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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #6: "Marala"

  1. #1751
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    "On the double," Thalen repeats, and switches off.

    Onn and Rangin see Thalen come back into the room and speak briefly to Vargas, who nods. Vargas, in turn, says something to the Captain, who rolls her eyes ever so slightly but then nods. She looks tired and careworn. She clears her throat and says, "Let's begin. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. First of all, my thanks to Mr. Onn for taking command here and seeing to the prompt return of the Sarafina to Novy Rostov orbit. Well done." She smiles at the Sidonian, then turns to the Science Officer. "Mr. Roble, an update on the radiation burst, if you please."

    He says, "Our latest readings indicate the burst is most likely to come three to five hours from now, Captain. And it's going to be just as bad as preliminary scans showed, if not worse."

    "Will any other ships be here in time to help, Mr. Thalen?" Singh asks.

    He shakes his head. "No, ma'am. Just those we knew about before, meeting us well after we've left the system."

    "I see. Mr. Cheverez, how are preparations for the evacuees?"

    The Chief Engineer looks even worse than Singh. Dr. Bennett, seated nearby, is even a little concerned for his health. He says, his voice quiet and slightly rasping, "Well underway, ma'am, as to temporary bunk space, toilet facilities, supplies, and so on. We'll be ready, here and aboard the Sarafina, by the time everyone's beamed up."

    Dr. Villa says, "Likewise among my people, Captain."

    Singh nods. She leans into the Theban marble tabletop and folds her hands. "Very well. Thank you all. As some of you may have heard, Gov. Voronko has appointed Mrs. Marala Gromov, head of the Miners' Guild, as his liaison with us. Mr. Graham has taken her to see the Chief Computer Officer to explain the lottery program and answer any questions she might have. While she meets with Mr. Dosmukhambetov, I wanted to raise with you several... complications that have developed, and have the benefit of your advice and good counsel - my senior officers as well as those who visited the colony and know more about it, firsthand, than others."

  2. #1752
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    It takes Rangin only a moment for his brain to process the shape that Lt Onn is outlining. It takes a few moments longer to remember that although she had not been there for the discussion on what to do, she had been there for the initial debrief.

    He cannot help but mouth his response silently. "Oh crap ma'am, not Mr Kylah again?" Whatever she had been up to with Lt. Ferguson is really going to get her into trouble.

    "Thank you ma'am" he utters under his breath while rising and heading back to his own seat.

    He slumps in the chair, shaking his head at the facts. It's likely that Lt. Onn knows exactly where Mr Graham is, and it is definitely not missing from this meeting. But there is no way Rangin is going to ask her to confirm, that would be just confirm that on occasion, he can be to stupid for words.

    It is then that the meeting gets underway and the status updates come in, although there is little he can do about them. The fact of what Graham is up to only confirms to Rangin his poor choice of thought earlier. Then again, it could be interesting to see Graham's reaction when he finds out about Rangin's amendments to the lottery. Assuming Mr. Whizz kid actually mentions who came up with it in the first place.

    However, he is not surprised by the Captain's comments of trouble on the planet and waits patiently to see how he can help.

  3. #1753
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    Well, hallelujah, Rangin seems to have woken up at last. Of course, if he's so distant from Kylah not to even think of her until now, Nia supposes that her question has long since been answered: he doesn't know where she is.

    It could be a bluff and he's trying to protect her, but that'd be a strange choice. Nia's curiosity won't harm the girl.

    She doesn't miss Singh's reaction to Vargas's inaudible comment. Then the meeting starts and Nia's attention is fully focused on the captain, and after that, the others' reports. Nia accepts Singh's acknowledgement with a grateful nod. I should pass this along to the Bridge crew, she thinks after the first flush of pleasure recedes.

    Bad news from Roble, some headway from Cheverez, and a huge disappointment from Thalen regarding the lack of back-up. Nia sighs. This is a very dark day, and the worst is far from over.

    She's mulling this over when she hears a reference to Booker, as well as the person he's taking around. Since the woman's name is so new, Nia doesn't recognize it immediately. When she does, it comes with a sympathetic pang in her heart, like a plucked bow-and-arrow string. This should make Booker happy--having her onboard as a representative. Surely this increases her chances, right? Would they really let a virtual ambassador return to her planet, to her death?

    I won't do it. If I have to bribe someone to get her and her kid smuggled onto the Sarafina... that's what I'll do.

    At last, Singh gets to what appears to be the real purpose of the meeting. And... shit, it doesn't sound good. Nia leans forward, both physically and mentally bracing herself. What new nightmare's cropped up?
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 16 Aug 2019 at 09:38 PM.

  4. #1754
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    Mortified, Kylah drops her communicator, triggers the coldest water possible from the sink's tap and shoves her wrists under the flow, making sure the pulse points are getting the most water. It's an old trick to calm her anxiety and slow her heart rate

    After just a few seconds of growing numbness, she finishes by splashing her face to cool it down. She straightens and catches a glimpse of her haggard, sloppy appearance in the mirror. Grimacing, all she can do is scoop up the communicator and hasten from her quarters while wiping the last traces of her smeared lip balm.

    A balm she will not wear again. She's always liked its sweet berry scent and flavor, but no longer. Kylah knows it will only remind her of the man who just tasted it.

    Fortunately her knee is no longer sore, and reaching the conference room does not take long. The edges of her hair nearest her face are damp from the quick splash of water, but she just tucks the curls behind her ears, inhales deeply, and enters--her goal to be as invisible and unobtrusive as possible.

    But that proves difficult. The Captain is just finishing a sentence--something about visiting the colony--and the room suddenly falls so silent that the door's whooshing noise sounds like a gale slamming into the side of a building.

    The combined tension, concern and a whole cocktail of various emotions of the group seated at the table impact Kylah's senses just as harshly.

    Kylah sidles farther into the room, keeping her back to the wall. She sends an apologetic glance around the table at large, starting with the Captain, then Cmdr. Vargas and Lt. Thalen. "Forgive me, ma'am," she whispers.
    Last edited by choie; 16 Aug 2019 at 09:54 PM.

  5. #1755
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    Singh nods curtly to Kylah. Thalen, his gaze more sympathetic, gestures minutely to an empty chair next to him.

    The Captain continues, "There are three people with a claim to an exemption from the lottery, despite the Governor's insistence that it be absolutely random by household. First, Lt. Patricia Camden of Starfleet Security, who's been on NR these past few months, looking for a fugitive from justice. She's a Starfleet colleague and would not be here at all, were she not under orders. Second, Mrs. Nina Kostoyev, who's been in medical isolation in our Sickbay, but whose husband Alexei, head of the mining party we brought here, and their children are already down on the colony. Should she be allowed to remain, in any event, since she never beamed down? And third, Walter Harris, a wealthy man who has already approached several of the Yorktown's officers offering bribes to be evacuated. Has he forfeited his participation in the lottery by this illegal conduct?" She looks around the room. "The First Officer and I have discussed their cases already, and I will make the final decisions, but I would be interested in your views. Please speak freely and candidly."

  6. #1756
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    Doing her best not to pay attention to the young ensign tiptoeing behind her chair to sit on the other side of Thalen, Nia mulls over the conundrum.

    "Ma'am... if I understand these three cases correctly... I'd say two should be exempt, one should not. Lt. Camden doesn't belong there. She's one of ours, and it may be wrong to say this, but we should take care of an officer who was just there doing her duty. I admit it's not logical, and her preference for leap-frogging over the lottery may not be the heroic, self-sacrificing choice we'd all ideally make. But... I'm not sure. I'm just talking this through. This might be the most difficult decision of the three."

    She rests her palms on the table, staring down at her fingers as she concentrates. "As for Nina Kostoyev, I may be wrong, but didn't she become ill on the ship? Or at least, her symptoms appeared on the Yorktown?" Nia sighs. "I want to think of her a having sanctuary here. But if her family isn't chosen for the lottery, how will she feel when she wakes up? To find out that she survived while her husband and kids didn't?"

    A deep frown lowers her brow. "I'd be curious to know Mr. Kostoyev's position. He does have... what's the phrase... power of attorney, right? Is he the one asking that his wife be sheltered here?

    "As for this enterprising Mr. Harris who thinks he can buy safe passage... it's a crime, yes. But how many other criminals will we unknowingly beam up? The felon Lt. Camden is hunting, for example. We might very well be welcoming him as a guest in a couple of hours, without a clue...

    "...Which is another reason to bring Camden on board," she blurts, flipping a hand over. "She'll be a useful asset in tracking this bastard--um, sorry--fugitive, who might be endangering all of us if he's on the ship.

    "Back to Harris. He's committed a crime, yes. But not one that deserves a sentence of death." Her gaze switches to Vargas. "I mean, that's what removing his eligibility amounts to, right? A death penalty?" Nia turns back to Singh. "We can't, ma'am. I think being as terrified as everyone else should be his initial punishment. If he makes the lottery, he gets beamed into the Brig."

    Nia leans back with a displeased expression. "Well... those are my two credits' worth. Overpriced, maybe."

  7. #1757
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    Rangin listens to the Captain and beings to wonder why he bothers on occasion. In the space of a few hours, she appears to have forgotten Rangin's proposal. Then again, it appears that so has Cmdr Vargas, Cmdr Roble and Lt. Onn.

    Or more likely, the Captain had done something even more stupid and not cleared it with the Governor. Then again, he is fighting to get them through and, until they leave the system, he will keep trying to save as many as possible.

    Kylah's appearance isn't exactly helping matters, although judging by her chastened demeanour, he gets the feeling she doesn't know that he knows where she was when she was supposed to be here. He tries to put the doubt to one side to stop it clouding his judgement, concentrate on the here and now and what he might say. Deliberately looking away from her and towards the Captain, he decides to follow on from Lt Onn.

    Rangin coughs to clear his throat, a useful attraction to prevent anyone else from starting if only from politeness and give himself a few precious extra seconds to think of the right words.

    "Captain, if I may" he says clearly, "On the situation of Mr Harris, attempting to bribe a Federation officer is a serious offence, but I don't believe the sentence is as harsh as the proposal to leave him out of this particular lottery. He should be part of it and if he is chosen can then be charged in due course for his actions. I'm sure he is well aware that just making the offer is enough, indeed I'd like to report I have been contacted by him as well. I can certainly understand his situation, but that does not mean his actions are right."

    He shrugs slightly, at least with it raised here, he won't be tempted further to try something.

    "Of course, being a Federation officer means accepting our duty and doing our utmost to live up to it, regardless of the consequence. We put ourselves in danger constantly and prepare as best we can for whatever happens. But we don't hold ourselves above or outside the law, otherwise we keep privilege to ourselves that we would deny others. While it is not easy for me to sit here and say this, I believe Lt Camden should be part of the lottery."

    "Finally, with reference to Mrs Kostoyev, and the fact she has children." Rangin takes a deep breath and tries his best to be clear and calm, and not as annoyed and frustrated as he might feel. "Ma'am, the proposal I submitted and shared to yourself and others in this room, showed that if we saved all families with children, which certainly covers this situation, then we would save more lives in total. Only a few, but certainly more. I was led to believe this proposal had been accepted and included into the lottery mechanism. If that is the case, then this situation is not an issue."

    "Is the proposal a go? Captain?" Rangin waits for clarification to see what she ultimately decides.

  8. #1758
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    "Thank you, Mr. Onn," the Captain says. "I appreciate your candor."

    She hears out Rangin, too, and says, "Thank you, Mr. Rangin. I did approve your proposal, but," here she glances at Roble, "my understanding was that it would save only another 42 lives." She shakes her head. "Forgive me; I shouldn't say 'only.' Any additional life saved is laudable, of course. But it would still not guarantee saving the life of every person under the age of 18. Or is that not so?"

  9. #1759
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    On the one hand, Rangin is relieved that the Captain has agreed to his proposal. On the other she obviously hasn't even read the bullet points and just went for the top line of 42 extra people saved. He is torn between just letting her sit in blissful ignorance of what she has agreed to with only herself to blame or actually trying to bring her up to speed.

    No, the latter would be better if only because she would be dealing with the repercussions of her choices. Especially as the more detailed proposal will have been wired into the lottery. Perhaps he really should go along and confirm that it is correct.

    "Captain, you are correct in one respect in that it does not guarantee saving the life of every person under the age of 18. It guarantees saving the life of everyone under 16. This is the line you can draw a clear delineation between the environmental impact of a child or juvenile as opposed to an adult allowing a baseline to be..."

    He can almost feel their eyes glazing over and while Roble would know exactly what he is on about it, now is not the time to show how scientifically inferior they are.

    "... in short, kids are given a free pass." he quickly rattles off, which should hopefully keep their attention. "The other factor that was insisted upon is that all families be kept together. So, the logical outcome is that any family with a child in it will be automatically saved."

    "I believe Mrs Kostoyev has children on the planet. These children will be saved in the lottery. Because they will be saved, so will their immediate family, that is Mr and Mrs Kosteyev. The proposal is only for the immediate family, so cousins, aunts, uncles and so on will not be included. Also, the only reason we can do this is because there are so few children in the colony."

    "Any questions?" he asks politely, while he looks round the table to see if anyone looks confused.
    Last edited by choie; 26 Aug 2019 at 02:44 PM. Reason: Fixed link

  10. #1760
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    While listening to Rangin's not-so-patient explanation, Nia covers her mouth as she turns what's about to be a chuckle into a cough. The guy's tone is as dry as a Sidonian canyon. But she can't blame him for dumbing things down as he clarifies.

    But everyone's tired and stressed, and he must know that the Captain's been dealing with--well, Nia can imagine what hellish desperation is consuming the population right now, and Singh was in the thick of it. The Captain can't possibly remember every granular detail; that's what she has people like Roble, Cheverez and Villa--and yeah, Rangin--for.

    As she ducks her head slightly to 'cough,' Nia glances at the young woman now on Thalen's other side. She looks like she's about two minutes from collapse--her whole body seems deflated. Good grief, aren't Elasian women supposed to be warrior types?

    When Rangin finishes, Nia's attention is drawn swiftly back to him. That's right: Everyone under 16. Did Booker mention how old his friend's kid is?

    She gives the xenobiologist an encouraging smile and nod when his gaze roams the table and meets hers.
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 25 Aug 2019 at 10:18 PM.

  11. #1761
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    Vargas rubs his chin and says, "I thought saving even another 42 people wasn't going to cover all of the children of the colony, if some member of their household didn't 'win' the lottery, Mr. Rangin. Where did you come up with your everyone-under-16 figure?"




    "Ah---hi," Graham says softly as soon as they've left the transporter room. "How are you--how are you holding up, Marala?"

    She doesn't answer right away, but pulls him a little closer by the arm. "'Hi' yourself." She shrugs a little. "I've been better. This whole situation is... difficult, to put it mildly. Very difficult."

    Graham doesn't resist the pressure. He shakes his head slightly, then does something halfway between clearing his throat and grunting. "I still can't believe the plan isn't to take all the kids, lottery be damned." After the briefest of pauses, he adds, softly, "I will get Nikolai on the ship. Ships--we commandeered a freighter, too. One of them, anyway, Marala."

    "Yes, I heard, the Sarafina. Your Captain and the Governor decided they didn't want to break up families, or create a lot of orphans." She shakes her head. "It makes a certain amount of sense, but I can't help but be, well, troubled. Even scared. This is a terrible situation, no matter what decisions are made."

    Graham takes a deep breath. "We'll do our best. And hope for a damn miracle."

    She smiles faintly. "Sometimes it seems hope is all I've got. That, and you, and your promise." She stops and looks at him - looks right into his eyes. "It means a lot to me, Booker. It means everything."

    Graham holds her gaze and swallows. He thinks, What if she'd never moved away, when we were teenagers? Water under the bridge. "I...owe you a lot, Marala," he says slowly. "Maybe too much to explain now. But...you never let me down. I'll keep up my end, even though it's decades later and light years away."

    "Thank you, Booker. I know you will."

    Soon they find themselves at the codelocked door to the Main Computer Core on Deck 7.

    Graham's dialogue by g_u; Marala's by EH.

  12. #1762
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    Rangin keeps his eyes focused on those around the room. He sees Lt Onn's nod and smile before Cmdr Vargas asks his question. At least it is a sensible question.

    "I had the same thought as you, sir, when I first ran these scenarios," he addresses directly back to the Security chief. "How could all the children by saved for so little gain." Rangin flips open his datapad with all the details in front of him.

    "I have a set of the colonists data," Rangin waves his datapad to the room, "that may not contain as much information as I would like. But it does include the age of each person, which can be used to give a good estimate of their resource consumption, with little variance."

    "The main reason this works is because there are not that many who would count as children on the planet, a hundred or so at most. So even with their families, they don't occupy that many of the spaces. Yes, this does mean that any and every family with a child in it under 16, for want of a better word, `wins`. But the fact still remains that everyone possesses a chance to get off the planet."

    Rangin still feels slightly downcast by the fact he cannot save more, but every extra life helps.

    "In some ways, it's a good thing there are not several hundred children, because then they and their families would easily fill out all the places leaving everyone else behind."

    Rangin takes a deep breath again and closes his datapad back over, hoping that the explanation is enough while closing the laptop over before settling back to wait for his description to be digested by those present.

  13. #1763
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    Vargas looks at his data pad. "But there are more than several hundred children on the colony, the NR personnel records show, Ensign. Your plan, as I understand it, will save 42 more people than the original entirely-random draw would, but it still won't save every single child there."

  14. #1764
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    Rangin looks up sharply at the comment from the commander.

    "Sir. What?" A cold chill runs down his spine and he tries to put aside all thoughts that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

    "That can't be right", he mutters to himself as he rushes through opening the datapad and looking at his data.

    "No, no, no-no-no that's..."he stutters out as he finds the right place, "I only have about a hundred children listed here."

    "Sir, can I see your datapad, please?" His voice is almost begging, hoping that there is some way to explain this discrepancy.

  15. #1765
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    Vargas passes it down the table. "By their count, Ensign, there are almost 800 children under age 16 in the colony."

  16. #1766
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    "Eight..eight..eight hundred children," Rangin stutters out as the numbers catch in his throat every time he tries to utter them.

    He frantically grabs the datapad passed to him and starts tearing at his own to get to the data he had so recently put away.

    He can feel the gaze of the people around the room all looking at him, but his vision focuses to only encompass the two datapads. Everything else seems extraneous, the muted sounds from around the room, the taste on his lips, the touch of the pads under his fingers. All that matters is what is in front of him...

    ...and he is horrified by what he sees. How could the data be so different?

    "Oh no, this..." This isn't good, the data's wrong, all that work for nothing. Rangin rubs a sleeve quickly across his eyes trying to get rid of some stray tear that threatens to blur his vision.

    "What's, what's..." What's the impact going to be, what changes, just what have I done? Rangin starts to compare the figures and sees the differences, where the data is wrong and he frantically starts tapping away.

    "I need a few minutes..." I've gotta sort this out, gotta fix it, gotta know what will happen. He archives the old data and feeds the set in from Vargas' datapad in, "C'mon, C'mon, stop taking so long." It may be only a few seconds, but he can't stop drumming his fingers on the table, if anyone is speaking to him, he can't hear them, his focus solely on the datapads in front of him.

    The data loads and immediately Rangin runs the simulation on his datapad. He doesn't care about anything else except the numbers, how many live, how many die. But one look at the results, tells him everything he needs to know and his throat dries up at the news.

    Rangin's head snaps up and he looks straight down the table, focusing on the Captain. "Ma'am. You can't run the lottery with those changes. Please. You can't," he urges desperately, "you will be signing the death warrant for thousands of the colonists with no hope of being picked."

  17. #1767
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    Nia tries to keep her heart rate steady, but alarm is winning out over her inborn abilities. Damn it, Rangin was wrong? Shit. Her heart sinks. And I told Booker that his friend would have a better chance...

    Booker's not the only one whose hopes she raised. Her blabbing spread to Singh and Vargas and Roble and Cheverez. She passed along faulty data without double-checking it. One of the stupidest, most rookie-level errors a senior officer can make.

    Rangin's rambling makes it clear that his algorithm isn’t just ineffective--it worsens things. After her face burns from a fast wave of anger aimed at the xenobiologist's mistake, Nia forcibly dismisses the fury by remembering her position. She was his commanding officer at the time.

    She can't rake him over the coals when she's the overeager moron who sent the invalid report along.

    "This is my fault," she says abruptly, with a rising need to see the number for herself. She stands without permission and walking around the table toward Rangin as she speaks. "I'm sorry, Captain. I take responsibility for acting without proper deliberation. Ensign Rangin handed me the calculations while you and I were speaking, and I just ran with them. I don't think he meant the report to be passed through..."

    By now she's looking over Rangin's shoulder at his datapad. Her eyes scan the new numbers and her words freeze.

    "Wait. Ensign--why are you--what are you talking about?" Nia narrows her eyes as she scans the information on his screen. "If I'm reading this correctly, using this algorithm and taking the extra children into account, the total lives saved increases." Nia squints and points to his new calculation. "From forty-two to two hundred."

    The tension in her neck and shoulders almost relaxes. But by now it's obvious she shouldn't be taking anything for granted. "Why are you in a panic?" she asks him softly. "You're saving more lives. Isn't that the purpose of--well, everything we're doing?"
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 09 Sep 2019 at 01:40 PM.

  18. #1768
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    The Captain looks puzzled. "Thank you, Mr. Onn," she says. "Mr. Rangin, would you like step outside, access the Ship's Computer elsewhere and try again? I warn you, though, that our time is extremely limited."

    On Deck 7, Graham inputs the code and opens the armored door to the Main Computer Core. He and Marala step through and are greeted by Lt. Timur Dosmukhambetov, the Yorktown's Chief Computer Officer, a heavyset Kazakh man with a magnificent mustache. He leads you past bank after bank of pale grey, humming, blinking computers, looming from deck to overhead and supervised by several redshirted computer techs, to a small conference room.

    "The Captain asked that I explain the program we will be using to randomly and fairly select Novy Rostov colonists for evacuation," Dosmukhambetov says to Marala in thickly-accented Standard after you have taken your seats. "We began with the official list of colonists and current visitors, of course, and then...." He talks on and on, but it is not long before Marala begins asking questions that reveal her knowledge of high-level computing. Soon they're discussing heuristic algorithms, Daystrom analytic ellipses and fractal RV9 differentials, and Graham finds he can only barely follow their conversation.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 09 Sep 2019 at 02:17 PM.

  19. #1769
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    These are pretty much the worst possible circumstance Graham could imaging to be having this feeling, but he's immensely proud of Marala as he half-follows the conversation.

    Jane, Marala, Nia--sometime I'm going to have to ask women smarter than me why women smarter than me even give me the time of day...

    There's not a lot of space in his mind for idle thoughts, though. The space freed by giving up the ghost on tracking "Daystrom analytic ellipses" is filled by figuring out how to get Nikolai off-planet assuming he's not picked in the lottery.

    Nothing too fancy comes to mind: take control of a transporter room, get him stowed, take the court marshal.

    He frowns slightly, wrestling with the prospect of Marala being left behind: as a parent he gets trading a spot for your child. But he's not happy at that prospect.

    That freighter might offer an environment where I could pull off one or both of them under the radar... There's not much damn time...

  20. #1770
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    Too late. Too late to cover the datapad and Lt Onn is giving everyone the good news about how many more it will save if they follow his algorithm. With just the one overwhelming side effect. The Captain's response is not encouraging either. He had already spent hours trying all sorts of combinations with the corrupt set of data. With this latest batch he can almost picture what the outcomes would be, even without having to run them again.

    He can tick them over in his brain and he catches himself because he knows what his options are.

    "No Ma'am, it won't be necessary," he says sadly, "of the several other scenarios I put together I know what the outcomes will be." He draws in a deep breath and calms his heart rate, "but in effect there are really two choices." He ticks them off in his head.

    He looks around the table knowing he has everyone's attention once again, but this time sitting back, not really concentrating on them, but fixing his gaze on a bit of the table in front of him, seeing the slight pattern and trying to lose his focus so he can speak clearly.

    "The first option is just to run the lottery as is. Twelve hundred or so people will be saved, randomly from across the colony with no bearing made to who they are. Short, succinct, and brutally efficient in what it does. A few families will survive, many of them will die."

    He takes a deep breath and then continues. "The second option is to use my algorithm. You will save more people. Maybe tens more, maybe hundreds more, it will fit the most people from the colony given the constraints we have. But, anyone who is not in a family with a child is dead. Plain and simple, they will not survive the lottery. They have no chance using the method I set up."

    He shakes his head at the thought of it. "To remove all chance from them under the pretense of a lottery is not something..." Rangin tails off at the thought of what he is describing.

    "Actually there is a third option," Rangin speaks up again, "which would save the most people and give everyone a chance in the lottery. Every child under sixteen can be saved, there is enough room and every space after that can be randomly allocated to someone. But there is a problem."

    Rangin looks up from the table straight to the Captain to make sure she understands what he is talking about. "The Governor has decreed that whole families will be saved. So, effectively, this is not an option unless you can reverse that decree."

    He begins to chuckle slightly in despair, "And Ma'am, what is truly, bleakly, amusing is that you can probably save one adult from each family alongside the children and still have room for others." Rangin can feel the tension slowly begin to clear as he realises that he was right all along. "The first option I threw on the table, it's probably been the best option all along." He shakes his head again, knowing that no-one will use that option, because when it comes right down to it, they would rely on a lottery to abdicate all responsibility.

    Well, if they run his process, they will be directly responsible. He wonders if they will still take that option or decide to balk once again.

    He shrugs knowing it's now out of his hands. "Ma'am, that's the best that I can do. I've gone over all the options I know, this is what they mean. There is nothing more to report. Ma'am."

    He sits back from the table waiting for answers once again. Calm and at peace, that he has done what he can, what he said and promised himself that he would do. To give the options to those at the top for them to decide.

  21. #1771
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    The Captain drums her fingers quietly on the table, thinking, and finally says, "Thank you, Mr. Rangin. I will consider this further." She looks around the table and says, "Any other opinions as to the particular cases I mentioned earlier, Lt. Camden and the others?" There is a desultory discussion and the other officers offer their opinions, but no particular consensus emerges.



    Marala finally says, "Thank you, Lieutenant, for your explanation and for answering all my questions. I can tell you've given this a lot of thought, and I appreciate all you've done."

    "Certainly, ma'am," Dosmukhambetov replies, nodding somberly. "Something this important deserved our best efforts."

    Marala turns and says to Graham, "Now I'd like to see the Captain again, please."

  22. #1772
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    Rangin's statistics and recommendations explain his desperation more clearly. Nia straightens while listening and the grim truth wipes away her brief moment of hope.

    It's bizarre. The captain seems to care more about the three possible exemptions than 200 children. Hell, she barely reacted to the news that the process could save up to five times more lives than Rangin originally thought. Or to Rangin's subsequent suggestions. They were worth a bit of finger-tapping at most.

    For Nia, the choice--though difficult--is obvious. Save the children. It's second nature to her. No Sidonian woman would feel different. The saying is carved on the door of every group creche, every temple: We are the past, the dead; only the young are our future.

    Nia backs against the wall, silent, and unconsciously hugs her abdomen.
    Last edited by choie; 11 Sep 2019 at 08:55 PM.

  23. #1773
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    The discussion around Kylah ebbs and swells. She has spent the time with hands in her lap, shoulders slumped, while trying to pay attention--or at least, look as if she is paying attention.

    Velir's agonized demeanor washes over her like ripples turning into waves. For protection, she pushes away the energy of his mounting dread. More stress will shatter her.

    At first she did not dare enter the discussion about the three potential exemptions. Kylah would prefer to remain silent and invisible. Now, with everyone else having expressed their thoughts... and after what Velir just said about the implications of using different parameters for the decision... she cannot help herself.

    "Captain, forgive me, I know I must seem insufficiently involved, but..." Kylah tightens her diaphragm and forces the words out. "But if my opinion means anything, I think it abhorrent to consider any exemption from the lottery that leaves that person behind. To do so is not punishment. It is murder."

    She switches her focus to Velir, then Lt. Onn--who seems ashen and withdrawn--and back to the Captain.

    "This man was doing what he could to survive. Inappropriate, but natural. People do not wish to die. This is a horrific situation and I think almost any attempt to survive should be expected--and excused. Every sentient creature has a survival instinct; those who are sapient will concoct a desperate plan and proceed accordingly."

    Kylah's face burns and she can no longer meet anyone's eyes. "As for what Vel--Ensign Rangin just said... I must also say this. I do not understand the Governor's restriction, his insistence that families remain together no matter what. I find it unconscionable that he would favor a system that takes away the parents' right to decide for themselves. Surely many, if not most, would personally step aside if it meant their children would survive. I cannot fathom--"

    A vision of the party cuts her off, and her eyes well up. "He himself is a father. Two sweet girls," she adds hoarsely. "Is the Governor truly prepared to force his children to stay back, to die with him? Even if he is, and his wife, too, what gives him the right to make such a life-or-death choice for parents? Whatever fate he chooses for his children is... that is between him and Mrs. Vorenko.

    "But to rip that decision from the other parents--no, that is madness, it is cruel. How can he not see that? How can anyone not see it? Captain, these are your ships. Surely you can override this man's preferences and choose Ensign Rangin's option to save the children first. Because the Governor is not thinking clearly, he cannot be. If no one in his family is chosen, will he truly just look into his daughters' eyes and wait?"

    Kylah shakes her head vehemently. "If so, he does not deserve them," she spits out, her hands now fists on her lap. "Parents protect their children, he should have their best interests at heart. He should never force them into behavior that ends their future, destroys whatever chance they have for happiness! What kind of a leader is he, what kind of uncle is he?!"

    The words are out only for a second when Kylah realizes her mistake. "Father," she stutters weakly. "I meant father. Please... I am sorry. I should not have spoken so..." She shrinks back in her chair, aghast. If she could she would transport herself from the room.

  24. #1774
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    The Captain looks kindly at Kylah. "I understand, Mr. Kylah, and I sympathize. The Governor has a difficult task and is, I believe, doing his best under the circumstances. The Governor's policy, as he announced in his speech, will break up no families, and will ensure that everyone in a household will be saved, even if only one person there is selected through the lottery. We could not save every single child on the colony without rendering a substantial number of them orphans. Although I agree that some parents would willingly choose to sacrifice themselves rather than die with their children, I believe it is morally untenable to put all the parents of the colony under pressure to choose that course, especially since, among some couples, perhaps many, there will almost certainly be a difference of opinion. But I thank you for sharing your views."

    Several other people around the room, including the Chief Engineer and Chief Medical Officer, now speak up, and the discussion continues to ebb and flow.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 12 Sep 2019 at 06:42 AM.

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    Rangin feels calm, he has done what he can, and will continue to do what is asked of him.

    With the Captain effectively dismissing them and little further discussion going on, Rangin knows where he is due to head to next. To meet Mr Dosmukhambetov and go through the lottery calculations as he had them set up. Of course, given what he is finding out now, what is currently programmed may not necessarily be what is finally used. Better to talk to him now and get an update on what might be occurring next, so they can at least prepare for it.

    However, he is surprised by Kylah's sudden outburst and he looks around at the officers waiting to see how they may react.

    But she has a point, he hadn't considered that perhaps the Governor had added his rider to the lottery in order to gain a slight advantage, if he did have children. It was, is and probably will be forever, woman and children first, even in these enlightened days.

    Then he listens to the Captain and he wonders if she actually listened to a word he had said.

    "Ma'am, I'm sorry to correct you but orphan means both parents are dead. Even if we took one parent for each family of children, we should have enough space and resources."

    He shrugs having once again pointing it out.

    "But if we are going to do if the Governor's way, then we cannot select by person, but by family. Otherwise it would be extremely unfair to those who are single and heavily biased towards those with large families."

    Yet more things to ensure the lottery can handle.

    "Captain, if you wish, I will prepare further options with Mr. Dosmukhambetov awaiting your decision."

  26. #1776
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    "Of course, Marala," Graham responds.

    Graham texts the Security station on the Bridge to ask the Captain's location.

    If he gets, he heads there with Marala.

  27. #1777
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    The Captain nods. "The selection, through the lottery, of even one person in any household will mean saving everyone in that household. That is what the Governor has announced to his people, and that is how the lottery will proceed. But you may meet with Mr. Dosmukhambetov if you wish, Mr. Rangin. Please go now, if so."

    Graham and Marala make their way to Conference Room 1. The Captain welcomes them, briefly recaps the discussion so far, and invites their opinions.

  28. #1778
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    Kylah's head shakes in tiny, almost undetectable motions. She does not understand Captain Singh's abrogation of responsibility regarding the selection. These are her ships. She is entirely within her right to determine who gets on board.

    But instead she pretends, perhaps even to herself, that the Governor has the last word. Even when it is the wrong word.

    Velir's idea of keeping the selection to one "entry" per household makes a great deal of sense, levels the playing field somewhat, even if his additional algorithm would add some weight to improve childrens' chances a bit.

    But the Captain has just effectively shut the door in Velir's face. The lottery will go on as original planned. Kylah keeps her expression, wide eyes and lips a thin line, but looks at Velir as if she could transfer her sympathy to him. He must be frustrated.

    His clarifying the definition of 'orphan' reignites her anger at the situation--the implication by the Governor and now Capt. Singh that orphaning a child is worse than killing it. Kylah struggles to keep her mouth shut, to avoid screaming, I am an orphan! I watched my parents die! I grieved terribly, I still do. Should I have been on the shuttle with them when it exploded? Does the life I led, my siblings too, not matter?

    But she seethes in silence. She knows her presence here is extraneous, and suspects the Captain was only making a pretense of asking for advice. Basically everyone else is just as extraneous, except Cmdr. Vargas and perhaps the engineers.

    Kylah drags her attention back to focus on Lt. Ferguson and their scheme. How much time is left? Will he really be able to create this deception? How should she prepare her quarters for the two extra--

    Then the door opens and Lt. Graham walks in, accompanied by the woman, his friend, from the planet. Kylah has no idea what she is doing here. Has Lt. Graham managed to secure the woman's escape? Oh, I hope so, Kylah wishes fervently. She will certainly feel less guilty if Lt. Graham has been allowed to bring this woman to safety.
    Last edited by choie; 14 Sep 2019 at 03:01 AM.

  29. #1779
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    Nia does her best to avoid lashing out by kicking the chair in front of her. No sense in taking her anger out on Rangin when he's probably just as pissed off as she is.

    Why is Singh rolling over to this political nobody? The leader of a minor mining colony, and she's taking her orders from him? If this were Nia's ship she wouldn't kowtow to a guy who's making shitty plans. Frankly she's even more shocked that Vargas is taking this.

    Kylah's mini-meltdown seems well-earned, for once. Only Nia's decades of control keeps her from yelling much louder than the younger woman did. The whole thing is disgusting.

    As she curses inwardly, using invective both familiar and invented just for the occasion, Nia notices a ripple of prickling sensations throughout her skin. Her scales. They're pushing through her widening pores--and not settling for just the usual, somewhat visible border areas: her forehead, collarbone, shoulders, calves. These are always quick to react.

    But she can feel them emerging beyond their usual locations. Her arms and hands, her throat and back, and most of her legs: they're now smooth and cold, ready to protect her or launch an offensive.

    Nia glances down and sees that the hands clasped and cradling her belly are gleaming, nearly covered. Without making it obvious, she slowly pulls them apart and hides them behind her back. No sense in everyone seeing what's going on. Although she doubts she can hide it, if anyone looks. The edges of her face must be shining a silver-green.

    She understands why her body's reacting this way. This is evolution, it's inborn. Perceiving and protecting against threats to living creatures' most precious, vulnerable resources are why Nia exists. It's what she and generations before her have been optimized to do. Doesn't matter that the vulnerable young ones are not her own, not even Sidonian. Her instincts have identified the danger and are preparing her for a battle that Nia can't actually fight.

    She can't save these children from a star.

    Or from Starfleet captains.

    The door whooshes open and Nia, face lowered so as to hide her mini-transformation, turns to find Booker. At once adrenaline rushes through her, even though it's already surging--that's what helped create the biological armor that covers about 50% of her body. But at the sight of Book, her blood seems to spark with electricity in a single zap.

    She keeps her delight and relief at seeing Book again to herself, however, for the sake of propriety. He was preceded into the conference room by someone else--a stranger, a woman. Oh. Right. The Novy Rostov representative.

    Then the Captain greets them and says the woman's name, and of course, it's her, it's Marala. Booker's Marala. Nia knows she's not hiding her emotions very well, and redoubles her effort to act like an adult with a small, welcoming, sympathetic smile. But it's brief and she returns to lowering her head as if in deep thought.

    But what she's really thinking is surprising her. She's not usually insecure, and she also doesn't usually let personal life overwhelm her during a mission. And yet, inside, a voice is telling her:

    He looks good with her. With another human. Different skintones but at least she's still got skin, not scales. They seem to fit. They seem... right.

    Nia knows the feelings are, like the scales, emerging due to her biology. Some part of her lizard brain thinks of Booker as hers. But since they haven't really... well... mated, he's still up for grabs. Ready for other females to poach.

    The funny thing is that anyone who knows her would attest to her almost total lack of jealousy. But right now, with the long-developed Sidonian impulses roiling within her... if Nia were less civilized, she'd be fighting the desire to sink her teeth into Marala's jugular.
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 14 Sep 2019 at 04:40 AM.

  30. #1780
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    Rangin's thoughts are in a whirl with the Captain saying one thing one moment and another the next. It doesn't matter, he has permission to go and check on the lottery set up and despite his fears and worries he needs, he must go and ensure it is carried out fairly.

    "Thank you Captain," he says quickly while gathering himself and his datapad. If the lottery is using his methods as the Captain agreed, then he needs to know and make sure that the data he initially received is not the data that the lottery will be using. But if it is using that data, he needs to stop the lottery somehow, because of the inherent biases it now contains and he won't know that until he gets there.

    He sees Graham and Marala enter the room, but his concerns are only are making sure the lottery is correct and he slips out while the conversation continues heading straight for Mr. Dosmukhambetov.

  31. #1781
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    Rangin doesn't know the passcode to get through the heavy door to the Main Computer Core, but is admitted by Lt. Dosmukhambetov after his identity is confirmed. They sit down in the same small conference room as Graham and Marala had earlier. "What can I do for you, Ensign?" the Kazakh officer asks.

  32. #1782
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    Graham doesn't consider himself remotely in the running for membership of Empath of the Month Club, but the tension in the conference room is palpable.

    Even Nia seems...off.

    Then the Captain's recap gives him some sense of why.

    His glance goes from the Captain to Nia to Marala, then back. His throat is tight. "If I have permission to speak freely, ma'am I don't like the idea of leaving children behind," he clips out. His body language and tone, despite his best efforts, probably conveys that "don't like" is a serious understatement. "From a Security standpoint...parents might try some desperate acts."

  33. #1783
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    Rangin is surprised that he does not get immediate access to the main computer room as he had been told earlier that he was supposed to report there to oversee the lottery and double check the calculations.

    But he us here now, although it is even more serious than it was just half an hour ago. With everything going on, there is no way that Rangin is saying anything further until he knows exactly what the lottery is set up to do. And knowing the way some programmers work, it will be a very predictable standard random lottery. Thoughts of OCIII and the trouble that was caused there by another programmer, Vice-Admiral or otherwise, has Rangin wondering if this really is the most sensible idea after all.

    "Hello Mr Dosmukhambetov, thank you for having me here. I need to see the test results of the modifications made to the lottery by my proposal and check the outcomes. Thank you."

  34. #1784
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    Watching Velir leave, Kylah sighs softly. He must feel so discouraged after the wasted work and ingenuity. At least he seems to believe there is a way he can be useful.

    She turns back to Lt. Graham. He might make some difference. Kylah hopes the word of a Security Officer will sway Cmdr. Vargas, and then the Captain in turn. A very distant chance, but surely a better possibility than Kylah has, or Velir. And with Mrs. Gromov beside him, it might be harder for the Captain to deny an argument that is so clearly correct.

  35. #1785
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    Damn, Book, that's a good angle to play. Nia almost smiles despite the sorrow, anger and fear choking in her throat. She still avoids looking at him, but straight ahead she can see that Ensign Kylah is doing enough of that for two. The girl's dark-eyed gaze flits from Booker to Marala and back again like a nervous hummingbird.

    Nia does her best to force her scales back where they belong, but it's not easy. When calm, she can control her scales' appearance. Now, with dread and alarm buzzing through her, she's practically a slave to her body's defenses.

    Anyway, all the relaxing breaths in the world won't change the fact that thousands of people are going to die and she can't help them--and in fact, if the scientists' calculations are off and the star chooses to perform its grand finale a few hours early, Nia and everyone on board the ship will die along with the colonists.

    Yeah, she thinks with a ragged exhale. These scales aren't going anywhere.
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 17 Sep 2019 at 12:44 AM.

  36. #1786
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    Vargas says to Graham, "A fair point, Mr. Graham, and one we discussed with the NR leadership at some length while we were down there. So far things have been mostly calm, and nothing their own Security and auxiliary forces haven't been able to handle, but we'll have to be ready to respond if there's widespread unrest after the lottery results are announced."

    Marala says soberly, "I agree with Mr. Graham. The people of Novy Rostov are overwhelmingly honest and law-abiding, but under the enormous stresses of this... situation, I'm afraid things could deteriorate in a hurry."

    Dosmukhambetov shows Rangin the projected lottery outcomes from his proposal which result, as predicted, in an additional 42 lives saved.

  37. #1787
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    Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Oh fucking hell. Fuckety, fuck, fuck, FUCK.

    Rangin smiles a rictus grin of knowing that something has gone horribly wrong and if he doesn't sort this out a lot of people are going to be denied any right to life from the lottery and why does he have to find out this kind of thing now, why couldn't his results be just fine and enough he tells himself. From the meeting only a few scant minutes ago, he can guess with a fair degree of certainty that there is more to this than just one set of bad data. Now we have two of them.

    "Thank you Mr Dosmukhambetov, I can certainly say that you have successfully implemented my proposals as accurately as I would expect..."

    He takes a deep breath and can feel himself rising slightly from his feet as he struggles to maintain calm control of his thoughts as he looks directly at the little winking numbers in front of him on the console. He opens his datapad and flicks to the updated lottery run and the new totals at odds with the results in front of him.

    "Unnnnfortunately, your data is invalid. Not just invalid, but probably deliberately corrupted to impact the lottery in a way that is beneficial to a party or parties as yet unknown" he cheerily mentions through gritted teeth, not even bothering to look at him, but casually tossing his datapad down in front of the engineer showing the updated figures using Vargas' data.

    "Dammit," Rangin swears under his breath again, "if you will excuse me, I think I had better inform the Captain that we have a small problem here." he says clearly.

    Heading to the Comms panel, Rangin requests to be put through to the Captain. If he is lucky she will still be with the group in the room. For once, he hopes Graham's slow, petty minded tendencies will work in his favour.

  38. #1788
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    The bosuns whistle sounds and Singh presses the tabletop comm switch. "Rangin to Captain Singh," all in the conference room hear.

    "Singh here. Go ahead, Mr. Rangin."

  39. #1789
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    Rangin draws in a deep breath and tries to put aside the thoughts of his current surroundings and concentrate on the matter at hand. So many things that could go wrong and now it seems that one of the very worst is happening.

    "Captain, I have some bad news. The initial testing of the lottery shows it suffers the same issues as the proposal. Namely that the data it has been supplied with is invalid. I repeat, the data is invalid. Mr Dosmukhambetov's lottery is empirically showing the same result pattern as I generated, with only forty-two extra lives saved."

    Rangin licks his lips as they dry out as he tries to continue speaking, "We cannot, morally or ethically, consider running this version of the lottery as it stands. Much as I would just like to accept Cmdr. Vargas' data, I believe we should go to source to retrieve it for ourselves instead of it being sent to us. There is also the consideration of if you want to use this proposal in the lottery or not, especially if the data is as we believe it to be."

    Rangin rolls his eyes at the ceiling because he fears that he is not going to get an answer that leads to any action, other than the Captain just abdicating responsibility to someone else. Fortunately, she can't see him.

    "Captain, what are your orders?"

  40. #1790
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    There is a long pause. Singh says, "It's not Cmdr. Vargas's data, it's data the NR government itself provided to us. And, with some exceptions for people who've come here since the last updates were sent to Earth, it matches the Federation's own personnel data, doesn't it, Mr. Roble?"

    The Science Officer says, "That's correct, ma'am."

    The Captain turns to Marala. "You've seen the records, haven't you, Ms. Gromov?"

    "Yes, Captain," she says. "It looked right to me. I noticed no errors, none at all, although I have to admit I don't personally know all eight thousand-some of the colony's people."

    Singh drums her fingers on the Theban marble tabletop. "We're running out of time. Other opinions? Recommendations?"

  41. #1791
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    The conversation between Velir and Capt. Singh causes Kylah to look down at the table with a little cringey shudder. She is embarrassed for him. Not over anything he has said or done, but rather, how the senior officers treat him. Yes, of course the captain must be frustrated and short-tempered, just as everyone is, and she has no time to be tactful. But Velir has tried so hard, and he never seems to receive the level of respect he deserves.

    More opinions or suggestions? Kylah cannot think of any. She hopes they ignore Velir's recommendation and use his calculations after all. Forty-two lives is forty-two lives. If the families with children have a greater chance than those without... no one needs to know.

    She peeks up again, noticing Lt. Onn, who-- Kylah gives a silent inward gasp. What is happening? The older woman looks shiny. Silvery. Her face, the collarbone visible in the V-neck of her uniform...

    Of course--her race. Kylah knows little about Sidonians but this must be some skin reaction to stress. Like humans and hives. Not wanting to stare, Kylah blinks and lands her gaze on Marala Gromov.

    How can anyone have such resolve and dignity in the face of the destruction of her home? In what could be her own death, her child's? Again Kylah tries to believe that her connection to Lt. Graham will be enough to ensure Mrs. Gromov's safety--but what if it is not?

    She shudders again and looks regretfully at Lt. Graham, knowing of his grief of his wife. He does not deserve such pain twice.

    Then an idea slaps her in the face, making her eyes widen, her cheeks burn.

    Should she tell him how he can save Marala?

    Should she tell him about her deal with Lt. Ferguson?
    Last edited by choie; 01 Oct 2019 at 01:43 AM.

  42. #1792
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    Rangin's somewhat tinny voice talks faster, and firmer, and Nia shakes her head slightly in confusion, even more so when Singh and Roble respond. Then Marala speaks up. Her quiet courage and extremely dark humor--regarding the number of people she knows on the planet--helps Nia see why she's so special to Booker.

    She speaks up when the Captain asks for suggestions. "Ma'am... first, that 42 number can't be correct. With respect, Cmdr. Roble... Mr. Rangin's first calculations used incorrect data, remember? And that's what gave him the increased total of 42. But when he used the correct number from Cmdr. Vargas, the potential saved total was larger. We discussed this ten minutes ago, did I dream this?"

    Frustrated, she takes a deep breath. Seriously, it's a horrible situation but is no one's memory working?

    "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be flip. My point is that when Rangin re-ran the numbers that Cmdr. Vargas gave him, the result was a couple hundred extra. So the only way Mr.--"

    She pauses, trying to remember the guy's crazy long name, couldn't he come up with a shorter version like she did?

    "--The only way Mr. Dosmukhambetov could've come up with the total of 42 is if he's using the same incorrect data as Mr. Rangin. We'd better correct that, don't you think?"

    She raises her voice slightly, trying to reach him. "And Mr. Rangin's algorithm results in so many more lives we should use it. I'm sorry, Rangin. I understand your feelings--you don't believe me but I do. And still I disagree. I know it's unfair and it's a horrible choice to make, but in the end whatever results in the largest number of lives saved must be picked."

    She stares levelly at the Captain. "I would also recommend overriding the Governor, as Mr. Kylah suggested. Give two slots to each family with children. Yes, we'll be giving twice the chance of survival to families with kids versus single people or couples, but... we just have to favor children. Their lives... they're so young, it's... it's insane not to..."

    Bereft of words for a rare second or two, Nia turns to face Booker and Marala, ignoring her wish to keep her scales unseen. "Ma--Mrs. Gromov," she says, her voice tense but back in control. "You seem like an extraordinary person, standing rationally, calmly, under what must be... what I know is a terrifying future for your home and family. But you're standing here, listening to us quibble about 42 versus 200 lives as if they're just numbers rather than people. You must have an opinion on this. What if anything are we missing?"
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 01 Oct 2019 at 02:28 AM.

  43. #1793
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    Marala thinks a long time before speaking. Her voice is almost anguished. "I don't know what you're missing, if anything. My mind is awhirl - I barely feel like I can think straight. Naturally I'd save every life if I could. But also, of course, I understand the limitations you're all under as to this ship's life support and evacuation capabilities. Selfishly, I want my son and I to live, and all of our friends, and everyone I know, but I... I know that can't happen. I just beg you all, you especially, Captain - please, please save as many as you can."

    Singh is quiet even longer before she says, looking ancient and terribly tired, "Thank you, Mrs. Gromov. That has always been my intention." She pauses, then says, "Mr. Rangin, work with Mr. Dosmukhambetov with the data you have. If it means 200 more saved and not 42, so much the better. But it will otherwise be a random draw, saving everyone in a household, including children, if the name of anyone in that household is drawn, as the Governor and I agreed earlier. I will not otherwise favor children over adults. The lottery should proceed on a rolling basis until our maximum-capability number is reached."

    "And as to the three special cases you mentioned earlier, ma'am?" Vargas asks quietly.

    "Yes," Singh says, nodding. "Thank you for the reminder, Commander. As much as I'd like to give her special consideration, Lt. Camden of Starfleet Security will be included in the lottery. I won't authorize her immediate evacuation. I think that's only fair, given how long she's been here and her role, to all intents and purposes, as a colonist. To do otherwise would show favoritism to a fellow officer who swore the same oath we did, and who knows of the risks associated with Starfleet service. Mrs. Kostoyev, who's still in medical isolation in our Sickbay, will not be included in the lottery. She's never even been to the surface and should not be included with the others. She may remain here." She thinks. "And as to Mr. Harris, who's offered bribes to be saved... well, bribery is not a capital offense. He'll be included in the lottery as well. He can take his chances with the others. I won't exclude him."

    "But, Captain...." the Chief Engineer starts to say. Dr. Villa also looks like she's about to speak.

    "I have decided, Mr. Cheverez, Doctor," Singh says firmly. "That is all. Next, we must...."

    The tabletop comm bosun's whistle sounds. "Bridge to Captain," you hear Lt. Bennett say.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 01 Oct 2019 at 03:51 PM.

  44. #1794
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    Graham can't for the life of him figure out what's going on. He's inclined to assume Rangin doesn't know what the hell he is doing, but walks himself back: whatever his issues, he's a hundred times better at something like life support and lottery calculations than I would be.

    It's clear to him Nia is upset--and, showing it with her display of scales. And Kylah...well, also upset. He tries to look at least supportive as he glances from one to the other.

    Then the Captain asks Marala to speak, and each syllable feels worse than the disruptor shot he took previously. From behind her, protocol be damned, after she speaks, he places a hand on her shoulder.

    She's here. On the ship. We need to get Nikolai off the surface, but is she going back? Am I going to put her on a transporter pad?

    The signal from the Bridge gives him a break from sorting through that...

  45. #1795
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    Rangin listens to the orders from the Captain and wonders if the stress is getting to her. Leaving the comms on mute he comments to Mr Dosmukhambetov, "Well Sir, it appears the Captain would like us to achieve two impossible things before breakfast and I think she has lost her marbles. She has literally asked for two mutually exclusive options to be progressed. We cannot save another 200 people unless we concentrate exclusively on saving as many children as possible, but we must not give any priority to children."

    He sighs deeply and looks to the ceiling and utters a brief prayer to some deity because this is definitely a time for miracles.

    "And we don't even know if the data is any good either." He shakes his head wondering how he is going to work his way out of this one, it feels like a three-shell game run by the Orion Syndicate with your life on the line if you don't find the ball hidden in their left pocket.

    In other words, Rangin needs to cheat...which is going to be difficult with a Lt in the room who is probably as ramrod straight as they come.

    "Sir, I believe we may need to use, oh what's the phrase you humans have..." Rangin thinks for a moment before it comes to mind, "ah, perhaps experience a little force majeure in our endeavours in carrying out our duty to the utmost."

    Rangin waits to see how he reacts as well as listen for anything more from the Captain, but his mind starts planning how to put the new lottery together and how to get hold of the data, and having the ship's best computer expert right here to use in the endeavour is the best start he is going to get.

  46. #1796
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    The captain's decision must weigh very heavily on her, because Nia feels like a ton of bricks have descended on her own shoulders--and she's not even the one who had to decide.

    The bricks fell on her when Marala spoke. Her tight throat can hardly swallow, and, when Booker places a hand on the other woman's shoulder, Nia shifts her gaze slightly to meet his. We are getting her out. I don't care if I have to offer prayers to Ren'Sala'Seht herself.

    Not that prayers have ever done her much good. She had faith when young, decades ago, but since she said goodbye to her last newborn Nia can't truly believe. Sid'Os Herself was a mother. If She existed She would not have allowed such things.

    But in times like this, Nia wishes she had the comfort of belief. Are the doomed people on the planet on their knees now, praying alone in their house or together somewhere holy, with a priest or chaplain? Do any of them trust that they'll be saved, or that if they die, they'll go to some other realm?

    No god holds their fate in its hands. Just a computer, one that'll randomly pick who lives and who dies.

    While imagining what might be happening below, Nia keeps looking at Booker, even when he, understandably, has eyes only for Marala. Then as her mind works more, she looks past him, at nothing. Something is trying to take form in her brain. A nebulous image, like an illustration from a book... no, exactly an image from a book. She envisions crowds, priests, a cathedral...

    Then the announcement from Cece, the buzz like an annoying fly, interrupts her. She shakes her head and turns back to the captain.
    Last edited by choie; 03 Oct 2019 at 10:19 AM.

  47. #1797
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    No, no! Kylah almost lets her face fall into her hands. It is a relief that Capt. Singh is not sentencing Mr. Harris to an illegal death, but the others...

    She sees Lt. Graham's somewhat comforting look and gives him a tiny, helpless shrug. This is beyond her capacity of understanding. The misery in the room, on the entire ship, seems to have swollen into a living being, one with a psychic choke-hold on her.

    Still struggling with the possibility of telling Lt. Graham about her secret, Kylah gives a start when the intercom buzzes. Lt. Bennett, from the Bridge. This cannot be good.

  48. #1798
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    Dosmukhambetov has a slightly wry smile but says nothing.

    "Carry on, Mr. Rangin," Singh says, switching over to the Bridge link. "Bridge, Singh here. Go ahead."

    "Ma'am, you have two priority calls from the surface. I think you may wish to take them in private."

    "Thank you, Mr. Bennett. I'll take them in my office." She switches off and says, "Thank you, everyone. Proceed with preparations for the evacuation. Dismissed."

    With Singh and Vargas in the lead, the room begins to empty.

  49. #1799
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    Graham spares a moment to glance at Nia, then takes a deep breath and waits for Marala to be ready to...go...or...get mad. Or cry, or...whatever.

    But he's more certain: if I'm going to treat Nikolai as if he were Lizzy's brother, would I put his mother back on her way to the planet?

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    Marala looks stunned and dejected. She just sits there.

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