David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on May 31, 2015 16:03:45 GMT
A year had passed since Lak-Tson had been required to deal with the man sent to intimidate him into giving the Keeloon Syndicate even more of his vast wealth. They had regretted their actions dearly, and were still attempting to make amends for their mistrust. For Lak-Tson it was more amusing than annoying, the Syndicate had reimbursed him many times over, and would continue to do so regardless of their compliance ... Nars Lon, while still at the right hand of Deel Kiw, was little more than a puppet as Tson worked his way higher through the echelons. The incident and the near failure of their test using the Zorastic's vessels had hurt them, but only little ... If nothing else it had forced the Syndicate's hand, which was exactly what Tson was trying for all along !
In high orbit over Doxxol III, he surveyed the damage the gas had inflicted upon the population of the Servetus Research Faculty. The deployment was a complete success, with almost twenty thousand people eliminated .......
They were ready to leave when Kiw was informed of a vessel on long-range sensors.
"Have they seen us ?" the leader of the Syndicate asked, unable to hide the nervousness in his voice from Tson, who grinned at the mans obvious fear of the Federation Vessel pursuing them.
"We are on the far side of the planet Lord." one of the subordinates replied quickly, "The data is being relayed from one of the other Zorastic's ships.
"Inform two of the ships to remain in orbit, instruct the remainder of the fleet to move to the G-Tellux Nebula and await instructions. We should remain here." Lak-Tson said, careful to make it a 'suggestion' and not an order. Smiling inwardly as Nars Lon glared at him.
"Do as instructed." Kiw said, glancing at Tson and waiting for an explanation, which Lak was more than willing to supply:
"They will be hesitant at transporting to the surface if we have ships in the area. We are fully aware that two vessels would be no match for the newly re-fit Constitution Class bearing down on us, but they would distract the Commander of that ship long enough for me to hopefully succeed in the plan I formulated earlier, with your permission, of course." he said, bowing his head a fraction.
"Plan ?" Nars Lon queried scathingly.
"Yes ...... Plan." was all Tson would reply as he waited for Kiw's decision.
"You will push too hard one day Lak-Tson, best to be aware of your position." Kiw said, knowing that the threat was empty given their reliance on Tson's wealth, "Continue, but beware, you will die first if we are put in danger ... 'THAT' you can rely upon."
Two million kilometres above the orbital plane ::
They watched the Federation Vessel Excalibur arrive and immediately begin scanning the surface facility. Tson wondered briefly how the Commanding Officer, a woman he had investigated since their first encounter, was feeling, the lack of ability to stop the Syndicate, the feeling of helplessness for those lost. He imagined Commodore Ryat and her Staff were certainly not allowing frustration to get the better of them. They were professional people, and while hard, had come to understand that life can be lost as cheaply as discarding coins in a fountain if the whim of the attacker so chose. The Federation had their rules, regulations, their 'Prime Directive' by which they would live, or die. fortunately, the Syndicate had no such restrictions ...... He looked at Kiw and the man simply nodded for him to continue.
It was time .......
"Sent the two ships towards the Federation vessel. They are 'NOT' to attack, just lock weapons and close the distance between them ... Take us to full sub-light and climb above the Excalibur. Once you pass over them go immediately to warp."
"And the other two ships ?"
"No, they will attack on our approach, if they succeed all well and good, if not ........" Tson shrugged and went to one of the stations then waited ...... The ship climbed from below the Constitution Class and turned away to open space as the two remaining Zorastic's ships opened fire. They wouldn't last long, he knew that, but they would last long enough for his purposes.
~~~~~
The room was pitch black when he opened his eyes. He listened carefully for the slightest sound that might help identify where he was, and why ... Suddenly he heard movement, close ! ...... Holding his breath he tried to estimate how many others were in the room and how close they were to him. From the sounds of shallow breathing he decided there was only one other in the room. Inching back until he was against the cold metallic bulkhead.
"Who's there ... Speak !" He recognized the voice immediately:
"Karka ?"
"Daniel ? .... Where are we ?"
"Stay there, I'm going to move around the wall until I ge ......." he was momentarily blinded by the light from the suddenly opened door, he almost began to move toward the shadow but decided it would be fruitless in the confined space open to them, then the room lights rose to standard illumination. He looked over at the still seated Psonoir then at the man silhouetted in the door.
"Welcome, Gentlemen." the man said, stepping further into the room so he could be seen clearly, "My name is Lak-Tson, and you are going to be guests on this vessel for the foreseeable future ..... You have questions no doubt, but alas I don't have the time to socialize at the moment, but fear not, we can dine later and hopefully we will both have information to share."
"Where is the Excalibur ?" Dan asked.
"Your ship is currently fending off a couple of our ships, nothing too strenuous I'm sure, but enough to allow us to pass beyond your sensor range and escape." he turned away and stepped into the corridor before turning back, "Hmmm, it does seem as if your Captain has two problems to resolve now, doesn't it ... Does she continue to pursue our ships to hopefully prevent further loss of life, or does she come looking for you ..... Until later Gentlemen." he said, closing the door.
The two Excalibur Officers looked at each other in silence .......... < tag : Ryat (on Excalibur) / Karka (location unknown) >
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 2, 2015 21:01:14 GMT
Office of the Temporal Integrity Commission Betelgeuse IV Alpha Orionis System Star Date: 2607.0602 ..."It is going wrong, and you are unwilling to admit your error !" the man shouted across the table to his counterpart.
"The Commission was fully aware that sending an asset back from before our time held it's own problems ... Even though we calculated what we considered every variable, there was always the minuscule chance that the Tan element would fragment our initial projections and begin a new time-stream that could eventually supersede our own reality. We set in place precautions for such an eventuality as you well know. But .... It seems our calculations have gone awry."
"Awry ! .... 'THAT' is somewhat of an understatement if I may be so bold." the Lady Member said.
"Have we failed ? .... Please, enlighten me." the second man asked simply, looking around the table locking eyes with each of the Commission in turn before returning his gaze to the Lady.
"You must admit that your initial design to bring the Keeloon Syndicate to a position that would allow them to challenge for membership of the Federation itself has gone spectacularly wrong, would you not ?" she asked, continuing before her fellow Commission member could reply, "And what do we do now may I ask, allow the stream to continue to it's inevitable conclusion, which I do not need to remind you, our non-interference brings about our own dissolution, or are you suggesting we allow the scenario to run further and only then take action to prevent our demise. Or are you attempting to convince this Commission that the Tan element will eventually turn round the debacle ... Pray tell !"
"I believe we still have control without the need to re-enter the time-frame." the man replied simply, before sitting down.
"I do not believe so." the first man said, standing as protocol required as he spoke, "The death-toll alone warrants we terminate this venture and repair our errors."
"I would not recommend that course of action !" the second man said, pushing his chair back and leaving the room ..........
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jun 3, 2015 11:47:21 GMT
Karka surveyed the view from the top of the mountain. Lirwa had visited this place many times; many times he'd told Karka of it, and only through a quirk of temporary spacetime displacement had Karka been able to find it again. Wisps of cloud passed before his face, his features only visible when he smiled.
Meditation, as the humans and species that'd originated close by such as the Vulcans, called it, had never been for him, had never been within the grasp of his understanding - being accustomed to the standard configuration of Hybrudean consciousness that was in any case a quasi-meditative state. He couldn't understand how such a minimal shift in the mechanisms of conscious should be encouraged to be utilised by the vast majority of Hybrudean archives, and what's more that they should force those Hybrudeans squared away in abodes in older centuries to adopt an actual term for it.
He felt someone speaking to him. "We've failed!" it rasped; Karka's face became visible for an instant. The clouds and smoke from the incense candles disappeared from around him; the mountain dissolved. He was facing a black hole in nothingness, turquoise neon lights illuminating it gently from either side. Without feeling a touch, he was pushed through and emerged... in his quarters on the Excalibur.
He was sweating profusely. In the darkness he realised he'd dragged himself off his bed during the night, the sheets wrapped up close to him, one end pulled tight to his chin. He slowly unpeeled his prehensile fingers' hold on the sheet, removing them one by one. His muscles were completely rigid. What... what was wrong with him? This wasn't in the instruction manual; human bodies didn't do this... something in the neural pathways, the nervous system...? He would need to find it.
As he tried to work warmth back into his fingers he found himself caught in the unmistakable liquid iron grip of a transporter beam.
* * *
Once their host Lak-Tson had left, the two officers turned to look at one another. "We've been captured by the Syndicate," Karka stated, after approximately a minute. It was perhaps obvious.
The two studied the room. Their host hadn't seen fit to bind them to the floor, walls or the two chairs situated here. Perhaps, Karka thought idly, this was Lak-Tson's attempt at a social psychology experiment: two people locked in a room, with two chairs, featureless walls, ceiling and floor... would they work together until they realised escape was impossible, would they eventually kill each other?
"There's no way out that I can see," Psonoir said, perched on one of the chairs that he'd pushed up into the corner of the wall and looking into one of the corners where he'd thought he'd seen a gap he could fit his fingernails in. Two features the two of them did notice, was that the room's floor was set at a slight slant; audially, there was a muted thrumming sound, vibrating gently through the 6 surfaces enclosing them.
There was no doubt: they were on a ship, and there was something wrong with the artificial gravity. Karka wondered if the offset gravity was intentional; he doubted it. Whoever this man Lak-Tson was, in the short time they'd seen him they knew him not to be a fool and that he didn't take others for fools. He knew full well Karka and Daniel would not become unnerved by a slightly offset artificial gravity field: the ship had to be faulty in this respect.
"When will the Commodore realise we're missing?" Karka asked. He omitted the fact he'd been half-asleep in his quarters.
"Fairly soon I would imagine. I was on the bridge at the time we were beamed off."
"I see." Karka stepped down off the chair, turned, lifted the chair up and threw it at the door. He did so again five times. That soon got the attention of whoever was keeping guard outside.
* * *
Preah Tara dived through the blackness, the multicoloured lights of his Zorastics escape pod's display flashing. He was still chuckling quietly to himself, eyes darting to look out at the stars now and then. If only they could know what was happening here in the 23rd century! His escape pod flew at warp 6 in its subspace bubble, bound for Epsilon Nexxi - processing planet for the refinement of the Craylon Gas Derivative, which was in the system adjacent to Keeloon HQ Tau Nexxi.
"We failed!" he laughed in the darkness, shaking his head in disbelief as he plunged through the silent star void.
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 4, 2015 21:30:04 GMT
Office of the Temporal Integrity Commission Betelgeuse IV Alpha Orionis System Star Date: 2607.0602 ...
They watched the second man leave, each deep in their own thoughts. His parting comment was an unmistakable threat against them, and that could not be allowed.
"We must attempt to restore the timeline, with, or without, his permission ..... Do we agree ?" the other's nodded at the motion put forward.
"....... And our colleague ?" the woman asked, "You do all realize that our own actions could possibly be being monitored, from ....." she finished, not wanting to say their counterparts from their own future.
"We should never have expected the Keeloon to be able to garner enough support without the need for wanton violence !" the first man said, slamming his fist against the table in frustration ........
Star Date: 2401.0603 ..."When will the Commodore realise we're missing ?" Karka asked. He omitted the fact he'd been half-asleep in his quarters. "Fairly soon I would imagine. I was on the bridge at the time we were beamed off." "I see ....." Karka stepped down off the chair, turned, lifted it, then threw it at the door. He did so again five times. That soon got the attention of whoever was keeping guard outside ... The door suddenly opened as he was raising the chair for the sixth time. Daniel jumped, but the man was quicker. He slammed his phaser into Schirra's temple and he fell , semi-conscious to the deck. Grinning, the man turned the weapon on Psonoir and motioned for him to lower the chair to the deck. "Many of my brethren are likely dying at the hands of your Federation. We would have been worthy allies, but you continually shun our efforts !" the man spat as Daniel rolled onto his side to look up in the direction of the voice, "Please ... Give me a reason to kill you where you stand, or lay, I have no love for your kind so do not try my patience further. At the next interruption to my overseeing of you two, I will remove all the oxygen from this room. Do not test me on this !" he turned to leave, then as if an afterthought, he spun and landed a kick to Schirra's ribcage. A wave of nausea almost overwhelming him for a second ....... As the door closed Karka dropped to his knees before helping Dan to a sitting position. "Anything broken ?" he asked, and Schirra tentatively felt his ribs, grateful that while he was going to be heavily bruised, he'd managed to escape anything worse. He shook his head then allowed Karka to get him to his feet and looked around the room. "Any thoughts on where we might be going ?" he asked, finally getting his breath back. Karka said he had no idea, "They will want to ensure the Federation hasn't discovered their refinery, so it's possible we are heading for there, or maybe Tau Nexxi ?" It was at this point that Daniel noticed a sliver of light around the door-frame ... He inched towards the door and put a hand on it carefully. The last thing he wanted to to was have the door open and their erstwhile guardian open fire killing them both. He turned to Psonoir and mouthed: 'The door is open !'Removing his hand he stepped back form the door and moved back to the middle of the room and began talking about the blindingly obvious, their incarceration, on the off-chance that the guard was indeed waiting for them to step into the corridor. Keeping their heads close, they whispered while listening, and came to the conclusion that there was only two viable options open to them: One: The guard had left the door unlocked in order to kill them while attempting to escape ... Two: The guard was blissfully unaware that the doors' locking mechanism had simply malfunctioned ... Three: The guard was hoping to ally himself with the Federation Officers ... Dan shrugged, looking at the door then back at his fellow prisoner. Psonoir nodded ....... Moving back to the door Dan sat on the floor next to the portal clutching his ribs, reaching out he tapped the door lightly, then waited ..... The door opened, but the person stood before them wasn't the guard. Their host, Lak-Tson walked into the room, hardly glancing at Schirra as he passed. Behind him, two men led a third into the room, their erstwhile jailer. "Gentlemen, it seems you have been somewhat unappreciative of my albeit meagre hospitality, and decided to attempt some sort of 'escape' ...." Tson said, taking a phaser from one of the guards as he leisurely paced around the room, "We will be arriving at our destination very shortly and I am sure you are interested in your fates ... Alas, we in the Keelo ......" "We have nothing to say to you !" Dan interrupted, managing to get himself to his feet with the aid of the bulkhead, and promptly being knocked off his feet yet again, this time by one of the men holding their guard. Lak-Tson hardly broke his narration: "As I was saying, we in the Keeloon, do not take failure lightly ... Maybe that is the reason your high and mighty Federation is unwilling to allow us any form of status ........" he said, still aimlessly meandering around the room, "But incompetence is unforgivable. Yes, our guard here says he secured the door. Yes, he was following orders and as such was stood ready to kill the first through that door had it opened. But ....." the Comm panel built into the wall, previously dead, seemed to spring to life: =^= My Lord .. We are arriving =^= Lak-Tson walked to the device and told the man to make the appropriate approach, and to be sure he had the current codes, then he turned back to the room ... "While it would benefit me greatly to have you both alive and well, I 'do' only need one of you .... So .... Here is my proposition: Do nothing to intimidate me or my guards and you will be treated with all the respect and courtesy afforded to an Officer and Gentleman, with limited liberties, obviously ..... Take any action that I deem to be against our collective well being ....." he turned and raised the phaser. In one smooth movement he placed it against the restrained guards' forehead and fired, "..... and you will meet the same fate as our Brother here." he handed the weapon back as if it was burning his hand then walked to the door. Looking at Schirra then Psonoir, he stepped our of the room, the guards dragging what was left of their brothers' corpse behind them. The door closed, and neither needed to check if it was secure or not ! "Arriving where damn it !" Dan said, frustration oozing from every syllable .......... < tag : Cdre / Psonoir >
|
|
David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on Jun 6, 2015 21:03:51 GMT
Lak-Tson was almost pleased with his demonstration ..... The Federation Officers would naturally think twice before attempting any kind of escape or retaliation against him now.
Stepping onto the Bridge he adopted an air of satisfaction that instantly annoyed both Nars Lon and Deel Kiw. He could care less of their opinion of him and he was certain they knew it, but their continued existence was of an unspoken mutual consent. He needed them, and they needed him, but the balance of power was teetering. If he acted too quickly there was the chance they would kill him and cut their losses, if he was to remove the leaders of the Keeloon syndicate without at least one hand on the reigns he could find himself killed in retribution ... So, they danced their dance .......
"We will transport to the surface immediately." Kiw ordered, "You will bring your prisoners along too. I have the feeling they are much more likely to speak if threatened with the option of breathing the poisonous atmosphere of the Epsilon Nexxi moon."
Tson considered commenting, just to be argumentative, but decided to let the Keeloon leader have his moments. After all, he didn't have many to spare.
~~~~~
Schirra's first impressions of the complex were surprising. He hadn't given thought to what the Keeloon base looked like, but it was obviously much better equipped than he realized ... It was also very large ! ....... Set in a valley, it was obviously well hidden from the native populace. They had beamed into what looked like a central reception area, circular, and with a mezzanine level to one side. Desks seemed to be randomly scattered throughout the large open floor space with men and women apparently going about their business and completely ignoring the newcomers. Kiw spoke quietly to Lon who inched closer to the Federation Officers and instructed them to remain still or suffer the consequences, as a young woman approached the group. She spoke to Kiw and then walked away.
"This way, Gentlemen." the leader of the Keeloon said pleasantly, leading them to a large conference room ... Once inside he secured the door and asked his 'guests' to be seated before arranging refreshments, then took his Deputy and Lak-Tson off to one side, they talked in whispers with their backs to the Federation Officers. Something had been niggling at the back of Dan's neck since they had arrived, then he noticed the far wall:
~ Zorastics Pharmaceuticals ~
He looked at Karka and motioned with his eyes so the Commander would follow his line of sight. The Engineer adjusted his position as if uncomfortable then glanced casually in the direction indicated, then turned back to face Schirra. Both realized now why the Keeloon syndicates base of operations had never been discovered. They had been working right under the noses of the Zorastic's all along ! ... It was obvious that both Kiw and his sidekick Lon were officials of the very company they were using, he seriously doubted that their names were genuine. He realized that even if the Excalibur were to somehow find them, all they would find was a legitimate pharmaceutical company that supplied to countless worlds throughout the Federation ........ They would need to escape, or at the very least find some way to get the information they now had to Commodore Ryat. The trio broke up, with Kiw and Lon exiting the room through doors he hadn't noticed when they had entered. Lak-Tson waved the three armed men off and took a seat at the table:
"Gentlemen. It seems we have a minor problem."
"Sorry to hear that." Daniel said sarcastically.
"As you can see, we are in a conference room of the Zorastics Pharmaceuticals ..." he said, waving his arms to encompass the large room and surrounding buildings, "My 'employers' as they like to refer to themselves, seem to think you may have information relevant to our enterprise, and they wish me to acquire said information with all due haste. Now, I hardly expect you to willingly volunteer the information, so I arranged for a little 'chemical' assistance." he said, a wry smile forming as both men looked down at the now empty glasses before them ..........
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jun 10, 2015 8:48:00 GMT
Lak-Tson said, taking a phaser from one of the guards as he leisurely paced around the room, "We will be arriving at our destination very shortly and I am sure you are interested in your fates ... Alas, we in the Keelo ......"
"Only if that fate is positive," Karka blurted inadvertently. He wondered how much longer he'd have to deal with this captor: he'd claimed that they were guests aboard this vessel, whatever this vessel was - likely one of the 10 Zorastics ships that'd plagued the Excalibur around Typhonce III.
One of those ships had been completely disabled then scoured for computer information, further confirming for the Excalibur crew that the Syndicate and Zorastics Inc's businesses were intimately linked. Administrator Arkum Zoras meanwhile was in custody in the Excalibur's brig, having been captured from the first Zorastics ship they'd had contact with.
Then the Excalibur had fired upon another Zorastics craft as the latter had attempted to prevent Zoras's ship from falling into Federation hands - it being considered at risk of giving up information, and the like - by destroying it themselves. The second Zorastics craft would now surely be in a slow deorbit of Typhonce III, if it'd not already burnt up in the atmosphere or crash landed in the desolate wastelands of the grey world.
"We failed" The voice was continuing to resonate in Karka's consciousness; he was sure he was beginning to recognise it... "Pre - Pre - ...A fellow vigilante," he murmured, as Lak-Tson summoned them again.
This time they were led into a wide reception area with desks occupied by clerks doing passable - although undoubtedly inauthentic - impressions of 20th century Earth receptionists, the regular type one found at any private firm. Karka had travelled to such eras on numerous occasions, though not of course, anywhere near as many as Lirwa had.
They were led into a subsidiary conference room from the main reception area. Inside the Excalibur officers followed Tson, Kwi, Lon and a trio of armed guards - Karka had suspected he might come face to face with Deel Kwi and Nars Lon at some point in this assignment, and, specifically around this time, when the Gas Derivative's source was drawing ever closer to full 'commercial' use. "This is Epsilon Nexxi III, closest system to Tau Nexxi," he said to the XO, confirming Schirra's thoughts. Karka knew that deep beneath the valley's surface lay labs for experimentation on and development of the Craylon Gas Derivative - if this was indeed the poisonous-atmosphered moon of Epsilon Nexxi III, as his predetermined course along this world-line suggested.
Karka nodded near-imperceptibly at Commander Schirra, confirming he'd seen the sign on the wall. Zorastics Pharmaceuticals... Deel Kwi, Nars Lon, members of that group - perhaps partly responsible for the refinement of the Craylon, if not more so. The nature of syndicates however... they were several companies banding together for a common interest: it wasn't entirely infeasible that Kwi and Lon had belonged at first to Zorastics Pharmaceuticals Inc. But what did that make Arkum Zoras? Ostensible chief of Zorastics? A pawn?
The Keeloon leadership was excused from the 'meeting' except for this enigmatic character Lak-Tson; the latter had remained strangely silent during the gathering. What was his position exactly in the Syndicate? Psonoir thought. None of the Intel reports or Federation civilian files registered his name. How had he somehow got the ear of the Keeloon/Zorastics leaders?
Karka and Daniel sat before the man - and he was a human, no alien mercenary. He said, "... Now, I hardly expect you to willingly volunteer the information, so I arranged for a little 'chemical' assistance."
There was a brief moment of panic in Karka - which he soon quelled as his logical pathways that led like an advanced network through his partitioned mind dampened the body-altering effect - that Lak-Tson was after more than current fleet movements, Starfleet Intel reports on Keeloon movements...
The drink had been drank. Karka could feel it starting to affect him, the toxin plugging away persistently despite his constitution. Already he could feel his advanced although human body valiantly fighting off the toxin, preserving his clarity of mind, but he was fighting a losing battle... his immune system was always one step behind the poison's stuporous influence.
He saw the look in Tson's eyes the other side of the desk; found it impossible to read - helped in no small part by the chemical affecting his brain chemistry (there must've been something about his advanced human body chemistry that made him more susceptible to this toxin - Schirra didn't seem as affected. Did Lak-Tson know this, had chosen it to ensure that Karka was subdued?) "Wh- Who are... you..." he croaked and dropped off his seat, "... actually? I mean to say. You're not like the other Keeloon. Trust me. I know what they... what they can do to... the fut-" his drinking glass fell from his other hand and smashed on the brushed-grey floor.
<Tag Lak-Tson, Schirra>
Only now he noticed the bright, almost saturating light of the window in behind that took up a large part of the distant wall to his right; he squinted his eyes, his pupils adjusting: a window out into the valley: settlements, factories, mineshafts and sealed automated lifts - protected from the noxious atmosphere - leading deep underground where the Gas refinery was located.
<Tag Ryat>
"Councillor Kwi!" an urgent, presumably facility-wide announcement sounded in the room, shaking the three of them - despite the fact at least one of the men was struggling to stay upright as they awaited Tson's questions. "Reading a ship entering orbit. Very small volume... If I had to make an educated guess, Councillor, I'd say it's an escape pod, from... one of our Zorastics ships at Typhonce III!"
<Tag All>
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 11, 2015 20:50:55 GMT
Dan had been surreptitiously checking the room for any means to escape, but with armed men at the only doors, and an obvious live-threatening drop out of the large French windows, it looked like they were going to be here until a better opportunity presented itself ... The man before them seemed to have been talking for much too long.
"..... Now, I hardly expect you to willingly volunteer the information, so I arranged for a little 'chemical' assistance." the man who had introduced himself as Lak-Tson said, glancing at the glasses they had recently been drinking from. He suddenly realized that Karka was leaning away from him and turned to reach out.
"Wh .. Who are ... you ...?" he croaked and dropped off his seat, "...... Actually? ... I mean to say, you're not like the other Keeloon. Trust me. I know what they, what they can do to ... the futu ....." Karka's glass slipped from his hand and hit the floor. To Daniel, everything seemed to be moving in a bizarre slow-motion version of real life. he heard the glass hit, heard the fractures ripping the glass molecules asunder, hundreds of minute sections expanding from the point of impact until they slid to an eventual halt. One larger section, almost a third of the circumference, rocked back and forth until that too was still ... He looked at the fallen Engineer, watching as if 'outside looking in' as two of the guards lifted him back into his seat.
"Now .......... Shall we begin ?" Lak-Tson was saying, once more grabbing Schirra's attention.
"I .... I don't know what information you thi .... Think we can give you." he said, glancing at Psonoir, who was almost rigid in his seat and seemingly staring into the middle distance, "Any infor .... Information I had is defunct. The erm, second we went missing all my access codes would have been cha, changed." He realized how thirsty he was suddenly, and reached out for the carafe before thinking better of it.
"I think we can supply the Commander and his colleague with some fresh water." Tson said, waiting patiently while one of the guards replaced the tainted fluid with plain chilled water, "Now, as I explained earlier, my 'employers' require certain information. I said nothing of codes of access protocols ... What we would like is a means to get aboard your Excalibur without arousing any suspicions. Nothing more." he said, smiling at the two obviously confused Officers before him.
"We'll kill those two guards, or maybe just dia, disable them ....." Karka suddenly volunteered as if hypnotized, "Then, take you prisoner ...... We'll call for the Excalibur to beam us aboard, then give you your weapons back." he finished, grinning as if he had just devised the most cunning and imaginative plan in history. Bizarrely, Daniel found himself nodding:
"Wait ! ... We could stun the transport, offi, ossifer, then do a site to site transport right onto the Bridge. I imagine Alyana will be surprised to see us." he offered, nodding approval at his own amendment to the plan. Both men looked at their host as if waiting to see if they were to receive an award for their ingenious idea. Lak-Tson was grinning.
"I think that is an excellent idea gentlemen, now, let me see ho ....."
"WAIT !" Dan said, jumping to his feet so quickly his chair fell back and over, "We don't know where the Excalibur is, or rather, they don't know where we are." he said, chastising himself for the oversight as one of the guards helped him back into his seat.
"Oh, that isn't something you need to worry about at this point." Lak-Tson said, waving one of the guards to approach and taking his phaser, "Now, show me how you would incapacitate my guards." he said, sliding the weapon across the table until it came to rest against Dan's arms ... He looked down at the weapon then up to Lak-Tson, who nodded encouraging him to take the phaser. Dan looked at Karka, who was back staring ahead but frowning in concentration. He reached forward, the slow-motion seemingly receding as the minutes past, and picked up the phaser. Turning it around in his hand as if acclimatizing himself with the device. Satisfied, he very slowly raised it until it was pointed directly at Lak-Tson, who raised his hand as the guard began to step forward, still looking at Schirra ......
Five seconds passed, then ten, fifteen .... Daniel gently applied pressure .... Twenty seconds .... A beam of almost pure energy lanced from the weapon and into the chest of the guard .... Daniel returned the phaser to the table and waited.
Lak-Tson smiled ..........
< tag : Karka >
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jun 12, 2015 9:15:53 GMT
Karka sat staring into the middle distance as events played out around him. A phaser was placed back on the table, having just been fired, seemingly backwards behind Commander Schirra. Psonoir was still recovering, confused, not sure what his objective was. Should he volunteer information? Was that what was expected of him? Did Lak-Tson... actually want that?
What puzzle had he found himself in? Where had he landed? Figure out the solution, find the key quickly to escape. He brushed the dust off his scarlet-clothed shoulders... He looked again out the windows displaying the narrow valley with its near proto-industrial facilities... mineshafts burrowing deep below the surface to the refineries... If he could but get down there, find the fish centres. He meant the Gas Derivative purification processing plants. The plants. There was a lift system, some of the carriages operated by pulleys, others automated, sliding down preset rail paths into the mines and the underground research caverns below.
Where had all this information come from? Small figures carried repulsor-lifted carts of machinery down to the depths of the poison-atmosphered moon. Some invisible dome held a breathable atmosphere in place around the inhabited parts of the mining facilities.
Out of the smog of consciousness Karka felt he was beginning to recognise things that seemed, vaguely, like coherent thoughts. This man, Lak-Tson, was playing with them. He didn't seem like a member of the Keeloon, not a conventional one. Tson didn't care for the health of his guard, quite clearly, unless it'd been a genuine mistake and he'd meant... for Schirra to shoot him, and then subsequently find that the phaser didn't work and it was all a big trick and so on. He scolded himself, beating himself up quietly - Lak-Tson was grinning, Karka half-suspected, because he was seeing right through him and understanding his thought processes - for allowing himself to slip into such a befuddled state. He was a Hybrudean from the 29th century! A space and time-faring species that sent its people back in time in the biological form of people of old cultures to explore those cultures; his intellectual capacity, the breadth of his knowledge and the links he was supposed to be able to build were enough to hold and deduce information on several thousand such cultures - all put to ruin.
What did the other guard think? Seeing his colleague dead on the floor by the action of Daniel Schirra, and now being compelled (perhaps) to not react while Schirra placed the weapon back on the desk and wondered what might happen next.
Things were returning to normal; one of the Keeloon leaders burst into the room, an entourage of other officials and a squadron of guards in tow. Lak-Tson seemed unperturbed by the sudden ballooning of the number of people in the room; he also seemed uninterested in what the Keeloon leader - it was the 2nd in command Nars Lon - had to say.
"Yes they're bringing him in now," Lon was saying, then after a pause, gesturing to Karka and Daniel, "For crying out loud, Lak, will you give up this stupid game!" That made Tson turn around, seeming on the verge of unleashing some incredible violence before he settled back, calmly turning to face the two increasingly aware Excalibur officers.
"Don't worry, Karka. We're coming for you. We're going to fix this mess. Preah Tara." The message was deposited in Karka's mind, resounding in his head as if someone in the room had actually spoken to him.
Preah Tara! That was the Hybrudean name he'd been trying to recall earlier. The originator of the irksomely repeated phrase, 'We've failed'. Have you, indeed? Well what were you trying to achieve? And why should I be interested in it? He thought he saw a look of recognition in Tson's eyes, as if he'd read his mind, had also received the message from Preah Tara, in some form. But Karka didn't know how that was possible. Closing his eyes he expended all his energy, sent a message back to wherever the source was.
He didn't know how far in time or space Preah Tara was away from him, but his message consisted of the following, "You tried to stop me before? Am I a carrier of our species' Craylon virus, if I continue on this path? Those weren't dreams were they, waking in my quarters sweating having seen you and the others, all of us afflicted? Karka Psonoir.
Three questions. Hopefully that would be helpful, would provide some closure, some definite statements of finality.
The response was quick, much quicker than Karka would've expected for one of his people searching back through the centuries."I'm almost there. Relative localised timeframe: zero. Yes. We tried to stop you from boarding the Zorastics ship... Our failure led to your exposure to Craylon Gas Derivative. You are a carrier but we can change that, prevent exposure to our entire species when you return to the 29th. Preah Tara.
Lak-Tson seemed none the wiser this time. He calmly tapped the desk, smiling as he waited for his guests to surrender further dubiously useful information, or wait for them to shoot the other guard for him. However when the Zorastics escape pod carrying Preah Tara crashed from the sky through the room's French Doors he was a little less sedate, to say the least.
"Bringing him in?!"
Nars Lon threw his arms up in self defence.
<Tag Schirra & Lak-Tson, Ryat>
|
|
David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on Jun 17, 2015 20:29:31 GMT
Five seconds passed, then ten, fifteen .... Daniel gently applied pressure .... Twenty seconds .... A beam of almost pure energy lanced from the weapon and into the chest of the guard .... Daniel returned the phaser to the table and waited.
Lak-Tson smiled ...
"Well, it seems we may have just what we need."
"For crying out loud, Lak, will you give up this stupid game !" Deel Kiw insisted, only to be ignored completely.
Daniel and Karka, the latter still seemingly elsewhere, watched the ensuing argument with disinterest. The more the two fought the more Schirra worried. He couldn't explain why, but nevertheless, he still worried, almost like a faithful pet watching someone attack it's owner and wondering if it should try to help. But all that concern went out of the proverbial window, as something came in through the 'real' windows .... Slamming into the ornate floowing it skidded past the table and impacted with the wall before settling itself in a halo of steam and broken furniture.
As people, including the remaining guard, who seemed more than happy to help given the possible alternative, all looked at the crashed pod ... Karka seemed somehow, distracted to Schirra, maybe the concoction they were slipped was wearing off quicker for the Engineer, he couldn't say. But despite the uproar, Lak-Tson seemed intent on continuing. Psonoir very slowly began to divide his attention between the man speaking and the scorched pod, until he was solely concentrating on the latter, completely ignoring their incarcerator.
"OK ... I think what we need to do is entice the Excalibur here so we can continue our little charade, yes ?" Tson asked, now ignoring what was happening at the far and of the spacious room, "So, I think if we 'let slip' your location, hmm, how to go about that ........ Ahh !" he said, turning away from the table deep in thought for a few seconds.
"Someone could be, hurt .... Over there ?" Daniel said, pointing in the direction of the pod, seemingly ignoring their obvious escape route through the now non-existent front wall.
"Let's not worry ourselves too much about that for the moment." Lak-Tson said, taking a communicator from his robe and handing it to Daniel, "Now ... You have to be very very careful here ... I want you to call the Excalibur. Make sure that the sub-space frequency transducer is operational before you try ok."
"We can't reach the Excali ......." Dan began, but Tson was ready and leaned forward:
"I know you can't speak to the ship, because it isn't in orbit. Though I 'am' curious as to why you would think it isn't here ... Maybe you could explain that to me ?" Tson asked, eyes flicking up to the carnage the pod had caused.
"You said ... Didn't you ?" Daniel replied, looking at Karka yet again, and wondering why he seemed so concerned with the occupant of the crashed pod.
"Right ..... Maybe I did just that." Tson said, shrugging before lifting the Communicator to Schirra's mouth, "Now, Call the Excalibur ... It 'IS' an emergency after all." Dan looked at the device and then took it. he hesitated a few seconds as if composing a message, then spoke:
=^= Schirra to Excalibur .. .. .. Emergency .. .. .. Respond on any frequency .. Officers need assistance .. Repeat .. .. .. Schir .. .. .. =^=
Tson snapped the communicator shut, a wry grin on his face ..........
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 18, 2015 21:38:02 GMT
He had been watching events unfold as if sat in the room but separated from reality ......
Lak-Tson was speaking to him, giving him instructions, offering information Dan knew he would never retain. He had asked him to kill one of his own guards, which he had done. 'Funny really, I should have questioned that' he thought, curious as to why he hadn't. Karka was still watching the escape pod that had smashed into the building, almost fortuitously coming to rest less than twenty meters from them. He pondered vaguely how the man could have arranged that, because it was one hell of a stunt if he did ! ..... Tson was seemingly uninterested in the pod or it's occupant. He was concentrating on the two Star Fleet Officer's sat before him, and obviously enjoying his control over them. A communicator was passed to him and he was instructed to send a distress call out to the Excalibur:
=^= Schirra to Excalibur .. .. .. Emergency .. .. .. Respond on any frequency .. .. Repeat .. .. .. Schir .. .. .. =^=
He was about to add more when Tson reached over and snapped the communicator shut taking it from Schirra.
"You know that isn't going to reach the Excalibur if she is not in orbit." Karka said, pointing at the device while keeping his eyes locked on the pod and the progress to free whoever was trapped inside.
"Oh, don't worry too much about that." Lak-Tson said, a wry smile forming, "Your colleague here wasn't sending a communication, more making a, recording, shall we say ..... We will have this boosted so there will be no doubt the Commodore will at least be able to triangulate it's point of origin. I am sure that at that point she will come looking for her Officers ... Don't you ?"
"They didn't really get on at first." Karka offered without turning.
"Excuse me ?" Tson said, leaning forward.
"Oh, nothing, it's just that they didn't get on, you know, at first, because he was from Intelligence."
"Really ....... Now that is an interesting snippet of information, but alas irrelevant Mister Psonoir." he said, walking around the table and taking hold of the chairs' arm rests, before turning it, and Karka away from the pod, "You do seem to be a mind of trivia don't you Commander. Now, let's see ......" he began, but Karka was once more inching his chair around, eyes falling on the stricken hulk of the pod. Tson nodded to one of the remaining guards to bring a second picture of water. The guard poured out two glasses, placing one before each of the Excalibur Officers. He told them they were thirsty, and should take advantage of the chilled refreshments supplied, watching in silence as both men drank.
"Who is in there ?" Daniel asked placing his empty glass on the tray for the guard to remove.
"That is of no concern to you at this time Commander. I think it is time we arranged a reunion." he said, pointing at the guard who took both men by the arm and gently urged them to stand, "I was sorely tempted to kill you both once I had the means to bring the Excalibur here, but I more than most appreciate how plans can change quickly .... I'm sure your Commodore Ryat will be most anxious to have you gentlemen back aboard and to be in pursuit of the Keeloon Syndicate ... I'm going to allow you're return, obviously, you will be carrying something 'extra' aboard ... Let's call it my gift for your persistence and determination in coming after us."
"I am a little hungry, are you, I am." was all Daniel could reply as the additional drug inducement took a firm hold on his free will .....
"Feed them." was all Lak-Tson replied as they were led out of the room, Karka trying to look over his shoulder at the final moments before the guards managed to free the pod occupant.
Six hours later:
"It's getting dark." Dan said needlessly.
"Yes ....." Karka replied, distracted.
"My Lord will not be happy that you are conversing. I suggest you remain silent." the guard said.
"Did you have the food ? ....." was all Dan replied before slumping against the wall. Had he chosen to check, he would have found that Karka, despite the numerous walls separating them from the conference room, was looking in exactly the direction of the pod as if those walls were not there. But the guard pushed him back against the wall, putting his finger to his lips in the universal signal to shut the hell up !
"Do you think Amanda will like her present ?" Dan whispered ..........
|
|
David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on Jun 21, 2015 20:47:55 GMT
"I am a little hungry, are you, I am." was all Daniel could reply as the additional drug inducement took a firm hold on his free will .....
"Feed them." was all Lak-Tson could say as he strode out of the room in frustration. he knew it wouldn't last of course, because Commodore Ryat would hear the call and come looking for her precious Officers.
Six hours later ::
Deel Kiw and his ever present sidekick, Nars Lon, entered the room ... Lak-Tson really wasn't in the mood for their company, he was concerned that the Excalibur hadn't come looking for it's Officers. He had plans for the newly commissioned Constitution Class vessel, plans that would see Earth itself suffering from the devastation the Craylon Gas derivative, and those plans could not be enacted if the damn ship didn't turn up !
"It seems you're little plans have gone awry Tson." Kiw said, gloatingly.
"The Excalibur will arrive. My informants tell me they have received the transmission from the Commander. It is only a matter of time before they attempt a rescue." Lak said dismissing them with a wave of his hand. Unfortunately, neither man chose to leave, in fact they approached Lak and looked down on him with something approaching satisfaction.
"You're informants are correct. The Excalibur did indeed receive the transmission, but Commodore Ryat, either of her own choosing, or on orders from the Federation, has chosen to investigate 'other' avenues in their search for us !" Nars Lon said, trying not to snigger at the man's sudden discomfort, "In fact, as we speak, no less than five Star Ships are en-route to our location ... e do not have the ships or fire-power to hold off such an assault. so not only has your 'plan' fallen to pieces, it seems we are now set to loose the very base we took so much care in protecting. Thanks to your incompetence."
"You are mistaken." Tson said, outwardly calm.
"Your services are no longer required Lak-Tson." Kiw said, the air rife with sudden tension.
"My .... 'services' ....?"
"You have profited generously for your time with us, and please do not think we were unaware that you have been gaining financially from our actions ... But that has come to an end. We appreciate your generosity in acquiring vessels for our use, but we are now in a position where we are self-sustaining in some sense, and as such, you, or indeed your wealth, are no longer needed or welcome within the Syndicate ... A small craft has been made available for your use, and it would be most appreciated if you would depart with all due haste ... It need not be said that, should you decide to be difficult, or attempt to pass on information regarding the Syndicate, it could result in some 'unfortunate' actions being required."
"Unfortunate actions ........" Tson said, glancing at the door that was open slightly, "Unfortunate like this for example ?" he asked, suddenly producing a phaser from beneath the desk top and firing directly into Nars Lon's chest, his body vaporizing into nothingness. He moved his arm to cover the door and fired twice in quick succession, killing both guards that rushed in, then he turned the weapon on Kiw, who took several steps back in shock.
"You, you cannot fire." Kiw said, trying to keep the upper hand, but his voice was quivering in fear, "If you kill me the Syndica ........." the sentence ended as Deel kiw's head vanished from his body, which fell in a bloodied heap on the carpeted floor. Lak-Tson studied the phaser burn in the upper corner of the room for a second, then returned the weapon to the concealed holder he'd fitted earlier. Satisfied, he stood and walked to the door, calling two more of the guards from across the conference room over to him. The two men looked at the remains of someone then looked at Lak-Tson waiting.
"Gentlemen, there has been a change of management." he said, grinning, "From this point on, you two will be my personal protection. At least one of you will remain with me al 'ALL TIMES' is that fully understood ?"
"Yes Lord." Both men said in unison.
"Prepare our ships, we're leaving ... Have the two Star Fleet Officer's put aboard my ship and place a guard. Pick 'ONLY' those you trust. Do you understand me ?"
"My Lord." both men said, as one left the room to make the arrangements while the other places himself beside Tson's chair ..........
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jun 23, 2015 17:10:00 GMT
"Ok, Karka. That arrival wasn't exactly as planned." Coughing. "But I'm here; let's see what we can do to make the best of it... Preah Tara."
"You'll have to get past those guards first," Karka peered through the walls, able to locate the shining mechanism at the core of the Hybrudean who'd crawled (was half-dragged) - in human form, presumably, but modified nevertheless, just like Psonoir - from the escape pod and now was propped against the wall - much like Karka and Schirra were in their own room - under guard by Keeloon Syndicate, or Zorastics Inc. associates... if the two corporate entities were indeed distinct.
"I don't like it, Preah. You failed. How can you exorcise the Craylon plague from me now. According to my own research, at this late stage the Craylon virus will have spread to my human spinal cord. Karka Psonoir."
"You talking to someone?" Schirra asked blearily from beside him.
Karka looked across, shaking his head quickly, "No."
"Your mouth was moving."
"Was it? Hmm..." Karka rubbed his chin, refocussing. The pod had crashed through the French Doors leading out onto the balcony that overlooked the gantried network and pulley system that led to the mines and Gas Derivative Refinery facilities below. If the Excalibur was on its way now, if Schirra's long-range broadcast courtesy of Lak-Tson was an actuality and not a lie created to lead the Excalibur officers along... Karka was mystified - unusual - by Tson's behaviour. Was Tson manipulating them, drawing the Excalibur in for less than benevolent purposes? Or was he... on their side? More likely neutral, other goals in mind that didn't involve either the Federation or the Keeloon Syndicate (on which he seemed to have designs on the leadership).
Regardless the Excalibur should soon be arriving here at Epsilon Nexxi, and their first objective - that Karka would impress on the CO - would be that they destroy the underground Craylon Gas refineries. This was after all where the Syndicate and their 'partners' Zorastics were manufacturing the Gas! Put an end to that operation, the Keeloon's aspirations of Quadrant-wide domination were put to an end.
<Tag Alyana (with Karka not knowing of the 5 Fed ships en route to the planet also)>
Unless Preah Tara, meddlesome vigilante, had other ideas in mind. This was Starfleet's mission. Would Karka find himself once again with split loyalties; between his true people, and those he'd sworn to serve and learn about their culture, art, history... what made them what they were in the 29th century, and what made Hybrudea in that distant stellar future 600 years hence a Federation member world?
The guard before them tilted his head, listening intently into his earpiece. He grunted an affirmative, then acknowledged and closed the link. He aimed his rifle at Schirra and the engineer, fired it. Blackness descended.
* * * * *
The metallic fragment of the pod was in the holding bay of the ship of Lak-Tson... Or whatever his real name was. Preah Tara was in the vessel's small brig: strangely, considering the compact angular design of the craft, squared away into a corner of its interior chassis where there was a portal looking out onto the stars. He instantly calculated: they were travelling at warp 6.
He turned away from the portal and sat on the cell bench, head lowered. The time would soon come. Tson's game was at an end. The 26th were at an end. How had they discovered the secret of temporal relocation of whole bodies without need for a temporal distortion, or for some sort of time-warping drive system inside a ship? He had to marvel at it. The 26th century! The direct translation of a biological body through time. Well that, at least, was what he'd been told by... Lirwa.
"I got the escape pod man aboard," Karka said quietly.
Schirra jerked his head to one side, "What? How?"
"That I cannot disclose. Sir," he added quickly, perhaps thoughts of a previous mission returning where Karka had to conceal the fact he had virtually supernatural powers (utilised almost at the expense of his own life) which had served to save approximately a trillion lives. "He's in the brig. I believe."
"We need to get to the bridge of this... heap," Psonoir said, thinking the word was appropriate for an actual human. He looked around the corner from their cell; the guards who were meant to be keeping watch on them were a fair way off. "Theories? We're heading to Tau Nexxi, Keeloon Command. The Syndicate abandon their refinement facilities and make a stand at their well-defended HQ. Another: whoever's in command of this vessel is taking us into unknown territory, possibly... looking for..." Karka didn't understand, couldn't comprehend it to a sufficient degree to vocalise it.
<Tag Schirra, Lak-Tson>
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 27, 2015 2:17:25 GMT
"That I cannot disclose. Sir ..... He's in the brig. I believe."
"Brig ?" Daniel repeated, wondering at Karka's demeanor.
"We need to get to the bridge of this ... Heap." Psonoir continued, seemingly veering off at some tangent of thought, "Theories? We're heading to Tau Nexxi, Keeloon Command. The Syndicate abandon their refinement facilities and make a stand at their well-defended HQ. Another: whoever's in command of this vessel is taking us into unknown territory, possibly ... Looking for ..." Karka didn't understand, couldn't comprehend it to a sufficient degree to vocalize it.
Daniel looked at the man closely. It was evident that whatever behavior control substances they had been fed were wearing off, albeit slowly. As an Intelligence Officer within Star Fleet he was used to 'speculating' on numerous facts, but what the Chief Engineer was saying was even more than he could have considered .... Regardless of that though, he had to admit Karka was likely to be correct on one or other of his theories, and if that was to be so, they did indeed need to get the hell off this vessel and contact Star Fleet and the Excalibur with all due haste.
The layout, from what little they had seen was totally unfamiliar, so it would need less bruit force and more stealth to reach their goal.
"Agreed ..... So, first thing, we need to get the guards attention." Schirra said, moving on from the Engineers apparent epiphany, then turned to Karka, "You're not looking too well." he said, raising his eyebrows.
A second later Psonoir dropped to the floor apparently wreathing in agony, the guards turned at the commotion and came running, alas one stopped short of the doorway training his phaser rifle on the portal as the first guard inched into the room, weapon arcing left to right. He was obviously combat trained. He motioned for Schirra to move against the rear bulkhead and he tentatively knelt beside the struggling Psonoir, who sent his right hand, fingers locked, slamming into the mans throat. Dan stepped forward quickly to confiscate the weapon as Karka put one hand behind the gagging mans neck and the other covering both mouth and nose. Locking his arms he waited while the small amount of oxygenated blood struggled then succumbed to starvation and he began to loose consciousness ....
"He's a prisoner ! ... Stop ... You are going to 'KILL' him !" Dan shouted, eyes flicking to the doorway as he readied himself. The shout was all that was needed to bring the second guard into the room. He punched to the kidney area, dropping the man to one knee, then landed a well-aimed kick to his temple. Both men dragged the unconscious guards out of sight then picked up their weapons.
"The Bridge is that way." Schirra said, pointing to the right of the doorway.
"What makes you so sure ?" Karka asked, but Dan pointed at the small window built into the bulkhead opposite their former holding cell. Psonoir followed the finger and grinned sheepishly, "Fair enough." he said as he watched the stars streaming past the plexi-glass port-hole.
"We can't risk being re-captured ... Set that to maximum." he said, pointing to the unfamiliar weapon, but 'kill' was 'kill' in any language or hieroglyph.
The two men moved silently along the corridor, thankful that the ship wasn't overrun with crew. After three or four minutes their luck ran out as a woman stepped out of a room ahead. Dan raised the phaser as Karka put a finger to his lips in the universal 'shut up now' ...... They took her back into the room she had so recently vacated and asked how many were aboard. Surprisingly, she was immediately co-operative and said there were eight, maybe nine aboard, with three always on the Bridge, she also told them that she had head Lak-Tson, the new leader of the Syndicate in this quadrant had two bodyguards with him at all times.
"This quadrant ?" Karka said, suddenly dropping into a trance-like state for a few seconds.
"I could, help you." the woman said, making the two men turn to her.
"Why ?" Dan asked, emphasizing the fact that any unsatisfactory reply would result in her seeing just what the weapon aimed at her midriff could do. But she just shrugged.
"The winning side doesn't always prevail." she said simply. Dan looked at Karka, who shrugged, then turned to the woman, informing her that 'if' they ended up in a fire-fight, 'SHE' would be the first casualty !
"I am not about to create the scenario that gets me killed." she replied nervously. He watched her closely for a few seconds then came to a decision:
"Which way ?" ..........
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 28, 2015 20:05:57 GMT
"I am not about to create the scenario that gets me killed." she replied nervously. He watched her closely for a few seconds then came to a decision:
"Which way ?" he asked glancing at Karka, who was seemingly back in the present, or wherever he kept drifting off to.
"What about the Excalibur ?" the Engineer asked quietly.
"I have the feeling that even if they were coming for us, they must have lost the trail by now, otherwise they would be here ... We're on our own." Schirra said, glancing at the woman.
"You must take me with you." she said suddenly, obviously realizing she now had the proverbial 'upper hand' in their negotiations.
"You said eight." Daniel said, raising the weapon to her temple, "Our odds increase with each 'casualty' would you not agree ?" but she remained silent.
They began moving along the corridor slowly, listening at each intersection for signs of anyone approaching, but their luck was holding out better than even Daniel could have hoped. Five minutes saw them only meters from the Bridge access. About to enter, two men came at the three from behind, Karka dragged them into a small room with no door and they hid in the shadows hoping not to have been seen. Alas, one of the pair stepped into the room listening intently, weapon making a slow arc from right to left then back. Dan was watching him closely when the woman leaped forward slamming into the man and locking her arms and legs around him. The sudden shift in his balance caused him to fall into the room and Karka slammed the butt of his weapon into the mans temple knocking him unconscious. The woman dragged herself from beneath him and crawled to the doorway whispering for help.
The second man stood in the doorway, his own weapon against the woman's forehead as he peered into the darkness:
"I am sor ... sorry ... Bu he tri ....." she said breathlessly before collapsing to the deck. The man once again peered into the gloom reaching around the door frame to activate the lighting ... Suddenly finding himself facing two phaser weapons, he lowered his and allowed the woman to take it from him. Dan motioned for him to enter the room and asked how many were on the Bridge at this moment:
"I will tell you nothi ......" he began, but the sudden impact of the weapon the woman had taken with his temple induced immediate unconsciousness. She turned, realizing both of her captors were now aiming their weapons at her !
"My name is Eza, and I am willing to help you, as you can see. My only requirement is not to face charges if, or rather when, we return to Earth." Daniel nodded agreement and she turned to the doorway, waving over her shoulder as she stepped out into the corridor. A moment later they were two meters from the Bridge access and she traned to face them:
"There will be one to your left, at the Weapons console, one ahead at Helm Control, and one to the right at the Engineering Station. As to other's I cannot say, but it would be stupid to think Lak-Tson, our new leader, or his personal guard are not present also." she whispered. Nodding, they stepped forward until the doors detected their presence and opened. For a second, no-one on the Bridge reacted and that was all the time they needed !
Bolts of almost pure energy lanced across the Bridge, vaporizing all living matter in their path. Eza fired twice, killing one and missing with her second shot that was aimed at the Syndicate's new Lord Commander. Karka killed two and Daniel likewise, until only the Leader and one of his personal guard remained, both unarmed ... Eza raised her phaser to point at the face of the Leader and spoke quietly:
"You murdered my Brother for no reason. He was loyal, and you killed him."
"He was loyal only to Deel Kiw, not to me." he replied, matter-of-factly. She was applying pressure on the firing tab when Daniel took hold of the barrel and raised it.
"Lak-Tson I believe .. You and your 'Syndicate' are through." Daniel said, stepping before the man, "You will be taken from here to face numerous charges of genocide. If you co-operate, you might just avoid the death penalty on the worlds you decimated. My advice, talk now and quickly." he stopped talking as Eza tapped him on the shoulder and pointed upwards then to her ear. Listening, he too could now hear the beeping ... He looked around the Bridge as did Karka, who suddenly spoke:
"Got it ....... Self destruct activated !"
"Deactivate it." Dan said, weapon aimed at the man's chest.
"Oh, I don't think so." Lak said stepping forward to close the distance between himself and the business end of Schirra's weapon, but as he began to speak something happened !
A second later Lak-Tson had vanished ..... Unfortunately, they had more pressing issues as the countdown to self destruct continued relentlessly ! ..........
< tag : Karka / Ryat >
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jun 28, 2015 22:34:14 GMT
Karka scampered through the corridors of the ambiguously sized freighter - not having much of an idea to ascertain from its layout its external dimensions (aside from the occasional viewing port, set like hard crystal in the walls looking out on stellar-pinpricked blackness) - following Schirra and the mysterious woman Eza, who strangely seemed willing to help them.
Lak-Tson - agent from the 26th century, or no? The 26th knew their way back through the centuries, using portals in spacetime through which they could translate a live body... Or were they simply observing? Disagreeing bureaucrats pondering over a troublesome issue of the past (23rd century Federation-Zorastics squabbles, the truth of them hard to decipher as another presence had already invaded from the 29th century. To their forever backwards-looking perspective, any future interference would be alien to them, an unknown, an anomaly in their set vision of the universe as they comprehended it).
The chemical had worn off now. The odd looks Schirra gave him... how could he? Then Psonoir was plunged into self-doubt as he realised, if Schirra reacted in that way, the chemical may still be lingering in his system. Whatever the truth of that, the actual cause for Psonoir's confused demeanour were two-fold:
Firstly, Lak-Tson, his... essence, didn't seem to belong. Fishing for an Earth saying, Karka thought, He was like... he was like a man ahead of his time. Something resonated from the Keeloon leader; he had seemed to glow, to stand out from his surroundings... Karka well-recognised the phenomenon; having access to spacetime avenues, courtesy of his Hybrudean mind, highways to the 29th and other places/times, he knew if not quite visually then with an optical sense datum imparted into the area of his mind given over to this culture's equivalent of quantum dating, that this man was not from this time.
Secondly, the Craylon Gas illness - to which only his true species the Hybrudeans were susceptible - was attacking his spinal cord, impairing his judgement... Nothing to do with Tson's chemical persuasion that should've long since worn-off, and indeed had. If Preah Tara, his vigilante friend, failed in whatever contingency plan he was trying to execute here (aboard this freighter perhaps?), Hybrudea in the 29th century would be infected with that same illness. In a sense - well, in 600 years from now - it already was, until Preah or someone else changed the course of history. Fortunately, or so it was believed, the future was not predetermined. Free will did exist.
They neared the bridge, having incapacitated two more guards with the help of Eza. This strangely cooperative female... Human, clearly, associate of the Syndicate, appearing just when they'd needed some help... Karka kept a suspicious eye on her as they entered the bridge.
The shooting began. Karka downed two of them instantly, rushed forward, bounding off the starboard side engine instrumentation banks and drop kicking a third. The man rolled up off the floor, preparing to attack but backing off arms raised, weapon dropping to the floor as Karka prodded a phaser at the controller's thorax. "Don't... don't..." Karka's face was neutral.
The bridge was a storm of phaser/laser fire, sparking consoles, smoke, alarms, agonised screams the tortured results of suffered wounds. Thirty seconds later, in the prevalent smoke that rose from the consoles and the grilled flooring, two dark figures remained standing at the centre of the bridge. Karka peered through the smoke - eyes stinging - at Schirra and Eza approaching who he assumed was Lak-Tson, and was stunned seconds later as Tson and his remaining guard disappeared in a wash of coruscating turquoise light.
Self-destruct in progress. Damn... Talk about bookends... He'd had to escape a Nausicaan freighter annihilated by Admiral Trost - which had also been undergoing a self destruct sequence - before this mission's outset; now he was repeating the experience, and in not too different circumstances. He twisted to work the engineering console. Gurgling emanated from the floor by his right side.
"Another round! Another shmound..." the voice laughed, breaking into a hacking cough. Psonoir's blood froze; he recognised that voice. Turning slowly he regarded the man lying on the floor by the edge of the console - from his clothing's insignia and markings, he looked like the unfortunate member of Lak-Tson's two-man personal guard.
"Oh... no!" Karka leant beside the downed man. "What the...? What on... Earth are you doing here, Lirwa?! For crying out -" Karka's look of guilt and horror, before long, broke into a wry smile.
"Just another round... just another round..." Lirwa - Karka's longest friend and acquaintance - smiled, burbling golden ichor that was his blood, "I got close this time, didn't I? One step below the big seat. You know, that Tson guy, watch for him... He's..." coughing, burbling, "He's smart, more than I care to admit."
"I'm... I'm sorry," Karka said, peace on his face now. Hybrudean Lirwa - posing as a Keeloon Syndicate member who'd apparently worked his way into the trust of Lak-Tson, such that, when time came for Tson to remove his superiors Kwi and Lon, Lirwa would've had himself in prime position to step up - had been the unwitting Psonoir's first target upon entering the bridge. He'd shot Lirwa square in the chest. Another round indeed.
"Get Tson. He might be dangerous, I don't know, but it's best to get him into Federation custody... Go," more spluttering, more gold blood, "Go from there. Maybe Fed judicial process will see him confined to some backwater penal colony. Maybe his friends... from the 26th, I think, will pick him up."
Karka was relieved to know that he wasn't the only one suspecting 26th century interference. "Though something else had been playing on my mind." He hadn't realised he'd said that aloud. This though, "My spacetime displacement nodes indicate somewhere from the late 24th century, as Tson's time of origin."
Lirwa adjusted his head - something that may have been an affirmative nod. "The Craylon Plague ravages the 29th, Karka. See you in the 31st. You'll tell me all about this a week from now."
"Well, hopefully, if I can get us out of this mess."
"No," Lirwa looked pointedly, grinning, his teeth laced with syrupy blood; it was a grisly sight, "You will tell me." Karka let the man's body drop, the latter only allowing him to do so once he was sure Karka understood. He looked down, in contemplation. Lirwa was dead, again. And he'd known it would happen, and he'd known Karka would shoot him.
"Something else playing on your mind, Commander?" Schirra called across irately, "It couldn't be the self-destruct, could it?"
Karka lowered himself back into the engine controller's chair. The main drive was set to overload; this was apparently how the self destruct mechanism worked on this ship. "I can disable it," he said after a few seconds, frantically typing away and flipping switches, "Question: where did they go?"
<Tag Schirra, Lak-Tson>
5... 4... 3... A groaning sound dropped through several pitches to the aft of the ship. Karka guessed the bridge was somewhere right at the fore, as if the bridge stuck out on its own separate section at the foremost part of the craft.
"Self-destruct disabled," he said, spinning from the engine controller's chair and making for the centre of the bridge, "Did you extrapolate possible beam-out coordinates?" he asked Schirra and Eza. "Your brother," he turned to Eza, "Who was he?"
Twenty minutes later, they were still stranded on the freighter. They'd secured the incapacitated guards throughout the ship and freed Preah Tara, the Hybrudean who'd crashed through Tson's conference room window on Epsilon Nexxi in his novel escape pod (that used the same tech that'd allowed a Craylon-carrying torpedo to penetrate the Excal's shields earlier in the mission), now being tentatively allowed to join them on the bridge. Karka told him to keep his mouth shut, lest he give away Karka's true origin.
"Picking up a ship on long range sensors," Eza said from weapons control console, "Make that several ships... Zorastics' going by design, and one other ship..." confusion spread over her face, "I don't underst-... It's huge!"
<Tag Schirra, Lak-Tson, All>
|
|
David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on Jun 29, 2015 18:10:16 GMT
Tau Nexxi ::"Lak-Tson I believe .. You and your 'Syndicate' are through. You will be taken from here to face numerous charges of genocide. If you co-operate, you might just avoid the death penalty on the worlds you decimated. My advice, talk now and quickly." he stopped talking as Eza tapped him on the shoulder and pointed upwards then to her ear. Listening, he too could now hear the beeping ... He looked around the Bridge as did Karka, who suddenly spoke:
"Got it ....... Self destruct activated !"
"Deactivate it." Dan said, weapon aimed at Tson's chest.
"Oh, I don't think so." Lak said stepping forward to close the distance between himself and the business end of Schirra's weapon, but as he began to speak something happened ! Office of the Temporal Integrity Commission Betelgeuse IV Alpha Orionis System Star Date: 2607.0629 ..."I think it is time we retrieved our puppet."
"We should allow the timeline to play out, interfering now could greatly jeopardize our own survival. He will allow the gas to be distributed and we sha ....."
"He was going to allow himself to be killed, that was unforeseen. We should consider a continuance to asserta ....." The committee argued among themselves like children fighting over which toy to play with, but finally, the Chairman raised his hand and the room fell silent.
"We shall bring him here ... We will wipe all memory of his time in the past and return him to his own time. We have run this and countless other scenario's over the last three years, and all with the same outcome. Regardless of how we influence participants, regardless of how we stack the proverbial deck, it seems we shall only know our fate once this man is returned to his own time, and those others, well they must find a solution to the Craylon Gas derivative on their own. Our very existence proves the gas did not survive through to our time, so we must conclude from that that they succeeded."
"But they did not eradicate the gas, we know that because of the genetic malformations seen in children throughout the Federation, Malformations that 'prove' the gas had not only survived, but in fact underwent numerous mutations as it passed through the years." one more added.
"It is decided." the Chairman said dangerously, "Retrieve our puppet and hold him until we can purge all relevant memories."
Seconds later, an unconscious Lak-Tson appeared on the table before them ..........
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jun 29, 2015 18:42:41 GMT
5... 4... 3... A groaning sound dropped through several pitches to the aft of the ship. Karka guessed the bridge was somewhere right at the fore, as if the bridge stuck out on its own separate section at the foremost part of the craft.
"Self-destruct disabled." Karka said, before making for the center of the bridge, "Did you extrapolate possible beam-out coordinates ?" he asked Schirra, then to Eza. "Your brother ... Who was he ?"
"He was Nars Lon." Eza said, as if her revelation explained everything.
"According to these readings, he didn't beam 'anywhere' at all." Dan said, frowning as he tried in vein to figure out where Lak-Tson had actually gone.
Twenty minutes later they spotted the approaching ships on long-range scans. but there was another, much much larger vessel accompanying them that at this point they couldn't identify. Given they had no means of escape, they sat quietly waiting as the vessels closed the distance between them. Dan asked Karka to open a Comm channel. 'May as well say hello' he thought wryly. but as the Engineer turned to the console it began to light up frantically. He moved quickly, pulling line after line of data onto the screens while simultaneously trying to prevent any further occurrences of what ever the hell was happening ... He called Schirra over and the two men looked at the lines of coded information with dismay. They didn't see Eza walk up behind them:
"Oh God !" she whispered, causing both men to turn, her ashen face a mask of horror.
"What !" Schirra demanded, finally having to take her shoulders and shake until her eyes locked on his, "What is it ?" he asked, dread running through every fiber of his mind suddenly.
"He swore it was only a threat, a ploy .... He held it over numerous worlds to ensure their cooperation ....." she said, dropping to her knees forcing Dan to prevent her hurting herself as he knelt in front of her, "He put satellites in orbit around worlds that he needed to control. They were shells, minimal power supplies, orbital thrusters to hold their geosynchronous positions. It was well thought out, after all, 'who' would risk loosing their planet for failing to supply Kiw with his every need ?" she said, sobbing into her hands as Karka and Daniel raised her to her feet and then lowered her into the Command seat.
"What's he done !" Dan said.
The self-destruct was a decoy ... He was relying on you, or someone like you, disarming it, and in doing so sending out the activation codes to the satellites ... There are tonnes of the gas in suspension hovering over major cities on over three worlds. He knew the manufacturing plant of the gas was going to be discovered, he had allowed for it a long long time ago. I just don't see how Lak-Tson knew about it, not that it matters now. Billions of people will die. It's the plague to end all plagues !" she finished, sobbing uncontrollably.
"We can stop them, have them destr ......" Dan began, but Eza raised her head almost grinning:
"How ? ... You have no idea which worlds, which Sectors, nor do you have the means to find or target the satellites if you were fortunate enough to stumble on one of the many worlds about to suffer." she said, watching Psonoir spin to face the console, frustration getting the better of him as he slammed his clenched fists into the plexi-glass fascia.
"The information has been wiped." he said, helplessly.
Both federation Officers sat in silence, the helplessness of their situation driving itself home with every single beat of their hearts ..........
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jul 2, 2015 7:15:00 GMT
Karka couldn't fathom how they could work their way out of this situation. He cast about the bridge of the run-down freighter, keeping a wary eye on Eza whom he still didn't trust... Nars Lon's sister, if she had that intimate a connection to the Keeloon's - deposed - high command, naturally she could only fall under suspicion. Unless she truly was rebelling against the new Syndicate; loyalty to her family and the previous Syndicate leadership matching with her animosity towards Lak-Tson who'd executed her brother.
If the Excal away team couldn't identify which worlds were under threat from the Keeloon satellites - ready to drop their payloads of life-eating Gas Derivative from orbits of geosynchonicity above the threatened worlds in question - Karka could see no solution, except - no, not the future; not this time. There was someone of his species who'd had similar experience in 'diving through the tunnel of his being' - those echoes of a dissatisfactory experience that most vigilantes were left with when they tendrilled their ways back into the past, situating themselves at particular spacetime coords throughout dimension - and he was in this very room.
The Hybrudean Preah in question continued to cower at the rear of the bridge, gold coruscating light percolating from his miniscule pupils; he did the beaming, playing light under a hand sheltered from the screen. "This is Preah Tara," Karka said, "He escaped a Zorastics freighter aboard a jettison pod - crashed through the conference room window on Epsilon Nexxi."
"Preah...Tara?" Schirra rose up before his junior officer, "How do you know this man, Chief, whoever he is?"
"He's an old acquaintance, from my human colonial homeworld," Psonoir lied. "He may be able to help locate the Craylon satellites."
"How?!" Eza exclaimed in disbelief.
Karka explained... "Preah." Who'd lurked at the shattered bridge's aft, "Had contacts in the Syndicate; posed as a commander of a Zorastics ship - the one we disabled at the planet where we found the five deceased researchers? Preah, just like -" Lirwa, Karka had wanted to add his friend's name, knowing the irreparable damage it could cause to the spacetime continuum. He coughed, drew himself up, "Commander Schirra, this man may be able to locate the satellites over those thirty worlds ready to release the Craylon Gas derivative."
"He's an engineering wiz? Like yourself, Commander?"
Karka furrowed his brow, leaning over the navigation display, cross-checking with the tactical controller's station to the left of the console. He wasn't sure how to answer the XO's query; it was rare he was lost for words. "I... I suppose, Commander, sir," glanced quasi-alarmed at his Hybrudean colleague, and experiencing the strange and uncommon emotion of fear that both he and Preah may be recognised as non-human species any moment; furthermore, the echoes of Schirra's possible doubt about the legitimacy of Psonoir's presence here only added to that mistrust.
"Let's get to work, Commander," Daniel instructed.
Karka slotted into the engine console, Eza taking the helm, Preah weapons - where he might be able to access the defence network courtesy of his unique Hybrudean abilities - and Schirra the freigher's leather-covered command seat, furs and ornaments hanging like tropies from it, bags full of coinage swinging from its sides , the chair previously and temporarily CO'd by Lak-Tson.
"First target," Eza identified, and gave a sceptical look towards Preah Tara, "Courtesy at least of our mysterious guest over there... A planetoid - rogue planet, not attached to a solar system, but with a population of 50 million people. According to Mr Tara's data, three Craylon satellites orbit over the dark world."
<Tag Schirra>
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jul 2, 2015 20:08:35 GMT
"Let's get to work, Commander." he said, watching the Engineer as he moved to the appropriate console.
"First target ..... Population of 50 million people. According to Mr Tara's data, three Craylon satellites orbit over the dark world."
"OK, let's get this crate there as quickly, and safely, as we can. If our enlightened 'friend' here can start pulling up planetary coordinates we should attempt to contact Command and ask them for assistance." Dan said.
"Could we warn any of the worlds ourselves ?" Eza asked.
"No ... The widespread panic on a planetary scale would likely cause more fatalities than the gas itself ..... Where the 'HELL' is the Excalibur !"
"We shouldn't discount the possibility that Commodore Ryat didn't get the ship away." Karka said quietly, and Dan realized he was right. They may not even have a ship to return to once this is done.
"How long before the satellites begin to activate ?" he asked Eza who was pushing the ship beyond it's limits in an effort to reach the first of the possibly doomed worlds.
"I'm not sure." the woman said, suddenly on the defensive, "I wasn't privy to all their meetings you know."
Daniel got out of the garish Command seat and approached the woman. He watched the stars flashing past as the ship traversed the nether-space realm of warp travel. Suddenly he grabbed the back of her chair and spun her around to face him ! ... She cowered back into the fabric as if terrified, unable to look the man confronting her in the eye. But Daniel wasn't in the mood for her 'damsel in distress' act ... He grabbed her roughly and pulled her to her feet, Karka and the stranger looking on in silence. He wanted to slap her, again and again until she sodded out the information he needed, but it wasn't in his nature, 'at least, not in my present role' he thought annoyingly .... Finally, he lowered her back into her seat and stepped back, raising his hands to show her he meant her no harm:
"I'm sorry Eza. I shouldn't have done that .... But I have the feeling that you know more than you may realize. Your Brother obviously spoke often to you about the Syndicate's plans, and their safe-guards should anything to horribly wrong. Deel Kiw confided in your Brother. My worry is, how did Lak-Tson acquire that information ?" he said, crouching down so he was below her eye-line.
"I, I remember Nars saying they had a final solution if they should fail, something about ...." she frowned in concentration, trying hard to remember the snippet of information this man desperately needed, "SIX ! ... Every six hours. As each of the weapons activated it sends out the delayed activation code to the next one."
"Kiw had the satellites in place, is there 'ANY' way Tson could have modified the release data, changed the delay ?" he asked wanting to physically shake the information from the girl.
"I don't know ... I don't think so ... Nars explained that the sub-space carrier was a disused set of frequencies, mainly used by old, long-haul carriers. There are so few now, but it's not unknown for one to be passing through a system en-route to who knows where, so no-one would query the coded transmission."
"The 'SAME' transmission frequency ?" Psonoir said, realizing the same thing that had dawned on Schirra.
"We find the sub-space frequency and block it !" Dan said, seeing a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, "How long before we reach the first location ?"
"Seventy minutes." Eza said.
"Will we get there in time ?" Dan asked, receiving a shake of the head from the girl by way of an answer, "OK, start scanning the planetoid. Plot and categorize 'ALL' sub-space transmissions. If we find one or more that are clearly non-Federation or affiliates I want it logged and ready to be blocked. If it means us loosing our own sub-space communications then so be it, hell, we've been on our own for most this anyway ..... Don't worry about trying to disable the device, maybe we can look at using the tractor beam to pull the thing into open space and blowing it to hell, but we'll worry about that when we get there, and if we're in time. That frequency is paramount !" he said, watching the stars and wondering vaguely how many millions, or billions would perish should they fail ..........
|
|
David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
|
Post by David Tan on Jul 6, 2015 21:32:52 GMT
Office of the Temporal Integrity Commission: Betelgeuse IV Alpha Orionis System Star Date: 2607.0702 ...As the man appeared, the Chairman instructed his technicians to begin the process of removing his memories and implanting his 'false' history ... The man would need to be himself with no residual memories of 'elsewhere' or he would need to be removed and his death in his own time established.
"Begin the procedure." the Chairman of the Council said, but one of those present spoke up:
"You are convinced the Keeloon cannot progress, I am sorry but I cannot see how you can do this."
"I was not aware that I required your permission to proceed."
"You are a member of this Committee and as such must obey the rules determining voting. I think we should wait and return him if the time-strands show divergence errors."
"Then you are a fool ... The Syndicate are no more. Despite our errors with this subject, and his apparent take-over, we successfully prevented conflicting time-lines, and as such secured our own survival." the man began to object once again, but the chairman raised a hand, silencing him, "begin the procedure ... NOW !" he said, glaring at his fellow Councilman before turning and leaving ........ Star Base Forty Seven: Star Date: 2401.0706 ...He woke in pain, aching from head to foot, literally. 'You really should not challenge those Klingons' he thought, remembering the bet he had with K'ros and coming off by far the worse for the challenge. 'At least they had the honor to bring me home and throw me on my bed to recover' he thought wryly as he struggled off the bed and into the shower. "Hell I need a drink or three." he said to himself. After almost an hour of soaking, and numerous hypo-sprays of medication, he dressed and headed for the nearest turbo-lift ... Stepping off the turbo-lift he headed for the one place he could count on a good fare. Entering O'Tooles, he was almost swamped by the owner Sean, who grinned and almost dragged him to the bar: "Sooo, How was the holiday Davey-boy .... You vanished without trace, so it must have been somewhere well, appealing shall I say ?" "Get me a drink Sean, and 'PLEASE' stop hugging me, I'm full of bruises where I didn't even know you could 'GET' bruises." "That'll teach you to challenge those Klingon's" Sean said, heading behind the bar and refusing to elaborate further ........ Earth: Star Date: 2262.0306 ...It had been eight months since Eza had escaped from the Federation Officer's ... Before she left them she had been co-operative and forthcoming with any and all information they had requested she supply. She had ensured the destruction of most of the Craylon Satellites, had given them access to most of the funds the Keeloon Syndicate had at their disposal, and had proved her trustworthiness time after time. But it was all a ploy, and always had been.
Now, sat on the porch of her substantial estate at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, she relished her position. A man approached, stopping short of stepping onto the wooden platform until allowed to do so. Eza waved him forward and waited for him to begin speaking:
"My Lady .... Everything is in readiness on Sigma Iotii .... They have conceded and will allow you to build your facility on the southernmost peninsular. We estimate one year to completion. The Zeta Craylon Gas should be in full production six months after facility is running."
"And they understand the consequences should they renege on our agreement ?"
"They do My Lady."
"Show them anyway. The north island should suffice." she said. The man bowed and backed away before sending the instructions from the Leader of the Keeloon Syndicate ! .... She rubbed her hand over the mound of her belly that contained her Daughter. She would be born in weeks and would carry on her name ... She remembered with fondness the time she had spent plotting the eventual takeover of the Syndicate with Lak-Tson, and his appreciation for all her efforts, the result of which she was caressing at that very moment ..........
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jul 8, 2015 22:52:48 GMT
They had tried, and alas, they had failed ......
It was unknown how many of Deel Kiw's devices finally activated. Yes, they had stopped some, saving countless lives in the process, but not all, and reports continued to filter back to them on their journey back to Earth. The ship they had appropriated, somewhat whimsically re-named 'The Pequod' after a ship owned and run by one Captain Ahab was travelling at warp three ... Eza had been fully cooperative and had supplied almost every item of information she had been asked for, yet the one thing she insisted she had no knowledge was the financials of the Keeloon Syndicate. She was only aware that they never seemed to want for funds should they be needed.
He couldn't begin to imagine how much was available to the Syndicate, after all, they could seemingly 'buy' a Star Ship with little issue !
As for the Excalibur ......
Despite countless attempts to contact their ship, and continuous requests to reply to their hails, she ship steadfastly refused to reply ... Daniel decided he had run out of options and finally contacted Star Fleet Command ... After thirty minutes of being passed from department to department, Admiral Carla Gem appeared on screen:
=^= Interesting name choice Commander =^=
=^= It seemed .. Appropriate .. Have you had any word from the Excalibur ? =^=
=^= Not since you requested we use our long-range array's to locate her Commander .. We are fearing the ship did not survive her encounter with the Zorastic's vessels after all =^=
=^= I can't believe that Ma'am .. I think we should back-tra .. .. .. =^= Daniel began, but was interrupted.
=^= No commander .. You will bring your shi .. .. You will bring the Pequod .. Into Sector Zero Zero One where you will be met by two Security vessels .. You will transfer 'ALL' personnel off the ship which will be taken into Space dock prior to a thorough investigation .. Understand .. Commander ? =^=
=^= Yes Ma'am .. Pequod out =^= he closed the Comm and looked from Karka to the girl and back. Both Star Fleet Officers knew what was in store for the girl, and had the distinct feeling that she too knew .......
Earth Star Date: 2261.0726 ...
Sitting in the Bayside Café in view of the Harbor Bridge he watched the sailing ships ... It had been almost three weeks since 'Security' took possession of the Pequod and he had been interviewed thoroughly regarding the incident with the Keeloon. yet, somewhat surprisingly, he had been placed on 'shore leave' pending the return, if at all, of the USS Excalibur, still missing. He had been forbidden to speak with anyone else involved, not that it stopped him talking to the Excalibur's Chief Engineer whenever he got the urge. Psonoir too had been 'investigated' as they put it, almost treating Schirra as some sort of naive suspect than a Senior Intelligence Officer ... If he was pressed to describe the situation where he found himself on effective 'holiday' he would seriously need to bite both top and bottom lips, fearing he may well say something that would get him dragged 'upstairs' ..... Regarding the Excalibur, yes, he was concerned ... The ship was last seen in a serious fire-fight ... Had it been destroyed, notification buoy's would have been automatically dispatched from the ship,and as none had, as yet, been detected, it was presumed that the Excalibur was either safe, or compromised in some way that prevented her reporting her status.
Hearing the shrill screams of two young children, he looked along the warfe he was happy to see Kendal and Kenzi running toward him. Behind them was Lana Griffin, the woman he had met almost at the start of this situation. Both girls jumped into his waiting arms, kissing and hugging him fondly, before he finally managed to pry them off and coax them into going to the Café for refreshments ...... Lana walked up to him slowly and placed her arms around his shoulders before kissing him.
"Hello." she said, finally ..........
< tag : Karka / Alyana >
OOC: Final thoughts maybe ?
|
|
Karka Psonoir
Commander
Registered: Apr 9, 2013 19:55:13 GMT
Posts: 422
|
Post by Karka Psonoir on Jul 9, 2015 3:12:01 GMT
Betelgeuse IV, Alpha Orionis System, Stardate 2607.0703Two people crept through the grey expanse, shapes in the foreground becoming clearer as the mist dispersed from the objects or was frozen in the air like water blown into a vacuum, spindly lines in the air like cracks made in ice. The near perfect superconductors had long since ceased to preserve the bodies - five of them - that lay on plinths in a semi-circle, at the centre of which lay the monolith with its single glowing turquoise light - glowing, flickering, dying.
They approached the five bodies, breaking their way through the fragile cobwebs of needle-thin icicles that shattered and skittered to the bare grey floor. The superconductor units - despite their failing state - still refrigerated the air enough to chill them to their core, something they felt all the more piercingly when they looked at the desiccated faces of the bodies.
One suited individual, Preah Tara, flexed spider-like as he moved towards the output units for the conductors. He looked at the other Hybrudean, "Current at 72% of rated maximum. 90% would have been enough to kill them."
"Of course," the other nodded, holding his breathing apparatus to his nose, dislodging more air-suspended icicles as he approached the bodies. "Nothing left. They never began anything here. Funding? They got this far, we couldn't have changed the timeline that drastically."
Preah stood, not as interested. "Lirwa will be pleased." He checked again the superconductor readouts, glanced back at the motionless humanoid figures of the embryonic Temporal Integrity Commission. "You are sure?"
"Not in this timeline, at least."
They both knew what that meant... The salvation of their race. None of it would've leaked through to this time, nothing to allow it to find its way to the future and the 29th century, regardless of whether that irresponsible vigilante working within 23rd century Starfleet had become infected or not. A check of the surrounding frigid atmosphere confirmed it: the Craylon Gas particle density was zero; the Temporal Commission had never - in this timeline - started their operations, had never recruited that officer from the 24th century.
Of course, in an alternate future they had projected the probabilities for, that had indeed happened - Preah had travelled to the past, the Zeta version had spread and destroyed the Hybrudean homeworld in the 29th. But again, Preah thought, not in this timeline. "We failed?!" he laughed and shook his head in dismissal as the other grunted from behind his apparatus 'What?'
Karka saw Ashbury Heights from the faraway horizon - as it seemed in the heat haze that layered itself increasingly with distance over the city - up a steep rise from San Francisco Park. He relaxed in the preserved green space, joined this time by two engineering colleagues and Lieutenant Hearan, and the mysterious guest that he'd smuggled aboard a cargo container shot towards the old Mexican border shortly before boarding operations of the Pequod had begun. He turned from the view of his distant home; that was all in the past now, one could not change the past... He guffawed at the thought as soon as it'd occurred. "What?" Hearan said, the bookish tactical officer pouring more champagne into plastic cups, a faded copy - a real book - of Paradise Lost by Milton planted in the grass with his other hand. "My old home got demolished, the land auctioned off to a redeveloper contracted by Starfleet. I think they are building a new branch for SCE," Karka took the proffered cup and sipped at the French drink. He thought about the events of the past several hours. From the first long range signals from the returning Excalibur, to its arrival in Lunar orbit, they had waited in tense anticipations for news of casualties, of the condition of ship and crew. The news was on the whole good, though the fate of the upper echelons of the command hierarchy aboard the vessel - during his and Commander Schirra's forced absence - remained unclear. Rumours circulated that they'd been summoned to Command HQ, that they were badly injured, and other speculated-upon fates less palatable. What was far more palatable was the beverage. Karka raised his cup appreciatively, then frowned at the label on the bottle lying in the middle of the crescent of the five of them, "Chateaux Preah Tara?" The smuggled Hybrudean - who had crashed his Phased Gravimetric Distortion Generator escape pod through the window of Lak-Tson's conference room on Epsilon Nexxi, processing plant world for the Craylon Gas - had worked his way up the west coast to the centre of San Francisco, posing as a trader in exotic superconductor technology to get into the city (which he'd surprisingly managed to produce convincing copies of), laughed, wagging a finger. "Myself and Lirwa purchased an 18th century vineyard near Glatigne in France. He didn't stay for long. He said it brought back bad memories of being trapped in the King's fortress prison in the Middle Ages... off he went. I stayed for a few years and mastered the art... and brought a few bottles back to the future." "Yes, yes," Lieutenant Hearan said, casting a doubtful eye over Preah Tara - the mysterious visitor whose nonsense on time travel was starting to grate on them all, most of all on the Chief Engineer, it seemed. Hearan looked over a passage in Paradise Lost, said, "And here let those Who boast in mortal things And wondering tell of Babel, And the works of Memphian kings Learn how their greatest monuments of fame, And strength and art are easily out-done", he glanced warily at Preah Tara, "By spirits reprobate, and in an hour What in an age they with incessant toil And hands innumerable scarce perform."OOC: Maybe, equally happy to continue closing this one out
|
|
Daniel Schirra
Captain
Registered: Apr 8, 2013 21:02:47 GMT
Posts: 468
|
Post by Daniel Schirra on Jul 12, 2015 0:53:55 GMT
The whirlwind romance that had started only weeks earlier had not lost any of it's apparent spark ... They had gone from the cafe to the park then the local pool, where the children had all but exhausted themselves. Back at Lana's home they put the kids to bed and settled down to a very late supper and a bottle of wine.
~~~~~~~~~~
The following morning they were sat around the table enjoying breakfast, and Daniel realized this was something he had sorely missed in his life. He looked at the children, Kendal who was seven, and her mischievous sister Mackenzie who was four going on twenty four at times. He was contemplating spending the rest of his life with them when the door chimed. Puzzled, Lana went to the door while he tried to prevent some international incident at the breakfast table. A moment later Lana returned, her face expressionless as she entered the room followed by a Star Fleet Lieutenant:
"Apologies Commander for the intrusion, but you are needed at Headquarters." the man said, obviously embarrassed. Dan looked at Lana, who was looking at him with an unreadable look before she told the children to go wash and dress.
"How did you find me, Lieutenant ?" he asked, watching Lana clear the table in silence.
"When we couldn't find you at home we ..." he hesitated, glancing at the obviously annoyed woman for a second before continuing, "We thought you may have been with Ms Griffin and her daughters."
"I put you on the watch list for families of Officers that could be in danger .... As a precaution only." he said to the still silent Lana by way of explanation.
"Commander, will all due respect." the young man said, trying to hurry his Senior along.
"Wait outside. I'll be with you in a moment." Schirra said, making sure it was taken as an order rather than a request. Taking the hint the lieutenant beat a hasty retreat to the front gate. Dan got up and put his arms around Lana, who still seemed reluctant to comment on proceedings in her home, "I'm sorry." he said.
"Whats it about Dan ?" she asked, glancing at the door as if fearing the girls would walk in on something they shouldn't hear given their obvious liking of the mew person in their lives.
"Don't worry. It isn't departure orders or I would have been notified." he said as she glanced at the door and the young man beyond, "No, they wouldn't send someone, I would have been 'notified' when I made my daily report in. So it's more likely information on the missing Excalibur ... We'll be going out for the day, I promise ... Besides. I'd be daft to pass on a day out with three gorgeous young ladies, wouldn't I." he said, a wry grin forming to which Lana reacted favorably, "I will be back in an hour, no longer. Decide where we're going and surprise me." he finished, kissing her warmly and heading for the door. In the hall he shouted to the girls to be ready to leave he just had to go out.
Star Fleet Headquarters San Francisco ::
Rather than going directly to the Command Center, the Lieutenant halted the 'lift at the seventh floor, fortunately, Daniel knew this floor only too well, it was where he was based when not out on assignment ...... They walked down the long main corridor to office of the Head of Intelligence and entered ... To say he was surprised by the gathering in the office was somewhat of an understatement:
"Commander. Thank you for coming so promptly." Admiral Fitzmartin, Head of Intelligence said, "You know the Head of Star Fleet, and the Federation President of course, so we'll skip the formalities ... Admiral Gorshin ?" Fitzmartin said, passing the proverbial baton to the Head of Star Fleet:
"We have still not heard from Commodore Ryat or the Excalibur ..... Frankly Commander, we are concerned that the Star Ship was taken, either by force or other means to extract vital information from her computer banks."
"Commodore Ryat would never allow that to happe ....." Dan began, but was silenced by the man before him raising his hand a fraction of the armrest:
"We are fully aware of that Commander, thus this meeting .... Would you concede that the ship 'could' have been boarded, and the crew incapacitated in some way ?" Dan nodded, glancing at his Boss then the President before returning his gaze to Gorshin, "OK, well, given you feel it possible, how would you proceed ?"
The question took him by surprise, but he was an trained Intelligence Officer and coping with the unexpected was the fundamental basis of survival in his trade.
"I would instruct 'ALL' Star Ships to broadcast the Excalibur's Auto-Destruct protocols immediately." he said without preamble.
"That alas can't be done."
"With all due respect Admiral, I beg to differ." he continued, "If, for this scenario's sake, the Excalibur had been taken, Commodore Ryat would know her Command codes would be changed immediately, so they couldn't get any further than the ship itself. They would obviously know that the ship's transponder is active and would have that disabled immediately, thus no locator signal ... If they were planning on using it for their own ends, then she would do everything possible to prevent that, at which point they would stop her, by whatever means necessary. If she is taken, then she would need the ship stopped, if she is dead, then she would know before dying that 'WE' would stop the ship by any means at our disposal."
"....... And just 'how' would we achieve that, Commander ?" the President asked. Dan glanced at his two Superior Officer's then back at the President:
"We access their Command Code then access the 'Auto-Destruct' protocol for the ship using a Command override computer-generated random lock-out code. Anyone realizing the ship was about to go couldn't possibly drop on the correct deactivation code in the time allowed ... The Excalibur would be gone, along with whoever was on her, or in a one hundred thousand kilometer radius of her." he said, managing not to openly shrug.
"Told you he was a ruthless Bas***d." Fitzmartin said, shaking his head.
"It's a moot scenario anyway." Dan said, "We don't have anything capable of going after the Excalibur and surviving what may or may not be in the way."
Gorshin got up and went to the screen on the far wall. After a moment an image of the orbital Space Station appeared. Dan recognized the place obviously, but what he hadn't expected was the three Constitution Class refit Star Ships docked there. He got up and approached the screen, as if being three meters closer would make any difference. He turned to the others:
"They wasn't due to be ready for at least six months."
"Only one is cleared." Gorshin clarified, "the other two are still in the fitting-out stage and won't receive their warp cores for two months."
"Commander ......" the President said, getting his attention away from the screen, "How would you feel about going after the Excalibur ?" he asked, watching as the man he was asking seemed to be fighting not to laugh.
"Mister President. I am more than sure you have ample Commanding Officer's who can do this. I am not a Captain, nor have I have Command experience, apart from my secondment to the Excalibur as her Executive Officer. Frankly, I would be in the way, and anything but useful."
"The USS Joyeuse is ready. I would like you, 'IF' we haven't located the Excalibur in the next seventy two hours, to take the Joyeuse and go after her. You will of course have a crew, but you would need an Executive Officer, I might suggest the Excalibur's Engineering Officer, Commander Psonoir. We will assign a seasoned Commander to 'advise' you. In fact, he would be the person taking Command of the Joyeuse once you have done with her, so it gives him incentive to make sure you bring it back in one piece, so to speak." Gorshin said.
"Why not give him Command, and have myself and Commander Psonoir along as the advisers ... That's all saying he would be willing to undertake such a mission, you would have to ask him."
"Thank you Commander." the President said, "I apologize but I personally wanted to test your resolve. Offering you a Star Ship was the only way I could be sure of your 'dedication' if you will ... 'Captain' Toshika has already been assigned as Commanding Officer, but he is under strict instructions, should we need to go this route, that 'YOU' will have the final say should it become necessary to, destroy the Excalibur."
"Go enjoy you're down-time Commander." Fitzmartin said, obviously dismissing him, "We'll speak with you tomorrow and update on the situation, but we cannot allow the Excalibur to remain either lost, or in the wrong hands indefinitely, you understand that ? ..... I suggest you contact Commander Psonoir and apprise him of the situation."
"I'd rather you do that Admiral. I'm not sure how he would react coming from me." Dan said, leaving the three most powerful and influential people in the Federation to their considerations ... Fifteen minutes later he was cheerfully walking into Lana's kitchen:
"Okeys .... Ready to go ?" he said, grinning ..........
< tag : Karka / Alyana >
|
|