Perseus Arm Records, Season 2 Discussion Thread Options

[Col. C.E. Harper]

Recaps forthcoming, but rather than create a new thread for every plot, here is a thread for the whole season. Have at it, folks!

[OdileCondacin]

Is anyone else getting the urge to analyze all of the aliens' physiology and technology? We have some rather interesting things out here in the outer reaches!

[Kansas_Jones]

Oh totally. Coming in from the security role play angle, I am interested in the tech (weapons) and physiology (mainly physical areas of the body that can be used for a quick take down or do the Umbara use their beaks for self defense? That sort of thing) of the aliens.

Player wise, all the aliens and the possibilties are very cool, and I look forward to the continuing plot line.

Overall, having the crew stranded several light years from home really ups the bar - they don't have the "comfort zone" of being able to contact allies or Fleet Command. I honestly like the new plot situation of cowboy diplomacy, if it can be called that.

[OdileCondacin]

We have such an interesting new plotline going now! And exasperating -- only from a character's perspective. ::grin::

I think Odile is just about ready to smack our self-righteous guest. But then again, who can blame her? There's only so much patience to go around, even if she's a silly goost from the 21st Century.

I keep being reminded of Khan and his followers, though I doubt she's a genetic superwoman. But between what Shadow said and a gut feeling, does anyone else think her motives are less than honorable?

[Kansas_Jones]

I keep being reminded of Khan and his followers, though I doubt she's a genetic superwoman. But between what Shadow said and a gut feeling, does anyone else think her motives are less than honorable?

Second that! Genetic superwoman no; possibly a high born, 'purebred' (rather, thinks she is) human? Yes. My player observations are she is the domineering type, used to getting her own way all the time, and not all she appears to be. How do we know that the passengers on the 21st century ship she was traveling on didn't stick her in that travel pod on purpose? She could be an exile.

And, so help me if anything vaguely insectoid like bursts out of her chest. :-p

Oh yes, the current plot is rather annoying (in that good, fun way) with the 'Court's newest passenger. Ms. Attitude has JoNs' security hackles going ballistic. Well, actually, she went ballistic in general because of Ms. Personality.

Good stuff as always on the 'Court.

>^..^<

[Kansas_Jones]

Okay, the following is from the 3.14.07 sim: the stuff has impacted with the fan, and certain peeps are going rather 'nuts'. At least, personality wise, they are acting out of character.

Colonel Harper - Medusa is doing some holo-training exercises (and again Colonel, I offer up the security tech services - your marine programs are rather tame :-P) with Troll Merril. Both characters at one point were discussing the program parameters, and Harper suggested changing the antagonists to non-humans, making a smarmy comment along the lines of 'we wouldn't want to make the humans nervous'.

It seemed kind of wierd to have a human make a comment like that, unless I completely mis-interpreted the line. It was the opposite of Melissa's earlier reactions, who kept going off about aliens not being pure, and how humans are the best.

Doctor Levy - elbowed the 21st century woman (Apple/Melissa), pushed Lt. Kairi out of the way later, kicked at Kroells, and just got very snarly. Again, acting totally away from the normal good doctor that we know and love.

Lt. Major Rieve - Hair got threatening toward Melissa, aiming her rifle at her, and just up and shot JoNs (this surprised the heck out of me btw - I really wasn't expecting her to shoot! Love it!), and got into a firefight with Lt. Spitfire. Very aggressive.

Melissa - our 21st century traveler apologized to Kitty for some nasty comments. All along, she is a PITA, and then she apologizes, stating that the commenting on alien species was all the idea of the Captain that she had been in cahoots with for the long lost relative scam? Another reversal of personality.

So what's going on? Is it mind control? Something emanating from the Melissa's travel Pod itself, making certain crew sick? And lets not forget that Levy and Kairi were spritzed with something planetside during the shoreleave - is that propagating among the crew, mutating and causing mental issues? Heightened aggression seems to be the defining factor, and maybe adrenaline kicks the mental issues into high gear.

I can't wait to find out!

This post has been edited by Kansas_Jones: Mar 19 2007, 08:37 AM

[DesdemonaLevy]

Doctor Levy - elbowed the 21st century woman (Apple/Melissa), pushed Lt. Kairi out of the way later, kicked at Kroells, and just got very snarly. Again, acting totally away from the normal good doctor that we know and love.

Oh how sweet Kansas, you like me, you really like me. Oh and by the way I also hit Kroells...I think, or at least I tried. ::evil laugh::

So what's going on? Is it mind control? Something emanating from the Melissa's travel Pod itself, making certain crew sick? And lets not forget that Levy and Kairi were spritzed with something planetside during the shoreleave - is that propagating among the crew, mutating and causing mental issues? Heightened aggression seems to be the defining factor, and maybe adrenaline kicks the mental issues into high gear.

That is true we did get hit with that powder stuff, but I don't think it is that. Mainly because Kairi is not acting out of character, only I am.


Needless to say it was a fun sim. Nothing like a bar fight in sickbay to shake things up.

[Kansas_Jones]

That is true we did get hit with that powder stuff, but I don't think it is that. Mainly because Kairi is not acting out of character, only I am.
Needless to say it was a fun sim. Nothing like a bar fight in sickbay to shake things up.

Oh yes - the sickbay is definitely shaken and stirred.

And you're right - only a few crew seem to be affected for right now. Why just a few and not everyone? And we can't even go by the pod, because if I recall, Doc Levy hasn't come in contact with it.

Apple is still not in the clear (read: Security Kitty is still wondering/suspicious about her and the long dead Captain Collins). And that powder that Kairi and Levy found themselves spritzed with on the planet, I think I am leaning toward the stuff messing with the crew in some way.

Question is - can we figure out what is playing havoc, and how to stop the entire crew from tearing each other apart if it comes to that? Mystery! Woo!

[Kansas_Jones]

Okay, things have gotten way more complicated...and why does this make the player happy? :-D

A mysterious ship appears off the bow of the 'Court. The aggression levels are still off the radar. Several players - Levy, Rieve, Murray, etc. - have jumped ship, with the second ship warping away shortly afterward.

Colonel Harper is all snarly as well, but has been captured thanks to the downright electric personality of Shadow, and is in custody in the brig - MY brig. Oh yeah, payback is a tribble :-D The jumpers are now in some sort of gladiator type setting. Lt. Colonel Day, Condacin, Prell, Kairi, Shadow, JoNs, and Mister Troll were left after the mayhem of the mass exodus.

Whats up with the mysterious other ship? And the gladiator games? Why did certain crew get aggressive and mutiny?

The mysterious ship must have something to do with the gladiator arena, and what better way to ensure fighting then to make your participants all aggressive? So, that stuff that was spritzed on Levy and Kairi during shoreleave must be a factor (possibly), but Kairi wasn't affected, and then other people 'caught' the virus.

Woo!

[DesdemonaLevy]

Ok so really...Rieve and Murray get to fight it out American gladiator style and I get stuck in a cell for the next few days. Well at least I get feed right. Oh who am I kidding it is a poor trade off. ::shrugs::

Oh on a side note, did anyone notice the "all humans are beamed to the other ship" thing. I am not fully human so if that is one of the criteria, how the heck did I get affected? None of the other half and half's got violent. Wonder if that was planned or just a mistake?

[Kansas_Jones]

Ok so really...Rieve and Murray get to fight it out American gladiator style and I get stuck in a cell for the next few days. Well at least I get feed right. Oh who am I kidding it is a poor trade off. ::shrugs::

Oh on a side note, did anyone notice the "all humans are beamed to the other ship" thing. I am not fully human so if that is one of the criteria, how the heck did I get affected? None of the other half and half's got violent. Wonder if that was planned or just a mistake?

You might be stuck in a cell now Doc, but there's no telling what your character will find herself in the middle of during next sim. Holy Cow - a gladiator arena? Get a really big axe or something...

The human/half human thing? I'm still going with a virus that ran rampant among the crew and certain ones were affected more then others. Others that aren't infected right now could still be suffering adverse or subtle reactions and not know it.

[Kairi]

I was kinda curious about that, since I'm half human. I guess my Romulan half protected me? Or is whatever affected the crew just delayed in my system?

[Kansas_Jones]

I was kinda curious about that, since I'm half human. I guess my Romulan half protected me? Or is whatever affected the crew just delayed in my system?

(y'know, I always have a ball with the 'Court plots, but this one is reeeeaaaally making me think. )

1.) All the humans and half-humans are affected; I'm thinking Kairi isn't due to the Rihan blood. I'll get back to that in a second.

2.) The humans and half-humans, prior to jumping ship, showed some type of aggression, even the mysterious guest, Apple/Melissa. Apple insulted the non-human crewpeople. Now that Col. Harper is in custody, she has been ranting regarding us mutineers, while really ranting against Shadow - another non-human. It's like a fixation is directed at any non-human; if the non-humans were infected instead, I'm thinking they would be freaking out at the humans.

3.) In addition to the freaking out at non-human crew, there are fixations that would be regular concerns, but now they are warped. Example: Harper - as the de facto Captain of the 'Court, I'm sure an underlying concern of hers is a crew mutiny. With her being infected, the virus? is bringing that concern to the surface. It's like the baser emotions of aggression are being tapped and used to warp everything else, and you get a darker version of the characters that you are familiar with.

5.) I think the virus is chemical based, attacking the emotions and the adrenaline/aggression centers of the brain, tailored to infect humans and certain half-human. Then, they have some sort of internal instinct that is planted, and they feel the need to bolt, and are now new gladiators for the aliens that need a steady supply of fighters. Nothing like having your new fighters come to you via whatever controlled substance the gladiator management used.

What about suppressing the emotional chemicals with some sort of antidote? Like a Vulcan Micky Finn. Kairi (half Rihan) isn't infected, neither is Day (half Vulcan), and Rihans share a bloodline with their Vulcan cousins. It could be the key to fighting the chemicals, if that is the case - Vulcan/Rihan blood made into medicine????

>^..^<

This post has been edited by Kansas_Jones: Mar 27 2007, 08:31 AM

[Kansas_Jones]

::topic diving:: Bump.

Okay, so our comrades are back on board the ship, and eventually everything will go back to normal once everyone is innoculated against the aggression factor. I admit, I did miss what the exact cure was last night.

But - those Gladiator aliens escaped, and we found out from the Selshan (if we can believe them)that the Umbara (dang birds. Lemme chase one, c'mon just one!) are backing the Gladiator bloodsport games and the Selshan have had dealings in the past with the Gladiator game aliens.

What sort of trouble can the Agincourt expect from the Gladions in the future? And for that matter, can the crew really trust the Selshan? Are the Umbara more so then they appeared at that first encounter with them in the Perseus Arm?

And, the traveler from the past is still on board. What the heck are we going to do with her? Once a con artist, always a con artist? Everyone tie down your department supplies.

This post has been edited by Kansas_Jones: Apr 5 2007, 08:20 AM

[Col. C.E. Harper]

What sort of trouble can the Agincourt expect from the Gladions in the future?

::steals name for the encyclopedia entry, then promptly sits on hands to avoid temptation to weigh in on other matters::

[Kansas_Jones]

::topic diving::

On the 4/18 sim, we came upon the ship broadcasting the distress signal. A Soltan (the tall, skinny Perseus aliens, I think?) ship was hovering nearby and there were all sorts of energy discharge readings. It was pretty clear that the Soltans are probably the aggressors.

Now, this is so not 'proper Starfleet officer thinking', but I do believe JoNs (and her player :-D) is hoping that the Agincourt knocks that Soltan ship into next year. Payback for some of these Perseus characters is long overdue I would think.

I also keep going back to the birdies (Umbara) - they got all hot under the feathers on the shorleave planet when a couple crewpeople interacted with a Selshan, spouting off something to the effect that "you deal with the enemy you are an enemy". That seems a bit overbearing. The Umbara might very well turn out to be the most dangerous in this sector.

Perhaps the Selshan (plastic type aliens?) are the true allies to the 'Courters? They are the ones that helped out with the Gladions, surprisingly.

[Col. C.E. Harper]

Oh, goodie, for once I can talk on this thread without having to worry about spoilers!

The Races of the Perseus Arm
(in order of appearance)

Soltan -- Humanoid, six-limbed (two legs, four arms), blue-skinned with a slightly plastic look to it. (Think Gumby & Friends). First encounted in the Alpha Quadrant. The Agincourt pursued two Soltan ships to the Perseus Arm, though no identification was made at that time. Later the subspace readings from their propulsion systems led the Agincourt to the planet S'b'una, where a team led by Rieve was warmly -- if bureaucratically -- greeted, and informed that the long-range drives the Agincourt wanted were solely owned by the military. They gave directions and a landing-permit to S'a'va, the nearest planet with a military base. As the team was leaving, however, a military vessel showed up and fired on the Agincourt, also succeeding in kidnapping four members of the crew despite the Agincourt's shields. The Agincourt was forced to flee that encounter. Have now been spotted probably attacking another ship.

Umbara -- avian race similar to Terran cassowary. First encountered by the Gamma section of the Agincourt, helped them make repairs and locate Alpha & Beta sections. Warned Agincourt of "the Enemy" they were fighting; that is: the Selshan. An Umbara speaking to Agincourt crew was stunned by a Selshan at the Ieu'ani market. An Umbara ship later fired on the Agincourt as it was leaving the Ieu'ani market, supposedly to warn Agincourt off associating with the Selshans. The Umbara were implicated by the Selshans as supporting the Gladions.

The Umbara according to the Selshans:

Do make certain you avoid other vessels than ours. Our Enemy is a brutal, conquest-driven race. They will not hesitate to capture your ship and kill or enslave your crew. Terrible, hideous creatures. An ancient race, greedy and grasping, that will do anything to expand its empire. They call themselves the Umbara."

-- Lord-Commander Solin

Selshan -- humanoid, very tall and thin, with skin tones ranging through various pastel shades. (Think human stretched like taffy -- not quite as elongated as the cloners from Star Wars, but that sort of effect -- and tinted spring colors.) First encounted by Alpha and Beta sections of the Agincourt. Provided supplies and personnel to help repair sections, warned them that they had entered a warzone and to stay away from the Umbara. Later shot an Umbara that was speaking to Agincourt crew at the Ieu'ani market. Helped Agincourt recover personnel taken by the Gladions, and accused the Umbara of supporting the Gladions. (They seem to get mixed up with the Soltans sometimes; two S-names was probably not wise. I liked the "Aelshan" typo that occurred the other night, but changing the name now would probably be even more confusing, huh?)

The Selshan according to the Umbara:

"We would offer you the hospitality of our station, but unfortunately we are in a perpetual state of alert. You have wandered into a warzone, Commander. It has been going on for a long while now. You are fortunate indeed that you did not meet our Enemy." -- Captain Uualha
"Our enemy? They are souless ones. They take over your body, your mind. They are no longer yours." -- Iocca

Ieu'ani -- humanoid, exact appearance unknown due to cultural tendency towards multi-layered clothing and veils. Run an open market spanning at least one planet and surrounding space, which is enforced neutral territory. Provided shore leave and supplies to Agincourt.

Gladions -- their own name for themselves unknown. Appearance unknown: possibly several species working together. Infected Agincourt crew with a virus at Ieu'ani market, which caused hostility and paranoia. Infected crew jumped ship and were taken aboard a Gladion vessel, where they were forced to fight in gladatorial contests.

This post has been edited by Col. C.E. Harper: Apr 20 2007, 06:19 PM

Reason for edit: The formatting of this post hates me.

[Kansas_Jones]

Oh cool! Reference goodies! Thanks Colonel!

[OdileCondacin]

Thanks, Colonel!

[STSF NDak]

(They seem to get mixed up with the Soltans sometimes; two S-names was probably not wise. I liked the "Aelshan" typo that occurred the other night, but changing the name now would probably be even more confusing, huh?)

More original than Al-Ucard and Scorpiad

[Col. C.E. Harper]

Ah, y'know I realized that I forgot one part of the Soltans -- we have seen a Soltan before S'b'una; while we were still in the Alpha Quadrant, in fact. Of course, it wasn't alive at the time...

[Kansas_Jones]

Ah, y'know I realized that I forgot one part of the Soltans -- we have seen a Soltan before S'b'una; while we were still in the Alpha Quadrant, in fact. Of course, it wasn't alive at the time...

Oh - I might remember that. Was that the time when JoNs and Vaos were off on that secret op? Then, a team (Levy, Kroells, Rieve, etc) from the Agincourt, JoNs and Pain in the Butt all met (after a small friendly fire altercation) on a planet with a downed Soltan shuttle, and the investigation showed Soltan remains on the shuttle?

You know - if those Soltans mucked around in the Alpha Quadrant, it brings up some questions. They were there for a reason - Who brought 'em to the Quadrant, and who had dealings with them? Now, the 'Court is in their Perseus backyard. I'd say its time for the intrepid crew to do some police and investigative actions.

This post has been edited by Kansas_Jones: May 1 2007, 08:13 AM

[DesdemonaLevy]

Oh - I might remember that. Was that the time when JoNs and Vaos were off on that secret op? Then, a team (Levy, Kroells, Rieve, etc) from the Agincourt, JoNs and Pain in the Butt all met (after a small friendly fire altercation) on a planet with a downed Soltan shuttle, and the investigation showed Soltan remains on the shuttle?

Oh I remember that. Yes when Kansas tried to shoot us all (friendly altercation my foot.)

Sounds like I am missing out on a lot. Can't wait to get back in a few weeks.

[Kansas_Jones]

Oh I remember that. Yes when Kansas tried to shoot us all (friendly altercation my foot.)

Sounds like I am missing out on a lot. Can't wait to get back in a few weeks.

I totally aimed over your head!

[Col. C.E. Harper]

New pinned topic in the forum: "Races of the Perseus Arm"
Klepped the bit above and added the Gareem and new info on Soltans.

This is all in the Encyclopedia (or will be, when I finish updating, and I apologize; I'm behind) but I thought it would be nice to have it handy here, too, and not have to worry about searching through this thread for it.