[Round 1] Wheeler Colony: The Mission Begins

[James T. Kolk]

Ad. Anassasi: Transporting to the Surface, PT II: The Mission Begins

((Wheeler Colony: 1 Hour later ))

:: Tully rises with glass in hand. Around him the chatter suddenly ceases as all eyes turn to watch. ::

Andromeda: A toast. To the Federation and Captain Lancaster for freeing us once again from the tyranny that has ruled this world far too long.

:: Around the table glass [...] together accompanied by a few cheers of agreement. Taking a sip, Jessa notes the look on Lancaster's face. ::

Andromeda: Captain Lancaster. I would like to also present you with a small token of our esteem.

:: Turning to the side, he nods to a pair of men standing there. Together the men retrieve a long, thin box. Various gems encrust the surface, enhancing the ornately carved sun-bleached bone surface. Around the table, voices murmur in appreciation. ::

:: The table is quickly cleared. Laying the box before the Bear's Captain, the men step back to watch. Tully nods towards the box. ::

Andromeda: If you would do the honors, Captain.

:: Jessa watches as the man releases the latch and lifts the lid. Inside lay a pair of rifles. Inlaid with the same material as the lid, the stocks of the guns virtually shimmer in the fluorescent lighting. ::

Andromeda: We can not thank you enough, Captain.

Responses?

Andromeda: Now, if you would all follow me, it is time for a quick tour of our Capital. And perhaps, along the way, we can discuss a few issues. . .

((Meanwhile: Above the Planet ))

:: Three Federation starships fly in perfect formation, hovering like giant gargoyles above the planet unaware of the object small than a few centimeters passing beneath their hulls. ::

(( Bridge: Independence-A ))

:: Jason Barnes sat at the Com. It would be another couple of hours yet before Beta shift would arrive. With Commander Riley in her quarters, the Admiral on the surface with the Second Officer, the shift had been extremely quiet. ::

:: Glancing down at the terminal next to him, Jason continued scanning the Tactical Report from DS17. More than half a week old, it was still the latest information they had. The Independence wouldn't receive another until after they passed out from behind the Aurona Nebula. As he scanned, the lights began to flicker before winking out suddenly. ::

:: Jason waited a moment for the emergency lighting to kick in. Nothing happened. Tapping his com. badge, he starts in surprise when it does not activate either. ::

(( Elsewhere ))

:: Tumbling through space, the small object flares suddenly before dimming to a soft glow. A signal is transmitted to three other points before the object once again flares to life and . . .vanishes. ::

(( Ready Room of the Independence/ Ready room of the Ronin/ Science Labs of Ursa Major ))

:: In a small case, several crystals begin to glow. An instant later, energy flows from them into their surroundings. Lights wink on and off as the flow continues. Long seconds pass as one after another systems shut down across all three Federation vessels. Within moments, the Independence, the Ronin, and the Ursa Major all float dead in space. ::

:: Minutes pass as a distortion appears quickly before the ships. It swirls into existence growing in size until it is large enough to encompass the ships. In the blink of an eye, all three ships vanish through its event horizon, disappearing from Wheeler Colony. ::

(( Wheeler ))

:: In the Capital city, three Starfleet Officers sit in a hovercraft riding towards the site of the newly constructed water purification plant. The sun beats down, sending waves of heat into the air from the surface of the street. ::

:: Above them, in the sky, a swirling hole suddenly appears. At first unnoticed, all eyes turn skyward as the hovercraft slows to a halt. All around them gasps and shouts of exciting ring through out the streets. Staring skyward, the three Captains watch in horror as three shining objects vanish in the blink of an eye. ::

:: One by one each attempts to contact their ship, unsuccessful as the last. With a grim look, the Admiral turns to the Colonies leader. ::

Anassasi: I apologize, Mr. Andromeda, but I think we need to modify our schedule to include a quick stop by your Communications building.

:: The man still stares at the sky, stunned by what had just occurred. ::

Andromeda: O-of Course Admiral.

Responses?

((Elsewhere ))

:: The three Federation vessels tumble through the wormhole before coming to a sudden halt. As the hole in space vanished, lights and systems return to normal. On the bridge of the Independence, a rather startled Operations officer taps his communicator. ::

Barnes: =/\= Red Alert. All personnel report to their stations. Commander Riley to the Bridge. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. =/\=

Responses?

Barnes: =/\= Independence to the Ronin and Ursa Major. Red Alert. First Officers, report in ASAP. =/\=

Ad. Jessa Anassasi

CO, USS Independence-A

[Ilene Torza]

I liked this post when I first read it on the lists and I still enjoy it. The various scenes are well described with details that later SIMs can pick up on and expand on. While I can't exactly place my finger on why, its not as easy to read as I would like. I'm not sure if this is my gut reaction to present-tense or the strings of short sentences, but it just doesn't flow as well as perhaps it could. That being said, I really enjoy the way the SIM switches between several different viewpoints so that we as readers know far more about what is going on than any individual in the SIM. Well done, Admiral!