From: JoGoodman2@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, 7 January 2004 3:31 AM To: Spectre-nrpg@freedom-squadron.com Cc: compiles@freedom-squadron.com Subject: Spectre compile Dec 8-15 (pt 1) Spectre compile Dec 8-15 Mission: The Prisoners Dilemma, Day 3 Stardate 2406.03.11 (Base Camp - ACMO Rain Anderson - 00.20) (planet's surface, camp,Felicity Wells, 5:50) (planet's surface, campsite, Felicity Wells, 7:10) (Shuttle, Base Camp, CO, Captain Remae - 07.35) (Red Claw - Bridge - Cmdr Talath - 07.36) (planet's surface, base camp, Kahila Lono, 7:40) (Base Camp - ACMO Anderson - 7.40) (Planet's surface, Base Camp, CSO Octan Maber - 08:00) (The Lower Cradle, ACEO, Ensign(jg) Hank Longfellow - 08:06) (Outside the Spectre - Lt Major Drizzt - 08.08) (planet's surface, camp, Kahila Lono, 8:10) (Shuttle, Base Camp, CO, Captain Remae - 08.15) (Base Camp - ACMO Rain Anderson - 00.20) Rain stared up at the roof of her tent and tried to will her barin to shut down for a while. She had felt reassured when Mac had told her everything would be alright, but now that she was alone she was not sure. She didn't really feel any different. She would have expected a headache at the very least! Her brain was ticking over with all of the possible outcomes of this scenario, and very few of them had a happy ending! (Base Camp - ACMO Rain Anderson - 0612) Rain glanced at the ancient chronometer attached to her wrist. She had asked an orderly to replicate her one before she came down to the planet as she hated to not know the time. This one had been specifically calibrated to match the ships chronometer but had no electronic components to stop working. At some point she had fallen asleep and she felt slightly refreshed. Pulling on her uniform she went outside to see what was happening. The camp was starting to stir. She oculd dimly see large numbers of security guards in the trees on the perimeter of the camp, and with a strat she remembered about the Xenolithe out there somewhere. ~Nothing like the threat of dying to take your mind of the threat of dying!~ Rain helped herself to a ration pack and peeled back the plastifoil covering. She'd always hated ration packs even though, intellectually, she knew they were perfect for delivering essential nutrients. Food should actually have flavour and this most certianly didn't. The camp began to come to life more as she sat their quietly, hating her breakfast. She took a walk around the camp and looked in on all the infected people. Somne were still asleep. Ensign Wells remained at Claire's side and both slept fitfully. Rain prayed that today would find a cure for them all. She glanced up when she heard a shuttle approaching. Maybe this was the cure now! She waited with a small group to see who was arriving and was pleased to see it was the Captain and an ensign she didn't know. The FO stood at the front of the group to welcome them. "This is our new CSO, Ensign Maber who arrived with us last night." ~Arrived last night?? In the neutral zone??~ Kahila greeted the new ensign as did many of the "confined" "Mr Maber, could you have a look at our sick crew? Perhaps the technological part of this illness is something you can tell us more about?", asked the Captain, looking around the campsite. The CSO quickly moved off, tricorder in hand. Rain watched him closely but said nothing. She didn't want to mar his concentration by interrupting. He spent a long time studying Claire who had shown the most advanced symptoms of the infection. Rain studied Maber closely. She was almost able to see his mind working in the expressions on his face. He stood up, considered for a moment and then looked around. As soon as he spotted the Captain, he headed in that direction. Rain followed like a timid puppy. ~Please... Please... please~ "Captain," Octan said as he approached. "I have a theory." The Captain nodded. "Captain, I have been studying these probes and I think I know what their function might be. They seem to be mutating the cells of their hosts to something unknown to us. This is, however, deliberate. I can't be sure of this, but I think the Xenolithes might use them so that they can communicate with, and therefore use, the Nageri. "This process is not fatal to the Xenolithes, but to most other species, it seems to be. It's somewhat akin to Borg technology, except that it doesn't transform complete bodyparts, only certain cells in the brain, to facilitate communication. "However, the above is only speculation. Our problem is that our crewmembers will eventually die if the probes aren't removed. Luckily for us, we have time - the probes are multiplying themselves slower than they normally would, due to their hosts fighting the 'infection'. We can see this from the raised T-Cell count in the patients. "The T-Cells are effective in fighting the probes, but can only slow them down. The EM emissions the victims are displaying are a result of the probes' work. "I realised this when Lt Gort found that there may be sentience behind the emissions - they are testing the transformation, trying to communicate with the Nageri. However, their attempted communication is showing up on our systems!" Maber scanned the faces around him, realising they weren't all that interested in the how or why, but in what could be done. So, he moved on: "I may have found a way to slow the probes down and even kill them!" "I tried various methods on the probes - nothing worked, but something stood out: Exposure to cold actually speeds them up, much like superconductors, causing them to work and multiply much faster! Seeing that, I tried exposing them to heat, which definitely slows them down! "Excessive heat even kills them! The interesting factor is that it isn't the heat itself that kills them, but when they slow down they try and compensate for it by 'working' faster, eventually 'shorting' themselves out. "There is just one problem - the heat required is at the upper end of humans' heat tolerance - the infected crewmembers will be at severe risk if we choose to use this treatment." He glanced around. "But I don't see any other way." Rain gulped... which was worse the disease or the cure?? "Have you spoken with Dr. Cambridge or other medical officers as to the methods that can be used to produce the needed temperature?" Rain knew that the theory had really only become fully formed and now the logistics would need to be worked out. "I doubt it, I suspect the CMO would be over here now telling his ideas about heating up the infected crew. let's go and see him now." The CO replied He left in search of the CMO and Rain settled herself on a rock to conisder how best to deliver intense heat with the least possible damage occurring. Rain was worried that the massive temperature increase would damage the body so badly it would not recover. Human enzymatic functions worked in a very narrow temperature range. Too high or too low and nothing worked anymore. She moved over towards Cambridge who had been talking to the CSO. "Yes! I think we have it. Get a heating implement, focus it on the area of the node and have dermal regenerators ready at the side." Cambridge thought a moment longer and stabbed his finger at the Science Officer. "You're pretty smart. Not too bad there. Rain?" "I think we can do it. You?" Before she could answer, the CSO spoke again. "Are you sure? The heat will be unbearable. My tissue sample analyses show about a 60% chance of survival. Also, the treated personnel will spend a while in recovery. I think it may be best to do one, maximum two, at a time, before you sit with an infirmary full of patients. "There is one other thing.... but, I think the Captain needs to hear this as well." With that the CSO turned and headed back to the Captain. ~And they say I'm unpredictable!~ "Captain, the doctor might have a workable plan," Octan said as he came near. "There is one problem, though, and it concerns Lt Commander Lono. She is half Betazoid right?" The other three officers nodded, prompting Octan to continue: "Well, Betazoids' heat tolerance are lower than humans, not much - in fact, normally you wouldn't notice it, but enough so that the treatment will not work on her - it will certainly kill her!" This hadn't occurred to Rain at all and now she thought about it, it made perfect sense. If only Kahila was a Vulcan or a Cardassian... they had much higher heat tolerance levels. "We need to find a way to protect her vital functions to allow the procedure to work, that's now your priority.",the CO replied. Rain noticed the FO approaching. "Get to work." Captain Remae said as he moved to intercept the FO. (Reply none - just putting it all in order for myself) (Posted by Wendy Keen) Mission: The Prisoners Dilemma, Day 3 Stardate 2406.03.11 (planet's surface, camp,Felicity Wells, 5:50) Felicity woke from a much needed sleep to hear Claire stir, propping herself on her elbow she look to see if Claire had gained consiousness, her eylelids were flicking and her face had regained some colour Felicity knelt beside Claire and gently murmered, "Claire please wake up, you are going to get better you are going to get through this. She felt in her tote bag for one of her crystals that had been with her whilst she was in animation, she pulled out the Boji stone and the amazonite. ~Amazonite, perfect, helps purify diseases of the nervous system~ Felicity held the wand like crystal over Claire, and then laid it carefully on the young womans chest, then holding her hands above Claire's body she began to meditate. ~Make this woman well, take away what is foreign and heel~ Felicity had dabbled in healing years ago when she was with her family, Her mother had had a special gift which she assured Felicity she had inherited, and although Felicity did not go anywhere without her collection of rare crystals, she had not practised heeling for a very long time, besides it was something she prefered to keep to herself on the grounds that she may be considerered a wierdo. Felicity's trance was broken "Good morning, Ensign Wells. Your attentiveness is an inspiration to me. I hope you managed to get some sleep though. Are you able to tell anything about Claire's condition, or the nature of the nano itself? It seems I'm too close to the situation -- or rather it's too close to me! -- and I receive very little awareness of the substance." "Good morning Kahila" she replied. "Yes I did manage to get some sleep but I was woken by Claire here, she seems to have some colour. I have no idea about the nature of the nano, but" Felicity hesitated for a moment for fear of what she was about to say would distroy any credibility she may have managed to earn so far. Kahila smiled as if to encourage Felicity. "Look Kahila, I have this hunch, I have been healing Claire with, well with these Crystals and she seems to have made some progress. Perhaps if it would be possible to work on someone who isn't so badly infected, I would be interested to see if it helps and actually get a response from the patient" (Reply Kahila) (planet's surface, campsite, Felicity Wells, 7:10) After Kahila had left, Felicity began to work on other comatose patients. Feeling the effects of lack of sleep and depletion of energy she continued to concentrate the little energy she had left determined to make at least a little difference. Not knowing how long had passed the next thing she was aware of was counsellor Lono's voice. "Ensign Wells, it seems I must order you to go out and have breakfast. While supplies last." She looked up from the patient she was working on to see Kahila shaking her head and smiling "I'm not even going to ask if you managed to get any sleep last night." said Kahila "Sleep I've had enough sleep to last a lifetime" replied Felicity standing to face the Counsellor. Kahila motioned to Claire and asked "Has there been any change?" "Actually yes just a little, although that could be wishful thinking on my part" she replied. "I could do with a strong mug of coffee, at a nice little cafe somewhere, but I guess that's out of the question?" (Reply Kahila) "Any chance of a blueberry muffin while we're at it?" Felicity threw in as they were leaving the tent. Kahila led Felicity to a shuttle which the supplies had been transported in. Felicity noticed a perplexed look on the Counsellor face as she was pouring coffee. she handed it to Felicity and asked "Do you sense anything unusual?" Felicity took a big swig of her coffee and replied, "To be honest Kahila I am too drained to feel anything. but I don't think those gentlemen over there are discussing the weather" "Well, I'm not going to just stand here and wonder any longer. I have to know what this is all about." retorted the counsellor. Felicity watched as Kahila walked over to the officers grouped around the Captain and took another swig of her coffee. (Reply Kahila) Posted by Jen Keen (Shuttle, Base Camp, CO, Captain Remae - 07.35) "So, what have you been upto?", said Remae a small smile crossing his face! =^= Keeping the galaxy safe from the Xenolithe threat while you played doctor, it seems. We have engaged multiple small ships, though we haven't found a base of operations for them yet. =^= Remae was speaking to the Romulans who were in orbit, keeping the galaxy safe! He had to bite his tongue from making the tense situation worse.