====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Security Offices - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.18.1132) It hadn't taken long for the CEO to respond to Dario's message regarding the away mission. =/\= Dario, before I agree to join you on the away mission I would like to ask how long you expect it to take, you see I am in the middle of investigating the incident on the U.S.S Firebrande, and the most of the engineering personnel are tied up with this, I may be able to leave the Assistant CEO in charge until I get back, if it isn't expected to be a long mission. =/\= "Well, given the relative closeness of the Dominion base and the fact we will only be doing some surveillance work before returning I can't see the mission taking longer than about 30 to 36 hours but of course I can't guarantee that. If you'd rather not go on the mission yourself you could just send one of your assistants, I just have a feeling we'll need an engineer around, that's all." =/\= Understood, I'll see what I can do. River out. =/\= ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - FO Cmdr Richard Ian Lee - 2378.08.18.1845) Rich grunted, as the departments all reported in. He crossed his arms, and waited unpatiently for the rest to do so. He was about to start contacting departments when an image formed on his screen. On it was a woman in PJ's, with a bra on her head and a sock hanging by her ear. Rich had been in firefights, both space and planet borne. There was little that could phase him in an emergency situation anymore, yet at the site of a woman with a bra on her head, he could only do one thing. He gaped. "Umm, this is Dr. Dervin, umm," Rich watched the sock let go of what appeared to be an earring, then put his attention back to the woman's face, trying hard to ignore the bra. "there is... nothing amiss in the Warp Technologies Department, honest." ~Dr Dervin, Civilian~ Rich groped for a few moments, then did about the only other thing he could do. He pointed to his own head, and said "I very seriously doubt you are trying to make a fashion statement, so...take a look." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.1852) "I very seriously doubt you are trying to make a fashion statement, so... take a look." The man said as he pointed to his own head. Tanya put her own hand up to her head, and discovered... a bra.... ~Oh, my stars, this is not looking good.~ And then she did something even worse, she opened her mouth and began to speak. "I, I, my, my apologies, ssir." she said as she was turning a shade of scarlet. "I was doing research in my office, and.. and... well, then the red glowing came on with the noise, and I figured it meant something so I went searching for this document which I found in a large container of things that well, had some of my personal items in it." she finished. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - FO Cmdr Richard Ian Lee - 2378.08.18.1853) "I, I, my, my apologies, ssir." she said as she was turning a shade of scarlet. "I was doing research in my office, and.. and... well, then the red glowing came on with the noise, and I figured it meant something so I went searching for this document which I found in a large container of things that well, had some of my personal items in it." Lee put his tounge in cheek, and cut back the first reply that came to mind, which would have gone along the lines of 'How bout a date.. to discuss red alert procedure if nothing else *wink* ' This was definatly not the time for such things. Rich put his hand behind his back and said only "Very well, Dr Dervin. We will discuss the particulars of this later, for now... thank you for your report. Operations out." The screen cut off, and Lee was forced to chuckle. "Never a dull day..." ====================/\==================== (USS Firebrande - Main Engineering - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.18.1 930) Dario had just been dismissed by Admiral Jopek after the completion of the 'Borg Investigation' when the call came throuhg from Valhalla's FO. =/\= Lee to security, we might have a saboteur or terrorist aboard. Confer with Orbital Operations and send a team to the Columbia and begin an investigation while the ship is repaired. I want a report ASAP. =/\= ~ Oh for @#$%*&^! ~ thought Marsland. Here they were in the very heart of the Federation and it seemed like every enemy of the Federation could just waltz in and do as they pleased! "Aye sir" called Dario in response to the FO. He tapped his comm badge before continuing. "Marsland to Delta Team, converge on the USS Columbia immediately. Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious, we may have a sabouter onboard. Investigate the incident there and report directly to First Officer Lee with any findings, Marsland out!" The day was beginning to drag on Dario. Since he had gone on duty at 0600 that morning one drama had followed another. Despite the current situation with the Columbia, it was time for a break and time to leave his department to run itself. Dario tapped his comm badge for the final time that day. "Marsland to Nauen." =/\= Nauen here =/\= came the reply of the TAC/ASC. "I'm in need of some downtime, finish your investigation on the Firebrande then return to Valhalla. Delta team is heading over to investigate the incident with the Columbia, but they are reporting directly to First Officer Lee. If you need me I'll be in my quarters." =/\= Understood, Nauen out. =/\= ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - TAC/SC's Quarters - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.18.1946) Dario stumbled through the door and threw himself onto his bed. Despite the need for a good nights sleep before tomorrow's mission, if it was still going ahead, Dario knew he needed to eat. Rising up off the bed he made his way over to the replicator and ordered his favourite meal, fillet mignon. Whilst enjoying meal Dario asked the computer to play his message bank. =/\= Brannigan to Marsland. Message received. Is there anything we need to know about for this mission? =/\= came the voice of the CSO. "Computer send the following reply to Lt. Brannigan as well as Ensigns Landis and River." =/\= Begin message =/\= "I've received no further information on the mission so far, although chances are we won't be going on the USS Columbia. She's been damaged at the docking bay and FO Lee has advised a new departure time of 1200 hours but this of course is subject to sufficient repairs taking place. I may ask the Admiral if we can head out in a shuttle or runabout from here, I will get back to early tomorrow about this. Marsland out." =/\= Message sent =/\= announced the computer. Dario finished his meal and headed for the shower before once again collapsing on his bed. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.2200) Tanya stared at the drawings on the PADD in front of her, she'd been over the calculations several times, and each time it had worked. She'd gone so far as to input them into the computer, and run several simulations, again, it had also worked. But then again, so had the other simulations, the ones that had caused the pie incident. She sighed. The PADD of numbers and shield geometric formations began to blur before her eyes, she actually thought she saw a rabbit in one of the shield modulations, or was it a Klingon Targ? She wasn't certain but it seemed to be attached to a little..... ~TANYA! this is nonsense~ she scolded herself. Shaking her head, she realised that she'd probably not slept for any long period of time in days. And so, Dr. Tanya Leigh Dervin picked up her PADD's and information and carried it with her as she made her way back to her quarters on Valhalla. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0745) Over the communications network, Ensign River handed his reported, the Firebrande was clear of more holographic drones, no more Borg would be paying the ship a visit. "Thank you Ensign, Jopek out.", he said, returning to his computer and the paperwork. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - TAC/SC's Quarters - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.19.0826) The Security Chief woke with a start as the Red Alert klaxon screeched throughout the starbase. He sprang out of bed and flung open the cabinet that held his clean uniforms. Pulling on his uniform he quickly glanced at the clock. ~Christ! Look at the time!~ Any other thoughts about time and why the station was at Red Alert were interrupted by the AOPS Officer. =/\= Ra'Kir to security: We have a saboteur on station and I have initiated lockdown as per standard procedure Alpha-one -one. Rest is yours. Get them, fast. Relaying situation information to you now. Computer, record all sensor logs from this morning 0000, encode them and send them to Security and Admiral Jopek. =/\= ~More saboutage? The Gods have cursed this place, that's for sure!~ thought Marsland as he tapped his comm badge and began sprinting to his office. "Marsland to all security personnel. I want teams of two at all entry and exit points of Valhalla and all facilities on Mars. Ensign Nauen report to my office immediately. Marsland out." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - TAC/SC's Office - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.19.0828) Dario had just logged into his console when his assistant entered the office. Nauen was calm as always. "Security teams report that all entry and exit points are secure until further notice" stated Nauen. "Excellent, that's fast work. Ops have just sent us the situation report on this latest saboutage attack. It looks like Ensign Okada Kazuko, the YEO, found some sort of explosive device onboard the USS Lion and was forced to take a shuttlecraft to get both it and herself off the ship. I want you to s tudy the reports carefully and help Ops with their investigation, I need to prepare for the away mission." (Reply Nauen) "Good luck Ensign, you're incharge until I return." With that Marsland left the office. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0830) =^= She's in Otono now, but I don't know her condition. I have initiated the lockdown procedures and informed security. What are your orders, Sir?" =^= Jopek headed for the door, and entered the main Operations Center of Starbase Valhalla. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0832) "Ensign, I'll be on Otono, the station is yours. Lock down the station as best you can, no ships or personnel are to leave until further notice. Carry on.", he said, stepping into the turbolift. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.19.0832) =^=Ensign, I'll be on Otono, the station is yours. Lock down the station as best you can, no ships or personnel are to leave until further notice... Carry on.=^= Ralth acknowledged the admirals message and tapped a few keys to seal and secirty-lock the emergency lifepods and shuttlebay doors. It was risky, if there would be an emergency people wouldn't be able to evacuate until he or one of the other senior command officers would enable them, but it would also make sure the saboteur wouldn't be able to leave Valhalla or the dockyards. That was when he _felt_ eyes boring in the back of his skull. "I relieve you, ensign." Ralth turned to see first officer Lee nodding towards the ops console. Immediately he turned and headed off, getting a reassuring pat on the back in the way. He felt his ears flattening for just a second. ~I am no child, needing a comforting pat on the back.~ Then the gravity of the situation pried itself into his mind, and he started to appreciate that someone had taken command from him for now. Stepping up to the command console he began running diagnostics on all critical systems to make sure the explosion in the shuttle hadn't damaged anything. That was when he noticed something odd. ~We are in red alert, but why are the shields down? Hmm..~ Slapping his commbadge he opened a link. "Ops to Engineering, why aren't our shields up?" (Reply Engineering) Just as he was listening to his commbadge, the diagnostics started running through his screen. ~Wait a second, there's a power discrepancy there..~ Quickly he stored the diagnostic results into memory and started a level-four diagnostic and route-mapping of the power conduits. The FO interrupted him but he took a moment to listen. "Valhalla to all Starfleet vessels, maintain full red alert and begin security sweeps. One bomb has been placed and detonated, more could have been laid. Route all security status reports to Station security and Station operations. Valhalla out." A moments pause. "Lee to all senior officers, departmental status and security meeting in one hour. Maintain full security protocols and ensure the safety of your department, meeting is second priority. Route all security requests to Station security. No mistakes people, we have fatalities." Ralth turned to glance at the FO just as he turned to stare at Ralth. "Status?" "Sir, ourr shields are down. Strructural Integrrity Fields are at 120% to compensate parrtially. Weapons arre mostly down, and engineering seems to have trrouble telling me anything." Cmd. Lee looked like he wanted to say something, but then his console bleeped, and he turned to tap it a few times. "Ensign Ra'Kir..." Ralth saw new info rolling to his screen. |...report and record time of death at...| Ralth felt all heat leave his body at those words. ~No! She can't be gone! We had her!~ He turned to stare directly into the eyes of the first officer just as his emotions kicked back on, feeling the hot rush of anger boil from a point within his stomach, rushing to his head and limbs. Ralth remained still, but knew his tail was lashing and could feel his claws pressing through his uniform trousers and his fur into his skin. The pain helped him to control himself, to snap him to reality from a momentary daydream of the saboteur in a closed space, and himself there, hunting... ~Keep control, dammit! You have a job to do, mourn and fantasize later!~ "You did well in a command situation, but this is your first hard lesson." he took a breath. "Even on the ball, you loose people." "Thank you, sir. I'll rresume my duties." Ralth turned back to his console, staring at the report for a second, then filing it for his official report of the incident. ~Okay, you son of a maxigrazer's retard.. You wanted war, you'll have war. I'll not rest until you are mine.~ Punching a few buttons he started going through transport logs and shuttle manifest lists of arriving and leaving personnel. There was only one shuttle that had taken flight to the USS Lion, and its passenger was... ~What the hell? A "Rear Admiral Kevel" took a shuttle, the Gallegos, to the USS Lion, but no reports ever indicated that any such person entering the Valhalla on any ships... Well, well, well.~ He punched up a flight manifest to locate the shuttle and then tried to raise its designated pilot on the comm. Silence. Computer, locate ensign Targis." <> He scanned the shuttle, but didn't find any lifeforms. An ominous feeling started creeping over him.. "AOPS to security, please rrespond." (Reply TAC/SC) "I have an anomalous rreport on one of ourr shuttles in shuttlebay 3. It seems the pilot either left his commbadge there or has been... Disabled. There are no lifeforrms onboard, but make sure you arre careful. I suspect it has been used by our mysterious saboteur. Also, verify that Rrear Admiral Kevel is _not_ on board Valhalla station or one of the ships orrbiting or in the docks. Inform me of any findings. Ra'Kir out." Ralth turned to the FO. "Sir, we have a lead on the saboteur. Security is checking shuttle Gallegos, it seems a 'Rrear Admiral Kevel' has been using it to 'Tour' the USS Lion, and now I can't rraise the pilot." (Reply FO) "Yes, sir." ~Where the hell is ltn. Black? This is _his_ post during red alert!~ "Computer, locate ltn. Black." <> ~How did he end up there?~ He tapped his comm again. "Ra'Kir to Otono. Rrequest status of ltn. Black." (Reply Any in Otono) "I see. Please tell me when he wakes. Ra'Kir out." Ralth was starting to feel slightly dizzy from all the information he'd absorbed and from the stress of the situation. He rubbed his eyes and started regulating his breathing, using it to concentrate and ward off the vertigo of emotions and thoughts that was forming inside his head. "Computer, redisplay power distribution diagnostic schematic. Rescan the system with level-four diagnostic and mark _all_ anomalies on the schematic." Ralth took the moment to stretch his back and get a cup of Terran hot chocolate from the replicator. On caitians, chocolate acted like caffeine on humans, only less addictive and causing some troubles in their digestive system. It also tasted better then coffee. Ralth downed the chocolate, enjoying the taste for a second and then getting to the schematic. He almost dropped his cup. Half the grid showed red or yellow. Yellow in this situation meaned they'd not be able to handle full power from the generators. A quick lookaround showed Ralth that only one-quarter of the station would have shields if they were raised, and good half would have only burnt-out conduits. ~Well, I know what will be our next objective. It's a good thing we haven't been needing shields yet..~ ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - En-route to Main Operations - FO Cmdr Richard Ian Lee - 2378.08.19.0835) Rich shoved a crewman out of his way, and continued at a dead run down the corridor for main Ops. Red Alert blazed, and the word was there was sa bomb. Rich had patched himself into Ops communications on the run, and from the sound of things, it wasn't going well. "MOVE!" he bellowed, and slid to the side as two more officers with shocked looks just stood in his way. ~I swear to God, Ill end up killing someone.~ He flew past the doors into main operations, and caught the tail end of a report to Admiral Jopek. (Reply Jopek to AOPS) Rich walked up beside AOPS and looked at the command console, taking in the sights. The station was at full red alert, and all of Utopia was at lockdown. Rich put his hands behind his back, and thinned his lips. "I relieve you, Ensign." He tapped the back of the AOPS officer, and nodded to the Operations station. He looked at the main screen, and frowned more. "Valhalla to all Starfleet vessels, maintain full red alert and begin security sweeps. One bomb has been placed and detonated, more could have been laid. Route all security status reports to Station security and Station operations. Valhalla out." He rubbed his temples for a moment, then tapped his badge. "Lee to all senior officers, departmental status and security meeting in one hour. Maintain full security protocols and ensure the safety of your department, meeting is second priority. Route all security requests to Station security. No mistakes people, we have fatalities." Rich turned to the operations officer, and said "Status?" (Reply Ra'Kir) Rich was about to call down when the console before him beeped. Ensign Ra'Kir had placed a computer marker on the YEO's file and history. Rich looked up at the AOPS, then back at the console. "Ensign Ra'Kir..." he pushed a couple buttons, and transferred the information to the Operations console. "You did well in a command situation, but this is your first hard lesson." Rich took a breath. "Even on the ball, you loose people." The information he had transferred was an official report from the CMO that Okada Kazuko was dead. (Reply Ra'Kir if desired) Rich tapped his badge. "Lee to Jopek, Okada Kazuko has been declared dead as of 0839 hours. You should have a report from the CMO post-haste. Station is maintaining full security alert, Lee out." ====================/\==================== (Strategic Operations - STRATOPS's Office - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.19.0848) "What about the MDP did you wish to discuss, Lieutenant?" "Several things, really, Captain. The general status of the project would be nice to start with, but after that my main interest is in the materials and parts you'd need imported from outside our own complex. As I'm sure you can appreciate, supply ships are a bit over-crowded with all the construction going on around here - it seems everytime I walk along a new corridor the list... doubles... in..." Jenna steepled her fingers, and watched the Ops officer as he seemed to trail off. "Anyway, anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated, sir. I'm not a fan of surprises." "Indeed, Im sure you are not." She considered for a moment. "However, any construction is not yet in planning. Advanced Technologies first has to get me plans for what to build. Im sure you will be the first on my short list when such activities will begin." ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO's Office - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0850) The office was silent, the outside world shut out by doors. Officers passing by looked briefly, but then moved quickly out of vision of the windows. Chief Medical Officer Maxwell Cambridge sat at his desk, his head in his hands as he looked over the report he now had to face. It seemed to be menacing him at every move, calling into question each sentence he added and then deleted. "Chief of Orbital Operations Okada Kazuko has died. She was killed while trying to save her yards..." Stopping once more, Cambridge looked up at his wall. It was filled with picture on picture of commands he had held, and places he had worked. His eyes moved to the picture that showed his home in Roundup Montana. A good-sized ranch, it held horses, cows and anything else you would find there. It was a place he often went to relax, to get away from things, to find his meaning in life. Right now, he was trying to find it once more and it was there, but not. Almost running away from him, calling to him. Shaking his head, the CMO continued the report. "She was transported off the shuttle at the time of the explosion, had endured severe burns and internal damage. The medical staff attempted to save her..." He'd always hated the next words he was forced to say. They were the enemy to him, the evil ones that sought to destroy his life, his heart and his soul. It was death that Maxwell hated with a burning passion of rage. It was death that had brought him here and it was something that reminded him each day as he walked his command. He wanted to pull out a middle age sword and face death on equal terms, just for once. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "But due to advancement of injuries, the medical staff was forced to stop all attempts to save the ensign. Time of death was 8:39. Body will be transported to homeland and to family for burial along with all personal belongings and instructions therein. Orders are with the transport staff and they are in process. Note on log, security concerns remain. End." Sitting back, the Doctor closed his eyes. For a moment he faced all the death he had seen for many years. Each one that had fallen, each one that had not been able to stop the ever consuming darkness that was death. Cambridge pulled up his PADD, still in thought. He had yet to see several officers for their exams. Most notably Therrault or whatever her name had been. He quickly sent her a message telling her to return to Otono when she had a moment to finish what he had started. He sent a message to the CEO, OPS, Security, Counseling and nearly every department head except for Orbital Ops. He wasn't going to touch it, not in one way state or form. Not for quite some time. He stood, taking stock of the office surrounding him. He hadn't heard from his ACMO lately and was beginning to be concerned. Standing, he moved out of the office and into the main area. He nodded to several officers and made his way to the front desk. ====================/\==================== (Strategic Operations - STRATOPS's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0850) The Captain had been instructing him that there were no plans to begin construction work on the MDP - yet: "...I'm sure you will be the first on my short list when such activities will begin." She stood. The meeting was over. "Thank you, sir," Martin said. Standing up, he reached out his hand to shake hers. Taking his hand in her considerable grip, Jenna Rulestadd proceeded to shake hands with the Betazoid whose heart began to pound... Deep inside the recesses of his mind he began to scream... For a split second his strength swelled in rage threatening to shatter the woman's hand, but a heartbeat later, the Betazoid was on the floor. Muttering incoherently and fighting ghosts only he could see, Martin didn't even feel the effect of the transporter as he was beamed to Otono. ====================/\==================== (Strategic Operations - STRATOPS's Office - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.19.0850) "Thank you, sir," The Ops officer stood, and offered his hand. Jenna looked at it for a moment, then decided he had been polite and protocol was not broken. She took his hand, and gave it a squeeze. As she tried to leg go, her head suddenly whirled and Blacks grip tightened to a painful, almost certainly damaging grip. Every instinctual alarm she had went off immediately and she had the sudden urge to defend herself. She was bringing back her other arm to strike when Black suddenly let go, and fell to the floor. With the break in contact, Jenna's slight touch telepathy was broken and the buzzing in her mind disappeared. The operations officer was murmuring, curled up in a ball on her floor. Jenna tapped her badge with her good hand, and said "Medical emergency, beam myself and Lieutenant Black to Ontono!" She broke contact without a response, and said "Rulestaad to Stratops command, break the beaming field, medical emergency. Allow them through!" Her badge buzzed, and a few seconds later she blinked and found herself in the medical center. She looked at a nurse, and pointed to Black. "I have no idea what happened. One moment all was fine, then next he blacked out." The memory of the telepathic contact tickled her mind, and she frowned. ~Better safe.~ She tapped her badge once more, and said "Security to Ontono." She cradled her hand, and gave it a look. After some quick self diagnosis, she determined that no bones were broken, but tendons had almost certainly been ripped. ~That was one hell of a grip.~ She steeled her mind against the pain she was feeling, as she continued to cradle her hand. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Alert Centre - OPSO Crewman John Collins - 2378.08.19.0851) John Collins sat at his desk, working through several reports of accidents in the yards and of the normal amount of calls. His hands moved over the screen, diverting needed traffic (if there was any) and diverting emergency shuttles. The Otono Alert Centre was the place that all emergency calls came and where any problems were addressed right away. =^=Starbase Valhalla Emergency, Second Officer Martin Black for transport=^= Collins didn't bat an eye. He'd dealt with things like this before. Quickly, he patched into the transporter controls of Valhalla and Otono and quickly engaged them on Black. In a matter of moments he had been sent to Otono Stormcentre, the emergency center. ====================/\==================== ( - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0851) The first thing he noticed was the tree, providing shade from a powerful orange sun. This was very quickly followed by knowledge of a sound; distant, but growing stronger. The sort of sound that clawed at your throat before surrendering chokingly to your ears. His mind wandered, briefly wondering what could cause such a sound, and then he saw her. Captain Jenna Rulestaad rose over the hillside with a motion that wasn't quite walking and wasn't quite gliding - her legs moved, but her speed exceeded her stride - and amidst it all she sat. Sat? Why did he think that? She was quite plainly upright, a rigid sentinel of order, but the comfort in her expression was one of almost regal serenity. Her face, at least, was sitting down. The effect was sickening to the eye. She covered the short distance with ease, and the purpose and speed of her stride only served to make her sudden stop all the more pointed. Her feet just stopped moving, and he was readily expecting her momentum to force her over onto her face. Instead she merely looked about. Something in the desolate isolation of the hillside must have pleased her for her smile, already eerie on Vulcanoid features, broadened into a grin. A grin that melted along with the face, until finally reassembling itself in his own image. He watched as the other Martin lifted his gaze upwards, open eyes gazing imploringly into the heavens searching for something, opened his mouth and screamed. The previous sound had been bad enough, a quiet subtle sound that snaked its way through the senses, arresting each one in turn. This sound however made no attempt to cautiously wander through the air. It clashed with it in a head-on assault, bending the air to its new shape, as a carrier for rage and fury. Pain coursed through the air in open waves. He watched in horror as the air around a nearby tree wavered, and then blossomed out, crushing the stately oak to splinters. Horror turned to dread as each splinter in turn was given the same harsh carress and ground to dust. It was only as the dust began to filter through the air that the panic-striken man realised the tightness around his own throat. He clawed his way along the floor towards his mirror-image, nails raking the ground as the life was crushed out of him. His screams unheard over the roaring screams of rage. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Storm Centre - ACMO Ens JG Kenneth Stone - 2378.08.19.0854) Assitant Chief Medical Officer Kenneth Stone looked over a PADD in front of him. Sherry Williams was in Surgery 2 right now, under heavy dose of drugs. She had been beaten severely on Valhalla and the security force had sent her here after she fell and lost consciousness. Now, they had rushed her straight into surgery after finding internal bleeding and injuries. "Damnation. First we lose one, then we'll lose another! Goodness..." Suddenly the klaxon rang again and Stone's head snapped up. =^=Incoming Emergency Patient, Ops Chief Martin Black from Valhalla!=^= Quickly the ACMO grabbed his PADD and checked where he was being put. Room 2. "Chief to StormCentre, we got the Second Officer coming in!" Stone ran to the room, followed by the medical staff. They began to scan the officer, quickly trying to discover what was affecting this officer. He was moving in the bio bed, almost trying to escape, muttering incoherent things that made no sense to the men surrounding the table. Kenneth came in and ordered him slowed him. Hyposprays quickly rang true as moved to restrain him. His head lifted up and a small scream was heard. "Sedate him! NOW!" There was a rustle as the men and women moved around him, some waving instruments and others trying to figure out what was going on. Shortly, Black was not moving, and breathing deeply. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0855) Jopek heard the entire thing, the YEO was dead. it seemed clear that she was trying to save the station, from yet another sabotage attempt, the third in four days. "Doctor, you did everything you could.", he said walking up to the Chief Medical Officer and continued with typical Vulcan lack of emotion, ". Can you see if you can trace her movements up to when she took the shuttle; I understand she was on the USS Lion. Then, could you inform security of what you find out.", he said. Nodding, once more, the Admiral headed out the door, as he did, he tapped his commbadge. "Jopek to Commander Rodos, Commander, we've had a death of a senior officer as I am sure you are aware, could you please arrange to visit Otono Medical Center and see to the mental welfare of the Medical Staff. Jopek out.", he said, heading back to the transporter. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Central - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0856) Chief Medical Officer Maxwell Cambridge ran his hands through his hair while working through patient files and sorting them from there. He was standing at the reception desk, tapping his hand steadily on PADDs as he sorted through endless text and infomformation. He spotted someone in his vision and turned to find Admiral Jopek standing in front of him. "Doctor, you did everything you could... Can you see if you can trace her movements up to when she took the shuttle; I understand she was on the USS Lion. Then, could you inform security of what you find out." Mac nodded. He could do it, that didn't mean it wouldn't be painful. "Aye sir. Also, her body will be transported to her home where her family will receive it. Her personal items are being removed and shipped out as we speak. I have Rhea Lyoit preparing all of it to get it ready..." Jopek walked out and Cambridge turned back to his files, wondering who would next show up. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Storm Centre - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0856) Martin opened his eyes, dimly aware of light and sound beyond his own body. Concern washed over him from all angles, and he closed his mind to them all. "Doctor?" (Reply Someone) "I must return to Valhalla. There is too much work to be done." (Reply Someone) "Doctor, we have a saboteur loose somewhere in these facilities, at least let me make the necessary arrangements for my staff to take over the hunt." ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Storm Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0857) The CMO came dashing into the Storm Centre, his heart beating heavily in his heart. If it wasn't one thing that was causing him worry and anxiety, it was another. He headed towards room 2 and entered to find Black on the bio bed, not moving but breathing. "He's stable, but his heart rate keeps jumping and he does twitch off and on. We've narrowed to down to his mind, we think whatever contact he had did something to his head. So far nothing..." They were about to continue when Black opened his eyes. "Doctor?" Cambridge turned to him. "Mr. Black, you've managed to scare the hell out of all us in a short time. You need to sit back for a moment..." "I must return to Valhalla. There is too much work to be done." Maxwell raised an eyebrow, and began to look over the scans and readings that were coming from the Chief Operations Officer. "Doctor, we have a saboteur loose somewhere in these facilities, at least let me make the necessary arrangements for my staff to take over the hunt." The readings were normal, or at least calmed down from when it had all started. He looked once more at the officer, who now seemed ready to bolt. "You are dismissed on two conditions. You are to be back here at your earliest availiblty, over at Otono Central and you are to report to me. Understood?" "Good. You are dismissed." The officer walked quickly out the doors, Cambridge shaking his head as he walked out into the lobby, spotting another officer. "I have no idea what happened. One moment all was fine, then next he blacked out." The nurse looked to him and moved away. Cambridge looked to her with concern. "Come over here for a second." He quickly produced a small device and ran it over her hand. "You managed some damage, should heal up here..." Deftly, he clicked the device onto his belt and pulling another one out. Running it over her hand, he did a check of the rest of the woman, making sure she wasn't missing a leg or something. "You're clear. If you have any further pain, let me know. You ripped some tendons, but I fixed most of them up. They should heal within a few hours, if that. Check with the desk on your way out for any drugs or medicine you may need." Cambridge, quickly checked his watch and excused himself. He ran once more out the door back to Otono Central. The work had begun to pile up. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Central - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0858) Cambridge watched as the officer walked away and then found a message on his PADD. ~Black? Whose next? The Admiral!?~ He moved out the doors, running for the Stormcentre. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Central - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0900) Cambridge walked back into Otono, having had his share of exercise. He moved to his office and sat down at his desk, to begin work on finding where Okada had been. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO's Office - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0905) Taz walked in through the door and saw the doctor working on his PADD "Doc, I've just heard, It has touched us all, Okada died protecting us all, at the Academy we are all taught that we may have to sacrifice our life for that of our fellow crew mates; but you never view it as a serious possibility. I hardly knew her but it has touched me that she put the lives of the station, er really the security of the Sol Solar system above her own. She will be missed greatly by many." ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Otono Care - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0905) "Doc, I've just heard, it has touched us all, Okada died protecting us all, at the Academy we are all taught that we may have to sacrifice our life for that of our fellow crew mates; but you never view it as a serious possibility. I hardly knew her but it has touched me that she put the lives of the station, really the security of the Sol Solar system above her own. She will be missed greatly by many." Maxwell looked up and smiled "Thank you. She was something. She's the first one I've lost here." There was a pause between the officers as Cambridge sighed. He then looked back to River. "You've still got a physical coming don't you?" He looked at the officer, letting a little smile coming through. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Cargo Bay 5 - ACEO Ens JG Lee Rough - 2378.08.19.0905) Lee decided to begin his work early, Lee was enjoying his first day of work. Lee began the job of transporting the debris of the shuttle into the Cargo Bay, it scared Lee that there may be an enemy on the station. Soon all the debris what was floating in the area was onboard. Lee crouched down next to a large piece of debris, examining the marks from the explosion. ~hmmmm, this is to powerfull for the Ferengi~ Lee stood up and noticed the amount of pieces the debris was shattered into, Lee had come across this before. Suddenly it came to him, the Romulans. The device was Romulan but he had no idea who planted it? Just then Lee noticed some DNA on what was left on the device. Lee took his tricorder from his pocket and scanned the DNA, it was Romulan alright but the blast had damaged the DNA. Lee collected the DNA into an Starfleet edition container. Lee checked his watch. ~whoops, nearly 13:00, better get to the meeting~ Lee grabbed his container and left the Cargo Bay. Lee first called into the Medical center and gave them his sample. "Would it be possible for you to do further scans of this to see whos DNA it is?" The Doctor replied of course and took the container from Lee's grip. Lee then hurried out of the Medical center and made his way to Ensign Taz River's office. He got to the door and pressed the bell. "Enter" called Ensign Taz River. Lee steped in to the office as the doors slid back. "Take a Seat" Taz responded. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base - Corridors - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0910) Taz then left the Medical Centre and knew he had work to do, who planted the explosive device on the shuttle, why wasn't it detected, he also had a new Assistant to meet to, Ensign Lee Rough. He decided to leave a message for his new assistant. "Ensign Lee Rough, welcome aboard-unfortunately you have not arrived at the best of times, a fellow crew member has died whilst trying to save the yard. An explosive device was planted onboard a shuttle and she moved it away from the station to minimize the damage; however I would like you to get in and get your hands dirty straight away, get down to the Cargo Bay 5 and begin transporting the shuttle debris onboard, examine it and report your findings to me. I want to have an engineering meeting at 13:00, please have a report ready for then" he sent the message to him. Taz still had work to do, the main power grid had been restored to 72% and that was still important, so he made his way to engineering. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Engineering - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0920) He walked into engineering, equipment was everywhere, people were very busy. He checked the computer, 73.4% efficiency, ~excellent~. He stopped the officer in charge of Team 3, "How's it going Ensign... Frank ?" asked Taz "Not bad, as you can see we have made some improvement, engineering Team 4 is currently trying to trace the source of the main power drain, we believe once we have found and corrected this, the efficiency of the main power grid could improve by another 25%!" reported Ensign Frank. "Great, keep things together down here Frank, I'm sure you've heard by know about Okada, we are going to find out what went wrong and stop it happening again." Replied Ensign Taz. Taz was thought he'd go and see the Admiral and give him an update on the situation ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Habitat Wing - WTO's Quarters - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.19.0930) Dr. Tanya Leigh Dervin was hanging half on her bed, and half off, in a sort of disturbed slumber that only the most focused minds could attain. Initially, she'd started with her feet on the bed, and her head on the floor as she examined some of her theories upside down, she often found that made things clearer for her, however, due to her entire lack of sleep her eyes closed and in place of complex equations of shield modulation, she found ducks?!? Tanya was startled by the sound of her alarm, she wiggled this way and that, and then, *BANG* she fell to the floor with a clatter. "Huh?" Tanya looked bleary eyed at the chronometer. "What the?!?" She wondered, "Morning." she said rather deflated. There were many people in the galaxy that fell under the jurisdiction of mornings, but Dr. Tanya Dervin was not one of them in any capacity. Tanya, still clad in her neon orange fuzzy pj's now adorned with grey elephant slippers searched with fuzzy focus around her quarters to locate the exact place of the replicator and then to locate the exact keys that would deliver into existence the sweet caffeinated substance that was known as coffee. Finally, it materialized, and Tanya took a giant sip of her stimulant melange and savoured the taste as it hit her mouth. It was then that her eyes opened for the first time and her memory and brain cells returned to their normal functioning capacity, also, she realised... she was late. Tanya tore through her quarters, leaving garments and information strewn every which way she showered and dressed in that uniform that...~Ugh,that is the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my ENTIRE life~ Tanya reasoned. She couldn't believe that in order to be able to have research facilities she was going to have to continually wear that disgusting thing. Tanya sighed as she combed her loose hair that tumbled around her face and on her shoulders in ringlets. Then she scooped up her PADD's and was out the door, to her office. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0940) He pressed the doorbell. Taz heard a muffled "Enter," just before the doors slid back. He came into the Admiral who was sat behind his desk examining a PADD, he put the PADD down and looked at me to give me full attention. "Sir, I would like to report that I have ordered my Assistant to beam the shuttle debris onboard so we can begin analyzing it immediately, I would like to point out that every Ship was examined thoroughly after the incident involving yourself in the Firebrande's Main Engineering room, and we did not find any explosive devices planted on them then- which we would have done. So it must have been planted after that incident, I am going to examine all the ships again, to make sure that there isn't any more devices attached to any other ships. We are also trying to find what is wasting the stations power, something is draining it by 25% and after these recent incidents I can't help feeling..." ~Bad word to use with a Vulcan... Er...~ "...concluding that this too is an act of sabotage as it could cause a power failure if we suddenly consumed a lot of power, like raising our shields or firing phaser. This would be the third incident of sabotage in less than 24 hours, we need to get to the bottom of this soon." Reported Ensign Taz River. (Reply by Admiral Jopek) Taz listened to the Admiral comments and looked around his room, it was very tidy and neat. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0945) The CEO was giving his technical report on the damage to the shuttle that was destroyed. ".concluding that this too is an act of sabotage as it could cause a power failure if we suddenly consumed a lot of power, like raising our shields or firing phaser. This would be the third incident of sabotage in less than 24 hours, we need to get to the bottom of this soon." "Thank you for you report, Ensign, I'll report your findings to the Security Chief and his teams. Keep me informed if you make any more progress on the type of explosive or any other clues that could helps us identify who caused this disaster. dismissed, Ensign.", he said, excusing the CEO back to his duties. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0955) "Ensign Lee Rough reporting in, Admiral.", said a new arrival into his office. "Ensign, at ease. welcome aboard.", he said, looking at the roster. "I see here you are our 2nd Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, excellent. you'll be doubling as an Engineering on the USS Firebrande, but your chief can bring you up to date, report to Ensign River, the CEO, as soon as you can, any questions? Ensign? (Reply Rough) "Carry on, Ensign. dismissed.", he said, continuing with his work, once more. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - TAC/SC's Quarters - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.19.1010) Marsland had just received confirmation from Lt. Black that the Columbia would be ready for departure at 1200 hours and he decided to contact the rest of the away team. "Computer! Send the following message to Lt. Brannigan and Ensigns Landis and River." =/\= Begin message =/\= "Gentlemen, please be advised that the USS Columbia will depart at 1200 hours today. I will meet you all in Transporter Room Three, here on Valhalla at 1130 hours. Marsland out." =/\= Message sent =/\= With his message sent all Dario needed to do was finish packing before heading back to his office to pick up some more equipment, then he was off to Transporter Room Three and his rendezvous with the rest of the away team. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CSO's Office - CSO Lt Drew Brannigan - 2378.08.19.1010) Drew was in his office working when his comm badge activated. =/\= Gentlemen, please be advised that the USS Columbia will depart at 1200 hours today. I will meet you all in Transporter Room Three, here on Valhalla at 1130 hours. Marsland out. =/\= He checked the message and found that it was also sent to Ensigns Landis and River. He acknowledged the message and continued working. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.1011) Dropping Drake off at Echo, Landis returned to Valhalla with the shuttle. Upon entering Operations he learned about the death of the YEO and more or less collapsed in shock and terror. While trying to figure out what this meant he retrieved a message from the TAC/SC Lt. Marsland. =^= Gentlemen, please be advised that the USS Columbia will depart at 1200 hours today. I will meet you all in Transporter Room Three, here on Valhalla at 1130 hours. Marsland out. =^= Landis tried to pull himself together; he had all but forgot about the away mission. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.19.1045) ~I can't see the answer, I know it's there...~ Tanya looked at the fourth series of shield modulation calculations and the shape that it would produce, but there was something missing, something very important, if only, if only she'd be able to see it... if only......... She paused. There was one way. Tanya quietly crept outside her office, and looked from left to right, she saw her assistant, Lesia drifting somewhere, she beckoned to her. "Lesia" Tanya whispered, "I'm not to be disturbed, I'm going to figure this out, I swear." Lesia nodded her head. ~This WTO's a nut case and then some~ She thought, and then wondered how one would go about getting your boss psychologically evaluated, because, she reasoned, this Dr. Dervin was in sure need of that kind of evaluation. ~Or perhaps not,~ she reasoned. Lesia nodded to her boss. "Alright, I'll see to it." Tanya then went back through her door, which didn't close, and then proceeded to sit in her chair with her head underneath the desk and her feet on the desktop. Lesia watched as the Dr manoeuvred herself into this rather awkward position. ~What on by the name of Ilon is she doing?!?~ she wondered. It took Lesia several moments before she could tear her eyes away from the spot that Dr. Dervin was occupying. Finally she managed to tear her eyes from the sight of Dr. Dervin's shoes on her desktop, and go over to her desk to begin her own work. She was just beginning a mild analysis of some compound that Dr. Dervin had left her to analyse when she saw movement through the corner of her eye. Lesia looked up and saw a Starfleet officer coming through, heading straight for Dr. Dervin's office. "Excuse me, sir, you can't go in there...." Lesia began but her efforts had already been spoilt as the officer passed through the Dr's open door. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.19.1101) ~And then the if that fits into this...~ Tanya watched as under the dark seclusion of her desk as a field of calculations paraded in front of her eyes, and it was almost as if she could see the shield formation modulating before her eyes. "Dr. Dervin? Are you in here?" A voice called tearing Tanya from her shield modulation visions, and the answer that had almost been within her grasp now evaded her. She tried to sit up, but had forgotten that she had inverted herself in her chair and as a result succeeded only in bumping her head on the desk. "OUCH. I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed." she snapped, as she turned herself right side up, and sat across from the Starfleet officer. Tanya's face was red, probably due to all the blood that had been rushing to it as she'd been upside down pondering the equations and constructions of her project. "yes, Ensign, Lieutenant, Commander, Admiral, what can I do for you? Now that you've completely made me miss the one shield vector that was missed and I had it before my very eyes, who knows when it shall grace me with it's presence again." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Outside WTO's Office - AWTO Lesia Vetaniauk - 2378.08.19.1105) Lesia watched as the unknown man entered Tanya's office. She watched as Tanya hit her head, and stumbled to rearrange herself in her desk. ~You know, I wonder...~ And as Tanya was speaking to the Captain, Lesia slipped quietly out of the office complex and made her way to Valhalla, the counselling division. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Counsellor's Office - AWTO Lesia Vetaniauk - 2378.08.19.1120) Lesia stood nervously outside the door of ACOUNS Bobork. She pressed the enunciator and waited for summons to enter. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Transporter Room Three - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.1127) Alex looked up as a Liutenant entered. He was a few years younger than Landis was and with a dark complexion. "Lieutenant Marsland? Ensign Alexander Landis, CONN, nice to meet you sir." Alex extended his hand. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Transporter Room Three - CSO Lt Drew Brannigan - 2378.08.19.1130) Drew was amazed as he sat on the steps of the pad in the transporter room. There had been some doubt as to whether the compact little starship would be repaired in time for her mission but the Engineering staff had managed to pull it off. He was running his last minute checks on his tricorders to make absolutely sure that they were in good order for the upcoming mission. When he was finished he stood up and stretched. Then he yawned. ~ Oh for crying out loud! ~ he berated himself. He had slept like a log during the night but the couple of Red Alerts since then were enough to put anyone on edge. Assuming that there would be a full mission briefing once they were underway Drew relaxed and did what he did best to relax. He performed low-level sensor sweeps of station with his tricorder. They were just low enough so as not to set off any alarms. Drew just couldn't wait for the ship to depart and the mission to get underway. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.1201) "Ensign, show us docking bay Echo, on the main screen.", ordered the Admiral. As the screen changed, the vision of the USS Columbia appeared and eased out of her docking station, heading slowly away under her own power. "OPS to USS Columbia, good luck, come home soon." (Reply Columbia) Jopek watched as a flash from the ship pushed it into warp and away on her dangerous reconnaissance mission. "Carry on everyone.", he said, noting that everyone was watching the screen with him. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - TSO Lt Steve Newton - 2378.08.19.1500) Steve had spent the entire day with about 20 other senior members of his research team trying to find the best way to develop an active shield rotating system for the Firebrande, using as much of the Galaxy class Starships standard equipment as possible. They had decided that the quickest way to make the changes was the production of a new piece of equipment which would take the sensor data on the wave and calculate the best frequency for the Firebrande shield so that the ship would stay on the wave. He entered the doctors office, "Tanya, I have just been spending the whole day trying to work out how we can make the Firebrande shields react to any chances to the frequency modulation within the wave." He handed her a padd, "My department are working on the piece of equipment which will process the data and change the frequency of our shields. I was wondering if you could give me the data from your tests so I could use them on the holodeck simulation that I wish to create." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.1720) "Ensign Russell Kilroit reporting in, Admiral.", said another new arrival to the station. "Welcome Ensign, at ease, please.", he said, recalling the roster from memory, he continued, "You are our new Assistant Chief Science Officer, excellent, please report to the CSO, Lt. Brannigan, he will look after you. Any questions, Ensign?", he said looking the new Ensign. (Reply Kilroit) "Dismissed then, good luck, Ensign.", said the Admiral, returning to his computer. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - ACSO Ens JG Russell Kilroit - 2378.08.19.1721) Ensign Russell Kilroit had been just dismissed by Adm. Jopek. He walked outside the CO office, thinking what to do. ~What a cold look had that guy - I wonder if it is his attidude or the the recent accidents on the ship~ He had to report to CSO Brannigan - he didn't know on his assignment yet. Would he leave the ship or be in charge of something? The activities around were frantic as they could be. USS Columbia left just before his arrival on Valhalla - he heard of some mess on USS Firebrand. =^= Ensign Kilroit reporting to Chief Scientific Officer Brannigan. I ask for orders and assignment. =^= ====================/\==================== "I like my women like I like my coffee: covered in BEES!!" - Eddie Izzard ================ Utopia Planitia http://www.sfintel.com ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - OPS's Office - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.1057) Ralth locked his gaze into his commanders eyes as he rose, seeing the shocked expression. Still, the betazoid didn't as much as project a single, telepathic exclamation. ~Well, he's taking it well so far...~ Martin stood, fixing Ralth with his intense gaze and he had to suppress a smile because it wouldn't be appreciated due to the gravity of the situation. ~He's got the eyes of a hunter. Yes, we'll work together just fine.~ "I want you to take every available member of staff, and half of the unavailable ones. I want this situation fixed, and I want it done by midnight. Otherwise I'll take the entire system offline as a safety precaution." ~And decisive, too. Well, his bio said as much.~ Nodding, Ralth started making up a preliminary plan on his PADD. "Status of Orbital Operations." The briefing moved on. "We still have three starships without functioning docking facilities, including the USS Magellan. She should be ok to hold position, but the other two are much less stable. The slightest problem onboard and their orbits could begin decaying." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Personal Quarters - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.1855) Ralth straightened his back and glared meanly at the PADD he was working with. ~Gotcha, you piece of binary excrement!~. He turned to the nearby replicator. "Rreplicator, I need a new PADD. Begin prrogram." A brand new, shining PADD appeared on the replicator plate. Smiling grimly, Ralth took it and tossed it to the recyckling unit. ~Well, that deals with this sector.~ Tapping his commbadge, Ralth called up for status reports. =^= Officer's quarters, all clear.=^= =^= Req Deck and lounges, all clear.=^= =^= Main Operations, all clear. =^= ~Wouldn't do to have no coffee on the bridge,~ mused Ralth to himself. =^= Main habitation areas, all teams have reported all clear. =^= =^= Replimats all clear. =^= ~That about does it. Now we only need to unscramble the main replicator and matter distribution systems and we're home free. That's what I call speed maintainance...~ Grinning a toothy predatorian smile he turned to the inhabitants of the quarters, a family of an elderly engineering crewman. "Well, ma'm, your rreplicator is fit for use now, and therre shouldn't be any more prroblems. Your husband's team has rreported all clear on their area, so I'm letting them all to rrest. He should be here soon." The elderly woman nodded and smiled thankfully. "Can I get you something, officer? Frank wouldn't like for me to let you just walk away like this..." she offered. "It's quite all rright, ma'm. I must go and rreport to my CO, and then I can go get some rrest. If therres any morre trrouble, just call me, allright?" Yawning behind his hand he turned to leave the cabin, with the thanks of the family. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.1900) ~Now, to report in.~ He tapped his commbadge. "Ensign Ra'Kir to Ltn. Black. Sir, we've finished with the perrsonal and common rreplicators, and with your perrmission, I'd like to send all the teams for some rrest. They've earned it." (Reply OPS) "All right, sir." Tapping his commbadge twice he closed the link and turned it on again. "AOPS to all engineering and volunteer teams on rreplicator duty: Thank you for an exceptional job, all. We've managed to rreach our objective. Consider yourrselves off-duty until the next shift. I'll put in a good word above for your stellar errformance. Ra'Kir out." "Computer, verify overtime pay to all engineering teams on rreplicator duty. Authorization Ra'Kir, Alpha-Vee-Rrakhta." =^= Verified. Recommendation for overtime pay forwarded to OPS. =^= ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Charlie - Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.17.1903) Where was that little Bolian? He'd disappeared a few minutes ago to make some manual adjustments to the docking struts - which was fine - but he hadn't returned - which was not. Tapping his foot idly, Martin was caught by surprise as his comm-badge chirped, =/\=Ensign Ra'Kir to Lt. Black. Sir, we've finished with the perrsonal and common rreplicators, and with your perrmission, I'd like to send all the teams for some rrest. They've earned it.=/\= "Agreed." Martin raised his eyebrows in surprise; that had been a very large task. "I'm impressed, Ensign! Please pass around my thanks." =/\=All right, sir.=/\= The comm-badge made a null sound, signalling the closure of the channel, and Martin looked around the Operations deck. Where *was* that Bolian? ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.2018) Ralth walked into the replimat, immediately scanning his surroundings for Lt. Black, finding him in a table with an ensign. Smiling, he made his way to the table. Martin made the introductions. "Ensign Ra'Kir, Ensign Okada, our new Yard Engineering Officer." Turning, Ralth bowed to the other ensign. "It is a pleasure to meet you." ~Definately a pleasure, always, to meet someone as beautiful...~ Ralth thought to himself. He seated himself and allowed them to get on to business. "Between the three of us, and the as yet unannounced Orbital Operations Officer, we're responsible for pretty much every aspect of Utopia Planitia." Martin began, giving a slight pause apparently to let them get used to the idea. ~And it does need some getting used to... This isn't anything like organizing hunts on Cait.~ "So that would mean between the three of us..." Ensign Okada added in quietly, "According to my job description, I am the Orbital Ops Chief as well..." ~YEO and OOPS? That's gotta be a real pain in the neck position, and she's just an ensign, like me. I know I'd be bent over backwards there...~ Ralth didn't offer any verbal comment, knowing worse was to come. "The primary role here is to be an efficient shipyard for construction, refit and repair," Martin continued, "and if we're going to manage that then the three of us are going to have to affect a few changes around here." He paused momentarily, as though listening to some far away voice, and said, "Would you care for some food?" ~So that's what the telepathy's good for, my stomach is rumbling so hard I can barely hear anything else!" As if by his mental cue, ensign Okada's stomach rumbled audibly, at least to his sensitive ears. She blushed slightly and said "I would like to eat...tonkatsu and a bowl of rice, a plate of Sushi, and some green tea would be delightful." Ralth thought about it but couldn't recognize the foods, although he did recall seeing 'Sushi' listed in the replimat database he'd skimmed through. He gave some thought to what he'd have, but decided against it. "I'd prefer to eat after this meeting, if it is all right. Food tends to make my species extremely sleepy." ~Not to mention that our eating habits tend to make humans and other omni- and herbivore species more then slightly nervous...~ Ralth thought to himself. When others had gotten their foods and eaten a moment in silence, the OPS seemingly felt that it was time to get to real business. "There is one very simple reason I have brought the three of us together: the USS Firebrande. Just by looking at the standing orders from Starfleet regarding her usage, it's obvious she needs to be made ready and accessible very quickly. Which is why I want her moved to docking bay 30." ~Docking bay 30? We don't have a docking bay 30!~ "..." was all Ralth could get out of his mouth before Martin continued. "As of my arrival at this station we have no Bay 13 - I cannot stand that number. Bay 30 is located on deck 17 here at Valhalla, and is designed to hold something more similar in size to a Captain's Yacht, or a Defiant-class ship. However it makes good practical sense to have her tethered here, and that's where the three of us come in. We need a way of making the docking connection more stable, and stand a little further out from the station in order to accomodate the size of a Galaxy-class ship. As our Yard Engineering Officer, I'm sure you can come up with some system that will extend and retract an airlock over the appropriate distances. You'll be working with Mr Ra'Kir on this project." ~Well, it seems our lieutenant has some personal quirks. Oh well, it's nothing I can't live with...~ Martin's fork twizzled as he prepared another mouthful of spaghetti, "I will be working on getting this station up and running, co-ordinating with the Admiral's needs, and attempting to get our other thirteen docking bays operational - including the currently dead husk of Dockyard Foxtrot. Any questions?" ~Hmm. According to the report of the attack, dockyard Foxtrot took a hit from the sensor array of the blown station and vented atmosphere, killing all there. It'll take some time to get it operational.~ Ensign Okada spoke before Ralth could offer his information. "Yes, what's wrong with Dockyard Foxtrot?" she asked, "I haven't had a chance to go around and look at them all. And if the others are operational, then I can concentrate on Foxtrot..." "I have no idea what is wrong on Dockyard Foxtrot," the Chief of Operations admitted, "but it is the only dockyard without any working bays. It needs looking into, but we have more pressing concerns." The new YEO did NOT look happy. "One other thing, what can you tell me about Bay 30? The more information I have about it the better." "Calm down, it's not as if I want it all done tomorrow." She calmed down a bit at this, noticed Ralth. ~She seems like she stuck between a volcano and a maxigrazer stampede... Too much stress. Perhaps I could help her in some way.~ "Put simply what we have is a standard airlock system, designed to handle a direct interface with a small ship or shuttle that can nestle quite neatly alongside the station. What I want, is a system that docks with that ship a little further out from the station as we're dealing with a much larger ship than intended. Nothing fancy, just a simple extending docking mechanism that will allow the Firebrande to have a little breathing room." ~Hmm, that shouldn't be too hard. We'll need an extender for the docking clamps, but if we get a tube umbilical in place and as long as nobody minds a little bit of zero-g walking, it should be a snap.~ "So where is the Firebrande right now?" Okada asked, starting to punch up something on her padd, her fingers rushing over it, the beeps coming so close together you'd think she was part android, especially since she wasn't watching what she was typing in. "Docked," he replied, "at Bay 30." Ralth glanced at Martin, seeing the less-then-happy look in his face. "Precariously close to the station, in such a manner that requires overly-elaborate and delicate handling to get into and out of the docking position. She's simply too big, and if we need her to disengage quickly, we run the risk of having her crash into the upper promenade or personnel quarters or whatever it is that's up there!" He took a deep breath and his face went to normal again. "I want that ship moved to a safe distance, as soon as we can possibly manage it." She nods and looks at Mr. Ra'Kir, "We'll get together tomorrow at 1330, my office to iron out what needs to be done, if that is alright with you." ~1330? Heh, not like I have a date planned or something, I didn't even get the daily schedule done today with the replicator emergency.~ "Worrks fine for me. I already have an idea with what to do with the Firrebrand, but it needs some sleeping over with. I'll get it forr you tomorrow." The meeting wa quickly dismissed, and Ralth gave Martin a quick briefing on the main replicator situation, then heading for his quarters. ~Ahh, time for some food and rest.~ ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - AOPS's Quarters - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.2118) Pushing his finger against the thumbprint keylock of his quarters, Ralth entered and got some maxigrazer steak and milk form the replicator, gobbling it down and then cleaning up. He dropped on his bunk. "Computer, dim the lights. Wake-up call at 0730." The lights dimmed to blackness. And he slept like a log. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - AOPS's Quarters - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.17.2130) Pushing his finger against the thumbprint keylock of his quarters, Ralth entered and headed off to get some shuteye. "Computer, dim the lights. Wake-up call at 0730." The lights dimmed to blackness. And he slept like a log. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - AOPS's Quarters - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.18.0428) Ralth woke to an incessant binging noise, coming to alerness immediately, then slumping down when there was no immediate threat. "Computer, relay message." <> =^=Operations to Ensign Ra'Kir; there has been an explosion in the research facilities. Assemble a damage control team and beam down.=^= Ralth jumped to his feet, stretching, then reached for his comm. "Ra'Kir to Lt. Black. I'm on it. Give me ten minutes to get a team ready and get planetside. I'll get you a report in the morning." ~What kind of explosion could there be on the research facilities? Sabotage?~ "Computer, location of recent explosion in Mars Research Facility." <> ~Hmm... Who could have been running an experiment there at this hour?~ "Computer, play back security recording from ten minutes before the explosion." <> ~Classified? Oh well..~ "AOPS to Engineering, I need a damage control team assembled immediately in transporter room 4 for beam down to Mars facility." (Reply Whoever it may concern) Without waiting for response Ralth dressed his uniform and headed to the transporter room, soothing down his frazzled mane and yawning hugely. Suddenly his commbadge chirped. =^=Attention all senior officers, please report at 10.00 to the Observation Lounge on Valhalla for a meeting and mission briefing. Thank-you.=^= ~Oh great. There goes all my chances of getting any sleep and/or work done. Sigh. A demanding job in the first two days...~ Thankfully the team was not long in assembling to the transporter room, and the sleepy-looking transporter tech had no trouble finding the right location. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Outside Oval Testing Room - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.18.0440) Ralth materialized just across the hallway from the door, and all was seemingly quiet. He strode for the door and frowned when it refused to open. "Hm. It appears ourr firrst job is to get inside." One of the engineers he had brought quickly scanned the door. "Sir, the power conduits are dead. It's stuck." "Well, then, get it unstuck. None of us is going back to bed until I can make a damage report." The man nodded and went to work with his friends, getting the door open an inch. Seeing that the door would have to be forced open, Ralth went to help, setting his arms on the door and pushing with his legs. After a few minutes of trying, they managed to budge the door open and entered. Ralth sighed in desperation at the destruction. A thick scent of smoke filled the air and panels all along the walls containing delicate sensors and test equipment were blackened and blasted by whatever it was that had initiated the fire. "Okay, lets get to worrk." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Oval Testing Room - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.18.0540) ~Well, this'll do for starters. A new shift is starting, so I think I'll let the men to get some rest. It seems I'll not be getting any, but then again, nobody said being a Starfleet officer was easy, anyways.~ "Okay, people, good job. You mop up and go get some rest and the next shift'll take over. Thanks for another job well done." "Ra'Kir to engineering: I'm releasing this damage control team to get some rest, but there's still lots to be done. Beam down another repair team, please." (Reply CEO, Or Whoever) =^=Black to Ensign Ra'Kir; report!=^= "Yes, sir. It appears the damage was less then we feared. We need to replace most of the sensor arrays in three panels of the testing room and recalibrate all others as well as replace all power conduits. There's also significant damage to the interior, but its nothing we cant replicate replacements for. It appears that there was some kind of explosive used, but it surely wasn't near the scale a saboteur would use. Finding out who did this is mostly a security issue, though. It'll take us a while yet to get everything here working, so I'll be overseeing the repairs. I'll see you in the Admiral's briefing unless you need me for something else. Ra'Kir out." Sighing, Ralth turned to find out all the engineers had disappeared and that there was no-one incoming. Cursing in caitian, Ralth slapped his commbadge again. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.18.0956) Shaking his head Ralth stepped into the Admirals briefing, hoping that afterwards he could get some sleep or at least be able to meditate before the meeting with ensign Okada. He also knew it not to be likely, because he still had work to do. He made his way to sit next to an empty chair for ltn. Black and waited for the briefing to begin. Then he noticed ensign Okada making her way through to the room, curiously enough looking like she had been wrestling with an old-earth gasoline engine - and lost. She looked around but remained near the doorway. Finally, two minutes after the YEO, Martin arrived. After a few moments of waiting, the admiral stepped to the front. "Thank you all for coming; sorry for the tight squeeze, we will make it better next time. Firstly, I want you all to welcome the officer to my right, Commander Richard Ian Lee, our new First Officer. I will let him introduce himself at the end of this meeting.", Jopek stood up and headed over to the large computer screen at the front of the room, next to the door. A few of the crew got themselves out the way as Jopek turned back to face the ensemble officers. "The last addition to our roster so far is the position of Second Officer; I've spoken to Starfleet Command before most of you arrived and I've made my choice. Lt. Black is going to be the Second Officer, congratulations." Ralth glanced at Martin seeing some surprise on his face. ~Logical choice, but I bet it'll not make things any easier on ltn. Black.~ "Okay, the fire in the research facilities on Mars, who would like summarise what happened and what needs to be done to prevent such events in the future?" A civilian-uniformed woman replied to the Admiral, and Ralth wondered if the accident had something personally to do with her. "Yes, I suggest that there be forcefield lining the computer panels along the walls for the time during experiments and also that no observer of any type should be outside of them during tests." ~Ah, so it was _her_ and an errant experiment that caused it. Oh well, at least we don't need to find out who was the uncapable saboteur... I just wonder how good she really is on her field to get past this kind of accidents with a nod of her head and a blush.~ "And perhaps a no food or drink sign might help." she added as an afterthought. Ralth had to restrain himself from slapping an unbelieving hand on his face. ~So that was the black stuff we scraped off the wall! I can't believe this...~ Ralth lifted a hand and, getting a look and a nod from Admiral Jopek, opened his mouth as well. "I have been conducting the rrepairs in the testing rroom, and it is again fully functional. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, but significant nonetheless." He shut up again to let Admiral continue the briefing. "Very well; let's move on... Starfleet Intelligence has information for us about the location of a small rebel group of Dominion soldiers where we believe the raid was conducted that caused the destruction of much of Utopia Planitia, three months go." Ralth felt his mane raise in aggravation at the mention of the enemy. Admiral Jopek activated a control panel that illumaned a computer screen on the wall. "Their base is suspected to be here..." ~Goddess! Less then three hours away at warp five! If they have something significant there we are in trouble!~ "Close aren't they?" Jopek asked, rather redundantly in Ralth's mind. The gravity of the situation was now thick on them. "This planetoid has no star system, it's a rogue and while it isn't class 'M', intelligence suspects an artificial structure on the surface plus a possible shipyard and/orbital station." "Starfleet has considered hitting this base with everything we can muster, but we need to know a lot more before we go in and take them out... so we have a plan in several stages." Ralth smiled grimly ~The first step according to the book would be to confirm intelligence reports, and I recall seeing a ship for that job on the manifest...~ he mused to himself. "The first part of the plan is to see if SFI have the details right, Lt. Marsland, the USS Columbia has recently docked. She is a Defiant-class Vessel. I want you to put together a small away team and head for this planet under cloak. Captain Reliok will be waiting for you and your team, he will take you. Depart as soon as possible." ~Ah, right again. I wonder if I could get on that team... No, I have too much to do here. And besides, they'll probably get mainly security and marines there.~ "Check out the threat and get back her, then we can put into effect stage two." "Dr. Dervin," The civilian doctor who had caused the accident seemed to nearly jump out from her skin. "I've been reading the reports of your warp wave generation and dissipation technological experiments and this technology would be perfect to sneak up on a base like this, without the signature of a warp engine, we could send a larger ship, once Mr. Marsland's mission has been complete." "I want you to start field tests with the USS Firebrande, as soon as possible. The Neptune proving grounds are at your disposal. Use anyone you need to help out on running the ship anyone you need for the project." The scientist seemed like she'd just won the intergalactic Ferengi Lottery. "The entire Advanced Theoretical Technologies Unit will need to get involved, we need to get these units built and up to speed quickly. If you need anything, let me know." "What is the report on the Firebrande, is she ready? Plus, I would like a quick status report from all departments..." Ensign Okada began to speak, "I met with Lieutenant Black yesterday to discuss our current yard inhabitants... I plan to take a trip to the building sites to confirm the location and building status for each ship. My people have started an extensive inventory. Once that inventory and my tour are finished I can consider my wing locked down... I have found old orders on my desk for new ships... but until I can lock down my wing, I will not authorize any new ships..." Ralth glanced at ltn. Black who didn't seem all that well as he waved the report to him. ~Now what to say?~ "Operations is in generally good condition. We had an earlier problem with the replicators, but this has been repaired; Seems like someone plugged a malicious program into the replicator main database to bypass certain security measures. The program has been neutralized and we are investigating the matter. I will get a full report to security after this meeting." "All ships that arrived form Earth are docked and the repairs are ongoing in all operating dockyards." He sat down again, hoping he'd not made a complete fool of himself, his palms sweating and listening to the rest of the reports. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.18.1330) Ralth entered the office feeling slightly better. He'd had time to grab something to eat and to meditate for almost half an hour. "Grreetings, Ensign Okada. Before we start this meeting, if it is not too rrude for you, I'd like you to call me by my familiar, Ralth." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Conference Room - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.1551) "Perhaps. We could incorporate *both* ideas into one practical experiment. We could alter the shield geometry of the Firebrande into a wedge shape with the point forward of the saucer section and facing into the oncoming dissipation wave. This will cause the wave to effectively *break* over the ship without altering it's trajectory. Secondly we can align the shield frequencies to match the dissipation wave just before it hits so that it passes over the ship and will, on contact, dissipate the initial carrier wave. These two efforts combined should generate the desired result!" Tanya looked at the CSO, enraptured by his idea. She could visually see exactly what he was describing, the calculations were running through her head, as she did the calculations simultaneously. ~Yes, yes, this will work~ A gigantic smile burst across her face. Tanya watched the room as she fully began to comprehend he ideas put forth by the scientist, then the TSO spoke up, "We should have no problem modulating the shield frequencies, standard Federation defence against the Borg, the difficulty will be in changing the shield frequencies to the right frequency to keep them effective." Tanya nodded, yes that was very true. Masses of numbers and concepts of every shape and size were whirling around her head, she was having to concentrate very hard on keeping herself inside the conference room, because these ideas had opened up new realms for her, and she couldn't wait to explore them. It was then that someone else spoke up, Tanya didn't really recognise him, but that was okay, there were more important matters at hand. "Certainly, I agree that whatever solution we come up with, it should involve the shields. Or at the very least, should not preclude use of the shields. The ship has to be able to defend itself if it comes under attack while on this subspace carrier wave." He sat up, and his posture electrified as he had another brainwave, "we should also study the effect that weapons discharge would have on the wave, and how susceptible to external damage it is." Tanya nodded, she could surely see the logic in that. Even though it wasn't her idea of fun, however, if people wanted to test that aspect of the technology once it had been developed or built, or even in the midst of such developments or construction, then who was she to argue. Tanya looked at all assembled. "Those are all very excellent ideas! Thank you!" She stated. "Yes, I think that..." She paused, completely lost in thought, "That will work!" she exclaimed. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - TEO's Office - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1729) Anne stared at the smirking face of the Vulcan Captain, taken aback at what she was reporting to her. "Mr. Byson did WHAT?" "He suggested to me that many would not be happy with you in the position of Advanced Engineering. In fact, he suggested that he be the one to take charge. I have corrected this issue, so instead he wants to guide you into command readiness if it is your wish." Anne's anger boiled and her faced reddened with the thought of Lt Byson, her own assistant, going to the captain with such a proposal. Finally getting back her voice, she calmly stated, "Thank you for the information, Captain. I think I will handle this from here." She bowed a goodbye to the Captain before clicking off the connection and yelling at the top of her lungs, "THAT SON OF A BROVERIAN GIZZARD!!!" She stood and stormed out of her office and across the hallway to her assistant's office. She hit the doorbell, wishing that she could hit her assistant. She could hear loud music coming from the inner room so she knew he was there.. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - ATEO's Office - ATEO Lt Cornelius Byson - 2378.08.18.1730) Lt. Corny Byson sat behind his desk, feet up on the table, loud, nerve racking music blaring from the computer. His head bounced up and down with the beat of the song, his eyes never leaving the PADD in his hands. It wasn't paperwork....it wasn't notes...it wasn't even a ToDo list.... It was a game, a flight simulator. He was flying an old Boeing 747 into San Francisco International Airport. It was one of the few scenarios that he had never been able to complete successfully. The door beeped at him but he didn't hear it, either because of the music or the game in his hand...or maybe both. "WHOA!!!" he cried as the wind hit his plane, nearly sending him into the Golden Gate bridge. He worked feverishly to stabilize the plane. It seemed to skid left and then right across the headwinds and he unconscious rocked in his chair with the image of the plane in the game. The door beeped again but it continued to be ignored. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - ATEO's Office - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1731) Anne hit the doorbell again but still no answer. She growled to herself, not just wanting to hit him, but seriously hurt him. Visions of pounding Byson's cocky smile into a bulkhead made her smile evilly. "Computer, locate Lt Byson." <> She pressed the button one more time before finally commanding, "Computer, emergency override on Lt Byson's office door. Security code: Therriault-Alpha-Lambda-Kappa-911." The door automatically opened and the horrible sounds from within exploded into the hallway. Anne closed her eyes, feeling the pain in her temples swell. When she opened them, she found Corny sitting at his desk, feet up on the desk, working intently on a PADD, his head bopping to the beat of the song. She entered the room and automatically demanded, "Computer, turn off that racket." The computer's response was barely heard over the music, <> "Turn off the music!" The computer complied and room filled with silence. Lt. Byson barely noticed, his attention completely on the PADD in front of him. "Hello, Love," he called while trying to assure that his plane didn't hit another plane. Anne's eyebrow lifted at the name he called her. The vision that played in her head suddenly changed from pounding his face into a wall a couple times to slamming the Lt's head into a bulkhead until it passed through to the other side. She stepped forward, "Lt?" "Just a minute, please," he called as he and the plane banked to the left. "No, now," she said in her most commanding voice. He ignored her, his mind completely on landing the plane on the runway safely. He took the large jet in to land, praying that he would touch down on the pier runway without hitting the water. ~What the hell is he doing?~ she asked herself as she watched him bank to the right and then scoot lower in his seat, intently working on the PADD. Anne walked around the desk and snatched the PADD from his hands as the plane was barely 5 feet above the ground, hover half over water, half over the pier runway. He bolted from his chair, "HEY!" Anne stepped back and glanced at the PADD, "A game? You're playing a blasted game???" "I was about to land, you bloody ensign," he yelled, grabbing for the PADD. She snatched it away, "That's Chief, to you, LT!" Anne's redhead anger rushed through her and she suddenly wanted to shove the PADD somewhere that would be very painful to Corny. But, instead, she tossed the PADD across the room with as much force as possible. It hit the wall with a CRACK and shattered into pieces. A huge dent glared back at them from where the PADD had impacted. Therriault glared at her underling, hoping, praying, that he would try something so she could "accidentally" kill him. Corny's eyes widened and he took a step back from the steaming redhead, almost tripping over his chair. She advanced upon him and he stumbled back, trying to stay at least an arm's reach away from her. The chair didn't even stop her. She flung it to one side as she passed. "What is this that I hear about you talking to the captain about getting my job?" she roared, her face reddening with anger. He jumped when his back hit the wall but quickly turn to get away from the angry ensign, "Um...the captain told you that?" Anne followed him closely, "Yes, she did." "Um....she was..." he tried to smile reassuringly, "Maybe she was mistaken." She could see that he was grasping at straws and called his bluff, "Oh, no. I don't think so. And don't give me the bull about lying. She's a Vulcan." He was flabbergasted as to what to say next. All he knew was that he had better stay away from the Ensign until she calmed down. He backed into the wall again but before he could move, Anne was upon him. She grabbed a handful of his shirt front and pulled him down the 3" to her level. Face-to-face, she spat, "So help me, you backstabbing ass, if you ever, ever, EVER do that again, I'm going to set you out on the surface with out a spacesuit." His eyes widened to the size of tea saucers at her threat. She continued, "You are MY assistant, not the other way around. I'm NOT going to have my subordinates go above my head nor try to sabotage my work or interfere with the goals of my department. Got it?" He quickly nodded, hoping that would be the end of the temper tantrum. But of course, it wasn't. "You, Mr. Byson," she lectured, "will be my assistant and that is it. Nothing more, nothing less. You will NOT touch any of the experiments, not matter what you think or what anyone tell you. You will NOT touch any of the vessels that are here for repairs...or even visiting, no matter what you think or what ANYONE tells you. Do you understand?" He nodded again, suddenly intimidated by the 6' redhead. "You will do the work I assign to you and ONLY the work I assign you. No more, no less. I'm going to keep you so busy that you won't have time to sabotage, spy or play any more video games. Understand?" "Yes....yes, sir." "And if you call me 'Love' ever again, I will wipe that smile right off your face, got it?" He nodded quickly. She let go of him, stepped back and smoothed out her uniform, suddenly feeling better. She smiled sweetly and stated, "I'd suggest that you attend the direct reports meeting at 1800." She turned and calmly strolled out of the office, humming a tune to herself. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Conference Room - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1759) Anne sat in one of the chairs at the middle of the long conference table, surveying the room. She had arrived early and rearranged the chairs so no one sat at the head of the table. They were all equals and she wanted this meeting to emphasis that. A stack of 6 PADDs sat in front of her, filled with notes. The door suddenly opened and her direct reports file into the room, one after the other. She had thought ahead and had the computer transferred their pictures and names to a PADD, which she now used as a cheat sheet to easily match the new faces with names. She nodded at each of them and motioned for them to take a seat. Corny was last to enter, taking the last seat in the room. Not once did he look at her. She smiled. Maybe she had finally put him in his place. "Good afternoon. It looks like we are all here so let's begin. I know that most of you know each other but I don't, so if each of you would state your names, which department you head and what your department does. I will begin." She stood and surveyed the group, "Hello, my name is Ensign Anne Therriault, but all of you can call me Anne or Chief. I am the head of the Theoretical Engineering department." She sat down and motioned for the young woman next to her to speak. She was a petite woman, around the mid-30's, with brown hair and dark green eyes: She rose, "I am Lt Commander Amy Rowan and I head the Starfleet Starship Design Bureau. My department takes all of your ideas and research and put it together into a starship. It's like putting a huge puzzle together. Half of my department is an extension of the R&D departments, working with them to develop your ideas into useable equipment for the end user and then thoroughly testing it. The other half of my team, a large staff of engineers, designers and drafters, does the actual designing, i.e. putting all the little pieces together to make a ship." She sat down but was quickly replaced by the gentleman next to her. He was an older man, in his early 40's, his hair graying around the temples. He stood with a groan and began to speak, "I am Lt. Ronald Cone, Head of Materials. My group designs and tests new materials used in the construction of new ships, inside and out." The next person was a male half human/half Vulcan who sat directly across from Anne. He rose and began to speak in an emotionless voice, "My name is Lt. Grack'l Repart, Head of Power Sources. We design and test power sources for anything that needs a power source to work successfully." He sat down quickly. The next speaker, a young human male, stood and began to speak in an animated voice, "Hi everyone. I am Lt. Michael Thomas, and am currently the head of Advanced Structural Design. My group brainstorms, creates and tests new structural designs for starships and bases." It was Corny's turn next. He remained seated and barely looked up from his PADD to state in a monotonous tone, "Hey. I'm Lt. Cornelius Byson, the TEO's assistant." Anne rolled her eyes and shook her head softly at the Lt's action but she nodded for the next person to continue. Sitting across the table from Cornelius was a Betazoid male, around mid-30's but had the charisma and prestige of an older gentleman. Anne could immediately see why he was so good at his job. "I am Lt. Rappaport Myerson, Head of TE Administration. My small group deals with the beurocracy that Starfleet loves to throw at this department sometimes. We also assure that we have funding and the resources to complete large scale research projects. You may think of us as your liaison to the bureaucrats and money people of Starfleet and the Federation." The last person to introduce themselves was Michelle Roberts, the Combat Engineering Advisor. (Reply Roberts) When Michelle finished, Anne spoke, "Thank you for your quick introductions. I have one small task to complete before we get too deep into this meeting," she turned towards her assistant, "Mr. Byson, you will not be needed for the rest of this meeting. Thank you for your time." Corny's head shot up, "What?" Anne took a PADD out of the stack in front of her and slid it across the glossy table towards her assistant, "You have plenty of work to keep you busy. You don't need to be wasting your time here. That," she pointed at the PADD, "is your To Do list for the next 24 hours. I would like you to complete those tasks and have all the completed items on my desk by the end of the day tomorrow. Thank you. You are dismissed." He gave her a look, snatched the PADD up and stormed from the room. Once the door shut, she shook her head, "Please excuse my assistant. He was not my choice. Starfleet pushed him upon us," she pointed towards the door that Byson had just exited, "Let me give everyone 1 bit of advise about Mr. Byson. He is a sneaky one and I suggest that you have nothing to do with him. I do not want him in any of your labs or offices and I do not want him involved in any of your meetings or work. Anything he has touched has failed and we can not have failure in this department. Does everyone agree?" Everyone nodded quickly. "Another point I would like to make before we begin. Everyone at this table is an equal. We are all team mates, striving towards a common goal. No idea is crazy, no ideology is lower than another. Teamwork will be the key to our success and should be our number 1 goal. This is an open forum for any of you to air your problems, ideas and comments." "Now, on to other things. I would like to brief you on the discussions I have been involved in, in the last 24 hours. Mainly, what I want to discuss is the following: 1. Firebrande - are there any outstanding items that we have for this ship? 2. Sol Defense plan 3. designing of new ships 4. Columbia and it's mission 5. Warp Subspace Carrier Waves Project w/ Warp Technology Department 6. Any outstanding issues "So, where do we want to start first?" She looks expectantly towards her coworkers, waiting for someone to speak. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Conference Room - CCE Lt Michelle Roberts - 2378.08.18.1804) Michelle's eyes darted around the table, she was the last to speak up. Without standing up, she said "Lieutenant Michelle Roberts, Combat Engineer assistant to the TEO." She shut her mouth, and after a few moments, the TEO said "Thank you for your quick introductions. I have one small task to complete before we get too deep into this meeting," she turned towards her assistant, "Mr. Byson, you will not be needed for the rest of this meeting. Thank you for your time." the Lieutenants head shot up, his eyes wide. Michelle smirked at the look. "What?" Anne took a PADD out of the stack in front of her and slid it across the glossy table towards her assistant, "You have plenty of work to keep you busy. You don't need to be wasting your time here. That," she pointed at the PADD, "is your To Do list for the next 24 hours. I would like you to complete those tasks and have all the completed items on my desk by the end of the day tomorrow. Thank you. You are dismissed." The Lieutenant took the load of PADD,s and left the room in something other then dignity. "Please excuse my assistant. He was not my choice. Starfleet pushed him upon us," she pointed towards the door that Byson had just exited, "Let me give everyone 1 bit of advise about Mr. Byson. He is a sneaky one and I suggest that you have nothing to do with him. I do not want him in any of your labs or offices and I do not want him involved in any of your meetings or work. Anything he has touched has failed and we can not have failure in this department. Does everyone agree?" Michelle smirked again. "Another point I would like to make before we begin. Everyone at this table is an equal. We are all team mates, striving towards a common goal. No idea is crazy, no ideology is lower than another. Teamwork will be the key to our success and should be our number 1 goal. This is an open forum for any of you to air your problems, ideas and comments." "Now, on to other things. I would like to brief you on the discussions I have been involved in, in the last 24 hours. Mainly, what I want to discuss is the following: 1. Firebrande - are there any outstanding items that we have for this ship? 2. Sol Defense plan 3. designing of new ships 4. Columbia and it's mission 5. Warp Subspace Carrier Waves Project w/ Warp Technology Department 6. Any outstanding issues "So, where do we want to start first?" Michelle tapped her fingers for a moment, then said "The Firebrande, she is currently having... problems. What part are we going to play in her cleaning?" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Conference Room - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1805) Michelle tapped her fingers for a moment, then said "The Firebrande, she is currently having... problems. What part are we going to play in her cleaning?" "My understand is," Anne began, "that we will be working hand-in-hand with the YEO and her department to provide any assistance that they need during the retrofitting of the ship to a scientific research and experimental vessel. Has anyone been approached to work on this project?" She looked around the room and noticed the blank faces and a couple people shaking their heads. (Reply Roberts?) She nodded, "OK. If you are, please notify me. I will follow up with the YEO to see if our assistance is needed." (Reply Roberts?) "OK, second on our list: the Sol system defense. Captain Rulestaad is adamant on improving the current system that protects the Sol system, including the little base that we are on. This is our home and workplace and it's imperative that we improve the one system that lays between us and our many enemies. Weapons, shields, sensors, intersystem warp and engine design and any other related system will need to re-evaluated and redesigned, if needed. I have a PADD full of ideas and suggestions from security that will also need to be evaluated. "I need 2 people from each department to be available to evaluate the existing technology and provide recommendations. Ms. Rowan, can you spare one of your engineers to chair this little committee and report directly to me on this issue?" Rowan checked her PADD before nodding, "Not a problem." "Excellent. I would like a list of committee members by close of day today." Anne paused to allow anyone to ask questions, if needed. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Conference Room - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1840) Anne was refereeing a deep debate between Rowan and Repart about power supplies when the red alert klaxon went off. The room suddenly filled with silence and all of the researchers around the table exchange a look. They began to rise but Anne stopped them with a raised hand. "Before we react..." she advised, "Computer, what is the red alert about?" "There is an intruder onboard the Firebrande. Suspected borg invasion. All hands to battle stations." "You heard the lady," Anne said, standing to grab her stack of PADD's, "You all know the emergency protocol. Return to your departments, batten down the hatches and stay out of security's way." People began to hurry from the room, almost at a run. Anne made sure no one was left behind when she left the room. On her way to her office a couple hundred yards down the hallway, she began to issue orders. "Computer, place the TE wing in a level 1 lockdown. No one in or out except TE staff and security." The computer beeped it's compliance. She could hear the security doors closing at certain intervals down the hallway. To get through any of these, an individual would have to enter a security code. She entered her office as she heard a voice cross the comm lines, "All Departments, Status report!" She tapped the comm line on as she rounded her desk, "TEO reporting in from Mars base. Theoretical engineering is currently under a level 1 lockdown." (Reply Rich?) Anne turned off the comm line and began to scan through the status reports that were coming in from her department heads and key personnel. She jumped when she heard the same voice, =/\= All stations, Stand down to Yellow Alert. Security maintain battle-stations, all fighters of the MDP remain in full alert. Keep open communications to the Firebrande if possible, I want five full teams ready to beam in at a moments notice.=/\= Without tearing her eyes from the reports that were streaming across her screen, she called, "Computer, stand down the TE department to a level 2 lockdown." The computer beeped again and she directed her full attention to the status reports. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.1842) Tanya had since changed into some other pyjamas, these being neon orange. Seeing as most people had left for the day, and she was no longer 'on duty' she was dying to get into some normal clothes, those uniforms were so stuffy and itchy, and to make things worse, they just weren't cut to suit her form, she didn't like the way they made her arms look long, and that ring of purple... it just clashed with her red hair. Or so she thought. She was pouring over her most recent notes, detailing the construction of a generator that would be used to create the subspace wave, there were several gravimetric readings that had to be incorporated into the phasing of the transmitter because of the massive scale wave it was to produce. She sighed. All of a sudden, Tanya's office was filled with red glow and a siren seemed to accompany the flashing of that glow. It was rather annoying. Tanya thought. ~hmm, I wonder if this is anything like the evacuation notice... Something like this happened last night, after the fire... I wonder if there's another fire?!? ~ Tanya looked around in her direct vicinity, there was no, fire, there, and she hadn't been eating any pie, so that was definitely not a possibility. In fact, she'd been doing nothing but pouring over the schematics for the past couple of hours. She shook her head, no this was definitely not her fault. Just then, her comm link sparked to life, =^= All Departments, Status report! =^= Tanya looked at the air, hearing the comm system. ~All departments status report, ok... well, if they insist...~ She thought, knowing full well that there was, well nothing very interesting going on in her department or at least not that she knew of. Well there had been that incident that morning, but there had been enough reports from then. Tanya turned to her personal display terminal and she tried to access a folder that would allow her to input her reports, and to review her other ones on file. However, she could not because across the top of the screen was flashing the words 'Red Alert' Tanya looked at the message in confusion. ~Red Alert?!?~ Tanya's mind was racing.. then all of a sudden, something struck her. She recalled reading something in about Red Alert in that PADD that she'd been looking at briefly, the one about Starfleet protocol. ~PROTOCOL?!?~ She thought with a start. She jumped up from her desk chair, knocking several PADD's from their stacks around her desk which clattered against the deck plating and resonating all around her. However, Tanya hardly noticed as the red alert klaxons proclaimed the status of the base loud and clearly with precise intervals of every five seconds. ~This is going to give me a headache~ Frantically, Tanya tore her office apart, throwing PADD's, designs, equipment, socks, and all sorts of other things from one corner of the room to the other, looking solely for the one PADD she sought, the one that contained the Starfleet protocols. ~Come on where the HELL ARE YOU?~ Tanya's desperation grew, faster and faster as every five seconds the red light illuminated her office, and the klaxon grated on her nerves, reminding her of what exactly she should know what was happening, yet, did not. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't think straight, she merely kept searching for the damned illusive PADD. "YES!" Tanya screamed as she managed to haul herself out of the bottom of the waist deep storage container that contained her personal items; her clothing, personal information and other things that were of little consequence to her. And so Tanya emerged, with a sock caught in her earring and a bra strewn through her hair. But she had been victorious, in her hand, she clutched the PADD that contained the information entitled, "The Civilian's Guide to Starfleet" Quickly, she scrolled through it, the klaxon's metonymic timing grating on every nerve in her being, until she found the heading. 'Red Alert, what it is and what to do when it occurs.' Quickly Tanya scanned the section. Then she remembered the voice had asked for a departmental report. Quickly, she touched her commpad, linking it to the last one who had contacted her. "Umm, this is Dr. Dervin, umm," she sounded very unsure, and relatively frightened, "there is... nothing amiss in the Warp Technologies Department, honest." she professed. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - ATEO's Office - CCE Lt Michelle Roberts - 2378.08.18.1900) Michelle looked at the office doors for a moment, and hid the smirk that had been riding her face for over an hour, and pressed the enunciator. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - ATEO's Office - ATEO Lt Cornelius Byson - 2378.08.18.1901) Lt Byson was sitting behind his desk, his chin resting on his hands, staring at the computer in front of him when the door buzzed at him. "Please don't tell me that its that damn Ensign here to beat me up again," he grumbled, "ENTER!" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - ATEO's Office - CCE Lt Michelle Roberts - 2378.08.18.1902) =^=ENTER!=^= Michelle rubbed her chin for a moment, then walked inside the doors. At the desk, surrounded by PADDs, was the officer that had been so graciously dismissed early. "So, " She purred. "Behold the officer that is most certainly not in the TEO's good graces." She smiled, wickedly, "What did you do, or.. not do right.. to earn such displeasure?" Corny surveyed the young woman that stood before him, wondering what was up, "What's it to you?" She sat on his desk and bent down, "Perhaps more then you can know." She bent down and lightly tapped his nose. "Depending on the reason." Corny almost turned cross-eyed trying to see what the young, beautiful woman was going to do to his nose and dipped his head when she tapped it. "Well, Love," he smiled slyly, "I tried to talk my way into the TEO position with Captain Rulestaad. Didn't quite work out as well as I planned." Michelle leaned back again, and said "You talked to the wrong person, obviously." She chuckled as she looked around his office. "Now, the question is, do you deserve more then this?" She turned back to look at him, with her eyes narrowed. "I sure do," he smiled widely, finally noticing the curves under her uniform, "I sure do....." Michelle grinned ever so slightly as she watched his eyes move up and down. ~Men, so predictable. Like putty in my hands... this one will be easy to control.~ "Well then," she purred. "What can we do to get you your deserved position." She bent even further down and playfully flicked his ear. Corny thought for a moment before grinning an evil grin, "Get rid of Ms. Therriault." The thought of returning the Ensign's threats triplefold lifted his spirit. She flicked his ear a little harder, then said "Ah ah, murder does nothing more then raise uncomfortable questions, and you have already made your wishes known to a higher ranking officer." She ran her finger from his ear down his cheek, and left it to rest on his lips. "On the other hand, if she leaves on her own because she just no longer likes this place... Which I'm sure we could, arrange." She smiled as her hand left his face. ~Using others to meet one's own needs is a wonderful thing.~ He grinned ear to ear, suddenly understanding what the Lt was talking about, "Oh, I can figure out ways to make her life a living hell." ~Ah, he does have something in this head of his.~Michelle grinned ear to ear, and played with his hair a bit. "Excellent." She said in a low voice. "Then, we will continue this at a later time, in a much more... Private... setting." She stood from his desk, and turned to leave. At the door, she stopped and turned around again, "Unless, you have anything else in mind?" Michelle nodded, and said with a light tone, "Then we will pick this up again, later." She waved her fingers at him, and exited. After the Lt's departure, Corny tried to return to his work but too many things were runningthorugh his head. Finally, he gave up and decided to return to his quarters. "I need a cold, cold, cold shower," he mumbeld to himself as he left his office. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1925) "Come in.", said the Admiral, when he heard his door chime being activated. "Ensign Junior Grade Corey Moore reporting for duty, Sir.", he said, coming to attention. "Welcome aboard Ensign, I am Admiral Jopek, Commanding Officer of this station. stand at ease please.", said the CO, consulting his database for the name of the new Ensign. "ACEO? Excellent - report to your quarters, Ensign and then find the Chief Engineer of this Starbase, he'll be in charge of your duty requirements. Any questions?" (Reply Corey) "Very well. Dismissed, and good luck Ensign.", said the Admiral, returning to his computer screen. "Aye sir!", said the ACEO, heading out the door. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1950) =^= Lee to Jopek, we might have a saboteur aboard. The Columbia has been damaged. =^= "Understood Commander, follow the standard procedures and increase security, as soon as possible, get me a full damage report and an ETA for repairs. Jopek out.", he said. If anyone could take charge of the situation, Command Lee would be able to handle it. ====================/\==================== (USS Firebrande - Main Engineering - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.18.2230) Taz had been working virtually round the clock to get to the bottom of the incident for the last few weeks, when he wasn't actually working there his mind was on it and if he was resting he would pick up a PADD and work through some data he had collected. Finally he decided enough information had been collected to send a complete report back to Admiral Jopek. So he keyed into his PADD: Admiral Jopek, After examining the key systems and taking the engineering room to pieces (and putting it back together again) I have arrived at the conclusion that the Borg Drones that you saw were not the work of any Borg at all, I suspect it was another enemy. However I regret to inform you it appears they were put there by a saboteur. You see one of my engineering teams found 8 holo-imagers in engineering, and they were programmed into a small program that created drones. The holographic drones you saw posed no real danger, the only value they would serve would have been as a diversion at a critical moment. The program was not detected in the computers system because it was hidden, with Ensign Berrewick's code; but if the programmer was clever enough to design this he has no doubt masked his real identity too. All systems have been checked on the U.S.S Firebrande and seem to be working correctly, I would like your permission to take the Firebrande out for a quick run round the block (Pluto and back) to ensure everything is OK in flight. Thanks Taz River P.S I would like to discuss with you when I can move up from an Ensign to a Lieutenant perhaps? Taz sent the report to Admiral Jopek, he was glad that this had been wrapped up, it had been driving him crazy so he went to the holo deck to unwind. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Holodeck One - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.18.2305) "Computer, load River Program 1," ordered Taz. <> answered the computer Taz entered the program, it was his favourite a bar room brawl with 4 Ferengi's, he got so much fun from swinging them round the room and bouncing there heads off the wall, good job they are only holographic characters or else Taz would be in serious trouble! ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.0500) Jopek was reading a report from the CEO about the Borg, it made interesting reading. 'Admiral Jopek, After examining the key systems and taking the engineering room to pieces (and putting it back together again) I have arrived at the conclusion that the Borg Drones that you saw were not the work of any Borg at all, I suspect it was another enemy. However I regret to inform you it appears a saboteur put them there. You see one of my engineering teams found 8 holo-imagers in engineering, and they were programmed into a small program that created drones. The holographic drones you saw posed no real danger, the only value they would serve would have been as a diversion at a critical moment. The program was not detected in the computers system because it was hidden, with Ensign Berrewick's code; but if the programmer was clever enough to design this he has no doubt masked his real identity too. All systems have been checked on the U.S.S Firebrande and seem to be working correctly, I would like your permission to take the Firebrande out for a quick run round the block (Pluto and back) to ensure everything is OK in flight. Thanks Taz River P.S I would like to discuss with you when I can move up from an Ensign to a Lieutenant perhaps?' Reading the message quickly, the Admiral composed a quick reply to the computer. "Computer, send a message to Ensign River: 'Good work Ensign, permission granted. please return the ship promptly as she is at the disposal of Dr. Dervin. please inform her of your schedule. Come and see me after you have returned with the Firebrande, Jopek out.' "Send message now please Computer.", said Jopek. << Message sent at 05.10 >> ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Habitat Wing - YEO's Quarters - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0630) Kazuko gently sat back up and leaned against her futon, trying not to invoke seeing the doctor again that day. She watched as the ensign unpacked her boxes, "Careful.careful. Please." "Yes, Ma'am." He said with resentment in his voice. "Am I keeping you from something important, Ensign?" Kazuko asked noting the resentment. "No, Ma'am." He answered with the same resentment in his voice. "What's your name Ensign?" Kazuko asked. "Ensign Peter Wells, Ma'am." He answered, while opening the last of the boxes. "Well, Ensign Wells, it looks like you're stuck with me today. When is your shift up?" Kazuko asked. "Technically, it was up 15 minutes ago, I had these few parcels left to deliver." "Oh.well.Don't worry about the boxes in my office. I have people I can get to do that for me." Kazuko said with a small smile. "Oh no, if I don't and the Doctor finds out, I'm space dust." Ensign Wells said with a slight bit of fear in his voice. "I won't tell him if you won't." Kazuko said, "I'll let you go if you do two more things for me." "What's that?" Wells asked. "Well I need that box on the floor right here next to me and opened so I can look inside, and I need those planters watered. That's it." Kazuko answered. "Well if you're sure." He said while complying quickly hoping that she wouldn't change her mind. "Now, Ensign Wells, make sure to leave the soil in the planters.while you add water." She said with a laugh. "Yes, Ma'am." He answered with a wry grin. "Call me Chief, Ensign, No one calls me Ma'am." Kazuko said while watching him. "Yes, Chief." He finished watering the planters to her satisfaction and then grabbed the box on the floor and sat it on the futon next to her, while cutting it open. "Will there be anything else Chief?" he asked. "No, you may leave now, Ensign Wells." Kazuko bowed her head slightly while holding the box closed until he left her quarters. "Alone at last.Now what is this?" She asked herself while opening the box slowly. The first thing she pulled out of the box was a small floral arrangement; she looked at it and smiled. ~Looks like my own work.~ She took the card off of it and placed it on the little table next to her futon. Kazuko opened the card and read it aloud, "Happy Birthday, Kazuko-chan. All my love, Mitsu-chan." "Ohh Mitsu..." Kazuko said as tears started forming again, it had been four years since she'd seen or heard from her little sister. "This has to be one of the best birthday gifts I've gotten in years." She said while wiping the tears away and looking back in the box. She pulled out a photo grid and turned it on; smiling up at her was her family. She looked at each one and frowned, "You never smiled for me.I suppose I should give up this fantasy of having a family." She said slightly angered while tossing it on the futon and digging in the box, she came up with a padd. "Alright what's this?" Kazuko asked while turning it on to find a message from her brother in it. "Dearest Kazuko-chan. I know it has been a long time since I last sent word, but it couldn't be helped. I had to save my money to send this package to you without letting mother and father know I was doing so. I hope you like the ikebana that Mitsu made. I told her that I was giving it to one of my professors.she wouldn't have made it if I had told her the truth." Kazuko sighed and looked at the ikebana for a moment. ~I knew it was too good to be true.Though it is pretty. Maybe I'll send it to Doctor Cambridge.~ She thought before going back to the letter. "Mitsu is going through schooling like floral arrangement was all there is to life. I think she actually looks forward to keeping that stupid tradition. Takeru has finally come around to my way of thinking. And you'll find something from him inside this box." She stopped reading again and looked in the box and pulled out a large paper crane. ~How cute.~ She thought and continued reading, "I think you'll find more letters from Takeru in the future. I'm doing well at the University of Tokyo, but I don't seem to have a knack for science like you did when you came here. So my new goal is to be a professor, it also keeps father happy." ~Oh, Haru-chan.you should do what you want to do to keep yourself happy.~ Kazuko sighed and then finished the letter off, "Mother and father haven't changed in the last four years, and they still deny you exist. And what's worse is they expect us to deny it as well, which is why I have to stop in Osaka to send this box to you. Even though I'm of age, I can't openly face them like you did. I just don't have the same strength you do. I just pray that they will come to see what's right soon. Give my love to Uncle Terunobu and all my love to you. Your brother forever, Harunobu." Kazuko put the padd down and then reached in the box gain. In the bottom was a silk kimono, she pulled it out and smiled, it had a note attached to the front, ~You are part of this family whether they wish to acknowledge it or not, Takeru.~ "Well, I have both of my brothers.that's a start." She said aloud while making sure everything was out of the box before tossing it to the side. ====================/\==================== (Earth Station - ACEO Ens JG Lee Rough - 2378.08.19.0649) Ensign Lee Rough felt pleased with himself as he made for the exit of the office, and made his way to his quarters.He grabbed his gear and made way to the turbolift. "Shuttle bay" Lee told the computer. Lee felt butterflies in his stomach as the lift came to a halt and he stepped into the corrridor then upto the shuttle bay doors. The doors slid forward. "Hello Ensign ive been expecting you" Lee and the pilot made idle chatter. Lee followed the pilot to the shuttle, which stood tall and strong. "Well step aboard and get ready for the flight: destination Starbase Valhalla" ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0700) Kazuko walked slowly through the door holding the ikebana in her hands. She moved up to the front desk and smiled at the nurse. "Can I help you?" The nurse asked. "I'd like to leave this for Doctor Cambridge please..." Kazuko said while slowly putting the ikebana on the desk. "If you wait, I'm sure he'll be back soon." The nurse said. "No need, I have to get to work before my assistant report me missing. I left a little card inside for him to open. Just remind him to add water to the base every two days." Kazuko said with a smile as the hospital smell started to make her queasy again. Kazuko turned and walked slowly out of the hospital before the nurse could stop her. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0725) Kazuko walked into her office and sat on the step inside the door while slow ly changing her shoes for slippers before going to her desk. She walked slowly to her desk and sat down. "Computer, record message for Ensigns Shiva and Auron." <> "Rikku, Maurana, report to my office as soon as you get in, Kazuko." She said, "Send message." <> ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - Jason Holland - 2378.08.19.0730) The Bolian stood in the corner, watching officers going by, pretending to be Examining a power conduit, using his tricorder and punching random buttons. His eyes however were all over the place, watching security, watching civilians and others. A moment later he closed the conduit, having done nothing at all to improve its performance. He walked into the crowd, moving towards an empty wing. As he walked down the hall, he looked around, looking as if to check units, but instead watching for a trail. He found an empty room and entered. As soon as the door closed with a whish, the man tossed his satchel aside and reached for his neck. It wasn't a Bolian at all. As the mask was pulled off it revealed a human male. The mask was tossed to the ground and soon as was the Starfleet uniform. The man bent down to the bag and began to dress. He soon had on a black suit with a white shirt underneath and a black tie. Black glasses soon joined the entourage and the man stood up, slipping a small phaser gun into his inner pocket. Tugging on his suit, he straightened it out. The clothes and mask were placed in the satchel. Looking around the room, the man smiled to himself and made his way out the door. His name was Jason Holland, but he went by Holland, his short name. He was a terrorist. Or to put it more sincerely, a mercenary. And for the moment, he was a paid mercenary terrorist, sent to engage in terrorist activity on Utopia Planitia. Holland was well known around the universe for many an attack. It was him who had caused several killings of important people in all matter of governments around the galaxies. In his younger years, he had been a paid operative for the Starfleet Agency, but those years had past. Ever since his daughter and wife had been killed in a retribution attack from a former enemy, he left Starfleet and disappeared. After five years he had come back, on the other side and began his work. For the last twenty years he had been leading attacks and sabotage against Starfleet and those on her side. One thing was clear. Holland was out for blood and the Columbia was just the beginning for him. As he walked out into the main concourse, he threw the bag into a trash. Moments later it would be destroyed, the evidence lost. Holland turned a corner and headed for the docks once more. In his other inside pocket he held an identification badge. ====================/\==================== (USS Firebrande - Bridge - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0745) Now the full system diagnostic and check of the Firebrande had been completed, he informed his security teams that the Firebrande was going to be taken out to Pluto and back for a short engineering test run. The teams were all at there posts, the CEO had decided this opportunity would be ideal to record the standard factory settings of all systems of the Firebrande before the boffins from the science/research departments arrived on board fiddling with everything. Taz had earlier programmed the computer to fly there automatically and he was going to do the flight back to ensure the ship was safe after the holographic Borg incident. The ship arrived at Pluto after about 5 minutes, and as programmed the Firebrande came to a full stop and Enisign Taz and the engineering teams checked the systems over and everything worked fine, "OK, prepare for the return journey home" ordered Ensign Taz as he sat down at CONN. Ensign Taz laid in the course and piloted the Firebrande back to Starbase Valhalla, everything seemed to be working OK; then he remembered to test one last thing-he went into the Captain's Ready Room, and walking up to the replicator ordered "Coffee, Black" and sampled the beverage: "Perfect" The Captain shouldn't have any complaints with this. Ensign Taz looked at the mug, it had the Firebrande's logo on it, so instead of recycling the cup he decided to keep it as a souvenir. Ensign Taz could pilot small-medium shuttles confidently but his confidence vanished when he was at the helm of this beautiful Galaxy Class Starship The USS Firebrande so he ordered the computer to perform the docking procedures, whilst he collected his tools and left the Firebrande ready for her next mission. Taz decided to send a concluding report to Admiral Jopek: Admiral Jopek After examing and testing the Firebrande I am pleased to announce that the systems are once functional again, you should not get any more holographic Borg drones again: However I have found something of interest, the holo emitters were mounted inside the panels in engineering-now these panels had there seals still on them which means these were added by someone who worked on the Firebrande being built, if it was added afterwards the seal would have been broken. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Turbolift - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0755) The turbolift hummed brightly, and Martin took a measure of personal pride in that - even though he'd never had to lay so much as a finger on the turbolift systems himself. "Computer, record a message for delivery to the office of Captain Jenna Rulestaad." The computer acknowledged the order and he continued, "Captain, following the staff meeting yesterday I thought it would be a good idea if the two of us met to find out exactly what resources you'll be needing for the Martin Defense Perimeter development. I know it's only on the drawing board at the moment, but it never hurts to be reading from the same page. "Computer, send message." ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Alpha - Bay 3, Security Checkpoint - Jason Holland - 2378.08.19.0800) As he approached the security checkpoint a security ensign looked up. "Sir, this area has been restricted..." Holland pulled out his ID card. The ensign looked up startled. Holland removed his glasses, giving the ensign one hell of a hard crusty look. "I'm sorry Rear Admiral Kevel...I didn't realize it was you.which ship were you heading for?" Jason scoffed, putting on the act he had readied. "The USS Lion you fool! That's the ship I commanded for 14 years! I left her to command the Academy! I was hoping to get one last look at her!" The ensign nodded, knowing the hole he was digging himself. He checked the ID once more. It was a match... "Aye sir, the shuttle can take you there." The "admiral" nodded and moved through the gate, a smile on his face. First test passed. A few feet in front of him was a shuttle, the USS Gallegos, pilot standing outside, having already seen what had happened. "Welcome aboard Admiral, It's..." Holland just shook his head and entered the shuttle. The pilot stopped and just stood there. So much for trying to meet famous people. He closed the door and turned around, only to face the admiral, only he didn't seem to admiral like with a phaser gun pointing at him. "Sorry, short ride you piece of ****" The shot hit the ensign full in the chest. The discharge didn't register on any systems. Holland knew what the hell was he was doing. He put the dead body inside the storage compartment and proceeded to pilot the shuttle straight towards the USS Lion. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0800) Martin strode brightly onto the command deck, and took over from the officer at his station who gave him a polite nod and a quick run-down of events since he'd left last night. "How did the departure of the Columbia go?" She looked at him, confusion cluttering her gaze momentarily, "The Columbia's still with us, sir. She's undergoing emergency repairs and they've had to put back her departure time. It's all documented in the Operations log, sir." "Let me see that!" He stepped up to the console in such a manner that if she didn't have the presence of mind to move, she would have been squashed underfoot. Still vaguely aware of her presence at his side he said, "Dismissed, crewman!" He scanned through the details, noting the exact times the damage was noted in the Operations Log at Dockyard Echo. As his eyes finished reading the details, his hands punched up a comm-channel to the surface. "Operations to Ensign Okada; report to Dockyard Echo. We two are going to take a little tour of my department, and repair whatever damage is left, and maybe whilst we're doing that you'll find it in you to explain to me why I wasn't informed of all that's been going on last night!" He slammed the palm of his hand against the console, closing the channel and venting some of his anger at the same time. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.19.0801) "Can I help you Ms.?" Anne jumped at the sound, suddenly feeling like she had been caught. She turned and was surpised to face a man who was a LOT taller than her. She smiled. "Um, yes. I am Ensign Anne Therriault. I'm here to have my physical." ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0802) "Um, yes. I am Ensign Anne Therriault. I'm here to have my physical." Cambridge nodded quickly and picked up a PADD. "Welcome to Otono. Follow me." He led to her a biobed in the middle of the room. Several stations with Biobeds were arranged in a outward circular way. Maxwell pointed to a bed for the officer to sit on. "There we go. Well Ms. Therriault, how has your first four or so days been here on the station?" Cambridge nodded his head simply. "I understand. I've had more surprises than I thought this station could dish out." He pulled out his medical tricorder and began to run the small round pulsing unit over her. "Any health conditions previous or family gene line?" ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.19.0803) "There we go. Well Ms. Therriault, how has your first four or so days been here on the station?" "Actually," Anne answered, "I've been on the station for about...." she checked the time and did a quick calculation, "38 hours and most of it is a blur right now." Cambridge nodded his head simply. "I understand. I've had more surprises than I thought this station could dish out." He pulled out his medical tricorder and began to run the small round pulsing unit over her. "Any health conditions previous or family gene line?" Therriault thought for a moment, "No, none that I can think of. My 4 brothers are healthy as horses and my parents never had any problem. Oh, wait...I did have a broken arm when I was 4. My 2 older brother decided to play football with me...and I was the football." <> She smiled innocently, "I have 2 older brothers and 2 younger brothers and all of them tortured me until I learned self defense." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0805) Kazuko sat behind her desk with her head propped up on her hand watching the officers unpack her other plant boxes. Things were as they should be, workers were busy with the tasks she gave them, and her assistants were busy bees themselves. Kazuko looked up as the comm. cracked and released the message for her. ~Perfect.Things were going good until now.~ She listened to the message once but couldn't believe her ears, "Computer reply that last message." =/\="Operations to Ensign Okada; report to Dockyard Echo. We two are going to take a little tour of my department, and repair whatever damage is left, and maybe whilst we're doing that you'll find it in you to explain to me why I wasn't informed of all that's been going on last night!"=/\= ~HIS DEPARTMENT?!?! I thought Orbital Ops was MY department.~ She thought getting just as mad as he sounded before she felt Rikku's hands on her shoulders. Kazuko took a few calming breathes before patting Rikku away. "He sounds pretty steamed Kaz." Maurana said while looking up from the consol. "It sounds to me that he needs to switch to decaf." Rikku said while walking back towards her office, "You aren't going, right Kazuko?" "I don't know yet.I shouldn't. If I don't hurt myself I'll probably hurt him." Kazuko said with a wry grin, "And if I hurt myself again, Doc Cambridge will be less than pleased." "Well you have to reply..." Maurana said with a smile. "I do don't I." Kazuko sighed and hit the comm. "Orbital Ops to Lt. Black. I regret to inform you that I cannot attend your meeting on Dockyard Echo. I have been placed on Light duty by Doctor Maxwell Cambridge and attending to that would only aggravate my condition. If you would still like to confer with me, I will be in my office. Or you can take it up with Doctor Cambridge. Okada Out." She cut the comm. "He's going to like that even less, Kaz." Maurana said with a small smile. "Doctor outranks him, Maurana. Like it or not, that's the way it goes." Kazuko said while laying her head down on the desk and closing her eyes for a few moments. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0808) =/\=Orbital Ops to Lt. Black. I regret to inform you that I cannot attend your meeting on Dockyard Echo. I have been placed on Light duty by Doctor Maxwell Cambridge and attending to that would only aggravate my condition. If you would still like to confer with me, I will be in my office. Or you can take it up with Doctor Cambridge. Okada Out.=/\= Who in Hell did she think she was cuttng off a superior officer?? A head full of steam, Martin marched into the turbolift. "Transporter Room One!" ====================/\==================== (USS Lion - Main Engineering - Jason Holland - 2378.08.19.0810) He stepped into the engineering department, looking around the room. Out of his new bag, he pulled a small rectangular device. Walking deliberately and with practiced efficiency, he opened the warp core unit, placing the device directly into the outer chamber. Closing it, he took a deep breath. Picking up his bag he returned to the shuttle, which he piloted back to the dock and left with but a nod to the ensign at the dock. He had fifteen minutes to disappear. He did it with out much trouble. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0810) Therriault thought for a moment, "No, none that I can think of. My 4 brothers are healthy as horses and my parents never had any problem. Oh, wait...I did have a broken arm when I was 4. My 2 older brother decided to play football with me...and I was the football." Cambridge nodded. "That's a fun thing eh!" She smiled innocently, "I have 2 older brothers and 2 younger brothers and all of them tortured me until I learned self defense." Suddenly a call came directly to Cambridge. =/\=SIR, THE OPS CHIEF JUST BURST INTO KAZUKO'S OFFFICE...=/\= The chief needed no more information. "Excuse me. I have a patient's live to save. I should be back. Computer, emergency transport to Kazuko office...NOW!" He shouted the last sentence, his anger very clear. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Transporter Room One - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0811) Martin stormed into the small room, pushing himself up to the console, tapping into it furiously. "Transport me to these co-ordinates. NOW!" He stepped onto the transport pad, and felt the immediate tingle of the transporter field claiming his body. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0814) "It is not wise to treat your superior officers with such contempt - it could be considered insubordinate. However, let's skip that as a debate for another time; we have more important matters to discuss. Why was I not informed of the tampering with dockyard echo?" Cambridge had appeared to the back of the office, having Black not seeing him in his tirade. He stepped forward, all six foot five of him. "MR. Black!" "My name is Chief Medical Officer Maxwell Cambridge..." The CMO raised an eyebrow, his ire growing. He leaned down to the man and looked him straight into the eye. His voice was intense and filled with rage, ready to explode. "Ms. Okada is hurt. She is unable to do heavy work outside of her office. This is the diagnosis of the Medical Department of this station. You can accept that..." He almost added ~You little piece of work! ~ "Or you can take it up with the Admiral and inform HIM that YOU WISH TO INJURE AND EVEN KILL SOMEONE ON THIS STATION! NOW, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I GET YOU OUT MYSELF!" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0814) Lieutenant Martin Black materialised inside a room with several plants and three people. It took him a moment to work out which was which as both kinds remained in a motionless shock at his sudden arrival. "OUT!" he bellowed at the two assistants. "Don't look at her, I'm ordering you OUT!" The two of them quickly scurried out of his way as he rounded to the desk and gave the YEO a smouldering glare. "It is not wise to treat your superior officers with such contempt - it could be considered insubordinate. However, let's skip that as a debate for another time; we have more important matters to discuss. Why was I not informed of the tampering with dockyard echo?" He added silently, ~And after your little performance a moment ago, this had better be good!~ ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0815) "Doctor? Are you this protective of all your patients - which I'd hate to think otherwise we might never get anything done around here - or is it just the ones you find... cute?" The six foot five doctor raised his eyebrow. His face tightened visibly. Fortunately for the Second Officer he had moved out of the office quickly, escaping any ire the doctor could throw in his direction. For the moment, Cambridge was left with an empty room and Okada. He turned to her and tersely nodded. "If you will excuse me, I've got to finish a medical examination. Check with me at the end of the day. Good Day." The CMO moved out the door, headed for the transporter room, his mind still abuzz with anger towards the OPS chief. He quickly transported down to Otono. He walked back into the office, snatching up a PADD with a snap, spotting his patient and pointing her towards one of the rooms quickly and without words. He looked up as she entered. He took a deep breath. "Sorry about that officer, I had a raving fool to deal with. What are we here to do again?" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - AYEO's Office - AYEO Ens JG Shiva Rikku - 2378.08.19.0816) Ensign Shiva sat behind her desk looking over schedules for next week when a slight beep alerted her to the wall unit. ~What's this? Someone working in Engineering of the Lion?~ She pulled up the list of workers and blinked, ~There is no authorized work being done in Engineering on the Lion.~ She quickly walked through the door to her Chief's office, "Chief we have a problem!" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0816) "MR. Black!" Martin looked at the newest arrival with an odd mix of anger and delighted contempt. "Can I help you Doctor?" "My name is Chief Medical Officer Maxwell Cambridge..." "I am aware of your designation." Focussing his mind, Martin found stength in the building itself. They were on his turf now. "State your business here." "Ms. Okada is hurt. She is unable to do heavy work outside of her office. This is the diagnosis of the Medical Department of this station. You can accept that..." Martin drew himself up, even though he could never hope to match the CMO's size. The emotional rush surging from the CMO was quite... interesting. "Or you can take it up with the Admiral and inform HIM that YOU WISH TO INJURE AND EVEN KILL SOMEONE ON THIS STATION! NOW, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I GET YOU OUT MYSELF!" The Betazoid allowed the angry words to wash over the room and dissipate before continuing. He turned to face the CMO, his smile fixed, his voice tightly gripped around 'light and friendly' mode. "Yet another piece of vital," he said, slamming his palm against the desk to emphasise his point, "information that this Ensign," he slammed it again, "has been caught witholding. In either case Doctor I was simply trying to save this officer any trouble that her attitude may cause her by informing her of the proper chain of command." Martin was aflame, there was no force on all of Mars that could stop him now, and he wasn't about to let a Doctor get in his way. "As you can see when the good Ms Okada informed me that she could not perform heavy duties - albeit in a somewhat inappropriate fashion - I relocated her work, and mine, to her office. Now that I have the information I came for - unless there's something else you're hiding, Kazuko? - I will be going. I *do* have a station to run." He swept up to the door, before turning, "Doctor? Are you this protective of all your patients - which I'd hate to think otherwise we might never get anything done around here - or is it just the ones you find... cute?" Neither of them ever got a chance to answer him, as he was already storming down the corridor in an attempt to sort out the anger in his head which belonged to him from that absorbed from both the Doctor and the Engineer. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0817) "Chief! We have a problem." Rikku said while going up to Kazuko's desk. "What is it now?" Kazuko asked. She really started to hate those words. "Unauthorized access to the engineering room on the Lion." Rikku said while showing it on a padd to Kazuko. "Orbital Ops to Security!" Kazuko called quickly, "We have a report of unauthorized access to the U.S.S. Lion, please advise." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0818) Kazuko looked at the report from Rikku again and frowned, ~Where is Security. Something about this just doesn't seem right to me.~ Kazuko stood and walked to her transporter padd. ~I can't wait. Something happens to that ship and there will be hell to pay.~ "Kaz? Where are you going?" Rikku asked while watching her Chief move around. "Don't worry.I'm just going to go to the Lion and see to that Unauthorized movement." Kazuko answered. "That's what we have security for." Maurana said, showing equal worry that Kaz might reinjure herself. "Can't wait. Something happens to the Lion and my ass will answer for it. I'm going." She stepped onto the transporter and waited for a moment. Rikku sighed and activated the beam. ====================/\==================== (USS Lion - Bridge - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0819) Kazuko materialized and did a quick scan of the area. Her tricorder was working overtime as she moved to the turbolift. The turbolift doors opened and she took it to Engineering. ====================/\==================== (USS Lion - Main Engineering - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0820) The Chief stepped out into Engineering and looked around cautiously. Nothing looked amiss to her, so she started scanning with her tricorder, after a moment of scanning she came to a stop at the Warp Core. ~What the hell is that?~ She thought while opening the Warp Core unit and gently pulling the ticking unit out of there. Her eyes widened as she saw the countdown blinking, 5.59.5.58.5.57. "Oh god.A bomb!" She said out loud while holding it in her hands. ~Got to MOVE~ Her thought was so urgent she nearly dropped the device. She turned and nearly ran back to the turbolift. Once inside, "Transporter Room" <> The computer responded. "Pick one!" Kazuko nearly yelled. The turbolift began to move towards Transporter Room 1 as Kazuko looked down on the device. Burning its look into her memory for later. ~I know nothing of bombs, but I at the very least can describe it to anyone who will care.~ ====================/\==================== (USS Lion - Transporter Room One - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0821) She ran into the transporter room and was struck dumb at what she saw. The Pad was there, but the consol to activate it wasn't., "Computer what is the status of Transporters?" <> "No." She whispered, and looked at the little device in her hands, ~You are not getting this ship.~ She thought as it blinked. 3.48.3.47..3.46. "Are there any shuttles aboard?" She asked. <> The computer replied. "Is it complete?" Kazuko asked. <> Kazuko ran back to the turbolift, and sighed, ~This isn't in my job description.~ "Shuttle Bay 1" She ordered. ====================/\==================== (USS Lion - Shuttlebay One - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0822) Kazuko ran into the shuttle bay towards the shuttle Redemption. "Computer activate Shuttle Redemption, Prep for flight." She called out as she ran. The door to the shuttle opened and she ran aboard. Sitting down in the pilot seat she powered it up. "Computer, scrap pre launch check list, we don't have the time. Open the bay doors." Kazuko ordered. The doors didn't budge. "Computer! Open the bay doors!" She cried again, this time punching her command codes into the shuttle turning it around. <> The computer chimed. Kazuko looked over at the bomb ticking away, 2.45.2.44..2.43.."We don't have time for this, COMPUTER, Blow the Bay door off Authorization, Okada Beta Beta Charlie 005!" She screamed, getting slightly nervous. The bay doors blow off into space and Kazuko hits the power, sending the shuttle out into space. ~I should have taken more time in the simulator.~ As soon as she was far enough from the Lion, she hit the engines and pushed the shuttle up to as fast as it could go. She needed distance. ====================/\==================== (Shuttle Redemption - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0823) Kazuko flew out and away from the dockyards, putting as much space as she could between them. She had no idea how much of a punch this little device had, but she wanted to be sure her ships and her people were safe from it. She looked over at it and sighed, 1.25.1.24.1.23. "Computer record message." She said <> "To anyone within the sound of my voice, This is Ensign Okada Kazuko of Japan. I am the Chief of the Yard Engineering and Orbital Operations Departments of Utopia Planitia.At 0811 this morning, I had a report of Unauthorized entry to the Engineering department of the USS Lion. After calling Security and not getting a response, I myself went to the USS Lion and found a foreign device ticking away. After a failed attempt to transport it away, I took the Shuttle Redemption and am now speeding away from the dockyards. If anything, my ships are safe. What a way to spend my birthday. I hope that you catch the person or persons responsible for this." She stopped and looked at it again. 1.00..59..58. "Computer, send!" 57 seconds later.the Shuttle Redemption exploded. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Main Operations - OPSO Crewman Jason Stillwell - 2378.08.19.0824) In the command centre Jason Stillwell sat watching the board. Nothing much had been happening, the Mars accident was ongoing, but the station had been relatively quiet. Running his hands over the board, he checked several ongoing repairs in lower decks, small stuff really while keeping an eye on the main boards scanning the perimeter of Utopia and Mars. He sat back in the chair for but a moment when suddenly it came through, loud and very clear. =/\=To anyone within the sound of my voice, this is Ensign Okada Kazuko of Japan. I am the Chief of the Yard Engineering and Orbital Operations Departments of Utopia Planitia... At 0811 this morning; I had a report of unauthorized entry to the Engineering department of the USS Lion. After calling Security and not getting a response, I myself went to the USS Lion and found a foreign device ticking away. After a failed attempt to transport it away, I took the Shuttle Redemption and am now speeding away from the dockyards. If anything, my ships are safe. What a way to spend my birthday... I hope that you catch the person or persons responsible for this..." Stillwell sat up, his mind moving quickly. "Transporter room, we need a lock on to a ship..." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - AOPS Ens JG Ralth Ra'Kir - 2378.08.19.0825) Ralth stepped around the OPS, trying to get his mind around the idea that he was in charge of Ops alone for the watch, because ltn. Black was dealing with operational issues. Sighing, he sat at his console, just as one the operators called him. "Sir, we have a shuttle departing from the Lions shuttlebay! The Redemption, sir." ~Hm. That's odd. There isn't supposed to BE anyone on the Lion now. They should all be repairing Columbia.~ "Scan the ship for lifeforms." "One, Sir. There's a slight fluctuation, like there was something else.. Sir, incoming message from the shuttle." "On speakers." =/\=To anyone within the sound of my voice, This is Ensign Okada Kazuko of Japan. I am the Chief of the Yard Engineering and Orbital Operations Departments of Utopia Planitia. At 0811 this morning, I had a report of Unauthorized entry to the Engineering department of the USS Lion. After calling Security and not getting a response, I myself went to the USS Lion and found a foreign device ticking away. After a failed attempt to transport it away, I took the Shuttle Redemption and am now speeding away from the dockyards. If anything, my ships are safe. What a way to spend my birthday... I hope that you catch the person or persons responsible for this.=/\= Ralth could feel his hackles rising. A man operating a nearby console, sat up and slapped his commbadge, calling for transporters to lock on the ship. Ralth growled. ~I'm too slow.~ "Belay that order! Lock onto any and all lifeforms inside the Redemption and initialize emergency transport!" =^=Can't lock on, sir. There's an energy flux there that keeps interfering!=^= ~What the.. The bomb must be already going critical.~ "Lock onto that energy signature and beam it outside the shuttle!" =^=Sir, we can't get the bomb out. It's going critical and could destabilize in the pattern. It would cause much more damage!=/\= Snarling, Ralth punched his commbadge. "Lock on to my signal and beam me there and then back in three seconds! Ener-" <> "NO!" Ralth could feel the deck swinging under his feet as the shockwave hit them. "Do we have her?" Stillwell started punching at his console while Ralth waited, his tail twitching. "She's in Otono Stormcentre, they've got her now!" Ralth sighed. He had no way to know how badly she was hurt, if at all. He'd have to wait. "Computer, inform me when any entries are made onto ensign Okadas medical log." <> ~I can't access the files, but I sure as hell can find out when they put something in there, and then I can ask the doctor myself.. Now, we have to get moving.~ "Computer, initialize full-scale security lockdown. No entry or exit from and to Valhalla station and Mars base without express permission of senior officers. Ra'Kir to security: We have a saboteur on station and I have initiated lockdown as per standard procedure Alpha-one -one. Rest is yours. Get them, fast. Relaying situation information to you now. Computer, record all sensor logs from this morning 0000, encode them and send them to security and Admiral Jopek." (Reply security) "Operations to Admiral Jopek. Sir, ensign Okada was injured by an explosive device in a shuttlecraft. It destroyed the shuttle but we managed to pull her out just in time, I think. She's in Otono now, but I don't know her condition. I have initiated the lockdown procedures and informed security. What are your orders, Sir?" ====================/\==================== (Shuttlecraft Redemption - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0826) Okada screamed in shock as the timer jumped to 15 seconds. Her blood ran cold and she looked out into space as she realized what would happen next. The world would turn black; she would feel pain and then release. Death was that way, quick and easy for some, long and drawn out for others. Grimacing, she realized she would die young, a virgin and on her birthday. Her memories washed over her, her smile growing at all of life she had lived. The timer showed 10 seconds. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Main Operations - OPSO Crewman Jason Stillwell - 2378.08.19.0826) Stillwell was having trouble with the transporter department. They had tried to lock onto Okada, but were finding it hard to hold onto her. Frowning and expression frustration he cursed. Quickly he looked around and took a deep breath. Once more they would need to go to red alert. And fast. "RED ALERT! Ops to medical, prepare for a casualty! All hands to battle stations, we have a bomb on a shuttle..." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - Jason Holland - 2378.08.19.0826) Jason Holland walked the decks of Valhalla, his eyes moving over the crowds of officers and random people. He had changed once more into a lieutenant uniform in operations style, using his credentials to get where he needed to go. His PADD suddenly beeped and he frowned, looking down to it. The image of the USS Lion appeared and a small shuttle soon thereafter. It was moving away from its intended target. The timer was at 45 seconds. In that time something could be done to stop it. That he could not allow. Tapping a few buttons, he locked the time down to 15 seconds. He stopped at the window and soon found the errant shuttle. A smile curled on his slips as he was about to see his plan succeed in more ways than he imagined. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO's Office - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0826) Chief Medical Officer Maxwell Cambridge looked up, his eyes focusing on the blinking red light that was making its presence known to him. A casualty? What the hell did that mean? He stood up quickly. "Otono Stormcentre, go to Red Alert, incoming casualty, prepare Operation Room 3!" He quickly picked up his pace as he made his way to the operating room wing. He looked at his PADD and he stopped for just a moment as he found out who was on the shuttle. ~Okada...damnation!~ He ran all the faster. ====================/\==================== (Shipyards - - 2378.08.19.0827) The Valhalla Yards and surrounding departments were now on full alert, having the word BOMB been run to them. The klaxons were ringing true, the red lights covering the rooms in swaths as men and women alike ran to buckle down. Orders were shouted, messages sent. None of these officers had any idea their chief was in the shuttle and of the impending doom. They did their jobs as anyone would do it, without concern, without protest, but with absolution towards the goal of saving their ships, their station, and their home. ====================/\==================== (Shuttlecraft Redemption - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.19.0827) Okada slowly sat down on the bench, the bomb across from her, reading 7 seconds. Seven seconds to make for everything in the world, seven seconds to come to something of a decision, to something of a mindset. Six seconds to remember all the times she had with her family, with her friends and with Starfleet. Six seconds to look to the window, seeing Valhalla become smaller and smaller, watching her new home fly away into the wind, while she grudgingly clasped onto it, not wanting to ever let go. Five seconds to consider what would happen, five seconds to remember the world, four seconds to think about what life could have been, about who she could have been. Three seconds to want to be that person in more ways then one. Three seconds to realize her life had been fulfilled in some way. Someone would remember her, someone would think about her. Two seconds to fold her arms and take one last look at the receding vision. Two seconds to know it had been a good run. One second for it all to come rushing back to her. One second to know that life would go on, and that the future held so much for those still in it. One moment to hold onto it all, before it was ripped away. For the first time since she had stepped onto the transporter PADD in her office, she smiled. Smiled with a twinkle in her eye as the counter hit zero. And her world went white. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - - 2378.08.19.0827) The station was on full alert, the transports slowly locking in on Okada. Her signal was fading in and out, causing the personal more problems than they wanted. They wanted more than anything to save one of their own, but it seemed fate had other plans. The transporters were at 50% and would be online within 8 seconds. Little did they know of how much time they actually had, and if they did, there would have been nothing they could do. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - - 2378.08.19.0828) The explosion surprised everyone on the deck, and the fire on screen held them for a moment before they move quickly into action "Do we have her!?" The voices were filled with fear and anxiety, reaching the breaking point. There was a moment of silence as Stillwell pounded the OPS board. He shouted loudly. "She's in Otono Stormcentre, they've got her now!" The room dissolved into chaos as they went about securing from the bomb and the ensuing insanity. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - Jason Holland - 2378.08.19.0828) Holland grinned as the shuttle exploded, staying at the window for a moment, and then quickly disappeared into the crowd. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - Operating Room 3 - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.19.0828) Cambridge busted into the OR to find the badly burnt body of Okada Kazuko on the table, already being worked on. She was screaming in pain, trying to desperately hold it in. Maxwell came up and looked into her eyes. They were moving around the room frantically and focused on him at last. Her amber eyes held for a moment, recognizing his face. "Do...c...sor...ry..." He quickly began to work on her, shaking his head, as if to say, "Its ok, I just get to shake my head at you more." His other surgeons were quickly working on the Orbital Operations Chief, Cambridge trying to desperately repair her damaged skin. The scans were showing internal injuries all over the place. She was dead as far as the CMO could tell, but there still something in her holding on, refusing to let go, wanted to live as long as she could. "Did...I...sa...ve...th...e..." She dissolved into hacking, her body breaking into spasms, forcing several of the doctors to hold her down. Her heart was slowing and her breathing was becoming more ragged. They continued to work, desperately trying to save the young woman as her condition worsened. "Heart rate's going...we're going into RED!" Red was the name for the Last Stop. Beyond this point, anything could happen. The best they could do was to hope she could be pulled out of such a mess. "Did...I...save...the...the...Li...on...the...ship?" Her voice was once more forced, her body struggling to say the words she needed to, struggling to say one last thing before the blackness consumed her. Cambridge looked around to the other officers. One nodded. They had seen the scene on the screens. Cambridge leaned down, his voice breaking with emotion. "Yes...you did. You saved the ship and the station. Okada, you did damned well, damned well indeed." She seemed to smile as she coughed once more, blood coming to her mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the doctors shaking their heads. They could do nothing; she would soon slip into the cold grasps of death. Cambridge leaned in as she began to gasp for breath, her lungs filling, her heart failing and the light inside her eyes fading. Okada struggled for a few moments, before she let out a long breath, her head slowly falling back to the table. The room fell silent as the doctor leaned his head down to the table. The fellow officers in the room bowed their heads, knowing they had just lost an officer of great caliber. A moment later Cambridge stood up, his face red from tears. He looked to the body once more, water falling down his face. "Kazuko, you will always be in my heart as a damned good officer and..." He struggled once more, the emotions inside him reaching a pinnacle. "A friend I always knew I had..." Moving quickly forward, Doctor Maxwell Alexander Cambridge reached forward and covered the body. "Computer, declare time of...death for Okada Kazuko as now. File report and send to Admiral Jopek for review." He stood for a moment and then walked slowly out of the room, his feet echoing off the empty cavern of Surgery 3. The doors swished close behind him, the lights dimming, and the silence finally reaching the room. The body of Okada Kazuko was left to an empty room. The lights turned off finally, awaiting the return of life to a now dead room. Time ends, 8:39. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - Corridors - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0829) The meeting with the YEO had been a short one. There was nothing new she could tell him, and after pressing his point to ensure that this blatant disregard for the chain of command would not happen again he wanted nothing more than to get back on top of the situation on Valhalla. "Lt Black to Valhalla." He waited for the starbase to acknowledge before continuing, "One to beam back." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Transporter Room One - TC CPO Botrell - 2378.08.19.0830) =/\=Lt Black to Valhalla; one to beam back.=/\= "Aye sir," the cheerful Bolian beamed at the disembodied voice. "Locking on... Energizing now!" His hand pushed up the console, matched by the lights indicating the transport cycle, and as they reached their peak there was a momentary hiss, before the console erupted into sparks and threw the Transporter Chief off his feet. He was dimly aware of an alert signal, and somewhere in the distance he was certain he could hear a voice... but then the blackness descended... =/\=...Botrell! Are you there?!=/\= ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - FO Cmdr Richard Ian Lee - 2378.08.19.0831) =^=Lt Black to Valhalla Operations; get a med-team down to Transporter Room One NOW!=^= Rich blinked, then tapped his padd. "Medical emergency, Med team to Transporter room one!" (reply medical) "Ops to Black, team en-route." =^=Thank you, Valhalla. I've got some business I might as well take care of whilst I'm down here, but could you ask Mr Landis if he'd mind getting a shuttle down here. I'll need to get back in orbit as soon as possible.=^= Rich looked at the CONN officer, and waved him off. "Also en-route. Report, whats going on down there?" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - Corridors - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0831) A loud whine and crackle of static burst from his comm-badge with a force that made him instinctively reach to close the channel. Beneath it all he was certain he could hear an explosion. "Botrell? Come in Transporter Chief! Botrell! Are you there?!" Panic gripped the Betazoid. Panic and fury at being stuck on this planet when one of his people was in trouble in orbit. "Lt Black to Valhalla Operations; get a med-team down to Transporter Room One NOW!" He waited what felt like an eternity whilst the officer on deck responded, "Thank you, Valhalla," Martin's voice contained more than a measure of relief at dealing with someone reasonable. Finally the day seemed to be falling back into his grip again, "I've got some business I might as well take care of whilst I'm down here, but could you ask Mr Landis if he'd mind getting a shuttle down here. I'll need to get back in orbit as soon as possible." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Engineering Wing - Corridors - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0834) =/\=Report, whats going on down there?=/\= "There's nothing going on down here, Commander. I came down for a status report about the Columbia as there were some unusual entries in the Operations Log, and when they tried to bring me back up there was what was very likely an explosion and now Transporter Chief Botrell isn't answering his comm-badge. "If that's all, sir, I really do have a lot to get through this morning..." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - FO Cmdr Richard Ian Lee - 2378.08.19.0834) =^=There's nothing going on down here, Commander. I came down for a status report about the Columbia as there were some unusual entries in the Operations Log, and when they tried to bring me back up there was what was very likely an explosion and now Transporter Chief Botrell isn't answering his comm-badge. "If that's all, sir, I really do have a lot to get through this morning...=^= Rich narrowed his eyes and sat back in his chair. "Very well, carry on Lieutenant." ~What is going on here?~ ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.0835) =^= ...could you ask Mr Landis if he'd mind getting a shuttle down here. I'll need to get back in orbit as soon as possible. =^= Alex stared at the consoles in disbelief. First the cancelled away mission due to the damage to the Columbia and now this. Not that he minded doing some piloting himself. Taking the Runabout out yesterday had been fun. "I heard that, tell him I'll be right there." Landis said to the FO. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Strategic Operations - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.19.0842) Jenna looked at the monitor at the man standing outside Stratops' blast doors, and frowned. "Computer, play LT Blacks comm message one more time. <> =^=It's Lt Black. I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd stop by in case there's any chance of...of that meeting about the MDP.=^= Rulestaad leaned back in her chair, and pointed to the Officer of the watch. "Let him in, send an escort." "Aye, Sir." He pressed a few buttons, and spoke lightly into a mic. Jenna continued to watch the screen, as the triple blast doors opened and three officers met with Lt Black as he walked in. "Ill take him in my office, you have the conn." she said as she looked at her second, Lt Cmdr Dorkin. The tellarite grinned, and said "He will get there in one piece, Im sure." "Make sure that he does" she said back. She checked the monitors one more time, as Lt Black was led past the 400 ft wide Strategic Condition main screen that headed the football stadium sized room. She grinned wickedly, as he looked about himself in obvious curiosity. Not many made it into Stratops, it was something of a wonder to a newcomer. Jenna headed off to the side, and entered her office while she waited for Black to make it up to her. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Strategic Operations, Lobby - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0842) He pressed the enunciator and waited for the response. "It's Lt Black. I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd stop by in case there's any chance of..." the thought phased out of Martin's head and he found himself having to fight to get it back. "...of that meeting about the MDP." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Engineering - CEO Ens JG Taz River - 2378.08.19.0845) After the excitement of the Borg chasing Jopek round engineering Taz had a list of Todo's growing in engineering and he had a new assistant to see to. =/\=Computer, locate Ensign Corey Moore=/\= <> answered the computer. ~if he's resting I'll just leave him a message~ "Ensign Corey Moore, please report to my engineering office as soon as you have the time, thanks, Ensign River" The main power grid for the station was only running at 68% efficiency, so he decided to give it some maintenance and see if he can improve efficiency to at least 90%, he removed a panel and linked up his test equipment to that to get started. The other members of engineering gathered round the table to hear what tasks they were assigned to that morning. "OK, I'd like Bruce and Lee to find out where the energy is being wasted, the main power grid is running at 68% efficiency, I want at least 80% by dinner, and 90% by this evening, if we should be attacked and the shields come up and the phasers start firing the whole station will probably shut down because of the power demand. OK-get to" ordered Ensign Taz Taz looked round at his team working, he had a good team and felt confident he was going to have a good time here on Valhalla, a great station, not far from Earth and right in the centre of Star Fleet activity. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - STRATOP's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0846) Being escorted under guard was probably the most friendly situation Martin had found himself in all morning, and he used the time between being allowed entrance to the Strategic Operations complex and arriving at the CO's Office to calm himself mentally and further purify his mind from the emotional influence of others. Luckily his companion was a well-trained solider, with a fixed, purposeful mind. Perfect company for this purifying journey. However, here he was, at the heart of UP's Strategic Operations centre, about to meet with it's head, and as the door opened he took a half step inside the room, advancing each sense in turn into the new space and feeling his way gingerly into new territory. At the centre of it all sat a Vulcanoid. He strode up to her, unsure whether to extend his hand in the human gesture of friendship, or the vulcan symbol of peace. In the end he opted for a brief salute. Keeping his mind closed, his eyes forward he said, "Operations Chief Martin Black, sir." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - STRATOPS's Office - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.19.0846) Jenna tried very hard not to chuckle as Black stood at her office door, and extended his hand in traditional vulcan manner. "Operations Chief Martin Black, sir." She brought her hand up, and spread her fingers in the same manner. "Peace and long life to you as well, Lieutenant." She brought her hand sweeping down to a gesture for him to take a seat. As he was sitting, Jenna got right to the point. "What about the MDP did you wish to discuss, Lieutenant?" ====================/\==================== (Strategic Operations - STRATOPS's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0846) "What about the MDP did you wish to discuss, Lieutenant?" "Several things, really, Captain. The general status of the project would be nice to start with, but after that my main interest is in the materials and parts you'd need imported from outside our own complex. As I'm sure you can appreciate, supply ships are a bit over-crowded with all the construction going on around here - it seems everytime I walk along a new corridor the list... doubles... in..." He leaned back in the chair, entirely unaware of it. His senses were only aware of a great weight pressing against his mind. Shaking his head as though trying to loose the impression he carried on: "Anyway, anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated, sir. I'm not a fan of surprises." ====================/\==================== (Shuttle - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.0900) Heading down to Mars was no joyride; Orbit Operations had every flying piece of junk in tight reins so Alex looked out at the scenery. Rounding the huge docks, crossing paths with other shuttles made him feel like flying inside a hive. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base - Shuttleport - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.0920) Alex parked the shuttle and looked for his boss. One of them. He really should see the YEO. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Shuttleport - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0921) He walked on very shaky legs to the shuttleport, and gratefully accepted the nearest bench whilst he waited for the shuttle to land. Despite his weary state he couldn't help but examine the landing. He was going to be trusting his safety to that pilot, after all. A few minutes later the CONN Officer walked up to him, and aware of how pale and weak he must look Martin made every effort to seem twice as tall as usual. "Hi there! Ready to get back into action? Would you mind if we made a detour to Dockyard Echo before heading home?" ====================/\==================== (Mars Base - Shuttleport - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.19.0924) He found Martin Black soon enough. "Hi there! Ready to get back into action? Would you mind if we made a detour to Dockyard Echo before heading home?" Landis hesitated for just a second; he could always see her later. "Sure, always a pleasure to fly." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Corridors - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.19.0930) Chief Therriault was on her way back to her office from the medical center when she ran into the head of the Starship Design Bureau, Amy Rowan. "Hi yah, Chief," Amy called. "Hello, Ms. Rowan. How are you today?" "Fine. Just fine. I was just on my way to see a demonstration by one of my people. Want to come along?" Anne ran today's schedule through her head before quickly nodded, "Sure. I'm free right now." "Excellent. Follow me." On their way to a lab in the depths of the TE department, Rowan explained to her boss what the experiment was about, "One of my guys has been working on a new replicator that will run on a smaller power source. His supervisor told me that this has been his pet project, working on it when he had time, mostly after hours. This is his first test of the system and he invited me to attend." Anne nodded, trying to keep up with the Lt. Commander. They transvered the maze of hallways to a laboratory where a small group of people were grouped around a piece of machinery, talking animatedly. ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0930) The ride down in the turbolift had been tense, he felt a growing knot in his stomach as the reports of the damage to the Columbia ran through his mind An anticipatory sense of dread swept through his body as he neared the window he knew would look out over the battered starship. They'd successfully disengaged it from it's crippling grip within the docking bay, but once the arms had been reset there were repairs to be done, and upgrades to be made so that the ship could perform its mission. It couldn't just sit out there all day! "That ship has a mission, and it will be going on that mission come Hell of high water. That's the only way to deal with senseless terrorism; show them they cannot win! Lt Black to Valhalla Operations Centre, patch me through to Crewman Motabwe and Ensign Lindell..." ====================/\==================== (Shuttle Reversus - CO Cptn Remae Ktell - 2378.08.19.0930) The Bajoran Remae Ktell was at the controls of the small class 4 shuttle, all alone on the short ship to Mars he had managed to talk the shipmaster out of it when he was hanging around the shuttle port at Starfleet Headquarters. At full impulse, he wasn't going to take long in arriving at the base, by the sound of Admiral Jopek; they needed him to command the USS Firebrande urgently. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - Theoretical Engineering Lab - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.19.0933) As they entered, the group caught sight of their commanding officer and instantly quieted. They gathered in lines and saluted. Anne sighed inwardly. She had a lot of work to do to break her staff of the habits the last TEO had taught them. "At ease," she called, "Please, continue what you were doing. I'm just an observer." The group stayed in parade formation, staring at her, some with looks of shock on their faces. "Please, continue your work," she shooed then back to the experiment, "Go on." One by one, the group slowly turned back to what they were doing, talking in hushed tones. "This way, Chief," Amy called, walking around the group. Anne followed her closely, taking in her surroundings. She could see familiar faces, people she had passed in the hallway, but most of them were strangers to her. Rowan pointed out a young man who was tinkering with the back of the replicator, "Chief Therriault, this is Ensign Ty Boriella. He's the technician that designed this module." Anne shook Ty's hand, surprised at how young he looked. He still had the glimmer of youth in his eyes that disappeared long ago from many officers in Starfleet. "Please," she pointed towards the piece of machinery, "tell me about your experiment." Ty stuttered through the explanation, pointing out different aspects of the replicator that he had changed to simplify it. She nodded through the explanation, understanding out nervous the young man was having his two commanding officers asking questions. It all looked right but a little voice in the back of her head was telling her that something was amiss. She just couldn't see it. At the end she nodded, "Very good, Ensign. Now, do you think it will work?" He smiled and nodded, "I sure hope so." ~Oh, that makes me feel all warm inside.~ She exchanged a look with Rowan who smiled reassuringly at her before turning to Ty, "Are you ready to go?" He nodded, "It's as good as it's going to get." Something deep inside of Anne cringed at the words, ~This really doesn't sound good.~ Rowan turned around and began to herd the group back, away from the machine, "Back up, people. Let's give Ty some room to work." Rowan took up position behind the control console to monitor the experiment while Anne stood along the wall behind her. Everyone else gathered around the console to watched the experiment. "OK, Ty. It's all yours." He nodded and began to push buttons, "I don't have the vocal commands set yet, so I will have to...to..." he paused while scrolling through the menu on the replicator, "to manually find the object. What shall we start with?" "Something simple, please," Rowan called, busy with the console. "Hmmmm....OK...let's see," he scanned through the menu, "Ah, here we go. How about an apple?" Rowan nodded as she busied herself with the sensors in the room. Ty programmed the replicator to dispense an apple and stood back. Anne heard the system whine and groan for a moment before an apple appeared on the tray. "IT WORKED!" Ty yelled, dancing around his new machine. He picked up the apple and help it high, his face covered with a huge grin. His coworkers began to stream towards him to help him celebrate his achievement. Over the noise of the celebration, Anne suddenly began to hear a low whining sound. She shook her head and yawned to pop her ears, hoping that she was imagining things but it didn't go away. Rowan caught her eye and the two stared at one another a moment. "You hear it too, don't you?" Rowan nodded, "It wasn't there before the experiment." The whining became louder and more high pitched. Others in the room began to hear it also and looked around, trying to find the source. The two commanding officers spoke at one. "OK, that's it. Everyone out of the room!!!" Anne called, "Clear the room." "Security to TE Lab 25. We have-" Rowan barely had the words out of her mouth before a loud blast filled the room. Everyone in the room hit the floor and those that had made it outside the lab ran screaming. Seconds after the explosion, Anne poked her head up and surveyed the damage. Most of the staff were piled around the door, having hit the ground when the explosion had gone off. The room and everyone in it were covered in a blanket of white, gooey substance, making it look like a blizzard had blown through the room. At first she thought that the fire suppression unit had gone off but the smell of burnt apple pie hit her nose and she realized that it was applesauce. She sat up, "Is everyone OK? Anyone hurt?" She stood up and helped Rowan to her feet. Rowan had a huge bump on her head where she had clipped the console on her way to the floor. Even though she was injured and small pieces of apple were stuck in her hair and all over her uniform, Rowan smiled a toothy grin, "Heck of a celebration, wasn't it?" Anne laughed and began to walk around, making sure everyone was OK. She found Ty still standing in the middle of the room, next to his invention, looking like a snowman standing next to a stump in an empty field of snow. She hurried over to check on him and found the young man staring at the hand that had been holding the apple. ~Must of blown up right in his face.~ "Ty? Are you OK?" He didn't move. "Ty?" she touched his shoulder, "Mr. Boriella? Are you OK?" His eyes strayed to hers and she could see that he was deep in thought. "Now I wonder why it did that?" he asked quietly, "Maybe it was the power converter...or...or the quality of..." his voice drifted off. She laughed, "I'll take that as an OK." Anne was about to turn away when she heard him say, "Huh?" Anne stopped and stared at him, "Can you hear me?" "Huh?" he asked, staring at her with a perplexed look, "I...I can't hear you. Talk louder." "Damn," she mumbled, "Rowan!" Rowan hurried towards her and skidded to a stop, waving her arms to keep her balance on the thin layer of slippery applesauce, "Yes, sir." "Don't wait for the med team. Take Mr. Boriella to the med center NOW. Transport if you have to. He's having some hearing problems. Stay by his side at all time, got it? " The Lt Commander nodded, "Transporter room, two for emergency transport to the Medical Center NOW!" Anne watched as two of her officers disappear in the shimmer of a transporter beam before she hurried to finish evacuating the room. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Operations Centre - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.0935) "We're here, Chief." The call had come through a few moments ago, and now the two of them were listening avidly as their HoD relayed his new orders to them. They had expected to spend the day clearing up the promenade, fixing what they could, and noting what they couldn't so that it could be repaired later. "We'll be right over," the Bajoran ensign said. Motabwe had only met the Bajoran a few days ago, but sharing the same quarters had forced them into a rudimentary friendship that showed no signs of diminshing. She was tidy, and bursting with an intense sense of fun that made N'Geli smile twenty-four hours a day. =/\=I'll meet you at the shuttlebay when you arrive. Black out.=/\= The channel closed and the two women stood up. "I guess we'd better get going to the shuttlebay, then..." ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0938) "I'll meet you at the shuttlebay when you arrive. Black out." He closed the channel and turned back to his companion. "Well, think you can fly that thing with half the hull missing?" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Shuttlebay - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.0943) The two women walked into the shuttlebay to find it in a state of chaos. They knew the transporters were off-limits until further notice, but they'd had no idea there'd be this much traffic to re-route through shuttles. "Excuse me," N'Geli managed to grab the arm of a passing man in Pilot red, "We need transport to Dockyard Echo, by order of Lt Black. Who can arrange that for us?" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - ACEO Ens JG Lee Rough - 2378.08.19.0948) Lee checked Admiral Jopeks location using his computer in his quarters, and so decided to go straight to him. Lee had sat next to a Bolian who was a civilian, Lee found out that he was going to Valhalla to install some new holodeck programs. The pilot and Lee hadn't made much conversation and they finally arrived at the starbase. Lee had thanked the pilot for his comfortable and safe flight, and then made his way out of the shuttle doors and walked down the corridor admiring the station. Lee saw a starfleet officer looking not very busy and asked him where Admiral Jopeks office was. The officer pointed to a turbolift. "Main Operations," he said. Lee thanked the officer and made his way over to the turbolift. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - ACEO Ens JG Lee Rough - 2378.08.19.0952) ~There it is~ Lee rang the doorbell. "Enter" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - ACEO Ens JG Lee Rough - 2378.08.19.0954) Lee stepped into the office as the doors slid back, revealing Admiral Jopek starring at a PADD on his chair. "Ensign Lee Rough, reporting for duty Sir." ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Shuttlebay - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.0956) "Welcome to Hell, ladies. Your task is to provide assistance to the repair crews already at work on the Columbia. Co-ordinate with whoever's representing Yard Engineering up here, and find out where you can be of most help. I don't care if you spend the next two hours welding on hull plates, so long as this ship leaves by noon. Any questions?" "No, sir," came the resounding chorus. "Good luck. I'm going back to Valhalla to report to the Admiral." He turned to the CONN Officer. "Care to join me?" ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Shuttlebay - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.0957) "Welcome to Hell, ladies. Your task is to provide assistance to the repair crews already at work on the Columbia. Co-ordinate with whoever's representing Yard Engineering up here, and find out where you can be of most help. I don't care if you spend the next two hours welding on hull plates, so long as this ship leaves by noon. Any questions?" "No, sir," they both said at once. "Good luck. I'm going back to Valhalla to report to the Admiral." He turned to the other officer present - one they didn't recognise - and so the two of them headed for the turbolift. "Do you think he dies his hair that dark?" The Crewman asked her question with all the gravity of a major interstellar mystery, and Cedara couldn't help but pause as she thought it over. "I doubt it... I hope not! Computer, who is the Core Structural/Engineering Officer for the USS Columbia?" <> "Hmm... I wonder if she dyes *her* hair... Ensign Lindell to Ensign Landrey." ====================/\==================== (USS Columbia - Corridors - CS/EO Ens JG Sarah Landrey - 2378.08.19.1002) =/\=Ensign Lindell to Ensign Landrey=/\= her comm. badge chirped, She looked up from the consol in front of her and turned off her tool. Landrey had been trying to fix what was left of the old tractor beam array for the last hour. She had been given leave to install a new one, but she wanted to make sure there was no hope of repairing this one first. "Who is it now?!" She stepped out into the hallway away from the noise of the other workers and tapped her badge. "Ensign Landrey here." She answered while tapping her foot hastily. ~This had better be good.~ She thought. ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Shuttlebay - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.1003) =/\=Ensign Landrey here.=/\= "Ensign, we're on loan from Valhalla's Operations department." She didn't know how much detail to go into about why they were on loan, or what Lieutenant Black's stake was in the state of the Columbia, so she just left all of that blank. "How best can we help?" ====================/\==================== (USS Columbia - Corridors - CS/EO Ens JG Sarah Landrey - 2378.08.19.1004) =/\=Ensign, we're on loan from Valhalla's Operations department. How best can we help?=/\= "I'm sorry Ensign. Chief Okada has given me specific orders that only her personnel are to touch the ship, You know, we're still waiting for the rest of this dockyard to be operational...why don't you work on that?" Sarah answered while trying to keep cool. ~I was interrupted for this?! I don't believe it!~ She started pacing the floor, ~Chief said asap, and I'm getting interrupted for this?~ ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Shuttlebay - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.1005) =/\=You know, we're still waiting on the rest of this dockyard to be operational... Why don't you work on that?=/\= N'Geli bit back her reply, and simply said, "Motabwe out." Then with the channel closed she turned back to her confederate. "We seem to be pawns in some sort of personal war. I'll run a diagnostic on this dockyard; *you* can check in with the Chief." "Why me?" The Bajoran's eyes looked panic-stricken. "Because I had to deal with docking-queen Landrey - and I can tell you one thing," Cedara straightened her curiosity evident, "I bet *she* dyes her hair!" The two of them descended into giggles as they boarded the turbolift. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.1005) After being admitted to the Admiral's office, Martin came to attention. "Sir, my apologies for not making this report sooner, but I've spent the last two hours tracking down the data that certain people have had since last night. "Our saboteur did a pretty good job of mangling the Columbia. If it weren't for the Defiant-class' ablative armour, a ship that size would have been crushed. As it stands she's a little less battle-ready and not exactly the peak of structural stability, but with both Yard Engineering and whatever teams I can spare from Valhalla working on the project I'm pretty certain she can fly as early as 1200." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.19.1005) A visitor was outside the door. Jopek invited them in without thinking about it. "Ah, Mr. Black, what can I do for you?", said the Admiral. "Sir, my apologies for not making this report sooner, but I've spent the last two hours tracking down the data that certain people have had since last night." "Proceed." "Our saboteur did a pretty good job of mangling the Columbia. If it weren't for the Defiant-class' ablative armour, a ship that size would have been crushed. As it stands she's a little less battle-ready and not exactly the peak of structural stability, but with both Yard Engineering and whatever teams I can spare from Valhalla working on the project I'm pretty certain she can fly as early as 1200." "Good news; thanks for letting me know in person Mr. Black, please inform Mr. Marsland of the new schedule, he has a green light to proceed. One more thing, as Second Officer, I want you to get this job done as quickly as possible, assign whatever teams are required to get all the ships running as fast as possible, but the ships are the domain of the YEO, the shipyards are you responsibility." "In a crisis situation like this, I hope both teams can work together. Good luck Lieutenant, I'll hold you to the time of 12.00. Dismissed." (Reply Black) A few moments after the Operations Officer had departed; Jopek opened a communications channel to the Yard Engineering Officer. "Jopek to Ensign Okada, please come in." (Reply Okada) "Ensign, the Second Officer, Mr. Black has informed me that the USS Columbia should be up and running by 12.00 today, he's assigned extra personnel from outside your department to do that task, please use them as you see fit to get the job completed by then and keep him informed on your schedule, I need access to that ship as quickly as possible." "Please let him know if you run into any problems before then, as the Security Chief will need access to the ship to prepare her for departure." (Reply Okada) "Very well Ensign, Jopek out.", he said closing the channel =^=Admiral, Captain Remae has arrived, hes on his way to your briefing room.=^= "Understood, I am on my way.", said the Jopek heading for the door. Good news indeed, the Bajoran had arrived, when the Firebrande returned from its test run, he could start getting it ready for testing, in the meantime, the Columbia would be launched and sent out on its mission. the plans were coming together and for the first time in ages, Jopek was satisfied with the situation, even though a saboteur was still out there. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.1010) Martin had no sooner finished his briefing with the Admiral, than his comm-badge beeped. "Black here," he said. =/\=Chief, this is Crewman Motabwe.=/\= Martin sighed, he'd been waiting for this call. =/\=We've just spoken with the Engineer in charge of the repairs to the Columbia, and she told us to stay on Dee-Y Echo and get that operational.=/\= Martin frowned and touched his console, "My reports show Dee-Y Echo to be fully operational..." =/\=Cedara's diagnostics confirm that, sir. What should we do?=/\= Martin thought about it for a moment, and then thought about the next target - thank God most of the Columbia's crew had been granted shoreleave - "Stay there," he said, "I'm gonna play Second Officer for a bit. In the meantime, see if you can find out how the docking arms were accessed by our little saboteur." =/\=Aye, sir. Motabwe out.=/\= Sighing, and trying to draw on whatever professional control he could muster, Martin opened yet another comm-channel to the YEO's Office. "Ensign Okada, why are my maintenance teams being denied access to the Columbia in order to help you meet her new departure time?" (Reply Okada) She began her reply, but Martin decided instantly that it wouldn't contain any relevant information. "Ensign, I don't want to hear it. That ship will leave at 1200 to track down a rogue Dominion base. There are no two ways about it. The Columbia is our best chance to end the Dominion threat, and catch our saboteur." He paused, considering whether that was enough of an explanation for her to get over her initial reaction to his toe-stepping, but as he did so he knew that there were words he needed to say. So he said them: "As Second Officer of Utopia Planitia it is my job to care for each and every life on this station and any of it's adjoined facilities - including yours and the 75,000 under you. I will not allow you to endanger those lives in petty squabbles with me. That ship leaves at 1200. Utopia Planitia Command out." Sighing heavily, Martin rubbed his forehead and tried to focus on the next task in hand... "Black to Motabwe; you have the Admiral's blessing, and mine. Give her another ten minutes, and then try again. Operations out. Operations to Lt Marsland; the Columbia will be ready to depart at 1200. Please notify your team and be ready by then." His body slightly stooped, Martin entered the turbolift. "Verano Sickbay." ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.1011) =/\=Black here,=/\= She licked her lips before beginning her report. She was not looking forward to this. "Chief, this is Crewman Motabwe. We've just spoken with the Engineer in charge of the repairs to the Columbia, and she told us to stay on Dee-Y Echo and get that operational." Silence filtered through the comm-channel and N'Geli felt a low-grade concern grip her stomach. Finally, =/\=My reports show Dee-Y Echo to be fully operational..." "Cedara's diagnostics confirm that, sir. What should we do?" =/\=Stay there. I'm gonna play Second Officer for a bit. In the meantime, see if you can find out how the docking arms were accessed by our little saboteur.=/\= "Aye, sir. Motabwe out." She tapped her comm-badge. "You heard all that?" The Bajoran nodded. "Yep - time to play detective!" The two women set off to the wall nearest Bay 21, ready to remove the panels and access the docking arms. "Yeah - like Cagney and Lacey!" "Who?" ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPSO Crewman Motabwe & Ensign Lindell - 2378.08.19.1021) =/\=Black to Motabwe; you have the Admiral's blessing, and mine. Give her another ten minutes, and then try again. Operations out.=/\= "Whoa - who died?" Concern mingled with layers of confusion and puzzlement on both their faces, before they managed to tear themselves back to the docking arms. "As I was saying, this wasn't an amateur. Anyone who doesn't know this system wouldn't begin to know what to do, and would probably level either a phaser or even a plasma torch here," she indicated a point on the panel, "and here." "Exactly," the Bajoran nodded in appreciation for the other's tactical thinking, "The arms would then be free-floating and could just drift quite heavily into the ship, or into each other. Messy, but effective." "But whoever damaged the Columbia knew exactly how to operate the arms, and from the look of the reports knew how to do a Helluva lot of damage to one of Starfleet's sturdiest ships." They stood as one and began clipping the panel back into place, "My turn to report to the Chief, then." "Yep!" The African woman grinned. "Oh joy! Let's leave it until after we've finished on the Columbia..." "I couldn't agree with you more! Crewman Motabwe to Ensign Landrey; we're here with the Admiral's support. You can use us or tell us to go away again, but either way you'll be expected to have the Columbia ready." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Verano Sickbay Centre - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.19.1024) The Betazoid entered the room with an air of anticipation. Everytime he entered one of these places to check on someone else he always expected the worst - a fear which only seemed to get worse the older he got. "Hello? Is there anyone here who can tell me the status of one of my officers - Mr Botrell? I can't stay long, but I had to find out..." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Briefing Room - CO Cptn Remae Ktell - 2378.08.19.1030) The doors whooshed open and the atypical Bajoran entered and sat himself in front of the Admiral without waiting for approval. "Admiral. so, what do you need?" Jopek, with only the patience that a Vulcan could muster, explain in a little detail what Remae was required to do, take the Firebrande out to the Neptune Proving Grounds and then, initiate the tests as deemed by one Dr. Dervin. Although he was in command of the ship, the civilian doctor would be in charge of the mission and its successful completion, a test flight that would exceed warp one with the use of the new technology she had invented and been nicknamed the 'Warp Subspace Carrier Waves Project.' ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - CO Cptn Remae Ktell - 2378.08.19.1100) "Dr Dervin? Are you in here?", said the Bajoran, sticking his nose around the corner of the open door. ====================/\==================== "I like my women like I like my coffee: covered in BEES!!" - Eddie Izzard For anyone keeping score, this compile is 95 pages in Word - which is HUGE - and that's largely due to the 23 posts sent out yesterday. I take it none of us were that swamped with Valentine's cards... :o) ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO's Office - ACMO Ens JG Lesley Summers - 2378.08.16.1531) Lesley walked up to the office door and rung the bell "Enter" She came into the room and saw the cmo sitting behind a desk. "ACMO Lesley Summers reporting for duty sir" "Welcome aboard Ensign. Welcome to Otono Medical Centre. Have you found it to be your liking so far?" "Well it is certainly different sir and I can not wake to get stuck in" Lesley said with a smile Cambridge nodded. "Well, if you're ready for duty I would like to start you off in Otono Central" "Ok sir" Lesley said "Well, what I want you to do is to take charge of it for today. Mostly what I have Assistant Chief's do is to take charge of a department. You will be able to handle it, correct?" "Yes sir no problem" Lesley said "I have no doubt in your abilities. Report there as soon as you can. You will find Doctor Rhea Lyoit there, you can relieve her and get reports from here. Any questions?" "No sir" Lesley said She then turned and went to the Otono central ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - ACMO Ens JG Lesley Summers - 2378.08.16.1535) "Excuse me I am looking for Doctor Lyoit" Lesley asked Rhea smiled warmly and nodded to the medical officer. "I am the woman you are looking for" "Good glad to meet you I am the ACMO Lesley summers" Lesley said Lyoit nodded and turned back to her rounds for a moment. "What can I do for you sir?" "I was sent to releave you of your shift can you give me a update on the patients" Rhea smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. "Good to know. There are several patients in short term recovery, they are dealing with a few broken bones from accidents on board UP. We've got James Gurrat who is currently sedated. He came in and underwent some severe therapy on his heart. We've got him under watch. Most of everyone else is just basic care. Thank you Ms. Summers... good luck!" "No problem see you later" Lesley said with a smile Rhea left the room, glad to be off duty. Lesley had done her rounds to see how the patients were she then made her way to her office to sort it out looking her way. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - ACMO's Office - ACMO Ens JG Lesley Summers - 2378.08.16.1600) She had been moving things about and sort all the paper work up-to-date. I think it is time for a break. <> the computer said "Lets hear it computer." =/\=Please report to Verano Medical Centre on the Starbase Valhalla and begin work there. I expect reports every hour on patients. If you have questions, get back to me. I'm at Otono for now. Cambridge out.=/\= Lesley tapped her comm. Badge "ACMO to CMO Cambridge" (Reply Cambridge) "What's the quickest way to get there and do we know how many patients are there?" ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.17.1355) Maxwell Alexander Cambridge stood next to a biobed, running his medical tricorder over the leg of the officer laying before him. "I really didn't mean to get into that fight, I mean, he just pushed me too far!" Mac just shook his head and smiled lightly. The man before him had gotten into an argument with another officer of the historical accuracy of earth television cartoons and Bugs Bunny and something else that he had rambled on and now was starting to do again. Cambridge himself was a fan of the Pinky and the Brain viewings. Sometimes, late at night he would pull them out and watch them to cheer himself up. But right now he was dealing with a cartoon freak who was still rambling about Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. He put his tricorder away and pulled out a hypospray. "Ensign, I do not think that Bugs Bunny and Daffy are things to argue about. I would advise you to watch your temper before you get thrown out the door." Cambridge pushed the hypo spray in and pulled it quickly out. "But any wise officer on this station would know that Bugs Bunny Daffy Duck rock the house." The ensign looked to him and scrunched his face for a moment and then smiled. "Aye aye sir." The officer left and Cambridge shook his head. Sometimes he wondered just how some of the crew didn't kill each other. Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Raising an eyebrow, the CMO quickly made his way into the lobby where an officer looked as though she had collapsed. The nurse had jumped the desk and was examining the fallen officer. Cambridge knelt down, motioning for a biobed. "What happened?" "She was saying she was here for the physical, and then she fell over.she has some visible injuries it looks like..." The biobed arrived a moment later and several medical officers boosted the limp body onto it. Maxwell quickly moved the bed into the sickbay area, deciding to put her in medium sized room rather than in the open. He rolled her in and locked the biobed down, securing it against the wall. The CMO quickly started the monitoring systems as an officer came through the door with a PADD, containing the officer's file. Nodding, he began to pore over the file itself. There was nothing of note in the log itself, but that the girl in front of him was pretty smart and knew how to hold herself. He quickly pulled out a small hypospray and injected it. She would regain consciousness in a few moments. While he waited, the Chief Medical Officer pulled out a medical tricorder and began to scan the young woman. She stirred. "Welcome back to Otono Medical Center, I will be your examiner today..." "You just passed out. Any reason you managed to hit the floor on your own accord?" Cambridge looked up, faking a look of shock. "Our hospital smells? Good Gravy, I need to talk to maintence...course they about as fun to talk to as a Borg on a rampage." He continued to scan her, checking her lower stomach area and holding there for a moment. Frowning, he reached for her shirt to pull it up, but stopped. "Would you mind..er..moving the shirt up a bit." He waited and grimaced at what he saw. "Just what the hell were you doing in the last three days young lady? Hell, I've got ensigns in here every day, but you've managed to bruise three lower ribs! Care to explain, Ms. Adventure." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.17.2025) The three of them sat back down and Martin took a bite of his spaghetti carbonara with Betazoid spice-bread. He was still mentally tallying up the possibilities and impossibilities created by having an Engineering officer in charge of an Operations department as well as her own, but until it could be discussed with the Admiral he put it aside for later ponderance. "There is one very simple reason I have brought the three of us together: the USS Firebrande." He took another bite before continuing, "Just by looking at the standing orders from Starfleet regarding her usage, it's obvious she needs to be made ready and accessible very quickly. Which is why I want her moved to docking bay 30." Both officer opened their mouths to query the number, "As of my arrival at this station we have no Bay 13 - I cannot stand that number. Bay 30 is located on deck 17 here at Valhalla, and is designed to hold something more similar in size to a Captain's Yacht, or a Defiant-class ship. "However it makes good practical sense to have her tethered here, and that's where the three of us come in. We need a way of making the docking connection more stable, and stand a little further out from the station in order to accomodate the size of a Galaxy-class ship. As our Yard Engineering Officer, I'm sure you can come up with some system that will extend and retract an airlock over the appropriate distances. You'll be working with Mr Ra'Kir on this project." His fork twizzled as he prepared another mouthful of spaghetti, "I will be working on getting this station up and running, co-ordinating with the Admiral's needs, and attempting to get our other thirteen," he shuddered as he realised the irony of that number, "docking bays operational - including the currently dead husk of Dockyard Foxtrot. "Any questions?" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.17.2026) The three of them sat back down and Martin took a bite of his spaghetti carbonara with Betazoid spice-bread. He was still mentally tallying up the possibilities and impossibilities created by having an Engineering officer in charge of an Operations department as well as her own, but until it could be discussed with the Admiral he put it aside for later ponderance. "There is one very simple reason I have brought the three of us together: the USS Firebrande." Kazuko ate her food very slowly to make sure she didn't choke on anything as the lieutenant was speaking, ~One simple reason? Ah right...the Admiral's ship. I wonder if he knows I have more than just one ship to worry about...~ He took another bite before continuing, "Just by looking at the standing orders from Starfleet regarding her usage, it's obvious she needs to be made ready and accessible very quickly. Which is why I want her moved to docking bay 30." ~There is no docking bay 30...~ She thought. Both officer opened their mouths to query the number, "As of my arrival at this station we have no Bay 13 - I cannot stand that number. Bay 30 is located on deck 17 here at Valhalla, and is designed to hold something more similar in size to a Captain's Yacht, or a Defiant-class ship. ~The Firebrande is too large for that bay...ah, but you would have thought of that...~ Kazuko thought while taking a sip of her tea. "However it makes good practical sense to have her tethered here, and that's where the three of us come in. We need a way of making the docking connection more stable, and stand a little further out from the station in order to accommodate the size of a Galaxy-class ship. As our Yard Engineering Officer, I'm sure you can come up with some system that will extend and retract an airlock over the appropriate distances. You'll be working with Mr. Ra'Kir on this project." ~Oh I'm sure I have nothing better to do than to concentrate solely on the Firebrande. I'll have to fit that in... I wouldn't be thinking these things had I had a better day...~ Kazuko thought while making notes on her padd. His fork twizzled as he prepared another mouthful of spaghetti, "I will be working on getting this station up and running, coordinating with the Admiral's needs, and attempting to get our other thirteen," he shuddered as he realized the irony of that number, "docking bays operational - including the currently dead husk of Dockyard Foxtrot. ~Calm down, Kazu-chan...it would do no good on your first day to attempt to murder the Ops Chief...that would make this the shortest assignment in history..." She thought with a smile. ~After all he's not telling us to get it done tonight, so we'll get a good nights sleep and then think about it tomorrow, or the next day...or next week.~ "Any questions?" "Yes, what's wrong with Dockyard Foxtrot?" Kazuko asked, "I haven't had a chance to go around and look at them all. And if the others are operational, then I can concentrate on Foxtrot..." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.17.2030) "Any questions?" "Yes, what's wrong with Dockyard Foxtrot?" Kazuko asked, "I haven't had a chance to go around and look at them all. And if the others are operational, then I can concentrate on Foxtrot..." "And what can you tell me about Docking bay 30?" Kazuko asked between shoveling rice into her mouth with her chop sticks. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.17.2034) He could sense the defensive wall mounting beside him, and he knew that there was a sense of immediate rejection building in the Engineer. So when he asked if there were any questions, he already knew the answer would be yes. "Yes," the Engineer confirmed his knowledge, "what's wrong with Dockyard Foxtrot? I haven't had a chance to go around and look at them all. And if the others are operational, then I can concentrate on Foxtrot..." "I have no idea what is wrong on Dockyard Foxtrot," the Chief of Operations admitted, "but it is the only dockyard without any working bays. It needs looking into, but we have more pressing concerns." "One other thing, what can you tell me about Bay 30? The more information I have about it the better." "Calm down, it's not as if I want it all done tomorrow." Martin noted the drop in her defenses as he threw his reasoning in her face. "Put simply what we have is a standard airlock system, designed to handle a direct interface with a small ship or shuttle that can nestle quite neatly alongside the station. What I want, is a system that docks with that ship a little further out from the station as we're dealing with a much larger ship than intended. Nothing fancy, just a simple extending docking mechanism that will allow the Firebrande to have a little breathing room." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.17.2040) He could sense the defensive wall mounting beside him, and he knew that there was a sense of immediate rejection building in the Engineer. So when he asked if there were any questions, he already knew the answer would be yes. "Yes," the Engineer confirmed his knowledge, "what's wrong with Dockyard Foxtrot? I haven't had a chance to go around and look at them all. And if the others are operational, then I can concentrate on Foxtrot..." "I have no idea what is wrong on Dockyard Foxtrot," the Chief of Operations admitted, "but it is the only dockyard without any working bays. It needs looking into, but we have more pressing concerns." "One other thing, what can you tell me about Bay 30? The more information I have about it the better." "Calm down, it's not as if I want it all done tomorrow." Martin noted the drop in her defenses as he threw his reasoning in her face. "Put simply what we have is a standard airlock system, designed to handle a direct interface with a small ship or shuttle that can nestle quite neatly alongside the station. What I want, is a system that docks with that ship a little further out from the station as we're dealing with a much larger ship than intended. Nothing fancy, just a simple extending docking mechanism that will allow the Firebrande to have a little breathing room." "So where is the Firebrande right now?" Kazuko asked her cold calm returned. ~Arguing with him will get me no where...He sees me as only an engineer.~ She thought as her fingers started rushing over her padd, the beeps coming so close together you'd think she was part android, especially since she wasn't watching what she was typing in. (Reply Martin) She nods and looks at Mr. Ra'Kir, "We'll get together tomorrow at 1330, my office to iron out what needs to be done, if that is alright with you." (Rreply Ra'Kir) Kazuko sipped her tea, while ideas of her more pressing concerns ran through her head. ~ Get myself a couple of competent assistants...Get Foxtrot operational again...Move the Columbia to the Foxtrot...Get my crews working again.~ ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Replimat - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.17.2045) He had expected his views on the Firebrande's docking port to be hard to swallow for the YEO. After all, the Firebrande was docked, so what was the sense in fiddling with her docking structure when there were parts of the station that were still operating without artificial gravity? Despite the hostility in her words, Martin knew there was none in her head as she asked, "So where is the Firebrande right now?" "Docked," he replied, "at Bay 30." A momentary flutter of anger passed through him as he tried to ignore the fact that she was being given a task, and was seemingly finding excuses rather than solutions. "Precariously close to the station, in such a manner that requires overly-elaborate and delicate handling to get into and out of the docking position. She's simply too big, and if we need her to disengage quickly, we run the risk of having her crash into the upper promenade or personnel quarters or whatever it is that's up there!" He took a deep breath, and reined in his emotions. "I want that ship moved to a safe distance, as soon as we can possibly manage it." Something in his message seemed to settle in, and he gratefully listened to her dishing out orders in the form of suggestions to his assistant. She was certainly going to be a character, and a formidable force at that! ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.0447) The man, from Starfleet Command, Tanya reasoned that must have been what he'd said kept talking. "It's not that hard to figure out, most recruits at the academy get the rules of the game figured out in their first two weeks," Then he smiled at Tanya, "If you want a teacher in Starfleet 101 I just might know someone with inside knowledge." Tanya regarded him with interest, it wasn't the fact that he'd practically offered to teach her the ins and outs of Starfleet that had caught her attention, rather, that he'd said that Starfleet was a game. This intrigued Tanya to no end, because she'd always had a sneaking suspicion that it was a game, and in games there was only one purpose, to win. That must have been what that Stratops officer had been doing earlier that day. Tanya smiled as revelation crept over her brain, this was indeed going to be fun. "No thank you Li-Ensign," she corrected herself, "you have been most informative." she stated. "Sure thing." The Ensign said as he turned to leave. Tanya let her mind wander back to where it had been earlier, but it was interrupted once again by the Ensign in her office. "Oh, by the way, nice pyjamas." Tanya smiled and then looked down at her bright yellow fleece attire. ~Pyjamas?!? I thought these were formals... they say so inside the label...fuzzy formals....~ Tanya reasoned. Shrugged, she'd learnt three things that night, Lemon Meringue was very combustible, Starfleet was a game, and Fuzzy formals were not appropriate dinner party wear, they were in fact, pyjamas. She shrugged. Life on this station was going to be interesting none the less. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1006) As the Admiral was preparing for his meeting; he watched the last of the officers entered, an unknown person grabbed one of the last seats. One of the things on his mind was the report of the Operations Officer earlier. The fire really seemed to been caused by accident. "Hi guys! Alex Landis, your new CONN. I just arrived, I hope you don't mind...?", he said as he sat down. "Welcome Ensign, will you come and see my in my office after the meeting? Thank you.", said the Admiral as he began his meeting. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.18.1006) Dario listened intently as the Admiral addressed the gathering of senior officers and found himself shocked at just how close this 'rogue' planetoid was to Sector 001. If SFI was correct and it was the base of operations for the renegade Dominion faction then it was imperative that the threat was neutralized immediately. Of course the obvious thing to do was to simply send the fleet there, but a good tactician always does their homework first, hence the Admiral sending the Security Chief with a team from Valhalla to investigate the situation. After giving his own summary of the poor security situation on the station and surrounding facilities Dario returned to listening as his fellow department heads gave their reports. Once the Admiral was satisfied that all present were up-to-date on the current situations he ended the meeting. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.18.1030) "I look forward to working with all of you on this important project and my staff and I will help you anyway we can." Cambridge stood after she was done and slowly looked across the sea of faces in front of him. It had been a flurried three days and he still hadn't seen most of them come through sickbay. "Good morning. My name is Maxwell Alexander Cambridge, Chief Medical Officer for the Utopia Planitia Yards. I expect and still haven't seen any of the heads of department down at Otono Medical Center for their physical checkup with me. One of you has, but the rest of you are required to do that within two more days or you will face a review from me, which then goes to the admiral. Second, inform your crews to be safe on their duty stations. I want as little injuries to come through as possible. Third, avoid accidents. The fire is one example of that. And fourth, there is no four. You have any questions; you know where to find me. Thank you." Cambridge backed up against the wall, waiting. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - TSO Lt Steve Newton - 2378.08.18.1040) It was Steve's turn to give his departmental report, "We are currently reviewing our research project and will categorise them to how urgent their completion is, however we have already decided that our most urgent project is to improve the effectiveness of the sensors in the Mars Defensive parameter." With that Steve stood up and made his way over to the main display screen and pressed a few buttons and a map of the Sol system appeared on the screen. "Currently we have limited network of sensors though out the sole system, located on Earth, Venus, Mars and Europia. These sensors would give us limited protection against cloaked vessels." He took a deep breath, "What we are proposing is a completely new network of sensors," he pressed a few more buttons on the screen, "the sensors would all be located inside a metallic case probably no bigger then those used in a photon torpedo. Along with the sensors would be a tachyon emitter and detector, which would alert us of incoming cloaked vessels." He paused for a few moments, "We also plan to create a large virtual sensor by combining the data from several sensors if not more, but that would be a more long term project." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Observation Lounge - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1055) Jopek wrapped up the meeting; he was quite satisfied with the report of the fire, and the recommendations of the senior staff would be implemented as soon as possible. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Outside Observation Lounge - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.18.1102) Jenna watched the salute that was given impassivly, and blinked as he said. "Lt. Cornelius Byson, sir. I'd like to request a moment of your time to discuss Ensign Therriault." Jenna considred for a few moments, then gestured to the passageway and started walking. "Continue, Lieutenant." ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1103) "Ensign Landis, have a seat Ensign. at ease.", said the Admiral, before the Ensign had much of a chance to say anything. "You have been assigned as our CONN officer, that means you are one of our best pilots, so you will be in charge of a lot of the shuttle and small traffic operations here on Valhalla. Also, I want you to work closely with Yard Engineering Officer and the Operations Officer." Admiral turned back to the CONN after consulting his computer. "Ensign, unless there are any questions. you are dismissed.", said the Admiral. The CONN officer departed the room, to begin his duties. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Outside Observation Lounge - ATEO Lt Cornelius Byson - 2378.08.18.1103) Jenna considered for a few moments, then gestured to the passageway and started walking. "Continue, Lieutenant." The lieutenant visibly relaxed and quickly caught up to the Captain's side, hurrying to keep up with her pace. "Thank you, sir," he waited a moment before continuing, "I know that this is a serious matter and I will try to approach it with much delicacy, but please excuse me if I'm frank and to the point." <> "It is my opinion that Starfleet made an oversight when placing Ensign Therriault in the position of TEO." <> "Now please, don't get me wrong. I don't usually second-guess Starfleet's decisions, but I have reservations about having an Ensign, just out of the Academy, in a key role as TEO. She's green, inexperienced. She's never been tasked with leading a group, especially a group as large as the Theoretical Engineering Division. He paused for a moment, "And being the lowest ranking officer in the department, it could be very difficult for the team members to trust and back up her decisions. Her degree in Mechanical Systems Engineering would make her more apt for being in Maintenance, repairing power relays and broken replicators, not Theoretical Engineering." <> ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Outside Observation Lounge - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.18.1103) "Continue, Lieutenant." Jenna turned, and began walking at a slow pace down the corridor. "Thank you, sir, I know that this is a serious matter and I will try to approach it with much delicacy, but please excuse me if I'm frank and to the point." Jenna placed her hands behind her back, and nodded half to herself. "Continue." "It is my opinion that Starfleet made an oversight when placing Ensign Therriault in the position of TEO." "For what reasons." she said flatly. "Now please, don't get me wrong. I don't usually second-guess Starfleet's decisions, but I have reservations about having an Ensign, just out of the Academy, in a key role as TEO. She's green, inexperienced. She's never been tasked with leading a group, especially a group as large as the Theoretical Engineering Division. He paused for a moment, "And being the lowest ranking officer in the department, it could be very difficult for the team members to trust and back up her decisions. Her degree in Mechanical Systems Engineering would make her more apt for being in Maintenance, repairing power relays and broken replicators, not Theoretical Engineering." Jenna stopped in her tracks, and continued looking forward for a moment, with a thoughtful expression. She decided this was the time, and the place. She turned on her heel, and faced him. "ATTENTION!" She bellowed. Corny seemed momentarily stunned, then snapped to perfect paradeground attention. Jenna considered him strait faced for a moment, then brushed some hair off her pointed ears. ~Excellent~ She kept her hands behind her back as she said in a strong, and somewhat loud voice. "Listen to me very closely *MR* Byson. The Theoretical Engineering Chief is in charge of that department Specifically because she has more intelligence then 99% of all Starfleet engineers, is more Inventive then 99% of all other Starfleet engineers, and because Starfleet Personnel in accordance with Starfleet Engineer felt that she was the absolute best person for the job." She brought her arms around and crossed them in front. "If you feel that her being a newly commissioned ensign is going to provide problems for you, or any other officer in Advanced Technologies, you can take those concerns up with me. *I* have the department working on a Top Secret project, and I will book no internal disputes. In fact, I will be letting her know of this little *concern* of yours as soon as I am done with you. If you have problems with this, I can arrange transport back home for you on the next incoming civilian freighter." She let a small smile escape her lips at the implied threat of drumming him out of the fleet. She took a breath, then said. "Your powers of observation do intrigue me, however. It is blazingly obvious that she is an inexperienced officer, and strong hands would be most useful to her as she learns her command style. In anycase, she is in charge simply because she has more brains then a good portion of anyone else in Starfleet or the Federation. If this makes you feel inadequate, tough. If you feel you cant live with that, I have a ticket for you off base. She doesn't need twenty years in a Starship to command a scientific division, where 'Combat' is done is drawing rooms and thinktanks. Command will come to her, with or without your help." She took a step closer to him, and said in a lower voice. "You can make yourself useful by taking your scheming ways and abolishing them. If she is green, she will require help. You have managed to make Lieutenant in the fleet, so you are not an idiot yourself. If you have high political means, I would make myself her friend if I were you. IF you have other goals in mind, you had better keep them to yourself in regards to the operational structure of Theoretical Engineering, Advanced Technologies and Starfleets choice of 'all of the above." She grinned again, then her face went blank. "Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CONN Ens Alex Landis - 2378.08.18.1105) "Ensign Landis, have a seat Ensign... at ease.", said the Admiral, before Alex had the chance to spoke. Alex tried to relax and put himself in the chair across the Admiral's table. "You have been assigned as our CONN officer, that means you are one of our best pilots, so you will be in charge of a lot of the shuttle and small traffic operations here on Valhalla. Also, I want you to work closely with Yard Engineering Officer and the Operations Officer." "Thank you sir, yes sir, I understand sir." Landis managed, sounding lie a babbling idiot in his own ears. The Admiral turned back to the CONN after consulting his computer. "Ensign, unless there are any questions... you are dismissed.", said the Admiral. Landis had seen space docks before, the intense traffic of smaller crafts around the large Starship had looked like an anthill where someone had poked around with a stick. Now they would have... 15 ships! Yeah, no big deal and if there was *one* accident, whose hide would the Admiral have then? Yeah, right.... "Thank you Admiral." Landis said finally, saluted and left the office. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Outside Observation Lounge - ATEO Lt Cornelius Byson - 2378.08.18.1105) Jenna grinned again, then her face went blank. "Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?" Corny, who was still in perfect attention position, answered, "Yes, sir." His mind was reeling, trying to figure out what to say next. His plan was backfiring and everything he had been working on was crumbling before him. He was going to be stuck as an Ensign's assistant and no way to get out of it. Then it came to him. As the captain was turning away, he called out, "One more question, sir." <> "As you stated, you also agree that the Ensign is...." he tried to remember the exact phrase the Captain had said, "is 'green' and that she needed some 'strong hands' to help guide her while she's learning her command style. Yes, she has the brains for the job," he tried not to gag when he said that, "but she's missing the finesse, the leadership skills. I believe that the best person to be her 'strong hands' would be me." <> "I am a very experienced officer, with almost a decade of experience under my belt, in many aspects of Starfleet Engineering. Over that time, I've been assigned to various ships and starbases, provided me a wide array of knowledge to pull from in an instance. I've also lead many teams, large an small, solving problems and issues before they become huge. With all this background and on-the-job training, I believe that I would be the most effective personnel on the base to assist Ensign Therriault with getting up to speed. And to assure that the ensign is making progress and to allow you to provide some constructive feedback to me, I could write weekly, or even daily, report to you on the happenings in the TEO office." Corny stopped talking, suddenly feeling like he was babbling. He hoped that he hadn't lost his chance to score something out of all this. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - TAC/SC's Office - TAC/SC Lt Dario Marsland - 2378.08.18.1106) As soon as he had returned to his office, Dario contacted Captain Reliok of the USS Columbia to arrange a departure time for the mission to investigate the rogue Dominion group. It was set down for 0600 the next day giving the Columbia crew time to attach the cloak-capable runabout needed for the mission to their ship and giving Marsland time to select his away team. "Computer!" called the TAC/SC. "Send the following message to Lieutenant Brannigan, Ensign River, and Ensign Landis." <> "As you are by now aware, Admiral Jopek has selected myself to lead an away mission to investigate the nearby base of operations for the group believed responsible for the attack on Utopia Planitia just over three months ago. I would greatly appreciate your accompanying me on this crucial mission as I am in need of experts in the fields of science and engineering, and of course a skilled pilot to guide us through this hostile territory. The USS Columbia is due to depart at 0600 tomorrow morning once our cloak-capable runabout has been attached. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding this mission. End message, computer send immediately." <> ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - STRATOPS Cptn Jenna Rulestaad - 2378.08.18.1106) "One more question, sir." Jenna stopped, and turned back around to the 'fully at attention' Ensign. "Continue." "As you stated, you also agree that the Ensign is...." he tried to remember the exact phrase the Captain had said, "is 'green' and that she needed some 'strong hands' to help guide her while she's learning her command style. Yes, she has the brains for the job but she's missing the finesse, the leadership skills. I believe that the best person to be her 'strong hands' would be me." Jenna felt the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. "Indeed, you believe so hmmm..." "I am a very experienced officer, with almost a decade of experience under my belt, in many aspects of Starfleet Engineering. Over that time, I've been assigned to various ships and starbases, provided me a wide array of knowledge to pull from in an instance. I've also lead many teams, large an small, solving problems and issues before they become huge. With all this background and on-the-job training, I believe that I would be the most effective personnel on the base to assist Ensign Therriault with getting up to speed. And to assure that the ensign is making progress and to allow you to provide some constructive feedback to me, I could write weekly, or even daily, report to you on the happenings in the TEO office." Jenna paused, and crossed her arms. ~That would be espionage. Is he that ambitious, or just stupid.~ She considered for several moments, letting him sweat under her gaze. She took a quick breath, then said "It is not my place to decide who Ensign Therriault chooses to guide her into command maturity." she paused for a moment, then said "However, if she does decide that you are the best answer, then I would take your notes in order to guide you through training her better." ~A stupid spy is better then none, especially when they hadn't been courted first. Plausible Deniability. Bless Starfleet and Strategic Operatons for making me what I am today.~ She gave another lopsided grin, and said "Is there anything more?" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Corridors - ATEO Lt Cornelius Byson - 2378.08.18.1107) Jenna gave another lopsided grin, and said "Is there anything more?" Corny snapped a salute, "No, sir. Thank you for your time, sir." He stood in full attention until the Captain rounded the corner. When she was out of sight, his shoulders dropped and he slumped against the wall. "That could of gone better," he mumbled, "A LOT better." Corny waited a couple minutes before heading towards the transporter room. After that horrible incident, he did not want to run into the Captain. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Verano Sickbay Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.18.1110) Chief Cambridge walked into the sickbay, his eyes moving over the room. Checking reports, he moved quickly to the office to begin his long haul of paperwork. ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.18.1113) Following the meeting, several thoughts had been running around Martin's head. First and foremost was that the Admiral's statement that the Firebrande would be ready and available to Doctor Dervin. That meant she had to be space-worthy as soon as possible, and whilst his latest report on the Firebrande left him in no doubt that she could certainly fly, that would be no guarantee that she'd live up to the needs of the good doctor. "Computer record a message for delivery to Dr Tanya Dervin." A small bleep sounded in acknowledgement. "Dr Dervin, this is Lieutenant Black, Chief of Operations. Please convey the exact condition you will need to USS Firebrande to be in in order to make your experiments to my assistant Ensign Ra'Kir. This will be his sole priority. "Computer, send message." <> "Yeah... well OK!" The seconds passed one... by... one... <> "But for crying out loud! Play it you stupid machine!" Alex rolled his eyes towards the ceiling as the TAC/CS's voice filled the room. =/\=As you are by now aware, Admiral Jopek has selected myself to lead an away mission to investigate the nearby base of operations for the group believed responsible for the attack on Utopia Planitia just over three months ago. I would greatly appreciate your accompanying me on this crucial mission as I am in need of experts in the fields of science and engineering, and of course a skilled pilot to guide us through this hostile territory. The USS Columbia is due to depart at 0600 tomorrow morning once our cloak-capable runabout has been attached. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding this mission.=/\= <> Landis glanced out the window. "USS Columbia, eh?" He turned to Black. "Don't scratch her, will you!" he said grinning. A Runabout? "Do we have a Runabout available that I can use?" ====================/\==================== (Dockyard Echo - Operations - OPS Lt Martin Black - 2378.08.18.1127) The two of them listened to the message that finally got relayed from the Tactical Officer about the impending away mission, and as they did so they gazed out over the USS Columbia as the docking arm continued it's ascent into position around the small starship. As the docking arm reached optimum distance from the ship, Martin reversed the lever and the arm locked into place protectively around the defiant-class ship. "USS Columbia, eh? Don't scratch her, will you!" Martin shared a grin with the other man, "Do we have a runabout available that I can use?" Punching up the current status of Echo's shuttlebay, Martin read out his findings. "We've got a type-7 shuttlecraft - the King's Cross - here, but there should be a runabout docked at Valhalla. We'll find you one, and you needn't worry about the Columbia - I won't let anything happen to any of my babies..." Martin stifled a giggle as his ears told him how that sounded, "Black to Valhalla; two to beam back." The two of them waited momentarily for the transporter to take a hold of them, and as their eyes locked the two of them burst into giggles. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - SCL's Office - SCL Ens David Shannon - 2378.08.18.1130) David Shannon was glad to get back to his office after the semi-chaos of the Admiral's briefing, so many reports from so many different departments, David wasn't sure if he would ever get them all straight in his head, he did however recall one stressed ensign that he thought he might be able to help. =^= Shannon to Ensign Therriault =^= David waited for theoretical engineering officer to answer "Sorry to disturb you if you are busy Ms. Therriault but I was thinking about the mess you have with the encryption lockouts on your databases" David went on to explain his idea. "I was thinking that it may do some good if I sent a message off to starfleet command requesting the assistance of a Klingon expert, someone who would have sufficient insite into Klingon psychology to help you work out what the encryption algorythms might be." "You can chew on it for a little while, I've got about a dozen reports to get off to starfleet command later today so I can include your request with those if you are interested. Shannon out" Having offered his assistance to ensign Therriault David forced himself to get on with the business of making sense of the multitude of PADDS layed out on his desk. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - TEO's Office - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1130) =^=Shannon to Ensign Therriault.=/\= "Therriault here." =/\=Sorry to disturb you if you are busy Ms. Therriault but I was thinking about the mess you have with the encryption lockouts on your databases. I was thinking that it may do some good if I sent a message off to starfleet command requesting the assistance of a Klingon expert, someone who would have sufficient insite into Klingon psychology to help you work out what the encryption algorythms might be.=/\= "Hmmm... Well, if you think that it will work, please do so. I have a feeling that Lt. Prakl'in was loosing his grip on reality when he was transfered. Or was just very apprehensive of everyone around him. Maybe a Klingon psycologist may be beneficial also." =/\=You can chew on it for a little while, I've got about a dozen reports to get off to starfleet command later today so I can include your request with those if you are interested. Shannon out=/\= ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1210) Kazuko walked into her office after spending an hour with the TEO. She dropped her padds on the desk and slumped down into the chair. "That meeting could have gone better, Kazuko...but lunch was good, perhaps things are looking up." She said aloud to her empty office. She stood again and moved to her replicator and ordered, "Green tea with Ginseng, Hot." The replicator whined and produced her mug of tea. She sipped at it while walking back to her desk. ~I like my own tea better.Perhaps I'll make some later.~ she looked at the hotplate on the shelf near her replicator and nodded to herself. She picked up one padd and looked at the top, "Yard Issues." then looked at the second one, "Orbital Issues." "I need an assistant.or two." she said quietly as her door chimed. "Enter." She called. An ensign walked in with another padd. The ensign handed it to her, "Thank you, Ensign.?" She asked while reading the padd. "Shiva, sir." Ensign Shiva answered while standing there waiting to be dismissed. Kazuko looked up at her and nodded slowly, "Thank you Ensign Shiva. Dismissed." Kazuko answered while watching Ensign Shiva stand there for only a moment more before turning on her heel and leaving. Kazuko sipped her tea and reread the new message, yet another request to build another ship. She sighed and opened her desk drawer. The drawer was already full of padds; one more wasn't going to hurt it. ~Sorry.Denied!~ She dropped the padd into the drawer and closed it. ~Now back to my assistant problem.~ She thought as the door chimed again. ~Damn.~ "Enter." She called again, trying to not sound annoyed. Another ensign walked in, this one was tall. She looked up as the ensign came in with a desk unit under her arm. "Sorry to bother you, Chief. A maintenance worker tried leaving this while you were in the big meeting, I took it for you." The tall ensign said while putting the unit on Kaz's desk. "Thank you, Ensign.and you are?" Kazuko asked. "Ensign Auron, Maurana Auron of Betazed, sir." She answered. "So tell me, Ensign Auron, why didn't you just let the maintenance worker in here to leave it?" Kazuko smiled. "I saw the maintenance you did in here, and I didn't think you would have appreciated someone messing with your things, sir. If I did wrong, I'm sorry." Ensign Auron looked truly sorry to Kazuko. "No need, I am grateful for your intuitiveness, Ensign. I do not like people in here when I am not." Kazuko said with a smile, "You are dismissed, ensign." Ensign Auron nodded and walked out of Kazuko's office again. She turned on her desk unit and started a search for her new assistants. "Computer, search personnel records and compile list by the following parameters." Kazuko started then paused to think about what she wanted in an assistant. "Distinguished service, knowledgeable in the areas of starship design and /or Orbital Operations, high grade point average in the areas of Starship design and / or Orbital Operations.execute." Kazuko sat behind her desk going over the meeting notes as the computer whizzed through the some odd 75,000 personnel records in her department. She was in the middle of the department status reports when the computer beeped that it had completed the search. Kazuko paused the meeting padd, turned to her desk unit and took a drink of tea at the same time. When she saw that number she nearly choked on her tea. ~Dear god. 2800 people match my search?!~ Kazuko stood and put her hands on her hips while pacing behind her desk, her socks making soft noises on the tatami mats. ~2800 people that will take me all day to sort through.I must have the best engineers Starfleet has to offer here...~ She scratched her head and then snapped her fingers, "Computer, search the results for Ensigns Shiva and Auron." She said while looking at the miniature starship she built in the academy. <> The computer replied. "Display on my wall unit." She ordered while taking her cup over to the large wall unit used mainly for blueprint viewing. Ensign Auron came up as number 2005 in the search results; Ensign Shiva came up as number 2799. ~Not the top.but then these are not in any particular order now are they?~ Kazuko said while studying the records of both ensigns. Ensign Auron's record was pristine. There were no indiscretions on her part. No marks for insubordination, nothing. She was in that record, a model Starfleet career woman. Ensign Shiva's record on the other hand, was nearly pristine. She had one mark for insubordination on it. Kazuko read through it and almost laughed. Her last CO had decided to put a nasty remark on her permanent record, one about the ensign 'needing to learn to keep her ridges out of others business'. ~I wonder what she did. Only one way to find out. If not for this one bad mark, she would have been further up on the list.~ Kazuko thought, since there were ten other marks of commendation. ~I've seen enough.~ Kazuko thought, "Computer transfer these records to my desk unit." She turned off the wall unit and walked back over to her desk, flipping the comm. on. "Ensigns Shiva and Auron, report to Chief Okada's Office immediately." Kazuko sat behind her desk and waited for them to arrive. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.1210) Tanya sat at her desk, her thoughts were revolving entirely about what had been said in the meeting. They were to actually try the Warp Subspace Carrier Wave project on a real ship. Tanya could feel the excitement and nervousness riveting through her. There was so much to be done, so many refits and adjustions... there was so much that needed to be done and adjusted and there was no way that she was going to be able to do it alone. "Computer, please record a message and send it to the following personnel. Send to; TEO, TSO, YEO, and CSO. Message to read as follows; Attention, all recipients of this message, it is requested that you attend a meeting and brainstorming session on the Warp Subspace Carrier Wave project, any insights that you could bring regarding this theory would be appreciated. We have a short period of time to facilitate this endeavour. Shall we say... hmm, 16.00 hours? Bring ideas and maybe some snacks? By the way, I've made all the results of my latest reports available to any of you who would like to look at them, any other questions, you know how to reach me. Thanks, Tanya Dervin, WTO, Utopia Planitia." "End of message, send." Tanya nodded. Then she began to get her affairs in order and plans ready for the meeting. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - AYEO Ens JG Shiva Rikku - 2378.08.18.1230) Shiva walked towards the chief's office and mumbled the entire way. She had already been to see the chief once today, and she wasn't impressed, she was too busy to be impressed. The chief ordered an inventory. Aand there was Shiva counting every bolt. ~I wonder what she wants now. Couldn't have told me when I was in there.noooooo.had to pull me away from my job.~ She thought as a tall blonde woman walked up to her quickly. "Ensign Shiva I presume?" The blonde said with a warm smile. "Ensign Auron." Shiva answered as the blonde ensign nodded. "I wonder why she wants to see us." Auron said, "What do you think?" "I haven't a clue, but I'm sure she probably doesn't like to be kept waiting." Shiva walked up to the door and hit the chime. "Come in." Chief Okada's voice called, they walked in side by side and stood at attention. "Ensigns Shiva and Auron reporting as ordered, sir!" They said in unison. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CSO's Office - CSO Lt Drew Brannigan - 2378.08.18.1230) Drew was busy in his office when the comm chirped. He played the message that had arrived. =/\=Attention, all recipients of this message, it is requested that you attend a meeting and brainstorming session on the Warp Subspace Carrier Wave project, any insights that you could bring regarding this theory would be appreciated. We have a short period of time to facilitate this endeavour. Shall we say... hmm, 16.00 hours? Bring ideas and maybe some snacks? By the way, I've made all the results of my latest reports available to any of you who would like to look at them, any other questions, you know how to reach me. Thanks, Tanya Dervin, WTO, Utopia Planitia.=/\= ~ Wow! Things sure happen fast here! I was only thinking about that this very morning! ~ Drew then set about reading up on the project. He found it very interesting and exciting. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1231) Kazuko sat behind her desk waiting for her two new assistants to arrive, and noticed that there was in incoming message for her. ~Subarashii...I wonder what it is now.~ She thought, "Computer, play message." =/\=Attention, all recipients of this message, it is requested that you attend a meeting and brainstorming session on the Warp Subspace Carrier Wave project, any insights that you could bring regarding this theory would be appreciated. We have a short period of time to facilitate this endeavor. Shall we say... hmm, 16.00 hours? Bring ideas and maybe some snacks? By the way, I've made all the results of my latest reports available to any of you who would like to look at them, any other questions; you know how to reach me.Thanks, Tanya Dervin, WTO, Utopia Planitia.=/\= ~That's great and all...but I wonder if anyone will come. In her haste, she forgot to mention where this meeting would occur...~ Kazuko thought with a slight chuckle. "Computer, send a reply to the WTO as follows: Konnichiwa, I would love to be at your meeting to share ideas, though you should in future messages as well, inform your guests where you propose to hold such a gathering. Domo, YEO Chief; Send message." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1235) "Ensigns Shiva and Auron reporting as ordered, sir!" The two ensigns said in unison, as Kazuko stood behind her desk for a moment and regarded the two ensigns. "Good.come in and sit down." Kazuko said while walking around to the front of her desk and perching on it. Her shoeless feet swinging in front of them. Kazuko watched as the ensigns took a seat stiffly in front of her, "At ease, you two.I'm not going to bite." ~Sure that's what she says now.~ Ensign Shiva thought while looking at the chief. "I'm sure you both are wondering why I called you here, tearing you away from the inventory work that I ordered." Kazuko said while looking at Shiva, then to Auron, "As you both have no doubt have heard, I have a couple openings for assistants. One for the YEO department, one for the OO Department." Kazuko started, "And since you both have experience in both areas, I." She stopped trying to see how she could say this. "You want our opinion as to whom you should choose?" Shiva put into the space. "Something like that, Ensign.I want you to tell me a little about yourselves..." Kazuko said with a smile, she reached back and grabbed her tea. "Sir?" Shiva asked questionably, ~What could she want to know?~ "Tell me about the Magellan, Shiva. What happened to bring you to us?" "Oh that.As you know, sir, the Magellan was my first post out of the academy. I was on that ship for four years.and everything was great.until I met the most annoying person ever created!" She started, "When I was traded to work with this guy, I prayed to the Prophets three times a day..." She wanted to say more but she reigned in her anger. Kazuko watched quietly and nodded that she understood, "I wished time would speed by and put me into another Lieutenants care before this one killed me..." "That bad, huh? What happened?" Kazuko asked, ~This one sounds an awful lot like the TEO Assistant. How many of them could there be in the fleet?~ "Well our Chief Engineer was running diagnostics on one of the warp acelles.while my Lieutenant, who thought he was the Prophets gift to women.decided it would be fun to upgrade the other nacelle." Shiva said nearly shivering with anger, "I tried to stop him, of course. But he told me to mind my own business and that he knew what he was doing." "I see, and after the inevitable?" Kazuko asked. "Because of his stupidity, two good officers were seriously hurt.I went straight to the captain and told him just exactly what that no good son of a cardassian did!" She was not trying to hold her anger anymore. "I see, calm down, Shiva. It's over." Kazuko said with a knowing smile. Shiva breathed in and out a few times before getting herself under control. "So then he found out it was I who told on him and since he was still my 'CO" he reprimanded me and threw that insubordination on my record." Shiva said, "Along with a nasty remark about my nose." "Do you remember his name, Shiva?" Kazuko asked praying that it wasn't the same guy she'd heard about at lunch. "I'll never forget it.Cornelius Byson.we called him Corny!" Shiva answered. Kazuko put her head in her hands for a moment and sighed loudly. "Are you ok, Chief?" Shiva asked "Fine...Shiva. fine. Now, Auron, tell me something about yourself." Kazuko didn't wish to tell them that Corny Byson was on their base.it wasn't something that she wanted to have to worry about just yet. Knowing how small this base would become to them, it'll come up later. "I graduated Starfleet academy with honors in orbital operations and engineering, I always wanted to work on a space station." Auron began, but Kazuko was only half listening. She already knew she wanted these two to be her assistants, but what was she going to do at a staff meeting when Shiva and Byson got into a war over the past? Kazuko looked at Shiva for a moment and nodded slowly, ~This one would have nothing to do with Byson, if she can avoid it, but his childish actions, will make it difficult to get along with.~ "...and then I got my wish and was stationed here!" Auron said with a smile. Kazuko found her smile was contagious, then remembered that Auron was a Betazoid and hoped that she was not upset that Kazuko had not listened to her. "Well, that sounds great, Auron.I have one question for the both of you." Kazuko said while putting her tea down, "Shiva, how would you like being my chief YEO Assistant?" "Ah.are you kidding?" Shiva asked, the question had caught her off guard. "I try not to, unless you like that sort of thing." Kazuko answered while taking a moment to look at Auron, "Auron, how about being my chief Orbital Ops Assistant?" "I would be honored, chief!" Auron answered without giving it a second thought, Kazuko looked back at Shiva and she was nodding her agreement. "Great! First thing, when we are behind closed doors as we are right now, I expect you both to call me Kazuko, or just Kaz, depending on your feelings about it." Kazuko lifts her padd and makes the necessary adjustments to their records. "You can call me Maurana, Chie.Kaz." Auron said with a smile as she looked at Shiva. "Rikku.You both may call me Rikku, but no one else." Ensign Shiva said with a smile, just now getting over the initial shock. Kaz clapped her hands together with a smile and jumped off the desk. "Alright, you two have offices now, there's an empty one on my right and one on my left, and they have adjacent doors directly to this room so you don't have to stand in the hall like everyone else..." She picks up two padds and gives one to each, "Once you're settled, you'll find I have something I want you two to do." ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - WTO's Office - WTO Dr Tanya Dervin - 2378.08.18.1245) Dr. Dervin was sitting at her desk, there was an array of PADDs and other display devices surrounding her. She was entirely consumed in her work that when the incessant beeping that proclaimed the arrival of her messages began she jumped literally a good half metre in the air. "What?!?" she looked around her office the sudden stimulus making her brain whiz and whirl. Then, she noticed the flashing indicator light on her console. "Oh" she sighed, "a message." "Computer play message" she ordered, =^=Konnichiwa, I would love to be at your meeting to share ideas, though you should in future messages as well, inform your guests where you propose to hold such a gathering. Domo, YEO Chief; Send message. =^= Tanya slapped her forehead. "I can't believe it... I KNEW I forgot something..." "Computer, please send message to YEO, TSO, TEO, CSO stating: The meeting for Subspace Carrier Wave brainstorming will be held in the conference room in the office complex of the research centre on Mars. Thank you, hope to see you all there." "Computer display text." Tanya looked it over, satisfied that there were probably more errors there, but thankful that she could not spot any of them. "Send message." Tanya nodded, and then, as suddenly as her head had been jolted out of the vast cosmos, she was intently focussed again on her work. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Research Wing - TEO's Office - TEO Ens Anne Therriault - 2378.08.18.1255) Ensign Therriault was so hard at work that when the door chime played, she jumped. ~This had better be good,~ she thought. "Enter!" Ensign Auron entered her office with a padd in her hand and smiles. The betazoid officer stepped up to the desk and held out the Padd to her, "My Chief asked me to come by and take a look around." Anne took the PADD, "Thank you, Ensign." She glanced at the PADD and noticed a note on it from Kaz: Anne, I nearly forgot that I promised the maintenance crew an inspection. If you'd like to come to my office while my assistants make that inspection you will be most welcomed, Kazuko. Therriault stood and walked towards the door, taking 2 PADDs with her, "I'm sure that you know what to do, Ensign?" Auron nodded, "Yes, sir. I do." "Excellent. I'll leave you to your work then." Anne walked out of her office and headed towards the YEO's office. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1300) Kazuko sat behind her desk with the stack of padds from her desk drawer out on top. She picked up each one, wrote something on it and then and put it into another pile. The door bell chimed and Kazuko looked up for a moment before uttering, "Come in." Ensign Anne Therriault entered the room and sat down with a sigh, tossing the PADD the ensign had handed her onto the table, "You called?" Kazuko laughed and nodded, "I thought it would be better to inform you of something in person, then to let my assistants tell you..." She continued to write on the padds and place them in a stack on her left. "And that is?" Anne asked, hoping for good news. "It seems that my assistant had a past encounter with yours..." Kazuko stopped what she was doing, crossed to the front of her desk and sat down in the chair across from Anne. The TEO raised an eyebrow, "Oh no." "Oh yes...She is quite bitter over it." Kazuko started to retell the story of her assistant, Shiva Rikku, to Anne, not leaving anything out. By the end of her speech, Anne was shaking her head, a smirk on her face. "Let me guess...she hates his guts." "With a fiery passion...Sometime soon, I will have to tell her that he is here...but I don't know how yet." Kazuko said. She then went to her replicator and got another mug of tea, "Would you like anything?" "Another latte please. I think I'll need it," she sighed, "I've been working on a solution for Corny." "Ah, and would that mean I would not have to tell her?" Kazuko asked while walking back with the two mugs in her hands. "You'll still have to tell her. I have no choice but to work with him until he makes another mistake." "That's as I thought...But at the very least, you and I should be able to contain the problem..." Kazuko said while handing the latte to Anne. "I agree," she sipped the hot liquid, enjoying the sweet coffee smell, "I liked your idea of having him do all the paperwork and such for me and keep him away from the experiments and such. Though I have to make sure that what he's doing is correct. I think, until I trust him, I'll be reviewing his work and then submitting it." "That is a great idea...as long as it doesn't put you behind in your other chores..." Kazuko said with a smile, "I have a few more denieds to write before I start my tour..." She pointed to that stack of Padds on the right. "It'll be good bedtime reading for me," she shrugged and looked around the office, "I like your office." "Thank you, I find that being in a familiar surroundings like this brings me peace." Kazuko said while looking around her office. It was decorated like her quarters were, except on a table, behind her desk, was a miniature starship, "And in my field, I need all the peace I can get..." "Maybe I should redecorate too. I could use some peace," she shrugged, "Maybe with my office fixed, I'll be able to get some work done. Which reminds me, I should go back soon." "Just a few more moments, Anne. Once the inspection is over, Rikku and Maurana will return to tell us how it went..." Kazuko said while going back to writing on the padds, "So have you been to see the doctor yet?" The TEO raised an eyebrow, "Don't remind me. I hate doctors." "I'm not to thrilled by the prospect, but between that order and my other problems, I'd rather see the doctor and get yelled at because of my bruise." Kaz said while looking up her padds were now all on the left side of the desk. She stood for a moment and picked them up and moved them to the outbox. "Bruise? How did you get a bruise?" "A security team...one of them kicked me." Kazuko said while going to her large Viewer, "Computer show me Docking bay 30." The viewer lit up and Kaz looked it over. "Kicked you?" Anne started to wonder what kind of security people they had on the base, "They actually KICKED you?" "They believed I was sabotaging the computer in that corridor I was lost in for a couple hours yesterday..." Kazuko answered and walked back to her desk, trying to get a new perspective on her newest problem. "So they attacked you. Interesting," she smiled at her new friend. "They were trying to wake me, and it went pretty bad..." Kazuko answered as the chime to her office went off. She looked at the door and smiled, "Come in." Ensigns Shiva and Auron walked into Kazuko's office and held out their Inspection reports to Kazuko. Anne spoke up, "Done? Does it pass?" "Your office is in perfect condition, Chief." Ensign Auron answered. "Your quarters is also in perfect condition, Chief. The engineers replaced your old replicator with a new one so you should not have any other problems." Shiva answered as Kazuko looked at the padds and handed them to Anne. "There you are, my friend." Anne quickly reviewed them and nodded, "Thank you very much. All of you. Have a good day, ladies." She rose and waved a good bye to her friend before walking out of the room, heading towards her office. Before the door shut, she heard the YEO issue a couple orders to her assistants. "Maurana, please see those padds get back to wherever they came from..." Kazuko said while waving to Anne, "Rikku, please sit down, there is something I need to tell you." As Anne walked down the staircase to the bay, a loud voice came out of the chief's office and echoed throughout the bay, halting all workers, "What do you mean that pond scum is here?!?!" Anne shook her head and smiled slightly, ~I think we all feel that way, Rikku...~ ====================/\==================== (Shuttlecraft Baxter - TCO Ens Aleksander Stolev - 2378.08.18.1300) Sasha gazed with amazement as the shuttle approached the Utopia Planitia orbital facilities. He hadn't believed it when he was assigned, but it was true; the new starbase had already been constructed. He activated the comm channel. "Shuttlecraft Baxter to Starbase Valhalla, request permission to dock." =^= Permission granted. Hanger Bay 28 is ready to receive you. =^= Sasha grinned as he piloted the shuttle around the massive structure until he spotted the open hangar bay. To think, he was going to be in charge of making sure all the ships constructed here are fully equipped with the latest weaponry and defense systems! Such a task may never have been as important as now, and he was the one that had been chosen for it. It was an exciting if not harrowing proposition, but it was the embodiment of why Sasha had joined Starfleet in the first place. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Shuttlebay - TCO Ens Aleksander Stolev - 2378.08.18.1310) Sasha glanced once more at his PADD as he walked down the ramp to the floor of the hangar bay. He approached a chief who was manning the hangar bay controls. "Hey chief, I've got some personal items in that shuttle. I'm off to report to the CO, and then I'll be coming to get them once I know where my quarters are. Could you beam them to the repository until then?" "Will do, sir," replied the chief as he tapped in the requisite commands. "Thanks," said Sasha. He then turned for the door and headed out into the corridor and found the nearest wall terminal. "Computer, locate Admiral Jopek." "Thanks." Sasha did a quick double-take. He was in the habit of saying thanks to anyone who helped him, but he wasn't used to hearing the computer reply! ~They must have implemented some sort of politeness subroutine. What will they think of next?~ Shaking his head and chuckling softly, he made his way to the nearest turbolift. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - TCO Ens Aleksander Stolev - 2378.08.18.1320) The Main Operations center was more modern than any facility Sasha had been in. Of course, that only made sense, considering it was less than three months old! Scanning the room for the Admiral, he spotted the elder Vulcan sitting in the command chair. Sasha made a beeline for the Admiral, then drew himself up to attention and offered his PADD. "Ensign Aleksander Stolev, reporting for duty, sir!" ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - Main Operations - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1321) "Ensign Aleksander Stolev, reporting for duty, sir!", said a new Ensign, heading the Admiral's way. "Ensign, welcome aboard. Follow me, if you would.", said the Admiral, leading Ensign Stolev to his office. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - CO FltAdm Jopek - 2378.08.18.1325) "Have a seat, Ensign.", said the Admiral, looking over the PADD he had been given from the new arrival. "Tactical Command Officer, well, we have quite a job for you. Although the Valhalla's Security Chief is in charge of overall station and facility security, its your job to make sure our ships and the base itself is up to speed on the latest defence systems, you'll have to make a visual inspection and examination of every ship in dock, plus all surface weapon positions. That includes the Mars Defence Perimeter, you need to talk to Captain Rulestaad about that project." "As each ship is launched, you'll be in charge of assessing its tactical configuration, Starfleet will use this information in assigning the ship to a fleet or duty that best fits its capabilities." "You'll be co-ordinating with Operations, Security and the new production facilities on the surface, the construction of new weapon systems and upgrading existing ones is going to take up a lot of your time. I suggest you get to Mars and get to know the TEO and the TSO, you are going to be seeing a lot of them." Jopek stood up and continued. "Welcome aboard, if you have any questions, just let me know." (Reply TCO) "Dismissed Ensign. good luck.", said the Admiral, watching the new Ensign leave his office and out into Main Operations. ====================/\==================== (Starbase Valhalla - CO's Office - TCO Ens Aleksander Stolev - 2378.08.18.1326) Sasha followed his new CO into his office. "Have a seat, Ensign...", said the Admiral, looking over the PADD Sasha had handed him out in the OPS center. Sasha listened intently as the Vulcan detailed his responsibilities as TCO, nodding when appropriate, maintaining eye contact at all times, and sitting up as straight as if he had a metal rod strapped to his back. "You'll be co-ordinating with Operations, Security and the new production facilities on the surface, the construction of new weapon systems and upgrading existing ones is going to take up a lot of your time. I suggest you get to Mars and get to know the TEO and the TSO, you are going to be seeing a lot of them..." Jopek stood up and continued... "Welcome aboard, if you have any questions, just let me know..." "No questions at this time sir," Sasha stated as he stood up quickly. "I'll get down to Mars ASAP." "Dismissed Ensign... good luck," said the Admiral as Sasha turned and headed out of the office. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - Transporter Room One - TCO Ens Aleksander Stolev - 2378.08.18.1340) Sasha's first trip to Mars had a rather eventful beginning as he found himself materializing six inches above the platform, and almost lost his balance as he dropped to the floor. His eyes widened as he looked at the transporter chief. "Sorry, sir," replied the Bolian. "The targeting scanners of the transporters on Valhalla aren't fully aligned yet. They occasionally will be a little off. I imagine aligning them is not the top priority at the moment." "Well I imagine it will be a top priority once someone's feet materialize inside the platform!" retorted Sasha. He hoped this wasn't a sign of things to come; he didn't need any mishaps on his first day! Sasha ignored the sheepish look from the transporter chief and stepped down from the platform, heading for the wall terminal. He wanted to make sure he remembered the names of the TSO and TEO correctly, as it would be an unfortunate first impression to make if he didn't! After a quick glance at the manifest, he tapped his comm badge. "Ensign Stolev to TSO Newton and TEO Therriault. I'm the new TCO and would like to meet with you both, as I will be working closely with you in the future." ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1400) ~I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here.I don't want to be here.~ Kazuko thought as she walked down the corridors towards the medical center. ~I'm fine.in tip top condition.well almost.~ She thought while stopping at the doors to the medical wing. ~But if I go in there he'll notice my bruise, and then yell at me for not coming to see him after it happened... But if I don't go in there, he'll track me down like a dog...and that will go on my record.~ She paced outside the doors for a few minutes and looked inside for a moment, ~If I don't get in there, Rikku and Maurana will drag me back here and force me inside. They are bigger than I am.and I don't think I'll be able to fight them off...~ "Alright, Kazuko, it's time to bite the bullet." She said aloud and walked into the medical center. The hospital smell making her stomach queasy. She walked up to a nurse and waited for her attention. "Can I help you?" The nurse asked. "I am here to see Doctor Cambridge for my 'Department Head Physical'." Kazuko answered. "Ah, Name and Department?" The nurse asked while making notes. "Okada Kazuko, Yard Engineering and Orbital Operations..." Kazuko answered, "How long does this normally take?" "That depends on how much you fight." The nurse said with a wry smile. ~Perfect.~ Kazuko thought, the smell finally getting to be too much for her, she passed out and hit the floor. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1402) The biobed arrived a moment later and several medical officers boosted the limp body onto it. Maxwell quickly moved the bed into the sickbay area, deciding to put her in medium sized room rather than in the open. He rolled her in and locked the biobed down, securing it against the wall. The CMO quickly started the monitoring systems as an officer came through the door with a PADD, containing the officer's file. Nodding, he began to pore over the file itself. There was nothing of note in the log itself, but that the girl in front of him was pretty smart and knew how to hold herself. He quickly pulled out a small hypospray and injected it. She would regain consciousness in a few moments. While he waited, the Chief Medical Officer pulled out a medical tricorder and began to scan the young woman. She stirred. "Welcome back to Otono Medical Center, I will be your examiner today..." "I am glad to receive such fine care from you, Doctor Cambridge. Though I only remember coming through the doors and talking to your nurse...how did I get in here?" Kazuko asked while reaching up to scratch her head. "You just passed out. Any reason you managed to hit the floor on your own accord?" "I have never been one for the smells of hospitals...It normally makes me a little queasy...but I have never passed out before." Kazuko answered, ~but then, I've never gone into one with an injury.if I could help it.~ She thought. Cambridge looked up, faking a look of shock. "Our hospital smells? Good Gravy, I need to talk to maintenance...course they about as fun to talk to as a Borg on a rampage." "No, not smells in a bad way, it's the clean smell that all hospitals have. I don't like it..." Kazuko said with a frown. He continued to scan her, checking her lower stomach area and holding there for a moment. Frowning, he reached for her shirt to pull it up, but stopped. "Would you mind..er..moving the shirt up a bit..." Kazuko frowned, she knew what he would find there, she sighed and pulled her shirt up to show an area the size of a size 10 boot that had black and blue and yellow coloring. When she had first gotten it, it had been yellow, but the black and blue now add that bit of color that would make an artist proud. He waited and grimaced at what he saw. "Just what the hell were you doing in the last three days young lady? Hell, I've got ensigns in here every day, but you've managed to bruise three lower ribs! Care to explain, Ms. Adventurer?" "Well, I..." She started, then closed her mouth and tried to think of a suitable explanation, after a few moments, she started again, "I got lost...and then I thought if I could fix the computer terminal that I could find my way, but a team of Security thought I was sabotaging the system...and when they found me I had been sleeping, so one nudged me to alertness...that was last night around 8pm...so then I found my way to my quarters and didn't like the decoration, so I spent most of the night tearing it up and redoing it to my liking...then when I woke this morning, I spent hours redecorating my office to my liking...then I was nearly late for the meeting, but you saw me there...I was the filthy one." Kazuko stopped for a moment at the disbelief on his face, "Short story would be better huh? Let's see.I got kicked, and then ran a lot...then tore up the carpet in my quarters, and office, put down new floorings...ran some more...stood throughout the meeting... Oh I give up..." She stopped speaking again. "I'd hate to bother you, though...how long should this take now that I've complicated things? I have another meeting to attend at 1600 hrs. Do you think I will make it?" She asked. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - CMO Lt 'Mac' Cambridge - 2378.08.18.1405) "Well, I...I got lost...and then I thought if I could fix the computer terminal that I could find my way, but a team of Security thought I was sabotaging the system...and when they found me I had been sleeping, so one nudged me to alertness...that was last night around 8pm...so then I found my way to my quarters and didn't like the decoration, so I spent most of the night tearing it up and redoing it to my liking...then when I woke this morning, I spent hours redecorating my office to my liking...then I was nearly late for the meeting, but you saw me there...I was the filthy one. Short story would be better huh? Let's see... I got kicked, and then ran a lot...then tore up the carpet in my quarters, and office, put down new floorings...ran some more...stood throughout the meeting... Oh I give up..." Cambridge looked at the obviously stressed officer, feeling some sympathy for the girl in front of him. She hadn't started off on the right foot and for the moment, she was still a bit off. "Well, first of all, let me take care of these three injured ribs, and then we'll deal with other issues..." "I'd hate to bother you, though...how long should this take now that I've complicated things? I have another meeting to attend at 1600 hrs. Do you think I will make it?" Cambridge ran the healing unit over her lower stomach area, letting it work the magic it had. "Well, first of all, you're going to slow down for just a moment and then we 'll see about letting you go. Your lower three ribs on that side will be slightly sore for the next three hours, but nothing terrible. Second, we're going to take a second to rest." Cambridge raised his eyebrow and looked into the woman's eyes. "It won't matter if you manage to make your way into this office again in the next six hours. I mean, you're a cute girl, but I can only take so many return visits." Maxwell laughed softly, shaking his head as he did so. "I won't hold it against you; I just might shake my head at you more..." He pulled his medical tricorder out and did a final check on her. "Ok. Here are the conditions for me releasing you. You watch those ribs and make sure you don't hit them again. You do and they will break and you' ll have to deal with Otono again. Second, take it slow, take a break or something. That's doctors orders. Take some hot chocolate or hot caramel apple cider and call me in the morning...got it?" He smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "Dismissed then..." She walked out the door, Cambridge moving to the desk. As the officer walked out the main doors the CMO shook his head. Sometimes people came through this place and amazed him, and then others came through and blew him away. And this was just the first physical! ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1416) Cambridge ran the healing unit over her lower stomach area, letting it work the magic it had. "Well, first of all, you're going to slow down for just a moment and then we'll see about letting you go. Your lower three ribs on that side will be slightly sore for the next three hours, but nothing terrible. Second, we're going to take a second to rest." "How long of a second? I have two major departments to run and I can't be stuck out for too long.That is one of my main reasons for putting this off for as long as I have.no offense to you." Kazuko said quietly. Cambridge raised his eyebrow and looked into the woman's eyes. "It won't matter if you manage to make your way into this office again in the next six hours. I mean, you're a cute girl, but I can only take so many return visits." "I can't promise I won't be back any time soon, Doctor. I'll try very hard not to have to return, though what would you do if I did have to come back?" Kazuko asked. Maxwell laughed softly, shaking his head as he did so. "I won't hold it against you; I just might shake my head at you more..." He pulled his medical tricorder out and did a final check on her. "Ok. Here are the conditions for me releasing you. You watch those ribs and make sure you don't hit them again. You do and they will break and you'll have to deal with Otono again. Second, take it slow, take a break or something. That's doctor's orders. Take some hot chocolate or hot caramel apple cider and call me in the morning...got it?" "I will do as you say then.can't avoid it I suppose." Kazuko said with a sigh, ~Tea and a bath sounds really good right now.and it looks as if I may get my wish. I'll might have to call Rikku and Maurana and make them go to the meeting in my stead.~ He smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "Dismissed then..." She walked out the door, Cambridge moving to the desk. ====================/\==================== (Otono Medical Centre - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1432) Kazuko walked back out of the medical office and stopped for a moment outside looking down both paths, ~One will take me to my quarters, where I should be going to rest.the other will take me back to my office, where I have plenty of work to do.~ She stood there for awhile contemplating which way to go. ~What would uncle Terunobu do?~ She asked herself and then took the turn to her office. ====================/\==================== (Mars Base, Command Wing - YEO's Office - YEO Ens Okada Kazuko - 2378.08.18.1500) Kazuko sat behind her desk and smiled at the picture on her desk, it was the same one from her time in the university. Her mother and father were still not smiling, but her little brothers and sisters all were. She frowned; it had been four years since she heard from them. Her brother, Harunobu managed to sneak letters out to her from time to time, but the other three didn't even bother. ~I suppose I really am dead to them.~ She looked at her desk unit and blinked, their was an incoming message for her. ~How long has that been there?~ She pushed the button and the emblem was replaced with an older Japanese face. "My dear little niece," The message began, ~Always count on my uncle to make me feel better about myself.~ She thought. "Where have you been? I have been waiting for a communicaque for three days now. After all the trouble it made for me to attend your graduation, I figured that you would have already been in contact with me from your first post!" She paused the feed. ~Trouble.right. You planned on being there from the day I mentioned applying to Starfleet academy.~ She istened to the rest of the message and smiled again. ~As I thought, leave it to my uncle to cheer me up.~ "Computer, start recording video message for Commander Terunobu Okada, Starbase 23." Kazuko said while straitening her hair a little. <