Compile#8 December 06-12 (USS Rosenante) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: The Gilded Man Day: 7 Stardate: 2413.11.07 Compile Summary (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District, Outside Hotel Voltul, COPS, Lieutenant Tom Jackson, Day 7 1243) (Irliix, Khoda City, Third District Alley, LT Tom Jackson COPS Day 7 1306) (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District Alley, Ensign sg Sanok, 1307) (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District- Street, Senior Detective- Vilox Nigo, Day 7- 1310) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - SO- Ensign Mike Rosenbauer - Day 7- 1340) (Irlix, Khoda City, Second District, The Villa, Ensign sg Sanok, 1440) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1446) (Irlix- Khoda City- Third District the villa - ACMO Ensign Sam Lopez-Day 7- 1447) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa Lt Tom Jackson COPS Day 7 1448) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCOPS- Ensign Smith - Day 7 1449) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa- SO Ensign Mike Rosenbauer- Day 7 1450) (Irlix - Khoda City - Second District - The Villa- COPS Lt Tom Jackson Day 7 1451*) (Irlix, Khoda City, Second District, The Villa, Ensign sg Sanok, 1501) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1512) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - aCOPS- Ensign Smith - Day 7 - 1513) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - ACSO Louis Remey - 1514) (Irlix- Khoda City- Third District the villa - ACMO Ensign Sam Lopez-Day 7- 1515) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1516) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - CIV Ios Malinae - Day 7- 1517) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1519) (Runabout Timberlane, Irlix System, ACEO Ensign Eian O'Neill, Day 7- 1520) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCMO Kimiko Ichijo - Day 7-1521) (USS Rosenante, Bridge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 7- 1526) (Runabout Timberlane, Irlix - unknown location, ACEO Ensign Eian O'Neill, Day 7- 1535) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – SO Mike Rosenbauer - Day 7, 1538) (Irlix - Khoda City - Second District - The Villa COPS Lt. Tom Jackson Day 7- 1545) (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCMO Kimiko Ichijo - Day 7, 1546) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District, Outside Hotel Voltul, COPS, Lieutenant Tom Jackson, Day 7 1243) Jackson and the others were pinned down. The roof top snipers were keeping them bottled up. Lt Cmdr Sullivan was still unconscious and Chance Raschen was stunned and out of the loop. Tom realized he was the defacto Senior Officer present. That meant it was up to him to get them out of the fix they were in. As T.J. was pondering what to do, his comm badge crackled to life. =^= “Smith to Jackson =^= "Go Robbie" Robbie" Jackson replied. =^= Long story boss. Sufficient to say that I have hacked into the police tactical net. They are approaching you from three sides. There is a way out to your south across the open area and into a warren of alleyways. I can cause a distraction to give you some cover but I will not be able to pull them all away. I’ll be ready in 30 seconds =^= "Roger - we'll be ready - thank god for your timely arrival - you were never in the cavalry were you?" Jackson asked his friend. (Reply: Robbie) Robbie's plan might just might give them the breathing space they needed. Tom' badge again came to life. =^=Boss you have about a minute and 10 until they regain command of the command net. There are only two sniper teams in your path. One is on a build to your right about a third along and the other is across from you. Sorry I can not be more specific.=^= " O.k., I owe you a cold ber buddy - jackson out" and closed the link. "Sanok, Matrix - over here please" Jackson shouted. (reply: Sanok, Matrix) Tom Jackson outlined what Robbie had planned. "Be ready to execute in" Tom paused and looked at his chrnometer and said"60 seconds". "Any questions?" he asked. Sanok's plan and Robbie's ruse might just save their rears. (reply: Any) (posted: Bill) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irliix, Khoda City, Third District Alley, LT Tom Jackson COPS Day 7 1306) Tom had issued his orders. Ensign Sanok approached him again. ~*(&*&% Now what does he want?~ Tm thought silently. "Yes Mr. Sanok, what do you need?" Tom asked slightly irritated. Sanok looked at Jackson and said "Sir, I say this with all due respect, but this plan is not what should be done/ Sending the wounded, the slowest group and the most easily struck by enemy fire, as the first group out, is asking fro mole casualties. The best way is to cross an open field of fire any smoke for cover, is to leap frog the groups. one or two, at the most, advance while the rest of the team provides covering fire. Once they have established a covered position, there will be more people rendering covering fire, and from different locations, which would give the slower moving wounded a better chance to get through." Tom thought about Sanok;s idea. He had to admit he, Jackson, had slipped up. Smiling a bit ruefully, Tom said "Ensign, I was wrong and you are correct - get it setup and fast" Tom ordered. (reply: Sanok, any others) Sanok issued his directions and soon the team was on its way. (reply: any) (posted by: Bill) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District Alley, Ensign sg Sanok, 1307) Jackson said, "Ensign, I was wrong and you are correct. Get it set up and fast." "Yes, sir," said Sanok. He turned away and went to the rest of the team. He had no feeling of victory. No sense of being right. There was no emotion at all. There was simply logic. "There has been a change in the plans," said Sanok. "We are going to move in groups of one and two, each leapfrogging forward, while the others provide covering fire. This will make our advance less dangerous, and will allow for more covering fire when the slower-moving wounded advance. I will go first. Once I have found good cover, the next person goes. We will continue bounding like that until we have escaped." When everyone was clear, Sanok moved out, running out of the alley, down a sidewalk, and into a dark doorway. The covering fire provided by the rest of the team must have been effective, as only one shot was taken at him. He looked back at the team and motioned for the next person to go, his phaser ready to fire. (reply any) (posted by Bob) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix, Khoda City, Third District- Street, Senior Detective- Vilox Nigo, Day 7- 1310) "They're closing in on their last location detective," The Special Force and Tactics Commander reported with a crisp snap to his voice that spoke of prior military service. "We'll have them captured before long, We're working to get the nauseators into range without being detected. Once they're in place we can deploy them and storm their position." The Irlixian Captain tapped the digital map display with one thick leather gloved finger. "We've managed to track them to a deserted 2nd story building." he continued, "They made a significant tactical error when they went into a defensive position rather than keep moving. As things sit now, we'll have the perimeter closed in no time flat. They're as good as ours." Nigo nodded and then looked up at the captain, "Let's hope so. These spies are a distinct threat to the security of the Union. I want some of them alive if possible, but dead will suffice if there are no other options left available to us." "Understood," The SFT commander said with a curt nod. "If I have anything to say about it, We'll bring you at least one prisoner that you will be able to interrogate." "That will be all Captain, let me know when you've isolated them and we have a prisoner." Vilox replied. "Yes sir." The captain replied with a stamp of his heeled boot and a crisp hand-in-fist salute favored by the civilian paramilitary police units. Vilox smiled. He turned his attention back towards the small mobile command vehicle, where his partner sat monitoring the chatter on the police tactical net. The weather looked threatening but despite that Vilox's mood was lightening. Soon he'd have at least on of those spies in custody and that always made him happier. Vilox made his way across the street, crowded now by police and fire vehicles. He reached down and opened the door to the mobile police command vehicle and slid into the driver's seat. "What's happening?" he asked Gaz. "Nothing too unexpected." his partner replied. He was still holding a ice compress against the knot that had welled up on his jaw from his earlier encounter with one of the spies. "They're moving again, They just left an alleyway and appear to be bounding two by two. The Snipers are attempting to drop them but are taking too much indirect and covering fire to be effective." he reported. "Where are they?" Nigo asked him. "Four blocks east. The perimeter is tight there, they won't be able to get through." The senior detective nodded, then reached down and unplugged the headset that his partner had been using. Gaz pulled the headphones from his ears and dropped them into the floorboard at his feet. There was a lot of chatter, mostly police units coordinating their movements and advising of their relative positions so that they didn't open fire on each other by accident. =^= This is sniper team two, lost visual on target group=^= =^= Sniper team four, lost visual but target group entered building two hundred meters to my north=^= =^= This is control. All teams move to surround target building ASAP=^= the radio crackled. Gaz tapped on the tacnet situational display. "That's here." he stated drawing his partner's attention to the tactical display. Already the red dots representing the individual tactical team members were converging on the site. =^=This is police officer Tunchas of the Khoda City district police. I have an officer down, I repeat an officer down. I saw a group of men and woman charge out of a building. They shot my partner and are escaping across to sector 23.=^= A newer, less-disciplined voice called out. Most definitely not a member of the SFT Unit then. "Where is that?" Vilox asked. Gaz reached out, used his fingertips to drag the display to show sector 23 and double tapped it. "It's here." he said, "Other side from the sniper's last reported sighting of the spies." Vilox looked at the detail carefully. It wasn't too far for them to have reached if they had been fortunate. The location almost put them outside the police perimeter. Could they have been chasing a decoy? =^= This is control. The target group and the target building are a decoy. All teams move to sector 23 ASAP=^= A new voice added. And though it claimed to be control, it seemed too similar to that of Officer Tunchas for Vilox's liking. It took a few moments for Vilox to make the connection. By that time the majority of the police units in the area had already displaced and were racing towards the new location. "Droggit!" he barked. "They've compromised the tacnet." Gaz let out a string of explicative that would have made a general blush had one been present. "Countermand those orders." Vilox commanded. Gaz grabbed up the radio handset and snapped orders into it. "All Units the Command Tacnet has been compromised. Repeat. The tacnet has been compromised. Do not displace, resume prior positions immediately." He ordered, but he soon realized that his radio unit was being jammed. "No good, They've locked out the tacnet access. They can't hear me." he advised. Vilox reached down, started the command vehicle and rolled the accelerator handle open. The vehicle responded with a hard high-pitched squeal of polyrubber tires which let off a cloud of thick oily gray smoke as they caught the roadway. He chinked the steering controls hard to the left and the vehicle responded immediately. The tail of the vehicle slid around in a 180-degree turnabout, the tires smoking and screaming through the entire maneuver. Gaz reached up and put on his crash restraint. He then reached out and flipped on the lights and siren. The digital speed display rolled higher and higher as the police vehicle's clean deuterium reactor pumped power into the drive units. Vilox maneuvered the vehicle first to the left and then hard to the right to avoid other vehicles that were not quick enough to get out of his way. "They're rerouting our officers, there's a gap in the perimeter and we're going to lose them if we don't get there yesterday." Vilox explained, as he narrowly avoided a collision with a supply transport. "We're probably too late as it is." Gaz just grit his teeth, grabbed the panic bar and held on for life as his partner raced through heavy traffic in an attempt to catch the spies. (reply any in the Away team) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - SO- Ensign Mike Rosenbauer - Day 7- 1340) Mike had left the warmth and comfort of the house once he had determined that it was safe to remain there. He knew that he had to be more proactive in aiding the Away Team, but he also knew that they could handle themselves. Ios didn't have that ability and the information that was locked away in her head was invaluable to the completion of the mission. He had asked her to remain inside, even as he knew that he'd have to move to a position to better aid the away team should they make it this far. ~Please let them make it this far.~ He thought as he considered the ferocity of the conflict that had erupted at the Hotel Votul. he hadn't wanted to leave the team, in fact he would have argued if he had thought it would do any good, but the truth of the matter was that Commander Sullivan had given him a direct order, and one that had merit, and he wouldn't disobey any lawful order given to him without a damned good reason. And right now he was wondering if there was a damned good reason. He was crouched just over the top of the wall, in the branches of one of the native trees. He was easily within reach of the main entry gates and his position offered him a clear vantage point that would allow him to see any significant signs of trouble long before they arrived. The darkening gray sky opened up and let a moderate downpour of rain to wash over the city. Mike smiled despite the cold and wet seeping under his collar. he knew that the police would be less inclined to maintain a search in such weather, and that the flow of water would help wash away any blood trail that might be left by the away team. The additional sound of the falling rain on the urban environs would help mask any noises they made as they traveled and the lessened visibility would help in concealing them from all but the most determined observers. On top of that, a group seen moving a bit more quickly in such weather would be overlooked since they were most likely trying to reach shelter rather than evade the police. It was a blessing of sorts. Rain always made evasion easier. He wasn't certain how long he had been crouched there, watching unmoving except for his eyes, before he saw the first sign of them. A group of three, hurrying across the street, one of them was seriously impaired and Mike could have bet money that the impaired officer strung between the other two was Sullivan. He dropped down from the wall, inside the perimeter and moved over to the gate. He noted their confusion as he entered the security code that cycled the heavy gate and allowed them entrance. "The property is empty except for Ios." he offered to them as they slipped onto the property. "Some friends of hers are away on a very long trip, they won't be back anytime soon." He glanced over at the bedraggled officers. He pointed to the house. "Head inside, it's safe." he said, "Food can be made and people can get a few minutes to catch their breath, have their injuries treated and maybe catch a quick nap." (reply Away team) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix, Khoda City, Second District, The Villa, Ensign sg Sanok, 1440) Once the away team had fought its way out of the alley and through the streets of the city, they headed for the new rally point, splitting into smaller groups and taking different paths to lessen the chance of being caught together. Sanok took the wounded Lieutenant Raschen with him aiding him in the trek through a back way to the villa, where they where met by Ensign Rosenbauer, who let them in through an iron gate. After a rough spot in their mission, there would be some time to rest and regroup. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1446) T'Larah's eyes snapped open. She did not recognize her surroundings, though her accommodations had improved. This ceiling wasn't peeling showing several different layers of pigment. There were some quiet conversations going on, but no one seemed to notice that she had regained consciousness. Fortunately the conversations she heard were composed of familiar voices. She chose that instant to announce her awareness. "Doctor, may I have a word with you?" (Reply the attending Doctor) "Give me a status report. How is your patient, Doctor?" she asked. (Reply Doctor) "As soon as I fell unconscious I began a healing trance. I have been trained to use my mind to control some aspects of my involuntary nerve system." (Reply Doctor, room for more) "Who can give me a back brief on where we are and what the status of the rest of the team?" (Reply Doctor, any) Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Third District the villa - ACMO Ensign Sam Lopez-Day 7- 1447) Sam was at the side of the commander during the entire trip from the alley to the villa.Her vitals had stayed constant and stable which was good.The odd thing was that her wound was healing it self. This to Sam had to be something of a vulcan thing because he knew humans did not do this.Well Sam would get his answers soon enough.Then a voice came from the commander and she was now conscience. "Doctor, may I have a word with you?" "how may i be of service"Sam said. "Give me a status report. How is your patient, Doctor?" she asked. "Well you are making a speedy recovery and I would like to know how you did it"Sam said. "As soon as I fell unconscious I began a healing trance. I have been trained to use my mind to control some aspects of my involuntary nerve system." "That is very interesting and that would explain your recovery."Sam said. "Who can give me a back brief on where we are and what the status of the rest of the team?" "Well we are at this moment at a house of one of los friends who wont return for a long while.And the last i checked the entire team is here with some minor injuries.Do you require anything else commander."Sam said. (Reply by sullivan) (posted by shawn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa Lt Tom Jackson COPS Day 7 1448) Their team had made it - out of breath granted but safe. As everyone settled in, Jackson went over to Robbie Smith. NRPG: I assumed Robbie was there now - if not I can re-do RPG: "Nice work Robbie. You saved our rear ends" Tom said extending his hand. (reply: Robbie) He next walked to where Mike Rosenbauer. "Hey Mike, thanks fo finding this haven. We needed a break. Seems like we've been behind the eight ball from the got go" Tom said. (reply: Mike) Jackson thought he'd better check on Lt Commander Sullivan. He saw Sam Lopez working on the Commander and went over. "Hello Commander welcome back" Tom said. (reply: T'Larah) Tom outlined what had happened quickly. The adrenalin had worn off. He was tired and hungry and wet. He walked off to a corner and got something to eat and relax. ~I'm getting too old for this ~ Jackson mused silently and dove into his meal. His body chose this time to let him know it ached in spots he hadn't dreamed existed. He let his mind wander wondering what was next? (reply: None) (posted by Bill) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCOPS- Ensign Smith - Day 7 1449) Robert had managed to escape his position by the radio tower and had masde it to the rally point. As he arrived he saw Jackson walk over to him "Nice work Robbie. You saved our rear ends" Jackson extended his hand and Robert shook it. “No problem Boss. Just in the right place at the right time. As Jackson left him he sat down in the corner and began checking his kit. He had managed to retrieve his camera and had placed it along with the PADD and the case into the bag. He began to inspect them carefully to make sure nothing was damaged. (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - aCOPS- Ensign Smith - Day 7 - 1513) Robert was carefully puting his equipment back into his bag when Sullivan began to speak. "Miss, I have a few caveats, if I may?" T'Larah spoke. (Reply Ios) "First I'd like to thank our junior line officers for getting us to this point. All probabilities pointed to us not making it this far, the odd were insurmountable, but your perseverance and dedication to duty allowed us this chance to succeed. If we survive this, I'm putting you in for a medal." she said. Robert grinned sheepishly and nodded. (Reply Rosenbaur, Jackson, Sanok) " We will need something to call each other. I'm not going with code names, that would be too difficult on our attached civilian to have to call us by Greek letters and numbers. It is reasonable to assume that having access to one of our vessels, they can access our personnel files. So, from this point forward, we only call each other by our first names and no formal ranks. First names are common enough that they won't be able to determine which vessel we came from or our identities, except for me, I am the only one with my first name in starfleet, so I will use my last name which is much more common. Also on that same avenue of thought, Operational Security, we will be going by the book. From this point forward no unauthorized un-coded transmissions of any kind. I attempted to contact our ship shortly after I woke by piggy backing the signal on the local radio transmissions, I got no response, which means two things; either they are unable to respond, or they are unwilling to respond. For now at least temporarily on our own. We also need to realize that we may not return from this mission, but the needs of the many out-weigh we few. I will construct an encryption algorithm for us to use, until that time we are on communication silence. Please take the time to introduce your selves to our civilian counter-part. Treat her as if she had the security clearance of civilian press. Only what is needed to complete the mission. I am Sullivan" Robert got up off the floor and nodded to Ios. “Hallo I am Robert.” (Reply all, Ios) After the introductions commenced and completed, T'Larah continued her comments. "Ios, your planet still uses currency, correct?" (Reply Ios) "Then we will need some hard currency. Steve, I need you to borrow some currency of varying denominations from Ios. Scan it with your instruments, looking for composition, construction and materials, then replicate as much as possible, ensuring non-sequential serial codes. Try to get the largest bills you can but anything will do. Issue enough to all to allow for expenditures if we have to separate again." (Reply Matrix) "Louis, Robbie and Tom, I need the three of you to put your heads together and create a malicious program. I need this program to do quite a few things. I need it to search out and delete any piece of information tagged as originating from either of the two captured Federation vessels. We cannot allow it to fall into hostile hands. Also I want it to disable any existing tech borrowed from us. I'm hoping that they copied ours well enough to let us shut it all down similarly to us using transponder codes, then lock out anyone else trying to re-activate it. I want the codes on these borrowed tools so complicated it will take them a week to un-jumble it all." she said. Robert nodded as he reached for his bag. While hacking into the tactical net he had tried to down load as much information on it as possible.There might be something useful on it. (Reply Jackson, Remey) "Charlie, I need you to confer with Ios. We need the exact location of this facility where the ships are. I need you to work out a primary, secondary and tertiary routes and a last ditch fall back. I need routes that will mask our movement and if not traversable by foot, then we will need to procure an appropriate vehicle or vehicles. Use your best judgment, then I will need a briefing and a risk assessment on the route so I can clear it." (Reply Raschen) "Sanok and Mike, I am going to need perimeter look-outs. I need all avenues of approach watched. I need you to stay out of sight though, so as not to alert anyone to our presence here." (Reply Rosenbaur, Sanok) "Sam and Kimiko, I will need you to continue to work on our various injuries. I know myself and Charlie took really bad hits, and at least I won't be at 100% for the rest of this mission. Please watch us and let us know if we are pushing too hard. Any of us are too valuable to this mission to be lost needlessly. Use your time between patients to search the house for materials you can't replicate with the brief case. Any hose is bound to havrudimentaryry first aid supplies. I don't need to tell you how to do your job, but make sure it's compatible with ouphysiologyes." (Reply Ichijo, Lopez) " Anyone else help as your disciplines and knowledges can. Make it so." As the groups split up Robert moved over to Jackson and Remey. “Boss, Louis. When I briefly hacked into their tactical net I managed to down load some of their data which is on the PADD. I do not know if it is any use?” He handed Jackson the PADD. (Reply Jackson and Remey) (Reply Jackson, Remey , any) (Posted by Robbie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa- SO Ensign Mike Rosenbauer- Day 7 1450) As the away team finally made their way into the relative safety of the villa's walled perimeter, Mike found himself finally relieved to see that they had not lost anyone. Sullivan and Raschen were injured, however, as was matrix and that didn't bode well for the away team as a whole. It looked like their encounter had been anything but peaceful. Once the fighting had started at the hotel, and Sullivan had ordered Mike away it seemed that it had only gotten worse. Still, No one was dead, and in mike's limited assessment, none of the injures looked bad enough to be life threatening although Sullivan seemed to be the worst off. "Hey Mike, thanks for finding this haven. We needed a break. Seems like we've been behind the eight ball from the get go" Tom said as he entered the gates, behind the last of the away team. "I'm glad I could help out, Sir." mike replied, although inwardly he felt terrible for not being around to help fight off the seemingly rabid local police force. The security officer followed the away team into the house, where nearly half of them collapsed on the various furniture of the den. All of them except the medical personnel who were treating the injured and Sanok who was too wound up, like Mike, to rest. As the medics did their bit, Mike and Ios headed for the kitchen where they put together some food and drink for the away team. Even though they hadn't been on planet side for very long, there was no telling how long it might be before they got another opportunity to eat. They stacked some smoked slices of meat and some native breads and fruits onto three large serving trays and carried them into the den where everyone had congregated. It didn't take long for the team to realize that food and drink had been brought and they helped themselves. Sullivan had awakened shortly after the team's arrival and had conversed with Doctor Lopez for a short while. Mike could tell that she was not at her best, and that the injury would keep her from being so until such time as they could return to the Rosenante. After a while everyone's attention seemed to focus on Ios and the Native woman took that as a sign to dispense some much needed information. "I suspect that you have a number of questions that need to be answered." Ios finally said, "so let me start by giving you some information and then I'll try my best to answer any questions you may still have afterwards." "About 30 years ago now, an alien starship, which we have since learned is named the Medea, crashed in this plain, where the city was built. "The ship came down mostly intact, with only a few significant pieces missing from her hull and structures. At that time this was whole area known as the Gab Union, and for the most part there wasn't the sort of racial prejudice that we see today." "The government moved quickly, securing the crash site with military troops and recovering the bodies of those aliens that had been aboard that ship. My mother was one of the most prominent geneticists at the time, her area of expertise was extremophiles and theoretical Exobiology." "When bodies were recovered she was rushed to join the project and began working on the bodies, trying to identify their physiology and their origins. They had already died you understand, so it was more like performing an autopsy than it was dissection." "Anyway, the other governments of the world all wanted to lay claim to the alien technology, but the Gab union decided that it was against their best interests to allow the technology out. The result of that decision was the beginning of the Technology Wars." "For almost a year, the other powers all attacked us. They bombed our cities, invaded our lands and pushed us towards the brink of defeat. But then that all changed." "No one knows where he came from or who he was, but Khoda Rhone just appeared one day. He seemed to have an innate understanding of the alien technology, and quickly proved that he had a mind unlike any other on the planet." "His ability to decipher the technology that had been scrounged from the wreckage of the Medea, proved to be the turning point in the war. He showed us how to build defense shields to protect our cities after dissecting the alien technology. Then came the medical technology to treat our injured military and civilian soldiers, and then came the phased weapons and the computer PADDs." "Against this technology the other military powers didn't stand a chance. They started losing the war, and eventually turned to infighting. Khoda Rhone himself forced them to the peace table. He made them agree to end the open hostilities and in return he gave them defense shielded technology, so that they could protect their cities from any potential Gab Union threats of force." "A few years passed and Khoda Rhone became even more popular. His introduction of the replication factories helped us rebuild our nation quicker than the others. Our economy stabilized and our research and development in science, engineering and materials technology expanded immensely." "He brought jobs and unified the Union into a proud and strong nation. For his efforts he was elected the leader of the Union for life. We renamed our nation after him, that why we are called the Rhone Union. He designed and we built Khoda City, on the very same spot that the crash happened." "Once he came into power, he revealed his secret of his knowledge to us. He had been captured by aliens, some from the ship that had hidden among us before the crash claimed their ship. He had managed to work out their technology and had brought it forward for the benefit of his people." "The aliens tried to kill him, later that week, and the threat that they posed was a valid one. He had them captured and transferred to the Seliya Facility for study. One of them, a doctor named Helen, befriended my mother, Sola. She had some sort of recurring sickness and when she had a relapse, my mother was infected and nearly died. That was why she was removed from the facility, once they had determined that the disease had become dormant." "The facility was originally built into the cliffs of mount Seliya because of the rare material Magnesite which runs through the mountain in thick prominent veins. They cut the entire facility from the living stone with phased energy drills, and then moved the wreckage of the Medea there. later they added the labs and the data archives, then eventually the development areas." "When the anti-Mol sentiments began I was demoted down to a clerk's position. I was once the master of the Archives there. They kept me on because of my mother's contributions during the war." "I promise you that there is no other place that the captured starship would be taken. It is the most secure facility on the entire planet. Your ship and your crew are there, I am certain of it." She paused and then took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay, now I will try to answer your questions." There was a small lull in the conversation as the other members of the away team absorbed the vast amounts of information that Ios had just shared with them. Mike sat back and listened as the questions and briefing started in earnest now. (reply none) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix - Khoda City - Second District - The Villa- COPS Lt Tom Jackson Day 7 1451*) Tom and Robbie spoke briefly. After Tom had a chance to relax a bit and eat some rations he felt better. T'Lariah addressed the team. She thanked the junior officers fro their aid - Jackson clapped in agreement. The Rose was blessed with a great team indeed! Cmdr Sullivan went on to address additional items. She granted the Irlixan female Ios a security clearance equal to Aa Public Affairs officer from SF. She then determined that they needed names to call each other. First names seemed to work for everyone but her. Each of the team introduced themselves to Ios."Hello Ios, I am called T.J." Jacskon said smiling. (reply: Ios) T'Larah issued additional orders. Everything would be by the book as far as OPSEC was concerned. That suited Tom well. She also had thought that the team would need currency. Tom had not even considered that aspect. Seems he still had a lot to learn. Steve Matrix was going handle that issue. Tom wondered if his friend felt like a counterfeitter from old earth 1920's? T'Larah addressed himself, Robbie and Louis Remey. They were tasked to develop a computer virus. ~ I like this~ Tom thought smiling. Tom made some quick notes about what the FO wanted in the program. "We're on it Commander. We'll come up with something approriate" Jackson replied. (reply: Commander, Remey) Robbie came over and said "Boss, Louis, When I hacked into their tactical net I managed to pull down some data on this padd. I don't know if any of it is of use". "It's at least a starting point Robbie" Tom replied as he looked over Robbie's padd. T.J. liked puzzles and this was right up his alley. (reply: Louis, Robbie) (posted by: Bill) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix, Khoda City, Second District, The Villa, Ensign sg Sanok, 1501) Once inside the villa, most of the team was more than glad to find anyplace to sit and rest, though he and Rosenbauer were the only two that did not. Being Vulcan, Sanok didn't need as much rest as the others. His main concern was to find a way to dry his rain-soaked clothes. Rosenbauer and Ios, the Irlixian woman that was helping them, disappeared for a number of minutes, reappearing with trays of food, of which the away team gladly partook. Sanok found it to be interesting, that a group of people from an organization founded on high standards of beliefs, behavior, and ethics, didn't have second thoughts about staying in a home where they would not have permission to stay had the owners known about it, and ate their food. Sanok remained quiet and off to one side by himself, listening to the various conversations around the room, until everyone's attention was drawn to Ios telling the story about the crashed Starfleet ships and the technology taken from them. It was an interesting account, which greatly aided in knowing where to go to find the missing ships and crew. After this, Commander Sullivan first thanked the junior officers for the parts they played in the team getting as far as it had. She even said she would recommend medals, though that was unnecessary. They were simply doing the duty they signed on to do. Sanok simply nodded. Sullivan went on to say if there was a future need to use their comm units, only first names were to be used. There was also a plan to obtain Irlixian currency. She finished by ordering that a malicious computer program be introduced into the Irlixian systems to deactivate the Starfleet technology. Sanok was not a computer expert, but even he knew what a monumental, if not impossible, task that would be, for the Irlixian computer systems were sure to have every available protection in place. There was some discussion on this, then the briefing moved on. The FO's briefing ended with Sanok and Rosenbauer being assigned to keep watch. Whatever was ahead on this mission, Sanok understood, that the dangers they had already faced, was simply the calm before the storm. It was about to become very interesting, to say the least. (reply any) (posted by Bob) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1512) Ios paused and then took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay, now I will try to answer your questions." "Miss, I have a few caveats, if I may?" T'Larah spoke. (Reply Ios) "First I'd like to thank our junior line officers for getting us to this point. All probabilities pointed to us not making it this far, the odd were insurmountable, but your perseverance and dedication to duty allowed us this chance to succeed. If we survive this, I'm putting you in for a medal." she said. (Reply Rosenbaur, Jackson, Smith, Sanok) " We will need something to call each other. I'm not going with code names, that would be too difficult on our attached civilian to have to call us by Greek letters and numbers. It is reasonable to assume that having access to one of our vessels, they can access our personnel files. So, from this point forward, we only call each other by our first names and no formal ranks. First names are common enough that they won't be able to determine which vessel we came from or our identities, except for me, I am the only one with my first name in starfleet, so I will use my last name which is much more common. Also on that same avenue of thought, Operational Security, we will be going by the book. From this point forward no unauthorized un-coded transmissions of any kind. I attempted to contact our ship shortly after I woke by piggy backing the signal on the local radio transmissions, I got no response, which means two things; either they are unable to respond, or they are unwilling to respond. For now at least temporarily on our own. We also need to realize that we may not return from this mission, but the needs of the many out-weigh we few. I will construct an encryption algorithm for us to use, until that time we are on communication silence. Please take the time to introduce your selves to our civilian counter-part. Treat her as if she had the security clearance of civilian press. Only what is needed to complete the mission. I am Sullivan" (Reply all, Ios) After the introductions commenced and completed, T'Larah continued her comments. "Ios, your planet still uses currency, correct?" (Reply Ios) "Then we will need some hard currency. Steve, I need you to borrow some currency of varying denominations from Ios. Scan it with your instruments, looking for composition, construction and materials, then replicate as much as possible, ensuring non-sequential serial codes. Try to get the largest bills you can but anything will do. Issue enough to all to allow for expenditures if we have to separate again." (Reply Matrix) "Louis, Robbie and Tom, I need the three of you to put your heads together and create a malicious program. I need this program to do quite a few things. I need it to search out and delete any piece of information tagged as originating from either of the two captured Federation vessels. We cannot allow it to fall into hostile hands. Also I want it to disable any existing tech borrowed from us. I'm hoping that they copied ours well enough to let us shut it all down similarly to us using transponder codes, then lock out anyone else trying to re-activate it. I want the codes on these borrowed tools so complicated it will take them a week to un-jumble it all." she said. (Reply Jackson, Smith, Remey) "Charlie, I need you to confer with Ios. We need the exact location of this facility where the ships are. I need you to work out a primary, secondary and tertiary routes and a last ditch fall back. I need routes that will mask our movement and if not traversable by foot, then we will need to procure an appropriate vehicle or vehicles. Use your best judgment, then I will need a briefing and a risk assessment on the route so I can clear it." (Reply Raschen) "Sanok and Mike, I am going to need perimeter look-outs. I need all avenues of approach watched. I need you to stay out of sight though, so as not to alert anyone to our presence here." (Reply Rosenbaur, Sanok) "Sam and Kimiko, I will need you to continue to work on our various injuries. I know myself and Charlie took really bad hits, and at least I won't be at 100% for the rest of this mission. Please watch us and let us know if we are pushing too hard. Any of us are too valuable to this mission to be lost needlessly. Use your time between patients to search the house for materials you can't replicate with the brief case. Any hose is bound to havrudimentaryry first aid supplies. I don't need to tell you how to do your job, but make sure it's compatible with ouphysiologyes." (Reply Ichijo, Lopez) " Anyone else help as your disciplines and knowledges can. Make it so." (Reply any, all) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - aCOPS- Ensign Smith - Day 7 - 1513) Robert was carefully puting his equipment back into his bag when Sullivan began to speak. "Miss, I have a few caveats, if I may?" T'Larah spoke. (Reply Ios) "First I'd like to thank our junior line officers for getting us to this point. All probabilities pointed to us not making it this far, the odd were insurmountable, but your perseverance and dedication to duty allowed us this chance to succeed. If we survive this, I'm putting you in for a medal." she said. Robert grinned sheepishly and nodded. (Reply Rosenbaur, Jackson, Sanok) " We will need something to call each other. I'm not going with code names, that would be too difficult on our attached civilian to have to call us by Greek letters and numbers. It is reasonable to assume that having access to one of our vessels, they can access our personnel files. So, from this point forward, we only call each other by our first names and no formal ranks. First names are common enough that they won't be able to determine which vessel we came from or our identities, except for me, I am the only one with my first name in starfleet, so I will use my last name which is much more common. Also on that same avenue of thought, Operational Security, we will be going by the book. From this point forward no unauthorized un-coded transmissions of any kind. I attempted to contact our ship shortly after I woke by piggy backing the signal on the local radio transmissions, I got no response, which means two things; either they are unable to respond, or they are unwilling to respond. For now at least temporarily on our own. We also need to realize that we may not return from this mission, but the needs of the many out-weigh we few. I will construct an encryption algorithm for us to use, until that time we are on communication silence. Please take the time to introduce your selves to our civilian counter-part. Treat her as if she had the security clearance of civilian press. Only what is needed to complete the mission. I am Sullivan" Robert got up off the floor and nodded to Ios. “Hallo I am Robert.” (Reply all, Ios) After the introductions commenced and completed, T'Larah continued her comments. "Ios, your planet still uses currency, correct?" (Reply Ios) "Then we will need some hard currency. Steve, I need you to borrow some currency of varying denominations from Ios. Scan it with your instruments, looking for composition, construction and materials, then replicate as much as possible, ensuring non-sequential serial codes. Try to get the largest bills you can but anything will do. Issue enough to all to allow for expenditures if we have to separate again." (Reply Matrix) "Louis, Robbie and Tom, I need the three of you to put your heads together and create a malicious program. I need this program to do quite a few things. I need it to search out and delete any piece of information tagged as originating from either of the two captured Federation vessels. We cannot allow it to fall into hostile hands. Also I want it to disable any existing tech borrowed from us. I'm hoping that they copied ours well enough to let us shut it all down similarly to us using transponder codes, then lock out anyone else trying to re-activate it. I want the codes on these borrowed tools so complicated it will take them a week to un-jumble it all." she said. Robert nodded as he reached for his bag. While hacking into the tactical net he had tried to down load as much information on it as possible.There might be something useful on it. (Reply Jackson, Remey) "Charlie, I need you to confer with Ios. We need the exact location of this facility where the ships are. I need you to work out a primary, secondary and tertiary routes and a last ditch fall back. I need routes that will mask our movement and if not traversable by foot, then we will need to procure an appropriate vehicle or vehicles. Use your best judgment, then I will need a briefing and a risk assessment on the route so I can clear it." (Reply Raschen) "Sanok and Mike, I am going to need perimeter look-outs. I need all avenues of approach watched. I need you to stay out of sight though, so as not to alert anyone to our presence here." (Reply Rosenbaur, Sanok) "Sam and Kimiko, I will need you to continue to work on our various injuries. I know myself and Charlie took really bad hits, and at least I won't be at 100% for the rest of this mission. Please watch us and let us know if we are pushing too hard. Any of us are too valuable to this mission to be lost needlessly. Use your time between patients to search the house for materials you can't replicate with the brief case. Any hose is bound to havrudimentaryry first aid supplies. I don't need to tell you how to do your job, but make sure it's compatible with ouphysiologyes." (Reply Ichijo, Lopez) " Anyone else help as your disciplines and knowledges can. Make it so." As the groups split up Robert moved over to Jackson and Remey. “Boss, Louis. When I briefly hacked into their tactical net I managed to down load some of their data which is on the PADD. I do not know if it is any use?” He handed Jackson the PADD. (Reply Jackson and Remey) (Reply Jackson, Remey , any) (Posted by Robbie) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - ACSO Louis Remey - 1514) Louis nursed his side as the away team gathered in the safe house to discuss their next move, the dash here had been fraught with danger not to mention the harrowing escape they had made from the Irlixian forces after being cornered. The science officer was less than enthusiastic about the showing he had made so far with this daring group from a highly trained and respected crew and was determined that things were going to change in his favor. The Irlixian Ios had already given tham a good briefing the object of their search and what they might expect to run up against, now was the time to begin planning on just how they would go about fixing the damage that had been done. "Okay, now I will try to answer your questions." The female said after taking a breath. "Miss, I have a few caveats, if I may?" Commander Sullivan interjected.. Louis winced as he watched the woman acquiesce to the request. "First I'd like to thank our junior line officers for getting us to this point. All probabilities pointed to us not making it this far, the odd were insurmountable, but your perseverance and dedication to duty allowed us this chance to succeed. If we survive this, I'm putting you in for a medal." she said. He nodded in agreement as those officers responded to her commendation. The Commander then continued, touching ont he importance of hiding their true identity by dropping their rank and calling one another by their true names, she would use her surname. "Please take the time to introduce your selves to our civilian counter-part. Treat her as if she had the security clearance of civilian press. Only what is needed to complete the mission. I am Sullivan" "Louis," he spoke up after getting her attention. "Please call me Louis." After all had finished introducing themselves the Commander moved to the next order of business which was currency, Louis had already known about its use but declined to speak up, allowing the two to exchange information. "Then we will need some hard currency." Sullivan stated, turning to the engineer. "Steve, I need you to borrow some currency of varying denominations from Ios. Scan it with your instruments, looking for composition, construction and materials, then replicate as much as possible, ensuring non-sequential serial codes. Try to get the largest bills you can but anything will do. Issue enough to all to allow for expenditures if we have to separate again." She listened to his reply. Those orders finished she turned to the technical specialists of whom he was one. "Louis, Robbie and Tom, I need the three of you to put your heads together and create a malicious program. I need this program to do quite a few things. I need it to search out and delete any piece of information tagged as originating from either of the two captured Federation vessels. We cannot allow it to fall into hostile hands. Also I want it to disable any existing tech borrowed from us. I'm hoping that they copied ours well enough to let us shut it all down similarly to us using transponder codes, then lock out anyone else trying to re-activate it. I want the codes on these borrowed tools so complicated it will take them a week to un-jumble it all." she said. He certainly felt the need to speak up on that one to get a little more information. "Commander I am afraid you are going to have to be a little more specific. The fact is that Federation technology is rife in this culture, its leaders have adapted everything from communications to power sources and from military technology to medical advances not to mention much of their food source being dependent on it. To yank all that from under them would cause their whole culture to come crashing down." "Now if you are speaking about military tech and communications on a continental or even global scale and access to the technology from the ships, well that is a tall order but it can possibly be done if we have the time, inserting a capable virus and lock out at the highest command levels should have a cascade effect as it works its way down through their chain of intricately interlocked systems. The trick of course will be to break through the encryptions they have set up to protect those highest levels of command and control." "Of course if everything, even their civilian systems are run eventually up through that link then what you want us to do could lead to mass power failure and a vacuum of medical aid and supplies. What if we shut down their sewage treatment, water and food sources?" "From what we have been able to ascertain of the Rhone Government so far I find that highly likely, police states are notorious for exerting stifling control over their populace whether benevolant or not and our exertions could lead to mass starvation, disease and death. Is it wise to damn this whole civilization to death because of its political apparatus?'' (Reply: Any) "I say that only because it is a possibility we have to consider. It is an unavoidable fact that this culture has been irreversably contaminated by our own technology, whether that ship came here by accident or on purpose is of no consequence and like it or not we are going to have to accept it." "It is therefore unavoidable that we as Federation representatives are going to have to take some responsibility for this culture if the unthinkable happens." "And lastly while it is likely we may be able to paralyze their military and police in some respects by cutting them off from their command and control we will still have to deal with personal weapons systems. Please don't take this the wrong way Commander, I'm not trying to be a smart aleck but you did say all technology so I am addressing that facet of the equation as well. Cut off from their control apparatus though they will be deaf and blind which should allow us to make our move effectively. I think the only variable that really matters here is time, given enough of it I have no doubts we can do what you ask." (Reply: Sullivan, any) (Posted by Charles) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Third District the villa - ACMO Ensign Sam Lopez-Day 7- 1515) Sam had cleared that everyone was recovering and had no permanent damage.The briefing had started and Sam was listening very intently to what the native was saying.The briefing had ended and orders were being given out and then came his. "Sam and Kimiko, I will need you to continue to work on our various injuries. I know myself and Charlie took really bad hits, and at least I won't be at 100% for the rest of this mission. Please watch us and let us know if we are pushing too hard. Any of us are too valuable to this mission to be lost needlessly. Use your time between patients to search the house for materials you can't replicate with the brief case. Any hose is bound to have rudimentary first aid supplies. I don't need to tell you how to do your job, but make sure it's compatible with our physiology's." "Yes sir"Sam said. Sam started to go around the house looking for any supplies that could be useful and made sure they would be compatible. This was an easy task as the majority of the food and water were in fact very compatible with us.This was very interesting to Sam about the close similarity between the physiology's and he would look into this more when he had more time. (Reply by any) (posted by shawn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1516) "Commander I am afraid you are going to have to be a little more specific. The fact is that Federation technology is rife in this culture, its leaders have adapted everything from communications to power sources and from military technology to medical advances not to mention much of their food source being dependent on it. To yank all that from under them would cause their whole culture to come crashing down." "Now if you are speaking about military tech and communications on a continental or even global scale and access to the technology from the ships, well that is a tall order but it can possibly be done if we have the time, inserting a capable virus and lock out at the highest command levels should have a cascade effect as it works its way down through their chain of intricately interlocked systems. The trick of course will be to break through the encryptions they have set up to protect those highest levels of command and control." "Of course if everything, even their civilian systems are run eventually up through that link then what you want us to do could lead to mass power failure and a vacuum of medical aid and supplies. What if we shut down their sewage treatment, water and food sources?" "From what we have been able to ascertain of the Rhone Government so far I find that highly likely, police states are notorious for exerting stifling control over their populace whether benevolant or not and our exertions could lead to mass starvation, disease and death. Is it wise to damn this whole civilization to death because of its political apparatus?'' "Please continue." she said. "I say that only because it is a possibility we have to consider. It is an unavoidable fact that this culture has been irreversably contaminated by our own technology, whether that ship came here by accident or on purpose is of no consequence and like it or not we are going to have to accept it." "It is therefore unavoidable that we as Federation representatives are going to have to take some responsibility for this culture if the unthinkable happens." "And lastly while it is likely we may be able to paralyze their military and police in some respects by cutting them off from their command and control we will still have to deal with personal weapons systems. Please don't take this the wrong way Commander, I'm not trying to be a smart aleck but you did say all technology so I am addressing that facet of the equation as well. Cut off from their control apparatus though they will be deaf and blind which should allow us to make our move effectively. I think the only variable that really matters here is time, given enough of it I have no doubts we can do what you ask." "Your thought and insight is well appreciated. I wasn't clear and concise enough. Deleting the files should have no appreciable effect on the general populace. All the technology will have hard ware programming allowing it to function. They may loose some exotic dishes from the food replicators, but that is all. Any programing they added making replicators and medical instruments work on Irlixians will be un-touched because their origin will be on Irlix. I want the phasers disabled. Unfortunately it will not leave the police and military unarmed, they will probably have back up weapons firearms or the like. The shields seem to be keeping the piece between the powers, keep those active, but put them all on the same shield harmonic, that we know that way we can easily by-pass them. Leave the replicators unharmed as they feed the populace, we don't want famine just because we couldn't keep control of our own vessels. Their power sources, allow them enough for the equivalent of emergency power. This should run the shields, the replicators and any medical equipment. As for the irrevocable damage to their culture. That has nothing to do with our mission, which is to remove the two derelict vessels with out a warp core breach and rescue our captured comrades. We will leave that piece as the purview of the diplomats. Have I missed anything?" she asked. (Reply Remey, room for more) Once the discussion was complete, "Good, I'm glad we got the particulars ironed out." (Reply any) (Posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - CIV Ios Malinae - Day 7- 1517) "Miss, I have a few caveats, if I may?" One of the other Alien women said. Ios bowed her head in acceptance and replied, "certainly." "First I'd like to thank our junior line officers for getting us to this point. All probabilities pointed to us not making it this far, the odd were insurmountable, but your perseverance and dedication to duty allowed us this chance to succeed. If we survive this, I'm putting you in for a medal." she said. The man that had come with her here, just shook his head as another gave a smile and a nod. " We will need something to call each other. I'm not going with code names, that would be too difficult on our attached civilian to have to call us by Greek letters and numbers. It is reasonable to assume that having access to one of our vessels, they can access our personnel files. So, from this point forward, we only call each other by our first names and no formal ranks. First names are common enough that they won't be able to determine which vessel we came from or our identities, except for me, I am the only one with my first name in Starfleet, so I will use my last name which is much more common. Also on that same avenue of thought, Operational Security, we will be going by the book. From this point forward no unauthorized un-coded transmissions of any kind. I attempted to contact our ship shortly after I woke by piggy backing the signal on the local radio transmissions, I got no response, which means two things; either they are unable to respond, or they are unwilling to respond. For now at least temporarily on our own. We also need to realize that we may not return from this mission, but the needs of the many out-weigh we few. I will construct an encryption algorithm for us to use, until that time we are on communication silence. Please take the time to introduce your selves to our civilian counter-part. Treat her as if she had the security clearance of civilian press. Only what is needed to complete the mission. I am Sullivan" "You can all call me Ios." She replied, "I am excited and pleased to meet you. Finally after all the stories my Mother told me as a girl. After the introductions commenced and completed, T'Larah continued her comments. "Ios, your planet still uses currency, correct?" "Yes of course, doesn't yours?" Rather than answer Ios' question, Sullivan continued as if Ios hadn't asked one. "Then we will need some hard currency. Steve, I need you to borrow some currency of varying denominations from Ios. Scan it with your instruments, looking for composition, construction and materials, then replicate as much as possible, insuring non-sequential serial codes. Try to get the largest bills you can but anything will do. Issue enough to all to allow for expenditures if we have to separate again." "How do you plan to replicate money?" Ios asked, "The closest Replication facility is at least ten Miloks from here and is guarded by armed military personnel." (Reply Matrix) "Louis, Robbie and Tom, I need the three of you to put your heads together and create a malicious program. I need this program to do quite a few things. I need it to search out and delete any piece of information tagged as originating from either of the two captured Federation vessels. We cannot allow it to fall into hostile hands. Also I want it to disable any existing tech borrowed from us. I'm hoping that they copied ours well enough to let us shut it all down similarly to us using transponder codes, then lock out anyone else trying to re-activate it. I want the codes on these borrowed tools so complicated it will take them a week to un-jumble it all." Sullivan ordered. What followed was a discussion on the control of technology and the potential for the entire collapse of the world, at least as Ios understood it. In the end Ios understood enough to know what they were talking about. They were discussing shutting down the very technology that had granted the Irlixian people true hope of joining the Interstellar community. For Better or for worse Ios had placed her lot in with them by agreeing to aid them. "Have I missed anything?" Sullivan asked in conclusion. "Actually you have." Ios stated, her mind made up about what she was going to say. (reply Sullivan, Remey, any) "I think I should have at least a partial say in all of this don't you. Since I'm one of the Irlixians that will be affected. From what I understand of the federation, your people don't just make decisions about other species without at least giving them the opportunity to represent themselves. Therefore, I want to represent the interests of the People of Irlix in this discussion." (reply Sullivan) "The truth is, any technology can be used for good or evil. It doesn't matter if it's a phased weapon or a stone knife. But if you go around starting to shut down technology on this world, you're going to do a lot more than simply cause a few disruptions." She paused a second and continued, "You're going to start a war. Or rather restart it. Consider this. The only thing that is keeping the peace at the moment is that the Rhone Union has a distinct technological advantage. They don't have the manpower to press that advantage and so the balance of power and peace is maintained for the moment. If you take away that advantage, even for a little while one of two things is going to happen. Either the Rhone Union is going to be forced into action against their enemies, and I assure you they have the technological knowledge to build antimatter weapons even without your technology, or they're going to be seen as weak and their enemies are going to attack." "If you're goal is to kill my people, then that's exactly what you'll do if you shut down that technology. And if that's going to be a part of your plan, I can't help you. I won't help you kill people indiscriminately. I only agreed to help you because I thought you were noble beings, because I'd seen your computer files. But maybe I was mistaken." (reply Sullivan any Much more room for more) "Charlie, I need you to confer with Ios. We need the exact location of this facility where the ships are. I need you to work out a primary, secondary and tertiary routes and a last ditch fall back. I need routes that will mask our movement and if not traversable by foot, then we will need to procure an appropriate vehicle or vehicles. Use your best judgment, then I will need a briefing and a risk assessment on the route so I can clear it." (Reply Raschen) "Sanok and Mike, I am going to need perimeter look-outs. I need all avenues of approach watched. I need you to stay out of sight though, so as not to alert anyone to our presence here." "Understood sir." mike replied then nodded at his Vulcan counterpart before heading outside. "Sam and Kimiko, I will need you to continue to work on our various injuries. I know myself and Charlie took really bad hits, and at least I won't be at 100% for the rest of this mission. Please watch us and let us know if we are pushing too hard. Any of us are too valuable to this mission to be lost needlessly. Use your time between patients to search the house for materials you can't replicate with the brief case. Any house is bound to have rudimentary first aid supplies. I don't need to tell you how to do your job, but make sure it's compatible with our physiologies." (Reply Ichijo, Lopez) " Anyone else help as your disciplines and knowledge can. Make it so." (Reply all present) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa - AFO - Lt Cmdr T'Larah Sullivan - 1519) "Have I missed anything?" Sullivan asked in conclusion. "Actually you have." Ios stated, she seemed to steel her self to what she was about to say. ~She's making a stand.~ "Please speak your mind." T'Larah said. "I think I should have at least a partial say in all of this don't you. Since I'm one of the Irlixians that will be affected. From what I understand of the federation, your people don't just make decisions about other species without at least giving them the opportunity to represent themselves. Therefore, I want to represent the interests of the People of Irlix in this discussion." Ios said. It was obviously more then a simple observation that she was preparing to propose, this was a deal breaker for the young Irlixian. It was crucial that T'Larah listen closely to what the woman was about to say. "That is one of the reasons you are here. You are not a tour guide, we need your input." T'Larah said in all seriousness. "The truth is, any technology can be used for good or evil. It doesn't matter if it's a phased weapon or a stone knife. But if you go around starting to shut down technology on this world, you're going to do a lot more than simply cause a few disruptions." She paused a second and continued, "You're going to start a war. Or rather restart it. Consider this. The only thing that is keeping the peace at the moment is that the Rhone Union has a distinct technological advantage. They don't have the manpower to press that advantage and so the balance of power and peace is maintained for the moment. If you take away that advantage, even for a little while one of two things is going to happen. Either the Rhone Union is going to be forced into action against their enemies, and I assure you they have the technological knowledge to build antimatter weapons even without your technology, or they're going to be seen as weak and their enemies are going to attack." "If you're goal is to kill my people, then that's exactly what you'll do if you shut down that technology. And if that's going to be a part of your plan, I can't help you. I won't help you kill people indiscriminately. I only agreed to help you because I thought you were noble beings, because I'd seen your computer files. But maybe I was mistaken." she challenged. "You are speaking of your planetary politics and I hadn't thought of that, but please let me explain myself. My thoughts in the planning of this leg of the mission were to bringing my crew back to their families and completing the mission. My plan gave us the most likely chance of succeeding. The strife of your world at this time, a cold war, is not something I'm used to acting in. When you boil myself down to the very core, I am a soldier. I am not a diplomat, or a politician, but it seems that I will have to become more then I am at present to complete this mission with all our objectives and not spiraling this planet into a longer drawn out war then it was in when our technology first appeared on your world. Our overall mission in Star Fleet has always been one of peace. We also recognize that there is a time when societies are ready to deal with technology of this level. Usually we don't even open up diplomatic relations until they've managed to travel faster then light, and obtain a stable world wide government, the Irlixians skipped the latter when they gained the former. You've pointed out that my plan is very likely to plunge your planet into war, famine, pestilence and death. I can ensure you that my plan was not to bring about the forces to end your people's lives. If we wanted to do that, we would have showed up with a fleet, instead of one rescue vessel. It is an old tradition in one of our originating member planets that one doesn't offer a problem with out at least offering one solution. " (Reply Ios) "Situationally we are out numbered. Judging from this phaser rifle, the technology point your people obtained was approximately twenty years behind our current or more, but that isn't going to make enough appreciable difference. We will need a way past those impressive shields your scientists and engineers have managed to erect, and any other technological wonders they have managed to reverse engineer or even improve on the original design." (Reply Ios) (posted by Todd) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Runabout Timberlane, Irlix System, ACEO Ensign Eian O'Neill, Day 7- 1520) Eian had been en route to the Irlix System for the past five hours. He had taken the opportunity to research the Rosenante and play a few interactive historical games on his PADD. He had also done sixty push-ups, ninety sit-ups, and a few hundred jumping jacks. He was excited about his new assignment, needless to say, and needed to get rid of some excess energy before he rendezvoused with the starship. The ride at Warp 7 had been mostly uneventful, and he had the shuttle on auto-pilot until he got close enough to drop out of warp. When that happened, he jogged forward from the back of the shuttle and hopped in the seat eagerly. ~Rosenante, prepare to meet your new Assistant Chief Engineer,~ he thought with pride. His major was Tactical, and he still hoped to work in Tactical someday. But Starfleet needed his engineering skills and he was ready to deliver. When he told his father and brother about his new assignment, they had been just as excited as he was. The three of them celebrated by going out for a drink at their favorite pub in Ireland, and then he had left Earth for the transport that took him to Starbase 517, which served as a mobilization and deployment base for Starfleet officers and enlisted transitioning assignments. There he had met other newly commissioned Ensigns also ready to deploy, and had run into a few Lieutenants who gave him pointers for his first assignment. He was in and out of Starbase 517 in a matter of six days, and on his way to the USS Rosenante. And now here he was, about to meet his new captain. He dropped out of warp in the Irlix System and prepared to open up a channel to the starship, but he stopped himself when he saw the signatures of four strange vessels instead of the Rosenante's signature on his screen. ~Where is she? And who are they?~ Two of the strange vessels began making their way towards him, while the other two remained behind. He quickly opened all hailing frequencies and said, "This is Ensign Eian O'Neill. Approaching vessels, please identify yourselves." There was no answer, and Eian came to a halt as two more vessels mobilized from orbit around the third planet. He performed scans of the vessels and realized that while they weren't powerful enough to destroy him, they could do some damage if they fired at the same time. He raised his shields and sent out another hail, and then requested, "Computer, identify the surrounding vessels." [The vessels in closest approximation to this shuttle are not found on Starfleet records.] ~Great.~ Eian thought. "USS Rosenante," he said after opening a channel. "This is Ensign Eian O'Neill. Please respond if you are in the system. I believe I have a situation here--" He was cut short as the mysterious vessels began to fire. "Crap!" he exclaimed as he began evasive maneuvers. "Attacking vessels, I will be forced to fire if you do not cease your attack," he announced, and evaded their photon streams for a moment longer. He decided to fire. He partially disabled one of the small ships but the other continued to fire, and the two that had held back now approached. There was no response from the Rosenante, and the starship still didn't appear on his sensor readings. He fired again. The second vessel was slightly disabled, but it got a good shot off right before his phaser fire disabled its weapons. It appeared as though his phaser fire also damaged the guidance system, or perhaps the pilot was just trying to do as much damage as possible, because the next thing he knew the enemy vessel collided with the shuttle's shields. Eian flew forward and fought for control of the yoke, steadying the shuttle. His aft shields were out, and now the partially disabled first ship was coming around to his aft. Before Eian could evade, they fired three shots directly at the shuttle. Eian slammed his hand into the phaser fire button and pulled sharply to port, but the damage was already done. His warp drive was out, his impulse was erratic, and his guidance system was barely held together. Eian was thrown starboard by the impact and sent flying into the bulkhead opposite him. He scrambled up and jumped back into the pilot's seat, fighting for control of the now spinning shuttle. He finally regained slight control and ceased the spinning, but there was no way he could settle into orbit. He was headed straight for the planet. Desperate, he amplified his phaser intensity and fired two direct blasts at the cockpits of the small vessels. Disabled, they slowed their approach against him and settled into orbit. He took one more hit from their weapons fire, but was able to hold his course. He looked for the best place to sit down, away from any possible Irlixian sensors, but the best he could do was a clearing in a forest around 5 kilometers from a major city. All but emergency communications were out, and he clenched his jaw in frustration. He couldn't receive communications from the Rosenante if it was able to get to his location. But he needed to save those emergency communication systems for the landing...he knew he'd need some way to hail on Starfleet frequencies, especially if he was injured in the impact. Eian kept one hand on the yoke and reached over to the panel in the opposite seat. ~Blasted short arms,~ he complained to himself as he stretched as much as he could, without losing control of the shuttle again. He ripped the panel off finally, and felt around the small space for what he was looking for. Getting a good grip on the transponder, he yanked it out and then got back into the pilot's seat, sticking the small device in his pants. He could rig it to his communicator if worse came to worst. He was going down fast, increasing in speed instead of decreasing. His forward shields kept him from combusting in the atmosphere but they wouldn't save him completely from what was bound to be a nasty impact. He again held the yoke with one hand as he hit several commands, and was satisfied when the shuttle slowed slightly. He leveled the nose out and prepared for the landing, saying a quick prayer to God and rapidly fastening his seat restraint. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCMO Kimiko Ichijo - Day 7-1521) The doctor had made her rounds to check on the injured to insure that they were stable and was propped on a counter, programming a dose of nanites for deep tissue repair. With half a ear she listened to the conversation between Remey and Sullivan. She had some concern about tampering with any administrative files, but her training was not in MIS or civil engineering, so perhaps she was concerned over nothing. She moved over to Sullivan. “I have a something for that injury. This will rebuild muscle and skin tissue, but unfortunately because I had to split the nanites to deal with the all of the injuries, this will not be able to repair nerve tissue. That I will have to address shipboard.” (Reply Sullivan) “With the placement of the nerve structure, short term, about 10 to 14 days, you will notice a numb area about the size of the injury. After two weeks, cluster mortality will be about 35% in this area.” The doctor displayed the projection on the tricorder. “This is primarily superficial somatic nerve structure and will not compromise movement or internal workings of your body.” (Reply Sullivan) “Yes I will have enough to triage the team plus two.” Kimiko smiled and stated. “I would urge the group to avoid any more phaser play, but I try not to ask the impossible.” (Reply Sullivan) Kimiko injected the commander and moved about the rest of the injured group. (Reply Sullivan, any injuried) (Posted by Jack) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Rosenante, Bridge, CO Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 7- 1526) Ahmed sat in the center chair on the bridge of the Rosenante watching the main view screen much like a hawk watches a field mouse just before it pounces. Since dropping off the away team on the planet, He had been forced to move farther and farther away from Irlix as the military ships of the Rhone union seemed somehow able to home in on their position with a disturbing accuracy. Presently the ship had withdrawn back past the fifth planet, the one farthest from Irlix and closest in apogee to that system's stellar body. Three massive Irlixian warships were conducting a detailed search of the area where the Rosenante had been just a few minutes before and the fact that they seemed to be moving so readily from position to position in the Rosenante's wake was a bit disconcerting. Four times he'd had the cloaking system and the HISS reviewed and checked. There were no errant emissions, not sign of cloaking failure and no reasonable explanation of how the Irlixians were so close on their heels. Even after ten years, the Rosenante was the peak of Federation technology. here systems were the most advanced, best engineered and most assuredly the newest in the fleet. With only three ships of her class in service, she was also the most rare. It wouldn't do at all to have the Rosenante captured by a technologically inferior race with an apparent penchant for reverse engineering advanced technology. "Anything?" he asked Nunez, who was manning the tactical station. The dark haired Hispanic woman shook her head. "I don't see anything in their sensors that indicate that they are capable of detecting us. But every time they shift position," she continued, "they receive a heavily encrypted subspace signal from the surface. The only reason they are behind us is because of some delay- probably at the command center issuing the orders." she stated. Ahmed nodded his understanding, "Helm, bring us around heading 302 mark 014 up 2-degrees z-axis." "Aye, Captain" Dralar replied as the Skorr officer tapped the commands into the ship's helm console. "Captain I'm reading a new federation warp signature." Nunez reported. "Another Irlixian?" "No sir a Federation Danube class runabout." "Where?" the captain asked as he leaned forward in anticipation of her answer. "Far side of the system." he's transmitting. "on speaker." =^=This is Ensign Eian O'Neill. Approaching vessels, please identify yourselves.=^= Ahmed raised an eyebrow. "Mister Yalix?" he asked. "He's a recent academy graduate, sir. Records show he has just been assigned to the USS Rosenante as Assistant Chief Engineer." the Efrosian replied, obviously one step ahead of the captain as usual. "The Irlixian ships closest to the planet are moving to intercept. They'll be on him in less than a minute." Marta reported. "How long will it take us to get into weapons range to render aid?" Ahmed asked. "Six minutes captain at full impulse." Dralar replied from the CONN station. "Too long." Ahmed replied. =^=USS Rosenante,=^= O'Neill's voice stated. =^=This is Ensign Eian O'Neill. Please respond if you are in the system. I believe I have a situation here--=^= He was cut short as the Irlixian vessels began to fire. =^=Crap!=^= "They are firing on the shuttle, there is damage." tactical replied, then, "There's been a collision. The shuttle is heading into the atmosphere." "What are it's chances of surviving the crash?" the captain asked. "Slim" Dralar responded. "The chances of survival are very slim at those speeds unless the pilot is both highly skilled and lucky." From half a star system away, the Rosenante watched as the Shuttle plunged into the atmosphere, unable to render aide without risking even more of her crew. ~Let's hope Sullivan and her team picked up the transmission and can attempt a rescue.~ he thought to himself. The captain then spoke, "Continue on present course and let's hope that Commander Sullivan and the away team can render the pilot some aid. ~provided he survived the crash.~ (reply none) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Runabout Timberlane, Irlix - unknown location, ACEO Ensign Eian O'Neill, Day 7- 1535) The shuttle slammed into the ground and ripped the grass and dirt out of the earth as it skidded across the clearing. Eian felt himself pressed violently against his harness and was thankful for the device, but then the shuttle hit a hidden but enormous underground rock. The harness came loose, the aft of the shuttle caught fire, and Eian was thrown from his seat directly into the windshield as the shuttle flipped and then came to a stop upright. He fell away from the windshield and held his head, groaning. Standing slowly, he stumbled over to the fire extinguisher and put out the fire, and then leaned against the bulkhead. He coughed violently, and bringing his hand away from his head, he saw that he was bleeding. ~Not too dizzy...I don't feel nauseous. Probably not a concussion, at least not a severe one.~ He wasn't hurt elsewhere, but the shuttle was rapidly filling with smoke from the fire. He forced the side door open, kicking the thing when it refused to move further. He pulled the transponder out of his pants and was pleased to see it undamaged. Attaching it to his communicator with a small wire, he tapped it and said, "This is Ensign Eian O'Neill, hailing on all emergency Starfleet frequencies. I've crashed on Irlix...exact coordinates unknown. I have reason to believe the USS Rosenante might also be in danger...it's nowhere on my sensors in the system. The shuttle is badly damaged and won't be able to take off. I'm in need of minor medical assistance. Any receiving party, please respond." (respond any) (Posted by Morgan G) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – SO Mike Rosenbauer - Day 7, 1538) Mike stood in a relatively well obscured area inside the stone fenced perimeter surrounding the villa where the away team had taken refuge. It was still raining, and after a few minutes of the downpour, the native coat had turned into a heavy soggy mess of native fibers that although warm enough despite the weather was now extra heavy with wetness. Mike turned the collar of the heavy jacket up a little higher as he shuffled slightly from foot to foot to ward of any chance of fatigue or cold, even as his eyes scanned the rather expansive grounds afforded from his observation point. He felt the rumbling before he heard it. A deep basso vibration that seemed to reverberate off the stone walls of the villa and set his teeth on edge as it passed into his bones. From instinct, he looked upwards, a trick of his training that instinctively told him the sound was coming from above rather than below. At frost there was nothing but a gray expanse of rain thickened cloud, spilling their precious, although presently undesired, rain down onto the planet below them, then there was a glow. It was a dull glow, at first no brighter than the dim glow of a campfire as seen through a heavy mist, but it expanded, grew into a brighter streak that moved across the sky from left to right. Whatever it was it was hot, it boiled away clouds as it heading inward at reentry speeds and when it broke through the bottom of the cloud layer, Mike gasped. Although it was miles away and descending rapidly, Mike recognized the sleek shape and nacelle glow of a Danube class Runabout. It was heading for a collision with the planet that was not in it's best interests and doing so at a speed that indicated it wasn't much of a controlled descent. The ship's shields spattered and glowed in brilliant cascades of blue and they trailed red tendrils of plasma behind them as the friction of the air across the face of the deflector shield spontaneously super-heated the air into a plasma-like state. Then the sonic boom struck. The deep boom was so loud it shook the very ground that he stood on and threatened to knock him off his feet. It was close, damn close. Mike immediately took stock of the direction and estimated the speed that shuttle had been traveling. satisfied that he had a good idea, he turned and headed quickly into the house. Mike entered the central room just in time to hear Jackson reporting the incident to Sullivan. "Commander Sullivan, I have intercepted what amounts to a general call from what appears to be a SF officer that has crashed on the planet" The operations Officer reported excitedly. "I can confirm that Sullivan." Mike offered. "I just spotted it coming in hot, moving westward at about Mach three or four. I figure it'll hit somewhere maybe 5-6 kilometers northwest of here. The pilot might survive it, they appeared to have shields and it was flattening out its angle of entry as it traveled." (reply Sullivan) "Commander, I see two possibilities here first - this is a trap and second this Ensign is legitimate. How would you like to proceed?" Tom asked. Mike looked at Jackson, as much as he'd be inclined to disagree, there was always a slim possibility that the Lieutenant could be right. Mike simply added, "He's right. it could be an elaborate trap to draw us out, although I would think they'd have better ways to do so rather than wasting a potentially valuable runabout." (reply Sullivan, Any) Daniel Greene --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: The Gilded Man DAy: 7 Stardate: 2413.11.7 (Irlix - Khoda City - Second District - The Villa COPS Lt. Tom Jackson Day 7- 1545) Tom Jackson was monitoring communications to occupy his mind as the group gathered its breath. Since he had his communication device muted he ghadn;lt noticed the flashing light right away. ~That's odd~ he thought. ~What the devil is going on~ as he listened again. It was a general call from someone purporting to be a Federation Officer. "Commander Sullivan, I have intercepted what amounts to a general call from what appears to be a SF officer that has crashed on the planet" told told the First Officer. (reply: T'Larah) Tom Jackson was concerned that this might be a trap and told T'Larah so. "Commander, I see two possibilities here 1st - this is a trap and second this Ensign is legitimate. How would you like to proceed? Tom asked. (reply: T'Larah) Tom nodded as his First Officer spoke. (reply: Any in Villa) (posted by: Bill) --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Irlix- Khoda City- Second District - The Villa – aCMO Kimiko Ichijo - Day 7, 1546) "Commander Sullivan, I have intercepted what amounts to a general call from what appears to be a SF officer that has crashed on the planet" The operations Officer reported excitedly. "I can confirm that Sullivan." Mike offered. "I just spotted it coming in hot, moving westward at about Mach three or four. I figure it'll hit somewhere maybe 5-6 kilometers northwest of here. The pilot might survive it, they appeared to have shields and it was flattening out its angle of entry as it traveled." Kimiko looked up from the tricorder, where she was examining the nanites progress (reply Sullivan) "Commander, I see two possibilities here first - this is a trap and second this Ensign is legitimate. How would you like to proceed?" Tom asked. Mike looked at Jackson, a look of disagreement passed across his face. Mike added, "He's right. it could be an elaborate trap to draw us out, although I would think they'd have better ways to do so rather than wasting a potentially valuable runabout." "I'm sorry, sir, if I may?" The doctor asked (reply Sullivan) "Normally I would lead the charge to rescue injured personal; but, perhaps being shot at, makes me a little more suspicious" Kimiko stated "I find it unusually coincidental that a third federation vessel has come to its end in this unincorporated world, and a runabout, no less. However it would be something that would be able to attract our attention anywhere in the city, requiring us to investigate" The ensign paused a moment "A thought as occurred to me, would the Irlixians have access to the specifics to duplicate the runabout?" The ensign cocked her head to invited comment. (Reply any) (Posted by Jack) --------------------------------------------------------------------- End Compile ---------------------------------------------------------------------