Ens. Gnai - Chatting With The Neighbor
8 views
Skip to first unread message
Lich
Mar 28, 2024, 3:24:38 AMMar 28
to sb118-...@googlegroups.com
(( Inmate Detention Wing, Betazed Prison ))
Imprisoned behind a force field deep inside the winding prison that it had found itself flashed into, Gnai tried to make sense of the situation that they were in. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the more they spoke, the more there was a distinct air of something bubbling up amongst the rest of the prisoners, only to properly boil over when Gnai brought up Starfleet and being rescued.
Savel: It would seem we are unpopular with both prisoners and guards.
An understatement, to say the least. Vulcans seemed very good at that, from Gnai's experience.
Salkath: A similar and inappropriate response, just like with the jailers. They fear and loathe us, and I cannot fathom the reason.
MacKenzie: I wonder if that can somehow be used to our advantage?
Maybe they'd be left alone, if that Betazoid woman's reaction was anything to go by. There could be some use in that; with time alone and apart from the other prisoners, they could plan better what sort of escape they might enact. But Gnai assumed that it would be just as likely for the others to take their frustrations out on the new faces, especially if the new faces were known to be Starfleet.
oO What happened to cause this derision? Oo
Gnai: Hopefully the unpopularity will mean relatively isolated peace...
Salkath: Is that all, though? I would assume that, were one affiliated with or under the protection of Starfleet, the presence of officers recently captured would be a cause for optimism or hope, if not joy. What if they represented a rescue attempt, or a coup of the detention center from the inside? Even if they represented an update on life outside detention, I would posit that we would expect to be met with cautious optimism, not hatred and fear.
One would have hoped. There was some small part of Gnai that wondered if some of this boisterous anti-Starfleet grandstanding was hiding a secret sympathy for them. It was a pipe dream, but it hoped that perhaps one or two of the other prisoners might covertly express that they wanted to work with them.
MacKenzie: Possibly. Unless we were not the first?
Gnai: Or somehow Starfleet has tarnished its reputation? Through previous prisoners here, or perhaps galaxy-wide... if the Dominion being in power is anything to go by. ::to itself:: The lack of information on what has happened to cause this is frustrating.
Savel: Do we intend to act before the guards return or do we wish to allow ourselves more time to formulate a plan of action?
oO What action is there to do? Oo
Salkath: I will attempt to find some way to access... something from within my cell throughout the night. It appears as if system access panels are outside, a prudent design for detention cells, I must admit. But inspiration and perseverance may yet yield results.
MacKenzie: I’m afraid I don’t share your optimism, Mr. Salkath, but I commend your persistence.
Gnai: There is little that can be done from this cell.
There was little that it could think to do inside anyways. Inside meant tight corridors, and it meant that the jailers would have the advantage - they knew the layout far better than Gnai could ever hope to, and they had control of all the internal systems. From its limited tactical understanding, they had a better chance of getting any headway on escape outside of these cells and outside of this building. Even just being outside under the stars might be of use - there was a slim chance that the stars could point to where they were in the galaxy.
Savel: Perhaps it will be prudent to wait until we are next out of these cells and among the general population once more. We may have more success then in gathering information we need before we decide how to proceed.
The general population had to be interested in sharing the information that they had, unfortunately. Gnai was not convinced of this.
MacKenzie: I agree, I’m not sure much can come from focusing on how to break out of the cells. Besides, I can’t imagine we would get very far even if we did manage a jailbreak.
Gnai: Yes, every corridor of this building looks the same. It is like a maze, and the jailers know it far better. ::pause:: Hopefully there will not be a repeat of the interaction earlier.
Sorry Savel. It was a bit of an easy thing to point to when one was slightly pessimistic about everything going on.
Gnai: Perhaps being not from a Federation species will be useful in these conversations...?
Salkath: We must divide our efforts tomorrow, especially when conversing with other inmates. Together, we create fear and mistrust, separately we may be able to overcome those urges.
MacKenzie: Agreed. Try to get some rest – I have a feeling we’re going to need it.
A tall order, given their accommodations. Even for the humanoids, these cells were distinctly uncomfortable, making rest hard. For Gnai, being in its suit longer than it had anticipated, any chance of rest was going to be sparse at best. It hated having to sleep like this.
Savel: Then let us hope our rest is without interruption.
Gnai: Good night, sirs.
Salkath: Until the morrow, then. Rest well.
As the others turned to their beds and the lights went out, Gnai paced around its cell as quietly as it could. The dim light that its body was flashing through as it paced and thought - cycles of blues, and greens mostly - lit up the room for it to see where it stepped in its suit. This whole situation just kept rolling around in Gnai's mind, leading to no answers and just more questions on questions on questions. How had they arrived here? Why were they singled out? What had happened with the Dominion War, with Starfleet?
The walls held no answers to the mystery, duranium as a building material was hardly a rarity across the Federation or other species across the quadrant. It absent-mindedly ran the hand of its suit over one of them as it neared it during one circuit of its pacing. The hand caught on a bit of an overhand on the wall, lightly colliding back with it a moment later.
oO Wait... Oo
It tapped the wall a bit, trying to recall some of what it had learned last year at the Academy. It had taken an engineering course, as an elective, focused on materials. There had been a whole lecture dedicated to duranium, its uses, and how to tell the difference between various composites and alloys. This... wasn't a pure duranium wall. If it was, it would have sounded different. No, as far as Gnai could tell from the vibrations, this was some sort of composite.
oO Why...? Oo
Needless to say, as wrapped up in its own thoughts, Gnai was somewhat surprised when it heard Lt. Cmdr. Salkath addressing it. Any realizations about the walls would have to come later, as they fizzled slightly when Gnai's attention was redirected.
Salkath: ::very lightly:: Ensign, are you well?
Gnai: ::quietly as well:: Yes, sir. Just... taking a moment to think.
Salkath: Is your containment suit fully functional? The gaolers did not damage it in their rough ministrations, did they?
Gnai had been so worried about the tank of its containment suit being shattered that it hadn't focused much on the metal chassis holding it all together. The state of its suit was... unknown. With the modifications that it had done on Romulus and the subsequent absence of them wherever this was, it was certainly not in as pristine condition as it was when it had first arrived at its posting.
Gnai: No, the suit is fine. ::it tested the range of movement of a few of the joints:: There was no damage, visibly at least. But there is a limit to the observations of it that are currently able to be done.
As it finished testing the suit as best as it could, Gnai sat down next to the wall that separated the two cells. It would be easier to converse if they were closer, and it didn't see why sitting on the bed provided would make any sort of difference in the rest it got.
Salkath: Tomorrow, allow me to examine your suit for damages? Though I have no tools, I may still be able to diagnose any potential issues.
That was... remarkably kind of him. As much as Gnai was a bit wary of others poking at the actual machinery of its suit, it wasn't going to pass up the help that was being offered. It was hardly that much of an engineer, only knowing enough necessary to upkeep the suit in much less exciting circumstances, so having an actual trained engineer inspect it for damage would be appreciated.
Gnai: Thank you, sir. ::pause:: It has been an exceptionally long day. This was not what was expected for a first mission with Starfleet.
Salkath: Response
Gnai: As it has been implied... missions like this one are not unusual on the Artemis. Hopefully, Lt. Sadar and Cmdr. Adea were just exaggerating.
Salkath: Response
As much as it wanted to get back up and poke the walls again to try and confirm its suspicions about them being a duranium composite... Captain MacKenzie was right. They needed to rest, as much as was possible given the circumstances, so that they could take advantage of the next day to its fullest. Tomorrow morning it could bring it up with the others, for now it was time to stop bothering its neighbor and go to sleep.
Gnai: Good night, sir. Thank you again.
Gnai stayed seated where it was, floating in its tank and letting itself fall asleep despite the discomfort. As it did, the light that its body produced slowly faded into nothing, and its cell was as dark as the others.
(( Timeskip – The Following Morning ))
The next morning came far sooner than Gnai had wanted, as it slowly came out of the light sleep it had been drifting through. Over and over it had experienced flashes of the turret crumbling around it and the others, pinning it underneath falling beams of metal, trapping it in a prison of its own making. They had done this to themselves, their actions in killing the Senator dooming them all to death. But that hadn't been what had happened, there had been a flash the second before one of the girders that it saw collapsing down could strike it, and it had ended up here. Still, the memory played out, again and again until slowly it came back to reality. Or what was masquerading as reality... it hoped. If this was to be the rest of its life... Gnai had no desire to think about that, not yet.
Across the hall, there were murmurs of a conversation taking place between the captain and Ens. Savel, but Gnai couldn't make out exactly what was being said. Too far, and too low for it, even though the rest of the block was completely silent. Strangely silent, after last night. But no guards had come by in the moments that it had been awake, so it felt safe to speak up again to its neighbor.
Gnai: ::quietly again:: Commander Salkath?
Salkath: Response
Gnai: ::tapping on the wall:: Does this wall not sound... off?
As a Galadoran, it was well-attuned to differences in vibration. Far, far in their past, when lighting up the depths was more dangerous than good, Galadorans had adapted to sense vibrations acutely. This was useful both for echolocation and for detecting the echolocation of others - Galadoran and otherwise. Knowing if the nearby being was another Galadoran or something with far more sinister intentions had been crucial when their species was still in its infancy. As such, Gnai wasn't certain if this discrepancy would be as evident to Lt. Cmdr. Salkath.
Gnai: ::continuing:: It seems to be a composite of duranium, not pure.
Salkath: Response
Gnai: Perhaps this installation is more haphazard than anticipated, if they are using a composite instead of pure duranium, or an alloy?
It was grasping at straws here, hoping that this might be useful.
Salkath: Response
Tag/TBC
--
Ensign Gnai
Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240102G11
Imprisoned behind a force field deep inside the winding prison that it had found itself flashed into, Gnai tried to make sense of the situation that they were in. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the more they spoke, the more there was a distinct air of something bubbling up amongst the rest of the prisoners, only to properly boil over when Gnai brought up Starfleet and being rescued.
Savel: It would seem we are unpopular with both prisoners and guards.
An understatement, to say the least. Vulcans seemed very good at that, from Gnai's experience.
Salkath: A similar and inappropriate response, just like with the jailers. They fear and loathe us, and I cannot fathom the reason.
MacKenzie: I wonder if that can somehow be used to our advantage?
Maybe they'd be left alone, if that Betazoid woman's reaction was anything to go by. There could be some use in that; with time alone and apart from the other prisoners, they could plan better what sort of escape they might enact. But Gnai assumed that it would be just as likely for the others to take their frustrations out on the new faces, especially if the new faces were known to be Starfleet.
oO What happened to cause this derision? Oo
Gnai: Hopefully the unpopularity will mean relatively isolated peace...
Salkath: Is that all, though? I would assume that, were one affiliated with or under the protection of Starfleet, the presence of officers recently captured would be a cause for optimism or hope, if not joy. What if they represented a rescue attempt, or a coup of the detention center from the inside? Even if they represented an update on life outside detention, I would posit that we would expect to be met with cautious optimism, not hatred and fear.
One would have hoped. There was some small part of Gnai that wondered if some of this boisterous anti-Starfleet grandstanding was hiding a secret sympathy for them. It was a pipe dream, but it hoped that perhaps one or two of the other prisoners might covertly express that they wanted to work with them.
MacKenzie: Possibly. Unless we were not the first?
Gnai: Or somehow Starfleet has tarnished its reputation? Through previous prisoners here, or perhaps galaxy-wide... if the Dominion being in power is anything to go by. ::to itself:: The lack of information on what has happened to cause this is frustrating.
Savel: Do we intend to act before the guards return or do we wish to allow ourselves more time to formulate a plan of action?
oO What action is there to do? Oo
Salkath: I will attempt to find some way to access... something from within my cell throughout the night. It appears as if system access panels are outside, a prudent design for detention cells, I must admit. But inspiration and perseverance may yet yield results.
MacKenzie: I’m afraid I don’t share your optimism, Mr. Salkath, but I commend your persistence.
Gnai: There is little that can be done from this cell.
There was little that it could think to do inside anyways. Inside meant tight corridors, and it meant that the jailers would have the advantage - they knew the layout far better than Gnai could ever hope to, and they had control of all the internal systems. From its limited tactical understanding, they had a better chance of getting any headway on escape outside of these cells and outside of this building. Even just being outside under the stars might be of use - there was a slim chance that the stars could point to where they were in the galaxy.
Savel: Perhaps it will be prudent to wait until we are next out of these cells and among the general population once more. We may have more success then in gathering information we need before we decide how to proceed.
The general population had to be interested in sharing the information that they had, unfortunately. Gnai was not convinced of this.
MacKenzie: I agree, I’m not sure much can come from focusing on how to break out of the cells. Besides, I can’t imagine we would get very far even if we did manage a jailbreak.
Gnai: Yes, every corridor of this building looks the same. It is like a maze, and the jailers know it far better. ::pause:: Hopefully there will not be a repeat of the interaction earlier.
Sorry Savel. It was a bit of an easy thing to point to when one was slightly pessimistic about everything going on.
Gnai: Perhaps being not from a Federation species will be useful in these conversations...?
Salkath: We must divide our efforts tomorrow, especially when conversing with other inmates. Together, we create fear and mistrust, separately we may be able to overcome those urges.
MacKenzie: Agreed. Try to get some rest – I have a feeling we’re going to need it.
A tall order, given their accommodations. Even for the humanoids, these cells were distinctly uncomfortable, making rest hard. For Gnai, being in its suit longer than it had anticipated, any chance of rest was going to be sparse at best. It hated having to sleep like this.
Savel: Then let us hope our rest is without interruption.
Gnai: Good night, sirs.
Salkath: Until the morrow, then. Rest well.
As the others turned to their beds and the lights went out, Gnai paced around its cell as quietly as it could. The dim light that its body was flashing through as it paced and thought - cycles of blues, and greens mostly - lit up the room for it to see where it stepped in its suit. This whole situation just kept rolling around in Gnai's mind, leading to no answers and just more questions on questions on questions. How had they arrived here? Why were they singled out? What had happened with the Dominion War, with Starfleet?
The walls held no answers to the mystery, duranium as a building material was hardly a rarity across the Federation or other species across the quadrant. It absent-mindedly ran the hand of its suit over one of them as it neared it during one circuit of its pacing. The hand caught on a bit of an overhand on the wall, lightly colliding back with it a moment later.
oO Wait... Oo
It tapped the wall a bit, trying to recall some of what it had learned last year at the Academy. It had taken an engineering course, as an elective, focused on materials. There had been a whole lecture dedicated to duranium, its uses, and how to tell the difference between various composites and alloys. This... wasn't a pure duranium wall. If it was, it would have sounded different. No, as far as Gnai could tell from the vibrations, this was some sort of composite.
oO Why...? Oo
Needless to say, as wrapped up in its own thoughts, Gnai was somewhat surprised when it heard Lt. Cmdr. Salkath addressing it. Any realizations about the walls would have to come later, as they fizzled slightly when Gnai's attention was redirected.
Salkath: ::very lightly:: Ensign, are you well?
Gnai: ::quietly as well:: Yes, sir. Just... taking a moment to think.
Salkath: Is your containment suit fully functional? The gaolers did not damage it in their rough ministrations, did they?
Gnai had been so worried about the tank of its containment suit being shattered that it hadn't focused much on the metal chassis holding it all together. The state of its suit was... unknown. With the modifications that it had done on Romulus and the subsequent absence of them wherever this was, it was certainly not in as pristine condition as it was when it had first arrived at its posting.
Gnai: No, the suit is fine. ::it tested the range of movement of a few of the joints:: There was no damage, visibly at least. But there is a limit to the observations of it that are currently able to be done.
As it finished testing the suit as best as it could, Gnai sat down next to the wall that separated the two cells. It would be easier to converse if they were closer, and it didn't see why sitting on the bed provided would make any sort of difference in the rest it got.
Salkath: Tomorrow, allow me to examine your suit for damages? Though I have no tools, I may still be able to diagnose any potential issues.
That was... remarkably kind of him. As much as Gnai was a bit wary of others poking at the actual machinery of its suit, it wasn't going to pass up the help that was being offered. It was hardly that much of an engineer, only knowing enough necessary to upkeep the suit in much less exciting circumstances, so having an actual trained engineer inspect it for damage would be appreciated.
Gnai: Thank you, sir. ::pause:: It has been an exceptionally long day. This was not what was expected for a first mission with Starfleet.
Salkath: Response
Gnai: As it has been implied... missions like this one are not unusual on the Artemis. Hopefully, Lt. Sadar and Cmdr. Adea were just exaggerating.
Salkath: Response
As much as it wanted to get back up and poke the walls again to try and confirm its suspicions about them being a duranium composite... Captain MacKenzie was right. They needed to rest, as much as was possible given the circumstances, so that they could take advantage of the next day to its fullest. Tomorrow morning it could bring it up with the others, for now it was time to stop bothering its neighbor and go to sleep.
Gnai: Good night, sir. Thank you again.
Gnai stayed seated where it was, floating in its tank and letting itself fall asleep despite the discomfort. As it did, the light that its body produced slowly faded into nothing, and its cell was as dark as the others.
(( Timeskip – The Following Morning ))
The next morning came far sooner than Gnai had wanted, as it slowly came out of the light sleep it had been drifting through. Over and over it had experienced flashes of the turret crumbling around it and the others, pinning it underneath falling beams of metal, trapping it in a prison of its own making. They had done this to themselves, their actions in killing the Senator dooming them all to death. But that hadn't been what had happened, there had been a flash the second before one of the girders that it saw collapsing down could strike it, and it had ended up here. Still, the memory played out, again and again until slowly it came back to reality. Or what was masquerading as reality... it hoped. If this was to be the rest of its life... Gnai had no desire to think about that, not yet.
Across the hall, there were murmurs of a conversation taking place between the captain and Ens. Savel, but Gnai couldn't make out exactly what was being said. Too far, and too low for it, even though the rest of the block was completely silent. Strangely silent, after last night. But no guards had come by in the moments that it had been awake, so it felt safe to speak up again to its neighbor.
Gnai: ::quietly again:: Commander Salkath?
Salkath: Response
Gnai: ::tapping on the wall:: Does this wall not sound... off?
As a Galadoran, it was well-attuned to differences in vibration. Far, far in their past, when lighting up the depths was more dangerous than good, Galadorans had adapted to sense vibrations acutely. This was useful both for echolocation and for detecting the echolocation of others - Galadoran and otherwise. Knowing if the nearby being was another Galadoran or something with far more sinister intentions had been crucial when their species was still in its infancy. As such, Gnai wasn't certain if this discrepancy would be as evident to Lt. Cmdr. Salkath.
Gnai: ::continuing:: It seems to be a composite of duranium, not pure.
Salkath: Response
Gnai: Perhaps this installation is more haphazard than anticipated, if they are using a composite instead of pure duranium, or an alloy?
It was grasping at straws here, hoping that this might be useful.
Salkath: Response
Tag/TBC
--
Ensign Gnai
Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240102G11
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages