Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Aug 1, 2023 19:05:09 GMT
OOC: There's a short Clancy back post at the end of the last page
IC: "... I would require confirmation that the four still on this 'Starbase' of yours are free, along with my release too, of course,"
"..... And you will arrange for the safe return of our Officers, if we decide to comply with your request?" but the Tkrnn simply closed his eyes as if tired of the conversation
The Tkrnn would be released eventually anyway, Iorte thought, unless it took any further action or unless the team found another Tkrnn out here who could be given the requisite information about Section 47's war declaration and the turning out of Tkrnn from Federation space (already done with this Tkrnn).
Before long they were communicating with Starbase via subspace. In Kemp's ready room - Kemp, David and Iorte present - the Federation seal on the desk console was replaced by ADC Noah Barton's face in the SA's office, and after some perfunctory exchanges Gheskori himself appeared.
The three told Gheskori about the Tkrnn changeling's demands, how it was effectively claiming habeas corpus regarding the four Tkrnn - two changeling, two humanoid - confined on the Starbase, in return for the granting of which the captive changeling would help in the recovery of their two Intel officers.
"Well, if that's all the Tkrnn want..." Ghes paused (yes, quite unlikely, he thought), "... we should be able to accommodate them. You should know that one of the humanoid Tkrnn has self-harmed significantly. Let's hope your changeling accepts that explanation if it's needed, for your officers' sake."
It was clear that eventually the Tkrnn species would want the four freed, but surely the team had to give the Tkrnn something now in order to get leverage themselves.
Arrangements were made and the trio of Iorte, David and Kemp headed back below to sickbay, a PADD being passed along to Tan who nodded to the CMO to lower the forcefield round the main biobed. Stepping up to the biobed with its encased changeling, David and Iorte presented the PADD to him.
The communique with the Starbase was still open, routed through this PADD, this time being targeted to the Starbase's detention levels rather than the SA's office. A four-way split screen showed four separate cells, one Tkrnn pacing, another - looking worse for wear - lying down apparently sleeping, and two others (the two changelings), in liquid form on the floor and in a bucket respectively.
"Now you see," Tan said with a steely resolve as the injured Tkrnn studied the live feed with interest, "They're well. They're in health. Now you will assist us."
"We want to know about that ship, that scout vessel," Iorte said from a couple metres back, trying to keep his fists unclenched. While he was endlessly grateful it hadn't been Iezelda assigned to the infiltration team, considering what'd happened, Elena and Rosa were colleagues whose kidnapping mustn't go unpunished.
"My release -" the Tkrnn began.
"Will come some time after you tell us about that scout!"
"Well, you've kept your end of the bargain so far then. Ok..." The changeling asked for access to the Maxwell's sensor logs, its records on the scout vessel. From beyond the forcefield, Kemp denied him instantly. "How do you expect me to assist you if I can't point out our scout ship's weaknesses, hmm?"
Grudgingly, they gave him some of the data. Iorte recognised the rhombus shape of the vessel; similar configuration to what they'd found in the Ceylanite system.
"The arc of its defensive weaponry doesn't extend to these parts of its dorsal surface," the Tkrnn gestured to a couple largish places on a hazy image and guessed-at schematic of the Tkrnn craft that was brought on to a PADD. He shrugged at their silence and lay back on the biobed, allowing himself to fall part way back into his liquid state.
Kemp beckoned them back to the rest of sickbay, "Look here, my ship's virtually being shaken apart by this pursuit."
"I don't think the scout's going to last much longer either, at this speed," Clancy said.
=/\=Captain Kemp, we've lost the Tkrnn vessel,=/\= the bridge called, =/\=No longer on this course at least. And there's something unusual about 1.3 parsecs ahead. The Tkrnn vessel was detected dropping out of warp there.=/\= Well, that's something at least, as regards a trail. =/\=But then it simply vanished.=/\=
"We should drop from warp in that same vicinity. If we can find it, perhaps a negotiation is preferable. We have four of their people on the Starbase," Tan said.
It seemed to Iorte that David was talking about an exchange of prisoners: Intel could get their two officers back and hopefully avoid any bloodshed. But alternatively an attack to recover their people would, if successful, retain for them the four Starbase-bound Tkrnn as bargaining chips for something in the future. There was a decision to make...
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Aug 8, 2023 17:09:18 GMT
Tkrnn Scout Vessel ::"..... I suggest you use these now, because if I get the chance I wi ....." she began, falling silent, knowing her threat was as hollow as her chances of killing the Changeling before he sent a command to end them both. Resigned to being held, at least for the time being given she wasn't about to accept the status quo and would if the opportunity arose, would end the Tkrnn one way or another. She took time to help Rosa, who was finally coming around and suffering from what she described as a 'supernova' of a headache. The Tkrnn turned, opening a small cabinet, he took out a device, frowning as he made changes before seemingly satisfied, he activated a fifteen-centimetre aperture within the force field before handing Elena what looked like the Tkrnn version of a hypospray:
"This should help," he said, nodding towards Rosa.
"What is it?" DeLuca asked, eyeing the cylinder.
"Is is a sedative, or more precisely a pain suppressor, or sorts, it should help alleviate the pain she is feeling and revive her,"
With a look at Rosa, who obviously needed something, she placed the device on Noon's neck and activated it, Rosa winced as the ice-cold fluid passed through her skin into her bloodstream, mere seconds later she felt much better, almost elated in fact, leaving Elena wondering if she'd inadvertently injected too large a dose, or if the Tkrnn had been less than truthful in regards the painkiller. But after a minute, Rosa got to her feet, smiling before muttering a 'thanks' to the Tkrnn, who nodded.
It is clear I have a problem with my vessel, one that you might be able to assist with?"
"You want our help evading those coming after us?" Rosa asked, laughing.
"I could leave you confined behind the force field, it would make repairs longer to complete, and there is always the chance of the ship suffering a catastrophic malfunction ....."
"One presumably that would result in 'all' our deaths? Elena said, eyebrows raised as if expecting some snap retort, but the Tkrnn simply nodded before deactivating the force field.
"My sensors are operating on limited power, but I detected your vessel beyond the nebula. I have my doubts as to their intentions, but I cannot see them coming in here blind, they will be vulnerable as ourselves,"
"OK, so if we are willing to help with repairs, what then?"
"..... Then?" The Tkrnn asked, frowning, as if he hadn't considered the question coming up.
"I take it once, 'IF' we get you up and running, you'll do just that?" Elena pressed.
"I would have thought that obvious. Unless, of course, your 'Federation' has agreed to my conditions regarding your safe return ..... You think that is likely?" he asked.
"I seriously doubt it!" Rosa said defiantly, but this just made the Tkrnn smile once again. Unfortunately, his demeanour, either misplaced or intentional, aggravated Rosa beyond her willpower to restrain herself, and as the Changeling turned to begin explaining what needed to be done and in what order, the young Intelligence Officer leapt forward, her fist slamming into the Tkrnn's temple. Elena had the briefest notion that her blow would pass through the Tkrnn as if impacting fluid, but instead, the Changeling was knocked off his feet and slammed into one of the open consoles. Elena shot forward, wrapping her arms around her colleague and dragging her back towards the rear of the small craft, all the while watching the Tkrnn!
If she had been expecting immediate and dire consequences of Noon's attack, she was mistaken.
The Changeling clambered to his feet, one hand rising to feel the impact point of the blow before looking at the hand as if expecting it to be covered in whatever the Tkrnn use for blood. After a moment he looked at the tow then nodded almost resignedly:
"..... That, my dear, is the one and I stress 'ONLY' act of violence I will allow. From this moment on, any attack, however minor, will result in your death. I would have thought my 'demonstration' would have convinced you. Alas, this is obviously not so, but if I were to dispose of one to guarantee the submissiveness of the second, it would leave me one less bargaining chip. So please, do not attempt any further acts of violence. While I do need you, I can always procure others to facilitate my demands. It would bode well for you to thoroughly understand that,"
"You weren't expecting the attack!" Noon said with a satisfied smirk, but the Tkrnn ignored the comment, eyes focusing on Elena:
"You will begin by repairing the matter/antimatter container, reading indicate there is a micro-fracture in the casing. The device to your right will repair that,"
"You expect me to repair a fracture while the container is still in place?" Elena asked.
"Yes ....." The Tkrnn said dismissively turning away to attend to one of the other issues forcing the small craft beyond its design limits had caused. After a few seconds, Rosa knelt to help DeLuca ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Aug 10, 2023 15:09:39 GMT
USS James Clerk Maxwell, outside the proto-nebula
Iorte studied the nebula from his vantage point on the port quarter deck. It was surprising to find this phenomenon here, mostly invisible at first til Kemp had had the viewscreen adjusted to the infrared, the action picking out the notable features - knots and bows, plasma streamers and the like.
Because the scout craft had been lost to sensors a few tens of millions kilometres back, this must be where it'd headed, taking refuge and relying on the peculiarly ionised state of the gas to give it cover before presumably it decided to move on. Unless here was also its destination, not just a means of hiding from its pursuer.
It couldn't very well be sitting out here in the surrounding void or the Maxwell would've found it by now, Clancy thought, so it had to be in the nebula, but where?
"It must be heavily damaged," the first officer said, surveying the tactical officer's console with its tentative wireframe schematic of the scout.
"Aye, sir," the officer replied, "Indications were that its warp field was failing. And the Tkrnn version of warp core is probably itself damaged."
"They use matter-antimatter, correct?" Tan asked from beyond the officer.
"It seems so. If that ship goes up - that is if the Tkrnn, however many of them there are onboard, can't effect repairs - or if the core in a particular malfunctioning state is exposed to the gas of the nebula, the whole cloud may catch alight."
"A little too much of either matter or antimatter," Iorte understood, "And you'd have annihilations leading to a fire, dispersion or destruction of the nebula's substance." It seemed that whatever shields the scout was able to use were protecting the nebula from the surely ailing scout just as much as they were preserving the scout from the fiery matter of the nebula. "I'll be below with the changeling," Iorte nodded to Tan, Kemp et al.
"We can't find them. You're going to help us," he said to the Tkrnn that lay in his biobed in the Maxwell's sickbay.
"Your name is Clancy, isn't it?" the Tkrnn said after a pause. Iorte didn't have time for this; he told the Tkrnn as much, but getting nothing, nodded minutely. "Or should that rather be Aak'a'nerei, or some such?"
Iorte tried not to grind his jaw; he already had a toothache from similar manoeuvres conducted in this being's presence over the last few hours. "Yes, that's my name as was given me on my colonial homeworld," he replied, "Now, you've told us how to approach the scout in a blind spot as regards its weapons. But first of all we need to locate -"
"Why don't you still use it? You're not embarrassed by your origins, humble as they seem to be? I understand, also from your file, that you were a foster child, adopted by your colonist parents. So you're not native to that colony. Or are you?"
Controlling a simmering rage that before long would blind him, Iorte loped up to the forcefield separating the changeling's main biobed from the rest of sickbay, and was surprised at the low volume, the control in his voice when it came,
"Now you just listen. I'm not going to play your psychological games. You're not going to get me to confess anything... make me consider any weakness in myself... or this that or the other. You know about the nebula we've encountered, how we can hardly scan into it. So where would your compatriot, or compatriots, be most likely to hide their vessel within it?"
"If I could have a guarantee of the release of just two of the Tkrnn held on Starbase 47... That would only be fair, wouldn't it? Two for two. If I could have such a guarantee, perhaps I could help you." He paused, "No, I think the reason you don't use Aak'a'nerei is because of your shame at your colonial origin. You'd rather connect back to something grander, more mysterious, a true origin... Right, Mr Aak'a'nerei?"
"Whatever my true origin, it's no concern of yours." He wondered if the Tkrnn knew anything about the accursed Hybrudeans from whom Clancy had long ago been exiled. "Two for two? That wasn't the deal. You were given the right to see the Tkrnn prisoners, which is done. In exchange for that you'd help us get our people back. Well..." he stepped back from the forcefield and waved his hands maniacally, "... we haven't got them yet!"
"I will help... I understand an exchange of prisoners is unlikely anyway. Though I believe my colleague on that scout vessel will still be entertaining such an idea. That's what will be driving his actions, I tell you now. And knowing him as I do, I really fear for the safety of your two officers... Oh yes, dear me."
Iorte imagined phasering the changeling out of existence and then felt a little better. Calmly he told the changeling to elaborate on what help he could give.
"I can't tell you where he'll be in there. But I can modify your scanners to assist detecting his vessel. Will that do? Ah, and on one condition... you tell me something about your true origin."
Leaving this unanswered, Iorte gritted his teeth and had the CMO patch through a comm to the bridge. The changeling could tell them the scanner modifications needed to find the Tkrnn scout from here.
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Aug 12, 2023 9:24:01 GMT
Damaged Tkrnn Scout Vessel Deep inside Proto-Nebula ::They had been working for almost two hours now ..... The Tkrnn, true to his word, had left them to deal with the tasks he had assigned, whilst he worked on other issues ..... Elena knew that there was no way in Hell she was going to work on the matter/antimatter containment integrate chamber whilst it was still in situ - The only thing that comforted her was the fact that 'should' something go drastically wrong, her brain wouldn't have time to process her impending demise before she was reduced, along with Rosa and their captor, to the barest constituent atoms!
She had been trying, and failing, to make the smallest inroads into the vessels systems, but it seemed that regardless of the level of security, or apparent lack thereof, everything required the Tkrnn's access, each time she tried, the was a soft 'beep' and 'Access Denied' would helpfully flash before disappearing, each 'beep' received no reaction from the Tkrnn, but once she caught his reflection and saw him grin before returning to his own task, leaving her even more frustrated. Even requesting a glass of water from the Tkrnn equivalent of a replicator, required the Changeling's approval.
After two hours, and numerous shouted obscenities, or what she assumed were obscenities from the Tkrnn, he crawled out of the access space and threw the tools to the deck. Without explanation, he dropped into the Pilot seat and spun his chair to face the console to his left. Elena decided to move for'ard to see what he was doing.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"This is the immediate region of the nebula in which we currently reside,"
"I thought you said sensors wouldn't work inside the nebula!" Noon said.
"..... I have had much more time in here to perfect my sensors,"
"More time?" Elena asked as the Changeling made swift adjustments to the scan focusing on what looked like a grey/black smudge in the upper left quadrant. Seconds later the magnification changed and the smudge became hundreds of small squares. Some were touching adjoining squares, some at odd angles as if a child box of building blocks had been discarded haphazardly on the living room carpet.
"What are they?" Rosa Noon asked, her query full of foreboding.
"They are old, disused, you would say 'derelict' cubes,"
The Changeling again increased magnification, Elena could see hundreds, maybe thousands of individual Tkrnn cubes, some just a square with a thick blue outline, some filled in black, while others flashed an angry red! ... The cubes making up the 'chains' seemed to have been joined almost randomly, with a mix of blue outlined, Blue filled, and flashing reds. The Changeling seemed to anticipate her question and explained:
"In your terminology: The cubes are connected either along the 'X' axis, so front to back if you will, or along the 'Y' axis, left and right, or like these..." he pointed to a set of half squares, "... These are connected via the 'Zee' axis, so either to the top or underside of the next cube. The blue outlined are cubes that still have power and atmosphere, the filled have no power, and the red, now power, and are open to space,"
"Where are we going?" DeLuca asked seeing the schematic change slightly as if the scout was lining up with one of the distant cubes.
"..... Hopefully, to find what we need to complete our repairs and depart. Alas, your Starship will have no such luck in avoiding one or more collisions, their sensors will only locate debris less than a thousand metres away, even if they were to stumble upon the cube field at all, which is somewhat unlikely, don't you think?" he asked with a wry grin.
After several agonising moments, they approached one of the blue-outlined cubes, as they approached a ring began to rotate and they could see an aperture expanding, a circular airlock DeLuca assumed. As they passed beyond the threshold, the Tkrnn lifted the scout craft vertically until he found a vacant bay, then landed with a thud. He powered down the vessel and checked the exterior for power, artificial gravity, and most importantly, a breathable atmosphere. Once satisfied he turned to the two women:
"These cubes are, in your mode of measurement approximately six hundred twenty five meters along each side. We normally join up to five hundred to conform our terraforming vessels, Most of the central area is set aside for cargo, storage, etcetera, while some utilise the space for hibernating colonists, each cube can hold hundreds, and more cubes can be added as required. Along the outermost edges, the cubes are dedicated to our propulsion systems, twelve cubes combined to achieve warp ..... We did attempt to use the Romulan mode of containing an artificial quantum singularity, but still required a minimum of four to achieve warp, alas, we found to our loss, that it was impossible to coordinate the reaction from two, let alone four singularities, and it resulted in the loss of one of our more populated Star Systems,"
"So we're going scavenging?" Roas asked, clearly realising the chance to escape had increased manifold.
"You have your lists, I expect you to honour your agreement and help me repair my craft,"
"Why not simply take one of the other scout vessels, there must be plenty laying around?" Elena asked.
"As I indicated, I have had much time here, scavenging, as you call it. It took me many months to make adequate modifications to my sensor arrays to be able to plot and dock ..... Disused or inactive cubes are sent in here from the other side of the nebula, we do not come in looking for them once discarded,"
"You're people don't know you come here!" Noon said, astonished.
"..... Those who need to know, do so," the Changeling said cryptically before looking at the tablet he was carrying.
"So you and your little group are starved for resources, is that it?" Elena asked, but the Tkrnn continued as if the question hadn't even been vocalised:
"The subdermal implants have limited range ..... You will search sections for what you need, I in turn will keep track of your location on this device, should I contact you and you fail to immediately reply, I will decompress the section you are in. Is that completely understood?"
"You whistle, we chirp up, or we're out the door!" DeLuca said, seeing Rosa's expectations of escape dwindle by the expression on her face.
"Hmm ..... A very apt analogy," The Changeling said, smiling before turning and walking away without another word. Elena looked at the schematic on her table and pointed:
"Looks like there are stores of some kind several levels above us ..... Let's go," she said, her mind working through what if any, options might be available to them ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Aug 19, 2023 17:51:33 GMT
"The sensor modifications can't be made all that rapidly," the Tkrnn said, working at the Ops console, his injuries having partly healed and having annoyingly convinced them all that he needed to be present on the bridge itself in order to adapt the sensor arrays as necessary. Security was in close attendance, one over each shoulder and another two with phaser rifles standing back by the turbolifts.
"Well, we need them at some point. You said you knew how to do this in a short period of time," Clancy said from near the forward port side console.
"I could give you the best sensor grid in the quadrant," the Tkrnn boasted, "But that would take a very long time indeed. The best I can do in the time you've given me, the best I can do for your officers who might soon fall prey to my colleague with his need to inflict pain, is make these simple adjustments that will at least allow you to read an EPS - ... Ah, there we have it."
"What?"
"Implement the following, Your Sweetness," he turned to the woman at the engineering console who glared at him.
"That's enough of that," Captain Kemp stood and chopped down a hand, "Remember you're here at our pleasure, mister."
"I'm also here because you need me to help you find your kidnapped personnel. I do have something over you."
"You can try your luck only so far," Clancy said and again thought of using a phaser to vapourise the Tkrnn and how good that would be, though then felt remorse and swerved his thoughts aside. He thought of how the changeling had been probing Iorte about his name given him on his colonial homeworld, and what the story was there. He'd at least stop him from pursuing those questions. "Focus on your task, Tkrnn. Then you'll be freed," he said.
The modifications were completed by the engineering department and, when they turned the array on to the nebula, the Intel officers and Kemp were astounded by the results. "Oh, this is nothing. I could do a lot more given enough time."
"Why are you such an expert on this? This ad hoc work?" Iorte asked.
"Myself, my compatriot in the nebula, and a few other Tkrnn - humanoid and changeling - make frequent extra-legal trips here. You see, there's something in there that belongs to us - in a sense, though most never bother with it, it's refuse, junk and so on - that may have a role in this. I doubt whether these modifications will allow you to pick out the scout vessel, but it may just find this mass of debris, this junkyard."
Indeed, Iorte would soon reflect, they weren't making much headway in finding the scout or much else in there even with the new sensors. But as for this debris, perhaps it lay somewhat deeper. Perhaps part of the reason - aside from their sensors still lacking capability - was that the scout had made for the junkyard and was perhaps in the midst of it. What did the debris consist of - Tkrnn vessels? The changeling confirmed it - a lattice of cubes - and he suggested they begin heading into the proto-nebula.
"No way. No - way! You must be mad," Kemp said, standing once more and storming about the bridge, chuntering to himself before managing to cool off. How else did they expect to find the scout, and their people? the changeling wondered. "We could... We could send one of my shuttlecraft," the CO said.
"Yes. Give it the same adaptations to the sensor grid that we've done on your ship, as well as to its shields and what have you, to protect from the nebula's substance," Tan suggested. "The crew: myself, Clancy, and your best pilot."
"You'll need me on board," the Tkrnn predictably put in. "I can oversee keeping your shuttle's modified systems in good condition. And who else could combat my colleague, hand to hand, if necessary?"
As if the Tkrnn would take on one of his own to save Elena and Rosa, Clancy shook his head to himself. He'd also be asking Iorte his irksome questions.
"Leave it with me for now," Kemp said. "We haven't yet registered this supposed lattice of Tkrnn cubes. But when we do, you'll have my best shuttle."
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Aug 19, 2023 22:26:47 GMT
Damaged Tkrnn Sub-Cube Deep inside Proto-Nebula ::"..... Looks like there are stores of some kind several levels above us ..... Let's go," Elena said with a withering look at the grinning Tkrnn.
"Just out of curiosity here..." Rosa Noon asked with a casual glance back at their captor, "... How are we supposed to know we've found what we're looking for precisely?"
"There is no need for you to know specifics, I will point out what you need to harvest, and you will do as asked," the Tkrnn said agitatedly.
"Something bothering you?" DeLuca, who had stopped at the exchange, asked.
"Oxygen is somewhat at a limit. Please feel free to continue your delays, it will not be me gasping for the last vestiges of atmosphere," the Changeling said with an exaggerated shrug.
Elena momentarily pondered the prospect of kicking that grim off the Tkrnn's face, then turned around and continued to the less-than-confidence-inspiring lift. They climbed in and pressed the tab for the next level up. 'No point in tempting fate'
Each section they entered already looked ransacked, with broken machinery, smashed consoles, and something looking like fibre-optic cabling strewn everywhere, both DeLuca and Noon were being to believe they were on a proverbial hiding to nothing, there seemed to be nothing serviceable, and what did she doubted would actually do more good than harm ..... They entered what seemed to be a workshop of sorts on the fifth level, this room, unlike the others seemed relatively untouched - Maybe the scavengers had not got this far up, or had found what they needed and couldn't be bothered to search for surplus, she didn't care either way.
"..... That device can be dismantled,"
"What's it for?" Rosa asked.
"You need to take the relay pack from behind the duel outports. Do it carefully!"
"Fine," Rosa said, kneeling to begin the task at hand ..... Elena, left to her own devices for a few moments had found something - She was sure she was looking at the Tkrnn equivalent of a phase emitter relay, used on both shipborne and hand-held phased weapons. Quickly she pocketed the small device and then opened one of the storage lockers as she heard their captor approaching.
"It would be fruitless to try to look for anything that would aid you and your friend. best for everyone if you do as I ask, that way we all survive. Isn't that preferable to other options?"
"Like you somehow making a mistake and beaming yourself into the nebula...?" DeLuca asked, pondering the possibility for a few seconds before continuing, "... Or us finding a working shuttle and leaving you behind?"
Now..... If you do not wish to make repairs to the damaged matter/antimatter chamber, I suggest you look over there for a suitable replacement,"
Realising she wasn't going to win, even if she thought she was, she turned and continued her less-than-methodical search of the numerous storage cabinets placed along each of the bulkheads. She came upon a small room off the one they were in and approached, with the Tkrnn now busy, she took the chance to enter, the room's illumination reacting to her presence. She almost laughed at what she thought she might be looking at because in neat rows, three high, were dozens of cylindrical storage containers, similar to those used on Starships.
She approached the first, she paused, hardly wanting to simply lift the lid on the off-chance she wasn't going to kill herself off. She had been given a hand-held device to check for the status of any mechanical devices they needed. With a glance back at the doorway, she held the scanner out towards the first of the stack of three and gawped at the reading!
She ran the scan no less than four times until it was obvious that the device was supplying the correct data. For a long moment she considered what she 'might' be looking at, trying to compare the readings she was looking at with her time at Starfleet Academy, predominantly the Engineering areas of her schooling, and the best she could come up with was:
"Warp Plasma!" she said half to herself, hardly able to contain herself.
She stepped back to make a quick estimation of how many containers were in the room. Stacked three high, in rows maybe five deep, there could be dozens of containers, and even if only a fraction still held plasma residue, there was more than enough to light up the surrounding space to the extent that a blind man would see the sudden glow ..... Of course, it didn't take long for her to realise that detonating the plasma would undoubtedly kill them, so maybe she should rethink her initial thought of blowing the hell out of this cube, Tkrnn and all! ..... 'Every cloud' as the saying goes ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Aug 22, 2023 18:59:41 GMT
"There's a chance it lies in there, sir," the science officer spoke and pointed to her console, "It's just a big void, at least relative to the high density of the rest of the nebula, but that's clearly indicative of something."
"What sort of mass might be expected of this cube lattice?" Kemp asked over her shoulder. She couldn't say, but the Tkrnn with them knew the junkyard well enough and gave them an estimate, the universal translator doing an admirable job of converting from Tkrnn units to kilotonnes.
"The volume of the region is large enough to enclose such a mass, sir, and may I say... just large enough," science said.
"Then that's the junkyard for certain then," Clancy said. It would be preferable, he supposed, to find some positive evidence of that irregular 3D structure of Tkrnn cubic units, but signs of a presence within a notable absence, such as they had, were surely good enough.
"When do we go?" he turned to Kemp, who pursed his lips and though still seeming hesitant told them 'right away'.
In truth the James Clerk Maxwell CO would be glad to have his ship back again. Though he was fully willing to accommodate the Intelligence officers, having two of them on the bridge all the time, interjecting themselves into his usual exchanges with his crew, caused him difficulties in his own understanding of the chain of command. He didn't want to tell the two what to do, but he couldn't let them walk all over him and his command either... could he?
"The shuttle's already been prepared. You have a go," the CO said.
Tan acknowledged and turned to Clancy who nodded and proceeded from the bridge to the shuttlebay, Iorte understanding that David as well as the Chief Navigation Officer and the Tkrnn changeling would be joining them shortly.
He walked round the shuttlecraft, taking note of the appendages affixed in somewhat ugly fashion to port and starboard. Apparently, a departing engineer - effusive and enthusiastic about his work - told him, they were secondary shield generators, making the shield grid metaphasic as well as boosting its strength threefold - ample protection from the proto-nebula's substance.
At that point the Tkrnn entered. "Mr Aak'a'nerei..." he evaluated as he approached with three security guards, "I take it we're ready to go?"
"Almost ready," and Iorte made a quick motion of his head to the three guards. The ship's doctor had determined that the changeling was still weak enough to be unable to overpower three standard weight security officers. They gripped the Tkrnn by each arm and carted him into the shuttle. Iorte boarded and, from the pilot and co-pilot's area, watched them force him down into an aft seat.
"What's the use? If I wanted to -" the changeling began but trailed off as the three guards stepped back, two with phasers pointed squarely at him, the third raising a makeshift level 10 forcefield over the last two metres of the aft of the cabin. "I see..."
"You can monitor our modified systems, protecting from the proto-nebula, from there," the lead guard told him, and waved an arm to his two colleagues; they departed out the port-side hatch, and moments later Tan and the Maxwell's Navigator entered the craft.
They took their seats, the injured changeling fuming behind his forcefield but taking checks on the adapted shields, structural integrity and sensors all the same. The shuttle levitated and passed out the Maxwell's aft doors, setting course for the hard by proto-nebula and the absence that lay in its depths. They were entering a relatively high-pressure environment, something that would only abate once they entered the more-or-less mysteriously low density zone that was thought to hold the lattice of defunct cubic vessels.
"If our officers are in there," Iorte said, "if the scout vessel's in there, there's probably something they could do to alert us." But presumably they'd still be captives of the captive Tkrnn's vaunted compatriot...
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Aug 27, 2023 23:53:30 GMT
Damaged Tkrnn Sub-Cube Deep inside Proto-Nebula ::..... 'Every cloud' as the saying goes .....
Elena looked at the rows of Star Fleet regulation containers - Of course, without further examination, there was no way she could confirm they contained warp plasma, and the Tkrnn could have gotten their hands on the containers pretty much anywhere, they were hardly exclusive to Federation use, but if not plasma, then what else ..... It also raised the question of 'what' the Tkrnn would need with warp plasma, especially in such quantities. But she dared not linger on speculation, the Tkrnn wanted them to finish what they were tasked to do. She looked around the room, hoping beyond hope to find a convenient explosive device, but again, no such luck.
"Miss De Luca, how are your retrieval efforts proceeding?" She heard the Tkrnn asking from outside the room. She retraced her steps, entering the corridor as the Tkrnn rounded the corner.
"The list is long, or do you expect everything to be lying around ready for collection?"
"You are more than aware of the consequences should you attempt to deceive me?"
"You're threats are losing their edge ..... Changeling!" Elena said staring the Tkrnn down.
"Continue your work, or perhaps another, more, forceful demonstration of what will happen should you attempt to defy me?"
"Fine!" De Luca said, picking up the small pack containing the merge tools the Tkrnn had allowed them. She stood, eyebrows raised, as if waiting for him to move. The Changeling watched her closely, he knew that neither female would comply unconditionally, one or the other would, at some point, test his resolve, and at that point, he 'would' have to dispose of one of them to force the other into line, but for now he nearly grinned, theatrically stepping aside to allow De Luca to pass.
"I'm working in here," Elena said, nodding towards the room opposite where she had found the containers.
"..... Then I suggest you do so, now. I expect you to be finished within one of your hours," the Changeling said, his 'eyes' locked on her for a long moment, sending a shiver down her spine, then he turned and left her alone.
Quickly, she took out the device he had supplied, similar to a tricorder but less sophisticated, seemingly only capable of basic scanning. She re-entered the room and approached the first container: Carefully releasing the seals, she tentatively raised the lid and ran a quick scan before resealing the container. The readings showed it indeed contained warp plasma, though according to the device it was seemingly tainted, sub-standard maybe?
Either way, she saw an opportunity - Looking around the room she finally found a long rod or bar. Moving to the the back row of containers she tested the weight of the bar in her hands and then glanced at the doorway. The containers were synthetic, so hitting one would make only the barest sound. She put the tip against the wall of the container and applied light pressure - The wall gave slightly and she retracted the bar and planted her feet, she needed to make sure that 'if' she successfully punctured the container, she had time to get the hell out of the way of the resultant spillage.
Taking a breath, she drew the bar back and then thrust it forward... It impacted the wall of the container and as she continued to push with more force, the point entered the container!
Turning, she ran for the door, the bar still at her side as she heard the viscus fluid begin to leak from the puncture. She activated the door mechanism and then at the last minute threw the bar into the room. The plasma, even tainted, wouldn't simply spill onto the deck, it would quickly find a route out of the room and if it came into contact with a power source, it would hopefully ignite, ideally only burning, possibly through the bulkhead venting into open space, or rather the nebula, like a beacon to anyone searching for them. Truth be told though, given the condition of the small sample she had scanned, she believed that the spontainious combustion of the contents of the containers was unfortunately, also a distinct possibility!
Taking deep breaths to slow her heart rate and calm herself, she headed away from the room in search of Rosan Noon and the hopefully unsuspecting Tkrnn ..........
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Sept 4, 2023 23:21:27 GMT
USS James Clark Maxwell ... Shuttlebay :: David had long since decided that the presence of the Tkrnn was annoying the hell out of him ..... The 'man' seemed overconfident, almost to the point of arrogance regarding his presumed position within the hierarchy of the ship, something Tan intended to rectify at the earliest opportunity, but for now, he was happy to leave the majority of the interaction to Iorte, who unlike him seemed to possess infinite patience for the arrogant Changeling. He'd entered the shuttle and dropped himself into the cockpit's right-hand seat, leaving the Piloting controls to Clancy while he busied himself with running needless diagnostics on the shuttle's readiness. Finally, they were aboard, and the Clark's Engineer assured them they would be safe to enter the Nebula ..... Entering Nebula :: Glancing back at the confined Tkrnn, David sat in silence as Iorte piloted the shuttle away from the Intrepid Class James Clark Maxwell ..... The nebula looked anything but inviting, and he found himself pondering the likelihood that the extra precautions Engineering had implemented would actually work. He felt the shuttle shudder as it penetrated the 'barrier' between normal space and the deadly nebula, unable to resist another glance at the Changeling, who sat impassively watching events proceed. "..... I think this forcefield is somewhat unnecessary," the Tkrnn said as he eyed Tan looking at him. "Feel free to think what you like," Clancy said without looking around as he concentrated on piloting the craft. "I'm just trying to make the point that I would perish as quickly as you should anything untoward happen to this craft, and I can be of more help up there. navigation will be difficult, there are, what do Humans call them - Eddy's - I believe, much like those Earth whirlpools that dragged your ancient vessel to the depths of your seas?""Here's a thought - Shut the hell up," David said, not willing to entertain the Tkrnn. "..... As you wish," the Tkrnn said, seemingly taking interest in the shuttle's decor and ignoring the Humans. "They had been moving through the nebula for almost a full hour when Clancy looked at Tan, a look of almost resignation on his face. David knew what the unspoken comment was saying - Despite all efforts, and the fact that on several occasions they had thought they had found the sections of Tkrnn craft they were looking for, their efforts were in vain. Again David looked back at the Tkrnn, who was now seemingly studying the replicator with the fascination of a four-year-old boy with a magnifying glass watching two ants fight to the death in his back garden, fully intending to incinerate the victor once one was established. "Just how close do we need to be to pick up life signs?" Tan asked. "Alas, I am not fully conversant with the capabilities of your scanning equipment, but I would venture to say you are far too far away. You could spend days, weeks, months scanning individual subcubes,""..... And you could speed that process up?" Clancy asked, again without turning around to address the Tkrnn directly. "I could, yes ..... For example, Might I suggest, as a gesture of 'goodwill' that you move to the northern-most section, Subcubes connected together are much more likely to retain atmosphere and gravity, whereas single cubes, wouldn't," ..........Damaged Tkrnn Sub-Cube Deep inside Proto-Nebula ::Elena had taken care to hide the tricorder out of sight. The last thing she wanted was for the Tkrnn to retrace her steps and find the device sitting in the open .....
Finding Rosa, who was still collecting items pointed out by their seemingly ever-present captor, she nodded and then took the list the woman was holding:
"You've found all this already?" she asked.
"Most of it, yes," Noon confirmed.
"Do me a favour, try not to be so 'enthusiastic' ..... We're here under duress, and while helping is paramount to our survival, there's no need to go over the proverbial 'top' if you get my drift,"
"Oh, yes, sorry," Rosa Noon replied, embarrassed. Elena was about to reassure her friend when somewhere behind them came a dull 'thud' and and shudder passed through the deck plates beneath their feet. The Tkrnn, who had been in another room itemising what they needed to harvest, came running in, his eyes wide.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Decompression maybe...?" De Luca speculated with a shrug, "... Maybe we should cut our visit short, I'd hate to suddenly find we're out of oxygen, plays havoc with my hair,"
"..... I shall investigate, you will continue your work!" The Tkrnn said, 'eyes' locked on the two women for a long moment before he left the room.
Elana adopted a smug expression before looking at the next item on the list. Rosa watched her for a moment then grinned.
"That's your doing?" she asked.
"Nothing to do with me," De Luca said innocently, hoping her plan had had the desired effect. If the overloading tricorder had ignited the leaking plasma just as she'd hoped, there 'should' be a fracture in the outer hull where more plasma, now burning, was lighting up the subcube they were in like the proverbial Christmas fireworks display ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Sept 5, 2023 14:34:57 GMT
James Clerk Maxwell shuttlecraft
They'd proceeded into the nebula and had come across the slightly lower density zone containing the disused sub-cubes. There were hundreds of them, each of sizeable proportion, and a systematic search would doubtless take weeks or months just as the Tkrnn suggested.
Leaving the pilot's console and letting the navigator take over for a while now that they were entering a part of the nebula that included a lot of artificial debris (both Clancy and the Maxwell CNO were trained as pilots), Clancy surveyed the sensor results at the tertiary console.
The modified scanners that the Tkrnn by his supervision had added to the shuttle were returning a lot of useful information. Just when it seemed they could proceed no farther - or rather what would be the point? - the sensors came up with a new strain of data, something much more urgent. One of the sub-cubes towards the northwestern edge, about two thirds from the debris lattice's centre, had developed a hull breach.
"Look, there!" the navigator was pointing out the forward viewer as the shuttle swung about the edge of the lattice and some more of it came into view.
"The nebula's substance is being illuminated by ignited electroplasma," Tan spoke after a second, perusing his own readings.
"That's a beacon if ever I saw one," the CNO went on. "Lay in a course, sir?" Iorte nodded and Tan confirmed it.
Even if the navigator was mistaken and the explosion was the result of wear and tear over a long time - somewhat unlikely, even if the cubic constructions had been taking a battering from the proto-nebula for years - it was worth exploring.
Of course, if it was a distress signal, that would mean that de Luca and/or Noon would've had to have freed themselves from their captor. Wouldn't it? What would it mean as regards the status of the apparently psychotic changeling that'd taken them?
"May I alert you, my good fellows," the Tkrnn in the aft section spoke while their shuttle was making its cautious way towards the sub-cube in question, "That these readings here show that the shield grid I modified is having some difficulty in this local region."
The self-possessed Tkrnn had three separate units within his forcefield from which he was able to keep track of any issues with the three adapted systems: sensors, structural integrity field and shields, so he could hopefully maintain them.
"What do you mean by 'this local region'?" Iorte asked impatiently. Apparently he was referring to something in the immediate vicinity, a higher density mass of the nebula's substance lying along their route to the sub-cube.
"He's right. And I can't go round it," the navigator said, "I'd have to retrofire impulse engines and that may ignite it. Through it then, sir?"
They had to risk it. In a moment they were through, but the port warp nacelle had failed and the port and ventral shield facings were shorted out. In an instant the energy redistributed itself from the other facings and the craft was safe. They were coming up on the requisite sub-cube, the plasma, billowing out from its hull breach, betrayed as it lit up the near nebula in magnificent streamers.
"Let us know sooner next time," Iorte called back, trying not to talk out the side of his mouth.
"As you wish, Mr Aak'a'nerei... That's not like one from your colony. I was led to believe you people were gentle, having been made humble by your sufferings at the hands of the Ravagers, or whatever those invaders were called."
How did he know this much? Iorte thought, One from this Gamma quadrant-originating species? Unless he'd perused his, and probably his colleagues' files, more thoroughly than had been believed.
"Or was it the case that you, or rather your family, specifically your father, had in them something of a violent streak, something unnecessarily -" This really alarmed Iorte. Was it possible that the Tkrnn had some empathic ability?
"Enough!" Tan said and glared at the changeling, "Keep an eye on the modified systems, no more."
"You'll need me once we get in there."
"Let's manoeuvre for some docking port or doors. If the scout vessel found its way in here, if the breach isn't a coincidence, we'll discover the craft in a berth. There is more than one berth, I assume?" Clancy asked the changeling. Yes, probably half a dozen, he confirmed.
Iorte was a little concerned about approaching in the open like this. If the fleeing scout vessel was indeed now within the sub-cube and the other Tkrnn was aboard the former, he would surely detect the shuttle's approach, perhaps even visually - they may pass right by it. But if the hull breach had been caused by Elena or Rosa, then would it make sense that the Tkrnn would still be aboard his craft? Wouldn't he be in pursuit of them instead?
"I've identified an entrance point, sir," the navigator said.
"Let's draw up as close as we can on the opposite side of the cube to it. Scan the interior if we're able. If we think it's safe to approach unseen, we'll head around to the dock entrance," Clancy suggested.
<Tag Tan>
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Sept 19, 2023 21:42:52 GMT
USS James Clark Maxwell Shuttlecraft Approaching Sub-Cube :: It had taken almost thirty minutes of patience to approach the sub-cube without slamming into one of a myriad of obstacles drifting within the nebula - Thiry minutes for David to sit listening to the Tkrnn continually goad Iorte, presumably hoping for a reaction he, it, could enjoy ..... Needless to say, Clancy wasn't biting, in fact, David was almost convinced that the Intelligence Operative was actively ignoring the Changeling, at least until he saw the mans expression change - It was so fast, the blink of an eye, but Tan had seen the man's expression change. "..... Enough...!" Tan said and glared at the changeling, "... Keep an eye on the modified systems, no more." "You will need me, once we get inside there," the Changeling said, the hint of satisfaction flitting across his expression. Before David could say anything more, the shuttle navigator spoke: "I've identified an entrance point, Sir," the man said. ".... Let's draw up as close as we can on the opposite side of the cube to it. Scan the interior if we're able. If we think it's safe to approach unseen, we'll head around to the dock entrance," Clancy instructed the man, pointedly not looking at the smiling Changeling. "Piece of advice ....." David whispered, knowing Clancy could hear him, "... I'd keep your mouth shut, and remove that grin before my associate does it for you,""I mean no harm, it just seemed to me, that, coaxing him into saying or doing something he might regret, was an opportunity not to be passed?" the Tkrnn replied, making it more question than acknowledgement of the advice offered. "I'll give it to you that you could undoubtedly 'morph, into something he couldn't hope to defeat, but you're a living being, and I seriously doubt even you Changelings can survive a phaser hit on full power!" David said as the shuttle came to a stop less than twenty metres from the outer hull of the sub-cube ..... Clancy began utilising the full array of sensors, scanning the cube as thoroughly as he could: "I'm picking up life signs, but can't confirm details," "Any Tkrnn?" David asked. "Possibly, if there 'are' any over there, there can't be more than a solitary presence, these bulkheads are playing havoc, even at this range," "OK ..... Let's get around to the Docking Port we identified, I'd say it's a given whoever 'is' over there knows we're on our way, so no point in disappointing them," Tan said, turning to the Pilot, "... Whenever you're ready Lieutenant," It took another five minutes to traverse the cube and line up with the Docking Port, the Pilot hesitated for a second then used the manoeuvering thrusters to close the gap slowly. Finally, they felt the subtle caress as the two hulls made contact and then made an airtight seal. David turned to the Tkrnn, who had already for out of his seat in readiness to board the sub-cube. "I'm only going to say this once ..... You do 'anything' to give me a reason to believe you're not playing ball, I'll end you without hesitation, understood?" "In normal circumstances, your threat would amuse me, Mister Tan, alas, these are strange times indeed. You will have no cause to carry out your threat, I assure you,""..... And if we meet up with your brother Changeling?" Tan asked, still standing between the Tkrnn and the airlock. "I gave you my assurance of aid, did I not?" the Changeling said. "Keep that in mind..." David said, reaching out to activate the airlock door and then turned to the Pilot, "... Lieutenant, you remain here, try to keep a lock on us as best you can. If there's no option, you will undock and head out of the Nebula, get back to the 'Clark' and report. Understood?" "Yes, Sir," the man said, retaking his seat. "After you," David said, motioning to the Changeling with the phaser he held ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Sept 21, 2023 16:47:33 GMT
The young man looked towards the ridge, the sun burnishing the southeastern sky, heralding what would usually be a fine day on his adopted homeworld. Adopted? It felt to him as if he'd been here forever, the past seeming like an eternity from which he'd only just extracted himself, newly conscious in this world, and astounded and demoralised at its depths both mental and physical.
Then he remembered everything that'd come before. The Raiders, not the Ravagers. The 29th century, not the 24th. The hegemony of the Hybrudeans, of whose species he was originally a member, not of the Federation...
The sky above the ridge lit up, the latest detonation from the suborbitally deployed devices of the Ravagers illuminating the skies with its deadly tones of light and meaning, and Aak'a'nerei knew his father was now dead.
He knew it in his soul, and yet it didn't stop him from remaining to fight, to take lead of the battalion, to become a sort of figurehead for at least a part of their movement, that which would prefer to resist.
His eyes shot open, and before very long he was able to gather about him knowledge of his situation. He was on the Tkrnn sub-cube, disused, in the midst of a graveyard of this and other such units, in the mysteriously low-density heart of an otherwise highly energetic and gravitational proto-nebula.
What'd inspired these thoughts of his assumed colonial homeworld? That planet on which he'd been implanted, in a new body, on his exile from the worlds of his original species, the Hybrudeans, who on account of his vigilantism that to them spoke of rebelliousness had dissociated him from his standard material form and shot his neural substance through the decades into an adolescent body on the surface of a Federation colony which, in the decade to which he'd been sent, was soon to be set upon by a mercenary force known as the Ravagers.
The answer soon disclosed itself to him, in the form of the Tkrnn changeling entering the junction where he'd chosen to take his rest. "There you are, Mr Aak'a'nerei."
"Clancy," he replied, shifting irritably.
"Ok. Clancy. See here, I know Iezeld would very much like to see you again." He closed his eyes and thoughts of her came flooding. How much more did this Tkrnn know? It'd never been on the Starbase, only being encountered on the asteroid base. "If it be your wish to go by your name as designated upon your entry to Starfleet Academy, so be it. Either way, your presence is required."
"You've found a trail?" So far their exploration of the derelict sub-cube had proven extremely frustrating. While some lifesigns had been detected, one of them Tkrnn but otherwise being of an unknown number, discovering their actual location on the sub-cube had been impossible.
"You could say that..." the formerly heavily injured, and now perhaps only apparently cooperative, Tkrnn responded. "Human DNA has been registered two decks down. Tan thinks it matches one or the other of your missing compatriots."
The information seeped into Clancy's consciousness and he swung off the ledge on which he'd set himself. He prepped himself with his phaser and despite himself nodded at the Tkrnn in a comradely fashion to have the being precede him down the hall. They traversed the corridor, boarding the Tkrnn lift and finding their way to Tan's location.
"The plasma leak, or however you call the apparent distress beacon, was engineered from here," David said, and a metallic rapping sounded from down the passage orthogonally to Clancy's right.
"It's my colleague," their own Tkrnn intoned. The three of them took off towards the sound.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Sept 22, 2023 17:25:45 GMT
On boarding, the group had separated, believing it would hasten the search ..... David had been moving along one of the corridors when his tricorder picked up something: "I'm reading plasma," he said, frowning. "Looks like it's in there," They entered the room and immediately saw the spillage, the fumes emanating from the plasma were threatening to overwhelm Tan, so he backtracked to the corridor wondering why spent plasma was on one of the cubes, what also got his attention was the number of containers stacked against the far wall of the room, possibly dozens of them. The Tkrnn, who had been moving between the two groups unhindered given no one saw any real reason to confine the Changeling, approached, his expression neutral. "Do you have any explanation for this?" Tan asked, pointing into the room. The Tkrnn gave the contents a scant look and then replied. "I do not," David eyed the man then tapped his comm badge: =^= Tan to Clancy .. .. .. =^= =^= Tan to Clancy .. .. .. =^= At first, the 'tapping' didn't register, until there was a lull in the conversation. Then they could clearly discern a noise. I believe it is my colleague,"With a nod from Tan, the Changeling said as he reached for the door activation panel as the Intelligence Officer held his phaser ready. The door slid aside and they were faced with another Tkrnn, this one though looked unwell, Tan scanned him and confirmed he was suffering from plasma exposure. He stumbled from the small anteroom and dropped into his brethren's arms before being lowered to the deck his back against the bulkhead. "We need to get Clancy and the Pilot up here. They are carrying a med kit, they'll be able to treat the effects, though how successfully is anyone's guess," "I will go inform your associates and request their presence,""Fine, go get them," David said dismissively, eyes still on the plasma leak. Clearly, Elena or Rosa Noon had punctured one of the containers - His question was: Where are they now? ..... Ten minutes later Iorte Clancy and the others entered the room. ----- "It looks like one of us punctured the container then got the hell out of the way..." Clancy speculated as the Pilot administered to the Changeling who seemed to be recovering, albeit slowly, "... Whoever did this must have been sure we'd turn up at some point, but if it was your people, where are they now?" "I'm picking up faint life signs somewhere below us..." David said, down on one knee as he moved the tricorder slowly back and forth, "... Let's go!" They moved to one of the sub-cube's personnel lifts and dropped three levels, here the readings were much higher ..... Stepping out, the group looked down the corridor directly ahead and the ones running off to the left and right. The tricorder readings showed that whoever they were picking up was down to their right. Moving fast, Tan and Clancy, closely followed by the two Tkrnn then the Pilot, who had been told to keep an eye on the Changelings. "HERE!" Tan said suddenly, activating an access panel - Inside, Elena De Luca and Rosa Noon were huddled several meters along the conduit, David held out a hand to help each in turn into the corridor. As Elena stepped out, stretching the cramp out her legs, she explained that they had gone inside to avoid any effects from the spent plasma given they had no way to estimate just how much would escape the rupture they had caused. "Well, your safe now, let's head back to the shuttle, the sooner we're out of here the better!" Tan said, retracing his steps, the others paces behind ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Sept 28, 2023 19:10:27 GMT
Derelict sub-cube lattice, proto-nebula
The pilot had remained on the shuttle for a brief time before going against his orders, snatching a phaser and exiting through the starboard side hatch. He wasn't about to leave his colleagues on this derelict, and so made for the nearest lifesign as shown on his tricorder. He ran into Clancy.
The changeling joined and guided them down two levels to Tan's location, seeing the remnants of a burst conduit and a series of containers where the plasma had been made to leak, and shown the DNA results (human, was all they could tell) of they who'd created the explosion.
They proceeded right down the corridor and found Elena and Rosa in their hovel. Extracting them, they decided it was time to make for the exit, before their changeling - he who'd kidnapped the two officers - caught up.
Iorte glanced at the changeling Tan and their own Tkrnn had discovered, surprised to see him. The navigator had done his best to patch him up, using the techniques the Clerk Maxwell CMO had learnt to use on their own changeling - after the latter had been shot by Iorte, Elena and Rosa. But he was by no means in the best condition.
As they made down the corridor in the vague direction of a series of lifts - that would hopefully take them all or most of the way back to the section containing the shuttlecraft's docking port - Clancy was once more drawn off into a reverie...
Here high in the system of mesas and forested uplands, Aak'a'nerei's (Clancy's) ragtag band pursued and were pursued by the Ravagers. Those mercenaries had virtually destroyed their world, its civilisation, and largely its people, but those who remained, who hadn't fled or lost their lives, were determined to fight it out to the end.
An incident with a sergeant's incorrectly configured weapon reminded Clancy of his father, and he plunged involuntarily into a memory of his teenage years at their homestead to the west of one of their colony's five capital cities.
His father showed him the rifle he planned to give him on his 18th birthday, a primitive thing of purely mechanical action that fired a solid projectile and not energy.
Their mother entered and Iorte watched his father turn, apparently in joy and good humour. As the man's eyes fell on his wife Iorte caught a certain look in them, something that to his mind at the time had been indecipherable, at least as far as he remembered, but which now seemed to speak of things less honourable, and as his habitation of the memory continued the features of his father seemed to twist, the curl of the lip, the squint of the eyes, with each reminiscence of the specific scene, seeming to pitch into the violent, the untrustworthy. The mother smiled slightly, tentatively, and looked at one of them then the other.
The young Iorte had looked away, studying the mechanical action rifle in his hands once more. He hadn't noticed his mother's tremor.
Brought back to the present of the uplands by the gesturing arm of a civilian who'd joined their group, he stared down into the valley before them, out across the grey-orange slope with its tufts of grass like marram thrusting here and there out of the parched soil. A party of Ravagers were gathered down there by a stream. He turned and nodded to his lieutenants.
Iorte was brought back to the actual present in a hurry. "I'm detecting lifesigns. Heading this way," their own changeling stated.
"How many? Tkrnn, I presume?" Tan asked.
"Affirmative. About 15 of them, changeling and humanoid." The changeling paused, "Do not blame me! I had no idea my people were here, beyond the presence of the one we hunted."
"They're blocking our path. Between here and the shuttlecraft," Clancy perused his own tricorder. "We can't take out that many. What's the solution?"
"Use me." They turned. The still injured Tkrnn changeling they'd found had spoken. "Allow me to surrender myself to them. Give me one of your weapons, on overload. The resultant explosion - my own death, and some of my compatriots' - will give you the time and space you need to escape towards your craft."
"Why would you do this?"
"I was injured by the changeling who took your people... My mission here in the Alpha and Beta quadrants was to see that any Federation, Klingon or Romulan peoples who strayed this way were returned to their respective territories; unharmed if possible, at least intact (if dead) otherwise." Well, that's comforting, Iorte thought. "While the Tkrnn are hostile to all three of your peoples, we'd like to maintain some diplomatic standards, and that is my reason for my being here. At least give me a chance fo fulfill some of my mission."
Iorte hesitated, and handed the injured changeling his phaser (while the others all had their weapons raised at the Tkrnn in case he reneged instantly). Iorte showed him how to program an overload.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Sept 29, 2023 23:31:35 GMT
Derelict sub-cube lattice ... Proto-Nebula :: "..... While the Tkrnn is indeed hostile to all three of your people, we'd like to maintain some diplomatic standards, and that is my reason for my being here. At least give me a chance to fulfill some of my mission."David looked at Iorte, now kneeling beside the injured changeling, instructing him on how to set the weapon he now held to overload, then at the Tkrnn who had been with them a while. It's expression, if indeed it had one, was as far as Tan could tell, neutral. "You think he'll go through with it?" the Pilot whispered. "He will or he won't we will know soon enough..." David said as Clancy got to his feet, "... Ready?" he asked. Iorte glanced back at the injured Changeling and then back at Tan before nodding. "Go that way..." the injured Tkrnn said, motioning with the phaser he'd been given. "Why?" David asked, suddenly wary. "If undetected before my 'associates' arrive here, it will give you some time to pass beyond their reach. The passage leads off to the left then you will backtrack at the junction, this 'should' lead you back to your craft,""He would not lie, there is no reason for him to do so," Their Changeling said - As if that was all that was needed - and given they had no other options, he was correct. "What's to stop them from realizing we're on the run and coming after us instead of heading for their injured associate?" Rosa Noon asked. "Hell ... Your guess is as good as mine," David said, heading off down the corridor the Tkrnn had indicated ..... They had been moving for approximately ten minutes when they came to the intersection the Tkrnn had mentioned. They paused, almost holding their breath for fear the very action of breathing might give them away. Elena paused, scanning back the way they had come, finally confirming that she was picking up a group of Tkrnn life signs approaching their former location. "Scans confirm they are all in one place now ....." she said, glancing up at the others before shaking her head. The obvious lack of an explosion caused by a forced phaser overload didn't need to be pointed out. "DAMN!" Tan spat, glaring at their Changeling. "Something must have prevented his setting the weap ....." the Tkrnn was saying as the deck plates shuddered, a second later they were thrown off their feet as the sub-cube suffered substantial damage from the self-destructing phaser! Grinning, David got back to his feet, the others doing likewise, but Elena was still kneeling, her eyes locked on the tricorder. "You need that to tell you he did it?" Rosas Noon demanded as the sub-cube was rocked by a second, then a third explosion! "I believe we might have underestimated the explosive yield of a 'self-destructing' phaser,""REALLY!?" Tan spat as he clambered to his feet for the second time in as many minutes. "I suggest we head for your shuttlecraft with all due alacrity?" the Changeling suggested, clearly waiting for a reply as another explosion somewhere below them almost shook them off their feet again. "WELL!?" Elena asked, glaring at the Tkrnn. "This way, I believe ....."With no options open to them, the Intelligence Officers followed the Tkrnn down one corridor, then another ..........
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Oct 1, 2023 10:49:25 GMT
Derelict sub-cube lattice ... Proto-Nebula :: After fifteen minutes of moving through seemingly identical corridors, David and Iorte exchanged glances, it was clear to Tan that he thought they were being led in circles! ..... Neither man could say with confidence that they had gone down one corridor or another several times, but the feeling in David just wouldn't subside. As they came upon yet another junction, this one having passages off to the left and right, he surreptitiously took his comm badge and scraped an almost imperceptible arrow. Ahead, the two Tkrnn along with Elena and Rosa, were continuing in silence save for the odd declaration by 'their' Changeling, that they were nearing their goal. ----- "Stop...!" David said, finally losing patience. The others halted and turned in his direction, the others were waiting for him to continue, the Tkrnn looking at him expressionless, "... I think it's about time you picked a route and stuck to it," "I am sorry, but I do not understand," their Tkrnn said, frowning. "He knows!" Tan said, glaring at the injured Changeling watching them impassively. "I am sorry, but like my, associate, I do not understand your issue,""That so .....?" Tan said, moving back along the corridor a few meters before pointing at the grey stark bulkhead. Still seemingly confused, the two Changelings approached and looked where indicated. "Are we to assume you are endeavoring to as you Humans say 'bring something to our attention' Mister Tan?" their Changeling said, eyebrows raised convincingly as they waited. Tan shrugged then pointed to a small arrow scratched into the frame of a doorway: "I put that there fifteen minutes ago when we walked along this corridor for the third time..." David said, stepping close to both Tkrnn, glaring at them in turn, "... You've had no intentions of leading us back to our shuttlecraft, in fact, I'm almost convinced you're leading us in circles until your people can regroup and prevent us leaving at all!" "You are ... Mistaken," the injured Tkrnn said with a fair approximation of a Human 'shrug'. "They must be close..." de Luca said, eyes looking back the way they had come, "... Those explosions, are they their doing?" she asked. "..... You are correct, at least in part..." their Changeling admitted, "... But you misconstrue our motives for acting this way,"David raised the phaser he had been holding and rested the business end against the forehead of the Tkrnn, applying just enough pressure to force the Tkrnn to take a step back: "I don't know what's going on between you and your 'associates' chasing us, but I'm rapidly losing faith in your promises to help us off this thing, and when that patience is exhausted, I'll have no further need for either of you!" The injured Tkrnn seemed to give in, after a moment he pointed down the corridor leading off to the left. Tan applied a little more pressure, forcing the Changeling to turn away. He followed the other, Tan and Clancy only meters behind them, their weapons holding on the small of each Tkrnn's backs. Behind them, glancing back every few meters, Elena and Rosa followed. Finally, they came to another turn - Both Tkrnn moved aside to allow the Intelligence Officers to see past - The corridor ahead was a shambles, the bulkheads were warped, and the buckled ceiling sections had fallen, blocking the corridor. "You see our dilemma? he asked. As they all looked at the devastation, the bulkhead directly behind Tan morphed, an arm moved forward then before he could react, it grasped Tan around the neck, dragging him back until he slammed against the ruptured bulkhead plates. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he almost lost consciousness - What he did lose was the phaser he'd been holding, the weapon snatched from his grasp was now pointed directly at Elena de Luca! ..... Slowly, a second Tkrnn began to morph from the wall, then a third and forth. It was clear to all that they had been led into a trap - Of who's doing, the semi-conscious Tan silently swore to find out! ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Oct 5, 2023 19:15:39 GMT
Iorte stood back from the unfolding scene and drew his phaser, trying to get a clear shot at the tendril wrapped round Tan's neck still morphing into a humanoid arm. He managed to get a shot away, the tendril snapping loose as if it was some failing rigging on an old sailing ship, but already a second changeling had appeared and snatched away Tan's phaser to point it at de Luca. With his feet planted Iorte twisted to his right and, missing with a second phaser blast, found he had to use his hands. He batted at the second new Tkrnn's phaser-wielding hand while using his own phaser as a blunt instrument and striking at the changeling's head. At this point he lost his balance and fell as more Tkrnn attacked him, but he'd achieved what he'd set out to, the phaser knocked from the second Tkrnn's hand and de Luca not shot for the moment. What came next would be unclear to him for a while as he was struck into unconsciousness...
"What happened...?" he found himself able to ask, groggily coming around. It was the first thing he did. The second - and as he did it he felt a terrible foreboding - was to open his eyes. Who had won out in the scuffle? "You were hit, rather hard I might add," the injured changeling whispered. "Iorte, you're awake. We're some 30 or 40 metres down the passage from where we were ambushed," Rosa Noon said. "There were seven or eight changelings in all. And some Tkrnn humanoids. To stop their pursuit the changeling we have here did something to cave in the stretch of corridor. Some of the Tkrnn are buried, we think; others have been shut into a junction of maintenance shafts they were pursuing us through at the time." Clancy glanced around from his place on the floor. He found he felt fine, apart from an ache in his left shoulder and pain from probable bruising on his face. He regarded Noon and the newer changeling. "Where are the rest of us?" Noon sighed, "Unfortunately, Tan, de Luca and the Clerk Maxwell's navigator are the other side of this wreckage." "Well, that's great." "I think at least they're in a corridor separate from the Tkrnn. But there doesn't seem to be a way for us to loop round this debris. We think Tan and co are trying to clear the debris from their side. But as I say there's about 30 metres of it. It'll take hours, perhaps a day. And there's nothing we three ourselves can do to clear it; structural integrity concerns, apparently." <Tag Tan, de Luca>"And our changeling, the one we brought with us?" Clancy queried. "He's with his brethren. He was part of the ambush," she answered, understandably irritated. "Well, he's fulfilled his goal for us." While perhaps the first changeling had intended to help them initially, when he'd found that his fellow species members were here, he'd hastened to defect to them. Clancy hoped Noon thought she could trust the still-injured changeling that remained with them. "What do you gain by helping us?" he asked the injured Tkrnn, rising to his feet. The Tkrnn remained seated, allowing parts of its body to drop into its liquid state in order to conserve energy and strength. The Tkrnn shrugged, "I have nothing to lose, let me put it like that. If I somehow find a way back to Tkrnn space, I will be incarcerated, or probably executed, as soon as I enter my species' company. You see, they are already aware that - to pursue my initial assignment here - I initially attempted to aid your escape."Clancy paused and finally nodded; he'd have to be satisfied for the moment. He considered their situation. Here at least was a clear route to the shuttle. But there was simply no easy way to recover their trio of officers the other side of the wreckage. And from the separate walled-in maintenance junction they might have Tkrnn inbound. Coming to a decision, he told Rosa he was heading to the shuttlecraft some 50 metres away and two decks down, taking the injured Tkrnn with him, while Rosa should remain here at the edge of the corridor-blocking debris. Perhaps there was something Iorte could use in the shuttle; perhaps even the transporter system could be accessed.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Oct 5, 2023 21:01:44 GMT
Derelict sub-cube ... Proto-Nebula :: David hadn't had time to react as the Changeling had morphed from the bulkhead directly behind him ..... The arm, almost 'Human' wrapped around his throat almost lifting him off his feet as he was dragged backwards, the Tkrnn between him and the wall ..... Clancy had obviously seen something because as the other Changelings began to separate themselves from their surroundings, he had drawn his phaser taking aim at what David thought was his head! He saw the explosion of almost pure light from the weapon, so close he was convinced he was about to be killed, but there came an almost haunting scream from the Tkrnn restraining him as part of the arm holding him was burned away. David fell forward, his knees slamming into the deck-plating so hard he was convinced he'd fractured something. He was trying to rise when he saw one of the Tkrnn turn away - For a second he couldn't understand what it, he, was doing, then he saw the weapon! "RUN!" Tan shouted, seeing Iorte snatch hold of Rosa pulling her to her feet before bolting down the corridor, turning back every other second to discharge his phaser. Tan saw Elena, semiconscious, slumped against the bulkhead, blood flowing freely from a cut inside her mouth. The Changeling fired ..... It was clear, even in that fraction of a second, that he was purposefully trying to kill them, the ceiling exploded - Metalwork began to rain down on them as Tan pulled de Luca half on her feet back away from the seemingly expanding explosion. He felt something slam into his shoulder and let go of Elena as darkness engulfed him ..... ---------- "Stay still, your bleeding," he heard de Luca instructing him, her left hand on his chest holding him down as he tried to pull himself into a seated position. "Wha ....." he said, head swimming. "I'm guessing one of the Changelings tried to kill us off..." she said as she frowned at the thirty-centimeter length of metal protruding from David's shoulder, "... They were waiting for us, the Changeling led us in circles until they were ready. Clancy killed the one that grabbed you, some shooting I might add, you'll probably need a haircut when we get back," Tan frowned, he only then realized what the smell was, singed hair. "Where are the others?" he asked, giving up on trying to stand. "They did as you told them and ran. From the state of the corridor, I couldn't tell if they got past the explosion or not..." she said, distracted but making a decision. She ripped on sleeve off her tunic, "... You have a piece of metal in your shoulder, I'm going to have to remove it but without a tricorder, there's no way to know if it's severed an artery in there. I'll only know when it's out," She stood, her glare at Tan making it clear he was to stay put, then went off down the corridor, returning a moment later with what looked like a piece of conduit. Kneeling she gave it to him: "You might want to bite down on this, the last thing I need is you chomping off your tongue..." He looked at her then bit down, closing his eyes as he felt a twinge of pain as the metal moved slightly, "... Ready?" "Fi ....." David began, unable to stifle the yell of pain as she pulled the metal out, slamming the cloth over the wound as she threw the jagged metal down the corridor. She kept her eyes on his as she applied as much pressure as possible. She kept the cloth over the wound for several minutes as David lapsed into semi-consciousness. Finally, she couldn't wait any longer, she leaned close, lifting the edge of the cloth tentatively. There was blood, a lot, but not as much as she was expecting if a major artery had been severed. She repositioned the makeshift bandage wrapping it under his arm and over the shoulder before tying it as tight as she dared. "You call that a bedside manner?" Tan asked groggily. "I can always put it back in..!" she replied, sighing with relief, "... No, give it a few minutes hopefully clotting will have begun, no sense in risking opening the wound," she said as he tried to pull himself up. "What's our condition?" he asked, eyes closed. "Well ..... You look like hell, I'm missing a sleeve, Clancy, Noon, and the Lieutenant are missing. None of the Tkrnn either got out or at least not on our side. Other than that ..... Peachy," David ignored the sarcasm Elena was well known for and reached up to tap the comm badge on her tunic: =^= Tan to Clancy .. .. .. =^= =^= Tan to Clancy .. Noon .. .. .. =^= he grunted when there was no reply. "OK, I think you've lazed around long enough, how about getting off your backside?" Elena said with a grin. Tan gave it a moment's thought then began to struggle to a seated position, his back against the bulkhead. Pain lanced through his shoulder and back for a moment, bile rose in his throat and for a few seconds, he was convinced he would commit the ultimate sacrilege and throw up on de Luca. Thankfully the nausea passed and with her help, he inched onto his feet. "Any thoughts on which way we go?" Elena asked. "If Clancy and the others got out, it's likely they will either be looking for us or maybe trying to reach the shuttle, if it's still there..." he replied, glancing warily up the dimly lit corridor, "... Any idea which direction we should be heading in?" "We certainly can't go that way," she said, pointing at the destroyed corridor. "OK, then that way it is," he said, pointing down the corridor before pushing himself off the bulkhead. Elena noticed that maybe subconsciously, he had moved into the middle of the corridor, clearly avoiding brushing against the walls on either side. They had gone only fifty, sixty meters when they saw the Tkrnn equivalent of a turbolift - The doors had been buckled inwards, and when de Luca cautiously leaned in and checked, she could see in the dim light of the shaft that the carriage had dropped from its runners and had slammed into the bottom of the shaft destroying itself in the process. "We'll have to find another way, you can't climb in your condition," she said, walking off before Tan could argue ..........
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Oct 5, 2023 23:51:53 GMT
"We'll have to find another way, you can't climb in your condition," she said, walking off before Tan could argue ..... David watched her walk away - He knew she was trying to be objective, and he knew that they had a very close bond, it was the same with Iorte Clancy, they were more like family than colleagues, unlike most of the Intelligence Community, who by the very nature of their role somehow avoided any form of closeness with the people they worked alongside. As they walked, Elena had put a little distance between herself and the injured Tan, not because she doubted her resolve, that wasn't ever going to be an issue, she, like the others had been at this job for much too long for 'sentiment' .... But she couldn't help but be concerned, not only for David, but Iorte, Rosa, and the unfortunate Lieutenant from the James Clark Maxwell who had been only too happy to put himself forward for the task at hand. She moved along the corridor, trying to picture their position within the sub-cube, she had to silently admit to herself that it was almost impossible - The Changelings had practically run them ragged taking left and right turns at junctions as if they were convinced of the route they needed to follow, when in fact all they had been doing was leading the Intelligence Officers into an unsolvable maze of turns until they were ready to attack! She suddenly realized that David hadn't commented in a while and turned to see where he was. Tan, having pushed himself off the bulkhead beside the open shaft, had been following de Luca, but the pain in his shoulder was spreading, his right side ached, and he was beginning to have trouble breathing. Maybe it was shock setting in, he wasn't sure. Elena turned and walked back to where Tan was standing. They were all dressed in black, a color that was extremely successful at hiding the blood seeping into the fabric. Despite Tan's objections, she made him stop while she took another swath of cloth from her tunic. As he fell against the bulkhead he left a stain from the blood-soaked jumper he was wearing, trying not to show concern Elena began to redress the wound, but the moment she removed the original bandage, blood began to flow again! ..... As quickly as she could, she tied the new makeshift bandage, this time ignoring David's cry of pain as she applied as much force to the knot as she could. "You're losing blood David, there's not much I can do unless we find whatever the Tkrnn use as a Med-bay, or get back to the shuttle," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Leave me here..." Tan said after a moment, "... Backtrack to the open shaft and climb down to the shuttle, once there you can try to contact the Clark Maxwell, or maybe find the others," "I'm not leaving you here!" "It wasn't a suggestion," "Then feel free to file charges once we're back on Starbase Forty-Seven!" de Luca said defiantly, but knew he was right, they wouldn't reach the shuttle if he continued to lose blood, and he was already feeling the effects of that loss. If she had even the basic med kit, she might have been able to fashion something to allow a transfusion, her blood might at least stave off the inevitable. "David," she said, concerned that he had suddenly gone quiet. "Don't panic, I'm not dead yet," he said with a strained grimace. "Wait here..." she said, climbing to her feet before running off along the smoke and dust-strewn corridor. She had to search four rooms before finding what she was looking for, then she returned to Tan, she knelt and gave him a large glass-like container, "... Water, I think, either way, you need to replenish the fluid loss quickly, it won't help the blood loss, but at least you'll not die of dehydration while I'm gone," David sniffed at the top of the container, rotating it in his hand as if sampling a fine wine. "I'll be back with help," she said, rising to her feet as David lifted the container in a mock salute before waving hr away ..... ---------- She retraced their steps and found the shaft quickly. David had said they were possibly two levels 'above' that which the shuttle was docked ..... She looked down into the semi-darkness, then to the left and right of the fractured doors looking for something to help her climb down. Grinning as she saw the indents set into the shaft. 'Apparently, even Changelings need ladders' she thought with a wry grin as she tentatively reached out into the abyss. The ladder was further than she'd hoped, and she quickly realized that she couldn't get to the recesses while still holding onto the doorframe. She stepped back, but there were no other options open to her, she would have to jump into the void and hope she could grab hold of one of the recesses before tumbling into the blackness and certain death. With a deep breath, she stood on the edge of the shaft, eyes locked on the recess she was hoping to grasp. It was basically 'now or never' jump or go back to David and watch him bleed to death - No contest really - She jumped! Her left hand, outstretched, missed the rung, and the sensation of weightlessness hit her as gravity took hold, she had a fraction of a second to react, and thrust her right hand at the recess, snatching the rung and tightening her grip to the point she was convinced she would dislocate one or more fingers, but against odds, she held on, perilously swinging over the void before she extended her left hand to grasp hold, then her feet slipped onto rungs below her. she pulled herself in, almost trying to meld with the wall of the shaft until her heartbeat began to slow. She hadn't been sure about leaving Tan, but now she was in the shaft her priority was clear - She needed to find the others, or the shuttle - Quickly! She began her descent, taking her time so as not to lose her footing, now she was in the lift shaft, she didn't want to fall. As she reached the next level down she noted that these doors, while still in place, seemed bowed inwards, as if they too had been subjected to some force. She continued on downwards, finally reaching what she 'hoped' was the correct level, but the doors were closed! Reaching out, she could barely touch the nearest of the two sliding doors and knew instantly that there was no way she could assert enough pressure to physically force the doors open enough for her to clamber through the gap. She climbed down several more rungs until her eye line was level with what she assumed was the deck - The doors were not flush with the shaft, which was good, but the gap between the doors, and the inevitable drop was maybe twelve, fifteen centimeters, hardly enough for her to perch on 'and' try to force the doors aside. She looked down the shaft, wondering if maybe she would have better luck on the level below, her thinking being that at least out of the shaft, she was no longer in imminent danger of tumbling to her death. With a look back up the way she had come, her thoughts on David and his condition, she began to climb down ..........
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Oct 6, 2023 23:51:52 GMT
..... The climb, while easy enough, was complicated by the fact that every few moments she was forced to push herself into the wall of the shaft as debris, presumably from the explosion, sporadically rained down. She knew full well that being hit by something, even something relatively small, could injure or incapacitate her, making her lose her grip on the ladders' rungs and the inevitable resulting plunge into the abyss!
As she reached the next doors, she again stole herself for reaching out, her position already precarious was further complicated by the fact she would only have one foot on the rung and one hand holding the upright of the ladder as she tried to pull the doors aside.
The first time was unsuccessful, trying not to think about the fall if she lost her grip, she reached out again, this time managing to force the fingers of her left hand into the small gap in the doors. Stretching to her limit, she began to pull the door towards her, it gave, but only centimeters. Cursing under her breath she tried again, this time the door moved further until the gap between the two was almost a full meter.
Now came the moment she was dreading - The 'leap of faith' needed β To get through the doors, she would first have to release her hold on the ladder and grasp the door with both hands βbeforeβ the cube's artificial gravity decided to do its job. She knew that if she hesitated she might decide not to try, so with a deep breath she swung away from the doors and then forward, she repeated this movement three more times, each allowing herself to get closer to the gap while allowing her grip to relax a fraction whilst ensuring she wouldn't let go unintentionally. It was now or never .....
With one last swing, she put everything into forcing herself away from the ladder - For an instant, she was hanging in mid-air, the fall, and her imminent death beckoning, but then she grabbed the door, left hand then right - She felt her feet slam into the smooth shaft wall as she pulled with every fiber of her body until she could get her elbows onto the deck between the doors.
Taking a few seconds to recoup, she began to pull herself upwards until she could drag herself into the doorway legs still hanging over the drop, but exhaustion was catching up on her too fast, and she felt her grip weakening, her fingers cramping, she began to slip back into the shaft!
Panic rose within her as she slipped further and further backward, now only her arms were preventing her from falling and she was tiring, quickly!
The realization that she was about to die engulfed her and she closed her eyes as her right hand released its hold, she could feel gravity pulling her, and when she couldn't hold on any longer, she let go ..... Then someone grabbed her left arm!
She looked up at the figure, silhouetted against the lights in the corridor beyond, she felt the strong arms lifting her. She tried to use her legs to help, but they were useless against the smooth walls as she was pulled first up to her waist, then further out of the shaft, finally rolling over beside the doors, drained, she almost passed out .....
"Ma'am ....."
"Ma'am ....."
With what seemed an almost unsurpassable effort, she managed to open her eyes, lifting one arm to shield the light in her eyes:
"Lieutenant, what are you doing here?" she asked, still on her back.
"I was separated in the explosion..." the young Navigator said as he helped her shakily to her feet, "... Mister Clancy and Ms Noon made it but I was behind them and when the deck collapsed, I fell through the floor,"
"Two decks?" Elena asked.
"No, just the one, but that was far enough I can tell you..." he said, looking her over as if contemplating an expensive purchase, "... I tried to get back but the corridor in both directions was blocked, I found a service shaft and came down one level hoping to find an alternate route,"
"Instead you found me," de Luca said, eyeing the man responsible for saving her life.
"We should go, Ma'am, this corridor doesn't seem any safer than the others I'd wander down,"
"We should try to reach the others," Elena suggested.
"That would mean climbing back up one level..." the Lieutenant said, frowning as he seemed to contemplate the limited options, "... I've not found any access that would allow us to go up,"
"I thought you said you climbed down here through one of their service conduits?"
"I did, but it was blocked behind me and almost killed me in the process," the man said, shaking his head.
"So what do you suggest?" de Luca asked.
"We find an alternate, the others will be looking for us, or trying to reach the shuttle, we should do the same," she nodded, glancing back towards the still open doos of the turbolift shaft, frowning.
"You hear that...?" she asked, moving towards the opening, "... There's someone down there!"
The Lieutenant had been watching her closely, maybe he was wondering if she'd suffered some sort of injury or possible concussion, but he reluctantly approached the opening, head tilting as if trying to catch the quietest sound. He leaned forward, peering into the darkness within the shaft, then hearing nothing he turned - He didn't have time to react as the length of metal debris Elena had picked up while his back was to her was thrust forward piercing his chest before protruding from his back. He barely had time to grasp the doors as she pushed him backward.
For a long they remained motionless, then the hands, seconds ago Human, morphed into claw-like appendages, onyx colored talons began to pierce the doors as the Changeling smiled.
"How did you know?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Your arm..." Elena said, applying more force to the metal spear as the Tkrnn began to inch forward, "... I didn't remember him at first, but I did when I saw his left arm. The Lieutenant was assigned to Starbase Forty-Seven for a short time before joining Clark Maxwell as its Chief Navigation Officer. There was a fire on one of the Promenades, and against orders from Emergency Services, he ran into one of the shops to pull someone out ..... He saved their lives but was badly burned in the process. He point-blank refused to have the scar on his arm removed, he said it would - 'Remind him NOT to act without thinking in future' ..... I saw your arm when you were pulling me out of the shaft," she said with a shrug.
"Ahh, well, alas we cannot mimic what we can't see," the Tkrnn said as he inched further up the jagged metal spear, there seemed to be a distinct gap between the man's body and the metal. He was now only half a meter from her but seemed content to take his time saving himself. Unfortunately for him, Elena didn't have the same level of patience - Reaching behind her back she withdrew her phaser, pointing it point-blank into the face of the Changeling.
"You think you and your friends are going to escape, you think you are safe. We have known about the traitors in our midst, and have allowed them to pursue their goals..." As he had been talking, Elena had used her thumb to adjust the power setting of the phaser whilst keeping her finger on the activation pad, "... You will be taken back to our Homeworld, where you will be bartered for the return of the Star Systems rightfully ours,"
"..... And you 'REALLY' believe that holding three or four hostages is going to make the Romulans, the Klingons, and whoever else just hold their hands up and comply with what even you must realize are monumentally unrealistic demands?"
"We have you, yes, but we also have others, oh, some might not even know they are subject to our whims, but they are. Citizens on several Romulan, Klingon, and tes, even Federation Worlds, will suffer if our demands are not met,"
"Well, unfortunately, you won't be around to witness what I expect to be your spectacular demise," Elena said, her eyes darkening as the Tkrnn began to laugh:
"What do you thi ....."
The Changeling didn't finish the question as she applied pressure the the firing tab on the phaser - Set to its maximum setting, the Changeling's head disappeared, followed a fraction of a second later by the rest of its body along with a large part of the metal spear she had thrust into him. She remained motionless for a long moment, inwardly justifying what she had done, then she dropped the last half-meter of the spear to the deck and turned away from the doors ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Oct 9, 2023 17:25:22 GMT
USS James Clerk Maxwell, outside proto-nebula
Kemp ceased from his futile pacing and returned to the centre chair. How much longer would the team on the shuttle take? He'd instructed them, or advised them, it being most or all he could do, to not take longer than 12 hours to at least make efforts to head to the edge of the inside of the nebula to make a comm report. It had been 16 hours.
"They're useless. Just useless!" he said to himself quietly, shaking himself. He decided he should really engage with that stress management self-help course he'd been meaning to for a while.
"Something must've happened to them, sir."
"Don't say that!" Though it was true. There was that possibility. Had they reached the theorised lattice of abandoned Tkrnn cubic sub-units? He had to think they had. And so something had gone wrong in that vicinity, or on one of the sub-cubes?
"There's something we could do about it, Captain," Commander Ikor the engineer said from the aft of the bridge. "I've been looking over the modifications the changeling made to the shuttle we sent in there, and I think - I can imagine why he decided not to tell us it could be done - the same adaptations might be made to the whole Clerk Maxewll in a few hours, with the same risk attendant on us heading in there as there was for the shuttle."
"Ok, then..." Kemp said, at last feeling he could relax slightly; his white knuckles released the chair's arm-rests a little, "Wait a moment. You're suggesting we head in there with the same mods we made to the shuttlecraft that we haven't heard from? I assume you think that risk you mentioned is acceptably low?"
"Yes, sir. I highly doubt the nebula's substance itself would be to blame for our not hearing from the shuttle. The problem must involve the Tkrnn ship we chased, or involves the lattice."
"A few hours for the modifications? Very well. Proceed, Commander."
* * *
Derelict Tkrnn sub-cube, proto-nebula
At last Clancy caught sight of the docked shuttle, its forward section through a portal on the left side of the corridor, here two decks down from the site of the explosion brought about by the injured Tkrnn that was just behind him, accompanying him to the craft to see what they might use to continue with the rescue. "Ok, we're nearly there."
Clancy had no idea that, by the changeling's caving in the ceiling with his borrowed phaser, it had really meant to kill Tan and de Luca. That action hadn't only been a means of escape for himself, Clancy and Noon from the pursuing Tkrnn personnel...
They reached and boarded the shuttle, heading into the main compartment where Clancy, his phaser drawn and with one eye on the changeling, searched in the aft for anything that could assist them (something that could move lots of heavy wreckage, or pattern enhancers, or damn well anything at all).
The changeling studied the main display in the cockpit with a mysterious eye; he reached out for the panel.
At that point Clancy turned to face him directly, and gave a start, "Don't touch that!" And he frowned at something separate.
"My apologies..." the injured changeling half-turned, and now saw that Clancy seemed nonplussed. "What is it?"
The Intel officer then realised what it was. He moved forward, and just as the significance of it dawned on him, the unfamiliar strut just aft of the starboard co-pilot's console melted and morphed into a tangled mass of Tkrnn changeling tissue; it put out two prongs and with unbelievable force took Iorte and the injured Tkrnn off their feet.
Wheezing, his chest coursing with pain, Clancy rose up in the tight confines. His phaser wasn't visible, and the hatch out of the shuttle had been locked. Struggling to stand upright, he turned to confront the changeling as shapeless it advanced towards him.
OOC: I'm thinking that the changeling that's attacked them on the shuttle is the same that kidnapped de Luca and Noon to start with
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Oct 10, 2023 23:25:54 GMT
Derelict sub-cube ... Proto-Nebula ::
They had gone only fifty, sixty meters when they saw the Tkrnn equivalent of a turbolift - The doors had been buckled inwards, and when de Luca cautiously leaned in and checked, she could see in the dim light of the shaft that the carriage had dropped from its runners and had slammed into the bottom of the shaft destroying itself in the process.
"We'll have to find another way, you can't climb in your condition," she had said, walking off before Tan could argue. That was, as far as Tan could work out, hours ago ..... He'd remained motionless as Elena had walked off in search of help, but the moment she was out of sight he slumped sideways and lost consciousness! ..... Finally, he came around, his head was pounding, he was nauseous, and his vision blurred, he silently speculated that he 'could' be suffering from a concussion, which made getting urgent medical help even more of a priority. He had no option but to try to make his way down the two levels, two, or one, he paused his train of thought, trying to remember what had been said, two levels, or just the one, his quandary was obvious - If he did manage to get to his feet, and was fortunate enough to find a safe means on descending below this level, and he went two instead of just the one, he could find himself wandering with no chance of finding the shuttle or the others, but that also left the problem that he could go down one level and be faced with a futile search, all the while his medical condition 'could' be deteriorating exponentially! He sat looking down the corridor, one tiny part almost willing a Federation Rescue Team to miraculously appear, as a mental exercise, he trimmed his expectations somewhat, now instead of a full rescue team, there were just a few people from the... the... For the life of him, he couldn't recall the name of the Starship that had brought them here. Or maybe one of the damn Changelings would turn up carrying a bottle of water. 'Hell, I might even forego killing the thing outright for a drink' he thought, wincing as a jolt of pain raced through his head. "So ..... Sit and stew, or make a move...?" he asked himself, "... OK ..... Move it is," Steeling himself, he rested his hands on the bulkhead and used his legs to start forcing him upwards. Another wave of nausea almost overwhelmed him, but finally, and without losing what little was in his stomach, he was upright. Elena had gone forwards and had said she would go right at the junction, hoping to find a means to descend, so as he half-walked half-slid along the bulkhead to the same junction, now almost clear of the dust and smoke from earlier, he tentatively turned left and began to follow the corridor. He hadn't gone far when he lurched forward and threw up! 'Definitely concussion, possibly more serious' he thought as he stepped around the mess and continued. He had gone a further thirty, maybe forty meters when he came across what looked like of all things, a bloody staircase. For a few seconds he just looked into the darkness, it was hardly the grand staircase of the Titanic, just a tight spiral going both up, and importantly, downwards! ..... Stepping through the open door, he paused, for a second he could have sworn he'd heard something in the shaft but waiting didn't produce a repeat performance. He moved forwards - On the left, steps going up, to the right, down. He didn't hesitate to take the low road, partly because it was taking him where he needed to go, but also because he could allow himself to sit on steps, shuffling forwards moving down like a child's first venture on stairs at home. It was obviously his imagination, but the shaft seemed eerily lit, a single blue light at the juncture of the step and shaft wall, almost like something out of some gothic horror story. He's already decided on how many levels to traverse, partly on his decidedly dubious memory, but also on his failing ability to rationalize. So when he reached the last of the steps that brought him level with the door to the corridor, he took it before allowing himself to second-guess his decision. This corridor, unlike the one above, seemed brighter, so bright in fact that he was forced to shield his eyes for a few seconds to allow them to become accustomed. Once ready he continued on, he'd long since given up on trying to remember his orientation, he'd been hoping to keep moving forward without deviating, but a combination of the spiral access shaft, and his headache, put paid to any plan of action, so he pressed on ..... The sound, when it came, was unmistakable... Phaser-fire! He froze, trying to put his back against the bulkhead, eyes darting left and right for any means of concealment from whoever had fired the weapon. He heard footsteps approaching - FAST! "DAVID!" he heard someone say. He turned to see someone approaching him quickly, the phaser in her left hand almost gyroscopically steady. He had just enough time to realize it was Elena before his eyes rolled upwards and all went black ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 240
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Post by Nia Lemond on Oct 11, 2023 23:01:27 GMT
Admiral Lemond's Office ... Mezzanine Level Command Center Starbase Forty-Seven ::
Captain Paul Kemp was sitting in the Intelligence Director's outer office, feeling all the world like a child waiting to see their Headmaster ..... In her office, Nia sat at her desk, her Adjutant, Erin Paquin, opposite .....
"I'm still not sure why he came running back here," Lemond said, sipping at the coffee Erin had given her.
"No one is criticizing what he's done Admiral, nor, in my opinion, should they. He's not used to having to ceed to Intelligence, or anyone else for that matter..." Erin said, pausing to sip her own beverage before continuing, "... He's relatively new to Command, and to be pretty much thrown into the proverbial 'Deep End' had clearly affected his decision-making,"
"You think he was being a little overzealous?" Nia asked.
"No, not at all ..... He had an Officer on that Away Team, and regulations are clear regarding contact, the fact that Intelligence is not strangled by those regulations had obviously not dawned on him. His concern stemmed from the fact that despite objections 'HE' had insisted on sending a Pilot with the Away Team. Maybe he's feeling guilty," Erin speculated.
"We know he's capable, he wouldn't have been given a Command if he wasn't, and I get the concern for his Officer..." Nia said, rising to refill her cup despite the look from her ever-protective Adjutant, "... So, despite his motives, which again, are not in question, he has at least h's ensured we're up to date regarding Tan and the others, he's also put in a request, or rather, made a 'suggestion' that he might take the Clark Maxwell back to go look for them,"
"You're kidding, right?" Nia asked, almost spitting out her coffee.
"No, though I did say that other assignments had been pending prior to his being seconded, and it was likely he's he retasked," Paquin said with a grin.
"Where's the El Alamein now?"
"Last report put them outside the Eta Iridi I Star System, scanning proceedings on the ongoing firefight between the Romulans and the Tkrnn, or rather lack thereof,"
"Once we're done here, get a subspace message to Captain Komin - She's to re-enter the System and do all she can to locate Tan et al, short of getting herself killed that is," Lemond said, glancing into the empty cup and silently weighing up if she could successfully get another refill before Erin blocked her way.
"..... And Captain Kemp?" Paquin asked, making discrete inputs to the PADD on her knee. Nia thought for a moment then replied:
"Send him to join the blockade, that way at least he's not feeling like he did anything wrong..." Nia said, holding up a hand as her Adjutant was about to interrupt, "... Yes, I know, he's guilty of nothing more than being a little over-keen to report in person, nothing wrong with that, unless his vessel no longer being in situ jeopardizes the Away Team personnel,"
"He's still sat in the outer office by the way," Erin said, rising to pluck Lemond's empty cup off her desk before heading for her adjoining office. After a moment Nia stood and headed for the door, which obligingly slid aside at her approach. Kemp stood as she walked over to him waving him to sit as she took a seat opposite. She took her time explaining the situation, making sure he fully understood the somewhat 'flexible' regulations when conveying Intelligence Personnel on or to a mission. He said he did, and assured her there would be no recurrence of his preemptive actions. Happy, she dismissed him saying Erin had new orders then dismissed him.
Returning to her office, Nia sat in one of the plush couches she had imported, mainly to put her 'guests' at ease, then closed her eyes. Deep in thought, she wondered if her people were in trouble ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 253
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Oct 16, 2023 13:19:15 GMT
Docked shuttlecraft, derelict sub-cube, proto-nebula
The silvery grey material of the changeling was split by similar substance of a slightly more sickly hue, undergoing a sort of bifurcating dissection to right and left in front of Clancy, and the Intelligence officer realised that the changeling who'd accompanied him had just intervened, attacking its brethren as it'd been on the verge of its probably lethal attack on Iorte.
Rivulets of Tkrnn matter, stunned under the attack, arrowed to the deck of the shuttle either side of Iorte, before under process of suction drawing themselves off to his left and reconstituting, rising up and seeming to form a jagged mouth in the midst of the vague mirage of a face.
"Traitor..." it whispered, suggestions of eyes seeming to look upon the gelatinous Tkrnn that'd accompanied Iorte and that was lying convalescent - in more solid humanoid-like form - at the angle of the deck and the starboard-side bulkhead.
"There's nothing for me back there in the homeland, now that the Supreme Rulers have delivered their edict, shutting out all rebels and exiles for a hundred years," the Tkrnn that'd accompanied Iorte replied, cradling the clearly damaged parts of its form.
"I'll go back there. And tell them that you won't be able to return from exile in longer than a thousand years, let alone a century," the other Tkrnn rasped, as it did so materialising itself into a surer solid form, showing itself to have chosen an unfamiliar and probably entirely nonexistent human Starfleet officer. Iorte noticed that it was now badly maimed, this manifesting itself in the fact that both its arms were missing. "You've chosen to throw your lot in with these... people. And so should receive no sympathy, less than that in fact."
"I've done nothing of the sort. But so be it..." the exiled changeling said weakly.
"Now that another ship is here, I don't have time for this," the attacker responded. Its features contorted in anger and its form melted away again - a tendril of its darting aside to the tertiary console's panel, releasing the hatch from where it'd locked it - and seeped out into the sub-cube once more.
Iorte picked himself up, recovered his phaser and having located a tool for cutting through heavy metal objects (such as the wreckage blocking the passage) as well as provided himself with a replacement for his obliterated tricorder, himself headed back into the sub-cube with the exiled changeling.
"Something you should know about the Tkrnn that attacked us, human," the exiled Tkrnn (also damaged) said after a while of walking. Human, ok, that's promising, Iorte thought, at least this changeling didn't know about Iorte's more primordial origins. "I believe that Tkrnn is the one that your starship came here looking for, the one that captured your two officers from the asteroid."
Clancy absorbed this information and nodded. At last we've found the kidnapper, he thought. "The asteroid, your waypoint marker between Tkrnn and Federation space? You knew about our presence there?" he asked and the Tkrnn confirmed it. They went on a while.
"I'm afraid I can't go much further. What damage had been done to me before has I fear been made irreparable by my intervention to protect your person. I don't think I can change again."
"Ok... Remain here. Take this," he handed the changeling a knife, who took it bemusedly, "You say you can't change. So you need something that's really a weapon, and not one of your limbs given edges sharpened to the width of a few molecules. Well, there we are."
The changeling nodded and propped himself against a wall. Iorte turned and scanned ahead with his new tricorder. He was detecting two additional human lifesigns where none had been before, on the deck immediately above.
<Tag Tan, de Luca>
And the one deck above that still presumably held Noon and the navigator, sitting next to the debris. He made for the nearest accessible lift, eye out for the changeling that'd attacked him on the shuttle, the original kidnapper of de Luca and Noon.
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Elena de Luca
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Dec 14, 2009 0:38:17 GMT
Posts: 266
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Post by Elena de Luca on Oct 21, 2023 0:15:28 GMT
Derelict Sub-Cube ... Proto-Nebula ::
The sound, when it came, was unmistakable... Phaser-fire!
He froze, trying to put his back against the bulkhead, eyes darting left and right for any means of concealment from whoever had fired the weapon. He heard footsteps approaching - FAST!
"DAVID!" he heard someone say. He turned to see someone approaching him quickly, the phaser in her left hand almost gyroscopically steady. He had just enough time to realize it was Elena before his eyes rolled upwards and all went black
---------- She was relieved when David opened his eyes, but she could see immediately that the bloodshot sclera, the white of his eyes, showed he was suffering from a concussion, possibly internal bleeding. The suttle was one level below, but despite that it may as well have been in the next star system, there was no way she could physically carry Tan that distance! She was thinking of what her next move should be when she was sure she heard something further along the corridor, almost up against the destroyed wreckage that had blocked their way. Coaxing Tan to lay down on his side, she assured him she would be back in a moment, then moved along the corridor, she had almost passed one room when movement caught her eye, she spun, phaser ready, but heard a familiar voice: "..... Elena?"She entered the room and saw Rosa Noon huggled in one corner, trying her hardest to remain in the shadows. "Rosa?" "Oh, thank God...!" the Intelligence Officer said, clambering unsteadily to her feet, "... I thought you were dead!" "Well, it seems we made it..." de Luca said, relieved, "... Did you see Clancy or the Pilot?" "No, Iorte was pretty much under the blast I think, David too, though given you're here and I was convinced I'd see a good part of the deck above fall on you, who the hell knows!" Noon said, fighting off the shock that was threatening to overwhelm her. "I've found David, he's not far away from here, he's hurt, possible concussion, but that might be the least of his problems..." de Luca said, gently urging Rosa forward, "... Let's go see him, OK?" They began to make their way back towards David when Rosa suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, eyes locked on a section of bulkhead. Elena could see it was a Tkrnn turbolift door. "What?" she asked urgently, her phaser rotating to point directly at the closed doors. "You didn't hear it?" Noon asked as de Luca suddenly realized the 'lift was about to reach their level. She dragged the woman out of the line of sight of the doors and knelt on one knee, phaser ready. The indicator above the door stopped blinking and remained solid, the doors slid aside but no one stepped into the corridor. Elena was about to inch forward when she heard a familiar voice: "Hello?" Relief flooded through Elena as she realized who was in the 'lift, she moved quickly, almost without thinking, and stepped into the rectangle of light emitting from the turbolift. Inside, Iorte Clancy was crouched in the far left corner, his own weapon trained on the opening formed by the opening doors. "Way to remain incognito," de Luca said as Clancy got to his feet. "Who's with you?" "Rosa, but David is back there, he's injured, possibly internal bleeding but without proper diagnostics, I can't say for sure..." Elena said, shaking her head in frustration, "... Either way we need to get him help, and quickly!" "The shuttle is one level down, let's go!" "The Pilot?" "Dead," Pulling Rosa to her feet, they made their way back to where Elena had left David. Though conscious, he was clearly in a bad way. Iorte lifted him over his shoulder in the classic 'Firemen lift' and headed back to the turbolift, Elena and Rosa close behind. They dropped to the next level and exited the 'lift making their way quickly to the waiting shuttle. Once inside, Elena sealed the hatch while Clancy brought the drive systems online. Laying David on one of the bunks, Rosa began to assess his injuries whilst Elena scanned the shuttle for any signs of the Changelings. Satisfied, though not one hundred percent convinced they were alone, she relaxed an iota as the shuttle lifted and headed back to the external lock doors they had passed through so long ago. Once in open space. Clancy began to work out which way they should go, Elena was treating David as Rosa Noon took the second Pilot seat, unnoticed, she accessed weapons control and without warning, fired a full volley into the Tkrnn cube they had been held on, a second then third volley destroyed the cubes connected to their former prison ..... No one spoke as Clancy engaged the impulse drive and moved the shuttle away from the devastation and out of the nebula. Nobody spoke about Noon's actions as the shuttle entered open space and Clancy began to quickly calculate their best escape options. Rosa got out of the second seat and returned to the rear of the shuttle, pausing to look at the unconscious Tan, she took a seat opposite and fell silent. Elena knew Noon had acted impulsively, almost irrationally, but any inquiry into her actions was for another time, for now, the woman needed rest. Elena took a blanket from one of the overhead lockers and wrapped it around Rosa's shoulders, as Noon smiled, de Luca gently placed a hypospray against her throat. Noon nodded appreciatively as the sedative surged into her bloodstream, seconds later she was resting, oblivious. "Where now?" Elena asked Iorte ..........
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