Mission 25: Masque of Reality

[Carl Torek]

As they entered the Headquarters of Star Fleet Command, everyone was acutely aware that they could be in grave danger from the somewhat irate Eris. In an obvious fit of pique she had caused the crash of the saucer section of the Raven, and was now making they relive a former episode ... As they entered the mezzanine, Calli halted suddenly, causing the other's to turn in her direction:

The mezzanine is only accessible from the south entrance isn't it ?" she asked, looking round before continuing, "We came in from the quadrangle, which is on the east side of the building adjoining the Academy campus. It looks like our guest is finally making mistakes."

Carl agreed, telling everyone to be wary of subtle, but possibly dangerous modification's ...

~ Ping ~

They all heard the sound. Metallic, yet not quite. More like a ball-baring dropping onto a glass topped table.

~ Ping ~

Carl nodded to Marionette and Peer's to follow him in the direction of the sound, the rest followed closely. Marionette stopped at a set of double doors.

~ Ping ~

Drawing their phaser's Marionette pushed open the doors and entered. The centerpiece of the room, in fact the 'only' item in the room was a large table and chairs. She went on to explain the scene, from a classic Earth novel "Extreme caution is advised. Alice is 'NOT' a nice novel." she said. Carl walked to the table, picking up one of the engraved place cards. He read the name's and looked up before replacing the card and picking up a second, reading this, he looked at the other's:

"It seems we were expected." he said, pointing to the seats.

"I wouldn't advise it Admiral." Aeryn said from the far side of the room, "It is obviously another trap. My recommendation is leave this room and make our way out."

"... and go where ?" Second Lieutenant Yang asked.

"There's no place card for ... Hold on ..." Calli said, furrowing her brow trying to remember something from her childhood, "Yes, This isn't Alice in Wonderland, more a variation on 'Through the Looking Glass' ... My Father used to read these to me when I was a child, but there was never a Black Queen, just the White and Red Queen's ?"

"Intriguing." Marionette said, recalling both novels from her data memory, "Obviously some dark twist on the tail from our host ?"

"Well we certainly didn't follow any white rabbit's down here !" Lieutenant Epps said, eyeing her place card with skepticism, "Not that I can remember the story too well."

Each of them took their seat's as a myriad of servant's flooded into the great hall carrying enormous silver platters draped in exotic foods. No-one spoke as the platter's were laid in the center of the table along it's length. The servant's, all dressed as various playing cards, poured red wine for the guests, then in a show of grandiose bowing, vanished from site in wisps of scented smoke ... Carl had been sat quietly contemplating his place card, and he noticed the other's were doing likewise. Each card held their name, along with a character name from 'Alice' ... He looked at his character written in an extravagant font:

~ Admiral Carl Torek ~
oo00oo
~ The Knave of Hearts ~

Something wasn't right. Each of the team had been given a character, but for some reason, Carl had the feeling it was going to anything but the childish, enjoyable fairy tail that Lewis Carroll envisioned. He tried to remember the story: The Knave had been accused of something, stealing tarts, yes, and was on 'TRIAL !' ... It all dropped into place as he sat there, but then, what about the other's. Would this play out like the novels, he seriously doubted it. A Nine of Hearts card servant flashed into existence and began flustering around the table, urging everyone to eat, they would,'t want to anger the Queen he was saying, all the time looking fearfully over the corner of his card as if expecting someone. He picked up what looked like a chicken drumstick and practically pushed it into one of the Marines mouths. Young took the leg and took a tentative bite before anyone could stop him. Nine was flustering around the table, handing people potatoes chicken, ornate goblets of wine, all the time urging them to partake.

"It's ... Chicken." Lieutenant Scott said, almost shrugging before taking a second bite. Carl gave up, smiling. The one thing Eris couldn't fix was the fact they 'needed' to eat. He leaned forward and took a large piece of the steaming turkey in front of him and took a bite. The Marine was right, it was exactly what they perceived it to be.

"Tuck-in." he said, lifting the glass of wine and taking a drink of the deep red liquid, he could tell it was an old vintage, "Hell, as possible last meals go, this one might rate right up there." ..........

[Andae Blakus]

It wasn't as if Andae hadn't expected this. Such had been the unpredictability of events on the moon's surface - a given considering the sadistic nature of their host - that he knew instinctively that whatever came next would be completely unpredictable, thus predictable by its nature. The heavy wooden doors swung back. He was unsurprised to find that the adjoining room's interior was utter fantasy, regardless of its actual substance. No such place existed in Starfleet HQ; if it did, then the admiralty really did have a comical sense for the antique.

"There's no place card for ... Hold on ..." Calli was saying, "Yes, This isn't Alice in Wonderland, more a variation on 'Through the Looking Glass' ... My Father used to read these to me when I was a child, but there was never a Black Queen, just the White and Red Queen's ?"

"Intriguing." Marionette said, recalling both novels from her data memory, "Obviously some dark twist on the tail from our host ?"

Blakus rounded the ostentatious table, scanning the names on the place cards. He took his seat reluctantly and frowned, regarding the fantastic furnishings around him. He hadn't read either book, having not had the time or inclination, but he did recall that one was based around playing cards and the other a chess game. That link fell into place; the chess game in the main hall, the dinner party here... This was some continuation, an inextricable link from what took place before.

The wispy servants hurried about serving food and were whisked away in a haze of smoke that seemed to filter through the air like a pervasive mist. Andae looked at his place card more closely: Commander Andae Blakus - The Dodo.

He grunted, sighed, dropping the place card. Well this is promising.

There was a sudden commotion from outside the room; blaring horns, fanfare and a lot of raised voices that quickly lowered into reverent mumbles.

"The Queen! The Queen has arrived!" a voice from nowhere spoke.

The doors were flung back and in marched a squad of soldiers, with white, red and gold patterns of the devil's game adorning their shining armour; ever moving, ever changing wispy imagery beneath solid surfaces. Following the guards was a ridiculously regally adorned woman; a lady with some royal authority; the Queen, Andae guessed. He was drawn to her face as she rounded the table to take up a dais that'd inexplicably materialised at the far end of the room. It was clearly Eris. There was a look of the demonic in her eyes, a harsh red that glittered in the warm glow of the room.

"I call this court to order," a voice whispered in Andae's head. He looked around, dazed, fast realising that the others in the away team had also heard it. The guards and the other consorts of the Queen darted about, propelled suddenly by some unseen force

The surreal, hurried ordering of affairs about the Queen's dais reached a crescendo until she loudly announced, "May the trial of the Knave commence. You've been held accused of..." she paused, chuckling quietly, "Causing a dent in my proud facsimile of your HQ. If there are no objections, we will proced with the sentencing."

<Tag All>

[Calli Valente]

Calli, along with Peer's and Tavik, had taken the time to circumnavigate the room, trying, alas without success, to find an alternate exit route. They returned to the table and looked at the place cards until each found their own seat. After Lieutenant Scott had 'sampled' the fare, they tentatively began to eat. In truth, it was actually very good Calli decided as a sudden cacophony began outside the Hall.

She watched, partly in fascination, partly with a bemused eye, as the 'Black Queen' entered the hall in all her finery. She was propelled to the head of the table, where she rose up above the heads of those before her. The minions scurried around, moving the crockery and cutlery from where she would have been seated, replacing it with the largest tome Calli had seen. The book, over a meter square, and maybe half a meter thick, was opened by two of the cards. They watched as the pages seemed to turn of their own accord until settling on their choice. Eris, or rather, 'The Queen' glanced at the double page before looking up:

"May the trial of the Knave commence ... You've been held accused of ..." she paused, chuckling quietly, as the room darkened, and a spotlight picked out Admiral Torek, "Causing a dent in my proud facsimile of your HQ. If there are no objections, we will proceed with the sentencing. Now, given the seriou ......" the Queen stopped speaking as Calli laughed out loud. She hadn't mean't to of course, but the farcical nature of the whole scene was just too ludicrous to be taken seriously, she stood up and spoke:

"You have 'GOT' to be 'KIDDING' .... Right, this is some sort of jo ...."

"SILENCE in COURT !" the Queen yelled, obviously unaccustomed to being interrupted, let alone laughed at, "Any further outburst from the public gallery will be met with the full weight of the court !" ... Calli could see Carl eyeing her over the chicken leg he was about to bite into. He hadn't said not to continue, but he hadn't given her the OK to do so. She looked at the Queen, who was obviously waiting for her to take her seat. She looked at the other's around the table and slowly, very slowly, reached for the large salad tongues. She helped herself to several item's then replaced the tongues, only then did she sit back down.

"Now." the Queen said, casting an icy glare at Valenti before continuing, "If there are no further interruptions, We shall proceed to the sentencing of the Knave ... We shall forego re-reading the charges. After due consideration, leniency is out of the question. I therefore sentence you, KNAVE, to dea ....."

"Objection !" The Queen stopped talking, a look approaching astonishment on her face. That someone, anyone, would dare to interrupt her when she was speaking was unheard of. She turned to face the speaker, raising her eyebrows as if awaiting an explanation, "You cannot simply sentence someone without them having a fair right to defend themselves and face their accuser." Calli said, casually helping herself to one of those little sausages you find on sticks.

The Queen glared at her for a long moment before frowning. She turned to one of her entourage:

"Is she correct ?" she asked the eight of diamonds, who promptly began to shake, so much so that it was almost impossible to read the card itself. The man looked at the Queen, pleading silently that she decide to ask someone else, but her gaze was locked firmly upon him ... Swallowing hard, he looked at the other cards, each one finding something more interesting to look at than their fellow servant. He turned finally to the patiently waiting Queen, the made the smallest of nod. He vanished in an iridescent display of pyrotechnic's ... The Queen eyed the table with disdain.

"Do I take it that you desire to be the Defense Council for the accused ?" she said, looking at Calli as if she hoped she would accept. When Calli did so, the Queen clapped her hands as if thoroughly happy at the turn of events. She looked at her minions, who to a man cowered from her gaze, until she laughed, then they dutifully joined in, halting the second she stopped laughing, "Then, let me see ... Defense Council will require an Opponent. Hmm, now, let me see ....." she said, looking at the Raven Officer's in turn ..........

[Andae Blakus]

Andae was out of his seat nearly the same second that Calli shouted, "Objection!"

He glared at Eris; this fanciful pretender on her throne, regarding her tome of myriad sentences that could be given out without any actual verdict having been reached. Slowly he lowered himself into his chair, eyes never leaving Eris's for a second - while the look was born of hatred, there was also something bewitching about her eyes... He felt spellbound, despite the fiery evil glitter that lay within them.

Calli volunteered to act as defence council. The wisest choice, Andae thought given the circumstances, although the rest of the senior staff displayed their disbelief that they were continuing to play along with this ludicrous act - disbelief that Andae suspected he was also evidencing.

She won't do it, a prim voice of certainty echoed through his head, 'Queen' Eris doesn't have the guts for it, or the experience. Why do you think your Headquarters' replica was still filled with officers from the other two Federation ships that had the misfortune of arriving here? Andae looked around, his brow furrowed in bemusement. None of the others seemed perturbed by any internal voices, too preoccupied with the madness being enacted here in this darkened chamber filled with shifting imagery of playing cards, loosely clinging to the unreal bodies of their hosts like shades of men reluctant to leave their living flesh.

Oh, you're the only one who can hear me now, Commander. The others won't understand. You've seen the fortress on the hill... and the Romans. Your own memories; well, passed down the ages through recessive DNA. They won't understand. The voice chided.

"Zielinski...?" he murmured, staring at his cutlery, imagining if he could use the carving knife to stab the playing card guard standing behind his right shoulder.

Polite laughter echoed on the other end of his consciousness. No, I'm not Ben Zielinski. But like your erstwhile comrade, you have seen me before. I've had the misfortune of being murdered, twice would you believe it, by your officers, yet still I decide to help you. Why do you think that is?

"Don't know. Don't care." Andae said, too busy lifting the carving knife from the table and holding it reverse-grip down the side of his chair. A quick spin and a stab at the guard's neck and an escape attempt might begin. But despite his words he was drawn to the bowler hat man's insistent voice.

Anyway, the voice continued, All the Sagan and Emeritus crew are still alive. The other HQ replica is full of them. Any deaths you witnessed were mere illusion. The experience to them would've played out in an entirely different environment, and they'd awoken in another location chosen randomly by Eris. She won't kill you. She lacks commitment. She prefers these... games, the disdain in the voice was clear, but Andae could sense something else, a sort of fearful reverence, a slight worry that he could be punished in the outside chance he was wrong.

Andae was inclined to believe there was some truth in the man's words. He hadn't misled him so far - granted he'd divulged little more than cryptic nonsense, but nothing imminently harmful. "Take me to Zielinski's fortress, if you can, once this is done," he murmured to the voice, rising from his seat.

"I'll lead the prosecution." Andae announced loudly to the court. The officers gasped but were quickly silenced by jabs of the blunt ends of lances from the royal guards.

Eris seemed pleased, if a little surprised, that she hadn't had to pick an officer for herself, "Go ahead. Commander Blakus..."

He glanced at Calli with trepidation, understanding that he was to go first, "Admiral Torek, the Knave of Hearts... Plunged the ship into the atmosphere and collided with your Starfleet HQ; at the whim of an entity, yes, but the incident was ultimately avoidable. I take responsibility for my failure in giving the ship sufficient power to escape the atmosphere, but the Admiral did not play his part to the full." Andae swallowed, these sickening words rotting him inside, but he had to remember this was only a game - he hoped.

<Tag Calli>

"Now let us see what sentence can be given out," Andae continued suddenly, stepping towards the dais, guards mechanically following him, spears pointed at his back. "Eternal imprisonment in this farcical recreation? More playthings for your circus, Queen? Eris?" He stepped forward; there was uproar at the mention of her 'true' name. "That place will be packed to the rafters soon. You're lacking space because you lack the will to kill the drained shells of those people you keep as pets. You're a coward. You wouldn't harm a thing even if it was to save yourself."

"Blame me, then. Kill me instead! If you can," Andae shouted, forcing himself before the Queen's dais.

<Tag All>

[Calli Valente]

"Then, let me see ... Defense Council will require an Opponent. Hmm, now, let me see ....." she said, looking at the Raven Officer's in turn ... Calli was sat, quietly contemplating the fact that no-one would stand up for prosecute the Admiral as Eris made a show of looking at each of the Raven's crew in turn ... Apparently, she was wrong !

"I will lead the prosecution." Andae announced loudly to the court. He looked at Calli, unable to decipher the expression on the Commander's face. He strolled around the large table until he reached Carl, who was sat quietly contemplating the pattern on the table cloth. In some way he was glad that his friend didn't look at him, as he may have had second thoughts. He stood behind Torek and pointed at the back of his head:

"..... I take responsibility for my failure in giving the ship sufficient power to escape the atmosphere, but the Admiral did not play his part to the full." Blakus declared.

"OBJECTION !" Calli said, rising to her feet quickly to the jarring jibes of the servants, and the Black Queen, "Admiral Torek was helpless in the destruction and consequent crashing of the saucer section of the Raven. I put it to the court that the Chief Engineer, albeit totally unaware of the part played, but in collusion with the court, sought to cause the crash knowing we would all be marooned back here for the court's pleasure. Therefore, all charges against Admiral Torek, in the 'alleged' scratching, of the facsimile of Federation Headquarters, must be summarily dropped forthwith, and the defendant released with appropriate compensation !"

The cards seemed to like her summation, and began dancing around the table clapping Calli on the back as each of them passed. Blakus stood quietly watching the Queen, who seemed to actually be considering her argument. Calli too thought she could have made an impression, she needn't have bothered.

"SILENCE !" the room froze instantly, the servant's all began visibly quivering, fearing the Queens' wrath. But Eris looked directly at Calli, ignoring the room, "The defense argument is denied on ....... 'Technical' grounds." Eris almost whispered, grinning, then turned to Blakus and waved him to continue.

"Now, let us see what sentence can be given out." Andae continued, avoiding eye contact with Calli, who was being held at spear-point lest she try to speak again, "Eternal imprisonment in this farcical recreation. More playthings for your circus, Queen Eris ? ...." Andae began, casually knocking the spear's away from his own head as he began to approach the dais Eris was sat upon. He was practically ranting now, his voice rising until he was actually shouting at Eris, was sat impassively watching the scene unfold. He was on the bottom step now, and Calli feared Eris may allow her cards to enforce their duty to keep their Queen safe, and harm Blakus.

"Point of Order ..... MY LADY !" Calli shouted, but not stemming the Engineer's flow at all.

"Blame me, then. Kill me instead ... 'IF' you can !" he concluded.

The room fell into total silence as the Black Queen looked at Commander Blakus. Calli forced the tips of the spears away and walked to the dais to stand next to Andae. Behind them all the Raven crew were on their feet, nervous servant cards keeping them in place with spears. She looked at Andae, who refused to return her gaze. For a long moment she almost thought Eris was going to laugh the outburst off, making it into a joke so her minion's would see her amusement at the measly Star Fleet Officers. But something was wrong, was the Queen actually considering killing Blakus, for real this time, for his arrogance, ingenuity. Did she think his argument had won the day in the trial and was even now devising a suitable punishment for Torek. Eris stood ... Every card bowed deeply in reverence as there came a sound like heavy metal hitting the ground. When Calli turned she was shocked to see the Admiral, a moment ago he was sat in his seat, practically ignoring proceedings, and now ... Now ! ...

He was in a cage of thick, heavy, and obviously immovable iron bars. He was sat on a solidly built wooden chair, 'Nothing remarkable in that of course' she thought as she approached the cell. Then she realized what she was looking at ... The 'chair' was old, very old, it was bolted to the floor, around Carl's wrists and legs, leather straps held him firmly in place, Hanging over his head was what looked like an upside down bowl, made of some metallic substance, beside the chair was a bucket of water and a sponge. As she looked at the morbid scene, she noticed a thick black cable snaking away from the chair, but what confirmed her suspicions was hanging in mid-air above the seat confining the Admiral, it was an old, woodworm pot-marked sign, containing two words:

*** OLD SPARKY ***

"Oh hell !" Second Lieutenant Yang exclaimed suddenly, "I know this ! ... Old Sparky was a, it was, a device used for corporal punishment in the late twentieth century on Earth." she almost ran to the bars and fruitlessly tried to prize two apart. Eris laughed, obviously her warped mind finding their situation amusing beyond anything she could have imagined.

"We will take a one hour recess. I trust that in that time 'BOTH' councils will come to some agreement on how they are to proceed. If on my return the trial cannot be conducted according to law, I will summarily pass sentence !" the Black Queen stepped off the dais and to a fanfare of invisible trumpets, left the Raven crew alone with their Admiral ...

"What are you talking about Lieutenant ?" Alex and Andae asked in unison as the doors closed on the Queen, but Calli was stood looking at Carl, he seemed 'removed' from the whole situation, as if he knew ...

"It is called an, Electric Chair." Calli said quietly, but it got everyone's attention instantly, "If you were convicted of certain crimes, Murder, Child Murder, Murder Rape, and God knows what else, you were sentenced to death by electrocution. This was used in Nebraska I think, it became famou ...."

"We need to get him the hell out of there, NOW !" the Marine Officer's said, using one of the chair's to try to force the bars. All the time, Torek sat impassively in the chair, unable, or unwilling, to participate in the proceedings on a conscious level. A large pendulum was swinging back and forth behind the dais, the loud 'ticking' dominated the room. Above the swinging weight, a clock counted down the minutes and seconds to the Queen's fateful return ..........

[Amanda Handren]

Amanda sat with the others, not sure what was going on. Her mind a mass of confusing images, sounds and voices. Her world, as she knew it had been turned inside out. She'd died, and came back on board a ship, that wasn't her own. A ship falling from the sky. The crash, the injuries, all so fresh in her memory. The pain still fresh, the freshest of the memories.

The scene before her one which she tried to comprehend and yet, she wasn't sure.

She seemed to remember some of the players in the scene, but not all. Her confusion closing in on her as she focused on the person in chair, chained. She knew him ...

[Marionette]

Marionette looked at her place-card at the table, labeled 'The Cook'. Concluding that she would continue to refuse to play any of Eris' games, Marionette ripped the card into tiny little bits and tossed it into the air, most of it landing in the soup-pot. She then defiantly stood her ground, not sitting in her assigned seat.

This, of course, made her a prime target for the card-men with spears.


*** OLD SPARKY ***

"It is called an, Electric Chair." Calli said quietly, but it got everyone's attention instantly, "If you were convicted of certain crimes, Murder, Child Murder, Murder Rape, and God knows what else, you were sentenced to death by electrocution. This was used in Nebraska I think, it became famou - " "We need to get him the hell out of there, NOW !" the Marine Officer vehemently interrupted, using one of the chairs to try to force the bars. Rather predictably, the chair snapped in half.

Stepping up to the cage, Marionette spoke "Please step aside." She then demonstrated her robotic strength yet again, and spread open the bars as if they were made of soft and hollow copper, instead of solid iron.

Naturally, the card-soldiers would have none of that, and scampered forward to put a stop to Marionette's actions. One of them threw a spear right through her, exiting out from her stomach. The spear-tip was dripping with black hydro-dynamic fluid 'blood', and had pulled some wires and a small circuit-box out.

Oops.

Marionette looked from her impalement, the rather fanciful spear-sword sticking out at not quite a level angle, to Commander Valenti. The air around the gynoid seemed to drop to freezing, as her normally subtly-human-yet-not eyes went cold, and hard, and very Very machine-like.

She turned suddenly, breaking the spear handle on the cage Admiral Torek was soon to be rescued from. She then leaped forward, fist-smashing both card-guards in the face. They tumbled backwards atleast adozen feet, and then settled into a crumpled heap. (dead ?)

Marionette then collapsed onto the ground, now suddenly very mannequin-like.

< Tag All ? >

[Carl Torek]

OOC: Sorry, it's long, I just got carried away ... 

IC:

He had been sat in silence, although, if he were honest, he couldn't have told you if that was by choice, or otherwise. He had only half-listened to the proceedings thus far and was rapidly loosing the remaining interest he was holding on to, again, he wasn't quite sure if that was his idea.

"We need to get him the hell out of there, NOW !" someone said, but the urgency in the voice made him at least talk a little more notice. He lifted his head, only a few degrees, but enough so he could see people gathering around the front 'wall' of his cell.

"Step aside please." he heard the Android say, and then heard the creaking of toughened steel bars succumbing to forces beyond their tensile strength. But something was wrong !

He suddenly began to feel a tingle, akin to 'pins and needles' first in his wrists, then as the space opened, in his ankles and calf muscles too, working it's steady way up to his torso. With every centimeter Marionette forced the bars, the current running through the chair, and subsequently, him, increased. He was trying hard to warn the Android, because he figured another three, maybe four centimeters would kill him instantly, or as good as.

"Sss ... Sstoo ... Stop." he whispered with all his strength, but no-one couldn't hear.

Thankfully, the bars ceased moving as suddenly as they had started. Not because of his warning but Carl could see the actual reason, for there, protruding from her chest, was the tip of a spear. marionette seemed to ponder the significance of the weapon for a moment before turning away, breaking the spear in the process. She leaped away from the cell and slammed into two of the spear-carrying card servant's before crashing to the floor, still ... He watched as the other's surrounded the fallen Android for the moment, thankfully, ignoring their Commanding Officer. He was fighting whatever was holding him by the second, but knew he would never escape the chair of his own free will, and should any of the other's attempt to pass through the opening made by the Android, they would cause the mechanism he was seated in to do what it had been designed to do, to fulfill the one purpose it had been created for ... To take life !

"She's shut down." Commander Blakus announced after a quick examination of the Android, "It is possible she is self-repairing some of her vital system's but without the proper tools I'm limited at to what I can do." he finished, standing and turning to face the bars.

"Let's move her to one side of the room, no need to leave hr laying here in the middle of the floor." Calli said, watching as the four Security Officer's took a 'corner' each and moved the prone Android off to one side before returning to the table. She moved to Andae's side and looked at Torek, "We need to get him out of there before the mad Queen comes back to fry him out of spite."

Blakus nodded and began to approach the bars. He was less than a meter away when he thought he noticed two fingers on Carl's left hand move slightly and halted, his eyes flicked between the Admiral's face and the left hand, and there it was Torek was raising his middle and index fingers less than a centimeter off the arm of the chair, but it was enough for Blakus to halt any attempt at getting through the bars to his friend and Commanding Officer.

"Well, well, well ....." the group spun to face the direction of the words, and were shocked to see Eris. She was sat on her ornate 'throne' smiling sweetly, much like a snake that was hypnotizing it's prey prior to devouring the unsuspecting victim, "Now, we have been busy little bees haven't we. I am wondering if this attempted wanton destruction of Crown property warrant's charges of contempt against the court, hmmmm." she continued, the unwavering smile still visible as she stood and walked down the steps of the dais to stand in front of the cell holding Torek. She looked at him for a long long moment, ignoring several demands for explanation's from the Raven Officer's, who could all now see the CO spasm from the jolts of electricity every few seconds ...

"I expect you are in quite a lot of pain right now, Admiral." she continued, pointedly ignoring the others in the room for the moment, "You really should learn to play the game you know." she finished, spinning with a flourish before returning to her seat. It hadn't gone un-noticed that there were a hell of a lot more of the playing cards in the room suddenly, the majority in front of the dais, effectively between the Raven crew and the Queen.

"Even for a twentieth century court of law, 'THIS' ..." Calli said, pointing at the caged Torek, "Was considered barbaric ! ... You call yourself, what, fair, just, you play the game to your own rules, you are nothing more that a fie ......." Calli suddenly found her throat dry and closing, quickly cutting off life-giving oxygen to her lungs. She dropped to the floor, Aeryn and Andae rushing over to help her. Suddenly she could breathe, and rose to her feet, sucking in lung-fulls of air.

"STOP THIS." Peers shouted as the sound of two metallic structures coming into being fulled the air. The group turned, and there, one either side of the cell holding Torek, were two more. The first contained a thick wooden block in the center of the floor, the top had a curved section in the middle. Standing over the block was a hooded figure, wearing only leather trousers and bare-chested. But the thing that stood out was what he was holding. A long handle supported a large crescent-shaped blade, hone to a razor-sharp edge it's use needed no explanations.

The second cage held something different ... Sawdust covered the floor, a long thick and obviously aged branch arced into the middle of the cell as if from nowhere, tumbleweed rolled into existence on one side of the cell, only to vanish as it reached the far side bars. But again, there was a center-piece, and this time it had been pulled from Earth's 'Old West' era. The rope, and there, grotesquely was the Hangman's Noose !

"You know, I do love probing the mind's of you people. You called me barbaric earlier my dear, yet there, before your eye's are some of the most feared, and successful forms of corporal punishment ever devised, I suspect the Klingon's and numerous other races would have been content to have thought such things up, yet little old'e Earth got there first ... Well, enough congratulations, I think I shall defer charges against both Council's at this time, pending review and the outcome of this trial, of course ..." the Black Queen said, her gaze seemingly locked onto both Calli and Andae at the same instant, "Now, shall we continue with proceeding's, but be aware ... Any further disruption, and in you go." she said, that hypnotic smile returning ..........

[Amanda Handren]

[Slowly coming out of the fog]

Amanda watched what was happening within the cage and the arena in front of her. Her mind still battling with confusion from being dead, then alive, the ship crashing and her injuries to finding herself in this strange environment. As the fog within her head cleared somewhat she looked around her and frowned. Something is wrong she thought as she watched the man in the chair shake from the current flowing through his body.

Captain … ? she thought, trying to find in her head the name that went with the title. She knew she should know, but try as she might, no name came to her. She struggled to make sense of the scene before her and it only caused more confusion. The people, were they really people? Some of them appeared to be real, while others …. cut outs, cards?

“Where am I?” her question more to the air than to anyone near her. She spoke in a whisper and didn't expect an answer. Not that she expected one anyway. Everyone appeared to be watching the scene just as she was.

Things began to move faster than she could keep up, suddenly there were three cages, three forms of ancient torture.  The fog began to close in on her again, her mind becoming muddled and full of haze. Her thoughts no longer coherent as she slipped back into darkness.

[Calli Valente]

"Even for a twentieth century court of law, 'THIS' ..." Calli said, pointing at the caged Torek, "Was considered barbaric ! ... You call yourself, what, fair, just, you play the game to your own rules, you are nothing more that a fie ......." Calli suddenly found her throat dry and closing, quickly cutting off life-giving oxygen to her lungs. She dropped to the floor, Aeryn and Andae rushing over to help her. Suddenly she could breathe, and rose to her feet, sucking in lung-fulls of air.

"You need to watch your manners, young lady." the Black Queen chastised, before turning her attention to the Tactical Officer, "As for you ... I am not in the habit of allowing my subjects to yell abuse from the galleries, so what shall we do with you ... You know, given the circumstances, I think a little levity is called for, so I will not punish you at this point. Me do have more pressing matters to conclude, but mark my words, another outburst from the gallery and I shall have no option to to exercise the full weight of the law."

"Just out of curiosity here ....." Calli said, managing to get back to her feet painfully aware she was on proverbial thin ice with the Mad Queen. Looking at the slowly re-booting Android, and the still semi-conscious Science Officer, "Is there a point where this farce is going to be over. Surely you can't just keep shipping us from game to game, even you will get bored at some point I imagine ?"

"Oh I think you are underestimating my talent for the imaginative my dear. But we digress." Eris said, returning to her seat and picking up her gold gavel. She looked around the room as if inspecting the attendee's for anyone who may have been out of place, then brought the gavel down, "The trial is re-convened. Now, where were we, sentencing I think."

One of the card's climbed the dais and spoke quietly to the Queen, who glared at the eight of diamonds, obviously unhappy with what she was being told. She waved the card away and pounded the gavel three times, bringing the room to order. The eight had run to a large set of doors and was speaking quickly to the three of hearts and the nine of clubs, the argument became heated and the Queen once more slammed the gavel down. The card's, visibly shaken, got on with their task as the Queen glared at Calli:

"It seems you have a witness for the defense." the Queen said, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

Everyone looked at the massive doors as they opened. What can only be described as a 'Mouse' though never in the conventional term, walked into the court. It was approximately one meter tall, and walking on it's back legs, it was also crying ... Calli watched the poor animal make it's way to the witness stand, tail dragging along the floor, ears drooped down almost covering it's eyes, whiskers hanging limply. It was the very picture of a sad, unhappy rodent. It climbed into the box, trying hard not to make eye contact with anyone, least of all the Black Queen glaring down from her dais.

"WELL !" the Queen barked suddenly, making everyone jump, "It is your witness is it not ?" she said, looking at Calli, who was thinking quickly before the opportunity vanished, she turned to the mouse, who seemed to be crying even harder now:

"Is there something we can erm, get you, before you testi ....." she began,

"NO ... GET ON WITH IT ... I am rapidly tiring of these attempts to delay the execution !" Eris screamed. Calli looked at the woman, who seemed to be unhappy at the prospect the mouse may say something to ruin her little game, but how, she controlled everything, didn't she ? ... Calli had a thought, and turned back to the Queen:

"Sorry My Lady. I was attempting to calm the witness before they testified. Who knows what someone might say while under pressure or distressed. I shall begin my questioning if the court pleases ?" she got a curt nod and turned back to the mouse, "Now, you say you have evidence that will clear my client. Would you like to explain for the court ?"

"Evi ... Evide, yes, no, I, why am I here ?" the mouse spluttered, eyeing the Queen in fear as everyone suddenly heard the tell-tale sound of a cat, a very very large cat, purring ! ..... The mouse began to shiver, then visibly shake uncontrollably, it cowered in the witness box unwilling, or more likely, unable, to continue. No-one could see the cat suddenly producing the loud purring, but she had the distinct feeling that the mouse didn't need to see the origin of the sound, just where to be to be as far away as possible from that sound without having several razor-sharp claws ripping his back to shreds ... She looked up at the Queen, who had, what she considered an innocent smile on her face.

"The witness is DISMISSED !" Eris said, grinning as two of the guards dragged the sobbing mouse out of the court, "I find the defense in contempt for submitting the court to this waste of our precious time."

"MA'AM ! ... I must protest." Calli said quickly, "I knew nothing of this witness before he, it, entered the court. I feel you decision to hold me in contempt is unjustified. Besides, I am sure the prosecution would have liked the opportunity to cross-examine."

"Cross examine what !" Eris said slyly ..........

[Alex Watson]

As the Raven shook and buckled, and the inertial dampeners failed, Alex was flung against the wall, then the floor, then the ceiling as the G-forces went haywire inside the Science block. After a few seconds, he had just enough to time register that he was undoubtedly going to pass out from the forces acting upon him – and that this would probably mean that he’d die…or, would he…? What was death indeed in this strange world?

As all these fascinating and metaphysical thoughts were whirling around his brain, the G-forces determined that that was enough thinking for one say, and he blacked out.

<<<>>>

“Where…where am I?” Alex groaned as he came to. He pushed himself agonisingly to his feet, looking around him. He appeared to be in a….what exactly? A whiteness? He wasn’t sure, but it seemed to go on forever: just white, everywhere. And no sound, not even the ringing that accompanies even the deepest silence. This felt profoundly wrong in every way, and Alex didn’t like it one bit.

As he stood, the whiteness began to take some sort of vague, indistinct form. Alex peered at it, trying to make out what shape it was forming itself into. His brow furrowed, and he took a step back.

“No….” he whispered. “How is that…possible?” The whiteness seemed to have formed itself into a very indistinct and blurry image of London. Specifically, Westminster Bridge.

“I thought that you’d feel safest at home, Alexander,” came a smooth female voice.

Alex spun, a surge of adrenaline pumping into him. His eyes darted around, scanning for the speaker. His breath came in heavy, short gasps.

“Who are you? Eris?”

“No. Not Eris. But we have met before. I had to make sure that I could trust you.”

“You were the girl? Not Eris?”

“Not Eris. But I was impressed at the way you handled the situation, as I was impressed by the way you came up with your theory. You would have treated her with kindness and shown her love, even after all she had done to you and your friends?”

Alex felt extremely uncomfortable. He’d never really thought about it like that: he’d been too busy trying to stay alive, but when he thought about it he realised that he had shown Eris mercy – if you could call it that with her being so much more powerful than he was.

“Your species is not without its merits, Alexander. I have observed them in you and your friends, and the ones that came before them…”

Alex looked closely, isolating the source of the noise. A figure slowly came into being from the whiteness, forming itself out of nothing, and then slowly became coloured, and then slowly became a beautiful woman clothed in white. Alex perceived that she seemed to glow softly with gold light, but he couldn’t be sure.

“I’ve taken a form that is familiar to your society. My true form is…not so easy for humans to look at.”

“Who are you?” Alex asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I am Eirene.”

“And….what are you?”

“I am…was…your goddess of Peace, in the same way that Eris was your goddess of Discord.”

“So…are you….here to help?” Alex said, smiling hopefully.

Eirene smiled back at him mysteriously.

“We’ll see….”

[Andae Blakus]

"Cross examine what !" Eris said slyly ..........

"All part of these games, eh?" Blakus asked contemptuously, rising from his seat again, feeling echoes of his initial confrontation with Eris in his opening attack as part of this prosecution.

Eris glared at him. She'd spared his life once - although Andae doubted whether she'd actually had the ability or the willingness to carry out that promise. Instead, she'd diverted proceedings away from him onto locking the Admiral in a cage; wired to a crude electrical device. And in the end, in Blakus's view, she'd lacked the commitment to carry even that through... reverting to these farcical courtroom games, albeit with the more imminent threat of sentence - represented materialistically in this courtroom in the form of the electric chair - to be imposed on the defendant if found guilty.

"You bring in a mentally compromised 'giant mouse' to pose as a witness in Commander Valenti's case," Andae said to Eris forcefully, "Despite my status as a member of the prosecution, I must object to the dismissal of her witness. You knewingly called in something that couldn't possibly have any idea of what Torek, or any other of our officers could've done, to provide evidence.

"I think your dismissal of the mouse from the court lets on more than you'd rather let us know. I appeal to the court that the witness should be recalled for cross-examination."

With grumbles from the orderlies about the court, and the seething scarlet expression on the Black Queen Eris's face, the giant pitiable mouse was readmitted to the dining/court room.

Distant purs, like a thousand zips being undone simultaneously, or a throaty cry of engineered cogs and joints spiralling in mechanistic fury, slipped through the walls of the chamber. The mouse quivered in fear, cowering underneath the witness box at the sound of the distant felinoids. Andae stepped once more towards the dais, "What do you know of Admiral Torek's role in causing the crash of the Raven into this facs - into Starfleet Headquarters?" he gulped as he corrected himself.

The mouse cowered behind his pedestal. "The cats, the razor-cats... They're coming for me."

The razor-... Andae thought. "What do you know of these cats? Are they near?"

Muffled laughter burst out at the end of his consciousness. You think it knows, Blakus?

Andae blinked, trying hard not to let the voice in his mind distract his attention. This was a balancing act; he had to continue this prosecution to appease Eris, while also undermining his own efforts and cutting to the heart of the problem (his ultimate goal) of derailing Eris's plans and exposing her. This simpleton has no idea of the 'razor-cats' you've already encountered! More laughter, He's simply a dream image, Blakus. If you want to get out of here... a piece of advice: try not to invoke the wrath of the Queen again. She's more powerful than you know - although her punishments leave much to be desired in places. What did I say before, mm? Her lack of commitment? Just try not to place yourself before her dais, begging stupidly for your death. She is capable of it you know, just not always willing. Andae tore at his face. He tried hard not to show too much frustration, in the end merely displaying what he believed was mild disbelief at the proceedings.

"The cats..." the mouse trailed off, "They haunt me, us... always!!"

Andae grunted, sidling around the table. "Cross-examination concluded," he said, slipping into his seat and making some notes; made eye contact momentarily with Torek, who seemed locked in hypnosis on his barbaric chair.

Good... the bowler hat man's voice in his head was saying.

Andae blurted out, "But, whatever witnesses are admitted to the stand by your Highness, I exercise right to choose them of my own accord. I call... the Black King to proceedings. He shall be the prosecution's first witness." Satisfied, Andae took his seat, taking more notes as a growing murmur spread about the court: static unrest, noises of outrage, a few hollers from the seats further back.

Oh, you've really done it now, sir... the voice muttered, but was drowned out of Andae's mind by a hundred other whispering voices. Fanfare, played at half volume, welcomed the hulking Black King into the dining-turned-court room. Springing before the loping Black King came at least thirty soldiers of ancient origin: silver armour, bare legs, red shields, javelins and shining helms... Legionaries of the Roman Army!

Something spiked in Andae's memory. Yes, the hill, the fortress... It was linked to here. The Black King, or the Red King, however one chose to see it, was instrinically tied to that.

"Take your place, my dear," the Queen said derogatorily to her slow-moving husband.

Blakus addressed the now sat Black King, "Admiral Torek abandoned responsibility for running the ship, subsequently causing its crash. Is this not your view as you understand and witnessed it, Sire?" The docile man nodded. Blakus edged forwards again, approaching the King so that only those who could hear the breathy whisper could decode his words. Court card-guards and legionaries gathered round him, spears pointed to his head. Blakus was unperturbed, "Tell me, where is the Senator... Zielinski?"

Eris gaped at the mention of the name, then upon Andae's look and others', steeled her jaw back to implacability and spoke to herself, "That rogue. He's caused me enough trouble. And that peace entity..." she trailed off tutting.

"Your one crutch is Zielinski? Without him, what are you?" Blakus shot sideways, before returning to Eris's 'husband' the King.

<Tag All>

[Calli Valente]

To say she was annoyed, was somewhat of a colossal understatement ! .....

The Black Queen had ceded to Blakus, and his 'demand' that the mouse be brought back into the court for cross-examination, especially as she herself had been given no opportunity to question the terrified rodent herself. seething inside, she sat expressionless as the mouse was ushered into the room ... Blakus asked one question then dismissed his witness, again annoying Calli no end. She was surprised when, despite the atmosphere in the court room, the Prosecutor called his first witness ...

She watched the Queen closely as her consort was brought into the court and took his place. Something told her that Andae had been half expecting who turned up, he was expressionless as the Black King took his seat and nodded to his wife. This was confirmed as Blakus made a show of moving around the large table until he was stood in front of his witness.

"Tell me, where is the Senator ... Zielinski ?" Andae accused. Calli used her eidetic memory to match the name. Yes, this man had been with the Commander during a shuttle-craft incident where Zielinski had vanished without trace, Blakus had no explanation for nor could the shuttles' sensor's shed any light on how or why the man had simply disappeared never to be seen again, "..... without him, what are you ?" Blakus was saying.

"Objection." Calli said, not really knowing why as the Queen, Blakus, and the rest of those present all turned to face her, "The Defense had not been made aware of the availability of this witness, how am I to construct an adequate defense for my client if I am not privy to who is, or indeed isn't available ? .... I demand you al ...."

"I am rapidly loosing all patience with you, Commander." the Black Queen said quietly, menace in every word, "You are herewith held in contempt of court, sentencing with be carried out at the conclusion of this trial. Now ... 'SIT DOWN' and let the prosecution prove their case then we can execute the condemned and be away for tea and cakes."

"TEA AND BLOODY CAKES !" Calli erupted, her chair flung back away from the table as she stood, both hands slamming into the table top as she sprang to her feet in rage, "This, this thing, is a farce, you PATHET ......." it was as far as she got as she suddenly found herself playing a delicate balancing act. Her feet, or rather her toes, were resting tentatively on a less than stable three-legged stool, some bizarre quirk of her recall pointed out it was an eighteenth century milking stool from Earth's past, but the details were staggeringly irrelevant as she realized there was something around her neck.

Rough, cold, thick ... It was the loosely hanging noose !

She struggled for a long moment to get her equilibrium and focus her mind on the simple task ahead. 'Do NOT allow the stool to tumble' she said to herself. Closing her eyes, she concentrated until she was motionless, the stool was stable, the noose exerting minimal strain on her throat, not enough to hinder breathing, but enough to ensure she didn't loose concentration for a micro-second. She looked at Blakus, then at the Queen. Something told her that Eris was disappointed at the fact she wasn't swinging limply, the contents of her bladder staining the cell floor. She concentrated on allowing her body to relax, just enough to allow her to whisper:

"Ob ...ject ... ion ......"

Several of the Raven Officer's had ran to the cage, but her expression halted them before they touched the bars themselves. Blakus had remained routed to the spot. He looked at the precariously suspended Commander, then turned to the Queen:

"I am assuming the court has a replacement Defense Council in mind ?" he asked.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Mister Prosecutor, but wouldn't your case be strengthened by her constraints ?" the Queen asked innocently, a wry look of shock on her face as the card's seemed to giggle at her wit.

"So cheating to get the result you want." Lieutenant Epps said, risking her life by interupting, "Hardly fair, unless of course you 'NEED' to cheat to ensure a win."

"Comments from the gallery are not allowed, there will be no further occurrences."

"If I may continue my questioning of the Black King Ma'am ?" Blakus asked, seemingly choosing to totally ignore what had happened in the last three minutes. He sat in his chair, eye's fixed on Eris as she glared at Calli in the cell, and at Torek, who now seemed oblivious to all around him, "You're Honor ?" Andae prompted ..........





< tag : Andae / All >

[Andae Blakus]

OOC: Sorry for the length!

Blakus neared the Black King again; an unbearable and pervasive stench seemed to emanate from the King, as if in being pulled from some other realm that crossing had left a mark on him. The galleries were still alive, a hubbub of excited and outraged whispers rising and falling, rippling round the courtroom.

Calli burst from her seat, raging against the proceedings. Blakus knew he had only to play his part, and if he had the whispering bowler hat man in his ear, and the nous to balance prosecution with escape for all involved, then they could carry this through.

There was sudden commotion, the suggestion of wood scraping tiled flooring; the galleries fell to silence in tandem with the almost surreal quietness that seemed to hover in the air behind and to the left of Blakus. "Well this complicates matters..." he murmured, watching as Calli, stretched out on tiptoes between stool and noose, tried to maintain her precarious balance between life and death. Raven officers gathered round, apart from Blakus who remained by the dais, facing the court. Now only the cage with the executioner remained unoccupied.

"Zielinski's out there somewhere, Your Honour," Andae said darting back to the King, "These minders of yours," he indicated the legonaries, "They're the same Zielinski supposedly commands... Why's he done this? Created the legonaries as some sick joke on me and my heritage? Or does he really think he's some 'praetor', some god of the underworld who deals punishment for broken oaths?"

"Fell into my beloved's trap..." the King croaked, the first words he'd spoken. "My Queen and her counterpart's fondness for ancient Earth myth led them to model themselves on your 'supposed' gods." The King coughed violently, his black chainmail hood clinking as his bulky form wriggled about in the witness's box. The hubbub from the galleries increased in volume, growing raucous, wild curses directed down at the court. Andae strained to hear the King's words.

"I don't suppose you did have evidence of Admiral Torek's neglect in directing the Raven and causing us to crash here?" he asked the King quietly.

The monarch nodded. "I saw it alright... I don't know who was responsible, but I certainly saw you devastate our glorious palace. My Queen decides who is responsible; I go along with whatever she says." He noted the hint of begrudging in the King's voice.

'Senator' Zielinski was one of her last victims... In this place he has power - the desire for vengeance - which melds well with Eris's designs. While she delights in games of chaos and discord and draws power from it, Zielinski's righteousness as a judge of broken vows gives drive to her otherwise aimless chaos. He took up the mantle of Orcus, another god from your mythology. Son of Eris, would you believe? In some texts.

I knew this already, Blakus thought impatiently. Are you saying that only Zielinski would have the drive to pass any meaningful sentence here?

Yes... But that's not to say Eris might not decide to execute one of you on an angry whim. Chaos is unpredictability remember.

The roaring from the audience had become a din now - items were being thrown, legionaries' shields coming up to block incoming projectiles and protect the royalty. "Any more interruptions and you are 'all' for the chop!" Eris demanded vociferously, standing and descending the dais, card-guards following closely forming a tight ring around her.

It seemed to have no effect. The crowd roared, faces raging, twisting in anger, items raining on to the court room floor, all seen in slow motion; time dilated artificially, although the experience may be significantly different for others in the room. A screeching sound emanated from the back of the court, behind the dais... Rasping throaty feline growls, claws scraping at the wall behind. The galleries descended into absolute panic.

Blakus backed slowly away from the dais, eyes rising to meet the point where he suspected the 'razor-cats' or whatever they were might cleave through.

Then the King, faster than he'd been seen to move jumped atop the witness box, black fur cloak peeling aside to reveal ankle length sable chainmail; his body arched backwards, "I am the mighty Emperor Cladius! You shall take no god before me!" he toppled forwards off the witness box, a sword raised above his head, and accidentally impaled himself on two of the Roman legionaries' javelins. One weapon bent at the haft - as they'd been designed to - and snapped off inside the 'Emperor'; the other pierced straight through the man's hulking body, gobbets of blood spurting out at the exit wound. The bulk of the dead King plummeted to the floor; the screams of the court reached fever pitch. The responsible legionaries backed away in horror and attempted an escape, but were cut down by their fellow guards.

All was chaos now, cards turned on legionaries turned on each other. Eris though, stood free from harm at the centre of it all, smiling, but with eyes focussed on the two cells holding Torek and Valenti.

New cards entered to try to quell the sudden uproar. The cats - voices only - seemed to be making little more progress; with a wave of Eris's hand the cats' efforts to break through were nullified and their voices dropped off to fading mewlings and whimperings. Amidst the chaos Blakus counted the values of the new cards come to restore order: 2, 3, 5, 7, knave... Hold on... All primes, all prime numbers. If one counted the knave as 11 (in some games that rule applied) that completed the set. Whatever it was about the mathematics and twisted chaos that formed this integrated logic it seemed to have some effect on the court which quietened very slightly.

Blakus glanced down at the ruined King's body. Amongst the terror, he knelt and heaved the hulking figure over. The monarch's chainmail hood slipped back, revealing the final posture of pain on his face. Blakus dropped the notepad he'd been jotting case notes on, his mouth agape in horror: the King's face was that of Admiral Torek. His eyes darted between downed monarch and imprisoned CO. "I don't..."

You don't remember, Blakus? Your Admiral here had the role of the Black King in that chess game. Long ago it was now admittedly, but I'd have thought you'd have remembered something like that...

"Take me to Zielinski. Damn it, now! I've played my part in this kangaroo court."

Ah... well, you see there's really only one way to do that. And it involves something... not overly pleasant. I assure you though it'll be over in a matter of seconds. Won't feel a thing.

Blakus's eyes were attracted by a couple of card-guards trying to kick the stool out from under Calli's legs, almost teasingly. He steeled himself and dived for the men, preparing to shoulder barge one into the other. As he began his charge he found himself suddenly flat on his back; he yelped, dizzy and barely conscious with the sudden pain. The attack had come faster than his mind could grasp. It was Eris, wielding a staff. "Big mistake, Commander..." she said sultrily.

Blakus found himself on the chopping block in the executioner's cage; Torek in his separate cage alongside him, half unconscious in the chair; Calli the farside, still balancing precariously on the stool. "No..." he murmured, "No not this way, I beg you."

No choice, I'm afraid, and not much I can do about it anyway, the voice said primly but with an air of mischief, You want to see your friend? Confront him, turn him, find out the source of his power, get out of here, whatever... You'll have to submit yourself to this... barbaric practice.

The executioner's sickle blade rose above him, glinting in the court lighting that seemed to reflect kaleidoscopic colours - the face of death behind it, grinning its toothless inanimate grin - and scythed down through the air towards Blakus's neck.

"Noooooo!" the engineer cried as he felt the edge of the rusty blade penetrate the epidermis of his nape, and then everything was a mass of confused, fast receding images representing all sensorial perception for a few brief moments, before something deeper in his mind spiralled away into blackness.

<Tag All>

[Carl Torek]

He was trying, trying so hard to concentrate on what was happening. Not to himself, his only regret would be that his Children would suffer his loss, but his ship and crew would hopefully morn his passing he thought. Fighting the lethargy enveloping his mind, he concentrated on a single item, fixing the image in his mind, making it the only object he could see. Bethan's doll was there, in sharp focus, he concentrated on the dress, the frills, the tiny buttons. He could see the doll clearly, sitting on the bedside cabinet in the girls room, Bethan would kiss the doll she had names Sophie every night before she went to sleep .....

He opened his eyes slowly, the light burning his retina for a few seconds until he became accustomed. He could hear the court, shouting and jeering, obviously something had occurred that had excited those present. He lifted his head slowly, focusing on the bars first, then what was beyond ... Eris, dressed in an almost Gothic black ball gown, was standing at the bottom of the dais apparently happy at whatever had happened. The cards, guards, centurion's were running round excitedly. He could see the Raven's crew, all stood to one side now and facing the cell he was in, no, they were looking to one side then the next, almost ignoring their Commanding Officer. It took all of his strength to turn his head, the pain lancing though him like molten arrows, but all thoughts of his own discomfort vanished as he saw Calli, balancing precariously on a stool, quickly loosing the fight against gravity and inertial forces, the thick course rope of the noose tightening around her neck. Then he heard a voice on the other side of him and turned.

"No ..." Andae murmured, "No, not this way, I beg you." Carl gathered every iota of strength he could and filled his lungs as the Executioner's axe began it's arc towards it's target, "Nooooooo !"


"STOP ... THIS." Torek screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Time .... Time seemed to slow, the stool, no longer in contact with the toes of Calli Valenti was falling to the ground, the noose, now free to do what it had been designed to do, had began to tighten, the knot, it's task to break the neck of the person being executed rested against the second and third vertebrae, ready to sever the spinal chord ... On the other side, the Executioner's crescent-moon blade slowed in it's arc and came to a complete stop, the merest trickle of blood began to run down Andae's neck towards the collar of his tunic ...

"Ahh. You finally decided to join us then Admiral ?" the Black Queen said, a wry smile on her face, "Just in the 'nick' of time too, if you will pardon my rather crude pun." she finished, giggling to herself at the apparent joke. The cards too seemed to appreciate her wit and began jumping up and down cheering.

"Do what you like with me Eris." Carl said, his strength returning by the second, "But don't do this ... PLEASE ... They don't deserve to die in this way, they don't deserve to die at all. Free them from the cages and I will succumb to anything you wish."

"But they need to be punished Admiral. Do you not agree, protocol must be seen to be upheld, am I not right ?" she asked the room, evoking a mass of nodding from the cards and centurions. The Raven crew had moved to the cells and were watching closely. It was Lieutenant Yang who voiced what everyone else had suddenly realized. The scene was not completely frozen ! ... The knot of the noose was minutely closer to the back of Calli's neck, and the blade had dug a fraction further into the neck of the Engineer.

"Take them out of there. You have me, you don't need to prove your superiority any further." he pleaded, "Let them out, you can kill me, or punish me any way you wish, but this has gone on far enough. Even you can't be getting much enjoyment out of this, and what next. Are you going to put more of my Officer's in there to take their place, kill everyone in turn until you have only me to torture !"

The Black Queen returned to her seat and seemed to ponder what Torek had asked of her, all the time the noose tightening, and the blade cutting deeper and deeper. In second's Blakus would be dead, and not long after, Calli ... She moved her head from side to side, mulling over the options, then finally reached down to the red silk pillow holding her scepter, she looked at the bejeweled wand for a moment then waved it almost casually. Blakus and Valenti appeared on the far side of the table, confused, dazed, and relieved to have escaped their own deaths. Calli had a deep red mark around her throat, that was beginning to swell even as Carl looked at her. Blood was running down the back of Andae's neck and he raised a hand to try to stem the flow. Both nodded to Carl in relief and appreciation as the two Marine Medic's ran around the table to administer whatever treatment they could.

Carl was watching Eris, who in turn had been watching him. He mouthed 'Thank You' before the strain suddenly took hold and his head slumped forward, straining against the leather strap. Eris watched him fall forward and stood. She began to leave the room:

"We shall have a ten minute recess to allow council's to, recover ... Tighten that strap !" she said, pointing at Torek as the doors closed leaving the Federation Officer's alone with the guards ..........

[Marionette]

"We shall have a ten minute recess to allow council's to, recover ... Tighten that strap !" Eris said, nearly shouting and pointing at Torek as the doors closed. This left the Federation Officer's alone with the guards.

The moment the doors closed, as if by cause-and-effect, Marionette sprang to a sitting position. The card-like guards whom were around her, erred on the side of living, and sprinted back to the archway that the away team had entered by.

Taking stock of the situation she now found herself in, the gynoid concluded that things had taken another step in getting worse, given that Commanders Valenti and Blakus had been stricken with injuries corresponding to the other .... 'amusement devices' that Eris had conjured up from Earth's medieval past. The two were still alive, if only because of Carl Torek's very willful insistence. "I presume that things did not go well." she stated, a hint of almost-anger outlining her words.

Now noticing that the broken spear was still in her, sticking out, Marionette grabbed hold of it and yanked it out. Black hydro-fluid spurted out in a small splatter. Plugging it with her finger, she ripped off a pants-leg and stuffed it in tight, wrapping her ribs with her other pants leg. Marionette was now down to wearing torn 'daisy duke' shorts, and the regulation red (now nearly black) undershirt. (fortunately, she had a third layer of underwear on under that).... She laid the sword-of-sorts on the table for one of the other starfleet officers to have.

Since the scenery was still partially Starfleet Headquarters, Marionette began limping around the room, collecting technological bits of this and that into her pockets and other possible hiding spaces on her person. The first thing she did, was rip a large conduit pipe out from the wall, to use as a long cane to assist in walking. This was more of an affectation for now, but would probably be genuinely needed soon enough. Marionette followed this up with emptying all the isolinear chips from a computer core that was jutting out from a wall panel at an awkward angle, and coiling up all the bits of tubing and wiring she could find and still reasonably hide.

(Her academy survival training was.... Very Interesting....)

[Calli Valente]

"TEA AND BLOODY CAKES ! .... This, this thing, is a farce, you PATHET ......."

It was the last thing she remembered saying before finding herself on her tip-toes, balancing precariously on the rim of something. Her hands were tied behind her back, so she was having to use her hips to move her center of gravity minutely in two plains. She could feel the roughness of the thick rope around her neck and knew where she was. She closed her eyes to devote all her concentration to saving her life !

She could hear those beyond the bars shouting and yelling for her release, then there was a metallic 'clang' like a massive door closing, and she could hear Andae's name being shouted along with her own. 'Oh, please, no' she thought, futility running through every syllable as she realized Blakus was in the adjacent cage.

"Ob ...ject ... ion ......" she whispered, feeling the stool moving beyond her range of control. She struggled, stretching her legs to their furthest trying to keep the stool below her and at least 'some' of her weight held. But it was a loosing battle. she realized this and knew it was no longer a game to Eris, she had every intention of allowing her, Andae, and very likely Carl too, to die in these cells. She was loosing the fight quickly now as her last reserves of energy and her will for self-preservation battled to the last. She could no longer feel the stool beneath her right foot, and the left was on the rim, just three points of contact allowing her to live.

Then it happened ..... She lost her ever so tentative hold on the stool !

She began to fall as gravity took hold. The noose moved up her neck, sliding on her skin almost like silk on a polished marble surface. The knot, now able to take full advantage of the situation, began to apply pressure on the C2 and C3 vertebrae, forcing them apart, her head began to be forced upwards as the noose tightened and the knot applied ever more strain on the intervertebral discs She lost the feeling in her legs and arms almost in slow-motion, then she heard the unmistakable sound of something rushing through the air, the axe, the axe was falling on Andae ... Her eyes rolled into her head and she wished her last wish as the spinal chord finally succumbed to the strain and ripped ... Her life, however insignificant, ended !

~~~~~

She opened her eyes, coughing and gasping for air. Her mind couldn't grasp what was happening, she was dead, surely, she had perished in the noose, her neck broken. But ... But here she was, One of the Security Officer's was trying to help her to her feet, the pain in her neck was unimaginable, blood fell from her open mouth as she coughed and choked, yet she was here, on the floor, outside the cell, how ?

"We shall have a ten minute recess to allow council's to, recover ... Tighten that strap !" A figure, draped in a flowing black gown was saying as she seemingly floated past her unconcerned at her fate. Calli took deep deep breaths as she looked around her, and there, blood running into the collar of his tunic, was Andae. Relief flooded through her that they were both safe and alive. She looked back at the cages, and her heart sank. Carl was still in his cell, strapped securely to the electric chair, and she knew then that Eris wasn't going to allow everyone from the Raven to go home ..........

[Amanda Handren]

[Seeing the Light]

Amanda slowly rose from the fog of confusion as events began happening around her once more. The Captain in a cage and figures seemingly from an old story, "Alice in Wonderland" came to mind as she looked around her and slowly got her bearings. She still wasn't sure how they had ended up where they were, wherever that might be, events after her waking up still hazy. So much of what was being said was beyond her comprehension yet .. but still even in her confused state several things were evident. They had to rescue the Captain and save the ship, wherever the real ship was, if nothing else was clear, that much was.  Her eyes moved slowly around the room as she assessed the situation, her eyes lastly landing on the Captain within his cage. Her mind mulling over options and opportunities for actions.

[Andae Blakus]

So is this really where you wanted to be, Blakus? the voice asked sniffingly, disapproving of his new surroundings.

Andae was grasping at the back of his neck in terror, collapsing to his knees in the sandstone-coloured grit and dust. He looked around, seeing the seemingly endless plain. He scrabbled around in the dirt, panicking, feeling as if he'd just lost something, something important. It was something essential, he was sure of that, something that allowed him to -

His head! He felt his face, feeling the surfaces, finding them all intact except for a worrying line dripping blood from his nape. He found it strange how his hands and arms seemed to be functional when he was sure he'd just been decapitated. In his mind's eye he saw his severed head rolling away, it barely comprehending, astonished eyes glaring at the ceiling, before some... gloom had taken him away, dragging him through netherspace and depositing him here.

What's that? Your head? Oh, don't worry about that. You'll soon grow a new one. Well here we are, Commander. You want to stop Zielinski, deprive Eris of the drive for vengeance that he fuels her with...? Well get on with it!

He came to his senses. Yes, the voice in his head. The bowler hat man. He looked around, confused now for a different reason: the forest was gone. Not one trace of it remained. Had it been razed to the ground so completely by the forest fire that the explosion of the shack had started, or was Eris, or indeed Zielinski, responsible?

Speaking of which, he thought, what the hell is happening in that courtroom? He believed he'd been killed. This could be death. The bowler hat man had told him Eris was capable of killing - just not always willing - but had she taken that step and eliminated him from existence, or just shifted him into another of her parallel playworlds?

He started climbing the winding steps to the fortress again. Passage of time seemed to slow as he meandered his way up the path, past the totems adorned with Roman heraldry thrusting out of the ground like stark warnings. The fortress came into sight. A figure, robed in white and scarlet, stood at its tall cavernous entrance.

"Orcus!" Andae shouted at the top of his lungs.

The figure was still for a few moments before turning back to the fortress. Andae neared the entrance, seeing his old friend striding slowly into the shadows, hands linked behind him. He vanished in the smoky gloom, as if spirited away on wispy tendrils. Tentatively, Andae entered.

I'd be careful if I were you; but I'm not you. Makes things a bit easier, I suppose... Andae snarled, about to tell the voice to shut up just for a few minutes when suddenly he was on the floor again. His cry of pain echoed around the formless structure. Scarlet blood - brown-grey in the darkness - dripped around his neck, pattering on the floor. Something sharp and cold was slowly working away at his nape, but as if it were coming from another universe. Cut, cut, cutting away. You better hurry, Blakus!

"Zielinski!" he hollered into the dark, ragged and limping, "Show yourself." Only silence. "Look, damn it... I'm sorry. Myself and Bligh... we couldn't have known what happened to you. We thought you might've been initiating a classified mission for Intelligence, something you couldn't tell us about... Our science officer theorised something to do with quantum entanglement... We thought of every conceivable explanation. But how could we know it was this?"

"You didn't come back for me. Didn't make an attempt to look for me," a seedy voice spoke from the shadows, and a flurry of amused female voices followed.

Legionaries, patrician and pleibian civilians, others of Roman Antiquity rushed at him, surrounding him, shouting angry unintelligble words in his face. Blakus focussed on one of then, trying to pick out a few nouns but it was impossible. He shrugged, Probably latin.

"What about the message?" Andae shouted above the din. He was being goaded further into the fortress now, emerging into some grand chasm, which had at its far end a dais - much like Eris's except adorned all around with sculpted feral images of the supposed terrors that inhabited the Greco-Roman underworld. The dais was bathed in light. Zielinski - Orcus - sat on the throne. "The message you left us...?"

He could see Ben's face now, screwed up in confusion, "What message?" He was distracted momentarily, as if listening to a voice only he could hear. "Ah, that message. I wrote it in a hurry, shortly after my arrival in this... hellhole," he chuckled, "And under much duress, as you may imagine. 'Sign this or I'll cast you into a star' I think were her exact words. I knew she couldn't, or wouldn't; could see it in her eyes, that scared look..."

He trailed off, a distant look, glazed, in his eyes, and Blakus saw that same conjured image was in Zielinski's eyes now. The 'senator' was nodding suddenly, like he was trying to end a commbadge communication that'd gone on too long, "Yes, yes! The other. The one of peace, tranquility. She can save you if you so wish it, Andae. I don't know whether she'd resort to violence, though. Conquer chaos with chaos? Ha."

His old friend fell silent; sullen, on his throne made for gods. "You want out too, presumably?" Andae asked after a while. The legionaries and others had retreated, leaving the two alone at the dais.

Zielinski shook his head, a smile touching his face, "Are you kidding me? This is all I want now; all I have to have. Take this from me and I'll take my vengeance on you. You see, Andae..." He rose from the throne, "I am Horkos, Orcus, Pluto, god of the underworld. I rule the dead, I order the dead, I exact punishment on those in hell who broke their oaths. I'm not Ben Zielinski. This... 'entity' if you will, has subsumed me. I am Orcus. Confined in this place as surely as my subjects are. And as for this," he struck a pose, indicated his senator's robes, his fair visage, the names he'd given himself and the great hall all around him, grinning, "Well, it's just your imagination."

* * *

Pain shot through his neck. Stabbing pain that instantly brought him back to the moment, this crucial moment of extinguishing of life. But at the last moment the executioner's blade was lifted. He stood, saw the cage dissolving before him, literally winking out of existence.

Time must've frozen in that instant. All of that... all of that in the fortress, seemed to have taken place in a fraction of a second. Dream or reality? Hmph, but what was reality in this place?

Laughter echoed endlessly in his mind, Nearly got you. But you should be thanking me really, the bowler hat man's voice whispered. Andae looked up at the executioner. He was wearing a bowler hat.

Blood ran freely from the back of his neck, but he thought he should be alright. But what now?

<Tag All>

[Calli Valente]

She was sat, allowing Lieutenant Epps to tend to the bruising around her neck as she watched the other's in the room. The Centurions and the Card's were milling around, eyes on all of their Federation guests, there was no way they could escape the room, and even if they did, where would they go ?

She suddenly heard three short 'clicks' ... Thinking it was from the basic tricorder the Medic was holding, she ignored it, then a few second's later they repeated, but this time the Medic had closed the cover of the scanning device and was getting up, she realized the clicks were 'inside' her head. Calli sat perfectly still and raised her left hand to her throat, immediately attracting the attention of two of the guards. She eyed them with distaste and rubbed her neck, the guards seemingly pleased she was in pain, turned away and continued their circumnavigation of the Ballroom.

Making sure she wasn't being watched, she raised her left hand and placed it on her left temple for a second then returned to massaging her neck. There, three distinct clicks, it was her sub-dermal transceiver ! ... 'But how ?' she thought, knowing the device was implanted into all Intelligence Operatives, but this was not know outside, so who was activating the microscopic transceiver. She sat watching the guards and waited as the signal repeated several times then she placed her index finger against her temple and coughed as quietly as possible so not to attract the attention of the guards.

Unbelievably, someone was trying to contact her through the implant ... For long moments she sat motionless, weighing up the chances that Eris had somehow found out about the device and was hoping she would react 'But what if it isn't the mad Queen' she thought ... She looked at Alex, who was still sat as if in a trance, then she casually looked at Andae, who was trying without success, to remove the blood from his collar and pushing the Medic who was treating his 'close shave' ... Calli caught his attention and nodded almost imperceptibly, Andae got up and walked over, shadowed by two of the Centurions.

"Are you OK ?" he asked, sitting beside her.

"Yes, a little un-nerved, but hell, it's not every day you are HANGED !" she raised her voice for the benefit of the guards, who turned away grinning. Once relatively alone, Calli whispered what had just happened. Andae speculated that the Raven had somehow managed to break through and contact her via the sub-dermal implant.

< tag : Andae >

"There is no audio, only the transmission clicks, but it's something." Calli confirmed then stopped:

=^= .... ven to .. lenti .. unications diffic .. Be aware we are wor .. Engineeri .. lution .... Attem .. ne hour fro =^=

=^= Confirmed =^= Calli said, looking at Blakus as her head filled with static.

"They are trying to establish a Comm link. It sounds like Commander Wedlerson, he's got some of your people working on getting through the interference. But even if they do, and without being detected by Eris, I have no idea how they can help us."

"Is there 'ANY' way I can talk to them ?" Andae whispered urgently, realizing he needed to get access to his Engineering Teams, if he could talk to them directly he may be able to help from this end somehow. Calli rubbed her neck, shaking her head slightly, signifying there was no way Blakus could use the device directly, in her opinion it was a miracle that Wedlerson had somehow stumbled on the information. She made a mental note to ask the Commander about it on their return ..........

[Carl Torek]

OOC:  Posting as Commander Wedlerson aboard the Raven ...


IC:

He was sitting in 'Ten forward' several piles of PADD's strewn across the table and surrounding floor. The Steward's had long since given up trying to get the ever-present Operation's Officer out of his seat and back to, well, anywhere ... Harry looked out of the panoramic plexi-glass window's at the USS Sagen, slightly below them, and alongside her the USS Emeritus. Both ship's had been abandoned since the arrival of the Raven. He had seconded several of the Engineering team and sent them to both ship's hoping to get their cores on-line. This done, he had started work on a means to get through the seemingly impenetrable barrier surrounding the complex on the surface. A Lieutenant entered 'Ten Forward' heading straight for Wedlerson. He spoke quietly for a few seconds then stepped back barely in time to avoid getting knocked off his feet as the Opps Officer headed out.

Stepping out of the turbo-lift he went straight to the Engineering Station:

"What do you have ?" he asked the Assistant Chief Engineer.

"Well ... If we have this right, I think we can combine the sensor array output from all three ship's, if we can synchronize frequencies it should be possible to get a signal through the barrier. It won't be much, and if whoever is down there get's a hint of what we're trying to do, we can kiss the idea, not to mention our chances of getting out of this unscathed good-bye ... Sir." Milyanov replied.

it had taken them three day's to find the frequency of the implant in Cali's head, and even now, no-one was completely sure there even 'was' such a device. It had been rumored of course:

"OK ..." Harry said, moving down to the Command Seat. If he was going to make the decision's then he needed to be sat down while doing it he decided, "Contact the Emeritus and Sagan, tell them to rotate and align deflector array's. Tell them to increase their orbit in line with us ... Helm, increase orbit and establish a Geo-stationary position over the complex." He sat in silence as the two massive ships on the view-screen began to rotate until both were facing the Raven.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the three ships, in a loose triangular configuration, held position thirty five thousand kilometers above the surface. It was now or never. He ordered all deflector array's brought on-line and synchronized. When Milyanov confirmed it was done, Harry nodded ... The Communication's Officer tapped out three pings, on her panel. Similar to the 'ping' used by twentieth century submariners to establish distance to another object, this was used to confirmed a signal was received. They waited a few moments then Harry ordered the test repeated. Unbelievably there came a single ping in reply !

The Bridge erupted in cheer's until Wedlerson calmed them down. It was the first step, and thankfully, they had not been detected from the surface yet. He turned to Milyanov, who shrugged then said they could only try. Harry ordered an audio channel opened directly to Commander Valenti's sub-dermal implant:

=^= .... ven to .. lenti .. unications diffic .. Be aware we are wor .. Engin .. lution .. ne hour fro .. =^=

=^= Confirmed =^= Calli said, looking at Blakus as her head filled with static.

"Is there 'ANY' way I can talk to them !" Andae whispered urgently, realizing he needed to get access to his Engineering Teams, if he could talk to them directly he may be able to help from this end somehow ..........

< tag : Andae / All >

[Andae Blakus]

"Yes, a little un-nerved, but hell, it's not every day you are HANGED !" she raised her voice for the benefit of the guards, who turned away grinning. Once relatively alone, Calli whispered what had just happened.

"They must've found a way to break through the jamming fields using Intelligence's subspace channels..." He smiled knowingly at Valenti despite his injury, rubbing at his sore neck that still smeared his hand and arm with blood, "I know all about those channels, you know."

But something didn't add up. How had his engineering crew, Wedlerson or any others on board, known of the covert Intel codes? He himself wasn't privy to the actual content of the codes - as was only right, he thought - and no other intel officers aboard the ship had access to such high-level communication equipment.

"Second thoughts," he said to Calli quietly, rising to his feet, watching blood dripping down his already battered tunic, "I don't see how the message could've come from the Raven... Unless." Calli watched him intently. Andae shook his head, "No."

Don't be so sure...

"Will you shut the - " Andae writhed like a madman, "Be quiet!!" he screamed at the floor. The bowler hatted executioner was still present; chopping block gone, cage vanished into netherspace, cold glinting sickle vanished from the chaotic scene, but the executioner remained. His lifeless skeletal face, gaping eye holes lit with kaleidoscopic pearls of energy, turned to Andae from across the room. His deathly face grinned inanimatedly. It was hard to tell when a skeleton smiled; varying degrees of malicious sadism offered themselves through the different angles of his jaw.

"Andae... I didn't say anything," Calli was looking up concernedly.

He turned back to her; he hadn't realised he'd drifted so far from their conversation. "Oh. That wasn't directed at you." He sat back down, eyeing Torek - as inanimate as the skeleton's grin - bolted to his barbaric electric circuit-wired device in the centre of the courtroom; still in the cage. "There could be another explanation... Have the Raven attempted further contact?" he asked.

"They are trying to establish a Comm link. It sounds like Commander Wedlerson, he's got some of your people working on getting through the interference. But even if they do, and without being detected by Eris, I have no idea how they can help us."

"Is there 'ANY' way I can talk to them ?"

Calli shook her head tiredly, rubbing her neck as Andae had done.

One way and one way only, Commander. Although I don't imagine he'll want to see you again... it can't hurt to try now, can it?

Although the voice should've come from across the room, Andae swore it still resonated inside his mind. He growled, "You want me to go back there? You've got a sick sense of humour, you son of a - "

Now, now, that's not the - Ooh, quiet, here she comes.

He watched the skeleton rattle to attention, its dark robes clinking with chains that'd hung upon them sick icons of death of all cultures, not just those of Earth.

As the doors to the courtroom slammed back - the Black Queen, stonefaced, entering with her gaggle of reprobates and Roman legionaries - Andae turned quickly to Calli and Alex. "Ben Zielinski," he said.

Their face's were pictures of confusion. Valenti said, "What? I've heard the name mentioned, a few times, but what significance - "

"Ben Zielinski! Before he arrived here - another of Eris's prisoners after his loss on the Piper years ago - he was a distinguished member of the Federation Diplomatic Corps, and a friend. He occasionally..." he hesitated, knowing he was divulging classified information that he shouldn't even know, "... Did work for Starfleet Intelligence. He, I believe, would've had high enough clearance to be able to send those messages from a similar device in his throat. Not to you directly, Calli, if we are receiving them from the ship. But he may have relayed something up there, instructed them they could use his information - the subspace carrier wave - to contact you with whatever message they wanted to send... A simple message, not even words, would've sufficed..."

He had to trail off because Eris had reached her dais and silenced the crying court to an uneasy silence. A few cries still emanated from the balconies, penetrating the perilous calm. Was it Andae's imagination, or had Eris's guards grown more... decrepit? Mutated, even. The legionaries - fragments of Andae's memory and heritage as one of Roman creed - seemed the only ones untouched. But as for the card guards, they looked as if they'd bitten away by ravenous dogs. Deformities in their armour - melded to their bodies - were all too apparent, and their faces were melted, sad eyes glimpsing out from under ruined skin. Were they dying?

"Alex," he said quietly, speaking to the most senior officer present who wasn't locked in an electric chair, "Zielinski said something else. About an equivalent to Eris. Some entity of peace. He said she may be able to help us."

<Tag Alex>

Eris's voice, once sultry, almost seductive, now boomed with the might of a crazed autocrat before her subjects, "Carl Torek is to be executed within one minute, if the rest of you do not all cast yourselves on your knees and pledge yourself to my service! You'll become courtiers of my replica of Starfleet Headquarters." Groans and cheers went up in equal measure. She grinned, "So... consign yourself to this world, living a life lifeless, or doom your Admiral to an excruciating death? What will it be?" She settled on her throne, danced about by wyrms and images of chaos - of man being devoured by the evil within himself, eating himself up to greet the nothingness with nothing more erudite than an apologetic smile.

"You 'had' to go this far, didn't you?" Andae shouted, "It's a book! A book of our creation. You're a coward, a plagiarist. Sentence before verdict, Mr Carroll wrote, but this is... Ultimatum. Before sentence! Before verdict!" Andae charged towards the doors at the far end of the hall opposite the dais, ruined cards coming to block his way.

The whole structure shook violently. All around them panic rose and fell in waves; some persons docile, hypnotised in their lifelessness; some hysterical, crying with each other, fighting each other, falling from the upper levels. Even Eris seemed alarmed.

<Tag Torek, Marionette, All>

[Carl Torek]

He could hear the shouting, the protestation's but frankly, he had given up hope ... Or at least, the part of him that Eris was controlling had, because somewhere, in his sub-conscious, another Carl Torek was fighting. He was seeing images in his minds-eye ... The USS Raven-B, her thousand-plus personnel, men women children, children ... Bethan, Vanessa, Chloe, they were there waiting for him to come home. Bethan would have pictures she had painted and wanted to show him, Vanessa would be excited about something she just 'HAD' to tell him about, and there was Chloe. He had finally admitted to himself that this person meant something to him and could be a part of their lives.

There ... There it was again, the merest tremor through the soles of his feet. He thought he had imagined it at first, wallowing in his self-pity, something he never normally did. There ! ... This time it was more pronounced. he looked up to see Blakus almost screaming accusations at the Black Queen, she in turn was faltering, looking to her guards for what, support, he doubted it. She looked up, towards the high ceiling, as if expecting something. He was trying to loosen the straps holding his wrists, and suddenly heard a crackle of static ... It was coming from his Comm badge:

=^= ... aven to Away Te .... Sagan is falli .... Be aware the USS Sagan is falling into the atmos .... We are attemp .... et a lock on yo .. Stand-by =^=

He looked up at the other's, and realized they too had heard the Comm from the Raven 'Thank god' he thought, it wasn't just in my head !

The bars began to rattle now, the marble floor of the cell straining to keep them seated. The chair was shaking violently now, throwing him from side to side, making his vision blurred, then there came the 'crack' ... It was unmistakable ... The marble floor suddenly gave up the fight and a large jagged fracture stretched from beneath his chair to the edge of the cell, the bonds securing him loosened as the wood twisted and strained against unimaginable forces.

"You will not win ......" Eris was screaming, her eyes darting back and fourth as she tried desperately to regain control of her realm. Carl had no idea what was causing the issues, but he had found a new will and was determined to escape this Hellish vision of the Black Queen as the Comm chirped to life once more:

=^= Be aware Away Team .. The USS Sagan will impa .... irty Secon .... We are attempti .... =^=

The straps holding him to the chair finally gave way and he shakily got to his feet,fighting the ever-fluctuating surface below his feet. He stepped to the bars and took hold with both hands, more for balance that anything. He looked at his Officer's non of which had seen him stand, then at the Black Queen, who was fighting some inner turmoil of her own as her playground began to fall apart beneath her.

"YOU HAVE LOST ... ERIS !" he screamed, falling to his knees exhausted ..........

[Carl Torek]

OOC: Posting as Commander Wedlerson aboard the Raven ...


IC:

"Boost the signal, we need to get through to the Away Team !" Harry said, trying to keep his voice calm while getting over that he needed this doing, and NOW !

"Sir, the Sagan is falling out of her position." the Duty Operations Officer informed him. Harry told her to contact the ship and get it back into position, but there was a problem. The core of the Sagan had been damaged, and was fluctuating, Andae's Engineer's were having difficulty holding position, and informed the Raven they were loosing the battle, quickly. He ordered a comm opened to the surface quickly:

=^= ... aven to Away Te .... Sagan is falli .... Be aware the USS Sagan is falling into the atmos .... We are attemp .... et a lock on yo .. Stand-by ........ Be aware Away Team .. The USS Sagan will impa .... irty secon .... We are attempti .... =^=

"We're loosing contact Sir. The Away Team on the Sagan is requesting transport off the ship, it has entered the Ionosphere and is increasing speed."

"Beam them out." Harry said, "Put the Sagan on screen."

Everyone on the Bridge sat or stood in silence as the almost six hundred thousand tonnes of Star Ship plunged into the poisonous atmosphere of the moon. For some reason, he wasn't the least bit surprised that it was on a heading that would impact the exact location of the Away Team on the surface. He suddenly had the foreboding that 'he' would be taking the Raven back to Star Base Forty Seven, minus the Senior Staff, and the Commanding Officer. He felt sick to the stomach at the thought.

The Sagan was on a shallow trajectory, falling into the atmosphere at an almost leisurely rate, but as gravity took hold, the saucer section began to dip and the angle increased fractionally by the second. The hull plating was burning now with no shields to protect it, sections ripping off as they lost their battle with the atmosphere. Harry was informed that the Engineer's were now back on the Raven, he nodded but continued to watch the massive ship lancing through the thin, poisonous air on the way to it's rendezvous with the unyielding surface of the moon below.

"Time to impact ?" he asked needlessly.

"Twenty one seconds." the Tactical Officer confirmed.

"Do we have a lock on the Away Team yet ?" he asked.

"The shield is still up Sir, but something is happening on the surface. I am picking up fluctuation's, almost as if their power supply was unsteady. I have locks on all the Away Team, but only at sixty four point eight percent at this time. I wouldn't recommen ....."

"Understood." Wedlerson said, a little too quickly, knowing the shield would need to be dropped before he could even contemplate attempting a beam-out. He'd seen first hand what signal degradation can do to a body, and didn't want a repeat of the experience.

"Sir, you need to see this !" the Tactical Officer said, switching the view-screen to a view of the surface itself. There, in plain view, was Star Fleet Headquarters ! ... "It isn't real Commander, diagnostic's show no real structures. There is a building beneath the surface, approximately one hundred metes below the surface, fifty meters square and thirty nine meters in depth, but everything from the ground up ...... Is fake."

"That's the Academy Annex." someone else said, " ... and the quad."

"Put the Sagan track alongside the surface view." Harry ordered, seeing the screen split down the center, one half showing the 'fake' Headquarters, the other showing the Sagan, "Time ?"

"Fourteen seconds !" ..........

[Andae Blakus]

Calli seemed perturbed, concentrating for a second on something only she seemed able to hear. She turned her head away from Andae and the crowds of roaring deadmen and creatures of fantasy, presumably so to better interpret the message which must be being sent to her.

Andae followed her, slightly wild-eyed and unsteady as he tried to keep his balance on the trembling floor, "What is it? Another communication...? What are they saying," he asked, hurrying to keep up. Despite the chaos around them (bodies falling from upper levels, legionaries battling with decrepit playing cards, philosophers crying their last hypotheses to the maddened air as they plummeted from the balconies) Andae didn't need to speak very loudly.

Calli turned briefly, still contemplating her message, "The Sagan is plummeting into the atmosphere towards us. We may only have a few seconds..." They stepped over a body in a long robe that'd plummeted from above and landed just in front of them. The ground continuing to vibrate underneath, as if some destabilising force were coming from somewhere far below, dissembling the chaos through the logic of deconstruction. Andae recognised the dead man they'd hopped over as Plato; he wondered what that real thinker and logician would make of all this.

A crack like that of thunder rose up through the nebulous, abstract levels below the court room. The floor vibrated, resonating, smashing stained glass windows depicting scenes of backstabbing, subterfuge and heresy - disorder in its myriad forms. The hammering ground fractured, tearing a crevice across the chamber floor. Eris's screams were lost among the carnage.

Andae saw that Carl's cage had been rent partially open by the blast. He scampered, ran, jumping the ravine - separating himself from Valenti - and dived into the Admiral's cage. Carl was on his knees, having cried desperate words at the throne. Andae helped him up, careful to avoid the twisted spars of cast iron wrenched to pieces by the unknown explosion.

He helped his near-unconscious CO towards the exit, arm round his shoulder, cringing at every explosion, splintering of shattered glass and hysterical cry about them. Card guards ran riot, running into each other, falling to the ground in decomposing heaps. Legionaries blocked their way; Andae fended them off, discharging his phaser which surprisingly worked.

The Romans fell back, grunting in shock at the gaping fiery holes in their banded armour. "Sorry brothers," Andae muttered, continuing to usher his commander towards the exit.

"Why did he bring these here??!" Eris shouted, referring to the legonaries who were slowly breaking formations, peeling away from Eris's dais, "Zielinski... Wants you all to escape?!"

Andae turned back to her near the exit they'd somehow reached, nearly shrugging. Despite the distance, his voice seemed to carry a long way, "That would seem to be the case. A theory, at any rate."

They dived out the doors of the Alice in Wonderland creation, thinking for some reason it'd been their final escape. Little time remained. They needed to get to the edge of the shield, or whatever was blocking the Raven from beaming them out. But the reality of this new environment was worse. Andae glanced back, seeing the other staff lurching towards the exit.

Suddenly he was removed from them; from Torek, too. He found himself rushing through a hazy dimensionally-uncertain passageway. Things, apparitions, some more real than others, dived at him from the shadows where he thought the walls might be. Legionaries and nobles of Ancient Rome; his family who carried some of the same Roman blood, demanding to know what he intended; the mewlings of infuriated felines echoed through the air, seeming to come from far away but also threatening in their immediacy; and Starfleet HQ's braindead smiles, fingers outstretching with empty looks in their eyes...

He cast them off; dived for the door at the end of the passage - a turbolift door. Deja vu - when the Raven had blitzed into the surface, driving a wedge with its armoured prow through this HQ replica - he'd found himself running to a similar door. Was this the same place; literally the same timeframe, the same beckoning calls from the shores of the edge of this manic recreation and playground?

He reached the exit, eyes blinded, saturated by sunlight. He stumbled down the steps of HQ towards the lush gardens that sparkled green, shielding his eyes from the false sun for the few bittersweet moments before it was eclipsed by an oblate shape diving from the skies. Protrusions in its rear helped blot out the star; it was a dark image and a familiar shape. The others were catching up to him. He thought about running, into the gardens, find some quiet glade, but there could be no escape from the wreck of the Sagan careening frighteningly fast towards them. They'd be killed or potentially saved by the shield. If the shield collapsed soon, that could be their one beam out opportunity.

Just as it seemed the Sagan was destined to impact HQ and murder them all - or either pass straight through and obliterate itself on the grey quartz-dusted matter of the moon's surface - something startingly bright, luminescent white and pink, sparkled at the Sagan's dark, atmosphere-tortured prow. It'd impacted Eris's facility's shield! The generator wavered - something tangible around them, for Eris's masking and powers of deception seemed to have faded - and died.

<Tag Torek, Wedlerson, All>