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Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #50 –
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Doc M.
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Meony had the feeling Tessa wasn't entirely the most confident or social of pilots, which was saying something considering Meony's deceptively friendly nature. Still, taking into account the amount of danger the crew here seemed to always face, it was a testament to the grey-eyed woman that she was still here. She idly wondered how the callsign Goldeneye was coined for her. She didn't even see flecks of gold in her eyes, at all. Well, not that she could explain the meaningless name of Meony, so what the hell.

But what she said had the redhead baffled, “Didn't needja? They need everybodeh! 'cept yours truly, Ah guess...”

She would've gone on, but it was clear that Tessa was uncomfortable, so she shrugged it off and went along with the change of topic, “Didn'tcha hear?” said Meony casually, “Word is, them Runabout pukes were fresh from a faht with th' Borg. Ah teenk, them's from anotha ship...uh, En-dew-ranse? Somethin' lahk dat. Ah'm sure they's good people, but Ah'm a li'l pissed at 'em. They trahd t' frah us with full impulse inside th' bay. Assholes. Ya didn't board it?”

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #51 –
[ Lt Cmdr Vael Kaeris | Temporary Holding Cell | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy  ] Attn: @trevorvw  @Top Hat @Mathis @Auctor Lucan @CanadianVet @patches @chXinya  

Vael watched the video impassively wondering exactly what was at play.  In this day and age, did renegades expect others to take them at their word by showing a video presentation?  The Commander was quick to call the video what it was -- easily replicated.  They could have dropped them in a holographic representation of the interrogation, such as it was, and had just as convincing a display.  Without systems to cross confirm the authenticity of the broadcast, it was if the bajoran commander had asked them to gather close around the fire to hear of the long gone days of the Prophets and Pah Wraiths.  Of course, those, at least, were verifiably real, if misunderstood and overly deified.

More importantly, they were detectable, whether in their Celestial Temple, in a cave, or in a human body.  They were quantifiable, locatable, their effects known, if not the full extent of their abilities.  What's more, it was a simple matter to drive them out of an unwilling host.  Station reports from Deep Space 9 were clear on that fact.  And here they presented some transdimensional parasite that could somehow infect a humanoid host and co-opt its mind and body to whatever nefarious deeds it desired.  And in this case, that was what?  The entire destruction of the universe?  Again, the commander had the right of it... if there was any cause to twirl one's mustache, that would one.  Thankfully, he'd had the opportunity to study some older Earth media files, otherwise he might well have misunderstood that reference.

Whomever their CMO or CSO was, he had to expect that they were simply unwilling or unqualified to do the necessary tests to substantiate the existence of these parasites.  That was the nature of a parasite.  As minor as it may be, they left a mark.  It was physically impossible to do otherwise.  And if these creature were real, who was to say they had not already compromised the majority, if not the entirety, of this vessel and her crew?  Were they even addressing a bajoran?  For that matter, what were they doing to remainder of their own injured.  It would be a perfect opportunity to infect them -- a worry he cast in the direction of the Lt. Kobol  since he'd been afforded an opportunity to see to them personally.

At last, Vael stepped away from the wall.  "You do understand our reticence to accept your allegations at face value.  Your own captain sent forth a broadcast declaring quite a different agenda, and just because you have us incarcerated, you ask us to assume what you show us is correct and what was broadcast across the quadrants was false."  He gave a faintly sour expression to the bajoran before looking towards his own commander.  "Parasites cannot fundamentally impact a host form as you've presented without some trace.  It is biologically impossible.  Even if the parasite leaves no wake of its own, an unwilling host would demonstrate signs of resistance, even if only immunological."  He leveled his gaze at the bajoran.  "You've tested for such responses, I assume?  Who was responsible for compiling that data?  Where are their records and reports?  Who is your Chief Medical Officer?"

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #52 –
[Lt. Commander Wenn Cinn | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 2| USS Theurgy]

Cinn wasn’t sure what kind of a reaction he would get by just barging into the holding cells and showing a video after a quick introduction, but this wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for.  If these survivors from the Endeavour were this dismissive of anything he’d say then the propaganda thrown out by the infected Admiralty ran deeper than they thought.  Then the loudmouth man “in charge” had to go an denigrate Captain Ives.  The Bajoran’s jaw tensed, biting back the quick retort but he could feel a vein bulging in his forehead from the effort.  This gave another officer, one with shaggy black hair time to pipe up while a third whispered something in the Commander’s ear.

“Luckily, my deputy did develop a method to detect them, but it’s a bit invasive.  I’m sure we could arrange a demonstration if you insist, but I hope you have a high tolerance for pain.”  Cinn glowered at the shaggy one, daring him to say something snappy.  Mulling his options for a moment, he realized there was only one real way to get these self-righteous, sanctimonious veruls to understand just what they were up against.  Looking over to PO Taer, “Summon two others, we’re going for a short walk.”

While his officer did so, Cinn tapped the forcefield controls.  “Commander Ducote, you and your fellow ranking officers will follow me to the main Brig, there’s someone there you need to meet.”  He held off on the final command until Taer returned with two additional guards.  “It’s just down the hallway, I suggest not trying to escape, thanks to our encounter with two new races who are quite hostile everyone around here is a little jumpy.”  Pressing his thumb to the plate, the forcefield snapped off, a triple-beep sounding the temporary shutdown alarm.  As soon as the visitors had stepped through Cinn let go of the control, restoring the field.  Extending his arm in invitation, “Follow me gentlemen.”

Walking next to Commander Ducote, Cinn led the small troupe straight to the main brig, quickly overriding the computer’s warning about “unauthorized personnel”.  “After you see this  you’ll know that you didn’t see a fak..” The sight inside the cell brought Cinn up short, cutting off the rest of his prideful tease.  “Damnit, what happened?” he ordered, going straight for Amelia, motioning at Eliska to watch Ducote’s gang.

Getting a quick recap, Cinn was only slightly buoyed by the news that “Nicander” was still alive, just unconscious.  Normally someone so wounded wouldn’t even rate that high so there was still some proof of the parasites that didn’t require shooting anyone.  Still, it would’ve been better if Ducote and company could’ve spoken to it themselves.  “Computer, play back cell A log, last 20 minutes.”  Turning back to the new visitors, “This was taken moments before your arrival, and when it’s done you’ll be allowed to examine the prisoner.  I’ll have tricorders brought from your runabout.”

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #53 –
[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | Brig | Security Center | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy] @Auctor Lucan @Nolan @chXinya @Doc M. @patches @steelphoenix @Mathis @Top Hat

Bremmer wasn't usually one for letting nerves get to her, and they really hadn't.  At least not all the way.  But she had spoken out of turn.  After all, she had been picked for this detail just to be the hired muscle.  But if all he wanted was a gun hand in the room, there were plenty he could have picked from.  No, he had wanted more than just someone who could kick ass and take names... and she meant to provide just that. 

But when your boss and acting captain tells one to shut up, one does just that. 

And it didn't help at all when Nicander, or the parasite or whatever it was started talking again.  It was a good thing Bremmer's helmet was on and the visor was closed and set to be opaque from the outside.  Because she was terrified.  Oh, she had been scared during the Dominion War.  She'd experienced the stuff on Resolve that still gave her nightmares.  She had nearly soiled herself when she was convinced she was about to become spider food.  But compared to that thing behind the forcefield?  That was nothing.  It was small stuff, the kids' Halloween party.  That thing in there was the real horror.  Sure, she'd seen the footage from the Acreth woman and that was a right horror show in its own right.  But this was real.  It was right in her face.  And the rifle in her hand, a familiar weight and balance she could fire with surgical accuracy even under stress, suddenly felt inadequate.  She wanted that thing gone for good.

And just as it collapsed, that was when the boss and some strangers who looked like as though they'd just gone through the wringer were led in, and a quick gesture from Wenn Cinn told Bremmer all she needed to know: she was to watch them.  And it was her turn to communicate with some quick hand movements and she repositioned herself where they could see her, and where she could see them.  So they were indeed detainees, but from where?  That was something she'd have to ask Kino later... 

But she did give them a display of her own.  She let her rifle drop so it would hang in front of her from her sling, and just as the strap grew taut she already had her hand on her pistol, which she drew in a smooth transition and without looking at it her left hand came up to reset the power level, from lethal the stun, should it be needed.  Of course, the sealed exosuit might be enough to give them pause if they had any bright ideas, but crisp and smooth gun-handling also carried a message of its own.  And there, she waited.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #54 –
[ PO2 Kino Taer | Temporary Holding Cell | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]

Kino sighed in mild frustration as her olive branch was pushed aside by the Betazoid hybrid, who just repeated the same identifying information and then warned the others to not take her words at face value. She could appreciate his caution, of course. Anyone who knew her would say Kino would do the same, just not quite as calmly or as seemingly detached from the situation.

The frustration only mounted when Commander Cinn burst in and relegated her to playing maidservant to the prisoners while he unceremoniously took charge. That, at least, she had learned to expect from him but it didn’t rankle all that much less than the first time. I hate brig duty. She stood aside impassively as he spoke to their “guests”. The recording came as a total surprise to the Petty Officer and it showed. Had they finally secured proof of the parasites?

The woman in the recording was one that she didn’t recognize. She also recognized only some of the voices that spoke to the captive woman, which indicated this happened after one of the mergers Kino had been briefly told about. The scene was uncomfortable for her to watch in the sense that she should have been there to tackle this threat and in seeing how little the parasite clearly cared for its host. Despite the superficial similarities between Kino’s own anarchist beliefs and the parasite’s chaos philosophy, she could somehow sense through the recording the malice that the creature inside the body of Ensign Acreth bore towards the rest. She shivered at the last few seconds of the recording.

Surely, this will show them the seriousness of our cause.

And Ducote shat all over it. Again. The doctor offered to invade Cinn’s mind to view the memory, which provoked narrowed eyes from Kino and a guarded pose to include her hand on her pistol. Rather than being thankful they were rescued and being the least bit cooperative, the Starfleet officers were treating the Theurgy crew as if they were liars and cattle to the whims of an AI and Captain Ives. Maybe it was the Trill’s own upbringing that stressed ethics and honesty or maybe it was the fact that Kino herself and many others on the ship had directly risked (and lost) lives and limbs upholding the ideals of Starfleet and the Federation whom they served.

The man wants to invoke Occam’s Razor, eh?

Kino had been in stasis during the recent assault on Starbase 84 for the simulcast. She had asked for and gotten some information about what happened during it, but the details were still lacking. There were definitely plans to fill out the gaps in her knowledge. Apparently, the message that was actually sent out was entirely void of the actual message that was put together, meaning that lives were lost for no good reason. That was an entirely separate situation that frustrated Taer when she had learned of that. The Dominion War showed her the human cost of wasted efforts at the direction of incompetent officers or incomplete information and now, this. Did the rest of Starfleet have so little faith in that the Theurgy was at least trying to do the right thing or did they fall so completely to the tune of the Federation News Network?

"Summon two others, we're going for a short walk." Commander Cinn ordered to Kino.

“Aye, sir.” She replied before moving quickly to exit the temporary holding cell to the Centre. The Trill returned with two male crewmen in Security colors, one Bolian and the other human, each armed similarly with a Type II phaser pistol. They took up positions with the human at the rear and the Bolian staying on the side closest to the door. Kino herself kept close to Ducote and Kai in a way that gave her easy watch and ability to intercept either man.  Hopefully, neither of them would get any ideas but this entire encounter had already tested several assumptions. She intended for there to be no chance that any attempts made to resist, escape, or take up arms by their “guests” would succeed.

[Brig | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]

Once they crossed the hall and entered the brig, Kino ordered the two crewmen to take up positions at the inside door to the brig proper both as a prevention measure and because the brig itself was already crowded. She was relieved to see that Eliska was still there with the other two in exosuits. It didn’t take long for the pair and Cinn to nonverbally coordinate further positioning for the now seven Security personnel in the room. Kino herself was now positioned in between the detainees and the door, but in a way that she could still somewhat see inside the cell that the rest were crowding around.

Eliska’s display of her control of her firearms brought a smile to Kino’s face momentarily. The other woman might have been very much by the book normally, but Kino enjoyed the little moments when she showed off a bit of flair. It gave people a peek into the Eliska that Kino knew. The Trill casually drew her own pistol as she settled into place, holding it safe in front of her. Her attention wasn’t on the cell or recording or Eliska, all of which she filed away for future analysis, but on the detainees. How would they respond to this further piece of evidence?

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #55 –
[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Vector 02 | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy] Attn:  @Triage

"Didn'tcha hear?   Word is, them Runabout pukes were fresh from a faht with th' Borg. Ah teenk, them's from anotha ship...uh, En-dew-ranse? Somethin' lahk dat. Ah'm sure they's good people, but Ah'm a li'l pissed at 'em. They trahd t' frah us with full impulse inside th' bay. Assholes. Ya didn't board it?"

“The Borg?” Tessa repeated in disbelief.  “Really?  How can this be?  Talk about going from bad to worse!  First we’re being infiltrated by creatures that wear our bodies like exosuits and now we’re going to be eaten alive by a bunch of machine people!  And then we get attacked by the Savi as well?  This is crazy!  It doesn’t make sense!  Why are they all ganging up on us for?  What did we do to them?  What do we have that is so important?  It isn’t fair!”

As she went on, Tessa’s high pitched, chirpy voice became even more high pitched, even shrill.  Tears formed in her topaz yellow eyes and she started trembling.  Soon she was running her fingers through her hair and crouching as her demeanor became more emotional.  

“I mean, we’ve got this Prime Directive that stops us from interfering with other species who don’t want us to!  Can’t they extend the same courtesy to us?  It’s not like we’ve been a bunch of raiders and conquers like the Klingons and Romulans!  Ever since we discovered warp drive we’ve really cleaned ourselves up!  We don’t deserve this!  How can the Federation continue to exist if it’s being eaten alive from within and without?  I thought that Morali guy was supposed to be from the future!  How can we even have a future if everybody who’s immune to phasers gangs up on us?  It’s not fair!”

Soon Tessa was curled up in a ball on the floor, rocking on her haunches and crying into her arms.  It was hardly the devil may care attitude of a stereotypical fighter pilot.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #56 –
[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @patches @CanadianVet @chXinya @steelphoenix @Mathis @Doc M. @trevorvw @Nolan @Auctor Lucan 

At first, the Bajoran seemed surprised that they hadn't just bought it. But even with the best will in the universe, showing a recording of people none of them had met along with some wild assertions - especially from this crew - was never going to gain much traction. He was reminded just who had the balance of force in this particular scenario, though, when the jump in the dark alien's blood pressure nearly sent Ducote's own soaring in sympathy. Jabbing at the boss wasn't appreciated. I'm not sure how surprised I am that he's still held in regard here, though.

As for 'invasive detection methods', the Brazilian was wondering whether he should take that as a threat or not.

Ranaan elected to stay silent rather than babble with uncertainty, and hesitated when the forcefield came down. Despite this being what he'd asked for mere moments before, he hadn't expected such a ready acquiescence. Not that 'escape from a secured compartment surrounded by armed pseudo-Maquis while armed with nothing sharper than creative insults' was a particularly thrilling prospect, either..

"Commander Ducote, you and your fellow ranking officers will follow me to the main brig; there's someone there you need to meet."

His head tilted slightly at that, the ghost of a bemused smile creasing his features. Not that the three pips on Wenn's collar really meant anything to anyone outside this hull, but one of them was hollow - Ducote would have outranked the man by a solid layer of responsibility, and it had been a long time since he'd heard an order phrased as such. Alas, Wenn And Friends still held the monopoly on the authority of force; he had little choice but to play along. As Taer returned with two more guards, the hybrid stepped out, waving his senior staff to follow and ignoring the sting as the congealing scabs on his knuckles pulled away from the fabric of his uniform. The civilians could wait behind... he supposed they were in no more danger inside the force field than out of it.

"Follow me, gentlemen."

"Oh, lead right on, Boss," he responded, still not quite deigning to use any proper honorifics. These people were still defectors, and he didn't care what ranks they used to hold. The crew of the Theurgy had surrendered any claims to them months ago. He spent a giddy moment (though just about managed to avoid giggling to himself) imagining trying to claim command of the ship as the ranking officer present. Somehow, he didn't think it would go down well.

I don't even have a combadge. Somehow, his brain threw this up as the most pressing obstacle. How could he captain a ship without a combadge?

Before he could descend completely into an inappropriate hysteria, he came into range of the gaggle of people in the brig's common area. That sobered him nicely; they were variously fearful, repulsed, and wary. None of that stopped the exosuited woman from executing a parade-perfect weapon switch, though. The chirp from her type-II he recognised as a down-setting, which rather begged the question of how high it had been tuned in the first place.

"After you see this, you'll know that you didn't see a fak-" the bubbling gloat turned to shock in an instant. Following the man's gaze, Ducote saw (most of) a humanoid face-down on the deck of the cell. He came to a halt as soon as he saw it, holding out a hand to stop his officers as well. He scowled as a fresh suspicion surged to the surface.

Wenn called up a recording of the events just prior to his return to the brig proper. Ducote would have rolled his eyes but for the fact that every face in it was present in the room, and every single one of them believed it to be a true retelling. The chances that Wenn and Taer were capable of defeating a pair of at-least-empathic Betazoids, one of whom was full-blooded and the other who had received extensive training in using his talents in interrogation, were just about credible. That an entire roomful could be found and deployed against them in a few minutes, without a single chink in the armour, was finally starting to convince Ducote that there was at least a kernel of truth in what they were trying to tell him.

Ducote split his attention between the recorded conversation, the people around him.. and the unmoving prone form in the cell. ~Elro~, he projected with some effort at his CMO, along with an unconscious stab of guilt for breaching etiquette around 'mundanes', even here, ~Is it me, or is that guy still alive?~ Looking at him, he shouldn't be. A high-setting phaser blast may well cauterise most of a wound (or at least the parts of it that weren't produced by blast effects) but shock should still have finished him long ago. And per this recording, he'd been down half an arm and a chunk of torso for at least as long as he'd been in the cell.

"Kobol , Vael; scan that man," he ordered, indicating the collapsed Nicander.

Nicander - the very same person from the recording in the holding area - was a host as well. Probably the whole time he'd been aboard. But the parasite's assertions about its own nature were changing the frown on his face from suspicious to thoughtful. He pinched his lower lip between a thumb and forefinger, other hand holding his elbow, and twisting his lip around in a way that Blue had always told him made him look hilariously stupid. He would tell her, in turn, that she stuck her tongue out when she was concentrating on a project in an entirely adorable fashion and he had caught her more than once having to wipe the spittle from the corner of her mouth. Usually, that would then result in some form of cushion being thrown at him, which he would return, and then neither of them would get much work done at all in their down time. The normally-happy memory brought him nothing but hurt.

He swallowed the sudden sour taste in his mouth, and cleared his throat, gesticulating with small movements of his hand in front of his face after he released his lip. "Say for a minute that all you have said is true... and that the good Doctor here was also telling you the truth. There are lots of parasites puppeteering the Federation right now, and they all share a... oh, I don't know. A consciousness? A gestalt? Assuming they do, how haven't they tracked you down yet? Presumably, there must be at least one in the task force we sent after you."

Ranaan could scarcely believe the words out of his mouth, cleaving close to support as they were. But he didn't really know what to do, either. He was operating on the very last fumes in his tank, he had lost almost his entire crew only days ago, there was a real threat of a new Borg incursion into Federation space, and now apparently there was a species of infiltrators that made the Dominion's Founders look amateurish.

It was too much. He seemed to shrink on the spot as he visibly sagged, radiating exhaustion. Time to narrow his focus; he had a tendency to try and fix everything at once and ran a greater risk of just making things worse (one of the things his therapist said with which he actually agreed). He wasn't sure what any of his crew could do here, beyond prop up these people's self-esteem, and he wasn't quite ready to permit them the validation.

One thing at a time, then. He took a deep breath, almost as a way to reset his posture and appeared to re-inflate, and looked back to Wenn. This time, he was almost devoid of the belligerence inherent to his demeanour up to now. "While we're out, I'd very much like to check on my people in your sickbay."
Nator 159: "I accept no responsibility for the ensign's manifest stupidity. Sir." [Show/Hide]
Ranaan Ducote: "A ship is a home; its crew a family." [Show/Hide]
T'Less: "Your odds of prevailing against us are... slim." [Show/Hide]
Valkra: "Come! We will shake the gates of Sto'Vo'Kor!" [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #57 –
“Tessa May Lance, Ah think Ah got that raht. A.K.A. Golden-ah. She ain't lahk most others. Dunno much about 'er, 'cept for wah she's called Golden-ah. But y'know what? Ah hope of alla us, she makes it t'safety, and 'ave a better lahf than Ah'll ever hope t' have.”
- Krystal "Meony" Tancredi, Cause and Effect

[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]
“Wh-” Meony was not able to get much else out over Tessa's protests and complaints. But she tried no further, when she saw the look in the other woman's eyes. Meony was the last person to admit possessing empathy, or understanding anything in relation to social life, but when she crouched and all but had a meltdown in front of the most douchebag of all female Resolve crew survivors (well that wasn't counting Michal Silika, if that fucktard was still alive), and the redhead felt like a jackass in the middle of a stormy ocean, carrying about ten tons of rocks.

“......” When she finished, Tessa was just rocking back and forth, curled up like a ball. She's all 'bout had it. thought Meony, and for a split second, she thought about Jimmy, missing, out there, apart from her. Leon, somewhere else. Suq, Sinead, A'vura, Vivian, F'rell, where was everyone? Were they all right? She almost joined Tessa on the ground in a similar state, but she steeled herself. Seeing this woman losing it, somehow gave Meony strength, if not for herself, then for everyone else. Someone needed to hold it together. Hold it for those who still had hope, it was the least she could do. It was what Tristan would've wanted her to do.

With a soft sigh, she was beside Tessa, her flight armour stripped off, leaving her in little else but the protective jumpsuit that she wore under the armour, and she placed an arm around the amber-eyed woman, offering what comfort that she could, stroking her head gently. Tessa kept her hair short, as opposed to Meony whose hair length was almost defying regulation standards, though she always found a way to make it work. “Hey...” said Meony, her voice soft, and surprisingly gentle, “...yeah, it ain't fair. Lahf seldom ever is, ain't it?”

She rested her palm on the shoulder on the other side, sort of pulling Tessa into a sideways hug. As far as she was concerned, Meony sucked ass at this. She wasn't used to being the one to offer comfort and reassurance. “But hon? You're still 'ere. Y'know what dat means? They ganged up on us, they trahd t'kill us, trahd t' destroy us. But we're still fucking here!”

She reached up with her arm slung over to turn Tessa's head, gently, to look right at her. Golden eyes to hazel brown, “So yeah, ya go ahead an' crah it out. It's good every once inna while. But nevah ferget, sugah. Lahf ain't fair, an' despaht dat? Ye're still 'ere, 'cause you're better, stronger, braver'n ya even know. So crah it all out. Then ya take lahf bah th' balls, and tell it t' go fuck itself.”

She shrugged, looking silly (she couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth), and said, “Then ya come'n' 'elp us kick Borg ass and whatever other ass dat trahs t' mess with us. Deal?”

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #58 –
[ Dr Amelya Rez | Brig | Security Center | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @patches  @CanadianVet  @chXinya  @steelphoenix  @Mathis  @Doc M.  @trevorvw  @Top Hat  @Auctor Lucan  

Awaiting the undoubtedly talks of grandeur of the parasite, Amelya waited and looked into what once was Lucan's eyes. it didn't take long before it started to speak once more yet subtext meant everything here. It talked and talked, lashing out with promises of death and demise, yet in fact it seemed to be giving away hints to the parasites and more. Amelya looked amused at Nicander's vessel as she crossed her arms just under her bosom. It mentioned the great attractor and Amelya frowned slightly at the reference of it whilst Simon Tovarek shifted behind her. Seemingly the XO of vector 02 wanted to speak up, yet stopped himself before being able to do so as he wanted to see if the parasite would spill more.

At the second volley of unfearing death an interesting development took place. It spooked Amelya for a second as she took a step back as the sound ran through skin and bone. Chills running down her body before she stepped forward, closer to the force field. She was now inches away from the cell as she studied Nicander as he fell on his side, Rez followed the movements meticulously as she could hear the desperate cry for help, as hard as it was to understand under the gurgle of blood, excrement and anything else filling up the ragged state of his body. It was a miracle he managed to bring out this much before he passed out. Amelya remained squatted as she looked at the unconscious form, wondering if the parasite was really dormant or waiting to strike at a willing person reaching out to help.

The Vulcan voice of Maya broke the deafening silence of Nicander or the parasite's show and Amelya stood back up as she looked over to her fellow medical colleague. She let her speak and looked at Tovarek who was the highest in command as of now. She aided her fellow medical officer by confirming "I indeed think that if we mend Nicander and grant him a bit more control as it were over the parasite, we might find ourselves to have an invaluable source of information. If it turns out that the parasite inside him is still too strong, we can still neutralize it and lock it up somewhere safer I imagine." she added to it as she looked for confirmation to the XO.

Before Tovarek could even begin to formulate a reply Wenn Cinn entered the brig once more, yet this time in company. Amelya turned her entire body to face the newcomers and she let her eyes move over them before she looked at Cinn as he asked what had happened. "It would appear that Nicander is still 'alive' in there. He tried to reach out, yet by doing so I imagine he must've used up all the reserves the body had so far to remain conscious. With your permission, Sir... I'd like to perform reconstructive surgery on him. Like Maya stated before, this might be our break as Nicander's physiology apparently makes him somewhat immune for a complete take over by the parasite. If we can manage to empower him enough we might have ourselves a live parasite yet bound by Nicander, not to mention an entire pool of information about them. Of course it will have it's risks... But one has to bargain to be rewarded. Don't you agree?"  she asked as she brought Cinn up to speed before coming to a stop in front of him. She looked the Bajoran in the eyes as she stood before him. She couldn't really explain it yet she felt some sort of attraction towards him before she got a flash memory from Edena and the now acting captain prior to the starbase mission. She managed to hide the surprise on her face, yet her eyes would clearly let on that she knew about it.

Whilst she waited for either approval or disapproval from Cinn to carry on with her plan, she looked at Ducote as the man seemed to be the highest ranking officer in the room. Seemingly as she figured he probably was the man who had his merry bunch beamed into the brig. The reason why Wenn Cinn had to leave the scene with Nicander. The man however seemed worn, tired and probably at the brink of exhaustion. Still it was impressive to see how the man managed to keep his composure. His request to see his people who were transferred to sickbay made Amelya's posture straighten up as she looked at Cinn "Captain, if you allow it. I'll show the way for the commander here and his men to Sickbay. I believe they all might profit from a medical check up themselves." she said softly to the dark skinned man in front of her. Just loud enough for the others to catch on to it, yet still delivered discreetly.

[ Lt Simon Tovarek | Brig | Security Center | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ]

Whilst the show went on Tovarek's eyes remained resting on Nicander's brittle body. The only moment he looked away from it was when Ducote and his fellow officers entered the brig. A frown now manifesting itself on the forehead of the XO as he moved over to stand besides Cinn now. He would inform the captain later about the mention of the great attractor. he had heard about the phenomenon before during his exploration mission years. It was a gravitational anomaly at the center of the local Laniakea Supercluster. Last he had read up upon the subject he had learned that the latest discovery missions lead to believe that the anomaly was consistent of a localized concentration of mass thousands of times more massive than the Milky Way. Of course he'd have to double check on recent studies and reports, yet it was surely food for thought and interesting to hear the parasite spill about it.

The scientist inside Simon would want to know more about it and regardless of the risk and danger in Rez's plan to 'fix' Nicander, the information they could retrieve out of him should they succeed would be unfathomable. Simon reminded himself to advise Rez to plant in a kill switch as it were during the procedure. A sort of fail safe that would quickly deal with the problem known as the parasite. Perhaps charges that would dismember the limbs of Nicander , or a more crude and effective method that would vaporize the man entirely. Of course he imagined the doctor would put up a show of how unethical it would be. A problem Simon was already looking forward to to debate on. Regardless, they already altered the DNA of a crew member entirely to suit their mission parameters, this surely wouldn't be that much of a difference. Would it?

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #59 –
[ Ens. Vincent "Fury" Ferris | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry
[Show/Hide]
Vinnie "Fury" Ferris had been in the impromptu TacCONN firing squad, right next to the others, and cursed under his breath when the crew of the Niger had been uncooperative. He had just returned from a patrol, so he was dressed in his repaired exosuit - only having left he helmet behind. So with his Type III assault rifle aimed at the Runabout, he had held his breath a bit... until one of the Theurgy's deck crew had used the tractor beam to fry it. It had almost looked comical, seeing the sparks, the way the nav lights flickered out, and the sound of the engines powering down. He had actually chuckled a bit, glancing towards his new cockpit-mate.

Alessia "Angel" Garcia, another White Wolf just like him, who had lost er RIO just he he'd lost Devyrie in the battle against 'the Axe'. The monicker for the Savi Precept-class ship had kind of stuck, but Fury had yet to come up with a good name for the damn alien fighters that had picked his and Dev's Valravn apart. He had barely managed to use the ETS in time to beam back unto the Theurgy, ending up in one of the transporter rooms with his exosuit scorched and smoking.

"Sure thing, Wolf Leader." The SCO ordered them to move in once the crew of the Runabout had been beamed to the Brig, and Fury followed orders, joining Razor and the rest whilst stepping aboard the shuttle, starting to look for things. The Borg? Really?

What was next? The Tholians? The Tzenkethi?

Looking at Angel, he couldn’t help but asking, since they had a common interest in the wellbeing of the lost Wolves. “You think they are all right?” he asked quietly, even though he knew he should be asking ‘Do you think they are still alive?’


[ CPO Liam Herrold | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Blue Zephyr
[Show/Hide]
After Chief Covington gave the go ahead, Liam accompanied Eun Sae Ji on Thomas Ravon's order. He was not too optimistic about the chances of survival for the Runabout after the kind of jolt he'd given it, but if it was mission imperative to extract things from its memory banks, he supposed they could give it a try.

"Let's bring a separate power source and hook it up to the computer, see if we can't download whatever is useful to your PADD, Ji. Can you get some spare wiring in case we need it?" he asked, giving her a small smile while he walked off to bring a twenty kilo energy pack from one of their trolleys, carrying it on its hip while they joined the fighter pilots aboard the Runabout. He nodded quietly to them as he and Ji made their way to the cockpit in the fore of the craft, where he set the energy pack down and started to calibrate the output.

"Commander," he said, glancing towards the SCO after he'd opened an access panel below the pilot's controls, reaching in to feel the temperature with his bare hand. "I may have fried a lot of the circuitry, so Chief Ji and I need to get the power into the console. Means we need a few minutes to get this sorted. I'll let you know when we are done. Hopefully, they kept notes and such on PADDs in the aft compartment?"

Once he was alone with Ji, he caught her eye while they worked. He glanced out of the room before giving her a cheepish smile. "I may have gotten us unto trouble, frying this fish, but for what it's worth... I really like watching you work, so I think it was worth it."

It was not often he got to flirt with Ji on duty, so he welcomed the opportunity.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #60 –
[ Maya | Brig | Security Center | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @patches @CanadianVet @chXinya @steelphoenix @Mathis @Doc M. @trevorvw @Nolan @Auctor Lucan @Top Hat

Maya’s large hazel eyes narrowed at the sight of the newcomers and her left eyebrow rose a few millimeters.  There were two new visitors that the little Vulcan didn’t recognize and one officer that she hadn’t realized was onboard.  Considering the isolation from her recent incarceration, it was likely that these were part of the new personnel from the Resolve that Maya hadn’t met yet.  From the conversation they were having with Commander Cinn and Doctor Rez, it seemed as if a policy of placing new arrivals in stasis so that they might be indoctrinated a few at a time was now in effect.  They were still in the process of being informed just what the threat from within Starfleet was and why the Theurgy had fled in the first place.  It was possible that trust had not been established yet.  That might explain why the newcomers weren’t wearing combages.  Were they currently classified as unwilling guests?   

Maya recognized one of them, but the other two were strangers.  Lieutenant Elro Kobol  had been a year ahead of her when they both attended Starfleet Academy and studied medicine at Starfleet Medical.  Despite being born on Earth, Doctor Kobol  was a full blooded Betazoid, a natural telepath and as honest as the length of a diurnal cycle.  Curious, Maya concentrated on lowering the psychic barriers she had erected to prevent unwanted telepathic contact in case Doctor Kobol  decided to initiate a private conversation with her. 
 
 

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Vector 02 | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy] Attn:  @Triage

"Hey... yeah, it ain't fair. Lahf seldom ever is, ain't it?  But hon? You're still 'ere. Y'know what dat means? They ganged up on us, they trahd t'kill us, trahd t' destroy us. But we're still fucking here!  So yeah, ya go ahead an' crah it out. It's good every once inna while. But nevah ferget, sugah. Lahf ain't fair, an' despaht dat? Ye're still 'ere, 'cause you're better, stronger, braver'n ya even know. So crah it all out. Then ya take lahf bah th' balls, and tell it t' go fuck itself.  Then ya come'n' 'elp us kick Borg ass and whatever other ass dat trahs t' mess with us. Deal?"

This was so humiliating.  The last thing Tessa wanted was for her the new squadron to know how much Starfleet’s betrayal had killed her ‘death or glory’ spirit and how much her old packmates like Tom, Evelyn, Nate had been carrying her like the dead weight she was.  And now Nate was missing, taken by the Savi…

“Th-thanks M-meony… Tessa sniffed as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand in a most unladylike fashion.  “I-I just wish I know why everybody was picking on us.  It’s got to have something to do with Sarresh Morali, that guy from the future the Devoted were crazy about.  There must be something about the future that has all of these bad guys picking on us all at once.  Excuse me.”

She paused to extract a small light grey device the size of a tube of lipstick from a hidden pocket.  She placed it in one nostril and a quiet electronic hum could be heard.  She then placed it in her second nostril and repeated the process.  Afterwards she extracted it and passed it in front of her eyes as the quiet electronic whine continued.  When she was done, her sinuses were clear and the tears were cleaned off her face.  She blinked twice and then her face assumed an expression that her squad mates hadn’t seen for over three months:  an expression of intelligence and determination.

“Wait a second, that’s it!” she declared as she punched the palm of her other hand.  “The Federation must discover a way to counter the Borg nanoprobes and get rid of the parasites that are infesting the heads of Starfleet Command!  It’s the same reason the Calamity came back and attacked us!  Someone has gone back in time to make sure that all of these invasions take place at once!  I’m sure of it!”

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #61 –
[ Lt. JG Evelyn Rawley | Hangar Deck | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Auctor Lucan and who writes for those in the fighter bay
[Show/Hide]


Rawley wasn’t the most patient woman in the galaxy. Cor, she easily held the Guinness World Record for Impatience. Literally.

After some time waiting, it seemed everybody was so engrossed with the runabout, nobody seemed to notice her. In fact, she was so easily invisible she felt she was living up to her callsign, “Ghost.” Well, time to live up to her callsign a little more. With that, she tapped her badge.

“Razor. I know you’re there, Razor. It’s me. Ghost. And it’s no bloody disembodied voice. No, there’s no ghost on the runabout. It’s The Ghost. I’m sure you know who it is, even if the new lads and lasses in the pack don’t, and if Husker is there, I’m sure he’d know who it is, too.

“In case you’re wondering, I’ve been discharged. I haven’t skived off Sickbay. I’m here because I met Meony and Goldeneye in the lockers, apparently chivvied there. I’m here to help, because if more Wolves keep getting chivvied off, there won’t be any Wolves left to fill in for the lads and lasses in yellow.

“But, before you tell me off, let me in to help, or chivvy me back to the lockers with Meony and Goldeneye, I want to tell you this before anything else, and sod the regulations: I forgive you.

“I never had a chance to forgive you before Satori’s wankers tried to conk us. I understand that you didn’t know what you were doing. Cor, you know ol’ Maya was tending us, and while you told me she was responsible, it turned out she didn’t know what she was doing either. Can you believe that? Some loony mucking with a Vulcan’s mind? Almost feels like a…violation to her own right.” Rawley didn’t want to use the word “rape,” not if there are other Wolves listening in.

“You told me you needed all the officers you needed? Well, here I am. I’m your lass, Razor. Reporting for duty. And I swear, whoever that wanker is, mucking with minds and pulling the strings…he better watch his arse, because I’ll be emptying my ordinance in it.

“Don’t know whether you can see me or not, but I’m out here in the bay,” said Rawley, trying to suppress that teasing tone in her voice. “Evelyn Rawley’s ready for duty…sir.”

Practically a nanosecond later, Razor leapt out of the runabout so fast, he might as well have jumped to warp speed. Rawley gave a smug smile; she can tell Razor was gobsmacked. And he wasn’t the only one. Husker trailed behind him, along with one or two other Wolves, looking out for a curious look. Nonetheless, she expected a barrage of words from Razor, and her folded arms instinctively felt like she was bracing for impact.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #62 –
[ Lt. Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Niger | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Multificionado , @Auctor Lucan , @Havenborn , @Even Angels Cry , @Blue Zephyr

As the pilots cleared out the shuttle, Thomas could hear some ruckus going on in the back of the shuttle. He couldn't quite make up what was going on and only saw a glimpse of Tessa leaving the ship. Before he could call out to her or ask her anything Liam Herrold spoke up. He informed him that it might take a few to get the electronics working again as the valiant effort of frying the ships systems might have overcooked it. "Very well, let me know when I can access the logs." Thomas replied to the impromptu hero from a while ago. He gave a slight nod to Ji before he left the two alone in the cockpit.

In the meantime he overlooked the search in the aft compartments and searched through a few things himself. There wasn't a lot of talking going on and Thomas kept somewhat silent to himself. He felt a chill run down his spine though as if someone was watching him. A similar sensation he had felt on the planetoid when the Reaver holograms had taken him under fire. It was an odd feeling and when he looked back at the front of the ship, nobody was there. He shook his head and looked at the interior of the ship. He wondered how many people had been on board and in what condition they were. Medpacks were spread out across the floor, which only made him expect the worst.

He tapped his combadge to inform the bridge in the meantime "Ravon to bridge. We're still searching the ship. So far it's just a really big mess. Electronics are a bit over fried, yet we're working on a solution for it. I'll inform you when we have something solid. Razor out." he said before he heard his badge chirp itself. He frowned as he didn't expect a reply from the bridge at this point. Suddenly he could hear Rawley's voice, it made his face flush paler as it seemed like he was literally hearing a ghost.

It couldn't be, she was gone. He had carried her himself to the Sickbay and heard the diagnosis from the EMH. For a split second he thought he was delusional, yet the other pilots looked up as well. Which pretty much meant that he wasn't the only one hearing it. His eyes went over to Husker for a moment before he listened to what Rawley was spilling. A slight smirk covered his lips as he should've known better. The woman was theatrical at some point. He was already making his way to the exit of the runabout as he heard the voice grow louder and more natural. The badge eventually fading out as he came in earshot of the lost pilot.

She hadn't even finished her last sentence before Thomas doomed out of the opening and made eye contact with Rawley. His eyes narrowing as if he was making sure he didn't see a mirage. There were a lot of emotions running through him and he didn't know which one to address first. He slowly came closer to Evelyn and stopped about two arm lengths from her as she folded her arms. There was a moment of silence as Thomas contemplated on what to do first, yet eventually he broke loose from his position and simply gave Rawley a tight hug. The embrace lasted longer than he expected and he closed his eyes as he could actually feel her, smell her. She was here, this was real and it was all on display.

"You theatrical piece of shit." he murmured in her ear before he smiled and let go of her. He patted her on the shoulder and rubbed both her arms as he smiled broadly "Thought you were a goner there. Spilling blood all over my clothes..." he teased her before he looked back to the few pilots that had come to take a peek. Chris' face was priceless and he looked back to Rawley as he shook his head "Cleared for duty huh? I hope you're not going to be as much of a pain like you did with Miles?" he said with a more serious tone now "But if you want in on the action, feel free to join us in the ship. We're looking for evidence of any encounter with the Borg." he gestured his hand towards the shuttle and since a very long time he felt a spark of light shining down on him "Move out Rawley." he concluded before he let his eyes rest to the far end of the hangar bay. 

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #63 –
[ Lt. JG Evelyn Rawley | Hangar Deck | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Auctor Lucan @Havenborn @Even Angels Cry @Blue Zephyr @Triage @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]

"You theatrical piece of shit."

Rawley smiled so widely, she thought she'd stretch her face. That’s the Ravon she knew. With the hug, and the way his hands were afterward, she was so touched, if they weren’t on duty, she’d kiss him on the spot. But she knew better. She learned plenty of lessons the hard way, and mistakes made her all the wiser.

“I hope you're not going to be as much of a pain like you did with Miles?"

She shook her head at that. Razor wasn’t Miles, and she had no intention of being a pain in the arse now that she had forgiven Razor. He needed all the help he could get.

"But if you want in on the action, feel free to join us in the ship. We're looking for evidence of any encounter with the Borg."

She was glad to know she can help, and at Ravon’s order, she hoisted her rifle and made her way inside. “Gladly, Razor,” she responded. “Poor buggers,” she added, looking around at the runabout. She squeezed passed the curious lads and winked as she passed. Once inside, however, her cheery mood evaporated at the sight.

“Poor buggers indeed,” she said aloud. It looked worse on the inside than it did out, and as with the exterior, the more she saw, the worse it looked. It wasn’t due to the fact that all systems were fried. Rawley had seen refugee ships from time to time, but rarely saw the insides of them. To sum things up, in her mind, it looked more like a refugee ship. Well, considering they lost a starship, and if they were running from the Borg, that would make sense. The Borg had left plenty of refugees before. However, proof was required, and the buggers would easily be…intimidated by the Theurgy if they were trying to scarper; they wouldn’t likely talk.

She decided to start looking in the rear of the runabout; there was no point in trying to get anything out of the computers in the front, not when their systems were fried. She’ll likely have better luck in the rear.

OOC: This is just for Rawley's reactions and her own start of searching the Niger. I'm just going to wait until somebody has found something on the runabout before I post again here.
 

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #64 –
Alessia "Angel" Garcia, Tactical CONN, Lt JG
| Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @auctor lucan

[Show/Hide]

Alessia looked at Fury as he spoke.  He was hurthng just like she was.  The loss was too new to feel real.  This was the moment when she needed to reassure her commrade and be positive.  But in truth she had no idea what happened to her RIO or her friend.  'They could be dead for all I know.'  The thought terrified her.  She regretted it the instant it enetered her brain, and yet she allowed it to linger in the foreground of her mind. 

Part of her wanted to be blunt with Fury.  She was sure he shared her morbid thoughts; he would understand.  But she couldn't bring herself to vocalize the words, as if speaking them would somehow make them true.  No, she couldnt and wouldn't wish her friends dead.  She had to have faith that they were out there, alive, and surviving.  They all had to hope to see their friends again. It was the only way to deal with such a massive loss.

"I know they're ok.  Sure as I know that we aren't gonna die here today. Sehl and Dev, they're fighters. They'll make it.  But we cant lose faith. We'll find them."   She gave Fury what she hoped was a reassuring smile.  The next words stumbled from her mouth with unexpected gusto as her smile took on a sinister appearance.
 "and we'll make the bastardos who took them pay."

Vengeance and anger.  Two things that never seemes to escape Alessia no matter how much she tried to run from them.  But this time, she knew exactly how to vent them.  When she found the ones who took her friends,  once she was certain Sehl and Dev were safe, she'd unload holy hell upon their kidnappers! Maybe then they would understand what a Latina's rage looked like!

The fire burned inside Alessia.  She was eager to hunt, to kill, to end things.  But there was something in Fury's expression that tempered her rage.  She recognized his hollow stare.  She'd lost her RIO, but he'd lost his pilot.  He wasnt expected to fly a valravn on his own, and with Alessia missing her RIO, the idea made sense.  "Hey Vinnie, maybe we can talk to Ravon and ask about teaming up? At least until we rescue our other halves." 

Alessia admitted to herself that right now wasn't the best time to ask.  Ravon had already benched two pilots and she wouldn't risk being third on the list.  But maybe before their next patrol?  This whole situation was nutty and now if these Endeavour folks were telling the truth, the Borg were once again invading.  The last thing they needed was more enemies!  At least for now, the Niger shuttle was empty and no longer posed a threat.  Alessia moved up with Vinnie, waiting just inside the shuttle for room to enter.  If what she'd just heard was true, it was cramped in there so only a few people could enter at once.

...But that didnt stop Alessia from keeping her rifle trained on the shutttle.  They hadnt been ordered to stand down yet, which meant riffles at the ready on maximum stun.  What a day today was turning out to be!
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #65 –
[Ensign Jaya Thorne, CONN Officer |
Battle Bridge | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @auctor lucan

 [Show/Hide]

"Shit."

Their ploy had failed. Maybe if she'd moved to a different part of the nebula it would have worked?  But her readings showed this section as the nearest dense spot in this damn nebula. Jaya resisted the urge to kick at her console or stomp on the floor.  She reminded herself that she was an ensign now, a helm officer, and was expected to behave accordingly.   But there was no such expectation placed on her thoughts.

'Motherfuckers! Just when things were starting to go our way! It's too damn convenient for them to show up out of the blue like this. How long have they been on our trail? Have they had a chance to report us yet?  We're so fucked!'

She didn't even realize she'd been scowling until she felt her teeth grinding together.  Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, the threat was made.  Jaya's jaw dropped.  They wouldn't!  She glanced back at Lt. Okafor.  He looked just as surprised as she was.  There was a frenzied murmur about the bridge as others contributed their thoughts to the lieutenant.  It took too long.  By the time Lt. Okafor decided what to do, there would be a hole in fighter bay the size of a shuttlecraft and all their TAC Conn fighters would be dead.  Not that she had anything useful to add to the pot,  but she was tired of watching her crewmates die.

And then the crisis resolved.  Thank the Universe for the FAB crew and her pilots for thinking on their feet!  Now, to really reign in this shitshow they needed a no- nonsense kind of guy. Where was Acting Captain Sunshine?  Still in the brig?  They needeed him here on the bridge. That prisoner wasn't going anywhere but this situation could still get worse. 

Thankfully someone got ahold of him and caught him up to speed on things, but Jaya still felt uneasy.  All they were doing was reacting.  They'd been reacting since the attack.  Fleeing, running on low power in hopes of hiding their emissions trail, lying... they'd never be ahead if all they did was react.  She was sick of it.  They needed to act!

But how?

Jaya hadn't thought that through yet, but she did know that the infrequent updates being relayed to the bridge were almost as stressful as not recieving any news at all.   As far as she was concerned, they'd missed their rendezvous and needed to move on with this hostile shutttle handled later.  Still, Jaya drummed her fingers along the bottom of her chair until she couldn't wait anymore.   It took all of about 10 minutes.

"Sir, recommend we move to the next rendezvous point, leaving news about the findings in the shuttle for later."  She didn't want to say the next part out loud, but she had a bad feeling about lingering in this part of the nebula any longer.
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #66 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Security Centre | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn:  @Top Hat @patches @CanadianVet @chXinya @steelphoenix @Mathis @Doc M. @Nolan @Auctor Lucan


Kai had grown weary of the Theurgy crews' attempt to try to convince them that they weren't how they were being portrayed.

That's how mostly everyone that's guilty acts...Kai had pondered internally, but caught himself at the word mostly

There wasn't much to do in the brig other than sit and wait. Unfortunately for everyone in the brig, this gave everyone too much time to think. They'd just been through hell and back..lost everyone not in this brig presumably.

Kai's thoughts had drifted to the crew members and friends aboard the Endeavour that they'd never see again. It would be fitting to take revenge on the Borg or the Theurgy. Kai didn't care who, just that he was pissed and he wanted someone to pay for it.

Kai shook his head seemingly to get rid of the thoughts for now. To single handedly take on the Borg Collective or the Theurgy was a foolish idea and easily a suicide mission.

Their captors wanted to take them to 'meet someone'.

An interrogator? Kai pondered quietly.

 They had brought in two more security officers to help escort them. Kai had done a quick assessment of the situation and surmised that he and Ducote could take them down if given the opportunity. Kai just as quickly dismissed this idea, because even if they took them down, they weren't the only security officers on the ship.

The group was herded like cattle into another room and as Kai stepped into the room behind Ducote he was stopped by the outstretched hand of the Commander and Kai's eyes fell silently to the floor where a body was prone on the floor.

"You don't see that everyday" Kai mumbled to himself as he was trying to grasp exactly what he was looking at.

Meanwhile their captors had brought up the video recording of the cell on the monitor as everyone had gathered around to see it. Kai didn't believe most of what he saw as it's something that could easily be fabricated. He looked at his XO and saw that his body language had relaxed a little bit.

Is he believing them or is he exhausted? or both... Kai thought, wishing he had known the answer.

If this whole situation is fabricated, then they're going through a lot of trouble to convince a handful of us. It just doesn't make sense. Unless they're telling the truth...then I have no idea what to believe anymore Kai silently debated as he watched the room and waited for the next move

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #67 –
[ Lt Cmdr Vael Kaeris | Security Center | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy  ] Attn: @trevorvw  @Top Hat @Mathis @Auctor Lucan @CanadianVet @patches @chXinya  


Vael observed the recounting of the incidents in the brig prior to their arrival.  This, at least, he had to give more credence to, given the unlikelihood that they would so rapidly and conveniently have enacted such an elaborate ruse just for the sake of the Endeavour's refugees.  Still, setting aside the portrait of a treasonous vessel that had been so tarnished by Starfleet brass was not something he could readily do.

Staring down at the tricorder he'd been handed, he had to admit there was no immediate way to be certain that it was one of theirs and, even so, if it had been tampered with in the interim.  Still, the mounting workload required to maintain the facade seemed daunting and prohibitive even if only to gain -- what? -- a dozen potential sympathizers?  The costs far outweighed the opportunity, especially when they had only brought news of a potential invasion by the Borg.

The man in the cell was clearly a Câroon.  Had the tattoos been insufficient a tell, the unique energy patterns endemic to the species was easy enough for him to pinpoint, thanks to the diagnostic scans he read as his fingers raced across the tricorder's miniature command console.  But if this were all to be believed, Vael had to question if this man... this doctor... was the one in charge of their initial investigation into these so-called parasites.  Being infected himself would certainly give him cause to obfuscate any findings.  Indeed, it was all the better to obscure himself in their midst if he claimed they could not be detected.  Vael took some level of professional insult at this, perhaps sensing a task that he himself felt readily within his own retinue of skills.

He listened to the recording even as he went about the business of scanning the man that lay before them in the cell with what meager scans the tricorder could provide.  This required a full medical bay, significant testing, but most importantly they risked the loss of any significant data if the man died, and seeing the grave wounds that scored his body, it was a wonder he had not already bled out and left his organs to whither on the ground around him.

"... this particular breed of skin-puppet is hard to control..."  Vael quietly noted the statement, wondering how much veracity it contained.  It would require studies, likely other Câroon, but more risky, another of these so-called parasites.  The creature seemed to proclaim that he was the cause for the doctor's inexplicable survival in such a state and, further, that the level of control he now leveled was in direct relation to that need.  Another interesting tidbit.  If true.

The conversation then turned to Starbase 84 with talk of a betrayal... one above and beyond any alleged threat these parasites might muster.  Vael's eyes flicked upwards for the barest moment to determine to whom the captive doctor was addressing.  A trill.  He'd heard that joined trill hosts were occasionally at odds with past incarnations of themselves.  He did find it curious that they would allow such a potential liability to walk about freely.  Had the trill altered the broadcast that Starfleet used to cement its position against the Theurgy and her crew?  This was a lot to take in and he was operating on back-to-back shifts merely trying to keep their lifeboat functional.

He took a deep breath, handing the tricorder and his hastily performed tests to Commander Ducote, doing his utmost to maintain the professional countenance that was expected of him, but it was a facade that was readily beginning to fail.  The same was likely true for the lot of them and options were unfortunately out of reach.  "If this man doesn't receive medical treatment, they risk losing any opportunity to resume the study of these 'parasites'.  A necroposy is nowhere near as informative as having an opportunity to examine a live subject."  Lowering his gaze slightly, he added, his voice intended only for the commander, "How far must we fall to leave a man in such a state?"

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #68 –
[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Fighter Assault Bay, Deck 16 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Nolan, @Doc M., @Triage, @Even Angels Cry, @Multificionado, Other Lone Wolves

Watching the scene that unfolded before him with Meony breaking noise discipline and being subsequently dismissed, he shook his head.  He thought he had managed to work those kinks out of her but apparently not.  He’d have to have a talk with her about her behavior aboard the Theurgy once the current situation was resolved.  Daniel made sure to keep his position in place, looking over at Knight who nodded a knowing look as he joined Husker on overwatch.

After a few short tense moments, Chief Ji and Chief Herrold put a plan into motion that subsequently disabled the runabout, hearing the new orders to search the vessel he motioned his team forward.  He was the first one of his team to breach the starboard side and once inside after it was confirmed that there was no one onboard he made his way to a console and began trying to access any sort of information that he could, though the EMP had done its job and had disabled the runabout, as he opened up the console to try and access the isolinear chips he found that the panel he had decided to try and access was completely fused, he really hoped that nothing critical had been held in this console.

Daniel gave up on trying to sort through the mess that was the console as Chief Ji and Herrold arrived to begin sifting through it.  If anyone could get through this mess he had no doubt that Herrold would be able to.  He’d seen the man along with Chief Randall completely field strip a Gryphon and cannibalize its parts to use in others.  As he helped the rest of the squadron search through the ship he remembered Meony.  Now seemed like a good idea to go and speak to her, besides there were too many people on the runabout and he felt like he wasn’t accomplishing anything here.

As he approached Commander Ravon he seemed to be talking with a pilot that he didn’t recognize, though to be fair he didn’t recognize a fair many pilots quite yet.  As he stood there he couldn’t help but overhear her mention Meony and Goldeneye in the showers.  At least now he knew where to look for Meony.  As Ravon dismissed the mystery pilot Daniel approached him.  “Commander Ravon, permission to disembark the runabout and check on Ensign Tancredi?”  Daniel asked.

---------

With permission granted he made his way towards the TacCONN Sonic Showers and Lockers, as he entered he saw both women having a conversation, neither seemed to have noticed his entrance so he cleared his throat before speaking.  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”  Daniel said.  “Ensign Tancredi, I’d like a word with you in the briefing room.”  Daniel said as he turned and left the showers walking the short corridor to the briefing room and made his way towards the front of the room and stood behind the podium.

As Meony walked in he motioned for her to take a seat.  “I assume you have a good excuse for why you broke noise discipline, but I don’t want to hear it.”  Daniel’s tone of voice was completely stern and authoritative; he didn’t like speaking down to one of his officers this way.  “I am extremely disappointed in your behavior.  You will promptly report to Commander Ravon and apologize for your outburst.  Then you and I are going to sit down and have a chat later, is that understood Krystal?”  It was rare for Daniel to actually use her given name instead of her callsign or family name.  Daniel didn’t normally resort to being that casual while on duty but he wanted her to know how he really felt right now and the number of times that he had used her given name while on duty could be counted on one hand.
Defeat, Genocide; why quibble with semantics.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #69 –
[ Ens. Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Doc M., @Havenborn, @Multificionado & @Nolan
[Show/Hide]
Meony bobbed her head left and right in a non-committal nod. It certainly was a train of thought she's considered herself. But how to prove that, and then what did they do about it? She started slightly when Tessa exclaimed, and then seemed to put everything together in one picnic basket. “Mmm...yeah,” said Meony, actually considering it, then frowned, “only problem is th' Federation's after us too. So we're gonna 'ave to do it on our own, with what we have.” She shrugged, “nothin' new, and we'll manage. Hell Ah bet we-”

She turned to look at Daniel, and quickly clipped off “Yes suh!”

Looking back at Tessa, she lightly clapped the woman on the shoulder, “Tell ya what, t' be continued, 'kay? Ya work on this ah-deah of yours, and when Ah go get mah ass handed t' meh bah Havenborn (mah fault entahrly that), Ah'll be raht back, and we figger this out t'gether. Later, sugah.”

She pulled herself up to her feet and padded after Daniel. Now she knew he knew the kind of asshole that she could be most if not all the time. Then again, it's new days, with loads more stress piled on over the ones they still carried from Hell Sector, and she knew the man was at his wit's end, so she already regretted mouthing off at the Niger crew. They were close, despite all appearances to the contrary. Meony often cussed out at him, and he would stare daggers at her, but the redhead didn't doubt for even one second that he wouldn't lay down his life for her without thought just as she would for him. Nevertheless, times like these, she bet he wished she'd be a little...less like Meony.

Depending on how angry or disappointed he was in her, he'd use her birth name, as an indicator, and that usually meant she beyond fucked up. No one called her Krystal anymore, and any who did, would do so in anger, hatred or bitter disappointment. Oh, he just used it. Yep, she was in the doghouse. Shit? Yup. Fan? Oh yeah. Definite hittage? What do you think?

She kept her eyes on her feet the whole time, no argument, no defense, just meek repentance. It won't be just chewing her out. But what irked her the most was...he was right, Thomas Ravon was right, she was out of line...even if she too was right. I mean who wouldn't be pissed at your family and friends getting threatened by some asshole? But she had to apologize nonetheless, because regardless of right or wrong, Starfleet personnel behaved better than that. Le sigh

“Undahstood...suh...” said Meony, her eyes still on the ground, “Ah'll...Ah'll uh...head raht on ovah t' let 'im know.”

She turned on her heels and was nearly at the door when she paused, turned her head ever so slightly to one side as she said, for him to hear, “They trahd t' kill ya, Danny.” She looked him in the eyes then, “Aftah all ya done for meh, ya teenk Ah'm gonna be nahs t' anyone that threatens ya? Or anyone else in our fam'leh?”

She didn't wait for his answer, and went looking for Thomas.

[ Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 (The Sword) | USS Theurgy ]

He was outside that fucknugget of a Runabout, talking to Evelyn Rawley. Nice gal. She liked her. Steeling herself for more well-deserved chewing out, she maintained her best discipline in movement and gait, clasping her hands behind her, ignorant of the fact that she was in nothing but her jumpsuit now, not even boots. “C'mmandah Ravon, suh.” she said, in a tone almost never heard before, one filled with regret, “Ah'm...” veins on her neck and temples literally strained with the effort to say the word, “sorry...fer...breakin'...” what was that word again? “...noahs dees-uh-pleen. Ah was outta lahn. It...it won't happen agin.” Liar liar pants on fire. It's totally gonna happen again, probably the second she saw the assholes from this micro starship.

“Ah lost mah cool when they threatened alla ya, but Ah shouldn't have. Ah'm uh...ready t' do anythin' ya need me t' do, or uh...y'know...uhm...Ah'm sorry...yeah.” She rubbed the back of her head uncertainly, and abruptly looked away, not sure what to say that could make this better. She sucked at apologies to anyone other than Jimmy, and she almost never needed to apologize to him.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #70 –
[ Lt. JG Evelyn Rawley | Hangar Deck | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Auctor Lucan @Triage @Doc M. @Even Angels Cry @Blue Zephyr
[Show/Hide]


The moment she stepped into the rear end of the runabout, Rawley could definitely peg this as a refugee ship. If the poor wankers haven’t tried to resort to desperate measures to scarper, she would’ve felt sorry for them. Much as she felt pity for them already.

She was alone at the moment there, save for a couple of other Wolves, but she wasn’t surprised. It seemed like the rest of the Wolves haven’t thought to check the rear. She was glad there was a couple of somebodies at least in there already; she wasn’t about to sort through all the rubbish. She recognized them as new in the pack after the sortie at Starbase 84, a couple of fellow junior grade lieutenants, Uriah Ahern and T’Zantha, callsigns “Knight” and “Sniper.” She never found time to get to know them, all she knew were the names and callsigns. Rawley was momentarily taken aback by the latter’s hairdo. She never met a blonde Vulcan before…let alone a pale blonde Vulcan.

It seemed that the Vulcan had been thinking the same as Rawley had been in that more results would be found in the rear than in the cockpit, and she had brought Knight along. Rawley felt a grudging respect to the Vulcan intellect, something she felt after she had forgiven Maya.

Busy as they were, Rawley began sorting through the rubbish. She had gone through clothes and ration wrappings when she came across…paper. Ah. She handled it gently, like it would crumble to dust if she handled it too much, but chided herself for doing so. Of course paper still bloody existed, but in this day and age, like wealth among the Federation, hardly anybody makes use of it.

It occurred to Rawley that there was something on the paper that caught her attention. She realized it was old-school notes. And what was on the notes was what got her attention. She knew it was authentic writing; it wasn’t a replicated book. This was genuine paper, and the ink wasn’t old. Like, centuries old.

Hang on, these seemed like more than notes; they were excerpts of a diary. And what was the diary about…? Blimey.

“It’s been a couple of hours since the Endeavour was destroyed. A lot of us are breathing easily now. We were lucky to make it out alive, not after the Borg was through with the Endeavour. Ducote was edgy as ever, but then, everybody around us has been on edge. I can still remember the terror, the impacts, and the Endeavour's hull cracking. Sparks flying everywhere. We lost power. We lost the Endeavour. As much as we can relax, there’s this chilly feeling in the Niger that at any moment, a Borg cube would bear down on us to finish the job…”

Rawley had to stop; she suddenly began to shudder. It was like she was feeling the same chill the poor wankers were feeling. She repressed the urge to whirl around, expecting to see a cube floating in. Instead, she skimmed the rest of the pages. They seemed to jump out randomly, like she was looking at separate pages, written in different intervals. Phrases jumped out as she read.

“We don’t know if we’ll hold for long out here…the galaxy is in danger…assimilation…they’re hiding in the nebula…they will come…”

But the pages were incomplete. She showed the pages to Knight and Sniper and instructed them to look for more paper notes. It’s evident to Rawley she had stumbled across a gold mine of evidence, and if these pages can be pieced together….

She stopped short and came across several padds. They looked good enough to still be working. Somehow they may have survived getting fried by the EMP. She activated one and sorted through its data. What she saw was more proof. She saw so many images, even a playback of the Borg attack that she was more than convinced. She slapped her hand on her combadge, and realized it was sweating. With fear.

“Rawley to Ravon, get over here. I’m with Knight and Sniper and we’ve found something. No, I’m not inviting you for a cup of tea, I think we’ve found concrete proof that these poor wankers were scarpering from the Borg.”

OOC: It was an idea that Nolan and I were discussing, of finding physical evidence on the Niger. Nolan mentioned padds and personal notes and that got me thinking it was a good idea.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #71 –
[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol Brig | Deck 7 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy | @Top Hat @trevorvw @steelphoenix @patches  @chXinya @Auctor Lucan @Nolan @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]
Elro didn’t take it personally when the Bajoran commander ignored his comment about entering his mind to review the memory of the holorecording. He figured that was basically his way of saying, ‘No.’ He returned to just watching and keeping his telepathic senses as open as possible. Taer was definitely not a fan of him, but he tried to see things through her perspective. They were an unknown on her ship and had just threatened to blow a sizeable chunk in it with a desperate suicide bombing.

Wenn Cinn was fascinating. He didn’t let much through, psychically or verbally, but what he did was sincere, blunt, to the point. That was something Elro respected. He asked them to follow him somewhere, and Elro was willing to cooperate, especially if it got him to Sickbay to see the rest of their crew. He did a quick visual check of everyone they were leaving in the brig to make sure they were okay before following Ducote and the others.

Their trip didn’t take them very far, as it was just a different section of the brig. He was at first confused by the number of people standing outside the cell, and nearly let out an audible gasp at the burnt form in the cell. He stared at it, watching the impossibility of it breathing still. He looked to Ducote as the commander reached out to him psychically. {He’s alive. How I can’t even begin to say. Injuries like that should have been fatal.}

He took a proffered tricorder and joined Vael in scanning him. The readings confirmed that the man was a Câroon as well as detailing his extensive injuries. He listed them off in as detached a way as he could, arriving to the same summary out loud that he had to Ducote just now. “The pain this man is in must be excruciating. Not treating him amounts to torture, which is illegal and immoral no matter the severity of his crimes. My only working theory is that the alleged parasite is sustaining him somehow. I second the opinion that he should be treated immediately, and I offer my assistance if needed.”

It was then he finally looked around the room to the others gathered there, his focus to that point had been so caught up in Nicander, trying to gauge the reactions. His gaze landed on an unexpectedly familiar face. “Maya?” They had both been in the academy around the same time and had been friendly acquaintances and coworkers. He reached his senses out to her as she saw him as well and noticed she was pulling her barriers down. He took that as a sign that she was willing to communicate with him. {Maya, what is going on here? Is all of this true?} On the outside he tried to remain as neutral as possible, waiting for her response.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #72 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy]
@Auctor Lucan @Nolan

The ship was down, and from what she heard the people had been beamed off the ship anyway.  Which was good.  There was nothing quite like threatening an entire flight deck for no damn reason other than you didn't think they were upstanding people.  They had saved the Niger, and they could have let the aliens have them.  Who knew what would have happened to them then, one would think that Starfleet, even the supposed “traitors” would be better.  But then, she supposed that she had never been put in that position and she hoped never to be.  The Theurgy was her home as far as she was concerned and while she feared what her parents would say about the whole situation, she was proud of her service here.

That and there was Liam.

But then, that was still highly new and something she didn't even have to write home about yet.  Not that they were receiving her messages .. but if they did she wanted to at least make sure that she and Liam really were what she wanted them to be.  And that would take time.  Which was a luxury that she had plenty of since it wasn't like she could message her family anyway.  She made logs, talked to them, but she knew they didn't go through.

One day, maybe.

Ravon gave some orders and she gave a quick nod.  “On it.” she said quickly as she turned to Liam to meet back up with him.  She thought about exactly what she could do to make it on minimum power, she could do a light boot.  There were ways that they could half boot the ship without actually bringing all the power up.  Just enough to run the systems, the consoles, and get things like diagnostics done without having to worry about what might have happened to the engines or what shape they were in.

Liam looked over at her, and her dark eyes found his blue ones.  He gave her an idea of what to bring.  “Yep.  I'll grab it and be right back.”

She didn't wait for further instruction she turned and bolted to the maintenance bay where she knew they kept a lot of extra things.  Especially wire.  She grabbed the spools of several different diameters, grades, and pay loads.  Quickly she pushed them all into a belt holster that she quickly strapped around her hips and tightened it to fight her slender body.  She quickly grabbed the wire cutters, splicers, and strippers so that she could make sure that if she had to repair something or subvert something she was wholly prepared.  She rushed back out of the supply room and back towards the ship where Liam was waiting for her.

He had a power cell on his hip and she shot him a quick smile as they headed onto the Runabout that the other crew had just left.  Her eyes shifted around the ship as she and Liam made their way to the cockpit.  Liam confessed that some of the wiring might have been fried and she and Liam were ready to replace it as quickly as possible so they could get this thing up and running.

Ji looked over at Liam, admiration on her face, she knew that whatever they had going on was completely new but she kind of enjoyed this stage of things.  Getting to know each other, learning about each other, finding a way to work together and yet still get their work done.  She chuckled as he told her that he might have gotten them in a bit of trouble frying the wiring but he loved to watch her work and now he did.

“Way to a woman's heart, Herrold.” she winked over at him as she dropped her work belt on the deck plating with a resounding echo before she pulled out one of the wire tools and tossed it to Liam.  Ji wa the sort that could have a good time and be a good bit of fun but when it was time to work she was all business.  Though working with Liam gave her an opportunity to flirt a bit with the man that had caught her attention.  She hoped that she could keep his attention herself but time would tell.

“Don't take your shirt off.” she warned him playfully.  I don't want to cross my wires.”  With a grin she slipped underneath the console and opened the access hatch.  There she could see all the wires and conduits that would push the flow from the power to the actual units.  Quickly she grabbed up her power testing device to see which ones had power and which ones were fried.  Each time she found a dead wire she reached up, snipped it, marked it, and went on testing.  It took some time to go through the rainbow spaghetti over her head but she wasn't in a hurry.  Rushing would only cause mistakes and they couldn't afford any of that right now.

Twelve gauge. she thought to herself.

Reaching down she grabbed a spool of wire and began to cut several pieces that she would need to repair the wires above her head.  She looked over for a moment to see what Liam was doing, and to briefly, enjoy his back for a moment and the muscles underneath it.  The subtle movements that shifted the muscles underneath his skin.  Then she slid back under the console and got back to work splicing and merging the wires to get things started again.

Ji tried not to concentrate on the fact that she was in a very tight space under the console.  It was worth it, and honestly, she knew it was just a quick duck out to bigger space if she got to feeling a bit cramped.

“This kind of reminds me of the Valravn holodeck.” she said to Liam, wondering what his reaction would be, a playful grin on her face as she looked over at him.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #73 –
[ Maya | Brig | Security Center | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @patches @CanadianVet @chXinya @steelphoenix @Mathis @Doc M. @trevorvw @Nolan @Auctor Lucan @Top Hat

Elro had telepathically contacted Maya, just as she had predicted.  What she didn’t predict was how difficult letting down the barriers in her compartmented mind would be.  It wouldn’t do to conceal parts of her psyche from him if she wanted to gain his trust, but it was hard to open the doors to parts of herself that she didn’t want to face at that moment as well.  Yet without opening herself to those memories and sensations that she wished to suppress, her mind would be as personable as Thea’s after the Savi kidnapped her A.I.   And yet it was instinctive to keep those barriers up. The alarm and confusion coloring Elro’s thoughts were overwhelming; the little Vulcan really should have prepared herself for them. 

Yes, it is true, all of it, she replied telepathically.  Listen to the thoughts of those around you; you’ll find that they are convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that Starfleet has been compromised by a predatory intelligence that feeds on our pain.  It is uncleanliness, a rapaciousness that defies description.  It sees us as food and uses the minds of those it has usurped to create convincing deceptions while it spreads like an infection to corrupt and devour the katras of all under its sway.  As a foulness shall you know it.

From the angle of Elro’s vision, the neutral expression on Maya’s face looked like a frown as she turned her head to indicate the seared and damaged hunk of meat that wore a charred Starfleet uniform and lied comatose on the floor of his cell.   Believe it or not, that is what remains of Doctor Lucan cin Nicander, who was a year behind you in the Academy and one of the finest medical minds I have ever served with.  He graduated with high honors at the top of our class and yet now he is a travesty of everything he stood for, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  That is the fate that awaits your loved ones if we fail.
 

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye | Fighter Assault Bay Lockers | Vector 02 | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy] Attn:  @Triage

The brief moment of hope and comradery was broken when Havenborn called Meony into the briefing room.  His tone of voice didn’t sound like he was luring her away for a romantic tryst either.  Pulling herself out of her self-pitying funk Tessa dimly remembered the redhead sharing the fact that she too had been sent to the showers after escalating the situation with the runabout and that Havenborn had been Tancredi’s squadron commander aboard the Resolve.  Tom was apparently letting Havenborn handle the discipline when it came to pilots from his old squadron, at least until they all gelled into a truly united wolf pack.  She wanted to strip off her clothes and crawl into a shower so she could curl up into a fetal ball but her Valk came first.  The way things were going, the Lone Wolves would be called into action at any time.

Re: Chapter 04: Charades [ Day 05 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #74 –
[ Ens. Vincent "Fury" Ferris | USS Niger, in Fighter Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry
[Show/Hide]
Staying with Angel when they began to search the Runabout, Vinnie gave the idea she had a few seconds thought.

"Hey Vinnie, maybe we can talk to Ravon and ask about teaming up? At least until we rescue our other halves." 

"Yeah, let's talk to Ravon later," he said, for the thought had already occurred to him, glancing towards her. They had been on Luna Base together and ended up on the Theurgy, fighting Starfleet, the Asurians and the Savi together. He was confident that even if Angel and Talon were just as tightly knit as he and Dragon were in the cockpit, they could work it out. "Slim pickings too. It's not like there are any other Valravn-proficient pilots aboard. I look forward to it, Angel."

The exo-suited fighter pilots searched the Runabout, and soon, Rawley (whom Fury hadn't met before) announced her findings. Evidently, there claim they'd made was real. "The Borg. How's that even possible?"

Fury ground his teeth together, knowing that against a Cube, the odds for fighter crafts were hopelessly inadequate.


[ CPO Liam Herrold | USS Niger, in Fighter Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Blue Zephyr
[Show/Hide]
Chuckling at Ji's pun about getting her wires crossed if he took off his shirt, Liam shook his head as he opened up the other panel. He glanced out from the cockpit to make sure the fighter pilots that were searching through the Runabout didn't hear him.

"All right, then I hope you don't mind if I keep my fingers crossed that you'll take off yours instead," he said in jest to her, pulling out the wires that were blackened in their endings, carefully cleaning out the sockets that had been fused. Of course he didn't mean that she'd give the shirt off her back and get into trouble. Too much company for shenanigans, even though he quite liked seeing her on her back and sweating a bit. In fact, she was getting his wires crossed. Oh, but it certainly didn't help when she then mentioned the holodeck predicament they'd been in, grinning at him since she knew she'd get to him with that reminder.

"Hush, they'll hear you," he said in mock-admonishment, clearing his throat, but he wasn't able to bite back his retort, much less help the look he gave her. "I'll give you more than a reminder if we just finish this shift. Just you wait."

In due time, and with more teasing, Liam attached the external power source to the console and fired it up, hoping they hadn't missed anything. The display flickered to life, even if the rest of the Runabout remained dark, and Liam rose to his feet. With Ji at his side, he opened up the Niger's navigational log, seeing where they had been heading, and then the sensor readings. It appeared that they were following a dissipating warp trail through the Azure Nebula.

"Commander Ravon," Liam called over his shoulder. "We've got something here. Looks like they were back-tracking the trail of something big. But the trail won't remain forever. It looks like it was deteriorating the further they went..." Were they really trying to find where the Borg came from? On a mere shuttle? Liam couldn't decide if it was among the most brave or foolish things he'd witnessed. He turned to Ji, looking at her in the corner of her eye.

If the brass got the idea to pick up where the crew of the Niger had left off... The danger to Ji jumped to the forefront of his thoughts, and he couldn't help putting a hand on her shoulder. "Good work," he said quietly, but in his blue eyes, the unsaid was plain. What's next?


[ Lt. Tyreke Okafor | Battle Bridge | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]
On the bridge, Okafor was second-guessing every action he'd made in his thoughts, sitting there in the command chair whilst waiting for word from Wenn Cinn - who had taken over talking with the crew of the Niger. Whatever was happening in the brig, there were no internal sensor readings showing phaser fire, and Tyreke had to assume it was a good sign. Eventually, Ensign Thorne spoke up from the CONN.

"Sir, recommend we move to the next rendezvous point, leaving news about the findings in the shuttle for later."

Tyreke could definitely sympathise with that sentiment. He shifted in his seat, looking at the chronometer in the armrest of the chair, and spoke. "We still have more than four hours before we need to be there, and we're two hours out from the RV zone. If the Niger were trying to find where the Borg came from, I'd think the decision can't be made by us alone. This is, after all, the second RV, and we can catch up with the others at the third. Odds are... we might have to make the Borg our priority."

Tyreke didn't like it, but given the circumstances, the last thing the Federation needed right now was a Borg invasion, which no-doubt the infested in Starfleet Command would happily welcome. They wanted a galactic war? Then the Borg could be a part of their plans...


[ Three Hours Later | Briefing Room | Adjacent to Battle Bridge ]

Just as he'd suspected, the dilemma had called for a senior staff meeting, where some officers from the Niger had been invited to detail what their mission had been, and what had happened to the Endeavour. The meeting had lasted for an hour, and if they were to make it to the RV, hoping to find the other two Vectors there, they were soon at a point where they'd have to go there at maximum warp. Time was running out, and the debate had been ranging from loud to solemn.

Even worse, the warp trail that the Niger had been following was dissipating in the soup of he Azure Nebula, and if they didn't make a decision soon, the chance to ascertain the origin of the Borg presence might be lost. In the end, they had decided to cast their votes, and even the present officers from the Niger had a say. Tyreke had no idea how convinced they had become that they were not traitors to the Federation after having been aboard for a couple of hours, but as a token of good faith, it seemed that the actions of Commander Ducote and his crew had been dismissed for the time being - all in favour of this far grander threat to them all.

Without any official positions in the Sword's chain of command, at least not yet, they were guests, and they had made their case well in regard to the Borg and what the Vector next destination would be. So well... that Tyreke was still debating what his vote would be. He remained silent for the time being, and let the others give their final say in the matter, and cast their votes.

Meanwhile, Tyreke had heard that Tactical CONN had convened down in the fighter bay, the pilots and deck crew learning what was afoot, and in sickbay...

...the decision had been made to treat the wounds of the infested Doctor. It gave Tyreke chills to think about it, hoping they had taken good precautions. Evidently, they had faith that the real doctor, the one they knew, would manifest himself again, but as to the likelihood of that? Tyreke had no idea. All he had done was to give them access to his own research, to help them as best as he might, but he had no business in the surgical suite.

OOC: All right! Three different locations will be depicted, and the response time of 7 days begins now for everyone. Moreover, an OOC poll has been set up on the Main OOC board in regard to the next destination for the Sword. Link to poll.

Conference Lounge: Here, the high-ranking officers on the Sword have been debating for an hour about what to do. These are the present characters around the table in the room: [Show/Hide]
Tactical CONN Briefing Room: In this cinema-like room adjacent to the fighter bay, both the fighter pilots and the deck crews have gathered to listen to Ensign Cameron Henshaw (Mission Ops role for Tac CONN), her just having told them about the discussion taking place in the conference lounge. She stands on the podium together with Sten Covington, answering questions and listening as the pilots and deck crew voice their opinions about what they ought to do. Borg or RV? Here are the characters present in the briefing room: [Show/Hide]
Primary Surgical Suite, Main Sickbay, CMO Office: Here, surgery on Nicander is underway. The surgical team is large, given the circumstances, and the process is being carefully monitored by three security officers in sanitised exosuit gear,phaser rifles and Mk II Pulse Phase Pistols. Talking between the medical personnel and the security guards are perfectly allowed, of course, even if there might be some suspense in the CMO Office and the primary surgical suite. Even here, the decision between the Borg and the RV could be the focus, aside from the procedure itself. Check Tyreke Okafor's character page to learn how he could have aided in the preparations for the procedure on Nicander. Here are the people in the room: [Show/Hide]
Please notice how three hours have now passed since the earlier events in this chapter! These three hours are, of course, now available for everyone to use in setting up their own Supplemental threads. The naming convention for such threads belonging to Chapter 04 is still: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day XX | XXXX hrs. ] Insert Title.
 
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