Elias Burke

IRL I have had a fundamentally life-changing experience as a Christian. So changed, when I was beginning to create Eli I couldn’t imagine him without that same changed mentality and approach to life. So I play a lot with my Christianity in Eli: selfishly, I think, more often than not, but I really enjoy the opportunity to explore the extremities of my own philosophy and to do that in a community that is so accepting and support

This is a super powerful little vignette into the individual minds of the faceless mob of people affected by the conflict in our stories! If D’varo came back last in our collective storyline that would be cool, but it would be incredibly interesting to just let him appear and disappear from the story; to allow him just enough time to make the audience feel a faceless man’s face. It was written by Jo Marshall, btw

(( Outside - Ih’aesn Agricultural Administration Building )) ::Their people were sick and dying, and all their acting Governor could care about was repairing the verteron array. ::The Romulan male huddled inside his thick coat at the fringes of the protest line; watching, waiting, thinking, slowly disintegrating. The Hawking hadn't been enough to continue their scientific experiments; they'd called in backup. Now they were being invaded by the Gorkon and their teams. He wondered what lies they would be told in the building; the virus had only just been discovered, perhaps, or it was an isolated problem, they had contained the infection, the people weren't dying yet. A collection of spun stories from a Commander who would tell the Federation whatever they wanted to hear. ::A life lived in the coastal town had been a happy one, for a time, away from the problems being anywhere near the Administration building caused. Dark eyes looked out under a furrowed brow to where the array extended from the terrain under the shadowed clouds. None of this had started until that thing was switched on. Science experiments. "Verteron particles". They could call it what they wanted, the protestors knew the truth. ::He hadn't believed the protestors at first. He was an educated man. He had argued against the rabble when they had formed in their hometown, refusing to accept the evidence laid bare before them. It wasn't until his wife had succumbed to the sickness, as his children had deteriorated, and all he could do was sit and watch as their Republic Doctors tried in vain to stem the flow of blood from decaying organs, petechia from forming, the vomiting to stop. Green bruises had begun to swell under his skin and his time was limited. A broken man with little more to live for. A danger to himself. ::A racking cough split through his chest like a knife and he spat on the floor; a dark glob of green and black sputum from infected lungs and bleeding gums, one of many symptoms he would likely show before he died alone in his home. The back of his hand wiped his mouth, then slicked his wet hair back, and watched the Gorkon's team ascend the stairs to the oppressive structure. The Hawking had been of little to no help so far and their people were still succumbing to the mysterious illness faster than they could burn the bodies to stop the spread. The breeding ground had been the family quarters, living in small apartments, on top of one another, waiting for proper housing to be built. Agricultural crops had withered and weakened as their people had surrendered to dysentery and oedema. ::Someone brushed past him, jolting him to the side onto painful legs that barely held him upright, then a large stone hurtled through the air and sank into the brickwork of the ornate Romulan building. A roar of encouragement surged from the crowded dissidents and it wasn't moments later another object was hurled, this time smashing against the strong arms of their Brikar. Had that been a signal? He wasn't sure. He couldn't see the others. ::He pulled his thick coat around him once more, and slunk back into the crowd, shuffling on aching limbs. ::Whatever was coming next, he hoped the Gorkon crew was ready for.:: ---- [MSNPC] D'varo Llhran Agricultural Laborour Ih’aesn, Sikuna

This was the best sim I've read in a long time! The history is so rich! I love all the links so you can go and see each scene individually, they're like optional flashbacks. And that last line: "So don’t screw up." That needs to be my life motto. Is there any better way to sum up the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude you have to adopt when you take on command?? Thoroughly well done Commander!

(( Ayiana’s Quarters, USS Gorkon )) :: Ayiana stared into the mirror and saw a stranger looking back. :: :: It was the collar. It felt so alien. Funny how a simple change in pigment could add the weight of the world, or in this case, the ship, on one’s shoulders. The red didn’t just signify a change in department; Ayiana was taking on the most important job on the ship, next to the Commanding Officer, of course. :: :: Ayiana was leaning forward against her bathroom counter, her arms propping her up. Her hair was immaculate, save for a few wispy strands hanging forward. Her nails had been freshly trimmed and painted; instead of the usual red she wore, she had a “nebula” effect on them. Swirls of yellow, blue, violet, orange, and red covered each nail. The pattern shifted depending on one’s point of view and the light hitting it. No wonder it was called “nebula.” It was ironic how much her everyday look reflected her new uniform - red hair, red nails, red blush, red lipstick, and now a red collar to top it off. Red had always been Ayiana’s favorite color. Perhaps she was destined for this? :: :: The award ceremony was in a few minutes, and it would signify the official start of her new job. Why was she feeling so anxious, then? She had been in command of an entire *department* for years. :: Sevo: oO Why, oh why did I say ‘Yes’? I was perfectly happy down in the labs. Oo :: The image of her in the mirror suddenly spoke. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: You could have said ‘No’, you know. :: Ayiana stood straight up, and blinked. Her mirror image stood up too, but took a different stance, placing her fists on her hips, as if scolding a child. Ayiana rubbed her eyes, then looked back at the mirror again. The other her was still there. :: Sevo: But it felt wrong to turn down Admiral Reynolds. :: Her mirror image crossed her arms in front of her chest. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: So? Reynolds wouldn’t have been offended, and you know it. It was a huge honor to ask you, especially after what you went through recently. Sevo: You mean the reprimand and the bunking…1, 2 Mirror Image Ayiana: Duh. Sevo: Well you don’t have to be so rude! Mirror Image Ayiana: Think how far you’ve come. :: Her mirror image changed. Its collar shifted to the familiar teal of science; the color Ayiana wore since her first day on the Victory. Further, a single gold pip adorned her collar, and Mirror Ayiana appeared younger; no lines or wrinkles criss crossed her face; and no blemishes or scars were apparent. Her hair was a bit more unkempt, and she had a large blue bow where her ponytail was tied instead of a more modest and standard-issue hair tie. Even her posture changed, hunching over more, and looking more reserved and shy. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Remember your first day on the Victory? Commander Eerie was the first person you talked to. :: An image of Eerie appeared in one corner of the mirror; slightly translucent, as if it was a ghost. He looked like he did four years ago; which looked just about the same as today, to be honest. :: Sevo: :: Smiling. :: No, there was a Caitian in the shuttlebay.3 :: Immediately, an image of a slightly younger L’rann similarly appeared in a separate corner from Eerie. Ayiana had forgotten that she was on the Victory back then, too! The Caitian was the first person Ayiana spoke to after coming aboard. She was kind, despite Ayiana nearly vomiting on the woman’s boots after spending a week in a confined runabout. :: :: Mirror Ensign Ayiana hunched over, and stared down at the floor as she spoke. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: E-excuse me, sir! My mistake! Sevo: oO Did I really look and act like that? Oo :: Mirror Ensign Ayiana, sensing her thoughts, straightened her posture and looked back at Lt. Commander Ayiana. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Yes, you did. You were quite the wallflower. :: Ayiana smiled, remembering Eerie calling her that on her first day. Or was it then-Commander Nugra? :: :: An image of Nugra appeared in another corner of the mirror. He still had both eyes back then, and only had the three pips of a Commander on his red collar. Ayiana remembered first seeing her Gorn commanding officer. It was extremely frightening, as if he would eat her alive if she messed up. And she knew she would have. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: But you didn’t mess up. On that mission, you helped defeat the Hunger. :: The Hunger. An ancient, extra-galactic species from the dawn of time, bent on conquering the galaxy. That was Ayiana’s first mission - to defeat the Hunger. And they did, with Ayiana’s help. She remembered hunching behind Eerie as small mechanical spiders assaulted the team. She had been tapping at her tricorder, and managed to interfere with the network that coordinated them and gave them a rudimentary hive intelligence. Without it, they were disoriented, and her team was able to stop them.4 :: Sevo: That was harrowing. Mirror Image Ayiana: But you persevered, and moved on. Then… :: Her mirror image’s appearance shifted again, this time with a black pip signifying her promotion to Junior Grade. Mirror Ayiana’s posture straightened. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Commander Nugra promoted you to jay-gee and made you Chief Science Officer of the Victory. :: The image of Nugra nodded appreciatively, and the corners of his tooth-filled mouth bent upwards in a Gorn smile. :: Sevo: Yes. After Lt. Commander Rossh departed suddenly. :: She smiled, remembering the black-furred Caitian. She had only served under him for a couple of missions. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Yes. Remember your first day as Chief Science Officer? You stood outside the door to the main science lab, trying to summon the courage to appear authoritative to your new subordinates.5 Sevo: And a lot of them were higher-ranked than me. I was terrified they wouldn’t listen to a lowly jay-gee. Mirror Image Ayiana: But they did. And you ran the department splendidly. :: It wasn’t as hard as Ayiana thought at the time. She had shortly found her groove and settled into it. :: :: L’rann’s image was replaced by Commander Vess. Both him and Eerie were the only two individuals on the Gorkon whom Ayiana had served with since her first day. She looked at Vess; thinking of him as something more than a colleague. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Of course he’s more than a colleague. Vess has seen you naked… :: Ayiana mentally facepalmed. How could she forget? :: Sevo: He’s a doctor! He’s seen lots of people naked! :: During a mission, she had been electrocuted and slipped into a coma. She spent a number of days in sickbay after Vess had performed an operation on her. That event triggered a change in the link between Ayiana and the Sevo symbiont. With Talia Kaji’s help, Ayiana was able to reintegrate herself, but things hadn’t been the same.6 :: Mirror Image Ayiana: And despite everything you had just gone through, Commander Nugra saw fit to promote you to Lieutenant. :: The mirror image of Ayiana shifted again, replacing the black pip with a second gold, denoting her promotion to Lieutenant. The large blue bow in her hair was replaced by a more subdued standard-issue hair tie. :: Sevo: And when the Victory was decommissioned… Mirror Image Ayiana: Captain Reynolds kept you in the role under her new command. :: As before, an image appeared of Captain Reynolds, with only four pips no less, in the last corner of the mirror. Like Nugra before, she nodded acceptingly. Ayiana stared at the mirror for a moment, looking at the faces of some of the people who had been instrumental in Ayiana’s career. :: Sevo: Yes. I was grateful; I had grown to like being CSO. Mirror Image Ayiana: Just as you will grow into the role of First Officer. :: The image of her shifted yet again, taking on Ayiana’s current appearance. All four of the ghostly images of Nugra, Eerie, Vess, and Reynolds smiled at her mirror image and nodded approvingly. :: Sevo: But this is so much different! It's not just a single department anymore; it's a whole ship I’m responsible for! Mirror Image Ayiana: So? The principle is still the same. And you’ve been in command before. :: True. She had done numerous stints in The Chair during duty shifts; even while Over There. But it wasn’t quite the same. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Sure, you’ll probably trip a few times. You’ll mess up. But Reynolds will be there for you; Vess will, too. :: The ghostly Vess smirked and shrugged. Well, maybe he would be. :: Sevo: But my anger issues… Mirror Image Ayiana: Yes. You’ll have to watch that. But you’ve been doing better. You've seen counselors, and tried calming techniques. And you know what will probably happen if you have another slip-up. Sevo: I won’t just be demoted; I’ll probably be court-martialed. :: Mirror Reynolds nodded. Her stare was icy. She would be watching Ayiana closely. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: So don’t screw up. Sevo: Thanks. I’ll try not to. :: There was a pause as Ayiana stared back at herself. :: Mirror Image Ayiana: Well?! What are you waiting for, Commander? Get out there! :: Ayiana straightened her stance and nodded at the mirror. She turned and headed out of the bathroom. As she was crossing her bedroom, she turned and took one last glance at the mirror. All the images were gone and it was blank once more. Ayiana grabbed a PADD from her desk as she headed out of her quarters to the dinner. :: Sevo: oO I got this. Oo ---------------------------- Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo First Officer U.S.S. Gorkon Image Collective Co-Facilitator Wiki Ops Training Team V239109AS0 --------------------------- (( 1 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=SIM:The_Court_of_Inquiry )) (( 2 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=SIM:The_Verdict )) (( 3 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=SIM:Ayiana_Sevo,_Arrival )) (( 4 http://sims.starbase118.net/sim.php?simnum=2366853 )) (( 5 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=SIM:Ayiana_Sevo:_I_Have_Minions! )) (( 6 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=SIM:Ayiana_Sevo_Disjoined_Arc ))

This is my favorite!!

::Katie was just a little transfixed by the sun glinting off the Caitian’s fur.:: Vayne: oO Soft kitty, warm ki… No, you’re a Starfleet officer! Oo OMG! That’s racist! . . . right?

I love map making! I accurately charted the stars within a 100 light year radius of Earth to scale for a science project once. I make 2D and 3D maps, but I’ve never made anything interactive and they’re not pretty (B&W, designed primarily for reference data). I would love to help with making something astronomically realistic when (not if) we start on this.

Lol 😂 I dare you

This isn't necessarily funny on its face, but when I consider the fact that Ayiana could have said something like "high-protein energy bar" or "calorie dense meal" instead of "dessert" it makes me laugh because I picture the starfish as some huge, fat guy chasing flying honeybuns with twinkies for nacelles around the nebula, lol.

Vess: Look like one of my exes…::It was like some kind of starfish from hell. It was huge,::