The Third Law: Difference between revisions
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The team included several security personnel, engineers and science personnel from the rosenante, and all of them worked to uncover the origins and purpose of the colony vessel. During this work, [[Chance Raschen]] and [[Andrew Elliot Maddox]] managed to establish limited power to the systems still operational on the planetoid. Maddox later discovered the log files of the [[Engineering|First Engineer]] of the project which shed light on a great deal of history where the unusual vessel was concerned. | The team included several security personnel, engineers and science personnel from the rosenante, and all of them worked to uncover the origins and purpose of the colony vessel. During this work, [[Chance Raschen]] and [[Andrew Elliot Maddox]] managed to establish limited power to the systems still operational on the planetoid. Maddox later discovered the log files of the [[Engineering|First Engineer]] of the project which shed light on a great deal of history where the unusual vessel was concerned. | ||
[[File:Aowa Cryotanks.jpg|thumb|right| | [[File:Aowa Cryotanks.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cryotanks aboard the Aowa Project Colony Ship, Solyon]] | ||
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Revision as of 19:35, 22 June 2011
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To Boldly Go
After conducting a series of critical repairs following the conflict with the Borg on Dovek II, the USS Rosenante and the USS Boudicca finally part ways.
The Rosenante, is tasked with the a true exploration and survey mission, reminiscent of the original five year missions carried out by the Constitution Class starships of the 22nd century.
Salid, excited about the prospect of such a mission is pleased to find his enthusiasm shared by the crew, as morale seems to be at an all-time high with the announcement of the mission.
Their official Orders are to explore and survey Sector 6309 a massive uncharted are of space which is known to border upon the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire and the Cardassian Union. The majority of this sector lies within the confines of the Beta Quadrant, and technically contains the Dovek System.
With the aid of the Darson Deep Space Array Captain Salid has decided to begin their investigation by charting and surveying a Rogue Planet named Solyon in the Asrai language. This world was originally named Rogue One, until it was discovered that the Asrai had already named it.
After some surveys on the planet's surface it was discovered that the rogue planet was on a path that would disrupt the orbital path of the planet Asrai Prime.
The Away Teams
Three away teams were assembled for the purpose of conducting scientific surveys on the rogue planet. The teams were assigned by Commander T'Larah Sullivan
Alpha Team
- Commander T'Larah Sullivan
- Lieutenant Eian O'Neill
- Ensign Jessica Signos
- Ensign David Spenser
- Crewman Andrew Maddox
Bravo Team
- Commander Jennifer Caskie
- Lieutenant Ben Soma
- Lieutenant David Tamblyn
- Lieutenant Chance Raschen
- Ensign Emma Leep
Delta Team
- Commander Steven Matrix
- Lieutenant Sanok
- Lieutenant Viskhard
- Ensign Pembrook Carter
- Master Chief Petty Officer Nathan Allen Fuller
Alpha Site
Alpha team determined a survey site that offered a glimpse at the potential volcanism and the proliferation of life on the Rogue Planet. The site was roughly a 20-kilometer area dominated by large ash spewing volcanic plumes. Around these plumes the temperature was more tolerable than in other locations, and a variety of life forms had developed.
The life forms included bacteria, protozoas, nematodes, insect-like analogs, algae analogs, crustaceans, and aerial jellyfish analogs. All of these life forms flourished within a few hundred meters of the smoke plumes and seemed bound to the immediate area as some of them did not seem well adapted for the colder climes that dominated the remainder of the world.
Ensign Spenser took several samples of the small semi-liquid pools in the area, as well as some of the insects and algae. While this was being undertaken, Maddox had reprogrammed some of the specialist nanites that he had brought and decided to deploy them into one of the Volcanic vents.
The plumes proved to be very carbon rich, and filled with basic amino acid chains.There were high concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and o-zone. This was unusual because Ozone wasn't normally found in volcanic venting. in addition there was very little few sulfates and nitrates other than nitric oxides present in the plume's exhaust. Spenser theorized that there was a lightning storm taking place underground.
Maddox's nanites were able to collect data gave gave a strong indication that an artificial electrical discharge was ongoing deep below ground and that was in fact part of a Terraforming effort on the rogue planet.
The discovery by Lieutenant Eian O'Neill of an unidentified humanoid bone, immediately opened questions of the possibility of current or prior inhabitation by a sentient species. With the aid of Ensign Jessica Signos they secured the specimen and transported it back to the Medical Labs aboard the USS Rosenante.
Bravo Site
Bravo Team, commanded by Commander Jennifer Caskie selected a site that was dominated by a glacial boxed valley, and flanked on either side by steep sides. On one side of the valley the walls were capped in steep cliff faces and a small plateau.
Ensign Emma Leep, the teams primary geologist, went about collecting rock samples and performing chemical analysis of the site. The purpose was to determine general planetary composition, magnetic field variations and formative/destructive forces.
During these studies, while performing a tricorder scan, Leep detected an unexplained Gravimetric pulse that corresponded with a small ground tremor. As the planet had no tectonic plates or movement, it was quickly deduced that this pulse was responsible for keeping the molten iron core motive and at high temperature.
As gravimetric pulses can not exist as natural phenomenon, it was very apparent that this was an artificial means of maintaining a magnetosphere capable of fending off cosmic radiation.
Delta Site
Delta team's survey site was located on a frozen small ice covered sea. The team used a Crawler taken from the exploratory stores kept aboard the Rosenante. They also took a mobile ice core rig, and several emergency shelters.
Of all the teams, the Delta team, had the most distance to cover, as they were taking ice core samples over an area of several square kilometers. As a result they were also the most heavily equipped and carried the most survival equipment.
In addition to the ice core collection tasks, the teams also established mobile weather relay stations, and conducted sea floor soundings. It was during one of these soundings that the team discovered a refined alloyed object, constructed of tritanium. The object proved to e a heated liquid flow valve, and was seen to be refining water into life-sustaining ph levels and toxicity levels. This was the third indication that the Rogue Planet was being actively Terraformed.
Strange New Worlds
While the away teams were conducting geochemical and climactic studies on the surface of the Rogue Planet, the stellar Cartography teams aboard the USS Rosenante were conducting studies and surveys of their own.
They had mapped out the rough trajectory of the rogue planet and had determined that it would pass through a Binary star system within Sector 6309.
This system appeared to have a single planet orbiting it. That planet appeared to be inhabited. It appeared that the planet's inhabitants, the Asrai, were at a technological stage of development that was similar to the pre-industrial age of Earth. However, refinement of the trajectory data for the rogue planet indicated that the rogue would significantly disrupt the orbit of the planet, Asrai Prime. Due to their apparent technological development, the planet fell firmly into the confines of the Prime Directive. Unless the crew of the Rosenante could prove that the Asrai were already aware of life beyond their world, that they possessed advanced technology akin to warp drive, or that the rogue planet had been purposely deflected on this destructive path through artificial means, the crew would be forced to watch as the planet, and all it's inhabitants were destroyed.
Captain Salid asked for volunteers to lead an away mission to Asrai Prime with the hopes of collecting evidence that the Prime Directive did not apply, and that the Rosenante could therefore intervene. A good many of the ship's senior company joined the away team. They were Ahmed Ibn Salid, Ben Soma. Sanok, Viskhard, Steven Wade Matrix, Eian O'Neill, Jessica Signos, Jennifer Caskie, Mike Rosenbauer, Tayla Fraiser, Parker Davis, and David Michael Tamblyn.
The Rosenante, under the command of T'Larah Sullivan and Chance Raschen would continue to conduct studies of the Rogue planet in the hopes of uncovering some useful information about the small planetoid.
New Civilizations
Upon arrival at Asrai Prime Mike Rosenbauer was transported down to the surface to conduct intelligence on the inhabitants. He took medical scans, made cultural observations and determined the general political and cultural structure of the Asrai.
When he returned to the ship two hours later the medical team of Jennifer Caskie and Tayla Fraiser began the cosmetic alteration procedures on the away team that would allow them to infiltrate the population. The determined site of their excursion would be Celdebrai City, the planetary capital.
The away team would assume the cover story of a traveling merchant family. They would have a family structure, and a group of body guards that would provide them protection. This was consistent with Rosenbauer's observations during his time on the planet.
The crew would establish a rough base of operations, from which to conduct their studies. They would beam into the confines of the city, to avoid any unwanted attention along the roadway. One of the worries for the team was the fact that the Asrai communicated some portion of their language with physical gestures which the universal translator was unable to duplicate or translate. This would mean a greater than normal change of miscommunication. Despite this, the need to attempt to save the nearly two-billion inhabitants of the planet outweighed the worries.
When in Rome
The away team beamed down to the surface, arriving in a narrow alleyway near the western edge of the city. Upon arrival, Captain Salid dispersed his personnel to take a look around with the hopes of locating any information of use to the teams.
As there were various markets, three of the teams went there in an attempt to gather basic financial intelligence involving the use, value and body language and interactions that may be found in the market places.
The Markets proved to be very similar to a traditional Middle Eastern Style Bizarre found on Earth. There were a large variety of wares, ranging from exotic pets and foodstuffs, to refined textiles and works of art. The area proved exceptionally crowded and so there was a unique opportunity to observe the local culture in tight quarters.
During the time there, the Away teams discovered the three primary types of coins used by the Asrai. They are, in descending order of value; the Kip, Bancor and the Kenal.
At a nearby cafe, Salid and Caskie managed to successfully order two mugs of Chala, a hot caffeinated beverage which proved to be very tasty, and some Habi, which was a deep fried thick noodle-like pastry served with a local vegetable paste for dipping.
While Salid and Caskie were taking in the local cuisine in an attempt to observe people, Signos plied the crowd of the market place under the guise of their young daughter. She successfully managed to purchase a local flower called a Lun'ette.
This rare flower was beautiful enough that Signos adopted it's name as a cover for herself during their time on the planet.
Meanwhile Soma and Rosenbauer visited a local Shrine of the Sacred Light, which contained an artificial beam of light whose power source and means of operation were not readily apparent to them. They managed to speak with a member of the Scholars of the Reliquary that told them a very old story detailing the origins of the light. This was the first time that the term Solyon, the Destroyer was heard by the crew.
O'Neill and Sanok made some progress by visiting the Traveler's Hall, an establishment that was similar to a large lodge house for travelers. There was some confusion about how to acquire rooms although in the end it was finally arranged. Three rooms, each with a bed, which was uncommon, cost the crew 20 kip.
Through the Gates of Hell
While the away team on Asrai Prime continued with their mission to locate any sort of advanced technology that may prove the key to saving the inhabitants of that planet, the USS Rosenante under the command of Commander T'Larah Sullivan has returned to the Rogue Planet Solyon in the hopes of conduting further investigation into the origins of that strange world.
After conducting some advanced scans, a series of geometric underground structures were detected. As they were too deep to allow the investigation team to beam into them directly an alternate plan was formulated.
The plan involved rappelling down one of the Volcanic shafts found at Site Alpha on the planet. Due to the plasma discharges taking place inside those same chutes, the timing of the operation had to be very precise. The plasma discharges paused approximately every three hours and the pause only lasted for a short 25 minutes. Due to the hazardous nature of the operation, the team would need to rappel almost simultaneously down the same chute. In this manner they would gain access to the corridors below the shaft which in turn would allow them access to the greater complex.
Due to the unusually high concentration of Ozone and other oxygen pockets inside the chute, the team was required to wear a special Starfleet Hazardous Environment Rebreather and HUD or HER-HUD. In addition the team could not use phasers or torches to burn through the floor of the shaft. Instead they deployed using the a Polymer Capsule Deployment Device or P-CADD. The polymer, caused a rapid endothermic reaction which flash-froze alloyed metals and made them shatter as they contracted. These devices were carried by the Starfleet Rangers assigned to the team.
Upon gaining entry to the lower facility, Lieutenant Thomas Jackson set up Transport Enhancers, to allow the away team to beam out of the facility as an emergency counter measure. The teams them spread out to look for clues.
An Unexpected Visit
The day after their arrival, the away team was visited by a local Merchant named Kenovan. The man wished to ask for Jessica Signos' hand in marriage.
This of course was not a possibility as it would jeopardize the mobility of the away team during their mission. As they were unfamiliar with the local customs and laws regarding potential betrothal or marriage, and fearing the in any case that Kenovan would create problems for the away team when he was denied, Captain Salid decided to try a strong arm response in order to put Kenovan off balance.
This particular ploy, the captain determined may bring potential enemies of Kenovan to their potential aid. The thought in Salid's mind was that with potential allies, he might be able to solidify their information gathering capabilities and by doing so, perhaps they could increase their ability find the information that they were looking for.
Sanok followed Kenovan from the room and overheard the man's orders for his men to locate their 'missing caravan' in the hopes of discrediting Salid and his group.
Resolved now to move more cautiously, Salid ordered that the individual teams now heighten their awareness of their surroundings as they continued their search for the information that they sought.
A Promising Lead
Steve Matrix and Eian O'Neill during their investigations discovered some mysterious energy signatures that could potentially lead them to locate an advanced power source. If such a power source could be verified, it was potentially possible that this would be the information that they needed to discard the Prime Directive and move forward with a plan to save the inhabitants of Asrai Prime. These power signatures originated somewhere near or from a mysterious Obelisk located near the city square.
While they were investigating their readings, Sanok, Ben Soma, Jessica Signos and Jennifer Caskie continued with their work to decipher the written Asrai language by continuing their work in the city's marketplace.
During that time, Parker Davis and Tayla Fraiser moved to investigate a hospital they had located, with the hopes of determining if there was any advanced technologies present that may be used to treat the ill or injured.
During this the captain was not stationary. He and Mike Rosenbauer set out to see if they could locate a library or archives. it was also their intention to see if they could visit a couple of the local government buildings. If they could find any indications of advanced technology or mathematical texts that indicated that the Asrai had the understanding of physics that could justify that they could possess warp drive or similar technology, Ahmed felt that he could perhaps justify breaking the Prime directive as a result.
In addition the Asrai myths concerning the Aowa also needed to be investigated to determine if there could have been possible contact with a technologically advanced alien species in the past.
The Conspirators Assemble
After the unpleasant meeting with Kenovan, Salid was visited at the Traveler's hall by an Asrai named Jamal. It seemed that Jamal was only one of several Asrai merchants that had been displaced by Kenovan over the years. The man, forced into a form of exile had returned only recently looking for some semblance of revenge when he had discovered that Salid (as Jalad) had crossed Kenovan.
Desirous of an alliance of sorts, Jamal acquired a meeting with Salid and warned him of Kenovan's unfair business practices. The warning did not fall upon deaf ears, as Salid already suspected that Kenovan was a bully and a vindictive individual. When suspicions of Kenovan's orders to his men were confirmed, Salid inquired of the exiled merchant on the status of others that may be in opposition to Kenovan in a similar capacity.
When it became clear that there were several individuals that had suffered at Kenovan's hands, Salid/Jalad, who could never suffer a bully, put forward a plan of action that was two-fold.
Looking at his situation strategically, he ennobled Jamal to undertake the action of gathering together the enemies that Kenovan had made for the purpose of setting right the balance of power. These assembled persons would be free to conduct their address of power as they saw fit, and in return they simply had to share any information concerning the Aowa with Jalad.
Sizeable sums of money were provided to fund this information exchange, and it proved to be very worthwhile. During a luncheon in which Salid outlined the things that the exiles would need to accomplish and a rough means by which it could be done with minimal violence and bloodshed, he also received significant information concerning some Aowa Catacombs that existed beneath Celebrai City.
Determining to find other data, alluded to in that meeting, Salid and Rosenbauer visited an archive and library, where they uncovered some ancient plans and old sketches of portions of the catacombs. They also confirmed some of the stories about the oddities that were recorded seen and heard there by witnesses over the years.
This was the first real positive proof that they had that there was a strong possibility that the Aowa had encountered other life-forms prior. If this could be substantiated with physical proof, then the Prime Directive could be discarded and direct efforts could be made to intervene into the situation facing the Asrai, namely their potential extinction.
The Arrest
Unbeknown to Salid, Kenovan's influence had already begun to cause additional problems for the away team. Members were forbidden to shop at some of the stores as a result of Kenovan's influence. In addition, members of his personal bodyguard were becoming brazen and harassing members of the away team in a threatening manner.
While there was no violence performed yet, it was becoming more and more likely as the situation progressed.
It was during the return of the Captain and Mike Rosenbauer to the Traveler's Hall that Salid noticed Ensign Tayla Fraiser crying in the town center.
The captain went to discover the problem, and during their discussion in the town square, a religious group exited a nearby building. To coincide with that event, a child, unaware of the religious procession collided with the lead religious man. As the man stumbled, Fraiser, without thinking reached out and steadied him, preventing the collapse. In doing so, she had violated one of the primary tenants of the Asrai religious orders.
Guards rushed to arrest her and they successfully detained her. Salid, wishing to find a diplomatic solution to defuse the situation, attempted to negotiate for her release. The priest, irritated, struck Salid with a backhanded slap and split his lip.
The resulting injury bled revealing the captain's fundamental difference from the Asrai. When it was discovered that Tayla was also bleeding due to the roughness of her arrest, the situation degenerated.
The religious official was none of the than the Voice of the Oracle of the Golden Temple. His guards arrested Salid and Fraiser after a short struggle and then made a public denouncement of the devils that had been discovered in their midst.
The two members of the away team were taken to Darkom Dungeon, located beneath the Golden Temple. The temple in turn was located on the palace grounds, which were secured by a series of thick walls and heavily guarded gates.
Mike Rosenbauer, having witnessed the arrest, followed the captured away team members as far as possible, before alerting the remainder of the away team by emergency signal to their commbadge.
He then proceeded to the secondary way-point to await the remainder of the away team.
Emergency Assembly
Following the arrest of the Captain and Fraiser, The remainder of the team assembled at the secondary site, an abandoned courtyard along the outer wall of the city.
The team then discussed their options and what should be done to rectify the potentially devastating effect that the arrest of the two Starfleet officers would have on the Asrai Culture.
Using information acquired from Jamal, Davis ordered Ben Soma, Sanok and Mike Rosenbauer to meet with Jamal and solicit his assistance in freeing the Captain and Fraiser from custody. The plan hinged on an introduction to a man named Kaso, that reportedly lived under the city in the catacombs. These were the same catacombs that were believed to contain remnants of the Aowa. Kaso was believed to be the leader of the Tilshol a group of outcasts whose crime was seeking technological advancement and knowledge. It was hoped that the Tilshol (which means Outcast Ones) would be able to help them locate a subversive means to gain entry into Darkon Dungeon to rescue the Captain.
Once the smaller team had garnered his support, they would return to the remainder of the group, consisting of Jennifer Caskie, Parker Davis, Eian O'Neill, Jessica Signos and Steven Matrix.
At that stage the team would split into two groups, with one looking for the technology that the party desired to find, and the other leading the rescue of the two stranded officers.
Solyon the Destroyer
Meanwhile back aboard the Rogue Planet, evidence was uncovered that indicated that the planetoid was , in fact, some sort of colony vessel. The discovery of propulsion systems and other ship-like systems led lieutenant Xim and lieutenant Thomas Jackson to suspect that the planetoid was a vessel rather than simply a rogue planet.
The team included several security personnel, engineers and science personnel from the rosenante, and all of them worked to uncover the origins and purpose of the colony vessel. During this work, Chance Raschen and Andrew Elliot Maddox managed to establish limited power to the systems still operational on the planetoid. Maddox later discovered the log files of the First Engineer of the project which shed light on a great deal of history where the unusual vessel was concerned.
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With the information from the logs in hand, [[Xim decided that the best course of action was to attempt to locate the First Engineer among the cryogenically preserved colonists and crew, in the hopes of gaining access to his expertise. It was reasoned that such action would allow the engineering teams of the Rosenante to utilize his engineering expertise to repair or manufacture new components needed to slow, stop or alter the trajectory of the massive colony ship, long enough to prevent the destruction of the planet Asrai Prime.
As it was now apparent to the Rosenante crew working on the planetoid that these people possessed faster-than-light travel akin to Warp Drive, at least once in their species past, that the Prime Directive no longer applied. However, the loss of time to convey this information to the away team still on Asrai Prime could not be lost, and so Commander T'Larah Sullivan ordered work to commence at once on a technical solution to the problem.
Xim, Thomas Jackson and a team of specialists set out to locate and revive the First Engineer.
Incarceration
Back on the planet Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid and Ensign Tayla Fraiser were interrogated by the Voice of the Oracle of the Golden Temple. He brought a few enforcers, members of the Order of the Baneful and the leader of the order the Dominie to the interrogation.
The Bane utilized a sort of Pain Field Belt that they used to induce others to cooperate. The field was powerful enough to render people incapable of resistance or violence, as it worked upon the principle of hyper-stimulating the pain receptors in the victim's body to extreme levels. The belt produced a field that only affected those not wearing the belt. The wearer was in some manner shielded from the affects, although if the wearer of one belt managed to cross into the field of another belt wearer, both were affected by the other belt's field.
It quickly became apparent to the Starfleet Prisoners that the Asrai were more advanced than outward appearances allowed. It was supposed that the Asrai had once possessed advanced technology, but had lost it through some unknown means. The voice's allusion to destroying heretics who worked towards technological development gave an indication that the Religious orders alone possessed some technology, but they they controlled it's development and access by and to the general population.
The voice understood the concept of space travel, asking about the prisoner's space craft, and whether they were genetically altered individuals. The interrogation ended with a declaration of intent to have Salid and Fraiser executed and using the excuse as a means to purge the population of unwanted persons and those using or studying forbidden technology. In addition there was a mention of a weapon that could potentially destroy the Rogue planet, called Solyon (which means the Destroyer). Of course at this point the Away team was unaware that Solyon was actually a colony ship, although a mention of a colony ship was made by the Voice.
MORE COMING SOON!
