Tachyon

I quite enjoyed simming with you on Excalibur/Morningstar, George. Do return as soon as possible. <_<

“Our Mission” Stardate 0510.06 Lieutenant Arthur Dent ---------------------------------------------------------------- I take it back. Just when I think we’ve reached the maximum amount of sustainable mysteries, another one is thrown in our face. In this case, it’s a statue. The statue itself is quite mysterious. It raises all sorts of questions, such as Who built it? Where did it come from? Why is it made of a coral-like material that is causing telepathic responses in a crew member? These questions, and more, plague the minds of my colleagues and me. The mission of Starfleet is “to explore brave new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” The truth, however, is far less glorifying. Most Starfleet officers are support staff: administrators, desk jockeys, planetary security, engineers, research scientists, planet-sitters. I feel like one of those last, sitting here at my station every day, watching over an entire planet that is undergoing political turmoil. It’s not that it’s an unimportant job. I recognise that our mission here is beneficent; I just don’t think it’s exactly an “exploration” type job. Then again, I didn’t sign up for one of those jobs. I wanted to become an administrator, a clerk, someone who could help keep the well-oiled Starfleet machine running day after day. I just happen to be a clerk on the frontier. The chance to explore something though, that’s different. This statue is a real conundrum. For once we aren’t pacifying rebels or searching for missing Dominion warships; we’re actually being explorers, even if we haven’t left our station. I appreciate the opportunity, and the break from the ordinary. I just wish those breaks didn’t occur in groups. . . .

“I Denounce Thee” October 3, 2155 Lieutenant Dave Grey ---------------------------------------------------- His entire world was falling apart, and there was nothing he could do about it. Everything that mattered was irrelevant; minor details seemed to carry more weight than a neutron star. Every time he attempted to slow down and breath, his life caught up and gave dogged pursuit, threatening to smother him into submission. As Grey retrieved as stretcher from sickbay, he considered what a sorry state his life was. His legs tingled, although they did not bear any permanent damage, and the left side of his face sported some bruises and a cut, courtesy of a battle with a boarding party. That latest episode in his epic lifetime was just one example of how stupid Grey had been acting lately. He should not have fought, of course—Nausicaans were renowned for their strength, and although he was a competent hand-to-hand fighter, at best Grey would be able to evade, not take down a Nausicaan, and surely not several. Instead of escaping and attempting to get power online, however, he had fought foolhardily. The worst part of it was not the fighting, though. It was the aftermath. As Grey lay beneath the downed Nausicaan attacker, drifting along the blanket of semi-consciousness, the last thoughts in his mind were horrible. Grey did not know what he should have been thinking—perhaps something along the lines of guilt for leaving his sister behind, for failing the Challenger and its crew, for never experiencing the joys of warp 6 travel. No, Grey’s thoughts were slightly more macabre and twisted than that. Lying beneath the Nausicaan, head pressed against the cold metal deck plating, Grey’s final thoughts were At least now I won’t be left behind. I won’t be alone. I won’t be abandoned. I won’t be a failure. It had been preying on Grey’s mind for a very long time now, ever since he had realised that Harriet was going to die and there was nothing he could do. He had failed her, the one person who meant the most to him, and she was going to slip through his fingers. Even more agonizingly, she was going to leave him utterly and truly alone. Grey may have other family and friends, but they were siblings, they were twins! In their youth, they had been inseparable. Now, humanity’s most ancient foe would rend them asunder for the most arbitrary of reasons. And then Grey would be alone. So as it went through his mind, Grey knew it was wrong, but he was only human; he could not help thinking these thoughts. He felt certain he would die shortly, or perhaps it was a delusion due to the lack of oxygen going to his brain, but he would die with the immense relief that at least he would not be left alone to suffer while his sister was released from her bonds. This small, tiny bit of egocentricity irked him. This only compounded his problems and his general mood. Life as Grey knew it had taken a drastic turn for the worst. He could see no way to get out of this unsolvable dilemma and render everything better—there were no dei ex machinis in Grey’s life, only the hard and immutable truth that was Murphy’s Law. And each day, as his sense of impending doom grew and his cynicism increased, Grey felt utterly oppressed by the reality of the situation. He wanted to cast off his trappings of intelligence and sensitivity and openly proclaim to the universe . . . Look at me. Dave Grey. The fraud.

Just saw it. :lol: It was awesome! I have some pretty harsh criticism about a few parts, but overall it was a great movie, by far one of the best cinema experiences I've had in a while. Spoiler warnings (yes, people die) The movie was paced very well, there was plenty of action in the beginning and end, although the middle dragged just a little. Each character also got their bit of the action, and of course, River gets a lot of action. B) I'm rather disappointed with the smaller parts that Inara and the Shepard get, especially the latter fellow, but at least he had some great lines. The characterisation was good too, all the actors slid back into their roles very naturally. The "Mr. Universe" character seemed a bit of a gimmick to me, perhaps even a deus ex machina, which is uncharacteristic of the Firefly motif. He's a little too sudden and a little too pivotal to the plot for my tastes. Wash's death was quite dramatic and meaningful. Apparently, he's the character with whom I identify the most, and I do love his dinosaurs. The people at the theatre (and it was pretty crowded) literally gasped when he died, because it came out of nowhere. I was so saddened that I had to go to the washroom. When I came back, they were getting ready for the dramatic fight scene where Simon and Kaylee would get to be romantic and then River could save the day. As usually, it's the actors and the characters who drive this movie. I can't complain, the dialogue and the delivery is pure Firefly and great to see. My dad, who has not seen an episode of Firefly, said the movie was "great," and he is very critical of movies. I was surprised by the turnout, but one of the unique things about Firefly is that, even though it's science fiction, it doesn't focus on the science part of the fiction, it focuses on the humanity (similar in the way that the new BSG does), which helps it draw in a much larger audience. Now I hope they just don't make a sequel. . . . . :P

Definitely going to see it on Friday (even though it is Aegis night). . . . :P Firefly was awesome because it really was a Western in space. Unlike a lot of other shows, it didn't rely on plot gimmicks or deus ex machina to solve a problem. Oh, and the technobabble is kept to a minimum. :lol: (Not that I dislike technobabble . . . mmm, mmmm, good).

Avast, could it be?! Aye, it's Talk Like a Pirate Day, here again! So yo ho ho, pull up some grog and share yer pirate tales. There be no land lubbers here, I trust? :(

I'm glad you're all right Daryus. :P Your engine room is fine but . . . well, depending on when you get back, you may or may not have any engineers. :)

Most excellent dialogue. :P How are you gentlemen?

“Against No Odds” Stardate 0509.23 A Joint Log by Lieutenant Cougar and Lieutenant (jg) Tandaris Admiran ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It seemed they had a problem. The valve system Tobal Rywex had talked about was more antiquated than the Surma engineer had let on at first. As Tandaris looked at the backlit blueprint in the ancient control station, he scrunched up his face and sighed. Turning to his cat-like colleague, he said, "Looks like we'll need to open each valve manually: here, here, and here," he indicated each duct. Cougar replied, "Looks like we're going to need to use muscle for this." Cougar smiled knowing that he could probably open a valve better than Tandaris. Ignoring the jibe, Tandaris nodded and rolled up his sleeves. He picked up his engineering kit from the ground and together they exited the control station. It was but a short walk down a cramped corridor to the first valve. Dim chemical lighting provided the only illumination in this otherwise dark, dank area that had clearly seen better days. The walls on either side were paneled with windows to view the flow of water once the ducts were open. On the far side, an oxidizing circular wheel indicated what they had to do to open the valve separating the ducts from Reservoir 7. "Shall we?" Tandaris indicated courteously, motioning to the wheel. Cougar made a solid nod and grabbed a hold of one side of the valve. "Wanna grab the other side?" Answering the solid nod with a more fluidic one, Tandaris gripped the other side. "On three. One . . . two . . . three!" He started rotating it clockwise. The effort required was more than he had expected, but slowly their combined force started to turn the wheel. "There we go!" the feline-human hybrid shouted. With a cantankerous creak, the under-used valves opened. Slowly at first, but with increasing rapidity, a trickle of water flowed into the auxiliary ducts. Soon a torrent was being conveyed toward the backup reservoirs. Tandaris sighed. "One down." They trekked toward the second valve, which was even more stubborn than the first. After several attempts, both in concert and separately, the wheel would not budge. It was fixed in its position, content with its lot in life. Tandaris put his hands on his hips. "What now?" "Great, just great, what do you think about using a phaser?" Cougar quickly thought. Tandaris knelt and peered beneath the rim of the wheel to get a better view of the situation. "Hmm. Looks like there's some corrosion here." He reached back for his engineering kit and produced a plasma torch. "A phaser may work, but precision tools are even better." He calibrated the torch and repaired the damage caused by time. Standing back up and replacing the torch in the kit, Tandaris gripped the valve again. "Let's give this one more try." Cougar shook his head left to right, "So meticulous, oh wait, I am too." Cougar grabbed the wheel along with Tandaris. They turned the wheel clockwise again. The valve was easily turned. With another loud whooshing noise, the reservoir emptied out into two more auxiliary ducts. Yet they were running out of time. If they didn't open the last valve in a few minutes, the entire reservoir would rupture and millions of precious litres of water would be lost. "One more!" Tandaris yelled. They arrived at the third chamber with little difficulty. The third valve was undamaged but required a lot of effort to pull. Together, Tandaris and Cougar heaved and slowly it turned. . . . The entire assembly let out an ominous sound and shuddered. At first, they had no clue what was happening, but when the wheel came away in Tandaris' and Cougar's hands, a panic-stricken revelation hit both of them. The wall, a few millimeters in front of them, began to buckle inward. . . . Cougar yelled at the top of his lungs, "Oh crap!" Equally vocal, Tandaris exclaimed, "Run!" They ran with all the speed they could muster, pel-mel out of the chamber and down the corridor toward the utility vehicle. The wall bent inward with sickening lurches until its seams burst and water flooded into the chamber. By this time, Tandaris and Cougar had made it to the utility vehicle, but only with a few seconds to spare. Tandaris quickly inputted the coordinates back to the central control station. Cougar accompanied Tandaris through the corridor and impulsively closed the door. Secured inside the miniature tank-like construct, the two engineers looked at each other and breathed with relief. As water filled the ancient control station, the utility vehicle speed away toward safety. "Next time," said Tandaris, "we get to stay behind."

Eventually. :P

“The Nature of Our Game” Stardate 0509.21 A Joint Log by Lieutenants Arthur Dent and Eli Zhu ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dent stood on the midway, his face pressed up against the transparent aluminum of the window in front of him. From this vantage point, space looked big. Hugely mind-bogglingly big. So big that he really couldn't stomach it. And it was empty. But not for long. With as much fanfare as one could expect for an inanimate object, the vista outside the station changed as a new object emerged onto the scene. Yet it was not a freighter, cruiser, or warship. It was huge. Even at the distance from which it appeared, Dent was impressed by the sheer magnitude and sense of presence it conveyed. Its luster was evident in the running lights of the station and Dent made out a faint description of its overall shape and appearance. Startled by this statue’s sudden arrival literally at their doorstep, the operations officer moved away from the window and sat down next to it. His pulse elevated, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply for several minutes. Perhaps someone on the Control Tower could help. Zhu looked at the statue from the CT. He had magnified a few times to see exactly where the statue's face was facing. "Oh goody, the face is facing our starboard. I'm going to take a look from the midway," he declared to the CT crew, who were all mesmerized by the site, and quietly made his exit. Dent looked up at the turbolift as its doors opened with a rescuing whoosh. "Eli!" he exclaimed. "Uh . . . did someone order a statue? Because . . ." he cast a pensive glance in the direction of the window. "Yeah, it's uh . . . here." "I have no idea what it is. But hey, hell of a delivery job," Zhu joked and squinted at the statue which seemed about a few thousand meters away Dent got up and stood beside the engineer. "I was just staring out the window, and it . . . it appeared. Anything interesting going on that I should know about?" His mind dreamed of Cardassian rebellion plots and alien conspiracy theories. "Nope, engineers are with their hands full with our project. No word from Cardassia . . . or I wasn't paying attention. Well, we had some elevated emissions of neutrinos ... that's about it." "Neutrinos," mused Dent, trying to scrounge up his scant knowledge of particle physics. "Don't they have something to do with wormholes?" His eyebrows wiggled up and down suggestively. "Indeed." He looked ominously at the statue which started to shift in position due to influence from Aegis' energy emissions. "Wormholes. . .who knows if it's natural. . .or artificial?” Letting the silence hang between them for a few awkward moments, Dent looked out the window with a penetrating gaze. Slowly he elucidated his thoughts, beginning with a philosophical, "Well . . . that's a question indeed. But I guess we have to figure out from where it came. . . ." and then added, "Just when you think we've got one set of problems, you get a whole new mystery dumped in your lap." "Well, you know, we are just sitting here ..." Zhu motions the analogy with the lap thing. Dent shrugged. "Good point. So, do you need any help?" he inquired good-naturedly. "Let's, head to the CT, we can start analyzing that thing there, eh?" "Sure. I have a feeling though that when we figure it out, we won't like it. . . ." Together they entered the turbolift and took it back to the Control Tower. They had a lot of new questions to answer. The statue looked like it had scorch marks on it, possibly from energy weapons. It was awfully large and they wondered who had built it. It was an enigma . . . but that was why they were out here, after all. They were explorers.

My parents gave that for me yesterday. :) And someone else gave me the Driver's Handbook. Thanks everyone.

“Worries from the Sleep-Deprived Idiot” September 20, 2005 Lieutenant Dave Grey -------------------------------------------------------- Foamy waves lapped sanguinely along the sandy beach, their gentle motions making it seem as if the ocean beyond were breathing deeply. Dave’s bare toes lay just inside the range of the waves’ influence and received regular splashes of refreshing water. He lay on his back on the beach, eyes closed, oblivious to the world around him. A football hit him. It landed squarely in his right eye, causing the world to shatter in an explosive pain as Dave instinctively reached up to touch the wound. His eyes flew open and then he winced, struggling to do too many things at once. After a few moments he had managed to sit up and ascertain the football had not caused any serious damage, so he turned in the direction from which the projectile had originated. “Wake up, Dave,” his sister Harriet teased him. She ran past him to retrieve the football and gripped it menacingly. Dave reluctantly climbed to his feet. “Wake up, Dave.” The voice was clear but concerned. It sliced through Dave’s unconscious and landed at the back of his brain. “Sir?” it asked. “Sir, are you all right?” Grey’s eyes flew open again, this time to be confronted with the bright artificial light of the launch bay, only to realize that he had been dreaming the entire memory. There was no beach, no football, no Harriet. He was alone, emotionally if not physically, for the person to whom the voice belonged stood next to him. Their expression still betraying apprehension over his condition, a person whom Grey perceived to be a MACO stood to his right. Grey waved a heavy hand at them and nodded reassuringly. “I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” “I know how you feel,” the MACO replied, genially taking Grey’s bag of science stuff just before the science officer released it to the unforgiving launch bay floor. “Times are changing, you’re in the middle of it, and you feel like everything you do isn’t enough.” “Something like that.” Not bothering to contradict or even respond to the statement, the MACO tossed the bag into the shuttlepod, then drew his phase pistol and started to fiddle with the settings. Grey watched this for a few moments before starting, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” “Corporal Sam Watterson, Lieutenant.” Grey had only just gotten used to hearing that title, and its pronunciation, used in lieu of his name. The MACO—“Sam,” Grey supposed—continued, “Me and Corporal Dolan are coming down in the shuttlepod with you.” The shuttle descended rapidly, speeding over the surface of the planet toward the habitation dome. Faces pressed against the concave inner surface of the window, Dave and Harriet looked down at the rock below with childish glee. Although it was dull red and conspicuously unimpressive, this was their first glimpse of an alien planet up close, and both seven-year-olds were excited. When the green light above the airlock went on, Dave and Harriet were among the first out the door and onto Mars. The first thing they noticed was the lighter gravity, something their parents had mentioned on the trip over. Second, the smells. Everything smelled differently, much like the shuttle, but also with an exotic aroma that they couldn’t quite place. Used to traveling, the twins knew how to treat an adventure, and their parents struggled in vain to keep the children under control. But Dave and Harriet would hear nothing of it. . . . “Please don’t do that,” Watterson requested. “Do what?” “That thing. You know, that thing you do. Where your eyes glaze over and you seem to be a million light-years away.” Grey chuckled half-heartedly before inhaling deeply. “No, not a million,” he sighed. “Just back home.” “Happy birthday to you!/Happy birthday to you!/Happy birthday, Dave and Harriet, happy birthday to you!” everyone sang. The birthday siblings sent each other a smug glance that said it all before smiling at the assembled company: family, friends, and guests. A friend, Sam, returned Grey’s sigh with a mixture of understanding and inquiry. Grey, however, had no wish to continue the conversation. His diaphragm filled to bursting with emotion and he turned away, walking around to the other end of the launch bay for some momentary solitude. Of course he needed sleep. Everyone needed sleep, and if it weren’t for the impressive artifact on the surface of Kappa Persei V, Grey would be in his quarters. But he was not, and he had to do the best he could to track down that Bolian, Nagen. After the understandable failure to track him through his quantum signature, Grey was not feeling any better about the situation. Yet he could not stop thinking, of all things, Harriet. She would be celebrating her 26th birthday with him today, if she were not in a coma. The image of her motionless, thoughtless form lying on the white bed hung heavy in his heart. In truth, it was guilt that gave him pause. Guilt over tampering with the laws of physics instead of spending time trying to save her life. Guilt over drowning himself with work to block out the feelings that welled up whenever he had a moment alone. Guilt preyed upon him, and he knew it wasn’t his fault, but since when had that stopped anyone from suffocating with self-pity?

Name: Tandaris Admiran (originally Brinn) Gender: Male Place of Birth: Trill Age: 38 Species: Joined Trill Rank: Lieutenant Height: 6’0” Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Distinguishing features: Distinctive spot pattern running along side of face and neck. Current Assignment: USS Excalibur Last Assignment: USS Morningstar Interests: Music, particularly Earth, Vulcan, and Trill; puzzles; astrophysics; warp field theory; computer programming; alien cultures. Family: Elir Brinn – Father, well-known artist on Trill. Keza Brinn – Mother, doctor for the Symbiosis Commission Celar Brinn – Sister, student at Orith University Tania Brinn – Younger sister Marcis Brinn – Younger brother Medical History: In prime physical condition No mental ailments -Previously broke left leg twice, right leg once -Previously broke left arm once -Sprained ankle once -Various childhood diseases Service History: – Entered Starfleet Academy – Graduated Starfleet Academy – Stardate 0505.24 – Posted to USS Excalibur (as assistant engineer) – Stardate 0508.07 – Reassigned to USS Morningstar (as assitant engineer) – Stardate 0508.21 – Promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade – Stardate 0512.18 – Promoted to Lieutenant - Promoted to Lieutenant Commander - Stardate 0804.21 - Promoted to Commander Biographical Information: As with many young Trill, Tandaris’ obsession was to join with a symbiont. It was not an obsession that hindered his success, however. In order to become joined, one must show that one is willing to live life to the fullest, and not be content to remain at home, in a stable life. Tandaris entered the program after graduating high school, one amongst thousands of hopeful applicants accepted to the candidacy. Those years would prove to be some of the best, worst, and most beneficial of his life. The program was a commitment of a rigorous nature, and many candidates dropped out. Tandaris debated dropping out several times, but each time he resolved to stay on in order to prove that he could. Eventually he was joined with Admiran, a symbiont with the experience of six previous hosts. Admiran tempered Tandaris’ more headstrong and stubborn personality traits, while Tandaris provided Admiran with a fresh perspective on life, and an overall sense of equilibrium and perseverance was achieved. Shortly thereafter, Tandaris Admiran was admitted into Starfleet Academy. After becoming joined, Tandaris chose a career path in Starfleet as a way to experience more of the universe. Their interests lie in both science and engineering, and Tandaris studied both at the Academy. He gravitated toward astrophysics and cosmology for his scientific disciplines, and studied warp field theory and computer programming for his engineering disciplines. He also maintains an interest in alien cultures, and music. In the case of the latter, during the last of his Academy years he took it upon himself (at the joking encouragement of human friends) to learn how to play the piano. Said friends are of the unspoken but unanimous opinion that while Tandaris’ talents in this area have potential, that potential is noticeably undeveloped. After graduating from the Academy, Tandaris' inaugural assignment was aboard the USS Excalibur, currently posted to the Gamma Quadrant. As exotic as they come, Tandaris was excited about the assignment. He soon had plenty of work to do when the Excalibur performed cloak-and-dagger reconnaissance on Romulan-occupied T'Rogora. Revealed while covertly attempting to deploy an away team to the surface, the Excalibur was fired at while cloaked, taking heavy damage to its primary systems. Only through the most valiant of efforts was the crew able to flee the Romulan ships and make it to a safe distance. The Excalibur, however, was not going to be fighting anytime soon, if ever again. While preparing for evacuation, the crew was rescued by advanced prototype starship USS Morningstar. Tandaris, like the rest of the crew, had to deal with the emotional impact of suddenly losing his ship. As a new crew member, the impact was both lessened and worsened: he had not yet bonded with the ship, grew close to it, accepted it as its own and become accepted by it; but he also mourned the fact that the opportunity to do so had been wrenched from him. Reassigned with most of the crew to the USS Morningstar, Tandaris faced the task of dealing with the aftermath while hostilities in the Gamma Quadrant came to a fore. Tandaris continued to serve on the USS Excalibur until its decommissioning. Afterward, he returned to Trill and accepted a professorship as well as an R&D position in subspace communications. Captain Corizon eventually convinced him to return as chief engineer to the new Akira-class USS Excalibur. Tandaris continues to have his misgivings.

“Hunting for a Haystack in a Needle” September 5, 2155 A Joint Log by Lieutenant Dave Grey and Lieutenant (jg) Aaron Westler --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron looked up at Grey as Moore returned to his chair. "Let's go over this thing fromt he beginning, maybe we missed something." Nodding, Grey shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He looked down at the computer console and its information before them, then back at Westler. "All right . . . so let's start with a set of assumptions. Let's assume that Nagen was the one who planted the file that's been causing us so much grief." Nodding, Aaron brought up the now, thankfully, isolated recopy of the batch file onto both their screens. "This file could have been placed anywhere in the ship's computer. Nagen could have sent it to the Engineering subfolder through Communications, a normally busy system where it wouldn’t have been obviously seen." "You said you found him in a conduit. Perhaps he interfaced directly with the comm system from there--if he used some sort of device on his person and didn't go through a console, it's possible the computer didn't record the access," reasoned Grey. Fingers steepled, he regarded the file on the screen. "Obviously he was preparing for an escape route. The next question is why Ensign Connor got himself confined to quarters and then started bypassing security protocols to talk with Montague." Aaron rubbed his chin. "Well, what about the file we found. It's from this Omega V office. This may sound stupid and far-fetched, but what if Connor works for an intelligence agency? The message did order him to "infiltrate the conspiracy". It's possible he got himself confined so he could keep his cover." "Really, when are these intelligence agencies going to learn that they shouldn't keep us in the dark," Grey rolled his eyes, "it all ends badly." Continuing their construction of a tentative timeline, Grey said, "So Nagen planted the file and Connor found out. He tells Montague, maybe? Or at least, he needs Montague to do the work he can't do from his quarters." Aaron nodded. "That would make sense. I blocked all his computer access. Montague listens to Connor, opens the file." Grey snapped his fingers. "The file is the crux of the matter. It all comes down the file. . . ." "Exactly. Opening the file, he must have tripped something. He said he blocked computer access so that he wouldn’t have problems with what he found. At the time, i believe he said he had found something to do with the power problems onboard." Grey blinked a moment, not quite up to speed. "Power problems . . .?" Aaron shrugged, "At least that’s what he told me." He tapped on the console and looked through the engineering logs. "Some small problem, I think, not linked to the batch file or anything else. Dismissing it as irrelevant to the discussion at hand, Grey considered the evidence so far. It seemed that they had been pulled into the midst of a very complicated web of shadow and deceit, one in which even the most hardy traveller could become tangled and misdirected. Grey half-heartedly wished for a magician who could get them out of this trap, but as such a resource was not available, he made due with what was at hand. "I still think part of this was accidental. The file was opened, but they didn't know what it contained, and Nagen beamed off the ship." He thought about this and sighed. "What we really need now is just one small piece of evidence to conclusively prove it was the file that caused the phase cannons to fire." Aaron considered the statement a second, then poured over the code in the batch file. "Here's our proof. Line 425, its a direct command to the weapons system, telling it to juice up the cannons. It also has a failsafe command, not letting anyone stop the charge or release." "There we go, a perfectly plausible technical piece of evidence," said Grey. "Which means that Nagen was ultimately the one responsible, probably to prevent us from pursuing as I thought. However," he broke off, his mind reeling with possibilities. It was possible Connor had their best interests at heart. It was also possible the Ensign had simply been acting under orders from a shadow organisation that did not frankly care for Challenger or anyone on it. "However, Montague and Connor are still the unknowns. We need to learn what they know if we're ever going to piece this puzzle together in its entirety." Aaron closed off the engineering window on his console. "You’re right. They're both aboard the Defiant at the moment; we'll need to get a hand on them when they get back." Reasoning that they had done all they could for the moment, Grey just nodded dumbly and lapsed into silence. Just when thing seemed to be going well, Murphy's Law threw you for another loop and crazy events start happening all over again. Aaron streched and look at Grey. "Well, I don't think we can do much more, all we need are Montague's and Connor's statements and we can work out the report." Grey stood up, immediately feeling relieved as blood started flowing back into his cramped legs. His stomach growled fiercely. "Well then, that settles it," he muttered half to himself. "I'm going to get something to eat. Would you care to join me, or. . . ." Aaron looked over at a side console. "Thanks, but no thanks. With most of engineering working on the Defiant, I’m stuck making sure everything is working a-ok after this whole spiel. I'll see you later to make out the report then?" "Sure," replied Grey. He left the engineering station, already trying to figure out what he could eat that could settle his upset stomach.

“A Sight to See” Stardate 0509.03 Lieutenant Arthur Dent ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dent watched as the Federation starships broke orbit of Cardassia. The vessels each left their geosynchronous positions and slid into a new formation, silently and quickly, without so much as extraneous chatter over the comm frequencies. Then, still as quixotically quiet as before, the entire fleet accelerated and jumped to warp, disappearing in bright white flashes of light. Where once the skies of Cardassia were occupied by many starships, now it was empty and devoid of activity. The ships were gone, but the tension was not. Dent wondered why the ships had left in the first place, considering the situation, and also why they had not bothered informing Aegis. After all, it was the Starfleet base of operations in this sector, informing it of these events seemed like a good idea. Starfleet’s bureaucratic responses were vexing to say the least. Those in command debated the theoretical political ramifications of the issue while Dent and the rest of Aegis were here, in the middle of the very “theoretical ramifications” and they had to wait! Never a one for action, Dent was surprised by this sentiment, but chalked it up to the fact that the situation was starting to get on his nerves too. The constant threat that civil war would break out on the planet below him wasn’t the most comforting thought in the world. He only wished that something soon could be done, not discussed, but actually done, to temper the boiling pot of intrigue and dampen the fires that lusted for power. In reality, Dent was aware that there would never be a “100% safe mark,” even unrest existed in the Federation. What they needed to do was dig deeper and start finding the last links of the chain, then sever those links. The hardest part was deciding where to start, and of course, when to stop.

Happy birthday, eh ;)

To: Commander Cole CC: Captain Moore Subject: Nequencia III Colony – Evaluation of Potential Colony Sites Site 1 – Northern Boreal/Tundra Ecotone The first site is located on the largest of the continents in the northern hemisphere. Situated along a river, the site is in the transition zone between the boreal and tundra biomes for that continent. Average temperatures range from -40°C in winter to 10°C in summer (it is currently autumn). This site’s potential advantages for a colony lie in the amount of available land for development as well as accessibility to numerous resources. Softwood lumber is available from the large stretch of forest to the west of the colony site. Initial scans indicate a large quantity of ores available in the mountains to the north. Additionally, water is available in the form of a nearby river. Several existing varieties of wheat, as well as other crops, could be grown without much difficulty in this area. The growing season is longer than Earth’s due to the slightly longer Nequencian year, which will aid in crop development. This site’s potential disadvantages stem from the harsh climate and long Nequencian winter. In addition, the soil, while fertile near the river, becomes increasingly acidic toward the forest. These two factors combined would make a colony possible, but perhaps difficult. Site 2 – Southern Temperate Grassland The second site is located on a smaller continent in the southern hemisphere. Composed mostly of a grassland biome, the area varies from edaphic savannas to more temperate grasslands. The particular area for the colony is of the later type. Average temperatures range from -25°C in the winter to 35°C in the summer (it is currently spring). The grasses in the area have made the topsoil extremely rich and fertile, making it appropriate for numerous types of crops. The climate is comfortable in all seasons and the growing season is long. A lack of available on-site resources may prove to make establishing a self-sufficient colony difficult. Precipitation is mostly seasonal, occurring in late spring and early summer. The main source of water would be a small lake fed by an underground spring. While this lake seems to be reliable, its total capacity for supplying water and supporting the local ecosystem may not be sufficient for an expansive colony. The area has very few trees save for small isolated clumps grouped around the lake. Prior to returning to Challenger, the away team had a close encounter with local fauna, namely Nequencian antelope. Similar to Terran antelope, the major difference lies in the poison-tipped horns used as defences against predators (such as killer rabbits). The antelope avoided the away team for the most part, following its migratory route north. It was also fleeing the approaching Nequencian locusts (again, similar to Terran locusts) which have a life-cycle of several years. The team returned without significant injury. Summary and Recommendations Based on input from the away team members as well as the scientific evidence at both sites, the second site has been recommended for the first colony on Nequencia. It has a viable source of water, fertile soil, as well as demonstrated access to protein. No indigenous diseases that are harmful to humans have been found. Minor concerns, such as the potential threat of locusts to crops, can be overcome using methods already implemented on other planets. So far no significantly challenging threat has presented itself to the colonization of Nequencia, nor is there any signs of such an obstacle appearing in the future.

“The New and the Old” Stardate 0508.27 Lieutenant (jg) Tandaris Admiran ----------------------------------------------- There were hardly words. Sometimes Tandaris wanted to clap his hands with wild joy; at other times he had an irresistible urge to scream with vexation. The transition and integration process was both easy at some times and terribly difficult at others. Overall, he chalked it up to the rush. Not even totally familiar with the systems, with nary a shakedown cruise beneath their belts, apparently the ship was being sent on an actual mission. Admittedly the travel time would give them plenty of opportunity to become more accustomed to life on the Morningstar. Tandaris was already used to getting up in the crowded barracks and heading for engineering after the morning ablutions. In engineering, he’d take a look at the roster for the day, seeing which tasks needed to be performed before he went off duty. He was lately becoming quite interested in a multi-quadratic Lissepian algebra puzzle given to him by a friend at the Academy. It occupied a significant amount of his off-duty time, as every time he made a mistake, the puzzle reset itself—much like a Rubik’s cube with a nasty temper. Leisure concerns aside, Tandaris was perplexed by the Morningstar's design. His opinions on the Morningstar's purpose varied as much as his experience with conflict and wars did. He personally was of the intellectual stance that peace was better than war, and conflict should be avoided—one of the reasons he joined Starfleet in the first place. Admiran had experienced the horrors of war first hand, and although it had not been a good experience, it had certainly been a lasting one. The ship was beautiful and impressive, but Tandaris was extremely surprised at the modifications from a standard Intrepid-class. He wondered why they even bothered calling her an Intrepid-class vessel—modified or not. The ship’s internal workings had literally been redesigned from the ground up to accommodate the change in purpose. She was bristling with tactical weapons, both offensive and defensive; this necessitated an augmentation of the power distribution net and an improvement to the computer processing efficiency. All of this was a nice way of saying that Starfleet engineering had attempted to maximize results while cutting as many corners—and even cheating as many laws of physics—as they possible could. The result was a paradox that Tandaris had to admire. A warship, the Morningstar was both tough and sturdy as well as delicate and fragile. Brilliantly imagined, she served her purpose well. The weapons had all been designed and installed in such a way that they could be serviced easily without major overhauls at starbases. The systems were like nothing Tandaris had seen before, although he could tell that numerous of the concepts had since been integrated into later starships. The Morningstar was truly a prototype in every sense of the word. Still, she had quirks. Tandaris could already see that the power distribution grid would cause them strife in the future. Constantly on the verge of a cascade failure, the sheer amount of raw electroplasma pulsing through the veins of the Morningstar was something to be feared and respected. Although he would have appreciated the challenge, Tandaris was half glad that they had decided to forego installing the cloaking device, because the more he explored the power distribution grid, the more he discovered that it was already taxed to the limit serving the tactical and propulsion requirements of the ship. All in all, Tandaris was starting to warm up to this tough little ship, although he regretted that such a warship had ever needed to be conceived, let alone constructed. Anxious to see her perform, he awaited their arrival at their destination and whatever adventure lay beyond. . . .

“Confirmation, Reaffirmation, Preservation—Oh, Dash It All!” Stardate 0508.20 Lieutenant Arthur Dent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The situation is . . . the same as usual. The same as always. It’s become a tedium of tension. And in the midst of it, I have to wonder if it’s always been like this and I’ve been too dense to notice, or if it’s a new development. Either way, I’m ambivalent. The situation makes life an adventure, but I wonder if it is an adventure worth taking. I wonder about the price, the risk, the reward. People talk about the Dominion War now as if they were there. And maybe they were. The Dominion sure did get around the Alpha Quadrant. Here though, here in the heart of formerly occupied space, in the home system of what had once been an empire with occupied worlds of its own . . . here in the Cardassian system was where the Dominion War could still be felt. It had left an indelible mark in the psyche of the system, an event in history that was more than a name; it was a song. Even five years later, the War’s traces come back to haunt Cardassia and its people. They are still paying an awful price for the mistakes of the minority. Hate, suspicion, resentment, deceit, intrigue—all are a by-product of the explosive undercurrents of dissension constantly running through the Cardassian political body. To an outside observer like myself, it may seem crude, but it is the unfortunate truth. The Dominion War certainly isn’t the sole perpetrator of this fabulous injustice. Indeed, it was more of an aggravator. But its aggravation to Cardassia what a slap of a hand is to a bug. The kissing blow that seals an entire species’ fate, consigning them to the chopping block of the universe or the seat of marvellous, glorious cultural revolution. This decided, it is only a matter of selecting the fate itself. Enter us. We. The Federation. Starfleet. Never wanted, grudgingly accepted, suspected, rejected. Our credentials are spectacularly impeccable or impossibly terrible depending on who you ask. Like anything else in this muddy grey universe, it’s just a matter of perspective. And like any other perspective, the questions that are asked do not always lead to the right answers. To some the situation was bleak, bleary, and bad. To others it was bright, blithe, and beneficial. There were moments when, to me, it seemed a bit of both. So we’re stuck cleaning up the mess—we being not the Federation, not the Cardassians, but everyone who survived in the wake of the War. It’s a shame destruction is so much easier than creation. Yet both usually have a high price.

“Times and Places” Stardate 0508.20 Ensign Tandaris Admiran ------------------------------------------------------- “There is a time and a place for shenanigans, Cadet Admiran. You would do best to learn that quickly if you are to ever earn a pip.” The voice of Commander Carlile echoed in Tandaris’ thoughts. An instructor in advanced multitronic programming, and co-inventor of the Carlile-Schmidt Isolinear Recursion Algorithm used to repair isolinear chips with corrupted data, he was probably the person who most influenced Tandaris to become an engineer. The man had been tougher than duranium and smarter than a Zakdorn. He would chew you out over the smallest inconsistency in a program or the most minor inefficiency. But like many other great men, he had done this because he knew it was necessary to make his cadets the best. “Jokes might be all well and good,” Carlile’s voice continued, sounding slightly-Vulcan-like, “until you are dead.” With the experience of its past hosts, Admiran knew what Carlile meant. Every aspect of a starship, no matter how many, was vital to its operation. If even one thing went wrong, then the whole starship could be compromised. . . . They had been taken unawares. A cloaked vessel versus cloaked vessels, with away team in the balance. There was little time for thought, for planning, for consideration of anything but the gut instinct to act. The hundreds of people on the ship had fulfilled their functions to the best of their abilities, hoping that their vital role did not cause the ship’s operations to fall apart. “Every program becomes obsolete eventually. But there is always code leftover that may be salvaged for future use.” Yet fall apart they did, as did Excalibur. Rendered obsolete with the deadening thunder of Romulan disruptor barrages, the beautiful vessel had been reduced to a sliver of its former self. Left without a ship to their name, the crew of Excalibur and Tandaris were bereft of any solace. They did not even know if their sacrifice had ensured the away team’s survival. So many variables . . . not enough leftovers and loose ends to utilise. “Faster, Admiran, faster! You’ll never catch up to the virus if you isolate each buffer individually! Use your brain!” Carlile had enjoyed inflicting cruel and unusual punishments on his class. One particular favourite had been competitions modelled after real situations on a starship, be it a ship-wide computer failure or a corrupted segment fault in the computer core. Carlile was as passionate about such things as a captain was about their vessel. And that was the funny thing about it. You had to go faster. Life careened out of control as you made more choices, but the only choice you didn’t have was to go faster. You couldn’t slow down, even if you wanted. So you took risks. A wager here, a gamble there. It all evened out to maintain the balance, but from your perspective, each success was an ecstatic reason for celebration and each failure something to be remembered until you tried again. Every risk was big and small, each one carried the same degree of danger, because your life was out of control. Everyone’s is. “Congratulations, Ensign Admiran. I knew you could do it if you focussed. So, what do you intend to do now?” What did Tandaris intend to do now? What did the crew intend to do now? Separated from their starship, assigned to a new one, Tandaris realized that they were still the Excalibur crew. Perhaps they had been reassigned to the Morningstar, but Tandaris knew that as long as they were together at least, they would still think of themselves at the Excalibur’s. “There is a time and a place to violate the laws of physics, Ensign Admiran. Just be sure that when the opportunity arises you don’t miss it.”

Here's to 10 years and 10 more years! Aegis was the first sim I joined a little more than a year ago, back when I was a newly-minted graduate from the Academy. I'm still a young'un by most standards, but even just one year on Aegis has been amazing, and I cannot wait for several more to pass. :D Every sim I've joined so far, of which Aegis was my first, I have not regretted. Fun has always been a priority, and I have always regarded Aegis as a welcome relief and a great way to kick off the weekend. It has the components you want when you kick back for recreation: great people and an interesting diversion. Best of all, though, is that when you leave the computer (yes, I hear some people actually do that!) the world is both the same and different when you've come back. It's this consistent change that has allowed Aegis to propel itself through 10 years of simming, and I hope to see it live another 10 years or more. And to all you lurkers . . . if you haven't already sent in an application form then uh . . . why are you waiting? I'll just drink my tea and give you the benefit of a doubt. Yeah, maybe you were sending in the application just now but your computer crashed. Or perhaps your dog chewed through your Internet connection. Either way, since you're reading this now, go send in the application. Long live Aegis. -Tachyon Lieutenant Arthur Dent Flight Operations | Sky Harbor Aegis

Nequencia III Class-M Gravity: 0.92 Earth normal Atmosphere: Nitrogen (75%), Oxygen (22%), trace gases (3%) Axis of Rotation: 20.2° Rotation: 27 Earth hours Revolution: 392 Earth days There are six primary landmasses whose area covers approximately 42% of the planet’s surface. These continents rest on five major tectonic plates. The planet is on par with Earth in terms of geological evolution, with average continental drift of approximately 1 to 2 centimetres per year. Fauna varies from nearly 1 million insect species to higher mammalian and reptilian forms. There is no sign of intelligent life, with the highest order arguably a form of pre-hominid primate located in the forests of the largest continent that straddles the equator. Perhaps the most striking difference from Terran wildlife is the absence of predatory birds. Herbi- and omnivorous species are present, but there are no large raptors or scavengers. This means that small mammal life-forms are exceedingly common throughout the planet. Flora is present in the form of several hundred species of coniferous and deciduous trees distributed by biome. Gymnosperms appear to be more prevalent than angiosperms. The smaller continents in the boreal and temperate biomes exhibit large old-growth forests, with newer forests (mostly tropical) on the largest two continents. Overall, the planet does not exhibit many atypical characteristics for Class-M worlds. Aside from slightly lighter gravity, richer oxygen content, and longer days and years, the planet is comparable to Earth in most respects and will require a minimal of actual terraforming to make it suitable for a colony. The last step in the evaluation process is to select a particular site for the colony. A report on the colony sites will be forthcoming after the evaluation is complete.

“Of Morningstar and Moonbeams” Stardate 0508.14 Ensign Tandaris Admiran ------------------------------------------------------------ Tandaris wandered Deck 7. “7B,” he muttered, glancing nervously down at the PADD with his quarters assignment while trying to find the barrack in question. “7B . . . 7B . . . ah-hah, here it is!” He entered the barrack. None of his room mates were present, so he made himself at home, choosing a bunk and storing his items below. So this was the Morningstar. It looked like a fine ship. A bit crowded, perhaps, but state-of-the-art. Like the Excalibur, she would be an interesting place to serve as an engineer. Tandaris anticipated he had a lot to do. Not only had mothballing the Excalibur taken quite a bit of work, but he would need to familiarize himself with the Morningstar as well. It would take time. “Best to get started early,” he decided. The real reason was less optimistic, however. The Romulans were at the front gates. They had a planet, they had nearly destroyed the Excalibur, and they were dangerous. Deep down, Tandaris wondered if Morningstar’s arrival here had not been more a coincidence than carefully planned foresight. Eventually they would have another encounter. The Romulan situation would not go away, although Tandaris hoped a diplomatic overture could be found. However, if that did not happen . . . they would have to be ready.

Show up anyway. ;) The more the merrier! Or you could join the sim . . . :) [/blatantPlug]