Kalianna Nicholotti

For the record, we didn't have a ceremony this leave and I thought everyone deserved ribbons. And hey, it's the Starfleet equivalent of a yearly performance eval... Hush and enjoy your one on one time with the Captain. 😛

(( Room 02-1601, USS Excalibur-A )) Addison sat cross-legged on the floor of her quarters, a series of PADDs surrounding her in various piles on the floor. She was bothered – an unusual emotion for the surgeon… Annoyed, sure. Concerned, frequently. But very rarely bothered. And yet, here she was. The conversation with Genkos left her uneasy – far more uneasy than it probably should have. The medical officer had never been a source of aggravation for the red-headed doctor, and yet she’d been unable to shake the conversation they’d had in his office just a few days before. Clearly there was something causing an issue with the leg. He claimed it to be Phantom Limb, she didn’t buy it. There was either something wrong with the leg, or something wrong with Genkos, and she wasn’t sure which. But she was going to find out. Unfortunately, on her quest for answers, she’d stumbled down a rabbit hole of old cases. Some existed in distant recesses of her brain, covered in the haze of time; others were much fresher. She picked up the first PADD: Adea’s limb replacement. Line by line, she combed through the medical report. From the limb’s design and replication by Geoff Teller, to its customizations, to Addison’s transplant, the procedure was as perfect as she could have asked for. She hadn’t been diligent with regular examinations of the limb, but Genkos was a medical officer, and with the surgeon who installed the prosthetic on the same ship, it should have been unspoken that he could have reached out to her if he was experiencing any problems. She picked up another PADD: Adea’s medical history and psychological profile. This was a document with which she’d familiarized herself extensively before she considered him a candidate for the procedure. She knew of the original accident that took his limb, she knew about its replacement, the psychological and physical rehabilitation he underwent, and his dependence on alcohol. While there weren’t any immediate red flags, it was always possible the current issues were rooted somewhere in a past that reports couldn’t reveal. She tossed it down and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Perhaps she’d forward it to Meidra and mandate counseling for him… Another PADD: G’VAR. The security officer from the Veritas was the first patient Teller and MacKenzie had created the new prostheses for, and it served as the beginning of the partnership between the doctor and the engineer, replicating new limbs for those in need. She combed through the original design and procedure and, even though that particular replacement was an arm and partial shoulder joint, the basic principles were the same when it came to Adea’s prosthetic. There had been a few kinks to work out with the original, but once the initial pain subsided, G’var hadn’t reported any additional issues with the prosthetic, nor had any more been logged in her personnel file. She tossed the PADD down and picked up one from a different pile: NICHOLOTTI. The Resolution-Excalibur’s commanding officer had nearly died of a disease that found her shifting through time. Fortunately, Addison had developed a therapy that targeted the group of cells in the woman’s temporal lobe that were causing her to shift through time and witness/experience events that happened in the past. As far as she knew, the Commodore hadn’t reported any further issues, nor had Addison witnessed any behavior that would have been concerning. A success, she supposed. Another PADD from another pile. This time: MACKENZIE. The document had been partially scrolled through, and on the screen when she picked it up was an image of her. The image had been taken just after she was rescued from the Tal Shiar agents who had kidnapped and tortured her shortly after she’d arrived on the Duronis II Embassy. Her face and torso were bruised and swollen nearly beyond recognition. Addison stared at the picture for a moment before her face became warm and she hurled the PADD across the room, clattering against the wall and the floor with a metallic clink. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose, then slowly out through her mouth. She stood up and smoothed the front of her pants, which also allowed her to shake out her legs and restore the blood flow to her feet, and when the pin[...]s on the bottoms of her feet finally stopped, made toward the door. She needed a walk. …or some bourbon. --- Commander Addison MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS First Officer USS Excalibur-A V239601AM0

RIP whiskey...

This. Just this.

(( USS ARROW, ENSIGN JACIN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS)) Ayemet opened the door to her quarters, pausing for a moment in the doorway. The bed was still pristine, as if it had never been touched, the small cabinet next to still had the holo picture frame, its’ carousel of 3d photos still revolving in the pre-rendered sequence. The computer panel and replicator ports both hummed gently, their lights illuminated as if the ship had never been precariously close to destruction. To the side was the small bathroom, a sink and sonic shower in it , but now with Ayemet’s toiletries now lying on the floor, the only immediately visible sign of any disturbance. Ayemet sighed and entered. Walking slowly over to the window she lent against the bulkhead and stared out across the never ending landscape of the blackness of space that was punctuated by stars.. Ayemet glance down at the planet dominating her view. The strange new world that had seemingly plucked them out of the sky and wrenched them downwards towards its’ surface. The planet where so many had come close to death, Lieutenant Waters, Commander Rodan, and Ar’Gorvalei, and those that had died; Amanda Crossley. Ayemet glanced down at her right hand, rubbing it as if that mere physical action would somehow eliminate the memory of looking into her eyes, and feeling her slip away, the strange vision she had had as she tried to bring comfort to her friend, and then the horror at seeing the planet’s resurrection of her body into a strange new lifeform Even though she had found peace in knowing that this showed how life stretched beyond what many considered the end, something that was a tenet of her Bajoran faith, it was still an experience that had shaken her. Still an experience that haunted her, particularly after her telepathic contact with the Crossley Entity. She could feel it tugging at her, calling to her, haunting her. She remembered the Amanda Entity healing the ship. How Lieutenant Waters had been correct in her assumption that the crown device could be retrofitted to enable the entity to communicate. How strange it had been to hear it speak, not in her mind like the empathic conversation she had had with it, but with a strange, gurgling hybrid tone. A strange amalgamation of vegetation and mammal. Or maybe that had been in her imagination, projection of what she expected to hear mixed in somehow with her empathic ability. Or maybe she was too exhausted, and this was simply her memory playing tricks with her. Ayemet had been both fascinated and disturbed as the creature agreed without hesitation to help, knowing instinctively that this was not where the crew of the Arrow belonged, just as it also knew that this was precisely where it did. The process of repairing the Arrow’s systems had been more like watching a strange ethereal performance. The Amanda Entity connecting with the ship physically, the energy flowing from it, and in to the ship’s systems, the lights slowly kicking in, subroutines restarting, The LCARS system rebooting, and eventually the all too familiar hum, barely audible, indicating that ‘life’ had returned to the ship. Ayemet could have sworn that the Entity had smiled, as much as its’ strange, fungal face allowed it to, and had caught its’ glance as it looked around d at the crew before it. A shuttle had been arranged to return it to the planet’s surface, and Ayemet had volunteered , no requested , to accompany it to its’ home. They had shared a brief moment. A sharing of thoughts and feelings. She felt that recognisable sting in her eyes, as they touched, one word echoing in her head. “Time”. And then watched out of the shuttle’s window as it rose up into the sky further and further away from the creature and the planet that teamed with life. She felt loss. She felt guilt, but as he knew that whatever had led to that point, that the Midnight Planet was where the Crossley Entity now belonged. Thew crew had been exemplary. Maria, Rodan, Chloe, Ar’Gorvalei had all faced danger and possible death in their own ways, and had all risen to the occasion showing just why they belonged on the Arrow. They hadn’t lost who they were. In fact quite the contrary it was who they were that enabled them to survive and to save others. The same was a truth for those whom hadn’t been in contact with Ayemet during her time on the planet. This crew worked together in perfect harmony, much like the planet they were on. How weird life was. If nothing else it was full of these strange small coincidences or perhaps they were lessons. She moved away from the window and slowly kneeled down on the floor, pulling a small wooden box out from underneath the bed. She ran a hand over the simple wooden carved top that showed a representation of the Celestial temple etched into the surface, She smiled at the feeling of the craving beneath her fingers, a sweet memory of the day Nisha had presented it to her proudly, Even though her friend had what some might call a more pragmatic view of the Prophets , she never showed anything but respect for Ayemet’s beliefs, and the day she had gifted this box to her friend proudly handing it her, Ayemet had never felt more surprised or grateful. She tenderly opened the lid, the brass hinges shining in the light from the stars. She unfolded the rich Burgundy cloth that covered the contents and reached in pulling out an ornate duranja, considerably smaller than most others she had come across in her life but nonetheless unmistakably Bajoran. Taking out the cloth and spending it across the floor in front of the window she carefully placed the duranja, absentmindedly running a hand across it, as if to welcome an old friend that she hadn’t seen for sometime. She then took the cloth out and placed in on the floor. In the space beneath where the prayer lamp had been lay a few minor accoutrements that Ayemet removed and placed on the cloth completing a small Bajoran shrine. She paused wondering whether she was worthy of offering a prayer for those that had died, for Amanda, o0 Not yet. This doesn’t feel right. Am I doing this for me, or for her? 0o Ayemet stood up and walked over to the bathroom, throwing the rags that used to be a proud Starfleet science officer’s uniform onto the floor. She stepped into the shower and the automatic settings kicked in. The sonic pulses hit her aching body, washing away the dirt and grime. She stood in it for what seemed like forever, her eyes closed in relief rather than joy, letting the shower do its’ work, scrubbing away the more persistent areas of the remnants of the midnight planet. Normally she would have exited the shower feeling refreshed and clean but this time was different. The tension in her body still sat uncomfortably on her bones, a reminder that she had not yet fully come to terms with what had happened on her first official mission. She sorted through her clothes and chose a simple maroon top over a pair of dark leggings, a knitted tunic partially covering the top. Sitting down at the duranja, she took a deep breath, and tried once more to compose herself. Lighting the flame at the centre of the duranja she spoke a traditional prayer for the dead, asking the Prophets to walk with Amanda on her journey, just as she had done for Nisha. The silence on her quarters was broken only by her voice softly repeating the prayer over and over. . The only light that of the stars, and the mellow glow from the flame at the centre of the duranja. It was the last thing she could do for Crossley, and whilst her death was no more tragic that the many before it, and the many that would come after it, it was personal. It was visceral, and every time Ayemet closed her eyes she could see it. She could feel it. It too called to her, weaving its’ way into her subconscious. The blood, the vision, the vacant look from her eyes that desperately searched for meaning, for clarity. The last moments. The resurrection into a new lifeform. Even though Ayemet had come to understand the entity after telepathic contact with it, and found some comfort in the realisation that this life being born from death, she still felt a deep brooding anger inside of her. The counsellor in her would say that this was repressed guilt, and as she moved to the window, staring out into the infinity of space, she knew that to be true. The Bajorans had achieved space flight hundreds of years previously, the El-Aurians even before that. The history of her ancestors was one of exploration, so why did Ayemet feel like she didn’t belong? The sensible thing to do would be to search out the Arrow’s Caitiaan/Deltan Counselor Lieutenant Commander R'Ariel , but if she was going to leave and return to Bajor why bother? Ayemet’s right hand slapped the bulkhead hard in frustration. She looked down at it, almost hypnotised by the fact she was able to feel something other than shame or guilt. She did it again, this time harder, wincing at the throbbing dull ache it now bore. Even in her turmoil she knew that how she was feeling was not healthy. She needed to speak to Commander Rodan or Captain Shayne about leaving, but this was not the time. The ship was out of danger, but everyone was still dealing with the physical and psychological; fallout from their time on the planet. She would wait. She would give it time. Was that what the Entity meant? Something at the back of her mind told her no. It was something else. Something that could heal her if only she would allow it to. She was tired. She needed a drink. She opened her bedside cabinet and took out a bottle of springwine and uncorking it with her teeth took a long slug . Lying down on her quarters floor she stared up at the ceiling and breathed out heavily… Time. .. TBC TAG /Anyone. Ensign Jacin Ayemet Science Officer USS Arrow A239810JA2

I mean, he is in my body... >.<

Which is also here...

I came to post the same thing, but it's already here! And this is just further proof that the Excal crew can do nothing in a normal, calm, typical manner...

Improv at its best...that time when you're running a body swap mission and someone tags someone that wasn't planned for or swapped... (( Unfamiliar Quarters, USS Excalibur )) Kyle woke up on the floor. He was in someone’s quarters, but they weren’t his. Something was very wrong. An itch!! Behind the ear! Scratch central. Relief. Okay. Next? Kinda thirsty. Could probably wait for now. Okay, fine. Report for duty? See what I missed? Sure. He stood up, but for some reason, his height didn’t seem right. Something was strange, indeed. He’d figure it out when he got to Sickbay. (( Sickbay, USS Excalibur )) On the way to Sickbay, people were scattering about. He’d heard the call to quarters, but that still didn’t explain why everyone kept giving him funny looks. It wasn’t until he entered the Excalibur’s Sickbay that it hit him… He wasn’t him – he was looking at him! Oh no way, no way, no way. Standing alongside him was Commander MacKenzie, Commander Yalu, Lieutenants Sherlock and Sirin, and Ensign Dakora. But after a moment, they all left except for Commander MacKenzie. None of them seemed to notice him or acknowledge his existence. Rude. His mentor would certainly say something, but she seemed to pay him no mind either. Right. That’s because HE WASN’T HIM. And the him he knew wasn’t saying much of anything. …it didn’t even seem like the lights were on. K. Morgan (as Toto): WOOF! Addison looked down at him, though from the way she stared at him, he didn’t think she was really Addison anymore, either… Maybe he wasn’t insistent enough. K. Morgan (as Toto): WOOF! Tiberius (as MacKenzie): Response The Weimaraner jumped up on Addison and started nudging her with his nose. K. Morgan (as Toto): WOOF!!! Woof-woof (beat) woof. Tiberius (as MacKenzie): Response Tag, and TBC! --- Lieutenant Kyle Morgan Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Excalibur-A V239601AM0

Two sims spanning much of the mission elapsed time, knit together to create this amazing masterpiece. (( The "Midnight" Planet - Crashed Pod Site; Immediately after the crash )) Amanda fought to open her eyes, but everything was dark and smelled of smoke and burnt metal. Strange colors blurred in and out of existence. A haze of heavy heat pressed on her chest. A weak arm that seemed attached to her reached out, trying to find a way to move in vain. The bustle of worried voices were too distant to be truly real. Finally that flailing hand found something as it dropped back onto the chest of its owner. The physical pain wasn't nearly as much as the shock of realizing how bad it must be if she could only barely feel it until that moment. She had enough medical training, even as a cadet, to know full well the prognosis. She tried to call out. She couldn't. Fortunately, it wasn't needed because a blonde Bajoran ensign was at her side. Amanda almost relaxed - she could remember filling the woman's medical records just recently. Amanda, being the chatterbox about home she usually was, had shared lots about home. Jacin: Hey there. Amanda. It’s Ayemet. How are you doing? Amanda drew a raspy breath in an attempt to reply, only to manage a wet cough. oO How am I doing? I'm dying, is how I'm doing... Oo At first the realization was half-sarcastic, but the severity set in with a wave of panic. She was dying. There was no sickbay to go to. No emergency transporters to rely on. No chance of being resuscitated. This was it. The true final frontier. The one you didn't come back from. A warm hand passed through her hair. It was the kind of thing her mother would do for her when she was young, and it was a small blessing that it kept the true weight of reality from crushing her. Jacin: I know you’re scared ::she continued to lightly caress Crossley’s left hand:: But there’s nothing to be afraid of. You are safe and warm. Surrounded by that bright orange sun that shone down on you that time you went to the Barrier Reef. Amanda grasped onto Ayemet's, as if her grip could keep her tether to the world of the living. She smiled faintly. But she knew the biological processes. She could already feel the slow fuzz of blood loss creeping over her mind, the chemistry slowly diminishing, quieting to a dull unfocused hum. She tried to look at the kind ensign, but the very act of doing so was so very hard... Jacin: You’re not alone. You are about to go on a great adventure. I remember you telling me how much you lived for adventure.I’m with you. Saying with you. You’re not alone. I want to think of your favorite place in the world, the place that makes you the happiest. You’re going there. Amanda nearly smiled her girlish smile, but her body simply wouldn't let her. Just breathing was enough of a chore. Softly, sweetly, the strange air came alive with music. Something familiar, yet not, the Ayemet's voice filled that slow backward slip of the mind and body forgetting it was supposed to be alive. The Bajoran's voice, though hoarse with grief over the inevitable, took her back home. To peace. For a moment she was on a golden beach, a dog running by her side with some kind of green ball in its mouth, a man ahead laughing at her. Amanda was not alone in her memory. Man: Come on Amanda! Do you really want to be beaten in a race with a pug? At last, the night took Amanda Crossley. But it was not the end. (( Somewhere. Everywhere. Nowhere. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. )) Before all things, there was the Great Light. The Great Light, seeing the totality of darkness and its cruel grasp over the universe, gave its life in a great exhalation that spread a trillion trillion spores across the entirety of everything. In time, its sacrifice would utterly banish the darkness, forcing it to hide from the Light's brilliantly luminous children in the smallest cracks and crevices of space. One child of the Light was bestowed a very particular curse. There was a ball of rock, just inside of it's reach, that stubbornly insisted on hiding so much of its face from the warmth and life the light gave it. So, the child of the Light made a decision to act, unlike many of its brothers and sisters: it would come to inhabit the planet. To give its energy to the primordial life that had just begun to form on the rock. To ensure that even when the skies faced outward to the moonless darkness of space, every corner would be filled with a richness of color and luminous power. In a billion years, this place would be a garden the likes of which would be unimaginable by the curious space-dwellers whose feet tramped the ground, scampering about looking for technology or science to save them when they only needed Light. In another billion years, maybe they too would come to truly understand the Light. For now, their visit was barely noticeable. I had lasted (was going to last?) only a fleeting femtosecond from the perspective of the Light's child. It was like a fly had landed on a dirty plate, only to take off again the moment someone bothered to look, disappearing to wherever it came from. The child of the Great Light rarely took an interest in the creatures that inhabited its planet. Their lives were like the moment a stone dropped into water, the instant it was neither dry nor wet. But everything on this planet was inextricably part of it, and in return it was part of them. Such was the nature of choosing to dwell on this planet, rather than in the high throne of its star. Every living being, from the most humble proto-bacteria to the altogether-too-clever-Zelph had their energies bound up with that of the Great Light's child. Such was its promise to this place. Few entities in the universe understood the importance death had for life better than the Great Light's child. It's own existence depended on the death of another being. Every living creature on its planet depended on the stuff of the Light child's dead brothers and sisters. Every act of creation was equally an act of creative destruction. Little wonder then, that life was short and vigorous on its planet, each cycle giving way to another form of life yet more bizarre and wondrous and complex. Death and life were perfectly balanced, their energies pushing diversity and light to dizzying new heights. The first fleck of rich wet soil had yet to cover the body of what used to be Amanda Crossley, and already her body had been colonized by the spores of at least a dozen different species of fungi - this planet's great recycler of dead things. In minutes, invisible tendrils had already sunken into the decaying flesh around her wound, seeing as it was no longer being used. From there, they followed the highways of blood vessels and nerves, pulled on the muscles, discovering and exploring a shape and structure as alien to them as they were to it. However, a human body does not decay all in one go. As ruined as the vessel the fungi now colonized was, a great deal of material was vastly more useful when supplied with nothing more than a splash of oxygen, glucose, and a smattering of other compounds and minerals that were surpassingly easy to come by as a fungus. In fact, they found that this vessel was capable of emitting tremendous Light along its long inner tendrils, and there was a particularly useful mass of cells that could emit Light at one end, just inside a hard shell. Chemical messengers were dispatched. Enzymes were manufactured. The fungi would work together to supply the cells with whatever they needed. To rebuild. Amanda's life replayed inside her mind as neural bridges were repaired and electrical activity swung upwards. Instead of her father, she saw the Great Light. The sands on her favorite beach were spores of fungus, sparkling and glittering like multi-spectral Christmas lights. The waves of water were the cycle of life and death of entire stars. Instead of her pug, it was a Fungaluf[...]us, playing fetch with a tricorder. The academy, her time on the Arrow - all of it was there, but understood and remembered in an entirely new way. The next thing she knew, Amanda was standing, looking down on her own grave. (( The "Midnight" Planet - Crashed Pod Site; Current Time )) Amanda took a breath on instinct, but she no longer had use of her lungs. An incredible sensation washed over her limbs, simultaneously strong as steel and frail as a flower. She curled and wiggled her fingers, only beginning to grasp what had happened to her. As all beings born of the midnight planet, she shared in the link with the Light that spread through all things, but her new form had only just come into existence and fear was a powerful instinct. That instinct overwhelmed her almost immediately as she saw herself glowing in a thousand different shades. So, she ran as fast as she could into the night. But running couldn't help her escape herself. She didn't make it far. Once she stopped, she finally saw the forest around her for the first time. It vibrated with light. It spoke to her, in a way. She saw her own golden-white light spread out through the sheet of mycelial webbing beneath her. She sucked in the air filled with billions of sparkling spores she couldn't have seen before, feeling her own dual alien nature steadily tangling and welding itself together. Amanda was a branch grafted onto the planet's fungal tree of life. She reached out, and the forest responded to her, breathing with her, living with her, sensing with her - and she with it. A shiver went down her spine. Something was calling her. She stood back up, and a path revealed itself to her, leading back to the camp. Red and white pulsed and flowed through the vines - or at least her perception of them. One step carefully in front of the other, leading back to the camp. Her back shook again, she could hear it this time, a feeling in every one of her bones (or what was left of them). The call was getting louder. Alvarez: MEDIC! A voice from the clearing rang out. A familiar voice, yet one totally alien. She found herself helplessly drawn closer and closer to call, despite her primal human fear slowly rising again. She didn't even know who or what she was? How would the others react? There was no stopping though. Her new instincts drew her to the call, overriding even fight-or-flight. She continued stepping, until she had to push aside a canvas flap to reach the source of the call. The moment she did, she understood. (( The "Midnight" Planet - Crashed Pod Site )) Amanda - the luminous reincarnate fungal being, not the cadet - saw something very different from anything she could have ever seen when she stepped into that tent. Immediately, she was transfixed by the two-legged, two-arm form laying on the ground, and the lights twinkling inside of that living body. They were brilliant, but erratic, and thousands of spores had landed on him seeking to convert the rapid dimming of death into a blaze of life. She could see them all - it was as if he was covered in sparkling sand. Black tendrils of darkness spread through his chest and head only to be banished back again by the resilient strength of his body. She had been called here to help reclaim dead matter, but he was not yet dead. She could feel the primal urge to feed, to add to the planet's light. So, she stepped forward utterly engulfed in the new instinct, even though part of her knew better. The human part did. She stopped short at the sight of a tall human form in front of her, lit by a passionate and vibrant inner red light. Red like fire. It suddenly got very large, and bared its teeth. The suddenness of it frightened Amanda, who still held onto many of her humanisms. She backed up, uncertain of how to proceed. When she did, she found her cornered by another woman. Soon enough, there was a third woman, and another man. Outnumbered, and her instinct to banish the darkness no less diminished, there was nowhere to go. Alvarez: Crossley? A flash of recognition flooded through the newly-reconstructed gray matter at the sound of that particular configuration of sounds washing across the soft membranes of fungus. Yes. That was her name, once. Jacin: No. The realizations came fast and furious. Her brain had been scrambled, reassembled, parasitized, reincarnated, and experienced many other things that escaped the limited imagination of words. So, it was more a matter of the emergent memories being properly filed away. Or misfiled, as the case may be. As she faced one of the women (her light was dappled and of a most beautiful blend of ruddy, earthen orange and piercing blue like lightning; mixing like oil paints on a palette), her new body responded to the smells of fear and rage that rose in a steam from the other's skin. Jacin: No. The sensation of her light was familiar - that was the only thing keeping the hostility from being responded with like action. There was no escape for Amanda-of-the-fungi from the four individuals now, but this light was a great comfort. Still, Amanda needed to do something about the darkening of the form on the ground. She was slowly coming to understand her own relationship to these creatures around her. That they were somehow close to her. Part of her prior existence. If only she could somehow make them understand... Rodan: Stand down, Ensign. Let's all take a moment... The words bore meaning, even if the even tone carried more weight than the vocabulary, which her mind was still struggling with. But this woman in front of her... She could almost place the connection she felt. Jacin: No. The single sound meant nothing to her. She had to find out why. Why the orange-and-blue woman hated and feared her. Why Amanda felt such a bond with her in return, despite that. So, the fungus did the only thing it knew how to do. It reached out. To touch. To taste. To read. To know. Amanda's arm jerked out instinctively in a flash. The body shrieked in shock by vibrating its skin when it found itself in pain for the very first time with a vice-like grip squishing its tender fungal flesh. Fungus, lacking a true nervous system, had never felt even the slightest discomfort before. The experience was like receiving news that a thousand acres of forest had been squashed and burnt by a meteorite, only a thousand times more immediate. Rodan: That's enough! The standing man intervened, and the red-lit woman's fire turned to a comfortable hearth-glow as she took the woman in her embrace. Somehow, the body knew to relax, to retreat again. As it did, the essence of her living kin seeped into her veins, broken down and integrated into her very being. The dead skin and oils and DNA were read in by the fungus, and she fully understood. These people were once the trees that stood next to her in the grove; their roots were once tangled with hers. Where she had succumbed to calamity and fallen to the forest floor, their trunks still stood tall, their branches still bore leaves and flowers aplenty. Their inner lights still shone bright where hers had faded, only to be re-lit by a million spores. Rodan: Alvarez, get her out of here! Alvarez: ::Quietly. :: You're okay. I've got you. Waters: Response Rodan: Take a walk, get some air. Any: Response Amanda truly understood, finally, what was transpiring. The body felt something else entirely new - a wash of immense guilt. She should never have made a move like that towards someone so afraid. The fungus never before had the ability to understand what it meant to make a mistake. It simply just was. There was no choice in the matter. Anywhere there was death, it would bring back life. Rodan: Did you do this? Amanda's comprehension of the crude auditory language she once spoke was still slowly returning, but she could piece enough together to get the gist. She attempted verbal communication, for her lights clearly could not be read. Given the body lacked any semblance of breath or working lungs, a strange wet bubbling and burbling noise was all the body could manage. Crossley: brrsssbsbb Alvarez: He was like that when I got here. It - :: She nodded in the direction of Crossley :: showed up after I did. Waters: Response Some semblance of calm seemed to take over the tent again, and somehow Amanda understood her new existence was safe again. More than that, she understood that she could not heed the call that still beckoned her. The man on the ground... he still lived. There was no need for his light to leave him. The Great Light had already received its tribute in the form of the flesh she now occupied. She knew she had to help, but how? Her understanding of herself was so limited, how could she give back? She watched the standing man for a moment, his twin stars of light - one a fabulous rainbow of color that somehow didn't mix - trying to do something, but to no avail. Rodan: If he dies, will he transform too? Alvarez: I think we have to assume so... The secret already lay within her. Perhaps it was fortunate that some remaining piece of the woman who once trained to be a physician understood something of the biology of what had happened to her. Now, that knowledge existed on a liminal plane, more like a subconscious suggestion of what to do. Simple chemistry. That's all her body was. The fungi had brought her back because they happened to supply the body with the right nutrients, and because the scaffolding her old body provided gave a new way for the fungus to cooperate and understand itself. The tools already existed quite literally at her fingertips: control of the fungus, control of the body's natural processes, and most importantly the Light itself. Perhaps she could use those intentionally, rather than instinctually. In fact, as the thought appeared, she knew she could. Or rather, her body knew it could. She stepped cautiously forward, not wishing to repeat her mistake. She motioned carefully at the rainbow-man, lightly pushing the tricorder down and away. She wouldn't need it, even if she remembered what the device was for. She could already see the entirety of the problem laid out before her, equally with the solution - now plain as day. She knelt down, and her hand went to the black gash at the doctor's head, covered in a multi-spectral dusting of spores setting to work on someone who's time hadn't yet come. She breathed in their light. Her body accepted at last its true existence. She was the Light. The Light was her. Her form was not limited to the mangled toes and fingers and face of this body, her awareness and existence spread across the entirety of the rock she might have once called the Midnight planet. She drew forth its power, its life and energy, sucking it into herself until the tent became as brilliantly bright as high noon. Jacin :Whispering: It’s healing him. Waters: Response She could feel the presence of the man under her fingertips in her mind too, the beginnings of this planet's invasion of his being. His fear and pain became hers, at least until she transferred a piece of her Light to him, along with the critical biological elements his body needed. It was a trivial gift for a globe spanning network of fungus to give, but a critical one for him to receive. She could feel the spores retreating from him into her. His body stitching itself back together as if observed in time-lapse. In moments, it was over. The man's light was restored to a full, verdant strength. The call had quieted to a steady thrum. One miracle completed, her work continued. Rodan: Oh, boy... She stood again, and stepped to the rainbow-man. She reached forward, her ruined face asking for permission to do the same for him. He did not retreat, which she took to mean that it was given. Again, she touched the invading sparkle on his torso, almost as if in a form of rebuke against the fungus for so rudely going somewhere it should not have. Her power came more easily this time, her bond with the Light and the planet it lived on intensifying with exercise. It was all over within seconds. Amanda understood the reaction as gratitude. She didn't know how to communicate anything back. Rodan: Remarkable! The still-human part of Amanda agreed. The fungal form simply was doing what it always knew it could. Alvarez: Well, then! Why don't we all get in line for a mushroom light pick-me-up! Waters: Response The green-lighted man she'd restored first sat up. She felt a new emotion she'd never known before - something that oscillated between pride and joy at seeing his light and health restored. Ar’Gorvalei: Crossley? There was that word again. She was beginning to understand it as the label that belonged to her before her bark turned to mulch. Alvarez: It certainly looks like her. But it doesn't act very much like her. Maybe we could ask? Ar’Gorvalei: It’s still her, I think, or some part of her. But she can’t speak. :: Looking at Chloe :: Were you able to make the modifications on your crown? Alvarez: If we were looking for something with actual intelligence, possibly sentience, to communicate with, I think we found it… Waters/Any: Response Amanda found herself drawn back towards the orange-and-blue woman. The one she could just barely remember. The one that made her feel comfortable, despite everything. There was a tiny little nut of black hanging just above the woman's belly. She wasn't sure how, but she could vaguely sense the woman's thoughts - something about her was different from the others. Amanda stretched out a hand, offering to dispel the darkness. o0 Broken? 0o Jacin : nodding.: Sorry. She repeated the offer. o0 Mend? 0o Jacin : shaking head: Can’t mend. Broken. Amanda-of-the-fungus considered. She wouldn't do something against the woman's will, however much that absence of light went against her nature. There was another thing that would bring back the light. o0 Time. 0o She reached out, and attempted to comfort the orange-and-blue woman. The one that had been there when her trunk had succumbed to rot. The touch returned was satisfactory reassurance, if only just. Jacin: Sorry. :: She turned to face the others. :: You’re wrong Mr Ar’Gorvalei. It's not Crossley. There’s nothing of her left. It’s the planet. It’s a physical representation of a perfect ecosystem.. She turned to the one whose light leaked from her head into a wreath of light-filled flowers. Jacin: The Crown should work perfectly. It’s not only able to understand. It should be able to communicate on a rudimentary basis. Alvarez: What? How can you know that? Jacin: Response? Alvarez: This stuff is way outside my area of expertise. But I say we try it. How much crazier can things really get? :: She smirked. :: Amanda could only just tell, but she sensed something was afoot by the way their noises had changed. Something possibly very good. She desperately wanted to tell them everything was okay, to explain how much she now knew, and how little she still understood. Part of her still felt that bond with her grove-mates, and wanted to share with them everything. Ar'Gorvalei/Waters/Jacin/Rodan: Response Alvarez: Well, here goes nothing, right? Ar'Gorvalei/Waters/Jacin/Rodan: Response Tag/TBC... Amanda Crossley Former Cadet, USS Arrow Child of the Midnight Planet as simmed by Lieutenant JG Maria Alvarez Operations Officer USS Arrow - NCC-69829 A239710MA0 Wiki Operator

Hahahahahaha!

Famous last words...

((Planetside, Escape Pod crash site)) The first thing that Ayemet was aware of was a strong sense of disorientation. The world was black. A deep, dark blackness. There were muffled sounds., and the sickening smell of acrid, choking smoke. Ayemet groaned. The last thing she remembered was falling out of the atmosphere of the planet, spinning wildly as they desperately, and unsuccessfully, tried to control; the descent of the escape pod as it smashed into the jungle’s canopy. Something warm and sticky trickled down Ayemet’s head. She instinctively put her hand to her temple, and immediately regretted it. A sharp jab of pain went through her as she brought her hand up to her face, trying in the darkness to perceive what was on it. She laughed inwardly. o0 Do you really need to check? You’ve a head injury 0o Shaking the thought from her mind she looked around. On actually examining the apocolyptic scene before her, she realised that the darkness was actually punctuated by the red pulsation of the pod’s emergency alarm, with whips of a dirty grey smoke wafting across the pod’s interior highlighted by the alarm’s light. Pod Computer: Warning. D.d.d.dangerous landing. W.w.w.. warning. d.d.d dangerous landing. The clipped feminine voice of the computer alarm stated. Jacin: muttering: Thanks for telling me.I hadn’t realised.:Roll call! Ayemet released the clamps on her harness and dropped to the wall, that now served as the floor, of the escape pod.. She grunted with pain, realising that the number one priority was the crew’s safe evacuation. Jacin: Now. Everyone report in. Name, rank, and any any injuries sustained. One by one the crew reported in, exactly as expected with name rank and the handful of injuries that several had sustained. Captain Shayne and Lieutenant Commander Rodan ran a good ship, and Ayemet contented herself with the knowledge that all the others would have landed safely and the shuttle would be beginning its’ work on the Arrow. At least she hoped so. A momentary stab of fear ran through her. In amongst all the chaos of the evacuation she hadn’t seen any other pods in distress, and the shuttle had answered her initial hail, but she couldn’t be certain that that had remained as the status quo. No. She wouldn’t allow that worry to take over. Even if it were true, and there was nothing to suggest that it was, there was nothing she, or any of the others could do about it. No. Ayemet had to ensure the safety of those around her. Those who she knew she had an immediate responsibility to, All of the pod’s occupants had reported in, and no-one had seemingly anything other than minor injuries that could be dealt with, or at least stabilised, by the medical kits included in the emergency packs. No wait. That wasn’t right. There was one occupant who hadn’t reported in. What was her name? Crossley? Yeah that was it. A fresh faced human cadet who was training as a Nurse. She stood up and raised her voice. Jacin: shouting: Trell! Shut that blasted alarm off and see if you can restorer some lighting! The Bolian Security Officer moved swiftly and within seconds thew alarm was off, leaving only the loud ringing sound in her ears. The emergency lights kicked in soon after and Ayemet couldn’t help but let out a gasp. For the greater part the pod was intact, for the greater part. Thick plume of smoke rose from the centre console,, and a beam, no not a beam Ayemet realised, the branch of one of the massive trees had pierced the escape pod skewering the small craft ripping through the navigation and engine consoles , The fact that the pod had hit one of the trees with such force as for that to be able to happen, and yet kept the majority of the pod intact, was a testament to Starfleet engineering, but one thing was certain. The pod was wrecked, and now useless. Jacin: Okay listen up! We’re evacuating now. I want each of you to check your area for any useable tech we can salvage. Ran I want you to organise it all and see if we can make a functional communications ray from it all. Ren nodded curtly. Jacin: Once out of this pod I don’t want you coming back in, so make sure you have all that you need before heading out. She turned to a short stocky Tellarite female who she recognised from the Operations Division. Hohk you’re responsible for making sure that the emergency pack is complete. Take who you need to help set up the shelters. She felt her heart pumping , thumping in her chest cavity as if it would burst out of it. The rush of adrenaline from finding herself in these circumstances had carried her through the initial discovery of the seriousness of their circumstances, but truth be told this was not something that came naturally to Ayemet. Her actions were born from necessity not her natural proclivity. As each crew member began to strip their area of usable resources, slowly but surely moving out of the devastated interior. Jacin lent against what was once the top of the pod, but that now served as a wall. She was about to collapse when a young human make, Ben…What was it again? Ben Hunter, his Gold uniform covered in grime , his normally clean shaven and expertly groomed face also v=covered in dirt walked uo to her. She let out a sigh and looked up at him, here eyes telling him to report. Hunter: Sir.. Ayemet put her hand up, Jacin: I’m an Ensign. Just call me Ayemet. Hunter nodded grimly. Hunter: Ayemet. It’s Crossley. I…:beat : I think you need to see her. That all too familiar fear rose in Ayemet’s stomach. That fear. That ice cold feeling that fed on itself and her own insecurities. Without saying a word she followed Hunter to wear Crossley had been seated. What she saw chilled her to the bone. The young Cadet was still strapped into her seat, another splinter of wood piercing right through her lower torso. It was difficult to tell the color of her uniform so covered in blood and grime, and the Cadet’s face was almost drained of color, bearing only a sickly blueish tinge . Her eyes were unfocused, as if she was only partly aware of her surroundings, of what was happening. As Ayemet approached her the fellow Nurse, Darcy, if Ayemet remembered correctly turned from studying his scanner and approached Ayemet. A wild frightened look in her eyes Ayemet waited for him t o report. He merely shook his head, obviously struggling to contain his feelings, the flood of emotions that might otherwise escape should they be given the slightest opportunity or reason to. Ayemet nodded sadly. Jacin: How long? Darcy: Mintues, maybe a couple of hours at most. The : beat: the brach ran straight through her. She’s suffering from a severe spinal fracture and it’s pierced her left lung. She has traumatic pneumothorax.I’ve made her as comfortable as I can but… If we had a medical bay…. His voice trailed off, a look of untold grief in his eyes. Ayemet put a gentle hand on his shoulder Jacin: Thanks Darcy. Collect your pack and help set up a triage for the other injuries. I’ll stay with her. Darcy: But..:Looking at Crossley: She.. Ayemet gently but firmly turned Darcy around.Her heart breaking. Knowing how he felt all too well. Jacin: You’ve done all you can, but others need you now. What you’ll do will make a difference. I’ll stay with her until : beat : until she’s gone. Darcy nodded and turned to leave without saying a word. Ayemet didn’t know him well, not that she kn ew any of the crew we’ll, but he was trying his best, and as much as he was affected by his inability, through no fault of his own, to help Crossley, Ayemet thought that maybe helping other might guide him through a difficult time. She mad her way over to Crossley, and reached out for her left hand, holding it whilst gently rubbing it with her thumb. Jacin: Hey there. Amanda. It’s Ayemet. How you doing? o0 How you doing? Stupid 0o She stroked Crossley hair away from her face, it’s normally raven black sheen lost in a sea of blood and dirt. Ayemet hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. Up to this point her growing empathic abilities had been something she had been scared of, a fittingly painful ‘gift’ from her El-Aurian Father, but maybe this time they might prove to be a benefit. She had spoken briefly to the human about her time growing up in an area of Earth called Australia. Ayemet remembered how wonderful it sounded, and how Crossley’s love for it was all too obvious. She looked at Crossley in the eyes, unsure if what exactly to do. It wasn’t as if it was some sort of ‘power’ that could be turned off and win. It just was. When she spoke her voice sounded; different somehow, as if it had depth or knowledge, a knowledge that Ayemet was not aware of or even did not truly posses. Jacin: I know you’re scared :she continued to lightly caress Crossley’s left hand: But there’s nothing to be afraid of. You are safe and warm. Surrounded by that bright orange sun that shone down on you that time you went to the Barrier Reef. Crossley’s eyes looked at Ayemet, trying to focus on her. Jacin: You’re not alone. You are about t go on a great adventure. I remember you telling me how much you lived for adventure.I’m with you. Saying with you. You’re not alone. I want to think of your favourite place in the world, the place that makes you the happiest. You’re going there. There was a ragged gasp of breath from Crossly, and Ayemet choked back the tears. o0 Not now. Just hold on. Don’t give in now 0o. She started to sing to Crossley, a Bajoran nursery rhyme that her Uncle, or was it her Brother, had once taught to her. Gently holding Crossley. For a moment she was on a beach a golden beach, a dog running by her side with some kind of green ball in its’ mouth a man ahead laughing at her. Man: Come on ~Amanda! D you really want to be beaten in a race with a pug? Then she was back in the pod. Crossley’s hand cold and unmoving in hers, her eyes staring upwards as if looking at the sun. Ayemet let go sobbing uncontollably. She didn’t know why. She didn’t even know Crossley that well, and she didn’t understand that ‘vision’, if that’s what it was, but those were questions for another time, another place. She stood up, closing Amanda’s eyes, and folding her arms in her lap. Wiping her eyes on her grimy sleeve she stood up, taking her pack with her, and went to help those that were still alive. Ensign Jacin Ayemet Science Officer USS Arrow A239810JA2

~ MacKenzie

I don't know what you guys are thinking, Kali is totally a queen...

Got a kick out of this one... ((Hallway - Maklau Resort Hotel, Risa)) After the group session in Meidra's Office, Talos had met with several of the people who had offered to help with the Remembrance Celebration and they'd all gone away with different action items and tasks. He was still sort of in awe at how his random, spur-of-the-moment idea had blossomed into a real event that everyone seemed interested in making happen. Talos had returned to his room, thankfully finding it empty, and had taken a long thorough sonic shower that seemed to have rid him of his body glitter infestation once and for all. He had put on some fresh clothes and headed back out to start accomplishing his various small missions to facilitate the festivities. He'd left the wing of the hotel where the Junior Officers had been stashed away, in search of the Resort Administrators, but he must've taken a wrong turn and found himself in the Command Officer's wing. He was turning around to leave when he saw the XO, Commander MacKenzie, seemingly returning to her room. He went to give her a little smile and nod as she passed, but something caught his eye and caused him to do an unintentional double-take. In her hands was a little, oddly painted Horga’hn. Being a subject relevant to his interests, Talos knew all about the Risian fertility symbols and the ritual of Jamaharon. Talos sort of stopped for a moment, [...]ed his head slightly and opened his mouth to speak, thought better of it and closed it again. He ALMOST walked away, ALMOST, but his nature got the better of him. He casually pointed at the Horga’hn. Dakora: Commander MacKenzie... ::He smirked.:: Are you seeking Jama- An expression on the XO's face caused his courage to falter halfway through the question and he trailed off. MacKenzie: Response Facing down a glare that felt like it had burned through to his soul and left two singed MacKenzie-eye-sized scorch-marks. Talos rapidly backpedaled. Dakora: No. Right. ::He swallowed.:: Definitely not. MacKenzie: Response Sometimes bad ideas were fun, but sometimes bad ideas were just... bad. This certainly felt like the latter. With all of the dignity of a dog with it's tail between it's legs, Talos tried to make his escape. Dakora: Uh, well... Enjoy the rest of your day, M'am. MacKenzie: Response Sheepishly he continued on his way to find the Resort Admin area, vowing to steer clear of the Command wing for the rest of the shore leave. END ======//////======> Ensign Talos Dakora Intelligence Officer USS Resolution O238811CD0

Yalu ❤️ Cheeseburgers.

This needs a plaque.

You beat me to it...

OOC – This is a flashback from Ar’Gorvalei’s Academy days. Just wanted to share. IC - ((Earth, San Francisco, The Fab Floor, 3 years previously )) Natalie Tomassen, her brown ponytail swaying behind her, led her fellow second-year cadets down the nightclub’s winding staircase. Tomassen: I learned about this place from some upperclassmen. It’s sort of a hidden gem. Her roommate Mysa zh’Drinnel, a tall, lithe Andorian woman with cobalt blue skin and her white hair in many tiny braids, navigated her way down the staircase holding a glass of blue Andorian Ale she’d picked up at the bar. Zh’Drinnel: A ‘gem’? Right… Behind the two women, Ar’Gorvalei and Gabriel “Bing” Reyes, Natalie’s boyfriend, followed. The downstairs room of the bar was lit by colored strobe lights. Tables, couches and pillows were scattered about the room. Patrons, mostly human, and mostly Starfleet cadets, clustered in small groups around the room. Reyes: The real gem is over there. ::Points with his drink at a large, squat, rectangular machine with a glass front and several buttons:: That, my friends, is an authentic, Seeburg Model ESE 100 Jukebox, circa Earth Year 1970. Tomassen: Authentic? ::Snorts :: If it were really authentic, it would be in a museum. Reyes: No, really, it is. I talked to the owner. They’ve had to replicate replacement parts over the years, but the replicated parts have all been true to the original. Tomassen: Now there’s a philosophical question. :: Takes a sip of her beer and looks at Ar’Gorvalei:: How many parts do you have to replace before something is no longer the original? You replace one worn part here, one worn part there; after a century or two just about every part has been replaced, one at a time. Is it still the original, or a replication? Ar’Gorvalei met Natalie’s eyes. The two were both specializing in medicine at the Academy, and had connected over their shared studies in xenobiology. Ar’Gorvalei: Humans and Efrosians – and Andorians too, I imagine… ::Glances at zh’Drinnel:: … constantly grow new cells as old cells die off. Skin cells, hair cells, everything but neurons, die off and are replaced. Yet are we not our ‘original’ selves? Would you argue that you are a replica of Natalie because you are not composed of the ‘original’ Natalie cells you were born with? Tomassen: ::Raises her drink and smiles at Ar’Gorvalei:: Touche. Mysa peered into the jukebox’s glass front. Zh’Drinnel: That’s all well and good, but what does this thing actually do? Assuming it does anything. Bing leaned on the left side of the jukebox. Reyes: Oh, well, that’s the real beauty. You see, it plays … Tomassen: Let’s just show them. Natalie walked up to the machine and took a small, round disk out of a cup attached to the wall next to the machine. She slipped the disk into a hole in the side of the machine. She looked inside it, and pressed a letter and number combination on the buttons on the machine’s front. Tomassen: ::Snickering:: You’ll like this one. Mysa jumped back as the sound of an electric piano echoed from the box, followed by the strumming of an electric guitar and a man’s voice: . “Seventy-three men sailed up From the San Francisco Bay Rolled off of their ship, and here's what they had to say "We're callin' everyone to ride along to another shore We can laugh our lives away and be free once more" Ar’Gorvalei: :: Is this a library? Reyes: No, no. It just plays music, classical music. ::Shakes head and smiles.:: Ar’Gorvalei: Are these not the songs of your people? Meanwhile, Natalie began dancing with Mysa and pumping her fist in the air to the beat of the song’s chorus as she sang along: “Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip Ride captain ride upon your mystery ship On your way to a world that others might have missed…” Ar’Gorvalei: ::Looking confused:: Is this an account of early space exploration? Jonathan Archer’s voyages? Or later? Tomassen: Naw, this was written 200 years before Archer, more or less. Ar’Gorvalei: Prophesy, then? Reyes: More likely drugs. I heard they were doing a lot of LDS around that time. ::Looks at the jukebox again:: I’d love to take this baby apart. Tomassen: Don’t you dare. We’d get banned. Reyes: I’d put it back together again. Tomassen: The old thing’s probably held together with baling wire and duct tape. You pick the next song. Reyes: ::Flipping through the song selections:: Ah-ha! Keeping to the theme of nautical nonsense. Natalie dragged Bing away from the jukebox and onto the dance floor, as a strangely accented song about a “yellow submarine” began playing. Mysa raised an eyebrow at Ar’Gorvalei. He smiled, took her hands, and joined her on the dance floor. (( Present – USS Arrow, Deck 2, Officer’s Mess )) Ar’Gorvalei looked at the holopic he held in his hands, taken at the Academy, of himself, Mysa, Natalie and Bing, arms around each other, the latter two half drunk. He pushed the button to turn it off and slipped it inside his pocket, and gazed off into space. They had been good friends, for a time. Then Bing had slept with the wrong person, Natalie slept with Ar’Gorvalei in retaliation, and Mysa became furious at both of them. Ar’Gorvalei was left stunned at how quickly his closest friendships had imploded. oO It seemed like such a small thing to throw away friendships over. I will never understand humans. Or Andorians. Oo Ar’Gorvalei shook his head. Bing had dropped out of the Academy; Ar’Gorvalei never heard all of the details, but there was some sort of scandal connected to his departure. Mysa was recently posted to a ship serving on the other side of the Alpha Quadrant. They still kept in touch, although they were no longer as close as they once were. As for Natalie… Ar’Gorvalei walked up to the jukebox in the officer’s mess. It was a different model, but the principles were the same. He scanned through the tabs listing the available songs. oO Yes, they have it. Oo His fingers hovered over the buttons, just lightly touching them. Then he pulled his fingers back, as if the keys burned him. oO No, not yet. It’s too soon. Oo Still, the words echoed in his head, and Ar’Gorvalei smiled. “Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip Ride captain ride upon your mystery ship On your way to a world that others might have missed…” END Ensign Ar'Gorvalei Medical Officer U.S.S. Arrow A239809A11

Sure we're a science ship and not a medical ship?

Welcome aboard!