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CH04: S [D06|0905] The Omega Device

CHAPTER 04: SUPPLEMENTAL [ DAY 06 | 0905 HRS. ] THE OMEGA DEVICE

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @Brutus @chXinya @Absinthe
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After the response was given, that the transport was due, ThanIda zh'Wann's team of junior officers were ready - armed and geared for their mission objective. Doctor Saugn even had a medkit with her, so that she could help them if they were injured. Personally, Ida wouldn't have liked for Shall to volunteer, since she'd rather stay far away from the bondmate that had been forced upon her. She wasn't sure what to think about Sarresh Morali - the one that the Devoted had worshipped - but since he was from the Relativity, perhaps he had insight as to what this object that the Savi had prioritised actually was. At least she'd fought alongside the Imperial Intelligence operative - Hi'Jak - before, when he'd actually had Klingon features and a full set of limbs. There were also two NCOs from the Endeavour present, both from Security, which was a boon. She had yet to catch their names.

When the transporter sequence was finished, and the aquamarine light faded from their black suits, Ida and her team found themselves in a quite small room. It looked like a storage room akin to the ones that had been adjacent to the hideout, only this had plenty of machinery parts on the shelves, all of them neatly labelled with lit displays of digital Savi text. There was a table in the middle, likely meant for assembly, and what might just be a replicator of some kind. There was also some kind of computer access panel in the end of the table. Ida looked around briefly before she raised the tablet that she had attached to the back of her wrist. There was a message waiting for her, and she assumed the others would have gotten the same. "Check your datapads."

ORIENTATION: THE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE LEADS TO AN AUXILIARY REACTOR, LOCATED BELOW THE ZERO POINT ENERGY REACTOR, WHICH IS THE MAIN POWER SUPPLY FOR THE VERSANT. THE REACTOR COMPLEX IS MARKED ON YOUR MAPS. THE OBJECT YOU MEAN TO RECLAIM IS INSTALLED IN THE REACTOR CHAMBER, LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE COMPLEX. IT IS BEING TESTED AS A NEW POWER SUPPLY FOR THE SHIP, YET THE LATEST INTEL SUGGESTS THAT TESTING IS IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES, AND THE OBJECT HAS YET TO BE ACTIVATED. THERE ARE TWO SCIONS SUPERVISING THE EXPERIMENT, AND THEIR NAMES ARE CORTHAL AND IDEMTHAL. IF THEY ARE TERMINATED, ACCESS TO THE REACTOR CHAMBER WILL BE PASSED TO ME, AND I CAN OPEN IT FOR YOU. YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OTHER AREAS.

There was no signature, but Ida could but assume the words were from this 'Moby' that Blue Tiran had mentioned.

"It looks like this reactor complex is fifty meters down the corridor," she said quietly, then she looked towards the assembled officers. "Does anyone have any idea what kind of import this device holds?"

She looked towards Hi'Jak and Sarresh Morali, since the former was rumoured to be affiliated with it, and the latter might know more than he let on. She pointedly did not look at Shall, who she reckoned would fill the role of navigator through the complex quite well given his profession. She still didn't know why Doctor Saugn was so quiet, but she hoped the Teslyliac Duplicate would aid them readily enough when needed.

This was the time to speak of any additional ideas that the present might have aside from the obvious solution: To enter the complex with phasers blazing, and try not to kill any of these "Antes" in the process. Personally, Ida coped by focusing on the tasks at hand, and not look back. It worked well enough... as long as she didn't look at Shall.

OOC: No set posting order, but 7 days begin today! This is all very free-form, and there won't be a map, so let's just improvise and have fun, shall we? :)

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #1 –
Lt JG Hi'Jak Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @chXinya
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Wait there were two of them? Jack looked at his tablet in disbelief he had thought for sure that the puzzle box would have been one of the less guarded items on his list. Yet here he was being told that there were two Scions guarding the project. They had to kill both of them. He wanted to groan about how unfair that was. Why weren't they told about the security measures before the transports?

Well probably cause no one really thought to ask?

Jack shook his head, great now not only did he have to worry about the assassin in his midst, but he also had to figure out how to guard his thoughts from two different pscionic aliens. He had training with minor psionic incursions, the Federation had a few different races like the betazoids who could probe thoughts and anyone who wanted to work in this day and age as a spy had to figure out some way to encode their thoughts.

He shook that thought off for the moment and just decided to work on what he knew.  He could feel Ida's eyes on him as she asked the room to share what they knew about the box. "Sera Vers Aldnoah picked up the puzzle box on an archaeological dig, on a  protected pre-warp world. She brought the device to me along with several other artifacts which after doing scans of I realized the majority of them were junk. The box on the other hand was a very complicated lock device, made of materials that the equipment on Starbase 84 couldn't recognize. I kept the puzzle box, at the time I thought it was a really complicated toy, and I like solving puzzles."

Jack glanced down at the pad the thing was being used an energy source. That... was a touch disturbing all things considered. "I kept the puzzle box, and for three days I was trying to solve it, finally I pulled the head of the science department into one of the more powerful labs and we ran a full scan. When the theurgy completed the scan we were locked in, as something called the Omega Protocol activated. We were in that room unable to leave for about a half an hour before Ives showed up, and dismissed me. I was never briefed on what the box was, and I was ordered to never speak of the incident again."

Jack tapped his chin for a moment realizing he had just broken the order from the captain, then again the captain had broken a number of agreements with him so who cared. "At this point I can safely say I have no idea what this thing actually was. But I know what it looks like, and I may be able to lock it back up considering I spent a lot of time working on it's exterior."

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #2 –
[Ens. Irnashall “Shall” ch’Xinya | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Absinthe @Brutus

Whoever this “Moby” person was, they certainly didn’t waste any time.   Bare moments after Commander Tiran sent the ready message the familiar tingle of a transporter beam seized the chan and whisked him away to another part of the ship.  As soon as the beam released his body, Shall surveyed the new room they’d be deposited in.  The supply racks clearly marked the place as some sort of machine shop, but that didn’t exactly tell them where they were.  As soon as Ida ordered everyone to check the datapads strapped to their wrists he did so.

The mission seemed simple enough: get in, kill the targets, grab the box, get out.  An easily identifiable tab on the side of the screen pulled up the map “Moby” had referred to and Shall got to work memorizing it as best as he could.  Corridor maps may not be quite as open as a star chart, but they were far more organized so it was no trouble at all.  Ida must’ve been doing the same thing as him as she called out some estimate to their target, and he nodded in agreement.  As for what this device was and what made it so damn important, he hadn’t a clue.  Omega had never come up in any conversation he’d ever had with anyone, outside of it being used as a variable in an equation.

Listening to Hi’Jak with one ear while trying out some other features on the datapad (general note taking, data sharing, the usual functions that would be of use), this “Omega Protocol” caught his attention.  Isolating people inside of a single room and locking out all access until the captain frees them, but only with orders to never discuss it?  What was inside this box?

Going back to the map, Shall highlighted the main entrance to the target room red followed by several side corridors on this level and the one above in yellow.  “There’re several different ways in, looks like two serviceway access doors on each side plus a drop-in from the main reactor above.  Plenty of options here Lieutenant.”  Looking up at the zhen Shall wondered what her technique would be this time.  A part of him doubted she’d order a more secretive entry, from his experience Ida was quite blunt and direct with her actions.  In this case though, coming in the main door might get them all killed.  Sparing a glance at the pair of Endeavour NCOs that had joined them, Shall wondered if he could convince them to go first.

While waiting for the plan to come together, Shall walked around the room testing out the datapad’s translation function.  Holding it up to each of the different shelves it quickly rendered the text into Federation Standard.  Many of the materials were unfamiliar to the Andorian, but this wasn’t exactly his field.  I wonder if Jay knows what any of these are? he made a note to try to get some of these written down so that he could ask his Zh’yi when they finally reunited.  Coming across a tray of some rods Shall stopped, antenna turning in to study the metal.  They looked to be about the same thickness, could this be a substitute?  Without a word, blue hands picked one of the poles out of the rack and he held it in front of him in a familiar grip.  The weight was a bit heavier but not by much.  A few test jabs and a swing proved it to be well balanced for a stock material.  The length was adequate, long enough that his reach was well extended, but not so much that he’d be tripping over it (especially since it clearly isn’t retractable like his normal staff.)

Grinning in satisfaction, Shall was about to claim the pole as a new staff to use, but something in his mind was cautioning him against it.  If he were to injure one of the Savi that wasn’t on the list the consequences would be dire.  The weapons “Moby” provided should only stun, a blow to the head could kill.  Sighing, Shall decided it wasn’t a risk worth taking.  This time he’d have to trust his phaser training.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #3 –
[ Lahksis Saugn "Nicotiana" | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant]
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They spoke and the words were as the sound of the waves to her ears. Lahkesis wondered if she should say something, but she could barely even follow the conversation. She understood there was an item that they were looking to get back, some mysterious piece of technology that her Master had studied but been unable to do very much with. There were monsters guarding it, but they seemed like they knew how to fight monsters. She did not know how to fight monsters. She did not know what use she would be on this mission. She only knew that she must stay by her Master's side and if he willed her to do something she would be obligated to do it. There was nothing else.

"Omega protocols..." The blind man said as he stepped from behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. His voice was calm, yet slightly playful this time. He had always enjoyed poking at them, testing to see if they would react or do something unexpected. "It's been a while since you've heard of those. You read the files in the laboratory. You know what they are, how they work, what they do. But do you remember? Is your brain so scrambled that the data is now long gone?"

She almost spoke, but held her tongue. Her Master had not spoken to her and had not even so much as looked to her. She did not need her voice, did not need her to speak.

"How marvelous, is this what it takes to keep you silent?" The blind man said in an almost sing-song way. "You hold your tongue until he gives it back to you, you have no voice unless he will you to have it?"

The blind man took a step toward Hi'Jak, knowing full well that the only one who could see him, the only one who could hear him, would not even dare to speak until the order was given.

"He's surprisingly fit for as broken as he is. I can see why your body would react. Or did you think that was some choice of your own?" The blind man turned to face her. "Do you think you've ever owned your own body?"

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #4 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Below the ZPE Reactor | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @chXinya @Absinthe 
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Staring down at the alien 'padd' he had been given, Sarresh checked the message from their supposed benifactor, reading it over. He finished it slightly before the Andorian Security officer spoke, but he held his own tongue for the moment. Better, the thought, to wait and let the others speak, judge what they know, and decide how to address the situation from there. He was curious to see how much Jack was aware of, as the scientist seemed eager to explore this particular curiosity. He himself had his own concerns on the device, though he was also equally interested in the general power sources of the Savi ship. There was a potential here for gaining information that would boost the Theurgy's chances of survival if the knowledge could be harnessed.

If the Theurgy survived, so too might their mission. And so too, my Ryuan Sel. Don't pretend your motives are pure, Sarresh his own voice mocked him, deep in his thoughts.

As his fellow scientist began to speak, Sarresh clasped the padd he'd been given in his hands, behind his back, and watches the amputee recount the events after the discovery of the so called puzzle box. He was gratified to see that Starfleet still maintained at this point in time, the Omega Directive, and that Ives had chosen to follow the orders within (to the best of Sarresh's admittedly limited knowledge) while still being on the run from Starfleet. He wondered what, if any, designs the man hand on the device.

Why is nothing ever easy in this century? he asked himself, now faced with some very nasty choices he would have to make. He repressed the urge to sigh, barely listening to the other Andorian rattle off something about entry points. Clearly they just needed to surprise the scions. He curled his fingers around the device behind his back. Pop the doors open, blast them with the fancy guns 'Moby' had provided and go about their business. They had three security officers and surprise on their side. Surely this would be simple enough for someone like zh'Wann to accomplish, without needing the likes of himself to get in the way.

His face darkened however, remembering a sickbay, not too terribly long ago, in the middle of a mutiny. How his body - new though it was - had reacted with the precision of a trained killer, darting around from cover, capturing an assailant. Perhaps he would not be as in the way as he had thought. Just remembering those moments seemed to reinvigorate the muscle memory of the actions. He had little doubt that if pressed, he would be able to respond the same way.

Fascinating.

A thought crossed his mind then, as he looked at the two crew members from the Endeavour assigned to help them on this mission. He didn't know them. He barely knew the rest of the team from the Theurgy. Saying he trusted any of them would be a stretch. Maybe the one armed scientist. He'd proven himself to be someone that Sarresh could work with, and almost relate to. Almost.

But what if they did something stupid? One wrong move. One misplaced energy bolt. This time, the former Ahs'reem did sigh, and loud enough that he felt eyes turn to him. He met them with his own, human eyes, not nearly as refined as his implants had been. Not as good at hiding what dwelt behind them. Yes. All eyes on him - save for the doctor, whom, to his surprise, seemed to be starring off into space.  He dismissed her then, and focused entirely upon Ida zh'Wann as he spoke in a what he hoped was a clam and collected fashion. It had been a few days, it was hard to tell.

"When you go in there," he began, hands still behind his back, "you must ensure that you act with extreme caution when it comes to fire control. Yes, you're all trained Security officers," he nodded to the two non-coms, "and I'm sure, Lieutenant that you are always careful. But I cannot stress this enough. One misplaced shot - you strike that 'toy' as Mr. Hi'Jak called it, and not only are we all dead, not only is everyone on this ship dead, but you'll tear a hole in subspace light years across, easily encompassing not only the Azure Nebula but a good number of light-years beyond its boundaries impassable. Warp Travel would not function in this dead zone. Subspace communications would not be possible.

"We would all be trapped, without the ability to escape this hell hole - if we weren't already blown to atoms in the initial explosion," he stopped for effect, locking eyes with all of them. "Unless you are very keen on ending the mission of the Theurgy right here and now, and ensuring that we never escape, you will be very careful where you point those things." His hand gestured to the firearm that he himself possessed, and then stood in silence, with as much authority as he could muster.

He knew there would be questions.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #5 –
[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @Brutus @chXinya @Absinthe
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Oh, Ida did have a question, after hearing the chilling words of the false deity in their midst. The recount of consequences was succinct and clear, leaving it open for many questions that the two present scientists might ask. Likely they would ask about the nature of the yield in the blast, how this might be possible, why they hadn't heard about it before, what the colour of the detonation would be. For all she knew, they would linger there in that room for an hour discussing the properties of this box and how it could even exist, which world the Câroon had found it on, and which species of yore galactic empires might have been its inventors. By Lor'Vela, she just had one question, and she turned her eyes and antennae towards Hi'Jak.

"And you toyed with the thing for three days, without knowing what it was?"

Shaking her head, she had no time for any science shelat. They couldn't leave something like it in the hands of a species like the Savi, and they couldn't destroy it without killing everyone and their sub-space tech, so they would simply have to bring it. It seemed that this objective held more merit than she'd initially thought, even though she'd had a hunch that the Savi would be up to no good if they took an interest in something so specific and enigmatic. For a moment, she verified Shall's findings on the map in the datapad on her wrist, and then made her decisions in regard to deployment.

"We have a kill-range of ten meters with our weapons, and two Scions to take out if we're to reclaim this device. Therefore, we will not go through the same entrance," she said, raising her antennae before looking at Morali and one of the NCOs. "You two, you take the aft door on the port side of the area. There seems to be a few Savi researchers in your corridor, and even more once you're inside. Keep moving and keep using stun until you get within range of the Scions."

Then, she tuned to the other NCO and Shall. "You two, you take the starboard side, opposite to Morali, as for you two..." she said glancing towards Hi'Jak and the medic on the team, judging that the amputee might need Doctor Saugn the most, "...you go in through the forward entrance on the starboard side. I'll take the last door on the port side. I don't think we have the time to find the drop-down entrance from above, so let's keep it simple. Move in, push forward, stun these 'Antes', and eliminate the 'Scions' by whatever means necessary. Anyone that confirms the two Scions are dead reports it to Tiran's asset, and ask them to open the chamber for us. We should count on some kind of intruder alert being activated, but we won't stay. We need to keep moving, so Shall, plot two escape routes - one primary and one secondary -  and send it to these tablets. Everyone, when you are at your respective entrances, send a message when you are ready, and I will transmit the signal where we move in at the same time. That way, by splitting their attention between us, more of us will survive this. Stay quiet until then."

Her orders being finished, she looked around, adding. "Are you waiting for some kind of speech?" She lowered her white eyebrows at them. "If we don't do anything, we'll end up dead. If we botch this operation, we'll end up dead. I suggest you keep your head squarely on your shoulders, keep moving, and don't stop until we are deep into another crawlspace. Don't loose the objective, and stay alive. Dismissed."

Having dealt her orders, Ida regretted not getting a chance to speak with Hi'Jak about SuD Lang. She would simply hope they got another chance later. Taking a deep breath, not caring about the lightness of the air, Ida left - vanishing into the shadows with her blue eyes along the sights of her rifle.

OOC: No set posting order, but 7 days begin today! This is all very free-form, so have your characters reach their doors respectively - stunning Antes on the way if you wish - and when they do reach the door, have them signal Ida that they are in place. My next post takes them inside the auxiliary reactor area! :) )

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #6 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Absinthe @Brutus

Hearing Sarresh detail just what would happen if this “Omega” were to detonate, Shall’s antenna stood straight up in surprise.  A box small enough to hold in your hand would blow the entire ship to particles and destroy subspace itself for light years in every direction?!  Just what in the name of all that was holy was this Omega?  Grabbing that metal pole was tempting again, there was no way he was going to incur that kind of a disaster.

It was going to have to be a risk though, Ida charged forward as always, layout out the plan.  It was simple, which Shall appreciated.  Glancing at his designated partner he simply nodded in greeting to the Coridan woman.  As soon as Ida brought up escape routes the chan had one in mind: the drop-in.  If internal security gets tripped the last place he wanted to be was in a corridor, so running out of the main door will be the backup.  Sending the marked routes to everyone’s PADD with a few finger swipes, Shall was ready.

Drawing the Savi weapon, Shall and his partner waited for a reasonable count before slipping out of the room.  He could sense Ida down the corridor, but visually she was little more than a vague form moving in the darkness.  The NCO took the lead, her security training far better suited for these maneuvers than Shall’s scientific mind.  Counting off the fifty meters in his head, the Coridan waited by the access door Ida had marked for them.  Pressing his back against one side of the door while she did the same on the other, pink fingers moved so that they were visible in the ambient lighting from her wrist mounted PADD, starting with a point to a control pad.  Wordlessly counting down from five, as soon as her fist closed his blue hand hit the open button.

Instantly, the guard whirled over the doorframe and snapped off a shot before Shall could even react to the pneumatic hiss.  Something heavy dropped to the deck with a soft thump, and once he was through the door he saw that it was a Savi.  “Clear.” his partner whispered, weapon still at the ready.  They both waited for any hint of an alarm, but nothing but silence filled the corridor.  Nodding in satisfaction, they moved on.

The further down the side corridor they went, the more Shall’s nerves started to fray.  This was too easy.  Just one Savi in the corridor, nothing but the sounds of their breathing and footsteps echoing down the length.  A new set soon joined theirs and he nearly jumped in fright, momentarily forgetting that Hi’Jak and Saugn were taking the forward door.  “Where is everyone?” he whispered to his partner who just shook her head in response, silently reminding the Andorian to keep his trap shut.

Watching their progress on the map, Shall tapped his partner on the shoulder when they were a few meters from their assigned door.  He figured that was the right thing to do, and when she didn’t shoot him by mistake for doing so he took it as proof positive.  The door was right where the map said it should be and the two of them took up the same position as they had when entering the corridor.  This time though, it wasn’t their call for when to go in.  Nodding at him that she was ready, Shall nodded back and tapped a few buttons on his PADD, sending the signal to Ida that they were in position.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #7 –
[ Lahksis Saugn "Nicotiana" | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant]
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And still, she remained silent, not responding to her crewmates, not speaking to the blind man. She knew he could not be there, it was impossible, so she refused to acknowledge him. She knew it would do no good. She could not, would not engage with the world unless she was given the word to do so, and his words were not enough to force her to engage. She obeyed only Hi'Jak and he had given her no order, no word to follow.

"Amazing, is it not?" the blind man said, his focus moving again, he seemed to have grown bored with studying Hi'Jak with his blind eyes and turned back to close the space between him and Lahkesis Nicotiana. "You, a discarded relic of an abandoned stage of a pet project of a great man, taken in by a fleet that is now hunting you for something you did not do, now stand frozen because a creature who is lesser than you has not commanded you to speak, has not commanded you to move. You stand frozen unable to so much as flinch because you have discarded your will. And in exchange that remains is his will." He leaned in until she could all but feel his breath on her skin. "Do you think that will get rid of the pain? Do you think that if you deny it that will make you complete again? Make whole that which was taken from you? You thought you found love and now you deny it with every fiber of your being."

She could feel the tears building in her eyes, yet her face remained blank, she gave no outward sign aside from that of the turmoil inside. She felt as if she still had not had her organs put back in, as if she had been laid bare and all those around could see her and she had no right to cover herself.

"A barren field, having no given herself to be used as a creature that cannot love it will see fit. Do you think when you die they will allow you to be reborn? Do you think they will continue the life cycle of your kind? Or will they simply ingest the plant that grows from you and discover how useless you really are? An aborted concept, nowhere near complete."

He moved around her, his blind eyes boring into her. His hand suddenly grabber hers, squeezing it down and she was aware of the case she held, a medkit. When had she gotten that? She couldn't remember. Yet it was in her hand.

"Do not confuse yourself with something you are not. You are not some flower meant to bloom but once and be a melon to be consumed, you are a being a sublime purpose," the blind man said and suddenly struck her face, causing her hair to fall across her eyes.

As she cleared her hair from her eyes and looked around she was aware of the tears trickling down her cheeks and that the blind man was no longer there.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #8 –
Lt JG Hi'Jak Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @chXinya
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Gotta love agents from security, simple goals for simple minds, burst in shoot some guys and leave. That made it all sound so simple and easy, it was SuD Lang all over again. First there was the announcement that they needed to kill not one but two of the monsters, and now the plan was just lets catch them by surprise by shooting them. He supposed if nothing else Ida was consistant in her modus operandi, and he couldn't fault a person for consistency and he had no better plan. His fingers had been working over the pad he had been given, trying to find something in the lab that could be of help, but the best he could think to do would be flood the entire room with deadly radiation.

The problem with that plan was two fold, one he had no idea if the scions would be immune to radiation poisoning. Heavy genetic alteration often causes copy errors like cancer so there was a good chance that the scions were treated for most types which could make them immune to some heavier doses. The second was that they weren't supposed to kill the Ante's and he was pretty sure any concivable dose large enough to kill a scion would kill all organic tissue in the area of infection including the little blue hobgoblins. He had no sympathy for them, and would have happily killed them along with the rest of the enemy, but since they were being asked to play nice it was out of his hands.

It took him a moment to realize that he hadn't spoken for a while. He was being too quiet, and by the time he did he had already started to lead his toy and servant away from the rest of the group. Once they were in the clear he gave Lahkesis a light tap to get her attention she seemed just as deep in thought as he was, though what was running through her mind he had no idea. He could see she was crying though, and right now he had no patience for it.

"Wake up, be alert. You are going to have to take the shot to kill the Scion." He said dilevering the news he thought she would have already figgured out from his impared state. "I have no depth perception, and one arm that I can only kind of use to type with. In combat I'm useless, my priority is on the box. That means you will cover me. So i need your attention here. Cause if you don't focus up we are all going to die."

He sighed did he do this to her? had he broken her thanks to last night? He wasn't entirely sure. Making the way to the door from he couldn't really focus on that. He started to lock out doors that were between them and the lab, giving them one clear route as well as denying access to anyone else. "Remember that when on duty you can speak freely without my orders, you do not need to hold your tongue. It is when you are off duty, and with someone that you should be submitting to their will." He wasn't sure if she was thinking that she was a pawn right now or not, only that he had told her not to speak last night and he hadn't heard her say much of anything. "Also you are going to need to kill don't know if I have hammered that one in enough or not."

Getting to the door, he was hesitant to crack it or even look inside the lab had several life signs and if Jack had to guess he would say they were in the midst of running tests. Mobby had said that they were using the box as a new power source, and morralli said that this thing had the power to rip through subspace.

What the hell had he handed over to these people? He signaled Ida his team was in position, and he was very worried.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #9 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Below the ZPE Reactor | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe @chXinya @Masorin 
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Honestly, he had expected more questions. What Sarresh had not counted on was Ida zh'Wann putting an end to any questions before they were really answered. It was almost anti climactic, although to be fair. the way she spun about on Hi'Jak with such clear incredulity was somewhat worth watching in its own right. But really, not at all how he expected things to go.

Shrugging, he checked the power settings on his weapon, turning it from one side to another, letting it catch the light of the room, such as it was. The orders made plenty of sense to him, or as much sense as nay plans for an assault with three scientists, and two security officers. One of whom would be riding along with Sarresh. He looked the other officer over and gave a little nod. They were from the Endeavour and hopefully that would mean that they weren't one of the Devoted.

Though frankly, if they were a zealot that might have been a benefit. There was every chance that one of the Devoted would have been easier to control in a fire fight. No running off and being stupid. Kept at his side. Nothing I can do about it one way or another, now is there? The question went unanswered.

Simple enough plan. Take the corridor down. Sarresh moved to the access point from the room they were in, the non-com from the other ship seeming to follow Ida's lead. They tucked in next to the little door, crouching. Already, Sarresh could feel his body tensing in anticipation. He coiled like an eel, ready to strike from between two rocks. It was most disconcerting, how everything suddenly seemed sharper, more intense. Every little breath, registered. Every creek of a boot against the flooring. The way the non-com shuffled up to take point. The slight hiss of the door, sliding open to the corridor.

Is this what its like for a security officer all the time? Is this how Sel sees the world? he wondered, knowing that what he felt now was a product of a repressed memory, repressed training and tactics coming to the surface again. He took a breath to steady himself, the whole sudden tense sensations leaving him feeling heady.

The other man was out the door, and Sarresh was on his heels, quick as lighting. He turned, covering the rear for a moment, but it was empty. Back around to the front then, taking the empty path, aft, away from the others. They barely made it 5 meters before the first Savi walked into view. A beam lanced out, splashing against the alien - the security guard's aim was true, and it went down. Unfortunately, it had a friend that had also been entering the passageway.

Ida had warned them that a few of the alien overlords were in the area. Before either the security officer, or the 'Ante' could react, Sarresh had shot it, with a beam that passed over the non-com's shoulder with eerie precision. It lanced out, speared the 'grunt' as Sarresh decided to call it, and sent it - he, she, the former Ash'reem could neither tell, nor care - to the ground. His Escort looked back at Sarresh, eyebrow raised in an appraising manner. The time traveler just shrugged, and whispered, "Whats the Earth phrase? Not my first rodeo?"

The Endeavour officer repressed a laugh, shook his head, and motioned them forward with two fingers. Sarresh followed, both men crouched over, as they padded swiftly down the hall. He missed those robotic eyes - they would have been able to confirm that the enemy was only stunned, and thus ensuring not to draw their benefactors ire. He'd just have to take it as writ that the weapons worked as advertised.

His heart was beating faster now, his senses keen, head swiveling. Theirs was a long march, one where every step seemed to take forever, never gaining on their goal, though the truth was in fact quite opposite that perception. Again, he found himself thinking of the one person on the Theurgy that he gave a damn about, wishing she were here to see him as something other than a brainy scientist. See him capable of defending himself and others. And to have her watching his back. He trusted her. At the same time, it was good that she was not here for that left her safer than he.

His escort held up a first, and Sarresh came to a halt, instinctively knowing what the gesture meant, even if he could not remember the training that so ingrained the response. The two shared a silent look, before Sarresh rolled across the hall, to the other side of the door and the passageway. His back was up against the far wall, his body braced low, the side arm trained outward. With a casual flick of his fingers over the padd, he notified Ida that they were in position, while the escort prepared to trigger the door.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #10 –




[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @Brutus @chXinya @Absinthe
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Her having to move alone, Ida didn't have to take someone else into consideration when she carefully made her way to her position outside this reactor that the Savi asset had described. She had paused once on the way, to read Shall's message about the suggested escape route. It looked tricky, them being a bit exposed in reaching that exit above some kind of round, spherical thing inside the area. Perhaps they could reach it if they climbed there, but they wouldn't have any cover. Still, it was definitely an option.

It... helped Ida to focus on the mission objective, almost forgetting what the sender of that message had done to her the day before. Frowning, her stomach turning, she just typed 'Acknowledged' in reply to the whole team, since she'd seen that they also got the suggested exit from Shall. She suppressed the notion of hands on her hips, and the memory of that pen she'd been stuck in, and left her temporary cover behind an intersection. That's when she heard the noises.

Fingertips, tapping. Barely noticeable. Hadn't it been for her antennae, she wouldn't have known that there was a Savi far down the corridor, tapping against a control panel on the wall. Still, when that tall figure turned its large head towards her, with pitch black eyes seeing her approach, Ida would have preferred a better timed assault. Now, she had far too much distance to cover, and the Savi had begun to run before she had her rifle up. She - because it looked vaguely female in shape -  was making for the door into the reactor room, and Ida had only time for one shot. She took a deep breath, aimed, and in the middle of her exhale, she held her breath to keep her sights from moving... and slowly squeezed the trigger.

The stun beam caught her in the middle of her back, and the Savi tumbled forward - her legs giving away. Ida held her aim, and her breath, until she was satisfied that the Savi lay still on the deck plating. Only then did she lower her rifle, resumed her stride, and saw the messages coming in from the others - saying that they were in position. She prepared the message once she reached the door, not stepping too close since she might risk triggering it, and closed her eyes a moment. She pushed everything but the mission objective from her mind, feeding it to an envisioned flame. Burning it all, save the purpose, and the goal. Get the device, and get out. Nothing else mattered.

She hit send, the message reading simply 'Now.'

Once inside, it was clear that that the device was high-priority for the Savi. Ida saw several moving bodies in the large area, and a terrace above them that hadn't been visible in the floor plan. In the distance, she saw the spherical thing too, and it was clearly the centre focus of whatever experiment was being conducted. Ida heard her rifle whirr, and she saw that the kill-settings were made available. That meant...

"Scion," she stated, void of the emotions that might have come with the word, for the atrocity to her eyes compelled her to loose her focus. Yet she didn't, despite the towering bulk of chitin armour, mandibles and claw-like fingers, and the scurrying, insectoid gait - three legs making it move to intercept her. Two of the Antecendent cast went for her, but she dispatched them before they got close. There was strange shouting, and the thrumming cry from the Scion had a staccato clicking noise to it, but Ida just raised her rifle towards it, switched to the kill setting with her thumb, and began to fire against it.

She had yet to see the second one, with so many bodies moving in the dim light, but one thing was sure. There was no mistake where the device had to be located.



OOC: Free posting order! Have fun! :) The images are not to be taken literally, but as a means of inspiration to your writing.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #11 –
Lt JG Hi'Jak | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @chXinya
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It was time too move, Jack had been working on a little project for this. He still needed a touch more time, so he looked to Lahkesis, it didn't matter how broken she was, right now she was needed to get a job done. He pushed her physically towards the door. "Time to go!" He called to her telling her that it was time for her to do as he had told her. Find the Scion and kill it, that was her job.

His job became rather obvious when he walked into the room. The large big wheel in the middle of the room that was clearly some form of generator working to do something with the box. He could assume that the device was inside the massive generator, and the team would need to focus. For the moment he needed to work out how he could help the fight. His eye focused on his tablet as he moved inside throwing himself behind some cover, in terms of the fire fight he was useless. No depth perception, and he was using the wrong hand to shoot.

His talents were better focused elsewhere.  His hand worked his Tablet over, trying to see exactly what they were doing, and with all the bodies he knew this scene would become chaos. He couldn't let them trigger any fail safes, or destroy the work they were doing.

He could so far send out simple commands from his terminal, his understanding of the functional OS, and the way that the tablet worked on everything it was like having a mouse and keyboard for every computer on the ship so finding the command lines was not that difficult. A few more seconds passed as the rest of the room was breaking into chaos and a fire fight, and suddenly every terminal in the lab would go black, holographic screens would vanish as they were turned off.

Moments after all the screens went dark they would light back up, though this time instead of what ever data they had it would display a simple message, Please enter password:

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #12 –
[ Lahksis Saugn "Nicotiana" | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor  | The Versant]
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And with a push, she was in the room and into the firefight. He was gone before she could react, before she could speak and she stood silently for a moment looking around the room. And then it seemed to click. It was as if all the pain and all the trauma fell away and it was simple once more. She picked up the rifle she was meant to use and examined it for a brief moment. She had never seen a rifle quite like it, but it was a simple enough tool. She knew how to use it.

And then it was as if the world was different. She quickly looked over the room, figuring out the locations of her teammates and of the aliens. This time when she saw them it was not as anything more than targets. She took aim and fired. She did not worry herself with what she shot, the gun restricted itself to a stun setting unless she took aim at a Scion and she had yet to even since the gun's settings shift. Thus she was simply tending to underlings, stunning them and moving forward. She had to keep the path clear and keep Hi'Jak covered, she had no other purpose and no desire beyond that.

It was not until he had reached the computer and begun working that she felt a shift in the gun and the kill setting activate. Her pupilless blue eyes swiveled around and she looked for any sign of the scion. She knew it was finally time. She activated the kill setting.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #13 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant] @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe @Masorin @Brutus

The moment the word was given, Shall’s Coridan partner rushed in, rifle up and ready.  The Andorian barely remembered hitting the button to open the door, nor much else of what happened after that.  The large room became a bit of a blur in his mind, between the low lighting and the weapon flashes it was hard to see exactly what was going on.  His eyes hurt seconds into the battle, his pupils unable to dilate correctly and growing weary from the effort.  All around him bodies hit the floor, stunned.  Shall wasn’t sure if any of the victories were his, this was unlike anything he’d dealt with before.

Moving into cover like he’d been trained, Shall crouched behind a console near the wall and underneath the upper catwalk (“Why wasn’t that on the map?”)  From there he could see the monster rush Ida, flanked by two Savi, and before he could try to help she easily dispatched the entire trio.  The smaller pair dropped with quick stun beams while the big three-legged thing took several high powered blasts.  All he could do was watch in awe as Ida showed off just what she was capable of.

Out of nowhere and without warning, everyone console in the room went dark for several seconds.  The change didn’t interrupt the flow of battle one whit, the ever dwindling defenders continued to fall under the onslaught.  Soon enough, the room became quiet, leaving the group to get to their real work.  Unsure of what to do, Shall stayed where he was, looking into the shadows for any stragglers.  The Coridan came over, concern filling her face.  “Are you ok?” she asked, kneeling in front of Shall, looking him over.  The chan nodded, he felt fine, just stuff and frozen.  It felt like he’d been kneeling behind that console for ages, his legs didn’t want to straighten out.

“Come on, we have to keep moving.” the security officer ordered, reaching out to pull Shall to his feet.  If she were paying more attention and noticed his antenna swivel and bend towards the catwalk she might’ve gotten the warning, but she didn’t.  The only warning she had was the clicking sound of talons on metal above them, and she’d only just started to look towards it when the other Scion leapt off of the catwalk and crushed her under his three feet.  Turning toward Shall, it screamed into his face, much higher pitched than expected for something of its size.

The next thing Shall knew the Scion’s body was sprawled on top of its final victim, a massive hole burnt through its torso, acrid smoke wafting into the air to sting his nose as he stood over them.  The rifle was warm in his hands which were gripping it so tightly they were turning white.  Regaining his senses, Shall loosened his grip, finally relaxing for the first time since he ducked behind the console.  “He said two, right?”

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #14 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Below the ZPE Reactor | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Absinthe @chXinya 
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Sarresh stood by the door, waiting. He saw the message from Shall, the response to it from Ida. He sent his own. Still he waited. It seemed unfathomable that he and his escort had closed the distance faster than the others, but perhaps they had. Maybe that training that he didn't remember having had paid off. Or maybe Ida was just waiting for the right moment to

Quote
Now

"Go," Sarresh hissed softly. His counterpart triggered the door, as the former Ash'reem raised his own firearm and covered the entryway. The doors slid open, and it was - dark. So much darker than Sarresh had expected. He had thought there would be light flooding out from the room. But it was dim. Oh, there were still aliens moving around inside, they just seemed to be unperturbed by the low level of lighting. A lifetime ago, that would have been perfect to Sarresh.

Two days ago, it would not have caused him any issue. His artificial eyes would have shifted spectrum and adjusted without thought to the lighting levels. Now, he felt blind. It was an utterly alien experience and it threw him off for just a moment. Until he saw the flashing of graviton beams elsewhere in the room, and saw the form of the Security Chief dart in front of him, the man ducking into the room and waving him on.

No time for wandering thoughts, he chastised himself, rolling into the room in the wake of the other man, hand on the trigger. He saw the notification on his gun swap over to the symbol he'd memorized as 'kill.' This is it then, but before he could really register, it switched back over to 'Stun' and one of the ante's lept into his view. Wasting no time, he pulled the trigger and send the Savi sprawling. By the time that creature fell at his feet, the target that had sent Sarresh's gun into 'kill' mode had jumped off the catwalk.

He had just enough time to watch it crush the other Endeavour officer, and see its chest blown out the back by the rifle shot from Shall, before a second, and then third and fourth Ante swarmed up to his position. Finding himself back to back with his own escort (the man screaming in rage) the next few moments became a blur of graviton fire and shouts. For his part, Sarresh was completely silent, a counterpoint to his counterpart, whom vented his rage at the loss of his comrade into anything htat moved and wasn't Starfleet.

"Enough!" Sarresh shouted, moving to grab the other mans' rifle to keep him from slamming the stock into one of the downed Savi. He met the mans eyes, so full of anger, and spat back, "We don't get to kill those!" By then it was over. Huffing, the Endeavour security officer let go of his rifle and sunk down. panting and marshaling his emotions. Awkwardly, Sarresh let the spare rifle fall, and gripped the mans shoulder. He didn't say anything; giving comfort - emotions in general - were not his strong suit.

Instead he left the man to grieve, and made his way down to the floor, gun in front of him, looking for movement. To Shall, he replied, "Just the two, according to our benefactor." He was making his way over to Hi'Jak, trusting Ida to keep an eye on things elsewhere.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #15 –
[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @Brutus @chXinya @Absinthe
[Show/Hide]
In retrospect, and given the moderate light in the reactor area, Ida would have a hard time recollecting the details of the firefight that had ensued.

Early on, she had faced one of the Scions, and her phaser rifle had gained access to the kill settings. From that point onward, it had been her priority to stay out of range - not letting the things' nacreous claws reach her - while she fired at it. It had possessed some kind of force field protection, preventing her to make a swift kill. Antes had got in her way, and she'd struck them down with her rifle, or kicked their long legs out from underneath them. She had tried to use the consoles around the room for protection, and as a means to keep firing at the Scion, until it decided to climb across the desks to reach her. She knew that the brief battle, on her end, had likely not taken more than a minute. Perhaps thirty seconds at most, but once that forcefield had given out, she'd managed to destroy the Scion bit by bit.

When it finally collapsed,, it was riddled a mess of limbs and thick, pasty blood. Ida threw a quick glance towards the others, and saw that they had managed to wear the second one down, even if they'd lost at least one of the NCOs. Some of the Antes were still moving, those whom she'd merely pummelled out of her path, so she switched back to stun and proceeded to render them all unconscious - her white hair hanging in damp tresses before her eyes. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and the inside of her suit was damp with her perspiration. She thought it hard to breathe in the Savi suit, so she opened the collar halfway down her chest. Meanwhile she shouted to the remaining team.

"Hi'Jak, Morali. You learned their coding language, right? One of you, seal these doors, the other one need to figure out how to get the Omega device out of that thing! Can the Savi beneficiary help us with that now? Shall, find that escape route above the reaction chamber and be ready to pull us up! The rest, watch the exits with me in the meantime! Prepare to shoot anything that comes through!"

Ida suspected that they had merely been lucky so far, the element of surprise on their side. For right then, she heard the alarm being raised - an odd klaxon echoing through that part of the Versant. Baring her teeth, she knew that one of the Antes must have made it out of the chamber, alerting whatever security forces there were aboard. She held her rifle raised, eyes along the sights, and while moving closer to that spherical reaction chamber - which would be closer to the escape hatch - she split the different entrances to the chamber between herself and the other shooters using gestures.

Sure enough, in short time, there were movements in the darkness, and Antes began to try an enter. They were armed with graviton rifles, firing with great accuracy since they could see in the dark. Ida had to find cover, and hoped that her team were able to seal the doors before even more of the aliens came through. More importantly, they needed to climb up to Shall and get out of there without getting shot in the back... once they had the device.

"What's the status?" she called after a while, before leaning out of her cover to fire once more against the Savi.

OOC: Free posting order! Have fun! If they can't figure out how to do it themselves, feel free to insert a reply from Echtand with DOORS SEALED or REACTOR POWERING DOWN. ACCESS TO DEVICE IMMINENT. Or something along those lines. :)

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #16 –

Lt JG Hi'Jak | Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @chXinya
[Show/Hide]


Jack only had one eye and it was currently focused on keeping everyone that wasn't him locked out of the lab. His hand worked his pad setting up virtual blocks for anyone who wanted access to what ever this lab was researching. He was not however protecting the reactor. His goal was to cut off and download the research that the savi had done on the box. He wasn't content just removing one part of the problem.

He was going to take everything. While some could think of it as over stepping his boundaries Moby had never mentioned that he couldn't help himself to all of their work and files, and after his download of a file was done he would delete the original destroying their work and all the copies they had of it with a tunnel virus. Cause Moby hadn't said that the savi needed to keep their work.


He looked up seeing Morali heading towards him. He nodded towards the other scientist. "You get the box, I got the lab."

His pad chimed with a message from Moby that the reactor was shutting down, their prize would be free to grab. He just flicked the notification away with his thumb annoyed he couldn't multi task.

And scared that he couldn't protect himself. He huddled behind a desk and crawled as weapons fire went over head. While they could not kill anyone but the scions the savi played by no such rules.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #17 –
[ Lahksis Saugn "Nicotiana" | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor  | The Versant]
[Show/Hide]

She was bleeding. At some point between the moment, she had engaged the scion and the moment it had fallen it had hit her and torn her flesh open. An arm, her left one, hung uselessly at her side and dripped the thick viscous fluid of her internal structure onto the floor. She held onto the rifle with her only useful hand and continued to fire. She had to keep the path clear, she had to ensure that Hi'Jak could do his job and that it would not all be in vain. Her life had but one purpose at that moment, she had to protect him and ensure that he got the box. Nothing else mattered.

"DOORS SEALED."

The voice cut through the fray and for a moment she did not know where it had come from. She did not immediately know it and she was too busy. Though the beast was dead, the vermin remained and her rifle no longer permitted her to kill. She had to stun them. When they got close she swung it like a great club, when she could she shot. Bolts of fire shot past her. Though some would strike her, for some reason her body did not react to them. She felt them, burning at her flesh, but the pain meant nothing. All that mattered was keeping the walkway clear. She would do that.

When a bolt struck her knee and she was forced to drop down she only continued her work. Her head was spinning and she was aware of the puddle beneath her, she could feel her skin hardening and yet she pushed against it. She held herself as best as she could. She had to hold her ground. She had to protect her master. 

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #18 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant] @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @Masorin

Nodding almost absentmindedly, Shall couldn’t peel his eyes off of the body laying on the deck in front of it.  It was a grotesque thing, more like a bug than most sentient species he knew of (a thought that made his antenna itch), and that was just from looks.  One of his companion’s arms was sticking out from underneath the meaty bulk, rifle still in her grip.  With the room secure (for the moment), Ida barked out the next round of orders and everyone got moving.  Grabbing the fallen rifle and slinging it over his shoulder, the Andorian used a portable light to try to find the emergency hatch.  Following the map it didn’t take more than a few seconds to find it and that was when he realized his error: he’d mistakenly assumed this room was no taller than a normal room back on Theurgy, and this one was far more massive.

Looking around for a way up, Shall found a ladder up to the catwalk and climbed without delay.  The moment both feet were on the metal though, the alarms sounded.  Knowing time was growing short, Shall ran along the metal grating and reached the top of the reactor just as the the first wave of reinforcements burst in.  Dropping to his stomach he was nearly winded at the impact, Must be higher gravity up here. he thought, crawling along an extension that led to the hatch.  Spotting movement down below he snapped off a shot before pressing himself against the metal.  Amazingly, none of the Savi answered back.  Could they be afraid of hitting the reactor?  If that was the case, then the chan was in the best place any of them could be, and with his vantage point he could hit just about anything with impunity.

Andorian martial pride started to get the better of Shall, and he started shooting at their abductors.  To his frustration these (supposed) security grunts were more than capable of dodging incoming fire and every single one of his beams missed.  One of the Savi was finally brave enough to answer Shall and nearly nailed him in the head. Only a last second cheek-press against the catwalk meant the beam clipped off a lock of hair instead of half of his face.  That woke him up from his heroic dreams, and Shall pulled back just enough to be out of sight, praying that the others can hold the Savi off long enough for them to escape.

Flopping onto his back Shall could see the hatch just above him.  Holding his arm up in front of him he started to try to figure out how to get it open.  Tapping furiously he found the emergency overrides for the doors and triggered it for the hatch.  Indicator lights above him turned blue and he could hear a click.  “We’re open!” he yelled out to those below, smiling in victory.  The universe had a different opinion though, as soon as his cry echoed in the chamber his padd spat out a new tone and the hatch’s indicators turned red.  “DOORS SEALED.”

“Oh for the love of…”  Growling in frustration Shall could feel his finger on his wrist as he worked on the hatch yet again.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #19 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Below the ZPE Reactor | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn:
[Show/Hide]

The Andorian Security Officer was barking orders at him and Hi'Jak. Sarresh had to force himself to listen, because his eyes were already raking across the consoles that lined the room, then darting back to the center of the chamber where the device sat. And sure enough, as if he were reading the former Ash'reem's mind, Hi'Jak told him to go for the box.

it was for the best he told himself as he slowly circled the device in the center of the room, drowning out the sounds of everyone else around him. He didn't care that Shall was off trying to  secure their escape route, or that the medic from the Theurgy was wounded, holding her ground. He lost track of his own assigned security escort, trusting that the man had moved past his initial desire to lash out and was falling back on training. Having hope - absentmindedly though it was - in his humanity.

No, he approached the device in the center of a room, giving a bit of a wave to Hi'Jak, acknowledging the other scientist. Floating there above him was the device, in its cage, gently spinning. There was that reddish glow in the center of it, and it seemed to move with its own motion. But then he'd blink, or glance away for a second, and look back, and it would be still. Perfectly still.

"I hate you," he said very quietly, as if in conversation with the device. Meanwhile he laid his hands out on the console, recalling what he and Hi'Jak had learned. The doors had locked - good, he didn't have to worry about it. Just this thing. This small, tiny little piece of the apocalypse.

He punched up commands. Slowly at first. Confirming that the system was active. Good. Sarresh checked his translations - the alien tablet served him well in this endeavor -  and began to work through the containment protocols. It took time. More than he was happy with, but he possessed an uncanny ability to bring his mind to focus. To push away the distractions of before. The thoughts of Sel lingered, but in the background. The time constraints were there, but like an old friend waiting on him, not like a run away shuttle bearing down from above.

And then it was free.

There was a quick double chirp and a little bleet, and then the box came to a rest, the containment field flickering out. Now the sweat ran down the back of his neck. Now he was hyper-aware of nigh on everything in the room. The sounds of faint banging against the doors. The smell of death, burnt bodies and ozone. The chill and the heat all in one.

The fear. The ever present fear that was eating him from the inside out - not about the Savi and the sheer unfathomable threat they posed, but the fact that this device existed. Carefully, his too human hand reached up, and pulled the so called 'puzzle box' back off the pillar, holding it in his hands.

"For I have become death, destroyer of worlds," he quoted. It seemed fitting, the words bubbling up - ancient texts and bad movies. Swallowing, he turned his gaze back over to Hi'Jak. "I've got it. How do we get it out of here?"

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #20 –
[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | The Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Masorin @Brutus @chXinya @Absinthe
[Show/Hide]
The tide turned when the doors to the lab were sealed, locking out the Savi that tried to reclaim the reactor area from Ida and her companions. As soon as there were no more pushing through either of the eight doors - four on each level - Ida changed tactic and advanced towards the trapped aliens, picking them off one by one together with the others. Soon enough, they were alone, just their breathing heard over the banging against the doors, and the graviton beams that had begun to eat through them. Her call for a sitrep had gone unheard, to no surprise, hairy as the shootout had been.

"How fare you, Doctor?" she asked, looking at the Teslyliac duplicate through the tresses of her damp, white hair. Her antennae rose when she saw how badly injured she was, and she bared her teeth, knowing how two cripples were not ideal if they were to exit through the hatch in the deckhead. She did not bother waiting for a reply, since it was plain that she would need help, just like Hi'Jak might. Only having one arm was far from ideal if they were to climb on top of the spherical reactor chamber. Ida simply walked over to Doctor Saugn and ran her free arm around her, supporting her stride towards the reactor. "Morali! You've got it? Help Hi'Jak if needed be, but we need to reach Shall."

Supporting Saugn, Ida stepped past the dead NCOs on the deck, for there was naught she could do for them. There were only the four of them left, and she gave the fallen a glance, regretting how they had underestimated the resistance. Or rather, that they had not been adequately briefed about these Scions. Ida knew she'd dream about the one that chased her, until she could paint it, and shed it from her mind and unto a canvas.

Ida raised her eyes, seeing the Chan on top of the reactor. He seemed to have trouble getting the exit hatch open. Had they been sealed in? Once she had reached the side of the reactor, she called up to him. "As our Savi asset to open that hatch, Shall! We need to get out, now! We can't climb and shoot at the same time, so if they breach the doors, you're on sentry duty as well. By Lor'Vela, get to it, Lieutenant!"

The bite in her tone had naught to do what had happened between them. It truly hadn't.

From her vantage point, she had no means to telling how Morali and Hi'Jak fared in climbing the reactor, but she did her utmost to help the Doctor. In the Imperial Guard as well as Security, they were taught how to carry other officers through a fight. This time, the angle of the battlefield was just a bit more steep than usual.

OOC: Free posting order after @chXinya has posted, getting that hatch open with or without Echtand's help. By the end of your posts, I suppose your characters should either be dead or in safety? lol Your pick!

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #21 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Below the ZPE Reactor | The Versant]

Grumbling to no one in particular, Shall almost ignored Ida at first.  For far too long he’s had to ask others for help, or be forced to accept assistance when the situation prevented him from succeeding and his pride was starting to get the better of him.  Typing as quickly as he could he jumped from menu to menu, trying out different commands and different routes into the hatch controls but the Savi computer blocked him at every turn.  This alien computer was just too different from the ones he’s used to using and his hacking skills were not that great.

His grumbles turned into a growl of frustration and his wrist was starting to ache from the constant forceful tapping.  Glancing around to see the others making it up the ladder the chan finally resigned himself.  Switching the wrist-PADD to the communication line between them and their benefactor, he wrote a quick but succinct message: “Box secured, but locked inside reactor.  Can you override lockout on emergency ceiling hatch?  All other exits compromised.”  As soon as it was away Shall flipped back onto his stomach and aimed his rifle at the door he had the best sightline on.  “Hurry up…” he whispered, hoping that Moby wasn’t too busy to check his mail.

The door was starting to glow under the barrage, dimples forming as the material started to fail.  The others were getting close, Saughn supported by Ida while the two males tended to each other.  His antenna started to buzz, a sign that the guards outside were getting close.  So focused on the doors in front of him he almost missed the electronic click above him.  The beeping from his wrist was impossible to miss and the large-lettered message of “Hatch overridden.” appeared in the corner of his eye.  Looking up the indicators were blue once again.  “That’s it, let’s go!”

Jumping to his feet, Shall could reach the hatch and it opened towards him with a simple tug.  The other side had a built in ladder, just large enough for someone to pull themselves up and have a foothold once they reached the upper deck.  He was up and out in seconds and remembered to survey their new location.  Sweeping his rifle around in a circle, the dark room looked like another version of the access corridors on each side, but the buzz in his antenna was much worse.  Must be their main reactor. he figured, not seeing any gun-toting aliens waiting for them.

Kneeling next to the open hatch, Shall stuck his blue arm down into the chamber he’d just left, ready to help haul the wounded up and out.

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #22 –
[ Lahksis Saugn "Nicotiana" | Entering the Auxiliary Reactor  | The Versant]
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The world buzzed and hummed. Weapons fire around her, into her, through her. Her body was feeling heavier now. There was less pain. She'd done her best, she'd held the walkway and the unconscious bodies of the aliens blocked it well enough from here on that she thought they might be able to slip away some other way, through some hatch. but she could not turn her head to look for one, she could barely move anymore. Her legs had already given way, one of her knees was now little more than a broken mess having been hit by one of the weapons. She could feel her muscles beginning to become firm, hardening in their damaged state. She had not seen the natural light in so long now, she'd been under the constant strain and her body was failing from the damage. Her mind was failing.

She could hear his voice again, speaking as if from a distance.

.   "I will lend you, for a little time,
.   A child of mine, I said.
.   For you to love the while she lives,
.   And mourn for when she's dead.
.   It may be six or seven years,
.   Or twenty-two or three.
.   But will you, till I call him back,
.   Take care of her for Me?"

She could see his figure through the blur and haze that covered her eyes, the dark bags under them making her appear even more bloodless than ever before. She tried to lift her head, but her neck was stiffer now.

.   "She'll bring the charms to gladden you,
.   And should her stay be brief.
.   You'll have her lovely memories,
.   As solace for your grief.
.   I cannot promise she will stay,
.   Since all from earth return.
.   But there are lessons taught down there,
.   I want this child to learn."

He walked ever closer to her, reaching a hand out to cup her cheek as he continued to recite the odd poem, his voice soft and gentle. There was an odd note in it, something she had never heard before. His hand felt cool on her cheek, brushing against the tears and viscous fluid of her blood. She could not speak, could not ask him if it was truly time for her to die.

.   "I've looked the wide world over,
.   In search for teachers true.
.   And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
.   I have selected you.
.   Now will you give her all your love,
.   Nor think the labour vain.
.   Nor hate me when I come
.   To take her home again? "

And suddenly she felt the strong arm of Ida lift her, her body stretching once more, the pain shooting through her and a whimpering cry escaping her lips as her head lulled down and her master's hand fell away from her cheek. Her legs dragged as Ida moved quickly to the hatch and bassed her to the other Andorian, Irnashall.

.   "I fancied that I heard them say,
.   'Dear Lord, Thy will be done!'
.   For all the joys Thy child shall bring,
.   The risk of grief we'll run.
.   We'll shelter her with tenderness,
.   We'll love her while we may,
.   And for the happiness we've known,
.   Forever grateful stay.
.   But should the angels call for her,
.   Much sooner than we've planned.
.   We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
.   And try to understand."

And as his voice faded away and she was lowered into the darkness of the hatch and the sturdy grip of the Andorian, the world blurred all the more. She did not know how much longer she could hold on, she could feel the cold all around her. She had never felt the cold before, yet she could feel it seeping into her body, sucking whatever she had been. She felt like she could no longer flex her fingers, they were too stiff, far too hardened to move. Her skin was taking on a distinctly brown hue and patched seemed to be drying out. Her hair had lost any luster it had once had, looking now more like a long past wilted flower.

Before that moment none aside from her and those who had made her had ever seen what it looked like when a Teslyliac duplicate died, when a flower wilted and died.

OOC: The poem in this post is A Child Of Mineby Edgar Guest, edited by me to be more fitting (male pronouns changed to female pronouns). I hope you enjoyed it~

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #23 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Below the ZPE Reactor | Precept-ship Versant ] Attn:
[Show/Hide]

Secure the device....yes, I have it, Sarresh told himself as he listened to Ida's shouted orders. Help Hi'Jak - if he needs it, and get to Shall? Where the hell did Shall get off to? The other Andorian....Why would Hi'Jak need...oh. The time traveler looked up, in the general direction of where the other scientist had ascended, securing their path.

"Roger that," Sarresh confirmed for Ida's sake. With only one arm, he could see why Hi'Jak might need assistance. And he was the closest, he reasoned. The orders made sense. Other than the fact that he had to figure out how to carry Hi'Jak and the Omega Device. He looked around and found the body of one of the NCO's. For a moment, he stared, but there was nothing he could do for the fallen man. How had he died? When he'd last seen him he had been fine. What had happened? Did it matter. He knelt and removed the shoulder strap for the firearm he'd been given and haphazardly hooked it to some of the ridges of the device. This, he slung over his shoulder. It would have to do.

"Ready to go, Jack?" Morali called, trying to keep his voice even, as if carrying around the most destructive force he knew of was second nature. Hoping that nothing was leaking out of the strange device. He worked his way back over to the one armed man, glancing again up the reactor they had to climb. He could just make out Ida, working her way up the side of the pulsing device, the nurse that had been with Hi'Jak in her arms. "Please tell me you got everything," Sarresh continued, scowling back at one of the other doors that was starting to show signs of wear, of buckling. It wouldn't be long.

"We haven't exactly got a lot of time here."

Re: Chapter 04: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 0905 hrs. ] The Omega Device

Reply #24 –
Lt JG Hi'Jak | Auxiliary Reactor | The Versant ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Absinthe @chXinya
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Jack attached the pad to his hip, and looked around his one eye taking in the battle that everyone else had fought in, suddenly very glad he was a coward. He looked up to the secured exit, and he groaned. Getting up to his feet some part of him wondered if there was another way he could get out of this room without having to try and climb with this fragile human body and the lack of an arm.

When Moralli was ordered to assist him he nodded, he would probably need the help. When  Morali asked if he had everything Jack nodded an affirmative. "I got all of their research on it, and deleted their originals."

It was a minor victory, but he would take it at this point. With Moralli's help in climbing up to the hatch, the only point where he really needed help was that with only one arm he couldn't pull himself up so Moralli and others had to help him get up past the hatch as they closed it behind him.

Then he noticed that his toy was dying. It was strange to see, he wanted to fix her, but he simply wasn't that kind of doctor. Taking the Pad back out he pulled up the map of the ship. "We have the device where is our rally point?" He asked Ida, their defacto leader, and he was surprised at this moment that she hadn't simply left everyone else to die, or try to kill them all yet.

"Can we pull up a medical station on the map? try and get her to somewhere we can salvage her?" He realized he didn't know Nicotiana's real name, he hadn't cared for it, but using the name now would only confuse others, and that was his name for her, he didn't want someone else trying to use it.

He moved up to her, looking down at those pale blue eyes with his own hollowed out eye his one good one focused on her face. "You'll be fine." He said as he went too looking at his map trying to see if they could find something that would help her, they were in the science labs, perhaps there was a botanical lab on their current level?
 
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