The Third Law - Compile #20 ========================= Mission: The Third Law Day: 11 Stargate: 2414.03.25 ====================== (Interior Rogue Planet LT. Tom Jackson COPS Day 11 1912) (Interior Rogue Planet GSL- LT. Xim Day 11 1916) (Interior Rogue Planet - MO - Ensign (jg) Andre Vukov - Day 11 1920) (Interior Rogue Planet -SOps/QM -LT Chance Raschen -1922) (Interior Rogue Planet COPS- LT. Tom Jackson Day 11 1924) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Havi, Day 11, 2225, 2301) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2227, 2303) (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, Master Librarian Kaso, 2230) (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - CMO - Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 11 - 2305) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Lt. sg Sanok, 2307) (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - LCRD Steven Matrix - Day 11 ­ 2308) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Lt. sg Sanok, 2309) (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - COUNS Parker Davis - Day 11 - 2310) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2311) (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - LCRD Steven Matrix - Day 11 ­ 2313) (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2317) (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, Lt. sg Sanok, 2320) ========================= (Interior Rogue Planet LT. Tom Jackson COPS Day 11 1912) Tom lead the way from the control center. The going was slow as Xim's bulk filled most of the corridor. Jackson led the way. The team moved slowly looking for booby traps. The team came to a stairwell. Tom checked his tri-corder and saw the symbol for stairwell" We take the stairs here and head down" Tom informed the team. (Reply: Any present) Tom noticed the decor had changed The walls were a light blue. Several pictures were on the walls. They showed what on earth would be a rural setting. Tom's heart ached when he saw pictures of what he guessed were children playing. The pictures reminded him of his babies. ~Some husband I am ~ Tom mused. Dahlia was all alone and she could be in delivery for all he knew. Tom stopped suddenly causing several of the team to run into him. Softly speaking just above a whisper Tom said "We are here" (Reply: any) (Posted by Bill W.) ------------------------- (Interior Rogue Planet GSL- LT. Xim Day 11 1915) The trip through the two levels of the rogue planet seemed almost surreal to Xim. The corridors were a mixture of carved and unfinished stone, enhanced by advanced metallurgical alloys that made him think more of a mining facility than a planetoid-sized starship. Jackson led the way, followed closely behind by the pair of security personnel and the medical officer that Xim had ordered along for the reconnaissance. The larger bulk that Xim possessed, being too bulky for easy travel through the ever shortening and narrowing corridors, relegated him to the back of the small party. There was a sudden lurch in the group ahead of him as the group made contact with a stairwell. "We take the stairs here and head down," Jackson advised before taking the lead. "Stay vigilant" Xim ordered although he was certain that he didn't really need to be so exact in his orders. They continued down the stairs for a short while before Jackson once again spoke. "We are here." he stated simply. The two security men, took the lead at that stage of the operation. They made a quick study of the entry door to the compartment and within a short few moments, managed to override the mechanism and force the doors open by hand. A few moments after that the team was standing in the midst of a massive series of interlocking compartments. The walls were lined with metal alloys that seemed to shine with the glitter of ice crystals excited by the interplay of the search party's hand torches. Massive machines dominated the periphery of the chambers, each looking like an old-style revolver chamber turned skyward. Dozens of cylinders were held upright in the lazy-suzan style devices. They were held in place by massive brackets that seemed to be hinged. Large hydraulic cylinders and massive clusters of wires, hoses and feeds were affixed to the cylinders with extreme regularity. Xim approached one of the cylinders. It's glass-like exterior, was smooth, although not so much that it prevented the formation of monstrous hoar frost crystals across the exterior surface. The air was cold and surprisingly moist. Xim reached his hand out slowly to brush away a strip of obscuring frost and revealed the shadowy form of a humanoid body within the confines of the cylinder. The individual was wearing some sort of harness, that held them in a stationary position. It appeared to be constructed of a black leather-like substance, and was studded with shiny metal fixtures to which thick cables and hoses were attached; some as thick as a thumb. The inhabitant wore a mask over their face, but the rich pale white of their skin made it very clear to Xim that these people were Asrai. "Spread out, find the First Engineer." He stated. It didn't take long, despite the sheer volume of available stasis pods, to locate the one housing the First Engineer. By the time Xim arrived, Jackson had already brushed away enough of the frost from the surface of the container to reveal the youthful features and restful repose of the first engineer. "This him?" Xim asked. (Reply Jackson) "Good work, lieutenant. now how do we revive him?" Xim asked. (reply Jackson) "Alright." he replied before turning to address the other members of the team accompanying them. "Okay everyone, we're looking for a control panel. It should have power and should be somewhere very close by. Everyone spread out and report as soon as you've found it." Once again it was Jackson that located the control panel. The Operations Chief had called Xim over and the two of them regarded the console. It was thin and narrow, roughly 1.5-meters tall and a third of that in thickness. It was shaped like a slightly flattened half-cylinder. The top was covered with a series of oddly shaped control knobs, levers and buttons. A dimly-lit display glowed a lit almost imperceptible blue. (reply Jackson) "Very well lieutenant, start the revitalization process. Let's bring the First Engineer back to life." (reply Jackson) Daniel Greene ------------------------- (Interior Rogue Planet - MO - Ensign (jg) Andre Vukov - Day 11 1920) It was to be honest Andre's first away mission and he was excited and worried at the same time. Excited because it was his first away mission and Andre knew that if that red haired hellion that was their CMO had anything to do with it he would still be doing clean up missions in Sickbay. Thankfully both she and the ACMO were away on a mission and Fisher, who seemed to be a lot more approachable had suggested that he might benefit from this mission. Jumping at the chance Andre had agreed before he even knew what it was. So he had finally found himself rappelling down into an unknown underground bunker to find something or someone that might help them stop this asteroid, that wasn't actually a real asteroid from crashing into a planet that was at least four days away. Not exactly mega important in Andre's scheme of things. Surely in four days they could fix everything. But no, Lt's Xim and Jackson seemed hell bent on finding something or someone that would help them so Andre found himself in the bowels of this ship, that wasn't quite a ship and wasn't quite an asteroid looking for someone that could help them. Eventually both of the Lieutenants seemed to settle on one person and Andre, mindful that whatever he did would finally make it's way back to the CMO stationed himself at the stasis chamber that they were most interested in and simply waited until they figured out how to revive him. (Reply Xim, Jackson) (Posted by Marilyn) --------------------------- (Interior Rogue Planet -SOps/QM -LT Chance Raschen -1922) Chance was to absorbed in trying to figure out how to 'pilot' the planetoid to pay close attention to what was being said around him; so when Xim and Jackson went on about trying to revive somebody who knew something about the planetoid from some whatchamacallit, Raschen continued on with what he was working on. It rare that single-mindedness hits the former privateer this way. With fewer people in the control room, Chance slowly walked around the control room looking at every switch, button, knob, screen, and placard trying to get some simblance of what does what without conjecture from others. His grandpa had once told him that there are certain things that are almost universal about any ship. So Raschen figured if he could find those certain things then the rest might simply fall into place. With a shrug, Raschen thought ~ it couldn't hurt at this rate. ~ Chance couldn't figure out what anything said. He had figured out how to read a few languages, but he couldn't find anything common between those and the one in front of him. After what could have just as easily been most of an hour he found something. A back-slash. It had a character on each side of it. So he pushed the button and a single screen turned on. Chance just smiled and began going all through the room searching for the same symbol. After some time several computer screens, consols, and stations were turned on but not all of them by the time Xim and Tom returned with.......... (Reply none) (Posted by Charlie) -------------------------- (Interior Rogue Planet COPS- LT. Tom Jackson Day 11 1924) Tom worked with others to locate the engineer's cryogenic unit. Jackson was worried his understanding of the Asrai language wasn't as deep as he'd like. His old friend MCPO Phil Sheridan would call this a 'crap shoot'. Tom smiled at the thought of his friend and mentor. Jackson returned to searching foe the chief engineer. Each cryogenic chamber seemed to have markings indicating what position the inhabitant held. Some units seemed more ornate than the others. Tom smiled at that observation. It seemed all societies followed a similar path. The more important the personage the more ornate his or her surroundings. Jackson compared the outer markings with what little data they had amassed. Tom moved around a corner and saw a container set apart. On a hunch Tom moved next to it. He wiped away the layer of frost . Tom looked at the markings and made an educated guess that this was the one they were looking for. "LT Xim I think we've found the engineers unit" Tom reported excidily. Xim came over and looked into the chamber. He turned to Jackson and asked the obvious question " How do we device him?". Tom thought for a few long moments before replying. "Xim, my understanding of the Asrai language is limited. I can only guess and frankly the prospects if guessing wrong are high" Tom said. (Reply: Xim) Tom listened as his friend spoke. "O.K. we need to find a console of some sort. It should be near by. Once found then we can figure out what to do" Jackson reported. (Reply: Xim,others) They spread out. The search was short. One of the security officers shouted "Over here Sir". Tom walked over to the console and looked it over for several moments. "Nice work Mister" Tom said in reply. Xim and the others clustered around the console. Tom took a deep breath and said " I think we can begin." He checked his tri-corder against the panel. "Before we start I think we need to consider what to say should we revive the engineer successfully " one of the doctors said. (Reply: any) Tom hadn't considered that problem honestly. The others were quiet. Xim ordered the process of revitalization to begin. "The process lookes to take an an hour or so as best I can figure. We have that much time to decide that matter" Tom added. Jackson crossed his fingers and tapped in the sequence he hoped would start the process successfully. The first engineer's unit started to warm slowly taking on a deep purplish hue. Now all they had to do was wait. (Reply: any) (Posted by: Bill W.) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Havi, Day 11, 2225) Havi had been tending to the tanning of this captured hides when he heard the sound of the footsteps moving into the opening of his domicile. Still if the individuals that were approaching had managed to avoid the myriad of traps that he had seeded around his lair, then he could at least see what they wanted. When the footsteps had entered his work area, he stopped his work, and slowly placed the tools on the table in front of him. He then turned to regard the small trio of men standing in the opening to his work area. One of them stepped forward and held out a small shiny medallion that Havi instantly recognized. "Jamal has sent us to find you." the man said as he waited for Havi to accept the medallion. "He's certain you can help us." The hunter took a step forward and took the offered Medallion from the man's hand. He inspected it for a moment before replying, "Perhaps, what it is that you require?" (reply Soma) "Ah. I see. I can do no such thing without the permission of Kaso." the hunter replied, "I am just a hunter." (reply Soma) "No. I am Havi the hunter. I provide food for us all, and protect us from unwanted attack. Kaso is our leader, though he would deny it." (reply Soma) "Yes, I can take you to see him. You bear Jamal's medallion, which I know he would never give you unless there was a dire need. If you have killed him for it, you would not have known to come here to see me, or known how to get past the traps. So I have no reason not to trust you." Havi placed the medallion in his pocket. "Come I will lead you to Kaso" (reply Soma, Sanok) (Asrai Prime, Tilsholl, Havi, Day 11, 2300) Havi had led the visitors through a virtual maze of interconnected tunnels, leading them down into the ruins of the ancient Aowa catacombs, that served as the libraries, living chambers and the laboratories of the Tilsholl. He had not bothered to conceal or complicate the way that he had led them, there was no real reason to do so. The path was complicated, and he doubted that they could ever manage to navigate their way back out of the core of the Tilsholl without a guide. Eventually he led them to the outer chambers of the groups lair, where the various ancient article of the Aowa's past lay shrouded in dust and grime accumulated over the centuries. He led them to a heavy looking door, highlighted with intermittent blue neon glow. He reached out his hand and placed it upon a flat cold surface near the door. A moment later, the blue line of energy slid over the flattened palm of his hand and the doors slid open with a mechanical sound. "Come inside" Havi said, "welcome to the grand library of the Tilshol." (reply Soma, Sanok) Havi turned to look at the people staring at him and the three men with him. He rarely came here, and even more rarely brought visitors. "Tell master Kaso that Havi is here and that he brings guests from Jamal to see him." Several of the junior scholars and free thinkers immediately departed from their seats or studies and headed into the depths of the library and complex. "He will be here soon. Feel free to look around, but please do not touch, some of these students have been laboring over their projects and experiments for months or years at a time." (reply Sanok, Soma) After a few minutes of waiting, a disturbance was heard at the other end of the library, where Kaso approached, trailing a cluster of junior Tilshol members, each eager to see the new arrivals. "Havi, my old friend it has been a long time." the Elder librarian stated as he made the gesture of welcome. "It has been too long, old friend," Havi replied as he returned the gesture. "I bring three visitors they brought me Jamal's medallion." Havi withdrew the object from his pocket and placed it into Kaso's outstretched hand. The older man turned it over a few times as he inspected it before he turned to address the newcomers. "We have much to discuss. Please sit I will have someone fetch us some Chalo. We can talk of the needs that you have, and how we can help you." (reply Sanok, Soma) Daniel Greene ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2227) The hunter took a step forward and took the offered Medallion from the man's hand. He inspected it for a moment before replying, "Perhaps, what it is that you require?" "We require your aide in rescuing our master and his daughter-in-law who is being held by the Voice for suspicion of being demons." Ben replied. "We have reason to believe Kenovan may be responsible for the arrest." Ben hoped that Kaso would agree to help them, it would speed things up if they had a guide who knew the catacombs beneath the city. Every minute they wasted searching blindly was another minute the Captain and Fraiser were closer to death. "Ah. I see. I can do no such thing without the permission of Kaso." the hunter replied, "I am just a hunter." Ben was surprised by the revelation, he had assumed the man before him was Kaso, Jamal hadn't said they would encounter anyone else. "Your not Kaso?" Ben inquired. "No. I am Havi the hunter. I provide food for us all, and protect us from unwanted attack. Kaso is our leader, though he would deny it." "Jamal said we would find Kaso here." Ben replied. "We have great need of his assistance, could you take us to Kaso?" "Yes, I can take you to see him. You bear Jamal's medallion, which I know he would never give you unless there was a dire need. If you have killed him for it, you would not have known to come here to see me, or known how to get past the traps. So I have no reason not to trust you." Havi placed the medallion in his pocket. "Come I will lead you to Kaso" Ben made the gesture of gratitude. "Many thanks." He said as he followed Havi deeper into the cave. (Asrai Prime, Tilsholl, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2303) Ben along with Sanok and Mike followed Havi through the tunnels, they were numerous and seemed to branch off in every direction, it was a wonder the members of the Tilsholl didn't become lost down here. Havi didn't appear to be concealing his route in any manner, it seemed he was heading straight to his destination without any side tracks to confuse them. He had stated he had no reason not to trust them and apparently he trusted them enough not to mask his trail. After a while he lead them into what must have been the outer chambers of the Tilsholl, Ben looked around as was surprised at what he saw. All around were dormant computer consoles, Jamal's words of stone so smooth it was almost like polished glass rang out in his head. Havi continued to lead them towards a large heavy looking door highlighted with an intermittent blue glow, possibly some form of force shield. The hunter then placed his hand on flat surface near the door moments later a blue energy slid over his outstretched palm. This technology was well beyond the Asrai's present level of development. Although it wasn't apparent on the surface these people at one time possessed advanced technology, so why did they abandon it? The door opened through some mechanical means and Havi stepped inside. "Come inside" Havi said, "welcome to the grand library of the Tilshol." Ben stepped inside the library and waited for his companions to join him. "There are many wonders in these caverns." Ben said once they were all inside. Ben couldn't help but notice that all the eyes in the room had suddenly turned their way. "Tell master Kaso that Havi is here and that he brings guests from Jamal to see him." Several of the younger looking men left their seats and headed out of the library, either they were glad to get away from the new arrivals or all of them wanted to inform Kaso of his visitors. "He will be here soon. Feel free to look around, but please do not touch, some of these students have been laboring over their projects and experiments for months or years at a time." Havi said. Ben nodded. "Rest assured we'll do nothing to upset their studies." He said. Ben turned around then and wondered around the room looking at this and that, the place was intriguing to say the least. He moved closer to Sanok and softly said. "There's more to the Asrai then meets the eye." A couple minutes later there was a commotion at the far end of the library, Ben turned to see another Asrai enter followed by those that had left earlier. This must be Kaso he surmised. Kaso approached them and addressed Havi for a moment who gave him Jamal's medallion, the elder Asrai turned the medallion over in his hand several times before turning to his guests. "We have much to discuss. Please sit I will have someone fetch us some Chalo. We can talk of the needs that you have, and how we can help you." Kaso said. Ben sat as indicated as did the others, more of the junior members left the room to retrieve the Chalo or to continue their studies elsewhere. Ben turned his attention to the elder sitting before him. "We come to you with a great problem." He stated. "My master Jalad and his daughter-in-law have been taken my the Voice and his men. We suspect Kenovan may be behind the arrest." Ben paused for moment. "Jamal said you would be able to help us." He continued. "They were taken to the Great Temple under the belief that they were demons. We are in need of a guide to aide us in navigating the catacombs beneath Celdebrai and finding a way into the Great temple so we can rescue our master and his daughter-in-law." Ben leaned ahead slightly. "Any aide you can provide will be richly rewarded." Ben added. "Our master is a wealthy man and doesn't forget a kind turn." (reply Kaso, Sanok, Rosenbauer, any) (posted by Milo Young) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, Master Librarian Kaso, 2230) "We come to you with a great problem." He stated. "My master Jalad and his daughter-in-law have been taken my the Voice and his men. We suspect Kenovan may be behind the arrest." When Kaso had heard the description of the events in the town square from Layeela, he had thought that perhaps the young woman had misunderstood what was happening, and that the two strangers that had been arrested had been nothing more than convenient excuses for the Voice to begin a new program to eradicate those that opposed him. But now, for these three men to appear here, given the medallion that they possessed there could be no doubt. layeela had been telling him the truth as she understood it. Ben paused for moment. "Jamal said you would be able to help us." He continued. "They were taken to the Great Temple under the belief that they were demons. We are in need of a guide to aide us in navigating the catacombs beneath Celdebrai and finding a way into the Great temple so we can rescue our master and his daughter-in-law." Ben leaned ahead slightly. "Any aide you can provide will be richly rewarded." Ben added. "Our master is a wealthy man and doesn't forget a kind turn." Kaso nodded as the Chala was brought to the table. He spotted Layeela standing nearby, the sheer excitement that seemed to course through her body was almost palpable. "We have no need of money here, that is not the sort of reward that we seek. " Kaso replied after sipping the foamy Chala. "We are scholars, librarians and students of the lost arts given to use eons ago by the Aowa. We seek only to improve our understanding of the universe through the works that remain accessible to us. But this is not an easy thing to do, there is always someone that must bring us new discoveries and texts and that is a dangerous task in these times." "I will help you, Aowa from Rosenante. But in return I require your help. One of our own is also imprisoned within the Dungeons of the Golden Temple. His name is Mayrud, and he has long been a friend of all the Tilshol. He has brought us many things that has increased our knowledge and we would not leave him to die for his desire to strip away ignorance." "If you agree to bring him safely from that place, I will send Layeela and Adom to guide you to the place that you seek. But you must be prepared, the task is difficult because of the pain fields that the guards wear. And the devices that contain the prisoners as well. You can only achieve victory if you use your devices that you carry from the time of the Aowa. If you have other members of the clan Rosenante, they will need protection and a safe place to hide. Bring them here and we will help you prepare." (reply Soma or Sanok) "We heard this world spoken by the crystal. You speak to your leaders there although I have not heard them reply. Perhaps they can only hear your words and have not the means to respond to them?" Kaso asked. (reply Sanok, Soma) Daniel Greene ------------------------- (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - CMO - Cmdr Josh Caskie - Day 11 - 2305) It had been three hours since Parker had made the decision that Mike, Soma and Sanok would leave to go speak to Jamal regarding the rescue of the Captain and Frazier. Josh, knowing full well that they might not be back before morning attempted to settle down at the rendezvous site to wait for them but she couldn't help but feel antsy. Simply not used to sitting on her hands and doing nothing Josh chaffed at having to wait and couldn't help but get up every five minutes or so and prowl around the site. Finally realising that she couldn't settle she turned to the rest of the company. "I don't know about the rest of you but I certainly can't sleep just now. I don't think the rest of our team will be back much before morning so we might as well relax for a while. I'll take first watch if no-one has any objections. Mr Matrix, I will wake you up at 2am and you can take over. Wake Mr O'Neill up at 4am and then he can wake us all up at 6am or earlier if the team turns up. Ok?. Mr Parker I haven't included you in the watch since I suggest as the officer in charge you should try to get a full night's sleep." (Reply Matrix, O'Neill, Parker) She watched as everyone else tried to settle down knowing that they probably felt the same way she did and finally rummaging around in one of the packs that Rosenbauer had managed to rescue from the Traveler's Hall she managed to find a heavy shawl that Jessica had acquired. Throwing it around her shoulders to keep warm knowing that lighting any kind of fire was likely to give away their position so a bad idea, she walked around the site once more and finally picking a spot where she could see the entrance to their site, but still be in shadow herself, she settled down to wait. (Reply Matrix, O'Neill, Parker) (Posted by Marilyn) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Lt. sg Sanok, 2307) "There's more to the Asrai than meets the eye," said Ben in a lowered tone. "Indeed," said Sanok. Once Sanok realized the hunter was leading them through a maze of tunnels, he secretly activated his tricorder and recorded the complicated path they took. If this was a trap, they'd at least have the means to escape. When their journey ended, they were in a room where Tilsholl were studying in a room filled with computer consoles. They were inactive, but their presence was something Sanok would not have expected. Once they had finally met Kaso, and the man was willing to help, he dropped something on them no one could have seen coming. He called them Aowa from the Rosenante. "The task is difficult, because of the pain fields that the guards wear, and the devices that contain the prisoners as well. You can only achieve victory if you use your devices that you carry from the time of the Aowa. If you have other members of the clan Rosenante, they will need protection and a safe place to hide. Bring them here and we will help you prepare." Sanok forced himself to chuckle, hoping it didn't sound too phony. "We are most humbled that you would think we are Aowa, but we would not be so presumptuous. I also do not know this word, Rosenante, for we are from the Clan of Rajar, the esteemed ancestor of our master, Jalad." "We heard this word spoken by the crystal," said Kaso. "You speak to your leaders there, although I have not heard them reply. Perhaps they can only hear your words and have not the means to respond to them?" Sanok didn't know about a crystal, but it was clear these Asrai had knowledge of things outside the realms of typical Asrai life. He felt he still should not violate the Prime Directive, but it was now certain that they were on the verge of finding the information they needed to save the Asrai world. "We thank you for your willingness to help," said Sanok, making the gesture of gratitude. "Since time is of utmost importance, we must leave now to rescue our people, and yours." (reply Soma, Rosenbauer, Kaso, any) (posted by Bob B.) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - LCRD Steven Matrix - Day 11 ­ 2308) Caskie ordered everyone to take shifts and that sooted Matrix fine. He was tired. Matrix yawned the smiled at Caskie. "Apologies...I guess I'm tired...yes...2am. I'll get some shuteye." replied Matrix as he tried to make himself comfortable on the cold ground. It would be too difficult given the level of exhaustion he was experiencing. Matrix took a look around at the bunch and noticed Caskie take watch. He wanted to give some words of comfort however useless they might appear. "We'll get them out Commander. Of that I have no doubt." said Matrix. (Reply Caskie) "We're a resourceful bunch us Star Fleet types...we'll find a way." he replied. (Reply Caskie, any) (Posted by Steve) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, Lt. sg Sanok, 2309) "We thank you for your willingness to help," said Sanok, making the gesture of gratitude. "Since time is of utmost importance, we must leave now to rescue our people, and yours." Kaso nodded and turned to face the two Sanok assumed were Adom and Tayeela. He gave them instructions and they both ran off into another chamber. He turned back to face Sanok and the rest of the team. "I sent them to get the necessary supplies for the trip through the tunnels. Much of the way is dark." "I understand," said Sanok. While waiting for the two to return, there was an awkward silence in the chamber. The students and scholars were no longer studying, and they seemed to be in awe of the team from the Rosenante. He wondered what part of Asrai history and legend, these people thought they were. "Kaso, while we are waiting," said Sanok, "will you give us a brief accounting of the history of your world?" If there was anything at all, no matter how trivial, that could aid in the rescue, Sanok and his team needed to know. (reply Soma, Rosenbauer, Kaso, any) (posted by Bob B.) -------------------------- (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - COUNS Parker Davis - Day 11 - 2310) Parker watched as O'Neill nodded at Caskie's orders and said, "Aye, Sir." As the man tried to settle down to sleep, Parker couldn't help but wonder if his patient would get any rest. It was a situation like this that would have O'Neill wound up. He would be full of energy and must have been going insane with impatience, awaiting the arrival of Ben and Sanok. The counselor figured that Caskie wouldn't get much sleep either. Even though he was second in command, she was most likely feeling directly responsible for Salid's well-being, considering she was the most senior officer there. He went over and sat near her, but still far enough away from the others so that if he whispered, it probably wouldn't be heard much less understood. "Do you think you'll be getting much sleep tonight, Sir?" he asked quietly. (reply Caskie; to be continued in following JP) (posted by Morgan G) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2311) Ben wondered how Kaso knew of the Rosenante, had someone from the Tilshol overheard one of them speaking to the ship. The crystal he spoke of must be the commbadges, had they not been careful enough when communicating with the ship? Though a troubling though given what he saw coming here he doubted there was any risk of contaminating the Asrai culture, they possessed advanced technology in the past and may have chosen to abandon it. Sanok mentioned getting started and Kaso said it would take a little while to prepare for the journey so questions ensued, Ben had to admit to a certain curiosity himself. "Kaso, while we are waiting," said Sanok, "will you give us a brief accounting of the history of your world?" Ben chimed in. "Could you also tell us about the pedistals we passed coming here and the panel Havi used to open the door?" Ben asked , by pedistals he was refering to the computer terminals in the catacombs. He eased back in his seat and sipped the Chala, he had to admit he growing fond of the beverage and if things worked out in their favor maybe they could acquire the recipe. (reply Kaso, Sanok, Rosenbauer) (posted by Milo Young) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime - Celdebrai City - LCRD Steven Matrix - Day 11 ­ 2313) Matrix settled in and started to recall another away mission where he first took a life of another. The image of the alien officer vaporized at a well place phaser shot still haunted him. He hoped he would never be put in that position again, but he wouldn't hesitate if necessary. Phaser or by blade the results were the same. He hoped too that they would avoid any bloodshed in rescuing Fraser and the Captain, but that was likely a long shot. His gut told him that these people were more lethal than they appear. Matrix turned on his side away from the others and closed his eyes. ~I need rest however short.~ With that Matrix fell asleep knowing he would be awaken in a few short hours. (Reply any, none) (Posted by Steve) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, CTAC Lt. sg Ben Soma, 2317) Ben listened as Kaso described the history of the Asrai and the technology they had seen before entering the library, though the technology didn't function anymore they still possessed it. When Kaso told them of the colony ship and what had happened to their ancestors along with the approach of Solyon he made a decision that would could end his career in Starfleet. From what he learned of the Asrai he decided that the Prime directive didn't apply in their case just as it hadn't applied when the Enterprise-E intervened to aide the Baku who had also abandoned technology for a simpler life. He turned to look at both Mike and Sanok nodding to each, he intended to take full responsibility for what he was about to do, then Kaso dropped another bombshell on them speaking of the oxygen binding element of their blood. "Tell me, truthfully, because now so much depends on our honesty here in this place. Are you Aowa, or another traveler from among the stars? And have you come to save Solyon and restore us to our rightful place as explorers amongst the stars? Whether you are or not, it does not matter, because we will help you still, because no one should be executed as I am certain your friends shall be. But I can not send men to help you, beyond a guide. And the guards are dangerous and the way is difficult. You three will not be enough." Kaso said. This was it, the moment of truth, Ben was taking a great risk in what he was about to reveal. "You are correct Kaso." He began. "We are not Asrai nor are we Aowa, we are explorers from a very distant sphere. We happened across what we call a rogue planet which caught our attention, we studied it to determine it's origin and it's future progress. During that study it was determined the planet would enter your star system and pass close enough to your planet to destroy all live within ten years. We didn't know anything about your people or whether or not we could help." Ben leaned ahead again looking the elder Asrai in the eye. "We are governed by many rules and laws, one of which we call the Prime Directive." Ben continued. "This directive states that we cannot interfere with the natural progression of a lesser developed species, by lesser it means those that are not capable of traveling through the stars. Upon our arrival in your system we found that you showed little to no technological advancement so we decided to visit your planet to determine if we could still help save your people through some other means." He knew Sanok would object to his revelation to Kaso and fairly certain Mike would aswell though the Ranger would sympathize with his course of action. The genie was out of the bottle and there was no turning back, the Asrai weren't the ignorant back water people they appeared to be on the surface. "From what you have told us of your peoples history I believe the Prime Directive no longer applies to your situation." Ben said. "Though there is still a chance that I am mistaken which means I will be in a great deal of trouble when we return home. We came here to save your people from the rogue which you call Solyon, which we thought was a planet not a ship. Our run in with Kenovan hampered our efforts and now with our masters arrest we had doubts that we would be able to find sufficient cause to complete our mission, now I think we have enough information to act on thanks to you." (reply Kaso, Sanok, Rosenbauer) (posted by Milo Young) ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Tilshol, Lt. sg Sanok, 2320) With interest, and also with a sense of urgency, Sanok listened to Kaso explain the history of the Asrai. Based on what was being said, it was clear that a small portion of the Asrai knew about other races in the universe, as well as space travel. However, it was also clear that the vast majority of the general populace had no idea of any of this. Because of this, the Prime Directive had to remain intact. Just because a significant minority knew the truth, didn't mean the rest of Asrai society was ready to know. Kaso said, "Tell me truthfully, because now, so much depends on our honesty here in this place. Are you Aowa, or another traveler from among the stars? And have you come to save Solyon and restore us to our rightful place as explorers amongst the stars?" It was only a matter of time before Kaso asked them directly. They needed to continue being vague. "Whether you are or not, it does not matter," said Kaso, "because we will help you still, because no one should be executed, as I am certain your friends shall be." Sanok was certain as well, and they were wasting too much time with this. Where were the two Kaso had sent to get supplies for the rescue? "But I cannot send men to help you, beyond a guide," said Kaso, "and the guards are dangerous, and the way is difficult. You three will not be enough." ~You just night be surprised at our capabilities,~ thought Sanok. "You are correct, Kaso. We are not Asrai, nor are we Aowa. We are explorers from a very distant sphere." Sanok had to do a double take. It was Ben that was talking now, and he was telling Kaso and the others present, the truth about who they were. What was he thinking? On what did he base his decision to tell? It was true there was sufficient evidence to warrant the revelation, but it wasn't Ben's decision to make. "From what you have told us of your people's history," said Ben, "I believe the Prime Directive no longer applies to your situation." Sanok disliked the PD, and he agreed that Ben was probably right. However, it wouldn't have hurt anything to wait until they had the captain back before telling Kaso who they really were. "Though there is still a chance that I am mistaken, which means I will be in a great deal of trouble when we return home." Ben was right about that. "We came here to save your people from the rogue, which you call, Solyon, which we thought was a planet, not a ship," said Ben. "Our run in with Kenovan hampered our efforts, and now with our master's arrest, we had doubts that we would be able to find sufficient cause to complete our mission. Now, I think we have enough information to act on, thanks to you." Sanok had to act, so before Kaso could say anything, he put his hand on Ben's back and guided his friend to follow him away from the others. "Though you are probably right about the Prime Directive no longer applying here, it was not your place to reveal anything to Kaso," said Sanok. He could have said more, especially since Sanok was now in command, but their friendship was above that. "Please call Counselor Parker and have the rest of the team join us here. Kaso may be correct in saying we will need more than the three of us. Meet them outside, guide them through the traps, and bring them here." He handed Ben his PADD. "I recorded the course through the tunnels. I will urge Kaso to hurry things along." (reply Kaso, Soma, Rosenbauer) (posted by Bob B.) ------------------------- ========================= Mission: The Third Law Day: 12 Stardate: 2414.3.27 ========================== (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Darkom Dungeons- The Voice - Day 12 - 0105) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Darkom Dungeons- Lt (JG) Tayla Fraiser - Day 12 - 0107) (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Golden Temple- The Voice - Day 12 - 0135) ========================= (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Darkom Dungeons- The Voice - Day 12 - 0105) The male stood far enough back to keep himself from being affected by the pain field as the bane subjected the weaker female to the affects of the field. The Voice watched the male observe the situation as it unfolded. He could see the smoldering rage and keen intellect in his eyes. The male understood some of the principles that were taking place here. "So this is how you maintain your power is it? By torturing women?" The female taunted him. The bane didn't even wait for his instruction, he stepped forward on his own, send ing the woman into a series of painful spasms that almost incapacitated her. "Woman, answer me!" he yelled. She turned her head to the male in the cell, smiled serenely and said, "Sorry." Then to the voice's amazement, she stood and said, "Just do it. Whatever it is you’re planning on doing, DO IT!" The bane started to take a step forward, but in an instant the male tackled him, sending him sprawling into the midst of the second Bane, the Dominie and the Voice. A flush of agony spread across his body, for just an instant, and had it not been for the fact that he was on the outer reaches of the pain field, he probably would have been incapacitated. As luck would have it though, the cluster of Bane blocked any effective means of escape for the prisoners, and allowed the voice to step outside the affect of the fields and into the corridor. He whispered the holy words and the the field wall to the cell snapped into place in a brilliant wash of blue light. When the field erected itself, the pain fields surrounding the Bane automatically disengaged, releasing the male prisoner and the banes from their grasp. They all started to rise. The voice saw that there was about to be another conflict. "If you provoke an attack upon my people, I will have you all executed in your cell. You will have proven my fears and I will do as I feel necessary to purge my people of your influence." "Let them go." the Male spoke, through ragged breaths. (reply Fraiser) One of the Banes threatened violence, but the Voice spoke sharply. "Stay your hand!" The escort did as he was told. The men belonging to the order of the baneful moved closer to the field. The voice dropped it and they stepped outside. Once they were clear, the field was erected once again and served as a barrier between them. "We shall try this another way." The voice said. "We shall see if we are required to use other less-pleasant means to get the information we desire." The Male nodded, his eyes were glaring at the Voice. He had no fear of him and he was not making any of the normal gestures. He was... defiant. "What is your name?" The voice asked. The male looked at the female and said in a clear and concise voice. "They have the knowledge of cohesive unified fields. And a clear enough understanding of bioelectric fields to be potentially advanced enough to make the Prime Directive a moot point." (reply Fraiser) "What are you referring to, this Prime Directive?" he asked the male. "And, he's not intrigued by the technical concepts which de facto indicates an understanding of them well enough to know what we're talking about." The male continued, "So I see no reason to continue to deny him answers." The voice realized that he desperately wanted answers to his questions. It took him a moment to realize that the male had just put himself into control of the interrogation by dangling these bit in front of him, as if he were a child. "Tell me, about this Directive. Tell me how far the colony ship is away from arrival, and how you got here." The voice demanded, "did you come by space craft?" The male turned to regard him. That understanding of universal mysteries was there...gleaming in his eyes. "I came from a long distance from here, a distance greater than your world is round." he explained. "From another heavenly sphere?" "Yes, one far from here." "Why are you here?" The voice inquired, "Why return here after so long? Why is the colony ship coming here?" "Colony ship?" The male inquired, "I know nothing of a colony ship. I know only of a smaller celestial sphere that threatens to destroy your world." "Solyon." The Voice stated with a nod, "The Destroyer. I know of what you speak. Is it dead then? Are there no Aowa there?" The male paused as if considering what he should say. "I do not know. All I know is that the sphere is headed this way and will destroy your planet in less than 10 of your cycles." The Voice looked at him for a while. "No, it will not. We will destroy it, using the light of righteousness." "You can do this?" the male asked. "Perhaps. Where is your space craft?" "I do not have one." "Do not lie to me. You must have one, you bleed red. You are not Asrai. Are you Aowa? Genetically adapted? How many of you are there?" "Just us two." the male answered. "I don't believe you." "It doesn't matter if you believe me. That's the only answer you're going to get." There was a moment of anger as the Voice listened to the insolence in the male's voice, but it quickly subsided. "We will execute you this afternoon, as a warning to those that are with you. You will strengthen the power of the orders with your death. Your execution will allow me a means by which we can destroy the heretical demagogues that threaten us all. And when Solyon comes, I shall destroy it, and I shall reign supreme and unquestioned. I thank you for making this so easy for me." "Don't be a fool, there's no need for bloodshed. We can work together to solve this problem." The Voice smiled, "No. I suspect that you have come from Solyon, an advanced scout of the leader there, ordered to prepare for the arrival of your technological invasion. In the end it will not matter, your people will be destroyed long before they can land here. We have been waiting for them a very long time. I will not fail now." "You've gotten it all wrong." "I am certain that you believe that, but we stand vigilant against the dangers of technology that you bring with you. Your death will usher in an era of technological restrictions that will preserve our way of life. I should thank you for that." "Don't bother." The Voice smiled, "Then I shall not. They will come for you later. You should prepare yourself." The Voice made a gesture and he and those with him left the dungeon to prepare for the execution to take place later in the day. (reply Fraiser) Daniel Greene ------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Darkom Dungeons- Lt (JG) Tayla Fraiser - Day 12 - 0107) Tayla watched, in horror as Salid leapt forward and crashed into the bane and took him into the assembled members of the Voice's entourage. A guilt flew through her as she realised that her actions had caused this event, that her fight with Parker had lead to this moment. As the Voice took himself away from the fight, Tayla stood trying to decide what to do. Whilst she had had the starfleet training and knew a few things, it had been quite a long time since she'd seen an actual fight. She watched as Salid and Mayrud rose and the Voice yelled, "If you provoke an attack upon my people, I will have you all executed in your cell. You will have proven my fears and I will do as I feel necessary to purge my people of your influence." "Let them go." Salid said, “Let us all go.” she replied, glaring at the Voice in defiance. One of the Banes threatened violence, but the Voice spoke sharply. "Stay your hand!" The man did as he was told and soon he was outside the barrier that served to lock them in their prison, keeping them until their executions. "We shall try this another way." The voice said. "We shall see if we are required to use other less-pleasant means to get the information we desire."What is your name?" The voice asked. Salid looked at her, "They have the knowledge of cohesive unified fields. And a clear enough understanding of bioelectric fields to be potentially advanced enough to make the Prime Directive a moot point." A look of confusion furrowed her brow a second and then she realised what he was doing. She nodded, sagely and said, “It does appear so. They do appear sufficiently advanced.” "What are you referring to, this Prime Directive?" he asked Salid. "And, he's not intrigued by the technical concepts which de facto indicates an understanding of them well enough to know what we're talking about." Salid continued, "So I see no reason to continue to deny him answers." "Tell me, about this Directive. Tell me how far the colony ship is away from arrival, and how you got here." The voice demanded, "did you come by space craft?" Salid looked at the voice and said, "I came from a long distance from here, a distance greater than your world is round." he explained. Tayla leant back against the wall of the cell and listened to their exchange and began to wonder if they would ever get out of this cell. She began to envision being led out of the cells to her death and it chilled her to the core. She didn't want this to be the end for her and Parker. Their relationship was something special and she wanted to explore that. Watching as the Voice and his entourage left the prion area, Tayla waited a moment and then walked to Salid's side and helped him back to a sitting position against the wall. Quickly scanning him, she determined that he wasn't badly hurt. “How do you feel, Sir?” (Reply Salid) Tayla nodded and then sat down by his side and said, “Sir, I want to apologise.” (Reply Salid) Tayla closed her eyes briefly and said, “For getting us into this mess. This was all my fault.” (Reply Salid) Tayla took a breath and replied, “The fight with Parker that I told you about by the fountain. That's what started all this and it wouldn't have happened.....” she stopped. They hadn't told Salid about their relationship and this wasn't the way she imagined it coming out. (Reply Salid) Sighing deeply, she said, "Parker and I..... Well, we've been seeing each other.” (Reply Salid) (Posted by Jackie Smith) -------------------------- (Asrai Prime, Celdebrai City- Golden Temple- The Voice - Day 12 - 0135) The Voice stepped though the massive secured doors of the inner sanctum with a sense of trepidation and concern. His recent conversation with the male and female prisoner in the Dungeon had done nothing but enhance his fear of the pending arrival of the Aowa Project colony ship. He was not one of the original members of Kalos' officer corps, in fact none of the originals from his time remained with them in these days, instead the Voice, once known as Sagri had been genetically cloned from the tissue of his predecessor. His mental knowledge and skills had been imprinted, and now, in light of everything that was happening, sagri was beginning to wonder if some of his knowledge, beliefs and superstitions had been altered from those of his progenitor. It didn't matter too much at this point, he was the third in the line of clones, and he realized that his position was one of influence and privilege. The very thought of mistrusting Kalos, the Oracle of the Golden Temple, was physically nauseating. He came to a stop outside the preservation tube that contained the artificially sustained life-force of Kalos. It was a peculiar irony that the very man that had led the revolution against technology, declaring it evil, seemed to depend upon it for his continued existence. [Inquiry: What have you discovered.] Kalos asked him. "They are not alone. I am certain that there are many others here, though I can not say how many. I also believe that they have a star ship. They understand the concepts of unified energy fields and the basics of the pain field belts worn by the Baneful. They also spoke of a Prime Directive." [Inquiry: Prime Directive.] "I don't know. They refused to discuss it. I think they are here to prepare for the arrival of Solyon." Sagri explained, "I can think of no other reason for them to be here." [Statement: They pose a significant threat to our existence. It is time to implement the martial law protocols.] The Martial law protocols were one of the most terrifying thing that Sagri knew of. The system was very simple and was a form of technology that was exceptionally frightening to behold. At the time of their induction, a series of neural interface hardware was implanted within the brain of every Bane. That device would allow Kalos to take complete control of the individuals on a global scale. HIs augmented intellect and computerized capabilities would make them fundamentally an extension of his own being. A disembodied god-like creature that could control every aspect of the order without fail, fear or hesitation. The Martial Law Protocols had only been used once before, during the technological revolts following the seizure of this world from their original leaders. This was a means to guarantee the banes remained loyal to Kalos regardless of what happened. "I understand. But why now?" the voice inquired. [Response: I must use some of them to conduct repairs to the weapon that we will use to destroy Solyon. and others I shall use to purge the city of those that are undesirable, traitorous or hoarding technology. I shall be able to conduct thorough searches of the city and surrounding areas more efficiently. I shall find any other persons in collusion with those people in our dungeon. ] "And what of me, what am I to do?" the voice asked. [Command: You will accompany my Bane and shall stand by in the command center to operate the weapon manually should it be needed.] "Shall I go now?" [Command: Wait.] There was a slight hum, that Sagri somehow recognized, although he did not remember having experienced it within his lifetime. Then suddenly there was a flash of light, and a rush of images and other things that seemed to fill his head to the point of near capacity. He groaned in pain as the organic parts of his brain struggled to process the massive input of data that it had just received. His head throbbed, his breathing was ragged but this only lasted for a moment. When Sagri pulled himself to his feet he understood everything. The revolution, the destruction of his home world, the massive wars and the diseases and genocidal conflicts that had ravaged his world. he understood technology, the principles, the way to use them, everything. He also realized that the knowledge that he now possessed was from his original self, the man that had followed Kalos at the beginning of the revolution to seize control of this world. "So you've been limiting my memories?" Sagri asked Kalos. [Response: Affirmative] "Why?" [Response: It was necessary to maintain civil order and to guarantee continued loyalty to the cause.] Sagri was upset, but he could at least understand the reasons behind what he had done. "How long?" [Response: 650 standard cycles. This is your fifth incarnation.] All the technical knowledge that Sagri possessed came from decades of engineering work. He had been the First Engineer aboard the Aowa Colony Ship First Light. He had helped Kalos seize control of the port control center and the orbital defense weaponry. "Why now? Why give it back to me now?" he asked, certain that he would regret the answer. [Response: The situation requires a skilled engineer to repair the orbital defense system's remote operation capabilities. There is a damaged Aowa Program Colony Ship on a course that will pass close by this world. Their Mass Displacement systems are non-functional. We must destroy them before they reach critical distance. I do not possess the technical ability to make these repairs. Therefore you are required to do so.] "Required?" Sagri asked. [Response: Required. There is no option.] The door to the chamber opened and a half dozen bane stepped into the compartment. They were wearing pain belts and wearing armor moleculizers and carrying pulse weapons. They had a dull look in their eye and Sagri had a moment of Deja vu. "You suspected I would resist?" he said rhetorically. [Response: Affirmative] "Why?" [Response: Historical data indicates that you have done so in the past. You have twice attempted to destroy me. You will do as I command, and as a result I will clone you so that you may live on. Your current incarnation will be eradicated when you are no longer useful to me.] Sagri looked at the remains of the revolutionary leader as he floated inside the vitrotank. "You've become the monster we all fought against Kalos. You've betrayed the revolution. We could have made a new start here, free of technological corruption, but now you've become the very epitome of that corruption. You're an abomination." [Response: Irrelevant. You will do as commanded, or this entire world will die. Choose.] Sagri looked back at the Bane, who only regarded him through glazed eyes. He really didn't have a choice. Perhaps by doing this, he could at least atone for some of the crimes that he had committed within his abnormally long life. "I will do as you command, but you're going to need me, how long do you think that tank will continue to operate? it's already showing signs of stress failure. Soon you will need it repaired, and that means you'll need me." [Command: Go. Fulfill my command.] Sagri, the voice of the Oracle of the Golden Temple- no longer, took a deep breath and headed towards the door escorted by a handful of Banes. Already thoughts of how he could escape were running through his head. (reply none) Daniel Greene ------------------------- ========================== Compiled by Marilyn =========================