Lhandon_Nilsen Posted August 21 Posted August 21 There are two things I want to highlight. First, seeing someone blow something up after you've simulated it for them is a most wonderful feeling. I hope you enjoyed the boom too Second, I just want to reach out and hug Morro. @Morro Caras (Vio) has been building this internal struggle throughout our mission, a chip on the shoulder convinced that he’s just going to be used by Starfleet. Making the reader really feel sorry for the (former) pirate is a skill that few simmers could pull off. Then, Vio takes the sim in a direction that lets us all start to resolve this act (the end of the mission is in sight) but doesn’t dictate how we should resolve it. It’s a careful balance that again, is hard to pull off Also, we still might all die, so there's that going for us too. Quote ((Engineering, Deck 20, USS Unity Dow)) Caras: I…I think that might clear enough of a path. Anyone feel warm? The orion wiped the blood from his nose. Looking at it almost dazed and confused for a second. Computer: =/\= Radiation Toxicity threshold surpassed =/\= Oh right. The radiation. Arlill: Nilsen, get the atmospheric radiation filters online, we need to reduce it before it kills us, if it hasn’t already. Sh’shelor: The nodes were certainly going to do so. The vision of Z’Mat was gone. But Caras could still hear her voice plain as day in his ears. Z’mat (to Caras): You think you’ve done something good here? Think about it, Morro. Really think about it. You’re no diamond in the rough. You’re just cattle. Nilsen: Hey Shell, it’s not real, come back to us. Tox, filters online. They’re pumping now. Apparently Sh’shelor was dealing with her own vision as well, and Lhandon had noticed. Caras: I was …I was just doing what I thought was right. It doesn’t have to be good. I’m not special. Morro couldn’t help but answer her. While Orions were more resistant to radiation than some other species, Caras was still having a difficult time, his coppery blood now forming an interesting shiny goatee on his face. Arlill: Sh’shelor, you ok? You think you could seal up the other hatches on this deck? (beat) and Nilsen, I need propulsion, yesterday, understood? Sh’shelor: I can. Nilsen: I got it sir, already doing it now. Bulkheads and hatches sealing now. Caras: I…I don’t know what to do…. I can’t just leave. Arlill: You have your orders, less suggestions and more action shall we. Caras stiffened up at that, but mere seconds later the voice of Z’Mat deflated him. Taking the strength out of the Lieutenant’s command. Z’Mat (to Caras): You’re Starfleet’s favorite pet pirate, aren’t you? A novelty. You know they’ll throw you out like the trash you are. Caras started silently crying. She was right. Any time anyone one had offered him anything, it was a trap. It was always a way to turn him against his parents, or against his sister or to gain more political power. StarFleet just wanted their token pirate so that they could wipe out the rest of the Pirates in the Veil. Morro remembered that the Officer that StarFleet intelligence had assigned to their case said that he might call up Morro if he was needed. Once he got that call, that was it for him. Caras knew this wasn’t the real Z’Mat in the back of his mind. But he didn’t care, because he knew that was exactly what she’d say. She had pretty much said it with her silence after this graduation. Nilsen: Propulsion systems online. We’re moving. Caras Felt the ship move. He sluggishly made his way to the controls and began getting the tactical systems online. Tears were still coming down his face and were now washing the blood from it. The mixture of both emotional and physical pain mixed in droplets as they splashed onto the console he was working at. He still worked to carry out Arlill’s orders. Caras: Tactical systems online.::sniff:: prepping shields. Arlill: Response Sh’shelor: The other hatches are sealed. Nilsen: Heading set 045 mark 0.Thrusters firing ::a jolt:: Impulse engines online We're moving. Caras pulled up the shield while Z’Mat’s voice still called to him. But at this point it was a blur. He knew he didn’t belong here. He had heard stories in the academy, whispers of previous corruption in StarFleet. He knew it wasn’t perfect and sometimes people abused power. He knew he was a perfect target for abuse, he always had been. Arlill: Response Caras: All tactical systems now online.::sob:: Nilsen: ::Quietly:: Yeah, yeah. I am. I’m sorry Sh’mais, I mean that. I tried to stop it. Caras could tell Lhandon was going through it too. While he didn’t know Sh’shelor very well, he had at least intuited that her demeanor had changed. Whatever this was, it was coming down hard on all of them now. Caras: ::softly:: Lhandon… Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response Nilsen: =/\= Nilsen to Octavia E Butler, Increase distance to 10.000 kilometers following previous heading. We’re talking an opposite course, this explosion will be big.=/\= OEB Bridge: Response Caras: ::looking around the room, almost openly weeping:: everyone ready? Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response The nodes had swarmed the Wild Seed. They wanted the power that was inside. Nilsen:Mo, blow it up. Caras: Bringing USS Unity Dow’s quantum torpedoes online. (beat) Firing torpedoes. … (beat) Lhandon, are you ok? Caras noticed that Lhandon had Screwed up his face in pain. Between that and him talking to what Caras assumed were the visions they all were getting, his Gym bro was not alright. None of them were. Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response Nilsen: Yeah, no I’m good, I’ve had worse. I think we can put the shield up around the warp core now. We’ve had enough radiation to get superpowers. Caras: Erecting a forcefield. I’ll need a lot of assistance with the warp core before this thing can go to warp Caras could tell something was wrong. They were still seeing things. All of them had given some kind of reaction. The nodes were gone. Destroyed. They were still hearing and seeing things. Weren’t the nodes the cause of the visions? If they were gone, then whatever was connecting through them couldn’t get to them unless. Caras had a realization Caras: Lieutenant, I think it’s still here. The creature from before. I think it’s with us still. Is everyone still seeing things? Experiencing some kind of psychic phenomena? The inner shadows of your mind attacking you? Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response Caras racked his brain for a suggestion. He didn’t want to fight it but he knew how to draw it out. Caras: We could do another photonic flash, and irritate it. We’d be able to see it, maybe we could fight it, but we’re all too sick with radiation. I feel like a small breeze could knock us all out now. Ensign Caras checked and just about everyone was bleeding, StarFleet was made of stronger stuff however. He looked around the room for suggestions to his theory. Nilsen/Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response All plausible suggestions, and the forming of a good plan, but it wouldn’t be a fight they could win. It would just either beat them up physically or double it’s efforts psychically or however it was attacking them from it being slightly out of phase. Maybe they could fight it another way. Maybe if they could eliminate the avenue of attack. They could cut it off from them! Caras: It’s not going to give up, and I’m not sure how we could destroy it… but we could ….talk about what we see. What do you all see? Morro didn’t really want to start a group therapy session here, but it was clear that it was only digging its tentacles, probably both physical and metaphorical even deeper into them. It might not be what they wanted, but how else were they going to defeat it? Nilsen/Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response Caras: I really need…(beat) I really need some help right now. I see my sister and even though I know it’s not her. She keeps letting me know that I’ll never be good enough, that I'll always be an Orion Pirate and that StarFleet is just using me. I don’t want to believe her, after the Academy and coming aboard the OEB, it’s all been a good experience. Orion’s have a saying “Comfort ends with a knife in the back” the meaning is supposed to be that if you let your guard down, you’ll be taken out. I’d like to think it means that as long as you stay uncomfortable, you stay safe. And talking this openly is far out of my comfort zone. Anyone else want to share? Nilsen/Arlill/Sh’shelor: Response Tags/TBC Ensign Morro Caras Engineering Officer USS Octavia E. Butler O240106MC1 2 Quote
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