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Main Sim - Away Team - Find that Ferengi! (TAG Idari, Tate, GM)

Posted Aug. 16, 2020, 9:02 p.m. by Gamemaster Janus (Gamemaster) (Jason Lee)

Posted by Commander Idari Solit (Chief Science Officer) in Main Sim - Away Team - Find that Ferengi! (TAG Idari, Tate, GM)

Posted by Gamemaster Janus (Gamemaster) in Main Sim - Away Team - Find that Ferengi! (TAG Idari, Tate, GM)

Posted by Commander Idari Solit (Chief Science Officer) in Main Sim - Away Team - Find that Ferengi! (TAG Idari, Tate, GM)
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻

SNIP

A shift in the timeline occurred and the fabric of reality warped. Idari could have sworn he was with a Lt. Cewa a moment ago but the name was starting to fade, as history overwritten, and a Lt. Cmdr. Wessley Tate took the place of the young Lieutenant Cewa.

“Excuse me, I meant to say, Commanders,” said Zank, “I failed to notice the Lieutenant Commander’s correct rank. I thought it was Lieutenant.”

GM

Tate was slightly confused be the feeling was starting to fade. He realized Idari was probably in charge of this particular mission, but spoke anyone. “It seems we have a business opportunity in front of us Mr. Zank. One that might be profitable for all parties.” He knew how to talk to Ferengis but he wasn’t sure how much of his own end was a bluff.

-Lt. Cmdr. Tate

OOC: If I could get a brief bit of info regarding our objective here, that would be great.

-Harley

OOC: The short of it is that you crashed on the planet and the ship is broken without power. Zank’s ship saved the Asimov from being damaged completely, and his driving motivation is to get off the planet. He has already told the crew he’s been here a couple months before you guys, and that using his tractor beam on the Asimov pretty much used all of the remaining emergency power he had. The end goal is to see if any parts of Zank’s ship can be used to repair the ship, or whether he’s willing to sell it to you, or sell you more information about the planet. Obviously, he told the Captain that he plans to bill the Federation for saving your lives but Solit feels something doesn’t exactly add up.

GM
OOC: Sorry for the long absence. I could have sworn I had posted last week.

IC:
Solit decided to get right to the point. He couldn’t actually analyze the metal that made the base of the island, and which was disrupting subspace fields, in a timely fashion due to equipment breakdown. The star chart on his hand held device was, to say the least, incomplete, mostly due to the sensor disruptions which happened during the rapid exit and descent from the anomaly.

“We need a complete star map, if you have one available,” Solit said. “Also, have you seen any indications that this island might not be a wholly natural formation?”

It was the old bait-and-switch - ask for something relatively innocuous, then throw out a whammy to get the other man off guard. He wasn’t sure if Zank would fall for it or not, but he was hedging his bets. A Ferengi who had a wife like that clearly had more lobes than he was showing.

(Commander Idari, CSO)

“A star map? I’m sorry Commander, I don’t have a complete star map. Though, I have been making a study of the stars in the sky through my stay here, and nothing seems identifiable. Whatever sensor log data I have in my computer is certainly available to you, for a price, obviously. What impression gives you that this island is not a natural formation, Commander?” asked Zank, “Look, Commander, let’s be frank with each other. We all want to get off this planet. And frankly, in my current situation, Rule of Acquisition 125 seems to apply: ‘You can’t make a deal if you’re dead.’ I realize that might weaken my current bargaining position, however you Starfleet types tend to take us Ferengi with a little too much mistrust. Frankly, I’m quite insulted – I have not much to gain other than my freedom at this point, and neither do you.”

GM

OOC: Bump

GM

Of course he wouldn’t be able to identify the stars around here; he probably hasn’t a clue what relative luminosity, radio wavelengths, or stellar size mean when it comes to charting stellar bodies, or at least not like I do, Commander Idari thought to himself. Still, he’s more canny than he seemed when we met. I wonder how canny…

“Feelings are best left where they don’t interfere with the end goal, Mister Zank. Still, any stellar data you have on hand will be useful. We’ll negotiate on price after I’ve seen what data you have - without scanning it or taking it with me, just to be completely above board. Lieutenant Commander Tate and your wife can keep both of us more honest in that regard, I am sure.”

“Before I used the last of my power reserves to guide your ship to safety, I downloaded copies of my computer databanks on several backup PADDs and alternative data devices. In fact, I happen to have one here… as a gesture of goodwill, I’ll just charge you for the PADD and not the data contents on it.”

Solit nodded and said, “We’ll see what we can do with the information, Mister Zank.” Commander Idari made a mental note to isolate that PADD from the rest of the Asimov’s computer system, because, regardless of the Ferengi’s indignation, standard Starfleet practice restricted the connection of non-Federation technology to Starfleet vessels. Given that he had no means for reaching anyone who had the clearance to authorize such a connection, he wasn’t going to be the one to beg forgiveness later.

Solit paused, considering how much he wanted to share about his supsicions. If Zank hadn’t had them, he clearly had become comfortable with his island abode, protests to the contrary nonwithstanding.

“As for why I think this island is artificial, the nature of the island would be enough to cause that impression. The subgrade is of an unknown metal that creates a field which interferes with subspace equipment, but the field ends the moment that the island does - or at least its subaquatic shelf. Beyond that, two space faring vessels crashed on this exact island after encountering an anomaly that brought them to this planet, contrary to the statistical unlikelihood of such a scenario - admittedly in part because you lessened our angle of descent, but still, we both would have landed in the same general area of the planet even without your aid. Coincidences such as this are rarely due to random possibilities, meaning that such events must have been engineered somehow. Hence, I ask again, since you did not actually answer the question - have you seen any indications that this island is, in whole or in part, artificial?”

(Commander Idari, CSO)

“The island’s composition does seem to indicate that it is potentially an asteroid but the vegetation on the island suggests otherwise. The vegetation on the island seems to have grown for a longer period of time than either of our crashed ships. I deal with mining in my business, so I am familiar with certain mineral and metals. However, the island’s soil is not something I recognize, nor did my computer recognize when I did have power. Also, I have not seen any other indications of any other space faring vessels crashing on this island or evidence to that fact… otherwise I would have tried to savage those ships for parts months ago.”

GM

Solit found that both confusing and incongruous. “Well, that confirms my suspicions that this island was not naturally from this planet, even if I presumed the wrong possibility regarding why it is unnatural. If you have collected a sample, this may assist in the crew’s efforts to depart the planet. Commander Tate, do you have any questions for Mister Zank?”

(Commander Idari, CSO)

Zank handed the Ferengi PADD over to Idari.

“Collecting a sample was not in my immediate concern, however due to the fact that I had to grow my own food, I do have a composition analysis in the data on the PADD I have just given you. Though it does interfere with subspace, it’s still rich of minerals to allow plants to grow. There’s probably a sample around my garden, if you so wish to obtain it,” replied Zank, “Obviously, my priorities in the last couple of months have been focused on survival and whether I could fix my ship. I don’t suppose there any parts you might want your crew to come and investigate of my ship remains to see if it might be any use to your ship’s repairs, Commanders?”

GM

Solit nodded as Zank explained the details about the soil composition. He was going to have to go back to Engineering and de-prioritize the repairs to the digging equipment. Of course, depending on how long they were going to be on the planet, it might still be useful for making something akin to a farm of their own on the planet. As for the other offer…

“There is likely limited compatibility between your vessel’s equipment and ours, but neither of us have that area of expertise,” Commander Idari replied. “Still, I am not the one to make such judgments; that would be the purview of my counterpart in our Engineering Department. Thank you again for the information, Mister Zank. We shall see what we can do with it, given what information we have collected. Perhaps, come nightfall, we might be able to get a better idea of our situation in some respects.”

(Commander Idari, CSO)

“Of course. Please let me know if our services can be of further assistance to you. We would definitely appreciate it if our ship were to also make it off this planet,” said Zank.

GM

A final thought struck Commander Idari - the chroniton readings from the anomaly. “One last question - when you entered the anomaly, what was the star date for you?”

There was something about the way that Zank was behaving that seemed somewhat off. Relations with the United Federation of Planets and the Ferengi Alliance were relatively normalized at this point, so much that some of Zank’s comments regarding how the Federation treated the Ferengi seemed a little bit… dated. Solit had done the switch-off to plenty of Ferengi before, and they had complimented him on his skill instead of being insulted at the distrust. That was not the case here, and Commander Idari had a small inkling as to why.

(Commander Idari, CSO)

“Stardate 52958.2, a few months after the Dominion War, Commander… oh no, no, no,” said Zank. He heaved a heavy sigh. “Well, Commander, I guess I have nothing to lose at this point or gain for that matter if you are asking me that question. I doubt I can return back to my own time period, and I’m guessing things have changed since Rom became Grand Nagus. I just hope that it hasn’t been that long since I’ve been away. What is the Stardate you come from, Commander?”

GM


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