Alleran Tan

Waiting Room Surgical Suite Sickbay USS Ostrov Kartografov “Miss Kasula sh’Xaltikalanna, I just want you to know that you’re the bravest eleven-year old on this ship, and I am here for you no matter what happens.” Despite his blue collar, it was so uncommon that Commander Peter Martinez actually worked in Sickbay. Counselors had their own suites, and while they were doctors (real doctors with real PHDs, as he insisted during playful banters with the Medical staff), they rarely went into sickbay unless they were patients themselves. When things were going well. Today they were not going well. His patient today was an Andorian shen pre-teen perched on the edge of the comfortable-looking chair in the surgical suite’s waiting room. In stark contrast to her people’s traditional garb, she wore a Tellarite-style robe, a yellow and rose coloured piece that hung off her like petals from a flower. When it caught the normally harsh light of sickbay, it reflected and refracted it in a way that seemed to almost make her sparkle. Her hair was styled in the stereotypical Vulcan bowl cut, further bucking the species trend; she had three PADDs spread out in front of her, one balanced precariously on each small knee, the third clasped firmly in her hands. Each of the electronic screens was covered in a dizzying array of text in English. Such fusions of the stylings of the four founding members of the Federation were not entirely uncommon these days. “The medical staff told me I could wait here,” said Kasula, defensively, grasping her PADD close, as though it were an anchor holding her in place. For an Andorian, she had a strangely Vulcan-accented voice, flat and full of tension but without emotion. “They promised.” Martinez knelt down on the cold deck plating, bringing his eyes to her level. “No, you can stay here. It’s okay.” Kasula’s eyes were on him, watching and listening to his words, but her Andorian antenna were affixed on the door that led to the surgical suite, bent over like waves, straining like tiny trees blown by an unseen wind. How much of the doctor’s chatter could she make out through the thick metal? “Good, agreed,” said Kasula, the tension in her muscles clearly refusing to abate. Her antenna twitched, still affixed on the door, eyes ever-so-briefly flicking to the sealed metal portal and then back. She spoke plainly. “Is my mother going to die?” Being the ship’s counselor was his dream job almost every single day. Almost. “I ... don’t know,” he confessed, as honest as he could manage. “A better picture of her prospects will emerge in the next few hours.” “Because of the antiprotons,” said Kasula, almost as though she was explaining some great wisdom she had only recently acquired. “They take hours to dissipate. Their presence inhibits wound treatment.” How curious. Starfleet brats tended to absorb an entire mountain of entirely age-inappropriate general knowledge, living out in the black of space where a violent death was a persistent reality of frontier life, but the exact effects of disruptor blasts on living creatures was specialist knowledge that had been imparted to him in his Starfleet first aid courses. How had Kasula known of such a thing? This thought joined another swirling around in his head. Why did Starfleet allow children onboard their ships, again? “Because of the antiprotons,” he confirmed. “That’s right.” As though reacting to some noise he couldn’t make out, Kasula’s antenna twitched again, her eyes once more following her twin head-stalks, drawn to the door. During the momentary distraction, Martinez risked a swift glance down at her PADDs to see what she was researching. uoᴉʇɔnɹʇsuoɔǝɹ lɐɯɹǝpqns ʎɔuǝƃɹǝɯǝ sᴉ ʇɐɥʍ ¿ǝƃuɐɹ ǝsolɔ ʇɔǝɟɟǝ ɹoʇdnɹsᴉp sɹoʇdnɹsᴉp puɐ ʎƃoloᴉsʎɥd uɐᴉɹopu∀ uɐᴉɹopu∀ sᴉsɐʇsoɯǝɐɥ Below the search terms were long, lengthy explanations from medical textbooks. Two and two were put together. The medical staff had asked Kasula to wait outside for a reason. However they, most likely, had not anticipated the extrasensory ability of the Andorian shen. For her to have a real-time look into the treatment of her parent was probably not ideal. “Maybe we should go wait in your quarters,” he said, gently. The suggestion came like a slap on the cheek. The child straightened up, bolt upright, her antenna jerking toward him. “No! We had an accord!” “Okay, only.” There was no sense pushing it. “I just thought you would be more comfortable away from all-” “I am perfectly comfortable.” She couldn’t possibly be, perched on the edge of that seat like she might fall off and half buried in semi-juggled electronics, but Martinez didn’t push the point. “Let’s talk here then.” “Only about my mother,” she said. A reasonable request. “Okay. Let’s start from the beginning. What do you know about her status?” “I know my mother has been struck by a disrupter at close range, likely of Romulan manufacture based on the presence of antiprotons.” Her Vulcan accent cracked as the Andorian below it seeped through. “She was shot by a Romulan.” “We don’t know who shot her,” he said. “Romulan weapons are not biocoded. It could have been anyone with a Romulan-made weapon.” That answer didn’t seem to satisfy her very much. Kasula bit her lip and looked away. “Does it matter who shot her?” Kasula leaned back cautiously. “N- … no. I suppose not.” There was the briefest of pauses. “I live with Vulcans. School says that Vulcans and Romulans are the same thing. At least, the schools in Little Andoria say that. Presumably the others do too.” Good. Keeping her thinking of other things was useful. “Do you want to tell me about Little Andoria?” “Why?” Kasula narrowed her eyes. “There is not much to tell. It is the Andorian community on Vulcan. It is small and the gravity is uncomfortable, even with the persistent grav-tile mitigation. But we have found a home there. How does this affect my mother?” “It doesn’t.” Such a terrible conversation to have with a young child. “But … I just wanted to talk to you. I want to get to know you better.” “Why?” “You and I may be talking a lot, in the future,” he said. There was no easy way to say this and the shen seemed to favour directness, so he didn’t muddy the message. “You should prepare yourself for the possibility that your mother will not survive.” The briefest of silences. “Type III Disruptor,” murmured Kasula, almost to herself, as though she hadn’t heard him. “Struck between the thellan metaplate one point six centimetres from the stomach.” She squirmed about in her chair, tapping on the PADD in front of her, entering more search terms. ¿lɐʇɐɟ ʇoɥs ǝʇɐldɐʇǝɯ uɐllǝɥʇ uɐᴉɹopu∀ ʇɔǝɟɟǝ ɹoʇdnɹsᴉp Ɛ ǝdʎʇ “You shouldn’t be listening in,” said Martinez. “It’ll only worry you.” Her antenna twitched, then with obvious deliberate effort, returned to the front. “I’m not.” Slowly, as though an unconscious action, they pivoted back to the closed door. Time to give up on that front. “What about that robe you’re wearing?” he asked. “Is that from Little Andoria?” “No,” said Kasula. Her antenna twitched, her eyes absently drifting. “It was my mother’s.” “I’m sure she would like that you are wearing it for her, in support of her, during this difficult time.” “No, my other mother,” said Kasula, her Vulcan accent slipping once more as frustration crept in, the Andorian replacing it. Right. Because there were two involved, typically. And two fathers. Complicated stuff. “Tell me about her. Your other mother.” “She doesn’t have eyes made of buttons,” said Kasula. Martinez didn’t understand. Some kind of Little Andorian in-joke? “I’m … glad to hear that,” was the only answer he could give. “Yes.” Another silence. Trying to avoid dead air, Martinez pressed on. “So, the robe,” he asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Kasula held up her small wrist, the dainty fabric spilling down like water, shimmering as it reflected the light around her. “It’s woven in a pattern that was invented after Tellarite First Contact. The sleeves are Tholian silk. That’s why it moves so strangely.” Strangely, yet beautifully. “It’s lovely. I suppose that’s why Tholian silk is so prized.” “This is correct. However, to be honest, I mostly just appreciate the texture. It feels good on my skin. And I hope that it ...“ Kasula’s voice trailed off. Her antenna twitched. Suddenly she began typing frantically. sǝʇɐɹ lɐʌᴉʌɹns uɐᴉɹopu∀ ʇsǝɹɹɐ ɔɐᴉpɹɐɔ “Kasula?” She didn’t answer, scrolling through the information frantically, her eyes widened the more she digested it. “Kasula, it’s important that you try to-“ “Mum!” She leapt out of her chair, sending PADDs clattering all around her. Fast, faster than he thought was possible for such a small one, Kasula darted toward the closed door. “MUM!” He didn’t have the heart to stop her. * * * Forward Torpedo Room USS Ostrov Kartografov “And so we, the crew of the USS Ostrov Kartografov, commend Lieutenant sh’Xaltikalanna’s body to the stars.” The torpedo, silent and calm, drifted out past the forcefield and into the inky black. Martinez watched, as they all watched, as the photon torpedo casing shrank, becoming a camouflaged black sliver against the black of space, a tiny dot joining the millions and billions of stars all around, and then nothing at all. Gone forever. Kasula clutched the folded flag to her chest so tightly it looked like it was about to rip. Her Andorian strength was just now starting to come in. With the funeral over, eventually everyone else left, leaving only Martinez and Kasula behind. The latter staring at the distant, invisible point that represented her mother’s body, and the former watching the latter. There was a question in the counselor’s toolbox that was at once useful and insulting. Are you okay? Of course Kasula was not, and could not be okay. Nobody in their right mind would be or should be. The question was not a genuine attempt to ascertain emotional wellness, but simply to invite discussion of the issue. So he used it. “Are you okay?” The shen did not answer, holding that flag close to her chest, a seething, snarling visage painted on her face, one so unbecoming on someone so young and who so proudly embraced the ideals of the Federation. “I’m here if you need to talk,” he said. “We have a session booked in tomorrow morning, and I can be available all week if you need me to be. You are my only priority right now. Even the other away team members will have to wait.” “Little Andoria is wrong,” said Kasula, finally, her voice dripping with venom. “I don’t understand what you mean.” “Romulans,” she hissed, the sound escaping like air through a crack in the hull. “They aren’t the same as Vulcans at all.” “We still don’t know for sure who did this,” said Martinez, fully aware that this was not the time and place for this conversation. “Whoever attacked the away team was not caught. All we know is-“ “I know who it was.” Kasula’s fingernails dug into the cloth, the sleeves of her robe swaying gently as though pushed by some invisible force. “And I won’t forget.” fin

"Breathtaking view". Hah. I really liked reading this, and honestly I went into it expecting a lovely description of landscapes and then things got intense. Great work, Fleet Captain!

God, the ending of this really makes it. Wonderful simming!

(( Lephi’s Quarters, USS Gorkon )) {{Time Index: Five Days After Leaving PTE-2891, Enroute to Shemsh}} ((OOC: I know these don't count towards my numbers, but it will be heavily referenced in my next Cheesecake sim so I'm sending for context)) Lephi knew that she had a valid point, but she couldn't let go of the thought. At least if it had been a mutual friend, it would be easier to get past. She knew that everyone on the Chin’toka at the time of her departure loved the couple and would never hurt them. New people? She didn't trust them. She had no way of knowing what this person was like. If they were obsessive, or prone to violent outbursts. Lephi: It doesn't change what happened. It makes all the difference in the world for peace of mind though. (( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka )) Snow: Lephi, that isn’t going to bring you peace of mind. What should be is that you know that it’s never going to happen again. She couldn't guarantee that. The words felt nice to hear, and she genuinely believed that the woman meant them. The problem laid in the unknown. Lephi herself had just come back from a harrowing mission that caused her to confront a lot of unknowns, and she longed for the comfort of the familiar. She also knew just how much chaos the unknown factors could cause. Maybe this mystery person actually would respect Elizabeth’s wishes. Maybe it would be alright now that she'd established some boundaries with them. Lephi doubted it though. Her own life lessons taught her that boundaries were easy to push, and in some cases flat out ignored. Lephi: I trust you, and I believe you. It's this other person, who you won't even tell me about, that I don't trust. I know that if you have any say in it, it'll never happen again. My concern lies with you not having a say in it. Elizabeth could understand where Lephi was coming from, but in this case, the Engineer really did have nothing to worry about. Snow: Lephi, you have nothing to be concerned about. I can assure you of that. Lephi: Are you bigger physically than them? They'd have to be pretty small. Do you have emergency contacts in place in case anything happens? You say I have nothing to worry about, but I'm worried about your safety. Snow: Imzadi, you don’t have to be. They're not a bad person and I trust them. Lephi: I hope you're right. Snow: I know you’re worried, but it’s going to be alright. Now I’m worried about you. I know this has hurt you so please talk to me. We’re going to be okay, aren’t we? More than anything Lephi wanted to be able to tell her that they would be, but she didn't want to lie to her. As long as she was on the same ship as this mystery person, there would always be something to worry about. What kind of unstable person continues to persist through clear boundaries by showing up at their door uninvited? Lephi: I really hope so, but I just don't know. Elizabeth figured as much, but it still needed to be said. If she was being honest with herself, she hadn’t expected this conversation to go as far as it had. She expected it to be a short one. For Lephi to have already told her that she didn’t want to be with her anymore. Her heart twinged at the thought. Snow: ::nods:: I understand. Lephi: I'm not saying that we can't work it out. I want to more than anything, I just need a little time to process the information. Her mind went to the wedding that was closing in on them. Surely her memories would return fully by then, but it was Lephi she was concerned for. Elizabeth didn’t want the woman to have to rush into a decision or ultimately call it off so close to the date. Another twinge of the heart came with a vengeance. It took her a bit before she could manage a response. Snow: Then, uh.. ::pause:: Then perhaps we should call off the wedding. That hurt Lephi to hear. She slumped a little in her seat, as though she had been physically thrown off kilter by the words. She picked up her mug of tea and sipped it for a while, trying to hide her hurt and the tears. Lephi: You ::falters:: you want to call off the wedding? It stung worse to hear Lephi repeat the words back to her. She was thankful to be sitting, if she had been standing her legs would have given out. Snow: I just.. ::eyeing the floor:: I don’t want you to rush into a decision you’ll regret and if you do decide to call it off, I don’t want to have to tell everyone at the last minute. Lephi: My dear, I will respect whatever you want to do, but I can promise you this much. Whatever happens with you; good, bad, or ugly, I could never regret it. No matter what happens between us, I cherish every second. Even if it ends in heartbreak. That hurt to even think of. Things coming to an end. No more Lephi. She may not have recovered all her memories yet, but the few she did have were enough to know that she loved the woman on the screen very much. Tears threatened to break through with a force. Snow: Take as much time as you need, Imzadi. I’ll still be here. Tears flowed freely down Lephi's face now, and she set the mug back down. She leaned in close to the screen and sat looking at the woman in front of her for a long while before she spoke again. Lephi: I love you so much, Elizabeth. I don't want to lose you. Tears flowed freely now as she watched Lephi on screen, wishing so hard that she could go back in time and change things. It was hard seeing her this way and all the pain she was feeling, she didn’t want to feel it anymore. It hurt too bad. Snow: I love you too, Lephi and I always will. I don’t want to lose you either. Unsure of where to go from here, and not wanting to have Elizabeth see her struggle, she decided to wrap things up. Lephi: Well ::pause:: I suppose I should uh.. get back. Those hull breaches aren't going to repair themselves. She let out a half hearted chuckle. It felt weird, and painful in ways she'd never experienced. Lephi contemplated taking a shuttle and heading to the Chin’toka herself, just to hold her Imzadi and comfort her. Hull Breaches? Elizabeth wasn’t sure if Lephi was joking or being serious. Of course they hadn’t talked about Lephi’s mission, they just sort of went straight into the heavy. Snow: ::sniffles:: Hull breaches? ::concerned:: Now Lephi felt worse. She'd already made Elizabeth cry, and here she was piling on about her workload as well. She straightened back up in her seat and did her best to put a smile on her face. Lephi: ::speaking through tears, trying to laugh:: Yeah, on our last mission the sector we were in thought we could use a redesign. One that didn't feature much of decks eight or nine. Though it concerned her, she couldn’t help but smile a little and shake her head at the way Lephi worded it. Snow: Sounds intense. Lephi: Everybody survived, we worked some serious magic. I think you'd have been proud. Snow: I’m glad everyone survived though. Most importantly yourself. Now you can add “Ship Remodeler” to your resume. A bit more of the frown wore off of Lephi's face, and the smile crept further along. There was the Elizabeth she was familiar with and loved. Always looking out for new opportunities for the engineer. Lephi: ::laughing:: I wonder if I can get a raise for that new qualification? Snow: ::laughs:: I’m sure you could put in a request. Things felt a little more happy, a little more normal between them at the moment and Lephi needed that. Nothing else mattered to her at this moment. This was the first time she'd seen Elizabeth in far too long, and the conversation had been so heavy. It filled her with confidence to see the slight tone shift between them. Lephi: You can't know if you don't ask, right? Her laugh was genuine now. Hope returning to her slowly. Snow: ::smiles:: Right. As much as she didn’t want to get off the call, Lephi had some thinking to do and Elizabeth was ready to turn in for the night. Snow: Alright, Imadi. It’s getting late and we both need sleep. I’ll take care of things in the morning. As much as she didn't want to say goodbye, she knew it was the right thing to do. It was late, and it had been a very emotional discussion. She could already feel her eyelids drooping. Lephi: I hope we can do this again soon. I miss you, dear. Snow: Goodnight, my love. I love you. ::brief pause:: Don’t take too long. Lephi: Goodnight, Imzadi. I love you beyond words. I can't promise anything, but I will be as quick as I can. Elizabeth smiled and closed the channel. She looked at her mug with a sigh and pushed up from her chair walking to the bedroom. She felt like the life had been sucked out of her at that moment and she just collapsed onto the bed, not even having the energy to change. She pulled her pillow to her and let the tears flow. —-------------------------------- Lieutenant Elizabeth Snow Chief Medical Officer USS Chin'toka NCC-97187 Veterans Affairs Team Wiki Team D238803EH0 & Lieutenant Lephi Chief Engineering Officer USS Gorkon NCC-82293 Community History Team Member Chat Team Member Wiki Team Member A239706L10

Oh god. This sim was so well written. How dare you two make me feel things with my own brain! It seems like every shore leave there's a JP from these two and so far they've been full of joy and happiness and this sim took a turn for the shockingly emotional. I loved it, and you two are so talented. ----- (( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka )) {{Time Index: Five Days After Leaving PTE-2891, Enroute to Shemsh}} ((OOC: I know these don't count towards my numbers, but this JP will be heavily referenced in my next sim with Cheesecake, so I'm sending for context)) Elizabeth sat curled up on the couch with a cup of Jesteral Tea clasped in her hands. She had been trying to read her book but her mind had been elsewhere, making the task difficult. While there were still parts of her life missing, none if it seemed as pressing as the issue she was having at the moment. Since Solat has stimulated her memory recall, pulling up the image of the woman she was to marry, Elizabeth had been feeling both guilty and conflicted about things. She could feel that she loved Lephi very much; she still had these sudden feelings for Kas that came along while her memory was gone. They were nothing compared to what she felt for Lephi, but they were still there. Then there is the whole telling Lephi what happened and that made her gut churn even more. She sighed and took a sip of her tea as she wished the kiss had never happened. (( Lephi's Quarters, USS Gorkon )) The nights were always the hardest, and then the days came and they were harder still. Lephi sighed and rolled over in bed. She'd been working so much she hadn't even had time to stop and think. Though she was settling into life on the Gorkon, it still tore at her heart to have her other half so far away from her. With one more flop, the engineer crawled back out of bed. Her plans for an early night were thwarted by a restless brain. She made her way over to the replicator and retrieved some Jestral tea. It was far from her favourite, but drinking it helped her to feel closer to Elizabeth in these trying times. Lephi plopped herself down at her desk and picked up a nearby PADD, hoping to dull her mind with the intricacies of starship repair. (( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka )) Elizabeth sighed and pushed up from the couch wondering if a shower would help her relax enough to fall asleep. If it came down to it, maybe a sedative would do the trick. As she made her way through the bedroom, her eyes caught sight of Lephi's picture on her nightstand and sighed. What was she doing? She already talked with Kas and now it was Lephi's turn. It was time to make the call. She turned around and walked back into the living area. Her gut churning with every step. It wasn't going to be an easy call, but she wanted it to come from her and not someone else. The thought of the woman walking away stung like hell. She sat down at her desk and collected herself for a moment before standing back up, walking over to the replicator. Snow: A cup of Jesteral Tea, please. As the mug appeared before her, she took a sip as she made her way back over to the desk. Snow: Computer, open a transmission with Lieutenant Lephi, USS Gorkon. She took a seat as the computer processed the request. As it did Elizabeth sat the mug of tea down regretting the choice to have something in her stomach at this moment. (( Lephi's Quarters, USS Gorkon )) Computer: Incoming transmission from Lieutenant Elizabeth Snow, USS Chin’toka. Lephi’s heart soared. She couldn't remember the last time that she had spoken to Elizabeth, much less seen her face. Her sour attitude immediately began to change, and a toothy smile formed on her face as she spoke. Lephi: Put it through, put it through! Elizabeth smiled as Lephi appeared on the screen. Her heart soared seeing the woman and for a moment she had forgotten why she called. Snow: Hello, beautiful ::smiling:: It was a great feeling, looking back at the beautiful doctor on the screen. There were no words that did her smile justice. For a brief second, Lephi forgot to speak. Moments later, she gathered her thoughts and tried again. Lephi: Hello, Imzadi! You've somehow gotten more beautiful since I last saw you! Elizabeth smiled and then her heart twinged. The reason she called flashed across her mind as she stared at the beauty on the screen unaware of the news that was still to come. She didn’t want to tell Lephi, to break her heart, but she couldn’t leave this between them. It wasn’t right and Lephi deserved to know. Elizabeth took a deep breath and then looked at the woman on the screen again with tear filled eyes. Snow: Imzadi, I want you to know that I love you very much and what I’m about to say pains me very deeply to have to tell you. I’m so sorry to have to even say this, that it even happened, but.. ::brief pause:: On the recent mission, the other members of the away team and myself lost our memories. During this scary and confusing time the person I was shared a kiss and developed feelings for someone. ::pause:: I’m so sorry, Lephi. She stopped talking to give the woman time to process what had been said, the guilt even stronger than before. At first Lephi was concerned that her compliment had been the reason for Elizabeth’s tears, but as the doctor began opening up, Lephi was filled with confusion and dread. Shared a kiss? Lost her memories? A great sadness came over her as she considered the implications. Was she breaking up with her? Tears welled in the engineer's eyes, and she was silent for several long minutes. When she finally spoke again, it was through choked sobs. Lephi: That sounds like a terrible thing to go through, are you doing okay? The question she really wanted to ask was if Elizabeth had called to break off their engagement, but though she was eager to ask; she didn't want an answer. Not yet. Elizabeth’s wellbeing was just as important, and a welcome distraction. Was she okay? No. No she wasn’t. She felt like she failed Lephi. She had accepted her heart with a promise not to break it and she went and did just that. Snow: No. You trusted me with your heart and I failed to protect it. The tears that had pooled in Lephi’s eyes broke free and trickled down her face. Elizabeth was always more concerned with everyone else around her than she was about herself. It was a blessing and a curse, and in this case, more of a curse. Lephi: Did you, as Elizabeth, mean to kiss him? You didn't fail anything my love, you went through something traumatic. It hurts, and we'll have to deal with that eventually, but my concern right now is you. Snow: No. If I'd known who I was and that I was engaged, I wouldn’t have. The reassurance brought some small comfort to the Ferengi. The fact that they were still talking, and she wasn't hanging off of this new person in front of her also helped ease her hurting heart. Lephi: Exactly! That's not who you are, Imzadi. Have your memories returned? Snow: The alien entity stimulated our memory paths to recover things quicker, but some things are still missing. It’s only been a few days. Concern etched on Lephi's face as she regarded the doctor carefully, as though suddenly a way to fix all of this would jump out at them. It pained her to think about Elizabeth alone and scared with no memories on an unknown planet. She cursed Starfleet for making her transfer, and she cursed herself for not making a more compelling case for the two of them to retire early on Betazed. Lephi: I'm sure it will all come in time. Are you taking some time off to deal with this all? Was the person you kissed a member of the crew? How has that been? She knew it was a lot of questions to ask Elizabeth at once, but despite her best efforts, concern overtook her and she couldn't stop her mouth from voicing them all. Elizabeth took a moment to process all the questions Lephi threw her way. She took a sip of her tea before responding. Snow: I’ve been on light duty for now trying to get back into the swing of things and yes. We talked about things. They know I’m engaged and want to work on things with you. Lephi breathed a sigh of relief, and it quieted her brain for at least a few moments. Whoever this mystery person was, they knew that Lephi existed. Although it troubled her that Elizabeth had dodged the question identifying the other person, she knew better than to push her fiancée too hard on that at the moment. Lephi: And how did they take that? She thought about the conversation with Kas yesterday. It seemed to go well, but even though he tried to hide it, she still got a feeling that it hadn’t gone as well as what the Commander showed. Snow: Seemingly pretty well. Lephi's mouth curved downwards into a frown, and her nose began to twitch. Her brain was working at warp speed. She wanted nothing more than to talk things out, soothe the pain they were both feeling but it felt very one sided to her. She was trying to stimulate the conversation, and it felt as though Elizabeth was applying a sedative from a hypospray to it, and shutting down conversation. Lephi: Who is it? What do you mean, seemingly pretty well? ::sadly:: You talked to them before you talked to me? The last question sounded more defensive than she had meant it to. She was hurt, and Elizabeth’s mannerisms were doing little to provide comfort to the engineer. Before she transferred, they were two of the closest people, and now apparently they went to relative strangers with issues before each other. Another sob caught in Lephi's throat, her now bloodshot eyes pleaded with Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s heart twinged. Had she gone about this the wrong way. She had never been in this position before. She was just trying to answer the questions she was asked and reassure the woman. She could navigate being a doctor with no memory of being one. She could probably have gone back full duty with no problem and navigated circles around Sickbay with limited memory, but she couldn’t navigate her own relationship correctly. Snow: I’ve only been back a few days. I wasn’t planning on talking to anyone about anything until I figured things out, but they showed up at my door. So we talked. The vague nature of Elizabeth's reply did nothing to nurture Lephi's tormented heart. If anything, it pained her more to see such conflict so plainly on the face of the woman she loved. She wondered what kind of a person would be so heartless as to know someone is in a happy relationship, and still pry at the cracks which had suddenly formed. Certainly it couldn't have been Commander Raga, or Serala. Those two had respect for them, and their relationship. This person clearly did not. She thought hard about it all. Lephi: Elizabeth… ::Averts gaze:: Who was it? Snow: Someone who was in the same position I was and new to the ship, so they had no idea of anything. The doctor’s coyness almost won Lephi over briefly, before the despair she felt resurfaced. It brought her minute joy that it wasn't any of the people she considered to be her friend. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get over that if it had been the case. Lephi: You're really not going to tell me? That's all I get, that it isn't one of our mutual friends? Snow: Yes. It shouldn’t matter who it is. It’s not going to change anything.

Revisiting traumatic sites is a big interest of mine, and it's lovely to see the crew going back and assigning a special place to where missions happened. Great work Sami! This was a fun read! ----- (( Security Office - Deck Eight - USS Gorkon )) She stared out of the window, not seeing the streaking stars that passed outside, as the Gorkon sped to its next location for some much needed repairs. The relief of retrieving the missing persons from the Rift, including the other away team, was short-lived once they beamed over to the Gorkon, where another disaster had occurred. One that was more deadly as it turned out after checking out the crew list. They had fatal casualties, including some of her own department, people who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension she felt as she crossed the short distance to her desk, picking up the PADD she had left there and read the letters again she had composed to the families of those from her department who hadn’t survived the explosion or search and rescue afterwards. Her thoughts automatically went to the family of Ensign Raife, one of the images she had relived during the hallucinations. For a reason unknown to her, she still kept contact with the family. Was it guilt? Samira didn’t know. Maybe she just wanted to give the family some insight into what their daughter’s life would have been like if she had survived the disaster on the upside-down ship. Once the first chaos had subdued after returning to the Gorkon, she had helped with relocating crew members who didn’t like the upgraded accommodations with an open view on space to new quarters on safer decks. Together with engineering, she had done a preliminary examination of the exploded area, making sure the ship itself was secure enough to travel. Of course, she’d only get a full report once the experts had done their own inspection back at Iana Station. The PADD abandoned on her desk she left the office. She needed a drink before she went to her next destination and thus she ended up in her quarters. Ko was catching some sleep in one of the eucalyptus trees, as if nothing had happened. Normally, she’d let the critter sleep and leave him alone, but this time she petted him on his head after pouring herself some whiskey. Which resulted in a grunt from the animal, and she quickly pulled her hand away as he made a motion with his paw and sharp claws. She smirked at the beast and let him be, before she settled in to the couch, taking a sip from the golden liquid now and then. (( One hour later - Cargo Bay - USS Gorkon )) Samira stood in front of the famous cargo bay that tossed people around and learned those trapped inside how they could fly without any wings or other artificial means. The double doors in front of her were shut, like the area gave her an extra warning sign: beware when you step through. She ruffled her short black hair. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone for the double whiskey or had something to eat in between. Her mind was already playing tricks on her and she hadn’t even set foot in the room yet. She took a step forward, almost wishing the doors wouldn’t open, like they had refused to open last time. But there it was, the familiar whoosh as both doors slid open. Carefully, she took a step inside, dropping the bag she’d carried next to her. Here she was, and she wasn’t alone. People doing their job, continuing where they left off, or just performing their daily duty. Slowly, she walked around in the bay, until she received a few odd looks from folk, probably wondering why she was here in the first place. Only then she returned to the dropped bag and walked to the supply crate at the front of the bay, restocking the water bottles they had taken from the container while being trapped inside. For a brief moment, it reminded her of another cargo bay on another ship that didn’t exist. The first time she had met Soup and Headhunter on the Skarbek, as a new recruit of a Maquis cell, where she knew nobody. She smiled faintly. Things looked brighter for Valesha now that the couple had started their own family. She should pay them a visit and congratulate them one of the following days. There was still plenty of time for that later. First, it was time for another drink. --- Lieutenant Commander Samira Neathler Chief Security/Tactical & Second Officer USS Gorkon G239508SN0

Coming into this with absolutely no context was a trip, but this was amazingly well written and I loved it. Bravo!

I really enjoyed reading this sim. Very emotional. Clever use of white space and really well paced. Great work, Serinus! ((Mercia System, On course for the star)) Loneliness, isolation, desertion. It did not feel these things. It couldn't. Empty and alone, the Caladonian Science Vessel Lanonge held no grudges, found no regret. Those who had abandoned it might look fondly upon it and their time there, though the Caladonians weren't known for being overly sentimental, especially about mere tools, they might cherish (in their own way) the relationships they had built with their fellows during their tenure together. It was common knowledge that the void of space is cold. The Lanonge wasn't cold any more. Inside, it's beating heart, the warp engine, continued to break, not of loneliness, but of heat. Outside, its shields strained under the agony of the star where it would soon make its final mark on the universe. Lanonge: 1 minute to Warp Core breach. Everything it knew was that it was following orders, and that all its perimeters were very much out of order. This did not alarm it, and its impending end did not worry it. There would be no more scientific endeavors in its future. Like a felled tree, it would never offer shelter to another living being. There wasn't much left to learn. It would face its final frontier with dignity and professionalism. Pushing through the corona of the star without fear, the shields were assaulted with stellar flares as the CSV Lanonge soldiered on. Everything was, by any measure, going wrong. But Lanonge would not cry. Lanonge would not fear. Lanonge knew what it must do. It would complete its task. Marching to its doom, Lanonge charged ahead. Lanonge's straining heart and its battered body were no match for its diamond will. Even though it was fated to lose this struggle, it encroached deeper into the hostile territory. Lanonge: 10 seconds to warp core breach. The end was imminent. Lanonge: 9 Everyone must say goodbye at some point. Lanonge: 8 The universe was still full of wonders that it would never get to see. Lanonge: 7 It counted to itself. Lanonge: 6 It shouted to the star. It felt no ill will. The star was just there. It was its own insides that was going to kill it. Lanonge: 5 It sang out to the universe. I am here, at least for now. Lanonge: 4 The pressure in its warp core was increasing what seemed to be expediently. Lanonge: 3 The people it had been so close to were gone. Lanonge's people were safe, as far as it knew. Lanonge: 2 What was one exploding warp core in the nuclear furnace of a star, anyway? Lanonge: 1 That was it. The song was ending. The precious containment field that held the dying heart together finally failed the Lanonge and caused its own chain reaction that tore Lanonge apart from inside. Lanonge was no more. No more renowned Caladonian labs where great minds unraveled the secrets of the universe, no more quiet quarters where one could be alone, or busy mess halls where everyone could congregate together. For a singular moment, an almost imperceptible slice of time, with one last crescendo, the singular voice faded away into the background of the choir that had been singing behind it the entire time. Lanonge was part of the star now, and would always be from this day forth. NT/End Caladonian Science Vessel Lanonge, Lost in Action, Beloved home, Mercia Star As Simmed by: -- - Lieutenant Commander Artinus Serinus Chief of Security USS Arrow, NCC-69829 Publicity Team/Social Media Team C239607AS0 -

Everyone's all mentally messed up this mission, so you know it's just your averae Gorkon mission in terms of acquiring and then dealing with severe trauma. totally ignoring it and hoping for the best. Although everyone's work has been amazing, reading Sevo's sims has been particularly interesting because of her ability to explore a unique form of Trill-trauma acquired over lifetimes. Great work, Commander! ----- (( ??? )) They had recovered their composure after the latest round of brain-poking by the mysterious aliens. Now, they were trying to figure out how to explore the void of nothingness, with no tools and no frames of reference. It was entirely possible the place had physical form, but was being hidden from them. Sevo: For all we know, the crew of the Triumphant and Sasu Gol could be right next to us, and they’re simply being hidden from us. sh’Qynallahr: So how do we turn on the lights? That was the question the trio had been wrestling with ever since they got here. There was definitely some sort of connection between the Rift and thought; whether the fact negative emotions like fear were prevalent wasn’t clear to Ayiana. It could be a result of the Rift itself, or active manipulation by the Taniwha. It didn’t help that the Taniwha were whispering at the edge of her thoughts; like an itch in her brain she couldn’t scratch; it was infuriating. Sevo: You guys feel it too? That sense of being watched from something just out of sight? The Taniwha might be curious what we’re doing. sh’Qynallahr: It’s like they’re trying to crawl down my antennae. Reynolds: It could just as easily be our own paranoia, after everything we’ve been through. ::She shook her head. There was no way to confirm either way, and indulging in the feeling seemed unwise.:: Has anyone found anything? sh’Qynallahr: I’ve found nothing here, no walls, it’s like this place goes on forever. Reynolds: Or like a holodeck. Boundaries, but tricks to stop us from seeing them. Sevo: That’s exactly what I was thinking. sh’Qynallahr: Have either of you ever tried meditation? Both Ayiana and Quinn looked at Pira quizzically; wondering where she was going with the question. Reynolds: Why? Sevo: For anger and anxiety; why? sh’Qynallahr: It’s as you said Admiral, it is unlikely we can manipulate the rift alone, but if we all work together, then maybe we can. If we all meditate and focus on the same thing, say a door, then perhaps we can manipulate the rift into giving us one. Reynolds: ::Wryly,:: Yes, that is exactly what I—. Quinn’s response was cut short by the distant sound of thunder. The darkness was pierced by a faint light, like a ghostly reproduction; it was blurry and shone in Ayiana’s not-eyes. The thunder got louder and closer, and the ephemeral light started coalescing into focus, like it was moving closer. A few more seconds, and the thunder resolved into explosions; the light resolved into a blurry scene creeping up on her. It was like the three of them were on a moving platform, steadily moving into the scene. A final rumble, and the scene materialized. Air-raid sirens blared between explosive blasts; the sky above was ablaze from the smoke of buildings razed to the ground; blue streaks of energy lanced from overhead ships into seemingly random places; once beautiful edifices of stone and concrete reduced to dust and rubble. Despite the damage, Ayiana could still make out the rough aesthetic of the architecture, and instantly knew what was happening. The ships were the familiar Jem’Hadar fighters, lancing down rays of death on the populace of Cardassia at the end of the war. She remembered Toran seeing vids of it broadcast by the Dominion to the quadrant, and further surveillance footage after the fact. While he hated the Cardassians for joining with the Dominion and plunging the quadrant into war, he did not want this ending for them. No one did. Reynolds: This... This is Cardassia, at the end of the Dominion War. ::She frowned.:: Why are we seeing this? Sevo: I-I… Ayiana covered her ears as the explosions and sirens continued to wail around them. No, not again. She couldn’t go through this again. sh’Qynallahr: Response Reynolds: What if this is a Blip? But from the other side? Not our fear, but someone else's? Sevo: M…maybe? This…this isn’t Toran’s. sh’Qynallahr: Response The surrounding bombardment continued as heavy-booted footsteps approached. Ayiana remembered that sound well; both from Toran’s time on the ground in the War, and the Gorkon’s own experience with the Dominion in the alternate universe. She was breathing heavily, or at least appeared to be breathing, but whether it was real or not didn’t matter. She could taste the ash on her tongue with every breath, and feel the heat of the fires. Reynolds: Stay low—::she hissed, quietly,::—get out of sight. Do not engage them. Sevo: N…no worry of that. sh’Qynallahr: Response The pair crawled low as they crept between debris, carefully avoiding the patrols of Jem’Hadar. They were mercilessly shooting anything that moved, be they soldiers or civilians. Their faces were emotionless, carrying out the duties thrust upon them by their Gods with unswerving loyalty. They soon stopped at what seemed to have once been a major plaza. Crumbled statues littered the ground, burning trees and bushes belched smoke into the air as an entire column of Jem’Hadar slowly marched down the debris-ridden concourse. The women managed to crouch down behind a fallen and broken formerly building-anchored viewscreen, one of many that dotted the public spaces of Cardassian cities spewing government broadcasts to the masses. It spewed sparks as its capacitors were broken, some of it’s internal circuitry shooting flames. Ayiana peered over the rim at the marching column of troops. Sevo: Guess we…we have to wait them out. :: She panted heavily. :: Reynolds / sh’Qynallahr: Response Now that they had a moment to rest, the carnage around them came back to Ayiana’s senses at warp speed. The sounds, sights, and smells of war ignited memories long dormant in her symbiont’s mind from a life previously lived, in a war long since over. The memories of war screamed in her mind; she covered her ears with her hands, vainly attempting to stifle the booming explosions of death and destruction. Sevo: W-who’s memory do you think this is? :: She asked in a vain effort to switch her focus. :: Reynolds / sh’Qynallahr: Response Whatever they were saying was lost to her as visions of war flooded her mind. Battles from places like Tyra and AR-558 were as fresh in her eyes as if she was experiencing them for the first time. Sweat clung tightly to her skin, collecting the dust of death around them. Tears streamed down her face as she remembered in vivid detail the vicious battles she, as Toran, fought against the Jem’Hadar. She remembered seeing his comrades gutted next to him by a Jem’Hadar bayoneted rifle. Another lost his limb to the swift swipe from a kar'takin. On more than one occasion, he was stabbed with one. Ayiana began rocking back and forth on her hips, her body slamming into the broken viewscreen with a low “*thud*” each time she came up. Sevo: N-NO! :: She shook her head. :: M…make it stop! I can’t live through this again! :: She cried. :: Reynolds / sh’Qynallahr: Response ---------------------------- Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo Mission Specialist U.S.S. Gorkon Image Collective Wiki Ops V239109AS0 ----------------------------

This was really fun to read. I loved the way it, totally reasonably and fairly and naturally, built up to the conflict. Well done @Arys!

A fun little peak into the traumatised mind of our Helmsman! And we thought Skarbek did a number on us... whoo boy, this rift, I tell ya what! A fun read, Cory, and well written! ((Engineering, Deck 5, Sasu Gol)) Cory was looking at the floor where Alieth threw some powder ice. Why was the laser there? Was it an alarm or something more deadly? Cory really didn’t want to find out. Stoyer: Don’t see where it leads to. Can we just step over it and continue or do y’all think there will be more of them? Alieth seemed to think about it for a moment. Cory wondered if it was a giant puzzle for her to figure out. Alieth: Let us take a minute to study this :: looking at the footprints :: And keep a close attention to where those footprints are heading. Cory nodded. O. Marshall : Response To his surprise, Aleith Alieth got on the floor near the tracks. The powder that jumped up when she got down made the laser shine even more. SHe searched with the tricorder and looking around. Stopping at one point, she seemed to have found what she was looking for. Alieth: I have found the emitter, a makeshift one. :: Pausing for a moment to look at her tricorder :: It uses scrapped parts from various Starfleet devices. Discarded phaser parts, for sure, some tricorder components and, perhaps, some engineer's tools, along with other more standard Federation technology pieces, difficult to identify. That was interesting. Someone with Starfleet training must have built it. Stoyer: So, someone with Starfleet training. They knew what they were doing. O. Marshall: Response Alieth nodded from the deck. Alieth: Indeed, I think there are at least a couple of footprints similar to the ones in the corridor. The smaller ones. Stoyer: Heading in here or heading out to the passageway? Did they go back to the Triumphant? Too many unknowns. O. Marshall: Response Cory looked around to get his bearings to the umbilical. He had to be ready to disconnect it and leave this horror boat. That was when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Cory saw it, just perceptible in the shadow. It was moving slowly, keeping in the shadows. Cory held Alieth’s tricorder beep. Cory keeped his eyes on the shadows, not wanting to lose sight of it. The air seemed to be getting colder to Cory. Alieth: ::whispering:: we are not alone Voice: No you're not….. Stoyer: Who? The darkness enveloped him like a death shroud. Cory could see anything. His hearing was muffled. The darkness lifted. Cory looked around to see if he could see the others. He saw something in the distance. A figure on the ground. Cory moved toward it. When he got close enough, he saw a figure slumped against a bulkhead. A large red spot in the center of the chest slowly spreading. Cory stopped when he saw the red collar and even redder hair. His knees buckled underneath him and he slammed to the deck. Stoyer: Ayiana……. Voice: You were never going to be good enough for her….you realize that now don’t you. Look at you…. Stoyer: No.. Voice: She wanted someone as smart as she was…. Not someone like you…..How many tutors did it take to get you through the Academy? How many of those took pity on you? Stoyer: I…. Voice: Look at her……she died because you were not good enough for her…..either to save her or love her. Stoyer: No…. Cory’s heart broke at these works….the thought of his being the reason she died was too much for him.. Voice: Ahhhh…..there is my sacrifice…. Cory closed his eyes. He felt the cold machinery against his back. Tears filled his eyes and froze to his face as they ran down. Opening his eyes he saw that the darkness was still there. He immedanly didn’t see the others. His voice broke when he spoke. Stoyer: Commander Marshall? Alieth? O. Marshall / Alieth: Response Stoyer: Where are y’all? O. Marshall / Alieth: Response (OOC - Ayiana Sevo used with permission of her author.) Lieutenant Cory Stoyer Helm/Comms/Ops Officer USS Gorkon C239111CS0

Plotlines from years ago coming around full circle! Really awesome sim Sevo, I enjoyed reading this! (( Main Engineering, Deck 2, USS Triumphant )) (( OOC: Guest star simmed with permission, and a bit of help. )) Having returned to the Triumphant’s engineering room, Quinn and Ayiana tried various modifications to the warp core in an attempt to restore power to the ship without the drain of the Rift. Easier said than done, as neither had any idea of exactly how the drain was happening. Ayiana felt bad for Pira, who was essentially the third nacelle here, idling in the back while the engineer and scientist worked on the problem. Sevo: The charged tachyons and polarized gravitons keep bothering me; they don’t normally appear in nature like that. Something tells me the answer lies with them. Can we generate an interference pattern with the warp nacelles and gravity generators, respectively? Reynolds: Our time here seems to confirm the tachyons and gravitons are connected to the subspace superposition and not the power drain; we’ve not detected any surges since beaming over to the Triumphant, and we’ve not experienced any more Blips. The Admiral had a point; everything they experienced was different, but no less potent, to that aboard the Gorkon. Here, it was more like the creature was playing with them. Also, it did not come running until they started messing with the fusion reactors. Reynolds: I think the question they’re answering is how to get out of the Rift, rather than how to stop the power drain. Once we’ve got ourselves a stable power source, we can investigate that. The pair continued their work while Ayiana heard Pira shuffle around behind them. Ayiana was still nervous that the creature would return to disturb them; in fact, she almost wished for an interruption in the darkness. The only break of silence was the console chirping away at their fingertips, and the light of it and her tricorder breaking the darkness. Finally, the pair made progress in their experiment. All that was left was to try it. Sevo: Right, you’re the engineer here, sir. I’d say the honor, or risk, is yours. sh’Qynallahr: Stay alert. It is likely that even if this works, the creature may investigate regardless. Reynolds: Unfortunately. Even if we’ve hit the right approach, we first have to get the warp core online. If our experience with the fusion reactor is any guide, it’ll come here once it senses the power increase. Sevo: Agreed. sh’Qynallahr: I’m no expert, but all creatures have certain similarities. Drives for sustenance and the like. The altered frequency may make it seem like a different fruit, or a rotten one, I can’t say exactly how the creature will view it, but if it were me, seeing a new fruit, I would want to test it before eating or leaving it. Honestly, they had no way of knowing exactly how such an alien creature would respond to changes in the power frequency. It may not even sense it. All they could do was try it and see the creature’s response. Reynolds: All right. ::She exhaled a breath through her nose, stomach churning as the anxiety dug its claws in.:: Let’s spread out. sh’Qynallahr, you keep watch. Sevo, set your tricorder up to scan while we work. If we do get a visit, we might as well gather data about the creature while it's present. Ayiana nodded, modifying her tricorder’s scanners and placing it in a relatively hidden corner. Once ready, she returned to the console, but couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of trepidation. She knew what she was going to see wouldn’t be real, but it certainly *felt* real; like the creature knew exactly which buttons to push. sh’Qynallahr: We’re ready, hit it. Everyone watched the core as Quinn moved her hand to the console and stopped; hovering it above the activation button. It looked like she was even having thoughts about the whole thing. Reynolds: Here goes nothing. With a big breath, Quinn tapped the button, then a few more, until the familiar hum and beat of the warp core announced its wake. The dark room lit up in shades of blue and red as the core started it’s feeding of deuterium and anti-deuterium to the dilithium chamber. Sevo: So far, so good. How’s the power level? sh’Qynallahr: Response Reynolds: I’m seeing the power drain already. ::She nodded, fingers darting between controls like a hummingbird between flowers.:: Bringing the modifications online. Ayiana watched the readouts on the console as Quinn applied their modifications. Constant power consumption curves changed as the Admiral danced her fingers over the console; the rise and fall of peaks and valleys in the waveform looked like a mathematical concerto. Ayiana took a glance at the power levels and efficiency curve and noted a change. Sevo: Power drain has slowed by fifteen percent. Over in the corner, Ayiana’s tricorder beeped its warning she set up for the quantum particles. Thus, she didn’t need to look at it to know what was coming. It ended up being superfluous, as her own fight or flight instinct kicked in, the hairs on her neck stood on end, her spots tingled, and her blood ran cold. It was odd how the body could react to something so vague as well as a dedicated machine. sh’Qynallahr: Response Reynolds: ::Quietly,:: It’s here, isn’t it? In the distance, the familiar screech echoed through the corridor and into the room. Sevo: :: gulping nervously. :: Yes. sh’Qynallahr: Response Ayiana pulled out her phaser, aiming it towards the door. As the only thing that would go boom when shot was behind her, she felt it was safe to do so. She could hear Quinn continue to manipulate the controls, trying to find that sweet spot of power consumption vs drain. Moments later, the same spindly creature from Starbase 173 reappeared in the doorway. Ayiana gripped her phaser tight, her palm sweaty from nerves. She was prepared to fire if it attacked, but it didn’t. Instead, it just stood there staring at her with… well, she didn’t know. It didn’t have eyes. After a long staring contest, it reached up a limb and seemed to point to her right. Sevo: oO Yea, I’m not falling for that. Oo ???: Ayiana… How could ye’ ? Ayiana’s eyes widened as she heard the familiar voice and distinct accent of her friend. But that was impossible. Tasha was back on Iana Station. No, it must have been the thing messing with her again. MacFarlane: Ayiana! Look a’ me! Carefully, Ayiana twisted her head to see her: Tasha MacFarlane, with a torn uniform in the style of several years ago, one pip on her collar. But that wasn’t the bad part, it was the missing left hand. The skin around the stump was cauterized, though two scorched bones protruded slightly out of it. Sevo: T-Tasha?! MacFarlane: Yeh did this ta’ me! The not-Tasha lifted her arm to show the still smoldering stump of her arm. On the floor at her feet was a blackened, smoldering skeletal hand, the flesh having burned off. Sevo: You know I couldn’t do anything! It… it moved so fast! MacFarlane: Yeh could ‘ave tried somethin’! Sevo: Phasers didn’t work! MacFarlane: Yeh’re a scientist! Yeh coulda’ figured somethin’ out! Ayiana shook her head. No; she had been through the incident a dozen times in her head since then. Phasers had no effect on it, and it moved impossibly fast. The real Tasha even told Ayiana she didn’t blame her. Forcing those memories to the front of her mind, Ayiana girded herself. Sevo: No. :: she said forcefully. :: I couldn’t. Neither could Eerie or Yiggtissi. You know that. Or at least, the real you does. Apparently failing to shake Ayiana through words, the not-Tasha opened her mouth far wider than was humanly possible, emitting the same screech as the creature masquerading as the alien that ripped off said engineer’s arm. She also heard it from the doorway. Risking a glance, she saw the creature there. Sevo: There are two of them! Reynolds/sh’Qynallahr: Response Not-Tasha screeched, then ran at Ayiana like a human would; not like the stop-motion jumps of the 173 creature. Keeping in mind it wasn’t really her friend, Ayiana aimed her phaser at not-Tasha and pressed the trigger. The orange beam hit her… and that was it. She kept coming; the blast hadn’t even slowed her down. Sevo: Phasers aren’t working against them! Reynolds/sh’Qynallahr: Response Sevo: Any luck with the core, sir? :: She asked with not a little bit of desperation in her voice as Tasha was nearly in reach… :: Reynolds/sh’Qynallahr: Response

Hello fellow spookers and spookees, The winner of the first QOTM for this year, January, is none other than the amazingly talented new Engineer, Lieutenant Lephi, reminding us of the very important things in life with this line: Lephi: Ah, that’s a shame! oO Rule of Aquisition number two hundred twenty-three: Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox. oO It's been a sincere pleasure reading all Lephi's work since coming aboard, and this is just a hint of all the good things to come.

Our winner for the QotM for December is none other than the amazing bewigged counsellor, Corliss Fortune, with this gem: Fortune: ::muffled:: ...please inform the Admiral I now live in the trash. Thank you. The accommodations on the Gorkon are sometimes spartan, but this is taking it a bit far!

A lovely and interesting sim from Alieth! ----- ((Alieth’s Quarters, room 03-0602, deck 3, USS Gorkon)) Alieth had perched on the windowsill of her room, a pile of PADDs at her side and a hot cup of zhar-kur tei warming her hands. On the other side of the window, the star-strewn blackness of the Sol system seemed somehow less black and less hostile than when the vessel cruised in more distant regions of space. Maybe it was the familiar stars from the years she had spent in the Academy, maybe it was the constant traffic of large and small starships here and there, wisps of light on the black tapestry of space, but there was a familiar sensation in that corner of the universe. Like being at home. Although, on reflection, it was not. Home, now, was that starship, and the people who populated it. And a place, not so far away, bathed in the red light of Nevasa. A place from which the news on her PADD came. The petite Vulcan averted her gaze from the window and sipped at her cup, then, cradling it in her hands for a moment until the warmth and the stimulating alkaloids started to kick in. Only then did she picked up the PADD from the top of the stack and replayed its message. Her father's face took up most of the screen, his voice warm despite the detached quality of his words. There were fresh grey hairs on his temples and chin and, somehow, a more tired expression. As he droned on about the whereabouts of the family (Selar, her younger brother progressing satisfactorily in the learning centre as Metana was... well, being Metana, perfect in everything she endeavours, as usual...) Alieth's gaze wandered across the screen, searching for those glimpses of the life she had left behind: Selar running behind her father, laden with homework, while Mu-kur, she, too, with more white fur on her coat than Alieth remembered, nudged him with her muzzle. A little later, N'Keth crossed in the opposite direction, glanced at her husband and at the screen, somehow meeting Alieth's eyes for a second, before she walked away, shaking her head. The gesture made the tiny scientist's lips tighten, more hurt than she would ever admit, even to herself. Her father's speech changed a little later, as he elaborated on the latest tea blends he had been working on. As he did so, Alieth leaned back against the sill and set herself to enjoy listening him discuss the details and characteristics of each of the herbs he has been using, the curing times and temperatures of the water for longer than he had spoken of their family. That fact brought a small smile to the Vulcan's mouth. Some things never changed, and that was just perfect as it was. She took another sip of tea in honour of the Tea Master of Chi-ree as she watched the grizzled Vulcan inform her that he had attached the replicator patterns of the new blend to the message. Finally, Saros fell silent for a moment, tilted his head in much the same way that her daughter tended to do, and folded his hand on the table in front of him. Alieth's slanter brows furrowed, as they had done the first time she had heard the message. After eighty-six seconds of silence, his father informed her that the Pid-kom, T'Mihn of S'th'gee Clan, was still very much missing. The old woman's actions against Alieth had been amended, her decision to expel her from Chi-ree on pain of justice rescinded, but, even so, no one had yet taken the head of the clan and, as such, Alieth's situation remained as that of a Vulcan without a clan. The Matriarch's disappearance only complicated the situation and rendered it unwise for her to return to Vulcan for the time being. Her father assured her that Vulcan administration of law was still conducting an investigation into how the old woman had disappeared from the temple from which she had retired, and that clues seemed to indicate that someone had abducted her, the motives for doing so as yet unknown. Saros reminded her of the virtues of patience and the need to refrain from doing anything unreasonable while the whole process unravelled. As he discussed the details of the investigation, the light in the room shifted to an orange hue, signalling the sunset. The first song of a night bird chirped, and the desert wind stirred the sands of the dunes beyond sight. Alieth's heart shrank for a second, longing for a land she would not see for a while curling like a viper around her core. A heartache she did not need. Finally, her mother re-entered the scene, a silent shadow against the door frame. Saros just stared silently at the screen for a minute, before he cut off the recording. No farewell, no word of when he would message her again, or when it would be proper for her to message back. As usual. Soon, Alieth thought. Soon. When the time was right. With that thought in mind, Alieth took a last sip from her cup and let her eyes wander to the familiar stars of space, as if she could cross the distance that separated her from her homeworld. ================================= Lt. Alieth Chief Science Officer randgridhaleth@gmail.com USS Gorkon NCC-82293 E239702A10 Image Collective Facilitator /Art Director =================================