. As a Junior Ambassador, it was interesting to see the two so widely different species trying their best to figure out the other without revealing anything personal about their respective personalities. As the Ship's Counselor, the discussion between the Chief of Security and his subordinate took on a completely different spin. As far as Adriana could tell, Bractor was trying to test the proverbial waters to see just what kind of boss Enel was, a tactic that the CNS supported if only based on the Voth's imposing physique.
Rixx had his hands behind him in a sort of at ease pose. "Usually folks smuggling contraband, well when they do it.. this is the time.. the place. So I like to come down wherever I am and make sure nothing gets on that shouldn't. Before you say anything yeah I am that paranoid."
Bractor took a moment to inhale. he sounded almost wistful watching folks say goodbyes or cargo getting loaded last moment. The scanners would scan the boxes and ping if contraband came through. So far it was quiet. He offered a forced smile.
"Guys like me are one of two things, martyrs or comedic relief. Either way we don't get that happy ending that others do but thats for a shrink appointment. I was thinking to catch one for an appointment. But here we have an ambassador. Halls said there were a few onboard earlier. Which reminds me.. I need to talk to her about that cake." Rixx tried to add with a chuckle.
He patted his boss on the shoulder. "I like the fact you are almost as omnipresent as I am. It goes with the job." He turned back to Lieutenant Lopez.
"Sir if you ever need any heavy lifting done let me know. Bractor is Bolian for He moves large things. Anyway I am going to go help out some folks load things with permission?" Rixx asked.
The 7-foot-tall Voth hooked a thumb around the shoulder strap of the tricorder. A curved claw with the tip carefully filed flat jutted toward the Bolian. He smiled at the aSec/Tac. “I had brought you a tricorder and a PADD with the cargo manifest to assign you to check what we had loaded. I see you are already ahead on that task. I appreciate your initiative. Thank you and carry on.”
Bractor looked at his boss and shrugged, "You got it. I will get on that stuff right away sir."
The shrug was one done with his hands at his sides and his palms flat but fingers bent slightly curved, it was a cultural equivalent of a bow. He then looked at the El Tee.
"Ma'am.' He gave a similar shrug to her.
As the stout Bolian headed off, Zub Enel smiled at Lopez. He waved the PADD toward the departing ensign. “I see he is able to anticipate the needs of the ship and act on them. But, like all of us, it seems he also needs some emotional work done. How do you feel about approaching him if he doesn’t come to you?”
Adriana laughed quietly. "I'm the Ship's Counselor, sooner or later they all come to me. That said, as for 'approaching him' if the need arises, I will do so the same way I did the Klingon Ambassador, the Andorian Prince or even the Lokustaar, gently and carefully so as to not come across as a threat. If that doesn't work, I can always ask Gemma for a hand. I am sure that there is someone in that list of personalities locked away in her head that could help me.
"Or doom us all," Enel added, the feathers between his scales fluttering at the thought.
=-=
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
and
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
and
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“The important thing is to concentrate upon what you can do - by yourself, upon your own initiative.”
- Harry Browne
##########
"Blink And You'll Miss It, Part 1"
Previous post: "A Cook, Her Child and Some Inner Drama" by Rob, Marissa and David
##########
"There are only two types of people we encounter. Those who believed they had a chance and died under our boots, and those who never saw us coming."
- Grand Marshall Kar'Je'Nak
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1215
"NEW ALEXANDRIA Command and Control has given us the go-ahead," Gemma announced from the Operations station. "We are clear to depart."
The Native America Captain smiled as he made his way to the central chair. There was a certain air of excitement at leaving on a mission, no matter how insignificant or important it might have been said to be. "All stations, report readiness status."
"Science station is ready," Maya announced in an atypical manner for the Shillian, who was renowned for the overly lengthy and detailed explanations on everything and anything.
"Weapons and defensive systems are showing full readiness. Tactical is grey," Zub Enel followed up with, the newly minted Junior Grade Lieutenant appearing more than ever ready for whatever the universe would decide to throw in their path.
"Green," Counsellor Lopez whispered to the towering Voth. "The expression is that something is *green* to indicate readiness as opposed to red."
"Engineering and Medical are both reporting ready," Lt. Gemma stated, a distinct tone of discouragement lacing her words as she glared at the reptilian Chief of Security.
"All stations have reported in, Captain," Mitshiba said.
"Clear all moorings and retract the umbilical connection. Once we are cleared, Helm, take us out, one-quarter impulse," the Captain ordered.
"Moorings have been cleared and the umbilical connection has been retracted," the Asian woman who held the position of Executive Officer reported. Misaki noticed the way Erik had glanced back at her following her report, seeing a hint of confusion flash across his face as he saw her. Likely, the Captain had expected to hear and see the woman who had been his ExO for far longer than Mitshiba had. The gentle smile that followed indicated that he was not at all against her being there instead.
"Ahead one-quarter impulse power," the Caitian confirmed from the Flight Control station.
By the sound of things, everyone seemed very pleased that they were on their way, even if this would be their second attempt at starting this mission.
=/\= The Blink Drive is primed and ready to engage, =/\= Lt. Cmdr. Paquette directly reported from the ship's engineering section instead of going through the Operations station.
"Might be safer to wait for the HATHOR to clear the base and asteroid field surrounding it," Maya suggested. "We still do not have a complete understanding of the range of the blink drive's field or its effect on matter touching or near the field's exterior edge. For all we know, engaging the drive in an enclosed area such as the docking bay of NEW ALEXANDRIA might cause matter to be brought along with us, resulting in some sort of disruption in the travel matrix. The unexpected added mass could theoretically cause the blink drive to malfunction which, at best would not engage or at worst, send us millions of lightyears away from our intended destination. There is also a possibility, as slight as it may be, that the added mass could trigger a cascade reaction leading the HATHOR to implode as a micro-singularity is created. Of course, there is also the possibility of the opposite happening, where the blink drive would try to compensate for the extra matter by drawing more energy from the warp core which could lead to a catastrophic breach that would not only destroy the ship but all of NEW ALEXANDRIA as well."
The Bolian aSec/Tac blinked a few times before tapping on the Voth's shoulder to draw his attention so that he could quietly ask, "Is she always that way?"
"Yes," Zub promptly replied. "To either you asking if her accounts and reports are always this detailed or if she is always that pessimistic. The joys of being a dedicated scientist I guess."
"We will engage the blink drive once we have cleared the asteroid field," Morningstar stated, putting an end to the discussion. "So, enjoy the ride, as short as it will be, it is the only one we will have time to enjoy."
--==/\==--
Setting: SPACE, GIZA NEBULA, Asteroid Field
Stardate: 37012.1220
Lost in an ocean of floating rocks, some as large as moons while others were as small as a ball, the secret SFI base of operations known as NEW ALEXANDRIA hid in plain sight, buried deep inside one of the asteroids granting it a perfect camouflage. The background radiation emanating from the GIZA Nebula rendered most sensors ineffective, ensuring that vessels could not be tracked. This also meant that any pilot entering this area of space was required to visually navigate the ever changing naturally occurring obstacle course.
Unseen by anyone, the massive outer doors hiding beneath nearly 100 meters of solid rock, opened revealing for a brief moment the inside of the secret base. In order to protect the secrecy of NEW ALEXANDRIA, the space doors would start closing even before a ship was fully, thus requiring perfect timing and exceptional skill from the FCO.
In less than a minute, the HATHOR had made its way out and the doors had closed behind it, officially setting the ship on its latest mission.
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1230
"We will be cleared of the asteroid field in 30 seconds," A'Janni reported from the Flight Control station at the front of the bridge.
"Long-range sensor readings from the listening post outside of the nebula's interference are showing no other ships in the vicinity," Zub Enel reported fro the Tactical station.
The Native American braced himself in his chair. "Sound general quarters and stand-by for blink drive jump."
"This is the part I hate," Maya sighed. "So many things can go wrong."
"This is the part I love," Gemma countered. "We just arrive at our destination, without anyone being the wiser."
"We are now clear of the asteroid field," A'Janni announced. "Closest rock to us is more than 5000 clicks," that report prompted the CO to look at his ExO and nod his head.
The Asian woman smiled and took hold of her station. "Here we go, engaging blink drive... now!"
--==/\==--
Setting: Complete Blackness
Stardate: 37012.1245
The Native American felt pain resonating through his head. His sense of equilibrium was completely shot as he believed himself to either be flat on his back or upside down. He tried his best to pear through the absolute darkness that surrounded him but nothing worked. It was only after a few seconds that he began to hear voices, people he knew and recognized as Misaki and Ya'Han.
=/\= He's coming to, =/\= the Nylaan said.
"What happened? I can't see anything," Erik relayed, slowly figuring out that the darkness he was experiencing was not due to his environment but rather because something had disabled his ocular implants.
"We are still trying to figure it out," Mitshiba replied.
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1247
"I think I got it," the CMO hesitantly said. "Captain, can you see anything?"
Erik raised his head after realizing that he was looking up at the command deck's ceiling. What he saw did not please him, chaos reigned throughout the deck. "What happened?" He demanded.
"Not entirely certain," Mitshiba explained. "Best we can gather is that something went wrong with the Blink Drive.
"Sensors are back online," the Chief Science Officer announced. "We are almost 100 lightyears off from where we were supposed to be. No other ships are in the vicinity and I am not picking up any signs of spatial anomalies, certainly nothing that would explain why we are here instead of orbiting P8746.
"I want a status report from all stations," the Captain ordered as he tried to stand only to be held down by a single forceful hand that belonged to the mostly white haired CMO.
"Sorry Captain, the only thing you will be getting is rest for the time being." A single strand of red had snuck its way in to show that Ya'Han was serious about making sure Erik would not challenge her authority. "Now, you do have a choice though, you can rest in your Ready Room or I can have you transported to the one bed I have in Sickbay."
"I'm fine," Morningstar challenged before trying to stand up once again and held in place with enough force to remind him that the CMO was the former Chief of Security, a woman who had proven her strength and skill on more than just a few occasions. "I mean, fine, I will retire to my Ready Room, but I want to be kept up-to-date as to what is happening and the result of our investigation as to what happened."
--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
##########
"Blink And You'll Miss It, Part 2"
Previous post: "Blink And You'll Miss It, Part 1" by Francois
##########
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 37012.1355
Erik sat at his desk, or at least what passed as such for a room that was barely large enough for him. There wasn't even enough space to have a guest chair meaning that anyone coming in to see the Captain would be required to stand. For a brief moment, the Native American felt the sting of nostalgia as his mind drifted back to the ANUBIS, a ship that had become not only his home but a home for countless others. Never had he expected to feel this way, his career had taken him on and off countless other vessels, but for some reason, it was the massive Intel Cruiser that he was thinking about and missing.
That thought instantly bothered the Captain as he scolded himself for not being more concerned about the HATHOR and its crew. The ship was in an unknown state and following the order of their new CMO, he was sidelined instead of being out there helping in whatever way he could.
The sound of the door chime caused the man to abruptly raise his head and straighten his uniform. "Sorry Shar'El, I know, I know that I'm broadcasting memories," the Native American muttered to himself in preparation for whom he was sure was about to walk in and the conversation that they would be having. "Enter!"
"Good afternoon Captain," a short, blonde-haired woman said as she stepped into the small room. "Petty Officer Graham, Purser and I drew the short straw so I get to do Officer Steward this bloody run. I was informed that you might need some real nurishment to help in your relaxation and recovery, so here it is."
Erik stared at the woman as he tried to figure out what was happening. Were his ocular implants still malfunctioning? The Captain took a moment to gather his thoughts before offering a genuine "Excuse me?"
"Counsellor Adriana Lopez and Counsellor Nicole Dima thought that it would be a good idea to have something extra to offer the crew of the HATHOR," Hailey said as she placed a covered tray on the desk. "Obviously, Admiral Koniki agreed, and here I am." Hailey made a mental note when she noticed an expression of discontent at the mention of the Admiral's name. Hoping to salvage her efforts to make a good first impression, Graham pressed on with the main reason as to why she was here. "Commander Mitshiba was kind enough to confirm that you had not eaten anything since you boarded the HATHOR, and she hinted that it might have had a role to play in whatever happened earlier, whatever that was. Apparently, my security clearance is not high enough for me to be told why I need to urgently bring a late lunch up to the Captain."
"A late lunch?" Morningstar repeated, clearly taken aback by the statement.
She took a tray top off the serving tray. There, in a stew bowl, was an English stew baked into a crust that looked like it was in the shape of the HATHOR. Hailey said, "Sir we don't have much in the way of a kitchen so I had to replicate some of it. If you would prefer it can be ration pack 22 instead of Steak and Bacon stew?
Erik was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the HATHOR now had a kitchen staff and that he had just been served lunch, something that even on the ANUBIS had never happened, this despite the ship having a two-floor eating and drinking establishment, not to mention the room and resources to feed close to 800 people. Once again, Morningstar found himself scrambling to gather his thoughts. Why had the two Counsellor suggested this and even more puzzling was why the Admiral had agreed to it. Had this been yet another one of his infamous "plan within a plan within a plan", and if so what was his final goal? In the end, the Native American decided that this was not a battle he was willing to fight at this time. "Thank you, it looks and smells delicious. Definitively better than anything the replicators could have managed on their own. Sorry about the limited space, unfortunately, that is an inescapable reality aboard the HATHOR, still you seem to have managed quite well."
"Thank you, now eat," Graham said, not quite as an order but most certainly more than a simple suggestion.
"Let me guess..."
"Doctor's orders," Hailey confirmed. "Permission to speak freely sir?" She seemed to state rather than ask.
Quickly realizing that he was on the losing side of this situation, and not having anything else to do thanks to Ya'Han, Erik shrugged and invited the woman to proceed with a motion of his hand.
"When I took this post two Starfleet men in grey suits sat me down and did a full security check, worse than the one I had to endure before setting foot on NEW ALEXANDRIA, Normally that's done to get on warships. I was on a Defiant the Marines had converted or their own back is the Second Tzenketh police action. It was a defiant class. But this ship seems to be a scaled back one. There is a lot of automation. Some Engineers mentioned something about a blink or whisper drive? I have never heard of it... just how top secret is this ship?"
Morningstar shrugged, quickly taking a full-size bite of his lunch in order not to have to answer the question. Granted, he knew that this was a short-lived solution, and since the woman had been granted access to the HATHOR, it was implied that she would, at the very least, become aware of the ship's unique technology. "The HATHOR is equipped with what has been referred to as a Blink Drive, a piece of technology that allows a vessel to travel from one point of the galaxy to any other as long as sensors have been able to scan that area. Obviously, we are still trying to fully understand how the damn thing works, although this is the first time that something like this has ever happened."
"Something like what?" Hailey inquired.
"We are roughly 100 lightyears from where we should be," Erik explained. "The crew is trying to figure things out, while I am here *resting and eating* because I fell and hit my head."
Hailey had helped folks through tough times, she was a listening type. She was also a Centauran. A society of Space Amazons. She had to try to scale back her tough as nails on this. She cleared her throat. Then said gently, "100 light years isn't that bad at, warp 7 should be less then a week?" She tried to offer up.
Then she tried to say in the same tone she took with her son, gently and without malice to it, "Captain sir. We do need to find out what's going on. But there are folks who are going to depend on you. That's going to require you to be at your best. This isn't a KOBYASHI MARU. Its new technology sometimes you can have lots of smart folks, prepare and plan and things still SNAFU."
Erik briefly chuckled at the use of the term, he had not heard it since his Academy days, and yet it fit more situations than he could recall at that moment. Situation Normal: All Fucked Up was a very accurate descriptive of what the HATHOR and its crew were in the middle of.
Hailey then uncovered a small dish and set it there. It was an escape pod made of pie crust with whipped cream trails sitting on a black cherry base meant to look like space. She smiled, then set it on the desk.
"When you are ready, something for dessert. Something I learned when I took Fletcher Classes is that all you can do is set the example at times. If you had a wounded senior officer you would make them rest. That is protocol. What's also protocol is you check on them and make sure they are able to perform duties.
I have heard that from a lot of folks this is a new setup and folks are still learning. What you can do is let them learn. This confabulation of SNAFU will let them figure things out. So let the smart folks do smart things. Then all you can do is rest up." She offered, she took from her pocket a small bottle of red liquid.
"This is Red Skrymal tea from my homeworld, it helps the body speed up the healing process. It doesn't have any alcohol in it just a substance called Mitogynia it's the same chemical your body makes to do the healing process. The Native Americans of EARTH's North America use it to recover well a version of it. So enjoy it. Rest, relax and let the officers around you try. Rest and recover or trust me the Counseling Staff and the medical staff will be utter bastards. Every post I have been on, it's one group you never are mean to. That and Shipboard services. Nothing worse than soap in your coffee." She gave a wink and a pat on the shoulder.
--==/\==--
Kaylah J. Andrews
Petty Second Hailey Graham [Access Character BIO for Hailey Graham]
Shipboard Services
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
Qui vivra verra
and
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
"Look Somewhere Else"
previous post was "Blink And You'll Miss It, Part 2"
=====
Setting: USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 37012.1400
Sonja was bouncing around the room like a jackrabbit on steroids taking out anyone who dared to stay in her way. Gemma stood in the opened doorway, watching silently and understanding why the CEO had not replied to her comm signals. If the situation had not been as it was, the ILO might have actually found the entire scene amusing, then again the auburn-haired woman was not known for finding hilarity in any situation.
As Paquette swung by the entranceway and the woman standing there, the CEO stopped dead in her tracks and glared at the ILO. "No, I have not figured out what happened. Yes, primary power has been restored. No, the Blink Drive is not operational. Yes, because I pulled the plug until I can figure that out too. No, I do not have any answers or the time to explain, and finally, yes, you can leave." Gemma just stood there, unmoved by the woman's rapid-fire outburst. "You're still here! Why? Are you trying to delay things?"
The sound of a tool crashing to the floor made the CEO's head spin in a way that seemed to challenge the very laws of human biology. After causing a couple of crewmen to scurry away with a single, lasting glare, Sonja turned back to confront the woman who had yet to move, but instead of the auburn-haired Gemma, it was blonde-haired Gabrielle Wolfe who stood in her place. In response to the woman's switch, the redhead engineer just rolled her eyes and briskly walked away muttering "Costume changes do nothing for me, and right now I have better things to keep me *entertained*."
"Commander Mitshiba and Maya discovered something," Gabrielle said while following Sonja.
"She speaks," Sonja let out in her best Shakespearean stage voice, "and yet says nothing," before bringing her hand down in front of her face in the classical 'end-scene' gesture.
"It appears that this entire region of space is flooded with some sort of energy residual that they have yet to identify."
"What?" Sonja gasped, stopping mid-stride and turning to face the Saboteur-turned-Engineer. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Before Gabrielle could say anything, the CEO had turned back and resumed her rushed walk with a slight change in destination, heading for the center of the room instead of one of the workstations. "Listen up you bunch of wannabes, instead of looking at an internal cause, focus on a possible external reaction and feedback against the Blink-Drive's field. I want a full system analysis taking into account that some sort of external energy could have caused the field to collapse and bring us to a dead standstill in the middle of nowhere. I want a complete review of the power grid and every link between it and the Blink Drive." There was a short pause before the woman continued. "Why is no one moving? Did I stutter!!! Do I need to replicate engraved invitations for you to do your jobs?"
Gabrielle smiled and cleared her throat as she held up a PADD. "Thought that it might save you some time, but you would not reply to my calls."
The redhead growled as she stomped back to the blonde, snatching the PADD from her hand. "Fine, you can stay and help, but I swear, the next time you hold back information from me, I will have you check the outer plating in your underwear."
=====
Lorraine Paquette
Lt Commander Sonja Paquette [Access Character BIO for Sonja Paquette]
Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
=-=
"What Did I See?"
Previous:"Look Somewhere Else" by Lorraine
=-=
===========
FLASHBACK
===========
Setting USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1247
Bractor had noticed his boss blinked a few times before tapping on the Voth's shoulder to draw his attention so that he could quietly ask, "Is she always that way?" Then Bractor got a headache.
[^^^^^^^^^^^^^]
Vision Starts
[^^^^^^^^^^^^^]
In his mind everything was in black and white for moment. He was sitting in a chair and could feel the air coming from him in heavy labored breaths. He could feel the thing on his shoulder. He didn't know what it was but it hurt like hell, He was not wearing his uniform. Instead he was wearing a fantastic suit and sitting in a chair, The curtain in the room was drawn.
A human stood in front of him wearing a black suit similar to what a Section 31 Agent would wear.
"Your government appreciates you going into deep cover. The NEW ALEXANDRIA project is filled with folks who would destroy the Federation. What you are doing is for the best."
The creature was a small waterbug looking creature and it sank itself into his shoulder. He screamed and it was enough for him to howl a great howl of pain. The pain made his vision blur. He thought he heard in the background something about a small spike in cronton particles.
As his vision returned he panicked. He was now watching himself from the creature's perspective. His body had walked up to a crewman that he didn't know. He grabbed their head and pressed his forehead to the crewperson. Whatever was going on he couldn't control that was when the vision ended.
[^^^^^^^^^^^^^]
*VISION ENDS*
[^^^^^^^^^^^^^]
=-=
Setting : MINDSCAPE
Bractor shook off the crazy thing he saw and stood at a free station. "I am picking up an odd amount of energy coming from around us sir. A small spike in Chronoton levels." Rixx's voice was unwavering. He had no feelings about anger; they were off course. He checked with the navigation station twice.
"Well scientific progress goes boink?" He said trying to be jovial.
He then realized he had a vision of a future, if not the future and shuddered.
**Great death by a parasite... And I commit treason against the crew. I got to stop consuming that Delta 8 before bedtime. **
He then swallowed hard. He would have to look up that parasite and those faces the second he could get to the holodeck. But none of that mattered he was a security officer, a starfleet officer and proud of himself. It may have just been a vision from the mirror universe for all he knew.
He hummed Eight Bells to himself when he began to try to ground himself by tapping his foot. Whatever happened he had to first calm down then he could help others. But all that ran through his head was the first few verses of that song.
This will be your home my boys so you better treat her right. Those were the Captain's words on every voyage's first night. You will have the urge to do something and I ask that you refrain, There is this beam and we all used to carve in our name.
Oh eight bells rang out in Nassau, eight bells rang out in whales, eight bells rang out in Dublin, eight bells rang out in Port Royale the night the Merry Widow went down.
=-=
Setting USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1250
Bractor noticed that the gently curved ceiling of the Bridge glowed by indirect lighting. Most of his vision was taken up by the ugly crested head of the Security Chief. A beautiful female face with a shock of white hair and blood-red strands at the temples joined the reptilian face.
Ya’Han asked Lt. Enel, “Didn’t you give him that hypospray?”
“Yes, Doctor.” The big male held up the medical sprayer.
She said, “He was making that horrible moaning. His pain must be terrible.”
“I think he was singing.”
The lean and well-made face above Bractor showed confusion for a moment. “Singing? He must be feeling the lift from the shot.” She spoke directly to Rixx. “Ensign, how are you feeling? Can you sit up?”
Bractor said with feeling, “I’m cold and hot and sad and happy, and what the hell just happened to me?”
The Chief Medical Officer looked unconcerned. She said to the scaly Chief of Security. “I have others to treat. Get him up and into his chair. See that he stays put until he feels more normal. I’ll check back.” The gorgeous face vanished, leaving Bractor confronted with a severe lizard face and hands closing on his shoulders.
===========
END FLASHBACK
===========
=-=
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
“This Can't Be Right”
Previous post: “Whats Did I See?” by Robert
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1410
"Run it again," Misaki ordered Maya, the Asian woman literally breathing down the Shillian's neck as they looked in disbelief at the latest results of their sensor sweet of the area. With the CSciO sitting at her station, it was easy for the ExO to stand over her the way she was, but Aki found no joy in doing so.
"We have already run the scan four times," Maya said. "This may not be the ANUBIS with sensors so delicate that I would pinpoint the varying frequencies in an area of space smaller than 1cm cube, nor is this the BASTET with sensors specifically calibrated for this type of scan, but the results are still accurate. As much as neither one of us wants this to be true, we cannot simply will what is out there to change. Well, at least not in this dimension, if we were in the Chaos Dimension, or somewhere with similar properties, our thoughts would actually affect the physical world around us." The Shillian paused as her mind began to drift. "I wonder if we could harness the residual energy that is surrounding us to create some sort of dimensional breach. The Blink Drive could, in theory, be modified to use that energy and focus it to a specific point against the fabric of space-time, thus creating a tear. If it works, it would allow us to see the home dimension of whoever or whatever is responsible for this residual energy and give us a chance to compare that dimension to our own."
Aki gently squeezed Maya's shoulder at the thought. "Let's face it, I am much more concerned about who is responsible for this residual field of dimensional energy than I am about what their point of origin looks like." It felt weird for the former scientist to utter those words, but as the HATHOR's ExO, Mitshiba could ill afford the luxury of allowing her scientific curiosity to dictate her thoughts and actions. "We need to figure out what caused this field and how we get out of it."
"The second part of your query is actually the easier one of the two to address," the Shillian said, calling up a set of data omn her monitors that only someone well versed in trans-dimensional mechanics would be able to make any sense of. "The field, due to both its size and intensity, is disrupting the very fabric of space-time making it impossible to generate, let alone maintain, the required bubble the Jump Drive would create. In fact, according to these readings, even maintaining a normal warp bubble is going to prove exceptionally difficult. We might, if Sonja pulls one of her engineering miracles, be able to sustain a speed of warp 2, maybe warp 3. Anything higher will most likely result in the warp bubble to destabilize and collapse, taking down with it some of our equipment."
Aki sighed. This was not what she wanted to hear, but as Maya had pointed out, willing for things to change would not help. "Alright, so getting out is going to take some time. We still need to figure out what created this field."
The Shillian nodded her head as her fingers flew over her console once again. "I do have a few probable hypotheses, but some are highly unlikely based on the data gathered by our sensors."
"Start from the least likely and make your way to the most likely," Aki requested, this would allow her to follow Maya's train of thoughts and add anything if, for some unknown and unlikely reason, the Shillian Scientist had missed something.
"The explosion of a very large and powerful dimensional jump engine could, again in theory, be responsible for a residual field the size of which we are seeing," Maya began. "The problem with that theory is that such a large engine would require an equally large ship, bigger than anything we have ever seen. The explosion would therefore have left a sizable amount of debris that our sensors would have easily been able to pick up by now. Since we have only detected energy without matter, it is highly unlikely that a ship explosion would have been the cause of this field."
"Agreed," Aki said. "Next."
"We could be looking at an energy transfer, a leak of some sort originating from a different dimension to our own. If this energy exchange had been happening for some time, it could account for the size of the field, the problem here is that the smaller the breach is, the longer it would have taken to create the field as we see it today. Since no reports have been made and intercepted by NEW ALEXANDRIA about a growing dimensional energy field in this region of space, we have to assume that this event is more recent, but that would mean we should have been able to locate the fissure from which the energy is leaking out of. So far, our sensors have not picked up anything remotely resembling something that could account for this."
"A possible explanation would be that a sizable dimensional breach opened and closed soon after, thus explaining why we have not been able to detect it," Mitshibe suggested.
"True," Maya hesitantly agreed. "The problem is that it would leave us with a double mystery, namely in identifying the cause of the initial breach opening and whether the same dynamic or something completely different was responsible for closing it."
"What is our next, more likely option?" Aki asked, growing increasingly discouraged as the possible solutions began to point to something much worse than the problem they were currently faced with.
"I am not even sure that this should be mentioned," the Shillian said, the woman clearly hesitant to propose her next hypothesis.
"There is no such thing as the impossible," Mitshiba reminded her fellow scientist. "No matter how unlikely, if it is a possibility, we need to entertain the idea that this is what we are dealing with."
Maya took her hands off her console, indicating that this next theory was not founded on any sensor data. "Admiral Koniki knew of this and sent us to investigate without providing us with a full disclosure of what our mission might or would entail."
Mitshiba remained silent for several moments as she carefully considered Maya's words. "That does sound like him, to some extent, but in this particular case, I would have to argue against your theory. With the ARCADIA, he did not tell us everything for fear that we would refuse the mission or go in with a preset idea of what had taken place. Here, the HATHOR may have been the faster ship to get us here, but it is by far the least equipped to deal with a dimensional energy field the likes of what is out there. If he had wanted us to investigate this anomaly, he would have sent us on the BASTET or the ANUBIS."
The Shillian seemed to agree with the stated logic, leading her to offer her last and least desirable theory as to the cause of the dimensional energy field. "There is only one option left then, that a very large number of vessels able to travel between dimensions entered our dimension at this location. Once their timed arrival was completed, they could have easily scattered or move as a fleet to their destination, leaving behind nothing but a residual energy field of a size that matches their fleet."
Aki gasped at the thought. "That would mean thousands of ships."
"Thousands of ships of the relative size of the BASTET, yes," Maya agreed. "It is also a possibility that this field was generated by only a hundred or so much larger vessels."
"Could we be looking at a second attempt from the Lokustaar to take control of our dimension?" The Asian ExO proposed.
"As you said yourself, nothing is impossible," the Shillian added. "That said, this is not the way the Lokustaar are known to operate. Their first attempt was scattered over hundreds of years, placing people and ships in strategic locations so as to help create the perfect atmosphere that would facilitate their conquest. This," Maya said pointing at the monitor displaying the reduced scale view of the field that stretched over multiple sectors, "this is not the way the Lokustaar do things."
"We need to report this to NEW ALEXANDRIA," Mitshiba said.
"We need to find our way out of this energy field first," Maya countered. "Communications are impossible due to the dimensional distortion created by the residual energy."
"Well, at the very least, we might have discovered why we lost contact with the Anthropology team on P8746. I just fear that this is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So, to make sure as to what we are truly dealing with, we have no other choice but to continue with our mission and see if we can find more clues between here and that ice planet."
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
with a great deal of help from
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)
=-=
“Silent Observer”
Previous posts: "This Can't Be Right" by the creative pair of Dawn and Jessica
=-=
Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.1930
The HATHOR had resumed his course for P8746, albeit at a much slower pace. Even at low warp, the ship felt like it was a land vehicle going over a very rocky terrain. Comfort had never been part of the design of the DEFIANT-Class vessels, a fact that everyone was painfully aware of now more than ever.
As the official ILO for this mission, the raven-haired woman had nothing to contribute at this stage of the game. The ExO and CSciO were still trying to figure out the specifics as to how the field of residual dimensional energy had been created; the FCO and CEO were trying their best to smooth out and speed up their journey; the CMO was busy taking care of the various injuries that occurred when the ship ran into the field which included their CO and new aSec/Tac. As the officer responsible for the security of the ship and crew, Zub Enel appeared understandably on edge while Counselor Lopez was moving about seeing if she could help while gauging the crew's morale. This left Gemma, the woman who was the main actor in a play that she had no idea about.
Shar'El watched as Hailey Graham approached Gemma, the head of the Shipboard Services asking the Chief of Operations if she needed or wanted anything. One was clearly a people person, having learned over the years how to deal with more difficult individuals, using a style and method that were very reminiscent of those used by Adriana Lopez and Xana Bonviva. Unfortunately, the ILO was the complete opposite. Her years of solo Intel Operations had made it next to impossible for the multi-personality officer to be comfortable with others around her. On a good day, the woman was as cold as ice, and as friendly as a rabid beast. On a bad day, she was liable to kill you before you finished speaking your first word.
Gemma was a skilled expert in using others to facilitate achieving whatever goal had been set, but to be genuinely sociable, let alone friendly, was beyond the woman's 'programming'. At least that had been the rule before the ILO was assigned to the BASTET and later followed the crew aboard the HATHOR. Something about Gemma had changed and it was one of Shar'El's many responsibilities to identify not only the changes but also the underlying reason for each of them.
"Are you sure I can't interest you in something? You have not eaten anything since we left."
Hailey was just being considerate, doing her part to help as best she could given the situation they were all in. On the other hand, Gemma was the typical A-type personality, more preoccupied with her work than anything else, and thanks to the nanites that coursed through her body, she could spend days, weeks, even months without having to eat or drink. This ability was a classified fact that Graham undoubtedly had no idea about.
"I... am... fine." The OPS officer's reply was rough around the edges, but far kinder than the ILO expected, further indicating the extent of the character changes Gemma had made to become who she was. There was a day when Anya Petrov would have appeared in a heartbeat after the question was presented to snap the woman's neck where she stood.
As Shar'El watched as Graham left the bridge, her gaze drifted over to Mitshiba and Maya, allowing the Ullian to catch a glimpse of their memories, specifically the one about their theory concerning Admiral Koniki somehow knowing about this situation andt sending the HATHOR to investigate without being told any of the specifics.
What bothered the ILO was this theory, as wild as it may have sounded, fell well within the Admiral's modus operandi. As the head of Starfleet Intelligence, the man had become increasingly more paranoid to the point where he often decided not to trust those under his immediate command. That paranoia was also part of the reason why Shar'El had been ordered to keep an eye on Gemma and have the vile with her and accessible during the mission.
When Shar'El shifted her attention back to the rest of the bridge staff and the ILO, she quickly noted that Gemma was no longer at her post. The woman had simply vanished from sight.
"You are out of practice," the auburn-haired OPS officer quietly hissed as she stood immediately behind the ILO. "You were a borderline ILO at best. Your record as the ExO of the ANUBIS is less than exemplary. Yet, you think that you can watch me without my knowing? Think again. You are not in your golden cage with monitors keeping an eye on everything and everyone. Here, on this ship, you may be the ILO, but I am the one keeping an eye on everything. That also means you."
A chill crawled down the Ullian's spine as Gemma walked away. Clearly, nothing about this mission was not going to be easy, including the parts that had not been part of the official mission briefing.
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
=-=
“Minority Report”
Previous post: “Silent Observer” by Tiffany
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Shuttlebay
Stardate: 37012.1935
Cmdr. Shar’El, the Intelligence Liaison Officer of the USS HATHOR, felt rather than heard the Chief of Security approaching. He was coming to her because she had asked him to meet in the shuttlebay, one of the few still-private spaces on the cramped ship that had no one else rushing about. As he walked in, his memories of leaving the blue-faced Ensign Rixx at Tactical were swamped by the sight of the USS ANUCKSUNAMOON, a runabout that rested cold and inert on its nacelles behind her. He radiated brief vignettes of muscle pain, abject boredom, and pervasive discomfort after having spent considerable time in runabouts, his 7-foot-tall physique folded up for hours, throat parched from the humidity-controlled air, stomach growling because the limited replicator made few fruits and vegetables that he liked.
With eyes as black as the starry void, she studied the massive Voth who stopped a few paces opposite her. The little feathers between his scales were fluttering despite the look of utter ease on his reptilian face. The downy movement made it look as though he shimmered insubstantially before her, more apparition than solid flesh and bone. She knew from previous exploration of his unguarded memories that she made him nervous. She knew his tension was from more than the vast difference in their rank. Analysis of his previous memories of their encounters had shown he felt he couldn’t get a read on her. Even his vaunted sensitive nose could only reveal so much about her inner state. Right now to defy his sniffing her out, she had willed herself into wintery calm while Gemma's last words to her echoed incessantly in her mind.
Shar'El might not possess the excessive field experience that Gemma had accumulated, but as a diplomatic Intel Operative, the Ullian had experienced things that the genetically altered woman would never have been able to manage. Dealing with people, other than to assassinate them, was where the raven-haired woman excelled, and she was about to prove her point.
Keeping her tone businesslike, she said, “About your promotion to Lieutenant JG…”
“Yes?” he rumbled, standing slightly straighter. His lips rose at the corners. His next breath swelled his barrel of a chest.
She said coolly, “I was the only senior officer who recommended against it.”
Like a startled Terran squid, the big reptilian’s scales flashed red, white, and red again. The pupils of his golden eyes expanded. He looked as though she had slapped him. A moment later, his scales returned to mocha brown. His jiggling down disappeared. She could tell he had gotten himself back under control. “May I ask why, sir?”
The ILO remained cold and emotionless, not giving the Sec/Tac the slightest hint as to what this was all about, and that was exactly how she wanted this little game to play out. The statement was meant to keep him off-balance , focusing his thoughts on something other than what she needed to investigate. This way, the Voth would be utterly unable to prepare some sort of mental defence against the next phase of their meeting.
“Let me answer your question with a question. What are your intentions for Lt. Gemma?”
Zub Enel’s feathery halo reappeared and pulsed like his down was trying to lift his great bulk from the deck. A rosy tint came to his brown scales. His deep voice, however, was utterly calm. “Forgive me, Commander. I do not know what you mean by ‘intentions.’ I have no other intention than to work as well as possible with Lt. Gemma. She is a fine Operations officer.”
Shar’El allowed herself a smile, a small one. “You just gave me a standard and highly acceptable answer, but I can tell you haven’t told me the whole truth. I understand. Talking truthfully about Gemma makes you nervous, so you deflect with factual statements.” The ILO inwardly wondered if maybe she had underestimated the giant in his ability to deal with her unexpected statement and follow-up question, yet she was far from being willing to admit defeat. There were still a great many things she could do or say to further push the lizard-man, and she was not afraid to do any of them.
Denial hardened the planes of his scaly face. The look quickly passed. More color came to his skin, enough to make the ridges over his crested head more pronounced. He brought up his arms and folded them over his chest. She saw this as defensive. She wondered if she could tease him out into the open.
Beating her to it, he said, “Gemma is… “ He paused, gaze drifting to infinity. “She is complicated.”
Shar’El felt a wave of memories course through his mind, a kaleidoscope of overlapping images with tracings of wonder, fear, and what might be…. The central feeling was elusive for her to name. Was it a ghost of a hint of longing? She stated quietly, “You care for her.”
He pursed his lips and frowned at her. “I care about all our crew.”
The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes. She could tell denial had returned. She gave him an icy look again like after he’d first evaded her question. His face flushed pink. Down fluttered. Shar’El suppressed a scoff. He was pathetic at hiding his feelings, but that was all part of the plan. So many people, ranging from low-ranking guards to high-ranking government officials had fallen to the same technique, so this was in no way a reflection on Zub Enel's abilities. Despite what Gemma might believe or said, the ILO was good at what she did.
He sighed and rested a three-fingered hand on top of his crested head. “Alright. Yes, I care about Gemma.” When Shar’El arched one black eyebrow, he added, “It is not in a romantic sense. I am concerned for her... her welfare.”
Commander Shar’El raised both of her dark eyebrows. “Something she did recently has concerned you?” It was time to dive into the real reason for this meeting and why the ILO needed to keep him off his mental balance.
“No, sir. I am saying that I am concerned *for* her, not about her.”
Shar’El’s arched eyebrows drew closer together. “Help me with that distinction.”
He huffed out a sigh strong enough to wash warmly over her. Shar'El let the warmth of his breath wash over her without reacting, maintaining her Vulcan-like posture and control. Fortunately, his breath smelled like lettuce and vinaigrette. Obviously, Chef Graham had visited him.
Enel raised his hand off his head and held it open to the side like he was doffing an invisible hat. It struck her as an opening of a closed box. She smiled encouragingly. He glanced at her smile. His arms folded over his chest. He had retreated into his fort.
He said, his voice pinched, “I find it difficult to speak plainly about Gemma because of your high rank. I also know that you have a long history with her.”
She nodded. “Yes, she and I do go back.”
The pupils of his golden eyes pinpointed. “You do know about her origins. And you know what caused her...” He considered his next words. “…transformation to today’s Gemma. She’s a Koniki project, perhaps?”
At the mention of the Admiral’s name, Shar’El began to fold her arms over her chest, but quickly caught herself. The Head of SFI was a weakness that she was not ready to let slip at this time. The ILO leaned in, challenging the Voth's defensive barrier created by his arms. The Chief of Security’s gaze swept over her change of posture. A scaly eyebrow rose a fraction. She realized he knew he’d hit a nerve. She said firmly, “Gemma is an espionage asset. Anything she does or has done, where she has been, where she came from is nobody’s business.”
The wrinkled scales over his bony brow smoothed out. He put his clawed fingers together in a steeple. “Yes, sir. I am aware of that. I was sincerely attempting to explain why I am uncomfortable talking to you about her, given your history with her, the secrecy that you must maintain.”
He waited, his big face calm. His downy feathers betrayed his tension by jiggling softly, blurring his scales.
She deliberately softened her stance, trying to appear more 'human', an act that she suspected would further confuse the already puzzled reptilian man. “Lt. Enel, it is important to me to know if you are seeking something beyond a professional relationship with her.” Her words had been well chosen to make it appear that she cared for the woman, not as a fellow shipmate, but as something closer, which was a flat out lie.
He frowned and rubbed at his leathery chin. “To be honest, Commander, it is important to *me* to know if she has been forced to be the way she is. I worry that she volunteered for whatever made her the way she is without realizing how completely overwhelming the change would be for her.”
In an effort to continue to appear more 'human' to the Voth. Shar’El allowed herself to feel shame, turning her face red as she clenched her jaw. Her lips parted to show white even teeth. “How dare you presume to know her better than I!”
The lieutenant solemnly bent his arm vertical at the elbow and showed an empty palm. “I did not intend to upset you. I know her origin is well above my pay grade.”
Her voice rasped out dry as a desert wind. “Yottaparsecs above your pay grade.” Good, she had him exactly where she needed him to be, understanding that he was nowhere close to being in any way an active part in what Gemma was or would be made to become.
He wrapped his massive arms around the barrel of his chest. “Again, I am sorry, sir. You asked me if I wanted a relationship with her. The answer is complicated. I care about her wellbeing. I want to help her if she needs it.”
Shar’El saw his sincerity. She exhaled again, continuing with the 'more human charade". “Her well being is *my* concern.”
“If I may, sir, her wellbeing is hers, yours, mine, and the rest of the crew’s.”
Shar’El regarded the lizardman’s earnest face. For as brutishly reptilian he looked, his mind was sharp, his perceptions of people around him keen. Despite his low rank, he had remained respectful but persistent in the face of opposition from a superior officer. He was a person of principle. A person with a heart 10 times too big.
Shar'El leaned sideways slightly. She folded her hands together in front of her chest. She let the tension around her eyes and mouth ebb. She allowed herself a ghost of a smile as she met his gaze. “It is good you care about her welfare. You must also realize that being more than professionally involved with Gemma would be highly fraught.” The ILO was in no way trying to dissuade Zub in his efforts to seek a romantic relationship with Gemma, in fact, such a connection would prove highly valuable to Shar'El, something that the raven-haired woman could use against the Operations Officer.
The big male stopped hugging himself. His arms dropped. His face was serious but the sparkle had returned to his eyes. “With so many personalities, would not someone find so much about her to love?”
Shar’El smiled a little to acknowledge his joke. She grew more serious, dropping the previous act enough to hint that things were returning to normal. “Gemma can kiss and kill in the same instant. I’ve seen it. More than once.”
“I know, sir. I do not want romantic involvement. I simply want to be available to help her any way she needs it, rare as that situation might be, given her prodigious skill. The better I understand her, the more effective I can be.”
She nodded gravely. “Understood, Lieutenant. You have already reached the extreme outer limits of what you can know about her. Prepare yourself to never achieve your goal.”
The Chief of Security set his mouth in a line as he considered her advice. That seemed to her an expression of determination, not resignation. He said, “I hear you, sir.” He raised his eyebrows. “Was your concern about my involvement with Gemma why you did not approve my promotion, Commander?”
She shook her head. “That too is above your pay grade, Lieutenant Junior Grade Enel. Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.” The Voth turned toward the shuttlebay door. His height and girth seemed to fill the entire frame yet somehow he was able to exit, only needing to duck his head.
As she stood alone by the nose of the runabout, Shar’El hugged herself, hands on her biceps. She acknowledged her plan to warn him off as a potential ally to Gemma had failed, for now. She knew just as surely that he would continue to look into the mystery that was Gemma. At least she knew now, it wasn’t driven by love, exactly.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“While all deception requires secrecy, all secrecy is not meant to deceive.”
- Sissela Bok
AND
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
=-=
"Bumpy Ride"
Previous post: "Minority Report" by David & Tiffany
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37012.2010
The Caitian's ears were glued to his head. He felt like he was back at the Academy training on a shuttle designed to test his ability to maintain a ship's attitude. Yes, the HATHOR was flying in a straight line, but thanks to the constant shifts in the density of the residual dimensional energy field, the journey was anything but smooth.
=/\= Listen you fur-brain, stop trying to go faster. I am still trying to calibrate the main deflector to help with offsetting the pockets of dimensional energy that we have to go through. =/\= Paquette did not sound happy, but this was not the FCO's doing.
"I am not touching our speed," A'Jannie quickly said in his defence. "The shifting density of the energy field is playing havoc with our ability t maintain a steady speed. The moment we hit a lower density area, the HATHOR picks up speed, granted not a lot, but enough to make us hit the next denser area that much harder. I still say that we should be aiming to exit this field as quickly as possible and make up whatever time we have lost by going to maximum warp."
=/\= You're the FCO and I'm the CEO. So you worry about keeping the ship steady and I will worry about getting us to our destination as quickly as possible, =/\= Paquette snapped. =/\= The moment we collided with that blasted residual dimensional energy field, the HATHOR's ability to maintain a warp bubble was compromised, hence why we dropped out of warp the way we did. The only reason we are still able to barely manage to generate one now is thanks to the resistance created by that same field that surrounds us. If we exit the field, we would either have to continue on impulse power or spend the next couple of weeks replacing, section by section the ship's bio-regenerative hull matrix which has been contaminated. =/\=
"We are looking into that right now," Misaki said loud enough to make sure that Sonja would hear it.
A'Janni let out a huff as the ship hit another pocket of denser energy causing everyone to slightly lunge forward. As much as the FCO hated it, this was the best course of action and course for them to take. The Caitian would just have to be patient and curb his frustration until either they reached their destination or the CEO figured out a way to solve their warp bubble dilema.
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Deck 3, Cargo Bay 2
Stardate: 37012.2120
With his shift on the bridge over for the day, A'Janni decided to head to one of the cargo bays before hitting his bed. The ship was still behaving as if it was in the midst of a plasma storm, so the FCO knew that he would not be able to get any sleep. What he needed was a workout and since all of the extra energy was being used for attitude control, the holodeck would not be an option for him or anyone else.
The Caitian was surprised to find someone else in the cargo bay. "Lt. Ya'Han! Is everything alright?" The question made sense as it addressed two very distinct observations right off the bat. The woman was here instead of Sickbay, and she was sporting the red hair that he, along with the majority of the crew, had grown accustomed to seeing her with.
The woman's cheeks turned almost as red as her hair at the realization that she had been found out. "Everything is fine," she replied in a hurry through clenched teeth as he reached for her medical coat. "I just needed some time and space to stretch."
A'Janni remained silent as Ya'Han stormed by him as she made a rush exit out of the cargo bay. As much as he might have wanted to help, he knew better than to even try and as he had recently been reminded, he was merely the ship's FCO. Maybe he would bring this up to Adriana at some point, but not tonight. Right now, all he wanted was to find a way to channel his frustrations out.
Scanning the contents of the room for something that he would be able to use, A'Janni, to his great surprise discovered an old-style wooden crate, and to his even greater surprise he found it to be in rather poor condition, as if someone had unleashed their pent-up anger against it. With an amused toothy smile now gracing his face, the FCO looked back over his shoulder at the closed door that the former Sec/Tac had just stepped through, wondering if maybe, just maybe, the woman had done more than just stretch while she had been here.
=-=
Jayson Sousa
"New Dimensions"
Previous Post: "Bumpy Ride” by Jayson
=-=
Stardate: 37012.2200
USS HATHOR, Mess Hall
Halls had been visiting sickbay and came back. She had treatment for a minor injury. She was ready to return when she saw Ensign Bractor Rixx questioning a Crewman about something. She couldn't quite make it out but still smiled at the Bolian.
In a friendly voice she said, "Ensign welcome to the Mess or what passes for the mess here. What can I get for you? We got some actual meat in the small freezer and a few bottles of what passes for tulaberry wine?"
Bractor looked grumpy. He stared at Graham, "Petty Officer, I got a question for you have you heard anything about any strange cargo being loaded on the ship? I have been hearing scuttlebutt about crates and I am snooping."
"Snooping?" Halls asked.
"Yes snooping." Bractor replied.
**He is letting that pip go to his head.** She thought. But then spoke.
"Sir sit down and let me make you something special. Its a thing I learned an earth dish, I know you like anchovies." She said.
Bractors train of thought broke. "Oh do tell DO tell!"
Halls said, "Bagna Cauda. I make it back on the station all the time for a few friends of mine, kind of like a fondu. Its got cream and I got peppers to dip it in. That replicator is an awful thing, I am playing with the settings and uploaded a few recipes of mine. You dip red peppers into it."
Bractor began to actually drool. There was an audible rumble that the Ensign made. His stomach sounded like a whale song at full volume. He looked at her and turned slightly purple.
Halls laughed.
Bractor laughed. "You got me hungry.. M-o-o-g-p-l-a. Thats Bolian for hungry!"
Halls went to the replicator and made the food appear, she also replicated a plate of sliced red peppers for him. She sat the white dish down.
"Ensign Rixx here is some Tulaberry wine to go with that." She poured him a drink.
Bractor looked at her, "So I did some digging. Your file says you went to command school."
Halls demeanor changed. "Yes sir, washed out cause Ii was pregnant. I had slept with somebody I shouldn't of and it was Conduct unbecoming." She replied.
Bractor then paused, "I read a lot of files on folks today."
He took a bite of the the pepper then dipped one in the fondu, to him it tasted delicious.
She nodded, "I don't live in the past. It tends to make the future less bright."
Bractor raised an eyeridge.
"Look Petty Officer, I am just saying talk to the Captain I am sure he could make use of you somewhere else." Bractor said.
She laughed, "Yeah and do what be chief of the boat? I am in the Ops department technically and Quartermaster. I like not having major responsibilities. That way I have room for a personal life. You need a date or something. You are paranoid Ensign."
"Moi paranoid. GODS this is good! Too good to be replicated." Bractor exclaimed.
"Its because how a replicator works is you scan the item in question and if the item in question is high quality its going to make it exactly like it all the time. I scanned in my best attempts at food and drink and uploaded it into the replicator files. So tasty is tasty." She said.
Bractor looked at her excitedly. "Tell me you know how to make that hew-mon dish pancakes? I had them special occasions at the academy."
Halls smiled, "I make chocolate chip and tulaberry ones for my son. I actually assembled a small hot plate and a mini fridge in one of the store rooms so I can replicate the ingredients but actually cook them? I will do it for you in the morning that sound good?" She asked.
Bractor picked up the bow and began to almost lick the plate clean.
"Hmmph hmmph her!" Was the sound he made.
Halls grinned.
=-=
Kaylah J. Andrews
Petty Second Hailey Graham [Access Character BIO for Hailey Graham]
Shipboard Services
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
Qui vivra verra
and
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
“Shattered Pasts”
Previous posts: "New Dimensions” by Kaylah and Rob
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS HATHOR, Corridor
Stardate: 37013.1130
The day was well underway. The Command Staff were busy trying to find ways to get the HATHOR to its destination as quickly as possible while the rest of the small crew fell into a routine as best they could, focusing their efforts on what they did best.
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37013.1131
Hailey walked in with a tray in hand.
"You are injured?" Ya'Han asked out of a forced habit that she was still practicing..
"Leftenant Ya'Han?" Halls asked, pointing to the Nylaan's snowy locks.
"Sorry," Ya'Han quickly apologised. "I am still getting used to this. Yes, I am Lt. Ya'Han. How may I help you?"
"Sir we all have to eat, I have been going to each and every senior staff member making sure they would eat but while I am here, I should get the quick welcome aboard eval done. Nicked a bit of skin on the old peeler."
"Well, I am the CMO after all, so have a seat and let's see the injury," the Nylaan explained in a nutshell, making the head of the Shipboard Services reconsider her decision to go to Sickbay.
Hailey sat down.
Ya'Han, medical tricorder in hand, performed a preliminary scan of the injured area before reaching for a dermal-regenerator. "As I suspected, this will only take a minute. You will be back doing whatever you were doing in no time."
"No rush," Graham sighed. "It's hard to prepare food with the ship shaking the way it is. Nothing stays where it's supposed to."
"I guess using the replicators would be too easy," Ya'Han teased.
Hailey smiled, "Sometimes a needless luxury now and then is a good thing. But I do more than cook, I inventory the supplies, load and unload cargo. Make sure quarters are assigned properly.. Though admittedly I don't think I have ever served royalty before. You might be used to it but I am certainly not."
Hailey decided to be straight forward, "Well all have family drama, my son for instance is at that age where I am not sure to hug him or throw him out an airlock."
Ya'Han nodded her head. Although she had never had the pleasure of being a mother, as the youngest child with 12 older siblings, she had witnessed first hand some of the issues others had to deal with when handling her siblings.
Since Hailey had opened up about herself, Ya'Han thought that she should do the same. After all, she did remember how difficult it could be to start a tour of duty on a new vessel. "My father is, well, maybe now it's *was* thanks to my eldest brother's attempts to take the throne from him, the High Sovereign of NYLA IV, my home planet. I am the youngest of 13 children."
"That doesn't sound so complicated. I know this Bolian security Ensign, he has six co parents, Do you have a situation like that going down?" Halls asked.
The Nylaan shook her head hard enough to cause her white locks to flow through the hair. "I was betrothed at the age of 14 to a Ferengi trader to solidify a trade agreement between NYLA IV and the Ferengi Elite," Ya'Han said, forcing an uneasy smile on her lips. "I ran away from home, made my way out of Ferengi Alliance space and ended up on a Federation starbase." The CMO said.
"It sounds like you are where you need to be rather than where your duty takes you." The Centauran cook offered over. The small nick on her forearm was fixed and Hailey lifted up the tray. The food was still warm.
"I took the liberty of researching and asking, Risian delicacies seem to very much be a thing for you, Some Jal'garon stew, a little bit of mopa bread baked with Novian flower. No Centauran parts fell in, I made sure of it." She offered jokingly. "Speaking of the Ferengi. Do you know why they wear the headskirts?" Halls asked, changing the subject in a heartbeat. "I mean my species throw our partners in less and less clothing, the less you wear the more desirable you are but that's only in the bedchamber." Halls was obviously trying to do what she could to inject levity in all this.
"The Ferengi headdress are a sign of business inadequacy, usually worn by adolescents, lowered ranking members of their society or simply by those who are not entrepreneurs and must rely on the guidance of others to make any sort of final decisions," Ya'Han explained as she recalled her days back on NYLA IV and the endless tutelage she was forced to endure. "It was made clear to me at an early age that I was to stay as far away from any Ferengi that wore such a garment. It was only during my escape from Ferengi space that I truly began to understand why I needed to avoid those individuals." The white-haired woman became still and quiet as more memories flooded her mind, memories that were each more painful than the previous.
Halls looked at her, "What I am about to say I need it to stay between you and I." She paused, sounding very serious. "I have found not only is all love unrequited, your past can haunt you. Take me for instance. I not only have a kid, but my ex used to take his frustrations out on me. We all have problems, that's why I am no longer with men. I find a lot of them to be jerks. So as a Centauran I found men to be the weaker sex at least on my world. You are strong, you are brave and your past does shape you but who you are, in the now, that's what skims out the impurities. You can run from who you were, it sometimes catches up and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you are in command school and fall in love with your instructor, have his kid and run away from it all. Sometimes you stay and fight. We are the sum of it all," Halls said then smiled.
Ya'Han nodded thoughtfully, Graham's words resonating all so true to the Nylaan.
"If it wasn't for my kid I would be a First Officer on a ship. But that track was derailed. I ended up having to enlist under an alias. So don't let the universe break you." She tried sounding like she was an authority of the matter.
"I didn't," Ya'Han said with a distinct hint of hesitation. "At least not then. I had a choice, be the submissive woman I was born to be; the wife I was trained to be, meaning nothing more than a mindless toy destined to entertain my husband in whatever way he desired; or I could run away. I ran. The life I created for myself was my own, bringing with it both good and bad. My closest sister hates me now because she never could find the courage to do what I did, and when I left, she became the target of our father's rage. I am not even sure that she is still alive. The is one of the prices I have to live with, something that has made everything that followed that much more difficult."
Ya'Han paused as she fought back tears, but this was not the first time she had felt this way, and it would most certainly not be the last, so she forced herself to regain her posture.
"I didn't let the universe break me, but everyday, with every new decision that I make, my life grows further from what I could have been, and somehow that does not manage to make me feel better. Actually, there are days when it makes me feel worse."
"Of course there are going to be days where you don't feel like you are going to win, but there are days you do. On days like today sometimes all you can do is eat your cake, drink your coffee and brass out what bothers you. Then at night you cry your heart out, go to bed and wake up, Tomorrow is always a different day." Hailey replied.
She pushed the cart over that had the tray.
"The reality is choices are real, sometimes we have to accept the fact that life is beautifully complex, I can't tell you what you did was wrong. I wouldn't want to of married a Ferengi either. Siblings hate each other.Every mature person has to face the fact that they were young and dumb once. Just don't wallow in it because that would suck. Now there is cake, tea and stew here. I also have a carafe of coffee. You want lunch?" Halls asked.
=-=
Kaylah J. Andrews
Petty Second Hailey Graham [Access Character BIO for Hailey Graham]
Shipboard Services
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
and
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
“Ripples”
Previous post: “Shattered Pasts” by Hanali and Kaylah
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37013.1300
The afternoon had just started and yet Aki was positively exhausted. As hard as she tried, there was no way the Asian woman could get any rest the night before. As a former CSciO, her mind searched for ways to resolve their warp bubble issues, and as the HATHRO's ExO, Mitshiba could not help but be concerned for the rest of the crew, each tremor reminding her of the difficulties everyone was facing.
With Maya working with Sonja in Main Engineering, Aki had taken over the science station but instead of performing tests or exploring various possibilities, the Asian woman's attention was lost in the ripples of her cup of green tea.
"Channelling Maya I see," Zub Enel said, the towering Voth standing next to the sitting Asian.
"Excuse me?" Mitshiba said. She had heard his words, but her thoughts had been so scrambled that there had been no way she could have made any sense of them.
"I was just remarking on the fact that you are sitting at the science station staring into a cup of tea, something that is well within the methods of operating that our Chief Science Officers utilizes," the Sec/Tac explained in all seriousness. "I would not be surprised if one day she discovered the meaning of life by looking at a wild flower or some old style time display."
Aki grinned. "That sounds like Maya, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I was not contemplating anything that profound. I was just staring into my cup, looking at the ripples caused by the less than smooth flight we are all enduring, doing my best not to fall asleep."
"I thought there was something different about you," Zub Enel said as he scrunched his nose. Aki was instantly horrified at the thought that it was thanks to his sense of smell that he had been able to pick up that something was not quite right with the ExO. Quickly understanding the misinterpretation of his words, the Sec/Tac rapidly offered a correction. "Most humanoids release a distinct pheromone-like scent when they are extremely tired. For some species, it is an indication to others to come closer and offer warmth and comfort, while for others, namely Caitians, it is a warning to everyone to stay as far away as possible."
Of course, after saying that, Zub glanced over to their FCO, the gesture closely followed by Aki who could not help but laugh at the whole thing.
"Thank you, and sorry for the offending scent," Mitshiba apologized.
"No need to apologize, Sir. May I suggest that you speak with Lt. Ya'Han. Maybe she could offer you something to offset the fatigue you are experiencing and fighting against."
"A wise suggestion," Aki agreed, standing up before reaching for her cut to take one last sip. "Looks like I am overdue to do something about this," the Asian woman said, wincing. "My tea is cold, which means that I must have been staring at it for a lot longer than I initially believed. Excuse me," she added before making her way off the bridge.
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
=-=
"Stress Test"
Previous post: "Ripples" by Dawn
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37013.1310
Like a colossal Terran iguana stuffed into a Security uniform, Chief of Security Lt. Zub Enel was crammed into a chair at Tactical. As the HATHOR trundled through space by fits and starts at low warp, he thought back to an earlier discussion between the XO and the Chief Science Officer. Lt Cmdr. Mitshiba and Maya had mentioned that the residual field of dimensional energy that disabled the Blink Drive might have been left by the passage into this dimension by thousands of dimension-crossing ships or a few big ones.
He mentally reviewed his and Ensign Bractor Rixx’s division of security duties against the possibility of more interdimensional ships popping into existence behind them. They had agreed that Zub would run Tactical for outside defense and offense. Rixx would take shipboard security duties.
The big lizard-man returned his focus to the Tactical station. Scans sent aft still detected only radiation-flooded space.
Forward scans of the icy world P8746 were somewhat puzzling. Ten or so lightyears from the heavily glaciated planet, a subspace relay station was where it should be, but it appeared inoperable. The station no longer connected the planet’s team of researchers to the UFP. The relay could also be working, but no subspace transmissions or station telemetry were penetrating the radiation. Chief Science Officer Maya and the Chief Engineer, Lt Cmdr Sonja Paquette, had yet to determine the exact radiation source, but a dimensional breach was strongly favored. The current working solution to explain no telemetry was to get closer to the station and, hopefully, run clear of the radiation so somebody could establish the subspace relay’s operational status.
Because of the debilitating effects of the residual energy on the HATHOR sensor arrays, the forward scans were less precise about whether any ships orbited the planet. There shouldn’t be any ships. The researchers had beamed down quite some time ago, and since their studies of the local societies were long-term, their starship had been left them for later pickup. Planet-bound, the researchers had always given regular updates until they didn’t. Due to the radiation interference, it wasn’t clear to Zub Enel whether ships were in orbit. Maybe so. Maybe not.
He glanced at Ops, but Gemma’s chair was empty. He touched his comm. "Tactical to Ops, permission to engage the cloaking device. If an interdimensional convoy left this radiation, more might be on the way."
The main viewer showed a starry field slowly creeping past the HATHOR. A rectangle formed in the lower corner. It wasn’t Gemma’s face that appeared, but a brainy blonde named Gabrielle, a personality of Gemma that Zub had rarely seen. She’d been in Main Engineering helping Sonja Paquette and the Chief Science Officer Maya since the day before. Gabrielle frowned slightly and said, [/\] Permission denied. The cloak forms an energy bubble, and that distorts the…. [/\]
The full and comely face of the red-headed Chief Engineer shoved in next to the blonde so forcefully that Gabrielle reeled sideways. Sonja Paquette’s emerald eyes flashed at Zub Enel. She thundered, [/\] I thought I said do not engage ANY energy fields! How can I isolate what is going on if you change the domains around the ship? Any new energy bubble could collapse and bring us to a standstill. Tell me, is there something complicated about NO NEW ENERGY FIELDS? [/\]
Zub Enel’s golden eyes widened at the vitriol from the CEO. He glanced at Lt. A’Janni, the massive tiger-esque humanoid at the Helm. A’Janni smirked, pointed at him, and made a cutting gesture over his furry throat with one wickedly curved claw.
[/\] ENEL?! [/\]
Zub Enel quickly faced the scowling Chief Engineer and one eye of Gabrielle, who was barely visible on the viewscreen. He said placatingly, "I thought that if ships of unknown origin and capabilities enter this dimension, we should be completely shielded from sensors."
The Chief Engineer had a bun of red hair like a hovering, tiny but angry planet. It bobbed as she showed perfectly straight teeth. [/\] I’m sure that if I asked you what paves the road to Hell, the answer would be lost on you, so let me say this… [/\]
Zub Enel braced himself for a picaresque insult.
Instead, the CEO narrowed her green eyes and pursed full lips as though she restrained her retort. Her tone was reasonable. [/\] I need time to move from possibilities to certainly. The only way to do that efficiently is to *not* change the energy fields of this ship until Maya, Gabrielle, and I finish our analysis." Her eyebrows arched into an M-shape. "In the meantime, I don’t care if you see a naked Tholian on a hoverboard zip out of a rift. Just keep moving forward at low warp. The ablative armor offers sensor protection. As long as no one aboard starts blasting away with plasma cannons, we will remain almost impossible to detect. Am I being absolutely clear? [/\]
The Chief of Security said, "Yes, absolutely."
The red-headed Engineer leaned toward the screen, her face occupying all but the corners. [/\] Lt. Enel, have I said anything that you don’t understand? [/\]
Her condescension sent the down between the Voth’s brown scales up and fluttering. His voice was strained from not showing pique. "No, sir."
Paquette’s face radiated warning. [[/\] If you trigger a new field through error, defiance, or psychopathy, I’ll assume you have invited me up there to raise knots on that leathery head of yours with a monkey wrench. [/\]
Confusion about what the unknown tool was came to the reptilian Voth’s face. Beneath his fluttering down his scale color was in the neighborhood of smashed beets. He said in a rush, "No, sir. Yes, sir. I am sorry, sir." Realizing he was babbling non-sequiturs in the face of authority, he gasped out, "No energy changes whatsoever."
The CEO’s expression softened. [/\] Alrighty then. Paquette out. [/\] The rectangle vanished from the main viewer.
Rattled, Zub Enel gripped the sides of the Tactical station with his three-fingered hands. He let out a loud puff. "I make one reasonable request and BOOM!" He instantly regretted speaking against a shipmate. He offered, "She does have a considerable amount on her serving dish."
Zub Enel forced his heart to slow. He made himself consider the pressure they all were under. He looked at the furry Flight Control Officer. "What is a monkey wrench?"
A’Janni chuckled. "You’re lucky they don’t make ‘em anymore." He paused and then pointed his thumb aft. “I’m sure *she* can make one. Big and heavy." He made a pounding motion at the Voth’s head, "Bam. Bam."
Zub heard A’Janni snicker. The hulking cat-man said to him, "Naked Tholians are special. If you see one, let me know."
A’Janni’s teasing let Enel recover his breathing a little. He smiled at the FCO, "I will tell any Tholians to make like a tree and get outta here.”
A’Janni winced at Zub Enel’s fractured idiom. His large feline face turned serious. "Remember my theory about the Breen liking remote, snowball planets like P8746? Do they have dimensional jump drives?"
The Shillian Chief Science Officer, Maya, had quietly come back onto the Bridge. She spoke with authority. “They don’t. The Breen have no known interdimensional technology. Nevertheless, since they tend to be raiders and brigands, it is not beyond reason for them to steal it from someone else. I could see dimensional jumping as possible for them."
As the tiger-man absorbed this, Zub Enel asked the CSO, "What races have known interdimensional capabilities?"
"Ah," Maya said, "Asked like a true tactician. Let me see. Assuming you are asking about extant races, there are the Akitashiinu, Species 8472, the J’Den, the Edo, and the Lokustaar." The shapeshifter looked thoughtful for a moment. "Also, the Prophets, though they are wormhole aliens that stick to wormholes, and there are no known wormholes near P8746." She rubbed her temple over her Trill-like spots. "I can think of two more: the Masters and the Yxidii. Therefore, I would estimate a good eight or so races can jump the gap, so to speak."
Zub looked dismayed. "Eight is rather a lot."
The Shillian shrugged. "Of course, it is likely that only one race might have come this way. Observation will tell. Maybe there will be clues after we reach the subspace relay station. Remember that all of this is speculation about whether this radiation comes from a dimensional rupture."
The giant Voth at Tactical gave the brown-haired scientist a nod. He started calling up the energy signatures of the eight races she had listed.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
"Eighty percent of all choices are based on fear. Most people don't choose what they want; they choose what they think is safe."
- Phil McGraw
---
"Cloak And Faster"
(Previous Post: "Stress Test")
---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 37013.1430
Following a short stay on the bridge, the Chief Science Officer had returned to Main Engineering and was now standing at the feet of the Chief Engineer who was on her back, waist deep inside one of the crawl spaces leading into the gently pulsating warp core. The Shillian was leaning over just enough to be close without getting in the way of whatever the redhead was in the middle of doing.
"Sonja?"
"Yes," the Chief Engineer growled. "I know you are there. I'm busy, or was that not evident to you?"
"While I was on the bridge, I thought that we could try..."
With lightning-speed, Sonja produced a single hand and brought it to a stop right in the face of the surprised Shillian scientist. "No! Stop! It won't work."
"How can you say that without having heard my proposal?" Maya asked of the woman's lower half as that was all the scientist could see of the person she was speaking to.
"Why! Why she asks?" The Chief Engineer replied in a thick Scottish accent as she pushed herself out of the crawl space. If the accent was not enough to hint to the woman being annoyed, the expression on her face removed whatever doubts that might have still been lingering. "Here is why Lass," Sonja continued in the same accent. "Because over the last 8 hours, not counting all of the hours we wasted the day before that, you made no less than 24 suggestions, each one crazier than the one before. I understand that 'theoretically' or 'based on sound scientific observations' may work in your endless search for elusive answers, but engineering is a far more practical field, and we need a solution that we can implement now, not after running days, if not weeks, of tests and/or calibrations that would require equipment that I would have to first build. As I recently told that undersized Godzilla wannabe, we need to move from possibilities to certainties, not more possibilities. Does that answer your question as to *why?*"
Maya was speechless, something that by itself should have been noted in the analogues of history, but instead Sonja just pulled herself back into the crawl space to resume her work.
"Still no luck I see." The blonde-haired alter ego of the Chief of Operations said as she came to stand right next to the bemused Chief Science Officer. Gabrielle was looking at Maya in a way that made the Sillian contemplate a completely different scientific enigma, namely the person standing right next to her, but alas this was neither the time or place to investigate that mystery.
"I have run out of practical ideas," Maya admitted following an especially long pause. "Everything that I come up with as a possible solution to our problem is either too far-fetched or requires more time than we can dedicate to solving a problem. As Sonja pointed out, many of my more recent ideas have just been mere theories and possibilities relying on unproven concepts or technology that we do not have at our immediate availability."
"The one thing we do have is the Cloaking Device," Gabrielle pointed out. "Zub Enel might have had the wrong reasons on why to use it, but I believe that the idea itself has a lot of merit. I agree that adding any new energy field could prove disastrous, but what if we found a way to use the cloaking device to create a bubble just outside of the warp field, one that would help provide a sustained and steady buffer between us and the energy field beyond?"
"That is a very strange way of looking at this situation," Maya stated. "What made you think of it?"
"Many years ago, before I was reassigned to the BASTET, I was on a mission that took me into a Cardassian planetary outpost. The objective of that mission was to extract a valuable asset using a small, specially made, one-man-shuttle, the problem was to find a way to allow that craft to escape without triggering the defence field that would have locked in and crushed the small vessel," the saboteur explained. "The field was very sensitive and calibrated to crush anything larger than a small man, so even a single person escape pod would not be able to make it through unscathed. I ended up figuring out a way to sabotage the defence field by encompassing it into a slightly larger field that forced the air between them to remain unchanged no matter what came through. Granted, that second field only had a lifespan of a few seconds, but it did work and allowed me to get the asset out in one piece."
"That is amazing," the Sillian exclaimed. "What happened after that?"
"Anya happened," the blonde-haired woman sighed. "I was discovered by a group of engineers once the shuttle had escaped. They wasted no time in calling security. There was only one way for us to escape with our lives. Anya took care of anyone who crossed our path while I took care of recalibrating the field so that it would implode onto the outpost and crush it and everyone inside. The idea was that they would be too busy trying to save themselves and would leave us alone. It took everything we had to get out of the outpost and we could still hear the screams of those trapped inside even after traveling several hundred meters beyond the walls. Guess that one was my fault though as I was the one who set the field to collapse at a rate of one centimeter per seconds instead of quickly, it was a necessity to grant us the time to find a way to escape. In hindsight though, I often wonder if there could not have been a better way to complete that mission without killing so many others."
The thought sent a chill down the spine of the Shillian.
"Lovely story, need a tissue?" Sonja huffed rhetorically. "I laughed, I cried, it is now a part of me and I will never be able to wash the stench of those images out of my mind, thank you. Now, if you two have finished sharing nightmarish stories and making it impossible for me to concentrate, I would like to get back to solving this blasted problem before we end up like those Romulans."
"Cardassian," Gabrielle corrected.
"Whatever," the Chief Engineer dismissed as she tried to slide back into the crawl space.
"Sonja?" Maya asked, making sure that she was well out of reach of the redheaded engineer as she did so.
"WHAT!"
"You told Zub that he, or anyone else for that matter, could not generate a new energy field around the HATHOR, as it would risk collapsing the warp bubble and leave us stranded in the middle of open space unable to use our warp drive for quite some time, correct?"
"Great," the Chief Engineer lamented. "Looks like I will have to fix that echo as well. What is your point? And there better be one."
"What if we used the clocking device to generate a field just beyond the warp bubble, using that second field to stabilize the energy between the two. The outside field would act as a sort of energy filter, allowing a more steady stream of dimensional energy to make contact with the warp bubble which should, in theory, make our journey smoother and allow us to increase speed," Maya explained. "Not only would that maintain the pressure on the warp bubble, but it should permit us to fine tune the engines to handle the residual energy with a much greater efficiency."
Sonja considered the latest suggestion from the Chief Science Officer, leaving the other two women to wonder if they should wait or start running.
"The cloaking device would have to go through some extensive re-calibrating, and it would be unable to hide the ship, even from a blind man. That said, the equipment is already here, and with some thinkering I should be able to get it to generate an energy filtering field just beyond that of our warp bubble. The calibration of that filter though would have to be precise to the microjewel..." Sonja said glaring at Maya.
"Not a problem," the Shillian immediately followed with. "I can start working on an interface between the short-range forward sensors and the field matrix of the cloaking device, that way the calibrations would be continual and instantaneous, at least when measuring in the hundreth of a second."
"That still leaves us with taking the cloaking device apart and rewiring most of the component interfaces. The field generator was never designed for a job like this. We will likely need to borrow and steal parts from other components throughout the ship," the Chief Engineer added, this time looking at Gabrielle.
"Taking things apart is my speciality," Gabrielle grinned.
The three women looked at one another for several seconds before the Chief Engineer added one last thing. "Well! What are you two waiting for? Those modifications are not going to make themselves. Move it!" As Maya and Gabrielle rushed away, Sonja reached for her comm badge. "Main Engineering to the Bridge, we might have actually found a practical way to increase our speed. Stand by."
---
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
In collaboration with
Lorraine Paquette
Lt Commander Sonja Paquette [Access Character BIO for Sonja Paquette]
Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
and assistance from
Jessica Solarik
&
"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)
=-=
“Meteor”
Previous post: “Cloak And Faster” by Jessica and Lorraine
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Ready Room
Stardate: 37013.1800
"Captain's log, stardate 37013.1800. Thanks to yet another engineering miracle of Lt. Cmdr Paquette, the HATHOR is travelling at a closer to normal speed. Special mentions also need to be given to Lt. Cmdr Maya and Lt. Gemma who were equally instrumental in getting us back on track to P8746. Unfortunately, long-range sensors are still less than what they should be thanks to the residual dimensional energy that is permeating this entire region of space, so we will need to get relatively close to the planet before we can have an idea of what might be there waiting for us. I will say this though, there is one thing that is bothering me than I care to let on. Even with my personal experience aboard the PARADOX and BASTET, I have never seen anything like this. Everyone has a few ideas as to what the cause of this field might be, but what I am more worried about is that it might have been created by something that we have not even considered or imagined. Whatever the cause will end up being, we will find out soon enough."
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1036
"Captain," the FCO announced, "we are entering the system and will reach P8746 in 30 seconds."
The Native American glanced over to his First Officer, the simple nod of his head being more than enough for the Asian woman to know what she needed to do next. "Stand by to drop out of warp. All stations, Red Alert!"
A hush entrenched itself onto the command deck as all eyes watched with intensity the streaking stars suddenly return to their standard single distant points of light against the vast emptiness of space. Neck extended to their physical limits as the icy world appeared as a small sphere near the middle of the large main viewer.
"Maintain Red Alert. Silence the alarm,” Eric Morningstar said loudly over the hooting klaxons. The alarm fell silent. Red lights flashed at the corners of the main viewer and the Bridge ceiling. Eric sat at the edge of his command chair, back straight, his hands lightly cupped one in the other in his lap. The implants replacing his real eyes brought the white, mottled face of P8746 into sharper focus than he was used to. “Tactical, I’m seeing a kind of sparkling near the planet.”
The enormous, scaly Chief of Security reported, “Affirmative. 31 ships in orbit. Ten battlecruisers while the rest appear to be troop transports, there might be more on the other side of P8746 but sensors are unable to get any sort of readings. The shape of the larger vessels does appear to match what we have on record for the Masters. The energy output from the planet hints that all ships are running unshielded. All are warp capable. None are powering weapons. We have not been scanned.”
The Captain nodded once. “Paquette was right about the energy signature of that hole burned through the subspace relay station. Why are the Masters in full battle array over a planet locked in an ice age with a civilization stuck in the Stone Age?”
The XO, Masaki Mitshiba, stood near the Tactical station. “Now that we’ve verified it is the Masters, are we still planning to go dark and do a silent run through them, sir?”
“Let’s get started before they accidentally sweep us.” Morningstar pushed himself into the command chair so he could be comfortably seated. “Helm, report.”
Lt A’Janni, the Caitian at Flight Control, growled, “Ready at your command, sir. One burst from the impulse power should be more than enough to let our momentum send us close to the planet. Unpowered, we’ll make a hyperbolic orbit that’ll loop us quickly away like an invisible pebble shooting through the Masters’ fleet.”
“Excellent. Stand by.” Morningstar focused his artificial eyes on the main viewer. “Science, make one final low power scan of those transports and then stop all active scans.”
The Chief Science Officer Maya answered tensely, “Odd, sir. Each transport has lifeforms aboard, a lot of them, all the same race. They appear to be either closely seated together or laying prone in tidy rows bow to stern. Each vessels’ internal configuration can accommodate Masters over two meters tall, yet these life forms are much smaller, more our size.” Her gaze shifted quickly to the huge Catman at Flight and the giant Lizardman at Tactical and then back to the CO. “Well, your and my size, sir.”
Eric’s eyebrow arched. “What race?”
After glancing at the Science console, Maya said, “Not Masters. Their race matches reports we have received from the cultural anthropologists researching P8746.”
Morningstar turned his chair toward her. He frowned. “Are they prisoners? Any sign of the researchers aboard?”
He noticed individual strands in the Shillian scientist's brown hair. He didn’t know his artificial eyes had become that acute. She shook her head. “No, sir. The anthropologists are Andorian. The cobalt in their blood would make them stand out like a plasma beam in the void, even on low power scans.”
Eric nodded. He said firmly, “All stations. Stop all active scans. Acknowledge.”
A chorus rose. “Tactical, aye. Helm, aye. Ops, aye. Science, aye.”
“Morningstar to Engineering, status.”
An annoyed feminine voice answered, =/\= Thanks to the modifications we made to the Clocking Device, there is no way for us to visually *cloak*, but I have set up a sensor dampening resonance in the outer field, which was rather easy given the residual dimensional energy flooding this area of space. If we reduce all unnecessary power we can more easily compensate for any black body radiation that might give us away. We want to be as cold as space itself which is why I have set the bio-regenerative hull matrix to absorb everything south of the infrared spectrum. =/\=
“Two-three seconds to our insertion point for hyperbolic orbit,” A’Janni reported from the Helm.
“Sir,” Enel at Tactical called out. “Telescopic examination shows signs of previous energy discharges on the planet surface; melted ice in craters, disintegration scorching in rocks.”
“Noted, gentlemen,” The Captain with the artificial eyes said as he laced his fingers in front of his chest, “Ops, it’s time to go black. Shut down all unnecessary power.”
The glint on Gemma’s coppery curls vanished as the bridge fell into a gloom.
He said, deliberately keeping his voice calm, “Helm, take us ballistic.”
“Aye,” came an almost casual response from the area the big catman worked. “Here we go... impulse engine pulse... now. The impulse engines are now offline. We can’t maneuver without showing an impulse signature. It’s up to physics now to carry us through without slamming into a cloaked ship.”
A rectangle appeared on the lower corner of the main viewer. A female face with short-cropped blonde hair and large green eyes appeared. [/\] Captain, somebody just shut down refrigeration. We have real food, you know. [/\] Her look of annoyance changed to curiosity, [/\] What’s going on up there? I can barely see you. [/\]
Eric nodded at the Head of Shipboard Services, though he wasn’t sure she could see his expression. “We are attempting to slip through the Master’s battle line so we can facilitate a quick scan of the planet when we pass closest to it.”
The woman’s face pinched with a small frown. [/\] I thought this ship was built for infiltration. Why the heck do we have to shut down refrigeration? [/\]
The Captain opened his mouth to answer, but Gemma at Ops beat him to it. “All extraneous power and sources of heat are being eliminated. The Masters have highly tuned sensor arrays. We are already taking a huge risk without a functioning Cloaking Device, they might detect the warmth from a refrigerator condenser core as we slip past.”
[/\] How long is *this* supposed to take? [/\]
Morningstar said firmly. “Ms. Graham. Please be patient. Right now we need to concentrate on a highly dangerous maneuver.”
“You spoil it, you eat it. *Sir.*” The face had a sour look as it vanished from the main viewer.
The viewer showed the HATHOR, now unpowered and coasting only on momentum, was rushing through clusters of gargantuan cruisers that bristling with weapons and sensor arrays. Sprinkled among them were the vessels that the Masters usually used to transport ground troops. The HATHOR’s trajectory brought her alarmingly close to vessel after vessel, close enough to be seen if someone actually looked in their direction.
"Bigger does not always mean better," Gemma noted as her eyes carefully scrutinized the flank of one of the Masters' battle cruisers as they slipped right next to it. "I don't think the HATHOR is large enough to even register as debris for something that size. If we had been detected, we would have noticed some sort of reaction by now."
The ILO Shar’El said from the gloom of the Bridge with professional calm, “Prepared to trigger a lightning-fast full sensor burst at planet perigee. The computer will do the sweeps as it is quicker than any living hand. Still, the Masters’ equipment is sensitive enough to notice the scans.”
Maya’s voice at Science showed the same steely calm. “We’ll reach perigee in one-seven seconds. We’ll be as close to the surface as possible without skimming the atmosphere, 4.82 kilometres.”
“Very well,” Eric said to the darkened Bridge. A switch on his chair arm made a snapping sound. “Morningstar to Engineering. Just how invisible are we?”
=/\=We’re blacker than a black cat in a coal mine at midnight.=/\=
“Approaching perigee,” Maya announced. “Mark.”
All the consoles on the bridge lit up brightly. Data and graphs scrolled by at a bewildering pace.
“Full scans complete,” Shar’El announced. “It will take us a while to analyze it all, sir.”
Zub Enel’s voice sounded in the gloom. “Sir, I am registering an energy output from the closest cruiser, they may be scanning us?”
The Captain asked, “Scanning us specifically, or the area we are in?”
The scaly Chief of Security said. “Passive sensors indicate they are scanning the area closest to the planet where our trajectory took us. Now they are broadening their scans to take in more of the area we have passed through. They have started range-finding, sir, but in a kind of search pattern like they are blindly hoping to hit a hull. I do not think they have seen us. Yet.”
Eric felt his hands grow cold. Masters were certainly a non-trivial opponent. He said, keeping his voice calm, “Definitely looking for us, though. They caught our getting a close peek at what they are doing down there.”
He took a moment to look down at the glacial ice rushing by the main viewer. “Lt A’Janni stand-by to engage the impulse to take us out of this pea soup and then the warp engines to get us out of their weapon's range.”
“Ready, sir.”
“Tactical, don’t activate the plasma cannons but be ready to. Stay off firming up the shields. The Masters may not know what they saw. Let’s continue to drift on out of here.”
“Ready, sir.”
Ya’Han, the current Chief Medical Officer, spoke from the back of the Bridge. “The new scans indicate that the Andorian research team is still down there near their hidden facility. Their life signs are failing. They may well be close to dying. I volunteer to beam down with a medical kit to help them.”
Maya said, “Those cruisers will detect the use of a transporter beam and pinpoint where you beamed to. Judging from what I’m seeing in these scans, the Masters will simply blast a 20 kilometer area around you from orbit.”
A’Janni spoke up from Helm. “What about the runabout, sir? It is small, has shields, and is highly maneuverable. Even if the Masters detect it leaving the ship, the runabout could easily lose them.
Ya’Han added, “We could land near the team and at least stabilize them.”
Eric could feel the eyes and ears of the crew on him. This was just the sort of decision he was trained for. This was just the kind of decision they all depended on him for. He gripped his thighs near his knees. He said softly, “I can allow Ya’Han to go with Rixx for security, but who will fly the runabout? I need Lt. A’janni to keep us clear of the Masters.”
“I can fly a runabout,” came an unfamiliar voice from the Ops station. A blonde was standing where the red-headed Gemma had been sitting a moment before.
The Native America did not immediately identify the latest personality of his Chief of Operations prompting his asking. “You are?”
The woman said in serious tones, “Dalra. I can fly anything small. Fix it too.”
“She,” Shar’El said, before waving a hand toward the blonde. “I’ve met Dalra. She is an expert pilot.”
“Very well,” Eric said. “You, Shar’El, will have to handle Ops and your ILO duties until….” He paused, never sure if any of Gemma’s many personalities knew they were a manifestation of herself. “Until our volunteer pilot returns.”
“Aye, Sir.”
Morningstar had made up his mind. “Alright, Dalra, Ya’Han, and Rixx will take the runabout down. You better move out now and collect Rixx along the way. Phasers and phaser rifles authorized.”
He turned to the rest on the Bridge. “As soon as the runabout leaves, we are going to make ourselves known, we need to draw the attention of the Masters until the runabout is safely away. We’ll warp away if we have to, but my plan is to stay close to this planet so we can retrieve the runabout and our crew.”
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Shuttlebay
Stardate: 37014.1051
The USS ANUCKSUNAMOON, a Euphrates-class runabout, was humming as it crouched on glowing nacelles. Lights shown through the open side hatch just behind the bridge. Ensign Bractor Rixx stuck out his cartilaginous, purple tongue from exertion as he lugged an armload of phaser rifles and pistols toward the runabout. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. He didn’t know anything about the Masters but by the way others reacted, the Masters were real baddies.
A female voice near him asked, “Room for one more?”
He turned his blue head toward her as he waddled along with his heavy load. “You’re that junior ambassador lady.”
The Hispanic woman approached the entry hatch hugging an armload of enough thick cold-weather clothing for four people. She still managed an introduction. “Adriana Lopez. I’d help you carry all that firepower, but as you can see.”
“Lopez?” came Ya’Han’s voice. Backlit, her lithe frame filled the hatchway.
Adriana stopped a pace or two from the runabout. Bractor halted next to her and managed to get the armament balanced more comfortably. Ya’han remained in the hatch blocking them both. The Nylaan’s waist long, white hair signifying medical expertise was beginning to redden at her temples.
Noting the reddening of Ya’Han’s hair signaled the sort of anger wise people avoided with a warrior-princess-turned-doctor, Lopez said smoothly up to her, “I come bearing gifts. I bet you forgot to pack warm clothes. I heard you volunteered to help the researchers. I’m volunteering, too! I can help administer medicine, move people, calm people. Who knows, I can even help negotiate if need be.”
The Nylaan stepped backward, clearing the hatch. “Very well, Lt. Lopez, volunteer, wintry apparel maven, welcome aboard. Both of you stow the clothes and the hardware and strap yourself in. Dalra is about to take us down to the planet.”
Lopez stepped into the runabout first. “Dalra?”
An unsmiling blonde version of Gemma’s face looked back at her from the flight controls. “I will have to compensate for your extra weight,” the woman quipped.
“Please do,” Adriana said coolly as she shoved the garments into a storage bin and closed its door. She settled into a seat. The seat automatically strapped her in.
Rixx stowed the armament and threw his stocky body into a seat and let it strap him in. He glanced at all three females. “So, Masters, is it? I don’t know Thing One about them.”
Lopez shrugged. “There’s not much to them. Ten feet tall, like A’Janni riding on Zub Enel’s shoulders. Nasty in a fight. They especially hate the color blue.” A twinkle in her eye gave her away.
Ya’Han’s seat straps whirred as they cinched her in. She added, her waist length tresses of snowy hair going red again at the temples. “The Masters are not, as far as we know, genetically engineered, but they do perform genetic alterations on the vanquished, take the J’Den for instance. As far as we know, they are just massive, oversized, bald nasties with an insatiable drive for conquest that pushes them into other dimensions. Their typical attack strategy is to be armed and wear phaser-resistant body armor. Usually, they first try to grab any smaller opponents and dash them against a wall. Barring that, they punch them with fists as big as your head. Barring that, they shoot you. It’s a winning one-two-three approach to utter annihilation.”
Rixx assessed for veracity the doctor with her white and red streaks. She didn’t seem to be teasing him.
Dalra said curtly, “Hang onto something.”
The Euphrates-class runabout rose, shot backward out of the shuttlebay, pirouetted toward the frozen planet, and the forward acceleration slammed her passengers back into their seats. Their straps tightened as the craft rocketed toward the surface.
=-=
David Michael Inverso (wavodavo2000@gmail.com)
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
&
Francois Charette {fcharette1969@gmail.com}
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
=-=
"Hold On Tight"
Previous post: "Meteor” by David
=-=
Setting: USS ANAKSUNAMUN, Flight Deck
Stardate: 37014.1115
Adriana held on tightly to whatever she could, just like everyone else. However rough the journey on the HATHOR might have been, it was nothing compared to this. One moment the runabout was spinning like a barrel down a hill, the next it was either sharply climbing or diving. The passengers were being forced into their seats or lifted clean off from them. Had the situation not been so dire, the rollercoaster ride might have actually been fun.
Lopez gasped as a large Masters' ship came into view. "Look out!" Thanks to their speed and the limited field of vision, things were appearing and disappearing at an alarming rate.
Dalra remained perfectly calm. "Saw it!" she said. Her voice was calm, precise, in control, exactly as the woman herself was. At least on the outside. If Adriana, or anyone else aboard the runabout could hear Gemma's thoughts, no one would be calm. They all would likely be taking their chances out there, alone against the Masters.
**What are they doing here?** The Uxali scientist demanded. Exasperation engraved in her every word.
**Looks like they are sending whoever is on that planet back to the stone age.** Gabrielle Wolfe answered.
Wimda's discouragement could be felt by all. **The inhabitants of this world were already described as being in the stone age of their evolution.**
**Were,** Anya amended. **With an army that size, there will be nothing left of that civilization in a matter of hours. We will be lucky if there is still a planet for us to land on by the time we get there. Speaking of which, *why* are we going there?**
**To save the scientists,** Finnja said matter-of-factly. The Dinaal woman was well known for placing the well being of others well above her own.
**Nice,** the Reman bodyguard sighed. **Who is going to save us? The way things are going, we are going to crash against one of those ships long before we reach the surface.**
**Do... not... question... my skills... as a... pilot,** Dalra growled, making a sharp maneuver during each pause.
The El'Aurian Gwenvel, grinned. **It is not your piloting skills we are questioning. It is your sanity. You volunteered for a suicide mission.**
**A suicide mission is only that if you die,** Jinx pointed out.
The Oltharian priestess quickly followed. **If you don't mind, I will still be offering as many prayers as I can. A little divine intervention may not go entirely amiss right about now.**
**This is the Masters we are dealing with,** the thick Russian accent was followed by an eerie stillness. **We are going to need a lot more than divine intervention.**
Sylthia's tongue was nearly as swift as her body. "We have gotten out of tougher situations than this.**
**Maybe so,** Abrasivnyy hissed. **But we were alone. We did not have to be concerned about whether others would make it out in one piece. Our strength has always been us, being able to rely on what we all can do. We have a fresh Sec/Tac Bolian; a Sec/Tac playing CMO; and a CNS who thinks she can negotiate with the Masters. Like it or not, they will be the reason we fail.**
An uneasy silence took hold of the moment. Many wanted to argue the last statement, but most had no choice but to agree, either in part or in whole. Whatever the rescue mission would have in store for them, the first step was to reach the surface. A task that Dalra was working very hard to make into reality.
=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
=-=
“Mysteries Three”
Previous posts: "Hold On Tight" by Rachel
=-=
Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1120
Chaos reigned all around, but for the raven-haired woman, time seemed to stand still. Captain Morningstar and Commander Mitshiba were busy, along with the other officers still aboard the HATHOR, with keeping the ship in one piece and the crew alive. As much as it felt strange for Shar'El not to be in the middle of that action, she made the best of the situation and focused instead on gathering as much intel as possible on the Masters and P8746. After all, she was officially this ship's Intel Operative and not the ExO, all thanks to yet another of Admiral Koniki's schemes.
Shar'El studied the date being displayed on her monitor. In the mess that was out there, to say that only three items needed her attention was a drastic oversimplification as each was more than worthy of a dedicated long-term study. First was the ice planet, a seemingly unimportant frozen sphere orbiting a distant star that only appeared as a footnote on the most precise stellar cartography accounts. That life had evolved there was a mystery on its own as the environment was as inhospitable as could be imagined. Temperatures ranged from a blistering -15 degree Celsius at the equator and quickly dropped down to bone chilling -138 degrees Celsius at the poles, and that was not taking into account the windchill that winds pushing in the excess of 115 kph would produce. Life, it seemed, was truly a remarkable and resilient force of nature, finding ways to prosper in the harshest possible environments, but that would be a topic of research best left for Commander Maya, the HATHOR's CSO.
That brought Shar'El to analyse the second of the mysteries plaguing her thoughts. What unfathomable reason could the Masters have for being here, and in such great numbers? Ten capital vessels from any one major power in the quadrant would have been an excessive show of force, but the battlecruisers used by these inter-dimensional conquers were an entirely different story. A single one of those ships would be more than enough to confront an entire fleet and win, so why have ten of those terror inducing behemoths here in orbit of P8746? To see such an overwhelming display of power almost made the ILO look back to the days of the War of Shadows with a feeling of nostalgia, almost.
That the Masters had breached the fabric of dimensional space to be here was no longer a point that needed to be considered, it was an undeniable fact. The mystery was why had they come in such larger numbers? Had they planned from the start to invade this P8746 or had it just been the first planet to have the misfortune of finding itself in the way of these ruthless conquerors? Enslaving races was, according to the J'Den, the one and only purpose of this race of giant beasts, so it made it hard to believe that the handful of stone-age communities scattered across this ice world had been the initial intended target. If the inhabitants were not the reason for the presence of the Masters here, then it had to be the planet itself. The only other possibility was that this had all been a massive tactical blumber on their part, something that the ILO could not bring herself to believe was the case. Granted the stereotype stated that brains and brawns were diametrically opposed, but it was next to inconceivable to imagine that a race as technologically advanced as the Masters, possessing trans-dimensional travelling capabilities, could make such a colossal mistake.
With that thought weighing on her mind, Shar'El shifted her attention onto the third mystery appearing on her monitor. This one was neither a planet or a race, but rather a single individual, a woman who in all honesty carried with her an entire universe of questions. Project GAMMA, or Gemma as she later came to refer to herself as, was unique beyond measure, and that was likely part of the reason why Admiral Koniki wanted to keep a very close watch on her at all times.
Watching the woman pilot the runabout, making it dance around the various Masters vessels that came to stand in their path, Shar'El could not help but admire the woman's skills and expertise. True, everything that made her special, that made her who she was, had come from a test tube. The nanites coursing through her body had granted her what many would consider to be superpowers, but it had come at a very high price, the loss of her self-identity. Gemma was never truly Gemma, depending on the situation, depending on her feelings and emotions, no one could be 100 percent certain as to who they were speaking or working with. The woman could change in a heartbeat and change back just as quickly. How she had managed to maintain some level of sanity was a mystery on its own, and in some way the ILO was glad that Counselor Lopez had joined the away team. Not only would it provide the OPS officer with a gentle, caring shoulder to lean on should the need arise, but it would provide the Ullian with yet another set of memories to help her analyse the multi-faceted woman's performance. Of course, that all depended on whether or not their mission to the surface of P8746 was successful and they returned to the HATHOR alive.
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
=-=
"Wrong Planet"
Previous post: "Mysteries Three" by Tiffany
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1120
"This has to be the wrong planet," A'Janni growled to himself in disbelief while maneuvering the ship as if their lives depended on it, which it very well did. The Masters' armada orbiting planet P8746 had to be a mistake, a huge one, but a mistake nonetheless. If the presence of the invasion force over the frozen ice ball was not a mistake, then it had to be the HATHOR being here that was the error. How else was the Caitian, or anyone else for that matter, supposed to explain the mess that they were all smack in the middle of?
"That was awfully close," Zub Enel, the HATHOR's Sec/Tac said from the Tactical station. "We came within less than 15 meters from that other ship. Surprised that our shields didn't collide."
"I'm doing the best that I can," the FCO snarled as he sent the HATHOR into yet another sharp bank. "It's not my fault that we found our way to the wrong planet."
"Wrong planet?" The Captain echoed, confusion in his voice.
"Yes, wrong planet," the large man-cat loudly confirmed from the ship's helm. "Someone somewhere had to make a mistake for this to happen. How else do you explain a Masters' invasion fleet being in orbit of an out-of-the-way ice planet with no strategic value and a civilization that still thinks striking two stones together is a historical achievement. Someone made a mistake, and that someone is not me."
"Are you sure?" The bipedal reptilian Chief of Security teased, or at least half-teased while hanging on to whatever he could. "You are piloting this ship, so it could have been..."
"Listen!" A'Janni said as he pivoted his chair to look with his one eye at the rest of the bridge officers. "The only reason why we are not some smeer mark on the outer hull of one of those ships is my piloting skills. Whatever galactic mistake took place was not mine."
"No one ever said it was," Mitshiba said, frightfully looking over the Caitian's shoulder as the hull of yet another Masters' battleship grew increasingly closer.
"Well, he did," A'Janni said, pointing an accusing claw at Zub while firing a narrowed-eyed beam at the Voth, "or at least he implied it."
"No one is questioning your piloting skills," Captain Morningstar said. "Until now," he added, pointing a finger of his own at the main view screen causing the FCO to quickly realize what he was doing, or more to the point what he was no longer doing... piloting the HATHOR. Another quick maneuver, another sharp bank, this time to the other side, and once again the HATHOR and its crew avoided a physical confrontation that they were sure to lose.
"This has to be the wrong planet," A'Janni muttered to himself once again, his fur standing on end while his ears were stuck to his head so tightly that it almost appeared as if they had been cut clean off his head. "This has to be a mistake; it just has to be."
=-=
Jayson Sousa
=-=
“Surprise”
Previous post: “Wrong Planet” by Jayson
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1123
The Chief of Security Zub Enel had to spread his long legs to keep from being rocked out of his seat at Tactical. The scene on the main viewer was a jumble of pearly white disruptor beams crossing in space like searchlights, titanic ships being passed fore and aft or abeam. Sometimes the only a view was solid hull whisking by. A’Janni, the humanoid-tiger at Flight had the HATHOR literally all over the sky.
At first, Zub did his best to add more power to the shields on whichever quarter was closest to a Masters dreadnought, but A’Janni was often in amongst the behemoths, clearly trying to bait them to shoot at each other.
Zub concentrated instead on the tactical scans. He had to grip his console with one hand to keep his eyes oriented on the data.
The Captain said, “Morningstar to Paquette. Can you add more power to the inertial dampers? We’re getting thrown around up here.”
A Scottish accent responded, =/\= Capt’n! You kenna take the poundin’? =/\=
“What?”
The Chief Engineer sounded jovial when she replied in her normal voice =/\= Never mind. I’m sorry but we can’t spare another joule or erg of energy to smooth your ride. If someone is getting sick, tell Halls she’d better bring you a bucket. =/\=
“May I have a proper status report?”
=/\= Inertial Dampers are 20% over maximum rating. So are the shield generators. Your FCO has pushed Maneuvering into whatever color is above ‘red line.’ That said, this ship is handling the load. We can stay this way for awhile, as long as we don’t get hit. =/\=
Enel interjected, “Sir, about that. The Master’s cannons are usually ganged for massive punches. A’Janni being so nimble has forced them to unbundle the cannons so they can fire in more directions at once. If we take a hit, it will not be as devastatingly powerful.”
Morningstar absorbed this for a moment.
Paquette’s voice with its uncharacteristic jauntiness offered, =/\= We could reverse-engineer a page from their book. I can tie together all 4 banks of the forward pulse cannons and redirect extra power from the aft cannons for one burst. It’ll dim our lights, but have a more than excellent chance of piercing their shields and doing some real damage. =/\=
It occurred to Eric that his engineer Sonja was so animated because she loved the challenge of holding the little ship together against giants and making it formidable at the same time. ”Make it so, Cmdr Paquette.”
Her voice rang out, =/\= Lt. Enel, watch your console. I’ll be ready in a jiff. =/\=
Zub Enel watched his console. He asked no one in particular, “How long is a jiff?”
His console sounded an alarm notifying him the cannons were ganged and charged.
“That long,” came the reply from the FCO. “I’ll start pointing our nose at that big boy coming up to starboard for as long as I can.”
Zub nodded as he worked his controls. “Targeting engines.”
“Target their bridge,” Eric said, his voice cold. “Fire when ready.
Zub felt the down between his neck scales rise. It didn’t seem right to hit the bridge without an attempt at negotiating first. It occurred to him that the Masters were not hesitating to obliterate the HATHOR. He aimed for the fat, teardrop shaped bulge on the forward end of the gargantuan vessel and pressed the trigger.
The lights on the bridge flickered out. A brilliant blue plasma bolt almost as thick as the ship leapt away. The blaze of light was so bright that Zub thought he felt the heat of it against his skin. On the main viewer, a rainbow of blinding reds, greens and blues expanded from the shields above the Master’s bridge where the bolt landed. The rainbow winked out. A white-hot flash formed on the bulge. A dark rip appeared in the hull. Metallic debris, chairs, and bodies lifted from within the dreadnought, caught up by explosive decompression, some of it whirling directly at the oncoming HATHOR.
A’Janni threw the HATHOR into a steep bank that made everyone grab something to keep in their seats. He enthused in a loud roar, “Let’s do *that* again!”
“Tactical, Battle Damage Assessment,” the CO asked calmly.
The hulking lizardman said, “Targeted vessel has stopped firing. It has not changed its trajectory. One cannot truly say a ship can look surprised, but it looks surprised, sir. I would say we hit their con. They may recover anytime now, of course.”
Eric glanced at the lights of the Bridge. Without a number appearing he somehow knew they were at 87%. “Ops, status?”
Cmdr Shar’El at the Ops station reported, “Ship power has been restored to eight-seven percent. The cannons are currently offline. They appear to be intact and charging, albeit slowly. We’ll probably have to rely on a tactic called ’shoot and scoot.’”
The Captain allowed himself a brief smile. He commanded a little ship that could. “Helm, Tactical, set us up for another vessel. Battlecruisers only.”
As the maneuvering began with deadly purpose, he glanced at Shar’El sitting at Ops with one hand holding her in her seat. “Ops, communications status.”
The raven-haired ILO shook her head at him. “That destroyed relay station was at the extreme end of the entire subspace network and it was our only link to Starfleet. We can’t tell anybody about the Masters’ battle fleet.”
Morningstar nodded sagely. The Blink Drive was offline so they couldn’t just pop back to NEW ALEXANDRIA. The HATHOR’s systems were held together with a kludge and a prayer. He was confident that with this talented crew it was not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ a way to warn the Federation would be found. He sobered. Even so, the fleet didn’t have Blink Drives. It’d take them awhile to arrive.
His XO said softly, “We certainly have the Masters’ full attention. I hope the runabout has made it down.”
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Believe that you can whip the enemy, and you have won half the battle.”
- J. E. B. Stuart”
-=-=-
"Blue, White, and Red"
[the previous post was David's "Surprise"]
-=-=-
Setting: USS ANAKSUNAMUN, Flight Deck
Stardate: 37014.1135
The shuttle went around crazy through snow?
SNOW!
Rixx white knuckled the seat. He felt breakfast and tea surging as the G-forces jostled him in his seat. Sweat beaded up on his brow and he was feeling all sorts of space sick. All he could do was belch a little and feel nauseated. There was a beep and his station let him know that power was being directed to the inertial dampeners.
He was suffering from motion sickness. He hated drops like that. Then from where he sat he felt his stomach play with him. Did he hallucinate or did the pilot shape change. Even worse than that, she just ran off. He raised a finger and in a tone that would say he was a dull imitation of Willy Wanka, "No... wait... don't... come back?" Bractor looked at the remaining crew.
"Assuming nobody else wants to run, I would like to take the time to pass out Cold Weather clothing with an environmental shield. I also put a veridian patch which should make you trackable in case of emergency."
** You might hear that diesel a grinding, don't worry it's just me turning on back around.**
"There is also a type one phaser for each of you. I understand some of you may have pacifistic natures to yourselves? If that's the case, take it and set for stun. By default all hand weapons are off and the safety is on."
** Tell the cook to leave the window down, cause I am coming into town. When I leave to face the horses and the hounds.**
Bractor looked at the remaining senior staff.
With a deep breath he turned his head, resting it against the cool beam, He held up a tricorder. "She should be easy enough to track and retrieve. We are in a hostile world, full of hostile aliens that want to a) Probe us, B) Drink our brains or c) Eat us.. I don't think breaking apart is a good idea... sir? But you say no then it's no. What are my orders?"
Ya'Han sighed. There was a huge difference between what she wanted to do and what she needed to do. "Go and make sure that Jinx is alright, but stay close to the runabout."
"Jinx? I thought the pilot's name was Dalra," Bractor questioned.
"Long story," the white-haired CMO said, half grinning and half dreading how she would explain Gemma to Bractor.
The duty-bound Bolian aSec/Tac nodded his head in acknowledgement before making his way out.
-=-=-
Setting: USS ANAKSUNAMUN, Passenger Area
Stardate: 37012.1140
Adriana slowly opened her eyes and instantly became aware of a sharp pain coursing through her body. The exact source of the pain was clear, but whatever it was, it hurt, alot. A face framed by white hair was looking back at her, and the way the white locks fell to either side made it clear that the CMO was looking down at her."
"Well, looks like we didn't die," the CNS said, wincing.
Ya'Han grinned. "Most people would inquire instead of making such an absolute statement. Why are you so certain that you are not dead?"
"Hurts too much," Lopez said, wincing again.
"Sorry about that," the CMO said. "I did not want to give you anything for the pain until I was sure that you would wake. You took quite a hit on the head when we were all thrown to the floor."
"I thought Dalra was a good pilot." Adriana said, letting a sigh of relief escape as the content of the hypospray being pressed against her neck immediately started to work.
"She is," Ya'Han confirmed. "The runabout landed *inside* a cave hidden by a blizzard. At least, that is where I believe we ended up. Things happened pretty fast and it was hard to see anything through the forward windows. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how she was able to even see the cave's opening, let alone fly us in and land."
"Where is our star pilot?" The CNS asked, opting to remain laying down instead of sitting as a wave of dizziness swept through her.
"Dalra is gone," the CMO said before quickly adding, "and I don't mean gone *gone*, just that as soon as the runabout landed, her task was done and in her place appeared Jinx, the Bounty Hunter."
"If anyone can find any traces of the scientists, it's her," Adriana said. 'What about Brixx?"
"They are both outside right now, surveying the cave and trying to figure out what our next course of action will be," Ya'Han said as a single strand of red hair began to make itself known.
"I can tell that you would rather be out there with them than in here with me. Go, I suspect that three sets of eyes are going better than two on this hostile planet."
The CMO shook her head. "My job, my responsibilities are to attend to anyone and everyone who is injured in any way, and that right now means you."
"You took on the role of CMO to help, but we both know that this is not who you truly are. You have never been the type to stand by and wait for things to happen. How many times have you volunteered for a dangerous mission even before the Captain asked? I am not saying that Jinx or Bractor are not able to take care of themselves, far from it, but I know that you will not do anyone any good by staying here with me. Go, join them, share your expertise with them, I will be fine."
Ya'Han hesitated, considering what had been said against what she had been telling herself since before the HATHOR left NEW ALEXANDRIA. Seeing the inner conflict raging within the Nylaan, Lopez pushed but from a different angle.
"Fine, as the CMO, it is your duty, your responsibility to ensure that Jinx and Bractor are alright. You cannot ignore two officers under the pretense that another one needed, past tense, your medical attention. They could be out there, unconscious, freezing, dying, and you want to stay here with me, in the warmth and safety of the runabout?"
The woman's eyes narrowed, but Lopez knew that she had struck a nerve, the changing hair color being all of the indication the CNS needed. "I'll be back," the now bright red-haired Nylaan said, more as a warning than a promise, which suited Lopez just fine.
-=-=-
Setting: P8746, Inside the cave where the USS ANAKSUNAMUN landed
Stardate: 37012.1145
Ya'Han tightly hugged the coat she was wearing. Despite its heat capturing rating and the environmental shielding, the frigid air of the planet's atmosphere still found a way to get through and reach her bones. The CMO scanned her surroundings and quickly located the Bolian a Sec/Tac.
"Where is Jinx?" Ya'Han asked.
"Out there," he said, pointing to the cave's entrance beyond which only a wall of wind and snow could be seen. Bractor looked at Ya'Han before adding, "It's my job to make sure folks get back with permission, I can go grab and drag if you need them back here?"
The Nylaan stopped herself from giving a hasty reply. As the Sec/Tac, she might have sent Ensign Rixx after the fiery redhead Bounty Hunter, but as the CMO, she could not order him or anyone else to do something, especially not something that might place their lives at risk. The more she silently debated the situation, the more Ya'Han realized that there were completely different sets of rules and considerations at play when making a decision as a Sec/Tac and CMO. "Thank you," she said with a smile. "I do not think it will be necessary. Jinx, or Gemma, or whoever ends up out there, will be more than capable of taking care of herself. Best we can do is stay put and make sure that we can carry out our mission. The sooner we locate the team of anthropologists, the sooner we can leave this planet, this system and the Masters behind."
-=-=-
Robert Hughes
Ensign Bractor Rixx [Access Character BIO for Bractor Rixx]
aSecurity/Tactical
USS HATHOR, NCC 74211
We are what we pretend to be, be careful what you pretend.
and
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
and
Hanali Han <sectacyahan@gmail.com>
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
=-=
"Buried Alive"
Previous post: "Blue, White, and Red” by Rob, Marissa and Hanali
=-=
Setting: P8746, middle of a snow storm
Stardate: 37014.1145
Tracking and finding what did not want to be found was what she did best. Jinx's reputation for being one of the best Bounty Hunters was well earned. No one could hide from her, no matter how far they ran or how hard they tried. The best they could hope for was to delay the inevitable. It was because of that reputation and all she had accomplished to earn it that she felt so driven. It was also the same things that fueled her rapidly growing frustrations.
The bitterly cold wind made the snow strike what little skin was exposed with unimaginable force. Each flake felt like a miniature dagger digging into her skin. The Bounty Hunter had no choice but to shield herself, placing survival over the hunt. This had not been her first time in a frigid polar environment. Many believed this sort of scenery to be the perfect hiding place. That same belief was proven wrong more times than Jinx could remember. Maybe that was part of the reason why she was not willing to turn back. She had conquered this type of conditions before, and she would not accept defeat.
**What were you expecting? That the scientist would be waiting right outside the cave with open arms?** The El-Aurian Counselor sighed.
The Bounty Hunter wasted no time to counter. **Every second we spend on this planet increases our chances of encountering the Masters.**
A thick Russian accent followed. **Jinx is right. Time is against us. It made sense to act quickly.**
Lireen, the Edo explorer, voiced her objections. **This is a new environment, a new planet. We know nothing of it, therefore, caution should have been a priority.**
The Uxali scientist joined in with a comment of her own. **If not caution, at least weather appropriate clothing should have been a priority.**
Jinx spoke through grinding teeth. **Fine, I should not have rushed out head-first the way I did.**
**Rushing head-first leaves you knee-deep in quicksand.** The Edo sighed.
There was obviously no quicksand anywhere around, but the sentiment hit home. Jinx looked down at the perfectly white snow burying her feet. The coverage was not "knee-deep" but it was not far. Whatever tracks she should have left behind had long been erased by the bitter howling wind. Luckily for the Bounty Hunter, her sense of direction was excellent, so she knew where the cave was. At least she believed she knew where it should be as she could not see the entrance or the rock face that it was in. A thorough scan of her surroundings revealed only one thing, snow. A blinding wall of white that encased her like a trapped animal.
The wind and snow forced her eyes to narrow to mere slits. Visibility was nonexistent and despite the nanites coursing through her bloodstream, she felt cold. Jinx had survived both blood freezing and magma flowing environments thanks to her nanites. They were programmed to keep her alive no matter the situation. Repairs at the cellular level were almost instantaneous. This meant that she could survive where most would perish. Conditions that her bounty believed enough to stop anyone were proven insufficient in deterring her hunt. At least until now.
An unexpected wave of cold coursed through her entire body. The sensation was odd and unfamiliar. The cold was so intense that she could no longer stand, sending her down to one knee. The leg that was now completely covered by snow felt warm as compared to the rest of her body. The snow was a natural insulation for the cold, giving the Bounty Hunter a way out.
Without any hesitation, Jinx buried herself in the snow. The wind made quick work in covering whatever had not initially found refuge beneath the icy white substance. With her forehead resting on her hands, the woman was left to contemplate her situation.
How could anything survive in such an environment? Would she be able to do just that, survive? Dead or alive, would someone be able to find her once the storm ended. That was if it ended at all. Lireen was right, this planet was completely unknown to them. With the Masters set to take control, things were going from bad to worse at an alarming rate.
=-=
She felt a hand take hold of her left ankle. She had no idea how long she had been in the snow. All she knew was that she could barely move or think. She was frozen, her heart barely beating. There was nothing she could do other than let herself be taken. The question was where and by whom?
=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
##########
"Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Icebox"
Previous post: "Buried Alive" by Rachel
##########
"According to legend, some went to sleep in secret places, deep beneath their ancient cities, where no one can bother them. The rest walk among the stars, on errands we never hope to understand, barely aware of our existence."
-- Ambassador Delenn
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1145
The Native American was holding onto his chair for dear life. Keeping the Masters busy was quite the undertaking, especially considering the massive number and size discrepancies the HATHOR and its crew faced, but A'Janni was proving himself more than talented in keeping the smaller, faster ship out of reach of the battlecruisers' weapons.
"Captain," the FCO began just as he sent the ship into a dizzying spin lateral. "Not that this is not fun, but things are getting tighter. The Masters have repositioned the more distant vessels in a way that angles their weapons to cover any potential escape route, forcing us to stay closer to the center. They have quite effectively boxed us in and without a working cloaking device, there is no way for us to get out of here, at least not in one piece."
"The Masters have also shifted their tactics in regard to the closer battlecruisers," Zub reported from the Tactical station. "By limiting our flight range, they are forcing us to use more predictable evasive maneuvers and paths, which they are position themselves accordingly in order to pick us off as we use them. It is no longer a matter of *if* but rather *when* they will land a shot that will take us out."
"Well, that's a pleasant thought," Mitshiba sighed. "No wonder I have been getting flashbacks to my Kobayashi Maru Academy test. We need to come up with an option that the Masters have not covered."
"That will be easier said than done," Shar'El commented, her tone lacking the personal warmth that she used to have prior to her reassignment as the HATHOIR's ILO. "I have been studying the Masters' ship deployments. They are learning very quickly, covering the easier routes for escape while rapidly reducing our options for the rest. I have also detected a steady power increase in their field generators which leads me to believe that whatever they are planning to end this will take place very soon, and there might not be any way for us to avoid it."
"There is one way," Maya announced. "The Masters have effectively covered the outer atmosphere of the planet beyond the ships that we are sneaking our way in-between, and those ships are closing in with some sort of a trap that will either disable the ship or simply pulverize us into space dust."
"With all due respect, Commander," Mitshiba huffed. "What way do you see us using to get out of this predicament?"
"The planet," Maya specified. "The HAHOR is small and far more maneuverable than the battlecruisers, and so far they have used the planet as a wall, not expecting us to drop into the atmosphere."
"Gee, I wonder why that would be," Shar'El sarcastically said, rolling her eyes. "The wind speed alone is enough to make an atmospheric entry risky, visibility would be next to nil and shields and already compromised thanks to the residual dimensional energy. I think their assessment is quite accurate."
"Maybe so," Erik noted as he opened a comm channel. "Bridge to Engineering, we need all available power to the shields. We will be dropping into the planet's lower atmosphere."
=/\= WHAT! =/\=
Misaki winced. "I don't think she is happy."
=/\= Are you completely out of your mind? Did they push those ocular implants in a little too far? What extra power do you suggest I use? The shield emitters are already well over the safety limits. In fact, they are operating over the revised *over-limit* limits that I created. Forget the wind speeds, it's the shield themselves that you should be concerned about. They might cause the outer hull to buckle inward thus turning the ship into an oversized tin can. If you thought that HATHOR was cramped before, you have seen nothing yet. =/\=
"It's either that of they blow us out of the sky," Shar'El added. "The energy build-up is already powerful enough to rip through NEW ALEXANDRIA's outer shell. I doubt that our already taxed shields are going to be able to hold if they trigger whatever they have planned."
The entire bridge heard Sonja sigh. =/\= Fix the shields Cinderelli, we need another miracle Cinderelli. I'll see what I can do. =/\=
Morningstar wasted no time and turned his attention to the FCO. "Lt. A'Janni, stand by to initiate a sharp descent into the planet's atmosphere."
"Should we not give Paquette some time?"
"There is no time," Shar'El quickly added. "The energy build-up from the Masters' ships is reaching critical levels."
"Hang on to something..." the FCO said as he made the HATHOR's nose plunge forward towards the planet before increasing speed.
--==/\==--
Setting: Space over P8746
Stardate: 37014.1150
Energy bolts split the emptiness of space as the HATHOR made a desperate descent into the planet's atmosphere. The small Federation craft, in comparison to the massive Masters battle cruisers, had just begun its dive when a wave of energy engulfed all of the larger vessels and quickly expanded, the shockwave rapidly catching up with the descending runaway.
Within just a couple of seconds, the combined energy bubble from the Masters' ships engulfed the HATHOR and a few seconds later a bright flash of light was witnessed as if a new sun had just taken form where the smaller ship had been.
When the burst of light dissipated, nothing of the Federation vessel could be found, not even the slightest spec of debris. The HATHOR was gone if it had never even existed.
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1151
Lights were flickering all over the command deck, allowing the members of the crew to see what kind of mess the bridge and likely the rest of the ship was in.
"What happened?" Mitshiba asked. "Did we crash?"
"Highly unlikely," Maya reported while she tried to get her console to display some sort of useable information. "We were still quite a long way from the planet's surface when the energy wave caught up to us. The energy overloaded our shields, causing a chain reaction through the power grid, which explains why our instruments are offline."
"The real question is how did we manage to stay in one piece, for the most part." The FCO added, looking for a way to get his console back in operation.
"What the hell happened?" Sonja bellowed as she stormed onto the bridge. "Every system went into overload. I have my team working on emergency power, but nothing is working, not even life support of artificial gravity."
"Then how come are our feet still firmly on the ground?" Zub questioned.
"I know," the CEO exclaimed. "There is only one possible explanation."
"We landed," Maya exp[lained. "How is that possible though, we were just entering the lower atmosphere when the energy blast hit us."
"Let me see if I can help shed some light on at least where we are," Shar'El said as she used her sidearm to power her console and bright a faint image to appear on the main view screen.
"Where are we?" Graham said as she too stepped onto the bridge.
"By the looks of it, inside a cave," Mitshiba noted, surprise and confusion lacing her words.
"Captain," Maya said drawing the CO's attention onto her, the Shillian using her handheld tricorder to get a little more information as to what happened. "I am picking up a dozen or so life forms just outside of the HATHOR's hull."
"The Federation scientists?" Mitshiba said hopefully.
"The Masters?" Shar'El counted with what she believed to be a far more plausible explanation.
"Unknown," the Chief Science Officer noted. "All I can say is that whatever is out there, it is not humanoid. The readings do not match anything we have on record, and that includes the Masters."
"Great," Sonja lamented in a thick Scottish accent. "No power, no shields, no idea if those unknown aliens are friend, foe or just out for a stroll in the middle of a cataclysmic snowstorm that rages across the entire planet. Routine as usual I see."
--==/\==--
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
=-=
"Search and Rescue"
Previous post: "Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Icebox” by Francois
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave where the USS USS ANAKSUNAMUN landed
Stardate: 37014.1145
Bractor had put on his armor and assembled his rifle. He sighed, "I have to go and get her!"
As much as Ya'Han understood where the Bolian was coming from, she had to think about their situation from the point of view of a CMO. There was an injured crew member aboard the runabout and they were, for the time being, stranded on an unknown and clearly inhospitable planet. As crazy as it might have sounded, Gemma had done exactly what their mission goal had been at the time of their departure from the HATHOR -- to locate and extract the team of Federation anthropologists. The debate could have been easily argued on both sides, claiming that going after their OPS Officer was in their best interest instead of waiting and making sure that the runabout remained secured, but those arguments quickly became moot when considering who the person was at the center of the debate.
Lt. Gemma, a woman possessing more personalities than anyone could fathom, each with a specific set of skills that made the woman more than capable of taking care of herself, had never truly needed anyone else to do anything. After having recalled the likes of Anya, Jinx and a few others of the more deadly and cunning facets of the woman Brixx was bent on rescuing, Ya'Han decided to inform the Ensign of her decision only to discover that he had already left.
All that the CMO could do was hope that the storm would subside enough to allow Bractor to complete his mission, wondering if in the end it would not be he who would need Gemma to go to his rescue after having been so foolish and overly eager to prove himself.
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave where the USS USS ANAKSUNAMUN landed
Stardate: 37014.1155
In this frigid weather, 10 minutes might just as well have been an eternity. Despite the cold-weather coat she was wearing, Ya'Han could still feel the air nipping at her. As much as she had wanted for Bractor to find Gemma, the CMO began to realize that letting the aSec/Tac venture out on his own had been a mistake. So, she fetched her communicator from her pocket and opened a channel.
"Ya'Han to Rixx, please respond." She waited for a few seconds and tried again when no reply was received. "Lt. Ya'Han to Ensign Rixx, please acknowledge." Again, nothing but silence was heard which left the CMO to fall back on her Security training. "Ya'Han to Rixx, if you can hear me, return to the cave. The storm is just too strong, and we cannot risk losing you as well." After saying this the Nylaan left the channel open hoping that she would be able to hear something that would indicate that the Bolian had in fact heard her instructions.
The CMO heard nothing but grinchy static. At least it meant that the communicator was operational, but what about its owner? As she was debating her next course of action, a sound drew the woman's attention to the back of the cave. Her tactical and security training instantly kicked in, causing the Nylaan to seek shelter behind the nearest rock. Under different circumstances, she might have very well gone after Bractor but the thought of leaving Adriana alone was beyond unacceptable. With the hopes of getting a better idea of what she was dealing with, Ya'Han pulled out her tricorder and scanned the back of the cave, discovering to her horror a handful of non-humanoid readings, all of them heading in her direction.
The entrance to the runabout was roughly halfway between her and the approaching life forms. This meant that if she ran, she would easily traverse the distance before they reached the same point, but doing so would reveal her presence to them. Without knowing their intentions, or tactical capabilities, this would place her life at risk, but if she did not, it would be Adriana who would have to deal with them. That thought made the choice an easy one, both as a CMO and a Sec/Tac. She needed to get back into the runabout to regroup with Lopez, make sure that she was alright, and gain a better defensive position.
As soon as she began running, the hood of her coat flew back revealing a bright red set of hair. Not only did this display her current state of mind, but it also made it impossible for the Nylaan to hope to remain unseen, her red hair being impossible to miss against the white background of the storm visible through the cave's entrance.
-=-=-
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
=-=
“No Choice”
Previous posts: "Search and Rescue" by Hanali
=-=
Setting: HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1155
Right now, Shar'El was really missing the equipment and staff of the Intel Gathering Center or IGC. Had she been aboard the USS ANUBIS, the Intel sensor array would have long ago provided data used to not only identified the exact numbers of approaching non-humanoid entities, but also their individual heights, weights, physical characteristics including their heart rate which would have been used to determine whether or not they were hostile. A calm, steady, although possibly hastened heart rate, would have indicated the planned approach of a predator; while a more erratic heart rate would have been indicative of fear, which would have meant that whoever or whatever they were, had come to investigate something unknown to them.
Instead of the state-of-the-art technology of the IGC though, the ILO was forced to copy the CSciO and use a hand-held tricorder, its scanning system being amplified by the residual energy embedded in the bio-regenerative matrix of the HATHOR's outer hull. As much as it allowed the small device to scan far beyond its design limits, the results of those scans were anything but specific and left a great deal to be desired. Still, it was better than nothing.
**Non-Humanoid...** Shar'El inwardly sighed. That designation could mean that the approaching life forms might be humanoid-looking but with a completely different physiology, which might include an extra set of arms, legs, or three heads. Claiming that they were 'not Humanoid' could also be used to describe blobs of living ice, able to shapeshift at will, drawing upon any nearby snow and ice to bolster their body mass. Taking into account the general luck of this crew though, the ILO suspected that the creatures picked up by the tricorders were likely an odd mixture of the two extremes she had imagined. After having dealt with the Lokustaar, a race of shadow-born arachnid-like trans-dimensional beings, nothing was impossible.
"Do we have shields?" The Captain asked the Chief Engineer.
"Listen, we don't even have power to turn the bloody lights on," Sonja sighed, exasperated. "Whatever brought us here made sure that the ship would be without power thus rendering us unable to leave by any means, not that I think we could, given that we are now inside a cave."
"I could fly us out," A'Janni said, the Caitian sounding almost insulted by the implication.
"Please, explain to us how you plan on flying the HATHOR out of here without an active flight console, and while using a phaser-powered view screen with a flickering image at what, 25 percent resolution? Also, please keep in mind that we have no warp drive, no impulse power, no main power, emergency batteries are pretty much completely drained, which also means that we have no life support. I actually think we are lucky that we have functioning tricorders and phasers. I can only imagine that either those responsible forgot about those smaller devices or they believe us to be unable to use such tools to oppose whatever plan they have in mind for us."
"Captain," the ILO said, interrupting the CEO's justified and on-point rant. "Sonja is right, we are at a distinct disadvantage right now. The only visual we have is what little we can see on the main view screen, a point-of-view that we cannot shift or modify in any way. Our sensors are also extremely limited thanks to our using tricorders and the distortion of the residual energy present in the bio-regenerative hull matrix. With life support offline, we will have to open some sort of vent to the outside, sooner rather than later. At least we know, thanks to the team of scientists that were posted on the planet, that the air is breathable and safe, if not a little on the cold side. Being in a cave also means that we are protected, either in part or in whole, from the raging storm we observed while in orbit."
"One way or the other, we will have to make contact with whatever life form is out there," Maya added.
"It would be to our advantage if we did so on our terms, out there, allowing us the ability to retreat back to the HATHOR if the situation calls for it," the Sec/Tac continued, glancing at the ILO to show support and understanding.
"It might also help us confirm that we are indeed still on P8746," Maya said. "Although we were heading for the surface, the unexplained manner in which the HATHOR came to be in this cave, if it is in fact that, does not necessarily mean that we are on the planet. We could have been transported elsewhere."
"That's a pleasant thought," Shar'El said, echoing Mitshiba's earlier words.
Erik was visibly unhappy with everything that had been presented, but he and the rest of the HATHOR's crew had few alternatives, if any. "Fine, Commander Shar'El, you and Lt. Enel go out there and see who or what it is we are dealing with. I should not have to remind you not to take any risks, we might be dealing with a first contact situation, so extreme caution is required. In the meantime, Paquette and I will see if we can't figure out a way to get some power back. Let's go."
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
=-=
“Bare Necessities”
Previous post: "No Choice" by Tiffany
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave where the USS HATHOR landed
Stardate: 37014.1210
As Cmdr Shar'El and Chief of Security Lt Zub Enel stood beneath the HATHOR ensconced in its cave, the wind howled around the underside of the craft and rimmed everything with a plating of silvery frost.
Dressed in bulky cold-weather suits that featured a tight-fitting hood that framed the eyes and covered the rest of the face, both crewmembers braced against the gale and hugged themselves for warmth. Enel felt the much shorter officer smack him hard several times on his arm. He looked down. She was offering him an earpiece. He pried his hood away enough to jam it into his ear.
“This should allow us to speak without risking freezing our windpipes,” Shar’El said into his ear. “The only place colder than this is Admiral Koniki’s office!”
“Never been,” Zub admitted.
“Wear a sweater,” the Ops / ILO quipped, her voice dry.
Zub assumed the earpiece held some sort of microphone that picked up what he said through the bones of his head. He asked, “Is the tricorder still working?”
She didn’t bother looking at it. “Whatever those lifeforms are, they have stopped at the cave entrance. Let’s go meet them, shall we? Try not to be intimidating.”
The 7-foot-tall lizardman with clawed three-fingered hands quietly considered how to accomplish this feat as they pressed into the icy wind to the cave entrance which showed bare layers of reddish rock with white frozen lines in between as thick as fingers running parallel at a shallow angle down toward the cave floor. That same floor was covered with rising snow drifts, but the snow underneath was as hard as pack ice as far as he could tell.
Just as they emerged into the storm, together, barely an arm length separating them, several dark forms approached at a low crouch.
Shar’El said, her tone analytical, “Quadrupeds. Furry. Kind of like canines. Are those teeth?”
“Yes,” The Security Chief said. “Maybe we should stop for a moment.”
The Ulian agreed and focused her gaze as best she could through the blowing snow. Her ability to read memories was not limited to Humanoids, although a certain neurological structure needed to be present to permit Shar'El to see something. If she could get some sort of a memory from the creature, it would help them figure out what they might be dealing with. If, on the other hand, nothing was seen, the ILO would have to accept the fact that either the creatures were too intellectually primitive or just another one of those races that were immune to her ability.
The two crewmembers came to a halt in the gale force wind. Blowing snow stung their exposed eyes. Zub Enel held his hand up to shield his eyes as best he could from the wind.
Shar’El said, “Let’s hope that gesture doesn’t mean Total War to these beings.” Thanks to her not having been able to pick up any memories, or even hints of them, the creatures and their reactions were still a complete mystery.
Squinting against the stinging snow, Enel said, “Next time, we should wear the goggles that come with these suits.”
Shar’El replied, “This is a first contact. Whatever these beings are, it is better to see our eyes without anything in the way.”
With the blowing snow blocked by Zub’s upraised hand, the creatures were clearer to him. They were large. Even in a crouch they came up to Shar’El’s waist. The beings seemed truly doglike with the way their upper legs left their bodies bent backward to the elbows and then bent forward to the paws. The paws looked more like hands with short meaty fingers ending in claws. Each ‘dog’ had fangs longer than their other teeth.
“Meat eaters,” Shar’El opined. She seemed to Zub completely absorbed in her analysis of the new beings as to not feel any threat.
With his hand keeping most of the blinding snow out of his eyes, Zub looked even closer at the creatures closing on them. “They are wearing some kind of chest plates. There’s even raised markings on them.”
“A rune, possibly” Shar’El asked, her question rhetorical. “The glyph is vaguely Nordic. Fitting for such a frozen waste, but what are the chances Norsemen sailed one of their longboats all the way out here?"
There was a standoff of sorts. At least, both HATHOR crewmembers stood still, snow gathering up their shins. The doglike creature edged forward, heads low, thick white fur fluttering on their long necks, teeth clenched together and lips raised in a snarl. The animals kept edging forward, tentatively but persistently.
“Do something friendly,” Shar’El suggested.
“Feed them my hand?” Zub Enel offered.
“Say something.” Shar'El's suggestion came across more as an order than anything else. The ILO had a couple valid reasons for wanting the Sec/Tac to take point on this, the first being his size which would hopefully temper any reaction from the unknown creatures. The other reason was that she needed to observe the way the creatures acted and reacted to the encounter, trying to psychologically profile them with the intention of possibly predicting future actions and reactions.
Zub wondered not for the first time why superior officers always asked subordinates to do things they could easily do themselves. His deep voice rang out over the wind. “Hello! We are members of the United Federation of Planets. We mean you no harm.”
The dog-animals’ dark eyes started to show white. They crouched lower but the gesture seemed more protective of their bellies than readiness to lunge. Their snarls deepened. Red gums showed.
“Keep talking to them,” Shar’El said, again her tone coming across more like an order than a mere suggestion.
“I seem to be intimidating them. A minute ago you said….”
“Keep… talking.” Now there was no doubt about it, this was a direct order, one that the Voth knew better than to ignore.
He smiled even though his mouth was covered under the cold-weather hood. “I am Zub Enel and I eat only vegetables. How about you? What do you like to eat?”
A keening note rose over the roar of the icy wind. The dog-animals stopped snarling. They looked behind them and lowered their rumps onto the blowing snow. Three darker, larger figures on all fours came ambling out of the storm.
“They’re more ursa-like,” Shar’El said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice as this time she was able to get some sort of vague image from their minds. Whatever these newer creatures were, they were clearly more intellectually developed.
Zub asked, “Like what? Bears?”
The three bear-animals ambled to a stop behind the semicircle of sitting dog-animals. They wore hoods that had holes for ears to stick out. They wore greenish chest plates that look chitinous like they were made of huge shells. Each of the trio had short snouts and black noses. Their eyes regarded Shar’El and Zub Enel with a disquieting shrewdness.
Zub made the leap that these creatures were the masters of the dog thingies. He introduced Shar’El and himself as he had done to the shorter animals.
One of the big creatures sat back on his furry haunches. He folded together longish fat fingers on black paws over what looked like a raised but reversed number seven on his chest plate. His look was intelligent, contemplative. Zub noticed this one had a large shell shaped like a horn on a strap across his chest plate. He wondered if this was the horn he had heard over the storm.
Shar’El said to the seated bear-animal with the horn, “We are looking for others like us. We fear they are lost in this storm.” The ILO hoped that this might trigger a specific memory, one that she would be able to use to help locate the team of Federation scientists, or at the very least know of their fate.
The big bear of a creature who Zub tentatively named ‘Seven’ raised one paw-hand and made a waving gesture toward Shar’El and Zub Enel. The two other bear-animals turned around and disappeared on their four furry legs into the storm and then almost immediately each returned dragging something by shoulder straps.
“Sledges,” Shar’El exclaimed. “And look what’s on them!”
Wrapped in furs but looking frighteningly blue were the prone figures of Gemma and Bractor Rixx.
“You found them!” Zub exclaimed. “Our gratitude is unbounded!”
The one he had named Seven spoke in ‘common’ in a loud voice on the edge of a roar, “How unbounded *is* your gratitude?”
Zub peered at Seven in surprise.
“A tad mercenary, “ Shar’El whispered in his earpiece before realizing that something was not right. The HATHOR had no power, therefore, the main computer was offline, which meant that the comm badge's universal translation automated process was not operational, yet, both Zub Enel and she understood what had just been said to them. Clearly, these creatures were far from being as primitive as initially reported by the scientists.
Zub Enel said to the bear-like Seven, “We need to put these individuals you have so generously returned to us into our...” He paused, not sure how much to reveal in a First Contact. “…our shelter. They need to be warmed or they will die.”
The big bear named Seven gave a slow but recognizable shrug as though indifferent to Gemma’s and Rixx’s fate. “One wonders what miserable items of value a mix of races as weak as yours would have to offer to gain possession of your two stricken.”
The ILO was caught off-guard, not only because of the eloquent speech pattern, but also by a flood of memories that included the research team. Evidently, the anthropologists were being studied just as much, if not more, than they had been studying the inhabitants of this planet. After a few moments of consideration as to their next step, Shar’El said firmly, “Name your price. If we have it, it is yours.”
Blowing snow making a drift up his long back, Seven raised one claw and waggled it back and forth. His voice rose easily over the storm, a storm he seemed willing to leave the two moribund HATHOR crew in if negotiations for a reward did not please him. He rumbled, “One must not negotiate from a point of desperation. I could easily ask you for your entire shelter. You would give it to me to claim these fallen members of your own tribe, but you would die in the storm while we,” he waved a hand-paw to take in his two bear-like mates, “we would be warm and eat all your food.”
Shar'El stifled a smile. Yes, these creatures had learned their language from the Federation researchers, but their ideas, their concept of their world and of those around them was still very primitive, relying on basic survival requirements. These people, if she could call them that, were not interested in political gain, all they wanted, all they needed, was the means for survival.
"There is a threat approaching," she stated.
"We know," Seven admitted. "The giants have returned."
The ILO paused once again, surprised that they were aware of the threat that, as far as they knew, was still in orbit. At the very least, the description of the Masters as being giants was accurate and indicated that the race of inter-dimensional conquerors had been here before.
"We will help you fight these giants who have caused us great harm in the past, but in order to do so, we will need our full tribe," Shar'El knew that being overly explicit in the how or even why would serve no purpose. All she needed to do was to play on their need for survival, and proving that they shared a common enemy seemed to be the best course of action.
Seven again shrugged before, rising on all fours, shaking off and walking away, leaving Gemma and Rixx behind. No threats were made should they fail to abide by their agreement, no promises of support, no thank yous for the assistance. If they were indeed allies, it was out of sheer necessity, nothing more.
“Excellently played, Commander. Truly,” her Chief of Security enthused. The towering lizardman grabbed the strap of the sledge holding Gemma and began dragging it toward the HATHOR.
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
AND
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Never catch a snowflake on your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.”
=-=
"Waking Vision"
Previous post: "Bare Necessities” by Tiffany & David
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Quarters
Stardate: 37014.1300
Gemma laid in her bed, awake, her gaze fixated on something beyond the confines of the room. She understood why Bractor had been selected to be in Sickbay. The nanites coursing through her body would take care of her physical injuries. The Bolian was not that lucky. The problem was that their CMO was not aboard the HATHOR. Whatever had happened, Ya'Han and Adriana were still on the runabout, wherever it may be.
For the sake of both the CMO and CNS, the OPS officer was trying to remember. Rixx was unconscious, so she was the only one able to recall anything. Any hint, any clues could mean the difference between finding the two women alive instead of dead. The problem was that what Gemma did manage to remember made little sense, if any.
She remembered seeking shelter in the snow. She also recalled her body temperature dropping. The nanites immediately went to work in keeping her body alive. The problem was that her mind was struggling to maintain a hold on what was happening. Gemma recalled the sensation of something large and powerful taking hold of her ankle. She also remembered feeling as if she was floating on top of the snow. The sensation of a couple of wet, cold canine-like noses sampling her aroma was a vague memory. The OPS Officer could accept all of those without question. There was one memory that she was struggling to make sense of.
Someone had come to stand next to her, a fit, muscular woman wearing some sort of plated armor. Her eyes traveled Gemma's body with such intensity that frozen woman could not believe that it was not real. As surreal as all of that was, it was not the part that troubled the OPS Officer. The golden wings that protruded from the warrior woman's back made Gemma question if she had been dreaming.
The voice of the Uxali scientist broke the room's silence. "Having wings is not unheard of. There are several species that have evolved flight capabilities. Some do so by using feathered wings, others utilize leathery extensions. Very much like bats or Terran wyverns."
"Wyverns are, nor were at any time in EARTH's history, real."
A woman possessing long black hair laid on the bed where Gemma had been. The Ekosian's field of expertise was history, in all of its forms. The woman delighted in learning everything possible on ancient cultures. She enjoyed seeing how ancient beliefs helped shape modern ideas. One thing Melika was a sticker for though was accuracy. She was not the type to let legends or lore dictate history. Only facts mattered to her, so it was a generally accepted that anything she said was true.
Black hair was soon replaced by the customary blue of the Kotakian listener. "Did you notice the marking on her armor. It seemed odd, yet strangely familiar. It also appeared quite fitting on her, as if it was a natural part of who or what she was."
The Ekosian returned. "I did see it, and yes, it was very familiar. It just could not have been what you believe it to be."
Wimdalli returned, the Uxali scientist ready to counter Melika's objection. "There are thousands of civilizations out there in this galaxy alone. Even though the greater majority have unique evolutionary paths, some end up with similar languages and symbols. The rune we saw could have been an odd evolutionary duplication. Two different species using similar set of lines to express similar ideas."
Melika sighed. "You would think that as a scientist you would be more discerning. The runes you are referring to came from worlds lightyears from one another. The runes are also associated with civilizations that clearly did not possess spacefaring capabilities. Yet, they are both found on the same style of armor worn by the same type of warrior. This parallel cannot be simply dismissed as a coincidence. I for one am just not willing to accept that these two instances are linked. Therefore, what we *saw* had to be a dream or vision."
Yshuni Talz, the Kotakian barmaid continued. "Alright, if you will not believe what we *saw*, what about what we *heard*?"
Wimdalli chuckled. "What we heard was a strange mixture of sounds. There was nothing we could understand, at least not with the universal translator working."
The blue-haired woman smiled. "I am not referring to the discussion that happened around us. I am instead referring to the last word spoken. It seemed to be directed at the warrior, not as a name but as an acknowledgement of what she was."
The Ekosian was visibly not willing to accept what was being suggested. "There is no way that the word we heard means the same thing. That it was addressed to a similar type of person is nothing more than pure imposed wish to find similarities. There is no way that the winged warriors of Norse legends and that woman have anything in common."
It would be Gemma that would bring the discussion to an end. "Fine, then explain why those bearfolks referred to her as Valkyr? A word that goes far beyond being oddly similar to Valkyrie, which is exactly what those winged warriors were called."
The thought, the idea that this might all have been a dream remained unspoken. There were just too many questions, too many unknowns for anyone to make and definite claims. Yes, they had encountered an unknown primitive race of bear-like creatures. Yes, they appeared to be far more intellectually advanced than their simplistic attire led on to believe. Still, it was evident that they had nothing in common with the Norseman of ancient EARTH. Surely, a couple of runes and the vision of a winged warrior woman could not be proof enough of a link.
=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
-=-=-
"Pounding Headache"
[the previous post was Rachel's "Waking Vision"]
-=-=-
Setting: USS ANAKSUNAMUN, Passenger Area
Stardate: 37014.1305
Adriana could feel the beating of her heart echoing in her head. The sedative that Ya'Han had given her a few hours ago was starting to wear off, but right now there were other, more urgent matters occupying the acting CMO's mind. Had Lopez been in a better state, she would have gotten up and offered whatever help she could manage, but it was clear to the CNS that she had hit her head a lot harder than initially expected. This, for all intents and purposes, sidelined the Hispanic woman for the foreseeable future. The best that she could do right was to remain quiet and out of the way so as to not add to the Nylaan's troubles, whatever they might be.
Through the open doorway of the passenger area of the runabout, Adriana could see the occasional red streak of the woman's hair as she rushed from one section of the ship to the next. Adriana could only guess that the Masters had found them and were the cause of the woman's shift in responsibilities. It made perfect sense that the former Sec/Tac would revert back to her original position and training, especially after having proven herself in that field countless times. What puzzled the CNS though was why the Masters had still not made their presence known. What were they waiting for? It was atypical of conquerors of their stature and reputation to wait; usually taking whatever they wanted as soon as it was within their reach.
One thing was certain though, Ya'Han was in full combat mode, setting up everything she could to ensure the safety of the two runabout occupants. Again, Adriana wished that she could do something to help, but all she could do right now was to close her eyes and try to manage the growing pounding in her head. The sensation was gradually becoming unbearable, so much so that the CNS had no other choice but to call out to the other woman, hoping that she would be able to take a few seconds and revert back to the white-hair medical officer, even if only for a brief moment.
"Ya'Han!"
The Nylaan appeared without warning as if she had somehow managed to tap into the HATHOR's blink drive. "Are you alright?"
"I'm..." Adriana let the word 'fine' drift into the realm of unspoken thoughts, realizing that it would only waste the redhead's time. "My head is killing me. Do you have more of whatever you gave me last time?"
"I am so sorry," Ya'Han apologized as she scrambled to fetch the nearest medical kit. "I got sidetracked and forgot to check in on you."
"I figured something happened," the CNS said, forcing a smile on her lips while shooting a quick glance at the woman's fiery colored hair.
"Can you believe that I have been working on controlling my emotions for months now and I still can't stop my hair from changing color when I get emotionally invested in a situation," the Nylaan admitted while preparing a hypospray.
"It is all part of your charm, of the person you were and have become," Lopez said. "This is part of your copying mechanism, a tool that helps you deal with all of the stress and hardships you have endured, and I am not only referring to your time as an officer of the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex. Your personal history would have brought most to their knees never to get back up again. I understand that you may see your inability to control your hair color as a weakness, but to me, it is a show of strength, or an uncanny ability to adapt where no one else could."
"Thanks," Ya'Han said. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I am not that special, and I am certainly not the only one able to change to adapt to a situation. Someone else does it a lot better than I do."
"Gemma doesn't count," the CNS chuckled. "Her story is like nothing we are likely to ever be able to understand or even fully imagine. Her constant changes come from a psychological shattering of her mind, yes this allows her to adapt to whatever may cross her path, but she cannot control it. You, on the other hand, can control it as it is a learned ability."
"Well," the acting CMO said, pressing the hypospray against the CNS' neck. "I would not mind having her and Bractor here with us right now to help defend against whatever it is that is out there."
"Hmm, so am I to gather that we are not under siege by the Masters," Lopez said, already feeling the pounding in her head diminish.
"No," Ya'Han confirmed. "There were large bear-like creatures out there. I rushed back in and sealed us in, figuring that they would attack, but so far, they have not moved from where they were. They are just standing there, watching us. At least they were until a few minutes ago."
"What happened?"
"I don't know," the redhead Nylaan said. "They just left without a word or action. I can only guess that either they decided to retreat and forget about us, or they went to get reinforcements not being sure what kind of defenses they might encounter if they try to attack."
"You realize that they might just have been curious," Lopez explained. "The anthropologist team did describe the inhabitants of this planet as bear-like, so it makes sense that they came to investigate something that they had never seen before. Remember, according to the scientists, these people live in a stone-age style of society, so a runabout is sure to come across as something worth investigating."
"I can't afford looking at this situation with the optimism of a scientist," Ya'Han said.
"You could," Adriana said grinning. "As I recall, you do have the hair color for that too, but that is also something else that sets you apart from Gemma. You have made a conscious decision to go *red* and protect us both instead of embracing the opportunity as a blue-haired scientist."
"Even if I wanted to, I could not. We are currently stranded on a planet with half our team missing. We have no way to contact the others and there is a strong chance that the invading force we encountered in orbit has already set foot on the ground."
"In the snow," Lopez playfully corrected. "I understand where you are coming from, and honestly, I agree with you. The question is, what do we do about it?"
The answer came in the form of a large bang that echoed through the entire ship, followed by another and another. The impacts were so powerful that the runabout shock with each. Ya'Han wasted no time and rushed to the nearest window to see if she could identify the source of the banging, and the gasp that she let out made Adriana understand that whatever it was, it was not good.
"Now I know why those bear-like creatures left," the acting CMO sighed. "The Masters have found us, and they do not appear to be at all happy to see us here." The banging continued, increasing in both frequency and strength, until visible impact points could be seen from the inside.
"What do we do?" Lopez asked, unable to hide the fear in her voice.
"We get ready to fight," Ya'Han said, handing over a phaser rifle to Adriana.
-=-=-
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
and
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
---
"Deeper Analysis"
(Previous Post: "Pounding Headache")
---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1305
With the main computer still offline thanks to the HATHOR being without power, the Shillian scientist did her best to analyse the data gathered by the tricorder Commander Shar'El had brought along with her during their encounter with the indigenous inhabitants of P8746. As small as the screen might have been, however narrow the scanning field was; the small hand-held device had collected enough data to make the analysis an interesting one.
The fact that they were able to verbally communicate with the bear-like race was in itself a pleasant surprise, one that held a deep scientific mystery. Learning a new language, especially one foreign to a particular world, required a great deal of time and intellectual prowess, something that the inhabitants of P8746 had not been credited with according to the reports from the team of anthropologists. So, how did they manage to learn a new language so quickly?
That simple question was what drove the Chief Science Officer to dig deeper into the data collected by the tricorder. To achieve a more in-depth analysis, Maya linked two other tricorders to the one Shar'El used. The combined computer power was still very short to what the main computer would have been able to provide, but it did add up to being much better than using a stand-alone tricorder.
The initial findings were no surprise as the imposing creatures possessed a skeletal and muscular frame that matched their size. The tricorder had been able to register basic bodily functions such as heart rate and lung capacity, both of which again matched the size of the creatures as well as the demands imposed on them by their environment. As Maya pushed her analysis, something caught her attention, not something dealing with the inhabitants of P8746 but rather an oddity that the tricorder was able to pick up on the surrounding environment.
"You seem perplexed," Commander Mistshiba said as she joined the Shillian at the powered down science station.
"I was simply analysing the data collected by the tricorder Commander Shar'El had the enlightened notion to bring with her."
Misaki mentally recoiled at the reasoning proposed by the Chief Science Officer. "With all due respect to Commander Shar'El, I doubt that her intentions were *enlightened*. As the Intel Liaison Officer, it made perfect sense for her to bring whatever tool she could in order to gather as much information on our unknown hosts. Unfortunately, not everyone looks at every situation the way you and I do, as scientists." Mitshiba paused as she considered her own words. Even she had to admit that since her promotion as Executive Officer, her way of looking at any given situation had changed, drifting away from the pure and simple curiosity that a scientist was entitled to.
"Whatever her reasoning was, I am not sure that she realized what she discovered," Maya said. "In fact, I am not certain either as to what it is the tricorder stumbled upon."
"All right, let me see if I can help," the former Chief Science Officer now Executive Officer said, taking a seat right next to the Shillian. "What is it that the tricorder picked up that has you so perplexed?"
"I was trying to analyse the creature and come up with something that might provide us with a deeper understanding of what kind of beings we are dealing with. I am very curious as to how they managed to learn English so quickly and perfectly. I understand that it is one of the languages the Federation uses as a default to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with one another in the absence of some sort of universal translator, but these creatures are not part of the Federation. In fact, their only exposure to the Federation was through the team of anthropologists which should have been completely hidden from them. Therefore, something is missing, either in the reports filed by the team leader or in the race itself."
"What did you find," Misaki said, prompting Maya to get back on track in telling her what she had discovered.
"The tricorder picked up echoes of the verbal conversation, which is standard given that the encounter happened inside a cave, but what was interesting was when I started looking at the patterns of those same echoes. Normally, I could have used this to get a rather accurate layout of the cave, but there was something odd. There are sections of the rock face where no sound echoed back from. So, I figured that there might me some porous rock formation that was absorbing the sound instead of reflecting it, but when I used the data gathered by the tricorder, I found out that the rocks that make up the whole of the cave are of the same composition, so there was no reason why one section would reflect sound while another would not. That is when I decided to look at the rocks more closely, or more to the point to look at what was behind the rocks. Again, I was limited by what the tricorder recorded, but I did find something strange, there are areas extended for quite some distance where there is nothing behind the initial rack face that we see."
"Tunnels?" Mitshiba gasped, thinking how much easier and faster it would have been as Maya simply said this to start off with.
"Again, my analysis is very limited in range and scope, but from what I was able to extrapolate, there is an entire network of tunnels beyond the walls of this cave. That or the information gathered by the tricorder was tainted by something in the rocks that I was not able to identify," the Shillian added.
"One way or the other, I think your discovery is worth a closer investigation."
---
Non-Mission Message:
Thank you Francois for the idea. Hope I did it credit and not messed up whatever you and David have planned for this mission.
---
Jessica Solarik
&
"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)
=-=
“On The Double”
Previous post: “Deeper Analysis” by Jessica
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Stardate: 37014.1315
A heartfelt sigh announced the presence of Chief Engineering Officer Sonja Paquette on the darkened Bridge. The Executive Officer Mitshiba Misaki looked up from the data on the three wired together tricorders that she and the Chief Science Officer Maya were studying. Misaki followed her intuition as to the Chief Engineer’s mood. “No luck with the energy dampening field?”
“Luck schmuck,” the redheaded female huffed. “It is coming from everywhere and nowhere. If it had not been for Maya figuring out that field was even there, we might still believe that we were sitting on some sort of energy black hole. Whatever this thing is, it makes all major systems act like insulators instead of conductors. It’s like some kind of quantum boomerang effect where an electron leaves to go somewhere else but immediately returns to where it started. An electron 'Stay At Home Order' is what we got here.”
The Shillian scientist Maya asked Sonja, “Does this ‘quantum boomerang effect’ power down the Masters, too?”
The Engineer patted her hair bun. “Unknown. The effect seems pervasive. Might be dampening everybody’s tech. Even without tech, the Masters are not above breaking heads with rocks.”
When Captain Eric Morningstar spoke into the gloom from his command chair, all three females startled. “In your review of the researchers’ data, was there any mention of this dampening effect?”
Misaki shook her head slowly. “No, sir. Their reports were absolutely standard: daily log entries, personal logs, observations of the denizens going about their lives, weather reports, and supply levels.”
Sonja said, “Logically, the very fact they were able to send daily reports via a subspace transmitter is a sign that they were not suffering from power failures. Our communicators can barely penetrate this radiation. They’d have never gotten a signal out. I’d say this dampening is recent.”
The Native American nodded. “What about their weather reports? How were they able to make observations in a planetary storm?”
Misaki “Aki” Mitshiba shook her head again. “I was more curious about the denizens and their culture. That said, I don’t recall many complaints about the weather.”
"There was no mention in any of the reports of a planet-wide storm of any magnitude. It is almost as if both the storm and dampening field happened as a result of the Masters' arrival." Maya paused before turning to focus solely on the Native American CO. “Are you theorizing that this storm and dampening effect arrived with the Masters?”
“Did it?” Morningstar rhetorically asked, the possibility, as strange as it may sound, was too much to ignore.
The three intelligent women looked at Eric intrigued. Maya and Misaki turned to their jerry-rigged tricorder supercomputer, their faces lit by the displays as they to start searching for an answer. Sonja said, “This cave might be a trap prepared in advance and sprung by the Masters. If there are tunnels behind the cave walls, there could well be energy dampening devices in one or more of them.” She turned to leave and raised a finger in the air, “We need to get some boots on the ground and I know just the work detail to get into a tunnel and check things out.”
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Setting: Cave Floor near USS HATHOR
Stardate: 37014.1330
“Come on,” Sonja urged in a strong Scottish accent. “Put your backs into it! My dead great grandmother could get through that rubble faster than the pair of ya.”
A’Janni, the massively built, white tiger humanoid, peered balefully with his one remaining eye at the powerfully built lizardman Zub Enel. Both of them were out of breath. Metal fire axes found by the Shipboard Services boss Hailey Graham now rested point down between their boots. Rallying, they each gripped their axe with both hands and resumed hacking at the ice wall on the side of the cave.
Behind the two laboring males, Sonja Paquette’s tricorder warbled, the sound barely rising over the storm wind outside the cave and the crashing of metal against ice. A’Janni and Zub Enel applied a good two dozen splintering blows before they let their axes sag to the snow drifting around their boots. They’d made a sizable dent.
“No,” the Engineer said, swinging her tricorder back and forth. “You’re right on target for the tunnel opening but I see a lot more chopping in your near future.”
Waist-high to her, a furry animal with a pointed nose trotted into the cave and sniffed Sonja. She recoiled a step in surprise.
A’Janni raised his axe ready to strike the animal, his eye narrowed. “Is that a wolf?”
Zub Enel, the scaly and tall Chief of Security, lifted his three-fingered hand palm-out. “Wait! It belongs to the bear like creatures we….” He gaped in surprise at three bear folks standing on all fours in the cave entrance with their backsides to the wind and blowing snow. They were wearing translucent armor made from what looked like shell material. Each had slung over their broad backs a huge axe made of wood and black blades of stone like obsidian. Zub recognized the one he had named Seven due to the backward 7 on his chest plate.
Before Zub could speak, Seven rumbled, “The giants attack two of yours in your other shelter. Bring your best fighters and come at once.”
The redheaded CEO said firmly, “Now listen here, you odiferous—”
Zub interrupted her. “Sorry, Commander. To get these persons to return Gemma and Rixx to us, Shar’El and I promised this one, Seven, that we would help them fight the Masters.”
Sonja’s Scottish accent was as thick as kipper pate, “Oh, did you now?” She touched her combadge before remembering that the equipment was inoperative. Glaring at Zub, Paquette pointed to the ground at the Voth's feet. "STAY!" The stunned Chief of Security remained silent as he and A'Janni watched the woman rush back to the HATHOR.
=-=
It didn’t take long for the CO Eric Morningstar, the XO Misaki Mitshiba, and ILO Shar’El to clamber out of the HATHOR armed with long white rods tipped in black. Zub Enel recognized the staffs as the Federation version of Klingon pain sticks. They could offer a stunning jolt of electricity as well as deliver a stout, old-fashioned whack. Gemma climbed down onto the snow with less than her usual grace. She looked drawn and pale.
"Are you okay?" Mitshiba asked of Gemma in a quiet, whispered voice.
"I'm fine," the OPS officer snapped, the woman clearly not appearing as herself, or anyone else that they had ever dealt with before. It was still Gemma, but there were several minor points, like the colour of her eyes, that were just not quite right.
Eric interrupted any further discussion between the two women as he spoke in his command voice, “A’Janni, Enel, Gemma, and Shar’El will follow Commander Mitshiba wherever these—” He paused for words, “—these warriors take you. The rest of us will secure the HATHOR and attempt to restore power.”
The two huge HATHOR males kept their axes but accepted pain sticks from Misaki and Captain Morningstar as well. Gemma, Shar’El and Aki formed up near the males and looked expectantly at the bear folk.
The one named Seven gave a snort as he looked over the HATHOR combat team with its vast difference in heights. “Little sticks and tiny fighters? Your tribe has no chance.”
Cmdr Misaki Mitshiba said in utter seriousness, “You waste valuable time. Lead us.”
The bear named Seven made a wave of a clawed paw-hand toward the ice wall battered by fire axes. One of the other bears padded over to it on all four feet. He had on his back a long pole caked in rust with an egg-shaped knob on one end and two long tines on the other that formed a cursive U. He rose onto his hind legs to jam the knob against the chipped ice wall. He struck the tines with the flat side of his wood and obsidian axe.
A deep thrumming began, a frequency so low that the HATHOR crew could feel it beating against their chest like powerful engines at full warp. Ice in the wall around the rusted pole cracked loudly. Large angular slabs rattled and bobbed. The wall collapsed with a roar that threw up a cloud of snow. The tunnel was open. The standing bear stowed the rod and axe on his back again and dropped to all fours.
Seven said, “Small fighters through the passage.” He looked up at Zub Enel and A’Janni. “No room for big fighters. Follow Raud outside. We must arrive at the same instant. Attack!”
Raud, the other bear person that had been waiting quietly at the cave entrance until then, turned and sprinted four-legged outside into the blizzard. Zub and A’Janni did their best to keep up. Fully a dozen of the wolf like creature loped along with them, fading in and out of sight in the blizzard.
Seven lifted a front paw into his armor and produced a translucent jug. He shook it. It began to glow a bioluminescent green. He held it out to Aki. “Follow closely. There are many turns and we must run. Aki accept the glass container. As she peered at it with wonder, the two bears, Seven and the one with the immense tuning fork, galloped into the tunnel one after the other. Aki, Shar’El, and Gemma gripped the straps of their weapons and used the jug’s glow into track the bear’s backends in the darkness. Each bear person filled the tunnel, but the circular passage was tall enough for the HATHOR crew to stand erect and run flat out. The single wolf creature that had sniffed Sonja earlier trailed close behind.
Watching the green glow vanish around a curve, Eric said to Sonja, “There is much to learn about these beings. Their battle techniques, why they have a metal ice-breaking tool but no metal weapons, a lamp of sorts. In the meantime, we need to secure the HATHOR in case the Masters attack here, too.”
Sonja didn’t move. “I need a wee peek into this tunnel and any connecting ones for energy dampers. I can use the tricorder to see.”
Eric nodded, “Don’t spend too long searching. If you don’t find anything, return to the ship. I’ll send down Rixx for added security. Clearly, the Masters are on the offensive and we have to be ready for them.”
Paquette’s face tightened. Her tone was impatient. “Tell him to hurry. I’ll leave without him.”
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
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"Conflicting Thoughts"
Previous post: "On The Double” by David
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Setting: P8746, cave passageway
Stardate: 37014.1345
Misaki was closely following the bipedal bear leading them. Bringing up the rear was Shar'El, acting as any true ILO would. Keeping a vigilant eye on everyone and everything. Gemma was in the middle, feeling oddly uneasy, nervous, and on edge. These were sensations that she was not at all accustomed to experiencing. The strangest part of it all was that it was not because of who was behind her. Honestly, the OPS Officer was not bothered by that fact, and that bothered her, a lot. As an ILO, allowing anyone to be behind her was a failure on her part. She could hear Anya, Jinx, Shinral and even Abrasivnyy screaming in her head.
There was something odd about that too. Gemma was used to dealing with them, their opinions and various objections. This time though, their voices were muffled, distant, weak. It was as if they were far away standing well beyond the woman's reach. A shiver washed over her body, focusing her thoughts on something entirely different. The OPS Officer considered what was happening to her before voicing aloud. "I'm cold."
The ExO glanced over her shoulder. "Just imagine how A'Janni and Zub are feeling. They are both in the storm. At least here, we are protected from the pounding wind." Mitshiba's smile instantly vanished when she saw Gemma, almost as pale as snow. The woman had survived being out in space without an EVA suit. She had lived through injuries that would have killed most, including both officers previously mentioned. Despite her earlier claims, something had to be wrong with the OPS Officer.
Gemma dismissed the looks of concern fired her way by Misaki. They had a mission to complete, crew members to rescue. That needed to be the only thing on their minds.
Finnja, the Dinaal with a bleeding heart for the universe, spoke, her voice as distant as all the others. **She just cares about you. Just like she cares about everyone else under her.**
Abrasivnyy wasted no time to offer a counter argument. **She's the ExO. It's her job to pretend to care about those under her. Makes them feel more appreciated and therefore willing to work harder. They, like you, are utter idiots for believing that she might actually care.**
It was the Kriosian who stepped in to defend Misaki. **She sees them as friends. Even a blind person can see that, the woman genuinely cares about those she serves with. That is why she is worried about her.**
The next words were spoken with a thick Russian accent. **Worrying about anything is a waste of time, a waste of energy. One's focus needs to be on the here and now. You need to be 100% invested in the task at hand. Anything short of that could lead to failure. In this world, failure means someone dies, Therefore, we have to make sure that it is the others who worry about us, not the other way around.**
Gemma shook her head, fighting against the nipping cold at her body, and the battle in her head. There was one advantage, one silver lining to all this. The colder she felt, the more distant the voices became. It almost made the OPS Officer welcome the icy hold against her muscles.
The Bounty Hunter Jinx roared with all of her might. Her voice was as loud as if the woman was standing right next to Gemma. **SNAP OUT OF IT! What are you? A prey or a predator? You want to let yourself die, that is your choice, but what about Ya'Han? What about Adriana? Are you willing to let them die as well?**
The OPS Officer felt herself drop to one knee. The cold, the voices, everything was just too much for her to handle. Gemma needed a moment to gather herself. The thought of taking control seemed almost impossible. Nothing like this had ever happened. What was happening to her?
In a moment measured in a fraction of a heartbeat, the woman sprung back to her feet. Gemma and Shar'El locked eyes, the ILO's hand extended to touch the OPS Officer. Before any concerns could be voiced, the conflicted woman spoke. With her voice calm and very much in control she said, "I slipped."
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[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
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"What is Going On?"
Previous post: "Conflicting Thoughts" by Rachel
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Setting: P8746, in the storm
Stardate: 37014.1350
One would think that having a thick coat of fur would help, but despite that natural protection stuffed inside a Federation issued cold-weather gear, the icy wind still found its way to the Caitian's flesh and down to his bones. If that was not bad enough, it took everything A'Janni had to keep up with Raud, the bear-like creature who moved through the storm as if neither the snow nor wind were there. Through the use of a single squinted eye and desperately searching ears, the man-cat barely kept track of the native's progress making his task of following that much more demanding.
Every so often A'Janni would glance to his side to make sure that Zub Enel was still there. Neither one of them dared to speak for fear that it might make their situation worse, allowing for whatever precious heat they had to escape or to advertise their position to anyone else that might be out there, hidden to them by the blowing snow. The best the Voth and Caitian could do at the moment was to follow the bear-like man as best they could and hope that they would reach their destination earlier rather than later.
With each step they manage to take, A'Janni could feel whatever fur was exposed to the storm grow heavier as the snow gathered on each strand. The frigid air filled his lungs, making each breath more difficult and painful to take. How anyone could live, let alone survive, in such an environment was beyond the FCO's comprehension which left him to be completely puzzled and in utter admiration of the bear-like beings. Obviously, their lack of technology had not been an issue for them, in fact, it appeared to be quite the opposite, as they clearly were able to manage much better in this environment than anyone else.
The Sec/Tac and FCO suddenly stopped, both having lost track of their guide. The Voth and Caitian looked at each other, barely managing to see the other's outline through the storm, silently wondering what they would do next. Trying to return to the HATHOR was not an option if they were to save Adriana and Ya'Han but pressing on would most certainly mean their end as neither had any inclination as to where they were going or how they would get there.
A shiver took hold of A'Janni, a mixture of his bones freezing and his fears of not being able to rescue the CNS and CMO gradually taking over his thoughts. Just as the Caitian was about to speak he felt something take a hold of his arm and pull. The firm grasp was large and strong, well beyond his ability to break free of but his concerns as to what was happening to him quickly vanished as the FCO found himself inside another cave along with Zub Enel.
The Voth and Caitian appeared as frozen sticks with snow and ice attached to whatever extremity could be accessed. On the other hand, Raud appeared pristine without a single snowflake on his body, again as if the storm had not been there at all for him. To make sure no one would say anything, a large claw was brought up before pointing deeper into the cave. That was when A'Janni heard the pounding of large, muscular fists against the outer hull of a metallic structure, a structure that the FCO easily guessed was their missing runabout.
A'Janni found himself taken out of one storm and into another, this latest one being one of questions. How had Raud managed to weather the blizzard so easily, and without showing any signs of even having been through it. The FCO was very pleased and thankful that the bear-man had brought them here safely, but the questions as to how this had taken place would need to be addressed at some point, but for the time being, rescuing their shipmates had to be the one and only thought in their minds.
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Jayson Sousa
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"Brute Force"
[the previous post was Jayson's "What is Going On?"]
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Setting: USS ANAKSUNAMUN, Passenger Area
Stardate: 37014.1350
It had been 40 or so minutes since the pounding against the outer hull of the runabout started, and it was not showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, judging by the increased frequency of the impacts, it was easy to guess that there were now multiple heavily muscular assailants trying to gain access to the inside of the craft.
"Why are they not using phasers, blasters or whatever other energy weapon they have at their disposal?" Adriana asked, her voice heavy with frustration.
"Because they don't have laser swords," Ya'Han growled, the CMO visibly showing signs of distress from the relentless pounding and the echo it created throughout the vessel.
"Not funny." As required by her position and duties, Lopez had researched various forms of tortures, including both physical and psychological, and this seemingly endless pounding was definitively falling in the latter category. "Maybe they are not actually trying to get in," she added. "Maybe it is their intent to drive us crazy and force us out like rats."
"The tactic would be a sound one," Ya'Han dryly commented, instantly drawing an irritated deathly glare from Adriana. "It's true," the Sec/Tac turned CMO added. "That way they would have us disoriented and at an immediate disadvantage."
"What is wrong with you?" Lopez loudly exclaimed. "Are you actually admiring their battle tactics and supporting their methods?"
"I am not," the fiery redhead said. "One does not have to be aligned with the dark side to understand their motives or tactics, trust me, I know. My dealings with the Lokustaar is the perfect example of that. I know that I am the acting CMO on this mission, but that doesn't mean that I suddenly forget all of the training and expertise I have accumulated over the years in the field of security." Ya'Han paused, taking a moment to close her eyes and center her thoughts amidst the pounding that seemed to be growing louder with each passing second. "The only reason I do not believe that this is what they are trying to do is that it does not fit what we know of the Masters. So, there has to be another reason."
"That they are barbaric conquerors bent on crushing anyone and everyone they encounter under their oversized boots?" The CNS said, glaring at the giants in question through the walls of the runabout that were clearly showing the signs of the pounding they were being subjected to.
"Besides that," Ya'Han noted. "Although I do agree that the Masters are liable to enjoy displaying their strengths and capabilities for all to see, I doubt that this is the case here. The show of strength was done in orbit, by bringing an entire fleet to orbit this planet. Flexing their literal muscles here and now makes no sense, so again, I believe that there has to be another reason." The CMO studied the phaser that was in her hand, realizing with dismay that the energy cell was nearly completely depleted.
Accepting with reluctance that the weapon would be useless beyond the first or maybe second shot, Ya'Han returned the energy weapon to its holster and sighed.
"What is going on?" Adriana asked.
"Maya must be having a field day with this planet," the CMO theorized. "There appears to be something about this planet that drains power from our equipment. It would explain why we have experienced so many difficulties and why the Masters have resorted to brute force to try and get to us. They might even believe that we are someone responsible for this effect."
"Great," Lopez exclaimed. "Next, they will blame us for the planet-wide blizzard."
Ya'Han chose not to comment on Adriana's last statement. Their situation was desperate and quickly sliding down into the realm of desperate, so they needed to come up with a way to escape before they would find themselves trapped inside a ripped-open runabout. In an effort to further focus her thoughts, the CMO stretched out her hand and applied it against the bulging inner hull. She could easily feel the resonating echo of the impacts until suddenly it all stopped, plunging the runabout and those inside into an unexpected eerie silence.
"What did you do?" Adriana whispered, worried that saying this any louder might cause the pounding against the utter hull to resume.
Ya'Han said nothing, instead she just brought her hand back and studied the inside for several seconds, wondering for a split second if she possessed some sort of unseen power, an ability to force others to comply to her will from a distance. Eventually, the CMO dismissed the foolish idea and turned to look at her injured shipmate. "There has to be another reason."
-=-=-
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
and
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
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“Unexpected”
Previous post: "Brute Force" by Hanali and Marissa
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Setting: P8746, Cave where the USS ANAKSUNAMUN landed
Stardate: 37014.1355
The bear and three-woman team emerged into a cave through a small opening that seemed barely wide enough to accommodate the Starfleet officers, let alone the far more imposing native inhabitant of P8746. As the last one out, Shar'El was immediately greeted by the commanding gesture of the First Officer instructing her to go low and remain quiet. The reason for this was beyond evident as the ILO could see half a dozen Masters pounding with the bare fists against the outer hull of the runabout.
"Looks like they have been at this for some time," Commander Mitshiba said, looking with apprehension at the extensive damage inflicted to the ship. "Their equipment must be suffering the same effect as ours, which in this case is a good thing or they would have gained access to the inside of the ship long ago."
"You can see that they are more than driven to get inside, whatever the reason may be," the ILO said. "Wonder what could be so important to them? I mean, they decided to pound their way in instead of using some other tools, that shows a certain level of rushed determination."
"I was wondering the same thing," Misaki said, the wry smirk on her lips making it evident as to what she wanted the ILO to do next.
"I'll try, but no promises," the Ullian said, sighing. "I can read the memories of most humanoids, but there are some where the brain bio-structure is so different that I am unable to get anything. The Masters may look roughly humanoid, but they do originate from another dimension, so there are no guarantees."
"Don't try. Do, or do not," the Asian officer instructed. "It will give Zub and A'Janni time to thaw and be ready for a more physical intervention," Mitshiba added, discreetly pointing to the other team that had entered the cave from the opposite side.
Shar'El quickly located a spot from which she would be able to focus all of her attention to the nearest grey-skinned giant. If this memory scan was going to be in any way successful, the Ullian would need an unhindered line of sight with the least possible motion from her subject, something that would be difficult solely based on how physically demanding their beating of the runabout was.
"I'm getting something," the ILO announced, her voice labored as if the woman was experiencing some sort of sharp pain. "The images don't make a lot of sense, but there is a vivid theme of anger bordering on rage. Whatever brought them here as them all beyond furious and ready to lash out at anyone or anything that gets in their way. Also, by the looks of things, I would guess that the planet-wide storm was an unexpected obstacle that only made them even more infuriated." As she said this, Shar'El let out an audible gasp as a mixture of pain and anger became too much for her to manage. The outburst, as short as it might have been, proved more than enough to draw the attention of the half dozen Masters who all simultaneously stopped beating on the runabout to instead focus on the woman half hiding behind a large rock.
"This is bad," Commander Mitshiba whimpered as she realized that there was no way for all three of them to escape before the Masters would be on top of them. Yes, the combined forces of the two groups outnumbered the towering aliens, but when it came to size and sheer muscle mass, the grey giants clearly had the advantage. "I hope these pain sticks work better than we had hoped," Misaki added before realizing that the third member of her team had stepped forward and offered the advancing force a new, easier and more inviting target. "Gemma!"
The lone woman ignored her commander's plea as she slowly moved forward, one delicate step following another. What shocked both Mitshiba and Shar'El the most was that it was not Anya, nor Jinx, nor any of the other more deadly personalities that was advancing on the Masters but rather an unknown, delicate looking woman sporting short, shoulder length barbie-pink hair. The woman's sensual sway as she walked was accompanied by a soft humming, as if the unknown personality was trying to recall some specific tune. Based on that alone, what followed should not have been such a complete surprise but given their situation it was most certainly beyond unexpected.
An enchanting, mesmerizing, bewitching voice filled the cave. At first the grey-skinned giants failed to react but it only took a few more bars of this unknown and beautiful song before the giants began to slow their advance. Within a few more seconds, the half dozen Masters appeared to be in a trance, their anger having completely vanished to instead give way to an unmatched admiration of the woman's voice. Like the sirens of old EARTH's legends or the Kerelian enchantresses of mythology, Gemma had charmed her adversaries into silent, motionless compliance, at least for the time being.
"What just happened?" The Asian Commander asked, bewildered as her scientific background was not even close to being able to explain what had just transpired before her eyes.
"I... am... not... sure," Shar'El slowly replied, stunned and nearly speechless. As strange as all of this was, it was clear that Gemma's latest personality had more than likely just saved their lives.
=-=
Tiffany Reeve
Commander Shar'El [Access Character BIO for Shar'El]
Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS
Ensign Sofia Andersson [Access Character BIO for Sofia Andersson]
Chief Medical Officer
USS BASTET
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“Cold Fury”
Previous post: “Unexpected” by Tiffany
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Setting: P8746, Cavern holding USS ANAKSUNAMUN runabout
Stardate: 37014.1356
Everyone ran past the seven-foot-tall Voth, Zub Enel. Flying by him out of the subzero ice storm were the six-foot-four tiger man A'Janni, the equally tall bear person Raud, and the bear's massive lupine companions. Zub tried to sprint toward the runabout, but his legs felt bound around his thighs by stiff cords that barely stretched. As he struggled to keep any sort of forward motion, the cavern was filled first with metallic booming and then a momentary silence and then the most ethereal singing.
Faced sideways to Enel, six Masters, each fully nine feet tall, had stopped advancing on Cmdrs. Mitshiba and Shar'El, and two more bear folk who were on their hind legs with wickedly long black claws fully splayed. In the narrow gap between the Masters and the Away Team, a delicately built humanoid female with short hair as pink as love's first blush sang. The Voth had trouble getting his eyes to focus on her. His corneas felt crusty. That made it hard to blink, much less focus. He guessed that since Gemma had entered the passageway leading to this cave, this singing female had to be her.
A'Janni, in full sprint, had reached the first Master closest to the cave opening. The tiger man's ears were flat as his stride changed smoothly into a gliding leap. His ice-coated fire ax swung high and then down.
The bear person Raud had stood on his hind legs. He slammed his body sideways fully into A'Janni's, sending the tiger man flying sideways. There was a boom as the Caitian hit the side of the runabout. He slid down to his feet on the icy cave floor between the hull and a nacelle. He stared perplexed at Raud with his one remaining eye. His gaze shifted to the Master's bald head he had been one second from sinking his ax through. The Master stood frozen in place, staring at the singing woman.
Raud said to A'Janni in a growl, "Be not the first to kill."
Zub Enel had by then reached where the defenders and the Masters stood. He tried to speak to whatever form of Gemma was mesmerizing the giants, but his lips were too stiff to form the words. All that came out was a blurred "mwoo."
The black-haired Ullian woman left the cover of her rock and approached the singer. Shar'El's black gaze focused on the pink-haired female. She said to her over the singing, "Send them home."
The pink-haired woman began lithe arm movements toward the cave mouth while singing sounds only the Masters seemed to understand. The singer swayed her hips and made sensuous wave motions as she sang ever more sweetly. Her face radiated joy.
The Masters' ugly, grey-toned faces held wistfulness. They turned toward the storm blowing into the cave, and one after the other, disappeared into the wind and snow. The singer came after them and stood at the very mouth of the cave. She sang for some time afterward before stopping.
Other than the roar of the storm outside, the cave was silent. Bear folk and HATHOR crew alike stared at the singer with consternation and relief. After a moment more, she turned around. Her pink hair lengthened, reddened, and formed into curls and ringlets. The delicate body filled out into still pleasing but more athletic curves. Coppery ringlets blowing, Gemma stood wearily with her back to the cave mouth where the singer had been.
One of the bear folk named Seven because he wore a rune on his armor that looked like a backward seven spoke. His deep voice was full of awe. "The gods and goddesses who protect us have given us an unmistakable sign of their existence today. Praise the Valkyrs."
The other two bears chorused loudly, "Praise the Valkyrs."
A'Janni said, "The Masters'll be back and in force. Right, Zub?"
When Enel didn’t immediately answer, A’Janni stepped up on the nacelle. He turned toward the battered area around the runabout's side hatch. "Ya'Han! Lopez! You can come out now."
The hatch usually slid to the side. It squealed and squeaked and inched open only the width of a hand. There was a flash of ruby red hair right behind the opening. Ya'Han's voice issued out. "Adriana is hurt. We need to get her back to the HATHOR sickbay. Help me slide this hatch."
The Voth, who had spent more of his life crammed into runabouts than he had ever wanted, tried to say, "Use the manual crank." A thickened "Moose the stank" came out of his lips.
Still facing the balky hatch, A'Janni said offhandedly, "Zub's making more sense than usual." As he turned toward the scaly Voth, his smirk changed to concern. "Zub, you're blue!"
Zub Enel tried again. He got his stiff lips to say, "Yoose Man yawl crane kuh."
Cmdr. Misaki Mitshiba came up to the reptilian Chief of Security. "Oh, Zub, I forgot you are cold-blooded. I had assumed your environmental suit would maintain you at optimal temperature, but I'll bet this dampening field has shut down your heater. You must be frozen stiff after being out in that blizzard."
Shar'El added, "Gemma looks a little worse for wear." Her gaze went to the redheaded ILO shivering at the cave entrance. "Gemma, come in here where it is warmer."
Gemma's voice shook from the cold, "What if the Masters return?"
Though naturally short, Commander Aki Mitshiba stood taller. "They'll find an empty cave with an empty runabout."
She turned to the lead bear named Seven, who had settled back down to all fours. After taking a moment to adjust her words to ones he would most readily accept, she waved a hand toward the runabout. She said, "We would be truly grateful for your help freeing two of our tribe and then guiding all of us back to our bigger shelter so we can better help our sick there."
The big bear person said, "When we have returned your tribe to your shelter, we can discuss the value of our help."
"Of course," Aki said. She hated dropping a negotiation bomb on Captain Morningstar, but with a bit of help from Adriana, no one could be better at it.
Seven moved off toward the runabout.
Shar'El strode quickly up to A'Janni and pulled him away just as he and the giant bear man were pushing against the edge of the hatch. She whispered, "When we get Lopez and Ya'Han out of there, I want you to find a way to make that ship inaccessible. It is a time machine to the future for these primitives. We can't ignore the Prime Directive."
A'Janni's single eye appraised her for a moment. "I think Zub was trying to say there was a crank to get the hatch open despite a complete power down. I'll find it and crank the door closed. That should deter them for a while."
"And keep the crank," Shar'El advised.
"Because it'd make such a good bargaining piece," he asked with a wry smile.
Shar'El's frosty expression reminded him that she had no sense of humor. "Get the women out and button it up, Lieutenant."
"Aye, sir." He went back to helping Seven shove on the hatch edge. It squealed slowly aside.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
##########
"A Timely Find"
Previous post: "Cold Fury" by David
##########
"I am the unknown Will, the anger that threatens glory and ruin: Lord of Storms am I, in heaven high and caverns deep."
-- Odin
--==/\==--
Setting: USS HATHOR, Main Engineering
Stardate: 37014.1400
The Native American Captain was on his knees, shoulder-deep inside one of the access chambers leading to the warp core control systems while Lt. Commander Paquette stood behind him as an undignified expression solemnly dancing on her features.
"Did you..."
"Yes, Captain, I did," Sonja interrupted. "With all due respect, Sir," the redhead continued; her forced Scottish accent even more pronounced than before. "You may have been a Chief Engineer at some point in your career, you may even be a Captain and Commanding Officer now, but this is *my* domain, *my* department, *my* staff, and more importantly *my* engine. I know things about her that you could not even imagine. So, when I tell you that I have done all that I could; when I say that there is nothing else that can be done; you can be certain that it is the truth. Whatever little power we have left will not last long and with it our last hopes of getting off this frozen hell of a planet."
Erik slowly crawled out of the access chamber and as he returned to an upright posture tugged on his uniform short. "Sonja, I did not mean any disrespect. I could counter-argue the fact that your domain is located within mine; that your department falls under my jurisdiction; that your staff is my crew and that your engine is powering my ship, but I won't. As Captain, it is my responsibility to be concerned about everyone and to make sure that every possibility has been looked at and explored. In no way was it meant to question your knowledge or expertise."
"Aye," Paquette said nodding her head. "I'm concerned about Mitshiba and the others too. I can only hope that they are having better luck than we are."
Maya, the Shillian Chief Science Officer, arrived in Main Engineering with a level of excitement that was not all that foreign to the woman, especially when she had made some sort of unexpected discovery.
"All right," Sonja half sighed, "what did you discover this time? It better be something about how to stop the drain on our rapidly dwindling energy reserves."
"No, sorry," the CSciO replied, her bubbliness forced down several notches by the CEO's less than warm tone and welcome. "I just came to let you know that Rixx discovered something and brought it back to the HATHOR so that I could perform a few tests on it."
"What did he find?" Morningstar enquired; his curiosity piqued as it meant he would not have to think about the ship's dire situation for a few moments.
"It better not be some sort of stray animal," Sonja quickly added. "We already have our hands full with cats, bats, monkeys and wolves."
The Shillian was momentarily confused as she could not recall the HATHOR having any of the mentioned animals onboard until Maya realized that Sonja was referring to the animal forms the shapeshifter could transform into. Turning her full attention onto the Captain, the CSciO decided to answer the question posed to her instead of acknowledging the CEO's verbal jab.
"Rixx discovered a tablet with writing on it," Maya explained. "It was in the narrow cave passageway Commander Mitshiba and the others used. The roughly rectangular flat stone was half-buried in thick ice which left both him and me to wonder how it could have made it there as it looks quite old."
"Great," Paquette lamented. "He's not a stray hunter, he's a rock collector."
"This was no ordinary rock," Maya countered. "This tablet had distinct writing on it. A runic language that he correctly guessed matched that used by the ursine inhabitant of this world. He brought it back hoping that it might help us get a better idea about what and who they are."
"Where is the tablet now?" The Native American asked.
"It is on Deck 2 in the medical/science laboratory," the Shillian replied. "Graham and Rixx are keeping an eye on it."
"Keeping an eye on it?" Sonja repeated. "Does this tablet of yours have legs? Are you expecting it to run away or are just wanting to see when it will start dancing around?"
"Our Chief Engineer is feeling a little irate due to our depleting energy reserves and the fact that it appears there is nothing we can do about it," Erik said, trying to justify and partially excuse Sonja's less than friendly demeanour.
"I am sorry that the tablet will not resolve our energy issues," Maya stated. "In fact, it might make it a little bit worse as we use whatever power is left in the tricorders to study it. What it might be able to do though is to answer some of the questions we have about this planet and its inhabitants; answers that there would have been no way for the Federation scientists to figure out from a remote observation platform."
"What did you find out about the tablet?" Morningstar pressed, knowing that it was always best to keep the Shillian focused on a specific task.
"The runes on the tablet share beyond any doubt many similarities to the written language used by the oldest Norse tribes of EARTH. The similarities are so pronounced that I was able to actually decipher some of what was written. The tablet seems to tell the story of a powerful king visiting a well, the water of which was said to grant wisdom and visions of the future. In order to be permitted to drink the water from this well, the king was required to give up one of his eyes, thus ensuring that he would never come back to make a second request."
"Two questions," Paquette interjected. "First, since the main computer is offline due to our not having enough power to even keep life support systems active, how were you able to translate those runes; secondly, what did the king see?"
"Answering your second question first, the tablet did not specify what the kind saw or even if he drank the water from the well. As for how I was able to translate the language, I always bring my case of isolinear chips that contains my collection of science reference material. Several of those are about ancient languages encountered by the Federation. You never know when we might come across some ancient text and I like to keep my research options open."
"You know, most people bring a bathing suit and a change of underwear when they go on a trip, but you bring a *library*," Sonja grinned. "Yup, no doubts about it, you are a nerd, more so than I thought you were, and you're the CSciO."
"Does this story have any particular significance as to our situation?" The Native American Captain inquired, again trying to keep the Shillian on track.
"The part of the story described on the tablet is nearly identical to accounts of how the Norse god Odin came to lose his eye. Even the mane of the guardian of the well is nearly identical - Mirmir. This was one of the founding legends of that ancient EARTH civilization. The tablet itself is not that significant unless you are an archeologist, but the fact that it tells a story nearly identical to one found on a far distant planet, written in a nearly identical language can only mean that there is a link, a very strong connection, between the two civilizations. Whatever deities the inhabitants of this planet believe in might be the same ones that the Norse people did several millennia ago. Having alien species visit other planets such as EARTH and then elevated to the status of gods by ancient civilizations due to witnessing unimaginable technology and abilities at the time, and having those same aliens eventually leave is not unheard of, a perfect example being the encounter of Apollo on POLLUX IV by a Starfleet crew some 150 years ago. He was part of a group of visitors who heavily influenced the ancient Greeks. So, it would not be much of a stretch to imagine that Odin and others like him also visited EARTH, but settled in the more Nordic regions, influencing the tribes of those areas."
--==/\==--
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
“Back Together”
Previous post: “A Timely Find” by Francois
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Boarding Ramp
Stardate: 37014.1500
It was nice to have the crew back together once more. The general situation had not improved in that the Masters were still on P8746 and imposing their unwanted presence onto the native inhabitants with the distinct goal to conquer the ice planet. The invasion of any world could, for the most part, be understood when looking at the geo-political situation or the coveted planetary resources. In the case of the frigid world the HATHOR was now stuck on, nothing about this invasion made sense. As far as the crew could tell, there was absolutely nothing this planet could offer, neither on a geo-political nor natural resources level.
P8746 was a world stuck in a near permanent ice-age, with a scattred native population that clearly appeared to be in the stone-age as far as their evolutionary progress was concerned. This meant that nothing should have stood in the way of the technologically superior Masters, but luckily for the Bornodin, the name the ursine species used to refer to themselves while negotiating with Captain Morningstar, a planet-wide blizzard was greatly hindering the invading giant's ability to lay claim to their objective. This still failed to explain why the trans-dimensional invaders were here in such great numbers. A large piece of this puzzle was missing and Mitshiba wondered if they would ever figure it out.
"How are the negotiations going?" The ILO asked of the Asian ExO who quite literally jumped at the question, not having heard the woman's stealthy approach.
"Better than my heart, I assure you," Aki whispered as she placed a hand against her chest. "You really need to stop doing that. I understand that being sneaky is an unofficial part of your duties, but do you have to be so damn good at it?"
"My apologies, Commander," Shar'El quietly said, adding a gentle bow of her head. "Some habits are harder to break than others." The ILO returned her attention onto the Captain, her posture making it clear that she was still expecting an answer to her earlier query.
For a split second, the Asian woman hesitated in giving an answer. As far as the chain of command was concerned, Aki had no obligations to reply to Shar'El's question, but the ExO quickly remembered that the ILO shared her rank and had been Morningstar's First Officer longer before she was. Also, it was never a wise idea to keep any sort of information away from an Intel Operative. "I am not entirely certain as to how well things are progressing, but I will say this, the Captain is quite a skilled negotiator. The man is calm, steady and almost as cool as the temperature out there. Despite the staggering size difference, Erik is not giving them any sign of his being intimidated by them."
Shar'El grinned, the type of grin that could barely be noticed leaving anyone who had seen it to wonder if it was real or if they had dreamt it. "His memories are just as controlled. He is not allowing any emotions to get in the way, a trait that he often believed to be both one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses."
"How are Ya'Han and Adriana?" Aki asked, shifting the focus away from the Captain and his ongoing negotiations with the Bornodin. "I would have thought that our Junior Ambassador would have been here to help in the negotiations."
"Our Counselor does not like to walk into any such situation unprepared," Shar'El said. "I believe that this is a lesson she learned the hard way from Ambassador Bonviva. Adriana wanted to speak to those who had had any sort of dealings with the native inhabitants before joining the Captain. I just fear that she might have been distracted by the discovery made by Ensign Bractor. The tablet, or more to the point the writing on it, does present a rather alluring mystery, one that brought forth far more questions than we could hope to answer at this time."
Aki nodded in agreement. "Between the discovery of that tablet, the perpetual planet-wide storm that the team of anthropologists never mentioned in any of their reports, and the power draining effect that we have all encountered, there is a lot about this planet that is beyond our ability to answer at this time, and I suspect that we may never get to the bottom of it all."
"I suspect that the answers, should we ever uncover them, will explain everything including why the Masters have shown such an absolute desire to claim this world. Everything we know about them, being only a fraction of the whole story, never indicated them having any sort of interest in worlds where they could not gain some sort of easy return on their time investment. This means that either we have discovered something new about the race of inter-dimensional invaders, or there is something about this planet that we still need to discover. My bet is on the latter."
Mitshiba sighed, nodding in agreement once more. "The problem is that we are severely out-numbered and out-powered. The odds are far more in favor of us never making it off this planet alive than figuring out what is truly happening here."
"Do not underestimate our Captain's ability to turn a situation, no matter how complexe or desparate, to our advantage, even if only a little. Erik has a great deal of experience, some of which stretched beyond this very timeline. If there is a way, he will find it, and if there is none, this crew has a history of making the impossible a reality. So, I would not count ourselves out, not by a longshot." The discussion between the two women ended when they both noticed Captain Morningstar approaching, a surprised and puzzled expression engraved upon his usually stoic visage.
"Is everything alright?" Aki asked, concerned that the Bornodin might have made some unreasonable demand that would only further complicate their situation.
"They know where the Federation anthropologists are being kept, and they have offered to help us," Morningstar replied.
"Why do I have the feeling that things are not going to be that simple?" Shar'El sighed. "We are aliens to them, and do not share any history or culture, so why are they so willing and eager to help us?"
"For starters, we do have one thing in common," the Captain said. "We both have the Masters as a common enemy."
"The enemy of my enemy?" Mitshiba mused.
"Yes," Erik hesitantly agreed, "sort of. There is clearly more at play here, but they are not overly willing to share. There is a matter that they require our help with, one that Seven has been very vague about. I am not sure if it is because of a language barrier making it impossible for him to properly describe and express what they need from us, or if it is a case of them not trusting us enough to divulge all of the details. Either way, we need to get everyone ready to move out."
"Everyone?" Aki gasped.
"With the Masters out there, we cannot risk finding ourselves divided and fighting them hand-to-hand on multiple fronts. The Bornodin have agreed to help, but they do not have the numbers to offer that assistance on a grand scale. Therefore, we have to stay together. It also makes sense to keep all of our resources together and available as we are not sure what we will be asked to do prior, during and following the rescue."
"What about the HATHOR?" Shar'El asked.
"Guess that will be our first task, finding a way to secure the ship during our absence."
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
---
"Caught Between Ice and Frozen Snow"
(Previous Post: "Back Together")
---
Setting: USS HATHOR, Deck 2, Medical/Science Laboratory
Stardate: 37014.1530
Maya was torn. The idea of going on a rescue mission was most certainly not something that she was looking forward to. As a scientist, finding a way for her to contribute to the more physically demanding missions was always a challenge. That said though, she did have a skill that no one else had, an ability that allowed the Shillian to make herself more useful than she might have been otherwise. The problem was that none of her animal forms were meant to deal with the kind of environment that was waiting for them out there. There was also the idea that returning to her humanoid form would completely expose her to the less than welcoming and frigid elements, this made the prospect even less appealing.
On the other hand, the idea of spending more time with the Bornodin was a definite plus, giving the Chief Science Officer the opportunity to hopefully learn more about this fascinating atypical species. Maya had so many questions that she doubted half could be answered in her lifetime, and the best part was the very likely possibility that each answer obtained would spawn more questions. This was the kind of adventure she loved, the prospect of discovering something completely new and never before imagined. As vast as the universe was though, the scientist had to sadly admit that such discoveries did not happen nearly as often as she would have liked them to.
Now, she felt a twinge of excitement at the thought of venturing out there and maybe making such a discovery. Yes, their primary objective would be to rescue the team of Federation anthropologists, but there was no saying what they might come across on their way there. P8746 was relatively unknown, and right now the blizzard-clad icy planet seemed to be universes away from the world described in the reports. The discovery of the tablet was all that Maya needed to push her hopes that there was more out there to be discovered into overdrive.
As that thought lingered in her mind, fear slowly crept in to replace the excitement. What if this was the reason why the Masters had sent an army to this isolated world? What if there was something on this planet they desperately wanted or needed? What if it was something that those ruthless conquerors would not allow someone to discover, or if they did, to live and tell anyone else about it? Confronting a physically larger and more numerous adversary was never a sound decision, doing so against the Masters was akin to sheer madness.
This debate left the Shillian frozen between two simple courses of action; to embrace the possibility of a new scientific discovery or to cower in a corner fearing the race of giant conquerors and what they might do to her and the rest of her teammates. In all honesty, there was no debate, Maya already knowing very well what she would do. Never had she refused to obey an order, never had she even voiced an opposing view to that of her Commanding Officer. She implicitly trusted Erik Morningstar and would follow him wherever he might lead. If their mission required them to step back into the chilling blizzard, that is what she would do without hesitation. If their objective was to do nothing more than rescue the captured Federation scientists, then that is what they would do. Her disappointment would remain hers, silent, unspoken, but she would never place the success of a mission ahead of her personal desires and wishes to make a historical discovery.
---
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)
=-=
"Preparations"
Previous post: "Caught Between Ice and Frozen Snow” by Jessica
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Sickbay
Stardate: 37014.1545
This was not the first time the Nylaan woman would take part in a search and rescue mission, but it would be the first time that she would be doing so as the lead medical officer. This meant that her usual preparations would be completely useless, requiring Ya'Han to rethink everything that she needed to bring and how it would come to be used in as many different ways as possible. Without immediate access to medical equipment through the use of an emergency transport, the CMO needed to envision all of the possibilities, while at the same time keeping in mind the limited equipment available to her.
Thanks to the energy draining properties found on P8746, the greater majority of what medical equipment was available had already been stricken off her list as they were all useless at this point in the game. Medical diagnosis would have to be done 'old-school' style, and procedures would have to be limited to what she could perform as field first-aid. One thing that the white-haired Nylaan had to consider first and above all else was the high probability that one or more of the Federation anthropologists might be suffering from hypothermia and frostbites. The first could be easily enough addressed with blankets and chemical reaction heating pads, but the second could force the acting CMO into a situation where amputation might be the only recourse. As she prepared her field kit, Ya'Han could only hope that whatever they found would not require her to perform such a barbaric, yet unavoidable act.
"Are you alright?" Adriana asked. "You seemed a little frazzled."
"Why do you always ask a question while already knowing the answer?" Ya'Han replied in frustration.
"Sorry," the Hispanic woman said, smiling. "It's a trick that Counselors and Junior Ambassadors use to test the water. Assuming someone's mood based on observations alone can be very dangerous, especially when dealing with members of another species as there is no set directive as to how they behave while under specific conditions and emotions."
"I thought you knew me better than that," the CMO scowled.
"With your red hair, I can easily tell what mood you are in," Adriana said. "The depth or brightness of the color directly reflects the intensity of your fiery mood. I have also come to know that when I catch you with black hair, you are usually thinking about your home and family as the sense of shame takes over you. Since I have not dealt as much with you while displaying your white hair, my base of reference is somewhat lacking, so I have to revert to more direct and, if I dare to say it that way, old fashion ways."
"Old fashion ways alright," Ya'Han sighed. "That is exactly what I will be required to use on this search and rescue mission. No tricorders, so no easy way to locate the missing scientists or to identify what may be medically wrong with them. No transporter, so no way to easily and quickly extract the injured back to the HATHOR where they can be safe and quickly treated. No high-end medical equipment as all of the power cells have drained or are nearly there. So, to reply to your initial questions, yes, you could say that I am a little 'frazzled'."
"My guess is that you now being in the lead of the security detail is also not making things any easier," the CNS added, causing Ya'Han to chuckle dryly as she closed her med kit. "See, I do know you."
"Zub and Bractor are fine officers, and I know that they will keep us all safe," the acting CMO said.
"You trusting in them is good, very good in fact, but what about you? What about trusting you?"
"Trusting me?" The Nylaan woman asked, visibly puzzled by the Hispanic woman's line of questions. "I trust myself to do what needs to be done."
"I do as well," Adriana said. "I trust you to do what needs to be done as you have always done. No matter the situation, no matter the risks, no matter the cost to you personally, you have never hesitated to do what was needed, that is one of the reasons why your relationship with Jayson is what it is today. What I meant was do you trust yourself to do what is required of your position as Acting CMO and not jump in as you would have normally done when things get hectic?"
"You seem pretty certain that things are going to go sideways," Ya'Han pointed out.
"Come on," the CNS said. "We are on an ice planet in the midst of an invasion that should not be happening, while trapped by a blizzard that should not be there, and finding ourselves without the means to properly defend or escape the situation. I would say that things have more than already gone sideways, now it is just a question of how far along that slide we are going to go before we stop."
"I see your point," the Acting CMO said, taking a few seconds to consider her next words.. "You are also right; I do not trust myself to not let my years of training and experiences take over when things are going to get out of control. I have spent too much of my life either fighting or getting ready for a fight. It has become an integral part of who I am, something that Jayson and a few others can attest to."
"That is going to be the hardest part of this; you needing to stay within the boundaries of your new role and responsibilities. Bringing whatever equipment you will need is a good way to physically prepare, but you mentally need to do the same, bringing with you those thoughts you will likely need while leaving the rest behind. Captain Morningstar, as well as everyone else, need to be able to count on you to take care of those injured. As hard as it will be for you, let Zub and Bractor take care of whatever fighting comes up."
Judging by the expression on the Nylaan woman's face, the CNS concluded that she had made her point. Saying anything else at this point would serve no purpose, so Adriana decided to leave Ya'Han to complete her preparations, confident that the Acting CMO would be there as the person they all needed her to be.
-=-=-
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
=-=
“Bringing The Hurt”
Previous post: “Preparations” by Hanali
=-=
Setting: USS HATHOR, Near Boarding Ramp
Stardate: 37014.1600
The blizzard wind emitted nerve-jangling shrieks. Against the biting cold and possible Masters raid, the tiger-like Flight Control Officer A’Janni and lizard man Chief of Security Zub Enel wore environment resistant suits, body armor, and wielded fire axes. With only their eyes exposed, they hauled in ice blocks chopped from the nearby snow field outside the cave where the HATHOR sat. Similarly clad, Chief Engineering Officer Sonja Paquette oversaw her engineers and members of Shipboard Services as they built a sturdy ice block wall across the entrance. More blocks were hauled in until there were enough for ice-rimed A'Janni and Enel to rest and watch the final blocks be wedged in place.
Ya’Han, also in an e-suit and armor, and loaded down with medical gear, approached the felinoid and reptilian officers. The Nylaan’s thick white hair signaled her role as Acting Chief Medical Officer. She looked up at Lt. Enel, who was naturally cold-blooded. He had previously reacted badly to the icy conditions. “How do you feel?”
The 7-foot-tall Voth rumbled, “Like multi-legged insects are crawling all over my insides.”
Ya’Han nodded. “That hypospray overstimulates your mitochondria to keep you warm. Enjoy.” She headed toward the HATHOR’s open boarding ramp.
A’Janni squinted his one remaining eye up at Zub Enel, “I could use ‘overstimulated mitochondria.’”
“Try fainting from the cold,” the scaly Voth said.
“Caitians don’t faint. We black out.”
“Of course,” Zub said.
In gloom from the closed off entrance, the underside of the HATHOR glowed with blue-green luminescence from a dozen liquid-filled lamps offered by the bear folk who called themselves Bornodin. The cave was silent save for a cat’s plaintive meowing in a carrier near where most of the crew was clustered. As Sonja spoke to the CO standing on the ramp, her breath formed a thin cloud in the freezing air. “The ice wall will get thicker the more the storm blows snow against it.”
Captain Erik Morningstar left the ramp and approached Assistant Security Officer Ensign Rixx, a blue-faced Bolian who cradled long, black and white pain sticks. “You found your cat, I see. Is the ship now ready to be secured?”
“Aye, sir,” Rixx said. “All internal hatches closed and locked. Anybody breaking in will have to do it one compartment at a time.”
Erik turned to his CEO. “Cmdr. Paquette, secure the ship.”
The engineer’s red hair glinted slate gray in the blue-green light. She addressed her wall building team. “Lift this ramp and shove it closed.”
Her crew strained together. Through upward pushing arms and clouds of exhaled breath, the taller Zub Enel helped shove the ramp against the hull. There was a loud click. “Hold there,” Sonja said. “Lt. A’Janni, use the hatch emergency crank.”
The Caitian rapped the crank’s business end against the ice-caked hull, dislodging a mini snowfall. A machined hole appeared. He inserted the crank over a star-shaped nut and turned it. The rattle of meshing gears sounded. There was another click.
Sonja announced, “She’s locked up tighter than a clam with lockjaw, Captain.”
Morningstar squinted up at the sealed hull with his artificial eyes. “We *can* get back in?”
Paquette shook a finger at A’Janni. “Lose that crank and I will fashion one out of your thick skull.”
A’Janni quipped, “Actually, sir, Zub Enel has the thickest skull.” His one eye twinkled at the scaly Security Chief.
The CO spoke calmly, his breath rising white, his gaze on Hailey Graham and her crew. “I know you in Shipboard Services were told this mission was a simple welfare check. No one expected to run into a Masters battle fleet. I also know your duties don’t entail a rescue of researchers held by the Masters who are likely to resist us with hand-to-hand combat.”
Eyes widened. Mouths dropped. Nostrils flared. Large clouds rose as people panted. There were self-hugs and shivers despite e-suits.
Erik said firmly, “Masters are 2-meter-tall giants. You’re civilians. I want you to immediately retreat. Those of us trained to fight will protect you. Stay back so we can do that. Is this clear?”
The Native American surveyed the Shipboard Service crew’s frightened faces. Hailey responded, “Understood, sir. Stay back. Stay safe.”
Morningstar addressed everyone. “Ensign Rixx is handing out pain sticks to Federation officers and engineers. If they have a stun charge, it’ll probably be only one and not at full power. These sticks are long enough to reach the Masters’ faces. Poke them in the eyes with them as well as block and parry blows. The replicators are down so these are our only weapons.”
One of Sonja’s engineers, a female, asked the CO, “He’s already given us hand phasers, sir. Don’t they have one shot left in them?”
Erik recognized the trait Sonja liked most, the courage to ask anybody a question.
He regarded the engineer. “The only advantage we have is that the Masters are also affected by this energy drain. So, they can’t use energy weapons. It’s a level playing field.”
“Why even carry phasers, sir?”
“If we or the Masters eliminate this dampening field, we can’t be caught with only clubs and fists against disintegrator beams.”
The engineer grimly accepted the pain stick. She tested its heft.
Morningstar addressed everyone again. “The Bornodin will lead us via passageways to the imprisoned researchers. We will enter the passage behind you in this order. A’Janni and Enel take point. Mitshiba, follow right behind them. Ya’Han and Gemma, cover the rear. Rixx and all remaining combat-trained personnel, alternate with Shipboard Services so that every part of the line is protected. Let’s move out!”
There was rustling as backpacks were shouldered and the gurgling of lamps as the crew began entering the passage. Maya and Adriana hung back to approach Erik. Curious, Shar’El stopped to listen. Maya said to Morningstar, “Travertine, sir.”
He gazed puzzled at the shapeshifting scientist.
Adriana Lopez said, “That Nordic tablet Rixx found. Hailey Graham recognized the material is the same used for countertops.”
Morningstar raised one eyebrow. “We’re talking countertops?” He gestured toward the passageway.
Maya said, “Travertine is formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate minerals from water, typically in hot springs.”
Erik frowned deeper. “Let’s move as we discuss this.”
The Shillian scientist nodded, “Understood, sir. This tablet material could be a sign that there is volcanic activity near enough to the surface for there to be hot pools of water somewhere nearby.”
Shar’El said wistfully as she passed the Captain, “*Pools* of hot water.”
After the three officers slipped between Shipboard Services staff, Rixx handed the CO a pain stick, picked up his cat carrier, and joined the line. After one last glance at his ship, Morningstar joined up near Ya’Han and Gemma.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it.”
- Jonathan Winters
-=-=-
"Cold Walking"
[the previous post was David's "Bringing The Hurt"]
-=-=-
Setting: P8746, Cave Corridor
Stardate: 37014.1620
The entirety of the HATHOR's crew followed the Bornodin in a tight line, no one daring to have too much space between them and the crewman in front. Despite their make-shift alliance with the local inhabitants, the planet was still a very hostile and unknown environment, one that no one trusted for obvious reasons. If the blizzard or bone-chilling cold was not enough, there was always the threat of encountering a group of ill-tempered Masters. This was an undesired prospect that ensured everyone stayed alert and at the higher readiness level.
As they pressed on, some members of the crew took the opportunity to more closely investigate their surroundings. Not surprisingly, one of those doing this was Commander Maya who almost appeared like an excited child in a candy store. The woman was a true scientist, finding something to study or admire wherever they were and whatever situation they might have found themselves in the middle of. Adriana almost wished that more of the crew behaved that way instead of simply putting one foot in front of the other as if marching to their doom, a faith that unfortunately was very valid given what they were likely to encounter.
It was expected that the Federation scientists would be under heavy guard, making a rescue that much more difficult. The HATHOR's crew would very likely outnumber the Masters but their greater numbers might create a problem on its own as the room to maneuver would likely be restricted. It was hard to gauge what they would encounter based on what they had so far seen of the underground passages. Some of the corridors were wide enough to allow two to three people to walk side-by-side, but there were other instances when space was tight -- very tight. The CNS was still surprised as to how the Chief of Security Zub Enel and the Flight Control Officer A'Janni managed to pass through those narrow spaces. Adriana should have been equally puzzled by the fact that the ursine being had accomplished the same task, but by now the Hispanic woman had started to believe that nothing this planet could create would prove to be an obstacle to the Bornodin.
In addition to dealing with the wildly fluctuating width of the rocky passages, sharp climbs or rapid, slippery descents, the crew also had to address the fact that there were sections of the underground corridors that were not so underground. Every now and then, a small opening to the outside would be found, allowing for some fresh and frigid air to come in. If that was the extent of the storm's intrusion, no one would have complained, but that was not the case. At times the opening to the outside was large enough for anyone to walk through. This also meant that the cold wind and blowing snow could make their way inside making the journey that much more difficult.
Maybe it was because of the cold, the snow or just the fact that the Junior Ambassador was not used to walking for so long on uneven ground, but Lopez found herself face first on the ground. Even before she could understand what had happened to her, Adriana felt several pairs of hands reaching for her to assist in her return to a more upright posture.
Without taking the time to investigate to whom the sets of hands belong to; the CNS allowed her frustrations to be voiced through a simple yet telling question. "Are we there yet?"
-=-=-
Marissa Montonera-Lombardi
Lieutenant JG Adriana Lopez [Access Character BIO for Adriana Lopez]
Ship's Counselor & Junior Ambassador
USS ANUBIS
=-=
“Rescued”
Previous post: “Cold Walking” by Marissa
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave Corridor
Stardate: 37014.1625
Without taking the time to investigate to whom the sets of hands belonged to; the prone CNS voiced her frustrations via a simple yet telling question. "Are we there yet?"
The voice of Hailey Graham of Shipboard Services rose in pitch from the strain of helping Adriana Lopez to her feet. "Are you really in a hurry to go to battle?"
Captain Erik Morningstar, his face lit from below by the cold blue-green light of a Bornodin glass lantern in one hand, had also helped lift the Hispanic woman off the ice-laced passage floor. "Are you okay?"
Adriana gently shook herself so both let her go. "I tripped, is all. There is no need for you to fuss over me."
The Native American smiled, a telling sign in itself. "Just me returning the favour. As I recall, you have done so for me more than once."
The HATHOR officers and support crew in line ahead of Adriana had continued trotting down the undulating lava tube. Their footfalls echoed. The blue lamps bobbed and faded. Behind her, the rest of the line had halted.
From up ahead, a phrase came ringing off the circular walls as one person passed it to the one behind. "Captain upfront!"
Erik raised his eyebrows at the CNS in a silent question.
"Go," Adriana said. "I'll catch up."
Erik glanced at Graham. She nodded in silent agreement to keep an eye on Adriana. He pushed his way forward.
Shar'El waited until he was near her as she trotted behind the hulking tiger-esque A'Janni and massive lizardly Zub Enel at the point of the line. "Seven wants us to hurry. You especially."
Erik said, "We can't arrive at a physical fight winded."
She shrugged in the soft phosphorescent blue from gurgling lanterns.
He turned to his EXO Misaki Mitshiba in line behind him, "Pass on that we need to hurry it up." Her delicate features were pinched with tension. She was thinking ahead to the upcoming fight. Nevertheless, she nodded as she ran forward but turned her head back to pass on his message.
Erik said to the tiger-like FCO and lizard-like Security Chief, "Let's catch up to Seven. Don't worry about the rest of the team. They're right behind us."
The two huge males said, "Aye!" Their broad backs disappeared up the corridor.
Surprised at their burst of extra speed after already running so far, Erik muttered, "Okay, I'll keep up."
Behind him, as he pounded down the stony corridor, he heard Shar'El, his former EXO and now ILO, greatly quicken her pace. He listened to Mitshiba's footfalls keeping up behind her. Admiration for his crew's fitness let him share a rare smile with the darkness.
Erik silently poured it on, stretching his legs into long sweeping strides. He caught up with the furry Caitian and scaly Voth and matched their blistering gait. The three thudded through a snowy spot that blasted them from the side with freezing wind from the blizzard outside a large opening.
Back in the darkness again, the volcanic tube rang with the cadence from their running feet. Erik heard the timbre of the echoing change and deaden, a sign the three were approaching a much larger chamber. Both males in front of Erik, well trained in hand-to-hand and having already fought together many times, brought up their long black and white pain-sticks.
They barreled into a large chamber filled with the stench of bear sweat and filled with fog from huffed out breaths. The mist was lit blue from lamps. The trio skidded to a stop lest they plowed into a group of bears on all fours, in armor and wearing over their backs long wooden axes bladed with obsidian.
Seven, the ursine leader of the rescue assault team, made a sweeping paw gesture at the three Federation officers toward a small opening in the far wall rimmed with ice. Two of Seven's bear team crouched against the wall, stood on their hind legs and peeked through the hole before withdrawing.
Several bears moved aside so Erik, A'Janni, and Zub Enel could get to the vantage point.
The spy hole appeared surreptitiously melted through a massive wall of ice that blocked access into the next chamber. Smaller than a face, the hole came up to 7-foot-tall Zub Enel's chin. He hunched for a quick peek. A'Janni had to go up on tiptoes for a peek. Erik couldn't reach it. A'Janni laced his fingers, bent at the waist, and offered his CO a living step for a look beyond.
The next chamber was large and open to the storm. Several gigantic Masters moved around. Some held clubs of what looked like metal pieces they had yanked off a ship. Sadly, others held wooden axes with obsidian blades, the sort of weapon a Bornodin wielded and likely had not given up voluntarily.
Half a dozen blue-skinned Andorian researchers sat in a huddle through a smaller opening into an antechamber beyond the patrolling Masters. They hugged each other for warmth but shivered so violently that their semi-rigid antennae thumped together.
As Morningstar stepped down off his FCO's hands, Seven arrived. The Ursine Bornodin leader sat on his haunches which raised his head roughly even with Erik's. Seven said in his deep voice, "You see our task ahead. These giants fight well. We have had losses. Adding your numbers might sway Fortune to favor us."
The chamber with bear folk filled to capacity with the arrival of the HATHOR crew. The fog from breathing the cold air thickened.
Both big Federation males faced Erik and the bear leader.
A'Janni rumbled, "Sir, I've checked a couple more times. So far, there are still only 7 of them."
Zub Enel stated, "The chamber they guard is like the inside of a gourd with a bent neck. There is room to fight in the body of the gourd. The opening to the outside is at one end of the bent neck. To defend the neck, they would need to turn away from the little chamber holding the Andorians. They'd have their backs to anyone coming in from another direction." He finished with, "The Andorians look miserably cold. I doubt they could help fight, Sir."
Ya'Han, the acting CMO, had listened. Her thick hair shone shocking white in the Nylaan way to signal her medical skill. "Their life signs were dying when we started down from orbit. All this time has passed. We need to get to them right now."
The CO took a moment to consider the reports. "We're going to have to draw the Masters off while a team goes in to free the researchers. I need seven officers to engage the Masters while Ya'Han affects a rescue. Ya'Han, take any Shipboard Services crew willing to help move the Andorians to safety."
The red-headed Chief Engineer Sonja Paquette shook her head. "Sir, there are seven huge deadly giants in there. Little tiny us going one-on-one with them will be fatal to more than one of us. Can't we double up on each?"
Erik said carefully, "I don't have enough officers to double-team them.”
His ILO Shar'El asked, "Aren't these big bears going to help us?"
"Yes, but we don't know how to fight with them. We might get in each others way. We need to rely on ourselves."
Acting Chief of Security Ensign Bractor Rixx interrupted. His blue Bolian face, bifurcated by a bony ridge from top to bottom, was lit by a bright smile. "Hey, Bossman, how about if me and the two big guys duck out that hole back there in the tunnel and swing around to draw a lot of those goons outside? That blizzard ought to even some odds. Me, the cat, and the lizard can hide outside and make a lot of noise. I'll even rush in and taunt the dopes. They'd follow me out. That'll work, right?"
Erik equivocated, "Well…."
"It'll work," Sonja pronounced. "The rest of us can gang up on anyone left while Ya'Han and the rest rescue the researchers."
Erik looked at Zub Enel and A'Janni. If anyone had a chance of besting more than one Master each, they could.
A'Janni said, "We can make it work, Sir. Just give the word."
Zub Enel said, "I will be behind him 100 percent, Sir."
From the way A'Janni's lips rose, Erik knew some private joke had just passed between the Caitian and Voth.
Erik turned to Seven. "You have heard our plan of attack. While some of us go outside, the rest need another way into that chamber."
The bear leader eased down to all four paws. "That is easy enough. Remember, the Valkyr have favored us with an ice breaker." He gestured to the bear named Raud.
Raud approached the thick ice plugging the passage on all four paws. On his broad back was a long rod caked in rust with an egg-shaped knob on one end and two long tines on the other that formed a cursive U.
Upon seeing the tool again, Maya, Chief Science Officer, couldn't help herself. She enthused to Raud, “That appears to work on the principle of a tuning fork that generates low frequencies. What an amazing tool. Where did you get it?"
Busy pulling it off his back, Raud said offhandedly, "The sky."
Seven looked at Erik. "Now, if we are ready?"
Erik didn't have a flood of thoughts about it, just a cold, clammy, sinking feeling. He was sending his crew unreservedly into harm's way—a pitched battle with only clubs, hands, and feet. And wits, it occurred to him. The icy draft into his soul took less than a heartbeat before he said, "Decoy the Masters. Save the Andorians."
Ensign Rixx grinned as he bolted back down the corridor toward the hole to the outside. A'Janni and Enel shared surprised glances as they followed the enthusiastic Bolian. Three of the bear folks loped after them into the tunnel.
Raud stood on his hind legs and rested the wide knob at one end of the metal fork near the bottom of the ice wall plugging the passageway. He brought out his wooden-obsidian axe and waited to strike the U-shaped tines at the other end. Seven stood at the hole, watching the Masters.
Erik, his senior officers, and the crew faced the ice wall.
Sooner than expected, a horrible racket issued through the little spy hole. There was lionlike roaring, mixed with a throaty crocodilian grunting and an all too thin humanoid voice taunting saucy sailor insults about the Masters’ progenitors.
Seven said, hope registering in his voice, "The giants have turned."
Rixx's voice issued louder as though he had come into the Masters’ cave. "Hey, you ugly heaps of soon-to-be bear scat, you want a piece of me?"
Seven’s tone rose a notch. “The Masters have accepted the little blue one’s challenge.” He raised a paw-hand toward Raud who locked his bear-eyed gaze on Seven and held his axe near the tines. Seven dropped his arm. Raud hit the tines.
Deep enough to feel inside, a resonant wavering filled the room where the Bornodin and HATHOR crew waited. Ice chunks pelted them from the ceiling. Pain-sticks rattled. The bears' chitinous armor gave a clicking sound in harmony to the droning. Even the body armor worn by the senior officers buzzed. The ice wall began to jiggle and crack. Raud hit the tines again, restarting the thunderous shaking.
Booming, the ice wall collapsed. Bear folk and Federation officers issued out into the larger chamber. There were only two Masters left. Each was nine feet tall and in body armor. Both raised purloined Bornodin wooden axes, their facial expressions murderous.
Aki, the EXO, rushed toward one. Every cell in her body screamed for her to turn around. She gritted her teeth and then called out, "Gah, they're so big. Gemma, this would be a great time for Anya's help."
Gemma continued forward, but her coppery ringlets didn't change to the brassier red of her deadly Russian assassin personality. She morphed within two strides into a voluptuous Kriosian female with long honey gold hair and curves that would melt the heart of males and females of any race.
Seksa came to a spread-legged stop in front of both Masters. She cooed with lips perfect for kissing, "Ooh, hello you tall, dark ice giants! You're both so big!"
The Masters seemed unimpressed. The closest raised his wooden axe with obsidian blades high.
Instinctively, Shar'El's telepathic powers leaped to the fore. In a mental thrust, the Ullian reached deep into the mind of the giant about to pulverize the space vixen. She searched for recent memory. When it hit her mind, she stiffened and stopped running. He remembered being charged by a snarling Bornodin with an axe and wicked black claws splayed. He had only a raster lever for a weapon. He felt a spike of fear that the bear's weapons delivered simultaneously would shred his arms. Yet, he was able to dodge and smash at the bear. The bear fell wounded. He loved the feel of the bear's face changing texture against his fist as he hit it and hit it and hit it.
Shar'El fought against reveling in the brutal joy of inflicting pain. She seized on the memory of fear, that tiny spark. Groaning from the effort, flexing her arms, and curling her hands into claws, she burned that memory into the brute's mind until all that remained was an ever-repeating moment of fear.
Shar'El sagged to her knees on the icy cave floor. Straining, she tore her mind loose from the Master’s.
The Master held the axe high, his face contorted with complete and utter terror. Shar'El felt a pang of guilt, but she quickly wrestled that feeling away.
A Bornodin warrior dispatched the frozen Master with an axe. Like a massive tree trunk, the Master fell.
Feeling stunned, she watched as Sonja, Aki, Maya, and Erik battered away at the remaining giant. The Master was quick. Each officer's training was barely good enough to dodge deadly blow after blow. But, being clubbed with pain-sticks from four sides took its toll. The giant eventually fell into a senseless heap. A Bornodin warrior made sure the giant would never rise again.
In the relative silence, Ya'Han led the Andorians out of the antechamber. Each was administered a shot to help stabilize their vitals, the relief the Andorians felt at the sight of their saviours was momentarily interrupted as each felt the sharp prick of a needle piercing their skin. In a world where technology was useless, the acting CMO had no other choice but to rely on more 'primitive' techniques and tools, so the emergency syringes that were aboard the HATHOR were now the best and only method of delivering any sort of liquid medication to a patient.
Shar'El staggered to her feet. A'Janni, Bractor, and Zub burst through the cave opening from their decoy/distraction mission. Their grim expressions spoke volumes that Masters were closing in on their heels.
Bractor, running deeper into the cave, panted, "Never expected giants to move so fast."
Zub was turning as he ran, preparing to face the giants. He added, "They are full of surprises."
Like towering nightmare snowmen smeared with blood, three determined Masters emerged from the blizzard, axes ready.
Erik and the three decoy-team members formed a new battle line. The bear folks stood near them. HATHOR’s senior officers joined up too.
"Young lady, get everyone over here, now!" The voice of an older woman from behind them rang out. The acting CMO gestured for the team to come closer, opting on the side of caution given the current situation. Just as Rixx, A'Janni, and Zub Enel backed against the group, the Andorian female moved a small rock and pulled a lever as she muttered to herself, "The bigger they are, the easier it is to hide things from them."
With a grinding rumble, a slab of rock descended from the ceiling. It slammed across the center of the cave floor two paces in front of the HATHOR team and the Bornodin. It didn't fill the cave wall-to-wall, but there was no room around the edges big enough for the Masters to get through.
Erik, as did the rest of the crew of the HATHOR, looked around in shock and surprise. The wall blocked the original passageway into the chamber. The crew and the Bornodin had nowhere to go now. The Captain turned fully around, his stoic demeanour melting with each second that passed. The older Andorian pointed to a narrow passage that had been nearly invisible until lit by the wavering blue lamplight.
She said, "This way. Trust me, you will want to see what we discovered, also the Masters will figure a way around that wall soon enough. So unless you want to just wait for them here, I suggest that we move. Come on."
His crew looked at him. The Native American reluctantly nodded and waved them into the passageway accepting that they had little choice in what else they could do. He noted to his First Officer as the Asian woman walked by him, “Any port in a storm.”
As the ExO entered the passage, the older female Andorian said to Erik, "Yes, how apt. That's from the Terran English author John Cleland's bawdy novel Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, 1749." Her gaze swept over nearby Gemma who had returned to her usual self.
=-=
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“Second chances do come your way. Like trains, they arrive and depart regularly. Recognizing the ones that matter is the trick.
— JILL A. DAVIS
and
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
=-=
"Down The Rabbit Hole"
Previous post: "Rescued" by David
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave Corridor
Stardate: 37014.1645
The Caitian was not pleased, not pleased at all. It was not in his character to run from a fight, but as a Starfleet Officer he understood that going up against numerically and physically superior adversaries was ill-recommended. Still, the fact that the entire team had been lured and trapped by the same people they had come to rescue just didn't sit well with the FCO.
The general silence that surrounded him made it abundantly clear that everyone around him had picked up on his mood. The fact that his ears were glued to the top of his head and that his one eye was narrowed to a simple slit warned people to keep their distances. Oddly enough, it appeared that someone had failed to notice this blatant display of discontent.
"Is it not thrilling?" The Shillian asked of the Caitian. "We are going to be shown something that few others have seen. We might even end up uncovering something that has not been seen for centuries. I wonder what it will be. What could the team of anthropologists have discovered in these caves?"
"Hopefully a way out," A'Janni growled, tightening his hold on the pain stick to such a point that he thought he heard the metal crack.
"I doubt it is that simple, or maybe I should be saying that I hope that it is not that simple," the Chief Science Officer said. "As great as a way out would be, thus allowing us to avoid a confrontation with the masters, I would much rather we were shown some ancient relic or something that might even explain, in part or in whole, why the invasion force of the Masters is here."
"She's a scientist through and through," Misaki said, grinning as she looked over her shoulder. Apparently, the Asian woman had overheard the discussion between the A'Janni and Maya, and aa a former Chief Science Officer herself, the woman understood where the Shillian was coming from.
"We are here," the aged Andorian woman announced as the team stepped into a natural opening that roughly matched the size of a large cargo bay. As the officers and crew members of the HATHOR filed in, the lead anthropologist pointed to a small plaque carved with runes which appeared to be buried into the rock face at the far-end of the room.
"Please tell me that we didn't come all the way here for that!?" The Caitian FCO roared, unable to contain his overflowing frustration at the situation they were in.
"At ease Lieutenant!" Erik Morningstar roared back, reminding the officer of his place and position.
"My apologies, Captain," A'Janni quickly offered, keeping his head down in shame for the outburst.
"Come," Maya whispered as she gently took hold of the arm of the man-cat standing next to her. "I would like to have a closer look at that plaque, and I would feel safer if you were there by my side."
Following the outburst he had just made, the Caitian thought it best to comply without offering any sort of resistance or commentary. It did not take the duo long to reach the other side of the room, joining the Andorian anthropologist. A'Janni watched as the two women visually scrutinized the small, polished stone surface. "Those runes look the same as those we have seen on the Bornodin."
"That is to be expected," Maya said, never taking her eyes off the plaque. "I would have been very surprised had the runes been of a completely different style, thus hinting to a different possible origin and graphology. That said though, the runes at the very bottom of this plaque appear just slightly different from the rest." Out of sheer muscle memory, the Chief Science Officer reached for her tricorder and opened it, allowing for the faint lights to cast their glow on her face.
"Your tricorder is working?" A'Jannie gasped.
"It would appear so," the Shillian noted with surprise. "The power level of the device reads very weak, but it is working." As she turned to show Captain Morningstar, the small handheld device went dark as if the batteries had suddenly run out. "That was short-lived," the Shillian Scientist sighed before turning back to face the plaque. As the tricorder drew closer to the runes once again, its display came back to life, as weakly as they had moments before. "The plaque generates a sort of very short-range electromagnetic field that is compatible with our equipment."
"It gets better," the Andorian woman said. "Look closely at the bottom row of runes. I am sure you will notice something odd about them."
Intrigued by what had just been said, Maya brought the tricorder right to the plaque, ensuring that the power generated by it would be enough to enable a thorough scan, which it did. "Amazing!" The Shillian softly said.
"Care to elaborate for those of us who don't read runes or have a working tricorder in hand?" A'Jannie huffed, his frustrations still very present in his voice, but the Caitian was willing to entertain the possibility that they might have come across something worthwhile.
"The upper runes are similar to those used by the Norse tribes of ancient EARTH, so we stipulated a possible link. The very last row of runes is different from those above them, but not by much. The real point of interest is that they are a perfect match for those found back on EARTH, this confirms the link between this planet and EARTH."
"What do the runes say?" Captain Morningstar inquired.
"The Engine of Creation awaits beyond this point," Maya hesitantly read off the tricorder. "Please note that these runes, at least on EARTH, were based on an Icelandic language, so the translation may not be entirely accurate. The best I can gather is that there is something important beyond this wall."
"A wall that I am sure the Masters would love to get through," the Andorian woman said. "We have to get there first."
"Should it not be our priority to make sure that nothing and no one gets beyond that wall?" The Caitian asked. "Us getting there might just be opening the way for them. I hate to be the one pointing this out, but the Masters are not that far behind us. Yes, the cave tunnels are going to make it difficult for them to follow us, but it will not stop them. They will get here, sooner rather than later."
"Even more of a reason for us to find a way past this point," Maya said. "Whatever this 'Engine of Creation' is, we have to find it first. Either to use it to stop this invasion or to destroy it so that the Masters are not able to use it for whatever purpose likely brought them here in the first place." The Shillian paused and turned to face Captain Morningstar. "I realize that this is a wild stretch based on next to no evidence, but if this Engine of Creation is something powerful, it might explain why the Masters are here now and in such great numbers. Salvaging or destroying this item, whatever it may be, we have to see it first and see if we can discover how the runic language came to be here, hundreds of lightyears from EARTH."
"With all due respect, I suggest we just destroy that plaque and make sure that no one, not the Masters or anyone else, gets to whatever that Engine may be," A'Janni growled.
Erik shared a lengthy gaze with his first Officer, the two of them sharing opinions and possible outcomes without ever uttering a single word. Once the silent exchange was done, the Captain turned back to look at Maya and A'Janni. "See if you can get past this plaque, but if it looks like the Masters are going to get here before that, I want that plaque destroyed and the access to whatever this thing is sealed."
"Thank you, Captain," Maya said before quickly turning back to face the rune covered plaque, hoping that she would be able to unlock its mysteries and the doorway to whatever this Engine of Creation might be.
=-=
Jayson Sousa
and
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)
“Between A Rock And The Masters”
Previous post: “Down The Rabbit Hole” by Jayson and Jessica
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave opening
Stardate: 37014.1655
Understandably so, everyone was nervous. The crew of the HATHOR along with the recently rescued Andorian anthropologists were in a literal dead end with the Masters hot on their trail. Navigating through the rocking corridors had not been easy for them, which meant that the giant interdimensional invaders would have an even harder time following, but that was far from saying that they would not be able to do so. It was only a question of time before some very angry Masters came into this underground room turning it into a killing field, even if they only had use of their hands and whatever weapon they had taken from the Bornodin by force.
Aki approached the Voth and Bolian security officers who were both just staring at the opening the team had walked through not that long ago. Trying to lighten the mood, the Asian woman smiled and spoke. "You two are making some of the others nervous by the way you are staring at that opening."
"They should be nervous," Rixx softly said, his whispered voice carrying a palpable tenseness.
"As much as we outnumber the Masters, they more than make up for it in size and strength," Enel added, his low-toned voice echoing his assistant's feelings about their situation. "We might end up victorious should a full out conflict erupt, but I fear that casualties would be high, very high."
Aki immediately understood that her attempt at levity was completely misplaced, showing yet again her lack of experience in being an ExO during more demanding situations. Mitshiba took a moment to glance back at Maya and A'Janni who were frantically trying to figure out the plaque. As she gazed upon the CSciO, the Asian woman allowed herself a brief half second to feel nostalgia, wishing that it was her there instead of the Shillian. With Zub's words still ringing in her ears, the Hathor's First Officer shifted her attention toward the CMO whom she motioned closer.
"Everything alright?" Ya'Han asked as she reached Aki.
"Everything is fine, so far," came the cautious reply. "Enel and Rixx have voiced their concerns at the likelihood that the Masters are going to show up and that they are not going to be in a talking mood."
"Are they ever?" The Nylaan sneakered dryly. "They came to this world looking for a fight, and so far, we have not seen much of one. They likely were not expecting a planet-wide blizzard or that anything needing power would stop functioning. So, they are figuring out a way around these obstacles which is slowing them down, and in the meantime, their anger and frustration just continues to mount. That means the next time we cross paths, things are going to turn ugly, fast."
"That is part of the reason I called you over," Aki said. "As the CMO, I wanted to make sure you are ready for whatever might come to pass. If we are still here when the Masters arrive, without energy weapons..."
"We will be faced with numerous and severe blunt-force trauma injuries, concussions and in the best-case scenario someone will only end up with compound fractures," Ya'Han said, finishing Mitshiba's sentence. "Everyone with some level of medical training has been spoken to," the acting CMO added, proving that she always managed to stay on top of a situation no matter the role she played. "Almost everyone," the Nylaan corrected as she scanned the gathered officer and stopped on the HATHOR's ILO, Gemma. The woman was standing by herself in a small alcove along the rocky wall.
"Something is off with her," Mitshiba noted, her concern for the woman clearly audible in her words.
"Isn't there always something wrong with her?" Ya'Han rhetorically asked.
"More so than usual," Aki added. "She is just as versatile as you are, at least most of the time. Since we landed on his planet, she has not been the same."
"Thank you, but she and I can hardly be compared. As versatile as I may be, I am far more restricted in my skill sets than she is. The only advantage I have is that I am not likely to break out singing when we are in need of a fighter."
Aki was not sure if she should laugh or cry at that. In the end, the Asian woman decided to address the situation more head on. "Ya'Han, can I ask you to stay here with Zub and Bractor? They may end up needing you."
"As an acting CMO or former Sec/Tac?" The white-haired woman asked.
"Either? Both?" Mitshiba replied as she walked away, cautiously heading straight for Gemma.
=-=
Dawn Bohr
Lieutenant Commander Misaki 'Aki' Mitshiba [Access Character BIO for Misaki Mitshiba]
Executive Officer
USS HATHOR
=-=
"Fractured Fragility"
Previous post: "Between A Rock And The Masters” by Dawn
=-=
Setting: Mindscape
Stardate: 37014.1705
Only the most perfect and absolute of darkness could be seen. The Vantablack color surrounded the woman, encasing her in pure nothingness. It was as if Gemma had found her way to the true center of nowhere. Alas, the complete visual void was fractured by a cacophony of voices. Some spoke to one another, others tried to be heard over countless discussions. Then there were just those that seemed to be rambling about nothing. It sounded like there were hundreds of other people around her, and yet she could not see them. The vocal chaos was nearly as perfect as the visual stillness that surrounded her.
Gemma tried her best to focus on the darkness while ignoring the voices. She struggled to find a way to bring calmness to the pandemonium around her. Unfortunately, closing her eyes did nothing to help as nothing in her visual perception changed. With each passing seconds though, the voices grew louder, threatening her very sanity. It was commodity that many believed she had already lost many years ago. Despite this, she pressed on with her efforts, against all odds.
**What a mess.**
**You do realize that this is all your fault, right?**
**We might be on the verge of an amazing scientific discovery.**
**The odds are that we will be pounded into the rocks long before then.**
**I would love to see them try. I did not survive the Lokustaar to die in a cave on an ice planet.**
**What about the prison on JDO-SHEN? We escaped from there, so why not here?**
**JDO-SHEN was a Romulan detention center. This frozen wasteland is nothing like it.**
**Whatever equipment we could get our hands on back there at least worked. Here, nothing works.**
**We could always put that giant one-eyed cat in a hamster wheel. All we need is to attach a generator to it.**
**You don't need any sort of electronic equipment to snap an adversary's neck.**
**We can only hope that we die that quickly. Snapping a neck is a lot faster than having your arms ripped from their sockets. Is it not the Master's preferred way of execution.**
**You, Madam, are the worst possible being in existence. I swear, there re days when I wonder who's side you are on.**
**There are no sides. In the end, our actions laeds us to either survive or die. Everything else is nothing more than useless emotional bagage.**
**Why is it so cold in here? It feels like my blood is freezing.**
=-=
Setting: P8746, Cave opening
Stardate: 37014.1705
A chill swept through Gemma's body. Not the kind that was caused by a gentle soft ocean breeze. Nor by a mild sense of foreboding dread. This shudder washed over her like a tidal wave threatening to knock her clean off her feet. Had it not been for the ExO's hand on the OPS officer's shoulder, Gemma would have fallen over. Instead, the auburn-haired woman just stood there, her entire body shivering.
The Commander immediately understood that something was wrong. "Are you okay? What is going on?"
Gemma turned her head to look at Misaki and locked gaze with unsettling intensity. The reflection in the eyes of the OPS officer was something that the Asian officer had never seen before. Genuine fear. "I'm cold. So very cold."
Misaki could effortlessly recall a time when Gemma had survived being out in outer space. The feat was most impressive when considering that she had not been wearing an EVA suit at the time. The nanites coursing through her body were truly amazing. They allowed her to regenerate at an incredible speed, sustaining her vital organs no matter what. This, of course, meant that she could survive in environments that would be fatal to most. Although the frigid temperature of P8746 was beyond bitter, it was not equal to the vacuum of space.
Being so deep in a cave was most certainly helping. The cave walls provided a shelter from the icy winds and razor-shark snowflakes. This meant that the problem, whatever it may be, was Gemma's and Gemma's alone. This of course did nothing to make Misaki's job easier. She could see the terror in Gemma's eyes, and the ExO was powerless to do anything about it.
=-=
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
=-=
“Naked Truth”
Previous post: “Fractured Fragility” by Rachel
=-=
"Once... mankind accepted a simple truth, that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds, man believed to be home to their gods. Others, they knew to fear. From a Realm of cold and darkness, came the Frost Giants. Threatening to plunge the mortal world, into a new ice age. But humanity, would not face this threat alone."
-- Ancient inscription said to have been spoken by Odin and transcribed by the Valkyries
Setting: Setting: P8746, Cave Chamber
Stardate: 37014.1715
The white tiger humanoid A’Janni crept along the chamber’s ice frosted walls, his square, black nose near the rock surface. He squinted his remaining eye. His ears were cocked forward and alert while fingers explored every bump and dent that might be a trigger to open the wall. Despite the intensity of his scrutiny, every now and then he would allow himself to glance near the center of the cave where another crisis was unfolding.
Ya'Han was sitting back on her knees, allowing her to provide head support to the collapsed Gemma while at the same time trying to see if there was something she could do to help. Without access to medical facilities, or even a working tricorder, the best the acting CMO could do was to use the tips of her fingers to get her patient's pulse which was extremely weak and slow.
"Here," Maya said as she handed over the tricorder that she had been using to analyze the rune-engraved stone plaque. "The charge should last a few minutes. It may not be much, but hopefully, it will be enough to figure out what is wrong with Gemma."
"Her nanites stop any scans of her body," Ya'Han said, repeating word-for-word what the woman's medical file stated, a file that the CMO had made a point to read while back on the HATHOR. As much as the Nylaan might not have been thrilled with the role she was asked to play on this mission, it was not like her not to give her absolute best whatever the situation might be. As the white-haired woman looked at the dimly lit screen, she noticed something unexpected. "Her organs are failing," she announced, surprised that the hand-held device was actually scanning the woman and reporting on her condition.
The small screen remained lit for only a few more seconds before it went dead once again, prompting the acting CMO to hand the tricorder back to the CSciO who immediately voiced the query that was on everyone's mind. "Do you know what is causing it?"
Ya'Han looked up and made sure that she was looking at Captain Morningstar as she gave her report. "The data gathered by the tricorder was very limited, but the fact that it was able to scan Gemma in any way is what I believe is the most telling. Her nanites are failing, just like every other electronic device has done on this planet. Based on what I was able to see as to her physiological state, I believe that her organs have grown to be completely dependant on the nanites, and with them failing and unable to repair or replicate, she is dying."
"Then bring her over here," Sonja yelled out from the section of the cave wall where the plaque had been discovered. "If all she needs is a power boost, her being near this thing might help."
"The energy coming from that plaque can barely charge a tricorder for more than a minute," Commander Mitshiba pointed out. "I strongly doubt that it will be able to give Gemma's nanites the kind of power boost they need to reactivate and heal her failing body."
"What do you suggest? That we just let her die?!?" The redhead Cheif Engineer bellowed, her anger and frustration so intense that the woman had forgotten to add her customary thick Scottish accent which she used to emphasize her words to make sure that no misunderstanding took place.
"You do realize that she is not the only one here who is at risk of dying here, right?" Adriana countered, the Junior Ambassador sounding just as upset and frustrated as the Chief Engineer. "We all care for Gemma, but the reality of our situation is that we have a group of Masters heading this way, and they are not going to be in any mood to talk when they get here."
"Our priority is to find a way out of here," Mitshiba added. "Right now, that plaque and whatever may be behind it appears to be our best, and maybe only hope."
"So then we let her die and leave her and anyone else who didn't make it behind once we get this 'doorway to the Engine of Creation' open?" Sonja hissed.
"I was hoping that you and Commander Maya would be able to open this doorway before that," the Native American offered as a counter-argument, the Captain making sure to keep his tone calm yet commanding.
"Fine," Paquette huffed. "Maya, bring that tricorder back, I am going to need it if I am to save us all, again!"
Chief of Security Zub Enel stayed out of the way of Maya and Sonja as they worked on the plaque covered in Nordic runes. The breath of the HATHOR crew, the Andorian researchers, and several of the Bornodin bear folk formed a dense fog in the freezing dead-end chamber. The air reeked of unwashed teeth and bodies, but none of that mattered. The Andorian researchers were again sitting in a huddle for warmth. Their pale antennae vibrated from violent shivering as they watched the drama unfolding around them with great intensity.
Sonja, with the assistance of Maya and A'Janni, worked as quickly as she could, but despite the crushing stress and time factor that she was working under, the woman could not help but occasionally glance in Ya'Han and Gemma's direction. During one of her stolen glances, the Chief Engineer noticed the Bornodin nicknamed Seven approaching the two women near the center of the chamber. Instead of pulling her gaze back onto the task at hand as she had done several times before, the redhead stared at the bear-creature, or more specifically at his armour.
"What is going on?" Maya asked of the distracted Sonja.
"A weird idea," the CEO replied as she motioned for the P8746 native to come closer. Seven complied but stopped roughly 10 or so meters away from the woman who had beckoned him. "You can come closer," Sonja prompted. The bear-creature raised both of his massive claw-filled paws as if wanting to protect himself from something.
"This is not dangerous," A'Janni pointed out as he place a single claw on the upper edge of the plaque.
"We cannot," Seven explained. "FENBERUS, the guardian of the world below is held captive by those runes and stones. We are forbidden to approach."
"FENBERUS?" Maya asked, the name sounded oddly familiar to the Shillian scientist.
"A giant four-legged sharp-tooth beast with fur as black as night. It is said that it can devour an entire settlement in a single bite and that its legs are powerful enough to allow it to jump and reach the stars. Its growl can instill fear in the bravest of warriors, making it impossible for them to even attempt to fight back, not that anyone could ever hope to defeat the doom-bringer. He is destined to be set free on the last day of my people."
The lead Andorian chuckled, which of course drew everyone's attention onto her, no one expecting such a reaction. "This is why we needed to come here, to see what is behind that plaque," she explained. "FENBERUS is an amalgamation of two legends from EARTH, Cerberus the guardian of the Greek underworld and Fenris, a beast of great power and strength from the Norse mythology said to have played an important role in bringing the end-day, the 'doom-bringer'."
"Ragnarok?" Morningstar gasped, recalling that part of the Norse legends which he had studied way back as a cadet at the Academy.
"If the end of this world is coming, I believe it will be at the hands of the Masters and not some fictional mythological beast," Lopez sighed, her concerns not having diminished in the slightest about the race of interdimensional invaders and conquerors.
"What if the legends the local inhabitants believe are nothing more than stories to keep them away from that plaque and others like it?" Kaylah suggested.
The acting Chief of Security Bractor Rixx had a smirk on his blue bifurcated face. “Ma told me never to go into alleys ‘cause of the bad people.” Morningstar, Lopez, and Kaylah looked blankly at Rixx, who added, “I was scared spitless at first, but I went into them just to see what bad people were like. Know what? The bad people weren’t always bad. When I got older and stronger, even the bad ones were easy to beat in a stand-up fight.”
Her Hispanic face darkened with a frown, Lopez asked the blue-faced Bolian, “If we let a FENBERUS out, you’d handle it for us like it was another piece of alley trash?”
Erik took control of the wandering conversation. “What if this Master’s invasion is *this* world’s Ragnarok? Masters in large numbers can truly bring the last days to the Bornodin.”
The ILO, commander Shar’El, who had remained silent up to this point, weighed in with, “Maybe now is as good a time as any to release the FENBERUS. If any creature can even the odds for the Bornodin, legends say it can.”
In his chitinous armor, on all fours, the ursine leader Seven had listened intently, his snout pointing to each person who had spoken. When everyone silently stared at him awaiting his response, he said in his deep voice, “To release an angry and vengeful god is to offer ourselves as a sacrifice.”
Captain Morningstar knowingly nodded, “From experience, I have learned this; even gods can be reasoned with. The Masters are bent on destroying your world. They do not listen to reason from the people they seek to conquer. FENBERUS, or whatever else may be beyond that stone wall, may destroy your world, too, but it exists for a destructive force like the Masters. Now is the time to summon it and ask for its help.” Erik paused and looked directly at the Bornodin leader. Through his own beliefs, the Native American man accepted the existence of beings beyond what they knew or understood. It was very likely that FENBERUS was just another mythological legend which grew larger over the centuries. Releasing the beast was not his intent, but getting beyond that wall was quickly becoming an urgent need.
Seven lowered his head until his snout touched the ice-covered floor. He huffed out several breaths. He raised his head and said sadly, "I had assumed we had more time in this world.” The bear person took a halting step toward the plaque. Runes on the plaque took on a florid glow as if heated by lava. Seven halted. “I have angered it.”
A rumble grew louder. It rattled at a lower pitch than the ice-shattering tuning fork of Raud. All eyes went to the plaque with its ruddy glowing runes. The thundering came from the opposite end of the cave, from where they had all come in.
A’Janni’s tiger ears went flat. “Masters. A lot of them. I hear pounding and rocks breaking.”
The Native American said to Seven, “We die here unless you approach the plague. It may save us or at least give us a fighting chance.”
Seven hesitated until another loud rumbling echoed through the cave causing him to dash straight to the plaque. Ice rained down from the thunderous shaking behind him. He stood on his hind legs and touched the plaque with both front paws.
An animalistic roar blared enough that everyone cringed. The wall behind the plaque shimmered and vanished. Ice affixed to the now-vanished wall rained to the rocky floor. Maya barely caught the stone plaque in both arms before it hit the floor.
Everyone stood transfixed. “Go!” Eric said motioning people to move and go through the newly created opening. The Captain quickly lent a hand to help Ya'Han and several others bring a limp Gemma into what they all hoped would be safety.
Galvanized by his voice, the HATHOR crew rushed into the next chamber and partway into a wide corridor that sloped downward. The Andorian researchers helped each other limp past where the wall had been. Seven and his bears stepped past where the wall had been and then faced the back of the original cavern. Zub, A’Janni, and Rixx stood among the bear folk in battle stances.
Over the rumble of approaching Masters battering living rock into submission, Maya shouted, “There is an inscription on the back of the plaque. It says that whoever summons the FENBERUS must enter its realm naked and defenceless or be destroyed.”
A gray muscular arm reached through the narrow crevice at the back of the original cave and blindly waved about a thick metal rod. The pounding on rock grew louder. Bits of it were flying into the cave.
Even faced with an imminent Masters attack, Seven lost no time throwing off his wooden axe with its obsidian blades. He tore off his armor, dropping the pieces in a heap where the wall had been. He stood facing the mortal threat in just his fur and resolve.
The wall shimmered back into being a scant millimetre from his snout. Another throaty animal roar rolled deafeningly from up the new, wider corridor. Everyone stood perfectly still, wondering what sort of beast FENBERUS would be, but when another roar filled the air, A'Janni's ears perked up to their tallest.
"That sound is not coming from an animal," he announced.
"It does sound oddly mechanical," Maya confirmed, the Shillian now carefully listening to the sound that caused the walls themselves to vibrate.
Feeling a little more reassured that no monstrous beast would strike at them, the Native American, along with a very nervous Seven, took the lead and made their way down the sloped corridor. it took roughly a hundred meters or so before the rough, natural stone walls gave way to more polished stone-like bricks, the mortar used to hold them in place glowing with a very soft icy-blue light. Being as curious as she always was, Maya reached out with a single cautious finger to see if she could figure out the cause of the glow. The closer her digit came to the wall, the more the Shillian could sense the electrical charge mounting.
"Don't," Gemma forced with great effort. "Whatever is at the center of this place is powerful. Very powerful."
That warning proved sufficient to bring Maya's wandering finger back until her curiosity was shifted forward thanks to Bractor's comment. "Somebody might want to have a look at what is down here."
Erik, Misaki, Shar'El and several other members of the senior staff moved forward and joined the Bolian Assistant Sec/Tac who had found his way to the edge of what appeared to be a man-made cliff. Beyond was a kilometre or so deep canyon-like opening with huge copper-coloured metallic spheres, some as small as a shuttle pod, others as large as a multi-story building. What was even more impressive was the energy transfer between the globes which slowly moved from one sphere to the next like some living energy snake. Every so often it would pass near a sphere instead of passing through it, causing the metallic ball to resonate in such a way that it created the roar the crew of the HATHOR had been hearing.
"The Engine of Creation?" Shar'El wondered.
Erik was not sure what to say. All he could do was to look at the small area of exposed skin between his wrist and uniform shirt to see the hair standing on end due to the static electrical charge that permeated this entire place.
=-=
Francois Charette
Captain Erik Morningstar [Access Character BIO for Erik Morningstar]
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
AND
Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
AND NOT TO MENTION
David Michael Inverso
Lieutenant JG Zub Enel [Access Character BIO for Zub Enel]
Chief Security and Tactical Officer
USS BASTET, NCC 74977
“The fortune you seek is in another cookie.”
- From A Fortune Cookie
=-=
"Jötunheimr"
Previous post: "Naked Truth” by Francois and David
=-=
Setting: P8746, ledge overlooking the 'Engine of Creation'
Stardate: 37014.1745
Understandably, everyone wanted to see the immense structure that was believed to be the 'Engine of Creation' as written on the stone-made plaque discovered earlier. Ya'Han was not immune to this curiosity, but her duties as acting Chief Medical Officer required that her attention be somewhere else, meaning on her patient, Lt. Gemma.
It was difficult for the former Sec/Tac officer to accept that the responsibility of the crew's security was not hers but in fact that of Lt. Zub Enel. Ya'Han had the utmost confidence and respect for the Voth, but it was hard for her to hide her longing to be where he was now.
The auburn-haired woman slowly opened her eyes. Her head firmly rested on the CMO's bent legs. The OPS officer displayed no emotions as her gaze met that of the white-haired Nylaan looking down at her. Still holding the other woman's gaze, Gemma systematically tested her muscles. A long deep breath filled her lungs, visibly pushing her chest up. Then it was her feet that moved, followed by her ankles. The motion was subtle but enough to be seen by the curious medical officer. The lower legs, then the thighs followed before Gemma's fingers joined the exercise. Arms, shoulders, neck all showed equally subtle shifts. Ya'Han could only guess that even the muscles she could not see had been tested in a similar fashion.
"How are you feeling?" the Acting CMO asked, glad to see that some level of color had returned to the woman's cheeks.
Gemma closed her eyes instead of replying. She needed to confirm one last thing, the part that made her who she was. After several seconds, the OPS officer reopened her eyes. "Feeling better."
Ya'Han smiled at the short reply that was a trademark of the multi-faceted woman. "You had us scared for a while. It was not looking good for you. Your organs were all shutting down. Did you know that you have a cardiac deformity? I was not able to get a lot from my tricorder scan, but Iwas able to see at least that much."
An expression of cold seriousness engraved itself on Gemma's features. "My nanites are programmed to repair whatever damage they encounter. Where are we?"
The acting CMO understood by the rapid change of subject that Gemma did not want to discuss her physiological issues any further. The subject would be put to the side for the time being as there was no reason to push the matter at this time. "Paquette, Maya and A'Janni managed to find a way to get us past the stone wall. Apparently, the rune-covered plaque was some sort of test, a key that the Bornodin needed to figure out. Now, we are here, wherever this place is."
A loud slow rolling roar filled the air. The vibrations it created were so intense that it could be felt deep down in their bones. Gemma's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she studied the rocky ceiling far above Ya'Han's head. "This place generates even more power than I expected. The shimmering rocks overhead indicate some sort of forcefield. The electrical charge in the air seems to point to a massive power output."
"Well," the white-haired Nylaan smiled. "The rumor is that we discovered the Engine of Creation, and you would figure that something named as such would generate a sizable amount of energy. I am just glad to see that whatever this energy is, it is compatible with your nanites."
Gemma pushed herself up onto her feet. Her eyes studied the shimmering effect all the way to the canyon. She could not see what the others were, but she knew that it was massive. "There is more to this place, to this Engine of Creation. A lot more."
"Care to share your theories?" Ya'Han asked, figuring that she would get some sort of paranoid perspective of this place. Instead, the Nylaan watched as the woman standing next to her changed into a black-haired Ekosian.
Melika turned her attention down the corridor they had used to come here. She could see the polish stone walls and the soft blue glow between them. "The runes we have seen so far are very similar to those found on EARTH. Even the legends spoken about by Seven match in many ways those of the Norse people. If we use that mythology as a foundation, there is quite a bit we can extrapolate. The Norse people claimed that the universe was a giant tree. Through its branches and roots, nine separate realms existed. One of those realms was a world of eternal cold and snow, very much like this planet."
"Wait a minute," Ya'Han quietly opposed. "Are you telling me that you believe that those legends, the ones from the Norse people back on EARTH countless lightyears away from this place, made reference to this planet, P8746?"
The straight, black-haired historian turned her head to gaze directly at the white-haired medical officer. "The realm of eternal of snow and ice is called Jötunheimr. I am not saying that I believe this world is that realm. I am simply offering the possibility for consideration. There are just too many parallels, to many coincidences to be ignored. This would not be the first time that aliens traveled to EARTH and introduced a new set of beliefs. Travelers needed to present themselves in a way that the native, who were drastically more primitive, could understand. The Roman/Greek mythology was confirmed to have been created that way. Why could the Norse mythology not have a similar origin?”
The Nylaan allowed the thought to sink in. She allowed herself to imagine how two so distant and different races could have evolved to share such similar beliefs. It only took a few seconds before the Medical Officer realized that if this was indeed the case, the other eight worlds had to be, like this one, real.
"We need to talk to Captain Morningstar," Ya'Han said. "Even if this whole thing is nothing more than a flight of fancy, a wild journey of an overactive imagination, he needs to know about what you have just said... just in case."
“Agreed.”
-=-=-
Hanali Han
Lieutenant Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Acting Chief Medical Officer
USS HATHOR, NCC-74211
and
Rachel Jackie Johnson
[The fun is getting to wear multiple disguises and getting to explore multiple personalities and bring them to life. - Jenna Fischer]
---
"A Dream Come True"
(Previous Post: "Jötunheimr")
---
Setting: P8746, ledge overlooking the 'Engine of Creation'
Stardate: 37014.1755
Maya could feel an odd sensation dancing on her skin, but the Shillian was not certain if it was because of the electrical charge present in the air or her sheer thrill and excitement at the discovery they had just made. The more the Chief Science Officer looked and studied the massive copper-coloured spheres that nearly filled the canyon below, the harder it was for Maya to accept what she was seeing as real. This was the find of a lifetime, a discovery that held countless technological possibilities, not to mention a likely re-evaluation of many aspects of EARTH's Norse mythology. Every time she thought of a single aspect that would need to be researched, the Shillian scientist came up with half a dozen, if not more, points that would also need to be looked into. The sensations and emotions she experienced were quite overwhelming.
"Maya," Commander Mitshiba said, a distinct tone of amusement in her voice, "you can breathe."
"Did I stop breathing?" The Chief Science Officer said absentmindedly, her gaze never leaving the metallic spheres that the woman was scrutinizing with an intensity that was well beyond measure. "I had not noticed."
"I was not sure that you did, but I did not want to take a chance," Misaki clarified. "I also needed to say something that would be powerful enough, while at the same time gentle enough, to get you back with us. You looked like you were several universes away."
"My apologies Commander, I am just overwhelmed by this discovery," the Shillian said, still not daring to look away for fear that she might miss some important detail or event.
"I agree that there is quite a lot to justify your reaction," the Asian First Officer said. "I must admit that I am feeling the same. There was no way for any of us to have imagined that something so grandiose was hiding beyond that stone wall."
"The power being generated is immense, likely well beyond what any of our hand-held instruments would be able to measure," Maya said with admiration that rivaled the intensity of the energy levels she was referring to. "I am at a complete loss to ever start and try to explain how that 'energy stream' is moving so slowly between the spheres or what purpose it serves. It is almost as if time itself had slowed down to such a level as to allow us to see even the smallest fluctuations in an energy discharge as it makes its way from point A to point B. That said though, even a temporal event of such a magnitude would not be able to explain why the energy stream moves as it does, it almost appears to be alive as it fluidly navigates between the spheres."
"Could it be alive?" Mitshiba asked, the Asian woman allowing herself to be once again a scientist if only for the briefest moment. "Could some sort of intelligence be at play here? It would explain the odd movement patterns."
"A creature made of pure energy?" The Chief Science Officer gasped as the thought had actually not crossed her mind. "It would explain some of our observations, but it would also leave us with countless new questions. How is the creature able to maintain its form? Is the condensed stream a requirement to maintain some sort of consciousness, and if so is that ability enough to grant it self-awareness and sentience? Are the spheres part of what it is, or do they serve another purpose? Are they allowing it to maintain its physical and potentially its intellectual integrity, or are the spheres and extension of what it is, the two being only parts of something larger, in a figurative way of course as this structure already appears to be larger than anything we could have ever imagined."
"I cannot help but think of that entity that came back to EARTH nearly two centuries ago; the one that used one of the ancient deep-space satellites that were sent out into space as means to open communication with other species," Captain Morningstar said, the man joining the two dazzled women.
"V-GER," the Shillian scientist said. "The records and accounts of that encounter were required reading during the 'artificial life' portion of the science courses at the Academy. It was meant to show that life, intelligent life, did not have to be limited to a physical form as we have come to expect it to be. I do see some similarities between that entity and what we have discovered. The amount of energy being generated might be along the same scale, but this one is much smaller and hidden deep in the center of a planet instead of traveling through space in search of its creator."
"The runic language as well as the Bornodin have referred to this, whatever it is, as the 'Engine of Creation," Misaki said. "As such, I doubt that it has any interest in looking for what created it. In fact, it may be quite the opposite, meaning that it might have been put here waiting for something or someone to find it. It would explain why it was sealed the way it was, and maybe also why the Masters have come here, to this world."
"There are a lot of questions that we need to find the answers to," Erik said. "I just do not believe that we will be able to obtain any of those answers from up here. We need to go down there and see if there is something that might be able to help us understand what it is that we have come across. That said though, we have to find a safe way down those steep canyon walls."
"You cannot go down there," Gemma said as she walked up and joined the others. As the woman grew closer, Maya, Misaki and Erik felt a sudden surge in electricity around them, enough for all three of them to turn and look at the Chief of Operations from whom this increased charge appeared to be emanating from.
"Are you all right?" Maya gasped as she noticed the woman standing there with multiple small electrical discharges dancing all over her body.
"You cannot go down there," Gemma repeated, her intensity and resolve absolute, mechanical. "You will die."
---
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)