Ensign Sterek: How to Lie Like a Vulcan (TAG: Any Engineering/Velana/KeH'Gan/Burner)
Zee Cattes
(( Civilian Promenade; Outpost Eden))
Ventok: You… may. But no tricks or the girl dies!
: The others had only been partially correct. Vulcans rarely lied. Omission and prevarication, on the other hand, were fair game, and it was with a clear conscience that Sterek simply neglected to correct Ventok's last statement. For there would in fact be SEVERAL tricks, and the girl would not die, if Sterek had anything to do with it.:
Burner: Thank you Ensign.
:As Sterek continued his sort-of-fake examination of Burner (he hadn't been lying about being a doctor, after all), he heard the encouraging sounds of Keh'Gan and Virax catching on to his plan.:
KeH'Gan: He is a very good negotiator and an Honorable warrior.
Virax: Yes indeed Ensign, our Vulcan cousins are good at this. He is proceeding as I have in my lectures on hostage situations at the Police Academy.
Ventok: : shouting: I AM WAITING! I am not a patient man.
: Katie's eyes met his as he relayed the plan to her, and her nod and quiet affirmation told him that the ruse was proceeding acceptably. So far. He heard muffled whispers from the Klingon and allied Romulan nearby, possibly extrapolating on their next move. He continued the examination, borrowing Katie's tricorder and prompting it to make loud medical-sounding noises to cover the sound of the woman conferring with sickbay. There was definitely some kind of infection going on, on top of the effects of inhaling all that smoke, so really, he was totally justified in repeating the loudest part of the scan several times, just to guard against false positives. He stood up when she was done.:
Sterek: She needs an emergency transport - or a medical team. Disallowing treatment may compromise the Commander's willingness to negotiate with you, and I believe both of us want the impending discussion to progress as smoothly as possible. Will you allow us to treat her?
Ventok: Very well… she just makes the place look untidy anyway.
KeH'Gan: Good he is going to make sure that Lt. Burner is treated. I think we should prepare to provide cover for the transport or med team.
Virax: Good idea Ensign. : Looking behind and speaking in a lower voice: I think we are going to implement Mr Sterek's plan as Lt. Burner has nodded her approval.
: Katie struggled to her feet. Sterek extended an arm to help her, and noted the small green light on her tricorder flickering into life. It was crunch time. The gas was being released.:
Burner: : to Ventok: We are… : cough: going…
Ventok: Good riddance!
: Sterek activated his commbadge.:
Sterek: ^ Ensign Sterek to Commander Velana. ^
Velana: ???
Sterek: ^ Commander, the Romulan hostiles have armed a number of explosive devices throughout the station and we are forced to stand down. Request the assistance of a negotiation team to begin discussions of our withdrawal from the station. ^
: Making this decision was bordering on insubordination; he hoped that his slight deviation from Starfleet procedure would alert Velana to the fact that he did not anticipate the situation would proceed much further.:
Velana: ???
Ventok: Hey! What’s happening?!
: Sterek glanced over at the Romulan.:
Sterek: Are you unwell, sir? It is possible that you may be affected by the pathogen I mentioned before.
: Well, it was technically true. Sterek returned to his conversation with Velana.:
Sterek: ^ I understand, Commander, but we have no other option at this juncture. We will also require an emergency medical transport of Lieutenant Burner, and-^
Ventok: What have you done?
: The hostage started to struggle in Ventok's arms, evidently feeling the effects of the gas as well; her hands and feet had gone rigid. A distant spark of panic erupted in Sterek's mind as Ventok went to release the trigger...:
Burner: NO!
: ...and failed. Calm flooded his mind. Sterek tapped his commbadge again.:
Sterek: ^ Commander Velana, please amend my previous request. We require several emergency medical teams on the promenade and a negotiation team will not be necessary. Please also inform sickbay that they may cease the filtration of paralytic gas into the area. ^
Velana: ???
: He strode over to the rapidly-stiffening Romulan and slipped his arm around the man's shoulders to hold him up as his muscles started to seize, indicating for KeH'Gan and Virax to do the same with the confused-looking civilian woman. With an unpleasant but necessary exertion of force on the terrorist's hand, he pushed down on the detonator button to keep it fixed in place and then pried the object from Ventok's grasp, possibly breaking a finger or two in the process.:
Burner / KeH'Gan / Ventok / Virax: ???
Sterek: I will require assistance with securing this hostile before the paralysis wears off - Ensign Keh'Gan, could you please secure the detonator button with some of the tape on my utility belt?
Burner / KeH'Gan / Ventok / Virax: ???
: Once his hand was free, he tapped his commbadge again.:
Sterek: ^Sterek to engineering. Requesting immediate deployment of explosive defusal teams to the Civilian Promenade; we have twenty active devices currently unaccounted for.^
Any: ???
: Now all he had to do was make sure that nobody died due to the aftereffects of the gas. Simple, right?:
To Be Continued…
Ensign Sterek
Operations Officer; Outpost Eden
(( Civilian Promenade; Outpost Eden))
: As the situation unfolded, Katie slowed both due to her clunky biosuit, and her persistent cough from the smoke she had inhaled. The Klingon Ensign seemed to notice.:
KeH'Gan: Aye Lt, do you need help ?
: Katie smiled and shook her head.:
Burner: Thank you, but I am fine, Ensign.
: Meanwhile, Ensign Sterek called out to the Romulan terrorist, who was hold out beyond the shop front.:
Sterek: Your associate has been neutralized. You are alone, and at a disadvantage. Is resistance truly worth your life?
: Ventok chuckled to himself, and pulled his hostage into plain sight. Katie grimaced when she saw the young woman civilian crying. There was also explosives strapped to both the Romulan and his hostage, and a trigger in his hand.:
Burner: DON'T SHOOT HIM!
Ventok: : Laughing: I see your Lieutenant has figured it out. You shoot me and your pretty little friend here will need to be sent home in many very small packages.
: The girl whimpered.:
KeH'Gan: Understood Sir!
Sterek: What are your demands?
Ventok: My demands? Quite simple really. You surrender this Outpost to us, and release my comrade... and we let you live.
: Katie hissed to herself. Who was this murderous thug to make such a demand.:
Sterek: I assume the explosive device on your person has something to do with your plan?
: The Romulan laughed again.:
Ventok: You might say that…
: Meanwhile, Virax from Beta Team called out too.:
Virax: Citizen I am SubLt. Virax Cahl. Romulus Captial City Police. Why do you do this? You are outnumbered and all exits covered. If you surrender I will personally see that your grievance will be heard back home. This is a time for ss to heal ...ALL Romulans including Vhir Sulla.
Ventok: Pah. You serve a failed Romulus regime. Only we have the answers to our people’s woes, so hand over this outpost… and this girl lives…
: Katie gritted her teeth listening to him.:
Ventok: And... we also don't detonate the 20 other bombs located around your station!
Burner: You : cough : murderer!
Ventok: Talk like that will cost you dearly, but judging by your cough you will be the first to die.
Virax: "We" Citizen Ventok? How many of your followers are here on Eden?
Ventok: We have enough to bury all of you, and your Federation.
: As the exchange went on, Ensign KeH’Gan turned to Katie, who was sitting behind cupboard to catch her breath.:
KeH'Gan: Lt. do we retreat and attempt further negotiation?
Burner: I don’t think we have much choice at the moment. He has a *dead man’s trigger* on that poor girl. Kill him and we kill her. We cannot risk it. : cough:
Virax: Citizen do you truly want to die? What of your oath to the Empire and our Glorious Praetor? The time for war is over we need to rebuild our society!
Ventok: We are going to restore glory to a New Romulus. Your Praetor is a weak fool!! Now, hand over this station! I won’t ask again!
Sterek: We are not authorized to pass over control of the station ourselves. I will need to contact the station commander to negotiate the terms of our surrender.
: Katie looked over to Sterek. She safely assumed the Vulcan was buying them time. Surrender was not an option, but it might add a distraction to the mix. Over the din, Katie heard the others talking quietly to themselves about the situation.::
KeHGan: This is not going well.
Virax: No Ensign it is not.
Ventok: Very well, make the call!!
Sterek: I will also need to provide Lieutenant Burner with immediate medical attention as she is either suffering from smoke inhalation or the onset symptoms of our current epidemic, both of which are potentially life threatening. Since I believe I am the only physician in the area, I will need a medical tricorder from someone, which I am willing to operate under your supervision. As you can now see that I am unarmed, I ask that you allow me to withdraw so I can examine her.
Ventok: You… may. But no tricks or the girl dies!
: Katie looked to Ensign Sterek. She could actually do with some attention, as she was coughing up slimey mucus.:
Burner: Thank you Ensign.
: The Klingon seemed to catch on to Sterek adept plan.:
KeH'Gan: He is a very good negotiator and an Honorable warrior.
Virax: Yes indeed Ensign, our Vulcan cousins are good at this. He is proceeding as I have in my lectures on hostage situations at the Police Academy.
Ventok: : shouting: I AM WAITING! I am not a patient man.
: Keeping his hands in plain sight, Sterek moved back to Katie's side. He motioned to her to lie down. She didn’t take much persuading. Sterek set the helmet of his biosuit against hers, the front panels touching. Katie looked into his eyes, and listened to his voice.:
Sterek: :out loud: Breathe in and out once for me, please, Lieutenant. :low: Have sickbay flood the promenade with an upper motor neuron inhibitor in gaseous form. I suggest gamma-Aminobutyricyl. :out loud: Once more please, Lieutenant. :low: Cough twice if you understand.
: Katie nodded.:
Burner: Aye…
: Over to one side, KeH’Gan whispered to SubLt. Virax.:
KeH'Gan: I believe he is talking to the Lt. quietly perhaps arranging a course of action.
Virax: Yes It appears that way. I didn't know that the Ensign was a doctor however or do you believe this to be a ruse KeH'Gan?
KeH'Gan: Since Vulcans do not let emotions control them they are unable to lie however, I also did not know Ensign Sterek was a doctor.
: Meanwhile, Katie tapped her comm badge and relayed the plan, very quietly, to sickbay. She had caught on to what Sterek was planning. This Romulan terrorist was without a biosuit and would suffer from the gas attack. Hopefully the paralysis would prevent him from releasing the detonation trigger.:
Burner: : whispered : Done…
:Sterek stood up.:
Sterek: She needs an emergency transport - or a medical team. Disallowing treatment may compromise the Commander's willingness to negotiate with you, and I believe both of us want the impending discussion to progress as smoothly as possible. Will you allow us to treat her?
Ventok: Very well… she just makes the place look untidy anyway.
KeH'Gan: Good he is going to make sure that Lt. Burner is treated. I think we should prepare to provide cover for the transport or med team.
Virax: Good idea Ensign. : Looking behind and speaking in a lower voice: I think we are going to implement Mr Sterek's plan as Lt. Burner has nodded her approval.
: Katie struggled to her feet. Just then, a small green light flickered on her tricorder. The gas was being released.:
Burner: : to Ventok: We are… : cough: going…
Ventok: Good riddance!
Sterek / KeH'Gan / Virax: ???
Ventok: Hey! What’s happening?!
: He began to feel dizzy.:
Sterek / KeH'Gan / Virax: ???
Ventok: What have you done?
: He went to release his trigger.:
Burner: NO!
: The man’s hand was locked rigid.:
Sterek / KeH'Gan / Virax: ???
To Be Continued…
Lt. Katie Burner
Security Officer; Outpost Eden
&
Ventok (MSNPC)
Terrorist Commander; Vriha Sulla
Simmed by:
Admiral-of-the-Fleet Leo Handley-Page
www.outpost-eden.com
---
"Professional Daydreamer & Rural Spaceman"
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