PNPC PO3 Xandeus Filistrien - The Cruel Death of a Childhood Fantasy

[+ Vitor S. Silveira]

And sometimes you can't really explain why you find a sim good. Or at least consider it better than its own writer... Right @Gila Sadar?

Let me put it out and let everyone else judge

 

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((Intel Hub - Deck 8, USS Artemis-A))

 

It was a peculiar feeling, serving in an energetic intelligence suite. Usually, the clandestine operations of the Intelligence branch of Starfleet was conducted in a quiet and somber manner - the individuals assigned the black knew of the responsibility they had been given, but also of the controversial nature of their task. The Federation of Planets - and Starfleet by extension - fashioned itself as a champion of justice and defender of all that was right and lawful, and yet, even such a task sometimes demanded duplicity. Duplicity and clandestine operations usually put one in a mood suited better to a cloak-and-dagger working environment, not the hustle and bustle of an energetic mill of worker bees (the parable, not the dreadful excuses of spacecrafts waiting in Shuttle Bay).

 

But when Starfleet Intelligence - a department of the fleet that often mostly considered themselves the first line of defense against the most dangerous enemies of the Federation - got internal, recent and trustworthy scans of the inside of a BORG CUBE!?

 

Might as well call it holiday season. Xandeus would call it ‘no one gets a break’-season, but that was probably the aching sensation in his lower back from poring over these scans non-stop for the past 2 hours talking. He stood up straighter, stepping a bit in place to soften himself up, and that was when he started paying attention to the conversation happening across the holotable.

 

Warrant Officer Fra: I’m not entirely clear on how the fundamental theory applies in this instance, Doctors...

 

Ensign 001: What confuses you,

Ensign 101: Warrant Officer? The scans
Ensign 001: indicate that technological
Ensign 101: determinism is a logical explanation
Ensign 001: as to this self-destructive method of
Ensign 101: coping to the pathogen.

The two (three?) blue-shirts who’d dropped by the Intelligence suite that day were technology specialists - apparently - and it’d been made very clear from the brass that they were expected to be courteous to the Bynar Ensigns, who had written a paper on the neurolytic pathogen, and its lasting effect on the ethics debate around synthetic lifeforms. All a bit too technical for Xandeus’ tastes, but it made for an interesting debate to overhear. Evidently, he wasn’t the only one of his black-shirted colleagues to be listening in to the conversation, as a Human/Vulcanoid - Xandeus never had found out whether she was half-Romulan or half-Vulcan - Petty Officer chimed in.

 

PO1 Seleya: So you’re saying that it’s logical for the Borg to turn to self-destructive tendencies?

 

Ensign 001: Entirely. Considering that
Ensign 101: their method of proliferation is
Ensign 001: entirely based upon their ability to
Ensign 101: turn other lifeforms to their own

Ensign 001: uses, it stands to reason that

Ensign 101: - faced with impending death -

Ensign 001: they’d adapt a similar approach to

Ensign 101: malfunctioning Drones.

 

Warrant Officer Fra: But technological determinism - as I understand it - means that the advancement of technology is what sets the cultural precedence, not the reverse.

 

The Bynar Ensigns look between each other, though what was transmitted between the two in that brief moment was a mystery to anyone.

 

Ensign 101: But can the line between technology and

Ensign 001: culture really be thought of in the same
Ensign 101: segregated manner for the Borg, as it can-

 

A sudden change in background noise interrupted the Bynar and the ever vigilant crew of the Intel Suite turned to the holotable, where a large holographic image of Admiral Shelby shimmered into existence. Most of the terminals in the heart of the Intelligence effort of the USS Artemis-A were ever occupied by the flow of information: the standard subspace comms channels filled with chatter from all over the quadrant and the decidedly non-standard comms channels, but today was a special day - in more ways than one - and evidently, one of his superiors decided that they could spare the holotable for a few moments.

 

Shelby: ::sitting in Captain’s chair, white doors with Starfleet logo on them behind her:: =/\= 250 years ago today, the Enterprise NX-01, the first warp 5 capable vessel to be constructed by human hands made its maiden voyage. With it, a crew of 83 souls embarked on a journey; one of bravery, perseverance and sacrifice that would lead to the birth of what we know today as Starfleet. =/\= 

 

One had to admit, Admiral Shelby made for a rather eloquent public speaker.

 

Shelby: =/\= A quarter millennium after the NX-01 took that first vital step, we gather on Frontier Day to take another; as we demonstrate our newest advancement, “Fleet Formation”. =/\=

 

Underneath the Admiral’s speech, various reports were being issued indicating the activation of the Fleet Formation Mode.

 

Pulaski crewmember: =/\= USS Pulaski, synchronization online. =/\= 

 

Magellan crewmember: =/\= USS Magellan, synchronization online. =/\=

 

Shelby: =/\= Synchronistic technology that allows every ship in Starfleet to operate as one. An impenetrable armada – unity and defense. The ultimate safeguard. =/\=

 

Unknown ship: =/\= Synchronization online. =/\=

 

Xandeus heard scoffing, though he wasn’t entirely sure whether it was a single disagreeing soul, or just the collective disbelief being manifested by virtue of the collective. When one had worked in counter-intelligence for a certain amount of time, becoming jaded was par for the course. Xandeus wasn’t quite there yet, but even he thought ‘the ultimate safeguard’ an overexaggerated moniker for a computer system that coordinated the entirety of the fleet at once.

 

Shelby: =/\= In case of the unthinkable, fleetwide incapacitation, this system will protect our crews in our continued exploration of what still remains… our final frontier! =/\=

 

Artemis Computer: Fleet Formation Mode activated. 

 

Shelby: =/\= Our next demonstration is the summation of decades of technological advancements. =/\=

 

The first indication that something was wrong was the numerous warning klaxons that started reverberating throughout the Ship. Xandeus wasn’t certain whether the sound was amplified because the Admiral’s address was still running on the holotable, or if it was the simple fact that Intelligence was usually a quiet affair. He was not used to hearing every single screen in the open room reacting to the same thing at the same time - even during Red Alerts, most of the screen didn’t deviate from their tasks.

 

FLEET FORMATION MODE – STARFLEET EMERGENCY PROTOCOL NX12.11.

 

Picard: =/\= This is Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. I come to you with a warning. Changeling infiltration of Starfleet has made us vulnerable to our greatest enemy, the Borg. =/\=

 

NPC: Our systems aren’t responding! It’s taken over all our channels!

 

Intelligence was supposed to be exempt from Fleet Formation - after all, if the entire fleet was considered ‘incapacitated’, running counter-intelligence had to take a lower priority to flying the ship and rendering medical assistance to the crew - and yet, him and all of his colleagues were now locked out of their computers. Then, the sound. The most intense screeching cried out from the comms, making every single officer double over, hands over their ears, desperate to block out the sound. But the sound was not what was most distressing to Xandeus, who felt an odd, and yet, welcome sensation.

 

(OOC: This is the point where the signal transmits the assimilation code to those whose characters are age 25 and under. You are unaffected by it, but you do start to be assimilated.)

 

It was a sensation he’d read of in letters, in books, in lessons back on Ramatis III during his earliest years - back when there was still a chance that a latent telepathic talent had gone unnoticed - but only ever experienced in his dreams. Telepathic communication, minds linking together into one, allowing the unimpeded and unadulterated flow of communication between a myriad of consciousnesses. It was everything that a Ramatisian wished for themselves, everything his parents had wished for their children, and everything he felt so proud of his sister for. Any youngling - no matter how logical and realistic of mind - had the juvenile fantasy that they just manifested their telepathic ear late in life, and would surely be summoned to the Royal Capital any day now.

 

And yet, the juvenile daydream ended soon. For this was no fairytale. It was reality. And reality had a way of kicking you when you were most vulnerable.

 

oO WE ARE THE BORG. Oo

 

Xandeus’ attempt at resistance came too late. Drunk on dreams of self-importance, he didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late, and in his place, someone else - something else - forced its way in.

 

oO Control established. Four of Six, Tactical Drone of Unimatrix 65 Oo

 

Four of Six (Filistrien): Eliminate the unassimilated.

 

Four of Six turned to grab the phaser readily available in the holder on the side of its console, switching the setting to kill with a callous patience like it was reading a news post, and shot a Crewman to its side, while the rest of the present Collective similarly started eliminating their still confused and scattered victims.

 

Two & Three of Six (101 & 001): Eliminate the unassimilated

 

Fra: What’s happening!? Sirs-

 

The Warrant Officer’s words were cut, as Eleven of Fifteen, Tertiary Processor of Unimatrix 65, shot him in the back.

 

Eleven of Fifteen (Seleya): Eliminate the unassimilated.

 

oO Current objective, take control of Artemis-A. Eliminate unassimilated. Priority targets, ranking officers. Oo

 

Four of Six (Xandeus Filistrien): We are the Borg.

 

((OOC: Anyone wanna dance?))

 

 

 

TBC

 

 

 

Four of Six

Tactical Drone of Unimatrix 65

Formerly Xandeus Filistrien

 

As simmed by

 

LtJG Gila Sadar

Medical Officer

USS Artemis-A

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