Compile#35 October 12-17 (USS Rosenante & USS Boudicca Joint) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: Once More Into the Breach Day 5 Stardate: Age of Makto Compile Summary (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1139) (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Science Officer - Ensign Andrew Maddox - Day 5 - 1140) (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Science Officer Ensign JG Joseph Willowbrook - Day 5 - 1143) (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1145) (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1523) (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - aFO - Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 5 - 1524) (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - CEO - Lt. Steven Matrix - Day 5 - 1526) (USS Rosenante, Sickbay, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1531) (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1533) (USS Rosenante - Operating Room 3 - Trauma Surgeon - Ensign (Dr) V'Nara Oren - 1535) (USS Rosenante - Operating Room 3 - ACEO Lt JG Eian O'Neill - Day 5 - 1541) (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1550) (USS Rosenante, Deck 10, Lieutenant jg Sanok, 1602) (USS Rosenante,Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1603) (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, Lieutenant jg Sanok, 1604) (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1605) (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, Lieutenant jg Sanok,1606) (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - Cmdr - Jennifer (Josh) Caskie - 1607) (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1608) (USS Rosenante, Outside Sickbay, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1623) (USS Rosenante - Sickbay - ACEO Lt JG Eian O'Neill - Day 5 - 1631) (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - ACSO Ensign Isra Caliel, Day 5, 1656) (USS Rosenante, Biohazard lab - ACSO Ensign Isra Caliel - Day 5, 1701) (USS Rosenante - Main Sick Bay - CMO, Lt jg Kimiko Ichijo - Day 5 - 1732) (USS Rosenante - Sickbay - CMO, Lt jg Kimiko Ichijo - Day 5 - 1747) (USS Rosenante, Sickbay, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1755) (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2116) (USS Rosenante, Deck 9 Commo Suite Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS, Day 5, 2119) (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2120) (USS Rosenante, Corridor Deck 9, Sgt Rickman, Day 5, 2122) (USS Rosenante, Commo Suite Deck 9, Lieutenant Tom Jackson, 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5, 2125) (USS Rosenante, Deck 9- CommSuite, SO Ensign Eva Saint Jean, Day 5, 2128) (USS Rosenante- Commo Suite- CSec- LT Chance Raschen- 2129) (USS Rosenante, Corridor Deck 9, Sgt Rickman, Day 5, 2130) (USS Rosenante- Commo Suite- LT Tom Jackson -2nd Officer / COPS -Day 5 - 2131) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Commsuite - ACEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2134) (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2135) (USS Rosenante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 2136) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Commsuite - AcEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2150) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Borg Tactical Drone - Fifth of Twelve - 2155) (USS Rosenante - Somewhere on Deck 28 - Volus - Day 5- 2200) (USS Rosenante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 2201) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - ACEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2202) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - Science Officer Ensign(jg) Nickolas Romanoff - 2204) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 Comm Suite - Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5 2207) (USS Roseante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 22.15) (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - Science Officer Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2217) (USS Rosenante Deck 9 Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5 2300) (USS Rosenante, Deck 9- CommSuite, SO Ensign Eva Saint Jean, Day 5, 2315) ======================================================= Mission: Once More Into the Breach Day 6 Stardate: Age of Makto Compile Summary (USS Rosenante, Somewhere on deck 28- Volus, Day 6,0040) (USS Rosenante, Bridge CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 6,0045) (USS Kelman - XO's Quarters - CDR Liam O'Neill - Day 6 - 0050) (USS Rosenante, Main Engineering, CEO Lt. Steven Matrix , Day 6, 0103) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1139) Department reports. Ahmed was really beginning to hate them. Throughout this entire crisis, they had been the bane of his existence. They were cumbersome during operations like this, but they were also unfortunately a very necessary evil. A stir in the corridor outside the observation lounge caught Ahmed's attention and as a precaution he grabbed his phaser rifle in case the Borg had somehow managed to break through. It didn't take too long before Ahmed realized the reason for the disturbance. Ensign Maddox, who had been captured by the Borg, according to commander Sullivan, had just stepped into the observation lounge. He didn't look Borg and so there was a sense of relief that was passing among the crew, yet Ahmed couldn't help but notice Ensign Willowbrook standing beside the other scientist. His body language said that he was frightened but determined all the same. It wasn't the sort of edge that you had when the danger was very far away, but when it was much closer than you'd prefer. Salid's eyes narrowed a little bit as soon as he realized that Maddox, who was normally awkward wasn't as awkward as he should be. Something was very wrong here. "Sir, I know you must be busy, but I have a matter of some importance and I wanted to speak to you." Maddox stated. It wasn't at all like him to be so confident. "I'm certain you do Ensign. I was led to understand that you were captured by the Borg and assimilated. " Ahmed answered, choosing his words carefully. There was a part of his brain that was preparing for some sort of conflict. There were too many things that weren't registering true. "News of my assimilation has been greatly exaggerated." Maddox answered the Captain. "However I did have a rather stimulating conversation with a Borg named Volus. He is the head of the Collective's mission." "Did you determine this information on your own?" Ahmed asked warily. "No, Volus told me. They aren't interested in assimilation out of malice. They have decided that the human race is worthy of evolving to the next level. I have been chosen to be their spokesperson to the human race. Being an artificial life form raised by humans, I was the logical choice. The bridge for the gap, the proverbial missing link." "Artificial Life form?" Ahmed asked. "Yes, I was created by Doctor Maddox in such a way that a normal scans show me as human. All my functions mimic normal human biological functions, I have a positronic brain and an android skeleton with a biological sheath." he explained. "The Borg explained this to you?" Ahmed asked, "How exactly did they manage that?" "I saw Volus show Andrew how he was created, Sir," Willowbrook found his voice. Ahmed could detect the undercurrent of fear in his tone as he spoke. "They opened his skin and then repaired it." The situation was suddenly extraordinarily dangerous. If the Borg had injected Maddox with any nanites at all, then a very real danger existed. The man/android standing in front of him could be carrying some sort of weapon, or he could be a weapon himself. If his abilities were anything at all like the Soong-type androids, Maddox would be exceptionally dangerous, whether he wanted to be or not. Even as an engineer, Ahmed realized that a machine with a soul was still a machine and safeguards could be overridden. At this moment there was no more dangerous a place to be on the ship. The potential for him to experience his own mortality could be a lot closer than he'd prefer. In fact it was about 3 meters away at present. "I see." Ahmed said slowly, "Are you communicating with the Collective now Andrew?" he asked, knowing that Maddox didn't have to answer him truthfully. "Are you doing what they tell you to do?" (reply Maddox, Willowbrook) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Science Officer - Ensign Andrew Maddox - Day 5 - 1140) "I see." Ahmed said , "Are you communicating with the Collective now Andrew?" he asked, he was obviously being very cautious. "Are you doing what they tell you to do?" "Yes, They speak to me, advising me, and I can speak to Them." he paused sensing the Captain's apprehension by simple deduction of body language rather then any empathic talent. "I can see you are worried, sir, don't be." he assured him. "I was not assimilated, I still have free will." (Reply Salid, Willowbrook) "Simply put, I'm not a confrontational type of person, you both know that. If I had been instructed to kill someone, I wouldn't have the gumption to pull it off, face to face. I would have overridden the safety protocols on the fire suppression system, locked all the doors and told the computer manually that there was a fire." Once Maddox said that, the psychological impact of the viciousness of the description would detriment of the negotiations. "...thats if I even I would have gone through with it." (Reply Salid, Willowbrook iyw) "I am sorry. I'm new at this, Sir. I haven't had the courses in diplomacy that you've had. I'm doing the best I can though." he admitted. (Reply Salid, room for more) "No, Sir. Volus has shown me that I'm special. Why else would my father created me? This monunentous achievement you see before you, was quite a bit of effort. Yet in every sense of the term I'm human. I am the bridge between our cultures, can't you see?" Maddox said stepping forward hands up, despirate to be heard and understood by someone he envied so much. Someone he looked to for guidance and how to be better at everything. (Reply Willowbrook & Volus iyw) His friend pushed himself between Maddox and the Captain, and as Maddox's right hand touched Joseph's shoulder, a pulse of electricity jumped from it, triggered remotely by the Borg. It arced through Joseph's body as he fell to the ground. {{Finish the Captain. End this so there can be peace!}} Andrew's eyes grew wide in shock and horror at what had happened. He had been duped and now his friend was dead at his feet, but the Borg had sent him as a Manchurian diplomat, his target unbeknown to him was the very man who he looked to for guidance. "NO, I won't do it!" Maddox yelled verbally in response to the Borgs' siren call. (Reply Salid, Volus) Four green columns appeared, and coalesced into four Borg drones ready to finish the job that Maddox couldn't and wouldn't. The Captain's reflexes were blindingly quick. Tears streamed down Andrew's face. He collapsed to the ground sobbing. ~Oh, what have I done?! All I wanted was for you to be proud of me, Dad.~ A beam lanced out and tagged one of the drones, who proptly fell to the ground. (Reply Salid iyw) Andrew got angry. It was all his fault, the whole thing. The Captain was correct, if Andrew was to set this right, he would have to do something and now. He had just realized that he was unarmed, or was he? ~ My hand! Unwittingly the Borg gave him the means to resist them, but how does it work?~ Maddox stood defiantly and spun around to face those that had tricked him. He marched right up to the nearest drone, who had his sights on the Captain, because obviously to them Andrew wasn't a threat. He was determined to prove them wrong. Andrew put his hand right on the drone's thorax and poured all his will into his hand. What ever he did it worked energy began coursing from Andrew's hand into the drone. Licks and arcs of pure lightning like energy ripped and tore through the drone and grounded into the deck, harmlessly channeled away by the ship's systems. In a few seconds there wasn't enough left of the drone to conduct the electricity to the deck and the energy flow ceased as the drone fell apart to the floor. (reply Willowbrook) The remaining drone drew on the Captain, who had taken out the other drone. Maddox rushed the smaller female drone and tried the same tactic, placing a hand on her, and nothing. Apparently it was a one-time weapon, or it needed time to charge. The female drone un-impressed, grabbed Andrew and like child's toy in the way, threw him aside as if he were nothing. Andrew was thrown a good 20 feet and impacted the marble conference table putting a large crack through the surface. The female drone's shield activated in response to the Captain's phaser rifle blast. She took aim. (Reply IYW, Salid, Willowbrook, Volus) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Observation Lounge - Science Officer Ensign JG Joseph Willowbrook - Day 5 - 1143) "Yes, They speak to me, advising me, and I can speak to Them." he paused sensing the Captain's apprehension by simple deduction of body language rather then any empathic talent. "I can see you are worried, sir, don't be." he assured him. "I was not assimilated, I still have free will." "We hope," Willowbrook said, surprising himself with sarcasm in such a dire time. He was inches away from potential death, and the Captain was only feet away from it himself. Joseph realized that if they lost Salid, they had lost their commander for this mission...it could easily fail after that knowledge was transferred to the Collective, and they'd all be 'speaking Borg', as they say. "Simply put, I'm not a confrontational type of person, you both know that. If I had been instructed to kill someone, I wouldn't have the gumption to pull it off, face to face. I would have overridden the safety protocols on the fire suppression system, locked all the doors and told the computer manually that there was a fire." Once Maddox said that, the psychological impact of the viciousness of the description would detriment of the negotiations. "...thats if I even I would have gone through with it." "Now there's a convincing argument," Joseph said under his breath. Again, he surprised himself. He didn't know where this was coming from. He only hoped it came from the same place that drove him to action, not running away. Because he needed that line of code active in his brain, not the other. "I am sorry. I'm new at this, Sir. I haven't had the courses in diplomacy that you've had. I'm doing the best I can though." he admitted. (Reply Salid, room for more) ~He really believes this,~ Joseph realized. ~And he is in control of himself. At least he is, mostly. My God. Andrew, how did they manage to convince you of their garbage?~ "No, Sir. Volus has shown me that I'm special. Why else would my father created me? This monunentous achievement you see before you, was quite a bit of effort. Yet in every sense of the term I'm human. I am the bridge between our cultures, can't you see?" Maddox said stepping forward hands up. ~This is it. He's going to kill the Captain. He's going to--~ ... It's interesting how the mind works when adrenaline kicks in. Rational thought, the process of calculation, doesn't actually speed up. It's just that it increases in capacity. Willowbrook finished his thought, but he also finished about 300 other thoughts in the same instant. None of them were a normal command one would see when adrenaline wasn't coursing through one's veins. A normal command such as 'speak up', or 'stand quietly' or 'watch out!' Those normal commands were still initiated, but at such a speed that Willowbrook could not track. Therefore, it seemed to Joseph that no time at all passed between the end of his last normal thought and the beginning of his next action. It would also seem to him later, on reflection, that no thought went into the action at all. That no amount of coherent preparation for the action could have prepared him for it, because no command was actually entered. It would seem to him later that his body simply *moved.* His jumped between Maddox and the Captain, and as Maddox's right hand touched Joseph's shoulder, a pulse of electricity jumped from it, triggered remotely by the Borg. It arced through Joseph's body as he fell to the ground. Everything went black. ... There was ringing...his ears were ringing. His body felt numb. His vision was still black. It took a moment, but blurry vision returned when he opened his eyes, and cleared after a few blinks. He was sore in places that had feeling, and had the strange experience of having entire sections of his body still numb, and others tingling. He took in his surroundings. The Captain was fighting a drone. Andrew placed his hand onto another drone's thorax and electricity shot everywhere. None of this really registered in Joseph's brain. He simply stared in disbelief at what was going on around him. There was one drone left, and it was heading straight for the Captain. Joseph sat up, but Andrew was faster. He was on the drone in seconds, but she threw him aside and his friend impacted the marble conference table. He left a visible crack in the surface, which made Joseph wince. The drone was now about to assimilate or kill Salid, and Joseph again could not think. All he could do was act. He picked up a phaser that had bounced over in his direction, and he blasted the drone in the back of the head. She never saw his fire coming. Her head exploded under the high intensity beam, leaving them all splattered in blood and her bones leaving nicks in their skin. Joseph dropped the phaser, and was completely still. His breathing was shallow, his pupils were dilated, and after everything he saw, it didn't surprise him when his first coherent, normal thought was, ~I'm going into shock...~ (reply any) (posted by Morgan G) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1145) "Yes, They speak to me, advising me, and I can speak to Them." Maddox paused for a moment as if sensing the Ahmed's apprehension. "I can see you are worried, sir, don't be." he assured him. "I was not assimilated, I still have free will." "We hope," Willowbrook said quite pointedly and Ahmed had to admit to himself that he had been thinking the exact same thing. "Simply put, I'm not a confrontational type of person, you both know that." Maddox went on to explain, "If I had been instructed to kill someone, I wouldn't have the gumption to pull it off, face to face. I would have overridden the safety protocols on the fire suppression system, locked all the doors and told the computer manually that there was a fire." Ahmed raised an eyebrow. "...that's if I even I would have gone through with it." "Now there's a convincing argument," Joseph said under his breath, although the man was standing close enough to Ahmed for the captain to hear him clearly. "Mister Maddox," Ahmed admonished, "I might suggest that when dealing with matters of diplomacy that describing a means by which you can achieve the demise of those you are dealing with is generally a counterproductive tactic to employ." "I am sorry. I'm new at this, Sir." Maddox replied, " I haven't had the courses in diplomacy that you've had. I'm doing the best I can though." he admitted. Ahmed nodded. "Mistakes and misunderstandings are to be expected. But In order for me to even consider trusting your motives I need to know why you are doing this. Why are you Andrew Maddox, willing to represent the Borg despite everything that you know about them? Have you decided to join their Collective?" " No, Sir. Volus has shown me that I'm special. Why else would my father created me? This momentous achievement you see before you, was quite a bit of effort. Yet in every sense of the term I'm human. I am the bridge between our cultures, can't you see?" Maddox said stepping forward hands up. Despite everything; all the mental warnings sounding in his brain, the movement and gesture was so mundane, so unthreatening, that Ahmed's cognitive centers of his brain didn't even register the immediate danger to his person. He didn't even see the attack coming, but thankfully for the captain, Willowbrook did. In the span of a single heartbeat the scientist had closed the gap between Maddox and Salid, positioning himself squarely between the two men. An electrical discharge arced from the androids extended left hand, melting the shoulder of Willowbrook's teal uniform and cooking some of the flesh at the point of contact. He collapsed onto the floor gasping for air. Ahmed's phaser rifle was on the rise as the sound of Borg Drones beaming into the compartment reverberated through the air. twisted to the left, sidestepping Maddox's position for the moment and fired an angry red beam from his weapon into the chest of the closest Borg Drone. The Borg's electronics exploded into a shower of sparks as the beam made contact, but Salid wasn't about to stop there. He took another step back and fired at a second drone who had closed distance to him. The Borg swung his massive prosthetic arm in a broad arc, but Ahmed hopped backwards out of reach, twisting his rifle as he moved. His second blast struck true, burning a neat cauterized hole through the center of the Drone's chest plating and into his artificial organs. Suddenly a hand tightened around Ahmed's throat lifting him from his feet and slamming him against the bulkhead of the compartment. The impact was enough to knock the last big of air from his lungs and caused him to lose his grip on his rifle. A Borg Drone was holding him effortlessly in place with one of his arms, while he moved the other into position to assimilate the captain of the USS Rosenante. ~So this is it?~ he asked himself, ~I'm to become a mindless automaton after all?~ Then suddenly there was a flash of heat and Ahmed found himself splattered with a thick warm goo that had once been the organic remains of a Borg's braincase. The small pieces of bone bit into his skin and he could feel the slimy blood beginning to run down his cheeks and forehead. The grip around his neck loosened and The captain was no longer being held against the bulkhead. He gasped for air and winced at the pain of forcing it through his bruised esophagus and larynx. He barely managed to stay on his feet as the security men from the closest compartment closed in on the mayhem that remained of their assailants. "Sir are you okay?" someone asked him. He nodded, uncertain of his voice at that particular moment. He steeled himself for the pain he knew was coming and replied, "Maddox- arrest him. Maximum security escort." He gulped in more air, struggling to talk past the pain in his throat. "Get Willowbrook to Sickbay." (reply Any) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1523) Everything in the universe must eventually deal with entropy. Everything. There is no force, no object that won't eventually decay or die as a result of entropic destabilization. Organic creatures eventually die, machines break down and even stars eventually consume every resource at their disposal. Eian O'Neill was one of those things. The only difference was that he wasn't dying because of Entropy, his death was being facilitated by the imbalance of things that were needed to keep him alive. Without the Evolutionary components that developed to sustain him organically, and with the failure of the mechanical devices that the Borg had implanted, there was nothing remaining to keep him operating. He was going to die. They were all going to die, only Eian would die first. Pembrook had raised the Alarm. He was shouting for the attentions of the medical staff present here, even though his scientific mind told him that it was a lost cause. Judging by the hesitation from Commander Caskie, her mind had probably told her the same thing, but there was a difference there. Caskie was a lifesaver, not just by training, but by her very nature. in a brilliant moment of insight, she grabbed a personal stasis chamber from a nearby storage area. A few moments later, with a little help, Eian O'Neill was stabilized, or at least no longer expiring as he lay beneath the shimmering stasis field that was his life support at this very moment. Pem felt completely emotionally exhausted. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - aFO - Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 5 - 1524) Matrix pondered the discussion. "I like your idea Josh, but I've been thinking if we can't target the nanoprobes because of the interaction between inorganic and organic why can't we target them by their EMF signature? They have to emit a frequency that should be detectable and discernible from any organic signature around it...them. " Josh immediately jumped on his idea. "That's it I think. That's the delivery system. We've been looking in all the wrong places trying to find a delivery system that would work manually. We never thought about a frequency based one." "But everything in the entire universe resonates at it's own frequency. We need to find the Borg frequency and then disrupt it." She turned to Matrix grinning widely. "What exactly do you need to set this up? Whatever you need it is yours, but I need a list now if we hope to pull this off." (Reply Matrix) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - CEO - Lt. Steven Matrix - Day 5 - 1526) Matrix smiled, "Access to engineering replicator, about 30 minutes on the primary computer core, a capable tech and sensor access to a small group of Borg drones." replied Matrix. (Reply Caskie, any) "The replicator and computer access are my problem...should be able to access both on deck 4. The physics lab should have both available. Can you get sensor access to a group of Borg drones and do a complete scan sweep for about 15 minutes?" asked Matrix. (Reply Caskie, any) Matrix continued, "I'll get up to the physics lab and see if I can't access the computer core. Once the scans are completed, route the raw data to the link I'll provide. The computer should be able to analyze the data and the tech and I can replicate the necessary frequency tuned delivery system." (Reply Caskie, any) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Sickbay, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1531) Pembrook found himself somehow inexplicably tied to the fate of O'Neill as the first officer of the Boudicca and he rushed the critical engineer into sickbay. How or why he was here with what remained of the man despite the lack of logic running through his brain. He stood by as Caskie turned the stricken man over to the CMO before addressing him. "I need an update both on his condition and on any progress you make. I'll be back in the Lab if you need me." she stated. Pembrook nodded, still trying to get his mouth to work properly before he managed to spit out an answer, "Yes ma'am" He'd return to the lab long enough to grab a few pieces of data that he needed and then he'd return here for a while to consider what he had at his disposal and what could be determined from O'Neill's reaction. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1533) He had just downloaded the most recent data to his PADD and started a couple of new tests when he heard Caliel call his name. He turned to face her, but by the time he could see her, she'd already collapsed. The woman lay in the floor, and by the time Pem realized what was happening, Commander Caskie was at her side. The scientist in him wanted to make empirical observations, but the real truth of the situation was that he was terrified. With Caliel no longer able to function, Pembrook Carter, a nanoengineering specialist was suddenly the leading scientist on the rescue project. That thought was absolutely terrifying. Pem must have been holding his breath, because he suddenly exhaled in a sigh of relief once the commander let them know that Isra had collapsed in exhaustion rather than from some much more serious condition. They got the stricken woman on a gurney and into sickbay. (reply none needed) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Operating Room 3 - Trauma Surgeon - Ensign (Dr) V'Nara Oren - 1535) V'Nara had come a long way since the Academy. Though a bit longer then most Ensigns on the ship. She originally went through the Academy over 100 years ago, the ship of the line was the Excelsior class, and her first posting was the USS Fearless. Several transfers and a temporal anomaly later and now she was assigned to the Rosenante just after the end of the Civil War. In her time she was a Lieutenant Commander, now demoted to Ensign due to "Operational Differences in Federation Doctrine" between her time and the current. V'Nara really didn't care. Rank was just a number. What this Andorian really wanted to do was see patients and help people. "Ma'am, CMO just sent you a case!" Nate said snapping her out of her nostalgia. "Tell the team to get in here, STAT." she said simply. "That's the problem, all the teams are already busy." Nate said. "Then get in here and make yourself useful." she said in a tone that wasn't a request, as she put on her surgical gloves and gown. "Aye ma'am." Nate said and began setting up equipment. He motioned for the medical techs to bring in the patient now in stasis. "Give me report Chief, and keep those med techs we are going to need them for our surgical team." she said. "Ma'am we aren't a regular surgical team." he said. "Nonsense, you are all rated in surgical technique. I've just read up on the Current Starfleet Academy Medical Tech program. Time to earn your keep, and give me a report." she said before she donned her crimson surgical coif. Nate grabbed the PADD that contained the chart. "Lets see, despite the fact that our patient has been assimilated.." "Assimilated, I've always wanted to work on a Borg patient since I read Dr Crusher's paper on it. Who from the crew was assimilated?" "Um let me see, it's O'Neill from Engineering." Nate said. "You are normally on opposite shifts, and he hasn't needed surgery until now, that's probably why you haven't met him." "Looks like he has a lot of burns. What else is in the report? Not like I'm not going to see it with the scan, I just want to know what the triage officer found." she said while the rest of the team got ready. "MOI is an energy conduit explosion, that would explain the burns." Nate said. "Blast injuries don't occur in isolation. What else is there?" V'Nara sited an old medical adage from her Med-school days. "Penetrating shards of duranium bulkhead, over-pressurization of pulmonary tissue, and you can see the traumatic amputations. Apparently they replaced parts of his oropharanx and trachea, which is melted and fused. Looks like our priorities for this go-round are airway, circulatory restoration and internal organ replacement." Nate said. "Good work. We will have to take him out of stasis to accomplish those." she said, " and add an escharotomy to the list. We will have to do one before we can take him out of surgery." Alarms began going off as the bed started reading O'Neill's declining vital signs. "What the hell happened?!" V'Nara exclaimed. (Reply O'Neill) "What did you do?" Nate asked the Med Tech over by the bed controls. "Well she said we had to take him out of stasis..." "Stop arguing about it, and fix it! Put him back into stasis, he's dying!" she said urgently. The crewman quickly put O'Neill back under. "Crewman, you have a lot of explaining to do." Nate said. (Reply, O'Neill, any who wish to be in on the first surgery) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Operating Room 3 - ACEO Lt JG Eian O'Neill - Day 5 - 1541) When Eian first awoke, he wasn't aware of any pain, and hardly felt anything at all. It was as if someone turned a computer monitor on, and where there was black nothingness just seconds ago, there was now an onslaught of sights and sounds. His vision was blurry and confusing, he couldn't breathe at all, and everyone around him was shouting over the sound of alarms. "What the hell happened?!" Someone yelled. Eian couldn't move. He tried to take in a breath, but nothing happened. Then the pain hit him. An enormous wave of pain, worse than anything he had ever felt. Even his assimilation hadn't hurt as much as the pain he was now feeling. The deactivated nanoprobes were infesting his body and implants were lodged in open wounds, and his white blood cells tried desperately to fight back, but set alive every undamaged nerve in Eian's body. He couldn't scream, because he had no vocal cords and no means by which to breathe. His eyes opened wide in panic and shock, and he knew he wouldn't survive the next few seconds. "Stop arguing about it, and fix it! Put him back into stasis, he's dying!" someone shouted. Just as quickly as it had come alive, his world was 'turned off', and Eian was thrust back under the black nothingness from which he came. (reply any there) (posted by Morgan G) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, BioHazard Lab 1, SciO CPO Pembrook Carter, Day 5, 1550) Discussion was the developer of intellect. It was the ability to expound upon a concept and to integrate the ideas and concerns of others into a roughly hewn paradigm in order to formulate a distinct plan of action. And Pembrook had been listening carefully to all the ideas, statements and concerns that had been floating around the compartment of the lab for the last several minutes. Caliel, Caskie and Matrix were by far some of the most intelligent people that he had ever met. Experts in their field, their thoughts, suggestions and concerns were borne of experience, competency and to a lesser degree desperation. And while the discussed and planned, Pembrook listened and continued with his work, half hearing and half working. It was then that he saw something that he had missed this entire time. A slice of data in the Borg nanoprobe programming sequence that was fundamentally the mechanical version of Borg DNA. He had found the entire sequence that the Borg used to assimilate an organic creature. "Commander!" he said excitedly. "Commander Caskie, sir. I think you should see this." (reply Caskie) He quickly turned and tapped in a series of commands that displayed the entire code on one of the larger display screens, then he started pulling out pieces of the code and fitting them together. "I've found it commander. I've found the codes that tell the nanoprobes what to change. I also have the syntax worked out thanks to Ensign Caliel's work." he explained excitedly. "We won't have to use any sort of physical delivery method. no paintball type delivery system, no hyposprays or dart guns. All we need is the ability to transmit a new series of commands to the nanoprobes and let them do the rest. We can make them do whatever you want. Shut down, regenerate, suicide, or worse." (reply Caskie) "We'd need a pretty powerful communications array, maybe like the subspace array. We have a frequency that we can use, I'll just need to rewrite the code for us to transmit." (reply Caskie) "I don't know ten hours maybe. It's a complicated code and one wrong bit of syntax and we've told every Borg nanoprobe to disassemble the ship. It's delicate work, but it can be done." (reply Caskie) Carter turned to Matrix, "Sir if I gave you a set of parameters could you go to the Commsuite and make modifications there to allow us to transmit on the necessary frequencies? That equipment won't normally hit those ranges." (reply Matrix) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Deck 10, Lieutenant jg Sanok, 1602) Due to heavy Borg activity on the upper decks, Sanok had been forced to admit to himself that he was not going to be able to make it to the new command center in the observation lounge, as he and Ben had been ordered to do. Therefore, he had decided to simply make his way downward, one deck at a time, until he found someone else from the crew. Once he found someone, he should be able to get an update on what had been happening on board. Sanok was hugging a wall, moving slowly and carefully down an empty corridor on deck 10, listening for any sounds. Around a curve in the corridor, he heard something ahead. A phaser in both hands, he moved forward. Popping out into the middle of the corridor, he aimed both weapons at the person standing outside the biohazard lab. "Ben," said Sanok, lowering his phasers. "It is most agreeable to see you again." (reply Soma) (posted bu Bob B.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante,Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1603) Ben was awaiting a reply from Commander Caskie when he heard something moving through the corridor behind him. His pacing had prevented him from hearing it sooner, were the Borg coming? He drew his phaser as the sound neared and rose one hand to the controls that would jettison the biolab should it prove to be drones. He tensed and prepared himself for a confrontation. To his surprise and relief Sanok jumped into the middle of the corridor with two phasers leveled at him. He was very glad to see his friend alive, he replaced his phaser in his holster as Sanok lowered his and spoke. "Ben," said Sanok, lowering his phasers. "It is most agreeable to see you again." Ben smiled at Sanok. "It's very good to see you Sanok, I didn't know if you were alive or if you made it back to the command center." He said. "Ensign Signos found me and then we fought a group of drones, one of which turned out to be Eian. He's in the lab now with a team working on trying to reprogram his nano probes to give us an advantage against the Borg, but he's in pretty bad shape." (reply Sanok, any) (posted by Milo Young) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, Lieutenant jg Sanok, 1604) Soma said, "It's very good to see you, Sanok. I didn't know if you were alive or if you made it back to the command center. Ensign Signos found me and then we fought a group of drones, one of which turned out to be Eian. He's in the lab now, with a team working on trying to reprogram his nanoprobes to give us an advantage against the Borg, but he's in pretty bad shape." It seemed that while Sanok was roaming the upper levels, trying to find a way back to the new command center, he was trying to do something that was no longer relevant. It was also clear that things had changed significantly. While plans were being implemented to end the Borg threat, he had been like a lost soldier on the front lines, trying to find his way back to his unit, all the while, missing the fight. "The Borg almost got me several times," said Sanok, "but I was able to evade them. Once we have prevailed, I will look forward to never seeing the Borg again." Sanok thought about Signos, and especially about O'Neill. It was inevitable that some of them would fall, and that some would be assimilated, but it did not make the reality of it easy to take.''" Have you heard any news from the rest of the ship?" said Sanok. "Have we been retaking ground or are we being pushed off our own ship? Is Signos all right? Is there a chance O'Neill can be freed from the Borg?" Sanok paused for a moment. "How are you?" (reply Soma) (posted by Bob B.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1605) "The Borg almost got me several times," said Sanok, "but I was able to evade them. Once we have prevailed, I will look forward to never seeing the Borg again." Ben was glad to hear that his friend was able to evade the drones, he had couple close brushes himself but managed to stay ahead of them too. "You and me both." Ben replied. "I never want to see another drone as long as I live." "Have you heard any news from the rest of the ship?" said Sanok. "Have we been retaking ground or are we being pushed off our own ship? Is Signos all right? Is there a chance O'Neill can be freed from the Borg?" Sanok paused for a moment. "How are you?" "I haven't heard much in the way of news." Ben answered. "For now the Borg have stopped their advance, which gives us some breathing room to regroup and make a plan. Captain Salid sent Signos to find me to help in the capture of a drone in the hope that we can modify its nano probes to prevent further assimilation." The question about Signos was a good one, he hadn't heard anything on her condition and still felt bad about having to report her condition. "Something happened to Signos in the attack, either the shock of seeing Eian as a drone or a result of her proximity to the explosion or both." Ben said. "When she came to it was as if two people were speaking at once, I reported that to Commander Caskie and she ordered Trei to escort her to sickbay and confine her until she was cleared." Those were the easy questions to answer, the last wasn't so easy. "Under the current circumstances I'm doing better then I would have thought." He stated. "For years all I wanted was revenge for what happened to my parents. Now that isn't the case, or at least not in the extent it was. Now I just want to survive this and put it behind me, I want the Borg off our ship. I want us to be safe again, I want my friends around me and I want to find Marah." Ben paused for a moment. "This mission has brought up some painful memories for me, forced me to think about my parents again. I miss them Sanok, that's not something I can deny or forget." (reply Sanok, any) (posted by Milo Young) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, Lieutenant jg Sanok,1606) Ben gave Sanok a quick answer to his questions, but what interested him the most, was Ben's response on how he was doing. Sanok knew his friend had lost his family to the Borg, and he knew this mission was going to be difficult for Ben. For most of the time, things had been too fast and furious for introspection, but now that things were somewhat quiet, Ben had time to really think about things. It was really hitting him hard. "I can only imagine what you are feeling now," said Sanok. "If there is anything I can do, just let me know." He placed his hand on Ben's arm. Before Ben could say anything, Sanok heard something. He used hand signals to communicate that to Ben. They both readied their weapons. It was Commander Caskie from the Boudicca. "Mister Soma. Carter and I had to transfer O'Neill to sickbay," said Caskie. "It was either that or allow him to die. I would like both of you to check with sickbay to see if they need you as security for him. If not, then by all means, consider yourself free to report to Captain Salid at your earliest convenience." Reporting to Captain Salid is what Sanok had been trying to do for hours, but he was unable because of the Borg. It was unlikely he and Ben would be able to do so now. He also wondered why O'Neill was transferred, and Ben, who was their guard, wasn't informed. He waited for Ben to respond. (Reply Soma) (Posted by Bob B.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - Cmdr - Jennifer (Josh) Caskie - 1607) Josh was trudging back from Sickbay to the Bio Lab after having taken O'Neill there. Just as she rounded the corner her comm badge chirped. Soma to Commander Caskie," He said. "how are things going in there?" Josh was to tired right at this moment to answer him especially since he was only round the corner about a minute away from her. So she simply trudged on down the corridor back to the bio lab. When she got to the door she noticed that another member of the Rose crew had managed to hook up with him. She tried to bring up a smile to greet both of them. "Mr Soma. Carter and I had to transfer O'Neill to Sickbay. It was either that or allow him to die. I would like both of you to check with Sickbay to see if they need you as security for him. If not then by all means consider yourself free to report to Captain Salid at your earliest convenience." (Reply Soma, Sanok) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Outside Biohazard Lab, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1608) "I can only imagine what you are feeling now," said Sanok. "If there is anything I can do, just let me know." He placed his hand on Ben's arm. It was then that he heard someone approaching, Sanok no doubt heard it before he did so Ben simply nodded as Sanok made hand signals and both drew their phasers and turned in the direction of the approaching party. Commander Caskie stepped into view which surprised Ben, he was under the assumption that she was inside the biolab with the others. "Mister Soma. Carter and I had to transfer O'Neill to sickbay," said Caskie. "It was either that or allow him to die. I would like both of you to check with sickbay to see if they need you as security for him. If not, then by all means, consider yourself free to report to Captain Salid at your earliest convenience." Ben didn't like the sound of that, Eian was in pretty bad shape but his borg nanoprobes should have been able to repair what ever damage his body sustained in the blast fairly easily. He also wasn't happy about being left in the dark, they could have let him know about the transfer so he could have gone as added security. "I assume since I wasn't notified that Eian's condition deteriorated rapidly." Ben said. "We will move to sickbay, reporting to Captain Salid may not be possible considering our previous attempt to do so failed and resulted in our seperation." (reply Caskie, iyw) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Outside Sickbay, CTAC/SEC Lt. jg Ben Soma, 1623) Ben stood outside sickbay with Sanok, before they went in he wanted to tell his friend about Eian. Most Vulcan's would say it was illogical to do so but Ben felt he had to, Eian had helped them both in the past and the three of them had developed a little more then the casual working relationship. "Sanok." Ben started. "Eian was badly burned in the explosion, his skin is charred and his body armor has melted in many places. If Commander Caskie transferred him to sickbay it means the nano probes are not repairing the damage and what remains of his human physiology can't cope with the extent of his injuries, it is likely that he may not survive." Ben wasn't sure how Sanok would react to that but he didn't like the thought, he would lose another person he felt close to because of the Borg. He wasn't sure how many more he could lose without reaching a breaking point. He stepped into the doors sensor range and stepped inside once it opened. Taking a look around he saw Eian on a biobed surrounded by medical personel, he headed over to them and stopped just behind them so he wouldn't be in the way. Eian didn't look very good, he was dying. "Doctor," He began. "do you require any extra security." (reply Caskie, Sanok, anyone in sickbay) (posted by Milo Young) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Sickbay - ACEO Lt JG Eian O'Neill - Day 5 - 1631) ~He felt the warmth of the fire as it crackled in the small pile of wood surrounded by rocks on the ground. He heard the whistle of the wind and rustle of the leaves. He saw a few leaves break free of their branches and float down to the dirty ground, their orange color catching his eye in the light of the fire. And as he sat there peacefully on a log, an elderly gentleman sat next to him. He wore a flannel shirt, puffy down vest, jeans, boots, and a baseball hat. He had a neatly trimmed white beard, and kind eyes. He was roasting two marshmallows on a stick. Eian had been here before. He remembered this man...he was a sort of conduit, a spokesperson... But Eian no longer believed in such things, or even this place. He reasoned, even though he remembered the comforting feelings he used to get from being here, that they were a result of the chemical pathways in his brain. And even though he could have reasoned this before, he would have ascribed it to something he couldn't acknowledge as true. His newfound beliefs didn't stop him from asking the question that was pressing on his mind, though. In fact, they fueled the question. "Why am I here?" His voice came out small and child-like. Eian realized that just as he had appeared before as his seven-year-old self in this place, he was also a child now. But he was older. He was probably ten, or even eleven. He was bigger. He looked down and saw that he was missing his right arm just below the elbow. It was capped with a metal link to a Borg prosthetic. Reaching up with his left hand, he felt his left eye was gone, replaced with a similar metal cap. The older man turned and smiled. "You come here whenever your heart needs to come here." Eian frowned. He reasoned that this was an obvious statement. Of course his mind had taken him here because it wanted to. "Well...I want to go." "You don't want to have a s'more first?" Eian hesitated. He knew 'reality' was bad. He didn't remember exactly how bad, or even what had happened...just that it was bad, and he didn't particularly want to go back there. "One s'more," he answered. The older man smiled again and pulled one stick away from the fire. He paused before he handed it to eleven-year-old Eian. When he spoke, his voice sounded more monotone than before. More like a drone. "It's curious. The exterior is burnt and...one might say...*damaged*, by the fire. Inside, it's warm and gooey. It's been changed significantly by this process." "True," Eian answered. He took the stick, and stared at the graham crackers that were in a plastic container at their feet. The man made no gesture that he would help the one-armed boy. "Its trial was sudden and extremely effective. In only minutes, it was transformed from the outside in." Eian put the stick between his legs and bent down to get the graham crackers. When he picked up two, he separated them with his fingers and squished the marshmallow between them. Then, using his legs to hold the stick in place, he pulled the s'more off the stick. "But one would never call it anything but a marshmallow. It has not changed its species. It has merely changed its composition." Eian took a bite, and savored the taste of the delicious s'more. "It was not truly transformed. If one managed to cook the marshmallow from the inside out, one would find that the marshmallow tasted hard and disgusting." Ten-year-old Eian nodded as he took another bite. "Then it would truly be transformed. It would be transformed into the charred remains of a marshmallow, eventually." "Where are you going with this?" Eian asked, finishing off the s'more. "You have everything you need to decipher that on your own. You will discover what I meant, but not for a while. In the mean time, take heart. You're on your way to recovery. The next time you see me, you will be more complete than you are now, and more complete than you have ever been before." Eian frowned again, and watched as the peaceful setting shifted. The light from the fire faded, and the man disappeared. Eian was left alone in a world of darkness once more. ~ (reply none necessary, any in Sickbay) (posted by Morgan G) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Biohazard Lab - ACSO Ensign Isra Caliel, Day 5, 1656) "Guys." she said, entering the lab again. She didn't give anyone a chance to respond to her being back on her feet, and jumped straight towards the computer she'd been working at. "I've figured out the code." she said, with a hint of triumph in her voice. (reply any) "It came to me in a dream..." she replied, letting her fingers do the talking as she tapped away at the computer. "basically, all creatures have DNA, synthetic or otherwise." she continued, explaining her dream. (Reply Pem/any) "Oh... you found it already. Nice one." (reply again) "No, you'd have found it anyway. It wasn't hidden..." she explained, as her fingers still blurred over the keys. "The four strands I found are linked via a piece of code, switching it for different jobs." she continued explaining, sending the parts of the code she'd found to the bigger screen that the whole lab would be able to see. First, the four strands together flicked up, and as it zoomed into one, it was broken down into lengthy code. "This first strand is the identification code. It identifies what it's scanning, and uses the links to determine what to do with it." she carried on, splitting the other strands down to attack, deconstruct and reconstruct. "We can use all four to rebuild the human system." she added at the end, with a grin. (Reply any) Written by Andy Jones --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS ROsenante, Biohazard lab - ACSO Ensign Isra Caliel - Day 5, 1701) Since returning from her short rest in sickbay, Isra had done nothing but type on a computer, and listen in to the conversations going on around her. They seemed to realise that by this point, her and Carter had the coding under control, but that wasn't all they needed to deal with. "Carter, I'm sending you a rundown of the code I just wrote. Can you use that to help, please? We're quickly running out of time here." Isra said, sending the file as she was talking. "What if we could hide the delivery system in some other weapon? Their shields would be protecting against the more obvious and lethal attack, while the hidden weapon would get through." Isra said, stopping her typing for a second to look up at her superiors who weren't as scientifically minded. "Thinking about it," she continued, "their shields protect against certain frequencies, so they have to shift that to match, right? A shield protecting against phaser frequency wouldn't be able to also protect against a physical attack, much like a physical attack shield can't stop a phaser blast." she finished. (Reply any) "We could modify a phaser rifle to attach a dart gun to it." she explained, her limited engineering knowledge playing a part in her idea. "The phaser blast would hit target much sooner because of the speed of light, but if we timed it right, the dart would fire first, and they'd hit the target together." (reply any) "Shorter range is better. They'd not see it coming so easily. It would also be easier to set the dart firing time." (Reply any) Written by Andy Jones --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Main Sick Bay - CMO, Lt jg Kimiko Ichijo - Day 5 - 1732) Kimiko stood over the young engineer and scanned thought the history. The women was holding steady and the assimilation was not progressing; however she could not be kept under indefinably and none of the techniques that she had tried, put a dent in the artificial structure. "Lets get some help over here." Nate called out. "Doctor, your assistance please." Nate said in a loud voice. Kimiko turned towards the sound and rushed over the the activity. She took in the scene, Fuller stood over Sullivan working frantically by purposely on her injuries. "Put pressure on that wound!" Nate said "She's 3 liters low, start fluid replacement." Nate ordered. "Computer, do we have any blood units on had with the Commander's blood type?" [Negative] Nate turned to Kimiko who had just arrived. "Use a colloid volume expander to get her blood pressure up?" "Yes, thank you" Kimiko replied as she moved over to the other side of the body. There were a couple of bleeders that needed to be brought under control. As her hands work quickly on the feild, Dr Ichijo made a few calculations. "extrude at 2000 milliliters over two hours, plus one milligram of Epinephrine." "2000 ml over 2 hours, 1 mg Epinephrine," Nate responded to the Doctors request. As she and Fuller worked frantically over the body, a warning tone sounded. "We've lost the pulse. She's going into V-fib, charging to 300 joules." Kimiko nodded to herself as she switched her view from the field to the display. "Clear," she called out she watch as all the people tending to T'Larah stopped and took their hands off to avoid conducting the charge to themselves. A barely audible whine could be heard as the bio bed shifted energy to the cardiac pacers. [Cardiac defibrillation advised and ready] the computer toned. As the button was pressed all of T'Larah's muscles contracted at once causing her to flop on the bed. "V-tach now, charging again, to 350" Nate said, the unit whined again. Kimiko waited for the proper rhythm and called out clear again. Everyone cleared at the doctor's command again, and the charge went again. "Sinus tachycardia." Nate said describing the rhythm on the monitor. "Good, I want Strongstom's series ran over a five hour span and let me know if there abnormalities." Kimiko stated, while examining the read outs, "her vitals are strong and barring any relapse, she should be fine." "Understood, I'll inform the Captain. She's been missing for a while and what ever she's been through, he'd want to hear about." Fuller replied The doctor stepped out of the way and the burn team started to work on T'Larah. (Reply none) (Posted by Jack) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Sickbay - CMO, Lt jg Kimiko Ichijo - Day 5 - 1747) Kimiko looked up as the door opened, she had just recently stopped jumping at any noise that came from that area. She saw the Captain walking towards the bed that the first officer lay in. She knew the Captain's purpose as well as she knew that she had no chance of stopping him from disturbing the Vulcan "Doctor, Nate." he began, "How is she?" "She is still in critical condition and not up for any sort of activity" Kimiko stated with finality "I see." he said and gave everything a moment or two to consider his options. "I need to speak to her. I'm sorry but there's just no other way." "I don't suppose that telling you that her output is barely what I would call acceptable, half of her volume has been replaced and I have concerns that she may be rejecting her graft, would dissuade you?" The doctor said with some exasperation, she knew that the Captain would do what he felt was best, but at least he would feel guilty, dammit. "I understand doctor. I'll keep it as short as possible. I don't want to stress her in her condition any more than necessary." he replied "Three minutes is it" Kimiko declared "Agreed. lead the way doctor." Ichijo and Fuller accompanied the captain into the small personal compartment that Sullivan occupied. "T'Larah." Ahmed whispered as he reached down to take her hand in his. "T'Larah, wake up I need you here with me. please." Her eyes fluttered open. "It's good to see you Commander. You had me worried for a while there." he explained. "Sir? So I made it?" She asked. her voice was obviously straining from the effort. Ahmed nodded. "You're in sickbay. You're safe for now. What happened to you?" She swallowed hard, as if she was fighting to keep her spirit in her body before she replied, " I, I, I'm trying to remember." "Please do T'Larah, it could be critical. Where were you? What happened to you? What did you see?" Kimiko stood apart to let them have a semblance of privacy, but come three minutes or the first sign of stress and she was marching the Captain out of there, at phaserpoint if necessary (Reply none) (Posted by Jack) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Sickbay, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 1755) "The sphere on the planet. The T'kon Sphere, they've come to the past to assimilate the future..." Sullivan choked out. "How Long commander? Any idea how long we have?" Salid pressed, his tension rising with the bad news. "I can't remember, it's not much time...." she replied weakly and then she simply passed out. He looked up at the doctor. He returned the captain's gaze and replied simply, "She'll be fine sir. Exhaustion and blood loss have combined to incapacitate her. She'll recover with a little rest. Ahmed nodded despite the fact that he wanted to just scream at the man and order him to revive her now. But he realized that it wouldn't do him any good. Sullivan was simply unable to answer any more of his questions. "Take care of her." he stated instead and turned to leave sickbay. (reply none) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2116) =^=Ensign Jacobs to Captain Salid.=^= "Salid here, go ahead." =^=We forgot to mention before, before that relief team arrives instruct them to report to the front entrance. We have secured the rear entrance and if anyone tries to come from that direction those still on the Boudicca would be able to hear them as they passed.=^= "Very well I'll pass the word to the Marines." Salid replied. =^=Also sir, any word from Captain Durand? It's a little unsettling that I have not yet to see him or others from the Boudicca for that matter.=^= "The last I heard, captain Durand was injured fighting off a Borg attack on the bridge of the Boudicca. he was injured and was sent to Sickbay. Commander Caskie is tentatively in command of that ship at present." =^=Understood. I am just a bit eager to get back to her to see how she is fairing and what repairs need to be done.=^= Jacobs replied. "I completely understand Ensign. I'm sure there will be plenty for you to do aboard her soon enough. Salid out." He had just closed the channel when Jackson's voice called out over Ahmed's commbadge. =^=Jackson to the CO. Please come in.=^= Salid reached down and tapped his badge before replying. His hands were still a little shaking over the entire Maddox situation earlier. of course, it could be fatigue. "Salid here, go ahead Lieutenant." (reply Jackson) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Deck 9 Commo Suite Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS, Day 5, 2119) As. Tom got a reply from the CO, the Marines arrived. Both events made Tom feel much better. "Sir, the Marines have arrived. We are in full control of ship wide communications. Any additional orders Sir?" Tom asked. (Reply: Captain) "Understood Sir - Jackson out" Tom replied closing the link. (Reply: CO) (Posted by: Bill W.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2120) "Yes ensign that will do very well. Have your engineering team finish the repairs on those transporters so we can start using them if we need to do so." "Aye Captain." Ensign Freeman replied before taking the PADD he was holding and reporting back to the transporter room. =^=Sir, the Marines have arrived. We are in full control of ship wide communications. Any additional orders Sir?=^= Ahmed nodded and then smiled as he tapped his commbadge. "Excellent news Lieutenant. Your orders are to hold that position and maintain our communications." =^=Understood Sir - Jackson out=^= Tom replied closing the link. Ahmed gave a happy nod, closed him commbadge channel and went back to coordinating the defense of the two ships, this time, with a new weapon in his arsenal. (reply none Needed) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Corridor Deck 9, Sgt Rickman, Day 5, 2122) Rickman's marine squad had been forced to blast their way through two separate groups of Borg patrols in order to get here. Along the way they had lost one of their EVO/C suited marines when one of the outer bulkheads had exploded and he had been carried free of the ship. They were just a short distance now from the CommSuite, and captain Salid had already advised them that the rear entrance to the suit was wired with explosives. It was time to link up now, but before they got too close, Rickman wanted to call in and prevent any chance of friendly fire. He keyed his communications system. " Rickman to Lieutenant Jackson. We have one marine squad and two EVO/C suits 15 meters starboard of your position. We are friendlies. Coming in, please hold your fire." (reply Jackson) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Commo Suite Deck 9, Lieutenant Tom Jackson, 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5, 2125) Tom was walking around the Communications Suite when he call a most welcome call over his comm. Badge. =^= Rickman to Lieutenant Jackson. We have one Marine squad and two EVO/C suits 15 meters starboard of your position. We are friendlies. Coming in. Hold your fire =^= the Marine reported. Tom’s mood brightened considerably. “Chance, Eva spread the word our Marines have landed. Hold your fire” Jackson instructed. (Reply: Chance, Eva) “Ok. Sergeant, come on in and welcome!” Tom added. Tom breathed a huge sigh of relief as Rickman and his team entered. Jackson walked to the NCO extending his hand “Welcome Sarge – good to see you. I am Lieutenant Jackson” (Reply: Rickman) “Chance, Eva come meet our rescuers” Tom added. (Reply: Eva, Chance) (Posted by: Bill W.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Deck 9- CommSuite, SO Ensign Eva Saint Jean, Day 5, 2128) “Chance, Eva spread the word our Marines have landed. Hold your fire” Jackson instructed. "Aye sir." Eva replied as the word of the Marine arrival spread through the small compartment at warp ten. She, Trei, Chance and the others all watched as the Two EVO/C armored marines and their extended squad of ten entered the compartment and took up positions. Apparently Chance was suspicious of them, and perhaps rightly so in some other context, but the marines that had arrived showed no real signs of aggressive behavior and were, in fact, seemingly just as happy to be here as the initial assault team was for them to have arrived. Jackson seemed to be the most relieved of them all and was in no way hesitant to let it show. "“Ok. Sergeant, come on in and welcome." he greeted the lead EVO/C trooper. =/=Thank you sir. Glad to be here.=/= “Chance, Eva come meet our rescuers” Tom added with an almost infectious enthusiasm. Eva of course, came forward and mingled with some of the marines. They exchanged a few words and stories before settling into the positions that they would hold for their mutual defense. (reply none needed) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Commo Suite- CSec- LT Chance Raschen- 2129) “Chance, Eva spread the word our Marines have landed. Hold your fire” Jackson instructed. Raschen looked over at Saint-Jean to see her reaction to the news. (Reply Saint-Jean iyw) Focusing on Jackson from his firing position. "Okay Tom. But if they even remotely resemble Borg, I'm gonna start blasting the hell out of 'em." Chance stated matter-of-factly. (Reply Jackson iyw) “Ok. Sergeant, come on in and welcome!” Tom added. Chance had one of his American Civil War styled personal disruptor pistols poised and aimed toward the doorway; waiting to make his decision to fire based on Jackson's response on visually seeing who was entering the suite. Tom breathed a huge sigh of relief as Rickman and his team entered. Mentally, so did Chance. He had already killed one to many shipmates this mission in an attempt to save them from assimilation. Jackson walked to the NCO extending his hand “Welcome Sarge – good to see you. I am Lieutenant Jackson” After the Sergeant replied, Tom called out “Chance, Eva come meet our rescuers”. Chance signaled for Eva to go first. He wasn't sure if he liked her or not, but the privateer in him figured it up to ~if this is a deception and they start killing; well then.....~ he let the thought trail off. (Reply Saint-Jean) Ever the untrusting soul, Raschen held the pistol in his left hand behind his back as he stepped out from behind cover when it was his turn. Walking up to the Marine with his right hand extended to shake the sergeant's hand, Chance noticed the Marine glancing at the patch on his arm. "Auxiliary Power Redefined." Raschen stated the Irregular Federation Forces motto before introducing himself. (Reply Rickman) (Reply: Jackson iyw, Saint-Jean, Rickman, any iyw) (Posted by: Charlie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Corridor Deck 9, Sgt Rickman, Day 5, 2130) Rickman wasn't a fool. He realized that Raschen was trying to conceal a disruptor out of sight, but the marine Squad leader wasn't too concerned. The EVO/C suit could handle any energy level that the disruptor could dish out, at least long enough for him to spread what was left of the Rosenante's security chief across the decking. At least that was the thought right up until he noticed the patch on the uniform. He must have been staring at is because Raschen offered him an bit of information, "Auxiliary Power Redefined." Rickman nodded, =/= Yeah Irregulars. Right?=^= he asked. (reply Raschen) =/=No I knew some guys that served during the first Fed-Card War. I myself missed that engagement on the account I was too young to serve. Heard some interesting stories though. =/= (reply Raschen) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante- Commo Suite- LT Tom Jackson -2nd Officer / COPS -Day 5 - 2131) Tom welcomed Sgt Rickman and his people. Most of the others who were not engaged greeted the forces. Chance had held back. He noticed Chance had his hand behind his back. Tom suspected he had a weapon for any eventuality. Chance and Rickman eyed each other. It seemed like the two were taking the measure of the other. Tom walked to Rickman in hopes of getting more current information. "Sergeant, what's the status of things? Did the skipper send orders?" Jackson asked. (Reply: Rickman) (Posted by: Bill W.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Commsuite - ACEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2134) The Calvary had finally arrived and their arrival was nothing but great news to those who had been holding the comm-suite until they arrived. The marines made their way with little effort and as instructed they avoided the rear entrance which was booby-trapped earlier to prevent the enemy from flanking those inside. With hesitation Henry directed a question in lt. Jackson's direction. "Sir, since the Calvary is here should I send a message to the Captain asking for further orders? (reply Jackson) With a head nod he acknowledged and open the channel to Captain Salid. "Ensign Jacobs to Captain Salid" (reply Salid) "The marine battalion has arrived to the comm-suite. All crew members who are here are unharmed and awaiting further instructions from you sir." (reply Salid) Everyone present received directions and began to make the necessary preparations to carry out their objectives. (reply any) (posted by Darryl) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 5, 2135) Ahmed had just sent another team to secure yet another critical area of the ships when his commbadge chirped again. He was beginnig to wonder if having communications up and running was such a good thing after all. =^= Ensign Jacobs to Captain Salid=^= He tapped his commbadge. "Go ahead Ensign." he said. "The marine battalion has arrived to the CommSuite. All crew members who are here are unharmed and awaiting further instructions from you sir." ~That's odd.~ Ahmed thought, as he'd already issued orders to Jackson. "Yes Ensign. You are to hold the Suite and maintain ship wide communications. As soon as I have additional orders I will advise. At this moment Communications are critical." (reply Jacobs) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 2136) Detron felt that his effort to comfort LT Jackson was successful. He could feel LT Jackson's level of dread become calm which was all he wanted to do. He heard the Marine Rescue Team come in the suite. He welcomed it for he would get some rest now and be able to fight the Borg better with the reinforcements. He remained on post until relieved and also until they personally talked to him. (Reply Marine team) (Posted by Edward) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Commsuite - AcEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2150) Explosions began to go off as Borg drones began trying to infiltrate the comm-suite from the rear. The security officers present armed up and took positions at the doors as the incoming Borg drones advanced and tried to make their way in. "lt. Jackson I'm gonna raise Commander Caskie and let her know of our current position." (reply Jackson) "Ensign Jacobs to Commander Caskie" (reply Caskie) "We have regained control of the comm-suite and the Borg are trying to take it back. Captain Salid is appraised of the situation and a marine team was dispatched. Any progress on your end?" (reply Caskie, any) (posted by Darryl) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Borg Tactical Drone - Fifth of Twelve - 2155) The objective was on this deck. They had regained control of their communications, this was not acceptable. As the group of twelve drones beamed in, their positions had already flanked the Star Fleet crew on two sides. The attack of the Borg was quick, violent, and decisive. So much so they had managed to catch one Marine away from cover. A short burst of disruptor fire from Five and the Marine disintegrated from the inside out, and disappeared in a green flash, screaming in pain. (Reply Starfleet, any) Five followed up with another shot at a Marine diving for cover. The emerald bolt struck the console the Marine was using for cover, sparks flew showering the area. Soon green disruptor fire cris-crossed the compartment as the Borg tried with great earnest to clear the 'human infestation' (Reply Starfleet, any) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Somewhere on Deck 28 - Volus - Day 5- 2200) Volus had been tracking Signos since O'Neill had been captured. She had apparently figured out some means by which his thoughts could be isolated from that of the rest of the collective. She had taken his newest worshipper away from him and as such she would have to pay for her insolence. There was no need to lose more Drones in trying to stop her. He realized that he'd have to deal with her directly, himself. He was more advanced than any other drone here. Faster, smarter, more heavily armed and armored. He watched as she crept down the corridor towards him. He opened the door to the compartment for her. Soon they'd be face to face. (reply Signos) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 2201) Detron heard explosions outside the rear door to the CommSuite. He assumed it was the Borg trying to take back control. He looked around for help to stand and fight. When he saw nobody in the area, he geared up for a charge. He took the Battlaff out of his belt and held it out front. Three drones emerged from the rear door. He used his quick warrior movement to take out the first drone with a upward slice to the head. He fell back a few steps to work on the other two in a more comfortable position. The drones tried to land blows to his upper body, but he was too fast for them. He sliced one drone in half then went to work on the other. He pounded on the other drone like he was hammering a nail into the deck. It was cruel but effective. When the area was clear, he did a little of an old Teran dance called "the Time Warp" from an old Teran movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He did the Time Warp over one of the drones. Then he went to find LT Jackson. (Reply Jackson) (Posted by Edward) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - ACEO Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2202) Jacobs watched as the ambiance of the room transformed as the Borg learned of the Starfleet officers who regained the communications onboard the ship. Signs of bad times started appearing as Jacobs could hear as the booby-trapped drones near the rear entrance of the comm-suite exploded in great clashes of sound. Henry's stomache growled as he could feel the oncoming confrontation approaching. The marines dispatched to protect the officers in the comm-suite dispersed to cover both doors of entry. Unfortunately the drones overpowered and outnumbered those inside of the comm-suite. Jacobs could hear multiple instances of drones beaming into position near both points of entry. With another announcement of his stomache's discomfort he picked up his phaser rifle and began recalibrating the frequency to the lowest setting. ~Alright here we go again. At least its been a while since we have had to fire at them. Hopefully we have a few frequencies that they have not adapted to already.~ It appeared as if both entries opened simultaneously as drones tried their earnest to force themselves into the stronghold the Starfleet officers worked so diligently to fortify. Raising his rifle to his eye to make a precision shot, Jacobs fired a stream of golden light into the forehead of the first drone he saw enter the threshold of the room. It was a critical shot as the drone collapsed to the ground tripping up two other drones following closely behind it. A scream from his left caused Henry to shift his attention to the other door. As quickly as he made eye contact with the marine who shouted, the person disappeared as his body disintegrate from a direct shot of green disrupter fire from one of the advancing drones. Jacobs continued to fire but it had dawned on him that it was time to re-modulate his weapon. Not only did he change the frequency of the weapon he also switched to pulse fire to increase the amount shots fired. Once it was done Jacobs jumped back into firing into the crowd of drones entering from the rear entrance. "Romanoff check your back, you have two drones on you." he shouted in the direction of the science officer who was busy finger dancing on the console in front of him. "What are you doing? Pick up a phaser and start firing!" Romanoff continued to work as he dodged disrupter and phaser fire alike. "Just continue to watch my back for me, if this works there will be a lot less drones to deal with in here." Romanoff began discussing his plan with only Jacobs as he was the only one within normal talking range. Jacobs stopped to modulate once more and once he was finished he walked over to Romanoff and peered over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Jacobs smiled when he saw what Romanoff was doing but knew it would not work for long. "Alright I see what you are doing, keep it up I will shoot while you finish up." (reply none) (posted by Darryl McDaniel) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - Science Officer Ensign(jg) Nickolas Romanoff - 2204) Nickolas became very jumpy as all of the disruptor fire poured in from the advancing Borg tactical drones. It had occurred to him to pick up a phaser and return fire to the invaders but there were already a dozen people firing back at them. Being the scientist that he was he began thinking of another way to pacify and disable the Borg drones using their own technology against them, it proved to work with keeping the Borg from regaining the communications remotely. He began to analyze the frequency in which the Borg were using to maintain their interlink while onboard both ships since it had been altered during the travel through the temporal vortex. There was a unique signal that was created keeping the present Borg united and linked separate from the original collective. His thought process started churning as he dissected and manipulated pieces of the frequency in hopes to see a change that would benefit them in their current predicament and possibly a solution to their infestation problem on the whole. ~Separating things one at a time does not seem to have the affect that I am looking for but what if I...~ His thought was cut off and interrupted from the yelling that Jacobs was doing in his direction. "Romanoff check your back, you have two drones on you." Romanoff looked up and behind him to see two drones moving in closer to him because their shields had adapted to the current phaser fire bouncing off of them. "What are you doing? Pick up a phaser and start firing!" In response Nickolas gestures, "I am actually using my head instead of a phaser to try and stop them." One of the drones falls to the ground as re-modulated phaser blast sends him to the ground. The shot does not kill the drone and Nickolas jumps as the drone clenches his ankle in an attempt to assimilate him. The sheer panic that filled his body forced him to jump up and down and stomp the drone until the drone had expired. Jacobs shoots down the second drone and moves in closer to Romanoff to see what was occupying his interest. "Just continue to watch my back for me, if this works there will be a lot less drones to deal with in here." Romanoff began discussing his plan with only Jacobs as he was the only one within normal talking range. Feeling Jacobs looking over his shoulder Romanoff points to a simulation of what would happen to the signal if the frequency was scattered in multiple directions, effectively separating each individual Borg drone from one another. Jacobs pats Nickolas on the shoulder and says, "Alright I see what you are doing, keep it up I will shoot while you finish up." Jacobs moved his position to rejoin the firefight while Romanoff shouts to address everyone in the room. "I know this sounds insane but fall back and let the drones into the room." (reply all) "Like I said I know it sounds insane but this is going to work. If it works well enough we will be able to incapacitate every drone on the ship." Romanoff looked into everyone's facial expression as they took in what he was saying to them. One of the marines screamed a expletive and told Romanoff that he was an idiot. "I am not an idiot, I am a scientist. I am also the one who just figured out how to keep the Borg at bay. Fall in line and watch it work!" nrpg: could Jackson or Raschen order the marine to do so? thanks. rpg: ~Now don't get us killed~ Romanoff waited until all firing had ceased from the Starfleet officers. Drones began piling into the comm-suite as he initiated a program from his console. There was a high pitched yelp like a sonic boom which made him and others clench their ears. Four drones made their way into the comm-suite with their arms raised firing green bolts of destruction. Everyone inside took defensive positions as the disruptor fire from the drones sparked and exploded as they hit walls and consoles around them. Beginning to panic Romanoff yells out, "Um ok begin firing again, change back to a frequency they already adapted to." ~Crap I hope this works~ Circuits began to fry as sparks flew from the drones as they received fire from all of the officers within the room. "Its working, they cannot share adaptability if they cant hear each other. The signal is separating all Borg transmissions within this room. As long as the drones are in the room they cannot adapt. Let the drones in!" Romanoff nodded in Jacobs direction as they both raised their weapons at the drones entering the room. There seemed to be an onslaught of fire coming from the Starfleet officers as the drones entered the room and fell victom to the running program. (reply any) (posted by Darryl McDaniel) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 Comm Suite - Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5 2207) Tom heard the explosions in the rear of the Comm Suite. He sent Rickman and Eva to tend to the front assault while he joined Chance at the rear door. Trei had dispatched two tactical drones and was heading towards Jackson when a drone was approaching the Klingon from behind. "Trei, watch out" Jackson yelled. (Reply: Trei) Jackson fired his phaser and dropped the drone like a sack of rocks. Tom slipped to the side of the rear entrance. He withdrew his special dagger and held it at the ready. He used hand signals to get Trei on the opposite side. Another Borg drone entered. Tom let it pass and plunged his dagger deep into the Borg's next and spine. The two tumbled in a heap to the floor. They struggled and Tom re-stabbed the Borg. After a spray of sparks and fluid, the Borg lay still. Jackson panted trying to gasp a breath. He flipped the drone over and recoiled in horror as he recognized a crew mate. For the 2nd time on this mission Tom had killed a crew mate. The drone was the former Hank Stevens. He knew he'd have to tell Emily Graatz when this was all over. Tom snapped back to reality as phaser fire ripped past his head. He scurried to cover and glanced about quickly. If he were with Pez and placing a bet, the odds were tilting in favor of the Borg. Tom fired and quickly re modulated the weapons frequency. This was a everyone for themselves type battle. (Reply: any) (Posted by: Bill W.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Roseante - CommSuite - TAC/SC Lieutenant(SG) Detron Trei - 22.15) Detron walked in the direction of LT Jackson when a drone came at him from behind. Jackson shot the drone down with phaser fire. He thanked Jackson by waving in his direction. More drones began filing into the suite. One grabbed at Romanoff. He subsequently stomped on the drone until dead. Detron smiled at the tactic for it amused him. Romanoff then made it so every drone in the room couldn't adapt as long as they were in the room. That was fine with him as he made his way to Romanoff's position. He slashed a few drones dead away from Romanoff. He help position. "It seems to be working Mr. Romanoff. I will keep them off you." Detron slashed a couple more drones as Romanoff worked. (Reply Romanoff) (Posted by Edward) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante - Deck 9 - Comm-suite - Science Officer Ensign(jg) Henry Jacobs - 2217) As more Borg drones filled the room that many more fell to the program running disabling their ability to adapt. The program was actually working as planned and then Romanoff noticed a hidden bonus. Thinking back to the Borg physiology course he took at Starfleet Academy he realized that when a drone is separated from the collective they begin to physically break down because of the lack of voices supporting its collective-based mind. The drones that entered the room and were not instantly hit with phaser fire began acting uncharacteristically like a person who was confused and had no idea how to function on their own. Romanoff smiled as he noticed other members of the crew noticed the temporary laps in Borg composure. Lt. Trei and Lt. Jackson resorted to physical combat with personal weapons. It wasn't the fact that the physical attacks were interesting or even entertaining which forced Romanoff to smile, it was the fact that the signal dispersal program that he implemented was actually working. The interior of the comm-suite was not that large but it was large enough for Romanoff to concentrate his fire on drones standing outside of the room. It appeared that they were catching on as the amount of drones entering the room had decreased. ~thats not good. Someone is out there thinking of a way around my little brainchild.~ "I suggest a few of us concentrate fire on the drones outside of the room while the others engage the drones that enter the room. It's gonna save us on ammunition and minimize the amount the drones outside the room can adapt since they are unaffected by the signal dispersal." (reply any) (posted by Darryl McDaniel) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante Deck 9 Lieutenant Tom Jackson 2nd Officer / COPS Day 5 2300) Sergeant Rickman deployed his team. Tom's team could get a little R&R. Out of habit Jackson checked the deployment of the troops. Over his time in fleet service Tom Jackson had developed a 'sixth sense' and it started working overtime. Tom looked around and yelled " on your feet NOW!!". (Reply: any present) "We going to get visitors soon - lock and load" Jackson commanded. (Reply: any present) As he spoke, the Borg began a two pronged assault. Some of the booby trapped drones went off. "Rickman, Eva take the front- Chance you get the back door. Remember NO ONE but NO ONE gets through - is that understood everyone?" Tom asked. (Reply: any present) Tom also added the following order "We may see crew mates that have been assimilated - I am ordering you to terminate them. This area cannot be lost. I assume full responsibility for this order". Tom paused to allow for any protestations to be noted officially. (Reply: any present) "Ok., let's move out" jackson ordered. Lieutenant Tom Jackson --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Deck 9- CommSuite, SO Ensign Eva Saint Jean, Day 5, 2315) Suddenly all hell broke loose as a group of Borg beamed in and started firing everywhere. Green disruptor bolts and red phaser beams crisscrossed the compartment as the sudden attack devolved into a series of smaller skirmishes centered around surviving the contact with the enemy. Eva and Rickman were ordered to cover the front door by Jackson, and the ex-ranger was more than glad to let the heavier armored Marine in the EVO/C armor take point. She followed close behind the armored behemoth as Rickman deftly maneuvered the powered suit into the corridor in an attempt to staunch the flow of Borg heading their way. Apparently the front doors wasn't the only point of attack either. The sound of muffled explosions ripped through compartment as some of the Borg set of Raschen and Trei's boobytraps. Eva only glanced that way long enough to see the Klingon and ex-privateer, alongside a group of Marines fighting a vicious and brutal holding action. For her part of the action, she allowed the shields on the EVO/C to absorb a number of the disruptor blasts meant for her as she alternated between returning fire and remodulating her weapon. By the time that the struggle in the corridor was finished, the corridor walls were glowing a cherry red, from the sheer glut of thermal energy that had been unleashed, and the EVO/C had been damaged in at least a half-dozen places by Borg disruptor fire. Eva swept the corridor for any Borg survivors and seeing none called back into the compartment, "Corridor Clear!" (reply any present) Daniel Greene ======================================================= (USS Rosenante, Somewhere on deck 28- Volus, Day 6,0040) [[The Sphere has been assimilated, we can launch it now.]] the Voice of the collective informed him. [[Excellent. I tire of these games. transport me to the sphere immediately.]] Volus felt the familiar tingle of a transporter and a few moments later found himself on the command center of the Tkon Sphere. "Victory is mine." he stated simply. [[Activate the temporal drive. Take us to earth's prehistory, so we can complete our mission.]] he commanded. [[We will comply]]. (reply none yet) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Bridge CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 6,0045) Engineering had managed to get the impulse engines and the spiral drive operational, and Matrix and his team had also managed to get the forward phaser array functional. in addition, other members of his crew had managed to maintain communications and retake one of the transporter rooms. That was exceptional news. Ahmed stood at the science station on the bridge routing everything he could back to functionality. Even with all his time as an engineer, he'd rarely seen a ship in this shape. He understood that he'd have a great deal of explaining to do when they finally made it back to Starbase 989. An engineering team was currently phase-welding a physical patch over the once open gaping hole in the roof of his bridge and Ahmed couldn't help but admire the determination and skill that all his crew were beginning to show. It was time to get their final solution operational. Interestingly enough, The science team in the Isolation lab had managed to isolate and rewrite the programming code used by the Borg nanoprobes. Between Caliel, Caskie and the other members of the team there was a means to undo all the damage that was done, but not a way to deliver it on a widespread scale. Reports were looking promising, since the team had subjected an assimilated O'Neill to the modified Code and was witnessing regression of the process. That meant that it worked, at least in the laboratory. Now they had to get it operational across both ships. It was interesting that Jacobs, completely independently had managed a means to deliver the code. His innovation of interfering with the Borg interlink could be exploited from the CommSuite. All they had to do was get Caliel's code to Jacobs and Jackson's team and send the commands out through the Collective's interlink using the ship's subspace transceiver. He smiled as he tapped his commbadge. "Salid to Caskie." (reply Caskie) We have a solution to your distribution problem. We need to get the package to the Commsuite controlled by Jackson and his team. From there, they can send it out on an express delivery. Can you verify that you understand?" (reply Caskie) "Excellent have your team..." "Captain. I'm picking up a Tkon Sphere lifting off from the planet's surface. It's already generating a chronometric field." Ahmed looked up at his main viewer and said, "On screen" Instantly the image shifted to that of the Tkon sphere rising up from the gravity well of Dovek II. "Can we fire on it?" he asked. "Out of range." "Move us to intercept. Keep the Boudicca docked, we'll separate as soon as commander Caskie is back on board with her crew." He spoke now to Jennifer. "Commander, we have a new development. I need you back on the Boudicca. The Borg have finally launched the Sphere and we need to intercept it before it gets too far ahead of us temporally. Get Caliel to the CommSuite. Take Jackson aboard the Boudicca to help. Jacobs needs to get that code transmitted to both ships, then we can separate and try to destroy that sphere." (reply Caskie) "Salid out." "Salid to Engineering, we need as much power as you can give us. The Borg have assimilated the sphere." (reply matrix) "Salid to Sanok, Signos and Soma- report to Transporter room 1, for immediate tactical away team. The Borg have launched the second sphere, acknowledge" (reply Matrix, Sanok, Signos and Soma) "Salid to Trei, and Raschen report to the Boudicca immediately for duty under Commander Caskie" (reply Trei and Raschen) Ahmed turned to one of his bridge officers, "give me a tactical analysis of that sphere and Take both ships to red Alert" "Aye captain." (reply Caskie, Jackson, Jacobs, Caliel, Matrix, Soma, Signos, Sanok, Trei, Raschen- Any) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Kelman - XO's Quarters - CDR Liam O'Neill - Day 6 - 0050) He couldn't sleep. He laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling while listening to relaxing classical music. He contemplated reading a book, playing some music on his Irish whistle, listening to Bible passages...but nothing appealed to him. He had been laying there for hours, having gone to bed early after his shift was over. They were still a day away from the site where his son was, and he had no way of knowing Eian's fate. Of course he had been praying for the best, but he felt the sinking sensation of dread settle in his stomach, where it seemed to have taken up permanent residence. Eian's life had been challenging from the beginning. Of course the boy hadn't faced as many challenges as some do, and he grew up with two loving parents who had steady jobs and an income to support him with. He was never hungry or thirsty, and always had a roof over his head and clothes to wear. In that respect, Eian had been incredibly blessed from the beginning--moreso than most humanoids in the galaxy. But by Federation living standards, his son didn't have the easiest life, either. As he stared at the ceiling, he began to talk to his wife. "Gracie...Eian's in trouble," he said in a near whisper. "I love him so much...I don't want to lose him. I feel like we've almost lost him so many times...I don't understand why God would take him from us now. So soon after you've joined Him...From his first day in existence to this moment, Gracie...I'm not done fighting for our Eian." ~Flashback~ 2389 - Trinity University Hospital, Ireland, Earth Lieutenant JG Grace O'Neill was thankful for her husband's strong hand in hers. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, holding back tears at the news. Three weeks ago she had learned that she was pregnant. Today when she was forced to stop teaching her tactical training course and leave in the middle of class because of an overwhelming pain, she went straight to the university's hospital. Lieutenant JG Liam O'Neill, who was a doctor at a Starfleet hospital in New York, beamed over immediately. He didn't even bother with the shuttle. Now they sat in a small examination room in the university hospital, staring at a medical report delivered by one of Liam's friends, Dr. Nigie Anarak. Their baby boy, whom they had just yesterday named Eian Michael, was dying. The little fetus was in the 1% range for size, and his heart was not developing correctly. His brain was going to be too undersized to take control of his body's functions. His body wasn't built for life, and Grace would miscarry in a few weeks unless something was done. "You'll be in almost constant pain if we don't abort or allow the miscarriage to happen. Any treatment we can offer is going to result in your discomfort. And we can't guarantee that Eian will be healthy when he's ready for birth, or if he'll even make it to that point," Nigie had explained. Liam bowed his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe the news he was hearing. Grace and he had tried to conceive for years. They finally succeeded, only to learn that their baby may not even be born. He hadn't lifted his head or opened his eyes when he heard Grace speak. Her voice was far stronger than he could have made his sound as she said with resolution, "When do we start the first treatment?" __ The next few months had been hell. Liam took an extended leave of absence while Grace was mostly bedridden. She was irritable, bored, and in constant pain. Eian had grown to the 25% size range and had made it to the point where he could survive outside the womb with medical help. The couple sat on their bed with a video link to Dr. McHowell, an obstetrician who specialized in cases like theirs. She had just explained to Liam and Grace that if they chose to beam Eian out of the womb and into an artificial womb, he would probably develop with 85% normal brain function and 70% usage of his limbs. If they allowed Eian to stay in and continued treatment, Grace had a 45% chance of permanent damage to her reproductive organs and nerve system, and a 20% chance of dying. Despite her irritability in the past few months, Liam knew exactly what she was going to say, because she had never wavered for a moment on her decision. The thought of aborting Eian had made her physically sick at one point, and Liam knew that the thought of risking his future would make her just as sick when they ended this video call. "No artificial womb," she said with amazing resolve. "Unless I'm about to die, my child stays with me." __ At midnight in January it started to snow in Ireland. Snow was a relatively odd occurrence in the temperate climate, but they were having an unusually cold winter. As the first snowflake tipped and rolled gracefully to rest upon the roof of a modest home, a woman screamed in excruciating pain. Her husband held her hand and soothed her, trying to reassure her that help was on the way. Grace had gone into labor prematurely, and because Liam was a doctor, he called the specialist but began treatment himself. In doing so, he saved his son's life. The tiny baby was flipped upside down and was about to come out feet-first, putting himself at risk for choking on his umbilical cord. Just last week the specialists had performed fetal surgery on Eian's heart and lungs, correcting for deficits. It was the fifteenth fetal surgery they had performed on the baby boy, and they had done so knowing that the due date was a month away. But Eian had other ideas about when he would make his entrance, and he had decided to hit the ground running as well. The safest solution, given the circumstances, was to beam the baby out of the womb. So Liam tried to make Grace comfortable and prepare her for the emergency surgery that would take place right there in their living room. The surgeons beamed in, and ten minutes later, Eian Michael O'Neill was born. __ ~Present Date~ What followed were years of various difficulties that came with having a child with ADHD. Eian tried to disassemble the computer in his father's office when he was two years old. The precocious child had memorized every word to his favorite holonovel when he was four...and then proceeded to access the code and insert his own words into the story. This had resulted in the implosion of the machine. The four-year-old didn't know he had accessed the actual programming. He slept less than four hours a day from the time he was a year old until he was six. As soon as he learned to walk, he ran everywhere and didn't care if he lost his balance and fell. As soon as he learned to talk, he spoke from the moment he woke up until the moment he fell asleep. He threw temper tantrums that would make any child half his age blush, and when asked to sit still, he became violent and threw his toys, hit instructors, and sometimes harmfully threw himself on the floor in his anguish. By age five, his days were filled with occupational therapy and coaching. He was medicated at age six, and seemed to have a special instructor for just about every aspect of school. When he was eight, he began his first lessons on how to take conventional tests without provisions. He struggled to keep up in conventional schooling, and grew so angry and frustrated one day that he hit his little brother over the head with his computer after the small child begged his older brother to play with him. When he was ten, a facial expressions recognition coach began training him on understanding others' emotions through body language, expressions, and tone. His goal at age thirteen was to be accepted into Starfleet Academy. He nearly died at fourteen when, after obtaining his hoverbike license, pulled a daredevil stunt and drove his bike off the edge of a cliff in the holodeck after disabling the safeties himself. Liam joked in private that he knew he'd never go gray since Eian hadn't already had that effect on him. But despite all the scares the boy had given them, the biggest scare Eian ever caused his father was after his mother's death. When Grace was killed, Eian became inverted. He withdrew from the Academy, only changing his resignation to an extended leave of absence after Liam managed to convince him to do so. He pulled away from the family, getting a job as a drydock mechanic and living on Mars for a month until Liam had enough, and went to see him. What he found was something he would never forget. Eian was clinically depressed, in Liam's deepest fears nearly suicidal. He had given up. Liam got him help, and thankfully he made a full recovery. He never wanted to see his son like that again. "But I know he won't give up," Liam said aloud to Grace. His eyes closed, and he felt himself finally drifting off to sleep. "God watches over him...he'll find his way home to you or me, Gracie." He held back the lump in his throat, and finished in a whisper, "Either way, he'll find his way home." (no reply) (posted by Morgan G) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Main Engineering, CEO Lt. Steven Matrix , Day 6, 0103) "Engineering, we need as much power as you can give us. The Borg have assimilated the sphere." =^= Aye Captain...full impulse at your command. Spirial drive standing by. Try not to rattle us too much...we're barely keeping her together." replied Matrix. "Salid to Sanok, Signos and Soma- report to Transporter room 1, for immediate tactical away team. The Borg have launched the second sphere, acknowledge" =^= Captain, I only have partial power to the transporter...one at a time...best we could do with the power flows at the moment. =^= replied Matrix. (Reply Salid, bridge, IYW) Matrix turned to his team. "Let's not let the Captain down. Sounds like we've got the Borg on the run. Peter, man the warp systems. Team three report to the upper engineering deck...keep the spiral drive at optimum. Team four, report to deck 4 immediately. Shore up the forward phaser array and see if you can't get the dorsal array working. Move out!" Ordered Matrix. Matrix turned to Peter Cohen, "See if you can't shore up the mains. I know with external damage we can't steer the Rosenante under high warp conditions without breaking her apart. I'll be in weapons control...the firing sequencer is offline." said Matrix. "Good luck LT." replied Cohen. (Reply Salid, any, none) (Posted by Steve) --------------------------------------------------------------------- End Compile ---------------------------------------------------------------------