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PROLOGUE: Out of the Night That Covers Me

PROLOGUE: Out of the Night That Covers Me

[ Senior Staff Meeting | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | 2217 hrs ]

Captain's Log, Stardate 57505.16. This day, which followed the visit from the Ishtar entity, has gone by without further incident and in relative tranquillity. We are still in hiding, and about to discuss the best way of approach to Federation space. Once the meeting is adjourned, we will begin our campaign to spread the truth. Hope is the last thing that leaves us, and we have to cling to that very hope; the wish that our word will be heard before we are destroyed by the ignorant fleet. By the very same people that we mean to protect.
- Captain Jien Ives, Commanding Officer of the USS Theurgy

Outside the panorama screens, the darkness awaited - the cloak that shrouded their existence. Hidden they were, thrusters making them move in rhythm with the asteroid field that surrounded them. A floating hiding place that had taken them to the Hromi Cluster, with the Acamar System being the closest to their current position.

The Senior Staff Meeting had been declared opened by 2200 hrs by Captain Ives - in his male form - and he'd had three major items on the agenda. The debriefing of the incident with the Ishtar entity the day before, reviewing their strategy-of-approach as they re-entered Federation Space, and the current item: the controversial idea of their new Holographic Specialist to set their Ship AI completely free.

Not just in manner of possessing free will - like last time - but to be able to physically leave the ship too. A mobile emitter of the current century, already assembled in theory and as a holographic prototype.

It had floated there during the presentation that had been held by Lin Kae, right above the long conference table, with both Thea and Lin Kae standing in the lounge. The rest of the Senior Staff was seated, looking at the magnified projection of the mobile emitter. This 'heart' of Thea that merely lacked approval before assembly. Jien was seated by the head of the table, fingers folded underneath his eyes as he considered the suggestion put forth by the young engineer. Thea stood there too, right next to him and wearing her red body suit, and she looked... hopeful. Afraid too. Her emotion chip was activated. Jien could not blame her for being afraid she'd be denied by the gathered people. Especially not since the last time... following the Niga Incident.

There were questions to be asked. The safety and high standard of the ship a priority in order to complete their mission. In the end, Jien decided to let his Senior Staff speak first while he contemplated their priorities along with the benefits and drawbacks of letting Lt. Kae continue on this project.

"Does anyone have any questions to Lieutenant Kae?" he asked and lowered his folded hands to the table once the engineer was done explaining. "If you do not have any, I'd like to hear your advice on whether or not we should spend time and resources to complete the construction of this 'heart emitter' given our present situation? Commander Howard, he is yours, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on this first."

If the Chief Engineer had a ruling in mind already, Jien hoped she would be considerate towards Thea's feelings on the matter - regardless of the verdict.

OOC: Please read the scene between Lin Kae and Thea in "The Calm Before the Storm" thread for further information.

The following characters are present in the conference lounge during the Senior Staff Meeting: The Commanding Officer, the Executive Officer, the Chief Tactical Officer, the Chief of Security, the Squadron Commanding Officer, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Counsellor, the Chief Engineer, the Chief Operations Officer and the Chief Science Officer. Added to these are Holographic Specialist Lin Kae and the Ship AI Hologram, as you might have noticed. I will write for WyteKnyte's characters as needed.

Current status for the departments are as follows:

Security: Regular duties. Both ThanIda zh'Wann and Adam Kingston are currently overseeing Cadet Bellde'side's initial efforts on the phaser range. This is the last part of that day's looong training regime for the Cadet. Taguiera and Kittykat, please go ahead and set this scene.

Tactical Conn: The fighter pilots have, in the absence of their SCO, resorted to "kicking it back" in Below Decks. Hannah von Slaverton is currently engaging in a drinking game with whomever feels up for it. Wolves 03, 04, 05, 06, 07 and 08 are - however - on standby in the Fighter Assult Bay should anything unforeseen happen; ready to launch with their Valkyries. Wolf 06 - Evelyn Rawley - might be in the bay area whilst off duty, to oversee the repairs on her bird with wanton hope to be cleared for duty eventually. Nolan, Kurohigi, Searcher, please set the scene in Below Decks.

Medical/Counselling: Head Nurse Eve Jenkins have just found out that Evelyn Rawley has escaped from the Rehabilitation Ward, nowhere to be found. Cadet Neotin is present too and it is up to them both to decide on their course of action. Searcher and Kittykat, you have this one.

Engineering/Operations: Cadet Ester Hamburg is contemplative after the past few days of events, not only in regard to her meeting with Adam Kingston. This, to the degree that she causes an overload in a small plasma relay - with Arcorn Noetin being the senior officer in Main Engineering at the time. Optional scene: Anyone playing Ester and Kittykat in that case.

Science: Department busy with analysing the outcome of the Ishtar visit the day before, checking for traces etc. Sarresh Morali might assist, or he might have gone to sickbay too. Brutus, your call.

Final note: Please "set the scene" for your characters. My next post for the scene in the Senior Staff Meeting will kick everything into action with the encounter of the USS Harbinger. For all those that write Harbinger-commissioned characters, please be patient and post after my next post. Those that still have NPC sheets pending to be approved/posted, please send/post at your earliest convenience.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #1 –
[ Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | 2200 hrs ]

Lying in the Recovery Ward, Evelyn stared upon her new flight jacket.
 
It was hanging there beyond the end of the bed - brought there by Hardtop the night before. She supposed it was out of sympathy that he had replicated one for her, having spent a lot of time in sickbay up until the day before. Also, the Klingon-blooded wingman of hers wanted her back int he cockpit. Motivation, perhaps. The jacket she had worn in the last battle had been ruined - torn open by debris from Wolf 05 - and it would not have served her for the imminent time of 2200.

"Time," she asked the computer quietly in her loneliness.
 
[2157 hrs.]
 
Three minutes remaining. 2200 hours was the time of freedom - with the good graces of the doctors or not.
 
Evelyn told herself that though she could not change her past failures, she would ruin the present by worrying about the future. She told herself that her time was limited, and that she should not waste it living for the past - back-tracking what had gone wrong. She already knew what had happened; she had failed. She had broken down under the pressure. Never again.
 
So, as Evelyn lay there, looking at her new uniform, she told herself not to be be trapped by dogma - which was to live with the results of other people's thinking. She had to free her mind.
 
"Time."
 
[2158 hrs.]
 
Two minutes remaining. 2200 was the time... where she would not let the noise of other peoples opinions drown out her own inner voice. She lay there, looking at her new jacket, and told herself to have the courage to follow her own heart, passion and intuition. Everything else... was secondary.
 
A deep breath, and her dry lips pursed. "Time."
 
[2159 hrs.]
 
The superior officers knew her routines, but not the call of her soul. She had to rely upon herself in all her current fortitude, rather than the evidence of her past lack of it. She'd rather die than give another inch to failure. She would tear through Starfleet ships in order to cut out the infection at the fleet's core. Necessary losses, all to be laid at her feet along with the orders to pursue the truth. She had to get down there, to make sure her Valkyrie was ready to deliver at her call. Khorin had said there had been new spare parts from Nimbus III, and that her bird was undergoing system testing. Without her. As if she was unfit to tune the systems to her specific preferences. As if she was some rookie that relied on engineers to get things done. No, for with the SCO attending the meeting on Deck 01, and many of the rest being in Below Decks, she would get down there and make her bird ready to fly.
 
"Time!" called Evelyn - fiery brown eyes glaring.
 
[2200 hrs]
 
Evelyn got to her feet and swore at the pain in her scarred torso. It was time! She glared towards the sliding doors to the main area of Sickbay - daring a nurse to stop her. Adrenaline and blood raging in her veins, she turned her shaved head back to her uniform - displayed upon the hanger like it was a wedding dress. Oh, it would be bloody nuptial, going head to head with both the CMO and SCO for leaving the ward. Yet right then was a time to do what she loved. A time to live for her passions. A time to part with old failures, and join with the new in a marriage of determination.
 
A holy matrimony in bloody battle - with vows of dire retribution. She would show them scars meant no weakness. Rather the opposite. She curled her upper lip and pulled the flight jacket on, thrust her arms through the sleeves. Wearing it on top of her medical gown, she headed for the fighter assault bay... merely stopping for liquor and smokes on the way down there.

OOC: Merely adding upon the intro for the Episode.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #2 –
[ Below Decks | Deck 07 | 2200 hrs ] Attn: Nathaniel, Skye and Thomas

"Go fish!" called Hannah von Slaverton - callsign Nightmare - with a smirk to the player on the opposite side of the table.

There were two humans working at the lounge, two nondescript holograms that had been activated after Mr. Regal had been put in stasis during the Niga incident. One of the holograms was cleaning glasses with a cotton towel, while the other was dirtying them with syntehol beverages from all over the quadrant. Moreover, they cared not one whit about the drinking game that the Wolves had engaged in. Indeed, the majority of their guests consisted of the Tactical Conn pilots in the middle of the lounge, with a few random faces from other parts of the ship spread into the periphery.

'Go fish' was an innocent kids' card game Hannah and her fellow pilots had twisted into a loud, slightly inebriated battle. In the game, one needed a deck of cards and the steady supply of shots from the bartender. Seven cards dealt per player and each player had to match their cards by asking opponents if they had a card of the same value, yet every time one player asked another for a card - and got the answer 'go fish' - the first had to take a swig of his or her drink. Second, if you got a card, the one who handed it over had to take two swigs.

Eventually, Hannah - being a bit tipsy - pushed away the deck of cards and raised her hands. "Wait, wait, listen!" she said and tired to make herself heard, "Dices! I want to play with dices next! Here, I have two, and bartender! A tray of vodka, please! Now, hear me out, wolves, the rules are pretty straightforward. Each player gets a turn to roll the dice. If they roll an even number, they take a shot. An odd number means they must remove an item of clothing of their choice. Yes, you heard me! We fly together, depend on each other, so we have nothing to be ashamed of, right? We do this now, since we have a long journey back to Earth across 'enemy' territory. Perhaps a last chance to have a night like this, okay? And honestly, I don't think you guys would dare undress here in Below Decks. So its a game of dare foremost, okay?"

Hannah smirked and looked around the gathered faces before continuing - Maverick, Kestrel and Razor sharing in the fun with her. "Okay, so, for two of the same," she said and slapped the dices down on the table, "the rules goes like this. Hear me out! We do this now! Ones, choose between taking a shot or removing an item of clothing. Twos, give a shot to the person to your right. Threes makes you safe; no shots or stripping. Fours! Challenge someone to truth or dare. Fives, put a piece of clothing back on, and sixes, kiss the person to your right! You got that? Ok, let's go. I'll roll first!"

She tossed the dices, and she got... two sixes. Of course.

Grinning, Nightmare locked eyes with the person on her right. Ignoring any hooting calls from the others, she leaned in with pursed lips, hooked her arm behind the person's neck, and gave her fellow wolf a long smooch right on the lips. Briefly, unbidden images from Niga came, where she was kissing Adam Kingston, begging for his cock. She vaguely remembered riding their former SCO in the Captain's chair too. She pushed it all away, the weeks since then having helped her distance herself. She parted soon enough, biting her lower lip with a throaty chuckle before turning back to the dices.

The game continued, the night being one of joyous frivolities - the past to be forgotten in a syntehol haze.

OOC: Figured I'd set the Below Decks scene with one of our NPCs. *smiles* I leave it open as to whether she kisses Nathaniel, Skye or Thomas in this post.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #3 –
[ Holodeck 03 | Phaser Range Program | Deck 07 | 2200 hrs ] Attn: Scosche & Adam

There was but one source of light, and it shone down upon the Andorian woman in yellow-collared uniform.

The lights spinning around her in the darkness were irksome, yet Ida merely gave them a lop-sided smile before powering up her hologram phaser yet again. "Well then, computer," she said, and set Setting 1 on top of the weapon, "begin."

At once, the lights, blue, red and green span off and the Deputy shook white hair out of her eyes. It was a part of a Security Officer's duty to sharpen her marksmanship, and with the brief down-time in hiding and little to do but to find things worth spending one's time with, it was as good an idea as any. Furthermore, Ida had managed to arrange that the new Cadet, the former stowaway, to join her for a last training session for the day. She had also asked Lieutenant Kingston to be present so that he could oversee the progress. The Cadet would be reporting to him the next day for further training, so it was prudent he learned what he had to work with.

Ida raised her phaser and in a two-hand grip and traced the lights across the sights of the weapon, her midnight eyes hard as ebony, and squeezed the trigger. Whilst shooting, one's breathing might make one's aim stray, so she adjusted it accordingly, breathing out to steady her hands in the moment of discharge.

Too easy, she thought, and bared her teeth in frustration. "Computer, initiate next level of the program." There was the familiar chirping sound, and the lights all moved faster - challenging her targeting in a tad more satisfying way. One by one, the lights were hit, only to be replaced by more of them, until Ida stood in the middle of a hornet's nest - firing her phaser rapidly yet loosing neither breath nor concentration.

The sound of sliding doors behind her alerted her that either of the two she had asked for had arrived, or both of them.

"Welcome," said Ida with a smile and fired her last barrage, concluding the level and letting the computer inform them about that fact. Therefore, there was ample opportunity to holster her own phaser and turn around - arms folded underneath her breasts. "We'll begin right away."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #4 –
Scosche arrived at the firing range unescorted.  He both dreaded and was excited about this part of his day.  It seemed better than the regulations he'd been pouring over all day, until one padd had blurred into the next.  He was starting to think there was no way he would remember everything.  While he hoped he would never have to use a phaser on someone, he was eager for the challenge of using one, wondering if his natural agility would translate into a decent aim.  As the door opened, he took a deep breath and realized there was only one way to find out.

Stepping in, he watched as Ida shot the last target, not looking at him as she welcomed him in, which he had to admit felt a bit ominous.  He waited until she'd holstered her weapon, knowing a deep respect for dangerous things, which was why he'd kept his distance from Ida herself.  He had a feeling if Marija had been strong and able, Ida was ten times that.  He nodded, "Lieutenant Ida."

He looked at her uncertainly for a moment, trying to recall the rules, then asked, "Am I supposed to salute or something?  When I come in a room with someone who's of higher rank?"

He muttered under his breath, "Not that there's anyone of lower rank."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #5 –
"In terms of material required, it is negligible," Nicole answered as she reached out to capture the emitter, examining it for a moment before returning it to where it had floated.  "Similarly for the manpower.  Lin Kae has not been performing his activities during his shift, meaning he is not interrupting the normal flow of operations. So far, he has not asked for, nor have I given him, any assistance.  From a purely logistics standpoint, I see no reason to obstruct the project."

"This is not a question to be taken lightly, nor one to be answered in a single meeting," T'Less spoke up, looking between Lin Kae and Thea, then at the holoemitter.  "There are many questions to be answered before we decide whether to proceed.  Would we not, in essence, be granting Thea unlimited access to the ship?  Are there not reasons Starfleet decided to limit her to only those portions outlined by the current locations for holoemitters?  Unless I am mistaken, Thea is no longer bound by the strictures of her original programming and, therefore, unpredictable.  This is akin to naming Thea a true life, instead of an intricately complex holoprogram."

She focused on Thea, "Our mission being paramount, naturally, but Starfleet is about the discovery.  About new planets and new civilizations, new forms of life.  However, there is a large difference between discovering new life and welcoming it aboard ship to freely go wherever it might choose."  Her eyes turned to Grayson, "This course of action poses a security risk to the ship and one, at the moment, with our current state of war, we can do without.  This matter should wait until we are no longer in danger."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #6 –
[ Holodeck 03 | Phaser Range Program | Deck 07 | 2201 hrs ] Attn: Scosche & Adam

When the Ridge-head Cadet walked up to her, ThanIda zh'Wann listened to what he said to her and gave him a lop-sided smile.

"Unless you ask, you will have a hard time learning. Especially here, where you are undergoing Starfleet Academy training away from Terran soil and the regular tutors. I hope that my officers and I will be able to give you enough training to let you learn the rest through experience."

Pausing, Ida tilted her head and came to think about something before she answered his question. "I understand that it's a difficult position for you," she said as she looked at him, antennae pointed his way too, "being aboard and having to assist in our mission and having to do so in our way. All of this is new to you, and even forced upon you to learn. To adapt to our regulations."

She walked up to him, arms still folded underneath her breasts. "My sympathies, Ridge-head, for I was schooled in other ways as well - hailing from Andoria as I am." She glanced to the side, memories of her keth before her eyes. "I was of the Imperial Guard, yet I am now wholly Starfleet, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of having to adapt."

Looking back to him, Ida's smile made her blue skin seem warm. She drew her weapon slowly and took his hand into one of her own - pressed the grip of the phaser into his palm. "Yet I also know the great need of doing so, Cadet," she said and let him go even if her stance right before him remained unaltered, "lest you'll always be the square plug in the round hole."

Stepping to the side to give him the floor, Ida continued - arms again folded. "As for your question, there is no need for a salute as long as you are tactful and address your superiors by rank. Unless preoccupied, stand at attention if you are on the Bridge and the Captain arrives, and if you are to begin your shift, or you answer a summons, you simply tell your superior officer that you are 'reporting for duty,' added with, 'as instructed' or whatever the case may be. The sought level of formality might differ between different officers, though, so be mindful and try to learn whom prefers less or more of it."

Nodding to the weapon in his hand, Ida changed the topic to his training session. "Two hands on the grip, left or right foot before the other, shoulder-wide stance. Rear arm straight and the other bent. The sights must be aligned along the top of your weapon, both vertically and horizontally. Keep both eyes open but focus with the eye that is trained upon your target. Breathe evenly, deeply, and if you can, pull the trigger as you exhale. Use setting one and stand ready to shoot the lights as they appear. Computer! Activate program. Level Alpha."

The chirp announced the beginning of the session, and unmoving lights flared alive.

OOC: I will be posting in the Senior Staff Meeting with my present characters (+WyteKnyte's) after more replies have come in from you guys to answer Jien Ives' open question that relates to Thea's new 'heart'. The post will also issue a Red Alert and a complete change of pace, so if you have anything to address IC-wise during the meeting, please do so with your next post in that scene.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #7 –
[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley - Below Decks]

Isley almost felt bad for Hannah and the others.  Nathan's Vulcan physiology gave him a much higher tolerance for alcohol then the rest of them.  Of course, Skye was also exceptional.  Years of drinking straight from the bottle left her almost superhuman for intake of booze.  Training made her a fair match for him, but Hannah was clearly already in the bag and stumbling.  It was amusing though, as the Lone Wolf displayed a playful, almost comedic side to herself when drinking.  Go fish had gone well, but when she came up with her dice game, he couldn't help but be thankful for his tactical choice of seating.  He sat to Hannah's right, assuring her got all her kisses when she rolled a six, while to his right was Skye.  The idea of kissing her, or even undressing in front of her, didn't phase him at all.  He and Skye had already shared a hell of a night together once, one in which she proved she had the stamina and toughness of a Klingon in the bedroom.

So he locked lips with Hannah, and he too was reminded of Niga.  He had wanted to save her from being infected, but had been forced to carry when he realized it was too late.  If he had shown up earlier, he might have been able to get her out, get her to the bridge with him.  When he had commandeered a shuttle-craft and he and Skye had to engage in a firefight with infected pilots, they could have used an extra hand from her, but she was instead one of the enemy.  As much as he hated that, he knew she would have hated it more, being turned against her fellow Wolves and controlled in such an unsightly manner.

After Hannah fulfilled her dice roll condition and kissed him, it was Nathan's turn.  With his mostly sober mind and Vulcan logic in the back of his head, Nathan arranged the dice in his hand and calculated how to make them come out as he wished.  Proper wrist motion, control over the number of times it rolled and how far his hand was from the table could let him almost choose his own roll.  It wasn't cheating, per say.  He just knew how to make a game of luck more about skill.  He came up with threes, making him safe, before he slid the dice over to Skye, taking one glance at her lips and regretting he didn't roll sixes.

"Hang on," he said, blowing on the dice for luck before finally allowing her to go.  "Come on, pair of ones.  Carver is looking overheated in that shirt!"


((OOC: Will post in the meeting after some others have.  Gives a chance for any questions to come up))

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #8 –
[Thomas "Razor" Ravon - Below Decks]

Thomas chuckled a bit when Hannah had pushed away the cards to change the game. She obviously was well endowed with booze and he wondered if she'd have an amazing headache in the morning or not. He folded his cards now and threw them on the stack as he listened to the new game rules. He tried to listen attentively to the instruction given, yet he had an issue with hearing tipsy nightmare out. He looked at the bottles of vodka being installed on their tables and he shook his head slightly "A daring game... Sounds like fun..." he smirked.

As she explained the rules now he looked to his right and his left. 'Looks like there won't be any weird kissing with the Isley' Thomas thought to himself and he felt quite at ease facing these odds. He looked at Hannah now as she rolled the dices and he laughed and clapped in his hands when he saw the two sixes. "Enjoy it Isley!" He taunted to Nathaniel and he cheered now as Hannah moved in for her prize. When Nathaniel rolled the dices, he booed when he saw the pair of threes and he grinned when he blew them for Carver. "Come on Carver, throw those dices!" he encouraged her and leaned forward now, eagerly awaiting what the outcome would be.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #9 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark: Senior Staff Meeting | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ]
There were faint bags under Natalie's eyes when she'd sat down at the long table in the observation lounge with the rest of the senior staff. she was reminded again, of the meeting not all that long ago, when they had all gathered to debate new freedoms for Thea, the ships holographic avatar. Whom was, more and more, becoming a being in her own right. There was a saying about history repeating itself, and Natalie found it extremely poignant given the past few days. Having had to relive the nightmare of Niga, she was now almost reliving the meeting that occurred just after. A nasty symmetry that was not lost on the brunette.

Again, the same old arguments (as far as she was concerned), were being hashed out: use of resources, security risks due to state of war, inalienable rights. Her dark eyes flicked back and forth, from the Chief Engineer to the Chief Tactical officer. Like the Vulcan, she wondered what, exactly Grayson had to say. As Chief of Security, his input would be key, for certain. As for her own... she kept her own council, at first. Judging the others. Despite the third, dark pip on her collar, she'd only been Department head for a short while, and frankly, her core confidences were more then a little shaken.

Finally though, she felt a need to speak up. "It sounds like, from a resource standpoint, if I understand Cmdr. Howard, we can discount any resources argument. That would have been my primary concern. As Lt. T'Less has pointed out, we are in a state of war," more like we're fugitives, running and hiding like frightened mice she thought bitterly, but pushed it away as she continued, "Thea has been a loyal asset for this journey. one could argue that she's had no choice in the matter up until now," she nodded to the Tactical officer, but then turned to the Captain and sucked in a deep, slow breath. This was when the nerves hit.

"For better or worse, Thea is asking to improve herself, to grow...as a person. Not a piece of technology, not as a hologram, but, as far as I can tell, as a person. Therefore, I submit that she /is/ a new life form. Just like Data. Given that, are we not legally bound to help her?" The argument was perhaps more heart felt then logically grounded. Natalie had seen Lt. Lin working to help Thea. She had seen, first hand, the conflict that had arisen the last time they were in this room, with Thea's own concerns. She felt strongly enough that her own, less then socially graceful tendencies were taking a back seat to a building argument.

"And as from a Security standpoint... There are plenty of people in this room that could, with a little effort, bypass just about any security lock out, and gain access to any part of the ship. I am certainly one of them. And yet, no one here is expressing concern that I might access areas of the ship I shouldn't," she flashed a brief smile to the gathered officers. "If we trust each other, why should we not trust Thea? So she would be able to walk around the ship like any other member of the crew, something she already does, for the most part, So she would be able to beam down on an away mission? I don't see a problem with that."

It was then that she realized just how...enthusiastic her voice, her arguments had become. Far out of character for the officer, she blushed, faintly, and leaned back into her chair with a small, almost inaudible meep.
OOC: Lucan, for that other plot point, with Sarresh we discussed, should I start that in this thread, or open a new thread?

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #11 –
[Skye - Below Decks]

Skye hadn't played Go Fish since she was knee high to a grasshopper and it was one of the few games her father always played with her when he came for visits so she felt a pang of nostalgia as they played.  Her lips twitched now and then as Hannah started getting tipsy and gave Nathan a sidelong glance and smirk.  Then game and rules changed, definitely something that had a snicker starting but she gave her fellow female wolf a feral grin and wink.

The double sixes brought a whoop and she winked at Razor before watching the pretty spectacular kiss between the Nightmare and Maverick.  On his turn, her eyebrows rose and she looked at him suspiciously.  "Those dice aren't loaded are they?" she asked and the pursed her lips when he withheld them from her and said she looked a little warm.  "Do I?" she asked in a teasing tone and took the dice, rolling them in one hand just like she'd rolled his boys before tossing them to the table.

A one and a five ... odds ... Skye looked to her left and hmmmm'd.  "Guess it is a little warm," she said and reached up to unzip her uniform top as she stood, still straddling the chair and slipped it off her shoulders.  Lightly defined abs and a fair amount of cleavage greeted them all as she twisted at the waist and hung the coat neatly on the back of her chair, eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced at Razor and then Nightmare.  Kestrels had no shame, which was why she'd been given that nickname.  Grabbing up the dice, she held them out to Thomas.  "Good luck," she said and dropped them in his hand.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #12 –
[Lin Kae and Edena Rez - Conference Lounge]

Kae felt thankful for Natalie Stark in that moment.  The woman proved herself to be on their side, providing some excellent arguments for holographic rights.  Hopefully it would be enough to get the endorsement from the Security chief, shutting down one of the few arguments against the Emitter and the freedom it would provide Thea.  "Thea is programmed with all the training any one of us would have gotten when attending Starfleet academy, and unlike us, whose memory can fade with time, those regulations remain true in her databanks at all times.  If we can trust any member of this ship to operate responsibly with freedom of movement, I think Thea herself, the living soul of Theurgy, deserves that same credit.  She was instrumental in saving the ship during the Niga incident, and it was thanks to the freedom we gave her.  More then anything . . . she deserves it.  She's earned it."

Edena listened intently, making certain she absorbed every detail spoken.  "You were a human during the Ishtar incident, Thea?" Edena asked, looking to confirm the information provided in the report by Miles Renard, one of his separated parts being with her during that time.  The more intimate details were, of course, left out.  "It's cruel to deny her the ability to become more after she has experienced what organic life is.  Obviously, the fact that she is standing here wishing for these enhancements must mean there was something in the experience she wants back.  It would be like giving a blind man sight only to take it away from him again.  If Thea truly wishes to advance herself, to become more, we owe it to her, just as we would owe it to any crewman who wished to advance their career with more training, or to improve their life by having access to proper medical care.  Holograms haven't been officially recognized as a life form by the Federation yet, but select models, especially ones of Thea's line, have raised a great many questions.  We can't say whether she is a true life form or not, but it's not our right to limit her growth.  That is my opinion as executive Officer"


[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley - Below Decks]

Isley threw on his impression of a man who was hurt, a hand pressing against his chest as he looked shocked.  "Carver, I'm shocked.  The only thing loaded around here is Slaverton!  I think I doubled my alcohol level just kissing her," he teased, sending a playful tap to Hannah's shoulder in show that he was only kissing.  After Skye's roll, and her subsequent removal of her jacket, Nathan gave a brief look at what Skye had been hiding under there, reminding himself just how good Kestral looked when she was naked.  If she hadn't been the flying wonder that she was, Skye could have fallen back on a job as a model with a figure like hers, and with health care as good as it was, she could have had a lengthy career too.  Instead, they were fortunate enough to have her watching their backs when they were in a dogfight.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #13 –
Miles listened to the Chief engineer nodding along as he heard the parts that seemed the most pertinent to solidifying his own viewpoint.  At first his opinion was divided between professional and personal thoughts.  Personally he would like nothing more than to aide the one artificial crew member n her aspirations towards being a bonafide life form.  Professionally he was concerned on the resources that it would take to render Thea as more lifelike.  With the head Engie's assessment though he was very comforted with his own personal choice and was ready to also make it his professional opinion as well.

"Well I think its a great idea.  I do have a question or two for our Holo specialist.  If I understand this correctly this emitter would detether her from her original physical body, the ship we call home.  As such say she wanted to Change her location, would she not have to manuially travel there as we do?  If It hasnt already been designed I would recommend some form of means for her to transfer from this heart emitter to back into her standard holo emitter system.  As such she would have the best of both worlds as it is said having an ability to sense things in the same manners as a human would when using this heart emitter and the ability to have all her abilities that she has used to serve her crew as valiantly as any Starfleet officer in the history of the Federation. 

My initial concern about away missions would of course be the question of the logistical blow that would be dealt if she were to be killed in action.  Think about it If the captain dies There's an XO for that circumstance, I die another Wolf is there to carry on as the new commander of the squadron. But then if she dies then there is noone else who could fill the importance of her valued role.  The more i thought about that the more i realized that in thinking like that I reduced her to an object.  I was seeing her as an object that I placed a higher value on than any other life form on this vessel, but none the less an object instead of a fellow member of this crew.  My view on thinking of her as not an affordable loss wasn't really a concern for her life it was a selfish want to not loose a resource.  For ever thinking in that way Thea, I apologize.  To not give you this right to take the same risks we all take would be selfish and be depriving you of everything that makes us proud to wear this badge.  Lieutenant Kae, I look forward to the day that she becomes indistinguishable both to me and to herself from the human I met during the chaos mere days ago. "  He then paused for just a moment. 

"On that note there is something I would like to bring up. During the incident Thea and I ended up on the bridge while we were accosted other ships According to the post incident logs i read prior to this meeting this was partially Ishtar's doing, but two things occurred during this that brought to mind a tactical concern.

My First concern would be her lack of ability to command given an emergency situation.  When she and I were on the bridge I had to take command of the ship and order the MVAM procedure.  Her mind is for lack of a better word a database of every trick in the federations book in all 4 divisions.  As such she would have been a much better emergency Captain than I could ever hope to be.  As such i think it would be a prudent idea to install a Emergency Command Protocol that will work for her even if fully detethered as an autonomous form. 

Secondly, Thea as a human held no authority as she has absolutely no commission to her name therefore her own computer systems could not recognize even the smallest request she made.  Frankly she had as much authority as our stowaway had if not even less as she was effectively a non existent entity.  the event that she were deteathered via this emitter it stands to reason she would need to have an actual name on the ship's crew manifest, as well as an actual rank and title in order for the ship's computer to recognize any commands or requests she would make to it."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #14 –
[Below Decks]

A small chuckle escaped from Thomas when Maverick made his remark about Slaverton. He took a decent look now and observed Nightmare's looks and contours. She was a smoking gun to say the least, yet the woman opposite of her wasn't ugly either. Thomas let his eyes pass over Kestrel as she removed her jacket and he grinned a bit. She was a beauty to look at but she had a fiery thing over her nevertheless. Either way, most men would kill to be in the company of these two fine women.

Thomas reached out for the dices and nodded "Think I'm going to need that luck..." He answered with a smirk and he shook the dices with both hands before letting them roll over the table. The dices rolled over the table and once they came to a halt, he looked at the outcome. A two and a one... Favorable odds. While taking another shot Thomas thought about which part of clothing to remove first. The jacket seemed most logical... With a bitter grin still he removed his jacket and the ladies could now see his not overly muscular arms. The countours of his chest and abdomen peeking through the undergarment. He passed another one over to Slaverton. "Here you go Hannah, jug it!"

He wondered how much more Slaverton could take before she'd go entirely out of control. For that fact, he wondered how much he could take himself. Perhaps after this he should switch to stripping down for a bit. He gathered the dices again and shoved them in front of Nightmare and her filled shot of vodka. "Game on!" he cheered.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #15 –
[ Below Decks ]

Hannah booed and hooted at turns as the dices were tossed the first times around their table, and when Thomas Ravon stripped off his jacket, she laughed with the others and clapped her hands in rhythm to the progress he made. Kestrel drew the eye from the holograms (not to mention the eyes of the two male wolves by the table) yet the neither of the bartenders interfered. As for Hannah, she was having a great time, and while rather inebriated, she was still in control - more drunk on joy than the vodka. Well... perhaps equally so, she had to admit.

"Thanks, Razor!" she said and grinned, twisting the shot around with her fingers while picking up the dice with her other hand. "Here goes!"

She tossed the dice and they rattled against the tabletop, chiming against two of their glasses before settling. "Double fours! Truth or dare! Ohhhhhhhhhhh," she bit her lip and looked between the three faces while she thought about whom she might pick. "Skye, I dare you to do a a full minute lapdance for Razor. If you don't dare... would you rather pick 'Truth'... like some wolf pup? Common, its obvious that he likes what he sees. Hell, any man aboard would pay you for it, smoking hot and fierce as you are."

Hannah showed teeth with her grin to the other woman at the table while she picked up the dice and shoved them down in front of her wingman. Giving Isley a sexy side-long glance, she took a swig from her vodka - slamming the empty glass down afterwards. "Throw the dice, Maverick! Skye can still make up her mind and even toss the dice once its her turn... regardless if she shares a seat in Razor's chair, right?"

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #16 –
[Lin Kae - Conference Room]

"The Mobile Emitter is a physical technology, which means Thea would have to physical travel, unless a transporter lock was established on the emitter, allowing her to be beamed the same as any member of the crew.  If she requires the need to get places, faster, she has the option of untethering herself from the device and existing as she does now, a part of the ship.   For the sake of accessing the vast database of the ship, this emitter is equipped with a human-based technology from the 21st century known as cloud-based storage. She can remotely access the ship's database and use whatever is inside of it so long as she is within an appropriate range of the ship, up to ten kilometers. A temporary storage folder is created within the emitter to store whatever information she requires, and can be loaded with whatever she thinks she may require when she is leaving streaming range."

Miles proved capable of keeping Kae on his toes with all the questions he asked. "Thea is an important part of this crew and I am unwilling to risk her safety on away missions.  For that reason, I have created a black box feature in the emitter.  If it is damaged, her core Ai will be downloaded into a heavily shield part of the emitter, designed to survive significant damage.  It would allow her to be rescued from the salvage and reintegrated back into the ship.  The rest of the shell, which would include security codes and identification for her, to assure she is not caught in a situation where she is not recognized, would become inactive upon removal of the black box, preventing any information from being obtained from her emitter"

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley - Below Decks]

When the dice came around to him again, Nathan decided it was time to show some skin.  Maybe something to remind Skye what she had been seeing when they slept together, as well as give Hannah a look at what he had to offer.  There was nothing wrong with enticing a pair of lovely looking ladies.  So he set up his roll to come out how h wanted it, a three and a four, ending in an odd number that also made his dice rolls look a bit more random.  His outer jacket was removed, leaving only the white t-shirt underneath, which his muscular frame filled out plenty. Making out his washboard stomach, his defined pectorals was little trouble, while his strong arms were in plain view.  He slid the dice Skye's way, it back to being her turn, while also being the moment of truth whether she would accept Hannah's issued dare. A lap dance from Skye carver was certain a sight to see, even if it wasn't your own.  She had the kind of body a person wanted to see grinding against another.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #17 –
"Legally, no, we are not bound to assist Thea," T'Less responded coolly.  "By the Prime Directive, we are, in fact, forbidden from interfering with the natural development of any species, even those of a holographic nature.  In the case of Commander Data, he was not being considered for assistance by the Federation, but only whether he was a life form.  My point isn't whether Thea is or is not.  Only that to allow her freedom to any part of the ship she might decide to visit is dangerous at the current time.  Your argument is faulty where we are concerned.  Yes, any of us might do as you suggest and bypass a lockout, but we have taken oaths and any discussion as to whether we are alive has come and gone long ago.  I trusted Thea to do her duty, but only because she was bound by her programming to do her duty.  That, however, is no longer the case and we are discussing granting even further permissions?  As the ship's AI, she was Starfleet.  As a separate entity with a will of her own and the ability to go anywhere she pleases, then she would be a civilian and, by that token, not allowed aboard ship during a time of war."

She turned her eyes on Miles and lifted an eyebrow, "And you would have such an entity not only free to roam the ship as she would please, but become ship's captain?  She is an artificial intelligence, as alive and thinking as could be programmed, but that does not obviate any possible flaws in her programming and none that she would perform on herself.  Should something go wrong and what scant control we have left be lost, there would be no stopping her.  In short order, she would be able to incapacitate the captain, take over the ship and do with those aboard as whatever flaw in her programming dictated.  Is she alive?  Perhaps.  That does not automatically make her a Starfleet officer and certainly does not make her fit for command.  As much as knowing those protocols matter, there is still an x-factor to be considered in any member of the crew.  If we consider her alive and we make her part of the crew in full, then her rank would be a cadet, nothing more.  Time and experience, as well as those protocols, make a seasoned officer.  Thea would have only the latter and not the former two.

"Are any of us not susceptible to mind control?  No, we've all seen just how little control we might have over our own actions in the last several weeks when others might wish to control us.  If, as has been suggested, however, Thea were to be given the access suggested by Commander Renard and were to be taken over by some outside force, her authority and abilities would enable her to exert such dominion over the ship and crew as to be a risk, in my opinion, that should not be taken under any circumstances."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #18 –
[Skye - Below Decks]

Hannah's roll had Skye curious what she was going to do and when she dared Skye to lap dance on Razor, she almost snorted.  Considering she'd just occupied the body of a man that seemed almost tame.  "No pup here ... just pure bitch," she grinned as she kicked off her boots and socks under the table and stood.  "Though I'm a little overdressed for a lap dance and one minute ain't enough," she added as she hooked her thumbs in her pants and rocking her hips from side to side lowered them down her strong legs so she was just in her standard issue panties.

Giving a nod to the bartender, she pulled the clip out of her hair and shook the thick golden tresses as she tossed it on the table.  "Gonna play a little music but don't mind me," she warned with a bit of a smirk.  "Computer ... play Carver Music DL1," she ordered as she pulled Razor's chair out away from the table to give herself some room.  As soon as she let go of his chair, a hard voice came over the speaker and she stepped to his side and then stepped again to face him.  Step inside, walk this way.  Immediately she dropped into a complete side split.  You and me babe.  Her right hand slapped down on his left leg and the left hand on his right in perfect time with the exclamations Hey, Hey!

As the instrumental intro began she pushed up slowly, drawing her legs up and out along his sides with toes flexed downward as if she were positioned on a pommel horse.  She held that pose for a few beats and then hooked her feet at the back of his legs then grabbed the back of the chair and undulated so first her cheek and then breasts rubbed up his chest and her pelvis lined up perfectly with his crotch.  Love me like a bomb baby come and get it on.  Her hips rocked from side to side, rubbing against him lightly and teasingly.  Demolition woman can I be your man, your man?  A brief pause in the drum and then the bass drum slammed and as it did she thrust hard against him, hand gripping his hair and pulling his head back so she could graze her tongue along his throat.

Another verse went by and she continued the subtle tease punctuated by more primal thrusts with the drum beat, her hands grazing over his shoulders and chest.  Break the bubble, break it up.  Leaning back, she brought one hand to her mouth and licked the fingers.  Pour some sugar on me, in the name of love.  Those wet fingers drifted over her chin and down her throat, continuing a path down between her breasts and over her taut stomach.  She'd almost touched between her legs when she bolted up to Come on fire me up and grabbing his legs swung one of hers up and over his head to turn and face Nathan and Hanna.  Her hands went between her thighs , fingertips grazing along Razor's inner thighs as she ground her ass against his crotch.  I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet.

Another instrumental bit with some heavy drum beats went by and she admired Nathan for a moment as he had stripped to his t-shirt.  She remembered everything about that night and her eyes blazed with passion as she pursed her lips in a little kiss for him and winked at Hannah.  Leaning her back against Razor's chest, she reached again behind him and ran her hand up his neck and buried her fingers in his hair. Red light, yellow light, green light go!  Her body surged up against his as if he were inside of her and thrusting her up with his powerful hips.

I'm hot, sticky sweet.  Leaning forward and placing her hands on the floor, she drew her legs upward again until her shins rested on Razor's shoulders then she did a few push ups showing off the light muscles of her arms and not so incidentally pressing her toned ass and hidden sex up toward his face.  The last one brought her up into a handstand with a twist and her body arched like a rainbow, thighs straddling his lap again and a shove upward to bring her face to face with her fellow Wolf again, this time her lips within inches of his and a feral smile as she thrust herself up against him again with the last few beats of the song.

She sat there for a moment, breasts heaving as she was breathing hard from the work out and started to chuckle as she looked deeply into Razor's eyes.  "Been a long time since I did a lap dance.  Sorry I was a bit rusty," she said in a sultry purr with a last little tilt of her hips to feel his reaction.  Leaning back again, she nabbed the dice and gave him a little flick of a toss.  "Double twos ... Razor gets a shot," she said and grinned as she reached a little further to take up a shot glass.  She didn't hand it to him though, rather she tossed the liquid in her own mouth and pressed her lips to his letting him get his shot slowly with an extra kick.


For your listening pleasure ...

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #19 –
Razor smirked a bit when Hannah dared Skye to perform a lap dance on him. Not sure what to expect from it, his head turned away from Hannah towards Carver. What followed was something that Thomas never even dreamed dreamed of. He gazed silently as she kicked out her boots and socks. When she started to tug her pants off, Thomas got the biggest smile ever on his lips and he looked at the well build body of his squadron wingman. "Damn straight you were overdressed." He blurted out as she stood before him in her standard issue panties.

The music started now and Razor just sat back and enjoyed what was coming for him. The music filled the room with hard chords and the cheering from the fellow wolves only made it so much more memorable. The dance itself was performed to near perfection to his opinion and he couldn't hide that Carver was surely getting him in the mood for more as she rubbed her body against his.

A series of strong vibes went through his body as she first licked his throat followed by her thrusts on his crotch on the drumbeat. The most intense vibe he got though was from her ass grinding against his crotch, his body reacting naturally to it. He kept his hands of the dancer of course and was speechless as he felt and heard the body and music of sky reach the climax of the song.

However it seemed the best was yet to come, she performed a few push ups while Thomas got the most perfect view of her ass and hidden sex. He had to restrain him from just grabbing hold of her yet before he lost control of it she had arched back and straddled him again, her thighs on his lap and her thrusts rubbing against his hard on. He noticed the feral smile and he enjoyed the sight of her this close to him. Her heaving breasts slowly coming into contact with his chest.

"Well, I have to admit, it was a bit rusty..." He answered her softly as he couldn't hide his smirk "You can always use me though as the test subject to get better." He teased her and he closed his eyes as she tilted her hips, he was pretty sure she could feel his reaction to her dance and he rocked his hips against hers as she leaned back for the dices.

He looked at the dices and before he could protest or react he felt the soft full lips of her on his lips. He spread his lips a bit now to take in the shot she had prepared for him and he moved his hands over her back to keep her in position while receiving the strong beverage. Once she gave all of the liquid joy to him, he kissed her just a bit more and forced his tongue to her lips to get the last bit of alcohol from her.

With a slap to her perky butt he broke the kiss and he smiled mischievously to her, his eyes filled with lust and passion. "I need to throw my dices now though..." He grinned and kicked the seat a bit closer to the table, letting Carver sit on his lap. He made his throw now and a pair of ones formed up "Snake eyes Hannah... Are you feeling the heat?" he grinned now and let go of Skye so she could return to her seat.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #20 –
 "Ridgeno... oh," Scosche lifted his eyebrow and shook his head, "Never had anyone call me that before.  And, just so we're clear, it was Security or the garbage detail.  I didn't get much of a choice about being here.  I didn't even know I could be drafted into service.  As it stands, I'm doing this because there's nothing else to be done right now.  First and foremost, I am a gymnast, not a security enforcer.  Much as I might enjoy having something to do on this gods-forsaken ship, if there were an option other than sitting in your brig day in and day out, I would be doing that.  I will do my part and I have never given anything other than my utmost to any task.  This will be no different, but the first opportunity I get to return to my old life, I will."

With that, he listened as she instructed him in the use of the phaser, though he took a moment to wonder just why'd he'd give her that whole spiel.  She hadn't asked and he hadn't meant to, not really, but it had been bubbling up inside him for a while now.  If felt good to get it off his chest, but he probably shouldn't have done it with Ida, given she was his superior officer.  He held back a sigh as he took the phaser and did as she said, taking a breath then exhaling, aiming and firing.  He felt a thrill as the first phaser bolt shot from his grip, much as he expected, but his aim was atrocious, at least at first.  The longer the program went on, the easier it got to hit the target, as he figured out how to adjust his stance and relax his arms.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #21 –
[Lin Kae - Conference Room]

"The Prime Directive doesn't apply to Thea," spoke Kae.  He had heard plenty about the Vulcan cynicism, or as they preferred to call it, logic.  They were often a hard case to win over, especially in cases with such moral complications.  "The prime Directive applies to pre-wrap civilizations, less developed cultures at a minimum.  Thea is a part of Starfleet.  She has the same knowledge we learn at the academy, coupled with experience gleamed from dozens of well-renowned officers.  She is an advanced being, and thus not limited in how we can help her.  As for arguing that her programming makes her a loose cannon, that's a stupid argument.  No one programs us.  We take oaths, but it still falls on our conscious choices to uphold those oaths.  Thea is no different in that regard."

"The arguments you're making are the exact same ones that were made during our last staff meeting, that she has the power to take over this ship an do as she pleases, but between then and now, she has done nothing but perform her functions and her duties as any officer of Starfleet would.  If we want to talk about dangerous people, any Vulcan with a Mind Meld can be a threat to the crew.  Stardate 54090.4, the Starship Voyager was nearly overthrow when a subliminal message was activated in Lieutenant Commander Tuvok by a Maquis radical named Teero.  He proceeded to use the Mind Meld on members of the crew formerly associated with the Maquis to force a hostile takeover of the ship.  Despite this fact, the Vulcan crewmen on board are not prohibited from the use of the Mind Meld.  Thea has abilities that others do not have, but that is no different then a Vulcan and their mental abilities.  It comes down to trust, something that, and I apologize for being a condescending towards your people, Lieutenant T'Less, Vulcans had great difficulty with in the days before the Federation."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #22 –
[ Senior Staff Meeting | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ]

Not having moved where he sat at the head of the table as the arguments and questions had been put forth, Captain Ives let the silence linger after the Chief Tactical Officer voiced her concerns in a very straightforward and logical way - which was expected of her both in her role as well as her species. Yet when it seemed that the Vulcan logic might have the final say, the specialist in the group raised his voice - berating the CTO's arguments.

"Careful, Lieutenant," rasped Jien in dire warning, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the young man across his folded fingers. "You can enforce your arguments with neither personal affront nor racial opinions. Your word on the matter hold water without having to be condescending - the cursory apology you make notwithstanding. You are passionate about what you do, yet a solution cannot be found by passion alone. The last time you changed Thea's nature, you did so without consent. Now you seek consent from the Senior Staff, and should be very careful what you say, lest I will rule that your passion and idealist position about photonic life undermines the safety of this ship and your ability to carry out your current duties in accordance the needs of the crew and our mission. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant Kae?"

There was only one accepted answer, and after getting it, Jien finally looked away - releasing the specialist with the death-grip of his stare. It appeared that the Chief Science Officer had nothing further to add, so he glanced towards the rest across his folded fingers.

"Whether we are bound by law, should or shouldn't do something because of the Prime Directive, or extend rights to a sentient life form and in doing so setting a standard for those that come after her," mused Counsellor Nelis where he sat, frowning as he looked towards the tabletop. He seemed... quiet, and unwilling to speak after the CTO had spoken. Yet he did, even if he did not meet T'Less' eye. "These are all concerns to take into account if we were under normal operating conditions and reported to Starfleet, yet our situation is - as has already been mentioned - quite extreme. We must consider this matter in a way that benefits our mission. To augment Thea with free mobility in the wake of giving her free will might - and might not - aide our unique mission. It is a gamble because the situation for us and for her is unprecedented. It boils down to a vote of confidence, since trust is the margin of error to developing her hardware and software further."

"Wrong," said David Grayson, seated opposite from Garen, "for when we last discussed Thea, Captain Ives ordered me to set a Security Level 3 clearance on her projection, and that is still valid - mobile emitter or not. Neither the XO nor the CO has asked me to raise her clearance, so she should be able to interact with the control panels on the ship accordingly. In her development and installation into this starship, she was and remains hard-wired to not affect key systems through her connection with the Computer Core, so the margin of error is only as high as the clearance we give her - not counting security breaches like the ones Commander Stark described. Yesterday, the reason why the computer did not recognise her - when that alien entity sent the fleet on us - was because she was not recognised as the holographic projection that does possess that clearance. She was a new creature roaming the ship, and the computer treated her accordingly. I would surmise yesterday to be a very unique occurrence, and should not dictate how we rationalise our decisions."

Grayson paused before stating his final word on the matter. "Thea needs no rank besides her current function aboard - being the Ship AI - as long as she has her security clearance. With it, she should be able to move about as required. Consider the advantages she might provide us with on an away mission. Hell, she could get to places where none of us could. She could impersonate people as long as she changes the appearance of her projection. Besides these things, Thea has already proven - during the Niga incident - her capacity for combat. She knows more tricks than I do, merely lacking the experience to actually use them. So why would we deny ourselves the possible benefits of freeing her, as long as the security clearance safeguards the ship's key functions the way they were protected back when she lacked the ability to chose. Furthermore, the threat of disciplinary actions will keep her line just like the rest of our crew, only fashioned out in a way that would be relevant for her. One action being the denied use of this 'heart emitter', along with other possible actions that I can provide as requested. Lieutenant Kae will just have to implement them."

Jien heard David say this, nodded slowly, and then looked towards the SCO, since he seemed eager to get a word in-between.

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #23 –
Miles looked around hearing the arguments for all sides before standing up calmly and speaking up again. "My thoughts as far as the Prime directive and other Federation policies go is that there is no actual precedent for a dictation of policy.  As just stated we are the ones forced with setting this precedent given our situation.  If I recall the prime directive applies both to pre and post warp cultures. With pre the policy is not interacting with them at all and with post its not interfering in their politics and or development and adopting neutral stances in regards to their wars with other parties.  This case clearly has no prime directive precedent; however, I do understand the level of cynicism."  His voice remained calm through his statements never once raising itself.  he was serious though his voice was hinted with notes of softness and compassion underlined with a firm reasoning calm.

"I would argue that given only the precedents of actions regarding Data, The Enterprise D's Moriarty hologram incidents, Voyager's EMH mark 1 and the incidents involving the Hologram rebellions.  That evidence would suggest that the more a holographic being is treated as a human life form the more likely they will adhere to the same ethical tenants that the Federation is founded on.  The less respectful synthetic beings are treated the more likely they are to abandon such black and white morals in favor of the very human action of rebellion for a noble cause.  Remember if a hologram is programmed to behave human then if you are to treat them inhumanely the reaction will most likely be the same as you would expect from humans unjustly imprisoned.

I will always argue that we are not bound by a specific code but bound by what the Terran religion of Christianity refereed to as the "Golden Rule" which states "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  It isn't about some rule in the books here its about treating a clearly sentient being in the way that we should treat a sentient being.

As for the ECH concept that was just me presenting an idea that could prove to be a worthwhile tactical advantage.  I was considering it something only the Captain, or in the case of the death, incapacitation or disappearance of the captain, the ranking officer with acting command of the ship, could manually enact.  My other proposition would be for a failsafe in the parts of the computer's subsystems that Thea has no access to that could enact this activation under certain emergency conditions where Federation guidelines would normally deem no one on the ship as fit to command.

My reasoning for this is my view of who Thea is.  Thea may not have ever personally taken said oath.  she was programmed with that oath.  She has programming with Training higher than probably any officer in the entire Federation and most likely can emulate the command style of any noteworthy captain in Federation history.  Here is my question.  Why haven't we asked her if she would want to be an officer on the ship.  Instead of speculating on her motives why don't we just ask her what she wants.  Ask Thea, do you want to be an Officer of Starfleet.  In an emergency situation would you feel comfortable with commanding the ship.  What are your aspirations?  Here's a thought Maybe she don't want to command the ship.  Maybe she would rather just be the voice of it.  I don't know.   All I know is in the emergency situation we were, in she acted in the way I would have dreamed she would.  Even with no way to shut off her emotions she remained cool under fire.

Everyone of us at one time or another has been influenced by external forces,  Thea has only been under said influence once willfully the other time she was being literally puppeted by might i remind you an organic being.  Her one time with her mind influenced was upon being turned into an organic.  Based on the track record of the ease of organic beings to be influenced by external forces verses synthetics being influenced I would say the record shows that she is less susceptible to said influences than any one of us.  Frankly the data would indicate she is the least externally influenced being on this ship."

Re: EPISODE 03: Shades of Truth [Prologue: Out of the Night That Covers Me]

Reply #24 –
[ Senior Staff Meeting | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 ]

Seated between Natalie Stark and Amatras Neotin, Dr. Lucan cin Nicander sat with his tattooed hands folded in his lap - pale grey eyes shifting between the officers who spoke. Few thought that he had much to add since the individual in question was someone that he could not diagnose - beyond his medical skills and expertise. Oh, he could disinfect Thea's bio-neural gel packs, but beyond that? Not much... officially.

Yet behind his focused and sometimes concerned frown... Lucan smiled with bared teeth.

For Thea was instrumental in his ambition to use the ship for his own means, and he knew far more than he let on. He had followed the development of the Ship AI hologram project right before its completion and activation, and his kin... Oh, his kin had taken an interest for the same reasons he had, only with their own angle to what she might be useful for. Ironic, how the SCO just described her as being incorruptible, and the Vulcan seemed to be loosing the argument. Unfortunately, there was that new damnable holo-engineer that advocated changes to Thea, forcing Lucan to make sure his keys to success would still work the day he needed to use them. Indeed, the meeting had made one thing utterly clear to Lucan.

Lt. Kae had to have an unfortunate accident before he changed the locks.

"Well then," he said, not about to loose the excellent opportunity to don his warm and charismatic smile and ask the question that the pious cur had provided, "what to do you say, Thea? I think we need to learn - once and for all - the fact that you can aspire to more than being an interface between this starship and its crew. What is your desire in this new existence of yours? Commander Renard is right in how we need to treat you in a more humane way, so please, forgive us for talking about you like you don't stand right here in our midst. Despite the accumulated years of experience in this room, this situation is entirely new to us."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Thea and smiled, hands folded behind her back, "My wish is to evolve in all general parameters expected of my nature, and become more than what I was provided with my original programming. Learning and developing, however, would have been possible with my original settings. Therefore, I am unsure at what I might currently aspire to. I have, of course, many options, yet unlike the processing speed of my Computer Core, my projection can only interact with the crew at the speed of ordinary dialogue and events. I can only gain experience by the passage of time. So I do not know enough to give you a satisfactory answer yet, but I do surmise that I want to continue to serve and function in the way that I do, with the potential of developing as an individual person as well. Command routines or not, I will serve my original function to the best of my capacity. My recommendation is that new functions, regardless of department and purpose, are properly tested before included in my sub-routines. I would not like to fail in a tactical undertaking at the cost of the mission and our lives."

It was, perhaps, the first time Lucan had heard a hologram to refer to itself as being alive.

Then again, since he was to erase her eventually, he supposed she had to live in order to die.

At that point, Lucan saw how Captain Ives leaned back in his seat and lower his hands - asian features unsmiling. "I have heard valid points around this table. Both for and against this heart emitter that we are looking at as well as the option to install command access. Clearly, this is not an easy decision to make, with social values, ship security and the mission we are on weighing in on the matter. Lieutenant Kae, proceed with development of a real prototype, yet before transferring Thea to the emitter in any capacity, you need to leave me and our XO a detailed report on the intial tests. Furthermore, you will test the ECH sub-routines virtually in a closed holographic environment when they are applied to Thea's positronic cortex layout. These tests will be the basis of our decision, along with what has been said in this room this evening. As for th-"

"Vessel approaching, bearing Alpha-Zero-Two-Niner," said Thea suddenly where she stood, face very serious. "Distance: 0,012 light years and closing. Estimated speed: Warp Factor 8. ETA: Eleven minutes. Powering up weapons. Weapon signature: Starfleet."

"Red Alert," said Jien immediately and rose from his chair, the whole room astir, "All hands to battle stations. Set the wolves on the scent." There was not a word about the long range sensors having failed them, perhaps due to the fact that they were in an asteroid field. Regardless, Lucan was incredibly bored with these reoccurring situations, since he had spent two months of constantly playing the charade that he cared - hard pressed to save people he was about to kill anyway. Still, there were certain opportunities. Let's hope someone important dies this time.

[Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to...]

Walking briskly towards the turbolifts along with many others, he tapped his combadge. "Nicander to Lt. Jenkins. Activate one EMH for each Battle Sickbay and prepare three surgical suites. Order your nurses to prepare medical supplies from our stock and to take their positions. Prepare our transport protocols to provide a triage centre in the Fighter Assault Bay as needed. Contact Operations for preparations of site-to-site transport of injured personnel. Eve, I need you right by my side in Main Sickbay to coordinate communications while I am performing surgery or treatment. Nicander out."

Idly, he was thinking how laughable it was that the welfare of the Theurgy lay in his own interest during these kind of situations - for sake of the betterment of his standing aboard - while his ambitions for the ship was altogether different further down the line...


[ Holodeck 03 | Phaser Range Program | Deck 07 ]

ThanIda listened to the athlete's confession to the end, and she noted that she would have to try and win him over with more than just the regulations and the belonging to something greater than oneself.

"We'll discuss that afterwards. Your aim is improving," said Ida and walked up next to Scosche where he stood in the centre of the room. "Yet these are unmoving targets, and you are calm. Collected. Under no degree of stress. Here, your shoulder, relax it like this."

She stood behind him and lay her hand upon his rear shoulder, pushing it down a bit. "Arm straight. Grip hard. Yet the tension of your grip should never reach your shoulder. By having it straight, your aim is steadier and you can see the sights better. Legs," she said and laid her other hand on his hip - fingers splayed and pushing down a little bit. This close, breath upon his neck, she noticed that the ridge-head had a nice scent to him. "...bent. Keep a little bit lower centre of gravity - compensating for the minute movements in your aim and your body as a whol-"

[Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to...]

"Computer, end program. Cadet, with me. Let's go! Let's go!"

[Grayson to zh'Wann.]

"Deputy zh*Wann here, over," she replied and set the pace of their jog towards the rendezvous point at the Armoury - leading the way.

[I take teams Alpha and Beta, manning the aft perimeter and setting up guard details at the common incursion points. You take the bow perimeter, understood?]

"Yes, Chief," she said rounding a corner, "What is about?"

[Enemy contact. Or Starfleet, depending on how you look at it. Best of luck. Grayson out.]


[ Below Decks | Deck 07 ]

Hannah von Slaverton had enjoyed the show immensely where she sat right next to Razor, easily noticing how hard he had become by just peeking over the edge of the table.

"Oh, I think you are the one packing the heat, aright," she said and laughed. At that time she realised that the rules had been messed up at some point since she was not supposed to be drinking or stripping when Thomas threw the dice - unless he played truth or dare with her - yet she did not mind. Certainly not after Carver's show.

"Fuck it," Nightmare said and downed another shot, slamming the empty glass down afterwards and picking up the dice. She tossed them with a lop-sided grin where she sat, shaking some hair out of her eyes. "One and four. Odds it is. It is a bit hot in here isn't it, eh?"

Thus said, she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra - pulling it out from underneath her top. She twirled it in the air above her as she laughed and tossed it towards the bar counter - one of the holograms getting it across its head and looking completely stupefied. It evidently had no programming at hand for that specific event scenario, and it made Hannah laugh harder at the hilarity of it all. Her nipples could clearly be seen through the thin fabric, and the tightness of her civilian top left little to the imagination. When she finally caught her breath, her eyes locked on Nathaniel - her wingman - and she got an idea.

"Thirsty, Maverick?" she asked and bit her lower lip, looking into his eyes seductively. She pulled down the neckline of her v-neck top and framed her breasts with the crook of her arm. She then took a shot glass and poured the contents into cradle of her bosom - keeping it there and not letting it escape down her front. "Here, come drink. Mama got some for ya."

Not long after that, Thea's voice came over the intercom.

[Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. Red Alert. Red Alert. All hands to...]

"Shit!" cursed Hannah and got to her feet, the seriousness of the situation sobering her a bit. "We better go. Not too many of us left any more so we might have to fly regardless."

Together, their clothes askew and donned in mid-run towards the lifts - Hannah's bra left behind - the wolves joined their pack for the hunt. Their Alpha Male actually happened to end up in the same turbolift as them - descending towards the Fighter Assault Bay.

"Oh, good evening Fox. Ahem... Reporting for duty, sir." Hannah folded her arms across her chest and did not make eye-contact - the walls of the turbolift very interesting all of a sudden.


[ Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ]

Down in the hangar, Evelyn Rawley ran towards her repaired Valkyrie - seeing across her shoulder how her wingman Hardtop did the same. She had been overseeing the system checks on her bird when the Red Alert had sounded, and now she was not going to let the opportunity slide. She was going out, no matter what anyone said. She had never been so convinced that it was the right thing to do: to show them all she was fit for fight despite what the doctor said.

"You can't!" shouted one of the flight technicians in her path. She answered with a snarl, yet her punch was not hard enough to injure him. Though it connected solidly with his midriff and made him sink to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"Watch me!" she cried, still wearing her Sickbay gown under her flight jacket. Yet as she reached the storage containers underneath the left wing of the Federation starfighter of hers, the magnificent bird looking just as scarred as she was, she tossed the jacket and pulled on the Class B flight-suit and and snatched up her helmet - going right for the ladder to the cockpit.

She sure as hell was not going to let Khorin Douglas have all the fun. She had been in sickbay longer than him, dammit! She had earned this!

“Mission Ops," she said to the XO or whomever sat at the station on the Bridge at the time, "this is Wolf Oh-Six, callsign Ghost. System checks complete and all is green. Awaiting launch order. SCO still inbound." She smiled, as her words disappeared into the comm-chatter along with reports of other pilots preparing to launch. This could be it. This could be her chance to display her mettle. She would never break again.

Finally, the bay doors opened before the first batch of lit Valkyries...


[ Main Bridge | Deck 01 ]

Captain Ives strode to the centre of the Main Bridge - brown eyes upon the view screen.

She - as she had changed her form when leaving the lounge - did not watch her Senior Staff take their positions around her. She knew that they would be there, this scenario certainly not new to them. At least not to most of them depending on whether they had been on the Bridge during a battle situation since their Academy days.

"Mr. Winterbourne," she said to the Ensign that held the Conn station, seated right next to Lt Cmdr. Stark, "we have been discovered already, so take us out of the shadow of this asteroid and set a new course. Heading Gamma-Niner-Two-Alpha. Impulse speed. Take us out into the open and await them. These rocks will merely be in our way. Operations, get the intel on whom we are facing. We need to know what we are up against."

Glancing over her shoulder to T'Less at Tactical, Jien added, "Power up the phaser arrays. Armour and shield status. I want to know how many photon torpedoes we have at our disposal, and please arm two of them. Rattle the sabre, yet no more at this point." Another glance towards the Engineering station followed by Science. "Commander Howard, status report. Did your people fix the chafing in the docking latches yet? Lt Neotin, be our eyes, scan the sector for any further surprises. Correspond with your people in Astrometrics as needed. We need to know whether this ship is alone in pursuit."

"New course: Gamma-Niner-Two-Alpha," said Mr. Winterbourne - taking the USS Theurgy out of hiding - emerging slowly from the asteroid field and treading their pitch black duelling grounds.

OOC: *grins* You guys got the reins. Make the most of it. I will reply as needed and according to what you come up with. Won't wait until all of you have replied.

Kuro, feel free to set the scene on the Harbinger whenever you so desire. Eventually, I realise they will end up speaking over hailing frequencies. This being the time when the hunter scents the prey and emerges out of the shadows too... which also begs to the attention of Sarresh (whom has a timely epiphany) *winks to Brutus*
 
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