Cptn Moose

35,000 houseguests ... I thought we'd never survive.

You mean ... they were your REAL parents? Are you sure? ::D:

Please join Cdr Dacotah and me in extending congratulations to Trichon for his promotion to Lt Jg on Stardate 10308.20 Cptn Christopher T. Moose Commanding Officer USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

After all this time, I'm finally certain now that we're playing a fantasy game. ;-)

Gnawing Feelings, Stardate 10308.19 The growling and snarling were sickening when mixed with the warm scent of sweat and blood. Cracking sounds were heard as the combatants stepped on broken chairs and tables in order to ram their skulls into their opponents rib cages. One Klingon howled with delight as his d'k tahg pierced the neck of a Nausican, causing blood to spatter the walls. The bar was in chaos. Corpses from a half dozen different species littered the ever growing pile of rubble. Although the Nausicans and the Klingons had started out as allies, the blood-lust quickly consumed them and the battle lines blurred back into the age old species vs. species conflict. One Nausican snorted as he sank his fangs into the prone torso of a battered Klingon, who tried to roll out from underneath his attacker before he could be eaten. The bartender, crouched in a corner with a rusty projectile weapon stretched out before him, could not see them. But the sounds of the Nausican masticating were overwhelming. He was terrified it would come after him next and was prepared to blast anyone who even fell in his direction. Elsewhere, a Klingon jabbed his hand into a Nausican's abdomen, eviscerating him with his bare hands. "Freeze," ordered Captain Moose as he strode into the holodeck. The simulation obliged its programmer, leaving the Klingon with the intestines in his hand paused with a contorted grin plastered to his face. One of the live occupants in the holodeck froze as well, Moose noted. As rigid at attention as the two officers were, Moose was certain one of them had momentarily stopped breathing as he entered. He paced slowly in front of the people standing before him. Others had tried to take responsibility for the Marine's arrest on Lodi, and had offered various reasons as to how these two weren't involved. But Dana and Ziggy were the officers in charge, and ultimately, everyone's conduct was their responsibility. They knew this too, and the friction that existed now would have paled next to the battle that would have occurred, had Moose insulted them by choosing to hold anyone else responsible. He finally broke the silence which threatened to take on a life of its own. "Six officers walked into a bar," he began, as if he were telling some sort of antic dote, "on a colony which called us for help. It was a routine scientific mission; fix a machine or two, check some bacteria under a microscope, pass out free flu shots to the locals. The Marines had the easy job; hang around the town, spend money freely, make the townspeople feel comfortable with a Federation presence in their little colony. But then six officers walked into a bar, and this is what happened." He wandered through the ruins of the bar, examining a piece of debris here or there or pushing rubble aside with his foot. The computer attentively animated whatever object he happened to touch in the frozen simulation. "My 'advisors' tell me that I'm making too big a deal out of this," he said. "I'm supposed to remember what it was like to be young and to need to blow off some steam." Moose's tone softened as he allowed memories to rise to the surface. "I used to date this girl," he reminisced. "She looked enough like her mother to be mistaken for a Vulcan, but her father was Klingon and she inherited his temper. Eating out was always a crap shoot as to whether we'd be sitting in the chairs or paying to replace them afterwards. I'm still banned from most restaurants on Starbase 36." "But those were playful little bar fights; some harmless wrestling with groups of bored mechanics from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Instead, our marines engaged in an all out brawl with predators and mercenaries. Klingons and Nausicans are aliens! They have no translation for the word 'play' in either of their vocabularies. And when the battle is done, they're not going to buy a round of drinks for their opponents, slapping them on the back and laughing about the highlights, because there usually isn't anyone left alive." To illustrate, the simulation re-animated itself. The Klingon laughed maniacally as he shoved the Nausican's organs into its throat and watched his foe choke. "You almost died," he said to Ziggy. "There are unconfirmed reports that others did. Thank goodness none of our people killed anyone, but the Klingons and the Nausicans felt no such restraints. There's no telling how many innocents would have been massacred had the fight lasted until it's natural conclusion." The holographic demonstration continued for a few more minutes before settling back down to it's frozen state. Moose waited patiently for it to finish. "Lt. Black's report said that the fight started over a disagreement about money. Over money?" he yelled. "Since when do Federation Officers fight over money? That's humiliating and embarrassing." He began to pace steadily in front of them. "I've also heard that the mercenaries provoked the fight by insulting our women. How could we let an insult like that go unanswered?" He stopped in front of Dana, looking her square in the eye. "You don't seem like a helpless woman who needs her honor defended. Either does Cdr Dacotah for that matter, or Stacy Howard or Ruca N'Etani or any other woman who is currently serving or has ever served on this ship! The women of the Arcadia have always been the toughest and most capable in the fleet. And if these young men have that little respect for you and for women, then you have more serious discipline problems than you think." He held her gaze for a few more moments before moving down the line to Ziggy. "Then there was the claim that this was deliberate; that you purposely went looking for a little trouble in order to foster some team spirit. One of your men actually went as far as to say that I'd understand if I 'were a marine at heart.'" His face took on a look that Ziggy knew well, but had never seen before on this body. "For the record, I don't understand," he said in a deadly calm. In that moment there was no longer any doubt that Captain Moose and Ambassador Moose had once been the same person. "I'm not a marine," he said. "I'm an Arcadian, as are you ... as are they. That's an obligation and an allegiance that means far more than who's a marine and who's 'just another fleet officer'." "The marines are here as an diplomatic honor guard, not an infantry unit. Commanding that guard is an elite position, one that marines work their whole career to achieve. The fact that I'm not an ambassador is irrelevant. As a starship captain, I am the embodiment of the Federation where ever this ship goes. These platoons are my intelligence, they are my strength, and they are my honor. You command them in my name! And they will live up to my honor and my code of conduct, regardless of what Jessica Pike or anyone else feels is 'generally accepted behavior.' The next person who forgets that will be back on Earth faster than their image can fade from my retinas." As if to punctuate his words, the simulation leapt to life once again. The bartender released his projectile weapon into the chest of a Klingon, who howled and used him as a bat to smash a table into splinters. His point made, Moose started for the exit, but paused at the holodeck door. The computer, once again, paused for him. "The marines demonstrated outstanding heroics and unparalleled bravery in the evacuation of Lodi," he added. "They saved thousands of lives, and normally I'd be very proud. But if this is the cost of that bravery, then it's not worth the price. Sent home in disgrace, their work will have been for nothing. Don't allow that to happen." He turned, leaving a heavy silence in the room. As the holodeck doors closed behind him, the simulation resumed, and alien sounds of howling and gnawing once again filled the room.

Please join Cdr Dacotah and I in extending congratulations to Thomas Jaruq on his promotion to Lt Cdr and his appointment as Chief Engineer to the Arcadia. Christopher T. Moose Commanding Officer USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

Mission Brief, Stardate 10308.20 Although the evacuation is complete, the colonists don't want to leave Lodi. The crew of the Arcadia must help them establish a homestead on one of the other asteroids in the Granger Asteroid Belt, or find a way to purify the colony they just left. Cptn Moose USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

Happy Birthday Anika. Have a wonderful day. Moose

Duck, and cover. ;-)

Isn't posting this comment to a message board a bit like sitting in a bar wondering if you're an alcoholic? :) j/k

Do not fold, staple, or mutilate. : )

Taking a donut away from Huff is a danger to your health. Learn from the mistakes of "One-handed Louie" :D

I think that a tie would be an apporpriate and wonderful way to end this contest. Let's leave it at this and start handing out the margaritas. Although I reserve the right to use the "Moose Congeniality" title. :D

Please join Cdr Dacotah and I in extending congratulations for a job well done to our new Chief Science Officer, Lt Cdr Arphazad Lo'Ami. Now that he's got the job, I'm expecting him to acutally build a "perpetual half-life replenishing generator," just to show up his predecessor. ;-)

Wonderful efforts leading to a horrible result. Q'uapla happens.

We're not slow, we're just distracted. :: rummages in the grocery bag for the trail mix ::

I tend to make it up. Much to the chagrin of our scientist friend Lo'Ami, who coined the phrase "moose babble" to describe my ramblings. :cool:

Captain's Log, Stardate 10308.04 I can't believe that I'm actually talking to my tricorder. This is so primitive, like I'm some pre-historic space pioneer. "Look at me, I'm Captain Archer. Beam me up, Scotty. Wait, we can't do that yet." I know that I'm being silly, but I just had to tell someone. I'm having fits of giggles watching Quest rummage through foil pouches. Oh, sorry, I mean Commander Quest, not Colonel Quest. Kelly Quest ... my friend Kelly ... Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly ... um, how does that old song go? It doesn't matter. She's hysterical. The most competent woman in five star systems is having trouble unwrapping lunch. She never could cook worth a damn. I'm glad I came on this away mission. It's so relaxing being off the ship, even if we are on a barren rock looking for Lodinite. It reminds me of that outdoor concert on Dante VII. They had a three day terran music festival, which they called the galaxy's largest "rock concert" because rock was all there was on Dante VII. "Rock concert," get it? Rock ... concert. Of course, that was also the time we drank Targelian Slings for three straight days. It's amazing what sounds good after several of those. I was sick for a week afterwards and it was years before I could look at a targelberry in any form. But it was a good time, just like this. Just like this ... not just like this. I was stoned out of my mind back then. I'm not stoned. I'm just happy ... unusually happy. I'm just sitting here, laughing at everything and talking to my tricorder. Good heavens, I am stoned. But on what? I haven't eaten anything since we arrived ... thank you Kelly. Is it from something in the caves? I don't think so. I was giggling almost from the moment I stepped off the shuttle. Do you think it's something in the atmosphere? What is that, a trick question? Of course it's something in the atmosphere, and since when does a rock like this even have an atmosphere? I've got to get Kelly and go back to the ship. But wait, wasn't there someone else with us? The new Ops guy ... what was his name? Snoopy. No that's not it. Noopy? Garnoopy? That's it. Garnoopy. I haven't seen him in eons. I wonder if he's still around here somewhere. Crud, I am going to get such an "I told you so," when we get back to the Arcadia. Um ... if we get back to the Arcadia ... where is Garnoopy anyway? I know, I'll ask the tricorder. Is this thing still on? Hey, Kelly, do you know how to delete a log file? How do I shut this thi ... click. Cptn Moose USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

:: stretches out next to Huff on a pool chaise :: There's also bagels and fruit, and I've brought chocolate. What are the odds of getting a Bloody Mary out here?

The Academies will still be held as scheduled. A link to the meeting place will be put on the homepage about 30 minute before the games start. Everyone, please, always feel free to ask questions if you don't know the answer. Posts are free and answers are easily repeated. :D :: hands Nemesis a Valium ::

Jorlis, Sorry I can't be there to help you christen the lounge. However, I've ordered a case of Champagne for you and my friend Dromo, the four-armed saxophonist, said he'd come by and do a jam session for you. Have a great opening night. Moose

Grrrrrrrr Oh listen ... A9's started the motor on the dingy. :D

More fun and games with poisoned water supplies.

I only meant that I could run away faster than she could catch me. :D :: drops donuts on the path to slow Huff down further ::

Mission Brief, Stardate 10307.30 Things have gone from bad to worse on the Lodi colony. Dr. Telano discovered a cure for the pathogen, but was shot before it could be distributed. His work may have been for naught, since the mysterious Tepi beamed the engineers out of the water reclaimation plant and introduced a new pathogen to the water supply. The marines are needed to break back into the plant, but they're all under house arrest. And Captain Moose can't revoke his orders to keep them locked up, because he, Kelly Quest, and Lt Garnoopy are euphorically investigating the Lodinite mine. Cptn Moose USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E