STRPG IC (invite only)

[Stottie Kyek]

The turbolift slows and stops. Yudith exits, and strolls along the corridor towards the bar. Before going in, she crouches down to Chazeer's level, and looks into his little black eyes.

"Now, there'll be lots of new people here. We want to make friends with them, so you're to behave. If you're good I'll ask the barman for some biscuits for you. Eh, Chazzy? Would you like that? Now, heel."

She scratches his ears, gets up again, and walks into the bar.

[Nixie Face]

No you are not late…just, replied Valkriss with a slight smile and placing special emphasis on the just. At least I’m not the only one on the damn ship with a tendancy to burst in at the last minute.

In response to your question Ensign, you will be contacted with details of where and when you are to leave for the mission, all other briefing on the mission will be given at a later date given its sensitive nature. Now as much as I would like to let you ask more questions we have limited time in which to run the exercise.

Valkriss broke eye contact with her staff, walked over to the holodeck control panel and inserted in her data chip loading one of her favorite ambush training exercises.

Todays exercise will involve countering ambushes and is a... non standard training programme, you may find it fairly testing but then again I expect nothing but the best from my staff. I will start the programme once you have all entered the holosuite, I will be monitoring your individual progress from outside, feedback will be given when the exercise is completed. You may proceed.

She opened the holosuite doors and watched as the team walked in noticing certain levels of arrogance in some of the team and a lack of confidence in others. Once the team was inside she took up her position at the control panel and initiated the programme.

[Night Monkey]

Valkriss

"Initialising program Valkriss 17," the computer announces.

Lieutenant Toluth quickly marshals the other two into position, forming a triangle with their bodies, their phasers being held out at 120 degree angles to one another's.

Ensign Teyna is facing you directly, her arm outstretched as though meaning to shoot you. You see her take a deep intake of breath and close her eyes for half a second as a huge landscape comes into being around the team.

A harsh, cold wind scrapes past the faces of the group as a simulation of the polar crags of Xentol IV is created. The total absence of natural water on the planet prevents this land from being covered with ice, and only the proximity of Mount Doherty, a perpetually active volcano unceasingly pumping magma from the geologically chaotic south into the area, makes the temperature even barely tolerable. A tumult of dark, grey stony peaks and troughs mark the landscape, and the threat posed by the array of viciously sharp rocks is further compounded by the merciless 1.9G gravity.

Ilya Karennina, the Outdoor Survival teacher at the academy, enjoys using the threat of a field trip to Xentol IV to quieten boisterous first year classes.

The team finds a PADD on the ground before them. Teyna picks it up, before handing it to Toluth to examine. Serviceman Leonard strides backwards and forwards as Toluth reads, scanning the area for foes whilst drawing his arms across him for warmth.

"We're to head a mile in that direction," Toluth announces, pointing. "It's directly beneath a weak spot in the atmospheric ionisation that's preventing a beam out."

Teyna nods, "We get there and we can get off this rock. Simulated rock," she adds, as though to remind herself of the fact.

"Speaking of rocks, can we not heat some up with our phasers?" Leonard asks. "You know, for warmth."

"We should not draw attention to ourselves from possible hostiles with unneccesary energy discharges," Toluth responds. "The ship will be plenty warm for all of us. Keep that in mind as we travel"

Leonard just shrugs, "I guess. Let's go then."

Toluth points in the required direction again, before leading the way. Teyna follows closely behind him, her phaser held close to her chin, her eyes darting back and forth as they had been before. Leonard stays at the back, his arms folded squarely across his chest for warmth, his head craned over, seemingly unconcerned about danger.

After walking about half a mile, the progress made torturous by the heavy gravity and the bitter chill, Leonard suddenly snaps into an alert posture, looking left to right quickly. At the same time, Teyna whispers.

"Lieutenant!"

Toluth looks back, before staring at the tall rock face to his right. A single disruptor blast misses him by an inch, just as programmed. The three all leap into cover, Teyna's left arm clipping through a sharp rock, only the holodeck safeties preventing her from sustaining a nasty gash, seconds before another blast is fired, programmed to immediately take out one team member if they hadn't yet responded.

"F*cking Nausicaans!" screams Leonard, before firing at the holographic foes, who had leapt out from their hiding places, working their way into closer areas of cover, returning fire.

"Concentrate fire on the closest hostile!" Toluth orders. He and Teyna immediately take aim at the lead Nausicaan, who ducks behind a large rock to avoid the twin phaser shots.

Leonard appears to have vanished.

"L... Leonard's down!" Teyna calls out, uncertainly.

"Hold position and continue firing!" Toluth shouts, his voice betraying a sudden panic. The Nausicaans outnumbered them and they had made one kill already. What chance did the team have?

After few seconds of shots, followed by quick returns into cover, Leonard leaps silently at one of the Nausicaans from his right side, the gravity giving his assault a huge impact, firing once whilst in mid-air. The shot misses, but there is a crunch of bone as the Nausicaan is hit by the gold-shirted projectile and is brought to the floor. Leonard pushes himself up, too slowly, as a nearby Nausicaan pulls a knife from his boot and plunges it into the back of Leonard's neck. Although it doesn't actually make contact with his skin, Leonard realises he is beaten, plays the part, and falls limp on top of his prey. He is pushed aside by the groaning Nausicaan, who limps back into the fight.

A minute later, Toluth has taken out one of the hostiles, whilst Teyna, desperation giving her focus, has killed two. However, both of them then fall, hit by Nausicaan disruptor fire.

The program, recognising the end of the combat, freezes, the Nausicaans vanishing all at once.

"Simulation complete. Subjects were defeated by hostile projections."

Yarin

As you enter the sickbay, its novel design is immediately apparant. The room is a perfect circle, a much smaller circular room positioned at its centre. Biobeds are spaced evenly along the walls, a plethora of shelves of equipment between each one. The central room is partitioned only by chest high counters, with four equally spaced exits, unbarred by doors. A huge array of supplies lie across the countertops, as well as a large desktop computer. There are no screens on the walls, instead, smaller monitors are positioned around each bed so that multiple people can observe the data whilst standing around the bed's occupant. The overall effect is of simeltaneous symmetry and disorder, which is initially disorienting.

From where you stand, the entire room is easily visible. Four members of medical staff are present. Two stand to your right, a female Vulcan and a male Bolian, both apparantly testing a stack of medical tricorders on one another.

"Strange, this one appears to be malfunctioning," the Bolian says, his brow furrowed with apparant concentration.

"What is the error?" asks the Vulcan.

"Well, it's detecting a pair of warm beating hearts inside you, I'm sure there should be a shard of ice and a shard of flint in their places."

"Equipment evaluation is an innappropriate context for humour Doctor."

To your left, the other two staff, both female Humans, are positioned beside the bed of a patient, a male Denobulan.

"Like this?" asks one of them, standing at the patient's side, her pale face obviously young to your eyes, as she holds a laser scalpel over the man's chest.

"Yes, but carefully now, just a small incision," says the dark-haired one at the end of the bed, wearing a blue coat, her face concealed from you, facing the patient directly.

After two seconds of cutting, a huge expulsion of froth erupts from the patient's stomach. The man's eyes widen in shock, whilst the young nurse gasps, steps backwards and drops the scalpel. The dark-haired woman in the blue coat just nods.

"I thought as much. Give him 90ccs of setylprexin-B, and 45 more in an hour. That should let his enzymes break it down and digest it naturally."

"Di- digest?" utters the Denobulan weakly, as the two women walk away.

"Doctor Zar!" says the woman in the blue coat as she turns and sees you. Her dark brown hair colour is matched by her eyes and skin, and her imposing height is made more visible the closer she strolls towards you, her arm outstretched to yours in greeting. "Excellent to meet you at last, my name is Doctor Elmoss, Chief Medical Officer." Before you can respond, she grasps your hand firmly and shakes it vigorously. "I have to say I'm exciting by working on a ship with a joined Trill, I've always wanted to get to examine a symbiont myself. I do hope you'll be at all your physicals!"

Yudith

"And who'd believe my luck! Half an hour on the job and a beautiful woman walks into my bar. Pull up a seat here and I'll fix you up with one of my favourites, hoping it'll help make me into one of yours."

The barroom on this deck is suitably spacious, the metal floors, walls, ceiling and supports all coloured to look like wooden panelling. Plush, dark seats surround each of the tables, with sofas and coffee tables facing some of the windows, each of which face outwards towards the stars. Opposite the celestial view, one third of the wall is dedicated to food replicators, whilst the rest gives way to the bar itself, behind which stands the only present occupant of the room besides yourself, who grins broadly as you enter

He looks half-Human, half-Bajoran, wearing a unique cross-cultural outfit, including the earring (women love it), as well as a loud Hawaiian shirt from Earth (they love that too). He looks about sixteen, although you have no doubt that him being in this job would violate regulations if he really was that age. As he pulls four differently coloured, unmarked bottles up from underneath the bar and begins to mix them, you feel him noting that you appear too old for him, but that a little charm could still do wonders for getting customers to return.

"Sorry the place is a little quiet, but it'll heat up before too long." He finishes making the drink and pushes it towards you, continuing to smile. "This is one of my own, designed it specially for the first gal I ever loved. Named Creamy Phoenix; sweet, smooth and fiery. The drink that is." He chuckles at his own joke. "Say, what can I call you, or do I have to guess?"

[Nixie Face]

Valkriss hit her head against the control panel and sighed, “it could have been worse I suppose” she muttered to herself, pondering how best to deliver feedback that would not end up breaking moral.

The team exited the holosuite and lined up as they were before in front of her looking ever so slightly sheepish.

“Right, so now we get onto the joy that is feedback”, she said semi sarcastically, turning away from the control panel to face her staff, arms crossed across her chest.

“We will start with you Lieutenant, good organisation initially upon entry and very good call on the energy emissions and keeping focussed on the objective. When it came to the actual ambush itself there were things that could have be done better. For a start as good at organising the team as you are Liutenant broadcasting your orders to your teammates as you do also broadcasts them to your enemy, which in an ambush situation in which you are outnumbered is slightly suicidal. Also given the fact you were outnumbered taking up a stationary firing position as opposed to falling back so that you could launch a counter strike to tip the advantage was a mistake. However, it would have been the correct response if you had superior numbers and firepower. On the whole good teamwork from you but too stationary and predictable, but this is all stuff that can be worked on”

She shifted her gaze to Tenya.“Ensign, good continual alertness, teamwork and observation throughout, except when it came to the landscape, please when diving for cover realise that wounding yourself on a rock will compromise you for the rest of the mission, just don’t do it, it hurts trust me. Um, I get the sense you were quite nervous about the exercise ensign and I feel that your lack of confidence holds you back somewhat. However, by the end of the exercise you were carving through those Naussicans very effectively and thus should be a lot more confident in your own ability. You show a lot of promise well done”.

Valkriss gave Tenya a quick smile before shifting her attention to Leonard “Right serviceman, nice nonchalant walking whilst actually being completely aware of your surroundings, great for inducing the enemy into overconfident mistake making. Bad call on the heating the rocks thing. Nice dive, it would have worked well as a counter ambush and given you guys the advantage, but you seemed to have forgotten something major, that being teammates and teamwork. There is no point countering with no backup when outnumbered, plus they had no idea what had happened to you, as good at stealth as you are being so stealthy that they think you are dead is a bad plan! Next time push for the advantage just please bring someone who can stop you being knifed by your targets buddy”.

"Right I hope that was all clear and has given you all something to think about, we will run the exercise again and then there will be a meeting in the bar to get to know each other and some other members of the mission team. I would like it very much if you would all attend although it is not compulsory”.

[Muddy_dragon]

Removing her attention from the Denobulan, and internally rebelling at the idea of physicals, Yarin returns the handshake shaking off the feeling of disorientation and mild disturbance and smiles “Nice to meet you Dr. i have heard quite a few things about you, though I have to confess I sincerely hope a situation does not arise where you get to examine Zar too ummm directly.” Grinning at the Doctor. Yarin got the distinct feeling that Dr Elmoss would quite enjoy any opportunity to dissect them, Yarin’s hand moving instinctively towards her pouch and Zar settled within. Changing track and anxious to see what exiting data may be revealed “I believe we have some rather interesting data to examine Dr…. if you are available that is?” Yarin glances back at the Denobulan. Hmmm, knowledgeable, unflappable, inquisitive and mildly disturbing…..i think were going to get along well.

[Night Monkey]

Valkriss

As you give your feedback, Toluth nods, looking thoughtful and determined, Teyna smiles, but doesn't quite look you in the eye. Leonard gives a short laugh at the comment about being knifed. At the suggestions to go to the bar, Teyna simply nods, whilst Leonard pipes up.

"A good fight with holographic Nausicaans then off to the pub with the Chief? I knew having a Klingon in charge would make things fun."

Toluth represses a scowl, before responding.

"Obviously this will be a good opportunity to get to know one another better before fighting together. The Chief clearly understands troop motivation."

"Always about the job eh? Well yes sir, Lieutenant sir."

Toluth seems deeply uncomfortable, answering more quickly and loudly then usual, "Right, get back into starting positions, time to try ourselves out again."

As the team try the simulation again, Toluth tries to lead them through cover, progressing more slowly than before, despite Leonard's protests about the cold. As the Nausicaans attack, the three of them get into a defensive position and start firing upon their enemies whilst they, in turn, are moving into their own positions. Teyna and Leonard both kill one Nausicaan each.

Toluth's performance is poorer. He appears distracted by his teammates, glancing over to them instead of concentrating on the enemy. His face shows an expression of uncertainty. Noticing this, Teyna crouches low and looks behind them, before tapping her comm badge and whispering to the others.

All three of the team scramble away, firing to cover their retreat, ducking between the rocks behind them. The Nausicaans give chase, eventually finding Toluth alone, firing at them from behind a boulder. They leap forward to surround him, before Teyna and Leonard emerge from their left flank, firing rapidly into their midst. The Nausicaans respond well, spraying Leonard and Teyna with shots, causing Teyna to duck quickly into cover, whilst Leonard, fearlessly continuing to fire, is cut down. Toluth, seemingly inspired by Leonard's demise, jumps out from behind his boulder and shoots two of the Nausicaans in the back. For his trouble, he too is shot and killed.

One Nausicaan remains alive on the planet with Teyna. She begins to shake, sat alone behind a large rock with her phaser close to her face. The last foe creeps slowly around towards her, exhanging his disruptor for a knife. As he lunges around the corner, Teyna fires twice, the first shot missing, the second shot getting him in the chest as she is impaled.

"Simulation complete. All combatants deceased."

Yarin

"Oh well," replies the Doctor, glancing for half a second at your stomach before turning to walk away towards the central area of the sickbay. "Interesting, yes quite interesting data. The Yadozi invented warp drive about five years ago, then very recently got the hang of subspace communications. Apparantly they refused to send manned craft outside their solar system without being able to communicate with them in real time. Sensible enough I suppose, but imagine having warp capability and not even going beyond your own system for five years?"

Doctor Elmoss beckons you into the central section, sitting herself down at the large computer monitor, indicating to you a nearby chair that you can pull up and sit upon beside her. Out of the corner of your eye you can see the young nurse pressing a hypospray to the Denobulan patient's head, before going to replicate a bucket in which to contain the foamy substance.

Glancing briefly over at the patient, Elmoss sighs.

"Poor fellow. He really ought to have known that Denobulans can't eat anything with yeast in it. Anyway, although we've never encountered the Yadozi in person, they've been able to send us messages; information about them and their world. A lot of it covers their creation myth and their religious beliefs, but in amidst all of that is some biological data. I've been serving on vessels with Starr for nine years straight now, so he picked me quite early on for this position and gave me the job of looking over this data, given that he hadn't assigned you yet."

To your right, you can hear agitated whispers between the Bolian and Vulcan doctors, whilst to the left you can see a new torrent of foam has emerged from the Denobulan's chest. The nurse, clearly panicking, asks the replicator for a vacuum cleaner.

"So here I was looking at this information and I find a gaping omission. Evolution. The prominent belief system in Yadozi society is that their deities created them and all life on their world just as it exists today, so they've done practically no research on evolutionary biology. As such, I thought I'd try to investigate how everything there evolved by myself. I've got it down to a few good overarching theories for bacteria and animals and so on, but I frankly don't have a clue about plant evolution. So... I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me piece together the rest of the puzzle. Unless..." she gives a wide, toothy grin. "Unless you're just not interested in the challenge."

[Muddy_dragon]

Yarin is distracted by the denobulan, staring quizzically at him.
"Can’t eat anything with yeast?... What exactly is happening? I thought all cooking practices involving yeast killed off the yeast due to the rather specific temperature range of survival…..even in real alcohol production the yeast kills itself in the alcohol it produces…what an interesting reaction…has the yeast been brought back to life to cause some form of fermenting? No no not possible…Or a reaction to the dead yeast activating some yeast like organism in the denobulans own digestive tract… something that can survive in such an environment…" Yarin rambles mostly to herself, so distracted she forgets that it may be easier just to ask the doctor, rummaging through her belongings for a test-tube. Finding no such tool, yarin glances around the central sickbay section for a test tube, her eyes lighting upon several suitable objects. Glancing at the froth erupting from the denobulan Yarin concludes there is no rush. Suddenly realising the opportunity the doctor has given to her now less distracted by the denobulan
“yes yes!" she says rather too excitedly,
"I will gladly assist! has any space fare-ing plant life been found? Any similarites to other planetary species? Any suggestion the Yadozi were also seeded by the same species encountered by the Enterprise D? I’ld love to see the data of course I’ll assist! But first… may I borrow this?" Yarin picks up the nearest empty testtube like object grinning slightly manically.

[Stottie Kyek]

"Dr. Grey will do for now, young man," Yudith jokingly reproaches him, accepting the drink with a smile. "To be honest, I was hoping it'd be a little busier here, so I could get to know more of the crew members until I'm needed." She lifts the glass and takes a sip, surprised by its strong flavour. "My, she... must've been some girl!"

She leans a bit closer, pretending to be secretive, and slightly playing along with his friendly banter. "So, I guess until they show up, we've got some time to kill. You must hear a lot of stories, working here on the Olympia, Mr...?"

In Yudith's experience, when it comes to the goings-on aboard any ship, the bar staff seem to have a telepathic ability all of their own.

[knighttp01]

Antak looked at the message and the clock

Has it really been that long? he mused outloud.

He realised he hadn't responded to the dinner invite, still he was doing important work, the space ship was of an odd design.

He would much prefer an officer trained in piloting as a major so he could concentrate on tactical.

Computer are the other members of my team in the bar?

[Muddy_dragon]

Yarin pauses just long enough to recieve the answer no before rushing out of the central room, nearly falling over a chair, and heading towards the denobulan. "Hello!" she smiles at the denobulan and the nurse struggling with the hoover, "Do you mind if i have some of this?" yarin points vaguely towards the froth errupting from the denobulan's stomach, whilst struggling to put on a pair of examination gloves a little too large for her and getting two of her fingers stuck in the first finger of the glove, leaving the now empty middle finger of the glove dangling oddly, Yarin gives up trying to free her fingers and scoops up some of the interesting looking liquid into the bottom of the pot. "thankyou" she says grinning again at the denobulan and nurse and skips off to the nearest replicator leving a rather bemused looking denobulan and nurse behind.
"small sachet of refined cane sugar please" she asks the replicator. after a few moments the sugar appears, "thankyou" Yarin says and hurries off back to the central room. entering the central room Yarin places the vial down on the table and carefully pours the sugar into the beaker containing the strange denobulan fluid, pulls off the gloves and desposes of them, and sits down watching the little beaker intently.
"soo..." turning to the doctor, "evolution..." and grins. "do you think you could provide me with a copy of your data so far?" Yarin asks glances back at the vial hopefully.