[ACT TWO] Lt. Ceciri Ariadust - To Be Lava Buried

[Koihime Nakamura]

//HCO Log, Stardate 239811.11

We returned from the mining asteroid, and it took most of the trip back to reach a calm.

It is hopeful we reach a good situation, but.. the universe is not always that generous. //

((Outside Gate A1, Terminal A, Amity Outpost))

Ukinix: ::Stretching arms and cracking neck:: Lieutenant Ariadust, I like your idea of creating some drone “toys” for the creatures.  You three you head down to the basement and work with Ensign Kivik to check the viability of the idea, and come up with a proposal if it is viable. I need to report to Ambassador Vataix.

Ceciri had some experience with engineering, but suspected she was mostly there for experience in how they moved and how they reacted to ships.

Iko: Aye sir.

Ariadust: Aye, sir.

Reade: Roger sir!

Ukinix: Just keep in mind we may to negotiate any solutions with the Hawlats and probably Evelyn McLaren.  I’ll catch you all later, have fun.

Iko: We'll try our hardest, although I doubt it will be as much fun as the Mo-Mo's have with the drones... ::chuckle::

She.. really? Mo-Mos? Ceciri shook her head.

Reade: I agree with :: nodding toward:: Bec. We should be able to whip up something, I do have some ideas one what we can do. Chat soon.

Ceciri did appreciate they had more space in the annex on board. Especially given how the Independence-B was a Defiant class.

She would have still preferred to stay on board. She even was debating asking to sleeping on board the Independence-B - sleeping on the station made her uneasy.

Iko: So... that was an event...

Ceciri nodded, absentmindedly thinking about it

Reade: That was interesting for sure, I do think that was a little fun though.

Iko: Yeah, yeah you're right, it really wasn't anything too much out of the ordinary, for starfleet at least...

Ariadust: A bit of an oddity though

Reade: Agree, this is one of the more odd missions that I have been apart of.

Iko: So we can't move these creatures, but we can distract them. however something tells me that they are just gonna ignore droids that we put in for them too play with. I might be wrong, but...

Ariadust: I think we need to consult the records of other ships, but I suspect a lot will depend on how they move.

Ceciri's ears flicked a bit as she continued to think through things.

Reade: You could be right, from an engineering standpoint, I can make a drone easily, but from a science perspective, that would be another story.

Iko: perhaps if we made them a little more interesting?

((The Basement - Science & Research, Amity Outpost))

Ariadust: Well, we could program a limited intelligence into the drone.

Reade: Well, let's see what we can do. I think we could mimic the drones to display a certain behavior, but I am open to some other ideas as well.

Ariadust: It might need to use plasma at certain frequencies, too.

Reade: Well, let's see what we can do. I think we could mimic the drones to display a certain behavior, but I am open to some other ideas as well.

Iko: I like those ideas... Oh Kiv, hi ::frantic wave to Kivik who is some distance away:: the commander wants us to find a way of making some toy-like things for the creatures. got any ideas?

Kivik: Bec, Scotty - good to see you both. ::Thinking for a moment:: I take it you’re referring to Hawlat’s Angels, right? ::Putting a hand to nir chin, contemplatively:: Interesting. Why don’t you come with me to the lab. I need to drop off this equipment and run some scans. They may be useful in the development of this solution. ::To Ariadust:: Greetings, by the way. I’m Ensign Kivik.

Ceciri nodded, her cat like ears twitching as her.. mouse like tail swayed

Ariadust: Lieutenant Ceciri Ariadust. Pleased to meet you.

Reade: Hey Roomy! I hope all is well. Got any ideas for this?

Iko: ::grinning:: This might be a stretch, but I think it would be fun...

Ariadust: ..?

Kivik: Well, there’s a lot to take in. We’ve got to be considerate of a number of factors here. Before we get carried away generating ideas, we might benefit from comparing notes (so to speak) and figuring out what information we have available to us.

With that, they arrived at the lab. The doors slid open and the group entered. Kivik immediately got to work unloading the equipment from the sled and began running a preliminary analysis on the computer.

Reade: I agree. I think we should jot down some ideas and see what we can come up with.

Iko: ::walking over to a nearby replicator:: sheet of A-three paper, and ink markers, all different colours.

Bec took the replicated materials and placed them on a nearby bench, which everyone soon gathered around.

Iko: ::smiling, holding out the pot of markers:: now, what colour would you like? let's cover this paper with ideas.

Kivik smiled at the security officer’s suggestion. It had been a long time since ne had actually used paper and ink to brainstorm - though there was something to be said for the cognitive benefits of tactile experience.

Kivik: ::Indicating nir uniform:: I suppose I’d best take blue.

Ceciri .. didn't actually get it. She was raised on a freighter, having this kind of thing was just not a good idea. She gingerly took a red marker. Also, and she didn't advertise this much, her writing in Federation Standard was atrocious.

Ariadust: Well.. I won't be writing much.

Reade: Aye, lets do this.

Ceciri didn't write much. When she did, it had an odd slant that to it that reminded people of what would happen if you tried to write cursive in the wind. Upside down. Which, to be fair, described Cygnian writing.

Reade: Kivik, what do you think the scientific properties are for the mo-mo’s?

Kivik: ::Looking at Reade quizzically:: Well, as an anthropologist, I’d recommend against calling them “mo-mo’s.” I’m not sure the Hawlat appreciate that particular epithet. As a biologist, I’d have to say they’re rather unique. Space born creatures are a rarity and many rely on unique forms of energy metabolism. In the.. ::pausing as ne realized ne also did not have a name to call them by:: ..Angels’ case, they seem to ingest nebulous gasses and plasmas and convert them into a sort of soft carapace that protects them from the harsh environment of open space.

Ariadust nodded to Kivik. Some logic.

Reade: I see, do we think we could take this edit of mine?

Kivik looked at Scotty’s work. It was straightforward and rather mechanical, as one might expect from an Engineer, but he seemed to have a decent understanding of the creatures’ physical properties.

Kivik: I think there’s room for biological elaboration, but you’ve got all the basics. Certainly enough to work off for now, if our goal is to find some sort of mechanised ‘lure’ or ‘distraction’ for them. Perhaps we can incorporate replicator technology to produce novel gasses and plasmas that might entice the Angels?

Reade: Oh, that is a great idea. What have you::pointing towards notes:: jotted down?

Kivik motioned to Lt. Ariadust to speak first, who ne expected would have suggestions related to the devices as well.

Ariadust: I do not recommend replicator technology for the gasses or plasmas. It's going to make the drone take too much energy to have any real lifetime. We can use some plasma accelrator technology or some variation on the bussard collectors, and it'll drastically expand the lifetime of the drone. We also need to allow for more movement ::Ceciri marked a few spots:: here, because the Angels often seem to have something similar to a gyro movement there. If they get swamped, this lure won't work.

Kivik: That makes sense to me. If we’re able to find a way to reliably keep ahead of the Angels’ movements and avoid the drones being ‘swamped’, that could work. Perhaps you and Lt. Reade could start sketching out what the device might look like? ::To Bec:: I’m sure I can concoct some ‘plasma-smoothies’ that might draw the creatures… did you notice any other behaviours we might be able to work off of?

Iko: Response

Reade: I think could work, I think we need to try this in a holodeck? Maybe that could give us a better grasp? What do you guys think?

Kivik: That makes sense to me. ::Motioning to the papers:: Now that we’ve got some ideas down, we can see how they might work ‘in action.’ My molecular analyses should be done now. I’ll get started on some “recipes” for these Angel smoothies as we go.

Iko: response

Ariadust: I .. hm. Well, the thing is, I'd be careful about creating bait like that. You don't want to cause the Angels to mistake the fish for the stones and starve.

Ceciri looked at the blank looks and sighed.

Ariadust: I mean, we don't want them replacing their normal patterns for the artifical ones of the drones. The Hawlet would scream, and it's also just a bad idea for their ecosystem.

Reade: How is this?

Kivik: Looks like a good jumping off point. ::Grabbing nir PADD:: What say we head to the holodeck and start getting our hands dirty?

Ariadust: Makes sense. ::nods as she heads to the holodeck.:: Creating this will be a relief after dealing with that lava-drowned man.

Iko/Kivik/Reade: Response

Ceciri shook her head.

Ariadust: It's an expression - sometimes the UT doesn't transliterate, it translates. It's a reference to the story of the death of the Goddess of the Steps. Back in the reign of the Empress Ceciri the Wise - yes, I'm named after her -,::unconsciously her voice fell into a cadence as they walked to the holodeck:: when the stars were young, and it was of use to cast a spell, the followers of the Goddess of the Steps demanded that she keep the caste system that her mother's mother and mother's mother mother created. However, it had began to hold back the meritorious from imperial service, and she abolished it. In response, they declared insurrection. Such an insult to the Beloved of the Fairies could not be borne, and many, who had suffered in the castes, took up her banner, and defeated the army. But the followers, and their families, would not relent from their beliefs.

Ceciri continued, but her face began to show the near-fangs she was very careful to never display to anyone else.

Ariadust: Even after a fervent appeal, they declared that they would follow the old ways, and honor their Goddess, whose temple they would defend to the death. The Empress merely nodded, and the next day, with a prayer to the Goddess of the Mountains, killed them all under a lava flow, slaying the Goddess and her followers who dared defy the Beloved of the Fairies. And she reigned long, with no obstacle to her happiness until the Fairies took her away to the Fields of the Stars. ::She regained her normal tone.:: And such, those who cling to ideas that could get them burnt, or are now simply old, are said to be lava buried. It's the 24th century, not the 21st, and someone who would openly threaten the Ambassador's job because he can't mine because he might hurt others is.. ::Ceciri's fangs are very visible, and from the agitated movements of her ears:: .. well, lava buried. In any case.

Iko/Kivik/Reade: Response

Ceciri smiled a bit, carefully retracting her fangs.

Ariadust: The Klingons certainly thought so. It's why they have a monastery in the Cygnet system. There's a lot of interesting overlap in our mythologies. Anyway. ::Ceciri had been keying in the program, with an optional addon she found useful.:: The holodeck is ready.

Iko/Kivik/Reade: Response

TAG/TBC

Lt. Ceciri Ariadust

HCO Officer

Amity Outpost

C239112CA0