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Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #75 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Observation Lounge ~ Ten Forward | The Versant ~ Enterprise]
@SummerDawn @Fife @Numen @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @patches @Absinthe

Seven Days; a week.  A week since I've been relegated to suffer my existence at the hands of some sort of Purist Cult.  Seven days since I was retrieved and brought into some sort of chamber.  Since I was forced into a tube and told to pick whether I would prefer Humanity or Betazoid.  She had picked, it was pick or die.  Those were the choices....

Quote
==Flashback==

Zephyr tried not to show the Savi that she was afraid.  Even though she was.  She had been through a lot as a Starfleet officer in her career.  Horrendous Botanical experiences abounded for the young Botanist that had only recently seen her thirtieth birthday.  She stood in one of the tubes, trembling slightly as the odd language from the Savi went on around her.  As a Xenobiologist she was somewhat curious and cognizant of their bodies.  The white large heads which likely boasted large intelligent brains.  Especially so, if they were doing this kind of work on people.  To strip the DNA of half a person and replace it with what would make them pure was indeed science beyond the means of many civilizations.

Large black eyes, likely that the actual irises and muscles were hidden behind the large forms.  She was curious as she stood there waiting for the translator to come on whether they could see in color at all or not.  Many species lacked the rods and cones that made for excellent color vision. 

Then the translator initiated.

“Subject Eight One Seven, you have been selected for correction based on your hybrid nature.  You will see two buttons in front of you.  Human.  Betazoid.  You will pick one.  Failure to pick one will result in you being recycled.”

“Well that doesn't sound very comfortable.” she tried to quip, her lips and throat were dry she had been here for a while.  How long?  She couldn't even remember at this point.

“Your choice in ten... nine...” a countdown appeared on the inside of her tube and her vision swam slightly as she quickly reached up and punched one of the buttons.

The pain was the sort that was all encompassing.  Radiating from the center of her body to the fire at the end of every nerve in her body.  She had screamed until she could no longer hear the sound because her voice had gone completely.  Clawing at the smooth interior of the tube as she fought for and sought an escape.  Her body shook, shuttered, and changed.  Genes ripping and tearing themselves apart, other things being put in their places. 

This can't be right, this can't be a thing.  You're not supposed to change DNA like this.  There has to be consequences.

When it was done, she slumped down into her tube.  'Subject Eight One Seven, the process is complete you will be sent to a cell to recover.” 

Is that what I am now, subject Eight One Seven?

She couldn't even respond, she was too tired, and her body still shook.  Muscles twitched and with each one they radiated pain that made her tremble more so.  Her body felt raw, and painful, and as if she had been stripped down and put back together.  Even her joints hurt.  For once, she was glad of the warmth of a transporter beam at the hands of the Savi, it meant she didn't have to force herself to walk anywhere. 

She was naked as she materialized in the cell.  She couldn't even think straight right away.  Her mind a jumble.  So she passed out, naked, on the small bunk.  The minute cushion underneath her body did little to actually give her comfort but then she doubted that being here was going to give her any comfort what so ever.  She slept for a while.. her body raw and exhausted.  Her mind had shut down somehow though she couldn't figure out why and was too tired and push at the edges of whatever changes happened in there.

“Subject Eight One Seven.”

The voice startled Zephyr awake from her cot and she sat up.  Her mind was groggy but her body felt just a little better than before.  She had always been a resilient person.  “Your food has arrived.  You will eat or you will be recycled.”

“You know, at some point that threat is going to get old.” she said her lips, mouth, and throat dry so she was pretty sure she was the only one that heard it to begin with but still.. it had been said and she felt better for it anyway.  Sure enough, food appeared in her room.  She was still naked but then that had never truly bothered her.  Next to her on the bed, neatly folded, was some sort of gown.  She picked it up and studied it.  Hospital issue, how kind...

Pulling it on over her body she rose her arms to tie it behind her.  Each movement ached and reminded her of how sore her body was.  The food was some sort of meat, vegetables, and something to drink.  She went for that first.  Downing the entire drink until it was gone she leaned back in her bed for a moment taking a break.

“You will eat Subject Eight One Seven.”

Zeph jumped slightly, surprised, at the Voice of God that came from the speaker system in her room.  “I'm taking my time, thanks.” she said as she brushed a hand through her hair and sat up again.  Apparently, they were micromanagers.

The noise from the people around her was making her head pound.  Their emotions, as raw as her own, brushed against her still damaged mental barriers and she just lay her head down on the bar of Ten Forward.  She wasn't drinking anything, Subject Eight One Seven just lay there, closing her eyes in the sea of people that she didn't really want to talk to.  She could tell, with their various minds, that they were all Starfleet.  She knew none of them.  She knew that she should probably mingle, ask, something.  But she felt raw and she could not get rid of this headache.  The headache that came from the fact that she was no longer just a Half-Betazoid.  She had gone full Betazoid in her correction and the mental voices of those around her were assaulting her.

Come on, you have barriers, you need to get them up, it's been seven days.

Subject Eight One Seven whimpered slightly as the world went on around her.  She knew that this wasn't a ship, it was a holoprogram but she had to admit she was glad to be in her uniform.  The pips were right, it fit right, and the teal that had been her color for the last couple years made her feel that much more at home.  Her hand rose and she ran her thumb over the small bumps of her pips on her collar.   Now that they were there, back, she couldn't stop touching them.  It wasn't as though she had truly cared about them ever being there before.  But now, now they felt like they were a part of her that she needed to keep in contact with.  A part of her that was going to help her pull her mental self back together.

“You look like you could use this.”

Eight One Seven opened her eyes.  She wasn't sure if they were still the hazel-green she had grown up with or not but she was pretty sure with her correction her eyes had gone black like every other Betazoid in the universe.  She shifted her tired eyes with the circles around them to see a young man in a Engineer's Uniform.  Why is it always Engineering.  Maybe it's the beefy arms.  Maybe it's the strong chin with a color of stubble down the jawline.  Maybe it's the strength... maybe I just have a type.  He sat a drink down in front of her, and the liquid sitting in the clear glass was something that probably could have warmed her from the inside out.  At least it's not pink.

Eight One Seven drug herself up off the bar top and into a sitting position as she reached over and took the glass.  Up to this point she hadn't said a word, but it actually helped to focus on someone. 

“My name is Alistair Calhoun.” he said smoothly as he watched her take the glass in her slender Doctor's fingers and bring it to her mouth.  It wasn't real, she knew that, but anything that resembled normal life was something that helped her focus.  Reminded her of who she was.  She had been in this hell hole for Seven Days. 

“Nice name.” she said her voice sounded smooth even to her ears, perhaps it was the correction, perhaps it was just because she hadn't heard herself speak in days.  Not since day one.  Not since she hadn't needed to.  Even in the Observation Pen she had kept to herself and tried not to let the voices in her mind send her to the crazy house. 

“Could I get yours?”  That was the question wasn't it?  Could he?  Should he?  Did she remember it.  It seemed like forever ago that she was called anything other than Eight One Seven that it was almost a struggle to retain her memory of her name.  Solitary confinement along with sudden telepathic powers had definitely bot been something easily done.  She had only ever spoken mentally to one person, and he had been her best friend many years ago.  A Vulcan, they had mind melded while drunk once and became very close.  They never dated, but they were a great team.  That and the entity the Wanderer.

This was all very new to her.

“uh, it'.. “ she was cut off when the Commander began to speak.

Zeph could feel everyone, she had always been able to, feeling the room only made it a little harder for her to concentrate because she could feel all their fear, anxiety, and some of them.. their anger at the Savi.  Their desire to be free.  She wanted to be free as well and with this many Starfleet in one place it was actually possible.  They needed to find a way to get off this boat, there had to be a way.  There was a way.  Probably.  The woman asked if those that were telepathic could step forward. 

Purpose, that was all she needed.  Something to drive her forward, something to cling on to, she was rogue.  A woman without a crew.  She had left the Azurite Station.  She didn't have anywhere to call home and had no friends among these people.  Most of them seemed to know each other.  Or groups did.  She could tell that there were two full groups here.  One from two different ships.  At least, that was what it felt like. 

People were throwing around ideas, she could hear them, in her mind.  She could hear the different voices and accents and plans.  To create a riot, to make it out of here, then someone mentioned that the Savi had some sort of email that could possibly be used against them.  Zeph was not talented at computers what so ever but at the very least she was good at helping out.  She was a doctor.  Helping people... that's what makes me happy.  Helping people.  Science, Medical, just talking. That's me.  That's what I do.  That's my passion.  Zeph –One Seven felt her shoulders straighten and pull back so that she could participate.

Gotta move on Zeph.  You may not have a ship, but you have a purpose here.  You can help.  You can use your abilities for good.  You can help get out of this place.  Even if you don't survive, they might, and that's all that is needed.

Zeph slowly made her way past Alistair and through the crowd, ducking around various people until she was able to get over closer to where the woman stood by the bar.  Zeph's dark eyes looked up at the woman, and she slowly rose her hand halfway.  “I'm.. telepathic.” she stated.  It was odd to say, she had always been empathic, always and enjoyed it.  The limited telepathy that she had been given because of her run in with the Wanderer was nothing compared to the full blown telepathy but it was something she would get used to.

This wasn't going to bring her down.

She was Lieutenant Zephyr Praise.  She was not about to let this, of all things, get her down.  No, she still had to get word to the Federation about the issues and the Azurite Station.  She needed to talk to someone what had happened there, and how very un-Starfleet it is. 

“I'll help in any way that I can.” she stated as she opened herself up to the minds of those around her.  Feeling the buzz of their minds brushing over her mind and allowing anyone that wanted to, to use her as a vessel for speech.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #76 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Observation Pen/USS Enterprise NCC 1701-E - Stellar Cartography | Main Research Hull | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Masorin 
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"Killed an elephant with a kite and a key...?" Morali looked over at Hi'Jak, baffled. "Humans are entirely too weird. Its a miracle they ever made it out of their own solar system," he groused. Then he remembered, darkly, that he himself was now human. He raised one pink hand away from the controls and glared at it, offended by the skin he now lived in. He turned his hand over slowly, noting the lack of information flying across his field of vision, disoriented by the loss. Ash'reem eyes were different from human eyes on so many levels that he couldn't begin to explain, but so too were natural eyes, from the implants he'd worn since his...Resurrection.

He was pulled out of his won dark thoughts by the one armed, one eyed prisoner next to him. Blinking a few times, Sarresh turned and leaned in, letting his eyes flicker over what Jack had pulled up. Sure enough, it was an internal letter system. His eyebrows shot up. "Thats way too easy," he murmured, but wasn't about to say no. With a few commands one of the 'ships' on his visual display of the nebula circled back and exploded into a mirrored version of Jacks screen, but larger, floating in the midst of the cosmos.

"I miss you, Dotnihl." he heard Jack whisper, and yet again, Sarresh's attention was drawn away. HE'd just launched a new set of spiders (visualized as a fighter wing, swooping down on a ship floating roughly 23 degrees galactic north of the 'Versant' representation) to help gain access to a translation matrix. But that sat ignored - as too did the explanation of the more binary nature of the Savi's language, as Sarresh tried to make heads and tails out of the non sequitur he'd heard.

"What is a Dotnihl?" His response utterly useless to the task at hand, but he'd become hung up on the question. He could understand prefectly what Jack was getting at, and agreed, in regards to the Savi being rather dead inside. But no, he was latching on to the off hand utterance. Perhaps it was a sign of the anxiety and trauma already inflicted upon the time traveler, that he couldn't focus on the task at hand.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #77 –
[ Khorin, Son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai & Lt. Cross | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] Joint post with @Fife
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Att. @steelphoenix  @SummerDawn  @Auctor Lucan  @patches  @YasyraTrill  @Brutus @Absinthe @Blue Zephyr  @Anyone else in the lounge

Cross ground his teeth in frustration and anger as he stared at the Klingon's face and tried to reach out and touch the Klingon's mind with his own. After a full two minutes, he dropped his hands.

"I have no <fucking> idea how to do this!" Cross growled, pacing back and forth in agitation.

"It doesn't make sense anymore, this is already as useless as you are" Khorin barked as he grabbed Cross' arm and pulled the Vulcan to stand in front of him once more. "You dishonour yourself and me with you, Pahtak!"

Cross took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself before trying again. It failed to calm him, instead seeming to stoke the fires of his anger, but he decided to continue anyway. As Cross reached out and grasped the Klingon's head between his hands once more, he imagined wrenching it to the side, savouring the imagined sickening crunch of the Klingon's neck snapping.

He smiled darkly as he imagined how satisfying it would be.

"Now you smile? Concentrate, Vulcan!" Khorin growled, "Prove you aren't just a cowering targ with ugly pointed ears!"

"I can't concentrate with you braying like a <fucking> mule!" Cross snarled at the larger man, directing all his anger into his grip on the ridged head he currently held. "If you'd shut up for even a second, I might be able to..." Everything around him seemed to lurch...


...and then he found himself standing alone with the Klingon, no longer holding Khorin's head. Instead they stood 5 feet apart, facing each other.

As Cross looked around, he found that they were no longer in Ten Forward, or even on the Enterprise.

The greenish sunbeam entered through tall and spiked windows, revealing a twilight landscape, with the flickering lights of the First City shining in the background. The room seemed old, with thick walls and long used but resistant furniture, although scarce. A couple of beds, too small for an adult size (Considerably diminutive considering the current size of Khorin), a table too high for a child, with a three chairs underneath, a carpet made with the skin of some animal completely moth-eaten, weapons hanging from the walls.... And, totally incongruous in the midst of this austere vision, a stuffed Toby the targ.

"Just remember, we're in your mind. I have no control over this place. I'm amazed I was even able to do it." Cross told the Klingon, "You need to make sure you don't think about anything that you don't want me to see..."

"Just get us out of here" Interrupted the Klingon, his gaze fixed on the tall door that faced the windows. He knew where and, above all, WHEN they where. "Get us out of here NOW!" he roared. But it was too late, when the last echoes of his voice went out, the door opened, revealing a toddler with dark, long hair. The boy ran into the room, leaving the door ajar, uncontrollably sobbing. His little face was swollen due to the weeping and a thin thread of blood fell down the side of his forehead, drawing strange shapes between his almost imperceptible ridges. The child crossed the room staggering on his short legs, to sit on the skin in the middle of the room to take the stuffed animal, hugging him disconsolately. The adult Khorin glared furiously at Cross just as the scene faded ...


...A new image came into being around them, this time one that Cross recognized. A clean, sterile looking room with trays of medical instruments and various electronic tools and equipment scattered throughout the area. The room was dimly lit, but Cross knew it as once.

The recognition caused Cross' chest to tighten as he stared silently at the door, knowing what was to come.

The door at the far end of the room rolled open, and two Cardassians entered, dragging with them a small boy with pointed ears and the ridged nose typical of a bajoran. A third Cardassian stalked into the room behind them, carrying a large rodent by it's scruff.

Cross felt like he was going to vomit.

Khorin looked around, unnable to recognize that room "Wha...? I don't remember this, what have you..."

But Cross didn't hear the Klingon, his attention being entirely focused on the child, who was sobbing as the Cardassian scientist dangled the rodent above him.

"You keep this filthy creature as a pet?" The Scientist laughed, shaking the rodent and causing it to squeal in fear. The child tried to reach out for the scared creature, but one of the other Cardassians landed a solid kick in the child's ribs, sending him sprawling to the floor, gasping for air. The lead scientist spoke again as the child struggled up to a kneeling position. "I will not have a disgusting creature like this in my lab!" The Cardassian exclaimed, shaking it harder." The child tried to rise again, and received a kick to the face for his troubles, sending blood spurting from his damaged nose.

Cross ground his teeth as he watched, bile welling up in his throat.

The Cardassian raised the rodent above his head. Looking first at it, then the child. "It's bad enough to have one filthy creature to deal with, I don't needed another." The scientist brought the creature down with force, bashing it's head against the table with a sickening thwack. The child howled and lunged at the Cardassian, swinging his arms in a desperate bid to inflict revenge upon the grey-skinned scientist.

Cross felt the bile rising, and swallowed hard to keep it down, his eyes fixed on the child as the Cardassians kicked him in the head again. The three grey-skinned scientists laughed as the leader tossed the dead creature down in front of the child, smiling a cruel smile. "And now, you're going to eat your little friend, cross-breed." The laughter of the Cardassian's grew lauder, and they landed several more kicks before the leader grew impatient. "Eat it!"

The adult Cross turned away as the child reached forward, sobbing. Cross took a step and the room faded...


...It was a cool morning in San Francisco, the fog crawled from the bay to the residential neighborhood, giving the dull houses a dreamlike aspect, as if  they were going to blur away at any moment. A teenage Khorin, with a soft shade of peach fuzz  over his lip, frowned his thick eyebrows, looking through the kitchen window, arms folded across his brawny chest. The adult Khorin glared at Cross from the window and raised a fist like a club, to Cross's throat, which was leaning against the counter on the other side of the kitchen. "Do not even think about continuing to entangle my mind, vulcan, get us out of here before..." the phrase was interrupted by a high-pitched voice. Cross turned his focus from Khorin's looming fist to the scene unfolding before them.

"I wont go! I'm a warrior of the Mo'Kai House! I don't have to put up with the nonsense of some pujwI'! " He yelled stubbornly as soon as a human female with brown hair and slender constitution entered the room. There was a familiar resemblance between their faces, even though the teenage Khorin was already taller and heavier than the woman. "Pup, really, it's too early for this discussion again," the woman yawned, not impressed at all by the young man's bravado.

Without paying too much attention to her son, she crossed the kitchen going through the adult Khorin on the way to pour herself a coffee, her eyes still half closed. Heather Douglas sipped her mug, looking at her unmanageable son, who was frowning at the kitchen table. The woman formed a crooked grin, very similar to those usual in the klingon face.

Suddenly, without warning, he got up throwing the table to the side, which crashed into a countertop, irremediably broken. "I HATE you! If Father didn't get mad for it, I would kill you right now!" Shouted the teenage Khorin, while the adult hid his embarrassed face behind his hands, looking at the ceiling. "Yes, I WAS an idiot, can we save myself from more of this?" Grumbled.

The human shook her head and sighed, trying to keep her composure. Then she went through the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves and, without giving any external reaction, she grabbed the teenage Khorin by the ear with one of her tiny hands and forced him to lean to her height. "Like it or not, Khorin, your father died in Mempa, so you can get used to life on Earth, 'cause going back to Qo'noS is no longer an option," the woman said in a soft, almost tender tone. "And as for killing me, if you didn't do it when you were born and I was more vulnerable, you're not going to do it now, young man. Pick up this mess, you're going to the high school,  whether you want it or not. " The teenager pursed his lips, but he hunched his shoulders, defeated...

Cross looked at Khorin, having trouble imagining the full Klingon standing before him as the young, angsty half-Klingon whose tantrum he had just witnessed. He tried to push the memory away.

"Try to think of a happier memory." Cross told the Klingon. "Just be careful about...


...They suddenly found themselves standing in a patient's room in Sickbay, though not the Sickbay of the Enterprise, which they had visited earlier. Cross clenched his teeth, trying to focus on keeping them in one place, in one memory.

"Where is this?" Cross asked, "Is this the Theurgy?"

"Get out of my head, pujwI'!"

"You're the reason we're here in the first place, asshole!"

Cross saw two people in the room with them, though Cross and Khorin seemed not to be visible to the pair, who were shadows of Khorin's memory. One of the people was Khorin, though looking much less Klingon, and the other was a teal-uniformed female who looked like she could be human, and Cross guessed she was a nurse.

Cross also saw that the nurse was now straddling Khorin, who seemed to be a patient, though this is was like no patient/nurse interaction that Cross had ever seen.

I can think of one Doctor I would have liked this sort of treatment from... Cross thought with a somewhat sly grin, thinking back to his time on the Harbinger.

"Take us away from here, Vulcan!" Roared Khorin, surging towards Cross with arms outreached, his hands seeking Cross' throat. As the Klingon's strong hands closed around Cross' neck, he could hear the shadow nurse speaking, the shadow Khorin's lustful groaning before replying to the female's statement.

As the Klingon's hands constricted around his throat, he could hear the blood pounding in his ears, almost drowning out shadow Khorin's reply. "Be careful, Nurse Jenkins. You should know better than anyone that once you initiate intamacy with a Klingon, it cannot stop until he is sated."

"You need to think about something else!" Cross choked out the words, his ability to speak and breath being restricted by the full-blooded Klingon's grip.

The Khorin who currently had his hands around Cross' throat heaved him sideways, sending him staggering across the room, landing against the table. He had thrown back his arms to steady himself, and his arm right arm seemed to disappear into the bodies of the shadows of Khorin and Nurse Jenkins. The shadows had no knowledge of his presence, and continued to play out the memory, biting and growling at each other. The nurse punched shadow Khorin in the ribs, and Khorin now threw off the sheet that had covered the lower half of his body, revealing more skin than Cross had wanted to see, as well as...

Cross reeled away from the table, wanting to put distance between himself and the highly aroused shadow Khorin. Then the real Khorin was on his again, grasping his shirt with one hand and bringing his other hand crashing into the side of Cross' head in a truck-like haymaker...


Cross jolted back to reality, the shock of the imaginary blow causing him to mentally recoil, severing the telepathic link between himself and the enraged Klingon.

Staggering away from Khorin, who was still seated at the bar in Ten Forward, Cross' mind was assailed by anger like never before. Somewhere in the back of Cross' mind, he realized that he had been foolish to allow his mind to come into contact with the Klingon's, especially with his self control balancing on a knife's edge. The voice that screamed the realization from the back of his mind was silenced however, drowned out by the roaring torrent of anger and aggression that coursed through him like fire in his veins, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

Khorin had had more than enough of all  that mess. His attempt to impress the crowd not only had not gone as he wished, but had brought to the surface memories he didn't want to remember. And others that he simply wanted to keep for himself. With his hands cramped in two tight fists, the veins of his arms and neck prominently beating at the same tempo of his rage and his jaw clenched, the Klingon stood up, moving so slowly. For a moment he stayed where he was, standing, staring at Cross and shaking with barely contained fury. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he howled, throwing himself forward against the Vulcan like a wrecking ball, and crashing with him with his hands in front of him. He grabbed Cross from the collar of his uniform, lifted him off the floor and headbutted him in the most Klingon style.

Cross' nose seemed to burst as the Klingon's ridged forehead slammed into it, sending a spray of blood fountaining forth. With a feral sounding snarl Cross lashed out, his left hand grasping the Klingon's head, fingers gripping the ear and thumb squirming, seeking the eye socket. At the same time Cross' right hand balled into a fist and landed a blow on the Klingon's left temple before rearing back to launch another blow. The Vulcan was only vaguely aware of the situation, his opponent, or indeed anyone else in the room. The blinding rage had taken hold of him, and he lashed out with little regard for protecting himself, intent only on killing the focus of his anger.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #78 –
[ Captain Ives | Scion Nest | Main Research Hull | Precept-ship Versant ] Joint-Post by Triage & Auctor Lucan
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Shivering in pain, her taut nerves denied the transition of shifting, Jien Ives raised her eyes when the Scion returned to its nest.

Between the sessions of abuse upon her Chosen Form, ranging from calibrated distortion of her morphogenic matrix to being ravaged by the Savi leader, Jien had lost track of time. Not fully, knowing it had to be more than a day since the abduction, but hours? Minutes? After she'd collapsed into unconsciousness so many times, there was no way to tell for certain. She hated the fear she felt when she laid eyes on the gleaming chitin, clicking and shifting upon the monstrous figure as it moved on three legs through the large nest. She hated herself for wishing to draw back, and put distance between herself and the creature. She wanted to remain stoic, and not cover from the promise of more abuse, but after what she had endured... it became increasingly difficult to keep her wits about herself.

It is time. On your feet, she told herself, but she couldn't make herself move, shivering still. Come on. Courage is fear... Biting her teeth together, she struggled, getting back on her feet, sticky with her own blood. She'd bleed from wounds she could not close, but still... she'd stand to face her captor, and she would speak.

"You have mentioned..." she said, barely keeping her balance as she straightened - fists clenched at her sides. "...the Scion Directive of yours, and how the Savi seek to evolve beyond your inferior traits. How you artificially made the caste you belong to... It begs the question... Should you not also seek survival?"

The Scion clicked in the dim light beyond the glow of her quantum stasis field. A sound of derision. Then it spoke, it's voice piercing the darkness. "Just as you have mentioned these parasites, Aspect Maker," it said, approaching, making Jien want to flinch, to look away, but she swallowed, and clenched her fists harder where she stood in a puddle of mimicked blood. The Scion spoke anew. "How there is an immense, unseen threat undermining all that intelligent life seek to build. Threatening to raise the construct of all societies at the foundation. Several times, you have besought me to answer, begged me to recognise your claims, to believe your word. You think you can sway me with the truth you hold dear. It is all you have to offer me, and in silence, I have already refuted you."

Jien refused to surrender. There had to be some way. "You survey all species, and yet you don't see it?"

"We survey, not all of us know. Some of us, however, know more," said the creature that stalked the outer glow of the sphere, the light licking the slick hardness of the abomination's towering body. Frowning, shivering still, Jien craned her neck to meet those four black eyes, not understanding what it meant. Semathal wasn't finished. "A few of us... we know it all. We are more, having transcended the Scion Directive. We have watched you, through the eyes of our kinsmen, for those eyes were also these... staring upon you now... watching the realisation dawn in your mind."

Eyes widening, Jien knew why the creature had refuted her claims. Fukanou desu...

"Yes... It was the next step in our evolution, and we took it. There is nothing beyond the darkness which we do not touch, and there is naught in our way. Even the Alata... They are now at our mercy."

The name was lost on Jien and Semathal saw it, cruel amusement seeping into its alien voice.

"You do not know? You even had one upon your own ship, and you didn't realise it?" It sounded like it had just gleaned what it wanted to know; ascertained the degree of non-preparation the Theurgy held in regard to the nameless darkness and the infested. The lingering silence told Jien she had erred, and she had no answer. It retreated from the stasis sphere, but Jien somehow knew that it wasn't finished. "If you have not weaponized the light already... then we have no use of studying their kind."

There were noises in the dark, and then, aquamarine light illuminated all surfaces. A transport made before the stasis field, a couple of yards away, and when the light abated, the naked form of a woman lay on the dark deck. She appeared human, and Jien stumbled closer, tilting her head, voice stilled by fear for what was happening. The Radiant... McMillan. Heather McMillan.

"She revealed that the last of her kind were upon Earth," said the creature in the darkness, "which escalates our plans for the Sol System. If the last bloodline of the Gîl Naur hide at the heart of the Federation... we will carve out that heart and devour it. This specimen here... she will be but the appetiser."

Heart racing, Jien went for the officer on the deck, but the edge of the sphere held her back, inflicting debilitating pain unto her Chosen Form. She screamed, straining against the outer edge, making her arms loose coalescence. Through her teeth she tried to cry out to the prone crewmember before her. "McMillan! Wake up! Listen to me!"

"She is sedated beyond what her frail body can handle. She blinded Savi in defiance, beyond what was expected by one of her kind, pacifists as they are. Yet now, her light will shine no more."

"Heather! Wake up!" Jien refused to accept what was to happen, pushing against the wall of the sphere anew, her flesh rippling and tearing. Tears of pain welled in her eyes, her voice cracking. "Wake up!"

"Initiate purification field. Nonary setting."

Despite it all, whatever drugs were in her, it looked like Heather stirred... opening her eyes. "Cap-Captain?"

Then, a yellow energy field bathed the Radiant's form. It lasted but for a moment, which seemed to stretch on for eternity - their eyes locked through the separate containment spheres. Jien's struggles ceased in that moment. "No..."

There was a concussion in the air, and Heather McMillan disintegrated.

Not even dust remained in the dim light of the Scion Nest, the energy wave leaving naught behind.

"She was right under your nose," said the clicking voice in the darkness, "yet now, there is no hope for this Cycle."

Jien sunk to her knees, not even seeing how the Scion moved closer, about to enter the field. It's shadow fell over her, about to ravage her ruined body once more.

"We will consume you all."

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #79 –
[ Lt. R’Rori | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] @steelphoenix @SummerDawn @Fife @Numen @Auctor Lucan

R’Rori listened carefully to Deacon as he talked of their captor’s apparent mission. It unsettled hir now that he had pointed it out and s/he felt forced to agree with his last statement. “There is definitely more to this than we’ve seen. You’re right, but then again, they’ve barely treated us as sentient so far. This … Code of theirs seems to bind their behavior, but not so much their views of us. They speak of it quite frequently when they deign to speak to us.”

S/he sighed, setting both hands against the bar as s/he leaned into it and closed both eyes, both in thought and to avoid a reminder of what the former hybrid lost. “There’s little to be gleaned from dwelling on their true intentions, however, so I’ll take them at their word.”

After another moment, R’Rori’s ears flicked towards the source of a new commotion and s/he turned around to see for hirself what the hell was going on. Another sigh, longer and deeper, escaped hir as s/he saw two people wrestling with each other. S/he groaned and facepalmed when s/he realized who it was.

“Can you two follow me?” S/he asked Deacon and K’Ren, gesturing to the pair on the ground. “It’s not time for making trouble yet, I think, and we need their help later.”

Before they had a chance to respond, R’Rori bolted off through the crowd to the circle forming around Cross and Khorin, weaving around the people with the experience and skill of a person used to navigating them in crowded trauma wards to help calm out of control patients. Hir entire professional life had been in service to help others combat their inner demons, gathering arcane knowledge that s/he then used to arm hir clients with the tools to quell the impulses, the memories, and the loneliness of lives spent in space and war. Barroom brawls weren’t hir area of expertise, though, as s/he both abstained from alcohol and from fighting.

This whole stay on this ship was proving to be quite the learning experience for the counselor.

“Lieutenant Cross! Khorin! What the hell are you two doing?”

S/he called out as soon as s/he was close by and could see them. Hir voice unconsciously took on the characteristics of hir mother when they misbehaved as children. S/he moved in closer, noting the looks of pure rage on their faces. Whatever happened, the two were lost in their emotional states.

Like me when I first woke.

“K’Ren, Deacon.” R’Rori barely glanced to make sure they followed. “We need to pull these two apart. Each of you take one. Don’t get in between. You’ll just make yourself a target.”

S/he turned hir attention back to the pair fighting, grabbing one of Cross’s arms to try to keep him from swinging again at Khorin with it. “Hey! Are you two Starfleet or not? Focus on the mission. This is not the time.”

Hir last comment was said more softly, hir voice betraying some of the pain s/he was currently keeping a lid on. “Don’t let them more of who you are. Who we are.”
 

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #80 –
[ Commander Nerina | Observation Pen ~ Ten Forward | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ]
[Show/Hide]
When she had decided to take charge and try to lead the present Starfleet officers trapped on this enemy ship, Nerina had first through her affiliation with the Theurgy might have served for a lot more contention. After all, it had been obvious quite early on that there wasn't just Theurgy officers aboard the holographic Enterprise. Instead, she had people coming up to her, prepared to take orders. People she'd never met before, or at least she thought she hadn't, but after what had been done to them all, there were no certainties in that regard.

"Thank you," she said to both the Caitian and the Betazoid women that approached her, all the while as the telepaths present were spreading her suggestions through the crowd. She was just about to turn to the Betazoid and ask her to relay her previous suggestions to the Caitian and the... strange human man and woman in her company, both having a tail, and one of them even having Caitian ears. It seeemed like they were not fully Corrected yet, like she was. Her words had nearly left her mouth when there was a commotion in the lounge, and she trailed off. She slowly walked there to see what was happening, and the woman with the ears and tail wished to break up the fight with the help from the other two she had arrived with.

Yet as she watched the development, she realised that this was, perhaps, exactly what they needed.

"No, let them continue," she called out, intervening before the Vulcan and the Klingon ceas-

"What is the meaning of this?" came the succinct, rumbling query from the entrance, cutting through the noise of the lounge. Nerina's eyes drifted there, and saw the expected. The speaker was the Enterprise's Chief Security Officer. Worf was accompanied by two security officers, which seemed like a very swift response to the altercation. Looking at a Klingon after her Correction was odd for Nerina, but besides the loss and ire, the prevalent notion was how the Savi holo-program had been almost too quick in response to the development. Had it been primed to handle disruptions just to let the Savi do something else than monitor the development?

"You!" rumbled Worf as he saw Khorin Douglas, now more Klingon than Nerina remembered him from the Theurgy. "I knew you were up to something. Seize them, and take them to the Brig. I will question them myself."

The two security guards went to grab the Vulcan and Khorin Douglas, while Worf turned to the gathering. "Don't you have duties to attend to?"

"Yes, we were, before the disruption," lied Nerina to the Klingon, fighting the urge to touch her own forehead again when face to face with those impressive ridges. "We were holding a briefing here, using the locale because of its space."

Worf looked suspicious, working his jaw, but it seemed like he wouldn't break up the gathering. "Very well. Carry on."

When the security detail were leaving, Nerina didn't check on how compliant the Vulcan and Khorin were. Instead, she turned to the Betazoid. She whispered to her, but the cat-like officers were likely able to hear her too, standing right there. "It seems like that wasn't enough to grab the attention of our captors. We'll have to escalate the disruptions if we are to get transported out of this holodeck and try to work on a solution from the outside - even if we are risking our lives in the process. Spread the word to all present. We need something else. Like, causing a warp core failure. We need to make a hostile takeover of the bridge. Plant bombs. Anything bad enough that the program's own security officers can't handle."

She thought a moment. "Whatever we do on the inside... It might no be enough. We might have to risk Recycling in order to get a chance at escape. Once out, we can save those in her, but not before."

Guinan returned, she gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I will have to have the lounge back now."

Had she been heard? Regardless, time was up. She looked at the Betazoid again. "Tell them all to be creative, daring. Ask them if they rather want to loose their memories without a fight, or if they are willing to risk their lives in order to remain who they are. I can't coordinate them all, so they have to take their fates into their own hands, and show the Savi that we are will not go quietly into oblivion."

"So, so, shoo, shoo," said Guinan, still smiling, and ushering for the small crowd of people to leave.

"Despite what they have done to you all," said Nerina, eyes still locked with the Betazoid, "you are still Starfleet."

"There there, off you go," said Guinan, and gradually, the crowd left.

OOC: There! Seven days response time begins today, where you have your characters get as naughty as you feel befitting for them, unless they prefer to work on the problem of getting out in a less offensive way, unwilling to dare Recycling.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #81 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Ten Forward ]
[Show/Hide]
Att.: @steelphoenix @SummerDawn @Auctor Lucan @patches @YasyraTrill @Absinthe @Blue Zephyr @Fife @Anyone else in the lounge


Khorin struggled to push aside the hand that was determined to tear out his eye. But as much as it hurted his pride and no matter how hard he fought, the Vulcan was stronger than him. Being plently aware of it didn't help to calm his anger, it only intensified it. "A true warrior knows when to join a battle and when to flee from one" his father had told him, long years ago. But Khorin had never fully learned that lesson. It was against his temper. He grabbed with one hand that iron claw that was trying to make him one-eyed, trying to prevent it to go deeper into his eye socket, and concentrated his will on punch with his other fist Cross's cheekbone and his side over and over and over. He tried to hit anywhere that was within his reach, ready to repeat it as many times as it was necessary until the pointy-eared man released his grip. Or until he would lose the eye. Whatever would happened first. He punched with his full strength again and again, again and again until …


"Lieutenant Cross! Khorin! What the hell are you doing?" "Hey! Are you two Starfleet or not? Focus on the mission. This is not the time. "


The motherly scold penetrated into his brain like a blaster shot and momentarily calmed Khorin fury, fresh as it were in his memory the reprimands of Heather Douglas. Such was the shock of hearing that tone out loud again that he gathered enough strength to push his attacker's face away long enough to cast a puzzled look at the cat-eared woman. The one next to Neko. What was her name? R'Rory? He opened his mouth to reply something, but suddlenly he swallowed his own words with a good puff of blood when a fist impacted in his jaw and threw him several meters back, knocking down tables and stools in his path. He struggled to stand and put his jaw back in place with a awful creak. Immediately, the pilot spat a bloody phlegm before roaring "Dare to repeat it, you kind of hairless tribble!" He prepared himself to return to the brawl when a pair of strong hands emerged from nowhere, grabbing him. Douglas struggled against them, trying to break the grip, but unable to free himself.


"You!" rumbled Worf interposing between the other klingon and his opponent, "I knew you were up to something, Seize them, and take them to the Brig. I will question them myself." Khorin battled again, but the holo-officer held him firmly. After contest for a few seconds with the clamp that held him back, he turned to Worf and addressed him with bloody saw-like grin, full of contempt. "What's wrong with you, don't you dare to face a real warrior?!" he boasted, seeing that his attempts to break free were useless. "So THIS is why House of Mogh disappeared, its blood watered between cowards and dogs!" He barked, laughing like a maniac, while his captor dragged him out of the Ten-Forward. Worf's hologram didn't seem too impressed by his words, and he positioned himself at the back of the retinue, monitoring both the officers and the captives.


Khorin struggled with all his strength toward the grip that holds him, but he couldn't get rid of it and in a last act of defiance before being forced out of the room, he kicked and nudged at everything that was at his reach. He tried to made the biggest mess possible, with the worst of intentions, including a particularly malicious kick that ended up on Cross's shin. The human officer who held him pushed him forward with more force than necessary as a reprimand for this reprehensible attitude, which caused that the klingon roared furiously, making the nearby bulkheads rattle. But it was a useless gesture because, without further ado, they crossed the threshold and the door closed behind the back of the Enterprise's Chief Security Officer.




Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Moments later| Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Corridors ]
Att.: @Fife



Khorin fighted to release himself all the way through the corridors. He had tried everything that had occurred to him, no matter how mean it were. He had left his body felt like a dead weight for several minutes, so the security officer had to drag his muscular frame various meters, to suddenly find that the pilot was stirring like a wild horse, trying to break free. He nudged, kicked, tried to hit the human who held him in every way possible, he shouted, roared and spat but, even though the hologram wobbled and shook with the Klingon's escape attempts, he didn't seem to loosen his grip at any time. Finally after all his unsuccessful struggles, he had nothing left but yield to the evidence. The Savi knew what they were doing and had programmed that kind of simulation firewall just strong enough to hold them without hurting them. Just enough to made him participate in that charade without being able to present real opposition. A low growl emerged from Khorin's broad chest, denoting his exasperation.


"bIjatlh 'e' yImev!" Worf barked at his back. "Shut up my ass!" Thundered Khorin as answer, returning to his attempts to break free from the stocks that held him. Again, it was useless. This only enraged him again, although this time not with the blind fury that had gripped him in the lounge, but with the outrage that impotence had always caused him, being under someone else's control when he wasn't agreement. Khorin had spent his whole life trying to be a Klingon, more Klingon even than the full Klingons themselves, honoring their tradition of winning honor by victory, whether it was in a bar fight or in his fighter cockpit. And he had mastered it. He was good at it, he was damn good, he was a shoo-in. Because of this, he had forgotten to a certain extent what it meant to lose, but since his abduction, his captors had insisted on reminding him that he couldn't always win. And they were demonically given to show him how helpless he was in their hands too. Being at the mercy of others bothered him as much as a kick in the testes. Or rather in the ego, what was practically the same.


He couldn't surrender. Comply like a sheep heading to the butcher? Never! He pulled his arms again, let himself fall toward the center of the corridor, hitting Cross's shoulder in his path, who responded to the hostile gesture with a furious gaze. He kicked his captor and when he pulled away to avoid it, he pulled forward. For a moment he managed to release one of his hands, which made him grin and prepared to make the hologram paid for his care when ... when holo-Worf grabbed his arm and twisted it to his back and, without even giving him a second glance, he returned to deliver him to the security officer who had been escorting him.


"bIHnuch take hostages. Klingons do not! "Khorin roared, unable to do much more than verbally attack the other klingon. Chief Officer turned a moment to give him a weary look. "If I were only a Klingon I would have killed you long ago, rookie. But I am a Starfleet officer. Are you one? "He chastised with deep voice.


The words echoed in Khorin's brain with the voice of Officer R'Rory. He was certainly a Starfleet officer. He hadn't forgotten it. And as such, his first goal was to escape from that shit-hole. And try to rescue all the others he could. That a parody of one of his childhood heroes reminded him that fact didn't help to calm his mood. The pilot struggled again for a moment, only to show that he was not willing to make things easy for anyone, no matter how much they were right about the situation. Then he just kept going, and tried to get his anger-clouded brain to think.


Starting a brawl hadn't been enough to be beamed out to recycling, so they should take more extreme measures. A real riot, threatening to burst that mockery of the Enterprise, or something worst, whatever it takes. The Klingon frowned sullenly, between determination and stubbornness. He would do whatever it took. Although for this, he had to liberate himself first. And if possible before reaching the brig, or any attempt to get out of there before they erased their memory would be totally useless. He tried to look for the eyes of the vulcan, they needed ideas and needed them now. However, Cross seemed to face the front stubbornly, not deigning to look at him. As if he were the one who had real reasons to be angry. Khorin seethed and turned his gaze to the corridor, growling lowly, only to see how a young redshirt watched the retinue, hesitant and meekly. They couldn't wait for help from her, he would have to think another thing …



bIHnuch - coward
bIjatlh 'e' yImev! - Shut up!

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #82 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Ten Foward | USS Enterprise | Distractions Necessary]
@Auctor Lucan @patches @Numen @YasyraTrill @Absinthe

She gave a nod to the woman, for the thanks.  Zeph was not sure what she could do here but she was willing to put her mind to work.  She had never been one to shy from doing what was needed or being busy.  She preferred busy to sitting around with nothing to do.  If she had been forced to 'correct' herself to a full Betazoid she might as well use the newfound abilities and try to suss out how they worked.  They likely weren't all that different from using her Empathy, though that was just background noise, it wasn't something she tapped into all the time unless it was necessary.  Right now, she could feel the anger, the sadness, the shock, and the fear emanating like waves off of the people in the Holodeck.  She felt the fight before it even started.

Zeph was not going to let anyone get hurt.  Not only as a Medical Doctor but also as someone that was empathic.  She didn't need the pain on her brain right now.  More than that, she didn't really want anyone to get hurt.  A Klingon could do a lot of damage and so could a Vulcan.  They were both strong, angry, and in their own ways; self righteous.

Another person came in, Zeph's eyes shifted, their dark orbs narrowing down on the sudden appearance of another Klingon, one she didn't know.  He was dressed in Security colors and apparently not a fan of the little scuffle that was going on to the side.  He reminds me of Kor.. she thought to herself as she watched the angry Klingon head over to the fighters.  Since this was all a Holodeck, even Zephyr realized how quickly everything was put to a stop.  A small fight, like that, held nothing that would actually stop the simulation.  Since this was likely just a holding pen for those that were destined to die or whatever.  That was, at least, what Zephyr was imagining though she didn't have any kind of idea if it was true.  She highly doubted their kind hosts were going to drop them on the Federation's door step with a note that said to feed, water, and take care of them. 

Zephyr could hear the voice of the woman in her ear, so she stood there and concentrated on it, which was remarkably hard with all the new abilities roaming around in her head.  All these neural pathways that she had to learn, to stretch, to grow, to control.  It wasn't easy.  She had only been slightly telepathic before, only to other telepathic species, and also, only with touch and close relationships.  She couldn't just talk to anyway, it had always only been her best friend.  But then, now, she had a whole different kind of telepathy.  It was open, raw, and harsh.  Luckily it would likely be able to be controlled by the same methods she used for her empathy if she could just have the time to concentrate and go through the exercises.  Right now, it was focus time, time for fixing her mental abilities would have to wait.

Nerina was right, though, they needed something far bigger than a small brawl to get the program to end and they could actually possibly get out.  The woman even mentioned that they might have to risk being recycled so that others could live.  Zeph was fine with that, she didn't have anyone to life for anyway.  Not that it made her life count less but there were others with families, children, wives, husbands, that would be looking for them.  Zeph had none of that, she hadn't had a relationship in years.  She had almost; once, a few months ago but then things happened and it had never culminated to anything.

Another woman came into the room and explained that she needed her lounge back.  Zeph looked over at her and then back at Nerina.  Zeph's dark eyes met the woman's and she gave a quick nod.  She didn't want her to think that she hadn't heard, she had.  She was on her side, and she would do her best to give Nerina's message to everyone that she could.  Hopefully, they could get a plan together.  Zephyr stepped back into the main area, and looked around at all the people.  It was a lot of minds to touch at once, but it would be easier.  If she only did one at a time it would be obvious that she was up to something.  So she moved back to the bar where her drink sat untouched and Alistair perked up at her sudden arrival back.

“You look better.” He said with a bright grin.

She gave a bit of a smirk back.  “Purpose does that.” she said as she sat back down and picked up drink.  Large scale, Zeph, this will probably hurt.

She didn't close her eyes, again, that would be too obvious and it wasn't like she hadn't ever used telepathy or wide spread empathy before.  She just hadn't used it to this extent.  Taking a deep breath she allowed her mind to reach out.  Expanding outward like slow ripples, small waves, letting it latch onto the minds of those around her.

~To all, a message from Nerina.  We need ideas, to create a distraction larger than a fight.  A bomb on the bridge, a warp core malfunction, something to stop the simulation to force the Savi to put us back where we actually are and allow for us to make a move.  All ideas are welcome.  We need to keep this quiet, I am the liaison.  Speak to me and I will speak to Nerina if possible.  We have to figure this out, to save our lives, and the lives of all of those around us.~

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #83 –
[ Lt. Cross | Corridors | USS Enterprise NNC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] @Auctor Lucan @Numen

Hearing the exchange between the two Klingons brought Cross out of his silent fuming. He had been struggling to get his anger back in check, had almost succeeded, but the shouting between the two ridge-headed bastards caused it to surge forth anew. Cross cursed under his breath as the security officer holding his arms forced him forward along the corridor, his mind still somewhat clouded by the rage than had stemmed form his telepathic link with the Klingon, though not as much as it had been. He had been trying to kill Khorin, trying to gouge his eye out, but someone had grabbed him, spoken to him. They had spoken sternly at first, then more softly. He had not paid attention, had barely heard them over the pounding force of his anger, though the voice had seemed familiar. Someone he knew.

Something about Starfleet…

Cross finally turned his eyes to his right, where another security officer had Khorin’s arms wrenched behind his back, just as Cross’ were. They were in the same predicament, both being dragged off to the brig. Khorin had lashed out as they were being dragged out of Ten Forward be the security team, landing the blow on Cross’ shin, which still throbbed as he walked. Cross turned his gaze behind them, twisting awkwardly against the security officer’s grasp to face the other Klingon who brought up the rear.

The holograms… Cross was barely aware of his thought, the anger he felt at being restrained only fuelling the fire of his rage. Cross suddenly lashed out behind him, throwing his head backwards, and though it failed to cause his release, he was rewarded with the satisfying crunch of the Bolian security officer’s nose.

Fucking holograms! He thought. Smiling savagely, Cross threw his head back again, hoping to land another hit, but the security officer had adjusted his position, and avoided the strike.

”Are you two Starfleet or aren’t you? Focus on the mission.” The voice seemed to echo in his mind, louder now, more noticeable through the rage.

Who was it? The voice was familiar, though it didn’t sound quite as he remembered.

”Are you two Starfleet or aren’t you?” The voice echoed again, louder this time. The voice cut through the fog of anger that clouded his mind, not dispersing the rage that coursed through him, but focusing it.

Are we Starfleet or aren’t we? The thought repeated several times in Cross’ head, each time with a little more clarity. R’Rori? His mind finally made the connection. Anger still threatened to overtake him, but he had his senses back now. I owe the councillor a drink after this…

Cross looked to Khorin once more. ”I thought Klingons were supposed to have honour!” Cross snarled, ”But I see one behind us that acts like snivelling <fucking> coward!” Cross sneered the word, nodding in Worf’s direction.

”Be quiet!” Worf barked over his shoulder, annoyance clear in his tone. The Bolian security officer shoved Cross more roughly in an attempt to make him comply. Cross glared over his shoulder at Worf as they continued down the corridor. He saw movement ahead, someone in red walking in the corridor, heading towards them. The red uniform paused, seeming to hesitate at the sight of the security detail escorting an angry Klingon and a bloody Vulcan, then resumed walking towards them, making to pass by.

”He’s too <fucking> scared to get his hands dirty! He needs a Bolian and a Human to fight his battles for him!” Cross pressed on, goading the Chief of Security.

”Silence!” This time Worf strode forward and grabbed Cross be the shoulder, striking Cross with an open hand. Worf glowered at them a moment longer as he growled in frustration, his jaw clenched as he tried to reign in his temper. ”If you were not Starfleet officers I would kill you where you stand!” Growling again, he jerked his head to the side, indicating to the security team to resume walking. As he turned away from Cross to continue on, he collided with the spotted woman in the red uniform. ”Watch where you’re going!” Worf barked at the woman, causing her to flinch.

“Sorry, sir!” The woman squeaked in apology, turning away from him as if to scurry away meekly down the corridor.

Then she raised the phaser she had taken from Worf’s holster and fired, sending a beam streaking into the human security officer that was restraining Khorin. Cross smiled conspiratorially at PO Narelle as the security officer she had shot jerked backwards, losing his grasp on the Klingon prisoner. Cross twisted himself and threw all his weight to the side, throwing his startled captor off balance and causing himself and the security officer restraining him to crash into the bulkhead. He heard the Bolian grunt in surprise and pain, but the hold on his arms did not slacken. Worf had turned in confusion, looking back at the Trill Petty Officer who had downed one of his security team, foolishly turning his back on the now unrestrained Khorin in the chaos of the moment. Narelle had turned to aim the phaser at the Klingon security officer, but Worf had already lashed out before she could take aim, knocking the phaser aside and surging forward to restrain the Trill NCO.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #84 –
[ Deacon | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E Simulation | Precept-ship Versant (Observation Pen) ] @SummerDawn  @patches  @Auctor Lucan  @Absinthe @Fife  @Numen @Masorin

Deacon watched the unfolding brawl with some vague sense of detachment. Perhaps it was the medication that had muted his ability to sense the emotions of those around him, going so far as to numb those he might otherwise experience himself, or perhaps it was the realization that these two seemed lost in the very same chaos that had afflicted him earlier.  Either way, it was sobering, drawing a faint frown from his lips even as R'Rori rushed to intervene.  He'd taken a step to follow after her, convinced that such wanton disregard for the social norms of a Federation vessel, even simulated, would not go unpunished.  If he was, in fact, meant to be an employee of this establishment as the holographic doctor had implied, then perhaps his voice might carry some level of authority, even off duty as he was supposed to be.

Before he could intervene, however, the doors parted revealing a security team that quickly moved to intercept the two and drag them away.  Deacon's face screwed up slightly as he regarded the scene.  It seemed entirely too rapid a response for an actual vessel to deploy, which meant that any such interference as recommended by the one called Nerina would need to be swift and decisive beyond the ability of the simulation to compensate with the usual fair.  Whatever they did would need to be above and beyond.

It was fortune that R'Rori, herself, had avoided detention by the security forces.  Likely the program recognized her efforts to end the altercation and deemed her non-threatening.  And then the proprietor arrived -- a dark skinned humanoid female, the backbrim of a long hat cascading down over a series of dreadlocks.  She efficiently ushered those gathered from the venue, her tone giving a none-too-subtle hint that she was to be obeyed lest far worse fates than intervention by security forces befall those who might think to resist.  Even Deacon was evicted, the female adding that a Dr. Crusher had arranged for the rest of the day off for him to recover from whatever illness had befallen him and he wasn't to show up for work until he'd secured the doctor's clearance.

He supposed it was to be expected. 

Reunited with K'Ren and R'Rori outside, he addressed the pair, his voice soft, conspiratorial, "That was rapid, but it was also an obvious display of aggression.  Something the simulation seems designed to anticipate and stop.  So, if we're going forward with this, we need to keep things quiet until we are ready and then escalate events beyond the ability of the holographic systems to compensate."  Lifting his head, he looked down the hall in the direction that the security guards gone, the rowdy klingon and vulcan in tow.  "I recommend we follow them.  I might be able to convince security that no harm was done and that they've... learned their lesson."

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #85 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Corridors ]
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Att.: @Auctor Lucan @Fife 



When he felt that his captor loosen his grip, Khorin didn't think twice. He threw a headbutt back with all the momentum he could muster, finally releasing himself. A ferocious smile split his face in two as he turned to face the human. He threw himself against him like a gale, incrusting his elbow against the human's diaphragm, the security officer doubled, without air, only to receive a forceful knee in the face that threw his head back, until hitting the bulkheads. The wet sound it produced announced that, no matter how holographic they were, their enemies also bled. The Klingon didn't waste an instant and didn't allow the human to catch his breath, charging with his shoulder in front of him to finally knock him down. With his knees on the human chest, Khorin frantically beat the officer, until an agonized gurgle claimed that his rival was, at the very least, unconscious.


Without rest, he searched the immobile body of his adversary trying to found the mandatory phaser, but he couldn't find it anywhere. The Wolf grunted his frustration and sat up staggering, searching for the weapon. It should have been blazed past during the initial clash. He leaned on the side of the aisle and his hand left a red blotch on the wall.


Around him, the evasion had escalated quickly, Cross struggled against the bolian, using all his arsenal to get rid of his captor. Stains of blue and green blood smeared the area where they fought. They looked like two rabid Targs fighting for a territory. A little farther, the trill that had fired at the human, backed slowly. Despite her determined gaze, she was being cornered by Worf. The petty officer repeatedly fired her phaser, lighting the corridor with sudden flashes of light, but the Chief Security Officer managed to dodge them again and again, moving with unnatural agility.


Khorin forgot the phaser, Cross and the human who lay sprawled on the ground and threw himself against the other klingon. A primitive warcry resonated in his broad chest, which warned Worf of his charge. He turned just in time to see how a ridged forehead struck against his skull. Unable to stop the inertia of the movement, they stumbled on a skein of limbs that rolled several meters before end the movement. Fortunately for the pilot, he managed to straddle the enemy, winning a first flurry of punches. But the Chief of Security didn't remain idle for a long time and quickly grabbed one of Khorin's wrists and rammed a punch like a cannon shot into the younger klingon's jaw. Khorin noticed how his battered maxilla crunched again. In response, he spat a hodgepodge of blood and saliva into Worf's eyes. The distraction didn't last long, and soon they both struggled again, one to free himself from the grapple and the other to hold his opponent against the bulkheads. Little by little Worf was gaining ground to Khorin's despair, the hands of both were intertwined, preventing both from striking any blow, while the legs of the pilot struggled to keep the other Klingon against the ground. Desperate, he resorted to the only weapon he had left and, when he saw the opportunity, he dealt several blows to Worf's skull, trying to hit a shattering blow in his tricipital lobe. He didn't succeed, but after several replays the security chief seemed to be severely stunned. Khorin scurried to the side, dizzy, hitting the floor with a painful drop. He stayed still there for a few seconds, trying to make the world stop spinning around his head, when he saw it. The human's phaser. Only few meters away, if he just crawled a bit and stretched his arm... a claw grabbed his calf, driving its nails through his uniform. The pilot roared in pain and frustration and used his free leg to kick his enemy desperately, missing more than half of the blows. But his intention was only to distract him long enough. Dragging Worf's, and his own weight, he struggled forward, until his fingers brushed the phaser's grip. But the blood that stained his hands made the weapon slip from between his fingers and roll a little farther, out of reach. The older klingon wasted no time in immobilizing one of Khorin's arms and his legs, proceeding to try to strangle him. The young klingon fighted madly, trying to reach for the weapon, free himself and breathe at the same time. Time seemed to expand infinitely as he tried to stretch out his arm as much as possible and Worf's grip closed ferociously on his throat.


Khorin choked while several black dots threatened to cloud his vision. Then his fingers closed around the phaser. With the strength born of desperation, the pilot turned around himself enough to shoot point-blank at his enemy in the middle of face. Worf's dead weight fell on Lone Wolf, ripping the little air left in his lungs. For a few moments he just stayed still and tried to silence the drumming of his heartbeat in his ears.


When the world stopped spinning around him, he got rid of the security officer and stood up, unsure. Cross was still brawling with the bolian, his battle so wild that it prevented the petty officer from having a clear line of fire to knock out the hologram. Khorin swayed toward them, trying to hold one of them, keep them still long enough for the Trill to have an appropriate angle shot. He tried to do it several times, but he was so dizzy that when he managed to move his arms, the fighters were no longer where he expected. On the third attempt, his dazed brain realized that he still had the phaser in his hand. He aimed quickly and fired. The corridor briefly lit up and a body fell to the floor with a dull sound. "I'm sorry, dude," he said in a raspy voice, "I almost shot you instead of the hologram." Khorin laughed, but his guffaws were interrupted by a fit of coughing.


When he managed to catch his breath again, panting slightly, he composed a crooked grin, which showed too much blood and that one of his new teeth had split in the fray. The three abductees looked at each other for a couple of minutes, catching their breath. "If you're ready, we must work our butt off to get to the armory. Since the weapons seems to work against the holograms but not against us we must armed ourselves to the teeth before continuing with our plan. The Bridge or the Warp Core are the most exposed places to make a truly dangerous attack, then we should head there" he said with a hoarse and aggressive tone. "Even if we overload these ... three phasers, we can blow up a good section of the starship, we just have to choose where they will do more damage. Let's go! "He added. Straightaway the Wolf turned back to the petty officer, crossed the distance between them in a couple of strides and patted her back appreciatively. "Thank you for the help, miss." After this, he made his way down the corridor, but soon Khorin staggered and had to lean back against the wall, barely able to breathe. He quickly regained his breath and kept going, at a slower pace, but determined to comply with the plan.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #86 –
[ Lt. R'Rori | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] @Blue Zephyr @steelphoenix @SummerDawn

The fight’s sudden interruption by holographic Security officers should have been fully expected, in retrospect, R’Rori mused, but given the severity of the threat that the Savi posed to the crew, it was still surprising that they weren’t just beamed out for Recycling. S/he supposed it meant that the simulation was built to accommodate some degree of aggression from the captives. That posed an interesting question of how much their captors knew of their psychology or if they just reacted automatically from previous experience.

Hir eyes narrowed at the thought of what that previous experience meant. This was obviously something they did enough times that there were regulations and rules for it.

There was a voice in hir head that s/he didn’t recognize, speaking of Nerina’s requirements and ideas. It was a feminine mental voice, so not the lad that stopped by hir group earlier and s/he looked around, hir gaze settling on the bar. There were a few there that lingered before getting shooed out. S/he suspected one of them.

Figures. “Speak to me” and she doesn’t bother to actually describe or identify herself. I suppose she just expects to pick up thoughts directed at her. Hey, you! Can you hear me?

R’Rori didn’t expect any reaction from it, but s/he walked over to the bar anyway, nodding at Deacon’s suggestion to meet up outside. There was one woman there that ticked some indefinable box for the former Caitian hybrid, mostly because it didn’t look like she was in as much of a hurry to get going as the rest. R’Rori sidled up to the blue-uniformed woman and tapped her on the arm gently.

“Hi there. I’m Lieutenant R’Rori. I am, well was, the chief counselor on the Endeavour. Were you the one sending out a mass message just now?” S/he smiled politely. "If so, would you like to come with us? I think another new friend for our group will be useful, especially with that talent."

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #87 –
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Observation Pen ~ Ten Forward | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ]
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After their walk down to Ten Forward, Devyrie and Laurel had spoken and caught up on the large brushstrokes about what the both of them had endured before and after the abduction. Now, as Devyrie and her sister had watched the development with the Klingon and Vulcan - the former being one of her fellow Lone Wolves - the understanding that there wouldn't be an easy escape from the holo-program had dawned on her.

She bit her teeth together, trying to remember some of her father's teachings despite the madness of the situation and what she had personally endured, but it was not until after the proprietor of Ten Forward had ushered them out into the corridor that she decided on something, but she had no idea if her sister was up for it.

"I suggest we head to Engineering," she said to Laurel, folding her arms underneath her chest and frowning in thought, green eyes on the deck. "I think I picked up enough in the Academy to know how to compromise the warp core. I am sure there are weapon lockers on this ship too, from which we can get hand phasers and rifles."

Having overheard them, the former First Officer of the Theurgy walked up to them as well. Nerina looked as determined as Devyrie felt. "Excellent idea, officer. There is another officer aboard that didn't make it here in time. I will inform him what needs to be done, and he might be able to meet us there. I will just speak with the other group. Go ahead, I will catch up with you."

"Yes, Commander," said Devyrie to Nerina, her frown still there, but with purpose came resolve. "Sister, are you ready to end this farce?"

While the older sister led the way, Nerina had walked up to the humans with tails, the Caitian and the teal-collared woman they were speaking with. "Could you try to free those two that were apprehended, arm yourselves, and come to engineering afterwards. We might have an inside man there that can give us access. Better yet, he is also a holographic specialist, so he might just be the edge we need to end this simulation."

Devyrie didn't hear the answer, already well on her way towards the Sovreign-class holo-ship's warp core.

OOC: All right, new destination: Main Engineering! Of course, entirely optional if you guys have other ideas. :)

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #88 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | USS Enterprise | Ten Forward |  Unknown Savi Ship]
@patches @steelphoenix @SummerDawn


Zephyr had not thought to give a description of herself when it came to her mental commands from the woman named Nerina.  She had not ever been largely telepathic before.  Only being touch telepath with a best friend she hadn't seen in a very long time.  She didn't know how it worked, people figuring out who was talking to them.  Still, she had always supposed it was because she felt when people were talking to her.  Empathy went a long way in helping her locate people like that.  She could feel intent, and direction, and their destination in a way.  It was an odd feeling.  But something she supposed, she had gotten overly used to.

No one responded to her, not a single person looked at her, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.  She had given out a message and for the most part they all seemed as though they didn't hear her what so ever.  Maybe she wasn't good at telepathy, she thought she knew how to use it but maybe she was absolutely wrong with it.  Maybe she didn't know what she was doing even though she thought it might be similar to empathy or the slight very very slight telepathy she had used in the past.  Maybe she was only touch telepath too.  Something went wrong and she needed to go through touching people to give them their message.  Zeph definitely wanted to help, it was ingrained in her, she was just the sort that jumped to action instead of hiding out.

She just had to figure out how to do that this time.

“Do you need a fresh drink?”  Alistair asked curiously.

Zeph winced.  “No.  I don't want to get drunk.” she admitted as she looked at her now empty glass of whatever it was he had given to her in the first place.

“I'm sure there are Quarters we could use on this ship, have a little.. get-to-know-each-other time, if you know what I mean.” He winked at her.

Ugh gross sleezy engineers.

“If you are even remotely in the mood to fuck right now, you're a bent individual.” she said firmly and quickly.

Alistair's eyes widened in surprise.  “I didn't mean t-....”

A woman came over to speak, Zeph turned her attention from the over excited engineer to the woman who seemed to want to speak.  She had been Caitian .. or something.  It was hard to tell but the woman still had a tale even though she wasn't covered in fur.  Still, Zeph looked up at the woman from her seat as she introduced herself as R'Rori.  She stated she had come from a ship called the Endeavour.  Zephyr wondered if they all had or if it was several different ships but one thing she did know was there was a large number of Starfleet in here. 

It seemed that she had been found out after all, which meant that her message had gone out even if not everyone seemed to hear it.  Maybe they were all just very good at pretending that they didn't hear it so that they could continue to be on their own without raising suspicion.  Her brow rose slowly on her face.  “That would be me, yes.  I'm just glad it worked.  I wasn't sure it would on such a large scale.”

The woman offered her to come with the Caitian and another.  That they were getting together a group and someone with her abilities might be useful.  Zeph was glad to be asked, she wasn't good with just sitting around and trying to entertain herself.  It had never been good for her.  She had so many other things she wanted to do in life.  Honestly, and she didn't want to end here.

“I would love to.”

She slid off of the bar and didn't give a second thought to leaving Alistair behind until... “Come too, Alistair, we might make you useful yet.” she said quickly as he hopped off of the stool. 

“Yes Ma'am!” he chimed in quickly just eager to get after things.  He was an Engineer anyway and he might be helpful.  She could do all sorts of things with plants and she could fix just about anyone up.  But, she wasn't sure that it was going to come in handy. Though, with the fact she could treat people meant she could harm them too, but it was against every oath she had ever taken.

As they stepped into the corridor she heard another officer speaking about following the Security officers.  That perhaps that was something they should do.  Zeph thought about the possibilities of that, what could they accomplish from it all. 

“It's possible, but what would we gain from getting them back?  Our best shot might be to use them as the distraction that they are, hoping Security is now tied up and busy while we go do something else.  Storm the bridge, take control, overload the warp core, do something,... anything that could maybe kill the system getting us out of the holoprogram and onto a deck that we could possibly get out of.” she said giving her own thoughts into the mix.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #89 –
[ Ensign Lin Kae | Observation Pen ~ Shuttle Bay | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @Triage @Masorin
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At odds with the whole situation, frankly terrified but keeping it together as best as he might, the Bajoran looked around the corridor, checking the faces of the people he passed by. He had spoken with Nerina about an hour ago, which was odd in itself since last he knew, she was supposed to have been in stasis. Then again... the last memory he had was from Main Engineering on the Theurgy, where he had suffered an EPS conduit rupture and lost one arm. The last thing he saw was Amelya Duv, the Doctor from the Harbinger, and then... Nothing. Darkness...

...until the Resequence Pod, and the choice. The procedure, and then... this highly advanced holodeck.

Ensign Lin Kae roamed the corridor towards a specific area, one that Nerina had just told him to go to - supposedly to see a familiar face. On the way there, he saw no one he recognised, but because of the Corrections that had taken place, he could very well have walked straight past people from the Theurgy without noticing them. Eventually, however, he reached the area that Nerina had told him about, where she had learned that someone from the Theurgy ought to be.

He emerged into the shuttle bay of the holographic Enterprise, looking around. It was almost empty at this point, rows of shuttles taking up the expanse of the area. But towards one side, he saw a man and a woman, the woman yanking a straight jacket off the man. Lin Kae frowned, seeing that they were both still naked after their Correction, or whatever they had endured. From that distance, Lin Kae couldn't make out their faces, but they were obviously not a part of the holo program.

Further away, the table from an hour earlier remained, and Miles O'Brien was still present, with uniforms and other Ops officers. They were obviously waiting for the man and woman to make their way to them and get their uniforms, but there was no telling if the two were the last to arrive from the Savi experiments. Lin Kae thought a moment, then set his pace towards the table and the awaiting officers.

"Chief," he said in greeting to the hologram. Given his own profession, he always made it a point to be polite to holograms. "Do you know who those two are? Would you mind if I bring them their uniforms?"

O'Brien looked surprised at the request, but shrugged. "Sure Ensign. Computer, who are the officers next to the Type-11 shuttles?"

[Ensign Nathaniel Isley and Junior Lieutenant Sinead O'Riley,] said the voice of the Enterprise's computer, sounding nothing like Thea. Lin Kae couldn't wait to get back to the Theurgy, to try and make things better between him and the Ship A.I. again. First, he had to get off this nightmarish ship, and then try to find her, wherever she was.

"Here you go, Ensign," said Chief O'Brien, who had looked through his PADD and picked out uniforms for Isley and this O'Riley, whom Lin Kae had never heard about. The former was a fighter pilot, this he knew, yet since there was no Tactical CONN representation on the Enterprise, the man had just been given a red-collared uniform, designated for the CONN department.

"Thank you," said Lin Kae, and walked towards the two figures further off in the shuttle bay. He approached them slowly enough to let them see him, not wishing to startle them. He tried to keep his eyes from wandering too much over them, and cleared his throat once he got within earshot. "Hi... I'm Lin Kae, of the Theurgy. We have started to organise ourselves, to try and escape as best as we might. If you want to get off this ship, you should get dressed and follow me. We're heading to Main Engineering. How..."

He paused, looking at them again, trying to see how agitated they were after what they had endured. "How are you?"

OOC: Since Isley and O'Riley are still in the shuttle bay despite the earlier time-jump of one hour, let's have them arrive there late. Hope this helps getting things underway!

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #90 –
[ Deacon | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E Simulation | Precept-ship Versant (Observation Pen) ] @SummerDawn  @patches  @Auctor Lucan  @Absinthe @Fife  @Numen @Masorin @Blue Zephyr

Deacon watched as their new-found ally quietly turned and lost herself amidst the crowd departing from Ten Forward, returning moments later with others in tow, prompting Deacon to stifle a faint curse in the back of his throat.  The idea was to remain discreet and rendezvous with the klingon and the vulcan.  He'd only just stated that it was necessary to keep their gathering small to avoid undue attention in the meantime, and now the group seemed to be growing by the minute.

He considered this turn and how best to play it to their advantage, an idea taking shape in his head.  But how best to present it?  It was fortunate, he supposed, that his education among the priesthood had required some knowledge of the religious histories of the Federation worlds.  Humans had a ridiculous number of religious traditions to draw from -- he could only hope they were common enough knowledge among the Federation crew members to prove worthwhile.

Tapping his communication badge, which seemed appropriate even given his civilian attire, he spoke, "Jack?  Deacon.  I've given some thought to our past discussions and it occurs to me that the answer comes in different flavors.  First, the hydra only has so many heads.  Second, the eye can look out, but never in.  Our desire to convey our experiences to others can sometimes only be reenacted.  I've heard tales of the past encounters of our friends.  Perhaps we could... train our new shipmates?  Better prepare them for what we've experienced.  Sort of surprise them as our friends were... give them the true feel of the moment."

He gazed at those around him and added, "I'll leave the details to you. I'm sure you'll come up with something lovely.  I'm going to arrange some other festivities this side.  Hope you can attend."  Tapping his badge once more, he closed the channel and, giving a look to those gathered around him, he turned and set pace after the security team that had absconded with the would be combatants from Ten Forward.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #91 –
[Ens Nathanial "Icarus" Isley |  Observation Pen | the Versant ~ Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @Triage  @Auctor Lucan
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When Sinead finally loosened the restraints that were holding him back, Nathan felt his arms get free, and in that moment he did the one thing he had been desiring to do since he had started talking to the woman.

He scratched himself. Nathan spent a good minute scratching his body as the innumerable itches that had been sustained during the time he was locked up and the agitation to his skin from all of the mixes of drugs finally wore away leaving nothing but white marks on his skin as he listened to Sinead talk. For the most part, or at least the parts he could understand he was in agreement breaking the necks of their captors would be a right happy thing to do at this point.

When she said her mind wasn't fully her own he nodded. Some people may have been frightened by the prospect of someone who wasn't in full control over their body and mind, but for Nathan that was pretty much how he had been living for the past few weeks. In a perpetual state of horror and anger at his own unwilling actions after having been turned into a weapon, and now as a romulan everything he felt was amplified. Including one feeling he hadn't noticed when he had been completely tied up, as his thoughts extended past his own now thankfully naked body, and over to hers. Sinead, this woman was attractive, she had good curves, small but perky breasts, in another situation he would ravish her. Still he had a hologram he was hoping to get back too, and this was not the time or place to start that kind of interaction.

There was the rational part of his brain that told him to get control over the situation, but even as he grabbed clothing for himself he was trembling slightly. Putting himself back in tactical white he could at least feel the familiar fabric on his body, even if it no longer felt like his body.

"I get it." Nathan said nodding slowly, his voice slightly deeper than it had been before the surgery. "I've had my own mind twisted against me a couple of times now.  Whatever they did to you, and whatever they forced you to do, you don't need to say, heck you probably can't."

"What you need to know, and what you should focus on is." He paused before giving the critical information that he had come to rely on as another figure approached them.

He knew Lin Kae, perhaps not formally but they had meet during the Niga incident in the break room, in a time which felt like almost years ago now. "Why engineering?"

Nathan didn't answer the question of if he was okay, nor did he continue the conversation with Sinead, rather he looked at the man with a slight amount of agitation as he had come from nowhere, the paranoid voice in the back of his own mind telling him that the other was perhaps one of the holograms like their transporter room chief.

"If we are trying to get out, that would be the faster option." He pointed towards the end of the shuttlebay, towards the massive doors and what laid behind it the void of space, but didn't say more than that rather he fell in line with Lin Kae, the man was a known entity from Theurgy, so he could be... 60% sure that he wasn't a hologram, heck he wasn't even sure if Sinead was real or not.

Perhaps stabbing him would give him more of an answer. He would hold off on doing so for now, but was still curious what was in engineering.

~~~

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |  Day 5| Observation Pen | Precept-ship Versant | 2100hrs ] Attn: @Brutus
[Show/Hide]

"Tell me about it, and humans are constantly shammed by their history too. They have no nobility, no honor or strength. They are like week mewling children wanting too much with no patience to earn it properly." Jack actually wanted to spit for a moment, he sighed, he had always been half human, but he had invested so much more time in his Klingon half, that this was an insult. Then again he had always used his human name first and formost, and he was proud of his human degree. Maybe he was speaking too harshly due to the anger he had at not being able to take a deep breath, or at least what a deep breath felt like to him.

"One third of my lung capacity is gone." He said brushing his hand through his hair, not mentioning that his mobility was hindered, or that half his vision was gone as well, no he was focused entirely on the internal parts he had lost to these Savi, and not the external taken from him in combat with spiders. At least there he could say that he had attempted to protect Ida and himself.

not that he wasn't glad the blue bitch was dead.

Then came the question that had him look away from the text as it was translating taking a sigh, as his eye became a bit nostalgic. "Dotnihl was a Trill, the chief security officer aboard 84. Like everyone on 84, she couldn't remember my name, hated my guts, and was probably sleeping with the captain."

Jack shook his head and yet couldn't help but smile. "She called me Hy'Jock, every time I saw her for two years. She was... beautiful, strong, stern, and a capable woman. I had the biggest crush on her, but it was all one sided. I used to make up excuses to go and see her, and those interactions... Maybe it was just the stern way she always addressed me, or the fact that she was angry all the time, but she made me nostalgic. She was a great woman, but... well I am a coward. If she even noticed me I wouldn't have been worthy of her. She's just a fantasy woman I never had a chance with, but those times I was called to her office, they still mean things to me... dumb I know pining for a woman who would probably shoot you if they could."

Hearing the message from Deacon at first Jack had no idea what he was saying. Then as he started talking about their new shipmate, he started to piece it together. He looked at Morali. "Hey... you think that could work? How much control have we wrest away from this program?" Honestly if they could input new parameters it would be better just to summon the exit or something. Maybe have them transported out of the observation lounge or trigger..

he paused for a moment, and started to work again, his hand dancing along the screen as he tried to work past the email for a moment, putting it in a corner of the room. "Safety programs. There has to be procedures like for quarantine and things. If we can look at those than we can learn when and why people get ejected from the program."

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #92 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Numen, @steelphoenix, @SummerDawn, @patches, @Masorin, @YasyraTrill & @Fife
[Show/Hide]
“Th' words I will use is 'agitated', 'frightened' and 'very angry'.” said Sinead in a somewhat snappy tone as she turned to greet the new person to approach. She didn't recognize him, and as typical of most Starfleet personnel that wasn't Betazoid or Bringloidi, he was trying to be polite and not run his eyes over her naked form. She noted his rank pips on his uniform. “Yeh need not be shyh, Ensign. I am a Bringloidi. Unless yeh think me hideous, we appreciate bein' appreciated.”

She wasn't normally like this...well, not since her time with the Vulcans, but she was definitely losing control. She barely recalled the passage of time too, so that could be one of the primary reasons why she was seeing her more emotional self standing around like a ghost, and able to interact with it, to say nothing of whatever these Savi had been doing to her. She shook her head and accepted the uniform with the yellow collar with a “Thank you.”

She wondered just what had been done to this Nathan, seeing that as soon as she'd freed him from his restraints he proceeded to scratch himself everywhere imaginable. His skin irritation was the least of her problems however, as she also processed his words to her, and then his reaction to Lin Kae. There seemed to be a hint of paranoia in there. She would know, considering the amount of time she'd spent in Hell Sector with any other crew member from the Resolve. They all possessed a healthy amount of paranoia, and it was probably all Zelosa Ejek could do to keep everyone sane.

Once she was dressed, she looked at the Romulan, then at Lin Kae, and she blinked when she saw her ghost reaching out with her hands to strangle the Bajoran. Of course nothing happened, but the ghost grinned at Sinead and said, “Soch a frail neck. If yeh have t'kill him, yeh cain jus' snap it.”

The Bringloidi earnestly wanted to silence the ghost permanently, but she didn't know how at this point, and just pretended to see past Lin Kae before saying out loud, “My name is Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinead O'Riley. So th' others have begun an escape attempt? Very well, we shoul' be doin' the saymh. Lead th' way, Ensign Lin.” She spared Nathaniel another glance, an unspoken agreement on wariness exchanged between them, before she followed behind Lin Kae.

“We shoul' also find ou' where Captain Jien Ives is bein' held.” said Sinead abruptly.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #93 –
[ Lt. Cross | Corridors | USS Enterprise NNC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ]

Cross had been mostly oblivious to the struggles going on around him, his concentration having been focused on trying to free himself from the blue bastard that held him. He could hear roaring, grunting and the soft thuds of strikes from nearby, only just audible over the blood that pounded in his ears. He threw his head back again, connecting with the Bolian’s already shattered nose, then felt the Bolian shove him into the bulkhead. Pain flared in Cross’ shoulder as he connected with the solid structure of the wall, and a curse ripped from his lips as he bent forward and twisted, trying to drive the Bolian’s head into the bulkhead in reply. The Bolian grunted as his bloody blue head connected with the bulkhead’s surface, though it did nothing to slacken his grip.

Cross twisted and threw himself backwards, pinning the Bolian between himself and the bulkhead, and caught a glimpse of the melee going on between Khorin and Worf. The Klingon’s seemed to be doling out considerable damage to one another, but Cross got only a brief view before the Bolian was twisting him around again. After a few more moments of struggle, Cross felt the Bolian’s grip slacken and fall away, hearing a thud as the blue man’s body hit the floor.

Cross heard Khorin apologize for almost hitting him with the phaser, but the Vulcan only vaguely registered the words and he snarled and kicked the unconscious blue body several times as Khorin fell quiet in a fit of coughing. He kicked the blue bastard several more times before hands closed on his arm once again, gentler this time.

“Cross, stop. We need to get moving.” PO Narelle said softly, her words pulling him back to their current plight.

"If you're ready, we must work our butt off to get to the armory. Since the weapons seems to work against the holograms but not against us we must armed ourselves to the teeth before continuing with our plan. The Bridge or the Warp Core are the most exposed places to make a truly dangerous attack, then we should head there" Khorin said with a hoarse but aggressive tone. "Even if we overload these ... three phasers, we can blow up a good section of the starship, we just have to choose where they will do more damage. Let's go! " Then, moving closer to PO Narelle, Khorin added. "Thank you for the help, miss." before he staggered off down the corridor, pausing for a moment to lean against the wall and steady himself.

”Hey ridge-head, is the armoury in the lounge?” Cross called after the Klingon. He motioned for Narelle to follow him and moved up beside the Klingon, supporting the unsteady man as he turned him around to face the opposite direction. ”I think the armoury is this way. Come on.”

Cross steered the Klingon down the corridor, only able to keep the large man from stumbling with the combined support of himself and Sarah Narelle. As they moved past the still forms of the security team, Cross stooped to retrieve the Bolian’s phaser, then delivered one last stomp to the Bolian, landing the blow on the blue man’s throat. Narelle gave him a stern look from the other side of the unsteady Klingon. Cross gave her a sheepish smile and a shrug in reply as they moved off down the corridor.

”Khorin does has a point.” Cross said after a moment of thought. ”We should get to the armoury and load up on weapons. Then, once we’re armed, I think we should do as he suggests and head for the warp core.” Cross’ face spread into a dark smile. ”The Commander wanted us to disrupt the Savi’s simulation. I think blowing the warp core should just about count as a distraction. Keep an eye out, though.” He added, his face turning serious again. ”With how quickly that security team was on us, the simulation might be designed to prevent disruption by the prisoners. We might have to fight our way to the warp core.”

Cross wore a look of grim anticipation as the three headed down the corridor, himself and PO Narelle supporting the staggering frame of the dazed Klingon. AS they went he kept his eyes sharp, on the lookout for more security teams sent by the simulation to stop them.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #94 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Corridors ]
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Att.: @Auctor Lucan @Fife @steelphoenix  @SummerDawn   @patches  @YasyraTrill @Absinthe @Blue Zephyr  @Anyone else



When Cross drew his attention to the incorrectness of the direction he was heading, Khorin could only snarl, sorely disappointed at his inability to take some jabs and move on. Was he getting old? It couldn't be that, even though when he was a hybrid he had many years of physical fulfillment, both in the race of his father and in that of his mother. In fact, as a klingon, he could still develop his body even further in the next years. Without his consent, the vulcan had placed himself on one of his flanks, while the CPO was placed on the other, supporting his weight and stabilizing his hesitant strides. Khorin wanted to protest, outraged: he was a warrior, a descendant of the proud Mo'Kai House, a Lone Wolf. He wanted to struggle to get rid of the limbs that supported him, while proclaiming aloud his refusal to be treated like an invalid. The results were, at least, disappointing in Khorin's taste. ”HijonHa'! jIH a Lone warrior Qongbogh chalDaq tlha' Dat! qaS an honor to joH affront! I...” Even he himself wasn't able to understand his own gibberish. On the other hand, his physical efforts were barely able to make the trill stumble and he didn't move the slightest of the stoic vulcan. Cross, for his part, continued reciting his phrases without flinching.The only consolation left to the klingon was that, at least, his companion admitted that he was right.


They kept moving through the corridors in the same way for a while, the two tactical officers looking for any glimpse of Enterprise' security teams. Khorin focused himself on trying to control his own breath, inspiring and expiring consciously. Then, without any warning, he gasped for a second. How had he not noticed before? When he was  only a half-blood klingon, two lungs had been more than enough for him. Now, when his third lung was filled again, the klingon realized how much he had needed it. And also he became aware of the brutality of the blow he had sustained to left that organ unusable for so many minutes. Soon, his head was much clearer, his movements more coordinated. Without the slightest subtlety, he got rid of his supports and stepped forward a couple of strides, moving with ease on his own for the first time since the fisticuff with Holo-Worf. "Enough of taking just half measures, I'm not a fucking P'Tok" he loudly grumbled, belligerent. "Put your scrawny legs on the move and RUN." No sooner said than done, he trotted down the corridor, with his mind clear and resoluted again.

With no more hazard situations, they managed to reach deck 36, the very same that Khorin had visited barely an hour ago.The group reached a junction close to the weapon room and, wordlessly, they moved closer to the bulkplates, trying to camouglage their figures out of the sight of the predictable guards that musted were to protect the room, given the initial stir they had caused in the lounge. In unison, they leaned out the corner, peeping at the door of the armory as a kind pole totem, full of suspicion. The klingon was able to see how, unlike his first visit, a pair of bored guards were standing in front of the door of the armory. Cross, quickly pointed out the phasers that each carried, then indicted to himself and later to the human on the right, next pointed to the pilot, to the center of the aisle and the Bajoran woman that protected the left flank. Finally, he fingered to the CPO Narelle and the center of the aisle, the young woman nodded and she walked resoluted to the security team, smile on her face. Soon the two men could hear how she began to talk to the two guards. Khorin couldn't identify exactly what the trill was saying, but after a few moments he could hear one of the holograms crash in a hearty belly laugh. Cross caught the Klingon's attention, waving furiously his arm, then started a countdown with his fingers.


Three. Khorin peeked slightly to visualize his goal. Two. Cross set the phaser in the highest stun set, hesitated a second, and then grimly set it to kill. One. Both men held their breath, ready to go. Zero. They both left their coverage synchronously, and fired in unison. The holograms disintegrated instantly, lefting nothing behind that reminded anyone that they were there. All or nothing, the moment of subtleties was over. And there was no need to be lenient with the savis' holograms.


As a single team, they rushed towards the weapons room. To everyone's surprise, the doors opened when they approached, just as they had done before. Khorin shook his head, incredulous: he was not a security officer and yet he knew that in an unsafe situation like that, with refugees prowling freely through the corridors, the armories and weapons locks must be sealed with security codes. The pilot didn't know what to believe, that either their captors were naïve or over-confident, but it was an unforgivable mistake. One that they should take advantage of. The armory possessed the expected standard weaponry: hand phasers, rifles, and also some interesting toys like a bunch of compression phaser rifle and a couple of isomagnetic disintegrator. Khorin's mouth etched a devious smile and grabbed one of the heavy weapons. "Carry everything you can, explosives, hand phasers, rifles, whatever. If we find another group of abductees we must arm them, even if they don't share our same destination. If we divert the firewall between several points, we can do even more damage. In the best case scenario we'll be able to increase our numbers. The more, the merrier." he added with a humorless chuckle. Khorin didn't think in the worst case, he rarely did it. If their situation worsened, he would ad-lib something along the way. He proceeded to follow his own advice, clutching as much weaponry as he was able to carry. When he felt satisfied, he left the room and stood at the door, watchful.


Soon, his ears caught hasty steps in one of the corridors that led to his location. "C'mon, hurry!" He whispered with gravelly voice, loading his weapon and pointing to the source of the sound.





HijonHa' .- set me free
jIH .- I'm
Qongbogh chalDaq tlha' Dat .- wolf
qaS .- This is
joH .- my
P'Tok .- spineless human child




OOC: I leave open the possibility that the sound is produced by another group of abductees if there is interest in it. If not, i leave it in the evil mind of Lucan :)

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #95 –
[ Lt. R'Rori |  Observation Pen | the Versant | Hallway with kittens hunting Klingons | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @SummerDawn @steelphoenix @Blue Zephyr

With the other two officers agreeing to come with hir, R’Rori led them out to Deacon and K’Ren. S/he noted the look on Deacon’s face as the small group approached him. The former hybrid held up hir hands in a nonverbal mea culpa, acknowledging what he had said. S/he was about to introduce everyone to each other when Deacon sent a peculiarly phrased message to Jack. There were religious references that the counselor could vaguely recognize but it mostly sounded like gibberish to hir. When he finished, s/he hesitated a moment before speaking up, pointing to each person as s/he spoke names.

“Alright, so this is Deacon and K’Ren, both from the Theurgy. Deacon and K’Ren, this is … Alistair and … I’m sorry, miss, but I didn’t catch your name?”

It was a little embarrassing, really, to R’Rori that s/he hadn’t taken a moment to ask for this woman’s name before dragging her along for the ride. S/he wasn’t normally this far off hir game, so to speak, but this entire ordeal was taxing both physically and mentally. At least it seemed like the others had a better grasp on what to do. It was probably easier for them, R’Rori figured, given that they seemingly had a similarly easier time handling the changes to their bodies. Deacon was the only other one s/he had really seen so far that was equally discomfited by the new form they were all now forced to get used to.

I do not want to struggle another 16 years before I reach equilibrium again.

Adolescence was rough enough for most, but it proved particularly aggravating to a young R’Rori who had suddenly found hirself thrust into changes and semi-annual carnal urges that s/he didn’t fully comprehend or even want. A childhood where s/he simply *was* changed to an adolescence and young adulthood where s/he was suddenly always assumed to be a certain way just because of hir body’s configuration and it made for some increasing frustration until s/he found a way to live and identify that could give hir peace. It had been a tenuous peace at times and now it was shattered entirely by a species that thought themselves worthy of playing God.

R’Rori was cycling between depression and anger every time s/he dwelled on it, which led to hir to volunteer for anything that would keep hir busy until they all got to safety. Right now, that was herding these cats to rescue a pair of angry men and then heading to Main Engineering like s/he had heard Nerina suggesting.

“While they are useful as a distraction on their own, we also just saw how far that could really go without weapons and somehow, I don’t think our hosts would have been gracious enough to give actual phasers. Paired with us, though, we can all work out something together that would have a greater impact. I believe I heard the Theurgy XO mention Main Engineering, which does contain a ship’s vital systems. Why not track down Cross and Khorin and they can hold off Security for us there? We just need to make our way to the Brig first and free them, assuming they haven’t found a way to make more trouble somehow. Agreed? Then let’s go!”

S/he let out a deep sigh, already starting to feel tired again. It had only been a few days since the changes and somehow, it felt like s/he hadn’t rested enough. Or eaten well enough, for that matter. Here they were, though, and there wasn’t much of a choice available. The counselor also couldn’t quite shake the persistent sense of being an animal being lined up for slaughter. Something in the situation smelled and it wasn’t just the body odour of thousands of mostly unwashed.

“K’Ren, you out of all of us would have the best sense of hearing. Just follow the sounds of a loud, angry Klingon and I’m pretty sure you’ll find our lost friends. Would you and Deacon mind leading?”

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #96 –
[ K'Ren | Observation Pen | the Versant | Hallway with kittens hunting Klingons | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn:  @patches @steelphoenix @Blue Zephyr @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe @Fife @Numen @Masorin
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Once this plan, or whatever it was that the fellow captees seemed to be dreaming up was, began K'Ren found herself a bit adrift as people started moving off in seperate directions. She'd heard something like this described as 'herding cats' and while she didn't quite get the reference, Caits weren't prone to randomly wandering off after things that caught their attention, she supposed that perhaps human felines were a bit more scatter brained. For herself though, in this moment, she was struggling a little to adjust to her new found senses. Her sight, hearing and smell had been better then human average but now, well now she could sense the world around her a lot better and the incoming information seemed almost overwhelming. The room they'd been in had been loud, too loud, and the cocktail of smells almost too great for her to handle. That's why she was grateful to get out of the room, get int the hallway where the sounds were more muted, the smell less intense. Overwhelmed as she was, she almost felt like a young kitten adrift and lost on the streets of home. That feeling, the desire to mewl a little in distress she stifled, holding onto her mate's hand. Deacon, for all his issues, was her rock right now, her grounding in everything and she didn't want to leave him.

When R'Rori came back with a couple more people, K'Ren gave each a bit of a nod as she was introduced. "We are referring to the two men whom just recently were escorted away by security?" She asked, making sure she was guessing the right ones. She'd smelt them both, the odor of Klingons was far stronger then she'd recalled before but her nose was now about ten times more sensitive then before. "If we wish to catch up to them, I suggest we go this way R'Rori." She said, nose snuffling a little, pointing down the hall. "The scent of Klingon is strongest this way. They are surprisingly quiet at present though that my be my hearing still adjusting." Her ears had been twitching a little as she'd tried to focus on the sound she expected a Klingon might make, but either culdn't distinguish them, or they were in fact quiet as she surmised.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #97 –
[ Ensign Lin Kae | Observation Pen ~ Shuttle Bay | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @Triage @Masorin
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When he handed over the uniforms to the two fellow abductees, Lin Kae was asked prudent questions by the fighter pilot, who seemed to have his head on his shoulders despite the drastic changes to his physiology. For Kae, it was not so easy to pinpoint what exactly was amiss, for while he was of mixed genes to begin with, he was now fully Bajoran. It was... odd, like wearing a body not fully his own. It was almost like when he had switched bodies with Skye Carver during the time when the Ishtar Entity came to the Theurgy. Of course, the current change was not so profound as to have been made a woman, but the feeling was still similar.

"Outside the shuttle bay is just an indefinite amount of false space, yet all part of the program. What we're trying to do is to disrupt the program itself, not try to leave the ship, since that would likely be futile," he said, and while this answer had been easy enough to give, the naked woman alluded towards appreciating him looking at her body, to which he could but open and close his mouth to a couple of times - a reply escaping him entirely.

Luckily, the woman let him off the hook, suggesting he'd lead the way, and with Isley also following, Kae walked towards the exit - about to leave the shuttle bay behind and make their way to Engineering.

Then, the woman - Sinead - said something that made Lin Kae pause in his step. "Wait... You're from the Theurgy as well?" he asked first, not recognising her. Then again, it wasn't like he had enough time to learn the faces of everyone aboard, and with the influx of people from the Harbinger before they went to Starbase 84, he could hardly credit his ability to recognise new and or old crew members. Yet that was only the first half of it...

"Do you mean..." he began to say, looking to see if he had just misunderstood. Unfortunately, the woman with the thick accent was clearly serious about her claim. "Who... are you, ma'am? And how can you know the Savi has taken Ives?"

As Lin Kae led the way towards Main Engineering, he was concerned. Deeply so. How were they supposed to work their way out of the monitored program and also save individuals who had yet to find their way to the simulation?

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #98 –
[Lt Zephyr Praise | Ambiguous Corridor | USS Enterprise | Demolition Team?]
@Numen @SummerDawn  @patches @Fife @steelphoenix

Zephyr was unheard, but that was fine, she knew they likely already had a plan and she was merely along for the ride.  There was no need for her to be heard at the moment.  She was still glad that she had something to do.  Action had always been her thing.  Standing around looking at everyone else waiting to be rescued was never something that Zephyr could stomach.  She wanted to be busy, she wanted to fight, she wanted to help take these people down so they could leave.  Where she went after that she had no idea as long as it wasn't back to the Azurite Station she would be just fine.  R'Rori introuced K'Ren and Deacon, and then introduced Alistair but apparently Zeph had not mentioned her name nor had it been asked for.

A smile the newly minted Betazoid gave a nod.  “I'm Lieutenant Zephyr Praise.” she said with a bright smile at the group of people that were around her.  She heard that there were others, she could surmise that they were talking about the Klingon and the Vulcan that she had seen fighting earlier.  It was the only thing that made sense she supposed that she could listen in on the minds around her but she knew that was a invasion of privacy and that wasn't something she wanted to be known for.  Instead, she would much prefer to enjoy the company around her and build trust.  Plus, the deeply ingrained ethics she had grown up knowing about wouldn't let her do such a thing.

She could tell R'Rori was tired, it was coming off of the woman in waves even as she spoke and rallied a plan together.  Zephyr put her hand on the young woman's back for a moment a bit of a show of support.  She gave her a reassuring smile.  “It'll be okay.  We'll work together, and get ourselves off this ship.” she said fervently.  She did believe it, they were Starfleet officers afterall.  They spanned so many races, talents, expertise.  They weren't just going to sit here and wait for people to come find them they were going to do all they could to get themselves out.

K'Ren began to lead them off in the right direction.  Zephyr was glad to be moving and glad for the plan.  She was talented in several different weapons and hand to hand training though she didn't look like it she had been trained heavily.  Still, she was just glad to be going forward.  To have a plan that would enable them to at least try something.  She hoped it would work.  She just wanted to find the Klingon and the Vulcan and get some weapons or cause some havoc or something.  If they could shut down the holodeck they were clearly on, they would be able to work on a real room, and with all of them who knew what they would be able to accomplish.  Hopefully something grand.

As the team rounded a corner, she found the minds of the Klingon and the Vulcan there, ahead, some in the corridor. 

“Hold on.” She said quickly stepping in front of the whole group.  “I'm sensing something.”

Carefully, Zephyr held her bare hands out in front of her palms facing forward as she edges around the corner to see the Klingon pointing a weapon right at her.  She lifted her chin, and tossed her shoulders back, she was no weak female and she wasn't afraid of the man.  He would see her colors and know what she was, a medical officer, but he would also know that she was with others, Klingon's were adept he would know that there were others by the sounds of them in the hallway. 

“Mind putting that down?  It's been a hell of a day and as much as I wish it would end I'd also like to keep my head right where it is.” she chuckled slightly trying to be as brave as she could be looking at the both of them.  “I'm Zeph, and I'm here with R'Rori, Deacon, K'Ren, and Alistair.  We wanted to meet up with you guys.” she said not giving the plan away but she would in a moment as she reached out to both their minds.

~We're planning a big attack, and we wanted to come collect you both to come help us.  Main Engineering is our destination, but we all need weapons and you both.  Care to join the crew?~  Her eyes looked at the both of them, and her mental voice was the same as the voice they had just heard out  loud so there would be no surprise of who it was coming from this time.

Her eyes flicked to the Klingon, they always did things to Zephyr.  Their bravado, and their tough-guy attitude were things that heavily attracted her to them.  There was just something about them.  Tall, built, the ridges, she was a sucker for them.  If he's an Engineer.. I'm fucked. she thought to herself waiting for their response.

Re: Chapter 02: The Versant [ Day 03 | 2100 hrs. ]

Reply #99 –
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Observation Pen ~ Shuttle Bay | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan & @Masorin
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Lin Kae's flabbergasted open-mouthed response was also hardly an unfamiliar reaction to her usual open nature and frank statements. It seemed brutal honesty was always potent in shock value, no matter how often she used it (which was all the time). Still, it actually...amused her, somewhat. And made her feel a little better about their situation. Nevertheless, she maintained enough composure and self-control to be able to focus on the task at hand, namely finding a way out of the holodeck program, and then staging a marginally effective revolt and escape, and then most importantly, finding and returning Captain Ives to the Theurgy. It had to be their topmost priority and they'd already wasted too much time.

She eagerly followed the Bajoran, starting to recall his personal details, which she looked up shortly after she'd left Thea's and Selena's company on the day that they'd worked to rig a modified and improved holo-emitter for the ship's AI to use with greater mobility. She paused the same time with Kae, showing an impatient expression when he slowed down for clarification, and followed up with more queries. Exhaling softly through her nose, she resigned to answer the questions, since she would need the man's assistance, considering his qualifications and specialty, so earning his trust and understanding would go a long way to accomplishing their goals with alacrity.

“I am Lieutenant Junior Grade Sinead O'Riley of th' USS Resolve, formerly.” she folded her hands behind her and fixed her shimmering blue eyes on the man, who had about four inches on her in height, so she was looking up at him, yet somehow managing to make it seem like she was looking downwards. “As of th' Battle o' Starbase Eighty-Four, I be Engineer, Holodeck specialist, for th' USS Theurgy. On th' third day since th' battle, we were simultaneously accosted by th' Asurians and their allies, the Savih. A leader, or their supreme commanderh, Echtand qi Versanth, appeared on th' bridge o' th' Theurgy as a hologram t' address th' crewh. I was present t' witness. Echtand made it clearh that they were takin' Captain Jien Ives, a ship called th' Cinsaj, an Omegah Device, and most likely, Thea's positronic brainh, along with other persons of interest t' them. I know for certain that Captain Jien Ives be here, since I intercepted him as he was bein' beamed away. We were separated afterh.”

She gestured to the Bajoran, “I had spoken t' Thea and Selena Ravenholm. Yeh are Ensign Lin Kae, born t' a Bajoran ambassador an' a Starfleet lieutenant workin' aboard Starbase Two-Three-Sevenh. Yeh suffered from an extreme immunodeficiency, which yer father counteracted wi' a safe room, usin' holo-emmiters an' various programs t' aid yeh in yer early life. 'tis th' reasonh yeh have a strong affinity an' skill wi' holo-technology, a skill we must put t' good use immediately in order t' efficiate our escape and subsequent rescue of th' Captain, an' if she be present, Thea.” Sinead regarded Thea as a fellow sentient rather than a machine, no matter how much she was in effect, a starship, and it was likely Lin Kae would appreciate the sentiment.

“We must be about it, Lin Kae. Are yeh familiarh wi' th' infamous unsolvable query tha' overloads virtually all computers an' holoprograms? Admiral Stazi once spoke of i' in his lecture at Starfleet Academy. P'haps th' same flaw exists even in Savi machines.”
 
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