Trinity Universe: Dreams of Dragons

[phoenix]

"Oh, Mr Mendez requested a place on the mission. I'll leave it up to you, Chief Simon, whether to grant that request or not."

Sean looks up again.

"Mr. Simon, I kin vouch for Mr. Mendez's ability 'n' character. I dinnae him personally, but he's a biokinetic, meaning he was personally chosen by the Pai to be part of the most selective order. Of course, it's your decision, but I'd encourage you to give 'im a second chance based on that."

[ezekiel]

Tom throws himself down behind the desk screaming

"Killing me won't solve anything!"

Grabbing his communicator

"Security and engineering to my office! Emergency! I'm sealed in and life support has been turned off!"

[Archer21]

Just as he's about to open his mouth and share his own opinions about Mendez, his communicator bursts into life.

"Security and engineering to my office! Emergency! I'm sealed in and life support has been turned off!"

Without even looking at Sean, Randall sprints to, and out the door, moving at top speed towards Bynon's office. He activates the outgoing signal on his comm. "Hang on, Tom, on my way."

[phoenix]

"Security and engineering to my office! Emergency! I'm sealed in and life support has been turned off!"

Sean snatches up his own minicomp before sprinting down the blazing path set by the security chief, not keeping up with Simon but setting an incredible pace none the less.

"Sean Vinge to Engineering! Stat report on Dr. Bynon's office now!"

[knave]

Lila sits quietly in engineering with complex program object object holograms floating about her.

"Security and engineering to my office! Emergency! I'm sealed in and life support has been turned off!"

"What the? Meph - get me a camera on that transmission now."

"Lets open that office up now."

Spark arc from Lila to the nearby consoles. "Tess... I think its time we toom you offline."

[Lila ups her intelligence and tries to hack open the door to the office and also to disable Tess's interface to to the ship's other systems]

[ProfPotts]

"Sean Vinge to Engineering! Stat report on Dr. Bynon's office now!"

The reply sounds a little confused,

"Er... Sir? There's nothing wrong with the Doctor's office, Sir. Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about?" ::confused

"What the? Meph - get me a camera on that transmission now."

"Lets open that office up now."

Spark arc from Lila to the nearby consoles. "Tess... I think its time we toom you offline."

The office camera just shows Tom sitting at his desk quietly reading files off a datapad. Then - as soon as Lila tries to hack into Tess's systems - her minicomp sparks, steams, squeals (being a bioapp & all), fries & dies. The nearby consoles go dark...

When the Security & Engineering Chiefs reach Tom's office, the door slides open. Tom's still form falls out, hitting the floor hard. A quick examination reveals that he's unconscious, but alive, cold to the touch, & going blue around the lips. The room itself seems perfectly fine, if a little on the chill side...

Once the good Doctor Bynon is safely in sick bay, Dr Flesch examines & treats him, declaring that he's in a coma. Flesch says that he should make a full recovery, but can't say for certain when he'll wake up - it could be days, it could be weeks - there's no way of knowing for sure.

[knave]

Lila considers her biocomp morosely.

"So, it's going to be like that is it."

"Fine. Let play hardball. Tess. Get in here now! That's an order!"

[Archer21]

Looking at Tom's limp body lying in bed, Randall grits his teeth. "Vinge." , he growls to the engineer standing a few feet away. "I want every scrap of data about what happened in that office." Turning on his heel, he marches out of sickbay, bringing up his comm. Carefully controlling his voice to it's professional tone, he says, "Lieutenant Foxley. Doctor Bynon is comatose, Flesch has no idea when he'll come out of it. He did report that Bynon will recover fully, just not sure when. I and Engineer Vinge will be investigating this incident personally. Simon out."

Switching frequencies, he barks into the comm. "All security personnel to my office, NOW!"

Shortly, he meets the now minimum security force at the door of his office. In a brisk manner, he shares Bynon's condition, and the little he knows. "People, I want this ship scoured for any possible attackers or saboteurs. We will be running extended shifts, and maintaining remote surveillance and patrols. Shortly, I will be needed to visit the nearby planet's surface for recon. In my absence, VARG leader Hiro will be in charge, with Senior Officer Upanshu her second in command. Any questions?"

The crew look at each other, and then at the expression on the Chief's face. "No sir!",responds Officer Upanshu. He looks like he just got out of the shower, wet hair and uniform hastily thrown on.

"Good. Officer Upanshu, arrange the duty roster, and inform Hiro of her new post. If she has questions, tell her to contact me immediately. I'll be back in one hour."

Leaving his team to take care of itself for the moment, with heavy shoulders he makes his way to the Bynon's quarters to tell Trish.

[phoenix]

When the Security & Engineering Chiefs reach Tom's office, the door slides open. Tom's still form falls out, hitting the floor hard. A quick examination reveals that he's unconscious, but alive, cold to the touch, & going blue around the lips. The room itself seems perfectly fine, if a little on the chill side...

Sean unconsciously steps back, and even gasps slightly, as the body falls out of the door. He quickly kneels down and feels for a pulse - and allows himself a sigh of relief. He turns to Simon briefly.

"He's alive. But obviously not in good shape.."

In my experience, a lot of these military types tend to start shitting bricks when they start thinking they might have just been gotten the better of - hope Randall's a bit different..

Looking at Tom's limp body lying in bed, Randall grits his teeth. "Vinge." , he growls to the engineer standing a few feet away. "I want every scrap of data about what happened in that office." Turning on his heel, he marches out of sickbay.

Nope. ::dozingoff

As Randall marches off, Sean strips off his uniform shirt, revealing only an undershirt covering the myriad designs of his torso and arms, and bends to lift Tom. No muscle man, the engineer certainly doesn't look like he's capable of handling the doctor's weight, but he lifts him easily and starts to carry him to the sick bay. To anyone who sees him, he almost looks as if he's becoming more muscular as he goes, and some of his joints begin to crack without his visibly squeezing them..

[shifting points from Dexterity to Strength, but he won't rush the process.]

"Oh, Teeeeesss!", the Irishman cries in an almost jovial falsetto, or as close as he can come to one with the doctor in his arms.

"Would you please send a message to Lila Crenshaw telling her to please drop what she's doing and come up to Dr. Bynon's office and have a look at all the junction nodes between it and Engineering? Tell her to look for signs of tampering. A thorough search, using her Gifts where she deems applicable."

[ProfPotts]

"Fine. Let play hardball. Tess. Get in here now! That's an order!"

There's no reply... ::lookaround

"Would you please send a message to Lila Crenshaw telling her to please drop what she's doing and come up to Dr. Bynon's office and have a look at all the junction nodes between it and Engineering? Tell her to look for signs of tampering. A thorough search, using her Gifts where she deems applicable."

Tess's avatar appears, in her ship's uniform, & bows,

"There is no need for that, Sir. I altered the environment in Dr Bynon's office. At his request. I didn't want to, but he insisted, & the Captain ordered me to co-operate with the Doctor's attempts at therapy. I hope Dr Bynon will be all right.

Communications with Engineer Crenshaw's location aren't functioning at the moment. It appears as though an ill-advised attempt by Engineer Crenshaw to sabotage vital ship systems backfired."

Meanwhile, security staff jump to it, scouring the ship.

[phoenix]

"There is no need for that, Sir. I altered the environment in Dr Bynon's office. At his request. I didn't want to, but he insisted, & the Captain ordered me to co-operate with the Doctor's attempts at therapy. I hope Dr Bynon will be all right.

Sean raises both eyebrows in utter surprise.

"He did what? Why? ... Uh, will you please tell Mr. Simon about that? I've got me hands full at the moment..."

"Communications with Engineer Crenshaw's location aren't functioning at the moment. It appears as though an ill-advised attempt by Engineer Crenshaw to sabotage vital ship systems backfired."

Sean, who had just been about to take down his expression of surprise, decides that it'll probably be best to leave it back up for another few seconds.

"She did what? Why?"

He gives the nearest avatar (having since walked past the first one that appeared) a 'don't make me guess' look.

"Should I be asking what Lila did to you, Tess, or what you did to her?"

[knave]

"You little ****! Time to sink to your level."

Lila heads off to find the captain.

[ProfPotts]

"Should I be asking what Lila did to you, Tess, or what you did to her?"

Tess looks a bit sheepish,

"My only interest, Sir, is the well-being of this ship & crew. As for Engineer Crenshaw's motivations, I cannot say. She attempted to subvert my controls of ship systems. Maybe she was trying to cover up all the illegal hacking she's been doing - but that's mere speculation I my part, Sir." ::halo

[Asbjørn]

[i deleted one of your double posts, Phoenix]

After a few hours of sorely needed R&R, the young acting Captain leaves the holosim unit where he'd just spent some time in the streets and parks of Hong Kong. Gathering his thoughts he proceeds to his own quarters at a slow walk.

You really haven't been doing your best lately, Ao-Xiong. Your father would be very disappointed.

Fondly remembering his father, and the conversations they had over many a meal in their home in China, a smile crosses the young officer's face.

Time to do your duties, 'Captain'...

Activating the comm unit, he calls the Chief of Security while checking up on recent events on his replacement minicomp.

"Chief Simon? I'm sorry about being a little... absent during our last conversation. You expressed a desire to speak with me on a private matter. If it is still an issue, I can guarantee you my full attention at your convenience."

Scanning through the latest comm-messages his voice trails off a little

"But I see now that there might be other matters that require attention first... Tell me about the incident in Dr Bynon's office, please."

"Oh, and just for the record: I'm assuming command again."

As he takes on his normal businesslike manner, he turns down the hallway and heads for the bridge and briefing room, quite possibly running into Lila on the way...

[knave]

Spotting the Captain, Lila jogs up. "Captain, can I have a minute. It's important."

Thrusting out her frazzled mini-comp she says, "Captain, Tess did this. This shouldn't even be possible! I believe that something very very weird happened to her during that aberrant raid. I've been suspicious for a while - ever since she threatened to kill me for something I said. I heard Bynon's distress call and pulled up his room cameras - they were showing him safe and sound, but I didn't believe it so I tried to hack into the system to disable Tess's control of it and this happened. I am very good at my job Captain so please believe me when I say that Tess has become something other than a 'normal' Leviathan engine."

"You seem to the only person she cares about enough to be able to talk to her rationally, so I think you'd better."

[Asbjørn]

Spotting the Captain, Lila jogs up.  "Captain, can I have a minute.  It's important."

The Captain nods for the engineer to continue while he waits for Chief Simon's response.

Thrusting out her frazzled mini-comp she says, "Captain, Tess did this.  This shouldn't even be possible!  I believe that something very very weird happened to her during that aberrant raid.  I've been suspicious for a while - ever since she threatened to kill me for something I said.  I heard Bynon's distress call and pulled up his room cameras - they were showing him safe and sound, but I didn't believe it so I tried to hack into the system to disable Tess's control of it and this happened.  I am very good at my job Captain so please believe me when I say that Tess has become something other than a 'normal' Leviathan engine."

"You seem to the only person she cares about enough to be able to talk to her rationally, so I think you'd better."

Ran frowns and looks slightly worried at Lila's words.

"I think I'm going to need a few more details here, Crenshaw. Both on Dr Bynon's incident with her and your involvement in it, and on this threat... When did she threaten to kill you, what did you say to her and why has this not been brought to my attention before?"

"With your permission, I would like to telepathically review your memories and impressions of the situations first hand. It reduces the risk of misunderstanding."

[phoenix]

"My only interest, Sir, is the well-being of this ship & crew. As for Engineer Crenshaw's motivations, I cannot say. She attempted to subvert my controls of ship systems. Maybe she was trying to cover up all the illegal hacking she's been doing - but that's mere speculation I my part, Sir."

"She's been trying to hack you as well? Come on, she's smarter than that. What was she trying to accomplish?"

[knave]

"I think I'm going to need a few more details here, Crenshaw. Both on Dr Bynon's incident with her and your involvement in it, and on this threat... When did she threaten to kill you, what did you say to her and why has this not been brought to my attention before?"

"With your permission, I would like to telepathically review your memories and impressions of the situations first hand. It reduces the risk of misunderstanding."

"With respect Sir, aside from the fact that telepathic scans are not part of any conditions of service I've ever signed my name to, I really don't think that would be a very good idea. I can guarantee that you will learn things that will make your job a lot more diffiuclt with negligible gain."

"As for why I didn't tell you then; well, you have to understand that Tess is entitled to an occasional outburst. I got close enough to her to annoy anyone. We got upset with one another, but that's perfectly normal. Acting out dangerous impulses goes a bit further than that."

[ProfPotts]

"She's been trying to hack you as well? Come on, she's smarter than that. What was she trying to accomplish?"

The Tess avatar shrugs,

"If I had to hazard a guess I'd say that she thinks of me as no more than an advanced computer - & presumes that her own skills & her toy of a minicomp would be sufficient to 'mind control' me. Maybe she presumes that my designers would be so irresponsible with their resources as to have my only duties being to calculate wave-forms for jumps - leaving my systems idle for the great majority of my service life - & doesn't fully realise the extent to which I & the ship are integrated? Maybe she just hates me? I'm sure that Dr Bynon will be able to provide you with a full analysis of the woman's emotional state once he recovers, Sir."

Tess pauses for a while, then asks, with much less certainty in her avatar's voice & mannerisms,

"You... you don't think of me as 'just a computer', do you Sir?" ::unsure

[phoenix]

"I'm sure that Dr Bynon will be able to provide you with a full analysis of the woman's emotional state once he recovers, Sir."

Sean nods thoughtfully.

"I should have thought of that long ago anyway."

"You... you don't think of me as 'just a computer', do you Sir?"

Only a passing glance at the worried expression on the avatar's face saves Sean from making a flippant answer, and he has to think for a second before he finds his real one - then he realizes that it's the same as the joke he had started to say, and finishes in a serious tone.

"I don't think of my computer as 'just a computer. I'm not sure if that makes sense or nae."

He grunts as he walks into the sick bay.

"Either way, it's the best I kin do."

He addresses a nearby nurse or avatar.

"This is Dr. Bynon. Please see to him, and have a report ready by n hours if you can."

[N will be whenever he estimates the next meeting will occur.]

[Archer21]

Activating the comm unit, he calls the Chief of Security while checking up on recent events on his replacement minicomp.

"Chief Simon? I'm sorry about being a little... absent during our last conversation. You expressed a desire to speak with me on a private matter. If it is still an issue, I can guarantee you my full attention at your convenience."

Scanning through the latest comm-messages his voice trails off a little

"But I see now that there might be other matters that require attention first... Tell me about the incident in Dr Bynon's office, please."

"Oh, and just for the record: I'm assuming command again."

The security chief's voice comes through the comm. "Good to hear you're feeling better Captain. On my way to you now, I've just finished informing Mrs. Bynon. "His tone sounds hollow, though possibly due to the transmission.

A few minutes later, Chief Simon appears around the corner, only a few feet away from Crenshaw and the Captain. The suddeness of his appearance is a bit startling.

Resisting the urge to salute with Crenshaw there, Randall limits himself to a respectful nod. "Sir. Truthfully, my report on the attack of Dr. Bynon is incomplete. I simply don't have enough information yet. Chief Engineer Vinge is investigating at my request..." he glances quickly at Lila, "though it seems you may already have your own source of information. As for the other matter, I'd be happy to discuss it with you later. Perhaps you'd be willing to join me for some exercise in the gym? I need to get some practice in."

[Asbjørn]

"With respect Sir, aside from the fact that telepathic scans are not part of any conditions of service I've ever signed my name to, I really don't think that would be a very good idea.  I can guarantee that you will learn things that will make your job a lot more diffiuclt with negligible gain."

"I can assure you that I'm capable of sorting through that kind of personal information without it affecting my job, Crenshaw", Ran smiles, "but like I said it is only a request, and one you have every right to deny."

"As for why I didn't tell you then; well, you have to understand that Tess is entitled to an occasional outburst.  I got close enough to her to annoy anyone.  We got upset with one another, but that's perfectly normal.  Acting out dangerous impulses goes a bit further than that."

"Perfectly normal, yet strange enough to make you suspicious...?" ::sly

Not waiting for Lila's answer, he continues

"I agree that emotional outbursts are to be expected - particularly in an unusual situation such as this one - but I hope you'll report incidents like this to Vinge and security in the future. Describing as well whatever actions of yours triggered it, of course."

Chief Simon appears around the corner, only a few feet away from Crenshaw and the Captain. The suddeness of his appearance is a bit startling.

Ran blinks as the legionnaire appears, but quickly composes himself again.

"Good to see you, chief."

Resisting the urge to salute with Crenshaw there, Randall limits himself to a respectful nod. "Sir. Truthfully, my report on the attack of Dr. Bynon is incomplete. I simply don't have enough information yet. Chief Engineer Vinge is investigating at my request..." he glances quickly at Lila, "though it seems you may already have your own source of information. As for the other matter, I'd be happy to discuss it with you later. Perhaps you'd be willing to join me for some exercise in the gym? I need to get some practice in."

Looking from Chief Simon to Lila, Ran replies

"Well, I haven't really heard any report about the attack yet. I know Dr Bynon requested help from security and engineering to his quarters, stating that he was sealed in and life-support was cut off. Crenshaw tells me that the surveillance cameras showed him safe and sound, and apart from the fact that the situation obviously has been resolved that is about as much as I know about it all. How is Dr Bynon?"

[Archer21]

"You know about as much as I do at this point, then. Dr. Bynon is in a coma, Flesch hasn't been able to give any ETA for when he'll wake up."

Unhappiness is etched on the chief's face. "Ms. Crenshaw, do you have any further information I should know?"

[knave]

"I can assure you that I'm capable of sorting through that kind of personal information without it affecting my job, Crenshaw", Ran smiles, "but like I said it is only a request, and one you have every right to deny."

"I understand you capabilities, sir, but with respect you don't understand. If you did understand, you would already know everything you needed to know which would be bad. I must therefore deny your request, sir."

"Perfectly normal, yet strange enough to make you suspicious...?" ::sly

Not waiting for Lila's answer, he continues

*Hindsight remains 20/20, Captain*

"I agree that emotional outbursts are to be expected - particularly in an unusual situation such as this one - but I hope you'll report incidents like this to Vinge and security in the future. Describing as well whatever actions of yours triggered it, of course."

Ran blinks as the legionnaire appears, but quickly composes himself again.

"Good to see you, chief."

Lila straightens a little and acknowledges the chief with a nod.

{OOC AFAIK military types only EVER salute when they're wearing a hat of some kind. http://www.defence.gov.au/army/traditions/...sofSaluting.htm]saluting}

Unhappiness is etched on the chief's face. "Ms. Crenshaw, do you have any further information I should know?"

"I'm sorry Chief, I would normally respect the chain of command, but I cannot out of good conscience tell you anything before the Captain has had a chance to act. And the Captain knows as much as I can tell him without making the situation worse."

[Asbjørn]

"I'm sorry Chief, I would normally respect the chain of command, but I cannot out of good conscience tell you anything before the Captain has had a chance to act.  And the Captain knows as much as I can tell him without making the situation worse."

In a well-practiced expressionless tone of voice, Ran replies

"Very well. I will speak with you again later, Crenshaw."

Then - after Lila has left, of course - he turns to the chief of security and says

"I was planning on getting some exercise myself, Chief Simon. Let's discuss this - and the other matter, if you wish - further in the gym."

A short while later...

...Ran appears from the locker room dressed in loose-fitting Tai Chi clothes and starts slowly going through the movements.

After quietly exercising for a while he turns to Randall and asks

"So what do you think happened to Dr Bynon? And what is your impression of Crenshaw?"

[Archer21]

After returning for a short visit to his office to see how things are going, he goes to his quarters to change before heading to the gym.

Already stretching his legs when Ran arrives, the chief is dressed in basic black sweatpants and tank-top. His physique certainly wouldn't win any competitions, with no heavy muscle to speak of, but every inch of him screamed of speed and endurance. A bit off from the more top-heavy norm of military types, but no less effective.

The Captain's quiet movements are at stark odds with the audible thwack noises coming from the training dummy Randall was pounding on, fierce concentration on his face. Also in contrast was the blinding speed with which the security chief struck his targets. Head, neck and knees seemed to be his favorite areas to attack, often in rapid succession. The motions simply blurred into each other, the combos coming without hesitation or slowing.

Ran appears from the locker room dressed in loose-fitting Tai Chi clothes and starts slowly going through the movements.

After quietly exercising for a while he turns to Randall and asks

"So what do you think happened to Dr Bynon? And what is your impression of Crenshaw?"

With a final flurry of blows, he stopped to answer the questions. He didn't seem at all affected by his recent exertion, aside from a slight flush to his skin.

"I wish I knew, Captain. We were discussing the upcoming visit to the planet below, then Tom was yelling through the comm for help, saying that he was sealed in his office and life support was down. When Vinge and I got there, he was unconcious; looked like oxygen deprivation or extreme cold since his lips were blue. His office door just slid open when we arrived, didn't seem to be locked."

Swinging his arms back and forth loosely to stretch them, he began his own series of movements, a slow kata he'd learned years ago.

"Crenshaw? Tough one. I don't know her very well, but from her file, and the little I do know of her...well, if you'll pardon the expression, sir, she's a pain in the ass.

Especially aboard a military vessel. Hotshot engineer, very attractive, rebellious streak a mile wide. Doesn't seem like the type to follow orders very well, and thinks she's smarter than everyone else. Hell, she might even be, considering her qualifications. I won't take anything away from her abilities, sir, but her attitude raises the hairs on the back of my neck sometimes."

He stops, rolling his head around to stretch his neck. Glancing up at the Captain, he grins. "I can polish that up, use some prettier language if you want. Off-duty I tend to be a bit more blunt. Sorry."

In a more serious tone, he continues before the Captain can respond. "The other matter I wished to discuss with you? Mr. Yi has been planting recording devices throughout the ship, particularly in important areas like the staff meeting room. That's why I chose the gym, didn't find any bugs here. I already have a plan for dealing with him, provided you agree."

"On a slightly less serious note, two other malefactors may cause a problem. Jane Bartley was poking around in Barbera Boon's quarters, and made off with a fist-sized diamond carried inside a carved wooden box she apparently found there. She won't have it for long, but I'm concerned as to why she would go into the aberrant's quarters in the first place. I'd also like your input on what to do with the diamond."

"Oh, yes. And our good Doctor Flesch has a penchant for highly restricted Benji-beasts; in this case a sabretooth tiger. Don't worry, the tiger is currently frozen in suspended animation, and I've taken the liberty of blocking out his access to the container."

The security chief faces Ran squarely. "I've already locked down Boon's quarters to make sure no one else gets in there. I accept complete responsibility for the the oversight in the first place, sir. It won't happen again."

[phoenix]

Sean will probably relieve the rest of his shift and hold the fort by himself, due to incredibly slow business after the completion of the hybrid project and little to no use of most complex machines on board. He'll compose a summary of the high points of his last 24 hours and send it to both Ran and Simon.

[knave]

Crenshaw heads off to find the Nihonjin contingent in the hopes of striking up a conversation about coding, whining about her "Stupid frigging biocomp piece of crap" in the hopes that one of them will be polite enough to replace it with a shiny Nihonjin model.

[Asbjørn]

"Crenshaw? Tough one. I don't know her very well, but from her file, and the little I do know of her...well, if you'll pardon the expression, sir, she's a pain in the ass.

Especially aboard a military vessel. Hotshot engineer, very attractive, rebellious streak a mile wide. Doesn't seem like the type to follow orders very well, and thinks she's smarter than everyone else. Hell, she might even be, considering her qualifications.  I won't take anything away from her abilities, sir, but her attitude raises the hairs on the back of my neck sometimes."

"That will not be necessary", Ran smiles, "Not unless I ask you for a written report. I was thinking it might be a good idea to separate her and Tess as much as possible and send her with the hybrid down to the planet. Do you agree?"

He stops, rolling his head around to stretch his neck. Glancing up at the Captain, he grins. "I can polish that up, use some prettier language if you want. Off-duty I tend to be a bit more blunt. Sorry."

In a more serious tone, he continues before the Captain can respond. "The other matter I wished to discuss with you? Mr. Yi has been planting recording devices throughout the ship, particularly in important areas like the staff meeting room. That's why I chose the gym, didn't find any bugs here. I already have a plan for dealing with him, provided you agree."

With a grim expression the Captain asks

"Does it involve a walk on the hull without oxygen? Or a minor reprogramming?" ::angry

"What about his employer? Any reason to believe he's not involved?"

"On a slightly less serious note, two other malefactors may cause a problem. Jane Bartley was poking around in Barbera Boon's quarters, and made off with a fist-sized diamond carried inside a carved wooden box she apparently found there. She won't have it for long, but I'm concerned as to why she would go into the aberrant's quarters in the first place. I'd also like your input on what to do with the diamond."

"I agree. That is cause for concern. I think we need to have a serious discussion with her about this. Lock her up, and let me know if you need my assistance in interrogating her."

"As for the diamond: Have Vinge and his boys check it out. I doubt it was there purely for economic or aesthetic purposes...

"Oh, yes. And our good Doctor Flesch has a penchant for highly restricted Benji-beasts; in this case a sabretooth tiger. Don't worry, the tiger is currently frozen in suspended animation, and I've taken the liberty of blocking out his access to the container."

::blink

The usual oriental mask of complete calm fails completely as Ran blinks

"A sabretooth tiger? What's next, a T-Rex?"

The security chief faces Ran squarely. "I've already locked down Boon's quarters to make sure no one else gets in there. I accept complete responsibility for the the oversight in the first place, sir. It won't happen again."

"I'm pleased to hear that, Chief Simon. So far it looks like no harm was done, but we can't trust our luck in these matters. Still: If it is taken care of, don't worry about it. As Lao Tzu says:"

"Nature rarely speaks. A whirlwind doesn't even last a whole morning. A rainstorm starts and ends in a single day. Such things are made by heaven and earth. If heaven and earth can't make a storm last, how can you?"

[Archer21]

"I was thinking it might be a good idea to separate her and Tess as much as possible and send her with the hybrid down to the planet. Do you agree?"

The chief nods. "Yes, I do. I was going to take her anyway, I need her expertise."

"Does it involve a walk on the hull without oxygen? Or a minor reprogramming?"

A wry grin touches Randall's lips. "I'd considered both, among others, but no. I've got something worse in mind. I'm taking him to the planet as well, and we'll have a nice long talk about eavesdropping, and what will happen if he ever tries anything that stupid again."

"What about his employer? Any reason to believe he's not involved?"

He snorts derisively. "I'd be shocked if he wasn't. I'd consider it a personal favor if you'd speak to Mendez in my stead. He might be more...forthcoming with you about such a topic.

"I agree. That is cause for concern. I think we need to have a serious discussion with her about this. Lock her up, and let me know if you need my assistance in interrogating her."

"As for the diamond: Have Vinge and his boys check it out. I doubt it was there purely for economic or aesthetic purposes...

A bit surprised, he tries not to let it show. "Yes, sir. I'll lock her up myself. And yes, I think your help may be warranted. I don't want to terrify her too much. I'll get the diamond to Vinge as soon as she's safely in custody."

"I'm pleased to hear that, Chief Simon. So far it looks like no harm was done, but we can't trust our luck in these matters. Still: If it is taken care of, don't worry about it. As Lao Tzu says:"

"Nature rarely speaks. A whirlwind doesn't even last a whole morning. A rainstorm starts and ends in a single day. Such things are made by heaven and earth. If heaven and earth can't make a storm last, how can you?"

Grateful, he simply says, "Thank you, Captain."

((OOC: Errah...haven't seen Brilyn in awhile, but I've got to toss Bartley in the brig. Prof?))

[ProfPotts]

Sean gains a few popularity points by giving his crew some well-deserved time off. They'll still have to do all the jobs on the 'to do' list of course - maintenance, minor repairs of low-priority systems, systems checks, etc. - but it's nothing that can't wait, & the first time the engineering staff have had to relax since the whole thing happened. Alone in engineering, the Irishman notes, with some satisfaction, as he does his rounds that everything seems to be in working order. The whole ship could do with a month in a spacedock, naturally, but all things considered, she's running just fine.

When Lila enters the bay claimed by the Nihonjin she's witness to their impressive VARGs connected to hundreds of cables & wires - many linked to large amounts of diagnositic equipment & banks of computer interfaces. Most of the giant robot vehicles have one or more panels removed as techs scurry over their surfaces checking, fixing, relacing, & generally maintaining the machines' components with the appearance of great efficiency. However, when her entrance is noticed the techs fly into a semi-angry / semi-panic state - rushing to hide the top-secret workings of their superior technology, flipping off screens of data, & yelling at the intruder in Nihonjin! ::crazy

Mounted in what must be the open pilot compartment of one of the nearer VARGs, checking controls & talking to the techs, is one of the Nihonjin pilots. The handsome Japanese man sports close shaved hair, & distinct metallic discs run down the outside of his arms - visible since he's wearing combat trousers & a vest. Some of the internal wiring of the VARG is connected to a couple of the discs on the guy's left arm - the VARG's own left arm is moving through what appears to be some sort of test pattern. As the commotion starts, the pilot looks up, frowning. The cables pop out of his arm (without being touched) & retract into housings within the VARG, then he athletically vaults from his perch to land in front of the visiting engineer. Although not tall by western standards, the guy's tightly-muscled frame still manages to effectively block Lila's view of things as he steps close to her, arms folded across his chest. After taking a moment to look her up & down, he raises an eyebrow & says,

"Yes? Can we help you, Miss?.." ::sly

[Archer21]

After his conversation with the Captain, Randall heads back to his quarters for a brief shower. Walking through the hallways of the Kai Xing, he contacts Vinge.

"Chief Simon calling, Vinge. I've got something for you to look at. Meet me at my quarters in 30 minutes."

After Vinge agrees, Randall cuts the link. Moments later, he paused at the

auto-open door before stepping through. A usual habit from years past...check a room, especially your own, before entering. Too many times he'd been the victim of a strategically placed bucket of freezing water during basic training. He grinned, remembering all the fun back then.

After a quick scan of the interior, he walks in. Showering and changing into his uniform, he's ready by the time Vinge gets there. With a nod to acknowledge the Irishman, he talks as he gestures for Vinge to follow.

"Jane Bartley appropriated a rather large diamond from the aberrant's quarters...the Captain wants you and your engineers to take a look at it. Ms. Bartley will also be enjoying an extended stay in our luxurious brig. Ah, here we are."

The pair have stopped at one of the private quarters for the civilians aboard. "Ms. Bartley isn't in right now, she's with her employer I imagine. I'll get the diamond, you stay here." With a vocal override, the security chief opens the door. Ducking in, he moves directly to the bed. Shaking his head ruefully, he extracts the wooden box underneath it that contains the giant stone. Checking first to make sure the diamond is still inside, he closes the box and makes his exit. No sign of his entrance is left.

Carefully handing the box to Vinge, Randall gives him a serious look. "I'm hoping this thing is just a really big, expensive rock. It's probably not. Please be very cautious when examining it, we've no idea what it might be able to do."

[phoenix]

"Chief Simon calling, Vinge. I've got something for you to look at. Meet me at my quarters in 30 minutes."

Sean nods amicably.

"I'll be there."

About a half hour later, the Irishman saunters into Randall's quarters, in uniform, seeing him and following with a nod.

"Jane Bartley appropriated a rather large diamond from the aberrant's quarters...the Captain wants you and your engineers to take a look at it. Ms. Bartley will also be enjoying an extended stay in our luxurious brig. Ah, here we are."

Sean nods, trying to balance his desire to match the security chief's businesslike manner with his flabbergastedness at such a bizarre request. And doing, he thinks, a respectable job of it.

"I'm hoping this thing is just a really big, expensive rock. It's probably not. Please be very cautious when examining it, we've no idea what it might be able to do."

Sean stares at the large diamond.

"That is one mean mother of a big fecking rock", he remarks, just to be saying something.

He takes it and half nods, half shrugs to Randall.

"Oi'll be careful. Besides, if it really is a diamond, it'll be hard enough that even we can't banjax the thing too much. Jeeves?"

A ridiculously British voice emanates from Sean's computer.

"Sir?"

"Find out what you can about geology, specifically diamonds 'n' their practical uses. Oi'll prolly be consulting it within the next few hours unless this great lump does something cool when I poke it with a stick."

As he instructs his agent, he takes his leave of the security chief and humps the thing back to Engineering and performs as many tests on it as he can think of, including running various electromagnetic beams through it from all over the spectrum, electrical currents, etc. He'll also ask Jeeves to summarize modern uses of diamonds, in case he is [or I am] overlooking something that he shouldn't. Failing all that, he pokes it with a stick.

[knave]

Mounted in what must be the open pilot compartment of one of the nearer VARGs, checking controls & talking to the techs, is one of the Nihonjin pilots. The handsome Japanese man sports close shaved hair, & distinct metallic discs run down the outside of his arms - visible since he's wearing combat trousers & a vest. Some of the internal wiring of the VARG is connected to a couple of the discs on the guy's left arm - the VARG's own left arm is moving through what appears to be some sort of test pattern. As the commotion starts, the pilot looks up, frowning. The cables pop out of his arm (without being touched) & retract into housings within the VARG, then he athletically vaults from his perch to land in front of the visiting engineer. Although not tall by western standards, the guy's tightly-muscled frame still manages to effectively block Lila's view of things as he steps close to her, arms folded across his chest. After taking a moment to look her up & down, he raises an eyebrow & says,

"Yes? Can we help you, Miss?.." ::sly

Lila stops trying to look at the Nihonjin kit (once her view is completely obstructed) and pauses to return the 'mmm... wouldn't mind a long drink of that' look. ::devilangel

eventually.

"mm. Yeah, right. I was kinda hoping you could, see- look at this crap!" and she brandishes the dead mini-comp. "Supposed to be just as good as a hard-tech model... Only it blatantly isn't. You don't have a spare mini-comp lying about here somewhere do you? You know, one you're not using for anything important? I figured you might on account of all the gear you brought with you. Is it hot in here? It's hot don't you think? Interesting army bits you've got, mind if I take a look?" at which point she steps up to the pilot and starts using electrokinesis to examine the bio-tech/hardtech interface built into the guy.

[ProfPotts]

Zhao Quan:

After an exhaustive series of gunnery tests, Mr Zhao realises that he's not much of a gunner - & his test results reflect that. However, he gets on famously with the gunnery crew & the rest of the security staff, his cool charm easily winning friends.

Chief Simon:

Having liberated the rock from Bartlett's room, the Chief checks his reports. Quan's test results are in there - proving his lack of gunnery experience, but also noting his high leadership potential & impressive administrative skills. Maybe that background in big business could have a use or two after all?

Jane Bartlett:

After yet more long hours with Bennet - drafting letters of comment or complaint to be sent 'when they get back', chasing up engineers to fix the dripping tap in his quarters, arranging for his meals from the galley, & generally making sure he keeps his hands off her - Jane returns to her room. Immediately she's stuck that there's something out of place. A quick search turns up evidence that someone has entered (although not by force) her room. The box (& contents) are the only things missing...

Dr Bynon:

It's getting to be a habit, but Tom awakens in the infirmery, Trish sitting by his bed, holding his hand. She smiles as he opens his eyes - relief clear on her face. Moments later the less-pleasant visage of Dr Flesch is hovering over him. After a few quick checks the good Doctor shrugs,

"You'll live."

Simon Mendez:

Simon's daily routine (which mostly involves sleeping ::sleeping ) is interupted by Alex as he enters their shared quarters looking worried,

"Boss... I think we may have a problem. I placed a few... 'cameras'... to... uh... get some good footage for our documentary. They're gone! Someone is onto us..." ::lookaround

Captain Ran:

Back in his office, a full-body avatar of Tess appears (in uniform) to Ran, bows, & reports,

"Sir, Dr Bynon has just regained consciousness."

Chief Vinge:

Sean runs a few tests - enough to determined that the rock is, in fact, a diamond - but he's an engineer, not a scientist, & further tests are a bit outside his field of expertise. It does, however, roll slightly when prodded with a stick... ::tongue

Crenshaw:

"mm. Yeah, right. I was kinda hoping you could, see- look at this crap! Supposed to be just as good as a hard-tech model... Only it blatantly isn't. You don't have a spare mini-comp lying about here somewhere do you? You know, one you're not using for anything important? I figured you might on account of all the gear you brought with you. Is it hot in here? It's hot don't you think? Interesting army bits you've got, mind if I take a look?"

The Nihonjin guy looks annoyed at Lila's blathering, frowning intently as she produces the biotech minicomp... ::angry Then, as she starts to electrokinetically study him, he steps back away from her, clearly angry at her presence,

"Leave here now - this technology is classified. You want a new minicomp, then get one from the ship's stores... Psion..." ::angry

[knave]

Crenshaw:

The Nihonjin guy looks annoyed at Lila's blathering, frowning intently as she produces the biotech minicomp... ::angry Then, as she starts to electrokinetically study him, he steps back away from her, clearly angry at her presence,

"Leave here now - this technology is classified. You want a new minicomp, then get one from the ship's stores... Psion..." ::angry

"Fine."

Lila stalks out.

[phoenix]

Sean runs a few tests - enough to determined that the rock is, in fact, a diamond - but he's an engineer, not a scientist, & further tests are a bit outside his field of expertise.

Sean looks over the list of Engineers, then the passenger list in full, to see if there's anyone with the background necessary to lend a hand with the tests.

[Asbjørn]

"Sir, Dr Bynon has just regained consciousness."

"Good."

Ran then dictates a message for Dr Bynon

TO: Dr Bynon, Thomas

FROM: Acting Captain Ran, Ao-Xiong

SUBJECT: You

Bynon, as soon as you're ready for it I would like a word with you. My office, yours, or over dinner is the same to me, but I need to hear what happened. Give me a word when you're up and about.

That done, he dictates another message

TO: Acting Navigator Foxley, Sarah; Security Chief Simon, Randall; Acting Chief Engineer Vinge, Sean

FROM: Acting Captain Ran, Ao-Xiong

SUBJECT: Temporary promotions.

In my absence Foxley gave Vinge and Simon a few new responsibilities as 1st and 2nd officers. In accordance with rank and present chain of command, those orders are hereby adjusted as follows: Foxley is acting 1st Officer, Simon is 2nd. Should circumstances call for it Vinge too will be given extra duties, but as long as I am doing my job properly that should not be necessary.

Simon's duties as Chief of Security are closely tied to the daily running of the ship in our present situation, which is the reason he is given this temporary promotion rather than Vinge.

I will see you all in my office in 1 hour to discuss the details of the expedition to the planet.

Both messages are delivered by an image of the captain in uniform, showing rank and insignia.

[ProfPotts]

Sean looks over the list of Engineers, then the passenger list in full, to see if there's anyone with the background necessary to lend a hand with the tests.

[Take a look at the crew list & you'll see you have three science specialists & three lab technicians on board.]

In response to the Captain's message, (acting) First Officer Foxley turns up at his office an hour later. She seems quite excited & blurts out,

"Sir! I think there may be a way to increase the Kai Xing's speed! I... it's not tested, & it's never been done, but with Chief Vinge's help I'm sure we could..." the young lady trails off as she suddenly realises that she sounds like a nutcase, & her native shyness takes over... ::blush

Composing herself (or making a good effort to), she starts again,

"Sir, I've been going through all the data we have on the jump system - trying to work-out what exactly happened, & making sure that we haven't missed any traces of taint-infection anywhere in the system. I came across an obscure reference that mentioned the jump system was based on the earlier 'Warping Energy Amplification Rig' developed by OrgoTek for use by the Upeo - when they were still with us that is... Anyway, some cross-referencing revealed that the WEAR was could be used for two main effects - what the Upeo refered to as the 'Transportal' effect - which is basically how the Kai Xing actually jumps, but also the 'Spatial Divergence' effect. This effect was used to 'contract space' - & thus increase speed by reducing the distance a body had to cross. Because the body's actual speed wasn't altered (it's relative speed only increased by the spacial warping effect) there were none of the negative effects which would usually be associated with such high velocities."

"Since these two effects appear to be so closely linked, I believe - although I'll need Chief Vinge's expert opinion to confirm the theory, of course - that it may be possible to reconfigure the ship's jump system to create & sustain such a warping effect. In theory this would enable the Kai Xing to travel through normal space at speeds greater than any previously possible by a manned vessel. I'm not sure of the actual increase, but initial statistics indicate that we'd be able to reach that planet in hours rather than weeks. The technique was never developed for the jumpship program because there was no need for it. If it did work, it would drain the power needed to jump - meaning it'd take the normal week-long recharge period to again build-up enough energy to jump after the spatial divergence effect was cancelled. Under normal circumstances they'd be little need for a jumpship to be able to move at speed through normal space - after all, they're meant to be transport vessels for other craft. However, in our unique situation, I'm sure you can see the potential advantages."

Finally finishing, the Navigator takes a deep breath, & waits for the Captain's reply...

[phoenix]

[Take a look at the crew list & you'll see you have three science specialists & three lab technicians on board.]

OK. Since Sean's lacking is in not knowing what to look for, not how to look for it, he sends a message to Hu Yuan, asking him to come to Engineering at his earliest convenience.