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EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Ending - Post Meridiem]

[ EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident | Ending - Post Meridiem ]

[ The USS Theurgy | Main Bridge | Deck 01 ] Attn: Everyone

Captain's Log, supplemental.

Fifteen minutes ago, Commander Howard spotted the entity aboard the ship - out of phase yet walking the decks. While we are waiting for our Senior Staff to report to their duty stations, perchance tearing themselves free from the entity's games, the Bridge staff is on edge - fearing that they suddenly might be pulled out of their current reality and shoved into the unfamiliar again. There is no sign of Dr. Nicander or Commander Stark, along with several other crew members, whom have all vanished from the the ship's internal sensors. As if displaced in time and space.

I... along with my male counterpart... can but hope to retrieve them. Somehow...

Pacing the circular Bridge, Captain Ives' male form looked between the gathered personnel while they worked at trying to find answers and solutions, wondering how the hell his ship could have become a playground for some malign spirit bent on the idea to reduce them to slaves to their own base needs. Again, Jien could not quite shake the feeling that this was connected to the Niga Incident, where his crew had suffered in similar ways... only by a more tangible threat.

Meanwhile, his female form had retreated to the Captain's chair, making a log entry into the armrest. She looked hard, focused, much as he suspected his own countenance appeared as he turned to look over Nicole's shoulder where she tried to feed orders to her Engineering personnel via any possible channels she could gain access to - sending them in pursuit of the entity whilst armed with ignorance and hand-held anyon radiation emitters. Amatras' husband, Lieutenant Arcorn Neotin, was one of them. Of her holographic specialist, there was no sign just yet, though they hoped Lt. Kae would reach the Bridge soon and do what he could with the ship-wide holographic field.

Furthermore, they waited for Grayson to make his way there - his ascension to Deck 01 followed closely on the internal sensors. Evidently, he would arrive together with his Deputy and the former stowaway that Jien had spoken with earlier that day. Temporal Officer Sarresh Morali was due to reach the Bridge too, to assist his Chief Science Officer in detecting whether or not they had been targeted by the same signature of temporal incursion that had changed the planet Niga to become a trap for them in the current century. Perchance they'd find nothing, but it was valuable to know if they were at the mercy of the same enemy a second time.

Jien raised his eyes when he saw his female counterpart rise from her - their - Captain's Chair and walk over to where Jona Rez stood at phaser point towards the back of the Bridge - under Valkyrie-pilot Thomas Ravon's attentive stare. Edena Rez and Kiya Rez was there too, and according to intel and the internal sensors, Squadron Commander Renard was about to arrive in the company of the last of the former hosts - Ilya Rez. A unprecedented thing in Trill history... a symbiont's collective hosts coming face-to-face in such a manner. One might wonder if it was such a rare thing for them, though, since Edena Lal's faulty joining kept them all out of death's absolute slumber.

"How does it feel to actually breathe again?" asked the female Captain, and the male Jien Ives watched the exchange from Nicole's side - wondering what kind of conclusion his female self had come to draw about the old SI Officer. "Have you missed it?"

Jien could not know what manner of expression the female form of himself wore when she addressed the grey-haired man standing in the sights of Ravon's phaser, yet judging from her tone, it was not a carefree smile. No, it was the cold vowels of a Commanding Officer meaning to ascertain a threat aboard her ship - analysing whether or not she had cause for her precautions.

The unspoken question, the male Jien Ives realised, was: Are you trying to become alive again?

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #1 –
Jona stood with his back against the wall, watching events play out.  Jien kept a tight crew, one that knew it's responsibilities and worked well together, but he couldn't help being a bit disappointed in the Captain.  As a member of Starfleet Intelligence, Jien had been able to be ruthless when the situation called for it, but now he was far more a diplomat then a warrior, refusing to use the shield frequency Jona had available simply because it would inflict pain on the intruder.  "In some ways I have to admire your morals, Ives.  You have a god-like being playing with members of your crew like toys for a child, and yet you still seek to end things peacefully.  In other ways, I'm disappointed in you.  The old you might have done anything and everything to protect your crew from this . . . not to mention the outbreak.  Back when you were my protege, you were comfortable with the term 'acceptable losses.'"

Edena couldn't have him stunned with a phaser for talking, but she would have if she could.  He had been a harsh teacher, drilling lessons into her head that would let her replace him, but he never got her to his level.  Jona was a man without conscience, which allowed him to do things few others could.  Edena didn't have the "benefit" of assimilating that personality trait through the joining with the Rez symbiont.  She was still herself, albeit with three personal advisers living in her head.

When the female form of Jien asked him how it felt to breathe again, Jona merely grinned.  "How does it feel to have your male and female forms facing each other?  Last time that happened, it didn't go so well, right?"  Jona knew that about Jien, how she had obtained her male form by copying that of a lover, prompting the man to run in fear of her.  It was a story which proved Jien's ignorance to the world and to love making at that time.

Lin Kae and Skye Carver arrived on the bridge.  Curiously, it was the blond haired woman who stepped toward the male captain, a quick double take to the female telling the strangeness of the situation, but Carver reported to the captain who looked less occupied at the moment.  "Um . . . Lieutenant Lin Kae reporting for duty, sir," spoke the very female voice of Skye, claiming to be the male Holographics specialist.  At that point it was just another example of the circumstances they found themselves neck deep in.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #2 –
While it continued to be disconcerting to have dual Jiens, Nicole adjusted slowly to it, though she still started when she looked back to look into Jien female only to have the Jien male standing there.  It had been tricky setting up an isolated comm signal outside the normal bandwidth, but she'd finally managed a transmission to Engineering, telling them the plan and what needed to be done, including how to reply to the Bridge.  After that, there was little left for her to do except wait for word back.  The details had been hammered out and impatience was all that remained, her foot tapping as she resisted the urge to tell her crew to hurry up. 

The sooner they fixed this, the sooner they could return to their next life-threatening event, of which there seemed to be no shortage on this ship.  It was starting to feel normal, the short hours of sleep and long shift, the day in day out monotony of repairs, each one made wondering how long until they were next attacked and would have to make the same repairs again.  Futility was starting to sound familiar, as well.  If she had to send someone down to Deck 12 to fix the replicators again, she'd be sorely tempted to shut them down entirely and tell people to use Deck 13's.

Rising to her feet, she decided standing would be better than sitting, at the moment.  Not that it gave her anything to do, but it felt more like something than sitting did.  She sighed in frustration.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #3 –
Thomas kept his phaser aimed at the Trill called Jona Rez. His stare would be considered a death stare in other circumstances yet he did as he was ordered to do. Keep the man out of the way of the crew and fire if he decided to make a run for it. He took his time now to study the Trill, taking every detail of his face, his contours, stature... He wanted to memorize this man so that if they would meet again, he would recognise him from the start, knowing exactly that SI would be involved.

Ravon listened in silence as the conversation took place between Jona and the captain and he glanced over at the female form now and then, the memory and feeling that he had shared with her still fresh in his memory, her scent and bodily fluids still on him. He swallowed calmly and turned his gaze back to his person of interest. This would turn out to be a waiting game for the young lieutenant.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #4 –
Stepping onto the bridge, Skye looked about and felt a little bit of disappointment.  She'd thought it would be bigger somehow but it was still a bit of a thrill just to be there.  An amused yet reserved grin formed when she watched her body step up and report for duty.  Placing hands behind the back and standing at ease, eyes met the captain's gaze.

"Ensign Skye Carver, Sir," she introduced herself in Kae's deeper voice.  "I felt given the circumstances it was best for me to tag along and not risk my Valkyrie to unsure reflexes."  Kae's form stood tall and proper though there was a bit of discomfort obvious from being in a male form in front of so many.  When no one else knew of their switch and it was just her and Kae, she'd adapted.

Now she felt awkward though seeing the captain in both forms walking about and knowing others were split in some way did help a little.  Misery loves company they say, she thought to herself.  Now all she could do was wait and either be dismissed from the bridge or see if there was anything she could do to help with their current situation, though what they could do was a mystery to her.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #5 –
[Auxiliary Science Lab 3 | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy]
It had been a most frustrating time for the Time Traveler. He had been plagued with visions from his past, the future. He had spent the past two hours conversing with what he thought was his old captain, from the Realtivity A very long, drawn out argument, venting quite a few hateful opinions about being stranded back in the present. Sadly, for Sarresh, it seemed he had only been arguing with a fern. A very disgruntled and rotund fern, but at the same time, it just wasn't' the same thing. All the anger that Sarresh had finally let out seemed to bubble up again, right as a high pitched, familiar screech filled his ears.

He winced, processing the sounds for a moment, and sighed. "The bridge" he muttered to himself. He had wondered why the comm system was down, why various readings from his own consoles were all over the place. Up until a moment ago, he had assumed it had something to do with the Relativity but given that the plant he'd been conversing with was not whom he assumed it was, Sarresh could no longer blame the discrepancies on the time ship. He palmed his face for a moment, dragging it down across his features, before he shuffled to the side, left, then right, just as asked. From there, it was over to doors to his office, which, surprisingly enough, opened with little fuss. Perhaps the hydraulic hiss sounded a bit disgruntled. Then again, that could have just been the Ash'reem projecting his own issues.

Bridge | Deck 1| USS Theurgy
He had been forced to climb up, through the Jefferies tubes. Much to his distress, none of the turbolifts on Deck 10 answered his call. He had tried again on Decks 9, 8, and 5, before finally resigning himself to the long climb up, and up. So by the time the hatch popped near the turbolfit on the bridge, Sarresh was, to say the least, in a rather shit mood. Groaning, as he rose to his feet, he dusted his legs off, tugged his uniform jacket down, and, eyes narrowing behind the shade like goggles he was forced to wear, he chopped off a quick "You Called?"

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #6 –
[From Sickbay]

Once Khorin had left and after a quick clean up and getting a new uniform, Eve tried again to reach Lucan and the bridge to no avail.  Something was very wrong, not just because she had flung herself at the pilot but that people were being called to their stations.  Not knowing where Lucan was and unable to verify if he was there, she decided she might as well head for the bridge.  As head nurse, she was next in line for that department after all.

She wished she had something to pull back her hair and pin it, to look more professional but for now her fingers would have to do to get out the tangles.  She was sore, oh how it stung when she walked and her breasts were tender enough that the bra kept them aching, but a tiny smile kept creeping up as she rode the turbolift up to the bridge.  That had been one hell of ride, something that gave the diversity those of her father's race craved.

That smile faded though as she thought of Lucan.  "I hope he's on the bridge," she muttered to herself.  For all his strength there was a certain vulnerability in him and she found herself worrying over him, most likely needlessly but if she didn't care she wouldn't worry.  Finally the door hissed open and she stepped on the bridge then to the side to look at everyone there.  Her heart fell as she didn't see Lucan but she nodded and stood ready for any information or orders.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #7 –
"Miles" Main Bridge
Miles calmly stood in the turbolift as it opened to the main bridge.  His hands were clasped behind his back loosely as he walked out, and saluted quickly, "Lone Wolves Squadron C. O. Miles Renard, and Provisional Crewman Illya Rez reporting..."  He looked around for a moment as he began taking a brief look over of the bridge.  He was a bit shocked to see the multiple Trills and the two forms of the captain all gathered there along with a few others.  What had caused the minor pause in his words was seeing the two captains.  Though startled, he was more so confused how to address his commanding officer. He settled on, instead of directing his words on one, looking somewhere between the two of them and ending his report for duty by simply saying, "...Captains."

It was more than a bit strange witnessing all of this.  The multiple hosts of Rez he had been slightly expecting given that he was traveling with Illya, but seeing both forms of the captain he was not.  He was also quite relieved to see at least two of the Wolves had reported here as he noticed both Carver and Ravon there.  He couldn't help but be a bit confused though as to why Ravon had a phaser pointed at the most recently deceased of Rez's hosts.  Of course there was another thing that was odd, but only because of how his native tongue listened so easily to body language.  There was something different about Skye, he couldn't quite place it but just in her posture and slight movements she seemed like a stranger.

((I hope its okay that somehow the turbo lifts worked for them))

"Renard" Unknown deck: outside of disabled holodeck
Miles sighed relieved to be free of the lustful hindrances he was feeling moments before.  His mind for the first time in a good while was clear, and he began felt the fatigue finally set in from their near marathon of sexual activity. "Yes uniforms, and an idea of where on the ship we are," he said through heavy breaths. "Thea, prepare yourself for possibly being freaked out a bit.  Computer state my current location and provide running light directions to nearest unoccupied unlocked quarters." 

Thea's disembodied voice replied, "Your current location is Coridor A; Deck Seven: Primary Hull."

Miles nodded his head, "Thanks" he looked to the running lights and began to follow them but as he did so he caught a very strange scent.  'That's odd; smells like I've been here very recently.'  He thought to himself as looked at one side of the corridor and saw it was the below decks entrance and the apparent end of the scent was a turbolift that appeared to still be functional,   'Some kind of doppelganger?'

They arrived at the living quarters which he entered quickly and spoke up "Activate sonic shower and replicate two Federation uniforms.  One Tactical Conn male for my size Vulpinian native alterations, and other one non divisional female in her size. Also replicate two com-badges."

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #8 –
  [ Unknown Quarters | Deck 07 ]

Thea covered herself as best as she might once she'd stepped into the light. Hearing her own voice speak over the intercom and not being apart of the process in which the reply was dealt was a perplexing feeling indeed, yet given the situation, hardly surprising any more. What affected her a bit more was the feeling of unrestrained means in which to follow the lights lit in the corridor without any clothes on. There were sub-routines of propriety and modesty in her programming that did not kick in, and even if she still had the inclination to cover herself, she did not have the means that a hologram did to remedy the situation. So, without much of a choice in the matter, she followed Commander Renard's beast-form to their destination.

The SCO activated the sonic shower in the bathroom, so Thea set her steps there first without delay - her human body covered in Vulpinian semen and the sweat of their exertions after all. She opened the shower stall wide and stepped inside, running her hands over her body to clear the thick fluids away in the vibrations. It was her first sonic shower in a human body, she realised, and the sensation of humming treatment gave her pause. Still, her hands ran over her skin, only more slowly, and completely in her own world of discovery - distracted again by her organic body and its many peculiarities. Running her hands over her breasts, she cleared Renard's reproductive fluids from her aching mounds, and she ran one hand down between her legs to wash away the excessive amount that escaped from her vaginal passage. No matter how much she rubbed her inner thighs and her sore labia, more slipped out of her, and it became a frustrating task - however much it served to intrigue and entice her.

Realising that the SCO had spoken, she looked out through the open stall with slightly startled eyes. "Pardon, what did you say?"

Organics had no means in which to record audio, therefore she had to ask him to repeat himself. How inefficient...

[ Main Bridge | Deck 01 ]

Captain Ives' full lips were a thin line of contempt when the former SI Commander brushed away her question and posed some of his own - cleverly reminding her that he knew a lot more about her than most others aboard the ship. The incident in question was none which carried scars - being an adolescent escapade from Academy days - so it merely served to irritate her. Instead of answering, since the query was strictly rhetorical, she cast her oaken eyes to Lt. Ravon where he guarded the older man. She had a mind to ask him to cuff the spy over the temple but that kind of reaction would serve no one... rather ceding a minor victory to the Trill if anything.

No, she would not let the old man get to her. Instead, she turned to Edena Lal - since one might just call her that since she had no hosts in her head. "Let this man be warning for what a path in the greyness between shadows and light will do to you, Number One. The moral boundaries are lost in the obscurity, and the sense of right and wrong is cast aside... only to be replaced by a calling to a greater good that is even more intangible than the path you walk - a fickle notion fed to you by ever shifting circumstances."

She turned her head to look upon Jona Rez as she finished her statement. "In the end, you hide in the darkness and tell yourself that you are righteous... only because you know that your actions do not stand the trial of being cast into light."

Standing close to Nicole where she worked, the male form of Captain Ives was reminded by her close proximity when she got up and stood by her chair - the movement catching his eye and her body's profile reminding him about when they had 'repaired' his sonic shower together. Before his thoughts led to the argument they'd had afterwards, his frustrated mind fed on the reminder of her body underneath his calloused palms. The splashing water upon their bare bodies. The feeling of her sheath around himself. Her lips parting for his own tongue...

Just when he ripped his eye away and returned to the slow progress of dealing with their crisis, two people came up to him and reported for duty, only their names were reversed.

"I think I understand..." he said after a short pause, looking between the young man and the Valkyrie pilot before him, "Lt. Kae, your Chief Engineer's monitor here can show you were the anomaly aboard is right now. We need you to adapt the hologrid to emit anyon radiation in that area. This, by deactivating the safety protocols and letting the radiation bring it into phase and thus allowing for Transporter lock. Ops is standing by and will bring the thing here right away so start working. Ensign Carver, please join Lt Ravon at the back of the Bridge for now. Your assistance might be needed, so arm yourself with a phaser rifle from the security checkpoint outside before doing so."

No more had Jien dealt his orders than a hatch popped open next to the turbolift, making heads and muzzles swivel in that direction.

Sarresh Morali was groaning as he got to his feet, making a statement by the disgruntled way he was dusting himself off. The Ash'reem turned his goggles in the female Captain's direction since she happened to be closest right then, and she turned away from the three incarnations of the Rez symbiont's hosts to answer the Temporal Affairs Officer's poor excuse of reporting for duty. "Indeed we did, since we are currently beset by an alien entity that has made this ship its plaything. If you were not so preoccupied with feeling sorry for being back in your own time, you might have noticed this yourself. Now that you are here, I need you to assist your Chief Science Officer in determining whether or not we have been targeted again in the same manner we were back in the Mahéwa System. Search for residues that suggest a temporal incursion and inform us of your finding right away."

Not long afterwards, work having resumed in the Bridge, Lt. Eve Jenkins entered, and the male Captain turned his brown eyes her way. They had been trying to contact the CMO earlier, but it seemed his Head Nurse had made it there at least. He stepped up to the halfblood Deltan, searching her eyes. "Welcome to the Bridge, Nurse. Have you received word from Dr. Nicander? Have you learned where he's gone?" he asked quietly, yet judging from the look on her face, the answer was plain. The Câroon Chief Medical Officer remained gone. Out of phase or displaced in time and space, who knew? He was plainly not with them, at least. "I see. Please, stay, we might have need of your expertise in a short while... being that we will have a visitor. Hopefully we might solve things diplomatically, though."

No more had Jien spoken to the Head Nurse than the SCO appeared, lacking his tail but having company in the form of the last of the former hosts of the Rez symbiont. Why the turbolifts seemed to work randomly only served to prove how bizarre their current situation was.

"Lone Wolves Squadron C. O. Miles Renard, and Provisional Crewman Illya Rez reporting... Captains."

The female Ives folded her hands behind her back, shoulders squared as she cast a glance towards the grifter. The male Captain remained with the Nurse while she spoke in his stead. "Welcome, Commander. Thank you for bringing our guest here, but I need you to take a seat in Mission Ops and ascertain the status of your squadron. Communications are down, but you might be able to get something from the internal sensors. In a state of chaos, we need to make certain where order might remain."

The Rez symbiont was now gathered in all its varying shades, and both Ives watched the reunion until the point where David Grayson entered together with his Deputy and the former stowaway - now Cadet Bellde'side. At long last, the Senior Officers of the Security Department were accounted for. "Reporting..." said the Andorian woman by Commander Grayson's side, looking between the odd gathering of faces and trailing off before she got any further.

"Take position on either side of the view screen and produce your phasers," snapped the male Jien Ives with a frown, cutting through the nonsense of the situation,"Lt. Kae and the others here are about to force our intruder to appear right there, so stand ready. Cadet, stay close to your superiors and follow their lead. What is the status on the anyon radiation, people? Do we have a Transporter lock yet? In that case, energise!"

OOC: 1.30 am here and I need to get up at 6 am so I have to cut it here. Makes sense though, since we need either Amatras, Nicole or Kae make the magic happen in the absence of a present actively played Ops officer. So, can someone (or more than one, given inspiration and availability) please post in-between to energise the transport once the lock is made? I will continue this on the morrow. Hope the continuation is worthwhile reading so far, at least.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #9 –
Nicole had begun pacing as she awaited the results of the scan, just a few short steps then a turn, a few short steps, then a turn back.  Making one turn brought her the sight of Jien's male form, another Jien's female, an odd sensation, but both having the same demeanor was a bit of reassurance.  As she made a turn back to the male Jien, she noticed his eyes on her and recognized the look she saw.  It made her stop in her tracks, not sure she'd ever see that look again after the way their last intimate encounter had ended.  Lust was what she saw, what she wanted to keep seeing, she now realized.  Despite how things had ended last time, that gaze told her things were far from over between them and, while now was hardly the time, once this last in a seemingly endless cycle of crisis had passed, she could talk to him, make him see she hadn't meant to offend.  For now, though, her console had started blinking.

Returning to her seat, she began sorting the results, "I think we have something, Captains."

Tapping the screen, she brought it up on the main viewer, showing a schematic of a lower deck, where a faint blip was moving down a hallway slowly.  Nicole glanced at the Science officer for confirmation, then to Lieutenant Kae.  As she started the transport, she said, "Anyon radiation is dispersed.  If the being shifts phases, we might lose her... him... it, whatever, so the sooner neutralized the better."

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #10 –
Kae, in Skye's body, suddenly felt self-conscious about walking, as the Ensign's hips gave a naturally sensual sway.  He had the sudden fear of that being seen, of it being associated with his conscious actions instead of her body instinct.  Regardless, he sat down at the engineering station and started to work.  Though Skye's fingers were slim and nimble, they weren't his own, so he suffered the same affliction he would have if using a console with an altered layout or design.  He could have typed with his eyes closed and still gotten it perfect if he had his own hands, his own body, but he had to take his time with hers, making certain he made no mistakes. That might cost them dearly.  As requested, he prepared the holoemitters all over the ship to create a holographic representation of Anyon Radiation.  With safety protocols lifted, he activated the release on command of the Captain, flooding the ship instantly.  The benefit of holographic gas was that it could be started at any level of PPM, not requiring a build up like the natural stuff.  How holographic technology had come along, to make holographic radiation affect the same as the real thing, but just appear as a harmless copy made of photons and lights.  It gave him hope to make truly holographic people one day, ones who were so alive they could finally be guaranteed rights in the Federation.

With the former three Rez hosts all present, Edena looked to each of them, mostly focusing on Jona.  "Trust me, captain.  I have no intention to follow the same path as him.  When this is all over, when we get the Federation back in safe hands . . . I'd like to make my transfer here official with proper channels . . . if you still have a use for me then."  She meant what she said when she told the Captain she respected him and his crew more then any other she had ever served with.  If she could be a permanent addition, she would have considered herself honored.  That was a conversation for another time, though, when their backs weren't pushed against a wall by a being they hadn't even been able to see .

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #11 –
[ Unknown Quarters | Deck 07 ]

As she began to wash herself off he occupied himself with gaining as much Intel on the situation as he could. first he accessed the recently sent security alert and attempted to access communications with the bridge which obviously was unsuccessful.  After that he Accessed recent logs discovering that he, had recently accessed the weapons replications systems with the Below-Decks replicator system.  Investigating this further he found the security camera files of the corridor outside the room discovering the seemingly human version of himself traveling with a Female Trill matching the appearance of one of the past Rez hosts.

Keying up other information he accessed the location of Miles Renard's Com-Badge discovering this entity that appeared like him indeed was wearing his clothes before he was stripped and appeared in the Holodeck.  Secondly, apparently it had used his access codes and even acquired the same items he would have replicated in the same situation.based on this his best synopsis was that he must have been split into his different forms somehow and each form was locked in a single form.  Given the circumstances this didn't surprise him much.

He then began to key in the access codes to the ship's Armory on this deck knowing if there was a major security issue equipping himself and Thea with as much weaponry as they could carry might be a good idea. Feeling satisfied with that information he made one final search deciding to search for any creatures of Vulpinian origin aboard the ship. What surprised him was the biological signature of a canine of his home planet located In the landing legs area of deck 15.

"Pardon, what did you say?"

Renard's ears perked up as she spoke and he picked up her half of the newly replicated items.  He casually walked back to the bathroom with the shower placing the fresh change of clothes and the com-badge on the counter placing a towel for her to use when she got out.  "I was just requesting the replicator to make us some clothes.  I had your undershirt and the division stripes on the sleeves and legs replicated in a neutral non-divisional gray color.  I also created you and I each com-badges and took the liberty of gaining as much intel on our current situation as I could."

He paused for a moment glancing towards her in the shower not able to help but admire her beautiful naked form as each reach between her legs seemed to cause more of his seed to slip from inside her.  Only now was he realizing just how pumped full she must have been by the time they broke from the 'spell.' though re refocused himself and began informing her of the information he had gathered.  as he patiently waited for her to step out of the shower so he could get his own knowing the settings on the shower his race required to clean his fur properly might be a bit too abrasive for her current human skin.

OOC: short dialogue post for the bridge
[Bridge]
Miles nodded to the Captain's female form "Yes Ma'am." as he walked quickly over to Mission ops and took a seat queuing up any squadron info he could.  "All fighters accounted for in hangar as expected.  By the way it appears our ship to ship and base to fighter com systems are fully active and available.  If we had a bird or two in the air it seems communications would work as normal."

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #12 –
[ Main Bridge | Deck 01 ]

Lieutenant Ravon glanced over as the bridge became quite crowdy at some point. He only recognized a few people like his Commanding Officer, Renard and Ensign Skye Carver. Although, recognizing her might be an overstatement. It was rather confusing to see the body of the ensign go to the control panels while the male body of presumably Lt. Kae.

As Ives ordered for Carver to join him on prison duty, Thomas looked at the body of the Lt. He still couldn't quite grasp what the hell was going on at this point and he nodded a bit uneasy at the man as he took out a phaser to keep Jona Rez under shot. He couldn't help but ask a question to Carver though as his curiosity started to get the better hand of him  "So... Ensign... How does it feel to be a dude?" He asked, a low yet present daring undertone could be heard in his voice, as he he tried to get under her skin.

He kept his eyes on the Rez though as he kept his fingers ready to fire if the man even tried to make a wrong move. He heard Renard report to the captains about the birds still being all inside the hangar. It just reminded him though about the situation he was in with the female form of the captain just hours ago. He grunted something that nobody really understood and he waited for the situation to change as he heard the mix of officers and crewmembers jabber about closing in to a success on finding out who or what had caused them to get in this situation in the first time.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #13 –
Eve's eyes captured and held the captain's and indeed he could see that she had no idea where Lucan was and there was more than a little concern in her own for a couple of heartbeats.  "Thank you, Sir, and I'm sorry but I haven't heard from him in a couple of hours.  I'm happy to assist in any way I can," she stated.

She remained in her position, quiet and contemplative as her own actions earlier throbbed and ached.  Seeing the captain in both forms, the trill and pilot into separate forms, and apparently a gender switch made her wonder if that's what had affect her and Khorin.  More so, if that was why Lucan was missing right now.

Though her thoughts were mostly preoccupied with him, she remained alert and ready.  Whoever this visitor was, it was definitely going to be interesting.


Skye, in Kae's body, had nodded and immediately gone to the security checkpoint to withdraw one of the rifles.  Checking the setting, she returned and stood next to Ravon to guard the man who seemed to be causing a bit of a stir among the higher ups.  The next thing she knew, in walked the security detail and Kae's face actually turned red.  There was Smurfette and two men she'd gotten to know quite well though the eyes lingered a bit on Scosche.

There was a moment she felt stirrings, and she willed herself to think of other things lest she completely humiliate her dear friend.  Glancing at her body sitting at the console, she wondered if that's what she looked like when she was piloting.  There was fierce concentration and very deliberate movements though she knew her own movements were a lot different in the cockpit.  Ravon brought her out of her maunderings but if he thought to get under her skin, he was wrong.

That cocky smirk formed and she eyed him appreciatively, though coming from a male form it might be a little unsettling for her fellow Wolf.  Stepping close to Ravon, the eyes remained on the apparent prisoner while she spoke very quietly so others woudn't hear out of the corner of Kae's mouth in just as daring a way.  "Once I got used to moving around a different set of twins, it's not so bad.  Maybe you'd like to see what I've learned when we're off duty sometime, Razor," the male voice fairly purred.

Kae's lips twitched and his eyes sparkled with mischief as the hand on the rifle made a momentary stroking motion and one eye winked along with that split-second lewd smile.  Then it was back to the serious look and focus, professional in demeanor except for the one corner of the mouth remaining quirked.  Would he be horrified?  Probably not but it was certainly something she'd tease him about later.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #14 –
[ Unknown Quarters | Deck 07 ]

Suddenly a bit self-concious with the beast in the bathroom with her, Thea finished the shower as best as she might while she listened to what he had learned. She noticed the uniform and the towel soon enough and decided that it was time to leave the stall.

She made a bit of an awkward mess about wrapping the towel around herself and tucking it underneath her arms. Much to the fact that she had never taken a shower with a human body before and a towel had never been a frequent thing to handle for her. Yet soon enough she stepped out of Renard's way to let him use the sonic shower, clearing her throat as she did and moving on to where the uniform lay. The towel slipping off her bottom as she as she tried to gather up the garments, she paused... and instead tried the combadge. To no avail. It did not make a sound when she tapped it with her finger. She leaned forward and supported herself on one arm on the counter as she tried Renard's too, but it made no sound either.

Her hair slipping forward as she shook her head, she looked over her shoulder. "There is no way to learn anything unless we... oh," she realised she must be tempting him again with her exposed derrière and resumed struggling with the towel, turning around to face him where he was in the shower stall, "I suppose we have to find the Senior Staff and take part in what is decided about the situation. Obviously, we are not alone."

She put her hands on the counter behind her and leaned against the edge, trying to think with her towel askew across her chest. To her regret, her thoughts were not so fast any more, and it was not long before something happened.

Something that made a gasp tear out of her throat...


[ Main Bridge | Deck 01 ]

The moment had come, with the lock gained and the Transport in progress - the shimmer casting a dancing spectre upon the deck before the view screen. Anticipation held something dreadful for the moments to come, so when the figure materialised before them all, it was something of a relief to see a creature that held a humanoid form. It even had familiar attire.


For in front of them stood a blonde woman with a Starfleet uniform, her department colour being the teal of Counselling, Medical or Science. Her arms crossed, she looked upon the gathering with something akin to surprise upon her features. It was hard to tell, for what set her apart was the same thing that Jien had seen in the turbolift that morning; that light which shone from her eyes.

She remained where she was, impassively, while the radiation of her stare wandered the room. She seemed not concerned at all, yet very intrigued as to how she had been forced to come to a place she had not chosen to visit. In fact, the idea of being subjected to the will of someone else seemed almost... new to her. Yet of fear... there was no sign. The Security personnel and the Tac Conn officers might as well have been holding plastic toys in their hands for all that she appeared to care. Outnumbered and alone, the creature was still not concerned.

"Who are you," asked the male Jien Ives as he spoke up from his position before the Captain's Chair. His female counterpart stepped up to his side, her frown a mirror-image to his own.

The woman turned her eyes to him and smiled. "Whatever you prefer to call me, mortal," she said and tilted her head, "for I have thousands of names, several from your end of the Galaxy alone. On my part, I do not care what you deign to call me, for I know that names are fickle over the course of the centuries."

The female Captain spoke up in her crystal clear tones. "What are you called in the Sol System, then? Do you have names that spring from Earth?"

"Too many," she said and chuckled, beginning to saunter towards David Grayson where he stood, armed and ready to shoot her - the effect of such shot still unknown. "Ishtar might be one of my first pronounceable names in Terran history. Or Inanna? I fail to remember which came first. It makes no difference. You are the kind to misread and mispell and thus cast yourselves into war over a syllable or two. A curious sign of supplication, don't you think?"

After eyeing the Chief of Security a little too boldly, she turned to her audience with mockery in her tone - an imitation of religious idealists. "No, her name is is not Freyja, nor Aphrodite or Venus! A plague on you for calling her Tlazolteotl!" She chuckled and shook her head, ambling towards the two Captains. "And a plague they suffered, ironically. Or was that the natives of that northern continent? I forget... So many people, so many planets. So many fleeting lives lost in Tiamat... sent down to sweet sister Ereshkigal... like mayflies into the darkest night."

The implications were to large to wrap one's head around. Especially for those present that called Earth their native home. Could there be any merit in such a claim; that the entity before them was mistaken as a god to the people of Terran history? Regardless if there was any truth to her words, another question seemed paramount to ask. The riddle yet answered.

"Why have you come here?" asked the male Captain with his browridge lowered over his eyes. "Why are you forcing us into games without meaning? What do you want?"

"I do not want to be disappointed," she said immediately, smiling serenely as she stepped up to the two Commanding Officers of the ship, "and since I came here, I have been so very disappointed in what I've found. Where are the games you played before I came along? Where did the will of and need of carnal pleasure vanish in such short time? I noticed you from the Abzû, where I bided my time in boredom, and like a supernova seen from afar, you called for my notice in this lowly and inferior dimension."

With her final word, her eyes flared into stark whiteness - the light swallowing everything in the Main Bridge. And with that light, like a concussion in the air, pleasure beset the gathered crew - impossible pleasure so sudden and strong it made people stagger and fall to the deck plates. Cries and sharp intakes of breath came from everywhere, a cacophony of surprise and ecstasy. It was felt all over the ship. Yet overriding all of the collective voices came the words from the entity named Ishtar.

"THIS IS WHAT I EXPECTED OF YOU," boomed the fractured voice of a being not properly contained in their current existence - making the white light shudder, "YET THIS GIVES ME NOTHING. FOR TO ME, THERE BE NO PLEASURE IN PLEASURE DEALT. ONLY WILFUL NEED AND CONSUMMATION IN EARNEST FEEDS ME - CALLS TO ME. MAKES ME WHOLE. MAKES ME TEAR MY WAY FREE OF MY CONFINES! I NEED YOU TO FEED ME!"

With ears ringing from the noise, and chaos and crippling pleasures tearing the situation apart, Jien Ives slowly found the noise, the light and the sensation in his body dissipating. And as the light receded, and he was able to straighten where he stood, he realised that they stood in ankle-deep water. The crew that had been on the Bridge was not even aboard the USS Theurgy any more. No, they were somewhere entirely else, with no Starfleet-issued hull and titanium surrounding them.

They stood in a flooded temple, and before them... hovering by the base of stone steps, was... in lack of any other point of reference... an angel.


Wings of light moved slowly in the humid air, and the entity gazed upon the Starfleet Officers that she had invited to her prison - to this place where her true form resided. Both captains stared wide-eyed, jaws clenched in preparation for whatever may come next. Residual euphoria lingered in their minds and bodies, yet the situation did not call for pleasure. It called for a need of control. They were completely at the mercy of this alien lifeform; an entity so powerful that whole planets all over the galaxy may just have named her a god. Not the first alien to invoke such theological consequences, yet the first alien of such nature that Jien Ives had faced.

The female form of the Captain looked behind her to check on her crew and make sure they were aright - standing in the water and the seizure abating from their bodies. Meanwhile, the male Captain spoke again - trying to push thoughts about his ship and the rest of his crew from his mind.

"Are you imprisoned? Here, in this place? Who did this to you?" he asked quietly over the noise of dripping water.

The voice that answered was otherworldly, spoken without vocal tract but rather as a whisper in the air - reaching everyone. "For your sake... for all the people residing in Tiamat... I seduced and stole... the blueprints of civilisation... For the theft of the Mes I pay the price... Anu and Enlil and Enki sealed my fate, with Lahamu and Lahmu guarding the gates above, and Ilabrat overseeing their vigilance... always watching, always knowing. Without worshippers, I am lost to this darkness. No power to break out of this Temple of Adzû. Without your supplication and carnal worship - without your celebration of your given bodies - I will remain here in this petty form of existence. Worship me wilfully. Celebrate."

Jien hesitated. Did she mean for them all to...?

"Celebrate, or I will send your puny vessel into the flames of a star," said the voice more evenly. Yet when it spoke anew, it was with a more gentle tone. "Forgive me, but if needed, I will remove your memories of what you have lost, so that you may learn to love each other here. Always. Feeding me with displays of your splendour and love. Until I can challenge my captors."

The cold blow of such words settled in them all.

"I suggest you find your desires to worship me now, for there is joy in carnal celebration. I should not need to make threats. I should not have to mar the pureness of your free will. Your worship can be unstained if you just take pity in my fate, and find compassion for me in your hearts. This is the easiest path for you. You must realise this."

The noise of dripping water seemed more sharp as the dire situation became more clear - the silence screaming around them.

"Love me as your god... as you have in times immortal."


OOC: Well, an abbreviated sequence of events but I think that in the end it worked out rather nicely. Good luck to your characters trying to make heads or tails out of this situation. Looking forward to the reactions all around and to the ending that follows. Pardon for the wait, but I think you prefer closure and that I put some extra time into this post.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #15 –
[Deck 07: Unknown Quarters]
'Renard' listened as she spoke having closed his eyes as the intensity of the shower began to force the previously drying seed from his fur as he moaned softly feeling the intimate tingle of the sonic vibrations stimulating his manhood.  He pressed a button on the shower's controls intensifying the vibrations as the cleaning particles finally forced themselves into the deepest parts of his fur scrubbing the skin under it.  He smiled softly to himself as he keyed in a sequence into the shower causing the water to begin to bead off of him and seem to pour out of his fur and the enhanced water seemed to pour over his body now instead of soaking into the fur.

Moments later he began to step out of the shower.  He was shook with a violent wave of instant ecstasy.  He felt his balls tighten as he bucked back into the shower as a massive orgasm rocked his body.  He was forced back in a wave of unheard of before pleasure. He bucked back against the wall of the shower as he slumped back panting in pleasure. His body was racked in pleasure and he panted loudly his eyes wide in ecstasy as his meat twitched in immense pleasure. His own seed began to pump out of his enormous canine meat spilling over his own abdomen as he lay back in the shower. The sonically enhanced water was now flowing over him washing away the pool of his own lust as he twitched within the shower dizzy from the sudden ecstasy and disoriented.  

[??:Temple of Adzû:??]
Miles listened intently as the being calling herself a deity spoke.  His head spun with the consequences of the truth, if her words indeed were truth.  He listened intently but suddenly her spell was cast and his body was wracked with pleasures he had never felt.  Still this was no ordinary pleasure and his mind spun. Inside he knew it was forced as he heard her booming voice.  Hearing her words he gritted his teeth as he got to his feet dizzy from the shockwave of pleasure.   He then looked towards the Captains "Captain, I believe I recognize the Terran myths she is referring to.  My kin has a very similar figure to Inanna though in my culture she is portrayed much more benevolently.  Perhaps I can appeal to the aspect of her that my kind is most familiar with."    

He then looked towards the angelic figure before bowing his head gently "I apologize Lady Ishtar, but in this human body I am unable to call you by the name kind has for the reverence you deserve.  Still to behold the being that taught us how to 'give' rather than 'take' is an honor."

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #16 –
[ Deck 07: Unknown Quarters ]

On Thea's part, she was wrecked with an orgasm of equal magnitude, having yet become familiar with the sensations possible in human skin.

She cried out and stumbled from where she stood, fell forward on her knees, her flimsy towel lost in the commotion. The climax that was forced upon her crippled her in vertigo, for as she tried to crawl away, the friction of her thighs caused a cascade of euphoria that made her arms buckle as well - making her fall face first upon the floor. In sudden panic, aftershocks rolling through her, she panted heavily as she climbed up Renard's beast-form - unclear as to for sake of help or checking on his health - her trembling hands on either side of his waist and then on his chest.

Before she realises what is going on, the sonic waves vibrates heavily on her skin and lashes against her aching and hard nipples. She cries out again, the shower's rough treatment rippling against the soft skin of her abdomen and down against her heated sex - her outer labia spread open by the vibrating attack. She would normally end the shower's program with a "thought", and it took a few seconds of trashing against the beast's wet body in another climax, her throat raw from her guttural cries. "End p-program!"

Panting, nipples chafing against fur and wet hair dangling, she tried to pull breath for speech through an organic vocal tract, hating her new body more and more since she seemed incapable of controlling it. She planted her hands on the beast's chest and raises herself up - involuntarily grinding herself along his slick length in doing so - pressing him against his lower abdomen. Yet her sensitive sex was too benumbed by the shower to cause her further reaction at that point. "What h-happened? Are y-you... What is your s-status?"

She swallowed and looked around, as if there was an invisible assailant in the room.

[ Temple of Adzû ]

As the gathered crew from the Bridge was still reeling from the revelations, the SCO came to the male and female Jien Ives in order to make a suggestion.

"Captain, I believe I recognize the Terran myths she is referring to.  My kin has a very similar figure to Inanna though in my culture she is portrayed much more benevolently.  Perhaps I can appeal to the aspect of her that my kind is most familiar with."

The female Captain answered the SCO, quietly. "Do so, because we need to buy time in order to figure out a way to handle the situation. The more we can learn the greater are the chances we can get out of here."

She then turned, to leave the male Captain to face the alien entity, herself instead walking back and checking on the people present, to see if they had fared well in the sudden relocation to this mythological place that they had ended up in. She heard the SCO speak to the alien, making his greetings. The answer came in the same disembodied whisper as it had come before.

"Honour me then, mortal, by giving me that which I need - giving me your desires acted upon instead of me taking that which I need from you all. I wish not to erase your memories and make you appreciate each other in lack of references from your old lives, for that would also be a kind of force that would mar your displays of carnal need.

"No, there is gain for us all if you would simply accept the situation as it is, and give me that which I need."

The male Captain faced the angel in the dim light of the temple with his jaw set, eyes glaring. Surely there was some other way than to acquiesce to the alien's demands. There were more important things than this weighing on his mind, and to be trapped caused him to feel ire towards the being that stood in his and his crews way...

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #17 –
While the being's words certainly held a certain appeal for Nicole, the giving in to pleasure and the cessation of the hostilities their ship had been under for so long now, one look at her captain and she knew they couldn't give in.  Although, as she thought about it, perhaps there was some advantage in helping the one who would claim to be a god.  She'd felt the immensity of ecstasy the being was capable of producing and suspected that power could be turned to other tasks.  Even, perhaps, in dividing the currently altered persons in charge of Starfleet.  If she could split Jien, why not.  It was the most straightforward answer to their combined dilemma she'd found or heard of.  It'd be like having Q on their side and actually willing to help, instead of just being a nuisance.

Having been knocked down by the intensity of the orgasm that had washed over her, Nicole rose to her feet and touched the female Jien's shoulder when she stopped in front of Nicole.  In a whisper, she answered and suggested, "I am well enough, Captain.  I wonder, though, if there isn't some bargain to be made with whomever or whatever this being is.  Galaxy knows we could use the help and if the bargain is her help for sex," she blushed, remembering their previous shared intimacy, "well, we are certainly capable of providing that.  I don't mean to suggest surrender; merely we have something it wants and it something we could certainly use.  If it is willing, that is."

She glanced at the others around them, examining each and frowned, spotting T'Less in the crowd.  Turning her eyes back to Jien, she added, "It seems like those on the bridge weren't the only ones to be brought here."

T'Less stood trying to cover as much of herself as she could, looking around in curiosity.  Her last recollection was of being in Garen's quarters and doing things she'd rather not remember at the moment, given how much emotional control had been stripped from her.  She knew now, or surmised, what had happened, that this 'god' had somehow altered her mind and forced... no, she hadn't been forced, beyond the removal of whatever barriers were in place that stopped her before.  And, she knew she'd enjoyed her time with Garen, that she wanted to do it again.  That had been before coming here, before the blinding light and ecstatic sensations had coursed through her, only to awaken here, nude, only her shoes remaining.  Somewhere along the way, she'd regained at least a portion of her mental command, although perhaps it was simply the lack of Garen present.  Either way, she had once more successfully buried her emotions, including shame at being naked amongst her fellow officers.  One hand draped across her firm breasts, while the other covered her hairless sex, only for modesty's sake.  She had no desire to partake in the 'god's offer, although her eyes pondered Ida for a moment.

For himself, Scosche felt some trepidation at having been forcibly removed from the Theurgy and plopped down in this half decayed whatever it was.  He could feel that it was ancient and hadn't held real people since... well, he had no idea about that.  Possibly even before his ancestors, both sets, had first started using fire.  There were civilizations far older, and who knew, they might have worshipped this being even way back then.  Still, he stuck close to Ida, not knowing what else to do.  He leaned closer, "With all that power, she can't afford a cleaning maid?"

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #18 –
'Renard' panted softly as he began to recover looking up at her dripping body as their intense climaxes settled. "Fine," he gasped, "but I'm getting really pissed at whoever is doing this to us."  He looked to her as he got up, taking his hands and sort of wringing them down his arms and then legs.  The water wrung out like he was a living mop. "And, don't you dare make a wet dog joke."  he said trying to lighten the mood a bit before he grabbed at the nearest towel and began drying off as quickly as he could.

He practically jogged to where his uniform was and quickly pulled the underwear then the uniform on.   He looked back to Thea hoping she had done the same.  "First stop Armory couple doors down.  Not like it will really do us any good if we are dealing with a reality warper."  he said knowing that if they were dealing with something as powerful as he feared then weapons wouldn't really do any good.  Still, He knew it would be better to arm up than be caught without any chance.
[ Temple of Adzû ]
Renard looked to the Goddess. and began to speak to her softly.  He began to plea to her appealing to the legends of the benevolent goddess who helped them so long ago.  "What happened to the great vixen who taught us to hold off on simple animal lust and pleasure for ourselves. Were you not the one who taught us that we could have so much more  bliss by focusing on how we can instead revel in the cries of our lovers instead?  Did you not guide us from being simple animals in heat, to being able to truly enjoy the pleasures you taught us as patient but passionate lovers?  Why now do you wish us to go back to being such base animals,"  He asked bearing his passion to her

Pausing for a moment he looked up to her in a much more 'submissive' way  "Besides I can not simply act on what my desire would be.  After all how can i desire any of my fellow mortals when there is one even greater in this temple.  I doubt your request is for a mere mortal to attempt to truly please a goddess in the area her own domain." He smiled softly at the being who had them as her playthings.  "Though if you wish me to act on my true urges, I will make my best attempt to please."

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #19 –
[Main Bridge| Deck 1 | USS Theurgy]

Sarresh nearly snapped, right there, at the rebuke from the ships captain. A man (and woman, both at once now, it seemed) that he still could not accept as his own captain. How dare that damned shape shifting little even in the privacy of his own mind, the Ash'reem forced himself to reign in his thoughts. The only visible signs of his reaction to the rebuke from Jien was a slight tremble in his left fist. He forced it open, slowly. He did not verbally acknowledge the Captain, however, as 'callous bitch' would very likely be the first words out of his mouth.

That said, the (relatively) younger Ash'reem moved to an adjoining console next to the CSO. He nodded, resisting the urge to chirp to the woman in their native language. Even there, his words would be harsh, and unprofessional. Whether or not Sarresh desired to be trapped in the present or not, and regardless of just what had happened to him in his quarters, in the here and now, his particular skill set was needed. So he punched up the controls, and began the complicated method of interfacing with the consoles of the Secondary Science Lab, that he had appropriated recently.

He did not get very far, however, before the new arrival to the bridge materialized. His scans forgotten, set on automatic, Sarresh turned to observe the new woman interact with the rest of the crew. The more she talked, the less pleased he was. Gods, regardless of whether or not they had true divinity, were not something that Sarresh put much stock in. Having one toy with them...

his train of thought ended abruptly, yet again, tho this time, it was not of his own volition by any means. The light washed over the bridge, and the wave of pleasure hit Sarresh like a ton of bricks, disrupting every conscious thought in his body. He bent over his console, webbed fingers splayed out, as a low screeching groan vibrated in his throat. His people had their own...hedonistic tendencies, ones that he had, until quite recently, kept a tight check on. Those checks failed miserably, and only the thick membrane under the officers uniform, that kept him hydrated, hid the effects of the orgasm from view.

[??:Temple of Adzû:??]

The water lapped at his ankles as slowly, the Temporal Affairs Officer regained his composure. The being that would be a goddess glowed in the near distance, and her words chilled the rapidly beating heart of the Ash'reem. This was a place that his kind could enjoy, the warmth, the liquid, the promises of simple coupling, despite his species reproductive...restrictions. But what this woman-being, was asking, whoever, worried Sarresh.

Trying to be as stoic as possible, the time traveler crossed his arms, slowly, the twitching of his left leg having abated for the moment, and silently watched as one officer approached the entity. He listened, his eyes drifting across the assembled crew, such as they were, in various states of recovery (and undress, it would appear, as he took a lewd look for just a moment, his gaze hidden behind his goggles). Snapping his eyes back over to the Captains, he sighed, sucked in a breath, and slowly approached the closest one. "I think it is safe to say that while this being has mastered powers beyond that which we can safely measure, including, possibly, time itself, she is not the one responsible for the events in the Mahéwa System, but rather those events drew her interest to us." he paused, then added, "sir."

Perhaps it was stating the obvious, but then again, perhaps it needed to be said.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #20 –
[ Deck 07 | Deck 01 ]

Following the Vulpinian's example, despite how taxed her nervous system was after the onslaught it had suffered, Thea dressed herself in the warm bathroom whilst trying to figure out what kind of "wet dog" joke the SCO had been referring to. She knew no such jokes, and since she lacked the means to find such in the Federation database, her mind lingered on the challenge more than seemly given the circumstances.

Hair still wet and plastered to the sides of her face, she followed Commander Renard's beast form out into the corridor and to the armoury. She no longer possessed the phaser that Lin Kae had given her, so she first tried to arm herself with a Mk. III Phaser Assault Rifle, only to realise that she had not the intrinsic strength of a photon-laced forcefield to lug one of such around the ship. No, she took a phaser instead with several energy packs to spare. She inserted one and checked the setting...

...only to fall off her feet when the whole ship shook by enemy fire.

On her knees, she made eye-contact with the SCO - realisation dawning upon her. Blind as she felt in her new existence, she knew what was about - having suffered two months of bombardment across the Quadrant. "Starfleet..." came her hoarse voice, filled with non-photonic horror, "...to the Bridge! Now!"

She ran ahead of Commander Renard, found the turbolift offline, and instead took the same stairs she had taken together with Lin Kae during the Niga Incident. Again the Theurgy shook and made the stairs a precarious climb. Her thighs had become raw with fatigue by the time they emerged in the corridor on Deck 01. The lights fluttered on and off, wall panels exploded around them as they ran. Phaser in hand, she rounded the last corner and burst through the doors to the Main Bridge.

It lay empty; not a single personnel in sight.

On the view screen, distant grey dots marked the assailants, and the phaser fire shredded the distance between them. Thea was anguished by the situation. MVAM was yet to be tested after the repairs, only scheduled for the morrow and thus the docking latches had yet to stand the trial of decoupling. Yet what were their chances without that unique tactical advantage? The latches would have to work. She counted ten Federation ships with her eyes alone on that view screen. And while photon torpedoes smote against the newly restored shields of her bygone titanium hulled body, there was none present to answer in kind.

Besides them.

"Computer!" she shouted, the disembodied feeling of addressing herself not lost to her, "Engage the multi-vector assault mode!"

[Unable to comply,] came the dead-pan reply in her own voice, overriding the din of the assault, [Unauthorised command. Command authorization invalid.]

Realising that she was not registered as Senior Starfleet Officer, she turned her horrified expression to Commander Renard.


[ Temple of Adzû ]

The female Captain stood with Nicole Howard in the back of the gathered Starfleet officers and listened to her suggestion, head bowed close to pick up the low voice over the sounds of the water around them.

"A bargain," she said quietly, the close presence of Nicole giving Jien that tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach, her scent even more so. "A bargain for freedom first and then a bargain for more. Help is most certainly what we need, but what manner of compensation would we have to accumulate for her to give us a helping hand? It is a good idea, though, despite what it entails for us. This is, however, something I'd be hesitant to order my crew to go through with. Especially not after what we have all been through already in terms of intimacy and forced copulation."

To speak about such things with Nicole made the awkwardness of the situation even more tangible for Jien, whom - despite her stony façade - tried to raise herself above the emotions in order to see things objectively. "Duly noted, Commander. We'll see how this negotiation progresses. Perhaps... we will have to loose some integrity in order to be successful in our ultimate endeavour."

As for the Chief Tactical Officer, Jien frowned emphatically and then walked over to the Vulcan. She removed her uniform jacket as she trudged through the water - eyes and ears pinned on the conversation between the the alien entity and her Squadron Commanding Officer. Once Jien reached T'Less, she wrapped the jacket around the woman's shoulders and quietly stood beside her - folding her arms underneath her breasts and watching the proceedings stoically. A moral support for an otherwise emotionally 'discrete' Officer. It was the least Jien could do for all the times the Lieutenant had saved their lives at the Tactical Station since her predecessor died.

On the other side of the water-filled area, ThanIda zh'Wann heard the Cadet's comment, and having regained her composure just barely since the commotion a short while ago, she could but nod numbly. She glanced towards David Grayson, wondering if the Pinkskin and her might have to fornicate like animals until the end of time before they got out of there. It was not exactly like they had been given an estimation for how long it would take to free the alien from the place they were in, and she had a feeling it was not as easy as it seemed. Having sex with the Commander again had its appeal, but she would not agree to a lifetime spent like a prostitute - fucking for the sake of freedom and survival.

....Why now do you wish us to go back to being such base animals?

Base animals indeed. It was the SCO's words. That was exactly what the Andorian felt they were being reduced to. Her antennae withdrew like twain cobra-heads at the thought.

When the male form of Jien Ives, standing at the head of the small crowd, heard his SCO offer himself for sake of buying time, he felt both pride and shame in having his Officer reduce himself to such methods for an outcome still uncertain. More time did not equal escape, at least not directly. The answer from the eight-pointed vision of an angel spoke her reply like a whisper in the darkness.

"What use would I have for the physical attentions of a organic creation? While you flatter me, supplicant, your offer equals that of an insect wishing to please the wind. Forgive me, for is it was so easy that I might take a lover and thus be worshipped, I would have broken free from this place a long time past. No, your devoted worship will wear down my restraints, strengthen my call, and I can be free at long last."

There was silence. Hesitancy ruled the crew. The male Jien Ives glanced to the Ash'reem when he spoke up, confirming the thoughts of the Commanding Officer. This was other. Unrelated. Not the same enemy. An unfortunate consequence to an unfortunate incident. He simply nodded in thought to the Temporal Affairs Officer's comment.

"Patience is something I hold as a virtue," said the voice, more loudly, "and yet your mortal defiance by inaction wears it thin. Behold, the fate of your vessel as you roamed the Tiamat."

By her word, the surface of the water they all stood in changed - making a reflection of another time and space. It showed the Theurgy beset by Federation ships, shields and hull bombarded with phaser fire and close detonations. It was a vivid imagine in the waters, and quite plain despite the ripples around their ankles. It was, perhaps, a sign of technology evolved - surpassing anything known in the galaxy. Also, a sign that they faced something less divine than initially thought.

"You chose to stand idle despite my promise about sending your craft into a a sun, so I hope this serves to facilitate your decision. Watch your ship being taken apart piece by piece by those you once held as allies. Celebrate. Now. There is a limited amount of strength I can gain by forced means, but it will have to do. I will have no further disobedience."

And thus, the alien showed its true fortitude. Its corrupted nature. It was not hesitant to use force after all; a poor attempt at deception when pushed to the ends of its willingness to endure. Captivity had evidently taken its toll.

The female Jien Ives spoke up now, mastering the urge to scream and shout at the sight by their feet. Her crystal clear voice cut the darkness like a knife. "You shall have nothing from us unless you cease this game!" she said, trudging forth across the evolving battle in the water, "You will have your display of celebration on our conditions, not yours! I will acquiesce on your terms if you return everyone except the one person willing to stay with me. Return them, take our ship away from harm, and you shall have it your way, for as long as it takes."

The male Captain watched his female counterpart as she stepped past him. And knowing the look in her eyes as their gazes locked for a mere instant, Jien knew what she meant to do. It all depended on whether or not there was someone else present that opted to remain, and if he - or she - understood what was required.

"What say you, my goddess?" said Jien as she came up to the alien's mirage, her words addled with acerbic reproach - the denomination seeping with sarcasm. "Will you have my worship on my conditions?"

There was a pause, filled with screaming silence, before the voice came.

"Yes."

Yet by the desperate answer came not the expected. No. It seemed nothing went off quite the way expected that day, for what happened could not be described by mortal words.

There was a light, a sharp light - cancelling out the existence they possessed in the temple. Voices filled the blind existence. Loud voices, impossible to make out. In no tongue known to any present species from the Theurgy. Calls and screams. Then, flashing images of the outcome - a judgement of sort. Superimposed on the whiteness was the image of the angel they saw, pulled down into a blackness so complete it blinded them as as much as the whiteness did. It tugged upon their attention, that abyss beneath - filled with writhing things that awaited the fallen. Beings of sub-existence and entropy devoid of all concept of life... and yet still living.

Then the abyss shut, the primordial screams falling into quietude. Absolute stillness.


[ Unknown ]

When everything settled, it was as if no time had passed at all.

They stood placed as they once had in that temple, only somewhere completely else. They were on a plateau, their backs to a temple that might just be the one they had been in, and with the breeze of the wind in their hair, they faced a vision no humanoid of the galaxy had seen before. Facing them, beyond the railing of the plateau, were angelic figures in the air - hovering underneath a glass dome that covered fertile ground. It spanned the entire sky. They stood, facing one figure of featureless light that descended before them - wings spread wide.



Words came on the breeze.

"She was forbidden power, and yet sought it. Therefore she is no more, returned to her sister and husband in Kur... dissipated of energy. The yore shadow of Marduk her new lord. We should not have let her touch your existence, even though we thought it might heal her. We were mistaken, so forgive us what you have seen. What you have come to learn."

It was hard to tell, but it seemed the figure bowed its head.

"You may know this place, and my voice, by many different words and titles, yet they are all the same. Welcome to Anu, I am the voice of our surviving existence. I speak the words of Anu, Enlil and Ea. My name... is Ilabrat."

On the winds, the words shifted - reflections of references made. A language transcending comprehension. History unravelling one syllable at the time. ...to Eridu ...to Dilmun ...to Sha Ka Ree ...to Eden ...Qui'Tu ...Vorta Vor ...Valhalla  ...words of Cronos ...of Inti ...of Yahweh ...of Odin, Thor... ....name ...is Metatron. ...is Metatron ...is Metatron.

Too many names at the same time, soon all lost on the wind - to the ears of a crew in awe. And yet, there was no time to contemplate much further, for their ship was still at battle with Fleet they aimed to save. A deal to be struck. A new bargain made.

Who dared speak first?

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #21 –
Nicole's response was immediate and loud, upon hearing Jien's intention to remain.  Stepping forward, she had started to call out, "I will stay beside my captain," only to be interrupted, once more, by blinding white.  When it faded, she stood beside the female Jien, looking around and around at the buoyant light.  She felt some trepidation, seeing so many seemingly immortal beings, just a touch insignificant before the power she knew they held.  She had been wrong to think they would help, she realized.  It would be too much like asking Q for assistance and expecting the galaxy not to explode if he did.

For her part, T'Less merely looked on in curiosity, her mind wondering at what structure the bodies before her might possess, whether they were pure energies or something the Federation had yet to discover.  Pulling the captain's jacket around her tighter, she knew it covered her inadequately, having to cover her naked sex with a hand where the jacket failed to drop down to.  She heard their words and listened intently, recognizing the Vulcan pantheon represented from ancient times, long, long before they'd accepted logic.  Their names, though, mattered little, so much less than their intentions.  Would they be returned?  And, if they were, would their ship even still be there?  Had their transport to this locale included a cessation of the hostilities being performed on their ship or had things gone on, phaser and torpedo volleys raining down on the defenseless ship?

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #22 –
[ Deck 01: Main Bridge ]

Renard had followed Thea as they made their way to the Main Bridge. He nearly fell over as another blast shook the hull of the Theurgy and braced himself on the door.

"Computer! Engage the multi-vector assault mode!"

[Unable to comply, Unauthorised command. Command authorization invalid.]

Miles retorted to the computer almost immediately. "Recognize emergency command authorization Renard, Miles Lieutenant Commander Authorization code Bravo-Charlie-Four-Two-Eight-Four."

The computer replied flatly ["Authorization approved. Lieutenant Commander Miles Renard is now acting captain."]

Miles then looked over to Thea, "Recognize female human on bridge as acting Executive Officer and unlock all ECH Commands to her."  He made his way to the tactical controls activating all shields and weapons systems and triggering the red alert alarms systems hopefully triggering anyone who remained on the ship to rush to their duty stations, had the concussions from the other ships fire not done so already.

Looking to Thea he braced himself against the tactical controls before transferring the commands to the command chair controls. Along with basic controls for other systems and routing more advanced controls to the mission ops desk.  "Computer Slave Secondary and primary hull controls to ECH subsystems and Engage M.V.A.M."

The monotone voice of the computer spoke up again ["Initiating decoupling sequence."]

Renard took the seat in the captains chair and looked to Thea. "You have Mission Ops."  he said as he saw the weapons systems showing ready. "Computer, Open hailing frequencies.  Federation ships cease fire, you are under violation of procedures to recapture rogue vessels.  We show no logs of attempted hails or attempts to peacefully negotiate a surrender of this vessel.  You have forced my hand to return fire.  We will cease fire upon your retreat or your cessation of attack.  We are open to listening to your terms.  All other actions will be deemed hostile and will be met with deadly force."  He paused a moment, "Computer, cease hail and return fire."

[ Temple of Adzû ]

Miles stared on and watched in awe as the events around him unfolded.

"What use would I have for the physical attentions of a organic creation? While you flatter me, supplicant, your offer equals that of an insect wishing to please the wind. Forgive me, for is it was so easy that I might take a lover and thus be worshipped, I would have broken free from this place a long time past. No, your devoted worship will wear down my restraints, strengthen my call, and I can be free at long last."

He would have spoken if not for her next set of demands.  But as quickly as the captain had volunteered "herself" more events began to transpire he watched as she was seemingly puled into the pit.  though saddened by this it was the result he had sort of expected to beset the goddess.  After all one of the most famous of all human myths centered around the scene they had just witnessed.

Hearing the voice on the winds as it spoke he couldn't help but nod his head in almost familiarity to the words that were spoken before looking to the captain's female form.  "If you are wondering Maam, from a comparative theological point of view it appears we are in the "Realm of the Gods"  The names he says 'he' speaks for are all names of the highest of gods of numerous religions.  'He' then refers to 'himself' as Ilabrat or Metatron names of beings referred to as the attendant of the throne of said highest God.  Since you are the Moses of our little Exodus from the pursuing Federation. I believe it would be most appropriate for you to speak to the Burning Bush so to speak." he said quietly to her merely giving her his interpretation of what was said.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #23 –
[ Temple of Adzû ]

The entire events that transpired before the young lieutenant were, to say the least, throat gripping. Ravon had just witnessed a tremendous force that took control over his body as they got transported to this remote location. He glanced down to his pants, feeling the wet semen of his orgasm run down his leg. He cursed softly and looked at the crewmembers around him. The captains and most of the commanding officers were still there and he looked over to Carver and the "detainees". He kept his eyes on Jona Rez again and he wondered if the SI knew something about this place. 

He left the talking up to the brass of command and stood by silently as the situation kept changing. Renard seemed to know most about what was going on here yet when the water seemed to give them a glance about what was happening aboard the Theurgy, Thomas his throat went dry. They had to get back fast. Yet the terms of this Goddess seemed a bit out of line. As he saw the female captain volunteer for the job to be done, Thomas hesitated, realising what the sacrifice would mean. Just as Nicole spoke up, he wanted to say something, but everything faded to black.

[ Unknown ]

Once Thomas could look around him again he noticed yet another scenery in front of his mortal eyes. Baffled by the events and being treated like a ball that gets bounced around, he remained silent now and just observed as much as he could. Since they were all against the back of a wall, he had lost sight of the Rez symbiont. Thomas couldn't help but wonder though where the hell they were and how they would get back to their besieged ship.

Re: EPISODE 02: The Mysterious God Incident [Post Meridiem]

Reply #24 –
[ Deck 01 | Main Bridge ]

Acting upon her orders, Thea hurried to the Mission Ops station and sat down - powering up all available communication and operations systems. When MVAM was ordered, Thea's hands moved quickly over the touch-panel to ensure that the subroutines were in place and patched into each Vector respectively. She scrambled whatever pilots were available, hoping they were already powering up their Valkyries to fight without their SCO to lead them.

"Auto-separation in ten seconds!" she called hurriedly whilst the ship rocked from the impacts upon their now fully-powered shields. She was checking the count-down on her panel, hearing Miles issue his warning over the hailing frequencies behind her, "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Separation sequence in progress!"

There was a metallic screech as the docking latches were supposed to open, the tearing sound reverberating through the entire ship. Yet the Theurgy did decouple, only not without friction and not without a hull breach on Vector 3. She said as much to Miles in a quick damage report, yet they were still operating in MVAM - two hulls adhering to command protocols that obeyed what Thea relayed to them. A detonation to her left sent sparks and debris over her control panel so she had to wipe the glowing surface clear with her uniform sleeve. "We are in attack formation! Each section is armed and responding to our command!" She specified targets for them, and set them to fire at will. Both of the hulls angled in towards the approaching cluster of Federation ships - both sweeping forth against the assailants with phasers blazing.

"Shields at forty-three percent," she called, before their Vector shook once more, "thirty-nine! Wolves Zero-Four, One-Zero and One-Four have launched, weapon systems powered up. They are in echelon formation, closing the distance."

A new volley of phaser fire, several Starships making their collective barrage hit them as one. A photon torpedo hit Vector 3 over the hull breach, killing its impulse engines. A detonation in the CONN station made the Bridge fill up with more smoke. "Shields at thirty-one percent! The other Vectors are also suffering damage. Two enemies down! Eleven total remaining. Commander, we are not going to make it! They are too many and we're too late!"


[ The Realm of the "Gods" ]

Both Captains - her in red undershirt and him in full uniform - stood at the head of the group - the female Ives accompanied with the Chief Engineer at her side. It had all happened so fast, the shift and the interruption along with the present situation, all forestalling the moment to address Commander Howard's proclamation. Perhaps later there would be time. After all, as Commander Miles said, they were in a place once accepted as the Realm of the Gods by most theological views in the galaxy. And yet... the pillar in the distance and the temple with its projection of the battle in the waters... it seemed more of technological origin than divine presence. Advanced, seamless technology. Unprecedented perhaps, but not of divine origin. When technology became advanced enough, it was hard to distinguish from magic.

The angels were life-forms of a nature unaccounted for, yet nonetheless alive to their senses. Creatures of energy... of some sort. The speaker was apologising, which was a good sign, so the male Captain Ives heeded his SCO's suggestion and spoke up - as uncomfortable as he felt with the Christian reference.

"Whatever you are," he said, his voice echoing despite the openness of the landscape, "whatever we once knew you for, and regardless what faults you admit to, fact remains that we are still in great peril."

The female Captain nodded and spoke up in his wake. "Our ship... is our only means to fight an enemy that only we know exist in our time-line. The existence we hail from." She stepped forth as she spoke. "Without our survival, many lives may be lost, countless species and worlds corrupted by an unseen foe. We seek no greater compensation from you... for the danger your prisoner placed us in... than your assistance in our cause. Help us complete our mission. Let the truth be known."

The being naming itself Ilabrat paused before speaking."We understand the plight. Knows this war. Knows your predicament. Yet we also know that these events you bespeak are not solitary. They affect many time-lines. Consequences unpredictable. Calculable, yet unpredictable. Intervention at this point causes ripples. Harmful, cascading, spreading flaws that might bring events unsought in other places. Other planes of existence. Understand, that everything is connected. Furthermore, the Anunnaki, not to mention the Igigi, would have to be involved as well, lest the rupture spread too far. Such collaboration is unstable. Unprecedented. Our assistance alone might cause a stir that would tear the fabric of all planes as they are currently known."

A long-winded 'No' to Jien's ears, whom guessed that either of the factions the alien entity mentioned might just be the Q species that Starfleet already had come to know. "Then what are you offering? What would be the safer alternative that still preserves our lives and our ship? If we were insignificant, we would not be having this conversation. Are we but dust in the wind to you - had we not been about to empower your prisoner - or do you actually wish to restore us to where we belong? Then do so, before we have no ship left with which to carry the word of truth. Give us a chance to achieve the potential outcome of our cause."

The words on the wind came after a few moments more. "Restoring order is the offering we mean to give; to let you lead lives unaffected by Isthar's attentions. Lives led in whatever way you deem fit, with the potential of all and nothing ahead of you... unmarked by our negligence."

Both Captains stood with nothing more to say. They looked to their crew behind them, gauging their faces to see if they had any alternatives to offer. In the end, the Captains looked at each other. They were not going to gain assistance. That much was plain, so they nodded once imperceptibly. It was the last time they were ever to be separated, ever to be able to look into his/her own eyes without looking into a mirror... and in all honesty, it was a great relief that it seemed to be over. They were a singular duality.

"Offer accepted," they said in unison - turning to face the entity.

"Then it shall be so. You may keep your memories, for we find no dire consequences or flaws in the patterns of your time that would adhere to the knowledge of what you have seen here. In fact, our existence is already known," the voice on the breeze said, and it was hard to determine, but it seemed the angelic figure looked towards Jona Rez at the back of the gathering. "This has been a gratifying reunion, for it is rare that we re-encounter those whom worshipped us during our years of searching. After we've faded to the winds of time and space - leaving your planes of existence - we never thought to speak with mortals again. Your lack of faith might have once been anguish to us, yet now, we are merely pleased that your species have come strive for more knowledge - searching for meaning. Like we once were, in days of yore."

There was a pause, and then the light came anew, making everything vanish in its brilliance.

"Farewell."


[ The USS Theurgy | Deck 01 | Main Bridge ]

When Theurgy NX-79854 - more commonly known as Thea - opened her eyes, there was a familiar feeling to the minute action. Organic ignorance no more, she was perfectly attuned to her surroundings and her titanium hulled body.

Looking around the Bridge from where she stood by the Mission Ops controls, she realised she was projected wearing her red chameleon body suit. Next to her stood Edena Rez and the Wolf from the Flight Hangar - Lt. Thomas Ravon. The Head Nurse was there too, along with Ensign Skye Carver and the Temporal Affairs Officer - Sarresh Morali. By their stations respectively were Lieutenants T'Less and Neotin as well as Chief Engineer Nicole Howard. Security was there too for some reason; Cadet Bellde'side, the Chief of Security and his Andorian Deputy. And finally, the humanoid form of the SCO with tail and pointed ears, standing further away. Gone was the beast she had...

"What is our current location?"

It was the Captain, in his male form, seated in his chair. After he had spoken, he shifted his form... to her female one... and then back to his male form again. As if testing whether or not he could. Thea answered him after a moment with her hands folded behind her back, no longer having to use the CONN controls on the panel beside her. "We are at the end of the asteroid field we have been following for over a week, heading in the direction of the Hromi Cluster, near the Acamar system. With the current heading and speed, we will reach three M-class planets within six hours. One of the planets is Gamma Hromi II, inhabited, yet the other two planets are merely charted - but not explored - by the Federation."

Jien Ives stood from his chair and looked around the Bridge at the assembled faces. His gaze seemed to pause by Thomas Ravon, for some reason, as if realising something or remembering something he had not previously considered. He also looked towards Edena Rez with the same look in his eyes, as if seeing the XO, or something about her, in a new light. Other people had the same look in their eyes, as if events played out behind in their minds - recollections of things they had learned. The XO and the SCO both looked as if they both had a lot of things playing out in their thoughts.

Thea wondered where the Senior Staff had been while the battle raged - and ended as quickly as it had begun - yet it seemed they were all silent now. Contemplative. In the end, Captain Ives frowned and spoke. "Is all the crew accounted for? Where is my Chief Medical Officer? Where is Commander Stark?"

"Lieutenant Commanders Nicander and Stark are in the Gymnasium, Deck 07," answered Thea, "All crew accounted for, Captain."

A moment of silent relief. "Damage report."

"No unreported damage, sir," said Thea, hands still behind her back and shoulders squared. "The ship is in the same state it were before the battle with Starfleet, a battle which ended just in time before we were destroyed. We are no longer in MVAM-mode, and all Valkyrie fighters are back on the Fighter Assault Bay. All systems on-line and responding to our commands."

Captain Ives nodded slowly and looked around once more, his scowl one of deep thoughts. "It seems whatever entities we spoke with have done what they offered to do. Everyone, return to your duties for the time being. We will have a debriefing during the next Senior Staff Meeting - which is still scheduled for tomorrow. Before we enter the Hiromi Cluster and charted Federation space, I want to iron out our strategy-of-approach. So we will remain in the asteroid field for the time being - hiding and biding our time in the shadows a while longer. Dismissed."

Jien Ives looked towards his XO. "You have the bridge, Number One. I will be in my Ready Room. Contact me immediately if there is any sign of the Starships that this... Ishtar entity sent upon us. Likely they are not close, yet maintain a wide sensor range," he said, and he glanced towards Nicole Howard - for some reason - before the Commanding Officer withdrew from the Bridge.

Thea walked past the SCO, pausing by his side for a moment. She glanced his way and smiled - a bitter-sweet expression. Only memories remained of what she had felt and experienced - organic memories somehow digitalised and forever stored in her systems. "I will miss your scent, Commander," she said quietly before she walked away.

She caught up with Lt. Kae in the corridor outside, and she spoke up to catch his attention. "I would like to resume our scheduled appointments soon, Lieutenant," she said and smiled to him, "I believe I have some modifications to my sensory sub-routines that I want to try out."

Ahead of them walked ThanIda zh'Wann, phaser in hand, and she addressed the new Cadet in the Security Department. "It seems you had an interesting first day. Report to me on the morrow for further training. I think I can squeeze you into a hole in my tight schedule," she said with a serious frown that contrasted starkly with the unintended innuendo she made with her comment, "You are dismissed for now, though, so make sure to find your new quarters and get settled."

The doors to the turbo lifts closed behind the people leaving Deck 01, even if their thoughts might remain on what they had come to see.


[ The Gymnasium | Deck 07 ]

Meanwhile, further down in the ship, Dr. Nicander  was crouching next to Natalie Stark on the astro-turf - the emergency med kit next to him. His clothes were not melted to strings around his body any more, and his mind was his own - even if it reeled from that he had just been about with the human lying next to him.

"Commander Stark?" he asked, frowning, not able to make sense of what had happened. It could not have been a dream. Though he was there, in the Gymnasium, and he must have been called there by the Chief of Operations because of her fractured leg. And yet... her leg was whole, so why were they there... unless there was some truth to the images that flashed before his eyes?

For while his memories were muddled, they were distinct enough to volunteer vivid recollections... of being violated by the same kind of plant-life they had found on Niga. He looked into Natalie's eyes, and it was evident in her gaze that she held the same memories - of them both trying to escape in vain. Of them suffering, or enjoying, the attentions of the vines. Of them...

...had they really done what he thought? He could almost feel her breasts in his hands. His cock inside her. Had it really been him? How was it that they were not still infected? How had they come to travel back in time in the first place? Too many questions. The beast inside him cried in need to know. His cock stirred inside his uniform trousers at the thought of having claimed the human before him. The brief imagery of their time together was enough to whet his appetite.

Though he was the CMO, and his image and façade could not allow such ideas.

"I think we should head to Sickbay and learn if there is anything wrong with us."

It was what expected of him to say... even if his mind was elsewhere. By the winds, what happened? Does this have to do with the embryo I kept? My viral experiments? No, it has to be something else. He ended up tapping his combadge. "Dr. Nicander to Lt. Jenkins," he said, having to be formal with her since there were people in ear-shot "Please prepare two beds for neural and cerebral diagnostics. Something happened to me and the Chief of Operations."

Something indeed...
 
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