Compile#1 November 01-08 2008 (USS Rosenante) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: Fields of Elysium Day 1 Stardate: 2408.04.25 Compile Summary Prologue (Starbase Geneva - Personnel Division - 2O/CTAC - Lieutenant T'Larah Sullivan - 0753 Captain's Log 0800 (USS Rosenante - Main Engineering, CEO's Office - Lt Stacey Martinovich - 0830) (USS Rosenante- Bridge- CO, Capt. Ahmed Ibn Salid- Day 1- 0900) (USS Rosenante – Main Bridge – COPS - Lt Tom Jackson - Day 1 - 0901) (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – Lt Stacey Martinovich- Day 1- 0902) (USS Rosenante- Deck 4, Science Labs- aCSO Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0903) (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – ACEO- Lt . Alimi Morrow- Day 1- 0903.5) (USS Rosenante- Bridge- aCSO Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0903.7) (USS Rosenante- Bridge- FO - Lt Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 1- 0904) (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – ACEO Lt. T'Kron - 0905) (USS Rosenante – Deck 1, Bridge – ATAC Ensign V'Shera – 0906) (USS Rosenante- Bridge- aCOPs- Ensign Smith - Day 1- 0907) (USS Rosenante - Bridge - CO - Capt. Ahmed Ibn Salid - Day 1 - 0912) (USS Rosenante - Bridge - COPS - Lt Thomas Jackson - Day 1 - 0913) (USS Rosenante - Bridge – 3O/CCOUNS Lt. (jg) Jon Nayati - 0914) (USS ROSENANTE - Bridge - CSec - LT (jg) Chance Raschen - 0915) (USS Rosenante - Bridge – FO - Lt Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 1 - 0916) (USS Rosenante- Deck 2, Stellar Cartography- aCSO- Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0918) (USS Rosenante- Bridge – aCOPS – Ensign Smith- 0921) (USS Rosenanté - Deck 2, Stellar Cartography - aCSO - Ensign Dorian Weaver - 0922) (Starship Cial, Reanimation Chamber, Provost Qamda- 1300) (NSS Oracle's Tears- Sanctuary- Haruspex Ji'yala- 1330) (Hur'q Hive Ship- Hatching Chamber- Grand Imperator- S'Kanon- 1400) (The Harvester- The Bastion- Spirit Counselor- Chaska "Star Goddess"- 1435) (Hunter Ship Ne'Q - Bridge - First Hunter Dreton Dash - 1440) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Prologue In space it roams, slowly decreasing it's speed until it will eventually come to rest. The power from the forming protostars in it's immediate sector of space will be absorbed through it's skin and it will recharge it's reactors as it has done for thousands of years. It feels the magnetic lines of force flowing around it as the stars throw out massive spumes of radioactive and magnetic energies. This is why it has come here, this is the source of it's power; refreshed it will continue onward completing it's mission. The exterior of it's hull is pocked by impacts, although the Neutronium is impervious to serious damage. Several of it's sensors have failed over the millennia. But there are enough remaining functional to allow the continuation of it's mission. To collect and catalog, to explore and eventually return home when it's controllers deem that the mission is significantly completed. How long now since it has heard anything from the founders? How long since the launch took place? The massive cognitive brain performs billions of calculations in a microsecond. 650,213.85 solar years have passed since it was sent- new, from the orbit of it's home. Some of the memory cores have failed, so that it no longer remembers what home is. It can not remember who the founders are, it only knows that they exist and that he is to wait for their orders. Until then it is to maintain it's mission; Collecting and Cataloging, and as needed insuring it's own continued operation. It can feel the magnetic lines of force emanating from the protostars. It can detect the greasy photons and the other components of Solar radiations bouncing off it's hull. He can feel the energy of the collisions as they transfer through the Neutronium hull and begin recharge the reactors. It will recharge its power supply, then it will continue on its mission to catalog and collect. (reply none) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Starbase Geneva - Personnel Division - 2O/CTAC - Lieutenant T'Larah Sullivan - 0753) T'Larah walked in to the Personnel Division like her orders instructed. There was an Efrosian female posted at a smallish desk. She was paying particular attention to her PADD and didn't seem to notice Sullivan's entrance. "Lieutenant Sullivan reporting for duty." she said when she approached the desk. "Hold on, let me check for your name on the list, sir." the red-shirted Ensign said and perused through the PADD she was holding. "Lieutenant Sullivan, you are now on student status. You retain your rank, but your privileges of access to sensitive areas are now frozen. They will be restored when you leave the course or in the event of an emergency. "Understood." Sullivan responded. "Here is your room assignment, down corridor B room 217. There is a briefing in the auditorium at 0900 hours, attendance is mandatory, welcome to Geneva Station." "Thank you." T'Larah said and headed down corridor B to find her room. (Reply None) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Captain's Log Stardate 2408.04.25 0800 hours. We're now ten days into our trip along the Subspace river terminus designated the Tau Sigma Flow. Our mission is one of exploration, a task which the crew and I alike are ready to undertake with a great deal of enthusiasm. The specifics of our mission are to explore an area immediately beyond the terminus of the Subspace River in a section of unexplored space named the Beltanis Nursery. An unmanned probe has managed to identify the specific signals necessary to 'open' the Tau Sigma Flow branch and this has allowed star fleet command to dispatch us to begin a detailed survey of the region. This is an exciting opportunity for us, as the Nursery will allow us an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the natural formation of not only stellar bodies, but planetary systems and planets as well. The Nursery is a massive area, and is filled with dozens of stars in various stages of formation, some already supporting early solar systems. Never, to my knowledge, has there been such an opportunity to study so many various stages of stellar formation within a single area of space. I suspect that dozens of questions will be answered and hundreds new posed as a result of our survey in this sector. The sense of exploration that appealed to me as a young man, has been rekindled and I am anxiously awaiting our arrival to begin our quest for knowledge. likewise the sense of excitement is tangible among the crew and morale has never been higher. With our projected arrival to the terminus in just under an hour, I find it only fitting that the Rosenante, a ship initially designed for war, should finally be allowed to pursue a more peaceful role in expanding the frontiers of science and fanning the burning passions of exploration. ~End Log~ --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Main Engineering, CEO's Office - Lt Stacey Martinovich - 0830) Stacey sat down in the CEO's office with a little thump and looked around. "This is not what I had in mind," she crooned sotto voce. "This is the universe's idea of a bad joke, it won't last for long. Hell, I might even wake up in a few minutes. This... is not what I had in mind." Not only was it empty, but it was... soulless. This office had not been decorated by her, thus she felt like an intruder here. That would have to change, and it would have to change in a right hurry. She sighed as she leaned back in the chair and face-palmed. She hated being put on the spot, as the Captain had done earlier, she hated awkward questions. She'd become an engineer because the terms were solid, the principles didn’t change just because the engines had a bad day. You could talk about warp fields and magnetic constrictors with any engineer, regardless of race or creed. You didn’t have to worry about political desires, emotional states or other embarrassing things. Her tricorder never spoke back to her, her scans either came back within a set of standard tolerances... or they didn’t, and she fixed the problem thus indicated. Not that she had a phobia of inter-personal interaction, she wouldn’t have been allowed into the fleet if she had; but her preferences ran strongly to the technology, and she liked being part of a team that thought the way she did. She had almost left the fleet entirely when the Civil War had first launched. She had stayed in the end, even as the evidence mounted that the regime in charge of Starfleet was guilty of many of the things they'd been accused of, but she'd come up with a lot of stories over the course of the months to sooth her conscience. She'd written out her resignation at least two dozen times... In the end, she couldn’t break her vow to protect and defender the Federation. Her sympathies had been with neither side. She hadn’t liked what her government was doing, but neither could she justify going to war against her family and friends and Starfleet. She'd served planet-side for the last half of the war, working on phaser thermal efficiency with Starfleet R&D. Stacey liked things ordered, ducks all in a row. She had her own idea of how things should be run, of what normal was and what standards were. That was the only reason she had taken the position of Chief Engineer in the past, even with the human interaction that was required. And that was why she had taken the position now, because on the most technologically advanced ship in the fleet, she had ideas of how it was supposed to run. … and she had ten more minutes to figure out just what the hell she was going to tell the rest of the staff about those ideas, and why it was her implementing them instead of their last CEO. “… not what I had in mind.” (reply: none) (posted by trout) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge- CO, Capt. Ahmed Ibn Salid- Day 1- 0900) Ahmed watched the walls of the subspace river as they began to narrow around the Rosenante. There was a sense of claustrophobic panic as they slowly narrowed, giving him the impression that at any moment the ship would be destroyed as it bounded off the walls of the subspace river. He glanced over at Jennifer. She was sitting in her usual place on the bridge, watching displays and readouts as the ship traversed the river. Their destination was the Beltanis Stellar Nursery, a newly discovered area, that sat at the end of one of the lesser traveled branches of the subspace river. The discovery was made just two weeks ago by an unmanned probe, which had managed to determine the energy signal needed to open the terminus of this particular branch of the River. The imagery had been incredible. A massive sector of space, filled with ionized gas and dust, forming into stars and planetary systems on a scale never before seen. No less than three dozen systems over the area of a few hundred thousand light years, never explored by the United Federation of Planets, meant that Ahmed and his crew would soon be exploring a new region of space as they had always dreamed of doing. He just hoped that the activation energy burst would work a second time. "Update Mister Dralar?" he asked. "The conduit has narrowed by sixty-seven percent, Captain. We are traveling at transwarp speeds. We'll reach the terminus in approximately two minutes." Ahmed nodded. "Mister Jackson, activate the main deflector and begin pulsing the energy wave that we'll need to exit the river in one piece." (reply Jackson) "Mister Dralar, once we exit, bring us to an all stop." "Aye, sir." "Mister Weaver, get ready to start scanning. I want all available sensors active once we're clear of the river terminus." (reply Weaver) The conduit was narrowing, and Dralar adjusted the ship's heading to keep them as centered as the imperfect shape of the river conduit would allow. Ahead on the view screen the conduit seemed to narrow until all there was ahead was a wall of subspace river energy. It was curtain-like when viewed from straight ahead and it marked the effective end of the line. The energy pulse was being emitted from the Rosenante's main deflector array and Ahmed seriously began to wonder if the frequency and pulses they had been provided were correct. "Steady as she goes Mister Dralar." "Aye Captain." Just when he thought that the subspace conduit would collapse inward upon them, all of his fears were relieved. Suddenly the veil before them shimmered and parted outwards as if it were an iris opening. The Rosenante shot out through the opening and into a sector of space never explored by a manned federation vessel. They were now truly the explorers that they had all hoped to be when they had joined the fleet. Dralar immediately brought the ship to a smooth all stop and Ahmed, amazed at what he saw on the view screen, stood. The screen was filled with the images beyond the open portion of space in which the Rosenante stayed suspended between the edge of the Beltanis Stellar Nursery and the terminus of the Subspace River. A multi-hued nebula filled the vast majority of the screen, filled with ionized gas and darkened clouds of cosmic dust and planetary debris. Bright points in the cloud marked the relative locations of protostars, as they gobbled up massive amounts of the heavy gases that would eventually fuel their stellar reactors for millions of years. Larger chunks of debris were already coagulating into primitive protoplanets, sweeping large swaths of territory clear and defining their future orbits. Never in the entire history of the Federation had there been an opportunity to study this particular phase of planetary and stellar formation- at least not on such a grand scale. Ahmed knew from the briefings that the region spanned hundreds of thousands of cubic light-years in volume. The sheer enormity of the Nursery was amazing. The reports had indicated that the area of space immediately around the terminus of the river remained clear of debris by some unknown mechanism, they were essentially in the heart of the storm so to speak, although the Rosenante's systems and shields should be well up to the task of exploring inside the nebula body. He turned away from the main view screen and smiled at his crew. "Tactical take us to yellow alert, Raise shields. Mister Jackson, make certain we have all necessary power to our navigational deflectors that we might need." (reply Tactical, Jackson) "Mister Weaver, anything in your scans that indicate there would be an immediate hazard to the ship if we should move forward for a closer look?" (reply Weaver) "Thank you ensign." Ahmed replied with a nod. He walked back to his seat, sat down and pressed the communications panel opening a channel to Main engineering. "Bridge to Engineering," he said. (reply Engineering) "We'll be going into the nebula body soon, monitor the main deflectors, impulse engines and Warp core closely. At the first sign of trouble take action and notify us immediately." (reply Engineering) He turned and looked at Caskie at his right then to Nayati seated at his left, "Shall we?" he said gesturing towards the nebula. (reply Caskie, Nayati) Ahmed nodded, "Very well. Mister Caskie, take us into the Nebula." The CO listened as his first Officer issued her orders. The Rosenante edged forward slowly building up speed. "We will reach the edge of the 'safe-zone' in 10 seconds," Dralar reported. "We will experience a little turbulence as we cross the boundary but it should only last a few seconds while the IDF compensates." Ahmed nodded. ~3...2...1~ The ship shook slightly as the leading edge reached the barrier between the clear 'safe-zone' surrounding the terminus and the edge of the nebula. The gas and dust thickened here as it was forced around the phenomenon that was keeping the 'safe-zone' stable. As promised the IDF compensated quickly and the minor shaking disappeared. Static danced across the main viewer. "Can we clear up that static?" Ahmed asked Jackson (reply Jackson) "Mister Weaver find us a suitable subject of study where we can begin collecting our data in earnest, forward your top choices to Mister Nayati. I'll give him the choice of where we begin our survey today." (reply Weaver, Nayati, Caskie, Jackson, Engineering, Tactical, All not otherwise mentioned) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante – Main Bridge – COPS - Lt Tom Jackson - Day 1 - 0901) Tom was manning the main OPS console on the bridge. He was excited and nervous at the same time. It was his first days as COPS on a live mission. No more could he defer the decision to a superior - the buck did stop with him as Harry Truman of old earth had once said when he had become president. Jackson quickly reviewed the readouts - he informed the Captain and Cmdr Caskie that "All systems are within normal parameters Sirs". (reply: Captain, FO, any on bridge IYW) AS the ship traveled thru the conduit it began to narrow. Tom heard the Captain order "Mister Jackson, activate the main deflector and begin pulsing the energy wave that we'll need to exit the river in one piece." Jackson replied " Main deflector activated - pulsing the energy wave has begun Sir". (reply: anyone) The pace of the action picked up as Tom received an addition order from the CO "Mister Jackson, make certain we have all necessary power to our navigational deflectors that we might need." "Aye Sir, Power has been re-routed from non-essential systems to bolster the navigational deflectors". Tom was getting excited - here at last a chance to explore and learn new things - not fight for survival. AS the Roseneante entered the nebula, she shook slightly. As the Inertial Dampening Fields (IDF) took over the ride smoothed out. The main display was a field of static. The Captain ordered Tom to try and clear it up. Tom's fingers flew over the keys of his console and slowly the display cleared up - revealing a myriad of sights and colors. Tom Jackson was awestruck. He hoped he'd get a chance to delve further into the amazing sights before him. (reply: any on bridge) (posted by: Bill W) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – Lt Stacey Martinovich- Day 1- 0902) "The ship is out of the river." a junior systems tech said, "Clean, no power spikes." Stacey clicked her tongue as she looked at the senor readings coming over the Master Situation Terminal. "What a mess," she said as she tapped the screen and brought up a continual feed from the science sensors. The entire area was a-stir with debris, high power levels, static discharges of plasma and other exotic particles. There were areas within scanning range that were akin to the thickest and worst of nebula conditions, and others where nothing more than a few centimeters of cubic debris could be found in square kilometers of space. Admittedly, those areas of relative emptiness were very few and very far between, and probably more of an artifact then a rule. "We'll be compressed and well-done, flambé even, if any of our shielding systems fail." She crossed her left arm around her and used it to support her right elbow, as she thumbed her lips absently in thought. "Lieutenant T'Kron, split up one of the damage control teams and station the members at each of the shield generators. If something gets unbalanced, I want to know about it before we become star-stuff." (reply: T'Kron) "Shields just went up," one of her systems techs said as the ship went to yellow alert. Stacey rolled her eyes to look at one of the alarm lights flash, before looking back down at the system control. "Apparently our ring-side seat isn’t going to be sufficient." she said, mostly to herself. Considering the level of energy and debris all around them, she'd have been perfectly happy to sit right here and launch probes all day long. =^=Bridge to Engineering=^= "Martinovich here, Captain." =^=We'll be going into the nebula body soon, monitor the main deflectors, impulse engines and Warp core closely. At the first sign of trouble take action and notify us immediately.=^= ~Of course we are, and of course I am. Let the games begin.~ she thought as she lowered her head a bit so she could cup her chin her in right palm. "Of course Captain, we're watching all shields and fields. Engineering out." She shook her head, "Alright people, let’s be extra careful for the next few, we're about to step into the middle of a pressure cooker. I want a probe on the core at all times, pay special attention to any resonance within the chamber, we might get some with the shields being under such constant and unregulated strain. Lieutenant Morrow, take charge of the power sub-systems, we can afford no system failures this day." She finally unfolded her arms as the ship rumbled a bit. She remained silent until the Inertial Dampeners compensated fully, and the ride smoothed out. "That won't be the first time," she muttered to herself. "Alright, let’s do this, text-book nebula-style entry." (reply: any) (posted by Trout) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Deck 4, Science Labs- aCSO Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0903) =^= Mister Weaver, get ready to start scanning. I want all available sensors active once we're clear of the river terminus.=^= Dorian swivelled in his chair, down in the labs. His team had been busy for the past three hours, trying to model and scan the river's structure, especially since it had started getting tighter and tighter. "Sir, you and the Bridge will have all of our eyes as soon as we return to n-space." As he switched his comm off again, he leaned over to the storage bins next to his station. Pulling out a bunch of isolinear chips, he slipped the probe's data into his pocket and made to leave. "Ensign Fiacie, we still have to talk about that hull plating report you showed me. I'll be upstairs in Stellar Cartography. You're in charge down here." Before she could answer, he briskly walked out the door. This was his expertise, and he was going to be damned if he wasn't going to be top of his game. The projectors were already running and prepped to receive the updated data on the chip he carried. ~This is great!~ =^= Mister Weaver, anything in your scans that indicate there would be an immediate hazard to the ship if we should move forward for a closer look? =^= "If we are to keep it to a slow crawl, I think we ought to be fine, Skipper. Nothing more than some gaseous turbulence in the few hundred Kelvins..." Dorian updated his charts for the more powerful sensors he was able to bring to bear on the nursery. =^= Mister Weaver find us a suitable subject of study where we can begin collecting our data in earnest, forward your top choices to Mister Nayati. I'll give him the choice of where we begin our survey today. =^= ~Sigh… Not this time, buddy. Weaver's Star will have to wait, apparently.~ His fingers danced across the console, and the display flashed rapidly along the edges of the nursery. "Councellor Nayati, I will be downloading my top choices in the next few minutes. Although a lot of them are protostars, which are very interesting all the same, might I recommend, quite respectfully, an O type star with a proto-system of rings that seems to indicate the fair-sized set of tellurian planets. Oh, and it's green!" He scanned the list of celestial bodies quickly. "Other than that, we have what seems to be a twin system forming, a big K type, blue, and a smaller, yellow M-type. A little deeper in there seems to be an interesting F-type, she's a big, no huge, blue one. She has already amassed a sizeable cloud of gases too." (Reply Couns Nayati, any) (Posted by Mathieu Raymond) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – ACEO- Lt . Alimi Morrow- Day 1- 0903) Alimi like Martinovich had been monitoring the transition from the Subspace river into normal or n-space. The engines and other systems didn't seem to be suffering from any sort of difficulties and when the junior systems tech confirmed as much, Alimi smiled, displaying his bright with teeth with pride. The sensor feeds started almost immediately and it was very clear that they were just a few thousand kilometers away from the body of a nebula. "We'll be compressed and well-done, flambé even, if any of our shielding systems fail." Stacy commented and Alimi nodded his agreement. "Lieutenant T'Kron, split up one of the damage control teams and station the members at each of the shield generators. If something gets unbalanced, I want to know about it before we become star-stuff." (reply T'Kron) "Shields just went up," one of the systems techs said as the ship went to yellow alert. "Apparently our ring-side seat isn’t going to be sufficient." she said. "I'd say you're right about that one." Morrow commented. =^=Bridge to Engineering=^= ~Here we go.~ he thought. "Martinovich here, Captain." =^=We'll be going into the nebula body soon, monitor the main deflectors, impulse engines and Warp core closely. At the first sign of trouble take action and notify us immediately.=^= "Of course Captain, we're watching all shields and fields. Engineering out." She shook her head, "Alright people, let’s be extra careful for the next few, we're about to step into the middle of a pressure cooker. I want a probe on the core at all times, pay special attention to any resonance within the chamber, we might get some with the shields being under such constant and unregulated strain. Lieutenant Morrow, take charge of the power sub-systems, we can afford no system failures this day." "You got it Chief, Alimi replied then immediately turned to two of the junior techs, "Sanchez, Roval you two monitor the core. Don't take your eyes off that panel for anything. Carter you handle the core probe work with Sanchez and Roval. McHandley you're with me on power systems, take panel number two." All the junior techs replied with a hearty "Aye, Sir and headed for their newly assigned places. Alimi took his post at power distribution monitoring panel number one and pulled up the ports side power relay systems. Already he was seeing some minor power fluctuations from the plasma discharges off the shields. Thus far they were well within safe limits. "I am showing some minor fluctuations in the lateral distribution grid as a result of plasma discharges, nothing serious at this point." he reported. (reply Martinovich, T'Kron) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge- aCSO Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0903.7) =^= Mister Weaver, get ready to start scanning. I want all available sensors active once we're clear of the river terminus.=^= Dorian swivelled in his chair, down in the labs. His team had been busy for the past three hours, trying to model and scan the river's structure, especially since it had started getting tighter and tighter. "Sir, you and the Bridge will have all of our eyes as soon as we return to n-space." As he switched his comm off again, he leaned over to the storage bins next to his station. Pulling out a bunch of isolinear chips, he slipped the probe's data into his pocket and made to leave. "Ensign Fiacie, we still have to talk about that hull plating report you showed me. I'll be upstairs in Stellar Cartography. You're in charge down here." Before she could answer, he briskly walked out the door. This was his expertise, and he was going to be damned if he wasn't going to be top of his game. The projectors were already running and prepped to receive the updated data on the chip he carried. ~This is great!~ =^= Mister Weaver, anything in your scans that indicate there would be an immediate hazard to the ship if we should move forward for a closer look? =^= "If we are to keep it to a slow crawl, I think we ought to be fine, Skipper. Nothing more than some gaseous turbulence in the few hundred Kelvins.." Dorian updated his charts for the more powerful sensors he was able to bring to bear on the nursery. =^= Mister Weaver find us a suitable subject of study where we can begin collecting our data in earnest, forward your top choices to Mister Nayati. I'll give him the choice of where we begin our survey today. =^= ~Sigh… Not this time, buddy. Weaver's Star will have to wait, apparently.~ His fingers danced across the console, and the display flashed rapidly along the edges of the nursery. "Councellor Nayati, I will be downloading my top choices in the next few minutes. Although a lot of them are protostars, which are very interesting all the same, might I recommend, quite respectfully, an O type star with a proto-system of rings that seems to indicate the fair-sized set of tellurian planets. Oh, and it's green!" (Reply Sam Fiacie, Couns Nayati, any) (Posted by Mathieu Raymond) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge- FO - Lt Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 1- 0904) The first time. This was the very first time that Josh had sat in this seat, doing what she was now doing and whilst one part of her mind was perform her job, another part was storing up the information so that she would remember this day for the rest of her life. Ok, it wasn't the first time she had sat in this seat. During their R and R at Geneva she had sat in this very same place plenty of times. However, this was different, this was the very first time she had ever sat in the FO's chair during a proper mission and Josh was worried, apprehensive, elated and somehow oddly calm at the same time. She had divided her own screen to monitor all the relevant information from the bridge stations and had been keeping a eye on it all the while casting occasional glances up at the main screen. Josh was almost spellbound by what she saw there and if it wasn't for the fact that she knew she had a job to do she would have been utterly entranced. She knew that most of the people on the bridge were used to this view, but Josh, in her previous job as CMO had been on the bridge so rarely, and that, usually during a medical emergency, that she had never really had time to look at the main screen for more than a second or two at a time, if that. Seeing it now, in all its glory was almost mesmerising, but Josh, knowing that this was her 'first day on the job' so to speak, kept pulling her eyes back to her own monitor and checking and re-checking everything fed through it. She felt, rather than saw the Captain look in her direction. "Shall we?" he said gesturing towards the nebula. Josh grinned at him. "I believe that's why we're here Sir." "Very well. Mister Caskie, take us into the Nebula." Josh swallowed the sudden lump in her throat at the Captain's words realising that he was allowing her to 'do the honours' so to speak. Sitting up straight in her chair she finally grinned. "Mr Dralar, Take us into the Nebula, one quarter impulse, and nice and steady if you please. Lets try not have a fender bender on our first day here." The Rosenante edged forward slowly building up speed. "We will reach the edge of the 'safe-zone' in 10 seconds," Dralar reported. "We will experience a little turbulence as we cross the boundary but it should only last a few seconds while the IDF compensates." ~3...2...1~ The ship shook slightly as the leading edge reached the barrier between the clear 'safe-zone' surrounding the terminus and the edge of the nebula. The gas and dust thickened here as it was forced around the phenomenon that was keeping the 'safe-zone' stable. As promised the IDF compensated quickly and the minor shaking disappeared. The Captain spoke to their acting Chief Science Officer. "Mister Weaver find us a suitable subject of study where we can begin collecting our data in earnest, forward your top choices to Mister Nayati. I'll give him the choice of where we begin our survey today." At that order, Josh immediately brought the science station to the front of her monitor and began keeping her eye on it. (Reply all) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante – Main Engineering – ACEO Lt. T'Kron - 0905) All the Engineering crew were watching their monitors and consoles carefully after the ship powered down from her warp drive journey in the subspace river. What they were detecting outside the ship's shields was daunting. "We'll be compressed and well done, flambé even, if any of our shielding systems fail," Lt. Martinovich commented and Lt. Morrow nodded his agreement. "Lieutenant T'Kron, split up one of the damage control teams and station the members at each of the shield generators. If something gets unbalanced, I want to know about it before we become star-stuff." "Aye Sir," replied T'Kron. He tapped his commbadge. "This is Lt. T'Kron to damage control team three. Meet me at the entrance to Jeffries tubes 31B." =^=Aye Sir. We will be right there in a few minutes.=^= T'Kron made his way to Tube 31B and it was not long before Crewmen Saliel, Johnson, Nevis, Hunter, and Ensign Tavis showed up among the fifteen that were in the group. "We have been assigned the job of closely monitoring the shield generators while navigating through the Beltanis Nursery. I suggest that you make sure you have proper toolkits including tricorders with you in order to deal with repair situations that might come up. Power flow to the emitters cannot be disrupted. I trust that I do not have to explain why it would be disastrous if even one shield generator fails while the ship is in the Nursery." "Aye sir," responded Ensign Tavis. They all looked appropriately serious. Ensign Shelley Davis looked especially grim. "I will take the first shield generator along with Crewman Hunter," T'Kron told them. "The rest of you divide yourselves out between them." The group moved quickly with the long ease of practice into the Jeffries tube and disappeared into the bowels of the ship. (Reply any) (Posted by Sheila) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante – Deck 1, Bridge – ATAC Ensign V'Shera – 0906) V'Shera was at her post on the Bridge at the secondary weapons console, not knowing if they might need to clear away debris heading in their direction. Though her attention was focused on her targeting screens, her Vulcan ears caught the ongoing dialogue between Captain Salid and rest of the bridge crew. The ship was moving cautiously at the farthest edge of the star nursery. She was surprised when the ship shook suddenly and then stabilized. There were a few alarms that sounded on the Navigational console. "Report," the Captain said. The Skorr helmsman said. "Looks like we're encountering some gravitational sheer Captain, and also getting some plasma discharges on the navigational deflectors. There's a dissonance between our shield harmonics and the gas cloud's ionic state." "Is it a threat?" asked the Captain. "Unlikely, Captain," Dralar replied. "It's akin to an aircraft being struck by lightning while passing through a storm cloud. The ship's shields and grounding systems should prevent any damage from occurring. We're just seeing a reaction between the leading edge of our shields and a buildup of plasma energy at the shield/gas cloud interface." V'Shera heard Captain Ahmed order, "Tactical, take us to yellow alert. Raise shields. Mister Jackson, make certain we have all necessary power to our navigational deflectors that we might need." As Jackson confirmed this, V'Shera activated the targeting grid, ready to acquire a target if necessary. Having accomplished that, she heard the Captain ask the new Third Officer, "Made your choice yet Counselor?" She heard the Counselor say, "Upper right quadrant, mark 3.21. If you notice carefully there seems to be some faint, anomalous spatial distortion there." Engaging her targeting scanners, V'Shera focused her full and deadly attention through the targeting system to the point in space where the Counselor indicated. ~The Earth Indian had an incredible, almost Vulcan, eye.~ V'Shera thought to herself. ~There seemed to be some sort of spatial anomaly where he had indicated.~ From a tactical point of view, the faint distortion was 2.53% reminiscent of a cloaked Romulan-Klingon warship. Since the Rose was the first known Starfleet ship in the Beltanis Stellar Nursery, the probability of the presence of another ship, either a cloaked Klingon or Romulan vessel, was less than 0.9%, based on the latest Fleet intelligence. However the presence of some unknown vessel was a different story all together. Looking momentarily over her shoulder, V'Shera saw Captain Salid nod and say, "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." Looking through her targeting screens, V'Shera could see the distance slowly closing. (Reply Any) (Posted by Jim McCrary) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge- aCOPs- Ensign Smith - Day 1- 0907) Stepped on to the bridge as the turbolift door opened. He had been called to the bridge with the activation of yellow alert. Not that he minded it only made him ten minutes really for his roistered shift. He as he turned towards the mission ops station at the back of the bridge he looked at the view screen. The image made him slow his step. ~Ow my. Don’t see that every day~ He new that the Beltanis Stellar Nursery was going to be spectacular due to the information that he had been given in the mission report but nothing could prepare him for what he was looking at. He saw that the mission ops officer was waiting to be relived. Robert gave a soft sigh and reluctantly turned his back on the view screen and the image of held. ~No time for sight seeing~ He nodded to the ops officer and logged himself in to the console. "Very well. Mister Caskie, take us into the Nebula." ~Mind on the Job ah~ Robert ran a quick diagnostic of the subsystem as a matter of protocol. He slaved on of the sub screen to the main ops console so that try and anticipate what the ops officer wanted. He glanced at the ID marker of the ops officer and a smile spread across his face when he saw it was Jackson. During the ten days of transit he had worked with Jackson and found that he had a lot of knowledge to pass on. Although Robert had still spent most of his time off the bridge jammed in some nooks and crannies of the ships running routine diagnostics and repairs. He began to speed through the requests from the science labs and astrometrics for the use of the ships sensors. Time to stack, pack and rack as one of his tutors liked to say when dealing with lots of incoming requests. He kept his eye on the power reserves as Jackson activated the different power buffers. He then pulled power from different subsystems and sent a request to engineering to give him some extra power. The job of ops assistant was to make sure that when the ops manager needed power for something that it was available. It was sometimes a rather stressful job but Robert enjoyed it. He compiled the sensor requests and sent them to Jackson who had the fun job of giving them mission priority. He had a quick glance over his shoulder a the view screen as they moved into the nebula. (reply any) (posted by Robbie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge - CO - Capt. Ahmed Ibn Salid - Day 1 - 0912) Ahmed smiled as Caskie issued her orders to move the ship forward into the body of the nebula. The helm responded immediately and as warned there was a moment of turbulence as the Rosenante's leading edge left the safe zone and crossed over the threshold of the gaseous innards of the nebula. Weaver had forwarded his suggestions with a little scientific flourish, adding small little details about the formations and stars that they were seeing on the view screen. Ahmed smiled at the thought of an entire department, excited by the prospect of finding or discovering something never before seen or conceived of by man. in fact, Ahmed, who was anything but a scientist, couldn't help but see the hand of Allah painting the colors of the nebula all around them. To him it was as if the divine creator had used a thick heavily colored paintbrush to render the magnificence that he saw on the screen. With Engineering on watch over the shields and fields and with Jackson monitoring the power systems Ahmed was certain that his ship and crew were safe. The ship shook slightly and there were a few alarms that sounded on the Navigational console. "Report." Ahmed said. "Looks like we're encountering some gravitational shear captain, and also getting some plasma discharges on the navigational deflectors. There's a dissonance between our shield harmonics and the gas clouds ionic state." "Is it a threat?" he asked "Unlikely, captain," Dralar replied, "It's akin to an aircraft being struck by lightning while passing through a storm cloud. The ship's shields and grounding systems should prevent any damage from occurring. We're just seeing a reaction between the leading edge of our shields and a buildup of plasma energy at the shield/gas cloud interface." Ahmed nodded, then looked over at Nayati. "Made your choice yet counselor?" he said to the third officer as he reviewed the data that Weaver had forwarded to him. (reply Nayati) Ahmed nodded, "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." He turned to Raschen who was manning the TAC station in Sullivan's absence. ~Shame T'Larrah can't be here for this,~ Ahmed thought. "Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." (reply Raschen) He then turned to Jackson, " Give the sensors as much power as you can without risking the ship's primary systems mister Jackson. I want our science teams to get every bit of data that they possibly can while we're here." (reply All mentioned, Any) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge - COPS - Lt Thomas Jackson - Day 1 - 0913) Lt Cmdr Caskie slowly had the Rosenante enter the nebula. The ship shook slightly as the hull and the leading edge of the nebula met. Tom was then directed by Captain Salid to " Give the sensors as much power as you can without risking the ship's primary systems Mister Jackson. I want our science teams to get every bit of data that they possibly can while we're here." Jackson thought for a moment and replied "Aye Sir. I have used the power from the holo-deck systems and other non-essential systems to bolster them". (reply: Captain Salid, any present) Tom's fingers quickly made the adjustments. T.J. was curious to see which area Jon had selected for his study. ~This is more like it - exploring and not fighting~ he mused silently. Jackson also monitored the visual display to make sure it stayed as clear and sharp as was possible. As often as he safely could do, Tom Jackson stole a look at the main display. The panorama was breathtaking. Yet as, he watched, the hairs on the back of his neck started to bristle - was he sensing a possible danger as yet unseen? (reply: any/none) (posted by: Bill W) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge – 3O/CCOUNS Lt. (jg) Jon Nayati - 0914) Sitting in the third seat, Jon listened intently to Captain Salid dictate the ship's log. His description of the nursery did not do it any true justice. It was utterly magnificent and Jon felt his mortality in comparison to it. Looking around the Bridge he saw the crew was equally moved but were still functioning with peak professional efficiency. As Jon was lost in his reverie, the ship shook suddenly. There were a few alarms that sounded on the Navigational console. Jon experienced a feeling of vague dread. He also saw the aura of the bridge crew brighten up in response. "Report," Ahmed said. The Skorr helmsman said, "Looks like we're encountering some gravitational sheer Captain, and also getting some plasma discharges on the navigational deflectors. There's a dissonance between our shield harmonics and the gas cloud's ionic state." "Is it a threat?" asked the Captain. ~Salid's a good war chief,~ Jon thought to himself. ~It is a good war chief that always views the unexplored and the unknown as a potential threat.~ "Unlikely, Captain," Dralar replied. "It's akin to an aircraft being struck by lightning while passing through a storm cloud. The ship's shields and grounding systems should prevent any damage from occurring. We're just seeing a reaction between the leading edge of our shields and a buildup of plasma energy at the shield/gas cloud interface." Ahmed nodded, then looked over at Nayati. "Made your choice yet Counselor?" he said to the third officer while studying the screen on the console built into his command chair. "Upper right quadrant mark 3.21," Jon replied. "If you notice carefully there seems to be some faint, anomalous spatial distortion there." Captain Salid nodded. "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." Salid then turn to the Tactical Officer and said, ""Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." As Ensign Raschen complied with the Captain's orders, CO Salid also directed Lt. Jackson to divert all non-essential systems' power to the sensors for maximum data retrieval. Jon watched with growing apprehension as the Rose slowly approached the right upper quadrant. He took a deep cleansing breath to help dispel his tension. (Reply Any) (Posted by Jim McCrary) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS ROSENANTE - Bridge - CSec - LT (jg) Chance Raschen - 0915) Raschen was manning the TAC station in Sullivan's absence when he heard the skipper order "Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." “Roger that sir” Raschen said as he started punching commands into the TAC console. “Okay sir, Lieutenant Dralar I’m overlapping the navigational readout at the helm with the tactical sensor readings of any debris.” (Reply Dralar iyw) “I’ve ordered up 12 heavy shielded class II probes that will be ready in 10 to 15 minutes Mister Weaver.” (Reply Weaver iyw) Chance couldn’t help but to smile, he felt out of practice, but still liked working tactical almost as much as he enjoyed being a skipper himself. Whether it was in the F.I.F., a Doenitz Loyalist, or just as an out and out pirate. (Reply Dralar, Weaver, any iyw) (Posted by Charlie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge – FO - Lt Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 1 - 0916) Josh, still flicking her gaze back and forward between her personal screen and the main one, heard the Captain ask the 3O if he had made his choice yet. "Upper right quadrant mark 3.21," Jon replied. "If you notice carefully there seems to be some faint, anomalous spatial distortion there." "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." Josh nodded and regarded Dralar again. "Mr Dralar, please set a course for the coordinates specified by the Third Officer. Let's go see what's out there." Having received an affirmative from Dralar Josh went back to watching her own screen and pulling the up the shield report from Engineering she turned to the Captain. "Sheilds holding at 100% Sir. Engineering reports that they have stationed teams at all the shield emitter controls in case we have any problems." (Reply any/all) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Deck 2, Stellar Cartography- aCSO- Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0918) Dorian had called for two techs to join him in the cartography room. He was pretty sure that this view, since it was just as much a computer construct as the viewscreen up on the bridge, was much more worth it. He didn't hear any grumble, at any rate. "P.O., do you think you can tighten the gain on the centre of the nebula? We are getting a lot of interference and we won't be able to map it otherwise." (no reply necessary) Dorian was almost tempted to use the probes Lt. Raschen had set-up for him. It was doubtless that with so little charting done, they were bound to lose them eventually, and if he could keep the expenses down, so much the better. They did however need more power for the starboard lateral sensors.. He tapped his commbadge. "Ensign Smith, I was wondering if you could put in a request for a bit more power, say 10% of what we have allocated right now, to the starboard lateral sensor pallets?" (Reply Ensign Smith) ~We're going to have to take samples. Looks like we're going to have to give it a try with the probes. I doubt they'd let us take a shuttle out, after all.~ He tapped his commbadge again. "Ensign Maddox, I was wondering if you'd like to handle the probes Tactical have loaded for us. I'd like to make sure we can collect samples and recover both units, if possible." (Reply Maddox, if possible, otherwise I'll repost) "Engineering, I was wondering if someone could be sent to the science lab to assist in monitoring the shields and other systems of two probes we're about to launch. If you have the manpower to spare, of course." (Reply anyone in Engineering) (Posted by Mathieu Raymond) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge – aCOPS – Ensign Smith- 0921) Robert had been running a diagnostic on the Landing Strut Assemblies which appeared to have glitch. It was not the most important job as the chances of landing at that precise moment was small but he did not roul anything out. =^=Ensign Smith, I was wondering if you could put in a request for a bit more power, say 10% of what we have allocated right now, to the starboard lateral sensor pallets?=^= Robert paused for a second as he brought up the power distribution grid for that area and scanned the relevant power reserves in that area ~Looks like I can take it from power and then use mains top up so we have no power lag cool~ “Ensign Weaver I’ll see what I can do.” He saw that he could take power a secondary reserve near the starboard lateral sensor pallets and then replenish the usage from main power. He bounced the request to Jackson so that he could okay it before relocated the power. (Reply any) (Posted by Robbie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge - CO - Capt. Ahmed Ibn Salid - Day 1 - 0912) Ahmed smiled as Caskie issued her orders to move the ship forward into the body of the nebula. The helm responded immediately and as warned there was a moment of turbulence as the Rosenante's leading edge left the safe zone and crossed over the threshold of the gaseous innards of the nebula. Weaver had forwarded his suggestions with a little scientific flourish, adding small little details about the formations and stars that they were seeing on the view screen. Ahmed smiled at the thought of an entire department, excited by the prospect of finding or discovering something never before seen or conceived of by man. in fact, Ahmed, who was anything but a scientist, couldn't help but see the hand of Allah painting the colors of the nebula all around them. To him it was as if the divine creator had used a thick heavily colored paintbrush to render the magnificence that he saw on the screen. With Engineering on watch over the shields and fields and with Jackson monitoring the power systems Ahmed was certain that his ship and crew were safe. The ship shook slightly and there were a few alarms that sounded on the Navigational console. "Report." Ahmed said. "Looks like we're encountering some gravitational shear captain, and also getting some plasma discharges on the navigational deflectors. There's a dissonance between our shield harmonics and the gas clouds ionic state." "Is it a threat?" he asked "Unlikely, captain," Dralar replied, "It's akin to an aircraft being struck by lightning while passing through a storm cloud. The ship's shields and grounding systems should prevent any damage from occurring. We're just seeing a reaction between the leading edge of our shields and a buildup of plasma energy at the shield/gas cloud interface." Ahmed nodded, then looked over at Nayati. "Made your choice yet counselor?" he said to the third officer as he reviewed the data that Weaver had forwarded to him. (reply Nayati) Ahmed nodded, "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." He turned to Raschen who was manning the TAC station in Sullivan's absence. ~Shame T'Larrah can't be here for this,~ Ahmed thought. "Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." (reply Raschen) He then turned to Jackson, " Give the sensors as much power as you can without risking the ship's primary systems mister Jackson. I want our science teams to get every bit of data that they possibly can while we're here." (reply All mentioned, Any) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge - COPS - Lt Thomas Jackson - Day 1 - 0913) Lt Cmdr Caskie slowly had the Rosenante enter the nebula. The ship shook slightly as the hull and the leading edge of the nebula met. Tom was then directed by Captain Salid to " Give the sensors as much power as you can without risking the ship's primary systems Mister Jackson. I want our science teams to get every bit of data that they possibly can while we're here." Jackson thought for a moment and replied "Aye Sir. I have used the power from the holo-deck systems and other non-essential systems to bolster them". (reply: Captain Salid, any present) Tom's fingers quickly made the adjustments. T.J. was curious to see which area Jon had selected for his study. ~This is more like it - exploring and not fighting~ he mused silently. Jackson also monitored the visual display to make sure it stayed as clear and sharp as was possible. As often as he safely could do, Tom Jackson stole a look at the main display. The panorama was breathtaking. Yet as, he watched, the hairs on the back of his neck started to bristle - was he sensing a possible danger as yet unseen? (reply: any/none) (posted by: Bill W) --------------------------------------------------------------------- USS Rosenante - Bridge – 3O/CCOUNS Lt. (jg) Jon Nayati - 0914) Sitting in the third seat, Jon listened intently to Captain Salid dictate the ship's log. His description of the nursery did not do it any true justice. It was utterly magnificent and Jon felt his mortality in comparison to it. Looking around the Bridge he saw the crew was equally moved but were still functioning with peak professional efficiency. As Jon was lost in his reverie, the ship shook suddenly. There were a few alarms that sounded on the Navigational console. Jon experienced a feeling of vague dread. He also saw the aura of the bridge crew brighten up in response. "Report," Ahmed said. The Skorr helmsman said, "Looks like we're encountering some gravitational sheer Captain, and also getting some plasma discharges on the navigational deflectors. There's a dissonance between our shield harmonics and the gas cloud's ionic state." "Is it a threat?" asked the Captain. ~Salid's a good war chief,~ Jon thought to himself. ~It is a good war chief that always views the unexplored and the unknown as a potential threat.~ "Unlikely, Captain," Dralar replied. "It's akin to an aircraft being struck by lightning while passing through a storm cloud. The ship's shields and grounding systems should prevent any damage from occurring. We're just seeing a reaction between the leading edge of our shields and a buildup of plasma energy at the shield/gas cloud interface." Ahmed nodded, then looked over at Nayati. "Made your choice yet Counselor?" he said to the third officer while studying the screen on the console built into his command chair. "Upper right quadrant mark 3.21," Jon replied. "If you notice carefully there seems to be some faint, anomalous spatial distortion there." Captain Salid nodded. "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." Salid then turn to the Tactical Officer and said, ""Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." As Ensign Raschen complied with the Captain's orders, CO Salid also directed Lt. Jackson to divert all non-essential systems' power to the sensors for maximum data retrieval. Jon watched with growing apprehension as the Rose slowly approached the right upper quadrant. He took a deep cleansing breath to help dispel his tension. (Reply Any) (Posted by Jim McCrary) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS ROSENANTE - Bridge - CSec - LT (jg) Chance Raschen - 0915) Raschen was manning the TAC station in Sullivan's absence when he heard the skipper order "Mister Raschen, utilize the ship's tactical sensors to aid Mister Dralar in avoiding any unwanted interaction with hazardous debris. Also have some heavily shielded class II probes loaded in the rear launchers to be deployed at Mister Weaver's discretion." “Roger that sir” Raschen said as he started punching commands into the TAC console. “Okay sir, Lieutenant Dralar I’m overlapping the navigational readout at the helm with the tactical sensor readings of any debris.” (Reply Dralar iyw) “I’ve ordered up 12 heavy shielded class II probes that will be ready in 10 to 15 minutes Mister Weaver.” (Reply Weaver iyw) Chance couldn’t help but to smile, he felt out of practice, but still liked working tactical almost as much as he enjoyed being a skipper himself. Whether it was in the F.I.F., a Doenitz Loyalist, or just as an out and out pirate. (Reply Dralar, Weaver, any iyw) (Posted by Charlie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Bridge – FO - Lt Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 1 - 0916) Josh, still flicking her gaze back and forward between her personal screen and the main one, heard the Captain ask the 3O if he had made his choice yet. "Upper right quadrant mark 3.21," Jon replied. "If you notice carefully there seems to be some faint, anomalous spatial distortion there." "Mister Caskie, please take us to investigate the section that Mister Nayati has selected. Maintain a close watch on our shields." Josh nodded and regarded Dralar again. "Mr Dralar, please set a course for the coordinates specified by the Third Officer. Let's go see what's out there." Having received an affirmative from Dralar Josh went back to watching her own screen and pulling the up the shield report from Engineering she turned to the Captain. "Sheilds holding at 100% Sir. Engineering reports that they have stationed teams at all the shield emitter controls in case we have any problems." (Reply any/all) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Deck 2, Stellar Cartography- aCSO- Ensign Dorian Weaver - Day 1- 0918) Dorian had called for two techs to join him in the cartography room. He was pretty sure that this view, since it was just as much a computer construct as the viewscreen up on the bridge, was much more worth it. He didn't hear any grumble, at any rate. "P.O., do you think you can tighten the gain on the centre of the nebula? We are getting a lot of interference and we won't be able to map it otherwise." (no reply necessary) Dorian was almost tempted to use the probes Lt. Raschen had set-up for him. It was doubtless that with so little charting done, they were bound to lose them eventually, and if he could keep the expenses down, so much the better. They did however need more power for the starboard lateral sensors.. He tapped his commbadge. "Ensign Smith, I was wondering if you could put in a request for a bit more power, say 10% of what we have allocated right now, to the starboard lateral sensor pallets?" (Reply Ensign Smith) ~We're going to have to take samples. Looks like we're going to have to give it a try with the probes. I doubt they'd let us take a shuttle out, after all.~ He tapped his commbadge again. "Ensign Maddox, I was wondering if you'd like to handle the probes Tactical have loaded for us. I'd like to make sure we can collect samples and recover both units, if possible." (Reply Maddox, if possible, otherwise I'll repost) "Engineering, I was wondering if someone could be sent to the science lab to assist in monitoring the shields and other systems of two probes we're about to launch. If you have the manpower to spare, of course." (Reply anyone in Engineering) (Posted by Mathieu Raymond) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Bridge – aCOPS – Ensign Smith- 0921) Robert had been running a diagnostic on the Landing Strut Assemblies which appeared to have glitch. It was not the most important job as the chances of landing at that precise moment was small but he did not roul anything out. =^=Ensign Smith, I was wondering if you could put in a request for a bit more power, say 10% of what we have allocated right now, to the starboard lateral sensor pallets?=^= Robert paused for a second as he brought up the power distribution grid for that area and scanned the relevant power reserves in that area ~Looks like I can take it from power and then use mains top up so we have no power lag cool~ “Ensign Weaver I’ll see what I can do.” He saw that he could take power a secondary reserve near the starboard lateral sensor pallets and then replenish the usage from main power. He bounced the request to Jackson so that he could okay it before relocated the power. (Reply any) (Posted by Robbie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenanté - Deck 2, Stellar Cartography - aCSO - Ensign Dorian Weaver - 0922) =^=I’ve ordered up 12 heavy shielded class II probes that will be ready in 10 to 15 minutes Mister Weaver.=^= "Thank you, Mister Raschen, very appreciated." ~The overkill will come in handy, however.~ If the Bridge had okayed 12 probes, then a few of them were surely assumed to be lost in the process of exploration. ~You don't chart a nebula without breaking a few eggs.~ Forgetting his misgivings about undue spendings, Dorian turned his attention to back to the mapping hologram. Councellor Nayati had not chosen his green star. ~Doesn't he realize how improbable this phenomenon his?~ But he had still chosen an interesting spot. Safer was the word that came to mind, as there was certainly less solid matter on their chosen vector. "Alright people, let's try to determine the best way to use those probes." After a few minutes, Dorian's delusions of grandeur had taken a severe hit. It seemed that they would have to make this a crawl rather than a triumphant sweep. By the time all the probes were available, he had a conservative plan that would allow for the best chances of recovery. Samples wouldn't collect themselves after all. No one from engineering had replied to his request, however, and that might mean they weren't going to be able to spare a technician after all. "Crewman Sderlk, please dedicate your terminal to monitoring the shielding and vector control for our probes. As soon as they degrade too much, I want you to pull them back to the ship. P.O. Montoya, you're in charge of the scientific packets on the same probes. I want probes 1 & 2 to focus on mapping as wide an area as possible. We'll keep probes 10 through 12 onboard as a backup. I trust your decisions on what to focus on, as long as you follow the vectors I am sending you right now. Understood?" (No reply necessary) (Posted by Mathieu Raymond) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Starship Cial, Reanimation Chamber, Provost Qamda- 1300) Qamda watched as the cells of the alien began to change from the disgusting pink color that they began their life with to the more acceptable blue grey that had come to signify the healthy reanimation of the corpse. The subject would most likely not remember anything of her former life once the process was complete. But for now, she squirmed and groaned as the barrier between life and death was ground down and the ethereal life-force was once again returned to the body. The Kobali Provost was the third to hold the position, since the vessel carrying them had become trapped within the infernal machine that had captured them so long ago. And while other species had arrived, they had all eventually succumbed either to old age or other less fortunate events. It was during those times that the Kobali had thrived. One might ask how it is that a species could maintain the exact same population over such a long period of time. The answer would shock most species, but to the Kobali it was a simple matter of recycling. The limits of medical science allowed the Kobali to reuse the discarded corpses of other species. As those around them died, the Kobali thrived. They gathered the dead and through their near god-like powers of medical science reanimated them into other Kobali. The process to most species was akin to an abomination. There were species and cultures that had developed a complex series of mystical, religious and civil ceremonies because they had believed that the end of life was permanent. The Kobali knew different. The Kobali knew that death was merely a transition between existences. That the end of one life could signify the beginning of another. The called it the Cy'Steya. Qamda smiled as the genetic rewriting sequence began to alter the skull of the newly forming Kobali engineer. It was necessary to maintain their numbers. The ship was a fragile home and it was in need of constant attention. The constant raids by the others were beginning to take their toll. It was becoming more difficult to recover the dead after skirmishes or after disposal following natural death. Why was it always the case that wherever they went other cultures failed to understand them and always turned violent? The process was going well, and the genetic stabilizing field was maintaining the cellular integrity of the process in the new Kobali. "We will name her Nosa," the Provost declared. NRPG: Nosa means hope A few of the others nodded in agreement, while the priests of medicine continued monitoring the birthing process. Suddenly the lights flickered and the field failed. Nosa began screaming as the genetic acceleration raced forward, burning through cells in order to stimulate the transformation. The cellular mutation was too rapid and within moments Nosa was permanently gone. The looks of horror on the faces of those assembled was enough to make Qamda turn away. He was the leader here and yet he was powerless to stop the decay of their ship which would soon threaten to extinguish their lives for good. He reached down and touched the bracelet that he wore on his left wrist. "What has happened Kasam?" he asked. The voice of Kasam, his senior engineer, sounded through the vibrating crystal face of the bracelet. =^=I am sorry Provost, we had a complete failure of the lateral power grid. We have lost all power to the Reanimators. I can not repair it. It simply is too old and we have no replacement parts.=^= Qamda nodded at the image of his most trusted friend in the display of the bracelet. "Is there nothing we can do?" he asked. Kasam shook his head. =^=I will see what I can come up with. But things are very bleak Qamda. I don't know how much more of the ship I can cannibalize, but I will do my best. If we do not come up with some spare parts somehow, we will have critical systems failures and move on to the final oblivion.=^= Qamda nodded again. "I completely understand. Do what you can. I have faith in you." Kasam gave a weak smile and then closed the channel. The priests of medicine turned to regard the Provost now. They said nothing- there was no need, they all feared the final oblivion. No one wanted to admit it aloud. "I will go to my quarters to consider our options. I have faith that we will survive, we always have." There were a few silent nods and Qamda, Provost of the Cial, turned and left the reanimation chamber. (reply None) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (NSS Oracle's Tears- Sanctuary- Haruspex Ji'yala- 1330) "And keep us safe from the deprivations of those that would mistake our peaceful continence for weakness. Aid us in recognizing your will and using the mind and teachings that you have provided to aid us in our time of plight." Ji'yala, the divine Haruspex of her people's religion, voiced as she kneeled in front of the sanctuary altar to the Voice of Reason. The statue that represented the Voice of Reason stood tall, an abstract series of wavy lines drawn upwards from the ground, carved from the light luminescent green stone native to her homeworld. She sat upright, causing the small bells woven into the hem of her long robe to chime softly. The white soft folds of the fabric fell around her body, giving her the visual representation of an inverted flower. The gold strands of embroidery highlighted her ceremonial garb, and completed the image of the supplicant to the discerning eye. She placed her hands to either side of her, turned herself ninety-degrees to face the Voice of Diligence. Like the previous statue, it's physical imagery was a series of skyward reaching waved lines. The rock was a rich lightly glowing blue, however. "I ask you Voice of Diligence to make our words resounding and to carry great weight among those that we encounter, so that they may know that we are the divine prophets of the Sacred Voices. Do not allow us to falter in the face of adversity or allow us to doubt the divine wisdom passed down to us through the sacred voices. Aid us in our daily lives so that we may remain vigilant and diligent to the teachings." She bowed deeply causing her rich mocha colored hair to fall loose around her shoulders. She hardly seemed to notice as she once again placed her hands beside her and turned her body another ninety-degrees. This time she was facing the Voice of Perseverance. This statue was a rich rose color and like the others was filled with a mysterious otherworldly glow. "Great Voice of Perseverance keep us strong in the face of the great trials and tribulations that you have placed before us. Show us your path, that we may finally complete our penance for angering you. Aid us in seeking out those who have lost their faith so that we may aid them to return to the fold. Lend us your voice so that we may inspire others and lessen the weights that shackle their hearts and bends their backs in sorrow. Aid us so that we may persevere and overcome the hardships that you have laid before us, so that we may continue on our pilgrimage to the true voice of all knowledge." With that, she looked skyward, stretching her hands toward the ceiling. "Oh great Voice of All Knowledge grant us the answer to the problems that plague us in our time of need. Show us the answer to the problems that we face so that we may continue onward to complete our sacred journey." This final statue, was embedded in the ceiling of the chamber. It was circular in shape, comprised of a perfectly divided portion of each color of the other three, which surrounded a single piece of white glowing stone. "Only through the Unity of Perseverance, Diligence, Reason and Knowledge can we assure ourselves of our legacy and the legacy of those we encounter. Rich are those who heed the call of the Voices and do their bidding." She folded her body into a sitting crouch and then rose from her seated position to her feet in a single graceful motion. As if on cue there was a soft chime at the door, reminiscent of bells blown gently in the breeze or those embedded in the hems of her garments. "Enter in peace and harmony" Ji'yala called. The door slid open to reveal Mi'haya, one of her most trusted friends. He was a tall man, with broad, strong shoulders and a friendly pair of blue eyes. He wore the robes of an Auditor; one of the chosen defenders of the tones of the voices. "I am sorry to bother you Haruspex, but there is a matter of some importance that requires your immediate attention." he said with a slight bow. Ji'yala smiled and nodded, "It is to be expected my friend. What is the issue of which you speak?" Mi'haya shifted his weight between feet for a moment before responding. "The guide has collapsed, just this moment in prayer." Ji'yala's smile collapsed. "How could this be? What has happened?" her voice taking on a worried tone. "Healer Hi'mani believes that the Guide has contracted some sickness from his meetings with the others. He has taken to a fever that we are not able to cool. There is much fear that he will die and..." "...and leave us without a means to complete our pilgrimage." Ji'yala completed. Mi'haya nodded solemnly. "Yes, you see the crux of the problem that we face." His face was somewhat ashen. "I do," she replied nodding. "We should all pray for him. We must not allow our faith to waiver. Remember Perseverance says that there is no trial or hardship that can not be overcome by faith. I will pray for guidance. See to it I am not disturbed until I emerge from the sanctuary." Mi'haya smiled and then replied, "It shall be done Haruspex. I shall tend to it personally." (reply None) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Hur'q Hive Ship- Hatching Chamber- Grand Imperator- S'Kanon- 1400) Imperator S'Kanon moved swiftly down the mottled corridor towards the grand entryway to the hatchery. The hard points of his six legs tapped out an angry rhythm on the hard floor materials. His three personal guard struggled to keep up with him as he traveled. His irritation at being summoned by the Colony Master was clearly relayed in the seemingly random twitching of his antennae. The bluish bioluminescent light of the chamber could be seen spilling out from under the door ahead of them. It made an eerie contrast to the yellow natural light generated by the cool bacterium feasting on desiccated plant fibers in the globes above his head. Where the two colors met, chaos ensued. Greenish swatches of light were formed as the two colors intermingled. Shadows seemed deeper as they were reflected from the uneven surface of the floor. S'Kanon stopped at the massive double doors, where a single worker stood near the announcing chime. He easily out massed the smaller insectoid at least three to one, and his mandibles alone were larger than the diminutive worker. Yet the other member of the Hur'q species stood his ground, unflinching despite the significant difference between them. "Who seeks audience to the hatching chamber?" the worker asked. "I seek entrance," S'Kanon answered despite his impatience. The green-shelled Imperator clicked the tips of his feet against the floor. "I stand before you the Grand Imperator of the Colony." The worker regarded him for a moment through the red multifaceted eyes that graced his narrow face. "I am ready to receive your chemical signature." he replied. Among the Hur'q scent was as important as shell-color, sight or even caste. Your scent determined beyond any shadow of a doubt who you were and who you would become. The pheromones coming from your body determined your position in the colony and even killed your predecessors. S'Kanon lowered his antennae and allowed the worker to receive his scent using his own specialized receptors. It always disgusted the imperator when he was forced to smell the horrible secretions of the lower castes. It was like a noble curse, if he could have done away with the practice he would have done so long ago. "Welcome Grand Imperator S'Kanon," the worker intoned as his body processed the richer, more noble pheromones of the leader of the hive. Colony Master D'Nakon awaits you inside." With that, he raised a padded striker and sounded it gently against the gong. It was barely audible to him, but the workers and the Colony Master would hear it with perfect clarity. It was the announcement that he had arrived. A moment passed as the workers in the Central Hatching Chamber moved to their ceremonial positions. S'Kanon knew from experience that the pathetic little creatures would line the Great Stairs that led from the Grand Entrance to the lowest level of the room. His irritation was mounting however, and he found himself tapping his foot on the floor with increasing rapidity. His personal guard had finally caught up with him and were patiently standing behind him ready to follow him into the second most sacred chamber on the ship. Finally, after a particularly annoying length of time, the doors slid open, pulled by six workers until they were both separated to their fullest extent. At that moment, all irritation was gone, as the soothing pheromones emitted by a few hundred nursery workers wafted up through the doors and overtook S'Kanon and his guard. The Grand Imperator moved forward with a lightness of carapace that he had not felt since the last time he had been present in this place. Despite his high station, he was still awestruck by the massive chamber. The Grand Entry Way opened into a massive chamber. The room was tiered, auditorium style, in concentric rings stretching from the smallest near the center of the room to the largest at the top of the room. The flat ceiling was filled with growing green vines, which in turn sprouted large blue-green bioluminescent spheres which added a lovely blue glow to the room. In the center of the room was a massive energy vortex, which stretched from floor to ceiling. It throbbed with a blue glow, contained only by the force field that surrounded it. It provided the optimum heat and wavelengths of light and radiation that were critical to the formation of healthy Hur'q hatchlings. Without it to emulate their sun, there would be no successful hatchings and this hive would die. S'Kanon moved along the broad avenue lined with workers until he reached the massive ceremonial staircase. This led him undeniably downwards towards the ground floor, allowing him an awe-inspiring view of the tiers filled with thousands upon thousands of Hur'q eggs. Their white leathery hides took on the blue glow of the incubator and seemed almost otherworldly. S'Kanon had never been to the home hive, but he had been told that there was nothing so moving as the sight of millions of eggs glittering in the blue light of the home star. When he reached the base of the steps, he turned to approach the Colony Master, D'Nakon. Of all those alive aboard the Hive Ship only the Colony Master had direct knowledge of the Home Hive. Only he had seen the original Home Star in all it's blue glory. For three-thousand generations he had tended to the needs of the colony, using his skill and knowledge to maintain the Hive's ability to sustain those aboard her. Of all the other non-royal castes only he deserved the respect due a royal. "You have summoned me, D'Nakon?" the Imperator inquired. The old Colony Master's antennae twitched with age as they turned to take in the scent of the new arrival. "I have Imperator," he said with a shaky voice. "We are approaching a hatching." S'Kanon tapped his foot in slight irritation, "So why summon me for such news?" he asked, "I have seen hatchings before, they are nothing special." The older Hur'q twisted his head slowly from side to side and worked his mandibles together. "Yes, indeed you have, Imperator, but this one is special. We will soon have a new queen." ~A new queen!~ S'Kanon thought in horror. "How can that be? It is not yet time for a new queen. Our current queen has not reigned for her full term yet." he questioned, "Could you be mistaken?" "I assure you Imperator, I am not mistaken. When the next hatching takes place we will have a new queen, and her pheromones will bring about the demise of the current queen." "Yes I know how it works!" S'Kanon snapped, his ire was rising. When the new queen was hatched her pheromones would start a biological decline within the body of the previous queen. Once the old queen died, he would no longer be useful and he would be replaced by a new Grand Imperator and his life would become forfeit. He snapped his mandibles shut with agitation. He had only served a short time, he had done much, but he was not ready to surrender his life for the colony just yet. There had to be a way to prevent it. "Certainly you could be mistaken?" he asked, "perhaps you are growing old and have misidentified the scent of the eggs?" "I have done no such thing!" the Colony Master replied. "Among us, only I have the ability to identify the caste and roll of the eggs before they hatch. I bear that gift alone. You dare question me?" "No, not at all, D'Nakon." The Imperator replied. "But no other Colony Master has been in stasis as long as you have. I know that you spend much time sleeping between hatchings, but you have seen so many Hatchings that perhaps your advanced years coupled with the effects of stasis could be affecting your ability to identify..." "Perhaps, but it doesn't matter Anyway." "What do you mean, of course it matters." S'Kanon replied, now thoroughly intrigued. The older Hur'q twisted his head from side-to-side. "No, it does not matter. The colony will die, when the new generation is born. It will not be immediate, but it will happen." "How is this possible, certainly you can explain this to me." "There is not enough food to sustain the next generation. Too many will die because the generation will be too large. The genetic pool will be too small to stay pure. We will die within the span of the next generation." S'Kanon nodded, "I understand, then we must cull the next generation to a manageable level." D'Nakon turned his eyes to face the Imperator his antennae were throbbing with anger. "You are a fool, S'Kanon!" he bellowed. "You can not simply cull half a generation! You will have no way to determine if we have enough workers or intellectuals or even Soldiers to maintain our colony! You would kill us even more readily than this crisis would." S'Kanon gnashed his mandibles together in sheer anger. Never had a member of a lesser caste spoken to him in such a manner. "Colonies have survived extreme loss during times of war or sickness. We are no different!" he retorted. "Yes, we are. Those colonies survived because they could bring in swarms from other colonies to supplement their losses. We do not have that option. And there is more. There will not be only one queen, there will be two." the Colony Master added. "Of course there will be!" "No, I mean there will be two hatching in the next generation. This generation is to split the colony into two. When that proves impossible, both hives will die." S'Kanon stood awestruck. Never in all his days had he heard of a hive dividing into two, at least not while they were on a hive ship. "How can that be? I thought that was impossible?" he asked. "Nothing is impossible, only improbable," the older Colony Master replied, "We have been traveling longer than anyone had ever thought possible. Either we find a way out of our current predicament so that we can split our hive, or all three queens die and the rest of the colony dies of starvation within a generation." There was a pause as the Master Colonist let his words sink in. Then in a more conspiratorial tone he added, "If this is done correctly, we can split into three hives and your position will be secure here for some time to come." "And how do I do this?" S'Kanon asked. "That, Grand Imperator, is your area of expertise, not mine." S'Kanon opened his carapace and fluttered his wings in agreement. "Indeed, Colony Master, it is." He turned and exited the hatching chamber, there was much planning to do if they were going to survive this crisis. (reply none) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (The Harvester- The Bastion- Spirit Counselor- Chaska "Star Goddess"- 1435) The sounds of the Nikowa birds rang out across the nearly kilometer wide forest as Chaska knelt quietly down to study the soil that had been disturbed near her feet. The Socakan trail was still relatively fresh and the animal had passed through here less than an hour ago. The enormously tall trees stretched their limbs upwards towards the only viable light source inside the bastion. The alternating shade and light patterns could play tricks on the eyes if one did not pay close enough attention to the details of the forest around them. She looked up into the lower branches of the trees, looking to see if there were any unwanted observers. Sometimes, her hunting parties would find themselves ambushed here, but the Clan of hunters that also resided nearby. It was a constant test of their patience and skill in counting coup, which although her Chaska's people did no longer perform such feats of prowess, They understood the practice all too well. Here eyes scanned the boughs of the sizeable trees, even as her fingers slowly felt of the soil. It was a reassuring thing, to be able to touch nature, even if it found itself trapped in such an unnatural place. The spherical forest was divided in half by a floor or ceiling, depending upon which half of the bastion you were in, the lower or upper half. in each case the floor making the separation acted as the ground, utilizing advanced gravity manipulation techniques that Chaska's own people had long ago discarded as unnecessary. In each of the halves, there were trees, flowers and underbrush, nurtured by the artificial lights that were embedded in the top of the demisphere. More important than the plants, or perhaps because of them, there was food. These were not the animals that Chaska had grown up hunting as a young member of her tribe. These were different animals with mysterious habits and dangerous defenses. There were herbivores, and carnivores, and a few scavengers, but fortunately the more dangerous hunting beasts were very rare. The Tribe of the Powers of the Moon or Miakoda had found themselves more recently forced to hunt these unusual beasts for their survival. Following an attack by a neighboring tribe, they found their own self-sustaining biosphere, dead- exposed to the harshness of space. In desperation, they took up the hunting tools of their ancestors and having prayed for guidance from the spirit guides of their peoples, had begun hunting in the Bastion. That had been three moons ago, and already the hunting parties were reporting problems locating game animals to bring back to the ship to feed their people. There were tensions with the hunters that also used the Bastion. They used it to hunt the more dangerous prey, the carnivores, which they would kill and strip a memento of the moment of the kill, but waste the rest of the life-gift. This was not a good nor respected practice among the Miakoda, who strongly believed in the balance of the natural world. They would not waste anything that could be used. To do otherwise would bring down the wrath of an offended nature spirit, or worse- it could lead to starvation. Chaska slowly stood, straightening out her leather clothing that had been made from the hides of the last game animal her people had managed to hunt and kill. The women of the tribe had added lovely stones and beads to the otherwise unadorned garment, to signify her spiritual place among them. She turned her head slowly to the left, catching the eyes of the tribe's best hunter, Namid, and nodded at him slowly. He cocked his head in response, then very slowly raised his hand. with a slow step forward, he began the hunt followed by the other three hunters of the tribe that had accompanied them. Having read the signs that nature had provided for them, Chaska had assured Namid that the animal that they were hunting would be ready to provide much needed sustenance for her people. It was an important ritual, one that her people did not take lightly. It was Chaska's place to assure that the spirit of the hunted animal was prepared for their final act of sacrifice to the tribe. if not properly prepared and honored there could be no success in the hunt and her people may well incur the wrath of the animal spirit, or worse; find themselves unable to feed themselves. And while Chaska, performed her duties as her position dictated, she could not help but keep in mind that the Bastion was such a small place and that the animal life was certainly more limited than even she thought it might be. The very real threats of over hunting the Bastion hunting grounds was not so distant, and the prospect of starvation was not so unlikely. Their food supply would run out, even if they were cautious with their hunting. there were simply too many mouths to feed in such a small area. ~Great Spirit~ She prayed, ~Let there be a successful hunt today and let a solution present itself so that your people may not starve and pass away from the face of your divine creation.~ (reply None) (posted by Daniel Greene) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Hunter Ship Ne'Q - Bridge - First Hunter Dreton Dash - 1440) Dretron, sitting in the main chair was well aware that everyone on the ship was feeling the strain. Not being able to hunt as they were used to caused a huge strain on his crew and it was part of his job to fix this. What could he do, they no longer had the power to train new Tosk. Dretron knew that they were fast reaching the point when they would no longer have the power to keep themselves alive shortly. Growing and training new Tosk was well beyond their capabilities even now, but if he even suggested that they shut down that facility he knew that he would have a revolt on his hands almost immediately. " They had spent so much of their lives hunting that they had forgotten about the rest of the galaxy. 'And look where it has gotten us." Dretron shook his head knowing that his prime would not wait much longer before he killed Dreton and took over. ~I wish you well Adzon. If you knew what I knew then you would not be so keen.~ Turning to the ship's Chief he regarded him solemnly. "Well, Verian. I don't suppose you have good news for me?" The Chief simply shook his head. "First, what can I say. Look around you, I have diverted power from every single place I can think of except Life Support. What more do you wish me to do?" Dreton sighed and looked around the bridge noticing every single one of the stations that were dark now and had already been shut down in an effort to conserve power. "I expect you to find power from somewhere Chief otherwise both of us will lose our hides. Adzon won't wait much longer and don't think he will be as lenient with you as I have been when you give him the same tired old excuses you have given me. You'll find your hide pinned to the wall right alongside mines in fairly quick order." The Chief nodded, "Then you and I old friend will end our last hunt, ignominiously and in shame, as will everyone else aboard this ship." The First nodded, and placed a hand on his old hunting partner's shoulder, maybe for the last time. "Set Life Support to the bare minimum and have supplies cut by half again. If our young wish to keep hunting then it's about time they learned that there is a price to be paid for such folly." (No reply needed) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- End Compile ---------------------------------------------------------------------