USS-Daystrom Alpha mission

[DarkOmen]

"Welcome to Sickbay lieutenant, how may I assist you." Asked the EMH politely. The EMH was no longer a balding older man, and was now a very attractive young blonde Doctor.

Metal Head glared at the holoprojection. "Where is doctor Taal?"

"I am Doctor Valin. Please, how can I help you?" Asked the visage of the young woman.

" You are not the doctor. You are a hologram."

"I assure you I can meet all of you needs. I am very well trained in all forms of medical practice known to the Federation, as well as some... physical treatment regimes." said the EMH slyly.

Out of the corner of his eye, his nueral implant caught Doctor Taal peaking his head around a corner in the back of sickbay. "Computer, deactivate EMH" commanded Metal Head. The EMH smiled, and dissapeared.

"AWwww... why'd you do that!? She was doing so well!" Said the Doctor coming into full view now.

" Why were you hiding, i need to speak with you."

"Im trying see how the EMH's new personality interacts with patients... I think she's much nicer than she was... don't you?" with no reply he continued, "Well, I think shes coming along nicely... maybe a little too flirtatious... " he mumbled and typed something in on the PADD he was carrying...

" Several of my nueral processors are malfunctioning, and I am experiencing discomfort around my Ocular implant."

"Well, lets take a look at you... over to the bio bed." The ex drone walked much slower than usual over to the bed, and layed down. As he did, he tried to stifle a wince, but the doctor's trained eye caught it.

"You are in quite a bit of pain yes?" pried the doctor.

Metal head said nothing, but nodded slowly. The doctor begain running scans on Metal HEad, and studied the data streaming by on the monitors.

"Your Cortisol levels are off the chart as well as the lactic acid concentration in your musculature. Your dopamine levles belown normal. Your thyroid is hyperactive... It looks to me as if you are experiencing a bout of stress, in the way only a human turned borg turned human can experience it. Your body is still not entirely accostomed to handeling everything on its own, and you are overworking it. You cannot keep up the same pace you did when you are a drone... you biological body needs to rest."

"But..."

"No but.... you need to control your work habit, take more breaks. Do you do anything to relax? Read? Musid? Holodeck?" The ex borg shook his head.

"Well, i can give you a hormonal suppressent to keep the activity of your adrenal cortex down for a short period of time, but the only thing that will make you feel better is rest."

"Thank you doctor." and turned to leave "And, I like what you've done with the EMH." he said unsteadily, obviously not used to complimenting or even initiating a comment with someone.

"Thank you.. .that means alot. Hey, sometime, you should join me in the holodeck. There are some very amusing and relaxing programs."

Metal Head looked away "Perhaps. Thank You Doctor." and left.

The doctor tossed the hypospray in the air and caught it. He looked at the cronometer on the computer read out.. "SPeaking of working too much." He took of his over coat, dimmed the lights in the lab and walked out.

[Mikey]

Finishing his business on the bridge, Mikey returned to his quarters. He retrieved a small item on which he had been working, and then headed for the "diplomat's" quarters. On entering, he found Harrison in a meditational pose. "I beg your pardon..."

"Not at all. Welcome, Mikey. What can I do for you? Can I get you anything?" Harrison's style was all charm and accomodation.

"It will be some time before I come here on a social call, Mr. Harrison," said Mikey stiffly. "The information you have just given me, however, has inspired my confidence regarding the matters at hand - my confidence in your position, and the fact that I intend to keep your confidence with regard to that information."

"As I thought- as I knew it would, Mr. W'trisk," reoplied Harrison.

"Now since it would seem that you should indeed remain alive for some time, I came to give you this," said Mikey, handing the small device to Harrison.

"A pip for my collar? Wonderful - I'm an officer. But I believe it's the wrong color, commander."

"Stop, my sides can't take it," responded the Andorian dryly. "That is a simple ultrasonic emitter - no comm signal to show up on traffic reports, and inaudible to humanoids. I, however, will be able to feel and localize that signal from at least four or five decks away and acroos the length of the ship. I tend to think that the orb you received was NOT a practical joke."

"Thank you, Mikey," said the human. "I didn't know you cared."

"Don't mistake my sense of duty for concern for you," retorted Mikey, over his shoulder as he was leaving.

[Captain Peabody]

"Peabody, wasn't he the captain of the Ventray, made first contact with the Batazodes, I also think he was the first to cross breed with them." Minnsky glanced at his escort, they came to the corridor and Metler started left then remembered, he wasn't to know the way he let Peabody take the lead.
"Uh, no sir." Peabody, said, careful to keep a note of annoyance out of his voice. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could report the man. "That Peabody was a Betazoid; my ancestors were some of the original Mars colonists, though. Where did you say you wanted to go again sir?"
"You dont look like a Marsman, I was born in the north, I hadn't realized the difference was that grand." they entered the turbo lift, "Sick bay then the eatery, I need food. I hope you dont mind but im going to use you a lot, i like to do a lot of my work in the eatery, gives me a chance to meet people."
"You're right." Peabody admitted. "Actually, I was born on Barisa Prime; my parents moved there from Mars during the Cardassian War. Thought it would be safer, far out away from the Federation proper." He shook his head. "Then, of course, when the Tzenkethi showed up, they found themselves in the middle of another war. Should've stayed on Mars." The turbolift doors opened, and they stepped out, heading down the corridor toward Sickbay.
"My family never moved off Mars, im the first in four generations to leave the sol system actually." Minnsky glanced at his PADD, Wells was done with her repairs. "So how long have you been in Starfleet?"

[Granitehewer]

'Cardinal' deposited a cryptex upon his desk, and carefully attached to it the ultra sonic emitter, gifted from W'Trisk, using its magna-lock to create adhesion.
Activating the ultra sonic emitter, onto its least violent setting, 'Alexis' strolled into the corridors and decided to haunt the bridge, naturally his paDDs and computer had undergone an encoded veiled transport into space, and would detonate, just as the Onyx arrived at the rendezvous point to begin transport of the equipment.
It was a purile gesture but courted a tiny smile, nonetheless, ''4 hours exactly then'', 'Cardinal' onimously muttered, like a countdown to the end times, for this Kudak was surely a forgotten demon of the ancient world, in his barbarity.
The Cryptex contained sufficient data for the recepient to remotely deactivate the cloak on the Onyx and to suspend the Onyxs' shield, navigation and weaponary capabilities for a five second window.
Even with the creme de la creme of the elite being on this ship, or at least some damn competent crewmen, Harrison, had to repress a wrenching headache and involuntary muscle spasm, as he envisaged the carnage and utter butchery, if Kudak and his kill squad managed to reboard the Daystrom, these corridors would be like a charnel house or abattoir....swooning, blood torrenting and pulsating audibly, Harrison, steadied himself on a bulkhead, before lurching forward and collapsing in a reservoir of phlegm

[Mikey]

"Personal log, Lt. Cmdr. W'trisk.

I can no longer have any doubts as to where the loyalty of Mr. Harrison lies... in the matter at hand, at least. With this new information, we can nullify any threat that our mystery shadow may pose. Of course, I am still in the dark as to the details of the situation; I can't imagine wanting to use this on a vessel of whose intentions we are not sure - especially a Federation vessel. If, however, her intentions prove to be deleterious, I of course wouldn't hesitate...

I trust Mr. Harrison will retrieve the emitter I had left on his desk. I, and perhaps MetalHead, could be the only people aboard who could deal with a non-human assassin - especially if the situation calls for an avoidance of ranged weapons and their detectability.

All in all, I'd rather be proceeding FORWARD with this ship's mission, and I'm certainly not much for these games, but that ship is behind us for SOME reason."

*pause*

"Computer - cancel log entry. Delete record of entry."

[Blackstar the Chakat]

*Blackstar's personal log*

Thanks to the double shifts my work on the new shuttle is ahead of schedule. I have also realized that with everthing I want to put on it it's going to have to be larger then previosly envisioned. To speed up production of it I plan on using spare parts from the ship's stores for the few conventional parts. I'm hoping to get a few spare pulse phasers and a pair of standard phaser emitters to give my baby some teeth. I'm also hoping to have full-sized launchers, but I'm not sure how many actual torpedoes it'll actually carry. The designs for the multi-plexing sensors are almost finished and Mikey is working on a variable SIF system. I also think I can increase speed by using a hypermagneto-warp drive so that it can cruise along side the Daystrom. Overall it's shaping up to be an interesting project.

On a side note the only crewman I've really connected with is Mikey. I find him intresting, and he might even become a companion someday, but it's a little early to go that far, even for a Chakat. Well maybe... nah. Anyway... the captain pranked me again on the holodeck, replacing my movie theater program for klingon opera. I'll have to find a suitable revenge for that.

*end log*

Blackstar finished hire log when Sally asked, "didn't you forget something?"

"What? And it better not be about Mikey again."

"...never mind"

Blackstar rolled hir eyes, "who programed you anyway?"

"Um...you will. Hehe." Sally knew that Blackstar hated that, shi had or rather will create something so annoying. Blackstar had know way of knowing that Sally was only telling a half truth.

[Monroe]

Boush finished his report to his superior and quietly left the mess hall. Crewmen still looked at him oddly, had they not seen enough strange creatures to be over the fact that he wore a suit? The hatreds of the last war die hard. Boush hated people who didn't forgive and put down to memory every crewman he saw that gave him an odd look on his way. Along the way he noticed a panel left open. Probably due to substandard human repair teams so he closed it without seeing if there was anything inside.

He neared the drone, his superior's quarters and rasped on the door. "Ensign," Boush said bitterly, passed over for every promotion, "Munro here with this evenings security report." And waited for permission to enter.

[Teaos]

Conference room

Captain Fletcher stood at the head of the table holding a PADD in his hand.

"At 0230 hours one of our shuttles returned with a sensor hit. It initially found traces of multiple warp signatures in the are both recent and degrading apon further investigation in which it called apon several other craft including two of the fighter escort they have confirmation of one of the missing craft"

"One of the craft approached a planet using a natural ion wave to hide from any sensors that may have been in the area. Upon closer inspection of one of the local planets they were able to perform several scans of it. They found traces of a small to medium sized land base on the planet. It appears to be a trading post of some kind but they also found several strange readings coming from the area we can't identify"

"Traces of at least two of the missing craft were recording in the area with more possible hits"

"Myself and Lieutenant Hewer have decided to send an away team to the planet to glean any information they can about what is going on. The planet is M class and appears to have a large slave population as is common with Tholians. Due to the Nature of the mission Commander Rochey will lead it with any other who choose to come along. The team will depart in three days giving us time to finalize the plan. I want everyone's input on this. Dismissed."

[Mikey]

At a small signal from Mikey, Commander Rochey remained in the conference room as the rest of the staff filed out. When they were alone, Mikey said, "Thank you, Commander. I wanted to discuss my involvement in the away mission with you."

"I haven't yet put together a complement, lieutenant commander," replied Rochey, subtly reminding Mikey of his prerogative as XO.

"Yes, sir. But if I may, since we share a certain confidence, I believe I should go where Harrison does. If he joins the mission, I should be there to help protect him against our shadowers - likewise if he stays behind. And if he does remain aboard, then at least one of us will be here to keep an eye on him in particular, as well. I'd recommend an ops staff member to go in that eventuality."

"Makes sense, commander," said Rochey, turning to leave. "As goes Harrison, so will you."

"One more thing, sir. I suggest taking Ensign Munro."

"The Breen?!" snapped Rochey, pivoting quickly back towards Mikey. "I'd as soon see if he could float to the planet without a shuttle!"

"I personally wouldn't walk two feet to spit on a Breen if he were on fire, sir. But it stands to reason that lately, a larger than typical number of Tholian slaves will be Breen - survivors of encounters, crews of ships of which the Tholians have made prizes, and all that. Who would be more succesful at getting information out of one of those Breen - us, or another Breen?"

"Good point," ceded Rochey unhappily. "Very well - I will specify him for the security detail."

[Minnsky]

It had been about thirty minets since his visit to the medical facilities and still no new word on Mich. Himself and Peabody sat at a table in the eatery. Too his left was space his right the counter and in front of him the ensign. Peabody hadn't really been much of a conversationalist. Most of Metlers time was taken working out deck twelve. His body took log of the environment around him, it was said a ship breathed, this was true. The ship had a feel, one that as an engineer Metler had gotten in tune with. But there was another life on the ship, the life of the crew and it flowed as well. Shifts on break, shifts heading in, shifts getting off. Work being done, not done, resting, all these things danced with each other in perfect balance. This balance was not lost on the ship. If one failed then the other would try, or die. That was one reason Minnsky liked the eatery. It was here that most of the crew would puddle before heading out. It was here that the most information was in one place at one time. So for he hadn't learned as much as he had hoped, He knew that the Tholian he had first met was not well liked and was the only one. That was a relief; he also learned that the Daystrom was looking for some freighters. Which begged the question, why hadn't any one gotten back to him about the Fitzburg. Work on deck twelve was almost done he just had to work in the sub grav anchors. That could wait though he had to check the Wells status; sure enough no one had tried to enter. As he checked the list of tasks scheduled for Wells Mikey came in. Minnsky felt a change in the room and looked up from his PADD. "Hey Peabody, who's that." Peabody shook himself from his thoughts and looked in the direction of Metlers eyes.
"Ops officer."
"Right thanks, I'm going to go and chat." Minnsky stood and moved across the room meeting Mikey as he sat. "I'm Metler Minnsky, we talked over the com, I changed my mind, I need paint, gunmetal blue enough to cover Wells."
Mikey looked at him silent, it was a strange request.
"I can pay, not with latiam or repairs but information."
"Like what?" the Andorian responded showing some interest.
"I've been in Tholian space for over a year, I know this space. Its not normal there's a reason the Tholians never expanded. The planets are unique, I found one that was 80 percent dilithiam, 80. Mapping it was a prick, they had slave stations every-were once you get in its not that hard to move around, for that matter its not hard to get in its just getting there that's hard." He realized he had gone off track. "I have basic mapping of 10 worlds, extensive mapping of 5 and sensor hits of over 20. Subspace acts kind of strange here, I have many anomolilys in my files." Metler stopped then sat. ball was in his court

[Granitehewer]

Harrison, instantly returned to consciousness, spasmed and contorted himself ,with a series of grunts and applied as much of his meditative training, garnered from every locale in the galaxy, as was humanly possible.
Wiping the flecks of ichor and mucus from his chin, Harrison, withdrew to the bar, to quaff a few prune juices, to expunge the organs of waste and purge the mind of impurities and weaknesses, to steel himself for Kudaks' return from the solar abyss.
Kudak, steered the Onyx in a large arc, engaged the hybridised cloak, aimed the prow of his mongrel ship, and engaged the warp engines, which purred like raw velvet, ''all hands, prepare to intercept the Daystrom'', the hull of the ship, microbuckled in an almost palpable sense of relief as the vessel, heaved away from the corona of the star, and began to melt away through the halo and into the horizon.....
Sometime later Ryson, clumsily like a torsion operated automaton, entered the holodeck, his own endocrine system, seemed to be in violent up heaval to the very mechanical augmentations which were intended to assist his ascension to perfection.....and those modifications, were a blasphemy to the natural world, and in a typical belligerent manner, were eshewing comfort, and causing his central nervous system to attempt to compensate.
As the holodeck doors, swooshed closed behind him, the barren desolation of the vaulted room, began to dissolve, and shapes and forms whirred into existance, Ryson felt a sense of shame, sweep through his core fabric like a torrential rain, the recreation was the Klingon vessel ''Gro'tuh'k'', with its spartan unadorned minimalist, poorly lit environs.....maybe it was therapeutic to re-enact, ones' first assimilation........Rysons' embellished eyes, made out a last whirl, and fleeting distortion, perhaps an inefficiency needing to be remediated with the holodecks' simulator nodes, a 'lag' so to speak.
This was Rysons' last hypothesis, as that cloud of spectral blurring, swept towards him, took the character of a Jem'Hadar, and with one fluid sweep, severed the former drones' spinal column, when his vision, began to muddy and cloud, as the red mist descended, Ryons felt the cool, bulkhead floor, chill his paralysed cheeck and angled his eyes upwards to confront the giant, with a wrenching pain, he witnessed the immense foot of Kudak, unerringly sweep down, a wretchingly brutal crunching noise, reverberated through Rysons' skull, as it cracked, fractured and then became more paste then bone....

[Teaos]

Teaos was at his station on bridge. He kept glancing at the time display on his consol waiting for Sternson to show up so he could get off shift. Being one of the few senior officers staying on board the ship Captain Fletcher had given Teaos the additional duties of taking on some of the opps work. It was mainly just the generic scans of the systems that fell under opps rather than science but it was still extra work extra work he didn't want. He had to go meet one of the senior opps staff after his shift in the mess to discuss how they were going to split the duties. Ensign Grrrlicikkkssss or something like that.

"Hello Commander" Sternson said from behind him causing Teaos to jump.

"Good good ensing you're here. Well must dash have fun with Commander Rochey" Teaos said as he hurried out of the bridge before the walking statue showed up.

[Mikey]

"I see," replied Mikey. "Very well. Do you think you would be available for a little excursion? I will talk to Commander Rochey about availing ourselves of your... expertise. However, there are some things I should like to know."

"Such as?" said Minnsky, becoming guarded.

"Such as, what were you doing out here, and why you are in possession of a Starfleet-issue auxiliary craft." As Minnsky became more withdrawn, the Andorian added, "You don't have to tell me right now, or in such a... ah, public forum." Mikey's expression became dour. "I expect, however, Mr. Minnsky, that you WILL explain these things to me." As Mikey's face began to return to its earlier geniality, he said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to." Touching his comm badge, Mikey said, "Sharkey? See about providing Mr. Minnsky with 'gunmetal blue' for his craft - enough for a fresh coat."

A few minutes later, Mikey found Grr'lek at his post on the bridge. "Excuse me, Ensign," he said, as he began an intricate entry into the ops station console. Grr'lek watched over Mikey's shoulder, saying nothing - as usual - except for a quiet grunt of understanding or surprise now and again. "Grr'lek," began Mikey, "If and when I'm on our upcoming away mission, you are in charge of bridge ops. You will treat Commander Teaos as the first officer in Commander Rochey's absence - and since he'll be pulling double duty, I don't want to eliminate a bridge shift. Move everybody up one shift, and pull Van Pelt from systems anaysis - he won't be missed there - and put him on gamma shift."

"Yes sir," purred Grr'lek quietly, "and is that all, sir?"

Mikey looked at Grr'lek's unaffected expression, and knew that his station would be in good hands. "You know me better than that, Ensign!" Lowering his voice, Mikey continued, "I have a...er, theory about our uninvited guests behind us. If there should be an encounter with our tailgater, and it displays hostile intent, send this subroutine" - Mikey indicated a modified control access button on the LCARS display - "carried by our standard hail. It should interact with the metaphasic system and produce at least a partial power-down."

"Interesting," commented the Caitian, looking sidelong at Mikey. "How did you come up with that?"

"That will be all for now, Ensign," said Mikey, turning to leave as Grr'lek straightened.

[Monroe]

Boush was making his rounds when he decided to do a quick warm up at the holodeck. Chuckling at the term he opened the holodeck still on the program Metalhead had left it with. "Careless humans." Boush whispered then noticed Ryson's body laying in a pool of blood. "Computer, give me a standard federation assault rifle, deactivate safties." A rifle appeared in Boush's hands which he instantly swept up to his face to begin clearing the holographic Klingon vessel of enemies. "Ensign Munro to security, we have an intruder in the holodeck." Boush waited around the corner from the arch hoping to catch the intruder if he attempted to open the door to leave, and to give himself cover in case the intruder was preparing to shoot him soon as he disolved the ship's interior.

[Granitehewer]

What Boush, was oblivious to, was that Kudak had already, shrouded and exited the holodeck via an encrypted transport jump, and had energised discretely inside W'trisks' quarters, the andorian, would prove an adequate warm up before tackling the rogue agent....