Compiled by Calvin Capps ============================================================== Mission: Dead or Alive Day: 2 Stardate: 2414.05.16 ============================================================== (Color II - Coloran Underground Sanctuary - ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1450) (Color II - Coloran Underground Sanctuary -Tunnel- 1454) (Color II - Underground Sanctuary - Tela and Cain - 1458) (Color II - Tunnels near surface - ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1636) (Color II - Tunnel Entrance - 1st Lt Drew Dewalt - 1637) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.40) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - Asst. CMO Ensign Noble - 1643) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1645) (Color II - Tunnels - ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1645) (Color II - Tunnel Entrance - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1647) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst CMO Ensign Tian Noble - 1648) (USS Boudicca - Captain's Ready Room - 1648) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1649) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.50) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - Asst CEO - Ensign Mactavish - 1655) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.55) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1657) (Color II - Underground Tunnels - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1658) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1700) (USS Boudicca - Bridge- Asst CEO - Ensign Mactavish - 1701) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Computer Core Lower Section, Yeoman Puceanu, 1701) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1703) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1705) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1707) (Color II - Geothermal Tap - COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1708) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Science Officer Ensign Nickolas Romanoff - 1709) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1710) (USS Boudicca - Bridge -Asst CEO Ensign Mactavish - 1710) (Color II - Geothermal Tap - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1711) (Color II- Geothermal Tap- COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1713) (USS Boudicca - Bridge -Asst CEO Ensign Mactavish - 1714) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst. CMO Ensign Tian Noble- 1715) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 17.15) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1715) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Computer Core Lower Section, Yeoman Puceanu, 1717) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1717) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Councilor Ensign(jg) Elizabeth Caspian, Dr. - 1718) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Asst CEO- Ensign Royston Charles Mactavish- 1719) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst CMO Ensign Tian Noble, Dr. - 1720) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay- Science Officer Ensign Nickolas Romanoff - 1722) (Color II - Geothermal Tap - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1728) (Color II- Geothermal Tap- COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1730) (USS Boudicca, Sickbay, Yeoman Puceanu, 1734) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 17.40) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1741) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Sickbay, Yeoman Puceanu, 1744) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1745) (USS Boudicca - Marine barracks - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1746) (Color II - Entrance to Tunnel - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1755) (Color II - Entrance to Tunnel - Lt Ryko Skylynx / 1st Lt Drew Dewalt- 1755) (USS Boudicca - Shuttle Bay - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1803) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Lt Ryko Skylynx / 1st Lt Drew Dewalt - 1806) (Color II - City Capital - Tela - 1810) (Color II - City Capital - Security Officer Lieutenant Rayne Showers - 1814) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1816) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1816) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Shuttle, Yeoman Puceanu, 1817) (Color II - City Capital - Asst. CEO Ensign Stephen Getman - 1818) (Marine Shuttle Trojan - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1819) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.20) (Color II - City Capital – aCMO Lt Jg Mia Saryn - 1820) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Tela and Cain - 1822) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1823) (Shuttle Telar - Cockpit - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1824) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.25) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.26) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1828) (Shuttle Telar - Cockpit – YEO Meggan Puceanu - 1828) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – COPS- Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn- 1830) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.32) (Color II - Planetary Capital - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1844) ============================================================== (Color II - Coloran Underground Sanctuary -ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx- 1450) “As I said before, I doubt that. But if you really want to go, I can take you there.” "It's not just that you can, it's more that you must," Ryko said. "Whatever is up there, they won't stay up there for long. Sooner or later, those... infected are going to find this place. And when that happens, you know it isn't going to end well." Ryko watched Leyan's complexion shift from the stubbornness that had hung on him at the start, to one of quiet resignation. He knew that the carefully-chosen words had struck home. The Coloran's manner was defeated, but determined as he spoke. “That's true. But tell me this... are you taking us with you? We can't all stay here. Those things will get in and it'll be a bloodbath. There's children here. Please.” Ryko looked around the Sanctuary for a moment at the various people and also his own away team mingling around the cavernous space. He ran the math through his head. ~This... is not going to end well...~ He thought to himself silently. ~But these people deserve a chance to try.~ "Alright," Ryko said concedingly. "We all go." With that, he stood up and climbed atop a large storage crate to address the entire room with a raised voice. "All of you, please, listen to me." The entire space turned toward the voice. Ryko suddenly felt quite self-consicous, but remembering what was at stake helped him smother the feeling. He cleared his throat. "It's time for us all to leave this place. There is a way out of here - safely - but it will not be easy. You can't hide down here forever. Sooner or later, they will find you and they will not greet you with the love you once expected from Them. You know what waits for you if you stay here. This is not your home anymore... and if we dont all move out, it will only be a tomb!" Outcry arose. One or two males made threats of death at Skylynx. He stared them down and waited for the crowd's hysteria to turn into rioting. He glanced around, visually locating his team mates - the spots of calm amongst the storm - and nodded to each of them before cutting off the crowd with a phaser blast to the ceiling, causing the entire room to flicker in and out of darkness for a moment. "Scream and yell at me if you wish!" He called. "But you know what I say is true! Any of you that wish to survive, grab a weapon and follow me. The rest of you... good luck! You'll need it!" With that, he hopped down and hit his comm badge. =/\=Skylynx to Saryn, Showers and Getman. We're moving out of here now. Converge on my position and arrange escort for these civilians. One way or another, our time on Color II is coming to an end. Skylynx out.=/\= (Reply Saryn, Showers, Getman iyw) Ryko checked his phaser power level and caught Leyan's eye. "Let's go, Leyan." (posted by Adam) (Color II - Coloran Underground Sanctuary -Tunnel- 1454) "Skylynx to Showers, Getman and Saryn, please report in. Are you all alright?" Coughing a little from the dust in the tunnel kicked up by weapons fire, Mia tapped her combadge and said, “I'm fine. Can you do anything about the weapons fire? It's kicking up a lot of dust and crap. These folks can't take much more down here.” (Reply Skylynx) Mia sighed and said, “Listen, clear us a path... let us get these people to the surface and onto the ship. Then we might be able to find a way to stop this thing.” (Reply Skylynx) “God damn it, man. These people are down here. Get us out of here or so help me I will come up there and kick your ass seven ways to sunday!” Mia exclaimed. Being down here with the baby and the remaining inhabitants of Color III, she had had enough. They needed out and they needed it right now. (posted by Jackie Smith) (Color II - Underground Sanctuary - Tela and Cain - 1458) Cain was steadfast in listening to what the elder had to tell him of his father and the other brave Colorans that ventured out to try and find food and help for those who stayed behind. It was what the elder told him that made Cain believe so much in his heart that his father was still out there and still safe. Tela on the other hand had a wandering mind. Her attention was slightly focused on the elder when she saw something that had more interest in her mind. From a short distance she could see one of the Starfleet officers had climbed atop of something to address the crowd. "All of you, please, listen to me." Tela watched as all the other people in the shelter broke off their individual conversations and turned their attention to the man yelling in the middle of the room. "It's time for us all to leave this place. There is a way out of here - safely - but it will not be easy. You can't hide down here forever. Sooner or later, they will find you and they will not greet you with the love you once expected from them. You know what waits for you if you stay here. This is not your home anymore... and if we don't all move out, it will only be a tomb." After the man finished his address to the crowd Tela turned and ran back to her brother and the elder. She clenched the doll that she held in her right hand ever so tight as she knew that something was about to happen. "Come on little ones. We will be moving along with the people that came from the the Federation," the old man said, hoisting himself up from the makeshift chair that he was resting on. He stood and remained for a second as all the muscles in his body adjusted to activity after sitting for such an extended period. He pushed the two children ahead in front of him as the three made their way over to the man who was coordinating the evacuation. "Let's go, Tela. We are going to find father. He is on the surface waiting for us," the boy said to his younger sister. She looked up at him and followed him over. It appeared that the other people around them were not as eager to just leave. Tela giggled at the sound of all the cursing she heard that filled the room. She giggled because she knew that she told not to ever say such things or else her tongue would fall out. For a second she imagined the act of all the people who were complaining simultaneously loosing their tongues right as they spoke. Those that agreed with the man began to gather their things and prepare to leave. Families that had been scattered all around the room followed suit and took the necessary steps to vacate the compound. Tela's grip on her doll was tighter than ever and with her free hand she grabbed the hand of her brother as they made their way to the front of the line with the elder. The exit of the large compound began safely and securely as the Federation personnel guided everyone out in an orderly fashion. The exodus was a sight to see as soon enough everyone was vacating, even those who had launched protests just minutes before. The quite and peaceful exit was maintained for a matter of minutes before explosions in the tunnel ahead gave reason for concern. Zombies began appearing as if from nowhere out of all the darker corners of the tunnel, and what was an orderly evacuation soon turned into pure anarchy. There was not much room in the narrow tunnel and with the low intensity tunnel lighting it was becoming increasingly more difficult to distinguish friend from foe. That was the general idea until the zombies began attacking and claiming victims unaware from their confusion. Screams erupted as terror stricken people pushed ahead to try and escape the attack. In their fear some of the stronger willed people began to trample over those who did not clear a path from them. In the excitement of the movement Tela noticed that she was shoved so frequently that she lost her grip of her doll and it fell to the ground as she was shoved along with the crowd. Lt. Showers saw this transpire but he himself was occupied fighting off the zombies and protecting the crowd. He fired off three shots and watched the zombies fall to the ground. He double timed his way over to Tela and grabbed her up. By this time she was crying at the thought of losing her doll and Showers knew that she would not calm down until he got it back. He turned around with the young girl in his arm and walked a couple of yards before he spotted the doll on the floor. Tela climbed down and grabbed up the doll. Showers kicked a zombie that was making its way towards the little girl. Another came up and Showers took the butt of his gun and swiftly hit the zombie in the head and watched it fall. He grabbed the girl back up and made his way back to the front of the line and let her back down with her brother. The tears that were on her face now were mixed in with bullets with of sweat that covered her face. She clenched the doll with both arms and continued with the rest of the crowd. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II - Tunnels near surface - ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1636) The tunnel was cramped already and the train of civilians - mostly armed - didnt make it any more comfortable for Ryko, the away team, or Leyan, he assumed. But Ryko had promised he would take the entirety of the Coloran survivors to the surface and get them off the blasted rock any way he could. And so he trudged through darkness with them all behind him. ~Take the bull by the horns,~ He thought to himself. ~Lead from the Fore. Just like Dad did.~ The going was mostly slow, but then Ryko was suddenly aware of a very loud and ominous sounding BOOM reverberating through the tunnel, causing dust and debris to fall from the roof in a cloud of mist. Something had happened... something bad. (posted by Adam) (Color II - Tunnel Entrance - 1st Lt Drew Dewalt - 1637) "Damn it, we are going to have to get rid of that...THING!" Joel yelled. Drew heard the MCO's frustration and stuffed his own anger and bitterness down as he forced himself to take stock of the post-apocalyptic SMASH that had sent him, Kilowa and Mikail scurrying into the relative safety of an outpost gatehouse. "Never mind that thing... we have a job to do..." Drew spat out dirt as he struggled to speak. "We need to find those survivors sir... and the away team too." He hauled himself to his feet and keyed up a system diagnostic on his Pallas' HUD. A few minor blinking orange lights were ignored as his armor registered 92% functionality. He took stock of the other two, helping each one up to his feet, Kilowa last. "Alright," The MCO said. "We can talk about it all we want but the cold hard facts is we were ordered to rescue the former away team. Lets find'em," ordered Joel. Drew keyed up the overlay of the tunnel layout on his HUD and switched to Walkthrough mode. A wireframe, 3D display highlighted the structure and layout of the room they stood in and revealed a trapdoor into the tunnels below, hidden under the very concrete of the floor. He'd have missed it by a mile if not for the overlay giving its location to him. Still holding Mikail's heavy weapon, Drew lined up a shot at the ground a few feet away from where they were standing, switching the cannon to vaporise mode. The blast lit up the room for a second and suddenly the trapdoor was laid bare. "There's our ticket out of here," he said, finally handing Mikail back the massive gun and taking up his scatter rifle. "Major, are you taking point sir?" "You lead lieutenant," the Major said as he took out his taccorder and began tracking their way down the first tunnel. "Aye," Drew replied and dropped his way down into the tunnel, just in time for the recently-sealed hatchway behind them to cave in from an influx of zombies. "Move your arses, mates!" Drew called, all but pulling the other two marines into the tunnel before closing the trapdoor hurriedly. In single file, all three marines ran down the tunnel network towards the blinking hotspot identified by taccorders and HUD Overlays. "Two clicks southwest, I'm reading Starfleet comm signals!" Drew called to Kilowa behind him as his shuttle run kept pace with the thumping of zombies attempting to break into the network behind them. The noise faded from a constant pounding to a dull thump as the team gained distance on the enemy. (Reply Kilowa) "Signals identified, sir. It's the away team! Saryn, Showers and" - Drew let out a rushed gasp of relief - "Skylynx!" (Reply Kilowa) Suddenly, Drew stopped and raised his rifle. A moan had caught his attention in the darkness of the tunnel ahead. A groping arm had materialised from the shadows and lurched toward them. Instinct took over and training guided Drew's arm in raising his rifle to bear. "CONTACT!" He called and let off a spray of fire in close-quarters, dismembering the undead in a visceral gush of atomised blood plasma. The corpse's second death echoed around the cramped tunnel and just as the energy blast died, it lit up the faces of at least six more. "Oh, bloody hell," Drew said breathlessly. (posted by Adam) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.40) He felt resistance from the beast which was what he expected. It will take a lot more than that to stop him from taking the beast's mental shields apart. He rested as ordered before going back in. :A hippie I am not but love is what you need to feel. If love is not what you want then despair is what you will feel.: He pounded the beast with waves of despair and longing for someone to show it love. He threw in some waves of a false entity reaching out to make contact with the beast. He increased the entity's need to be loved and the shame for the beast not giving it. He kept this up for a while. (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - Asst. CMO Ensign Noble - 1643) The Captain had just finished with a new officer and on that officer's PADD Calvin noticed a second name. It would seem that the Boudicca was receiving another new officer. As he straightened his desk a little he heard the chime go off in his room. "Enter." The doors slid open long enough for an Ensign in a blue Starfleet uniform enter the room. Noble Step into the captains ready room. “Captain I’m Tian Noble your new Asst. CMO” Noble said After the Ensign reported in Calvin stood from his chair. "Welcome aboard the USS Boudicca, please take a seat and a piece of candy if you wish." Tian took a seat and a piece of candy. "Ensign Noble why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?" Noble began " I have many goals for my star fleet career my short team goal is to become a CMO then onward up the ranks. Many people think I’m doing this to follow in my father's foot steps, but the truth is i am doing this out of my love for helping people. I have many side goals as well in my medical career as would any doctor." "Excellent, I think those are some great reasons to have joined Starfleet," Calvin listened intently on why Tian decided to join Starfleet. "I can assure you that we have plenty of room for you and that you are needed." “ I can assure you that I will do my best and serve this ship to the best of my abilities” "Perfect, I would normally allow you to head to your new quarters and get settled in, but there is a virus strain down on the planet Color II. Dr. Caspian and Ensign Romanoff is in Sickbay researching into this virus. Make your way there immediately and help them out." “sounds like there no time to settle in duties calls.” With your permission I will report to sick bay now and see what I can do to help the Doctor and Ensign "Before you are dismissed do you have any questions?" “No sir I will report to sickbay and get began helping Dr. Caspian” (posted by Richard T.) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1645) “No sir I will report to sickbay and get began helping Dr. Caspian” "Then you are dismissed Ensign," the Captain responded. Calvin watched as the officer turned and left his ready room. Calvin reached over to his candy bowl and took out a piece of caramel. He twisted the packaging and popped the candy in his mouth. Immediately the soft and sweet candy began to melt. He swirled it around with his tongue and enjoyed it as long as he could. (posted by Calvin Capps) (Color II - Tunnels - ATAC Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1645) "I'd know that voice anywhere," Ryko said out loud as he heard the reverberations of speech somewhere above him. He waved the team and the Colorans on behind him as excitement built into hope and drove him towards the source of the muffled speech. He rounded a bend in the tunnel and immediately the rabble dived into a junction room that looked like it had once served as a sewage processing center. The stink of death and decay still hung in the air. Ryko looked around the hemispherical dome with his phaser raised, sighting down the barrel of the weapon with the barrel-mounted flashlight to illuminate his vision. A blast ricocheted off the roof and vaporised a nearby control console in its ecstatic fury. Ryko locked eyes on the source, a relatively wide open tunnelway that led in the exact direction they had needed to go. ~Dammit,~ Ryko thought, putting two and two together. ~If there's weaponsfire up there, that means there's-~ A collective groan answered the thought before he could voice it. A pile of stinking undead oozed out of the tunnelway above and lurched toward the survivors. "CLOSE UP!" Ryko called. "PROTECT THE CIVILIANS! WE NEED THAT TUNNEL!" Fire rained from the collective weapons of the survivors, Ryko and Showers as they traced and executed target upon target with mechanical precision. The undead seemed to spawn from their own fallen, two taking the place of each one that fell. At length, Ryko was forced to discard his phaser rifle as the battery was hopelessl45)) "I'd know that voice anywhere," Ryko said out loud as he heard the reverberations of speech somewhere above him. He waved the team and the Colorans on behind him as excitement built into hope and drove him towards the source of the muffled speech. He rounded a bend in the tunnel and immediately the rabble dived into a junction room that looked like it had once served as a sewage processing center. The stink of death and decay still hung in the air. Ryko looked around the hemispherical dome with his phaser raised, sighting down the barrel of the weapon with the barrel-mounted flashlight to illuminate his vision. A blast ricocheted off the roof and vaporised a nearby control console in its ecstatic fury. Ryko locked eyes on the source, a relatively wide open tunnelway that led in the exact direction they had needed to go. ~Dammit,~ Ryko thought, putting two and two together. ~If there's weaponsfire up there, that means there's-~ A collective groan answered the thought before he could voice it. A pile of stinking undead oozed out of the tunnelway above and lurched toward the survivors. "CLOSE UP!" Ryko called. "PROTECT THE CIVILIANS! WE NEED THAT TUNNEL!" Fire rained from the collective weapons of the survivors, Ryko and Showers as they traced and executed target upon target with mechanical precision. The undead seemed to spawn from their own fallen, two taking the place of each one that fell. At length, Ryko was forced to discard his phaser rifle as the battery was hopelessly spent. Frustrated with the uselessness of his weapon, Ryko flung the rifle headlong into the horde, where it struck and lodged in the head of an oncoming dead thing, the concussive impact shorting out what little power was left in the weapon and causing it to overload and explode, vaporising the zombie's head and shoulders. "Sky, is that you?" Came the inevitable voice. Ryko's lips widened into a grim smile as he drew his katana and proceeded to hack and slash at anything that came within grabbing distance. Unsure of where the rest of the away team had gone, he trusted that Showers and Saryn had been able to protect themselves, even as the zombie horde grew and the survivors struggled to advance. "Drew!" Ryko called, recognising the face of his old friend and comrade. "Over here!" The Marine at last locked eyes with him and rushed ahead through the finally-thinning tide of undead towards Ryko. "Mikail!" He bellowed. "Close support, let's get these civilians out of here!" The other marine answered with a bellow of fire from his weapon as Drew fought to gain Ryko's position. All pleasantries were lost as the finally-reunited starfleet crew and the Colorans alike bitterly battled the zombies. At last, breath exhausted, uniform saturated with dirt, sweat and zombie.... stuff... Ryko found himself taking stock of a lot of dead bodies. His eyes fell over the one or two Coloran bodies that lay scattered around the junction room. He was aware of Drew coming to his side. "It's good to see you alive, Sky," Drew said. "Long time no see." "You," Ryko huffed, out of breath, "Owe me a hell of an explanation, Marine." Drew simply laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. (Reply Kilowa) "Lieutenant Ryko Skylynx, Major. I believe that means you outrank me." Ryko felt a burgeoning sense of relief begin to take hold. With Kilowa here, he would have chance to process what had just happened. Speaking of which... "Skylynx to Showers, Getman and Saryn, please report in. Are you all alright?" (posted by Adam) (Color II - Tunnel Entrance - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1647) The major took the back of the line as he followed the lieutenant threw the tunnels. As the major followed along with the map system that was shown to him through his Pallas helmet Drew got a hit on some combadges. "Two clicks southwest, I'm reading Starfleet comm signals!" "Can you make out who Lieutenant," the major asked. "Signals identified, sir. It's the away team! Saryn, Showers and" - Drew let out a rushed gasp of relief - "Skylynx!" "Well it is about damn time," Joel said. He was happy to finally get out of the tunnels. They were hot and damp. He also thought about why the marine would pause before he said the name of one of the fleeters, Skylynx. There must be a connection between the two the major thought. Out of the dark something grabbed Drew and Joel watched as the marine took shot after shot toward the zombie that was now attempting to bite the Lieutenant. Behind the first undead Joel could clearly see more behind him when the muzzle flash lit up the background. The major checked his own weapon and then raised it again. He had done so when his away team was first beamed down on the planet surface and he was getting the privilege of doing so again. He linked his Pallace helmet aiming sights with the gun and then began to knock one zombie down at a time. Even after the first wave the walking dead didn't stop coming. More and more found their way to the Marines location. Their guns running low on energy, but Major Kilowa wasn't concerned with it as he had plenty stored away in his belt. He took one of those energy packs out and jammed it into the storage space of the gun. With in a second the major was ready to continue the carnage. As the weapons fire continued Joel noticed a new set of weapons fire. It was coming from the direction where the combadges were tagged. The away team must have seen and heard the fight and decided to jump in. Joel quickly tired of the easy target practice and ended the fight with precision firing. Afterwards the two teams met up to brief each other in their situation. "Lieutenant Ryko Skylynx, Major. I believe that means you outrank me." "It does and I will be happy to take the lead, but where is the rest of your team?" the major needed to know. "Skylynx to Showers, Getman and Saryn, please report in. Are you all alright?" Major Kilowa waited for the response of the other team members and then he continued with his his new set of orders. "It seems you brought company with you, that fine just fine, we will take them with us. Gather your gear and men and huddle around the natives and follow Dewalt and me back up to the surface. There we will see if we can't get a clear beam out. We leave in 5. Understood?" (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst CMO Ensign Tian Noble - 1648) Tian walks towards the turbo lift deck 7 he commanded. The Turbo lift stop Tian walk out and made his way to sick bay. Tian walk into sickbay, he look around taking in his new surroundings. He moved over to the two officers working. He smiled “hello I’m doctor Noble” (reply Romanoff or liz) Tian pick up a PADD and started reading about the anti-virus the medical team had been working on. “What is our status of completion?” Tian asked the Doctor with out looking up from the PADD. “Okay what do you need me to do?” (posted by Richard T) (USS Boudicca - Captain's Ready Room - 1648) Newly promoted Ensign Johnson stoodnervously outside the Ready Room door for a moment. Taking a deep breath he pressed the door chime. "Enter!" A voice commanded from the other side. Stepping inside he scanned the room and saw the Captain sitting with his back to him looking out at the stars. The Captain slowly spun his chair around to look at him. "Ensign Michael Johnson reporting for duty. sir!" The words came out loud and confidant masking the nervousness he felt. (reply:Captain Capps) Handing over the padd he was holding. He began to contemplate his future in Starfleet and inwardly smiled. (reply:Captain Capps) "Aye Sir!" Exclaimed Mike as he exited the Ready Room. Stepping back onto the Bridge. ~Its going to be an interesting first assignment~ (posted by Mike Johnson) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1649) "Ensign Michael Johnson reporting for duty. sir!" The words came out loud and confidant masking the nervousness he felt. The Captain was surprised to say the least. A third new officer reporting to the Boudicca in the same day. It all seemed common place at this point to offer once again the candy that rested on the CO's desk. After a decline for a sweet Calvin went right to work. "Do you have your orders Ensign?" The PADD was handed over the desk and Calvin took it from the hands of the Ensign. The Captain quickly scanned over the orders and nodded is head as he read. "Welcome aboard Ensign Johnson. I would normally give my new officers time to go to their rooms and settle in but not today and not now. We are in a current crisis, and I feel you could be useful on the bridge. Report to the bridge and observe. Help out where ever you can. Dismissed." "Aye Sir!" Exclaimed Mike as he exited the Ready Room. Stepping back onto the Bridge. ~Its going to be an interesting first assignment~ (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.50) After a short break, he engaged the zombie horde instead of the beast. The beast may control their mind but he doesn't control their heart. :The beast has denied you the love you need. He has denied you the comfort of your family. Attack him with this desire and make him pay for what he has taken from you. Make him feel the pain of this deprivation. Make him pay hard.: (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - Asst CEO - Ensign Mactavish - 1655) Mactavish walked down the empty corridor towards the Captains ready room. Mactavish was confident that he has more to do. When he reached the ready room he took a deep breath and buzzed to notify the captain of his presence. (Reply Capps) Mactavish entered the room with a confident walk. "Captain i have been to engineering and have done all i can do there and i was hoping you would have more for me to do?" Mactavish showed signs of a nervous smile but quickly took all sign of emotion off of his face. (Reply Capps) "Oh and Captain, Ensign Jericho seemed to think i would be better off placed else where, He mentioned Mission-Ops. But of course the final decision is up to you if you see my role better off a less active role and more engineering i will be obliged to follow your instructions." (posted by Adam Whaley) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 16.55) As he continued to try and make the horde turn on the beast, a though occurred to him. He thought of a song by an old Teran Popular music artist Lady Gaga called "Bad Romance." What he was trying to accomplish in some way is said through the song. The line "I want your love and I want your revenge. You and me can write a bad romance." In essence that is what he wants from the horde. He wants their love to shine through once again but at the moment he wants their revenge against the beast. He started humming "RA RA OOH LA LA ROMA GA GA Caught in a bad romance." He continued to prod the horde to exact their revenge." (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Ready Room - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1657) "Enter," the Captain said curious as to who was at the door. The doors opened and the new Asst. CEO entered into the room. "Captain i have been to engineering and have done all i can do there and i was hoping you would have more for me to do?" It was definitely strange for an engineer to be asking the CO if there was anything further he could be doing, but after Calvin thought about the current situation it some what made sense. The CEO was down on the planet full of zombies and some large beast so a younger officer was handling engineering and the new Asst. CEO was so new he had only arrived on the Boudicca moments ago. "I see, well you are my new asst. CEO what do you feel is the best thing for you to do next?" the Captain asked. "Oh and Captain, Ensign Jericho seemed to think i would be better off placed else where, He mentioned Mission-Ops. But of course the final decision is up to you if you see my role better off a less active role and more engineering i will be obliged to follow your instructions." "Actually on the Boudicca everyone really takes part in..." With no warning the klaxon sounded. The Captain stood quickly and moved around his desk. "Follow me ensign." (reply Mactavish) The Captain rushed out of his ready room and onto the bridge. Before he he could ask for a report the ops officer was already giving one. "Sir," She reported as quickly as she could, "I'm showing a failure of general life support on Deck One. All environmental controls for this deck have simply stopped functioning." "Go ahead and evacuate all personnel on deck 1 except for the bridge," the Captain ordered to no one particular but he was certain that the correct officer on the bridge would do so. "At present consumption we have 15 minutes before we all start suffering from oxygen deprivation. However, we'll freeze to death long before that happens." She added, "Attempts to reinitialize power or to bypass the primaries and charge the Environmental subsystems directly have failed, sir." She reported. It took Calvin no time in making his decision. He didn't consider himself the an expert in engineering but he has had years of service and knew who he could rely on. He turned to his newly graduating officer, Ensign Mactavish. "Man the engineering console and tell me what is going," the Captain spoke with a strong authoritative voice. (reply Mactavish) "If it can't be fixed from here then you have roughly 10 minutes to get to where you need and to fix it. As our lives depend on it keep us informed at all times." (posted by Calvin Capps) (Color II - Underground Tunnels - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1658) After a complete head count, Starfleet personnel and non Starfleet personnel everyone regained their items and readied themselves for the hour hick back up the tunnels and back to the surface. This time the Major decided to take point. He was eager to assent back to the top and he was going to keep a steady pace. The passage way should be cleared of the undead as the marine team took care of them on their way down the tunnels. There would be points were it would probably be necessary to move around the bodies of the dead laying on the floor. It was a disturbing view, but a necessary evil. When this was all over Joel couldn't believe that he was going to have to report that he left bodies behind. He hoped that the Colorians would make the effort to give all these people their respected burial rights. (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1700) Karrin had been standing at the Operations console for the better part of six hours now, meticulously trying to find any sort of pattern to the seemingly random systems failures that had been plaguing the ship. It had started with little things, power outages that seemed to correct themselves, followed by replicator failures, then transporters and then culminating in the sudden loss of pressure and the deaths of crew men in the cargo bay. She had tried isolating systems, but eventually the isolated systems showed unusual behavioral patterns, spikes or sudden decreases in power levels. It was almost as if something was stretching it's fingers out and testing the limits of its abilities and then pushing the boundaries just a little bit farther along. She tapped away at her console, trying hard to get some idea of what might happen next. What system would fail or where. But she realized without the understanding of what was happening, her ability to predict anything in advance was simply non-existent. Then almost as if her imaginary entity sensed her desire to pin it down, an alarm on the bridge sounded. Her hands furiously fired across the console trying to discern what was happening. "Sir," She reported as quickly as she could, "I'm showing a failure of general life support on Deck One. All environmental controls for this deck have simply stopped functioning." (reply Capps or any other senior command officer on the bridge) He hands continued to pull up as much data as she could. "At present consumption we have 15 minutes before we all start suffering from oxygen deprivation. However, we'll freeze to death long before that happens." She added, "Attempts to reinitialize power or to bypass the primaries and charge the Environmental subsystems directly have failed, sir." She reported. Already the water vapor in the air was beginning to condense into a light fog. Soon it would cling to every surface and there it would begin to freeze. (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Bridge- Asst CEO - Ensign Mactavish - 1701) "Enter," the Captain said curious as to who was at the door. The doors opened and the new Asst. CEO entered into the room. "Captain i have been to engineering and have done all i can do there and i was hoping you would have more for me to do?" It was definitely strange for an engineer to be asking the CO if there was anything further he could be doing, but after Calvin thought about the current situation it some what made sense. The CEO was down on the planet full of zombies and some large beast so a younger officer was handling engineering and the new Asst. CEO was so new he had only arrived on the Boudicca moments ago. "I see, well you are my new asst. CEO what do you feel is the best thing for you to do next?" the Captain asked. "Oh and Captain, Ensign Jericho seemed to think i would be better off placed else where, He mentioned Mission-Ops. But of course the final decision is up to you if you see my role better off a less active role and more engineering i will be obliged to follow your instructions." "Actually on the Boudicca everyone really takes part in..." With no warning the klaxon sounded. The Captain stood quickly and moved around his desk. "Follow me ensign." "Of course sir" Mactavish replied with a nervous and crackled voice. He could only imagine could of happened. He followed the captain as he rushed out of the door and towards the bridge. When they reached the bridge Mactavish stood still and tried to take in all of the conversations. "Sir," She reported to the captain as quickly as she could, "I'm showing a failure of general life support on Deck One. All environmental controls for this deck have simply stopped functioning." "Go ahead and evacuate all personnel on deck 1 except for the bridge," the Captain ordered to no one particular but he was certain that the correct officer on the bridge would do so. "At present consumption we have 15 minutes before we all start suffering from oxygen deprivation. However, we'll freeze to death long before that happens." She added, "Attempts to reinitialize power or to bypass the primaries and charge the Environmental subsystems directly have failed, sir." She reported. It took Calvin no time in making his decision. He didn't consider himself the an expert in engineering but he has had years of service and knew who he could rely on. He turned to his newly graduating officer, Ensign Mactavish. "Man the engineering console and tell me what is going," the Captain spoke with a strong authoritative voice. "Aye sir" Mactavish jumped into action and hastened to the console. He carefully studied the information and it suddenly dawned on him. "Sir, i remember my father telling me how to counter something similar to this, now if i adapt it to our current situation i may be able to fix it." "If it can't be fixed from here then you have roughly 10 minutes to get to where you need and to fix it. As our lives depend on it keep us informed at all times." Mactavish looked back to the console and then back at the captain. "sir i have some good news and some bad news, the good news is i can fix it, i hope, the bad news it will take about 12 minutes so i would recommend evacuating the bridge as soon as possible to minimize casualties" (posted by Adam Whaley) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Computer Core Lower Section, Yeoman Puceanu, 1701) Meggan’s gambit had not paid off. She had attempted to look at the Beast with a sort of mental squint. She had tried to get the Beast (her Jabberwock) to see reason. The yeoman had even tried to negotiate a cessation of hostilities. But the Beast’s powers outstripped Ms. Puceanu’s. And the Beast had a greater sense of her worth to It than of Reason’s worth at all. In the end, the ‘eyes of flame’ with which the Beast had first so hypnotized Meggan held the young woman transfixed — and the Creature’s abilities (in concert with her own) made her transform. Having already adopted scales in lieu of her Trill-like spots some time ago, Meggan was not initially aware that she was taking on other features of her ‘benefactor’. She continued to manipulate the controls in the Computer Core, showing the Beast world after world… hoping it would pick some target that would, by the chosen planet’s nature, reveal some weakness of the Beast’s. As Meggan manipulated these controls however, the Beast manipulated her – telepathically. Her form became increasingly like the Jabberwock’s. Meggan’s stature and build changed, making her uniform ill-fitting. Her arms, hands and fingers particularly stretched – fingertips terminating in claws that now clack-clacked on the console surfaces Meggan touched. She’d even developed patagia, patterned somewhat after the Jabberwock’s wings. When Meggan became aware of these changes she relished them (despite her earlier misgivings that 'It wouldn't look nice.') ::…I will make you my Queen, for it is your right…:: the Beast had said, and it was simply now making good on that promise. ::I trust only you to bring my race to life…:: the Jabberwock had said, and Megg now instinctively sensed that she could act on a thought she had earlier not wanted the Beast to: infecting the bio-neural gel-packs of the Computer Core with the zombie-ficating virus. Her understanding of the virus was abruptly nearly inherent to her existence. The virus had a central, nearly-spherical core with numerous blade-like protuberances radiating outward. ~Heh,~ she thought, ~vorpal blades…~ Though now almost entirely in the Beast’s thrall, Meggan retained at least some conception that she was a Starfleet officer. She continued her ‘work’ on the Computer Core, believing she was still showing the Creature a shopping-list of distractions. While she did so, her need to actually type commands was very gradually supplemented by an ability to sort of ‘speak’ to the few gel-packs she did infect. Then too, the spread of infection through the Core was somewhat curtailed by Meggan’s own mounting hunger. ~What matter is it if I eat one or two of them?~ she thought as she pulled a bio-neural gel-pack from its proper place and tore into it… The Cheshire Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she thought: still it had very long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect. “Yes, I ought to be,” Meggan said aloud, to no one in particular. Though not actually ‘of flame’, her eyes did ‘light up’ as she found she liked the taste and texture of the fibers normally contained within an individual gel pack. “I should have looked first to see whether it was marked ‘poison’ or not,” Meggan said. However, this package was not marked 'poison,' so she continued eating the organic circuitry and drinking down the blue-goo that accompanied it — finding the combination very nice. It had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavor of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast, and she very soon finished it off. Lips and talons still slick with blue, Meggan resumed her shopping for worlds. (posted by Frank) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1703) Mactavish looked back to the console and then back at the captain. "Sir I have some good news and some bad news, the good news is I can fix it, I hope, the bad news it will take about 12 minutes so I would recommend evacuating the bridge as soon as possible to minimize casualties" "Very well," the Captain stated. It seemed like a sensible precaution. "We will all relocate to the battle bridge on deck 11 immediately," Captain Capps ordered to everyone on the bridge. Calvin turned back to Royston, "Can you work from the battle bridge or do you need to stay here on the main bridge?" (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1705) "Go ahead and evacuate all personnel on deck 1 except for the bridge," Capps replied with command efficiency. Karrin immediately complied, transferring the order to every compartment on the deck except for the bridge, who was acutely aware of the issue already in progress. "At present consumption we have 15 minutes before we all start suffering from oxygen deprivation. However, we'll freeze to death long before that happens." Solas added once the orders were transmitted, "Attempts to reinitialize power or to bypass the primaries and charge the Environmental subsystems directly have failed, sir." She reported. The captain looked at the new recruit and immediately issued his orders, "Man the engineering console and tell me what is going on." "Aye, sir." The new engineer replied with a sense of excitement, which Karrin supposed was accurate, she certainly knew that she could feel every pore of her body tingling with the prospect of imminent death. "If it can't be fixed from here then you have roughly 10 minutes to get to where you need and to fix it. As our lives depend on it keep us informed at all times." The CO continued, adding to his prior orders. "Sir," Mactavish replied in turn, "I have some good news and some bad news, the good news is I can fix it, I hope, the bad news it will take about 12 minutes so I would recommend evacuating the bridge as soon as possible to minimize casualties." ~Good plan~ Karrin thought happily, but as it was she was struggling just to keep other adjacent power systems on the ship from following suite. Something had started some sort of cascading power failure and it was all she could do to re-route power to afflicted areas. She was so engrossed in her efforts that she almost missed the captain's reply. Very well," the Captain stated. "We will all relocate to the battle bridge on deck 11 immediately," Captain Capps ordered to everyone on the bridge. Calvin turned back to Royston, "Can you work from the battle bridge or do you need to stay here on the main bridge?" Before MacTavish could reply however, Solas replied, " Sir sorry to interrupt. But the problem is worsening. I'm showing cascading power failures that are spreading throughout the ship. I'm barely managing to redirect power to critical systems. I'm afraid if I relocate, We'll loose the ability to react to the shifts in time. Request permission to remain on the bridge at my post, sir." (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1707) Before MacTavish could reply however, Solas replied, "Sir sorry to interrupt. But the problem is worsening. I'm showing cascading power failures that are spreading throughout the ship. I'm barely managing to redirect power to critical systems. I'm afraid if I relocate, We'll loose the ability to react to the shifts in time. Request permission to remain on the bridge at my post, sir." Tough times made for tough decisions and there was no tougher decision to make when there are lives at stake. The bare bones was that the Captain did not want to lose any more officers and he hated to even ask for volunteers because he knew he had the type of officers who would risk their lives for the safety of the ship and its occupants. "Very well Ensign Solas." Calvin stood from his command chair and addressed everyone on the bridge, "Your orders are to exit the main bridge and report to the battle bridge, but in this instance if anyone chooses not to follow those orders I will choose not to notice." Calvin was certain that his point was being made to all on the bridge. He himself moved over to an auxiliary computer and began to help the ops officer with the overload of tasks to be done. Calvin had graduated from Starfleet Academy with the specialization in Ops and held the position of Chief of Ops on more than one ship. He was certain that his fast fingers and excellent knowledge of the ship's computer program would be of great help. Some officers on the bridge did choose to leave and follow the orders, but most stayed on the bridge to help solve the problem. There was not a single second left to waste. As the Captain pushed countless buttons on the board he spoke, "Ensign Mactavish, now would be a great time to get things back in order!" (posted by Calvin Capps) (Color II- Geothermal Tap- COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1708) Henry fixated on something at the other side of the room rather than answering Deynyk's somewhat rhetorical statement. Through all the gore and general jumble of things, Deynyk had to admit that the Chief Engineer was much more nimble than he might have otherwise thought. Dey turned to take a good look around him, at the various consoles covered in gore, and at the blood splattered marines that stood silent sentry over the blood covered control room. "Lieutenant, over here." Henry summoned and Deynyk turned to look the direction of the Chief Engineer. Jacobs was inspecting something, and although Dey couldn't really make any reasonable sense of what he was seeing, he realized it had to be important. The trill officer made his way across the somewhat treacherously slippery floor until he finally reached Jacobs position. "What in the name of the Gods is that?" Dey asked as he regarded what appeared to be some sort of egg-shaped thing resting on a raised podium. It was broken and if Deynyk didn't know any better he would have sworn it was a massive ostrich egg, although he wouldn't want to see the Ostrich that had laid it. There was some sort of thick slimy ooze slowly coalescing on the floor as it slowly stretched its slimy tendrils downward. A series of tubes reminiscent of those seen on Borg Drones were affixed and implanted into one side of the broken egg shells. The tubes pulsed intermittently with some sort of blue-green energy that somehow seemed hazardous. It was almost as if the egg were partially assimilated, a synthesis of mechanical and biological parts. "Take a look at this." Henry said as he pointed at some of the tubes. "I am, but I have to admit beyond the most obvious I have no idea what I'm seeing here. What is it and what is it doing?" He asked. "This thing looks like it is sapping the raw energy straight from the planet's core. I have a feeling this is why there is no power anywhere else." Henry explained, although honestly it seemed as if the Boudicca's chief engineer were guessing as much as Deynyk was. At least Henry was much more likely to be right since this thing was at least part mechanical. "Well that can't be a good thing." Deynyk replied off-handedly. "Well how do you want to proceed?" Henry asked, deferring to him, despite their similar rank and service. "I'm not sure. We need more information. We need to know what's likely to happen if we unplug it. Will it feedback and do something absolutely horrible, or is it simply all over at that point? What kind of energy are we dealing with? And how much exactly? I'm not certain we should do too much with it until we have a better idea of what it's actually doing. I mean if this thing is somehow connected to the core of the planet, what sort of affects might there be if we destroy it?" (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Science Officer Ensign Nickolas Romanoff - 1709) Romanoff had been in sickbay for quite some time trying to come up with an answer for the virus that plagued the people of Color II. HE and Dr. Caspian had gone back and forth with hypothetical solutions and possible fixes but without testing out them out there was no way to see if anything would work. There was still the idea of getting a live sample from the beast that was on the planet, but how that was to transpire still eluded them. He was leaning down on the desk facing the direction of the doctor when the doors to sickbay swooshed open. There entered another crewman in a blue uniform with intent and a purpose on his mind. He walked right up to the two of them and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm doctor Noble." Nickolas looked back in Elizabeth's direction with a certain grin upon his face. ~Great another doctor~ he thought, arrogantly. ~Maybe now we can find an answer to this nonsense~ he thought again, returning to his senses. "Hello Dr. Noble. Welcome aboard. I would have thought they would be sending a lot more than just one ensign after the reports we have been sending in to Starfleet," Nickolas said in a joking manner, even though the sentence held some truth.Right then and there it dawned on Nickolas that he was no longer the freshest recruit onboard the ship. As understaffed as they were he was glad to see the new face. "What is our status of completion?" the new ensign asked, most likely to catch himself up with what they had been working on. "Well in all seriousness the easy part is over, I have examined and classified the virus as a necro-regenerating tissue. All we need now is a way to reverse the effects of necromancy and hopefully cure those that are 'undead' down on the planet surface." (reply Noble) "Hey, if you have the free hands there is something you can do that would aid in us fighting the virus," Romanoff paused to see the intent, if any, that would appear on the new person's face at the chance to jump right in and participate, "There is a dead corps under quarantine over there on the bio bed. Take as many tissue samples as you need and see if there is anything we have on the ship that will show positive reversal affects of the virus in the tissue. The sooner you can get to that the sooner we can lend aid to all those infected down on the surface. Hopefully none of our people down there are infected. " The gesture was a sincere one as Nickolas hoped that everyone was safe on the planet. (reply Noble) "If you want I can come over and get you started on those cultures, in case there is anything you are unfamiliar with." (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1710) The Beast monitored the presence that continued to attack it though the horde, what the precence did not take into consideration that the minds of the dead work vastly diffrent then the minds of the living. But the beast still found his methods amusing, and problematic. He had given into Meggan's demand slightly he stopped the flow of the undead into the under ground network of tunnels that flowed thoughout this planet. The beast did not know why he cared for the woman but in her he saw something that dared not dream about a future not for him but for more of his race. Again the presence attacked him an annoying song flew at him from his horde, he followed it. Finding the minion that served had the link, and with a mighty chomp of him maw ended the noise. The virus was working well. The flesh of the living was a difficult thing for his kind to digest. The plague a natural adaptation to make living tissue more palatable. It loosened the fibers in the meat and separated it from the bone, has the zombies battered themselves apart against the living they tenderized there own bodies making a feast for the beast. His conquest of this world would be soon complete, and if he was right in placing his faith in Meggan she would be the one to bare his race into the next generation. ~ Soon ~ he thought, everything would come to reality, all his work, all his perfectly set plans. He was to the point now that he could always feel her, has she shopped for a new world for him. Her elation at her new found powers stirred new emotions in him. Things the beast had never known before, he shared those feelings with her. Hoping to fill her with those same emotions he now felt. (posted by Matthew Locke) (USS Boudicca - Bridge -Asst CEO Ensign Mactavish - 1710) Before MacTavish could reply however, Solas replied, "Sir sorry to interrupt. But the problem is worsening. I'm showing cascading power failures that are spreading throughout the ship. I'm barely managing to redirect power to critical systems. I'm afraid if I relocate, We'll loose the ability to react to the shifts in time. Request permission to remain on the bridge at my post, sir." Tough times made for tough decisions and there was no tougher decision to make when there are lives at stake. The bare bones was that the Captain did not want to lose any more officers and he hated to even ask for volunteers because he knew he had the type of officers who would risk their lives for the safety of the ship and its occupants. "Very well Ensign Solas." Calvin stood from his command chair and addressed everyone on the bridge, "Your orders are to exit the main bridge and report to the battle bridge, but in this instance if anyone chooses not to follow those orders I will choose not to notice." Calvin was certain that his point was being made to all on the bridge. He himself moved over to an auxiliary computer and began to help the ops officer with the overload of tasks to be done. Calvin had graduated from Starfleet Academy with the specialization in Ops and held the position of Chief of Ops on more than one ship. He was certain that his fast fingers and excellent knowledge of the ship's computer program would be of great help. Some officers on the bridge did choose to leave and follow the orders, but most stayed on the bridge to help solve the problem. There was not a single second left to waste. As the Captain pushed countless buttons on the board he spoke, "Ensign Mactavish, now would be a great time to get things back in order!" Mactavish looked towards the captain as a glimmer of a smile shone on his face "sounds like a plan sir" (posted by Adam Whaley) (Color II - Geothermal Tap - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1711) It appeared that the Lieutenant Deynyk was just as confused as Jacobs was. There was no sure fire way to determine what the object in front of them was but the gut feeling that Henry had told him that it was the source of their problems. "I don't know if you saw it but there was this indescribable entity up on the surface that we encountered just before beam out. Do you think it hatched from this?" Henry asked, already concluding in his own mine that this was in fact the correct answer to his own question. (reply Rinn) Henry was stil contemplating what Deynyk had just asked him. "Let's see what the tricorder has to say." He pulled the tricorder from off his hip and opened it. As soon as it started the scan it went dead. There was no apparent reason for the tricorder going dead but the pure nature of all the malfunctions that had been going on onboard the Boudicca and the lack of power on the planet proved that this was not an isolated event. Henry reached around his waste for one of the extra rifle power cells that was hoisted on his back. He placed it at the top of the tricorder and plugged it into an interface. It sprang back to life long enough to recognize a duonetic field emanating from the shell. Henry wiped away sweat from his brow and spoke out to the crowd. "This is definitely what we have been looking for. It is emitting a duonetic field which is inhibiting all power functions as it travels outward. This one is strange though. It seems to be using the power of the core to amplify its effects. The further out it travels the stronger it inhibits. This would explain why we have been having those randomly occurring issues on the Boudicca. Thats all the information I got before the power tap ceased. We will have to make a decision solely based on the information just given. Lieutenant, you asked what kind of energy we are dealing with. The force behind the field is itself a quad band redundant energy source. If we can tap into it, we may be able to deactivate the duonetic field. Otherwise we may just have to destroy the direct feed to this egg or whatever it is." (reply Rinn) At this point Henry was worried about what they may actually come up with to restore the power of the planet. Deynyk was correct in his caution. The wrong decision could disrupt the actual stability of the planet's core and produce unforgiving results. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II- Geothermal Tap- COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1713) "I don't know if you saw it but there was this indescribable entity up on the surface that we encountered just before beam out. Do you think it hatched from this?" Henry replied. "Hell if I know, but at this point anything is possible, I mean we have freaking zombies running around on this planet. Why not a wigged monitor that looks like a Judeo-Christian Demon that hatched from an energy sucking egg attached to a planetary geothermal power tap?" Deynyk replied with a shrug. "But realistically, I'm in way over my league here, I've never even heard of anything like this, let alone seen it." "Let's see what the tricorder has to say." Jacobs said as he drew the tricorder he was carrying from his hip. It beeped once, almost a half beep that seemed more sad then functional and promptly died. Deynyk pulled his own tricorder and opened it only to have his device suffer the same fate. "Crud." he swore in a harsh whisper. he was about to ask Henry for an alternate idea, but by the time he looked up to do so, the enterprising engineer had already jury-rigged an alternate power source to the tricorder using one of his spare phaser rifle cells. The device sprang to life, made some noises and then summarily gave up the mechanical ghost a few moments later. "Well?" Deynyk asked his companion. "This is definitely what we have been looking for. It is emitting a duonetic field which is inhibiting all power functions as it travels outward. This one is strange though. It seems to be using the power of the core to amplify its effects. The further out it travels the stronger it inhibits. This would explain why we have been having those randomly occurring issues on the Boudicca. Thats all the information I got before the power tap ceased. We will have to make a decision solely based on the information just given. Lieutenant, you asked what kind of energy we are dealing with. The force behind the field is itself a quad band redundant energy source. If we can tap into it, we may be able to deactivate the duonetic field. Otherwise we may just have to destroy the direct feed to this egg or whatever it is." Deynyk nodded, since he understood the basics of what was needed, even if he didn't understand the specifics of the engineering that Jacobs was spouting. "Okay, tapping in indicates a level of control, attenuation of something else. So do we need to alter the flow, cut the power or attune or align it in some manner to control the field strength?" (reply Henry) "Well with out a tricorder then, making any sort of adjustments with any level of precision is going to be damned near impossible. I think that disconnecting the thing would be our best bet, provided that we can do so in such a way that we don't cause some sort of feedback loop to destroy either the geothermal tap facility or have any direct effect upon the planet. So energy interruption is going to be difficult, since that much power is going to arc to the closest conductor as soon as we sever the connection…" "Unless we can use that somehow to control where the power goes rather than leave it to chance. Would it be possible to hard wire a set of conductive surfaces near enough the tubes going into the egg-thing, so that when we cut the power flow between those connectors and the egg-thing it will become an effective switching platform? maybe we can run the power back into the primary power service systems leading to the city, or perhaps we can ground it out and cause an emergency breaker to blow giving us a controlled very quick shutdown?" Deynyk asked (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Bridge -Asst CEO Ensign Mactavish - 1714) Mactavish's hands were almost a blur on the console. The temperature on the bridge had dropped dramatically and Mactavish was starting to feel the effects of the cold. He took a deep breathe and pressed the last button on the console. he had done it the source of the power source had gone. He shivered as he turned to Captain Capps and Ensign Solas. "Its done" he said with a clear sign of relief in his voice "How about you two need a hand?" (posted by Adam Whaley) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst. CMO Ensign Tian Noble- 1715) "Well in all seriousness the easy part is over, I have examined and classified the virus as a necro-regenerating tissue. All we need now is a way to reverse the effects of necromancy and hopefully cure those that are 'undead' down on the planet surface." Necro-Regenerating tissue? Tian looked a little confused “are you telling me we’re dealing with real zombies” Tian said with complete Shock. “Thank you I will let you know if I need any help with this” Tian moved to the corps in the bio bed. Tian took a few minutes to exam the creature. Then started to take samples. After removing a few samples , Tian look over at the CSO, and made his way back way back to him. “ Here the samples you wanted, but wouldn’t a live sample be better?” (reply Romanoff) “I know it a dangerous move, but if we beam them to sick bay into a field and let the EMH take the sample we need I think its possible to get better info with out any of us becoming infected ourself” Tian knew he was out of line he was the new guy after all. (posted by Richard) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 17.15) He noticed that his emotional attacks were having some effect so he continued the same tactic a different way. He started to use his love for Miss Pucerau as a distraction for the beast as he tried to get the horde to beat on the beast. The Beast's own emotion will be his path to destruction. : It is good that you love Megan. Look inside your heart and find the same love you have taken from the horde. The same love will be the end of you: He rested for a minute then went back in. :Gather horde of Color II. Attack the Beast for he has inflicted this upon you. Attack him with all the force you can deliver . The pain you feel is the pain the Beast deserves to feel until you can be free to love again. (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1715) "Its done" he said with a clear sign of relief in his voice "How about you two need a hand?" said Mactavish. At the auxiliary station Calvin could see that whatever it was Royston did it seemed to have done the job. As the Ensign had said it was done. Calvin watched the data on his console showing deck 1 returning to normal. He needed to be sure however. "Ensign Solas can you confirm?" (reply Solas) "Excellent! Once deck 1 is clear for all personnel, send out the order to return to the main bridge and everyone back to their regular duty stations." The Captain then walked over to the new engineer. "Good work, Ensign Mactavish. That was impressive thinking on your feet." (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Computer Core Lower Section, Yeoman Puceanu, 1717) Mentally in sync with the Beast, Meggan found herself subject somewhat to officer Trei’s attacks – though obliquely, since they weren’t directed at her. The end result was that she found herself singing a song she’d never heard before. “Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh! Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh! Caught in a bad romance…” Almost all her misgivings about being paired with the Jabberwock were gone. She accepted this turn of events with quite the happy heart. The Beast had even relented, as Meggan had asked; the minions below had been halted in their subterranean advance. “I want your ugly. I want your disease. I want your everything, As long as it’s free…” she sang. The yeoman was utterly convinced now that the Beast did genuinely care for her. Megg’s friend-and-captain had suggested otherwise earlier, but now Meggan could feel the feelings her Jabberwock felt – both toward her and regarding the future of the ‘race.’ “I want your love. And I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance…” As she ‘shopped’ for a new world to conquer, she had lost track of who she was shopping for – so mixed were the Creature’s thoughts with her own. As her own virus spread through the computer core (at a much faster rate than she could eat one or two here and there), Yeoman Puceanu found that she increasingly could search the data files by thought rather than by typing on the console and bringing up information on the screen at the Computer Core’s main workstation. “I want your horror. I want your design. ‘Cause you’re a criminal. As long as your mine…” While Meggan’s ‘zombies’ were gel-packs rather than animated life-forms, she could control those infected – to the limits of their ability to ‘think.’ Bio-neural circuitry wasn’t sentient. ~Maybe that can be changed…~ she mused. “You know that I want you. And you know that I need you. I want a bad, your bad romance…” Change predominated her existence, especially now. Physically, she was still becoming more like the Jabberwock. Her skin had become completely scaled and of the deepest black. Her face was more snout-like and her mouth possessed wicked fangs. Her hair had turned into a collection of thick, spiky projections. Meggan’s physiology was more reptilian now than mammalian. Her neck was far longer than that of all but the most exotic of truly humanoid species, and she’d even developed a short tail which was steadily growing longer down one pant leg of her uniform. 'Serpent!' screamed the Pigeon, to Alice in Wonderland. 'I'm not a serpent!' said Alice indignantly. 'Let me alone!' 'Serpent, I say again!' repeated the Pigeon, but in a more subdued tone, and added with a kind of sob, 'I've tried every way, and nothing seems to suit them!' 'I haven't the least idea what you're talking about,' said Alice. 'I've tried the roots of trees, and I've tried banks, and I've tried hedges,' the Pigeon went on, without attending to her; 'but those serpents! There's no pleasing them!' Alice was more and more puzzled, but she thought there was no use in saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished. 'As if it wasn't trouble enough hatching the eggs,' said the Pigeon; 'but I must be on the look-out for serpents night and day! Why, I haven't had a wink of sleep these three weeks!' 'I'm very sorry you've been annoyed,' said Alice, who was beginning to see its meaning. 'And just as I'd taken the highest tree in the wood,' continued the Pigeon, raising its voice to a shriek, 'and just as I was thinking I should be free of them at last, they must needs come wriggling down from the sky! Ugh, Serpent!' 'But I'm not a serpent, I tell you!' said Alice. 'I'm a--I'm a--' 'Well! what are you?' said the Pigeon. 'I can see you're trying to invent something!' 'I--I'm a little girl,' said Alice, rather doubtfully, as she remembered the number of changes she had gone through that day. 'A likely story indeed!' said the Pigeon in a tone of the deepest contempt. 'I've seen a good many little girls in my time, but never one with such a neck as that! No, no! You're a serpent; and there's no use denying it. I suppose you'll be telling me next that you never tasted an egg!' 'I have tasted eggs, certainly,' said Alice, who was a very truthful child; 'but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you know.' 'I don't believe it,' said the Pigeon; 'but if they do, why then they're a kind of serpent, that's all I can say.' This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a minute or two, which gave the Pigeon the opportunity of adding, 'You're looking for eggs, I know that well enough; and what does it matter to me whether you're a little girl or a serpent?' 'It matters a good deal to me,' said Alice hastily; 'but I'm not looking for eggs, as it happens; and if I was, I shouldn't want yours: I don't like them raw.' Gel-packs, as it turned out, were better to eat raw than eggs, Meggan thought as she felt the emotions of the Beast intensify. She was still scanning data on planets, and at this point came across Sigma Iotia II. While she had actually never been there, she considered the planet her homeworld (with the Trill world being a close second). Iotia and Trill had been the most frequently-used settings during her upbringing. As she reviewed the information on Iotia, Meggan was abruptly reminded of who and what she was – or had been, until recently transmogrified. She was a Starfleet officer. While the circumstances of her creation had been contrived with her serving in a different capacity than she did, she had in fact been created to serve Starfleet. Brought back to reality, the yeoman stepped back from the computer core. With fresh eyes, she surveyed the damage she’d done – removing an access panel and pulling out more than a few gel-packs to actually devour. The front of her uniform was stained with the blue goo from those packs. Realizing she could do nothing to fix this, she turned to leave the core – intent on heading to Sickbay. Meggan reasoned that she was more in need of fixing than the core anyway. She had changed enough that moving quadrupedally might have been prudent, but her struggle to reassert her identity made her walk upright – though she had to support herself by moving with one hand in contact with the wall. (posted by Frank) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Ops, Ens. Karrin Solas - 1717) =^=Ensign Solas, can you confirm?=^= The captain's voice sounded from her commbadge. Karrin shivered nearly uncontrollably as much as from the cold that had surrounded her as the fear that she had felt. She was breathing hard and it was hard to get her fingers to move properly. Nevertheless, she managed to reach her commbadge and gave it a slight tap. "The... the ship... has...returned to.. normal...sir..." she struggled with the words between the violent shaking of her body, "deck...one.. restored." (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Councilor Ensign(jg) Elizabeth Caspian, Dr. - 1718) Time passed has Lizzy and Romanoff overcame or circumvented one hurtle after and other one thing was becoming apparent normal healing methods were not going to work on the Zombie blight. Normal medical means acted to kill the virus but the main problem with that was that this virus was already dead. Elizabeth had made her suggestion to Romanoff about trying to gain a sampling of the beast blood to see of there was in fact a strain in his DNA that rendered him immune to the virus. The next major player was bodily decay if they could cure the zombie virus how many could they heal that would just die again because their body is already past the point of saving. Elizabeth was pondering such things when a new face came into her office, apparently a new comer to the ship. He was energetic and willing to work but that did not excuse proper respect for the office of another. Romanoff was first to task the newcomer with running some test on the resident zombie, an task that got Romanoff the evil eye. Noble was eager to please and before Lizzy knew it he was gone. "Romanoff, why do you think I don't have anyone in that shielded alcove, with that living dead. While he is sedated it is not safe. Has long has your in my sickbay you would be wise not to override my orders, in such a manner again. Understood." Lizzy eyed the man before her anger apparent in her eyes. "If you don't know the procedure ask." (reply Romanoff.) Soon Noble came back with the requested samples. “ Here the samples you wanted, but wouldn’t a live sample be better?” "He is alive or as alive that the undead get, he's just heavily sedated. Since he doesn't have any vitals they don't show. so the rule around here is only the EMH breaks the shield and gets close to him from now on. Understood?" (reply Noble) "Good, Now I am not the CMO she is currently on the surface, I am currently slotted as the ships councilor but I have an extensive background in the medical field especially trauma and surgery. Now on these you'll find the results of the test we accomplished for now. These should bring you up to some kind of speed on our current crises." Lizzy spoke firmly letting both males know this was still her show. "Now has you see this virus also works has a bacterial venom being passed from one entity to another though the saliva from the zombies bite. The beast which controls the Zombies doesn't seem to suffer from the affliction that causes the zombies to decay. I feel that there is something worth looking for there, if you would like to follow me so we can update the Captain and get his take on our most current findings." (posted by Matthew Locke) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Asst CEO- Ensign Royston Charles Mactavish- 1719) "Its done" he said with a clear sign of relief in his voice "How about you two, need a hand?" said Mactavish. At the auxiliary station Calvin could see that whatever it was Royston did it seemed to have done the job. As the Ensign had said it was done. Calvin watched the data on his console showing deck 1 returning to normal. He needed to be sure however. "Ensign Solas can you confirm?" "The... the ship... has...returned to.. normal...sir..." she struggled with the words between the violent shaking of her body, "deck...one.. restored." "Excellent! Once deck 1 is clear for all personnel, send out the order to return to the main bridge and everyone back to their regular duty stations." The Captain then walked over to the new engineer. "Good work, Ensign Mactavish. That was impressive thinking on your feet." Mactavish burst a proud smile onto his face and laughed at the compliment the captain had given him. "All in a days work Captain, All in a days work" (posted by Adam Whaley) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Asst CMO Ensign Tian Noble, Dr. - 1720) The councilors eyes moved to Tian the anger from disobeyed orders had already set in. "He is alive or as alive that the undead get, he's just heavily sedated. Since he doesn't have any vitals they don't show. so the rule around here is only the EMH breaks the shield and gets close to him from now on. Understood?" Tian was completely shocked, with a bit of anger mix in. Without letting any of this show on his face , in his voice, or actions. “Understood councilor ” was all he said . The councilor made it clear to the team that she was calling the shots, and stepping out of line wasn’t going to happen. She continued to explain more about the virus and how it work Tian paid made lots of mental. The councilor next request was a shock to Tian “if you would like to follow me so we can update the Captain and get his take on our most current findings." Tian followed with out saying anything. (posted by Richard T) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay- Science Officer Ensign Nickolas Romanoff - 1722) Nickolas had no idea what he had just done but he knew not to ever do it again. After Elizabeth rung his neck about taking over in her sickbay, it was clear that her warm, innocent demeanor would not hold back a very strong and insistent young woman. "I promise you it will never happen again, " (reply liz, iyw) was all he could muster out of his mouth after having absolutely know way of diffusing the situation he just placed himself in. In his mind all he was doing was assigning the ensign to something so that they could finally come up with a solution, however, the doctor did not see it this way. It was lucky for that the ensign returned to cut the tension in the air. "Here the samples you wanted, but wouldn't a live sample be better?" The doctor stepped in and answered the question. She even went a step further and established her position with the cadet in order to instill in him to never do the same thing Nickolas had just done. Just as he saw her flip a switch to establish her dominance he witnessed her do the same and return to her more pleasant demeanor. Romanoff followed her and the ensign to find the Captain and update him with the information that they had already collected. The three of them left sickbay and made their way to the turbolift. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II - Geothermal Tap - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1728) "Okay, tapping in indicates a level of control, attenuation of something else. So do we need to alter the flow, cut the power or attune or align it in some manner to control the field strength." It was roughly twenty minutes before Jacobs had the breakthrough that they all needed. He had not ignored Rinn's question but thinking so long and hard about it forced him to come up with his own conclusion. "Unless we can use that somehow to control where the power goes rather than leave it to chance. Would it be possible to hard wire a set of conductive surfaces near enough the tubes going into the egg-thing, so that when we cut the power flow between those connectors and the egg-thing it will become an effective switching platform? maybe we can run the power back into the primary power service systems leading to the city, or perhaps we can ground it out and cause an emergency breaker to blow giving us a controlled very quick shutdown?" Deynyk asked "I have been thinking. This egg thing. If it was not here everything would be running correctly, agreed?" (reply Rinn) "Well then all we need to do is get rid of the egg. No explosions, no rerouting, nothing extravagant. Concentrated phaser fire to incinerate the shell. I can only imagine that if the egg isn't there that functions would return to normal. Including power being regulated from the core of the planet to all of the planet's facilities." He stopped for a much needed pause. This was one of those few times where over thinking the situation was not needed. The simplest solution was the best in this case and there was no evidence to say that this would cause anything but the desired result. Not to mention that it was already a difficult task just to get to where they were. It felt right that this was the remedy to their problem. (reply Rinn) "I think if the two of us concentrate fire from two separate locations, localizing our focal point, the energy should discharge evenly and vaporize the remnants of the shell" (reply Rinn) Jacobs nodded in agreement and made his way to a different point around the egg. At that moment it had occurred to him that the phasers would be just as useless as the tricorder due to the duonetic field that was in place. He then scanned throughout marines that were hovering around him and searched for all available power cells. They way they were designed allowed for them to be stacked like legos and therefore increase power output relative to the number of power cells attached. He found six in total and threw three over to Deynyk. "Just like before the phasers have to be modified to be used in light of the duonetic field in place. The power cells should provide enough for us to get a continuous burst out long enough to destroy the shell." (reply Rinn) He walked back into place and nodded at Rinn in anticipation for the firing to commence. (posted by Darryl mcDaniel) (Color II- Geothermal Tap- COPs Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn - 1730) "I have been thinking. This egg thing. If it was not here everything would be running correctly, agreed?" "Certainly seems that way to me." Deynyk replied with a nod. ::And to me also:: Rinn added. "Well then all we need to do is get rid of the egg. No explosions, no rerouting, nothing extravagant. Concentrated phaser fire to incinerate the shell. I can only imagine that if the egg isn't there that functions would return to normal. Including power being regulated from the core of the planet to all of the planet's facilities." Deynyk was incredibly impressed. Of course Jacobs wouldn't be CEO if he wasn't outright brilliant. "Okay, how exactly, I mean where?" Dey asked the postulating man. "I think if the two of us concentrate fire from two separate locations, localizing our focal point, the energy should discharge evenly and vaporize the remnants of the shell" Henry explained. "Okay, I'll shoot there." Deynyk replied and pointed at a portion of the shell as he drew his phaser from his belt and cranked up the power setting." Jacobs nodded in agreement and made his way to a different point around the egg, but paused he then went and did a quick search among the marines and brought Deynyk some additional power cells. The cells carried by the marines were designed to be connected in series to increase power Deynyk attached his three together and affixed them to his weapons power slot. "Just like before the phasers have to be modified to be used in light of the duonetic field in place. The power cells should provide enough for us to get a continuous burst out long enough to destroy the shell." "Okay, ready when you are." Deynyk stated as he leveled his phaser at the egg and waited for Henry's gesture to begin firing. Henry, back in position leveled his own phaser and gave the nod. Deynyk depressed the firing stud on his phaser. Two brilliant crimson beams of phased energy converged on the broken shell of the egg as the two men held down the firing triggers of their weapons. The sound of the energy humming between them and the egg increased in pitch, rising in a crescendo of sound that threatened to overwhelm them. Several of the marines clamped their hands over their ears, but Henry and Deynyk had no such luxury as they poured enough energy into the egg to begin to break down it's molecular structure. Then suddenly there was a deep basso of noise as the egg finally reached its tolerance and disintegrated into a cloud of super charged energy and atomized matter that rapidly dissipated into nothingness. The egg was destroyed. Then the failsafe systems in the geothermal tap flipped on and the relays closed and once again the power that flowed from the heart of the planet raced along the EPS conduit and back into the city and facility that it fed. Deynyk lowered his spent phaser and nodded to Henry. Their plan had worked and they now had to head for the surface. (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca, Sickbay, Yeoman Puceanu, 1734) Meggan entered the Medical department and managed to utter “Help…” before the doors could close behind her. (posted by Frank) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 17.40) It seemed his attacks were having increasing effect on the Beast. He continued his line of attack to get a greater control on the horde. :Continue to attack the Beast people. You will never be free until he dies. Fight people fight for you have the power to gain your freedom the means it at your hands.: Just then he felt Miss Pucerau become adversely affected somehow and evidently checked herself in Sickbay . That was not of his concern at the moment. He would check on her when his objective was completed. He would use the COMM to update Capps about the situation but figured it wouldn't go through as before. He tapped his COMM anyway. "Trei to Capps. Miss Pucerau has become affected with something and checked herself into Sickbay. I am making progress with the Beast. It is a matter of time before it will be brought down. Trei out." (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1741) After the horrific event of the systems going offline on the bridge and after the excellent and quick work by Ensigns Solas and Mactavish the bridge was running fairly normal again. All crew had returned from the Battle Bridge and continued their duties. While looking for an update on the virus from sickbay a call from Ensign Trei came through. "Trei to Capps. Miss Puceanu has become affected with something and checked herself into Sickbay. I am making progress with the Beast. It is a matter of time before it will be brought down. Trei out." Ensign Trei kept it short and sweet. There was something wrong with Yeoman Puceanu and the Captain bet that it had something to do with the beast again. (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Sickbay, Yeoman Puceanu, 1744) As Meggan lay in a Sickbay biobed, she could still feel at least some of the psychic war being fought. Though she had been attended to my medical personnel, she was not quite herself yet – mentally or physically. Her uniform too had not been repaired or replaced yet. The transformation to a reptilian Beast had been only partial, but it had ripped her garments here and there. The front of her tunic was stained with gelpack goo. ~you will never be free until he dies~, the yeoman thought she heard. Looking around, though, she saw no one close enough by to have said this to her. The Captain entered shortly thereafter. He very purposefully examined her vital signs before asking, "Meggan, are you ok?" “I’m not exactly airtight, if that’s what you mean,” she began her answer, using Iotian slang and her gun-moll ‘accent.’ “I mean, things have been pretty much applesauce for a couple hours. Well, not exactly apples…” She looked down at the bloo-goo-stains on her rumpled Starfleet attire. “I mean, I was chowing down on gelpacks just before I came here.” (reply Capps, medical staff if any) The news of hearing one of his officer's eating gel packs was a surprise and horrified Calvin. "Meggan, listen to me. Was it the beast that made you do this?" “Yeah, the Jabberwock has me all balled up. Half of me wants to be Its bearcat. The other half wants to beat it … or maybe just blip off.” After the briefest of pauses, to consider, the Captain said, "Meggan you are coming with me." “You really think that’s the best of ideas…?” Meggan asked, suddenly without her affectation of Iotian speech. Before the Captain answered the question, he tapped his combadge. "Captain Capps to Main Shuttle Bay, prep two type-9 shuttles. Yeoman Puceanu and myself will be in one, have flight team 1 ready for the other." =/\=Aye sir.=/\= The Captain tapped his badge again, "Capps to Lieutenant Fronke, prepare the Trojan, we will leave in 5." =/\=Oorah=/\= "Meggan, we are going to go down to the planet and see firsthand what this beast has done and is doing," Calvin said as he turned to head to main shuttlebay. Reluctantly, Meggan got off the biobed, saying, “Yessir…” She left Sickbay with the Captain. (posted by Frank) (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1745) Calvin rushed down to Sickbay and it took him no time to find the area where they had the Yeoman. He briskly walked up to them and made his way to see Meggan. She was laying on a biobed, awake, and her vital scans were showing behind her on the wall. "Meggan, are you ok?" (reply Meggan, medical staff) The news of hearing one of his officer's eating gel packs was a surprise and horrified Calvin. "Meggan, listen to me was it the beast that made you do this?" (reply Meggan) Calvin thought about Meggan's answer. It seemed she was still defending him a little bit. The beast must have some small degree over her judgement. He could only see one way of showing Meggan for sure that the beast was evil and was only trying to use her for that reason. "Meggan you are coming with me." (reply Meggan) Before the Captain answered the obvious question from Meggan he tapped his combadge. "Captain Capps to Main Shuttle Bay, prep two type-9 shuttles. Yeoman Puceanu and myself will be in one, have flight team 1 ready for the other." =/\=Aye sir.=/\= The Captain tapped his badge again, "Capps to Lieutenant Fronke, prepare the Trojan, we will leave in 5." =/\=Oorah=/\= "Meggan, we are going to go down to the planet and see first hand what this beast has done and is doing," Calvin said as he turned to head to main shuttlebay. (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Marine barracks - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1746) Gary was laying in his bunk when the call came in. =^=Capps to Lieutenant Fronke, prepare the Trojan, we will leave in 5=^= "Oorah," he replied, tapping his commbadge. Fronke jumped up from his bunk and before landing his feet on the ground jumped into his uniform and boots. As soon as he was dressed he left the immediate dunk room and followed suit with the other marines that had received orders to move out in a five minute interval. There were four men in the turbo lift together, Fronke, along with three of his squad mates. The first stop they made was to the armory to equip all necessary weapons, they then continued on to the shuttle bay. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II - Entrance to Tunnel - MCO Major Joel Kilowa - 1755) The Major's guess that the trek would take about an hour was right on target. The group had made it to the entrance/exit hatch. The last time Joel and his men had visited this particular area they had lost one man and was attacked by a large horde of zombies and the beast itself. So he wanted to take precautions. "Lt. Dewalt, front and center," the major ordered. (reply Dewalt) "We are going to clear this door and ensure that leaving this tunnel is safe for us and this crowd. I will breach the door and I want you and your friend Skylynx..." Joel was slow to say the name as he wasn't certain if that was the correct pronunciation. "to clear the area. I will be close behind. Understood?" (reply Dewalt, Skylynx) "Alright, be careful and get ready." The major stepped up to the door and released the hatch lock that had kept the door from being open from the outside. He quickly pulled the door. The light from the sun blinded the major's eyes and probably the same for the people behind him. He had only been in the tunnels for a short while, but the large crowd of natives had been in the tunnels much longer. He was curious as to their thoughts about seeing the sun once again. "Go, go go!" the MCO kicked back into action. (posted by Calvin Capps) (Color II - Entrance to Tunnel - Lt Ryko Skylynx / 1st Lt Drew Dewalt- 1755) "Lt. Dewalt, front and center," Kilowa's voice interrupted Drew's train of thought. Engrossed in conversation with Ryko about what had transpired since their seperation almost a decade ago. Still, marine instinct kicked in and the 1st Lt ran in short order to the Major's side, allowing Ryko to continue the escort amidst the survivors. "You rang, Major?" He quipped, snapping a salute and checking his weapon in what looked like one movement. "We are going to clear this door and ensure that leaving this tunnel is safe for us and this crowd. I will breach the door and I want you and your friend Skylynx..." Joel was slow to say the name as he wasn't certain if that was the correct pronunciation. "to clear the area. I will be close behind. Understood?" Ryko had by this point caught up and overheard the Major's plan. He too checked his non-marine-issue standard phaser rifle and nodded his response in time with Drew. "Aye sir," they both answered. "Alright, be careful and get ready." (posted by Adam) (USS Boudicca - Shuttle Bay - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1803) The doors to the shuttle bay opened to the other two teams preparing for launch. As Fronke entered he noticed the Captain standing near the Trojan. He walked over to him and noticed that there was a young woman standing next to him. He seemed very preoccupied so Fronke volunteered to take the helm while they traveled down to the planet. All three shuttles were prepped for departure and Fronke took point taking the Trojan out of the shuttle bay first. The other two shuttles followed in a winged formation and all three ships began their decent into the Color II atmosphere. "Two minutes before LZ arrival. Everyone load up. " The two other shuttles acknowledged the orders and all three ships had weapons ready to fire. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Lt Ryko Skylynx / 1st Lt Drew Dewalt - 1806) Drew led the way out into the street with Mikail at his left flank and Sky to his right. Behind them, Kilowa immediately then the survivors and other Starfleet crew. Drew and Sky took their time, each step measured, but Drew's HUD registered the blips of some members of the gathering drifting off a few feet to their left and right; cabin fever had ensured they wanted to wander and enjoy some sense of freedom and space. "Stay tight, people! This isn't over yet!" Ryko called out to the survivors and the Federation personnel. "Mikail," Drew said to the other marine. "Try to raise the ship. We need evac asap." "Aye," Mikail responded and immediately called up the intership comm protocol on his hud. =/\= Boudicca, this is Whiskey Papa Two Two, please respond. =/\= (Reply any on bridge, iyw) Drew only hung around for a second as the junior marine tried to raise the Boudicca. He wandered around the group and Ryko followed suit, the two falling into step but this time the words between them were sparse. "Everything looks quiet up here," said someone. Ryko found himself scoffing and wondering ~Yeah, but not for long.~ And he was right. (posted by Adam) (Color II - City Capital - Tela - 1810) None of the inhabitants of Color II had kept count of how many hours they had sought refugee underground so they were all unsure of themselves as they exited the tunnel and were greeted by sunlight. Being able to safely return to the surface should have been and joyous event but in the case of the refugees the sight of destroyed and damaged buildings that they once called their homes was less than pleasing. Tela let go of her brothers hand and ran ahead to the center of the city where the others were gathering. The day was getting late and the sun was beginning its decent into the horizon but the remnants of the city buildings gave a clear line of sight to the happenings in the distance. She was a very small girl and as she approached the group in the center of the clearing she was forced to look up at those who had congregated. They were all weeping at the horrific sights that befell their city. Tela looked back at her brother assisting the remaining people that exited the tunnel until the task was finished. She watched as her brother returned to her side and also as the Starfleet personnel attempted to make contact with their ship and start on evacuation plans. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color II - City Capital - Security Officer Lieutenant Rayne Showers - 1814) At this point in the evacuation process Rayne had ended up bringing up the rear ensuring that everyone made it out of the tunnel. He shut the door to the open tunnel and continued over to the other Starfleet members. "Looks quiet enough out here," he said. The comment was laced with enough sarcasm to prompt anyone in hearing distance to respond. (reply any) He nodded in agreement to the response and tossed his rifle over his shoulder, allowing the attached strap to catch his shoulder and stop the rifle from flying away. Next he turned his attention to the setting sun off in the distance. There was still enough sunlight visible to illuminate everything in the immediate area around him. The scenery up above resembled a painted canvas of waring colors fighting over ownership of the sky. Powerful and steady blues marched towards the horizon as violent reds and oranges pushed back it multiple sneak attacks. The sight was immensely beautiful but there was a painful return to reality as his eyes rested on the carnage that still stood before him. He was sure he had the same thoughts as the others of quickly leaving the planet and returning to the ship. He also knew that this was not going to hapen expeditiously seeing as the ship would have to prepare for the survivors and quarantines would have to be in place before anyone else beamed back up. It would make no sense to rush off the planet only to bring infected with them and have a similar outbreak aboard the Boudicca. In the mean time he was going to assist in any way that he could. He noticed that Ensign Getman was over at one of the transporter enhancers. "Can I help you out with anything?" (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1816) The beast watched the survivors exit from the underground cave system. The beast came up to the group surrounding the refugees with his horde. The zombies kept there distance and mostly milled about mindlessly. The beast watched as a group of federation marines separated from the main group and began to talk amongst themselves. The beast made his way to the assembled officers, walking slowly across the rubble of what was once a grand city. ::Thank a member of your crew its by her will that I grant you safe passage to your ship.:: the beast sent his message to the gathered officers, before moving to the edge of the clearing. ~Help~ the thought from Megg flashed in the beast mind. ~What is wrong my pet.~ The beast asked her, but found her mind a now hostile place has she forced to reinsert herself has a federation officer. Then the beast felt the a mind that had eluded him a strong mind, strong enough to be a threat. The beast never knowing feelings loss, love or betrayal now felt a seething anger like none her ever felt before. ::Betrayer,:: the beast craned his neck to look at the survivors. :: I promised you power, purpose, and I dared myself to love, to go against my instinct and spare your friends, and this is how you show me your love.:: The beast filled with a rage like none he ever felt before. ::My horde:: he called, ::ATTACK, KILL THEM ALL.:: From just beyond the ridge the zombie horde attacked the survivors from all angles the open area of the surface allowed the undead to bring the full mass of its numbers down on the small clearing. From the front, back, left, and right they came. The beast leaped from his pile of rubble and came crashing before a federation marine. The beast unleased a minght roar only a few inches from the mans face. Showing him the darkness of his fate before his maw snapped shut around him swallowing him into the darkness. The beast attacked with maw, claw, tail and wing. So sudden was the beast attack that because of the civilians and children among the group everything disintegrated into chaos. As the beast physically attacked the survivors and federation marines, he mentally attack his tormentors on the ship. He focused his rage into lance of utter darkness and launched it at the ship, the computer that protected the man shielded him from the first blow but how many could it stand before the system failed and the man that hid behind would become vulnerable. He forged another lance and let it loose for such was his rage and anger. The beast showed Megg ever horror filled face that was claimed by his force. ::These dead lie at your feet, return to me come to me and the death will end, my conditions this time are not negotiable.:: The beast swung his tail around and crushed one of the civilians that were lucky enough to be armed, the beast that normally liked to watch has his horde tore into the survivors but this time was different the beast wanted to kill, ravage and end the life of every person that still lived, the beast so enraged he gave himself to the screams that seemed to echo the pain the beast felt in his soul, gave himself to his most basic instinct. He tore into the survivors, phasers cutting deeply into his armored skin, the beast cared not, has long as he killed, and soaked the ground with blood. (posted by Matthew Locke) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – Lt Ryko Skylynx - 1816) ::Thank a member of your crew its by her will that I grant you safe passage to your ship.:: "ARGH!" Ryko's voice was a bark of anger, alarm and terror. The Betazoid hybrid collapsed to his knees, nausea overcoming him. His hands maintained a shaking grip on his weapon, but beyond that he had to spit onto the ground in an attempt to clear the awful taste from his mouth. Flashes raged through his mind, a sickeningly-familiar feeling smothering his conscious mind. "RYKO!" Drew yelled, running immediately to his friend's side. "What's going on? What's happening?" "That... that..." Ryko shok his head, forcing his mind clear. "That... THING I sensed when we first arrived, with the Captain and the others... it's here..." Ryko said. "It's here, it's watching, and it's-" ::My horde... ATTACK, KILL THEM ALL!:: "Pissed!" Ryko spat out, an empathic echo of rage slamming into his foremind. Drawing strength from the strange feeling, he renewed his grip on his weapon and surged to his feet. His eyes stabbed into the middle distance, through the dust and desolation of Color II's ruin. Sure enough, the open area was quickly ringed by hordes of the undead, and chief amongst them was a demon of legend, a monstrous giant that defied description. "CONTACT! PROTECT THE CIVILIANS!" The phrase was embedded into Drew's skull. The 1st Lt looked over towards Mikail as the firefight broke out, and the order to hurry up died in his mouth as the Marine's torso was cleaved from his legs in one snap of the evil beast's mighty jaws. "Holy SH-" Drew flung himself down as the beast's tail swung around a lethal course, carving swarthes through the survivors and felling several of their already depleted number in his wake. "DREW!" Ryko's voice was filled with venom so pure it almost mirrored the Beast's molten rage. The Betazoid took aim and fired several shots with a Sniper's grace, catching the beast beneath what on any humanoid would have been the pectoral muscle. The shots - at maximum setting - barely managed to penetrate, but Drew could grasp his friend's logic... ~The key to bringing down an opponent greater than you, is repetition. Exploit one weakness. Over, and over again. Patience bests Brawn.~ The remembered lesson from what seemed like decades ago took hold and Drew clawed himself to his feet, narrowly dodging a strike from the enraged beast's flailing talons. His scatter rifle joined Ryko's measured phaser blasts and slowly, the chink in the chitinous bio-armor of the beast began to grow and widen. "There's something happening," Ryko said over the din of the beast's roars. "I can.... feel something..." "No disrespect mate, but this is hardly the time for a love-in!" Drew quipped, trying his best to negotiate beast and zombie, keeping as many of the survivors under his proverbial wing. "No!" Ryko called out. "There's something... touching it emotionally.. maybe... telepathically!" Ryko responded. "Whatever's going on, we have to give it all the distraction we can!" (Reply Kilowa, any iyw) "Concentrate all your fire on its chest wound! We need to -" Ryko ducked as the beast sent a clubbing meaty arm towards him in a wild swing. He rolled away from the falling masonry thrown up as the blow flew wide and slammed into an already decimated wall. "We need to bring it down, or at least distract it. Whatever's happening, the end is coming!" (posted by Adam) (USS Boudicca, Deck 12, Shuttle, Yeoman Puceanu, 1817) ~What is wrong my pet.~ Meggan heard in her mind. It was the Beast, but its ‘tone’ toward her changed from solicitous to treacherous quickly once It felt betrayed. ::I promised you power, purpose, and I dared myself to love, to go against my instinct and spare your friends, and this is how you show me your love.:: After directing the horde to resume its attack, Megg ‘heard’ ::These dead lie at your feet, return to me come to me and the death will end, my conditions this time are not negotiable.:: Yeoman Puceanu drew strength from her friend, Calvin, and found that it helped her resist the Creature – though it was still an emotional struggle. At one point, she murmured somewhat absently, “We can breathe fire?” (posted by Frank) (Color II - City Capital - Asst. CEO Ensign Stephen Getman - 1818) Stephen was simply manipulating 2 small magnetic coils in the transporter enhancers hoping that it would allow the Boudicca to beam the away team and the Color II inhabitants aboard. As he worked with the limited supplies that he had the security officer stepped up to him. "Can I help you out with anything?" Showers asked. "Actually, I don't have a lot of supplies to help me, can you..." was the last he could say before Stephen heard a very loud roar. The security officer quickly scampered away readying his weapon. Ensign Getman continued to work on the enhancers hoping to finish before the beast got there. But when Stephen saw the hordes of the undead he knew that he had ran out of time. He reached for his phaser hoping that he could defend them off of himself and the people around him. It seemed so much more than just bad luck that they all got this far and that it might be all over. He quickly joined in the battle, but it didn't take long for the beast and his minions to kill. Bodies were laying on the ground as everyone attempted to defend themselves. When Getman lost hope, was when it happened. Two shuttlecraft flew over the area and another really strange looking shuttle flew over as well. All were using their offensive weapons to help clear out the zombies and hopefully take down the beast. (posted by Calvin Capps) (Marine Shuttle Trojan - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1819) It was clear from the front view port that things were getting out of control. There were hundreds of zombies surrounding the survivors on the planet. Sensors indicated that they were in the same position as the transporter enhancers from the original beam site. The person at the tactical console began opening fire on the advancing zombies. After the first pass there were a couple dozen zombies that dropped to the floor from the intense shuttle fire. When he tried to bring the shuttle about is when he saw it. The beast that had been the center of buzzing conversation flexed its wings as it took calculated slashes at the scurrying people in his range. His attacks were so precise that each victim stood no chance and met there doom within seconds of contact. More fire came from the three shuttles down to the attacking drones below them. Enough space was cleared for the three shuttles to land. As soon as the shuttles touched down the doors opened and the marines pored out and began laying cover fire. All able bodies exited the shuttles and the evacuation of the survivors began. Fronke stayed in the pilot seat and watched as the beast approached while the people loaded up in the shuttles. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.20) He could feel the Beast's rage surge in his mind. He could feel the pain from the Beast as well. He felt a change in the mind of the horde. He felt their attack build and go into action. This troubled him that the activity was escalating. If it was a war the Beast wanted, a war he will have but his own people will bear the consequence of his actions . :Your anger may help you now but it will kill you very soon. Your actions have just condemned you to a death most painful. You have forced your people to commit murder they are at no will to do so the guilt is solely on you.: He turned to the horde. :It is time to kill the Beast people. Search and destroy. Attack for the acts against your will. Attack to restore the honor of your people. Attack and send him to Hell!!.: And the end game begins. (posted by Edward) (Color II - City Capital – aCMO Lt Jg Mia Saryn - 1820) Mia stood in the centre of the crowd of people and ducked as the Beast flew at them. Hearing the gunfire, she whirled round and spotted a young girl and boy nearby. Unhooking the baby from her arms, she walked over to them and said, “Hey, guys. Could you watch this baby for me?” (Reply Tela or Cain) “Thanks.” Turning back, she grabbed a phaser off one of the fallen security officers and shouted to all around her, “GET DOWN.” The beast flew in for another pass and she fired the gun directly at it's underbelly. A loud groan emitted from it as it turned. Seeing it coming back, Mia ducked and then screamed as she felt it's talons rip into her back. Falling to the floor, she winced as she tried to pick herself up and then fell back down. Darkness threatened to take her as she looked up at the sky and thought ~Lizzy, i'm sorry. I love you.~ and then everything fell black. (posted by Jackie Smith) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Tela and Cain - 1822) Events had changed for the worse as the Beast began an onslaught of attacks with the zombies serving his every wish. Tela and Cain managed to stay at the center of all the action as the zombies pressed their attack forcing everyone to consolidate closer together. It was not a thought that had run through their heads before but the both of them had a feeling that there wasn't any time left for anything else to happen. Tela looked up as the blonde female from Starfleet as she approached with an infant that seemed vaguely familiar. "Hey , guys . Could you watch this baby for me?" she said as she handed the infant to Tela. Cain looked at her as she spoke and acknowledged the responsibility with pride. Tela gladly accepted the baby and for the first time voluntarily released her grip on the doll she had been carrying for the longest. Cain noticed the doll fall to the ground and smiled at the sight. For the first time since they were forced underground Tela began giggling. She saw the spots on the lady that handed her the baby and because she had never seen anyone with spots Tela thought the vision was amusing. The infant shared in the good times because she began to chuckle as well. Tela sat on the ground while she cradled the baby with all of her attention and being. She began to whisper deeply into the baby's ears as the noises around them increased. Cain quivered as he saw the beast press his attack and fly overhead. He ducked as if it was close enough to strike him and at that moment saw as an orange stream of energy cut the beast in its passing. At this point his heart was beating rapidly and he feared that with another pass the beast would get him. Fortunately he was in the clear from the beast's attack; unfortunately when the beast returned for another strike Cain watched him rip into the back of the blonde officer. She fell to the ground and although he thought it not possible his heart doubled in its beating as he did not know what to do at this point. It was not normal to see such courage in a young child's heart but at this moment he knew what he had to do. He dropped down to the ground and crawled over to the injured woman. Acting without knowing how he would so it he grabbed her by the shoulders and began straining to pull her to safety. The nearest shuttle was a few yards away and with her superior weight over that of his it would take additional time. Everyone around him seemed preoccupied with fighting off the beast so he could think of no other way of getting anyone's attention but by screaming aloud. "I need help." The squealing seemed to go unheard until he looked behind him and noticed the pilot of the shuttle getting out his chair and exiting the shuttle and coming to assist him. The man hoisted Mia over his shoulder and he shouted to Cain to go get his sister and bring her to the shuttle. Once Cain began moving towards his sister the man double timed it back to the shuttle and gently placed Mia down in a chair. Cain was just behind him in entering the shuttle and he sat down with his sister and the baby just next to Mia (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – The Beast - 1823) The beast watched has the shuttles cut heavy lines into his horde, has a good many of his zombies every vaporized. The marines had organized and were coordinating their fire, they had cracked one of his chest scales, but his scaled hide was far superior to taking damage than the marines thought. The beast moved and shifted his body and with a might trash of his tail he brought the side of his form to bare against the marines. He knew the forcing the marines to attack another part of his area would force them to change there position of aim and allow him absorb more of the phaser fire from the marines. The shuttles were coming around for another pass this time the beast was more than ready has he faced the screaming shuttles head on. The beast took a deep breath filling forcing the sack that lined his spine to fill. He opened his mouth, unhinging his jaw like some hellish serpent exposing two glands, one on either side of his monstrous mouth. He waited has the shuttles closed... ~Closer, Closer, Now~ He forced the gases from his spinal sacks into the glands located with in his mouth, while racking his ruff tongue against the hardened plate atop his jaw. The gases ignited has the beast forced the the flaming mixture out. The flame race from his maw and engulfed the first shuttle. The shuttles veered and altered there course at this new threat. The shuttles screamed has they altered their course. The beast picked up a piece of broken wall and sent it flying after the second shuttle. The beast turned his new deadly weapon on the gathered survivors, releasing another bout of deadly flame. The flame engulfed several of the survivors and marines and erased their life from the universe. (posted by Matthew Locke) (Shuttle Telar - Cockpit - CO Captain Calvin Capps - 1824) The shuttle had already taken its first pass next to the beast. From the windows the two occupants could see the horror down on the ground. As Calvin turned the shuttle to make another pass the flight team in Shuttle Mindu decided to take the lead. To the Captain's surprise the beast showed Shuttle Mindu a weapon that they had not seen before. A great big ball of flames spat out of the beast's mouth. Calvin watched the shuttle change directions quickly unfortunately it was headed for the ground. As the last second the pilot was able to gain control of the shuttle and fly safely away from destruction and back into the fight. As Calvin ran his fingers over the controls to help out the crew and inhabitants on the ground he turned to Meggan. "Can you see now what you would be helping if you allow the beasts to take control over you." (reply Meggan) "We need your help. I need you to distract the beasts with your thoughts right now, so I and the other crew can defeat the beasts so we can bring order, sanity and happiness back to Color II. Can you do that?" (reply Meggan) "I am happy to hear that," Calvin said. He watched as his friend shut her eyes. He tapped a single button to open a channel to Ensign Trei. "Ensign now is the time to give the beast all you have!" (reply Trei) Calvin took another visual scan and could see that the Trojan was now landed and looked like Fronke was helping out some of the folks on the ground. Over the open communications he could hear a call from the marine. =/\="Lets go, Lets go lets go."=/\= The Captain knew that all was needed was one final push. He could see now that the beasts was beginning to bleed out from underneath its underbelly. The hard scales were breaking down. Calvin tapped another button on his console. "To all, this is Captain Capps, if you are able lets push one final time toward the beast. Everyone aim for the torn area of the beasts underbelly." (reply any) Captain Capps took the controls of the ship again and whipped the shuttle around and placed it behind and above the Shuttle Mindu. As the two ships moved forward toward the beast they each aimed for the injured area of the beast and fired. They flew by before they could see if any damage was done. But looking down they could see that every single person on the ground with weapons had also fired at the same time. Turning their shuttles around Calvin saw something very hopeful. The beast looked like it was drunk, it was now stumbling around and swinging its tail and arms very sporadic. It was clear to the Captain that it would be only seconds before the last phaser shot that would take the beast down. "I know it was hard but your help has saved thousands, millions, possibly many worlds. Meggan you are so strong..." Calvin's heart opened up for the first time in a long time. He held back a tear. He leaned over to Meggan and hugged her. (posted by Calvin Capps) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.25) He felt the Beast take some damage but it didn't weaken him. He suspected that the Beast turned to deflect the blasts with his armor to place his armor in a better position to block the energy blasts. This gave him an idea how to attack the Beast. He directed his objective to the horde. His objective was to direct the horde to attack the weakness in the Beast's armor long enough to finish him off. He will use the honor card to motivate them. He has great experience with honor and what that means. This will serve his purpose well as warrior to warrior. He engaged. :The Beast has no honor. He has dishonored you with his forced actions upon you. Attack the Beast until he is dead to restore your honor. It is a good day to die for the honor of Color II. I will be with you to celebrate your honor and call the heavens to warn of the warriors entering the afterlife . For Color II he dies!!!: (posted by Edward) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.26) He heard over the COMM from Capps to give the Beast all he had. He has started the offensive just before Capps sent the message so it was an easy response. "Understood sir. I have motivated the horde to fight for honor. From what I feel, they are responding to the motivation. They want the Beast dead as well as I do. They will be honored with the Klingon Death Cry upon their dying effort. The Beast is seconds from being sent to hell sir. Trei out ." (posted by Edward) (Color II - Planetary Capital - Lieutenant Gary Fronke - 1828) Too much time was passing while Fronke sat at the helm of the Trojan not knowing where to help out. It took the scream of a child for him to figure out what to do. Gary jumped out of his chair and made haste over to the child struggling to assist the doctor. "Don't worry about her, I can carry her. Can you go help that little girl to the shuttle?" Gary asked of the little boy as he hoisted Mia over his shoulders. There was still plenty of phaser fire in the direction of the beast and for the most part there weren't any zombies in sight. Provided the beast couldn't physically hinder the shuttles from escaping now was the time to evacuate everyone they could and get back to the Boudicca. He carried Mia back to the Trojan and sat her down in a chair and then grabbed his rifle and headed back out to the fire fight. As soon as his head cleared the shuttle he yelled out, "Lets go, Lets go lets go." (reply Capps, Skylynx, Dewalt, Kilowa) Fronke took aim at the beast and fired carefully at one of his shoulder blades. While it seemed like the firing was not effecting it, it was clear that it was taking damage as blood leaked from the growing wounds on its body. He ceased his own fire and retreated back to the Trojan. He made his way back to the helm and prepped the shuttle to leave the planet. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) (Shuttle Telar - Cockpit – YEO Meggan Puceanu - 1828) With one shuttle retreating, at least temporarily, that left Cap2 and Meggan in the direct line of fire. Literal fire! It was exciting – so much so that the young yeoman needed to actively try to drive the thrill from her mind, an effort reinforced by the Captain asking, "Can you see now what you would be helping if you allow the Beast to take control over you?" “Pos-i-lute-ly, sir!” said Megg in an odd mix of Iotian vernacular and Starfleet formality. "We need your help. I need you to distract the Beast with your thoughts right now, so I and the other crew can defeat the Beast so we can bring order, sanity and happiness back to Color II. Can you do that?" “I have to, don’t I?” she asked. Her tone, though, indicated it wasn’t a question. It was a resolution. "I am happy to hear that," Calvin said. Megg shut her eyes, to concentrate. She needed a weapon, to focus on. Fortunately, the Jabberwock had Itself provided one: a vorpal blade, straight out of Wonderland. Or had she? It was difficult to separate her own mentality from that of the Beast. ~The opposite of love… Is it hate? Or to feel nothing?~ Meggan thought. Was the betrayal she felt the Beast’s or her own? Had she, in fact, given any word to go back on? Had her would-be mate ever actually loved her, or delivered on a promise? Or was It simply a spiteful thing, more willing to take than to give? Meggan envisioned herself on the ground, as herself – not some twisted Creature. She stood wielding a vorpal blade. ~What is vorpal, anyway? The material from which the blade is made? Might as well be, here at least. Vorpalium, an element. Discovered way back in Earth’s distant past, and written about in a so-called fantasy because it is so very dangerous.~ Using the energies the Jabberwock had so gratuitously provided, Megg Puceanu managed to thoroughly convince herself that vorpalium was real. Further, this material was poisonous to the Beast’s species. Not yet fully restored in the flesh, Meggan was even ‘hurt’ somewhat by simply wielding her sword. Though in her own Wonderland, Megg heard her friend-and-captain order, “Everyone aim for the torn area of the beast's underbelly." Megg, picturing herself in a Blue-and-White version of the space-cheerleader uniform – half-Alice/(almost-)half-herself, dutifully followed the order. She stabbed the Beast with her weapon, her hands burning from exposure to the vorpalium, her eyes burning with tears as she excised any remaining Jabberwock from her heart. Shaken from her delusion by reality, she found herself in her Captain’s arms. Capps was hugging her, saying, “I know it was hard but your help has saved thousands, millions, possibly many worlds. Meggan you are so strong..." “Off with Its head, huh Cap?” Megg said. (Reply Capps) “Just promise me one thing, after we’re sure this is over? Can we go some place pretty next?” (posted by Frank) (Color ll - Planetary Capital – COPS- Lieutenant Deynyk Rinn- 1830) Deynyk and his team, had made their way as rapidly to the surface as they could, fighting through only a few small scattered groups of zombies that still remained in the tunnels along the way. After the destruction of the egg and the fighting advance through the tunnels, the majority of the teams weapons were drained almost to the point of being useless. the team had advanced out of the tunnels and into the light of the Coloran day with little to offer in the way of assistance in what appeared to be a pitched battle between zombie hordes, the massive beast that they had seen before and marines and shuttles from the Boudicca. His team dropped behind the remains of a half destroyed wall and he quickly glanced up over the top of the rubble to survey the situation. Without power enough to keep their weapons effective they wouldn't be able to directly assault either the beast or the zombies that seemed to be protecting it. They would need all the juice thay had to fight of any attack that might come their way. They had some advantage, however, the creature and its minions seemed unaware of their presence. That meant that they could potentially ambush them. His eyes scanned across the area turned battlefield. Dozens of building were destroyed, rubble and ground conveyances were everywhere and none of them looked operable. The beast seemed on the ropes, but it was far from out of the battle. Then he spotted it. Above the street, stretched across the upper portions of the city's infrastructure were the EPS transmitters that took raw power from the planet's core and converted it into phased wave forms which could be used to power devices without a hard connection. This network stretched web-like over the area and although several of the sections were down, it was apparent that there was still raw power flooding through them. If they could bring down the rest of the net on the beast's location, there may be enough power there to bring it to an end. "Henry!" Rinn shouted. the power grid. we can bring it down on the beast, there's raw power pumping through those lines now." He explained excitedly. "You take that one, I'll take this one and the marines can take the other two. We can over load the phasers to bring them down at the base of the structure." (reply Henry) Deynyk turned to his team. You all know what you have to do, get to it. Our people are dying out there." A series of nods and grunts sounded from the assembled team as they dispersed to their individual locations. Deynyk cut across the no-man's land of wrecked buildings and crushed vehicles until he was in position. He then crept up to the base of the relay tower and placed his nearly spent phaser in place. He desperately hoped that there was enough energy remaining in the power cells to get the job done. He waited for a moment and opened a commbadge channel to his team as he crested a small rise of debris to make certain that no members of any of the Boudicca teams had moved into the danger zone. satisfied that there were none he ordered. Set your weapons to over load now!" He quickly made his way back down the rise and activated the overload function on his weapon. that completed, he then ran as hard as he could to dove behind the nearest cover that he felt would absorb the blast. The whine of the weapons reached an all time high and then exploded in a shower of twisted metal, energy and debris. The towers began to fall. Deynyk rose from behind his cover and noticed that his own tower, although badly damaged still remained standing. In desperation he ran to it and threw every ounce of his weight against it. When the relay web between the towers took in the slack the damaged tower jerked and split bringing the last of the energized relay net down on the beasts position. (posted by Daniel Greene) (USS Boudicca - Holodeck 1 - TAC/S LT(JG) Detron Trei - 18.32) As the battle commenced, he thought back to all the lives spent in effort to bring down the Beast. Their effort more than earned them the honor of the Klingon Death Cry for warriors past and present will be honored by the ritual. He was more than happy to honor them in this way. He sent his thoughts to the horde then engaged. :I said I will be with you when you give your life for Color II and I kept my promise. To honor you and past warriors I give you this honored Klingon ritual called the Death Cry or Yell waring all those in heaven that Klingon warriors are about to enter. You deserve this and I am honored to perform it for you. Prepare yourself for the afterlife honored warriors. GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. : He rested for the effort was a draining one but fulfilling in more ways than one. He felt a sense of kinship with their effort to bring the Beast down. They will always be honored for their effort in years to come. "Be well warriors of Color II" (posted by Edward) (Color II - Planetary Capital - CEO Lieutenant Henry Jacobs - 1844) Just minutes before Jacobs and the marines where covered in sweat as they pushed up level by level to make it to the surface, however now as they neared the tunnel exit, everyone seemed to be cooling down and preparing for what was on the other side of the door. Ever since Rinn and Jacobs destroyed the egg down on the lower level power systems gradually began return to their normal functions. By the time they all reached the tunnel entrance the enviornmental controls had reactivated and a healthy breeze of air was flowing throughout the corridor. As Jacobs approached the door he could hear several rounds of phaser fire go off and could only think of the amount of zombies that were attacking on the other side. ~Who knows how many zombies are marching on the other side of this door. But we were able to restore power down in the basement. I am sure we can handle whatever is on the other side of the door.~ "Let's lend them a hand shall we?" Jacobs smiled at the crowd of marines behind him, knowing they were all very eager to shoot off a couple more rounds. There was never any difficulty convincing a marine to render assistance in a fire fight. Jacobs gave a push and the door swung open. Marines rushed out weapons raised only to find not a zombie in sight and yet phaser fire still blazing. It wasn't until an insideous shadow towered over them that they actually knew what everyone else was firing at. Immediately Henry spotted the Trojan on the other side of the city center with people being loaded up for extraction. The beast like creature had swooped over head for one more pass before he landed, plunging his talons into two victims as he touched back down to the soil. Without being prompted the new arrivals opened fire directly to the front side of the creature. He stood at full stature and bore the full brunt of the attack with several people firing with intent to kill. It was obvious that the creature was feeling the inflicted pain as it stumbled to one knee and used its wings to cover itself from additional fire. The armored wings seemed to prevent further damage until Jacobs looked up and saw two additional shuttles making a straffing run for the beast. As the two zigzagged throughout the sky on a direct course for the creature they both let out several quick beams of phaser fire. Missed streams of energy scorched the ground until they hit their target with vengence. The beast scowled out in agony as the shots ripped through his wings and pierced into its torso at multple points. "It's now or never," Jacobs called out to everyone within firing distance, and everyone that was able followed his lead and concentrated fire on the now exposed chest of the beast of Collor II. (posted by Darryl McDaniel) ============================================================== HOPE YOU ENJOYED!