Mission 17 - Inferno's Light

[Steele]

On:
Science Labs
USS Malinche
Day 10, 15:00

As the Malinche sped towards Athos III, Aaron took the opportunity to research the planet. He had been to several of the planets in and around the DMZ but had never visited Athos III. Pulling up the data on the planet, Aaron found it a very diverse planet. It was obviously a Class M planet, but the various continents were not similar.

The Montar continent, located primarily in the North-Eastern Hemisphere, contained large sections of wooded mountains, but also contained grasslands. The other continent in the North-Western Hemisphere also had plains and forests but unlike Montar, contained a large desert area. The third continent, Elada, was located wholly in the Southern Hemisphere, and was the most unlike the other two. Not very hospitable, it reminded Aaron of the polar regions of Earth. A large tundra area, there were parts of the continent that were perpetually ice-bound. As with the tundra on Earth, there was little plant growth on Elada, and what did grow didn’t grow real tall.

As interesting as the information on the continents was, what intrigued Aaron the most was the three oceans that made up around 75% of the planet, Earth’s oceans made up around 71% of the surface area. He had to wonder if what drew some of the colonists to the planet was the vast oceans that divided the three continents.

Per the Captain’s request, he also looked into any anomalies that could disrupt communications. Nothing out of the ordinary had showed up on sensors in the area over the past few months. Of course that didn’t necessarily mean there wasn’t anything out there, but it did reduce the likelihood. Forwarding the information to the Captain, Aaron left the science labs for the shuttle bay.

Off:

[N'rass]

On:
<Shuttlebay, USS Malinche Day 10, 15:00>

The Chief walked through the bay of the Malinche overseeing the various activities in her typical straight manner. As per orders, Roen decided the small craft crews needed to be trained more closely.

She walked up to the Hunley shuttle maintenance crew and stood quietly behind them with her arms crossed before they noticed.

"Riggs(NPC)," She leaned in and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You need to be more consistent about your work area. This 'mess' is enough to make any engineer cringe let alone a pilot. Fix it."

"Yes...um...Ma'am" He responded nervously looking up to her from his kneeling position.

"For now..." She continued, moving her hand back to behind her with the other one. "I will overlook your lack of addressing protocol." She turned and looked to the crew chief. "Nauman(NPC), See to it this ship is ready by the end of your shift. Something tells me there will be a need for it soon and we cannot have down time. The book says you can have it done with time to spare and I will settle for that. Understood?"

"Clearly, Ma'am." The much taller and stronger officer affirmed to the bajoran. There were times he found her intensity frustrating but he was good at controlling his emotions. "It will be done." He said with a reassuring smirk to throw her off.

She raised an eyebrow at his response. "As you were." She rotated precisely and walked back to her office.

After a the crews had left for the day, she leaned back in her seat to relax with her arms behind her head. The management of the bay crew was becoming more routine by the day, especially with N'Rass working in Engineering. Somehow, though she had a nagging feeling that something very meaningful to her was about to change. That something was still a mystery, unfortunately.


OFF:

NPC's by

[Barrett]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Barrett-Townsen Quarters, 1915, Day 11>

Jason was looking through the mountain of work that had some how managed to build up on his desk when Adam (NPC) came in, Tavi (PNPC) trailing close behind him. They both looked sweaty; although that might have something to do with the fact that they had been climbing nearly all afternoon in the holodeck.

"You smell," Jason said, as Adam kissed him on the forehead. "And I thought that you guys were going to be back early so that we could go over the wedding plans."

"You still haven't made wedding plans," Tavis asked, stripping off his shirt. Tavi was still having a hard time remembering that they weren't at the monastery and had at tendency to start stripping off his clothes whenever he got to their quarters; apparently modesty was not something that had been taught at Tavi's temple.

"Tavi, we talked about this," Jason said, indicating the shirt on the ground. "You can't walk around naked."

"I'm not naked," Tavi frowned, indicating his pants. "I still have my pants on!"

"Go take a shower," Adam ordered.

Tavi scampered off toward the bathroom, leaving Adam and Jason alone. Adam flopped down on the couch, Jason joining him with a stack of PADDs.

"We really should get to planning this," Jason said.

"Ugh, I hate planning this kind of thing."

"I don't really want to either but unless you want to hand it off to Joey or something then we really should start making some decisions," Jason said, pointing to the PADD that he was holding. Adam groaned but then took it from him and started scanning down it.

"Alright, so we both agreed that we want Captain Kersare to actually perform the ceremony and we both know that we want it here on the Malinche, right?" Adam asked.

"I think that's all we know right now," Jason sighed. "But lets start with the dinner menu, do you have anything really specific in mind?"

"Not really," Adam sighed. "I talked to Josh and he mentioned something about maybe a buffet."

"You want a buffet at our wedding?" Jason asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Ok, clearly that's a bad idea," Adam said. "What about that restaurant at 386? Whats it called? Rosie's! That's it, we could see if they could cater it for us!"

"I like that idea," Jason said, smiling and kissing Adam. "I'll contact the owner and see if they can transmit us a menu or something...but we should have a back up plan if we don't get docked back at 386."

"Alright," Adam nodded. "We should talk to the chef; maybe he can get us a menu too."

"Sounds good," Jason smiled. "Next on the list is the entertainment. Live band? DJ?"

"I don't even know of any live bands," Adam said. "Plus I think a DJ would be better...are we going to hold this little get together on the holodeck?"

Jason nodded. "I was thinking about the shores of crystal cove back on Maran."

"I love the way you think," Adam smiled, pulling Jason in close for a kiss.

"No more of that until you shower," Jason said, pushing Adam away.

[Kersare]

ON: <<Chief Security Officer's Office, Day 11, 1400>>

Having finished his initial afternoon duties, Derek (PNPC) had headed over to Aaron's office. While thus far things had been quiet, he still wanted to know how the department head thought he was doing and where he could make improvements. As time passed it was getting more and more comfortable to be back into the StarFleet routine - being a part of the Collective was a distant memory, a nightmare he'd finally woken up from. Between the counseling sessions with the Counselor, spending time with Isabel, and reading about others who had gained their independence from the Collective, he felt like he was doing better each day.

Derek knocked on the door to Aaron's office and awaited a response. He never had been fond of the doorchimes for the majority of the doors on a ship.

Lowering the PADD in his hand, Aaron rubbed his eyes a little. He'd been going over the latest efficiency reports for some time, looking for any spots where they might be able to up their response time. "Come in," he called out in response.

Hearing Aaron's voice, Derek stepped into his office. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant. I apologize if I'm interrupting you."

"Not at all," Aaron replied, happy for the distraction, "Please, take a seat." Setting the PADD aside, he motioned to the chair positioned opposite where he was sitting behind the desk and smiled a little. "I was just going over our most recent efficiency assessments," he explained, "it's pretty dry reading, if you ask me. What can I help you with?"

"Thank you, sir," Derek said as he took the offered seat. "Assessments in general are not usually lively." He paused slightly, wondering how exactly to ask...though he was getting used to being part of StarFleet, it was still a little odd to be back and to be a lower level member of the department, considering his position prior to being assimilated. "Well, sir, I was wondering how I am doing as far as my duties...and if there is anything I can improve upon."

Aaron couldn't help but smile a little at the man's words. It had been pretty clear that this was coming for some time, though he wasn't quite sure when it would happen. He wasn't a trained counselor or physician, but if he tried to imagine himself in Greyman's position, he figured he'd probably be a bit concerned about his performance too.

"I think you've been doing quite well," Aaron replied with sincerity, "All your assignments have been completed on time or ahead of schedule. Is there something in particular you are concerned about?"

Derek nodded at Aaron's comments. "Mostly I wanted to find out where I stood, as far as you are concerned. I know that some in the department, and the ship in general, are not happy about my presence here or my position. I held myself to a high standard prior to..," he paused a moment, not particularly wanting to say it. "And I still do. Others seem to not want to give me a chance or imply that I am not doing well; for the most part, I simply continue to do my best and to ignore them."

A small sigh escaped Aaron's lips as he took in what Greyman was telling him. He knew when he chose to have the man on his team that there would be people talking about it. Maybe he had hoped that the others would have learned to accept every member of the team, but that didn't seem to be happening as soon as he would have liked. Part of him wondered what else people were saying about the way he was running things.

Aaron immediately pushed the thought from his mind. There was no reason that he needed to go questioning his own decisions. That was the quickest road to self doubt, which didn't really have a place in his line of work. "I'm sorry that things have been so difficult for you," Aaron told Greyman, "Personally, I don't see anything that would indicate to me that you have done anything other than your best, which is all that we can ask of anyone."

"There is no need to apologize; I cannot blame them. Before the incident, if I had been in their position, I likely would have been leery as well. I think with time at least some will come around...but I wanted to make sure that my performance was satisfactory," Derek explained. He didn't like sounding so formal...but for some reason he was having a difficult time using contractions in his speech - something that Isabel had pointed out to him. He was able to use them with his internal dialogue, just not aloud.

What Greyman was saying created mixed feelings for Aaron. He was happy to see a member of his team so concerned with being an active and contributing member, but at the same time, he was a little disappointed that perhaps he wasn't making it clear enough just how well everyone was doing. "I know we've talked a lot about expectations for you," he said slowly, "but is there anything you expect of me? Maybe something that I haven't been doing as well as I should?"

The question made Derek pause. "Well, sir, for the most part you've certainly been at least meeting my expectations. I realize this is a new position for you, but in my opinion, you seem to be doing well. I suppose in my case, I would appreciate slightly more regular updates as to my progress and as far as what you would like to see from me. As my circumstances are unique compared to the others, I think it would benefit me to have regular progress updates, if it is not too much to ask, Lieutenant."

Aaron smiled. It wasn't exactly the answer he'd been looking for, but at least he'd gotten some sort of answer. "Thank you," he said, "I will see what I can do about that."

Derek nodded, "Thank you." He wasn't sure if he had entirely answered Aaron's question, but he wasn't sure what to expand upon or how. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, "Mostly I want to be treated just like any of the others; I do not wish to have special treatment. As long as you can do that, treat me fairly, and let me know what I need to do to help gain the trust of the crew as far as my responsibilities, I think the arrangement will be successful."

"Sounds like a fair exchange to me," Aaron replied, looking directly at the man across from him, "If you ever need anything else, please let me know."

"Of course," Derek said as he stood. "I do not wish to keep you, Lieutenant, but thank you for the conversation."

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant JG Aaron Masterson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

amd

Derek Greyman (PNPC)
Security Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:

[Barrett]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Vosh's Quarters, 2130, Day 11>

Trace tossed his duffel back to the side as he entered his room. He was still partially sweaty from the drill that they had run earlier that evening. His team had done well, not perfect but well enough. They ended up losing three men; although some may say those count as acceptable losses, in fact Eridan would say that they were better then average, it still was something that made Trace uneasy.

He supposed part of that was due to the fact that both Trax and Kayla abhorred the loss of life no matter the circumstances. They both had strived to use any power to preserve life, although there were times when they knew it was necessary that life be sacrificed. Maybe if Trace had drilled them harder...

He shook the thoughts away as he stepped into that bathroom. He was covered in grime at the moment and looked like he had seen better days. He stripped off his shirt, smiling at the image before him. Trace was pretty good looking, his body was athletic and built from long hours of physical training. He had a healthy tan and his eyes were always something that females and males always said they got lost in.

He finished undressing and stepped into the spray of the shower, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and dirt that had accumulated on him during the training. After he finished cleaning up he stepped out of the shower and got dressed in more comfortable clothes. He still needed to draw up a performance plan for the team's briefing tomorrow and he wanted to talk to Aaron about getting a few more practices in before they reached the colony.

He sat down at his desk and was about to go to work when his door chime sounded. Frowning and wondering who would be visiting him this late at night he got up and answered it.

"Joey?" Trace asked, arching an eyebrow. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

"Um...maybe," Joey said, looking around the corridor. "Look, can I come in and talk to you?"

"Uh, sure come on in," Trace said, stepping aside. He had never seen Joey act like this, well he hadn't seen Joey really act anything but cocky but that was part of his charm, a factor that wasn't lost on Trace at all. Although with his good looks there probably weren't really many situations he couldn't charm himself out of.

"Whats up?"

"I need your help...I think...well I think that I did something stupid."

"Like you need to talk to the captain stupid or drank too much Romulan Ale stupid?" Trace asked.

"Which one do you think it is?"

"What did you do?"

"When we were docked on 386 I sort of made out with this Bajoran after having one too many drinks and he won't stop calling me."

"What's wrong with that...oh wait a minute...did you say he?" Trace asked.

"Yes, he," Joey snapped. "I mean it's not like I have anything against homosexuals but I'm not...I just had way too much to drink and now...well...now he says that he's in love with me and I have no idea what to do!"

"Come on," Trace said, grabbing Joey by the arm and standing him up. "We're going to the lounge to grab a drink. My third host used to say that a problem like this require copious amounts of alcohol."

"Are you sure about that?" Joey asked. "Drinking is what got me into this in the first place."

"I'll stop you if you try to make out with me," Trace said.

But I sure wouldn't mind it, he thought to himself, with a smile. "Although I have to ask," Trace said, as they stepped out into the corridor. "Why is that you came to me and not Adam (NPC), aren't you two best friends?"

"Of course we are," Joey said, as he then entered the turbolift. "It's just that with Tavi and them planning a wedding, I really didn't want him to worry about all this stuff."

"Then why come to me?"

"I dunno," Joey shrugged. "I knew that you...well that Vosh had been in both male and female hosts and thought that you might be able to give me some perspective on the matter."

Trace nodded, although he only partially understood. Why people thought that just because Trills often lived male and female lives that they could solve all relationship problems was beyond him. "I'll do what I can to help," Trace said, as they came off the lift. "First things first though, we need to get a drink."

OFF: Just a fun little JP by:

Ensign Trace Vosh
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

aaannnnddddd

Lieutenant JG Joey Summers (NPC)
Operations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:

[N'rass]

<<Roen's quarters, USS Malinche, Day 11, 2100 hrs>>

Anara drifted off into sleep in her arm chair. Her quarters were quiet and spartan, particularly with the lights turned off. The only glow was the star light from the windows.

<A Klingon cruiser's bridge>

"Unknown vessel on long range sensors, Sir." A helmsman said. "Awaiting orders."

The Bajoran commander leaned forward in his seat before responding. "Move in closer and get a good look. Remain cloaked."

"Yes, Sir." The helmsman responded. The old Klingon vessel moved along with it's lack of refinement which to some was an endearing quality.

They watched the screen as they passed the ship. "USS Malinche?" The commander said softly. "I have not heard of this vessel. Report it to headquarters as a possible Terran ship and match course. Keep at the ready in case we are detected."

"Understood." The communications officer said. "Message sent."

"Tactical, I need a report on this vessel. What can you tell me?" The leader turned and asked.

The tactician read his screen and replied. "The class of ship is uncertain but it appears to be heavily armored and defended. Perhaps a Terran Prometheus class. Also has multiple small craft with armaments. Without the element of surprise we do not have much chance against it in a fight." The officer seemed concerned as she looked up at her leader.

"We will just have to maintain that then Maren, now won't we." He winked and settled back into his seat to watch the prey.

The ship's crew had come to trust his judgment even though he tended to make some more cavalier moves. This was no exception. They had concluded Command had placed the Rakatel on this mission because they thought it was risky. This did not daunt them, however as they watched the much larger Federation vessel.

<Roen's quarters>

Roen shook her head and stood up with a gasp. Normally dreams did not mean anything to the hardened soldier, but this time it felt more real. She tried multiple times through the night to fall asleep but failed.

When morning came, she went up to the bridge and looked at the tactical officer.

"Yes, Chief?" He asked.

"I have a feeling there is someone out there. I can't say how, but I need to know if you have any way to detect an old Klingon cloak?"

"Unfortunately none that work consistently." The officer replied. "Without probable cause, I will not be able to initiate such attempts. You will need to take that up with the captain."

"Prophets, this is going to bother me." She exclaimed and walked away toward Isabel's office.

<Ready Room>

Hearing the door chime, Isabel frowned slightly. Usually she wasn't in her ready room at this hour, but she was trying to get as prepared as possible for their arrival at the colony. "Come in."

Roen straightened her uniform top as she stood at attention in front of the captain's desk. "This is going to sound odd and I have no evidence yet, but I think there is something out there." She was nervous but tried to keep her composure.

Isabel raised an eyebrow. "Does this happen often?" she asked as she motioned towards a seat.

"Well, I have only had this feeling once before." She took the offer and sat down across from the captain's seat. "The last time I had...what's the word...a Premonition, it came true and I lost my closest friend because I dismissed it beforehand. This time I cannot let that happen."

Nodding slowly, Isabel said, "What do you think it is?" For all she knew, it could be nothing...but then again, it could be important. Given the situations the Malinche usually ended up in, Isabel didn't feel she could simply dismiss it and really, she wouldn't simply turn away a crewmember who came to her with a concern.

"There is a ship out there." She looked toward the window. "My premonition was faint and vague but I feel they are close enough to be shadowing us. This is not a good feeling, Ma'am." Roen wished she could be more specific but the memory of the dream was fading quickly.

"I would imagine it wouldn't be," Isabel replied. "Is there anything else you can tell me - what kind of ship it was...clues as to where they might be or who?"

Roen nodded. "It seemed to be Klingon, but they did not act like the Klingons we usually deal with. This seemed more 'rogue'." She paused as she leaned on her knees with her elbows to try to recall it. "I think the commander said to...follow but not engage."

Isabel considered the new information before replying, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time the Malinche has dealt with rogue Klingons... If it's one of the smaller classes of Klingon vessels, it could be that they realize they're no match for us." She leaned back in her chair as she pondered their options. Regardless, the idea was troubling - why would Klingons be in the area anyway?

Anara tried to smile at the reassurance. "I hope so. Cloaking devices bother me. I would rather a large adversary that I can see to an invisible fighter any day." She paused and looked up at Isabel's eyes a moment before saying softly with a shake in her tone, "Is there anything we can do about this, Ma'am?"

The Anara currently before Isabel was a far cry from the one Isabel had had to have a discussion with about getting along with others. It was interesting to see and, to her, showed how much the idea of this had affected the Bajoran. Isabel's expression softened as she replied, "I'll ask Tactical to be extra vigilant in scanning for other vessels and I'll have Science scanning for any signs of cloaked vessels. In the meantime, if you have any more premonitions or if you remember anything else, I want you to come tell me."

The softer side of the Chief was something she did her best to hide as Anara felt it showed weakness. This time it seemed the facade was irrelevant and she looked up and sat back with a worried smile. "I will, Ma'am." She stood up with a bit less rigidity than usual and said a soft "Thank you."

Isabel gave a brief nod as she watched Anara get up and leave her ready room. Nothing was ever easy...

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

with

Glinn Roen Amer (PNPC) and crew

and

Roen Anara (PNPC) of

[Vosh]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Holodeck 1, Day 11, 1945>

Sweat beaded down the Trace's back. At the moment they were staring at the only remaining structure that hadn't been secured by the security forces on the Malinche. They had yet to lose a single man, although there had been several close calls. One of the first things that they did when they went in was cut the power and deploy sensor scramblers...which was a double edged sword.

It limited their ability to watch them as well, the scramblers had a tendency to fool up the equipment that they used as well. But the bad guys were at the disadvantage here, Trace had trained his team to function without the use of tricorders. At the moment, they were kneeling behind a hover sled filled with barrels that was parked out side the main administrators building. There were three guards on the roof of the square structure.

The guards assumed that they were alone...but they were more then wrong. Ryan (NPC) was already waiting in the shadows; dressed in his all black body armor. One of the guards headed off the roof and downstairs; leaving only two of them. And that's when Ryan struck, slipping fluidly from the shadows and yanking the guard back in. Trace fired at the same time, his stun blast toppling the man on the roof. The door opened and the third guard stepped out...and was hit by at least three different stun blasts.

"Team Alpha moving in, Team Echo and Bravo move to secondary position and give us some cover," Trace commanded, signaling for his team to head out.

They came around the hover sled, weapons raised and sweeping the area. There was no immediate answering fire and Trace and his team moved quickly forward. He a movement with his hand and the door in front of him exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke. Seconds later several grenades were tossed inside, setting off a series of incredibly bright explosions that were designed to completely disorient anyone inside.

Trace and his team burst through the lobby door fanning out with amazing speed. Those inside never even had a chance; Trace's rifle spoke four times, dropping all of the assailants that were guarding the foyer. All around him security teams dropped attackers.

"Clear!" Trace finally yelled. "Status reports?"

"Echo has secured the east and south entrances," Ryan said. "We got a little roughed up, we lost Connelly and T'Geer. Bravo is under heavy fire but they are holding position."

"Echo, sending friendlies your way," Trace said, pointing to his four squad members. "Regroup and then give Bravo some help."

They nodded and took off around the corner, leaving Trace standing there alone. Something at the top of the stairs caught his eye and he turned around. He really wished that he hadn't.

Walking slowly down the stairway were four burly looking Nassicans, none of them carrying any weapons...although they really didn't need to be carrying weapons to be dangerous. Trace smiled; he had been itching for a good fight.

He aimed his weapon and fired. Nothing happened. He checked the gauge, apparently they had activated some sort of dampening field. He tapped his combadge.

"Trace to all points, looks like they have an inhibitor field up...switch to hand to hand."

They acknowledged his order just as the Nassicans came at him. Trace had asked the program for high skilled targets; he just hoped that he hadn't gotten them all in over their heads. The first Nassican came barreling at Trace who dropped back, unleashing a powerful round house kick that sent him sailing off course.

Another came at him from his right side; Trace stepped side stepped the attack, hitting the Nassican with snap kick that knocked him backwards into his colleague.

"You're going to pay for that human," one of the snarled.

"You really need to pay attention," Trace said, blocking several more blows before sending the Nassican spinning away from a right hook. "Because the spots should be a give away."

Traced grabbed another one's arm, bringing his own arm down fast and hard. There was a loud pop and the Nassican roared, dropping back as the bones in his arm snapped apart. Trace flipped forward, landing just in time to block several attacks from one of the ones that didn't have a broken arm. The two remaining unharmed Nassicans came at him again, swinging wildly.

Trace was one step ahead of them, dodging or pushing aside most blows that came his way. A few got through and although they hurt, Trace had long ago been trained to ignore that pain. He flipped one Nassican over, slamming a foot down on his face before getting hit across the face from the one that he had given a broken arm.

"You're going to pay for what you did to me!" the Nassican hissed.

"Probably not," Trace blocked the next blow and then slammed his fist forward, encountering the man's breastbone.

He wasn't lucky enough to actually crack it but the blow was enough to send him staggering backwards. Trace let loose with a flurry of punches and kicks, finally slamming his head against the wall with such force that the Nassican went down for the count.

Trace spun around, catching another blow before sending that attacker backwards with a kick. He ducked under another blow and came up behind his attacker, slamming his elbow down on the man's shoulder blades. He pitched toward the ground, Trace grabbing him by the back of the uniform and sending him toward the wall. There was enough force that he too went down for the count.

Trace beckoned the last Nassican forward...and then had to smile as he was promptly dropped from behind with blast from a phaser rifle. Ryan came jogging down the stairs, smiling.

"Took you long enough," Trace smiled. "I almost had to break a sweat."

"Looks like you had everything well under control," Ryan responded. "We got the hostages, although our total fatalities for this mission are 4."

Trace nodded. "Computer end program. We'll have a debriefing tomorrow morning at 0800, until then get some rest and good job people."

OFF:

[N'rass]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Holodeck 2, Day 11, 1500hrs>

"Computer," Anara stated when she walked into the holodeck room. "Shrine of the Orbs, Kendra Province."

The room changed into a warm stone building with the subtle sound of birds and nature in the background. A garden pathway led her to a small room with an orb box in it. She walked to it and knelt in front of it, alone in the room.

This feels so weird. A shrine in a holodeck. Better than nothing I guess.

She sighed. "I have not spoken much in this context, but I think this must have been from you for a reason." She paused and looked around the empty room. "This is crazy. There is nobody here, the Orb is not rea..."

"Have faith, my Child." A soft female voice said. She quickly looked around and saw nothing.

"Hello?" Anara asked in surprised uncertainty.

"Yes, Child." The voice now appeared to have a body. She walked up in front of the chief and stretched a hand out. Her appearance was ghostly but inviting. "I am not a hologram. This is a simulation, but I am not."

"Why..." Roen asked. "What purpose do you have with me?"

"That is for you to find out." The priest form said in a cryptic but relaxed way. "The vision you received was so that you would be prepared for the gift and experience to come."

"Gift? Experience?" Anara stood up. This was getting more involved by the minute.

"If we were to tell you it would spoil the experience." The apparition took Anara's hand. "Have faith. This will be a gift and you will need to use it to help you find peace, my Child." Before Anara could ask another question the figure faded out and the room was again empty.

Well that was interesting. She thought with a smirk of amazement. She had been skeptical of the whole 'Prophets appearing' concept before now. The rest of the day wandered by while she pondered what was to come with anticipation.

OFF:

Roen Anara(NPC)

by

[Barrett]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Lounge, 2200, Day 11>

Joey sighed heavily, downing another rum and coke...well not really rum but it sure tasted like it. Normally he would have gone to Adam (NPC) with this problem but with the wedding looming on the horizon he decided to give Adam a break. There wasn't anyone else on the ship that he thought had any experience with this sort of thing besides Adam and well....Trace.

"Alright, so what happened exactly?" Trace asked.

They were sitting at a table that looked out into the stars as they streaked by. Trace had always found the vista of warp travel very soothing, something that he got from his first host.

"Look I had one to many black holes, I found this Bajoran officer...I started talking to him and for some reason I just sort...well we sort...we kissed," Joey finally said.

"Did just a kiss?"

"Yes...err...well no...so we kissed a few more times."

Trace shook his head; he would never understand why alcohol made people do stupid things that they would later regret. He had enough self control to know when to stop; although Lilanna with her blood wine was an entirely different story. That was probably one reason why even the sight of hte stuff made him want to throw up.

"Who kissed who?" Ryan asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Nobody kissed anybody!" Joey hissed.

"Actually Joey kissed a Bajoran," Trace said.

"Thats not really new, Joey kisses lots of women," Ryan said, pulling up a chair.

"It wasn't a women," Joey said, dropping his head to the table.

"Now that is new...wait, was someone letting you drink black holes again?" Ryan asked. "Because last time they did that you nearly got kicked off K-7 when that security officer caught you with his wife...and then the Andorian nearly killed you when he caught you with his wife."

Trace looked at Joey and quirked an eyebrow. "They really shouldn't let you drink real alcohol."

"Agh, thats not the point!"

"Sounds like the point to me," Ryan said.

"I have to agree with my esteemed colleage...who's technically dead."

"Your fault," Ryan said. "You came up with the attack plan oh fearless leader."

"Can we please get back the problem at hand," Joey hissed. "I mean what am I supposed to do."

Trace sighed, truthfully he had already sort of experienced this. When he was first joined with the Vosh symbiote he had an incident were he didn't realize that he was flirting with a young man on Trill. Needless to say some signals were sent that he didn't intend and he ended up having to let the man down easy. That was before Trace was really comfortable with the fact that he was actually attracted to men to some degree.

"Just tell him the truth," Trace said. "Although you may want to not use the excuse of you were just drunk. But you need to tell him that you don't have feelings for him and you have to do it in person, no subspace."

"I think I can do that," Joey sighed. "This seemed more complicated a few hours ago."

"These things generally do," Trace smiled. "Speaking of complicated, did you get a chance to look at those specs I sent you."

Joey nodded. "In theroy it should work. I made some adjustments, it all set to bring up to Aaron. If he approves of it we can take it to my Sean and see what he says."

"No problems?" Trace asked.

"Your reasoning is sound," Joey said, taking another drink. "And I don't think that it would be too hard to impliment into the targeting protocols. It will take some reconfiguring of the primary computer pathways but that shouldn't take too long."

"Alright, thanks Joey."

"No problem, you better come up with a plan B incase your being honest plan fails miserably," Joey said, finishing his drink.

Both Trace and Ryan watched him go.

"That is one interesting human being," Trace finally said. "Do you think that he'll ever settle down?"

"Depends, do you think you'll ever stop staring at his butt," Ryan smiled.

"I was not!" Trace snapped. "Alright, maybe I was a little but he is cute."

"Says you," Ryan smiled. "I already had me a girl...who is technically mad at you because you did allow me to get killed."

"Meh," Trace said. "Did you tell her that it would have been a very touching ceramony?"

"She didn't seem to care," Ryan smiled. "At any rate we should get going...unless you plan to skip that breifing that you have scheduled for tomorrow morning?"

"Nope," Trace smiled, finishing his drink.

OFF:

A JP by:

Ensign Trace Vosh
Assistant Cheif Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche

Annnddddd....

Joey Summers Played By:

[N'rass]

<USS Malinche Day 11, Holodeck. 1800 hrs>

The caitian walked up to the door to the room and entered her data.

USS Thunderchild, battle preparedness simulation 4. She thought as she typed.

"Computer, Change uniform to flight squadron colors."

The computer chirped as she walked into what appeared to be the upper briefing room on the Akira class carrier. She looked around the room in a slightly nostalgic way, apprehensive of the pending situation. This time she wanted to experience it as a pilot instead of the support deck crew.

One by one other pilots walked into the room. Eventually the commander took his position in the front.

"Attention, pilots." He said clearing his throat. "As you probably know, there is a Borg sphere en route to our border as we speak. Our mission is to intercept and destroy. Reinforcement is unlikely in time, but we can hope."

"So we are going into a suicide mission, Sir?" A young pilot asked with crossed arms.

"Not necessarily." He replied and brought down a screen. "These points on the diagram are where we expect to get the most tactical damage if hit. Keep in tight units and don't let your evasion tactics down. We will not be facing fighter craft but we will be facing an agile targeting system with a lot of power behind it."

The group nodded and grumbled. L'Randil thought for a moment as she sat there,
How can they do this on a regular basis...

"If there are no further questions, dismissed. Red unit launches first."

Being her unit, the caitian left with her four wingmates for the flight deck. The fighters were nothing new to the technician. Flying into combat was. She had a mixture of worry and excitement at the same time. Sure it was a simulation, but it was easy to lose that and live in the moment for her.

"Better keep up, Kitty!" a hotshot young man said as he hopped in the fighter next to her. The deck began to hum of engines coming online.

"Can you keep up with me, Flyboy?" She replied with a coy sarcasm. He laughed and closed his canopy as she did the same. When the clearance sounded, the unit launched with a smooth unison.

They began their formation in a diamond to wait for the other wings to join. Circling the Thud was an impressive sight. The outline was unique among ships of the line, practical and sleek. With any luck they would be able to hold off the attacking vessel without needing the ship itself to aid the fight.

"Red wing ready." The lead pilot said over the radio. Soon it was followed by blue, yellow, gold and white. Non-fighter attack ships gained formation to form a fairly large attacking force.

"Alright." The force commander said. "Move out, all wings. Maintain comm silence until otherwise noted. If your ship sustains maneuverability damage or loses weapons, gain space or transport to an accompanying wingman. Ships can be replaced, pilots are valuable. Good luck."

Well, that was encouraging... She muttered to herself.

<30 minutes later>

The view of the Borg ship was ominous. A behemoth of technology colored in drab black and green. It dropped out of it's cruise speed to confront the party. Unlike most encounters with other species, this time they did not wait for it to speak.

The wings spread to their respective directions, mostly following the heavier armed attack ships. Apparently the Borg were expecting otherwise out of the Federation and did not arm shields at first.

For that instant, the armada managed to score some hits and some damage. Within a short while, the shields came on and the units were being repelled.

"We are the Borg, resistance is futile." The recorded message began.

"Oh shut it, robots!" L'randil shouted at her console. Evasive maneuvers had little benefit for the caitian pilot against the onslaught of green phasers. "I'm hit!" She shouted over the comm when her propulsion went down.

"Red 2, I am coming. Prepare to beam over." her wingman replied.

"Thanks." She sighed as she appeared beside the pilot.

"Thank me by fixing my shields!" He said in a worried tone. The engineer sprang into action, pulling the access panel from the back of the cockpit and crawling into the little compartment.

This I can do. Gotta bypass the primary relay here and adjust this...

"Keep it up there, Kitty." He affirmed. "It seems to be helping. As long as we don't get a direct hit we should be..." The cockpit turned into a green flash and an empty room.

"Terminated. Unit lost. Mission failed." The computer stated in it's matter of fact tone. L'Randil picked herself up off the floor with her stiff knees, then straightened her uniform with a sigh.

"Well, I know I am a better tech than I am a pilot." She quipped. "No surprise there...

[Kersare]

OFF: In the interests of getting this done in a timely manner, I am posting our arrival solo... Feel free to write a post from your character's POV or in response to this.

ON:
<<USS Malinche, Ready Room, Day 13, 1000>>

Isabel had gone over the reports from Science and Intelligence regarding Athos III several times now to familiarize herself with them. The mission seemed straight forward, but she knew that was rarely the case, especially, it seemed, with the Malinche. She'd been trying to figure out how things could go wrong and what preparations she should have ready, but it was impossible to prepare for them all.

Taking a sip from her mocha, Isabel slid the first two PADDs off to the side of her desk and started looking through a few of the others again. Everyone seemed ready - at least as ready as they could be. There had been that troubling glitch with the Flight Control console, but it seemed that Engineering and Operations had cleared it up. They were still monitoring the systems for any anomalies, but thus far there hadn't been any more trouble.

She'd also been...

"Bridge to Kersare."

Isabel tapped her comm badge, "Go ahead bridge."

"We've arrived at Athos III, ma'am."

"Acknowledged, I'll be right out," Isabel answered, closing the channel. This would be the telling moment...whether it would be a quick hello or a full blown investigation. She finished the rest of her mocha and headed out to the Bridge.

<Bridge>

Isabel gave a brief nod to Jason and the other officers on the bridge before taking her seat. From her side control panel, Isabel brought up a view of the planet on the main screen.

Her heart sank as she looked at the planet. Even from this distance, Isabel could tell that something had happened there. Something devastating. Instead of the usual blues, greens, and other vibrant colors, the planet's surface looked brown and red - almost as if the whole thing had been on fire. Perhaps it had, but she had no idea how that would have happened...

As the silence grew, Isabel mind raced formulating a plan. "Lieutenant Hansen, contact StarFleet Command. Verify that we have arrived at Athos III and are in the process of confirming what happened to the colony. Lieutenant Masterson, I want a full scan of the area - short and long range sensors...I want to know if there are any ships in the area." She paused, glancing at the two for confirmation that they understood, then continued, "I want a full scan and analysis of that planet, Lieutenant Steele. I realize that will take some time...get the full one started and run a basic scan to see if it's safe to go down to the surface. In the meantime, Commander Barrett, get together an away team; I have a feeling we'll need to have a closer look before getting any definitive answers..."

OFF: Tag Crew....
Away team will consist of: Barrett, Dormand (Zeral), Steele, Vosh, Security NPCs, McCarty (and presumably England). Please coordinate on posts for this...Barrett & I have the information.

Everyone else, there are some items I noted here, or in Mission Discussion. Otherwise, if you need ideas, let me know.

Steele: Info to you in PM

[Masterson]

OOC: A slight backpost.

--------------------------

ON: <<Masterson's Office, USS Malinche, 0730, Day 12>>

Trace entered Aaron's office, steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a PADD in the other. He was pretty happy with the performance that his team gave last night, although there were clearly areas that they needed improvement. All and all the scenario worked out pretty well.

"Good morning Aaron," Trace said, as he entered his department head's office. "I brought the latest threat analysis from intelligence."

Aaron deactivated his desktop terminal with the touch of a button and turned his full attention toward Vosh. "Sometimes, I wonder if Intelligence takes these threat analysis a little too seriously," he remarked off-handedly, "anything we should be keeping an eye out for?"

"Nothing to out of the ordinary," Trace said, taking a seat across from Aaron. "The Cardassians are making some noise about a stray Klingon sensor probe but that's about it."

It was pretty well known that, despite the fact that the Cardassians ended up siding with the alliance in the end, the Klingons still held a very strong grudge toward them. The feeling, as far as Aaron knew, was mutual. "No doubt left over from the war," Aaron assumed.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Trace said. "Both of them have a long memory and tend not to let stuff go...sort of like ex's. At any rate, I wanted to ask you what you thought of the security drill?"

"I think it went well," Aaron replied, "and it definitely showed us where our strengths lie."

"I don't like the fact that we lost four people," Trace sighed. "I went over the plan time and time again and didn't really see any other way to do it. In all reality I sort of needed to prepare myself for the fact that I may lose those under my command...this sort of pointed it out for me."

Aaron frowned. He'd been fortunate enough in his career that he hadn't had to face that 'reality'...yet. There had been some close calls, certainly, but he'd never lost a single man. It was something that Aaron tried not to spend too much time thinking about, lest it consume him. "I'd like to get that number down, if we can," he said, "but I think we should give the team a break today, let them catch up on their regular duties. It wouldn't do us any good to exhaust them now, would it? We can always try it again tomorrow."

"Any any rate, I think that we need to spend some more time on covert tactics...my last host had a friend in the Klingon Special Forces Unit, I've asked him for some pointers."

"Have you heard anything back yet," Aaron asked out of curiosity.

Trace shook his head. "Not yet, his CO was giving me some story about him being off planet for a conference and that he was unreachable due to extreme weather conditions on the planet. I'm guessing that means that he is often doing something very...Klingon like."

"No doubt," Aaron said with a short chuckle. Rising to his feet, he stepped out from behind the desk and started for the replicator. "Can I offer you anything," he asked Vosh.

"Coffee, black," Trace said. "Although I am slightly hopefully there is nothing amiss at all with the colony...maybe someone just shut off the subspace radio."

"One hot chocolate and one coffee, black," Aaron said as he placed the order with the replicator. A moment later, two steaming mugs shimmered into existence. He lifted them carefully from the slot and turned back toward the desk. "I suppose it's possible," he agreed, "or it could just be some natural interference like an ion storm or something." Offering the mug of coffee to Vosh, Aaron slipped behind the desk and lowered himself into his chair.

Trace took the offered cup. "What about from a tactical perspective? The security end appears to be shaping up well but that's assuming we have to take the colony back my force...what if they decide they want to duke it out in space? I'm decent enough at it but I should use some pointers from a pro like yourself."

Although Trace could hold his own in tactical space engagements his strength lay in security and squad tactics, something that command was aware of. Aaron was a brilliant tactician when it came to using the Malinche as a weapon and Trace knew there was a lot that he could learn from him.

"Without knowing what kind of situation we'd be facing when we get there, I think we're as tactically sound as we can get," Aaron replied, taking a hesitant sip of his cocoa only to discover that it was still a little too hot. He lowered the mug to the desk and left it to cool for a few moments while he returned his attention to the conversation.

"Considering our proximity to Cardassian space, I've already run a few scenarios involving rogue Cardassian warships and even a stray Dominion left-over. In each scenario, the Malinche proved to be sufficiently equipped for the task," Aaron explained, "I'm confident that we'll be able to handle whatever we find there when we arrive."

Trace nodded, he felt better with Aaron at tactical for sure. Although that still met that should they head into MVAM mode he'd likely get re-assigned to Barrett's section.

"That's true," Trace said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Eridan was great at the tactical aspect, I mean when it came to ship to ship combat...although I have his memories and his knowledge it doesn't always work well for me."

"Why is that," Aaron asked. He didn't know all that much about how the Trill's relationship with their symbiont worked, though few people outside of the Trill community did, but he'd always assumed that those memories were carried on.

Trace shrugged. "Its been known to happen among some Trills. The Vosh symbiont nearly died before it was removed, sometimes that can cause a kind of disconnect. The next few hosts may have the memories and even knowledge but its extremely hard to for them to actually make use of them...if that makes sense."

"I never knew that," Aaron admitted with complete honesty.

"At any rate I could use any pointers that you have," Trace said, taking another drink of his coffee. The temperature never really bothered him, mainly because Lilana always drank her coffee at the temperature of a plasma fire. "Your moves on the Armstrong were pretty impressive."

"I wouldn't really say that," Aaron said, "I'm sure that any other experienced officer would have come up with the same thing. If it hadn't been for the time I'd spent working with the team aboard the Armstrong, I'd have never had a chance to do what I did in the first place." To him, as much as it was a personal accomplishment, it was equally a team accomplishment. If he'd been acting independently, he'd have never been as successful in the maneuver.

"It was still pretty impressive, I don't seem to have that sort of instinct," Trace said, taking another drink of his coffee. "I'm going to head down to the torpedo bay to make sure that our guidance system is working and then I'll run a diagnostic of the rest of the security/tactical systems," Trace continued. "Assuming you don't have anything else for me to do?"

Aaron shook his head slowly. "I think that's everything for now," he replied, "until we actually get there and find out what we're really up against." There came a point where no amount of preparation would help you any more or less because there was simply no way to be any more prepared. It felt like they had reached that point and, without any more information as to what they could expect upon their arrival, they could do nothing more until they actually got there.

"My thinking exactly," Trace, standing up to leave. "If you need anything I'll be knee deep in diagnostics," he smiled. And with said, Trace headed out of the office and toward the day ahead.

OFF

A JP by:

Ensign Trace Vosh
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

[Steele]

[Another Backpost ]


USS Malinche
Shuttle-bay
Day 10/ 15:12 hrs

As Aaron entered the shuttle-bay it was a flurry of activity as usual.
"Ensign N'rass". He said once he located the mechanic, "May I take a moment of your time?"

Since this was one of her shuttlebay days, the caitian was busy with a relay tune up. When she was greeted, she backed her torso and head out of the access panel back to standing on the floor in front of the officer.

"Yes, Sir." She smirked as she took a rag to wipe off her hands. "How can I help you?"

He didn't need to be called sir, but knew it was usually hopeless to protest. Instead he got straight to business.
"As you may know, we are currently heading to Athos III to check out the situation there. The planet is 75% water and I hope we have time to check out some of the oceans there."

"That should be alright. This one just has a few adjustments left and it will be online. Roen seemed a bit pushy on it like she knew we would be needing it. The Chief even pulled me into it to make sure its done on time." The caitian smirked.

"That's good to know, it's always nice when the department's needs are anticipated. I think this time I'll have the Trout's take the Tenochtitlan, Marine science is their specialty, I just dabble in that subject."

Aaron had yet to inform the Trouts but was positive they would not object.

L'Randil began to recognize Aaron and recalled their previous test drive with a pleasant feeling. Such excursions were the spice of life for the engineer and she hoped to get the opportunity to go on it again.

She walked over to the tool locker and took the scanning tool out of it's position. As they walked back to the access port on the side of the shuttle, she dialed it to the appropriate settings.

"So what is this planet like anyway?" She asked as she leaned into the hole.

"I've never been there, but from the reports, it has a little bit of everything. On two of the continents, mountains, plains, forests, and a desert make up a majority of the climates. The third continent is strictly a tundra, it's located wholly in the southern continent. The continents only make up 25% of the surface area with three oceans taking up the rest. It's also located near the edge of the badlands."
Aaron spoke up as he could tell other engineers were interested in the information as well.

The engineer crossed her arms with a smirk when she saw the other crewman looking.
"It appears you have an audience, Mr. Steele." She joked then turned to them. "Are you done with those adjustments yet? We don't need Roen getting on our backs people!" She motioned with her hands for them to get back moving.

"Sorry, I just get that way sometimes. When we get close to being done I just like to push to the end."

"No need to apologize N'rass, I've been on both ends of urging to speed up a project. It's perfectly understandable."
Aaron picked up a wrench lying near the shuttle and handed it to N'rass.
"I won't take up any more of your time, I'm sure you have work to finish."

The caitian laughed when she took the wrench. "Thanks, but I am done with that one." She placed it in it's slot and walked over to get the data chart for the log. "Will you be returning today for it?"

"No, I'm not going to need the Tenochtitlan until we reach the planet. The science team there is supposed to have a few subs but they aren't as maneuverable as a Hunley class. Besides, if something has happened down there, who knows the status of any vehicles."

She tilted an ear. "If something happened? Are we expecting trouble?" With Roen on edge and mention of that, the engineer was sensing a possible situation coming. "If we are I would kindly like to know."

"The colony is a week overdue for their monthly radio check and isn't responding to any communication attempts. We've been sent to investigate. It could be something as simple as equipment malfunction or something as major as an attack.We just don't know, that's why we're heading there."
Aaron made sure to keep his answer vague as he didn't want to start rumors.

She nodded. "I see. Well let's hope their transceiver is offline." She said with a smirk.

"Let's hope so, now if you'll excuse me I should get going. Thanks again for your help."
As Aaron left the shuttle-bay, he inquired of the computer the location of Doctors Paul & Morgan Trout. Receiving a reply he made his way towards deck 7.

Off:

JP Between:

Ensign L`Randil N`rass
Shuttle Maintenance Specialist

&

[Masterson]

ON: [[Main Bridge, USS Malinche, Day 13, 1000]]

It had been a quiet morning when Aaron had arrived on the bridge to relieve the night watch tactical officer. There had been nothing on long range sensors to report and things were just as routine as they had been when they’d started their patrol, other than the fact that they were on their way to investigate the loss of contact with a Federation colony. Still, everything seemed to be rather quiet…perhaps a bit too quiet.

Aaron had started out his shift like any other. Once he’d gotten the report from the night watch, he ran a level five diagnostic on the tactical systems to make sure everything was working the way it was supposed to. It was a force of habit for him to run a level five diagnostic and record the results every time he took a shift. If there ever was something wrong with the tactical systems, he wanted to know about it as soon as possible so that it could be corrected before it became a serious problem.

Everything checked out which meant that he had been able to move on to running his own initial scans of their surroundings. As the night watchman had indicated, there had been nothing of importance on any of the long or short-range scans. The only thing he could do at that point was to keep an eye on the sensors and be prepared for things to change.

Change, it seemed, was destined to arrive when they least expected it. As the Malinche slowed to impulse power, Aaron’s hands were already dancing across the tactical console. He looked up for a brief moment and froze at the sight of the image on the main viewscreen. Where he should have been seeing the lush greens and sparkling blues of Anthos III’s biosphere, he could see only dark brown and a burning red. Something had happened to colony…something terrible.

"Lieutenant Hansen, contact StarFleet Command. Verify that we have arrived at Athos III and are in the process of confirming what happened to the colony. Lieutenant Masterson, I want a full scan of the area - short and long range sensors...I want to know if there are any ships in the area." The captain paused, glancing at the two for confirmation that they understood, then continued, "I want a full scan and analysis of that planet, Lieutenant Steele. I realize that will take some time...get the full one started and run a basic scan to see if it's safe to go down to the surface. In the meantime, Commander Barrett, get together an away team; I have a feeling we'll need to have a closer look before getting any definitive answers..."

Aaron immediately took to action, canceling the sensor sweeps that he had been intending to run and switched over to a set of more intensive scans. The readings that began to scroll across the tactical display brought Aaron more questions than answers. There were no hostile vessels anywhere on long-range or short-range sensors. Having confirmed that they were in no immediate danger, Aaron’s next focus was to try to locate some clue as to who might have attacked the colony. “No hostiles within sensor range,” Aaron reported, “though I’m having a hard time cutting through the quantum interference.”

He paused and looked up at Anthos III as it continued to spin like a burning coal on the main viewscreen. There was no way that this could have been a simple accident; this had to have been a premeditated attack. They were no longer simply casting their gaze idly about to see what was there. Now they were looking for something.


OFF

OOC: Direct quote from Captain Isabel Kersare in italics.

[Steele]

On:
Bridge/ USS Malinche
Day 13/ 10:00 hrs

"I want a full scan and analysis of that planet, Lieutenant Steele. I realize that will take some time...get the full one started and run a basic scan to see if it's safe to go down to the surface. In the meantime, Commander Barrett, get together an away team; I have a feeling we'll need to have a closer look before getting any definitive answers..."

"Aye Captain. Time to see what's going on down there."

Aaron activated the comm system to contact the science department.
"This is Lt. Steele. I want all science personnel to report for duty and evaluate the data coming in from the planet. Something is definitely up. Our first priority is to make sure it is safe on the surface for an away team. Once that is complete we will run a full battery of tests."

Co-ordinating with Operations, Aaron primed a probe and launched it into the atmosphere to boost the sensor scans. When the results came in, he collected all the data from the department before making his report.

"Captain, I have bad news and I have good news. I'll start with the good. We will be able to send an away team down to the planet to conduct further tests to determine what occurred. The bad news is something has charged the atmosphere to a point where I wouldn't recommend transporters. A shuttle-craft would be a safer mode of transportation. As far as the planet's surface, I'm detecting no lifesigns, humanoid or otherwise. The biology department along with medical advises any members of the away team wear EV suits for their own protection. At this point I have no strong theories on what altered the atmosphere, but it most likely directly correlates with the surface conditions and the lack of lifeforms. If this is due to Cardassian meddling it doesn't match any known methods."

Aaron ended on what he thought of as a positive note, if there was one.
"Further scans are being run. I'll let you know when they have some answers.


Off: