Sean Xiang

Sean sat at the console on the bridge, pulling levers and flicking switches. As he worked a model of how the metal detection unit should work began to take shape on the screen. He sighed and hit the Comm button. "Dave, you there?" as he spoke he sent the schematics to the lab. Putting down his tea cup, Dave nodded even though Sean could not see him. "Indeed. What's on your mind?" "I am sending you what I have so far on the metal-detection unit. I think it should work well, but there is still on major problem." Dave took a look at the rough work Sean had done. "Looking good. And the problem?" "How do we keep it from going off every time it senses one of the search vessels?" Sean had been thinking about the problem ever since Dave had brought up the idea of a metal detector, but he could not seem to figure out an answer. "Hmm ... maybe ... " Dave shook his head. "No--but ... oh!" "Yes?" "The ships are searching in a pattern, correct?" asked Dave. Without waiting for an answer, he continued in that excited tone that crazy scientists like to use. "So, why don't we interface our metal detector with the computer that is coordinating the search?" Sean caught on, it must be a crazy scientist thing, "And then program it to ignore any of the search vessels by cross referencing their positions with the computer!" Dave nodded again. "Bingo. As long as we don't deviate from the search pattern, the detector will only alert us to foreign metal objects." "Why did I not think of that?" Sean’s hands resumed their work at the schematics, adding the new features. "All we have to do is make sure no one decides to forge their own path." "Resistance is futile!" Sean blinked a few times, a puzzled look taking his face. "Sir?" "Er ... *slurp*" And then the comm went dead

Updates :D

Sean finished his tea and laid the saucer down. He glanced up and out the viewport at the stars. He had always found it interesting how in space it was eternal night. There really was no day, no night. He wondered then why it was so odd to be back on the alpha shift. He nodded at something Dave said, mulling the puzzle in his mind. It still felt kind of like a day dream, being back around the familiar again. He never truly realized that a totally different group of people took the ship over when all his friends, acquaintances, and he went to bed. He had met people on the delta shift he had never even seen aboard before. The chef walked by and Sean smiled and nodded as his cup was refilled. There even a different cook on delta… He stretched and yawned, his body still not fully adjusted to his new sleep routine. He started sipping on the fresh cup of tea as the conversation with Dave continued. Dave was one of the reasons he was glad to be back on alpha. He had missed the chief and his sense of humor. The scientists on delta could be so dry. He had tried to lighten their moods while he was working with them, but it had usually just ended up with them getting annoyed at him. Before he knew it the tea was gone and it was time to return to duty. Sean stood, taking one last look out the viewport. In the end, the lack of day or night was really irrelevant. Sean was now back on the alpha shift and he finally felt like things were returning to normal again. It was true, some things had changed; Giovanni was Captain now, and they had just received a new Commander. Sean was sure there were other additions and changes; he had not had time to get fully caught up yet. However, he felt that the old saying held true: The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Sean smiled at the thought, and turned to follow Dave out the door.

::Opens mouth...thinks better of it and closes mouth, just shaking his head::

Oh god, Neptune is posting war propaganda. ::Lowers head:: God help us all.

Updates :)

Sean felt the slight thump as the shuttlepod settled onto the strip outside one of the major cites of Sauria. He looked out the small viewport, taking in what was around him. It was late evening planetside, and it was already pitch dark. Pitch dark, that was, except for the lights of the city. He stood and began to make his way to the rear as the hatch hissed and began to drop. As he walked down the exit ramp, the sounds of the nearby metro area began to filter into his ears. As he began to walk among the natives along the streets, the smells and sights began to fill his nose and eyes. It was quite the atmosphere. This is a people known for their brandy, he reminded himself, it was no shock that the nightlife was alive and active. But the nightlife was not what Sean was looking for, very much to opposite really. He turned down a side street and cut across a small park area until he found himself on a dimly lit path making its way beside a large structure. As the path brought him around to the front of the building, the lighting became brighter and again he found himself amidst the locals. He looked up at the building spanning upwards in front of him. The structure was impressive, its architecture was very well done, especially considering how old this building must have been. He made his way up the wide stairs that led to the main entrance. He paused for a moment at the archway to the entrance, turning to view the throbbing city behind him. Then, he turned back to the quiet behind him and entered into the building. He strode between the many tall shelves of books and records, looking for nothing in particular. Occasionally he would pass another, the usual polite nods and smiles, mixed with strange looks from the reptilian people who inhabited this world. Finally making a few selections from the shelves he moved to a large table and sat. Opening the first, and possibly the oldest out of those he selected, book he settled in for a quiet, uneventful night. *** Two hours later, Sean was standing in front of one of the shelves, replacing one of the books he had finished with. He had just slide it back into place when he felt something sliding across his face. Her hands moved gently across his eyes, her skin soft against his face. He did not flinch, he merely waited for what was coming next. Her lips moved to just beside his ear, her breath warm against his neck as she spoke. “Sean, what the hell are you doing here?” She said quietly. He smiled at the voice, knowing her hands felt the expression cross his face. “I am conducting research.” He said as she retracted her hands, and moved to lean against one of the large tables behind them. He turned, laying eyes on the body which the voice had come from. “The better question is what are you doing here, Alesha.” She returned his smile, her eyes finding his. “As sad as it sounds, I knew I would find you here.” “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.” “You’re on leave Sean.” She quirked an eyebrow to emphasize her point. “And you are in a…library?” “You know me, Alesha, knowledge is power.” He smirked, quoting the old adage as he moved to lean against the table beside her. “I agree,” she responded. “But this,” she spread her hands as she stood to indicate the books around them. “This is not the only form of knowledge, Sean.” She turned to look at him. He leaned back, considering the woman in front of him. She was a junior science officer on Challenger, as he was. The two often crossed paths on their ways to their respective shifts and about the ship in various places. They were exact opposites, but somehow had managed to develop an odd sort of friendship. “I take it you have a better idea?” She smiled mischievously, looking like a small child with a secret. “Would I have come to collect you if I didn’t? “And here I thought you had come just to see me.” He quirked his face into a mock hurt face. She walked over, crossing her arms. “Two hours, give me two hours.” “Ok, Alesha, two hours…..” *** Three hours later, Sean found himself in some seedy bar, with music throbbing so loud as to threaten deafness. He had a drink in his hand, half gone. He had a headache, his eyes were strained from the differed and odd assortment of lighting, this was the last place he would ever have come to on his own. For all intents and purposes, he was a fish out of water, gasping for breath. And he did not care. His eyes flirted to the dance floor, and there she was. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes finding his. Maybe it was the brandy, maybe it was the hour of the night. Or maybe…just maybe, it was something else. But the way she moved….the way she looked at him….the way she turned and smiled as she held out a single finger, waving him to her…. He stood, and the fish out of water moved to take its breath. She draped her arms around his neck as he came near. “Enjoying yourself?” “Yes,” he lied. His arms moving around her waist. “No…no you’re not Sean.” She smirked at him, confident in the fact she knew him better then he knew himself. “The locale could be improved,” he admitted. “But the company is…acceptable.” She tilted her head, a stray strobe light finding its way across her supple face. She was so beautiful, so elegant. Why had he never noticed this before? Why have you never admitted that you noticed it before? He corrected himself in his mind. “Alesha…” She moved a single, graceful finger to his lips. “Shh,” she said gently, quietly. “Anything you say from this point on is going to sound like a line from some cheesy film.” She was right, words were not acceptable here…. He moved his mouth past her finger, pulling her closer. Maybe it was the brandy, maybe it was the hour of the night. But suddenly it really did not matter. They were alone, the noise and bustle of the small pub gone. He held her in his arms, for the first time, he realized. He pressed his lips to hers, and Sauria faded away.

Sean sat at the secondary science console on the bridge. Behind and beside him, he could hear the clicks and taps of T’Parek and Grey working at their stations. The three worked in silence, all focused on their own task. Sean’s task at this time was to find any radiation signature similar to the one emitted by the recent alien intruders. He tapped a few keys and a multi-colored diagram came to life on his screen. Three jagged lines, one red, one aqua, and one violet streaked across the monitor. Each one represented a different signature associated with a common type of radiation. As he tapped at the keyboard, those streaks dimmed and a new one, colored pink, flashed to life on top of them. This one represented the signature radiated by the aliens. Sean leaned in close to the screen, comparing the crests and troughs. But it was no use, the patterns were distinctly different. Sean furrowed his brow. He did this multiple times, with numerous types of radiation. A virtual rainbow of colors danced across his monitor, highlighted and contrasted by the ever present pink signature. Some came close, and a few times he almost thought he had a match, but in the end the results turned out the same as the first group of signatures. Negative. He leaned back in his seat, his vision slightly blurring from all the varied colors they had taken in. There was no doubt in his mind he would see that pink wavy line in his sleep tonight. He closed his eyes, attempting to refocus them. He had failed his task, he could not locate any type of radiation that was similar enough to be called related to the one emitted by the aliens. But in failure, he had made a discovery. Whatever these beings were giving off, it was not radiation. Then what? He questioned himself. Hypotheses and theories began to swim in his mind. Was it some form of trickery? Another illusion brought on by the one called Sonica? No, from what Grey had told him, Sonica’s companion’s powers had been anything but an illusion, but yet the same signature had accompanied them. However, they all seemed to control their abilities, to one degree or another, mentally. It was as that thought finished, that a new theory floated to the top of his mind. Opening his eyes, Sean began typing on the keyboard again. Three new jagged lines appeared on the screen, one deep blue, one dark green, and one yellow. Dimming these lines, Sean superimposed the pink one on top of them. His mouth fell open a fraction as he compared the four lines. Each of the new lines held a distinctive similarity to the alien signature in their own way. Sean’s mind reeled. Of course it was possible, he was looking at the data right in front of his face. But the implications of this discovery astounded him. It astounded him not because he had found a match…but because of what that match was. The three new jagged lines on the screen were not forms of radiation at all, but brain scans of members of telepathic and telekinetic races. They were literally brainwaves. But for those waves to match with the alien signature was puzzling to say the least. Brainwaves were not emitted in the same way that radiation was, and as far as Sean knew there was not even a device on board this vessel that would detect such waves. And for that matter, brainwaves did not physically effect matter. But the burns in Engineering were evidence against the alien signature merely being their brainwaves…which were in essence their thoughts. Sean’s mind grasped for an answer that made any sense at all. As he stared at the lines on the screen, something clicked in his mind and he gained traction against this problem. To accomplish this, however, he was forced to trade in his concepts of the laws of physics. A worthwhile trade, he thought, as the answer began to take shape in his mind. Somehow these aliens were able to force their thoughts to manifest as physical actions. This, of course, was not to say they could simply think a thought and make anything happen, they all seemed to have their own specific talents. Also, it seemed that the one called Sonica was only able to manifest her thoughts into illusions, not physical actions. Sean knew he had just begun to scratch the surface of this enigma, but it was a start none the less. He turned to Grey, to reveal what he had discovered to his chief. And as he did a chilling thought took root in his mind. Though their powers seemed to have limits, one thing was clear about these alien beings: There was no way to predict what they were capable of.

Sean sat at the science station on the bridge. He watched as the lift door closed in front of Lieutenant Grey. He looked up at Commander Cole, who was sitting in the Command Chair. “And then there were two.” He commented dryly. He turned back to his monitor and began typing again, monitoring the internal sensors for any signs of the radiation signature. He was starting to learn that ‘normal’ was a relative term on Challenger. Smiling, he mentally reminded himself that that was the nature of space exploration. The scans were being run on each deck separately. Every 20 seconds the next deck’s scan was completed. To put it simply, each deck was scanned in turn, and new results were available every 20 seconds. B Deck……C Deck……D Deck. Nothing. Sean tapped a few keys. E Decks scan came back. Still nothing. As he worked, junior officer’s and noncommissioned crewmen began filing in and filling the bridge positions. Sean sighed. Most would have seen finding nothing as a good thing. But it made Sean nervous. Sensors being quiet were one thing. But this…this was just too quiet. F deck…nothing. “Brig to the bridge.” Aaron broke into Sean’s thought. “Cole here, go ahead Aaron,” the Commander responded. “Our guest is awake.” Aaron said. Cole looked up from what she was doing. “Why is she not sedated?” She questioned. “The sedatives seem to be inhibiting her abilities.” At that Cole perked up a bit, obviously pleased at the opportunity to question the female in the brig. “ I am on my way.” With that, Cole stood and started towards the lift. “Shuttle Pod 2 to Challenger, requesting clearance to land.” Came Giovanni’s voice over the comm. Cole stepped into the lift and turned towards Sean. “Lieutenant Xiang, you have the bridge. And give that shuttle immediate clearance.” She said as the doors closed in front of her. Sean stood. “Aye, I have the bridge.” He said as he stood and moved towards the center of the bridge. One of the junior science officers replaced him at science. Sean sat down, slowly in the Command Chair. He turned his head in all directions, taking in everything on the bridge. This was an interesting position… As his eyes came to rest on the officer now at science, Sean became acutely aware that every gaze on the bridge was transfixed on him. “I have the bridge.” He said in a whisper, to low for anyone to hear. However, that sentence resounded in his mind, and sent shivers down his back. He tuned back towards the viewscreen, his eyes setting into a confidence he did not completely feel. When he spoke, his tone matched his eyes perfectly. “Shuttle Pod 2, you are cleared to land. Bring the Captain home Sergio.” After confirming the Captain’s condition, clearing Shuttle Pod one for landing, and a bit of brief banter with Lieutenant Giovanni, Sean clicked the comm off. The silence was fleeting, however. A light flashed on the arm of the chair. The brig had cut all communications. It was this moment that the young man at science spoke. “Sir, the radiation signature has returned.” “Location?” Sean asked turning his head towards him. “The brig.” Sean cursed under his breath. He knew it was futile, but tried any ways. “Xiang to the brig.” Of course, there was no response. He sighed as he pressed a few buttons on the comm unit and spoke again. “Xiang to Giovanni.” “Giovanni here, go ahead.” Came the response. “Something has happened in the Brig, please report there immediately.” Sean said, filling his voice once again with a confidence he did not completely feel. “The Commander may be in danger.” He added. “On my way.” Giovanni responded. And with that, the comm was again silent. Standing, Sean made his way to the OPS station, coming to rest just behind the young woman that was now manning it. Her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, her exposed forehead was glistening with a thin line of sweat. She was afraid, Sean knew. Probably her first time on the bridge in an emergency, he thought. Must be a day for firsts…. “The brig is being filled with some form of gas, sir.” She said, her voice surprisingly calm. “Can we vent it?” Sean inquired. The woman typed frantically on the keyboard in front of her. “No use, it’s…it’s like I have been locked out of environmental control.” Sean reviewed the data coming across the screen in front of them. His thoughts flickered for a moment to Grey and the security team down on G Deck. Something was wrong here…he just could not put his finger on it. They were all in danger, and the idea of his Chief on one of the lower decks chasing the same type of radiation signature that had nearly crippled the ship did not exactly put his mind at ease. Then the report came, and Sean had problems of his own. “It appears that systems are being manipulated from Auxiliary Engineering.” Someone on the bridge said. Sean mind raced to think of what to do, who to send. Tapping the comm, Sean spoke. “Xiang to Vank, how far are you from Auxiliary Engineering?” “Not far, but we seem to have our hands full.” Matt quickly ran through their current situation, which was grim to say the least. “Understood.” Was the only thing Sean could think to say. His mind was racing for what to do, with Vank’s team tied up near Main Engineering, and Sergio ‘s team still trying to gain access to the brig, Sean was running out of security forces. “I could go.” The MACO at Tactical spoke up. Sean looked at him. He had not seem him around the ship, and he could not seem to remember him. Must have come in on the last transport Sean figured. His features were young and fresh, and Sean hated to send someone that seemed to have just arrived into such a dangerous situation. Options, however, seemed to be a luxury at this point. His hands were tied. Sean nodded. “Go.” He said, then turned back to OPS as the young man rushed into the turbo lift. It was then that the first bit of good news arrived on the bridge. Giovanni’s team had entered the brig and found Commander Cole, Lieutenant T’Parek, and Lieutenant Westler alive. Relief filled Sean as Giovanni spoke. A relief that was short lived. Sean moved back to the Command Chair and clicked the comm switch. “Xiang to Auxiliary Engineering, what is your status?” The response was not exactly what Sean was hoping for. “Sir, I am detecting weapons fire in Auxiliary Engineering.” The young woman at OPS reported. Sean turned and looked at her. A light flashed on her console. She looked down and struck a few keys. “That cannot be possible…” She said. “What?” Sean asked. “I am detecting a…a fire in Engineering.” She replied. “A fire?” Sean replied, his brow furrowing in confusion. He reached for the comm switch. “Xiang to Grey, what is going on down there?” Grey quickly brought Sean up to date on their…”negotiations” with the being the crew had come to call the “Human torch”. Though this being seemed to be anything but human. Sean’s mind whirled. He was inexperienced at things like this. He was a scientist, he studied things, experimented, then drew conclusions. Snap judgements and decisions just did not compute. He hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation, a course of action was decided not by him, but by the intruder. “He has…vanished.” Grey reported. “Vanished?” Sean asked, the shock threatening to send him falling from the chair. A shock that was surely in his voice as well. A light on the arm of the Command Chair flashed, and Sean opened a new channel on the comm. The young MACO he had sent to Auxiliary Engineering came over the comm and gave a quick report of what had happened. A report that included another alien intruder, a crewmen turning into a “zombie”, and the seeming non-effect of phaser fire on this new threat. “And then he just…just…vanished!” The MACO finished, a small portion of panic entering his voice. Intruders, Sean mentally corrected himself. Sean sat there with both comm lines still open. His eyes staring at the viewscreen, which was dotted with the stars of distant systems. He turned once again and looked at the young woman at OPS. Her face was a mix of relief and utter confusion, as was his. The latter dominating his features. They just looked at each other for a moment, both of them not sure what to say. Sean turned back to the viewscreen, his thoughts regaining the sharp edge of a scientist’s mind. “Standby.” He spoke into the comm, and after the acknowledgements came back, he switched it off. He stared back at the viewscreen, his eyes returned to their usual focus, and his thoughts turned for a moment to an old saying: When it rains, it pours. Only, this time, it seemed the storm had passed as quickly as it had come. He looked around the bridge once more, and into the eyes of each of the beings around him. Then his eye’s came to rest on the stars once more. “A very interesting position indeed…”

Sean sat at his desk in his quarters, datapadds where strewn about the surface and he was staring at the main monitor at the back-center of the desk. His roommate, Ensign Matro, was lying on his bed flipping through a magazine. “What are you doing?” He asked Sean, looking up from the mag. “I am going over the data I downloaded from the computer in the alien complex.” Sean replied. Sean had decided not to return to the surface of the planet. He had spent far too much time there earlier. Nequencia III was nice, but he was in no hurry to return. The fact that the corridors were lined with weapons they still did not fully understand only served to cement his decision. “Fun,” Matro said dryly. Then he returned his attention back to his magazine, rolling over on his bed. Sean just ignored him. Matro was…irritating at best. But thus was the burden of a junior officer: Shared quarters. He continued to wade through pages and pages of data, splitting his attention between the monitor and the datapadds. There was enough data here to keep scientists busy for years. Since the start of this mission, Sean had gained a fair grasp of the L’Traisan language and writing. Therefore he was able to save time, not having to translate everything into basic before studying it. There was data of all types. Cultural, military, scientific…all of it fascinating. Well, at least to a scientist. Sean relished in learning about and studying new cultures and species. Needless to say, he could have sat there for hours. Matro stirred a bit. He had fallen asleep reading his magazine, and was now mumbling in his sleep. Sean looked over at Matro’s bed and, as if on cue, Matro rolled over and awoke just long enough to ask, “I’m not bothering you am I?” “Of course not,” Sean replied in a even, but mildly sarcastic, tone. But Matro was already back asleep and oblivious to the world. Turning back to his desk, Sean came to the sensor logs the complex had taken over the years it had been in operation. Even Sean had to admit this was boring. Nequencia was an out-of-the-way system, and noone had had any reason to come near it. At least that was what Sean thought, until a blip on the logs caught his attention. He hooked the datapadd he was looking at into the monitor and began going through the section with the anomaly. The anomaly, as it turned out, was actually a small ship. Sean viewed that section of the log again and again. Trying to ascertain the make of the vessel, why it was there, and who might have sent it. But there was simply not enough data. And the data that was there was far to limited to be able to glean any further information then this: A small ship of unknown make had entered the system, taken in-depth scans of the planet, was then warned away by the weapon and left the system at high speed. It was also the only ship to come near enough for the weapon to actually activate in the time since its activation He cross-referenced the data on the vessel with other sensor logs, the cultural database (mainly the L’Traisan ship designs), and anything else he thought might be relevant to the unknown ship. Still nothing. Sean sighed audibly, he was not sure how long he had been sitting here. But he knew it was too long. He rubbed his eyes, knowing that he was not going to learn anything else about this ship in his current state of exhaustion. He cleaned up the desk a bit, downloading all the data on the ship to a single datapadd. Then he stood, his muscles stiff and his neck aching with a set in crick. He walked over to his bed and got in. He would get some sleep and then take this information to Lieutenant Grey. Pulling the covers over himself, he fell asleep instantly.

Ensign Sean Xiang Assistant Science Officer Challenger NX-05 Lieutenant, Junior Grade T'Parek Operations/Communications Officer Challenger NX-05 T'Parek stared in a mixture of horror and shock, repeating herself. "Suicide. How illogical. Not to mention... primitive." Sean looked up at her words. "Many cultures view suicide in the face of defeat noble." He was working at his station, cleaning up some of the aftermath of Aaron's logic bomb on the alien computer. She nodded silently. "Including ancient Vulcans and humans. However, I find it distasteful, and have no regrets about denying them their nobility." "Do not mistake my comment for support of their cause." Sean said, raising his eyebrow. "Suicide is not something I condone. Even in defeat, life is life." She glanced at him. "I would not have thought otherwise." Sean had begun to tie all the controls of the enemy vessel together. Together, T'Parek and he had found the navigation and weapons control. With those two systems, the ship was virtually theirs to command. "I just hope that transporting these misguided L’Traisans aboard our own vessel, even to the brig, does not come back to haunt us." "I'm certain that Lieutenant Giovanni will have adequate security measures in place." "No doubt he will." Sean replied. Deciding to change the subject to something a bit lighter, he continued. "You did very well during our little invasion of the alien computer system. I could not have done it without you." She nodded. "As did you." Leaning back, she narrowed her eyes at him as a cat would a mouse. "Now, Ensign," she preambled, emphasizing his rank lest he consider not sharing the information she seeked. "Do tell what you were doing hacking into the Academy's computers." Leaning in a bit towards T'Parek, Sean narrowed his eyes to match hers. "I said 'Late night computer sessions' Not hacking." He shrugged. "It was more of a game really. A few of the students in my applied science classes, including myself, developed a…well, game." "A game," she repeated, doubtfully. "It consisted of one player attempting to break though encryption, firewalls, and anti-hacking programs setup by the opposing player." She raised an eyebrow. "I see. Needless to say, you were quite good at this game, I assume." Sean allowed a very thin smile across his face. “I held me own. Noone could defeat Marak though." "Marak. I don't recognize the name. Is it human?" "Denobulan actually. He was simply the best. Aced all the exams, never missed class." Sean finished his work on the computer, and slide the keyboard a bit aside. "As far as I know, he is on his way to a fine career at Starfleet’s R&D department. Back on subject, though, he was a big part of the games development." "Most off-world Denobulans are quite brilliant," she commented. Turning the metaphorical spotlight from himself back to T'Parek Sean asked. "Speaking of hows and whys. How exactly is it that you pulled off some of the fancy hacking you did?" Ah, now she could pull rank. "It's most likely classified." "Most of the good things in life are." Sean commented. "Is there anything you can tell me?" She smirked, imperceptibly. "A few previous assignments involved both programming, and reprogramming computers.” "Let me guess. You would have to kill me if you told me, right?" Sean replied dryly. T'Parek rarely mentioned her past, it was true, but something in the plucky little ensign's attitude made her forget her usually distant attitude. "Yes, I would." She gave him a wry look. "But I suppose that you'd like to know, anyway." "You only live once Lieutenant." She leaned back, lost in memory. "The first time was at the Vulcan Science Academy. Advanced computer studies were a requirement. The second time was while I was serving on a High Command vessel as a science officer, and, similarly enough to this, we were hacking into the base computer of some Syndicate slave camps." She let out the smallest snort. "Although I have am obligated to mention that we had a few assistants along the way; a few of the slaves who had some scientific background." She leaned back. "And the third was when I was working with the Syrranite movement. We hacked into the High Command database on more than one occasion." Sean took all this in like the scientist he was, his face hardly changing. "Vulcan Science Academy. I would love to study the sciences as Vulcans do." He said this in genuine admiration for the race. Then the 3rd fact snapped into focus. "You were a part of the Syrranite movement?" "Indeed I was. It was the logical thing to do. I considered the High Command corrupt." "Yet, you served the High Command at one point?" "My views changed after serving with them for as long as I did." "Things do tend to look different once you have been to the puppet show...seen the strings" Sean commented. She nodded slowly. "An interesting analogy. The High Command authorities did in fact pull most of the strings...the commanding officers' privileges were much more curtailed than aboard Starfleet ships." She paused, thinking of Gardner. "I suppose that's where I picked up most of my disdain for pompous brass." Gardner sprung to Sean's mind. "I have never cared for pomp and posturing." Sean paused as if in thought. "I suppose that is why I do what I do. Science is largely definable. And no amount of personal feelings or views will change that. It is what it is, not what it attempts to appear to be." "Precisely. It is ...constant." She said. Sean gave a slight nod, looking back at his panel. "Of course without politics, we would probably not be where we are today. T'Parek nodded. "Earth did make some extremely progressive governmental changes in the past few centuries.” "As did Vulcan, more recently." Sean commented. "Politics and Politicians do have their place in things," Sean commented. "But that place is rarely on starships on the borders of known space." He turned back to his station, and as he began to type, Sean could not help but feel that maybe, on this far-flung vessel, on the edge of known space, he had found a kindred sprit.

Sean sat at the science console and to his right sat T’Parek. Together the two worked. Symbols, text, diagrams and messages of every kind flashed across the screens in front of them. Sean held a small earpiece to his right ear. Through it he heard the messages being sent from the L’Traisan vessel that loomed in the viewport. With the information Captain Moore and Lt. Westler had brought back from the L’Traisan homeworld, along with the help of the universal translator, Sean’s grasp of the Ancient L’Traisan language had improved exponentially. Sean tapped a few keys on the keyboard in front of him and a new box opened on his screen. Quickly, he assigned each letter and number of the Ancient L’Traisan language to a key on the board, effectively allowing him to type in Ancient L’Traisan. He made one of the keys a toggle to allow him to change from basic to L’Traisan quickly. He then made the same modifications to T’Parek’s keyboard. He did this in preparation for when Lt. Westler hacked into the alien vessel’s computer. Sean doubted the alien computer would accept commands in basic. “Aliam tra noval, mosonay nar’takata.” ‘Break orbit and leave our space.’ The voice came over the earpiece. “Atar’narna, mortalis enjou. Malia tr’shala makata liou, atara na.” ‘This space belongs to our people now. You no longer have claim over it.’ Sean replied as he continued his preparations. Sean knew this was not going to be easy. Even if Aaron could get him into the alien computer, there was no telling what kind of encryption and/or firewalls, or the equivalent, he would run into. More symbols and text ran across his screen. They represented programs, viruses, and commands in computer language all designed to do one thing: Break into and disable the enemy’s systems. The sense of relief he had felt as the weapons nozzle had slid back underground was now completely gone. Replaced instead by a sense of dread that threatened to consume his being. Sean felt the thinnest layers of sweat forming on his brow. This weapon, this vessel, this sickness. It was all too much to possibly solve. He looked up and to his right, saw T’Parek sitting there. Her hands were flying over her keyboard with a deft sense of purpose, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her. Sean then looked across the bridge, to Lt. Westler. Again the same sense of purpose and determination. All around the bridge this was the recurring theme. As his eyes came to rest on the Captain, Sean’s head began to clear and the dread began to lessen. Moore moved from one officer to the next, giving orders, requesting reports. In that moment it all spun into perspective for Sean. These people, these beings aboard this vessel and on the surface of Nequencia III could have easily given into dread and the sense of being overwhelmed by a problem of this magnitude. They could have, that is, but for one thing. Purpose. Each person had his or her own task, there own job in solving this problem. No one person could possibly hope to do this alone. Again looking around the bridge, the young Ensign learned a lesson the Academy could not teach. Sean took a deep breath, closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, and then opened them. Turning back to his console, Sean Xiang resumed his task.

Sean looked at the screen. The symbols and marks on it looked to be nothing but color and light. Defined into pattern, yes, but to anyone who did not speak or read the language it was utter gibberish. Anyone, that is, except a linguist. Ever since he had knelt at the door into this chamber and worked at the panel, Sean had been running these symbols through his head. While he had made some progress, he still could not decipher the intricate workings of this language. “I like buttons.” He heard Connor say from behind him. Connor was adding his own thoughts to the matter. As irrelevant or illogical as they may be. Lt. Giovanni had pulled out his Universal Translator, as had Sean. Man and machine worked together, and Sergio made the first revelation. “It translates this as ‘Projection’.” He said, indicating a large green button with scrolled symbols across the top of it. “That must fire it, then.” Connor added. Sean was vaguely aware of the two speaking behind him. As well as the ongoing conversation via comm with T’Parek. He looked up at Lt. Grey. He saw the same flash in Grey’s eyes as he knew was in his own. “Sir,” he said. “I have a theory.” “I am listening.” Grey replied. “The woman that you and Dr. Mc’Cellan, along with Commander Cole’s team, reported seeing. What if, she was in fact a…projection.” Sean said. “I was thinking the same thing.” Grey replied. “And,” Sean continued. “What if that button does not fire the weapon, but in fact triggers that same program?” The argument was immediate, and short. “It is not worth the risk.” Giovanni argued. “What if it fires the weapon?” The argument continued only briefly, until a decision was made. However, Connor jumped the gun and slammed his palm down on the button just before Sean could. The woman, dressed in all white, a flowing image of beauty shimmered into existence before them. She stood there like a statue. The entire team breathed a sigh of relief. Sean had hoped that maybe she would speak, allow him to hear the language. But she said nothing. More conversation swirled around him, but he was hardly aware of it. His eyes flicked from the Universal Translator to the console, then back to the woman. The symbols, the extrapolations of the Translator, they swirled in his mind’s eye. Then it hit him. A language, no longer native to anywhere, but that was once spoken on L’Traisa. The word usage, the syntax, everything was similar. He routed the information into the Translator, the patterns and usage of the words came into focus in his mind. He looked down at the Translator, then looked back up with a new light in his eyes. “Ali, trasia matola.” He said as he stepped towards the projection. She did not turn, nor did she reply in any way. This action, however, did elicit an array of odd looks from the rest of the away team. The light dimmed in his eyes. “Ata, trasala matile.” Sean tried again, but still no response. “Ensign?” Grey said, obviously a bit puzzled. “I have had a revelation, sir.” Sean said, turning to face him. Grey’s eyebrows raised as if to say ‘If you say so…’. Then it hit him. Of course, Sean thought. The eastern dialect! Ancient L’Traisa may have resembled this alien language. But the eastern dialect, an even rarer form of the language, seemed to be this language’s kid brother, so to speak. Sean whirled back around. “Altia, trashla malorey.” He said to the woman projected in front of him. She turned. “Mala, trashata malorey.” She said. Sean smiled back at Grey. “I believe I have somewhat figured out this language.” Sean fed more information into the Translator, and it in turn provided him with a clearer understanding of the alien language. “Well tell it to shut the weapon down!” Someone said. “Jani, treyala mortosi.” Sean said. “Alo, tramata grito. Mali t’nala.” She replied. “She said that she does not have the ability to shut down the weapon.” Again Sean and the projection exchanged words. “She said she is here to warn intruders.” Sean looked admittedly puzzled. “She says that she speaks for the ‘Heroic Fallen’.” The group looked at each other silently. Sean turned back to the projection. She stared back, looking at him with soft, green eyes. Sean knew that somewhere in this artificial consciousness lay the answers to at least two of the questions that were on all their minds. One of them being why was this weapon here. Sean closed his eyes, he drew a deep ragged breath. He felt the sweat forming on his brow, dampening his hair that now stood on end, as he thought the second question. What could possibly stop it?

=/\= Begin Personnel File =/\= =/\= Begin Personal Information =/\= Surname: Xiang First Name: Sean Age: 23 Terran Years Species: Terran Rank: Lieutenant Assignment: NX Challenger Position: Assistant Science Officer Commanding Officers: Captain Sergio Giovanni, Commander Saul Degenza Hair Color: Burnt Sienna Eye Color: Gray Height: 1.80 Meters Weight: 66.22 Kilograms Marital Status: Single Place of Birth: So-au, Taiwan =/\= Begin Family Tree =/\= Father: Li Xiang Mother: Jatishi Xiang Siblings: Sister: Alicia Swane, Brother: Ako Xiang =/\= Begin Personal History =/\= Born in So-au Taiwan, the son of Jatishi Xiang, a Taiwanese Photographer, and Li Xiang, a Chinese Journalist, Sean Xiang had for the most part a normal upbringing. Having been brought up richly in both cultures, Sean speaks Taiwanese and Chinese, along with several other languages, fluently. Growing up in Taiwan, he was fascinated by his mother’s work. He learned at a young age how to work a camera and all related equipment. He carries this love of photography with him to this day, and keeps a small collection of cameras, along with other pieces of equipment in his quarters. His prize possession is an antique, and still in working condition, 35mm Camera. Because of his love of photography, everyone assumed Sean would follow his mother into her profession. However one love drove Sean harder then all others: A love of knowledge. He was driven to learn all there was to know about the galaxy and it’s workings. His highschool science teachers all saw this in him, his 12 grade teacher, a highly accredited scientist in his own right, going as far as to sponsor Sean’s application to Starfleet Academy. This application was accepted, and Sean made the decision to attend the Academy. Though disappointed that their oldest son was not following in their footsteps, his parents were nothing if not supportive. Sean majored in the sciences with minors in both psychology and counseling, earning multiple degrees in all three fields. Graduating with honors, he was assigned to the NX Challenger upon his promotion to full Ensign. Sean was the middle of the three Xiang children, having an older sister, and younger brother. The close knit family keep in touch as best they can with their busy lives. His sister Alicia Xiang is currently following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a renowned journalist and author in her own right. His brother Ako Xiang is currently enrolled in the Academy, he is studying Engineering and Developmental Research in hopes of joining Starfleet’s Research and Development department. =/\= End Personal History =/\= =/\= Begin Psychiatric Profile Subject: Sean Xiang =/\= Ensign Sean Xiang has shown throughout his life to be a person of character and morality. Growing up in an Asian environment, Ensign Xiang is of course deeply rooted in the upholding of one’s personal honor as well as one’s family honor. This has shown to be both an attribute, and a downfall in the man’s life. Having taken, and completed courses in both psychiatry and counseling, fields in which he has shown much natural ability, Ensign Xiang can usually be counted on as the one to maintain a cool head. This natural gift has also led many among the friends and colleagues around him to come to him as an unofficial counselor and confidant. Ensign Xiang, being the man of science he is, also has a very rational, strait-forward way of thinking. Believing in what he sees and can scan more then just “gut instinct”. The only area Ensign Xiang tends to let his emotions and feel guide him is in his counseling of others. This is a part of the man that stands in stark contrast to the rest of his being. All of this and more being taken into account and consideration, this doctor sees no reason this individual cannot serve Starfleet in the capacity of an officer aboard a Starfleet vessel. Dr. Lisa McPherson, Starfleet Medical =/\= End Psychiatric Profile =/\= =/\= Begin Medical History =/\= Ensign Xiang has been in good health for most of his life. The only notable illness Sean has suffered from, is a rare form of the Trian Flu. An illness the almost claimed his life, Sean is only alive today due to the research of a doctor by the name Alice Matria. A listing of the major and notable injuries and ailments are as follows: Broken left wrist: Received at the age of 10 STY playing volleyball after school. Broken right hip: Received at the age of 20 during the finals of a velocity tournament. Complications after surgery left Sean with a Scar extending from the top of his left hip, to a quarter of the way down his right thigh. =/\= End Medical History =/\= =/\= End Personal Information =/\= =/\= End Personnel File =/\=