Atragon9

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #851, STARDATE 51503.30 =/\= We have now flashed back six days in time, for the 50th time. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. Finding that the loop occurs even when they are away from the Utah, Erich asks Science to examine the away team results. It turns out that the Lantas soil contains a huge quantity of chroniton particles. Finally, he found the answer, but nooooo... the rest of the crew forgets the findings as the loop restarts. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #851, STARDATE 51503.30 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #850, STARDATE 51503.23 =/\= We have now flashed back six days in time, for the 45th time. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. Thanks to some suspiciously-timed engine trouble, the Manticore is not able to return to Lantas-IV right away. While more than a day out from the planet, everyone experiences the white flash and the days reset again, before Manticore makes it back to the Utah. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #850, STARDATE 51503.23 =/\= 150323.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #850, STARDATE 51503.23 =/\= We have now flashed back six days in time, for the 45th time. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. Thanks to some suspiciously-timed engine trouble, the Manticore is not able to return to Lantas-IV right away. While more than a day out from the planet, everyone experiences the white flash and the days reset again, before Manticore makes it back to the Utah. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #850, STARDATE 51503.23 =/\=

The Pensacola had been traveling for weeks, heading to the last known assignment for the Manticore. They were sent to resupply the Special Ops base at Rylos-IX, part of the Beta Trianguli system (see map). The base is covert and often operating under a comm shroud, so the crew was not especially worried that the calls they sent out have gone unanswered. A9 was grateful to Captain Tahna Bek for allowing him the use of the Science station on the Bridge so he would have a place to sit. At the same time, he had weeks with nothing to do, as the ship simply flew in a warp-induced straight line. It was starting to make him stir crazy, but he was painfully aware to not show any sort of "crazy" behavior. The Pensacola dropped out of warp a week ago and he relinquished his seat to the Science officer so that sensor scans of the area could be initiated. There is nothing they expected to find, it is simply standard procedure, every time they return to normal space. As is so often the case when he is around (is he jinxing the mission of another crew?), the sensor scans turned up anything *but* normal space. The spatial anomaly had a very distinct chroniton flavor that told everyone that they were looking at a temporal distortion field. The Carthage has been dispatched to provide support and a "second pair of eyes" on the disturbance while the Federation Council is currently warning all ships away from the system due to "a plasma leak" (does anyone ever believe this excuse?) So, now A9 and the Pensacola waits once again, staring right at a distortion field that encompasses the entire Rylos-IX planetoid. If the Manticore is in there, how does the Pensacola get to them without being affected as well, and just what kind of temporal anomaly is this, what is going on in there? Four days after they arrived, there was a huge spike in chroniton particles and then it settled back to the same levels as before. Six days later, it happened again, so there is no way of being able to predict these severe events. This can't be good, especially, as we just sit here and wait for the Carthage. They are due in the next day or two, but even after they arrive - what's our next step?

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #849, STARDATE 51503.16 =/\= We have all flashed back six days in time, for the 30th time. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. How many times will we relive these six days, how crazy with Jaenke get, as the only one NOT reliving the same days. If he can't change our minds, will he lose his? =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #849, STARDATE 51503.16 =/\= 150316.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #849, STARDATE 51503.16 =/\= We have all flashed back six days in time, for the 30th time. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. How many times will we relive these six days, how crazy with Jaenke get, as the only one NOT reliving the same days. If he can't change our minds, will he lose his? =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #849, STARDATE 51503.16 =/\=

It had been three months since he had taken up residence at Starfleet Meeical that he felt that his ROI was no longer in the black. Between the therapies presented by the medical staff and the Black Ops conditioning he was putting himself through, he felt that he was at 100% and ready to resume his duties. Of course, it had also been three months since anyone had heard from Manticore. That didn't disturb him, though, as the nature of Manticore's missions would often take them off the grid for months at a time, from the perspective of the regular Fleet. What he needed was to be released from SF Med and get over to Special Ops to get the real story. It took another month in the hospital to finally convince the experts that he was not only cured, not only safe to be among the unprotected, but actually a benefit to his former job. Well, that's what SF Med stated when he was released after 4 months. But Special Ops wasn't as easily convinced and it took yet another month for them to let him resume his former post. Finally, at Intake plus five months, he convened a status review on the Special Ops Wing and found out... that they had no idea where Manticore was, either. They had been sent to resupply the covert based at Rylos-IX and hadn't reported for over 140 days. After A9 ranted and demanded resignations and had private meetings with the Fed Council about this lapse in management, they finally approved a mission to find Manticore, as they couldn't simply contact the Rylos station and ask about a delivery that was a secret from them. So, here he was, six months after stepping off a starship, standing on the Bridge of the Pensacola, trying to stay out of the way of Captain Tahna Bek and his command team, while also pretending to not see the sideways glances from the crew, wondering about "Crazy Admiral Atragon." It's as if no matter what Starfleet Medical's final disposition on you declares, you can't fix crazy. He would move throughout the ship and come across small knots of crew, speaking in low registers, who would stop altogether as he approached. It was always a coin flip, in his mind, between telling them that 'no, really, I'm fine,' or leaning into the center of the group, strumming his lips then shouting 'Booga-booga!' It was so much better when the crew members of the Wing were simply afraid of him, alas. First order of business is to find the Manticore, second would be to restore the respect for Command.

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #848, STARDATE 51503.09 =/\= We have all flashed back six days in time, again. The Manticore received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has decided, more than once, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this is out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. How many times will we relive these six days, how crazy with Jaenke get, as the only one NOT reliving the same days. If he can't change our minds, will he lose his? =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #848, STARDATE 51503.09 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #847, STARDATE 51503.02 =/\= We have all flashed back six days in time. The Manticore just received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has just decided, again, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this seems out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. Alas, he has made himself into the crazy Betazoid who cried wolf and no one is listening to his crazed rantings. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #847, STARDATE 51503.02 =/\= 150302.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #847, STARDATE 51503.02 =/\= We have all flashed back six days in time. The Manticore just received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV, that diverted us from Rylos-IX. The senior staff has just decided, again, to avoid our collective fate and leave Lantas IV for our original mission on Rylos-IX. None of this seems out of place or suspicious to any of the crew, except Erich Jaenke. Alas, he has made himself into the crazy Betazoid who cried wolf and no one is listening to his crazed rantings. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #847, STARDATE 51503.02 =/\=

I have not commented up to now because it seems so unreal. Sure, you can see what Nimoy and Shatner look like in all of those recent TV commercials and movie/TV projects. At the same time, Kirk and Spock seem frozen in time, in my mind. I have grown up, I have gotten older, and they maintain their youthful strength and optimism. Clearly, they will always be there for us, they will never go away. Star Trek fans, TV aficionados, students of mass media, we all mourn the passing of an icon, the death of Leonard Nimoy. May his legacy forever Live Long and Prosper!

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #846, STARDATE 51502.23 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV. They came across a PADD in the swamp that contained a log from Erich Jaenke recorded six days in the future that describes the destruction of the Manticore! Erich's body was found on the planet, yet the body is not really Erich, being different at the molecular level. Deciding to avoid our fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX to complete our mission. A distress call comes in from the Utah, Manticore hurries to assist and the ship experiences cascade failures. Everyone abandons the ship and... it is six days earlier. No one can recall what will happen, except Erich, in a semi-dream state. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #846, STARDATE 51502.23 =/\= 150223.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #846, STARDATE 51502.23 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV. They came across a PADD in the swamp that contained a log from Erich Jaenke recorded six days in the future that describes the destruction of the Manticore! Erich's body was found on the planet, yet the body is not really Erich, being different at the molecular level. Deciding to avoid our fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX to complete our mission. A distress call comes in from the Utah, Manticore hurries to assist and the ship experiences cascade failures. Everyone abandons the ship and... it is six days earlier. No one can recall what will happen, except Erich, in a semi-dream state. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #846, STARDATE 51502.23 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #845, STARDATE 51502.16 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV. They came across a damaged PADD in the swamp that contained a log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future that describes the destruction of the Manticore! Upon further searching, they found Erich's body on the planet, yet he is still onboard the Manticore. Deciding to avoid our collective fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX to complete our mission. Science, in the meantime, verifies that the body is not really Erich, different at the molecular level, just before we receive a distress call from the Utah. Manticore hurries to Lantas IV. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #845, STARDATE 51502.16 =/\= 150216.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #845, STARDATE 51502.16 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah, investigating Lantas IV. They came across a damaged PADD in the swamp that contained a log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future that describes the destruction of the Manticore! Upon further searching, they found Erich's body on the planet, yet he is still onboard the Manticore. Deciding to avoid our collective fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX to complete our mission. Science, in the meantime, verifies that the body is not really Erich, different at the molecular level, just before we receive a distress call from the Utah. Manticore hurries to Lantas IV. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #845, STARDATE 51502.16 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #844, STARDATE 51502.09 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they came across a damaged PADD in the swamp. It contains a personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future and describing the destruction of the Manticore! Upon further searching, they found Erich's body, on the planet, yet he is still onboard the Manticore. Deciding to avoid our collective fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX and away from our future. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #844, STARDATE 51502.09 =/\= 150209.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #844, STARDATE 51502.09 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they came across a damaged PADD in the swamp. It contains a personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future and describing the destruction of the Manticore! Upon further searching, they found Erich's body, on the planet, yet he is still onboard the Manticore. Deciding to avoid our collective fate, we leave Lantas IV and continue to Rylos-IX and away from our future. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #844, STARDATE 51502.09 =/\=

It has been two weeks since A9 took up residence at SF Medical, one week since Manticore left orbit. The medical staff keep telling him that his progress has been "Phenomenal." He knows that part of that report is to make him feel better just by being told he *is* better. He knows part of that is the therapy sessions he is undergoing with the staff. He knows that part of that is simply spending two weeks out of a cell, out of a dungeon, even out of a starship - it simply calms him, relaxes him, offers him safety. Finally, he knows that part of that has been the self-paced retraining he has been putting himself through. It's funny, but he had a memory of this mental retraining from the first time he was put through it. He recalls it being so intense and frightening, so alien to his way of thinking and living life. Not so much, this time. Maybe he's just older and can bring his experiences to bear. Maybe he wants to get better SO intensely that he is a more willing participant. Most likely is the fact that he has been living this altered life for decades, so this isn't really a retraining, more of a refresher. Whatever the reason he isn't afraid anymore, his life is back in the groove, he is ready to return to duty, to service, to command. Just three things stand in his way of that. First, the doctors have to give him a clean bill of health - and they are notorious for being over-protective and over-cautious. Second, the fleet has to decide it is to their benefit to put him back on active duty and what form it will take. He has to show them that he will be a benefit to them, to Special Ops and he knows that will only be apparent if he can leverage his experiences with the Manticore. He is too old to be given new leadership responsibilities, at least in deep space. And Third, to get back to Manticore, he has to know where Manticore is and hope they are safe. Thanks to the first two points, no one has decided to share the ship's location or mission with him. He doesn't know if it's a milk run or if people are dying. Oh well, it's Manticore, after all, when have they ever had a milk run?

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #843, STARDATE 51502.02 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they came across a PADD in the swamp there. It contains a damaged personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future! While trying to get an understanding of this, the Utah came across a scarier scene, which they beamed to Manticore. Erich's dead body, on the planet. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #843, STARDATE 51502.02 =/\= 150202.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #843, STARDATE 51502.02 =/\= The Manticore was enroute to Rylos-IX when they received a comm from the Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they came across a PADD in the swamp there. It contains a damaged personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future! While trying to get an understanding of this, the Utah came across a scarier scene, which they beamed to Manticore. Erich's dead body, on the planet. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #843, STARDATE 51502.02 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #842, STARDATE 51501.26 =/\= The Manticore is enroute to Rylos-IX with a secret delivery of ordnance for a Special Ops base. They receive a comm from the science vessel, Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they cam e across a PADD in the swamp there. It contains a damaged personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future! =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #842, STARDATE 51501.26 =/\= 150126.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #842, STARDATE 51501.26 =/\= The Manticore is enroute to Rylos-IX with a secret delivery of ordnance for a Special Ops base. They receive a comm from the science vessel, Utah with a strange story. While investigating Lantas IV, they cam e across a PADD in the swamp there. It contains a damaged personal log from Lt. Commander Erich Jaenke... recorded six days in the future! =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #842, STARDATE 51501.26 =/\=

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #841, STARDATE 51501.19 =/\= The Manticore is in Earth orbit, with the crew finishing their shore leave. Orders have been received and the ship is ready to depart. MC Escher has left the crew to pursue his career NOT in deep space and Atragon-9 is at remaining at Starfleet Medical, undergoing treatment and debriefing. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #841, STARDATE 51501.19 =/\= 150119.txt

=/\= USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #841, STARDATE 51501.19 =/\= The Manticore is in Earth orbit, with the crew finishing their shore leave. Orders have been received and the ship is ready to depart. MC Escher has left the crew to pursue his career NOT in deep space and Atragon-9 is at remaining at Starfleet Medical, undergoing treatment and debriefing. =/\= END USS MANTICORE BRIEFING #841, STARDATE 51501.19 =/\=

Starfleet Medical is not only the greatest healing resource in the Federation, it is a place of supreme calm and balance. This is by design, as part of healing the body and mind is being able to soothe the soul. There are over two hundred gardens representing more than 120 different societies throughout the Federation. These are meticulously maintained and preserved to afford the patients the freedom to heal from the inside out once their physical wounds have been dealt with. Atragon-9 arrived at the facility with most of his physical wounds cured (the cardiac port will likely be a permanent addition to his physical presence.) He was provided with a cabin in the Titanian garden, the entirety of which is within a construct to allow for the 0.3G environment of that moon. Following a brief introduction to the amenities and resources available to him, he was left alone to become acclimated to his recovery area. He gave up his exo-skeletal support suit within the first day, as he didn't need it for mobility. He was amazed to find so many native trees, flowers and fauna existing in such harmony and all of it was real, not part of a holo-projection. He was able to sleep in his cabin with the windows wide open, to enjoy the sounds of the flyers and the scent of flowers from home. It was so peaceful, so soothing, so... forced. Everything around him was constructed to be "perfect," and it showed. Nothing was ever this right and complete on Titan - there were always issues, imperfections, troubles with the atmo controls, the soil, the building materials, and on and on. SF Medical went too far in their complete healing concept to the point that it was a constant distraction for him. He did enjoy the local sounds and sights, he did partake in the delicacies from home and truly enjoyed so much time in 0.3G once again. At the same time, he continued to be jumpy and nervous, "waiting for the other mag boot to drop," looking over his shoulder, waiting for the fantasy to come crashing down around him. He also never lost sight of being in a hospital bed, no matter how comfy it was. After the first day or two, he started to have visitors. Doctors and analysts, splitting their time between digging in his mind to heal and probing his memories for more details and clues about Thasus and his grand plan. Through it all, he knew they were also observing him to see if he could ever be trusted with Command again. He knew that his time was short. He had to show them a resilience and a desire to return to his place and he had to start showing this soon. He knew he couldn't fake it and, even deeper, he had to ask himself if this was really what he wanted. First step - get rid of the fear, the jumpiness, the panic. It took more than a week, but he convinced his handlers to let him have access to some Special Ops gear. He remembers training with this this stuff and it really worked - after a time. This system was tuned to heighten awareness, so that fear can be minimized, shriveled up, locked away in a box. In a box, that's where he was with Thasus - now it's time to put crazy Charlie in that box and blow it the frak up! He didn't have time for the regular pace of this course, so he doubled up the cycles, gave up what little sleep this system allows and dove in with gusto. Frak, if that doesn't show them a desire to return, nothing will. And if they denied him his Command, he would be ready to Take It. Yeah, he was getting better all the time! What was that old song...? ======================= Me used to be angry young man, Me hiding me head in the sand.. You gave me the word, I finally heard, I'm doing the best that I can. I've got to admit, it's getting better