robertsharp
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Post by robertsharp on Dec 4, 2009 5:28:35 GMT
The fill-in tactical officer watched Sharp take command, the freshly red-collared officer taking his seat at the room's rough center. Richards kept his eyes on him, even though of course, he knew that Sharp was not witness to his leer. "Orders, sir?" he inquired.
"LT. I want all non essential equipment shut down that includes the hollow deck,and replicators we will go to star fleet rations. I want all non essential personnel confined to quarters. Re route the power from them to shields and the internal dampers."
tag Richards
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 5, 2009 1:54:19 GMT
(Star drive section)Scott entered Engineering ...
He was more than happy to allow someone else take the Con, because frankly, he had no desire to be the decision maker.
"Sir ..." Scott turned to look at his assistant engineer, who had a puzzled look on his face, "Sir have you ordered the replicators taken off-line ?"
"What ?" McLean said, heading over to read the panel himself, "What the hell ..." he said, smacking the Comm badge on his chest, then hitting it a second time before heading toward the doors.
Fishner watched him go, then shrugging, he wondered momentarily, why anyone would want to shut down holo-suites the drive section didn't have, then watched as several other systems started to go off.
~~~~~~~~~~
"..... dampers are at one hundred percent Commander, the shields are sta ....." Toby Copeland was saying as he saw McLean all but fall out of the turbo-lift. The doors having opened barely in time to allow the annoyed Engineer egress.
"Clear the Bridge." he said, striding toward the Command seats, "I said ... Clear the Bridge ... NOW !"
For several seconds, the Officers present were unsure how to react, but they knew McLean, had felt his wrath before, and were eager not to be in the firing line again. They entered the turbo-lift, Scott waiting for the doors to close before speaking again ...
"Commander ....." Scott said, finally getting control of his anger, "Mind explaining your orders ?"
< tag : Sharp >
"That isn't good enough 'Commander' ... With all due respect, you have almost zero time in the center seat. You turned up here in the proverbial flash of light, and now you are making what can only be described as irrational decisions." Scott said, feeling the man before him was out of his depth, but hoping he'd be proved wrong, "Look. We're in good shape, considering ... We can work together, you keep that seat, I'll run engineering and get us back. But you can't go rationing these people, there is NO need for it."
< tag : Sharp >
"No Commander. I'm far from finished. I can't relieve you of Command officially without a damn Doctor to certify you, but I won't see our return to the planet jeopardized, and if that means confining you ... Then i will ... Believe me !"
Scott walked to the turbo-lift without waiting to be dismissed, and was surprised to see the Officers he'd thrown off the Bridge moments ago, still stood there.
"Take your stations." he said, moving to one side to allow them to pass. Then with a glance at Sharp, he stepped into the lift. He had nothing against the man, and hoped he would start to make the right choices, because if not, Scott might need to make a decision that could end his career .. 'Would that be so bad ?' he wondered as the lift opened on a familiar area ..........
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 5, 2009 2:57:30 GMT
Bethan was falling asleep, her head resting on his legs as the watched a movie. Carl was about to carry her to her room when the door chime sounded. Bethan jumped off the settee as if electrocuted and ran to the door .. "Daddy," the girl called behind her, "There's a man at the door, he's from the hospital I've seen him there." Torek wondered for a second if Blakus had taken him up on his request, of if it was someone entirely more dangerous. As he got up and headed for the door recognized Andae's voice. "You wanted to show me something ?" Vomo said, glancing left and right, even though he couldn't be seen from the street. "Yes. Come in ..." Torek opened the door wider to allow his friend in. Bethan grabbed his hand, almost dragging him toward the living area, "Sweetheart, I need to see Mister Vomo in the sitting room OK. You run up to bed and I'll be up shortly to tuck you in." Bethan placed her most sulking look on her face for a few seconds, before grinning. She said good night to the visitor, then kissed her Father on the cheek before running up the stairs. Carl turned on the light as the two men entered the sitting room. Vomo was confronted with several garments he had never seen before, but suddenly a doubt, had he ?. "I'll just see to Bethan. Help yourself to a drink, you look as if you need one." Carl said, closing the door behind him .... He needed to give Blakus time to feel, see, smell, the garments on the table, hoping some shred of memory would begin to surface. ~~~~~~~~~~After taking time to read Bethan a bedtime story, Carl pulled the quilt up so she wouldn't feel a chill during the night ...... He had no idea whether his Executive Officer would still be in the room he'd left him in, and nervously he went back down stairs. Entering the room, Vomo was sat in a chair. He had the tricorder in one hand, and a red, Command tunic, in the other .. "I'm figuring out how to use this thing." was his only comment as he waved the device for a second. Carl went to the cabinet, taking a glass he picked up an ornate bottle. Golden liquid moved hypnotically inside, and taking the stopper from the top he poured himself a drink. Taking a second glass, he repeated the pour, then held it out to Vomo .. "Do you recognize any of this Andae ?" < tag : Andae >"I do understand. I really do." Carl said, not so much in annoyance, but in frustration, as he knew it was not going to be easy convincing this man, and possibly dangerous, "But you are not Vomo, and at some point you need to accept who you are. Because without your help I can't see us getting out of this. You said you have no knowledge of these Kobaltek. Are you sure the name has never been mentioned, think Andae, think ..." Carl got up and poured himself another drink. He had no idea if he was getting through to this man, or at all for that matter. Vomo, Blakus, he just knew that if he couldn't convince his Exec' then he had little or no chance with the others of his crew ... He took the tricorder from the table, placed there when Vomo had accepted the drink, then scanned himself. Turning the instrument so his guest could see the readout, he waited. Vomo took the device, scanning himself as Torek had done, then looked at the readings. Carl watched him switching between the two sets or readings, puzzlement, then realization forming on Vomo's face. "We are ... Different." Vomo said, looking at Javin, it wasn't a question, but a simple statement, "You are part, Vulcan." Carl grinned. But Vomo stood abruptly, the tunic forgotten, the tricorder held before him. "What is ...... A Vulcan !" .......... < tag : Andae / All >
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 6, 2009 6:06:02 GMT
Vomo moved slowly around the room, feeling as if he had been left with a wealth of treasures, possessed by Javin and put on display by him. It was as if they were mementos, gathered over many years of great adventures. Perhaps Javin was an explorer...
He wandered around, stepping slowly from wall display to wall display, face blank. He wasn't really taking any of this in, if he was honest with himself. Despite his efforts to understand, he found his mind meandering away too easily from the meanings, which may well have been there.
Finally he came back to the table and the clothes upon it. He ran a hand over the red fabric of the vest. It electrified his fingers somehow, not physically but he swore he felt a mental, almost tangible connection to this thing. But what it was, where it came from or what any of it actually meant... -
His eye was caught by the silver thing. Frowning but very curious, he went to the chair that it was placed on, picked it up and then flipped it open. The colourful display-lights played on his face. It was the device Javin had shown him earlier but quite quickly, back up at the hospital.
Lost in thought as he sat there, playing around with the device, he hardly noticed Javin entering the room. Vomo commented in regard to the object then flicked his eyes back down to the display. He believed he'd just got working through some preprogrammed routines, algorithms that seemed to map the layout of the surrounding building and show the location of the people within it.
Javin produced a glass of hamaro. Vomo took it gladly, ceasing to work the silver object so he could drink from the glass's warm, golden contents. "Do you recognise any of this Andae ?" Javin asked with a wave of his hand.
"...No," Vomo answered uncomfortably. Andae was not his name, he knew. Still, he would go along with it; see what Javin had to say. "The clothes, this thing," he indicated the device, "There is the vagueness of familiarity, but nothing precise, or exact. Instead I think more and more that my feelings of familiarity are false; I only believe them because people tell me I should believe them." He paused to place the silver device on a side table, then looked right at Javin. "Do you understand?" he asked.
"I do understand. I really do. But you are not Vomo, and at some point you need to accept who you are. Because without your help I can't see us getting out of this. You said you have no knowledge of these Kobaltek. Are you sure the name has never been mentioned, think Andae, think ..."
Vomo started to speak, opened his mouth to form the words; but in the end just closed it again, shaking his head. "I..." Javin got up, seemingly disillusioned or not happy one way or the other. He got himself another drink. Vomo downed the rest of his, then lifted the glass to Javin, requesting another. He hoped that wasn't improper.
Instead of a drink, though, Javin was forcing the scanning device back into his hand. He scanned himself as he'd just seen Javin do - even though he hadn't been paying much attention. He took note of Javin's bio-readings next to his, then found himself shocked when his result came up half-different. Javin was another species..? What? In a daze he muttered something to that effect, then, stumbling out of the falling chair, he backed up a few steps, inadvertantly flattening himself against the wall with his eyes wild. Suddenly he'd become afraid.
"What is a Vulcan?" he repeated edgily. "A Vulcan. Wait.. who are you, even? I don't... I don't even know your supposed real name."
Javin raised his arms, trying to instill calm in the frightened Vomo. It was too late for that. Somewhere within Vomo knew there was reason trying to break through to the surface: why would Javin scan himself then show that result to Vomo? What use would that serve unless Javin was intentionally trying to scare him.. And that clearly wasn't the case. But Vomo wouldn't let any of that rationalism near.
The tricorder, as he now knew it to be called - not from memory, but from its display - started beeping. It was on the floor, knocked off the side-table when the chair tipped over. Vomo watched Javin, seeing that the man's eyes were darting to the tricorder and back. Vomo dared a glance at it, too. Then before Javin could react he grabbed for it; frantically he flipped it open and looked at the display.
"Back off!" he raised an arm at Javin, seeing in the periphery of his vision the man stepping forward. Then after taking his eyes from it only briefly, Vomo looked back down at the tricorder that he held in his white-fisted grip.
"What is it?" Javin asked, much cooler than Vomo would've been able to manage.
"I.. I think," Vomo squinted at the object's display. He was having trouble understanding, or even reading the screen for some reason. "That there might be a stranger in your house."
Even as he said it, he glimpsed the man, walking quite calmly and silently, into the study lounge they were in. In a sickening moment of foreboding, Vomo realised what this new person was going to do. The man rose his arms above his head, some sort of heavy object in his hands. He was bringing it down on Javin's head...
<Tag Carl> !!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2009 23:12:09 GMT
Imar remained outside Javins house as Vomo entered. Vomo had made remarkable progress and the doctor was hoping that Javin wasn't doing anything to jeopardize that progress. The two men seemed to "meeting" by chance an awful lot. And than there was still the problem of Delik. Nothing in his file told Imar anything he needed to know. Everything there seemed to be going fine according to the paper work but Delik seemed anything but fine.
As he was walking around outside, he saw another figure walk in through the back door of Javins house.
Another secretive person?]/i] he thought as he made his way to a window.
He quickly saw that the new arrival had not been invited as he picked up what appeared to be a heavy statue of some kind and made his way toward Vomo and Javin. Imar quickly made his way to the front door and threw it open in an attempt to reach the other two men with a warning.
"VOMO!" he shouted as he headed through the house. He reached the other room just in time to see Vomo and Javin take action upon the assailant.
<Tag fellas. This hopefully will get me back into it.>
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 7, 2009 0:13:17 GMT
Carl could see that the meeting wasn't going as expected.
Vomo was becoming irate, unsure ..
"What is a Vulcan ?" he said, agitation growing, "A Vulcan .. Wait.. Who are you even. I don't ... I don't even know your supposed real name !"
Trying to calm the situation, as the last thing he needed was Bethan waking and coming down stairs to investigate the commotion, he raised his arms. He could see the screen on the tricorder. It was registering something, but from this distance there was no way for him to read it, so he stepped forward. This move jerked Vomo into action .. he grasped the beeping tricorder off the floor, a puzzled look appearing as he tried to understand the readouts.
"There might be a stranger in your house." Vomo said, looking from the instrument, to the door, then back again, finally figuring out, or 'remembering' what the display showed. But it was too late.
The intruder crossed the short distance between the door and Torek silently. As Carl realized there was someone approaching he turned, but the blow caught him on the side of his head. Consciousness escaped him in the time it took him to hit the floor.
Vomo was stunned into immobility as the man first looked at him, then as if dismissing him as no threat, leaned down to feel Javin's neck .. The shout startled them both !
"VOMO !" ....
Imar ran into the room, seeing Vomo locked rigid to one side, he started to move toward his friend. He was too late to react to the stranger who had been lifting Javin's unconscious body off the carpet, but had dropped him to attack the newcomer. The blow caught him on the arm, the femur cracked at the impact and he fell, pain coursing through his arm and shoulder. This gave the intruder the time he needed, and in seconds, he was gone ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 9, 2009 14:02:12 GMT
It may have been a cliche, Vomo thought, but it was true: it was all over in a flash. Standing with his back against the wall, terrified into inaction, he only watched as the intruder checked the unconscious Javin, but was then beset by the dashing form of another. When people finally stopped moving, Vomo observed, that this newcomer was Imar. He must've been nearby the whole time.
The Doctor gasped as he was struck by the intruder, falling to the ground and sprawling out across the characterful carpet as if petrified. Not far away Javin was lying, barely moving but importantly regaining wakefulness. As for the intruder, he was gone. His departure leaving no impact on the room, he'd slipped away silently but surely speedily.
Quickly Vomo checked Imar, the Doctor was hurt but the extent of it wasn't clear. Vomo got an idea and tried using the tricorder to scan the Doctor. It wasn't all that clear; the device displayed Imar's lifesign and what looked like basic vital statistics, but other than that, there was not too much detail. Vomo frowned at the tricorder, something told him that there was a similar tool that could do a better job.
He glanced tentatively at Javin, the man stirring and groaning nearby. What would be the best move? Vomo asked of himself, looking then to the exit that the intruder surely must have passed through. If he remained here, the intruder might be allowed to escape completely; on the other hand, if he remained then he and Javin might, potentially, be able to work together to find this man. The question was did he trust this unconscious man enough? What if Javin had malevolent intent? There could be no assurance that he held other confusing secrets, and no doubt that he held more arguments of which he would try to convince Vomo were true. Vomo wasn't willing to accept those arguments, not yet; he either needed more evidence or different company, before he believed that he was some officer on a spaceborne vessel.
Unable to choose properly, Vomo followed the course of action that involved not doing anything. That was staying by Javin and Imar's side, waiting for them to wake up. Then he heard someone calling from upstairs. It was the voice of Javin/Carl's daughter. Javin/Carl was suddenly very awake. Vomo couldn't help but ask himself as Javin came to focus on him, would he have woken the man up anyway?
OOC: To fellows: Added just a little bit, we can discuss the next step online sometime. Alternatively, feel free to write something on compulsion - I don't want to control this thread of the story, lol
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 11, 2009 0:55:21 GMT
Carl's first sign that he was regaining consciousness was the sudden appearance of thousands of pin-point specks of light, minuscule suns exploding in his head. This, along with the sudden realization that there was a searing pain in his neck and shoulder. Somewhere in his head he could hear a voice, a small, frightened voice, the voice was a little girls' !
Torek's eyes flashed open. He could see he was face down on the carpet. Pain flashed like electricity in his head as he heard the cry again.
"Daaadddyyyy !"
As he lifted himself to his knees, his head swam, dizziness almost causing him to pass out. But he fought it, and seconds later he pushed himself to his feet.
"DADDY .... WHERE ARE YOU ..... ?"
Carl bolted from the room, his mind barely noticing the man almost cowering against the wall next to the door. He ran up the stairs, almost crashing into his Daughters' bedroom door before it could open. He ran to the bed, scooping the crying six year old into his arms. She wrapped herself around him, pushing her face deep into his shoulder, her small body shaking.
"Hush princess, Daddy's here, it's alright sweetheart ... Hushhh." Carl said, rocking his daughter soothingly, letting the minutes pass as he waited until Bethan had calmed down enough to stop crying. She was fighting to get control of the sobs, and was winning, "It's OK princess."
Carl stood, Bethan now almost a part of him. Quietly moving down the corridor, he went into his own bedroom, glancing down the stars as he passed. Not wanting to try putting his Daughter down, he moved to the bathroom and moved a hidden catch on the cabinet above the sink. Taking a single object out, he checked a setting, then placed it under his shirt, making sure it was well concealed, he left the room and headed down the stairs ...
"Are, are you OK Jav ... Carl ... Is you Daughter OK ?"
Carl looked round the room. Furniture was overturned, in disarray, almost as if there had been a fight. For some illogical reason, he straightened a settee one-handed before sitting himself down. Dizziness and nausea threated to overwhelm him again, but he wasn't about to allow that in front of Bethan, his eye's finally fixing on the man.
"So ..." Carl said, stroking a hand soothingly through Bethan's hair as he felt her falling into a fitful sleep, "Any explanations ?" ..........
< tag : Whoever remained in the room >
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 12, 2009 1:23:40 GMT
Eventually Javin, or Carl, whichever he was to be called - Carl presumably but then Vomo still wasn't sure that the man was even telling truth, let alone sane - came back downstairs. He had his daughter with him, in his arms, and sat both himself and her down on the main couch.
By now Vomo was sitting as well, in a chair of modest proportions. Imar was also present, but it was almost as if half of him weren't there. Vomo spent a small amount of time trying to figure out what the Doctor was thinking, before looking back to Carl, and the now sleeping form of Bethan close by him.
"Explanations.." Vomo repeated the word that Carl had uttered in his question, "I don't know..." Vomo realised something: it was almost as if he was being tested by the man, as if Carl knew the answer - or at least had a theory - and was trying to see if Vomo saw everything transparently enough to be able to see what was really going on, and hence give a reason why the intruder had attacked them so.
"Well," Vomo started, deciding to have another go. He took a breath, "Assuming for a moment that you are right, or telling the truth, then me and you really are first officer and captain of some spaceborne ship, and we are being brainwashed. Perhaps..." he nearly trailed off to nothing, but the look cast on him by Carl - up from the silent child that was his daughter - told him to attempt to continue. "Perhaps... that man was sent to remove us. Perhaps he knows something isn't right with us, that we're not what we're supposed to be, or supposed to be made into." Vomo struggled through the sentences; it was tough for him to swallow his own words, as he did not actually believe in them. Even uttering them from a purely theoretical, hypothetical standpoint required a lot of effort; casting off of assumptions, possible misconceptions and what he genuinely believed to be the truth.
Now he and Carl headed out into the corridor, Imar watching them move and cradling his hurt arm. Vomo felt the Doctor's eyes drilling his back as he stood in the doorway, the man likely wanting to berate Vomo for the preposterous things he'd just said, but simultaneously being in too much pain to speak.
Vomo stepped into the corridor, kneeling on the floor like some ranger sniffing out his targets, trying to calculate where they might've gone. He looked back at Carl, half out of anxiety, before studiously returning to his examination, "Which way did he go?" he asked near rhetorically. "Wait, what's this...?" Next to the wall there was a dark object that seemed rather out of place. Vomo narrowed his eyes; it was approximately the size of two clenched fists, and it looked very much like it'd been dropped.
And now his eyes were attracted elsewhere, at the end of the corridor was an open door. The back door presumably, Vomo thought. The curious thing was, though, that there was a man standing there, mouth agape and body visibly frozen in what might've been disbelief.
* * *
Vomo placed the black case, for that's what it was, on the low-table in Carl's living room (whom was strangely referring to the thing as a 'coffee'-table). He sat back down in the modestly-sized seat and looked around at the people in the room one by one. First there was Imar, trusted friend and Doctor, but also someone that must've been very bemused by recent events. Then there was Carl, second name Torek as the man had just divulged, a key to a personal mystery of Vomo's, but also a person whose trustworthiness was still in doubt. And then there was a man Vomo had expected not to see again: Hwaar, a fellow he'd befriended in the gardens a week or so before his first release. He'd happened upon the scene at the house, and had witnessed something very strange.
"So, what's to make of this?" he asked them all. He went on to relate to the trio everything they seemed to have found so far. The case was empty, it had clearly been intended to hold something, something slightly smaller than the dimensions of the case itself. That was gone. Yet there was something left behind within it. In a small pouch within the case, hidden away quite covertly in fact, there was a card. It was clearly designed to provide access to somewhere... but where?
The clue was in what Hwaar had to say. The man had told them about how he'd been walking past when the back door of Javin/Carl's property burst open, the intruder stumbling out at pace, then amazingly disappearing in a cascade of light tinted the colour of amber. No one believed him, except Carl Torek.
<Tag Carl> <All>
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 12, 2009 2:19:27 GMT
OOC: Lieutenant Richards NPC on Raven
"LT. I want all non essential equipment shut down that includes the hollow deck,and replicators we will go to star fleet rations. I want all non essential personnel confined to quarters. Re route the power from them to shields and the internal dampers."
"Yes, sir." Richards nodded, moving off to enact the orders just given by the stand-in commanding officer. It wasn't too much of a modification to their current situation, he had to admit, but orders were ordered, and he'd better get on with it if he wanted to keep his job as fill-in Tactical officer.
He contacted the lower decks, speaking first to Lieutenant Bisnan. The problem would be finding enough quarters for all the non-essential personnel. This was the stardrive section, crew quarters were naturally in short supply. He opened the channel to the next on the list, "Ensign Mouring, apologies I'm sure you have your hands full. All the people you're responsible for are to be moved to quarters. Tell them to behave themselves in the officers' suites. If you run over with number of rooms, have them go to the cargo bay." Richards licked his lips and closed the channel after the woman had responded.
Richards stepped back on to the battle bridge, moving to the tactical console. "Task complete, sir," he reported to Sharp, who seemed very busy with something or other. "Uh oh..." Richards whispered, after looking back down at his console. The next planet had just revealed some less than favourable atmospheric compository readings to him. But that wasn't the worst of it... the shields were being drained of power.
"Commander Sharp, sir. The shields... They're being depleted." When Sharp responded with incredulity-toned questions and the like, Richards could only stand with his hands raised in defence. "I can't work out the source." Then he remembered what Sharp's previous post before CNO was, and that was COO.. of this very vessel. He would know all about sensor scans and the like. "Sir, you don't have any suggestions, do you?" Richards was never afraid of testing the waters of insubordination, or at least, as this case might better be described by... proper decorum.
<Tag Sharp>
"Commander McLean," Richards called after a tap of a control on his console (to open a channel to engineering), "We may need some enhancements to general systems... shields, structural integrity and navigational deflector very soon. We're about to go through a bit of a nasty planet."
<Tag McLean - Torek>
Richards knew that this next monster of a world was the last one... before the blue world that was their destination itself. But that was a long way past this next planetoid, and thus, they would need one almighty slingshot on this one if they were to get there at a good speed.....
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 13, 2009 12:28:56 GMT
(Star drive section)Two days had passed since Scott's outburst on the battle-bridge. The two men had barely spoken since, but now they were making their final approach to the biggest planet in the system. This sling-shot was going to increase their relative speed by a factor of six or seven, but would come at a price ..
Scott had been informed of the situation with the shields, he looked at the status board, then despite his better judgment, headed back to the Bridge, leaving Lieutenant Fishner in Engineering. With a nod to Sharp he activated the Engineering panel, beginning to double-check his readings.
Something was draining the shields, that was certain, but McLean couldn't pin-point the drain. It was possible the upcoming planet had some anomalous emissions, but he was certain the drain wasn't going to cause too much of a problem as long as the sling-shot went well. He grinned as he noticed he'd crossed his fingers. 'Superstition' he thought.
Almost imperceptibly, the Bridge began to vibrate as the massive star drive section began to impact the planets' upper atmosphere.
"Increase inertial dampers." Commander Sharp ordered, Scott carrying out the order instantly, "We're in for a rough ride."
Scott watched the readings intently as the ship began to fall toward the surface, the effect of the planets gravitational influence fighting every millisecond with the ships' inertia. In the ideal situation, neither would win, but in the process, the ship herself would increase speed exponentially. But this time, something was wrong ..
"Helm, we're dropping below the projected arc. can you decrease our angle of attack by two point five degrees ?" Richards said.
"Trying Sir ..." Erin said, a frown appearing to deepen by the second, "She's fighting me. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to bring her up !"
"Use the forward maneuvering thrusters to lift our bow." Richards shouted over the rising din.
The ship had begun to shake violently now, and Scott was beginning to worry about structural integrity. 'Not that it will matter if the shields fail' he thought.
=^= BRIDGE .. Outer hull temperature is moving toward maximum .. We 'NEED' to start looking at cooling her down some =^=
=^= I see it Engineering =^= Scott yelled.
McLean wasn't sure if Commander Sharp got out of his seat voluntarily, or was thrown out of it, but he was suddenly at the Helm station, gripping the console to steady himself. He was pointing and shouting instructions to Erin Parkin, who was seemingly doing the best she could to follow him. Turning back to the panel, Scott realized that they were in trouble ... Deep trouble ! ...
It was almost impossible to read anything on the panels now, the vibration and bone-jarring shaking was so intense. One thing he could see was the red .. His panel was almost covered in red indicators. The ship was destroying herself ... Without waiting for permission, he transfered ALL the ship's remaining power to the shields, everything, including life support, was channeled into the almost two hundred and eighty megawatts of power produced by the pair of six hundred twenty five millicochrane subspace field distortion amplifiers. Fractures were starting to appear in the bulkheads as the ship began to self destruct ...
If it had been possible to view this from the surface of the planet, anyone looking up would have seen a thousand kilometer streak arrowing through the burning tortured atmosphere. Almost as bright as a second sun passing rapidly across the night sky in seconds.
On the Bridge, the bulkheads and deck plates were shaking themselves apart. The temperature was unbearable now. The view-screen finally gave up, burning itself out in an explosion of shattered plexi-glass, showering everyone with razor-sharp projectiles that embedded themselves into flesh and bone.
"Vanessa" Scott whispered, as his conscious mind finally took the decision to shut down, the Bridge was bathed in a pure white burning light, brighter than a dying star. The natural order, physics, fate ... Life ... Death ..........
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 17, 2009 14:42:38 GMT
Hwaar had told the assembled group that he had watched the stranger vanish before his eyes. Carl looked at those present and it was obvious no-one believed a word.
"It is called a 'Transporter' or more precisely, a portable transport device."
Everyone looked at him to elaborate.
"It can move someone to pretty much anywhere, dependent on power etcetera. From one room to another, one city to the next .. Or, if need be, from the surface of a planet, to a ship waiting on orbit above."
"A ship ?" Vomo asked, skepticism showing.
Carl didn't answer. He got up and moved to the table to look at the case again. He knew it was possible, certain, that the man had transported out of harms' way, but he left the card ... An oversight obviously. Taking the card he showed it to the others.
"Have any of you seen anything like this before. It's some sort of access card by the looks of it ?"
"You know ..." Hwaar said, looking closely at the card, "... I am sure I have seen one of these before. At the hospital."
"While I was being moved from intensive care to the ward, we passed a corridor. There seemed to be unmarked doors down there. I can't be one hundred percent certain, I saw the corridor for a second only, but I do remember there were no location signs, just the double doors at the end." Carl said, frowning a little, "I didn't give the corridor any more thought until I just remembered it."
< tag : Vomo >
"A new ward ?" Carl asked after Vomo gave his thoughts.
"There 'is' some construction being done." Hwaar confirmed.
"We need to take a look down that corridor. I'm going to visit Galla in the morning. I'm not going to mention tonights events just yet. Bethan didn't see anyone, just heard the commotion, so she will be OK at school." he picked up the tricorder, making adjustments until he seemed satisfied, "This, hopefully, will be able to tell me what is down that corridor. But at some point we will need to get in those rooms !"
His guests remained silent. Carl looked at Vomo, Andae, his Executive Officer on the lost Raven and hoped that his doubts would be put aside, because Carl knew he couldn't do much without him ..........
< tag : Vomo & Imar >
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 22, 2009 22:59:07 GMT
"... I didn't give the corridor any more thought until I just remembered it." Carl finished.
Vomo coughed, attracting the attention of the three people in the room - Carl, Imar and Hwaar. "I don't remember seeing that corridor, but I do recall hearing some of the staff talking... They mentioned some 'new works'. Perhaps they're extending the hospital. They might have to now that these... attacks, have taken place."
"A new ward ?" Carl asked, to which Hwaar confirmed that some construction was taking place.
Carl outlined their plans: what he was going to do next, what he saw that the whole group should be focussing on doing. Taking charge of things, Vomo noticed. He was a little alarmed, bemused at Torek's behaviour - perhaps he should've felt aggrieved - but he thought it strangely fitting that the man should be making the decisions like this. Someone had to, and the supposed Captain of the 'starship' Raven did seem the perfect person for it. The man was growing more charismatic by the minute, Vomo thought. Perhaps he could sense that he was gaining more of a hold on this group, and not in a malevolent way either.
Vomo nodded at Torek. "I'm with you," he quietly said. They did need to get in that room. He could see the look on Torek's face, he felt the same as what Vomo felt. That whatever was down that corridor of unmarked doors was of undoubtable importance to their reason for being here, and within it, a way out. Or perhaps, a way off?
It was not 'til later, when Vomo was with Hwaar, that the latter spilt his thoughts. "Vomo," he said, turning to him as they stood in the doorway of Vomo's hotel room. "I don't trust Carl. I don't think you should either."
Vomo gave him an inquisitive, curious glance. Hwaar was not in the mood for mincing words today. "I know what he has to say might seem a little strange," he said, trying to appease the usually pleasant, if slightly smarmy, socio-apartheidistic man. "But I think Javin - ... Carl, is justified in what he says. His words strike chords with my memory. He wouldn't lie to us."
Hwaar eyed Vomo with incredulity, shaking his head disapprovingly. "That's exactly what he's doing, Vomo. Can't you see it? He's trying to use you for his own ends, feeding you lies about your true identity... because that is exactly the kind of thing you want to know... What you've always wanted to know. Am I right?"
Vomo blinked; slowly he backed up towards the bed, sitting on it heavily. By now he had virtually accepted that there was some, perhaps a lot of truth to Carl Torek's arguments. But he had to admit, he hadn't looked at it in this way before. Part of Vomo spoke of his stupidity for not realising this possibility, but the greater part declared that it did not matter either way. Because Torek was not lying.
"He wouldn't lie," Vomo insisted, glaring hard at Hwaar, "I know it."
Hwaar lingered for long moments before eventually turning his back in what might have been disgust. He pulled the door open. "I will see you tomorrow, Vomo. We'll meet at the road to the hospital." The door wafted shut, the sound of Hwaar's footsteps receding along the corridor and down the nearby staircase. Vomo sunk his head into his hands, feeling lightheaded. Strangely, he found himself remembering Tinva, and how he had mistaken that staff-member for some evil apparition - an illusion induced by the strong medication he'd been on, presumably.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Vomo watched the hotelier withdraw his hand, slowly, from the black case. He caught Vomo's eye and then retracted his hand the rest of the way, it shooting below the reception desk as if it were possessed by some serpent. "It's a special memento," Vomo explained with a shrug, feeling very slightly sorry that his tone had been so harsh.
Holding the black case close, like it was some personal shield against the world, only operable if close by his chest, Vomo traversed the distance from the hotel to the start of the road to the hospital. He rounded the corner, coming into sight of the meeting place.
The plan as it stood was for Vomo to meet Hwaar at this point, give him the black case containing the access card and allow him to head off to the hospital by himself. Torek meanwhile would be dropping his child at school, then himself heading to the hospital to see his wife. Vomo would then head to the hospital separate from Hwaar, along a different route and at a later time, so as not to arouse suspicion. He was being hunted, he had to remember, and Carl too. They had to be extra careful from now on. Mrager would then meet the group at the hospital, seeing them individually and secretly at his place of work... away from the cameras, of course.
Vomo had no idea of the time, but he was fairly sure that he was half a microcycle or more late. Thus it was doubly alarming when he found no sign of Hwaar at the meeting place. Could he have left already? "But... he doesn't have the card." Vomo moaned aloud. He hoped that their difference of opinion last night hadn't affected his friend's course of action.
Not sure what to do, Vomo sat on a non-descript rock, hidden away behind a bush at the side of the road. He looked inside the case, reached a hand inside it and with his fingers followed the outlines of where the portable transporter used to be. The shape reminded him of something. Vomo knew he'd always had good powers of visualisation, building up an image of an object from simple touch alone. He knew for sure actually, that for some part of his life he had been without sight. Back there, somewhere in the deep past, there was pure darkness. But the object, he could sense its shape. He'd seen it before, too. Bralzath's office.
<Tag all - OOC: Sorry for the wait ... Not sure how good that post was, but hopefully we can get into the hospital etc. Feel free to write me having arrived there... if not, then I can throw a proper spanner in Blakus's works>
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 27, 2009 1:44:41 GMT
He watched Vomo and Hwaar leave, standing at the door as both men walked out of sight .. He was worried, justifiably in his opinion. Vomo, Blakus, he felt he could count on, but Hwaar, that was something else. He was sure the man didn't believe him.
Shrugging, he resigned himself to the fact there was little he could do about it at the moment. Hwaar would either help, or denounce them ...
Going inside, he gently picked up the sleeping Bethan and headed for her bedroom. Tucking her under the covers, he kissed her tenderly on her forehead before going to his own room.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I'll pick you up as usual sweetheart." Torek said as Bethan ran off to go into school with her friends, managing a wave to him as she ran, "Bye then." he said, grinning. Then he headed for the hospital. He needed to inform Galla of the latest developments, and hopefully find out if she had heard anything.
"Morning." Carl said, kissing Galla, "Any more news on when you can get out of here ?"
"Day after tomorrow if my tests go well." she answered, noticing he was seemingly on edge, and silently mouthed the question.
They chatted for a while, mainly small talk about Bethan and Galla's resovery as nurses came and went, and in the gaps he updated her on the break-in and the meeting, then as a nurse entered the room Javin asked if he was allowed to take his wife into the gardens ... This was approved by the head nurse providing she use a wheelchair which apparently was non-negotiable as one arrived as if on cue. Helping his wife into the chair they left the room and turned right. Galla made no comment and allowed him to go the 'long' way round. As they approached the corridor in question, he slowed, looking down the clinically white and pastel walled passageway. Sure enough there was large double doors at the far end, but no signs that any of the rooms off the corridor was in use. Moving into the garden, Javin found a spot in the shade and headed off the the vending area to get them drinks.
"Could I help ... What are you looking for ?"
Carl turned to the man who had spoken.
"Ahh, hello Vomo, yes, I was asking for Jovian apple juice, but the vendor doesn't seem to know what I'm asking for."
"No. it will do a simple apple juice, but alas it isn't programmed for the more 'exotic' beverages."
"Oh, OK, thank you." Carl said, then whispered, "Five minutes, where's Hwaar ?"
Vomo nodded then gave the slightest of shrugs before smiling.
"Right. Off for my physiotherapy. Hope we meet again soon Javin."
With that Carl was alone. He took the drinks back to where Galla was sitting looking out over the extensive gardens. He gave her one of the glasses as he sat down. Galla wasn't stupid, she knew he was interested in the supposed new wing being built, and knew he was trying to think of a way to get back into the hospital to take a look without arousing suspicion.
"Hunny." she said, feigning a shiver for effect, "I'm getting a little cold, could you go back to my room for my robe. I'll move into the sun for the time being ?"
The momentary eye contact told Carl she was giving him what he needed. He stood up.
"No problem darling, I'll be back in a few moments." Carl said. Then walked back to the doors. he noticed Vomo making his way back toward the wards too.
Within minutes both men were within meters of the corridor ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 31, 2009 0:11:28 GMT
The lost man who thought he was finding himself again - and this time it was for sure - stepped through the awning into the cool shade of the sun lounge beyond. The place was normally utilised by patients, both mentally and physically ill, to recuperate, to experience the natural light of the world beyond, to help them reacclimatise to the real world. His use of it though, was anything but. There was no one present so he sat for a while, plotting on his next move. Well, not plotting as such, as the general plan was already well-laid in his and other heads. Rather it was remembering the plan, running it through his head again to make sure it would work. There was nothing that could crop up that was immediately forseeable but then that was always the way with things. The best way to test the idea was to enact it, and discover the problems along the way. The only issue with that was if he did make a mistake, there might be less-than-desirable consequences. He went on his walk, traipsing down various passageways 'til he came to the one that Carl Torek had identified. It was white, sterile in its disposition, cold as if it were anaemic. Yellow patched, rough in places, gleaming clean and smooth. This was definitely the one, he thought, seeing now the double doors at the end. "Ah, Carl," he nodded to the man, not having noticed him until he was virtually right on top of him. Well trained, he thought. After a brief exchange over who should go first, it was decided that Vomo would take the first few steps down the corridor. He made his way without incident down its length, pulled on one of the door handles. It hadn't looked like it would budge, and it didn't. He glanced back at Carl, swapping a knowing look with the man, before turning back to the doors and giving the dark middle-crack a light kick. He produced the access card, drawing it from the empty black case that once contained a portable transporter. Watching its edge glint in the anaemic light, he brought it down to the level of the door handle and slotted it into the waiting 'card-acceptor'. After a few seconds a blue light flipped to yellow, and there was a small beep sound. Gesturing for Carl to come his way, with his free hand Vomo silently pulled down on the door handle, and quietly as possible, he pushed the door open. He'd been bracing himself for some sort of impact, something he'd have to defend himself from, but there was nothing like that. Rather, directly behind the doors there was a large rack of equipment. "Transporter power relays," Carl's voice said. Vomo jumped slightly, his Captain could be 'very' quiet when he wanted to be. Nodding in acknowledgement, he rounded the large rack of relays, keeping close to them and watching his surroundings carefully. It was obvious that neither of them were supposed to be here, and this extension was not at all what it had appeared to be. Utterly different from the main hospital that had actually been fairly pleasant in appearance. This place was nothing like it. Grey, metallic and unfriendly; exposed. Vomo got an impression that this was Hamaro, its nature and purpose, laid bare. Everything else, the welcoming hospital, the fair hospitality of the people, the very paradise that the world had appeared to be, was nothing other than a disguise. A sense of fear and repulsion hit him; the almost-comfortable now become alien, nefarious design revealing itself, the known now become unknown. He came out of the shadow of the rack. Behind it was a large, roughly circular, raised platform, about four metres across. There was some sort of stand, adorned all over its upper surface with buttons and levers, off to one side of the platform. Vomo watched Carl point his finger at first the platform, and then the stand. "Mass transporter pad; transportation console," he identified. "But where to?" Vomo shrugged, "The same place that the assailant went?" he asked. Neither man spoke. It was a question with no immediate answer. Very shortly after Vomo identified the room as being entirely empty (although he could see further rooms separated by 'bottlenecks' further into the room), the clicking sound of the double-doors being reopened filled the room, diffusing its sense of panic over the two intruders. They dived behind the first cover they could see, a sizeable crate. They watched from cover as two Hamaroans came in, followed, as it turned out, by at least a score of what looked like patients. Quickly they were ushered on to the transporter pad. "Find out why the doors were unlocked," one Hamaroan was saying to the other. The second Hamaroan nodded, stepping back around the relay rack and out of the room. Next there was the strangest noise, a high pitched whine and the sound of vibrating metal, like quivering steel pylons. To his astonishment, Vomo saw the score or so patients disappear in a vast cylinder of wondrous colour and light. "What?" he even mouthed under his breath. Still being caught up in his amazement, Vomo didn't even know that the first Hamaroan had left. He looked at Carl, wondering what the man was thinking. Perhaps he wouldn't have to wait long to find out. <Tag Carl> <Tag Will... Perhaps from your office... we're in the hospital too. >
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 31, 2009 17:06:38 GMT
He ran his fingers along the length of the pen, the tips passing over the ridges in its sides; smoothed corners that proved to be such a tonic, reward for his dextrous touch. He dropped it to one side, and then to the other. Fiddling basically, for there was little else for him to do. Well, little in the way of physical action but more than plenty for his mind to be put to.
He rotated in his chair to face the bank of surveillance camera displays that were behind his desk. They all, as usual, appeared to be in a state of normality. The patients and the doctors acting as normal within, engaged in their slow intertwined dance of medical, psychiatric exchange. Everything working like clockwork, everywhere, except in the one place where he had no camera; the one place that his office was not to see, not because he lacked the authority, but because those that visited him did.
The latest Uamvedi had just been transported up through the dark space to the waiting vessel, its hold now fat with the husks of unsuspecting victims of the world of Hamaro and its many pleasures. He didn't know what the word Uamvedi meant, he only knew that it spelt death for those branded with it.
The pen lay flat on Bralzath's desk, he spun it. The sharp nib rotated rapidly, finally coming to rest. Standing, Bralzath grabbed the small black device from the corner of his desk. Looking down at it as he rounded his desk, he turned it over in his hands. Then, as he focussed his sight directly forwards and instinctively stiffened in his stance, he dissolved in a column of luminescence that extended nearly to the ceiling.
From the darkly lit pipes that lined the corners of the gangway, to the strangely absent obsidian floor, the interior of the vessel gave the impression of deep opacity; not just of sight, but of all the senses. It felt... unknowable, it always had, and as far as Bralzath was aware, it was not by accident. The Kobaltek were secretive in every sense, literally, and they were not going to reveal even the slightest detail to someone such as he.
His movement made no sound as he treaded forward, following the prescribed path that he had been told to follow and had countless times before taken. Every sensation was muted, even his feeling of touch had him rendered in a state of quasi-numbness. Pushing through the light curtains that seemed to intervene constantly in his passage, as if they were designed to hinder his path but not block it - but then even they were not actually there, merely films of light shimmering with the unsourced illumination that threatened to enlighten the place - he came to stand on the very spot that he'd stood so many times previously.
Switching his tired glance to the darkness, the thick grey beyond - there yet not there - he announced himself to the hidden masters of the barge. Fancy he could see them, dark arcs of silhouetted craniums against the nothing-light behind, and perching on their pedestals born of phantasms.
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 3, 2010 14:22:44 GMT
They had been investigating the room for only minutes when the door opened.
"Find out why the doors were unlocked," one Hamaroan was saying to the other. The second Hamaroan nodded, stepping back around the relay rack and out of the room.
Vomo and Javin remained hidden, silently listening to the newcomers, but then they heard something different .. It was a transport in progress. Noisier, less stable too, than what the Federation uses, but a transport nonetheless.
Carl could see the look of shock on his friends' face as the group before them vanished. It must have been a moment of realization for the Raven's Exec' .. Within seconds, the room was again silent but for the stress creaks of the old metallic stanchions surrounding the transporter pad. Torek stood cautiously and moved to the door. Placing an ear against the cool material he could hear no-one outside.
"That was a ....."
"Mass transport." Carl finished, "Now do you believe me."
He didn't have time to think about it now. Vomo was here, that meant something, and the man was obviously trying to come to terms with the rush of information. Carl wished more of his core memories would begin to surface, maybe that would help him accept what was happening. Vomo himself had suggested at the transports destination and Carl could see he was right.
"We need to take a look." Carl said, "But not now ... It is more than likely the receiving room is full of people. I'd suggest we return later in the evening. After late visiting I will take Bethan home, then return ..."
Carl was worried about leaving his daughter alone, but to ask anyone to watch her would leave him open to discovery. On this occasion, he had little choice. But Andae suggested they go earlier, bringing Galla into the planned action, thus Bethan could remain with her mother, occupied, entertained, while Blakus and Torek investigate. This was agreed and both men cautiously left the room.
"The card ?" Carl said, but Vomo had already considered this.
"No. We need to leave the room unlocked. If that man returns he will not expect a locked door, as that would mean someone had left the room after the transport."
"Agreed." Carl said, relieved at his Exec's forethought, "Right, we will meet at nineteen thirty hours. I will make sure Galla is agreed, she will need an excuse should my absence be noticed.
Nodding silently, Vomo walked up the corridor, then without a glance back ward, rounded the corner and out of sight. Carl followed a moment later, returning to his wife's room.
They had things to talk about ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Jan 4, 2010 23:13:54 GMT
They left the door open, closed but unlocked, just as had been suggested by one of them. Carl Torek instructed that they would meet back at this point at 1930 hours. Nodding in agreement as he rounded the corridor out of his Captain's sight, Blakus made his way directly for Imar Mrager's office. After that it would be the exit. His only issue would be keeping his head down and thus avoid the attentions of the hospital staff.
He'd decided that Hwaar was an idiot. The man had not come to meet him, and while confused, Blakus did like to think that he had some idea why that was. Hwaar's argument with him the night before and had been unproductive from the former's point of view. It stood to reason that that was why he wasn't here, and that either meant that Hwaar saw the situation as unsalvageable - he stood no chance of convincing Blakus of Torek's untrustworthiness. Or, he had simply given up his line of argument and consequently seen no reason to meet with Andae the next day; the more likely given the circumstance.
Thus was the push factor that contributed to Andae no longer seeing himself as Vomo. As for the pull factor, the evidence was incontrovertible; everything Torek had told and shown him was the truth.
Soon he was standing at the door of Imar Mrager's office. He knocked twice, hearing no voice, no noise of any kind from inside. He opened the door slowly. "Imar...?"
There was no one in the office. He walked to the Doctor's desk, mildly shocked to see that the large piece of oak was completely unoccupied. None of Imar's usual bits and pieces were there. No briefcase anywhere; nothing.
He stepped outside, looking around for Mrager's assistant, not realising in his worry that the assistant might know who he was, and thus his location revealed to those in charge. For better or worse, the assistant could not be found. What the hell is going on... Blakus nearly said it out loud. Both Hwaar and Imar were missing... had something happened?
<Tag Will>
He ended up going back to the part-wrecked town, not to stay for long though. He collected all his possessions from the hotel room he'd been staying in, and taking a look at the state of the place's furniture, initially made the decision just to leave it as it was. But something changed his mind, and he remained an extra half-hour to clean the room up. He left the place spotless, correcting with his foot the position of the rug as he stepped out the door for the last time. He headed down the stairs, following the spiralling steps to the ground floor and out across the marble flooring of the mid-sized lobby. Stone faced, he handed the keys over the reception desk to the woman receptionist he'd befriended over the last... fortnight? Month? How long had it been?
Once more the white walls, sick with the pale glow of the ceiling lights, were darkened by his shadow. It was 1930 hours; he was now waiting for Carl Torek to arrive. What if something had happened to him? he asked himself the instant question. Bad thoughts filled his head from as deep as the subconscious; was he the only one left? What if Imar and Hwaar had been captured or killed... and now that very same fate had befallen Torek?
Eventually however, the man arrived. For the first few seconds Blakus almost saw Carl as a man returned from the dead, such had been the intensity of his worry. Quickly Torek explained that he had been with his family, they then headed down to the double doors at the end of the corridor. Blakus nodded as his Captain spoke, understanding, and also grateful that Carl had made it easier for him to say what he'd been wanting to for a while, ever since he had seen Carl's relationship with his family at Foundation Day and at his home.
"Carl," he said, as they began reopening the doors to the dark transporter room. "I don't think you should come on the transporter with me. Far be it from me to question you on this, but you should stay with your family, at least 'til I can check out what's on the other side. You need Galla and Bethan, I've seen it; and they need you. If something were to happen wherever this transporter leads to, then..." He trailed off, unsure if it was necessary to say a family might be left without a father. And only now did he realise, he was thinking like a Starfleet executive officer.
<Tag Carl>
Blakus stood on the large transporter pad, wondering if Torek was going to join him or not, and hoping for the latter.
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
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Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 6, 2010 23:51:59 GMT
After making sure Bethan had washed and changed, he brushed her hair before setting it in a pony-tail. Once done they headed back to the hospital ..... As they entered, he noticed Galla's Doctor. He was talking to two nurses and waved at Bethan as they entered. He broke off the conversation and walked to Javin.
"Hello Javin. Hello young lady ..." he said, bowing to Bethan, who grinned and executed an almost perfect curtsey, "I have good news for you both."
"Oh ?" Carl said, as casually as possible.
"Yes ..." Geban said, checking the PADD he held for confirmation, "I am discharging Galla in the morning. She is well enough to return to your home. She will of course need to rest for a while, but it's nothing that wouldn't benefit from a home environment."
"Yipppeeeeeeeee !" Bethan shouted, jumping up and down.
"I haven't informed her yet Javin. I'll leave that to you .. Providing you can beat your eager-beaver Daughter to it. We'll speak later as I have an appointment ... Bye young Bethan."
Carl watched Geban as he walked away. His mind was racing !
It took a few seconds to realize that Bethan had grabbed his left hand in both hers and was almost dragging him down the corridor. As they neared Galla's room she let go and ran ahead. By the time Carl arrived Bethan had already let the proverbial 'cat out the bag' and was arranging where they could go tomorrow 'if' she was allowed to miss school. They didn't have anything important to do, just games really, Bethan was saying, an angelic look provided to enforce her argument ..
Carl kissed Galla and sat quietly while his six year old used all the skills of a High Ambassador to get the following day off. But his mind was in turmoil .. This, effectively was going to be their last 'legitimate' visit to the hospital, and that could cause problems.
He let Bethan argue her case for five more minutes then asked her to let him speak to mummy for a few moments. She was not eager, but finally allowed him a few minutes while she played in the adjoining room ... Carl told Galla everything ... About the room, the attack at home, the equipment they had found, the fact they had concluded there was a ship in orbit, and, the need for him to investigate it, to go look at what was up there.
As he was talking, Galla looked over his shoulder. Through the one-way glass of the door she had seen Vomo. He could not see into the room as the glass was set to 'privacy' ...
"Your friend has just passed. I take it you are meeting him ?" she said, making it more comment than question.
Carl nodded.
"We need to do this Galla. It may be the only way to save these people, and, the only way to save you and Bethan ..."
Galla nodded, then kissed him tenderly before gently pushing him to stand. Carl nodded, looking at Bethan playing happily before he left the private room.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Vomo. Good to see you again." Carl said, making a show of greeting an old friend, "I trust you are well." he said.
"Ca .. Javin, yes." Andae replied, glancing left and right before moving into the corridor. Once inside the room he moved toward the transporter pad, but slowed and turned to Carl, "I don't think you should come on the transporter with me. Far be it from me to question you on this, but you should stay with your family, at least until I can check out what's on the other side. You need Galla and Bethan, I've seen it. And they need you. If something were to happen wherever this transporter leads to, then ....." He trailed off, unsure if it was necessary to say 'A family might be left without a father.'
Carl looked at the man, his friend, his protector in some ways. It dawned on him that Vomo, Andae, was quoting Star fleet regulation twelve, whether he knew it as that or not, and it made Carl hesitate. His feelings for Galla and Bethan flooded over him. He knew in that moment that he needed them, but he also knew that 'duty' comes first ...
Andae stood on the platform watching Carl in silence as his friend, Captain ?, stepped forward .. He felt the tell-tale grasp as the beam enveloped him, and watched his friend fade from view, to be replaced by something else ...
Carl watched Andae beam away from the platform. He hadn't felt this helpless, no, useless, for as long as he could remember .. But training took over. He checked the room was as before, then slowly opened the door. With the corridor empty, he headed back to his Wife and Daughter.
"Take care my friend." he whispered as he neared Galla's room ..........
< tag : Will / Andae >
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Jan 9, 2010 2:00:45 GMT
The Starfleet first officer watched the face of his Captain fade from view, his features lost among the many sparkling particles of the transporter effect. It occurred to him that this was his first time in a transporter, but of course that was not actually true. Still, he realised, he was frightened to death as the machine took him from the pad, dissembled him, and then remade him.
His reconstructed body came into existence..... Somewhere else. Where was he? Just one thought struck him as he strained for sight into his new surroundings... That it was dark as hell. He could barely make out his own feet as he dared to tread forward a few steps. Strangely, his footfalls were muffled, yet he could feel that the surface was hard and unforgiving. Soon it became clear that he had little idea of where he was going, even though the blackness was not absolute - it was offset by a grey, or rather, it was offset by something that was definitively not black, but not lighter in tone as one would automatically expect.
Experiencing but not understanding - and not even attempting to - Andae kept on stepping forward, one foot at a time, until he came up against a wall. His senses again were strangely muted as he felt along the vertical surface. It felt smooth or so he thought, but something prevented his mind from fully accepting the fact. It yelled at him just one thing: I need more information!
Sorry, I can't give you more information.. he answered his mind, I can hardly feel the ground under my feet, or even the air against my skin in this place.
Not good enough! he could hear his mind screaming. Unbearable sound, he thought, the suffocated mind crying out for fear of sensory starvation; maybe this was the root-cause of claustrophobia.
But there were of course his ears. They could hear, albeit muffled to the extreme, a deep hum, a thrumming that resonated around him. It was part of a natural ambience - if such a word could be used to describe the decidedly characterless setting he was in - inherent to the location. He got the impression that the vibration - as well as the sound of the vibration - should and always would be there, and if it ever faltered then there could be bad consequences. Then it struck him... he was on a ship.
As if by design, Blakus found an exit way out of the dark and sizeless chamber he'd been in. Cracks of sound enveloped him, fled from him, resurrounded and fled once more. This continued, and it finally dawned on the man that the sounds were voices, intermittently volumous and quiet, as if whatever was muting the sounds could not fully blanket them. They were screams, he realised; the anguish was clear. One would rent the heavy, coded air, followed by deathly silence, as if the person had become incapacitated.
He moved as quietly as possible - it was in fact impossible to tell his level of noise - through the ship. Where was he? he pondered; In orbit? There was another opening visible ahead now, stark yet dampened light emanating through it. Inside there were more glowing lights, this time in grey, scarlet and yellow.
Stepping up to the console's display, Blakus checked around him to make sure there was no one present. He couldn't really tell, but his instinct told him he was alone. He let out a previously held deep breath and scanned the console, seeing many sub-menus to open. To his surprise, the text was written in Hamaroan. He read, and read, and was gradually enveloped in a sense of shock.
<To Be Continued - Very Soon>
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Jan 11, 2010 15:16:25 GMT
"They were what?" Bralzath questioned. His tone was fierce, but his words were tempered by the inflections of a man who was tired, in need of sleep.
"Unlocked, sir. I don't know why, there's no immediately plausible answer other than a maintenance worker who got careless, but the place wasn't even open for maintenance today."
Bralzath sighed at the man, collapsing back in his comfortably upholstered desk chair and fiddling with a pen. He was not long back from the Kobaltek transport craft, currently stationed in high orbit; and that experience had been draining enough, without this worry being added to his concerns. "What would you theorise?" he asked apathetically, too weary even to consider the possibilities by himself.
"Well, sir, I think we should look at the possibility of intruders, although admittedly there is no evidence to suggest that at the moment," the man said.
"This hospital has a forensics lab as you well know," Bralzath uttered, "It has use in our more... specialised, lines of scientific investigation. I want an intensive search for fingerprints, skin cells, anything that might give us an indication of intruders. Get to it."
The man nodded and turned on his heel, leaving Bralzath in peace. Very militaristic, the Doctor thought, watching him go; why do they always behave like that around me?
He returned his attention to the pen on his desk, then quickly spun around to see his surveillance displays that were arrayed neatly on the wall behind him. He thought dark thoughts of his masters. It was about time they 'bit the bullet' and installed surveillance for the transporter room. It didn't matter too much that the eyes of the patients could see what lay in that room, if it also meant that they could keep the place secure from intruders.
The Doctor slid back his chair, padding to and slipping outside his door very quietly, so as to leave the path from the desk to the corridor as undisturbed as possible. Slowly he walked to the communal office, and upon entering saw that there were already half a dozen of the administrative staff of the hospital present. He nodded to them, unsure if he was right in what he was about to do.
"We shouldn't warn them," Geban was saying.
"Warn who?" he asked crisply, taking his obviously designated seat.
It was as if the others had not noticed Bralzath's entry, only seeing him for the first time when he asked his question. Some of them stirred visibly in their seats, a couple staying impassive. Geban was definitely among the former. "The Kobaltek," he sighed.
"Bralzath, we've just been informed that the transporter was used - illegitimately - about two hours ago," another said. "Sorry, but you should've been here."
Bralzath made a pained face, "Quite. And how many were beamed up to the barge?"
"Just the one," said Geban.
"And why shouldn't we warn them?"
Geban froze under Bralzath's inquisitive stare, which was now turned to him. Rigidly he managed a look at his administrative fellows, then turned back to Bralzath. "Because most of us want rid of the Kobaltek. I thought you knew that."
Bralzath pursed his lips, staring not at Geban anymore, but at the part of the wall over the man's shoulder. Geban was a fool, he knew, but the others too? On the bright side, he knew exactly who the intruders had been now; it was clear. But - at least according to Geban - just one of them had transported up; so where was the other?
OOC: Continuation of Blakus's perspective coming soon...
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 12, 2010 21:33:13 GMT
It's possible we will need to leave here soon." Carl said quietly.
He was sat on the bed, holding Galla's hand as they watched Bethan play in the adjoining room. Carl had told her everything now, including the fact of the transporter equipment in the new ward, the ship, or possible ship. He still needed to hear from Andae on that one.
"Where are we going to go Ja ... Carl ... Where could we go where we wouldn't be found ... You have a Dau ......"
Galla stopped talking suddenly, and Carl followed her gaze. In the doorway was Doctor Geban. How much he had heard of the conversation was anyones guess. But if he was for the Kobaltek then they would find out immediately.
"Doctor Geban ..." Carl said, standing slowly, "Is everything alright, there's nothing wrong with Galla's test results ?"
Geban stood, looking first at Javin, then Galla, before finally resting his gaze on Carl.
"Where is your friend, Vomo ?"
"Vomo ?" Carl said, trying to keep the concern from showing in his reply, "I assume he has gone home. We spoke briefly a short time ago as I was coming to see Galla."
Geban remained silent. Looking at the two as if trying to decide on a reply, or, a course of action. Carl was beginning to worry. If this man turned and informed his superiors of their discovery, they would be taken, treated, memories wiped clean. He looked at Galla, then at the six year old girl playing in the next room. How much had they altered the child's mind. Was she programmed for her to know Torek as her Father. That did not matter he decided. Bethan was his Daughter now and he wasn't going to allow her to be harmed in any way. He started to walk slowly toward the Doctor ..
"Carl ?" Galla said.
"You will be discharged at eight o'clock in the morning Galla." Geban suddenly said, not taking his eyes off Torek, "I will be here to formally discharge you then ... You will need to leave the hospital ... All of you ... Understand me." he finished, making the meaning perfectly clear.
They were safe for tonight, but at some point someone would come for them. They watched the Doctor turn then leave in silence. Carl realized he needed to hear from Blakus. They had less than twelve hours to figure out how to get out and where to go. The ship would be the obvious choice, but that would depend on what, or who, his Exec' found up there ! ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Jan 13, 2010 0:19:12 GMT
Reading the lines again and again, instinctively comprehending the Hamaroan writing typed in one of the 'higher' tongues of the planet, Blakus's head felt as if it was awash in the shockwave of a tsunami. Yes, he was aware that Hamaro natives, maybe even people from - he swallowed - other planets, were being effectively brainwashed into a state where they were no longer aware of their true identity. But he hadn't known the full extent of it... not by a distance.
The Kobaltek, as he learnt they were called, were, to put it mildly or maybe even poetically... Mind-eaters. They not only brainwashed their victims - that was just the initial stages of the mind-altering process - the final result had the consciousness, the personality of the victims, emptied; what was left behind was a hollow shadow, an echo of the living humanoid that once inhabited the body. There was, however, not a total lack of consciousness; these 'shells' were alive. The mind though, withered to such a state it was far beyond anything recognisable, was no longer different even in the merest of terms - personality for example.
Such as it was with Blakus and Vomo, Blakus/Vomo realised. ... Which was the original?
A dull sound of a metal-distorted claxon set off in his ear. Panicking he shut himself out of the information console and backed out of the room. As if a heated gas wished to hide itself, he retracted into the corner of the room; or at least, where he believed the corner to be. It was uncertain given that parts of the room seemed to be boundless. Just a dark expansive volume, he thought; dark and infinite.
Against the cold, dusty light source he saw a silhouetted figure. Eventually he could make out, to his horror, that the figure was one of the empty shells: stumbling forward, expressionless face. A darker figure whose dimensions and position seemed uncertain was now behind this shell, closing in and grabbing it with invisible arms. The shell was dragged away, back to the unseen chamber from which the screams emanated. The shell itself screamed, but it soon cut away to a croaky groan and then silence.
Terrified, Blakus let his adrenaline dictate his next move. He walked back through to the information console room, gathering more info for as long as he dared, and then heading through to the room just on from that. He didn't know if it was by design, that the masters of this ship were letting him get this far without discovery, or if he was really evading them. Perhaps, he thought, he was using their own elaborate guises against them; he could barely see anything, so was it such a logical leap to think they couldn't see him?
Something struck with him as he surveyed another empty room of yellowish console displays (they being the only light source in the place). One of the consoles seemed to serve a purpose that was different from the others; perhaps he was recognising it because of his status as a Starfleet officer (whether that life was actually the truth or not - it didn't matter at this stage, he realised).
He happened to be correct. The console was a communications system; having found no means to return to the surface this was what he was looking for.
He scanned for potential receivers and got a list of twelve of them planet-side. Great... he allowed himself to think for a moment before proceeding. Blakus had no clue what a Starfleet transceiver signal looked like. It soon became clear to him - and he didn't like it - that he would have to 'guesstimate' which receiver source was Carl Torek's. He scratched at his nose, disbelieving that it had come to this. Leaning in at the console and thinking of irony, the first officer opened a comm channel.
"This is, Galaxy XO ..... to whomever is on the other end. Over." Blakus frowned at himself. He hoped that if it was Carl Torek, the man would understand the alias he'd called himself by, and at the same time if it was a Hamaroan, that they wouldn't get it.
<Tag Carl>
"Carl, it's Andae, I hope you're alone. I think you ought to come up here; we have some serious problems."
<Tag Carl>
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 13, 2010 22:51:14 GMT
(Star drive section)"Vanessa" Scott whispered, as his conscious mind finally took the decision to shut down, the Bridge was bathed in a pure white burning light, brighter than a dying star. The natural order, physics ...
The pressures on the ship and her crew, cocooned inside their protective shell were tremendous. Raven was falling into the grip of certain death.
~~~~~~~~~~
Fishner climbed out of the Jeffries tube and looked around the devastated Bridge. The view-screen was shattered, seats that had been fixed to the deck were cast aside. But the thing that shocked him was the dead.
Two Officers had been killed, thrown aside as the inertial dampers failed. He moved to Commander Sharp, felt the slightest of pulses and moved to his Chief .. Scott was alive, but Barry had no idea how the man had survived. He checked for breaks, arms, legs, tentatively checked the mans neck and upper spine, but without a medical tricorder he couldn't be certain, though it looked like McLean had suffered no breakages and no spinal trauma.
Satisfied, he stood then checked what sensors were still giving readings .. It looked like the ship was moving upward, possibly, it was hard to tell, away from the gaseous surface of the planet ? .. His only explanation for this was inertia, because they had no power according to the boards, but engineering was working hard on that.
He moved back to the Jeffries tube and shouted down ..
"Two dead .... McLean and Sharp are alive but need treatment .. Parkin is coming round .... Copeland is out cold .... Looks like we're holding an elliptical orbit .... Mesosphere, Thermosphere maybe .... I'm not sure .... Get a Medic up here and get us some maneuvering power !"
"Medic on the way up." came the muffled reply ...
He tried to make the injured as comfortable as possible, them moved the dead to the rear of the Bridge out of the way. One of the engineers, a field medic, climbed out of the tube.
"Start with McLean." Barry said, pushing broken glass off the Ops and Helm consoles. He was guessing at their status, simply on the fact that they had not been crushed to nothingness by the enormous pressure outside, but he needed information and quickly ..........
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 14, 2010 22:52:38 GMT
"I will be here to formally discharge you then ... You will need to leave the hospital ... All of you ... Understand me." Geban said, the meaning unmistakable.
They sat is silence as the Doctor left.
"Did you hear that ?" Galla said frowning.
"Yes, He's warni ......"
"No." Galla interrupted, "There, hear it ?" Carl listened, then yes he heard the muted voice too.
" ...... hope you're alone. I think you ought to come up here. We have some serious problems !"
Carl pulled the bag he'd carried from under the bed and hunted for the source of the voice. He picked up a small badge, arrowhead in shape, it was warm to the touch. as he lifted it to his face he heard a quiet 'beep' ..
=^= Andae .. Andae is that you ? =^= he said into the badge.
=^= Carl .. Captain .. Yes it's me .. Look I'm not sure if anyone else is picking up this transmission so I'll make it brief .. I need you to beam up here =^=
Torek looked at Galla, she was white, the blood drained from her face. He new she was frightened, terrified, but she knew he had to do this if it was going to save them all. She glanced at Bethan, still blissfully unaware of the danger to her six year old life.
"You need to do this Carl." she said, and he nodded in agreement then spoke into the Comm badge again.
=^= I'll beam up now .. Galla will cover for my absence should anyone ask =^=
He heard another 'beep' .. The comm closing he wondered. Without thinking he placed the badge below his vest, against his shirt, where it stuck. He had no idea why he'd placed the badge there, it just seemed the right thing to do ... Looking in the bag, he took out the tricorder and placed that in his belt, covered by the vest it should remain invisible should anyone stop to speak to him en route. Kissing Galla, he got up and left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~
Within minutes, he was approaching the corridor, when Geban appeared from nowhere.
"You are going to the barge." it wasn't a question, but a statement of fact to which Carl didn't reply, "You will need the correct access code, otherwise they will know it's you going up there."
He handed Carl a sliver of glass, similar to an isolinear chip, again he wondered where that information had come from as he took the offered information.
"Use that when you enter the room, not the other mans, they are monitoring for that key. I have told them that i will need to check on the ... People ... sent up so far, so you will not be disturbed. Or at least shouldn't be. But I urge you to get what you need and get back down here. every second you are absent is cause for grave concern among the Hamaroan."
"Can I use the equipment to transport Galla and Bethan to safety ?"
"I have no idea." Geban said, eyes darting up and down the corridor, "That key gets me from here to there, and back .... Now .. Go."
Geban turned and moved away, so Carl went down the corridor, and using the doctors key, entered. Inside he moved to the transporter panel, studying it intently. Yes, it was possible to program in new destinations etcetera. He just hoped that the device on the ship was capable of doing the same.
Entering the key, he programmed a ten second delay then stepped onto the platform. Seconds later he felt the crude grip of the alien device as it ripped his body to component molecules ...
He reappeared in some yellowish environment, everything had a stale, aged look about it. This certainly wasn't some state-of-the-art vessel, that was certain. Stepping from the platform, he put the key into a pocket and lifted out the tricorder. Life-signs sprang onto the screen. Dozens, multiple species. He panned the device left and right until it locked onto something. Moving forward he found what he'd been looking for, but something was wrong. This was a transporter control, but things were missing. Targeting was most noticeable by it's absence. "How the hell do you beam out ?" he said under his breath.
"Doesn't look like we can from here." Andae said, appearing from the adjacent room.
"What do we have ?" Carl asked, looking round the room while Blakus told he all he had discovered.
"Geban said this key beams him back to the ward." Carl said, retrieving the glass-like key, "So we must be able to set co-ordinates, or at the very least get back down to the surface." Andae took the key and moved to the panel. He placed it into a slot and the panel lit up. But the readings meant nothing to either of them. They could beam into a wall or worse still re-appear a thousand meters from the ground !
Both men looked round the room. It occurred to Carl that if Andae had found the Comms, maybe there was a way to broadcast their location ...........
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