Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found

[Deleted]

Title Stuck Here
Mission Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found
Author(s) High Ambassador Tedak
Posted Tue Feb 08, 2011 @ 2:45pm
Location Private Quarters
Timeline after "briefing"

---

Sometimes, Tedak wondered why he was here and what exactly was expected of him. It had become quite clear to him that he wasn't wanted here, he felt shunned by other departments which usually he had no qualms with as he kept to himself most of the time. Truth of the matter was, he was lonely. He had no friends on the S'harien and most of them he knew, would rather see him gone. He also had no doubt that if it were possible, some might even slip him one poison or the other, or stick a knife between his ribs if they could get away with it.

Fortunately for him, that was unlikely to happen. Not a lethal poison, as he knew he'd been slipped things before that had made him feel ill and unable to perform his duties. Fortunately again, for him, he wasn't one to give in that easily, and carried on as long as was possible to do so, before it would overwhelm him.

Then there was the matter of Rhiana, his 'beloved' and 'most endearing' aide. The young woman had been thrust upon him, with the order to teach her how to be a diplomat, but the woman was simply impossible. He was well aware of the fact that she tried to flirt with him, even seduce him but so far she had little luck as he already was devoted to one woman. Well, two, if one counted his nearly two year old daughter Kassandra. What was worse, Rhiana took her frustrations out on him, and she had violent tendencies that he needed to curb if she was ever to become a full fledged diplomat. The woman was young enough to be his daughter, at that. A child to him, really.

His hand went to his cheek, where the young woman's nails had drawn three even bloody lines and his face flushed in fury. However he had struck back, he who normally wouldn't lift a finger towards someone of the opposite sexe. He had struck a woman, in anger. Tedak shook his head, wondering yet again why he was stuck here. And more importantly, what was he going to do about it?

Sighing, he picked up the image of Kerry-Anne that he kept on his desk and studied it, tracing the line of her face with two fingers. "I miss you," he whispered at it, allowing himself this sentimental moment, before someone would demand his attention again. And demand it they would, some time soon. Hugging the picture to him, he turned to stare out the window, watching the nothingness outside. "What am I doing here Kerry," he murmured, "aside from apparently trying to get myself killed?"

He sat down at his desk and composed a heartfelt letter to her, unaware of Rhiana studying him from a dark corner of his quarters.

[Deleted]

The engines were finally back online, along with sensors, weapons, shields and power. Now that he wasn't so busy getting things back online, he could turn his attention to ensuring that they stayed that way. Main power, for example. Its source in particular was the trouble.

At the heart of the Warp Reactor was, of course, an artificial quantum singularity, an intense gravity well that forced deuterium fired into to it so close together that it fused into helium, even at room temperature. The fusion gave off massive amounts of energy, sufficient to create a warp field; when it could be maintained that is. However the difficulty of sustaining a fusion reaction meant that the reactor could never overload, unlike the farcical matter-antimatter reactors used by the Federation that almost seemed designed to fail.

Keeping the gravity well from imploding the ship in on itself was a series of nullifying emitters that counteracted the effects of the gravity well like inertial dampeners, keeping it confined to the singularity chamber. However, something about the physical properties of the void was amplifying the effect of the emitters, causing them to reduce the intensity of the gravity well itself, driving its strength to the lowest limits necessary for deuterium fusion.

"Hasmek," Mirok said, approaching the Lower Controller operating the reactor. "I need you to lower the power levels for the nullifying emitters to counteract whatever is amplifying them. We have no idea what the proportion of the amplification is, so you'll need to do it manually."

"I'll need command authorization to adjust them," Hasmek said.

Mirok stepped closer to the console and tapped a few keys. "Done. Try not to mess up the calculations on this like you tended to at the Academy."

"Yes, Uhlan."



Hasmek Jaihen sighed as his "superior" walked away. It was a little ridiculous; Hasmek and Mirok had graduated the Academy together, were the same rank, had the same amount of experience, and yet here they were, Mirok the Leader while Hasmek was a Lower Controller.

Granted, Mirok had done fairly well during their studies at the Academy. The two had been in a study group together. Despite Romulans' general distrust for one another, regardless of your species, one rarely succeeded in engineering studies by themselves. While Hasmek had worked frantically to comprehend material, Mirok seemed to coast. He hadn't seemed lazy, just disinterested.

Hasmek had thought that he and Mirok had been the closest thing to friends that competing Cadets could afford to be. He remembered the long night he had Mirok had spent, working at a particularly difficult assignment after others had given up and gone to bed. But now, Mirok seemed so distant by comparison. What had happened to him during their fourth-year training cruises?

[Deleted]

The whir of the engines caused Taev to sarcastically applaud the engineers. "Wonderful job," he muttered, insulting with every ounce of breath he had. "Now that we have engines we can get on with it. Helm, ahead, one half speed." The S'Harien lurched forward, as if it had been sitting motionless for years. Taev thought he could almost sense a patch of dust rustle passed his nose. "Are we receiving any telemetry from the probes we sent out? How big is this void?"

The science officer cowered. "I do not know, sir. They have yet to reach the edge of the field in any direction."

"Then it is safe to proceed." Taev sat in the center chair, immediately leaning to one side. This ordeal, even though it had only been a few days, was testing his patience. Finding out what happened was to be all they did, and now, they lay in a desolate void of space where it seems no one ever flew into. Taev was slowly growing angry.

Suddenly warning sirens began to blare and the ship rocked as if it had been hit by a blast. "What the hell was the that?"

"I don't know, sir."

Taev looked at the sensor operator. "How do you not know? Are the sensors working?"

"I believe so, sir. My superior made sure of it."

Taev then pulled his disruptor from its holster and shot the science officer. "Incompetent fool." He turned facing front. "Set the viewscreen to forward visual perspective." The viewscreen came to life just in time to see a small ship veer on a course ahead of them.

"They're running sir," said the helmsman.

Taev looked annoyed. "Then chase them you fool. We don't need anyone knowing our position."

The S'Harien increased speed and set a pursuit course, following the unidentified ship. The ship was moving in a slightly evasive pattern, but nothing that the S'Harien couldn't handle. The Romulan ship closed in and got in range of the enemy vessel. Taev gave the order to fire forward disruptors. The small ship didn't hold up against the barrage of the disruptor.

"Target destroyed."

Taev sat back down, another angry look on his face. "Slow the ship down and resume heading."

"I…I can't," the helmsman stammered.

Taev again reached for his disruptor. "Why not?"

"The helm is not responding," he hurriedly said. Then, as if mercy was on his mantle, he said, "Wait! we are slowing down, but I am not in control."

"Great," he said, about ready to kill everyone on the bridge. He tapped into the communication system. "Bridge to engine room. Why the hell do we not have helm control?"

He waited for a response.

When nothing came, he said, "Damn engineer. Bridge to Engine Room. Respond."

Nothing.

Taev looked around the bridge, at a small group of terrified junior officers. "Okay. Who wants to tell me why we have no internal communications." He looked around expectantly. "Anyone?" Again, he looked. Calmly, he said, "You are the most miserable mistakes of officers I have ever served…."

"Sir?" came a small voice.

"WHAT!!!" Taev yelled. He turned in the direction of the pointing officer, who was motioning towards the viewscreen. Taev looked through the portal. What he saw even he was not prepared for.

Ahead loomed the largest ship Taev had ever seen. It was easily the size of several space stations. Suddenly, the ship rocked again. It was hit by some sort of pulse. "What was that?"

"Whatever it is sir, its powering down the entire ship. No system is online. Everyone is trapped!"

(Tag All)

[Deleted]

Title Subspace Communication
Mission Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found
Author(s) High Ambassador Tedak & Lieutenant Krieala Vyaln
Posted Mon Feb 14, 2011 @ 10:07am
Location Tedak's Private Quarters
Timeline Prior to Entering the Void and Kennedy's transfer to SB47

---

Things weren't going as well as planned, though Tedak seemed relatively happy with the presence of his young daughter, even if he seemed downright cold and distant towards the aide that had been forced upon him. An aide who constantly tried to seduce him, or kill him. He cared little, she couldn't touch him without risking her own life. Even if he was hated, if he were killed someone would stand up and investigate.

Sat at his desk, he waited for his call to connect. It had taken some time and he even had to call in a few favours to get it done, however at last he was being put through to the Nevada. Drumming his desk impatiently with one hand, he held the little girl tightly clutched to his chest with the other. His face was a mask of anxiety; he hadn't seen Kerry-Anne in some time, even though he had been dutiful and consistent in sending her messages.

Kerry-Anne waited impatiently as the comm channel opened up the second it did a big smile crossed her lips and she said. "Tedak, it's fantastic to see you.. I've missed you so much."

For the first time that day, genuine warmth touched the Romulan's features as he reached to 'caress' the image on the screen. "I have missed you too," he responded, "I wish you were here, with me but it's too dangerous for you.." He didn't need to add that it was for more than one reason she just couldn't be safely here with him. "I've been relatively good," he offered, referring to having stayed mostly out of trouble, rather than to having felt good. "I've someone I'd like you to meet.."

She smiled as she replied. "Your a terrible liar but we'll get into that later." She looked to the lower corner of her screen to see a young girl sitting on Tedak's lap. Kerry-Anne smiled warmly as she said. "Hello Kassandra.. my name is Kerry-Anne it's very nice to meet you."

In response, the girl buried her face against her father's shoulder, who in turn smiled softly. "Well...you know me better than I had anticipated, either that or you've just learned to read me very well," he chuckled, "though I haven't exactly been lying." He turned the girl around. "Kasia, say hello to Kerry-Anne. You'll be seeing a lot of her you know, she's my girlfriend."

Kasia didn't understand that reference, but tied it to the next best thing. "Are you my aunt?" she asked directly, without preamble. Tilting his head, Tedak gave his girlfriend a slight nod, indicating that for now this might in fact be the best way to have her call the doctor.

She smiled as she looked to the young girl. "Yes I suppose I am... Are you enjoying your time on a ship?"

The little girl started to smile, then shook her head. "No," she answered firmly, "I don't. People hate daddy...I feel it."

Tedak sighed, shaking his head. "They don't hate me. Govan does I suppose but I'm not aware of anyone else. Dislike is a better word, I'm very much alone here Kerry-Anne. My only friend is the nurse, Tamir and it's safer for her if she doesn't associate with me much. And my aide...well she's not my friend, whatever impression she might give you. I won't put it beyond her, to contact you and spread lies, so be wary my love. There are only three women in my life, and that's you, this little girl here and T'Val." He had always been honest about his feelings towards his ex-wife, especially concerning the grief they had shared. "Rhiana is cunning, but I can withstand her. You will have to trust me on this."

Kerry-Anne rolled her eyes. "You know me better than that dear.. She would regret trying it... I am not as fragile as you seem to think my love." She replied before smiling. "It should be her you are warning not I."

"I did...and trust me she'll regret attacking me again." he indicated the three blood-crusted lines on his cheek. "I humiliated her and you know it's not my style to strike back at a woman." He smiled. "You are anything but fragile, or you wouldn't put up with me." He froze, listening. "Speak of the devil..."

"Oh that is okay Tedak, I have no problem with her hearing that if she touches either of you again I'll hunt her down.. and I doubt a Diplomatic aide would have the combat experience or the connections I do." Kerry-Anne replied with a smile in stark contrast to the edge in her voice.

She paused before saying. "One of your crew mates owes me a rather massive favour.. several actually, so even if you 'forget' to mention.. I'll hear about it."

"Have I ever hidden anything from you my dear?" Tedak asked, though his gaze hardened a little. There just were a few things he didn't need her to know, not because he didn't want her to but because it would put her in danger. "But you're right she doesn't have the combat experience...she's still very young and she's no match for me." He touched the screen. "You might not have a problem with her hearing, but I do. These are my private quarters and she has no business being here without my invitation. This conversation is private, not for her to hear about."

"Not intentionally my love you haven't.. but when you know I won't like it you can take your time." She smiled and said. "You go kick her out I'll wait."

"I have a better idea," Tedak smirked, then set Kasia on the ground. "Kassandra, why don't you go chase the bad woman out?" The nearly two-year old smirked up at him, before running off. "Rhiana hates her, hates being stuck with her so she'll do anything to get out of caring for her, which is one of her tasks when I'm on duty. I can't keep this call going for much longer, I already called in a few favours to get it done love. When we next enter Federation Space, I'll be sure to take some leave and visit you. I promise."

"I am resigning my commission my love, my time with Starfleet ends in a month.. this is my last rotation.. I'll make sure you know where to find me.. probably on Bajor." She replied before placing her own hand on the screen and saying. "I love you... Stay safe."

Tedak bowed his head in response. "I'll find you," he promised, "we'll be together someday, that I promise too." He didn't need to tell her he loved her, it was quite clear he did. "Be well my love." He signed off and turned to find Rhiana standing behind him. He said nothing and simply waited until she turned on her heels and marched off.

[Deleted]

Seeing that the strength of the nullifying field was getting a little high again, Hasmek nudged the power level down to compensate. Over the previous several minutes, he had been getting a handle on the adjustments necessary, learning what degree of change in power level was required to bring the field strength back into equilibrium with the strength of the singularity. The nudge was matched by a comparable change in the field strength, but then as he watched, the field strength continued to drop, completely disproportionate to his adjustment. Undoing his change to the power level, he found that the previous power level couldn't quite be restored, and it did nothing to the field strength, which not only continued to drop, but the decrease was accelerating.

Turning away from a console across the room as the lights began to dim, Mirok stormed over to the Singularity controls. "This isn't the Academy, you know, Hasmek."

"I don't know why this is happening, okay?! The reactor output hasn't decreased that much, but more than it should, and field strength is falling exponentially!"

"Uhlan i-Dartha, all our systems are going offline!" someone reported.

"Engine Room to Bridge, what's going on?"

After he got no response, he was told, "Internal communications are down, sir."

"Mirok, at this rate, the nullifying field will fail within a matter of minutes."

Without the nullifying field balancing out the effects of the artificial quantum singualrity, there would be nothing to protect the ship from the massive gravitional forces. The ship would implode on itself. This was how warbirds were lost.

"Uhlan i-Dartha, I'm having trouble getting the cloak back online," Centurion R'Mor said as he forced his way through partly opened door that had shut down as well.

"I'm rather busy here, Centurion," Mirok said, neither wanting to nor having the time to explain the situation to him. "We seem to be experiencing a power drain and I'm trying to keep the nullifying field online so that we don't implode."

"Move," R'Mor said, forcing Mirok and Hasmek away from the singularity controls as he pushed his way in. He tapped a few keys, then pulled open a console and appeared to be disconnecting a few things.

"Centurion, may I ask what it is you're doing?" Mirok demanded.

"Just a minute," he said. "There." Turning around and getting up just in time for the artificial gravity to finally to deactivate, he sent himself spiraling through the air.

As Mirok began drifting off the floor, he looked over to try to see what R'Mor had done, only to find the control console dark. "That was your solution, disabling the controls?"

"I disconnected the system," R'Mor said as he finally grabbed a hold of something to right himself. "In my experience, a power drain usually emanates from a single point, an easily accessed source like the shields, and then drains the power from the connecting systems through that point. So I isolated the nullifying field's power circuit from everything else. We won't have control over it, but it will remain functioning. The circuit was designed to withstand such attacks by shielding it."

Mirok didn't bother to thank R'Mor. "Well then, now that the warbird isn't about to collapse in on itself, let's get to work repairing the rest of it," he said as he reached out to swipe a tool that had someone had accidentally sent flying towards his head, sending him spinning.

"I hate it when the gravity goes offline," he said as he grabbed the floor to steady himself.

[Deleted]

Floating on the bridge was an interesting sensation. With only minutes left of life support, if even that, Taev made his way to the various consoles on the bridge. Every one of them was off. The power was off. Everything was simply off. He hoped that the engineering crew were on their toes at this point, though he knew that it was unlikely they were getting out of this situation alive. Taev inhaled deeply one last time, knowing that oxygen was leaving the bridge. The air was getting much more stale. Taev was getting light-headed, as was much of the bridge crew. His eyelids started to close as he was being deprived of oxygen. With the last ounce of energy he had, he turned his head, looking at the bridge crew. Most were already unconscious. He started to slip into the darkness. Then nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An unknown voice said in the darkness, "Was the transport completed?"

"Yes, sir," came the reply. "They are separated in groups of two just as you ordered."

The voice the ordered, "Begin the experiment."

The other man pressed a combination of keys. He looked at the screen, which showed a series of rooms. Each of the rooms had two occupants from their victim ship. He heard a beep, confirming that the air had combined with a reviving airborne medicine. Soon, their lab rats would awaken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


(OOC: Alright. At this point, we have been transported to an unknown location aboard the large ship. The transport beam took the entire crew to this location and split us into pairs and put us in our cells. What your cell looks like and what happens to you for the next couple of posts is up to your creativity. I have selected the pairs myself, [ by random selection of course], so you may not like who you are with. Deal with it. Pairs are as follows:

Kreiala/Taev
Mirok/Tedak
Sural/Tevio

At this point you can assume that you were at some point between fully conscious to wheezing for air when you were transported, though I would appreciate it if not everyone "knew" we were transported. Also, the status of Govan and Dorvel is currently unknown. Hope we find them too.

Good luck.....)

[Deleted]

Title Afloat and Kicked-[word deleted]
Mission Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found
Author(s) High Ambassador Tedak
Posted Mon Feb 21, 2011 @ 10:55am
Location Private Quarters / Unknown location
Tag Mirok

---

Being afloat was a situation Tedak didn't really like being in; for one it made him feel nauseous hence he avoided zero-G practice as much as possible. Besides, as a diplomat he didn't need to be proficient in such a situation, not unless the situation itself warranted it. And this one...certainly didn't. What he liked even less was the rapidly thinning air. With communications gone, he had no way to reach the bridge and he deemed it safer to remain in his quarters with his daughter.

Concern flickered across the diplomat's face as he regarded the limp body of the little girl. She had just lost consciousness and he feared for her life. He reached out, pushing himself off of the desk to reach her, wanting her close as he feared for both their lives. Breathing was rapture now and his head was starting to pound because of oxygen deprivation. Just as he reached her, however, something slammed into him hard and he was barelled into the wall, the breath of precious oxygen he'd been holding expelled from his already burning lungs.

His eyes scanned the room, widening as he saw Rhiana come at him again, wondering where she got the strength. He winced as her high-heeled boot struck him across his solar plexus, sending him head over heels into the other wall. For once he was grateful for the lack of gravity which kept him from dropping to the deck hard. He gasped as she pinned him, using her own body as leverage as well as some part of furniture he couldn't see. As she brought her face close to his, he could see the small mask over her face, allowing her to breathe. Desperate he made a grab for it as she seemed to hug him.

Rhiana reached under the folds of his robes, easily slipping in the small, thin-bladed dagger. The blade poisoned, but not with a lethal one, she applied a little pressure and felt it slide through the soft skin into his body. In her arms the severely weakened ambassador shuddered as he lost consciousness, just a fraction before both were transported away.


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Much to her chagrin, Rhiana found herself in a small room which was occupied only by herself and an unconscious child. Her oxygen mask and weapons were gone, leaving her as vulnerable as the child she so despised.


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Tedak remained unconscious as he was transported into the same room as the chief engineer, the poison keeping him under though his breathing now eased a little even if it remained laboured. The small dagger still embedded in his side, safely obscured from view by the man's clothes, for now.

[Deleted]

Title Attempt to Conspire
Mission Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found
Author(s) High Ambassador Tedak & Uhlan Sural
Posted Wed Feb 23, 2011 @ 2:30pm
Location Tedak's Private Quarters / Sickbay
Timeline after 'subspace communication'

---

Rhiana stole away from the ambassador's room, intent on leaving when he chased after her and roughly grabbed her arm. It was sufficiently rough to bruise but not to break as he twisted her around so she was facing him. His expression was livid as he stared her down. "I told you not to enter my private quarters," he hissed at her, "and I tell you now, Lieutenant Kennedy will make good on her threat if you so much as think to harm her."

"You're hurting me," Rhiana whimpered, making no fight against him. However as soon as he released her she was on him, fist jabbing against his side as she tackled him and worked him to the deck. If he hadn't been caught by surprise, she would never have pulled it off. However, he made no move to fight her off, having no intention of harming the woman. As he had told Kerry-Anne before, it wasn't his style. And to fight meant to hurt. Thus he allowed her to pin him, until such time he could safely remove her. "You're mine ambassador," she hissed, trying to kiss him but failing as he twisted his head to the side. "Oh you'll come around, trust me." She sat up, gazing down in triumph, daring him to move.

Tedak sat up too, effectively throwing her off him, hauling her to her feet and hurling her out of the room into the corridor. "Come back again without my invitation Rhiana, and I will kill you on the count of trespassing. Try me."

But Rhiana had enough. Gathering up her robes she hurried away to sickbay, stepping up to Sural without pause, thrusting her bruised arms right under his nose. "What do you make of this?" she demanded of him.

Sural paused and looked at Rhiana,

"They look like bruises to me. One moment and I ll get a Dermal Regenerator and they'll be gone just like that" he moved to an equipment tray and picked up the correct device and began to apply it to the womans outstretched arm.

"Look at the patterns doctor," Rhiana demanded, pushing the device away. "I was attacked."

"In that case I suggest you speak to security. Now hold still whilst I fix you up."

Grimfaced, the young woman held her arms still. "I doubt security will go and arrest a diplomat," she huffed.

"And I very much doubt a Doctor even on my standing would be able to arrest him either. Your persistence suggests you have more to say on the matter."

"You like the man as much as I do," Rhiana continued, "I'm sure you can do something to discredit him." She smiled sweetly. "I'll make it worth your while, of course...but I want him to pay for what he did to me. He struck me too..."

Sural paused in the application of the dermal regenrator and looked at her squarely, "Madam. I m not sure you are thinking clearly. You are asking a senior member of this crew, who you barely know to act against as senior diplomat. Does that not seem somewhat risky to you?"

"I know you don't like him. I know Commander Echal likes him even less, doesn't even want him on board. What better way to get rid of him, than to discredit and disgrace him? I'm sure you got some dirt on the man, aside from this." She indicated her half-healed bruises. "Not the first time he did this either. And he set that monster of his up against me too, while he has me take care of that monster."

"I see" Sural mused "And how will this help me as a doctor? That is after all my role here."

"It'd keep him out of your way... I heard him offer help..." She smiled sweetly. "Plus I'll owe you so if you ever need anything that I can get you, all you have to do is tell me. Covertly of course."

"Surely my removing him from your way would in the same way remove him from yours. Look madam I ll put it to you straight. I am Doctor not a vigiliante. I also will not do anything to upset the uneasy balance I have struck with Echal. " He watched the annoyance rise in Rhiana and paused a moment, "The best I can offer you my dear is incontrovertible medical evidence of what Tedak did to you for when you approach Security. Because that is certainly what you should do."

"I'll do that," Rhiana answered, realising that there was no way she was going to be able to bribe the doctor and get him to join her. She wasn't out to physically hurt her own boss, not yet, but she wanted his imago damaged. "If you could get the results sent to security..."

"Of course my dear. Just as soon as you make a statement. You're not gonna make me make the accusation. That must come from you. I ll log all this and when they ask I ll hand it over. Now the brusies are all gone."

"Thank you doctor." Satisfied, and yet not quite, the young aide walked out of sickbay in search for security.

[Deleted]

Moving hand over hand along the floor, Mirok got himself over to a console and used it to right himself. Each breath was getting more difficult and less rejuvenating than the last.

"Life Support must have...failed as well," he managed to get out.

"We need to...get it back online....before we all...suffocate...." R'Mor wheezed, floating above him.

"No...way...to...get....there..." Mirok said, but couldn't get anything more out. With no power, the doors between the Engine Room and Life Support wouldn't open. And with no gravity, there would be no way to get the proper leverage to force them open, not in anywhere near enough time anyway.

So this was it. Of all the ways he could have pictured his life expiring, asphyxiated on a defective forsaken warbird, trapped in a subspace void. Mirok simply closed his eyes and waited, wondering whether, if there was an afterlife, would his brother Rhian be there to greet him....

---

As Mirok slowly regained awareness of his surroundings, the first thing he felt was pain. Was the afterlife supposed to hurt this much? As the fog in his mind slowly cleared, he realized he was lying on a hard floor.

Rolling over, bright lights shining at him gave him a headache. Opening his eyes, he looked around to see the ceiling and walls of a smallish room. He concluded that this definitely wasn't the afterlife. That would have been roomier.

The room wasn't of any style of construction he was familiar with. The illumination in the room came from lighted strips along the edges of the ceiling. All the corners of the room were rounded; where the floor met the walls, where wall met ceiling, where walls intersected, none of them came to ninety degree angles. There didn't appear to be any doors that he could distinguish. There was also a faint hissing sound, but given slight movement of the air, that could have been the ventilation system.

A light thump turned his gaze towards its source, and Mirok discovered he wasn't alone. The head jerking towards him, he recognized Tedak. Looking around, the Ambassador appeared to be the only other occupant. Why, of all people, had he been placed with the diplomat? There had been dozens of engineers in his immediate vicinity. Whatever the adduction method that had been employed, why pair him with someone that had been so distant at the time?

The Ambassador kept jerking around, and was clearly not well. "Ambassador?"

Tedak gave no response, other than an arm twitching. Moving closer, Mirok found green blood soaking into his robes near his abdomen. Looking closer, he found a small knife sticking out of the diplomat's abdomen. Mirok was no medic, but he had been injured enough times while in prison to know that the stab wound was the wrong color. The knife had evidently been coated in some kind of toxin.

Mirok carefully pulled the knife. preventing further exposure to the toxin was worth permitting the resulting blood loss from its removal. Despite his hatred for the diplomat - the man's daughter had been right about that - he might need him to get out of whatever mess they were in.

Moving and leaning his ear over Tedak's mouth to confirm that he was still breathing, Mirok's hand now drifted near Tedak's throat. Feeling an overpowering urge that seem to come out of nowhere, Mirok close his hand over Tedak's throat and began to squeeze.

[Deleted]

A last, long and desperate gasp for air as he felt the rest of his body expiring. Thoracic pain originating from tortured lungs trying to extract particles from where there simply weren't any. Or at least, that's what he thought was happening.

The Legate almost choked on the quality of oxygen around him. He'd heaved once more with the desire to remain alive. He coughed, turning on his side and discovering his arms and legs were loosely bound to a hard surface. Despite this bonding he fell off the pedestal - jet obsidian - and on to the harder floor.

And there he lay awkwardly, and tried to recount with failing delirium the last few hours, perhaps days, of his rather stormy life. While routine would lend him an almost musical pattern of cycles and rhythm in day-to-day tasks, the unfortunate circumstance of finding himself struggling for air had broken him. Rather he'd been milling around with insonorous trepidation, all mingled with helplessness and barely contained anger. It all came back to him now.

The impersonable hard floor didn't stop him from silently raging at the other senior staff... It made him nauseous to think he might be indebted to Ambassador Tedak, or Lieutenant Taev Lhoell or any other member of the delusional S'Harien staff.

Why would he owe Tedak again? Something to do with weightlessness and a bright wall of colour; an envelope against which he'd been placed. No clue did he possess of how he'd come to be there, nor of where that was, nor in what sort of timeframe it'd taken place and how long ago. Maybe... Perhaps it had just been a moment ago? When he'd been gasping for air somewhere on the ship?

Where was the ship? He had vagaries of perception of having recently been on it, walking the corridors, mulling over some hazy disaster relating to personnel. Perhaps there had been deaths. He'd been thinking over several Romulan deaths ...... Whose?

These thoughts repeated themselves. He lay there and his mind was occupied with these circulating thoughts, so that he experienced little conception of time. Finally he came out of the sleep-induced state; he began thinking he might perhaps be able to talk.

The Legate groped for his wrist-device communicator; Tal Diann standard issue for the last twenty years.

"Lieutenant... Mor'vhek. This is Ch'varak. Report."

It was perhaps another minute before Tevio realised he was not wearing his wrist communicator. He also at this point became painfully aware of something, and for the first time in this place he knew something tangible which could be acted on, or at least treated with an emotion.. He wasn't alone.

<Tag Sural - my cell partner>

[Deleted]

"Good Morning Tevio" Sural commented from his perch on one of the two low hard benches that seemed to serve as seating and sleeping structures.

Like the Legate Sural was bewildered by his new location. He could not recall how he got here or for that matter where here was. All he knew was that he was in a small cell like room with Tevio Ch'Varak.

"Try to relax your breathing. The atmosphere is obviously low in oxygen. An ingenious way of stopping us from over exerting ourselves in futile attempts of escape. Short breaths will help you better than deep ones." Sural stood up from his jet black bench and crossed to offer Tevio a hand.

"I ve been awake only a moment or two longer than you" he said as the other romulan got to his feet. "And if you can find a door out of this room then you are a better man than me."

Sural moved away from Tevio and retook his seat,

"I m glad I m in here with you. If anyone can get us out of here its the Tal Diann I would assume. Definitely not the job of a doctor. So I ll just sit here and wait for your master stroke." he leaned back and crossed his legs, "Meanwhile we can get to know each other better" he said thinking that this maybe an excellent time to find out where the mans interesting genetic markers had come from, "Ever been to Rator III, what about the disaster.. where were you when Romulus was destroyed?"

TAG Tevio

[Deleted]

Title There's something in the air....
Mission Mission 96.0715: Ehlu u'Tae: Lost and Found
Author(s) High Ambassador Tedak & Uhlan Mirok i-Dartha
Posted Sat Feb 26, 2011 @ 4:54pm
Location Unknown Location
Timeline after being kidnapped

---

Tedak was only semi-conscious when Mirok's hand closed around his throat. He had been brought to awareness when the little dagger was pulled from his body, thereby allowing the slow flow of blood filter the poison from the surrounding tissue. It made him sluggish but not completely unresponsive. In reflex, and that was purely a survival instinct, he lashed out, backhanding the other man in the hope to divert his attention. He was gasping for breath, vision turning grey. "Curious manner of checking a pulse you have," he wheezed.

Mirok rubbed the area that had been struck. "Odd way of showing gratitude that you have," he said. He leaned his hands on the man's chest. "Shall I attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation just for good measure?"

"I don't think that's necessary Uhlan i'Dartha," Tedak replied formally, trying to sit up, "besides from the look of it, you might need further instruction in Romulan anatomy...who did you learn from. A Human?"

"Actually, I was just looking for an excuse to 'accidentally' break a few of your ribs," Mirok said, pulling back to let the diplomat up. It would be more interesting that way.

The diplomat winced as he sat up, memory come flooding back to him. His hand went to his side and he frowned as it came away green. "Really," he replied, looking up, "so first you accidentally strangle me, and then you want to accidentally injure me. Do you ever do anything on purpose?" He glared at the man as he pushed to his feet. "How about you accidentally find a door...or does your engineering oriented mind lack that kind of intelligence." He shook his head, tasting a soft sweetness in the air as he breathed. "Of all the people...I get stuck with a grease monkey."

"Need I point out that the 'grease monkey' is one person likely to figure out how to get us out of here?" Mirok said, standing up himself. Feeling something poking at his chest, he looked down and found that his tools were still in his pocket. Pulling out the thinnest one, he went over to the wall and began to slowly run the tool along it.

"So you claim," the diplomat repied, his tone taunting. "Yet you couldn't even get the S'harien out of that void. How can I believe you get us out of here hm? You are all words, but little action." He shoved the other man aside, wincing as he did so. "Out of my way."

"If you think you can find what is likely a nearly imperceptible seam in the wall with your bare hands, be my guest," Mirok said, proceeding to another wall and continuing what he was doing.

"I am not now, nor will I ever be a guest of yours," the diplomat snapped back, "and these walls are seamless. It's a waste of time to probe them." He pounded on the wall, listening for resonance. He drew his dagger, using the grip as a hammer to get better sound. The blade glinted in the light, casting reflections on the opposite walls.

"And you know that from a moment's inspection at close range?" Mirok shot back. "You'd be more useful with that dagger if you used it to slit your own throat."

"How about I slit yours instead..." Tedak turned, glaring. "In case you forgot, I wasn't always a diplomat. I know my way around impossible scenario's. I probably have seen more danger, than you ever have in that engineering of yours."

"And I wasn't always an engineer. Ever been to prison, Ambassador?" Mirok asked, turning and putting away his tool. "I may have lost my touch while there, but I certainly have regained it since." He assumed a defensive posture.

"Depends on how you define prison. I have suffered abduction and incarceration on numerous occasions. I was accused of murder once." He cast the man a wolfish grin, letting the threat hang even though he had never killed anyone. He prided himself on that, even if he had resorted to other means of subterfuge to hurt his foes.

"Perhaps you're not entirely as useless as I first assumed," Mirok said, approaching slowly while keeping a ready posture.

Slowed by the poison that coursed through his veins, Tedak kept his back to the wall, while circling around. "You assume too much." His tunic was sticking to his side, the dagger still in Mirok's possession. "And that'll be your downfall."

"Well you certainly will not be," Mirok said, sidestepping to keep even with Tedak, shifting the dagger in his hand, trying to decide how best to use it.

To allow for better movement, Tedak shrugged out of his robes, leaving him dressed in a black shirt and black pants, both of which were a reasonably snug fit thereby showing his lean and trained figure. "Of course not." The diplomat smirked, his mind racing. Somehing was wrong, the air was wrong, were they being tested? Yet they had to breathe, they had no choice but to breathe the air they were allowed. The sweetness was strange, very strange, he couldn't place it. Tedak, however, had no intention to be the one to attack first. He fought to keep control over his own power of will, at the cost of his concentration on his opponent.

Mirok keep following him around the room, not wanting to attack first either. As both were clearly trained in fighting, how long would this go on? "And to think that just moments ago, I was trying to keep you alive."

"Odd that it didn't feel that way then." Tedak glanced past his opponent, spotting something higher up. Calmly he sheathed his dagger then took a short sprint trying to run up the wall, reaching with all his might to the ledge he'd just spotted. He reached, but had insufficient strength to haul himself up all the way. Thus, he hung there for a few seconds, holding on as best as he could as he tried to get leverage with his feet.

Mirok looked on in surprise at Tedak trying to get onto the ledge that he had not previously seen. "How did I miss that? Want a boost up?"

"That would would be very welcome. I can hoist you up once I am up."

Mirok came over, took hold of Tedak's feet and pushed up. "Will you be able to take the strain? That wound looked vicious."

Scrambling, the diplomat crawled onto the ledge, which was big enough to hold two people. He lay flat on his stomach and reached down. "Do I have a choice?" he asked quietly, though the strain was audible in his voice. His side was throbbing and he knew he was bleeding again.

"Perhaps...I don't have a knife wound in my side," Mirok said, backing up to get a running start like Tedak had. He ran up to the ledge, jumped and grabbed the ledge and started pulling himself up, trying to swing his legs as he did so.

Tedak grabbed hold of the man's leg and hauled him up, panting for breath as his vision began to swim. He rolled over, taking Mirok with him. "That was...fun..." he breathed, "can... you..." He gestured weakly, indicating the injury and the blood that seeped from it. "Cauterize it ...somehow?"

"Perhaps," he said, pulling his tools from his breast pocket and looking them over. Picking a long thin metal tool that resembled a pair of tweezers and a micro-welder, he placed the others back in his pocket. "I find it amazing that they left me with these. I can use the micro-welder to heat up the metal to the proper temperature. However, with how thin it is, it'll need to be done a few times to cover the whole wound. Are you prepared for that?"

"I can handle it," the diplomat answered, laying back as he closed his eyes, clenching his hands into fists. "Proceed."

Thinking how hot the metal was about to get, Mirok looked around for an insulator. Pulling a rubber cap off another tool, he stuck it on the handle. Careful to hold only the rubber, he placed the micro-welder against it and activated the micro-welder. After a few moments, it was hot enough.

He leaned carefully over Tedak's wound. "Well, you know as well as I do how much this is about to hurt," he said, then winced at the searing sound as the hot metal cauterized the knife wound.

The stench was almost unbearable, but the pain was far worse. Unable to stop it, the diplomat screamed, trying very hard not to. "I...know..." he breathed through clenched teeth, turning eyes that were bright with agony on his companion. "If this works...I owe you."

"You may have the chance to repay me before this is all over," Mirok said, repeatedly applying it until the wound had turned black and no more green blood was appearing. "I think it did indeed work."

"Thank...you." He was exhausted, the agony too much. "Kass...Kasia would be..be proud," he managed, chest heaving with exertion. He was starting to lose the battle with consciousness.

"More like puzzled, I think," Mirok replied. "She thinks I hate you."

"She's right...you do...." He blinked a few times, trying to focus. "Why..." he started, wanting to ask why he did it.

"I guess I fail to see the point of having a diplomat on a warbird. And the suggestions or commands you gave me were usually superfluous. So I saw an unnecessary man doing unnecessary things. And I despise the insistence of the unnecessary."

"Why save me," Tedak managed to ask, slowly starting to slip away. He'd be lucky if he heard the reply.

"Because I also fear being alone," Mirok whispered after Tedak's eyes had closed.

[Deleted]

Taev woke. He felt a sharp pain in his chest from the lack of air. Slowing his breaths, he inhaled deeply. is senses slowly started to come back to him. The first to return was smell. Again inhaling deeply, he smelled the musty and stale air. It was riveting, though not in a good way. Taev started to recognize the smells as they were, but at least he was breathing. His sense of taste seemed to come next as he started to taste what he smelled. Indeed the air was stale, but there was something in the air he could not yet recognize. With what little brain power he had at the time, his senses already baffled him. Next to come was his hearing. At first, his pointed ears registered nothing. Then came the sound of his own breathing. After a few seconds, he could hear the faint sound of a hum. To what, Taev id not yet know. He started to regain feeling throughout the rest of his body. Slowly, he opened his eyes. At first, like his hearing, he saw nothing but darkness. His would eventually adjust. Feeling his arms and legs again, Taev began to feel around him. The ground around felt like cold stone. He slowly rotated his body to continue the discovery and hit walls on both sides. They appeared to be made out of the same material. He tried opening his eyes again and this time started to make out what was around him. It appeared that he was alone in a long stone hall way that was littered with lanterns on the walls all the way down either direction. Taev was most definitely confused by this scece. Unsure of what else to do, he stood up, stumbling. When he gained his footing, he realized the ceiling was barely a foot above his head. He looked down both directions. Taev picked and started walking.

It soon became apparent that Taev was in some sort of labyrinth. He had taken many turns since starting and felt as though he had walked the same path several times. To the normal Romulan, this would be maddening, but Taev had always loved puzzles and thus remained quite calm. He made several more turns to the right and left until he finally found something he was certain was new. Passing through a large stone doorway, Taev found himself in a cavern. It was large, and made of the same stone he had just traversed. The room itself looked ancient, as though it was made to appear historical. He had seen the architecture before, though he couldn't quite remember from where the familiarity came. He proceeded forward several feet towards a window-like cut in the stone that when he looked though it, he saw the entirety of the room. As his eyes spanned the cavern, he hundreds of staircases leading up and down. He saw several bridges connecting staircases and different parts of the room. In the center of the room, quite a distance away from him, he made out a lone figure, seemingly hugging the shadows. The figure didn't move, but appeared to be similar to the body structure of a Romulan. He decided to make his way over to the figure.

It seemed to take forever. Taev walked up and down many flights of stairs, crossed several bridges, and still had not reached the center. Nearly thirty minutes had gone by. He took the time to peer over one of the edges of a staircase to check on his progress. He was well over halfway, but still had several more turns to take. He wasn't by any means out of breath, but he was annoyed with the situation. He had had time to think about what had happened in the last amount of time, whatever that amount was. They had fallen into the void, fixed the ship, only to have it stripped from their fingers. He took his time on the final staircase, which led to a bridge to the center. Before proceeding on, he took a look at the center structure. Four bridges protruded from either side of the structure. This worried Taev, though he could not tell why. He took the final steps across the bridge and approached the figure. It was indeed Romulan. He rolled the limp body over and immediately recognized the face.

"Damn."

Of all the people he could have been trapped with, it had to be Kreiala Valyn. It was maddening. The woman was maddening! She was probably the single most annoying woman who drew breath in the universe. She was obtuse, emotionless, and erratic. No one would have a problem with her being dead. He knelt down beside her and physically checked for life signs. Unfortunately, Taev found a pulse, one he would be glad to rid himself of. He inched his head up and slid his fingers around her neck. As he felt his hand envelop her skin, he gripped tighter, but he stopped. For whatever reason, he stopped what he was doing and removed his hand. Now questioning his own judgement, he lifted her up and leaned her against the wall. He walked several feet away and leaned against the wall, standing with his arms crossed. He waited for the stupid woman to awaken.

[Deleted]

"How long..are we expected...to do this?!" Karok R'Mor exclaimed between panting breaths as he ran.

"You could probably...use the exercise," Hasmek replied.

They had awoken to find themselves on what appeared to be some sort of ramp, angled to a slope of roughly fifteen degrees. The bottom in a pit, which they had been about to investigate the depth of what the ramp suddenly began moving, sliding them down towards the pit like a treadmill. They had had to abandon their attempt in order to begin walking back up the slope, preferring to avoid being forced to discover the pit's depth the hard way. While the slope was gentle enough to easily allow for remaining place or even advancement up the slope, it was sufficient that continued exertion was proving taxing. And the speed of the treadmill had slowly been increasing over time. It felt like they'd been doing it for hours, while in reality it had only been twenty minutes.

"I can't....believe I'm stuck here...with a Lower Controller," Karok said as he continued to run.

"For your information..." Hasmek shot back, "...Mirok and I....were in the same...graduating class...."

"How interesting..." Karok said, trailing off for a moment. "Though the fact that...he is the Leader....and you a Lower Controller...hardly inspires....confidence in your...abilities."

Hasmek reply for a few moments as he stewed at the insult. During the silence, Karok began running faster, slowly working his way up to the top of the slope. "I thought...you were tired..."

When Karok eventually reached the top, he stopped and let the treadmill take him down. Leaning over and catching his breath, he said, "Taking what break I can get."

With the treadmill being a good ten meters long, the pause gave him several seconds of rest before he had to keep running again.

"Good idea," Hasmek said, joining him in the pattern. Shortly, they were going in opposite directions, with one running up while the other took a break and rode down. On one of his downward trips, he asked, "Why are we being made to do this? To test our physical limits?"

"Perhaps," Karok replied. "Though it is more likely a test of our responses. Do we keep up constant grueling exertion....?" He held his thought till he next downward rest. "...Or do we risk escaping it by plunging into a hole of unknown depth." He gestured to the hole as he reached it just before he started running again.

"Willing to risk it?" Hasmek asked.

"Would I still be doing this if I was?" Karok asked. "....this is growing tedious."

[Deleted]

The next few hours, Tedak spent slipping in and out of consciousness. The poison had spread through his system and caused mild paralysis and when he was conscious, he wasn't much aware at all. His mind was wandering and he was alternating between happy dreams and his worst nightmares. He was barely aware of Mirok sitting next to him, and he was not aware at all of the fact that he and the chief engineer were imprisoned together, on an unknown location.

The wound had stopped bleeding thanks to Mirok's tending to it, but what was left was blackened and blistering skin that caused the diplomat a great deal of pain. His shirt had gone stiff with dried blood, though through the black fabric it was barely visible. Tedak had suffered a good deal of blood-loss and woud be quite weak when he regained consciousness again.

Now in a state somewhere between sleep and unconsciousness, the diplomat was shaking his head, murmuring in Rihannsu. Where earlier he had been smiling as he was dreaming of Kerry-Anne and seeing her again, taking her in his arms, now his face was contorted with grief.

He stood between the rubble and debris that had once been a Federation shuttle, surrounded by Starfleet security as well as Debrune security officials. He wasn't allowed to go near the group of medics that had just, ony a few hours ago, carried his young son away. His ex-wife had her new husband to console her, but he had no-one. He stood alone, ignored by everyone though occasionally nudged aside as if he was in the way.

A chill went down his spine as tears welled up in his eyes. He had vowed he wouldn't cry, yet here he stood. His son was dead, and he had no-one to turn to. His only child, murdered and he couldn't give in to the rage or the grief that he felt.

The diplomat gave a choked sigh of grief, a tear dropping down his cheek onto the tiled floor he was lying on. “D'beren...” he murmured, calling out the child's name, over and over again, despair in his voice. His eyes were open, but they saw nothing but the image that was forever burned in his memories. The tiny broken body of his three-year old son, forever still in death once he was allowed to see him and prepare him for burial.

---

Rhiana stared at the little bundle that was lying a few feet away from her. The girl still hadn't stirred and a small part of the young woman was worried. She froze, staring down, wondering what possessed her to be worried about a child that didn't even belong to her. A child that belonged to the man she both hated, and wanted for herself. A man old enough to be her own father, at that.

She shook her head, then knelt down to pick up the two-year old. Children were sacred, even in Romulan society. No-one ever killed a child. No, to hurt your nemesis, you stole their child and placed it in a family where the nemesis could never touch it. Smiling she peered down onto the child's face, cradling her to her chest, softly humming a lullabye. She'd take care of Kasia, no doubt her father was dead by now. She'd take care of the little girl.

[Deleted]

Tevio was silent as Sural directed him in his breathing, he gave no sign of acknowledgement but followed exactly what he told him to do. Pride could hurt many a creature, he voiced in his mind, yet it let insecurity be buried as if to the depths of an ocean. For a time.

He tried pulling at the bonds, stalwartly ignoring the overly-talkative Doctor as he scraped himself to his feet. Breath came short again so he gave up and knelt on the floor.

"..So I ll just sit here and wait for your master stroke." Sural sat back, crossing his legs on the bench he was propped on.

Tevio had to wonder why he himself had been the one perched on a cut block of obsidian in the middle of the cell (as the room appeared to be). He glared at that slab he lay next to and paranoia assailed him; visions of scientists cutting at his skin and making direct incisions into his organs; it shocked his mind.

He shook his head and felt it swim, the room wavering in front of him as if he was suffering from oxygen deprivation, which of course, he had to remind himself, he was.

"Meanwhile we can get to know each other better" Sural's head just visible over the block intoned, "Ever been to Rator III, what about the disaster.. where were you when Romulus was destroyed?"

Shaking off the paranoia, Tevio replied, "That's classified." It was true; a look in his records and one would see that at about the time Romulus was destroyed an event in Tevio's life had been classified under a Tal Shiar code. He coughed. "Classified on my previous commission of course, but the secrecy act still applies."

Sural just stared at him and Tevio felt unable to look away. Only the slab provided any shielding from the Doctor being able to see the state he was in, and that wasn't much. He sighed. "I was disciplining a Federation diplomat and the Romulan officials he'd been collaborating with. And yes I've been to Rator, but not since the destruction of the homeworld." Tevio grimaced as he spoke the words; he'd rarely spoken with anyone about the expiry of Romulus outside of a professional setting...it brought with it emotions that he hadn't felt while enacting those terrible duties in the months following the destruction.

"Have you been to Rator?" he now returned the question.

Groaning sounds erupted from out the cell, not humanoid, probably mechanical, but the tone and length of the sound gave it such a quality. Tevio stared at the one thing that might've been a door - a roughly oval-shaped crack lining the deep grey surface. It didn't move but strangely the bonds on his wrists loosened. He pulled his hands free.

<Tag Sural>

[Deleted]

Sural was not surprised that Tevios past was restricted. He had already tried to access the mans past using the IRS Medical Database and come up short. He hoped however that this incarceration and oxygen deprivation might shake loose the odd tid bit of information by accident.

"Have you been to Rator?" he now returned the question.

Groaning sounds erupted from out the cell, not humanoid, probably mechanical, but the tone and length of the sound gave it such a quality. Tevio stared at the one thing that might've been a door - a roughly oval-shaped crack lining the deep grey surface. It didn't move but strangely the bonds on his wrists loosened. He pulled his hands free.

Sural nodded, "I was on a hospital ship that took in refugees transporting them to safety. I was part of a scientific team surveying the planet for a short while whilst the decided whether or not to make it the new capital or not. Its a fair enough place I will not howvere call it Romulus like some do. Romulus died and to call our new home by that name shames all those that died as if they never existed... still" He paused also hearing the noise outside and realising he was letting his emotions run away with him.
"I wonder why you are bound and I am not?" he mused, "They perhaps realise I present less of a risk.

He stood again and moved to Tevios side and laid a hand on the mans back, Tevio flinched but Sural just scowled. He laid one hand on Tevios sternum and the other on his back, then lowered his ear to the chest. He shussed, forestalling a question from Tevio.

"They have done something to you. Without instruments I cannot tell what. Your breathing is more laboured than should be expected from the low oxygen." he stoppped taking a moment to regain his own breath, perhaps he should take it easier too, he wasnt as young as Tevio, "Your pulse and heart are strong but there is some sort of action inhibiting respiration, I cannot tell if it is biochemical or mechanical. "I am beginning to fell that this room is less a cell and more of a cage, the such that I use in my laboratory."

Sural returned to his seat breathing deeply, casting an eye over the sleek angles of the room and the slight oval. There was no evidence of a door mehcanism, but in a world where transporters were common place doors were not always a necessity.

"Despite my early pleasant conversation, I am starting to believe we are in considerable danger. Might I suggest we leave this place, perhaps I can be your body to enact your minds wishes? I have no doubt you have a plan, your kind always do."

TAG Tevio

[Deleted]

The team leading the experiment had all in turn reviewed the results of the preliminary tests. There were several cells in which the tests were being run as well as several holding cells that housed the crew that were not being tested. They were backups. The one watching the screens turned and walked to the central station of the room. His superior acknowledged his presence and said, “What is it?”

“Cells seven, nine, and eighteen have all been killed. The first set of tests leave us with prime candidates in cells one, five, eight, and eleven.”

Looking over the information, the superior spoke, “Move on to the next phase.” The other man bowed and walked back to his station. He input several commands into the console and watched the screens for visual confirmation.

In cell one, he saw two men. One was leaning over the other, who was obviously having difficulty moving and breathing. A transport beam revealed a box in the corner of the room. The trap was laid.

(Tevio/Sural)

In cell five, the man saw a man and a woman, the woman still unconscious, in a large chasm. He mentally noted his personal sense of satisfaction as he saw the labyrinth. The bridges to the center of the room slowly started to move away, one by one. The process of keeping them to the center platform would take only ten minutes.

(Taev/Kreiala)

In cell eight, two men were running on a treadmill. Lights suddenly revealed the pit below, a large are of sharp edges, where if one fell to, would immediately kill. The treadmill’s incline and speed increased.

(Mirok)

In cell eleven, one man stood over another, who was quite injured. This was the gas room. He saw a door open revealing a much larger room, with some larger more comfortable furniture in place. What they wouldn’t see was the odorless, tasteless gas that was very slowly being pumped into the room.

(Mirok/Tedak)

(ooc: Look in your inbox, PM’s have been sent to each of you regarding some details specific to your situation. Please also note, our captors are going to remain nameless for now. Otherwise enjoy! Taev)

[Deleted]

As Tedak lay unconscious, Mirok pulled the tool back from his pocket and resumed inspecting the wall. Despite the ambassador’s disbelief, there had to be a seam somewhere in them revealing the presence a door. There had to be some way to access the room. While it was entirely possible that the walls were truly seamless, and the room only accessible by transporter, such designs were usually reserved for high-security bunkers. They were far too hazard-prone, relying on the precise interaction of complex systems to ensure access.

A few minutes inspection revealed that there was not just one, or two, but a whole series of millimeters deep seams spanning the length of the wall, space roughly two meters apart. With lack of discernable top seam anywhere along them, any set of them could be it. It was rather difficult to figure out how to open a door when you couldn’t find it. But a door had to be hidden somewhere among them; why else would the ledge be there?

Returning to sit next to Tedak, Mirok noticed the smile on his face. “Figures,” he said aloud.

But as he sat, all of a sudden his side erupted in pain. Gasping at the sensation and clutching his side, the pain went away as quickly as it had come. Looking down at his side, he wondered what might be wrong with him. Lifting his uniform to inspect the site, the location struck him as familiar. Looking over at the ambassador and where he had been wounded…yes, that was it. Mirok was fine; he had momentarily tapped into Tedak’s senses unintentionally and had felt the pain of the wound as if it was his own.

Ever since his psionic ability had emerged, it had been difficult to distinguish its insight’s from his own senses. He would feel headaches out of nowhere, touches when there was nothing there, hear sounds he couldn’t find the source for. When he felt hurt or ill from it as a child, he would run to his mother, who would call the doctor to examine him. Never finding any explanation, the doctor eventually noticed that any of the fictitious ailments Mirok experienced always matched something another member of his family was feeling, particularly the time his younger sister Teillh had a common childhood fever and Mirok complained of similar symptoms, despite having had it and therefore being immune. The doctor deemed them “sympathy pains” and that Mirok was simply intensely concerned about those around him, to the point that he felt what they did. Only during his first attempt of the Academy did he come to realize that truly make a connection between his “sympathy pains” and the thoughts of others he occasionally tapped into, which he had far more readily recognized as coming from others.

Looking back at Tedak and a fading smile, Mirok wondered if he could tap into the man’s thoughts as well. Thoughts were hard enough; he had no idea about tapping into dreams, presuming that dreams were the source of Tedak’s smile. Trying to focus on Tedak’s mind, all he got again was the searing pain in his side again. After that went away, he decided against trying again.

Later, after an unknown amount of tedium staring up at the completely uninteresting ceiling, Mirok heard a sobbing sound, and turned to see Tedak crying. “D’Beren…” the diplomat murmured, again and again.

“Who’s D’Beren?” Mirok asked, leaning over him.

Tedak’s eyes were open, but he paid no attention to Mirok, but only continued to call out the same name, “D’Beren”. Worried, Mirok waved his hand in front of Tedak’s face, but the eyes did not follow the movement. Tedak appeared to have gone blind, Mirok concluded, possibly from whatever that poison was in his abdominal wound, not realizing that the man's mind was simply occupied with images other than those from his sight.

“Great,” Mirok said aloud. “Now I have to figure out how to get us both out of here on my own.”

As if in response, he heard a whirring sound, and wall between the second set of seams from the end receded. Amazed, Mirok got up and went to inspect. He was even more astonished to find the revealed space very well appointed, with inviting furniture. For a moment Mirok was drawn to it, but then the peculiarity of the situation struck him. He had been spent enough time in prison to know that captors didn’t just give prisoners lavish accommodations. There had to be something else going on here.

He went back over to his cellmate. “Tedak? I don’t know if you can hear me, but a door opened to reveal some furniture. It looks too comfortable for this not to be some kind of trap. It probably isn’t safe to stay here, but I thought I would make you more comfortable while I find a way out.”

Placing his hands under Tedak’s arms, Mirok began dragging the ambassador towards the door.

[Deleted]

Through the fog in his mind, Tedak thought he heard his name being called, and when he heard it a second time, he struggled himself back to awareness. He was dimly aware of being dragged, yet he struggled to free himself. Once released, he fought the fog in his mind for the power of will over his body and he crawled towards one of the couches.

"The air..." he whispered as slowly his eyes took focus and settled on the engineer. "...it's wrong, sweet. Didn't you taste it before?" Resting one hand on the seat, he worked himself up into a crouch the other hand folded over the cauterized wound in his side. He was relieved that he was no longer losing blood, but he felt so weak. His face was almost bloodless as he hoisted himself up to his feet, swaying dangerously.

Suddenly there was a high-pitched keening sound to be heard, followed by the cool breeze caused by the fanning of strong wings. A brown dragon-like creature, about the length of the diplomat's arm from head to toe winged in. The little brown hovered before the ambassdor, uttering a mixture of keens, thrills and chirps, as if taking up a conversation. From the sounds, it seemed as though he was both uttering a scolding as well as his concern for the man.

A bronze creature, similar in size if not minutely bigger followed suit, taking perch on the man's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. A smile touched the ill ambassador's face as his eyes focused on them both. "I'm fine," he tried to reassure them but it was clear from their response that they weren't buying it. Their eyes were a spotless white, and where normally at the sign of danger they were speckled with red, now they were all white. It was an eerie sight, and not even Tedak had ever seen them like this before.

Agonizingly slow, he turned to face Mirok, reaching out for him. "We have to get out," he gasped suddenly, "we have to get out now." The firelizards took wing, one of them tugging demandingly at the ambassador's shirt, while the other hovered before Mirok, fanning his face as his wings increased their motion's frequency. "Sev," Tedak murmured, scolding the bronze as he tried to coax Nut to settle down on his arm. "Don't..."

He started to walk away, one slow unsteady step after another, craving a good cold glass of water as his throat was starting to feel dry. After a few paces, he collapsed, causing both firelizards to scream in alarm.

[Deleted]

After Tedak collapsed, Mirok hardly needed any more convincing that their current situation was a trap and that he needed to find a way out. Not that his ability to focus on the task was helped by the flapping and squawking of these…these…what were these creatures, anyway?

These flying reptilian creatures certainly seemed concerned for Tedak’s current state, given that they’d gotten louder when he collapsed. They also seemed protective of him. Mirok waved off the one flapping in his face, and it returned its attention to Tedak.

Okay, so they needed to get out of there. Mirok began looking around the room for a means of escape. In the opposite corner of the room from the door they had come in was another door. Walking over to it, Mirok couldn’t seem to find a door mechanism, physical or circuitry, with which to open it. Testing the edges of the door with one of his tools, the gap between the door and the surrounding wall proved to be too small to be useful.

Looking around the room for an alternative exit, he noticed a vent along one wall. Examining the vent cover, it appeared to be screwed on. Pulling out a tool and working on loosening the screws, he found his body was sluggish and that he was having difficulty concentrating. Whatever had sedated Tedak was clearly beginning to affect him as well.

Opening the vent, it was just big enough for one person. “I’ll be back,” Mirok said to an unconscious Tedak and his…creatures before climbing in. Finding his way to another vent, he looked in. Although his view was periodically obstructed by a set of swinging blades, he could see two Romulans lying on the ground, covered by and sitting in pools of far too much for them to be possibly still alive.

Whatever was being done to them, it didn’t appear that whoever had captured was all that concerned with whether or not they served it. Mirok needed to find a means of escape, and quickly.

[Deleted]

Is this death? Tedak wondered as he roused to lying on a cold stone tile floor, a few feet from what seemed like a comfortable couch. His side was throbbing despite knowing that he was no longer bleeding, but the pain was numbing his other senses. He stirred, pushing himself up to his hands and knees and started crawling towards the couch. His throat was burning dry, and when he swallowed a few times, it remained dry. Panting for breath, he hauled himself up and leaned heavily on the leather piece of furniture, glancing around with fevered eyes.

Sev had followed Mirok into the tunnel and was sending back images to his master; images that made no sense to the delirious diplomat. His fever was so high, he couldn't even think straight anymore. He felt alone and abandoned, and not even his trusted little brown could console him with his tiny chirps of encouragement. He was, however, wondering where they were and who was doing this to them.

Why was he stuck with the chief engineer, a person who he knew would rather see him dead. He had even made that much clear from the start. And where was his daughter? Was she all right? A sob escaped his lips as he thought of his little girl. Would he lose a second child now too? Why couldn't he keep a child; his son was already taken from him, did they have to take his little girl now too? Tears welled in his eyes as his mind raced and his body rebeled against the poison that saturated his cells. "No," he growled, struggling to keep himself upright, "no, you won't kill me like that. I won't allow it, I will fight it."

But it was getting harder and harder; he could barely breathe let alone get back to his feet. Bloodloss had seen to that. Rhiana. She had done this to him, she had weakened him. But why? He didn't understand; she was not a rival, nor a lover. She was his aide and she was young. What had he ever done to her, that she hated him so much. He couldn't think of a reason. At the reasoning of lover, his mind went out to his girlfriend and he prayed that she'd never find out about this. That she would think he died peacefully somehow, not this way. Never this way.

His mind rallied against the heaviness that threatened to overcome him. His breathing slowed as it was getting harder to breathe and he sank back on the couch, too weak to keep himself upright now. "No!" he screamed out, or rather he thought he screamed but he couldn't be sure. His vision was dimming as he fought for consciousness, but he was rapidly losing the battle. He was forced to breathe deeply as his lungs demanded oxygen. Poison from the air running through his arteries, delivering it to tissue and organs alike, Tedak lost his battle and slipped back into unconsciousness and further. He was dying.

[Deleted]

OOC: Some of the first couple of lines was contributed by Kreiala.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance.. it is likely to be the last you have, fool.” She said as she stood up a rather condescending look on her face. “I assume strangling people who are defenseless is your modus operandi? Wouldn’t surprise me a pathetic excuse of a male such as yourself.”

She looked around as she pulled a small seemingly glass knife from her boot. “Plastic, reinforced.. to sensors it just looks like part of the boot.” She slid it across the cold hard floor at him. “You may need it.”

"Oh thanks," he said sarcastically, reluctantly picking up the knife. "And don't worry. There will be plenty of time to kill you. I may just let our captors do it for me. Why bother getting my hands dirty with a pathetic excuse for a woman."

Taev felt the platform vibrate with some newfound excitement. He looked around, knowing full well that something was about to change. One of the bridges started to move away from the center platform. Taev raised an eyebrow to the new addition to their situation.

"If you want to live, get yourself moving. I'm not wasting my time carrying you." He took off on one of the moving bridges, knowing their time was probably limited.

Not even hearing the slightest sound that would have signified the Romulan woman getting up to follow him, Taev rolled his eyes at the thought of her very existence. Perhaps he should have squeezed her neck tight enough to feel the life slip away from her. He jumped to the far side of the bridge, which had now fully retracted away from Kreiala. Taev looked back down at her, alone on the top of a cylindrical pillar, awaiting whatever death she was lucky to receive. Taev shook his head and followed the changing path back to the labyrinth. Looking both ways, and knowing full well that he had probably already gone down the path, he chose to go left. The maze winded in many directions, sometimes it even seemed that he was going more backwards than forwards. Nevertheless Taev pressed on.

Taev finally came to another room and thankfully it was a new one. This room appeared to be an exact cube. Taev took note of the dimensions and looked around it for anything useful. Seeing nothing other than a table in the center of the room. He was about to leave, but against his better judgment, he approached it. The table was a little over waist height and made out of a material Taev was unfamiliar with. As expected, he found nothing on the table and turned to walk out, only to realize that the doorway had silently closed! Taev raised an eyebrow, truly getting irritated. He turned back to the table, only to find it gone. He raised his arms in the air, waiting for something else to happen. Looking around suspiciously, nothing happened. Aloud he said, “Now nothing happens!”

Taev yelled out. “Ridiculous. I’m stuck in a room with no way out. Next thing that will happen is the room will start to shrink!”

He was angry. This entire situation seemed utterly pointless. Taev wandered a labyrinth he was certain had no exit, seen rooms that had nothing in them, and been stuck with the most aggravating Romulan in existence. At least he could find solace in her not being around. “Stupid woman.” Taev sat down, mulling over what to do next. His arms were crossed and had anyone been able to see him, they would have easily seen the anger on his face. He stared off into space, only to be drawn by something caught his attention. Raising an eyebrow, he focused in on the wall. It seemed….closer!

Peering around the room, he noticed that all the walls had gotten closer, as had the ceiling. The room was still a perfect cube, but it was most definitely smaller. He stood up, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling. Adrenaline rushed through his body as the room got smaller and smaller. He had been forced to his knees. It was sickening to him, the thought of dying like….this. He couldn’t even describe to himself what was happening. As the walls closed in around him, he thought about dying alone and not having to die with Kreiala. Taev smirked and said, “Hah! It could be worse."

FIN ......

(ooc: so Taev is dead. (well maybe…) If you would please take this opportunity to describe the most horrific way to die in whatever situations you are in. I’d like to see this as a solo from everyone, not including NPCs. When everyone has died (tee hee), I will post again and close us out for this mission. Some questions will be answered, others will not be. Let’s make it a good one guys!)

[Deleted]

In cell one, he saw two men. One was leaning over the other, who was obviously having difficulty moving and breathing. A transport beam revealed a box in the corner of the room. The trap was laid.

Sural left Tevio prostrate on the floor and examined the box. He hoped it contained food or water and was mildly disappointed when he discovered that its contents were much more basic. Inside the thin metal box, were a pair of scalpels a bone saw, sutres, needles, and a single swab.

Sural looked at the contents and then swiftly about the room, he was certain now that someone was watching them. This was far too convenient. He left the box and returned to Tevio's side. He lowered his head to his chest. What ever was inside the chest was now acting very differently. Tevios breathing became more and more laboured until Sural was convinced that the device was now killing him.

He scrambled up and picked up the box. It was obviously a test but Sural wasn't willing to risk letting Tevio die. He looked reluctantly in the box and noted the lask of anaesthetic.
'Just...lie still Tevio. This won't...Hell it will hurt just try and bear it."
Quickly he made an incision and worked his way through the soft tissue to the pleural cavity revealing the neat box. The box was just that. No wires no leads and no contact with any part of Tevios anatomy.

It was then Sural realised he had been played, the device was not causing Tevios problem, that was undoubtedly some medication injected in him, something easily picked up in a standard tox screen. Instead Sural had jumped to the conclusion that the device was responsible. A feeling of dread fell over him as the device began to whir than as reached its highest pitch exploded casting him in bright sparks for a start and then searing pain and oblivion.

[Deleted]

The Romulan lying prone on the couch gasped and then bolted upright, screaming as searing pain tore through the tiniest fibres in his body. He was on fire, he was sure of it, the searing of his skin, he felt it, but when he opened his eyes, there was nothing. He slapped at his clothes, crashing to the ground as his legs would not carry him when he tried to stand. But nothing, no flames, no ashes, no blackened burns. Nothing.

The man curled up in a tight ball, not even caring that the freshly cauterized wound had been torn open and was bleeding again. He was panting for breath, each one laboured and painful. Tedak didn't know how much longer he could take this. With almost nerveless fingers, he groped for his dagger, struggled to sit up against the couch and stared at the glinting blade for a few seconds, before ripping his tunic aside and placing the tip over his heart. He ignored the frantic wails of his two firelizards, knowing full well that if he died, he was signing their death sentence too. But they suffered while he suffered, and he wouldn't do that to them either.

Kasia, He thought with a sob, picturing the little girl's face before he stabbed down with what little strength was left to him. His eyes widened as the blade pierced his heart, then he sagged back, the light slowly fading from his eyes, his hand sliding from the dagger's hilt to come to a rest beside his lifeless body. The two firelizards screamed as they landed on his lap, then went stiff as they too died.

---

The little girl had stopped breathing. Rhiana crouched over her limp body; she might've hated her father, but even she knew that children were innocent. She couldn't let the child die. She just couldn't. "Don't you die now girl," she growled as she pounded the girl's side, forcing breath down her throat. "Don't you die. You can't die."

Kasia however didn't move a muscle and remained unbreathing. Her body was lifeless and no amount of effort could breathe life back into it. "Damn you," Rhiana cursed as she paced her little cell. She felt the air press down hard on her and realised something was wrong with gravity.

Second by second it was harder to stand up, and a scant five minutes later she was forced to lie down as the air was crushed from her lungs as she was pulled against the deckplating. She fought for breath but could draw none and ultimately died a most gruesome death as she choked.