Star Trek: Theurgy

Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

February 17, 2024, 09:07:25 PM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Temporary Quarters | Erudite]
Attn: @Brutus  @Griff

Mia had been going over the information provided by Leavitt for a few hours and had managed to dig out something to write on as she worked out different ideas. But the one thing that might be even more helpful was speaking to the Savi themselves. How else would she get a clear image of how they operate, even if subcultures did some things differently, there would still be a lot of commonalities among all the Savi.

She really wasn’t looking forward to approaching either of the two people she really needed to speak to. She’d probably insulted the Savi liaison, what was his name again, something with a B? She thought a moment and then remember it, right the name was Barpin! Well, she needed to get some input from him or others of the Savi who would be willing to lower themselves enough to speak to what they considered a sub-species. Lord she really needed to let that go, or the meeting would end up as bad as the first time. She sighed and gathered her research into a neat-ish pile along with the padd.

Now to find the other person she was not looking forward to speaking with, Alistair Leavitt. She’d definitely not put her best foot forward on that front either. But, since all requests to the Savi had to go through him, probably a result of how badly she and the doctor had acted, she would need his assistance.

She exited the closet of a room she’d been assigned and thought it might also be an advantage if she took some time with the Savi so her roommate, who was apparently the very same officer she need to speak to right now, could have some ‘private time’ himself.  Walking down the corridor she inquired to several of the ‘team’ if they had seen the Lieutenant and was directed to continue down the corridor.

For all she knew, Leavitt could be dealing with other crew problems or even in a meeting with the Savi. Either way she hated to interrupt but she really needed more information.  Finally, she just called out, “Lt Leavitt, are you here? I need to ask you something!”

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #1 – March 01, 2024, 10:37:05 PM

[Lieutenant Alistair Leavitt | Tiny Simulator Room | Erudite ] Attn. @Eirual @Brutus

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For his part, Alistair was indeed busy. In a tiny room, barely big enough for two people to stand shoulder to shoulder, he worked on a Savi computer interface. Next to him was a woman also in a gold undershirt, Lieutenant Yvette Conway, technically Alistair's junior, though neither particularly cared about the distinction. The two officers were in the midst of puzzling out the extraordinarily advanced Savi technology in preparation for the mission to Hobus, which was a mix of exhiliration and hair-pulling frustration. Lacking hair to pull, Alistair was reduced to gesticulating wildly, much to Yvette's irritation in the confined space.

"Alistair, I'm telling you-stop that!" she said angrily as he accidentally elbowed her. "I'm telling you, just refactor the second line with that duoplexic algorithm! It's a sun, we don't have to be that precise-"

"We do when we're dealing with an isolytic reaction on a supergiant!" Alistair countered with equal irritability. "The Savi do precision, not brute force. We've tried duoplexics four times and got four simulation fails, Yvette! Conventional thinking won't work, we need something else...improvised...uh...a six-plane reversion around the core? Maybe with Soong's PE6 application to control the interaction between the stellar matter and subspace?"

Yvette stared. "I have no idea what that even is."

Alistair sighed. "Yeah, it's obscure, but...maybe...tweaking the variables..." He began typing furiously, charged with frustration, and a few minutes later, finished. "Okay, here we go..." He gingerly tapped the initiation button, and within moments, a simple Simulation success message appeared on the screen. Both of them stared at it in astonishment.

"Well bend me over and call me a donkey," Yvette said, stunned. "I can't believe that worked."

"Me neither," Alistair said, dumbstruck.

A shout interrupted their shock, and Alistair leaned out of the open door to see Mia in the corridor. He waved her over. "Hey," he said after she reached the doorway. "This is Lieutenant Conway. She's the backup for the Savi computer stuff if anything happens to me."

Yvette raised a hand in greeting, although she fixed Alistair with a scowl. "Please don't die. I seriously don't want to be the one responsible for saving twenty billion people, or whatever dumb number you pulled out of your ass earlier."

Alistair sighed, then glanced at Mia. "What can I do for you?"

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #2 – March 07, 2024, 05:39:48 AM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Corridor outside the tiny simulation room | Erudite]
Attn: @Brutus @Griff

Mia breathed a sigh of relief when Leavitt poked his head out of a doorway. She moved over and was introduced to another crewmember. Mia nodded to the other woman, “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Conway.” She had to smile at her remark about having to save a great number of people. Mia knew exactly how she felt on that one. She took a breath and let it out slow when he asked what she needed. “Well,” She began, “I’ve been going over these files like you asked. And I think I’ve discovered that, well…” She fidgeted a little as she looked up and down the corridor, “Well, I know we didn’t really get off on a good footing.”

She lowered her head feeling a bit like she’d really messed things up, “I am sorry about that. But I really need your help with this. I sort of need to speak to the Savi for a better picture of this other group. I mean even if they don’t do somethings the same there are still a lot of things they probably do, like how they arrange things.”

She held up her scavenged paper with her notes, “I have a feeling that I did not … um… endear myself to Mr Besquin, or whatever his name was.” Mia shifted uncomfortably again, “But I really need to speak to him, and to whoever else can help me understand so we can stop this thing.”  She smiled a little and added, “You could even have the assigned bunk room all to yourself for a while.”

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #3 – March 22, 2024, 11:31:25 PM

[Lieutenant Alistair Leavitt | Tiny Simulator Room | Erudite ] Attn. @Eirual @Brutus

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There was something endearing about Mia's nervous fidgeting, and it put Alistair at ease. He smiled back at Mia when she offered the bunkroom. It was a nice gesture.

"After we get back from the mission, sure, that'd be great," he replied cheerfully, privately congratulating himself on saying 'after' instead of 'if'. "And really, don't worry about it. We're all on edge, I think."

He glanced at Conway, who shrugged. "Go ahead. I need to take a break before we get to Hobus, anyway. Here's hoping that those beds are more comfortable than they look."

Alistair nodded in acknowledgement, then joined Mia in the corridor as Conway unceremoniously walked past them. "Barpin should be okay with this. Compared to the new engine they installed on the Theurgy, this isn't really a big deal. Now, uh..." he hesitated, looking both ways down the corridor. "This way...I think?"

With that, he set off, and as the pair walked, he tapped his combadge. "Leavitt to Danvers. If you're not busy, please report to the access door on the far side of the shuttlebay. We need to talk to Barpin." Glancing at Mia, he asked mildly, "So...uh...what have you learned about the Savi so far? Studying a civilisation like this has got to be an exoanthropologist's dream, right?"

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #4 – April 30, 2024, 12:52:34 AM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Corridor outside the tiny simulation room | Erudite]
Attn: @brutus @griff
Mia nodded to the other officer, Conway, as they disappeared down the corridor. Barpin! That was the name! She thought to herself as she also vowed to remember it for next time, if there was one.

Alistair was at least hopeful she would get some information, even though he seemed as confused as she did about where to find the Savi. “You would think it would not be a big deal,” Mia agreed, “but an engine is only tech. I am looking at more..umm.. how do I say it, societal information?” She paused and frowned slightly, “They seem less forthcoming about that sort of information.”

She paused again while he contacted someone named Danvers to meet them at the access door to the shuttlebay. She guessed this was how he was told to traverse to meet with the Savi liaison. As to the query on what she had learned so far, “Well, from what I have been able to gather so far, they are a homeless species. Highly intelligent and had been keenly interested in scientific pursuits until something called the Scion initiative. That was where things took a rather dark turn. But I still need to learn about how their society designed spaces on their ships, and the purpose of some of those spaces. If we want to ‘sneak’ onto their site that would be very important to know. “

---

OOC: Sorry for the delay in response. It's been rather crazy here and finding time to write has been in short supply for the past month.

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #5 – July 28, 2024, 09:44:00 PM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Temporary Quarters | Erudite]
Attn: @Brutus @Griff

It was obvious that speaking with the Savi representative was not going to be easy. She was almost certain the request for information would be turned down, especially the kind of information she was looking for. With a sigh she said, “I’ll be going over my data in the mess hall when you find our liaison.” Allistair had all but run off to find ‘Danvers’, leaving her still wondering about her roles in this whole mess. With a heavy sigh she headed to what was being hailed as a mess hall by the Savi. With her papers and research bundled to her chest as she entered and found an empty table at which she could work. Alistair could come find her when he was ready, but for now she would go over everything she had and try to make sense of it.

The key was the Scion initiative. That was when their so-called scientific minds stumbled upon something that was better left alone.  To Mia it was obvious that it was these damned Savi that brought the parasites into the universe somehow. And now they needed  help from us ‘lesser beings’.  If it weren’t so serious, Mia would almost laugh at the irony of it all.  The one fly in the ointment, so-to-speak, were the parasites.  Other than the fact that they were supposedly from a future in another dimension, and they could be held, along with their host body, in a secure facility with that cannon constantly keeping the parasite at bay, they knew next to nothing about them as a separate species.

Mia did determine that there was no genealogical or biological link to the most well known parasite, that of a worm and a Trill. But that was a joining, not a takeover, like these things.  Mia had to wonder if the Parasites were making the hosts build something in which the host was no longer needed. It was a question that worried her, but that she had no answers, or even a hint of such an event in the making. Was she making a mountain from a mole hill or was there so much more of a problem that anyone could see. She shook her head to vanquish all these thoughts and went to work on her assigned task.

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #6 – August 02, 2024, 02:44:45 PM

[Lieutenant Alistair Leavitt | Laboratory | Erudite ] Attn. @Eirual @Brutus

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Faye, as it turned out, had been busy, but it only took her half an hour to join Alistair at the door in the hanger that led deeper into the ship. The imposing Savi guard was clearly less than impressed with either of them, his hand resting on his weapon and it was with great reluctance that he contacted Barpin over the comm. The two Starfleeters could only wait awkwardly.

"What do you require?" said a voice behind them, startling Alistair and Faye, who turned to see Barpin behind them. It was difficult to parse the Savi's facial expressions, but even Alistair thought that he could see exasperation. Indeed, he suspected that if so ordered, Barpin would beam every alien aboard out into space without a second thought.

"Uh..." Alistair said, glancing at Faye, "one of our scientists has a request for you, to aid in the mission. We-"

"Name," Barpin said bluntly, his large eyes flicking disdainfully betwen Alistair and Faye.

"Ensign Mia Dunne," Alistair said, "she feels-"

He was cut off as, with only a flash of light and a muted pop, the three of them were beamed away, instananeously appearing in a large room filled with odd-looking devices and consoles. A moment later, Mia appeared beside them with the same instananeous flash and pop.

"State your request," Barpin said, not caring a whit if the sudden transport had disorientated the Starfleeters.

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #7 – August 02, 2024, 07:49:10 PM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Temporary Quarters | Erudite]
Attn: @Brutus @Griff

Mia had been gathering up her notes. Thinking that her request had been denied. Suddenly she felt a sort of pop and she found herself in a completely different location, her hand flying up in surprise and sending papers and the Padd into the air, accompanied by a small yelp of shock.

The Savi liaison’s voice drew her attention as she placed a hand over her heart, “It’s a good thinking I wasn’t relieving myself in the head or anything like that.” She said giving the tall ‘alien’ a look of distain. She looked over to Alistair and Faye and could tell they hadn’t had much warning either. Mia shook her head and began to gather up her papers and pick up the PADD on which she had been working. “First, Thank you for seeing me. Second, a little warning next time, if there is one, would be nice.” She took a breath, “As for the request, The information you provided was helpful up to a certain point. However I need more information on your social structures in order to really determine the best plan of action. What societal norms were used for the design of your spaces, are large areas such as this,” She waved her hand to indicate the vast area they found themselves in, “ Incorporated as living spaces or work spaces. Were there any specific changes to your Species’ designs when the… separation or parasite control began? Does you society have communal living space or are they familial living areas. These things could be important to determining where the best place to put our insertion teams.”

Mia ran a hand through her now loose hair, pushing it from her eyes, “I know it’s a lot of questions, and some you might not like, but believe me, it *IS* important. I would not be inquiring otherwise.”

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #8 – September 25, 2024, 10:34:30 PM

[Lieutenant Alistair Leavitt | Laboratory | Erudite ] Attn. @Eirual @Brutus

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Barpin was silent for a long moment, looking down at Mia with unblinking black eyes. "This was not part of the agreement," he said coldly. "The information that you have been provided will be sufficient for your attack, and to find the solar observatory. A deeper understanding of the culture of my race is irrelevant for this objective."

Alistair made to step up, but a sharp look from Barpin froze him in place. "Look...uh..." he said, struggling to find the words, "you brought us on this mission because we know war. We have experience with it that you lack. In battle, unexpected events can occur that force us to adapt or...well, die. Even the smallest detail can change the course of a battle. We're only talking about a little more-"

"More?" Barpin interrupted. His voice was as placid as before, his body still, but there was no denying the weight of is glare on the trio. "We give you quantum slipstream, and you want more. We agree to risk our lives in battle alongside you, and you want more. We give you a primer on our culture, and you want more. We are breaking our highest law by revealing ourselves to inferior species, a law older than your civilisation, and you want more."

Alistair glanced at Mia and Faye, painfully conscious of how close to the line they were getting. "Er...uh...well, yes," Alistair said with a defeated shrug. "Please."

Re: Chapter 4: Eating Savi Crow? [Day 1 |1815 hours]

Reply #9 – February 03, 2025, 07:24:48 PM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Temporary Quarters | Erudite]
Attn: @Brutus  @Griff 

Mia had stepped back slightly when Barpin had interrupted Alistair. But his words angered her and she stepped closer once more. “Excuse me, but I think you have some nerve. It was YOUR Savi that asked for our help. It’s us who are agreeing to help you, not the other way around. Your ‘primer’ as you call it, is almost useless in developing a plan to prevent the spread of these… parasites.” Mia was getting more upset by Barpin’s comments, ”And as for calling us inferior? Maybe you should look in a mirror sometime. You aren’t as great as you think you are. You know what, just forget it. You don’t want help. What you want is someone else to blame when your so-called superior species really fucks this up!” She spun on her heel and walked away, calling over her shoulder, “A lot of good people are risking their lives for you. You might just consider that fact!”

Mia was livid. How the hell did this race think it was better than every other. It was the Savi that brought this whole thing down upon them, wasn’t it? Didn’t they care that the information she was asking for could be the difference between success and failure? “Superior my ass!”