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Nicolas Lepage

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About Nicolas Lepage

  • Rank
    Red Star Night Club's Resident Surgeon
  • Birthday 08/19/1982

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Germany
  • Interests
    soccer,cycling,lacrosse (make that sports in general), history,languages and entertaining a thorough aversion against chemistry
  1. Coming Home A joint log by Amanda Davis and Nick Lepage Amid the chaos of the station Amanda’s office was a haven of tranquility and comfort. The armchairs, the smell of tea and the ever present scones made it easy to relax, something that Nick had come to appreciate. But escaping the station’s stressful life was not the only reason he stopped by often. Amanda had become a good friend and he had learned to value her advice. She was one of the few people he had truly missed during the time on Earth. So, while his enthusiasm to return to Aegis was somewhat limited, Nick was looking forward to this opportunity to catch up with his friend. As a civilian attached to Starfleet, Amanda wore the dresses she would have worn at home in Wales: soft, flowing skirts, casual long-sleeved blouses, and the occasional silk scarf - all understated, for relaxation. Her office looked more like a living room with a den attached - the living room being her reception area and the den being the office. Her furniture, inherited from generations past, had the gentle, warm smell of leather and potpourri, with a touch of expensive pipe tobacco from a vice in which both her father and grandfather had indulged. “Here we go, Nicolas,” said Amanda. Tea tray in hand, her skirt rustled a bit as she approached the sofa. “Darjeeling, no milk, one sugar.” Nick watched her put the tray on the table and for a moment he felt like he had never been gone. “Your memory is excellent. Not that I’d have expected anything else from you.” He took his cup and stared at the dark liquid inside. “It’s good to know that some things don’t change,” he added with a smile. “Yes, it is,” she replied, an impish grin playing as she poured and served. “To know that the universe may come to a complete halt and there would still be Darjeeling is quite comforting. And how one of your dearest friends takes his tea is difficult to forget.” Leather cushions sighed as she settled in for her first sip. “I haven’t had tea since I left the station. Doing this again is probably going to be the best thing about coming back. To be honest, I didn’t exactly volunteer for this assignment.” “Really, Nicolas?” she said with a touch of light hearted sarcasm. “Not volunteer to return to the edge of nowhere where you never know who or what is going to destroy your existence next?” She dropped the sarcasm. “I’m sure you had a very good reason, and I’m quite sure you’re not here for the fresh Darjeeling, even though it’s ever so difficult to come by nowadays, and one of the most well-stocked cupboards is mine.” Nick forced a grin. “You should hope Chirakis will actually give me an office here on the station. Otherwise I’ll move in with you and plunder that well-stocked cupboard of yours. Might get a little bit cramped though.” “I prefer cozy.” She smiled. Nick shrugged, opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind. He did not know what to say or if he even wanted to discuss what was on his mind. After a long pause Amanda put aside her cup and leaned forward, trying to meet his averted gaze. "You didn't just come here for tea, Nicolas," she said, stern but sincere. Nick set his cup back on the tray without ever drinking any of his tea. “I never actually told you why I requested to be transferred to Earth, did I?” "No." “Well, six months ago DJ’s brother and his wife were in an accident. They...euh...didn’t make it.” “I’m so sorry,” Amanda offered. “DJ had to go back to Earth to take care of her nephew and niece. Of course I couldn’t stay here. So I requested to be transferred and it was approved. The job wasn’t quite as exciting as out here but you kinda get used to going home to your family in the evening and nothing blowing up around you.” Nick paused. It was actually not easy coming to terms with the reality that he was back on Aegis and talking about DJ and the kids did not make things any better. “Long story short, when I got orders to come back here I did seriously consider resigning from Starfleet.” Amanda added quietly, “And yet, here you are.” “Here I am and I really don’t know if I should be.” He looked pleadingly at Amanda, not quite sure himself what he was expecting. Was it approval for his decision to leave his family behind? Or was he hoping for Amanda to tell him to get on the next ship back to Earth? “It must be important, or you would not have come; it’s your nature.” “Actually, you’re right. It is important. Since the Breen disappeared Starfleet Intelligence has been monitoring the region for any interesting activity. Apparently, we’ve lately received a request for assistance from Portas V. It looks like some former Breen slaves have settled there and, since they are low on resources, they have run into some problems. Most notably, they are dealing with the outbreak of a mysterious disease. My research on Earth was mainly connected to that. I am here to supervise the Federation’s efforts to help the colony.” Nick fell silent. Each met the other’s eyes as though wondering what to do or say next, or if, perhaps, the conversation should stop there altogether. Sometimes it’s better not to question. Other times it’s best to question and get the facts straight, but then you risk finding out that what you suspect is true. Finally Amanda shifted slightly against the leather cushions. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not telling me the full story, Nicolas? Of course, if it’s a matter of security, I certainly understand. Otherwise....” she left door open. Nick sighed, not really sure what to tell her. The details were complicated and the memories painful. “The real reason why I am here is because I led the research on a similar disease just after I’d first arrived here. A mysterious epidemic threatened to wipe out the Rixians and the former Breen slaves have a DNA similar to them. I suspect they are of Rixian descent. Anyway, we never managed to find a cure back then and it doesn’t look any better now, I’m afraid. Still, as desperate as the situation looks for those colonists, I’m their best bet. So you can see, the decision whether to stay on Earth or come back was actually not a difficult one. It’s just that I don’t like it.” "You're conflicted. You're torn between two noble choices: your duty to your physicians creed and your duty to your family." Nick considered Amanda’s words carefully before responding. “As noble as it might be to take care of my family there are hundreds of lives at stake. The needs of the many...” He did not finish the sentence. Both Nick and Amanda knew there was nothing more to say so they sat together and sipped their tea in silence.
  2. Oh wow...another European! Don't worry too much about the language "issue". My first language is German and before I came here I had never even watched a Trek episode in English. I picked up all the technobabble quickly enough. I also found that the words thingamajig and thingy can come in quite handy and noone will even notice. :) I'm looking forward to simming with you soon.
  3. Even the best physician with the most sophisticated facilities cannot save every patient. Ocis’ death had confirmed this truth. No matter how often he tried to remind himself of this fact Nick still found it hard to accept. But all that did not matter now. What they would need to focus on now was saving the other 272 Deosi from certain death. Mimi’s report did not reveal anything new. Maybe the full autopsy report would but Nick doubted it would yield any information that would help them. At the rate their research progressed the Deosi would be dead before they came even close to having a treatment for their condition. Unacceptable. Nick decided that he should sit down and quickly review the facts they had already gathered along with making a list of questions they still needed to answer. That would help organize his thoughts. He grabbed a PADD and pulled up the reports from medical, science and engineering. Perusing them carefully, he tried to extract the most important information. It took him the better part of the afternoon to go through all the reports and memos but in the end he was satisfied with the result as he read it again. Facts: - The Deosi were Breen slaves. - They managed to escape. - They suffer from malnourishment and various diseases. - Breen DNA was found on some of the Deosi’s hands.. - Ocis and the other Deosi’s DNA had several peculiar mutations. - The Deosi’s DNA is degenerating which is killing them. - The Deosi show signs of chroniton radiation. Questions: - How did the Deosi escape? - How did the Breen DNA get on the hands of some Deosi? - Did they use it to operate Breen technology? - Why exactly does the DNA degenerate? - Is the mutation responsible? - If so how? - Did the mutation occur naturally or was it engineered? - Does the chroniton radiation have anything to do with the above? Too many questions and too few facts, Nick thought when he had finished. Nevertheless, all these questions were important to answer. He would send out a memo including this list along with the final autopsy report once Mimi would have finished. Until then he would go back to the labs and try to find out more about the mutation. Time to find some answers.
  4. As the patients began to filter in, Mimi began to worry about how bad they were and how to treat them. All she could do was treat them and give them something to ease the pain and hopefully get them back on track. The first patient Mimi came upon was in serious condition and was treated with hydrozine. After helping out in the cargo bay, Nick had decided to go up to sickbay and check on the patients there. Myron and Mimi were more than capable of handling the situation. The problem was that the Deosi were in pretty bad shape and way more than Nick had expected had to be sent up to sickbay for more extensive medical treatment than there were able to provide in their makeshift facility in Cargo Bay 3. Nick when the turbolift's doors opened, Nick strode down the corridor and through the doors of sickbay. It took him only a few seconds to locate Mimi, bent low over an apparently unconscious patient. He made a beeline for her. "How are things up here?" he asked. Mimi looks up at Nick breifly and sighs. "Fair I would have to say, but most of these people are either ill from malnurishment, some worse than others, or have some type of chroniton radiation. But not as bad as Ocis," she replied. "I wish that there were a few extra hands to help out." Nick held out his hands and grinned. "Will these do?" he asked jokingly. "But seriously, I'll need you to scan every patient's DNA. Enter the results into the databanks and send them to Commander Feretti." As she smiles, "Of course, I'll make sure that she'll get the results." Mimi stands and looks at Nick, "By the way, Ocis isn't doing to well. He's getting worse by the day," she said softly. "I don't know how much longer he has." Nick nodded. "I'll check on him later. Though I fear even our best efforts won't save him. His DNA seems to be degenerating quickly. But we might be able to do something for the rest of them." "Alright," as Mimi nodded in agreement. "How many more left in Cargo Bay 3, that aren't as bad as this group?" Nick did a quick calculation in his head. "About 190. We'll have to find more permanent accomodations once they are released. Are there any in the ICU?" "Including Ocis, about 25," Mimi replied. "You might want to get with Commander Brown about accomodations and Centurion Dabi about posting security where the group will be placed." Too bad the diplomatic wing isn't useable or we could use it, Mimi thought to herself. "I don't see why we should increase security around their quarters," Nick answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "We caught Ocis stealing. It's not like all of them are theives and Ocis had pretty good reasons." "True," shrugged Mimi. "Alright so if that's all I'll go back down to the cargo bays. Let me know fi you need anything." Nick looked at her questioningly for a few seconds and then turned around and left. There was still a lot of work ahead of them.
  5. Good Doc, Bad Cop A Joint Log by Lepage/ Ocis A final, “Deosi tur san verak!” escorted the Romulan chief of security and Spader through sick bay’s sliding doors. After a moment of silence, Ocis glanced up at the doctor standing next to him, profound relief, contempt, and confusion playing alternately in his expression. “You didn’t hand me over,” said Ocis with a semi-defiant toss of his head. “Why?” Nick pretended to be studying the readouts from the biobed. He wasn’t quite sure just how much he should tell Ocis. Granted, the question was easy enough to answer but the CMO didn’t really think admitting quite how much Dabi’s request upset him would be a smart decision right now. After a few seconds he turned to his patient and smiled. “Let’s just say that our chief of security and I do not quite agree when it comes to interrogation techniques. You’re still here because I don’t want to take any chances. Besides,” he added with a grin, “It’s a long way from here to the brig in case you get worse.” Ocis gave a snort. “Right,” he said. “What you really mean is that you hate him. Pro’bly hate Rommies. Don’t blame you. They’re just a bit closer to civilized than the Breen, and that’s not saying much.” With a sigh Nick pulled up a chair and sat down. It couldn’t hurt talking to Ocis, and for all Nick knew he might even get some information out of his patient; something the security folks had not accomplished. “I don’t hate him,” Nick said, shaking his head thoughtfully. “I don’t like his methods, his way of thinking. And I’m not afraid of antagonizing people if I think I’m doing the right thing. “And you’re not afraid of him?” Ocis stopped swishing his water glass and set it down on the bedside table before crossing his arms. “You’re not worried he’ll take you out?” A mirthless laugh escaped Nick. “I may just be a doctor but I’m not helpless. Besides, this is real life, not some cheap novel. I expect some trouble but nothing I can’t handle. Dabi might seem scary but you know what they say about dogs that bark.” Ocis cocked his head in a come-again? look. Nick recognized the look of confusion on Ocis’ face and immediately tried to explain. “Let me put it this way. Dabi is the kind of person who likes to have things done his way. He’s used to people following his orders. As much as he might not like the fact that I won’t do what he wants he’s not foolish enough to actually do anything. He knows this is Starfleet and he knows we play by different rules. Will he complain? Yes. Will he rant and rave? Probably. Will he get his way? Definitely not.” Nick paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right words. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I may not be as naive anymore as I was when I first got here. But I still believe that the means to achieve a goal matter just as much as the goal itself.” “You’re... Starfleet?” he said, giving it the tinge of a swear word. He eyed Nick a minute, his chin jutting towards him. “Heard about Star...fleet from some raiders we hit up for supplies a while back. Good suppliers they were... ‘til the ‘Fleet took ‘em out. They didn’t have much nice to say. Heard you’re just as bad as the Breen - bad as rivals, they said. So... how come they’ve not taken you out?” Now it was Nick’s turn to be confused. “Taken us out? Who?” “The Breen. You - this Star... fleet - more powerful than they are? Kind o’ hard to b’lieve.” It suddenly dawned on Nick that Ocis didn’t know about the Breen. “Well, we’re certainly more powerful now. There’s this tiny bit of news you might have missed. The Breen are gone.” Ocis’ surly expression flickered for a moment, but returned in his tone. “Right. The Breen. The Breen are gone.” He smirked. “Good one. Good try, Doc.” “Think about it for a second, Ocis,” Nick started to explain. It was to be expected that Ocis wouldn’t believe him. After all, wiping out an entire species was no small feat. Even though Starfleet had had no part in it as far as Nick knew. “Starfleet moves a space station such as Aegis close to Breen space, the ally of one of the most formidable enemies we’ve ever encountered.” Ocis didn’t seem convinced and continued to measure Nick with his eyes. “So... Starfleet is out here with this... station...” he waved a hand to take in the facility, “...and the Breen are gone. And Starfleet is this nice bunch of people... like you.” He waggled a finger, nodding his head thoughtfully. “When do I get to leave?” “Well, you will still have to face charges for stealing our supplies.” Ocis’ jerked up, his eyes narrowed, his expression changing drastically. “We don’t steal. We take what we need. To survive.” “You took things that didn’t belong to you. Looks a lot like stealing to me. But if, as you claim, you took the stuff in order for your people to survive,” here Nick paused and shrugged. “There might be something we can do for you. For one thing, if you officially request assistance we would be very likely to give you what you need.” “Right. Then you find our base and wipe it out.” “Yeah, exactly. Just like we hung you from the ceiling by your ankles and whipped you raw to get information. “Look, Ocis,” Nick leaned forward a little, trying to make sure that Ocis would understand his situation. “I’ve gone over all the stuff you took. I saw your condition when you got here. It looks like all we’d have to do to wipe your people out is stand by and watch. I’m offering you help. Take it or leave it. It’s your choice. But consider your decision carefully because lives are at stake.” What Nick said seemed to sink in, but Ocis remained close-lipped. He sat back, staring first at Nick, then at some unseen object beyond the station’s walls. End of conversation. Nick got up, realizing Ocis had provided as much information as he was willing to. He knew it would be a difficult decision and would certainly take Ocis some time to consider.
  6. Sickbay was always a strange place for one with Spader's view of the world. Seen through ocular implants, the clarity of distinction between a healthy skin and a fever sweat was keen, and though she was no doctor, she could not help but see more clearly than most that she was walking into a place where all was not entirely well with the world for the majority of its inhabitants. It was not exactly disquieting, but it was...sobering. It was one of these inhabitants in particular that she was here to see; Ocis, the pale humanoid prisoner who had taken ill in the brig and been moved here for treatment. He was easily distinguishable from the others, not by the bloom of fevered heat from his body or the rapid rise and fall of his chest but by the small gaggle of security guards clustered around him at a tense, uncomfortable attention. She muttered a few words to the young man at the foot of the biobed, relieving him of his shift at the prisoner's side, and looked around, settling into her own half-attentive posture while waiting for the arrival of someone who could give her a report on the situation. Nick entered main sickbay through a set of doors in the back which led to the labs. He had delivered the latest patient's samples personally to make sure the techs understood those samples had priority over anything they were doing. When he returned to Ocis' bedside Nick noticed a familiar pair of eyes on him. "I hope you've come to call back your watch-dogs. All they do is get in the way and this fellow won't be going anywhere, trust me." Spader glanced sideways and saw that Dr. Lepage was addressing her, and she grinned faintly. " 'Fraid not, sir...but I can have them give you a bit more room." Turning her head to the men standing at her sides, she muttered, "Boys, fall out. Position at exits." Crisply, the team withdrew from the bedside and moved to station itself along the walls. Spader looked back at Lepage and raised an eyebrow. "How's he doing, sir?" Nick took a step backward to give the nurse some room. She was busy checking the various medications, the patient’s vitals and making sure the biobed’s sensors were adjusted correctly. He watched her for a few seconds and then turned toward Spader who watched him expectantly. Checking the patient’s readouts, Nick contemplated the question for a moment. Instead of answering he asked, “When and how did you first notice anything was wrong with him? I asked some of those guys,” he jabbed his thumb in the general direction of the security guards, “but they weren’t very helpful.” Spader cocked her head. "I was conducting a routine check in the brig area and realized that he'd thrown up on his floor and was curled up in the corner. I guess he hadn't been looking his strongest when we picked him up but this was the first sign he was actively sick...that was only a few minutes before Dr. Pavilion was called down." While Spader was talking Nick leaned against a nearby biobed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He nodded but his frown deepends as he listened. When Spader had finished he looked at her. “The man is sick. Very much so.” Nick nodded toward his office. “Let’s go and talk in there, if you don’t mind. I’m sure your chief will want a thorough report.” "I'm sure," Spader agreed, only the slightest bit dryly. Dabi was hard to predict; he might get uptight for a less-than-thorough report, or he might get uptight if she presented him with too much to read. It was a tossup, but better to know as much as she could for her own purposes, at least. Falling into step with him, she walked towards the CMO's office, gesturing for the security ensign near the door to take charge of the small team. Once in his office Nick sat down in the chair behind his desk, offering Spader to take a seat as well. “I won’t bore you with the details Lieutenant. This man was probably lucky we caught him. He is malnourished, we found two different kinds of parasites, one in his intestines and one in his blood, he has all kinds of infections and I found many injuries, some fresh, others more or less healed. I find it…troubling that none of this was noticed when he was apprehended.” Spader winced, resisting the urge to shift her weight uncomfortably. "As do I, sir, but all respect...we're not doctors. We did our job and called you as soon as we saw symptoms. If anything had really presented itself earlier, you would have been called." She stated it as solid fact, no trace of wishful thinking, though she couldn't help reflecting to herself that Dabi had almost insisted that the man was merely faking it. That didn't matter now; she'd made a choice and, as it turned out, the right one. "Is he contagious?" she asked, adding on a more practical concern. Wordlessly, Nick tossed the PADD that contained Ocis' medical file over to Spader and waited for her to pick it up and read. He watched her as she read. Once she had finished he replied, "No, he's not contagious. But he's still very sick. I'll draft a report for Commander Chirakis. I'll suggest that everyone who is detained in your facilities will receive at least a basic medical scan. It will be as much in the detainees' interest as yours. I think I could make a reasonably convincing case accusing Dabi of negligence if I wanted to." Spader didn't say anything for a moment. Then she set the PADD down on the desk with a light clunk. "Understood, sir," she said, as crisply as she could manage, her off-kilter gaze turning up to the wall behind him attentively. "I'll inform Centurion Dabi to be prepared for a medical overview of the current brig population." It took some effort not to try to explain away the situation; Lepage would want to see the others’ condition with his own eyes anyway. Besides, whatever he might think, she rested easy with herself that she had done all she could on the subject -- she had reacted as soon as she knew there was a problem and not before, and while it was somewhat galling to hear that there was no credit being given for it, she could at least feel comfortable in her own mind. The rest would have to take care of itself. "Is there anything else you need from security, sir?" Nick shook his head. “No, you have the report,” he pointed at the PADD. “Unless you have any more questions we’re done here.” Nick knew Spader wasn’t to blame for what happened. There was a fault in the system not in the way the security department had reacted to this emergency. However, he was reluctant to admit it, hoping to improve the system and ensuring their prisoners’ safety. "No, sir, no questions," Spader answered, lacing her hands behind her back and nodding at the dismissal, turning to leave the office, swearing to herself under her breath. This'll make for a fun report...
  7. On his way to sickbay Nick had talked to the Missouri CMO over the comm system. Common courtesy dictated he at least ask if his assistance was welcome. As expected, the head of the Missouri’s medical department was glad to have some help. As soon as Nick entered sickbay, he looked around to see where Chirakis was being treated. It took him only a few seconds to spot her. The biobed that held her was surrounded by various medical personnel. A young Ensign was barking instructions to some med techs. Nick approached and got a questioning look from the Lieutenant. “Doctor Lepage,” he introduced himself, “CMO of Sky Harbor Aegis. What’s her status?” Immediately, the young physician rattled off a number of figures. While listening Nick checked the readouts on the monitor above the biobed. When the Lieutenant had ended, Nick nodded. “Have you administered any medication,” he asked while trying to assess the severity of Chirakis’ injuries. “100 cc Asinolyathin. She’s unconscious but removing the suit will be painful,” the Ensign answered promptly, looking at him as if waiting for his approval. Nick considered her decision for a second then nodded and said, “Good thinking. Add 400cc Corophizine and Vertazine each. With those burns the risk of infections is comparatively high. They also need to be treated with Dermaline Gel as soon as possible to prevent scarring.” DJ approached the biobed just in time to hear the tail end of Nick’s conversation with the Missouri’s attending physician. She’d been delayed trying to find a place to park Gilbert. A corpsman, who couldn’t have been more than 18 years old, volunteered to take him to one of the labs. He promised to make sure the dog was comfortable and wouldn’t get into any trouble. More trouble was the last thing she needed right now. DJ had been with Chirakis when the Commander was finally retrieved from Aegis. With no equipment available for a proper scan, she’d been forced to do little more than observe the unconscious Bajoran. The burns had been obvious. Undoubtedly, there were other injuries hiding beneath them. The biofunction monitor attached to the biobed provided information on the patient’s vitals. DJ studied them closely as she squeezed in beside Nick. It indicated Chirakis was in shock which came as no surprise. “We should activate the K3 Indicator to monitor her pain level,” offered DJ. “She’s already shocky. Additional pain could put her off the edge.” “First I’d like to assess the trauma. We’ve got second and third degree burns but I’m sure there’s more. Oxygen saturation’s a bit on the low side. Pneumothorax maybe.” Turning back to the Ensign Nick added, “We’ll certainly need Dermaline Gel, Metropan and an osteogenic stimulator. We’ll also need a generator for a bioregenerative field when we’re done here.” Nick punched some of the SSF’s keys to start the first of many scans they’d have to do to find out how extensive Chirakis’ injuries were. The standard monitor provided the basic vitals but not much on tissue damage. What they needed to find out was whether Chirakis’ internal organs were still intact, if there were fractures and if she had sustained any trauma by being stuck in the transporter for such a long time. “We’ve got some broken bones,” quipped DJ as the team surveyed the scan results. “Looks like three ribs and the left humerus.” She shook her head slightly and sighed in relief. “A few burns and broken bones.....she’s lucky....very lucky. And so are we.” “There’s some air in her chest cavity. But it looks like there’s only minor damage to the lung.” Nick was also perusing the readouts. He had to agree with DJ. Considering the circumstances, Chirakis had sustained surprisingly little injuries. “She must have hit the bulkhead when the structural integrity of the station failed. The burns look like plasma burns. There probably was a plasma leak before the station collapsed.” He paused to consider the data carefully. “I suggest we treat her with antibiotics and Dermaline Gel for the burns. Otherwise standard procedure for the fractured bones, bioregenerative field for a few hours and the pneumothorax is almost negligible. I’d say no treatment needed but we should keep her here for the night, see if her condition deteriorates.” He looked questioningly at DJ. She glanced up at him and nodded in the affirmative. “Sounds like a reasonable plan.” She paused a moment to look at their patient. “If she’s going to stay here overnight, we might need to keep her sedated. Knowing the Commander, if she wakes up, she’ll want to leave....immediately.” DJ’s last remark made Nick smile. “Yeah, good idea.” He picked up the PADD that was lying next to the biobed and wrote down his orders. While Chirakis was definitely the highest ranking patient in sickbay right now, there was not much more he could do for her. The nurses and technicians would administer the treatment.
  8. I hate to admit it but Spain definitely deserved to win that game. They were the better team. ::sighs:: At least Paul, the octupus, predicted Germany's gonna win their game against Uruguay tonight. I hope he's got that right, too. 3rd place just like 2006...not too bad for such a young team I guess.
  9. Actually the call was correct. There have to be two players of the defending team closer to the defending team's goal line at the time of the pass than the first player of the attacking team (unless the player who receives the ball is farther away from the goal line than the ball itself at the time of the pass or the ball is "passed" to him by a player of the defending team). Usually that's the goalkeeper and one of the defenders. In this case the goalkeeper had left the goal and there was just that one defender at the post closer to the goal line than Vela. So the ref was right to make the call.
  10. Watched the first few games today. Man, France really sucks...yet again. :)
  11. Germany's getting ready for the World Cup and I can't wait for it to start. I'm rooting for Germany of course but I'm not very optimistic what with all those last minute injuries and such. Actually I think the US have a good chance of beating England in their first match...especially now that Rio Ferdinand's out with an injury. Algeria and Slovenia should not be underestimated though. We'll see how that goes. It's gonna be tough for Mexico, though. It's gonna be difficult beating France even though they kinda suck. Personally I think Spain's gonna get far...not sure about Brazil though they are always to be reckoned with. Same with Germany though this year they might well get eliminated in the quarter finals.
  12. Nick was still a little confused about the end of his conversation with Amanda. He was glad he had helped her...somehow. So now he was sitting at the table, lost in thoughts while chewing his sandwich. He was glad he still had some time to go over some of the reports Mimi and DJ had sent in and also some of the results of his own research. So he reached for the PADD that had lain forgotten on his tray during his talk with Amanda and started to read. The Promenade food court was not somewhere Aegis's cargo chief, CPO Rosalind Wills, normally ate, as it was noisy and crowded and she could generally get enough of that down in the cargo bays. That being said, it was also a change of scene and one she felt she could use. She'd now spent a considerable amount of time having to work around the presence of that...thing...still lodged in one of her bays smelling up the place, and when you added in, on top of that, the trickle-down from what by all reports was an intended mutiny, it just generally tended to make the whole business headache worthy. Almost makes me miss the move to the Mercury... The foot court was more crowded today even than usual, and after her stop at the replicators for a sandwich and black (very black) coffee, it took her nearly five minutes to spot what was apparently the only available open seat, at one of the small tables scrunched up against a corner. One of the seats was already taken, by a man it took Wills a few seconds to identify as the Chief Medical Officer, Lepage. Eyeing her tray for a moment, she pondered the feasibility of getting it off the Promenade and the pleasantness of trying to eat it standing up and then shrugged, making her way over to Lepage and his empty chair. "'Scuse me, sir," she said, tempering her usual bluntness in proportion to the number of pips on his collar. "This seat taken?" Without even looking up from the PADD, Nick grunted and waved his hand in a motion for her to sit down. When he had finished reading the paragraph he finally looked up and greeted the newcomer with a smile. “I apologize, Chief. Needed to finish reading that sentence.” "Engrossing reading, eh, Doc?" Wills said easily, sliding into the seat with her tray and picking up her sandwich to take a large bite out of it. “Yeah, it’s basically stuff about our new resident down in cargo bay 3. We’re trying to find out more about him…not even sure if it’s a ‘he’ actually,” Nick answered pleasantly, trying to make conversation. He had a feeling he had already seen the CPO somewhere but wasn’t sure where. "Oh, God..." The frustrated sputter was out of Wills's mouth around the mouthful of roast beef before she could stop it. "That monstrosity...you don't have any idea when he's liable to be evacuated, do you? It's putting a bit of a damper (not to mention a stink) on cargo ops." “That ‘monstrosity’, Chief, is…well was a living being. I know the smell can be a bit…irritating but I fear you’ll have to live with that a little bit longer. We have only just started our research. We’re getting some promising results, though. A DNA profile, blood composition and the analysis of membrane proteins and various enzymes have yielded some interesting information.” Nick tried hard not to sound irritated. Why was it that everything people didn’t know or understand was automatically called a ‘thing’ and if it scared them a ‘monstrosity’? Wills sighed. She'd woken the blue-collar in him up and clearly she wasn't going to get much sympathy. "Really?" she asked, and was somewhat pleased with herself that the sarcasm in her mind stayed mostly out of her voice. "Like what?" She admitted privately to being somewhat curious, if only on the level that she hoped they were at least accomplishing something useful by keeping it there; if he told her they'd spent that time learning fascinating things about what it ate and how large a litter of little...things...it might produce, she might have to go order something more potent than the coffee. “Like, for example that the Athra are likely to have originated on a world with very low gravity. Their erythrocytes, red blood cells in humans, blue in this species, use Osmium instead of iron to bind oxygen. Osmium is the metal with the highest density. Also, their hematocrit…the proportion of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes is 76%...in humans it’s only 38-48%. That means they can bind more oxygen, which in turn means they don’t have to breathe as often. So they can survive in the vacuum of space. Well, their reinforced shells help, I guess.” Nick didn’t care whether the CPO was really interested. This was the perfect way to sort through all the results and help him realize what they actually implied. "Must come in handy," Wills said dryly, taking another bite of her sandwich. Most of this was going over her head, though she got the general gist enough. "So we're basically talking a giant, vacuum-proof bug, then? Exoskeleton and all that?" Nick nodded, glad the CPO was still with him. “Yeah, and the shell was even reinforced with some kind of metal. I hope someone in science will be able to identify what exactly it is. On the inside the Athra look pretty much like your average humanoid. Nervous system, blood vessels, organs…all there, looking slightly different but there nonetheless. But on the outside they were made to spend a considerable amount of time in space. That’s amazing if you ask me.” "It's not bad, sure," Wills said agreeably, finishing off her sandwich. She had a feeling it would, in some other life, have been actually a pretty interesting topic, but she just couldn't get herself riled up over organ orientation in something that had crashed through the wall of a painstakingly organized system. "Wish it'd picked a different area of space to spend a considerable amount of time in. But I guess that's neither here nor there." “Well, Chief, I’m sure the Athra wasn’t too happy our paths crossed either. And the outcome for this one was much more unfortunate than for you or me.” "Suppose you've got a point there." Wills slouched back in her chair for a moment, giving herself a moment to digest, then eyed her empty plate. "Place makes a good roast beef," she said after a second's pause. "May have to come here more often. If you'll excuse me, Doc..." She pushed herself to her feet, twisting to wrench a crick out of her back, and picked up the tray. "Gotta keep moving. Good luck with the...ah...thing." She paused, then quirked a slight grin at him. "Or the living being. Or whatever it is." Nick rose as the CPO got up. “Thanks, Chief.” He smiled and shook his head as he sat down again to finish reading his reports.
  13. Nick was surprised to see the lights dimmed when he left the lab and walked to the replicator. He checked the time. One in the morning. He hadn’t noticed how time had passed while he’d been running his experiments. Actually, he hadn’t noticed anything. DJ had been in the lab some time ago to check on him but her presence hadn’t really registered in his brain until she’d left again. The only reason why he could tell it was her was the lingering smell of her perfume. But that must have been several hours ago. He had been consumed in his work, only taking the time to send Drankum a short report on the progress of the various tests. “Coffee, black and a chicken sandwich.” Picking up the mug of coffee and his food Nick had half a mind to go back to the lab but opted for his more comfortable office instead. The tests he was running now would take at least another hour to complete. Finally he could take a short break and collect his thoughts. It had taken the better part of six hours to isolate enough DNA molecules from the Athra to even create a full DNA profile. The interesting part of his work would only start now. He’d have to determine what the different genes actually did. Did they only code eye colour or were they responsible for producing enzymes that were crucial for the Athra’s metabolism? And the most important question of all, was there something that could affect the DNA at all and if so how? Tomorrow Nick would also start isolating different enzymes, find out what their function was. The more they’d know about this species the better. Mapping genes for a DNA profile might tell them where the Athra had come from, which species they were related to and also possible weaknesses. Sitting on the small sofa in his office, Nick perused a PADD. In his mind he was going over experiments that still needed to be done and work schedules. Robin would run tests on several tissue samples, see what kind of proteins were present in the different organs, see what the organs’ respective functions were and if anything could affect them adversely. The histological composition of the various tissues would also tell them about the Athras dietary needs and their natural environment. It was also important to see what Lillian and Mimi would find out. He made a mental note to ask them first thing in the morning. All he could do for now, however, was wait and see how his tests would turn out. So Nick grabbed his sandwich, leaned back and took a bite. He hadn’t noticed just how hungry he was. He still had 45 minutes left until he’d get the results from his test. He allowed himself to lean back, close his eyes and relax a little. It took less than two minutes for Nick to fall asleep.
  14. Back in sickbay Nick went directly into his office to send another copy of his report on the physicals to Drankum although he knew the Ferengi would probably not bother to read it. Once the report was sent an icon indicating a new memo caught his eye. He opened it and what he read only deepended his frown. Apparently Jorahl had collapsed in sickbay. He was now sleeping in a private room just off main sickbay. Nick made a mental note to talk to Mimi and check in on the patient as soon as he had time. For now he needed to come up with a plan for the research they’d have to do on the Athra down in cargo bay 3. Normally, this research would be conducted by the science department with medical only assisting. With all of the science officers in the brig the task of finding a weakness in the Athra’s physiology fell to his department. Not an easy situation considering that none of them were experts at chemistry or biology. But there was nothing they could do about it now. Drankum had made it quite clear that he was not willing to let any scientist out of the brig to help with the research. Nick leaned across his desk and activated his computer console. He needed to set up a research schedule while making sure sickbay would not be short-handed. He pulled up the duty roster and perused it for a few minutes, making adjustments here and there. The result was far from satisfying but at least it would work. Mimi and Lillian would run tests on the Athra’s nervous system while he would do some experiments on the molecular level. Maybe they could find some chemical or biological agent that had an adverse effect on the alien. After sending the new duty schedule, Nick pulled up his autopsy report. He’d send it to Mimi, Lillian and DJ again but before doing so he wanted to go through it once again and make a few additions if needed. When he had finished reading the report he realized that there were too many unknowns in there. Basically all the report said was that beside cause of death they didn’t know anything about this alien. Getting up, Nick strode into main sickbay to brief his staff, determined to find some answers to the many questions.
  15. From: Commander Nicolas Lepage, M.D., CMO Sky Harbor Aegis To: Lieutenant Commander Mimi Pavilion, M.D. Lieutenant Commander DJ McKinny, M.D. Lieutenant Lillian Belar, M.D. CC : Ambassador Drankum, Commanding Officer, Sky Harbor Aegis Commander Chirakis Kirel, Executive Officer, Sky Harbor Aegis File No. SHA-2385426/3 Non Jurisdictional Autopsy Species: Athra Autopsy No. : SHA-2385426/3 Name: John Doe Date of Autopsy: April 26, 2385 Sex: unknown Time of Autopsy: 6:47 pm Age: unknown DOB: unknown Prosectors: Commander Nicolas Lepage, M.D. CMO, Sky Harbor Aegis and Senior Chief Petty Officer Mary-Alice Schaffer Autopsy authorized by: Commander Chirakis Kirel, Executive Officer, Sky Harbor Aegis Final Pathological Diagnoses I. Traumatic Brain Injury A. Subdural haemorrhage B. Increased intracranial pressure C. Brain herniation II. Large contusions (approximately 50 cm in diameter)on the anterior side of the body. III. Laceration on the lower left side (length 53cm) IV. Internal haemorrhage Opinion: John Doe was an Athra of undetermined age and sex who died of traumatic brain injury. A laceration and massive internal haemorrhage were contributory causes of death. The manner of death is determined to be: ACCIDENTAL Clothing: There is no clothing present. External Examination: The general condition of the body cannot be determined due to lack of data. For forther information consult file no. SHA-2385425. The unembalmed body is well preserved and cool to touch due to refrigeration. The development of rigor mortis and livor mortis cannot be determined. The exterior of the body consists of a hard shell which was found to be made of an unknown chitin-like substance. The shell seems to be reinforced with a metallic compound. The appearance is reminiscent of arthropodae found on many planets. There is a laceration on the body’s left side measuring 53,2cm in length. No further injuries can be determined. Evidence of Injury: The outside of the body shows a 53,2 cm long laceration caused by blunt force trauma (impact). Evidence of Recent Medical Treatment: None Other Identifying Features: None Internal Examination: The body was opened with a variation of the usual Sorak incision Body Cavities: Massive internal haemorrhage was found in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. All organs showed signs of injuries caused by blunt force trauma. (The various organs and their functions have not yet been identified.) Central Nervous System: Dissection of the central nervous system has shown subdural haemorrhage and herniation of the brain. Special Procedures: All organs were dissected and tissue samples taken and preserved for further studying. DNA samples were collected. Tissue samples from the shell, muscle tissue, nerve fibres and various body fluids were taken for examination.