Karrod Niac

Like Riker before him, Karrod has one off duty outfit and that's all he needs. With all due credit to @Alieth

The Arrow's CO has done a lot of self-reflection this leave and I think this sim deserves special recognition for the delicate balance it manages to strike with a complex, emotional topic and not at all because it implies the benefits of listening to his XO. That had absolutely nothing to do with this post. At all. Bravo, Skip. ================================= ((Deck 1, Captain’s Ready Room, USS Arrow)) Dewitt: Permission to speak freely, Sir? Shayne: We’re alone. That was as good as permission, as far as Shayne was concerned. From day one, his policy had been that the formality of command largely ceased in the confines of a singular, private conversation. He knew that his love of the chain of command could be a noose as easily as it was a guide, and he was determined to not be hanged by his dedication to protocol like some sort of stuffy, intransigent bureaucrat. Thus, anyone- from the lowliest crewmen to the most senior of his officers- held his attention and his confidence while alone in the environs of the ready room. It was a sacred trust, one Shayne was pleased to know he’d never had reason or need to break. Dewitt: I have talked a lot to one of the Cadets from the Libris, Ginny Lacy. I guess she is the brain behind the automation of the ship. She's holding the belief that an AI has a more complete and deterministic picture of heated situations and how to solve them. ::pause and taking another sip:: I can think of a million reasons why I believe an automated AI-based ship is a bad idea... But I cannot put off the thought that there is some truth to what she said. Shayne heard the Lieutenant’s words, and secretly, inwardly began to build defenses around himself. It was natural, second nature, to be exact, and it was a method of maintaining his emotional equilibrium without sacrificing awareness of the moment. But Niac’s words gruffly scampered up his brain stem like a vertical Jefferies Tube, wagged a vaguely hircine finger in disapproval, and then vanished back through the hatch. No, this time he would be better. This time he’d trust his crew. Shayne: There is. Before it had become a topic of personal contention for the captain, he’d often wrestled with the idea of AI ships himself. It seemed that ninety percent of the personnel aboard a given starship were there specifically to attend to the personnel aboard the starship. Doctors, counselors, environmental engineers, communications officers, that one schmuck saddled with corralling the various pets that escaped quarters during crises and took the opportunity to mate, leading to callico-targ hybrids that no one was qualified to look after… wow, his mind flew off the track. The point was that it was an old argument, and even without the normal recrimination that would accompany the notion, Shayne had to admit that the cold logic of steel and circuits would be a comforting distance for the fleet to maintain. But it was too cold for him. Sometimes when he looked at ships in space, he’d think about their beauty or their power. And yet, when they occasionally emerged from the eclipse of a moon, or left the native sun far behind, he couldn’t help but think how impossibly cold they must be. Shivering duranium and frost-encrusted nacelles and… just cold. Dewitt: As I'm collecting those pips on my collar... I'm just wondering how you deal with that... Heated decisions will always be made with an incomplete set of information... Part of it seems like a mixture of a gut feeling and hope. Shayne kept his bearing stern and thoughtful, but inside, it was like a long-forgotten sun had risen from behind a cloud bank. So much of what he’d felt was being spelled out better than he’d ever been able to consolidate it, and it seemed that he was being rewarded for listening to Niac’s words, if only in the form of validation. It hadn’t been just him. It was reasonable. It was feared, and difficult, and challenging, and there was no easy solution, and now his place in all this- in all this- was becoming, if not clearer, then more trustworthy. Shayne: You couldn’t be more correct. In my experience, every officer contends in a different way. That’s where you’ll find your sense of style, of leadership. But for me? I think like an Ops officer, and a pilot. Aviate, navigate, communicate… and do the best you can. It wasn’t much of a response, but it was the truth, and he held close to the validity of these approaches, even if they weren’t for everyone. Dewitt: How do you make those decisions without doubt and without charging yourself if things go south? Shayne stared at Dewitt for a moment, nonplussed. Before, the relevance these questions had to Shayne was something of a novelty, an enjoyable detail in an otherwise rapidly changing life. But now, it was almost like the young lieutenant was reading Shayne’s mind. How very much like the captain Dewitt was starting to become, and for the life of him, Shayne could not determine whether that was bad or good. Shayne: “When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things…” Randal Shayne held much of religion in great contempt, and made it more dangerously clear than most in his position. Tolerance and respect were still possible, but he would not be satisfied with the bludgeon that faith had become so often on his homeworld in the past. One must live it, embody it, and serve it as much as it served them, and in the pursuit of this agenda, Shayne had taken to skimming the holy texts of many faiths around the Alpha Quadrant. It was such a pity he couldn’t believe; the churches were beautiful, the stained glass telling stories that words might have mangled, and the words… twisted to evil so often, and yet… Shayne: You are asking the right questions, but the wrong person. Only you can answer them, in time, and with much deliberation, and much error. And the permission to make those errors, those choices… starts with your leader, and slowly, you find conviction sufficient to supply your own. And then you decide, and learn, and if you are right more often than you are wrong, they make you a captain. It was not the fountain of wisdom Shayne wished to provide, nor the simple answer he himself so desperately craved as a nascent lieutenant, looking with awe and anxiety at the ever-increasing obligations and possibilities open to him. Shayne knew the willingness to dive in, even without knowing, despite the desire to know as much as possible, was part of what made a good leader, or at least a good star service captain. It sounded so reckless, so self-serving, and yet, no ship was safe in port. No soul would blossom in confinement. And no words could convey a truth they weren’t designed to bear. Dewitt: Response Shayne: Our success is built on failure. And so long as you are ready to learn, and answer for the consequences, and accept the burden that is the metal at your collar, I give you permission to fail, Mr. Dewitt. And perhaps together we will find the answers you so keenly seek. For a moment, the uniforms didn’t matter. The ranks didn’t matter. They were but two men; one freshly proven and looking towards the future, and the other watching from farther down the road, at the storms and the rockslides and the many dead canaries, and trying to shout in a hoarse whisper… “awake!” Dewitt: Response Tag/TBC (END?)

Lovely piece and it raises an important question - do Cardassians hate Mondays and love lasagna?

It's fantastic getting to watch our junior officers grow and mature their characters in such a short time since coming aboard but @Seesh has been consistently delightful to read. Well done!

The quiet hum of the runabout, occasionally punctuated by the chimes of automated systems dutifully performing their functions, was the only break from the oppressive silence that wrapped Geoffrey Teller like a pitch-black cloak. In the two days his journey had taken he hadn't spoken, save for the rare instruction to the ships computer, and even those few times had been abrupt and ledden. Gone was the zeal and gangly energy for which he was typically known, buried too deep under layers of loss and grief for even his spirit to shine through. He looked towards the transporter platform and its single occupant and considered again how he'd come to be chosen for this last, solemn duty. Geoff had fallen out of time; stolen away from the life and career he'd built by an enemy who had harried his steps since his earliest days as an officer on the U.S.S. Veritas. He'd been imprisoned, returned to a place that played a central role in his darkest nightmares and only when he'd broken free with the assistance of friends and colleagues had he begun to grasp all that had been taken from him. And all that he'd missed. In the space between two heartbeats he'd lost a year of his life as the outside universe continued on, blithely ignorant to his absence. In the months that had passed since then he'd tried coming to terms with the enormity of that loss yet every time he thought he'd begun to put aside the bitter anger that consumed him in his quiet hours, some new discovery wounded him anew. The message he'd received a week ago had been the worst among them all, though, and so had the request that had gone along with it. He glanced again at the transporter platform and the small urn that stood upon a plinth in its center as tears once again clouded his vision. He had met her on his very first assignment and she'd seen something in him that Geoff himself had been unable to, but that had been her way. Although she had suffered from a debilitating, chronic disease for which there was no cure, her heart seemed to overflow with compassion and empathy for all those around her. She had wrapped those closest to her in an warm embrace that could forestall the sting of the deepest agonies. She'd even made Geoff one of his most cherished personal possessions, a beautiful hand-woven blanket made in the ancient style of her people, and it had become a tangible symbol of all the kindness and care she shared so freely with others. The blanket sat on the empty co-pilots chair where he'd delicately placed it when embarking. He'd not dared touch it since. The navigation computer drew his attention back to the present as the runabout dropped out of warp and, as programmed, brought the ship to a halt. Beyond the shuttle's viewport was the awesome majesty of a formation that early astronomers had dubbed 'The Pillars of Creation,' a vast collection of stellar phenomena that continued to inspire artists and poets. The scientific community had long ago classified and catalogued it, noted its atypical coloration and odd spatial geometry, then moved on to some new mystery. The souls of artists from a hundred worlds had been far less fickle and, from Andoria to Tellar to old Earth itself, many regarded it as the most spectacular of all the galaxies innumerable creations. Geoff looked at it scornfully, desperate for anything upon which to vent his anger and grief, but the stars themselves were unmoved. An impossible chill seemed to suffuse the cabin and Geoff found himself reaching out for the blanket as if in a trance, unable to stop himself from wrapping the thick soft wool around his shoulders like a shawl. He sat there for a time in silence. How long was not a matter of seconds or minutes or hours, or any banal form of time keeping that could be expressed with the use of a timepiece. The time was as long as it had to be, as grief and loss and the pain of tragedy threatened to overwhelm him in silence. When at last he stood and the tears that had silently run down his face were spent he'd grown warm in the blankets gentle embrace and part of him knew it was time, at last, to say goodbye to his friend. Standing and turning towards the transporter controls, he considered again the words she'd asked him to speak aloud at this moment. Geoff knew they came from an ancient blessing that her people had passed down from one generation to the next and could feel the truth in them, even if he struggled to accept it for himself. His hand moved towards the controls but hesitated and his shoulders slumped. "Why?" he said to the air...or to the urn...or to the vast indifferent universe, "You didn't deserve this. You deserved decades of love and peace and comfort. You deserved to be honored...to be recognized. To be seen and heard and celebrated." His voice was horse with emotion. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me. When you needed one more miracle. When you needed a friend at the end of all things. I'm...I'm so sorry." Geoff sobbed, an exhausted and desperate longing for absolution consuming his heart and burning within his mind. He raged, furious at a universe that could be so cruel and random, so capricious with its gifts and so generous with its miseries. He mourned for his friend and for her family, for those she'd left behind and for those wonders she'd never get to experience. And finally, at last, he allowed himself to feel it all. All the shame and pain he'd stacked upon his soul. All the awful self-recriminations and illogical guilt that he had lashed himself with since discovering that his friend had gone and he remained. Then something strange happened. A warmth suffused him, as if the blanket resting on his shoulders had settled deeper around his spirit and become a balm upon his very soul. And he felt her. Felt her kind, knowing smile. Felt her compassion as a light which gently banished the darkness within him and gently chided him, as she always had, for imposing grief upon himself that she never would've wished for him. Guilt was transmuted to understanding and agony made way for acceptance as her last gift to him sealed the breach within his soul from which he'd been invisibly bleeding to death. His shoulders straightened and the pallor of grief began fading from his face as he took a deep breath, at last prepared to say his final farewell to someone he'd come to cherish and respect. His hand went to the transporter controls and when he spoke, his borrowed and ancient words were calm and clear. "If you've come to the end...you've only found another beginning. Goodbye...my friend." The transporter whined and the urn shimmered blue and white, vanishing a moment later to begin its infinite journey through the majesty of the Pillars. Geoff returned to the viewport and watched the canister drift away until he could no longer make it out against the towering bands of color and light and when he closed his eyes, he saw her smile written across those very same stars. He finally understood why she'd asked this of him and thanked his friend, one final time, for the warmth she had once again shared with him when he most needed it. When at last Geoff turned the runabout for home he was changed. Transmuted through the crucible of grief and loss, his friend had helped him find a new beginning as her last act of charity. It was a gift he'd cherish for as long as he lived. -For Mandy

It's that level of compassion and empathy that makes @Talia Ohnari such an exemplary medical officer.

My disappointment is immeasurable

A Fistful, naturally.

I'd be remiss if I let this whole beautiful gag go by without recognition. Ensign Hobart's dreadful condition has led to a hilarious series of sims that's been a great reading. A well done to all involved. ================================================================================================ ((Interior, Sickbay, Deck 3, USS Arrow)) Hobart: ::trying to sit up:: The thuddewbay! Bower'th thtiw oud! He tapped at his combadge, but missed at first, due to his numbed digits. At another attempt, he heard a reassuring chirp. His uniform jacket might be done for, but at least that still worked. He thought. Hobart: Hobarb do Enthineerin. ::nothing, a frustrated grunt:: Hobarb do Enthineerin! ::pulls combadge off angrily, looks at it:: Gueth idth broken. He smacked his lips. The pressure was decreasing, if slowly. As the two women laughed at his expense, he wondered what time it was, and whether this horrible day was close to an end. Perim: ::chuckling:: I am sorry... What about engineering? I'll make the call! Ohnari: Maye try hand gestures...? With a nod to the doctor, Nolen raised his uninjured hand to the level of his face and opened and closed it repeatedly. He narrowed his eyes at Cadet Perim and fixed them on hers. He had no telepathic powers, but if ever there was a moment to suddenly and heroically develop them, this would be it. Hobart: ::tongue clacking:: Tha bowa in tha thudderpay ith thdill offawyme. This was not it. Perim: Waffles? Don't we better call the mess hall for that? Gritting his teeth, Nolen formed a wedge with the same hand, and slapped it to the top the biobed. Hobart: ::deadpan, attempting to annunciate:: We bwew tha thirkut. Thuddles aww thduck. Perim: ::sudden excitement:: Of course, the power junction. I'll notify them! You stay here! Hobart: Yeh, thoor. I thday here. Ohnari: See? I told you the hand gestures would work. Despite his best efforts to restrain them, Nolen's eyes rolled circuitously before meeting Dr. Ohnari's. Perim: I'll get down there and help with the cleanup - without touching any power related parts. Ohnari: Yes, please do avoid those until we are sure they aren't going to reach out and bite anyone else. Temperamental things, those power parts. Nolen nodded eagerly and pointed to Ensign Ohnari. Hobart: Imfowm Wewdennan Dewidd. The Lieutenant should have already been aware, but an explanation couldn't hurt. So long as Perim avoided undue self-recrimination. The important thing was getting the ship's systems back online, he knew, consideration of how they came to be offline was of secondary concern. Jenna looked at Nolen once again in concern and squeezed his arm lightly. He inhaled sharply and sighed, resigned to occupy the biobed for a bit longer. Perim: You get better soon! I obviously need that engineering tutoring. ::to Ensign Ohnari:: Thank you, doctor! Ohnari: Of course, you be safe, Cadet! ::turning back:: How are we feeling? Your tongue should be a little more adept at that speech thing now. Although if you want to express your "wub" for me again, I'm all for it. Perim left the biobed and - just before exiting sickbay - turned around again to give Nolen one last smile. Nolen gave her a thumbs up, glad she could get her mind onto a different task. That's when Ohnari gave him a playful nudge. He tried stretching his tongue as he strained to recall when he had said "wub." Might as well roll with it. Hobart: Beddah. ::Raising his eyebrows:: It'th becauth I wub you dad I donb howb dith again' you. ::wink:: Ohnari: ::smirking:: Just kidding. I promise to only bring it up about....seven more times before I let it go. But your vitals look good, it appears you do have a moderate allergy to the basic analgesic cocktail, so I'll be sure to update your chart. Nolen nodded. With the Cadet gone, Ensigns Hobart and Ohnari were left alone with the chirping and trilling of various medical devices and instruments around him. As she updated his chart, he was content to languish in the pause's calm. Until he wasn't. This was boring. Hobart: ::grinning, sort of:: Mighd nod ged a bedder pfanth ad thith, Doc. Know any good dongue dwithders? Or, perhabth... ::eyebrows waggling suggestively:: thum muthicaw theader? He didn't give her a chance to object. Hobart: ::puffing up his chest, feigning pomp, singing loudly:: I am tha very modew of a modern mador Generwaw! I've information vegedabew, animaw, an' minewaw! ::deep breath:: I know tha khins opf Enkhlan', an' I quode the fighdth hithdoricaw, from Marathon do Waderwoo, in order cadekhoricaw! TAGS/End for Hobart ——— Ensign Nowem Hobard Enthineerin Othither Yu Eth Eth Arrow (NCC-69829) A240001NH3 Reply all Reply to author Forward

Those first few scenes as a new player are always intimidating and, in this case for Mr. Hobart, doubly so because he's on the Bridge a few hours after showing up. Still he manages to jump right in and contribute with some wonderful characterizations and observations, along with some follicular humor, starting our Act 3 off on a great note. Well done Ensign! ======================================== ((Deck One, Bridge, USS Arrow)) Commander Niac leaned back in discomfort in the command chair on the Bridge, before rising to survey the assembled and assigned crew. Hobart in his own kind of discomfort, tucked away into the proverbial corner of a round-ish room, fell back onto his accidental mantra. It was something he took to saying in Academy simulations, when he found himself in a place like this. The simulations were all contrived to find a way to make cadets of varying specialties all act together as bridge crew. Every bit of his training, every component system he memorized, every tool he learned, had him situated if not in the beating heart of Main Engineering, then somewhere in a Jefferies tube, which from inside felt a bit like a ship’s digestive tract. But every major simulation had him situated right where he was, at the stern of the bridge, looking at a screen, his hands very much grease-free. Every time, Nolen's expression became a little more exhausted, a little more exasperated. But here, on the Arrow, where the stakes were real, he couldn’t muster such chutzpah. Accordingly, he only mouthed the words: "But what does an engineer do on the bridge?" He was about to find out. Niac: Lieutenant Commander Collins, Lieutenant Jg. Ayemet, you're going to be our eyes and ears while the away team is offship. I need you to squeeze everything you can out of our passive sensors. I want to keep track of the team and I don't want us to get snuck up on. Any questions? Collins/Ayemet: Response As Niac began his round of the bridge crew, Hobart stared at the panel in front of him. Thrusters only, shields offline, weapons powered down, life support and air circulation at a minimum. It was a blessing that the lights and displays themselves wouldn't create too much "noise," so they could be left un-dimmed. The air was still fresh enough, but Hobart knew as they settled in, things would begin to get stale. With any luck, the Captain's excursion would be brief. oO And “successful,” of course. Don’t forget “successful.” Oo Niac: Understood, give me as much warning as you can. Karrod nodded and turned his attention towards their helmsman, Cadet Jenna Perim. Nolen wondered which sadistic instructor assigned her to this ship for her cruise. Niac: Cadet Perim, confirm we're in position relative to the asteroid and the facility. Once we're set, I want you to start plotting warp trajectories out of the system and back to the Proteus ring. ::Karrod tried a reassuring smile:: You think you're up for that, Cadet? Hobart's black eyes danced around the map of the ship as he mused to himself about which sections were about to become very cold, and which very sweaty. The Bridge, he estimated with relief, would be closer to the former. As Nolen's father put it: you can always put more layers on. He did not envy Lieutenant J/G Dewitt, though, nor the smell that would undoubtedly await him on his return to Main Engineering. In the brief span of time between his arrival on the ship and his assignment to his current station, Ensign Hobart had only barely had a chance to drop off his belongings in his new quarters, drink a glass of water, and briefly meet a very busy man who seemed to have only just arrived out of the Academy a week or so before he did. The fact that Dewitt had already secured his half-pip was bewilderingly impressive, and Nolen wondered exactly where the Lieutenant got off setting such impossibly high standards for the rest of the crew. Perim: Response Karrod fought to keep a smirk off his face and turned his attention towards the last and newest member of their team, Ensign Nolen Hobart. The hairs on the back of Nolen's neck tingled as an image of looming anthropomorphized facial hair in a command uniform filled his mind. Niac: Ensign Hobart, welcome to the bridge. You'll be responsible for monitoring our power systems and making sure we're not leaking any detectable emissions. We don't want to trigger those facility defense batteries. That said, I want us ready to power up and get underway on a moment’s notice. Think you can handle all, Ensign? Hobart: ::raised voice:: Aye, sir, not a scrape nor squeak, Commander Bea— ah, Commander Niac. Sir. Hobart kept his back to the ship's Executive Officer, ostensibly to continue to monitor the ship’s systems. Had the ship's lights been dimmed, he imagined that his face, glowing as hot embers, would have drawn more attention no matter which way he stood. In this precise moment, he envied Lieutenant Dewitt a great deal. Karrod straightened up in the Chair and tapped at his commbadge. Niac: =/\= Niac to Shayne. Captain, we're all set up here. =/\= Shayne: =/\= Understood. Standby for our launch. =/\= Niac: =/\= Aye sir, good hunting. You're clear for departure. Arrow will be standing by waiting for you. Good luck, Captain. =/\= Shayne: =/\= Thank you, Commander. =/\= The comm closed and Karrod turned his attention back towards the bridge. The viewscreen showed the barren, pitted surface of broken stone stretched off into the darkness all around them. After a few minutes of relative silence, Karrod spoke aloud, half to himself and half to the bridge as a whole. Niac: Guess I should've brought a deck of cards. This caused Nolen to turn around, his face finally under control and un-blushed. Out the main viewscreen he saw the vast surface of their shelter against prying Sheliak sensors, a slash of barren rock against the dark void of space, and felt for a moment as if he was back home. An Engineer on the Bridge, he realized, if nothing else, got a real good look. Collins/Ayemet/Perim: Response With his eyes finally filled, Hobart turns back to his station, focused on making sure things stayed good and quiet. He tapped, rhythmically, cycling through the different powered down systems, arranging them for reactivation in the most efficient sequence possible. Somewhere from the dark recesses of his mind, antiquated cultural artifacts echoed. Hobart: ::whispering absentmindedly, with a Scottish lisp:: One… ping… only… Any: Response Tags/TBC — — — Ensign Nolen Hobart Engineering Officer U.S.S. Arrow (NCC-69829) A240001NH3

MSNPC's are such a vital part of our narrative structure - they can add so much flavor and gravitas to a mission when done right and I think this is a great example! In introducing their character and the situation, @Quentin Collins III has done a great job of contributing to our missions tone and I can't wait to see what we get next! Also, anybody else getting some Andor vibes? And I mean that as the highest compliment! ================================================================== ((Interior. ???. Sheliak Mining Camp, Hab Block 6.)) Two-thousand, one hundred and ninety-one days read the fuzzy display of Arianna's barely functioning visual display. Not that she needed the reminder. Basic training had all but hammered a finely tuned internal chronometer into her chest. She had felt and clocked every day here since the first. Just like Basic. Then it was Reveille at the crack of dawn, stringent PT throughout the day, insertion and TAC training throughout the night. Up, down, left, right. She had loved it then. Clung to it even, in some of the lowest moments. The routine, the repetition toward something greater. It was everything she had always wanted. But her life now? If one could even call it a life...it had the very same repetition. The very same routine. But it was cruel and twisted. Deadly even to some. She flexed her tired joints and swung her legs up and off the dirty standing cot that she shared with seven other "miners", four of which were already on shift and gone. Wiping a film of dust from her exposed eye and polishing as best as possible the implant ocular display on the other with the tail end of her tunic, she peered up and through the holey, corrugated wall of the Hab. Her flickering display concurred with her eyeballing. It was just about dawn. She had another few hours before she would be corralled with the rest of her shift. She finally stood, placing her aching feet carefully into her boots but not lacing them. Sleep had been but a memory for a while now, but she was really just trying to get through what she considered the worst part of her day. Crossing slowly, she started the day as she always did, trying to will feeling and strength back into her limbs. A nearly impossible task thanks to the meager food and water rations the Sheliak allowed them. But she started her walk anyway. Up and down once more the whole length of the Hab, as she had done many, many, MANY times before since her arrival...wherever this was. She used to do yoga, running drills, and war games with people she loved and respected. Now she had to shuffle up and down a rusty shack to indifferent, almost hostile glances from her "roommates", catching contemptuous looks at herself, from herself in the few mirrored surfaces of the Hab. Usually scraps of broken glass and smooth trisilicate shards smuggled into the Hab from shifts. Most days she figured it was what she deserved. Others, she couldn't even think about it at all. Those days, secretly, were the worst. Because that meant she was getting closer and closer to giving up. Closer and closer to acceptance and apathy. Something that would have been akin to blasphemy two-thousand days ago. A voice from that storied past found her again. Almost starling her as this had been the first thought not in her own voice for...too long she decided. "Nothing wins like time." By that metric...Time had had a stunning victory in sights for a while now. Maybe it was time for Arianna to accept that. Her body clearly had. Her once lustrous and sparkling hand circuitry and the lithe silver filigree that had run from her arm up into her cortex unit had chipped and dulled. Spriggy farm rows of thatched auburn hair had matted across the junction lines of her headpiece while the other side hung dirty and clumped nearly down past her shoulders now. Making her look like a half burned toy. She didn't even bother trying to maintain it anymore. It didn't get in the way of work, so why should- A rusty SHUNK-ing sound frightened her more than she expected it to. A far cry from the woman she once was, a sudden and jangling realization that just pitched her despair darker. The bad feeling continued as she realized who was standing in the now open doorway. Azo. Her "Shift Manager". A hysterically mundane moniker for what he really was. One step down from a slave driver. The equip belt hanging dumbly across his rippling form. The mag-stick was already in his...flipper? Blob? Arianna still didn't really understand Sheliak psyigomy. She just knew their capacity for cruelty and corporal punishment. Azo was...particularly skilled at both. But he was nearly a full two hours early. And seemed...oddly upright for his usually hunched and squelching gait. Sokova: What's- Azo: Out. On ssssshift. Sokova: I'm Second Shift. First isn't even done y- The mag-stick thrummed to life and Arianna felt as if a million tiny needles were prying up her hand circuits, pulling her forward even from her stance halfway across the Hab. This was painful, obviously, but it was also...new? That was...something. Something Arianna immediately filed away. She didn't like the idea of being pulled off of Grumm's shift, her only real contact to the before times... But...Azo not even teasing a carrot this time...and going for the mag-stick instantly to bully her back into the pathway toward the pit, slinking forward behind her like a slug. Old instincts flowed back into her as she darted her eye and optical scanner across the whole of the upper surface of the "mine". That same ripple on Azo was crinkling across the rest of the "Shift Managers", all of whom seemed to be driving their charges just a bit harder than usual. Yet another morsel of new that she filed away. oO They are nervous. Since when are the Sheliak nervous? Oo And then...for the first time in two-thousand, one hundred and ninety-one days, Arianna Sokova felt something else new...something that seemed far away and impossible... She felt something like hope. To Be Continued... Lieutenant JG Arianna Sokova Sheliak "Miner" As simmed by -- Lieutenant Commander Quentin Collins III Chief Science Officer -- U.S.S. ARROW NCC-69829 ID: E239512QC0 -- F.N.S. CONTRIBUTOR (SB118 Forums) ARROW WIKI OPERATOR

May the road rise to meet you, Jansen.

Somewhere old Geoff is smiling.

Ah, look at that fresh faced kid with barely a whisker on his chin.

Deeply appreciate the kind words @Quinn Reynolds & @Kali Nicholotti - means quite a lot. Edit: Additional thanks to @Tony, aka VAiru who I accidentally omitted from my original post! I'm thrilled to see how Wes and the Thor/‘Oumuamua have grown since my departure and I'm so glad you folks are doing well. Best of luck with the new ship!

With all due thanks and credit to the incomparable @Alieth I present - Classy Karrod:

I think First Contact is the absolute best TNG film and with that said - it's still a really bad movie. It starts incredibly abruptly and gives zero transitional time between Generations and the new Enterprise E, or the new conditions of the crew like Geordi's eyes. We very quickly launch into a major Borg action setpiece that could've easily been a major part of the film but it all happens so fast and so arbitrarily that even though the movie talks about it like it's the end of the world the whole thing is setup and over in less than ten minutes of screentime. Those ships that exploded? Who cares. How did the Borg get all the way to Earth again? Doesn't matter. Why do they launch a ball? Also doesn't matter. The whole first act feels like it's high speed setdressing to get us into our wacky time travel adventure which pendulums between antics on the surface and psychological horror and terror on the ship with our new techno-slick (and always damp looking) Borg. It's also the first time we really see the 'movie' arc for Picard - which is rapidly morphing from an elder-statesman and contemplative diplomat into a psychologically unstable action hero. It's baggage that chases the character all the way up to Picard S2 and it's never a good look for the character and it all starts right here. I love First Contact. But it's also terrible in a lot of significant ways that get looked past because it is arguably the only good Next Gen movie. Wrath of Khan this ain't.

hey thanks @Vitor S. Silveira!

We all form a special relationship with the ships we serve on and the occasion of losing one, even when 'planned,' can be very emotional for all involved. The former crew of the Reso decided to commemorate their lost vessel in this stirring and beautifully written group JP. Well done to everyone involved! ===================================================== (( OOC: A huge thank you to everyone who jumped into this scene! I loved reading what everyone added to our little private service. )) (( USS Resolution Memorial, Deck 227/228, Deep Space 224 )) With the lights at minimum illumination, the stars could easily be seen shining brightly through the viewports against the blackness of space. The only significant source of light in the room was the obelisk in the center, projecting a holographic image of the lost ship overhead. Yogan was the first to arrive, and when he stepped through the door into the darkened room, the projection of Resoltion backlit by the stars outside took him by surprise. He’d not seen Resolution during her final moments–the controlled descent into a planetoid with 14 souls still aboard–he had been aboard Rinascita Station at the time, fighting Suliban extremists, depleting oxygen, and his own symbiont. The holo-image of the small-but-heroic ship was how he preferred to remember her. The public dedication of the USS Resolution memorial was to take place shortly. They’d all been invited, but Yogan received permission for his crewmates to gather in private for a short while before the main ceremony. It would be an opportunity for them to see the memorial for the first time together, without the pressures of having to be “on” for the public and manage their reactions for an audience, however well-intentioned they might be. Yogan smiled as his cremates and friends entered and looked at the memorial. When it appeared that everyone who was going to come had arrived, Yogan stepped into the center of the room, just in front of the plaque at the base of the sculpture and broke the solem silence. Yalu: Thank you all for coming. The public ceremony will begin soon, but I thought we would all appreciate this time to ourselves. Before anything else, I just want you all to know that–– ::gestures to memorial:: this was made possible by the Commercial Sector Merchants’ Association. They spearheaded the effort to install a permanent memorial to our ship almost immediately after the news reached the station. Seeing this now, I just want to express gratitude to the shopkeepers and residens of Deep Space 224 for being a part of our extended ship family. Yogan hand brushed against the gold plaque, onto which the names of 13 Resolution crewmembers were etched. The fourteenth victim, Liam Wyke, was represented by a single five-pointed star, as he was not publicly identified in official reports until the necessary debriefings had concluded. Yogan briefly wondered if Admiral Regillensis would have appreciated an invitation to the public service, but that was impossible. He would likely not be a free man for a long time. Yalu: I don’t really have a program or an order of service, or anything like that. Just some time together, and say a few words. ::beat:: Captain, would you care to start? There was nothing quite like saying goodbye. Over the course of so many years and so many ships, homes, places she’d been, goodbye had started to become that ever consistent thorn in her side. Just when she was getting settled and stable, it would come along and knock her over. It would leave her scrambling for the next solid foundation, which she would often find just in time for another wave to sweep through. The Resolution was no different, and yet, it was as different as one could think because it was both a beginning and an end. The raven-haired command officer could still remember the day she set foot on the tiny Nova class ship for the first time, lockstep with Ensign’s Makal Kora and Eliaan Deron. Her fellow Academy graduates and friends had since left Starfleet, but that moment, over a decade ago, still seemed quite fresh in her renewed memory. Kali’s eyes fell on the memorial and considered all that it represented. The ship was gone, and with it, the lives of the few who could not escape the untimely demise. She would never walk the corridors where she had lived, and died, again. The echos of Jaxx, and Kora with his terrier Agrippa, of Guy Hunt, the Laudean child she’d nearly adopted, of her flute, and the budding love story she now found herself happily entrenched in would never be heard again save for in the deep recesses of the minds of those who were there. Those who would remember. As the room had filled, Kali found her way to the front of the small group, looking at each in turn. Her eyes settled on the darkness found in Genkos’ eyes and she found strength, even as though she thought he might feel it lacking. Try as she might, she was concerned that he would always feel as if part of the destruction was his fault, even if the board of inquiry, and she, thought otherwise. Nicholotti: There really are no words that can fully encompass the loss of the Resolution as well as this memorial, which will stand for as long as 224 does. It almost gives her a new life, despite the fact that she might not fly again. Kali took a momentary break before continuing. Nicholotti: The truth is, as long as we remember her, our service aboard her, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that everyone else got away…she’s never really gone. For a moment, her crystalline blues lost focus and her thoughts once more drifted to those early days. After the silence settled, she simply nodded to her first officer and took her seat. Addison nodded to her CO as she rose to take her place in front of the group. Her gaze fell upon the memorial - the beautiful granite, and the projection of a ship she never anticipated serving on brought a smile to her face. It was fitting, in her opinion, that the simple ship be memorialized in a monument equally simple - both were beautiful in their own ways. MacKenzie: ::gesturing to the memorial:: We cannot bring back those who were lost on the Resolution. Their deaths leave holes in our hearts that each of us will feel for the remainder of our days. Our service on that ship, and the shared experience of its destruction, has bonded us in ways that many crews will never know. She paused to look around at the familiar faces of her colleagues gathered. MacKenzie: But we are stronger for it. And now, we go forward carrying out the duty that our fallen comrades no longer can knowing that they died in service to Starfleet, honoring a mission and tradition that we all value and serve to protect. That is to be our greatest memorial to their legacy. She took a breath in through her nose as the faces of their colleagues flashed through her mind. After an exhale, she nodded to those who remained in front of her and returned to her seat. Vitor stood quietly as he waited for his turn. Although he was beginning to find some peace, being here wasn’t helping. The memories of his only mission on the Resolution weren’t pleasant ones. He even wondered if she should be there. But it was his turn. So he took the step forward. Silveira: I, regrettably, spent little time on the Resolution. Although I have been in the Fleet long enough to suffer losses, this was the first time the ship I served on was destroyed and so many of my comrades died. He paused, looking down, recalling them and his own memorial he did for them in Risa. Taking a breath he raised his head and spoke again. Silveira: I won’t need a memorial to remember them. But this is a deserved tribute to them all. He bowed to the memorial before returning to his previous position. Hallia took a deep breath, taking her own step forward, she folded her hands in front of her, feeling almost at a loss for words. This was far bigger than just simply one Starship, the Resolution was a place where Hallia felt like she was valued for her skills as an officer. She formed so many meaningful attachments and the Resolution had become a symbol of that. Stepping forward once again and then turning to face the officers gathered here today. Suddenly she was at a loss of words, and the old wounds she thought had long healed only seemed to open themselves up once again. Yellir: The Resolution was a small ship, yet like her crew, it was tougher than a diamond. I’m beyond thankful for the honour of sharing this journey with all of you. I wouldn’t trade all of our adventures, journeys to unfamiliar worlds and survey missions for the universe. To those we lost ::beat:: they’ll always be with us, and as Starfleet officers, we owe it to them to keep going just as they did. And… right now, I hope nothing more than to wish them safe travels on their own journeys, w- ::beat:: w-wherever they are… She felt her voice break towards the end of her speech. Once again, to steel her nerves, Hallia took a deep breath. Her lips quivered, yet her face didn’t change. Two tears slid down her cheeks as she looked the hologram in a moment of silence. As Iljor stepped forward, a strand of his shoulder length brown hair slipped from behind his right ear and gently rested against his face. Brushing it back, he turned to look at the assembled officers, all of whom he had come to consider family in one way or another. Then he gazed fondly at the holographic representation of the late starship Resolution and words came to him. Etan: Resolution was my first assignment out of the academy. A great bug deflector dish with a warp core attached. I didn’t know what to expect, to be totally honest. I’d expected a science station posting or somewhere in a laboratory. A starship was the furthest thing from my mind. But I am beyond grateful for the Resolution. She got us through some of the most difficult moments any of us could have expected. But most importantly- for me anyway- is that I found a family aboard her. And for that I will treasure my memories of the ship wherever I go. He looked at the hologram once more, bowed his head in a moment of respectful silence and then yielded the floor, wiping away a solitary tear. It was Genkos’ turn, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so. This was tough - the Resolution was lost under his command, and it had been his final order evacuate the ship. His cane tapped loudly against the floor, sounding almost thunderous as he took a single step forward. Opening his eyes, he looked around at each of his fellow officers in turn and saw them staring back. Adea: The Resolution was our home, and the crew our family. I will forever be proud of what they achieved, and I am glad that whatever happens to us, even once we’re gone, this ::he waved to the memorial with his free arm:: will always remain. May the four ever watch over them. Then, looking down at his feet, he took another step back, his cane almost silent as he did so. After each of Yogan’s crewmates took the opportunity to speak, the room fell into solemn silence once again. He stepped forward, the sound of his boots against the deck echoing slightly in the large, mostly empty space, and he looked at the memorial once again. After losing the ship, watching the escape pods being recovered, writing the lists of survivors and lost, the investigation and subsequent testimony he’d given, and the distance of time since the disaster, he thought he’d made his peace and moved on. Not so. This was the thing he needed, the missing ingredient for closure. Yalu: Omed, my third host, once said, “Lifetimes of wisdom can make you arrogant. Lifetimes of heartache can make you timid.” It was caution, her warning against allowing events like the loss of our ship to make me jaded or paralyzed by indecision. When I looked at the image of the ship, and those fourteen names, I couldn’t help feeling those inevitable questions. “What could we have done differently?” “How could we have changed what happened?” The memory of standing in the shuttlebay of the USS Carpathia and clutching the PADD of names threatened to overwhelm him, but instead of suppressing it or fighting it, he allowed himself a moment for the wave to wash on by. Yalu: I will always remember this ship and the crew who served on her. But instead of dwelling here, I hope this memorial will allow me to look forward instead. To honor the ship and those we lost in the best way possible: by serving Starfleet and the Federation to the best of my ability, exploring space, and adding to my knowledge and understanding of the universe. I won’t always be perfect at it, but that’s what this moment, this memorial, means to me. Yogan could hear the sound of people assembling outside the doors, a low rumble of conversation that contrasted sharply with the almost chapel-like atmosphere inside the room. Yalu: The public ceremony is about to begin, and I’d like to invite everyone who wishes to to stay and dedicate the memorial. Before we let everyone else in, let’s have one last moment to remember the USS Resolution NCC-78145, and those fourteen people who gave their lives in her service: Iefyr Farrel, Chandra Amari, Verian Ohar, Gaavi Lak, Duncan Ruthers, Zenko-Taff, Ev’ell Gridung, Joss Ghunkep, Anaïs Burgess, T’Yor, Saar Spurloecke, Jane van Klaveren, Doria ch’Rino, and Liam Wyke. After the moment of silence, Yogan stepped over to the doors and allowed the residents and shopkeepers of Deep Space 224, the friends and associates who’d so kindly created permanent place of remembrance for them, to enter. [End scene] Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti – Commanding Officer – R238605KN0 Commander Addison MacKenzie – Executive Officer – V239601AM0 Commander Genkos Adea – Second Officer & Chief Medical Officer – G239502GS0 Lieutenant Commander Yogan Yalu – Strategic Operations Officer – D238804DS0 Lieutenant Etan Iljor – Chief Science Officer – C239203TW0 Lieutenant Hallia Yellir – Chief Engineer – G239409EK0 Lieutenant JG Vitor Silveira – Tactical Officer – O238907VS0 USS Excalibur NCC-41903-A

One of the real joys of 118 is watching a small idea grow into something big and ridiculous due to the fantastic contributions of others and @Etan Iljor hit it out of the park with this one. Great job buddy! ============================================================== (( Harbour Docks, The Village of Jupe )) At Kard’s instruction, Iljor wrapped his fingers around the smooth handle of the phaser. His heart beat a rhythm in his chest, thrashing against his ribcage like a mad plychyk in heat. Yet again, he found himself staring down the barrel of uncertainty thanks to a mission that humans might say had ‘gone to hell in a handbasket’ (whatever the heck that meant). The frigid air stung his cold, cosmetically altered blue skin and made his eyes water and with his free hand, he wiped the saline tears that had begun to leak out. Iljor watched as Kard peered around the shipping container the two were using for cover. For what seemed like an eternity, the Trill remained still as the creaking footsteps grew ever closer. Holding his breath, Iljor felt a thrill of fear travel from the base of his spine to the nape of his neck. Then, with surprising dexterity and grace, Kard lept from behind the crate. The muffled sounds of a struggle only lasted for two seconds before a large form dropped to the wooden slats of the dock. Iljor jumped in surprise, almost dropping the phaser in the process. It was only his lightning fast reflexes that prevented him from losing it at the last second. Kard had raised his fist and was barely an inch from the face of the form of the Demesian when he stopped. Even in the murk of grey fog, Iljor recognised the look of surprise on the man’s visage. Niac: Fungus?! ::Karrod hissed in surprise.:: What the hell are you doing here? Gawping at the rotund form of the tavernmaster, Iljor’s thoughts matched what Kard had hissed. Had it not been the very same man that had warned him that getting lost in the fog was as fate worse than death? What was so important to Fingus that he would risk such a fate? Lakar: Flying Embers Kard! ::He huffed a little.:: I nearly messed my trousers. For the first time, Fingus seemed to recognise that Iljor was there. Without hesitation, the scientist placed his hand holding the phaser behind his back to shield the weapon from the Demesian. The man shot him a quizzical look before he addressed Kard once again. Lakar: I expect I'm bloody well lost in this fog... I think... I think I've bumbled my fool self onto Thrike's wharf ::He narrowed his eyes.:: Wait, why in the fading sun are you here? The dock had suddenly fallen very quiet and Iljor could no longer hear the calls and barks of orders. Kard looked about once again before looking back at Iljor and Fingus. Niac: Shh, keep your voice down man...we're...uh...we've got an excellent reason to be here...which...Il was just about to explain...very quietly. A note of annoyance crept into the tenor of Iljor’s thoughts and he glared waspishly at Kard. If there was one thing that Iljor was not particularly good at- it was making up an excuse on the spot. His parents had taught him the value of telling the truth. Etan: oO How ironic… Oo ::he thought to himself, bitterly.:: ::he shifted.:: We were- Niac: Look this is just a misund... It was at that precise moment that Iljor felt something grab on to the collar of his oiled leather coat and hoist him upwards. In his surprise, he let go of the phaser as he flailed for purchase. The next thing he knew, he felt the ice cold touch of something sharp and metallic at his throat. He didn’t need to be an expert to know that they had been discovered and that somebody was currently holding a knife to him. Thrike: ....I warned you there were colder things in this world than the frost, yokel. Before them loomed the imposing form of Sydonia Thrike. Just as she had at their last encounter, the woman radiated aggression and power. Flanking her were half a dozen of her crew, all of whom looked impossibly menacing. One, Iljor noted with no small amount of trepidation, was missing an eye and at least half of his nose. He gulped. Lakar: Cap'n Thrike, this is... ::He laughed nervously.:: We got turned around in this fog... If you'll just point us towards the way out… Iljor looked down surreptitiously to see the phaser he had dropped lying to the right of his foot. Neither Thrike or her lackeys had noticed it- for the moment. The tenants of the Prime Directive thundered through his thoughts and he knew that he needed to prevent the Demesians from acquiring it. Slowly – very slowly – he nudged his foot towards the weapon. Niac: Uh…parlay? Thrike: Response. Iljor felt his boot touch the side of the phaser and he slowly moved it towards the edge of the dock less than two inches from their position. After an agonising second that stretched on forever, he felt the weapon fall off the side of the dock and land in the water with a gentle sploosh. He knew that he had just deprived Kard, Fingus and himself of a tactical advantage- but the risk of Thrike discovering the device was simply too great. They would simply have to find an alternate way out of the mess they had gotten themselves into. Lakar: Come on Captain, we didn't see anything, ::He gestured wildly.:: Nobody can see anything. Just... let us be on our way. Etan: We mean you no trouble. ::he said, hopefully.:: It is as Fingus here, says. We simply got lost in this infernal fog. Won’t you let us return to our homes and I promise that we will speak of this to nobody. Given how Thrike had treated him and Kard previously and her overall demeanour, Iljor knew that his entreaty was likely to fall on deaf ears. Thrike: Response. Lakar / Niac: Response. Three of the woman’s lackeys stepped forward brandishing what appeared to be hessian sacks. Instinctively, Iljor began to struggle, writhing in the tight grip of the goon with the knife to his neck. It was no good, for moments later, the man with one eye and half a nose placed the bag over his head. Then Iljor felt a sharp pain and the world around him dissolved into black. Before oblivion claimed him, Iljor realised that his best hope of survival lay in the hands of Tovir and Teeny- if she could be trusted. Etan: oO We’re scr-Oo And with that, the darkness took him. (( Time Skip )) (( An Indeterminate Amount Of Time Later )) (( Undisclosed Location - Demes II )) Sensation and consciousness returned to Iljor suddenly and without warning. Ice cold needles stung his face and he felt wetness envelop without warning. He jerked upwards, opening his eyes and gasping loudly, greedily gulping at the frigid air. Something, however, rooted him in his place. His looked around wildly, his now wet hair flinging droplets of arctic water all around like some great shaggy dog. He tried to stand again, but felt resistance and he realised that he was tied to something. Looking down he saw that he had been slumped in a chair and that his legs were tied to the two front legs and his hands to the backrest. The rope binding him to the seat was tight and extremely uncomfortable. He struggled for several seconds against the restraint but realised it would do him little good. Instead, he turned his attention to his new environ, eyes darting about and his senses taking in everything that he could. Dimly lit craggy rock met his eyes at every turn and he soon realised that he was in a cave. Shadows danced around the grey walls from the two torches on either side of the round space. Judging from what he knew of the situation on the Northern Peninsula, he reasoned that he was somewhere in the warren of caves that dotted the coast along the Northern Sea. The reports from both Starfleet Intelligence and the Federation Anthropological Council had suggested that the smuggling operation rife in the area around Jupe had been using them as a base of operations to avoid the prying eyes of the local constabulary. Across from him sat the unconscious forms of Kard and Fingus. To his righ, at almost ninety degrees, a guard stood watch over the now-prisoners, her back to him. The torchlight glinted off the serrated blade at her hip. Guard: It will do ye nae good to struggle. ::she growled, not turning around. Iljor thought that he could detect a note of humour in the woman’s voice.:: There’s no finer knotter in the Northern Peninsula than Clhem. ::she added with an air of affected nonchalance.:: Etan: Release us! ::he demanded, a surge of anger coursing through him like a fire.:: We have done naught wrong but been in the wrong place! The guard turned suddenly and strode across the cave and struck him with the back of her palm. Iljor’s head snapped to the left and he felt the sting of her strike stabbing at his cheek and made him wince. He looked back and up at her, eyes defiant. The woman unsheathed her dagger and placed it’s flat top side against the skin of his chin. Guard: One more word such as that out of ye and I’ll cut your tongue out and feast upon it for dinner. When Iljor said nothing, she released the dagger from his chin, glared menacingly at him and then strode back to the entrance of the tunnel beyond the chamber. A groan from across the otherside of the room garnered Iljor’s attention and he looked in time to see Fingus and Kard stirring from their enforced slumber. Etan: Fingus! ::he hissed.:: Kard! Lakar / Niac: Response. Etan: Are you both okay? It was a stupid question. None of them were okay. The three were bound and captive kosst-knew how far from Jupe and at the mercy of Captain Thrike and her merry band of smugglers. The only thing going for them was that Tovir and Teeny were still uncaptured- but who knew how long that would last. Lakar / Niac: Response. Etan: I think we are in the caves near the village. ::he looked around.:: Never did I think I would miss our house. ::he added, sardonically, giving Kard a humourless grin.:: Lakar / Niac: Response. Etan: I have no idea. ::he shrugged as best as he could.:: Our jailer will not tell me anything. ::he jerked towards the guard who was studiously ignoring the captive trio.:: Lakar / Niac: Response. TAG! -- Lieutenant Etan Iljor Chief Science Officer USS Excalibur NCC - 41903 - A C239203TW0 Reply all Reply to author Forward

These plates will increase in value, and that's a Good Job Guarantee!

The current Thor/Amity joint mission has generated a lot of highlights for me but I wanted to take a moment to show my appreciation for @Ikaia Wong's humor and style. This JP was his idea, went in completely unexpected directions and ended up being a real pleasure to work on. I hope this encourages folks to reach out and try writing with new people as often as you can! =================================================== ((High Containment Science Lab 4, Deck 3, USS Thor)) Geoff Teller grumbled slightly as he made his way from his office to the lab spaces on Deck 3. The visiting crew of Amity had been given run of the ship and while that hadn’t been a problem, it had mostly lead to some vaguely lost officers wandering the halls. As First Officer, he’d been primarily responsible for herding these lost sheep so when he received an alert from the High Containment Science Labs, one of the few fully restricted areas aboard ship, he assumed it was simply another officer who had gotten turned while looking for the ships spa. What he wasn’t expecting was a frantic looking medical officer tending to a large and varied collection of plants, spread across several of the lab tables in specialized bio-monitoring pods. Geoff watched in bemused silence for a few moments as the young officer, a Lt. in blue with an oversized lab coat, ran the scanner from a medical tricorder over one of the bits of flora before reviewing the readings with narrowed eyes. When Geoff realized he’d likely be standing there for hours if he didn’t say something, he cleared his throat politely and spoke up with a smile. Teller: I don’t remember authorizing a new Arboretum on this deck, Lieutenant. Ikaia nearly jumped out of his skin from hearing that voice. His hand reached up and clutched his chest as he spun around. Wong: Ah! Commander! I didn’t see you there! ::Takes a moment to breathe:: I nearly had a heart attack…. Geoff chuckled and put his hands up in a placating gesture. Teller: As you were, this isn’t exactly a formal inspection. I don’t think we’ve met...Geoff Teller, ships XO. He stepped from the doorway and offered a hand in greeting. Ikaia allowed his hand to drop from his chest as he tried to relax. He reached out to shake the ginger haired officer’s hand. Wong: I’m Lieutenant Ikaia Wong. Physician Assistant and part of the Amity crew. Nice to meet you, Commander. Teller: Ah yes, Mr. Wong...I remember your name from the manifest. You’re Amity’s incoming Chief Medical Officer, right? ::Geoff nodded to the wide assortment of plants:: Botany a hobby or are these for medical use? Ikaia put his tricorder down on the nearest counter. He had been caring for many of these plants since he was an ensign. In fact, it was a collection of plants he had inherited from a previous doctor. In many ways, he felt like he had adopted them. Wong: Ah yes. That’s correct. I’m looking forward to my new posting. As for these… ::gesturing to his plants:: …. They’re something of a practical hobby, I suppose. I’ve been caring for them for a better part of a year and in their care, I’ve also been studying them as well. With the exception of the aloe, many have their origins in The Shoals. Teller: Ah I see...quite the impressive collection in that case. ::Geoff walked over and looked at a few closely, surprised to recognize a few varieties from Ketar V and Havleys Hope:: In fact, I might want to steal a few ideas from the designs...I’m always looking for a way to grow a better coffee bean. Ikaia offered a curious head tilt. Wong: Are you into botany as well? Or coffee? You almost make it sound like you’re sourcing something for The Brew Continuum. Teller: The Brew Continuum? ::Geoff’s expression was the picture of innocent ignorance:: Never heard of it. Ikaia raised an eyebrow at him for a moment. Then a smile crosses his face. What a cheeky Commander! Wong: I know that at one point, the Brew Continuum was created by you. I can say I recognize at least your name from that. I was a regular customer back on the Veritas. Geoff found himself smiling again, thinking back to the tiny converted storage space that had grown into so much more over the years. Teller: Guilty as charged. ::Teller nodded back towards one of the pods:: Don’t think I’ve ever seen that species before...the hell is it? And why is it doing...that. Ikaia picked up a watering can and went to water one of the plants. He stopped to glance back at Teller. Wong: Be careful around that one. That’s u. Tempturvium. It may be beautiful to look at. But it’s actually about to bloom very soon. It lets off a fine mist of oils that smell very much like a rotting corpse. A sonic shower absolutely will not remove the smell from your skin and well…. The less said about what it will do to your uniform, the better. I’ve had a few incidents with it. The Klingon PA could remember the first time he encountered the Tempturvium’s oils. He got a face full of it. This would have been a horrible experience for a human. But for a Klingon, it was like entering a level of hell. Especially in getting it directly in the face. He could still smell that rancid smell for a few days following the incident. Teller: Great, a stinkbomb plant. Well, at least it’s in the right place - we can eject this whole lab compartment directly out to space if we need to. Haven’t had to do it yet but there’s always a first time. Geoff shook his head and took an extra wide step around the cylinder. Teller: What is that? Ikaia moved over to the next plant. It looked like a collection of vines curled up in a pot. Wong: This one is v. Eatoanium. It’s a fast growing carnivorous vine. I suspect that in its native environment that it would have snagged small prey items such as small birds or rodents. However, this specimen has been known to go after well…. Me. I’ve found ways of placating it, though. Geoff leaned forward just enough to catch the vines ‘attention,’ which began wriggling within the containment chamber. Teller got the impression that ‘Eatoanium’s definition of small prey definitely included him. Teller: Interesting choice of pets, Mr. Wong. I find myself glad you’re taking them as far from me as logistically possible, though. Wong: You can see why I asked for high containment lab space for these plants. Many of them have specialized care needs and probably wouldn’t have been safe to be allowed into the Arboretum where anyone could have access. Previously, I kept them in my office as it was the safest place for them and typically, I was the only one who usually used that office. Geoff snorted, remembering the close quarters aboard the Veritas and imagining this flower show jammed in it. It definitely would’ve made a visit to Sickbay a lot more interesting. He dug a small padd out and verified that the lab was properly assigned to Lt. Wong for the duration of the journey and, satisfied all was in order, prepared to leave. Teller: Absolutely appropriate, Mr. Wong. I don’t think the Commodore would appreciate having his stroll through the Arboretum disrupted by the scent of corpses. Alright, I’ll leave you to it Lieutenant - as you were. Geoff turned to leave but only made it a step before he paused. The vinelike ‘Eatoanium’ was writhing violently within its containment vessel and the whole apparatus was beginning to thrash about on the lab table. Teller: Your salad looks upset, Mr. Wong. Ikaia paused to look over the Eatoanium. He froze. A look of horror briefly crossed his face. Wong: Where’s the PADD that went with this? This plant needs that PADD. Geoff’s eyebrows went up as he took another instinctive step backwards. Already, Ikaia could see the vines shift and move. He started backing up as soon as they started slithering out of the pot. Teller: Wasn’t anything on the table when I walked in here. What do you mean the plant needs the padd? It’s just a plant….right? Almost in response the whole writing mass of vines shifted as once, tipping the containment chamber off the table and onto the floor where it shattered open with a crash. Alarms began howling and alert strobes began blinking urgently and the labs heavy isolation doors slammed into lockdown with a muted thud. They were now locked in a very thick duranium box surrounded by numerous redundant containment fields. Wong: Usually, this is placated with recordings of Picard’s speeches or 80s power jams! Something about the rhythm usually calms it down! That’s why I had the PADD with this plant! ::Turns around to see the isolation doors slam shut:: Oh that’s just perfect! It’s a plant! Not some spore or highly dangerous contagion that will invert your rib cage or fill your sinuses with incompatible fluids! Geoff worried about how unusually specific those two descriptions were but felt it wise not to press the issue at the moment. He had other, more immediate concerns. Teller: Computer, erect a level ten containme…. Geoff ducked as the vines slapped a tray full of instruments his way. When he looked back, the mass of vines had vanished, scuttling behind one of the lab tables or possibly into the equipment racks. Bits of gear clattered to the ground as the creature shifted. Ikaia put his hands on his hips as he pushed some air out of his cheeks. This has turned into a much bigger mess than usual. He went looking for a PADD. Wong: Well THAT'S new. Normally, that plant isn't entirely mobile. Teller: =/\= Teller to Larell - Chief, we’re stuck in one of the science labs with an angry plant, tell me you can beam us out of here. =/\= Geoff suspected he already knew the answer, but he had to ask. Larell: =/\= Sorry sir, you know how strict the lockdown protocol is around the labs. You’d have to bring down the isolation fields for me to get a lock and if the computer detects those have failed, it’ll automatically eject the lab. Can’t do it, sir. =/\= Already the plant had decided enough was enough as it started chucking lab equipment at Ikaia. The Klingon PA squeaked as he saw a microscope come flying towards his face. He quickly dodged that one. Wong: For the love of Kāne! You get back here this instant! ::Dodges some empty petri dishes:: Teller: Stay on it, Chief, we need some kinda way out that doesn’t involve floating home. Larell: =/\= Yes sir, I’ll give you an update as soon as we have something. =/\= Geoff sighed to himself, wondering how his day had gotten this far away from him so quickly, before shooting a scowl in the direction of the nearby Mr. Wong. Teller: So we’re locked in...we try to break out, we get ejected into space. We try to beam out, we get ejected into space. Compartment’s independent life support is only good for about...oh..four or five hours. ::Geoff leaned back against one of the lab tables as casually as he could:: I’m open to suggestions, Mister. Ikaia picked up a tray to shield his face. More petri dishes rebounded off of it. Wong: Our issue is two fold here and it's not as simple as looking for a means to escape. We need to calm down my Eatoanium first. It's likely agitated from the alarms. There's a PADD on the far counter I've been recording my work on. If we load that with the correct sounds, we might be able to soothe it. Either that or--- ::a vine now lashes out at him causing him to yelp!:: GAH! Either that or we both end up on the menu after it's done with its temper tantrum! Ikaia vaguely motioned to where the PADD he mentioned was. He knew that if they didn’t calm down his plant before their escape, there was a chance it could be released into the ship at large and this was something he did NOT want escaping the lab. Wong: The second part of our plan, the escaping part, we're going to need your PADD for the security clearance alone. I've been having a number of issues surrounding my guest clearance. Most of which surround doors and replicators. I will NEVER eat wasabi-cilantro paste out of desperation again! Geoff ducked under something that looked suspiciously like a microscope hurtling through the air and crouched low, trying to keep a few heavy solid barriers between him and the aggravated parsley. Teller: I can’t lift the lockdown until we get that thing... ::A beaker flew and shattered against a far wall:: ..back in a tube and the computer is content there’s no hazard to the ship. Wong: Right. As to what we need the PADD for ----- ::Deflects a vine with his tray:: Ugh! Let’s just get my plant to settle down and take it from there? Geoff took a quick glance over the top of the lab table and still couldn’t find any evidence of an errant padd. With a sinking suspicion he ducked back behind the table and turned his attention out the observation windows at the rear of the lab and into the connecting compartment. There, on a small worktable just on the other side of the sealed door a Padd sat perched, completely out of reach. Teller: Well, the good news is I found your padd. Geoff pointed out the nearby window and shrugged in frustration. It may as well have been on Vulcan for all the help it would be out there. Wong: This is literally the third thing I've been trapped in in about six months! ::A beat:: The good news? Why does it sound like there’s BAD news? Ikaia felt something wrap around his right foot. He screamed as it yanked him over. He fell flat on his butt and felt himself being dragged across the floor. He smacked at some other vines coming for him with his tray. It looked like Klingon was on the main menu as an entré! Geoff dove around the table and grabbed the man's labcoat, yanking backwards as hard as he could. The plant had an alarmingly firm grip. Well, Ikaia had mostly been yanked away from his plant. The vines were still firmly wrapped around Ikaia’s boots while his bare feet were free to the elements in the lab. Ikaia grabbed the counter top and stumbled back to his feet. Teller: Hold on! What did you say was on that padd again? Music and speeches?! Wong: Yes! 80s power jams and Picard’s speeches. That’s the only thing that seems to calm it down! Teller: Well library computer access was cut when the lab went into isolation mode and my singing is limited to sea shanties....how’s your accent? Wong: My accent? Well, it’s Hawaiian…. Teller: No, your french accent! Start Picard’ing, that’s an order! Wong: Oh. Riiight. Uh… ahem…. :Glancing nervously at the vines coming for him:: “Starfleet was founded upon seeking out life. To boldly go---” GAH! Ikaia ducked as one of his boots was flung back at him. Teller: No no, it’s gotta be a little more British than that for some reason! Like this…::Geoff took a deep breath and tried to draw upon the gravitas, poise and baldness of one of Starfleet’s most legendary officers.. ”“We’ve made too many compromises already. Too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back...this far...no farther....” The creature continued to thrash about but the vines slowed slightly, but his [...]-french accent would not have won him any awards. Ikaia tried to concentrate. What did a French-British accent sound like again? Wong: Okay okay. Let me try this - “While most of us recoil in fear, we must remember that this plant, the Eatoanium, is still worthy of our care. It has demonstrated at least on some level sentience. Are we not there to seek out new life?” He could see his plant starting to calm down a little more. It was still gripping on to that other boot. Teller: It’s working! ::Geoff cleared his throat and tried again for something approaching stately gentility::...”With the first link, the chain is forged….The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden….” Teller doubted he’d win Starbase 80’s famed talent contest but the creature was loosening its grip, and Geoff was able to haul Mr. Wong backwards towards relative safety, but not before another projectile headed their way. It flung the last boot. It rebounded off of Ikaia’s head. He yelped as it smacked him. He was getting really tired of being hit with things. Wong: Ow! GEEZ! Ugh….“That is one of the tenants that Starfleet was founded upon. We are Starfleet. It is our duty to ensure that this plant is well cared for as long as it is under our protection. It is not to be ejected into space like refuse.” Geoff put aside his personal feelings in this moment of deep crisis and called upon the powers of Earl Grey himself. Teller: “The first duty of every starfleet officer is to the truth! Whether it's scientific truth, or...uh”…::Geoff’s memory was failing him so he improvised.::....to space truth...or...ground..truth... The plant was starting to come down off the shelving. Ikaia crouched down low and started making his way closer. Wong: Ah… it’s working….. It’s calming down…. Ah “Part of seeking out new life is also the care and protection of that new life. That’s what we must do. This is not a compromise.” Geoff tried to lower his voice towards a register he hoped was soothing as he slowly lifted an unbroken containment canister. Teller: “So I lied...cheated….bribed men to cover the crimes of other men….”...wait, dammit, that’s not a Picard speech. ::Geoff took another small step towards the creature and nodded to Mr. Wong.:: “There’s coffee in that neb…” dammit that’s not right either. Ikaia calmly approached his plant. The vines were already starting to curl back up into its pot. He carefully picked it up in his hands. Wong: ::Whispering:: Are you ready to seal it up? We’ve got it back into dormancy. With the vines as docile as he’d seen them, Geoff crossed the final meter and scooped the vines into the canister and sealed it in one quick motion. It wasn’t until after he’d gotten it fully back on the lab table and behind a level five containment field that both men exhaled and slumped to the floor, Geoff’s back against one of the tumbled equipment racks. After a few deep breaths, Geoff laughed out loud at the absurdity of the last few minutes until his eyes were watering. When he could catch his breath again, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and tapped his com badge. Ikaia was more than thrilled to see his plant safely tucked behind glass. He rested his back against a counter as he seemingly sprawled across the floor. Ikaia snorted. The ludicrousness of it all! But at least everyone including the plant was safe. Wong: ::Sighs:: That’s a relief….. Maybe now we can lift the lockdown? Teller: =/\= Computer, lift isolation lockdown on containment lab 4, Authorization Teller Sigma Kilo Alpha Nebula Tango Sigma. =/\= Computer: =/\= Unable to comply, internal sensors detect a possible contagion which matches established viral profiles. =/\= Geoff gulped, his good humor forgotten. He looked around nearby and found several tricorders scattered in the debris on the floor. He flipped one to Wong and began scanning the area the vines had been writhing around. Ikaia blinked at what the computer had said. Sure, he often worked around the sick. But that wasn’t without decontamination afterwards. He took the tricorder in his hands and began looking. Teller: Were you storing anything else in here? Biomatter? Research samples? Especially pungent cheese? Wong: There shouldn’t be. I always decontam whenever I deal with the sick. There shouldn’t be anything here. Teller: Tricorder’s picking up nothing over here...air reads fine....no particulate matter...no radiation...certainly nothing that looks like a virus….you got anything? Ikaia was about to get up when his hands brushed against his thigh. It stung when he touched it. Bringing his hand up to his face, he could see a pink liquid coating his fingers. Blood. His blood. He glanced down at his thigh and sure enough, he could see where it had been sliced. Possibly from the glass when the Eatoanium escaped. Wong: I think some of the glass got me. My thigh’s been slashed by something. I’m going to need a dermal regenerator here to fix it. Geoff swung around in alarm at the shrieking tricorder. Teller: Stay still, try not to move. It could be on your uniform...we could still decontaminate it… Ikaia froze. He looked at Teller. Wong: Wait. On me? Geoff narrowed the scan field on his tricorder and took a few steps back towards Mr. Wong, following the increasingly rapid beeps from the scanner. When he was within a meter, he slowly panned the device down, starting with Mr. Wongs head. Teller: I’m no medical officer, Mr. Wong, but I’m picking up something tricorder thinks is a retrovirus…. Ikaia’s eyes went wide. It was as if Teller had said something that had triggered a memory for him…. ((Flashback - Russell River Mines - Approximately Six Months Earlier…..)) S’Ten: What do you know of Drell? That question came as a surprise to him. His hand slowly reached up to touch his hair. Since he started experiencing new cultures and other planets on his travels with Starfleet, that name has come up over and over again. Mostly in response to his blond hair. Some days, he was half tempted to dye it just to keep a lower profile if he knew he was dealing with other Klingons. Wong: House of Drell. I’ve heard of it. Mostly through it being shouted at me with plenty of finger pointing. But I really don’t know much about it. Except for that blond hair seems to be a house trait. Although, I’m not sure if I’m connected to that house or not. I absolutely know nothing. What do you know about this? S’Ten: I see. I can only tell you what I know from my briefings on Romulus. It was important to understand the workings of Great Houses, while they are an Empire there are always disputes between their houses, which is something that can be exploited during a conflict. Membership of a Great house has traditionally been by virtue of birth, or marriage. But the House of Drell was different. You are aware of the Klingon augment virus? Wong: Bits and pieces about it from what’s been mentioned in Starfleet databases. Victims impacted by it lost their head crests. S’Ten: The first Klingon that was born with blond hair was a result of this virus. Over time, Klingons with your hair color were born throughout the population, but only a handful. Word of them spread, and they became shunned like other augments. As a joke, Klingons said that blond Klingons were of “jul”¸ the Klingon word for “sun”. Klingons also found it amusing to claim that any Klingon born of jul were of the same family. One blonde Klingon was so incensed by being teased constantly that she formed a house named “Drell”, a play on the word jul. She declared that any blond Klingon was instantly a member of Drell, should they choose to be. Wong: Did all those impacted join this house? S’Ten: Many blond Klingons joined, proudly. Conversely, many sought genetic modification. And some… were sent from the Empire by their parents to live elsewhere. Ikaia frowned slightly. The gene pool expanded significantly and even if he got a hit in his search using DNA, it didn’t mean that it would be someone from this house. His investigation has just hit its first snag. ((High Containment Science Lab 4, Deck 3, USS Thor - Present day….)) Ikaia scanned himself and began cross referencing his DNA with the RNA of the Augment Virus on file. Sure enough, the virus had been embedded in his DNA. It was less than a 5% fragment of the original virus. But it was still there. He briefly reached up to touch his blond hair for a moment. Ikaia’s breath seemed to be caught inside his chest. Time almost felt like it had stopped for him. This was a major revelation. The reason for his hair colour, for who he was came down to a virus fragment. He looked at Teller wide eyed. He had been quiet in his realization for the longest time. At that moment, he finally broke his silence. Wong: Commander….. That virus you’re picking up isn’t on me. It’s a part of me. Geoff’s attention turned away from the baffled tricorder and towards the bewildered looking Mr. Wong. Teller: That’s...that’s somewhat alarming. I’m alarmed. I feel like you should be more alarmed. The lab is certainly alarmed. Wong: I have less than a 5% fragment of the Klingon Augment Virus embedded in my DNA. It’s what’s causing the blond hair and I suspect what triggered the lockdown when I got cut by the glass. It was never my plant. It was me the entire time. Geoff flipped the tricorder closed and scowled but focused on the immediate problem and located the compartment's medical kit, one of the few things that hadn’t been tossed around. Teller: Pretty basic but there’s a dermal regenerator in here along with some broad spectrum antivirals... Wong: I’m not contagious nor am I sick. It’s a virus fragment. But it’s certainly enough to trigger the lockdown of the labs. I’m sorry, Commander. Which meant that now the labs had to be keyed into his DNA just to avoid future lockdowns pending their survival from this lockdown. Teller: Well, it’s not really me you need to apologize to, it’s the sensors in here. Patch yourself up and try not to bleed on anything else. We’re going to need to decontaminate every surface you’ve touched or brushed against and…::Geoff shook his head, wondering how he’d explain this to the Commodore.::...lose the pants. Gonna have to vaporize those. oOExcuse me. Who’s the medical officer around here---- wait. Is he REALLY suggesting THAT?! That’s EXTREME.Oo Wong: You’re asking me to depants myself and BURN them?! Am I hearing this correctly? Teller: Look, I’m not the one who [...]ed off the computer, so I get to keep my pants…. A single drop of pinkish blood, accidentally smeared across the back of Mr. Wong’s tricorder dangled and fell before either man could react. Geoff could only watch in horror as it landed with a small splat on the right leg of his uniform pants. Ikaia gave something of a coy head tilt. Wong: Hmm yes. I seem to recall something to the effect of vaporizing one’s pants if they’re contaminated with my blood? Ikaia started to remove his pants. This was quite embarrassing. Almost as much as the tattoo on his backside. Teller: Welp...yep, ok, now we’re going to be two totally normal officers not wearing pants, cleaning a lab. ::Geoff sighed and began sifting through equipment on one of the nearby racks.:: Find yourself a subsonic sterilizer and get to work once that leg is patched up. Wong: Don’t worry, Commander. I very much understand sterilization procedures and medical care. Pretty sure that’s why I’m the Amity’s CMO. ::Sighs:: This is really embarrassing. We’re really going to have to key in my DNA into things to avoid generating false positives in the future. He finally removed his pants entirely and folded them up on the floor leaving him in his standard issue Starfleet boxers. He cleaned off his hands and grabbed the dermal regenerator to run across his wound. The whole incident had him stressed out, if he had to be honest with himself. It wasn’t just that he’d have to make the long walk to his quarters without any pants. It was what he had just learned here today. It was entirely possible with the virus fragment in his DNA that he was a member of the House of Drell. But given how Klingons handled matters like this, there was still a chance he may not be. Either way, this was a heavy result for him. It made him somewhat terrified of what the entire truth was going to be. Wong: Sorry about the mess….. It was the better part of an hour before the two men, fully stripped down to their starfleet standard issue skivies, emerged from a lab the computer now considered entirely free of pathogens. Both men made a dash for the nearby turbolift in an attempt to forestall questions or curious glances and they were entirely successful, except for Lt. Kowalski, who valiantly managed to restrain their laughter inside the turbolift car until Geoff stepped out, but broke before the doors could close again. [End] ======================================== Lieutenant Ikaia Wong PA-C Chief Medical Officer Amity Outpost V239711IW0 & Commander Geoffrey Teller Executive Officer USS Thor - NCC 82607 Commodore A. Kells, Commanding V239509GT0

Welcome aboard @Sival!

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome aboard! It was a pleasure writing with you in class and I'm confident you'll do great in the fleet!