Chief Engineer's Mission Summary

[Shane 0]

Chief Engineers Job Summary ---> Zoalus System

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((a rustling is heard as Shane settles in his seat, his bionic arm giving off a hiss. He clears his throat and begins in his deep growling voice))

"Chief Engineer's Mission Summary, Zoalas System. I'm beginnin' my summary from the time after our second run-in with the Capricorn, shortly after we arrived in system. I was commanded by Capt. Manning to modify one of the Verbistul shuttles for an aquatic incursion to the planet Zoalus 1's surface and proceeded to do so with equipment borrowed from the Verbistul and the Qob. I'd like to note that two force emitters from our inventory were never recovered from the aquatic shuttle.

Chocox and the Furball performed well, completin' to modifications according to my specs and without any major mistakes, aside from installin' one of the emitters backwards at one point. No problems were reported to me by the surface team as a testament to this work. They should do fine for future engineerin' work, provided they don't get annoyin'...

Once the shuttle headed out, I headed to the Capricorn to assist with repair work accordin' to an agreement made between the Capricorn commander Raj and you, Cap'n. As I understood, Troy Parson was placed in charge by you before we left. I was also ordered to bring along a little insurance in the form of an anti-matter pod set for remote destabilization. On my way off the ship, I passed the Nausicaan's quarters, which had been left open, and saw a container that was surprisin'ly similar to the one that contained the antimatter pod. I thought it might be useful to have a a decoy to the actual bomb, in case the raiders tried to dis-able the bomb behind our backs. So I grabbed it.

Once aboard the Capricorn, I contacted the chief engineer in charge, a man named Ford who sent me and Will to supervise hull breach repair. Before I made my way there, Parson pulled me aside and asked me to give him override codes to the Capricorns main computer, to give us an edge. I proceeded to plant the anti-matter pod in a Jeffries Tube panel near the main computer core, when the first sabotage was committed.

I used the confusion to access the main core and found that someone already had implemented Parson's idea, instead using a complex takeover virus inside a small pyramidal device, that was Klingon in manufacture. Being familiar with Klingon tech, I copied the program to my tricorder and removed the device. I decided to use the virus instead of override codes, since the former would be more difficult to track and correct. My method was a little more sophisticated, as I used a wireless link from the tricorder that was hidden in the core room.

After all this, I took the pyramid back to Troy who showed it to Raj. Later, Kaara Soora and I investigated a murder that was "discovered" by Gotem or whatever the jyke his name was. I suspected him of the murder, as the obvious is usually the truth in such matters, but didn't have the evidence to accuse him. So I continued on alone, as Soora had to help with the autopsy.

Around then, I was called with Will to repair the transporter in a hurry from another sabotage attempt. We were successful and found another Klingon device like that of the pyramid. The surface team was recovered and taken to the messhall. I went back to repair work on the hull.

It was about 2 hours later that I awoke in an empty set of crew quarters, feelin' the after-effects of a stunbeam. Ford was blaring over the radio about the virus program, accusin' me of every sabotage attempt and demandin' I relinquish the override codes. I was more than a little pissed. And I wasn't about to be used as a bargainin' chip. I broke out by hacking the local security network and blackin' out the lights on the deck, killing a couple of the guards who fired at me when I punched through the door. They had it comin. I met up with Pher, who began throwin' orders around like she knew what was going on and yellin' at me "to talk things out". Now, I know you're fond of her Cap'n, but in my opinion, when I've been attacked, imprisoned and fired upon, all the talkin's over with. Negotiatin' only works to a point and maybe it calms everyone down in Never-New Risa-land, but around here most folk only answer to the biggest fist. At least that's how I've found it.

The group of us headed to Main Engineerin' and met up with the Verb reinforcements. At this point, Parson was considered no longer in charge from what I saw, so I hung back as I had been injured in the fight against my imprisoners. We arrived to find Engineerin' flooded with radiation and Ford nearly dead. Turns out he had been turned against us by someone else, presumably our sabotagers from earlier. I was ordered back to the Capricorn by someone, I don't remember who or care really. I figured it was better back on the Qob where we had a definite command structure.

Little did I know that our red-eyed friend from the Verb was in on the whole thing. He and I were back in the Engine Room when he blew the computer core and transported to the Capricorn. Turns out he had rigged a single trigger command on every one of the bridge and engineerin' console set to blow an EMP device on the core. I thought he was acting a little strange, but mainly attributed it to him being an idiot like most of the Verb crew and ignored the behavior. Once I had my back turned in trying to deal with the fightin' with the other mercs, he blew the core and transported out before I could rip his head off. I learned my lesson, I guess.

As far as what happened otherwise, I think you know. The atmospheric escape from Zoalus and the Capricorn pod rescue went without a hitch, aside from the disasters that caused them.

About the computer core. I repaired most of the basic programin' needed for warp travel, impulse and defense systems, but the old thing is unreliable. Plus I've got ghost programs creepin' in everywhere and messin' with stuff; the thing takes constant maintenance. In short, we need a new one. Desperately. I've got a couple ideas on where to get one, but it'll need to be an authentic Klingon core for warships. Freighters and crap won't work.

In whole, I think the mission went pretty well, considerin' what we had to deal with. Sure, research wasn't done much, but we did our part and kept the Verb safe. Now the Verb scientists may think it was a failure, but they ain't dead and that's our part. Sure their original plans fell through, but plans are usually the first casualty in any mission.

At least that's the way I see it."

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