[SB-Artemis] Ensign Tho’Bi - Chakar thera’vel N’dari…

[Tobi]

//FLASHBACK//

((The Breetia Forest - New Kehixa, Galaris IV ))

The forest floor felt wet and cool beneath his feet. His antennae flexed, sensing the shifting layers of water vapor and air current pool around the great circumference of rough, uneven bark. Through the white and grey mist, the deep purple trunk loomed ahead of him.

oO Chakar thera’vel N’dari… Oo

Screams and shouts dopplered out of the silence, and sunk back. In the shifting murk, silhouette figures, diffused and distant, darted in and out of his peripheral. He could taste the acrid bite of smoke, laced with an odour more sickly. The spit and splinter of burning, whispered on the damp breeze.

Voice of young Andorian woman: ::hushed, tender:: War brings horror to all worlds…

A tiny magnesium flash popped up ahead, polished silver metal caught by the infrequent gasps of sunlight. He crept forward, barefoot in the blackened earth. Wisps of smouldering ash, edges kissed orange, drifted down, as the hazy mist mixed with heavy smoke. His Ushaan-tor blade, buried deep into the rugged mantle of the ancient, giant tree.

oO …ven N’dar. Oo

Whimpering, guttural tones repeated like desperate mantras, encroached upon him. Panicked footsteps, snatches of rasping gravel and dirt, careered, helter-skelter, crowding him. The stricken outlines of lifeless trees, cast black against the crimson hue of violent conflagration, encircled him to the furthest reach of his senses. And the blue of his fingertips touched the dull chrome of the rounded Ushaan-tor grip.

Voice of young Andorian woman: ::hushed, tender:: …but not our world.

He reached up and ripped the silver Ushaan-tor blade from out of the coarse, purple bark. A thundering crack of rapid pressure release scythed outwards across the forest floor, corralling the heavy smoke and hazy mist. Jagged shards of coarse, purple bark exploded, cleaving a ragged fissure that tore its way upwards, splitting the towering tree trunk in two.

oO Akar eketh’mar’vel Lun’Andoria… Oo

  

The darting and distant silhouette figures were vapourized, eviscerated by the mushrooming surge of absent space, expanding around the epicenter of the giant tree. Whimper, scream, and shout, snuffed out. The crimson hue, eclipsed into infinite darkness. Splayed in two, the ancient tree came crashing down in fury and anguish. Its great outstretched reaches of branch and bough, snagged upon the shroud of white clouds, dragging it hurtling toward the ground.

Voice of young Andorian woman: ::hushed, tender:: For war was born on the moon of Andoria…

The freezing wind whipped across the shrouded expanse of the white glacier. A great canopy of black rose up from the horizon, stars shimmering bright upon it. The silver of the Ushaan-tor blade glimmered in the blue of his small hand. His breath, plumes of vapour, hanging in the cold air. The young boy's antennae flexed, he could sense the deep protracted rumble of glacier shift. And he felt his blood run cold as though it were ice.

oO Ghelni zarn chakar’del. Oo

His dark blue eyes looked down, through the frozen layers beneath his feet, where countless generations of Andorians lay entombed, fixed in their last moment and made permanent by the unforgiving cold. The little boy knelt down, he pressed his hand against the smooth surface of the ancient ice. And a young Andorian woman looked up, back at him.

Young Andorian woman: ::hushed, tender: …and we Andorians were forged in it.

//FLASHBACK ENDS//

((Holodeck 2, Deck 2, USS Artemis))

Andorian Engineer antennae twitched every so often, as he listened intently as the Bactrican Engineer brokedown everything their team had learned about Kobyar Tech.

((OOC: This can be backsimmed if needs be))

Tho’Bi: ::nodding:: That lines up with what we found (beat) and fills in some of the blanks ::looks at Imril and Smiles:: Cool.

((OOC: TIMING - Jovenan instructs the holodeck to replicate the destroyed Grunt))

Tho’Bi: Something I want to take a look at (beat) ::to the computer:: Computer pull up the data feed from Lieutenant Vailani's PADD (beat) Isolate the ten minutes before the Drone feed ends.

A three dimensional rendering of the PADD's data feed shuddered into existence in front of the two Engineers. Electric green symbols cascaded down in complex repeating patterns.

Tho’Bi: This is when Lieutenant Vailani attempted to gain access to the drone ::points at symbols:: 

One of the strings of cascading symbols pulses bright neon green and disappears.

Tho'Bi: ::points where the string used to be:: And it was working.

((OOC: TIMING - Bancroft instructs Holodeck to create Isolation Suit, etc.))

Tho'Bi: But then the sequence changed.

Crimson salvos of symbols, grouped tightly together, began to burst across the horizontal plane of the three dimensional data feed; interjecting themselves into the strings of cascading electric green symbols. As the young Andorian eyes tracked across the changing symbols, he thought back to the forest, the rising alarm in Lieutenant Vailani's voice, and the swarm of Drones, thundering through the mist and the trees.  

Imril: Response

Tho'Bi: Yeah ::nods:: looks like conflicting command protocol. 

((OOC: TIMING - Bancroft begins investigating))

Tho'Bi: If the PADD recorded any of the Drone's subroutines (beat) we might be able to isolate conflicting Command Protocol Identifiers ::to Computer:: Computer (beat) pull up any subroutines in the data feed.

The electric green and crimson symbols dulled out to a misty grey. A third set of symbols appeared in the background. Shimmering in a pale blue, the Computer brought them to the foreground. 

Imril: Response 

Tho'Bi: Agreed (beat) ::notices something and points at code:: What is that?

In the bottom right hand corner a small sequence of symbols ticked away.

((OOC: TIMING - Bancroft identifies hot spot))

Tho'Bi: Computer identify code function.

Computer: Unable to comply (beat) insufficient data.

Imril: Response 

((OOC: TIMING - Jovenan interjects with a question))

Jovenan: Tho’Bi, did you happen to take any scans of vehicles like this while you were with the Grunden? There’s a hot spot in the floor. It might not be anything, but I want to check it.

It took a moment for the young Andorian to reorientate his attention to the Lieutenant Commander's question.

Tho’Bi: (beat) Yes. Scans ::looks to one side:: (beat) ::looks at Jovenan:: Yes (best) ::to the computer:: Computer (beat) Extrapolate Grunden Grunt design based on Engineering Tricorder scans (beat) Tho'Bi (beat) Ensign.

A Holo-Generated Grund phased into existence. Its rugged metal frame sat upon four adaptive wheels. Heavy module Electric Reactive Armor Plating covered much of its body, with the squat turret of a Focus Beam Weapon mounted on top.

Imril: Response

Jovenan: Is it possible this grunt is of different design? Maybe there’s something added or removed to the ones you saw.

Tho'Bi: ::to the computer:: Computer (beat) allowing for the relative condition of the two Grunts (beat) identify any anomalies in construction, design, or constitute part.

Computer: Unable to comply. Insufficient basis for reliable comparison due to extensive damage of one Grunt.

Imril: Response?

With that, the Medical Ensign ducked back inside the Grunt. The Andorian Engineer watched on, quietly fascinated as varying degrees of sarcasm and grumbling emanated from inside the heavy metal carcass of the torn up Grunt.

Bancroft: Computer, what is the source of the heat bleeding through the deck plating immediately in front of me?

Computer: Unknown.

The wrecked Grunt sighed.

Bancroft: Computer, remove the section of deck plating directly in front of me.

Computer: Unable to comply.

Bancroft: ::under his breath:: Could you be any more worthless?

Computer: Please restate your query.

Tho'Bi glanced at his fellow Engineering Ensign and grinned.

Imril: Response? 

Meanwhile, back in the Grunt, things were hotting up…

Bancroft: ::holding out his right hand, palm upward, like a surgeon awaiting a tool:: Computer, plasma torch.

The Andorian's antenna twitched as, what he assumed was, a plasma torch materialized. The sound of harsh ionised hiss confirmed his assumption. The Andorian turned to his colleague.

Tho'Bi: ::quietly to Imril:: He's using a holographic plasma torch on holographic metal, right? (Beat) it's not just me that can hear that? 

Imril: Response 

Tho'bi: ::nodding with relief:: okay (beat) Just wanted to make sure (beat) ::stares at the middle distance:: I climbed five kilometers up a tree today (beat) ::looks at Imril:: and then fell out (beat) Feeling a bit red pill ::nods::

Imril: Response

The awkward clunk of metal dropping in on metal returned the Andorian’s attention to the exploded hulk of Grunt.

Bancroft: ::dryly:: Well, hello there, suspicious little thing I’ll probably regret touching.

Tho'Bi looked at Imril and shrugged.

Imril: Response? 

Bancroft: ::shouting slightly to be heard from inside the Grunt’s cabin:: Today’s episode of “One of These Things Is Not Like the Others” stars something under the deck plating that doesn’t look Grunden. Scanning now.

Tho'Bi: ::quietly to Imril:: He's scanning.

Imril/Jovenan: Response

The Andorian’s antennae flexed to the chirp and beeps of the Ensign's Medical Tricorder echoing inside the Grunt husk.

Bancroft: ::muttering:: If this thing starts blinking ominously, I’m beaming straight to the bar.

Imril: Response 

Tho'Bi: ::nodding to Imril:: It's not a bad plan.

Bancroft: ::squinting at the screen:: Right. So that’s either an incredibly sophisticated surveillance node… or the galaxy’s most over-built space heater.

Tho'Bi: ::quietly to Imril:: I vote Space Heater

Imril: Response 

Bancroft: ::to the room:: Commander? I’ve found something. Some kind of long-range transponder – possibly a surveillance node. It’s not broadcasting on any Grunden or Kobyar frequencies. And it’s definitely overpowered – this thing could phone home well into the mid-reaches of this star system.

Jovenan/Imril: Response

A display near the two Engineers spluttered into life, as data from the Medical Tricorder began to upload.

Bancroft: It’s interesting… I could certainly see the Grunden utilizing a tracking device for logistical purposes. But why wouldn’t it be similar to all of their other tech? And why would it need to be powerful enough to beam signals off-world?

The Andorian Engineer had already taken up station in front of the new data feed. Growing up best friends with a Ferengi, had instilled a unique set of life lessons in the young Ensign. 

Tho'Bi: ::to Computer:: Computer (beat) display command code and subroutines from new data feed.

Jovenan/Imril: Response 

Bancroft: Agreed. I’m going to get to work analyzing the biological material here. ::opening kit:: Let’s see if our dearly departed friends left behind anything besides viscera and unresolved plot threads.

A three dimensional patchwork of cascading electric green, crimson, and pale blue symbols flickered into existence.

Jovenan: Response

Imril: Response

Bancroft: Response 

TAG/TBC

((OOC: Andorian expression is written for this Sim. Based on SB118Wiki for Andorian Language. Lined up with the end of Carter's Sim. I'll backsim if needs be.))

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11