Lost And Found (JM with USS Sentinel/Peacekeeper)

[Kersare]

<<USS Malinche, Bridge, 1530, Day 2>>

Thus far, Isabel hadn't heard back from Yrel, though there was plenty of information to go through. She was also hoping to hear from Todd and Jake regarding their meeting with some of the Sentinel's crew. Hopefully any modifications wouldn't be too time intensive and they would be able to begin their search for escape pods and the Sirion as soon as they arrived in the area.

Little could be accomplished in her Ready Room at this point, so Isabel had walked onto the Bridge in the last ten minutes and taken a seat in her chair after getting an update. She heard the turbolift doors swish open and turned to see Jack walk onto the bridge.

Jack had never really been a fan of bridge duty, it was much more productive from someone in his line of work to work out of an office but nevertheless sometime someone had to man the bridge station, the station officially designated ?Mission Ops II?. He smiled politely at those members of the crew who turned to see who was coming and took a seat facing the wall station.

Isabel stood up and walked over to Jack, "Good afternoon, Lieutenant. How are your new quarters?"

?I believe ?quaint? is the word, but certainly better smelling than my former ones are? Jack replied, ?Nice punishment by the way? He smiled thinking back to the Chief's reaction the previous evening.

"I felt it would be appropriate. Any chance you two are getting along any better?" Isabel raised an eyebrow. Honestly, she seriously doubted the two would ever be anywhere near friends, but she did hope they could at least be civil to each other and stop harassing each other.

?Well I did take him coffee earlier, does that count? Granted I think he swore at me in Russian and essentially stormed off, but hey, least he didn?t hit me this time?? He smiled.

Isabel shook her head, "Can't expect immediate improvement I suppose. Was he storming off for duty, I hope? Rather than disobeying me?"

?He was storming off to go to the Counsellor I think, figured I?d leave him to that one, unless you?d rather I had tagged along??

"No, no. Counseling sessions he should be attending alone." Isabel was a bit surprised that Marco was actually going to see one, truth be told. Granted, it had been order, but Marco didn't seem to take those well in the first place. Nobody else was in earshot, so rather than returning to her Ready Room, Isabel decided to continue the conversation where they were. "Have you heard anything more regarding Lieutenant Abubakar?"

Despite no one being around Jack lowered his voice slightly, ?Not a thing, which to be honest is a little odd, not even anyone saying they don?t know anything, I?m literally being stonewalled??

Isabel didn't like the sound of that. "That is odd. If you do hear anything, let me know. If not..." She sighed; what happened to Jaran didn't sit well with her but she may have to live with not knowing. It wasn't a pleasant thought. "Have you heard wind of any pertinent Intel regarding the Direidi sector or our mission?"

Jack shared the Captain's concerns about the situation and made a mental note to chase up the issue when he got back to his office, his mind turned to the Direidi sector. He turned slightly towards the station and pulled up the Intel report he had compiled, displaying it on the wall screens, ?Not much that?s relevant; the Vulcan colony on Therya Four has reported some Breen privateers in the area, they?ve attacked 3 convoys in the last fortnight, and 3 days ago a Klingon ship near the edge of the sector reported a possible Romulan contact. But there?s nothing I can see from near the Direidi system and nothing here that suggests a Borg presence other than your own reports and those from the Dorado and the Dawes.? He leant back and turned the display back to its stand-by screen.

She nodded, "Any information or even remotely reliable rumors about the Sirion floating around?"

?Not a thing, as far as Starfleet Intelligence is concerned this sector just isn?t on the map so there aren?t any resources directed here, sorry.?

"No need to apologize, just thought I'd ask. Good to have whatever information there is, as I'm sure you know. Anything else I should know?" Isabel looked over at him.

?Not unless you?re interested in Ferengi attempts to inflate the price of Tholian silk??

Isabel smiled, "Not right now, thank you. If you do hear something, let me know?"

?Unfortunately, it?s my job to be interested?? Jack sighed as he activated the screen once again, ?Yeah, if I hear anything I?ll be in touch.?

"Thank you Lieutenant. I'll let you get back to your duties." Isabel gave him a last smile and nodded before heading back to her chair and taking a seat. She'd hoped there would be more information to go on, but unfortunately that wasn't the case this time.

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant JG Jack Hawkins
Acting Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B

and

[Peters]

ON:

<<USS Malinche, Engineering, 1330, Day 2>>

Quaid waited patiently in the Malinche's Main Engineering section for the officers he was due to meet to discuss Anti-Borg strategies. The officers in question were the Chief Engineer from both the Malinche and the Sentinel and the Chief Security/Tactical Officer from both ships.

In one hand was a case containing his modified Starfleet Phasers and in the other, a PADD containing everything he thought he would need that would help modify both starships tactical systems as well as the hand phaser units.

Kilana walked into the Malinche's Main Engineering and looked around; she'd never been in Engineering on a Prometheus class before. As her eyes moved slowly around the room, she saw a man in a red uniform that she recalled being the Malinche's Chief Flight Control Officer. A couple people that were to be at the meeting were there already, but some were still missing. She gave a brief nod to Jake.

Blake walked into the engineering section of the Malinche only few steps behind the Chief. He immediately looked around the large room, as was his habit, so that he could visualize the layout in his head. Blake had always had an interest in ship design and Main Engineering was among the most interesting section a ship. Almost very class had a unique Engineering which always reflected the personality of the ship it held together. Snapping back to reality Blake looked forward to see Quaid, as well an officer he recognized to be the CS/TO of the Malinche. Making eye contact with both of them Blake nodded in acknowledgment.

Peters looked out of his office and saw that most of the meeting group was here. He grabbed the padd containing his research off the desk and headed out to meet them. "Good afternoon. I'd say that we could do this in my office, but, unfortunately, it's a bit small for that."

"It's no problem Lieutenant," Jake said as he realized everyone invited was present. "We'll probably be needing access to the various stations around us anyway."

"Thank you all for coming," Jake said as locked eyes with each of them briefly. "For those of you that don't know me, I am Lt. Jake Quaid, the Chief Flight Control Officer for the Malinche. We're here today to discuss Anti-Borg strategy? chances are we'll be facing the Borg in the very near future and if that's the case? we have to be prepared."

"The reason why I've asked you all to be here is because our offensive and defensive systems need modifying as you probably are aware by now. And I'm not just talking about the ship wide systems, I'm also talking about the personal weapons."

Nodding, Kilana said, "How extensive would these modifications be? I'm sure they're necessary, but we also don't have much time..."

"Well from what we know about the Borg, we'll need to modify the shields and phasers so the Borg find it hard to adapt to them and essentially render them useless. Data collected by the vessels involved in the various encounters we've had with the Borg have all shown that if we keep the shield and phaser modulations on a continuous rotating frequency, we'll have a much better chance of coming out of this with both ships intact... for the most part anyway," Quaid explained. "To do that, each phaser array and shielding system will need a separate computer algorithm which will automatically retune the frequency modulation."

"That part at least, while not simple, isn't too hard to manage once the algorithms are written and loaded," Peters interjected. "The main difficulty is writing up the algorithms before we encounter the Borg. I do, however, have someone in mind to assign that task to... Another concern that I see is preventing crew from getting assimilated should the Borg manage to get through one, or both, ships' shields."

Quaid hoisted the case containing his personal weaponry onto the 'pool table's before opening it. "Here are my type 2 and type 3 phasers from my days in SSWAT," he said as he lifted the type 3 compression rifle from the case to show everyone. "As you can see it has been significantly modified. One of the modifications I installed is isolinear circuitry that automatically changes the emission frequency after every discharge. It's still not completely effective as the holographic Borg still managed to adapt after about 12 shots, and there's no guarantee that real drones will take as long to adapt but at least it'll give us an edge."

"As for other means of protection, SSWAT experimented with body armor and personal shields. The shields didn't last long because of the amount of power required and the Borg always managed to adapt to whatever armor we had."

"I have a feeling the Borg will adapt to whatever we can come up with," Kilana replied. She hated to sound pessimistic, but it was the truth. "Of course, we should try whatever we can to slow that down and reduce or eliminate the number of crew assimilated. What kinds of measures is Security taking to help protect the crews? And should we perhaps talk to Medical about ways to prevent assimilation?"

"I actually had a thought about that, which I've yet to speak with Medical on." Peters wagged his PADD in the air. "Anti-assimilation Nanites. They're far from perfect, but if injected soon enough after the Borg Nanoprobes, they can, theoretically, retard the process of assimilation long enough to get the person to sickbay. And then the doctors can do whatever it is they do to de-assimilate the person."

"An interesting idea... turn their own weapon against them. If we have both vessels constructing them we should have plenty," Quaid replied. "The only trouble is, they'll be untested... it's not like we can inject someone with Borg nanoprobes and quickly follow suit with our own nanites to see the results."

Blake contemplated the proposal ?That may be true but at least its something new. Who knows, that could turn out to be the greatest weapon we have.? Blake was hoping between all of the officers present we could present some new ideas because nothing that has been previously used has been completely successful.

"I actually have one of my best engineers exploring the possibilities and what modifications would be necessary. I worked out the theory this morning, but didn't have time to do more than that myself." Peters shrugged. "I'd say if anyone other than a medical officer could come up with a solution, it would be Ensign Akios."

The more they talked, the more unprepared and vulnerable Kilana felt. They still had time to make modifications, but it was impossible to be truly ready for an encounter with the Borg. It certainly didn't rank high on her "need to try" list... At least the crews had a good bit of experience, especially Jake. "Lieutenant Quaid, do you have any other advice on preparations?"

"I've loaded up several combat simulations involving the Borg into the Malinche's database. While I was in SSWAT, we used them to test out different scenarios. I've already scheduled everyone for some training exercises to better prepare everyone... I just hope it'll be enough," Quaid replied.

"And speaking of the holodeck," Peters spoke up again, "Once we have the design of the nanites that we want to test, we could use the combat simulations to test their theoretical effectiveness."

Blake then had a thought regarding the nanites and decided to present it for the consideration of the group. ?I was just considering the possibility of weaponizing the nanites. Obviously limited production times prevent full-scale deployment but if we could modify a TR-116 rifle to fire a nanite projectile we may be able to deliver a quick dosage to infected crew even in a combat situation.?

"It's definitely something we can test on the holodecks," Quaid replied. "It'd mean coercing the computer into giving us the files regarding the TR-116 but we'll see how we go."

"Does anyone else have any ideas?"

"Well, we could see if we could trick the Borg into assimilating a drunkard... of course, we'd have to have one of those around in the first place," Peters said in jest. "Nothing more here, though."

Everyone else in the small gathering echoed the negative reply.

"Alright," Quaid said, looking to the Engineers. "I'll run you through what I think needs to be done with the offensive and defensive systems of both ships in more detail first and then I'll head over to the armoury to assist with the hand unit modifications."

Nobody objected to Quaid's suggestion, which made him smile. "Meeting adjourned."

OFF:

This very long in writing time JP has been brought to you by the number 4, the letters J and P, and the Foundation for a Better Life Through Simming.

Lieutenant Jake Quaid
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche

&

Lieutenant Blake Daggerd
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Sentinel

&

Chief Petty Officer Kilana Nira
Chief of the Boat, Captain's Yeoman, and Acting Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel

&

[Akios]

<<USS Malinche, Holodeck, MD02 1900>>

There was one big problem with the defense that Lt. Peters had proposed: directly attacking the nanoprobes only dealt with a fraction of the problem.

There were too many variable to consider. Once the nanoprobes were injected into the blood, they immediately latched onto blood cells, using them as "horses" to transport the nanoprobes throughout the body. While it traveled, the attached nanoprobe also began assimilating the cell it was using. The current theory was that each nanoprobe contained a recursively-compressed database of borg nanotechnology. The database was injected into the blood cell during assimilation, but in a different format, one that could be duplicated by the assimilated cell, making it a "trojan horse". The fully assimilated cell was released by the nanoprobe, after which it continued to perform its normal function of exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide in other cells. However, while it did that, the "trojan horse" cell also injected the borg database in a self-extracting format capable of spontaneously assimilating the cell it was injected into, though that took more time than a nanoprobe-initiated assimilation. However, not all compromised cells were immediately assimilated. A percentage of the injected databases remained dormant for an unknown period of time. It could activate hours or days later. If the un-assimilated cell with the database reproduced, it might even be possible that it would reproduce the database, just like viral DNA. Once the spontaneous assimilation began, it could progress in any of a number of directions, ranging from turning the cell into a nanoprobe breeder, to turning the cell into a component of a larger assembly.

That meant that within minutes of the nanoprobe injection, the attack became two-pronged, and shortly thereafter became three-pronged. To try to stop or slow assimilation using nanites would take nanites capable of recognizing and responding to at least three completely different threats: nanoprobes, assimilated blood cells, and compromised body cells that might or might not show signs of assimilation. Or maybe four threats; he had to assume that the nanoprobes would directly attack nanites once they'd been identified as a threat.

A nanite that could deal with nanoprobes and different types of cells at different stages of assimilation while also being able to defend itself against nanoprobe attack would be orders of magnitude more complex than any nanotechnology the Federation had ever developed. It was no wonder that in the years since Voyager had returned to Federation space with its wealth of data on the Borg, no comprehensive defense against assimilation had ever been developed.

There was no way Akios could develop such a nanite--not in the few hours they had.

And even if the attack nanites could destroy 90% of the invading nanoprobes, that would only delay assimilation by a minute or two if the other threat--assimilated or compromised cells--was not also dealt with as effectively.

Akios gave the computer specifications for five different nanites: one was for Peters's attack nanites, one for defense nanites, one for blood cell attack nanites, and one for search-and-destroy nanites. And one other.

Akios had been able to streamline Peters's design a little, making the attack nanites a little faster and a little more powerful. The idea of specializing the nanites even further than what Peters had done had let him do that. Unfortunately, the specialization meant the nanites weren't able to defend themselves if the nanoprobes fought back.

The defense nanites were a modification of the attack nanites. Their purpose was to identify nanoprobe behavior indicating they had switched from assimilation to counterattack, and to target those nanoprobes while also defending themselves. They were bigger than the attack nanites, and more powerful, but also slower.

The blood cell attack nanites were another modification. Their purpose was to identify assimilated blood cells and to destroy them. Like the streamlined attack nanites, they weren't able to defend themselves against surprise attack.

The search-and-destroy nanites were more similar to medical nanites. Their job was to examine cells throughout the body, looking for the borg database. Any cell that contained the database would be destroyed, even if the cell otherwise was healthy.

Finally, there was the final type: network nanites. The extreme specialization of each type of nanite caused each type to have vulnerabilities. Only if the nanites could be networked together to work cooperatively could they overcome those weaknesses and be effective against the nanoprobes. However, networking was an extreme risk--if the borg could access the nanite network, they would be able to take control of the nanites and use the to speed, rather than slow, the assimilation process. There was only one thing Akios could think of to prevent it--put the communication domain in a sub-channel to disguise it as noise, and to give the nanites an adaptive, recursively self-modifying encrypted communication system. That stood the best chance of withstanding borg penetration, but it also meant that if Malinche or Sentinel lost communication syncronization with the nanites, they would lose control of them--there'd be no way to deactivate them.

And deactivation was vital. The nanites would have to be put in place before a borg encounter for them to have any chance of getting the upper hand. They'd have to remain dormant until activated by the presence of nanoprobes. Once active, the nanites' effect on a body would be brutal. The nanites wouldn't just be attacking nanoprobes, after all--they'd be attacking and destroying any compromised cell in the body. The nanites would delay assimilation all right, but in ten to fifteen minutes, they'd kill the body they were defending.

The cure was definitely as bad as the disease.

Akios sat back in his chair in the holodeck, running is fingers through his crest. He'd dismissed the holo-tutors hours ago. Above him, a holosimulation of the nanite network fought against nanoprobes. The simulation indicated that in this run, the level of assimilation was nearly at a standstill, but the body was suffering massive systemic hemmorhage and would be dead in moments. He stopped the simulation. If only there was some way to reverse cellular-level assimilation without destroying the effected cells...

There didn't seem to be anything more to do but write up his report. As Akios wrote, he added a notation to have Medical view the simulation so that they could prepare a medical response for the kind of damage they'd see as a result of the nanites, and sent the report to Lt. Peters. Maybe the lieutenant would see something he hadn't.

That got him to thinking--blood cells seemed to be the key factor in the assimilation process. There were a number of synthetic blood substitutes available. What if most of a person's blood was replaced, and if he increased the ratio of attack and defense nanites....

[Starbase 386 Crew]

(USS Sentinel, Cargo Bay, Day 3, 1600 hours)

As Lydia made her way through the corridors of the Sentinel she felt at home instantly. She new every stem bolt and bulkhead in her construction even down to the fact that part of the beck plating in deck twelve section 14 was .3 mils thicker than the deck plating in section 13. She had found out that Lange was in Cargo Bay 1 and was taken by surprise when she walked in and had a foot ball whizzing past her head.

Lange grinned a bit sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect anyone to walk in just then. Guess it's lucky I miss-threw that one... if I'd been on target you'd likely have taken it on the nose."

?If that had happened, it would have been flying straight back at your own nose.? Lydia allowed herself a small chuckle before picking up the ball. ?Proper pig skin? I?m impressed. Lydia Keane.? She stated holding the ball out towards her new CO.

"James Lange... but you know that already, don't you?" Lange took the ball and gave it another toss towards the target near the door. This time it went in. "Your accent sounds familiar... Ever been on a Merchant Marine ship?"

Lydia shook her head, ?No can?t say I have. Although we have met before, at Utopia Planetia. Although you have a little more grey than then. Not that that?s a bad thing. It looks good on you. It?s nice to see my baby is still in one piece though.? Lydia commented looking around the Sentinel.

Lange quirked an eyebrow. "Not for lack of trying by certain parties. She's a good ship, though. A lot tougher than she looks."

?She takes after her mother.? Lydia couldn?t stop herself laughing, here she was talking about an inanimate object as if she had given birth to it. Of course in a way she had. ?Anyway down to business.? Lydia reached behind her back and pulled a Padd out from her small holdall. ?Transfer orders, As of this stardate I?m your new CEO?

Lange quirked his eyebrow again as he took the padd. "I hadn't been notified I was getting a new Chief Engineer... I've had my Chief of the Boat covering in the absense of one."

?Well ship to ship scuttlebutt in the fleet might not be as good as they are on a freighter but I heard of your lack of Engineer and, well, I couldn?t resist. I missed the class you don?t work with them on the ground up for ten years without growing some affection for them.?

"So you've been on a freighter of some sort, then," Lange said with a smile. "I knew the accent sounded familiar."

Lydia quickly nodded with a smile. ?Born and raised on the Serena that went on to become the Diana after we lost my mother.? Lydia?s eyes briefly became wistful at the mention of her mother. ?Of course that was a long time ago.?

Lange nodded as he retrieved his football. "I grew up on the Byzantine myself... of course, we were a Merchant Marine licensed ship, so we all had to pass muster, so to speak, in order to keep our transport license. I think my brother still hasn't forgiven me for leaving, even though if I'd stayed he'd never have gotten past First Mate."

?My father was, hell he is much the same. But you can?t keep a girl like me chained down, I wanted to be out here doing what I do well, and then of course I got the Intrepid project which was probably the best 17 years of my career.? She smiled once again in her almost infectious manner. ?And now I?m here. Full circle if you will.?

Lange nodded, thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I should welcome you aboard. I think you'll want to work with Chief Nira for the next few days to get acclimated to the personnel and ship-specific policies. Given your background I'm sure you know the technology well."

Lydia smiled, ?Know it? Captain over half of the systems on the ship didn?t even exist until I was brought onto the project.? As soon as she made her statement she regretted it. ?Because that of course doesn?t make me sound big headed at all does it??

Lange stifled a chuckle. "I'll chalk that one up to pride in your work. I don't blame you, given the results..."

?A gentleman? They do still make them, that is a surprise.? Lydia replied with a cheeky grin. ?Well if there are no objections, I?d like to make a closer inspection of my engines.?

"No objections from me... I have to brush up some more on my football throwing. I haven't done it in a long time." Lange smiled. "You're dismissed, Commander. Oh, and watch out for the XO."

?Ohhh old dipstick Davenport? His bark is far worse than his bite. Besides if anything he should be watching out for me.? Parting comments made, Lydia left the Cargo Bay and made her way to main engineering.

Lange watched her go with one eyebrow raised. It seemed she was familiar with the ship's current excuse for an XO. That could prove interesting. With a shake of his head, Lange went to retrieve the football, and move the target away from the door.


OFF:

This JP has been brought you by???.

Granny Dukats Pagh Wraith treats, made the old fashioned way with Bajoran slave labour

And

Tony
AKA
Captain James Lange
Commanding Officer
USS Sentinel NCC-74673
Task Force 22, Horizon Fleet

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

Lieutenant Commander Lydia Keane
Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel

[Kersare]

<<USS Malinche, Bridge, 1545, Day 2>>

Britney (NPC) walked onto the bridge, PADD in hand. The transporter operator had informed her, a little late, that the new Chief Security/Tactical Officer was aboard and she wanted to let Isabel know. The transfer for Catherine Rodgers had only gone through within the last few hours, so as usual, things were rushed. She wasn't sure why exactly Kaitala had left, but at least they had a replacement. Britney slowed down when she approached Isabel and waited for the Captain to notice her.

Isabel turned and smiled at her yeoman, "Good afternoon Ms. Liras. Have something for me?"

The Direidian nodded and handed her the PADD, "Lieutenant JG Kaitala has officially transferred off the Malinche, and Lieutenant JG Rodgers arrived in the last hour. She'll probably be coming to see you shortly."

As Britney finished her sentence, the turbolift doors opened again, admitting a woman in services yellow. "Actually I think she's coming now," Isabel smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Liras."

Caz took note of the woman in command red and instantly knew who she was. Coming to a stop in front of the woman she thrust out her right hand. "Captain Kersare. Lieutenant Caroline Rodgers, reporting for duty ma'am." Her manner was business like with a slight playful lilt. "My apologies for the slightly rushed transfer, however I thought with what you're possibly about to come up against speed was of the essence."

Isabel smiled at the woman standing before her, "Welcome aboard Ms. Rodgers, pleasure to meet you. I appreciate you coming aboard; I certainly feel better about going into our mission with a Chief Security/Tactical Officer."

?Well it would have been somewhat suicidal potentially going up against the Borg without somebody at Tactical.? Caroline remarked with a smile hoping that she hadn?t over stepped the mark. ?That?s not to say I doubt your ability to handle the situation though Captain.?

"The idea wasn't at the top of my list either. Have you served on a Prometheus class before?" Isabel motioned for Caroline to follow her into her ready room. Turning back to hear Caroline's response, Isabel took a seat.

Caroline remained standing, in the same way that many security officers tended to favour. Almost poised to jump into action at any moment. ?I?m afraid not, the opportunity had never presented itself, until now anyway. Having said that I am fully rated on all her tactical/security systems, including the multi-vector assault mode, a formidable ace in the hold if I do say myself Captain.?

"Wonderful. MVAM may prove useful, especially if we do have to go up against the Borg." Isabel looked over at Caroline, "If I may ask, Lieutenant, why did you request to transfer to the Malinche?"

Caroline shifted on her feet slightly before answering. ?Career progression Captain. The Malinche is a good ship and a perfect place to work my further way up the career ladder.?

Isabel nodded - not a surprising answer. "Would you have a seat, Lieutenant?" It had always unnerved Isabel to have someone standing when she was sitting. "Is there anything important, Security or Tactical wise, that you could tell me about your time in this area up until now? Something that might help us while searching for the Sirion, for instance?"

Caroline gingerly took her place in the pre-offered seat. ?I?ll be honest with you Captain. Captain Sivek very much kept me away from the Sirion investigation, instead deciding that my talents were better suited for standard ship board security operations, a decision that Commander Muro agreed with.? As hard as Caz tried she was unable to completely erase the bitter twang in her voice.

The way Caroline talked, Isabel got the feeling she wasn't very happy at being kept from the investigation. Honestly, she probably would've felt the same. Isabel frowned slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there some reason in particular that they would keep you away from the investigation?"

"Permission to speak freely Captain?" Caroline asked, her voice low and even.

Isabel nodded, "Granted."

Caz took in a deep breathe before continuing. ?Sivek and I did not get on at the best of times, and my view of Muro is that he is a boorish relic of a time long passed who seems to believe that a woman?s place is either barefoot and chained to a replicator or naked and flat on her back waiting for a big strong man to make everything alright. Needless to say he found the sight of a 6?2 free thinking and resourceful woman an insult to his somewhat undersized male ego.?

Isabel raised an eyebrow and, though somewhat amused at Caroline's description, was able to keep her composure as she responded. "I supposed that also explains your desire to transfer to the Malinche. I'd like to assure you that those of us on the Malinche do not feel that way and you certainly don't have to worry about being barred from the investigation."

Caroline stood once again, feeling in her mind at least that the conversation was drawing to a natural close. ?I appreciate that Captain. Now if you?ll excuse me I have already set up a tactical Drill for 1900 hours and I would like to get everything in order before I start seeing what the men under me are capable of.?

"Absolutely. Glad to have you aboard," Isabel gave her new Chief Security/Tactical Officer a smile and extended her hand.

Caz grasped her new captain's hand and smiled before turning on her heal and leaving the ready room.

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant JG Caroline Rodgers
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B

and

[Hawkins]

<USS Malinche, Deck 12, MD02, 1125>

Marco trudged off down the corridors and decks, still utterly fuming about that upstart little govno, how DARE he undermine Marco like that. It was just a constant reinforcement of the point, and yet further cementing the niggling idea in the back of his head that was going to retire. The fleet wasn't what it used to be, that was for sure...

He rounded a corner and found the counselling office, Marco pressed the chime and waited, banging his front teeth together gently out of habit as he impatiently waited for the no doubt ditzy loony, fluffy bunny-esque counsellor to come bounding out with smiles and hugs. Marco shuddered. The idea of a counsellor ship-board was frankly, demoralising. It added a namby pamby element to what should be a tightly run military effort - used to be that you just got on with it, now if something was wrong you went and cried to the counsellor. Long gone were the days of settling differences or relieving frustration by a good punch up below decks. "Damn sake..." Marco sighed, jabbing the chime again and again and again in quick succession as there was no response.

Lisa had been trying to sort out the next appointment of a Bolian who was convinced her husband was cheating on her when the door chime sounded, she ignored it at first, trying to stay focused on her patient, however this became next to impossible when the chime started sounding repeatedly.

?Excuse me one second,? she said to Bolian softly before walking to the door. She put a warm smile on her face and hit the door control, as it opened she was confronted with a very frustrated looking enlisted officer, ?Be with you in two minutes.? She said breezily before prompting the doors to slide closed.

Marco's eyes near popped out of his head as he took a startled step back. "Like bugger hell will" he exclaimed, harrumphing afterwards and jabbing his finger into the door release again, he jabbed it again and again and again in quick succession, before holding his finger on it to emit a constant chime into the room.

Lisa smiled politely at the Bolian, ?Computer, mute door chime.?

Marco pressed his thumb into the chime harder, as if that were make it go louder or elicit some kind of response or something. "Hey!" he called through the doors, before giving up on the chime and commencing banging the right hand door with his fist. "Open door!" he yelled. Nothing, no response...nothing. His access codes wouldn't even work on these doors he already knew, so no point in trying. "I just wait then!" he yelled to the doors again. "Why thank you" he said to the closed door, "I'll take seat"

She concluded the meeting, arranging a 2nd appointment with the Bolian and escorted her to the door, she once again opened it. ?Take care and I?ll see you Wednesday at 1300? the Bolian thanked her and left as Lisa turned to the man in the red uniform, ?Sorry about that, how can I help you??

Marco eyeballed the Bolian as she left, then his gaze snapped back to the counsellor. "I am stressed" he said bluntly, barging into her office and throwing himself down on a seat, knocking over a pretty pointless vase of some exotic flowers.

Lisa glanced down at the smashed vase, it was no major loss, they were in here when she arrived, ?So I can see? she said calmly as she closed the doors once again, and with her arms behind her back she walked to her chair and took a seat, ?I?m Doctor Carter, but feel free to call me Lisa, and you are??

Marco shot her a defensive look. "You know who I am" he answered flatly. Marco didn't wait for invitation; "My rights are being violated by Keptin Kersare, I am not able to be in private - she is making sure I am never alone, it is affecting my functioning, I will not continue with this circumstances - it is INTOLERABLE" Marco rattled off, finishing with an involuntary thump of the chair.

Lisa had read a brief note to expect a visit from a Mr Tupalov, she assumed this must be him. She picked up the pad and pen from the small table next to the chair, Lisa always preferred to make notes on paper in sessions, it was less intrusive than a PADD beeping away she found. ?So you?re Mr Tupalov I take it? Why don?t you calm down, take a deep breath and start from the beginning??

Marco made some involuntary guttural noise, produced by a surge of annoyance. "Why don't you spare me the counsellor patient bull, da?" Marco stood up. "I am aware Keptin expects me to see you to be counselled...I am not interested..." Marco began. "I am feeling invaded and violated, and believe if you check it is breaching of regulations." he continued, quite rapidly - having rehearsed this en route, he was sure Hawkins was feeling quite smug that he was seeing a counsellor and immensely looked forward to him finding out actually why Marco had been, and bringing Hawkins down to earth with an almighty great whack.

"So in nutshell" Marco sighed, "overturn Keptins decision on the valid medical grounds, or relieve me of duty pending psychiatric evaluation, or by god woman I will make damn sure you have something to relieve me for..." Marco realised that may have sounded like a threat, although he only meant that he would make sure he displayed the textbook behaviour, or buggered something up that would be noticed. "We both know how this works, da. Just do it?" Marco glared at her, wondering which way she would jump.

Lisa was used to people talking to her when they wanted to, not being ordered to do so, it made the dynamic somewhat odd. ?Chief, I understand that you?re worked up, but if you want me to help you then you need to help me ok? And that means you need to at least attempt to contribute to this process, does that sound fair Marco??

Marco made a half disgusted face. "No" He answered flatly, "It sounds like refusal." He nodded 'politely', officer, namby pamby counsellor or not, she was still a woman after all. "Good day." He made for the door...

Lisa remained seated, placing the pen down on the pad in her lap, ?Marco, if you leave now you?ll ultimately make things worse for yourself, I assume you figure that the Captain doesn?t actually expect you to go through with all this, why not prove her wrong? Your psychological profile doesn?t seem to have you down as a quitter who just rolls over, are you saying I should update the records??

A powerful grin tugged at Marco's cheeks. "Young ledy..." he started. "Your reverse psychology won't work on me, I wrote the book, da." The grin lessened somewhat into a wide smile, all genuine, "is nothing to do with quitting or proving, is to do with annoying and restriction of my ability to function - now, release me from this 'punishment' on medical grounds, or when something DOES happen - and you will have had chance to prevent this....?" he left that hanging in the air, half of him threatening her, the other half staring at her ti...'cleavage' - he corrected himself.

?Please Marco,? she said calmly, ?don?t insult my intelligence with veiled threats and childish attempts at blackmail, we?re both adults here right?? Lisa leant back in the chair, ?So you believe this punishment is unjustified??

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Too damn bloody right is unjustified!" he snapped back. "Now release me from this!" he demanded, his brow deeply furrowed.

Lisa decided not to rise to the Chiefs agitation, ?So you believe that this Lieutenant?? Lisa checked her notes, ??Hawkins, is responsible for everything and you were just an innocent bystander??

Marco wasn't biting. "I won't get drawn into this." He stepped over the threshold of the open doors. "Will you sign paperwork to get rid of this or not?" Marco meant what he'd said, something WOULD go balls up if she didn't.

She held her hands up in placation, ?Ok Chief, ok, I?ll go see the Captain about getting this punishment lifted on one condition, you agree to come back to talk about this in a couple of days? Consider it an ultimatum Marco, take it or leave it??

Margo tried to suppress a grin, how he'd love to be a fly on the wall when the young counsellor, easily manipulated, went to warn the Captain that she couldn't do this to him... Marco nodded once. "Da..." he grumbled, having no intention of going back at all.

?Ok then Marco, 0900, day after tomorrow, and I?ll head to see the Captain when I next get a few minutes ok??

Marco caught the catch... "And in mean time...before you speak to the Keptin...?" he asked, needing her to actual SAY he could - at least 'temporarily' circumvent the Captains 'punishment'

?In the meantime I?ll send her a message and let her know the situation.?

Marco locked eyes with her, analysing her words. "I'll be ignoring her orders pending your meeting, then." Marco said, and stepped back to allow the doors to shut before starting down the corridor.

Lisa allowed herself a small smile as she tapped her commbadge, ?Dr Carter to Captain Kersare, are you free? I need to talk to you about Mr Marco?? She imagined the Chief wouldn?t be too pleased if he knew the report she was about to give the Captain?


OFF

A JP by

Chief Petty Officer Marco Tupalov
Chief Of the Boat/Chief Auxiliary Pilot
U.S.S. Malinche

and

Dr Lisa Carter
Counsellor
U.S.S. Malinche

played by

[Quaid]

(USS Malinche, Lt. Quaid's Quarters, Day 2, 1600 hours)

Jake couldn?t avoid it any longer, even though Daggerd warned him about his counterparts personality, Jake knew he had to work with Lt. Monroe to ensure they could pilot their respective vessels in sync when fighting the Borg. It meant running through simulations, learning from one another, becoming a team. But the warning that Daggerd gave him made Jake feel like it wasn?t going to be as easy as he first believed.

After leaving SSWAT, Jake had spent several years training with some of the finest pilots that Starfleet had in its ranks. They not only became his colleagues, but they became his friends, his family and his partners and it took Jake some time to realise that he would probably never be like that with any of his future colleagues.

With a deep sigh, Jake accessed the communications terminal on his desk. ?Computer, open a private channel to Lieutenant Rhys Monroe aboard the USS Sentinel. Authorisation Quaid Omega 3 7 2.?

?Working,? the computer replied and after a few moments, the screen activated. ?Channel open.?

A very annoyed looking Rhys Monroe appeared on the monitor, apparently working to swallow some food he had been chewing on.

?Are you completely mental? Don?t you people over there have any regards for when normal people are eating?? Rhys frowned at Jake, studying the other man.

?I apologise if I?m disturbing your dinner Lieutenant,? Quaid replied, a little too bitterly for his own taste, ?but unless you want to be assimilated, I suggest you put your food in a doggy bag and listen carefully.?

?Oh come now, sweetheart, I thought kinky sex came after the second date? And here I thought you were just teasing?? Rhys quirked an eyebrow. ?What do you want, Quaid? I?m off duty.?

?I don?t care, what I do care about is making sure the crews of both ships are prepared when we come face to face with the Borg, and that includes making sure we pilot our vessels as a team,? Quaid said simply. This was no time for Quaid to have to put up with some arrogant flyboy and his bad attitude.

?If we come face to face with the Borg, our best bet is to get the hell out of there? which doesn?t take much teamwork, it takes a lot of engine power and luck,? Rhys said dryly. He was not about to just hand out obedience to this stuff-shirt jock of a pilot, simply because he tried to bully him over intercom. ?And it takes amazing team effort to interrupt someone rudely while eating without so much as an apology. Oh yes, I can see this team is going to function splendidly. But since you?re on a roll, please, TEAMMATE,? he almost spat the word, ?impress me with your words of wisdom and plethora of battle plans that you have no doubt already drawn up, because as a TEAM you have already figured you?re probably the better and more knowledgeable of us, and I must be some arrogant fly-boy two doesn?t know port from starboard.? He smiled blandly at the other officer.

"One, I already apologised for disturbing your dinner," Quaid replied, "Two, yes... I do have a few plans, which MIGHT work, but we won't know for sure unless you get off your ass and help me. Three, I never assumed I was more knowledgeable, we both have enough experience to give this mission a chance of success that's why I want your help but if you're more concerned about eating instead of ensuring you come out of this alive... maybe you should think about resigning your commission and jumping ship now because I don't have time for this."

With that, Quaid slammed his hand down onto the control panel and closed the communications channel.

Rhys shook his head. Damn menopausal men. Punching a few keys, he pulled back up the comm channel.

?Alright sweety, I guess we can kiss on the first date. We can probably link up our holodecks with a little creativity, and run our staff through some exercise programs. What did you have in mind??

Jake scowled at the viewscreen, the man was infuriating. 'How could anyone let this guy get into the position he's in... Lange must be out of his freakin' mind.'

He knew he would have to discuss the situation with Kersare later, but for now he knew it was best to try and get something done.

"I have some simulations derived from the sensor data recorded during the second Borg Incursion 10 years ago... I also have some programs designed by Starfleet's experts on the Borg, I figured we could run a few two on one battle simulations to see just how long we could last in a firefight," Jake explained.

Rhys grimaced. ?I?ve seen those programs the ?experts? designed, and they scare me, actually. They?re too risky, leave us too vulnerable. They?re also over 4 years old, and if the Borg got their hands on the computer data from the ships, they?ll be expecting it. Send me your simulations, and give me an hour to look over it. Then let?s synch up in our holodecks and see where we can go from there.?

So Rhys was scared, understandable considering the mission not only involved a missing Starfleet vessel and its crew, but also the Borg. Still, if everyone else could deal with their fear without lashing out at others and generally being complete jerks, why couldn't Rhys? Quaid's mind rattled with these questions as he processed what Rhys had just told him before saying "Alright, you'll find the programs in your personal database in a few moments. In the meantime, I'll start preparing things at my end. Contact me when you're ready... Quaid out."

?Oh, and I?m expecting flowers next time sweety,? Rhys said with a wink, then closed the channel. He looked at Beast, and shook his head. ?Happy now? I?m playing nice with the other kiddies.? The dog barked, jumping up and licking Rhys? face. Laughing, the redhead pushed the black brute off.

?Good. Let?s go get ready to figure out how we can survive.?

Jake took a deep breath as he deactivated his monitor and stood. He still felt a nagging doubt in the back of his mind, could he work with Rhys? In the end he had very little choice in the matter, 'lives are at stake,' he thought to himself, over and over.

OFF:

A JP By:

Lieutenant Rhys Monroe
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Sentinel NCC-74673

&

[Roh]

<<Main Engineering, USS Malinche, 1445, hours Day 2>>

Lieutenant, jg Trayven Roh walked into Main Engineering to speak with the CEO. He was nervous talking to the man simply because he was superior in rank to him and that he had more knowledge. Roh, on the other hand, had only been on the job a few days. Roh stopped himself from thinking down about himself. He was a senior officer now and it was time to stop thinking like a raw cadet

Peters heard the door to Main Engineering hiss open and looked up. He was somewhat surprised to see Lt Roh entering. "Can I help you, Mister Roh?"

"Yes Lt. Peters, there is something you could help me with. I've been tasked by the captain to come up with some enhacements to the computer that could help us deny access to our systems. I think we could start by networking the secondary computer core to block out exterior access. Now I am no computer expert so I thought I'd come by and ask you."

Peters nodded as he thought about it. "That could work. I'd also suggest an encryption lockout on computer access... but it would need to be fancier than anything I've ever done to keep the Borg out for long."

Roh thought on the CEO's suggestion and said, "I understand, sir. I've been developing an encryption sequence to do just that. But I've also thought of placing a reverse algorithm to the primary computer core's main service node to reinforce the secondary computer core's ability to fight off the Borg. Is anything I'm saying any good at all, Lieutenant?"

"Hrm," Peters wrinkled his nose. "Complicated, but workable. We'll need to get most of the computer specialists in on this project to get it done within a reasonable timeframe."

"I'm working on getting the computer specialists on my own staff working on this little plan. I also have Lieutenant Summers heading them up," Roh said in response to the Lieutenant's suggestion. "He tells me that he took computer programming classes at the Academy so I've assigned him to team leader unless you have anyone you think more qualified."

"I have engineers, not computer geeks. However, Mister Akios seems quite talented, so if he has any extra time from the projects I've already assigned him, you might see if he has any insights to add to the matter." Peters thought for a moment. "Although we may want to write down the ideas we've already got before we set them loose on the issue."

"Done, sir," Roh said handing him a padd with all the ideas they had come up with thus far. "I had my thoughts jotted down prior to coming down here and have been putting all your own thoughts and feelings down on this padd. I like to have a grasp of the ideas I have throughout the day copied to a padd for further perusal. So if that's all I've got to report to Captain Kersare."

"Don't let me keep you," Peters replied with a flourishing gesture. "Keep me informed of what your team comes up with."

"Of course, Lieutenant. You are one my CC list. And thank you for taking the time out of your day to assist me with my project," Roh said as he rose a hand to the CEO.

OFF

A JP by:

Lt. Todd Peters
CEO USS Malinche

and

[Starbase 386 Crew]

ON: <USS Sentinel, Corridor, 1620, Day 2>

Lange gripped his football in one hand as he slung the bag carrying the passing target over his shoulder. He walked away from the cargo bay at a brisk pace as he considered how best to deal with his sudden conundrum in Engineering. After a moment he decided it would be best to tackle the issue head on. Lange tapped his commbadge as he reached the turbolift. "Lange to Nira. Could you meet me in my quarters in 5 minutes?"

Kilana tapped her commbadge, "I'll be there. Nira out."

"See you then, Lange out." Lange stepped onto the turbolift and turned to face back out the doors. "Deck Three... Captain's Quarters."

<Moments Later>

Lange dropped his bag and football to one side of the door as he entered his quarters. Walking to the panoramic windows that dominated the forward bulkhead, he gazed out into space for a moment, thinking once again about how beautiful, and deadly, an environment space really was. Then he turned back towards his quarters.

Lange shrugged out of his duty vest as he walked to the replicator. He placed the vest over the back of his work chair on his way past. "Computer, one bottle of Bajoran Spring Wine and two wine glasses."

The replicator chimed an acknowledgement and soon the usual transporter hum came, went, and left the requested items in its wake. As if on cue the door chime sounded. "Come in."

Kilana walked in and paused at James' desk, "You wanted to see me?" She wasn't entirely sure what James wanted to speak to her about - she'd been trying to get Engineering as prepared for the Borg as possible, which seemed like the priority.

"Would you like a drink?" Lange asked as he held up the bottle for her to see.

She smiled, "That would be nice." Moving closer to the table, she looked at him, "So what did you call me here for? I assume it's not just for wine..."

"Well," Lange began as he poured the wine, "I thought you'd like to know right away that we've received a transfer from the Dawes. She worked on the Intrepid class design team at Utopia Planitia and has been assigned as our new Chief Engineer."

"Oh." Kilana was surprised - she certainly hadn't expected a new Chief Engineer to be brought in until the next time they were at a Starbase. She'd hoped she would get more time in the position, though who was she kidding? She was just an enlisted officer anyway. James' voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I still want you to work in Engineering... help her get used to the personnel and the way we do things here on the Sentinel. I have a feeling that if we come up against the Borg I'm going to need both of you down there." Lange smiled and held a glass out to Kilana. "I've already told her that she'll be working closely with you for the rest of this mission."

Kilana nodded and attempted to lighten the mood a little, "I'll do whatever I can. Though if she was on the design team I doubt she'll really need my help." She took a seat and looked at the glass of wine - beautiful color - doing her best to hide her disappointment.

"Not with the systems, no... but you do know the people in Engineering far better than she does." Lange took a sip of his own wine. "You also know the rest of the crew, and she doesn't... So while she may not need your help with technical matters, she will need your help with management matters, at least for a few days."

"I suppose so. What will my role be after that?" Kilana took a sip of her wine, letting it roll around her mouth before swallowing it.

"I'm not sure. I know you like working in Engineering... and while you make a wonderful Yeoman, you're an even better engineer... I've checked." Lange paused for a moment. "Actually, I think Mister Gries was wanting to try for his commission... so we'll probably need a new Engineer's Mate in the near future."

"Oh?" Kilana quirked an eyebrow - she hadn't heard anything about that. "So rather than being your yeoman and Chief of the Boat, I'd be Chief of the Boat and Engineer's Mate?"

"That's the idea, yes," Lange replied.

It was a tempting offer, to say the least... "What about a yeoman though?"

"Oh, I think I can muddle through until Starfleet assigns me a new Yeoman. I've spent more time as a Captain without a Yeoman than with, truth be told." Lange smiled and took another sip of wine.

"Are you sure?" On the one hand, this was an excellent opportunity for her, on the other her sense of duty and responsibility had her questioning it... Kilana took another sip before setting down the glass.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lange replied. "I won't have you holding up your career because you're worried about me getting paperwork done, either."

Kilana smiled, "Thank you. So when did the new engineer arrive?"

"Less than an hour ago. She found me practicing my football throw in the cargo bay." Lange motioned towards the bag and ball still laying just to one side of the door. "I actually wasn't expecting her."

"I don't remember seeing a transfer notice, though I've been on the Malinche or in Engineering most of the day thus far," she replied. "Is she getting settled in then?"

"That's my understanding. I think the transfer got approved on the fly." Lange shrugged. "I got the impression she transferred for the ship, rather than for the crew."

"Interesting. I suppose we'll see how things go. Any new information on the mission?" Kilana was hoping there would be some news, but didn't really expect there to be any yet.

"The Dawes and Dorado didn't find much other than spacial anomalies... and a nebula." Lange made a face. "Hopefully we'll find the Sirion, or some sign of her, soon."

Kilana nodded, "We're getting closer to where it disappeared, so logically we should find something." Hopefully not the Borg though... "Had you met our new Chief Engineer before, James?"

"No... but I've met members of her family. She's freighter-bred. She actually reminded me of my sister." Lange smiled. "My sister, however, would never give up the freighter life for Starfleet."

Grinning, she replied, "Two freighter-bred turned Starfleet Officers on the same ship. What are the chances?'

"Considering how much grief my brothers give me for having left the Byzantine?" Lange quirked an eyebrow, "I'd say pretty slim. But stranger things have happened."

"I'm sure they have. Have you had dinner yet?" Kilana hadn't eaten anything since morning, so she was getting rather hungry.

"Nope," Lange replied. "Is that an invitation?"

"Of course," she laughed. "Unless you'd rather have dinner by yourself."

"Hrm...." Lange pretended to ponder that. "Dinner by myself... dinner in the company of a beautiful woman... I'll take the latter."

Kilana smiled, "That can be arranged. Mess hall? I hear they have something new on the menu that's delicious."

Lange bowed and motioned towards the door. "After you, milady."

OFF:

A JP with:
Chief Petty Officer Kilana Nira
Chief of the Boat, Captain's Yeoman, & Acting Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel NCC-74673
_________________
Tony
AKA
Captain James Lange
Commanding Officer
USS Sentinel NCC-74673
Task Force 22, Horizon Fleet

[Kersare]

<<USS Malinche, Ready Room, 1600, Day 2>>

Isabel sat back in her chair, giving herself a few moments to absorb things. Kaitala was gone, and Caroline had transferred over in her place. Caroline at least seemed a little more personable and less of a loner, which would work in her favor. The only bad part was that the Malinche and Sentinel were on a potentially dangerous mission and Caroline wouldn't really have much time to work with those in her department before getting in the thick of things.

Not an ideal situation, but then again, ideal situations didn't come along very often. At least not in Isabel's experience. Her thoughts were broken by her door chime. "Enter."

Mason walked in looking a bit disturbed and somewhat restless but tried very hard to hide it. The day was not going well for him as he pulled up a seat in front of the Captain. "Hello Captain, long time no see. Was that our new Sec/Tac chief leaving?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

She nodded, "Yes, Lieutenant JG Caroline Rodgers. She transferred over from the USS Dorado when she heard that Lieutenant JG Kaitala was leaving."

"Ah, I see. Captain I feel very awkard coming to you about this, however it may be relevant to the mission." he said sitting up with folded hands.

Quirking an eyebrow, Isabel said, "Oh? What is it Mason?"

"Well, for th past few nights plus this afternoon I have been having, well, these visions if you will about the Sirion. At first it was a vague image of a ship but as the visions increased the view became more clear. I could see images of crew members floating about and just staring at me. Then I found myself walking into a very dark secluded room with nothing but the wind and a faint voice that accompanied me along the way." he said struggling to get what he saw in his mind out.

Isabel listened to Mason describe what he'd seen. It was interesting to say the least... "Did you see anything else? Or can you remember any details about the ship? Did it seem to be in good condition or perhaps after it was damaged?"

"From where I was standing the ship looked liked it had taken damage only to the port nacelle and secondary hull. The burnt markings could mean it was hit by some kind of energy weapon, not really sure. Windows were broken to be sure but were contained with forcefields and the main shuttlebay doors were open exposing the bay crew to open space. For a brief moment I found myself in the engineering section with bodies laid out completely unconsicous. I sensed they were alive walking by each one. There was an impression of energy leaving their bodies but that stopped once i entered the dark room."

"Hmm..." Isabel considered what her Executive Officer had told her. "I wonder if these visions are a mix of what really happened and perhaps something else. It seems almost like what you saw was a sort of frozen moment in time - with that kind of damage crewmembers would be running around, red alert would be activated... It's hard to tell though, since we don't know what exactly happened to the Sirion."

"The crew seemed to be in complete slow motion as if time was running slow for them. Everything was so clouded that I could tell if the klaxons were activated. However the voice was calling out to me and repeating the phrase "Near the circle of light that faces many moons" the voice said it so much that it's still in my head. Could it be a message Captain?" he asked sipping on some tonic water.

Isabel rested her head in her right hand in a contemplative gesture. "It may be, Mason, but if it is I'm not sure what it means. Do you have any ideas on what its significance might be?"

"Perhaps the voice is telling us to head in a certain direction. Have we run any recent scans of this system?" he asked.

"I believe Lieutenant Sovak (NPC) ran some scans earlier. Which reminds me...she is now Acting Chief Science Officer - Lieutenant Sovereign left on the USS Dawes," Isabel sighed. She wasn't sure why Yrel had left, but it was disappointing. "I'll ask that anything significant that shows up in scans be reported to you and I immediately."

"Understood on Sovak. I did hear about Sovereign though I must admit to being surprised and a bit sadden by it. It's hard to believe she would not give any solid reasons... Thank you Captain."

Isabel nodded, "Yes, I must admit I was rather curious as to why exactly she chose to leave. She was doing well. Not much can be done about that now though. Let me know if you have any more of these visions."

"Of course Captain thank you for listening. I will be on the bridge if you need me." he said.

"Alright, thank you Mason." She smiled as he got up to head back to the bridge. If nothing else her crew was certainly giving her a lot to think about. Overall it was a welcome distraction though - certainly preferrable to dwelling on what could happen if a confrontation with the Borg were unavoidable... Back to work though, she thought.

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Commander Mason Hunt
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B

and

[Akios]

<<USS Malinche Mess Hall MD02 1930>>

Turuas'ta notified Engineering that he was heading to the mess hall. He was starving--and as an aurelian, that meant literally. He'd eaten a little in the holodeck, but he'd been concentrating so much on the nanite project that he hadn't noticed how hungry he was getting. Soon, he was seated at an out of the way table with a tray piled with food in front of him.

He held a PADD in one hand while he ate, and occasionally picked up the stylus to jot some notes. He hadn't gotten any further with his defense nanite research (the idea of giving a person a synthetic blood substitute showed some promise, but he was pretty sure that Medical would shoot down the idea), but he'd gotten a lot of new ideas from his nanotechnology studies.

The Federation had pretty much avoided nanotechnology prior to the 24th Century. He guessed it was some kind of stigma, maybe guilt by association with the biotechnology that had played a part in their Eugenics war. Molecular assembly and replication had come along, but it was still only recently that nanites had begun to see widespread use. Akios knew more about nanotechnology now than he'd ever wanted to know. It seemed only fair that he find a use for that knowledge.

It should be possible to create field-programmable nanites. With the proper controls, a colony of only a few grams of programmable nanites could be used as a field-expedient substitute for a replicator. A well-controlled colony of nanites would be able to replicate common materials fairly quickly given raw materials--equal to their own mass or more a minute. Complicated materials, such as electronic circuits, would take constant active control; however, a spoonful of nanites could probably manufacture something the size of a tricorder in only a couple of hours. With adequate safeguards.

The problem, of course, was in maintaining control. A one-gram colony of nanites contained millions of individual nanites. That was beyond the ability of a tricorder or even most portable terminals to directly control. The nanites would have to be programmed to communicate among themselves, relaying control instructions. They would probably have to work in some kind of a hierarchical structure--one in a million designed to directly receive control instructions, and to relay those instructions to hundreds of others. Then, those second-level nanites would act as supervisors, breaking down complex instructions into simpler commands and delegate them to others... Designing that kind of a programming structure would be quite a project. However, if he kept it simple, he should be able to design and manufacture a non-programmable single-task proof-of-concept colony in a couple of days--assuming they survived their encounter with the borg.

And he already had a use in mind for such nanites.

When Akios finished eating, he headed for Main Engineering. Though in theory he was off duty, now that they were making preparations for the borg, he doubted anyone would be getting any rest.

[Starbase 386 Crew]

ON: <USS Sentinel, Mess Hall, 1655, Day 2>

Lydia had finished her first inspection of the Sentinels engineering sections and pretty much liked what she saw. Whoever this Kilana woman was, she knew her stuff and was a damned good engineer. Of course though like all engineers Lydia wasn?t completely satisfied and was now sitting down in the mess hall with a mug of pear tea and a pile of PADDS containing various engine specifications and the like. She was so engrossed in her work she didn?t even notice somebody approaching her table.

Toby (NPC) walked over to the table of a woman he'd not met before - though she was in Services yellow. He peered over her shoulder and noticed the engine specifications; apparently she was an engineer of some sort. "Hello there, ma'am. I don't believe I've seen you around before.."

Lydia looked up at the young man and smiled. ?Hmmm? Sorry I?m slightly engrossed. Lydia Keane, new Chief engineer, I only transferred on today. Sorry I?m being rude, please would you like to join me??

"Toby Raymon." Toby took a seat across from her, setting down his tray of food. He took a bite of his sandwich, then looked back over at her. "So you're the one then."

Lydia gave him a puzzled look, before taking a sip of her tea. ?Come again?? She asked with an arched eyebrow.

His normally cheerful demeanour had deadened some since hearing what position Lydia was taking... "You're the one taking the Chief Engineer spot."

Draining her cup of its sweetened green liquid she looked the young man square in the eye. ?Do we have a problem here Petty Officer??

"Well, I suppose that depends on whether you consider taking away someone's dream a problem," Toby said. He wasn't used to confrontations like this and frankly, he didn't like how he was reacting, but Kilana was a friend and someone he looked up to.

Lydia just smiled, but there was no happiness in the smile just thinly veiled annoyance. ?Mr Raymon, I am not here to take away anybody?s dream, I?m here to do a job, one that I?m damned good at. Now I?m sorry if I?ve stepped on somebody?s toes as that really wasn?t my intention. But the fact remains I?m here and I have a job to do.?

Toby sighed, this wasn't going well at all, "Look, I can't really expect you to understand since you're new and all, but the person who is...was temporarily in charge...this was huge for her, and she only got it for a few days."

?This would be Chief Kilana??

"Yes," Toby replied. He started to pick up his sandwich for another bite, but found he had lost his appetite.

Lydia let out a sigh, this was her first run in with the Kilana fan club and she highly doubted that it would be her last. ?And of course me being the evil bitch from hell that I am has deliberately taken a transfer all to wound one woman who I don?t know from Adam. Well I hold my hands up Petty Officer, you?ve caught me.?

Toby watched as things went from bad to worse. "You might not appreciate the fact that some of us are friends with Kilana, but there's no need to be condescending." He didn't appreciate being talked to as Lydia had just talked to him; she might be a good engineer, but she was apparently awful with people. Luckily, as he was off duty, he didn't have to stick around for more of it. "I need to go; I'm sure I'll see you in Engineering at some point. Good luck Ms. Keane."

?On the contrary I appreciate the fact that people like Kilana, it?s going to make my life a hell of a lot easier especially when I make my recommendation to Captain Lange that she be placed as Assistant Chief Engineer.? Lydia deliberately let the comment hang in the air.

Though Toby had already stood up to leave, he paused and looked at Lydia, trying to decide if he should believe her. Finally he responded, "You do realize that she's enlisted and that we already have an Assistant Chief Engineer?"

?Enlisted or otherwise, she?s a skilled engineer and the best qualified for the role especially when you take into account that Lieutenant Waters is perfectly suited to move up the ladder to Chief Engineer in his own right, taking into account his service record and the likes.? Lydia picked up her PADDS before standing herself. ?You see Toby, I?m not actually a nasty person and I value everybody on my team and that includes Kilana.?

"I never said you were a nasty person. I am, however, looking out for my friend. I do appreciate you trying to make the best out of the situation, though I do wonder exactly what you'll suggest should happen with Jon (NPC) if Kilana becomes Assistant Chief," Jon replied. Truth be told, he was a bit surprised Jon had stayed on as Assistant Chief Engineer after the fainting episode, but regardless he was still officially the Assistant Chief.

?Look, I don?t want to get into details at this stage. I?ve literally been here less than a day and I?m guessing my arrival is going to have put a few noses out of joint. For now at least Kilana and I will be sharing the position of Chief Engineer whilst I get settled in, however in the future my intention and desire is to have Kilana as my right hand woman.? Lydia explained. ?Now if you?ll excuse me I want to get up to Jefferies tube 32 and check out the plasma linkages in that section, they are running a bit to hot for my liking.?

Toby nodded and stepped off to the side as she prepared to leave. From his first encounter with her Toby wasn't completely sure he liked her, but there wasn't much he could do anyway. He'd give her a chance though, for Kilana's sake.

OFF:

This joint post was brought to you by the lucky Pon?far, sometimes seven years is too long to wait.

Petty Officer 1st Class Toby Raymon
As written by
Chief Petty Officer Kilana Nira
Chief of the Boat, Captain's Yeoman, and Acting Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel

And

Lieutenant Commander Lydia Keane
Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel

[Hawkins]

<USS Malinche, Bridge, 1330, MD02>

Lisa walked timidly across the bridge towards the Ready Room, the bridge was buzzing with the nervous activity you would expect on a mission like this, she had already seen about 3 people in the morning alone who were having anxiety issues knowing there was the possibility of Borg in the area.

She reached the door and took a deep breath before pressing the door chime.

Without looking up from the PADD she was reading, Isabel said "Enter."

The door slid open with barely a sound and Lisa stepped into the captains room, although she wasn?t an officer she was still technically a member of the crew and this had her nervous about meeting her CO. She waited for the door to close behind her before speaking, ?Captain Kersare, I?m Doctor Lisa Carter, I contacted you regarding Mr Tupalov??

Isabel looked up at the young woman. "Ah yes, please have a seat, Doctor," she smiled and nodded to the young woman while setting the PADD down.

?Thank you Captain? Lisa smiled and took a seat, ?I understand you?re busy with this mission of ours so I?ll try and get to the point if that?s ok with you??

"Go right ahead," Isabel replied. She was rather interested in hearing what Lisa had to say about Marco.

?Now normally anything said to me is considered confidential, however there are cases that permit me to break that confidence if I feel someone is a threat to themselves of others,? She stopped briefly to compile her thoughts, ?and this is one of those cases??

Though Isabel wasn't entirely surprised about Lisa's words, it was somewhat more disturbing to actually hear them. She nodded, allowing Lisa to continue.

?Marco??suggested? , that if I refused to get him out of his punishment with Mr Hawkins on medical grounds that he ?will make damn sure I have something to relieve him for...? those were his words I believe?

Isabel sighed, "Unfortunately, I can't say I'm overly surprised by that. Did he specifically threaten you?"

?That?s just the thing, I don?t think he was referring to me, the impression I got was more that the psychological strain this is putting on him may result in some accident or something for which I would be responsible for not indirectly preventing.? It was Lisa turn to sigh, ?I?m not sure if he is genuinely worried something might happen or if he is planning on making something happen just so he can say he was proved right.?

"Though I've not known Marco an extraordinarily long time, I'm inclined to believe the latter, I'm afraid. Technically I think he'd do just about anything to get out of the punishment," Isabel replied. It was rather frustrating when someone was willing to behave improperly but not willing to deal with the consequences.

Lisa had to agree, and she had known him even less time, ?If I had to guess I would agree with you, he did seem adamant that the punishment was unjustified.? She paused, ?Anyway I thought it best to let you know, I said I would come and try to argue his case, but I think we both knew I wasn?t going to do that.?

"Well, since he's under the delusion that I'd believe he didn't do things that I have proof he did, I'm again not surprised that he's trying to say the punishment is unjustified," Isabel said. "I appreciate you coming to see me. Has he scheduled another appointment?"

Lisa let out a small laugh, ?In theory, but if he actually turned up of his own free will I?d have to go to sickbay and get brought round. To be honest Captain, I?m not really sure I?m qualified to deal with this case, I?m used to helping people who actually want it, I don?t think Marco wants to change one bit.?

Isabel nodded, "I'm inclined to agree - Marco certainly doesn't want help. I have asked StarFleet to send us a Chief Counselor, but until then I would appreciate it if you would do what you can with him."

Lisa began to rise from the chair as she spoke, ?I?ll do what I can Captain? she smiled politely.

"Thank you Doctor. Good luck," Isabel smiled at the young woman. "Have a good day."

?You too Ma?am? Lisa bowed he head slightly before turning and returning to the hustle on the bridge.


OFF:

A JP by

Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer

and

Dr Lisa Carter (NPC)
Counsellor

played by

[Starbase 386 Crew]

(USS Sentinel, Jefferies Tube 32, 1735hours Day 2)

Lydia was sitting in the Jefferies tube and crying. It wasn?t that she was a weak person, far from it. You don?t grow up on a freighter and end up being a weak person. No her problem was that after her ?meeting? with Raymon she now felt like the evil witch of the west who had swooped in with a band of flying monkeys and destroyed the good ship Sentinels own Dorothy. Although right now Lydia was the one who wanted to click her ruby red slippers together three times and chant ?There?s no place like home.? She had to think of someway to make everybody realise that she wasn?t here to blow Kilanas dreams out of the water, she was here to hopefully work out the rest of her Starfleet career onboard the ship that she helped build. It was a move she had been considering for the last two years since she found out that she had only 8 years left to live.

When Lydia had been diagnosed with Wykemans Syndrome it had shook her to the core. Wykemans was a rare illness to say the least. In the two hundred years since its discovery there had only been a handful of cases but there was always only one outcome, death. Now the clock was ticking down by the time she hit 52 she would either be dead or on a biobed somewhere dying and in her mind if it had to happen, she wanted it to happen in a place she called home and the fact that the Sentinel was one of the last ships she had helped held a nice piece of symmetry to the whole situation. Was she really being that evil in grabbing hold of an opportunity that had presented itself?

Laying back on the cold hard floor of the Jeffries tube she closed her eyes and let the vibrations of the ship move through her body, It was comforting and helped to centre her both in body and soul. Taking in a deep breathe she made her mind up, if people really did have that huge an issue of her then fine, let them have that problem but one thing she was adamant on was that she would not be hounded off of the Sentinel and like it or not she was here to stay, well for six years anyway.
_________________
Lieutenant Commander Lydia Keane
Chief Engineer
USS Sentinel

"Dammit Lange, I'm an engineer not wonder woman!"

[Roh]

[On]

USS Malinche, Operations Center, Day 2, 1730 hours

As the operations staff convened in the conference room alotted to them, Lieutenant Joey Summers noticed someone that he hadn't seen in a long time; that was Petty Officer 1st class Alexander Grey, the computer systems specialist. He wondered if he was still on board and was happy to see that he was. If Officer Grey was here, then that meant that their little task group was going to do a bang-up job.

Officer Grey took a seat to the left of his team leader, Joey Summer, as the rest of his staff took seats around the table. Lt. Summers stood and introduced himself and began going over their task. "Alright people, we've got alot to do today. Though, I don't expect us to come up with a solution tonight, I do expect us to come up with some workable thoughts for me to report to Lieutenant Roh. Mr. Grey, do you have anything that we could work with?"

"Actually, Lieutenant, I do. Now this is only a theory but I think it will could be put into permanent use. We could try a lock-out of the main computer," Officer Grey said. "We could use a recursive algorithm to effectively lock down the primary computer core."

"Interesting if not a little bit unorthodox. But that's what we need in this situation. Anyone else? No? Then we go with this idea," Joey Summers said I'll inform Lieutenant Roh of this and we'll go from there. Grey, I want you to work on this without putting it into practice. Dismissed."

"Computer, locate Lieutenant, jg Trayven Roh."

"Lieutenant Roh is on the Bridge," the computer said in its soft female tones.

"Of course, he is," he said tapping his combadge. "Summers to Lieutenant Roh."

"Roh here. How can I help you, Mr. Summers?"

"Sir, sir I hate to bother you while you're on duty. But, we've got an idea that you could bring to the senior staff."

"Excellent, Mr. Summers! I can meet with you in 20 minutes in my office," Roh said.

"I'll be there, Lieutenant," Summers said.

[OFF]

A post by:

Lieutenant, jg Joey Summers (NPC)
Ops Officer
USS MAlinche NCC-38897-B

Petty Officer 1st Class(NPC)
Ops Computer Systems Specialist
USS Malinche NCC-38897-B

Cameo appearance by: