Serala

Wow, that was awesome! Great writing and so clever.

Once again, Sil beat me to this. 😄 Great writing here! And yeah - no relation to Hamsan Dwich. 😄

Sil beat me to it! I was rolling on the floor (literally) with this one! Great job, T'Lea!

I believe it was the BBC edition of Top Gear.

Congratulations, everyone.

Commander Serala in red, Doctor Karise Indobri in blue.

Well done, both of you and congratulations. Great job.

Congratulations @Wes Greaves and @Hutch! Well done! Absolutely! 💯

As a supervisor in a Customer Call Center, this sim really had me rolling, especially the last part of the flashback scene, so I hope you all get as much enjoyment out of it as I did. OOC: Flashback sequence & graphic were provided by Ensign Serren Tan (Gorkon) O238704AT0. This part (Lazarus XI: Epilogue) was never published as part of the original 10-part Lazarus Saga, which deals with the final arc of Alleran Tan. (( Brew Continuum, Deck 10, USS Chin’toka )) Chythar nodded slightly, pleased to hear the raktajino is worth the hype. Given the years of perfection that went into the recipe on Chris’s part, he felt that the secret was one worth preserving. He needed no such reminder, given his experience with being the Gorkon’s temporary morale officer during their time in the alternate universe. As painful and stale as his jokes were, he vowed never to serve biscuits like that ever again and stick to his job as a barista, since comedy didn’t suit him. Freki’s feline ears perk up at the mention of him from the Captain and he turned his head to the conversation, his paw tapping on Peter’s hand in a friendly way, so he knows that Freki is not ignoring him. Cadfael’s gaze was largely distracted by the comet, though he did turn and give a smile toward Freki once the counselor’s gaze once again returned to him. Azorius: Oh, but of course Captain :: He said nervously, sitting up just a little too straight. :: High morale is very important, I prescribe lots of enjoyment and social time for a healthy crew, also try the Raktajino, it’s to die for! Alentonis: Sorry, this is too fascinating for words. Um...I’ll have a full report on your desk tomorrow, lieutenant. Levinson: Response The captain reached up to tap his badge and make a call, talking with one of the crewmen. A moment later, the rest of the senior staff was summoned. That made sense, and the doc glanced at his watch before he reached up to touch his badge. Lael should just be getting ready to clock out about now, he thought. Skyfire: =/\= Dr. Skyfire to Commander Rosek. =/\= Rosek: =/\= Response =/\= Skyfire: =/\= Captain’s summoning the senior staff to the BC. If you’d be a dear and pick up Maddy before making your way up, I’ll be sure to have drinks ready when you arrive. =/\= Rosek: =/\= Response =/\= Once finished with his call, Esa made her way over to Chythar. Kiax: Looks like our work has been well received, wouldn’t you say? Skyfire: I would say it has indeed. Thanks for your assistance. Esa waved a dismissive hand past her face. Kiax: Oh, it was no bother. Besides, I’m happy to have helped. Got any plans for your first Expanse-Inspired recipe yet? Chythar glanced out the window toward the comet and considered. He hadn’t thought of one quite yet, but he figured he’d inquire of the scientists when they had a minute about who saw the comet first. Skyfire: Maybe something to do with that comet, perhaps. Once I figure out which of the blue collars discovered it first. Kiax: Ah, well I’m sure you’ll come up with something. I hear you’re quite good at these things… Speaking of which, I was sent a packet of Rose Capaya seeds from a relative of one of my previous hosts’ children. I was wondering if you’d fancy attempting to craft something with them? The barista quirked a brow in reply. “Interesting” was, perhaps a gross understatement and he didn’t recall having heard of that particular plant before. Skyfire: Interesting. I am certainly interested. :: Leaning forward. :: Tell me more. Kiax: It’s a fruit that grows on Trillus Prime. A bit like a raspberry, grows on a similar kind of vine, but bigger and far sweeter. They tend to grow to be about the size of a fist. I’ve never tried one, but I’m assured that they’re quite appealing. Ah, the Trill homeworld. He sighed heavily as he recalled his last visit to Trill and the letter he’d gotten in reply once he’d finished his dealings with a certain alternate version of Marlee Whale, prior host of the Tan symbiont. (( Flashback -- Skyfire’s Temporary Quarters, Starbase 118 Ops )) Chythar sat staring at the screen with a mug of coffee in his hand as he read over the letter for the fourteenth time, reading what it said. Dear Doctor Skyfire, My name is Chrel Bo, Second Minister of the Trillian Department of the Interior. I write to you today to express my sincere apologies regarding your recent experience on the Trill homeworld. The kidnapping of Starfleet officers is a matter we take extremely seriously, and rest assured we are exercising our due diligence in investigating this matter to the best of our abilities. We have no record of a “Jerra Syn” in the Symbiosis Committee records and are forced to concede this is likely an alias. Authorities in The Ring have been open and cooperative regarding evidence gathering, but the rooms in which you and Miss Whale were held appear to have been sterilized and we do not hold out much hope of any actionable evidence being recovered. Accordingly, while this case will be left open, it is with palpable regret that we are forced to conclude that the likelihood of reaching an acceptable conclusion is low. Please accept my sincere apologies for this incident, and accept the apologies of the Trill people for your experience. The computer chirped and then an automated message was spat out. Thank you for visiting the Trill homeworld! Please rate your experience on our planet using our travel guide program, Trilladvisor. Your recommendation out of five is: __3.6___ (Disclaimer: suggestion automatically generated based on previous recommendations) A complimentary T-shirt has been dispatched to your registered address. The doctor arched a brow as he read the 3.6 over and over again, then knocked back the remainder of his coffee and closed the screen. With a sigh, he made his way to the bed to begin packing his bags in preparation for his return to the Veritas. (( End Flashback )) Skyfire: I regret I never had the opportunity to do any sightseeing of the botanical gardens on Trillius Prime last time I was there. Kiax: My first host had quite the green thumb - won awards for his orchid collections. I can’t say I share his aptitude for it, but the one who sent me the seeds thought that I might enjoy indulging in botany as a pastime. So far, I’ve only managed to grow one or two orchids in the flower beds down in the Hydroponics Bay. Skyfire: Interesting. I’ll have to take another look. Kiax: ::With a wink:: Yeah, the white ones in the bed next to the tree. They’re mine, though I don’t tend to publicise it. Skyfire: And why not? I’d be happy to teach you what I know, and you can exercise those memories a bit? Kiax: Response Skyfire: In all seriousness, Esa? I would be delighted to work on new plant cultivations with someone of your host’s expertise for the BC here. Kiax: Response Skyfire: I noticed you were asking Cadfael about the other BCs. I can’t attest to the one on the Juneau, but I took good care of it on the Veritas after Teller left. The Astraeus was all my doing, though it admittedly was less complicated than the one here. The hologram, which you may’ve seen briefly on your way in, was the most complex piece of the puzzle. I’ll put it back once the majesty of the comet wears off. :: Momentary pause to glance over at the dogs. :: Devlin's the little beagle. Odin is Mei's rottweiler. Kiax: Response Off in the corner, Devlin was nuzzling Odin once again and giving his muzzle tender little beagle kisses in between a tug-of-war on one of the ropes. While it did look to Chythar that Devlin might’ve been winning, he guessed that the rottweiler was more just laying there for effect and to let the little beagle think he was winning. === Lieutenant Commander Chythar Skyfire, MD Medical Officer / Barista USS Chin’toka NCC-97187 O239002CS0

While I went with one of the choices, I wouldn't mind seeing a spin-off type series told from the perspective of one of the other races (Romulans, anyone? - big surprise I would go that way, I know). It might be interesting to see the other side of the story.

Oh, and the response from T'Lea in the subsequent sim is equally funny... Kendrick: Please don't tell the Captain. And then he slumped down leaving T’Lea to wonder... T’Lea: Did that jerk just die?

I really loved reading Kendrick's sim here. It got a few comments in our Discord channel, and I had to agree with them. His internal monologue is great and really gets you to feel for him. And that touch of humor at the end right before he passes out is great. Well done, Ensign Kendrick. ((DaiMon Kaybay’s Mining Camp – North Tunnel)) While the young Bajoran doctor Rel examined the creature’s bite in John’s neck, T’Lea checked her tricorder readings once more. John’s eyes drifted upwards to what appeared to be some kind of graffiti. He pointed his palm beacon up at the wall, hoping to get a better look. Rel: Well I don’t think this is life threatening. You might feel some irritation though, I’ll give you something for that, hold still. John was too focused on the graffiti to even notice doctor Rel injecting him with an antidote. Rel: That’s better. The symbols appeared to be Vulcan, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to read them. Luckily for them, there was a half Vulcan in their presence. Kendrick: Commander, my guess is those are Vulcan. Correct? As he made circular movements with his palm beacon to draw the Commander’s attention upwards to the wall. The commander’s headlamp took aim at the symbols John was indicating. T’Lea: Indeed. It is Golic. Golic? The name was unfamiliar to John. Rel: Interesting. I don’t suppose this is a coincidence. John watched as the Romulo-Vulcan frowned at the glyphs on the ceiling of the tunnel. As her headlamp shined on further down the tunnel, they discovered more of these symbols. T’Lea: It looks like a math formula of some kind. An engineering concept perhaps? There’s more that way… As the Commander started walking further down the tunnel, meanwhile making recordings of the ceiling with her tricorder, John followed her lead. Rel: It seems to be less stable now, like whoever was writing it was doing so faster. Kendrick: A mysterious message written in the Vulcan language, deep inside a tunnel on a planet dozens of lightyears from Federation space. It just doesn’t make sense. T’Lea: I have no idea what it means. It is definitely a formula for something, but it is beyond my expertise. Let me send it to Dekas and the Captain. John stopped as he watched Commander T’Lea fiddle with her tricorder, attempting to transmit the data to the Captain and Ensign Dekas. Her tricorder however didn’t seem to respond to her command entries. She rolled her eyes at the blinking device in her hand. John could’ve sworn he heard her uttering a swear. Not very Vulcan-like he thought, but then again, the Lieutenant-Commander was also half Romulan. T’Lea: I can’t get a signal through, can either of you? Rel: Nothing. John took off the tricorder from his belt and flipped it open. Little lights started blinking, indicating all systems seemed to be working properly – except the antenna. John looked up as he put the tricorder back on his belt. He shook his head. Kendrick: No, Sir. T’Lea: It must be interference from the cave. The Commander glanced over John’s shoulders, back in the direction they came from, as if calculating their next move. Without anyone really noticing, John shook his head. Earlier that day the Captain had ordered Ensign Dekas to join the Lieutenant-Commander to explore the surrounding areas of the Jem’Hadar colony. But it was John's reaction to Second Osasad’Mon’s hostile attitude that forced Major Han to change those plans. If only he had kept his calm, Ensign Dekas would be here in the tunnel instead of him, perhaps solving this Vulcan puzzle as if it were child’s play. Suddenly he felt Commander T’Lea looking at him. He quickly shook off the regret that was taking hold of him again. T’Lea: Are you feeling well enough to continue? He placed his hand on the back of his neck as he turned his head from left to right. Kendrick: My neck feels a bit stiff. Almost like I was in a shuttle crash and I’m suffering from a whiplash. T’Lea: Are you sure you are not feeling any ill effects from the bug bite? He glanced at doctor Rel, and with an almost boyish smile he tried to convince her he was feeling well enough to continue the mission. Kendrick: I’m still feeling like myself doc. The alien creature doesn’t appear to have taken over any of my cognitive functions. oO Although that would be a perfect excuse to explain my stupid behavior today. Maybe I should… On second thought, I better don’t. Oo The Romulo-Vulcan officer looked at doctor Rel for confirmation. It was only now that John noticed her beautiful blue eyes. He quickly diverted his eyes back to the doctor, awaiting her evaluation. T’Lea: Is he? Rel: As long as you are feeling okay, Ensign, I’m not worried. But let me know at once if that changes. The Commander took a moment to consider their options. Having come to a conclusion, she looked at both John and doctor Rel. T’Lea: :: firmly :: Let’s finish what we started. This is obviously leading somewhere. Rel: Yes, ma’am. Kendrick: :: nodding :: Agreed. If the Ferengi find out we discovered this tunnel, they might decide to send in more men to secure the area, making it more difficult for us to move in and out of this tunnel network without being detected. The group continued into the cave, following the writing on the ceiling. After about ten minutes, the darkness around them seemed to recede. They turned a corner and suddenly saw a blindingly bright light in the distance. It looked like a lamp or flashlight. Before John or anyone else could say anything, the light went out again. From behind him, he heard doctor Rel flip open her tricorder as she started taking scans. Rel: I’ve got a life-sign. Humanoid. T’Lea: Response The doctor tuned her tricorder for more specificity but shook her head. Rel: I can’t tell what species. Kendrick: Whoever is out there didn’t come through the same tunnel as we did. If they did, we wouldn’t have had to push our way through these cobwebs. As he spoke, he felt a scratchiness in the back of his throat. Perhaps the moist and cold of the tunnel was starting to get to him. John listened to the tricorder readings as they tapered off. Doctor Rel did her best to get them back but apparently wasn’t successful. Rel: It’s gone. No sign of life now. At this range I should be getting full data, but I think the cave is still causing interference, maybe the tritanium is causing it? Based on this, I would say the life sign is moving away from us. John heard the doctor’s words, but it was almost as if they were spoken from afar, as if they were an echo of sorts. He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Was the temperature rising in the tunnel or was the anxiety getting to him? T’Lea: Response John wiped the sweat of his forehead and nodded. Although he wasn’t feeling all too well, he was determined not to let it affect his job and the mission. He took out his tricorder and tried to take some scans of the tunnel ahead as Commander T’Lea started to pick up the pace. Kendrick: Careful Commander. We don’t want to move too fast down here. These tunnels might have been equipped with defense mechanisms against intruders. Rel: Like booby traps? We can’t be too far behind, I can’t see them being able to set up traps for us… Suddenly John felt an excruciating pain coming from the bite wound on the back of his neck. Rel: Ensign, stop! As the pain got unbearable John couldn’t walk any further and dropped down to his knees. His hand reached for the back of his neck where he felt the bite wound swelling up. Kendrick: Doc :: sounding miserable:: Doc. He barely managed to get the words out of his mouth. His tongue felt stiff. Kendrick: What’s happening to me? The bite mark on his neck was growing, changing color. It was almost as if something living was growing inside of him. His face turned blue as he reached for his throat, barely able to breathe. This was it, he realized. He was about to die. Tears started to run down his face. Tears caused by pain as well as by the fear of dying. He would never see his family again, he realized. He would never be able to make amends with his father. And then it felt like he was cut open by a knife as the bulge on the back of his neck burst open. Hundreds of almost microscopic tick-like creatures fell out of the wound, moving crisscross over his uniform. With a sudden retch, he started vomiting all over his uniform before landing on his hands. As the little alien creatures darted away in the dark, John crawled towards the tunnel wall. He turned around to rest with his back against the wall and felt the swelling in his throat starting to go down a bit. Perhaps he was going to survive the ordeal after all, he thought. He looked down at his vomit-stained uniform. Kendrick: :: chuckles :: Looks like I made quite the mess. He looked up at both the doctor and Commander T'Lea. Kendrick: Please don't tell the Captain. And then he passed out. T’Lea: Response Rel: Response

Oh, I absolutely lost it when I read this one! Thank you @Mei'konda for a great sim! And thank you @Elizabeth Snow for posting this. 😃

Kira and Odo - That kiss! On the promenade after all the clear tension and the climatic argument leading to that kiss.... How can you not love that moment?! 😍

Yep. I gotta go with Spider-Barclay myself.

I have really enjoyed writing this and a big shout out to T'Lea who is a marvelous and creative writer. There's more to come on this, so stay tuned... 😃

Still routing for Spock v. Kirk. And did anyone else notice that Kirk cheated again? (Ok, it was all McCoy this time, but still...)

Amok Time is by far and away in my list of Top 5 Favorite Episodes, so Kirk v. Spock was a no brainer for me.

that☝️ Also, this seems a no brainer given my name, but "Dammit Jim"

ahhhh. Too many good choices. For me it was really a tie between Enterprise-D and Voyager. I went with Enterprise-D, though, because I think good ole' Data would just make the whole event wonderful. But Neelix's cooking was very tempting, I must say. 😋

Definitely a tough decision here, Ultimately, it came down to saving as many lives as possible and buying time for assistance to arrive.

Yes!

Well, I didn't vote for the Kazon, but good point about them not being able to make water even though they have starships. I mean, huh?

Amma and Tolpra

All of these are great choices, but for me, this scene from "Qpid" has got to be my favorite: Q: Jean-Luc, it's wonderful to see you again. How about a big hug? Well don't just stand there, say something. PICARD: Get out of my chair. Q: Oh, and I was hoping for something more along the lines of, welcome back, Q, it's a pleasure to see you again my old friend." PICARD: We're not friends. Q: You wound me, mon capitaine. (a snap of fingers swaps their places) Q: There, perhaps now your manners will show some improvement. PICARD: What brings you here, Q? Have you been banished by the Continuum once again? Q: Oh, hardly. They're still apologising to me for the last time. PICARD: Then what is it you want? Q: Do I always have to have a reason to stop by? I was merely in the sector, I. You force a confession from me. The truth is, I have a debt to repay. PICARD: A debt? Q: To you. And it gnaws at me, and it interferes with each of my days. PICARD: I have no idea what you're talking about. Q: Without your assistance at our last encounter, I never would have survived. I would have taken my own life but for you. PICARD: We all make mistakes. Q: Your good deed made possible my reinstatement in the Continuum, and I resent owing you anything. So, I'm here to pay up. Tell me, what is it you wish and I'll be gone. PICARD: Just be gone. That'll do nicely. Q: No, no, no, no, no. It has to be something more, more constructive. That's my new word for the day. PICARD: Some other time, Q. Right now I have other matters to attend to. Q: Yes, your speech. I read it. It's dull, plodding, pedantic, much like yourself. I could help you with it. PICARD: No thank you. Q: You've never actually been to the ruins at Tagus Three, have you? PICARD: No. They were sealed off more than a century ago. Q: Well, that explains it, then. How can you write about something that you've never seen. I know, why don't I take you there? (Q is now wearing a safari suit, complete with pith helmet and shorts) PICARD: Out of the question. That would mean breaking Taguan law. Q: Must you always be so ethical? I suppose we could travel back in time. You could see what Tagus was like two billion years ago. They really knew how to party back in those days. PICARD: My answer is still no. My lecture will have to stand on its own. Now, will you please leave my ship. Q: You are simply the most impossible person to buy a gift for. (Q disappears) PICARD: Commander Riker, will you report to my Ready room? (Riker enters) RIKER: Yes, Captain? PICARD: I've just been paid a visit from Q. RIKER: Q? Any idea what he's up to? PICARD: He wants to do something nice for me. RIKER: I'll alert the crew.