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  1. Though, I Walk Through the Valley of Death, Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost ((Surgical Suite- deck 4, USS GEMINI)) ::Reid was waiting for his surgical team to get themselves transferred from the USS Wyoming, to the USS Gemini's sickbay during the middle of a battle with a Klingon K't'inga heavy battle cruiser. He realized it had taken him awhile to be tansferred, Why should it be any less time for his crew? It all started aboard the USS Wyoming, where he had been working triage, and then sent to surgery to mend the wounded casualties by patching them up, help stabilize them, storing them anywhere there was a little space, prior to them being shipped out. Then it happened: two severely critical casualties requiring more than a simple patch, a temporary fix, temporary storage, and transportation elsewhere were assigned to me. But, I am beginning to get ahead of myself. Let us stop here, and back up to the first stage of scrubbing up for Surgery.:: Reid took the opportunity to take a sonic shower aboard the USS Gemini. While in the shower, Reid had time to reflect on the events that he had been through for the past few days,. First, he was stationed abroad the USS Wyoming, which had rendezvoused wth the USS Gemini, and both Starfleet vessels then responded to a distress hail. The USS Hermmes had come under attack by a K't'inga class, a Klingon heavy battle cruiser. They had placed a distress signal they were under attack, and requested immediate help. When both vessels had reached the USS Hermmes, it had already been boarded by Klingon boarding parties, and the K't'inga cruiser had already caused major damage to the Hermmes ship systems, and havoc among the crew. The USS Wyoming had been attacked first. So, it had taken on more casualties, than the USS Gemini, at this point. So, the casualties started piling up, even more, amongst the Hermmes crew during the intense fighting within. Then the USS Gemini had sent a Marine SAR team abroad the USS Hermmes, to capture the marauding Klingon boarding parties. Soon the SAR team reported mass causualties among the USS Hermmes crew. Then the Gemini's boarding parties began to take on casualties trying to accomplish their mission. It wasn't long before the USS Gemini came under intensive bombardment from the Klingon K't'inga creating their own set of problems, and casualties. Reid had already started triage of the wounded, then transferred himself into a surgical suite, and went to work performing "meatball" surgery aboard the Wyoming.:: "Meatball" surgery consisted of patching the body from within through any required surgery that helped ensure the patient's survival, and stabilization. Once accomplished, the patient had a better chance to survive being transpoted to another medical facility. At that facility, the patient would undego more of the required surgery, further treatment, and necessary care to facilitate the patient's healing process, and recovery. ::While waiting for the next set of wounded casualties, He had been summoned to the Captain's ready room. Once their, his life was about to undergo a drastic change. Starfleet Command gave him orders to permanently serve aboard the USS Gemini, as a surgeon. He had been transferred before, but this was the first time he was transferred during a battle. Due to the battle raging on between the three Starfleet vessels, and the Klingon K't'inga, further casualties kept occurring. Reid tried to report for duty aboard the USS Gemini, but could not find anyone with authority, who would be able to take his orders. He finally settled for a tired Gemini Doctor, who had sat down briefly to get a moment's rest. She sent him to triage immediately, and then he reported to surgery to continue more "meatball" surgery. Two severely injured Starfleet officers came in, and Reid was ordered to handle their cases. Reid found out his request for his surgical team to be given orders for the USS Gemini was granted. So, while waiting, he went and personally checked on the two severely injured patients, and had them start being prepped for surgery, and kept watch until the team came aboard. Meanwhile, he was now, himself, preparing himself for surgery, an had started with a sonic shower. When he came out, he was met by a nurse, who came into the locker room while he was changing into scrubs. He turned around and there was the nurse standing there waiting for him. Reid thought to himself, oO Good thing I have my scrub trousers on Oo. He started to say something, and realized he didn't have a scrub shirt on. He immediately scrambled around through his things looking for his scrub shirt. Meanwhile, the nurse tried to hold it in, but eventually broke out laughing at the comedy before her. Reid stood up slowly realized he'd been had. Especially, when the nurse brought out a scrub shirt from behind her back. He reached for the scrub shirt, and said:: Reid: "Excuse me, nurse". ::Reid reached out and took the scrub shirt, and quickly threw it over his head, and slid it down to waist. He then tugged at it to straightened it out:: "And you are"? Nurse: PO 2C Benntiere, Surgical Nurse Specialist. Doctor. Thinking oO Oh boy, now I'm in for it. Oo Reid: Just how long have you been standing there? Meanwhile, Reid had a strange thought, oO Why do all surgical people have a sense of humor? I experienced it on the USS Wyoming, and it looks like there is going to be few pranksters here Oo :: Reid knew that different people had their little quirks. Everyone dealt with their assignments many different ways. :: Nurse: Long enough! ::long pause:: Remember, you invited me to join your surgical team today. I am just reporting in as ordered. Reid: ::putting his hand on the sore spot on his head.:: Ouch! All right, consider yourself reporting as ordered. Go find the chief surgical nurse, PO 1C Bothenet. Benntiere: Aye, Dr. Reid! ::She turned, and walked out of the Dr's lounge.:: ::as Reid straightened up, he looked around to see if anyone else heard the nurse's snide remark, "long enough." The remark made him blush, as he thought, oO Ok! Just how much did she see? Oo. Reid walked out the door, and went over to Lt. Applewood's biobed. He type in the patient's chart code, looked at data on her monitor, and shut off the overhead sensor cluster. He was checking just how much her hypovolemic pressure had dropped. At that precise instant he heard a voice say from behind him:: Knightling: The patient's pressure has not dropped significant enough to warrant any treatment at this time. Reid: ::turning Reid said:: Thank you doctor Knightling. You know I check everything myself just as a secondary precaution. ::Then he heard another voice off to his left. He turned to his left, and saw Dr. Treadway, and his entire surgical team. Inside Reid was ecstatic, but on the outside, he remained emotionless. After all he had a reputation to uphold. Treadway: Lt. Vetonia Treadway, and team, reporting as ordered Cmdr. Reid. ::Reid was glad to see her once more. He looked behind her, and saw his whole team waiting for orders. Reid began to speak:: Reid: It is good to see you all once more. ::pause:: I need you all to scrub up, and change into fresh scrubs for surgery. Prepare the suite for a double surgery, and on the duo tables set up support frames onto both tables. I will explain later. Also, someone test the overhead sensor clusters, establish stasis force fields, and the decontamination fields over the patients; until we are ready to do surgery. Two of you med tech's will report to the morgue, and see if you can be of assistance. That means you 2Classmans Ped, and Pod. 1Classman Posh, I need you to assist overseeing the establishment of the different fields on the patients biobeds. Test them now, to make sure everything works. During surgery,would not be the best time to discover faulty fields. 1Classman Posh: Aye, Dr. Reid. ::Posh left to perform the testing of all fields. Then he went to complete other duties before surgery got underway. Ped, and Pod didn't say anything. They just followed their orders, and went to the morgue to assist the already busy Gemini crew.:: Lt. Treadway, I need you to go over to triage, and see if you can assist somehow. If they don't need you come back and prep yourself for surgery. Treadway: Aye Doctor Reid. ::she dismissed herself, and walked over to the triage area.:: Reid: The rest of you,who have not received any orders, just start performing your normal duties for surgery preparations like lyou always perform. Dismissed! ::Reid heard an assortment of different responses with ayes, and they all headed to their assignments. Reid turned around and checked the neural calipers report for both patients. Another vital sign measured during surgery. oO This is not good.Oo thought Reid, oO It indicates the patient's vital signs have dropped to serious levels. But, they counterindicate the neural caliper readings. Anymore readings like this, and we'll have to operate immediately, or we will lose these patientsOo. Reid turned to head back into the surgical suite, looked up, and saw an unfamiliar officer walking towards him, Dr. Brooke Zandra he presumed. Reid was going to wait for her, but then she suddenly changed direction. Reid contemplated briefly oO After all the wounded, dead, and dying I have seen today, I can truly say, "Though, I walk through the valley of death" Oo, Reid had to stop a moment, and recompiled his thought pattern. With Dr. Zandra coming towards him, then abruptly changing directuon, it gave him inspiration. Reid could honesty think, oO "Though I Walk Through the Valley Of Death, Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost". Oo ::Part II:: ::When everything was in order, and ready for surgery to Reid's expectations, he called his team together, and began to give the team pertinent information on the two new cases.:: Reid: I have called you here to relay news pertaining to our surgery cases. We have been reassigned new emergency surgical cases. We will not be doing our usual "meatball surgery" this time. I will let Doctor Treadway explain. Doctor Treadway you're up! Treadway: Surgical team staff, We have just received new emergency cases of two casualties from the USS HERMMES. One, a male ensign, and the second is a female Lieutenant. Both have received wounds the from the fighting, and also have sustained further injuries from being tortured. I suspect they both have internal bleeding as the result of torture. They both are in critical condition, and it could go either way for the Lieutenant, as it appears she has sustained more severe injuries than the Ensign. Neural Caliper testing showed how serious the internal wounds have affected their different biological systems. For now, they have been placed in a state of induced comas, and administered hypocoagulants to slow any internal bleeding. PO 1C Bothernet: I never liked Klingons, as most of you know they killed my parents. Reid: Alright, team, we will leave our personal feelings at the door. When we go through those doors, and work at the surgical tables there will be no time for emotions. Bothernet: Sorry, sir, I didn't mean it, the way it sounded like. Reid: That's all right nurse Bothernet. I, too, lost my father during the Battle of Wolf, in the Klingon Civil War. Now, I suggest no more interruptions until I finish the briefing. I will answer any questions at the proper time. For now, you will all conduct yourselves in a professional status. Now, you are all dismissed. Report to your stations, and see they are ready once the surgery begins. Nurse Bothenet, give the team their surgical assignments. Bothenet: Listen up for your assignment. PO 1C Trusk, you are the surgical nurse anesthesiologist. PO 3Cs Posh & PO 2C Cogshell, the surgery med tech's, PO 1C Bothenet, the chief surgical nurse, PO 2C Benntiere the assistant surgical nurse, 1st Classman medic Tep, will cross type & match blood type, will provide the dextrose, saline, and lactate ringers IVs, and provide any necessary lab tests & results during surgery. Team, dis-missed! :: All the team members responded with their proper Ayes, and left for their different stations to get them ready for the duo surgery procedure.:: Reid: Doctor Treaway, you will come with me to check on the Lieutenant. What is her name again? Treadway: ::pulling up her medical tricorder, and pressing a few well placed buttons:: Her name is Margot Applewood, Lt, Communications, USS Hermmes. She is middle aged, her last physical has her in a great phyisue. She is married, and the mother of two children. Her family is quartered on Starbase 118. :pause: Do you want her current testing, and results, Doctor? Reid: No, Doctor, you can send the results of all testing to her biobed overhead sensory cluster, and then to the surgical monitors. We can review them during the actual surgeries. I'd prefer to run our own tests, then compare the two results. By the way Doctor, has anyone run a second neural caliper test on them both to establish a comparison baseline. Treadway: Evidently, she was scheduled for one, but she took a turn for the worst. So, no second neural caliper testing was done. That, is when I placed her into a state of induced coma. It has slowed down all her life forces; inclusive of bleeding. Reid: Send one neural caliper test program when we get into surgery, and run the test immediately. Now, tell me about this young ensign. What is his name, and background? Treadway: ::rerouting the data, the Medical tricorder once more delivered the Ensign's data:: His name is Jhanon T'Lar, he is a young male,half Bajoran, and half terran, in his early twenties, Ensign, Engineering, recently transferred to the USS HERMMES. It also says he was having a relationship with a young Ensign from Astrophysics. Her name is Erma Hines, and is currently listed as MIA. As with the Lt's scan results, I will send his to the biobed overhead sensory clusters and then to the surgery monitors. Also, do you want to run a neural Caliper test as well? Reid: Affirmative! Send the test scans to their biobeds, and run a second set of scans and tests for the team's review. Then, set up a final third program, run the Neural Caliper test on the Ensign, and I will run the final test on Lt. Applewood. Then send the test results to the surgical suite monitors, and we shall review the test data during surgery. To save time, you take the Ensign T'Lar, and I will take Lt. Applewood to expedite matters. ::they both went to the their perspective assignments, and begin running all tests, and scans; inclusive of the Neural Calipers scans. When they had finished all the tests, and scans, they returned together, and compared all data reports on the two patients.:: Reid: I was afraid of this. All data relays internal injuries, and bleeding to different biological systems, but they both are registering hypoglycemic shock. Worse yet, the injuries are indicative of having been sustained by different types of torture. Lt. Applewood's torture seemed more severe than Ensign T'lar's. oO If only the age differences. were reversed Oo, thought Reid, oO then the Lt.'s ability for survival would be a better gamble. As it is the Ensign has a better chance of pulling through Oo. "Inform Dr. Knightling he will assist as cardiologist, and assist me as a neurologist. I will act as the neurologist, and provide the brain surgery, You will be the Nephrologist,Urologist, and assist me In orthopedics for the rib cage restoration only. Both caseloads will then be turned over to Dr. Zandra,and Dr. Whale, who will treat any burns, suture any lacerations, repair any remaining fractuded, and treat all confusions, and bruising. Please make a list of these assignments, notify the surgeons involvement in their perspective surgical duties. Have chief surgical nurse, Bothenet to set a final schedule for all enlisted medical team staff. Treadway: Aye, Doctor Reid. Right away. Reid: The next step is to take Lt. Applewood out of her state of induced coma, and if she shows signs she can survive the surgery, have the med techs take her into the prepping area. You stay with her, and monitor her vital signs while they prep her. Afterwards, you then go scrub, change into surgical scrubs, and join the team in the surgical suite. The med techs can transport her into the suite when we are ready. Notify all the surgeons, we will have a short meeting to put us all on the same page before we actually begin the surgery. Let us get 'er done! ::Dr. Treadway went to comply with her orders. Reid headed into the scrubbing room, where he headed to the food replicator, ordered Irish Breakfast Tea, and a cinnamon scone. He had a few minutes to snack before he had to rescrub, and then change into clean scrubs himself. Then his fight with death would begin once again. He personally didn't like to lose.:: ::Act III:: While Lt. Applewood was being prepped surgery, the three Docors were in conference discussing the upcoming procedures. All of them were standing around the replicator. The scene reminded REID of office personnel on break, congregating around the old water cooler, discussing the work day's events. Reid had estimated the surgery would last anywhere from 12 to 36 hours. Reid knew Ensign T'Lar would lose more opportunity to a full recovery, and rehabilitation, if he had to wait his turn for surgery. Since all three surgeons were going to have to wait or risk getting in each other's way, Reid had developed an earlier unique plan. Instead of wasting time prolonging the surgery, Reid informed the surgeons they were all going to practice a quick run through, after he informed them of his plan.:: Reid: Gentlemen, I propose we all operate on both patients, to facilitate any healing process, rehab, and recovery, at the same time, in the same suite. Each of us would be operating on different areas of both patients, without getting into each other's way. This would allow us to perform our particular surgical skills, and expertise, while also creating opportunities to help each other out as indicated, where needed at a particular moment. What are your opinions on the issue? Knightling: It could just work at that, and each of us can have independent mobility when treating the different wounds on both patients at the same time. Treadway: It would also allow each of us to perform our skills at some point when individuality nessistates specialized surgery on specific organs, or body parts. The other two can provide cover any general surgery abandoned for any specialized surgical opportunity, at a given notice. Knightling: It also permits us to finish up a technique on one patient, then hop across to the other patient, and repeat any necessary surgery on the other, if needed. This gives us greater latitude, mobility, and freedom to act either independently, or together on their wounds, and repair any internal organsy that may have been damaged. Reid: Suffice to say it is going to be a great undertaking in of itself. Doctors, we are all tired from all the emergency surgeries we performed ever since this battle started, but I believe in all of you. ::Reid paused for a moment to gather his thoughts:: Doctors, after going through all the test results, amount of injuries found, and medications necessary for the healing process, one would feel we are ready. But, we need to address another issue facing us. Therefore, I have asked Dr. Zandra to join us in the surgery briefing. At the moment, she is scrubbing up for surgery, and putting on fresh scrubs. She will join us shortly. Then, I will start the briefing. ::Posh, and Cogshell, the two supporting medic came into the surgery suite, and notified Doctor Reid, the patient Lt. Applewood was prepped, and ready to be brought into the suite. At that time, Reid informed them to also prep Ensign T'lar for surgery as well. Reid informed them only of the plan for this team of Surgeons to perform duo surgery procedures. Then Reid gave them two additional orders, one to get Ensign T'Lar prepped for surgery, and to have him ready within the next thirty minutes, as the plan was to start both surgeries, at that time. Also, would one of them go and inform Dr. Zandra to finish scrubbing, and meet the surgeons in the surgical suite within 15 minutes. That would be the exact time, the surgery briefing for the doctors would begin. Reid then dismissed the two med tech's, and they left the suite. Reid headed back to the surgery table, and began to review the surgical plan one final time. He picked up the padd contain the plans, and began to read the concepts of the plan. Reid also reviewed Bajoran physiology, concerning Ensign T'Lar, half Bajoran, and half terran.:: ((Timeslip - 15 minutes ahead)) :Reid had been going through all of the plans, and even renewed reading all of the medical tests and scans. He set down the padd and had to rub his eyes to clear his vision. He heard the sound of the turbodoors emit their tell tale swish sound, when they opened, and When they closed. He removed his hands from his tired eyes. After all, he was feeling exhausted from having been doing surgery from the moment the Klingons started the recent fiasco causing many casualties that required his trained surgical skills, and years of experience. He felt every muscle, even a few that he hardly used. The only reprieve for rest, came when he had transferred to the Gemini. And that was a very short reprieve at that. In the back of his mind, Reid was fearful he would soon pass his exhaustion point, and move into the fatigue realm. Reid thought oO I am going to have to increase my workouts,marathon style, as if I were going mountaineering.Oo. He turned to see Dr. Zandra walking towards him once again. This time she stayed for the briefing, as she went over to the replicator. Their, she met Dr. Reid who was ordering something to drink.:: ::Part IV:: Zandra, and Reid had finished their drinks, and as they were wrapping up their conversation, Reid looked at his wrist chronometer. He noted 14 minutes had passed, so he politely excused himself, and walked to the front of the suite. Where he grabbed his padd, and began the briefing:: Reid: Doctors, please gather round, and find a seat wherever you can. I will start the briefing, because the med tech's will soon be bringing both Ensign T'Lar, and Lt. Applewood. These are our two patients for this surgery. I am now giving you some background on them. They were both serving on the USS Hermmes, when the Klingons attacked their vessel. In the end, most of the ship's crew compliment either ended up wounded,dead,or dying. Though, there were a few survivors, these two were part of the luckiest survivors, if you can call them lucky, for what they have been through. They were rescued by an away team of Marines from the USS Gemini, on a SAR mission. Whom I understand the SAR team had suffered injuries as well. All survivors, Marines inclusive had suffered ranging from mild to major injuries. These two casualties are our main concern for the moment. I believe all the Marine personnel are being treated by the Gemini Doctors, as I speak. ::paused to clear his throat:: Tests have shone Lt. Applewood has suffered a trauma induced aneurysm on her brain, a tear to her spleen, causing excessive internal bleeding. I have used a hypocoagulant to control her internal bleeding. She had a multiple fractured ribs, some peripheral nerve damage to her extremities. She has also suffered burns, either from phasrer fire, or some other force, as well as, multiple contusions, lacerations, and bruises over the greater part of her body. She stands a 20% chance of survival from the operation. She had also many nails torn off her fingers and toes, and a few broken digits, on her left hand. There were also some filletinig done to her dermal skin layers on her extremities. But, we are not done writing her off, just yet. If, I have my way, this is one battle, I mean to see death lose, by keeping her alive. Tests have shone Ensign T'Lar is suffering from a fractured skull, a subderual hemotoma, fractured jaw, at the tempo-mandibular joint, and multiple fractures to the right humerous bone, left radial, and ulnar bones in the forearms, a damaged left midney, left tibia and fibular bones in the lower left leg, right torn Achilles tendon, torn lateral meniscus tear and medial meniscus tear in his right knee, and multiple lacerations, confusions, and bruises over 50% of his body. He is also going to need extensive dental work, Also, multiple digit fractures to fingers & toes. He is also missing multiple areas of dermal skin to the extremities; due to filleting type torture. Be advised most of these injuries were caused from extensive torture, not combat, by renegade Klingon mercenaries. Whatever information the Klingons got as a result of torture, May the infomation turn out to be false. It appears the two Starfleet officers paid dearly, as they were willing to be sacrificed, even die, to protect whatever they were guarding. They both have suffered Blunt Force Trauma, or NOT. Teeth pulling, nails removed, broken digits, skin filleting, and burns done in a 1-3" diameters, meaning controlled, on different areas of the extremities. To damage being committed internally, they have both been placed in a state of induced comas. That, doctors, wraps up the briefing. Are there any questions? Treadway: Dr. Reid, there were other injuries suffered by these two officers? Reid: Thank you for bringing up the question, doctor. As a result of imprisonment, and torture, both officers were also suffering from severe dehydration, and malnutrition. My guess the Klingons were not planning for these officers to survive the ordeal, or they would have provided food and water, and done less intrusive, and traumatic ways for getting the info. I believe the inflicted trauma was done for the Klingons sadistic pleasures, from ritual sacrifices. Knightling: Dr. Reid, what test, and scans, were used to detect the injuries these two officers. Reid: Those tests were a combination of Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MIR), CT scans, vital signs and neural calipers, biomolecular scans, angiography scans, CFS analysis, EEG & EKG scans, and multiple lab testing, such as urine analysis, Blood analysis, etc. Please be advised these tests can be looked at on all the doctors monitors, and will be available throughout the multiple surgeries procedures. These will be the assignments, since I have had to change them a second time. They are not written in stone. But, they are subject to change. Ben Trusk, PO 1C will be the nurse anesthesiologist, and he will handle the anesthesia. Pence Tep, 1st Classman medic - pathologist, Glenn Cogshell- PO 2C - hemotologist, Tep, and Cogshell will be the surgical Medics, Dr. D.A. Knightling - Cardiologist, Dr. Vetonia Treadway - Nephrologst, Urologist, and assistant orthopedics, and Dr. Reid, me - Neurologist, the brain, and orthopedics for the ribs only. We have a guest here today. She is PO 2C Benntiere, surgical nurse specialist. She will be working with our surgical nurse specialist, Bothenet. She has requested to join our surgical team, so today she is going through orientation the hard way, on the job training. She is formerly a survivor from the USS Hermmes. Nurse Bothenet, I would like you to note, Nurse Benntiere was offered some time alone, before the team tryout. She refused, citing she needed to get back to work immediately, to help her through grieving for the loss of her friends in the Hermmes medical department. Bothenet: Aye, Dr. Reid, I will see it noted in her record. Reid: Thank you, nurse. Let me finish up the job assignments. Where was I? Ah, yes, Dr. Zandra. ::Reid continued:: Dr. Brooke Zandra, since your primary focus is on contagious diseases, epidemiology, and also a general practitioner. You will be working with Dr. Shelley Whale, another general practitioner, who both will handle all fractures, except the ribs, suture all lacerations, and will deal with the contusions, and bruising. They both will treat all burns, with phisohex scrubbing, and use dermaline ointment to treat all burns. After the surgery is completed, they will see to the administration of Germyciillin, 600 units to start, an antibiotic that will be administered to both patients by Dr. Zandra, and Dr. Whale, after taking over Ensign T'lar, and Lt. Applewood cases. During this time they will also work to control the malnutrition, and dehydration suffered by both patients. Also, after the surgery is finished, both cases will be turned over to them, Surgeons please note, all three of us will be on standby, should something occur with the patients that requires our assistance. ::Reid had just finished the briefing, just as Trusk wheeled up the two anesthesia carts, and placed one each at the table heads, and hooked up the machines, monitors, and both Overhead Sensory Clusters to the biobed monitors. Cogshell uploaded the tests results and scans into the work place monitors of each doctor. Before dsimissing the doctors to allow them to go and scrub a final time, Reid said:: Reid: Doctors, I wish you success in all your endeavors around the tables today. You are all dismissed. ::Everyone left to go to the doctors locker room to scrub, and change into fresh scrubs. Meanwhile, the operating room came to life. All the team staff members came to life, as well. Instrument trays were set in each of the work places. Surgical Head nurse Debra Bothernet, Reid's chief nurse, and nurse Benntiere checked each of the trays for the full compliments, and checked to make sure each instrument was working properly. The instrument tray contained one Thrombic Modulator, medical recorder, laser scalpel with 4 laser settings, hyposprays unloaded, a dermal regenerator, and an osteogenic stimulator. A second tray was set up with any additional equipment needed by each Surgeon pertaining to his specialty assignment at each Surgeon Nurse's station, just off to the side of each surgeon. A third tray contained medicine in drug cartridges relevant to each Doctor's assignment. Next, Bothernet made sure the cardiac resuscitation cart was placed within easy reach of the two surgical tables, in case of cardiac arrest. Each surgeon's nurse was responsible for checking out all three trays at each of the different surgical stations prior to the beginning of the surgical procedures. Nurse Bothernet, and Nurse Bennitere the surgical nurses, each turned on, and checked each support frame to check if it was in operating condition, before it would be placed over the patient's chest, and trunk regions. Trusk, the nurse anesthesiologist, was responsible to see the anesthesia cart was filled with different anesthetic gases, the anesthetic equipment, the oxygen tanks, the gas tanks were full, the anesthetic equipment accessories were operational, and readily available. All Trusk needed was Dr. Reid, the head Surgeon, to pick what anesthetic gas he wished to use. He would find that out when Dr. Reid asked for a specific gas to be used. The medic technicians, Posh, and Cogshell were to stand by, and be the runners, or "go-for" in case, the doctors and nurses needed anything; inclusive of food, and drink. Nurse Bothernet, the head surgical nurse, was to double check the overhead lighting system was set, and ready to be turned on when the surgeries started. THE last function of Benntiere, the surgical nurse, was to make sure an adequate amount of gloves, and masks were available in the doctor's, and the surgical nurse's sizes were available. The nurse then would help the surgeon don the gloves, and mask. Each nurse was then to assist a surgeon throughout the entire operation. When everything met the Head Nurse's approval, she would then have the med techs bring in both patients, and they were to lock down the air driven bio beds into their locking mechanisms. Then she would establish, and maintain the stasis field during the operation of any decontamination, and containment, to prevent the patients from getting infections. The surgeons, by this time, would be having the gloves, and masks help being donned by his surgical nurse. Then as Reid would say, let's get 'er done, and they would all concentrate on each of their own surgical tasks. The surgery would begin:: ::Part V:: ::The surgical procedure started with the nurse anesthesiologist, PO C1 Trusk, responsible for removing the patients from their induced comatose state. The N.A. used a combination of anesthezine, a general anesthesia, used by security, but due to the weakened state of the patients, it was the choice of gases. It was used in combination with Benzodiazepine, a sleep inducer gas. Throughout the procedure oxygen was delivered by an laryngeal mask designed to channel oxygen , or anaesthesia gas directly into the patients lungs. Induction of air, was then delivered by intubation of the airway to each patient. The pathologist, and the hematologist worked in combination of cross type and matching of plasma, using lactated ringers solution. Then later, the solutions would changed to normal saline, designated NS solution during the Urology surgery. Finally, dextrose, or D5W sugar solution is currently being used in combination with an NS solution for post surgical care. D5W or dextrose would help to feed the patient, until he, or she would begin a liquid diet. The NS, or normal saline would be used to piggyback any medication, be it pain control, or antibiotics, after surgery. Multiple lab tests, and scans were continually taken, and read throughout the different procedures. The tests were read in conjunction to make the diagnoses of injuries, and dictated treatment to be used. They were reread often throughout the surgical procedures. They included, but not limited to: CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluids) analysis, CT scans(Computer Tomography) Imaging, MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imagining), BET scans(Body Emission Tomographic) Imagining, EEG (Electroencephalography) scan, EKG (Electrokardiography) scans, PO C3 Cogshell provided the Lab result tests which were performed throughout the different surgeries. They were Hematocrit, creatinine, oxygen input analysis, lymprocratic analysis, and variously blood draws, urinalysis testing, Myocardial enzyme balance, and neural calipers testing. Dr. Reid began the first neurological procedure on Lt. Applewood. Lt. Applewood had suffered a cebrebral contusion to her occipital region from a blow to the back of her head, which was brought on by BFT, or Blunt Force Trauma. A Hypocoagulant was injected by hypospray directly into the carotid artery to slow blood circulation to the brain. An incision was made into the occipital region with an exoscapel setting. This made it easier to use when performing a craniotomy. Reid then removed a 2 inch section of the rear skull cap for direct access into the outermost menigeres layer between the duramater, and the arachnoid mater. A laser scalpel was used for further use on the cebrebral contusion, which was then separated from other veins, concurrent with the use of neural brain implants. A sonic mitagator was used for bundling the neuron firing sites on the nerve branches. The purpose was to separate the neurons in the brain at the site of the subdural hemotoma. The hemotoma was then removed by vaccuum suction, and any surrounding venous bleeding was then controlled by placing stent clippings on the venous ends. A brain pacemaker was then introduced to prevent seizures, and possibly a stroke later on. Reid would later make a note during transcription. It may be removed prior to the patient returning to active duty. The skull cap was then replaced after having been preserved in a normal saline, or NS solution. Microsutures were used to seal the skull cap back into place, and the original incision was closed using autosutures, which were similar to a anabolic protoplaser. A cortical stimulator, a device used to resuscitate comatose, or head injuries was then used to promote resuscitation as necessary. EEGs were the continued on a running basis throughout the remaining surgical procedures. Written orders were requested for use of a dermal regenerator during this ICU stay. Dr. Reid then used a dermal generator himself, to promote healing of the surrounding tissue at the surgical opening site. The underlying laceration, and torn epidermis meninges were repaired using microsutures. Reid the closed the surgical opening site with additional microsutures. He then used a dermal regenerator on the surrounding tissue at the site to facilitate the healing process. Since, there were possible indications present to suggest possible hearing loss. Reid recommended Lt. Applewood should have physical and cognitive emotional testing performed by ship's counselor. Should the Lieutenant gain consciousness in ICU the symptoms can last up to 3 weeks. She could experience of feeling in a fog, amnesia, sudden mood swings, and an unstable, unsteady gait. Dr.Reid, next performed the second neurological surgery procedure. Ensign T'Lar suffered a skull fractures caused by a blow to his forehead brought on by Blunt Force Trauma, or BFT. The fracture was a communitied fracture; having caused a depression to the forehead region. The skull had underlying lacerations, a tear into the epidermis meninges that ran through frontal lobe sinuses, and possibly the middle ear structure. The isomolecular scanner revealed a comminuted fracture of the forehead had splintered into several bone fragments. An incision was made into the cranium with a laser scalpel to prevent further bleeding. Bone fragments were removed by vacuum suction, and replaced by bioimplants, rebuilding the frontal cranial bone. Bleeding was stopped by the use of stent clippings placed on the ends of the veins that has been ruptured. A platinum coil was placed into the area of the congratulated blood which helped to dissolve the clots. The loose fragments of the clots,and any remaining bone fragments were removed by a vacuum suction process. Bioimplants were used to rebuild the forehead bone, thus removing the forehead decompression. Again, Reid used Microsutures to close the surgical opening. Followed by the use of a dermal regenerator to the surrounding skin tissue to facilitate the healing process. As for the middle ear, Reid recommended Ensign T'Lar would need to be seen by an ENT specialist, and an audiolgist for the hearing loss. Follow-up psychological care would with the ship's counselor is recommended. Dr. D.A. Knightling performed the next, or third surgery procedure. Dr. Knightling saw there were no significant signs of damage to the heart muscle. The damage was to the aorta of Ensign T'Lar. Once the surgical opening was made Dr. Knightling had the entire surgery team visually see the physiological differences of the Bajorans, which included a heart that is mirrored along a horizontal axis rather than the vertical axis seen in the Terran heart. The surgery team was then encouraged to visibly see the Bajoran aorta also laying along the horizontal axis. Rather than, along a vertical axis found in terrans. Prior to the beginning of the Aorta repair, following medical protocol, Reid issued an order for blood transfusions. PO C3 Glenn Cogshell, and 1st Classman medic Pence Tep cross-typed and matched Ensign T'Lar's blood which turned out to be more human than Bajoran. Therefore, I ordered 2 units of whole blood, and to have a unit of matching Bajoran Blood on standby. It was to be used only in an emergency should Ensign T'Lar's body has a reaction towards human. Dr. Knightling used this 2 to 1 blood ratio a few times during the aortic repair surgery. Dr Knightling saw by visible sight, that Ensign T'Lar's aorta had suffered torn lesions resulting from a blow to the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, brought on by Blunt Force Trauma, or BFT. Dr. Knightling also pointed out the physical symptom of bruising at the site. To facilitate time, during the neurological surgery procedures, Reid removed a healthy specimen of two separate pieces of aortic tissues. The ascending aorta, containing the aorta arch which supplies 3 major arteries. The brachocelphalic artery supplies brain, and head, the left common carotid artery, and the left subclavian artery, which showed no signs of damage, or impairment. The aorta contained the coronary arteries which also branched off the ascending aorta. Here, he found indications of tearing of this 2 inch artery, which was full of tiny lesions, which impeded the flow of blood back to the heart. These had to be replaced or the Ensign would soon go into cardiac arrest. The descending aorta ends in the abdomen, where it branches into 2 common iliac arteries. Having noticed leakage from the branch itself, there were several lesions which slowly bled out into the abdomen. Thereby, significantly weakened the iliac arteries blood flow to lower extremities, which eventually could have resulted in paralysis. If not replaced, the branch would eventually rupture. Therefore, Reid who assisted in the surgery, elected to remove both damaged artery parts and placed healthy pieces from their aortic tissues into a Genotronic Replicator. It is a medical device to "grow" a new replacement organ parts at an accelerated rate. The use of a dermal laser scalpel sliced pieces of tissue off of the aorta. The new aortic tissue parts, of the coronary arteries, and the common iliac artery branches were completed and ready for transplant, when Knightling began the cardiology surgery. He opened the patient's chest cavity with a laser scalpel, and used surgical stent clippings to tie off the coronary arteries ends, and the iliac arteries branch. Then he removed the damaged parts, and a temporary pacemaker was attached to work the blood flow going throughout the body's natural circulatory system. Meanwhile, Reid diverted The blood, through a cooling filtration system to regulate slower blood circulation. The replacement parts were transplanted into the aorta remained attached to the horizontal axis with microsutures. A tear found in the aorta wall also necessitated repairing with microsutures. Meanwhile, a normal saline solution, or NS was run through the aorta to check for any leakage. Where any leaks were found, they were sealed by microsutures. The aorta showed no signs of leakage, so the blood was removed from the cooling filtration system, and rerouted through the new aortic implants. Showing no signs of leakage, Dr.Reid and Dr. Treadway decided to reconstruct the rib fractures, and stabilized the rib bones with bioimplants. Dr. Treadway closed the surgical opening site with Microsutures, used a dermal regenerator on the tissue surrounding the surgery opening site, to facilitate the healing process. ::Part VI:: ::Suddenly, the surgery took an unexpected twist for Lt. Applewood. She went into cardiac arrest. PO 1C Trusk, Dr. Knightling, and Dr. Reid initiated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR protocols. Trusk incubated, and bagged the patient. After placing an motivated tracheal tube down Applewood's throat, he inserted it into her lung. He placed an oralpharyngeal mask over her nose and mouth. The he connected a compression bag to the mask, and began to squeeze the bag. This flooded her lungs with oxygen, so the air could oxygenate her body organs. Reid started the compressions to send the air, and Blood throughout her body. Reid would then use an osteogenic stimulator to jump start her heart. Knightling administered cardiac resuscitation drugs to aid the heart in regaining a sinus rhythm. Surgical nurses Bothenet, and Benntiere prepared the hyposprays as indicated by the CPR protocols, and handed them to Dr. Knightling. He then administered them as necessary, or prn, when indicated. Lt. Applewood did suffer cardiac arrest, cessation of heartbeats during the surgical process, and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation protocol was initiated. Knightling immediately grabbed a hyposprays loaded with 2cc of Imapedrezene, and administered it. Dr. Reid grabbed an osteogenic stimulator, and began compressions of the heart muscle. Meanwhile, Trusk connected an oxygen line from the anesthesia cart to the compression bag. This facilitated administering a higher concentration of oxygen to the lungs when the bag was compressed. Knightling followed by administering 20cc of Hyperzene, a cardiac stimulant, and Reid followed by further compressions of the heart muscle with the osteogenic stimulator. Then Knightling administered 60cc of Imaprovaline, a drug which stimulates cardinal cell regeneration. Again, Reid followed with further compressions by an osteogenic stimulator, and Trusk administered more compressions of he bag. Introducing more highly oxygenated air volume to the lungs. At that point, Knightling consulted Dr. Reid,if he would make the call, because of the amount of damages suffered by Lt. Applewood's injuries. Dr. Reid refused to relent to the time of death, and called for the 2nd line of defense against the cessation of heartbeats. Knightling asked Reid if continuing with the 2nd line of medication was advisable. Knightling reasoned it could also cause further damage resulting in death. Dr. Reid stated that she was dead already, so trying could only help to resuscitate the patient. Dr. Reid, and Knightling readily concurred, so Knightling immediately grabbed a hypospray of Chlormydride, and injected a full dosage of 40cc. Meanwhile, Dr. Reid repeated the compressions with he osteogenic stimulator, and within 30 seconds of the last set of compressions, the patient's heart began to beat on its own. Knightling immediately administered 20cc more of Hyperzine, and the heart beat returned to a normal cardiac rhythm of 60 beats per minute; gradually the heart rate returned to 76 bets per minute, and from that point on maintained a normal sinus rhythm. After the successful resuscitation of Lt. Applewood using CPR Protocols. Reid, and Knightling returned to the business at hand. A Dak'tar, Klingon dagger that caused the damage when stabbed into the spleen of Lt. Applewood. Reid had seen the tell-tale jagged tearing edge from the dagger, often used by a Klingon mercenaries. It was done for sadistic, and often ritual pleasure during torture. The tearing not meant to heal resulted in the damaged spleen, and was the cause of her excessive slow internal bleeding. She was nearly dead when she reached Reid. So, he administered a hypocoagulant to slow the bleeding process. Before the spleen operation began Reid ordered a blood transfusion prior to surgery. Again PO 2C Cogshell, and medic 1st Classman Pence Tep performed another cross-type an match on Lt. Applewood's blood type. It turn out to be blood type "B", or BO positive, and had Cogshell, and Tep prepare 5 units of BO, or "B" positive blood. Two units were to be infused by a plasma inducer, one hour before scheduled surgery, and the remaining 3 units were to be placed on standby; for use only in the event of emergency bleeding during the splenectomy. Following Reid's prior order, Nurse Bothenet had already infused the BO, or "B" positive blood with a plasma inducer. Nurse Benntiere placed the remaining 3 units into the surgical refrigerator for storage. She then ordered PO 2C Cogshell to standby to prepare more BO, or "B" positive blood upon Dr. Reid's orders. Having judged the spleen damage due to dark bruising at the site, and knowing the location of the spleen in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, Reid made an incision. Using a laser scalpel on the site of the discolored bruise. Reid cut through the epidermis, and dermal layers, exposing the ribs. Using rib spreaders, Reid had Knightling pushed the lower ribs aside, being careful not to dislodge the floating rib. Reid could see a quantity of old blood, and mixed in were blood clots that had undergone the coagulation process. The risk of dislodging a clot was his next concern. If one clot were to break free, a thrombosis could occur, and easily lodge itself in the heart's coronary arteries, causing cessation of the heart muscle, inducing cardiac arrest. By the use of vacuum suction, Reid was able to remove all the clots, all old blood, and plasmatic fluid which had caused the abdominal distention, and bruising. Now, that he was able to see the spleen, he visibly verified what the ultrasound test showed. A rupture in the wall of the spleen, and was approximately 3 cm in length. This would have ruled out a laparoscopic splenectomy, when detected by the laparoscopy instrument. This also verified Reid's call for an "open splenectomy." His next step was to locate the lower mesenteric artery followed by the superior mesenteric artery. Using stent clips, he closed off the superior mesenteric artery, stopping any remaining blood flow to the ruptured spleen. Then he located the inferior mesenteric vein, by following the superior mesenteric artery. Reid used stent clips on the inferior mesenteric artery, and stoped the flow of blood moving away from the spleen. Using the laser scalpel once more, Reid severed both the superior mesenteric artery, and the superior mesenteric vein, separating then from the spleen. Observing for any leakage, he found none. So, now he dissected the ligments holding the spleen in place. Dr. Knightling then removed the spleen from Lt. Aplewood's body. Nurse Bothenet had prepared a place to set the spleen down, and he used it. Grabbing the tissue Mitagator, Knightling located an area that still had healthy issue. He sliced a few strips from the spleen, and had Nurse Bothernet place them in the Genotronic Regenerator. Then Nurse Bothernet packaged up the spleen, labeled it, and sent it to the boys in the lab. This way they could perform different tests on the spleen, and send back any analysis that would be requested during the surgery. While waiting for the spleen to finish the replication process, Knightling noticed 2 foci, called "accessory spleen". He informed Reid of his findings, so Reid allowed him to dissect them both with the laser scalpel. Reid wasn't above giving any surgeon who was that observant to practice removing anything he, or she found, that needed removing. Dr. Knightling did an excellent procedure under Reid's supervision of removing them. Nurse Benntiere prepared the specimens under the watchful eye of Nurse Bothenet. Benntiere then sent both foci to the lab for analysis as well. Eventually, the regenerated spleen was fully intact, and ready for transplant. Dr. Knightling gently removed the new spleen, and placed it where the old one once rested. Now, Reid began to reattach the ligaments with microsutures. Next, he reattached both the Superior Mesenteric Artery, and the Superior Mesenteric Vein with microsutures. After visually checking for any leakage he found no apparent leakage. Then began to reattach the Inferior Mesenteric Artery, and the Inferior Mesenteric Vein. When completed he released the stent clippings. As he released the stent clipping, he could almost hear a faint gurgling as the blood started to flow in and out of the new spleen. Reid discovered a tiny leak in the Inferior Mesenteric Vein, which he immediately closed with microsutures. Thinking it was best for the time being, Reid placed a temporary drain into the splenic area, which would allow any drainage to occur if necessary. Reid had Dr. Knightling close the surgical opening site with Microsutures around the drain. Knightling then covered the drainage tube with a small splenostomy bag. When nearly full the bag would be emptied into a measuring container to aid in recording the amount of fluid drainage. When there would be no more drainage of blood, the tubing, and bag would be removed. The drainage hole would then be sutures shut with Microsutures. A dermal generator would then be used to the tissue around the surrounding site. It would help to aid the facilitation of the healing process. Prior to the briefing of the surgeons, Dr. Treadway noticed the abdominal distention in Ensign T'Lar. She ran multiple urinalysis testing, which indicted visual blood in the urine, and indisputably, through the use of ultrasound of the Kidney, she relayed her findings to Dr. Reid who concurred the need for Nephrological surgery transplant was indicated. The right kidney had been perforated, and was clinically unresponsive to urine output. Treadway had previously performed a biopsy of the ® kidney tissue, and placed the sample into a Genotronic Replicator. Due to the acceleration process, a new right kidney had been generated. ::Finale:: The last surgery of the day was a Nephroectomy, transplant of the right kidney, and Urologigal surgery was also indicated. Utilizing the catheterization procedure was indicated. Dr. Treadway used a sterile catheter, and induced it through the ureathra, and into the the patient's bladder during the procedure. A small incision was made a few inches below the patient's belly button; using an exoscalpel. She began reconstructive Nephrology, and urology. Using a procedure called retropubic suspension surgery which including pulling up the bladder neck, and sewing it into bone, or surrounding tissue with microsutures. Once the patient with the aid of the catheterization, Treadway was able to find a small tear in the ureathra, and successfully repaired it with microsutures. Using stent clippings, she clamped off the renal arteries, and renal veins of the the right kidney. Meanwhile, Dr. Reid had connected the patient to a dialaysis machine, The fluids in the kidney then went through a diffusion process, getting rid of wastes, followed by ultrafiltration, removing unwanted water from the blood, or hemodialysis. All this occurred during the transplant procedure. After Dr Treadwy extracted the damaged kidney, by cutting the two ureters, the renal arteries, and renal veins by laser scalpel, Reid removed the regenerated kidney from the Genotronic Replicator, and implanted the new right kidney into place. Reid held the kidney in place while Dr. Treadway using microsutures, reconnected the two ureters, tubing connecting kidney to the bladder, reconnected the renal arteries, and renal veins to the right kidney, She ordered the dialysis process discontinued. She then noticed a minor leak in one of the ureters tubing. This, she repaired using microsutures, and was successful in sealing the tubing. Ultimately, the incision site was closed using an exoscpel, and a dermal regenator to facilitate in the healing processes. Follow up care would require catheterization, to help aid the healing process. I & O (input/output) charting was ordered, the dialysis process was temporarily ordered until such time urinalysis indicated normal urine output without blood in the urine, as needed, until ordered discontinued. Treadway ordered 600 units of Generecillin piggyback with NS, or normal saline solution, to prevent infection in both transplant receipents. ::Meanwile, the surgery was finished Reid informed both Dr. Knightling, and Dr. Treadway, since the surgery ended at 1800 hours, there still remained another 14 hours until the start of the new day's morning shift. Both Doctors could work it out among themselves. He then called for volunteers, by appointing both Doctors to the following shift. Each Doctor would be on call for 5 hours, and sleep until they needed to do either an afternoon, or midnight shift before going on leave. Dr. Reid elected to take the remaining 2 hours, until the 0800 morning shift which Reid would also take. Treadway would then relieve Reid, at 1600 hours,for the afternoon shift, and Knightling would relieve Treadway at 0000 hours for the night shift. PO 1C Bothenet, would oversee the remaining surgical team, who would finish cleanup after the surgery. She would then make out a duty schedule based on seniority rights. All the shifts would have a skeleton crew comprised from the surgical team, and medical personnel from the Gemini. When each shift was finished that surgical crew would begin leave. The Gemini medical staff would take care of their own schedules. Reid dismissed the three surgeons, and he, himself went into the Doctors lounge, and took a sonic shower. He put on fresh, clean scrubs, and decided while dressing, he would stop off at the Tin Star Lounge. He would stop in for a few minutes, grab a some supper, and tie on a couple of stiff drinks, before heading back to his quarters, and some badly needed sleep. He had to look in on both patients at 0600 hrs. He would check their progress in the ICU, or intensive Care Unit. Check with the nursing staff, and go over their nursing notes containing records of meds given, for pain control and antibiotics also given. Next, he would check the usage of IV infusion pump care, and delivery amounts of NS, or Normal Saline, and D5W, or dextrose usage through the night. Last, he would check on the status of their induced coma states. Based on all this pertaining data, more on vital life signs, recent lab reports pertaining to each transplant, Blood volume levels, chemical balance of other body fluids,and any other pertinent data pertaining to the two patients. Reid would then write out his Doctor orders for the day. All nursing staff, med tech's, Surgeon's, and physicians would see to it that every order of Reid's would be fulfilled. Then, at 0800 hours, Reid was scheduled to work the morning shift. He would oversee the skeleton crews needing any medical treatment, while the rest of the ship had gone on shore leave. During the morning shift all of his surgical team, would come in throughout the shift, and complete their dictation of all procedures used during the duo surgery from yesterday. At 1600 hours, it would all end, and Reid started his leave then. For as long as the USS Gemini under went repairs, Reid would spend his leave with his family. Yet, knew he would also be on standby medical duty, should an emergency occur during his watch. Treadway, and Knightling would also be on call for standby duty, as needed.:: LtCmdr Jerry Reid Medical Officer USS Gemini
  2. ((Sickbay - Corbin’s office - USS Darwin)) ::Corbin sighed heavily as he swung his large feet onto his desk and leaned back into his chair. He took his PADD and had it start playing the latest football game he got downloaded from earth recently and then pulled up Dr. Manius’s file. He was still tired from this last mission and ran his free hand through his hair as he looked down at the PADD. :: ::Dr. Manius’s file was full of contradictions. Half was full of praise at his work ethics and his doctor knowledge and skills. The other half was full of complaints both from patients and staff about his course attitude and short insulting remarks. Corbin knew that Dr. Manius was a doctor of extraordinary abilities, better than he was in many ways, however being a doctor was more than just diagnostic and surgical skills, it was also how the patient perceived you, how you dealt with others and how you convied a sense of….healing/wellbeing. He felt this was probably the reason why he had not been promoted already. :: ::Corbin felt a bit weird recommending someone for promotion. He had never done that before especially when the promotion was going to make the officer the same rank as him. However he felt based off the outstanding job that Dr. Manius had done in the sickbay in the past few missions he at least needed recognition and sending that up the chain of command could only be the right thing to do. :: :: However before doing that he felt he should talk to Dr. Manius tell him his intentions and perhaps get a better feel for the doctor. Putting the PADD down he reached over to his desk communication button and pressed it.:: Corbin: =/\= Dr. Manius, could you meet me in my office at your earliest convenience, thanks. =/\= ::Dr Manius was in the same place as always and to be honest it was starting to feel just a bit cramped. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were tidy. That was the thing that made him feel so uncomfortable with the place. He was used to tidy roommates and having more of a run of the place. When he heard Dr Corbin call him to the office he wondered what the agenda would be. Maybe he was looking for a change in shift patterns now that they had Margariti and she was settling in. :: Manius: =/\= Of course sir. I’m free now if that is convenient for you? =/\= ::Just because the senior doctor had said for him to come up, it didn’t mean he was necessarily free right that second. :: Corbin: =/\= That is great Doc, see you soon. =/\= ::Corbin was a bit surprised that Dr. Manius was free right that moment but they might as well get it over with. Corbin flipped his legs off the desk and turned off the football game. He started to sit rather rigid and tall but quickly slumped into his more relaxed posture within moments. He slid the PADD with Dr. Manius’s file right before him and bowed his head in thought as he waited for the doctor:: ::Todd arrived outside the office a few minutes later and had made a cursory effort to ensure that he was presentable. He chimed the door and waited to be called in. :: Corbin: Come on in. Manius: Sir. ::Giving Corbin a respectful nod. :: ::It wasn’t much of a greeting and there were no pleasantries. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be here or that he wasn’t interested in Dr Corbin. In fact his tone was as pretty neutral, which was as close as it ever got to being friendly... with a few notable exceptions. He simply didn’t want to waste Dr Corbin’s valuable time and figured that he would want to get down to whatever business it was that had called him up here. :: Corbin: ::Smiled brightly at Dr. Manius and pointed to one of the two chairs opposite his desk.:: Please sit Doc. Manius: ::Taking a seat at the desk:: Thank you sir. Corbin: Now Doc, you don’t have to call me sir, Jack is fine. ::The idea of calling Dr Corbin by his first name actually felt really strange to him, after all they hardly knew anything about each other and were not exactly friends. The only person he referred to by their first name was Kaitlyn and that was more a result of his Ravensville experience than anything else although it seemed slowly he was making a friend. :: Manius: Okay, if that is your wish. :: Corbin took a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair and figured he might as well get straight to the point. Dr. Manius probably would prefer it that way anyways:: Corbin: I called you down here because I have been looking at your file. I want to recommend you for promotion. Honestly Doc, you are outstanding when it comes to the medical side of things, I could not ask for a more skilled medical practitioner to call my peer. ::Todd was delighted to be getting a little recognition for his hard work and to hear he was going to be recommended for promotion certainly made him smile. He’d been trying so hard for so long now and despite having treated so many high profile patients he’d been getting nowhere. :: Manius: Thank you sir! ::Proudly:: Corbin: ::Smirks and sighs trying to come up with the right wording:: I think you know however that your, hmmm, bedside manner, could be improved upon. ::It felt like a bit of a backhander hearing that and it made his mood and expression sour a little. He felt that he gave patients an excellent service even if he wasn’t touchy-feely by nature. No one had ever made a complaint to him or said they were unhappy, so where was the problem? It was probably because of his insistence on sending people like Phos on upskilling programs when they foolishly injured themselves. :: Manius: What do you mean? ::Corbin had dreaded this. He had hoped that Todd had known that he rubbed people the wrong way. Heck Corbin knew he made people uncomfortable sometimes with his touchy-feely nature and his down home attitude. He even turned it on worse when he was dealing with people that were uncomfortable with it especially if he really did not care much for the person. :: :: Dr. Manius however he sorta liked, he had gotten used to his blunt attitude and could see the great doctor under it. Standing Corbin moved around his desk and leaned against it standing in front of Dr. Manius he crossed his arms and looked down at them not really wanting to look at him:: Corbin: oO Perhaps the direct approach is not the way to go Oo Doc, I know, you know, how to heal peoples bodies. Heck Doc, like I said you are one of the best physicians I have had the pleasure of working with, but we don’t just treat a patient's body. We also have to treat them emotionally, mentally and even spiritually at times. That means sometimes we have to think about what we are going to say to someone, whether a patient or anyone. We have to think about how our words will impact that person and if there is a way we can say the words we want to say that would be easier on them. ::Corbin stopped talking, he looked at Dr. Manius, he wondered if he was making a bit of sense to him.:: Manius: oO Easier on them… ? Oo ::He didn’t think his words were generally so hard to swallow. He just told people things as he saw it. Dr Corbin was suggesting something here and whatever way he looked at it, he didn’t really like it. Furthermore the senior Dr had now come around to stand in front of him, effectively towering over him with arms crossed, making him tip his head up to see the man. He didn’t particularly like that either and after a pause went so far as to stand up, so he could speak to the man as an equal. :: Manius: Dr Corbin. If a patient needs emotional, mental or spiritual help I can think of a number of people qualified to give it, ranging from the counsellor to a religious representative depending on the patient’s needs. I’ve never had a problem referring patients to what you might call ‘sister services’. I hope you are not suggesting that I do not think about what I say to someone carefully enough because I would have to disagree with that. I have an honest and direct approach that gives people the information they need to have. ::Corbin sighed and scratched the short beard he had grown since starting to serve on the Darwin. He reached out and patted Dr. Manius on the arm. He stood and walked around the small office the action helping him get his thoughts in order:: Corbin: How about this Doc, lets say you have a patient who has a diagnosis that does not have a very good prognosis. Lets say only 10% of patients survive with their condition. What would you tell that patient? ::In the situation presented it sounded like the patient was going to need to start coming to terms with the fact they weren’t likely to be around much longer. Jack hadn’t given a timescale and said whether the condition killed someone slowly or quickly. That sort of detail would make a difference, but only up to a point. :: Manius: I would tell them that the survival rate for people in this condition has not been very good in the past but that we will do everything in our power to try and beat it. I would ask them if they have any friends or family that they would like to have around them for support. I would also offer the services of a counsellor. ::Corbin heard the textbook approach to dealing with the a patient with terminal illness. He had seen many doctors take the unemotional, distant approach with patients. However, he had seen first hand how doctors that connected with their patients on an emotional level actually had higher levels of survival.:: Corbin: Doc, what I would call that is the safe approach. You are keeping yourself distant, you are keeping yourself safe. You are not helping the patient cope with the situation you are just spitting out the facts to the patient and letting them deal with it. If you don’t mind, let me tell you a story that happened to me while back on earth. ::Corbin went and sat down in the chair next to the one that Dr. Manius had recently vacated and leaned back looking up at him:: Corbin: I was a very young doctor at the time. Just out of medical school. I was following the head of the department and he was discussing with the wife of his patient about the course of treatment that the staff was going to do with the patient. The patient had been given a terminal illness and was sitting there slumped over, dejected and looking down at his hands. After the other doctor was done I went up to the patient and said. “You look like a man without hope”. He looked up at me angry and shouted, “Of course I am without hope, I have been given less than a month to live.” I took this in stride and looked straight at the man and said “That is a typical patient, however, 5% of people who have your illness survive. You might be one of them. That is why we still do the care.” I then left him and went about the rest of my rounds. 5 years later a man came up to me and shook my hand. He told me that I saved his life that day 5 years ago. Everyone else had told him that he was going to die, while I told him that he still had a chance to live. He ended up being in that 5%. Do you understand the point I am trying to make? We need to treat the whole person not just the body. ::Todd listened to the story with care and by the end of it he felt he was no better off. He didn’t see what was missing, what Corbin was looking for. He couldn’t see how his approach failed to live up to expectations and he still felt he was doing a good job. :: Manius: I don’t see how my approach fails to meet that end. What’s missing? ::Corbin looked up at Todd and tried hard not to sigh. He was just unsure how to get his message across to him without recording him actually seeing a patient which would break a dozen rules:: Corbin: Doc, it’s just how you present the information. I told you, you are a great doctor. You have fantastic skills, the problem is people come away from your care feeling, uncared for, instead of feeling as they should and feeling amazingly cared for and that is just about how you present yourself and your care. Honestly Doc, I am just trying to help you be a even better doctor. Just think on it will ya Doc? Manius: Yeah. ::Todd would think on it because he was committed to his work and cared a whole lot about giving patients the best care possible. It was a bit of a shock actually, to hear that he wasn’t doing as well as he’d thought he was. He felt pretty displeased about it actually, but he had to admit that Jack had guts. He was the first boss he’d had that had ever given some kind of guidance. He didn’t think he could pull a white rabbit out of a hat though. If Corbin wanted him to present information in a different way, then someone was going to have to show him what they wanted. How could he make someone feel more cared for? That seemed to be the question he needed to answer and right now he was drawing blanks. :: ::Corbin looked up at Dr. Manius. He could see the flicker of different emotions cross the man’s face. He could tell he was not exactly convincing or perhaps getting his message across as well as he could. Corbin stand up and puts a hand on Dr. Manius’s shoulder.:: Corbin: Look Doc, I don’t want you to worry too much about it. I just think you are a great doctor and I want you to go far is all. When you have a chance perhaps you can watch Dr. Margariti or I with a few patients. See how we interact and compare it to your own style is all. ::Chuckling:: Just look at the patient interaction and don’t criticize our doctoring okay Doc? ::Todd couldn’t remember ever having criticized his peers doctoring style, so maybe he was taking that comment a little too personally but it rubbed him wrong completely. Surely it had to be a reflection of his own fears because otherwise he feared people had developed some very strange ideas about him. He wasn’t against observing the other doctors a bit more and on reflection, maybe it would be interesting. The truth was he’d never really taken an interest in the other doctors style. He let them do their job while he did his. He’d really been more focused on his own job. His jaw tightened and he took a deep breath but despite his best efforts he couldn’t hold back from asking in a slightly sour way. :: Manius: And just what makes you think I would criticize your work? ::Corbin could not help look surprised at the question. His dark eyes widening. He then clearly sighed and placed his face in his palm.:: Corbin: Todd! I was teasing! Joking. I know you would not criticize us. Maybe it was a poor joke, but I never claimed to be good at comedy. I meant it as a compliment if anything. Look I meant nothing personal far from it. ::Corbin stops at that point and starts scratching his chin and tilting his head looking at Dr. Manius with renewed thoughts. .:: Corbin: oO Perhaps that is the problem, perhaps Todd takes things too literally. I am just not sure how to help that. Oo Corbin: Anyways, I did not mean to cause any ruckus. ::Todd hadn’t liked everything he’d heard but the fact it seemed to come alongside a recommendation softened the blow. He appreciated the honesty and respected Corbin more because he had the guts to speak up, where previously no one else had. It had been a similar case with the counsellor a while back too. He hadn’t agreed with her either. What had she said to him again? He was going to have to think it over and see if there was something he could do to improve his performance and have a smoother journey to the next recommendation. :: Manius: It’s okay sir. I do appreciate the honesty and i’ll think it over. Is there anything else? Corbin: ::Again Corbin had to fight the urge to sigh. He did however run his hand through his hair and shook his head:: No Doc, I will be getting that recommendation to the Captain today. I hope that soon I will be able to call you Lieutenant. And thanks for thinking it over. Manius: Thanks for your time. ::As Corbin watch Dr. Manius go, he sat back down at his desk with a heavy thump. He looked at the recommendation he had wrote for Todd and pressed the send button:: ::Todd headed off. In some ways it had been a strange meeting but overall he was quite happy. He was finally getting a recommendation and even if nothing came of it he felt proud to know that Dr Corbin valued his work enough to put him forward. He couldn’t help but get his hopes up a little with the prospect of getting a promotion at long last. :: A JP BY: Lieutenant (jg) Jack Corbin MD MO USS Darwin - A "Never give up! Never Surrender!" And PNPC Ensign Todd Manius Medical Officer USS Darwin-A Simmed by Reinard
  3. ((Manius’s Shared Quarters)) ::Todd had been in a place of peace and hadn’t wanted to be disturbed. For some time now he’d been vaguely aware of a piercing sound droning on in the background. As time went on and it didn’t stop the sound seemed to grow more insistent. A throbbing sensation in his temples started to accompany it, dragging him from his half-asleep state. He rolled onto his back, scrunching up his face as the pain in his head intensified. :: Manius: Alarm Off! ::There was sweet silence in the room once again, broken for a moment by a relieved sigh. Waking up more fully and blinking his eyes open, Todd realised he had bad photosensitivity too and a slight nauseous feeling. He rolled out of bed with the worst hangover he’d ever experienced in his life. He wasn’t much of a drinker normally, so just what was going on with him lately? :: ::He glanced at his pale face in the mirror, scratching his rough skin as he shrugged off his night wear and began to get dressed. He had pulled on his trousers and was zipping up his teal undershirt when a message arrived for him. He immediately downloaded it to his PADD for convenience, thinking it was a note from the boss. With Phos nowhere to be seen he took the liberty of perching on the edge of her bed as he opened the message. :: ::Right away he saw there was a video attached at the top. Figuring he was meant to watch that first he pressed play but the first sound and sight that greeted him had him so shocked he nearly broke his fingernail when he slammed it down on the screen in an effort to pause it quickly! :: ::This was not something he wanted Phos walking in on and he scurried to the rest room, with his heart pounding hard in his chest. He looked at the still frame, gathering his nerves. :: Manius: oO What the hell is this? Oo ::The video clearly featured him doing something he could not remember a single thing about! He searched his mind frantically to remember where he’d been last night and who he’d been with but all he was drawing was blanks. It looked like the answers to those questions, were right here in his hands. :: ::He pressed play and watched. The more he saw the less he wanted to see but he had to watch it. He had to know what he’d done since he couldn’t remember it. Seeing and hearing himself like that filled him with disgust. He felt the strength drain from him and he sank to the floor, watching with a growing horror the unfolding scene. :: Manius: oO This is completely depraved! Just what the hell is wrong with me? Oo ::He could not believe what he was seeing. Had someone told him he was responsible for this he’d have called them a liar. Even though he could see it with his own eyes he really struggled to believe himself capable of such terrible, shocking actions. What he saw was appalling and rocked him to his core, he didn’t know what to do! :: ::Fear, self-hatred and loathing mixed with disgust. His feeling of nausea amplified as the room started to swim like his jumbled, confused thoughts. :: Manius: oO I can’t believe this. I would never do that… but I just did. There must be some mistake… but how can there be? Who took the video? Have they handed it in to security? Oo ::Todd worried greatly about what would happen next. He was terrified and utterly certain that security would burst in here at any second and haul him off to the brig. He didn’t want that to happen. He was a good doctor! He cared for people and saved them! How could he be that man in the video. That man would likely get court martialed, dishonourably discharged and sent to the toughest penal colony in the Federation. He would be beaten and maybe even eaten by the other prisoners because even they viewed people like him as the lowest of the low. He didn’t want that fate but from what he saw it looked like he deserved it. :: ::When the video finally finished he could barely look at it. Those sounds were going to stay with him forever. His right hand covered his face partially as it all sank in. This changed things for him forever. He almost missed the fact there was a short message at the end. It was from N’Rila and she needed to see him immediately. :: ::Obviously she knew what he’d done but he knew nothing else. Who had captured this video, when, how and why? Had they handed it in to security? All these questions and more buzzed around his head. This was all just far far too much for him to handle. Not knowing what else to do he clambered back to his feet and staggered back through to the bedroom to pull on some socks and shoes. :: ::He was supposed to be starting his shift soon but all thoughts of work had gone from his head. He needed to sort this first and headed through the ship towards the docking port so he could meet N’Rila on Deep Space 6. His heart was still racing and he was barely able to keep it together as he crashed through the crowd. :: ((Deep Space 6, Promenade)) ::N’rila sat quite comfortably on one of the seats outside the Nebula Bar, legs crossed and a Saurian brandy in one hand. She could afford it, or she would be able to afford it, thanks to a get rich quick scheme that she’d just dreamed up. She was pretty pleased with herself, in all honesty. The Takaran had tried to land herself a fortune in latinum on a number of occasions before, but with very little success. This one was going to keep her in the lap of luxury for the rest of her life.:: ::She’d asked to meet up with Todd. Something told her that he would be a little more likely to answer her request now that they’d met up a couple of times. She knew he’d come back to her in the end. She didn’t believe in destiny, but this was as close as it came. They were supposed to be a team and she didn’t like that he’d left her in the lurch for so long. Not one bit. It looked like that was going to be put right from now on.:: ::Sure enough, he eventually pushed his way through the crowd and took a seat opposite her.:: N’rila: Todd. About time. ::He sat in front of her, looking dishevelled and harassed saying nothing for a while. What had happened was bad enough on its own. It was an extremely serious matter and he could not be more deeply ashamed and disgusted by what had happened. Even now he could not remember it and found it hard to accept. Yet here he was because someone else knew his dirty secret and in typical fashion it was the last person in this universe he wanted to have anything to do with. :: ::He didn’t even know what to say to her, or what she would say to him. He had so many questions and yet he was afraid to ask any of them. He wasn’t sure he wanted the answers. He certainly didn’t want to discuss any of this but it was inevitable. He looked around, not wanting to be overheard by anyone and started with a greeting of a sort. :: Manius: N’Rila. ::The Takaran’s tone was sympathetic as she brought up the topic that was obviously on Todd’s mind.:: N’rila: Quite the night you had. You want to talk about it? ::Todd felt pretty close to freaking out and could already feel his face colour and his temperature rise. This was deeply embarrassing and he absolutely did not want to talk about it. One hand went to cover his mouth again and the other raked through his uncombed hair. :: Manius: ::Shaking his head:: Not a good night, so no I don’t want to talk about it. How did you get that? N’Rila: Musia runs the internal sensors in her quarters to visual record constantly. Paranoid about having her quarters broken into. In this case, it looks like her paranoia paid off… ::She couldn’t finish the sentence. The fact that Todd had done what he had done had her surprised. Or did it? Perhaps that was the most difficult thing to wrap her mind around.:: ::Todd could barely believe it but had little other choice. He could speak of all the rotten luck he wanted but ultimately he couldn’t get away from the only fact that mattered. What he’d done wasn’t just immoral, degrading and wrong it was a serious crime. It was clear that there were a few people with the power to turn him in right now, himself included. He was so deeply angry and disgusted with himself that he was tempted to walk right into the nearest security office and confess all his sins. Surely that was the only right thing to do. Yet he was a coward and deeply deeply afraid of where that path would lead. :: Manius: Who else knows? N’rila: Just her and me. She was pretty cut up this morning. ::The Takaran had met with the Orion just a few hours ago and she had passed her the video then. N’rila hadn’t wasted any time in getting in touch with Todd after that.:: ::Todd nodded and kept his eyes lowered, choosing to focus on something on the table. He couldn’t blame Musia for being cut up about it. It was a pretty horrific thing for anyone to experience and he sincerely wished that none of it had happened at all. He would give absolutely anything to take it back but it was impossible. :: :: He may have seemed very callous or at least cold in his responses, at least verbally. He seemed to retreat into himself at moments like this even though the pain and stress of it was unbearable. A wave of nausea hit him and for a moment he thought he might break down completely. He pinched the bridge of his nose and hardened his expression, trying to control his breathing and bottle the emotion that was trying to pour out of him. :: Manius: Ok. What do you intend to do? N’Rila: Well, it’s more what you intend to do, isn’t it? I assume you don’t want anyone else to know? ::She would have thought that was a given, what with his Starfleet career and reputation resting on the fact that he had to be squeaky clean.:: ::He didn’t know what he was going to do actually. He was torn about turning himself in and facing the consequences of those actions. If anyone else had done what he had, he’d want them to face the consequences. He hated the kind of person that did that sort of thing and now he was one of them. If he didn’t turn himself in he would live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. :: ::Yet another part of him was afraid. He knew he should face up to it but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to face the humiliation. His friends, family and colleagues would never look at him the same again. He would be a hated man and once he was stripped of everything he cared about he would end up in a tough penal colony. There he would be broken and beaten. That was the part that scared him most. :: Manius: I don’t know what to do. ::A desperate new plan formed in his mind:: I guess I could top myself. ::With slumping shoulders:: ::The Takaran narrowed her eyes, weighing him immediately in judgement. She had never heard anything quite so pathetic.:: N’rila: What, so Maviv really has nothing to live for? I imagine that will probably push her over the edge and she’ll no doubt be joining you. Is that what you want? ::Todd felt shocked and alarmed at that, his face flinched and twisted in horror. That was the very last thing he wanted! :: Manius: No! Wait no, that’s not what I want but what else can I do? N’rila: You can never speak of this to anyone and you can make it up to her. That’s what you want, surely? ::N’rila smiled the same smile her friend had seen for years. It came as easily to her as it always had.:: ::Make it up to her? How could be ever make it up to her? He would never ever expect forgiveness for something so grave. Even so there was nothing he wanted more than to make this right somehow. It just sounded too good to be true. :: Manius: There’s nothing I want more N’rila but come on, how can I ever make up for that? ::The Takaran answered in as nonchalant a way as she possibly could. It was all so simple, really, when they looked hard enough at the problem. Sure, this was pretty serious but, when it came down to it, there was enough power still in Todd’s hands to make sure it went away. Maybe that wouldn’t happen straight away but eventually… who knew?:: N’rila: Well, as you know she’s very keen indeed on her racing. Perhaps the thrill and rush of that would be enough to help her forget? At least for a little while? ::Todd didn’t dare laugh even if the very idea that racing could somehow make up for this in any way was completely laughable. He ended up looking up at her with a slack jaw but not quite making eye contact. :: Manius: Seriously? Racing? You think racing can make this better? ::If so he was wondering how exactly he was to fit into this. :: N’rila: Well, it’s been a while, so I don’t expect you to remember how focused your mind gets on doing your job during the race. And maybe winning will help to restore her self worth. I don’t know. I’m not a counsellor. All I know is that if we do win then maybe she could afford to see a counsellor. Unless there’s some other way of us getting hold of some money… ::She looked at him, face carefully neutral, waiting to see how he would respond to that particular statement.:: ::This was incredulous. Did she really believe this was the answer, or was she just using this to recruit him into her team? That would be pretty tacky or her and in all honesty he really didn’t think she would stoop that low. They’d all done questionable things in the past but this went far beyond their combined sins. N’Rila was pushy and determined and Todd didn’t know Maviv enough to know how much she cared about the win. He did know how hard she’d been working for the team though so she had to be pretty committed. :: ::He hadn’t raced in a long time and it took much more focus and skill than plain shuttle flying alone. His reactions would have to be at their very best, he would have to remember team tactics and be familiar with their machine. Even if he agreed to race, the probability of him winning it was very low indeed. Maybe there was another way, preferably one that didn’t involve him transferring the entirety of his earnings to them forever more. :: Manius: How much money are we talking about? N’rila: Probably more than you’re earning, but not something that say… *she dropped her voice* a hundred litres of biomimetic gel couldn’t fix… ::The gel was banned outside of the Federation, thanks to the Khitomer accords. If he was caught with it in his possession then there would be more than just a couple of questions asked, that was for sure.:: ::Todd recoiled because that was no small request. The saying that two wrongs didn’t make a right seemed particularly appropriate right now. That was a lot of gel. As a doctor in Starfleet he stood a much better chance than anyone else of obtaining it He would have to be pretty smart though because if he took all of that from the one location it was going to be missed pretty quickly. :: Manius: You do know what you’re asking right? That’s a lot of gel. I can’t get that all from one place and certainly not all at once. That and there’s nothing I can do for you when out on a tour of duty. ::It was going to be very hard to try and put things right with anyone from the cold confines of a prison colony. :: N’rila: But you can get it in twenties, can’t you? I mean this stuff will definitely shift, so we know we can start making upgrades to the ship as soon as we have a buyer. ::Actually, she already had one, but there was no way she was going to tell him that.:: ::Yeah he could, and he could probably get 20 to 40 if not a bit more today if he put his mind to it. The question was whether he was going to cross the line and do it and even in his current mental and emotional state he wasn’t quite ready to fall that far. Perhaps he would be better off torpedoing that line of thinking and sucking it up with the racing. He could get in a shuttle and fly it one last time to settle a score, they would have to accept the result, even if it saw him finish in last place. :: ::He needed space and time to think about it. The fact she was offering him an out seemed to indicate that he didn’t have to worry about being immediately turned in. He also needed to get to work before his boss flipped because technically his shift should have started by now. In the rush to make the meeting with N’rila he hadn’t even pinned his commbadge on. It was still on his jacket back in his quarters. :: Manius: ::Rising to his feet slowly:: I need to think about it. N’rila: Well, don’t think about it too hard. The decision’s pretty easy, Todd. ::Her tone was less friendly now. He would do what she wanted. People always did what she wanted.:: ::Todd didn’t like her tone there and the conversation had just taken on a more menacing feel. It was easy for her to say that, she had done nothing wrong. It was him who had everything to lose here. It was scary how the whole night was a blank and he didn’t quite feel like this was reality. He had no close friends and absolutely no one he knew and trusted well enough to turn to for help. The closest thing he had right now was N’rila and that was more than a little depressing. :: Manius: See you. ::Stepping away from the table and hoping to make a quick escape. :: ::There was no way he was getting away from her that easily. The Takaran woman didn’t turn in his direction so much as lean a little further in her seat as she called after him.:: N’rila: ::Louder:: I mean, I would hate for Captain Reinard to get a copy of this video. That is your captain’s name, right? The first Laudean captain in Starfleet? He seems pretty important… ::The thought of it turned him weak and he had to steady himself on the back of the closest chair for a second. His face went completely scarlet and he thought he might spontaneously combust. Captain Reinard could not get a copy of the video, no one could. It was increasingly clear that the terms had been set and he had but two choices. Race or steal. The choice between a legal option where failure seemed inevitable and an extremely high risk illegal one was simple. :: ::He turned back to the table and leaned over N’rila, hoping to settle this. He thought back to what she’d said and hoped he’d understood it right. :: Manius: If I agree to race. That will be enough? ::N’rila’s friendly smile returned.:: N’rila: Oh, Todd. You already agreed to race and get the gel. I’ll be at this same spot on the promenade in three days, at the same time. I expect you to meet me with an access code for the cargo bay you have the gel stored in by then, or Captain Reinard is going to be most disappointed… ::All she had to do was just transmit one itty bitty file, after all. The Starfleet medic had made a grave mistake, and she would see to it that he paid for his sins.:: ::There didn’t seem to be any come back from that. The illusion that he had any choice in the matter had been thoroughly stripped away. Three days was no time at all and he could feel the start of a panic attack coming on. The throbbing of his eyes and head seemed to intensify. He was scum and now he was going to be under N’rila’s thumb for as long as she deemed fit. :: Manius: Three days! ::spluttering:: That’s crazy… I need more time than that. ::She didn’t buy it for a second. She knew what Starfleet officers were like, so high in integrity that they would lie to buy themselves enough time in situations like these that they could get the authorities involved.:: N’rila: Well then you may as well head off to the security office and hand yourself on in. Three days is your limit. I’ll be waiting. Manius: Wait a minute. Maybe I should speak to Maviv first… ::If she was prepared to talk to him of course.:: ::N’rila’s lip quivered as she tried to hold her mouth shut, but it was no good. She flat out burst out laughing, drawing the attention of a couple of the passersby.:: N’rila: Are you a total idiot? What makes you think she’d want to see you after what you did? Are you trying to scare her witless? ::Todd sneered, she made him sound like a monster and it was hard to look at himself that way too. He didn’t expect she would want to see him but since it was her that he was trying to make amends with it seemed appropriate. Besides if he was effectively joining their team then she could end up seeing more of him than she wanted. :: Manius: She’ll have to see me sooner or later if I’m doing all this for you. For all I know joining the team could be the very last thing she wants. ::N’rila folded her arms, all hints of a smile vanishing off her face. Todd seemed all too ready to forgive himself and the Takaran wondered whether or not his commanding officer would see things in the same light quite so readily.:: N’rila: I would say that for all you know, you’d better do as I say. Get me the gel, be here in three days, or bye bye career and the whole galaxy will know exactly what kind of a man you are, Todd Manius. Now hurry along. The clock is ticking. ::That was it, Todd was truly beat. He was out of options and it couldn’t be more clear who was calling the shots. There was nothing more to talk about. He had to meet her demands. He had never loathed anyone as much as he loathed himself right now. His original crime was unforgivable and he hated himself well and truly for that and now things were set to get worse. With a tight jaw and thoroughly dejected look Todd nodded. :: Manius: I get it. See you in three days. N’rila: oO There’s a good little minion. Oo ::With that he set back off to his quarters. He should be in sickbay working right now and his presence was probably missed. The trouble was he really felt like he just couldn’t face anyone right now. He just wanted to lock himself away from people and cry and kick and scream until all the emotion was drained from him. The funny thing about his job was that he couldn’t even call in sick without having to see at least one of his colleagues. :: A JP By: PNPC Ensign Todd Manius Medical Officer USS Darwin-A Simmed by Reinard and PNPC N'rila Deep Space 6 SIMmed by: Lieutenant Chen
  4. (( Counselling Suite, USS Garuda )) ::When he was still a young child on Earth, the juvenile advocate in New York City insisted that he be entered into regular therapy sessions. The distaste from those days still lingered with him as he pressed his finger to the panel next to the counseling suite. :: :: He had nothing against counselors, of course - those he’d dealt with were some of the most sincere people he’d ever met. It was the therapy process that made him uncomfortable. Seeking it out made him feel as if he were still broken in the same way that eight-year-old boy on Vulcan had been all those years ago. :: ::The doors opened, and the tall security officer stepped into the room. He’d spent the better part of his life avoiding offices like this one, but it was nice. The Garuda’s normal lighting had been replaced with a full spectrum “skylight” that mimicked real sunlight so accurately that it warmed the skin. There were several soft chairs and sofas, as well as a coffee table, and a much larger table off to one side of the room. Pieces of art were scattered around, and fresh -- or freshly replicated -- flowers stood in a vase on the table. There was no sign of a desk or personal workspace; all in all, it looked more like a living room than an office.:: Delano: Good morning, Commander Valen. :: The younger officer eyed the furniture as if evaluating his options. He finally settled on a small sofa that looked more practical than some of the other options. :: Valen: Call me Carys. ::She deposited herself in one of the chairs nearby, legs crossed.:: I'm not one for formality. ::That much was evident from her uniform. Jacket unzipped, the teal collar underneath unfastened to below the hollow at the base of her throat, she was hardly a good example of a neat and perfectly pressed officer.:: Delano: Of course, Com-- Carys. :: The man’s cheeks blushed green. :: Delano: I’m still getting used to that. The Academy is so rigid compared to actual Starship duty. At least compared to the ships I’ve served on. I’ll try to remember. ::She grinned at him, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips.:: Valen: All I can ask. So what can I do for you? Delano: I was going to make an appointment, but the counseling suite isn’t far from my quarters and ::He paused, then started again.:: I’ve been having a little trouble lately, and I’m not sure if it’s something I should be concerned about. Valen: ::She nodded.:: This is a good place to find out. What's the trouble? :: He looked at the carpet and adjusted his position on the sofa. :: Delano: (quietly) It’s hard to explain. :: He took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. :: Delano: I’ve been an officer for over a year now, but I still feel like I’ve just left the Academy. I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately, and now… I don’t know. I worked so hard to get out here. Now that I am, I’m wondering if it was all a mistake. :: He looked to the counselor. :: Delano: Maybe I’m just homesick. Valen: Where's home? Delano: Earth. Near a place called Seminoe. Valen: Do you find that you're thinking about anything in particular? ::She gestured in the air.:: Places you've been, people you spent time with, certain events? :: That was another question that was difficult to answer. :: Delano: Juvenile records are sealed once a minor reaches adulthood, correct? Valen: They are. :: He nodded. :: Delano: There was an incident when I was very young. A boy from my school class was teasing me and I lost control. I hurt him… badly. When it was settled,I was sent to five years on Vulcan, effectively exiled from Earth while my father arranged for me to learn some basic Vulcan meditation techniques. If he hadn’t intervened, I would have been in a correctional facility instead. I’ve been thinking a lot about that moment. What happened. Why. How it shaped me. Delano: (After a pause, he added) And my parents. Home too, of course. I miss the people I left behind, but I’m under the impression that much is normal. ::She offered him a smile, and nodded.:: Valen: It certainly is. ::She paused.:: If you think back to that time, how you felt. Are there parallels to how you're feeling now? Delano: Parallels? No, not exactly. Shadows, maybe? I talked to a lot of counselors after it happened. As an adult, it seems pretty obvious now that I felt like an outsider. The kids in school used to make fun of my ears and eyebrows and such. It used to make me so angry. What I’ve been feeling now - I’m more depressed than angry. Valen: Anger can lead into depression, especially if you believe that you *shouldn't* be angry. You can start to internalise the anger, feeling guilty about it, trying to hide it from others, and so the slippery slope begins. ::She let that rest for a moment, then continued.:: Has there been anything in particular on the Garuda that's troubled you? Delano: There was the incident with Doctor Saveron when I first came on board. :: He explained how the Vulcan’s unexpected appearance had brought back unbidden memories and emotions from the time he’d spent on Vulcan. :: Delano: For a very brief moment, all the shame and frustration of those years just came back at me, and I nearly lost control. :: As she nodded, he flushed again, averting his eyes. :: Delano: This probably isn’t the kind of thing you would want to hear from a security officer. ::She smiled in response, the silver chains of her earring swaying as she tilted her head to the side.:: Valen: It's why I'm here; you've realised you have a problem, and you need a little help with it. It's no different than heading to sickbay with the 'flu. Delano: Perhaps, though I don’t think this is going to be as simple as a hypospray. Valen: True enough. ::She chuckled.:: But then I'd be out of a job, wouldn't I? :: He mirrored her smile as best as he could. In a way, it felt good to talk about this with someone. He hadn’t been this candid with anyone for a very long time. He trusted the Carys, but Evan had always valued his privacy. Only his family - and Mei’konda - knew all of this.:: Delano: One of the security professors at the Academy at a lecture used to say something like: ::He lowered his voice to sound more authoritative :: Delano: “Behind every good security chief is a really good ‘shrink.’” Valen: Wise man. Delano: I thought it was a joke, but I guess I know what he meant now. ::She smiled at him, offering a nod.:: Valen: When we're inside our own heads, dealing with things on our own, it's easy to fall into circular thinking. We can just go around and around, never making any progress, feeling worse with every circuit. A good counsellor can help you step outside of that, give you the tools to recognise unhelpful thought processes and provide you with the tools to get past them. ::She paused, tapping her leg in thought.:: Valen: So you've told me a lot about what brings your mood down. What makes you feel good? Delano: I honestly enjoy my work. Even when I was in Operations, I felt productive and useful. Everyone on Garuda has been very welcoming. Valen: It's great that you're fulfilled by your work, but there's more to life than our jobs. What do you do with your own time? Delano: Outside of work? I guess I like being active. Solving problems. Improving myself. Helping others. Always working towards a goal. I spend a lot of time in the gym and using exercise programs on the holodeck. But I guess that’s just part of my job. :: He looked genuinely surprised. :: Valen: You look as though you've never thought about it in that way before. Delano: I mean, I always have enough to keep me busy. But I was never much for idle hobbies. Alora-- Lieutenant DeVeau, I mean, was suggesting I try taking up a musical instrument a few days ago. Valen: If you enjoy it, that's reason itself to pursue it. Many people find it helpful to have an outlet completely unrelated to their work. Learning an instrument might suit how you like to spend your hobby time -- progressing, improving, working toward a goal -- while with the advantage that you'll never have to fret about how your progression may or may not affect your work. Delano: It sounds like a good idea. I’m not sure music is the right direction for me, but I’ll come up with something. Valen: We've covered a lot of ground so far. I think it might be an idea to leave it there for today, unless there's anything you want to talk about? Delano: Not really. I just felt like I needed someone to talk to about all of this. I really appreciate you making the time without an appointment. ::She beamed a smile at him, rising from her chair.:: Valen: It's no problem. I'll schedule another session, if that sounds good to you. Just let me know if the time doesn't fit into your schedule, and we'll rearrange. Delano: Thank you, Carys. Valen: I'll see you soon. === Lieutenant (JG) Evan Delano Assistant Chief of Security/Tactical USS Garuda and Commander Valen Carys Counsellor USS Garuda
  5. (( Prison Colony, Unknown Planet )) :: The descending piece of starship smashed to the ground with a definitive thundering collapse, crushing anything beneath it in moments. They'd ran for it. Staying behind to become hybrid jam at the bottom of the chasm wasn't an option. The jagged edge of the armoured piece had pierced the floor, ripping a chunk of metal from it and sending the two falling through the pit and the light, what light there was, immediately snuffed out as the metal shard scraped along the walls, sealing them inside whatever underground cavern it was.:: :: When Dade had managed to find his feet through sheer force of will, he braced himself against a flat surface in the dark. His breath heaving and chest burning from running faster than he had in years, muscles aching from trying to grab something to hold onto to keep them out.:: :: T'Lea. Where was she? He couldn't see a [...] thing.:: Adarnis: T'Lea! Where are you? :: The voice called out in the dark, but the Romu-vulc was too busy trying to shake off the hard landing to answer right away. Instead, she coughed a few times as the dusty air swirled around them.:: T'Lea: Here. :: That was all she could get out of her dry throat before another coughing fit took control of her lungs.:: Adarnis: Are you hurt? :: When she reached for the neck of her shirt to pull it up over her nose and mouth to use an air filter she felt the answer to Dade’s question bite into her wrist. She’d sprained it pretty bad, but it didn’t feel like anything was broken or torn. It just hurt like a [...] to move.:: T'Lea: Fine. I’m fine. You? :: It didn’t surprise her when he ignored her.:: :: He didn't know where they were. Underneath the colony? On the other side of it? They'd fallen a way into the middle of a planet on the verge of collapsing. He tapped his comm. badge.:: Adarnis: =/\= Adarnis to Parker. =/\= :: A crackle returned, unable to connect or make a signal. He tried again. Nothing. Empty space crackling in between. If Parker had transported back to the Thunder there was no chance of getting radio comms to them.:: :: Lifting her injured left hand to hit her comm. badge she hesitated and switched to her right hand instead.:: T'Lea: =/\= T’Lea to Thunder. Anyone receiving? =/\= :: Her answer sounded identical to Dade’s reply. Nothing.:: :: Perfect. Just frelling perfect, she mumbled under her breath. She was trapped with Dade. Of all people why Dade? Why not Parker? He would have been so much more tolerable than Dade!:: :: In the dark she scrounged around for the medkit that she’d dropped during their descent.:: Adarnis: We'll have to do something. ::he ran his hand over the wall:: I can't climb this. :: Neither could she with her wrist all twisted up.:: T'Lea: Do you have a light on you? :: She was patting the ground like a blind woman on her hands and knees searching for the medkit, but all she got in return was rubble and a thick layer of dirt under her fingernails.:: :: With a swear word spat from her lips she stood up and tried to find a wall, or some kind of surface to get her bearings. Once she’d finally found a place to orient herself, she finally realized why Dade couldn’t climb out. The surface was as smooth as glass – there was no grip anywhere, which left her mind to wonder where the heck they’d descended into.:: :: He couldn't see her, only hear her footsteps and feel her moving. Bracing his hands against the wall he tried to push it. It wouldn't budge. He tried again on the shard containing them inside, on the ceiling, pushing with every ounce of strength he had. Frustrated and angry he smashed his fists into the metal wall, hearing it vibrate as it ascended above them.:: :: She heard his anger expressed in his fists slamming into metal, and rolled her eyes at how utterly unproductive and damaging to his hands the impact would be.:: :: It was at that point that she’d removed her jacket and ripped off a sleeve from her shirt to use as a makeshift bandage for her wrist.:: :: The ground tremored as the sound of explosions could be heard reverberating through the hull plating that surrounded them. They had to find a way out.:: Adarnis: Your tricorder. It'd amplify your biosignature and they'd be able to beam you out. T'Lea: Brilliant idea. And how exactly in your infinite wisdom do *you* plan on getting out? :: His eyebrow raised. Did that question really need to be asked? He needed to get her out and back to the Thunder. If only one of them could get out, it wasn't going to be him.:: Adarnis: I'm going to die anyway, right? In this timeline or ours. :: She had a mouthful of fabric at this point, as she tied the bandage firmly around her wrist. The words in mind were, “You don’t know that,” but that’s not how it sounded.:: T'Lea: Yu’on nonat. :: He turned his head, trying to see where in the dark she was. It was pitch black. He exhaled deeply. They’d been in worse dren than this, and got out of that alive. He frowned, trying to decide if their universal translator had taken a hit as well and this was how she usually spoke.:: Adarnis: You hit your head as well? What did you say? :: Spitting a little dirt from her lips she flexed her fingers and tested her work. The wrist felt secure. The cloth wrap was tight, but not too tight. It was firm enough to keep the injury from moving too much and not cut off her circulation.:: T’Lea: I said you’re an [...]. You never change. :: Really? He didn’t realise he’d needed to. An [...] he could accept.:: Adarnis: Do you want to rephrase that? T’Lea: You have a death wish. You always have. Do you have a light or not? Adarnis: Why the frack would I have a light? T’Lea: You smoke. Where’s that stupid lighter you’re always fondling? :: That. What he would give to be able to smoke then and there. There was nothing like it, but he’d given up. Situations like that always made him wonder why. The rumbling in the hull plating echoed that of the earth around them.:: Adarnis: I quit, alright? I’m not proud of it, believe me. :: Huh, thought T’Lea. Guess he can change.:: T’Lea: You picked a great time to quit. Make your way over to me, and feel around for the medkit. We can try your combadge idea. Although I don’t know how you plan on getting anything accomplished without your eyes. :: He didn’t respond. He pushed himself off the wall and tried to see in the dark. Wherever her medkit had disappeared to, it would’ve scattered the contents.Wasn’t she supposed to have spares hidden about her person?:: :: The ground groaned again. There was a very good chance they were going to die. Keep it light.:: Adarnis: Aren’t you supposed to have bandages tucked down your boots? T’Lea: The only thing in there is my foot, which I’m saving to kick your…. ::she sighed:: …oh, forget it. :: She didn’t have the stamina right now to keep calling him an [...]. Once was enough anyway.:: ::His foot touched something and he kicked it. It moved. The sliding of a metallic object. He crouched down and picked it up. Emergency medkit, devoid of contents save for a bandage and an analgesic hypospray.:: :: From the sound of her voice and rustling, he pegged her location pretty quickly and had already taken his small toolkit from the inside of his pocket. He came upon her a bit quicker than expected, feeling her suddenly in his personal space and very warm. Stepping back he handed her what was left of the kit.:: Adarnis: Painkillers and a bandage. Unless you’ve got a hidden compartment. :: She felt around for it, and had the misfortune of having her hands touch his in the process of trying to locate him. No doubt he’d felt the fabric wrapped around part of her palm.:: T’Lea: Not for you. :: He felt that spike from her. Pain. Discomfort. If this were the last moments they had alive, he didn’t want them to be in pain.:: Adarnis: Give me your wrist. T’Lea: Uh. No. Get your own. Adarnis: Don’t argue with me, give it here. T’Lea: I said n-… ow! :: So now he had her arm against her will, but her will was slowly relinquishing to whatever it was he was doing to her.:: :: How times had changed. The last time they’d done this it’d been Dade with the busted something and T’Lea patching him up. It happened far too often.:: :: He gently took hold of her wrist with both of his hands, feeling her makeshift bandage underneath it. It started to feel warmer as he allowed the pain relieving aspect of his half Deltan physiology to flow. It didn’t heal injuries, but it was more effective than good old splinting.:: :: It was a bit of a give and take between their compositions, T’Lea’s Vulcan side always fighting for dominance over what the Deltan was trying to do. It’d been the closest the Marine had felt to anyone in years and it was a gentle reminder of what he’d left behind. He spoke, still holding her wrist, quite certain where her eyes were in the dark even if he couldn’t see them.:: Adarnis: How does it feel? T’Lea: Numb. Weird. Like your face. :: She wouldn’t thank him. She couldn’t thank him. He had spurned her, deeply.:: T’Lea: Let’s just hope I don’t have to use it in a life saving event. :: If they were ever going to have one of those again.:: Adarnis: Well, you fight like a tribble, so it won’t matter. T’Lea: You *are* a tribble. :: Weak. That was a weak retort. It sounded like T’Lea was losing some of her steam to persecute him.:: :: He stepped back a bit more as the floor shook, vibrating the plates of metal. It really was going to be now or never. They were going to die, or she was going to get married, and neither of those options left room for anything in between. The hybrid knew he couldn’t change the outcome, but if he didn’t tell her now it was never going to happen.:: Adarnis: Do you have any idea how ridiculous this is? T’Lea: Yes. You are. :: By now she remembered that her OTS (optical targeting system) was equipped with night vision, and she blinked to active it.:: Adarnis: All we do is fight! I don’t want to fight you anymore. I want to tell you I’m sorry but I can’t even do that right. T’Lea: Sorry? You’re sorry? Sorry for what? This? :: Not that he could see it, but she opened her arms and waved them around the hole they were entombed in.:: :: Wow, they really were screwed. No entry. No exit. Just a pit with a large piece of metal covering their grave.:: :: Ah-ha! Medical tricorder by Dade’s large foot. She moved over to him, scooped it up and dusted it off.:: :: He heard her move, turning to keep track of her in the dark, as fruitless as it was.: Adarnis: For everything. For this whole fracked up mess. :: She moved again and this time he caught her shoulder with his hand, stopping her.:: Adarnis: Will you just listen to me for once? :: She let the tricorder sag in her hand, and gave him a flat look like he was doing something wrong.:: T’Lea: Fine! I’m listening. :: Silence in the dark. The echoing of explosions.:: Adarnis: I’m sorry I left. :: For a long moment T’Lea just stared at him through the eerie green glow of her night vision lens, unsure what to make of his confession. Did he mean it? Was this a joke? Was he winding her up for another fight? And if he was serious did she even want to hear it now, after all these years?:: :: She looked at the expression on his rugged face, and even though it was tinted green, she could see how sincere he was. And it freaked her out.:: :: Who was she kidding, for the longest time it was exactly what she’d wanted to hear, to know, and feel – that he was sorry for the way he’d left her.:: :: And now she hated him for that too – for taking away the hate she had been carrying for him, and making her feel something else for him.:: T’Lea: What the hell, Dade? ::wagging her head:: I don’t want to hear this. :: The breath he’d held exhaled heavily.:: Adarnis: I don’t care – T’Lea: I do [...] it! It’s too late for- :: He cut her off. His usual flare of anger didn’t arrive, only a real set sense of calm. What he said was so matter of fact that he didn’t need to defend it.:: Adarnis: I don’t care if it’s too late. ::his jaw set:: I’ll never get the chance to tell you again. :: She rubbed her fingertips across her forehead, leaving a nice smudge of dirt behind. Her voice was softer, but still had a firmness to it that didn’t want to let him in. It was best for both of them if she let him off the hook.:: T’Lea: Let it go, Dade. I understand. You’re sorry. So am I. Apology accepted. What else is there to say? Adarnis: That I love you. :: Silence again. His heartbeat thudded.:: Adarnis: I loved you then, I love you now. :: The medical tricorder lit up, picking up his vitals, briefly showing them in the dark.:: Adarnis: I thought I could protect you, that they’d hunt me instead of you. I wanted you safe. ::he exhaled again:: And it was the worst decision I’ve ever made. :: Pain. That was the net result of Dade’s declaration. Pain that she wasn’t prepared to deal with.:: :: Time dragged on and T’Lea stared at his image highlighted in green. How was she supposed to respond to that? How did he expect her to respond to that? :: :: She blinked, and deactivated the night vision lens. The room fell to darkness, except for the faint glow of the medical tricorder, and with it Dade’s image faded from view.:: :: Turning in thought she moved a few steps away, and tapped at the tricorder. It’s dim lights cascading gently across the disturbed creases in her smooth Vulcan brow.:: :: He loved her. *Still* loved her.:: T’Lea: We have 19% oxygen left in the room. That gives us roughly two hours. When it drops below 15% we better not be here. Your heart rate is up. Try to lower it. We need to conserve air. :: Two hours would barely cover the destruction of the colony.:: :: She took a seat on the floor and tried to enter into some kind of meditation partly to slow her own breathing, and partly to sort out what she was feeling.:: :: Seven years on and the best she could do was tell him to stop breathing? Then he remembered it was dark. She was probably going to sucker punch him again.:: Adarnis: Of course it’s up. T’Lea: Save the air. We shouldn’t talk. Adarnis: Really? Just shutting me out? T’Lea: I have nothing to say… except… thank you for being honest with me. :: She should have known that kind of statement wasn’t going to get her silence, or peace.:: :: No, it [...] well wasn’t. :: Adarnis: And you can’t extend the same courtesy to me? T’Lea: I am being honest with you. Now, either shut up, or stop breathing. :: He threw his hands up in the air. She was unbelievable. All he’d wanted to tell her since the last time she’d told him she loved him in the Constitution sickbay had just come tumbling out of him and the most she could do was tell him to stop breathing.:: :: He wondered how much she actually meant that.:: Adarnis: Did it physically hurt to do it? :: And there went all chances of her finding a tranquil calm through meditation.:: :: She shot to her feet, and did her best to confront him in the dark.:: T’Lea: What do you want me to say? That I love you back? That I care about you? Well, I do you, idiot, and I never stopped, even when I hated you for leaving me I never stopped. :: She swore at him for making her say it, for making her confront it. Hating him was so much easier.:: :: This is what he wanted. This was T’Lea being honest with him. This was emotion, it was raw and it was real.:: :: Even if he didn’t like the outcome, he respected it.:: :: When he did speak, it was quieter and it was sincere.:: Adarnis: I never wanted to - :: She reached out for his chest, finding it, and then moved her hands up to feel the familiar outline of his face.:: T’Lea: Listen carefully to me now. I will always love you. I will always care about you. ::she stepped back and pulled her hands away:: But I am in love with Della. I love her, and nothing will ever change that. :: With a firm grip on her feelings now, she sat herself back down in the dirt, and picked up the tricorder.:: T’Lea: I should be thanking you. You did that for me. You made me open my heart enough to be hurt, but also to let someone in. I’m sorry. :: He made a half sad smile in the darkness. At least something good had come out of it all. He liked Della. He had for a long time. He wouldn’t have tried to come between them, not that he could have, and the air felt a little clearer for the first time in half a decade.:: :: If this was their fate, it wasn’t going to be for both of them.:: :: He sat in front of her, taking the tricorder out of her hands and using the light to flip open the back of his comm. badge casing. In that moment he couldn’t look at her.:: Adarnis: Della makes you happy? T’Lea: I wouldn’t be with her if she didn’t. :: He flipped out the krellide cell onto the tricorder and twirled the coiled wiring around his fingers. The ceiling shook, sending scattering sprays of dirt and shared of confetti’d metal down onto them.:: Adarnis: I mean deliriously happy. Can’t hold onto your eyeballs, Vulcan half is doing cartwheels in the Federation Embassy happy. T’Lea: Something irrational like that. Yes. Adarnis: Good. :: He snapped the casing off the back of the tricorder and sealed the wiring together with the combadge. Instant medium-wave subspace transceiver amplified by the power cell contained in the tricorder. It would be enough to get through the surrounding metal plates but it would only be enough for one.:: Adarnis: You’re the closest I have to a friend. You can’t be that if you’re dead. :: the metal shared above them slipped in it’s place, being battered by falling rocks above them. It offered marginal protection and it wouldn’t last long now.:: Adarnis: I’ll defend you until the day I’m gone, which may or may not come soon. I don’t know. I’m not in your head. T’Lea: Dade, what happened to you in this timeline isn’t necessarily- :: He spoke over the top of her rambling at him.:: Adarnis: I want you to promise me. When that day comes, you won’t do something ridiculous to save me. T’Lea: ::wagging her head:: Ridiculous or not, if it is in my power to save your sorry [...], then I will do whatever it takes. :: She wasn’t going to let this timeline dictate his fate, or hers. She wasn’t going to stand by and watch his sacrifice again.:: :: Taking her hand, he kissed the back of her fingers and looked at the blue eyes he’d missed all these years.:: Adarnis: Then you better find a way to come get me. T’Lea: What are you- :: He double pressed the combadge, activating the emergency transport back to the ship and slapped it to her cuff, scrambling to his feet as he watched her disappear in a shimmer of blue, leaving him behind as the metal hull that had protected them started to slip.:: Lieutenant Commander T’Lea Science Officer USS Thunder-A Embassy, Duronis II & Major Dade Adarnis Marine Officer USS Thunder-A
  6. (( The Pit, DSX )) :: In the center pit, a shirtless, holographic Evan was trading blows with a Klingon that towered a good foot higher than the Vulanoid. In neighboring pits, the real Evan was trying to determine how bad his holographic counterparts injuries were. Without the accompanying pain, it was harder to remember that his left knee was badly bruised and that three of his ribs were cracked. :: Still new to the way the fighting system in the pit worked, it was also difficult to remember exactly how his blows would be affected. He couldn’t trust his instincts, and that put him at a disadvantage. :: :: The Klingon came after him again. Evan delivered a series of counter maneuvers, but he was too slow. Too hesitant. He deflected three of the Klingon’s blows, but they were feints. Open on his right side - the side already injured - he took six rapid blows to the chest. :: :: Though the simulation protected him from any real pain, he still felt each of the impacts, and he knew they were vital. :: :: Though he still stood, the Evan’s holographic counterpart fell slowly to his knees then to the floor, while the small but vocal midday crowd cheered on. :: :: The humiliation he felt was as sharp as it was surprising. He didn’t recognize anyone in the crowd. It had been his first bout here, and his first fist-to-fist fight in over a year. And he’d let his emotions get the better of him early on. He’d still been [...]ed about his earlier conversation with Ignis. Not that he entirely understood why. :: :: Evan left his pit and entered a small locker room where the next fighter was waiting to take her turn. A Ktarian, of all things. :: KTARIAN: Tough luck, Vulcan. DELANO: Luck had nothing to do with it. I was terrible. oO And I’m not a Vulcan Oo :: She offered a lop-sided smile. :: KTARIAN: True, but I thought I’d be polite about it. :: Evan shrugged as he went to his locker. He’d left his uniform back on Garuda, but the starfleet combadge on the breast of his dark sleeveless shirt was still prominent once he’d slipped the fabric over his head. :: DELANO: I learned from it. Next time, I’ll do better. That’s the best anyone can say. :: She nodded. :: DELAIN: Well said. (Offering a hand) I’m Delain. DELANO: Evan Delano. :: He gave her hand a short shake, but the gesture was somewhat awkward for both of them. :: DELAIN: A human name? How interesting. DELANO: Almost as interesting as a Ktarian pit fighter. :: She laughed, but the sound of the bell cut her off. :: DELAIN: My turn! Good luck in your next bout, Evan. DELANO: Same to you. :: Once Evan had finished changing, he noticed that he’d missed a general communication. Hopefully, he hadn’t missed anything important. :: :: He tapped the badge to play the recorded message. :: EGAN MANNO:: =/\= This is Captain Egan Manno to all hands. Please return to the Garuda immediately for departure within the hour. Senior staff, please report to the bridge at once. =/\= :: Evan cursed under his breath. The one time he’d be separated from his communicator for more than five minutes and he’d missed a “report to the bridge” at once call. How long ago had this been sent? :: EGAN MANNO: =/\= I would also like to recognize two members of the crew. The first is Lieutenant Commander Alleran Tan, who has joined us very recently as the head of navigation and whose presence and strong work I greatly anticipate. (beat) The second is Lieutenant Evan Delano, who is hereby elevated to the rank of full lieutenant immediately. Lieutenant Delano will further now serve as the Garuda's strategic operations officer -- a necessary position, given the complicate politics and our evolving understanding of the region. Please offer these officers your congratulation. =/\= EGAN MANNO: =/\= Please return as quickly as possible. Thank you. =/\= :: He laughed, first. The irony of being singled out for recognition when he was undoubtedly going to be late in reporting for duty twinged his somewhat dark sense of humor. Sometimes, the galaxy had terrible timing. When that was out of his system, the gravity of the captain’s announcement started to settle on him. :: :: Full lieutenant. In less than a year. That was fantastic. Strategic operations officer, on the other hand, was a bit strange. He wasn’t aware of many starfleet vessels operating in the Corridor. What would he be coordinating, exactly? As he jogged towards the Garuda, he began to speculate. :: === Lt. Evan Delano Strategic Operations Officer USS Garuda
  7. (Mitchell’s Quarters - USS Atlantis) ::Mitchell woke up to a pain in his neck. Gingerly, he raised his head and reached up to find the sore spot. He found it on the side of his neck. Groaning he looked around to get his bearings and realized he was on the couch in his quarters.:: oO Ugh, ow! Oo ::He carefully rolled his head, trying to work the crick out his neck. He remembered about making it back to the ship, and stumbling to the couch, then settling in to wait for his stomach to settle for heading for his bed. From the impression on the couch arm, he hadn’t made it off the couch. Sleep had taken him before his stomach settled. And it had left him with this crick in his neck.:: oO Guess last night was worth it. Oo ::He put his feet on the floor, and walked over to the replicator for a glass of water. He waited for it to materialize, took a sip then carried it back to the couch, while trying to work the crick out. He sat the cup on the table and settled back down on the couch.:: oO This is part of why I quit drinking so much. The after effects suck. Oo ::As he sat there, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander out through the stars. He was on what was technically the sixth starship of his career, but only the third named one, since four of the six were the various editions of the USS Discovery. But he had made it to the rank of full Commander. Yet he was at the pentacle of his career, given a few choices he had made along the way. But he had no regrets, at least not about his career. His personal life was a completely different story though.:; oO The career has worked out for the most part, but my personal life is nada. Oo ::He always thrown everything into his career. Always choosing his duty to Starfleet over any sort of personal life. Along the way he’d had some successes, since he’d been in a grand total of four actual relationships over the years. Two of them actually getting close to being engaged, yet none had lasted. The latest still semi-existed as an on/off again thing, one had been erased when she had lost all memory of their relationship, one had been lost and declared MIA, and the other had separated over duty, settled as friends, until her death.:: oO Kelly...Oo ::Cobra had been the first, being his girlfriend and competition during the latter part of their Academy days. But duty had separated them early after the Academy on due to the needs of the service, then brought them back together on the first Discovery. Yet they’d given it another chance, but the same spark just wasn’t there. So they had decided to just stay friends, and had served together off and on until just under two years ago. Then Cobra had bought the farm in an ambush perpetrated by a group of rogue Romulans. She had gone down with most of her squadron and wing with the Melbourne. To this day, he didn’t trust Romulans. :: oO Kaitlyn...Oo ::Another lost soul, she and he had hit it off right away after the ship pulled her out of that shuttle. I think we both helped each other through some things. Some might have said our relationship was doomed to fail, but we made it worked. I wonder if we could have made it work being married. But finding her comer shipmates mattered to her, so I let her go, and she gave her life to try and find them. oO Perin...Oo ::Perin was such a fresh face when we met. Bright, honest, trusting. She looked so much like Kaitlyn it hurt when he first met her, dragging back out all the memories of Kaitlyn. He had been outright mean to her at first, but something about her broke through his walls. Whatever it was, it snared him in the heart and the head. Their relationship had felt like a dream with the way it worked. He’d even finally worked up the nerve to ask her to marry him. But then one more mission called, and that one cost. She’d been critically injured, suffering complete memory loss for the past several years. Even with the best doctors, almost none of the memories had ever returned. The last time he’d seen her, it had been on the surface of Ba’ku where Tyr had gotten her permission to live, hoping the radiation there would help her.:: oO He did that for me. He saw how happy she made me. Happy enough for him to break protocol to help a friend. Oo oO Vicky…Oo ::Victoria Samuelson and him had a tumultuous relationship. They had both served aboard the various Discovery’s for years, and he had tried to ask her several times over the years, without success. But after years of not getting over Perin’s loss, and some loss of hers, somehow something had brought them together and they had given it a shot. Yet duty soon called and drug them apart. Now their relationship consisted of short leaves together when things could be arranged. Yet even while he had been working in the shipyards and not on an active ship, they had only managed it a few times. Now he was halfway across the galaxy.:: oO Guess I’m a black widow of sorts. Or I’m just one of those people who are supposed to be miserable when it comes to any sort of life. Maybe it makes us better at our jobs. Or maybe it just makes us burnouts. Anyway, alcohol doesn’t help. Trying to drown the sorrows doesn’t do any good. Guess I just have to keep on this cycle. Face it and throw myself into work yet again. Oo tbc/tag Commander Rode MItchell Chief Tactical Officer USS Atlantis (OOC: Funny thing is, the concepts of this sim are anchored in real life. For most of it is how I spent Saturday after going out Friday night and drinking a bit more than I should have to impress a girl.)
  8. IC: ( Before the talk with commander Blueheart ) :: Mitchell and Marcus talked for a while and the Angosian/Betazoid found that he liked to talk with someone that has been in service for as long as he has. In fact Rode had been in service more than him and that allowed to some complicity :: DICKENS: As we don't have a fighter bay, we'll have to use the shuttles or runabout. MITCHELL: Yeah, we can use the pair of Type 9's on board. Their built on a hull form similar to fighters. DICKENS: Type 9's... noted :: he liked the design of the little shuttle :: So, do you have any plans for the rest of the night? MITCHELL: ::taking a final sip of the drink.:: Well since this...:holding up the empty glass:: tastes like nothing. I'm headed to find one real drink then back up to the ship. DICKENS: Be sure to request the transport before you're too tipsy to be understood up there. :: He smiled and patted the man's shoulder. Even himself was looking up to get something stronger that night.:: I'll watch a little more around here. MITCHELL: Ok. Your call. Enjoy. ::he paused:: I think I've really become one of the foogies. I'm already headed out the door. DICKENS: Well, every age has it's pleasures and ... well, we have to leave room for the new blood to draw their own path. Better for them to learn and not relying on us saying I told you so and better for us as we can scold them if they mess it up. :: he winked at the commander :: MITCHELL: Although a lot of our junior officers split already. I'll see if I can find a few and observe from a distance. Make sure there's no brawls like the captain said before I go back up. DICKENS: So you're after all a good starfleet commander. I better keep myself in your favour for the time you end up as captain of your own ship! ::He nodded and headed for the door, depositing the glass on a table before he left. He looked at him as he left the room and Marcus sipped from his beverage again before being reached by Blueheart :: ( Later ) BLUEHEART: Congratulations, XO.::Their glasses clinked.:: DICKENS: Thanks sir, I hope to be at the level you expect. :: The CO and the now FO returned to the ballroom and Marcus stopped while Raj moved on. There he looked around, some of the crew had already left the place, he hoped to have them all coming back and that they could mix like the crew was on the Avandar. He couldn't avoid to think about those days and checking his memories he thought if he could have done something different about Vojana, maybe try giving her more room to widen her work and experience, maybe spending more time with her, but his duties as FO prevented to give her any more time as their missions demanded a lot of dedication. At least this issue has been solved by his former wife so this time he'll have all the time he needed to dedicate to the ship and the crew.:: :: He looked on the present people around and looked at them. He looked at a pair of women that were talking about themselves and giggling looking here and there and a thought of approaching them crossed his mind but discarded it as he found it not proper still feeling like he had a kind of debt with Vojana. :: KELROD: oO Come on, she made it clear Oo DICKENS: oO Yes, but you don't just forget a relationship that has lasted for years that easily. Oo KELROD: oO Hey, she'd been partially my wife too, but you must realize that you haven't really had a relationship in the past months of husband and wife. She focused on her civilian doctor task and you on your FO job on the Avandar. This has to come Oo DICKENS: oO You mean it's my fault? Oo KELROD: oO I mean that it's something that happens... life is complicated and both of you had quite different points of view. After all she resigned from Starfleet and you escalated through the ranks. You represented what she come to hate and that duality could not end in a good way Oo DICKENS: oO I can't believe that argument. If there's a will, there's a way. She just gave up too soon. I was going to ask for a transfer, even to resign if they deny me that, but she wanted it too early. I couldn't leave Starfleet the next day... Oo KELROD: oO And that's when she loosed... and she get it straight. I believe that she did the right move, for the good of the two of you. So why won't you have some fun and distract your mind from that for a while. You can mourn all you want in your quarters, but we're at a party. Oo DICKENS: oO You know what, have fun yourself, I don't want to have fun right now and even less to listen to someone like you telling me things I already know. oO KELROD: oO Ok, no problem. Oo DICKENS: oO Just don't let me be degraded to ensign, right? Oo KELROD: oO Don't worry, your starfleet is so fun that I'd rather miss the chance to enjoy it further Oo :: With that Marcus conscience moved back and Kelrod saw directly through his eyes, feeling good to be in control after quite some time. He checked the place and looked up observing the arquitecture and use of colors then switched back to the two female officers and confidently he moved towards them. :: DICKENS: Hello ladies, enjoying the party so far? SILA: Yes commander, it's a good relief from the mission. LARISA: You seem to be a bit out of it sir. DICKENS: Please, call me... :: remembering he's supossed to be he decided to play a little:: Marcus or Marc as we're on leave. So, what are you drinking? LARISA: It's a local beverage, they say it's mildly strong so we're just taking a bit DICKENS: Mmm... know what, this is a day, so let's have a bit of fun. :: He went to the counter, asked for three glasses of the same drink and returned with the woman :: Here you are :: with a smile in his face :: For the Atlantis crew, :: They raised their glasses :: And for all the beautiful officers in Starfleet represented by you here. :: They were surprised but Sila giggled at the comment. After a sip she spoke :: SILA: Comma... Marcus, you seem quite ... different. We've had little time to know you but you always seemed so busy in your work. DICKENS: :: Kelrod smiled but what normally was an inner gesture this time translated into a genuine and visible smile :: Yes, I could seem that way, but that's when I'm on duty. One thing is on the ship or during a mission, but I like to enjoy leaves as they're sporadic and usually short. I even like to practice some fencing and riding. Do any of you ride? LARISA: Ride? On what? DICKENS: On horses of course SILA: I've done it in my childhood back on earth, but it's been years. LARISA: I just saw horses in pictures. We don't have it on the Jupiter station where I was born and raised. I went to Earth several times, but never to see them, even less to ride one. DICKENS: Then you're lucky, I'm an excellent rider and I have a great holoprogram to ride. Easy horses, plain roads... Do you want to try it? SILA: Why not? It's been years so It'll be fun LARISA: I'm.. not sure DICKENS: Come on Larisa, see Sila, if she can do it, you can and I promise that the horse will be easy. :: Finally both agreed and moved with him, each one with their drink in their hands and requested transport to the Atlantis where Kelrod guided them to the holodeck and activated the holoprogram Marcus used to use to relax while riding. However, he'll be sure that this ride will be wonderful and osmething they'll want to repeat. :: TBC: Cmdr. Marcus Dickens First Officer USS ATLANTIS NCC-74682
  9. ((Holodeck 2 - USS Atlantis)) ::It wasn't always easy to know another person, but Ren Rennyn had never been afraid to try.:: ::He'd grown up covered in family and friends, a constant stream of need and personality that sent him sometimes running off to the lonely corner of a field for a minute's peace. In the long term, it left him friendly, and open, and craving connection. It left him a little afraid of loneliness.:: ::Out here on Atlantis, with black space drifting by, he felt stifled. He didn't want to be alone, but he needed to think. After the excitement of time with friends on Uzoka 4, the quiet of his quarters was deafening, pressuring. Even the corner of a field is full of living things. The holodeck at least pretended to have life in it, and he needed something around him, some feeling of being in a living environment, in order to clear his mind and really get this sorted.:: ::Ren was struggling to get a grip on Sovak's motivations. They'd been roommates for four years at the Academy, and they were posted to Atlantis together as fresh new ensigns. Now that goofed up Vulcan had gone and professed his love for the Trill helm officer. And Ren could admit he felt something too. But it was tough to wrap on to it. This was his friend, his best friend, outside of his brothers back home in Arnmere. His brain and his heart weren't catching up to each other, and he couldn't tell which was doing the catching, or which was trying to run.:: ::Ren sat on a dusty red boulder observing the holographic scene below. It was Vulcan, the only part of Vulcan Sovak had called home, high on a cliff of Mount Vishlu in a monastic school no child with Sovak's level of emotion could have enjoyed. The bluff where Ren sat outside the monastery looked down from Vishlu, that layered jag of rock rising up from the landscape like a sheltering behemoth, casting its shadow over the fertile delta below, where some vegetation that would not otherwise have lived in the scorched Vulcan terrain grew lush among irrigated channels. It was a fertile oasis, spread before him like a scene from a story, holographic citizens moving peacefully below in the pageant of daily life.:: ::Up at the monastery, life was dry and red. None of the vegetation, none of the life reached this solitary place above, except in distant, taunting visions from beneath.:: ::The Trill stood upright and filled his lungs with hot, arid atmosphere. He wondered how realistic this simulation could be. Were the little holographic Vulcans who crawled like matawba bugs in that distant down-below vista based on the real citizens of the mountain's shade? Or were they, like the preternaturally perfect Vulcan sky, a conjuration of the programmer's well-ordered vision?:: ::Ren had grown up surrounded by green plants and rich soil; hot days that produced cool breezes too. Snow in its season, ice and bundling, then the inevitably welcome thaw of spring with its deep, earthen fragrance. This place, this barren red desert stretching out to every horizon, couldn't have been any more alien to him.:: ::It couldn't have been easy to make the plants grow there. Ren respected the Vulcans in that. He knew how it felt to be in a relationship with the land, to struggle with it and love it and fight it sometimes. It nourished you and it brought you to tears. The ground here was so different from what he knew. It wasn't easy to imagine how the Vulcans did it. It was all so much like Sovak -- familiar to the Trill in some ways, but, in others, entirely alien.:: ::Sovak had traveled to Trill once, with Ren, on a semester break from the Academy, when they were simply friends. It had been two weeks of fish-out-of-water comedy, Sovak never quite learning how to handle constant attention from Ren's large family. He'd watched the shy Vulcan flinch and wince and try to melt into a puddle rather than face the onslaught of conversation and companionship. But Sovak had blossomed, too, in a way. He'd connected to the planet, to the fertile ground, to the sweet, rich air, in a way Ren had felt connected since birth.:: ::Seeing Vulcan, dry and arid, even in the beautiful delta at the foot of Mount Vishlu, Ren began to understand Sovak's origins. The Vulcan had gone to Trill and found a very different home than he'd ever known. He'd expressed to Ren, in his quiet way, how much he'd loved the Rennyn farm, the ever-present family, the vibrant, fertile life of it all. Ren brushed the desert dust from his jacket. He could see why.:: ::Here, the landscape was all sand, and you had to dig your feet in and really stand. Maybe that's how, in some ancient time, Vulcans learned to find their strength from within. Sovak spent his early years on the safe, solid deck of a starship. Maybe he'd never found his footing here for that reason.:: ::So did Sovak love him as much as he seemed to think? Or was it Trill the Vulcan loved, that sense of place, of family and belonging? That was the doubt nagging at Ren since the fevered moment Sovak proclaimed his feelings, in a room full of flowers and confusion. Was Sovak merely in love with feeling? Ren's life was on a trajectory that pointed away from Trill for now, even if it was meant to lead back there some day. He didn't see how he could be what Sovak needed. That goofy Vulcan was so many wonderful things, and deserved to be with someone as amazing as him. Ren wasn't sure he would be enough. Or was that another excuse to run? His heart and his head competed for position. One was a tortoise, the other a hare. The sun was setting over the back of Mount Vishlu, and Ren hadn't begun to fathom what he wanted to know here.:: ::Sweat formed on his brow, from the heat in the simulated atmosphere, or the heat in his beleaguered brain. His face was grim. He might break a heart that had already been broken on the stern, lonely rocks high on Mount Vishlu, one that had only begun to take root and grow. With the same blow, he might break his own heart too.:: LtJG Rendal Rennyn Helm Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  10. ((Presidential Palace – Kuantan, Uzoka 4)) ::When Marcus left, he took a bit of Raj’s joy with him. Left alone on the wind-swept verandah, Raj turned a sorrowful face towards the nocturnal cityscape that was Kuantan. The air was pregnant with the scent and moisture of a recent drizzle. Somewhere in the distance red lanterns swung lazily, tickled by an invisible finger. He sighed, looking up into the starless black sky. Somewhere high above him in that sea of infinite black, the USS Atlantis hovered, a moth encircling a blue-green marble. His home away from home, away from home. Incredible loneliness. There he was surrounded by the roaring orchestra and flamboyant cast of characters of the city at night and yet he was incredibly, profoundly lonely. He would get to see his sister and brother-in-law less and less frequent, not returning to DS-285 like he used to after the Discovery completed a mission. Now it was DS26. He knew no one on DS26. It wasn’t even in Federation space to begin with. He was still gazing up and into the deep black grave of a sky when he pretended he could spot the Embassy, and there, he could barely discern, preparing his men for the next battle, Tyr Waltas. Tyr Waltas, the man who had pinned ever single pip on his collar. The man who had handed him his first and every award. Today Raj Blueheart handed out promotions and ribbons for the very first time. He wished the man was beside him to beam with pride over his achievement. The winds had grown terribly cold and Raj shivered. He turned around and leaned his back against the stone railing. Bright yellow festive light streamed out through a series of tall but narrow glass windows that stood open to the night. Music, alien but equally and unmistakably festive, flowed out with the golden light of the party, a warmth and radiance he never felt. Within, his crew was merry and mingling. The pale-skinned, flame-haired gentleman could not be made out causing a riot among the crowd of celebrants. Suddenly the winds felt colder. Uzoka had grown colder. Even his heart shivered. His glass was empty, the wine having left behind a disc of a pale purple stain on the bottom. The solitude was smothering. The solitude was asphyxiating. Among six billion souls yet he couldn’t breathe. It was the loneliest job in the world. Stone stairs on either side led from the verandah to the manicured gardens below. Bidding the emptied glass adieu atop the railing, he strolled down the moss-lined steps and into the sweet fragrance. Sentinels watched his every step, his every move, but he only cared for the solace the sanctuary would offer him. Encountering a wet stone bench, he removed his jacket and placed it on the bench before seating himself on it. A night-creature sang a song to the moons of Uzoka, unseen through rainclouds. But it might as well be singing to him. A requiem for an era come to past, for friends and family left behind, for the innocence of youth buried somewhere in that infinite, cold, black grave above and beyond him with maws wide open waiting to devour him, worlds and all. A heartless grave he now stared defiantly at, supine on the cold bench, arm bent underneath his head. Odd, how he should be melancholic following a successful first mission. Joy that is shared is doubled. Joy that is caged envenoms the heart with bitterness. Odd too, how terribly alone he felt in an exotic garden on an alien world on the other side of the sky, realizing with intense pain, how no one, absolutely no one among his present crew, will know just how lonely the central chair on the bridge can be. And the only one who might know, the father figure who cleaned the smudge off of his infant face, was not beside him to finally and gently nudge him over the threshold he was about to cross. The night-blossoms shed their scent on the lonely heart seeking shelter beneath them, while the hymn of the night-creature lulled it into dreamless slumber. Remnants of a dead storm fell softly upon his tear-stained face. The infinite, cold, black grave above, silently watching. Always present, always watching. Always waiting.:: Commander Raj Blueheart Commanding Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  11. Polling closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, June 29th. This is a run-off poll, where our general membership will choose from the top sims of 2014 Rounds 7-13 to find the best sim that will proceed to the final round of the contest. Please read the sims below, which were chosen by a panel of judges (one from each ship) to find the best sims from each round of Set 1: Round 7: Aron Kells & Arden Cain: "The Seeker"Round 8: Liam Frost & Hsina Amman, "Qualifications"Round 9: Tyr Waltas, "Here we go again"Round 10: Raj Blueheart, "Dreams Made Of Memories (Part 2)"Round 11: Nienne Kenoi, "A Moment Described"Round 12: Kalianna Nicholotti, "Legacies"Round 13: Eileen McCleran, "When the unknown gets impatient"Vote for the sim which is best written. We recommend looking for strong characterization and evocative or descriptive scene-setting. If any crew is found "stuffing the ballot" -- having everyone on the crew vote for the same sim to ensure it proceeds to the final round -- that crew will be eliminated from the contest for the remainder of the year. Good luck to the nominees!
  12. ((In a shuttle in space attacking a Borg cube)) :: Tal adjusted his flight path. As he had expected the Borg had not fired on him so their seemed to be little point in his continuing to tax the shuttles maneuvering systems when the enemy seemed to be ignoring him. :: :: Tal doubled checked the distance from him to the shield that was protecting the Borg cube. Soon very soon in fact at the speed he was travelling so he reached over, tapped a couple controls and brought up the next song. Just hearing it brought back memories of that beach front tavern that Jason had always been dragging him to back at the Academy. After every beach volleyball game they would relax with a few drinks and enjoy the ancient music that the tavern was famous for. In all honesty it had been the only reason Tal had always joined Jason there afterwards. :: :: Good memories. Maybe his last if this stunt failed. He aimed the shuttle right at the center of the Borg shield, waited a few moments and then pressed the firing button for the shuttles phasor, holding it down as he felt a big smile appear on his face. Sometimes the universe did have a sense of humour he thought as he listened to the music. :: Music (Pat Benatar): =/\= Hit me with your best shot and fire away =/\= :: Tal held the firing button down, a continuous stream of energy leaping forward from the phasor emitter to strike the center of the massive Borg shield. Nothing happened! :: :: Time seemed to slow down as his shuttle continued to hurtle towards certain doom. As it did Tal had the absurd thought that in a few moments the 2 female Marine pilots would get a very graphic demonstration of just what happens when a bug hits a windshield. :: :: For a moment he almost pulled up, but he ignored the momentary twinge of illogical nerves. Even when the red light started to flash warning him that the phasor was about to malfunction. This had to work and if not then the USS Apollo was doomed. It had about as much chance of surviving an attack by 2 Borg cubes as it did of flying through the heart of a star. :: :: A loud annoying beeping sound started as the red light went from flashing to solid. The phasor beam fluttered in and out, then died as Tal glanced down at the console in front of him to see what the scanners were detecting. Borg shield was down to 9% but the power level was starting to climb back up as. :: KER, BLOOWEY, CRASH, !!!!!!!!!!!! :: The shuttle slammed into the Borg shield doing warp 6, the Borg cube was traveling at warp 8.5. As expected the Borg shield won the match, but not by much. The shuttle broke through but the front half was totally destroyed, the metal compacted, twisted, smashed beyond repair. :: :: Its speed was greatly reduced, a large portion of its left warp nacelle was gone, ripped off in the impact and its limited atmosphere was vented out into space from multiple holes, fractures and through the shattered forward viewport. :: :: What was left of the right nacelle was barely producing any propulsion and that was giving it the credit of the doubt. For the most part the shuttle just drifted towards the Borg cube, moving more and more towards the one side as it did so. :: :: Bells were ringing, weird flippant bells that were giving Tal a massive headache. He tried to open his eyes, something did not feel right. Where was he? :: :: Somehow Tal managed to force his left eye open, he was face down on what he thought was the floor, something tugged at his waist and left leg, slowly growing weaker as it did so. He pushed, feeling weak, his arms did not want to respond. It made no sense but he knew he had to move why??? :: :: Forget why just do it he thought, pushing, feeling a massive wave of nausea sweep over him. One that had him puking in seconds. His head pounded, it was hard to think and for some reason the puke stayed floating in front of his face. :: :: He managed to roll onto his side, his vision blocked, blurred by the puke. Why was he wearing a helmet? He had to remember, it was important. He tried to shake his head to clear his mind but that only made it worse. He felt weightless, was he in space? :: :: He reached up to wipe his face, his hand stopped by the visor, visor? He was wearing a helmet. Why was he wearing a helmet? Nothing made any sense. He needed to see, he fumbled for the lock device at his neck, his hands clumsy, lacking control, feeling his way by memory more than anything else. :: :: He heard the click, the release and started to pull the helmet off. The puke, air, everything in the helmet was violently sucked out replaced by a cold so deep, so frigid that it instantly made his teeth chatter. It was like dunking his head in the arctic ocean, even the moisture in his eyes started to freeze. Without thinking he pulled the helmet back on, flipping the lock, wondering why he had been taking off his helmet in the first place. :: :: As the helmet refilled with oxygen his mind cleared enough for him to remember. He was in a shuttle; he had collided with the Borg shield. Somehow he had survived. Was he inside or outside of that shield? He had to find out and he had to do so now. As he thought about it he realized that he had to be inside the shield. At the angle he had been approaching if he had not been able to punch through the shield the entire shuttle would have been destroyed. As it was it must have been a close thing. :: :: Still he had to be inside the Borg shields and he still had a mission to complete so Tal tried twisting around until he was able to see that the shuttle was a complete write off. The [...]pit and all the controls were destroyed and there were numerous holes in what remained of the shuttles outer hull. His left leg partially lodged into one of the bigger holes. He was on the ceiling, rammed right up against the anti-matter warheads which were no longer so safely secured in place. :: :: Obviously the trigger mechanism was destroyed, so was the transporter. It was beginning to look like this whole mission was a complete bust, failure. :: :: He forced himself to sit up. Having to wriggle and squirm as he did so as he had very little space in which to move. It also revealed the fact that his suit had become damaged. Tal reached down to his waist, pulled off the repair kit, removed the small container and pressed it against the damaged section of the suit. It took about half of the sealant but he thought he had fixed the problem. :: :: He hoped so. Now that he was thinking better he needed to assess his chances. See if there was any way he could possibly salvage this mission. Problem was he could not see anything from where he was and what little he could see was destroyed and useless. He had to get outside the shuttle, see what he could see. :: :: Looking around he could see that there was no opening big enough for him to get out. He reached to his waist feeling for his phasor pistol but it was gone. A quick glance around showed that he had no idea where it was. :: :: Now what? He doubted that he had the strength to force an opening in the metal. Not the way he was feeling and he seriously doubted that he could have even if he had been in perfect shape. So how was he going to get out? :: :: Everywhere he looked he saw destruction, everything from the front half of the shuttle was completely destroyed. How he had survived was a puzzle. As far as he could figure the fact that he had removed the backrest from the pilots seat had probably saved his life. Other than that. It was a mystery. However that did not solve his problem. :: :: A sudden wave of nausea washed over him and he had to fight to prevent vomiting again. His mind was not working right, fading in and out. He had to have some internal injuries. It was the only thing that made any sense. He closed his eyes, tried to relax, to slow his breathing, his pulse. :: :: After a few moments he opened his eyes. He still felt like crap but his mind was clearer. Hopefully that would help. It took a few moments for him to realize what he was looking at. There just in front of him was the buckled, shattered, destroyed side hatch, or at least what there was left of it. That was not what had caught his attention. What had were the activation controls for the emergency hatch release. Basically a set of tiny explosive charges designed to blow the hatch off in an emergency. :: :: He reached forward, groping for the activation switch with 2 fingers, reaching, pushing, wriggling his fingers trying to activate, to hit the button. :: BBBOOOMMMBBBBB!!!! :: A sudden explosion blew shrapnel in and out of the shuttle. It also created a massive jagged hole, one that he might be able to fit through if he got lucky. Unfortunately a glancing blow had damaged his visor. Now not only did it have puke residue it was cracked with a fine network tiny spider lines. :: :: Something else was wrong. He glanced down to see a large chunk of metal stickling out of his left leg. His blood was already starting to leak out and float off in tiny little bubbles. :: :: Tal grabbed the chunk of metal but forced himself to stop before he pulled it out. That was a sure fire way to bleed to death. He spotted the canister of repair sealant floating nearby. It looked damaged, probably in the explosion as it had been working perfectly just a while ago. :: :: Tal managed to reach it, pull it closer and inspect it. Pain was starting to flair our from his leg. He had to do this and do it now before he passed out so Tal yanked the metal out and activated the canister. Nothing happened, so he smashed the jagged piece of metal covered in his blood against the top of the device, again and again. Suddenly the top broke off and the contents started to come out under pressure. :: :: Tal stuffed the end into the rip in the suit and felt a hot flash of intense pain as the chemicals in the sealant, sealed off both the wound and the hole in the suit. In reflex to the pain he crushed the canister in his fist, forcing the last of the goo out onto his leg. :: :: Tal had to fight to get his breath back as the waves of pain threatened to wash over him, drowning him in a flood of agony and nerve shattering delirium. Slowly it passed but even before it had Tal started to move, to pull himself forward, swimming through the weightless interior of the craft until he had managed to wriggle out through the hole. :: :: Now he could see. He was close. The towering shape of the Borg cube took up almost all of his vision until he turned to look around. In the distance he could see the USS Apollo, still fighting but even from this distance he could see that it was badly damaged. :: :: This distance. There should have been no way for him to see the USS Apollo. Not just by looking. They were getting closer. This cube was going to the aid of the other one. The Apollo must be winning. Now more than ever he had to trigger the anti-matter. There was no way the Apollo could survive the attack of the 2nd cube. :: :: Looking around Tal spotted the photon torpedo attached to the rear of the shuttle. It had not deployed as it should have, probably because the impact destroyed the controls before they could activate the release. It looked damaged but maybe it still worked. :: :: He forced himself to crawl over the exterior of the shuttle, hand by hand. As he did he could tell the cracks in his visor were getting worse. The residue from him puking was flowing across the interior of the visor to collect along the thin spider web of lines. He had to hurry. No telling how much longer he had and a quick glance up showed they were getting closer to the main battle. He could now see tiny bits of detail on the Apollo. He had to hurry. :: :: He reached out, his hand touching the exterior of the missile. Using it to pull himself closer, examining it as he did. It was damaged, scratched and dented but still seemed to be in one piece. Thats all he needed. :: :: Tal pushed, forcing it to move, feeling the pain ripple through him. He definitely had internal injuries. He was going to fail, the Borg were going to win, to assimilate him :: :: NEVER. Rage ripped through him, the pain serving as fuel. He would die before letting those [...] parasites get their hands on him He pushed, ignoring the pain, ignoring the weird sensations inside him, pushed with all he had, like his life depended on it. :: :: The torpedo shifted, altered its angle. Not as much as he wanted but enough that his idea should work. He had to rest for a moment, breathing deeply as black spots danced in front of his eyes. He was going to pass out. He could feel it. He fought it, desperate to stay conscious. His hands fumbling with the torpedo, snagging the damaged side panel, ripping it open so he could activate it. :: :: Nothing happened, the torpedo just lay there. The Borg would win after all. Tal glanced up to see the Apollo take a massive hit, one that seemed to do more damage than it could take but the edge of the Borg cube blocked out the details, preventing him from telling just how bad the damage was. :: :: In a fit of rage Tal kicked the torpedo, again and again. The sudden activation of its engines ripped him free from the outer hull of the shuttle as it started to pick up speed, being pushed haphazardly towards the center of the massive cube that towered over him. :: :: He had to get away. Now that his mission was completed he had to escape. He reached down, feeling for the controls for the propulsion unit. His fingers felt weird and the black spots were back, dancing a weird hula dance before his eyes. :: :: The controls had to be there. He could feel the propulsion unit still on his back so he kept fumbling at his waist. He could barely breathe. That didnt make sense. He had a 4 hour supply. He must have lost more oxygen than he thought that or he was losing some now. Who knew how many holes there were in his suit. :: :: Suddenly the Borg cube seemed to drift away from him. He must have hit the controls it was nice out here so peaceful. The stars were fading everything was fading for some reason his mind drifted back to the music he had given the Borg his best shot. :: ********************************************* ((Bridge, Borg Cube #845325-458724, the 2nd cube)) Borg 1: Federation shuttle on a collision course with forward shield. Borg 3: It has dropped evasive maneuvers and is now firing its phasor. Borg 2: Illogical. Borg 1: Sound being broadcast from the shuttle has been altered, still defies computers ability to decipher. Borg 3: Forward shield weakening. Down to 63% Borg 1: Shuttles phasor is weakening. Power output decreasing by 8.6359% every 2 seconds. Borg 2: Ignore it. Borg 3: Forward shield is down to 36% Borg 2: Computer still has not been able to decipher any code to the signal being broadcast by the Federation shuttle. Borg 3: Stop attempting to decipher. Signal must be the actions of an illogical biological unit. Borg 2: It will be assimilated. Borg 3: Shuttles phasor has malfunctioned. Shuttle is going to crash. Borg 2: Shuttle has impacted the forward shield. Borg 1: Shuttle has managed to break through forward shield. Borg 3: Shall I target it? Borg 2: No point. Scans show that it has suffered extensive damage. Multiple hull breaches, engine failure, systems failure, loss of power, noise has stopped. Borg 3: What about the Federation stealth fighters? Borg 2: Ignore them. Borg 1: 1 life sign detected. Borg 2: Where? Borg 3: Exterior of the damaged shuttle. Borg 1: Life signs are erratic. Biological unit is damaged. Borg 2: It does not matter. They will be assimilated. Borg 3: Attempting to lock on transporters. Borg 2: Unusual levels of anti-matter detected on damaged shuttle. Borg 3: Anti-matter interfering with ability to get a lock on the biological unit. Borg 2: Borg Cube #674296-562317 sustaining damage. Borg 1: Damage in excess of that expected from a single Federation Achilles class vessel. Borg 2: Alter course to intercept Federation vessel. Borg 3: Course altered. Borg 1: Damaged shuttle is moving. Borg 2: How? Its engines are destroyed, it lacks power. Borg 3: It is being pushed by the propulsion engine of a single photon torpedo. Borg 2: Illogical. Borg 1: Biological unit is now floating, correction being pushed by a small EVA propulsion unit away from the shuttle. Borg 2: Establish a lock on the biological unit. Borg 3: Attempting. Borg 1: Federation vessel, USS Apollo has taken extensive damage. Borg 2: It does not matter. They will be assimilated. Borg 3: Shuttles anti-matter signature is still blocking our ability to get a lock with the transporters on the biological unit. Borg 2: Source of unusual high levels of anti-matter? Borg 3: Damaged federation shuttle. Cargo hold is full of anti-matter. Borg 2: Establish a tractor lock on the shuttle. Push it away, now. Borg 1: Tractor lock failed. Anti-matter leak interfering with ability to lock on. Borg 2: Target the shuttle. Destroy it. Borg 3: Doing so will cause extensive damage to the cube. Borg 1: Shuttle has impacted with the forward shield emitter. Shields failing. Borg 2: Switch to back up generators. Borg 3: Emergency repair team dispatched. Borg 2: Biological unit has been beamed away. Borg 1: How? Borg 2: Federation stealth fighter must have taken advantage of our downed shields. Borg 3: Anti-matter leak did not interfere with their ability to get a lock on. Borg 1: Life signs were very erratic and fading. Borg 2: It does not matter. They will be assimilated. Borg 3: Teams dispatched to deal with damaged shuttle. Borg 2: Anti-matter must be dealt with. Borg 3: Anti-matter leak increasing. Borg 2: Establish a containment shield around the shuttle. Borg 1: Maximum power to the containment shield. Borg 2: Anti-matter leak interfering with ability to establish containment shield. Borg 3: Increase size of containment shield. Borg 1: Containment shield established. Borg 2: Anti-matter explosion BOOM!!!! :: Blinding flash of white mixed with splashes of other color. Shrapnel flying everywhere. Borg cube reduced to component parts. Appears to be destroyed. ::
  13. ((Transporter Room 1 - USS Atlantis)) TRANSPORTER CHIEF: Nope. ::Ren tried not to whine. How could he not have made it in time for the beamout?:: REN: Can you tell me when the next beamdown is? TRANSPORTER CHIEF: Nuh uh. Don't know. ::Ren grumbled, but nodded his thanks. Who else would know, or be able to assign him to a landing party?:: ((Bridge - USS Atlantis)) ENSIGN YZA: Nope. ::The Bolian helm officer gave Ren a scowl. He kept taking all the good jobs from her, leaving her to stand on the side of the bridge and wait for hours at a time. Such was the fate of a relief officer. Now she huddled protectively over the helm console, not about to let him take it from her again. Ren held up his hands surrenderingly.:: RENNYN: Hey, I'm just trying to get off the ship. You have no idea if Commander Dickens went with the captain? YZA: I don't know anything. I'm just watching the orbit. Have fun on your leave, and remember me sitting here. Just watching it spin... ::Ren made a hasty exit. Yza didn't seem to like him whether he stayed or left. He scanned the room for Mitchell, but didn't see anyone he recognized. Was it too awkward to ask the backup to the backup to the backup command officer to beam him down? Anyway, he had another idea.:: ((Shuttlebay - USS Atlantis)) DECK CHIEF: Nope. RENNYN: Why not? I don't want to take one myself. I just want to tag along if anyone else is going down by shuttle. DECK CHIEF: Helm officer or not, you can't have one of my shuttles, Ensign. Not without higher clearance. You can try going through the command chain, but most of them didn't miss the first beamout. RENNYN: I didn't miss th-- Okay, how did you know I missed the first beamout? DECK CHIEF: Happens every time... ((Poseidon's Lounge - USS Atlantis)) LITTLE KID: Nope. ::The kid stole Ren's fork and ran away into the crowded PL.:: REN: What th-- Nope, what? ::One time, back in Arnmere, Ren's family had packed into dad's old passenger shuttle to leave for a vacation to the Tenaran ice cliffs. Some of the cousins were there, so the typically high headcount of the nine Rennyn siblings was even higher. Mom and Dad both miscounted. As the hatch closed and they prepared for takeoff, a strange sound was heard from the house, like muffled cries of a wounded baby animal, or maybe a very distant siren and some hammers. Dad raised the hatch again and ran out of the shuttle back towards the house. He opened the door, and there, pounding from the inside and screaming at the top of her little lungs, was Ren's little sister Nila. She'd thought they were leaving her behind. She'd almost been right. She was too little to have access to the door controls yet. Their parents were horrified, and counted again very carefully before taking off.:: ::Ren was beginning to feel he'd been left behind on the ship.:: CREWMAN: Hey Ren! Are you beaming down? The captain opened up the planet now that he and the first team completed the formal mumbo-jumbo. A bunch of us are going. Want to join? RENNYN: ::jumping up from his seat.:: Heck yeah! ((Transporter Room 1 - USS Atlantis)) ::Ren stepped on the transporter pad with the other crew. Now he knew how Nila felt when their dad opened the front door. They all settled and the transporter chief began to key in the sequence. Something flashed in the corner of Ren's eye and he turned to see Rover streaming through a bulkhead. Quickly, before he could be beamed away, Ren stepped off the transporter pad. The rest of the team beamed away without him.:: TRANSPORTER CHIEF: Dios mio! RENNYN: It's okay. It's just Rover. Hey, buddy! Where have you been? ROVER: Learning. RENNYN: I'm going down to the planet. I'm going to see if it's okay for you to live there. ::Rover glowed a shade sadder.:: RENNYN: Do your kind like living with the Grenushi? Will they be okay with the Krayav? ROVER: Maybe. I don't know. I think so. RENNYN: Rover, do you want to live with the Krayav? ROVER: Nope. RENNYN: Do you want to stay here? With us? ::Rover glowed a few shades brighter, and Ren took that as a yes.:: ((((Veterans’ Square, Capital City Kuantan, Uzoka 4)) ::Ren beamed down alone into the windy grey city of Kuantan. It was bleak. A few remnants of the formal greeting showed there, a few extra flags, several soldiers packing up for the day. The party had obviously moved on. Ren approached one of the grey-uniformed soldiers near the grey pointed obelisk in the grey central square.:: RENNYN: Excuse me. Will you please help me find the Presidential Palace? SOLDIER: Yes. ::He pointed.:: See that building at the far end of this road that you can just barely see? The one with color on it. RENNYN: Looks like a long walk. SOLDIER: Yes. Your earlier beamdown parties were provided with ground transport. RENNYN: Oh. Guess I missed that. SOLDIER: Yes. ::The soldier was getting into his car, the last to leave the square.:: Perhaps we will meet again. I am headed to the Presidential Palace now. RENNYN: Oh! Any chance I can get a ride? SOLDIER: Nope. Ensign Rendal Rennyn Helm Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  14. (( Imperia Solorum - Lokesh City )) :: Even with as much of a gentleman that Harrington considered himself, when it came to looking the part, he had left that to his resident Orion. Velitha had a knack for picking out the right clothes for the right job and they always gave him the edge that he wanted. At the moment, he wore a plain tuxedo with the black bow tie and a simple white flower, the color being only in the gold cufflinks around his wrists. He stood in the luxurious lobby of the magnificent building studying his reflection in the gray marble floors. :: :: Looking up from his musings is when he saw her, dressed in a simple black dress with only a touch of makeup. Her blue eyes seem to sparkle framed in the long chestnut brown hair that was pulled up. She took his breath away. :: James: My dear, you are absolutely ravishing. Turner: ::smiling:: Why thank you, Captain James. oO Famished is more like it. Oo You clean up well yourself. :: He took her hand and gave it a simple kiss and then motioned to the elevator where two burly men stood. They nodded and tapped the button opening it for them. As the elevator began it’s ride up to the top floor of Til’ahn’s most exquisite restaurant, Harrington took a glance at her and made sure to check out how she filled out the dress. She was a beauty. :: Velitha: =/\= Eyes up, Harry. =/\= :: The tiny device attached under his ear vibrated the words into his skull towards his inner ear. He gave the security camera in the elevator a quick, nasty glare and then smiled at his dinner partner as the door opened. What stood out first, was the amazing view from the skylight windows that surrounded the whole entire circular room. The warm glow from the lights and the quite discussions of their occupants were at a level that was easy to listen too. :: ((OOC: http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/state/110129_restaurants_winstons.jpg)) :: The Maitre'd approached, a young antosian woman whose green hair shimmered in the light. :: James: Good evening, Okeva. My usual please. Okeva: ::smiling:: of course, Mr. James. The brothers keep it open just for your visits. :: Glak and Boruk. The two ferengi brothers that owned the place and catered to the rich tourists to the Duronis sector. They had a seen the opportunity as trade began to rise from the sector and got in before anyone else did. James had supplied a good amount of money to their venture and considered himself a silent partner, taking more the enjoyment of the meals and special treatment than any monetary gain. Not having to part with money made the two happy, and so they did not hesitate to make James feel at home when he arrived. :: Okeva: Your usual Cabernet Sauvignon? James: No, I think we’ll have champagne, tonight. :: One of Harrington’s favorite parts to the place was the use of physical menus and not PADDs or some sort of computer. The brothers also boasted fresh non-replicated ingredients for their meals. While waiting for their drinks, James folded his hands and gave the sector commander a big smile. :: James: I know I have said it already, but you are absolutely gorgeous….though I admit, I’m surprised you agreed to my invitation so quickly. I thought I might have had to start sending you chocolate and flowers. Turner: Well then, maybe I shouldn't have been agreeable so fast if that's the case. I don't know any woman who doesn't like the flavor of chocolate nor the fragrance and beauty of flowers, but I must tell you, that I'll have to skip the taste of champagne due to the needs of my newly born daughter. Chilled lemon-water will be fine for me. James: ::seductively:: I can still spoil you, Antonia, if you’ll only let me. :: She was magnificent! Schooled expression and she did not even blink at the mention of her full name. It had taken a lot for him to track it down and a pretty penny too. She simply took the menu and began flipping through it. :: James: oO What an exquisite woman. Oo Turner: ::glancing over the menu items:: Tell me, if you have just arrived on Til'ahn a short time ago, how is it you have already have an established seat in a place like this? oO In other words, what are you holding over the owner's head? Oo James: Oh, though I am new to the sector, I’m not new to the brothers. They wanted funding for this venture and in trade, I get a few benefits. Turner: Oh? I'm impressed. Quite a feat for someone new to the planet. James: It’s really all about who you know. I mean, everything has a benefit if you look for it. Take for instance this dinner we are having. I not only get your wonderful company, but it gives my rivals pause about how well connected I really am with the Federation sector commander. Turner: ::frowning:: Oh, so I'm just a token to boost your prestige? oO I figured as much, but I never figured you to be honest about it.Oo Who are you trying to impress? James: Not at all! I did not ask you out for prestige, I asked you out because I think you're the most gorgeous woman on the planet and I could not live without a moment or two of your time. Velitha: =/\= You’re making me sick, Harry. =/\= Turner: ::hiding an eye roll:: oO Oh, brother. Who does he think he is kidding? Oo :: James did not change his expression from the voice reverberating in his head. He had second thoughts about having his security on standby. Velitha was being inordinately nosey. Jealousy perhaps? :: Turner: Oh, do tell me more. It's been a long time since anyone noticed that I'm anything more than a Fleet Captain. :: The Maitre’d returned with the champagne and lemon water and placed them down on the table. She also gave them a half loaf of freshly cook italian bread and creamy churned butter. :: Okeva: Compliments of the owners. :: James looked across to the see the two brothers, in their fancy clothes looking at them greedily. Harrington gave them a solid look and they quickly went on their way. After all, they were merchants and he was a pirate. Not that he would admit that to anyone. Okeva: Are you ready to order? James: I’ll have the fettuccine alfredo with aldebaran chicken. :: Okeva quickly scribbled it down and turned to Toni. :: Turner: ::closing the menu and giving it to Okeva:: I think I'll have the same. ::Okeva left to put in their order, and Toni leaned toward James:: You seem to have discerning taste for good food, so I figured you'd order the best dishes on the menu. ::It was pure flattery that made her say that to him. If he could shoot the bull with her, she'd show him that he had met his match.:: James: Why thank you. I try. Turner: So tell me about your business concern ::as though she believed it was on the up and up::. Surely a man in your position does more than deliver supplies to the Resort. James: My position? You flatter me, Antonia. I’m a simple merchant. I get jobs where I can. I have a nice bit of money put to the side and a few perks. I still have to make a living. It’s having company like you that makes these trips worth while. Turner: oO This man has got to be in love with the sound of his voice. He says a lot, but it all comes back to one thing. Maybe I’m looking at this wrong. Could he be trying to seduce me? If so, I wonder why, after all I did send the Orion Syndicate after him. Perhaps a trophy? No doubt he has been around a few blocks, and has quite a few. Oo Have you ever been married? :: James about choked on his champagne at the direct question. Toni Turner was good at playing the game. Very few people could catch him off guard. :: James: ::wiping mouth:: excuse me, married? Turner: Yes, married. Seems of man who travels as much as you, should have ran into at least one woman who would have captured your heart enough to marry. James: Well...to tell the truth, I was married once...a long time ago. Long story, sad ending, but I want to talk about you. How does one so beautiful become a Fleet Captain? Turner: ::Answering with one of his answers, she smiled.:: It’s really all about who you know. I mean, everything has a benefit if you look for it. :: Their food arrived and they began to eat. The conversation was sporadic, but the verbal fencing continued subtly and pointedly. As their meal came to a close, James stood. :: James: I have had a wonderful time, Antonia. You are a magnificent conversationalist. Shall I get your bodyguards for you? You do realize your marines stand out like sore thumbs here. Turner: ::Rising as he took her hand:: Of course they do. They are exceptional in their work. Surely you expected a Fleet Captain to be protected, especially after the recent assassination attempts. ::And there it was out in the open. If he had anything to do with them, it would surely show in his face, but instead she saw only a glimmer of shock.:: James: I did not realize there was a second assassin. I’m glad you are okay. I hope you had a great time. Turner: Actually, I had a wonderful time too. Would you care to escort me to my vehicle? :: Surprised at the offer, Harrington stood and offered his arm to Toni. Walking her towards the elevator (and making sure to give a grin to her bodyguards), they rode down in silence. As he opened the door and allowed her to enter, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. :: James: I shall miss you, Antonia. Until we meet again. Turner: Possibly... Good night, Captain James. ::Dade started the vehicle, and drove away. She looked at Dade through the rear view mirror, and felt a pang of guilt. She didn't know why she should feel guilty exactly. Maybe it was because she had enjoyed it. Maybe it was the element of danger James represented, or was it his charm. He reminded her of someone, and no matter what had made her hunger for the warmth of a kiss, she knew it wasn't his kiss that she desired.:: Turner: ::very quietly:: I wish he was, but there will never be another Heath. JP by... PNPC Captain Harrington James SS Lady Adventure As Simmed by... Commander Nugra Chief Intelligence Officer USS Thunder-A Embassy, Duronis II & Fleet Captain Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A
  15. ((Forward Torpedo Launch Bay, Deck Fourteen, USS Excalibur-A)) ::Teyvion had been on the upper gantry of the torpedo bay, looking down he could see the empty casket draped with the Federation Standard. He knew it was only a symbolic gesture, everyone did. It was a blessing that it was on the torpedo loading system, so no-one would have to feel the absence of weight.:: ::His mind cast itself back a few years to a funeral he had attended for another member of the twenty-third, not from his unit but they had been the ones who had found him. They'd been assigned to search the ruins of Ohmallera, after its destruction by the rogue USS Constitution. He'd been killed when a store of volatile chemicals, made unstable by a lack of proper containment and time, detonated when a wall collapsed. His family had been spared the gruesome details...but they'd had to weigh the coffin down with sandbags to conceal the truth.:: ::He shook his head to clear the memory and turned to Adams and the others who were stood along the railing overlooking the seating area. They looked immaculate and poised, typically seen in various states of armour, training clothes or combat fatigues it was like looking at seven different people. Their weapons stood by their sides.:: ::He nodded to Adams before heading down to the main floor of the bay.:: ::He took a seat at one end of a row, facing Livingston across the casket, as the other senior staff filled in. A sea of white, everyone equal except for the varying colours on the trim of their jackets and the ranks on their collars. Once the group had assembled, Livingston began to speak.:: Livingston: We gather here to pay final respects to the woman who gave all she had in the line of duty. She was the best of us, inspiring each of us by her own actions and strengths. She shared the selfless courage of her Tactical officer and the heart of her Security team. She had the ingenuity of her engineers and the curiosity of her science officers. She had the critical eye of her Intelligence team, but she always had the tact of her Chief Diplomat. She pushed the envelope in a way that would make her Marines proud, but when the job was done, the medical officer inside of her made sure everyone was healed. Livingston: Her sacrifice protected us. Out that window, I do not see the remains of a break in subspace. I see Kali’s scar, and when I see it, I shall not mourn; I shall have hope. Fleet Captain Nicholotti gave us strength in life, and the courage to use that strength. Let us honor her by our actions and our deeds. ::He took another pause.:: Livingston: If anyone else has words to share, speak now. ::Teyvion listened as those who knew Nicholotti better than he did spoke. The first was a man he didn't recognise but he assumed, from his white undershirt, that he commanded a vessel. Maybe he would be the one to take command of the Excalibur...or would it be Livingston...or someone else.:: ::Skyfire spoke next followed by Orman...which was quite an experience. He had to suppress a grin as she spoke, her voice full of emotion, it was refreshing to hear someone provide such and honest eulogy. So often it was all positive and ignored peoples faults, which was all well and good in its way, but to speak of your love for someone who you admitted was flawed seemed only to reinforce how much they meant to you. That you cared for them despite the fact they weren't perfect....but who was.:: ::Brek, Taybrim and the others all spoke of the Captain, their own personal words of tribute to their fallen Commander. As the speeches came to a close Livingston returned to the stand and cast his eyes towards the Trill:: Livingston: Lieutenant Kesaan, if you will. Kesaan: ::Standing:: Sir. ::He pulled himself the full attention, his eyes fixed in the distance and began to speak.:: Kesaan: Present, arms! ::Heard the unifying shift as the seven members of his team brought their weapons to a salute.:: Kesaan: Stand ready! ::He saw several of the crew look up towards the gantry as Adams and the rest shifted their stance, aiming their weapons forward over the casket. Typically an honour guard would not fire over the congregation but the situation was a little restrained by the surroundings.:: Kesaan: Fire! ::Crack.:: ::The sound rang out and echoed throughout the torpedo bay. Adams had heeded his warning and reduced the chemical component in the blank firing charge so the reverberating sound was loud but wasn't deafening. The rifles weren't standard issue equipment, they were primarily used as training aids for zero-gravity operations, their weight and recoil far greater than a standard phaser rifle, and for ceremonial occasions such as this.:: Kesaan: Ready. Fire! ::Crack:: ::The second shot pierced the silence.:: Kesaan: Ready. Fire! ::Crack:: Kesaan: Order, arms! ::The words vanished into silence along with the echo of the final volley. The entire room falling into stillness as the assembled staff stood and the casket began to move along the loading channel. The flag of the Federation carefully removed as it passed and folded neatly as the empty container was loaded into the launching system.:: ::It fired.:: ::The Chief of the Boat blew his whistle, signaling that the Captain was leaving the ship one last time, and the small memorial to Nicholotti appeared in space, beyond the viewing window.:: ::The two fighters, currently being piloted by the other two members of his unit, dropped down from where they had been holding position and took up a position behind each flank of the casket as it sped out into space, the Captain taking the lead in flight one last time. Their engine wake modulated to produce a slightly silvered plasma trail, clearly something the flight crew had done themselves but it seemed appropriate. After a short period they turned as one and banked away in opposing directions leaving the empty vessel streaming on towards the remains of the void.:: ::He didn't know if these things had names or numbers or if they were even recorded, but he would now always think of that silver mark in the fabric of space as 'Kalianna's Scar'. Slowly the casket became a speck and then faded into the distance. Livingston returned to the podium once more to address the congregation.:: Livingston: As others have said, Fleet Captain Nicholotti would want us to go on, zestfully pursuing life. She herself has set us on that path, leaving instructions for that I shall presently carry out regarding recognition for the service of her officers. I think we can do with a change of scenery, so we have some refreshments waiting in our Crew Lounge. Please join me there. ::Slowly, individually or in groups, the crew filed out - leaving nothing but an arrangement of empty chairs in their wake and one chair, on the bridge, more empty than most.:: ...tbc... --- First Lieutenant Teyvion Kesaan Marine Officer USS Excalibur-A NCC-41903-A
  16. ((Deck 3 - USS Atlantis)) ::Ren Rennyn arrived outside his quarters to find a nervous Vulcan waiting for him.:: SOVAK: Ren. I... Hello. ::The look on Sovak's face said he was eager to talk. His body language said he was anxious to run away.:: RENNYN: Yeah, I Hello, too. ::Ren didn't know how to feel. He'd known Sovak since their first day at the Academy. They'd been roommates through thick and thin in some of the most stressful, intense, significant years of their lives, training to be officers and explorers of the galaxy. Sovak had been through a lot in his quest to become a better Vulcan, to reach the control of emotion that was like second nature to so many of his people back home. Ren had never thought to explore any feelings beyond friendship. He didn't know how to think about it now.:: ::The Trill did his best to always stay cool, to be laid-back and take things as they come. Not to get upset or bent out of shape. Sometimes, that could backfire.:: ::He opened the door and motioned to Sovak to follow him inside. They both stood and looked at the mess of flowers Sovak had put there, the romantic gesture of his temporary, mind-altered, space-cloud-affected insanity. Neither man knew what to say.:: ::Rover floated in behind them.:: RENNYN: Don't mind him, Sovak. Just my shadow. ::Ren walked further into the room. He found himself automatically following the track of crushed flowers he'd made earlier, not to destroy any more. It wasn't easy. He picked up a paloue blossom, native to Trill. They'd grown in wide, fragrant patches all around his home.:: ::For the first time since taking Ren's form, Rover billowed and swirled and became a cloud again, reducing in size and floating away to rest in a corner near the ceiling.:: RENNYN: Good boy. ::The Trill wished he could do the same about now.:: ::Sovak stepped forward and cleared his throat. He looked more awkward than ever before. He looked more confident than ever before.:: SOVAK: Ren. You got my flowers? ::Rennyn couldn't hate the attempt at humor. It was just the kind of thing he would say. He waited for more. Sovak swallowed hard and began.:: SOVAK: I am sorry I did not tell you sooner how I feel. It must be obvious now. On the advice of a friend, I am here to tell you directly, because I do not want to risk being unclear. Ren, if my struggles to control my emotions, to rise above them and live as other Vulcans do, have seemed to go poorly for me, it is because there are some feelings I do not think I wish to live without. The way I feel when I am with you, for example, is a feeling I cherish. It is my fervent hope that you could feel that way too. So. I am here. ::Ren was silent. He was very aware of the angry contortions on his own face, but he wasn't sure what he was angry about. Sovak for saying all this? Himself for not already knowing? Rover for being so danged colorful and innocent? He was so tired he could barely think. He picked an unreasonable place to start.:: RENNYN: And who exactly where you discussing me with? SOVAK: Lt. Ravenscroft. As a man partnered with a fellow Starfleet officer, his advice seemed appropriate to our situation. RENNYN: OUR situation? ::Ren was pacing back and forth now. He couldn't get his head clear. He couldn't think.:: SOVAK: I found I needed to discuss us with an external source. RENNYN: Us. US. US? You're working from a lot of assumptions here. ::Sovak blinked serenely.:: SOVAK: You must remain calm. ::Here it came. The backfire. The tantrum, welling up from deep within. Ren felt so angry, he could barely get a word out of his mouth.:: RENNYN: You d-- That f-- nnf-Guh--! SOVAK: Ren, please sit down. I am concerned for your blood pressure. RENNYN: My bl-- Fluh-- SOVAK: Are you hyperventilating? Shall I replicate a paper bag? RENNYN: AAAAUURGH!!! ::Ren exploded in one of his loudest tantrums yet. His face was a brighter red than his uniform, and smoke may have billowed from his ears. Sovak and his infuriatingly sideways logic!:: RENNYN: You wrong way, backwards-brained Vulcan! Just because some dang fool cut rate counselor lite with nothing but a psych degree by marriage and more mouth than sense told you to chuck all with basic dang thinking and rush on over here with your hot-blooded heart on your half-baked, feelings-ridden, passion-obsessed, illogical, headlong hobgoblin sleeve doesn't give you the right to lurk outside my quarters and come in here so infuriatingly calm and logical and talk sense to me like I'm the one pulling addle-brain, loon-crazy stunts like this! ::He threw the paloue blossom down for emphasis.:: SOVAK: You are being unreasonable. RENNYN: You bet I'm being reasonable! Oh, that's not what you said. Well dang it, Sovak, I'm right about this! SOVAK: There's no need to yell. ::The flashing white lights in the corner let Ren know he was upsetting Rover. He breathed and forced himself to calm down.:: RENNYN: You're right. I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be hollered at. You know my temper. I'm sorry. SOVAK: I find your tantrums charming. ::Ren immediately went back to yelling.:: RENNYN: You find my tantrums charming! What the - what? Guhhh--! Since when? That's what I want to know! Since when? ::He sat down, trying to find some calm. Sovak hadn't done anything wrong, but this was all so much to think about, Ren could hardly figure his way through it. He realized how many flowers he'd sat on and jumped back up again. They were all over him. He spun in a circle, brushing them off. Varieties of pollen stuck to his uniform. Rover swirled in a new pattern that might have been laughter or sympathy. When Ren stopped spinning and swatting at himself, he found Sovak looking miserable.:: SOVAK: Have I ruined our friendship? ::Ren stood very still a moment. He hadn't been fair. At the least he had to appreciate Sovak's honesty, and how difficult it must have been to come by it. He stepped forward and reached out, holding Sovak's shoulders in an uncertain grip. It was a first contact. It was at arm's length.:: RENNYN: This is a lot to think about. To reconsider. I need a little time. I don't want to put you through that, but it's how I feel. I'm exhausted from this mission, I'm tired. I've got heartburn from all that fried food. I've got this guy, this swirling space joker, over my shoulder every minute. I'm kind of loving him, but come on. He followed me into the shower. I've got -- ::He wanted to complain about the flowers all over everything, but they were beautiful. They were in the way, they were excessive, but they were beautiful. And he'd crushed enough of them for one day.:: RENNYN: Let me get my head down and sleep. Is that okay? ::Sovak backed away, breaking the touch. Squaring off to face the Trill outright, directly, he nodded. His apparently calm Vulcan demeanor had remained intact through most of the exchange. Ren knew this Vulcan well, or thought he did. That calmness meant he was particularly broken up inside.:: SOVAK: I am patient. ::A silence ensued that was very like Sovak, but very unlike Ren. Rover read the room and stayed dark. At last, having had enough of trying to read the Trill's face, the Vulcan moved again.:: SOVAK: I've provided you with access to my room. RENNYN: What the--? SOVAK: I mean nothing by it. I thought you could sleep. While you do, I'll clean up here. RENNYN: That... is very thoughtful of you. SOVAK: Rover can stay with me, so that you may be alone. RENNYN: Alright... SOVAK: And your room will be in order when you return. ::It was a good plan. It was considerate. Ren feared he was being unkind, letting Sovak say all that about his feelings, then yelling at him and running away. Then again, he'd been ambushed by this. He needed the space.:: ::To prove his intentions, Sovak began gathering some nearby flowers.:: RENNYN: Be good, Rover. ROVER: Good night. ::Ren was feeling alright now. Not so bad. The thought of laying a kiss on that sweet, goofy Vulcan wasn't entirely disagreeable. Afraid of that thought, he instead moved to the door, standing close enough to open it, exposing them to the corridor outside.:: ::He turned back to the Vulcan.:: RENNYN: You know what? Leave me a few of those flowers, okay? Some larkspur, alcenthas. The paloues are nice... ::He started to turn, scratched his head, turned again, and left before he said anything more. The door closed. On opposite sides, both men breathed deeply and tried not to panic.:: Ensign Rendal Rennyn Helm Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682 & Ensign Sovak Ops simmed by Ren Rennyn
  17. ((Gymnasium, USS Atlantis)) ::Ravenscroft stormed in as soon as the doors slid open, snatching a pair of red boxing gloves from the wall and shoving his hands into them roughly as he made a beeline towards his favorite section of the gym. He stopped abruptly. That sound. No. Someone was abusing his punching bag!:: ::As he drew cautiously nearer, his face all red from anger and frustration and embarrassment, he stopped short once again. The Vulcan who had punched his nose was now punching the life out of the cylindrical jet-black bag.:: RAVENSCROFT: ::expression somewhere between shock and amusement:: oO O-kay.. .. Oo ::The flame-haired linguist flashed a smile as he approached and stopped a meter away from the ensign, before shooting out a hand to stop the swinging bag.:: RAVENSCROFT: Keep your elbows bent and close to your sides. Hit the bag at chest level and more to the sides of the bag. ::Continuing his angry pummeling of the bag, the Vulcan didn't look up at Ravenscroft's appearance in front of him. Instead, he adjusted his elbows and focused his hits as directed.:: RAVENSCROFT: The point of contact should be your knuckles, not the mid-shaft of the bones of your fingers. Not unless you want to fracture them. ::Sovak stopped short of throwing another hit. He stepped back, freeing his hands of the gloves with his teeth.:: SOVAK: I did not know that. Vulcan youths are instructed in combat tactics, but are not taught how to throw a punch. ::His gloves were coming off.:: SOVAK: Perhaps that is why my hand throbbed with pain so long after I hit you. Sir, again I apologize. RAVENSCROFT: ::shrugging:: It'll heal. I'm good. ::The Vulcan had become accustomed to apologizing for his own bizarre behaviors, but never got used to accepting forgiveness. He nodded slightly, obviously embarrassed.:: SOVAK: I note that your face has already returned to its previous form. Dr. DyAmone performed her duties well. ::The Vulcan ensign looked as though he was going to say something more, but didn't. An awkward moment passed before Ravenscroft continued.:: RAVENSCROFT: So.. this is like the second time you surprised me today, ensign Sovak. SOVAK: Indeed. This day has been full of surprises. RAVENSCROFT: *Full* of surprises? ::coaxing:: Do explain. SOVAK: I mean only... I mean that Atlantis has experienced several unexpected turns in its current mission. ::Their eyes met directly, and the Vulcan's looked a little watery, like some emotion was trying to run out of them. It was clear he wasn't telling the truth like a Vulcan should. Then again, many of his actions weren't those of a good Vulcan. His speech patterns and the tone of his voice were measured and controlled like those of his people, but his face expressed something different. Sovak turned away, working at his boxing gloves, tightening them onto his hands again.:: ::Emerson noticed the glistening of the Vulcan's eyes just before he turned away. Too late. The pale-skinned giant's curiosity had been sufficiently stoked. There was no turning back now.:: SOVAK: I see you have gloves of your own. If I am in the way of your workout, I will step aside. RAVENSCROFT: ::smashing his gloved fists together:: No reason why we can't both enjoy a workout. Besides, I need to blow off some steam too. How about a friendly sparring session? ::Sovak considered extracting himself from the situation. As odd as he was for a Vulcan, he was not antisocial. However, the way Ravenscroft continued to beat his fists together, combined with the angry gleam in his eye, was intimidating. The Vulcan weighed that against the fact that Ravenscroft was his superior, and that, in a way, he "owed him one." There was no logic in running away now.:: SOVAK: I will join you. RAVENSCROFT: Sweet. ::gesturing with a turn of his head, fiery hair flying:: Let's go over there. ::They headed to a corner of the gym where there was a square blue rubberized mat on the floor. Emerson jumped up and down to warm up while patiently waiting for the ensign to open up to him. He received a question instead.:: SOVAK: You said you are here to blow off steam. Is there a reason? ::The Vulcan hoped the Terran's answer would not be "because you hit me in the face today.":: RAVENSCROFT: Something the doctor said. I didn't like it. oO Because she's right. Oo SOVAK: It can be difficult to listen to what we do not want to hear. ::He stretched, preparing for the bout. He may not have known how to throw a punch, but years of Parrises Squares had made him an athlete, and he did not shy away from competition. It was the only outlet for his anger.:: Are you very upset? RAVENSCROFT: ::stretching his arms one at a time above his head:: Let's just say that I'm a little frustrated. I miss someone so badly it hurts so this ::pounding his fists together again:: is for the physical pain that I hope will replace the emotional one. So how about you? Why all the sudden unbridled emotions? SOVAK: ::stopping, and looking embarrassed again.:: How can you tell? RAVENSCROFT: ::grinning wryly:: I've been living with a counselor for close to two years now, so I can spot repressed emotion just waiting to erupt, anytime. Shall we begin? SOVAK: Of course. ::Sovak was confused, thrown off. Ravenscroft had a way of making the Vulcan put his guard down and up again with alarming frequency. He faced the flame-haired Terran squarely.:: ::The linguist bounced on the balls of his feet but maintained his distance from the ensign. He wanted the Vulcan to make the first few moves, to gauge the speed of his strikes, his weak spots. All the while wondering if he would ever open up to him as to what was roiling and eating him up inside.:: SOVAK: My attempts to disguise my emotions do not always work. Many people see a Vulcan before them, and assume I have no feelings. ::The Vulcan tried a few jabs, but the lieutenant easily avoided them.:: You already know better about me, following our earlier incident. I must admit, it is a relief to talk about it with someone who knows I have little control over my emotions. ::The Vulcan threw a wilder punch, and received a glancing blow to the forearm in exchange.:: SOVAK: I assume your problem involves Commander Blueheart. In your personal relationship, if not in your professional one, you have some amount of equal say, do you not? You say you miss him... RAVENSCROFT: ::avoiding a punch to the face:: But I can't do much about it. ::remembering the doctor's words:: I don't want to come between him and his ship. I'd never want that, never in a million years. ::sighing:: Maybe with time we'll learn to manage our schedules well and enjoy each other's company again. But in the meantime, while we both rediscover our comfort zones, ::He threw a couple of punches at his opponent.:: this will have to do. SOVAK: ::almost smiling.:: This is indeed emotionally therapeutic. RAVENSCROFT: Have you ever been in a relationship, Sovak? ::For a moment, Sovak had forgotten his troubles. The question stunned him out of that, and he couldn’t help stopping where he was, arms dropped to his sides. Ravenscroft's jab landed squarely, horribly, with a sickening crunch, under the Vulcan's defenseless left eye.:: SOVAK: Ow! RAVENSCROFT: What the hell?! ::He recoiled back in shock.:: Why did you do that for?! ::The Vulcan hadn't gone down, but he was KO'd, done for the day.:: SOVAK: ::blinking rapidly and trying not to touch his face.:: I did owe you one. RAVENSCROFT: Okay, as suspicious as it looks, that was NOT vengeance! I assure you. ::guiding him to a sitting position along the wall:: Here, sit. How do you feel? ::They sat down together against the wall, Sovak wincing as his own curious hand reached for the bruising area, stopped by the glove that still held it.:: SOVAK: I would characterize it as being "puffy." RAVENSCROFT: Puffy is okay. Woozy not so okay. ::Sovak collapsed backwards against the wall and sighed, forgetting the pain. Ravenscroft had shocked him with his words and his fist. And he deserved an answer.:: SOVAK: In response to your question, I must admit I have never been in a relationship. Vulcans do not date. Some will experiment once they arrive at the Academy or move to another planet among people of other cultures. It is not unknown for Vulcans to marry or couple with outsiders. I suppose I have experimented in my own way. RAVENSCROFT: I’m glad you’re open to new experiences. Life is all about experiences. I must admit I don’t know many Vulcans who will even entertain the notion. SOVAK: Many entertain it, but would never admit as much. I know what it means to want to be with someone, to spend your time with them and to be close, but to have circumstances constantly pulling you apart. Unlike you, I have no say in the matter. I cannot voice my feelings. RAVENSCROFT: ::perplexed:: Why not? SOVAK: Because I am Vulcan. ::It seemed obvious to him. He lived and breathed every day of his life in a strange place between following the ways of his people and following the beat of his own heart. The tears rose in Sovak's dark eyes again, threatening to run over his cheeks. He choked them back angrily.:: RAVENSCROFT: oO Whoa. And there’s no couch when you really need one! Oo Um.. ::Emerson hesitated a moment before draping an arm over the man’s shoulders, drawing him close, not really caring if he would be disgusted with sweat and blood and grime.:: RAVENSCROFT: ::gently:: He won’t know unless you tell him, dear.. .. But there’s something else. Not telling someone something that you know may not go well with them doesn’t exactly correspond with the level of anxiety and emotional agitation you’re displaying. ::slight pause:: What happened Sovak? SOVAK: I made a mistake. That is, I lost control of myself. Not in the way that caused me to injure you earlier because I could not control my temper. I mean that during the telepathic episode the cloud creatures caused, I committed certain actions that I did not remember until later. I was not myself, not under my own control, like all the other affected telepaths. But what I did was a result of my own feelings and hidden wishes. Now.. I don't know what to do. RAVENSCROFT: oO Oh dear! Did you.. take advantage of him while he slept? You could’ve easily overpowered him and.. Oo ::shaking off the idea and putting on a placid face:: It’s okay. Tell me what you did and maybe I can tell you exactly what to do. SOVAK: I entered his quarters, and effected what might be considered a "romantic gesture." RAVENSCROFT: oO Oh no! Just as I feared! Sexual harassment is such a serious, unpardonable offense! And his career is just starting! Oh Sovak! What have you done?! Oo Um, ::innocently:: romantic gesture? ::The Vulcan looked nervously at the linguist.:: SOVAK: I covered the room in flowers. I can't remember exactly how many. The memory returned when I returned to my quarters and found several blossoms in the replicator. It's a little fuzzy, as though viewed through the clouds themselves, but as I recall, it was... a considerable amount of flowers. What might logically be called overkill. RAVENSCROFT: ::He inhaled deeply to camouflage a great sigh of relief.:: oO Glad you didn’t erect an altar of worship in his name. Oo Who is this object of your affection and how did you gain access into his room? SOVAK: His name is Ensign Rennyn. We were roommates at the Academy, and were posted to Atlantis together. I am certain he does not return my feelings. I do not know how to proceed. RAVENSCROFT: Ah. Ensign Rennyn. He’s your roommate here on the Atlantis also, isn’t he? SOVAK: No. As a low-ranking Ops officer, I am tasked to assist in quarters configuration and assignment. I… abused that position, it seems, to enter Ren’s room. ::He hoped Ravenscroft would let that one slide. It did happen under the effects of the cloud creatures, after all.:: RAVENSCROFT: ::pausing several seconds:: Well, if he didn’t know what you felt for him before, he sure knows now. It’s not hard to trace who placed all those flowers in the room. So at least one part of the problem has been resolved - he learned of your feelings for him. Now, you could use the clouds’ influence on you as an excuse for your behavior, but for me that’s just denying the facts and making things even more complicated. I’d just come clean from this point onwards. ::pausing again:: Why do you say you’re certain he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings? SOVAK: Because I know him well. He knows me as well as anyone, knows about the emotions I experience. He has even helped me deal with my problems. However, he still sees me as a Vulcan. As one who seeks to be ruled by logic. And there is no logic to our romantic pairing. None at all. RAVENSCROFT: You won’t know for sure unless you talk to him about it. I’m not saying you should walk up to him right now and ask him how he feels for you. Remember, he just learned that his friend is in love with him. He’s going to need some time to process this. But what I am saying is to start a conversation with him. Tell him why you placed all those flowers in his room. He may have come to the conclusion himself, but you need to tell him yourself, in person. He needs to hear it from you. You need to hear it from yourself too, almost as much as he needs to hear it. SOVAK: I must confess, it is encouraging to have discussed this with someone other than myself. Your advice makes sense. But what if it's the wrong move? What if he can't accept what I say? RAVENSCROFT: I don’t know. Neither of us can know for sure how he’d react. But you would have taken the first step in resolving this issue once and for all. A crucial first step. We’ll handle the rest that comes along. ::Sovak tapped his gloves together gently and gave his makeshift counselor a look that was part question, part thanks.:: RAVENSCROFT: Yes. I did say WE. Unless of course you prefer to walk this path alone.. SOVAK: Your encouragement has already helped me to feel better. Turning away from you now would be illogical. RAVENSCROFT: Glad to hear. ::He smiled broadly, reassuringly.:: Okay, I think we’ve had enough injuries for one day. Let’s get you cleaned up. ::He stood up and offered a hand to the seated Vulcan, whose face was swelling rapidly.:: SOVAK: You have helped me immensely. RAVENSCROFT: ::untying the cords around Sovak’s gloves and yanking them off:: No worries. Actually.. you’ve helped me too. You gave me an idea.. ::His voice trailed off, morphing into a broader smile.:: SOVAK: Before you try it, please wait to hear from me. It may be that a man does not wish to have every centimeter of his room covered in cut flowers. But I will ask Ren directly and let you know. ::The pair put their gloves back on the wall, and went off to take another jab at working on their relationships, as best they could.:: FIN ================================= Ensign Sovak Ops USS Atlantis NCC-74682 as simmed by Ensign Rendal Rennyn & Lt JG Emerson Ravenscroft Xenolinguist USS Atlantis NCC-74682 as simmed by Commander Raj Blueheart
  18. ((Road of the Mind)) ::Being stuck in the mind was never funny, but being stuck in somebody else’s mind was even less.:: ::Sayre was aware they are in Ireya’s mind, he could make some minor changes in the environment, but everything here was far too playful and in pink-purple shades, that it was obviously girls playground. He was pretty overwhelmed with a smell of thousands of flowers. Most of them were pretty familiar, but the size was wrong. They were all oversized. Oversized so much he thought they fell into a giants land.:: ::So fully aware that they are in her mind, Sayre was afraid if he will not follow her he may get lost in her mind and never be able to leave this maddening place he was following her like a lost puppy. His life was not a bed of roses and he was afraid of returning, but all the counseling he has been through after the torture in the hands of Orion Slavers taught him that there is no escape that would be worth of losing a life.:: IMSARY: I don’t want to die, Ireya. Please, let me go. ILWARY: But I’m not holding you. IMSARY: You know you are, please don’t do that. I want my life back. ILWARY: Let me play just a little more, please. ::And that is how it was always ending. She didn’t want to listen. In this imaginary world she was normal, healthy woman who could run and jump and climb trees and swim freely and even fly of her own will.:: ::Ireya run to the flower jumped up and rocked it to swing. She was happy and Sayre sat leaning on the tree with his back to her crying. He was not happy. It is true that here he could forget his fears and pain, but slowly he was also forgetting people he knew and it was obvious this was leading them to madness. They were losing themselves.:: ::Tears dried on his face and Ireya was tired, so the night fell on the realm of her mind and she approached him and sat by his side. As it always was, he hugged her and made her warm to can rest. He was afraid to rest in the darkness. It was frightening.:: ::That last for days, maybe months or even years. It was impossible to measure time in this place. Ireya was still playing like a child who never had a chance to play before... what she actually was... and Sayre, he was crying more and more.:: ::Their verbal fights were more often and he was losing faith that they will ever end it.:: IMSARY: Tell me about your mother, Ireya! ILWARY: What about my mother? IMSARY: What color is her hair, her eyes? What is her favorite color? ILWARY: It doesn’t matter, Not here, let’s play... ::Sayre was trying to recall the color of his mother’s hair. He knew it. Somewhere in his mind there was the fact that it was brown, but was it dark, light? Did it have some grays in it, some red locks... he couldn’t remember and he knew same is with Ireya. He was trying to shake her with his questions, but she was too happy to listen.:: ::He was wrong, though. She was afraid of his questions and was afraid more and more. But every time she was trying to think of her parents, first picture in her mind was of ugly male Orion face. And a pain! She knew the pain, she knew the sorrow, but this pain was more than anything she ever felt before and it was too much for a gentle Betazoid.:: ILWARY: How did you endure that? IMSARY: I was thinking of my mom and all the loss she experienced during the war. I knew I can’t abandon her and had to make it through. ILWARY: You never thought Starfleet may forget you? IMSARY: Never! ILWARY: You think they care for us now? IMSARY: Yes. ILWARY: But I don’t want to be who I am. I want to be perfect... ::She jumped and flew away from him and Sayre cried again. After some time she returned laughing, all wet from running, her sweat was smelling... it was actually not smelling so bad. But Sayre was angry, he was mad.:: oOAquonazine 10cc stat!Oo ::The thought created a bucket of water with ice cubes inside and he laughed with fire in his eyes and threw the water on Ireya. She screamed and screamed, but the bucket was again full of ice-cold water and Sayre threw it on her all over again.:: ILWARY: You can’t do that, this is my mind. IMSARY: Really? ::He threw another bucket of ice water on her and she screamed again.:: ::Ireya wanted it to stop, but then again she didn’t want it...:: ((ICU Unit ~ USS Atlantis)) ::Ireya Ilwary was screaming her lungs out and Sayre Imsary by her side was laughing like madman on drugs. Nurses were trying to keep them from tearing each other’s hand when they both opened their eyes and looking at the hands let go of each other. Nurses removed neural inhibitors that held them together, separating their minds.:: ILWARY: I’m... co..cold. ::What seem like eternity for them, was 30 hours. They were awake, but tired and soon they were both sleeping again, but this time healthy and restful dreams.:: To be continued... Ensign Ireya Ilwary Science Officer USS ATLANTIS NCC-74682 and Ensign Sayre Imsary Engineering Officer USS ATLANTIS NCC-74682 as SIMmed by LtJG Wanda DyAmone
  19. ( Jeffries Tube Alpha 35 - USS Ursa Major - 7 years prior to current events ) oO Ah, c'mon! This is the third time this week. Oo :: Sparks flew around Eileen's knees as she scooted backwards rapidly to avoid an arcing connection. They'd been working on Ursa Major's sensor suite for too long now, in her estimation. It'd become almost expected for there to be new glitches and cross-connections with the varied work teams trying their best to speed the upgrade under the circumstances they were in. Smoke began to issue forth from the hub she'd been working on and with little thought she pushed herself back further, unsure of what was causing the new addition to the current problem. She then thought better of remaining in the access crawlspace and turned to open the Jeffries tube hatch. :: McCleran: Dammit! :: light coughs punctuated her sputtering diatribe :: Freaking stupid...:: more coughing :: ...broken-down...:: coughing ::...sparking circuit stupidity... :: light coughs with a deep inhale of clearer air :: ::Swatting away the remnants of the smoke that trailed from the crawlway, she slid down the wall to land on her rear, head leaned back to rest on the bulkhead behind her. This was going to take forever. Every connection she'd made in the last week had shorted and she couldn't figure out the reason why. The best she could surmise was that the power grid simply wasn't designed for this many taps from the same system, but the CEO wasn't having it. It needed to get done, and it was going to be done. She closed her eyes and like she had the first time she suggested it, she closed her eyes and nodded.:: oO Thy will be done...Oo :: It was probably her frustration that was driving her at this point. She new better than to assume she knew better than her superiors who'd served aboard the ship far longer than she'd been a green Ensign. It didn't make it easier to take, however. :: Little boy: Are you okay? ::The voice of a little boy brought her head back down to see a boy standing in the corridor, looking at her like she'd crawled out of the Jefferies tube with a second head. He looked to be all of 8, maybe 10 if he was a slow grower, with an olive complection and chubby cheeks. What would have been a thick mop of unruly black hair if it were allowed to grow out crested his head with big amber eyes below, taking in the scene before him. A chewy fruit snack she didn't recognize was held close to his chest, as if unsure if the strange lady from the smokey cave would try to steal it from him.:: McCleran: :Said chuckling: Well....I eh...I'm fine. oO Wait...what the hell is a kid doing on deck 19?Oo Say...what's got an explorer like you down here? Little boy: ::The boy shifted his weight, as if he was suddenly thinking that he might be in trouble:: Um...Dad said to wait here. ::Standing, while brushing herself off and giving her hair a shake to get it back into a semblance of order, she closed the hatch for the accessway and turned back to the boy, kneeling before him to put herself more on his level.:: McCleran: Your Dad works down here? Little boy: Mhmm. ::he said through a mouthfull of the colorful confection. It was a pull taffy of some sort, like one she remembered from back home but way more colorful. It was like someone made candy out of melted crayons.:: McCleran: ::Waited a beat, and realizing that she'd gotten an answer to that question chastized herself internally. What else was a kid going to say to such a dry question? :: So, what's he do down here? Little boy: Umm...he's a trac'or beam teknishun. McCleran: ::Eileen almost squealed as she smiled.:: oO Oh my god, he's so adorable you could just sop him up with a biscuit! Yay for kids talking with their mouths full! Oo Well, let's go see if we can't find him. Hmm? Little boy: ::The boy shook his head.:: Nuh-uh. He said. McCleran: Oh, well, honey...see my uniform? ::She waited a beat for him to nod, which he did, thankfully:: I work all over the ship. And I'm sure that he'd like to know you're okay and what all you saw since he posted you here...huh? ::The boy seemed to think it over, and then responded with a smiling...:: Emil: Mhmm. :: Before he took another bite of his treat.:: McCleran: My name's Eileen. What's yours? Little boy: Whatchur rank? McCleran: I'm an Ensign. oO :: They weren't that far from the tractor beam generation section, round the next corner and forward on this deck, so she stood and nodded in the direction of the corner, to be rewarded by a happy smile and the sound of the little boy following her against the constant *thrum* of the ship's engines one finds on a starship. They began to walk the short distance to the next four-way. :: McCleran: Soo...I bet your Dad is really good at his job. Little boy: Mom says he's the best teknishun on the ship. He won't say that, tho. McCleran: Oh, I bet your Mom's right. Dad's don't like to brag. Mine never did, either. Little boy: Does your Dad work here too? McCleran: ::stifling a gag at the idea of working with her Father:: Uh, n..no. He's retired. He does things back at Earth to keep himself busy. :: Arriving at the four-way, Eileen stepped around the corner and began to walk down the corridor. :: Little boy: Does he still love you? ::The question caught Eileen completely off balance and stopped her dead as a rock. It was surreal enough that it didn't even trigger her usual eyebrow affectation. Squinting slightly, she turned around, and saw that the little boy had stopped in the middle of the four-way a meter or so back, still holding his fruit treat to his chest.:: McCleran: I'm....I'm sorry...what did you say? Little boy: ::Kicking the carpet a little, he sighed and looked at the floor.:: I asked if your Dad still loves you. McCleran: W...well of course he does, hon. Why would you ask that? Little boy: ::Looking up from the carpet to meet her gaze:: B'cause you lie. :: Now her eyebrow shot up nearly to bump into her hairline. :: McCleran: What? Son, why would you say that? ::Her emotions began to churn between confusion and feeling hurt that a child would blindly say such a thing.:: Little boy: 'Cause you do. You lie and hurt people. McCleran: ::Taking a step towards the obscene little boy.:: No, son, I don't. I'm an officer in Starfleet and we take that sort of thing... Little boy: NO YOU DON'T! You lie and you let people get hurt and you lie about doing it and you don't get to call me son. You're not my Mother! :: Looking around, down each corridor at the four-way, Eileen saw nobody else in sight, regardless of how unnerved she was by the odd little boy before her. :: McCleran: Now see here... :: The little boy dropped his treat and began to skip in an arch that circled around her like a petulant child disobeying a babysitter they hated. A sing-song quality came to his voice and he sang as he skipped:: Little boy: Iiiii know a sec-ret and Iiiii don't have to telllll youuuu. I know a sec-ret and I don't have to tell youuuu! I know a sec-ret and I don't have to tell youuuu! I know a sec-ret and I don't have to tell youuuuu! I know a sec-ret and I don't have to tell youuuuu! McCleran: Now stop that! Your daddy's not gonna... :: As if she were operating a camera on a boom, her personal point-of-view suddenly jerked away to rest now in a turning, spinning circle that followed the little boy in his skipping pattern around another her standing at it's middle.:: Little boy: You're gonna get in trou-ble! You're gonna get in trou-ble! You're gonna get in trou-ble! You're gonna get in trou-ble! You're gonna get in trou-ble! You're gonna get in trou-ble! McCleran: Wha.....::beginning to feel instantly dizzy, she spun once in concert with the little boy before collapsing to her knees, her arms holding her weight as she shook her head and closed her eyes tight against what felt like chaos threatening to overwhelm her eyes.:: What is this? Little boy: You don't know? You don't know! You don't know! You don't know! You don't know! :: The cadence of the boy's teasing chant seemed to follow the now banging of his steps upon the carpet as he pranced around her unceasingly. She could feel her pulse begin to race, keeping time with the one-boy parade that surrounded her like a never-ending truant from her childhood.:: McCleran: No, what is this? What is this? I don't under...understand! What is happen...::a wave of nausea washed over her and she caught herself just in time to keep from losing her lunch all over the floor. Fighting it back down, she opened her eyes and saw something completely unbelievable in the silence that had then befallen her. :: :: Surrounding her was a totally different place. The carpet on the floor was gone, replaced by what looked like a form of acoustical dampening and insulating material, white and with a high-gloss sheen. The walls surrounding her were made of similar material but also had what appeared to be thick pipes bracketed to them, running the length of what seemed to be a meters wide chamber with a wide door almost the width of the chamber on either end. It was then that she noticed that the boy was gone. The air around her, cool and silent as that in a tomb.:: McCleran: Son? Where are...what is this place? I don't under...GAH! ::Her hands flew to the sides of her head as an earsplitting, utterly piercing warble shot through her head like a lighting bolt. It felt like her head was going to explode, then switched to feeling like infinite pressure was threatening to crush it out of existence. Back and forth, like a psychotic saw bouncing between each sensation, until her compromised and unready mind loosed a shriek from her lungs as if a banshee wailing for the death of family. Her scream felt like it outlasted her breath, and she spun around with hands gripped tightly into fists of hair and tension near her temples.:: ::Then, there was no more sound, outside the steady *thrum* of the engines on board the Ursa Major, it's carpet back beneath her knees and nobody else in sight down the four corridors that met where she sat akimbo. Slowly, she released her fists and in looking she saw that her nails had drawn tiny amounts of blood in her palms. Terrified, she struggled to stand, her eyes wide and hands stretched out to her sides as if to catch her if stumbled. She turned, once....to face one passage of the four-way....then another....and another. Turning back one she wavered on her feet a moment before finding her feet again slowly. She was shaking, as if she'd been dunked in ice water and left before an air conditioner. As if the heat was being drained from her.:: McCleran: Where am I? ::no answer:: Who are you? ::again no answer, tears began streaming from her reddened eyes:: Why are you doing this to me?!? :: A voice from behind her, male and soothing said...:: Because... ::She spun to face the opposite direction. There, some 15 feet away from her, stood a man in Starfleet uniform, short-clipped chestnut hair and lightly tanned skin of average height for the human she took him for, his eyes cast down. Raising his head, she could tell he was crying. :: The Man: ...because you deserve it. :: From behind the man, she heard a large, hollow bellow of a distant explosion. The corridor, seeming now to stretch on into infinity started to become brighter in the distance, an orange tinge reflecting off of the distant bulkheads of the impossibly long hallway. As Eileen's eyes widened, she knew what was coming down the corridor. Fire...roiling and bubbling as if in zero-gee filled the far end of the corridor like an avalanche of Hell itself. The man before her turned, and began to walk towards the conflagration approaching with mounting speed. She screamed out, trying to warn the man back and away, but he continued for a few more steps before starting into a run. Sprinting at the destruction, he gave a strong leap and flew into the center of the flames, as if it were water in a pool.: ::Eileen's instincts took over and she threw herself in the opposite direction. It was in mid-turn that she was stopped short by a form before her, one that dragged a scream from the fleeing engineer.:: :: There, before the woman, stood a small form, smoking and charred, carbonized and seeping in the worst imaginable state one could find a child. From it's cracked and broken lips, an impossibly loud voice issued forth. Eileen felt the heat of the firestorm at her back and it's roar filled her ears. The sensation of her skin beginning to dry out, her uniform melting, the scent of her hair burning all overtaking what were assuredly her last few moments before the pressure wave hit her. Then, silence, a heartbeat before...:: Little boy: You should have died, too. ( Deep Space 5 - Temporary Quarters ) ::Screaming at the top of her lungs, the pain of doing so shocked Eileen McCleran awake into a sitting position. Her hair was soaked. The room veiled in shadow that sufficed to swallow the Ensign as she sat, wide eyed, shaking and gulping air in great breaths. She pushed herself backwards along the bed till she met the wall and jerked the covers up to meet her, covering herself, not yet feeling the strain she'd just put on her left shoulder and arm. She brought her knees to her chest, hugging them to her tightly as her own walls caved and she bawled. It was that inconsolable, deeply heaving sobbing that one most often finds at a funeral. Her eyes clamped shut, not caring about anything accept that right then, she had to cry. To wail. To mourn...something that she didn't understand in the slightest. :: -- ENS Eileen McCleran Engineering Officer USS Apollo
  20. ((USS Tomcat 1 January 2391 - Alternate Reality)) ::Just over a year has passed since the Federation forces began a fighting retreat, and the Special Operations Units of the Federation did one extraction after another now those remaining forces gathered and restocked what they could out at Wolf 359. Word came in that Earth was under attack and unlike the Breen attack in the First Dominion war, the Dominion went past the ethical line and launched two Anti-matter warheads on Starfleet instillations one in Paris the other on SFA. That was last year in December and the anti-matter bombs had the explosive yield of 50 times of any Terran nuclear warhead used in their third world war and the mushroom clouds could still be seen from orbit. All this was watched via long range probes. Those human crewmembers shocked by the barbarity wept, even the aliens thought it distasteful and the Klingon’s dishonourable. Now Somers Soldiers were gathered in the Tomcats flight bay as Alex addressed them, standing beside her in a strange prototype EVA Combat suit was Donovan.:: A. Somers: Over the past months we have all trained on archaic weapons, the type my ancestors used. This was not because we were running low on Phasers, not this is because we will be reinforcing the troops defending SFA. Also the Dominion flooded the earth’s atmosphere with an altered radiogenic isotope which nullifies all but Dominion and Breen energy weapons ::she said then looked at the Klingon’s:: I know in such instances Klingon’s like to use their blades, but this ::she said holding up the weapon.:: is the Semi-automatic rifle designated the M45. Marine: What ammunition does it use? ::one of the Marines that once served on Duronis II asked.:: A. Somers: Armour piercing 7.62mm by old school human measurements, you have all trained on these and know they kick back, also as your side-arm the L52 has .70mm armour piercing rounds. The M45 has a sixty round manual load magazine, while the L52 a 20 round manual load. These will be your weapons and for those of you who are snipers you will also carry the standard issue TR-116 rifle, they have been modified for our type of use. ::she responded and murmurs rose.:: Yes for those aliens among us, you are about to see the gritty side of us human’s and by now you have had a taste of the type of violent past we came from, we are returning to such an event.:: ::She paused and Donovan took over as she removed her helmet, her hair was up in a tight bun.:: Donovan: Late last year when we returned back to the Tomcat after lifting off from Duronis II Captain Somers was called to the bridge. Here she was told about this prototype EVA suit, all of you will get one. Also it is packed with Marine gadgets along with this suite I am modelling we will be delivered down to the Academy in drop pods, make sure we take our battle standard with us. This is it people earth is where we make our last stand ::Donovan said doing a status check on her suit.:: A. Somers: Okay the fleet will be jumping off in twenty, be fully kitted out in ten and bring as many grenades as you can carry, we will not be coming back and this time is kill or be killed, DISMISSED ::Alex said and the troops moved off to get ready.:: Donovan: ::Donovan walked up to Alex as she began to get into her suit.:: Alex you look kind of pale A. Somers: I have never liked drop pods. Donovan: Never knew you had an issue with tight spaces? ::she asked.:: A. Somers: I did’nt until the Dominion alliance attacked and we spent six months in that [...] tight room ::Alex said referring to the mission they were on against rogue Section 31/Tal’shiar agents on planet Haven, they had just completed the mission when the Dominion attacked just two days later.:: Donovan: Take your frustrations out on the enemy A. Somers: I intend to ::Alex said and sealed her suit up:: Okay lets stock up on ammo ::she said and both walked to the armoury.:: ((Earth Orbit/San Francisco 15 Jan 2391 Starfleet Academy)) ::Fourteen days later after much planning what remained of the Federation/Klingon Fleets now merged into one dropped into Sol system with Phasers firing, taking the Dominion forces initially by surprise. The enemy troop transports exploded first and flying in a V formation two Klingon Bird of Preys on her port and two Defiant classes on her starboard flank dived in at a particular point, they had a task, get the Tomcat within drop pod range. On the Tomcat the Somers Renegades waited for the word.:: J. Somers: =/\= Combat troops saddle up, drop zone in five, bridge out =/\= ::the ships Commander said.:: A. Somers: ::Whirling her hand in the air as she whistled:: YOU HEARD THEW ORDERS, LETS GO ::she shouted above the noise.:: ::All troops put their helmets on and sealed them up and then entered their pods, if Alex was edgy about the things, Donovan wondered what the Klingon’s were feeling.:: ((Academy grounds – Earth)) ::The defenders looked up as sonic booms were heard, this was followed by what looked like meteors, but they could not have been as their descent was controlled. Shortly a loud thud was heard as the Pods hit. The defenders looked behind them at the smoke rising and there was lights in it and like green and grey wraiths forty-eight suited figures emerged, weapons firing, the defenders who were not looking returned to firing on the charging enemy as an enemy energy plasma cannon fired at their direction.:: A. Somers: ::activating two way links so others could hear her and she them:: Okay MACOs set up a defensive perimeter and show the colours ::Alex said.:: ::The leader of the beleaguered defenders saw the SAS emblem on the suits and the name and rank, then looked up at the Units banner flapping in the breeze. Unlike the new arrivals the Academy defenders did not have EVA suits.:: Jansen: Commodore Jansen, you are? ::the leader asked.:: A. Somers: ::she turned her whole body to face him as the enemy in an uncharacteristically move retreated for now.:: Marine Captain Alexandria Somers, 2nd SAS MACO, pleased to meet you and we are your reinforcements ::she said.:: Jansen: Only four dozen of you!!! ::he exclaimed.:: Donovan: First Lieutenant Donovan ::S’arila said introducing herself as she spoke:: we have been fighting retreat battles a long time there was a lot more of us, but attrition, those of us that remain are worthy of any regiment and we have nothing to lose ::she said.:: Jansen: Your lives, you want to die? ::he asked surprised.:: Donovan: Death comes to us all Commodore ::pause:: and if ones stares to long into the abyss, the abyss stares back ::she said using an edited quote of Friedrich Nietzsche .:: A. Somers: Ahem… ::clearing her throat:: Please our arrival startled the enemy, it is probably our reputation, but they will be back and in greater numbers ::Alex said and as if on cue Jem’ hadar and Breen began a renewed attack.:: Jansen: FIRE!! ::he ordered and all the defenders opened fire.:: ::By this time the enemy had gotten used to the combustible weapons Starfleet used, but the MACOs used different weapons. Where the defenders all used TR-116 rifles, these used more powerful weapons.:: A. Somers: One shot kills people, conserve ammo ::Alex ordered this meant headshots.:: ((Space – USS Tomcat)) ::Jasmine’s ship acquitted itself well, after its initial task it joined the rest of the fleet along with its wingmen, all four had went the way of the warrior, now the Tomcat was alone and badly damaged, when a call came in.:: Donovan: =/\= Second SAS to any ships need artillery taking out =/\= J. Somers: =/\= confirmed, send cords =/\= ::Jasmine said as the helm officer broke off from the assault and headed planetward.:: ::The Tomcat was in bad shape, most of her bridge crew were dead, all that remained was the helm, Tactical and Comms Officers with Jasmine in the center.:: Comms: Coordinates received Captain J. Somers: ::Looking at the Tactical Officer:: target that location ::she said.:: Tactical: ::The officer looked back apologetically:: Weapons are gone, no torpedoes remain ::he said.:: J. Somers: ::Leaning forward:: Fleet status? Comms: All destroyed Sir. J. Somers: [...] ::pause:: Okay all power to shields and impulse engines, take from all systems life support and weapons and give me ramming speed ::she ordered making a grabbing gesture as she pulled a closed fist back towards her.:: Helm: Aye Captain. J. Somers: Comms open a Starfleet wide hail and give me full voice ::she ordered as the ship began to enter earths atmosphere, Jasmine began to recite a poem called Invictus by William Ernest Henley.:: =/\=Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. =/\= ((Starfleet Academy – Same time)) ::The defenders during a lull looked up to see a streaking comet, they knew who it was as the flames vanished to show a battle scarred Akira hull and all heard the poem and knew which ship it came from as the Akira Class rammed the Dominion assault battery, taking out a good portion of the enemy force too, the Communications cut out followed by static th3e same time the explosion happened.:: A. Somers: Rest in peace Cousin, you fulfilled your duty ::Alex said then quoted a prayer in her native tongue, the Commodore spoke.:: Jansen: An enemy Command post has been located near here, its has Communications and sensors ::he said handing the padd to Alex who looked at it and passed it onto Donovan.:: A. Somers: Take six men and take it out S’arila ::she said.:: ::Donovan nodded and took six troops two of which consisted of Klingon’s and two from Duronis II Embassy, the rest remained to defend.:: A. Somers: Ammo status? ::she asked.:: ::All replied anything from six mags to four, so they were low on ammo. She watched as Donovan’s team moved off.:: A. Somers: Okay people remove EVA suits, we will die where we stand ::she said as a battle torn Unit banner still flapped in the wind.:: ::Somers Renegades removed their EVA suits and resituated their bladed weapons, she looked over at Jensen with a look of fatal certainty, as the Jem’ Hadar troops charged again.:: A. Somers: You want to live forever Commodore ::she said and stood, then shouted:: FOR THE FEDERATION FIRE!! ::hearing someone with confidence the troops too heart and fired with renewed vigour.:: ((Enemy Comms Centre)) ::Donovan’s team approached the building taking out the Jem’Hadar and Breen guards before entering, this was a simple sweep no prisoners and doing so they swept through each level planting spatial charges. On the top floor was a Vorta looking in the direction Donovan sent half her squad as a distraction, as agile and as quietly as she could the blade hidden in her EVA suit silently extended, she put her gloved hand over the surprised Vortas mouth and gave him a Sicilian necktie, he was dead before he hit the ground.:: Donovan: ::Signalling her team to advance forward, they met up with the distraction team.:: Okay every room get the doors open and lob in your grenades, lets make this a clean sweep. ::With that the Marines moved across the top floors taking out all hostiles and planting explosives, while this was going on Donovan looked out the window and saw Alex and her troops ditch their EVA suits and fight off another wave of hostiles, she took two troops and went down to the basement and found a door that was well and truly sealed, scanned it, then pulled out their most explosive charge and connected it up to the ODN cables in the nearest wall and set the timer.:: Donovan: Everyone out ::she ordered and the team left.:: ::They got a safe distance and felt the ground shake then heard the explosion which moved up and out. The building bulged like a bloated balloon before flaming chunks of composite material was thrown in a wide radius and the troops ducked and covered their eyes as the explosion was bright, all hit the deck as the blast wave followed by the sonic boom, which shook their bones.:: Soldier: Dammit El tee what was in that basement bomb? ::a Marine asked.:: Donovan: It was something Captain Somers made as a side hobby ::she said and the Marines looked incredulously at her:: The woman likes things that go boom, c’mon lets get back I will bring up the rear. ((SFA Grounds – Defence site – 0200 - 0550 hours)) ::All combatants on both sides paused as they felt heard and saw the explosion, now the Jem’Hadar in fury gave up all pretences as there were a lot of Founders in that building and their gods just died.:: A. Somers: I am out of main ammo, switching to Pistols ::Alex said, unlike her troops she used two Desert Eagle Pistols with extended mags and she was a crack shot with them.:: ::All too soon the other troops had switched to their Side arms, the troops that returned from their mission joined in. Too soon Alex had expended all her Pistol ammo as did the others and all switched to blades.:: A. Somers: ::Looking at the Klingon Commander:: Now we melee and die like warriors of old ::she said.:: It has been an honour Commander, today is a good day to die ::she said.:: Klingon Commander: ::giving her a smile that said “at last”:: It was an honour to fight by your side these many days Captain, I shall look for you in Sto’vor’kor, Kapla ::he said and charged in.:: ::Alex shook her head in wry amusement and pulled out her shortened Katana blades and staying under her Units banner she fought charging Dominion troops the Commodore had fallen before they had run out of ammo, she did not have time to wonder about Donovan as she was in the zone.:: ::A lull in the fighting and she found herself looking down at the Klingon Commander a satisfied smile on his face. Panting like an old Nag she looked around and found that she alone survived and the Jem’Hadar troops out of respect paused a moment, she egged them on and on they came. Finding energy from somewhere she sliced into the enemy with wanton abandon and she held her own, by the time she stopped she was the only one left standing, she did not see a large Jem’Hadar standing behind her.:: A. Somers: I am getting too old for this… urgh! ::she said and looked down to see a Jem’Hadar blade sticking through her chest, with life ebbing she twists to look at the First and shoves one of her blades into his neck, both fall.:: ::Laying on her back with the blade showing clearly though her chest.:: A. Somers: Today was a good day to die ::she said as the life left her eyes as they closed.:: ::As the smoke cleared around 0600 hours a Vorta and escorts arrives to see the sunlight, while not as bright due to the radioactive particles in the atmosphere, was still bright enough to silhouette the 2nd SAS MACO banner and below it the beam of light slowly crawled over the body of Alexandria Somers.:: ((Back at the enemy base site 0600 hours)) ::As she sent her men back to the defence line, Donovan did a combat roll to avoid a projectile, what she did not see was a spatial anomaly, how it got there no one would know or care. She rolled into it and vanished, the anomaly closed.:: Simmed by Lt. Cmdr Paul Sharpe Chief Tactical Officer USS Thunder-A/Duronis II Embassy
  21. ((Unknown)) ::Sunlight splashed into the [...]pit of the fighter, blinding her. Raising a suited hand, she blocked the light, squinting her eyes open just enough to make out her surroundings. That was when she realized that her hand wasn’t suited, and the light wasn’t pouring into her [...]pit.:: ::Pulling herself up she looked around. Everything seemed unfamiliar and dark, except for the area where she sat. The five or so feet around her was like a piece of home; the feeling of tarmac under her made her look in the direction where her plane should have been. But it wasn’t there. Only the stars were there. Only the stars that she didn’t recognize.:: Nicholotti: Hello? ((Flashback, Moments Prior)) ::Pushing the fighter, she saw it start to come apart. She’d reached the point where the shearing was too much for the integrity fields and the shields. Soon the fighter would cease to be and the anomaly would remain. Now had to be good enough.:: ::Lighting the candle that was the equivalent of an ancient plane’s afterburners, she hit the commands that would set things in motion. The pulling at her mind seemed to grow stronger and get worse as the speed increased. She watched the computer go through the countdown that would take care of things once and for all. Thoughts of her return fled and left her knowing that this was a one way trip, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered now was success.:: ((End Flashback)) ::In her mind, words coalesced and formed, echoing in on themselves.:: Voice: Greetings Kal-E-an-ya. ::It was disembodied, yet she could almost pinpoint it in her mind. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could really ‘see’ at all. Was this all in her head and nothing more? As if reading her mind, an answer was quickly forthcoming.:: Voice: Yooo have been successssful. It is done. Now you are done as well. There isss no return. ::The words hit her hard, but were not entirely unexpected. She’d known that this was the risk, though she didn’t realize that success would be told to her by some disembodied voice in her head on the other end. The fighter must not have been destroyed.:: Nicholotti: What happens now? ::Again, the tones of the voice coalesced around her. Increasingly she felt as if the surroundings weren’t really there and that all of this was just a fragment of her imagination. Still, she listened, unafraid, and unmoving.:: Voice: We know what we need to know, connect to your mind. All are safe now, ourssss and yoourssss. ::That was a kind of relief, one that gave her the respite to lay back and let the tugging notion of sleep at the edge of her mind to take over. A smile on her face, and fond memories in her mind, she allowed herself to slip under.:: Nicholotti: Good. ::The voice said something incomprehensible then, and the environment around her faded. Soon, so did the sounds and smells. Drifting on, she found herself unable to hear or focus on anything but her own breathing, and soon enough, that too faded into the nothingness of the end.:: ((Flashback, Moments Prior)) ::The fighter held together for the time she needed to reach the pre-determined location in space. Once there, it settled into a spiraling circle as she finished punching in the commands that would end it all. In an instant, it was done. Energy shot outwards and the last thing Kali remembered was a blinding light, the feeling of standing perfectly still, and the strange recollection of memories that were not hers. The story of another civilization that existed in another realm, another dimension, flooded her mind. Some of it made sense, while some of it didn’t, but it all led her to the idea that this had been the right thing to do.:: ::It also led her to the conclusion that this was the final step in a path that allowed no return.:: ::As the lights faded and Kali found herself and her fighter pulled into a new realm with new sights and sounds, she allowed her consciousness to fall victim to the ever growing pull of the tendrils wrapped around her mind.:: ((End Flashback)) ::A new quiet filled the region of space where the anomaly had once been, but the fighter that had flown into the area was missing. Neither the fighter, nor the pilot, was ever to be found, but if these creatures ever did run into the races of this dimension again, they’d have the tools needed to speak to them. That, and the swirling gasses of the scar running across that region of space were the legacies left behind.:: ::The gift of communication and a scar left on space itself was all that was left of Fleet Captain Kalianna Arashi Nicholotti.:: TBC -- Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti Commanding Officer USS Excalibur, NCC - 41903 - A
  22. (( Evan Delano’s Quarters, Deck 9, USS Garuda )) :: At this range, subspace communications were sometimes difficult to arrange, but Starfleet had gone to great lengths to establish a secure, fast network that allowed live communication with most of the core Starfleet worlds. That being said, Evan’s mother still accused him of not calling often enough. :: DELANO: Mom, I called you a week ago. I can’t help when we’re out of range of the subspace relays. SUSAN: You could still write, or record a message. DELANO: :: sighing :: I’ll try to do that more often. Did you get the package I sent? SUSAN: Oh, yes! :: She panned moved out of the way and the camera shook as she lifted it to get a better view of her office. A new miniature decorated the crowded shelf along the rear wall. It was a scale replica of the Garuda - a model Evan had commissioned from a peculiar Cardassian merchant on DSX when he’d first arrived. :: SUSAN: I was impressed. You said a Cardassian made it? DELANO: Yes, he operates a small shop of Deep Space Ten. I’m not sure how he ended up out here. SUSAN: I’d love to see more work from him. :: Evan smiled. :: DELANO: I’ll stop by his shop the next time we’re at the station and see what I can find. Any requests. SUSAN: Oh, you know know me. :: He did. She preferred to display models of ships with some kind of historical significance, but the truth was that just about any working starship was beautiful to her in some way. She somehow managed to be both an artist and an engineer at the same time - traits that were both elusive to Evan. :: SUSAN: By the way, I’ve been trying to arrange a birthday gift for you, but it’s much harder to find a reliable transport moving that direction than it is the other way around. :: Evan tried not to look uncomfortable. :: DELANO: Oh, thanks Mom. I’ll let you know when it arrives. :: There was an awkward pause. Evan broke it. :: DELANO: How’s Apollo doing? :: She sighed. :: SUSAN: Well, you know he never warmed up to Jim like he did you. Jim says he’s been staying away from the house more than he used to. :: Evan nodded, but he felt his heart sinking. The wolf-dog had been a particularly challenging case, and in some ways, Evan and Apollo had helped each other find a certain peace. He had feared the separation would eventually cause Apollo to once again become antisocial - or worse, violent - but he had feared bringing him to the Tiger as an ensign. Wolves, even wolf-dogs, needed miles of land to be healthy. The confines of a starship - even a very large starship like the Garuda - weren’t appropriate for an animal like that. :: DELANO: Maybe I can arrange some leave on Earth soon. SUSAN: We’d all like that. :: Another pause. Evan decided it was time to sign out. :: DELANO: I should get going. I have some things I need to get done before tomorrow. It was good talking to you, Mom. Say hi to Kim for me. SUSAN: Sure, Evan. Thanks for calling. Love you. DELANO: Love you too. :: He clicked the button to end the conversation, waited for the screen to go black, then stared out of his window. Sol wasn’t visible, but he knew roughly where it should be and his attention focused there. He didn’t like admitting that he was homesick, but he realized that was a large part of why he’d been so… uncomfortable over the last few months. It had been over a year since he’d last visited Earth. The last planet he’d set foot on had nearly killed him. :: :: After years of being surrounded by sparsely populated countryside, he was struggling to adapt more than he had ever anticipated. Perhaps it was time to talk to a counselor. Perhaps. :: :: As he set about the rest of his business, the thought lingered. :: === Lt. JG Evan Delano Asst. Chief of Security/Tactical USS Garuda
  23. ((Science Lab - Duronis II Embassy)) ::S'Kahh looked at the cube suspended in the air over the tech labs console. He knew there was a containment field around it, but its presence was only notable though the nearly imperceptible whine it gave off as air passed though the field. He felt it more than heard it, whiskers twitching as the sound travelled though them.:: Rossh: Computer, begin a level three scan of the object. ::Lights flickered across the console for a moment before the computer replied, listing off the materials the device was constructed of. Some of the materials were quite exotic, but nothing truely alien in terms of basic materials.:: Rossh: Not getting me any further. ::He paused, glancing over at his tricorder for a moment as an idea tickled at the back of his thoughts. There was definitely something bubbling away back there, but...:: Rossh: Computer, link up to my tricorder and download the specifications on the receptacle the device was retrieved from. Computer: Working. Download complete. Rossh: Good, now. Computer, try and to a breakdown of the console the device was plugged into - best estimate as to the purpose of the various components. Computer: Task will require an hour to complete. Rossh: Go ahead. ::He yawned, leaning back in his seat as the computer chugged away - trying to reverse engineer the console it had been plugged into. He sat up after a few moments and tapped on his control panel, switching from the default layout to a thread monitor - providing a direct readout of every process the computer was handling for the task he had set it.:: ::Numbers and words flashed past too fast to read, but he found the flickering flow of information interesting as he waited for the machine to complete his task.:: ::At the same time he found himself falling back into introspection, remembering his time at the hospital. He hadn't realised his ribs had been broken till the Laudean doctor who was treating him had pointed it out. He'd been shocked to hear it, and shocked again when he discovered the Laudean's treatment would normally involve minor surgery to re-set the bones properly.:: ::Thankfully in his case Caitian bones had a lot more natural flexibility than most species - giving them less strength perhaps, but making them a lot less prone to fractures. And when they did fracture they tended to reset quite naturally given enough rest.:: ::So the doctor had opted to splint his chest to hold it in place - informing him to keep the bandage in place for a few days to let the healing process get started before doing anything too energetic.:: Computer: Task complete. ::He blinked, disturbed from his reverie and looked down at the readings before him. The computer seemed to have managed to get a fairly detailed breakdown of the likely way the console was designed to interact with the cube.:: Rossh: Simulate interactions between cube and console. ::The screen changed to an annotated diagram, highlighting the various electrical contact points and wireless signals exchanged between the two pieces of Yeltan technology. He frowned as he watched, then looked up at the cube again.:: Rossh: Now we just need one of those consoles... ::He frowned, then glanced over to the door.:: Rossh: Computer, drop containment feild around the cube. Authorisation Rossh Delta six, beta two one one. ::The field shimmered for a moment as it dropped, and he reached in to grasp the cube. He hefted it in his hand, resisting the sudden perverse urge to attempt to rotate its various sections like some ancient child's puzzle, and examined it closely as he spoke again.:: Rossh: Computer, are there any available holosuites? Computer: Holosuites two, five and seven are currently unoccupied. ::He nodded to that, then stepped towards the door, taking the cube with him.:: ((Timeskip, late at night.)) ((Holosuite two, Duronis II Embassy)) ::Shanri paused at the door to the holosuite, wondering just what exactly S'Kahh thought he was doing. She'd hoped to welcome him back from the mission, and indeed had come all the way out to the embassy to see him - but he'd been buried away in his work. And for the last few hours he'd been buried instead in a holosuite.:: ::She wasn't the suspicious type, well, she didn't think of herself that way at least. But it was odd that he was so busy - it felt like he was ignoring her. She gathered herself, and opened the door, stepping inside.:: ::The room was dark, the yellow grids invisible on the walls not due to being obscured by a simulation, but just from a lack of light. In the middle of the room a strange, yet oddly familiar, console sat - glowing faintly blue. A cube of similar appearance was plugged smoothly into the top of it. Sat on the floor between her and the console was S'Kahh, cross legged and leaning his head down onto his hands as he stared intently at it.:: Rossh: Yes? ::His voice startled her, and she took a second to compose her thoughts after the odd - yet familiar - sight of the console.:: Shanri: I, I just wanted to check up on you. ::The caitian turned to look towards her, his expression blank for a moment. He looked tired above anything else, and it took a second or two for his face to spread into a smile.:: Rossh: Ah, I'm afraid I've been letting my stubbornness get in the way of things. ::He pointed to the device, waving his hand rather than pointing in truth.:: Rossh: I've replicated every possible thing I can, every reading is the same and every link up is correct. ::He paused to scowl at it.:: But will it do a thing? Nope. Shanri: What exactly is it? ::He looked back to her, then sighed, stood up and walked to meet her. She noted the bandage to his side beneath his uniform tunic - still dusty and dirty from the adventures beneath her planets surface.:: Rossh: Its supposed to be important. Its supposed to be a memory archive, I think. Its also, supposed, to work. Shanri: But it doesn't? Rossh: Not for me, no. I don't think it likes me. And I tried sweet talking it, threatening it and even offering it a vacation to Risa. Still nothing. ::She found herself smirking at his tone, then shook her head.:: Shanri: Have you tried turning it off then on again? ::There was a pause, and the caitian then turned to give her one of the most old fashioned looks she had ever encountered.:: Rossh: I won't dignify that with a response. But yes, actually I have. ::She met his gaze and chuckled to herself, the tired Caitian joining in after a moment before she walked up close and rested a hand on his shoulder.:: Shanri: Come to bed, your tired. You'll think more clearly in the morning. Rossh: I can't walk away till I've at least figured out why it won't work. Shanri: Well, when did it last work? ::He glanced over his shoulder to her, then nodded to himself. It was a fair line of reasoning to explore - he had tried it earlier, but worth a second shot. He walked over to the console, leading Shanri with him.:: Rossh: Madame Day... ..er... ..oh [...] my memory. The Prime Minister's wife, she was the one who interacted with it. ::He gestured with his hands and Shanri frowned.:: Shanri: What was she doing on a mission? Rossh: She is a patron of Laudean historical studies. I think. Regardless, she was the only one who could interact with the thing. ::Something twigged in the back of his mind, but he was unable to lay his finger down on it thanks to the tiredness of his mind.:: Shanri: Well, maybe its coded to only work for women? ::He genuinely hadn't considered that, a society in which something might had been set up for only one gender to use being a completely alien concept to him. Oh, as a sociologist he was aware of such societies on an intellectual level, but not an emotional one.:: Rossh: I hadn't thought of that. ::Shanri moved closer, holding out her hands.:: Shanri: Well, show me what to do. ::He smiled, and moved to stand behind her, sliding his hands down her arms to direct them towards the cube. To both of their shock, it glowed more brightly, and the holographic recreation of the console flared into life.:: Computer: Holodeck Program: Rossh Alien Console One is attempting to write a non standard file into computer memory. Allow this operation? ::He blinked, then got his brain in gear.:: Rossh: Sandbox the file and store it separately from any sensitive materials. Isolate it in the science department computers. Computer: Working. ::There was a moment of silence as the console and cube continued to glow and shimmer.:: Shanri: I guess it just needed a woman's touch. Rossh: Or a Laudeans... ::She frowned and looked back to him.:: Shanri: It's coded to only work for my people? ::He shrugged to that, and the computer replied before he could.:: Computer: Download complete. Rossh: Computer, analyse the datafile. Attempt to decern its nature. Computer: Full analysis will take twe... Rossh: Analyse the file structure data, top and tail it. Computer: Working. Shanri: Top and tail? ::He chuckled.:: Rossh: It just means look at the beginning and end - those parts contain the file structure information in most species formats. Unless they write from the inside out - which some species do. Or their Ferengi - in which case the copyright information goes at the beginning and end... Computer: File is a data archive with compression based on a... Rossh: Can you decompress it? Computer: Require suitable decoder. ::He paused, thinking for a moment.:: Rossh: Computer, attempt to use Laudean DNA as the basis of the decoding. Shanri: Huh? Rossh: Well if its designed to be used by Laudeans, it makes sense for them to lock it so only they could open it. Or at least, somebody with access to the basic DNA structure of your people. Computer: Working. ::The process took some considerable amount of time, during which the couple chatted - catching up with one another. When the computer finished they paused their conversation to see what it had come up with.:: Computer: Decompressed files are of twenty five unknown formats. Rossh: Analyse formats and look for any signs of simple text, encoded images, or data streams that could be video. Computer: Working. Shanri: Your computers are very advanced. ::He shook his head to that.:: Rossh: There's only so many ways you can encode data, a person would actually be better at recognising the information in the various file types than the computer. But the computer can do a bad job of it a hell of lot faster - and handle hundreds of attempts at the same time. Shanri: So its dumb, but covers a lot of ground. Rossh: Yep, think... ..what are those archaic weapons that fire lots of little projectiles rather than a single big one? Shanri: Canister guns? Rossh: Hum, humans have a shorter phrase for them. Shanri: And your people? Rossh: We just call them Nif-tusak. Birdhunters. ::He translated.:: Computer: Filetypes have been found for video, audio, images and formatted text. Additional file formats detected include three dimensional models and an olfactory index pallete. Shanri: A what? Rossh: Thing we use to digitise smells, and tastes oddly enough. Shanri: Sounds horrible. Rossh: Well it is what our replicators use to do flavours and smells, so... ..can be at times. ::He grinned toothily, and she replied with a nudge with her elbow in the ribs - unfortunately on the wrong side. After several moments of groaning in pain and profuse apologies the two settled down again.:: Rossh: Ok. Computer, display a video file. ::The pair of them watched as something began to play in the air behind the console. The colours were heavily shifted towards the purple end of the spectrum, and the aspect ratio was a strange tall but narrow one that marked it out as something unusual.:: ::On it was displayed a diagram of a Laudean, with labels coming off of it to text S'Kahh couldn't even guess as to the meaning of.:: Shanri: Its a medical text. Rossh: Oh? You can read that? Shanri: Er, you can't? Rossh: No, not a word. Shanri: Well, ok. How come I can? Rossh: Genetic memory? Seems unlikely, but that's the only explanation I can think of. ::Together they worked their way though the first video - which proved to be a very detailed medical analysis of Laudean physiology. S'Kahh was no expert, but he suspected that the detail was actually slightly ahead of the Federation's own records on the Laudean species.:: ::But the real revelation came moments later.:: Shanri: Oh... ..oh my word. Rossh: What? ::He paused the video, showing a detailed diagram of the Laudean's coloured band.:: Shanri: This.. ...this is a record of how our fielding works. Rossh: I beg your pardon? ::She pointed to the screen:: Shanri: They figured out how.. ...no, I think they. I think they may have manipulated us, made our ability stronger. They talk here about it being a vestigial ability from our ancestors that lived in water. ::S'Kahh blinked, then his eyes widened.:: Rossh: How dose it work? ::The woman shrugged, not a natural scientist herself, she was mostly repeating what she could read off rather than trying to understand it all.:: Shanri: I don't really know. It's talking about things I just don't understand. Rossh: Then lets sit down and work though it, you read it out, and I'll write it down. Then I'll sit down and try and make sense of it all. Shanri: Ok. ::The two continued, writing down everything they could from the video and compiling it together into a single document. The language was alien, not that it was written in an alien language, but that its structure and terminology were alien to either of them. Gradually S'Kahh started making lists of words the would need to find the real meaning of from other recordings, and starting building up an index for translation by running though the other materials in the download:: ::By the time the sun was well up into the morning sky, the two of them had complied the first ever detailed report on how fielding actually worked. It was rough around the edges, and neither of them fully grasped some of the subtleties, but the basic methodology of its operation was right there on the PADD.:: Rossh: So, light goes in though the light permeable layer of skin here. ::He gently stroked a fingertip over Shanri's coloured forehead.:: Rossh: And impacts the coloured cells that underlay it. Those cells are filled with.. ...something, probably the pigment itself, which responds by becoming a radical with charged electrons in a paired state. Now, the pairing between the electrons is affected by the presence of a magnetic field. Shanri: So they are either parallel, or anti-parallel. Right? Rossh: I think so. And the heavy neuron weave beneath the pigmented cells can detect the tiny difference in the length of time the two electrons remain paired between those two states. Shanri: And that explains part of our ability - it lets us see the actual fields, or rather their shape, but not their charge? Rossh: I think so, though not sure how it shows you the whole field from such a small area of information.. ...maybe that second set of organs in the brain itself plays more of a role in expanding that? ::He shrugged.:: Rossh: Regardless, the light that isn't absorbed bounces right back off of the pigmented cells and is reflected out of the transparent skin cells - giving you your coloured headband. ::He chuckled.:: Rossh: So Laudean's have transparent heads, huh, there's a whole realm of new jokes opening up. Shanri: And a whole absence of my bedroom at the same time. Rossh: Moving on. ::She chuckled at that reaction and poked the Caitian's nose.:: Rossh: The fluid filled ampules in the brain tissue appear to sense the strength of the field - they do work like ampullae of Lorenzini as people have previously thought. But it turns out they work in co-operation with the cells in the band. Shanri: So the Ampules detect the strength of the reaction between the fluid inside of themselves, and the magnetic field. Thus showing how much energy is in there? Rossh: Yes, and if I'm right about this translation, then it isn't just magnetic fields this works with. It looks like there's a blend of different pigments that react to different factors. Magnetic fields are the big ones, but it looks like subspace fields can be detected as well. Shanri: I think we already knew that. Rossh: Yes, but now we know how. Shanri: We think we do - you'll need to get this checked out right? ::he nodded, then yawned as he spoke.:: Rossh: I'll need to talk with a doctor or two yes. Shanri: Bed first. Rossh: Mmm, ok, fine. you win. ::He surrendered, allowing himself to be lead out of the holosuite - after retrieving and securing the cube - and back to his quarters for sleep.:: Lt Commander S'Kahh Rossh Chief Science Officer & Historical and Anthropological Officer Duronis II Embassy - USS Thunder NCC-70605-A
  24. Submitter Note: In Part 1, Major Parker was relieved by Colonel Waltas for the position of Chief of Marines. This did not go down well and after a few insults, this occurred. ((CIC Office, Embassy)) :: Hannibal unleashed a wild haymaker, designed to take off Waltas’ head, but barely missed, with Waltas’ guiding Hannibals’ momentum over the desk and smashing the mast holding the Marine Corps flag, scattering PADDS and other debris all over the floor. While Hannibal was getting up, Waltas began to taunt him..::: WALTAS: So far the only thing you're good at is breaking furniture, Marine. Maybe we could use you as a doorstop……. :: Hannibals’ response was a thunderous roar, and he closed on Waltas, unhinging another wild haymaker, this time with his left hand...Hannibal could feel the Colonels’ long hair fly past his fist as the Colonel once again redirected Hannibals’ attack, this time flipping him end over end in the small office. Hannibal was up quickly with the two exchanging blocks, their hands a blur, neither man gaining purchase.Hannibal figured the Colonel had several years of martial arts training,as he was able to keep the massive Marine at bay…:: :: Hannibal got his opening when Waltas, attempting a strike at Hannibals’ nose, missed. With Hannibal grabbing his hand with his right, he slammed a left hand into Waltas’ solar plexus, then uncorked a right hand which blasted Waltas back..and through...the doors of CIC, smashing the doors and destroying the glass within. With Waltas lying on top of the broken doors, the fight was now out in the open, and several Marines stood, transfixed by the sight of the Colonel lying on what was once the CIC doors…::: ::Toni had followed them, trying desperately to get them to stop. They reminded her of two rutting rams beating their heads together mindlessly, and the last place anyone with half a mind would want to be was between them, trying to break them up.:: :: Despite the protests coming from behind him from Captain Turner, Hannibal now was stalking the Colonel who was getting up from the floor, broken glass crunching under his feet. Waltas was up, with the voices of several Marines yelling in the background. He was up now, in a fighting stance, swiveling his hips in anticipating for Hannibals’ next move..not waiting for the massive Marine to attack again, Waltas leaned back and tried to kick Hannibal in the face..but Hannibal sidestepped the move and caught the foot in mid- air, twisted it, and spun the colonel to the ground...with him landing hard with a solid thump…::: ::Tyr had focused his attacks on not being hit, but when he finally was struck it felt like he'd run head-first into a bulkhead. Crashing through the doors he winced as a sharp pain in his ribcage raced through him. Spotting Parker coming after him he waited for him to close within striking distance, knipped up and landed a hard spinning back-fist to the Major's jaw, sending even the hardened Marine reeling. By this time the commotion had roused most of the off-duty Marines and they were watching, open-mouthed, as their former and current CO's went at each other like rabid wolverines. Dropping to a crouch he swept Parker's feet out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor, then drove his heel hard into the Major's chest before rolling backward and neatly to his feet. He figured he had a few moments to recover but found Parker howling in rage, already on his feet and charging him. Only partially able to get out of the way his right knee took a hard shot as the major's momentum carried him to the reception desk which was promptly destroyed. Tyr found purchase on a remnant of a chair and launched himself at the recovering Parker in a vicious kick, but to his amazement his extended foot was grabbed and he was thrown bodily through the main doors of the CIC office and landed unceremoniously in the mud. By this time the Marines were cheering on the major as he emerged, a black, blurry shadow against the lights of the office, and closed on him. Tyr, bloodied and hurting, got to his feet and snapped into a Tiger position, his right palm extended towards his prey. Parker, bearing plenty of wounds himself, was noticeably keeping his right arm back, while Tyr protected his injured right leg. With a swing that he could barely block, Parker's left arm was caught in the Tiger's jaws, and he was spun around to reveal the injured right arm. Slamming a knee into the Major's ribcage the Ba'ku gripped the right arm and brought it down over his shoulder, and even the Major couldn't help but grunt in pain. Parker's left arm, free, proceeded to slam into Tyr's jaw, knocking him to the muddy ground and sending stars across his field of vision. The Ba'ku struggled to his feet and turned to face his opponent through the darkness, hiding the fact that his infravision had Parker painted in the darkness. A faint to his right failed to trick Tyr and, foregoing all skill the Colonel simply hauled off and decked Parker, a right hand slamming into his jaw.:: :: Hannibal took the hit, a solid right to the jaw, but it was Hannibals’ time to return the favor. Pain was something he had learned to block out, thanks to the mental training by his former Vulcan ops partner T’Sol. That didn’t mean he could use his right arm as effectively as he wanted, and the cut on his cheek and over his left eye was bleeding freely. He followed up with a left hook to the colonels’ solar plexus, which doubled him over, then a double-fisted hammer shot right between the shoulder blades. The colonel dropped to one knee, but Hannibal picked him upright with his still very well functioning left hand, then blocking out the screaming pain in his right shoulder, picked up the colonel over his head, then with a mighty roar, slammed him down into the mud with a sickening thud, the Marines screaming “BOOM” as the colonel landed…::: :: Wiping some of the blood away from his eye, Hannibal kneeled down to the prone colonel, his breath coming in wheezes..and Hannibal wasn’t breathing much better. It was over…:: Parker: Go home, Colonel Penguin. Get back to your rocking chair. It's over, Ba'ku..go home.... WALTAS::Between gasps:: Frak…...that…! :: With that, Waltas reached up and grabbed Hannibals’ injured right arm, pulled him down while crossing his leg, then locking his hands behind Hannibals’ head..with Waltas’ leg on the front of his throat, the other on his back, and Waltas using all his available strength to try to choke out the much bigger Parker. Tears streamed from his eyes as he recognized the move Waltas had made..the classic triangle choke hold, designed to deprive an opponent of air, and the will to fight, quickly. Hannibal knew there was only one way to break the triangle choke, and he had about fifteen seconds before breaking it would become a mute issue...he would be unconscious. Relaxing against the pressure, allowing Waltas to momentarily to tighten his already python-like grip, Hannibal gathered his legs under him. Pulling his upper body back while raising Waltas out of the mud, Hannibal began to stand up..with Waltas now expending even more effort to hold his grip, which was beginning to slip. Hannibal then dropped forward, slamming Waltas’ head back into the ground…::: :: Gasping for air, Hannibal rolled away from Waltas, raising himself on his knees, trying to gain some needed air. There were surrounded by cheering Marines, but the fight was not yet over. The two men bear crawled towards each other, neither man able to stand. The two bloodied, battered warriors stared at each other...neither one should be conscious, much less still fighting...but Hannibal would not yield, and to prove that point, his left hand uncoiled a punch into Waltas’ jaw...Waltas returned the punch, neither man had enough energy to put up a defense. Hannibal rocked under Waltas’ blow, then Hannibal returned the punch with his injured right arm, which still rolled Waltas’ eyes back in his head. The two traded punches until one last hit from each of them..two devastating punches which laid both men over in the mud...Hannibal at Waltas’ feet, and Waltas at Hannibals’. Both men were face down,until Hannibal rolled over and was looking up, until he heard the voice of Martinez cutting through all the voices…::: Martinez: MARINES! AS YOU WERE! BACK OFF! Then another voice cut through the air…::: Turner: DAMMIT! I SAID STOP! :: Hannibal had never heard the captain that mad before, but all he heard was the echo of her voice…::: Parker: Oo Mom’s [...]ed...Oo :: Hannibal was now up on one knee, and so was Waltas. With the beating the Colonel took, it should have killed him. This former starship captain had a lot of guts, and he was still showing it as the both of them stood, both of them waving off assistance. If the two men were starships, they would be limping away on thrusters, with empty torpedo tubes and burnt out phaser coils. Glaring at each other, the two men backed away from each other, then at a respectable distance, Hannibal turned his back on his opponent, a final insult, daring Waltas to attack him from behind...but no attack was forthcoming. Someone had given him a olive green kerchief to staunch the flow of blood from above his eye, and he spit blood into the dark mud. He was deliberately still defiant, walking directly away from Medical until he heard the voice of Captain Turner…::: Turner: ::calming her voice, hoping it would also calm them.:: I'm not having any more of this! :: There was no longer an option….at least, he could say he wasn’t the first to seek Medical treatment…..Tyr was still ready to fight, even though he couldn’t even pull together the strength for another punch. Holding his ribcage and limping noticeably, he too turned in the direction of the medical unit. He paused, waiting for Parker to catch up to him, insisting that he not be the first to enter the tent. It turned out that both stopped, glaring sidelong at each other, each stubbornly refusing to be the first to appear weak, and Hannibal growled in defiance... Then Captain Turner settled it for them.:: Turner: I SAID, I'M NOT HAVING ANY MORE OF THIS! ::Her voice was followed closely by the sound of heavy stun from her phaser, effectively stopping them cold.:: Turner: ::standing over the two unconscious men:: Martinez, have these men taken to the brig, then call your medic to check them over, and report back to me. No one else is to talk to them or see them until I say so. Understood? Martinez:: Nodding:: Completely understood, Captain…Is there anything else? Turner: Yes, no one is to be allowed to clean up their mess either. They made it, and they’ll fix it… ~end~ Fleet Captain Toni Turner Commanding Officer Duronis II Embassy / USS Thunder -and- Major Hannibal Parker Second Officer Duronis II Embassy / USS Thunder -and- Colonel Tyr Waltas Marine CO Duronis II Embassy / USS Thunder
  25. ((Sickbay - USS Atlantis)) ::Lynn assured Sovak his confidentiality would be maintained, and the Vulcan explained that, unlike other Vulcans, he had failed to achieve control over his emotions. If this were a Vulcan ship, that would be considered exactly the kind of danger to the crew that would require Lynn to break his confidence. Fortunately, this was not a Vulcan ship. Which was great, because as the lowest ranking ops officer, Sovak would have hated cleaning up after all those meditation candles.:: ::Sovak attempted to explain himself further, but he was distracted, not only by the uncomfortable emotions running through him in greater strength and number than he was accustomed to for some reason, but because of everything happening around him in Sickbay. From where he sat on a biobed, he could see Maiman Terpes talking with Dr. DyAmone, and he was worried about her. He also saw Lt. Ravenscroft enter, his face more bruised than ever, though even with the injury he remained inexplicably good-looking. Sovak wanted once again to melt through the deckplates and disappear.:: ::It was with excellent timing that Dr. DyAmone interrupted the conversation to assign further tasks to Ensign Lynn. Sovak was saved from continuing with his embarrassing admissions before he got to the part about physical attraction and warm squishy feelings.:: DYAMONE: Hope you’re feeling better, Mr. Sovak. I’m sorry, but I have to take your physician from you. ::Sovak nodded. The pair instantly launched in on discussing the ship's current demands on the medical department. Sovak understood that his needs were inconsequential compared to the safety of the ship, and nodded his gratitude to Lynn as the deceptively aged ensign moved on with his duties. Maybe they would speak more at a later time.:: ::Sovak laid back on the biobed to get some rest. He tried desperately not to watch Dr. DyAmone's examination of Ravenscroft, but they were directly in his line of vision, so his beady little Vulcan eyes couldn't help but stare. Sovak was safely tucked in the back where no one would disturb him. Other distressed telepaths were passed out on beds around him. If he squinted, he could see that Ravenscroft was built almost like Ren. A certain agricultural bearing. Though the captain's partner had a more colorful reputation. Sovak thought of the time he'd traveled to Trill with Ren on break from the Academy. His roommate had refused to leave him behind to "haunt the hills of San Francisco" alone. Sovak had been terrified of the outgoing, gregarious Rennyn clan. But the country they lived on was beautiful to him, so unlike anything on Vulcan, all full of greens in shades each more vibrant than the last.:: ::A roar of laughter drew his attention back to the present. He looked to the source - Ravenscroft, of course - who, at that horrible moment, pointed directly at Sovak. The Vulcan's heart dropped out of him and he nearly stopped breathing as he pretended not to notice the doctor and the linguist looking him over and talking about him. He was sure his face had blushed deep green, but he laid back, staring intently at the ceiling, as though nothing was amiss. His heart was pounding away, desperate to escape the cage of ribs holding it in place.:: ::When he'd visited Trill, Sovak had felt this same way most of the time. A constant parade of Ren's relatives and neighbors had fought for their moment with the Vulcan, the strange visitor from a distant, obtuse culture. All he'd wanted was escape. One day, he made his way unnoticed to the back fields of Tro'Arn Farm, where no one found him for hours. Sitting quite still on the crumbling remains of an abandoned border, he smelled the rich earth and felt the warm sun on his face, and heard nothing but the breeze rustling round him and the distant crack of the forest line, punctuated by bird's calls or the unselfconscious fall of a leaf or old fruit. He hadn't been able to resist a small, contented smile. That was the moment he understood who Ren really was. A few years in on trying to make sense of him at the Academy, the mystery finally came clear, how the Trill appeared calm every minute of the day, no matter what stress the universe threw at him. While Sovak bundled up his nerves, always trying to get his feelings under control, Ren was revisiting this perfect place, in just such a perfect moment as this. He was running that moment on repeat in the back of his mind. He was traveling the galaxy on the warm breeze of home.:: ::On the biobed, Sovak breathed deeply, his head awkwardly positioned on the little pillow. Every day of his young life, the kohlinar master had ordered him to meditate, to picture a time and place of safety. He'd always supposed he failed so many times because that place didn't exist for him. But he'd found some bit of it when he went home with Ren to Trill. He should have spent more time in that field. Panicking under Ravenscroft's glances, he tried desperately to recapture the feeling of that breeze. Flat on his back, he covered his face with his hands in frustration. He would have done well to pass out for the day with some of these other telepaths, but his powers were minimal compared to theirs, and he hadn't stood a chance of much more than a few minutes blackout and a mild headache after.:: ::The Vulcan breathed deeply some more, and tried to shut out everything around him. He would have control one of these days, even if it was the last thing he did.:: Ens Sovak OPS USS Atlantis simmed by Ensign Ren Rennyn Helm Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
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