STF

Main Sim - Away Mission - [Tag CE, CSO, COS, CMO]

Posted May 4, 2022, 3:25 p.m. by Gamemaster Matrix (Gamemaster) (Sage Pennington)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Jack A. Grey (Chief Medical Officer) in Main Sim - Away Mission - [Tag CE, CSO, COS, CMO]

Posted by Commander BJ Janzen (Chief Science Officer) in Main Sim - Away Mission - [Tag CE, CSO, COS, CMO]

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Danora Allance (Chief Engineer/Artificial Intelligence Expert) in Main Sim - Away Mission - [Tag CE, CSO, COS, CMO]
Posted by… suppressed (13) by the Post Ghost! 👻

SNIP

Four automatons emerged from the hut opposite, carrying what appeared to be phaser rifles. They spread out and began searching the camp.

-GM

“Get whatever information you can as quickly as you can,” Commander Massana said to the away team. “Armed robotic guards engaging after alarms trigger indicates that we need to leave, and fast.”

Dantius thanked his paranoia that he had asked for a shuttle to stay in orbit while the CO took the Memorial out for some shooting practice.

=/\= Commander Massana to shuttlecraft, prepare to beam up the entire away team on my mark.=/\=

He looked at the crew and said, “Okay, we’re getting out as soon as we can, but we need to try to get what we came here to get. Transfer as much data as you’re able, give me a progress report every thirty seconds, and get ready to deal with the guards if it comes to it. If you can turn off the alarms, or the automatons, from here, do so.”

  • Commander Massana, XO

Aidan dropped the remaining sleeves as he quickly moved back towards the door they came in. As he approached, his phaser rifle was back in his hands, and he had already checked to make sure it was good to go. With a brief nod to the Lieutenant, he took up a position on the opposite of the doorway from her, and tagged the automatons in his heads up display. Now to just wait. Either they got everything they needed and would get out, or things were about to get ugly.

Taking a deep breath, he kept an eye on the new found guards to see if one would suddenly turn their way.

Ens Harmon - Sec

Dani had already begun the upload to the AI when the alarms blasted to life. She cried out in shock then soon her head and doubled over the console. Searching through the files she tried to disarm the alarm system. That might have been why it has been wire cut. “Come on, you dumb computer. My AI could have…” She cut her murmuring short and tapped out a message to the
Memorial computer to see if it could bypass and shut off the security alarms now that they were connected. If she could, they’d turn them off and the klaxon would stop. With any luck, the robots outside would stand down as well. Hopefully before anyone was in danger… or harmed. “Come on … come on!!… Hurry up, please, my darling,” she kept murmuring the mantra over and over. Wishing with all her might that the computer would come through so they didn’t have to leave the planet… Not yet. Too many questions, still, in her mind.

Dani
CE/AI Spec

It had to be robots. It always has to be robots. BJ unholstered his phaser. He didn’t like using it, but he was competent. “Why do they always use robots for security?”

Janzen

The robots burst in as Maizie successfully shut off the alarm. They did appear to become less immediately hostile. Their weapons were still drawn. “Identify yourselves, unknown persons.” They seemed to say in unison.

-GM

Massana knew that the data from the systems was still being transferred. He decided to use one of the few diplomatic tactics that he knew - stalling.

“Clarification - are you requesting individual identification or identification of this group as a whole?”

He knew that such a response would have annoyed a biological guard unit. He hoped that these synthetic guards lacked such capabilities.

  • Commander Massana, XO

Danora exhaled as the alarms went off and the robots went to standby instead of attack mode. When the XO spoke up, she giggled. Murmuring under her breath, she bit back another laugh. “Tell them we’re a rescue party for The King.” It didn’t occur to her that someone might actually hear her.

Danora
CE/AI Spec
(Humor trumps panic lol)

The robots seemed to mull Massana’s question over. “Both.” They all responded, again in unison. “Identity yourselves and your point of origin.”

-GM

Dantius decided to be as painstakingly slow in responding to the request as possible, or at least he hoped to make it obvious to the rest of the away team that that was his intention.

“My name is Dantius Massana, and I come from an island which on my planet is called Hispaniola, in a region called Haiti.”

He purposefully had not identified his rank, the fact that he was with Starfleet, or why he was on the planet. He could only hope that the robots lacked a database which would immediately identify them as Starfleet, given the insignia on their chests. Similarly, he hoped that mention of locations on Earth without actually saying “Earth” would at least not trigger an automatic violent response.

  • Commander Massana, XO

Aidan looked over at Lt Beckett as he slightly lowered his riffle, but keeping it at the ready. The robots had just burst in past them, they didn’t even have a chance to get off the shot. With that kind of reaction, the last thing he wanted to do was make them think they were hostile targets.

Ens Harmon - Sec

The robots again considered what they had been told. “Dantius Massana. Identified and saved. Continue.”

-GM

BJ was happy that the robots weren’t shooting at them. He wasn’t sure if this strategy would work. But he would let this play out.

Janzen

Dantius realized that the rest of the away team was waiting for him to keep speaking to the automatons. He had hoped that they would have caught on and begun introducing themselves individually, but he wasn’t about to openly instruct everyone to do so. Dealing with programmed interactions was always a bit of an issue; dealing with artificial interfaces with which one was unfamiliar was even more problematic.

“As a group, we are members of a crew from a starship which received a signal from this location. We were investigating the source of the signal, and the reason for it. Are you programmed to share any information regarding either this location on this planet, or the planet itself?”

  • Commander Massana, XO

The robots considered this new information. Thinking didn’t seem to be their primary function. “Signal. Sent by the traitor. You are allies to the traitor.” They raised their rifles.

-GM

Commander Massana had only recently been re-trained in the art of deescalation, and even then, that had been with organics. Dantius had worried that his unfamiliarity with the programming of these automatons would lead to trouble, and now he saw that that was definitely the case. The only thing in their favor was that the robots had yet to actually fire their weapons.

“Correction - we have no idea who the traitor of whom you speak is. The distress signal was a general beacon on an open band; the signal had no identifying markers as to its sender. It is part of why we came - to see who sent it. Now that you have told us the answer - why is this person called ‘the traitor’?”

  • Commander Massana, XO

Danora had frozen at the queries. Saying who they were and what they were about want her strong suit. She would have blasted ahead with answers about Star Fleet and the Federation. Sisterly the XO had had the right idea.

Listening as she worked to circumvent the security, she whispered just loud enough she hope the XO would hear, but not the robots. “Ask them about the status of the King…” I’m her mind, if the robots responded, they would know if the King was a traitor or not. Hopefully that would help answer at least SOME of the questions.

Danora
CE/AI Spec

Please say that they shoot like stormtroopers.BJ thought. He didn’t like the idea of a firefight. That wasn’t his thing. Sure he had the training. But, he’d rather not.

Janzen

The bots were fast, able to cover ground quickly. They’d been on the group before they could react. But now that they were still, inside the building with them, Maria didn’t lower her weapon, though she didn’t touch the firing stud… yet. The XO had the right idea, and for the moment seemed to have a better handle on the situation than she would have. With things as they were, Synthetics put her on edge.

Carefully she studied the make and model of the rifles, seeing if she could determine more about them. And hopefully a weakness, a way to disable them with equipment on hand, if they needed to… before this went belly up.

Lt Becket, CSO

The robots took their sweet time before responding to the XO again. “One organic. One leaves to betray the many. The will of the King. Signal sent. You are not allies of the Traitor?”

-GM

“No, we are not. We have no information regarding the Traitor’s identity. I am confused - how is one who is doing a King’s will a traitor? Is the will of the King different from the will of the many?”

  • Commander Massana, XO

At least he’s giving time. However, maybe they could help find this traitor. The team had the resources. It had a doctor, an engineer and forensic expert. That would be all you need. “Cmdr. perhaps we could assist in the search for this traitor?”. BJ whispered over.

Janzen

“If I am guiding this conversation correctly, they will most likely enlist our aid,” Massana told Janzen. “Thank you for the suggestion if that does not happen.”

The phaser rifle was getting heavy. Maria knew she had a few minutes before her hands would start to shake, and she would sweat. Not a great in an arctic environment. But at least things were not escalating. She let the tip of her weapon dip a dozen centimeters and shifted it off-line from the units. It might help, but she could still snap back on target in an instant. As BJ made their suggestion she spared the tiniest glance. Mentally she cursed. Damn Starfleet for being so tight-lipped about this place. For now she had nothing worthwhile to offer, and wasn’t sure what would set the bots off verbally.

Lt Beckett, COS

The robots considered. And considered. And considered. “We are vessels for the will. Insufficient words. Words inadequate. If you do not stand in opposition, you will stand alongside. Come with us.”

-GM

Danora bit her lip and glanced up at the XO. “Ummmm, Sir… Perhaps a couple of us can stay behind? We can be sure no one else shows up and,” she glanced at the robots, “and maybe find the traitor’s identity?”

She knew it was a long shot, but they needed to keep control of the computer systems and try and figure more out.

Danora
CE/AI Spec

Dantius looked over to the Chief Engineer. It was a good idea, but he wasn’t sure whether the automatons would care to leave potential hostiles to their own devices. However, keeping track of the data transfer to the Memorial (the captain just had to get bored in orbit, hadn’t he?) instead of letting the AI continue the uplink was definitely preferable. He considered how to voice it, given that he had already managed to cause an information overload.

“You were assigned to protect this area from the traitor or others who would assist the traitor,” Commander Massana began. “Are all of you escorting us to wherever you will be taking us, or will some of you be staying behind? If the latter, can some of us stay with those units which remain here?”

  • Commander Massana, XO

Danora’s refried rose slightly, along with the edges of her lips. “Nicely done,” she half murmured in amusement. Perhaps the XO was going to be with his salt after all.

Danora
CE

This took them longer to calculate. Like they were doing vector calculus. “Some may stay. But we will monitor. Others. You” they all in unison gestured to Massana “will meet the King.”

-GM

“Understood,” Dantius said.

He chose his next words carefully, as he did not wish to give any indication as to either their heirarchy or their roles.

“Beckett, you and your people will join me so that I am not alone. Janzen, you are in charge here. Pilots are to be trusted in case of any emergency.”

He turned to the automatons.

“Lead on.”

  • Commander Massana, XO

Danora some up a bit as the XO departed, “Be careful, Sir…” She had almost called him Commander but she has noticed he never used his rank, so she didn’t want to either.

The robots led their part of the away team off, leaving a guard at the door.

As they departed, she looked back at the momentarily forgotten console to see if any new information has popped up. They desperately needed names, ranks, and the story of those who had been here, and also anyone else they were dealing with

And once the others were out the door, she also typed in a quiet to see if she could access the security systems. Would be nice to know if they could disable anything if needed. She just hoped the ship AI was still with them.

Danora
CE/AI Spec

((Split thread here to those going with XO, and those staying here??))

Once again, he was in charge. BJ hated being in charge. But. that’s what happens when you get promoted to Commander. He waited for the automatons to leave before speaking. “How’s it going?

Janzen

Dani smiled up at Janzen before standing up. “So far, so good. I think we’re maintaining the link to the ship and the AI. I’m just waiting for her to figure out the files.” She turned back to the console and taped a few keys. “If we can find the personnel records, manifests, load logs, or I’d even settle for personal logs, maybe we can figure out what happened here. Or at least the who part of it.”

She looked at the others and smiled. Aware the robot left behind was listening, she was cautious with her words. “If anyone else wants to help us find anything to help the King, it would be appreciated.” She pulled out her PaDD and began to record what she could from the computer responses.

Danora
CE/AI Spec

Jack watched the others negotiate with the strange robots, he didn’t like them splitting up with only one medic but there was little to do, he still hadn’t figured out a way to be in two places at once that wasn’t highly immoral or illegal. He approached Danora “Something I can help with?” He asked, his usual stiff tone slightly softer.

Dr. Grey - CMO

On the console, there was new information. The history of the base and its personnel in summary.

It was staffed by twenty people, mostly scientists. The commanding officer of the mission was a human named Arnold Maxwell. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell had proposed the research mission, using the frigid environment as part of an applied physics experiment. Research logs were still conspicuous by their absence, so the nature of the experiments was unclear. One year after the mission began, psychological symptoms began to manifest and were initially attributed to the near isolation inherent to the environment on Eridion. It became clear relatively quickly that this was not the case as it spread like a pathogen. There were four listed casualties, among them Lieutenant Commander Maxwell. The second in command, Lieutenant S’Vor, when Maxwell “became incapable.” 15 months after research began those who hadn’t been lost got in their shuttle and left the equipment behind in favor of safety.

-GM

That was concerning to BJ. “What would you make of this Doctor? Cause I don’t like it one bit.”. Another question popped into his head. “Did any of those left have it when they left?”

Jack read over the files, head cocked as he considered “Hard to guess but not impossible, they would have to be quarantined upon being rescued” He frowned “I’d have to read over whatever medical files they have to try and understand what happened but when we get back to the Memorial I will be ordering a full quarantine and physical for all away team members”

Dr. Grey - CMO

their badges would chirp suddenly and the voice of the captain called out clearly a little worried =^=”Memorial to Away team what is going on We just lost contact with half of your number!”=^=

Tralla

Being the highest ranking officer; BJ answered =^= Captain, this is Janzen. The commander and security team are being escorted to meet the King of whoever is here. Our team of Dr. Gray, Lt. Danora, and I are working on getting as much information from the computer system. If things change; I’ll let you know =^=

Janzen

Dani frowned and tapped her own badge. =^=Dani here… Who are you still reading? Or rather, who aren’t you reading?=^= She glanced at Janzen curiously and whispered, as if the Memorial would overhear. “So were we suddenly put under a shield. Or was the other team lead into a shielded area?” Either way, she didn’t like it.

Dani
CE/AI Spec

She brought up a good question. “I’d have to get a detailed scan to find that out. It could be that the land underneath has sensor absorbing properties. It could be anything at this point.”

Janzen

Jack nodded then did the third lifeform scan with his tricorder “Leftenant Danora, are there any medical files you can see in the system?” He asked the Engineering Chief.

Dr. Grey - CMO

In the system were quite possibly hundreds of medical files. Mostly routine checkups and minor ailments. ‘The Affliction’ as it was called at first, later replaced by the phrase ‘Eridion Madness’ appears in several patient charts, and the staff physician’s log.

-GM


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