Cptn Elias Moore

"I have L'Traisan Ambassador Miriola standing by." Lieutenant Westler reported, looking up from the tactical station. "She speaks Human." "'She?' Intriguing. Put her on screen." Elias walked over to his chair. The face of an attractive female appeared on the viewscreen, identical to a human's save for barely perceptible ridges behind the cheeks. Her face was twisted in what seemed to be confusion. "Ambassador Miriola, I take it?" "Yes." Miriola answered in a soft voice with an impressively accurate accent. "I admit that I am surprised by your transmission, Captain...?" "Captain Moore. Elias Moore of the Starship Challenger. I apologize for any disturbance or inconvenience this call has caused, Ambassador. If I am not mistaken, you have, in fact, received two transmissions from our location?" "It was the first of the two that surprised us." Miriola reached out of view to retrieve a datasheet. "It is in our language. But the dialect is obscure." Elias nodded. "Reports from my linguist indicate that the dialect comes from your... I believe eastern continent?" "Clearly, yes, but..." Miriola looked down in concentration and shook her head. "The language of L'Traisa has been universal for over a life cycle. This dialect was used by the Eastern Alliance... so long ago... three hundred Earth years. You sent this transmission to us?" "We did not. I'm gathering, Ambassador, that you don't know anything about the facility in this system?" Miriola looked back up and simply shrugged. "The transmission mentions a tomb?" "A very well defended tomb." Elias answered with a frown. "One that may be responsible for the spread of an illness throughout the surrounding region. We were trying to establish a colony there, but now we're just trying to figure all of this out. Could you, perhaps, put me in contact with someone from this Eastern Alliance? The transmission may have been meant for them." "Captain, that is not possible. The Eastern Alliance no longer exists." Elias slumped slightly in his chair as he realized how much more complicated this matter just became. There appeared to be a hint of regret on Miriola's face as she continued. "The Alliance consisted of three noble Houses--this was during a time of feudal government on L'Traisa, you see--that rebelled against Bo-Fang, the ruling House, one of the most ruthless that L'Traisa had ever known. It was a bloody period in our history; we had only just discovered the mysteries of light-speed travel, but I must admit that we were not yet responsible enough to wield it. The Alliance rebellion may have been the worst internal conflict in L'Traisan history, one of only two with worldwide span. The Alliance was eventually crushed by House Bo-Fang and its supporters... but not before they put up a gallant fight. Their Houses were resourceful, and their warriors were legendary combatants." "There were interstellar engagements in this war?" Elias asked. "Most of the fighting was interstellar, if not all of it. Battles erupted in other star systems over natural resources, strategic advantages, even alien cultures that could be exploited for support. Here on L'Traisa, the war was waged mostly via modes of espionage." "Was this system, Nequencia, hotly contested?" Miriola paused as she considered this. "An interesting question, Captain. Very interesting. Nequencia was not contested at all, you see. All of its planets uninhabited, no resources to be harvested, and so close to L'Traisa that it couldn't have served either side's interests to hold it--this was not a traditional form of warfare, Captain, no, it was based more on outsmarting the opposition through secrecy than on open conflict for territory." "So why was a tomb placed here?" Elias asked. "And so well defended? Was tomb-raiding a problem in the war?" "Oh, goodness, no." Miriola answered. "One mindset shared by all in the conflict, even the notoriously corrupt Bo-Fang, was a respect for the dead. The Alliance had no reason to fear that their tombs would be desecrated. By all appearances, they did not--there are still gravesites on the eastern continent that prominently display the names of important Alliance nobles. The crypt of Grand Vizier Moro-Gotu is a popular tourist attraction; if the Alliance wished to conceal or protect any of their burial sites, his would have topped the list. I've never heard of any L'Traisan House looking off-world for sites to put their deceased to rest. Certainly not to a place like Nequencia, largely ignored by our people." Elias raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps that's exactly why they'd have placed a tomb here. Perhaps they wanted it to be ignored. The particularly large weapon jutting out of the ground would support that theory." "I'm sorry, Captain, but I do not know why that would be." "We're going to continue looking into it." Elias said. "But you can still help us. I would appreciate any background information you have on the war. Technical schematics of machinery used during the time period would help. And my linguist is still having a bit of trouble translating the Alliance language; if you have a translation guide on hand, it would make his job easier. You surprise me, Miriola... you sound far more intelligent than most Ambassadors I'm used to." Miriola's face reddened slightly and she chuckled. "The Alliance conflict is an integral part of our education curriculums, it is common knowledge. But I know only the basics. I will contact the museum in Trigola Province. They should have all the information you want." "Thank you, Miriola. You have been very helpful. A refreshing change of pace from most of the people we encounter out here." Elias grinned suggestively. "Perhaps I will visit L'Traisa some time and show you my appreciation." The Ambassador appeared to be offended by this at first, but she covered it with a smile. "Umm... no, that will not be necessary, Captain, I will take your word for it. You will hear from us again shortly." She cut the transmission. Elias sighed. "Can't I win with the women of any planet?" Lieutenant Walker glanced over his shoulder, but Elias cut him off before he could answer. "Mr. Westler, let's make sure the transmitter is the only thing down there, then we'll head back to the third planet. We've got to figure out what that weapon is really protecting..."

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- January 8, 2156 The away team has located the control room of the alien weapon and is working to neutralize its threat to the skies above Nequencia III. The team must either manually sever the weapon's power supply or translate the language of the its creators in order to figure out its controls. Challenger has evacuated with the rest of Nequencia Fleet and no one has been seriously harmed (yet), so the weapon poses no immediate threat. However, there is no telling if the illness affecting the colony workers will worsen. Determining the source of the mutagen which caused the illness remains a priority. If it is tied to the underground complex, as suspected, the away team may be at higher risk of exposure the longer they remain beneath the surface. Admiral Gardner has taken it upon himself to circumvent the quarantine and land at the colony site. He appears to be interested in the weapon, but his aims cannot be clear, and his pulling of rank is already annoying members of the away team...

Grand Vizier Moro-Gotu stood on the very spot where, 370 years in the future, would lie a Starfleet officer rendered unconscious by a concussive energy bolt. Towering above him was the finished result of the exquisite craftmanship of his personal retinue of munition engineers. Such delicate care had been taken in the weapon's construction, for it was to serve a most noble purpose. It was a thing of beauty, and its purpose was something to be respected, but as the Vizier gazed upon it, a frown was etched on his face. This weapon was the nerve center of an extensive tomb occupied by some of the greatest warriors his House had ever known. Moro-Gotu turned to his aide, standing, as always, just over a foot behind him and to the side. "Why must this site be here? Why must these brave men and women be put to rest so far from our home?" "You know very well, Excellency." The aide replied. "The secrets of our genetic research can never fall into the hands of accursed House Bo-Fang. It is easy to extract our fallen warriors from a battlefield. But resting beneath our great cities, how could they be protected from the hand of the Bo-Fang that creeps all about us, unseen among great masses of our people? Here, they have their own planet. And this planet shall be well defended." "How long will the defenses last?" The Vizier asked. "The scanners will monitor the star system for some time. Their range will degrade in time, mostly due to the interference of the dampeners. The weapons will not charge or acquire targets as quickly. All the devices will wear down, as devices do. But when such times come..." The aide sighed deeply. "We will have won the war, will we not, Excellency? The Bo-Fang will be no more. The exalted ones here ensured this." The Vizier's frown deepened as he looked up at the nozzle of the energy weapon. "Let us pray that they have." A scientist emerged from one of the adjoining passages and stood at attention before Moro-Gotu's aide. "I have come to report, Sir, that programming is completed on the warning system. The projection will warn away ships that approach the planet, anyone who comes down to this site, and anyone who enters the complex." "And we will be contacted?" The aide asked. "After the second warning, a message will be relayed to the homeworld." The aide did not reply, as a transmission was being sent to his earpiece. "The Bo-Fang have launched an attack in the Trifi-Sca system, Excellency. We must return to the ship. I will instruct the rest of the staff to proceed off planet." Moro-Gotu nodded as his aide stepped back to contact their staff. Quietly, he repeated to himself, "Let us pray that they have. Let us pray that this terrible risk we have taken will not offend the gods, but will finally bring an end to the war..."

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- January 1, 2156 The Nequencian energy weapon is slowly rebuilding its spent energy. There is no longer any doubt about its purpose. It was responsible for the destruction of a Romulan ship observing activity in the system; it can now easily be considered a menace to any vessel or facility in its line of sight. Commander Cole and Lieutenant Giovanni are trapped within the chamber housing this massive weapon. Several passages branch off of this chamber, including the one leading back to the surface, but positioned in front of each are smaller weapons which are locked onto the stranded officers. There is no telling what conditions would effectuate these weapons firing. A rescue team is setting up camp above the weapon chamber. They have been tasked with neutralizing the threat of the weapons and extracting the trapped officers. In orbit, Challenger must avoid becoming the primary weapon's next target.

Elias stood behind the comm station, staring at the viewscreen. They had escaped the shockwave relatively unharmed. Relatively unharmed... they could have been dead. The weapon on the planet had fired. But it hit something else. Had he seen what he thought he saw? A starship with a green hull, larger than Challenger, a tear-shaped saucer straddled by slightly upcurving nacelles. It wasn't there just minutes ago. Or was it merely invisible? Suddenly, a tactical alarm... and there it was, on sensors, visible on the viewscreen. And then it was there no more, struck by the alien weapon's devastating discharge, annihilated in one sure stroke, gone before he could hail it. Where had he seen that ship before? In the Enterprise archives. It was a Romulan ship. Romulan. Its debris was scattered through the system. What the hell had it been doing in the system? Elias gripped the sides of the terminal. It had been spying on them, of course. Scanning their construction sites. Scanning their ships. Scanning the alien weapon as it emerged from its subterranean chamber. And now its debris was scattered through the system. Eight light years from the mined border of Romulan space. The blip on sensor platform 6 now made sense, as did the sensor sweeps they only barely managed to detect. What assumptions had its crew made about the weapon that brought about their doom? Commodore Moose had taken Challenger out on a mission of peace. He had intended to bring the ship right where it was now, to the Romulan border, and then beyond in the hopes of establishing a dialogue with the secretive race. Challenger was to be the shining beacon around which peaceful relations with a major interstellar power could be guided. Now Challenger was in the debris field of one of that power's warships, the last traces of it smeared on her hull. They had a golden opportunity, their first such opportunity, to speak to the Romulans. Instead, a massive weapon sitting right in the middle of one of Starfleet's future colonies vaporized an untold hundreds of them. Opportunity turned to tragedy in the blink of an eye. "The weapon is powering up again," Lieutenant Westler announced. They could be next--the only fact that mattered at this very moment. Horror at the fate of the Romulan ship had settled in for only seconds before this stark reality called Elias back. He had to make sure they didn't succumb to the same fate...

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- December 18, 2155 Elias looked at the science console and the energy readings from the alien device that had just risen from surface of Nequencia III. Everyone was speculating that it was a weapon. That was the worst case scenario, but Starfleet Captains often had to assume worst case scenarios when making their decisions. "Get me in touch with Defiant," he instructed T'Parek. The concerned face of Captain Hard appeared on the viewscreen within seconds. "Captain Moore, we're still taking on the evacuees from the surface, but our readings show that your people aren't leaving the planet. There's no telling if another seismic disturbance will strike." "I understand that, Captain," Elias replied. "But Commander Cole and my security chief are missing in action. They were entering that mystery shaft and fell out of contact even before the quake." "Do you need any extra hands?" Hard asked. "That won't be necessary, the rest of our team is looking for them. Captain, I want the fleet to evacuate from Nequencian orbit. Or at least relocate to the other side of the planet. That device down there could very well be a weapon, and since it happens to be pointed up here and building energy..." "I'll start giving the relocation orders," Hard said. "We just have to wait for all the workers to get on board. But what about you? If you're sticking around, I think at least Defiant should remain here to assist you." Elias shook his head. "You're the only one I can trust with the honorary duty of escorting the esteemed Admiral Gardner to safety. I'm going to see to having him transferred back to Defiant, even if he needs to be dragged to the transporter room. We're going to look into this supposed 'weapon' while we wait for the rest of our people to return. No other lives need to jeopardized." "We'll stick around, you relocate," Hard said. "Challenger is vital to the fleet." "And better equipped to deal with situations like this. Get moving, Captain, there's no time to lose." Elias nodded to T'Parek to cut the comm. That was the second time since this crisis started that he'd been short and demanding with a ranking officer, and, so far, he hadn't been forcibly ejected from either his command or the ship. But all that mattered to him now was the possibility that the device on the surface could eject him, anyone in orbit, and possibly anyone on the planet, from their lives. There'd probably be hell to pay later, most likely from Gardner, but they'd put him in charge of this operation, and there was no way he was going to succumb to subordination in the middle of a crisis.

That, good sir, is a redundancy.

Nequencia Colonization Project Fleet Manifest - December 11, 2155 Command Wing NX-05 Challenger - NX Class - Project Supervision and Support, Sector Reconnaisance Command: Captain Elias Moore and Commander Amanda Cole NX-07 Pegasus - NX Class - Project Support, Sector Reconnaisance Command: Captain Gavin Mitchell and Commander Terence Shaw ESS Defiant - Intrepid Class - Fleet Command Command: Captain Asmodeus Hard and Lt Commander Jacob Dillon ESS Hood - Intrepid Class - Fleet Support Command: Commander Isaac Walsh and Lt Commander Michelle DuPont ESS Gettysburg - Intrepid Class - Fleet Support, Patrol Group A Command: Commander Rosaline Hayes and Lt Commander Camilo Montoya ESS Phoenix - Lexington Class - Fleet Support, Workforce Support Command: Commander Kenneth Zane and Lt Commander Yamis ESS Verne - Lexington Class - Fleet Support Command: Commander Maria Leonard and Lt Commander Nigel Frank ESS Olympus - Lexington Class - Fleet Support Command: Commander Andreas Zhukov and Lt Commander Salek ESS Hawking - Lexington Class - Fleet Support, Patrol Group A Command: Commander Malcolm Peterson and Lt Commander Finneas Hoyt ESS Kennedy - Lexington Class - Fleet Support, Patrol Group A Command: Commander Hiroshi Toyama and Lt Commander Patrick Armstrong Construction Wing ECS Trinity - Y Class - Haul: industrial conduits ECS Liberty - Y Class - Haul: landing pods, construction equipment, power cells, workforce amenities ECS Rebellion - Y Class - Haul: starbase frame components ECS McEwing - Y Class - Haul: work pods, construction equipment, power cells, workforce amenities Fleet Holdings Nequencia III colonial construction site (Nequencia colony) - excavation phase underway - progress to completion: 4% Nequencia III orbital construction site (Deep Space 3) - frame assembly phase underway - progress to completion: 2% Sixteen Type 3 Mobile Long-Range Sensor Platforms - deployed inside Nequencia VI orbital path Fleet Status The colony construction site is currently under quarantine due to an unidentified illness affecting workers. Details are sketchy at this time, but no lives have been lost and the illness has not been deemed fatal. Challenger has sent a field team through the quarantine to diagnose and treat the illness. Challenger's field team is also investigating a possibly manmade opening that has been unearthed at the colony site. It is not known at this time what stability issues this could pose to the colony construction; ground excavation has been halted until more is known about the opening and any subterranean complexes missed by the initial geological surveys. Construction of the Deep Space 3 framework continues on schedule, with assembly of the central level nearing completion. Rebellion is standing by to deploy additional framework components. Patrol Group A has been assembled and is performing sweeps of the system from Nequencia II to Nequencia VI. Olympus is investigating a blip recorded on Sensor Platform 6. An equipment malfunction is suspected. The officers and crewmen of Achilles are undergoing reassignment. Many have assumed posts throughout the rest of Nequencia fleet while others are awaiting transport back to Earth. Services for Commander Lillian Crane and Lt Commander Joshua Maynard are scheduled to take place at 1800 hours on the 12th in Defiant's observation lounge. Phoenix has been assigned to workforce support and is standing by to dispatch additional medical personnel to assist Challenger's field team. Pegasus is departing Nequencia for a four-week survey of star systems NQN-6, NQN-7, and NQN-9.

Sienna stood within the red spotlight at the center of the round chamber, waiting for her questioners to speak. She could not see more than their vague forms, hidden in the shadows at the edge of the otherwise dark chamber, perched atop stands many feet above her. Of course, they could see her quite clearly in the spotlight. She could feel their gazes fixed on her, taking in every nuance of her expression and posture, factoring each into their plans of attack; to the Romulans, everything was strategy. "What of your envoy's findings?" A voice directly forward from her asked, a commanding tone. "We are convinced of a military buildup on the part of the Humans, my lord." Sienna responded calmly. Serving in Iyyonu's circle for eighteen years had instilled discipline; she could bear the pressure of this shadowy council's questioning, even when it turned to the inevitable accusatory phase. "The Human Starfleet has increased the pace of its mining operations and is utilizing the resources to expand and arm its fleet. Many key figures within the Coalition, and particularly within the Earth Government, believe conflict to be inevitable." A voice to her left spoke up. "What plans for their fleet? How much further will its growth continue?" "Their fleet will expand indefinitely, my lady." The Betazoid responded. "Over a dozen more of the NX class ships are already planned for construction within the Sol system. Furthermore, their engineering division is supervising the development of a new class of starship--a warp-capable heavy battle cruiser, markedly more deadly in combat than the NX. They are receiving advanced weapon designs from the Andorians; these are to be incorporated into the new starship class as well as mobile weapon platforms which are to be deployed throughout their star systems." A few of the shadowy forms were shifting toward one another in urgent, but hushed conversation. "Have you been able to procure blueprints of this new starship?" A voice spoke from behind her. "No hard copy has yet been made available to us, my lord." Sienna answered without turning. "What of the Vulcan fleet?" A new voice asked. "What is the fate of their starships?" Sienna steeled herself, but kept the action masked. It was time to tell the first lie. "The Vulcan disarmament is a feint aimed at creating the illusion of a peaceful Coalition. They have long suspected that they are under Romulan surveillance. Aided by the Humans, they move their ships to hidden locations; we do not know where. Many of the ships are, indeed, disassembled, but the components are turned over to the Humans, providing them with even more resources for their military buildup. The remaining ships make up a Coalition shadow force, standing by for orders of engagement." Sienna could sense the feelings of satisfaction, the satisfaction of being proven right. This one was an easy lie, because the groundwork had already been lain. Iyonnu had picked it up from Valdore--the suspicions among the Senate that the Vulcans were only hiding their ships. She could sense that a few were still skeptical, however, so all of her answers from now on would be scrutinized. "What of the outpost they have placed along our border?" "The Nequencia outpost, my lord." Sienna stated. "A staging area for their fleet. They consider the outpost's location to be beyond dispute, existing as it does outside your territory." "They do not define our territory," An amused voice said. "We do." Sienna did not reply. She had told the second lie. The Admirals, especially Gardner, knew that the Nequencia outpost's placement was dangerously provocative. A dispute is exactly what Gardner was hoping for. "Nequencia." It was a stately female voice ahead of Sienna. "A defensive outpost? Or are they planning a first strike?" "There is division among their leaders, my lady." Sienna answered truthfully. "Some are in favor of immediate retaliation for the destruction of their merchant crafts. Others prefer to consider alternatives and wait for you to make the first move. We believe that the majority of their leadership supports first strike, though we are still exploring this. In either case, fleet buildup at the Nequencia outpost will continue." "Your envoy has done well, Sienna, First Handmaiden and Chalicebearer of the House of Iyyonu," A drawling voice ahead of her said, a voice filled with cold calculation. Silence now pervaded the rest of the chamber, the snatches of hushed conversation suddenly ceased, and Sienna could feel the attentions of everyone in the room focused on this new speaker. "You have earned the trust of the Humans and have gathered valuable information from them. You are all to be commended." "This pleases us, my lord." Sienna replied. "But there is much you are not telling us." The voice continued, ignoring her. "The means by which your envoy gathers its intelligence is of relatively little importance as long as it gathers its intelligence efficiently. But concern has arisen regarding reports we have received from other agents we have stationed on Earth." Sienna again steeled herself for the deception she would now be forced to deliver. Iyyonu had known of the 'other agents,' of the Romulans posing as Vulcans, that were told to keep an eye on them, wary of treachery. It was because of those agents that everything they were doing on Earth had to be done with careful secrecy. "You were given instructions as to how you could best go about gaining the trust of the Humans." The voice wound on. "While we are certainly willing to allow you to your own devices, as you best see fit to shifting circumstances of the mission, it is noteworthy how far you have taken your attempts to gain their trust." "I do not know of which attempts you speak, my lord." Sienna lied. "I speak of the remarkable amount of time that your Matriarch, Iyyonu, has been spending with a certain one of the Starfleet Admirals... James Gardner." There was a growing feeling of suspicion surrounding the owner of this shrewd voice, and the tone of his words was becoming more cutting. "The root of our concern is the appearance that Iyyonu and this Admiral are getting closer than we would prefer. Has she not shared with you her predilection toward this particular official?" "She has, my lord." Sienna answered. "For it is as much a part of our mission as anything else. Admiral Gardner is more than just a high ranking Starfleet officer. He boasts many political allies that have made him a major power behind both Starfleet *and* the Earth Government, and a major source of information both military and political. By maintaining a close relationship with him, Iyyonu ensures that we will not lose this valuable access to Earth affairs. Her 'predilection,' I assure you, derives only from her desire to accomplish our mission most efficiently." Everything she had said was truthful. It was everything she had not said that entailed the deception. "Very well." The speaker did not seem convinced. "We have all that we require from you for now. Our agents shall return you to Earth. Inform Iyyonu that her intelligence efforts have pleased us thus far. But inform her also that she had best take great care in her associations with Starfleet's Admirals, for the moment we cease being pleased with her efforts will be the moment that this assembly decides to... terminate the Betazoid operation." Sienna bowed her head. "My lord." She turned and strode toward the corridor leading back to her ship, satisfied that the Romulans had remained at arm's length for the moment. There were still the suspicious among them of course, but they would not follow up on any of their threats as long as they were continually fed satisfying Coalition intelligence. Time had been bought. That was all Iyyonu had required of Sienna, more time. Keep the Romulans off their backs long enough to pull all the right strings on Earth. With enough time, they would finally achieve their own goal, the ultimate goal--to see their people freed, no matter the cost...

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- December 4, 2155 Included within are what details we have on this medical outbreak. There isn't much, primarily a list of the symptoms associated with the illness and a register of which workers have fallen ill and when. Bioscans of the sick workers have yielded nothing that could hint at a cause of the illness, but these were performed with the first aid equipment we have on the surface. Perhaps your doctors, with the equipment you have on hand, will have better luck. You'll first need to lift the quarantine, of course--submit the data included to your medical staff so they can clear the decision. You'll have to decide whether you want to resolve the medical situation before sending a team to investigate the opening that was uncovered by the excavation. The workers have mostly been avoiding it. In fact, I'm getting reports that a few are rather spooked out by the thing--they're convinced that it's manmade, there's no telling how deep the passage below runs or where it leads to, and one or two have claimed to hear strange noises emerging from it, like hisses or whispers. Probably warped imaginations on account of the illness, but who knows... You'll also want to prepare a welcoming party. The NX-07 Pegasus has arrived with the rest of the fleet additions. Admiral Gardner is on board. He's here to personally inspect the project, and he's looking to board Challenger as soon as you arrive. Speak with you shortly, Captain Moore. -Captain Asmodeus Hard -Commanding Officer, UES Defiant attached: medical reports, excavation findings

What, exactly, would be the criteria for "best log?" If you mean one that is well-written or creatively inspired, you may be excluding a large group of people who just aren't that good at writing. Some of the best log-writers I've seen were actually mediocre writers in general. Because you can have a log that's mechanically terrible yet does a great job of covering angles from past sims and setting up opportunities for future simming. Unless you're actually a member of the sim, how can you tell that a log has such an impact? Unless you can actually come up with some way of rewarding writers who've made meaningful contributions to their sim, you should indicate somewhere that the contest only rewards general talent.

Captain Hard was sitting in Defiant's ready room, looking through his viewport at the growing foundation of what would eventually become Deep Space Three. In the background was Nequencia III. Its resemblance to Earth helped one get over the knowledge that this outpost was farther from the Solar system than any of Starfleet's holdings. But it remained difficult to be completely at ease, what with Romulan space just a few light years away. That close to a potentially hostile superpower, and the project already had a jinx hanging over it. They couldn't even start construction before Achilles was hijacked and his own ship was attacked by Challenger. The incident had nothing to do with the Romulans (it appeared, at least), but the report he'd received from Captain Moore was telling an even stranger story. Further complications were quick to arise when construction began. Either the doctors on Earth or the Challenger survey team had missed something--the colony workers began showing signs of illness just days after the surface excavation began. The illness didn't appear serious--common cold symptoms that only lasted a couple of days--but it was coming and going with an irregularity and a persistence that was confounding the project medics, and they were having trouble isolating it. And now there was this curious "discovery" at the excavation site. The site was under quarantine until the illness ran its course, so Hard couldn't observe the discovery firsthand. Only Captain Moore, as project head, could overrule the medical team's quarantine orders, and he was still on his way back from the Midgar system. Reports from the workers indicated that one of the digs uncovered an opening in the ground. The opening was a perfect square, about eight feet by eight feet, that lead down to a deep shaft. How deep it ran was anyone's guess since scans of the shaft were proving useless. Something around the shaft was clearly dampening the sensors... possibly natural materials in the earth, but with the reports indicating that the walls of the shaft appeared too smooth for it to be a natural formation, nothing could be certain. Hard looked at his chronometer. The new additions to the fleet were scheduled to be arriving in just a few minutes. This next batch was supposed to be a significant one--four Lexington class ships, two Intrepid classes, and even one of the newly completed NX vessels, along with additional personnel and cargo. Their own contingent of ships had doubled as a sort of scout unit, establishing enough of a presence in the system to determine if any unwanted attention would be attracted. So far, the locals, particularly the Romulans, were quiet. Now, the fleet was going to expand as planned. The Admirals intended for Nequencia to be far more than a minimally supported backwater outpost; it was going to be a Starfleet nerve center, in spite of any reservations people had about its proximity to Romulan territory. Hard recently shared the term "Nequencia Jinx" with Commander Dillon. He was a superstitious man, quick to look at any series of pitfalls as a plague of bad luck. Everyone was aware of the importance of this project, and more than a few were uneasy with the knowledge of their mysterious Romulan neighbors. As such, the project was as sensitive as it could get; it simply couldn't afford to be jinxed. This in mind, Hard found himself wondering about Captain Moore, about whether the young CO was capable of leading this project when many back home questioned whether he could even command a ship. Word was Admiral Gardner had recommended him for the job, and Gardner's recommendations could not be taken lightly. But Hard couldn't shake his suspicions about the relationship between Gardner and Moore. Gardner was known to treat the officers he really trusted like his own children... but he treated Moore like an insect destined to be squashed beneath his boot. Was it simply a harder form of parentage for a younger officer with a history of misconduct, or did he really want the kid to fail? *Would* he set the kid up for failure with such a sensitive project? Gardner could be vicious to his enemies, even those within Starfleet, but he was no fool. He had to think Moore was the best man for this job. Hard opened a comm channel from his desk terminal. "Lieutenant Sheffield, gather up the reports we've received from the colony workers and send them to Challenger. The problems at the excavation site are going to fall to our illustrious project leaders."

"Nagen and the Tellarite intruder, whose real names, I have been informed, are Melina and Arman, have been turned over to the authorities on Midgar. Their leader, Quantus, is dead. One of the two transmuters who escaped has been detained on the planet. The other is still at large and being hunted by the Midgar authorities, but this matter is now out of our jurisdiction. We thwarted their plans, got rid of their molecule, and recovered our stolen ship. "Unfortunately, our stolen ship is now so much debris. In order to repair the temporal rift, or whatever it was, that we caused while attempting to transport the Omega molecule, we had to detonate Achilles' warp core. ID's have started coming in on the eight corpses my Starfleet Security contact found on Earth--sure enough, one belongs to Lieutenant Commander Joshua Maynard, and another belongs to Commander Lillian Crane. Quantus and his 'transmuters' had been busy for some time stealing identities so that they could track down our cloaking device; their efforts have ultimately resulted in the loss of a Starfleet ship and both of its commanding officers. We have Achilles' crew on board Challenger; they'll likely be sent off for reassignment when we arrive back at Nequencia. "Between the rescue of Achilles' crew and the defeat of the Omega molecule threat, I would consider the mission a success. But the destruction of one of Starfleet's Lexington class vessels is sure to go over as poorly with the Admirals as its hijacking did. I imagine that I'll be dealing with another call from Admiral Gardner in the very near future. "We have our three Nausicaan prisoners sitting in the brig. Sergio and T'Parek are going to have to see to interrogating them as soon as possible. The files our team glimpsed on Kappa Persei hinted at a rather widespread criminal organization operating throughout this region, possibly even into Romulan territory. The fact that we encountered a Vulcan among their command ranks is disturbing, to say the least. Quantus was the organization's leader, but there's no telling what his death will mean for its future; a band of criminals broken up and leaderless could be even more dangerous than one with a new guiding hand. As we're now maintaining a presence in this region, we'll have to assess their threat level." Elias looked up sharply from his computer terminal to see Rufus seated on the end of his bed. He stood and turned to face the old man, trying to hide the pain from the bruises he suffered in the shuttle pod. "You really should try to contact us before you pop in like that. I could have been showering or something." Rufus blinked and glanced around the bedroom before a knowing smile spread across his face. "Ah, yes, the human need for privacy. Indeed, some traits are more prevalent among your society than others. My apologies, Captain. Your crew will be leaving soon, I understand?" "Yes," Elias answered. "Your invitation to the planet is appreciated, but we're really needed back at our Nequencia outpost, especially with the extra personnel we're taking on. We'll be departing as soon as we finish cleaning up the site of the explosion." "That is quite courteous of you, Captain. Though I was sorry to hear of the loss of your starship. In fact, I have come to apologize on behalf of the Arcane Council and, thus, the King himself for all the trouble that Quantus caused you and your allies. I have come, as well, to extend our thanks to you and your crew for your part in his capture. After these many long years of searching for him, we may now put this matter behind us and fill his seat on the Council." Elias crossed his arms and gave Rufus a measuring gaze. "Well, I'm glad that we were able to get relations with your planet off to a good start. Though... I must offer my apologies that we were unable to preserve Quantus' life. We kept him on life support as long as we could, but the fight aboard Achilles caused too much harm. I was surprised to learn that he was a member of your family... though it does make some sense considering what you've told me about them." "Oh, yes." Rufus grinned half-heartedly. "My terribly unique family. My seventh oldest brother Antegard, what I call him for short, was quite a... perverse individual. Five children he sired by rather... distasteful arrangements, unspeakable I might say. Quantus was among them, but he always seemed to be above the moral shortcomings that are a trademark of my family. I took him in when he was a teenager; his talents were remarkable even then. Looking back, I can't say if his more pleasant demeanor was a deception aimed at gaining him special favor, or if, over time, he lost an internal war against the twisted nature that was passed on to him by his father. Either way, I failed to recognize the beast before it became capable of overwhelming us." "Well, if a desire to destroy a world is something that can't be considered unusual among your family," Elias said. "I'll take your word for it that they aren't the most gracious of people." "Captain, if only you knew of the politics that run throughout Midgar's history." Rufus sighed deeply. "My family is rather large, and many of its number bear mortal grudges against the monarchy that extend back hundreds of generations. I know of cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles who have reasons far more pervasive than Quantus' apparent bitterness to want to see Midgar destroyed or the King overthrown. Why, my grandfather, Zichalin, has been plotting to seize the throne for centuries. He may be the worst of the lot, though the younger folk can be quite driven, as you have observed. They are all quite elusive, and some of them boast formidable talents... 'powers' as they are often more apt to call them." Elias blinked at the old man's rambling. "Umm... Rufus... you don't think that what happened here could make certain members of your family... angry with Starfleet or my crew, do you?" "Oh, goodness, I don't think so!" Rufus chuckled softly. "If there is one thing for which we are fortunate, it is that loyalties between branches of my family are often quite loose. They are usually just as busy scheming to dominate or destroy one another as they are Midgar or the King. If I understand correctly, the sibling rivalry between Quantus and his brothers was terribly heated." "I hope you're right." Elias said. Rufus planted his walking stick into the carpet and stood. With his free hand, he reached into the front of his shimmering robe. "Now comes the time that we part, though I hope that it is not the last time. I bring a gift from the Council, a show of our gratitude to your crew." "That isn't necessary." Elias said as Rufus pulled a crystal sphere, about the size of a fist, out of the robe. Elias wondered just how many pockets the old man had in there. "Er, what is that?" "An Arcana globe serves many purposes." Rufus replied. "But I'm sure that, as an explorer, you realize that the process of discovery is often far more gratifying than the possession of knowledge. As such, I leave most of the discovery to you, and offer only the knowledge that I can contact you via the globe. Since this can help us maintain our good relations, the Council insists that you take it." "Well, if you put it that way..." Elias accepted the globe and looked down at it. It was a curiously opaque silver, and, although it was held still, a swirling motion could just barely be perceived inside of it. A gas or gel of some sort, perhaps? With Rufus, was there even a point in speculating? "Thank you, Rufus, I'm sure--" Elias had looked back up, but Rufus was no longer standing in front of him, nor anywhere else in his quarters. The 'Arcana globe,' still resting in his hands, and an indentation in the carpet, left by the walking stick, were the only evidence that Rufus had even been in his quarters.

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- November 20, 2155 The attempt to transport the Omega molecule into subspace has resulted in a temporal fragmentation. From Challenger's point of view, the UES Achilles has just exploded. Luckily, the crew on board succeeded in disposing the unstable molecule, but they paid for the success with their lives. Tremors from the pirate vessel's barrage of weapon fire resulted in a violent energy discharge at the moment of transport. The resulting shockwave took out the pirate vessel as well as Achilles, and all that now remains of the two ships is debris and radiation. The Challenger crew has no time to grieve for their lost comrades; they are still being attacked by the two remaining pirate ships. It is a different story from the perspective of the Achilles crew. The flow of time has become erratic, frozen at several locations at the exact time of the energy discharge. Some of the crew and a few systems are still operating in realtime, but the transporter explosion is a small, nonexpanding mass of energy, the pirate ship and its weapon fire are frozen in space, many of Achilles' systems are nonresponsive, and most of the crew and the Nausicaan intruders are caught in a temporal stasis. Time is periodically resuming at areas around the ship, but should time flow be restored where the transporter explosion is being kept in check, Achilles would be destroyed.

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- November 6, 2155 Quantus and two of his associates have been captured; the other two are on the run from Midgar authorities. All that remains is the disposal of the Omega molecule, caught in the Challenger transporter's pattern buffer. The transport assembly has been extracted and moved off ship, but there's no telling how safe Challenger or the planet are considering the supposedly cataclysmic potential of the molecule. Sensor readings show that the transport pattern is already beginning to break down.

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- November 13, 2155 A plan has been formulated to neutralize the threat of the Omega molecule by transporting its pattern into subspace. The last transporter remaining on Achilles has been located--Quantus' own private transporter, which was configured specifically for transporting the Omega molecule. The transporter's configuration simplifies matters, but the crew's lack of familiarity with the system could cause problems. No one can accurately predict the results of this plan, but with the Omega molecule's transport pattern continuing to destabilize, there are no better options. Just as the crew aboard Achilles is putting the final touches on their plan, Challenger's long range sensors detect a fleet of three vessels approaching the system. Their warp signatures match those of the three ships that chased Challenger out of the Kappa Persei system...

Between two of the Arcanroot mountain range's sourthern spurs is a large cavernous opening. Despite its size, the opening is not visible--it is concealed by a rock face that blends seamlessly with the surrounding mountainside. A transport shimmer suddenly appears in front of the hidden opening. It materializes into the form of a large, burly figure with thick hair and beard, jutting canines, and a grim look set on his face. The man sweeps his gaze over the vast plains beyond the spurs. A solitary hill, massive and perfectly round, rises from the otherwise flat expanse; a single cloud hangs over it, releasing a gentle snowfall. Even from this great distance, the tower and castle are visible, mammoth structures atop the hill. The man sneers disgustedly at the sight, at memories few of which are fond. The giant turns to the concealed cave mouth. He waves his hand and utters a short series of alien syllables. The rock face fades away as if it were nothing more than a holographic projection, and the opening is revealed. A gentle slope leads down and into the roots of the mountains. The man starts down the five hundred yard corridor at a sprint, realizing that time is short. Down here, he knows, his powers are useless. The Bolian Ardyus waits in the chamber at the end of the path from the surface. The chamber is as wide as a space station and far taller, its stalactite-covered ceiling rising nearly to the peaks of the mountains. The smooth walls of the chamber are dotted with lanterns, and lightposts are scattered about the ground. None of this light manages to reach the ceiling, however, not because of the sheer height of the chamber, but because of the massive cloud of darkness that fills the upper half of the chamber. What light manages to glance off its surface reveals that it is identical in appearance to the nebula from which the Omega molecule was retrieved. Panting from the exertion of a five hundred yard sprint, the giant finally reaches the chamber. He slows down to catch his breath and moves toward Ardyus. "Why are you still in this form, Garthuk?" He asks. "You know sure enough, Lupwof." The Bolian answers. His gaze is fixed on the cloud, a transfixed look in his eyes. "I cannot stand my true form." Lupwof, still puffing, reaches the Bolian and rests a thick hand on his shoulder. "I have grim news. Quantus has been captured." Garthuk removes his gaze from the cloud and gives the giant an alarmed look. "So too, I believe, have Melina and Arman." Lupwof points up at the cloud. "But Arman was able to transport the molecule. Melina tried to set off a destruction sequence on Challenger; I do not know if she was successful." "This is terrible!" Garthuk exclaims. "We must free Master Quantus!" "The humans have formidable defenses against our powers." Lupwof says. "They know all about us and our capabilities. Quantus believes that they have had contact with that damned Rufus. How they crossed paths with Rufus I cannot imagine! What can we do?" Garthuk looks up at the cloud and frowns deeply. "We are going to have to use our bargaining chip." "We were to use the molecule to bargain with the King!" Lupwof says in an offended tone. "And we shall!" Garthuk gives the giant a severe look. "But first we will use it to bargain with the Master's captors. We know now that they are willing to sacrifice anything to prevent us from using the molecule. They have morals, Lupwof... and the morals of others are weapons in our hands... weapons even more powerful than the molecule..."

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- October 22, 2155 Challenger and Achilles are minutes away from the star system through which the Midgar planet orbits. Achilles has been hijacked. "Transmuters," or shapechangers, from Midgar have assumed the forms of Nagen, his assistant, and Achilles' command staff. They have threatened to murder Achilles' crew if their plans are disrupted; their ability to do this is difficult to contest. Challenger's cloaking device is carrying an energy source unlike any encountered before. It is only a molecule, but others like it are believed to have been responsible for the creation of the universe. Deployed properly, it could destroy Midgar with ease. Quantus, the leader of the transmuters, intends to do this. A contact among Achilles' crew has used a secure channel to relay intelligence to Challenger. The two Bolians are in the Lexington class ship's engineering section overseeing both the containment of the "Omega molecule," and the signal through which they are exerting control over Challenger's computer core. They plan to transport the molecule as soon as Challenger is within range of Midgar. The other three transmuters are either on the Bridge or patrolling the ship. Achilles' crew has already attempted resistance. The attempt failed, resulting in the deaths of two officers. Challenger is assembling an away team to infiltrate Achilles and stop the transmuters without endangering the hostage crew. The team cannot transport until the two ships drop out of warp. Since this will not happen until the ships reach the Midgar star system, speed will be essential...

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- October 16, 2155 Captain Moore paced in front of the command chair, visions of marble statues being ripped apart still fresh in his mind, even a week after the images he was shown by Rufus. He'd briefed the rest of the senior staff on Quantus, his apprentices, and their capabilities. He was still hoping that they wouldn't run into any of the five "transmuters," but their luck seldom left room for hopeful possibilities, and it was best to be prepared. Ensign Kelly, the science officer on duty on the Bridge looked up from her station to report. "I think I've managed to determine the diameter of the... phenomenon." Moore raised an eyebrow at her and walked over to the science station. "I thought we couldn't scan it at all." "Attempts to scan it are still proving futile, yes." Kelly replied. "But we know it's there because it's blocking our navigational sensors; we can't scan anything behind it, including stars. But I've made my best attempt to figure out just how big the blind spot is. We're looking at roughly 0.4 light years of sensor interference." "Pretty damn big. Cound it be a sensor dampening net or something?" "Too soon to say." Kelly answered. "Maybe when we get closer. But I think it would be a stretch for even the more advanced cultures we've encountered to generate a dampening field of that size. I'd lean toward this being a natural phenomenon... a dark matter nebula perhaps, since we're not reading the sort of gravitational disturbances that would indicate a black hole. Whatever it is, it's fifteen minutes away at our current speed." Elias blinked at her, then looked at Ensign Greaves, the on-duty comm officer. "Where is Lieutenant Grey?" "I only just sent security to wake him and the rest of Alpha shift up, Captain." Greaves replied in that snooty fashion that had managed to keep him an Ensign for five years. "As I told you when you asked me to contact security, they should be here in a few minutes." Elias, already troubled by this entire mission, felt annoyance begin to boil inside of him and it showed on the glowering look he gave the Ensign. Greaves had been transferred here at Admiral Gardner's suggestion. "He's been stuck at the junior level far too long. Let Mr. Moore straighten him out." Yeah, straighten him out... and enjoy the thorn in the side. Greaves was about to make a comment about the look on Elias' face when his console beeped. He looked down and reported, "Incoming transmission, Captain." "From whom?" Elias asked immediately. Greaves looked up with raised eyebrow. "Achilles." Elias darted behind the comm station and looked down at the console, nearly shoving Greaves aside in the process. The last words of the message, clearly typed in haste, were just scrolling across the screen as Elias began reading: Challenger, Crane and Maynard taking us into the nebula. Both been behaving strangely. Intelligence sham? Orion pirate, Kappa Persei? We've taken aboard a Tellarite. We're going toward the center. As the message sunk in, Elias didn't know quite how to feel. The message implied that Achilles' crew was still alive and well. But it also implied that the ship's command officers were in league with Nagen. "Behaving strangely?" Elias found his hope already beginning to fade...

"We're arriving at the nebula's edge." The helmsman announced, a hint of tension in his voice. "Drop out of warp." Commander Crane ordered. "Put it on viewer." The Bridge officers felt the tug of inertia as Achilles slipped out of subspace and continued on impulse thrusters. Once the dampeners had adjusted to the change, the viewscreen activated to reveal the cloud ahead. It was an unusually dark shade of violet, easily missed but for the fact that it concealed the starfield behind it. A close examination could reveal the wisps of dust and gas at its edge, but these were only lit by the distant light of neighboring stars. "It's awfully dark." Lieutenant Commander Maynard observed. "Is it concentrated enough that it's blocking the light from inside?" The science officer was about to scan the nebula to determine this, but Commander Crane answered the question for him. "Oh, no. There are no stars inside this nebula. It's completely dead... well, almost." The Bridge officers exchanged furtive glances. Their commanding officer had been acting more mysterious the closer they'd gotten to this nebula, and odd comments like that reminded them that something wasn't completely right. Halfway through their journey, their doubts had been calmed by Maynard's assurances that they were on a very important, but strictly confidential mission that served Starfleet's best interests. But as Maynard began acting in the same secretive fashion as Crane, more of the ship's long-standing crew members began wondering if their trust in *him* wasn't misplaced. They'd certainly been left in the dark on mission parameters before, but it was the behavior of their two commanding officers that seemed to have recently changed--they were somehow colder and more patronizing in their increasingly limited conversation with the rest of the crew. Rumors were spreading behind closed doors that the two Commanders were possessed by demons; the more senior officers were passing such notions off as ridiculous, though not even they could dispute that Crane and Maynard just didn't seem like the same two people anymore... "So..." Maynard looked down at Crane. "We need to go in there, then? Is it safe?" This time, the science officer didn't bother to scan. He only looked at Crane, who, sure enough, had the answer. "The perimeter regions are perfectly safe... but we'll only approach the center with the utmost caution. It wasn't a fuel shortage that destroyed the star in there." She gave Maynard a devilish smile that spoke of shared secrets. It didn't go unnoticed. "We are to proceed to the center then?" The helmsman asked. "No, all stop for now, but lay in that course." Crane answered. She looked back at Maynard. "It seems we'll have to wait for Melina. After her hasty departure from Earth, she had to settle for a cargo freighter... just isn't as fast as one of these Lexington beauties." Maynard nodded. "It's too bad her post was discovered. The whole intelligence agency sham was delightful." Crane shrugged. "The discovery was inevitable... but, at this point, meaningless." The Bridge officers were shuffling nervously in their seats. This discussion was moving in an even more mysterious direction, as if all pretenses were on the verge of being stripped away. None of them were looking forward to this trip into the nebula. Many were dreading what they would find. The tactical station picked up a Starfleet transmitter entering the edge of subspace sensor range... "I hope the ship sent to Kappa Persei didn't cause too much trouble." Maynard said. "Dellatria's ship was sent." Crane replied. "More trustworthy than your average Orion pirate, but just as incompetent. I'm sure she posed little difficulty." The tactical officer had determined that the transmitter belonged to Challenger. She looked up from her station and glanced at the two Commanders, but said nothing. She looked back down and began composing a message. When her station emitted a quick succession of beeps, she wondered if she hadn't been discovered... but it was only a proximity alarm. "There is a ship dropping out of warp, Commander." She reported. "It looks like... a Tellarite freighter?" "Ah, that's Melina." Crane answered and grinned at the tactical officer. "Don't worry, she's expected." She looked at Maynard and added, "Good timing, no?" "Fate is truly on our side." Maynard answered. "I'm glad that we're all going to be together again, at last." "We're being hailed." The comm officer said. "On screen." The dark cloud on the viewscreen vanished entirely, replaced by the porcine face of a Tellarite freighter Captain. Crane smiled and narrows her eyes. "Melina... is that you?" The Tellarite nodded. "Arriving right on schedule, Master. Shall I come aboard?" "Yes. But first, set your ship on a course into the nebula. We don't want it lying around out here." "As you wish, Master." The Tellarite bowed slightly before cutting the transmission. "Well... we'll all here." Crane shared a smile with Maynard. "Ensign Denning, take us toward the center on impulse speed." Achilles lurched forward and approached the outer edge of the nebula. Beside it, the Tellarite freighter turned and also approached the boundary. On the tactical officer's console, a transport beam was detected between the the two vessels... but she was too busy completing her message to report this. Just before Achilles dove into the dark cloud, the message was transmitted. A satisfied smile spread over Commander Crane's face.

Candles, Elias was surprised to note, were scattered around the guest quarters' living room, providing a dim, eerily flickering illumination. Rufus was sitting pefectly still in one of the armchairs beside the room's only viewport. The viewport, however, was covered by what looked like a bedsheet... candles on the nearby curio shelves came dangerously close to setting it on fire. Only the top of Rufus' head, bare of his trademark blue hat, was visible above the back of the armchair. After failing to answer the door chime, he was now making no acknowledgment of Elias' entrance. Aware of the man's age, Elias wondered if he had fallen asleep in the armchair... or perhaps worse? He cleared his throat loudly and the old man stirred. "Mr. Rufus?" Rufus popped out of the armchair and turned to face Elias with a swiftness that came as quite a surprise from the old man. "Captain! My goodness, our appointment, it must have left my mind." "My apologies, I disturbed your sleep." Elias made a motion back toward the door. "I'll come back at a better time." "Oh, no, please, perish the thought. I was not sleeping, but meditating." Rufus circled around the chair to the doorway leading to the bedroom. There he retrieved his walking stick, which had been leaning against the corner. After seeing him stand up so vigorously, Elias was starting to wonder if the man even required a walking stick. "Though I may appear quite aged, Captain, I am not yet to the point where I drift asleep at any brief period of inactivity." "Hardly my implication." Elias smiled. "I was simply mistaken. As little as I know about your people, I can't even be sure if you normally sleep in a bed. I've known some species that sleep standing up." "I have met a few such beings myself." The man walked back to the viewport and motioned to the armchair. "Please, have a seat. I thank you for giving me time out of your schedule, frightfully busy as I am certain it must be." "The time away will do me good. Besides, I'm here for mission purposes anyway, right?" Elias walked over to the chair and motioned to the candles. "Where... exactly... did you get these?" "From here." The old man patted the front of his robe with his free hand. Though Elias didn't think this was much of an answer, he didn't press, but merely raised a curious eyebrow. "Now I believe you wished a lesson on Quantus and of his talents?" "Yes, in a manner of speaking. If the men who stole our ship do work for him, it's reasonable that he will confront us at some point. Any knowledge of your people's talents would..." Elias' voice trailed off. He was only just noticing that he was becoming a bit light-headed in Rufus' quarters. His attention was drawn to the smoke being given off by the candles and the aroma that accompanied it. He somehow understood that the candles were having this effect on him. As if in reaction, Rufus reached his free hand into the front of his silver robe. Elias expected him to pull out another strip of his mysterious "gum," but was even more shocked to see him produce a small glass dish with a teacup on top. "Refreshment, Captain? Please, I insist." Elias blinked at Rufus' robe and accepted the cup, which contained an amber-colored liquid. Rufus reached into his robe and pulled out a second dish and teacup before seating himself in the second armchair. His head as foggy as it was becoming, Elias wondered if he hadn't hallucinated the whole thing. The cup in his hand was very real, however... as was the liquid inside--risking a quick sip, he found the drink to be remarkably tasty. Furthermore, a few moments after he'd sipped it, his head began to clear. "Alvwyne, it is called." Rufus said with a smile as he lay his walking stick across his lap. "A favorite of mine. Captain... if I may make a bold observation, I have noted that you refer to 'my people' and 'our talents' as if these are collective entities. Your people, the Humans, are known by the other peoples of the galaxy to boast remarkable diversity, correct?" "Ah, yes." Elias put the cup down on the small table between the chairs. "Our anthropologists have joked that if you've met one Vulcan, you've met them all. With extraterrestrial species--that is, species not native to my... er, celestial sphere--the people often share the same personality and behavioral traits. The communities are all generally organized the same way, the citizens all striving for essentially the same goals. Temporary rifts may form in the population for any number of superficial reasons... but even as they go to war, you can still observe that all the parties involved share the same traits that give away a member of the species. With Humanity, this isn't the case. Each one of us is so different from even our closest family members, that members of other species have to get used to the realization that we're all Human." "Indeed. Well I can tell you, Captain, that my people are not like those others that Humankind has encountered. Far from it, the diversity of Midgar's people is greater than that of the Humans. In fact, the diversity on my world extends even to the physical. The people of Midgar come in so many shapes, sizes, textures, and anatomical arrangements that only the most devoted scholars can hope to catalog them all even in a generous span of life." "They have something like that back on Earth." Elias said. "Animals... creatures of all varieties that they share the planet with." "Oh, no, Captain. You misunderstand. We have animals on Midgar as well... but I am indeed referring to beings of higher intelligence." "That many intelligent beings? Different ones?" Elias asked. "How odd. It's very unusual for more than just one such species to evolve and coexist on a single world." Rufus smiled warmly and sipped his Alvwyne. "Truly Humans know a good deal of this universe at large, and you are quite learned in their ways, Captain. I can only now tell you, for words alone would not allow me to elaborate, that things work rather differently on Midgar. I do hope you will have the chance to visit." Elias, already feeling the candles starting to take their hold on him again, retrieved his own Alvwyne for another sip. "Erm... Rufus, this is certainly enlightening... and I do want to know more about your people, in whatever variety they're found. But... does this have something to do with Quantus?" As Elias' head was again cleared by the Alvwyne, he realized that that may have come across as rudely impatient. Rufus merely chuckled. "My good Captain, I never say anything that does not bear some relevance to the matter at hand, even if you do not immediately see it, or in fact ever will. For our most practical purposes, it merely illustrates how difficult it would be for me to prime you completely on the talents of the people of Midgar, for their talents are every bit as diverse as their shapes, their colors, and their ideas of a good joke. There was another point to be illustrated, one that concerns Quantus directly, but it may prove unimportant, and I do not think you could fully grasp it at this particular juncture, not without direct exposure to Midgar. No offense intended, of course; it is just that Midgar is an astoundingly complex place." Elias' face twisted a bit. "Hmm. Could you at least give me an idea of what my crew might expect from him?" Rufus answered by picking up his walking stick and pointing the crystal-capped end at the covered viewport. Elias nearly jumped out of his chair as a moving image, akin to that produced by a film projector, suddenly appeared on the bedsheet. The image showed a young-looking woman similar in appearance to a Human, but with abnormally large eyes and long purple hair. Her face was set in concentration, but the motions of her heavy breathing were apparent. A row of books, lined up on a shelf it appeared, was barely visible behind her. "I give you, Captain, a transmuter. Not Quantus, mind you, but one of his apprentices. This was recorded many years ago, before she accompanied her master on his desertion of Midgar. The room you see is one of the lesson chambers in my Council's tower. This particular apprentice was already quite accomplished at the craft at this point... but the training never ends until the apprentice is promoted." Elias looked at Rufus, then at the walking stick--it was no longer pointed at the sheet, but the image remained. How was he doing this? Rufus cleared his throat noisily and pointed the stick at the sheet. "Captain, you will want to see this." Elias, dumbfounded, observed the image on the bedsheet. The woman's skin seemed to quiver for a moment before an astounding change came over her. She no longer appeared to be the young woman with the purple hair; she was now a grotesque-looking creature with green skin, an enormous head and shoulders, and a wide drooling mouth with two long tusks jutting up from the jaw. "Quite a disguise, wouldn't you say?" Rufus asked. "Handy for frightening small children at night... or for infiltrating the Uhrka Tribe of the Arcanroot Mountains to determine when their next raid is planned." "Incredible." Elias said with nothing but honesty. "All of these... transmuters... can do this? Change their appearance at will?" "Oh, yes." Rufus nodded. "They can, in fact, do quite more than this. And you will want to observe now, for this is where the true danger of their talent lies." Elias watched the bedsheet eagerly, something he'd never imagined he would do in his lifetime. The green creature's skin quivered just as the woman's had, but this time it did more than simply morph to a new appearance. It broke apart into hundreds of shimmering, dancing points of light. Elias did jump out of his chair at this, but not just because he was shocked by what he was seeing. "I've seen this before!" He said. Rufus looked up at him, his thick white eyebrows lifted in surprise. "It's a transport shimmer!" Elias said, glancing down at him. "I mean, it doesn't look exactly the same as ours or any of the other races'... but there's no mistaking one." "Transport shimmer?" Rufus asked. "To what are you referring?" "Our transporters... that we use to send people off ship and bring them back, at least when we don't use the shuttle pods. We mostly use them for cargo, though." Elias explained. "They break matter down into its subatomic components, then transfer those components through a focused beam to the transport destination, where the particles are reassembled back into the parent form." Rufus shook his head. He was the one confused now, and he realized that Elias was speaking in the Humans' scientific language. "Maybe your talents," Elias continued. "Aren't all that different from ours." Elias grinned and looked back at the bedsheet. The bookshelf behind the mass of particles now appeared to be sliding to the left. He realized that it was the transport shimmer that was moving and that whatever device was recording this spectacle was focused on it. The view rotated around the room until the shimmer stopped in front of a tall marble statue. Elias blinked and wondered exactly what was going to happen. His grin turned upside down when the shimmer enveloped the statue and the dancing of the particles suddenly picked up speed. The statue appeared to slowly explode. Miniscule bits of marble were launched in every direction as the statue morphed from a depiction of a tall stately figure to an unrecognizable chunk of stone gradually shrinking amidst the cloud of debris. By the time the transport shimmer moved away, there was no statue left... only the last bits and pieces ricocheting off the walls. It had been completely torn apart. The image eventually stilled, and a short silence that followed was broken by Rufus' voice. "We recovered this from Quantus' study shortly after his desertion. Little attempt was made to conceal it. It reveals that, even years before he left us, he was teaching his most valued apprentices to turn their talents to murder and destruction." Elias looked down at the old man. His expression was unreadable, but there seemed to be a very deep sadness lingering behind his crystal-blue eyes. As Elias looked back at the image where the marble statue once stood, he could see where such sadness might originate...

"This was quite a lovely office you had here, Captain." Rufus said as he glanced around the ready room. He was sitting on the black-charred couch in front of Elias' desk, politely hiding his discomfort. "Indeed." Elias answered shortly. He was looking at a pad that contained the personnel data for Corporal Watterston, whose life was lost when the pirate ship was destroyed. They had come so close to escaping the crisis without any loss of life. But it was Elias' poor targetting at the tactical station that had resulted in the explosion and the MACO's death. Regardless of his own hand in the matter, he would have to get around to composing a letter to the family--especially difficult to do for someone with whom he never had a chance to get acquainted. "I am deeply sorry about your loss." The old man said, as if he could read Elias' mind. "Appreciated." Elias united the pad with the huge stack on the left side of his desk. His computer was destroyed by the fire and would need to be repaired, so all reports were being delivered via hard copy. He looked across the desk at his guest, and took a moment to appraise him, an opportunity that he missed amidst the chaos of the pirate attack. The man had a clearly gentle demeanour, the sort you would expect from a beloved grandparent. He seemed rather well-to-do, with such an extravagant looking robe and a crystal-capped walking stick, but the appearance fit him well enough so as to not diminish his paternal aura. "I'm glad you could give me some of your time, Mr... um?" "'Rufus' will be just fine." The old man smiled warmly. "My family name is quite long and complex. In fact, so is my given name. 'Rufus' is a shortened version, and I can tell you, though the chances of this bearing any relevance to our current aspirations are not assured, that my parents are not pleased with such curt nomenclature." "Ah... I can certainly understand that." Elias chuckled, appreciating the opportunity to break ice before getting to business. "I've had problems of my own with the parental units. I'm sure you have to use your full name in their presence?" "Oh, I avoid being in their presence as fiercely as I can." The old man's answer rather surprised Elias and he raised an eyebrow. "You must understand, Captain, that I am quite the aberration among my family. They are notorious throughout the history of Midgar, that is my celestial sphere, for their cruelty, malice, and bad taste in clothing. Very rarely does one of their number pop out with at least one or two good qualities. My Great Uncle Ben, for instance... persecuted relentlessly by the family because of his compassion for those less fortunate and his shortening of his name. I was the only one who would even speak to him without denouncing and condemning him." Elias blinked. "That sounds terrible." "Oh, I got away from them soon enough and with little difficulty. For all the shortcomings of my family, we are at least blessed, or cursed some may say, with a great deal of the talent." "The talent." Elias glanced at the mountain of pads. "My science chief relayed an interesting report to me about the energy field you created around our shuttle pod. He reported that you never even touched the controls. Was that your... talent?" The old man's face twisted in concentration a moment. He reached into the front of his robe and pulled out a small silver strip. He held it out to Elias. "Gum?" Elias was dazed by this for a moment, and the old man took his silence to be refusal. He pulled a pink strip out of the silver strip and put it in his mouth before returning the silver strip to his robe. "I retrieved your language from the mind of your science officer, Captain. But, alas, there was no word in his mind more accurate than 'talent' to describe what it is that my people do. The best I can do is offer my own personal demonstrations... and, at some point perhaps, invite you and your crew to my celestial sphere to observe it in its greatest quantity." "I see." Elias lied. The old man simply chewed his gum with a smile. "Well, Mr... er, Rufus... I was told that you were looking for someone on the surface of Kappa Persei, but I wasn't given any details. My crew is looking for someone as well, and I was wondering if there might be a connection between our pursuit and yours." "Yes, Captain. The shack on the surface belongs to a local criminal organization... you just had an unfortunate run-in with some of their number. The person I seek is the leader of this organization, though their interests may not coincide with his, a fact of which they may not even be aware." "Who is this person?" Elias asked. "His name is Quantus. And he is an old friend." Elias waited for the old man to continue, but he simply resumed his chewing; now, though, he was not smiling. "Anything you could tell us about this organization could aide our search." Elias wasn't willing to press too hard. Despite this man's gentle bearing, Grey's report spoke of an odd verbal outburst on the shuttlepod just prior to his creation of the energy field. There was the impression, looking into Rufus' eyes, that there was a wellspring of energy waiting inside of him ready for a violent release. "It is a difficult story for me to tell, Captain." "I can understand that." Elias answered. "And you're certainly not being held prisoner on this ship, nor would we require any more from you beyond what you've already done for us. But I would impress upon you the importance of our search and give only what assurance I can that your privacy will be respected." "I can tell that you are a good sort, Captain. With great concerns of your own resting heavily on your mind." Rufus sighed deeply. He pulled the 'gum' out of his mouth, now a pink glob, and pushed it against the crystal at the end of his walking stick. It stuck there, and Elias wondered if this was an adhesive property of the substance, or a demonstration of Rufus' "talent." "On Midgar, Captain..." Rufus continued. "There is a King. A good, kind soul, though perhaps a bit eccentric... debauched, some say. The King is served and advised by what we call the Arcane Council. It is composed of those among the people of Midgar that possess the greatest talent. I am one of the four serving now on the Council. My three associates are on Midgar now, overseeing the search for Quantus from our tower. This search is one we have been conducting for... almost three Solar years." "That's quite a long time." Elias said. "What did this Quantus do?" "He betrayed the King, Captain." Rufus answered. "You see... the Arcane Council is traditionally formed from the *five* most talented of our people. We have been one short for almost three of your years, and tradition holds that our number can not be restored until we... deal with our missing counterpart." "Quantus?" Elias asked. "He was on your Council?" Rufus nodded in answer. "His betrayal was abandonment of his responsibilities to the King... and we fear he may do far worse if he is not found." Elias sat back in his chair and frowned. As little as he knew about Rufus' "talent," he found himself concerned that one just as "talented" stood against them. This was an angle to Achilles' retrieval that he couldn't have imagined. "Over the years..." Rufus continued, a distant expression on his face. "He'd been growing more and more disatisfied. I believe he felt that our talents were wasted in service to the King. He believed that our talents would be better utilized toward rulership rather than service. Though we do not officially recognize a leader among us, the rest of the Council had always trusted my judgement, but Quantus began openly questioning my decisions on a continuing basis. Questioning became arguing... arguing became deriding... and always there was the suggestion that his ideas should guide the actions of the Council. One day... he simply took four of his apprentices and left Midgar. Four, you see, Captain? He could have taken more, and they all would have followed, but I believe he cherishes the idea of leading his own Council of five... still bitter as he is that his role in our Council never met his ambitions. It was my suggestion to appoint him... a suggestion that was not shared by my associates. I'd hoped that he would turn out better, would show the others his true value. I know, now, that I was mistaken... and the mistake may be costly." "You mentioned that his interests may not coincide with the criminals we faced." "Oh, yes." Rufus nodded. "I am convinced that he is using them. He never looked all that favorably upon outsiders. What, exactly, his interests are... dominion, I would guess. Not just dominion over some criminal rabble, however, or over anyone else in this universe... but dominion over Midgar. These criminals are, in part, a front... and, in part, a means to acquire more of the resources that he needs. What methods he plans to achieve the dominion he seeks... I do not know. He is remarkably capable of covering his tracks." Elias considered mentioning the cloaking device and Nagen's interest in it, but he was still muffled by Starfleet's secrecy. "We're looking for a ship grabbed by associates of his... during the course of our search, we may have to face him. What are his capabilities?" "He was Midgar's greatest transmuter." Elias' brow furrowed. "Transmuter. What is that?" "He is able to... change, Captain." Rufus answered. "In remarkable fashion, I might say. He can change his appearance... he can change his shape... he can even change his form. And in so doing, he can become very deadly." "That... isn't good to hear." Rufus attempted a smile and did quite a decent job of it. "If you face him, Captain, I will be happy. For it will mean that you have found him when my associates and I could not. Perhaps your crew's technological mastery and more... mundane ways of thinking, concepts at which my people do not excel, will end up being the key to locating one such as Quantus. I hope that you will allow me to remain aboard this vessel of yours and we will see what your search turns up?" "Of course. We'll have to get some better accommodations for you, though." Elias grabbed his communicator and opened it. "Mr. Giovanni, have one of the guest quarters prepared and send someone to my ready room." "You will follow the map that Mr. Grey took from Kappa Persei, Captain?" "Unless you have a better suggestion." Elias shrugged. "Seems like a good a place as any to look. My science team is analyzing the map now." "I agree that it is the best course. I have nothing else to suggest." Rufus stood and pulled his gum off of his walking staff. "I do enjoy adventuring away from Midgar. I believe it will be quite a bit of fun working with you and your crew... when our lives aren't in grave peril of course." Elias smiled meekly. "Indeed. I warn you, though, that our search could take a while... and I want to know more about your world and your people. I hope you'll be willing to suffer more questions." "Quite the contrary." Rufus answered. "I admire the inquisitiveness of your people, Captain. We knew that contact with you was inevitable when we first began observing you. Most of us were looking forward to it. If we manage to wrap this nasty business of ours up, I would be honored if you would visit Midgar." "Sounds like a shore leave opportunity." Elias smiled. "My crew just might mutiny if I refuse."

Starfleet Academy Historical Databanks NX-05 Challenger and the 22nd Century - Introduction compiled by Prof. Mahnik Oto In the history of the Alpha Quadrant, no era has seen greater political turmoil than the years leading up to the founding of the Federation, the decade from 2150 to 2160. This age in the history of the UFP was especially pivotal for Humankind. Most are aware of the vital role that Earth played in the formation of the UFP, but common myths ignore the fact that Humans were still relatively new to the interstellar game. They had established a few deep space colonies and set up a minor network of warp ship routes between them, but the original Warp Five ships did not launch until this decade began. Humans still knew very little of the galaxy at large, and all the exciting discoveries and mystifying experiences that tend to go along with deep space travel were still awaiting them. Popular myths also recognize the NX-01 Enterprise--the pioneer ship of Warp 5 driven, extra-solar travel--and her stalwart crew as the primary (perhaps, in fact, the only) shapers of the Federation and Humanity's future. And, indeed, Enterprise was the spearhead for the rapid changes of the NX era. But, as you will see, the contributions of the NX-05 Challenger during the second half of the decade should not be overlooked. Many scholars more critical of the popular historical viewpoints identify Challenger as the most important starship of the NX line. These essays will provide an in-depth look at Challenger's historical contributions from the time of her launch to the time of her decommissioning. This Introduction will provide a look at the political and technological landscape of the era, so that students may better understand the challenges that were faced by the pre-Federation crews and the environment in which these challenges were overcome. Earth and Starfleet Humanity -- Today the Humans are, simply put, the models of responsible space-faring people, models to which the rest of the Federation species continually aspire. In the 22nd Century, they were not so perfect. The NX ships launched only 100 years after Earth's Third World War. And, though this viewpoint will often earn a scholar ridicule from his colleagues, legendary Warp-drive inventor Zephram Cochrane and his companions were no saints. Humans were a people hardened and fouled by centuries of civil strife and largely ignorant of galactic affairs, a condition not helped by the Vulcans so often hampering their development. Even their starship officers tended to be men and women of primitive attitudes and questionable behavior. It took even the great Captain Archer many years of Command to become anything close to the admirable figure history recognizes. Starfleet -- Starfleet was originally created by the United Earth Government. More non-Humans joined the ranks of Starfleet through the Coalition's Interspecies Exchange Program, but until the founding of the Federation it remained a mostly Human organization. Prime Directive -- Since they were still struggling to establish their own identity in the galaxy, Humans were hardly experts on alien sociology. While they had their reservations about interfering in the affairs of other species, the Prime Directive did not yet exist to them. Crews had to decide whether or not interference was acceptable in any situation, and Commanding Officers could not be court-martialed for xenocultural taint. In retrospect, we know what sorts of interstellar disasters this ended up causing... Technology The extent of Humanity's technological capabilities during this time has been a matter of debate. Careful scrutiny will show that the Humans were still technological infants... epecially compared to today, when many officers take for granted the ability to solve almost any problem with some combination or configuration of a starship's equipment. During this era, Humans had to improvise, coming up with more practical solutions that did not rely on the limited resources available to them. Warp Drive -- While the Warp engine assembly of the NX ships was similar to today's technology (a matter/antimatter reaction feeding a pair of subspace field coils), Challenger was, at her launch, capable of a maximum velocity of only Warp 5 on the pre-Excelsior scale. New developments in starship engineering and Warp physics, fostered mostly by increased cooperation with the other Coalition members, allowed for gradually faster Warp Drive as the years progressed. Structure -- Challenger was a small ship, measuring only 230 meters from bow to stern and divided into only 7 decks; it was only twice the size of today's Defiant class ships. While today's starship interiors can be divided between their saucer section and engineering section, Challenger only possessed a habitable saucer, its engineering hull containing plasma distribution and a bulky warp field regulator. Despite having a crew complement of just 80, conditions aboard the vessel were quite cramped. Families were, of course, prohibited, and junior officers had to room together. These conditions sometimes contributed to tensions among the crew and sometimes created heightened levels of comraderie. The Decks were labelled by letter rather than number, from A Deck down to G Deck. The Bridge comprised A Deck, and Main Engineering was a two story complex occupying both D and E decks. E deck was the central deck, the one occupying the breadth of the saucer, and it contained most of the crew amenities and workplaces--Sickbay, the Science Labs, the Armory, the Mess Hall, the Greenhouse, and the Shuttle Launch Bay. The Cargo Bay was quite a departure from today's setup. Two gravity-free shafts ran vertically from the dorsal end of the saucer to the ventral. Grappling arms would pull cargo into these shafts, where it would be mechanically transferred to one of six storage areas accessible by the crew. Challenger possessed only one lift which ran down the axis of the saucer, from the Bridge through Main Engineering to the Torpedo Launch Bay on G Deck. Transfer between decks was often best accomplished through use of the ladders in the maintenance shafts. This was a neccessity in alert conditions, when the lift was restricted to Bridge personnel. Transport -- The transporters aboard the NX vessels were the first to be frequently used on biological subjects. The system was not without its risks, however. While subjects could be transported safely through open space, attempts to transport through barriers, into hazardous environments, while in motion, or without solid sensor locks commonly resulted in accidents. The shuttle pod was the safest method of crew transport under such circumstances. The pods were not Warp capable and they did not have the sensory and tactical capabilities common to today's shuttles. Their purpose was often limited to simply transferring away teams to their mission sites. Their use had to be carefully managed--Challenger possessed only four shuttle pods, two ready for launch at any given time. The launch bay was small, so launch and retrieval were achieved through use of a mechanical docking arm which extended outside the ship. Tactical -- One of the key tactical concerns of the time was the lack of deflector shield technology. Challenger's only form of protection was a process of molecular polarization that could be called upon to strengthen the hull plating, making it more resistant to weapon fire. Though the system could buy the crew more time in a firefight, it reduced the ship's maneuverability and it was not impervious to hostile transport beams. The ship's armament was a combination of spatial torpedoes utilizing a fusion reaction, pulse cannons which fired bolts of superheated plasma, and an early form of the phaser--the phase cannon. The phase cannon was Challenger's most powerful and accurate form of attack, but also her riskiest. Firing the phase cannon even for a relatively quick burst both heavily drained the ship's power and ran the risk of EPS overloads. Its scope was also limited--fit just under the nose of the saucer, it could only be fired straight ahead of the ship. Her sister ships were constructed with superior tactical capabilities, but Challenger, a symbol of peace throughout her operational phase, maintained a limited armament. Without tractor beams, the crew had to settle for the mechanical grappler--simply, a clamp on the end of a cord. It was useful for simple towing and retrieving of objects no larger than the shuttle pods, but it could serve none of the miracle purposes to which today's tractor technology has been utilized... moving small moons for instance. The ship's armory was stocked with phase pistols and phase rifles, predecessors to our phasers. They could fire on no more than two settings--Stun and Kill. Furthermore, the Stun setting was not quite as delicate, running the risk of causing nerve damage to a target, and the Kill setting was not quite as clean, inconveniently leaving behind a body. Deflector Dish -- Once upon a time, the deflector dish did just what the name implies--it deflected. It couldn't be used to fire all sorts of wonderful energy pulses that could calm down just about any spatial phenomenon the crew encountered. They had to be a bit more clever at dealing with such problems. Communications -- The ability to send video-audio feeds between the stars at almost Warp 10 has never been a problem for any intelligent race. Aided by cleverly placed subspace amplifiers, Challenger's crew could make real-time contact with Earth, quite a stress-reliever. Contact between crew members was not as convenient. Obviously, commbadges are a relatively recent invention. Challenger's crew used handheld communicators to keep in touch; they were easier to misplace, misuse, or damage. On board the ship, they could also use the computer consoles to send messages to one another. First contact with alien species was often difficult. The universal translator had been invented, but it was still in a very early stage of development. Whenever a new species was encountered, the translator required a human operator well-versed in linguistics and with sufficient time to study the language. The main translator was stored in the ship's computer, but portable translators were available for field use. Sickbay -- Ah, back when medicine wasn't for the squeamish. The most part of today's wave of rapidly-acting, hands-off medical devices had not been invented. Lasel scalpels and hyposprays were available, eliminating two of the largest contamination concerns. But a lack of cellular regeneration and stimulation devices often necesitated more old-fashioned surgical techniques. Greater care was required of the physicians to preserve lives in critical cases, and surgical tools needed to be either rigorously sterilized or disposed entirely. Humans' knowledge of xenobiology was understandably limited at the time. Providing care to alien life forms (especially newly encountered ones) was a difficult and risky endeavour. A technique that could prove helpful to a Human patient could very well end up killing a patient of another species. Careful study of an alien's physiology was required before safe and reliable medical care could be administered. A key technology missing from Challenger was advanced biofiltration, both in the air recyclers and the transporters. To maintain a sterile environment on board the ship, any team returning from field duty was required to report immediately to Sickbay's decontamination chamber. Inside the decon chamber, special gels, vapors, and radiation were used to purge the body of any foreign microbes picked up off ship. A popular Academy myth hold that the decon chamber was often the site of... intimate encounters among NX crews. Such infantile nonsense is typically perpetrated by the first year students and can be safely disregarded; the Humans weren't *that* primitive. Science Systems -- At the time, Humans were still using "keyboards"-- flat button-based control panels hooked up to display monitors, a system used by Humans since some time before their Third World War--to access the ships' computers. They were still a few years away from evolving enough intellectually to utilize blinking buttons, knobs, and lights effectively. The crew possessed scanners, similar to the tricorder but without quite the versatility of functions. In a way, they were like the deflector dish... they served the purpose they were meant to serve, but they could not be greatly modified to perform a wide range of "miracle" tasks. Challenger's sensor arrays could scan on about the same scope of frequencies as today's models, but the technology was far from perfect. Objects at longer ranges could not be scanned as accurately, but basic probes could be fashioned easily enough from the ship's torpedo complement. In addition, active scans often had difficulty penetrating barriers such as starship hulls. When such scans proved to be inconclusive, crews often had to take more direct approaches to gathering information. Crew Support -- As if life was not difficult and dangerous enough for Challenger's crew, there were several amenities they had to do without. Holodeck technology was still far off, but a gym was provided for the fitness of the crew, a small firing range was included in the armory for security training, and the greenhouse and mess hall were, as in any era, great places for crew socialization and entertainment. Without replicators, the crew could not simply convert the ship's energy into any food thinkable. They had to settle for protein resenquencers, which converted raw materials held in storage into a variety of simple meal items. A mess hall chef kept a private store of ingredients for preparing fresh, ship-cooked meals, but these were in short supply and often were reserved for special occasions. Voice access to the ship's systems was limited due to security considerations. Instructions given to any ship system (even the doors and lifts) had to be relayed through the computer consoles and access panels. Log recording and comm access were the only systems that utilized any kind of voice interface. Extrasolar Species The Coalition -- Before there was the Federation, there was the Coalition of Planets, a loose alliance of what would soon be the core worlds of the Federation. They shared trade, technology, and aid in times of crisis, but they all governed themselves independently and followed their own separate codes of conduct. The Coalition included at its formation only the Humans, Vulcans, Tellarites, Andorians, Rigellians, and Coridanites. The Caitians, only having just made First Contact with the Humans, did not join until several months later. Vulcans -- The Great Reformation of Vulcan government and policy occured soon after Challenger's launch, with the dismissal of the High Command and corrupt administrator V'Las by the Syrrannites, staunch advocates of the Surak philosophies. Syrrannite leader T'Pau, upon becoming High Minister of Vulcan, took steps to greatly reduce both Vulcan's military capabilities and its interference with Human development. But the political turmoil continued even after the Syrrannite coup. T'Pau's rule was disputed by old supporters of the High Command, and their methods of opposition ranged from protest in Council to assassination attempts. Between these internal issues and the fleet dismissals ordered by Minister T'Pau, Vulcan's status as a major military power gradually diminished, which put greater pressure on her allies to defend the Coalition territories. The Syrrannites (and, as Surak's teachings spread, the majority of Vulcans) were little different from today's Vulcans--unemotional, even-tempered, and pragmatic to an extreme. Andorians -- The Andorian Empire waged a cold war with Vulcan for many years leading up to the Vulcan Reformation. They mostly viewed the change of Vulcan government favorably, but some wounds from the conflict would not so easily heal and many within the upper ranks of the Imperial Guard still bore grudges against the Vulcans for many years to come. The Andorians have always been a militaristic race, and as Vulcan's military might faded the Imperial Guard became the Coalition's premier defensive power. With local alliances only just beginning to bloom, the Andorians of this time remained untrusting of their neighbors for years to come. Their innate paranoia would be tempered eventually, but it would be a gradual, almost reluctant, process. Tellarites -- The porcinoid Tellarites were prominent in the galaxy at this time as a major commercial power. They boasted widespread mining and trading operations and their cargo freighters were constructed with the same kind of care that other races devoted to their warships and explorers. These operations often lead to disputes with neighboring powers, however. The Tellarite-Andorian trade dispute of 2154 is the most historically significant, for it was in the wake of this dispute that peace between the two races was forged. Tellarites have always loved to complain and argue, so they played an increasingly vital role in Coalition politics and the shaping of Federation doctrines. Caitians -- The felinoid Caitians were extremely reclusive prior to their First Contact with humans, initiated by Challenger's crew. Their reclusive nature was likely a method to protect their extremely pacifist ideologies as the Andorians, Vulcans, and Tellarites came to blows around them. Humanity convinced them that a broad alliance of worlds was possible, and they brought their sage advice and technological advents to the Coalition table. They were a mysterious people in these early years. They always seemed to know far more than they would admit about local affairs. Scholars today continue to analyze the validity of the "Caitian Prophecies," subtle warnings issued by their elders that seemed innocent at the time but had tremendous implications in retrospect. Orions -- History's most infamous criminal syndicate was only just getting started during this era. At the time, the Orion Syndicate was the legitimate political body of the green-skinned Orions themselves--the brutish male giants that provided the iron fist and the exotic alluring females that provided the velvet glove (though whether the fist really controlled the glove is still a matter of debate). But as the Coalition tightened clamps on interstellar trade, more demand for criminal enterprises arose and the Syndicate's unlawful elements required more diverse membership. Gradually, membership widened to include more of the Coalition races. It was still called the Orion Syndicate, but your Human or Andorian friend could have been a member; the Syndicate became a more subtle (and, thus, dangerous) entity. Smuggling of drugs and weapons, piracy of trade routes, and slave racketeering were all on their docket, but the shifting political landscape of the decade immersed them in the role that earned them their modern reputation--black operation freelances. Klingons -- Though popular belief maintains that our First Contact with the Klingons started the Klingon War of the 23rd century, there was some prior contact with the Empire. This contact was heavily covered up at the request of the Klingons (a request accepted in the interests of continued non-aggression), hence the resulting confusion. Years of peace with the Klingons have shed these covers. We now know that it was not entirely uncommon for NX vessels to encounter Klingon warships near the border, particularly as Orion involvement in Coalition affairs increased. Often, such encounters involved the Human ships being warned away. The Klingons claim that their ancestors viewed the Coalition (and, later, Federation) members as "weak" and would not drag themselves down by having any involvement in Coalition affairs. Scholars contend that the Klingons were actually threatened by the alliance and what it would mean for their identity as a people. In either case, their attitude remained cold throughout the 22nd century. Romulans -- We know little about the Romulans even to this day, as diplomats work to bring down the barriers between the Federation and the Star Empire. We still maintain only suspicions of the extent of their efforts to disrupt peace during the NX era. They were suspected of attempting to precipitate a Vulcan-Andorian battle in the Sol system during Challenger's construction. It is believed that they constantly sought to turn the Klingons to conflict with Humanity. And they were the alleged culprits behind the "Chameleon Probe" operation during the Tellarite-Andorian peace talks. Scholars hold that the formation of the Coalition threw them into virtual panic. But there was much more to it, as the Challenger essays will show. Their ways were subtle to an extreme, such that no Human had seen a Romulan's face until late in the 23rd century. They utilized intricate spy networks to manipulate whole worlds from behind their veils of secrecy. But, in the process, they fed the very beast that they feared the most and played a vital, albeit indirect role in the formation of the United Federation of Planets...

Elias, I traced that "Omega V" comm address of yours back to a small warehouse in Oakland. I thought this whole business was weird enough when you asked me about nonexistent Intelligence divisions... well, it's gotten a whole lot weirder and I wonder if you can make any sense out of this. The warehouse was storing crates of small electronics components, under the label OkudaTech, nothing out of the ordinary as far as we could tell. The only person there was a security guard who seemed nice enough, until we found the skeletons in his closet... literally. My team made some scans around the place while I distracted the guy with questions. They picked up some organic signatures under the floor at his guard post. When they brought this to my attention, the guard got pretty angry, asking me if we had a search warrant, what our business was snooping around the place, etc.. When we tried to detain him, he just calmly stepped back... and transported away. We checked in with the local Starfleet monitoring posts, on the surface and in orbit, but nobody picked up any transport beams... so I'm afraid to say we've lost the guy. Someone may have been monitoring the warehouse, ready to pluck the guy out if any heat built up. We popped open the loose floorboard at the guard post, pulled out some clay blocks that had been stacked up underneath, and found no less that eight corpses in various states of decay about three feet down. My forensics people are working on IDing them, but I can tell you that two of them are not human--they're Bolian. I don't know what to make of it, but I can say with a fair bit of confidence that this is no Intelligence agency. We looked through the guard's computer... not much, but what we found should interest you. There were Starfleet personnel files describing one of your officers, Elias... an Ensign Stephen Connor. There are also correspondences addressed to and from that very same Connor, some of them mentioning the ESS Achilles, some of them mentioning a Bolian conspiracy, which fits with the two bodies. I've attached them for you to look over. There's nothing else of interest. Seems like this guy's job was to simply stay in contact with Connor. I assume this Connor is the supposedly innocent person that you're protecting? I'll await an answer from you, Elias. I assume you want me to keep my silence for now, so I'll hold off on reporting anything that happened here until I get your feedback. But a Bolian conspiracy? I won't wait long. Get in touch. -Sloan

NX-05 Challenger Mission Briefing -- October 2, 2155 An attempt to raise a plasma shield against the attacking warship has gone awry, leaving Challenger without power. The threat of the warship has been neutralized for the moment, its command center secured by a MACO boarding party, but there's no telling how long the MACO's can hold the ship... or if more reinforcements will arrive. Challenger is vulnerable to attack and the crew is without life support. The race to restore power has begun, and this time the mysterious stranger picked up from Kappa Persei can offer no help.