USS Excalibur

[Rue Wydown 0]

Cptn Swain -> MISSION BRIEF: The away team has found what they believe to be exoskeletons aboard the ship and are investigating further, while also attempting to sort through corrupted log entries to determine what happened to the still missing crew of the Augustine. Aboard Excalibur, science is beginning a more through survey of the planet and the Dominion base, where an energy signature possibly connected to a dampening field has been detected.

Cptn Swain -> Questions?

Cptn Swain -> None?

T'PRehl -> Nope.

Cptn Swain -> Aight... let's get this show on the road.

Cptn Swain -> BEGIN SIM

Cptn Swain -> BEGIN SIM

Cptn Swain -> BEGIN SIM

Ryan Mesner -> @::throwing off the rest of his ev suit, now that atmosphere and gravity had been restored proper, and wasn't deadly and such::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::in the Augustine's science lab::

Fae -> :: At Hops, keeping half an eye on everyone, but mostly keeping an eye on the ATs on Augustine. ::

Cptn Swain -> ::In his quarters, sleeping restlessly::

T'PRehl -> ::Scanning the planet surface::

Karl A. Schultz -> :: in the astrometric lab

Cptn Swain -> @ACTION> In the science lab, the team comes across more of the exoskeletons, several on lab tables being worked on. Many of the terminals are still running analysis.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::sees the terminals:: That’s a good sign!

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Looking around the lab at all of the shells. She walks over to a terminal.:: Hmm... still running.

T'PRehl -> (Was my character on the surface? I don’t recall. )

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Sees if she can bring up some results.::

T'PRehl -> @Seiben> Wow... more exoskeletons. Look at this.

Taryn Castell -> @ ::Still frowning at the medical logs she was reading, she glanced up at Ryan.:: Was the Excalibur able to uplink to download this ship's files?

Tandaris Admiran -> @No, resumed running after the shutdown.

Cptn Swain -> (( No one has been cleared to go to the surface yet. Science was tasked with doing a more in depth survey of the planet, from the ship ))

T'PRehl -> ((Cool, yeah, I thought so)

Tandaris Admiran -> @::walks around:: That means the secondary command subprocessors must be undamaged by the shutdown or its proximate cause.

T'PRehl -> (Disregard the last then, heh)

Ryan Mesner -> @::retakes his seat at the Captain's perch:: Last I checked.

Rue Wydown -> ::on the bridge::

Ryan Mesner -> @::he glanced down to the armrest:: We're still transmitting.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ In which case ::accesses a terminal:: not only should we have these analyses, but we should still have a cache of all the scans run from here in the past few weeks.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ We might even have some logs or video recordings. ::accesses the file history::

T'PRehl -> ::reading up on the exoskeletons::

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Moves over to look at Tandy's terminal.::

Karl A. Schultz -> :: running scans on the area around the base..

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Looks like this round of scans was initiated about three weeks ago.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Full multi-spectral battery. They must have wanted to know what these things were as badly as we do.

Taryn Castell -> @ How much longer? I think we should go explore other areas of the ship. Maybe find another of those skeletons.

Karl A. Schultz -> :: focus the scans on the climate, the vegetation and wildlife around the base

Rue Wydown -> How's the planetary survey going. ::glances back to the Science area::

Ryan Mesner -> @::glances down again:: It's hard to say...a lot of the files are corrupted...I'm curious what state the computer core is in...

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::continuing rounds on the ship, ensuring that everything is secure::

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Looks like the micro-cellular analysis was making some headway. For some reason, this exoskeleton isn’t as opaque as the ones in engineering are.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::moves out of the way:: See if these scans make sense to you. I’ll keep digging.

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Nods as she looks it over.::

Tandaris Admiran -> @+White+ Admiran to White. How goes the file recovery?

Tandaris Admiran -> @Ensign White> +Admiran+ Poorly, sir. Even with files that aren’t corrupted, the pathways are so badly damaged that retrieving them is difficult.

Fae -> T'Prehl? Silly question? Are the excoskeletons we found part of a living being, or are they external artificial add ons? Are they part of something once alive, or something manufactured and worn?

Tandaris Admiran -> @+White+ It appears that the secondary command sub processors are still operational. Try rerouting command pathways through there.

Taryn Castell -> @ And also why all of the newer files have been corrupted. I wonder if they did something to the ship before they left. Radiation? Or a virus?

T'PRehl -> ::Fae:: I believe that they are part of a living being, something once alive. Some sort of insect like race, I imagine.

Rue Wydown -> :;would headdesk if there was a desk nearby in which she could pound her forehead into::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::accessing more logs::

Fae -> Noted. Not sure what that means, but noted.

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> +Admiran+ Thanks, Commander. I’ll give that a try. ::begins rerouting command pathways::

Maryse Dubois -> @ Same denseness as the ones before...

Fae -> :: Wonders if there is anything she should offer Rue. ::

Ryan Mesner -> @::shrugs:: I don't know. That's more his field. ::he shot his thumb back over his shoulder to White:: I suppose we could go exploring, not much more here.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::reading some log entries related to the scans:: +Mesner+ Mesner, is there a Dominion base on the planet we’re orbiting?

Ryan Mesner -> @ White, can you do your work from here?

T'PRehl -> I am unsure myself. I do not think I have ever come across something like this before.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ White> ::nods at Mesner:: Yes, sir. I’m working on a bypass now that will bring the rest of the computer back online in some capacity. I still won’t be able to restore all the files, but I should be able to recover more of them.

Maryse Dubois -> @ This is definitely a molting off of whatever left this here. Unfortunately I still can't determine the original source.

Fae -> I initially thought Scorpiad, but not even close once you do a direct compare.

Rue Wydown -> Sooooo...that planetary survey? Do we have anything down there that, I don't know, could EAT the away team? Or better yet, fry them with hot volcanic ash?

T'PRehl -> I agree. Definitely something different.

Fae -> :: Considers. Wouldn't frying require a fluid of some sort? Cooking with volcanic ash would better be described as baking? Something like a casserole? ::

Ryan Mesner -> @ Well, hold down the fort then. Try not to crash into Excalibur. ::turns to Taryn:: Let's stretch our legs.

Rue Wydown -> ::shakes her PADD:: (m) Outlook good. Must know something I don't know.

Taryn Castell -> @ ::Nodding, she hopped up out of her chair and stowed her padd.:: Where to?

Charlotte Matsumura -> (( Yeah, that we're crunchy and taste good with ketchup. ))

Fae -> :: Looks from Rue to T'Prehl ::

Ryan Mesner -> @+Tandaris+ I believe so.

Fae -> Rue? You might try addressing her by name? Get her attention? That would be logical, right?

Karl A. Schultz -> :: continues scanning the area near the base

Tandaris Admiran -> @+Mesner+ That would explain this log entry then.

Ryan Mesner -> @::enters the turbolift with Taryn:: A strip says he's got something.

Maryse Dubois -> @ I wish I could get more to go by, but the material these exoskeletons are made of are so dense and reflect much of the scans back.

T'PRehl -> Scans did not find such creatures capable of eating the away team, nor any volcanic ash near the base.

Fae -> :: smiles slightly ::

Ryan Mesner -> @+Tandy+ Go on...

Tandaris Admiran -> @+Mesner+ Maryse and I are in a science lab, where the Augustine crew was analyzing some of these exoskeletons. According to a Lieutenant Kethran, the specimens in this lab originate from the lower levels of this base.

Taryn Castell -> @ A strip of latinum or clothing? ::Glad the lifts were working.::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::glance at Maryse:: +Mesner+ No mention of how they found these exoskeletons or anything else.

Rue Wydown -> Eh, I find this way much more entertaining. And if I don't get the answers I like, I can always ask my PADD for advice. ::shakes it again:

Fae -> Is there a new vibratory PADD interface I am unaware of?

Ryan Mesner -> @::Taryn:: Dealers choice.

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> ::finishes rerouting command pathways, bringing computer functionality to 68% efficiency::

Ryan Mesner -> @::furrows his brow::+Tandaris+ The base is our next logical step then.

Rue Wydown -> Ooooooh...now why didn't I think of that? Could use it as a foot massager.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::approaches the specimen::

Fae -> :: Briefly examines Rue's feet. ::

T'PRehl -> ::Raises a brow::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::leans in and takes a long, measured sniff::

Taryn Castell -> @ ::Speculative look.:: I wouldn't bet on Tandaris. He's a genius, right. A quirky, anti-social, hermit-like, easily distracted genius.

Fae -> I could work a holodeck simulation of a PADD massager for you, and if it works build a prototype... :: Dubious ::

Maryse Dubois -> @ The transparency difference from the others could mean this was a more recent molting.

Fae -> Not sure if that would be logical, though.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::to himself:: No, doesn’t smell right.

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::still has a bad feeling about this whole venture::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::Maryse:: Hmm? What? Oh. So they become more opaque as they deteriorate? That is an interesting hypothesis.

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Looking at Tandy, oddly.::

Rue Wydown -> So nothing down there that will eat us. Nothing will fry us. Anything else we need to know about the planet?

Fae -> :: Virtuously returns her attention to monitoring the AT ::

Ryan Mesner -> @::they pop out on the deck of the science labs:: That line between genius and madness right?

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::senses on high alert, the hair on the back of her neck still prickling from the odd situation::

Tandaris Admiran -> @::joins Maryse:: Just thinking that there’s one species we know of, whom the Dominion would consider a research concern, who have exoskeletons.

Rue Wydown -> ::shakes her PADD:: Outcome unknown, ask again later.

Taryn Castell -> @ Yea, I think he's on the wrong side of it. ::Steps out of the lift, heading for the science lab.::

Maryse Dubois -> @ Scorpiads...

Charlotte Matsumura -> ((Wouldn't we recognize the cellular structure of the Scorps at this point? ))

Tandaris Admiran -> @::nods:: Exactly. But these don’t smell right.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ So if there is a connection, it’s not a straightforward one….

Maryse Dubois -> @ They don't...smell right?

Ryan Mesner -> @::walking:: Insanity is the spice of life though. ::smirks::

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Thinks.:: Do we know much about Scorpiad young? Perhaps there is a metamorphosis.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Perhaps. Maybe the base was a research facility where they experimented on Scorpiad young? We know the Founders loved their genetic manipulation. Perhaps they were attempting to alter the Scorpiad genome in some way, and these are evidence of their result.

Taryn Castell -> @ ::Steps into the science labs with Ryan, searching for the other team.:: Hello? Are you all still alive down here? Nothing's come alive to eat you, yet?

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> ::diligently working to restore files::

Maryse Dubois -> @ Quite possible. Genetic manipulation could explain a number of things.

Ryan Mesner -> @ Yes, and if you have eaten them, please let us know before coming out.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::nods to Taryn and Ryan::

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Over here.

Ryan Mesner -> @::walks over:: Ah, still alive.

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Turns to the others, smiling.::

Maryse Dubois -> @ We were talking about possibilities with these things. ::Pointing to the exoskeletons.::

Ryan Mesner -> @ Possibilities?

T'PRehl -> @::continues to analyze the exoskeletons, trying to find potential matches in the Federation database::

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Nods.:: We have at least one theory on what these might be.

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::heading back toward the team, having completed her sweep::

Taryn Castell -> @ Now that's interesting. ::Rounding the giant bug shell to get a look at it.:: Does the system recognize it as anything we know?

Karl A. Schultz -> :: prepares a scan report about the area surrounding the dominion base

Maryse Dubois -> @ Sadly no.

Rue Wydown -> (T'Prehl, you're on the ship, yes? You need to take off the @))

Maryse Dubois -> ((Seiben is on our ship though.))

T'PRehl -> (Oh gee sorry)

Maryse Dubois -> @ We think these might be genetically manipulated Scorpiad young. Or at least the shells of them.

T'PRehl -> @Seiben> ::on the surface, analyzing the exoskeletons:::

Ryan Mesner -> @::grimaces at the thing:: Genetically manipulated how?

T'PRehl -> (Meant to be as Seiben)

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::entering the lab, where the team has congregated::

Maryse Dubois -> @ Good question. I wish the scans wouldn't bounce off the shell, or we would be able to tell you. ::Smirks.::

Rue Wydown -> T'Prehl, where exactly do you have your staff focusing their energies on the planetary survey?

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> Ah-hah. ::has some success with a recovery algorithm, restoring 21% of the corrupted files, in particular order::

T'PRehl -> I have shifted focus on exploring the base as well as the debris on the surface. I could focus some staff elsewhere if you wish.

Taryn Castell -> @ So we need to hack off a piece of it then and take it to be analyzed by our computer. How about a leg? Those snap easily, right?

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ Or we could analyze it in place, without presenting a further potential hazard to our ship and crew.

Rue Wydown -> ::facepalm:: We asked for a full planetary survey. Why is it that every time we run into a Dominion base, everyone immediately goes "Oooooooooooh looky!” You're missing the forest for the trees, mate. It's a big planet down there.

Ryan Mesner -> @ Hmm...

Ryan Mesner -> @ Safe and reasonable...or hacky hacky...

Ryan Mesner -> @ I feel so conflicted.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ The current scans have not yielded anything beyond a micro-cellular analysis.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Clearly we’ll have to get more creative.

Karl A. Schultz -> :: continues to make a report summarizing the sensor scan around the base

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> +Mesner+ Sir, I have recovered 21% of the files. Some of them are logs that look relevant, so I’m forwarding them to a station where you are.

Ryan Mesner -> @+White+ Understood, I'm down in the labs.

Maryse Dubois -> @ Maybe we can try to get some scrapings. Perhaps fewer particles wouldn't bounce the scans.

Ryan Mesner -> @ I suppose we be safe and reasonable...for now. Do what can from here.

Tandaris Admiran -> @White> +Mesner+ ::forwards files:: There’s one that talks about away teams to the base, and others that mention some kind of Dominion wreck. You’ll have to see if they are useful.

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ Haven't you seen any of the good suspense holos? We take a sample of these...lovely...exoskellies, and they'll grow back into big uglies aboard our own ship and have us for a light snack.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ Besides, as intriguing as these exoskeletons are, we have another mystery to attend to. We still don’t know where the cr—oh. Oh, no.

Rue Wydown -> With all this focus on the base and the debris...::shakes her head::...what's gonna happen when we send the away team down there the first time and they wander away from the base. A big giant freakin' rock monster is going to eat them, that's what. Because we didn't do our due diligence and complete a planetary survey.

Maryse Dubois -> @ ::Stops in her train of thought to look at Tandy.::

Taryn Castell -> @ ::Her gaze flicked to Charlotte.:: Only if you get it wet or let it eat after midnight.

Rue Wydown -> And that's what they're going to do, they're going to wander away! Like a bunch of freakin' red shirts.

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::looks to Taryn:: I strongly suspect the crew of the Augustine might have done just that.

Ryan Mesner -> @::smirks:: Let me know if you two find any movie monsters, I have reading to do.

Tandaris Admiran -> @::glances at the exoskeletons:: There is a more disturbing possibility.

Fae -> :: Briefly considers interrupting Rue's Rant, but thinks she is just getting into the flow. ::

T'PRehl -> ::Figures the same, might be better to let her rant::

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ I thought those might be good candidates. ::nods in the direction of the exoskellies::

Ryan Mesner -> @::moves over to a terminal, going over Whites forwarded logs::

Fae -> :: Marks the bridge recorder log so she can revisit later and prepare the rant for general release. ::

Tandaris Admiran -> @ The crew of the Augustine is missing. Not evacuated, not dead, but missing.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ In its place, we have anomalous exoskeletons, some of which appear to have come from the base on the planet.

Tandaris Admiran -> @ I think we need to consider the possibility that these exoskeletons _are_ the crew of the Augustine.

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ...thinking that the exoskeletons may be the crew?

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ Wait. Wasn't that a case study...?

Cmdr Rinax -> Challenger: Good evening Everyone

Ryan Mesner -> @::engrossed in boring reading::

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ Accelerated evolution...

Tandaris Admiran -> ((We don’t speak of that, Charlotte. EVER.))

Maryse Dubois -> @ I thought about that. The only problem is there are so few exoskeletons. The internal scans only came up with 15 of them. This ship had a full compliment last I checked.

Rue Wydown -> So, if you have your staff just focus on the Dominion base. One teeeny tiny little space on a planet that big. Then I'm going to send *you* down to deal with the rock monster, or deadly man eating cockroach. And watch as you try to phaser it to death with a laser pointer. Pew pew. ::levels what can only be described as a scary grin/glare stare::

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ...prompted by radiation and exposure to alien DNA.

Charlotte Matsumura -> (( Tommy Lee Jones: EAT ME! ))

Rue Wydown -> So, what is you're going to have your staff do now?

Cptn Swain -> (( Somewhere, a Salamander Janeway is smiling. ))

Charlotte Matsumura -> @ ::looks to Tandy, sheepish:: Sorry. It's always the odd cases that stick with you.

Ryan Mesner -> ((Somewhere, Picard is facepalming.))

Charlotte Matsumura -> (( And so is Riker. ))

T'PRehl -> I'll have then conduct a full planetary survey.

T'PRehl -> (Double facepalm!)

Charlotte Matsumura -> (( Double facepalm FTW! ))

Karl A. Schultz -> :: finishes a report about sensor scan surrounding the base

Fae -> (( I'm going to check to make sure the Paramount leader at the start of the sim hasn't been replaced by Marvel Comics. ))

Tandaris Admiran -> @::Maryse:: True. So we are still faced with the question of where the remainder of the crew would be.

Rue Wydown -> Thank you. ::sits back::

Cptn Swain -> ...and....

Rue Wydown -> (m)I really need a strong drink.

Cptn Swain -> ..on that note....

Cptn Swain -> PAUSE SIM

Cptn Swain -> PAUSE SIM

T'PRehl -> ::Paused::

Fae -> :: paused ::

Maryse Dubois -> ::paused::

Fae -> Where is that yoeman when we really need her?

Karl A. Schultz -> * paused *

Rue Wydown -> ::headsdesk:

Cptn Swain -> :hands his XO a very strong drink::

T'PRehl -> lol.

Cptn Swain -> Nice sim all. :)

Fae -> :) You do have a spare XO? Just in case we break the old one?

Cptn Swain -> lol

T'PRehl -> Maybe there's an Excalibur XO stasis pod, like Talon has lol

Cptn Swain -> We'll pick up roughly where we left off last week, give or take a few inches.

Cptn Swain -> err

Cptn Swain -> That was not what I meant.

Cptn Swain -> We'll pick up next week where we left off this week.

Cptn Swain -> Oi.

Maryse Dubois -> I heard the furball is hanging around Aegis. Could always spread out some catnip and get her to come back. :P

Rue Wydown -> ::raises a brow::

Tandaris Admiran -> Won’t Rue be embarrassed when it turns out the rock monster was hiding inside the Dominion base all along!

Charlotte Matsumura -> Okay, folks, I have to jet. Still visiting family.

Rue Wydown -> I gotta go guys. I'll see you all next week

Charlotte Matsumura -> Catch you later this week.

Fae -> Might be easier just to pad any surface that resembles a desk.

Maryse Dubois -> hehe

Tandaris Admiran -> Rock monster> ::they’ll never look for me in here::

T'PRehl -> Goodnight!

Cptn Swain -> Have a good week. :)