Calli Valente
Starfleet Intelligence
"Don't get in my way."
Registered: Aug 4, 2010 21:19:10 GMT
Posts: 534
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Post by Calli Valente on Nov 23, 2014 0:29:04 GMT
"That woman is beginning to get on my every nerve !" Calli said as Jessica swept away leaving them alone, "So ... Any idea's ?"
"Find a way to open that hatch. Go looking for Commander Blakus !" Burwell said instantly.
"That's a thought, but ...... Let's say Commander Blakus was taken simply because he was the first, or closest, to the hatch." she said, seeing Burwell's unconvinced expression, "Hear me out Colonel. It could have been any one of us, so I'd say the Android took the first available option ... We 'could' go looking for him, but I have the distinct feeling that our search would prove useless. Andromeda knows this ship like the back of her hand, so unless she's waiting on the other side of that hatch, we're going to be in for a long, highly dangerous, search ...... On the other hand ......"
She grinned, walking towards the double doors Jessica and her bodyguards had just passed through.
"You don't seriously think we should go after her do you ?" Burwell said, just managing to stop himself laughing out loud.
"She said that she could move through the decks of this thing without being seen. Given her position, why would she even 'need' to ... Surely, anyone seeing her wouldn't dare question why she was here, so why the subterfuge. I think our Jessica is planning something that she would prefer her fellow Council members, and that 'Captain' of their's not to find out. I figure we go where she went, pay her a surprise visit, and get some answers to those nagging questions we have."
Burwell didn't reply but went to the doors and looked them up and down. He traced his hand along the frame on both sides, then stepped back, chin in his hand. Calli stood quietly watching, knowing when to let people work without distraction. The Marine looked around, searching for the right 'tool' for purpose ... He found what he was looking for and approached the doors, a second later they glided silently open. bowing theatrically, he waved her through.
Although the corridor beyond was in semi-darkness, they could still see where they were. Deck Fourteen of the saucer section. Residential and Crew quarters lined both sides. They moved quietly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. Reaching one of the Jeffries tubes, Burwell stuck his head in and almost got it knocked off as a suspended hatch fell toward him. He dived back, eyes wide as the hatch made a deafening 'CLANG !' in the silence.
"So much for sneaking around." he said, regaining his composure, half expecting to be jumped on en-masse in seconds, but no-one arrive, "Hmm, maybe large clattering pieces of metal are the norm around these levels." he finished, looking over to where Calli had been stood a moment ago, but all he could see was her backside as she leaned into the Jeffries tube to push the hatch back into place. Climbing in after it she secured the bulkhead in place and told Burwell to follow her ... They halted before every level, listening intently, but they seemed to be alone. She wasn't sure if she had just relaxed her cautiousness, or if the attackers were simply too quiet, but as they passed into Deck Nine, they were pulled from the tube and dumped unceremoniously onto the deck !
"You are not from here."
"Ten out of ten for observation." Burwell said sarcastically and receiving a smack in the mouth for his trouble.
"What are you doing among the un-named ?"
"Passing through." the Marine offered, stealing himself for another blow.
"You are not on the Council, or we would have been seized by your personal guards by now, and no doubt be heading for the outness. So, I will ask you once again. What are you doing here, and why are you climbing the forbidden conduits ?"
Calli got slowly to her feet, the two men, one woman, and a young girl, maybe fourteen, watching her closely. She looked around thinking how they could get away from these before they lost Jessica altogether, then it came to her:
"We are here on Council business ! ..... Any interference will be 'unfortunate' for those concerned ..... A few moments ago our Mistress, Lady Jessica, passed through here. we were told to remain behind to see if any of the un-named dared follow where they were not welcome. It seems her suspicions that un-named were using the conduits was well founded. You transgressions will be reported on our return. If you attempt to delay us further, I will have no option but to terminate you and your companions without trial."
She waited in silence as their captors looked back and forth, trying to decide on the best course of action. Keep the intruders and risk the Councillor's wrath, let them go and risk, what .... As if to prove her point that they were taking too much time on a simple decision, her set phaser on heavy stun setting, then shot the other male, who dropped to the floor unconscious. The other three gasped, looking from their prone colleague, to the unknown weapon the woman was holding, then back. Finally, they stepped away, pulling the shot man with them. They were about to make a hasty departure when Burwell, phaser in hand, blocked their way. He motioned for them to move to the far wall and then looked at Calli.
"We beg forgiveness Lady." the women said, kneeling before her and hugging the girl, but Calli just told her to go back to the wall and be seated. making it clear any further problems would be dealt with severely. She moved closer to the Marine, keeping a wary eye on their erstwhile captors, "Well that went well." she whispered.
"What now ?" he asked, but Calli was already formulating an idea. She looked at the three still conscious:
"You know of the conduits to the forbidden level where the Council reside." she didn't make it a question, but one of the women nodded quickly, "Very well, you will lead us through the remaini ......" The man erupted in fear, yelling that it was impossible for them to help, and if they truly were from the Council surely they would already know the correct tunnels to climb. Burwell raised his phaser and fired at the man, who slumped beside his already unconscious companion. He turned the weapon towards the women as Valente continued as if nothing had happened, "As I was saying, you know the conduits. One of you will accompany us, I don't care which. You will show me how you climb to the forbidden levels, and if you do so without incident, I will appraise my Lady of your 'helpfulness' and she may spare your life, and that of your Family."
The young girl jumped to her feet, the other still cowering beside the unconscious males tried to prevent her but missed. Calli smiled.
"See ..... Helping isn't that hard, now is it." Burwell said, taking a small disk from his tunic and fixing it to the bulkhead opposite the remaining three, "If you attempt to escape, or call for help while we are away, I will know it using this device. If you attempt to move from it's view it will detonate instantly ... You will not survive the explosion."
Calli looked at the shivering woman then motioned to the girl. She looked at her friends, then turned away moving quickly to a second Jeffries tube.
"We must use this tunnel first, then change. It will be difficult to remain undetected if you insist on shooting us one by one."
"No-one ever teach you manners young lady ?" Burwell asked.
"My name, is Leanna, not young lady."
Calli grinned at her sudden new-found defiance, then told her to start climbing ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Nov 26, 2014 7:38:10 GMT
The turbolift had ground to a halt, the antiquated mechanism giving it upwards propulsion pausing in its laboured churns. Andae's mind was spinning with the sudden shunt of information. The Federation, then all the other powers... Falling in quick succession. He steadied himself against the turbolift, rubbing his bruised jaw that still gave him considerable pain but mostly to prevent the mind-numbing depth of time and space opened up within his mind from overwhelming him.
"You say all the major powers? How long until... What did this?" he asked in the solitude of the turbolift - for such did it now seem to him.
The lift was slowly hot-wired, Andae resting against the frame of the lift, unsure whether he could trust the Marionette before him or her accomplices. Despite the shock of the revelation of the Federation's impending doom - at least in one timeline - his mind was still primarily occupied with the locations of the other two members of the away team. Valenti and Burwell, and where they were being held or interrogated.
Marionette had changed much, seeming to have herself - at least on the outside, Blakus could only guess - fully human or as close as possible to such a being as it was possible to get. He wondered, despite her alluring appearance, whether 500 years had changed her in similar ways as it had the attitudes of the Raven senior staff's descendants.
He'd seen to his disgust but also with a sort of disconnected disinterest the bright glowering eyes of his descendant Cesif Teiler, had been threatened with a knife by Carl's descendant, had met the outwardly amiable but curiously cold Rachel Peers, who of course carried the same Trill symbiont currently on the Raven in contemporary times. Nothing should be taken for granted on this vessel.
"... Since we are on the other side of the timeline, we must try to rescue the others, and get Us four, or at the very least, me, back to the Raven in the past, regardless of what may happen."
The lift resumed, depositing the five of them in a new stretch of grey, light-flickering corridor. "So." He stopped turning to Marionette causing the others particularly the man named Pike to step close, in protection of the former android in such a manner as if to convey reverence, an almost worshipful demeanour. Blakus had had enough of that superstitious thinking from the supposed future Raven.
"If it's most important you get back to the Raven, then you mean that the events as they're currently playing out will result inevitably in the fulfillment of this future timeline." Cracks of brightening understanding broke through Andae's mind, "You mean to change it by heading back to the Raven in your current... human form. By interfering there you avoid the Long Night you talked about?"
"Where's your Council's meeting place in relation to here?" he asked, studying the ceiling, running his hands along the bulkheads - almost familiar but too sorrowfully withered by time. "If they're holding the other members of the away team we'd be best served by avoiding it."
"This is him isn't it?" the one called Shanok said, glancing around at the others as they asked for explanation "One of the Un-named, identifies his cause with his. Calls himself Ultimus."
Blakus smashed a foot through a rotting EPS junction, not listening to the others' idle chatter at all. "If the power grid works the same as the 24th century Raven in this section, I can generate forcefields to block off any of your knights or other uninvited guests, hopefully giving us something of a direct course over to Calli's destined location on deck 6." He paused, licking his lips, down on his haunches on the floor, "Are we on deck 6?" he asked as if it was an afterthought.
<Tag Marionette; Calli; The Captain, Peers>
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Nov 26, 2014 22:52:44 GMT
OOC :: Posting as Jessica ::IC ::"You know 'NOTHING' of our ways or our society, the presume too much if you think The Captain would even feel the need to wait. believe me, if he wanted you dead, you would be dead ... Why would he allow the Mage to get so close and risk his escape when he could simply click his finger's and the Mage, or anyone else for that matter, would be history." Burwell shrugged again. he knew he was getting under the Councillor's skin. If he was hoping to force a reaction that Calli could latch onto, he was out of luck, "You will remain here. This level is off limits and has no internal monitoring. No-one will know it is not open to space or occupied. I will return or send Veson when I have more information."
She took Veson and her two most loyal bodyguards and left the Star Fleet Officers alone. She had much to think about, not least her explanation of what had occurred over the last hours. The fact that the Mage had seemingly fled his own people and gone to the Raven was news, albeit not unwelcome, she certainly wasn't expecting it. So maybe news of the intruders would not reach the Captain after all, or at least, not until she could be sure they were secreted out of harms way. She had questions for the woman and the Commander, Blakus, but she suspected Andromeda had got her cold hands on the man already. Reaching the residential level she dismissed the two guards but told them to remain close, she and Veson entered her quarters ...
"You believe Andromeda will attempt to bargain for the Commander ?" she asked, pouring ice cold water from a picture on the table into two glasses before handing one to her most loyal servant, I wonder why she didn't simply 'take' the whole of the team from the Raven ...."
"I think she may well contact you my Lady. She will have known the real reason I was discovered on the lower levels, despite my ungentlemanly conduct towards her."
"Ungentlemanly ... I like that." Jessica said, sipping the cold liquid slowly, "You were lucky she didn't kill you down there, she would have been within her rights for such disrespect."
Veson shrugged. He knew he had been on very thin ice, but somehow holding his tongue didn't seem the right thing to do at the time.
"I want you to prepare rooms on the level below. Move some of the servants from the green quarter and seal it off. No-one would go there under normal circumstances ... When you have done so, bring that woman there. notify me when you have her."
"And the other one, the fighter ?"
"Leave him down below. He had much too much to say in my opinion." Jessica said, then changed her mind, "No, bring him too, but be sure you are not seen,you will need to avoid the observation domes. I am going to request an audience with the Captain, It is curious that he has not sent for me thus far, I have to wonder why that is ...... Send one of the guards to Councillor Andromeda. Request a meeting in the main hall once I have see the Captain. I think it is about time we assessed each others' position, don't you ?"
"Yes, my Lady." Veson said, getting up and going to the door to speak to one of the guards as Jessica took her communication device and spoke:
=^= Captain. If it would please you, I would crave audience =^=
=^= I am busy Jessica .. What is it you wish to speak with me regarding ? =^=
=^= You have been informed about the Mage .. I was hoping to garner insight as to why he would wish to leave the Community =^=
=^= It will be discussed .. In due course .. Now if there is nothing further I will let you attend t your duties =^= the Captain didn't wait for approval or anything else, but closed the communication without another word. She turned to Veson, a frown forming ..... Was it possible that the Captain had received information detrimental to her plans, no, she would have been space-bound had he any inkling of what she was planning. Of course, most, if not all of the Council were planning his overthrow in one scheme or another, but none ever came to fruition, indeed most never got further than a fanciful dream of glory after the Captain, and those that had over the many years become more than a whim had been crushed with such force as to dissuade further thoughts. She knew the Android had plans for the high office, and if truth be known, she was more than a little surprised that the Councillor hadn't acted on her desires thus far. Maybe gaining one of the Raven Officers would give her hope, but not if Jessica had anything to do with it of course !
"I am going to the Council Chamber." she said suddenly. Veson fell into place beside her as she left her appartment. She needed information first-hand, and if the Captain was unwilling to supply it, then the other Council members would be only too eager to divulge what they may, or may not, know ..........
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Calli Valente
Starfleet Intelligence
"Don't get in my way."
Registered: Aug 4, 2010 21:19:10 GMT
Posts: 534
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Post by Calli Valente on Nov 28, 2014 22:04:22 GMT
Calli looked at the shivering woman then motioned to the girl. She looked at her friends, then turned away moving quickly to a second Jeffries tube.
"We must use this tunnel first, then change. It will be difficult to remain undetected if you insist on shooting us one by one."
"No-one ever teach you manners young lady ?" Burwell asked.
"My name, is Leanna, not young lady."
Calli grinned at her sudden new-found defiance, then told her to start climbing .....
~~~~~
The Jeffries tubes were cleaner here, almost as if used on a regular basis rather than being the 'forbidden' territory everyone was leading her to believe ...As they climbed, Calli could see the child beginning to hesitate and she climbed up beside her and spoke quietly, hoping not to scare the girl any more than she already was:
"What's the matter Leanna, we're not going to hurt you, I promise. Get us to the Council level's and you can return to your family unharmed."
"It is, not you my Lady." the child said, eyeing the exit to Deck Six, "This level is, how would you say, taboo ...... We have long been told that our people disappear, they are brought here and ..... Used."
"Used ?" she asked, wondering what was scaring the teen so much.
"Please, I do not wish to speak about it. I will do as I am told and take you to the upper levels, but we must not, under 'ANY' circumstances, be found on this level, to do so will be your end !"
The little girl began to climb, refusing to offer any more comments on what may be on the deck above them. As they climbed, Calli watched the girl almost jump the rungs to avoid having to be close to the bulkhead access. Burwell had listened to the conversation and tapped Calli on the foot to get her attention. He suggested they take some time to look at what was frightening the child so much. She wasn't sure, but he may be right, something was scaring Leanne and it could well aid their investigations if they knew what that could be. Nodding she climbed to the girl:
"I want you to wait here while we take a look at what is on this level." the girl almost cried at the prospect of going through the access, but Calli assured her she would remain in the tunnel until they returned, "We won't take long, but I warn you Leanne, if you decide to go back down, or abandon us here, the device watching your mother will detonate."
"I told you I would take you. I do not tell lies !" the girl said defiantly before climbing to the mid-level area and putting her back to the wall, pointedly ignoring Calli who had followed her .....
Below, Burwell had moved to the access hatch and was using his tricorder to scan the area beyond, when Calli joined him he confirmed that this sectionthe level was unoccupied for the time being, but there were several observation devices ... He worked on the panel beside the hatch and found what he was looking for, the fibre-optic cables that powered the camera's ... Splicing his tricorder into the cable, he sat in silence for approximately one minute then entered several codes into the device. he had effectively placed the two closest devices on a loop, so they would not be seen. The tricorder simply didn't have the capacity to do all the deck, and he thought the 'lack' of activity would eventually be noticed by anyone taking time to look.
Cautiously opening the access hatch, Burwell looked down the corridor then stepped out with Calli close behind, she looked back into the Jeffries tube and could see the seemingly 'sulking' Leanne above, still ignoring her. 'Children' she thought as she followed the Marine to the first room, the powerless door open, before entering after him ...... It was a residential quarters, used for Officer's who had brought their family aboard the Raven. Calli was wondering why Leanne was so frightened of this level as they exited the rooms and moved slowly along the corridor. She had handed Burwell her tricorder and he was scanning ahead, but thankfully they hadn't come up against any more of the devices, but it was only a matter of time. They were inching forward slowly when Calli thought she heard someone approaching from behind them ! .... They ducked into one of the empty rooms and waited, hoping they would remain undiscovered. Burwell pointed to the floor then put a finger to his lips ... She could see the shadow of someone approaching and she pushed herself against the wall beside the door. The Marine raised his arm to throat level and pulled it across his body, when he struck out, the blow would hopefully crush the larynx of the person instantly. Tensing, Burwell watched the approaching shadow and as it enter the room he stepped forward arm already travelling through it's arc en-route to their opponent's throat, but he pulled the blow at the very last instant as Leanne stepped into the room !
Calli snatched her by the shoulders and pulled her fully into the room before spinning her around. Burwell scanned the corridor left and right then confirmed they were somehow still alone.
"What are you doing here !" Burwell spat, stepping in front of the girl, "I could have ......." but stopped as he felt something against his groin.
Calli too had seen the sudden change in the Marine and looked in the same direction as he was. There, resting almost tenderly against the man's trousers was a shard of metal, one end held by the child, while the business end was millimeters from depriving him of his proverbial manhood, Calli could only grin at the situation as she gently pulled Leanne away before anything 'unfortunate' could happen.
"You're manner is beginning to annoy me Star Fleet .... We are un-named, not incapable, you would do well to remember that before someone teaches you the lesson."
"What are you doing here ?" Calli asked.
"Someone was moving in the tunnels, from above. If I had remained I would have been discovered, so I had no option but to enter this level ... Now, whoever was in the tunnel would have passed so I shall return."
"No, you're staying with us." the Marine said, a little embarrassed to be out-done by a twelve year old girl, "What happens on this level, can you tell us ?"
"You shall see for yourself if you continue." the child said, almost resigned to her fate, "But you will not be pleased, that I can say. It is known that the Council use this level to carry out, tests on the un-named. We have no idea as to what tests are done, but we see the results being flushed into the airlessness at times. They are the dead, but it is known that the Council take us at will from the depths."
Calli and Burwell looked at each other, then down the corridor. Deck Six held residential apartments and crew quarters, but it also held Science Labs ... It was inconceivable that the Council were experimenting on their own, but if Leanne was correct, they needed to see for themselves and report to Admiral Torek as soon as possible ! ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Nov 29, 2014 23:32:55 GMT
OOC: Cesif Teiler
Alarms sounded throughout the forward section of deck 38, alerting nearby security who'd been tactically posted at various points along the corridors leading to the brig. The door to the brig burst open in fiery fury, a roughly circular hole drilled in its surface being punched through. Clambering through the smoke and hazy fire was Cesif Teiler, his green eyes gripped with a maddened shock as if some luminescent meadow was reflected in them.
Security guards charged forward, two being downed by phaser rifle fire by Teiler, before they elected the best option was to take cover at the nearest intersections.
On the bridge, the apparent situation was reported to Admiral Torek, "Sir, reading an energy burst in the brig. It seems an explosive device has been detonated. Fusion based I'd say, given the level of gamma radiation. Security have been alerted..."
"Wedlerson, report." Torek commed. "Please don't tell me -"
"He won't hear you, even if he could, sir. Internal sensors and communications to the brig have been jammed."
Torek growled, "We scanned that lunatic for weapons when we beamed him off that craft. How the hell did he get a fusion grenade past the matter beam scanners?" He sat brooding, irritated in his command chair.
Teiler backed himself against the wall just outside the brig, breathing hoarsely - still exhausted from his perilous trip from the Community through the outer viscous firmament to the antique Raven - and squeezing his eyes shut, concentrating on what was to come. Keeping out of sight of the ancient security guards, he subtly withdrew his second fusion device and let it roll out into the nearest intersection. A green light flashed on one of its ends as it rolled towards the unsuspecting security officers. A muted bang accompanied the yelps of the surprised guards.
Knowing his enemies were down, Teiler dived out of cover and scampered towards aft and the turbolift. If the layout of this ship was similar to that of his own Raven - despite the future vessel's myriad modifications - this passage would end without diversion in a turbolift. He'd be able to get to engineering from there.
His crimson robes flowed behind him, he having donned them over his sand-coloured undershirt again after exiting the brig. This was a sacred duty he carried out.
Back to that other time, when the universe lay before us like an island of jewels and everything was still possible.
He remembered that rhetoric of The Captain's, issued before hundreds of reverent onlookers in a great hall in the early days - that at least was the version that'd been passed down to Teiler by his forefathers. He'd never listened to his family; never listened to anyone, except for his own thoughts and their indescribable connection with the magick of the universe. He was now determined to put an end to any designs The Captain might have in this time of antiquity.
<Tag Torek, Peers>
"What do you want from me?" Blakus trodded the passageway, still limping dragging one foot behind the other. The question had come unbidden. Although Marionette had explained what she believed she needed to do, Andae still didn't trust this shadowy group that led him through one darkened gangway after another. They climbed metal railings, ascended chugging turbolifts, made their way towards what was presumably some exit to the vessel so that they might travel to the Raven. Of course, Andae didn't know that one attempt escape had already (nearly) been prevented, and that such a venture would be fraught with great danger.
"Commander..." he continued, still uncertain on using the term, "Out of our team you chose to capture me. Is there something your past self witnessed which meant I had to be captured so you could - or rather can - fulfill your new objective back on our past Raven?"
<Tag Marionette>
It felt less and less as if he was addressing the cloaked figure of Marionette that glided at an increasing distance ahead of him, and more Councillor Andromeda and the other two Priil walking behind him. Was the Raven's CNO known as such here? She seemed mysterious, withdrawn, some figure of reverence more like a deity than a mundane being of flesh and blood.
They turned a corner in the passageway, the deck markers clearly indicating deck 6. Abruptly Andae's legs gave way; he collapsed into the corridor's wall, a field of red overcoming his vision and his mind slipping to the verge of unconsciousness. Pike and Shanok gripped him strongly around the armpits, Pike issuing an annoyed grunt while Andromeda stared placidly ahead where Marionette had just rounded another bend.
Andae scrabbled forward on the floor, trying to find his senses and lose the sense of disorientation that'd descended over him. He'd felt faint ever since he'd been pulled through the hatch that'd separated him from Valenti and Burwell.
"Get up, for Goddess's sake," Pike said, violently jerking Blakus to his feet from under his armpit.
The sound of footsteps echoed up ahead, reverberating through the gloomy metallic passageway as they struck the floor. Flashlight beams made spirals in the air ahead of them. Marionette's apparent worshippers dived into cover, dragging Blakus with them into a maintenance junction.
Even through the red fugue that'd become his senses, Blakus could discern that Marionette was not with them. "Or is it because you want me as a bargaining chip? Is this some sort of internal power struggle?" he spoke loudly, not bothering to keep his voice down with the potential assailants around the corner. "Your Council hardly seemed united on its visit to our ship. You've taken me as a hostage, something to use in negotiations with other Councillors so you might secure more power... or who knows what..."
Shanok pressed a hand to his mouth. Somebody was approaching them in the twilight of deck 6.
<Tag Marionette/Andromeda, Calli>
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 4, 2014 0:05:32 GMT
"We scanned that lunatic for weapons when we beamed him off that craft. How the hell did he get a fusion grenade past the matter beam scanners ?" he sat brooding, irritated in his command chair, "Confine all non-essential personnel to quarters. Activate bulkhead force fields ... Try to get a transporter lock on him. I want that man caught or beamed into space before he can blow the hell out of anything else !"
For the first time since he took command, Carl honestly felt like he could punch someone. How the 'HELL' had the man managed to get an explosive device aboard the ship ! ... Not that the 'how' mattered at the moment, it was more about what he was planning to do with his new-found, albeit very temporary, freedom .... He ordered that all vital systems be locked out and only accessed by authorized personnel. As a safeguard he instructed the computer to conduct voice and biometric scans of anyone, including himself, who attempted to access anything other than the sonic showers. At least that way Teiler couldn't hold a weapon to anyone's head and force them to access any systems. He was still brooding over the issue when Lieutenant Zavial, the duty Tactical Officer while Commander Peers was assisting with the search for the Mage spoke:
"Admiral ........ I'm picking up tachyon emissions ....... There's something coming through !" Carl had to stop himself from running to the massive view-screen as the Tactical Officer put the image on screen ... Yes, there it was, a new surge of tachyon emissions, the same swirling vortex of not quite energy, pulsing out into their time-frame.
"Concentrate 'ALL' our scans on that vortex, I want information on what is coming through before they know themselves." he ordered, returning to his seat, "Has the future Raven reacted in any way ?"
"No Sir, at least, not that we can detect." Carl sat wondering what, who, was now encroaching into their time, and he didn't need to wait long ...... As before, with the future Raven, a shimmering began to emerge from the center of the tachyon burst, then whatever was coming through began to solidify, the rift slowly reducing behind them until it vanished from both the visible and spectral, and there, looking menacingly dangerous despite her size in relation to the present Raven, and positively dwarfed by their counterpart, was what had once been a Defiant Class Ship ! ... It didn't hang about, but began moving toward the present Raven almost before it had traversed the time barrier. He ordered shields raised and weapons be brought on-line then waited.
The tungsten black vessel made an almost leisurely turn, passing the Raven on the Port side before moving out, finally settling at the midpoint between the two Raven's. Notably, from Carl's point of view anyway, angled more toward the future ship. They waited in silence, watching the newcomer closely, weapons locked onto the small agile craft as if expecting the worst. Not that such a vessel could ever best the present Raven, let alone the much modified future vessel. Carl wondered just how many 'future' ships were going to decide to drop in on the present as he watched the undoubtedly proficient little ship hanging before them .....
~~~~~
Sat in the Observation Lounge, Harry Wedlerson with him, and one of Commander Peers' Security team in the corner, he waited while Captain West was escorted to their requested meeting ...
"He is clear of all weapons Admiral." one of the escorting Officer's confirmed, though given recent events, Carl could be excused for not being one hundred percent confident. Nevertheless, he allowed West to enter and approach. The man extended a hand which Carl took and then asked the man to sit.
"I hope this isn't going to be a trend." Torek said, trying to lighted the mood hoping West would capitulate and say what he had to say without preamble.
"No Admiral. I can assure you there will not be any other vessels popping up in your time. The fact I have been forced to reveal myself to you is more than should have been necessary ...... I have been hunting, though 'hunting' may be the wrong terminology ... I have been pursuing the Raven for some time. We received information that they had found an tachyon anomaly and were attempting to use it to come back ... Five hundred years in your future Admiral, temporal displacement is the most despicable act anyone could undertake. I do not know how much information has been divulged regarding our situation, but needless to say, I doubt the Captain has been forthcoming regarding their 'visit' shall we say."
Torek sat in silence, not wanting to reveal how little he actually knew, especially if this man was going to fill in the gaps for him. West nodded, understanding the unspoken thought, then continued:
"You, and your crew are in grave danger Admiral ... History is somewhat 'vague' on what happened after the fall of the Federation. Yes, we have records, and yes, to the greater part they are accurate, but when our Star Ships took it upon themselves to become pilgrims, they set a president that ruined what little government we had left ... 'The Captain' ... As you know him, decided quickly and rightly, that he needed to secure a safe haven for his crew, and like many others, embarked on what was to become a 'generation' journey. All of the original crew members are long dead obviously, but things didn't go as well as they expected, and they began to find themselves in need of replacement parts for everything from the sonic showers, to the warp core .......... With no more Star Bases, it fell to themselves to 'acquire' what they needed, by whatever means at their disposal."
"They took from their own ?" Harry asked.
"A very 'diplomatic' way of putting it Commander." West conceded, almost ashamedly, "They did indeed take from their own as you put it. To the extent that they began actively hunting other Federation vessels to supplement their requirements ....... Even with no Federation to speak of, we still held firm to the Prime directive, and foremost, to the rule we would never do harm to our own. Alas, the Captain began to 'convert' his crew to the fact that they were indeed the only future the Human race had, despite twenty percent of the crew being non-Human at the time, he justified their continued participation by saying there would be a time that the other races would thrive one again and they believed every word."
"So, out of idle curiosity here, why have you suddenly appeared ?" Wedlerson asked. West looked at the Admiral who raised his eyebrows waiting for the question to be answered.
"In our, time-frame .... We have begun to re-establish a Governing body. Not the Federation Council by any means, but numerous races are now dedicated to resolving our mistakes .... Our group, if you like, was formed and tasked with hunting down and bringing to justice those that took it upon themselves to murder for gain. That includes, the ship you have out there !"
" ...... And the time travel ?" Torek asked.
"An isolated event Admiral." West said, almost smiling, "The Captain could not have known the tachyon burst would send him back one second or one millennium, and there is no way you could have been targeted per sey. It was purely coincidental that he appeared here and now. But I must implore you not to allow any of this community they have developed to board your vessel. It would be catastrophic ...."
Carl glanced at Harry, who remained as poker-faced as ever ......
"It's early. Too early for my liking. Would you care to join me for dinner, say nineteen hundred. We can go over things better on a full stomach ?" West accepted the invitation standing. "Maybe we could invite some of the Counc .........."
"NO ! ..." West said quickly, "I am more than willing to be the polite house guest Admiral, but to sit down with the people I have been hunting for the last twenty five years, no ...." Carl watched the man's demeanour. West had got suddenly defensive and on guard before excusing himself. Harry instructed the Security Oficer to accompany the Captain to the transporter room, then looked at Torek:
"Hmm, the plot thickens."
Carl couldn't argue with such logic ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 7, 2014 2:47:14 GMT
Teiler listened to the droning of the ship's engines, situated somewhere above him and to where the guessed the aft of the vessel to be. He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow and discarding his heavy crimson robes. He continued along the Jefferies Tube, reasoning that he was still heading towards the bow of the ship.
He'd managed to evade the security teams of Rachel Peers's ancestor so far, having had one close run-in just after escaping the prison cell. The ship's engine room - presuming interior design hadn't changed much in 500 years - should lie above him on the same longitudinal axis; he needed only to clank his way another thirty, fifty feet along this length of pristine tunnel (even cleaner than those chambers of the aristocracy on the Community) so that he'd be directly under the old Raven's engineering, and very close to the bottom of the warp core and antimatter injector assembly...
They'd tried to beam him out. He had felt the dematerialisation process taking effect, his molecules beginning to disintegrate him, freezing him in place. Something, however, had broken the lock... He was at a slight loss to explain it, despite his disguised hiding of his engineering expertise; perhaps a redirection of power from secondary systems - such as, presumably, transporters - had become a sudden need of the bridge crew.
Either way, he'd yet again evaded the attempted disruptive actions of this primitive backward crew and its society. He was still on the brig level - deck 38. Engineering lay 2 decks above him, the antimatter injectors 2 decks below... He reached the end of the Jefferies' Tube. Glancing about to make sure he wasn't pursued, he began climbing the ladder downwards towards the antimatter containment area. Once destabilised from its EM suspension, antimatter could have a cataclysmic effect on the wellbeing of a starship.
He needed only allies... Wedlerson, Harry, had made it clear he was unwilling to help. That left only one option, perhaps two... who might be able to assist. Thomas Hunt, engineer and ancestor of the new Warlock Mage Kris Hunt. And Christina Taylor, that mysterious figure who was also an engineer and Cesif's own distant ancestor. That they'd offer help was extremely unlikely; he could glimpse the truth of that even through his hazy, delusional senses... But if they only knew what such an action he was willing to propose would do for their crew... for his own people aboard the Community, for The Captain (in a negative sense) and for all the Communities that glided in the black heavens...
He arrived at deck 38, the door retracting revealing a darkened room. Containment devices lay in ordered rows before and above him, their contents being fed into the warp core's magnetic constrictors and providing half the power that drove the Raven-B on its inevitable course to destruction within the vicinity of a forming anomaly...
<Tag Torek, Peers>
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 7, 2014 3:29:33 GMT
"What's the status of the latest patient?"
There was a grunt by way of reply. The metal-grilled floor clattered under their feet. "Stable. Only one leg needed to be amputated. I could sever the other if it would serve the purpose of the experiment?"
"No. The Captain would disapprove. He's willing to let us experiment only so far, as you should know. Any suggestions you make with the aim of pure self-gratification will see you deposed, placed in solitary confinement, or executed... You know this well."
"I know this, Surgeon. My apologies." There was a lowering in the flashlight from ahead in the sepulchral depths of the passageway, suggesting perhaps that one of the apparent two on approach was bowing in obeisance. Blakus rose on his haunches, quickly shushed and moved forcibly back by the one called Pike.
"We'll handle this. Commander." Pike's disdain for Blakus's referral of Marionette - who'd now vanished - as 'Commander' was quite clear. The pallid tall man nodded at Shanok and, under Councillor Andromeda's direction moved out into the corridor. Blakus held his breath, his uncertain almost creature-like form retreating futher into the shadows.
There was another grunt from one of the newcomers. "What are you doing here? You know your type aren't supposed to be on this level. No one is without express permission of The Captain." Derision permeated the 'Surgeon's' words. "For His sake, put that weapon down, you fool - "
Three energy discharges later two smouldering ruins of apparent Community personnel lay sprawled on the metallic decking. Pike stood over them, leaning over to search their bodies and waving the others forward. "Shoot first, ask questions later, right...?" Blakus murmured, his sarcasm evident. He didn't mean to offend although, in private, he held a certain belief that this was the wrong approach.
"One referred to the other as Surgeon," he observed, looking down at the smoking wrecks. Both wore threadbare white laboratory coats - stained with a dark red, and not all from Pike's weapon - and had racks of vials filled with unsavoury looking concoctions tied to their waistbands. "Are they experimenting on your own crew? The Un-named...? People from planets you visit?"
The one called Shanok appeared to look over Blakus's shoulder towards a black doorway leading into some large room. Blakus followed his gaze, seeing through the door metallic objects reflecting the minimal ambient light level. He backed away from the stolid Pril and her two associates in disgust. He sighed, coiling himself down onto the deck feeling sick.
"Marionette's mission was to get herself back to the Raven," he said, nauseated. He ran that prospect through his head. "Hmph, who knows what my shipmates' reaction will be when they see her in... human form. But where's she gone now, Andromeda? If she wants to get back there isn't it best we all stick together, find an airlock...?" He cast about the trio, all peering down at him, "Just... let's... get the hell of this ship?" His consciousness gave out, the Pril having to cart him the rest of the way along this part of deck 6.
<Tag Marionette/Andromeda> <Tag Calli - possible accidental rendezvous?>
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Calli Valente
Starfleet Intelligence
"Don't get in my way."
Registered: Aug 4, 2010 21:19:10 GMT
Posts: 534
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Post by Calli Valente on Dec 8, 2014 0:18:48 GMT
"You shall see for yourself if you continue." the child said, almost resigned to her fate, "But you will not be pleased, that I can say. It is known that the Council use this level to carry out, tests on the un-named. We have no idea as to what tests are done, but we see the results being flushed into the airlessness at times. They are the dead, but it is known that the Council take us at will from the depths."
Calli and Burwell looked at each other, then down the corridor. Deck Six held residential apartments and crew quarters, but it also held Science Labs ... It was inconceivable that the Council were experimenting on their own, but if Leanne was correct, they needed to see for themselves and report to Admiral Torek as soon as possible ! ... They moved from room to room slowly, because in reality, neither she or anyone else wanted to find something they couldn't accept. Unfortunately, they were going to be out of proverbial luck ....
As the group reached the first group of accommodation rooms, Calli had the distinct feeling that there was something in the room already. She couldn't explain it, obviously, it was one of those 'sixth sense' things she didn't believe in. Walking towards the door, Leanne began to hold back and Calli took her hand for reassurance, not sure which of them needed it most. Burwell saw the hesitation and took the lead telling the other two to wait outside. Calli wasn't the squeamish, far from it in fact, but she allowed the Marine to take 'point' and stood with her back against the opposite bulkhead waiting. One minute, then two. She was about to follow Burwell when he stepped into the corridor, his face ashen ... He took her arm and began to move past the room, once out of sight of the door be leaned against the wall, hands on his knees, head down.
"What did you find ?" she asked quietly.
"You don't want to know." he said, coughing then swallowing hard to clear the bile from his throat. Calli looked at the child, twelve years old and she already knew what was going on on this level. 'No bloody wonder she didn't want us up here' she thought, then looked at Burwell waiting, "She was right .... Someone has been 'working' on members of the community. I think experimentation might be too strong a word, but it's not far off in my book. Hell, there are amputees, dissections, and who knows what else. I'd like to think we just picked the wrong room, but to be honest, I seriously doubt it."
"Hold on, are the, bodies, in stasis or something, because if not, surely we would have been able to detect the corpses well before we reached that room, in fact we should have been able to the second we got to this deck ?"
"No, there're covered with some sort of derma-plastic coating. There has to be at least fifteen in there ..... If that extends to all the residential quarters, then ...." he didn't need to spell out the blindingly obvious !
"Can we go back now ?" Leanne asked in almost a whisper, "If we're found here we will be in trouble."
"Geez, that has to be the understatement of the year." Burwell said, shaking his head.
"How close is the first of the Community personnel, are they near-by ?" Calli asked, attempting to divert the subject somewhat ... Lew checked his tricorder and said the closest was almost a third of the way around the saucer. But then he swung it behind them and scrutinized the reading carefully.
"Four people ! ......." he said, kneeling with the tricorder in one hand, his phaser in the other, both held out ahead of him, "Thirty meters and closing on us albeit slowly ..... Commander, I'm seeing a, wait one ..... Three Alien, one Human life-sign. We need to get out of sight." he said, snapping the device shut and snapping it back on his belt before looking around for somewhere to conceal themselves. The last thing he wanted was to have to go into the quarters close by, it was a given they too held whatever was left of the bodies that had been worked on ... Standing he moved along the corridor peering into each room as he passed before waving for Calli and the girl to follow. Looking into on room it seemed empty, he held up a had and disappeared from sight. Calli constantly checked her tricorder for the approaching group. They were less than twenty meters from them now and would see the intruders at any moment.
Burwell stepped out of the room and grabbed her by the shoulder turning her to face him. He had on finger on his lips in the universal signal for silence, he pointed to the room and raised a thumb, then took the girl's hand and led her toward the room. Leanne instantly resisted and he looked at Calli with a 'get her in here now' look. She knelt in front of the child and whispered that everything was OK for them to go in, no bodies, nothing frightening or dangerous. Reluctantly Leanne allowed herself to be led into the room where the Marine took her hand and led her to the bedroom where he pointed to the closet. She didn't need any coaxing and dove into the confined space dropping onto her backside and clasping her knees to her chest. Lew shut the door and returned to Calli ... Moments past as the group approached, he whispered that they would allow them to pass then step out. If they could disable two before they knew what was happening, the third and fourth should be manageable. Calli agreed and set herself up to jump into the corridor .....
As the shadows passed the door Burwell nodded and silently the two stepped out behind their targets. The Marine grasped one of the people holding the unconscious person around the neck and pulled him / her to the ground. Calli slammed a blow into the neck of the other and he / she fell to the floor dropping the arm of the man as they fell. Burwell was already approaching the third when he turned to see what was happening. A blow to the neck stemming any cry of surprise instantly. He heard a moan from the now semi-conscious man and turned to see Calli already turning him face up. Their eyes widened when they realized it was Commander Blakus !
Burwell took out his phaser and covered the others while Calli brought the Chief Engineer round:
"Andae ... Andae ... It's me, Calli, come on ... Andae ..." she said, trying not to slap him too hard but hard enought to cause a reaction, looking up just in case they were about to have gate-crashers, Lew motioned for her to get on with what she was doing while he covered their guests, she turned back to Blakus who was finally coming round, "Ahh, good, Andae, can you hear me ?"
Blakus looked at Calli and grinned before wincing at the sudden pain in his neck and back, likely from being dropped, then he looked at the prone Prill.
"They're with me." he finally said ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 9, 2014 21:59:01 GMT
"... me, Calli, come on ... Andae ..." she said, trying not to slap him too hard but hard enought to cause a reaction.
Thoughts of being borne through the vacuum - EVA suitless - back to the 'real' Raven and safety fled from Blakus's mind as he was raised out of his dreams. Groggily he opened his eyes, as if coming out of a long sleep rather than an exhaustion-induced period of unconsciousness. "Hey... demoted to... what - ?" he groaned.
"Ahh, good, Andae, can you hear me ?"
Blakus looked at Calli and grinned before wincing at the sudden pain in his neck and back, likely from being dropped, then he looked at the prone Prill.
"They're with me... I think." With assistance from Calli he was dragged to his feet, standing dazed for a second before the Pril Councillor, her two soldiers and Colonel Burwell, accompanied by what appeared to be a small girl, swam into view. His glazed eyes cleared and with them the situation.
"You have no authority here!" one of the soldiers - Pike - was shouting. He pointed at Burwell, "This man has assaulted the Councillor. The penalty for such an act is death."
Blakus looked at Burwell. "Colonel. You struck Andromeda."
The SMO shrugged. Apparently, as far as they'd been aware there'd been little other choice. Valenti and Burwell had had no idea the Raven's CEO had been with the group. Despite his initial shock at the rescue and his perhaps slight annoyance at the manner in which it'd been conducted, he was glad to see that both were still alive. Only the misfortunate Lieutenant Scott was missing from their initial number of four.
"Where were you heading... Your objective?" Andae, rubbing again at his bruised jaw, asked Calli who stood next to him. "Jessica had actually intended to lead us to this level, if I remember right. Perhaps - having seen what's..." he couldn't bring himself to say it. "Maybe she wanted to show us what their people have resorted to. Remorse perhaps. An attempt to make amends."
"We wanted to get to the Council chamber," Calli answered. "This girl Leanne - one of their unnamed - suggested the Council were experimenting on the crew. On the unnamed, even the middle classes perhaps... If such a thing is true we need to inform the Admiral immediately.
"Well, we're all here now... where Jessica wanted us to be." Andae replied, steadying himself against the wall. "Also, something I should mention. The Federation... It's destroyed a few short years after this encounter. And there's a question mark over whether this encounter between the two Ravens occurs in that timeline. This ship's arrival in the past may be what causes the chain of events leading to the Federation's, in fact all the Alpha Quadrant's major powers' eventual defeat..."
"In which case, we're screwe - " Burwell began.
"Yes. But... The Marionette, may have another plan."
"The Marionette?" The soldiers Pike and Shanok bristled visibly at the Colonel's tone. "She's... functional?"
Andae nodded, bent over hands on his knees. "Functional yes. Alive, even. She appears human. She thinks if she can get back to our Raven, she can initiate a chain of events that will result in the Raven never having begun on this... nightmarish path into the future in the first place."
"You will not refer to the Deity as 'she'." Shanok spat.
Behind the soldier the Pril Councillor Andromeda stood removed from the group, perhaps as if she considered herself superior to all of them. "We'll lead you to the Council Chamber," she said, "From there we can present your case. If what you say about the First Councillor's possible remorse is true, then she and her supporters may well listen."
Calli seemed about to speak but Andae cut across her. "I think that would be extremely unwise, Councillor, with respect." He explained to the others that he had indeed found Marionette, or rather, she had found him. Her colleagues had led him through the disfigured future Galaxy class to this deck of horror, of experimentation on living specimens: the people of the Community. "Marionette seemed keen on keeping us away from the Council Chamber. We were to strike our own path through the ship.
"I think there's too great a degree of factionalism among the Council members for us to fully trust Andromeda," he said, aside to Calli and Lewis who gathered around. "I trust... The Marionette, I think. But the Pril seem too much like the others of this era to me, too much like Jessica Torek and Teiler, but she and the Pril do seem to be a sort of oppressed minority particularly in the aristocratic circles in and around the Council." Out of the corner of his eye, Blakus saw the small girl shrink to the wall of the corridor away from the piercing eyes of the Pril Councillor.
A clattering of metal down the corridor from the direction Blakus and the Pril had been travelling - before his carriers had been cracked over the back of their heads - caught the newly formed team's attention. They jumped into the cover of the room from which Valenti, Burwell and the girl had presumably come.
"In the name of the First Councillor and his greatness The Captain, you'll surrender your weapons and be brought before the Council for judgement. Your trespassing on the abandoned levels did not go unnoticed. This is treason of the highest order..."
The away team and the Pril remained silent, staying tight to the dank corridor walls while the presumed Council Knight droned on. The new arrivals were out of sight in the corridor ahead; faint wavering light sources emanated from around the corner indicating flashlights - palm or weapon-mounted devices. Burwell seemed to be suggesting retreat was the best option, but there was no guarantee the assailants had not covered the other end of the passage also.
"Councillor Andromeda," the harsh voice came again, one Blakus eventually recognised. Veson.
"Hmph, well so much for Jessica's supposed remorse," he whispered at Calli.
"That was your idea!" she rasped back.
"We know you're with them, Councillor. You wish to barter with us? Your prisoners for more freedom on the Council and your race?"
<Tag Calli, Jessica/Veson, Andromeda>
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 11, 2014 21:13:20 GMT
OOC :: Posting as Jessica ::IC ::Fuming that the Captain had dismissed her enquiries regarding the erstwhile Mage, she stood glaring at the ascender tube door as if it were goading her personally.
"My Lady ..." Veson said quietly, knowing just how angry she was at this moment. With her back to her trusted bodyguard she took along deep breath then turned around with her usual determined look.
"I am going to the Council Chamber." she said suddenly. Veson fell into place beside her as she left her appartment. She needed information first-hand, and if the Captain was unwilling to supply it, then the other Council members would be only too eager to divulge what they may, or may not, know .....
~~~~~
Only one of the Council members were there when she arrived. Taking her seat she tried not to glare at the elderly man opposite her, fearing she would loose her composure and do something she would most certainly regret. Finally, the man looked up, a questioning expression on his face:
"Jessica ?"
"What information do you have regarding the Mage ?" she asked without preamble, " ...... And before you reply, let me say. Please do not insult my intelligence ... I am aware he has defected to the other Raven and an attempt was made to capture him, which I believe to have been unsuccessful. So the Mage finally realized his position was tenuous and decided to jump before he was pushed. What information do you possess ?"
"I'm afraid you have me at the advantage my child. I knew only a fraction of what you yourself have said. I believe the Mage had a disagreement with the Captain and subsequently vanished. As to his going over to the other ship ....." the man shrugged.
Frustrated, she thanked the Councilman and apologized for her abruptness in questioning him. Seemingly satisfied, the Councillor returned to his work. Jessica accessed the Community records for the last twelve hours and began looking at the Mage's movements. An hour later and no further than when she had entered the chamber, she sat back rubbing her tired eyes. Her communicator chirped and she took it from her robe and activated the 'privacy' module then listened:
=^= What ! .. How could they have reached the sixth level .. I instructed them to remain in place and you yourself set guards to ensure this happened .. Did you not Veson ? .... No matter .. We shall deal with your incompetent boot-licker's in due course .. I shall meet you outside the chamber in one minute .. Gather four of your most trusted and join me there =^= she closed the Communication device and replaced it before casually closing the information screen and walking out of the Council chamber. Veson was already waiting, his four men stood further down the corridor, knowing it would mean their death to approach closer. Jessica looked at the men and sniffed as if not impressed. She would need to punish Veson at some point but for now it could wait .. She had somewhere to be ......
~~~~~
She made no pretence as to her destination, not that anyone other than another Council member or the Captain himself would ever attempt to question her. Veson at her side but ensuring he remained one pace behind his Lady at all times, she was almost infuriated at the current turn of events. Why the Federation Officer's had chosen to defy her was beyond her understanding but she would get answers regardless of who suffered in the process ! ..... As they stepped from the ascender on Level Six, two of the guards stepped into the corridor, one turning right the second left, both nodded to Veson and he too stepped out, bidding Jessica forward.
"Remain here. You will 'NOT' allow passage to anyone. I care not who that person is." Veson ordered before turning away and bowing slightly to Jessica .... They began to move along the avenue .... Suddenly Veson stepped ahead of his Lady and raised a hand to her. Had it been anyone else she would have used the correction device and killed them on the spot, but this man was charged with her protection. She stopped, not speaking as her bodyguard moved forward silently. A moment later he bade his Lady forward while holding a finger to his lips. as she neared him she too heard the voices;
" ........ "You will not refer to the Deity as 'she'."
"We will lead you to the Council Chamber," another person said, "From there we can present your case. If what you say about the First Councillor's possible remorse is true, then she and her supporters may well listen."
"I think that would be extremely unwise, Councillor, with respect."
Jessica nodded to Veson who stepped forward. She could not see who was speaking, but had recognized the voice of Councillor Andromeda and her trusted servant, along with the Soldier from the other Raven.
"Councillor Andromeda ....."We know you're with them, Councillor. You wish to barter with us. Your prisoners for more freedom on the Council and your race maybe ?"
"Step out into the open bodyguard !" Andromeda shouted, but before he could comply Jessica passed him and stepped into the open. Veson nor Jessica herself had ever seen anything approaching an actual 'expression' on the Android's face, but this came fairy close. Shock, confusion, annoyance, it was hard to tell."
"I believe you were about to continue ?" she said, almost amused at the sudden farcical situation they found themselves in. Only hours ago she alone knew of the Raven personnel, but now, everyone and his pet seemed to be in on the game. Another thing she would need to ponder on once she had the Star Fleet Officer's back ! ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 13, 2014 15:25:29 GMT
"I believe you were about to continue ?" she said, seeming amused at the farcical situation."So much for her remorse indeed," Calli said quietly. Blakus agreed silently, stepping further back into cover against the concave dank wall. Despite his supposed allying with the Pril and the now elusive Marionette, they'd seen fit not to arm him as they'd moved through these horror-etched corridors. It was up to Pike, Shanok and Andromeda herself to maintain the stalemate. Pike and Shanok stepped into the passageway, levelling their rifles - each of a different design, likely customised with components plundered from various ships, planets and other resources that the future Raven had encountered - at Jessica Torek. On cue Veson and two soldiers of Jessica's own moved into view. Blakus doubted any possible allegiance to either side now; he couldn't trust a group that, without Marionette, exhibited more of the mercenary nature they had in common with Jessica Torek's faction (as well as whatever unsavoury characters the Mage Teiler had about him); nor could he trust Jessica Torek, her brute Veson or the supporters she'd logically have on the Council. He felt trapped. The mocking grin of Jessica Torek drove him away as much as the weapons of the Pril-supporting Pike and Shanok locked him in place against this corrugated gunmetal wall. Both of these groups wanted him, Valenti and Burwell for their own ends; bartering chips to exchange for something trivial with others in the Council. He couldn't trust the Pril. If only the brief glimpse of Marionette had revealed something more definite; logical, in the manner he'd come to expect from the once-android. Now she seemed nearly human; all her body language, facial expressions and words about saving the future (or from her perspective the past) were caught in ambiguity. If she'd not presented herself as a ghost, a spectral being in a cloak of shadows flitting through the corridors almost always just out of sight... "Let's get out of here... Let them fight..." Burwell seemed to echo his thoughts. "I've got the phaser rifle; we come under fire, I can back us up." Andae agreed - albeit reluctantly. Fight or flight was not one of the more favourable 'all or nothing' scenarios. As they crept along the walls of the corridor - making it appear they were moving out into the open although in reality making an escape - Andae sent skittering across the floor to the feet of Andromeda a small device: a commbadge. He saw the Pril Councillor immediately but subtly rest her foot on it, concealing it from sight. The whole action appeared to have gone unnoticed by Jessica T and her fellows. He wasn't fully ready to give up on Andromeda or the reappearance of Marionette - who wished to lead them to some mysterious airlock - just yet. "I'll bring up the rear," Burwell whispered harshly, "Calli, you have a Mk. I right?" She nodded. "You'll be in the middle then. Andae take point. And grab the girl, for chrissake's... Let's go." Leanne let out a small squeak as Andae collected her awkwardly from her cowed position by the wall, the CEO simultaneously wondering why the Colonel believed he was now in command - neglecting to think that, of course, the SMO would take charge in situations like this; also rejecting from his mind the notion that he, as the team commander, held power here only through some superiority complex. At some invisible signal from Andromeda Pike and Shanok edged forward, til their weapons were about a foot from the First Councillor. Andromeda remained in place; the shadows of the three Raven officers slipped down the passageway, back towards Valenti and Burwell's entrance point to deck 6. Leanne struggled in his grasp until she realised the criticality of the moment. They scampered lightly down the passage - the ridiculousness of the situation eluding them. Where now? Back to the Jefferies' Tube to climb the ladder and arrive at the Council Chamber of their own volition? Perhaps confronting these people at the nexus of their command, deduce the reasons for their trek into the past, cut out and transcend the bureaucracy and factionalism of their seemingly fractured Council, and to find their enigmatic Captain... Perhaps that was the key to all this. Ha. Let the factions fight it out on deck 6... Hopefully the away team would make contact with Andromeda again, although under what circumstances... Andae thought, fingers slipping on the ladder's rungs as blood seeped from his knuckles... His jaw still hurt from where Shanok had struck him - nerve endings along the jawline tingled; something icy, he fancied, ran along those tributaries into his cheeks, with fingers of cold sweat moulding his head anew. Something was wrong, he was sure of it. <Tag Torek, Marionette, ALLLLL >
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 14, 2014 15:45:42 GMT
"In our, time-frame .... We have begun to re-establish a Governing body. Not the Federation Council by any means, but numerous races are now dedicated to resolving our mistakes .... Our group, if you like, was formed and tasked with hunting down and bringing to justice those that took it upon themselves to murder for gain. That includes, the ship you have out there !"
" ...... And the time travel ?" Torek asked.
"An isolated event Admiral." West said, almost smiling, "The Captain could not have known the tachyon burst would send him back one second or one millennium, and there is no way you could have been targeted per sey. It was purely coincidental that he appeared here and now. But I must implore you not to allow any of this community they have developed to board your vessel. It would be catastrophic ...."
Carl glanced at Harry, who remained as poker-faced as ever ......
"It's early. Too early for my liking. Would you care to join me for dinner, say nineteen hundred. We can go over things better on a full stomach ?" West accepted the invitation standing. "Maybe we could invite some of the Council for a chit-chat .........."
"NO ! ..." West had said quickly, "I am more than willing to be the polite house guest Admiral, but to sit down with the people I have been hunting for the last twenty five years, no ...." Carl watched the man's demeanour. West had got suddenly defensive and on guard before excusing himself. Harry instructed the Security Oficer to accompany the Captain to the transporter room, then looked at Torek:
"Hmm, the plot thickens."
Carl couldn't argue with such logic ..........
Seventeen Hundred Hours :: Captain's Ready Room ::
As Captain West was escorted in, the Security Officer assigned to him by Commander Peers stood himself in the corner, eyes locked on something across the room ... T'Brel and Harry were next in and they took their seats at the table, one either side of the man from the future ... Carl knew this meeting was going to be a little strained, so he had briefed his Officers not to question the Captain too thoroughly, while dragging every iota of information they could out of the man ...... After pleasantries the first course was brought in and they began to eat. The questions were easily answered as the Captain seemed more than willing to divulge whatever information he could to assist the Admiral and his ship, but eventually Carl could see the man becoming 'defensive' or hesitant. No-one pushed him, they made polite conversation interspersed with the odd query here and there, but West was quite obviously no fool, and it rapidly became obvious that he hadn't been tasked with hunting down what he had called one of the worst violators of the new Federation, on the whim of those now in charge.
"So the Community isn't a generation ship ....." Harry asked, enjoying his filet mignon, "..... But a convict ship .... Is that what you are saying Captain ?"
"No ... Well, yes and no ...." the Captain said, slowly placing his knife and fork on the plate side by side, "When the, 'your' Federation fell, we tried hard to hold things together. But civil war and fighting amongst former allies eventually drove races apart. No-one had the time to fight over territories, or vast stretches of open space. We, well the Alliance group of the former Federation, decided that it was no longer viable to remain with Earth as the center of government, and it was obvious that some Captains and Flag Ranked Officers saw a benefit to going out to search, if you like, for a new home. That is when some ships, with the approval of those still holding a little actual power, began to retro-fit their Star Ships ... External pods were grafted on, third and fourth nacelles for some ships, some chose armaments rather than longevity ... The Raven was one of those that initially went the weapons route ......."
"Just how long did all this take ?" T'brel asked the question foremost on everyone's minds.
"Thirty years .... Give or take." the Captain replied, picking up his fork and continuing to eat .... The impact of his statement reverberated around the room like a death toll !
"THIRTY YEARS ! ........ But tha ......." Harry began.
"Yes Commander. The ship out there is not from five hundred years in your future, but forty three !"
Carl suddenly didn't believe a word the man was saying. The evidence, scans, observations of the ship itself, the crew, the Command structure, all pointed to a multi-generational development arc, not something the Commanding Officer and his Senior Staff dreamt up over bloody night. How could it be possible to develop a whole new time-line inside fifty years, it was impossible ..... He looked out into space, knowing that one hundred thousand kilometers away was part of his crew. They could be in more danger than before if anything this man was saying proved to be true. It was a given that if caught, there would be no possibility of them returning to the Raven to report their findings !
"I see you are doubtful of my revelation Admiral." West said, as if he had just commented on the excellent fare before them, "You can assess my ship's logs if you feel it would help convince you. But let me ask you a question first ... You have met several of the 'Community' ... Did it not strike you as unusual that those 'descendants' of your crew all looked so much like their forefathers ?"
Now that West said it, Carl had thought it remarkable that after generations, the Community dwellers had retained so much of their progeny. Facial characteristics, body shape etcetera, all changed from generation to generation. Yes, similarities did occur, but not to the extent he had seen with the Community ... A cold shiver ran the length of his spine.
"T'Brel. As soon as we have finished here get over to the Captain's ship. Download everything you can and start going through it. Use anyone you need to."
"I'll get on it now Admiral." Peers said getting up.
"What do they want ?" he asked the Captain, already dreading the answer ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 14, 2014 18:53:06 GMT
OOC: Ultimus post
"We want - Need more weapons. Remain here."
The man scraped his legs, shuffling about on the floor, squaring himself against the wall to cower from the guard and the ghastly, different light that penetrated from behind and cast the guard as a silhouette. "What makes you think I'm going to go anywhere?" he asked.
"The Un-named are rarely trusted. You'll find our group the most sympathetic to your demands for recognition, but I've known those of your... class that will murder a Named citizen merely for the pleasure of the kill, for the slaking of their thirst for blood. If you move it could mean your death. Instigated either by us, or by those that would hunt you with extreme prejudice, if they knew you were here."
The man covered his eyes, in the vain hope that by blocking out the view of the guard, the vicious language would also cease and dissolve itself into the firmament the Community's divine course had led it to.
The guard leant in, revealing his pale, mechanical face for an instant, "We're protecting you for two reasons only: the presence of your ancestor, until recently among us... and your likeness to him." He grunted as he stood back up. "The Goddess has her plans."
The silhouette turned about, hefting its rifle onto its shoulder and departing the room. The man noticed a slight precession in the silhouette's movement, as if it had a limp. He pushed himself up against the wall, trying to blot out the light that emanated from the hallway. What'd brought him to this ghastly place? Was he even still in the Community, even still on the Infinite Planet?
Crying out the names of his children with ever-decreasing volume, voice reduced finally to a whimper, words formed in wheezed breaths barely escaping his gullet as he slumped to the floor, the orange-white rectangular light source from the corridor's ceiling came into full view. His pupils retracted at the sudden burst of illumination; tears welled from his eyes. What was this? Some sort of test of the Light, the malevolent spirit that presided over Shaft Gamma? Was it showing him now something piercing and hurtful, yet somehow beautiful, holy even? (Holy in the way he imagined the myths and legends of The Captain to be, and the imagined Community that lay about The Captain as part of his cosmic order.)
If this was no test, if the light here was separate from the Light of Gamma, what did it say for his place in the Community? Had he died? Struck down by some unseen assailant in the infinite cerulean shade of the Shaft, his family crying out to him... he could imagine it now! There had been someone; a gauntleted fist in his back, a cry - his own - renting the dry poisonous air, perpetrating groans from the layered populace packed into their sorry residences far above him.
After that he'd lost something from which he'd never been apart. The Light. Now he sat against a wall in this room of strange tables with its humming machinery and metallic appendices, a familiar smell pervading the air that nauseated him: that of blood. He'd heard of disappearances from Shaft Gamma; unexplained events; he'd lost his wife that way, had assumed she'd fallen foul of some merchant and had been borne away into realms he couldn't understand.
Your likeness to him... What had the guard meant? The day of reckoning had arrived, yes. All was being undone that shouldn't have been done. But the scriptures - his own fanciful invention - weren't fulfilled, didn't describe what was happening now... Something new and invasive had driven itself into his reality.
The engravings of those names he'd maniacally pencilled in had dissolved from their tombs, next to his artful interpretation of the Eternal City [note: this is Rome, Andae's birthplace], whose inhabitants knew only space. He and all the others on its counterpart the Infinite Planet, they knew only time, and its ever rewinding clock...
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Calli Valente
Starfleet Intelligence
"Don't get in my way."
Registered: Aug 4, 2010 21:19:10 GMT
Posts: 534
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Post by Calli Valente on Dec 16, 2014 0:57:01 GMT
"Let's get out of here ... Let them fight ..." Burwell seemed to echo his thoughts. "I've got the phaser rifle, if we come under fire, I can back us up." Andae agreed, albeit reluctantly. Fight or flight was not one of the more favourable 'all or nothing' scenarios.
As they crept along the walls of the corridor - making it appear they were moving out into the open although in reality making an escape - Andae sent skittering across the floor to the feet of Andromeda a small device: a comm badge. He saw the Pril Councillor immediately but subtly rest her foot on it, concealing it from sight. The whole action appeared to have gone unnoticed by Jessica T and her fellows. He wasn't fully ready to give up on Andromeda or the reappearance of Marionette, who wished to lead them to some mysterious airlock.
"I'll bring up the rear," Burwell whispered harshly, "Calli, you have a Mark I right ?" she nodded, "You'll be in the middle then. Andae take point. And grab the girl, for Christ sake's ... Let's go."
She glanced at Blakus, who seemed to be mulling something over in that exceptional brain of his, then turned and headed back along the dimly lit corridor ...... As they reached the Jeffries tube they had originally ascended, they regrouped and took a moment to get their breaths. Apparently, no-one was rushing headlong to capture them, which in itself was a worry ... Did they know where the Raven crew could go, were their options so limited that pursuit wasn't necessary ? ... Calli gave their location some thought and tried to work out just how many 'Councillors' the Community had, and how much room them and their servants / bodyguards would take up. She knew that on 'their' Raven, deck five held science labs and residential apartments for visiting dignitaries and married Senior Staff, while deck four was primarily the main shuttle bay and cargo storage, so it was a given that the uppermost three decks were the ones they either needed to get to, or avoid like the proverbial plague, it was a coin-toss which !
"Let's try for the main shuttle bay." she said.
"You think they will simply let us fly out of here ?" Burwell asked, obviously unconvinced.
"We need to get the hell off this ship, I think we're all agreed on that ...... Going up isn't an option in my opinion. We know there is some sort of, power struggle going on, and we're the very pawns they need ... If we're out of the picture then they can fight among themselves and be done. Frankly, I think we're going about this 'friend' think the wrong way, but hey, it's an opinion only." she said, shrugging as Leanne walked over and stood close to her.
Neither Andae or Lew Burwell disputed her statement. It was a given that they had found out as much as they could, and the fact they had been discovered by almost everyone from the ships' cat upwards was a little disconcerting to say the least.
"Can I go back to my Mother now." Leanne asked quietly.
"They know you helped us now." Calli said, dropping to one knee and easing the girl onto it, "You're Mother will be OK I'm sure, but I think it best if you come with us for the time being." She stopped any argument from the other two with a single look. Leanne began to cry and quickly wiped tears from her face then stood. She looked at each of the Raven Officers in turn then nodded.
"Great !" Burwell mumbled under his breath, then avoided the glare from Valente as he stuck his head into the Jeffries tube and made sure it was clear, "Then I suggest we start up, before our friends down there decide to come after us ... After you Commander." he said to Blakus before looking back the way they had come. A few seconds later he was climbing after Calli and the girl .....
~~~~~
"You know where we are Leanne ?" Calli asked as they held onto the rungs below the exit hatch of deck three.
"Yes. This is where the night birds are bedded." she said, receiving blank looks from her companions, "The birds that go, outside ..... Into the darkness beyond our home."
"Shuttle bay." Burwell said taking his tricorder and scanning, "Three people, seven meters and stationary." he confirmed, tapping Blakus on the foot. Andae quietly opened the hatch and climbed onto deck three closely followed by Calli, Leanne, and finally Burwell, who replaced the hatch cover but didn't secure it .... They began to move forward and then Burwell whispered "Company coming !" Calli took her phaser and stepped into the open the weapon discharging three times in quick succession. She moved forward followed closely by an annoyed Marine.
"No time for subtleties Colonel." she said, making sure all three were indeed unconscious before moving to the doors of the shuttle bay, "Any one in there ?" she asked as Leanne took her free hand. Burwell confirmed the bay was empty and they stepped through the doors, sealing them closed behind them. There were four 'night birds' ..... Two had been heavily modified and were bristling with weapons, one, larger than the first two, was also armed but seemed to have been retrofitted for cargo or personnel transport. Calli realized they were looking at the former Medical shuttle, the USS Piper. the fourth was toward the back of the bay and still resembled the original type nine personnel shuttle-craft from their Raven.
"Colonel." Blakus said, pointing to the type nine.
As everyone climbed aboard Andae went to the shuttle-bay control booth and waited ... As soon as the outer door began to open it would light up every warning light on what these people used for a Bridge, so he had to ensure they couldn't override before they got the hell out of here. Calli appeared at the back of the shuttle and waved, Andae set the controls for a thirty second delay that a randomly generated lock-out 'should' ensure their escape. He ran back to the shuttle and closed the door:
"This can't be right." Burwell said, a deep frown forming.
"Can we get out ?" Calli asked, watching the doors through the plexi-glass windows of the shuttle.
"Yes ... But ..... Thi ....." Lew continued as the outer door began to rise.
"Lift us off. Now Colonel. Jump to warp for thirty seconds as soon as we clear the hull, then bring us about and head directly for the Raven." Blakus ordered.
The shuttle gently raised off the deck and began a slow rotation until orientated with the force-field protecting the oxygen supply of the 'bay. Without hesitation he gunned the agile craft forward. Calli couldn't help ducking at they barely passed under the massive door and then jumped away from the Community vessel. Leanne clung to her fearing she would be drawn into the blackness beyond. She had never before seen 'outside' her home, had never even known there was anything but blackness and death beyond the walls of her home, it was overwhelming her and Calli had to lay her down, stroking her hair soothingly. Within seconds she had fallen asleep ... Calli returned to the cockpit:
"You said something was wrong Colonel, what had you spooked ?" she asked.
"Well ...." he said as the shuttle dropped out of warp and came to a stop, "This shuttle is in exceptional condition. Given the state of the other three, it's almost as if it had been 'preserved' rather than used on a regular basis."
"And ?" she prompted.
"And, that in itself wouldn't be an issue. At least the thing was fully powered and flew when we needed it to. But there's something else that's bothering me more than the fact someone had seemingly been popping into the bay and washing this thing down."
"If you want me to beat it out of you Colonel ...." Calli said, beginning to get annoyed with the Marine.
"OK OK .... Everything aside. A fully powered shuttle, almost fresh from Utopia Planitia, and looking like it hasn't been out of the bay ? .... And then there's that." he said, pointing ..... The other two didn't see what he was referring to at first, then it dawned on them. The thing that got their attention was the chronometer. They stared in silence at the read-out ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 17, 2014 23:19:43 GMT
"Ok, there are any number of reasonable explanations for this," Blakus said, unable to avoid the time display but unwilling to accept the implications of it. He knelt down from the co-pilot's chair and opened up a panel to reveal part of the cockpit's instrumentation, specifically the chronometer's miniature diagnostic panel.
"Instrumentation faults... Crossed wires, malfunctioning circuitry if this thing is indeed 500 years old..." he rambled, the words failing him as the chronometer's entropo-measuring system revealed itself to be functioning within parameters. "Well. How about..."
Calli and Burwell looked at him expectantly, if dubiously. Dismissive, Blakus stalked to the back of the cockpit and the upper level aft, "But it makes no sense. Everything we've seen over there indicates a significant amount of time has passed - however long that actually is - for the future Raven crew since the year 2400. The chronometer... Only 43 years! Doesn't it seem odd that - the rest of the future Raven aside - of all those ships in the shuttlebay, this was the only one that looked brand new?"
Almost as if it'd been placed there for us, he thought, the odd one out that would lead us to... what conclusion? That someone had tried to show them that the future Raven's crew had been lying to them, that theirs wasn't a ship from the distant future, returned to the past to accomplish... some goal?
* * *
Debate continued until they eventually approached their own Raven's shuttlebay. The sight was a welcoming one from the shuttlecraft's forward viewer. Smooth lines, grey, the colour of light granite and pulsating scarlet and blue lights... Far from the dark monstrosity of the Raven-B, from some sort of future, with its tiered structures and protrusions; patchwork-repaired hull sections, pulsating a dull green in those rents in the hull where the Community's underclasses lived out their apparently squalid lives.
"Welcome home, Commanders, Colonel," the landing signals officer commed. "I've been told by the bridge to inform you that your approach was not detected by the future Raven, although your escape almost certainly was."
Blakus acknowledged and Burwell steered the Type IX into the bay, landing amidst a row of other shuttlecraft. They stepped out, Calli gripping Leanne's hand and Leanne squeezing her eyes tightly shut.
Blakus sauntered about the other shuttlecraft; thrown off, confused and doubtful about what the chronometer had indicated. It didn't fit: the obvious generational gap; the descent into medieval practice; the state of the Raven (although it was surprising it'd lasted half a milennium, admittedly); the half human, half gynoid race of the Pril and the detritus the Raven had spilled out - a result of its excesses in replenishing its crew and ravaging other ships for people and materiel.
He stopped abruptly before one of the craft, passed down its flank and read the name. The Carpenter. The shuttle that'd carried them back here was also the Carpenter. Two shuttles... an apparent 43 year time difference between them but otherwise the same ship... Quantum dating; the only way to verify beyond doubt the future Carpenter and possibly the future Raven's true time period.
* * *
"It's true." Blakus slapped the padd on to the desk in the Raven's conference room. Torek had called a meeting as soon as all the staff were gathered together again. Captain West from the Defiant-type ship, whom Andae had seen briefly a deck down - he'd been unsure what to make of him - was not present, by prudent decision of the Admiral.
"Quantum dating indicates that the shuttle we took back here is indeed from 43 years in the future." He looked up at those around the table.
"Which would seem to corroborate Captain West's claims," Wedlerson volunteered.
"Yes, but from what I've heard, Captain West has been quite evasive in answering some of the questions you've been putting to him." Blakus sighed, collapsing back in his conference room seat, "It seems improbable to me that is all. The extent of the differences inside the future Raven..." He leant forward, "Being over there, Admiral, you wouldn't have thought that ship was only forty years older than our own... Everything is completely different."
"Except the shuttle," Burwell cut in. Andae looked askance at the SMO, as if he'd been expecting the Colonel, being one of the away team to back him up. "And the people... Your own descendant has the exact same eyes as your apparent future wife, Commander."
Blakus sighed again, this time internally... That was true. Teiler's striking green eyes bore the same shining intensity as his engineer Christina Taylor's. That which he found attractive in his engineer he found disquieting, too piercing in Teiler, as if his eyes penetrated his head and swam in his mind. Over 500 years, such a preservation of a dominant gene was highly unlikely, even in a purportedly closed environment.
"The only way to be sure that West is telling us some sort of truth would be to quantum date that other vessel. His own, too, while we're on the topic."
"That's not possible," Blakus said curtly, "Both vessels are too large for us to carry out accurate dating from this range. We'd have to close to something like a few millimetres to get a..."
"Ok then." Torek interrupted, "West cannot be ignored... What he's presented to us thus far is plausible, although he has no evidence at this point. He has his own interests in the matter. The bringing to justice of the future Raven."
How though, did they stop themselves from following that timeline? Blakus thought. If West was truthful, 43 years from now the Raven would be being hunted by him and his crew, if they didn't prevent this timeloop.
"What if..." he murmured, tapping the edge of the table, "...This isn't the first time The Captain has brought his vessel back into the past? What if he's made similar incursions, searching for personnel, weapons, shuttlecraft, or even... trying to get his ship to this exact point in time and space to intercept us? He might have tried this hundreds of times and this time he succeeded! Think... West might know that the Carpenter is stolen from us 43 years, or some time before that, in the future... West would've known that The Captain's Raven had that craft aboard when it made its trip back here. It gives credence to the story West is trying to spin that the Raven out there is some rogue ship from a Federation that's only just fallen apart under invasion. I'm not sure I want to trust a man who claims he's trying to track down, even hunt another Federation starship."
<Tag Carl, Calli, Marionette who may have some questions about future self?, All at Briefing>
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Calli Valente
Starfleet Intelligence
"Don't get in my way."
Registered: Aug 4, 2010 21:19:10 GMT
Posts: 534
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Post by Calli Valente on Dec 19, 2014 0:29:50 GMT
"That's not possible," Blakus said curtly, "Both vessels are too large for us to carry out accurate dating from this range. We'd have to close to something like a few millimetres to get a..."
"OK then ...." Torek interrupted, "West cannot be ignored ... What he's presented to us thus far is plausible, although he has no evidence. He has his own interests in the matter. The bringing to justice of the future Raven."
"...... known that The Captain's Raven had that craft aboard when it made its trip back here. It gives credence to the story West is trying to spin that the Raven out there is some rogue ship from a Federation that's only just fallen apart under invasion. I'm not sure I want to trust a man who claims he's trying to track down, even hunt another Federation starship."
Calli had been listening to the conversation going back and forth. As was the Admiral's usual way, everyone was allowed to speak freely during the meeting, a 'Chinese Parliament' he called it, and it worked well. She had been wondering about the appearance of West ... It could be shear coincidence of course, or some means to come at the present Raven from two sides at once, no-one at this point could say either way obviously. She was still having trouble reconciling the appearance of the so-called 'future' Raven, with the news that it may have come back less than fifty years. She voiced her thoughts:
"Admiral. I have to say here that there are glaring inconsistencies ... As you have seen from the recording's we made over there, that ship had almost regressed into something approaching Earth's Arthurian Legend ... The so-called 'un-named' could be the peasants of old United Kingdom, while the Security over there is going around like Knights of the bloody round table, with this mysterious 'Captain' on the throne as Regent ... At this point, I have to agree with Commander Blakus that it may not be the first time that ship has come back, their reverse development points to generations not decades, it's like some bizarre cross-over from fable and science fiction over there."
"What I'd like to know is this ..." Harry said, following Calli's lead, "If they have been coming back, poaching, stealing, their way and then popping back to their own time, how are they managing to do it with such accuracy ..... That ship out there is approximately two and half times the size of our Raven, there's every chance they could have done that in the thirty four year time frame, and maybe even rejected all Federation doctrines at the same time, but why would for want of a better word, 'crew' allow this to happen unless they were given no option, and what about the families ?"
Calli glanced at Carl, who was looking out of the plexi-glass windows at the space beyond their protective cocoon, and knew instantly that he was thinking about Bethan and Vanessa ..... Something occurred to her:
"Andae, you said that you couldn't carry out quantum dating because of the distance right ?" Blakus confirmed what he'd said earlier and Calli continued, "Well, you could get onto West's ship and run the scans of his ship from over there, right ? ... We could tractor it to within meters of the hull if necessary."
"Yes, but we would have no comparison scans, so doing the Captain's ship is a wa ....."
"What about Leanne ?" Calli said.
"She's only twelve years old, no matter how many times that ship has come back to our time, she's still only going to be twelve." Wedlerson offered.
"Yes, but ...." Calli hesitated while she got her train of thought in order then continued, "If, for example, we do a full molecular work-up on Leanne, then do the same with one of the Children currently on 'this' ship. Wouldn't we be able to detect quantum flux in the cellular ribonucleic acid of both girls ? ..... We should be able to get an approximation of the time differential involved, and use the scan data from West's ship as a blind comparison ?" she finished, looking directly at Carl.
"Where is the child now ?" he asked.
"She's staying with the Councillor." Harry said.
"OK ... No point in waking them now ... First thing in the morning have her taken to Sick-bay and have doctor Roach run the scan's ... Andae, how close do you need West's ship to make it practical to scan ?"
"As close as possible. I'd prefer not to transport over, so if we can hard-dock it would make my job a lot easier." Blakus said.
Commander." Torek said, addressing the Chief Navigation Officer, "Zero six hundred. Align the ship so that we can hard-dock, I'm sure our Engineer will appreciate it. OK, let's wrap this up for the night everyone." Carl said, a wry grin forming as he glanced at Andae.
"Admiral." Calli said as everyone was getting to their feet, we need someone for the comparison scan. Vanessa is about the right age ....."
"I'll have her in sick-bay at zero nine hundred." Carl said, standing to signify the meeting was concluded ..........
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 22, 2014 1:17:56 GMT
Zero nine hundred ~ Sick-bay ::
Carl walked in, Chloe, Vanessa, and Bethan in tow ... He shrugged apologetically as if the decision to make it an apparent 'family outing' was out of his control ... He could see West sat on one of the bio-beds, a Security Officer stood close by, and Leanne was laying on another bed watching proceedings with something approaching bemusement. Doctor Roach saw them enter and came over, all smiles, she thanked him then took Vanessa to one of the vacant beds and asked her to lay down on her side:
"What exactly are you going to do doctor ?" Chloe asked, seeing the Physician glance at the Admiral before replying.
"We need to do a bio-molecular scan of Vanessa's bone marrow. I can do this using a medical tricorder, but given the circumstances, I would like to take a sample of her marrow and run any tests that I can interoperate."
"So are you saying you can do a better job than all the technology on this ship doctor ?" Chloe asked.
"No ... In fact, the ship's medical computer would give me much more information, and it would be more accurate ....." the Doctor said, glancing again at her Commanding Officer, but Carl stood holding Bethan's hand allowing Chloe to ask whatever she needed to to reassure herself Vanessa wasn't in any physical danger, "I want a sample of Vanessa's DNA for comparison with this little girl, and the gentleman over there. It will give us a definitive result that cannot be questioned. It's important we do this, but if you are against the procedure we can use someone else of similar age ....."
"It doesn't hurt." Leanne said to Vanessa, who looked at the girl and smiled. She reassured her father that all would be well and jumped onto the bed next to the strangely dressed girl .......
Thirty minutes later ~ Captains ready room ::
"OK ......" the Doctor said, looking from Torek to Valente and back, a slight frown forming as she placed padd's on the table between them, "I'm not sure what to make of these results Admiral."
"Why not just give me the details." Carl said.
"I've run through this, several times I might add ... Using Vanessa as a base, I compared the girls' results first. Then compared Captain West's with both Vanessa's and Leanne's ....... There are some, inconsistencies, that at this point I'm having trouble with."
"I think it's simple Doctor. How far forward are our guests ?" Calli asked.
"It's not as simple as that I'm afraid." Roach said, activating several of the padd's then standing so she could use the screen set into the bulkhead, She showed an animated three molecular strands and said the first was Vanessa's, "As you can see, this is the quantum dating result from a healthy twelve year old girl, from our present, namely Vanessa McLean ... Now here, in the second, we can see changes, signifying that this person tested is 'displaced' for want of a better word. This shows that Leanne is from our future. The third is from Captain West ... Now, as you can see there are numerous spikes, or 'events' showing up on his scan, which leads me to believe that he too is from our future."
"But the reading's for West and the girl are, different ?" Carl said.
"Which is the thing I can't explain at this point Admiral." Roach said, activating a fourth line that was a single unbroken green line, "Obviously we can't get a DNA reading from an object, but we can get a quantum scan of that material and make comparison scans using our own hull plates or even the warp core. Using that result we can make secondary comparisons between the data on the inanimate material and the living tissue, namely that of the three test subjects."
"Commander Blakus informed me that his scans will be completed within the hour. If you had to make a tentative summation, what would your conclusions be ?"
"Well ... Given the most obvious problem, that being the lack any form of comparison material from the time-frames in question ......" Roach said, double-checking what she had to say for a second before continuing, "The readings I have on Leanne show that she can't be any more than oneyear ahead of our time, but that being said, she could just as well be from a thousand years in our future, there are issues regarding her tests that I'll get to later ... All I can guarantee at this point is that she isn't from our past. As for Captain West, that's where the readings get more interesting."
"So, our twelve year old guest could be from tomorrow, or a thousand years in our future ?" Calli said simply.
"Yes, and well, no, but I don't think we need look at that before I've run further tests .... My concern at this juncture is the Captain. His quantum signature shows numerous fluctuations that can only be explained, at least in our time, by multiple incursions through quantum anomalies."
"Meaning ?" Carl asked.
"It is possible he, and by definition, they, have made numerous trips into the past ......" Roach said.
"That's ridiculous. We're having enough trouble explaining how that ship got here once, let alone it popping back here whenever it felt like it !" Calli said, admittedly sceptical, "..... and now you are saying our Captain West has the same ability ?"
"I'm not 'SAYING' anything Commander !" the Doctor said, annoyed at the woman's dismissal of her hypothesis, "I am simply giving you the facts as I see them, pending the results of the scans made by Commander Blakus ... Obviously his results could help my report, which after all is, in the most part, speculation."
"OK. Let's calm down. We're running through every scenario and your report has thrown a few spanners into the works, so to speak." he said, allowing everyone to calm down as he got up and asked if they needed a drink, then something occurred to him, and as he gave the two women their drinks and sat down, he asked the question that had been on his mind, "You said before that you want to run further tests on the girl, any reason why ?" Roach hesitated prompting Carl to ask her to elaborate:
"As a double-blind check, I decided to ask the computer to run Deoxyribonucleic acid comparison checks against a random selection of our crew." she said, taking her time before continuing, "Discarding any and all of her quantum scan results, her DNA readings show a direct genetic match that couldn't be explained if she were generations ahead of our present ......"
"Meaning ?" Carl asked.
"She is the Daughter of a serving member of this crew Admiral." He looked at the Doctor then at Calli. If what she was saying was correct, someone, somehow, had given birth to a child without anyone knowing, and that child had vanished along with any memory of her ever being born, "I've run the tests numerous times Admiral, there is no doubt in my mind that Leanne is the first generation offspring of one of our crew."
"But if the reports from the away team are correct, they encountered the child with her Mother, so I'm at a loss as to how your hypothesis could be correct Doctor."
Roach stood and accessed the screen once again, this time two DNA strands were shown. The similarity, even to a non-medical person such as himself was plain to see. He stood and walked around the table until he was in front of the screen, eyes flicking between the upper and lower readouts as if the computer wasn't already highlighting every comparative strand. He turned to the Doctor, who explained what he was looking at:
"The top readout is Leanne's ... As I said before, a healthy, albeit slightly malnourished, twelve year old girl ... The lower one is from a healthy female. There is no appreciable variation in quantum readings between the two."
"You have a match ?" Calli asked ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 28, 2014 0:10:21 GMT
The USS Raven recognisable as a Galaxy class vessel rotated in sync with the dark lines of the Defiant ship, the monstrosity of the future Raven tilting slowly in their joint frame of reference.
The port airlock of the Raven's saucer section hissed with an in flow of atmosphere as the two vessels made hard-dock. By the entrance to the airlock, Blakus stood with his engineers. As the airlock door slid back he directed them to begin the quantum dating operation.
"Commander Blakus?" the man stepping through asked. He wore the same uniform as Captain West, already aboard the Raven. "On behalf of the Federation Remnant, I'm glad your CO has decided to trust us enough to allow hard-docking of our vessels."
Blakus looked over the man's shoulder into the airlock at the gunmetal grey surface of the other ship. "It was either that, or manoeuvre our ship to within 2.6 mm of your own to carry out accurate quantum dating. I'm not sure I trust even our helmsman to carry that off without incident." He'd ignored for a moment the fact this officer seemed to know his name.
The Defiant officer spread his arms, "Yes, of course, the gynoid Marionette. It was quite an effort on The Captain's part to manufacture a convincing offshoot race of your CNO to populate his vessel with. A species of half-cyborgs, or something? His subterfuge is to be commended in that respect at least." Blakus stared at him, blinking slowly. "Oh, I'm sorry," the officer rushed forward and shook his hand. "I'm Commander Jerdo Krecik, first officer to Captain West."
Blakus held up a hand to keep the security officers back - who'd started at Krecik's sudden movement - indicating all was well. "Carry on," he waved at his engineers who'd turned, curious from the airlock. "A pleasure, Commander. This won't take long. Ten minutes and we'll have the data we need to verify your Captain's story... How do you know my name?"
"Ah, this is why I was chosen to meet you at the airlock. You see, in our time - and on this our details match with The Captain's - that is to say, on this occasion The Captain is telling the truth - I married your daughter."
An atmosphere layered over the room with those simple words. "I knew you were aboard and only needed a look at your face to know it was you. You get things back together with Christina, your engineer, and she gives birth in about two years. At a convene of the remaining UFP and Starfleet leaders, me and your daughter run into each - "
"That's enough!" Blakus spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't like you referring to my staff in such casual terms, Mr Krecik. I'd also appreciated if you'd be less candid. As for my..." He ground his jaw, finding surprisingly strong reason to be angry even though he didn't believe this man was telling the truth - still inclined to think that the future Raven was from circa 2900 - and even though his supposed daughter hadn't been born yet.
Krecik laughed quietly. "Sorry, Commander. These things are just a part of my past. It just seems natural. I guess from your... sorry." He sighed, "In any case, her and I divorced 18 years ago, or rather, we will divorce 25 years from now. And she hasn't even been born yet." He shook his head, laughing again.
Blakus clenched his fists, quiet noises of outrage escaping his lips. His daughter... divorced at the age of 23? "Where is she?" was all he could ask.
A positive sound emitted from the dating equipment. A tricorder was snapped shut. "All done," Milyanov said from the airlock. He came back through, walking past keeping his eyes from the Chief with the other engineers in tow. The silence was palpable.
"Far from here," Commander Krecik answered, "On the edge of the Alpha Quadrant below the galactic core - near the centre point of the galaxy in fact - with the main convoy."
"The main convoy?"
"Mostly civilian ships who've been fleeing the Alpha Quadrant since the major powers' downfall. We're all still on the run from what destroyed us 35 years ago... Your daughter's on a freighter registered as the SS North Star with the convoy. I communicate with her via long range subspace from time to time. She's well, from what I gather" Krecik seemed to be trying to make amends for his earlier nonchalance. "Most of the remaining combat-ready vessels are deeper in the Alpha Quadrant, marshalling the last ships' escape and dealing with unforeseen issues, such as bringing rogue ships to order and fighting off opportunist invaders and scavengers."
Blakus excused himself, feeling faint. He met Milyanov outside, glad for the moment that he hadn't given Christina Taylor the quantum dating task. "What do we have?"
"It checks out." Milyanov said, double checking his tricorder. "I sent the results to Dr Roach and she's responded already. Everything matches up... West's ship is from the year 2443, as he claimed. The girl you brought back from the other Raven, though, Leanne... She's the daughter of one of our crew."
Andae rode over the possible implication, deciding to trust Krecik's claim that his own daughter wouldn't be born for another two years... "It would be useful if we had some definitive evidence that the future Raven is from the same timeframe. If Leanne is from this timeframe..." That didn't make any sense to him but he was willing to take it as a given if it facilitated the discussion.
"Conveniently... We have this." Milyanov grinned and hefted on to his shoulder one of the plasma weapons used by the Pril that Blakus, Valenti and Burwell had encountered. Andae remembered now taking it as they'd headed for the shuttlebay and found the Carpenter. "Its timeframe matches with West's. Everything that's appeared from the future, as far as I can tell, is from the year 2443."
<Tag Torek, All>
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Carl Torek
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"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 28, 2014 11:50:13 GMT
OOC :: This may read like a somewhat confusing post, but 'hopefully' it will tie up some of the tangential threads that have popped up over the last few weeks and get us back on track (a little at least) ...
IC ::
"It checks out." Milyanov said, double checking his tricorder. "I sent the results to Dr Roach and she's responded already. Everything matches up... West's ship is from the year 2443, as he claimed. The girl you brought back from the other Raven, though, Leanne... She's the daughter of one of our crew."
Andae rode over the possible implication, deciding to trust Krecik's claim that his own daughter wouldn't be born for another two years... "It would be useful if we had some definitive evidence that the future Raven is from the same time-frame. If Leanne is from this timeframe..." That didn't make any sense to him but he was willing to take it as a given if it facilitated the discussion.
"Not quite." Doctor Roach said, joining the group, I decided to run a secondary test, just to satisfy my own curiosity. As you said Lieutenant, they do appear to be from approximately thirty four years in our future. But I questioned how a twelve year old girl could appra to be from the same time-frame. That's where they made their mistake ... Oh, it is without doubt that Leanne is the direct biological daughter of Chloe Darby Admiral, her DNA is a familial match of both hers, and yours. Somehow, they managed to coat, for want of a better word, their quantum signature with a secondary layer. Impressive, and quite impossible in our time Admiral, in fact I doubt the research has even begun to investigate the possibility, not to mention the why's ... All I can think is that sometime in the future, or at least 'their' future, Leanne is taken off this ship ....." she shrugged as if that simply wasn't relevant at this juncture.
"How did you find out ?" Calli asked.
"Well, the 'coating' was exceptional to say the least, a veritable work of science fiction if you ask me, which you didn't ...." the doctor said obviously appreciative of the technology that could do this, "But as I said, I couldn't figure out how a twelve year old could be from thirty four years ahead, so I compared both Vanessa and Leanne once again and noticed an anomaly in some of the readings. It seems they could coat everything but the retinal ganglion cells, presumably any attempt to do so would render the recipient blind. I'd hate to think how many people suffered before they realized."
"Hell, whatever next ?" Carl said, "Keep checking, I want all the answers you can get at the morning meeting ... Until zero eight hundred, Gentlemen." he said, leaving them to discus their collective findings ..........
Twenty one thirty hours ::
Traditionally Carl always spent his Sunday's with the Family, unless something forced him away. He used his time off with them obviously, but Sunday's have become the one day the ship was not on his mind ... Calli always joined them if she wasn't on duty, and tonight she was sat at the table between Vanessa and Bethan. They had sat down for dinner at the usual time ans were enjoying the meal when the door chime sounded. Holding his hand up to Chloe, who was already getting up, he stood and approached the door. He was surprised to see Commander Peers and one of his security team stood waiting.
"If I may have a word Admiral ?" T'Brel said, glancing into the room and catching Calli's eye. Carl stepped into the corridor and raised his eyebrows in question, We have a problem, well two to be precise. I didn't want to put this over the Comm, just in case."
"Problems ?" Carl asked as Calli stepped into the corridor and joined them.
"The primary dilithium chamber has been removed from the warp core." Peers said forcing Torek to slap his comm badge quickly, but Peers continued, "Sir. Commander Blakus is attempting to utilize the secondary core as we speak, but as you know it was due for replacement and is almost depleted ..... I have both my Officer's and the Marines scouring the ship for The Mage and, Captain West."
"Lock down the ship, how the hell did they get the assembly away from the core without it ringing every bell on the ship !"
"We have no clue at this point Admiral. It's possible it was beamed out, but Commander Blakus is investigating, he sent me to inform you personally." Carl's mind was working overtime now, all thoughts of the waiting meal gone, he began to head for the nearest turbo-lift, the others in close formation.
=^= Bridge to Admiral Torek =^= he was about to tap his comm badge when the doors opened and he stepped onto the Bridge, "Admiral, Captain West's ship has un-docked and is moving away from us." Carl looked at the view-screen and could see the smaller vessel turning away at high impulse, heading, unsurprisingly, directly at the other Raven.
"Get a tractor beam on that ship and drag it back."
"Most system's are off-line Admiral. We're suffering cascade failures throughout the ship ... checking the reason now sir."
"Don't bother, I know why ..... Is there any way we can go after that ship on impulse ?"
"Yes but what would we do when we got there, Sir ?" Peers said as Blakus reported they were attempting to initiate the almost depleted matter / antimatter matrix into the core. They would have 'some' power but no warp capability. They had minimal shields and phasers but not for long if everyone wanted to continue breathing.
=^= Andae, is there any way we could beam our matrix back if we got close enough ? =^=
=^= We'd have to be close .. And we would only get one chance at it .. I'm not sure it's wise to try ...... =^=
"Full impulse. Commander Peers, man the transporter. Get a lock on that core and be ready to beam it off that ship ... Helm, go after them. Zee plus ten kilometers ... As we pass over them Commander Peers will grab our core. Fire on their drive only, I want them dead in the water."
"Admiral. The other Raven is bringing their engines on-line !" Harry said from Opps, "It's a snatch and run play." he said, annoyed he hadn't seen the possibility before.
"What a surprise." Carl said leaning forward in his seat, "Pass the smaller ship, disable them then make a pass over our 'guests' from the future and disable all propulsion and weapons systems. I don't want that ship going anywhere unless someone is pushing the damn thing !"
"Sir ... They still out-gun us. They could incapacitate us before we could inflict any damage if they figure out what we're up to." T'Brel informed him.
"I'm guessing they won't expect us to fire on them. Commander Marionette, make your run look like we would pass above the future ship as part of our arc of attack on that midget out there. Leave it until the last moment before firing then get us out of range as quickly as you can. Bring us parallel then hold position. I don't want any contact with either ship."
The Raven began closing on the smaller ship easily despite her limited power options. T'Brel and Wedlerson acted in unison and beamed the core matrix off the ship and disabling their engine systems. The stricken ship tumbled away all power gone .... Marionette turned the Raven to port approaching the massive future vessel high on their port side. She allowed the Raven to fall slightly towards the rear of the other ship as she climbed over her, then as they passed above it T'Brel fired on them .... Arc's of almost pure energy lanced across the space between them, cutting into the hull seeking out their targets. Once, twice, then a third time, but then Peers informed him that all power to weapons had been automatically transferred to more relevant systems. Marionette used what little propulsion she had to push the Raven away and down towards neutral Zee before bringing her to a halt two hundred thousand kilometers away. Carl opened a comm to Engineering:
=^= Bridge to Commander Blakus .. How we doing reinitializing the matter / anti-matter matrix Andae ? =^=
< tag : Blakus / All >
=^= OK .. Thank you Commander .. I want a full report on how they managed to pull off their little trick as soon as possible =^= he closed the comm and looked at Calli.
"Still pondering on that proposal then ?" she asked wryly ..........
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Andae Blakus
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Post by Andae Blakus on Dec 28, 2014 23:40:17 GMT
His daughter... Never mind her! Blakus thought, What about myself? If the enigmatic Captain and his vessel were from 43 years in the future, then where were all the current Raven staff on the 'Community'? West's ship's database would provide a clue he reasoned, if West and co were to be trusted.
It wasn't unusual to think that the Raven's service life would be prolonged by what remained of Command in the wake of a mass attack on the Federation and other Alpha Quadrant powers. It could well have remained in service, but under what crew?
"Milyanov, you have engineering. I'll take the next shift; I know we're out of sync, but..." he trailed off, leaving his assistant alone and bemused in the corridor holding the plasma rifle.
* * *
"Who is this Captain anyway?" he asked himself. He was sitting at his personal terminal in his quarters, the light from its screen the focal point in the dimmed room. If The Captain existed 43 years from now, it was very possible he was alive in this time. "A rogue Starfleet officer?" he murmured, "Who? A member of our current crew? Bearing in mind 43 years is a long time in the service career of an officer..."
~ Please restate the request ~ the computer said politely.
Blakus sighed, focussing on the terminal showing the Raven's and letting the computer store its imagined request for future reference. He found the reference he was looking for. Aurelia. That was his daughter's name. Or it would be. Had he just predetermined it? His mind whirled as a grey hurricane of possibilities. He perused the databanks further - provided freely and with seemingly little regard for the Temporal Prime Directive by West's ship's science officer - finding Jerdo Krecik's file. The man had been a politician, a bureaucrat around the time he'd said he'd courted Aurelia - in the year 2421 in the 377 Virgo system, 8000 lightyears from Sol. The system had been the site of a summit of the leaders of the Federation, where they had decided what to do with their dying, dead interstellar alliance. (See my reply 21 August on page 1)
He accessed the records of tactical support assigned to that system during the fateful summit - these logs being only 22 years old, he reminded himself. A list of Starfleet vessels present in the system at the time; the Raven-B was amongst them. He read off the senior staff: some gaps in the records where the data had been corrupted, some names he didn't recognise, some names he did - his own among them. Had Aurelia Blakus been aboard the Raven upon its arrival at the summit as well? Had a chain of events been set in motion where the Raven wouldn't be present at 377 Virgo in 2421, and/or Aurelia's birth avoided altogether?
"Commander Blakus, this is engineering! Get down here, sir." Blakus jumped forward, rubbing his eyes. The voice was piercing; he realised he'd been drifting to sleep, his mind asking unanswerable questions and making useless propositions as it'd spiralled away to unconsciousness. "Now!" the voice reinforced itself.
* * *
The doors slid aside and engineers stepped out of his way, although it seemed most of them were at their stations already. Good, he thought, sweeping towards the master console, where Milyanov stood, ashen-faced. "How the hell did this happen?!" The lieutenant backed away from the station to give Blakus space. He tried to gain some focus, staring at the doom-laden figures pouring down the screen.
Silence fell heavier than it usually did in engineering when Blakus was in such moods. The absent sound was of course the throb of the constrictors and the thrum of the main PTC that led back to the nacelles. It wasn't immediately obvious but on closer study one would find there was a gaping hole in the middle of the core - the dilithium matrix at the heart of the chamber gone, external lights indicating its presence dim.
He looked up, having seen the reflection of the Trill in the console's display. Apparently he'd been helping track down Teiler who was hiding out somewhere on the lower decks, perhaps below engineering. "Commander, please tell the Admiral about this. I think he's off-duty." Peers nodded, rushing from engineering to inform Carl.
"We have the old core in storage," Milyanov said solemnly, "The crystals are nearly depleted, of course, but it's all we have."
Blakus nodded. He was enraged. This didn't happen in his engineering. Whether he was absent or not. News filtered through to him in a constant stream from the bridge of the plan to recover the matrix from West's vessel, where it'd apparently been beamed. According to the hurried reports the Defiant class was also on the run towards the future Raven. So an alliance between them, or what?
Too shaken to fit this latest shock into the picture he'd been forming of West hunting The Captain's ship, Andae focussed on reestablishing warp power. The Raven was barely capable of quarter impulse currently. He felt the blast wave of their weapons' impacts as the ship banked away from the larger Raven; the crawl Marionette would have the ship at was barely sufficient to maintain the shields - under bombardment by The Captain's retaliatory strikes - which had also suffered a power reduction.
He leaned across the console, seeing the flickering lights on the dilithium chamber that indicated the matrix was present once again. An incredibly precise exercise in transportation that had been. The matrix - if it was intact - would be lying unattached from the constrictor input valves and surrounding isolinear circuitry.
Pulling the front of the dilithium chamber himself, Blakus dragged out the magnetically-suspended platform inside the chamber and surveyed the matrix. It was intact, as if it'd never been gone, only torn of some of its wire endings. Assisted by half a dozen warp core specialists he began reintegration of the device back into the core.
=^= Bridge to Commander Blakus .. How we doing reinitializing the matter / anti-matter matrix Andae ? =^=
=/\= Standby, Admiral. The matrix rematerialised detached from the... =/\= He hurried around to the master console, waving the engineers back from the core as they carefully inserted the matrix back into the chamber. =/\= Reinitialising now, sir. Should have full warp power available if preliminary tests work out. Begging your pardon, Carl, how the hell did this happen? Is West with The Captain now?=/\=
If they were all from the same time period, then... Then they were working together, scavenging this fruitful region of the past for the spare parts they needed in their fallen Federation of 2443. Hence explaining the multiple trips through time. Virtual fleets of ships, war materiel and research projects had malfunctioned, or gone missing over the years, in unexplained circumstances... Marauders stealing what they could...Could this, if true, provide part of the explanation?
"According to internal sensors," Milyanov said quietly beside him, "Three transportation operations took place at 21:22 hours, from deck 40, deck 4 and deck 36... Directed towards the Defiant vessel."
Deck 36. Main engineering. "The others would be Mage Teiler and Captain West, I presume. They planned this all along... The Mage's convenient escape from the Community to scout out engineering, ascertain beam coordinates... West's staggered arrival in the past... Ah, I don't know..." He collapsed in the master console's seat, lucky that it was right beneath him. "At least some things are for certain." He clasped his hands before him. The - doubtless only partially complete - database provided by West's vessel couldn't lie; the Federation had fallen in their timeline, and Blakus - if he existed then - had a daughter.
<Tag Torek, All>
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Carl Torek
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"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
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Post by Carl Torek on Dec 30, 2014 0:58:24 GMT
=^= Bridge to Commander Blakus .. How we doing reinitializing the matter / anti-matter matrix Andae ? =^=
=^= Standby Admiral .. The matrix re-materialised detached from the ....... Reinitialising now Sir .. Should have full warp power available if preliminary tests work out .. Begging your pardon Carl but how the hell did this happen .. Is West with The Captain now ?=^=
=^= You're guess is as good as mine .. Get the core initialized then come up to the observation lounge .. I want all the Senior Staff there in thirty minutes .. Will that give you enough time ? =^=
=^= Yes .. Milyanov can finish up here =^=
Carl closed the comm and asked Harry to inform all the Senior Staff to be at the meeting. He got up and stared at the screen ... He couldn't see the future Raven of course, but he didn't particularly want to at this point. There would be plenty time for that. He got up and motioned for Calli to join him in his ready room leaving the Conn to Commander Peers.
~~~~~
Thirty minutes later he was sat in the observation lounge aimlessly watching the stars beyond the plexi-glass. Calli was there too, going over every scrap of information they had on their situation. As the Senior Staff filed in they noticed how distracted the Admiral was and each looked at Calli in turn, but she merely raised her eyebrows as if she knew as much as they did. Each of the Command staff had brought their own padd's containing what information they could gather, but it was little and hardly of much use given they had not been able to get adequate access to the future ship ... Everyone began talking among themselves until their Commanding Officer swivelled his chair around to face them:
"OK ... What do we have ... We'll get your report in a moment Commander." he said, addressing Blakus, then turned to the Chief security Officer, "T'brel ?"
"Well, we now know that the Mage, Teiler, and our former guest, Captain West, transported to West's ship and took off, taking our warp matrix with them .... We subsequently went after said ship and retrieved our equipment, disabling the Defiant class and the future Raven in the process. At this point we're guessing they will need a minimum of forty eight hours to get their weapons on-line, and at least half that for their drive systems." he looked at Blakus who nodded his confirmation.
"OK .. Andae, what do you have ?"
< tag : Blakus >
"Given the size of this Community as they call it, and what we know of their Command structure, I would assess they have maybe six to eight in what could be described as 'Command positions' all under this so-called Captain, with an unknown number of personal guards and general Security Staff, they refer to them as Knights apparently." Peers added after the Chief engineer's report.
"I think we can safely assume they didn't come back in time for a 'Meet and Greet' ....." Calli added, looking at her own information before continuing, "..... and all this stuff regarding our descendants, just sits a little too uncomfortably for my liking. I think it could happen, I'm not saying otherwise, but doesn't it strike anyone as a little 'convenient' that apart from Leanne, who seems to be the first generation offspring of two of our crew, the only people we have seen have all been direct biological relations to each and every one of us ? ..... I have to agree with T'Brel and Andae regarding their motives for coming back, it's obvious they are scavenging ..... As for West, I think it was all planned out prior to their arrival, they must have pulled the same stunt on countless occasions, and it's never going to be known how many ships suffered or were lost because of their acts of piracy."
"We can't allow them to return to their own time Admiral." Burwell said, speaking for the first time, "We should detain them here and make sure they pay for their acts."
"And what would we charge them with Colonel ?" Peers asked.
"Well, as Commander Valente pointed out, they are Pirates ... Piracy is illegal, so we can start there."
"But surely we can only definitively prove they took equipment from 'this' ship right ?" the Doctor asked.
"That will do for a start, if nothing else we can hold them on that pending further investigation." Burwell said, obviously passionate about stopping the future ship.
"Hold on ....." Calli said, looking at her padd for a moment before continuing, "OK, we're basically saying that the community have been coming back at will, and we still need to figure out just how they are managing that by the way, to plunder vessels for spares or vital equipment right. We have had numerous unexplained disappearances, ship's that have simply vanished .... So, if we could somehow get scans of say half a dozen vital systems on that ship, couldn't we simply use that data to correlate a list of these 'spares' they have taken. Then, we go into the construction records from say Utopia Planitia, Oakland, McKinley, Antares ship yards, if we find a match we can at least warn Command to keep those ships safe."
"So prevent something that has already happened ?" Doctor Roach said, trying to get her head around what seemed more like temporal detective work than anything she was used to.
"What about my, counterpart ?" Marionette asked.
"Hold on, I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here everyone. Let's stick to this prevention idea for a moment shall we." Carl interjected.
"We can't ignore cause and effect, and I'm not saying we do." Calli continued, realizing she may have sparked an idea that she didn't fully understand herself, but that was what these meeting's were about, and the fact they ran with everyone on an equal footing and able to contribute or comment at will, worked wonders, "I know that if I go back and shoot my Father in the head before he is able to get the ball rolling on my conception, I would vanish from existence. I'm not saying we can stop what has happened, but then, why not .... If the Community went back and ransacked the USS Enzio, for example, in a years time, couldn't we warn them of the impending attack and ensure they are not where they are supposed to be ?"
"And who's to say our actions, if even possible, wouldn't allow someone from their crew, or one of their offspring from a future marriage becoming a homicidal genocidal maniac that ends up murdering billions ?" Roach said.
Calli threw her hands in the air, the doctor was right of course. But should they simply accept the fact that the community vessel is here, and by definition, has already done everything they needed to to arrive here, at this point in time. Carl could see her frustration, but not only her's, everyone around the table was obviously struggling with the situation and the concept of one of their own coming back to prey on the innocent ... He called a break and asked stewards to bring in refreshments and something to eat. It was rapidly becoming obvious that this was going to be a long meeting, but in truth, he had already decided that whatever happened, they were not going to allow the future ship to continue their exploits unpunished ! ..........
< tag : All at the Meeting >
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Carl Torek
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 1, 2015 17:02:38 GMT
OOC :: Posting as Jessica ::IC ::The events of the last few hours had frustrated and annoyed Jessica beyond anything she had previously encountered ... She had the Raven crew in her hands, only to be interrupted by Councillor Andromeda and her band of, band of, what, followers she decided. But now the Raven crew had discovered what had been happening on the Community vessel, discovered the discord and in-fighting between those who were appointed to office, and now they were gone ....... She paced her rooms like a caged cat awaiting the opportunity to pounce and devour the unwary. Veson, her bodyguard, had stood off to one side, listening to her ranting diatribe, knowing when tact was the better option. Several times she had made a comment that under normal circumstances he would have offered his opinion, but not in this instance, she would speak directly to him if she wanted to and until that time he would remain silent.
"Is there news from the Raven regarding our Mage ?" she asked.
"No ... My Lady. We are aware that the subterfuge has been discovered and that the Mage and West have now returned to the community, but at this point I know no more."
"Then we shall go the the Council Chamber and ask our questions !" she said, striding to the door with Veson close behind her. As they entered the corridor he motioned for two of his men to fall in behind them. He knew these were dangerous times, despite his Lady's reassurances that they were in no danger ....
ooooo
As she entered, she could see only four of the Council were in attendance. She took her seat and listened to one of those present as they questioned the Mage and Captain West:
"But you did not succeed ... DID you ? ...... Despite your efforts, the Raven crew were less vulnerable to your schemes. I told you we should have taken what we needed and disabled the Raven. They would have eventually made repairs to their ship and would have been in no position to dictate terms to us !"
"I did not hear you offering this plan of action prior to our arrival in this time-frame." West said.
"SILENCE ! ...... How dare you presume to address one of the ruling Council in such a manner." the Councillor said, rising to his feet while West glared at the man with ill-concealed contempt, "You should remember that the position you hold is one that we, the Council, bestowed upon you, and than position can be taken away with equal ease. Any further input will see you confined to the un-named !"
Teiler had listened to enough. He was more than willing to give his report, but he was not a commoner, not one of the un-named, he was a member of this Council be treated as such. He moved around to take his seat, motioning for Captain West to be seated and await further questioning, which he would answer. He could see the other's eyeing him with disdain but he cared not what they thought, he could have them 'removed' on a whim if he so chose, but instead, he decided to play the game and allow these questions.
"Tell me, Captain ......" Jessica said her eyes boring into the man, "Why did you not endeavour to disable the other vessel before you took your leave. Surely you could have made some sort of effort to damage the ship, hindering their pursuance ?" West looked at the Mage, who gave an almost discernible nod.
"We, our actions were discovered much more quickly than anticipated My Lady. We had little option but to ....."
"Suffice to say we did not have time to meander leisurely through the ship damaging systems." Teiler interrupted, and Jessica spun on his instantly.
"I would 'PREFER' it if you allowed the person being questioned to supply the answer, Mage ... I wasn't aware he needed a sponsor to speak on his behalf, and I would suggest you didn't." she said, making it clear it was an instruction, rather than a suggestion, then she turned back to West, "Now, if we can continue, without interruptions ......"
"What about the damage inflicted by the Raven ?" she asked, directing this at the Mage.
< tag : the Mage >
The questioning went on for another hour, at which time she dismissed the Council and Captain West. I didn't go un-noticed that West and Teiler left together, but they could play out their little games if it suited them, it no interest for her .... She asked for Veson to appoint two of his men to follow Captain West and report his movements, because while their parlour games and whisperings didn't interest her, their snide planning and subterfuge did .... She would go to The Captain and make her report, as even though he watched all Council proceedings closely, he always required her to attend him and make her report in person. Once that was done, she would begin her investigations into West and his apparent allegiance to the Mage ..........
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Andae Blakus
Moderator ..
Commander 1C
Registered: Oct 17, 2007 22:48:27 GMT
Posts: 1,447
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Post by Andae Blakus on Jan 3, 2015 21:43:46 GMT
"OK .. Andae, what do you have ?"
"Our drive systems should be operational within the hour," Blakus said, leaning forward resting his elbows on the table, "We're testing the warp coils' capability of forming a warp bubble, firing the dilithium intermix dry. Everything's worked out so far. But we're limited to half impulse only while we carry out the tests. It seems the future Raven's technology doesn't allow for faster repair of their engines than the projected 24 hours... Considering the size and complexity of their engine assembly and the damage we've done to it that's hardly surprising."
Blakus was visibly aggravated as he put his next point across, "Mage Teiler found a way to infiltrate engineering and transmit the coordinates of our dilithium matrix to Captain West. As we've already established they're from the year 2443, it seems clear that the Defiant vessel and the Community are working together. Whatever remains of the Federation in 2443, these two vessels are finding it necessary to come back to our time to plunder supplies, weapons etc."
He let the meeting progress, blood boiling at what'd been allowed to happen in engineering and that his supposed descendant Teiler had made an unlikely escape courtesy of West's vessel.
Teiler, his image, his gait, his eyes foremost, seemed far too similar to Christina Taylor's, if there was supposed to be a 500 year gap between them. 43 years made sense... although it sickened him to think that the Mage could be his child, or grandchild. He saw nothing of himself in the man (or so he thought)... Perhaps, Teiler was only Christina's grandchild, perhaps he'd had a different father... He dismissed the thought with a wave of the hand, brooding in his chair - all the staff still present at the table refreshing themselves, seemingly unaware of his troubled state of mind.
He refused to eat. Still disturbed by the intrusion in engineering, disturbed by his supposed descendant's attempted crippling of the Raven and his subsequent escape; disturbed by the thought of his unborn daughter - in some future, perhaps divergent, parallel reality timeline - trapped on a civilian freigher in the year 2443 if Jerdo Krecik of the Defiant ship and the Community was to be trusted. She was bound for unknown stars amongst the glittering expanse of the Gamma Quadrant, fleeing the invasion of... he knew not what. He stared at the conference table, seeing in it his dark reflection. Where would this insidious enemy come from?
* * *
With the resumption of the meeting came new ideas, Blakus being one of the first to contribute. "We know the other Raven is from 43 years in the future. But the extent of the change aboard the vessel... I still have a hard time believing that our children, grandchildren, indeed members of our own crew, including those of us in this room..." There was an exchange of glances about the table, the staff disconcerted by the thought that they themselves may become responsible for the crimes carried out by the future Raven. "... Could change their ideals, the ship, its command hierarchy so extensively, and form a seemingly legitimate society based solely on wanting to mislead us."
He continued, "I've no doubt they're from 2443, but their Community has turned so much away from Federation ideals in that short time I begin to doubt that its crew has Starfleet roots at all. At some point in the future a colony, or the world of an alien species, for example, based on what we'd term medieval society, could've acquired our ship, brought their civilisation, their way of life aboard it and used the technology of 2443 to make incursions into our time."
"You're saying they're not even human?" Burwell said.
Andae shook his head, "I'm not making assumptions... But as Commander Valenti says, it's unusual that we've encountered only our supposed descendants, and they're all members of the Council. That struck me as strange from the beginning. It's almost as if this Council has been designed, each member instructed to emulate a possible descendant of one of our current senior staff, so as to make their claim of being a generation ship from the far future all the more convincing."
"Instructed by whom?" Wedlerson asked.
Blakus's brow furrowed, he decided to ride over the question. "Their Council could've been cloned from our own genetic material during previous visits to the past, in a way similar to how Leanne was conceived and brought forward to their time."
He glared at the chronometer; by the standard duty roster, he was supposed to have relieved Milyanov by now... Considering recent events, he didn't feel comfortable being out of engineering for extended periods, but this was considerably more important.
He rubbed his eyes blearily, pointed a finger across the table his mind spinning with the impossibilities of time travel, "And if we're to warn Federation ships of impending incursions from the Raven into the past so that they might avoid those encounters, surely by causality that would change the future Raven's history? It wouldn't have arrived here in the first place... As soon as we cross-reference and warn a future Federation vessel of an incursion, these last few days might never have happened? Effectively we wipe the future ship's arrival here from history?" He searched around the table for any signs they recognised what he was hinting at, "Is this an option?"
<Tag Torek, All>
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Carl Torek
Command Staff ..
Site Executive Officer Ranks Officer
Fleet Admiral
"UTRINQUE PARATUS"
Registered: Jun 17, 2006 22:34:35 GMT
Posts: 6,160
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Post by Carl Torek on Jan 5, 2015 2:17:14 GMT
"I have no doubt they're from 2443, but ....."
"You're saying they're not even human ?" .....
"Instructed by whom ?" .....
"..... It wouldn't have arrived here in the first place ... As soon as we cross-reference and warn a future Federation vessel of an incursion, these last few days might never have happened. Effectively we wipe the future ship's arrival here from history ....."
Carl listened while his Officers did what they did best, open-ended discussion about the subject at hand. They raised a lot of valid points and it was one of those paradoxical comments that sparked a question in him, but he'd allow the table to have their say as was the norm. Something the Colonel had said 'not even Human' made him wonder about another issue, not necessarily directly related to their situation, but it could possibly explain a few things he thought. What if the future Raven and it'd crew, or residents, whatever the hell they wanted to refer to themselves as, were not the direct descendants of this crew, in fact, what if they weren't direct descendants of anyone ... He had thought it curious that their Senior Staff practically mirrored their own, surely that wasn't a coincidence.
"Here's a thought to throw into the ring ....." he said during a lull in proceedings, "What if to some extent, everyone's explanations is right .... Let me explain, they came through the tachyon rift looking as 'alien' as you can get, but with enough similarities to make us wonder. We found their ship to be a much modified Galaxy Class starship, their leaders, all related in some way to the people around this very table, yet their development, lifestyle, folklore, was seemingly both advanced and regressive to the point of Earth's Arthurian age ... What I'm getting at is this ... We know that they have acquired equipment and spares from numerous Federation vessels, and not 'ALL' of then human in origin. So ... How have they appeared to each vessel they encountered ?"
"You think they have the ability to 'change' their ship somehow ?" Wedlerson asked, looking around the table to see if anyone else had had the same thought, which apparently they had.
"I don't know Harry, I'm just putting something else on the already laden table for us to consider ... My thought was, if they appear to 'us' as our descendants, then who's to say they didn't turn up to a Vulcan ship as Vulcan's, or Klingon, Romulan, or the future relative's of a random passing freighter out of Tyco ... Basically, are they appearing as who they need to to get through the initial encounter with the guarantee of their own safety, then they use their 'skill' to endear themselves into that ship's crew prior to looting what they need and destroying the vessel, before running back to their own time, whatever that may prove to be ?"
"But how would that explain Leanne ?" Doctor Roach asked, "They would have needed access to Ms Derby to obtain at least one egg, or even a foetal stage embryo to produce a child, which would have needed to be removed inside the first twenty days. I'm more inclined to go with the only other viable option, which would be DNA manipulation on a scale we simply cannot match. There are always tell-tale markers in every strand that shows where sets of chromosomes have been manipulated. There would be inconsistencies in the cytosine, thymine, adenine, and guanine cells throughout the strand, it's almost beyond comprehen ....."
"Honestly doctor." Carl said, holding his hands up, "That's way beyond my level. I'm as stumped as you are. We know there is no doubt that Leanne is Chloe's child, and we also know that she has never given birth or had a partial pregnancy ... Go through her medical history, see if anything comes up regarding previous examinations. Maybe they obtained what they needed without her knowledge somehow, which could mean they had someone in Star Fleet Medical, and that doesn't bare thinking about."
It was obviously something that no-one else had considered openly, presumably because of the emotional attachments to their future offspring, and maybe that was exactly what the Community relied upon !
He looked up at the chronometer and rubbed his temples, they had already three hours into Gamma Shift, which ran from midnight ships time, to zero eight hundred hours, he stood up and called it a night. They would meet again at zero nine hundred. Any Officer's on duty shifts would ask their deputies to fill in unless their Department Head was needed. As the meeting broke up Carl, Calli, Andae, and Marionette went to the Bridge. After issuing instructions to Gamma Shift regarding the Community vessel, he bade everyone goodnight. He was shattered and desperately needed to get some sleep, even if it was only a few hours ....
As he and Calli rode the turbo-lift down to Deck Eight they remained silent, Calli knew Carl he was practically her half brother, and she knew when to make small talk, and when to let him get what he needed to say straight in his own mind. As they stepped out she held back a little, making him turn to face her.
"You know you are going to have to talk to Chloe about this."
"Yes ..... It's just figuring out how to bring it up. How do you tell someone who has never given birth, that they have a twelve year old Daughter ?"
"Leanne isn't Chloe's Carl." she said simply, then hesitated for a moment, "I'm assuming you are going to allow her to remain aboard the Raven, either way ?" he shrugged, knowing he wasn't about to throw the child back over to those in the Community.
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before turning to walk away. After a few paces she turned back;
"My two-penneth here ... I'm not sure about warning the other ships, what's happened has happened, but I do think we should put a stop to their time-hopping antics here, now ! ... See you in the morning, good luck with Chloe, not that you'll need it." she finished, then disappeared around the corner leaving him stood alone with his thoughts ..........
< tag : All ... Observation Lounge Zero Nine hundred >
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