Compile summary Your adoring CO --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stardate: 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Deck Ten Forward- Commander Saleke - 1352) (USS Mystique - Ten Forward - ACOUNS Ens(sg) Regan Alessi - 1400) (USS Mystique - Corridor - AOPS/CONN - Ensign Ash Physioc -1431) (USS Mystique - Corridor - Asst CSO - Ensign Naraht (jg) - 1432) (USS Mystique - Corridor - AOPS/CONN - Ensign Ash Physioc - 1433) (USS Mystique – Room with a larger replicator – Asst CSO - Ensign Naraht - 1436) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- begin compile Stardate: 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Deck Ten Forward- Commander Saleke - 1352) The Vulcan stopped as he entered and looked about, his attention had been on the future as he skimmed through the bridge on his way here, not stopping to so much as issue an order or acknowledge Lt. Adams who was currently manning the watch and on the way his mind continued to worry over what had been transpiring in the Counseling department that had not been revealed, there was not much to go on except the fact Riven had been disengenious about the Captains condition, more information would have to wait for the upcoming discussion with the Betazoid. Spying the Counselor among the throng he made his way over through the crowd toward him, he noted as he walked that the crewmen and officers assembled there looked more than a little surprised to see him out among them, that was logical as he had had very little time since coming on board to mingle. As he approached the small table Riven stood up, his silvery robe swirling and the chimes about his person tinkling as he did so. "Commander." He motioned to a seat and Saleke stepped toward it and drew it out, as he sat he watched Riven closely, the Betazoid looked tired or worried, perhaps both. "Now isn't his better than being cooped up in an office?" "As you know Doctor..." Saleke began dryly. "I have been doing the Captains paperwork along with my own since the incident as well as keeping the ship functional and focused. The work of an FO is time consuming enough and both duties have been consuming all of my available time, it is necessary." Riven nodded and caught the attention of a waiter as he walked by. The man nodded and signaled he would be right back so Riven turned back to Saleke. "That's all the more reason for you to relax a bit Commander, you are going to grind yourself into the deck until you are of no use to the ship." The waiter returned at that instant causing the FO to hold reply for the moment. "What would you like Commander?" Saleke didn't need to think about it. "Iced water with a twist of lemon if you please." The man smiled and nodded. "Of course Commander," he paused for an instant. "It's good to see you here by the way." Saleke lifted an eyebrow as he nodded in reply. "And you Doctor?" The man turned his smile upon Riven. "I'll have a gin fizz please." Another surprise to the Commander and it seemed to the waiter as well. "Excellent choice Doctor Mias, will there be something for you to eat perhaps?" "No thank you, just a drink." The waiter smiled again but this time as he turned away it turned down slightly as though he were worried but he hurried dutifully off to fill their orders. "Now Doctor I believe you were to make a report on the Captains condition." Riven lowered his eyes and seemed to think on that one for a second before lifting them, they didn't linger long on Salek's but drifted away as though he couldn't maintain the contact. "You don't waste any time do you Commander?" "Waste of any kind is illogical doctor, most especially of time as it is so valuable. Are you prepared to make your report?" "After we get our drinks." He pointed to the approaching waiter. The man hurried to the table and presented the clear liquids in the cold glasses to the men, Saleke's sporting a lemon twist dangling into the water in contrast to the Doctor's bubbling soda water with gin and a lime twist. After he left with a sidelong look back at the strange spectacle. Riven took up his drink and sipped it slowly, the bubbles in the cold, biting liquid seeming to give him pleasure and relax him some. Saleke's own water flavored with the tart lemon was cold and refreshing as he took a sip, after setting his glass down Riven looked at Saleke again for an instant before looking away, he seemed groping to find a way to start. Finally he settled on his beginning and with a sigh said. "Commander I am going to send a report to Command at Geneva tonight on the Captains condition, as you know a copy will be forwarded directly to you and before you received it I wanted to notify you of it." He stopped and sipped at his drink again as Saleke settled back into his seat with the water in his left hand, it was looking as though this was going to be a long report that would add up to no good, the procedures Riven was outlining were set in place for certain protocols seldom initiated. "Go on Doctor." Riven took a third drink before continuing. "I was dishonest with you Saleke." "I began to see that during Dr. Alessi's report and you have confirmed it with your actions doctor, please continue and get to the point." Riven gave a small smile as he caught the Vulcan's gaze and this time held it. "Can't put anything past you eh Commander?" He shook his head and chuckled a bit, the old Riven peeking through, it stopped though and he sobered up as he returned to the subject at hand. "Captain Winters is not in good shape Saleke, actually far from it." he stopped and Saleke waited for him to continue. "She's not dying nor is her telepathy and its associated brain center burned out, she has however lost her will to continue." That was worse than Saleke had anticipated. "There is more." Riven nodded. "You have access to the records however there are some things you don't know about what happened in the past... on the Nimitz and it's classified but I will tell you it involved an alternate dimension." "The mirror universe." The Vulcan's voice stopped Riven cold for an instant. ~What the hell does this Vulcan not know?~ "How did you find out about that?" Saleke set his glass on the table and after sitting back folded his hands upon his stomach as he looked at the Counslor levely. "When I came aboard the Nimitz in 2406.08.06 I found some specimens of asteroid remains in the high-energy bio-physics lab after coming across some log entries by a Chan Kenishi and another Ensign, the samples were out of phase and I ran some tests on them as well as interviewing the science personnel." Riven shook his head. ~I had to ask.~ "From them and other log entries I found out one of the shuttles had gone through the anomoly from which vicinity the samples had been taken from. After interviewing the CEO of the Nimitz I was told the entire flight of the shuttle was classified." Saleke vividly remembered the "Interview" with Zzt in Ten Forward on the Nimitz, the huge Ursinoid had insisted on talking while they ate and his meal had been as large and as raw as the Gerratlian himself, after splattering blood on the Vulcan while gorging himself on the raw meat he had grabbed Saleke and licked the blood from his face with a sandpaper tongue. Riven saw the face of the Vulcan soften and it gave him a start, it wasn't a smile and it wasn't a break in discipline but what was it? The Vulcan's mind was tightly shielded so he gave off no emotional tones. Riven shook his head. ~That is one of those memorable moments, it's probably as close as I'll ever get to seeing Saleke show humor.~ Anyone who hadn't been around the Vulcan many times before would have missed it, Riven almost had himself. "From there I did some digging but while I found no direct references I was able to make some extrapolations by the available data." Riven jumped in before the Vulcan could get wound up again. "Vanyssa, Captain Sevant and Zachary Falthgood were on the shuttle and were sent to a mirror universe like the Imperial Federation except it was ruled by telepaths and they were extremely vicious, the strongest ruled the weaker and when they were captured Vanyssa was given a serum to numb her telepathic abilities and repeatedly mind- raped by an alter Kestra Troi and the "students" she was overseeing, they did not stop in just forcing themselves into her mind but practiced inflicting pain... blinding, intolerable, incomprehensible pain. In addition Kestra Troi imprinted her personality on Vanyssa which is why I am in the picture, after they were able to escape and retake the Nimitz in our own Universe with the help of Devan Sash whom they took with them I was called upon as an old friend and someone who was most capable of helping her." Saleke waited patiently as the doctor talked, as this was a classified subject its unveiling continued to bode increasingly bad news. Sevant had later moved on to command of the Boudicca while Devan Sash had become Captain of the Nimitz, that was the Devan Sash he had come to respect and admire. Kestra Troi of their own Universe had been his FO there also for a time "Since that episode Vanyssa has been.... fragile psychically. I have battled that alter Kestra twice now but it's so deeply rooted it is hard to know if I've gotten it all out and it rears its ugly head at times but that's a contributing factor, not the main point. When I went to help Vanyssa after her battle with TQO it was with great effort I brought her back from deaths door, she wanted to let go and be done with life, the cumulative effect of her problems since that incident along with the attacks on the Mystique, the capture of Jennah and most recently of Kat by the SFI and death of her relations on Betazed and now this... I can't get her to open up Saleke, she's given up and doesn't want to face reality again." "How long Doctor?" "Ketal has a connection with her and is sure she'll eventually open up but when she does she will not be in shape to return to command of this ship, she is going to need a lot of work... a lot of emotional rehabilitation." "And Jennah?" "Is staying with me at present, she is holding up so far only because of Ketal, she believes him that she'll come back in time and I'm holding on to his word as well." "So to summarize Doctor." Saleke waited for the blow. "I am removing her from command Saleke effective immediately, she needs to be moved to Geneva." "When?" "As soon as possible, a shuttle might do but before putting her in a shuttle I at least want her concious. I'll wait on Commands orders as to her disposition." Saleke nodded, as would he; Should Geneva order them to leave the planet and make for the station it would be done instantly, for now she was well cared for here. "So this is a long term decision then." "Yes. You know what this means of course." The Vulcan nodded. "You're the Commanding officer now Saleke, for all intents and purposes you are the Captain of the Mystique until Geneva finalizes the orders." He looked closely at Saleke. "And you need to get out more and socialize with your crew no matter what the duties you face, they are going to be looking to you now. Don't place yourself on a mountain they can't reach." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stardate: 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Ten Forward - ACOUNS Ens(sg) Regan Alessi - 1400) Holding her tray of food, Regan looked around for somewhere to sit. She caught sight of Commander Saleke and Riven apparently deep in conversation, both with rather solemn expressions on their faces. She thought that maybe Riven had definite news of the Captain, or that Saleke might be talking to him about Trommashere. In either case, her presence would not be a welcome interruption, so she looked for a table elsewhere. Not seeing anyone she knew on her rather hasty look around, she sat down at an empty table and began to eat. As she did so, she made notes on the small PADD she had brought with her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stardate: 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Corridor - AOPS/CONN - Ensign Ash Physioc -1431) "I don't know that I could make it all the way to my quarters, Please Ensign I will need at least 20 pounds or so of Ignacius and/or metamorphic rock. Granite is a very good start to that. I haven't eaten in a week. Now please, let's get moving! I am becoming desperate now. I don't wish to start my assignment here badly." Ash stared at the rock shaped creature/Horta. He wasnt saying they were going to his quarters, he just needed to know the Horta's specifications for his quarters so they could set it up for him. Naraht seemed to not Ash's confusion, "You seem as confused as that transporter stalk." Naraht stopped moving down the corridor. "You didn't know I was coming or that I was assigned here, did you? Oh no! No one knew that I was coming, did they? Or what my species requirements are or that I am a Horta, did they? Did they Mr. Physioc?" Ash turned back to see Naraht had stopped in the hallway. "Mr. Naraht, please you said you were Hungary. To tell you the truth not everybody has been told of your presence on board, The Commander may have known - but he's been otherwise engaged for the day, so couldnt have told anyone. This is why I'm here, to find out your requests and make sure there done quickly. So basically we have no 'safe' eating places for you set up - yet." "Great Molten Lava! Why didn't you say something right away, you overgrown moronic pebble?! Hortas consume rock and minerals by exuding a highly corrosive acid to liquify it before immediate ingestion. If I exude any acid on the bulkheads or deck of this ship, it will immediately begin to dissolve anything it comes into contact with and quickly! Now lets find a large replicator right now! I have replicator program chips with me in this bag to fabricate both rock and a dish for me to eat out of. Run, Ensign! Move!" ordered Naraht, He sounded rather desperate. ~You cant order me around~ Ash found himself thinking while he once again cocked an eye-brow. "Over grown moronic pebble?" Ash muttered as he ushered the Horta along, He had never been called that before... "As it happens there is a more large replicator just along here, I'm sure we can reach it in time." Ash said to him, he smiled in an attempt of calming the stone like creature down. He couldnt be sure of he had succeeded or not. "Ahhhh here we go," Ash rounded the corner to the replicator. Ash knew there were several more places on the ship with bigger, but he didnt want to risk having to go further. "Pass me one of those replicator chips." Ash said in a more stern tone as he activated the replicator. (Reply Naraht) Ash took the chip of him. He began integrating it into the replicator. He turned to Mr. Naraht, "I think its time for you to order your food" Ash stepped back so Naraht could do his business. He wondered what it would look like.... ~Stone Soup? Stone Sandwiches? Stone Curry?~ Endless possibilities of dishes with stones in... He decided it best not to ask, and just wait to see what came out.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stardate 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Corridor - Asst CSO - Ensign Naraht (jg) - 1432) “Great Molten Lava! Why didn’t you say something right away, you overgrown moronic pebble?! Hortas consume rock and minerals by exuding a highly corrosive acid to liquify it before immediate ingestion. If I exude any acid on the bulkheads or deck of this ship, it will immediately begin to dissolve anything it comes into contact with and quickly! Now let’s find a large replicator right now! I have replicator program chips with me in this bag to fabricate both rock and a dish for me to eat safely out of. Run Ensign! Move!” ordered Naraht desperately. Naraht’s phalange uncoiled whip-like and snatched up his cloth bag. The eons-slow Ensign Physioc cocked an eyebrow at Naraht, wasting more time. He was muttering “Overgrown moronic pebble?” as he ushered the Horta along at a thankfully quicker pace. Naraht held his cloth bag courteously in front of him. It gave him something else on which to concentrate other than the empty growing gnawing sensation inside of him. “As it happens there is a larger replicator just along here. I’m sure we can reach it in time,” Ensign Physioc said to him, trying to smile. ”Ahhhh, here we go." Ensign Physioc rounded the corner to the replicator. Physioc turned to Naraht and said sternly, “Pass me one of those replicator chips,” as he activated the replicator. “First we must make the dish, Ensign Physioc,” said Naraht as he gently dumped open his cloth bag on the floor. Three PADDs, a holographic photo base and several replicator chips bounced onto the thin tough carpet. He fished around carefully with his longer phalange, selected a chip and handed it to the stalk named Physioc. Physioc took the chip from him and slid it into the replicator. He turned to Mr. Naraht. “I think its time for you to order your food.” Physioc stepped back. Naraht told him, “My eating dish itself is light but very strong. We found that a combination of glass alloyed together with a resinous plastic proved impervious to my digestive acid.” The replicator whirred and hummed to life and a large square dish with tall sides began to appear. “My dish is a little wider and longer than me so as allow room both for food and my body. That way all of the acid will be completely contained without any spill over.” Naraht knew he was beginning to babble, but at this point as long as he didn’t salivate, he didn’t care. The Horta then selected another chip, picked up all of his other possessions and put them back in his bag. “Ensign would you please pull out my dish from the replicator slot? I have my food chip ready to insert. Then we will put the rock into the dish. If we replicated it with the rock in the dish, it would be far too difficult to move to the floor for me to consume, so the formulas are on separate chips. I did not want to go looking for an antigrav unit.” Naraht pulled out the eating dish chip, tucked it in his bag, deftly tucked the cloth bag to the side down the wall on the floor and was poised to slide in another replicator chip. “I am sorry to bother you further, Ensign Physioc but you will be the one to hoist the food. If I touch it before it is in the dish, I am concerned we will be awash with my digestive acid eating giant holes in the ship and you could be badly burned. Can you pull out the dish?” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stardate 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique - Corridor - AOPS/CONN - Ensign Ash Physioc - 1433) “My eating dish itself is light but very strong. We found that a combination of glass alloyed together with a resinous plastic proved impervious to my digestive acid.” The replicator whirred and hummed to life and a large square dish with tall sides began to appear. “My dish is a little wider and longer than me so as allow room both for food and my body. That way all of the acid will be completely contained without any spill over.” Ash thought that Naraht was beginning to babble a little bit, but he listened intently... “Ensign would you please pull out my dish from the replicator slot? I have my food chip ready to insert. Then we will put the rock into the dish. If we replicated it with the rock in the dish, it would be far too difficult to move to the floor for me to consume, so the formulas are on separate chips. I did not want to go looking for an antigrav unit.” Naraht said, he sounded rather worried. Ash then realised that in his quarter he would probably need a low replicator this size so he could just 'walk' straight in without having to get it down... He noted it in his mind and then said, “I am sorry to bother you further, Ensign Physioc but you will be the one to hoist the food. If I touch it before it is in the dish, I am concerned we will be awash with my digestive acid eating giant holes in the ship and you could be badly burned. Can you pull out the dish?” Ash looked at the Horta, "I'm sure i will be able to move both the dish and food onto the floor for you, i wouldn't worry about me. I can be pretty strong in times of need." Ash turned and caught his clothing on one of the bulkheads. As he pulled it free, he said "Have you placed the second chip in?" Ash said, he couldnt be sure. "If so, you may order your food. Mr Naraht" Ash said. (Reply Naraht - with room for more, if ya want to argue the fact of weight ;) ) Ash watched a the food materialised, he wasnt entirely sure what it was at all. He resolouted to ask Naraht after he finished eating. As the food was being made, by the replicator. He began to call on his strength and relied on his own strength. He hoped for his life that he could lift the dish, but wasnt sure if he would be able to do it.. Ash grasped his hands around the plate and wondered if he could use any of his mind skills. He decided to use his pain blocking, skill. Most people could do this, but because of his telepathic skills he could use this skill slightly more advanced than the normal person"Here goes nothing," He said to Naraht... He began to lift the plate, a searing pain emmerced up his arm's muscles. ~ARHHH~ His pain blocking skill helped him re-gain his mind and lifted the plate. A minute later he placed the plate on the ground next to Naraht, with a thud. "Here we go... It wasnt that heavy" Ash said with a wink. He stood back and waited for the Horta to begin eating. He was waiting to see how it happened, the species of Horta's fascinated Ash. He had never heard of them since before Naraht's appearance and wanted to learn as much as he could about them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stardate: 2407.02.04 (USS Mystique – Room with a larger replicator – Asst CSO - Ensign Naraht - 1436) “I am sorry to bother you further, Ensign Physioc, but you will be the one to hoist the food. If I touch it before it is in the dish, I am concerned we will be awash with my digestive acid eating giant holes in the ship and you could be badly burned. Can you pull out the dish?” asked Naraht. Physioc looked at the Horta. "I'm sure I will be able to move both the dish and food onto the floor for you. I wouldn't worry about me. I can be pretty strong in times of need." Physioc turned and caught his clothing on one of the bulkheads. As he pulled it free, he said "Have you placed the second chip in?" asked Physioc. "If so, you may order your food, Mr. Naraht," Physioc said. “I have the chip in my phalange ready to insert, Mr. Physioc.” Naraht did not hesitate any longer. He popped the chip into the waiting slot. If the Ensign could move Naraht’s entire large heavy meal on his own, as wide and long as it was, he was not going to argue. He was too desperate and fast running to the end of his endurance amid the rich smooth lovely tasty-looking bulkheads and deck of the ship. Physioc grasped his hands around the plate. "Here goes nothing," he said to Naraht. He began to lift the plate. A minute later he placed the plate on the ground next to Naraht, with a thud. "Here we go... It wasn’t that heavy," Ensign Physioc said with a wink. Just then the doors to the room they were occupying opened and a crewman walked in and saw Physioc. “I’m here to try to fabricate a part for the….,” the maintenance crewman broke off in confusion when he spotted Naraht. His eyes widened in surprise. Naraht, oblivious to all else, quickly climbed into his long rectangular food dish on top of the large pile of ignatius and metamorphic rock chunks mixed with liberal amounts of granite chunks. He was embarrassed about eating in public as he was eating the way the newer Horta children did, but he resolved to not think about it. If he wanted to be in Starfleet, he had to do things so as to not endanger others or damage the ship. He exuded acid from under himself and the pile of rock underneath him melted and was ingested in a matter of seconds, sinking him down deeper into the dish as the contents dissolved and disappeared. He carefully absorbed anymore of the remaining acid and mineral mixture, using his finer hair-like phalangi to scour the eating dish clean. Naraht climbed out of his food dish and found himself at the feet of a new startled wide-eyed stalk. “Oh, hello! Did you need to use the replicator? I do apologize if my eating has gotten in your way. Can I help you with anything?” asked Naraht politely. The crewman closed his mouth with a snap and looked over uncertainly at Ensign Physioc. “Ensign Physioc, sir? Uh…Do we have a guest on board?” (Reply Physioc. NRPG: Feel free to introduce him, Jono.) “Er, um…. I am glad to meet you, Ensign Naraht. I’ll just be going now. Sorry to disturb your meal, sir!” The maintenance crewman backed up and fled in embarrassment through the door. They closed behind his hastily retreating form. Naraht could have eaten some more, but felt it necessary to report to the commanding officer and turn in his orders. ~I shall have a large snack later~ he thought. “I am much improved now, Ensign Physioc. As we have already replicated my food dish we might as well take it with us to wherever my quarters will be. I will use it there. At the Academy we had it set flush into the floor with my replicator able to dump directly into it. My personal replicator was set into the wall down lower for me.” He pulled out the chip from the replicator and after collecting his cloth bag, he put away his chip and carefully place his cloth bag of top of him next to his vox. “Thank you so much Ensign, for your help. Now then, where is the commanding officer? I had probably better report in as soon as possible,” said Naraht. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------