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Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

 Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

Medical Log, stardate 57505.35. While I slept, the Theurgy was split into Multi-Vector Assault mode in order for external repairs to begin. There has only been one shift rotation during this first night, and already, we have two casualties and three injured engineers. The sirillium gas of the Azure Nebula has claimed its first victims, and I was not even here in Sickbay when they arrived. It would not have mattered if I were, but I still feel like I let the repair teams down. Chief Engineer O'Connell needs people from all other departments in order to complete the repairs at the scheduled time. I regret to hear how few have volunteered, and I can but hope the other Department Heads - new and old - are willing to order their own out there.

While I have committed two nurses, I could not spare more. It seems a poor excuse, convenient, but the fact is that we still have wounded from the battle. Yet that's not all, because during the night, some kind of viral agent spread through the crew. It is too early to be certain, but I believe it came from the Resolve's crew. Something they picked up beyond Romulan space, and with their Chief Medical Officer dead, we have yet to synthesise some kind of antidote. As of 0900 hrs, I gave the order to put Main Sickbay under Level 2 quarantine, and informed Captain Ives about the outbreak. A public announcement was made five minutes later, where Ives said that all crew that felt the symptoms needed to report here for an examination.

As if a viral outbreak wasn't enough, the Devoted - that cult - have begun to attack certain members of the crew. It appears they are targeting the people who participated in the Phoenix Project, and actively tries to replace them with other medical officers. Yet it seems no one is spared, because Nurse Jovela was attacked outside her quarters when she refused to collaborate with them, and Doctor Saugn almost died from pharyngeal trauma when the Devoted attacked her. They both survived, but neither of them were in any way affiliated with the Phoenix Project. Instead, they were attacked because they simply refused the ideology and methods of the Devoted. To make matters worse, they almost deactivated Eve Jenkin's stasis unit. Unlike the others, Nurse Jenkins would not have died, but instead unleashed her Deltan powers upon the crew, and more people would have ended up like the husks Doctor Maya and I found after the mutiny.

As for Maya... I have not received any word about her interrogation. I hope whatever compelled her to do what she did wasn't her own will, because despite what she did, we need her here. I will make a note to contact Cinn as soon as I can, yet I think he won't have time for me right now. Because of the Devoted, there has been several reports about former Resolve crew wishing to carry arms again. They do not feel safe aboard the Theurgy, and the Security Center has a small but growing mob of off-duty officers with requests to get their weapons back. By the winds, I can but hope the situation there doesn't escalate. The last thing we need is a riot aboard.

It is almost 1000 hrs, and the Captain will be making another announcement soon. Ives and Trent have been conducting interviews for Senior Staff positions yesterday evening as well as this morning, and soon, we will learn who the new Senior Staff will be. They have all gathered in the briefing room on Deck 01, but given the quarantine, I will not be attending. I have more important things at hand than care about who'll be running the other Departments. I just hope they are up for the challenge... given how things are developing aboard.

Just about the only positive comment I can leave in this log has to do with the two surgeries we preformed this morning, before the quarantine was issued. Two Theurgy crewmembers could be removed from stasis and get the medical care they needed, one being Ensign Faye Lintah Eloi-Danvers and the other one being Petty Officer Morgan Song. Post-surgery scans tells me their bodies are responding well to their new internal organs and limbs, and after I finish here, my next task is to tend to them when they wake up.

As for Amelya... I don't even know if I should begin calling her 'Rez', since she had not woken up from the coma yet. Her condition is stable, but with no change. Captain Ives contacted me again, asked me if I had tracked down a second host. Again, I told him that Amelya would die if the symbiont was removed from her, and he repeated that because of the mission, I should have a contingency plan for the symbiont if the joining can't be fully completed. By the winds, I admit I got irritated, and told him how his order to bring Nicole Howard out of stasis might have condemned her to a life in a wheelchair. Without an entire artifical spine - which would have been the safer option - the two vertabrae we had could not be fitted properly. She is currenly bedridden. This, against my better knowledge of her medical needs, and because I followed Ives' orders.

I think that got his attention. He asked to come see her, sounded remorseful, but I told him she wasn't ready to see visitors yet, and dared him go against that recommendation as well. I told him it was the last time I would compromise the health of my patients because of the mission or Ives orders.

The comm link got silent then... and I might just have granted the Rez symbiont another day.

- Doctor Lucan cin Nicander, Chief Medical Officer, USS Theurgy


[ Click For Full Size ]
[ Captain Jien Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
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Sitting at the conference table, Captain Jien Ives looked between the seated before him. They were not all there, but some of the appointed second-in-command in the departments were there instead. O'Connell, for one, was not present, but that was because he was directly overseeing the repairs, and they were the top priority. Nicander wasn't there either, which was understandable given the current situation in Sickbay. Jien focused on the announcement to be made, now that the talks and interviews were over. He refused to think of Nicole Howard down there in in Sickbay.

"This is the Captain speaking," he said, and his voice was heard across all three Vectors, along with the intecoms on all the repair shuttles circling the them. Thea had patched him through to everyone to the best of her ability. "The time has come to announce the new Senior Staff. I will be brief, and let the Department Heads speak for themselves later today. Expect to be contacted by them by noon."

Standing up, Jien began to pace the long table. Cameron Henshaw was present too, at the other end of the table, and as always, she was consolidating information for the present officers and making notes about the development. Be it intentional or not, she didn't meet his eye. Between her, Nicole Howard and Dyan Cardamone, Jien had done wrong by them all, but he could not afford a moment of regret. With his face unreadable, he continued while he walked.

"First, our new Chief Tactical Officer is Lieutenant Commander Marquez, and his second-in-command is Junior Lieutenant Jonas Arisaka. Secondly, our new Chief Intelligence Officer is Keval ch'Rayya and Communication Specialist Selena Ravenholm will report to him. Commander Trent will be overseeing the transition for Marquez and ch'Rayya both." Moving on, Jien looked towards someone who'd already had a taste of what's to come for him. "Furthermore, Ensign Derik Veradin has been promoted to Junior Lieutenant, and he will be this ship's Acting Chief CONN Officer. As soon as we are adjourned here, he will be directly overseeing the shuttle operations during our repairs."

The 'Acting' part was strictly a formality given his rank, yet in effect, it was no difference to if a full Lieutenant would have held the position. Jien moved on. "As for Tactical CONN, we saw fine merits with three officers, but in the end, the decision fell on Thomas Ravon to lead the Lone Wolves, with a promotion to Lieutenant Commander. Down in the Fighter Assault Bay - in Fighter Bay Operations - Chief Covington will have Chief Liam Herrold as his second; our new Head of Fighter Weapons & Ordnance."

Then, it was time for Engineering. "Given his familiarity with the ship, Chief O'Connell will continue to serve as Chief Engineer, but his second-in-command is now Junior Lieutenant Suq-Reylin-Efreya Xan. It might not be convention to have a Line Officer as Asst. Chief Engineer, but for the time being, Xan will be learning from Chief O'Connell. Furthermore, they are both fortunate to have a good adviser in Chief Nolak Kalmil, who will be Chief of Maintenance." The plan had been that he'd mention Nicole Howard... but given what Nicander had told him. No, focus...

"Ensign A'vura Zehsryr will be Lieutenant Commander Stark's new Asst. Chief of Operations, having lacked one since she stepped up to fill Mister Hendrick's shoes," he said, and finally, he spoke of the last department. "In Science, long talks have been had, and as a mutual agreement in everyone's best interest, Lieutenant Simon Tovarek will be stepping down, and Lieutenant Commander Vivian Martin will assume the position as Chief Science Officer. There will, however, be no changes in Security. That is all for now... Ives out."

Having given the results to the crew, Jien looked towards the gathering. "It is done," he said with a faint smile ghosting across his face. It vanished as he sat down, directing himself to one of the officers not present in the room. "This is Ives to O'Connell. How is the situation out there? Are you still in need of more people for the repairs?"

OOC: Next poster: Doc M. :) Then again, you can all post in quiet reaction to all before then, of course, wherever your characters are at.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Before she had arrived for her duty shift that morning, Natalie had replicated a dosage of analgesic in her quarters, to dull the ache behind her eyes. It had been stupid of her, to do as she did last night. Not even synthohol , but the real thing, whatever it was...Deacon? Yes, the Kzinti was named Deacon had given her had not been designed with staff meetings in mind. Still, it was her own fault, for accepting it. For ordering more. For butting heads with - well, never mind that.

It took the edge off the pain, but not enough to wash it all away. That was her penance, she thought to herself, as she nursed her third cup of coffee that morning and looked around the table, listening to the captain. She was situated between the ships new Intelligence Officer, the Andorian from the Resolve and the man that would become O'Connell's understudy, Suq Xan, an Efrosion. She would end up working closer with the latter than the former, in her duties as Chief of Operations.  At an angle from her was the one member of the Resolve's crew whom had already shown merit, at least in her books - Ensign Derik Veradin - correction; Lieutenant.. He stepped in after the damned fool had shot...well, never mind that, either.

And when Ives announced her new assistant, Natalie glanced over, two more seats to her right, to the Orion woman at the end of her table. She had met briefly earlier in the morning, when the headache was worse, and the two had gone over expectations. They had a ways to go, to come to terms with this, to form a working partnership, but the help would be welcome. If Ensign Zehsryr could handle the work. And held no resentment. If Natalie understood things right, the other girl had been in charge of Ops on the Resolve. As with their First Officer, Flight Squad leader, and Chief Engineer, she was getting something of a demotion.

The stoic Andorian to her left seemed to be getting bumped sideways into a different role. As she cradled her cup, she wondered how he felt. But what surprised her the most, was not  the number of crew from her department making a sick call to medical today, but that Simon had agreed to step down as CSO. Natalie had not expected that at all, and she shot the young man - sitting directly across from her -a quick, questioning glance, as the rest of the room seemed to be waiting for the Theurgy's current Chief Engineer to give a report of the repairs. Was he really ok with this? She tried to ask as much with just a glance, unsure if she succeeded or not.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #2 –
[ Nicole Howard | Main Sickbay | Surgical Suite 01 | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

To say that the announcements meant little to Nicole as she lay near motionless on the biobed, was not quite true. Her mind was much clearer now, so she understood them well enough, even if the names meant very little to her. She no longer had to put thought into understanding what was said by others, instead it seemed she could grasp it easily and understand it well enough, though proper names and titles still remained elusive, without her memories intact she lacked the proper context for them.

So instead of dwelling on the details or the announcements she focused on the voice that spoke the them. She could not place a name or even so much as a face to the voice, yet she knew that she knew it, somewhere deep inside her mind or her heart, at least the metaphorical idea of her heart, she knew the voice. It stirred some tangled web of complex emotions inside her that she could no more give voice to than she could will her toes to move. Yet the voice made her feel at ease somehow, it relaxed her, even though she could hear a hint of something else in it. She wished she could speak to the owner of the voice, to try and express some thought or emotion she still had no words for.

She sighed heavily. It was sinking in exactly how bad her situation was and she had no one she could really speak to about it. The doctor, Nicander, had a job to do and could no more sit and talk her through it than anyone else in the sickbay could. They were busy and her condition was not of immediate importance. Well at least it was not likely to change anytime soon.

For her it was of immediate importance as even though her new heart kept her alive, even if it did mean that at that moment she lacked a traditional heart beat or even so much as a pulse, the damage to her spine kept her restricted, laying there gazing at the ceiling, lost in thought.

It would have been nice to have memories to explore if only to pass the time, but her memories were still fragmented and disjointed, it was far to stressful right then to try and piece her life together. It left her with the stress and pain of thinking about her situation and the stress and pain of trying to piece together the life she could barely remember.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #3 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All

"O'Connell here,” the acting chief engineer’s voice replied as his image appeared on the two display screens located on the walls behind both ends of the tables.   “We actually fared pretty well but I reckon it’s gonna take over thirty six hours t’ get th’ shields combat ready again.  The hull on both the Stallion and the Sword  got cut up pretty bad and and in addition the warp cores on both the Stallion and the Sword need some love.   I estimate that it'll take at least four more days unlessin' Doc Nicander brings more engineers back from th' dead.  Any engineers from th’ Resolve thet kin git through counselling so’s they kin be fit fur duty wud be much appreciated sir.  An’ iff’n sickbay kin bring anymore folks with gold collars back from the dead thet’d be jest Jim Dandy Skipper.  With all th’ causalties we bin takin’ it’s gittin’ t’ be a skeleton crew these days.  Don't git me wrong, Ah'm sure the folks from th’ Resolve'll jest fit right in, but it'd be nice t' have someone more familiar with the ship, Ah say, technicians who know there way around that is.   If y' want the Theurgy shipshape in a timely manner it'd help to have people we didn't have t' teach what goes where.”

To Billy Bob's chagrin, it had finally happened.  After nearly a decade as a chief he was starting to make excuses like an officer.   It was enough to make a master chief sick.


OOC:  I'm assuming the screens with O'Connell's image are placed in a similar place as they are on TNG.   I'm also assuming that his face will disappear from the screens when someone else's face like Nicander's appears, assuming he's not excused before then.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #4 –
[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Corridory | Deck 15 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: William Robert O'Connell
 
[Show/Hide]
Wandering the ship with several fellow Resolve officers, Tancredi paused when she heard the captain speaking. And she barely prevented herself from gaping, along with her friends. A lot of their fellow Resolve crew was joining the command staff. There were two ways to look at this: One; Ives didn't trust the people under Captain Kendrick and the positions offered weren't promotions, but a way to keep direct tabs on them. Two; They were simply the best suited to the job, and the Theurgy had suffered her own share of losses. Tancredi was inclined to assume the first was more likely.

But whilst pondering on this, the redhead began moving again, with her little "security" team of three following close behind. Until Marquez and the others felt otherwise, none of the crew of the Resolve moved alone. Not even to the head, which was why there was another lady besides Tancredi. They'd all heard earlier about the announcement of a viral outbreak, and that was why Tancredi needed a team following her whilst she conducted her search for Drauc T'Laus and Silim Parnak. If they were all right, then this would confirm her suspicions that somehow virus one-one-seven had made its way aboard the Theurgy. Possibly by way of everyone being exposed to it, then coming here, or ships or personnel coming in from the Starbase.

After this was done, she'd check in with O'Connell and see if he still needed help. Her expertise in engineering was rudimentary at best, but she was a quick study and hopefully she'd be able to help in some way. “C'mon, gahs,” said Tancredi, “we need ta fahnd Ronnie, make shore 'e's okay!”“”

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. Simon Tovarek & Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon| Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Simon sat a bit absent in his seat as his mind had worked overtime in the last couple of hours. The drones that had made it back were now being put to use as eyes and ears for the repair parties as the structural damage was inspected.He had also started talks with Vivian Martin, the lovely CSO from the Resolve. She was outranking him rank wise yet his title as CSO aboard the Theurgy meant they were sort of less equals.

After long talks and debating, the two had come to the consensus that Vivian would be better off leading the science department. Simon his focus could shift entirely to the drone project he had started and he could further improve and expand on the project as his responsibilities as CSO transpired. Of course Simon knew he had to keep an eye on the crew inside the science department as well. Whilst in his rational mind it sounded as a good decision, he doubted the rest of the people working in his department would agree with an outsider assuming control.

Already there had been minor incident reports about people who were revering Morali after his spectacular resurrection. It was something Simon pointed out to Vivian as well as these signs were possibly problematic. However, Simon should perhaps inform the Chief of Security about this after the meeting. However, the little problems with Sarresh weren't the only thing on his mind. The outbreak of several crew members had caused for a quarantine lock down in sickbay. No doubt the Science department would be there as well to analyze the samples and work on a cure.

Simon his eyes however were bloodshot as he tapped with his finger against the cup of coffee. He could feel the stare from across the room before he looked up and made eye contact with Natalie Stark. The decision that he'd step down coming to a shock to her it seemed as she gave him a questionable look. He nodded at her, his features showing that he was tired yet he'd give Natalie the explanation she seemed to want later on. He used his left hand to gesture her to keep calm about it. In the meantime Simon listened with only half an ear to the report of O'Connell as the man gave them a heads up of what to expect.

Thomas in the meantime was still getting accustomed to the seat in the conference lounge. He had gone through a short night with a small incident before he had turned in for some well earned sleep. Morning however broke far too soon as he heard he was expected at the conference lounge and that a promotion was in order as he got appointed to new SCO. It was a bitter sweet promotion for the pilot as it was a reality check. A reminder that Renard had not made it back over night as many of his pilots would have hoped, himself included. It wasn't exactly a burden that was placed on his shoulders, yet the responsibilities would undoubtedly change the pilot as a whole.

His eyes went over the different members at the table, taking in who was who, unfamiliar and familiar faces alike. He could see Stark looking at Tovarek as Thomas heard that the man would be stepping down. He wondered why, though glanced over at Martin before looking back around. His eyes came to rest at Henshaw, he had seen the ensign at the lounge late last night. Rather intoxicated as well... Yet she seemed to be handling her possible hangover quite well as he gave her a nod before he looked back around, feeling like the new guy in town.


[ Ens Cameron Henshaw | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Despite the throbbing ache bouncing around her skull, Cameron Henshaw looked perfectly in order. The nausea had finally settled down and the memories about last night were vague and hard to remember really. It had been a while since she had gotten herself that drunk again and she rubbed her temples with both fingers for a second before the meeting would effectively start. Early memories about waking up far too early in the morning followed by a quick rush to the bathroom in her quarters brought a foul taste in her mouth as she had been puking for a couple of hours before she managed to get some water and a solid meal down.

The scattered reports about people falling ill had made her doubt, wondering if she needed to go to Sickbay for a check up. Although she imagined that if she'd show up among those ill she'd probably catch whatever they were having. Plus showing up for a hang over was just plain stupid to be honest. She decided to wait it out for at least till the end of the day before she'd decide whether or not to go to Sickbay.

Besides, she was needed here for the notes and remarks and the official report of the meeting. There was lots of work to be done and there was no way that she could spare herself for a puny hangover. It had been her fault after all that she drank so much.

Her eyes went over the new faces with a soft smile before her eyes rested at Ives. The man seemingly resolute about the new mission parameters. Yet Cameron wondered how the man himself was holding up. He had nearly been lost to the crew entirely before the mission and the negative outcome of it could possibly break him as a whole. She'd speak to him later today and check up on him to see how well he truly was holding up. Yet for now, she'd do her job as was required of her.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

He was not the only tired individual here, he noticed. The precious little sleep he had last night was not enough to reduce the bags under his eyes, but it was just enough to keep him alert, eyes darting around the room and ears picking up every last tremor. Yup, that was the sleep that gave him that energy, not the fear.

He kept his eyes trained on the captain for as long as he could, making very careful notes about what he--she? it?? Curse the Standard language and it's gendered pronouns--making careful notes about what the captain looked like at this moment. He hoped to catch a glimpse of the changeling's abilities. He was gawking, yes. He had no excuse for that.

Between his ooglings, he kept careful glances on his People. Ejek, A'vura, Viv, Marquez, Derik, and Keval in that order. They were nearly evenly matched with the Theurgy crew here. He liked those odds, he decided. Between his regular scans of his people, he constantly checked the doors, and view screen, listening hard for the approaching boots that he knew would come eventually. When his buddy Billy Bob came on, he was right in the middle of one of these room checks, and he would not look over at the screen until his check was done.

After all, he already knew, generally, what BB was going to say. The ship needed work done on her, and she needed it done fast. Sure, he had no clue how to run a multi-vector dreadnought like the Theurgy, but he knew a lot of other useful things. Given the time, and if F'rell was willing, he figures they could get the warp cores up and going faster than two days. He'd love to see BB's face after that, maybe even tease him about his on-screen complaining.

But he reigned in his pleasant mood. He didn't have time for that. He would have to figure out the logistics of getting his People to where they need to go. They're adhering to the buddy system. The warp cores are not going anywhere-- the Resolve was more important, and he'd walk all over the ship just to make sure nobody goes anywhere alone. His fingers drummed on the table, he tried to calm his bouncing leg. Just one more check over his people, one more door check...

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #7 –
[ Cmdr Carrigan Trent | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

There had been a lot of discussion, and several interviews between the mass briefing in the fighter bay and this particular meeting, and while Trent had managed to get the sort of rest he needed rather badly, he was already several hours into his day at this point, and the steaming cup of coffee in front of him was an indication that it would be much, much longer before he would get to put his head down again.

The announcements were no surprise to him.  After all, he had his own hand in them, and the recommendations he had made, so far, had been followed closely enough.  But when a report was requested of O'Connell, he started to consider that particular problem.  There was a lot of that needed doing, and of course basic watches needed to be maintained while repairs were being conducted, but practically everyone on the ship had some modicum of maintenance training.  But there were only so many engineers and technicians available...

"Captain, there is a way to alleviate Master Chief O'Connell's manpower issues.  And, I believe it would be a good challenge for our new Assistant Chief of Operations to ramrod it.  Not every repair task needs to be fully looked after by Engineering personnel.  A lot of it can be done by any of our people with basic maintenance training on their own, or under supervision from Engineering staff for some more complex tasks.  And you don't need anyone with any kind of specialized training to act as gophers, do heavy lifting, or recycle damaged components.  It would free up Engineering personnel for specialized repairs, allow for greater personnel rotation with more downtime, prevent accidents, and cut down on repair times.  And it would provide an excellent opportunity to further familiarize our new crewmembers with the ship, and speed up their integration."  Indeed, there were plenty of people with less essential roles at this time, but if they could be reassigned to support the repair effort in more meaningful ways, it would go a long way towards making Theurgy combat-capable again. 

"But we shouldn't draw anyone from the ground crew.  As it stands we have no mission-ready fighters, and we're practically blind out here so they should be an equal priority with critical ship's repairs."

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #8 –
[Lieutenant Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez| Conference Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: Everyone/Anyone

Marquez had gotten enough sleep, or at least rest the day before in sickbay, and his injuries had already since healed. He debated keeping his scar from the fight with Starbase 84's compromised Captain, but ultimately, Jimmy Mariner had made that call for him when he reunited with his friend upon his arrival to the Thuergy, and subsequently spilled water on him for serving it too cold. He'd regained consciousness enough to check out of sickbay after his public addresses in the hangar bay, and his toast to absent friends a few hours ago. Since then, he'd taken a rest in an unconspicuous sofa, alongside one of the few remaining personnel from the USS Resolve. Marquez helped himself to a liter of water and an anti-intoxicant from Vivian Martin so he could sleep well. Opening that storied tequila bottle was largely out of respect and tribute, rather than for the dreams, or rather, nightmares he was certain to have if he'd left the stuff in his system; bad memories, fallen comrades, inhuman monsters. After a breakfast of Steak and Eggs with one of the Resolve security members and a supplementary log, Striker made his way to the senior officers' meeting, with a French Roast/Irish Cream Coffee formula that Mariner had nicknamed 'the English Channel' in hand.

Upon arrival, Marquez took the time to greet Cameron Henshaw. He was relieved to see she was allright, though probably shaken internally. "Ensign. It's good to see you. I'm truly sorry for your loss, but If there's anything I can do to make it right, I'll be there." There was almost an apologetic tone to his gravelly voice, Marquez's role in Hawthorne's death had taken a toll on him, but he still had a promise to keep to the monster responsible for all this. He felt he owed the young woman a sense of protection, even if it would only be ancillary in whatever role he was to be assigned to during this meeting.

The moment didn't last as Marquez took his seat next to Vivian Martin, and made eye contact with Keval, wrinkling his brow, quizically, silently telling the Andorian to stay sharp; Jimmy once called Keval the eyes, ears and Antennae of the Resolve bridge crew. After a cursory regard to the Resolve trio between Henshaw and Commander Stark, Marquez donned his poker face as he focused on each speaker, taking his new reassignment in stride, barely reacting to his new role as Chief Tactical Officer. He had been a Tactical officer before, a methodical and efficient yet an aggresive one, aboard a Galaxy-class Carrier before being that craft's first officer, and briefly skipper, but was quite up to the task of chairing the multi-vector craft's defense and weapons systems. The USS Hornet regularly relied on saucer separation, needing two commanders at a time during short-range engagements.

Marquez listened to Captain Ives' address and promotions, casting a congratulatory nod at Veradin's promotion and the other reassignments.  He wanted to give an affirmative to the accented Engineer on-screen who spoke during the hangar conference. At the next opportunity, he would schedule an hour of wargame simulations in the Holodeck to get a tutorial underway. It pained him to have to fight Starfleet, but it was that or take chances against parasite boarding parties; he for one was not about to have another piñata fight after what he and Henshaw went through.


Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #9 –
[ Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Conference Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: Everyone/Anyone

Keval had gotten a little bit of sleep from the events of the day before and he was still hoping to find the pilot of the ship that he helped before he left the Resolve, after all a member of the Rayya keth always kept their promises.

Keval was not far behind Leon and even nodded to him before he drew himself a cup of vulcan mineral water before sitting down at the table which he saw was right next to the ship's own Executive Officer which made him arch one eyebrow at Trent before he sat down.

He took a sip of his water to help clear his thoughts as he took in what his new commanding officer was saying and he looked over at his fellow Resolve officers to see what their reactions was as he hadn't told anyone about what both Captain Ives and Commander Trent had offered him.

Keval turned in his chair just enough to look at the cyborged human and recalled that he knew the other man from what Cole had mentioned of him during Keval's time with special operations a few years prior but he decided to let personal experience lead the way here.

As he turned in his seat to regard what else was going on around him, Keval noticed Leon looking at him and then the quizzical wrinkling of his brow to which Keval nodded slowly in return as he understood what the other man was asking him to do..but how could he do more then he was doing already?

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #10 –
[ Lt.Com. Martin | Corridor | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Kaligos
[Show/Hide]
As Marquez took his seat next to her, Martin couldn’t help but think of his division between “us and them” as she glanced at Tovarek seated to her left. She hoped to unite at least some of the disparate groups that the Theurgy found itself carrying as best she could, and that included herself and her new department. As Ives made their announcement, she couldn’t help but think about how some members of the crew would take the information, particularly the notion of the deification of someone in sciences. Would they accept her? The fresh outbreak also worried her, and she had in mind to get what data she could to Doctor Nicander at some point later in the day.

Regardless, Martin certainly felt refreshed compared to previous evening, with a good spot of coffee and morning exercise to start off her day. After Commander Trent gave his input she noted the unsettling fact that they were now blind in the nebula. “Er, if I may,” she added, “I could also get some people working on a way to boost our sensor resolution. That way we might be able to compensate for what support craft can’t cover, and it would serve to create a collaborative effort to better integrate the new members of science.” And herself, though she refrained from saying that last part.

Re: Chapter 20: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #11 –
[ Lt Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Hearing Vivian's suggestion for the increase in sensor output for a better resolution, Simon felt an idea trickle in as he looked over to his now superior officer. He doubted for a few seconds to voice out his idea as he didn't want to discredit her. Yet it might save some science personnel if the idea was accepted.

"Actually, I think we might have a way to increase our sensor range." he started as he played with his mug "We still have about ten operational drones at the ready after our battle at Starbase 84. If we would mount them with sensor pods, we can use them for two purposes. The first purpose would be for them to roam through the nebula, using their masking warp trails to create a maze for Task Force Archeron to chase. The second is that the drones could ping any contacts back to us. Should the task force be detected or any other ships for that matter we'll be having a heads up." Simon concluded before he looked at Martin with a respectful nod. "Of course all the data we'd get back could be processed by the science crews as it would help as a rough sketch. I would suggest for Tac CONN to perform the more thorough scout flights." he added after a few seconds before looking over at Ravon.

The fact was that the pilots who were flying the drones during the battle were being redeployed for repairs now. In this case it meant the drones would be flying on an autopilot. A pre determined path that they'd follow before doubling back to the Theurgy.

Ravon nodded in agreement to the statement to use his pilots for extensive scouting as they'd be more adequate in responding if a situation would arise. "I'm confident we can use the Orcus fighter squadron to do close support of Thea. What's left of our own Wolves could go out there and perform more extensive scouting patrols. Or I'd mix them up to increase team spirit." he answered, adding the last as a mental note to himself "Either way, I have suggested a few pilots of the Resolve to fighter train themselves intensively  for Mark III's. So we should have a fully operational fighter squadron in a while." he added his two cents in the discussion before looking at the people at the table.

Re: Chapter 21: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #12 –
[ Lt Cmdr. Wenn Cinn | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Anyone
[Show/Hide]

Wenn Cinn sat patiently while others spoke, moving attention from speaker to speaker, trying to be attentive. Instead, he found himself focusing on carefully trying to avoid eye contact with Stark. Cinn didn’t want any real interaction with Chief of Operations, at least not yet. It was all down an automated message he had received.

At this moment he was being petty, he knew this, but couldn’t help but feel it. The notification had come through as one of his many ship updates as part of role as Security Chief. It had been less than 24 hours than Edena had been mortally wounded and Stark had already reassigned Below Decks to a newcomer. He always liked the girl and appreciated what she had brought to the role following the death of Hendricks but in this, for someone so caring, it felt cold and callous.

The talk of extending sensor range with the drones had little interest to the Bajoran, aside from the obvious security features of an early alert system, but when Ravon spoke up Cinn was reminded on the conversation he and O’Connor had had with Maya the night before. He would need to speak with the new SCO as soon as possible. The Bajoran resolved himself to try to get his attention towards at the end of the meeting.

“Normally I would put to forward Security personnel to help with engineering needs. However, with light of the loss of manpower from our mission to Starbase 84 and adding in current shipboard events, I cannot spare anyone.” He started, as a matter of fact. “The ship has seen a number of opportunistic crimes as of late and security is working hard to get those responsible under control. I want to remind everyone to remain vigilant and report unusual activity immediately. Anyone engaging in such will be brought to suitable penalty.”

“Our new colleagues within the security department from the Resolve are starting their duty shifts today. There has been a large amount of interest in retrieving weapons. I intend to meet with as many crewmen throughout the day as possible to see to their requests, but I hope seeing their comrades out on patrol will reduce tensions between the crews.”


[ Lt JG. Zelosa Ejek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Anyone
[Show/Hide]

Ejek was enjoying this meeting, albeit a little dry, it was the start of a return to the norm. After the last couple of days, she would relish in dullness and watching the crew began to become accustomed to their new home. For one, Ejek would enjoy having other counselors to work with. In fact, she no longer had to try to manage the department on her own, she even had a new boss.

The Cardassian woman looked across the table to her department head. She wasn’t unattractive by human standards, but they had yet to properly sit down and talk. Something that Ejek was both looking forward to and nervous about. Perhaps that had been why Captain Ives hadn’t said anything about her assignment to Assistant Chief Counselor?

Ejek gave a slight tilt of her head watching Suq. The Efrosian was exhibiting multiple signs of concern and she gently took his hand in hers, if only to stop the infernal drumming of his fingers.

“Calm.” She whispered. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

Re: Chapter 21: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #13 –
[ Lt. JG Derik Veradin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]
Holding his coffee with both hands, using it to help keep them warm, Derik also sat quietly as the staff meeting began. He took a sip and resisted making an audible noise of relaxed joy in response. He’d missed coffee so, so much. It had been a vice of his since the first taste of the Earth drink at the Academy. Being able to use a replicator again without guilt, on a regular basis was something he was quite excited to get used to again. Yesterday had been an exciting first day to say the least and he’d not had a great night’s sleep on the cot he had found, so he was especially grateful for it this morning.

He took in those in the room also seated at the table, noticing a good split of Resolve and Theurgy officers. He was happy about that. There were enough Resolve crew now on the Theurgy and their skill was being recognized, both of which felt right to Derik. He didn’t really grasp the diplomatic and political significance of the move on Ives’ part, because such things were not his forte. Two items raised did fall under his purview though as the new Acting Chief CONN officer. He’d been both surprised and grateful to be given the position, and despite all the craziness, he’d felt a lot of pride in receiving the new rank pip and the promotion to junior lieutenant. He waited until an opening in the conversation came up and followed the Bajoran security officer.

“All CONN officers and crew have basic repair skills for emergencies in the field. I can see that any who are available be loaned to Engineering for low-level work orders and grunt work. Also, our shuttles could be used in addition to the drones for expanding Theurgy’s sensor net in the nebula, if needed.”

Re: Chapter 21: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #14 –
[Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy]

Marquez bid his time in waiting to respond, but voiced his support for scouting patrols and drones. He had every confidence in the survivability of Resolve's pilots and the credit they did their ship's namesake, but he knew the captain had to risk their lives in extraordinarily dangerous circumstances; naturally, Havenborn, K'Ren and Meony would do their best. He disguised this hesitation with a soft admonition. Referring to the ship's tactical readiness, Marquez nodded at Veradin, endorsing his promotion. "I agree with the lieutenant."

"I'll need all the eyes and ears as I can get. Just be sure not to leave any flight paths the enemy might use to triangulate their point of origin." Marquez added, biding his time for a segue into his own tactical input. "Sirs, one more thing. At some point in the imminent future, I want to familiarize the new crew with a holosimulation of Theurgy's tactics and capabilities. War games, basically, to prepare them-- prepare us--, for the next battle. Some time ago, I served on a Galaxy-Class Runabout Carrier in the war, I'm familiar with the Shelby Maneuver and other saucer separation attack vectors. In that nature, I'd like to take Theurgy out to the holodeck with mixed training crews... that is, anyone who can be spared, who isn't on repair duty."


Lt. Commander Leon "Striker" Marquez
Chief Tactical Officer, USS Theurgy
"No one left behind."

Ensign James "Jimmy" Mariner
Security Officer, USS Theurgy
"Showtime!"

Lieutenant (J.G.) Alessia "Angel" Garcia
Valravn Fighter Pilot, USS Theurgy
"You're not the only one with a gun,"

Re: Chapter 21: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #15 –
[ Lt.Com. Martin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

While Marquez reviewed his plans, Martin quietly observed that Suq seemed to be acting quite nervous. What could he be up to? She had half a mind to ask him about it later. She could really do with another coffee right about now though, the replicated one didn’t quite get the coffee to creamer ratio right. She idly entertained the idea of Lyhn casually wiping Derik’s as she walked by. Another pang of emotion hit Martin. She still missed her. Were it not for last night, she honestly would probably be hurting a lot more, her friends were so good to her.

Martin suddenly remembered there was a meeting that was going on and snapped to attention, trying to focus on the matter at hand. She tried to think about how else she could contribute, because there was just one thing still bothering her. It was known that travel through the Azure Nebula was a dangerous prospect at best, it was incredibly easy to ignite the sirillium gas. She tried to recall some of the properties of sirillium, maybe some ways it could be deflected…? Then it hit her. Forcefields. Sirillium could be used as a catalytic to increase the efficiency of graviton generation in shielding. “Oh!” She remarked suddenly. “I have a thought… I know that engineering personnel is going to be stretched thin, but it might be possible to rig a series of portable force fields that keeps out the sirillium in the nebula. In turn these generators would also be capable of maybe using the sirillium that may already be present within the shield’s radius to become more efficient, creating an even safer environment for the EVA repair teams.”

Re: Chapter 21: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #16 –
[ Captain Jien Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
Having read the reports from the Gamma shift regarding the repairs, Ives had felt that O'Connell was being quite modest about the difficulties they faced out there. There had been casualties, and yet the Chief Engineer had just spoken with the mission in mind and merely urged for more people to aid in his department's efforts. Ives was not sure why the man wasn't more vocal in his Department's acute needs, but when he'd spoken, Ives had merely turned to gathered staff, hearing what they said in response.

Watching them, it had been evident that it was a group not used to working alongside each other. Glances had been traded, a brief silence kept, until Commander Trent had spoken up first. The suggestion to use Ops for repair was not far-fetched, and Ives had nodded to it. There were many pressing tasks for the Orion officer that now reported to Stark, but the repairs of the ship was the priority. Ives had wordlessly agreed in regard to Fighter Bay Ops too, and the necessity to have the motley gathering of different wolf packs battle-ready.

This had made Miss Martin speak up about sensor resolution, and for Tovarek to suggest using the drones to both create false warp trails and expanding the sensor range, something that Thomas Ravon didn't seem to have any issues with. The new Squadron Commanding Officer was ready to send the wolves out further on patrol if so required. Seeing Ravon present... and in Miles Renard's seat, it made Jien feel both regret about loosing the Vulpinian, and also made her remember her very... personal encounter with his successor. Before the man's name came up, Jien had thought little of the visit from Ishtar, but the face of the new SCO did remind him. He supposed it would come up again eventually, but for the time being, there was no merit in revisiting that day.

Wenn Cinn had spoken up next. As Second Officer and Chief of Security - not to mention his imposing physical presence - his words weighed heavily in the room. He spoke of the losses in the battle, the current state of affairs aboard the ship, and made it very clear he could not commit anyone to aid O'Connell. He soothed it somewhat with his optimism about the Theurgy and Resolve security guards working together, but it was quite clear that there were a lot of concerns with the shipboard development. Ives could still remember vividly the actions of that one Devoted on the Main Bridge, and how he may have bereft them of what Jona knew. Even though there had been a struggle to overpower him, Jien also lay the blame of Aisha S'Iti at the feet of the Devoted. He did not, however, change topic to the cult just yet.

Their new helmsman, Chief CONN Officer Veradin, however, was ready to commit as many as he could spare for the repairs. His department was already neck deep in the operations, flying shuttles for O'Connell's repair crews, and it made sense. His attitude was commendable, but Jien worried that he might not know the entire scope of his position when serving on a multivector starship such as the Theurgy. He decided to follow up on his progress sooner rather than later, making sure he could solve the shift rotations when Thea was in MVAM 24 hours a day and also commit his pilots to O'Connell's efforts.

The former First Officer of the Resolve was of the same mind as his former crewmate, wishing to commit Tactical Officers to O'Connell's duty assignments. Ives was quite sure that Lieutenant Commander Marquez knew what he was about. His situation was much like Veradin's, only difference being that he needed more personnel on stand-by to handle Thea's many weapon systems if Task Force Archeron found them. Veradin merely needed helmsmen for the Battle Bridges. It was quite fortunate that the Resolve had more CONN and Tactical Officers to supplement those still alive on the Theurgy. Otherwise, Ives would have been more concerned.

Marquez then voiced a need for his Department, to have the crew of the Resolve partake in battle simulations whilst serving on a ship such as Thea. This, Ives had already intended since it was a requirement for the crew as a whole to know what to do if Thea entered battle. To Marquez merit, he had foreseen the need and voiced it, showing that Ives was quite confident about the choice of their new Chief Tactical Officer. He could only hope the man would aid in merging the two crews aboard, rather than look out for his old crew in every situation. The sooner it became clear to everyone that there was no Resolve crew any more, but one crew serving on the Theurgy, the sooner they would be ready to serve together seamlessly.

"Agreed. There are already simulations set up for newly arrived crew, but they need to begin immediately. Duty shifts will be extended for up to two hours if so required, as long as simulation drills can begin today. Commander Trent will oversee this," he said and looked at his XO, "but its up to all Department Heads to make sure their crew can attend to the simulations. The drills will be held daily, and the more time the crew can spend in the simulations, the better we'll be off in the next battle."

Chief Science Officer Martin also had an idea how to handle the sirillium gas, and Ives nodded to the suggestion. "When you have a solid solution, coordinate with O'Connell." Ives then looked towards the gathering. "Chief Medical Officer Nicander won't be attending since he is in surgery, and we all know what has become of his second. His Head Nurse is also out of commission. He has, however, committed a handful of nurses to aid O'Connell, and I am still waiting for an update on Virus 117. The outbreak aboard does not show any sign of ending, and we are loosing able bodies to it. Fortunately, it does not seem to be lethal for the majority of the crew, but some show serious symptoms from it."

Ives paused to look at the gathered people. "Now, I would like to hear your suggestions on how we deal with the Devoted... and if you have any further knowledge about Virus 117."

Re: Chapter 23: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #17 –
[ William Robert O’Connell | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All

The image of the acting chief engineer on the two display screens located on the walls behind both ends of the tables coughed into his fist before responding.  "Well sirs, Ah kain’t rightly say much ‘bout no virus, but beggin’ Commander Martin’s pardon th’ way we used to clear hazardous vapors wuz tuh have a bunch of shuttlecraft use their tractor beams and bussard scoops t’ clear the air.  Ah gotta admit, Ah say I gotta admit, thet force fields sound safer but there are some areas on the hull where th’ deflector shields don’t work no more.  We’ll need some shuttles out there with their bussard scoops workin’ iffin’ we want to set up any portable force fields.”

On the screen the assembled officers could see O’Connell clear his throat and lick his lips nervously before he proceeded.  "Now sirs, Ah don’t know, Ah say Ah don’t know if it’s mah place t’ talk but as fur as th’ folks callin’ themselves th’ Devoted are concerned but Ah gotta say, from th’ enlisted man’s point of view; thet there ain’t no atheists on a battlefield.  Now Ah know thet th’ Devoted seem crazier then a run over Romulan but hear me out!”  When he realized his voice had become loud enough that they could hear him from main engineering without the need for an intercom he lowered his voice volume a tad.  "When yuh stop an’ think about it, makes perfect, Ah say it makes perfect sense.  It’s logical that is.  With th’ deck stacked against us as it’s clear as day that this whole timeline is as messed up as a Pakled at a spellin’ bee.  You kin see why folks be thinkin’ thet the Relativity left 'im here so’s he could work out where the timeline needs fixin’ so none o’ this would ever happen.  Th’ problem is thet after bein’ aboard this ship fur five months folks be more mixed up than a feather in a whirlwind.  They done furgot thet the first rule o’ time travellin’ is t’ observe an’ make sure that folks don’t be doin’ nothin’ they wouldn’t be doin’ iffin th’ time traveler wasn’t there in the first place.  Maybe it’s time that Mister Morali remind everyone a’ that fact, tuh speak to his followers that is.  He needs t’ tell ‘em t’ sit the rut down and shut the rut up an’ jest do whut they’d do if he wuzn’t there an’ that they’re messin’ things up by tryin’ t’ change stuff.”  There was an awkward pause as Billy Bob remembered that he was talking to the most important people on the ship.  "Sirs," he added lamely.

Re: Chapter 24: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #18 –
[ Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Conference Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: Everyone/Anyone

The moment that Keval heard the word "Time Travel", his head started to ache form the tips of his antenna all the way down to the base of his skull but something about the way that the acting chief engineer had said stuck out and made him curious as he flicked his light blue eyes over to his new commanding officer. "Pardon me for sounding like the new kid on the block, captain..but what is the Chief talking about as I understand from some chit chat here and there that there seems to be a...well, a cult for the lack of a more defined term on the ship that's dedicated to one man." Keval said, his tone at the using of the word "Cult" showed that he disliked even having to use the word in a sentence in this day and age but he still remembered the whole incident with the Pah-Wraiths that started up in the latter days of the Dominion War..so an apple was an apple as the old adage goes.

"Can someone explain how an aspect of time travel got involved in the Theurgy's present situation and please tell me that those two killjoys from the Department of Temporal Investigations haven't shown up here please?"

Re: Chapter 24: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #19 –
[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

“Nothing's going to happen” his melodramatic ass. Something was going to happen, he just knew it. But he knew better than to protest. Ejek was always right in the end, and he really did have to work on listening to her. Here was Derek and Marquez, calm as could be. Ejek was holding his hand, the wonderful chill of the Cardassians's skin siphoning away his body's naturally high heat. He really should calm down, he was the only one here who looked ready to jump out his seat...

He tried to will himself back to calmness as Ives and Billy Bob spoke, adding more information to the situation and resolving issues as they came. It seemed like a fairly well-oiled machine that he's being asked to join. No fires to put out just yet.

“Well, I uh...two things, really. First is Levithi oil as an injection might give your people a boosted immune system. I'm not too sure about it, I know it helps Efrosians, so that's really medical's perogative...” His hand finally left Ejek's, so he could gesticulate as he spoke further.

“Second, Keval, see...There's this Morali figure. He got mixed up in some time travel, he's from the future supposedly, and there are people who think he is a god or something. A prophet maybe. But yeah, it's a cult, just...just wandering around like it's no big deal. And I gotta agree with Billy—with O'Connell, the best way to disassemble crazy is from the root upwards.

“In the meantime...I think it ought to be made clear that the cult can't take the place of orders. “ His face buckled under his frustration. He did not like the idea that Ives had so little control over his own crew, on one hand, but on the other, maybe it's a sign that he is more lenient than he lets on...? Or maybe, he just holds double standards. Resolve crew must adhere to strict rules, but his own crew does not have to. That makes the most sense.
“I'm no one to step on others' religions, but if this ship is going to be run like a strict Federation ship then we oughtta act like it. Mister Morali's words can't be held above their superiors' words."

Re: Chapter 24: Senior Staff Announcement | Day 02 [1000 Hrs.]

Reply #20 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]

When Captain Ives leaned forward and swept that oaken gaze across the room, Natalie found herself drawn in, eyes flicking up to meet her commanding officer's, albeit briefly before he turned to focus on another. She clenched the handle of her mug tightly, willing her hand to remain still, to not tremble. There was none of the burning rage and lust that had been in Ives gaze, yet she was, for just a moment, reminded of their encounter during the Niga Incident. There and gone in a flash, steely resolved replacing the hollowing of her gut.

Another small victory she told herself, before he asked his question and her face turned into a scowl of disdain. That was highly unprofessional of her, but she couldn't help it. Memories surfaced again, much more recent, of her conversation with Dr. Nicander and Chief Wenn, down in the Spearhead Lounge. How, over refreshing drinks, the evening before their failed assault on Starbase 84, the trio had mused over the Devoted. Mostly harmless she bitterly thought. She'd heard the reports since then. Hell, I was on the bridge when one of those idiots killed Aisha. She hadn't deserved that. Natalie took a pull of her coffee and then made a face, the brew tasting like ashes in her mouth, and trying to look over, to meet Wenn Cinn's eyes, to see if he too were thinking about their conversation from before.

Oddly, he seemed determined to look anywhere but at her.

Setting the mug back down and promising to sort that all out later, Natalie translated Billy Bob's speech into something a bit more understandable, and bit back a sigh. His homespun habits usually made her smile, but not now, not today. Not with the slight headache from the night before, the feeling of defeat that had wrecked most of the crew....and not with the seriousness of what they were dealing with. Still, she didn't say anything to him. Natalie was far too polite to do that to someone she considered, at the very least, a colleague, and a capable one at that. What he said had some merit, even if she didn't agree with what the fools were doing.

And putting their faith in someone to save them - they were all banking on Morali to do that - was a far cry from attacking someone in their name.

"I'm not sure it even is a religion, Lt. But far be it from me to be the final arbiter of what constitutes that," Natalie spoke up, directing her gaze first to Lt. Suq, and then back to Lt. Keval chRayya, whom she had shared a few ...embarrassing moments with the night prior, at Bellow Decks. Perhaps I should just stay away form all the bars. she thought darkly as she continued. "To elaborate for your benefit, Lieutenant, "Mr. Morali...is a special case to say the least. A ship called the USS Relativity intervened during our flight from the Sol system, while we were...indisposed at Niga/" She kept her voice ice cold, detached, refusing to allow herself to remember the horrors of that place. "When they left, after correcting what they could, Lt. Morali remained behind." How to proceed....

"From what we've learned, he has, locked in his mind, very specific information about our mission, and how history was supposed to go. Its not following the proper course. Mr. Morali was left behind to help us, to warn us, of further temporal incursions. These parasites we are dealing with were playing with a stacked deck - knowledge of the future. That deck is now less useful, thanks to Mr. Morali. He has helped us - " she stopped, and let out a heavy sigh, biting down on her lip before looking back up, "Being honest, he has saved us more than once. At great personal hardship to himself." That was as far as she could be to the temporally displaced officer.

"But that has had a side effect, as Chief O'Connell and Lt. Suq have indicated. When you see someone perform what may as well be miracles, feats beyond that which they should be capable of, again and again you begin to put your trust and faith in them. The problem is that these Devoted," and here, her disdain began to show, dripping vitriol into her voice, "Have gone from drawing inspiration from the man, into worshiping him like some kind of god. And we've faced down one false god already. We don't need to create a new one out of a mere mortal. Talented, yes. Divine? Hardly."

Grinding her teeth, Natalie got to her point, "The moment they began taking action against the crew - from the instant that they murdered Aisha S'Iti, they went from a harmless group of officers entitled to their beliefs, looking for a port in a storm, to a threat. One that needs to be put down, and fast."

Re: Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

Reply #21 –
[ Cmdr Carrigan Trent | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

"Lieutenant Suq."  The Executive Officer had spoken quietly from his seat as his eyes bore towards the new Assistant Chief Engineer, pronouncing his rank the still correct but uncommon leftenant, as opposed to the ubiquitous lootenant.  "As Commander Stark said, do not confuse the fact we've yet to decide on an appropriate and effective course of action with regards to the fanatics among the Devoted for endorsement, let alone a lack of care from the Captain's part, or mine."

"Because this is a Starfleet vessel, and in no way is anything going around the chain of command tolerated in any way at all." 

Trent's voice was still it's usual near-whisper, but there was no hiding the hint of displeasure in his voice.  No one particularly enjoyed being called out for inaction, especially when the matter at hand was currently under discussion.  "As it stands, Lieutenant Morali wants nothing to do with these individuals who idolize him.  And any attempt for him to openly call for them to cease 'worshiping' him would be perceived, at best, as him showing godly humility; or at worst, as him being forced to recant himself by the Captain and myself and this could lead to open and widespread violence, if not outright mutiny."

Then, his pale gaze went to Captain Ives, and then towards Lieutenant Commander Wenn.  "For now, I would say that the best policy is the enforcement of regulation, the prosecution of those we catch in the act, and finding ways to disassemble what passes for their command and control and hierarchy."

Re: Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

Reply #22 –
[Dr. Hayden O’Connor| Conference Lounge| Deck 01| USS Theurgy]

Hayden was beginning to hate raktajino. She couldn't remember exactly when she had started living on the stuff, but the potent Klingon caffeinated beverage had become a blessing and a curse. Even though the medical professional in her knew it was unhealthy to rely on such a substance to keep her going, she couldn't deny it had been instrumental in giving her the energy she needed to attend to the crew's needs at all hours. Adrenaline certainly helped, but a counselor's work often began not in the midst of a crisis, but in its aftermath, when adrenaline by its nature began to lessen.

Being alert and having energy, however, didn't mean she wasn't tired, exhausted in fact.  The curse of raktajino was that she could be bone tired mentally and still feel like there was an engine inside her revved up with too many directions to turn.  It was like having a big burly Klingon sitting on her shoulders forcibly keeping her eyes open so that she looked awake.  To make matters worse, when Hayden tried to sleep, she had difficulties settling her racing thoughts so she could slip into slumber. Intellectually, she knew her reactions were understandable and not unlike what anyone else was experiencing, but emotionally, she felt compelled not to let on about it. It went without saying that overseeing the mental health needs of an entire ship was a tremendous responsibility in the best of circumstances, and obviously, circumstances were far from the best. She fought guilt particularly at night when she was consumed by thoughts of whom she should be reaching out to and hadn't, not because she didn't want to, but because she simply ran out of hours and the duty day... That was when they weren't in the battle for their lives, literally.

Hayden tried not to let herself drowned in thoughts of all of the people suffering because she or one of her staff could not reach them in time. She couldn't afford to let herself sink into those thoughts or she knew she would actually go crazy, but she would be lying if she said it wasn’t hard not to. The weight of responsibility on her shoulders was as heavy as the Klingons already resting there.

She was grateful for her small staff of counselors to support her and was thrilled beyond words when she received word one of the survivors of the Resolve was a counselor. Hayden wasn't sure what to expect from Ejek, but she knew making their meeting a priority was going to be good for everyone. Hayden offered a genuine smile and a nod to the young woman, not a substitute for an actual face-to-face meeting, of course, but it was a start. The beginning of the meeting was enough to lift Hayden's spirits a bit. It was nice to be able to fill spots in the roster as opposed to saying goodbye to people they had lost. O'Connor wasn't so naïve as to think their integration into the crew would be as easy as her words earlier had suggested, but she took small pleasure in being able to welcome new people into the fold. It was proof that some balance in the universe existed even if the universe still seemed wildly unfair. Perhaps there was a trace of ying and all in yang after all.

The spark of hope was short-lived as the discussion turned to the cult known as the Devoted. O'Connor wasn't so arrogant as to think she alone would be expected to address how to handle the group, but as the senior psychological expert, she certainly felt an obligation to weigh in meaningfully even though it wasn't her primary field of expertise. As with so many other issues aboard ship these days, however, she couldn't weigh in without confronting some of her own emotions. She had been present when Morali had awoken to his new human form, and although she hadn't been a member of the crew long when the decision was made to save his life in such a radical way, a small irrational part of her felt guilty for not fully understanding what changing who he was, physically, and subsequently, psychologically, would set into motion. Could she have done more to stop this group from ever forming? Could she have done more to support him emotionally in fact? There was no way to know any of that, but she couldn't keep herself from wondering it. On top of all of that, she felt a bit of survivor's guilt for thus far escaping the radical group’s attacks when by all rights, she would expect to be targeted as a member of the medical team who had been present.  She didn’t wish to be injured, obviously, but it was difficult to see so many others get injured and to feel helpless to stop it.

When she spoke, her words were clear, but measured.  “I agree that our best strategy, at least for now, is to enforce regulations and to prosecute those responsible for crimes.  Until we know more about the structure of the group, and the depth of their devotion, pardon the pun, we run the risk of losing any advantage we have in addressing the threat.  Right now the group appears to be fixated on Sarresh Moralli, and although I understand the temptation to use him to communicate a positive message to the group, depending on the depth of their commitment to their cause, they could just as easily turn on him if they believe he has sided with perceived enemies.  I’d like to find out more about this group and its organization.  Perhaps a better strategy would be to somehow limit any future knowledge of how he may assist us, so at the very least, his stature doesn’t rise any higher in their eyes.  My sense is, fanaticism and irrationality only increases the more beliefs are reinforced.”

Re: Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

Reply #23 –
[ Lt.Com. Martin | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

So the solution with the force shields didn’t quite work out, and Martin supposed that it was to be expected that they would be following a degree of standard protocol. After all, said protocols existed for a reason, and as much as Martin would like it to be, this was not the Resolve anymore. No, this was the Theurgy, and she might as well begin adapting to the way the ship functioned when exposed to crisis situations and the recuperation thereof. However as talk turned towards Morali and the Devoted, Martin felt frustration welling within her as the obvious solution seemed to not come up at all. “Begging your pardon sirs, but wouldn’t the best option be to have Morali disassemble the cult himself? What better way to address its hierarchy than to have it’s very prophet disband it?” She asked, as she made a strained effort to keep the edges of difficulty out of her voice.

“And… As far as the virus goes…” Switching the subject bought her some relief as she placed her isolinear drive on the table and slid it forward. “I have here collected backups of my personal work aboard the Resolve, during our time stranded in the deep regions Beta Quadrant, we were exposed to several foreign pathogens and developed some virological and bacterial research of our own, perhaps something in here can help medical develop a vaccination or treatment of some kind.”

Re: Day 02 [1000 hrs.] Senior Staff Announcement

Reply #24 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

The Devoted. It was something that sparked a fire inside Thomas as he tried to keep his cool about it. He listened to the suggestions of the other department heads first before he'd take the word himself. "Regardless if we let Morali disband the entire faction, the question will still be if the group will hear their so called prophet. Wouldn't be the first band of dimwits to splinter off." he spoke up while he tapped his fingers on the table. "If we can't properly disband the group, perhaps using Morali to our best interests could be an option? Have him steer the group back into the fold or at least have them not posing a threat to our ship and people."

"I've met acquaintance with the radicals myself last night. Unlike miss Martin, I have to report that the group has made a new casualty aboard this ship. Lieutenant Rawley was attacked with me by the cult. She's been put in stasis after cardiac arrest due to her wounds. The longer we wait with these people the worse it'll get. They demanded access to the weapons owned by TAC CONN. A troublesome development as this means the group might be arming themselves for something bigger." Thomas spoke, having the utmost trouble to keep his anger and control about him.

"Again, TAC CONN is short handed as it is with the patrols and scouting. However, I'd be willing to spare a few people if it could aid security with this matter. Like miss Stark stated, this threat needs to be dealt with swiftly. As for the virus, we're fighter pilots, so I'm afraid I have no real helping ideas for that." he concluded before he looked over at Tovarek who seemed eager to take over.


[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

"I've worked with Morali before... Chyort I was his department head for a while." he shook his head "I don't believe the man himself is responsible for this group's appearance. He's just someone trying to do the right thing with the knowledge that he has. The fact that he's now... More human doesn't help him I believe in grasping everything around him. He has gone through a rather radical metamorphosis." he said as his hands tried to amplify his words. "I mean, the man was a different species entirely before we turned him into what he is." his eyes trailed over to the captain, looking right in those oaken eyes before looking back to the other participants "I don't regret the choices we've made... The actions we've taken to hold on to this asset... However, I do think that we might have played into this situation... If I may be so bold." he sighed.

"Therefore, I agree with Lieutenant Commander Martin, we should see and check what Morali himself can do about this group. He might be the key to it, but he might also amplify the number of followers if he actively interacts with this group. I do not believe there is a right way to go about this situation, as a scientist," he paused "There are too much variables to keep into account. The situation could very well turn more volatile if we make one wrong move., especially if this group of mudaks is already seeking ways to arm themselves." Simon looked over at the Chief of Security, wondering what plans they had to halt this problem.

He sighed and shrugged "As for the viral problem," he coughed a little before he smiled "I'd be happy to look into those logs of yours Lieutenant Commander. Perhaps a set of fresh eyes might help?" he suggested. There was little more Simon could do. Sure he could take samples and investigate further with a team, yet a the rate the virus was spreading it would be a race against the clock to come up with something to work with. Perhaps even too late for some if the virus would turn deadly.


[ Ens Cameron Henshaw | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Cameron could still feel the sting of the hangover behind her eye sockets as all parties exchanged ideas and thoughts. Regardless she made sure every single bit of it was documented into a report so they could all read it over later on or use it to spark new ideas. The spiked drink Carrigan had offered her earlier on would be a God sent gift at this moment as it would make her functioning a bit easier. However, she would stand by her words as she wanted to prove to the XO that she meant what she had told him and that she could endure it. 

The ideas and suggestion were all pretty good and Cameron would be looking forward to see how everything would work out. Normally she would share her own ideas about the cult, however, the ache in her head prevented her from thinking straight. She decided to let this chance slip by for now. Should she come up with alternative ideas or suggestions, she'd pitch it by the person who needed it on a later occasion.


OOC: Free Russian translation!
Mudak = Bastard
Chyort = Damn
 
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