T'aral

So many good entries from you all, but I will have to go with CdrBrown this time. It has a playful nature I find interesting. CdrBrown ... it is your turn.

Inasmuch as anyone can believe in a "Gorrila-whale", sure. Did you know that there exists a Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual, with over 150 pages of information from TOS era? I am such a geek.

Tonight the moon will be the closest it's been in 19 years. It is also a full moon. During the initial rise, the moon will appear 16% larger than normal, and will be 30% brighter. I hope your weather permits you to see this phenomenon.

It was merely a matter of logical deduction.

T'Aral stiffened at Commander Wesley's comments.It was the nature of emotional beings to be complementary for a variety of reasons, but this was not the time for complements - it was the time for logic. For the moment, Captain Calestorm stood quietly with the Commander and the medical El Tee as the command situation was discussed; the three had moved slightly off to one side of the main officer gaggle proper, to at least maintain the illusion of a private conversation. "Sir: in this situation I may have been competent as a Medical Officer, but as your executive I have proven completely ineffective. I have failed to maintain order. Furthermore, I have failed to carry out basic security measures. There should have been a sentry in a discreet location. We may have been fortunate this time - if the squad had chosen to attack, we would have been trapped in the cave, facing a tactical disadvantage." "As I recall Lieutenant, you were on sentry duty at the cave entrance; you can't tell me that those sensitive Vulcan ears," Calestorm indicated the pointed appendages with a vague hand wave, "wouldn't have picked up on any outside movement." "They did not, Captain, for I was not attending to security at the time - I was tending to Lieutenant MrKath. That is precisely my point: I am your medical officer and we have wounded. I am aware of the fact that many consider Vulcans unusually capable, but in the end we are similar to you. We have only one set of eyes with which to see, and only one body with which to perform tasks. "Currently we have wounded and require an increase in security. I am focused on one and inexperienced in the other.For these reasons I am unfit to serve in a command capacity. You need to be assisted by an officer who is capable of acting in a command capacity, or is more tactically experienced. For the good of everyone, sir - you need to select a suitable XO." T'Aral's eyes locked with Commander Wesley's ... not defiantly, but firmly resolute in conviction. If this were a training mission, or even if they were simply in a deserted area she could permit the current circumstances to continue while attempting to gain some control of the situation - but this was not a training exercise. The problems they faced did not need to be complicated by her own inability to command. Crash now spoke again, glancing towards Wesley. "You know, if she wasn't questioning her abilities, I'd be running like hell in the other direction." Then, her sharp hazel eyed gaze went to the Lieutenant and by way of explanation Cale said, "Officers who hard charge and automatically assume they have command abilities, we refer to in the Border Patrol as dangerous and cocky. It's okay to be scared TAral." An almost bemused eyebrow danced upwards. "Fear, Captain? I would have hoped that your experience in Starfleet would have provided you with enough insight to know better. Fear is a human trait - I merely state the apparent and the logical." Audraya looked at the Vulcan doctor, and was actually glad to see fire in her eyes. It showed that she wasn't an automaton like most Fleeters like to depict the few surviving Vulcans. "Doc," she said, "you've actually been a help. Now, I know it doesn't help that we've got a crew of hard asses, some of whom want to be in every little thing." Her eyes flicked over towards one of the officers known to have difficulties this mission. She was annoyed that she'd only pointed to Sakura and Innogen to recon the squad, and he jumped in. She then fixed Crash a glare for not coming right back from the latrine, one that screamed I'm going to tear into you when we get back to the ship, because we're in polite company. Calestorm's eyebrows went for her hairline in a who, me? expression of studied innocence. But, like her Exec, she was no fool; she figured Commander Wesley picked up on her little detour. Admiral Coyote had always told Crash that she'd assign an XO to the 'Creek that'd be perfectly capable of riding herd on the spirited ships captain. "Ground combat is not like ship combat, Doc.My job is to make sure we get to where we're going, and deal with the unforeseen, like that Se'an Chan squad.Your job, as Exec, is to minutia that I might miss, or if I go down, or we have to break the squad up for whatever reason. "Now, having security is good, but it does us no good the next day if we're all exhausted. And to be honest, Doc, we had good cover and concealment in the cave, as long as they didn't have grenades. But I can think of one or two who might throw themselves on one." Outwardly T'Aral made no sign, but inwardly she shivered. Her greatest flaw as a Vulcan was that she took her responsibilities to heart, instead of simply addressing every challenge before her with proper logic. To be in the circumstances where any of the officers would have to sacrifice themselves would be a failure on her part: a failure to command effectively, a failure to develop sufficient tactics, and a failure to care for those in her charge. Such things T'Aral couldn't help but feel on a deeply personal level. "I spent most of my time as a junior officer with Marines.Even had a Platoon Leader's course crammed into my head sideways by my company's gunnery sergeant. Gunny Hyweigh made sure I knew how to do it like the rawest butter bar from OCS. Once again, Doc, I vested you with my powers because you're the most level-headed out of this motley crew. And once again, I'm not going to relieve you of your additional duty as Executive Officer." Audraya paused for a moment as she poured her packet of powdered orange bug juice into her water bottle. "Besides, we all make mistakes," she added quietly. "Mine were made in actual combat, against Klingons." Cale glanced at Scooter, but made no comment; per Fleet records, she was aware of the Commander's background of course, but had never been the prying type; the Orion would let her know the details on her own terms, in time. At this T'Aral paused.Previous explanations suggested that she was made XO to give her authority which, as Medical Officer, she would have already been within her rights to assume. This statement suggested that Commander Wesley had some logic behind her decision ... and T'Aral would prefer not to discourage the use of logic by her commanding officers. She was also aware that no commander appreciated having their orders questioned. This was as true for Vulcans as it was for anyone. It was not T'Aral's intention to irritate her superiors, but then again the matter was important. If it wasn't, she would not have risked irritating Commander Wesley in the first place. She knew the Commander had quite enough on her mind, and this was the second time she refused to relieve T'Aral of the XO position. Arguing the matter further bordered on open insubordination, which also was not her intention. "Very well, Commander." T'Aral nodded respectfully and backed away. Yet as she did so her mind began developing a suitable strategy to deal with the situation.There were always alternatives; T'Aral merely needed to develop one.

Shifting her stance slightly, T'Aral looked over to her superiors. "Since you appear to be resolute in this matter, there are a few details which must be discussed. Specifically - our current objective. Lieutenant MrKath is currently stable. I do not expect that condition to last: he has a relatively untreated compound fracture, and I cannot treat it directly within the expansion splint. I also cannot break into the splint, as we do not have materials to form another. Therefore, we are pressed to locate proper facilities, or preferably to re-establish contact with the Comanche Creek. "There are multiple possible strategies we can pursue to accomplish this. I would like to know your thoughts on the matter, Commander, so that we do not conflict with one another regarding objectives and how to pursue them best." T'Aral's mind had analyzed over five scenarios which brought the officers to their current situation. While some were far more probable than others, she was reluctant to dismiss any possibility. A resultant strategy had developed from this conclusion, but there was only a 3.27% probability that the Commander would agree with her. The probability that Audraya would agree with the potential while planning a less conservative approach was 31.47%. The remaining 65.26% probability rested with the Commander calling T'Aral needlessly paranoid. Audraya sipped her orange-colored bug juice. The colors didn't always associate with any particular flavor. "My primary goal, Doc, is to keep us alive, and out of the clutches of a terrorist organization. Secondary to that is getting BC to proper medical care. Lt. Belo picked up a settlement about 5 or 6 kilometers away. Granted, we'll have to cross a river to do so, and if we can maintain a steady 2 or 3 kilometers an hour walking pace, we should be able to get there in a few hours. Provided, of course, the terrain and vegetation doesn't begin to impact us." T'Aral nodded in agreement. "As most of our complement has improved, I would suggest we tighten our goal to two hours. Remaining in the wilds does not improve our situation." Captain Calestorm demurely wrinkled her nose at the orange hued packet and resulting bug juice as Wesley prepped her liquid meal; Fleet issue field rations and drinkable antibiotics or health drinks were needed for them all to stay alive and relatively mobile, but it didn't help that she knew she also had to down a version of what the Commander was drinking as well. Audraya continued. "As for contacting the 'Creek? I don't happen to see the parts for a satcom radio lurking about on the trees. And if you recall, most of our equipment got fried along with the Hobbes. And if we were able to contact them, how would we get back up to the ship? I, for one, don't like the idea of my scrambled atoms beaming through a radioactive cloud. Our best bet, get to the town. We can contact the planetary authorities from there, get BC into a hospital, and then get back to the ship." The captain interjected. "Those roughnecks had an assortment of equipment as well; if we do happen to run into another patrol, and if we come out on the better end of a conflict…maybe we might be able to locate some sort of short range communications device. Hell, a cell phone, something. That's two if's too many though…" She rubbed the back of her neck with a hand, working out an 'I spent the night in a cave' kink. While in complete agreement with the Commander on general intent, T'Aral now had reached the point of contention. "Sir - what if our current situation is not the result of a terrorist action, but rather perpetrated by either or both of the ruling governments? There are a number of explanations which would render this a possibility. While I concede there is only a 21.74% probability of conspiracy, it is enough of a probability to make contacting the local authorities a questionable step. Our priority should be to locate a transmission station of any kind: Lieutenant Tauariki could be put to work on the challenge of contacting the ship. Hopefully they will not stand on protocol when considering a launch of a rescue vessel and escort, given that we are in a situation proven hostile." The captain looked from T'Aral to Wesley. "I expect that our watch officer has a rescue team standing by - just waitin' on word from us." T'Aral locked her gaze upon the Commander again. "Sir: there is little I can do for Lieutenant MrKath here. We must get him to the ship and to proper care before debridement becomes necessary." Crash felt sick to her stomach as the worst case medical scenario was openly discussed; she shifted her stance restlessly, hands on her hips as her gaze flicked to the downed CAG. She turned her attention to the acting CO and XO. "Sirs, not to speak out of line as I'm not in command, though knowin' you two you'll write me up--," Calestorm delivered the little joke deadpan, "--I think we best start haulin' some ass to that settlement, pray to whatever gods are listenin' that they have a transmitter of some sort able to reach the 'Creek, and don't shoot at us." Setting aside the Captain's colorful use of metaphor, it was helpful that she appeared to be in agreement with T'Aral's assessment. It lent weight to her intent, and would hopefully shift the direction of their efforts away from contacting local authorities towards contacting the ship directly. Dark eyes examined the Commander intently, awaiting orders. "Right...I want Sakura on point with Tifa. If we happen to run into any Se'an Chan, it'll help to have two up there, instead of one. Belo and Tauariki can carry Mrkath. Crash, keep an eye on Radar—if you have to, carry her. We're going to move fast and quick then. "Doc, I know you were pointing out the alternatives, and it does pay to be paranoid at times. But I somehow doubt that the governments were being duplicitous in this. Perhaps some members of their military or intelligence services are stealthily supporting this terror organization. Although, if elements of either nation's military opens fire on us, feel free to tell me 'I told you so'." Swallowing the rest of her bug juice with a grimace, Audraya looked T'Aral in the eyes. "If any officer back talks or takes liberties with your orders, Doc, let me know and I'll deal with them when we get back to the ship. Clear?" "Your orders are clear, Commander." With a nod she returned back to the group to finish preparation. She had no intention of reporting anyone regardless of feedback: it would be a useless gesture. Humans rarely responded favorably to reprimand; instead using it as an excuse to find fault with others. She was already isolated enough - there was no reason to make matters worse. T'Aral's own division of labor varied from the Commander's, though it did make some assumptions. She agreed regarding Leutenant Haruno, but Leutenant Belo could be better utilized by having her scan for life forms. This would allow the group advanced notice so that they could avoid encounters. Leutenant Tauariki was an obvious choice as a litter bearer along with herself. T'Aral would've had Ensign Akade joining the Commander in rearguard, leaving the Captain as a wildcard. In this senario, no one was alone, and the command officers would be distanced from each other. That, of course, assumed that Ensign Akade's condition continued to demonstrate improvement. In this case the Commander was being more conservative than she was, and T'Aral saw the logic of it. It left the Commander exposed as rearguard, but their choices were few and T'Aral had already questioned the Commander's directives enough for the entire mission. Quickly packing the medical equipment and slinging it, T'Aral prepared to carry out Commander Wesley's orders. Even without her own personal infractions, her meditations after this mission would have been long, deep, and necessarily tranquil. She was unsure how long she would be recovering from this experience, other than to know that it would not be any time soon.

That would be an incorrect assessment, V'Roy. Both boys and girls look at their role models and say "I want to be that". In both cases there are the elements of appearance and emulation of action. Further - while this behavior can be considered 'normal', just because someone follows a normal behavior doesn't make that behavior desirable. We want our children to grow up happy and healthy. Sometimes that means *not* doing what is normal.

T'Aral sat ten feet inward of a cave opening, leaning back against the cave's wall. To any observer she would seem to be asleep, and she was resting her body during her meditations. Her mind, however, remained awake and aware of her surroundings. No one would be able to approach the cave without her knowledge. The rest of the landing party were further inside; allowed in once T'Aral had performed a scan for safety - in the process exterminating several potentially hazardous life forms. The need for this task was unfortunate but logical, and T'Aral carried it out with neither malice nor pity. It was simply a task needing to be done if the party were to be able to rest without being on constant vigil, and she carried it out calmly and methodically. As she meditated, she considered the day's events and her current situation. While she could file a report disagreeing with Commander Wesley's decision, she had no intention of doing so. Such a report had no logical purpose: Commander Wesley was within her right as CO to select her XO, and both she and Captain Caelstorm knew that T'Aral disagreed with that decision along with her reasons. The only purpose for such a report would be to seek a reprimand for the Commander, and this was both unnecessary and undesired. Unnecessary because the Captain was right there to assess the situation; if a reprimand was needed it would be provided. Undesired because Vulcans did have feelings, and Commander Wesley was one of the few who seemed at all aware of that fact. T'Aral still believed Leutenant Belo would've been a superior XO. The leutenant's behavior before they reached the cave was indicative of this - both in her natural leadership ability and in her unwillingness to observe the chain of command. Upon noting that Leutenant Haruno was weary, Leutenant Belo took charge of the situation immediately: not by notifying the XO, but by personally ordering a halt and going past T'Aral straight to the CO. Belo did need to learn more about resource management. While it was true that rotating the litter carriers was advisable, the only way to do so would be to assign carrying duty to some of the injured. The only other two available were Leutenant Kvar and the Commander. The Commander was pre-occupied with the CO position, and Tifa was physically slight. She would not last long as a litter-carrier. The situation needed improvement. Ensign Akade's condition would improve with the night's rest, and the Captain ... T'Aral contemplated a thought, and the thought gained favor. If the Captain recovered overnight, the chain of command would be restored. T'Aral considered what would have to be done. It was possible, if it could be done without raising questions.

Two hours passed before T'Aral finally terminated contact with Captain Caelstorm. The task was strenuous in that it took most all of her concentration, but in the end it was done. The Captain's mental pathways were cleared of disruption, and her balance would be restored. For what it was worth, she would proabably awaken feeling better than anyone else in the group. As for whatever else she might feel - that was a challenge to be dealt with when the time came. Moving back through the sleeping officers, she checked on her other patients once again. Sleep was improving most of their conditions, with the sole exception of Leutenant MrKath's leg. Settling once again in a watchful position near the cave entrance but still enshrouded in shadow, T'Aral began to consider the matter. Ideally they would find a means to contact the ship when they reached their destination. Having MrKath in a proper sick bay tended by doctors was the best solution by far. This situation needed to be resolved quickly, for T'Aral was reluctant to leave the Leutenant with a fractured leg for much longer. The problem being that she wasn't prepared to offer any alternatives. The splint he was wearing couldn't let him walk and amputation was most undesirable, yet the only proper alternative was skeletal fusion. She considered the materials she had: the medical kits had more than enough sharp implements, gauze, and sterile wraps for the surgery. It also had four protoplasers with enough protoplasmic flux to perform the operation with a comfortable margin of error. The problem, however, was that in order to fuse bone the flux required heating to 325 degrees Kelvin. Emergency protoplasers did not include heating elements, since that would add bulk for an operation which was not suitable for the field. There was also the matter that T'Aral was not a qualified surgeon. She had assisted with such an operation a few times in the Academy, and had earned her Surgical Nurse certification. Yet the difference between that and being a competent surgeon was considerable, and unlike the surgeons she worked with T'Aral had no support staff available. No; the Captain's problem was one thing, but field surgery was an entirely different matter. T'Aral settled back into meditation, giving the matter no further thought as she remained alert - resting her body while calming her mind. Getting back to the Comanche Creek was the best solution ... logically, the only solution.

Then ... T'Aral walked steadily out from the Vulcan desert to face the elders at the foot of Mt. Seleya. Sanekk and T'Sarla stood at either side of the entrance, their faces passively masking an inner pride of their daughter. She had completed the grueling rite at 23 ... 16 years of age as humans noted time. She was young; not overly young, but still one of the younger Vulcans to have survived the rite. T'Aral was dehydrated and starved, which was the normal condition after spending four months alone in the desert under the Vulcan sun. There was no longer a need for pride; she could allow herself to collapse now and there would be no disgrace to herself or her family, yet she held herself upright long enough to bow to the noble T'Lar and be recognized for her achievement before she settled in a shaded tent where attendants cared for her. It was several days before she was well enough to see her parents as she wished - standing properly and without weakness. They had already received messages that she was in reasonable health, so there was no need to rush their reunion. Once she did return home, her father and mother had a special gift for her. "You have proven your strength of mind and spirit: you are your own person. Because of this, we can now share with you as our parents shared with us. We wish to know you and to have you know us completely: mind to mind, thoughts to thoughts." She melded with her parents that afternoon, sharing with them in that time more than any being ever could in any other way. She shared her hopes, her fears, and found forgiveness within them for both. She found in her parents an understanding which a deep part of her needed: an understanding that she wasn't perfect. She had emotions which at times were difficult to control. She had uncertainties, and she made mistakes. Within her parents thoughts she found that she wasn't unique: to be truly Vulcan was an exception rather than a rule, even among Vulcans. It was enough that she knew the ideal, and dedicated herself towards attaining that goal. The melding eventually ended as all good things did, but it left T'Aral with a deep impression. Her parents were a part of her now, with her always, and would be forever. Nothing would change that - not even the death of worlds. -------------------- Now ... After an hour of consideration T'Aral stepped through the party quietly, checking her patients with her tricorder set to silent operation. Leutenant MrKath's leg was still a serious issue, but his concussion was improving steadily with rest. Leutenant Tauariki's head had not developed an infection as of yet, and both Ensign Akade and Leutenant Haruno were getting much-needed rest. That left the Captain. Settling down next to the Captain, T'Aral laid a gentle hand along her jawline. Her fingertips crept upwards, seeking out the needed pressure points. This would be a long procedure, but a simple one. The nerves within her vestibular system simply needed to be relaxed. They would then re-set themselves and the Captain would be fine in the morning. T'Aral suddenly paused - something was seriously wrong. She sensed unusual responses within the Captain, as if several unrelated synapses were being brought into sync while somehow being related to Caelstorm's problems with balance. It was as if someone had already used a mental discipline to aid the Captain. This, however, was impossible ... Nothing Unreal Exists. T'Aral's eyebrow twitched slightly as a memory of her father blended with her own thoughts. A master of metaphysics, Sanekk secured Kiri-kin-tha's First Law as the foundation of everything T'Aral ever learned. While simple in its form, the law provided a foundation for all logical thought and all investigation. In this situation, the Law's application was undeniable. Despite records to the contrary, someone in the landing party besides herself had mental talents. The evidence was clear on the matter. With the acceptance of that fact, decerning who was a simple logical exercise. The person who did this needed ability, motive, and opportunity. Ability was taken out of the equation: T'Aral accepted that any one of the party could have latent abilities she was not aware of. Motive was also not part of the equation: T'Aral wanted the Captain back to restore order - she had little doubt that her fellow officers approved of her current assignment as XO as much as she did. They all wanted the Captain back. This left opportunity, which answered the question easily. Of all the officers present, only one had the opportunity to engage in mental therapy while T'Aral was distracted. The others were either in T'Aral's presence when the Captain was not, or the Captain was in her presence when they were not. Two things were now certain. First: T'Aral would not be able to proceed as she expected. Second: assuming they both survived this experience, T'Aral would have to have a conversation with Leutenant Belo regarding witholding information from the medical staff and making medical decisions without consulting the primary caregiver. As CMO, T'Aral was responsible for the condition of every member of the landing party. Making responsible decisions was difficult without complete information. How could she perform her function if she was not kept informed of therapies administered to her patients? That was an issue for another time, however. At the moment there was the Captain, and the conundrum before her. Because of Leutenant Belo's actions, T'Aral could no longer be discreet about her intended therapy. In order to succeed she would have to apply more advanced techniques to correct the condition while avoiding any hampering conditions, and there would be side-effects. The probability of a partial meld would be high. T'Aral considered the possibility and the ramifications. Her actions would be a breach of ethics: T'Aral was strongly opposed to uninvited melding, which was a carry-over of a long family tradition. Yet all ethics were situational, and in this situation difficult decisions had to be made. She knew that she would be successful, and in doing so the Captain would be fully mobile. The ranks of ambulatory officers would be increased by two to three as a litter would no longer be necessary; T'Aral had no doubt that Leutenant Tauariki could be convinced to carry Ensign Akade if she had not yet recovered. They would then be at the Captain's disposal for assignment, greatly improving the odds of a successful recovery and return to the ship. There was, however, the matter of side-effects. The Captain was asleep, and as such her thoughts were defended by the miasma of chaos that was human unconciousness. T'Aral's thoughts, however, were far more orderly. They would reach the Captain, most likely in a dream state. She would see herself through T'Aral's eyes, know what the Vulcan intended, and experience what a meld meant to a Vulcan. If T'Aral didn't keep her thoughts under strictest control the Captain would learn even more: her internal misgivings at the thought of command, her opinions regarding the actions of the other officers, ... if T'Aral wasn't careful, the Captain might even learn how much she appreciated the consideration and relative tolerance Caelstorm and Wesley had repeatedly shown her. Worst of all, the dream could be so vivid that the Captain would remember it clearly when she woke up - not as a dream, but as a true memory. The Needs Of The Many Outweigh The Needs Of The Few. T'Aral didn't need the core of her mother's teachings to remind her, but it was there all the same. There was only one logical choice: the group needed their Captain back, regardless of the personal consequences T'Aral would have to face. Calming her thoughts as much as possible, she shifted her contact with the Captain to establish a deeper link. This would take some amount of time, but at least she knew the Captain would be asleep through all of it. Hopefully everyone else would be too.

Note to self ... de-activate automated cleaner in Lt. MrKath's quarters.

One Chirakis to rule them all, One Chirakis to find them, One Chirakis to bring them hense, and in the darkness bind them. Chirakis is too much like a Chakra, which is too much like a wheel, which is too much like a ring ... the connections! I See The Connections! ( Pauses ... decides it's time to take her medication. )

*Eyebrow* Why Captain ... I am impressed. Your logic is suprisingly insightful.

"The NS-4's program is just a difference-engine. It obviously computed that you had the better chance for survival." Any system with a sufficiently complex difference engine, if put in a position where it *had* to choose, whould choose the path which would cause the least amount of harm to the fewest humans. Of course, this is not always the wisest path, but it will be the path which the robot's logic would take it. Thus the entire plot of the "I-Robot" movie. Ultimately, VIKI's decision *would* result in the least amount of harm to the fewest humans. Once VIKI had enough information to acertain the threat, the action was made necessary by the Three Laws she was bound by. This was a movie that I was rather pleased with. Despite the need for spectacle and eye-candy, someone must have read Asimov's original "I Robot" anthology and understood what Asimov was exploring. There was an earnest exploration into what it meant to say "Do Not Harm Human Beings Or Allow Humans To Come To Harm." That, and thanks to shower scenes featuring Del Spooner and Susan Calvin - there was cheesecake for everybody! I like it when directors are fair to their *whole* audience.

I have never seen one of these 3-D movies in recent history. I've seen what 3-d looks like on books and pages, and I'm not impressed. More than anything, I find it disappointing that so many movies depend on spectacle over substance. I prefer to watch my movies in 2-D so that I get a clear visual picture, and I prefer to see what the story is about. "Avatar" is a great example of visuals over substance - I've never seen it, but the reviews are clear. The visuals are amazing to the point of "eye-gasmic", but the story is trite and re-hashed. It is as if no one ever considers writing a story where people actually tackle the difficult challenges, prefering to stay on more well-worn paths while using specacle to keep us distracted from the fact that we're mentally bored.

... because everyone in the scientific field believes faster ( and more importantly, more intelegent ) computers are a good idea. It does not occur to anyone despite several warnings within the Science Fiction realm that creating thinking machines is #1 on the universal list of Bad Ideas. With all the problems we are facing, why are we putting so much brain power into making ourselves obsolete?

The drift was 4' high, and they said I was snowed in. Personally, I beg to differ.

Four Years Ago ... "Hey T'Aral - wait up!" Cadet Del Spooner chased across the parade grounds, catching up to the retreating Vulcan. "What was that all about?" T'Aral turned to face him, her then-long hair blowing slightly in the San Francisco breeze. They had both just left a team de-briefing after a failed command exercise ... one which she was in command of. "Please specify, Cadet Spooner: what precisely is 'that'?" Del's friendly and all-too-animated face bobbed slightly in front of her, stopping suddenly into a frozen characature. "'My recommendation would be that a more suitable team leader be assigned. Among this team, Cadet Spooner would be the best cannidate.' Come on, T'Aral ... everybody knows you can't stand me, so what gives? Why the sudden praise?" Deep within the quietest depths of her mind, T'Aral allowed herself a slight amount of bemusement. "Your statement is incorrect, Del Spooner: I tolerate your presence every time we share a team assignment." Tolerate was the proper term. Friction between Cadets T'Aral and Spooner was common knowledge at the academy, resulting in a certain amount of crass gossip. This was not suprising, as the truth was far more mundane. Del Spooner was a prime example of Human emotionalism: outgoing, expressive, and many times far too rash. T'Aral was the classic Vulcan: stoic, calm, and consistently seeking to apply a logical approach to any situation. Putting the two into any joint project was like mixing oil and water. "As for my recommendation, it is far from praise: given the slim choices available within our task team, you are the best selection for leader. That is not to say that you are an ideal leader - merely the best choice available." Del chuckled at the Vulcan's response. "Ok ok ... point made. Still: why me? Aren't you Vulcans always saying that a logical approach is always best?" Moving to a bench, he sat down while waving to T'Aral to do the same. T'Aral paused slightly. Her opinions on the matter were probably too complex for Del's straightforward mind, but he had made a legitimate inquiry and T'Aral could tell that he was sincere - at least as sincere as was possible for a person like him. It would be rude and inappropriate not to respond with a proper answer. Settling herself at a reasonable distance she considered how best to convey her thoughts, short of a mind-meld. "Cadet Spooner: among any group of Vulcans a hierarchy is simply accepted. While specific roles vary from situation to situation, logic dictates that there must be order. One is always leads while others follow after any logical objections are satisfied. It is simple, orderly, and efficient. Vulcans, however, are the exception - not the rule. "Among most all other races, a hierarchy must be established and constantly enforced. Objections to authority are common, and a pre-disposition towards insubordination is assumed. A leader must establish himself and be able to maintain order against the natural tendencies of his subordinates. A Vulcan is ill-equiped to face such situations. "We failed our assignment because I did not maintain order and keep our team on task. The others did not look to me as their leader despite our assignment, leaving me at a loss. You are far better suited to face such a situation: you are well liked among your peers, and if someone becomes insubordinate you have an intensity which can be directed to bring your subordinates into line. I am unable to do that. It is not 'sudden praise' to recognize those facts." Del looked dumbfounded. "So ... you're saying Vulcans make lousy commanders?" T'Aral almost smiled, but didn't. Del was baiting her as he always did; the odd part was that she had long ago determined that it was a very strange, very human sign of affection. "No, Cadet Spooner - among our own kind, Vulcans make the best commanders because we understand ourselves. However: logic cannot function in an atmosphere of illogic. When selecting someone to lead illogical beings, it is best to choose one of their own." ------------------------------- ... Now ... T'Aral stood before Commander Wesley, awaiting her response. The Commander had made a serious error by assigning her as XO. As the sole medical officer in the group it was necessary for her to apply her attention to the wounded. Leutenant MrKath was in serious condition, while Ensign Akade was showing signs of a worsening condition. At the very least the treatment applied was ineffective. The Captain had suddenly improved, apparently with Leutenant Belo's assistance. While this was beneficial it did further reveal T'Aral's incompetence for command - things were happening without her knowledge. In this situation the XO was responsible for keeping the group functioning in an orderly manner. Not more than twenty minutes after the Commander had made her responsible for the group, any sense of order had degenerated into chaos. The situation was far from ideal. Leutenant Haruno was the best choice for XO, but her abilities would most likely be needed for reconnisance. Leutenant Belo was the next logical choice; hopefully Commander Wesley would recognize that. If that were rejected, however, there was always Leutenant Tauariki. If he were the XO, at least his insubordinate tendencies would be addressed ... there would be only one person for him to be insubordinate to, and she outranked him twice over. One thing was certain: a change in leadership was necessary. As she was T'Aral was unable to lead without the compliance of the others, and this was not the time for the Commander to engage her or any of the other officers in a 'learning experience'.

Feeling a little airship salty ... But the crew stayed at their posts and the Captain at the wheel, we all endured the wrath of fate but not a fate was sealed. A chain is as weak as its weakest link, and rust cut us clear through, But strength remained in hearts and hands because our cause was true. ( From Abney Park's "Wrath of Fate" ... maybe with a word or two changed. )

Good to see the Qob is well cared for. A pity though ... the CC medical bay is often entirely too quiet.

Great job everyone. The prize goes to Will Marx - it's your turn now. :)

T'Aral carried her end of the Captain's litter as smoothly as possible. Looking over at Leutenant Haruno, she noted that Leutenant MrKath was being carried as best as one person could carry him - but that was just the problem. She had prepared a litter for the Caitian and had directed that two people were to carry him, however the other officers thought better. After a quarter-hour of walking the group paused, which gave her a chance to examine her patients. Her tricorder confirmed her concerns: although the emergency cast held MrKath's leg firm, it did not hold his ankle. The movement of the march with MrKath not on a litter caused the fibula and broken tibia to shift within the cast, complicating the fracture. It was precisely the condition T'Aral had hoped to avoid when she made the litter in the first place, insisting that two of the others carry her patient. Now there were complications, and the litter had been left behind so now it was molten slag. Perhaps it was her own error, but T'Aral had thought that she had the respect of her fellow officers - at least when it came to medical necessity. She realized that it was illogical for her to assume this was the case. Her efforts to carry out her responsibilities were consistently met with antipathy; as she was not respected before, it was illogical to assume that she would be respected now. Perhaps it was that she was the medical officer, rather than someone who actually aided in ship's operations. Perhaps it was that she was a Vulcan; the general intolerance of the Vulcan Way was something which had to be accepted by any Vulcan who sought experience beyond the limits of their own people. Perhaps it was that, as the medical officer, her duties tended to isolate her from the rest of the crew. Perhaps it was Leutenant Tauariki's obvious emotional attachment to Ensign Askade ... an attachment which seemed to preoccupy the Leutenant to the point of neglecting other obligations. Perhaps it was some of all these conditions, but then it was all irrelevant - what was done was done. Fortunately, the complications had not yet severed nerves or arteries within the cast. T'Aral wound a brace to secure MrKath's foot relative to the cast to avoid any further damage, then set about dealing with the rest of the Leutenant's injuries. She prepared a hypo mixture of trianoline and anetrizine, then administered it to MrKath. It was a calculated risk: the combination would both ease the Leutenant's pain and clear his head from the concussion, but that would probably leave him feeling that he could do more than was sensible. Under the circumstances, however, they needed every clear head possible. Even if he couldn't walk MrKath could hold a phaser, and that was as needed as anything. With that completed T'Aral turned her attention to the Captain. Although her supplies were limited, she spared Caelstorm an injection of Dymitrol. It wouldn't help her balance, but at least she wouldn't be suffering from nausea - no doubt to the relief of others. It was unfortunate that they had to keep moving; given time the Captain's condition could be cured. The nerves in the Captain's vestibular system were simply disrupted: all that was needed was to relax and reset them - a simple application of neuropressure would do the trick. The problem was that simple did not mean swift: the technique required time, which was something the group didn't have at the moment. Packing up the medical kit and returning it to her back, T'Aral took up the Captain's litter and moved on. Commander Wesley indicated that contact with the Creek was unlikely. It was unfortunate: Leutenant MrKath would need proper treatment soon, and T'Aral was neither prepared nor equiped to perform field surgery.

( Just because I *hated* the whole sterilizing gel thing ... )

It suffers a bit from the photoshopping, but in all - not bad.

After putting up with the political wars, I can now earnestly say: "I no longer fear Hell - I live in Wisconsin."