ON:
<<USS Malinche, Outside Sickbay, Day 5, 1113>>
After sending her message, Isabel had headed straight to Sickbay to find Setak. She was curious as to his thoughts on the situation and wanted to get his insight. Walking through the doors once they swished open, she paused just inside and looked around for the Vulcan. "Doctor?"
"Just a moment Captain," Setak said with a hint of frustration as he scanned yet another crewman with his medical tricorder. "There's nothing wrong with you either crewman, return to your post!" The Crewman, a young Human man recently out of basic training, began to protest but the doctor held up a hand to silence him. "I know it was disorienting but there is nothing physically wrong with you, at worst you are experiencing mild space sickness. It will pass."
Isabel raised an eyebrow, eying the young man as he reluctantly turned and left Sickbay. Surprisingly, though, there was still a significant line of crewmembers. Not wanting to interrupt, she walked further into Sickbay, but stayed off to the side.
"My apologies Captain," Setak said as he placed his tricorder back in its holster. "It's been busy these last few minutes, mostly space sickness but a few casualties as well. A bumped head, broken wrist, things of that nature." Setak paused as he realized that he was also feeling a little disoriented and sick to his stomach. "Nothing that won't pass. What can I do for you?"
As Setak addressed her, Isabel moved a little closer. "I don't mean to interrupt you, but I did want to speak with you about a few things, if you have a little time, Doctor."
"It's of no concern," Setak shrugged. "The nurses can take over here." The doctor waved the Captain forward and escorted her into his office where they would have more privacy. "Now, how can I be of assistance?"
"Well, I see that you've been busy, but did you see the message I sent to the staff?" Isabel asked after taking a seat. She didn't particularly expect that Setak would've had a chance to read it yet, considering the number of crewmembers in Sickbay.
Taking his queue, Setak sat himself in front of his computer terminal and began going through his messages. It took him a minute to find and read the one that the Captain was referring to but it only took the Vulcan a fraction of a second to decide that he didn't like it. "Captain, are you suggesting that I will be a part of this away mission? I hardly think that I am well suited for this task... Let alone qualified."
Isabel raised an eyebrow, "I'm not simply suggesting, Doctor; we need you down there. You've been doing well during your time here and you've been learning StarFleet protocols. Do you have some specific reason why you don't feel you can assist an away team?" She wasn't entirely sure if he truly felt he wasn't suitable for the task or if he was perhaps just nervous. Either way, Isabel needed to get to the bottom of it.
"No, I don't," Setak was forced to admit after a few moments' silence. He leaned back in his seat and placed his fingertips together to form an arch as he contemplated. "What is it exactly that you want me to help with? I know almost nothing of the history of your world or the situation we are going into, if you say I can help I believe you, but I do not understand how."
He had asked a fair question, after answering hers. "To be honest, few if any of us are particularly experts regarding the time period we are now in. Other away team members are also not humans and would be in a similar position as you. However, I see you filling a few roles... If any away team members are injured you'll be close by to attend to them; twentieth century medicine is not nearly as advanced as ours. One area your away team is assigned to involves a hospital; I can send additional reference information for you if you think that will help..." Isabel looked over at him, trying to gauge how well her explanation had gone thus far. She had a few other reasons that she planned to go into as well.
"I see," Setak managed. He still wasn't keen on the idea of visiting Earth of the past but he wasn't about to disappoint Isabel. "I suppose the idea of examining 'ancient' Terran medical practices does hold some lingering interest to me and we certainly wouldn't want to leave the away team in the hands of this ages' medicine. What of the other roles?"
Isabel nodded and then continued, "Undoubtedly the Romulans will also be on Earth, doing what they can to stop Kirk's crew from completing their mission. While I suppose they wouldn't necessarily take the extra precautions of disguising themselves, I would imagine that they would. I realize that Romulans from your universe aren't exactly the same, but you still know a lot about them and you may even know some strategies they might use that we don't. So, any advice you can give regarding that would be helpful. I'm also wondering if there would be any way to detect when a Romulan - or someone from the future - is near...something we could be scanning for perhaps.."
Setak nodded thoughtfully as he listened to the Captain, several ideas emerging in his mind as she spoke. "I'm not sure I could provide much tactical advice but perhaps there would be a way to program a tricorder to alert the away teams to the presence of a Romulan. Of course, it would have to be sensitive enough to distinguish a Romulan from any Vulcan away team members. I will get started on this right away. I will need a disguise for myself, now that you mention it, as will any other non-terran going to the surface."
"Well, everyone will be wearing period clothing, but yes, some will need more of a disguise. The Intelligence department is coordinating options for clothing, hairstyles, and the like...they may need some support from Medical if there are more extensive changes needed. Right now, the away teams consist of Humans, Betazoids, a Trill, and you. That could change, but that's the current plan," Isabel explained, hands folded in her lap. "If you can get those tricorder modifications, it would be a big help; please keep me updated."
"Of course Captain," Setak replied. It would be a difficult task to program enough Tricorders for multiple away parties in such a short time but he would manage. "I will have something ready for you within the hour."
Nodding, Isabel replied, "Excellent; I appreciate your hard work, Doctor Setak. We do have the Senior Staff briefing at 1200 hours and will be discussing things further then. If possible, I think it would be beneficial to have perhaps four modified tricorders...but certainly at least three. If you need any assistance, please let me know and I will find some for you. Are there any other concerns I can address?"
"I think I can manage," Setak said, only looking away from his work for a second. "I'll be ready, see you in a little less than an hour, Captain."
Isabel stood up, "Very well. Thank you, Doctor. I'll see you then." Giving him a brief smile and nod, she turned and headed out of Sickbay. He had seemed hesitant at first, but she still thought he'd be up to the task. Having him on the same team as Nora would likely be beneficial as well.
OFF
A JP brought to you by:
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997
and
Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
Moderators: Tournneau, Korath, Kersare
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
Lieutenant Setak
Biologist
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<Bridge, Day 5, 1108>>
Stacy had collected her thoughts and had enough of her wits about her to acknowledge the Captain's call to engage the cloaking device. She keyed the tactical officer to notify her once he was done with his scans so she could set the ship into synchronous orbit around Earth. She watched as the Captain headed to the ready room. Once Kersare was gone, Stacy wiped her forehead and let out a small sigh.
"Man, that was the weirdest thing I have ever been through...so far that is." For the time being, the Malinche was ok, the crew was ok; however they had a long road ahead of them in order to get back home safely. Her thoughts drifted off to Jenni. She had told the young woman to visit the counselor; perhaps Jenni would have a better time with Dallas than she had. Stacy was trying to forget about her own run in with Dallas, reminding herself to keep her mouth shut for the time being.
After several minutes, the tactical officer informed Stacy he was done with his scans and she could begin standard orbit. Entering the commands into her console, Stacy looked puzzled. There seemed to be something strange on her sensors, but she didn't know exactly what it was. She sent a message to astronavigation to check the sensor panel again. It had been calibrated before they left for their assignment, but perhaps something during the time warp had messed up the system.
Still concerned about her officer, Stacy sent her a quick message.
*************************************************
Rabb: to Thornton: re-day
Thought it best to check on your condition. We just entered through a time warp and I may be in need of your services if you are able to return to duty.
-Rabb
*************************************************
Stacy tried to keep professional when dealing with Thornton, but she had a soft spot in her heart for the woman. She had been through a terrific situation and Stacy wanted to make sure Jenni would be able to get through it and continue with her career.
OFF
Stacy had collected her thoughts and had enough of her wits about her to acknowledge the Captain's call to engage the cloaking device. She keyed the tactical officer to notify her once he was done with his scans so she could set the ship into synchronous orbit around Earth. She watched as the Captain headed to the ready room. Once Kersare was gone, Stacy wiped her forehead and let out a small sigh.
"Man, that was the weirdest thing I have ever been through...so far that is." For the time being, the Malinche was ok, the crew was ok; however they had a long road ahead of them in order to get back home safely. Her thoughts drifted off to Jenni. She had told the young woman to visit the counselor; perhaps Jenni would have a better time with Dallas than she had. Stacy was trying to forget about her own run in with Dallas, reminding herself to keep her mouth shut for the time being.
After several minutes, the tactical officer informed Stacy he was done with his scans and she could begin standard orbit. Entering the commands into her console, Stacy looked puzzled. There seemed to be something strange on her sensors, but she didn't know exactly what it was. She sent a message to astronavigation to check the sensor panel again. It had been calibrated before they left for their assignment, but perhaps something during the time warp had messed up the system.
Still concerned about her officer, Stacy sent her a quick message.
*************************************************
Rabb: to Thornton: re-day
Thought it best to check on your condition. We just entered through a time warp and I may be in need of your services if you are able to return to duty.
-Rabb
*************************************************
Stacy tried to keep professional when dealing with Thornton, but she had a soft spot in her heart for the woman. She had been through a terrific situation and Stacy wanted to make sure Jenni would be able to get through it and continue with her career.
OFF
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
ON
<< IRW Jatrel ,Bridge, Day 5 1045hrs>>
Colonel Rasek stood before the viewscreen on the bridge of the Jatrel with his hands clasped behind his back and a victorious smile on his face. It had been a long trip from Romulan space and a dangerous one but his crew had performed admirably and at last their moment of triumph was at hand. Yes, the crew had been surprised to learn that they would be traveling into the past but once they had arrived in the late twenty third century their objective had become clear and none disputed it. The mood aboard the bridge was of quiet elation, none really knew what the consequences of their actions would ultimately be but all were honored to be present for such a historic moment.
On the viewscreen was the SS Bounty, an old Klingon bird of prey that had been hijacked by Starfleet Captain Kirk and used to avert catastrophe for Earth by traveling back further into Earth's past. Rasek knew that the Jatrel would not be detected, the crew of the Bounty was too focused on making calculations for time-warp and the rest of the Federation forces at Earth had been deactivated by the signal of an alien probe. No, there would be no stopping the Jatrel, in just a few moment Rasek would give the order to fire and the Federation of his time will never have existed. The Romulan Empire will reign supreme, as it should.
“Lieutenant T'saran,” Rasek said without taking his eyes from the viewscreen. “Charge the primary disruptor and prepare to fire.”
“Yes Colonel,” T'saran replied dutifully, his voice full of satisfaction.
“And now, my compatriots, we shall make history,” Rasek began, addressing the bridge crew and speaking to hear his own triumphant voice all at the same time. “The Federation has plagued the Alpha Quadrant with it's sycophant's panderings and hypocritical double standards long enough. It is time for we, the Romulan Empire to strike out and take control of all that is rightfully ours. No more shall we be placed second to other, weaker species! We are the strong, we are the proud, we are...”
“Commander,” T'saran interrupted his superiors monolog hesitantly. “There is another Starship approaching, a Federation Starship...”
“What!?” Rasek demanded as he spun about to face his tactical officer. “That's impossible, your sensors are malfunctioning!”
“No Colonel,” Uhlan T'Kish broke in abruptly, drawing the Colonels icy gaze. “Sensors are functioning normally, I've confirmed. Another Federation vessel is approaching from astern and...”
“And what?” Rasek barked.
“I'm not sure how but...” T'Kish looked up from his console with a shocked expression. “It's Prometheus Class, Colonel! From the twenty fourth century!”
“Damn!” Rasek shouted as he spun about to face the viewscreen once more. “T'Saran, fire on the Bounty, fire now!”
T'Saran had already been anticipating the order and his fingers hovered over the firing button. Upon the order he pressed and an emerald bolt of energy lerched forth toward the bird of prey. For a moment the emerald green seemed to connect with the inferior vessel but there was no explosion and just as the realization sank in, the after trail of the time-warping ship rushed forward to re-connect with its material form. They had missed.
“NO!” Rasek screamed and stomped toward the Commander's chair. “Come about! Re-Charge primary disruptor and prepare to fire on the Federation vessel!”
“Colonel,” T'Saran replied. “We're no match for a Prometheus class vessel, were they to engage their multi-vector assault mode...”
Colonel Rasek leaped up from his seat with wide eyes and his disruptor in hand, “finish that statement and see what happens Sub Lieutenant. You WILL NOT question my commands!”
“Of course not Colonel,” T'Saran replied through clenched teeth. “The Federation vessel is charging it's phasers and preparing to strike. They mean to destroy us sir! Disruptors nearly charged...”
Colonel Rasek spun about to see the Malinche on the Jatrel's view screen, he knew deep down that their adversary was superior but his blood ran too hot to give in. He would disable the Federation vessel and follow the Bounty further into the past, he had come too far to give up. “Helm, prepare calculations to follow the Bounty back!”
The Jatrel vibrated slightly as the Federation vessel opened fire, their phasers raking across the larger vessels shields in amber waves of energy. “Shields down to eighty percent Colonel, but holding.”
“Destroy them!” Rasek demanded as he clenched his fist and thrust it toward the viewer.
At T'Saran's command the Jatrel let loose with its main disruptor but the Emerald green beam was sluggish and the Malinche was nimble. The beam went wide, narrowly missing the opposing ship. Frustrated with his missing T'Saran didn't wait for an order before letting loose a salvo of deadly plasma torpedoes. Yet again, the Malinche avoided the salvo and yet again the Jatrel's shields were raked by incoming fire.
This time the bridge lurched to port and a few consoles exploaded out as their internal components overloaded. Rasek knew then that they would lose the fight.
“Colonel,” T'Saran shouted after righting himself. “The Federation vessel is targeting our weapon and propulsion systems, one more hit like that and we'll lose main power!”
“Then don't let them get another volley off Sub Lieutenant!” Rasek responded. “Evasive maneuvers! Helm, take us back toward the Sol-Star, have you completed your calculations for time warp?”
“Almost Colonel,” the young helmsman responded. “Thirty seconds...”
The Jatrel pitched to starboard as another volley of Phaser fire raked its shield but this time they managed to penetrate and compromise parts of the Warbird's hull. More consoles blew out and the lights dimmed, a sure sign that the ship was losing power.
“Colonel!” T'Saran shouted over the cacophony. “I've lost power to weapons and the Impulse Engines are about to fail! If we're going we need to go NOW!”
“Helm,” Colonel Rasek shouted again. “Maximum warp!”
<<Earth Orbit, 1986>>
As the IRW Jatrel emerged from it's Timewarp there was a long moment of silence on the bridge. Colonel Rasek found himslef huddled in a ball somewhere near the rear of the bridge and his head pounded from what was likely a concussion. He was alive though and despite the battle worn bridge's appearance, the Jatrel was in one piece.
“Helm,” Rasek coughed as he stood, acrid smoke from a few burning consoles stinging his lungs. “Report.”
“Navigational sensors are offline Colonel,” Uhlan Daalani reported. “But judging by the readings I am getting from the planet below, I'd say that we are where we want to be... Earth, of the past.”
“Confirmed,” Uhlan T'Kish said with a groan as he moved back to his console. “We've arrived in Earth's late twentieth century... And we're not alone, the federation vessel is coming out of time warp astern Colonal.”
“Cloak the ship!” Rasek demanded abruptly. “T'Saran, cloak the ship!”
After there was no response Rasek turned to find his former Tactical officer half consumed by the rear wall of the bridge. The force of the ship's breaking speed must have thrown the poor officer through once of the many rear consoles. The oozing green blood pooling on the floor indicated to Rasek that his tactical officer would not be resuming his post.
“Damn!” Rasek growled, as much at T'Saran's inability to fulfil an order as to his deceased state. The Colonal approached the tactical console and was relieved to find the cloaking device operational before engaging it. “Helm, put us in a low orbit, straddle the planet's ionosphere. The charged particles should better mask our cloak.”
“Yes Colonel,” the Uhlan replied.
The Jatrel was in battle worn shape but it was still in operation and soon Rasek would lead an away team to the planet to find and eliminate his quarry. Kirk, Spock and the others would not elude his grasp so easily. With any luck, he mused, the Captain of the Federation Vessel would also turn up eventually and he would have the satisfaction of avenging his perished officers with his bare hands.
“Sub Commander D'Urik,” Rasek said after tapping his shoulder mounted communicator. “Join me in the wardroom, we have an away mission to orchestrate...”
OFF
A post featuring:
Colonel Rasek
Tal'Shiar Political Officer
IRW Jatrel
and
Sub Lieutenant T'Saran
Chief Tactical Officer
IRW Jatrel
and
Uhlan T'kish
Chief of Operations
IRW Jatrel
Uhlan Dalaani
Chief Flight Control Officer
IRW Jatrel
all played by:
<< IRW Jatrel ,Bridge, Day 5 1045hrs>>
Colonel Rasek stood before the viewscreen on the bridge of the Jatrel with his hands clasped behind his back and a victorious smile on his face. It had been a long trip from Romulan space and a dangerous one but his crew had performed admirably and at last their moment of triumph was at hand. Yes, the crew had been surprised to learn that they would be traveling into the past but once they had arrived in the late twenty third century their objective had become clear and none disputed it. The mood aboard the bridge was of quiet elation, none really knew what the consequences of their actions would ultimately be but all were honored to be present for such a historic moment.
On the viewscreen was the SS Bounty, an old Klingon bird of prey that had been hijacked by Starfleet Captain Kirk and used to avert catastrophe for Earth by traveling back further into Earth's past. Rasek knew that the Jatrel would not be detected, the crew of the Bounty was too focused on making calculations for time-warp and the rest of the Federation forces at Earth had been deactivated by the signal of an alien probe. No, there would be no stopping the Jatrel, in just a few moment Rasek would give the order to fire and the Federation of his time will never have existed. The Romulan Empire will reign supreme, as it should.
“Lieutenant T'saran,” Rasek said without taking his eyes from the viewscreen. “Charge the primary disruptor and prepare to fire.”
“Yes Colonel,” T'saran replied dutifully, his voice full of satisfaction.
“And now, my compatriots, we shall make history,” Rasek began, addressing the bridge crew and speaking to hear his own triumphant voice all at the same time. “The Federation has plagued the Alpha Quadrant with it's sycophant's panderings and hypocritical double standards long enough. It is time for we, the Romulan Empire to strike out and take control of all that is rightfully ours. No more shall we be placed second to other, weaker species! We are the strong, we are the proud, we are...”
“Commander,” T'saran interrupted his superiors monolog hesitantly. “There is another Starship approaching, a Federation Starship...”
“What!?” Rasek demanded as he spun about to face his tactical officer. “That's impossible, your sensors are malfunctioning!”
“No Colonel,” Uhlan T'Kish broke in abruptly, drawing the Colonels icy gaze. “Sensors are functioning normally, I've confirmed. Another Federation vessel is approaching from astern and...”
“And what?” Rasek barked.
“I'm not sure how but...” T'Kish looked up from his console with a shocked expression. “It's Prometheus Class, Colonel! From the twenty fourth century!”
“Damn!” Rasek shouted as he spun about to face the viewscreen once more. “T'Saran, fire on the Bounty, fire now!”
T'Saran had already been anticipating the order and his fingers hovered over the firing button. Upon the order he pressed and an emerald bolt of energy lerched forth toward the bird of prey. For a moment the emerald green seemed to connect with the inferior vessel but there was no explosion and just as the realization sank in, the after trail of the time-warping ship rushed forward to re-connect with its material form. They had missed.
“NO!” Rasek screamed and stomped toward the Commander's chair. “Come about! Re-Charge primary disruptor and prepare to fire on the Federation vessel!”
“Colonel,” T'Saran replied. “We're no match for a Prometheus class vessel, were they to engage their multi-vector assault mode...”
Colonel Rasek leaped up from his seat with wide eyes and his disruptor in hand, “finish that statement and see what happens Sub Lieutenant. You WILL NOT question my commands!”
“Of course not Colonel,” T'Saran replied through clenched teeth. “The Federation vessel is charging it's phasers and preparing to strike. They mean to destroy us sir! Disruptors nearly charged...”
Colonel Rasek spun about to see the Malinche on the Jatrel's view screen, he knew deep down that their adversary was superior but his blood ran too hot to give in. He would disable the Federation vessel and follow the Bounty further into the past, he had come too far to give up. “Helm, prepare calculations to follow the Bounty back!”
The Jatrel vibrated slightly as the Federation vessel opened fire, their phasers raking across the larger vessels shields in amber waves of energy. “Shields down to eighty percent Colonel, but holding.”
“Destroy them!” Rasek demanded as he clenched his fist and thrust it toward the viewer.
At T'Saran's command the Jatrel let loose with its main disruptor but the Emerald green beam was sluggish and the Malinche was nimble. The beam went wide, narrowly missing the opposing ship. Frustrated with his missing T'Saran didn't wait for an order before letting loose a salvo of deadly plasma torpedoes. Yet again, the Malinche avoided the salvo and yet again the Jatrel's shields were raked by incoming fire.
This time the bridge lurched to port and a few consoles exploaded out as their internal components overloaded. Rasek knew then that they would lose the fight.
“Colonel,” T'Saran shouted after righting himself. “The Federation vessel is targeting our weapon and propulsion systems, one more hit like that and we'll lose main power!”
“Then don't let them get another volley off Sub Lieutenant!” Rasek responded. “Evasive maneuvers! Helm, take us back toward the Sol-Star, have you completed your calculations for time warp?”
“Almost Colonel,” the young helmsman responded. “Thirty seconds...”
The Jatrel pitched to starboard as another volley of Phaser fire raked its shield but this time they managed to penetrate and compromise parts of the Warbird's hull. More consoles blew out and the lights dimmed, a sure sign that the ship was losing power.
“Colonel!” T'Saran shouted over the cacophony. “I've lost power to weapons and the Impulse Engines are about to fail! If we're going we need to go NOW!”
“Helm,” Colonel Rasek shouted again. “Maximum warp!”
<<Earth Orbit, 1986>>
As the IRW Jatrel emerged from it's Timewarp there was a long moment of silence on the bridge. Colonel Rasek found himslef huddled in a ball somewhere near the rear of the bridge and his head pounded from what was likely a concussion. He was alive though and despite the battle worn bridge's appearance, the Jatrel was in one piece.
“Helm,” Rasek coughed as he stood, acrid smoke from a few burning consoles stinging his lungs. “Report.”
“Navigational sensors are offline Colonel,” Uhlan Daalani reported. “But judging by the readings I am getting from the planet below, I'd say that we are where we want to be... Earth, of the past.”
“Confirmed,” Uhlan T'Kish said with a groan as he moved back to his console. “We've arrived in Earth's late twentieth century... And we're not alone, the federation vessel is coming out of time warp astern Colonal.”
“Cloak the ship!” Rasek demanded abruptly. “T'Saran, cloak the ship!”
After there was no response Rasek turned to find his former Tactical officer half consumed by the rear wall of the bridge. The force of the ship's breaking speed must have thrown the poor officer through once of the many rear consoles. The oozing green blood pooling on the floor indicated to Rasek that his tactical officer would not be resuming his post.
“Damn!” Rasek growled, as much at T'Saran's inability to fulfil an order as to his deceased state. The Colonal approached the tactical console and was relieved to find the cloaking device operational before engaging it. “Helm, put us in a low orbit, straddle the planet's ionosphere. The charged particles should better mask our cloak.”
“Yes Colonel,” the Uhlan replied.
The Jatrel was in battle worn shape but it was still in operation and soon Rasek would lead an away team to the planet to find and eliminate his quarry. Kirk, Spock and the others would not elude his grasp so easily. With any luck, he mused, the Captain of the Federation Vessel would also turn up eventually and he would have the satisfaction of avenging his perished officers with his bare hands.
“Sub Commander D'Urik,” Rasek said after tapping his shoulder mounted communicator. “Join me in the wardroom, we have an away mission to orchestrate...”
OFF
A post featuring:
Colonel Rasek
Tal'Shiar Political Officer
IRW Jatrel
and
Sub Lieutenant T'Saran
Chief Tactical Officer
IRW Jatrel
and
Uhlan T'kish
Chief of Operations
IRW Jatrel
Uhlan Dalaani
Chief Flight Control Officer
IRW Jatrel
all played by:
Lieutenant Setak
Biologist
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
ON:
<<USS Malinche, Main Engineering, Day 5, 1110>>
With the mysterious Romulan device still in her hand, Nora was the first one back out of the Jeffries tube. Waiting a brief moment for Dana (PNPC) and Mike (PNPC) to follow her out, the Betazoid moved at a brisk pace back towards the more populated areas of Engineering. She didn’t think that the device was dangerous in and of itself, but she would feel much better once they discovered the object's true purpose or design.
Dana, as baffled and curious as the others - or so she assumed, followed the Executive Officer. While there was likely nothing she could truly offer to help, she was sure that the Chief Security/Tactical Officer would want a full report. The Betazoid did her best to stay behind a bit so she wouldn't be in the way.
As if on cue, Lieutenant JG N’rass strode across their path, giving Nora the perfect opportunity to flag her down. “Lieutenant N’rass, could I have a moment of your time?” she asked straightaway, moving to intercept the Caitian as she spoke. “I know that you must be very busy, but we have a bit of a mystery on our hands that we need some help with. We found something in the Jeffries tube. The thing is, we’re not entirely sure what it is.”
L'Randil smirked and subtly flicked the tip of her tail as she saw the item, locking her gaze on it in intrigue. "Let's get this over to the lab, Lt. Mertz (NPC) should be able to tell us more and if we need it in containment." She said with a hand gesture toward the room off the main control area. In the back of her mind the engineer was hoping it was emitting something because it would answer some questions they had been getting in the diagnostic routines.
Partly Dana wished they could have it in containment from the start, just in case. It was likely that that was an overreaction, but she usually preferred to play it safe at first rather than moving forward with reckless abandon. As her eyes moved around though, the Betazoid knew that if caution was needed, the engineers would be sure to take that into account. They were, after all, responsible for many critical ship operations.
“Excellent,” Nora nodded. After leading the way in the direction N'rass had indicated, she realized that she’d never actually stepped foot into the room she now found herself in. There was still much of the ship that she needed to explore, she noted to herself absently. “Lieutenant Mertz?” she addressed the woman waiting inside the lab. “We have an unidentified device here that we need examined. Feeling up to the challenge?” she asked with a small smile.
Sarah turned around from her console with her energetic smile. "I had a feeling something was up!" With that, she took her tricorder out and began scanning the box that now sat on the bench. As the tricorder scanned away, the console made an alarm beep. "Interesting, but why are you doing that..." She commented to herself but loud enough to be heard as she looked at the screen.
"What is it Lieutenant?" L'Randil asked, crossing her arms. Her engineer tended to run at a mile a minute but did not communicate much about it unless prodded.
Dana frowned slightly; the engineer - Sarah, if the security officer recalled correctly - seemed a bit too enthusiastic. Perhaps it was just the excitement of something new and unknown though. What the woman said, however, did have her intrigued. Apparently the device was doing something unexpected. Whether it was good or bad, she didn't know...hopefully they would soon find out.
"Ma'am," She looked back at the other officers in the room, then back at the display. "It seems to be transmitting a high energy RF pulse but it is short and not in any encryption code we have on file, if it is in fact a coded telemetry. That would be my theory - it is a covert beacon, but this also explains the effects on the plasma injectors."
"Should we shield the room, then?" The lead engineer asked.
"It poses no immediate harm physically, but strategically is anybody's guess. Of course there could be some sort of self destruct inside here that does not pick up with a scan." The human shrugged with a happy go lucky tone, covering up her concern.
Although mildly alarmed at the suggestion that the device could still pose a threat, Nora chose to take heart at Mertz’s suggestion that the threat wasn’t immediate. “A covert beacon? So the Romulans are able to track our ship’s movement, I suppose.” It seemed the most likely answer in her mind, but again, she was no engineer. She only hoped that her lack of expertise didn't show too terribly. “Can we try to shut it off, or would that only trigger the hypothetical self-destruct function?”
Mertz looked at the two officers then back to the device, which was again pulsing through the receiver making the trio look at the display sharply. "I don't know if it would be tactically wise to do so, Ma'am."
L'Randil interjected. "I think this would be a decision above us, but I second Sarah on this one. The device must stay armed for the time being in case for some strange reason there are more of these things or someone tending them." She repositioned, still staring at it. "It's not the ones seen that concern me, it's the unseen."
Nora nodded, seeing the wisdom in both the engineers’ advice. “I do see your point,” she said thoughtfully, still observing the strange object with an inexpert eye. There was a reason the Romulan saboteur had led her to discover the object; there had to be. His fear had been real when she'd tricked him into revealing its location. Nora just didn't understand how it was supposed to be useful. "There must be something more to this device, or some way that we can use it to our advantage. Any ideas?”
The human engineer raised a finger and began to type something on her terminal. "I think if we can figure out something of a system to these pulses we may be able to find a way to trace. It would seem logical that they would have some sort of a ping function if we can understand a little more."
"Can the computer record and reflect the transmissions even without interpreting the data?" L'randil asked. She was an adept engineer but when it came to radio telemetry she was not as informed as her comrade.
"I think so." She paused for a moment, then tilted her head. "So you think that by using it's signal out of sequence or inverted we might ping any other units to transmit?"
L'Randil nodded along, hoping it wasn't to obvious that she wasn't fully following. Part of being a good crew chief was to ask the right stimulus questions.
"Of course, to make this work we will need to have another receiver available. Two actually. Ahah!" Sarah exclaimed and turned to Nora. "I need to get the other section's labs equipped. The lab receivers are the only things capable of making this sort of signal generation and reception. We need all three stations to coordinate in order to triangulate the signals. Then we can find if we have more than this one to deal with."
"Good work, I think." L'randil patted on Sarah's back. "Keep me posted."
“Excellent work, I’d say,” Nora agreed, nodding enthusiastically. If she understood the engineer correctly, the device would possibly come in very handy indeed. “How long do you think that will take?”
Sarah thought for a moment before replying. "An hour probably. At least now I know what to set the lab to find."
Not wanting to interrupt during their conversation, Dana had waited patiently, but now spoke, "Is there any way we could mask our actual position, or have it transmit false data? I'm sure that Lieutenant JG Masterson won't like the idea of the Romulans knowing our exact location... Also, does its interference with the....plasma injectors pose a concern? If so, is there anything we can do to counter it?"
"Well..." Sarah said, thinking as she did. "...That would require us to be able to decode what it is saying. If we can simply record its transmission at one given place and it is a telemetry beacon, I would think that we could block it's signal and transmit the recording..."
"Thus making it look like our position is unchanged?" L'Randil interjected with a raised finger. "Only if it is aware of positioning though. If it is a triangulation beacon then it's a whole different ball game so to speak."
Though Dana didn't completely follow what was being said, she had a decent grasp of it. "If it's possible, that would certainly be preferable. Can anything be done if it's not aware of positioning? Or could we somehow jam the signal, but make it look like it's just interference of some sort? Maybe they could even think it's a result of our little trip..."
"I suppose we could soft-block it or them." Sarah turned back to face the others. "If we put a containment field around it with a slowly increasing canceling factor we could make it look like a white noise fade-out."
L'Randil nodded. "Which could either take us off their grid or bring them out looking for the problem."
"Well, if they know our exact coordinates they may come looking for us anyway," Dana said, shrugging. "But perhaps transmitting false coordinates will end up working out and we won't have to worry about it. I suppose the Captain will make that call."
“Right you are, Dana,” Nora agreed, giving her fellow Betazoid a quick smile. “And speaking of the Captain, I need to give her a report soon, so I’d best leave this to the experts and be on my way. Keep up the good work here. I’ll return in an hour or so to see how it's coming.” With one last glance at the device, Nora turned and left the room, already looking forward with anticipation to see what sort of miracles the engineers would come up with in her absence.
OFF:
A JP brought to you by:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by Capt. Kersare
and
Lt. JG Sarah Mertz (PNPC)
Sensor Systems Specialist
Played by Lt. JG N’rass
and
Lieutenant JG L'Randil N'rass
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
<<USS Malinche, Main Engineering, Day 5, 1110>>
With the mysterious Romulan device still in her hand, Nora was the first one back out of the Jeffries tube. Waiting a brief moment for Dana (PNPC) and Mike (PNPC) to follow her out, the Betazoid moved at a brisk pace back towards the more populated areas of Engineering. She didn’t think that the device was dangerous in and of itself, but she would feel much better once they discovered the object's true purpose or design.
Dana, as baffled and curious as the others - or so she assumed, followed the Executive Officer. While there was likely nothing she could truly offer to help, she was sure that the Chief Security/Tactical Officer would want a full report. The Betazoid did her best to stay behind a bit so she wouldn't be in the way.
As if on cue, Lieutenant JG N’rass strode across their path, giving Nora the perfect opportunity to flag her down. “Lieutenant N’rass, could I have a moment of your time?” she asked straightaway, moving to intercept the Caitian as she spoke. “I know that you must be very busy, but we have a bit of a mystery on our hands that we need some help with. We found something in the Jeffries tube. The thing is, we’re not entirely sure what it is.”
L'Randil smirked and subtly flicked the tip of her tail as she saw the item, locking her gaze on it in intrigue. "Let's get this over to the lab, Lt. Mertz (NPC) should be able to tell us more and if we need it in containment." She said with a hand gesture toward the room off the main control area. In the back of her mind the engineer was hoping it was emitting something because it would answer some questions they had been getting in the diagnostic routines.
Partly Dana wished they could have it in containment from the start, just in case. It was likely that that was an overreaction, but she usually preferred to play it safe at first rather than moving forward with reckless abandon. As her eyes moved around though, the Betazoid knew that if caution was needed, the engineers would be sure to take that into account. They were, after all, responsible for many critical ship operations.
“Excellent,” Nora nodded. After leading the way in the direction N'rass had indicated, she realized that she’d never actually stepped foot into the room she now found herself in. There was still much of the ship that she needed to explore, she noted to herself absently. “Lieutenant Mertz?” she addressed the woman waiting inside the lab. “We have an unidentified device here that we need examined. Feeling up to the challenge?” she asked with a small smile.
Sarah turned around from her console with her energetic smile. "I had a feeling something was up!" With that, she took her tricorder out and began scanning the box that now sat on the bench. As the tricorder scanned away, the console made an alarm beep. "Interesting, but why are you doing that..." She commented to herself but loud enough to be heard as she looked at the screen.
"What is it Lieutenant?" L'Randil asked, crossing her arms. Her engineer tended to run at a mile a minute but did not communicate much about it unless prodded.
Dana frowned slightly; the engineer - Sarah, if the security officer recalled correctly - seemed a bit too enthusiastic. Perhaps it was just the excitement of something new and unknown though. What the woman said, however, did have her intrigued. Apparently the device was doing something unexpected. Whether it was good or bad, she didn't know...hopefully they would soon find out.
"Ma'am," She looked back at the other officers in the room, then back at the display. "It seems to be transmitting a high energy RF pulse but it is short and not in any encryption code we have on file, if it is in fact a coded telemetry. That would be my theory - it is a covert beacon, but this also explains the effects on the plasma injectors."
"Should we shield the room, then?" The lead engineer asked.
"It poses no immediate harm physically, but strategically is anybody's guess. Of course there could be some sort of self destruct inside here that does not pick up with a scan." The human shrugged with a happy go lucky tone, covering up her concern.
Although mildly alarmed at the suggestion that the device could still pose a threat, Nora chose to take heart at Mertz’s suggestion that the threat wasn’t immediate. “A covert beacon? So the Romulans are able to track our ship’s movement, I suppose.” It seemed the most likely answer in her mind, but again, she was no engineer. She only hoped that her lack of expertise didn't show too terribly. “Can we try to shut it off, or would that only trigger the hypothetical self-destruct function?”
Mertz looked at the two officers then back to the device, which was again pulsing through the receiver making the trio look at the display sharply. "I don't know if it would be tactically wise to do so, Ma'am."
L'Randil interjected. "I think this would be a decision above us, but I second Sarah on this one. The device must stay armed for the time being in case for some strange reason there are more of these things or someone tending them." She repositioned, still staring at it. "It's not the ones seen that concern me, it's the unseen."
Nora nodded, seeing the wisdom in both the engineers’ advice. “I do see your point,” she said thoughtfully, still observing the strange object with an inexpert eye. There was a reason the Romulan saboteur had led her to discover the object; there had to be. His fear had been real when she'd tricked him into revealing its location. Nora just didn't understand how it was supposed to be useful. "There must be something more to this device, or some way that we can use it to our advantage. Any ideas?”
The human engineer raised a finger and began to type something on her terminal. "I think if we can figure out something of a system to these pulses we may be able to find a way to trace. It would seem logical that they would have some sort of a ping function if we can understand a little more."
"Can the computer record and reflect the transmissions even without interpreting the data?" L'randil asked. She was an adept engineer but when it came to radio telemetry she was not as informed as her comrade.
"I think so." She paused for a moment, then tilted her head. "So you think that by using it's signal out of sequence or inverted we might ping any other units to transmit?"
L'Randil nodded along, hoping it wasn't to obvious that she wasn't fully following. Part of being a good crew chief was to ask the right stimulus questions.
"Of course, to make this work we will need to have another receiver available. Two actually. Ahah!" Sarah exclaimed and turned to Nora. "I need to get the other section's labs equipped. The lab receivers are the only things capable of making this sort of signal generation and reception. We need all three stations to coordinate in order to triangulate the signals. Then we can find if we have more than this one to deal with."
"Good work, I think." L'randil patted on Sarah's back. "Keep me posted."
“Excellent work, I’d say,” Nora agreed, nodding enthusiastically. If she understood the engineer correctly, the device would possibly come in very handy indeed. “How long do you think that will take?”
Sarah thought for a moment before replying. "An hour probably. At least now I know what to set the lab to find."
Not wanting to interrupt during their conversation, Dana had waited patiently, but now spoke, "Is there any way we could mask our actual position, or have it transmit false data? I'm sure that Lieutenant JG Masterson won't like the idea of the Romulans knowing our exact location... Also, does its interference with the....plasma injectors pose a concern? If so, is there anything we can do to counter it?"
"Well..." Sarah said, thinking as she did. "...That would require us to be able to decode what it is saying. If we can simply record its transmission at one given place and it is a telemetry beacon, I would think that we could block it's signal and transmit the recording..."
"Thus making it look like our position is unchanged?" L'Randil interjected with a raised finger. "Only if it is aware of positioning though. If it is a triangulation beacon then it's a whole different ball game so to speak."
Though Dana didn't completely follow what was being said, she had a decent grasp of it. "If it's possible, that would certainly be preferable. Can anything be done if it's not aware of positioning? Or could we somehow jam the signal, but make it look like it's just interference of some sort? Maybe they could even think it's a result of our little trip..."
"I suppose we could soft-block it or them." Sarah turned back to face the others. "If we put a containment field around it with a slowly increasing canceling factor we could make it look like a white noise fade-out."
L'Randil nodded. "Which could either take us off their grid or bring them out looking for the problem."
"Well, if they know our exact coordinates they may come looking for us anyway," Dana said, shrugging. "But perhaps transmitting false coordinates will end up working out and we won't have to worry about it. I suppose the Captain will make that call."
“Right you are, Dana,” Nora agreed, giving her fellow Betazoid a quick smile. “And speaking of the Captain, I need to give her a report soon, so I’d best leave this to the experts and be on my way. Keep up the good work here. I’ll return in an hour or so to see how it's coming.” With one last glance at the device, Nora turned and left the room, already looking forward with anticipation to see what sort of miracles the engineers would come up with in her absence.
OFF:
A JP brought to you by:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by Capt. Kersare
and
Lt. JG Sarah Mertz (PNPC)
Sensor Systems Specialist
Played by Lt. JG N’rass
and
Lieutenant JG L'Randil N'rass
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
Commander Nora Zeral
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Bridge, Day 5, 1135>>
In retrospect, it had been a full day for Nora. She’d successfully interrogated a Romulan saboteur, held on for her life while the Malinche propelled itself straight into the fairly distant past, and then helped uncover a potentially useful device hidden away in a Jeffries tube. And to think that not so long ago she’d been an unassuming counselor whose most exciting moments tended to occur when a crewmember resisted a psych eval. Despite the increased chances of danger and death, the Betazoid was finding that in general, she enjoyed the change of pace.
Pressing the doorchime to Isabel’s Ready Room, Nora took a moment to survey the Bridge. Everything looked in order, though the onscreen view of an Earth 300 years younger than the one she’d ever known was a bit surreal.
<Ready Room>
Looking away from her screen toward the door, Isabel called out, "Come in." She had been looking at ways to blend in with the twentieth century people of Earth as well as some strategies for the away team she would lead. The away team assignments were also on her mind. Regardless, she was glad to see Nora. "Good morning," Isabel said with a smile.
“Hello, Captain,” Nora said, giving Isabel a rueful smile in return. She settled herself comfortably in a chair set before the desk, looking, not unlike Isabel, a little tired but bright eyed all the same. “I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece. It’s been quite the day, hasn’t it?”
"It most certainly has," Isabel agreed, shaking her head slightly. "And it's not over yet...who knows what else we'll run into." It wouldn't be an easy mission, but it would undoubtedly be quite interesting.
Nora nodded. “I have some potentially good news for you. If you can believe it, the saboteur actually gave me something that could help us.” Frowning a bit, she added regretfully, “Although I’m not exactly proud of what it took for me to get him to talk. It was…out of character, I’m afraid.”
"Really? He did?" Isabel was somewhat surprised, but the news did have her intrigued; she leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear more. However, seeing the expression on Nora's face gave her pause. Her voice reflecting her concern she asked, "What happened, Nora?"
Sighing, Nora hoped that Isabel wouldn’t think any less of her once she related her story. “I may have led him to believe that if he didn’t stop toying with me, I’d take information from him by force. He didn’t realize that I was a Betazoid, you see. I wouldn’t have really done such a thing in a million years,” she added somewhat passionately, “but to have even suggested that I might… Well, it doesn’t agree with my moral code as a telepath, that’s for certain.”
Isabel listened to Nora closely. It certainly didn't sound like something the Betazoid would usually do. "I know it's something that you wouldn't have done. And I can understand how...distasteful it must have been to suggest that you would do it. I believe, however, that there are two important things to keep in mind. First, you didn't take the information by force. I can see how it could be a thin line between implying you would and actually doing it, but in the end, you did not. Second, in the future, perhaps you should be careful about what you suggest... If it's something you won't follow through on, some will call your bluff and put you in a worse position."
“You are right. There was always that chance,” Nora quietly agreed. “I suppose that in the moment, it seemed like a price worth paying. My thoughts were for the safety of the crew, and I acted on them.” She shook her head slowly, sighing again. “Against the odds, though, my ruse worked. The saboteur gave me a Jeffries tube location, and inside of it, we found a small device. It seems that it was planted there so that the Romulans could track our movements.”
"We all have to make decisions at a moment's notice and all we can do is make the best judgment possible at the time. At least this time it did work out," Isabel replied. "A tracking device? That's certainly not promising...if there's one, I must be concerned that there could be others, for one thing. Not to mention whether we can prevent it from transmitting our position. Did you have anyone look at it?"
“Chief N’rass and Lieutenant Mertz examined it, and they’re still working on it,” Nora said, nodding. “They're working on a way to sweep the ship for them, though I'm hoping that the saboteur didn't have enough time to plant many others, if any. Mertz and N’rass also think that they can modify the device in order to trick the Romulans about our true position.”
Isabel nodded, "Well, we could certainly use that to our advantage. I presume that you asked them to let you know when they have more information...please be sure to let me know as well." Pondering for a moment, she asked, "Do you think the saboteur is hiding anything else? That he perhaps knows more about the Romulans' plans?"
Nora had been pondering that question herself. “I think it’s entirely possible, though he insists that he’s nothing more than a middle man. At the very least, we should watch him carefully. If he were to escape back to the Romulans, I fear that he’d be a considerable threat. His passion for his cause… He’s a visionary man, Isabel; a true zealot.” The fire in his eyes when he had spoken about his beliefs had been truly unsettling. Nora was sure she’d never forget that look, even if she tried. “I can certainly see why his superiors sent him to do the dirty work. I don’t doubt that he’ll do whatever it takes to restore his vision of Romulan superiority. The term 'collateral damage' doesn't phase him in the least.”
Frowning, Isabel replied, "I was afraid that might be the case. And of course now we find the device and the Romulans are around...somewhere... We'll have to be extra careful. I'll ask Lieutenant JG Masterson to look into it." Glancing over at a PADD to her left, she moved it in front of her before asking, "It sounds like you've been quite busy, but did you see the message from me?"
“About the away teams? I looked over it briefly before coming here,” Nora nodded. “I was glad to see that Setak and Dana (PNPC) are with me. Dana was part of the Security detachment Masterson sent me to help investigate the device. I was very impressed with her.” It was also comforting that she knew and trusted both of the people who would be with her on her first away team as an Executive Officer. Considering the situation the Malinche was currently facing, the term ‘baptism by fire’ had come to the former counselor's mind more than once.
"I'm glad to hear it," Isabel said with a slight smile. "I've not worked with her much myself, but it sounds like she'll be an asset to you." Part of her wondered how her friend was dealing with what had happened to Julie (PNPC), but she was also concerned that it might bring up some painful thoughts. Instead, for the time being, she asked, "How do you think Setak will do in this type of setting?"
“We’ll have to find him a suitable disguise,” Nora replied thoughtfully, smiling to herself as she pictured some of the possibilities. “But I think he’ll do fine. I’ve seen him at work under trying circumstances, and I know that he can handle whatever may come our way. I trust him with my life.” She only hoped that he didn’t have to interact with too many of the 20th century humans. Somehow, she didn’t see that working out very well.
Nodding, Isabel replied, "I think we'll all need suitable disguises of some sort. And truthfully I would've liked to have had L'randil's expertise on one of the away teams as well...unfortunately we don't have the luxury of time to be able to alter her appearance enough so that she would blend in. I imagine we may need to consult with her though. Do you have concerns about any of the other away teams or our goals?"
“Concerns, no,” Nora said, lacing her fingers together in her lap. “Misgivings, perhaps. I don’t know Lt. Rabb very well, but I’ve read some reports over the last few days about an incident between her and another officer. There were unfortunate circumstances that led up to the confrontation, but it could have been handled differently all the same.” Looking up to meet Isabel’s eyes, she continued, “Chances are it was an isolated incident and she doesn’t go looking for trouble on a regular basis, though. And if you trust her to lead her own team, then so do I.”
"Hmm...I believe I did see a report about that, though I also recall seeing something about Lieutenant Rabb having an appointment with Counselor Dallas. Perhaps some sessions with her will be beneficial... In the meantime, the other officer involved in the incident will be remaining on the ship. I'm hoping that Ms. Rabb will be able to work with Ms. Thornton and Ms. Tilden; as far as I'm aware, the Lieutenant hasn't had any other disciplinary issues, so perhaps this was a one time occurrence. It may be a good idea for one of us to speak with her though..." Isabel said, contemplating the situation.
If Rabb was seeing Dr. Dallas, then that was certainly a step in the right direction and evidence that the affair was perhaps not indicative of her behavior on the whole. Nora told Isabel as much, adding, “If you’d like me to speak with her before we leave, I’d be happy to. But as I said, I trust your instincts on this, and that was my only real worry about the away teams. Well, that…and what on earth I’m going to wear,” she smiled.
"Let's see how the staff briefing goes and Lieutenant Rabb's demeanor then. If either of us has any concerns after that, you can speak with her," Isabel suggested. It seemed to be the most efficient way of handling the situation. "I do believe that the Intelligence department has been putting together some options for disguises - twentieth century hairstyles and clothing... So perhaps that will make it a bit easier," she noted.
“Well, thank goodness for Intelligence,” Nora said with feeling. “All right then, it sounds like everything is in order. Is there anything else that I can do? Any other way that I can help you at all?”
Isabel paused to think, "I can't think of anything specific... Let me know of any developments on that device. Other than that, perhaps review the information regarding the experiences Kirk's crew had while here; it may come in handy."
“Very good, Captain. I think I’ll go review some of that information now before the staff meeting begins. The briefing should be very...enlightening, I imagine," she smiled, and rose to leave.
As Nora stood, Isabel nodded. She had a feeling the entire mission would be enlightening in one way or another... Checking the time, she realized the meeting would soon be upon her and she still had a little more research to do. Feeling a bit more settled, to some extent, after meeting with Setak and Nora, Isabel got back to work.
OFF: JP brought to you by:
Lieutenant Commander Nora Zeral
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
In retrospect, it had been a full day for Nora. She’d successfully interrogated a Romulan saboteur, held on for her life while the Malinche propelled itself straight into the fairly distant past, and then helped uncover a potentially useful device hidden away in a Jeffries tube. And to think that not so long ago she’d been an unassuming counselor whose most exciting moments tended to occur when a crewmember resisted a psych eval. Despite the increased chances of danger and death, the Betazoid was finding that in general, she enjoyed the change of pace.
Pressing the doorchime to Isabel’s Ready Room, Nora took a moment to survey the Bridge. Everything looked in order, though the onscreen view of an Earth 300 years younger than the one she’d ever known was a bit surreal.
<Ready Room>
Looking away from her screen toward the door, Isabel called out, "Come in." She had been looking at ways to blend in with the twentieth century people of Earth as well as some strategies for the away team she would lead. The away team assignments were also on her mind. Regardless, she was glad to see Nora. "Good morning," Isabel said with a smile.
“Hello, Captain,” Nora said, giving Isabel a rueful smile in return. She settled herself comfortably in a chair set before the desk, looking, not unlike Isabel, a little tired but bright eyed all the same. “I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece. It’s been quite the day, hasn’t it?”
"It most certainly has," Isabel agreed, shaking her head slightly. "And it's not over yet...who knows what else we'll run into." It wouldn't be an easy mission, but it would undoubtedly be quite interesting.
Nora nodded. “I have some potentially good news for you. If you can believe it, the saboteur actually gave me something that could help us.” Frowning a bit, she added regretfully, “Although I’m not exactly proud of what it took for me to get him to talk. It was…out of character, I’m afraid.”
"Really? He did?" Isabel was somewhat surprised, but the news did have her intrigued; she leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear more. However, seeing the expression on Nora's face gave her pause. Her voice reflecting her concern she asked, "What happened, Nora?"
Sighing, Nora hoped that Isabel wouldn’t think any less of her once she related her story. “I may have led him to believe that if he didn’t stop toying with me, I’d take information from him by force. He didn’t realize that I was a Betazoid, you see. I wouldn’t have really done such a thing in a million years,” she added somewhat passionately, “but to have even suggested that I might… Well, it doesn’t agree with my moral code as a telepath, that’s for certain.”
Isabel listened to Nora closely. It certainly didn't sound like something the Betazoid would usually do. "I know it's something that you wouldn't have done. And I can understand how...distasteful it must have been to suggest that you would do it. I believe, however, that there are two important things to keep in mind. First, you didn't take the information by force. I can see how it could be a thin line between implying you would and actually doing it, but in the end, you did not. Second, in the future, perhaps you should be careful about what you suggest... If it's something you won't follow through on, some will call your bluff and put you in a worse position."
“You are right. There was always that chance,” Nora quietly agreed. “I suppose that in the moment, it seemed like a price worth paying. My thoughts were for the safety of the crew, and I acted on them.” She shook her head slowly, sighing again. “Against the odds, though, my ruse worked. The saboteur gave me a Jeffries tube location, and inside of it, we found a small device. It seems that it was planted there so that the Romulans could track our movements.”
"We all have to make decisions at a moment's notice and all we can do is make the best judgment possible at the time. At least this time it did work out," Isabel replied. "A tracking device? That's certainly not promising...if there's one, I must be concerned that there could be others, for one thing. Not to mention whether we can prevent it from transmitting our position. Did you have anyone look at it?"
“Chief N’rass and Lieutenant Mertz examined it, and they’re still working on it,” Nora said, nodding. “They're working on a way to sweep the ship for them, though I'm hoping that the saboteur didn't have enough time to plant many others, if any. Mertz and N’rass also think that they can modify the device in order to trick the Romulans about our true position.”
Isabel nodded, "Well, we could certainly use that to our advantage. I presume that you asked them to let you know when they have more information...please be sure to let me know as well." Pondering for a moment, she asked, "Do you think the saboteur is hiding anything else? That he perhaps knows more about the Romulans' plans?"
Nora had been pondering that question herself. “I think it’s entirely possible, though he insists that he’s nothing more than a middle man. At the very least, we should watch him carefully. If he were to escape back to the Romulans, I fear that he’d be a considerable threat. His passion for his cause… He’s a visionary man, Isabel; a true zealot.” The fire in his eyes when he had spoken about his beliefs had been truly unsettling. Nora was sure she’d never forget that look, even if she tried. “I can certainly see why his superiors sent him to do the dirty work. I don’t doubt that he’ll do whatever it takes to restore his vision of Romulan superiority. The term 'collateral damage' doesn't phase him in the least.”
Frowning, Isabel replied, "I was afraid that might be the case. And of course now we find the device and the Romulans are around...somewhere... We'll have to be extra careful. I'll ask Lieutenant JG Masterson to look into it." Glancing over at a PADD to her left, she moved it in front of her before asking, "It sounds like you've been quite busy, but did you see the message from me?"
“About the away teams? I looked over it briefly before coming here,” Nora nodded. “I was glad to see that Setak and Dana (PNPC) are with me. Dana was part of the Security detachment Masterson sent me to help investigate the device. I was very impressed with her.” It was also comforting that she knew and trusted both of the people who would be with her on her first away team as an Executive Officer. Considering the situation the Malinche was currently facing, the term ‘baptism by fire’ had come to the former counselor's mind more than once.
"I'm glad to hear it," Isabel said with a slight smile. "I've not worked with her much myself, but it sounds like she'll be an asset to you." Part of her wondered how her friend was dealing with what had happened to Julie (PNPC), but she was also concerned that it might bring up some painful thoughts. Instead, for the time being, she asked, "How do you think Setak will do in this type of setting?"
“We’ll have to find him a suitable disguise,” Nora replied thoughtfully, smiling to herself as she pictured some of the possibilities. “But I think he’ll do fine. I’ve seen him at work under trying circumstances, and I know that he can handle whatever may come our way. I trust him with my life.” She only hoped that he didn’t have to interact with too many of the 20th century humans. Somehow, she didn’t see that working out very well.
Nodding, Isabel replied, "I think we'll all need suitable disguises of some sort. And truthfully I would've liked to have had L'randil's expertise on one of the away teams as well...unfortunately we don't have the luxury of time to be able to alter her appearance enough so that she would blend in. I imagine we may need to consult with her though. Do you have concerns about any of the other away teams or our goals?"
“Concerns, no,” Nora said, lacing her fingers together in her lap. “Misgivings, perhaps. I don’t know Lt. Rabb very well, but I’ve read some reports over the last few days about an incident between her and another officer. There were unfortunate circumstances that led up to the confrontation, but it could have been handled differently all the same.” Looking up to meet Isabel’s eyes, she continued, “Chances are it was an isolated incident and she doesn’t go looking for trouble on a regular basis, though. And if you trust her to lead her own team, then so do I.”
"Hmm...I believe I did see a report about that, though I also recall seeing something about Lieutenant Rabb having an appointment with Counselor Dallas. Perhaps some sessions with her will be beneficial... In the meantime, the other officer involved in the incident will be remaining on the ship. I'm hoping that Ms. Rabb will be able to work with Ms. Thornton and Ms. Tilden; as far as I'm aware, the Lieutenant hasn't had any other disciplinary issues, so perhaps this was a one time occurrence. It may be a good idea for one of us to speak with her though..." Isabel said, contemplating the situation.
If Rabb was seeing Dr. Dallas, then that was certainly a step in the right direction and evidence that the affair was perhaps not indicative of her behavior on the whole. Nora told Isabel as much, adding, “If you’d like me to speak with her before we leave, I’d be happy to. But as I said, I trust your instincts on this, and that was my only real worry about the away teams. Well, that…and what on earth I’m going to wear,” she smiled.
"Let's see how the staff briefing goes and Lieutenant Rabb's demeanor then. If either of us has any concerns after that, you can speak with her," Isabel suggested. It seemed to be the most efficient way of handling the situation. "I do believe that the Intelligence department has been putting together some options for disguises - twentieth century hairstyles and clothing... So perhaps that will make it a bit easier," she noted.
“Well, thank goodness for Intelligence,” Nora said with feeling. “All right then, it sounds like everything is in order. Is there anything else that I can do? Any other way that I can help you at all?”
Isabel paused to think, "I can't think of anything specific... Let me know of any developments on that device. Other than that, perhaps review the information regarding the experiences Kirk's crew had while here; it may come in handy."
“Very good, Captain. I think I’ll go review some of that information now before the staff meeting begins. The briefing should be very...enlightening, I imagine," she smiled, and rose to leave.
As Nora stood, Isabel nodded. She had a feeling the entire mission would be enlightening in one way or another... Checking the time, she realized the meeting would soon be upon her and she still had a little more research to do. Feeling a bit more settled, to some extent, after meeting with Setak and Nora, Isabel got back to work.
OFF: JP brought to you by:
Lieutenant Commander Nora Zeral
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Transporter Room 2, Day 5, 1340>>
Nora counted herself lucky that she hadn’t run into anyone on the walk from her quarters to the transporter room. Judging by the surprised look she’d received from the Ensign on duty when she’d arrived, her disguise was a bit…eye-catching. Through some miracle of science, her thick blonde hair had been curled, feathered and teased to impossible heights. She’d never worn so much makeup in her life, and her dress… Well, the last time she’d seen fabric this shiny had been in her grandmother’s closet. It was all a bit, well, flashy for her taste, but Intelligence had assured her that she’d fit right in, so she hadn’t argued.
Feeling remarkably self-conscious, the Betazoid nodded to the Ensign and did her best not to fidget. She was the first of her team to arrive, and she had plenty on her mind as it was. Fortunately, the next team member arrived not long after her. Hearing the quiet hiss of the doors behind her, Nora turned to see what other fashion magic the Intelligence Department had come up with for her fellow officers.
Nervous, Dana (NPC) timidly entered the transporter room. Partly she was glad to be out of the hallway, but she knew others would be in this room as well. With as much dignity as she could muster, the Betazoid moved towards the Executive Officer. "Good afternoon, ma'am."
Dana's black leggings felt impossibly tight and her ankles were a bit warm from the leg warmers collected around them. Her footwear was slightly more reasonable, at least as far as comfort...they were some form of...sneaker which unfortunately were a hideous neon purple color. The shirt, oh where to begin... Most of the top was raggedly cut off, exposing one of her shoulders and a neon pink bra strap. Overall though, it was a nice loose fit, though it had splashes of neon color over the white fabric. To top it off was her hair...her blonde locks were mostly straight on the sides with a very slight wave - containing two bright purple streaks, and feathered bangs. The redeeming part she had found was that the loose shirt allowed her to have a belt with a phaser and tricorder.
“I see you’re fully in character too,” Nora smiled as she took in Dana’s outfit. Personally, she thought that Dana’s disguise looked a little more comfortable, but it was just as loud as, if not louder than, her own.
Dana nodded, "Yes ma'am. I was hoping for something....less noticeable, but Intel assured me that in this time period these clothes would help me blend in. I'm really not sure how, though." Looking down at her outfit with her newly green eyes, she frowned. At this point she wasn't sure which was worse...Nora's shiny outfit or her neon one.
As Setak entered the transporter room he felt like a complete fool, dressed like some two bit jest unfit for any kings, or Emporer's, court. His ears had been rounded and still itched from the minor surgery, but it was his dire wardrobe that had him in a mental fit. His hair had been fluffed slightly and brushed back and coated in some sort of aerosol spray that insulted his heightened Vulcan sense of smell. Around his neck was a 'flamingo pink' sweater tied loosely as if to be a cape and under it he wore a pastel blue polo shirt, collar turned up, with a tiny bright pink pony emblazoned over his left pec. He wore khaki pants hemmed a little high to reveal a bit of the checkered socks that hugged his ankles, a black and white ribbon belt and something the intelligence officer called 'loafers'.
"This is absolutely intolerable," he grumbled as he came to a stop before the transporter pad only then noticing the other's equally ridiculous outfits.
Nora nearly did a double take when Setak walked into the Transporter Room. Surgery had indeed made the Vulcan look human, and his bright clothing was such a far cry from his usual attire that the effect was rather remarkable. “Well,” she said, suddenly a little unsure of how to begin. “It looks like we’re all here. You both look…good. Interesting, but good,” she added for the sake of accuracy.
"I don't believe you," Setak said though the touch of humor he had intended to convey was lost entirely amid the self loathing. "But what must be done, must be done. Shall we then?"
“It is a little different,” Nora agreed, looking down at her dress once more. It was tightly fitted in the bodice before flaring out at the hips, with some sort of gauzy material that made the skirt rather voluminous. Sheer black tights and shiny black shoes with a slight heel on them completed the outfit, and she, like the others, was feeling ridiculous. “We’ll be leaving soon, but before we go, I thought that we might strategize a bit. I trust that you’ve all reviewed the details of Captain Kirk’s original mission?”
"Of course, ma'am. I've tried to commit as much of it as possible to memory, but we didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare. If I understand correctly...we're to try to...blend in...if that's possible while keeping an eye on Mr. Scott and Dr. McCoy initially. And we'll have to keep an eye out for the Romulans," Dana answered. She had apparently been under the incorrect idea that the need to cram information into her brain had passed with her graduation from Academy. Her fingers reached up to brush the feathery bangs back a little.
Setak adjusted the loose knot in his sweater sleeves before giving up and dropping his hands to his sides. From the Khaki's left pocket he removed his medical tricorder and opened it to ensure it was working. "As far as the Romulans are concerned, each away team has a modified tricorder like this one set specifically to scan for Romulan bio-signs. We should be able to 'get the jump on them' easily enough with this."
“Very good,” Nora remarked, glad to see that Setak was in possession of said tricorder. There simply was no place on her person to hide it; her dress certainly wasn’t equipped with pockets. “As for blending in, I thought it might be best if we came up with some sort of a backstory in case we do attract attention.” Taking in their disguises one more time, the Betazoid tilted her head side to side as if considering. “Setak, you seem to fit the profile of a 20th century doctor. As for me…” she glanced down at herself, “I suppose I could pass for a doctor’s significant other. And as for Dana…my sister, perhaps?”
A grin spread across Dana's face as she did her best to suppress a giggle. The thought of Setak and Nora being together...especially looking as they did, was rather amusing. Both women were Betazoid and, somewhat uncharacteristically, had light hair, so the sister bit would likely work.
"Significant other?" Setak questioned with his brow raised. "I'm afraid that you have me at a disadvantage, my knowledge of Human parlance is still somewhat limited, what do you mean by 'significant other'?"
With an internal sigh, Nora turned to face Setak. She only hoped that he wouldn’t be horrified completely when she explained the meaning of the term. “It means that you and I are supposed to be…romantically involved in some way. Not necessarily married, but in a relationship at least. It gives us an acceptable reason to be nearby one another at all times without making the humans suspicious.”
"I see," Setak stammered, shocked by the unexpected reply. It was just a ruse of course but the Vulcan had not really thought of such things in a long while; he was not accustomed to dealing with them, real or contrived. "Well, I... Um. Right, it does seem logical..."
"What about names?" asked Dana. "Nora and Dana seem to be reasonable, if not unusual, Terran names. Setak, however..." She was curious as to whether the Vulcan had given it any thought...or if he'd be able to play along with the charade Nora had suggested.
Setak turned to Dana with an equally bewildered expression, "To be honest, I had not considered a name. Do you have any suggestions?"
Glad for the slight change in topic, Nora looked away while she considered the question, recalling all of the men she’d ever known with traditional human names. “There’s Sean, Nigel, Jeff, Stanley…um…Carlton, Sinclair, Stefan…” Honestly, this was harder than she’d thought. “I confess, my expert knowledge of 20th century male human names is limited. Dana, any other ideas?”
"Well," Dana began, pausing to rack her brain for more ideas. "What about Sam? Or you could with Seth...Maxwell, Spencer, David...um..." She glanced over at the Vulcan, "Any of these standing out to you?"
Setak didn't find any of the names appealing and after a moments thought he decided that he didn't find any Terran names particularly appealing but knew that the sentiment would get him nowhere in his predicament. Uncaring and wanting simply to get on with the mission he chose a name at random, "Seth. That's it, Seth... Rogan. Good enough?"
Nodding, Nora smiled. “That sounds fine to me, Dr. Rogan. Now then, one last matter and we can go ahead and beam to the surface.” Looking over at her ‘sister,’ she absentmindedly wished that her eyes had been turned green rather than blue if only to complete the ruse. “Seeing as Dana and I are both Betazoids, it might not be a bad idea to fall back on telepathy if we’re ever caught between a rock and a hard place. Only, of course, if you’re comfortable with that,” she quickly amended.
"That's perfectly fine, ma'am. Considering the situation we're being put in, I think we should use any advantage we have to ensure success," Dana replied aloud. After a slight smile of reassurance, she continued by using her telepathy, "Honestly, ma'am, when I'm on Betazoid or amongst family and friends who are Betazoid it isn't uncommon for us to communicate this way. So, it doesn't bother me at all. Obviously it's generally considered rude to do so in front of non-telepaths and under other circumstances, but still."
Nora grinned at Dana. "Perfect," she replied. It had been ages since she’d been able to speak telepathically with anyone, and she had to admit that she missed it at times. It reminded her of home. "Let’s just make sure we don’t make it too obvious," she added aloud. "I wouldn’t want either of us to get nabbed by the American government,” she returned humorously. My father used to tell me how they would run tests on humans with special abilities before the formation of the Federation. His form of a horror story.”
"No worse than the Alliances tests," Setak mumbled knowing precisely what Nora was referring to. Setak himself had been forced to perform such tests on "lesser species" before, a dark thought that the Vulcan quickly swept aside. "I may not be a full telepath but I understand it well enough, do as you must."
“All right then,” Nora said, clapping her hands together. “Unless there’s anything else, I think we’re ready to leave. Any last concerns?”
Setak shook his head, he had no concerns that he felt like voicing. He was of course concerned about a great many things; that Julie would awaken before he returned from the away mission or worse yet that she would lapse further into her coma. He was concerned that he would not live up to his Captain's expectations, worried that he would somehow jeopardize the mission as he had at times in his past. Setak was always concerned about something but in his usual stoic fashion he concealed this truth from others quite proficiently.
Shaking her head, Dana answered, "No, ma'am. I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She fidgeted slightly, still trying to figure out how the leggings could be considered comfortable. If the outfits were any indication, they were in for quite the experience.
While it seemed that everyone was feeling uneasy about the task ahead, Setak's feelings stood out the most to Nora. “I’m glad to have you both with me,” she said sincerely, hoping that a small vote of confidence might help ease some of the nervous tension. “As I told Captain Kersare, I trust both of you with my life, and I hope you know that I’ll do everything in my power to watch out for the two of you as well.” Giving them each a smile, Nora turned to the Ensign on duty. “We’re ready, Ensign,” she said, moving to stand on the platform.
Chris (NPC) nodded at the Executive Officer. "Yes, Commander. I have the coordinates you gave me entered." The Transporter Chief watched as the three, in their ridiculous 'disguises', moved onto the transporter platform. His eyes moved back down to the console before him, double checking the settings, before moving back up to meet the eyes of the Betazoid in the shiny dress. "Good luck...."
Pushing aside her own worries and fears, Nora gave a small smile in return. Raising her chin fractionally higher, she nodded once. “Energize.” The world around them shimmered and contracted, and within a moment they were gone from view.
OFF:
A JP from the members of Team 1, consisting of:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by: Captain Kersare
and
Provisional Lieutenant Setak
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
Nora counted herself lucky that she hadn’t run into anyone on the walk from her quarters to the transporter room. Judging by the surprised look she’d received from the Ensign on duty when she’d arrived, her disguise was a bit…eye-catching. Through some miracle of science, her thick blonde hair had been curled, feathered and teased to impossible heights. She’d never worn so much makeup in her life, and her dress… Well, the last time she’d seen fabric this shiny had been in her grandmother’s closet. It was all a bit, well, flashy for her taste, but Intelligence had assured her that she’d fit right in, so she hadn’t argued.
Feeling remarkably self-conscious, the Betazoid nodded to the Ensign and did her best not to fidget. She was the first of her team to arrive, and she had plenty on her mind as it was. Fortunately, the next team member arrived not long after her. Hearing the quiet hiss of the doors behind her, Nora turned to see what other fashion magic the Intelligence Department had come up with for her fellow officers.
Nervous, Dana (NPC) timidly entered the transporter room. Partly she was glad to be out of the hallway, but she knew others would be in this room as well. With as much dignity as she could muster, the Betazoid moved towards the Executive Officer. "Good afternoon, ma'am."
Dana's black leggings felt impossibly tight and her ankles were a bit warm from the leg warmers collected around them. Her footwear was slightly more reasonable, at least as far as comfort...they were some form of...sneaker which unfortunately were a hideous neon purple color. The shirt, oh where to begin... Most of the top was raggedly cut off, exposing one of her shoulders and a neon pink bra strap. Overall though, it was a nice loose fit, though it had splashes of neon color over the white fabric. To top it off was her hair...her blonde locks were mostly straight on the sides with a very slight wave - containing two bright purple streaks, and feathered bangs. The redeeming part she had found was that the loose shirt allowed her to have a belt with a phaser and tricorder.
“I see you’re fully in character too,” Nora smiled as she took in Dana’s outfit. Personally, she thought that Dana’s disguise looked a little more comfortable, but it was just as loud as, if not louder than, her own.
Dana nodded, "Yes ma'am. I was hoping for something....less noticeable, but Intel assured me that in this time period these clothes would help me blend in. I'm really not sure how, though." Looking down at her outfit with her newly green eyes, she frowned. At this point she wasn't sure which was worse...Nora's shiny outfit or her neon one.
As Setak entered the transporter room he felt like a complete fool, dressed like some two bit jest unfit for any kings, or Emporer's, court. His ears had been rounded and still itched from the minor surgery, but it was his dire wardrobe that had him in a mental fit. His hair had been fluffed slightly and brushed back and coated in some sort of aerosol spray that insulted his heightened Vulcan sense of smell. Around his neck was a 'flamingo pink' sweater tied loosely as if to be a cape and under it he wore a pastel blue polo shirt, collar turned up, with a tiny bright pink pony emblazoned over his left pec. He wore khaki pants hemmed a little high to reveal a bit of the checkered socks that hugged his ankles, a black and white ribbon belt and something the intelligence officer called 'loafers'.
"This is absolutely intolerable," he grumbled as he came to a stop before the transporter pad only then noticing the other's equally ridiculous outfits.
Nora nearly did a double take when Setak walked into the Transporter Room. Surgery had indeed made the Vulcan look human, and his bright clothing was such a far cry from his usual attire that the effect was rather remarkable. “Well,” she said, suddenly a little unsure of how to begin. “It looks like we’re all here. You both look…good. Interesting, but good,” she added for the sake of accuracy.
"I don't believe you," Setak said though the touch of humor he had intended to convey was lost entirely amid the self loathing. "But what must be done, must be done. Shall we then?"
“It is a little different,” Nora agreed, looking down at her dress once more. It was tightly fitted in the bodice before flaring out at the hips, with some sort of gauzy material that made the skirt rather voluminous. Sheer black tights and shiny black shoes with a slight heel on them completed the outfit, and she, like the others, was feeling ridiculous. “We’ll be leaving soon, but before we go, I thought that we might strategize a bit. I trust that you’ve all reviewed the details of Captain Kirk’s original mission?”
"Of course, ma'am. I've tried to commit as much of it as possible to memory, but we didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare. If I understand correctly...we're to try to...blend in...if that's possible while keeping an eye on Mr. Scott and Dr. McCoy initially. And we'll have to keep an eye out for the Romulans," Dana answered. She had apparently been under the incorrect idea that the need to cram information into her brain had passed with her graduation from Academy. Her fingers reached up to brush the feathery bangs back a little.
Setak adjusted the loose knot in his sweater sleeves before giving up and dropping his hands to his sides. From the Khaki's left pocket he removed his medical tricorder and opened it to ensure it was working. "As far as the Romulans are concerned, each away team has a modified tricorder like this one set specifically to scan for Romulan bio-signs. We should be able to 'get the jump on them' easily enough with this."
“Very good,” Nora remarked, glad to see that Setak was in possession of said tricorder. There simply was no place on her person to hide it; her dress certainly wasn’t equipped with pockets. “As for blending in, I thought it might be best if we came up with some sort of a backstory in case we do attract attention.” Taking in their disguises one more time, the Betazoid tilted her head side to side as if considering. “Setak, you seem to fit the profile of a 20th century doctor. As for me…” she glanced down at herself, “I suppose I could pass for a doctor’s significant other. And as for Dana…my sister, perhaps?”
A grin spread across Dana's face as she did her best to suppress a giggle. The thought of Setak and Nora being together...especially looking as they did, was rather amusing. Both women were Betazoid and, somewhat uncharacteristically, had light hair, so the sister bit would likely work.
"Significant other?" Setak questioned with his brow raised. "I'm afraid that you have me at a disadvantage, my knowledge of Human parlance is still somewhat limited, what do you mean by 'significant other'?"
With an internal sigh, Nora turned to face Setak. She only hoped that he wouldn’t be horrified completely when she explained the meaning of the term. “It means that you and I are supposed to be…romantically involved in some way. Not necessarily married, but in a relationship at least. It gives us an acceptable reason to be nearby one another at all times without making the humans suspicious.”
"I see," Setak stammered, shocked by the unexpected reply. It was just a ruse of course but the Vulcan had not really thought of such things in a long while; he was not accustomed to dealing with them, real or contrived. "Well, I... Um. Right, it does seem logical..."
"What about names?" asked Dana. "Nora and Dana seem to be reasonable, if not unusual, Terran names. Setak, however..." She was curious as to whether the Vulcan had given it any thought...or if he'd be able to play along with the charade Nora had suggested.
Setak turned to Dana with an equally bewildered expression, "To be honest, I had not considered a name. Do you have any suggestions?"
Glad for the slight change in topic, Nora looked away while she considered the question, recalling all of the men she’d ever known with traditional human names. “There’s Sean, Nigel, Jeff, Stanley…um…Carlton, Sinclair, Stefan…” Honestly, this was harder than she’d thought. “I confess, my expert knowledge of 20th century male human names is limited. Dana, any other ideas?”
"Well," Dana began, pausing to rack her brain for more ideas. "What about Sam? Or you could with Seth...Maxwell, Spencer, David...um..." She glanced over at the Vulcan, "Any of these standing out to you?"
Setak didn't find any of the names appealing and after a moments thought he decided that he didn't find any Terran names particularly appealing but knew that the sentiment would get him nowhere in his predicament. Uncaring and wanting simply to get on with the mission he chose a name at random, "Seth. That's it, Seth... Rogan. Good enough?"
Nodding, Nora smiled. “That sounds fine to me, Dr. Rogan. Now then, one last matter and we can go ahead and beam to the surface.” Looking over at her ‘sister,’ she absentmindedly wished that her eyes had been turned green rather than blue if only to complete the ruse. “Seeing as Dana and I are both Betazoids, it might not be a bad idea to fall back on telepathy if we’re ever caught between a rock and a hard place. Only, of course, if you’re comfortable with that,” she quickly amended.
"That's perfectly fine, ma'am. Considering the situation we're being put in, I think we should use any advantage we have to ensure success," Dana replied aloud. After a slight smile of reassurance, she continued by using her telepathy, "Honestly, ma'am, when I'm on Betazoid or amongst family and friends who are Betazoid it isn't uncommon for us to communicate this way. So, it doesn't bother me at all. Obviously it's generally considered rude to do so in front of non-telepaths and under other circumstances, but still."
Nora grinned at Dana. "Perfect," she replied. It had been ages since she’d been able to speak telepathically with anyone, and she had to admit that she missed it at times. It reminded her of home. "Let’s just make sure we don’t make it too obvious," she added aloud. "I wouldn’t want either of us to get nabbed by the American government,” she returned humorously. My father used to tell me how they would run tests on humans with special abilities before the formation of the Federation. His form of a horror story.”
"No worse than the Alliances tests," Setak mumbled knowing precisely what Nora was referring to. Setak himself had been forced to perform such tests on "lesser species" before, a dark thought that the Vulcan quickly swept aside. "I may not be a full telepath but I understand it well enough, do as you must."
“All right then,” Nora said, clapping her hands together. “Unless there’s anything else, I think we’re ready to leave. Any last concerns?”
Setak shook his head, he had no concerns that he felt like voicing. He was of course concerned about a great many things; that Julie would awaken before he returned from the away mission or worse yet that she would lapse further into her coma. He was concerned that he would not live up to his Captain's expectations, worried that he would somehow jeopardize the mission as he had at times in his past. Setak was always concerned about something but in his usual stoic fashion he concealed this truth from others quite proficiently.
Shaking her head, Dana answered, "No, ma'am. I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She fidgeted slightly, still trying to figure out how the leggings could be considered comfortable. If the outfits were any indication, they were in for quite the experience.
While it seemed that everyone was feeling uneasy about the task ahead, Setak's feelings stood out the most to Nora. “I’m glad to have you both with me,” she said sincerely, hoping that a small vote of confidence might help ease some of the nervous tension. “As I told Captain Kersare, I trust both of you with my life, and I hope you know that I’ll do everything in my power to watch out for the two of you as well.” Giving them each a smile, Nora turned to the Ensign on duty. “We’re ready, Ensign,” she said, moving to stand on the platform.
Chris (NPC) nodded at the Executive Officer. "Yes, Commander. I have the coordinates you gave me entered." The Transporter Chief watched as the three, in their ridiculous 'disguises', moved onto the transporter platform. His eyes moved back down to the console before him, double checking the settings, before moving back up to meet the eyes of the Betazoid in the shiny dress. "Good luck...."
Pushing aside her own worries and fears, Nora gave a small smile in return. Raising her chin fractionally higher, she nodded once. “Energize.” The world around them shimmered and contracted, and within a moment they were gone from view.
OFF:
A JP from the members of Team 1, consisting of:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by: Captain Kersare
and
Provisional Lieutenant Setak
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
Commander Nora Zeral
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Engineering lab 2, Day 5, 1400>>
Sarah had been fervently programming the sensor labs to triangulate for other Romulan devices for a while now, but now she leaned back in her seat at the master display with a smile and spun the chair a time. "There we go." The thin blonde said energetically and pushed the button to activate. "Play my pretty, play." The displays came to life with various readouts of pings and reflections throughout the breakdown of the ship's blueprints sector by sector.
A few times throughout the process she had to adjust sensitivity to respond to the needed signal and not various ambient noises. Satisfied that the process was running it's course, she tapped the comm button. "Mertz to L'randil. The hunt is afoot."
"Good work, Sarah. Keep me posted." The caitian responded, walking to the secondary engineering bay to verify repairs to auxiliary power and engines just in case they were needed. Mertz was a recent addition to the crew, picked up at the last port visit but she was quickly earning favor as a skilled idea worker.
"Will-do, Miz Kitty." Sarah replied in the joking manner they had worked up to. To her normal contacts that would rub her a certain way but from Sarah it made her laugh.
The Chief engineer walked into the bay with her slight limp but fast pace straight to the lead of the repair team. "How's it look, Tom?" The tall man turned to face her with a smirk.
"The cores are stable and the plasma network is completely up to spec. You do know we have the reports on the network, right?" He ribbed. She rolled her eyes.
"There's something lost by not seeing my officer's in person. Call me old fashioned but we hide too much on the comm network sometimes."
"Perhaps." He looked to the master console. "If we go for another heavy warp there should be plenty between the mains and secondary to cover, let's just keep the surprises down."
L'Randil patted him mid-back due to her shorter stature. "I don't like surprises either. Let's just hope the rest of this cruise goes smoothly."
"Indeed." He moved a little, not quite used to her hands-on style. Nevertheless, he smiled as she walked back out the door as quickly as she came.
Back in the lab, Sarah leaned back with crossed arms as she waited for results to appear. She hoped they would not, but if there was potential to find it she hoped it would appear now. Eventually an indication surfaced with a beeping sound, making her pull forward intently. "What have we here?" She looked closely at the readout of the sector then rolled her eyes with a little guff. "I know about that one. Apparently it is still working..."
As she tuned the scanner to keep going, she leaned back and started to drift in thought. A holographer in her spare time, she had spent many hours thinking about what different time period role play scenarios would be like. Late 20th century earth had a bit of intrigue. Not as orderly as the middle 20th or as terroristic as the early 21st. Rumors had it that they were in a covert operation that involved time travel, but at her level it was not confirmed. Nevertheless the seed was sown in her mind.
OFF:
Lt. Sarah Mertz (PNPC)
Specialist
USS Malinche
by
Sarah had been fervently programming the sensor labs to triangulate for other Romulan devices for a while now, but now she leaned back in her seat at the master display with a smile and spun the chair a time. "There we go." The thin blonde said energetically and pushed the button to activate. "Play my pretty, play." The displays came to life with various readouts of pings and reflections throughout the breakdown of the ship's blueprints sector by sector.
A few times throughout the process she had to adjust sensitivity to respond to the needed signal and not various ambient noises. Satisfied that the process was running it's course, she tapped the comm button. "Mertz to L'randil. The hunt is afoot."
"Good work, Sarah. Keep me posted." The caitian responded, walking to the secondary engineering bay to verify repairs to auxiliary power and engines just in case they were needed. Mertz was a recent addition to the crew, picked up at the last port visit but she was quickly earning favor as a skilled idea worker.
"Will-do, Miz Kitty." Sarah replied in the joking manner they had worked up to. To her normal contacts that would rub her a certain way but from Sarah it made her laugh.
The Chief engineer walked into the bay with her slight limp but fast pace straight to the lead of the repair team. "How's it look, Tom?" The tall man turned to face her with a smirk.
"The cores are stable and the plasma network is completely up to spec. You do know we have the reports on the network, right?" He ribbed. She rolled her eyes.
"There's something lost by not seeing my officer's in person. Call me old fashioned but we hide too much on the comm network sometimes."
"Perhaps." He looked to the master console. "If we go for another heavy warp there should be plenty between the mains and secondary to cover, let's just keep the surprises down."
L'Randil patted him mid-back due to her shorter stature. "I don't like surprises either. Let's just hope the rest of this cruise goes smoothly."
"Indeed." He moved a little, not quite used to her hands-on style. Nevertheless, he smiled as she walked back out the door as quickly as she came.
Back in the lab, Sarah leaned back with crossed arms as she waited for results to appear. She hoped they would not, but if there was potential to find it she hoped it would appear now. Eventually an indication surfaced with a beeping sound, making her pull forward intently. "What have we here?" She looked closely at the readout of the sector then rolled her eyes with a little guff. "I know about that one. Apparently it is still working..."
As she tuned the scanner to keep going, she leaned back and started to drift in thought. A holographer in her spare time, she had spent many hours thinking about what different time period role play scenarios would be like. Late 20th century earth had a bit of intrigue. Not as orderly as the middle 20th or as terroristic as the early 21st. Rumors had it that they were in a covert operation that involved time travel, but at her level it was not confirmed. Nevertheless the seed was sown in her mind.
OFF:
Lt. Sarah Mertz (PNPC)
Specialist
USS Malinche
by
Lieutenant JG L'Randil N'rass
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Main Shuttlebay, Day 5, 1400>>
Stacy was standing in front of the Delta Flyer, surveying the ship and taking it all in. She noticed Ensign Jenni Thornton walk into the main shuttlebay. Stacy knew Jenni had been through hell and back the past few days and really hoped this assignment would get her mind back in the game. She waved Jenni over to the Delta Flyer and leaned against it with her left arm.
Jenni Thornton walked over to the Delta Flyer, noticing her superior was leaning against it below the name ‘Xunatunich’. Jenni hoped this ‘stone woman’ would see them through this assignment on earth of the past. “Hello Lieutenant, fitting that we are going down on the Stone Woman isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about? We’re taking the Delta Flyer…and by the way, I don’t see a pack on your shoulder with a 20th century disguise.”
“Lieutenant, Xunatunich means stone woman in Ancient Mayan.” Jenni replied with a smile.
“OH, I see.” Said Stacy, startled that Jenni actually knew what the name of this flyer meant, or even stood for. “Well, seems you’ve been catching up on history huh.”
Stacy turned and walked down the length of the ship, her hand slowly rubbing along the metal. “You know Jenni, this is going to be a tough assignment.”
“Yes ma’am, I am actually looking forward to this; it will get my mind off the past few days.” Said Jenni.
Stacy stopped before entering the ship and turned to face Jenni. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll ever touch another woman again.” Stacy smiled and smirked, making a slight snorting sound.
That made Jenni smile, remembering the description Stacy gave her of Topher’s face as he stared up at her in pain. "So, who are we waiting for? I'd like to get going."
"We're waiting for someone from Intelligence. One of the warrant officers has experience in infiltration and the Captain assigned her to assist us. Apparently, we are going in after the team that gets onto the USS Enterprise."
"I see. Well, I guess I'll get started on my disguise. I'll see you inside." said Jenni.
Stacy stood beside the door to the delta flyer, waiting for this warrant officer to arrive so they could ship out. Stacy was privately eagerly waiting to get behind the controls of the delta flyer.
OFF:
Joint Post by:
ENS Jenni Thornton, NPC
and
Stacy was standing in front of the Delta Flyer, surveying the ship and taking it all in. She noticed Ensign Jenni Thornton walk into the main shuttlebay. Stacy knew Jenni had been through hell and back the past few days and really hoped this assignment would get her mind back in the game. She waved Jenni over to the Delta Flyer and leaned against it with her left arm.
Jenni Thornton walked over to the Delta Flyer, noticing her superior was leaning against it below the name ‘Xunatunich’. Jenni hoped this ‘stone woman’ would see them through this assignment on earth of the past. “Hello Lieutenant, fitting that we are going down on the Stone Woman isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about? We’re taking the Delta Flyer…and by the way, I don’t see a pack on your shoulder with a 20th century disguise.”
“Lieutenant, Xunatunich means stone woman in Ancient Mayan.” Jenni replied with a smile.
“OH, I see.” Said Stacy, startled that Jenni actually knew what the name of this flyer meant, or even stood for. “Well, seems you’ve been catching up on history huh.”
Stacy turned and walked down the length of the ship, her hand slowly rubbing along the metal. “You know Jenni, this is going to be a tough assignment.”
“Yes ma’am, I am actually looking forward to this; it will get my mind off the past few days.” Said Jenni.
Stacy stopped before entering the ship and turned to face Jenni. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll ever touch another woman again.” Stacy smiled and smirked, making a slight snorting sound.
That made Jenni smile, remembering the description Stacy gave her of Topher’s face as he stared up at her in pain. "So, who are we waiting for? I'd like to get going."
"We're waiting for someone from Intelligence. One of the warrant officers has experience in infiltration and the Captain assigned her to assist us. Apparently, we are going in after the team that gets onto the USS Enterprise."
"I see. Well, I guess I'll get started on my disguise. I'll see you inside." said Jenni.
Stacy stood beside the door to the delta flyer, waiting for this warrant officer to arrive so they could ship out. Stacy was privately eagerly waiting to get behind the controls of the delta flyer.
OFF:
Joint Post by:
ENS Jenni Thornton, NPC
and
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, WO Christopher Topher’s Quarters, Day 5, 0300>>
ON:
Chris took another deep breath, his lungs filling up with smoke, or was it noxious gas? The air all around him was dense and gray, tinted with a green hue. The alarm klaxon continually rang in his ears, almost deafening Chris as he crawled across the floor. Inch by inch he tried to draw himself towards the doorway and the emergency panel. If he could just reach the panel and get the door to open, he would be free.
Chris heard sounds like multiple boots running on the deck plates. He thought for an instant help was coming, then realized the sounds of the boots were running away from him. Sweat was dripping off his forehead and his eyebrows, slowly draining down his face until it pooled up in the corners of his eyes, stinging and making his pain even worse. After what seemed like ages, Chris reached the door and the emergency panel. He struggled to pull himself up, as the panel was just out of reach of his fingers, by a few inches.
“Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!”
Chris had been in Starfleet long enough to recognize Klingon when he heard it. Though he didn’t know what the Klingon was saying, the tone of his voice and the power behind it was all that Chris needed to know. He turned around as quickly as he could, considering the pain in his head and his legs – which he believed were broken. Standing above him was a Klingon warrior, holding a batleth high above his head, aiming it apparently towards Chris, ready to strike. Just as the Klingon blade swung down, the tip aimed straight for his nose, Chris let out a spine chilling scream……
Sitting up in bed, Chris wiped his forehead and his face. He was covered head to toe in sweat. His sheets were drenched in sweat as was his bed. Chris slowly slid his legs off the bed and sat at the edge, perhaps for minutes, perhaps for an hour. The nightmares were getting worse, and there seemed to be nothing he could do. He had sworn to resign his warrant, yet found himself unable to do so as they were now in the past. He had to stay away from Thornton and Rabb, lest he find himself with a boot to the throat. Chris just sat there holding his head in his hands, sobbing.
OFF:
WO Christopher Topher, NPC
ON:
Chris took another deep breath, his lungs filling up with smoke, or was it noxious gas? The air all around him was dense and gray, tinted with a green hue. The alarm klaxon continually rang in his ears, almost deafening Chris as he crawled across the floor. Inch by inch he tried to draw himself towards the doorway and the emergency panel. If he could just reach the panel and get the door to open, he would be free.
Chris heard sounds like multiple boots running on the deck plates. He thought for an instant help was coming, then realized the sounds of the boots were running away from him. Sweat was dripping off his forehead and his eyebrows, slowly draining down his face until it pooled up in the corners of his eyes, stinging and making his pain even worse. After what seemed like ages, Chris reached the door and the emergency panel. He struggled to pull himself up, as the panel was just out of reach of his fingers, by a few inches.
“Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!”
Chris had been in Starfleet long enough to recognize Klingon when he heard it. Though he didn’t know what the Klingon was saying, the tone of his voice and the power behind it was all that Chris needed to know. He turned around as quickly as he could, considering the pain in his head and his legs – which he believed were broken. Standing above him was a Klingon warrior, holding a batleth high above his head, aiming it apparently towards Chris, ready to strike. Just as the Klingon blade swung down, the tip aimed straight for his nose, Chris let out a spine chilling scream……
Sitting up in bed, Chris wiped his forehead and his face. He was covered head to toe in sweat. His sheets were drenched in sweat as was his bed. Chris slowly slid his legs off the bed and sat at the edge, perhaps for minutes, perhaps for an hour. The nightmares were getting worse, and there seemed to be nothing he could do. He had sworn to resign his warrant, yet found himself unable to do so as they were now in the past. He had to stay away from Thornton and Rabb, lest he find himself with a boot to the throat. Chris just sat there holding his head in his hands, sobbing.
OFF:
WO Christopher Topher, NPC
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
ON: [[Transporter Room One, USS Malinche, Mission Day 05, 1352]]
Though initially concerned about being the last one to the transporter room after a slight delay in Intel, Isabel was glad to see that she was actually the first to arrive. She'd hoped to be able to review her information once more before they left. Not to mention wanting some extra time to adjust to her new twentieth century look. Based on the database Intel had to work from, she knew the look could be worse...somehow. Frowning, she looked down at her outfit again.
The leggings she wore were a bright green color - sure to stand out... The shirt was a few sizes too big, but was knotted up a bit higher on one side; it was mostly black, but had a mix of neon colored graffiti and metallic colored strips on it. The outfit was completed with a pair of orange, glittery jelly shoes. Of course, she couldn't forget her hair...Isabel reached up to run her fingers through it - apparently it was some style called "crimped" and someone had put part of it in a kind of ponytail with a "scrunchie" that unfortunately matched the leggings.
Sighing, she shook her head slightly and leaned against one wall. Isabel reached into her metallic purple purse and pulled out her PADD, tapping the screen and sliding her finger across it to start looking over more information.
Mike (PNPC) did his best to ignore the strange look he was getting as he jogged the remaining distance to transporter room one. To say it had taken a little longer than expected for him to finish getting into character for this away mission would have been an understatement. The folks in the Intelligence department had made him try what seemed like fifty different outfits before finally settling on something he should have been able to throw together in only a few seconds. His 'costume' consisted of blue jeans and a black, leather jacket over a white t-shirt. It was hoped the jacket would allow him to conceal his own commbadge as well as a small, type I cricket phaser in case they ended up encountering the Romulans. They had also insisted on adding some sort of gel product to his hair which made it stiffer than he was used to. All in all, it had seemed like a considerable waste of time.
Judging by some of the talk she’d heard in Intelligence, Lorelei (NPC) couldn’t really complain when it came to her own disguise. Though certainly not to her style, it was simple enough, starting with a tight fitting mauve bodysuit that was really more like a swimsuit with long sleeves. A knee-length skirt in a lighter shade of pink was added to the mix, along with a loose, long-sleeved periwinkle jacket conveniently fitted with large pockets that kept the biologist’s tricorder nicely hidden away. Sheer tights, comfy sneakers and a chunky pearl necklace finished the ensemble nicely, and with her long hair swept up in a messy ponytail, Lorelei was sure she could live with the disguise overall. She was just glad they hadn’t gone with the so-called Madonna look they’d been favoring at first.
Stepping into the transporter room, Lorelei smiled in greeting at the young man who was already waiting there. He had obviously been made over himself, and he didn’t look entirely pleased about it, as far as she could tell. “You must be Ensign Kepler." Without waiting for his answer, she pressed on, "I'm Lieutenant-JG Lorelei Cartwright. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
"Lieutenant," Mike replied with a slight nod in the woman's direction, relieved to see he wasn't the only one to have had trouble getting into character for their assignment, "and I thought I had it bad...
At the sound of the other two officers entering the transporter room, Isabel had remained quiet - allowing them to greet each other at first before speaking up, "Good afternoon Mr. Kepler, Ms. Cartwright. Have you both been briefed on the situation?" Though she was rather sure they had been brought up to speed, Isabel wanted to make sure they were on the same page regardless.
“Yes, Captain,” Lorelei nodded, careful not to openly stare at her CO’s apparel. It was certainly…unique, and colorful, too. Despite the strangeness of their costumes, the biologist was getting more and more excited to see how the humans of the 20th century really did look, and whether or not the three of them would actually fit in.
Seeing the lieutenant's costume had given him some respite from his own experience, but seeing what the captain was having to wear made his own outfit seem downright normal by comparison. "Same here," Mike answered, withdrawing one hand from his jacket pocket where he'd been fidgeting with the concealed cricket phaser. He thought about the limited information he'd been given about their current situation and how it had been interjected between the curt observations of attempts to formulate his wardrobe. Fortunately, it had been enough for the young security officer to at least get the gist of what was going on. They were here to stop the Romulans and, hopefully, to do as little damage to the timeline as possible in the process.
Isabel nodded, "Very good. So, our first task once we're down there will be to keep an eye on things as Kirk and Spock look for the humpback whales. We'll need to use the tricorder provided by Doctor Setak to scan for any potential Romulans and in general keep an eye out for them. Any suggestions or concerns?" Truthfully, she didn't have a specific plan at this point; the best she could think of was to do as she'd explained and improvise from there, but perhaps her teammates would have a different idea.
"They shouldn't be too hard to find," Mike said, referring to Kirk and Spock, "most communicators of the twenty-third century weren't that different from our own, at least in how they functioned. We should be able to use their locator signals to track them. As for the Romulans..."
"The Romulans likely aren't going to be as careful as we are with blending in, but they may try to stay out of sight. We should be watching for them at all times...no telling what they might do. Hopefully the specially modified tricorders will aid us," Isabel answered. "I think we should get going if there's no other questions or concerns..."
As she listened to Captain Kersare's response, Lorelei was silently grateful that a member of security was going to be with them. She didn't like the idea of Romulans running around historic San Francisco, and she especially didn't like the idea of possibly having to deal with them during their mission. But the science officer was committed all the same, and she was anxious not only for the safety of Kirk and his crew, but also for the whales themselves. "No questions at the moment, Captain," she said, absentmindedly patting her pocket to feel the reassuring presence of the tricorder there. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Nothing else on my end," Mike said as he climbed onto the transporter dias, moving to take up position slightly to the rear of the platform.
[[Outside Cetacean Institute, Near San Francisco]]
The shimmer of the transporter effect was reflected dimly against the surrounding concrete as three undercover officers rematerialized amidst two large dumpsters and several smaller plastic bags. No sooner had that effect faded away than Mike was immediately struck by the familiar smell of dead fish and rotting flesh. "Alright, who picked this location again," he said somewhat sarcastically as he surveyed their surroundings.
"History, Mr. Kepler," Isabel replied. "We should be right around The Cetacean Institute...where the Humpback Whales were....are. If we've timed it right, Kirk and Spock should either be here or close by."
Just barely managing to stifle a cough, Lorelei took a moment to breathe carefully through her nose, doing her best to ignore the smell of the nearby refuse. The air seemed awfully thick here, and her lungs were not very pleased with the general air quality, it seemed. She knew that she’d get used to it soon, though, and paid close attention to the Captain and Kepler as they plotted their next move.
Mike peered around the corner of the building toward the institute's main entrance. None of the people he could see seemed to stand out in any way from any of the others going about their business. He knew they were going to have to find a way inside if they had any hope of tracking down Admiral Kirk or Commander Spock. Luckily, he knew a thing or two about maritime museums and the institution really didn't seem all that different from the aquarium he'd once visited with Aaron in Chicago. "Looks like they're getting ready to start another tour group," he said over his shoulder as he watched people start to gather through the windows.
"We should try to join it, then," Isabel replied. "Kirk and Spock could be inside already or they may not have arrived...I don't have detailed information on exact times... Once in, we could perhaps attempt to discreetly ask if there was any excitement - that might tell us if we've missed them."
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Lorelei was quick to agree, mild but undeniable feelings of excitement and anticipation pooling in her stomach. It wasn’t only that they were trailing the legendary Kirk and Spock, but also that they were about to come practically face to face with two very special humpback whales. Science officer that she was, Lorelei couldn’t help but feel excited about that.
OFF
A Joint Mission Post by:
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Lieutenant JG Lorelei Cartwright(NPC)
Science Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: LtCmdr Zeral
and
Ensign Michael Kepler (PNPC)
Security Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: Lt Masterson
Though initially concerned about being the last one to the transporter room after a slight delay in Intel, Isabel was glad to see that she was actually the first to arrive. She'd hoped to be able to review her information once more before they left. Not to mention wanting some extra time to adjust to her new twentieth century look. Based on the database Intel had to work from, she knew the look could be worse...somehow. Frowning, she looked down at her outfit again.
The leggings she wore were a bright green color - sure to stand out... The shirt was a few sizes too big, but was knotted up a bit higher on one side; it was mostly black, but had a mix of neon colored graffiti and metallic colored strips on it. The outfit was completed with a pair of orange, glittery jelly shoes. Of course, she couldn't forget her hair...Isabel reached up to run her fingers through it - apparently it was some style called "crimped" and someone had put part of it in a kind of ponytail with a "scrunchie" that unfortunately matched the leggings.
Sighing, she shook her head slightly and leaned against one wall. Isabel reached into her metallic purple purse and pulled out her PADD, tapping the screen and sliding her finger across it to start looking over more information.
Mike (PNPC) did his best to ignore the strange look he was getting as he jogged the remaining distance to transporter room one. To say it had taken a little longer than expected for him to finish getting into character for this away mission would have been an understatement. The folks in the Intelligence department had made him try what seemed like fifty different outfits before finally settling on something he should have been able to throw together in only a few seconds. His 'costume' consisted of blue jeans and a black, leather jacket over a white t-shirt. It was hoped the jacket would allow him to conceal his own commbadge as well as a small, type I cricket phaser in case they ended up encountering the Romulans. They had also insisted on adding some sort of gel product to his hair which made it stiffer than he was used to. All in all, it had seemed like a considerable waste of time.
Judging by some of the talk she’d heard in Intelligence, Lorelei (NPC) couldn’t really complain when it came to her own disguise. Though certainly not to her style, it was simple enough, starting with a tight fitting mauve bodysuit that was really more like a swimsuit with long sleeves. A knee-length skirt in a lighter shade of pink was added to the mix, along with a loose, long-sleeved periwinkle jacket conveniently fitted with large pockets that kept the biologist’s tricorder nicely hidden away. Sheer tights, comfy sneakers and a chunky pearl necklace finished the ensemble nicely, and with her long hair swept up in a messy ponytail, Lorelei was sure she could live with the disguise overall. She was just glad they hadn’t gone with the so-called Madonna look they’d been favoring at first.
Stepping into the transporter room, Lorelei smiled in greeting at the young man who was already waiting there. He had obviously been made over himself, and he didn’t look entirely pleased about it, as far as she could tell. “You must be Ensign Kepler." Without waiting for his answer, she pressed on, "I'm Lieutenant-JG Lorelei Cartwright. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
"Lieutenant," Mike replied with a slight nod in the woman's direction, relieved to see he wasn't the only one to have had trouble getting into character for their assignment, "and I thought I had it bad...
At the sound of the other two officers entering the transporter room, Isabel had remained quiet - allowing them to greet each other at first before speaking up, "Good afternoon Mr. Kepler, Ms. Cartwright. Have you both been briefed on the situation?" Though she was rather sure they had been brought up to speed, Isabel wanted to make sure they were on the same page regardless.
“Yes, Captain,” Lorelei nodded, careful not to openly stare at her CO’s apparel. It was certainly…unique, and colorful, too. Despite the strangeness of their costumes, the biologist was getting more and more excited to see how the humans of the 20th century really did look, and whether or not the three of them would actually fit in.
Seeing the lieutenant's costume had given him some respite from his own experience, but seeing what the captain was having to wear made his own outfit seem downright normal by comparison. "Same here," Mike answered, withdrawing one hand from his jacket pocket where he'd been fidgeting with the concealed cricket phaser. He thought about the limited information he'd been given about their current situation and how it had been interjected between the curt observations of attempts to formulate his wardrobe. Fortunately, it had been enough for the young security officer to at least get the gist of what was going on. They were here to stop the Romulans and, hopefully, to do as little damage to the timeline as possible in the process.
Isabel nodded, "Very good. So, our first task once we're down there will be to keep an eye on things as Kirk and Spock look for the humpback whales. We'll need to use the tricorder provided by Doctor Setak to scan for any potential Romulans and in general keep an eye out for them. Any suggestions or concerns?" Truthfully, she didn't have a specific plan at this point; the best she could think of was to do as she'd explained and improvise from there, but perhaps her teammates would have a different idea.
"They shouldn't be too hard to find," Mike said, referring to Kirk and Spock, "most communicators of the twenty-third century weren't that different from our own, at least in how they functioned. We should be able to use their locator signals to track them. As for the Romulans..."
"The Romulans likely aren't going to be as careful as we are with blending in, but they may try to stay out of sight. We should be watching for them at all times...no telling what they might do. Hopefully the specially modified tricorders will aid us," Isabel answered. "I think we should get going if there's no other questions or concerns..."
As she listened to Captain Kersare's response, Lorelei was silently grateful that a member of security was going to be with them. She didn't like the idea of Romulans running around historic San Francisco, and she especially didn't like the idea of possibly having to deal with them during their mission. But the science officer was committed all the same, and she was anxious not only for the safety of Kirk and his crew, but also for the whales themselves. "No questions at the moment, Captain," she said, absentmindedly patting her pocket to feel the reassuring presence of the tricorder there. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Nothing else on my end," Mike said as he climbed onto the transporter dias, moving to take up position slightly to the rear of the platform.
[[Outside Cetacean Institute, Near San Francisco]]
The shimmer of the transporter effect was reflected dimly against the surrounding concrete as three undercover officers rematerialized amidst two large dumpsters and several smaller plastic bags. No sooner had that effect faded away than Mike was immediately struck by the familiar smell of dead fish and rotting flesh. "Alright, who picked this location again," he said somewhat sarcastically as he surveyed their surroundings.
"History, Mr. Kepler," Isabel replied. "We should be right around The Cetacean Institute...where the Humpback Whales were....are. If we've timed it right, Kirk and Spock should either be here or close by."
Just barely managing to stifle a cough, Lorelei took a moment to breathe carefully through her nose, doing her best to ignore the smell of the nearby refuse. The air seemed awfully thick here, and her lungs were not very pleased with the general air quality, it seemed. She knew that she’d get used to it soon, though, and paid close attention to the Captain and Kepler as they plotted their next move.
Mike peered around the corner of the building toward the institute's main entrance. None of the people he could see seemed to stand out in any way from any of the others going about their business. He knew they were going to have to find a way inside if they had any hope of tracking down Admiral Kirk or Commander Spock. Luckily, he knew a thing or two about maritime museums and the institution really didn't seem all that different from the aquarium he'd once visited with Aaron in Chicago. "Looks like they're getting ready to start another tour group," he said over his shoulder as he watched people start to gather through the windows.
"We should try to join it, then," Isabel replied. "Kirk and Spock could be inside already or they may not have arrived...I don't have detailed information on exact times... Once in, we could perhaps attempt to discreetly ask if there was any excitement - that might tell us if we've missed them."
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Lorelei was quick to agree, mild but undeniable feelings of excitement and anticipation pooling in her stomach. It wasn’t only that they were trailing the legendary Kirk and Spock, but also that they were about to come practically face to face with two very special humpback whales. Science officer that she was, Lorelei couldn’t help but feel excited about that.
OFF
A Joint Mission Post by:
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Lieutenant JG Lorelei Cartwright(NPC)
Science Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: LtCmdr Zeral
and
Ensign Michael Kepler (PNPC)
Security Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: Lt Masterson
Lt. JG Aaron Masterson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer & 2XO
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Main Shuttlebay, Day 5, 1405>>
Stacy Rabb was standing next to the Delta Flyer, leaning against it actually. Jenni Thornton was heading inside the shuttle.
"Lieutenant, what exactly are we waiting for?" asked Jenni.
"We're waiting for someone from Intelligence. One of the warrant officers has experience in infiltration and the Captain assigned her to assist us. Apparently, we are going in after the team that gets onto the USS Enterprise."
"I see. Well, I guess I'll get started on my disguise. I'll see you inside." said Jenni.
"Wait...I thought you didn't have it."
"I put it inside earlier, so I wouldn't forget it." said Jenni.
Stacy stood beside the door to the delta flyer, waiting for this warrant officer to arrive so they could ship out. Stacy was privately eagerly waiting to get behind the controls of the delta flyer. She wondered just how cool she looked in the 1980's outfit she had chosen. She modeled it after some American actress named Heather Locklear.
Feeling oddly empowered yet silly at the same time, Rachel (NPC) walked into the shuttlebay. She'd been the last to get dressed into her 1980's clothes, as she'd been helping everyone else figure out their outfits, but she was now all set. Rachel's reddish-brown hair was loosely permed and teased to epic proportions. The leather pants she donned were tighter than she had originally imagined, with some fringe along the thighs and studs creating various patterns. Her boots, also leather, came up to her knees and had various embellishments on them. A sapphire blue and black corset showed through her open black leather duster.
The infiltration specialist moved through the shuttlebay, glancing around and spotting the Delta Flyer. Rachel moved towards it, heels clicking on the floor. Stopping just outside, she said, "Sorry for the delay...Warrant Officer 2nd Class Rachel Tilden, reporting in."
Stacy watched the infiltration specialist walk towards her and the delta flyer. She whistled as the warrant officer drew closer. She looked down at her own clothes, a pair of blue jeans with small holes ripped out over the knees, her own pants tucked into a pair of thigh high tan leather boots, a white blouse with buttons down the front, conveniently unbuttoned down to the middle, no bra, the collar of her blouse turned up, her hair curled and loose around her shoulders. She actually put makeup on too, though she normally didn't use any.
"Well, looks like you're going for a hot night on the town Tilden." Stacy smiled and extended her arm towards the open door to the delta flyer. "Come aboard, we're expecting you, or something like that."
Rachel shrugged slightly, "I believe they call it Rock Glam...or something? We'll see how well it blends..." Giving the senior officer a nod, she moved forward and stepped into the Delta Flyer. Truthfully she thought she'd be more comfortable with the jeans that Stacy was wearing, but too late now. Doing her best to stay out of the way, Rachel took a seat, reflexively checking to ensure her tricorder and small weapon were in place.
Stacy walked onto the Delta Flyer and closed the hatch behind her. Sitting down at the pilot's seat, she called the docking master and requested clearance to take off. Having clearance, the Delta Flyer took to flight, leaving the shuttle bay and heading down towards Earth, Earth of the past. She instinctively thought to turn on the cloaking device so as to avoid detection by the technology of the time period.
Sitting fairly calmly in the Flyer, Rachel glanced towards the two other women, debating whether or not she should engage them in conversation. "Where will be landing at, ma'am?" Though she did have information about where the team would be going, she hadn't received any updates as to their landing location...it seemed an innocent enough question.
"We are headed for the southern end of a large park. It is usually quiet, at least according to recent scans."
Jenni just sat quietly. She didn't say anything, didn't nod to anyone. She had been through some rough sessions with the counselor and wasn't sure this was the best use of her time, this mission. However, Jenni had never been one to refuse anyone.
"Sounds like a good place, then," Rachel replied with a small smile. She quickly glanced over at Jenni, frowning just slightly. Unfortunately she didn't know the woman...either of them really...well enough to know if she was just concentrating on the task at hand or if something was wrong. If it was the latter, it could be trouble for their mission. "Do either of you have any concerns?"
Jenni shook her head in the negative. She really didn't want to speak to anyone, but knew it would have to happen sooner or later.
Stacy observed Jenni's head motions and watched her body language as she responded to Rachel. "Romulans are on the planet and I don't know what they know...that's my main concern. We also don't want to pollute the reality for Kirk and his crew, so we have to be extra cautious if somehow we get into interaction with them; though we need to avoid it."
Nodding, Rachel replied, "Very true. It'll be important for us to be able to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves. When I've gone undercover before I usually had more time to study up on how I should act so that I wouldn't draw attention to myself. In this case, we may need to observe those around us so we know appropriate behavior." Turning her attention to Jenni, she asked, "Ensign, are you always this quiet or is something bothering you? You've not said two words since I arrived..."
Jenni turned to face Rachel. "No, I'm fine thank you. I am just.....trying to focus. Thank you."
"Of course; I apologize if I broke your concentration," Rachel answered politely. It was certainly a plausible explanation, but given her career she was more likely to not necessarily take things at face value. "Lieutenant...what's your plan once we get to the planet? I read through the information our team was given, but I'm not sure how you want to accomplish the tasks."
"I was actually going to ask for suggestions from you as this is your specialty. I do have a general idea of what we need to do, but am not sure how we will get around besides our feet.
Rachel took a few moments to consider their options before speaking, "Well, ma'am...our two initial objectives are to keep an eye on Mr. Sulu as he looks for a helicopter and to keep track of Ms. Uhura and Mr. Checkov while they look for nuclear vessels. Either of those items could be important for the Romulans to disrupt. Not having a helicopter would limit their ability to build a holding tank for the whales, but I don't think that's where the Romulans would concentrate their efforts - another member of Kirk's team could likely figure out a solution to that potential issue. However, keeping the Bounty from even leaving this century would be a good last resort measure. If we want to cover both, I suggest that one of us keeps an eye on Mr. Sulu for now - we may be able to locate the signal from his communicator to help initially...and the remaining two keep an eye on Uhura and Chekov. Since we know where they'll end up, we can probably work backwards to find them initially..."
"That sounds like a plan. I think you and Jenni should team up and keep an eye on Uhura and Chekov. I can follow Sulu...maybe even get some flight time in." Stacy grinned afterwards. She had taken an hour or so to review some schematics of the helicopter Sulu would be flying and didn't think it would be that difficult for her to pick up either.
OFF:
Joint Post by:
WO2 Rachel Tilden, Infiltration Officer (NPC) - Played by Cpt Kersare
ENS Jenni Thornton, Shuttle Pilot (NPC) - Played by Rabb
and
Stacy Rabb was standing next to the Delta Flyer, leaning against it actually. Jenni Thornton was heading inside the shuttle.
"Lieutenant, what exactly are we waiting for?" asked Jenni.
"We're waiting for someone from Intelligence. One of the warrant officers has experience in infiltration and the Captain assigned her to assist us. Apparently, we are going in after the team that gets onto the USS Enterprise."
"I see. Well, I guess I'll get started on my disguise. I'll see you inside." said Jenni.
"Wait...I thought you didn't have it."
"I put it inside earlier, so I wouldn't forget it." said Jenni.
Stacy stood beside the door to the delta flyer, waiting for this warrant officer to arrive so they could ship out. Stacy was privately eagerly waiting to get behind the controls of the delta flyer. She wondered just how cool she looked in the 1980's outfit she had chosen. She modeled it after some American actress named Heather Locklear.
Feeling oddly empowered yet silly at the same time, Rachel (NPC) walked into the shuttlebay. She'd been the last to get dressed into her 1980's clothes, as she'd been helping everyone else figure out their outfits, but she was now all set. Rachel's reddish-brown hair was loosely permed and teased to epic proportions. The leather pants she donned were tighter than she had originally imagined, with some fringe along the thighs and studs creating various patterns. Her boots, also leather, came up to her knees and had various embellishments on them. A sapphire blue and black corset showed through her open black leather duster.
The infiltration specialist moved through the shuttlebay, glancing around and spotting the Delta Flyer. Rachel moved towards it, heels clicking on the floor. Stopping just outside, she said, "Sorry for the delay...Warrant Officer 2nd Class Rachel Tilden, reporting in."
Stacy watched the infiltration specialist walk towards her and the delta flyer. She whistled as the warrant officer drew closer. She looked down at her own clothes, a pair of blue jeans with small holes ripped out over the knees, her own pants tucked into a pair of thigh high tan leather boots, a white blouse with buttons down the front, conveniently unbuttoned down to the middle, no bra, the collar of her blouse turned up, her hair curled and loose around her shoulders. She actually put makeup on too, though she normally didn't use any.
"Well, looks like you're going for a hot night on the town Tilden." Stacy smiled and extended her arm towards the open door to the delta flyer. "Come aboard, we're expecting you, or something like that."
Rachel shrugged slightly, "I believe they call it Rock Glam...or something? We'll see how well it blends..." Giving the senior officer a nod, she moved forward and stepped into the Delta Flyer. Truthfully she thought she'd be more comfortable with the jeans that Stacy was wearing, but too late now. Doing her best to stay out of the way, Rachel took a seat, reflexively checking to ensure her tricorder and small weapon were in place.
Stacy walked onto the Delta Flyer and closed the hatch behind her. Sitting down at the pilot's seat, she called the docking master and requested clearance to take off. Having clearance, the Delta Flyer took to flight, leaving the shuttle bay and heading down towards Earth, Earth of the past. She instinctively thought to turn on the cloaking device so as to avoid detection by the technology of the time period.
Sitting fairly calmly in the Flyer, Rachel glanced towards the two other women, debating whether or not she should engage them in conversation. "Where will be landing at, ma'am?" Though she did have information about where the team would be going, she hadn't received any updates as to their landing location...it seemed an innocent enough question.
"We are headed for the southern end of a large park. It is usually quiet, at least according to recent scans."
Jenni just sat quietly. She didn't say anything, didn't nod to anyone. She had been through some rough sessions with the counselor and wasn't sure this was the best use of her time, this mission. However, Jenni had never been one to refuse anyone.
"Sounds like a good place, then," Rachel replied with a small smile. She quickly glanced over at Jenni, frowning just slightly. Unfortunately she didn't know the woman...either of them really...well enough to know if she was just concentrating on the task at hand or if something was wrong. If it was the latter, it could be trouble for their mission. "Do either of you have any concerns?"
Jenni shook her head in the negative. She really didn't want to speak to anyone, but knew it would have to happen sooner or later.
Stacy observed Jenni's head motions and watched her body language as she responded to Rachel. "Romulans are on the planet and I don't know what they know...that's my main concern. We also don't want to pollute the reality for Kirk and his crew, so we have to be extra cautious if somehow we get into interaction with them; though we need to avoid it."
Nodding, Rachel replied, "Very true. It'll be important for us to be able to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves. When I've gone undercover before I usually had more time to study up on how I should act so that I wouldn't draw attention to myself. In this case, we may need to observe those around us so we know appropriate behavior." Turning her attention to Jenni, she asked, "Ensign, are you always this quiet or is something bothering you? You've not said two words since I arrived..."
Jenni turned to face Rachel. "No, I'm fine thank you. I am just.....trying to focus. Thank you."
"Of course; I apologize if I broke your concentration," Rachel answered politely. It was certainly a plausible explanation, but given her career she was more likely to not necessarily take things at face value. "Lieutenant...what's your plan once we get to the planet? I read through the information our team was given, but I'm not sure how you want to accomplish the tasks."
"I was actually going to ask for suggestions from you as this is your specialty. I do have a general idea of what we need to do, but am not sure how we will get around besides our feet.
Rachel took a few moments to consider their options before speaking, "Well, ma'am...our two initial objectives are to keep an eye on Mr. Sulu as he looks for a helicopter and to keep track of Ms. Uhura and Mr. Checkov while they look for nuclear vessels. Either of those items could be important for the Romulans to disrupt. Not having a helicopter would limit their ability to build a holding tank for the whales, but I don't think that's where the Romulans would concentrate their efforts - another member of Kirk's team could likely figure out a solution to that potential issue. However, keeping the Bounty from even leaving this century would be a good last resort measure. If we want to cover both, I suggest that one of us keeps an eye on Mr. Sulu for now - we may be able to locate the signal from his communicator to help initially...and the remaining two keep an eye on Uhura and Chekov. Since we know where they'll end up, we can probably work backwards to find them initially..."
"That sounds like a plan. I think you and Jenni should team up and keep an eye on Uhura and Chekov. I can follow Sulu...maybe even get some flight time in." Stacy grinned afterwards. She had taken an hour or so to review some schematics of the helicopter Sulu would be flying and didn't think it would be that difficult for her to pick up either.
OFF:
Joint Post by:
WO2 Rachel Tilden, Infiltration Officer (NPC) - Played by Cpt Kersare
ENS Jenni Thornton, Shuttle Pilot (NPC) - Played by Rabb
and
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<USS Malinche, Bridge, Day 5, 1405>>
Ensign Kendall Krakatow sat quietly at his station, not wanting to make waves or anything. He had not really been briefed beyond the basics of the mission, but he knew they were in the past of Earth. He’d been excited at first to learn someone from the Flight Control department would be on the away team, but wasn’t really surprised to find it wasn’t him. Kendall thought about is old days, back home when he was just a wee peon. There was always someone else that was before him, getting the promotion or the special dispensation, or whatever.
He looked over to the ops officer, a rather attractive ensign, who he had tried to ask once before but lost the nerve. “So, how long do you think before we’ll get bombarded with tachyon pulses or some other such thing?” The ops officer didn’t respond, acting like she didn’t hear him. Kendall looked behind them and didn’t see anyone too close. He leaned over to her and repeated himself. This time he got a reply.
“Look ensign, I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend, he’s a security officer in fact. He’s so ripped he could tear your left arm off and beat you on the head with it.” With that, she turned back to face her board and the viewscreen.
Kendall wiped the look of disappointment off his face and started going over the huge security guys he’d met up to now. ‘Well, I blew that one.’
OFF
ENS Kendall Krakatow, NPC
Flight Control Officer
Ensign Kendall Krakatow sat quietly at his station, not wanting to make waves or anything. He had not really been briefed beyond the basics of the mission, but he knew they were in the past of Earth. He’d been excited at first to learn someone from the Flight Control department would be on the away team, but wasn’t really surprised to find it wasn’t him. Kendall thought about is old days, back home when he was just a wee peon. There was always someone else that was before him, getting the promotion or the special dispensation, or whatever.
He looked over to the ops officer, a rather attractive ensign, who he had tried to ask once before but lost the nerve. “So, how long do you think before we’ll get bombarded with tachyon pulses or some other such thing?” The ops officer didn’t respond, acting like she didn’t hear him. Kendall looked behind them and didn’t see anyone too close. He leaned over to her and repeated himself. This time he got a reply.
“Look ensign, I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend, he’s a security officer in fact. He’s so ripped he could tear your left arm off and beat you on the head with it.” With that, she turned back to face her board and the viewscreen.
Kendall wiped the look of disappointment off his face and started going over the huge security guys he’d met up to now. ‘Well, I blew that one.’
OFF
ENS Kendall Krakatow, NPC
Flight Control Officer
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
<<Earth, San Francisco (of the past), Day 5, 1400>>
When the away team had beamed down to the surface, they luckily ended up out of anyone's view... Even so, Dana (NPC) had felt a little nervous at first. Kirk's crew had not been in their vicinity, so the three officers had set out to find them.
Brushing her feathered bangs to the side, Dana glanced around at the crowds. Not everyone's clothes were as...bold...as theirs, but many seemed downright hideous. Still, the outfits that had seemed ridiculous on the 24th century ship did seem to resemble the norm on Earth of the past. "Well, Commander...which way now?"
Nora was feeling particularly overdressed, all things considered, but she was determined not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. This San Francisco was unsurprisingly a far cry from the one that she knew. She’d been warned that the humans of the twentieth century didn’t keep their cities in as pristine a state as modern standards dictated, but the Betazoid couldn’t help but wonder at the general dirt and grime that seemed to cake the buildings, sidewalks, and roads all around them.
“We have a little bit of detective work ahead of us,” Nora said in response to Dana’s question, keeping her voice just low enough so that they wouldn't be overheard. “The historical record isn’t very clear on where exactly Dr. McCoy and Chief Scott were at this point of their mission. Intel advised that we find some kind of common book called the ‘Yellow Pages’ to look for a likely place where they would have found the…” Nora paused a moment as she tried to recall the correct term. “The plexiglass that they used to safely house the whales onboard the Bounty.”
Setak had been irritated with his surgically rounded ears for an hour and despite his best efforts found it impossible not to sneak an idle hand up to feel the alteration. Each time he did he had to consciously remind himself of the habit and lower his hand, it was an unending cycle. He turned to look at his reflection in the side mirror of the contraption Dana had called a "Chevy" and smiled slightly as he brushed a few idle hairs back into place, of his entire disguise the part he he come to like the most was the "Mullet" which he sported, a look he was considering keeping back in the future, though he was unsure of the hair-do's regulatory acceptability. Finally, he straightened the collar of his blue-jean jacket before turning back to his companions with a raised eyebrow, "what is a, 'Yellow-Pages' ?"
"Yellow pages? Hmm..." Dana frowned slightly as she glanced around, trying to figure out where they might find a book of yellow pages. Turning to get a better look at the sidewalk near her, she looked up, "Um...Commander?" Directly behind them someone had painted the building yellow with a giant advertisement for something called "Pacific Bell Yellow Pages".
“Good work, Dana,” Nora said, examining the strange advertisement. It was the work of a few minutes to actually determine where one found these Pacific Bell Yellow Pages, but after politely asking a passing civilian, the group was directed to a tall, rectangular box a ways down the street that housed the book in question alongside the standard long-distance communication device the humans were currently using. The veritable tome contained a series of more or less organized number sequences and blocky advertisements, and it took the combined brainpower of all three of them to finally decide on the likely company where McCoy and Scott would be found. The question now was how to get there.
“Beaming there is out of the question,” Nora sighed as she, Dana and Setak met in quiet conference on the sidewalk once more. “It was risky enough just to get our three groups down here. Gods only know what one of these humans would have done had they seen three strangers materialize out of thin air. We’ll have to rely on some form of their modern transportation to get there.” Gazing over her companions’ shoulders at the bustling city street beyond, she could see that it would be easier said than done. “I’m open to any suggestions.”
Dana turned and looked around, trying to come up with some ideas. "Well, Commander, there seem to be...buses that take people places, though I think we'd have to find the right bus. The yellow cars with a light on the top that says 'TAXI' seem to take small groups of people somewhere... Other than that, it seems people use bikes, cars, or walk. I'm not sure which would be the best for us though..."
"Might I suggest," Setak interjected while examining a few of the cars parked along the alley. "That we commandeer one of these vessels... Nobody appears to be using them and having a personnel transport to do with as we please would serve our needs well."
Following Setak’s gaze, Nora couldn’t help but raise her brows slightly at his suggestion. He was right—it would be nice to have their own personal form of transportation, but she wasn’t so sure that it was the wisest option available to them. “I’m afraid that someone might notice if we, shall we say, borrow their car. And besides that, I certainly don’t know how to operate one of those, and I’m guessing neither of you do either.”
Setak stroked his chin with a hand while contemplating the Commander's words, she had a point that he had not considered; the vehicles were 'owned' by someone and they might notice their property missing. Her other point was one he would be happy to contend with however, "I would have you know that on Trill... Well, the Trill I knew at any rate, those in the scientific professions often had their own personal transportation vessels. Of course these were typically anti-gravity units and granted there was far less... Traffic, there."
Setak paused for a moment to pull himself out of the proverbial corner that he had backed himself into, "At any rate, I think that I could handle one of these primitive contraptions with ease..."
There was a part of her that was highly amused by the Vulcan's suggestion and that wanted to see what would happen. On the other hand, Dana's training was trying desperately to win out. "Ma'am, sir, while I do agree that it would be somewhat....convenient to have our own transportation, I cannot recommend commandeering one. We have enough to worry about without having the local law enforcement looking for the vehicle we took."
Absorbing both their suggestions, Nora nodded in acknowledgement as she contemplated her decision. Setak’s suggestion that he could drive one of the cars was unexpected, but still left the Betazoid a little unsure. As a doctor, she trusted the Vulcan with her life. As an inexperienced driver of an ancient human vehicle… Well, that was a different matter altogether. “Dana has a point,” she said after a moment of deliberation, ready to make a command decision. “We’ll take a taxi to get to Plasticorp with the paper currency Intel created for us. If, however, circumstances arise where we need to acquire our own form of transportation, you’ll be our official pilot, Doctor,” she added with a small smile to Setak, secretly hoping that matters wouldn't come to that.
"Very well," Setak conceded though he secretly felt as though his companions were teamed up against him. "We shall utilize the 'Taxi' service you spoke of for now but I shall hold you to your words should the time come... Shall we?"
Slightly disappointed, but mostly relieved at Nora's decision, Dana replied, "Absolutely. Now...based on my observations, one simply walks up to the street, waves their arm in the air, and a Taxi will arrive." As she explained, Dana began moving towards the street. Looking to the right, she spotted one of the yellow vehicles and rushed forward, waving her arm frantically...
Although Nora was by no means the foremost expert on 20th century human automotive technology, she knew a potential disaster waiting to happen when she saw one. As the taxi came hurtling towards Dana, who had all but thrown herself directly into its path, Nora was sure that there was no possible way the car would stop in time before hitting the security officer. “Dana!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to seize her fellow Betazoid by the sleeve and yank her back towards the relative safety of the sidewalk. Fueled by adrenaline, she ended up pulling a little too hard, and before she knew it, both she and Dana had tumbled to the ground in a graceless heap.
Dana's face was bright red, fueled by her embarrassment, as she carefully untangled herself from Nora and tried to sit up. "I"m...I'm so sorry Commander... I just got overzealous when I saw the..the...the...taxi and I wasn't thinking. I promise it won't happen again!" As if it weren't embarrassing enough to try to attract a vehicle's attention by waving stupidily at it, why did she have to nearly get run over? And she was the Security officer... "Are you alright ma'am? I'm so sorry..."
As Nora dusted herself off, she simultaneously brushed aside Dana’s concerns. “Don’t worry, Dana, I’m perfectly all right,” she said, giving her most reassuring smile. She was likely going to bruise a bit, seeing as she had hit the ground first and broken Dana’s fall to boot, but it was nothing to worry about. Her dress had also survived the fall, which surely counted for something. What was the point of an elaborate disguise if it was ruined within twenty minutes of the mission’s start? “Besides,” she added, looking over Dana’s shoulder, “I think you succeeded in finding us a taxi…”
"Yes, good work Ensign," Setak said with little regard for what had just happened. The young woman seemed to have recovered well enough and his medical expertise would do little at fixing a bruised ego. "I have heard of individuals throwing themselves at their work but never literally. Good form. Now, I suppose we will need some of that paper 'money' you spoke of."
"Of course, Doctor," Dana replied, doing her best to ignore his apparent approval at her getting hurt. "I think we were each given some...I'm not sure how much will be required though. Perhaps we should ask the Taxi operator?" The Betazoid looked over at Nora and then back to Setak.
“Intel assured me that we should have plenty of said money,” Nora said, absentmindedly adjusting her dress to make sure the skirt fell just so. “We’ll find out soon enough, though. It looks like the human driving the taxi isn’t going to wait for us much longer.” Even with all of the vibrant and varied emotions emanating from the humans around her, Nora could pick out the taxi driver’s impatience and growing annoyance from a mile away. Approaching the vehicle, the Betazoid spoke to the man through the open window. “Excuse me, but can you take us to Plasticorp?” she asked, her manner straightforward but her smile still friendly.
“On Kelley Street? Sure, lady. Get in,” the human agreed. His manner was brusque, but Nora could sense some of his annoyance ebbing. Apparently it was the waiting that he disliked rather than Nora and her friends specifically. Nodding to Setak and Dana, Nora reached for what she assumed was the latch and, after only a moment of fumbling with it, opened the door. She managed to slide across the seat with a little grace and decorum and finally settled on the far side, waiting for her companions to join her. Something told her that this was going to be one of the more adventurous parts of their mission.
After a glance at Setak, Dana shrugged slightly and followed after Nora. She was glad the Executive Officer had been the one to deal with the Taxi operator, but admittedly somewhat nervous about the ride. Bending down, Dana slid across the seat towards Nora, stopping in the middle, before calling out, "Come on, Doctor!"
Setak raised an eyebrow as he bent down and examined the Taxi's interior, he had seen cleaner environments aboard Alliance slave ships. Suppressing his sensitive Vulcan nose he slid in and after a moment closed the door behind him. The driver cast him an awkward glance that registered as disbelief to Setak and he rolled his eyes, "if I'm not mistaken it is customary to look forward while you drive."
“Whatever you say, pal,” the taxi driver scoffed, and Nora could readily sense his bemusement. Peering out of the dingy window nearest her, the Betazoid automatically wrapped her hand around the odd handle attached to the ceiling just beside it as the car suddenly lurched forward and to the side, jockeying for position in the crowded stream of vehicles. Doing her best to overcome her instant discomfort, Nora maintained her white-knuckle grip as their taxi picked up speed. Although their trip had only just begun, she was already eager for it to be over. She only hoped that they survived this form of ancient earth transportation to fulfill the rest of their mission.
OFF: To be continued!
A JP brought to you by:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by: Captain Kersare
and
Provisional Lieutenant Setak
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
When the away team had beamed down to the surface, they luckily ended up out of anyone's view... Even so, Dana (NPC) had felt a little nervous at first. Kirk's crew had not been in their vicinity, so the three officers had set out to find them.
Brushing her feathered bangs to the side, Dana glanced around at the crowds. Not everyone's clothes were as...bold...as theirs, but many seemed downright hideous. Still, the outfits that had seemed ridiculous on the 24th century ship did seem to resemble the norm on Earth of the past. "Well, Commander...which way now?"
Nora was feeling particularly overdressed, all things considered, but she was determined not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. This San Francisco was unsurprisingly a far cry from the one that she knew. She’d been warned that the humans of the twentieth century didn’t keep their cities in as pristine a state as modern standards dictated, but the Betazoid couldn’t help but wonder at the general dirt and grime that seemed to cake the buildings, sidewalks, and roads all around them.
“We have a little bit of detective work ahead of us,” Nora said in response to Dana’s question, keeping her voice just low enough so that they wouldn't be overheard. “The historical record isn’t very clear on where exactly Dr. McCoy and Chief Scott were at this point of their mission. Intel advised that we find some kind of common book called the ‘Yellow Pages’ to look for a likely place where they would have found the…” Nora paused a moment as she tried to recall the correct term. “The plexiglass that they used to safely house the whales onboard the Bounty.”
Setak had been irritated with his surgically rounded ears for an hour and despite his best efforts found it impossible not to sneak an idle hand up to feel the alteration. Each time he did he had to consciously remind himself of the habit and lower his hand, it was an unending cycle. He turned to look at his reflection in the side mirror of the contraption Dana had called a "Chevy" and smiled slightly as he brushed a few idle hairs back into place, of his entire disguise the part he he come to like the most was the "Mullet" which he sported, a look he was considering keeping back in the future, though he was unsure of the hair-do's regulatory acceptability. Finally, he straightened the collar of his blue-jean jacket before turning back to his companions with a raised eyebrow, "what is a, 'Yellow-Pages' ?"
"Yellow pages? Hmm..." Dana frowned slightly as she glanced around, trying to figure out where they might find a book of yellow pages. Turning to get a better look at the sidewalk near her, she looked up, "Um...Commander?" Directly behind them someone had painted the building yellow with a giant advertisement for something called "Pacific Bell Yellow Pages".
“Good work, Dana,” Nora said, examining the strange advertisement. It was the work of a few minutes to actually determine where one found these Pacific Bell Yellow Pages, but after politely asking a passing civilian, the group was directed to a tall, rectangular box a ways down the street that housed the book in question alongside the standard long-distance communication device the humans were currently using. The veritable tome contained a series of more or less organized number sequences and blocky advertisements, and it took the combined brainpower of all three of them to finally decide on the likely company where McCoy and Scott would be found. The question now was how to get there.
“Beaming there is out of the question,” Nora sighed as she, Dana and Setak met in quiet conference on the sidewalk once more. “It was risky enough just to get our three groups down here. Gods only know what one of these humans would have done had they seen three strangers materialize out of thin air. We’ll have to rely on some form of their modern transportation to get there.” Gazing over her companions’ shoulders at the bustling city street beyond, she could see that it would be easier said than done. “I’m open to any suggestions.”
Dana turned and looked around, trying to come up with some ideas. "Well, Commander, there seem to be...buses that take people places, though I think we'd have to find the right bus. The yellow cars with a light on the top that says 'TAXI' seem to take small groups of people somewhere... Other than that, it seems people use bikes, cars, or walk. I'm not sure which would be the best for us though..."
"Might I suggest," Setak interjected while examining a few of the cars parked along the alley. "That we commandeer one of these vessels... Nobody appears to be using them and having a personnel transport to do with as we please would serve our needs well."
Following Setak’s gaze, Nora couldn’t help but raise her brows slightly at his suggestion. He was right—it would be nice to have their own personal form of transportation, but she wasn’t so sure that it was the wisest option available to them. “I’m afraid that someone might notice if we, shall we say, borrow their car. And besides that, I certainly don’t know how to operate one of those, and I’m guessing neither of you do either.”
Setak stroked his chin with a hand while contemplating the Commander's words, she had a point that he had not considered; the vehicles were 'owned' by someone and they might notice their property missing. Her other point was one he would be happy to contend with however, "I would have you know that on Trill... Well, the Trill I knew at any rate, those in the scientific professions often had their own personal transportation vessels. Of course these were typically anti-gravity units and granted there was far less... Traffic, there."
Setak paused for a moment to pull himself out of the proverbial corner that he had backed himself into, "At any rate, I think that I could handle one of these primitive contraptions with ease..."
There was a part of her that was highly amused by the Vulcan's suggestion and that wanted to see what would happen. On the other hand, Dana's training was trying desperately to win out. "Ma'am, sir, while I do agree that it would be somewhat....convenient to have our own transportation, I cannot recommend commandeering one. We have enough to worry about without having the local law enforcement looking for the vehicle we took."
Absorbing both their suggestions, Nora nodded in acknowledgement as she contemplated her decision. Setak’s suggestion that he could drive one of the cars was unexpected, but still left the Betazoid a little unsure. As a doctor, she trusted the Vulcan with her life. As an inexperienced driver of an ancient human vehicle… Well, that was a different matter altogether. “Dana has a point,” she said after a moment of deliberation, ready to make a command decision. “We’ll take a taxi to get to Plasticorp with the paper currency Intel created for us. If, however, circumstances arise where we need to acquire our own form of transportation, you’ll be our official pilot, Doctor,” she added with a small smile to Setak, secretly hoping that matters wouldn't come to that.
"Very well," Setak conceded though he secretly felt as though his companions were teamed up against him. "We shall utilize the 'Taxi' service you spoke of for now but I shall hold you to your words should the time come... Shall we?"
Slightly disappointed, but mostly relieved at Nora's decision, Dana replied, "Absolutely. Now...based on my observations, one simply walks up to the street, waves their arm in the air, and a Taxi will arrive." As she explained, Dana began moving towards the street. Looking to the right, she spotted one of the yellow vehicles and rushed forward, waving her arm frantically...
Although Nora was by no means the foremost expert on 20th century human automotive technology, she knew a potential disaster waiting to happen when she saw one. As the taxi came hurtling towards Dana, who had all but thrown herself directly into its path, Nora was sure that there was no possible way the car would stop in time before hitting the security officer. “Dana!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to seize her fellow Betazoid by the sleeve and yank her back towards the relative safety of the sidewalk. Fueled by adrenaline, she ended up pulling a little too hard, and before she knew it, both she and Dana had tumbled to the ground in a graceless heap.
Dana's face was bright red, fueled by her embarrassment, as she carefully untangled herself from Nora and tried to sit up. "I"m...I'm so sorry Commander... I just got overzealous when I saw the..the...the...taxi and I wasn't thinking. I promise it won't happen again!" As if it weren't embarrassing enough to try to attract a vehicle's attention by waving stupidily at it, why did she have to nearly get run over? And she was the Security officer... "Are you alright ma'am? I'm so sorry..."
As Nora dusted herself off, she simultaneously brushed aside Dana’s concerns. “Don’t worry, Dana, I’m perfectly all right,” she said, giving her most reassuring smile. She was likely going to bruise a bit, seeing as she had hit the ground first and broken Dana’s fall to boot, but it was nothing to worry about. Her dress had also survived the fall, which surely counted for something. What was the point of an elaborate disguise if it was ruined within twenty minutes of the mission’s start? “Besides,” she added, looking over Dana’s shoulder, “I think you succeeded in finding us a taxi…”
"Yes, good work Ensign," Setak said with little regard for what had just happened. The young woman seemed to have recovered well enough and his medical expertise would do little at fixing a bruised ego. "I have heard of individuals throwing themselves at their work but never literally. Good form. Now, I suppose we will need some of that paper 'money' you spoke of."
"Of course, Doctor," Dana replied, doing her best to ignore his apparent approval at her getting hurt. "I think we were each given some...I'm not sure how much will be required though. Perhaps we should ask the Taxi operator?" The Betazoid looked over at Nora and then back to Setak.
“Intel assured me that we should have plenty of said money,” Nora said, absentmindedly adjusting her dress to make sure the skirt fell just so. “We’ll find out soon enough, though. It looks like the human driving the taxi isn’t going to wait for us much longer.” Even with all of the vibrant and varied emotions emanating from the humans around her, Nora could pick out the taxi driver’s impatience and growing annoyance from a mile away. Approaching the vehicle, the Betazoid spoke to the man through the open window. “Excuse me, but can you take us to Plasticorp?” she asked, her manner straightforward but her smile still friendly.
“On Kelley Street? Sure, lady. Get in,” the human agreed. His manner was brusque, but Nora could sense some of his annoyance ebbing. Apparently it was the waiting that he disliked rather than Nora and her friends specifically. Nodding to Setak and Dana, Nora reached for what she assumed was the latch and, after only a moment of fumbling with it, opened the door. She managed to slide across the seat with a little grace and decorum and finally settled on the far side, waiting for her companions to join her. Something told her that this was going to be one of the more adventurous parts of their mission.
After a glance at Setak, Dana shrugged slightly and followed after Nora. She was glad the Executive Officer had been the one to deal with the Taxi operator, but admittedly somewhat nervous about the ride. Bending down, Dana slid across the seat towards Nora, stopping in the middle, before calling out, "Come on, Doctor!"
Setak raised an eyebrow as he bent down and examined the Taxi's interior, he had seen cleaner environments aboard Alliance slave ships. Suppressing his sensitive Vulcan nose he slid in and after a moment closed the door behind him. The driver cast him an awkward glance that registered as disbelief to Setak and he rolled his eyes, "if I'm not mistaken it is customary to look forward while you drive."
“Whatever you say, pal,” the taxi driver scoffed, and Nora could readily sense his bemusement. Peering out of the dingy window nearest her, the Betazoid automatically wrapped her hand around the odd handle attached to the ceiling just beside it as the car suddenly lurched forward and to the side, jockeying for position in the crowded stream of vehicles. Doing her best to overcome her instant discomfort, Nora maintained her white-knuckle grip as their taxi picked up speed. Although their trip had only just begun, she was already eager for it to be over. She only hoped that they survived this form of ancient earth transportation to fulfill the rest of their mission.
OFF: To be continued!
A JP brought to you by:
Ensign Dana Toril (NPC)
Security Officer
Played by: Captain Kersare
and
Provisional Lieutenant Setak
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
and
Commander Nora Zeral
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
ON:
<<USS Malinche, Corridor, Day 5, 1410>>
So far it had been a rather busy day for Britney (PNPC), though she really couldn't complain considering how hectic everything had been for her shipmates. She had hoped to be able to have lunch with Caleb (NPC), but the Engineers and Operations personnel had been busy making repairs and adjustments. Instead, she'd had a quick meal by herself in the Mess Hall and was now getting back to work.
Certain that Lieutenant JG Masterson would want updates from the various departments, Britney decided that would be her top priority. It was likely that Aaron would be aware of what was going on for his own department, so for the time being she was going to skip Security/Tactical. The main other ones she hoped to retrieve were from Medical, Engineering, and Operations. Most likely she would need to speak with Cheetara regarding the Science department's status as well, but part of her was dreading that encounter. Besides, the Chief Science Officer was on the bridge, or so the computer told her.
"Computer, where is Lieutenant JG Davis?" Britney asked, deciding that a visit to the Operations Chief would be as good a place to start as any.
"Lieutenant JG Davis is on the bridge."
Frowning slightly, Britney made a note on her PADD. Apparently she'd have to catch him when she made her way to the bridge later. So, Engineering or Medical... After a few moments of contemplation, she decided to head to sickbay first. Doctor Setak was on one of the away teams and Doctor Dormand...well, she was in a coma. She wasn't entirely sure who Doctor Setak had left in charge, but she would soon find out. And perhaps she could take a few minutes to visit wit those in sickbay as part of her morale officer duties.
Glad to have determined a course of action, Britney continued down the corridor to the turbolift. After only a brief wait the doors slid open and she stepped inside, "Deck 6."
OFF: Tag Setak?
Crewman Britney Liras (PNPC)
Captain's Yeoman/Morale Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:
<<USS Malinche, Corridor, Day 5, 1410>>
So far it had been a rather busy day for Britney (PNPC), though she really couldn't complain considering how hectic everything had been for her shipmates. She had hoped to be able to have lunch with Caleb (NPC), but the Engineers and Operations personnel had been busy making repairs and adjustments. Instead, she'd had a quick meal by herself in the Mess Hall and was now getting back to work.
Certain that Lieutenant JG Masterson would want updates from the various departments, Britney decided that would be her top priority. It was likely that Aaron would be aware of what was going on for his own department, so for the time being she was going to skip Security/Tactical. The main other ones she hoped to retrieve were from Medical, Engineering, and Operations. Most likely she would need to speak with Cheetara regarding the Science department's status as well, but part of her was dreading that encounter. Besides, the Chief Science Officer was on the bridge, or so the computer told her.
"Computer, where is Lieutenant JG Davis?" Britney asked, deciding that a visit to the Operations Chief would be as good a place to start as any.
"Lieutenant JG Davis is on the bridge."
Frowning slightly, Britney made a note on her PADD. Apparently she'd have to catch him when she made her way to the bridge later. So, Engineering or Medical... After a few moments of contemplation, she decided to head to sickbay first. Doctor Setak was on one of the away teams and Doctor Dormand...well, she was in a coma. She wasn't entirely sure who Doctor Setak had left in charge, but she would soon find out. And perhaps she could take a few minutes to visit wit those in sickbay as part of her morale officer duties.
Glad to have determined a course of action, Britney continued down the corridor to the turbolift. After only a brief wait the doors slid open and she stepped inside, "Deck 6."
OFF: Tag Setak?
Crewman Britney Liras (PNPC)
Captain's Yeoman/Morale Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Re: Mission 19 - Another Voyage Home
ON:
<<USS Malinche, CFCO’s office, Day 5, 1500>>
Lieutenant, jg (PNPC) Austin Flanders was sitting behind the desk, not sure if he was comfortable or not. Lieutenant Rabb was on an away team, so that left Austin in charge of the Flight Control Department. He had received a message regarding one of the shuttle pilots, one Warrant Officer Christopher Topher. There was also a letter of resignation on Rabb’s desk from Topher. Apparently, it had either been lost through channels or the Captain had sent it to Rabb; seeing as it was addressed to Captain Kersare.
He had been waiting for Topher to arrive at the office, and wondered just what had happened to the man to cause him to be so late. Looking over his daily logs, it appeared Topher had not reported for duty for some time, several days in fact. Either this man was drunk or he was a fool. The door chimed and he ordered the person outside to enter. Standing before him, he assumed, was Warrant Officer Topher; looking like a ragamuffin.
“Mister Topher I presume?” asked Austin.
“Yes Lieutenant, I am Christopher Topher, formerly Warrant Officer in Starfleet. What’s up?”
Austin grinned, and placed his hands on the edge of Stacy’s desk. “Mister Topher, is it?”
Topher nodded and just stood there like a lost puppy, in civilian attire no less.
“Mister Topher, I have here reports that you have been absent without leave from your assignment on this starship. Is that correct, or are the duty logs in error?”
“Well, you see…”
Austin began to raise his voice. “I wasn’t finished Mister.”
“Oh…sorry…I…ah..”
“Sit down and shut up.” Austin pointed to the chair in front of him. He could see the clearly puzzled look on the man’s face and knew something was going on. “Now, as I was saying, either the duty logs are in error and you have been showing up for duty – or you are shirking your responsibilities with….”, he sniffed the air, “alcohol.”
Topher raised an arm but was cut off.
“I don’t want to hear it. Do you understand me? I don’t know what your problem is Mister Topher, but when I call for you and it takes you a half hour to show up, then you look like something dragged through the muck and scum and wearing a three day old beard, I’d say you have got a problem. Now, this is what you are going to do. You are going to go back to your quarters, clean yourself up, shave, get into uniform and then report to the Ship’s Counselor. As of this moment you are relieved of duty pending a psychological evaluation.”
Topher raised a hand and started to say something.
“I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to know what her name is, I don’t care whose child it is. Look buddy, I’ve read your personnel jacket and let me tell you, if it were up to me you’d be flying a mining route somewhere in deep space. As for this letter of resignation, it will just have to wait. We do have a mission going on right now; sorry we don't have time for your personal pandering. Now get the hell out of this office and out of my sight. The next time I see you, you’d better be properly attired and with a snappy disposition. Do you understand?”
Topher paused then stood. He raised a hand, “I can….I can speak now…right?”
“I said do you understand? What part of that was unclear? Do you need a medical evaluation as well?”
“No sir. I understand. Thank you sir.”
Topher turned half-heartedly and left the office. He didn’t know what the hell he was going to do now.
OFF:
Lieutenant, jg (PNPC) Austin Flanders, Asst. CFCO
Warrant Officer Christopher Topher (NPC), Shuttle Pilot
<<USS Malinche, CFCO’s office, Day 5, 1500>>
Lieutenant, jg (PNPC) Austin Flanders was sitting behind the desk, not sure if he was comfortable or not. Lieutenant Rabb was on an away team, so that left Austin in charge of the Flight Control Department. He had received a message regarding one of the shuttle pilots, one Warrant Officer Christopher Topher. There was also a letter of resignation on Rabb’s desk from Topher. Apparently, it had either been lost through channels or the Captain had sent it to Rabb; seeing as it was addressed to Captain Kersare.
He had been waiting for Topher to arrive at the office, and wondered just what had happened to the man to cause him to be so late. Looking over his daily logs, it appeared Topher had not reported for duty for some time, several days in fact. Either this man was drunk or he was a fool. The door chimed and he ordered the person outside to enter. Standing before him, he assumed, was Warrant Officer Topher; looking like a ragamuffin.
“Mister Topher I presume?” asked Austin.
“Yes Lieutenant, I am Christopher Topher, formerly Warrant Officer in Starfleet. What’s up?”
Austin grinned, and placed his hands on the edge of Stacy’s desk. “Mister Topher, is it?”
Topher nodded and just stood there like a lost puppy, in civilian attire no less.
“Mister Topher, I have here reports that you have been absent without leave from your assignment on this starship. Is that correct, or are the duty logs in error?”
“Well, you see…”
Austin began to raise his voice. “I wasn’t finished Mister.”
“Oh…sorry…I…ah..”
“Sit down and shut up.” Austin pointed to the chair in front of him. He could see the clearly puzzled look on the man’s face and knew something was going on. “Now, as I was saying, either the duty logs are in error and you have been showing up for duty – or you are shirking your responsibilities with….”, he sniffed the air, “alcohol.”
Topher raised an arm but was cut off.
“I don’t want to hear it. Do you understand me? I don’t know what your problem is Mister Topher, but when I call for you and it takes you a half hour to show up, then you look like something dragged through the muck and scum and wearing a three day old beard, I’d say you have got a problem. Now, this is what you are going to do. You are going to go back to your quarters, clean yourself up, shave, get into uniform and then report to the Ship’s Counselor. As of this moment you are relieved of duty pending a psychological evaluation.”
Topher raised a hand and started to say something.
“I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to know what her name is, I don’t care whose child it is. Look buddy, I’ve read your personnel jacket and let me tell you, if it were up to me you’d be flying a mining route somewhere in deep space. As for this letter of resignation, it will just have to wait. We do have a mission going on right now; sorry we don't have time for your personal pandering. Now get the hell out of this office and out of my sight. The next time I see you, you’d better be properly attired and with a snappy disposition. Do you understand?”
Topher paused then stood. He raised a hand, “I can….I can speak now…right?”
“I said do you understand? What part of that was unclear? Do you need a medical evaluation as well?”
“No sir. I understand. Thank you sir.”
Topher turned half-heartedly and left the office. He didn’t know what the hell he was going to do now.
OFF:
Lieutenant, jg (PNPC) Austin Flanders, Asst. CFCO
Warrant Officer Christopher Topher (NPC), Shuttle Pilot
Lieutenant Stacy Rabb
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A