From: V. Rahul Chandra (vrccan_at_gmail.com)
Date: Thu Mar 20 2008 - 02:58:19 PDT
========= “No Glorious Summer Here” Con’t from Naomi/My “Hell Hath No Fury” ========= Location: FARLAS PRIME Stardate: 2424 [2.8] 0320.0357 Scene: Unknown There were drapes drawn across the windows in order to prevent the outside sunlight from penetrating into the room. So well had the drapes been set that not even the hint of sunlight was visible to someone standing anywhere in the room. The darkened corners, where sunlight did not tread even in the brightest of times, were as dark as the room’s centre. Even with the lack of natural sunlight, it would have been possible to flood the room with light from one of the many light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. However, all of the lights were turned off and hung impotently from the roof, their presence doing little to change the overall complexion of the dark room. Not that any of this bothered the current inhabitants of the room, as they would have no use for the light in their current task. Each person, silently and without need for sight, sought out each other person in the room as all of those present locked hands with each other. If they could have seen, the room’s inhabitants would have noticed that their linking of hands with two other people had resulted in the group standing in a circle, but the shape of the gathering was not of any concern to them. Such matters were better left to the solids, in whose life things like shapes and sounds became so fixed that they gained a higher importance than was logically warranted. Solids would have needed light for such a gathering, but for changelings neither the light nor the darkness made any difference, hence choosing the latter for its ability to confuse mono forms was the most logical course of action. Slowly, the hands of each changeling gathered began to change form, going from a solid substance to a viscous and gooey one. As this occurred, the fluidic form of one changeling began to meld into that of another, coming to the point where it was impossible to distinguish one changeling from another. As the forms all combined into one giant form that pooled along the floor of the room, it eventually became impossible to tell that there was more than one creature present. Not that this mattered for the changelings, as they did not require physical eyesight to maintain their sense of self. While the changelings were bound together physically, each one had their own individual thoughts. They contributed these thoughts to the discussion and through this the changelings were able to communicate and plan on a level of universal comprehension that few others in the galaxy could hope to match. While it was not The Great Link of their home world, this link was nevertheless more than sufficient for the task that needed to be completed. After all, a changeling did not need to draw on the full amount of their abilities to best a solid, and the solids on this planet were primitive even by the low standards they had come to expect from all of the different creatures they had encountered. As the link became fully established between the changelings, thoughts flew back and forth across it faster than any form of verbal communication. Through this maze of thoughts however, a dominant stream soon became apparent to all of the changelings that were present in the link. **More than 3000 of the senators voted against the proposal,** one voice said, its mental cadence loud and clear to all of the changelings in the link. **It appears as if the xenophobic tendencies of the elected officials on this planet are not enough to warrant an attack on another species,** added another. The conversation continued, with different changelings continuing the line of thought. With communication this sophisticated, it did not matter who was speaking. The thoughts came out as one. **And yet, the motion received the support of almost 2000 Farlasian senators. It would appear as if the Senate is trending towards authorizing the attack.** **It would be best to continue in our current efforts. Getting the Farlasian Senate to authorize an invasion is the most preferable course of action, as it will draw the largest amount of political and media play from the Federation.** **However, the longer it takes to create such an outcome, the higher the chance of Starfleet discovering what we are doing.** **We possess a second plan that can be utilized in the event that the Senate does not approve of the invasion. While it is not ideal, it should accomplish the purpose just as well.** **We should not be so hasty in abandoning the first plan, when the consequences of success far outweigh what our contingency plan could accomplish.** **Agreed. The second plan was not intended to be implemented, but was created as a countermeasure to possible failure on the part of the Farlasian Senate. We should continue along the present course until it becomes apparent that there is no other choice but to abandon it.** **Then the matter is settled. We will continue along the present course.** ============ Location: USS PATRIOT Scene: Captain’s Ready Room Reports, reports and more reports. That seemed to be most of what Captain Benjamin Kenta dealt with aboard the USS PATRIOT nowadays. While being the Commanding Officer of the flagship of the United Federation of Planets definitely had a lot of perks to it, at the same time the amount of paperwork that he had to delve through on a daily basis was something obscene. It was not enough that he merely review all of the latest missives from Starfleet Command, but he was also required to view a daily condensation of ship business, compiled, collated and delivered to him every morning by his Executive Officer, but he was also required to view reports from the 1st Fleet and even some of the other fleets around the Federation. And in addition to all of this he knew that he needed to keep abreast of all of the latest news along the FedCom channels just in case an enterprising reporter decided to try and catch him with a flat footed moment. Freedom of the press, one of the most valued aspects of the Federation, did have its downsides for those that chose to spend their lives defending it. As Kenta finished reading one PADD and started on the next, the door to his office chimed, causing him to look up before reading a word. “Enter,” he said, nodding at his new Executive Officer as the man stepped into the room with a PADD in his hands. “I assume this is the daily report for my reading?” “Yes sir,” Lieutenant Commander Gorman answered with a nod, handing the PADD to his Commanding Officer and then standing at ease while Kenta quickly scanned it. “Well,” Kenta said, dropping the PADD on his desk. “Everything seems to be in order, so unless there’s something else you want to say, I think that’s it.” Jeff hesitated slightly, something that the Captain picked up on instantly. While he liked the younger man and the dedication that he had to his work, Ben didn’t always appreciate the hesitation that sometimes crept into Jeff’s demeanour. While some level of that was understandable for someone that had been thrust into the job as he had, at the same time Kenta knew that Gorman needed to get over it quickly, especially since he would be assuming command of the vessel in the Captain’s absence. “Out with it Mr. Gorman,” Kenta said, putting the PADD in his hands down on the desk. “And have a seat if this is going to take long.” With a slight smile, Jeff did as instructed, taking one of the seats opposite from the Captain’s table. “I do have something to say,” he admitted. “But it’s not about the report. It’s about the mission.” “Does it have something to do with the Captain heading up the away team instead of the First Officer?” Kenta asked, a slight smile on his face as he leaned back in his chair. “Yes sir,” Jeff said with a nod. “It does. According to Starfleet, I’m expendable and you’re not.” “Normally, that would be true,” Kenta agreed with a nod. “However, if you remember, the decision for me to lead the away team instead of you was not of my making. It was a command directly from Starfleet Intelligence, relayed to us through their liaison.” “I understand sir,” Gorman replied. “But Starfleet Intelligence is infamous for not informing the fleet of potential dangers that they know about. I believe that your leading of the away team into a situation of unknown danger would be against Starfleet regulations.” “Well,” Kenta said. “In this case, we are under orders from Starfleet Intelligence to do things a little bit differently. There’s no way that is going to change, so as far as I am concerned this matter is closed. Do I make myself clear?” “Perfectly, sir,” Jeff said with a nod, getting back up to his feet. “Good,” Kenta said. “And Mr. Gorman, one more thing. Try to control your hesitation whenever I solicit information from you. I don’t want to have to coax suggestions out of you every time I ask for them.” “Yes sir,” Jeff said with a nod of embarrassment. “Good,” Kenta repeated. “Dismissed.” =========== Scene: Marine Deck “The immediate threat to the colony is minimal,” Daniel commented. “Even if the ships have already launched and are on their way to the colony, the PATRIOT should be able to prevent most if not all of them from getting to the surface. To that end, I believe that two squads of marines augmented by security forces should be enough to bolster the ground defences of the planet. We can keep the rest in reserve on board ship and send them down to the planet if needed.” “Do you believe that the PATRIOT needs defending more than the colony Major?” Maverick asked, regarding his Executive Officer with a neutral expression. “It may very well sir,” Daniel said with a nod of his head. “Removing an invasion force from vessels that have been forcibly run into our shuttle bay will very likely require some serious manpower, even if only for containment in one area of the ship. Just in case something goes wrong here, I would prefer to have more marines on the ship than on the planet. If an unexpected number of invasion vessels break through the PATRIOT’s orbit and make it to the planet, then sending additional marines down should be a small matter considering the technology mismatch between the Federation and the Farlasians. On the other hand, once ground battle has been joined getting reinforcements from the planet to the ship could be difficult to pull off logistically.” Maverick nodded his head in agreement with the other man’s logic. While he’d already read the report that Daniel had filed regarding the defence plans he was making for the colony, he wanted to get parts of it straight from the horse’s mouth. “Very well Major,” Maverick said, standing up from his desk. “I will leave Tango Company in your hands while I prepare to head down to the surface. If you will excuse me, I have a date with Dr. Dugan to get some alterations.” ========= Location: FARLAS PRIME Scene: Chancellor’s Office “Would you care for a drink of Babrlian Wine Senator?” Chancellor L’Tal asked, taking the flask that contained the clear liquid and sloshing it around slightly. “It was just brought in from your home province today.” “You drink Babrlian Wine Chancellor?” Grithir asked, genuinely surprised that the Chancellor drank his beverage of choice. “I did not realize you were partial to that particular brand.” “I tried it under the advice of my advisor Ramy a few years ago,” L’Tal commented, pouring tall glasses for both men before placing the flask back on the counter and bringing the two glasses over to his desk. He placed one of the glasses in front of the Senator, before taking a sip from the other and taking his seat behind the desk. “I didn’t think I would enjoy it, but after just one glass I knew that I had found my drink.” “And what did you drink before?” Grithir asked out of curiosity. “I drank the mead-like beverage of my home town,” L’Tal answered. “But it was a coarse drink; only poor families like my own would drink it. My province did not have any high cultured drinks such as wine and so even as my status amongst the citizens of this planet began to change I continued to drink the beverage of my youth. However, that drink can not compare to this excellent wine.” “Well,” Grithir answered light-heartedly. “I am glad to hear that you are capable of changing your mind after all.” “I thought that you would Senator,” L’Tal replied, taking a long sip of his drink as he regarded the man sitting across his desk. Putting down his glass and getting comfortable in his chair, L’Tal continued to speak. “I am sure you did not think I was calling you here for social reasons Senator, so I will get straight to the point.” “And pray tell, what is that point Chancellor?” Grithir asked. “While your resolution was soundly defeated in the last vote Senator,” L’Tal said. “A large minority of Senators voted in favour of it. I have reviewed the list of names for the votes that you were able to get and many of them are from people that have been in the Senate for decades. These are not the flashy politicians or the great speakers, but rather they are the dedicated servants of their regions that do nothing but vote according to the interests of their home region.” “You speak the truth Chancellor,” Grithir replied. “Many of these Senators did not vote for my resolution because they were swayed by my talents in public speaking, if I have any that are worth boasting about. Rather, they voted for it because they believed it was in the best interests of their region and for this planet.” “Indeed,” L’Tal said. “Because of the reputation of many of these Senators, I have no reason to doubt your words. And as I said, while you were handily defeated in this session, when so many Senators vote in favour of a defeated resolution, it is the duty of the Chancellor to seriously consider if part or whole of the resolution has enough merit to warrant further debate or a reworking of the resolution for future presentation to the full Senate body.” Grithir looked sceptical. “Forgive my Chancellor,” he said. “But you have been the most ardent opponent of pre-emptive interstellar warfare. Why should I, as the champion of this cause, believe that you will be fair in your appraisal?” L’Tal cast a dark look at Grithir. “I take my job as Chancellor very seriously Senator,” he said sternly. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that I carry it out to the fullest of my abilities. The parts of the job of Chancellor that were meant to be carried out with ideology, I will carry out with ideology. You insult me by implying otherwise.” “I am sorry Chancellor,” Grithir replied hastily, seeking to rectify his earlier gaffe. “I did not mean my words, they were spoken hastily and with emotion.” “I understand Grithir,” L’Tal said, leaning forward in his chair. “If we are to resolve this in the way that is best for our planet, then we must agree to cooperate. Only through frank and honest discussion can we discover the true way to go forward.” Grithir nodded his head in agreement. “As you wish Chancellor,” he said. ========= Location: USS PATRIOT Scene: Sickbay “How’s it coming doctor?” Ben asked, walking into the PATRIOT’s sickbay and immediately finding himself close to the Chief Medical Officer. “I am just finishing the alterations on Ensign Tam now sir,” Dr. Dugan replied. “The alterations are not difficult to make. Farlasians are almost identical to humans in their overall physiology. The main difference is one of external appearance although that only has to do with colour. Farlasians can have different skin complexions ranging from a pitch black to a light grey hue depending on the part of the planet that they come from. I have reviewed the information regarding the Starfleet Intelligence drop point and have determined that it would be most appropriate to apply a mid-level grey hue to the skins of all of the away teams.” “And I don’t feel a thing,” Tam added. “Not like with other disguises where your face can get far heavier than normal.” “I don’t need to add anything really,” Dugan admitted. “Just a very thin coating to alter the body’s skin colour to the desired hue as well as slight changes to the outward appearance of Ensign Tam and Lieutenant Jade. The other members of the away team are all human or human enough that alterations are not needed.” “Very good,” Kenta said, taking a seat on the biobed when Tam vacated it. ========= Scene: Briefing Room “Okay,” Kenta said, looking around at the other people that were seated at the table. In addition to the Captain, there was Colonel Maverick, Lieutenant Corwin, Lieutenant Jade and Ensign Tam, the five members of the away team. Also present were Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Gorman and Major Daniel Clarkson, both of whom would have important roles to fill in the absence of most of the senior staff. “Here’s the scoop. We’ll be taking the STAR RIDER to a geostationary orbit on the side of the planet that is exactly opposite the orbital telescope and setting the vessel on an automatic scan before beaming down to coordinates that were provided to us by Starfleet Intelligence. According to their briefing, the coordinates are the location of a residence that we can use for the duration of our stay on the planet. We will all need to find different areas of work as our first priority on the planet as we will need currency to buy food and other supplies in addition to what we bring down with us from the runabout. Because of the fear of changeling detection, we should keep contact with the runabout either in the form of communication or transport to a minimum and therefore we will be unable to make frequent use of the replication systems on the ship.” “You’ll need to blend in with the local culture as much as possible then,” Jeff chimed in. “That goes far past getting jobs. Meeting the locals and learning as much about the planet as possible is a necessity if you hope to root the changelings out.” “That is correct Commander,” Kenta said with a nod of his head. “Obviously, going around and testing the blood of everyone on the planet will not be appropriate. We are acting in an effort to correct changes to the natural evolution of this civilization that were introduced by the changelings and therefore many of the non-interference rules of the Prime Directive will still apply. Wherever possible, we must work within the confines of the culture we are presented with to achieve our goals.” “While you are down on FARLAS PRIME rooting out the changelings,” Daniel said, once he had determined that the discussion regarding the mission was over. “I will be overseeing the establishment of a ground network of defence at our colony. In the event that we encounter resistance either in the form of changelings or Farlasians, we should be ready for them on the ground.” “Hopefully, you’ll never have to fire a shot,” Corwin commented. “The PATRIOT should be more than a match for any Farlasian ship.” “That’s what we were thinking as well,” Daniel answered with a nod of his head. “But we’re not going to take any chances. The marines and security forces on the planet will be tasked with protecting the colonists in the event of a ground assault.” Kenta nodded. “Well, we all know what to do then,” he said. “I suggest we get started right away. The away team is to report to the runabout in twenty minutes. Until then, you are all dismissed.” ========== Time Index: 30 minutes later Scene: Main Bridge “We have reached the coordinates for the separation,” reported the pilot at the conn, filling in for Lieutenant Corwin. “Coming to all stop.” “PATRIOT to STAR RIDER,” Jeff said, standing in front of the Captain’s chair on the bridge of the PATRIOT. “Are you ready to disembark?” [[Acknowledged PATRIOT,]] came the voice of Captain Kenta. [[We are about to clear the shuttle bay doors.]] A few moments of silence followed before the Captain’s voice came back on the line. [[STAR RIDER to PATRIOT. We have cleared the ship and are now proceeding to our destination.]] “Acknowledged STAR RIDER,” Jeff answered. “Good luck.” [[To you too Commander. STAR RIDER out.]] Jeff let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding as he turned around and walked back to the chair, taking a seat and looking at the screen in front of him in a moment of contemplation. “Helm,” he said finally. “Set course for the nearby colony, standard cruising speed. Engage when ready.” =========== Time Index: Hours later Location: USS STAR RIDER Scene: Flight Deck “We’re now in geosynchronous orbit around FARLAS PRIME Captain,” reported Lieutenant Corwin from the helm position. “Transferring helm control to automatic maintenance of this orbit.” The other stations all chimed in with reports, indicating that control of the runabout was all being transferred to automatic. The runabout would be programmed to maintain the current orbit and scan the planet and the surrounding areas for anything interesting it could find. In the event that the runabout was discovered or ships were launched from the surface, the away team would be automatically notified. “Very good,” Kenta said, nodding his head in approval as he stood up, the other members of the away team doing the same. “Let’s get this show on the road. Computer, energize.” ============ NRPG: And they’re off! I had been hoping to get a post from everyone before starting this part of the mission, but in light of the fact that there really wasn’t that much to talk about in the last segment, I can understand why some people didn’t post. That having been said, you’ve all got more than enough to do now! Finding the changelings will not be an easy matter, nor will attempting to blend into the society in the process. Think of all of the things that we do daily in our life and then think about the away team having to learn quickly how to emulate all of those in order to fit in. Then, add in the investigation regarding the changelings and you’ve got a hard mission to solve. But then again, that’s the point! So, where we go from here on in is largely up to you. This mission is very open-ended in nature, as I will be writing primarily for the changelings and for the preparations for defence of the colony. This means that the bulk of the work in developing and solving the mission will fall on your capable shoulders, although I might pitch in from time to time if things are starting to slow down. So, get going and post! I want to see lots of activity from everyone, similar to what we had last mission :) If anyone is having problems coming up with something to write, I am always available to offer suggestions or even do joint posts if we can find a time to be online together. ============= Rahul Chandra <vrccan_at_gmail.com> Playing… Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Gorman, MD Executive Officer USS PATRIOT & Major Daniel Clarkson, MD Marine Executive Officer USS PATRIOT No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1333 - Release Date: 18/03/2008 8:10 AM From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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