MSNPC Joakim Aduko - The End Is Not The End Is Not The

[Tess Evinrude]

((Sickbay Complex, Deck 10 - USS Ronin, Orbiting Gas Giant A, Ross 580 System))

Aduko: Shodar?! You look...terrible. ::Smiling.::

tr'Kharis:  ::raspy:: Uhhh, ohoo!

The Orion found a small stool and rolled it over to the Romulan's bedside. He sat and folded his hands in his lap.

tr'Kharis: ::dry, gravelly:: It warms what remains of my shriveled heart to know you noticed my appearance has deteriorated. I am touched by your concern… truly. Did they brief you on the status of our personnel and the Lid?

Aduko: I heard the news, yes. ::He let out a heavy sigh.:: Good and bad, but mostly good...in my opinion. I also heard you took on one of the warrior caste...

tr'Kharis: The rumours of my descent into madness have been exaggerated. I had hoped my… improvisation… would not result in the destruction of this vessel. I merely distracted the creature to give the Starfleet warriors the upper hand. It was the only way I could think of to stop it short of an orbital bombardment. It seems they didn’t approve of my method, but I can’t really blame them. ::gaze sharpening:: What about you Joakim? Are you being treated for injuries here?

He smiled and shook his head.

oO Practical to a fault, the old Imperial. Oo

Aduko: No no, I'm here to see you, my friend. So at least answer me this first - how are you doing?

The Romulan rolled his head around, glanced down to take in the surprising lack of damage. His breathing seemed easier now.

tr'Kharis: ::measured:: It appears that I am alive…::deep breath:: maybe even better than I have felt in a long time.

A roguish grin spread across the Orion's face.

Aduko: Who are you, and where is the real Soldu tr'Kharis? ::Joakim's face turned more serious, then, and he leaned forward and spoke quietly.:: I'm glad to hear you are well, but I did not take you for the type to flourish in captivity.

Soldu’s lips curved faintly.

tr'Kharis: Even confined here… free of the Lattice’s web… I already feel freer than I have in years. But what of the base personnel? How many made it out?

Aduko: ::A long sigh.:: More than I would have expected, thanks to this Ronin. We're still getting our bearings, but more than half of base personnel are accounted for. Many of the living are unharmed, but others... ::He gestured towards a nearby room, unsure how to explain just yet.:: ...are experiencing side-effects.

Soldu closed his eye for a moment, nodding.

tr'Kharis: Unfortunate, but acceptable losses. That so many were rescued and relatively unharmed is more than I would have thought possible.

Aduko: Starfleet has my thanks...or, at least the crew of this ship. ::He raised an eyebrow.:: Have you spoken with many of them? I have been isolated here since I was transported aboard.

tr'Kharis: I have not yet spoken to the Captain, but the Human warrior, the one Senior Chief Solana reports to assured me that they will help our peoples medical needs. 

A wailing cry drifted in through a newly opened door, followed by a cacophony of trills, coos, and other childlike vocalizations. A familiar Jem’Hadar form entered from the noisy room, and silence mercifully returned as the doors closed.

Rurat'dari: ::Quietly:: Hello.

Joakim gave the Jem'Hadar a friendly nod, and then replied to tr'Kharis' questioning stare.

Aduko: Rurat'dari. Good to see you. ::To tr'Kharis.:: As I was saying, a few of our staff...ah...experienced the negative effects of unstable time fields. Some were reduced to..infants.

tr'Kharis: …Infants? How many of them?

Rurat'dari: I don't know how many.

Aduko: Repair Team Nonagon was caught in a shear. There were twelve assigned to the work that day, though there were also newly-assigned Tholian guards.

Rurat'dari sighed, slightly turning towards the others.

Rurat'dari: I heard that they were our colleagues.

Aduko: I've seen at least one juvenile Tholian.

tr'Kharis: Response

Rurat'dari: It was either chronitons or tachyons that did it. Maybe the radiation had other effects than what we supposed.

tr'Kharis: Response

Aduko: Likely the way we were... ::He lowered his voice again.:: ...using the chronitons. To keep the, ah, gateway stable.

Joakim's eyes darted to each side, watching a few staff work. They seemed not to pay them any mind.

Rurat'dari: I didn't know that it had that effect. Our information would have inevitably been backdated and lost if the radiation got into it.

Aduko: Possible, yes. But you know...before the reactor's anomalous behavior, I'd wanted to test something. ::A touch of pride came to his voice as he whispered.:: In the simulations, once the aligned star had given everything and extinguished...well, are you familiar with the ancient Earth myth of Sisyphus?

tr'Kharis/Rurat'dari: Response 

Aduko: ::Suddenly feeling as if he'd said enough.:: It was just a story I learned from a visiting human contractor, one of our hired minds. Another time, perhaps...just know that the energy supply would be limitless, clean...none of the brutal instability that the Alliance forced on our work.

tr'Kharis/Rurat'dari: Response 

Aduko: After this? :: He laughed, though the smile didn't quite make it his eyes.:: I expect to be questioned by the Federation for the rest of my peak working years. Perhaps I'll open up a sad little bar on one of the Rigel colonies in twenty years.

His sarcasm was palpable.

tr'Kharis/Rurat'dari: Response 

[Tags/TBC]

--

Lieutenant J.G. Tess Evinrude

[he/him]

Operations Officer

USS Ronin

R240111TE1