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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #7: "The War-Brotherhood of Irkhuit"

  1. #551
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    Nia thanks Meyer with a grin. "We'll have a great trip. Been looking forward to this for a while now. The Klingon battle was just an appetizer, though it was a damn good opportunity for testing out the maneuverability of our peppy gal here. We won't get that lucky again... here's hoping!"

    She turns back to see if the rest of the complement has arrived--the remaining three being the prisoner, Double-T and Dr. Mäkeläinen--then tilts her head towards the hatch. "All right, everyone, I'm hopping in. Get your gear stowed and then stow yourselves. We'll be leaving in T minus..." She checks her chronometer. "T-minus ten, barring any difficulties Rawlings is having with Hutchinson. Which, given their respective sizes, seems highly unlikely." She lets her gaze meet Booker's. "Check on them, please, Lieutenant?"

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    Graham is just reaching for his communicator when Ens. Rawlings, the prisoner and Dr. Mäkeläinen arrive, followed by another Security officer who is carrying two overnight bags. Everyone's gear is soon stowed below and the Shuttlebay is cleared. The six Starfleet personnel - Onn, Graham, Rawlings, Rangin, Kylah and the doctor - all take their seats aboard the Tesla, as does Hutchinson. The shuttlecraft's hatch closes and Onn confirms that the seal is airtight.

    The speaker on the control console crackles and Lt. Meyer's voice comes through loud and clear. "Shuttlecraft Tesla, this is Yorktown Shuttlebay Control. Standing by to begin departure procedure."

  3. #553
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    Graham gives Rawlings a friendly nod and then checks the cuffs on Hutchinson before taking his seat.

    It ought to be a milk run, but the cast of characters seems to him like the most uncomfortable possible choice to be crammed into a shuttle for hours...

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    Examination over, Dr. Mäkeläinen gives Hutchinson and the security detail their space. This is not the time for small-talk.

    He sizes up the gathered crowd, a veritable squad. There are both Lt. Rangin and Ens. Kylah again! He acknowledges them with a quick "How do you do?", but is too busy making sure his gear is stowed correctly and with final preparations for more than that. He tries to grab a seat where he can keep an eye on what is going on in the shuttlecraft, most importantly the prisoner, and settles in for the ride. In his head, he starts enumerating the structures of the musculoskeletal system, from the cranial bones on down.

  5. #555
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    "Confirming all systems remain nominal," Nia begins, checking the panel instruments with well-practiced expertise. And, assuming they still are... "Check. Shuttlecraft Tesla's okay to go when you are."

    While waiting for the shuttlebay's depressurization process, she calls up the recommended course plotted by Bennett, quickly glancing through from start to finish just to familiarize herself--she likes to read a story's finale ahead of time so it's not a total surprise--then prepares to engage the Tesla's lower thrusters to release it from the deck. She can't keep the anticipatory smile from her face. It's all familiar choreography, but this time it's with a partner she's only enjoyed for the briefest of dances.
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 10 Apr 2022 at 08:00 PM.

  6. #556
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    Rawlings gives Graham a friendly nod back. The Assistant Chief of Security confirms that the prisoner's handcuffs are secure.

    Onn plots Bennett's recommended course to Jaros II and sees that it's the safest, most direct route available. She then runs through her preflight checklist and confirms that the shuttle is ready to go. Shuttlebay Control depressurizes the vast compartment and the clamshell doors silently slide open. Onn smoothly raises the Tesla from the deck and then steers it out through the gap between the doors. In an instant, the heavens open up around you. Beta Antares IV looms overhead, a massive orb of blue and green streaked with white clouds, beautifully set against the star-flecked ebon depths of space.

    Onn and Graham, looking through the front viewports, can see the Starfleet scoutship Rodgers and the Yorktown's sister ship Viraat in orbit not too far away. As they watch, the Rodgers moves off under impulse power.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calbraith_Perry_Rodgers
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INS_Viraat
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 12 Apr 2022 at 02:09 PM.

  7. #557
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    Only yesterday Nia had a near panic attack at the thought of sitting beside Booker. Now she's almost serene. Dr. M.'s blessed calming hypospray still seems to be working.

    She contacts the Yorktown to let them know everything's copacetic and that she's ready to take the shuttle to impulse. Then there's nothing to do but wait for clearance and get this show on the road.

    "Well, here we are again," she murmurs as she navigates the Tesla with ease, her voice aimed at both Booker and Rangin. "Not exactly deja vu, though. Been quite a week since we three last chauffeured Hutchinson around. And the Kaku can't compare to the Tesla." After the slightest of hesitations, she arches an eyebrow and smiles. "Upgrades are all the rage, it seems."
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 13 Apr 2022 at 01:25 AM.

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    Rawlings chuckles. "Aren't they just?"

    The control-console speaker crackles again, and you can clearly hear Capt. Singh's voice. She says, "Acknowledged, Tesla, and thanks. You are cleared to depart. Godspeed and see you at Cavinre VII in a day or so."
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 Apr 2022 at 06:07 PM.

  9. #559
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    Gear stowed, Rangin takes his assigned seat in the shuttle. It looks like a real mixed bag again although everyone is there to provide something useful even if the trip is short. Having seen the group, Rangin keeps up his internal mantra of deciding not to antagonise Graham or even be anything other than professional. He’s hoping Graham will still be in that honeymoon phase and a little more agreeable than usual, but Rangin is not holding out hopes of any miracles.

    While he is glad to see Kylah here, he is still thinking over their shore leave and the ramifications of the questions left unanswered by their meeting. Of course, Lt Onn is in charge and he wonders if this group was forced on her, or if she chose them out of some sense of morbid or masochistic fascination. Or maybe punishment duty, after all that happened with Hutchinson, perhaps this is the equivalent of “go tidy up your own mess”.

    As for Rawlings and Dr. Mäkeläinen, well Rangin would just have to wait and see, but for now, as the shuttle begins to move, he rests back into the seat and enjoys the serene movement as it slips out of the shuttle bay and into the starry beyond.

  10. #560
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    Kylah notes that Velir is seated toward the front of the shuttle, and thus barely visible--he is not very far away, in such a small space, but Ms. Hutchinson is taller than Kylah and sitting directly in front of her. And Velir himself is hardly Ensign Rawlings in size.

    It is probably for the best that they are not seated near one another. She doubts he would bring up their awkward conversation yesterday, not during a normal mission. But still, with a journey of several hours, and even longer on the way back to the Yorktown, there will be much empty time in which such things might crop up.

    Back in the shuttlebay, when she asked him if this assignment was as big a surprise to him as it was to her, he did not respond. Of course they had boarded so quickly; likely he just did not hear her. He has no reason to be angry. Nor has she, not really. Velir's prodding questions after dinner last night were only meant to help, invasive though they may have seemed given his new empathic abilities.

    He must not use them so indiscriminately. It is wrong. She frowns slightly. It is true that despite having a lifetime's experience with her own powers, she has not yet mastered such discipline. Velir will probably have a shorter learning curve. Still, given his standards of ethics, she finds it ironic that she has better maintained her vow to respect his privacy, even though she is the only one who knows the vow exists at all.

    But that is the difference. Velir cannot protect himself when he is unaware she possesses such abilities. His powers, on the other hand, are no secret. The onus is on Kylah to do a better job to shield her feelings.

    And that includes not obsessing about him. Shaking off her anxiety, she looks across at Dr. Mäkeläinen. He still has his quietly friendly demeanor, and she echoes it in kind.

    "How nice to work alongside you so soon. Have you been on many shuttle missions before, Doctor? Bizhi," she corrects with an apologetic smile. "This is new to me. That is... I have returned to the ship via shuttle after a mission, but... I have never been on such a long journey in one. I am meant to be testing this new system here." She brushes her fingers delicately against the comms panel nearby, which does have some atypical features for a small vessel. "Have you a project, too, to work on?"

  11. #561
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    "Aye, Captain, and thank you, Tesla departing," Nia says crisply--proud that she managed to keep from crowing. It's the last time she'll answer to anyone for a day. This vessel is now truly hers.

    She takes a last look at Beta Antares and it occurs to her how frickin' happy she is to see the backside of this planet. When they were first fleeing from Novy Rostov she couldn't get here soon enough. Well, like she said: It's been quite the week.

    Let's engage us the fuck out of here, she thinks, before pulling the Tesla far from the Yorktown's wake at maximum impulse.

    She knows the shuttle won't even hiccup at the sudden burst of speed. Last time they went so fast it was due to traveling in the ship's warp bubble. Now the Tesla's been given its own free rein, and Nia wants to laugh in sheer pleasure.

    Part of her misses the feel of her father's open airships back home, the wind blasting its heat into her face and hair while she flew beneath the acid clouds of Sidonia. But watching the Yorktown, the other ships, the planet and its satellites all vanish in a blur through the rear-facing viewscreen is damn good too--and much less toxic.
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 13 Apr 2022 at 10:29 PM.

  12. #562
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    The Tesla moves forward smoothly, and the planet and other ships begin perceptibly falling behind. It will only take a few minutes to get clear of the planet's gravity well and then be able to engage the shuttle's warp drive.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 14 Apr 2022 at 09:02 PM.

  13. #563
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    Nia takes the shuttle out smoothly, unsurprisingly.

    Graham hears Kylah making small talk with the new doctor - he hasn't made his acquaintance yet, but he's "not Rangin," so there's an upgrade right there.

    After a moment, he clears his throat. "Nice flying, as always, lieutenant."

  14. #564
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    "Thanks, but everything's easier with the right partner," Nia says, patting the top of her panel fondly, much as Meyer did with the hull. "Lots of surprises in store for us. Really looking forward to getting better acquainted, now that there're no enemies to deal with."

    The thought of the Klingon battle brings her gaze quickly to Booker, then back to her viewscreen. She lowers her voice considerably, just for his ears. "Um. I'm not sure how much you were briefed on our return journey, but Singh tells me that after we dump our prisoner and head to Cavinre to rendezvous with the ship, the route's gonna take us somewhat near Romulan territory."

    She gives a shrug and a reassuring look to the man beside her. "Should be fine. Singh wasn't worried. But... just thought you oughtta know. Luckily, as you recall, the Tesla handled getting hammered by Klingon disruptor fire at mere meters away. Taking whatever crap gets thrown at you and fighting like a champ--now that's the kinda partner you want when the chips are down." Nia gives a tilted smile. "Still, it's my job to make sure that the chips stay up."
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 14 Apr 2022 at 10:47 PM.

  15. #565
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    Mäkeläinen speaks with Kylah quietly.

    "An hour ago, I had no idea I was being tapped for this mission. I barely had time to grab my kit and a change of clothes. It does look as though we may be under way for some time. I still have to go through some lab reports and analysis for a couple of patients, and some related reading to do. Fortunately, it does not require my presence at Sickbay, so I should be able to get through it.

    "Such missions are not entirely unanticipated, you just don't know when. When things happen, they tend to happen in a hurry, and it could be any time of day or night. When I was a resident, I mean on Mars, they had us pulling long shifts at the hospital. Twenty-four hours, or more. It was not constant pandaemonium like some places; at least we were that lucky. One night a distress call came in. One of a group of miners working in a distant habitat was badly injured and couldn't be moved, so someone had to get out there stat. One minute I was sipping coffee and looking at some charts, the next minute I'm in an environmental suit on a buggy trying to rush through some unfavourable terrain." Bizhi pauses for a minute, remembering. The injured man had already died when he arrived. He had done everything he could, and he had failed to save the life of the miner, and he did not know how to deal with it.

    He tries to shift to somewhat more innocuous matters. "Anyway, as Medical Officer and attending physician on a long-range shuttle mission, no, can't say that I have done exactly this before. Though I have been on plenty of interplanetary shuttles in my home system, and some long trips around Procyon and Alpha Centauri. I don't mind the journey. It is just like our larger starships, only a microcosm."

  16. #566
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    Kylah leans in as Dr. Mäkeläinen speaks. His voice, from what she has heard thus far, seems naturally quiet, but now that he has softened it further, it almost compels her to listen more closely. Not because she cannot hear him; her hearing is excellent and his words are quite clear. But the young doctor has such a sober, purposeful air. Confident in a manner that is reassuring, not brash.

    Except... right at the end of his description of his work on Mars, something in his emotions wavers. It is just strong enough to reach her, probably because she has been paying such close attention. She has not tried to sense anything other than understanding of some of the lingo (stat?) and his experiences. But his mood flickers with some disruption, like a candle flame briefly disturbed by a tiny air current. Something he has described, some memory, upsets him. Disappointment? Regret?

    Kylah catches herself, not wanting to speculate on a near-stranger's private feelings. How can she expect Velir to understand how to ignore such emotional signals if she cannot do so after over twenty years? Instead she nods in sympathy, even if she does not know what it is for.

    Then he is back to business and all is calm; the candle flame has again stilled.

    "Yes," Kylah says, trying to avoid sounding dubious at his comparison of a tiny shuttle to a starship. To her, the difference is vast--she finds this vessel barely bigger than the boat from yesterday, and even more confined without the lake's open air and blue sky. There are not even any windows or viewscreens available, other than what might as well be mere slivers up front. "I suppose that is true. I will get used to it, I am sure."

    She looks at him with curious interest. His demeanor is so appropriate for a doctor. Not unlike T'Var's presence, really. "Did you always wish to be a doctor? In Starfleet, particularly?"

  17. #567
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    The small woman is a good listener. Bizhi had the same impression when they briefly met before. He hardly knows her, yet here he is telling stories. He professionally appreciates the skill, one useful for doctors interviewing patients, too. Yet she at least seems genuinely interested, so he decides to answer candidly, at least the simplified, inspiring version. With a hidden glance around to see if uninvited ears are listening, he continues:

    "Starfleet, no, that was a late decision. Looking back, I could not say exactly how I got started, but I did always want to care for people and do everything I could to save lives, trite though it may sound saying it out loud. The soma, and the psyche— is there any more direct path to tending them than that of physic?

    "I could have stayed to work at a hospital or research institute on Mars, or Terra, or any of a number of worlds for that matter. But some questions would surely remain unanswered. What makes us what we are? Which is not all good; can we be better? Live better lives? Not just as individuals.

    "I wanted to, had to, see the universe. More triteness. Yet I mean really explore, and possibly even more important than physically doing so is the mindset of the organization. There was never any question about Starfleet's resources and facilities, of course. Not that... well, how about you? It is certainly not a given that someone from Elas will end up working for Starfleet. That part of the world has closer ties to the Klingon Empire, from what I hear."

  18. #568
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    Onn takes the shuttle to Warp 2 as soon as she is able, and the first hour of the mission passes uneventfully. Hutchinson seems to be dozing in her seat, but Rawlings keeps an eye on her.

  19. #569
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    Nia's pleased by the utter smooth transition from impulse to Warp 2, and wouldn't mind a burst at the Tesla's maximum of Warp 4. But she's content for now to be responsible and wait until their official objective--getting rid of a murderer--is over with before performing any testing fun.

    Booker remains silent after her comments about their upcoming proximity to Romulan territory. He either knew about it or isn't concerned. Good to know he trusts her reassurance, she thinks. Unless he's so distracted by memories of connubial bliss to worry about little things like grazing enemy space. (Well, the distance will be far too vast to be called grazing, but still.)

    Nia coughs a little and turns slightly toward the junior officer behind her. "Sorry you don't get a seat partner, Rangin--harder to have conversation. Me, I like chatter, so I hope you'll oblige. So... study any intriguing lifeforms lately?"

  20. #570
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    In the back, Kylah is about to question Dr. Mäkeläinen's opinions that saving lives and exploring the universe are trite goals. Then he turns the conversation into what he probably thinks is a simple, polite inquiry about her background.

    Over the past three and a half years, she dealt with a barrage of remarks and curiosity--both genuine and suspicious--about what a non-Federation Elasian girl was doing at Starfleet Academy. Still, though she has practiced tempering her reactions to mention of the Klingons, she cannot prevent the flush flooding her face. It has been long enough for her to get complacent.

    "Of course, you are right. It is well known that the Klingons have long claimed dominion over our system. Still, Elas always remained sovereign, to the extent possible for a world so dwarfed in power by a vast empire.

    "My path here... it began when the Federation expressed its own interest in our neighboring planet. Many of our leading Houses deemed it prudent to learn more about the entity disputing the Klingons' claim.

    "My--a member of our Council of Nobles was the first successfully to make overtures, and as a diplomatic and exploratory gesture, proposed sending someone to the very heart of the Federation to better understand its values and culture. Starfleet protested. They believed even minimal contact with Elas, much less allowing one of our leaders or an envoy to visit, would be unnecessarily antagonizing to the Empire."

    She does not say that the only reason Starfleet thought it 'unnecessary' was because at the time, the Federation believed Elas had no useful resources to plunder. Troyius, on the other hand, was a risk worth taking.

    "But this man--" Kylah hesitates, then gives up the obfuscation. "My Guardian, Aldaan--argued that the Council's proposal was educational, not tactical. He was not suggesting sending a warrior, official diplomat or negotiator. Just a lone, inexperienced young student to the Academy. Elas would even trust the Federation with one of its royal family, albeit a very, very minor one. His own relative. At last they agreed." She gives a tiny shrug. "And so I went."

    A wave of shame rolls over her, and she sits back in her chair. Somehow it seems preferable to maintain a respectful distance from this man, whose reasons for joining Starfleet are such noble ones.

    For a moment she glances toward what few stars she can see up front. "I am sorry to go on at such length. But the history explains why I am here. Not because of my own ideals. I suppose all this... it is not very laudable. These are not the goals of a Starfleet officer."

  21. #571
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    Rangin’s ears perk up at the sound of his name being called from the front of the ship and is surprised to hear Lt Onn in a reasonably good mood. Then again, she is flying her own shuttle and putting it through its paces, so it stands to reason. Sitting up a little straighter in the chair, he turns to at least look in her direction when speaking.

    “That’s fine Ma’am, I think I get a little more space here, so I’m not going to complain. As for interesting lifeforms,” Rangin’s eyes can’t help but flicker across at Hutchinson before looking back to the shuttle’s captain, “I’ve seen quite a few over the last couple of months.”

    However, while it would be interesting to discuss Hutchinson, it is best left to a bar over alcohol or a science seminar than the middle of the shuttle in front of the person in question. Of course, Rangin is technically not bound by the various hippocratic oaths, but it’s bad form regardless, even if Lt Onn is trying to steer him in that direction.

    “But most of them have already been documented, except maybe the zombie virus. Well, technically speaking it was more a host organism that destroyed certain brain functions while taking over the body and reinforcing instinctive survival patterns in the infected. At least, that is what I hazard a guess at what the cause was and I can say with certainty that I would rather not face that one again. ”

  22. #572
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    Was it the mention of Klingons? Bizhi wonders as Kylah seems to deflate. Hard as it would be for anyone, not necessarily excepting himself, to have a dispassionate discussion of Klingon culture, he should have known he was treading an unknown minefield. He probably implied that the people of Elas were just like Klingons, or, even worse, under their thumb. He can tell he insulted her. Too late, now. Shows what he knows about diplomacy and politics, for all he likes to pretend to himself he listens to people. Blind to what does not correlate to his fancies, like everyone else.

    Not knowing whether Kylah is still listening, he discludes in an undertone, "I don't know much about politics, myself. Being a pawn of unseen forces, I know well. The question is, what you do about it." Often, not much you can do, no matter how much your soul may cry for it, as he was reminded that night on Mars so many years ago.

    A long, boring flight providing an ideal occasion, he forces himself to concentrate on some of that reading. Comparative endocrinology. What are the differences between an Elasian and a Klingon, anyway? A Vulcan and a Human? A Sidonian? Surely some of this will help with Lt. Onn's new prescription. He can at least get that right, in his element.

  23. #573
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    Nia smiles, not that Rangin can see it. But she understands his tactful nature--even if she'd rather hear him verbally dissect Hutchinson like a flayed frog. With no imminent direction changes or helm maneuvers required for a little while, she wouldn't have minded the entertainment value.

    Still, his descriptions make her nod. "That zombie virus," she repeats, still finding it barely comprehensible that this bonkers phrase describes the biggest enemy of one of the crew's missions. She glances at Booker. "Before your time. You've probably read about it, the craziness at the research station? I wasn't there, Pourtash drew the short straw to pilot the Meitner. I even resented it at the time, funnily enough. Little did I know."

    A thought occurs to her and she clucks her tongue. Huh! I wonder. She addresses Rangin again. "If I remember your AMRs right, those zombie things attacked with claws and teeth, yes? 'Cause I only just realized... I mean, the whole reason I have scales is to fight and survive against beasties like that. Ha, now I'm kinda curious if I could've taken 'em on and won. I bet--"

    Oh. Shit. What the hell is wrong with me?

    She swivels abruptly around to face the man in the seat directly behind her. "Damn it. Rangin, I'm sorry. That was unbelievably insensitive," she says quietly. "I shouldn't be speculating like it was some--some fantasy sports match-up. Everything that happened to you... and Fujishiro..." Nia's eyes close briefly as she shakes her head, then her serious gaze refocuses on him. "I'm very sorry."
    Last edited by SidonianGal; 19 Apr 2022 at 09:00 PM.

  24. #574
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    Kylah is somewhat calmed by Dr. Mäkeläinen's meaningful comment. And she can infer, without breaching his emotional privacy, that there have been pressures on him as well. Perhaps not involving entire civilizations and empires--but scale does not matter. She is not the only one with grave, onerous burdens on her shoulders.

    "Thank you. You are right, of course. Our actions will speak for us." She offers a fleeting but grateful smile and, needing no powers to intuit the need for some quiet, nods to let him concentrate on his work or whatever else he chooses.

    She sinks back further in her chair. Above the omnipresent background noise of the shuttle's engines and other technology, she hears the hum of indistinct conversation up front. Diagonally ahead of her, there is only silence from Ens. Rawlings.

    It is a shame he has only a killer for company. He will likely be concentrating on guarding Ms. Hutchinson rather assiduously; he was, after all, sternly reprimanded by Cmdr. Vargas for inadvertently letting a very different murderer escape. As a result of his having ignored Kylah's own commands.

    Even though it led to Fellim Palver's subsequent attack on her, Velir and Lt. Graham, she no longer blames the security officer. Not much, anyway. But as she has been fervently trying to avoid memories of OCIII, she is determined to erase everything and start over. So perhaps I will speak to him later on, and see if we can yet be amicable.

    The lack of conversation threatens to draw her mind back to Elas and her uncle. Instead she turns to her right. She will distract herself with the purpose for which she is aboard this shuttle, and strives to get acquainted with the newer layout of the comms panel's controls, tiny scanning screen, and other instruments.

    When she is familiar enough, the obvious first task will be to attempt long-range communication. The Yorktown is certainly far away now for an initial test, though precisely how distant, she does not know. But she will calculate the approximate albeit ever-increasing distance between them via the attempt to ping them, and the time it takes to receive confirmation from the ship.

    ...If there is confirmation. She is fairly confident, however. The new transmitter and receiver Lt. Thalen mentioned are said to be quite powerful indeed. How exciting to be the first to try these features. And to be trusted enough to do so.

    With these gratifying and industrious thoughts, Kylah begins to work.

  25. #575
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    Kylah's work proceeds well, and she thinks she's getting a handle on the shuttle's new comm equipment. It seems a definite improvement over the previous system.

  26. #576
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    Graham nods - probably completely imperceptibly, he realizes after the fact - at Nia's comment about brushing Romulan space.

    He remains distracted, small talk among the team buzzing around him.

    Nia's in her element, and her signature tilted smile...it elicits a moment of sadness, and...love.

    Yeah, well, nothing to be done about that, Booker.

    He clocks in long enough to mumble something like "Yes, bad scene" when Nia mentions the research station mission...and then looks for some instrumentation to check, just to
    focus on something.

    Been a long time since I've flown a shuttle...should remind myself on how, I guess...tell yourself that's useful, anyway...

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    Rangin nods back at Lt Onn, “Apology accepted ma’am, it was not a good mission,” he replies politely, as he thinks back to desperate race to escape and the last shuttle ride away from the station, “Not good at all.”

    He looks back at her and thinks he should perhaps alleviate the mood instead of leaving it on such a drab note. “However, in my scientific opinion, I’m fairly certain that one-on-one with Starfleet training and your species’ natural abilities that you would be capable of dealing with one of them.” He nods to her in appreciation of the Sidonian’s physiology and a soft smile plays across his lips as he minds runs through the possibilities of such a fight.

    “Then again, given that it was a pack of them that chased us, that fight would be a noble and short-lived conversion from alive to something raw and tasty for them to devour.” His voice remains as cheery as it did previously but he cannot help but add the slight edge to it as his eyes gaze into the far distance and he remembers a little more of that tense and fraught passage of time.

    Perhaps he went too far again. Lt Onn had not been there, seen what had happened, and lived through a waking nightmare. “My apologies for the graphic response ma’am, but it was a little brutal and yes, I do miss Fujishiro.” He shrugs in his seat, resigned to the fate that befell them all on that mission, “not much else to say really.”

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    "Very true," Nia agrees in quiet understanding. She's glad Rangin's not holding a grudge--he's always been kinda hot and cold with her. Maybe his wariness has diminished now that she's no longer associated with Booker. That had never been a fair judgment, but men are men, whether human or Coridanite or Sidonian. Some just assume women will fall under their partner's spell.

    About to turn back to the helm, she pauses. "Except I'd be interested if anyone was properly brought to justice for all that." Her glance sweeps to Hutchinson, then to Double-T and Booker--who's focused more on the controls--before returning to Rangin. "I mean, those... creatures... they were regular people before they were infected, right? Someone had experimented on them? So they were victims too. Whoever did that to them... well, I sure hope they're paying for it. Know anything about that?"

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    Kylah is pleased to discover the new features of this comms panel. In particular, she spies a Manual Data Entry button just above what appears to be a small, closed compartment--perhaps it opens similarly to the weapon access panel behind Dr. Mäkeläinen's seat.

    Normally text communication on shuttles has been limited to six buttons, each programmed with pre-determined emergency messages. She remembers training back at the Academy, where cadets often asked why Class-F shuttles were not equipped with fully functional keypads. "Space issues" and "lack of necessity" had been the instructors' unsatisfactory responses. "If more intricate messages are in order, voice conversations are both sufficient and optimal."

    Kylah could see why the comms controls up near the helm had no available room to spare, but back here? Of course, she and the other cadets--and probably hundreds of cadets and Communications officers before them--had quickly peppered the annoyed instructors with several improvised situations where more detailed text communications might be preferable.

    Well, perhaps the engineers who had worked on the Tesla agreed. Since her intention is to send an experimental message to the Yorktown, she gives the button a try.


    Without details about the panel, I'm totally improvising. Hope it makes sense!

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    Yes, it does, thanks, choie!

    Rawlings says, "I wasn't along on that mission, but if I remember right, the Miskatonic University scientists who probably let the experiment get away from them all died in the aftermath. I could be wrong, though."

    The routine hail to the Yorktown, activated when Kylah pressed the button, is immediately responded to: Message received, thank you, shuttlecraft Tesla. Hope all is well with you. THALEN.

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    Nia glances back to give Double-T an impressed smile, then looks forward again. "Is he right, Rangin? I thought there were bigwigs at the station who got themselves safely out. Naturally. That's how power works." She realizes belatedly she's tiptoeing close to an awkward line for Booker--after all, didn't Marala and Nikolai have more power than most of the Novy Rostov citizens, courtesy of who they knew?

    Uncomfortable, she coughs and clears her throat. "Um, anyway, I'd be interested to know if there's been any follow-up. What happened to the research or the drugs or whatever it was that caused the mutation? Did that station just get permanently abandoned or did some Sakathian forces swing by to take care of things? Stuff like that."

    Nia takes in the man beside her, who still seems deep in thought. What's going on, Booker? Is everything okay? "You haven't heard any scuttlebutt, have you? I know you weren't there but maybe Security gets updates..."

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    Kylah smiles, as if her superior officer can see her. All is well here, sir. I will now attempt voice contact. -- KYLAH.

    After this brief message is sent, she presses the control to retract the keyboard back into its recessed hiding place. The motion is satisfyingly smooth and the panel gives a happy little beep to indicate that it is securely closed.

    Now she taps the controls necessary to connect with the ship, now several light years away, then opens a channel. "Shuttlecraft Tesla to the U.S.S. Yorktown. Please let me know if you copy, and if you do, your current coordinates at the time of receipt of this contact. Our own current onboard time is precisely..." Kylah glances at the chronometer and recites the exact time, then waits for a response.

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    "Um - ah, no." Graham's jerked out of his reverie by Nia directly addressing him. "I mean, I've only read about that mission, N-- lieutenant."

    He pulls his gaze away from the console and turns toward Nia. "I know what I would have recommended..." He shrugs. "There's an old saying in Security for, ah, weird, bad shit like that: 'Slag it from space, that's the only way to be sure.'"

    He frowns slightly. "I worry the folks who caused the whole mess, or others who wanted to make something of what was, er--ahem, 'learned' might've been too eager to get their hands on something too dangerous to handle." He shakes his head. "But I haven't heard one way or another."

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    After a few second's delay, Thalen's voice comes quietly from the bulkhead-mounted comm panel. "Yorktown to Tesla. Voice message received and understood. Our coordinates are as follows...." followed by three long groups of numbers.

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    Bizhi's ears perk up. They appear to be talking about zombies? And mutants? And unethical experimentation? Fascinating.

    Kylah looks still busy doing something with the shuttle's comms, which she mentioned earlier. (So, should anything happen to them, instead of disappearing into the infinite black waste and never being heard from again, there is a chance that they will be able to get off a message before disappearing into the infinite black waste and never being heard from again.) He is still not sure what to make of her. Next time they chat, he should try asking her about her favourite foods, or about music, and seeing how that goes.

    Now Hutchinson ... no one can help it if she is not enjoying a pleasant cruise, appreciating all the sparkling conversation and contemplating the myriad aspects of a bright future, but he does not forget to look over and make sure she is still sitting quietly.

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    Hutchinson still appears to be dozing off and on. After awhile she asks to use the shuttle's tiny head (bathroom) aft, and Rawlings escorts her to it and back again.

    An hour passes, and then another.

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    Argh, I wasn't fast enough. Can we run with the assumption that Kylah took Thalen's message/timestamp/location, went up to Nia and asked her for the coordinates of the shuttle at Thalen's timestamp (I'm guessing the log would have that data available), thereby allowing her to calculate the distance between the two vessels? The idea being to figure out how far/fast the new transmitter and sensor are. 'Cause that's what I was gonna have her do.

    Kylah has collected as much data as possible about the effectiveness of the new S-512(L1) subspace transmitter and the S-881(D3) relay-beacon sensor module--having repeated the tests once each hour to track the degradation of the signal and increased delay in transmission. How successful were they? Is there a point in her trying again next hour, even if the response is faint? Overall she is extremely impressed with the upgrades, particularly the improvement in signal clarity.

    Having programmed the sensor to search for new, unknown signals at its most sensitive level. she leans back. Again she wishes she could see something other than the gray hull to her left, Ms. Hutchinson's back, Dr. Mäkeläinen's composed figure to her right, and Mr. Rawlings's massive bulk ahead of the doctor. Not that she minds looking at either of the latter two men, of course. But it does feel a little claustrophobic.

    Temporarily without anything to occupy her, she uses her datapad to access a folder containing music files she has installed on it. The song she played at Lt. Graham's wedding piqued her interest in compositions from the 16th century on Earth, and now she leafs through the written music for one composition from the very end of the century, by a lutenist named Dowland.

    As it would be rude to play music without an earpiece for the datapad--and since she knows how to read tablature, a form of notation unique to string instruments--she scans and 'hears' the music in her head, all the while tapping the edge of her datapad as if it were the neck of a Vulcan lute.

    While she replicates the fingering of the notes silently, she unconsciously hums the gentle, pretty melody under her breath, almost just an exhale.

  38. #588
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    After some time spent in silence--certainly not Nia's choice, but she finds it hard to maintain a conversation unless other people participate in it--she looks up from the various sensors she's been testing. "Just struck me," she says generally. "A few of you had some tough times when you each got to the Yorktown. Rangin had the zombies. Graham--you had that hotel inspection that morphed into a murder case, right?"

    She shrugs. "Rocky initiations, those. Me, my first Yorktown assignment was pretty cushy. Shuttle trip escorting an ambassador back and forth throughout the Rigel system. Negotiations of some kind. Everything went easy as pie and smooth as silver. Guess I got lucky."

    In more ways than one. That inaugural mission was also the first time she and Andy Johnson hooked up. A rare off-ship expedition for him, Ajay was along catering to that high-maintenance envoy's gastronomical whims. The landing party spent one night at the Embassy on Rigel X--or was it Rigel II? Well, one of the Rigels--before heading back. And Nia and Ajay just... happened. Several times.

    That part, she keeps to herself, but a delightful smile curls her lips at the memory. "Something that easy had to be a good portent. That's how I knew my time onboard was gonna have its rewards. And I was right. Generally speaking," she adds more quietly. After a few seconds she swivels to send a smiling glance at Rawlings. "What about you, Doub--Rawlings? What was your first off-ship mission like?"

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    The coordinates comparison test has exactly the results Kylah anticipated. The newly-installed S-512(L1) subspace transmitter and the S-881(D3) relay-beacon sensor module are working quite well, she is pleased to see. There is the expected slight reduction in signal strength, of course, as the distance between the shuttle and the Yorktown grows - the latter moving much faster now, having broken orbit and set course for the Cavinre system - but it is well within projected parameters.

    Rawlings thinks for a moment and then answers Onn in his deep, resonant voice, "My first off-ship mission? Let me see... that was guarding a Science team conducting a survey on a newly-discovered Class-M world. There were some very large, very toothy carnivores down there, and the Captain wanted to make sure none of our tricorder-toters got munched on. We didn't have any problems, though, and I didn't even have to shoot anything with my phaser." He smiles. "I was a little disappointed, truth be told."

    Onn and the others continue to converse. Hutchinson naps for awhile longer, then awakens and looks around. She seems to follow what's being said, but says nothing unless spoken to directly.

    Right on schedule, the Tesla approaches the Jaros system. Ten minutes before crossing the orbit of the outermost world, Jaros VII, a rocky, cold and lifeless orb, a message blares unbidden over the shuttle's speakers, filling the cabin:

    "ATTENTION. ATTENTION. YOU ARE NOW APPROACHING A PROHIBITED SYSTEM AS DESIGNATED UNDER FEDERATION LAW. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELVES IMMEDIATELY, AND REVERSE COURSE AND LEAVE THE AREA AT ONCE. IF YOU CONTINUE TO APPROACH, LETHAL FORCE MAY BE USED AGAINST YOU WITH NO FURTHER WARNING. OTHERWISE, YOUR SHIP MAY BE BOARDED AND SEARCHED, AND LATER SEIZED, ITS CREW AND ANY PASSENGERS DETAINED AND PROSECUTED, AND THE SHIP AND ALL ITS CONTENTS AND CARGO FORFEITED TO THE UFP WITHOUT COMPENSATION."

    The message then begins to loudly repeat.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 27 Apr 2022 at 05:55 AM.

  40. #590
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    Rangin looks up from where he is burying his head in the depths of some science articles to pass the time and glances across to the front of the shuttle. Hopefully Graham or Lt Onn, can shut it off or at least answer the automated message before it continues to irritate everyone in the cabin.

    He shifts a little in the seat as this part of the journey will be ending shortly and stretches out his legs to return a bit of the feeling into them.

    He has heard of this place before, not just from this mission but from previous times and places. He does stop to think if there is anyone he knows that may be resident on the planet, given Coridan’s past history, but there are none he can remember.

    “They do know we are coming, don’t they?” he asks politely to Lt Onn.

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    Nia's eyebrows arch in surprise. "Good question," she murmurs, and decreases the shuttle's speed to lessen their chance of triggering the defense system. She shifts her gaze to Booker. "Want to have the honor? You probably speak their language."

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    Graham can't help but smile slightly. "Fair enough, threats of lethal force and all..."

    He uses the shuttle's comm system to respond. "This is Lt. Booker Graham, onboard Federation shuttle Tesla. We are making a planned delivery of a prisoner sentenced about USS Yorktown.

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    Mäkeläinen's claim that he did not mind a long trip in a small shuttle was true, as far as it went. A few hours does not qualify as long, anyway; it has been, what, a couple of watches at most? He cannot break the spell by going off somewhere to stretch his legs and get some exercise, though, nor would it be correct to invite everybody to a round of cards. Also, he did not bring any playing cards. The talk, inevitably, turns to yarns and space stories. In his case, this is his first mission off the Yorktown. Will they call on him? He could, perhaps, tell them about that planet with the mood-altering blue crystals, or, no zombies, but there was that scientist whose experiment in artificial intelligence and psionics went awry. He is not exactly in the mood for aimless conversation, but it is better, for everyone really, than staring at the walls. Kylah has the right idea, listening to music. She is quite good, really. He can play a little, for his own amusement, strictly in private, though, just to relax without worrying about meeting any quality of a professional musician or even a serious amateur.

    Here they are at the stockade. The onward leg, their mission accomplished, should be more pleasant.

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    Kylah is able to mute the incoming message before it deafens you all. After Booker's reply, a stern-looking woman in Security red appears on the shuttle's small forward display screen. "Acknowledged, Tesla. This is the Jaros II Command Center. Welcome. You are cleared to enter the system and approach along the following course only." A very detailed course plot appears on both Onn's and Graham's control readouts; Onn notices that it requires four different course and speed changes as the shuttle gets ever closer to the Starfleet prison. "Please do not deviate from these orders in any way. See you in about twenty minutes. Jaros II out."
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 27 Apr 2022 at 08:02 PM.

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    With a slight scowl, Nia plots the convoluted course into the nav system as a guide while she pilots the Tesla, obeying the path and speed restrictions.

    "This is some dance they've got us doing. Like navigating an asteroid field," she says quietly. "Or a minefield. Which... maybe we are?"

    She flicks a gaze to Booker for a second before returning to the viewscreen. "Can you run a sensor sweep to see if we're dealing with something too small to see? I can get us through this easily, but I'd like to know what obstacles I'm supposed to be avoiding. Morbid curiosity."

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    Graham hesitates just a moment: any detectable indications of trying to get intel on the system or the facility might not be taken well...depending on how paranoid Stern Lady was feeling today.

    But there were no instructions not to conduct standard operating procedure, and a simple scan on entering new system is arguably prudential and routine: deviating from instructions because they got sideswiped by something the facility was unaware of was as good a way as any to risk coming under fire...

    "Yes ma'am," he replies with a small nod.

    He makes sure that the scope and intensity of the scan are within what within any shuttle pilot or co-pilot would consider routine.

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    Twenty minutes, thinks Rangin to himself, not that long after all, maybe an hour after that and they will be on their way again should all go well. And why wouldn’t it go well, this being a tightly controlled prison planet, where everything is monitored and locked down as far as it possibly can.

    He looks casually round the cabin, just visually checking how everyone is responding to the call, especially Hutchinson. Rangin is mildly surprised, as Hutchinson has been unusually calm during the run. Either that or she is completely resigned to her fate, lengthy though it will be.

    He raises the datapad once again. With that amount of time left, and the ship in the capable hands of its pilot, Rangin concentrates on finishing another article before they get there in the remaining time they have.

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    Graham's carefully-calibrated scan does indeed reveal a vast, roughly spherical minefield; there must be many thousands of mines. The specified course will avoid them, but Onn notices that at least two of the course and speed changes seem otherwise arbitrary. There are also at least three dozen satellites and probes, large and small, distributed throughout the system, watching for threats from any quarter. The scan also picks up, in an elliptical orbit around Jaros II, a starship. Graham suspects there are other, subtler security measures which will not easily reveal themselves even to a shuttle's sensors.

    Rangin sees that Hutchinson is paying close attention to what's being said up front and over the comm channel. Rawlings's attention is still focused on the prisoner.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 29 Apr 2022 at 11:21 AM.

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    Kylah has been sitting quite straight in her chair, on edge ever since the warning announcement blared in her ears and woke her from a light doze. She cannot help watching Ms. Hutchinson with both curiosity and--unbelievable as it seems to her--a measure of pity. What must she be thinking? What is it like to know this is the last time you will ever be among the stars...?

    Abruptly Kylah shakes her head She does not want to sense what Ms. Hutchinson is feeling, neither on purpose nor by inadvertently concentrating too much. Breaking her visual examination of the other woman, she swivels to face the man across from her and tries to think of something to say.

    "Have--have you ever been to a prison, Doctor?" she asks softly, then quickly adds, "I mean--as a visitor. Professionally, that is. I would imagine there is much call for medical assistance. So many dangerous people... I am sure they are usually kept separate from one another, but even so..."

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    Graham cocks an eyebrow at the scan's results. He quietly clears his throat and turns to Nia, smiling slightly and offering in a low voice: "In my ah, professional judgment, we should not deviate from our orders in any way."

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