USS BURKE: Flogging a dead cat!
Timkin
NRPG>> Yes, it seems thats what this mission is all about!
RP>>
SD: 80719.0300
Ships Time: 16.21:30
Daniel raised his hand, silently calling a halt to his companions. They
had separated from Commander Fr'Ank and his team nearly half an hour
earlier after losing the trail of their 'watcher' in the settlement.
Entering the bioshpere had been a relatively simple operation. Ensign
Stewart was able to record the residual EM field fluctuations in the
access panel, left moments earlier by the being they were persuing.
Once inside though, it had been a difficult pursuit within the tight
confines of the inner structures. This had worked to their advantage
though, enabling the team to remain undetected for so long.
Crouching with Garrett were Ensign Subek and PO Nami. Klax had given them
orders to search out the Anthropologists while he and his team would
investigate the possibility of a control structure within the settlement.
Moments before entering the city they had recieved a priority message
from Captain Bell, indicating that they had been able to pinpoint the
approximate vicinity of the control centre...it was within the biosphere,
but probably subterranean. The teams had split and now Garrett found
himself at the end of a dark alley, looking out onto a brightly lit
square.
Large groups of people were milling around in what seemed to be a
marketplace. Vendors were offering all manner of items including food.
The sweet scented aroma of some delicacy or another wafted past Daniel.
Inhaling softly, he thought that under other circumstances, this market
might not be a bad place to visit.
For the moment though, it posed a problem. There appeared no way to get
around it without being seen and the path behind them offered no other
clues as to the Anthropologist's whereabouts. Daniel called his group
into a huddle.
'Ideas', he asked.
'We could overpower some of those people and take their
clothing', offered the PO.
'That would not work', replied the Vulcan. 'These beings are at
least a foot shorter than us. Any attempted disguise would be
amiss of this fact'
Daniel considered this for a moment.
'I agree, Ensign. But at the moment, that might be our best option.
Perhaps in this large crowd, a few overly tall people might go
unnoticed long enough to get us across this square.'
'I do not believe this to be the case, Lieutenant', Subek
replied. 'I think that...'
He was cut short by a voice further down the alley...
'I think that you should all drop your weapons and raise your hands'.
The team was startled by the voice. Daniel palmed his phaser but noticed
the glint of light shine off the tip of what appeared to be an energy
weapon of some sort. He decided that although he had tremendous speed
with his right arm, it was unlikely that he could drop their captor
before they released a shot. And that was not considering whether they
were alone or not...
'Do as he says', Daniel ordered his team.
Rising slowly they lowered their phasers to the ground. Stepping from the
darkness into the halflight came a figure. Standing nearly six feet tall
it was clear that this 'person' was not a natural Omnarian.
'See, I told you right Mr Flek. My son did see some of them
creatures you told us about. And they were right here, like I told
you they would be!'
'Yes citizen Klok, you have been most helpful. But please refrain
from refering to them as creatures. After all, I am one of them!'
With this revelation Daniel knew who he was looking at. A sudden flare of
light from the marketplace gave Daniel his first good look at the human
standing before him. Clearly here was one of the traitorous
anthropologists Daniel had been sent to find...
--------
Daniel came to in a small holding cell. The gentle glimmer of charged
energy charring airborne particles told him all he needed to know about
what was blocking his escape.
Through the opening to his cell, he could see little of his environment.
He was not with his team. He assumed they had been separated to minimise
the risk of cooperative escape. It was the logical explanation.
He sat and thought for a few moments, wieghing up what he knew of the
situation. He was captive in a cell somewhere on the Omnari moon -
probably still within the city and probably underground...if he knew city
designers at all...that's if this facility had been built by those in the
city.
That was the odd thing, he thought. The technology displayed on the
surface was far removed from the advanced technology in place here. He
noticed for the first time a complicated console on the far wall, near a
door exiting this area. The force field holding him captive was ample
proof to suggest the this facility had been built by someone not of this
civilisation. Yet the anthropologists had not been here long enough to
create this. Nor did their files indicate any of the specialised
knowledge required for this kind of construction.
No, Daniel thought. I think we've found that control centre we were
looking for...and a few more pieces of this puzzle are starting to fall
into place...
NRPG>> Well, there you have it...HELP!!! We've been captured! I hope this
helps speed things up a little! My thread idea is that at least one of
the anthropologists turned the situation to his advantage when
discovering this facility. Using his superior knowledge and technology he
has been able to overcome the fears of the population (when they first
saw him!) and bend them toward his ends! Whether the other anthro's are
alive/ captive as well/ whatever, is yet to be determined!
For the moment though, FLEK is in the testing stage of this wormhole! He
figures that if he can learn to control it he can make a fortune selling
access. He has used his skills to decipher much of the language of those
that built the station and has found that this was a way station for
travellers using the wormholes (yes, there are others!) to travell around
the galaxy. The race is apparently long since gone (dead??? don't know!!).
Flek knows of the presence of the BURKE but is reluctant to act. He
figures if he is found out before he has full control, he will not be
able to keep the wormhole for himself! Starfleet rule of acquisition #1:
'If you don't own it it's ours!!!'
Have fun with this and feel free to use any/all/none of my ideas....just
don't get me killed...and let me keep the other half of my body in tact
please!!! VBG
respectfully submitted
Lt Daniel Garrett
OPS/20 USS BURKE
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Tim Wilkin e-mail: twi...@jacobi.maths.monash.edu.au
Department of Mathematics Phone: +61 3 9905 4470
Monash University
Clayton VIC 3168
AUSTRALIA
'The truth is just a poor excuse for a lack of imagination.'
Elim Garak (ST:DS9)
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