((Present day))

::Hi.  I guess I should start by saying my name is Jessica.  And I guess you
want to know how I managed to get here after living for so long in that
place.  Okay, well let's turn back the clock a bit.::

((Desperot Colony City))

::I got up in the morning and put on my skirt and blouse.  It's a nice
outfit, my favourite, kind of worn I guess.  But seriously, brown's always
in, or at least it was back then.  I checked my watch and oh man.  It was
like 8:02.  I was so dead.  I didn't even have time to do my hair!

So there I am, just getting into Jezzie's.  No, it's not what you think.  I
mean come on.  I just work the till and stock shelves full of...you know.

So I'm just walking in, getting ready for my shift.  There's these two
Catians who are so friggin slow.  I mean how long does it take to walk
across the place?  I'm trying to get to work and these two cats are just
taking their own dang time.

There's the regular crowd, guys who've lost wives, guys who've lost jobs,
guys who're just there for kicks.  Billboard ops guys who are too drunk to
fly.  You know.

Cart:  You're late.

Jessica:  I know, I know.  I promise I won't do it again!

Cart:  You can start by cleaning up the puke in the downstairs bathroom.  Oh
yeah and there's a new shipment of stuff in.

::So I head to the back to the washroom.  Okay this is where stuff gets
weird.  So I walk into the door and it's gone – the bathroom I mean.  Now
I'm standing on this beach.  The moon's out there too and I know this can't
be right.  There's no moon in the city.  I mean it's just a domed city
right?  We have a sun but the Millers put that up a few years ago with a bit
of help from the Crafties and the Rats, you know?

So the moon's shining down and it feels so wild.  I almost want to start
dancing or something.  Just let loose for a while cuz I'm out of the
humdrum.

But then I turn around and there's these giant dinosaurs staring at me.  I
mean I guess they were dinosaurs.  One of them suddenly roars straight down
at me.  I almost wet myself and I'm thinking my stomach's gonna twist itself
into a pretzel, kinda like the ones on the bars at Jezzie's.

The ground's like shaking now and the roaring keeps going.  But it's not a
roar.  It's just...talking.  The dinosaur I mean.::

Dinosaur1:  Lieutenant Breeman - is there any chance there is something
right there?

::Yeah there's something right there!  It's me!

Oh man.  This is totally messed up.  I do a double take, like.... What.. the
frack?  This is the dumbest dinosaur I've ever seen.  I guess it's the only
one I've ever seen too.

And now another dinosaur comes up from behind.  I can hear this deafening
squealing sound.  It can't be the dinosaur; it's way too high-pitched.  The
noise keeps going and I want to run but I can't.  Every time I start to move
they stay in front of me.  It's like I can't get out of their sight.  The
noise gets higher and higher and the dinosaurs are getting smaller and
smaller and...changing.

The giant one that asked if there was something where I was is my size now
and she's...  She's a woman now.  The squealing is gone and there's this guy
and some other guy that looks like a turtle and a couple other people too.

And the guy's saying::

Breeman:  Yes.  It's appears to be humanoid.  This reading is a lot stronger
than the tree branch was.

::Huh?  Tree branch?  Have these guys been sniffing some of fastener glue
from up top?  I guess I should talk I mean I thought they were dinosaurs.
  So now I'm all in his face, like::

Jessica:  Hey!

::and the guy jumps back and says,::

Breeman:  It appears that all of the particles composing this individual
have phased into our universe.

::But the woman looks like she's off somewhere else in la la land kinda, you
know?  And then they're all like,::

Mike/Nickels/Zita/Ehlanii: RESPONSES

::And so I say,::

Jessica:  My name is Jessica.  Look, can someone please tell me what is
going on?

Tags
TBC

Jessica the Shelf Stocker

as simmed by

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Suit:  Please note, removing me may cause complications

::Kevin had long since decided that continuing to wear the suit certainly
would cause complications.  Thus he removed the helmet and the suit, stowing
them in a compartment.  All of this he did with the greatest of haste when
Ehlanii ordered that they venture outside.  Perhaps I am getting ahead of
myself.

When the commander asked how long the crew could safely stay on Desperot
Kevin's mind began to whir.  He checked the half life indication again.  101
days.  He checked the acoustic scan.  The tree branch was becoming more
defined, as shimmered dimly there.::

Mike/Nickels/Zita: Responses?

::He thought about that.  It certainly made sense given what he was seeing
in these readings.::

Breeman:  I concur.  I wouldn't cut it too close.  I'd say we have a few
hours at most.

Ehlanii: Then let's get going.  I want to figure out as much as we can, and
it looks like that's going to mean getting out of this shuttle and exploring
a bit.  Doctor Mike, can you get Ensign Anora situated as best you can.
  Activate the EMH to monitor her condition and set up something so we get
alerted the second it starts to deteriorate.

Breeman:  Aye.

::And it was at this point that Kevin removed his suit much to its internal
computer's chagrin.::

Suit:  You know you really should be more careful.

Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSES

::He left the ping to the Independence-A science database going, requesting
that it no longer forward him data on the radio-isotope experiment.  He
wondered what the half-life would be now that the data weren't being
streamed anymore.::

::The commander indicated the street in front of the shuttle and said,::

Ehlanii: Okay.  Make sure you have your tricorder and phaser.  Everyone keep
on alert, collect as much data as you can and stick together.  Ensign
Nickels, you'll be taking point.  Lets start by working our way down this
street - it looks like the main one.  But everyone keep updating us on what
you're reading.  We're really going to be planning this as we go.

::Kevin holstered a type 2 phaser and grabbed his tricorder from the science
station.::

Breeman:  Aye.

Ehlanii: Then lets get going.

::Soon they were standing outside.::

::Kevin looked about him, tricorder in hand.  The sky above them was a
manufactured gray and smudges of dusty decay lined its shell like clouds
stuck in place on an old postcard.  There was a massive rusted track running
the arc of the dome above them.  It must have been at least a kilometre
above.  Pieces of it were missing.  He followed the line of the track, his
eyes landing eventually on a massive search light.::

Breeman:  ::shaking his head and whispering to himself:: An artifical sun?

There was a slight breeze now.  He looked down to his feet again.  Dirt
stretched from their present location out to the road Cmdr Ehlanii had
indicated.  He looked past the road and saw a giant building.  He could
barely make out the letters on a sign above its door.:  JEZEBELLE'S BROTHEL.
  It was a strange sight, almost like something out of a book he'd read once.
  Only in that book the place had been populated by women from an oppressed
society where if one was female one had to wear a red robe at all times.::

::He glanced around at the rest of the crew, waiting for his tricorder's
present scan to finish.  The microacoustics weren't detecting much yet...::

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*Lieutenant Commander Karynn Ehlanii - Ghosts*

((Shuttle, in Desperot Dome))

Ehlanii: Doctor Mike, tend to her please.  Get her ready for transport back
to the ship for better medical care - but also, I'd like to know what's
wrong - and if there's any threat to the rest of us before she leaves.

Dr. Mike: Yes Sir.

::He moved to scan the ensign, and in a few moments spoke again.::

Rogers: Sir she is stable however I cannot determine what caused her to
collapse. I do not think at this stage that anyone else is at risk. She
would be far better off in Medical on the Independence however I wouldn’t
want to beam her out if the transport was questionable.

Ehlanii: Lieutenant Nickels, Lieutenant Breeman, Ensign Zita.  We're going
to need to transport her back up to the ship - but I need to know its safe
before we do.  Work to make sure we can do that.

Breeman:  Aye.

Nickels: RESPONSE

Zita: Um... sir?

Ehlanii: Any luck with the communications?

Breeman: My connection to the *Independence*-A's science database is gone.
  It keeps coming and going. One moment, sir.

::She looked over at her Chief Science Officer, taking her attention
momentarily away from the colorful helm officer.::

Zita: Well, I've found something, sir...

::That brought her attention back, only to have it redirected when the
terran male spoke again.::

Breeman: Hm. The times on these signals from the database are off by about
100 milliseconds--

::But he wasn't the only one in the shuttle with something important to say.
  Karynn was reminded of that when the Invernian female spoke more
forcefully.  Karynn's gaze whipped back to the young ensign.::

Zita: I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, Lieutenant. According to the
logs, there's a subspace variance coefficient of... what was that number
again?

Nickels: RESPONSE

Zita: Right, ::speaking to Ehlanii now:: and it began, as Lieutenant Breeman
said, at 10,000 feet, getting worse from there. What I believe it means is
that space-time is, well, bent, around the core of this planet.

::Karynn's eyebrows shot up in the air.  Warped spacetime.  Her thoughts
flicked back to her physics classes at the academy.  She had been a chemist
- physics were a lot like engineering, although not quite as difficult.  She
could almost see the various holographic projections from the lectures on
space-time.  The idea that it could be warped around something as small as a
planet's core was... different.::

Ehlanii: Warped space-time?  I seem to remember that requires something
pretty massive.

Mike/Nickels: RESPONSES?

Breeman:  If I may, do you have any ideas about the origins of the chroniton
field we've been observing?

Zita: The chronitons are just a byproduct of the larger problem, and I'm not
sure what it means for us, or for life on the surface - I'm not a scientist
- but it does that mean beaming is out. We couldn't be certain the
materialization process wouldn't be scrambled or... compacted, or something.

Mike/Nickels: RESPONSES?

Ehlanii: And you're pretty sure it won't work?

Zita: Well, we could try sending an inanimate object just to be sure, but
I'd be willing to bet it won't be pretty...

Breeman:  ::To Ehlanii:: Sir, I concur.  And we only have a limited amount
of energy to replicate transporter test objects.  But Ens. Zita's theory
clarifies our previous observations, like the core redistribution cycle.
There's no way for classical physics to account for that phenomenon. I'd
like to get a bit more data on what kind of an effect this variance is
having on the matter in our vicinity.  I think those database connection
attempts might be helpful here since they contained data on the time aboard
the Independence.

Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels/Zita: Response?

Breeman:  ::Nodding:: And if space time is bent around the core then that
might account for the skew in my readings.

::Karynn stood looking out the front window at the dusty planet outside.
  They couldn't transport Ensign Anora off, but she desperately wanted to get
outside, check things out.  What could be causing space-time to warp?
*Was* that
the explanation for the odd density shifting they had noticed?  Were there
any clues here?::

::What about the colonists.  They hadn't been heard from in years, they
didn't seem to be here now, and yet Ensign Zita was insistent that she could
feel them.  Were they all wrapped up in this space-time puzzle?::

::Finally, how long was it safe for them to be here?  Would they get trapped
here if they stayed too long, caught up in the bubble?  There were so many
questions, so many decisions.  But she knew that they had very little chance
of answering the questions if they didn't get onto the planet and off the
shuttle.  Her attention returned to her team when Lieutenant Breeman
spoke.::

Breeman:  I'm detecting something here...  I think it's a … a tree branch.

Ehlanii: A tree-branch?  Where?  Another effect of the distortions we're
observing?

Breeman:  I'd say so yes.  And Ens. Zita, you're right.  Space time is
curved around the core of this planet.  The science department's experiment
observing the effects of warp particles on radioisotope decay has reported a
remaining half life of 100 days.

Zita/Mike/Nickels: Response?

Ehlanii: And why is that confirmation?

Breeman:  Because when I checked it before leaving the Independence it had a
half life of 90 days.

Ehlanii: oOInteresting discrepancy.Oo

Zita/Mike/Nickels: RESPONSE

Breeman:  Well the half life experiment and this micro-acoustic scan are
both relying on underlying quantum systems.  I think this space time fold
might be causing particles that belong in one universe to show up in ours
and vice versa.  So some of the particles of that tree branch are
interacting with some of the particles in our universe.  If that's the case
transporters are definitely out.  We can't risk transporting particles from
different universes to the ship.  I don't even think the pattern buffers
would allow that matter stream to be created in the first place.

::Sometimes it was hard to follow the terran.  Perhaps even harder than
following Lieutenant Nickels.  After all, the Iotian used idioms that were
unfamiliar to the Haliian, but most idioms *were* unfamiliar to the Haliian.
  The former engineer, however, littered his reports with rather technical
details.::

Ehlanii: So we can't beam Ensign Anora out.  Next question: how long can we
safely stay here?

Breeman/Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSES

Ehlanii: Then let's get going.  I want to figure out as much as we can, and
it looks like that's going to mean getting out of this shuttle and exploring
a bit.  Doctor Mike, can you get Ensign Anora situated as best you can.
  Activate the EMH to monitor her condition and set up something so we get
alerted the second it starts to deteriorate.

Breeman/Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSES

::As he worked, Karynn turned to the rest of the officers.::

Ehlanii: Okay.  Make sure you have your tricorder and phaser.  Everyone keep
on alert, collect as much data as you can and stick together.  Ensign
Nickels, you'll be taking point.  Lets start by working our way down this
street - it looks like the main one.  But everyone keep updating us on what
you're reading.  We're really going to be planning this as we go.

Breeman/Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSES

::As the turtle doctor rejoined them she nodded.::

Ehlanii: Then lets get going.

::She moved to the door of the shuttle and opened the portal from the inside
panel.  A wave of warmth swept into the room.  She nodded at the security
officer to proceed.  After he stepped out, she waved on the science officer
and the helm officer.  Then the doctor.  Finally, she left the shuttle and
tapped her code into the outside panel, shutting the door again.::

::The air was dry and hot, a warm breeze kicked up the dust around them.
  She looked around at the buildings: dilapidated, run down, falling apart.
  It was as though they hadn't been fixed up in years, like the place had
been abandoned for decades.::

::A knot formed in the pit of the Haliian woman's stomach and she had to
work hard to suppress a shudder.  A sudden sense of fear, of panic, welled
up through her body, although she knew no rational reason for feeling that
way.  As she moved a few more steps, the feeling subsided again.  She turned
and looked at the spot she had just passed through.::

Ehlanii: Lieutenant Breeman - is there any chance there is something right
there?  ::she pointed out the area she had just walked through.::

Breeman: RESPONSE

::In the distance she thought she saw a figure momentarily.  It looked
familiar.  But that would be impossible because he was on the ship.
  Unconsciously she twisted the ring on her finger.::

Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSES


((OOC: Let's pick up the pace for the next week or so.  The mission will be
wrapping up soon, so lets see how much we can learn/discover before we
leave.  How is the planet affecting you?  What do you read?  Any Zombies,
Mr. Nickels?))


Lt. Cmdr. Karynn Ehlanii
First Officer
*USS Independence-A*


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Free Spirit, USS Independence-A))


::Tyriden was pleasantly surprised how a chance encounter with a fellow shipmate
has led to a memorable and startlingly self-revealing conversation... ::

Tyriden: And I have met quite a few myself... ::He smiled, brighter this time.::
How tragic to allow this to happen to one's self? To allow the ghosts of past
nightmares to continually haunt you. I think you have given me the inspiration
to wake up from this nightmare, to break this vicious cycle.

Da'Pan: ::chuckling lightly:: Well I'm glad I could help.

Tyriden: But you are being modest, my friend. ::There was a flicker of movement
in his right hand as it attempted to move forward to touch Ensign Da'Pan's, but
as spontaneous and reflexive as it occured, the flicker died out. Tyriden smiled
as he contemplated that action that never was.:: It would not be easy to unlearn
some things, I presume.

Da'Pan: No, it won't be easy.  It takes a lot of practice.  Have you seen the
ship's counselor for your psychological evaluation yet?

Tyriden: I am scheduled for one at 0800 hours. oO Hmm, this human is subtly
different from most others I have encountered or worked with. He makes me feel
like it is acceptable to just be myself. And amazingly, I feel comfortable
speaking my true thoughts with him. As if he were not... judgmental.
Intriguing... Oo

Da'Pan: I'd certainly suggest bringing this up at your psych eval then.

Tyriden: The idea of opening up to a stranger is a little disconcerting.
However, since it is a mandatory requirement, I will comply.

Da'Pan: Yes, I can understand that.  I felt that way too.  But the
counselor is really very nice.

Tyriden: Yes, I got that same impression too. I met Lt Fatuus briefly on the
Bridge earlier today. I did not perceive him as... threatening. ::He checked his
chronometer, surprised at the elapsed amount of time.:: It is late. I should get
some rest now.

Da'Pan: Yeah, me too.  It has been great to get to know you, Mr. Tyriden.

::Tyriden waited for Eric to get up before following suit.::

Tyriden: ::with a smile and curt nod:: Likewise, Mr Da'Pan.

::And as he walked to his quarters, Tyriden replayed the conversation in his
head. It still surprised him that he had spontaneously unfurled his inner self
to a virtual stranger. He wondered why Mr Da'Pan was a science officer and not
the ship's counselor. Perhaps, he thought further, he would ask Mr Da'Pan this
very question the next time they met for coffee. And there would be a next time,
he resolved, smiling to himself.::

=========================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

((OOC:  Should probably wrap this up.  It's been wonderful character
development territory though :) ))
((OOC2:  Sorry for muddling up the last post  ))
((Free Spirit - USS Independence-A))

::Eric could see that Tyriden was beginning to calm down now.  Maybe he was
successful in giving advice on dealing with the tyrants of Tyriden's past.
  He'd just tried to assure the man that there was no reason to be sorry.  He
didn't know why but he tended to elicit these kinds of things in people.
  He'd taken personality tests as part of his training at the academy and
scored very high on the interpersonal relational index.  Some of his buddies
had laughed.  “Mr. PhD in astrophysics has a soft spot eh?”  He'd laughed at
them, with them even.  He had to admit it was pretty funny to be someone so
apparently technical and yet also to be such a softy.::

::Tyriden was staring at Eric now.  His eyes were wide and he looked like he
was genuinely surprised.  Eric was glad.  It looked like he might be helping
this man to shake some bad ways of viewing life.  He knew it would take work
on Tyriden's part too to get out of them but at least he had a different
perspective.  Maybe Eric should suggest he see the counsellor.  That would
certainly be a good idea.  He knew people hated shrinks.  Eric had to admit
that psychologists made him uneasy too.  It made sense after all.::

Tyriden: I am surprised by your reaction.

::He supposed his reaction might have surprised anyone.  After all, Tyriden
had come across a bit angrily just then.  But that also made perfect sense
to Eric so he didn't feel any need to get defensive with the man or to lash
back at him.::

::Tyriden was slumping back into his seat, looking very relaxed as though
he'd just been relieved of something.  Eric had seen that look before –
usually in people who'd been holding something in and not telling anybody
about it.::

Tyriden:  I must admit I have never thought about my situation in that
manner. It would seem that I have been burdened by...  excess baggage?

::Eric laughed.  He couldn't count the times he'd heard people say that or
something like it or else show that it was true about themselves.::

Da'Pan: You'd be surprised at how many people I've met who've let someone
they last saw twenty years ago continue to run their lives in their absence.

::He watched the other man across from him grow happier still.::

Tyriden: And I have met quite a few myself... ::Tyriden's smiled intensified
even more.:: How tragic to allow this to happen to one's self? To allow the
ghosts of past nightmares to continually haunt you. I think you have given
me the inspiration to wake up from this nightmare, to break this vicious
cycle.

::That was common too in Eric's experience.  He'd seen a lot of people
understand that what they were doing to themselves wasn't rational and yet
continue to do it anyway.  Still he thought Tyriden would benefit from
seeing the ship's counsellor.::

Da'Pan:  ::Chuckling lightly:: Well I'm glad I could help.

Tyriden: But you are being modest, my friend.

::Eric thought he saw the man's hand start to move toward his across the
table.  He didn't think anything serious would happen and besides he
wouldn't be very helpful if he pulled away.  But in the end Tyriden didn't
do anything particularly interesting.::

Tyriden: It would not be easy to unlearn some things, I presume.

::Now would be a good time to suggest the counsellor, Eric decided.  Tyriden
seemed to be newer to the Independence.::

Da'Pan:  No, it won't be easy.  It takes a lot of practice.  Have you seen
the ship's counsellor for your psychological evaluation yet?

Tyriden:  Response?

((OOC:  Should probably wrap this up.  It's been wonderful character
development territory though :) ))

Da'Pan:  I'd certainly suggest bringing this up at your psych eval then.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yes, I can understand that.  I felt that way too.  But the
counsellor is really very nice.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yeah, me too.  It has been great to get to know you, Mr. Tyriden.

Tyriden:  Response?

::As the two left the Free Spirit and got on to other things, Eric smiled at
having gotten to know this new crewmate.  Now he could count an Andorian as
being among his friends.::

Ens. Eric Da'Pan
Science Officer
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((OOC:  Should probably wrap this up.  It's been wonderful character
development territory though :) ))
((Free Spirit - USS Independence-A))

::Eric could see that Tyriden was beginning to calm down now.  Maybe he was
successful in giving advice on dealing with the tyrants of Tyriden's past.
  He'd just tried to assure the man that there was no reason to be sorry.  He
didn't know why but he tended to elicit these kinds of things in people.
  He'd taken personality tests as part of his training at the academy and
scored very high on the interpersonal relational index.  Some of his buddies
had laughed.  “Mr. PhD in astrophysics has a soft spot eh?”  He'd laughed at
them, with them even.  He had to admit it was pretty funny to be someone so
apparently technical and yet also to be such a softy.::

::Tyriden was staring at Eric now.  His eyes were wide and he looked like he
was genuinely surprised.  Eric was glad.  It looked like he might be helping
this man to shake some bad ways of viewing life.  He knew it would take work
on Tyriden's part too to get out of them but at least he had a different
perspective.  Maybe Eric should suggest he see the counsellor.  That would
certainly be a good idea.  He knew people hated shrinks.  Eric had to admit
that psychologists made him uneasy too.  It made sense after all.::

Tyriden: I am surprised by your reaction.

::He supposed his reaction might have surprised anyone.  After all, Tyriden
had come across a bit angrily just then.  But that also made perfect sense
to Eric so he didn't feel any need to get defensive with the man or to lash
back at him.::

::Tyriden was slumping back into his seat, looking very relaxed as though
he'd just been relieved of something.  Eric had seen that look before –
usually in people who'd been holding something in and not telling anybody
about it.::

Tyriden:  I must admit I have never thought about my situation in that
manner. It would seem that I have been burdened by...  excess baggage?

::Eric laughed.  He couldn't count the times he'd heard people say that or
something like it or else show that it was true about themselves.::

Da'Pan: You'd be surprised at how many people I've met who've let someone
they last saw twenty years ago continue to run their lives in their absence.

::He watched the other man across from him grow happier still.::

Tyriden: And I have met quite a few myself... ::Tyriden's smiled intensified
even more.:: How tragic to allow this to happen to one's self? To allow the
ghosts of past nightmares to continually haunt you. I think you have given
me the inspiration to wake up from this nightmare, to break this vicious
cycle.

::That was common too in Eric's experience.  He'd seen a lot of people
understand that what they were doing to themselves wasn't rational and yet
continue to do it anyway.  Still he thought Tyriden would benefit from
seeing the ship's counsellor.::

Da'Pan:  ::Chuckling lightly:: Well I'm glad I could help.

Tyriden: But you are being modest, my friend.

::Eric thought he saw the man's hand start to move toward his across the
table.  He didn't think anything serious would happen and besides he
wouldn't be very helpful if he pulled away.  But in the end Tyriden didn't
do anything particularly interesting.::

Tyriden: It would not be easy to unlearn some things, I presume.

::Now would be a good time to suggest the counsellor, Eric decided.  Tyriden
seemed to be newer to the Independence.::

Da'Pan:  No, it won't be easy.  It takes a lot of practice.  Have you seen
the ship's counsellor for your psychological evaluation yet?

Tyriden:  Response?

((OOC:  Should probably wrap this up.  It's been wonderful character
development territory though :) ))

Da'Pan:  I'd certainly suggest bringing this up at your psych eval then.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yes, I can understand that.  I felt that way too.  But the
counsellor is really very nice.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yeah, me too.  It has been great to get to know you, Mr. Tyriden.

Tyriden:  Response?

::As the two left the Free Spirit and got on to other things, Eric smiled at
having gotten to know this new crewmate.  Now he could count an Andorian as
being among his friends.::

Ens. Eric Da'Pan
Science Officer
USS Independence-A::Eric could see that Tyriden was beginning to calm down
now.  Maybe he was successful in giving advice on dealing with the tyrants
of Tyriden's past.  He'd just tried to assure the man that there was no
reason to be sorry.  He didn't know why but he tended to elicit these kinds
of things in people.  He'd taken personality tests as part of his training
at the academy and scored very high on the interpersonal relational index.
  Some of his buddies had laughed.  “Mr. PhD in astrophysics has a soft spot
eh?”  He'd laughed at them, with them even.  He had to admit it was pretty
funny to be someone so apparently technical and yet also to be such a
softy.::

::Tyriden was staring at Eric now.  His eyes were wide and he looked like he
was genuinely surprised.  Eric was glad.  It looked like he might be helping
this man to shake some bad ways of viewing life.  He knew it would take work
on Tyriden's part too to get out of them but at least he had a different
perspective.  Maybe Eric should suggest he see the counsellor.  That would
certainly be a good idea.  He knew people hated shrinks.  Eric had to admit
that psychologists made him uneasy too.  It made sense after all.::

Tyriden: I am surprised by your reaction.

::He supposed his reaction might have surprised anyone.  After all, Tyriden
had come across a bit angrily just then.  But that also made perfect sense
to Eric so he didn't feel any need to get defensive with the man or to lash
back at him.::

::Tyriden was slumping back into his seat, looking very relaxed as though
he'd just been relieved of something.  Eric had seen that look before –
usually in people who'd been holding something in and not telling anybody
about it.::

Tyriden:  I must admit I have never thought about my situation in that
manner. It would seem that I have been burdened by...  excess baggage?

::Eric laughed.  He couldn't count the times he'd heard people say that or
something like it or else show that it was true about themselves.::

Da'Pan: You'd be surprised at how many people I've met who've let someone
they last saw twenty years ago continue to run their lives in their absence.

::He watched the other man across from him grow happier still.::

Tyriden: And I have met quite a few myself... ::Tyriden's smiled intensified
even more.:: How tragic to allow this to happen to one's self? To allow the
ghosts of past nightmares to continually haunt you. I think you have given
me the inspiration to wake up from this nightmare, to break this vicious
cycle.

::That was common too in Eric's experience.  He'd seen a lot of people
understand that what they were doing to themselves wasn't rational and yet
continue to do it anyway.  Still he thought Tyriden would benefit from
seeing the ship's counsellor.::

Da'Pan:  ::Chuckling lightly:: Well I'm glad I could help.

Tyriden: But you are being modest, my friend.

::Eric thought he saw the man's hand start to move toward his across the
table.  He didn't think anything serious would happen and besides he
wouldn't be very helpful if he pulled away.  But in the end Tyriden didn't
do anything particularly interesting.::

Tyriden: It would not be easy to unlearn some things, I presume.

::Now would be a good time to suggest the counsellor, Eric decided.  Tyriden
seemed to be newer to the Independence.::

Da'Pan:  No, it won't be easy.  It takes a lot of practice.  Have you seen
the ship's counsellor for your psychological evaluation yet?

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  I'd certainly suggest bringing this up at your psych eval then.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yes, I can understand that.  I felt that way too.  But the
counsellor is really very nice.

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  Yeah, me too.  It has been great to get to know you, Mr. Tyriden.

Tyriden:  Response?

::As the two left the Free Spirit and got on to other things, Eric smiled at
having gotten to know this new crewmate.  Now he could count an Andorian as
being among his friends.::

Ens. Eric Da'Pan
Science Officer
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Conference Room – Deck One, USS Independence- A))

Rogers: Thank you Mr Petrov. Mr Ralik and Mr Tyriden please report on your
groups findings.

Tyriden: ::looking towards Lt Ralik to get the green light to speak first and
receiving a nod from the Ferengi:: Thank you, Sir. It was Lt Ralik who first
noticed discrepancies in the readings obtained by Lt Breeman of Desperot.
Working on a hunch that a possible effect of an irregular planet core could be
gravity distortions which in turn may be distorting time in the vicinity of the
planet, we found that there is a two-day oscillating cycle of the planet's core.
The resultant accumulation of gravimetric energy is causing spontaneous
detonations of polaric ion energy surrounding the planet. And these detonations
are ripping the space-time continuum.

Ralik: These discrepancies match very closely with some of the readings taken
from the console discharges on the Independence. We have a theory that they are
more than just randomly related.

Tyriden: ::nodding:: Lt Ralik is correct. We have detected a chroniton particle
build-up in Cmdr Cody's console just before it exploded, as well as in the other
exploding consoles. Long-range sensors are currently scanning Desperot for
similar particles, and we should be seeing results within the hour at best, but
our impression is that there would also be massive chroniton particle
accumulation surrounding the planet. This supports our theory that a temporal
flux caused by the unstable planet core is the cause of the explosions.

Rogers: response

Tyriden: Actually Sir, keeping shields up would not be a good idea in a
situation like this. The chroniton particles oscillating at extremely high
frequencies would interfere with shield harmonics and this would result in
discharges all throughout the ship.

Anyone: response

Tyriden: We either modify the shield harmonics to counter the chroniton
frequency... ::He glanced furtively at Lt Ralik.:: or we could recalibrate it
completely to filter out the chroniton particles... but... ::He looked around
nervously, swallowing.: :

Anyone: response

Tyriden: The latter option would require a complete warp-core shutdown and
reboot, leaving us essentially dead in the water for a considerable amount of
time, leaving us vulnerable.. . Unless Engineering can come up with an
alternative solution.

Ralik: ::to Rogers:: If that's the way you want to go Sir I'm sure we can come
up with some temporary solution to last while we are here. Or of course until we
figure out for sure exactly what we're dealing with. ::he paused momentarily::
There may be a more immediate and greater danger though Sir. It's an alternate
theory, and a little radical.

Rogers/anyone: Response

Ralik: If the planet really is phased out of sync with normal, or at least what
we would call normal space-time, then it may have dragged the closely
surrounding space with it. If we can get the readings back from the away team
from the planet we can get a much better picture with regards to this. If
everything is fine on the planet then we should be ok, but if not, then we may
need to get to a safe distance before we get dragged out of sync too.

Rogers/anyone: Response

Ralik: It depends on the strength of the tear in space-time. If it is fairly
weak then the mass of the Independence could be anchoring us in our space,
though this won't last indefinitely. Think of it like a wheel set at the top of
a very slight slope. It will start to move very slowly at first, but its
momentum will build. If this is the case here we should make haste.

Rogers/anyone: Response

Ralik: We didn't have time to explore that further, but we suspected the same
thing. If the settlers didn't realise what was happening until it was too late,
then they won't have tried to evacuate. Any ships that were on the planet will
have been taken along too. And if I was trapped out of normal space-time I know
I'd be trying to find a way out. The console discharges could very well be an
attempt at an inter-dimensional hail.

Rogers/anyone: Response

TBC/TAG

Lt JG Ralik
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Independence

((Conference Room – Deck One, USS Independence-A))


::Tyriden and Lt JG Ralik had arrived for the briefing just in the nick of time.
Tyriden took a seat at the far end of the table, opting not to have a mug of
coffee in hand though he noticed everyone at the table had one. He wondered if
this was a personal need or part of formality.

Lt Cmdr Rogers had extracted reports from various officers, some of whom Tyriden
has yet to meet in person. The Andorian listened attentively at the procedural
process of presenting reports and tried his best to conceal his building anxiety
presenting his, as this would be his very first official Starfleet briefing
report presentation.::


Rogers: Thank you Mr Petrov. Mr Ralik and Mr Tyriden please report on your
groups findings.

Tyriden: ::looking towards Lt Ralik to get the green light to speak first and
receiving a nod from the Ferengi:: Thank you, Sir. It was Lt Ralik who first
noticed discrepancies in the readings obtained by Lt Breeman of Desperot.
Working on a hunch that a possible effect of an irregular planet core could be
gravity distortions which in turn may be distorting time in the vicinity of the
planet, we found that there is a two-day oscillating cycle of the planet's core.
The resultant accumulation of gravimetric energy is causing spontaneous
detonations of polaric ion energy surrounding the planet. And these detonations
are ripping the space-time continuum.

Ralik: response

Tyriden: ::nodding:: Lt Ralik is correct. We have detected a chroniton particle
build-up in Cmdr Cody's console just before it exploded, as well as in the other
exploding consoles. Long-range sensors are currently scanning Desperot for
similar particles, and we should be seeing results within the hour at best, but
our impression is that there would also be massive chroniton particle
accumulation surrounding the planet. This supports our theory that a temporal
flux caused by the unstable planet core is the cause of the explosions.

Rogers: response

Tyriden: Actually Sir, keeping shields up would not be a good idea in a
situation like this. The chroniton particles oscillating at extremely high
frequencies would interfere with shield harmonics and this would result in
discharges all throughout the ship.

Anyone: response

Tyriden: We either modify the shield harmonics to counter the chroniton
frequency... ::He glanced furtively at Lt Ralik.:: or we could recalibrate it
completely to filter out the chroniton particles... but... ::He looked around
nervously, swallowing.::

Anyone: response

Tyriden: The latter option would require a complete warp-core shutdown and
reboot, leaving us essentially dead in the water for a considerable amount of
time, leaving us vulnerable... Unless Engineering can come up with an
alternative solution.

Anyone: response

TBC/TAG
============================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

((Free Spirit, USS Independence-A))


::While talking about his immediate science department superior whom he has yet
to meet, Tyriden was reminded about his past tyrannical employers who had
somehow succeeded in emotionally scarring the young ensign.::

Tyriden: ::suddenly sitting up straight, as if realizing something amiss:: I
apologize Mr Da'Pan, for this unintentional... outburst of emotion. Perhaps the
day's events have exhausted me mentally and physically more than what I
expected.

Da'Pan: No no, don't apologize. All I can tell you is that if you live
life worrying about the tyrants of your past.... they'll never stop ruling you.

::Tyriden stared at the man sitting before him with wide eyes. He was pleasantly
surprised that Ensign Da'Pan was tactful in handling this potentially volatile
situation. He wasn't even the least bit prying where someone else would've been
overly eager to excavate as much buried deep dark secrets as possible and expose
them to the light of the cheap-thrills-seeking world. Ensign Da'Pan wasn't even
nearly as inquisitive, as required by their profession, as psychiatrists or
counselors, yet he commanded a sense of respect with the simplest eptitude of
a... gentleman. Tyriden thought about the words uttered by the ensign. How
remarkably and profoundly true. And yet he himself had never looked at the
situation in that perspective. He stared now at Ensign Da'Pan with newly-earned
esteem.::

Tyriden: ::coming out of his staring reverie:: I am surprised by your reaction.
::He slumped back into his seat for the first time that evening.:: I must admit
I have never thought about my situation in that manner. It would seem that I
have been burdened by... ::searching for the right words:: excess baggage?

Da'Pan: ::laughing:: You'd be surprised at how many people I've met who've let
someone they last saw twenty years ago continue to run their lives in their
absence.

Tyriden: And I have met quite a few myself... ::He smiled, brighter this time.::
How tragic to allow this to happen to one's self? To allow the ghosts of past
nightmares to continually haunt you. I think you have given me the inspiration
to wake up from this nightmare, to break this vicious cycle.

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: But you are being modest, my friend. ::There was a flicker of movement
in his right hand as it attempted to move forward to touch Ensign Da'Pan's, but
as spontaneous and reflexive as it occured, the flicker died out. Tyriden smiled
as he contemplated that action that never was.:: It would not be easy to unlearn
some things, I presume.

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: oO This human is subtly different from most others I have encountered
or worked with. He makes me feel like it is acceptable to just be myself. And
amazingly, I feel comfortable speaking my true thoughts with him. As if he were
not... judgmental. Intriguing... Oo

TBC/TAG
=============================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

(( Conference Room – Deck One USS Independence))
 
::Will looked up from his coffee as Mr Kobylarz was the first to arrive for the
briefing::

Kobylarz: Sir. ::nodding his head::
 
Rogers:: smiling in greeting:: Mr Kobylarz. :: As seemed to be his want the
Tactical Officer did not engage in any small talk, found himself a drink then
sat waiting for the others to arrive.

Hunt: Commander Rogers ::Noddding:: 
  
Rogers: Lt Hunt. :: Watching their helmsman Mr Rathbone enter and order two
black coffees Will realized that both Hunt and Rathbone must know each other
reasonably well.::
 
Rathbone: Here, I thought you might like some coffee. What are you working on.

Hunt: Thank you Matt ::Smiling and taking the coffee:: I really could use it
yes.  I am reading some reports.

Rathbone: Ah ok, and is there anything in there.

Hunt: Not really, There is a stolen Vulcan Shuttle, a Ferengi and Nausicaan
Minning conflict on the Vorax Moon and the Klingons are building up the boarders
for one reason or another. 

Rathbone: I see, and how are you Commander Rogers.

Rogers: I’m fully recovered from the shock of the energy discharge thank you
Mr Rathbone.:: grinning ::No more overwhelming compulsions to type out numbers
on a padd.
 
Hunt: Here you go Commander ::Handing over a PADD:: this is everything that I
have done over the last week and what is in red is what I need to do by the end
of the day, as you see we are running low on some supply, most of in can be
replicated but some we are going to have to take on as soon as we can.
 
Rogers:: Scrolling through the report::  Hopefully we can wrap up this mission
soon and get a chance to properly resupply.
 
:: Mr Petrov entered the room and without greeting anyone found a seat at the
back of the room. Will had the impression that his other Tactical Officer was
like himself more physically oriented and eager to see some action on this
mission. Mr Ralik and Tyriden arrived at the last moment and it was time to
start.::  I appreciate all your efforts over the last four hours. I will start
this briefing with a summary of our current situation then ask each group to
report their findings.
 
Currently we are in orbit around Desperot. Commander Ehlanii has reached the
surface and entered the dome of the mining colony. Communication is patchy but
they have reported in safely. At this stage we have had no further communication
from them.
 
We are currently running with shields up to prevent another energy discharge. I
hardly have to tell you that this is not a viable long term solution. Commander
Cody and Lieutenant Fatuus are currently in sick bay due to being struck by
energy discharges. While Commander Cody is recovering Lieutenant Fatuus has
absorbed a large amount of energy and his situation is unclear.
 
Mr Hunt and Mr Rathbone since neither of you were directly assigned to a task I
would appreciate your views on what the groups have come up with. A fresh pair
of eyes and ears on the situation.
 
Mr Kobylarz were you and Lieutenant Fatuus able to determine if the energy
discharges were random events or the work of an intelligence?
 
Kobylarz: response.
 
Others: response
 
((backsimming as required here))
 
Rogers: Thank you Mr Kobylarz.  Mr Petrov how have you progressed with your
theory, Perhaps you could explain your idea and anything you have uncovered so
far.
 
Petrov: response
 
Others: response
 
((backsimming as required here))
 
Rogers: Thank you Mr Petrov. Mr Ralik and Mr Tyriden please report on your
groups findings.
 
Ralik / Tyriden: response.
 
 
LtCmdr William Rogers
SO – Chief Tactical / Security
USS Independence


      
________________________________________________________________________________\
__
See what's on at the movies in your area. Find out now:
http://au.movies.yahoo.com/session-times/

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((USS Faraios – Desperot Colony City))

Breeman: Hm. The times on these signals from the database are off by about
100 milliseconds--

Zita: I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, Lieutenant. According to the
logs, there's a subspace variance coefficient of... what was that number
again?

::Kevin remained silent as Lt. Nickels gave the number that made Kevin
cringe.  It was a value similar to one used by an instructor as part of an
example back at the Academy.

He felt a bit unnerved when he realized that he had been interrupting a
conversation between Cmdr Ehlanii and Ens. Zita.  Well, he decided, it was
unlikely that he'd face major disciplinary action and he also had to admit
that he was at a loss as to what was happening.  A good part of his mind was
trying to approach the timed out database connection issue as though it were
an engineering problem.  He supposed he might solve it by changing the
timeout parameters on his own service.  That might be a solution but it
would make queries take much longer and be much less reliable.::

Zita: Right, ::Kevin observed the woman turning to speak to Cmdr. Ehlanii.::
and it began, as Lieutenant Breeman said, at 10,000 feet, getting worse from
there. What I believe it means is that space-time is, well, bent, around the
core of this planet.

::Perhaps it was not all that bad that Kevin had been interjecting his own
thoughts throughout the course of Zita's  observations.  Things were
starting to come together much more.  He was tempted to reflect at length
upon his past now, on how he would have felt ashamed not more than five
years ago had he had an experience like this.  He, as chief of science, had
not made the breakthrough discovery.  But at the academy he had been taught
about the importance of teamwork.  It was essential that everyone be able to
depend upon everyone else.  That dependence meant by definition a concession
of some of one's prestige as a fully autonomous expert.::

Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: Response?

::Kevin nodded, feeling happy now that someone had offered a theory.  Still
that small trace of worry about his not having discovered it was starting to
grow.

oO No!  We're a team and we function as one!  Some day someone in a
different department will need to fall back on you for help just as much as
you fell back on Zita's observations!  Now let's get to it! Oo

Feeling more confident again after the miniature pep talk, Kevin decided to
see if Zita could offer an explanation for the chronitons.  Where were they
coming from?  He tried to be a bit more polite this time around,::

Breeman:  If I may, do you have any ideas about the origins of the chroniton
field we've been observing?

Zita: The chronitons are just a byproduct of the larger problem, and I'm not
sure what it means for us, or for life on the surface - I'm not a scientist
- but it does that mean beaming is out. We couldn't be certain the
materialization process wouldn't be scrambled or... compacted, or something.

::That made more sense.  Kevin thought about the possibilities of chronitons
emanating from a subspace variance with the coefficient Zita and Nickels had
apparently found.  He tried to do the math in his head, but then someone
said,::

Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: Response?

Zita: Well, we could try sending an inanimate object just to be sure, but
I'd be willing to bet it won't be pretty...

Breeman:  ::To Ehlanii:: Sir, I concur.  And we only have a limited amount
of energy to replicate transporter test objects.  But Ens. Zita's theory
clarifies our previous observations, like the core redistribution cycle.
  There's no way for classical physics to account for that phenomenon. I'd
like to get a bit more data on what kind of an effect this variance is
having on the matter in our vicinity.  I think those database connection
attempts might be helpful here since they contained data on the time aboard
the Independence.

Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels/Zita: Response?

Breeman:  ::Nodding:: And if space time is bent around the core then that
might account for the skew in my readings.

::Kevin opened his tricorder again and plugged in the subspace variance Zita
had noted.  Next he instructed the device to scan the atmosphere inside the
shuttle.  Finally he programmed his console to make database connection
attempts every second.

He watched as the acknowledge messages came back sporadically, their time
stamps being off by about 100 milliseconds.  But he also noticed something
else.  Included in the database responses were updates on a radioisotope
decay experiment that some of his officers had been conducting aboard the
Independence.  Those in themselves were not abnormal.  What were strange,
however, were the half life predictions.  The object of the experiment was
to determine the effects of warp travel on radioisotope decay.  Since the
half life of the isotopes was already known it was easy to determine if
travelling at warp was having an impact on the decay rate.  Thus far no
effects had been observed.

((OOC:  What is it?  Is it the observer effect?  Does Breeman as an observer
in this folded spacetime cause the experiment to act up?  Or perhaps the
planet has messed with the experiment somehow and caused its half life to go
up...))

Kevin remembered having checked the remaining half life out of curiosity
about 3 hours before leaving the ship.  According to the predictions the
isotopes had another ninety days left to live.  Looking at the data now, the
isotopes showed 100 days remaining before complete decay.  How could this
be?  Had he misread the readouts before leaving the ship?  Or--

There was a beeping from his tricorder.  It was detecting foreign objects.
  He pointed the device around and executed a micro-acoustic imaging scan.

The tricorder sent micro-acoustic pulses through the air and generated
images based on the results.  It was like a 20th century SONAR.  He could
see the outlines of Cmdr. Ehlanii, Ens. Zita, Dr. Mike, the stricken Ens.
Anora, and Lt. Nickels.  But there was a faint outline of something else.

The object looked like a jagged line stretching up from the floor of the
shuttlecraft.  It jutted up and passed through one of Dr. Mike's arms.  When
the doctor moved his arm slightly it didn't seem to affect the object, nor
the doctor's arm.::

Breeman:  I'm detecting something here...  I think it's a … a tree branch.

Zita/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: Response?

Breeman:  I'd say so yes.  And Ens. Zita, you're right.  Space time is
curved around the core of this planet.  The science department's experiment
observing the effects of warp particles on radioisotope decay has reported a
remaining half life of 100 days.

Zita/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: Response?

Breeman:  Because when I checked it before leaving the Independence it had a
half life of 90 days.

Zita/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: Response?

Breeman:  Well the half life experiment and this micro-acoustic scan are
both relying on underlying quantum systems.  I think this space time fold
might be causing particles that belong in one universe to show up in ours
and vice versa.  So some of the particles of that tree branch are
interacting with some of the particles in our universe.  If that's the case
transporters are definitely out.  We can't risk transporting particles from
different universes to the ship.  I don't even think the pattern buffers
would allow that matter stream to be created in the first place.

Anyone:  Responses?

TAGS
TBC

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Science Lab, USS Independence- A))

Tyriden: Of course any number of temporal phenomena could have a direct effect
on the space-time continuum... From temporal fragmentation to temporal fracture,
temporal distortion to temporal displacement, anti-time eruption to temporal
causality loop. Any one of these temporal anomalies could rip subspace... ::He
paused to slow the spinning of his thoughts.:: But my best inference would be
that of a temporal flux. This would be in keeping with the oscillating frequency
of the planet's core as well as explain the difficulty in identifying the
precise point of the distortion, because well, time would be in a state of
flux...

Ralik: ::chuckling: : It's a bit of an obscure outside possibility, but it's
more than we've got so far. Worth checking out. ::Then he mumbled something
inaudible.::

Tyriden: Sir?

Ralik: A rule of acquisition Ensign, translated to Terran it's basically time is
money. Not to be wasted in other words, or in this case underestimated.

Tyriden: ::thinking a moment:: Terrans often say that Time is precious. So I
guess you are correct to make that deduction, Sir.

Ralik: ::bringing up the results of the ship anomaly scans and those of
Desperot:: oO Very interesting Oo It seems there is a big similarity between the
planet and what happened on the ship. The readings *could* be taken as temporal
distortions, almost as though the planet is in a state of temporal flux. There
are more than a few key points of similarity between the ship discharge readings
and the planet.

Tyriden: If I may, I would like to recalibrate the ship's sensors to perform a
long-range scan for chroniton particles, focussing on the area around Desperot.
This would help us detect the presence of a temporal flux, if any. I have
already initiated a similar scan of Cmdr Cody's console as well as all other
main consoles using internal sensors.

Ralik: A good show of initiative ::he smiled::. Good idea.

Tyriden: ::furiously keying in data:: Internal scans should not take more than
30 minutes but long-range scans may take up to six hours at best.

Ralik: Why so long? I'll take a look at the sensors, see if there's a fault of
some kind. ::continuing to read the data in front of him::

Tyriden: ::realizing the time with wide eyes:: Is it time for the progress
report already?

Ralik: Wow, time flies ay? I think we may actually have something for the
briefing ::uploading the data to a PADD:: C'mon guys we better get to the
briefing room.

((Briefing Room, USS Independence))

::On entering the briefing Ralik wasn't at all surprised that they weren't the
first ones there. He had gone right up to the last minute in the lab taking as
much time as he could to research the information the team had discovered. PADD
in hand, he walked to the table and took a seat.::

Lt JG Ralik
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Independence

((Ivan's quarters))

::Ivan sat correlating his reports. It seemed he was right that the energy pulse
had changed them but no more than a standard biological reaction to the
electricity.

There were still a few unexplainde phenomena. Why did both he and the commander
has number visions. Why did Faatus recieve a larger dose. Nothing made sense to
him. He stood and in a rage threw a padd across the room.::

Petrov: I'm a warrior damn it! Not some Fenris cursed lab monkey. I need combat!
I need to see my enemy face to face! Not try and discover him in some pile of
computerised jibberish.

::Ivan punched the closest wall and put a sizable dent in its covering. He
retracted his fist and looked at the dent. He sighed slightly and regained his
composure. The maintenance engineer who had fixed his wall last time looked at
him oddly when he said it was a training accident. He would wait a month before
reporting this one. That should keep things nice and quiet. He picked up his
wall clock and rehung it. Checked the time and gathered his research.::

((Conference room))

::Ivan entered the room and moved to one of the back chairs where it was nice
and quiet. He pittied any empaths who happened to randomly scan his surface
thoughts. He just prayed that his composure would outlast this meeting.
Afterwards he would head to the marine barracks and train with them for a while.
They were just as cagey as he was and they enjoyed letting off steam fighting
each other in the make shift arena they had constructed in their barracks.::

Lieutenant Ivan Petrov
Tactical Officer
USS Independence




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Free Spirit - USS Independence-A))

::Tyriden and Eric discussed the electrical discharges for a while, Eric
trying to reiterate his own rationale for being calm about it to Tyriden.
  He hoped honestly that he was right but at the same time he kept trying to
keep the fear, however small, from his mind.

At his mention of statistics - half jokingly, half seriously - Tyriden
decided to ask about Lt. Breeman.  What was he like as a person?  Eric
mentioned that the man was a bit technical at times, and also a friendly
individual. He was a former engineer and a bit eccentric.::

::Now smiling, Tyriden said,::

Tyriden: Then I will look forward to working with Lt Breeman.  Before I
enlisted in Starfleet, I partook in many jobs under many employers. Most of
whom were highly demanding and uncompromising.

::Eric could see that Tyriden seemed a bit distressed about this.  The
andorian was shuddering slightly and Eric thought he saw a look of sadness
or perhaps even shame in the man's eyes but he couldn't be entirely sure.
  It was best not to jump to conclusions, so instead he just let him keep
talking.::

Tyriden:  One of these days I shall tell you about some of my unpleasant
encounters with these tyrants.

::Tyrants?  That was a strong word.  Eric tried to be careful here.  Was he
touching on some fears or hurts Tyriden had?  He hoped the man wouldn't be
too worried about meeting Lt. Breeman.  Maybe he should try to calm Tyriden
down a bit.  Eric let himself descend slowly into a calmer demeanor, not
that he wasn't calm right now - maybe just a little worried for Tyriden.
  He'd seen this kind of thing before - guys who'd come from tougher places
and ended up becoming more or less type-A personalities.  "People won't like
me if I don't work hard," Eric imagined such people thinking to themselves.
  But all Eric could say was, learn to work hard and play hard.

Maybe he should try using the lieutennant's first name to make him seem more
personable?::

((OOC: Not sure if you intended to this next line of dialog to be some kind
of outburst...  Sorry if I make Tyriden seem more aggressive))

Da'Pan:  Honestly, Kevin isn't like that.  I've worked with him before and
he tends to be more an explorer than a tyrant--

Tyriden: Perhaps it is sufficient to say, at least for this evening, that
after working for so many despotic employers, I have been conditioned to
satisfy the bosses' demands at all costs.  ::Eric listened, feeling a bit
worried but at the same time concentrating on that curiosity he had about
all people.  It was an art he'd spent his entire life honing -- how to
listen to and learn about people without prying, how to get to know people
without distressing them.:: The experience has turned me into a
perfectionist. But a perfectionist who is afraid of disappointing his
superiors.

::Everyone was afraid to a certain degree of disappointing his superiors.
  To be sure, Eric had disappointed his own on occasion.  But he tried to
keep his distance from those experiences, to learn from them and then to
live in the now.  How could he do his best job presently?

He recalled the maintenance guy again, the guy he'd met back at the
University of Olympus Mons on Mars.  He had been slightly overweight and, as
Eric had gotten to know him more, had turned out to be very insecure about
himself.  Everything for him had been about doing his job properly, about
staying on the good side of his employers.  He'd lived for the times they
praised him for doing a good job.  Yes, Eric had reasoned, it was great to
be praised and complimented, but it was not healthy to base one's own view
of one's self on the opinions and statements of others.

Heck, more often than not, people hadn't even commented on James' work,
instead simply taking it for granted that he would do his job just like
everybody else.  And that was exactly the position Eric was in now.  He
wasn't necessarily the best at his job but that didn't bother him in the
least.  But for James, the maintenance guy back at the University of Olympus
Mons, not being praised had been horrible.  The silence of his superiors had
driven him to comfort himself by other means.  He'd over-eaten many times,
sabotaged himself by believing that the silence of the building management
signalled their plotting his termination or perhaps their disapproval.

It had reminded Eric of his first experiences using an optical telescope.
  If one was not careful one could see things that weren't there in the
blurry smudge of a distant planet or star or nebula.  Indeed, Giovanni
Schiaparelli had thought he'd seen canals on Mars before the planet had even
been colonized.

Eric could tell Tyriden wasn't someone who kept himself comfortable by
overeating.  But he suspected there would be something there to keep away
the self-inflicted pain that would still be there in order to maintain the
standards set by the past 'tyrants.'  Perhaps Tyriden kept himself reassured
by overworking and thus avoiding their wrath?  In any case, Eric decided
he'd best let the counsellors help the man if he was willing.  For now
though he tried to address Tyriden's point directly.::

Da'Pan:  Honestly I understand you, my friend.  And I can tell you
confidently, if there is a tyrant on our ship Kevin is the last person who
would be him.

::Tyriden straightened now, acting as though he were coming to his senses.
  Eric could tell that he might have uncovered something darker about this
person.::

Tyriden:  I apologize Mr Da'Pan, for this unintentional... outburst of
emotion. Perhaps the day's events have exhausted me mentally and physically
more than what I expected.

::Eric smiled.  He was tempted to feel a bit guilty but he trusted himself
enough to know that he would never tell anyone what his new friend had just
told him.  It was a secret that was safe with him.::

Da'Pan:  No no, don't apologize.  All I can tell you is that if you live
life worrying about the tyrants of your past.... ::He could feel a
philosophical bent coming on now:: they'll never stop ruling you.

Tyriden:  Response?

::He laughed now.::

Da'Pan:  You'd be surprised at how many people I've met who've let someone
they last saw twenty years ago continue to run their lives in their absence.

Tyriden:  Response?

TAGS
TBC

Ens. Eric Da'Pan
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

as simmed by

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Briefing Room))

::Hunt noticed Matt walking into the Briefing room with two mugs in hand::

Rathbone: Here, I thought you might like some coffee. What are you working on.

Hunt: Thank you Matt ::Smiling and taking the coffee:: I really could use it
yes.  I am reading some reports.

Rathbone: Ah ok, and is there anything in there.

Hunt: Not really, There is a stolen Vulcan Shuttle, a Ferengi and Nausicaan
Minning conflict on the Vorax Moon and the Klingons are building up the boarders
for one reason or another.  ::Hunt went back to reading the reports and sipping
the coffee that Matt had gave him.::

Rathbone: I see, and how are you Commander Rogers.

Rogers:
 
::Hunt laid down the reports and leaned back in his chair to listion to the
Commander for a moment::
 
Hunt: Here you go Commander ::Hand Rogers a PADD:: this is everything that I
have done over the last week and what is in red is what I need to do by the end
of the day, as you see we are running low on some supply, most of in can be
replicated but some we are going to have to take on as soon as we can.
 
Rogers:
 
TAG

Lt. Jg Guy Perry Hunt
Chief of Operation



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Deck One))



::Matt Rathbone walked over to the replicater and ordered two Black Coffee's and
walked into the Briefing Room, handing one too Guy and taking a seat next to
him::



Rathbone:  Here, I thought you might like some coffee.  What are you working on.



Hunt:



Rathbone:  Ah ok, and is there anything in there.



Hunt:



Rathbone:  I see, and how are you Commander Rogers.



Rogers:



TAG:


Ensign Matt David Rathbone
Helm Officer






_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141665/direct/01/

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Science Lab, USS Independence-A))


Tyriden: ::looking about bewildered:: oO What resonant frequency? Is Henk having
a malfunction? Oo

Ralik: ::smiling at Tyriden and shrugging:: I don't know either, just follow his
lead. ::He gestured to the console in front of the Andorian.::

Tyriden: Got it, Sir. ::He punched a few keys on his console.:: I have factored
in the resonant frequency into the simulation model... ::He tapped his foot in
eager excitement.:: What do we do next, Mr Henk?

Henk: Well, now you should be ready to---

Ralik: Bring up the readings Lt Breeman got of Desperot before the last mission
briefing. There was something strange about the planet's geology. Run pattern
scans on the discharge distortions and those of the planet and see if they tie
in to each other in any way.

Henk: You should all be set to run the experiment. I have a continually updating
filter running now so the EM readings shouldn't interfere with the procedure.

Tyriden: ::perplexed, addressing Lt Ralik while never averting his eyes from his
console:: You are thinking that there is a connection between Desperot and the
discharge distortions, Sir?

Ralik: I may be clutching at straws but a possible effect of such an
irregular planet core could be gravity distortions. This in turn may be
distorting time in the vicinity of the planet.

::Now Tyriden looked up from his console to Lt Ralik. His antennae were directed
forwards, standing erect. He was intrigued to hear the engineer postulate about
the possibility of a distortion in the space-time continuum.::

Henk: Oh yeah! I just pulled the latest scans and there is a two-day long mass
redistribution of Desperot's core. The core disperses itself out to the crust
and then falls back into itself every two days. That is very strange.

Tyriden: ::looking back at the numbers and characters rapidly filling the screen
of the console:: I verify those readings, Lt Ralik. There is indeed a two-day
oscillating cycle of the planet's core. The resultant accumulation of
gravimetric energy is off the charts... I am also seeing evidence of spontaneous
detonations of polaric ion energy surrounding the planet. This is not unusual
given the massive energy generated by the oscillating core...

::He looked up at Lt Ralik once more, going tense for a moment, his antennae
limp. Theories and thoughts spun furiously in his mind, like ruaway
satellites.::

Tyriden: It is highly probable that a massive warped gravity well formed by the
oscillating core of the planet has caused spontaneous detonations of polaric ion
energy surrounding the planet. And these detonations have been documented to
cause rips in the space-time continuum.

Henk: Well.. That's an interesting idea, Mr. Andorian.

Ralik: It's fully possible there's a rip in space-time due to a massive warped
gravity well, for example a planet. We've seen similar before.

Tyriden: Of course any number of temporal phenomena could have a direct effect
on the space-time continuum... From temporal fragmentation to temporal fracture,
temporal distortion to temporal displacement, anti-time eruption to temporal
causality loop. Any one of these temporal anomalies could rip subspace... ::He
paused to slow the spinning of his thoughts.:: But my best inference would be
that of a temporal flux. This would be in keeping with the oscillating frequency
of the planet's core as well as explain the difficulty in identifying the
precise point of the distortion, because well, time would be in a state of
flux...

Ralik: ::chuckling:: It's a bit of an obscure outside possibility, but it's more
than we've got so far. Worth checking out. ::Then he mumbled something
inaudible.::

Tyriden: Sir?

Ralik: response

Tyriden: ::thinking a moment:: Terrans often say that Time is precious. So I
guess you are correct to make that deduction, Sir.

Ralik: response

Tyriden: If I may, I would like to recalibrate the ship's sensors to perform a
long-range scan for chroniton particles, focussing on the area around Desperot.
This would help us detect the presence of a temporal flux, if any. I have
already initiated a similar scan of Cmdr Cody's console as well as all other
main consoles using internal sensors.

Ralik: response

Tyriden: ::furiously keying in data:: Internal scans should not take more than
30 minutes but long-range scans may take up to six hours at best.

Ralik: response

Tyriden: ::realizing the time with wide eyes:: Is it time for the progress
report already? oO Where did the time go? Is this what terrans would describe as
'ironic'? Oo

TBC/TAG
=========================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

((OOC: Thanks for Ensign Vitri's post Kevin, I'll keep that til after the next
mission update as it would be difficult to squeeze it in now.))

((Sick Bay, USS Independence))

Mevra: I don't think anyone here has experience with the Ilumini. We're just
going to have to do our best until we can get in contact with his people. In the
mean time, that's why we keep the records we do - and insist on inital exams.
Nurse Daro, could you load those records into the bed's console. The computer
can help us sort out the data.

Daro: Ma'am ::nodding at the doctor as she turned to speak to Ensign Redfield::

::It seemed sick bay was abuzz localised around Lt Fatuus, there were other
patients here including the CO, though for the moment this was Ignis's time.
Daro did as instructed and loaded as much information on the Illumini as the
computer had into the bed's systems.::

PNPC Ensign Daro
Medical Officer (Nurse)

as simmed by

Lt JG Ralik
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Independence

((Free Spirit, USS Independence-A))

Tyriden: I realize it is not wise to speculate, but what are your personal
thoughts about the electrical discharges? What do you think is the cause?

::Tyriden tried to be open-minded about the incident, yet his inherent Andorian
sceptical nature harbored the notion that this could very well be the first wave
of an enemy attack. But he was prudent to stash away these thoughts in the far
recesses of his mind.::

Da'Pan: My personal thoughts? Well it scared me at first and sometimes
there's a thought in the back of my mind that the console I'm using will blow.
But I mean, you can't just not do your job because of a few weird incidents.

Tyriden: ::raising an eyebrow:: You are correct. Weird is part and parcel of
being a Starfleet officer... And what about the prime numbers on the PADDs?

Da'Pan: Well I've heard the stories about numbers on padds. The first thing that
jumps into my mind is some kind of an alien intelligence. But still, can't
really rule anything out yet. Are you worried at all about getting zapped?

Tyriden: ::thoughtful:: The thought has crossed my mind. But my people believe
strongly in what you humans call 'fate' or 'destiny'. If it is one's destiny to
die by getting... zapped... then it shall be so. Even when one avoids all
electrical and EM-emitting appliances, one will still get zapped as it is
written. Hence, it is of no use worrying about the probabilities of one's death,
which is as random as the blooming of the Denobulan hyacinth. ::He managed a
weak smile.:: However, I may not necessarily represent my people entirely
accurately, as you may have deduced. So yes, I am somewhat worried about
getting... zapped.

Da'Pan: ::smiling:: You could always just think statistics. Several
hundred people on this ship. 3 or 4 people zapped. That's .... one percent
chance of getting zapped?

::Tyriden felt amused and reassured at the same time. And he had his new friend
to thank.::

Tyriden: I understand. ::pausing:: What can you tell me about our... boss, Lt
Breeman? Is that the right word to use, 'boss'? ::He seemed to be making a
mental search for the definition of the word.:: I merely want to be prepared
meeting him and working with him.

Da'Pan: Well, I wouldn't call him a boss. He'd probably blush at that.
What can I say? He's friendly. A bit technical at times.

Tyriden: Technical?

Da'Pan: He's a former engineer. He has a great background in computer
science. He can be a tad eccentric. But he's a pretty friendly guy.

Tyriden: Then I will look forward to working with Lt Breeman. ::He smiled
again.:: Before I enlisted in Starfleet, I partook in many jobs under many
employers. Most of whom were highly demanding and uncompromising. ::He shuddered
slightly recalling some bitter memories.:: One of these days I shall tell you
about some of my unpleasant encounters with these tyrants.

::He thought for a moment about what he had revealed. It was unusual for him to
be so candidly open about his past to people, especially people whom he had just
met a couple of hours ago. It surprised him, this unscripted spontaneity. He
wondered if it had anything to do with this particular replicated mug of
Raktajino. And as he stared at the bottom of his empty mug, he heard Ensign
Da'Pan say::

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: Perhaps it is sufficient to say, at least for this evening, that after
working for so many despotic employers, I have been conditioned to satisfy the
bosses' demands at all costs. The experience has turned me into a perfectionist.
But a perfectionist who is afraid of disappointing his superiors. oO Lt Fatuus
will have a field day with my psych eval tomorrow. Oo

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: ::suddenly sitting up straight, as if realizing something amiss:: I
apologize Mr Da'Pan, for this unintentional... outburst of emotion. Perhaps the
day's events have exhausted me mentally and physically more than what I
expected.

Da'Pan: response


TBC/TAG
=======================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

*Ensign Zita Ses'ilia - "Workin' With Nicky"*
((Desperot Colony Dome, *USS Feraios*))

Ehlanii: =/\= Shuttlecraft *Feraios* to *Independence*.  We have landed
safely and are in the dome of Desperot colony. =/\=

Rogers: =/\= *Inde*... ...*eraios*, acknowl... safe and down... advised,
Comman... signal ...breaking ...ers out. =/\=

Zita: oO Well, the signal may have broken up, but we got the message. Oo

::The black-haired HCO twisted just a little ways away from the console and
waited for the Commander to decide the next course of action. As she became
accustomed to fending off the tumult of emotions, her color scheme
lightened. She was now a simple Bolian-blue.::

Ehlanii: Ensign Zita, Lieutenant Nickels - work together to see if you can
clear up the communications. I'd rather not be stranded down here and unable
to talk to the ship.

::Zita nodded, still not feeling much beyond the dull misery of the
occupants of the "ghost town." An odd phrase, but somehow it seemed to fit
with how they came across in her sixth sense. For a split second, she
squeezed her eyes shut to focus her empathy on the shuttle crew, her
teammates. *They* were her friends. *They* were in this with her. The misery
was *not* her own. Nickels has empathized with her, and she'd be working
with him. That was good. She could do that...::

Zita: Aye, sir. Lieutenant, I'll need you on this panel to my right.

Nickels: ((Response))

::As the Security Officer moved into position, the Science Chief mentioned
something about the planetary core's fluctuations stopping, but Ses'ilia was
only half listening. She was busy trying to focus on the comm system while
ignoring the empathic cacophony around her.::

Zita: Lieutenant, I mainly need you to keep talking to me.

Nickels: ((R))

::She smiled and turned a light pinkish hue.::

Zita: I think I can figure out the signal interference if you can just keep
me focused on the here and now.

Nickels: ((R))

::She frowned and turned a pastel green.::

Zita: There's so much... emotional static here, you know? No, of course you
don't...

Nickels: ((R))

::The Invernian swallowed, went pink again, and got to work, flipping
through several communcations diagnostic screens. The problem was, they
weren't resolving the way she expected them to; something was off about the
way subspace was acting overhead, if she was reading things right...::

Zita: What does your panel say under subspace variance coefficient?

Nickels: ((OOC: Just make up a number...))

Zita: What? But that means...

::Just then, the Chief Science Officer's voice broke into her
subconsciousness, and something clicked.::

Breeman: Ten thousand feet above the surface. The magnetic field's intensity
keeps dropping slowly until we reach 10,000 feet. Then under 10,000 feet it
just stays the same. That's where the gravitational variation stops too, I
bet.

::Ensign Zita faded to a pasty grey-brown and hurriedly pulled up the ship's
sensor logs from their descent to below the storm. As she did, there was a
thud behind her, but she tuned it out. She had to put this together, it
could be the key to everything. She only barely registered Commander Ehlanii
calling Dr. Mike over to tend to Ensign Anora, and the Doctor recommending
that she be returned to the *Independence*.::

Nickels: ((R))

::She heard him, but she responded more to what she was seeing on her
console than to his question.::

Zita: That's what I was afraid of...

Ehlanii: Lieutenant Nickels, Lieutenant Breeman, Ensign Zita. We're going to
need to transport her back up to the ship - but I need to know its safe
before we do. Work to make sure we can do that.

Breeman: Aye.

Nickels: ((R))

::The Invernian wasn't sure how to explain it, but she didn't think they
could transport *anyone* up to the ship just now. Not if her readings were
right...::

Zita: Um... sir?

Ehlanii: Any luck with the communications?

Breeman: My connection to the *Independence*-A's science database is gone.
It keeps coming and going. One moment, sir.

Zita: Well, I've found something, sir...

Breeman: Hm. The times on these signals from the database are off by about
100 milliseconds--

::Ses'ilia didn't sense that Breeman was deliberately talking over her, just
speaking his mind in a confusing situation, but she needed to be heard, so
she spoke slightly more forcefully this time, and addressed him directly to
make him aware that he had made himself a part of an on-going
conversation.::

Zita: I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, Lieutenant. According to the
logs, there's a subspace variance coefficient of... what was that number
again?

Nickels: ((R))

Zita: Right, ::speaking to Ehlanii now:: and it began, as Lieutenant Breeman
said, at 10,000 feet, getting worse from there. What I believe it means is
that space-time is, well, bent, around the core of this planet.

Breeman/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: ((R))

Zita: The chronitons are just a byproduct of the larger problem, and I'm not
sure what it means for us, or for life on the surface - I'm not a scientist
- but it does that mean beaming is out. We couldn't be certain the
materialization process wouldn't be scrambled or... compacted, or something.

Breeman/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: ((R))

Zita: Well, we could try sending an inanimate object just to be sure, but
I'd be willing to bet it won't be pretty...

Breeman/Ehlanii/Mike/Nickels: ((R))

((To Be Continued...))

----------------------------

Ensign Zita Ses'ilia
Helm/Comm/Ops Officer
*USS Feraios*


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Science Lab, USS Independence))
((OOC:  I know Cmdr Rogers just said the four hours are up, but I thought
I'd withdraw Henk to the background and let you and Ralik take the
spotlight, Mr. Tyriden))

::Henk decided that perhaps it was too loud in here for the Ferengi engineer
to hear the tap tapping of his front legs and so he simply preconfigured the
computer with the frequency.  Now he could hear Tyriden saying to Ralik,::

Tyriden: Got it, Sir. I have factored in the resonant frequency into the
simulation model... ::The pounding of Tyriden's foot tapping on the ground
would normally have been deafening to Henk.  But luckily the robot had ways
of filtering out and buffering his acoustic systems.: :

Tyriden:  What do we do next, Mr Henk?

::Well it was up to them now.  Henk had set up the filter and the
gravimetric experiment could proceed without a hitch.::

Henk:  Well, now you should be ready to---

Ralik: Bring up the readings Lt Breeman got of Desperot before the last
mission briefing. There was something strange about the planet's geology.
Run pattern scans on the discharge distortions and those of the planet and
see if they tie in to each other in any way.

::Still on the floor, Henk turned his body to face Ralik now.  The man had
an intriguing idea.::

Henk:  You should all be set to run the experiment.  I have a continually
updating filter running now so the EM readings shouldn't interfere with the
procedure.

::Just then Tyriden said,::

Tyriden:  Response?

Ralik: I may be clutching at straws but a possible effect of such an
irregular planet core could be gravity distortions. This in turn may be
distorting time in the vicinity of the planet.

Henk:  Oh yeah!  I just pulled the latest scans and there is a two-day long
mass redistribution of Desperot's core.  The core disperses itself out to
the crust and then falls back into itself every two days.  That is very
strange.

Tyriden: Response?

::The spider thought about that a moment.  The new science officer certainly
was turning out to be a very interesting character and, being Andorian, his
psychology was not one that Dr. Fangjian had spent a lot of time programming
into Henk.  Instead, the doctor had spent his time working on Terran
phobias.::

Henk:  Well..  That's in interesting idea, Mr. Andorian.

Ralik: It's fully possible there's a rip in space-time due to a massive
warped gravity well, for example a planet. We've seen similar before.

Tyriden: Response

::The Ferengi chuckled and said,::

Ralik: It's a bit of an obscure outside possibility, but it's more than
we've got so far. Worth checking out. ::Henk could hear him continue, though
much more quietly,:: Time, like latinum, is a highly limited commodity.

::Henk let the two men talk it over.  He was not as good at this kind of
science as he was at behavior observation and data processing.  Now it was
time for real organic humanoids to hash this problem out while Henk acted as
a facilitator for them to go about their work more efficiently.::

Tyriden/Ralik:  Responses and Dialog?

Henk the Robotic Spider

as simmed by

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

(( Briefing Room))

 
::Hunt looked over a few last Intel Reports and sent a letter off to Operations
Chief at SB 118 and loged out of his system and picked up his padds and made his
way into the Briefing room to Find a few all ready there.::
 
Hunt: Commander Rodgers ::Noddding:: 
 
::Hunt took and seat and picked up his padd with the intel reports on it and
kept reading
 
Lt. Guy Perry Hunt
Chief Operations Officer

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Science Lab, USS Independence))

Henk: And... That's the resonant frequency right now. Well, that multiplied by a
factor of several thousand.

Tyriden: ::looking about bewildered::

Ralik: ::smiled at Tyriden and shrugged:: I don't know either, just follow his
lead. ::he gestured to the console in front of the Andorian.::

Tyriden: Got it, Sir. ::He punched a few keys on his console.:: I have factored
in the resonant frequency into the simulation model... ::He tapped his foot in
eager excitement.: : What do we do next, Mr Henk?

Henk: response

::Suddenly a peculiar possibility entered the Ferengi's mind.::

Ralik: Bring up the readings Lt Breeman got of Desperot before the last mission
briefing. There was something strange about the planet's geology. Run pattern
scans on the discharge distortions and those of the planet and see if they tie
in to each other in any way.

Anyone: Response

Ralik: I may be clutching at straws but a possible effect of such an irregular
planet core could be gravity distortions. This in turn may be distorting time in
the vicinity of the planet.

Anyone: Response?

Ralik: It's fully possible there's a rip in space-time due to a massive warped
gravity well, for example a planet. We've seen similar before.

Anyone: Response

Ralik: ::chuckling:: It's a bit of an obscure outside possibility, but it's more
than we've got so far. Worth checking out. ::he paused as a thought entered his
head, then said under his breath:: Time, like latinum, is a highly limited
commodity.

Anyone: Response

TAG/TBC

Lt JG Ralik
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Independence

(OOC just getting to the brieffing before work)

(( Briefing Room))

:: Sturm walk through the door to the briefing room when they opened and see
Rogers sitting there sipping a drink::





Kobylarz: Sir. ::nodding his head to rogers::



::Sturm gets a drink and takes a seat waiting for the others::



TBC



Ensign Kobylarz

Tactical Officer

Independence-A

_________________________________________________________________
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((USS Feraios))

::Communications were garbled.  Ehlanii's attempt to contact the USS
Independence had been somewhat successful at best.  Kevin had a gut feeling
that Lt. Nickels was right about there being some kind of temporal
disruption and so, in an attempt to find evidence to support that conclusion
he had discovered that the mass redistribution of Desperot's core had
stopped.::

Mike/Nickels/Zita: RESPONSE

Ehlanii: Were there readings on our trip down?

Breeman:  Yes.  There were gravimetric sensor readings of changes in the
gravitation around the planet as a result of that redistribution cycle.
It's almost like... If you're not on Desperot you detect a redistribution
cycle and its effects on surrounding space.  But when you're on Desperot the
core is completely stable, the way it should be inside of a planet like
this.

Ehlanii: Do you know when the readings stopped?

::It was a good question and one which Kevin struggled to think of a way to
answer.  Just then he thought of a way.::

Breeman:  One moment, sir.  I'm checking the readings of Desperot's magnetic
field.  Ah, there we are.

::He could see the intensity variations stopping in the sensor logs of the
trip down.  A lack of mass redistribution inside of the core would
drastically change the make-up of Desperot's magnetic field.  Magnetic north
had remained at a fixed position but the reading of its strength had been
slowly declining on the way down, as the core moved to disperse again.  It
was a barely discernible pattern::

Breeman:  Ten thousand feet above the surface.  The magnetic field's
intensity keeps dropping slowly until we reach 10,000 feet.  Then under
10,000 feet it just stays the same.  That's where the gravitational
variation stops too, I bet.

::There was a thump.  That was the decisive sound, the thing that brought
Kevin out of thinking that this mission was another science project and into
the reality that something very peculiar was happening around him.  To be
sure he had been trying to enlist the new ensign's help for the past several
minutes but to no avail.  I cannot offer much of an explanation as to what
she was doing during that time as that part of the records I have been
consulting in order to construct this narrative is missing.  Nevertheless, I
can with great confidence tell you that Anora fell that day and that no one
was quite sure why.::

Ehlanii: Doctor Mike, tend to her please.  Get her ready for transport back
to the ship for better - but also, I'd like to know what's wrong - and if
there's any threat to the rest of us before she leaves.

Dr. Mike: Yes Sir.

::The large doctor scanned the ensign and remarked,::

Dr. Mike:  Sir she is stable however I cannot determine what caused her to
collapse. I do not think at this stage that anyone else is at risk. She
would be far better off in Medical on the Independence however I wouldn’t
want to beam her out if the transport was questionable.

Ehlanii: Lieutenant Nickels, Lieutenant Breeman, Ensign Zita.  We're going
to need to transport her back up to the ship - but I need to know its safe
before we do.  Work to make sure we can do that.

Breeman:  Aye.

::Kevin surmised that Nickels and Zita would still be hard at work on trying
to figure out what the problem with the communications with the Independence
was.  To be sure, a subspace communication problem would be just as
difficult as a transporter problem and the two would likely be related.  He
tried to remember his classes at the academy – matter reconstruction theory.

But what would the effects of time differentials be on matter
reconstruction?  To be sure, if he had a model to predict that he could
determine if Lt. Nickels was right.::

::He checked his connection with the Independence database he'd been using
earlier.  Not surprisingly, his connection was gone, being renegotiated by
his com panel occasionally only to die moments later.::

Breeman:  My connection to the Independence-A's science database is gone.
  It keep coming and going.  One moment sir.

Ehlanii/Anyone:  Response?

Breeman:  Hm..  The times on these signals from the database are off by
about 100 milliseconds--

::Suddenly he was interrupted by someone, who said

Anyone:  Response?

::Kevin nodded, mulling that over.::

Anyone:  Response?

TAGS
TBC

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Bridge – USS Independence))
 
((OOC: Please make your way to the briefing room. Your four hours are up. J
Let’s see what we have got.))
 
Rogers: =/\= Lt Cmdr Rogers to Mr Ralik.=/\=

Ralik: =/\= Ralik here. =/\=

Rogers: =/\= Mr Ralik I know it hasn’t been four hours yet however I thought
I’d check in and see how your group is progressing. =/\=

Ralik: =/\=  We're preparing to run some gravity well simulations to try and
recreate the anomalous readings present at the discharges Sir. Once we have a
match we'll have a better idea of what we're dealing with. There are no previous
logs of this exact type in the computer so we need to run the simulations. We
should have something for you within the hour. =/\=

Rogers: =/\= Very good Mr Ralik. Make it so. =/\= :: Will grinned quietly to
himself. He had always wanted to say that.::

Ralik: =/\= Understood Sir, Ralik out. =/\=

Rogers:: Turning back to Mr Kobylarz.:: Mr Kobylarz have we gained anything from
turning the active sensors onto Lt Fatuus ?
 
Kobylarz: There does seem to be a build up of energy radiating from Mr Fatuus.
Ill shunt all of the information to the science console for further annalisis. 
I dont know if it was a good idea to pick him up so fast , might have been a
better idea to let him bleed off some of that residual energy id hate to get the
shuttle back into the ship and have a big discharge of energy.

Rogers: A very good point. However we will have to put our faith in a
sufficiently strong force fields. I’d much rather have Lt Fatuus back onboard
than floating around in space.

Kobylarz: Yes sir.
 
Hunt: =/\= I have Mr. Fatuus now, do you want me to return to the ship or do you
want to beam a Doctor out here? =/\=

Rogers:=/\= Bring the shuttle home Mr Hunt. Let’s not risk any transport
beaming at the moment.=/\=

Hunt: =/\= Yes sir, we are are on the way, you may want to have a clear path to
Sickbay for us.=/\=
 
Rogers:=/\= I’ll have Security clear a path. Rogers out.=/\=

(( A short time later))

Hunt: We got him to Sickbay sir. I sent Crewman Simpson with them to help them
if needed on the way to sickbay, the shuttle logs are updated.

Rogers: Excellent Mr Hunt. Well done on the rescue mission. Did you manage to
get anything on the state of the energy build up in Lt Fatuus?

Hunt: I could not read it with the scaners if it was still there, the Lt. was
kinda out of it.
 
Rogers: Hopefully Medical can bring him around. ::glancing at the time:: And you
should have just enough  time to finish off your initial assignment before the
next briefing.
 
Mevra: =/\= Lieutenant Mevra to Commander Rogers. Just reporting that
Lieutenant Fatuus is safely in sickbay. I'll keep you updated as we have
answers for you. =/\=

Rogers: =/\= Thankyou Doctor =/\=   ::With only a short time to go before the
groups reassembled in the Briefing  room Will decided to be the first in the
room::
 
(( Briefing Room))
 
:: Sitting sipping a coffee Will glanced up from the report he was reading as
the teams began to arrive::
 
 
Hunt / Petrov / Kobylarz / Ralik / Tyriden / Redfield / Rogg / Mevra / Fatuus:
response
 
TBC….
 
LtCmdr Rogers
SO– Chief Tactical / Security
USS Independence.



      
________________________________________________________________________________\
__
See what's on at the movies in your area. Find out now:
http://au.movies.yahoo.com/session-times/

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Free Spirit, USS Independence-A))

::Eric suggested that Tyriden let Henk run a continually updating filter in
order to cancel out any lingering EM signatures.::

Tyriden: And let Henk have all the fun? ::The man was smiling again.:: Under
normal circumstances, I would prefer to construct the filter myself, or with
the team, but since this is a priority assignment, in the interest of time,
I would allow Henk to aid us... this time.

Da'Pan: Yeah, I understand how you feel.  You sound almost like some
programmers I know.  They always want a challenge.  They want to write the
program themselves or take an existing one and improve it.

Tyriden: I realize it is not wise to speculate, but what are your personal
thoughts about the electrical discharges? What do you think is the cause?

::Eric thought about it a moment.  He had to admit that he'd felt a bit
worried at first.  But what was there to do?  He couldn't just stop doing
his job any more than someone who'd been randomly attacked could deal with
it by never going out again.::

Da'Pan: My personal thoughts?  Well it scared me at first and sometimes
there's a thought in the back of my mind that the console I'm using will
blow.  But I mean, you can't just not do your job because of a few weird
incidents.

((OOC:  Bit of a mouthful from Da'Pan, so I'll give Tyriden room to get a
word in :) ))

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan: Well I've heard the stories about numbers on padds.  The first thing
that jumps into my mind is some kind of an alien intelligence.  But still,
can't really rule anything out yet.  Are you worried at all about getting
zapped?

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  ::He smiled::  You could always just think statistics.  Several
hundred people on this ship.  3 or 4 people zapped.  That's .... one percent
chance of getting zapped?

Tyriden: I understand. ::pausing:: What can you tell me about our... boss,
Lt Breeman? Is that the right word to use, 'boss'? ::Tyriden looked
pensive.:: I merely want to be prepared meeting him and working with him.

::Eric thought of the best way to answer that.  For sure he'd known of the
man since his time in the academy.  He knew he was slightly eccentric.  But
was that the best way to describe him to someone who'd not yet met him?
  Carefully he said,::

Da'Pan:  Well, I wouldn't call him a boss.  He'd probably blush at that.
  What can I say?  He's friendly.  A bit technical at times.

::Eric had often sensed that Lt. Breeman kept to himself.  He'd have to work
on that a bit, Eric supposed.  Eric loved chatting with people and it tended
not to matter where they stood rank-wise.  So perhaps he would be able to
help.  In fact, Eric was still curious as to whether Lt. Breeman still
laughed to himself while reading or whether he stomped around when
thinking.::

Tyriden:  Response?

Da'Pan:  he's a former engineer.  He has a great background in computer
science.  He can be a tad eccentric.  But he's a pretty friendly guy.

Tyriden:  Response?

TAGS
TBC

Ens. Eric Da'Pan
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

as simmed by

Lt. Jg. Kevin Breeman
Chief of Science
USS Independence-A


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

*PNPC - Lieutenant JG Mevra - AMA*

((Sickbay, *USS Independence-A*))

::After communicating with the bridge and dispatching two of her staff
members to the rescue crew in the shuttlebay, the Orion female turned back
to sickbay and got to work.  As she did so, she noticed that Lieutenant
Petrov had bolted, as had the helm officer, Ensign Rathbone.  She sighed,
wondering if she should report it to Commander Rogers or just notate it in
their files.  Knowing the CO was still in the room she approached his bed,
hoping to keep him there too.::

Mevra: Don't even think about it.

Cody: RESPONSE

Mevra: Leaving against medical advice.  Don't even think about it.  I've
already lost several that way... but I'm definitely not letting you leave
until you're ready.

Cody: RESPONSE

::She shook her head, her black locks dancing around a bit.::

Mevra: Too many side effects as a result of this thing, some of them
surprises hours later.  I'm not letting you leave - not until I know you're
going to be ok.  Its better for them if they think you're convalescing down
here than if I were to let you go and you collapse in front of them.

Cody: RESPONSE

::She passed a tricorder over the man, scanning him thoroughly.::

Mevra: We'll see.

((backsimming?))

::It wasn't very long before the sickbay doors opened, revealing the bolian
nurse and the new doctor escorting a hovering biobed.  Mevra rushed to help,
directing them toward an available ICU biobed.  When they got there, the
three of them, plus a few more support staff, moved the Counselor over.::

Mevra: Are his biosigns stable?

Daro: I believe so Doctor. It's difficult to tell from the Starfleet records
alone and I've never worked on his race before.

Mevra: I don't think anyone here has experience with the Ilumini.  We're
just going to have to do our best until we can get in contact with his
people.  In the mean time, that's why we keep the records we do - and insist
on inital exams.  Nurse Daro, could you load those records into the bed's
console.  The computer can help us sort out the data.

Daro: RESPONSE

Mevra: Ensign Redfield, are his energy readings within his species' normal
limits or should we be worried about a discharge?

Redfield: RESPONSE

Anyone in Sickbay: RESPONSES

::The Orion tapped her badge.::

Mevra: =/\= Lieutenant Mevra to Commander Rogers.  Just reporting that
Lieutenant Fatuus is safely in sickbay.  I'll keep you updated as we have
answers for you. =/\=

Rogers: =/\= RESPONSE =/\=


PNPC Lt. JG Mevra
Medical Officer
*USS Independence-A*

as SIMmed by

Lt. Cmdr. Karynn Ehlanii
First Officer
*USS Independence-A*


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

((Main Science Lab, USS Independence-A))


Tyriden: Yes, in the meantime, we should get started on recreating the simulated
gravity well. ::He looked around, as if searching for something.:: Mr Rogg,
would you help me in finding a suitable platform to create a vacuum?

Rogg: response

Henk: Hey! What's the big idea?

::Tyriden dropped the table he was moving and instinctively reached for his
phaser, too startled for words. He saw a mechanical bug crawl out from under the
table. At least those were his initial thoughts. His subsequent thoughts were to
smash it to bits, but curiosity somehow played an interesting hand in making him
want to learn more about this strange contraption, this oddity.::

Henk: mumblemumble That's what you get for being a spider. If they're not
stomping on you they're interrupting your sleep. mumblemumble

Tyriden: ::gazing at his fellow colleagues with a quizzical look:: This...
spider... is talking. ::Then he watched the mechanical spider unfurl his legs
and crawl out even more from inside his beaker.::

Ralik: Ahhh, this must be--

Tyriden: Identify yourself! ::He said sternly to the verbalizing gizmo,
regardless of how incredulous his request sounded.::

Henk: Alright. Well it sounds like you're going to need to be careful of the
ambient EM readings. ::He began to crawl towards the officers.:: Beh, the last
person who tried this experiment in here almost crushed me by sucking me into
the gravitational vortex.

Tyriden: ::stepping back from the spider-thingy and looking again at his fellow
colleagues in disbelief:: Are you aware of the existence of this gadget? Is it
part of the science lab inventory?

Ralik: I haven't seen the full specs, the only information I have is the small
amount I heard from Ke .. Lt Breeman. However he was content with it residing in
his lab so that's good enough for me.

Tyriden: ::still wary of the approaching crawling spider:: What is its function?
And how does it know about our experiment?

Henk:  Well I could hear you guys talking from a mile away and---

Tyriden: ::Andorian suspicion getting the better of him:: Are you sure it is not
the spyware of an enemy? ::Then he looked directly at the spider, cocking his
head to one side and gazing into its eight compound eyes, his antennae twirling
wildly with excitement.:: Tell me, are you an enemy spyware?

Henk: Enemy spyware??

Ralik:  Don't worry about it. It would take an extreme amount of skill for an
enemy to smuggle something like this aboard this fortress.

::Tyriden seemed satisfied with the engineer's reassurance, but he still kept
the distance between him and the talking robot intact.::

Henk:  Y-You have me pegged as the wrong guy.  I'm just a computational
psychology tool, a librarian, and a miniature probe.

Tyriden: oO Computational psychology tool?? Then again, it *is* intrusive and
mildly annoying like a psychologist... Oo

Ralik:  In fact from what I gather this may be able to assist us in our
investigations. ::He turned to Henk directly and said:: What say you?

Henk:  Sure I can help you.  Just please don't shoot me, Mr. Andorian.

Tyriden: ::relaxing his posture:: I will not shoot you if Lt Ralik says you may
be able to assist us.

::He looked towards Lt Ralik just as the engineer received a comm from Lt Cmdr
Rogers. Without eavesdropping on the conversation, he knew the Lt Cmdr required
the team to expedite their investigations.::

Ralik: =/\= Understood Sir, Ralik out. =/\= ::He turned to face Tyriden and
Rogg.:: Ok, let's get these computer simulations running. ::looking at the
spider:: It's Henk right? Assist us please.

Tyriden: oO Henk?? Why do humans like to name their inanimate objects?
Intriguing... Perhaps the computational psychology tool can answer that
question. Oo ::He was about to ask Henk that question right then when Henk
said::

Henk:  Yes, I'm Henk. I'm coming.  ::Henk crawled forward.::

::Tyriden watched with facination as the various sensor lights started to
flicker on Henk, certain appendages protruding outwards almost sinuously. An
infrared beam of light shot forth from Henk, landing atop a high workstation in
a corner of the lab. Tyriden knew immediately that this was the spot Henk
intended to run the simulations.::

Henk:  You'll want to set it up here.  I can run several filters for you to
cancel out the surrounding EM signatures.

::Tyriden instantly moved to the spot and rearranged some lab equipment, all the
while waiting for Henk to signal him that the filters were running at optimal
levels and that he could proceed with the simulation.::

Henk: And... That's the resonant frequency right now.  Well, that multiplied by
a factor of several thousand.

Tyriden: ::looking about bewildered:: oO What resonant frequency? Is Henk having
a malfunction? Oo

Ralik: response

Tyriden: Got it, Sir. ::He punched a few keys on his console.:: I have factored
in the resonant frequency into the simulation model... ::He tapped his foot in
eager excitement.:: What do we do next, Mr Henk?

Henk: response

TBC/TAG
===========================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A

((Free Spirit, USS Independence-A))


::Tyriden wanted an opinion on whether to have Henk use EM-counter pulsations or
a continuous counter-EM radiation to filter out ambient EM readings.::

Da'Pan: I'd say you would do best to get him to detect the frequency
variations on his own and then program a filter for them. A pulse would
usually work yes. But there may be complications. Nearby ion storms have
been known to introduce small EM signatures that a normal filter wouldn't
compensate for. It'll keep Henk more busy but I think his processor can handle
it.

Tyriden: And let Henk have all the fun? ::He smirked as he thought it
appropriate.:: Under normal circumstances, I would prefer to construct the
filter myself, or with the team, but since this is a priority assignment, in the
interest of time, I would allow Henk to aid us... this time.

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: I realize it is not wise to speculate, but what are your personal
thoughts about the electrical discharges? What do you think is the cause?

::Tyriden tried to be open-minded about the incident, yet his inherent Andorian
sceptical nature harbored the notion that this could very well be the first wave
of an enemy attack. But he was prudent to stash away these thoughts in the far
recesses of his mind.::

Da'Pan: response

Tyriden: I understand. ::pausing:: What can you tell me about our... boss, Lt
Breeman? Is that the right word to use, 'boss'? ::He seemed to be making a
mental search for the definition of the word.:: I merely want to be prepared
meeting him and working with him.

Da'Pan: response

TBC/TAG
=======================
Ensign Tyriden th'Dani
Science Officer
USS Independence-A