<<Outside Counseling Office, 1742, Day 3>>
Lorik (NPC) paused outside the Malinche's counseling office. She'd never spoken with a counselor before, though her mother had encouraged her to do so years ago. The Bajoran had brushed her mother off before, insisting she was fine.
With the recent events, however, Lorik's feelings had been stirred up and she didn't feel she could take it much longer. Hearing that a new counselor had arrived, she decided to try talking to her. Taking a deep breath, Lorik rang the doorchime.
Rachel was just organising her office to make it feel a bit more homely and comfortable for those who would visiting to talk to her when the doorchime rang. "Come on in!"
Lorik stepped through the door, looking around a bit warily, still unsure of her decision. Her chocolate eyes finally settled on the new counselor as she bit her lip.
"Hi there" Rachel smiled warmly as she sensed the nervousness coming from the young woman.
"I'm Crewman Revan Lorik, ma'am. I...I think I need to talk to someone..." The Bajoran's voice trailed off as she looked down at the floor. Part of her felt ashamed - surely she should be stronger.
"Then you've come to the right place Lorik" Rachel motioned for the young Bajoran to take a seat. "make yourself at home."
Lorik nodded and sat down timidly.
"I'm getting a sense that you don't entirely want to be here." Rachel looked at Lorik understandingly, "there's no need to feel ashamed of having to talk to someone, we all need someone to talk to from time to time."
"I suppose so... It's just that most people think Bajorans should be stronger, considering what we've been through," the Bajoran replied.
"Of course" Rachel nodded understandingly, "after everything the Bajoran people had to tolerate during the Cardassian occupation."
"Well, I suppose the Jaran episode kinda triggered some memories..." Lorik began. "I was friends with all the crewmembers who were killed...I'd actually just started dating one...and then..." She sighed and bit her lip, a sad, defeated look crossing over her face.
Rachel looked at Lorik understandingly, "and then that life was taken out from under you?."
The Bajoran nodded, "Everything changed so quickly...they're not here anymore and I just feel a little empty."
"It's alright to feel sad, you're allowed to have your own feelings and just because you're Bajoran it's doesn't mean you can't feel sadness at what you've lost."
A tear slipped down Lorik's cheek, "But if I could remain strong through the Occupation...through seeing my father killed...why do I feel this way? I didn't even see them die..."
"You may not have seen them die Lorik but you feel the loss as strongly as you would if you had seen it." she tried to think how to explain better, "grief is a strange thing, it can affect us all in different ways it may be that this has triggered feelings of grief all the way back from the occupation."
Distraught, Lorik could feel herself shaking a bit. She started rubbing the back of her hand with her opposite thumb to try to calm herself. Partly she was angry with herself for letting all this emotion get the better of her, and partly she was just overwhelmed.
"Tell me what you remember, what comes to mind right now." Rachel looked at Lorik and waited to see what would be strongest in the young womans mind right now.
Lorik sighed..."I remember...it was dark, middle of the night. I was dragged out of my bed to outside our home... My whole family was there...and Cardassians. Two were holding my father by the arms."
Rachel sat listening, "it's okay... you're not alone you can tell me."
Barely feeling that she was able to continue, Lorik swallowed, sniffling, "They...they tortured him, right in front of us. Burned him...cut off.." She paused, it was painful to remember the details, even after this much time, "Cut off some of his fingers and toes...slit his throat...He died in our arms."
Rachel reached for a box of tissues she had on the table placing them where Lorik could get at them. "I'm sorry... that's something no one should have to endure. The fact that you're here proves how strong you are Lorik, I'm sure your father would be proud of you and how far you've come."
More tears slipped down her cheeks as Lorik dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "But how far have I really come? My emotions are still obviously a mess from all that time ago, and I've lost more people I care about..."
"Like I said grief is a strange thing Lorik" Rachel smiled understandingly, "you're taking the first and most important step in coming to see me for help. That takes a lot of courage and strength."
"I just don't know what to do...or how to make the feelings and the pain go away..." Lorik's voice trailed off.
"You have friends here, talk to them, enjoy their company." Rachel offered the young woman an understanding smile, "it'll take time for those feelings to go but they will in time. In the meantime I'm here for you anytime you need to come and see me."
Lorik gave Rachel a small smile, "Thank you. I'll give it a try."
"Good" Rachel nodded and smiled.
"I'm glad you've joined us, Counselor," the Bajoran said as she stood up. "You certainly came at the perfect time for me."
"I'm glad to be here to help." Rachel smiled feeling happy to of been of help.
_________________
a joint post by;
Crewman Revan Lorik
played by;
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC 38897-B
and
Blood and Iron
Moderators: Tournneau, Korath, Kersare
ON: <<Bridge, MD03 1940>>
The polaron inductor module went back in much more easily than it had come out. Akios reinstalled the internal panels, leaving the outer panel off, and reinitiated the EPS feed to the station. When the panels lit up on the Science console, he started a level-1 diagnostic. That was more thorough than the repair called for, but it would take at least ten minutes to run. That would let him do a bit of sightseeing.
Overall, the bridge looked quite a bit like the prototype. The color scheme was different, thankfully. Light beige, ivory, and smoke white could get on the nerves quickly, not to mention being impossible to keep clean. A few secondary consoles had been added, but overall the bridge retained a clean look that hearkened all the way back to the Constitution of the late 23rd century. It certainly wasn't like a Sovereign bridge--that had become a virtual warren for the sake of having all the stations face the main holo-viewscreen.
So far Ens. Sojarick hadn't noticed that Akios was idle. Looking at the flight conn from where he sat at the back of the bridge, Akios could see that the tellarite was running a tactical helm simulation. Well, that would keep him distracted for a bit, and it gave Turuas'ta an excuse to not pay a return visit.
Akios stood and went through the same passage the tellarite had used earlier, coming to the hidden yeoman's galley, and replicated a mug of mint tea with cream and sugar. The gabawi drink he'd had earlier had been filling, but that had been almost an hour ago, the curse of having a rapid metabolism.
Akios took his time returning to the Science station, drinking his tea. It gave him the chance to give all the bridge stations an inobvious looking over.
He thought about what he should do next. He knew that he should report his concerns about potential damage to the polaron-based systems on the ship. Navigational, sensor, and tactical systems all used inductor modules like the one he'd replaced. If they were compromised it was a serious problem, but he didn't know yet if the problem was isolated to the one unit he'd fixed. He could start a diagnostic on all polaron systems throughout the ship, but that would take at least a couple of hours to run. That would vaporize any chance of him getting to bed early.
All the polaron systems on the ship used x-polarons. X-polarons were the most easily detected, and had been the first to be discovered and synthesized. All polarons had one unique property: no matter where they existed in the universe, all polarons of a given type would be oriented in the same direction.
Serendipitiously, X-polaron orientation very nearly lined up with Earth's solar system and the galactic center, making them a natural space "compass" and the standard reference for the heading system used in starship navigational systems throughout the Federation. Elementary school children were taught that a starship's heading system was based on zero degrees pointing at the galactic center. Well, technically it was, but actually a ship got its zero reading from its x-polaron modules, and then calculated its galactic-center-zero reference from that and other navigational constants. It was kind of like the difference between a planet's magnetic north pole and its rotational north pole. If you happened to be in the right place, there was no difference, and if you moved away from the right place it was easy to calculate the adjustment.
Polaron-polaron interactions were still on the hairy edge of particle physics. Turuas'ta could try to find out if there was any record of z-polarons affecting x-polaron technology like the inductor modules. Though the inductor on Science-1 was still in diagnostic mode, he could use the LCARS interface, so Akios keyed in the search parameters and started the search.
The polaron inductor module went back in much more easily than it had come out. Akios reinstalled the internal panels, leaving the outer panel off, and reinitiated the EPS feed to the station. When the panels lit up on the Science console, he started a level-1 diagnostic. That was more thorough than the repair called for, but it would take at least ten minutes to run. That would let him do a bit of sightseeing.
Overall, the bridge looked quite a bit like the prototype. The color scheme was different, thankfully. Light beige, ivory, and smoke white could get on the nerves quickly, not to mention being impossible to keep clean. A few secondary consoles had been added, but overall the bridge retained a clean look that hearkened all the way back to the Constitution of the late 23rd century. It certainly wasn't like a Sovereign bridge--that had become a virtual warren for the sake of having all the stations face the main holo-viewscreen.
So far Ens. Sojarick hadn't noticed that Akios was idle. Looking at the flight conn from where he sat at the back of the bridge, Akios could see that the tellarite was running a tactical helm simulation. Well, that would keep him distracted for a bit, and it gave Turuas'ta an excuse to not pay a return visit.
Akios stood and went through the same passage the tellarite had used earlier, coming to the hidden yeoman's galley, and replicated a mug of mint tea with cream and sugar. The gabawi drink he'd had earlier had been filling, but that had been almost an hour ago, the curse of having a rapid metabolism.
Akios took his time returning to the Science station, drinking his tea. It gave him the chance to give all the bridge stations an inobvious looking over.
He thought about what he should do next. He knew that he should report his concerns about potential damage to the polaron-based systems on the ship. Navigational, sensor, and tactical systems all used inductor modules like the one he'd replaced. If they were compromised it was a serious problem, but he didn't know yet if the problem was isolated to the one unit he'd fixed. He could start a diagnostic on all polaron systems throughout the ship, but that would take at least a couple of hours to run. That would vaporize any chance of him getting to bed early.
All the polaron systems on the ship used x-polarons. X-polarons were the most easily detected, and had been the first to be discovered and synthesized. All polarons had one unique property: no matter where they existed in the universe, all polarons of a given type would be oriented in the same direction.
Serendipitiously, X-polaron orientation very nearly lined up with Earth's solar system and the galactic center, making them a natural space "compass" and the standard reference for the heading system used in starship navigational systems throughout the Federation. Elementary school children were taught that a starship's heading system was based on zero degrees pointing at the galactic center. Well, technically it was, but actually a ship got its zero reading from its x-polaron modules, and then calculated its galactic-center-zero reference from that and other navigational constants. It was kind of like the difference between a planet's magnetic north pole and its rotational north pole. If you happened to be in the right place, there was no difference, and if you moved away from the right place it was easy to calculate the adjustment.
Polaron-polaron interactions were still on the hairy edge of particle physics. Turuas'ta could try to find out if there was any record of z-polarons affecting x-polaron technology like the inductor modules. Though the inductor on Science-1 was still in diagnostic mode, he could use the LCARS interface, so Akios keyed in the search parameters and started the search.
Ensign Turuas'ta Akios
Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
<Starbase 259, Courtroom, 1755, MD03>
Unless the prosecution could pull a rabit out of his ass, Jaran was very likely to get off relatively free and continue service on Malinche, albeit as the number one most despised person on board.
She knew Benson would be gunning to put Jaran through his own version of justice, descreetly and out of the way of course. She couldn't imagine many other crewmembers supporting the guy in his duty either. The whole flight control devision might rebel against the authority of the Lieutenant. And Kersare mostly likely couldn't trust Jaran worth a damn for away missions or any serious role in the next mission, not this close after the trial, regardless of whether Jaran makes a determined effort to make up for his insanity.
With a sigh, Yrel checked the time on the back wall overlooking the spectators area. She had wasted away almost ten hours in this damned trial, and there wasn't much time left for the date afterwards. It was 'set' for 7, and that left on an hour to be all dolled up for Cameron. No pressure, right?
Unless the prosecution could pull a rabit out of his ass, Jaran was very likely to get off relatively free and continue service on Malinche, albeit as the number one most despised person on board.
She knew Benson would be gunning to put Jaran through his own version of justice, descreetly and out of the way of course. She couldn't imagine many other crewmembers supporting the guy in his duty either. The whole flight control devision might rebel against the authority of the Lieutenant. And Kersare mostly likely couldn't trust Jaran worth a damn for away missions or any serious role in the next mission, not this close after the trial, regardless of whether Jaran makes a determined effort to make up for his insanity.
With a sigh, Yrel checked the time on the back wall overlooking the spectators area. She had wasted away almost ten hours in this damned trial, and there wasn't much time left for the date afterwards. It was 'set' for 7, and that left on an hour to be all dolled up for Cameron. No pressure, right?
Lieutenant Yrel Sovereign
Chief Science Officer & Second Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
<<Britney & Nora's quarters, 1752, Day 3>>
Britney (PNPC) looked in the mirror one last time as she waited for Caleb (NPC). She was a bit nervous, partially because she would be meeting new people. It seemed a bit odd...she could perform in front of a huge crowd, but being herself in front of new people made her nervous. Taking a deep breath, she turned to sit on her bed when the doorchime rang.
Feeling her heart beating a little faster, she adjusted her top and smoothed her skirt, "Come in."
Caleb walked in, breaking into a grin when he saw her, "Well hello there. You look great."
Britney smiled, "Thank you."
"Ready to go?" He motioned towards the door.
"Absolutely."
<Starbase 259, 1800>
As they headed towards the Promenade, Britney asked, "Who's coming tonight? I know Nora (NPC) and Emily (NPC) are...and us, of course."
Caleb nodded, "The only other one I know is coming for sure is Nolis (NPC). Other than that, it'll be a surprise for both of us."
They rounded a corner and headed into a restaurant. A young woman sitting next to Nora waved to them; Britney guessed it was Emily. Britney's skirt flowed around her gently as they walked towards the table. The others didn't seem quite as dressed up, but she'd wanted to make a good impression.
"Hey everyone," Caleb began, "This is Britney - I asked her to come with us tonight. Britney, you already know Nora.... This is Emily and over there is Nolis," he said, motioning towards the two others.
"Nice to meet you," Britney said. It seemed that Nolis was a Trill - she hadn't seen one until joining the Malinche, but the spots made it rather obvious. With Emily it was more difficult to tell - she certainly looked human, but that didn't necessarily mean she was.
Nora grinned, "Glad you made it. We've not ordered yet, other than drinks, so have a seat."
Caleb pulled out a chair for Britney, pushing it back in when she'd sat down. Looking up at him, a bit surprised at his actions, he merely smiled back.
"Our waitress is coming," Emily announced. "Oh good, she has our drinks."
Nolis looked at Emily, "You can't be that surprised, we ordered them at least five minutes ago."
Caleb tried changing the subject, "So what're the plans for tonight?"
"Eat, drink, be merry," Nora replied with a sparkle of mischief in her eye.
Rolling his eyes, Nolis replied, "Very descriptive."
Emily jumped in, "Obviously we're eating first, after that it's whatever everyone would like to do. I reserved some holodeck time, just in case, or we could just walk around, or...well, there's lots to do."
The waitress arrived, setting drinks down for Nora, Emily, and Nolis. Turning to Britney and Caleb, she asked, "Do you need menus, or do you know what you want?"
Britney hesitated, "I've never been here before..."
"Menus it is, I'll be right back." The waitress smiled briefly and walked off.
"Anyone else coming tonight?" Caleb asked.
Nolis shrugged, "I heard a few people mentioning they might come, but nothing definite. You know how these usually go - start off with some, more show up, some leave..."
The waitress returned with two menus, "Let me know when you're ready to order, otherwise I'll be back shortly."
Britney opened the menu, "Pizza?" She looked over at Caleb questioningly.
"You've not had pizza?" Caleb raised an eyebrow. "It's great, I promise. There's a layer of dough for the crust, then tomato sauce, then cheese, then whatever other toppings you want...they bake it."
"I wanted to go somewhere else, but got voted down," Nolis confided to her. "At least they have a good variety of toppings, and this is one of the best pizza places in this Sector. They do have other food as well, just turn the menu over."
"We had something similar on Direidi, but had a different name for it. I'd sort of like to try something exotic, though I suppose I'll have plenty of opportunities," Britney said.
The waitress headed back to the table, taking everyone's orders on a PADD. "It should be out in 20 minutes."
Settling back into her chair, Britney relaxed. The night should prove to be interesting. At least it seemed like she was making friends, which helped with her feelings of missing home.
OFF:
Crewman Britney Liras
Captain's Yeoman
and various other NPCs
played by:
Britney (PNPC) looked in the mirror one last time as she waited for Caleb (NPC). She was a bit nervous, partially because she would be meeting new people. It seemed a bit odd...she could perform in front of a huge crowd, but being herself in front of new people made her nervous. Taking a deep breath, she turned to sit on her bed when the doorchime rang.
Feeling her heart beating a little faster, she adjusted her top and smoothed her skirt, "Come in."
Caleb walked in, breaking into a grin when he saw her, "Well hello there. You look great."
Britney smiled, "Thank you."
"Ready to go?" He motioned towards the door.
"Absolutely."
<Starbase 259, 1800>
As they headed towards the Promenade, Britney asked, "Who's coming tonight? I know Nora (NPC) and Emily (NPC) are...and us, of course."
Caleb nodded, "The only other one I know is coming for sure is Nolis (NPC). Other than that, it'll be a surprise for both of us."
They rounded a corner and headed into a restaurant. A young woman sitting next to Nora waved to them; Britney guessed it was Emily. Britney's skirt flowed around her gently as they walked towards the table. The others didn't seem quite as dressed up, but she'd wanted to make a good impression.
"Hey everyone," Caleb began, "This is Britney - I asked her to come with us tonight. Britney, you already know Nora.... This is Emily and over there is Nolis," he said, motioning towards the two others.
"Nice to meet you," Britney said. It seemed that Nolis was a Trill - she hadn't seen one until joining the Malinche, but the spots made it rather obvious. With Emily it was more difficult to tell - she certainly looked human, but that didn't necessarily mean she was.
Nora grinned, "Glad you made it. We've not ordered yet, other than drinks, so have a seat."
Caleb pulled out a chair for Britney, pushing it back in when she'd sat down. Looking up at him, a bit surprised at his actions, he merely smiled back.
"Our waitress is coming," Emily announced. "Oh good, she has our drinks."
Nolis looked at Emily, "You can't be that surprised, we ordered them at least five minutes ago."
Caleb tried changing the subject, "So what're the plans for tonight?"
"Eat, drink, be merry," Nora replied with a sparkle of mischief in her eye.
Rolling his eyes, Nolis replied, "Very descriptive."
Emily jumped in, "Obviously we're eating first, after that it's whatever everyone would like to do. I reserved some holodeck time, just in case, or we could just walk around, or...well, there's lots to do."
The waitress arrived, setting drinks down for Nora, Emily, and Nolis. Turning to Britney and Caleb, she asked, "Do you need menus, or do you know what you want?"
Britney hesitated, "I've never been here before..."
"Menus it is, I'll be right back." The waitress smiled briefly and walked off.
"Anyone else coming tonight?" Caleb asked.
Nolis shrugged, "I heard a few people mentioning they might come, but nothing definite. You know how these usually go - start off with some, more show up, some leave..."
The waitress returned with two menus, "Let me know when you're ready to order, otherwise I'll be back shortly."
Britney opened the menu, "Pizza?" She looked over at Caleb questioningly.
"You've not had pizza?" Caleb raised an eyebrow. "It's great, I promise. There's a layer of dough for the crust, then tomato sauce, then cheese, then whatever other toppings you want...they bake it."
"I wanted to go somewhere else, but got voted down," Nolis confided to her. "At least they have a good variety of toppings, and this is one of the best pizza places in this Sector. They do have other food as well, just turn the menu over."
"We had something similar on Direidi, but had a different name for it. I'd sort of like to try something exotic, though I suppose I'll have plenty of opportunities," Britney said.
The waitress headed back to the table, taking everyone's orders on a PADD. "It should be out in 20 minutes."
Settling back into her chair, Britney relaxed. The night should prove to be interesting. At least it seemed like she was making friends, which helped with her feelings of missing home.
OFF:
Crewman Britney Liras
Captain's Yeoman
and various other NPCs
played by:
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
<Courtroom, Starbase 259, MD03, 1806>
Jack felt like he had been in this courtroom for a week, and as he sat in the chair he wondered if it was all worth it, as far as he could tell the good Doctors testimony would be all that Jaran needed to get saved, it would have been a time saver in his opinion to just call Cameron and everyone could have gone home before lunch.
While Jaran may not be found guilty when it came down to sentencing shortly, it was likely he wouldn?t be cleared to serve on a ship anytime soon, he might manage to avoid jail, but if the doctor?s testimony was to be believed he could look forward to fairly cushy stay in a medical institution.
Maybe Cameron was right after all, maybe Jack wasn?t as much like Jaran as he had thought at first, Jack knew he was damaged, but hearing the Doctor explain Jarans problems it in such detail made him realise, he wasn?t the last cause he liked to think he was, maybe, just maybe, there was some hope for him yet?
Jack felt like he had been in this courtroom for a week, and as he sat in the chair he wondered if it was all worth it, as far as he could tell the good Doctors testimony would be all that Jaran needed to get saved, it would have been a time saver in his opinion to just call Cameron and everyone could have gone home before lunch.
While Jaran may not be found guilty when it came down to sentencing shortly, it was likely he wouldn?t be cleared to serve on a ship anytime soon, he might manage to avoid jail, but if the doctor?s testimony was to be believed he could look forward to fairly cushy stay in a medical institution.
Maybe Cameron was right after all, maybe Jack wasn?t as much like Jaran as he had thought at first, Jack knew he was damaged, but hearing the Doctor explain Jarans problems it in such detail made him realise, he wasn?t the last cause he liked to think he was, maybe, just maybe, there was some hope for him yet?
Lieutenant Jonathan "Jack" Hawkins
Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
<<Malinche Bridge, MD03 1950>>
The LCARS search and the diagnostic finished at almost the same time. The module checked out as expected. Akios reinstalled the station's front panel and seat. From that point, realigning the displays would be an automatic process.
Akios sat and started looking at the results of the LCARS search. The computer had found a large number of scientific articles, but no technical ones. There was nothing that said flat out that polaron emissions could foul polaron technology in the way he suspected.
He put his tricorder on the station's transfer plate, and linked it in. "Computer, transfer scan records from today at 1930 to 1945 and yesterday from 1630 to 1730."
+"Working."+
"Run a correlative search between the two sets of scan data and the results of the current LCARS search. List matches."
The computer emitted progress tones. As Akios watched, the computer whittled down the list of scholarly articles that it had found, until only 5 items were left in the list.
That was troubling--the fact that it had found that many matches tended to support Akios's theory.
He began opening the articles and skimming through the matches the computer had found. After a few minutes, he sat back and tapped his combadge.
"Akios to Engineering. I think I've found a problem."
Akios went on to outline the problem--the alignment issue with the Science display console, the contaminants he'd found in the polaron inductor module, the LCARS entries that indicated the contaminants could be the result of polaron interactions, and the polaron readings he'd taken in the shuttlebay the day before.
"I might be overreacting, but I think that the ship's navigational systems and anything else that uses polaron technology needs to be inspected before we leave port, even if they're not showing any problems right now."
<<Tag, any>>
The LCARS search and the diagnostic finished at almost the same time. The module checked out as expected. Akios reinstalled the station's front panel and seat. From that point, realigning the displays would be an automatic process.
Akios sat and started looking at the results of the LCARS search. The computer had found a large number of scientific articles, but no technical ones. There was nothing that said flat out that polaron emissions could foul polaron technology in the way he suspected.
He put his tricorder on the station's transfer plate, and linked it in. "Computer, transfer scan records from today at 1930 to 1945 and yesterday from 1630 to 1730."
+"Working."+
"Run a correlative search between the two sets of scan data and the results of the current LCARS search. List matches."
The computer emitted progress tones. As Akios watched, the computer whittled down the list of scholarly articles that it had found, until only 5 items were left in the list.
That was troubling--the fact that it had found that many matches tended to support Akios's theory.
He began opening the articles and skimming through the matches the computer had found. After a few minutes, he sat back and tapped his combadge.
"Akios to Engineering. I think I've found a problem."
Akios went on to outline the problem--the alignment issue with the Science display console, the contaminants he'd found in the polaron inductor module, the LCARS entries that indicated the contaminants could be the result of polaron interactions, and the polaron readings he'd taken in the shuttlebay the day before.
"I might be overreacting, but I think that the ship's navigational systems and anything else that uses polaron technology needs to be inspected before we leave port, even if they're not showing any problems right now."
<<Tag, any>>
Ensign Turuas'ta Akios
Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
-
Peters
- Senior Staff
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:17 pm
- Location: Space, the final frontier...
- Contact:
ON: <Main Engineering, Day 3, 1955>
Peters blinked at the information Akios relayed to him. A case of polaron interference on a Starfleet ship was pretty much unheard of. In fact, It was so unheard of it wasn't even covered in a full Level 1 Systems diagnostic.
With fingers running lightly over the console in front of him, Peters quickly called up the same reports Akios had read through and skimmed them quickly, looking for the key points. Sure enough, the evidence supported the ensign's theory.
"Alright, Ensign," Peters started, "Let's slow down a moment here. Once you've got that console re-aligned you go ahead and get some rest. I'll look into this and we'll get to work checking possibly affected systems first thing in the morning. Report to my office as soon as your shift begins tomorrow."
Akios acknowledged the order and signed off as Peters looked back to the articles and considered the implications. On the plus side, there were only a small number of systems aboard that could have been affected by a polaron burst. On the other hand, Polaron radiation was deadly. If there was a current source of that radiation on or near the ship they could all be in trouble by mid-day tomorrow.
With another series of commands into the console Peters started a scan for the radiation. Another series of commands set a notice to inform him when the scan completed. It would take at least an hour for the scan to cover the ship and the starbase docking bay. Until then, he had more paperwork to do.
Closing down the console, Peters made his way back to his office.
OFF:
Peters blinked at the information Akios relayed to him. A case of polaron interference on a Starfleet ship was pretty much unheard of. In fact, It was so unheard of it wasn't even covered in a full Level 1 Systems diagnostic.
With fingers running lightly over the console in front of him, Peters quickly called up the same reports Akios had read through and skimmed them quickly, looking for the key points. Sure enough, the evidence supported the ensign's theory.
"Alright, Ensign," Peters started, "Let's slow down a moment here. Once you've got that console re-aligned you go ahead and get some rest. I'll look into this and we'll get to work checking possibly affected systems first thing in the morning. Report to my office as soon as your shift begins tomorrow."
Akios acknowledged the order and signed off as Peters looked back to the articles and considered the implications. On the plus side, there were only a small number of systems aboard that could have been affected by a polaron burst. On the other hand, Polaron radiation was deadly. If there was a current source of that radiation on or near the ship they could all be in trouble by mid-day tomorrow.
With another series of commands into the console Peters started a scan for the radiation. Another series of commands set a notice to inform him when the scan completed. It would take at least an hour for the scan to cover the ship and the starbase docking bay. Until then, he had more paperwork to do.
Closing down the console, Peters made his way back to his office.
OFF:
Tony
AKA
Lieutenant Commander Todd Peters
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
<<USS Malinche-B>>
<Ensign Rayne's Quarters, Deck Six, Day 3, 1957>
Mason understood why she had disappeared but was still feeling a bit uneasy as to what she had just told him. None the less he was glad to see her up and about. After nearly five minutes in the turbo lift they had arrived at the shuttle bay where the "Dawn" was being kept under close guard. Security was at a high that both Hunt and Rayne needed to provide extensive identification checks just to get inside.
"You may now enter sir an ma'am." replied the security guard putting away his hand held scanner. As the doors opened widely the warm air that had been concealed within hit Mason in the face as if he was on some tropical planet. He looked over at Rayne who at least to him seemed in awe of the very craft she put her hard work into and most of her off hours on putting together.
"There she is Rayne, I will tell you she is a beauty to say the least. Now I know why you named her the "Dawn" I wouldn't be a bit surprised if operations command wanted in on getting the specs and building these for every ship in the fleet." said Mason taking a walk around the aft thruster assembly and making his way over to the front window. To him it was like getting a new toy and he wanted very much to take the Dawn out for a spin.
"Rayne, let's have a look inside ok?" asked Mason waiting for her to respond.
OFF: Tag Rayne
<Ensign Rayne's Quarters, Deck Six, Day 3, 1957>
Mason understood why she had disappeared but was still feeling a bit uneasy as to what she had just told him. None the less he was glad to see her up and about. After nearly five minutes in the turbo lift they had arrived at the shuttle bay where the "Dawn" was being kept under close guard. Security was at a high that both Hunt and Rayne needed to provide extensive identification checks just to get inside.
"You may now enter sir an ma'am." replied the security guard putting away his hand held scanner. As the doors opened widely the warm air that had been concealed within hit Mason in the face as if he was on some tropical planet. He looked over at Rayne who at least to him seemed in awe of the very craft she put her hard work into and most of her off hours on putting together.
"There she is Rayne, I will tell you she is a beauty to say the least. Now I know why you named her the "Dawn" I wouldn't be a bit surprised if operations command wanted in on getting the specs and building these for every ship in the fleet." said Mason taking a walk around the aft thruster assembly and making his way over to the front window. To him it was like getting a new toy and he wanted very much to take the Dawn out for a spin.
"Rayne, let's have a look inside ok?" asked Mason waiting for her to respond.
OFF: Tag Rayne
Commander Mason Hunt
First Officer
USS Malinche NCC 38897-B
ON:
<Courtroom, Starbase 259, MD03, 1806>
Cameron sat in silence as the soft mumblings of discontent and irritance ruffled across the courtroom. He didn't feel displeased with himself at all, he knew from the diagnosis what was wrong with Jaran and it was his belief that the truth was necessary. Despite what the result may tender. He glanced up as the judge, Clarkson, cleared his throat and shared a glance with the old JAG advocate.
Whether it was sympathy, pitty or just a simple exchanging of views - the Doctor couldn't tell. He stared at Jaran intently, trying to evoke some kind of emotion but his eyes fluttered over to the next questioner as Clarkson asked Lassiter to step forward for the witness. This man made Cameron nervous. He appeared both cocky and confident, exceedingly in both areas. And from everything else shown
he was a bloody good lawyer.
Lassiter stood and walked over to the doctor and took a few moments to collect his thoughts.
"Doctor. In your medical professional opinion, is Abubakar Jaran in perfect mental health?" Lassiter asked, striking straight to the central issue.
"As I said before, no. In my medical opinion Lieutenant Jaran is mentally subdued at the moment." Cameron answered confidently.
"And is he one hundred percent in control of this subjugation of his mental problems?" Art asked, looking off into space, his gaze directed somwehere towards a rather uninteresting corner of the courtroom.
"That's a difficult question to answer. It's not whether or not the patient isn't in control, said patient is still able to choose what to do in the situation. It's the environment he believes he is in that changes." The doctor was still confident, he had nothing to lie for and was happy to be allowed to give a medical explanation for a change. "Everything surrounding him and
each subject of his physical world is changed to fit a vivid hallucination that leads him to believe that something else is happening from what actually IS occuring in real time."
"So he's hallucinating, and at any moment, this court room could become a Cardassian Interrogation chamber for him, is that what you're saying doctor?" Art asked, narrowing his eyes in an almost confused look as he tried to exactly comprehend what the doctor was saying.
Thinking about it for a moment, Cameron glanced at the floor. It was a difficult concept to explain with speculating that something else had occured that was a danger to Jaran in the past. He didn't want to head a rumour. Sighing then glancing up he continued. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." Then he interrupted the lawyer before he could speak. "HOWEVER it's all based on the physical
situation. Mr Jaran has to have an incident occur that could trick his brain into manifesting the illusion again."
"And is there a list of triggers or something that everyone would easily be aware of? Or could one of us just say something completely innocent and trigger Jaran's wild delusions?" Lassiter asked.
"The latter is the more likely. If you're aware of the techniques used in mental conditioning...or even brainwashing, as it may be best known, it's all about fooling the brain into thinking something else. With Jaran I believe that a past with mental conditioning has caused blockage in his left corneum, decreasing blood flow. When something triggers the nerve cells in that area it blocks blood
flow and the sense of rationality altogether. You could say anything that might set off another episode, it all depends on which memory you provoke." Cameron explained flatly.
"So in the midst of say, diplomatic talks over a viewscreen, someone could say something and Jaran would think he's in a battle situation. Is that correct? Hypothetically speaking of course doctor." Said Lassiter, qualifying his statement.
"To some extent. But the neural pathways involved are far more complicated and obviously so is the illusion. Have you ever seen combat, Mr Lassiter?" Cameron asked, not trying to embarrass. He just wanted to try to prove a point.
"No doctor, I haven't. Unless you count the occasional hostile witness." Art said as congenially as he could, trying to do his best to display a lack of concern for the question.
The doctor smiled wrily, it WAS a funny comment to some extent. But the point was still serious. "Well for those fo us here who have been in a combat situation or any kind of high fearing, high adrenaline situation, you can all agree that the reaction is not instant, correct?" Not a response came from the courtroom. "We gradually work ourselves into the state of mind we need to fight, our neural pathways extend, our bodies begin to function more lively and we gain a boost of energy. If the patient hears one simple sentence or phrase that could possibly set him off it's not enough to trigger the full reaction. He needs to be physically handled into it, touch and smell things that remind him of it and he needs to have that same flow of adrenaline and, more importantly, neural extension that he experienced in the original cause of the mental psychosis. It's complicated. The reactions and surroundings need to reflect either the bodies physical problems, for example neural deterioration. Or in my example - they must fit the traumatic experience that hides within the pathways in the brain." Cameron didn't have to sigh out or catch his breath, he explained the theory calmly.
"So plain English doctor, is he mentally stable, or isn't he? It seems that you've contradicted your earlier statements by saying he was not mentally stable and had no control over his hallucinations. Yet now apparently you're saying he's stable enough that he won't be set off by anything short of a repeat of whatever gave him these hallucinations." Lassiter said with a frown, wanting clarification.
"Well that's because it's complicated. A psychologist really needs to look over the neural scans that have been taken in order to explain how stable Mister Jaran is. But the repeated pattern of increased heat in his frontal lobe shows ME that Jaran is, currently, mentally unstable. The condition is a deterioration but the severity can't be caught like that of a cancer." The doctor responded.
"So what you're saying is doctor that while mentally Jaran is mentally unstable, you don't know for certain just how deteriorated his personality and conscious thought processes are. Is that correct?" Art asked.
"Yes, that is correct. I apologise for milking it a little." Cameron was not sorry one bit, he felt the whole thing was far more complicated. "In my opinion Jaran has been mentally unstable for a long time. But I am uncertain how...treatable the condition is for the time being."
"So it is possible that Jaran is a terminal case? Untreatable by current medical and psychological science?" Art asked, pushing the envelope a bit.
"Very possible." The doctor stated. "He might be utterly uncurable, sometimes the brain deteriorates so badly not even a re-conditioning can help it gain strength again."
"And in his current state of being mentally unstable, possibly incurably so, is he fit for active Starfleet duty as a senior officer aboard a Starship?" Lassiter asked, feeling the end of the trial right before him in his very grasp.
"At this moment in time...no. According to the diagnostic report, he's not even fit to stand at this trial and give testimony today."
Lassiter slowly nodded as he digested the information and then looked at the judge and shrugged.
"The prosecution states that Mister Abubakar Jaran is unfit for duty and has disgraced his uniform with his actions aboard the USS Malinche. Wether or not the mutiny was under the effects of some horrific hallucination that Jaran was having, it matters very little. He led it, he was able to consciously deal with the mutiny and it caused the deaths of several crew members. The prosecution rests your honor." Said Art as he turned, smiling back to his seat in the courtroom.
Cameron stared at the ground, blinking for a moment as he digested the prosecutions final statement. He felt utterly terrible, having dealt a mans judicial fate using diagnostics reports. He was supposed to help people using his medical knowledge not throw their inabilities down people's throats in court rooms. He barely heard the judge. "You may step down from the bench, Dr. Fairbairn thank you."
And with that he returned to his chair and slumped down, sighing heavily and maintaining his gaze with the floor. It saddened him to realise that all he could look forward to tonight was his impending date with the pretty science officer to his left.
OFF:
A JP by:
Doctor (Lt.) Cameron Fairbairn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche
NCC-38897-B
&
<Courtroom, Starbase 259, MD03, 1806>
Cameron sat in silence as the soft mumblings of discontent and irritance ruffled across the courtroom. He didn't feel displeased with himself at all, he knew from the diagnosis what was wrong with Jaran and it was his belief that the truth was necessary. Despite what the result may tender. He glanced up as the judge, Clarkson, cleared his throat and shared a glance with the old JAG advocate.
Whether it was sympathy, pitty or just a simple exchanging of views - the Doctor couldn't tell. He stared at Jaran intently, trying to evoke some kind of emotion but his eyes fluttered over to the next questioner as Clarkson asked Lassiter to step forward for the witness. This man made Cameron nervous. He appeared both cocky and confident, exceedingly in both areas. And from everything else shown
he was a bloody good lawyer.
Lassiter stood and walked over to the doctor and took a few moments to collect his thoughts.
"Doctor. In your medical professional opinion, is Abubakar Jaran in perfect mental health?" Lassiter asked, striking straight to the central issue.
"As I said before, no. In my medical opinion Lieutenant Jaran is mentally subdued at the moment." Cameron answered confidently.
"And is he one hundred percent in control of this subjugation of his mental problems?" Art asked, looking off into space, his gaze directed somwehere towards a rather uninteresting corner of the courtroom.
"That's a difficult question to answer. It's not whether or not the patient isn't in control, said patient is still able to choose what to do in the situation. It's the environment he believes he is in that changes." The doctor was still confident, he had nothing to lie for and was happy to be allowed to give a medical explanation for a change. "Everything surrounding him and
each subject of his physical world is changed to fit a vivid hallucination that leads him to believe that something else is happening from what actually IS occuring in real time."
"So he's hallucinating, and at any moment, this court room could become a Cardassian Interrogation chamber for him, is that what you're saying doctor?" Art asked, narrowing his eyes in an almost confused look as he tried to exactly comprehend what the doctor was saying.
Thinking about it for a moment, Cameron glanced at the floor. It was a difficult concept to explain with speculating that something else had occured that was a danger to Jaran in the past. He didn't want to head a rumour. Sighing then glancing up he continued. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." Then he interrupted the lawyer before he could speak. "HOWEVER it's all based on the physical
situation. Mr Jaran has to have an incident occur that could trick his brain into manifesting the illusion again."
"And is there a list of triggers or something that everyone would easily be aware of? Or could one of us just say something completely innocent and trigger Jaran's wild delusions?" Lassiter asked.
"The latter is the more likely. If you're aware of the techniques used in mental conditioning...or even brainwashing, as it may be best known, it's all about fooling the brain into thinking something else. With Jaran I believe that a past with mental conditioning has caused blockage in his left corneum, decreasing blood flow. When something triggers the nerve cells in that area it blocks blood
flow and the sense of rationality altogether. You could say anything that might set off another episode, it all depends on which memory you provoke." Cameron explained flatly.
"So in the midst of say, diplomatic talks over a viewscreen, someone could say something and Jaran would think he's in a battle situation. Is that correct? Hypothetically speaking of course doctor." Said Lassiter, qualifying his statement.
"To some extent. But the neural pathways involved are far more complicated and obviously so is the illusion. Have you ever seen combat, Mr Lassiter?" Cameron asked, not trying to embarrass. He just wanted to try to prove a point.
"No doctor, I haven't. Unless you count the occasional hostile witness." Art said as congenially as he could, trying to do his best to display a lack of concern for the question.
The doctor smiled wrily, it WAS a funny comment to some extent. But the point was still serious. "Well for those fo us here who have been in a combat situation or any kind of high fearing, high adrenaline situation, you can all agree that the reaction is not instant, correct?" Not a response came from the courtroom. "We gradually work ourselves into the state of mind we need to fight, our neural pathways extend, our bodies begin to function more lively and we gain a boost of energy. If the patient hears one simple sentence or phrase that could possibly set him off it's not enough to trigger the full reaction. He needs to be physically handled into it, touch and smell things that remind him of it and he needs to have that same flow of adrenaline and, more importantly, neural extension that he experienced in the original cause of the mental psychosis. It's complicated. The reactions and surroundings need to reflect either the bodies physical problems, for example neural deterioration. Or in my example - they must fit the traumatic experience that hides within the pathways in the brain." Cameron didn't have to sigh out or catch his breath, he explained the theory calmly.
"So plain English doctor, is he mentally stable, or isn't he? It seems that you've contradicted your earlier statements by saying he was not mentally stable and had no control over his hallucinations. Yet now apparently you're saying he's stable enough that he won't be set off by anything short of a repeat of whatever gave him these hallucinations." Lassiter said with a frown, wanting clarification.
"Well that's because it's complicated. A psychologist really needs to look over the neural scans that have been taken in order to explain how stable Mister Jaran is. But the repeated pattern of increased heat in his frontal lobe shows ME that Jaran is, currently, mentally unstable. The condition is a deterioration but the severity can't be caught like that of a cancer." The doctor responded.
"So what you're saying is doctor that while mentally Jaran is mentally unstable, you don't know for certain just how deteriorated his personality and conscious thought processes are. Is that correct?" Art asked.
"Yes, that is correct. I apologise for milking it a little." Cameron was not sorry one bit, he felt the whole thing was far more complicated. "In my opinion Jaran has been mentally unstable for a long time. But I am uncertain how...treatable the condition is for the time being."
"So it is possible that Jaran is a terminal case? Untreatable by current medical and psychological science?" Art asked, pushing the envelope a bit.
"Very possible." The doctor stated. "He might be utterly uncurable, sometimes the brain deteriorates so badly not even a re-conditioning can help it gain strength again."
"And in his current state of being mentally unstable, possibly incurably so, is he fit for active Starfleet duty as a senior officer aboard a Starship?" Lassiter asked, feeling the end of the trial right before him in his very grasp.
"At this moment in time...no. According to the diagnostic report, he's not even fit to stand at this trial and give testimony today."
Lassiter slowly nodded as he digested the information and then looked at the judge and shrugged.
"The prosecution states that Mister Abubakar Jaran is unfit for duty and has disgraced his uniform with his actions aboard the USS Malinche. Wether or not the mutiny was under the effects of some horrific hallucination that Jaran was having, it matters very little. He led it, he was able to consciously deal with the mutiny and it caused the deaths of several crew members. The prosecution rests your honor." Said Art as he turned, smiling back to his seat in the courtroom.
Cameron stared at the ground, blinking for a moment as he digested the prosecutions final statement. He felt utterly terrible, having dealt a mans judicial fate using diagnostics reports. He was supposed to help people using his medical knowledge not throw their inabilities down people's throats in court rooms. He barely heard the judge. "You may step down from the bench, Dr. Fairbairn thank you."
And with that he returned to his chair and slumped down, sighing heavily and maintaining his gaze with the floor. It saddened him to realise that all he could look forward to tonight was his impending date with the pretty science officer to his left.
OFF:
A JP by:
Doctor (Lt.) Cameron Fairbairn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Malinche
NCC-38897-B
&
Lieutenant James Samuel Benson III
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
<Starbase 259, Courtroom, 1820, MD03>
Logan remained stony faced as he stood and listened to the prosecutions closing arguments, he had to admit he had found himself being drawn into the back and forth between the lawyers and the various witnesses.
He found the process interesting if only in so much as that it was rather amusing to watch all this effort going into a "fair and just" trial when it was ultimately for nothing, nothing said in the this courtroom mattered, not in the long run. Admirals and judges, captains and crewman, they didn?t make the cogs of the Federation turn, people like himself did, it was them who did the dirty work, the work the politicians couldn?t even comprehend, let alone conduct themselves.
As he thought this he looked across at the young Intelligence officer he had seen the previous evening, he had to admit he had to hold back a smile at a couple of Lt Hawkins comments, not so much because he found them funny on their own, but more the fact that he could see the mans career going down in flames if he wasn?t very careful. Or if Logan did his job right?
OFF:
"Logan"
played by
Logan remained stony faced as he stood and listened to the prosecutions closing arguments, he had to admit he had found himself being drawn into the back and forth between the lawyers and the various witnesses.
He found the process interesting if only in so much as that it was rather amusing to watch all this effort going into a "fair and just" trial when it was ultimately for nothing, nothing said in the this courtroom mattered, not in the long run. Admirals and judges, captains and crewman, they didn?t make the cogs of the Federation turn, people like himself did, it was them who did the dirty work, the work the politicians couldn?t even comprehend, let alone conduct themselves.
As he thought this he looked across at the young Intelligence officer he had seen the previous evening, he had to admit he had to hold back a smile at a couple of Lt Hawkins comments, not so much because he found them funny on their own, but more the fact that he could see the mans career going down in flames if he wasn?t very careful. Or if Logan did his job right?
OFF:
"Logan"
played by
Lieutenant Jonathan "Jack" Hawkins
Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
<<USS Malinche-B>>
<Ensign Rayne's Quarters, Deck Six, Day 3, 2000>
There was guards posted in the "Dawn" in just about every compartment. Everything inside was breath taking as when he first step foot on the Malinche some years ago. Mason moved over to the tactical console being curious about its weapon systems and shields, as he looked at the display it looked possible for some of the enhancements to be adapted to the Malinche. So he grabbed a padd and jotted down some noted while Rayne was in the aft compartment.
Although he had never been in nor visited the original delta flyer he knew that every ship every craft has its own charm and that the "Dawn" was no different. She indeed did have it. Hunt decided to head back to the aft compartment where he found Rayne looking over the warp core compositor and the smile that befell her face. This ship was a part of her and somehow it apart of her.
He drew in closer to see her scans of the compositor and startled her, "How's it going?" asked Mason.
OFF: Tag Rayne, ready for the JP!
<Ensign Rayne's Quarters, Deck Six, Day 3, 2000>
There was guards posted in the "Dawn" in just about every compartment. Everything inside was breath taking as when he first step foot on the Malinche some years ago. Mason moved over to the tactical console being curious about its weapon systems and shields, as he looked at the display it looked possible for some of the enhancements to be adapted to the Malinche. So he grabbed a padd and jotted down some noted while Rayne was in the aft compartment.
Although he had never been in nor visited the original delta flyer he knew that every ship every craft has its own charm and that the "Dawn" was no different. She indeed did have it. Hunt decided to head back to the aft compartment where he found Rayne looking over the warp core compositor and the smile that befell her face. This ship was a part of her and somehow it apart of her.
He drew in closer to see her scans of the compositor and startled her, "How's it going?" asked Mason.
OFF: Tag Rayne, ready for the JP!
Commander Mason Hunt
First Officer
USS Malinche NCC 38897-B
OFF: FYI, you can feel free to backpost, but I also wanted to move things forward for people, so here's one from Day 4
ON:
<<Kersare's quarters, 0732, Day 4>>
Isabel's eyes blinked open slowly. Truth be told, she really didn't want to get out of bed. Yesterday had proved to be very taxing - listening to all the testimony, getting grilled on the stand, having accusations thrown against her.... It was a day she certainly didn't want to experience again.
Taking a deep breath, she sat up slowly, "Computer, turn on lights at 60%."
"Lights on," the computer's voice said, after an acknowledgement beep.
The sound coming from the computer sounded a bit off, but Isabel dismissed it, deciding she wasn't fully awake.
Isabel moved towards the sonic shower, hoping it would help her wake up and clear her head. She removed her clothes and stepped in, starting the shower. Though most of her life had been spent on a starship, it still seemed a bit odd and unsatisfying to be in the sonic shower, rather than one with water. At the same time, it produced the same effect, and she was used to it by now.
As she stood in the shower, her thoughts went back to the trial and Jaran. At this point, she had no idea how things would go. Both sides seemed to have come up with fairly convincing arguments, or at least placing the blame elsewhere... The closing arguments the next day would most likely be very important to the judge's decision.
She was torn regarding Jaran. Part of her felt sorry for him; he'd been through a lot and it had obviously affected him. He did seem loyal, which was ironic considering the circumstances.
In the time she'd visited Jaran before the trial, he did seem remorseful. Odd as it seemed, he also seemed to have grown attached to Isabel and the Malinche. He'd wanted her forgiveness and understanding...
At the same time, with Cameron's testimony there was no way the judge would allow him to serve on a starship, not in his current condition. At best, he'd most likely be sent to a mental health facility of some sort.
Isabel turned off the sonic shower and stepped out. Heading to her closet, she put on a plush robe for the time being, not quite ready to get into full dress uniform, since court wouldn't resume until 1000. In the meantime, she should get something to eat and check the latest messages.
Walking over to the replicator, she ordered breakfast, "Orange juice, fried egg over easy and two pieces of wheat toast with butter."
The replicator chirped as the meal appeared. Isabel took her breakfast to her desk and began eating. As she did, she pulled up the messages on her console. It seemed more crew had been shuffled around...a new counselor, but lost the Assistant Chief Medical Officer. With the events lately, it was probably good that StarFleet had sent a new Chief Counselor. Isabel made a note to meet with her later.
The Admiralty apparently had a new mission for the Malinche, but that would wait until the trial was completed. Most likely, Isabel figured, she'd find out about it later in the day.
Some reports regarding repairs had been sent to her, but Isabel decided to leave those for after the trial. Her senior staff was perfectly efficient and capable of handling repairs, so she wasn't worried.
Finished with breakfast, Isabel headed back to the closet, pulling out a fresh dress uniform. She put it on slowly, partially dreading the proceedings that would be taking place. Standing in front of a mirror, Isabel pulled her hair back in a more dignified fashion for the occasion. She let her fingertips run over her pips, feeling each one.
It would be a day to remember, yet a day to forget.
ON:
<<Kersare's quarters, 0732, Day 4>>
Isabel's eyes blinked open slowly. Truth be told, she really didn't want to get out of bed. Yesterday had proved to be very taxing - listening to all the testimony, getting grilled on the stand, having accusations thrown against her.... It was a day she certainly didn't want to experience again.
Taking a deep breath, she sat up slowly, "Computer, turn on lights at 60%."
"Lights on," the computer's voice said, after an acknowledgement beep.
The sound coming from the computer sounded a bit off, but Isabel dismissed it, deciding she wasn't fully awake.
Isabel moved towards the sonic shower, hoping it would help her wake up and clear her head. She removed her clothes and stepped in, starting the shower. Though most of her life had been spent on a starship, it still seemed a bit odd and unsatisfying to be in the sonic shower, rather than one with water. At the same time, it produced the same effect, and she was used to it by now.
As she stood in the shower, her thoughts went back to the trial and Jaran. At this point, she had no idea how things would go. Both sides seemed to have come up with fairly convincing arguments, or at least placing the blame elsewhere... The closing arguments the next day would most likely be very important to the judge's decision.
She was torn regarding Jaran. Part of her felt sorry for him; he'd been through a lot and it had obviously affected him. He did seem loyal, which was ironic considering the circumstances.
In the time she'd visited Jaran before the trial, he did seem remorseful. Odd as it seemed, he also seemed to have grown attached to Isabel and the Malinche. He'd wanted her forgiveness and understanding...
At the same time, with Cameron's testimony there was no way the judge would allow him to serve on a starship, not in his current condition. At best, he'd most likely be sent to a mental health facility of some sort.
Isabel turned off the sonic shower and stepped out. Heading to her closet, she put on a plush robe for the time being, not quite ready to get into full dress uniform, since court wouldn't resume until 1000. In the meantime, she should get something to eat and check the latest messages.
Walking over to the replicator, she ordered breakfast, "Orange juice, fried egg over easy and two pieces of wheat toast with butter."
The replicator chirped as the meal appeared. Isabel took her breakfast to her desk and began eating. As she did, she pulled up the messages on her console. It seemed more crew had been shuffled around...a new counselor, but lost the Assistant Chief Medical Officer. With the events lately, it was probably good that StarFleet had sent a new Chief Counselor. Isabel made a note to meet with her later.
The Admiralty apparently had a new mission for the Malinche, but that would wait until the trial was completed. Most likely, Isabel figured, she'd find out about it later in the day.
Some reports regarding repairs had been sent to her, but Isabel decided to leave those for after the trial. Her senior staff was perfectly efficient and capable of handling repairs, so she wasn't worried.
Finished with breakfast, Isabel headed back to the closet, pulling out a fresh dress uniform. She put it on slowly, partially dreading the proceedings that would be taking place. Standing in front of a mirror, Isabel pulled her hair back in a more dignified fashion for the occasion. She let her fingertips run over her pips, feeling each one.
It would be a day to remember, yet a day to forget.
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
(You'll have to excuse some elements of this post, as it was written entirely before the court martial took place...)
<<Holodeck 1, 2000 hours, Day 3, USS Malinche>>
There was that inkling hope that she was going to turn up. It wasn?t that he didn?t trust her, or that he really thought she would ignore their plans, but there was just the suspicion that maybe she didn?t care. Maybe she wasn?t actually interested in him. He hated first date nerves. It had been a long time since he had been on a first date in the first place and he wasn?t quite sure how well he was going to play out on this one. But he liked her, he really liked her. She was so pretty and confident and he knew fine well that he liked her too. Either that or she was just a fantastic actor. But surely she wouldn?t play games like that ? would she?
The doctor cursed to himself inside and shook his head. These kind of rambling thoughts were the last thing he needed, he just wanted to meet her. Then they were going to go inside and have dinner, dance and chat. That?s what they needed. He stood outside the doors of Holodeck 1, dressed in a dark blue, soft shirt that he wore loosely and a pair of lengthy new jeans. He was casual, but smart. In fact he figured he?d look good. Leaning against the bulkhead he sighed and closed his eyes, his head angled to the ceiling as he waited on her to make an appearance.
Although it seemed terribly clich?, Yrel found it hard to find something good to wearing to this date. Initially, she wanted to go over the top and wear a reply of her red seductress outfit from before. It got her laid then, and she figured it could do the same here?
?Not that this was all about her. She couldn?t deny that continuing to pursue her deep desire for a child was nearly at the forefront of her thoughts, but she did want to make this work romantically. He seemed to have the right touch when it came to her, within that one meeting the in the mess hall. Had it continued five minutes more, she surely would have been making out with the man relentlessly.
Yrel settled on wearing something flirty and maybe a bit too much girly, but perhaps very appropriate to the date. A tight white tanktop that played on her bustline, again, and a loose and short cut pink skirt that forced a man to decide what was more important of a woman?s features?despite the desired result being to look into her eyes rather than down at her ass-ets.
?Hi there,? she smiled as she approached Cameron. She didn?t go very intense on the make up, keeping to glossing her lips and giving her eyes an extra pop should he keep his eyes to her. ?You made a big move setting up this date?I don?t want to be disappointed.?
He smiled, turning round with his eyes shining. ?You won?t be, I can promise you that.? He paused and took her in for a moment, trying not to glance down at her slender legs that were on display. But what she wore was just kind of perfect for the scene he had been writing all morning. ?The program?s already running if you?re ready to go, I think you?re gonna like this actually. I uh?I made it myself.?
He stepped to the doorway and hooked out his arm for her to take, still smiling away like an idiot. ?Shall we then??
Yrel took the offered arm. She knew he admired her outfit by the way he tried to steady his view to her face. A good attempt, but he didn?t need to hold back like that. She dressed like this to be admired in the first place, especially by him. ?Made it yourself? You?ve impressed me, good sir. Lead away.?
?Certainly.? He said, pronouncing the ?C? like a ?Sh?, pretending to sound as suave and exotic as he could. Not that it really sounded too impressive.
The two passed through the holodeck doorway and out into the scene of an open air restaurant that lay at the top of a hill-side against a large, scenic town by the sea. The sun was simply setting gently in the horizon across a bay that was visible at the sea-line in the distance. The restaurant outer area was a patio with a collection of tables and chairs lined up in mahogany with an iron stand that seemed to bake fresh in the heat that the reddened sun still gave off. Candles lit the table for two in the centre of the collection, cutlery and red napkins already folded out. Of course the place was decorated with a string of balkin lights all connected and wired across the tips of the soft fencing around the patio area. The restaurant doorway stood well out of the way to the right.
The holodeck managed to create a clean and crisp air but provide the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea that lay before the large town that sloped down the hill, houses and buildings all old but coloured beautifully. It was adapted into a modern persona but it had the quaint sense of history surrounding it. And it was stunningly beautiful to look at. Moving to their table, Cameron moved round and pulled the seat out for Yrel to sit down. After she had done, shifting towards the table gently (he had her facing the scenery), he slid into his own seat and relaxed, a confident grin plastered on his face at her reaction.
?Welcome to Nice.? He murmured softly. ?And La Mange Rogue?which is this dotted little restaurant.?
Yrel was at a loss for words, certainly. The scenery was amazingly fresh in its beauty, for Yrel had been to and seen many beautiful places in her time of life?this amounted to one of the best. Cameron had some skill with a holodeck. Initially, she looked away bashfully, strands of her red hair falling into her face, which in turn pulled back when she looked back up to peer at Cameron.
?You?ve rendered poor ol? me speechless,? she smiled, blushing. ?You do this for every pretty girl that sits in your lap??
He smiled, lifting the bottle of champagne from the little ice bucket and after a brief twist, popped the cork. ?Well, let?s be honest here, not many pretty girls sit in my lap. This is just something I was working on today.? He poured some of the drink into her curved, modern wine glass and some into his own and then popped it back into the bucket. ?But I?m glad you like it.?
Already, that sexuality that had so nicely ended the last meeting was starting to stir back in when Yrel thought of another way to play on a comment in order to intice flirtation.
?Oh, I?m sure you were just working on it today,? she grinned. ?The fact that a date was coming up with a woman you likely didn?t want to let go yesterday had just nothing to do with it, I?m sure.?
She took a sip of the poured liquid and wasn?t quite sure what to make of it. It wasn?t a familiar drink that she had tried before, but she did remember something about carbonated human drinks generally being for the youth, not to mention unhealthy for that youth. Maybe this was different? A soda for adults maybe?
Cameron smiled, deciding to play a flash of confidence. ?You?re lucky I did let go. You couldn?t hold me responsible for my actions if you?d stayed.? He took a little sip of his champagne and popped it back onto the table. ?And I really wanted you to stay.?
?Oh, I can imagine,? she replied, continuing to play on the route of conversation. ?But I don?t think I?d have to worry about holding you responsible. Remember that chat before about me being trouble??
Cameron cocked an eyebrow, sitting back and placing his hands on the table. He didn?t believe that, not for one moment. Her self confidence seemed to brew from self loathing?well maybe not that deep. ?Yes?? He murmured softly, trying to coax her.
?Well, let us just leave it at the image that the trouble had only just began where we ended it yesterday,? she grinned, as a waiter approached. Yrel hadn?t even cared to look at any menu, nor did she realise that there was no menu to look at once she peered at the elegant silverware before her.
?Ah, Pierre.? Cameron said, grinning from ear to ear at the waiter. He turned to Yrel for a moment and shrugged sheepishly. ?Sorry, I know Pierre?s a little clich?d for a Frenchman but I just couldn?t think of anything else. Oh ? you can have anything you want, whatever meal you desire. I had Lieutenant Peters link the replicator system up to the holo-emitters.? He relaxed his face into a smile and studied her for a brief second.
The choice of a good meal initially failed Yrel. So many good foods to have and enjoy, but hardly any of them were good in the company of a nice date. It was such a shame the UFP didn?t have anything on Ba?Ku cuisine yet?even after a fair series of follow up missions to the planet.
?Maddam?? the waiter turned to her in askance of a request.
?I?ll have?uh?? she was still thinking it through when her concern turned to her hopeful pregnancy. There wasn?t much left for her to choose from that would be good nutrition for a child and proper to eat in company. ??A large greek salad, please.?
?And I?ll have a sirloin steak, please, cooked medium with boiled potato?s and a crisp salad.? Cameron said, wincing inside at how complex his order sounded. The waiter wandered out into the holographic kitchen ? he was on a time gap of 5 minutes ? and the doctor smiled across at her. ?Sorry it was a little in the dark, I really didn?t know what kind of cuisine you went for. So?I thought I?d widen the options.?
There was a long pause as Cam took another drink of his champagne, not exactly taking it easy on the alcohol, and then he smiled across at her. ?I was thinking.? He said softly. ?Here we are on this date, having dinner and dining like a couple and yet I don?t actually know you. Apart from that one time in the mess hall - we?ve never really talked about each other or discussed anything. I?m trying to figure a wee bit about you but it?s hard. You?re pretty elusive.?
Another sly grin played across Yrel?s face. ?Shouldn?t a woman be so?? She saw Cameron about to reply, and shook her head. ?Well, you asked so nicely, so I might as well. It?s a long life, though, I must say. You want the whole hundred and fifty-three years of it, or just a wee version?? she giggled at the jab of his accent.
He put on a pretend pout for a second. ?Don?t make fun of me. I?m proud of my accent.? He murmured meekly then smiled up at her. ?I don?t care about the one hundred and fifty three years, Yrel, I just want to know what kind of person you are. I want to be able to know who I?m dealing with here.?
?That?s never an easy question to answer,? she replied. ?Asking who someone is without taking up as much time as some boring four-hour lecture from some engineering class back at the academy, is nearly impossible.?
She took another slow sip of the champagne, before continuing. ?In a nutshell, I?m a small town girl, with little to no understanding of my surroundings. I?m far too selfish to be able to do something nice for someone else; I love sex; I love either sex; And I?m in a rush to fulfil my life now that I?m no longer immortal.?
Cameron stared at her for a long time, losing his imagination to his mind and swimming with different impulsive reactions to what she had said. His brooding moment was interrupted by the virtually composed Pierre returning with both dishes and placing them delicately in front of the pair ? and again with a basket of bread and trundle of garnishing sauces. As the waiter left, Cam stared at her, taking in the confidence and that brightness that shone from her and her composed state. She spurned curiosity in him but it was a little more. Not a desire, but a desperation for her. He sighed, toying with his food for a moment, then glanced back up.
?All I see is a radiance, in fact less than that. I see a confidence and a shining, glowing personality that?s backed by how beautiful you look. And how much your eyes glimmer and how often you smile.? He sighed and set his fork down, taking another drink of champagne. ?You wish to fulfil your life because you?re no longer immortal...I can accept that and believe me I can understand that. But if I?m going to have you, I have to have the glow that comes with it. I need to be loved if anything.? He paused and set his glass down, glancing at her again. ?In my eyes you?re still immortal. You still have forever...I have a little more than half a life. And hardly a hope.? He murmured the last part. Having reached his mid-30?s he had given up on that whole falling in love again, marrying again - ever caring about that again. He sighed and forked a little potato into his mouth, staring at his food.
?You have to have my glow, and you need love in return?? Yrel repeated the statement. ?That?s a lot of work to have those things. I?ve only had one previous lover that could say she had my glow and my love. How hard are you willing to work for all this joy? How hard are you willing to work to make me love you as much or more than I loved her??
He stared across at her, finishing a bite of steak quickly. ?Beyond words.? He said softly, then placed his fork down. What a question to answer. ?I?d work to the death just to have you for five minutes now and I still don?t know who you are. In ten minutes time I?ll never have wanted anything more in my life. And I?ll strive and tire and ache forever just to have the same feeling that I had for those ten minutes ? and if I can turn that into love or any kind of devotion then I?ll have to put even more effort in. I?m not work-shy...that?s one good thing about me.?
Yrel had finished a bit of her well-prepared salad in all in heaping glory as Cameron replied. He had a way with words, so much so that Yrel had to put down her fork as the two stared at each other. A short silence ensued, while she rolled around the passionate (?) response. ?What you describe is almost a drug,? she smiled, then let another pause follow. ?What if you?re not working for just me? Maybe I?m a packaged deal??
Cameron continued to eat a little as he thought it over. There was more to her than the relationship aspect they could have. There was something plaguing her mind and he figured he could guess at it. Covering his mouth slightly, as he was still chewing, he gave a response that he himself wasn?t quite prepared for. ?Then I?ll pay for the whole thing, even if I have to work twice as hard.? He said, swallowing more steak and gazing at her intently.
She took another forkful of salad. Things were getting too serious, even for her. As good as it sounded, she needed to soften the mood up again. This was only their first date, afterall. So she laughed. ?You that practiced, I?m sure?too many first dates in your life, hmm??
He smiled over his last potato. ?Too little ? I guess my problem was that I had plenty of time to imagine how they?d be.? He swallowed lightly and finished the last dregs of his champagne before having to ask his ultimate question. ?See you mentioned a lover, and you?re a very old woman. So tell me. How practiced are you in this whole thing??
?Old!?? Yrel mockingly let her jaw fall open. ?Very old? How dare you! Where?d that fine gentleman I met earlier go? Never call a woman old, haven?t you heard that?? She sighed, taking in more of her salad. ?I?m practiced in long term relationships, but not first dates. This is my second. Surprised??
?Very. You seem to know exactly what to say.? He said as he cut through his steak and began chewing with the salad. After swallowing he grinned. ?And come off it with the old thing. I?ve worked out that you?re far sharper than you let on so we?ll not go into that old Ba?ku wisdom you?re full off.? He paused for a second, realising that could be a little insulting, then added with a murmur. ?Besides...I said I wanted to know the real you.?
?I?m sure you will,? she grinned back. ?We have all night??
The two continued to chat as they finished their meal and moved onto a showy and flashy dessert. Slowly they broke the barrier and grew more confident and stable with one another as the dusk of the holodeck setting wore on to night. The champagne flooded their minds and as the promise of something more than just a first date and a chat began to surface, they each opened up more about themselves.
OFF/TBC:
JP by
Dr. Cameron Fairbairn
CMO
USS Malinche-B
and
<<Holodeck 1, 2000 hours, Day 3, USS Malinche>>
There was that inkling hope that she was going to turn up. It wasn?t that he didn?t trust her, or that he really thought she would ignore their plans, but there was just the suspicion that maybe she didn?t care. Maybe she wasn?t actually interested in him. He hated first date nerves. It had been a long time since he had been on a first date in the first place and he wasn?t quite sure how well he was going to play out on this one. But he liked her, he really liked her. She was so pretty and confident and he knew fine well that he liked her too. Either that or she was just a fantastic actor. But surely she wouldn?t play games like that ? would she?
The doctor cursed to himself inside and shook his head. These kind of rambling thoughts were the last thing he needed, he just wanted to meet her. Then they were going to go inside and have dinner, dance and chat. That?s what they needed. He stood outside the doors of Holodeck 1, dressed in a dark blue, soft shirt that he wore loosely and a pair of lengthy new jeans. He was casual, but smart. In fact he figured he?d look good. Leaning against the bulkhead he sighed and closed his eyes, his head angled to the ceiling as he waited on her to make an appearance.
Although it seemed terribly clich?, Yrel found it hard to find something good to wearing to this date. Initially, she wanted to go over the top and wear a reply of her red seductress outfit from before. It got her laid then, and she figured it could do the same here?
?Not that this was all about her. She couldn?t deny that continuing to pursue her deep desire for a child was nearly at the forefront of her thoughts, but she did want to make this work romantically. He seemed to have the right touch when it came to her, within that one meeting the in the mess hall. Had it continued five minutes more, she surely would have been making out with the man relentlessly.
Yrel settled on wearing something flirty and maybe a bit too much girly, but perhaps very appropriate to the date. A tight white tanktop that played on her bustline, again, and a loose and short cut pink skirt that forced a man to decide what was more important of a woman?s features?despite the desired result being to look into her eyes rather than down at her ass-ets.
?Hi there,? she smiled as she approached Cameron. She didn?t go very intense on the make up, keeping to glossing her lips and giving her eyes an extra pop should he keep his eyes to her. ?You made a big move setting up this date?I don?t want to be disappointed.?
He smiled, turning round with his eyes shining. ?You won?t be, I can promise you that.? He paused and took her in for a moment, trying not to glance down at her slender legs that were on display. But what she wore was just kind of perfect for the scene he had been writing all morning. ?The program?s already running if you?re ready to go, I think you?re gonna like this actually. I uh?I made it myself.?
He stepped to the doorway and hooked out his arm for her to take, still smiling away like an idiot. ?Shall we then??
Yrel took the offered arm. She knew he admired her outfit by the way he tried to steady his view to her face. A good attempt, but he didn?t need to hold back like that. She dressed like this to be admired in the first place, especially by him. ?Made it yourself? You?ve impressed me, good sir. Lead away.?
?Certainly.? He said, pronouncing the ?C? like a ?Sh?, pretending to sound as suave and exotic as he could. Not that it really sounded too impressive.
The two passed through the holodeck doorway and out into the scene of an open air restaurant that lay at the top of a hill-side against a large, scenic town by the sea. The sun was simply setting gently in the horizon across a bay that was visible at the sea-line in the distance. The restaurant outer area was a patio with a collection of tables and chairs lined up in mahogany with an iron stand that seemed to bake fresh in the heat that the reddened sun still gave off. Candles lit the table for two in the centre of the collection, cutlery and red napkins already folded out. Of course the place was decorated with a string of balkin lights all connected and wired across the tips of the soft fencing around the patio area. The restaurant doorway stood well out of the way to the right.
The holodeck managed to create a clean and crisp air but provide the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea that lay before the large town that sloped down the hill, houses and buildings all old but coloured beautifully. It was adapted into a modern persona but it had the quaint sense of history surrounding it. And it was stunningly beautiful to look at. Moving to their table, Cameron moved round and pulled the seat out for Yrel to sit down. After she had done, shifting towards the table gently (he had her facing the scenery), he slid into his own seat and relaxed, a confident grin plastered on his face at her reaction.
?Welcome to Nice.? He murmured softly. ?And La Mange Rogue?which is this dotted little restaurant.?
Yrel was at a loss for words, certainly. The scenery was amazingly fresh in its beauty, for Yrel had been to and seen many beautiful places in her time of life?this amounted to one of the best. Cameron had some skill with a holodeck. Initially, she looked away bashfully, strands of her red hair falling into her face, which in turn pulled back when she looked back up to peer at Cameron.
?You?ve rendered poor ol? me speechless,? she smiled, blushing. ?You do this for every pretty girl that sits in your lap??
He smiled, lifting the bottle of champagne from the little ice bucket and after a brief twist, popped the cork. ?Well, let?s be honest here, not many pretty girls sit in my lap. This is just something I was working on today.? He poured some of the drink into her curved, modern wine glass and some into his own and then popped it back into the bucket. ?But I?m glad you like it.?
Already, that sexuality that had so nicely ended the last meeting was starting to stir back in when Yrel thought of another way to play on a comment in order to intice flirtation.
?Oh, I?m sure you were just working on it today,? she grinned. ?The fact that a date was coming up with a woman you likely didn?t want to let go yesterday had just nothing to do with it, I?m sure.?
She took a sip of the poured liquid and wasn?t quite sure what to make of it. It wasn?t a familiar drink that she had tried before, but she did remember something about carbonated human drinks generally being for the youth, not to mention unhealthy for that youth. Maybe this was different? A soda for adults maybe?
Cameron smiled, deciding to play a flash of confidence. ?You?re lucky I did let go. You couldn?t hold me responsible for my actions if you?d stayed.? He took a little sip of his champagne and popped it back onto the table. ?And I really wanted you to stay.?
?Oh, I can imagine,? she replied, continuing to play on the route of conversation. ?But I don?t think I?d have to worry about holding you responsible. Remember that chat before about me being trouble??
Cameron cocked an eyebrow, sitting back and placing his hands on the table. He didn?t believe that, not for one moment. Her self confidence seemed to brew from self loathing?well maybe not that deep. ?Yes?? He murmured softly, trying to coax her.
?Well, let us just leave it at the image that the trouble had only just began where we ended it yesterday,? she grinned, as a waiter approached. Yrel hadn?t even cared to look at any menu, nor did she realise that there was no menu to look at once she peered at the elegant silverware before her.
?Ah, Pierre.? Cameron said, grinning from ear to ear at the waiter. He turned to Yrel for a moment and shrugged sheepishly. ?Sorry, I know Pierre?s a little clich?d for a Frenchman but I just couldn?t think of anything else. Oh ? you can have anything you want, whatever meal you desire. I had Lieutenant Peters link the replicator system up to the holo-emitters.? He relaxed his face into a smile and studied her for a brief second.
The choice of a good meal initially failed Yrel. So many good foods to have and enjoy, but hardly any of them were good in the company of a nice date. It was such a shame the UFP didn?t have anything on Ba?Ku cuisine yet?even after a fair series of follow up missions to the planet.
?Maddam?? the waiter turned to her in askance of a request.
?I?ll have?uh?? she was still thinking it through when her concern turned to her hopeful pregnancy. There wasn?t much left for her to choose from that would be good nutrition for a child and proper to eat in company. ??A large greek salad, please.?
?And I?ll have a sirloin steak, please, cooked medium with boiled potato?s and a crisp salad.? Cameron said, wincing inside at how complex his order sounded. The waiter wandered out into the holographic kitchen ? he was on a time gap of 5 minutes ? and the doctor smiled across at her. ?Sorry it was a little in the dark, I really didn?t know what kind of cuisine you went for. So?I thought I?d widen the options.?
There was a long pause as Cam took another drink of his champagne, not exactly taking it easy on the alcohol, and then he smiled across at her. ?I was thinking.? He said softly. ?Here we are on this date, having dinner and dining like a couple and yet I don?t actually know you. Apart from that one time in the mess hall - we?ve never really talked about each other or discussed anything. I?m trying to figure a wee bit about you but it?s hard. You?re pretty elusive.?
Another sly grin played across Yrel?s face. ?Shouldn?t a woman be so?? She saw Cameron about to reply, and shook her head. ?Well, you asked so nicely, so I might as well. It?s a long life, though, I must say. You want the whole hundred and fifty-three years of it, or just a wee version?? she giggled at the jab of his accent.
He put on a pretend pout for a second. ?Don?t make fun of me. I?m proud of my accent.? He murmured meekly then smiled up at her. ?I don?t care about the one hundred and fifty three years, Yrel, I just want to know what kind of person you are. I want to be able to know who I?m dealing with here.?
?That?s never an easy question to answer,? she replied. ?Asking who someone is without taking up as much time as some boring four-hour lecture from some engineering class back at the academy, is nearly impossible.?
She took another slow sip of the champagne, before continuing. ?In a nutshell, I?m a small town girl, with little to no understanding of my surroundings. I?m far too selfish to be able to do something nice for someone else; I love sex; I love either sex; And I?m in a rush to fulfil my life now that I?m no longer immortal.?
Cameron stared at her for a long time, losing his imagination to his mind and swimming with different impulsive reactions to what she had said. His brooding moment was interrupted by the virtually composed Pierre returning with both dishes and placing them delicately in front of the pair ? and again with a basket of bread and trundle of garnishing sauces. As the waiter left, Cam stared at her, taking in the confidence and that brightness that shone from her and her composed state. She spurned curiosity in him but it was a little more. Not a desire, but a desperation for her. He sighed, toying with his food for a moment, then glanced back up.
?All I see is a radiance, in fact less than that. I see a confidence and a shining, glowing personality that?s backed by how beautiful you look. And how much your eyes glimmer and how often you smile.? He sighed and set his fork down, taking another drink of champagne. ?You wish to fulfil your life because you?re no longer immortal...I can accept that and believe me I can understand that. But if I?m going to have you, I have to have the glow that comes with it. I need to be loved if anything.? He paused and set his glass down, glancing at her again. ?In my eyes you?re still immortal. You still have forever...I have a little more than half a life. And hardly a hope.? He murmured the last part. Having reached his mid-30?s he had given up on that whole falling in love again, marrying again - ever caring about that again. He sighed and forked a little potato into his mouth, staring at his food.
?You have to have my glow, and you need love in return?? Yrel repeated the statement. ?That?s a lot of work to have those things. I?ve only had one previous lover that could say she had my glow and my love. How hard are you willing to work for all this joy? How hard are you willing to work to make me love you as much or more than I loved her??
He stared across at her, finishing a bite of steak quickly. ?Beyond words.? He said softly, then placed his fork down. What a question to answer. ?I?d work to the death just to have you for five minutes now and I still don?t know who you are. In ten minutes time I?ll never have wanted anything more in my life. And I?ll strive and tire and ache forever just to have the same feeling that I had for those ten minutes ? and if I can turn that into love or any kind of devotion then I?ll have to put even more effort in. I?m not work-shy...that?s one good thing about me.?
Yrel had finished a bit of her well-prepared salad in all in heaping glory as Cameron replied. He had a way with words, so much so that Yrel had to put down her fork as the two stared at each other. A short silence ensued, while she rolled around the passionate (?) response. ?What you describe is almost a drug,? she smiled, then let another pause follow. ?What if you?re not working for just me? Maybe I?m a packaged deal??
Cameron continued to eat a little as he thought it over. There was more to her than the relationship aspect they could have. There was something plaguing her mind and he figured he could guess at it. Covering his mouth slightly, as he was still chewing, he gave a response that he himself wasn?t quite prepared for. ?Then I?ll pay for the whole thing, even if I have to work twice as hard.? He said, swallowing more steak and gazing at her intently.
She took another forkful of salad. Things were getting too serious, even for her. As good as it sounded, she needed to soften the mood up again. This was only their first date, afterall. So she laughed. ?You that practiced, I?m sure?too many first dates in your life, hmm??
He smiled over his last potato. ?Too little ? I guess my problem was that I had plenty of time to imagine how they?d be.? He swallowed lightly and finished the last dregs of his champagne before having to ask his ultimate question. ?See you mentioned a lover, and you?re a very old woman. So tell me. How practiced are you in this whole thing??
?Old!?? Yrel mockingly let her jaw fall open. ?Very old? How dare you! Where?d that fine gentleman I met earlier go? Never call a woman old, haven?t you heard that?? She sighed, taking in more of her salad. ?I?m practiced in long term relationships, but not first dates. This is my second. Surprised??
?Very. You seem to know exactly what to say.? He said as he cut through his steak and began chewing with the salad. After swallowing he grinned. ?And come off it with the old thing. I?ve worked out that you?re far sharper than you let on so we?ll not go into that old Ba?ku wisdom you?re full off.? He paused for a second, realising that could be a little insulting, then added with a murmur. ?Besides...I said I wanted to know the real you.?
?I?m sure you will,? she grinned back. ?We have all night??
The two continued to chat as they finished their meal and moved onto a showy and flashy dessert. Slowly they broke the barrier and grew more confident and stable with one another as the dusk of the holodeck setting wore on to night. The champagne flooded their minds and as the promise of something more than just a first date and a chat began to surface, they each opened up more about themselves.
OFF/TBC:
JP by
Dr. Cameron Fairbairn
CMO
USS Malinche-B
and
Lieutenant Yrel Sovereign
Chief Science Officer & Second Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B
-
Rayne
- Crewmember
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:46 pm
- Location: Running away from the penguins that come one by one to steal away my sanity
- Contact:
ON:
<<USS Malinche-B>
<Pheonix Dawn, Day 3, 2015 Hours>
The reading on the panel worried Mason because he had never seen a configuration like it in all his years in starfleet. It would take the most brilliant minds inthe federation to figure out the matrix for the Dawn. "How's it going ?" he asked.
Her attention was so focused on the dawn that she almost didn't realise that the commander had spoken to her. "Hmm? Oh everything seems to be in order from what the scans are telling me. So what all did you take notes on?" Sara asked with a smile still running the scans.
"Well just the basics the warp core, port and starboard weapons array. I must say you could redesign the weapons for the Malinche." said Mason laughing. He moved over to an empty seat just near the aft compartment, and saw that there was no food replicator granted there was some in the back but the orginal delta flyer had some. "Say Rayne, are they ever going to put replicators up here?" he asked.
"Most of the equipment onboard the dawn is hidden away, there should be a control over there to turn the panel the replicator is inside around." said Sara finishing up the scans. "There are alot of panels like that onboard the dawn, most of them have equipment or weapon storage behind them." she said walking over to a control next to one of the wall panels to demonstrate.
It seemed this little ship was full of suprises and so was Rayne, many Captain's in the past have established connections with their ships but there was something about this connection. "So when do you think she will be ready to fly and when did you want to talk to the skipper about her?" asked Mason.
"Well anytime the captain is available I guess would be a good time to talk about the dawn with her. As for flying she is ready now." said Sara closing the wall panel that she opened. "Everything looks good so whenever its possible the dawn can take a flight around the starbase and back." She said making her away to the front of the ship.
"Well i know the skipper has been busy with the trial and all, perhaps we can get some dinner and see about getting a test flight going." said Hunt.
"That sounds like a good idea." said Sara with a smile. "Its been awhile since I've been to the starbase here. So I guess I'll let you pick the place." Sara smiled again then opened a wall panel to check on the contents of the storage compartment inside.
"How about some klingon food, my cousin is always telling how great it is except im not a fan of gogh." asked Mason looking inside the ops console seeing how most of it was retro fitted with bio neural cirucitry. "I am in the mood for some good ole mexican food really." said Mason putting one arm leaning on the ops console. The base had numerous places for them to visit and eat but he was in the mood to go somewhere that had a lot of people and entertainment.
"Mexican food sounds good. Its been too long since I've had something other then the replicated stuff." said Sara looking over towards Mason. "Last time I was at this starbase they didn't have a Mexican food resturant, guess I should have visited more often." She said with a laugh. "So when do you plan on getting dinner?" Sara said watching the commander.
Hunt waived one hand offering her the way out of the Dawn being the gentlemen that he is, how about in an hour I need to freshen up first and send in my report to the skipper before we go. Let's say in twenty minutes." asked Mason.
"Sounds good." Sara said exitting the dawn. "I'll meet you at outside the docking terminal then." she said walking away to freshen up and be ready to meet him when it was time.
OFF:
A JP Brought to you by:
Commander Mason Hunt
First Officer
USS Malinche NCC 38897-B
and
<<USS Malinche-B>
<Pheonix Dawn, Day 3, 2015 Hours>
The reading on the panel worried Mason because he had never seen a configuration like it in all his years in starfleet. It would take the most brilliant minds inthe federation to figure out the matrix for the Dawn. "How's it going ?" he asked.
Her attention was so focused on the dawn that she almost didn't realise that the commander had spoken to her. "Hmm? Oh everything seems to be in order from what the scans are telling me. So what all did you take notes on?" Sara asked with a smile still running the scans.
"Well just the basics the warp core, port and starboard weapons array. I must say you could redesign the weapons for the Malinche." said Mason laughing. He moved over to an empty seat just near the aft compartment, and saw that there was no food replicator granted there was some in the back but the orginal delta flyer had some. "Say Rayne, are they ever going to put replicators up here?" he asked.
"Most of the equipment onboard the dawn is hidden away, there should be a control over there to turn the panel the replicator is inside around." said Sara finishing up the scans. "There are alot of panels like that onboard the dawn, most of them have equipment or weapon storage behind them." she said walking over to a control next to one of the wall panels to demonstrate.
It seemed this little ship was full of suprises and so was Rayne, many Captain's in the past have established connections with their ships but there was something about this connection. "So when do you think she will be ready to fly and when did you want to talk to the skipper about her?" asked Mason.
"Well anytime the captain is available I guess would be a good time to talk about the dawn with her. As for flying she is ready now." said Sara closing the wall panel that she opened. "Everything looks good so whenever its possible the dawn can take a flight around the starbase and back." She said making her away to the front of the ship.
"Well i know the skipper has been busy with the trial and all, perhaps we can get some dinner and see about getting a test flight going." said Hunt.
"That sounds like a good idea." said Sara with a smile. "Its been awhile since I've been to the starbase here. So I guess I'll let you pick the place." Sara smiled again then opened a wall panel to check on the contents of the storage compartment inside.
"How about some klingon food, my cousin is always telling how great it is except im not a fan of gogh." asked Mason looking inside the ops console seeing how most of it was retro fitted with bio neural cirucitry. "I am in the mood for some good ole mexican food really." said Mason putting one arm leaning on the ops console. The base had numerous places for them to visit and eat but he was in the mood to go somewhere that had a lot of people and entertainment.
"Mexican food sounds good. Its been too long since I've had something other then the replicated stuff." said Sara looking over towards Mason. "Last time I was at this starbase they didn't have a Mexican food resturant, guess I should have visited more often." She said with a laugh. "So when do you plan on getting dinner?" Sara said watching the commander.
Hunt waived one hand offering her the way out of the Dawn being the gentlemen that he is, how about in an hour I need to freshen up first and send in my report to the skipper before we go. Let's say in twenty minutes." asked Mason.
"Sounds good." Sara said exitting the dawn. "I'll meet you at outside the docking terminal then." she said walking away to freshen up and be ready to meet him when it was time.
OFF:
A JP Brought to you by:
Commander Mason Hunt
First Officer
USS Malinche NCC 38897-B
and
Ensign Sara Rayne
Acting Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Malinche-B NCC-38897-B
"Beware The Penguins!"
<<Bridge, MD03 2000>>
"Alright, Ensign," Peters started, "Let's slow down a moment here. Once you've got that console re-aligned you go ahead and get some rest. I'll look into this and we'll get to work checking possibly affected systems first thing in the morning. Report to my office as soon as your shift begins tomorrow."
Akios acknowledged the order and signed off. That was that, at least until the morning. He just hoped Malinche didn't receive new orders in the middle of the night.
He didn't quite feel comfortable just letting go, though. Akios set an alert in the computer to notify him if any irregularities were detected during normal internal checks of the suspect systems. He also set a note for himself to suggest checking the shuttles--after all, the particle source was supposedly in or near the shuttle bay. The readings he'd gotten the previous day still bothered him. Multiple emitters might be the explanation, using low power to evade sensors while creating focal points of concentrated energy where the emissions overlapped... but it would take him a couple of hours just to come up with a sensor sweep program to look for that. One more thing to leave for the morning.
After verifying that the Science displays were working normally, Akios shut down the station, finished cleaning up, and headed for the turbolift after one more look around the bridge.
<<Crew quarters, Deck 4A, MD03 2015>>
Drochlo was still reading in his bunk when Akios entered, though he'd changed out of his uniform. He looked up at the aurelian. "That took longer than I expected. Any problems?"
"I had to pull the polaron inductor module," Akios said, and while he got out of his uniform again he went over what he'd discovered.
"That's...bizarre," Drochlo said. "Why would anyone be bombarding the ship with polarons?"
"Don't know. Hope we find out tomorrow," Akios said, climbing into the upper bunk. He opened a storage compartment and began rummaging inside.
"Want me to kill the lights?"
"No, that's okay," Akios said, pulling out a rolled strip of heavy fabric and closing the compartment. Their bunks had individual reading lamps, but Akios was pretty sure Drochlo wasn't ready to go to sleep yet. He unrolled the strip of fabric and wrapped it around his head. The fabric blocked enough light that he wouldn't have any trouble sleeping with the compartment lights on. He stretched out on his stomach, settling his wings around him.
"By the way, I finished reading your analysis. Looks like it would work. There's a couple of things I want to double check, but I'm ready to say I'm in."
"Mmmhmmm..." Akios mumbled, already starting to fall asleep. "Thanks. Couldn't do it without you."
"Goodnight, then."
"G'night."
<<MD04 0545>>
Akios slept well, and woke early as usual. He refreshed and dressed quickly; there were things he needed to get done before the workday started.
Retrieving a grav sled from the nearest cargo bay, Akios went around collecting the parts he'd stashed two days before, while working on the shuttle bay repairs. Fortunately they were all still there, with no sign that anyone had discovered them or even opened the places he'd put them in. He managed to get them back to his quarters before the day-shift lighting came on in the crew quarters section, and unloaded them without waking Drochlo.
After returning the sled to the cargo bay, he ate a quick breakfast and headed to Engineering.
<<Main Engineering, MD04 0745>>
Arriving in Engineering, Akios checked to see if Lt. Peters was in his office yet.
<Tag Peters>
Ens. Drochlo <NPC>
Engineering Officer
"Alright, Ensign," Peters started, "Let's slow down a moment here. Once you've got that console re-aligned you go ahead and get some rest. I'll look into this and we'll get to work checking possibly affected systems first thing in the morning. Report to my office as soon as your shift begins tomorrow."
Akios acknowledged the order and signed off. That was that, at least until the morning. He just hoped Malinche didn't receive new orders in the middle of the night.
He didn't quite feel comfortable just letting go, though. Akios set an alert in the computer to notify him if any irregularities were detected during normal internal checks of the suspect systems. He also set a note for himself to suggest checking the shuttles--after all, the particle source was supposedly in or near the shuttle bay. The readings he'd gotten the previous day still bothered him. Multiple emitters might be the explanation, using low power to evade sensors while creating focal points of concentrated energy where the emissions overlapped... but it would take him a couple of hours just to come up with a sensor sweep program to look for that. One more thing to leave for the morning.
After verifying that the Science displays were working normally, Akios shut down the station, finished cleaning up, and headed for the turbolift after one more look around the bridge.
<<Crew quarters, Deck 4A, MD03 2015>>
Drochlo was still reading in his bunk when Akios entered, though he'd changed out of his uniform. He looked up at the aurelian. "That took longer than I expected. Any problems?"
"I had to pull the polaron inductor module," Akios said, and while he got out of his uniform again he went over what he'd discovered.
"That's...bizarre," Drochlo said. "Why would anyone be bombarding the ship with polarons?"
"Don't know. Hope we find out tomorrow," Akios said, climbing into the upper bunk. He opened a storage compartment and began rummaging inside.
"Want me to kill the lights?"
"No, that's okay," Akios said, pulling out a rolled strip of heavy fabric and closing the compartment. Their bunks had individual reading lamps, but Akios was pretty sure Drochlo wasn't ready to go to sleep yet. He unrolled the strip of fabric and wrapped it around his head. The fabric blocked enough light that he wouldn't have any trouble sleeping with the compartment lights on. He stretched out on his stomach, settling his wings around him.
"By the way, I finished reading your analysis. Looks like it would work. There's a couple of things I want to double check, but I'm ready to say I'm in."
"Mmmhmmm..." Akios mumbled, already starting to fall asleep. "Thanks. Couldn't do it without you."
"Goodnight, then."
"G'night."
<<MD04 0545>>
Akios slept well, and woke early as usual. He refreshed and dressed quickly; there were things he needed to get done before the workday started.
Retrieving a grav sled from the nearest cargo bay, Akios went around collecting the parts he'd stashed two days before, while working on the shuttle bay repairs. Fortunately they were all still there, with no sign that anyone had discovered them or even opened the places he'd put them in. He managed to get them back to his quarters before the day-shift lighting came on in the crew quarters section, and unloaded them without waking Drochlo.
After returning the sled to the cargo bay, he ate a quick breakfast and headed to Engineering.
<<Main Engineering, MD04 0745>>
Arriving in Engineering, Akios checked to see if Lt. Peters was in his office yet.
<Tag Peters>
Ens. Drochlo <NPC>
Engineering Officer
Ensign Turuas'ta Akios
Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B