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

Reply #50
[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |  Day 5| Observation Pen | Precept-ship Versant | 2100hrs ] Attn:  @steelphoenix @Brutus @patches
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"Oh this?" Jack gestured to the stub that extended to just three inches where his elbow should have been, and gesturing towards his now missing eye at the same time with his one remaining arm putting himself on a showcase for R'Rori. S/He didn't need to know all of the detials of what had happened to Jack, but he figured he may as well be polite about his situation. "This wasn't the doing of our hosts, my arm was... eaten by spiders."

If anything the Savi probably had saved his life, though he was still adjusting to the pain of having to breath sans one of his three lungs, though he wasn't light headed it felt so awkward. "Klingon, or at least I was, so I was saved by brak'lul, though I am annoyed with the current state of my body, the Savi took four chambers of my heart, one of my lungs, two of my stomachs, one of my urinary tracts, and one of my livers."

Jack rolled his eye it honestly didn't seem that important in the long run, and getting angry only caused him to get winded in his current weak pathetically human state. While he missed his organs that had been taken from him, but focusing on them would be depriving him of a way off this ship. What's more he had no intention of going to sickbay. He didn't trust anything that this simulation could replicate. Even though the clothes felt real he had no idea if the fabric would stay on him once he got out of the confines of this simulacra and he would get out.

Following the group to sickbay didn't really make sense, but it was a bit like the buddy system. However as he looked around his one eye did spy a man he knew of. He had tried to get files on all of his co-workers, to know the science department a little better. Plus there had been the whole cult of morali nonsense which he had saved Vivian from, so it didn't take much to click when he saw the other science officer walk up to the holographic O'brian.

Jack smiled for a moment stepping forward to interviene on that conversation. "Sorry to bother you O'Brian was it? but Morralli and I are needed in Stellar Cartography."

Once he had waited for Moralli to part ways he fell in beside the doctor. "Well, well if it isn't the god himself." Jack's tone was clearly jokingly sarcastic when he mentioned the cult. "Listen, I have a plan, and I need your help, I think we might be able to get out of here if we work together, but first we need to find the biggest computer terminal this ship has to offer, the one that would be simulated with the most amount of predictive power, I can explain the rest on the way."

~~~

An hour later Jack had settled into a seat, next to Morrali, the theory was pretty simple, since they were in a holodeck all they had to do was connect the holographic computer to the Savi's database where it was pulling all the server information from, if they could find that root and back trace, they could get a back door, maybe if they were really lucky they could even get an exit to appear. Of course the two of them first had to crack all of the safetynets on both the Enterprise E, and the Savi's Versant in order for that to work, and they had to do so without any triggering any responses like holographic security, or lock downs.

In short Jack didn't have the programming skills required to get that back door. "We don't exactly know how long we will be in this observation lounge, so we have to assume that we are working against a clock, tell me what I can do for you, and I will assist as best I can."

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

Reply #51
[Ens Nathanial "Icarus" Isley |  Observation Pen | the Versant ~ Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @Triage
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The shuttlebay was mostly calm, he used the word mostly because there was still movement around him. He could hear someone screaming in the distance telling nothing to shut up, and that got his attention. It took a moment for his body to respond, getting to his feet in the straight jacket was difficult. He was still restrained due to the fact that he had tried his best to do himself harm, something which the Savi apparently fround upon. So walking towards the noise he could already tell that this wasn't a reprogrammed response, at least not one that he could imagine being put into place, unless it had been put there to fool him.

Nathan for the moment had to discard the line of thought as he walked up to Sinead, because it didn't matter if she was a hologram or not, at the moment she was screaming at herself, in much the same way he had been doing for the past... gods how many times had he been sedated? he could have been out for an entire month as far as he knew, but for now he had to work with her.

"I'm the only one here, and I haven't said a word... till just now... and now, and then." Nathan's voice was course he had done so much screaming that it had ran dry when he had been put into his containment cell, so at best his throat was impacted. The Romulan's eyes watched Sinead with curiosity, who was she screaming at, why was she crying. "You're hearing voices in your head, good It's not just me for now."

He motioned to his restraints. "Can you get me out of this? The releases and locks should be on my back somewhere."

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

Reply #52
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Numen, @steelphoenix, @SummerDawn, @patches, @Masorin, @YasyraTrill & @Fife
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Ah now, said the "imaginary" evil Sinead, op yeh get, me darlin' luv. There come a sassenach, I ken.

Blood and fury, will the woman not shut up? Sinead lifted her head reluctantly, to look at the man who spoke. She remembered him vaguely; one of the Theurgy pilots...only, the last time she'd seen him, he didn't have as pronounced the ears or the brow protrusions as he did now. He had been...changed somehow. And why was he restrained so? He knew about the voices? Ah...he was a Romulan. The one on board the Theurgy, Drauc...Meony mentioned him, and if memory served her right, like the Vulcans, Romulans had some measure of telepathy or empathy.

He shouldn't be near me. I'm a threat to everything...

Truth, said the imaginary Sinead, he do vale 'is joints, best yeh tell 'im, daurna go 'bout into the daurknin' with yeh, mang the bluidy beas' an' the bogles, aye?

“Enoff,” said Sinead aloud, “'tis be plentiful, I bear th' weight, canna I have mine mind my own, inta blae yeh goh.”

She glanced at at the man, Nathaniel, and slowly unfolded herself, rising to her feet, she folded her arms over her bare breasts, and said, “'afore I harken an loosen yeh bonds, s'pposin' ya ken on meh howh yeh ended up so?”

I should just loosen th' bonds. He'll have a better chance. t' save th' captain an' crew.

A wisdom I ken, the imaginary girl in Sinead's head spoke, 'ow moch good tha' do him no can tell. She smirked, though only Sinead could see.

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

Reply #53
[ Lahkesis Saugn | ICU | Main Sickbay | "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E" | Precept-ship Versant ] attn: @SummerDawn
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[2130hrs]

"Ma'am. Are you with the recent transfers in?"

The voice cut through her daze like a razor. Lahkesis turned and blinked, her pale blue pupilless eyes focusing on the woman before her. She blinked again, unable to respond as her brain struggled to catch up to the world around her. The woman, a Caitian looked familiar, too familiar. A name drifted through her mind, yet she could not figure out how she knew it. Indeed she could remember reading the whole patient file for this name, yet she could not remember where she was when she had read it. A panic played itself across her face as she realized she did not know how long she had been on the ship she was now on or how she recognized the woman. Yet the face in the file, it was not 100% accurate.

Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She took a breath to calm herself, to push the panic away. It fell away easily. There was nothign wrong. Nothing could be wrong. Everything was as it should be.

She blinked and smiled placidly. “Can I help you, Miss K’Ren?” she asked, her voice sounding almost hollow, devoid of any true emotion beyond the placid and fake happiness she projected.

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

Reply #54
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Observation Pen ~ Sickbay | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ]
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When she woke up, it was a slow progress.

Devyrie Okhala couldn't quite make sense of her situation, her recent memories being too horrific to explain the - relatively - comforting sight of the sickbay environment. It looked like any other Federation starship, the people around her wearing uniforms she knew, talking in Federation Standard, and the biobeds made the known chirps and beeps she had come to assciate with 'home'. She sat up gingerly, seeing that she was wearing a patient's gown. When she swung her legs over the side, she drew in a sharp breath through her teeth, still store between her legs after...

...after...

It came back to her then. The voice. The chamber. The cannon. The Ovri. Her breathing quickened, not from the excitement that had been forced unto her body, but her own, genuine fear. All the things she should have felt, it came back to her as a shadow of the act itself, and she hugged her midsection, feeling sick. She had enjoyed it, but only while it lasted, because her body had been compromised, pheromones and aphrodisiacs making her mad. In the aftermath, there was naught but shame. Her green eyes darted around, lips numb, and saw a disposal bin close by.

With her breath caught in her throat, she stumbled over to it and retched like a dog.

After a while, she was only dry-heaving, and she struggled to maintain her composure. She felt a hand on her back, heard Beverly Crusher's voice. Talking nonsense. Dev already knew. She remembered the shuttle bay. It was all a holo-program meant to keep them calm and orderly. When she got her breathing in order, she hissed through her clenched teeth as her chest heaved. With a shaking hand, she raked back her white Alpha Centauri locks from her face, and raised her green eyes. The Savi had forgotten one thing. She was no guinea pig. She was no dog.

The expression of her face was that of pure hate.

She was a wolf.



[ Earlier | Engineering ]

Geordi La Forge walked up to the young Bajoran that sat below the glow of the warp core, a frown over his ocular implants. "Hey, Ensign... What's the matter?"

The young man didn't even look up, hugging his knees where he sat in the middle of Engineering, ignoring the other officers where they worked at their duty stations. He was wearing a regular uniform, but hadn't bothered to zip the collar. He was flexing his hand, as if he wasn't sure it worked properly, swaying lightly where he sat and stared into the distance.

"Are you all right? What happened?" asked Geordi, crouching down next to him. "Should I call for Counselor Troi? It seems like something is bothering you."

At last, the Bajoran lad spoke. "I betrayed her," he whispered, his eyebrows drawing together as if it hurt saying those words. "I don't know why. I loved her, working with her, but I... I just... Skye Carver died, and just... I threw it all away. And then, when I tried to make it better, make amends... I ended up here. On this..."

He seemed to find no words for it, but Geordi reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, life can be-"

"Don't you bloody touch me!" hissed the Ensign, his brown eyes glinting like steel, and he soared to his feet. "End program! End it!"

"Hey, now Ensign, you need to calm down, or-"

"Yeah, I know, you'll liquify me, feed me to this ship and eat me! Just, just leave me alone. I'll... I''ll go see that counselor." There was no mistake to the derisive tone in his voice, the lie evident.

Yet after Geordi had watched him stalk out of Engineering, her soon returned to his holographic duties - taking no action in regard to the officer's behaviour.



[ Sickbay ]

When Devyrie emerged into the main area of the Sovereign-class ship's sickbay, she was adjusting the collar of her red departmental uniform - no Tactical CONN white available. Thus, she was supposed to be in the CONN department, but she didn't care. With her green eyes afire with intended payback, meaning to pay the Savi back in kind for what she'd been through...

...that very anger bled out of her expression when she saw the profile of a known face. No, it couldn't be... In disbelief, she stepped towards the younger woman where she was being checked upon by the holograms. Something was amiss with her face, those ridges more prominent than she remembered, but the colouring remained the same. Instinctively, she touched her own forehead, feeling the smoothness, and she pieced it together. It had to be. "Lau?"

When they made eye-contact, it was as if something snapped in Dev's chest, and her face contorted. It was her. She was there too. She rushed over, and embraced her. It was her. It felt like her. The Savi could not be so cruel that they would make holographic family members, could they? She felt so real, though, as if they were back on Alpha Centauri again. "Laurel, oh... How did you..?"

She couldn't tell when the tears came, but they were there, and she hugged her little sister close. Separated by years on years of duties, to be reunited in a waking nightmare. Even if she made eye-contact with two of her fellow Lone Wolves in sickbay, she didn't stop hugging Laurel. With tears in her eyes, she bit her teeth together, and inclined her head to K'Ren - better known to her as Neko - only with more fur than before. And then, she nodded to the Klingon. Hardtop, he was called, having entered Sickbay along with a bald Vulcan. She vaguely recognized other faces, but she was there for Laurel right then.

Until a woman with auburn hair stepped into sickbay together with... with an Android. It could be no one else than than Lieutenant Commander Data. The woman turned to the pale-skinned hologram and gave him a flat smile. "Thank you, Data. That would be all."

"It was my pleasure, Commander. I will return to my duties on the bridge now."

The tall human didn't give him another glance, instead turning to all those assembled in the main area of sickbay. For the life of her, Devyrie couldn't recognise her, but there was no need. She introduced herself.

"I am Commander Nerina, and before I came here, I was the First Officer of the USS Theurgy," she said with an authority that belied her apparent young age, "I need all recent transfers to accompany me immediately. There is a task of great importance that I need your help with. We will assemble in Ten Forward... Before we begin."

There was no doubt as to what the woman truly meant, and for the first time in a while, Devyrie felt a smidgen of hope there in the arms of her sister. The woman left sickbay, but slowly, people began to move after her.


OOC: All who have characters in Sickbay, please end your next posts with your characters being in Ten Forward, and post within 7 days. All who don't have characters in Sickbay, but wants their characters to end up in Ten Forward as well, you could write in your posts how Commander Nerina requests their presence there. If your characters doesn't get a call, Data simply didn't tell her that they had come aboard (that was what Nerina used Data for).

You can also choose to have your character ignore the call based on the fact that she mentioned the 'Theurgy', if that's your preference. If you have any questions, please, just PM me or post in the Plot Discussion thread for Chapter 02! :)


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

Reply #55
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Observation Pen/USS Enterprise NCC 1701-E | Main Research Hull | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Masorin 
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Before Morali could begin to question the hologram, whom had managed a soft, "Well, yes, that's who I am," a new voice cut in. It was a familiar voice, though one that Sarresh had not had much in the way of dealings with yet. Simply, a voice he recognized from the science department, back on the Theurgy. Which he supposed was a blessing of a sorts. Plenty of the people around him, whom had been in the pen before the hologram washed around them, had been from some other ship.

"Sorry to bother you O'Brian was it? but Morralli and I are needed in Stellar Cartography." The man butted in, dragging Morali away from O'Brien. The now fully human padded along, not bothering to put the uniform he'd snatched on fully. Habit had compelled him to take only the pips he'd earned. Make things easier with the other prisoners later, he assumed.

"Well, well if it isn't the god himself." Jack's tone was clearly jokingly sarcastic when he mentioned the cult. "Listen, I have a plan, and I need your help, I think we might be able to get out of here if we work together, but first we need to find the biggest computer terminal this ship has to offer, the one that would be simulated with the most amount of predictive power, I can explain the rest on the way."

Sarresh looked at the man across from him for a long, silent moment. Then, he said, "You look like shit, Hi'Jak." Proving to himself as much as anyone else that, antisocial or not, he knew the mans name. Only then did he start to dress, there off in the corner of the bay. He shrugged his way into the turtleneck, pulling it over his head. "I'd tell you exactly what all they'd done, but they took my eyes and gave me...real ones." He sighed, and paused, looking at the one armed man. "What the hell, I don't have any better ideas. Lead on." This will be....something.



[Stellar Cartography | one hour later]

All around them, the lab showed what was 'local' space, as the two sat down on the platform anchored in the middle of the open room. Sarresh had been re-configuring the computer controls to link up a more direct set of code windows, instead of simple cartographic sensors.  He looked back at the soup displayed around them, and chuckled a bit. "Cute of them to include scans of the nebula," he gestured all around them, with small points of interest in the nebula highlighted. "I dont recognize all of these. Makes you wonder if its just a bad approximation of Federation files, or if the Savi are sloppy and we're seeing what they consider valuable."

He made a face and then drummed his fingers on the top surface before him. "What i need is interference ran. The Savi....and the simulation for that matter, if it holds true to form - are going to have countermeasures. Infiltration detection. If I'm launching a ton of spiders to dig back into the underlying structure, I'm going to need something to distract security. The real ones, as well as the holopgraphic ones." It was all so very crude, compared to what he remembered having at his disposal back on the Relativity. But he could at least work with it - it wasn't all that dissimilar from the controls in his lab.

"Its not quite time-stream monitoring, but you'd be surprised at how many of the principles are the same," he added as he started punching up displays, that seemed to form the shape of wave graphs, cutting through the local space around them.

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

Reply #56
[ Deacon | Main Sickbay | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E Simulation | Precept-ship Versant (Observation Pen) ] @SummerDawn  @patches  @Auctor Lucan  @Absinthe @Fife  @Numen

Deacon stepped forward, placing one hand on R'Rori's shoulder, the tip of his tail wrapping neatly around K'Ren's hand, each in an effort it seemed to keep  himself steady as he was as yet uncomfortable with the pacing and stance required by his new legs.  He frowned slightly at the newcomer and tilted his head slightly, ears flicking almost imperceptably although unable to tilt forward as he would prefer.  Human expressions were so unnatural.  It might almost be easier to wear signs to depict his emotional mood at this point; fitting, given the cloud of medications that kept him from sensing the emotions of those around him.  But, by comparison, he preferred the ignorance for now. 

He stepped forward to the newly arrived female, doing his utmost to balance on his own, his grips on his mate and their newfound companion now released.  Falling now was unacceptable.  These... things... had taken enough from him and he wasn't about to relinquish his pride.  "I have sworn my life and service to Ives," he said, his tenor voice clear, the underlying British accent more distinct than it had been as a kzinti. "His people are my pride."  Casting his glance back at K'Ren for a moment, he turned back to face the one who called herself Nerima. 

Straightening his back, he narrowed his eyes, the gold swimming amidst the blue glittering slightly, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "And I do not know you.  To say that I am skeptical at this point would be an understatement.  But, you have my attention for now."  Without his ziirgah fully functional, he found that his best option was to simply distrust anything unfamiliar.  The one called R'Rori had at least earned some consideration for her assistance and if K'Ren was willing to extend her trust, it was the last he could do.  But for a female human to appear in the midst of a hologram and claim so high a rank among those he'd taken to care for; it was far too convenient.

As the woman left to their rendezvous, he turned his gaze back towards K'Ren, holding out his hand to her.

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

Reply #57
[ Lt. Cross | Day 5 | Sickbay | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen @patches @YasyraTrill @steelphoenix @SummerDawn Anyone else...

Cross had accepted Khorin’s explanation of how he came to be aboard the Savi ship without voicing any questions. He had little reason to doubt the Klingon’s story, and even if he wasn’t entirely convinced of it’s truth, there was no way for him to verify it in either case. Better not to dwell on that right now. In the situation they had found themselves in, the only thing that mattered was escape.

As they made the last turn that the computed had directed them to take, they found themselves approaching sickbay. Cross had entered Sickbay just ahead of Khorin, and had taken in the scene before him. R’Rori was there, speaking with the other two felinoids. Ensign Okhala was present as well, currently hugging the human woman she had been so protective of in the shuttle bay. Cross had briefly wondered what was going on there, but quickly put it out of his mind. There were several medical staff present as well, though Cross had no way of knowing if they were holograms or not. His scan of the room was interrupted when he heard a woman’s voice behind him. He turned, looked past Khorin, and saw a very tall female officer standing just inside sickbay. She was speaking to a very pale individual that Cross would guess, based on the fact that this ship was a simulation of the Enterprise, was Lieutenant Commander Data. Having dismissed Data, the tall woman turned and addressed the room.

"I am Commander Nerina, and before I came here, I was the First Officer of the USS Theurgy," she said with an authority that belied her apparent young age, "I need all recent transfers to accompany me immediately. There is a task of great importance that I need your help with. We will assemble in Ten Forward... Before we begin."

The Theurgy’s First Officer? Cross thought as his teeth clenched and his hands formed into fists. Cross quickly glanced at R’Rori and Okhala, trying to gauge their reactions, as well as the reactions of the strangers they were with. This whole situation just keeps getting better and better. First the Borg, then the Savi, and now the fucking Theurgy? Cross took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. He could feel his emotional state teetering, threatening to topple into uncontrollable chaos. He was walking a fine line, but he had to keep it together. Losing it here would accomplish nothing. And traitor or not, the Commander and any other members of the Theurgy’s crew are in the same shit as the rest of us. He thought. As he continued his breathing he felt his anger begin to return to a manageable level. And like it or not, Commander Nerina is the ranking officer among the prisoners here. She might have the best chance of organizing an escape. Cross looked sideways at Khorin, wondering if the Klingon or any of the other strangers in the room were members of the traitor crew. Cross glanced at each of the others in turn, his eyes slowly moving around the room. Who could be trusted? Cross decided against saying anything for the time being, and instead just turned and silently strode out of sickbay. He felt a headache creeping up on him, and raised his right hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. His jaw hurt from all the clenched muscles and ground teeth he’d dealt with over the last few days, which did little to help improve his mood. Cross stalked down the corridor in the same direction as the remarkably tall form of Commander Nerina, making his way down the hallway towards the turbolift.

As he stepped into the lift and heard the doors to the turbolift hiss shut, another thought struck him. This task of great importance had better be planning an escape and not scrubbing the fucking plasma vents…



[ Lt. Cross | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ]

Cross stood at the bar in Ten Forward waiting for everyone to arrive and get this underway. He leaned against the left end of the bar, elbows resting on the countertop, right hand cradling a mug full of dark liquid. Cross raised the coffee to his lips and took a sip, feeling the heat from the drink spread through his chest, briefly warming him. One problem that had sprung up since his correction was that he felt cold almost constantly. One benefit was that due to his increased metabolism and lack of Bajoran genes, he was no longer affected be caffeine, at least not in any noticeable way, and therefor free to drink as much coffee as he wanted. Prior to his correction, the Bajoran half of him had been quite sensitive to caffeine, and coffee would make his emotional control waver. Now it seemed he could drink an almost infinite amount without any side-effects.

I could do with something a bit stronger right now, though… He thought, watching as several more of his fellow prisoners entered the Observation Lounge of the Enterprise. He raised the mug to his lips again and wondered just how many of the strangers he had seen in the simulation thus far were from the Theurgy. If all of the abductees he had seen besides those from the Endeavour were crew from the Theurgy, then they were very much outnumbered. Add in the fact that they were unarmed, as well as the tiny detail of their ship being destroyed by the Borg, and they had little choice but to go along with whatever plan that this Commander Nerina had come up with. Or they could sit and wait for their memories to be wiped by the Savi. Even if the Theurgy was a ship full of traitors, right now they were the lesser of the two evils which Cross had to choose from.

Which did nothing to detract from the fact that cooperating with the traitors put a vile taste in Cross’ mouth. Cross took another swig of the coffee in an attempt to mask the taste of bile.

Cross had held a specific view of Starfleet officers ever since Starfleet had liberated him from the Cardassian prison camp. To Cross, Starfleet embodied loyalty, honour, courage and a strong moral compass. From what Cross had heard, the Theurgy had discarded all of those traits.

That being said, the Cardassians painted the Bajoran resistance as terrorists. But to the Bajorans, they were freedom fighters. Cross thought, temporarily playing devil’s advocate in his own thought process. Though I’ve no idea why Starfleet would accuse the Theurgy and her crew without reasonable grounds for doing so…

Regardless of their reasons, and regardless of the Theurgy’s guilt or innocence, they were still stuck in this situation together. Cross had a nagging suspicion that the only way they would be getting out of it would be together as well.

We can sort the rest of this mess out once we’re free from the Savi…

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

Reply #58
[ Ensign Laurel Okhala | Observation Pen ~ Sickbay | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @patches @Fife @SummerDawn @Numen @steelphoenix @Absinthe @Triage @Brutus . . . anyone else . . . I don't even know who all is here anymore lol.

As Laurel's patience for the holograms examining her began to fray, her sensitive hearing picked up increased sound of movement, and the distinct sound of someone being sick in the direction of where they were keeping her sister. Her already frayed nerves began to sing with disquiet as she squirmed in her seat wanting to go check on Devyrie.

"Ma'am please hold still we are almost finished." the 'nurse' instructed her. Laurel barely contained a growl at the stupid hologram as she felt eyes on the side of her face from where her sister had been kept. She heard that familiar voice and was suddenly free of the annoying medical staff as her arms were filled with her sobbing big sister. Frozen for only a second Laurel felt her body relax for the first time in what felt like weeks. Had it really only been six days since the destruction of the Endeavore.

"Dev." She got out passed the rock that seemed lodged in her throat, not proud of the way her voice cracked. She clutched at Devyrie's shoulders like she was her life line, burying her face in her sisters wild white locks and absorbing her familiar sent . . . even with the unfamiliar smells it calmed her as nothing else had since she had been altered. She shivered slightly with the pervasive cold and attempted to burrow closer into her sister for warmth, like she used to do when she was small in the winters on Alpha Centauri. For the first time since being captured Laurel thought  about her parents and their home. How worried they must be. If they had heard about the Endeavoure's destruction. That her father must be living one of his worst fears: both of his daughters missing because they joined Starfleet. And the reason why she had pushed such thoughts away came to the forefront too. Would she remember her parents and sister when the Savi were finished with her. In an attempt to shake off those thoughts, Laurel concentrated once again on listening to Dev's low, gruff alto as she spoke, feeling the rumble of her chest and the warmth she emanated, and surrounding herself in the sent of home as she tried to block out where they were. She was about to reply to Devyrie's frantic questions when an unfamiliar voice barged in. Breaking her momentary sense of ease.

"I am Commander Nerina, and before I came here, I was the First Officer of the USS Theurgy," she said with an authority that belied her apparent young age, "I need all recent transfers to accompany me immediately. There is a task of great importance that I need your help with. We will assemble in Ten Forward... Before we begin."

Laurel felt her hair stand on end and her eyes widen as her grip on her sister's shoulders slackened for a split second before clutching her even tighter. The Theurgy? She felt a wave of anxiety hit her at the name . . . felt that now familiar simmering storm of emotions well up and attempt to send her spiraling once more, but this time she had a life line she could cling to and she did. She glanced over Devyrie's shoulder to take in the officer who had been speaking and met the eyes of Lt. Cross, who looked almost as conflicted as she felt, if the clench of his jaw and stiffness of his shoulders was anything to go by, in the doorway. Before allowing her self to lean back and look at Dev.  Her sister seemed comforted by the presence of the other woman and suddenly Devyrie's radio silence over the past several months made sense. She had been on amission in pursuit of something she couldn't tell Laurel about when she had suddenly stopped making contact. Not even when Laurel had officially graduated and been granted a commission on the Endeavoure, had Dev contacted her, nor had Starfleet had a response for her or her parents inquiries about the missing pilot. "The Theurgy? Is that where you've been? We've been so worried about you!" She rushed feeling her chaotic emotions trying to over take her and her pride stung as she felt fresh tears tried to flow. Her by the book, straight laced sister had chosen the traitors over their family? No.She let go of one of Dev's shoulders to rub at her eyes and growl slightly in frustration as they refused to stop watering. No . . . that didn't make since, Dev was more devoted to their family than anything else and she loved Starfleet. Had talked of little else since Laurel was small. There had to be more to this story than Starfleet had let on. Devyrie would not turn traitor without reason. "That is definitely something you are going to have to <rotulai> to me, <rinam>." She sighed tiredly and raked her hand through her disheveled hair. She hadn't realized it was no longer in it's braid, and attempted to tame it before giving up.

"I guess we should follow her, huh?" she asked before reaching down to clutch Dev's hand as though if she stopped touching her sister she might disappear. Upon receiving a frustrated go ahead from the 'Enterprise's' medical staff the sisters moved to follow the others out into the hall. Speaking low as they moved but never letting go of each other as they went. Eventually, they arrived at ten forward with the others, had taken perhaps a bit longer than the others so that they could catch up.



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

Reply #59
Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Sickbay ]
[Show/Hide]
Att:  @steelphoenix  @SummerDawn  @Auctor Lucan  @Masorin @patches  @YasyraTrill @Fife @Brutus @Anyone else!


Finally some particulars started to fit together in Khorin's mind. How could it be that he hadn't recognized them? Neko, the caitian who stood in front of him, her hands entwined with the quasi-human with the eyes full of hate, was one of his Lone Wolves companions. He gave her a brief nod of recognition, still unwilling to reveal his alibi. The vulcan he had "recruited" still seemed useful, he needed to keep him on his side if his plan to provoke a disciplinary transport out of the holodeck was about to launch. While this line of thought was still in his brain, another familiar face, despite the modifications provided by his captors, became visible. Dragon. Their eyes crossed, but the woman, now human, didn't seem too willing to approach him, entangled as she was in an embrace with the Romulan girl he had glimpsed in the shuttlebay of that shithole circus. His acknowledgment was not subtler, just the biggest toothy grin he could paint in his face, even more when she seemed to have recognized him as well.

Being among his Lone Wolves sisters was bittersweet: on one hand he couldn't ask for better allies to have by his side, he would trust his life without hesitation in few people, and most of them were in his pack. On the other hand, knowing that the insult of being captured had spread to other Wolves ... although logical, given the circumstances of his own capture, made his blood boil. And now, given his new nature, it could make him explode in a violent outburst sooner or later. And at that moment he didn't know if he could control himself. He did not know if he wanted to.

An authoritative voice took him out of his gloomy thoughts. He turned to face the newcomer and, although he didn't recognize her at first, when he pronounced her name, Khorin stiffened in spite of himself. "I am Commander Nerina, and before I came here, I was the First Officer of the USS Theurgy," she said in a tone that the klingon remembered well. He greeted the XO formally and, when he realized what he was doing, with his back just in front of the vulcan, he couldn't doubt that his ally had noticed the breakage of his alibi. Well, in any case, it didn't seem that he could keep it for too long either.

When the Commander turned around, her determined steps leading her to the lounge, the pilot hesitated briefly, deciding to follow her once his new "ally" pursued her. Cross hurried up behind her with long strides, and Khorin followed him at a calmer pace, letting the distance grow between them until he lost sight of the red-shirt at an intersection.

The arrival of the former first officer made it clear that not only the Lone Wolves and the shipwrecked  of the Endeavour had fallen into the clutches of those beings, they had violated even the stasis chamber of the Theurgy. How many of his fellow crew members would be in that simulation? And out of it? What kind of horrors have they reserved for those who didn't have a hybrid lineage? Would they recycle them ... or something worse? The pilot opened and closed his callused hands, until his knuckles turned white. Every little discovery about his captors only increased his desire to pluck each of his gray heads out of their torsos with his own hands.




[Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-Ship Versant]


One of the side effects that he hadn't taken into account after his "correction" was that his taste buds had also been modified. He had always loved sweet drinks, the sweeter the better, and his mother had indulged that little human habit of his. It was their "little secret", something over what they had bonded every time they were together. But the Savi had ripped it off him, even that small distinctive feature. As soon as he reached Ten Forward he had ordered his favorite drink and, after the first sip, had found it vomitive. He never thought that the term "oversweet" could be so unpleasant. He had quickly changed it for a mug of Raktajino, a concoction he had never appreciated and found it pleasing to his palate like never before. Given the circumstances, it was possibly the least dramatic of the changes he had undergone, but Khorin found it especially irritating. Maybe because, for the first time since he was transported there from the pod where they modified him, he missed his human blood.

The klingon took a second gulp and made a sour gesture while getting up and looking around him. Despite he had controled his steps, he had been one of the first to arrive, only after the vulcan and, possibly, Nerina, who wasn't in sight nearby. No matter what, he had to assume the consequences of his actions, so he sat down next to the lieutenant, with a crooked smile in his face."Well, I think it's now obvious which was the starship where I was enlisted," he said bluntly. "I think that, given the propaganda out there about us, it's plain clear why I hid it, but I can assure you that almost everything that is said about us is false" He couldn't avoid a humorless chuckle, after lied in his face, he now ask Cross to trust him. Ironic. "I don't expect you believe me, I haven't done my best introduction and truly I'm an expert in giving the worst first impressions. But we still need each other to get out here." Possibly it was the worst apology in the history of bad apologies, but there was little else he could do. He simply composed a wolfish grin and waited for the other man's answer. Or a punch just in the middle of his face, depending on his mood.

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

Reply #60
OOC: Apologies in advance as this is all over the map. Trying to tie in several threads all at the same time. :)

[ K'Ren | Day 5 | ICU | Main Sickbay | "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E" | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Absinthe
[Show/Hide]
"I'm sorry to bother you Ma'am. I was just waiting for Dr Crusher to finish up with my bondmate and I saw a familiar face from the Theurgy." She paused, "If now is a bad time I can come back later?"

[ K'Ren | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Main Sickbay | "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E" | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @steelphoenix @patches @anyone

With R'Rori's help, K'Ren managed to keep Deacon stable on his feet while the unplanned entrance of somebody claiming to be the XO of the Theurgy. She had no real idea who was in charge of the vessel, she'd barely been aboard a few days before she'd been ripped from her fighter and dropped into this cluster of a mess. Standing beside Deacon, she listened to the women speak, and when Deacon stepped forward, deferred to her mate as it was the male's position to lead, especially in conflict. Once he'd had his say, she took his hand, looking to R'Rori. "We're going that way anyways, guess we'll find out what she has to say that's so important." Helping steady Deacon, doing the best she could to steady him but discreetly so he didn't appear weak in front of others, she led the trio towards the exit and their rendevous in 10 Forward.



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

Reply #61
[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |  Day 5| Observation Pen | Precept-ship Versant | 2100hrs ] Attn:  @steelphoenix @Brutus @Auctor Lucan
[Show/Hide]

At the mention of a distraction of security Jack held up the stub that counted for his left arm, and looked at Moralli like he was crazy. "I'm not exactly a cavalier here." Jack said with a slight hitch of amusement. He really wasn't sure what was gonna happen past this point. He had no idea if their were safety measures for this program in built. Could the holograms here harm them he wasn't sure and he didn't really want to find out.

Jack sat for a long moment unsure of what to say when it came to that choice. "Well we have a problem. Physically we are sitting in a treadmill. I can bounce our signal around the ship from console to console, but if the Savi take a peak they would only need to utter the words 'end program' and suddenly we would loose all of the progress as well as be directly exposed to them. What's more they called this an observation lounge which probably means that we are being monitored. Even so if we are being monitored we can still see scratch elements of their coding, stuff we know aren't Federation, and they gave us tools. That tells me that they are arrogant, they are looking at us the same way we would look at an ant farm. Like we are bugs to them contained in glass and far away from any sense that we can touch them or harm them."

Looking down at his uniform the familiar com badge was on his shirt, and he paused for a moment. Tapping it he gave the familiar command, "Jack to Deacon, you read me?"

He waited for a response and then chuckled. "They even give us the tools we would need to come up with stuff."

"Hey deacon, listen to me. I've hunkered down in a lab with another member of the science department. We are trying to break out using some complicated data backtracking, We don't really know if we can get an exit to appear, and if we do we have no way of knowing how long it will be there for or where on the ship it will appear. If you can pass on the message, and maybe provide some distractions down the line it would be helpful. We aren't exactly combat units, but we can do our part best from here." He picked Deacon cause even though the two cat girls he had been with were more cute, he didn't know their names.

When the line closed he turned back to Moralli doing his part to cause little distractions, a fire drill on deck seven, turning the lights on and off in engineering and a couple random power fluctuation, little things that he could influence around the ship.  that would better allow him to divide the digital crews attention, but that wouldn't overtly arouse suspicions or cause the alarms to go off, he was also bouncing their console every two minutes to a new transit route, making sure that the signal appeared to be going from different places around the ship.

"So... your from the future right? You probably get this a lot, but... have you ever heard of me? Like I know our timeline is a fracture point, and nothing is the way it should be, but... does my name ever come up in any historical context?" Jack knew he probably wasn't the next Zephram Cochrane, but he hoped that he had some sort of cultural impact. He sighed unsure if the gruff around the edges Moralli would even share that kind of information. "I know the temporal directive, but honestly... we can't do much more damage to time than we already have."


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

Reply #62
[Ens Nathanial "Icarus" Isley |  Observation Pen | the Versant ~ Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] @Triage
[Show/Hide]

Nathan blinked hearing the thick accent of the woman he was dealing with. After a few moments of silence trying to decode what she was saying he was pretty sure the woman was asking how he came to be bound, which was a smart question as none of the other subjects seemed to be. He looked down at himself wondering if he should make himself sound less dangerous than he probably was.

"I broke a wrist trying to get out of my cell, I was punching the wall in hopes that something would break and i could get out. It turns out that flesh breaks before metal does." He shrugged. "Don't remember much after that, they drugged me a lot, seddative after sedative trying to get me under control. Around the fourth time the arm drugged me, i remember grabbing it and trying to smash it against something."

Nathan would have scratched his nose or something cause his face was getting itchy. Even now he was struggling against the confines of the jacket trying to break free. "I don't think they liked that so much, and so the time after that when I woke up again they put me in this."

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

Reply #63
[ Lt. Cross | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NNC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Numen

“Well, I think it’s now obvious which was the starship where I was enlisted.”

Cross snorted at the Klingon’s remark as he listened to the rest of Khorin’s explanation. Once Khorin had finished speaking, Cross raised his mug and took a long sip, allowing the hot liquid to swish around his mouth for a moment.

That might have been the worst apology ever… Cross had to suppress a small smile as he thought that.

The Klingon was right though.

It irked Cross to admit it, even if only in his head, but he couldn’t deny the truth of the statement.

We need each other if we’re going to have any hope of getting out of this…

Cross stopped swishing the coffee around his mouth and swallowed the mouthful of bitter drink. He inhaled deeply through his nose, then sighed and finally looked over and up at the large Klingon, regarding Khorin with cold, impassive eyes.

“While I find it hard to believe anything a bunch of lying traitors try to tell me, I do believe you in one respect.” Cross stated, his icy blue eyes boring into Khorin’s. “You really are quite adept at making the worst first impression imaginable.” Cross finally gave the Klingon a half-smile, shaking his head and dropping his gaze back down to his coffee. He raised the mug and drained the last of it’s contents before setting the empty mug down on the counter and pushing it away.

“We’ve got little choice but to cooperate for the time being.” Cross continued, then turned back to Khorin. “We’ll have to put any issues we have besides escape on hold until we’re out of this <fucking> mess.” Cross straightened from his leaning position and turned his body to face Khorin. “So what do you say, Klingon? Should we call a truce until we escape from these Savi <bastards>?” As he asked the question, he glanced over and saw that other people were slowly gathering in the lounge. The Commander would probably address them soon, and they would finally discover what she had in mind for their escape.

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

Reply #64
[Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Ten Forward ]
[Show/Hide]
@Fife

Khorin watched how the vulcan took a long sip of coffee before speaking, leaving him waiting. He slightly shifted his weight in his seat under the scrutiny of  those pale blue eyes, not because it caused him discomfort but because he didn't know what to expect. Cross seemed as emotional as a human (more so, given his tendency to seethe with cold rage until that moment, he could almost be a Klingon ... almost) and it was nearly disconcerting.

When he left the cup and huffed gloomy, the Klingon leaned forward, gritting his teeth. "You really are adept at making the worst first impression imaginable." He finally announced. Douglas received the joke with a thunderous laugh, and hit the table highlighting his good mood. "I almost been killed by that gaze of yours, dude." He exclaimed frankly. "However it may be, I will try to change that impression before we leave this Kalhess-forsaken hole. Let's sign that truce and hope it's durable. It's not something you usually hear me saying, so feel honored.” He added , grinning broadly, while  he extended his right hand in front of him to seal the pact.

Shortly thereafter, he settled back and took a swig of his drink, which caused Khorin to pull a face again. Hu'tegh, he was starting to like this baktag. But unlike most members of the Fleet, he really knew of what was actually done, even if it was replicated. And think that the same ones who drank industrial quantities of raktajino later said that the gagh was disgusting. He shrugged internally. They had no idea. Finally he let out a low yelp, surrendering to the obvious. He had to get used to what he now liked.

"I just hope Commander Nerina has a brilliant plan on how to get out of here, or we'll have to carry on with our plan to begin a mutiny." He idly ramble, still looking at his mug distrustly. "She was a magnificent officer and a spunky woman; if she had not been my superior officer I would have put a move on her, you know what i mean." He said longingly. "Too bad they have taken away her ridges, another offense for the account of our captors. When I have them within reach, I'm gonna punch them so hard that even  their ancestors will rise from their grave in pain." growled Khorin to highlight his last claim.

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

Reply #65
[ Lt. JG Sinead O'Riley | Shuttle Bay | Deck 03 | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Numen, @steelphoenix, @SummerDawn, @patches, @Masorin, @YasyraTrill & @Fife
[Show/Hide]
Sinead observed the man. He was struggling to understand her accent. It was as difficult as Meony's most likely. Even amongst Bringloidi, her family's tongue was always more pronounced. Nevertheless, he seemed to be able to piece together what she had said, and she listened to what he had to say, heedless of the fact that he was more covered than she was at present. Bringloidi weren't known to be shy or modest. Her eyes narrowed on him when he began to show some subtle signs of discomfort and irritation. He did not give voice to this, but only commented on his binding clothes. She had read something of Earth human history, and they once used straitjackets to restrain mentally afflicted patients.

I do wonder how best yeh would fight one such as him, no? said the imaginary Sinead, and the real woman did her best to ignore her. He's a Romulan, and quite th' threat. What would be th' best way...

Despite this, even as she quietly stepped forward to tear him free, Sinead couldn't help but analyze his strengths and weaknesses, and the fastest most effective ways to subdue and if necessary, kill him. Romulans and Vulcans were on average three times as strong as a human. Their reflexes and speed equally as impressive, and Romulans were cunning, dangerous, and efficient. If he should become a threat to her, she would have to be faster, and seek to end the fight before it even began. Ideally, a stun phaser would settle the issue, but failing the availability of that, her best most humane method of incapacitation would be to find the nerve cluster between his neck and shoulder and pinch. Yet, though trained by Vulcans, Sinead wasn't telepathic and her eyesight was hindered by the standard lighting of the holographic projection of the Enterprise...E.

Her silvery-blue eyes squinted whenever she so much as looked upwards. Once she had freed him, she helpfully pulled the jacket off him and studied his size and shape as she did so. Romulans shared some similarity in nerve clusters as with humans, as did Vulcans, and basing on some of the sparring sessions she had with the few Vulcans on board the Resolve, she would have to hope she knew enough and would be fast enough to strike into them if it became necessary. But for now, he was her ally, and she remembered what he said when he first approached her. Moreover, three years travelling through Hell Sector gave her a healthy amount of wariness and paranoia, as well as the standard expectation of the very worst to happen at any time.

Murphy's Law, Captain Kendrick once mentioned. Something about anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

“Th' hologram of O'Brien offers a change o' clothing, p'haps even tools. Real or not, it gives us somethin' t' work with. I suggest we procure tha' first. Then, regardless o' th' Savi bastards' warnin', I will be tinkerin' wi' this wee holodeck, 'till we can find a way off it, so tha' together, mebbe 'tween us, we cain take down th' Savi, and break their necks. What do yeh think on tha' as a start of a plahn?”

Well look at yeh nowh, said the imaginary Sinead, all bloodthirsty an' illogical. I do be likin' yeh.

“Quiet.” Sinead snapped as she turned her head to the right to glare at the imaginary woman, who cackled merrily. Closing her eyes, the real Sinead sighed and shook her head. She offered to Nathaniel as a way of explanation, “They have...done somethin' t' meh. I fear my mind be not entirely mine. If'n I do become more darning then I appear nowh, yeh have t' stop meh.” she pointed to her head, “'tis somethin' they put in there. I no believe'n th' ph'tonic doctor'n be willin' t' remove it.”

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

Reply #66
[ Commander Nerina | Observation Pen ~ Ten Forward | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ]
[Show/Hide]
Despite the turmoil of recent events, finding herself waking up on an alien ship just the start of what she's been through, Commander Nerina tried to maintain her composure. She knew virtually nothing about what had happened to her whilst the Theurgy orbited Niga, much less how it came to be she was abducted by these 'Savi', but she knew for a fact that she would not abide it quietly. She did not wish her memories to be wiped from her mind, since if she list what little she knew, she'd never find her way back to Captain Ives' side. The last thing she remembered was being jumped by Adam Kingston, one of the officers in Security, and that he'd had her at phaser point. After that, she was not sure... conflicting images surfacing whenever she tried to recall what happened next. In some cases, she fought the security guard. In others, he was kissing her. She also had faint impressions of having sex with the man... but that seemed too unlikely.

In any case, some of her crew were captive alongside with her, and she had to get them back on the Theurgy. Evidently, there were other crews that had been abducted, at least judging by the rumours she'd picked up during the last hour. There were people from the Resolve - of all ships, the Endeavour, and the Harbinger. As for them, it was her duty as a Starfleet officer to end their captivity too, and to make sure their memories weren't taken from them. Her brown eyes fell on the strange, partially Corrected man with his tail and struggling gait, and listened to him whilst they began to walk down the corridor - a lot of other real people in tow.

"I have sworn my life and service to Ives. His people are my pride, and I do not know you. To say that I am skeptical at this point would be an understatement.  But, you have my attention for now."

Hearing this, Nerina nodded and raised a hand to her forehead, catching herself feeling for her lost ridges. She raked back her hair from her face instead and gave the man her answer. "I don't remember seeing you on the Theurgy, but thank you for your candour," she said, thinking what a Klingon would have done in answer to such an indirect insult - more or less calling her a liar. "I too have sworn to follow my Captain, and to stand by hir side, and given the perils of the Theurgy's mission, I have done my best to aid hir. My current objective is to get back to Ives and the Theurgy by any means possible, and to make sure you all come with me. To safety."

Or at least as safe as the Theurgy could be, given the circumstances.

Once the abductees had all filed into Ten Forward, Nerina walked up to a woman she had spoken with a little bit earlier. The hologram went by the name Guinan, and she was still behind the bar counter. "Thank you for lending us this area for a while. I will tell you when we're done."

"No need to thank me," said the dark-skinned woman, dressed in an orange dress and a hat that had to be alien in origin, "but good luck. You might need it."

Nerina gave the hologram's back a quizzical look, but they were left alone. Nerina came to stand in front of the bar counter and spoke to the assembled with a clear voice, trying to be as concise as possible since they didn't know how much time they would have before the Savi moved to counter their effort to organise themselves inside the program. "We're here because we've been abducted, and from what I have determined, we were picked because we had mixed genes. Now, it is only a matter of time before our captors end this program and wipes our memories, allegedly about to set us free somewhere. I don't know about you all, but I would rather retain my memories, and escape with my mind intact. I have been provoking the parameters of the program during the past hours, and I have decided to make this attempt to gather you all because - based on my findings - if they are about to release us, there should't be any scientific reason to observe us any more, correct? After my provocations, I am confident that the amount of time and effort spent on observing us while we are inside this program is limited... and we have the chance to organise ourselves a bit."

Putting her hands on her hips she added the obvious. "Of course, whatever we say might be overheard, so any efforts we make should be made in a better way than just talking like this. Therefore, I ask all of you present... Are there any telepathic people here, which might speak without the Savi hearing the words? If there are, please, step forward, and make yourselves known."

She waited, until there was a reaction, and those who felt confident in their abilities stepped forth. When there was no further movement, Nerina stepped forward, and leaned close to their ears, whispering as quietly as she could. Her words were no more than breaths against their ears. Once she'd given her instructions, she nodded for the telepaths to begin spreading the ideas around in the small crowd.


OOC: Assume there are 1-3 telepaths available, either present characters or NPCs, and gradually have them learn about the options. You could also have your characters suggest additional ideas through their thoughts or have them write by hand. You could even have your own ideas added to the list below as a suggestion Nerina might have made, depending on what kind of ideas you might have OOC as opposed to an emotionally compromised character. Posting time for all with present characters is 7 days, and you can end your posts with 1) staying and debating/making suggestions 2) the equivalent of "I will be heading to [insert relevant location]. Anyone willing to accompany me?" or 3) "I'll accompany you there", i.e. pairing up your characters in any way you like and start the shenanigans! Here are the first ideas from Nerina: [Show/Hide]

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

Reply #67
[ Lahkesis Saugn | Main Sickbay - 10 Forward | "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E" | Precept-ship Versant ] attn: Everyone in 10 Forward
[Show/Hide]

For a moment Lahkesis felt a panic. The name of that ship. It sounded so familiar, yet she could not... "I'm sorry, I don't know that ship," she said forcing herself to come back to the present, to focus on the world around her. She felt some well of panic open up inside her and she had to escape, run away if she could.

"I'm sorry, I have to get back to work," she said curtly and quickly turned and walked away.

---

Her calm did not return to her. Something about the name of that ship, a memory perhaps? She could not be sure. She felt like she wanted to be sick, only she knew that her stomach contained nothing, it never did. She had never felt nausea like this before.

She did her best to move around her duties, but her focus was gone, she was too far gone to be of any use.

Finally, Dr. Crusher walked over to her. "Lahkesis, dear, is something the matter?"

Lahkesis did her best to focus, but she felt lost. Sickbay was all wrong. It was not designed right. Half the tools she was using were out of date and she kept entering data wrong because the LCARS system felt wrong. And yet she could not figure out why it all felt wrong. She knew it all like the back of her hand, and yet she felt like she had someone else's hands. "I... I do not feel..."

"Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off, you seem upset by something," Dr. Crusher said gently. "Should I tell Counselor Troi to expect you?"

"N-no... I think I just need some rest..." Lahkesis said as she did her best to smile.

"You go get some then," Dr. Crusher said and gave Lahkesis a gentle push toward the door.

Lahkesis made her way out of sickbay, pausing just outside the doors and looking around. Once more she felt inescapably lost. She had no clue which way to go, where her quarters were, or even who she should ask.

She spotted the woman who had approached her before. They seemed to know where they were going. Without thinking about it she found herself following them, keeping her distance as to not attract their attention. As she walked she became more and more aware that she did not know this ship, she did not know it's layout. This alone disturbed her. She knew things, she remembered them. And yet she could not remember this.

Her mind felt as if it were screaming at her as if there was something obvious, and yet she could not see it. She did her best to think of back to when she came on the ship, yet there was nothing. She did her best to even think of the day before, to try and remember any detail from it. She could remember scales, green scales. Thick, hot, moist air. But she couldn't remember the details beyond that.

She knew something was missing, and yet no one else seemed to be missing it. She could not explain it.

She was brought back to the present when she found the people she was following had gone into some sort of lounge. She went in as well and moved to the back of the group, doing her best to blend in. Some of these faces looked so familiar. She knew them. Or at least she thought she knew them.

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

Reply #68
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Day 5 | Observation Pen | Precept-Ship Versant/ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Ten Forward ]
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Att:  @steelphoenix  @SummerDawn  @Auctor Lucan @patches  @YasyraTrill @Fife @Brutus @Absinthe  @Anyone else in the lounge


Khorin heard the commander speak while drained his Raktajino mug. He understood the tactical advantage of hiding their plans using the telepaths, but as any proud son of the First City, raised in Qo'noS, he felt a natural aversion towards those who could enter in his head without permission. Nevertheless, a part of his brain slided to the last time someone entered into his mind WITH his consent, and the pilot let out a lewd grin. Good ol 'times.

He shook his wild mane and tried to focus on the present, in the mission that lay ahead. As soon as the telepaths received Nerina's words and began to extend them, the klingon stood up and strode toward a young betazoid with a teal shirt, all meek and jumpy. "Well, tell me what the Commander said. But whatever you would go through my thoughts beyond what is necessary I swear I'll rip you to shreds," he growled unfriendly. The ensign shrinked under his gaze and nodded vehemently. Still, a few minutes passed until Khorin felt the unfamiliar pressure in his mind that indicated the advance of betazoid. He tried to relax but, despite all his efforts, he resisted the intrusion, unable to get carried away by the foreign feeling. The blueshirt knitted his brows and looked doubiously to the Lone Wolf. "This is not easy for me either, pup" He blurted out. "Yeah but neither we can stay like this all day long" The young man replied abruptly, daring for first time in his life. His words were received with a malicious klingon gaze that smashed any defiance in the young officer.  "SoH moq jIH vaj 'ay', vaj laD SoH je mamej jIHvaD!" Khorin hissed as an answer. In spite of everything, he surrendered at last to the advances of the telepath and listened, thanks to the ensign, to the words of Nerina.

It was an odd feeling to receive the officer's words directly in his brain, more like remembering them than actually listening to them, but he crossed his arms over his wide chest and paid attention. To his disappointment, while there were some extra ideas to get out of that hole, most of them were outside his area of ​​expertise, and what was in his hand was reduced to something very close to what he had planned with Cross. Yeah, maybe she had planned the steps beyond the transport or recycling room, but in general terms the plan was still to make a complete mess. He had hoped that  Commander would bring some more elaborate ideas, but it seemed that at the end, it was reduced to headbutts and thumps.Possibly not the most typical option Starfleet-wise, but truly the most Klingon option. And Khorin was willing to unleash the brand new half of himself.

He turned to Cross, who had his back to him at that moment and grabbed his shoulder without much consideration. "Vulcan, you are kind of touch-telepath or something, aren't you? Put your witchcraft in action and stay tuned to this conversation" He said dragging the redshirt behind him, to where the commander was. In his impetuous path, he approached the young ensign that had transmitted the information and also dragged him behind him. Thus, with a crewman hooked with each hand he show up himself in the presence of Nerina.

He released his two former “captives” and formally saluted the superior officer, to turn to Cross and look at him raising an eyebrow like "you follow me?" before turning to his other side to the betazoid. "Transmit what you say, to the commander and to my mate, here" He demanded

~ Commander, Cross and I volunteer to cause a riot large enough to made them transport us out of the simulation. We were already working on it just before you arrived.~ He dispatched with a mean grin. ~ However, apart from causing chaos and keeping the situation sufficiently hectic on the other side to give you a window to escape, my skills are not very useful in this situation, I would need an engineering or an operations' officer for our small commando. Anyone who can bring a little bit of brute force will also be well received. ~ Khorin cocked his head, waiting for the meek betazoid to convey his words, then add aloud. "Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam". Certainly, it was a good day to die.

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

Reply #69
[ K'Ren | Day 5 | Observation Pen ~ Ten Forward | The Versant ~ USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E ] Attn: @Steelphoenix @Auctor Lucan @everyone
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As everyone assembled in the ship's lounge, K'Ren made sure to remain close to her mate, there was no way in hell she'd be separated from him again, they'd have to kill her first. Holding his hand, she waited patiently, tail gently twitching, ears flicking about as she took in the words being said, some whispered, some under ones, breath. She'd not realized how good Caitian hearing was but as a full blooded Caitian now, she could make out a lot more of the world around her, including sounds. Eventually tho, one voice could be heard above the other's and K'Ren's attention was drawn to Commander Nerina. She listened, letting the women have her say, and explain what they planned to do. Escape seemed the only option, and K'Ren would rather die free then memory wiped and set free, a blank mind seemed as bad a prison even if she'd not see the bars.

She glanced to Deacon, wondering what was going through his mind, how he was feeling. She was still screwed up inside mentally, she wanted out of this photonic prison, she wanted to kill at least one of her captors, make them pay for what they did to her and Deacon, to repay them for the death of her cubs. She also wanted to hide in a corner, hold tight to Deacon, and bawl her eyes out but that last, would have to wait until they were safe again. For now she was a Starfleet officer, and she had a mission to complete. Letting go of Deacon's hand breifly she stepped forward, "Commander. As long as my mate remains at my side, I will go wherever you send me, and do whatever I must.." She flexed her paws, extending and retracting her claws, "Even kill if that is what is needed of me." The last was probably over the top, but she was prepared to kill if need be, and as Cait's were known to be pacifists, her statement would she hoped, show how serious she was committed to the mission.


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

Reply #70
[ Lt. Cross | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen @SummerDawn @steelphoenix @YasyraTrill @Masorin @Absinthe Anyone else...

”Vulcan, you are kind of touch-telepath or something, aren’t you? Put your witchcraft in action and stay tuned to this conversation.”

Witchcraft? Cross thought quizzically.

Cross had been about to reply to Khorin when he suddenly found himself being dragged through the lounge by the eager Klingon. He found himself joined by a startled looking Betazoid, who had also found himself being towed along. Cross exchanged glances with the teal-shirted telepath, his bemused look contrasting with the young Ensign’s look of alarm. Cross had quickly grown accustomed to the Klingon’s brashness, and simply allowed himself to be swept along towards Commander Nerina.

He listened as Khorin addressed the Commander, glancing at her and giving her a weak smile and a shrug that seemed to say There’s no use trying to argue with him.

As the Betazoid was passing the message along to the Commander, Cross placed a hand on Khorin’s shoulder to get his attention.

“Khorin, I wouldn’t advise having me try to communicate telepathically. When I was only half Vulcan, I never had any sort of telepathic ability. I don’t even know if I’m able to do it, let alone how to do it safely!” Cross explained, concern showing on his face as he raised his hands to chest height, looking at them with uncertainty. “I might be able to communicate with you, but I could just as easily <fuck up> your mental processes by mistake and leave you a vegetable.” Cross’ mouth twitched as he held back a smile, thinking of a mocking way to continue the statement but deciding against voicing it. “It would be dangerous to even attempt it.”Cross realized as the words left his mouth that he had chosen them poorly. As a Klingon, Khorin was likely to take the possibility of danger as a challenge rather than a warning.

I hope he realizes this isn’t a danger he can face with a bat’leth and some brash words… Cross worried as he looked at the large, ridge-headed man who had become his ally. I don’t think they write songs commemorating warriors who have their brains fried.

Khorin puffed out his chest and gave Cross an admonitory gaze. “C’mon, don’t make the Commander wait. What are you, a P’Tok or a gap-toothed targ pup? Man up, Cross!” He snarled, unwilling to look gutless in front of an officer and, worse still, a beautiful woman. He moved his ridged face closer to the Vulcan’s, until their noses almost touched. “The first mishap and you’re already throwing in the towel, I thought I had allied with a warrior, not a sissy whiner.” Khorin whispered in a low voice, challenging him to say otherwise.

Cross gritted his teeth at the Klingon’s words, the already wavering control over the storm of his emotions seeming to loosen. Anger burned in the Vulcan’s unblinking eyes, and his hands balled tightly into fists at his sides, causing several of his knuckles to crack.

“There’s a difference between throwing in the towel and using some common <fucking> sense.” Cross growled, “But if you’re in such a <fucking> hurry to have what little mind you possess turned into stewed gagh, then I’d be happy to help!” Cross’ growl had turned into a snarl by the time he’d finished speaking, and green veins could be seen bulging at his temples as he fought to maintain what little control he had. Ignoring the Commander, Cross grabbed Khorin’s arm and dragged the Klingon back towards the bar, shoving him roughly towards one of the stools with a command to sit.

“With how empty that head of yours is, there may not even be anything for me to link with!” Cross grumbled, reaching out and non-too-gently taking hold of the Klingon’s head. Untrained, and unsure whether there was a proper position for hand placement, Cross simply placed his hands on either side of Khorin’s skull, squeezing the man’s head slightly from frustration as he closed his eyes and tried to…

To what? Reach out with my mind? How the hell am I supposed to do that?

Khorin shifted himself on the stool, causing Cross’ grip on his head to shift. Cross reached further back with his left hand and roughly gripped the Klingon’s ear. “Hold still you ridge-headed <bastard>!”

Cross recalled a time when K’Shem, his mentor, had performed a mind-meld on him. The image seemed to spring into his head out of nowhere.

What was it he had told me?

“Try to empty your mind, Klingon.” Cross growled at Khorin, cracking open one eye to look at him as he added, “That shouldn’t be hard for you, should it?”

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

Reply #71
[ Lt. R'Rori | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E | Precept-ship Versant ] @SummerDawn @steelphoenix @Absinthe @Fife @Numen & anyone else

R’Rori listened attentively to the people around hir as the woman claiming to be Theurgy’s XO spoke and then Deacon had his say in Sickbay. It was a mild shock that so many of the ship’s crew seemed to be prisoners here and s/he idly wondered what that meant for the ship itself. S/he watched the exchange curiously and carefully noting down the reactions of people around hir. Some seemed more surprised than others.

As the trio made their way down to the hall to the lounge, R’Rori found hirself operating once more as a part of the background, a position s/he found comfortable and natural. Deacon seemed to lean more on K’Ren during the walk and R’Rori only intervened when he asked. When a man’s voice came over the comms, s/he was startled. Had they really given them working communicators?

After he finished speaking, s/he spoke up, the tone of hir voice indicating some amusement. "So, he's asking if we can distract the guards ... somehow. You can barely walk, I don't know how to fight, and she's too concerned about you to pay attention to much else. Hopefully, this Nerina will have a plan."

S/he kept a hand lightly resting on Deacon’s arm as they entered the lounge to make sure that they didn’t get inadvertently split up. The Commander made her speech and then briefed telepaths that then spread out the ideas throughout the crowd. R’Rori could see quite a few groups already forming, some sticking with fellow known crewmembers and some deciding to work with those from other ships, including the Theurgy. Captivity had a way of making one realize they couldn’t be picky about allies.

A man in a teal uniform that R’Rori vaguely recognized from a previous assignment was making his way through the crowd, the single pip as well as strange mixture of alarm and focus on his face giving away his junior ranking and inexperience. He seemed to briefly stop by groups that would then start talking to each other after a minute or so. He must be one of the telepaths then. Betazoid? Someone else s/he couldn’t place was following him, encouraging him when he paused. A friend, then, to give him the courage he needs.

At last, the man came up to their group after a circuitous route. He looked startled at Deacon’s response to his attempt to brief them, but nodded slowly and seemed to focus on K’Ren and R’Rori instead, filling them in the details telepathically while whispering the basics for Deacon. R’Rori nodded and thanked the young officer, who then moved on to the next group with his friend.

“Well, we already know of one person who is probing the simulation. I doubt they made it here but now this … Jack person isn’t going to be the only one doing it. I’m a counselor and a pacifist, so I’m not going to be of much help in a battle, especially without my Caitian traits. I can spot the Endeavour’s Chief Tactical Officer from here and he looks to have picked up a Klingon friend. Perhaps we can work with them?”

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

Reply #72
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Observation Pen/USS Enterprise NCC 1701-E - Stellar Cartography | Main Research Hull | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @steelphoenix @Auctor Lucan 
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Turning to fire off some retort at Jack, Sarresh paused, opened his mouth, then closed it. The former Klingon-halfbreed had raised a very good point, and there was little that the former Ash'reem could do to argue that. In a fire fight, the man would be easily disarmed. Sarresh winced at just how bad that pun sounded in his head and decided it was best to leave it their for the moment. If they were going to get out of here they needed to work together. After all, he had a mission to live for and ....and other reasons. An image of a half shaved head, fiery locks and passionate eyes, with a wrinkled nose flashed in his mind.

Alienating his current ally would be stupid. So instead, Sarresh gave a nod. "Thats a fair point," he allowed, in reference to the arm. His fingers punched up a few commands, readying a program, then pulled back from the console, turning in his seat to watch Jack, the way his face scrunched up. Clearly the other scientist was in deep though. When he began to work through his logic aloud, the time traveler gave a nod to show he was following. Jack wasn't saying anything that Sarresh didn't already know - he was well versed in how holograms of this century worked, and the genera principles of movement inside a holodeck. The scientist's assumptions about how they were likely being watched was also fairly obvious to Sarresh.

What was not obvious, initially, was the mans point, and when, exactly he would get there. The thorough nature of Jacks methodical thought process did not, in and of itself, annoy Sarresh. He just felt the pressure of time running out, bearing down on him. How long would the Savi allow them to run around like tiny mammals in a holographic maze before they decided to reboot their minds? Once again, Sarresh had memories that he'd actually like to hold onto - and this time he wasn't being given a choice.

And to be fair, Sarresh was in no mood to sympathize with lab animals. Not that most of his experimental work dealt with those, but all the same...

"I follow you so far," he said, making a little hurry up gesture as Jack called out to Deacon the ..actually I have no idea who this Deacon is. Someone from the ship, obviously, but beyond that... Sarresh scrunched his face up, focusing his thoughts and coming up with absolutely nothing. He must not have met the man, and the memory filters in his head were blocking any future knowledge he might possess. 

Still, Jack's plan, as he understood it to unfold, seemed to be reasonable. And it was enough to let Sarresh launch the first of his little probes. Visually, it seemed to launch out across the nearby star systems, along the graph he'd laid out over the local space group. He liked a little theatrics to his work, and a smirk curled onto his face. "let's see how long that takes to get caugh," he muttered aloud as Jack worked and he prepped the next packet.

And then it happened. While they were both busy, Sarresh with his probes and prods, Jack with his distractions, the latter spoke up again.

"So... your from the future right? You probably get this a lot, but... have you ever heard of me? Like I know our timeline is a fracture point, and nothing is the way it should be, but... does my name ever come up in any historical context? I know the temporal directive, but honestly... we can't do much more damage to time than we already have."

Ah, the question, he thought. Eventually, they always ask the question. And then they go on and on about how bad could a little foreknowledge be. Morali had been asked this often enough since coming back to the Theurgy, but even with the memory engram manipulation he'd undergone, he was positive that his posting here was far from the first where he'd been asked that.  True enough, this timeline has already become pretty fucked up...he's not wrong there.

"Nope. Not at all," Sarresh said after a moment of reflection, turning his gaze from the mappings in front of them, which now looked like small fleet maneuvers being conducted in the Azure Nebula's representation in stellar cartography. Taking pity on Jack, he elaborated.

"You may very well have been famous by the 29th century. Another Henry Archer, or Benjamin Jefferson," a pause, a frown, "Or was it Franklin? Never mind," he waved it off. "Point is, it doesn't matter how famous you might or might not have been, I don't know. Or well, I don't remember. See, there's this thing in here," he tapped his skull, "that has stripped almost everything I used to know from me. Including most of my own life and choices prior to Theurgy." He didn't know why he was explaining this, but what the hell, he did anyway.

"Some kind of memory coding, 29th century tech that's pretty damn good at what it does. I get...snippets, when nessecary. Half the time it manifests as a seizure that leaves me with drool running down my chin. Not pleasant. Someone's cruel idea of a joke, I'm sure." He scowled. "Then I'll know something that I shouldn't and be able to act. Its their way of protecting the time-stream, while allowing me the tools I need to do what I do.  Which frankly is where a lot of all that comes from," he said, gesturing to the spiders he had let loose on the 'Enterprise's' info-network.

"So...I have absolute no idea who you are, historically speaking. And as you pointed out, we're in a forked timeline and everything is highly messed up as is. There's no guarantee that anything I might have known about you prior to coming back is now still true. Sorry," he added almost as an after thought, releasing another probing virus. So far, he wasn't having much luck. "I couldn't tell you one way or another."

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

Reply #73
[ Deacon | Ten Forward | USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E Simulation | Precept-ship Versant (Observation Pen) ] @SummerDawn  @patches  @Auctor Lucan  @Absinthe @Fife  @Numen @Masorin

As he traveled from sickbay to the rendezvous in Ten Forward, he found the journey interrupted by an unexpected comms call.  He searched his memory for any reference to someone calling themselves 'Jack', such as it was.  Why call him?  There had to be any number of misappropriated Starfleet personnel meandering about in this simulation.  Klingon, perhaps?  A half-breed he'd met when he'd first come aboard the Theurgy?  The facial features were indistinct in his memory, but names, at least, he could recall.  The rest he would remedy in time, should they escape their holographic cage.

He took a deep breath before replying.  "I will relay the message as appropriate.  Recommend you minimize use of comms," his gaze moving between K'Ren and R'Rori as he worked to improvise the conversation.  Discretion was important but the thought of facing the Fanged God as he was now and asking mercy for an outright fabrication -- that was not something he wished to explore.  Truth.  Truth in all things, even if unwise.  It was kzinti.  "Others could be attempting to use this channel and we wouldn't want to anger those on the bridge."  Vague, yet true at its core, although it took some effort not to end the statement with 'yet'.

R'Rori was the first to comment.  "So, he's asking if we can distract the guards ... somehow. You can barely walk, I don't know how to fight, and she's too concerned about you to pay attention to much else. Hopefully, this Nerina will have a plan."

Deacon's ears would have flattened back were they capable.  At home, such statements would result in a challenge, bared fangs and likely the loss of someone's ears.  Fortunately, the medication that had dulled his ziirgah managed to numb his more extreme reactions, and here and now, a rogue outburst served no one.  What bothered him most wasn't her accusation, but her accuracy.  He'd allowed himself to wallow in self pity and loathing when his first and only thought should have been escape.  He'd forced K'Ren to be the strength of their union when it should have been his responsibility to support her.

He straightened himself, squaring his jaw as he regarded her, perhaps with a bit more hostility in his glare than he intended.  Holding up a hand, he took another breath.  "You are correct.  Whether I have to walk or crawl, I will ensure the safety of my pride.  That is the first duty of a Black Priest.  The well being of the pride above all else, no matter the cost."  Looking back at K'Ren, he drew her close, placing his lips softly against her forehead.   "That said, I have never heard of this Nerima person.  Ives' second was a male name Trent.  So I place as much trust and expectation in her as I do our captors.  But she is about to have the attention of the others and if we're not there, we won't know what she plans."

That said, he again proceeded down the hall, this time making an effort to walk on his own, stumbling momentarily before he managed to find some compromise close to walking on the ball of his foot, the closest approximation to his old gait.  It was ungraceful, but he managed to find stability with some effort, his hand extended out to his mate not to support him, but to accompany him.

Once inside the simulation of Ten Forward, Deacon was at once amused and insulted that the Savi had thought to place him in a position not unlike the one he held on Theurgy.  Coincidence, he wondered, as he studied the crowd, making a concerted effort to pinpoint faces, voices, names.  R'Rori's words in the hall had been a challenge, whether she'd intended it as such or not, and Deacon was determined not to fail.  It was one thing to disregard such disrespect, but he recognized the dangers that came with him not rising to meet the expectations of those around him and those that had raised him since he was a kit.

When Nerina declared her intent to use the telepaths among the crew as her messengers, Deacon could not hide his disdain, his fangs clearly bared as the betazoid first approached them.  Yes, he rationalized that secure communication was best and under the circumstances, telepathy may well be their only available option.  But, as he'd reminded himself so many times on the way to this meeting, he was kzinti, and kzinti did not trust telepaths.  Fortunately, he was also medically inured to their intrusion thanks to the inhibitor that kept his own senses from randomly reading the emotional states of all those nearby, so his fundamental dislike couldn't simply be set aside for the 'greater good'.

Fortunately, there were others more receptive with him and R'Rori verbally transcribed what had been disclosed to her in turn.  He listened quietly, eyes flicking in the direction she indicated, revealing another klingon and a bald headed vulcan dourly observing the events unfolding.  He nodded in agreement.  "But we should avoid anything larger outside of this establishment.  Starfleet crews don't seem to gather in such large numbers unless... 'planning something'.  And for the moment, that is the last impression we should be giving."

As they began their approach to the bar, Deacon pondered, "What I don't understand is why go to all this trouble?  It took a great deal of convincing, straakh and the promise of increasing the ranks of the pride to get the doctors on homeworld to even consider working on me.  Why would these Savi take it upon themselves to single out hybrids and 'purify' them in any way shape or form.  There is still a fundamental cost, be it in time or resources, that could otherwise be spent to other priorities, and given the ease with which they elected to ... what was the term? ... recycle one of their prisoners who dared to resist?"  He paused.  "No, this doesn't make sense.  This isn't a charity, nor is it a religion.  These... things care nothing for us as individuals and our component races are hardly threatened with extinction for lack of one more purified genetic contributor.  So why 'correct' us, wipe our memories and send us back?  That neither prevents us from propagating outside of our species again, nor does it explain the sheer amount of invasive technologies necessary to support the introduction of a new identity."

He frowned.  "There's more to this than we've seen."

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

Reply #74
[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |  Day 5| Observation Pen | Precept-ship Versant | 2100hrs ] Attn:  @steelphoenix @Brutus @Auctor Lucan
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Getting to hear back from Deacon that they should keep off the communications made sense. Jack hadn't really been thinking about it, the mere act of being in this glass cage kind of meant they were being monitored.

Jack didn't look up from his console when Morali started to speak. Listening to the story and monitoring his side of the equations that were supposed to eventually lead them to a way out of here, his one eye blinked a bit when he spoke about all the memories that had been taken from him. The coding sounded horrific, Jack had made a lot of mistakes in his life that he wished he could take back, but never just forget. Forgetting was the one thing he really couldn't do.

Which made the Savi's experiment on them all the more terrifying. He looked at Morali for a moment and sighed. "I think you mean Edison, I'm a scientist not a historian, but I'm pretty sure the guys name was Benjamin Edison, he did stuff with electricity, killed an elephant with a kite and a metal key. Man talking about it like that... earth history is fucked up."

He suddenly very much missed the Klingon half of his body. Human's were often viewed as a bit on the violent and unwieldy side of the spectrum. Barbaric creatures that probably shouldn't have reached space flight as quickly as they did. They eliminated war on their planet yes, but they were still children in the galactic scale of things.

Those thoughts and feelings aside he started to focus on his screen, but was drawn towards something he found. It was a soft ping in the communications array, catching it, he blinked for a moment. "Huh."

He had been monitoring communications sent through the enterprise network, trying to back trace it to the world outside of the simulation. He knew he wasn't going to find anything important or password protected, but it seemed as if he got really lucky. His hand scrolled over it trying to make sense of the alien language. "Take a look at this, Savi have an email system."

It took him a moment or three to crack through to actually be able to read the message the computer doing some work to translate the thing because it was being displayed on the sims computer. This was the kind of thing that Security was always trying to crack down on when it came to unsucure messaging systems. 'Please change your password encryption on a bi monthly basis, please use caution when giving out vocal override codes.' or his personal favorite 'please separate your personal, and professional com traffic and do not use Starbase resources to send illicit emails while you are drunk Hy'Jock if I get one more of these complaints I'm taking you down for harassment.' He let out a wistful sigh. "I miss you, Dotnihl."

With the English and Savi transcripts he could actually start working on soft translations finding out how their language worked, extrapolating it, and what he was finding was a lot of Math, and patterns. It seemed they didn't use an alphabet so much as geometrical equations for writing, it was a bit like an A1Z26 cipher only with a bit more encoding, there was no direct translation for a few of the words, and he had no idea what the thing would sound like, but if he sat here and stared at it for a few hours he could actually work out the math in his head to make sense of it.

Leaning back in his chair for a moment he hummed and hawed as he looked over the Savi email. His remaining hand tapping on his chin as he pondered "It's more like binary than Federation basic. A language deprived of artistic behaviors it's just mathematical in nature, like the civilization it's built around it's advanced but dead on the inside. A giant husk of science with no end point."

 
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