Posted by Gamemaster Matrix (Gamemaster) in Main Sim - A Rare Meeting - tag XO, COS

Posted by Lieutenant Maria Beckett (Chief of Security) in Main Sim - A Rare Meeting - tag XO, COS

Posted by Commander Dantius Massana (XO) in Main Sim - A Rare Meeting - tag XO, COS
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

SNIP

Commander Massana recognized the shift in iris color. Usually, such changes were gradual, even when they were observable. The fact that the king’s iris color had changed immediately due to emotional input was off-putting. He knew several species where this happened, but regular humans were not among that group.

“One last line of inquiry before we depart, sir,” Dantius finally chose to state. “What do you make of this ‘rogue citizen’ declaring that you are lost? Are others among you likely to come to this view, and if so, how are we to explain future distress calls, should there be any?”

Massana wanted to make it clear that he was going to be thorough with his investigation, but had no desire to uproot the society here, whatever hierarchy they had established. The rest of the research team had declared whoever had been on the planet upon the project’s abandonment missing, and Starfleet had not chosen to pursue the matter further. The planet was technically under Federation jurisdiction and was recognized as such by multiple treaties. However, it fell under self-governance rules in the Federation charter, wherein newly-discovered civilizations, even those technically in Federation space, could not be coerced to accept Federation oversight.

“Please understand that I am wanting to fully comply with your desire for isolation from external influence, and merely wish to determine the most efficient manner to do so.”

• Commander Massana, XO

The King’s eyes grew bluer again, becoming almost iridescent. “The delusional will do as they do. See what they will. Lost? Heh. Of all the people in this room, I am not the farthest from where I should be.” He snapped.

-GM

Beckett tensed but didn’t raise her weapon. The situation was sliding away from diplomacy and it seemed they were wearing out their welcome. Once again she clocked the exits and considered the options for a hasty retreat should they need to make one. At the same time, she prayed they wouldn’t need those options.

Lt Beckett, COS

“Be that as it may, my question remains unanswered - what should we say to other people off-world as to the appropriate response to any future distress calls, theoretical though they may be?”

Dantius noted that the king had just made a large admission - namely, that he was not ‘where he should be’, whatever the meaning, even though he was not as far as any of his compatriots. The Commander was aware that asking for clarification would be going a bit too far - as the elder man had stated, he needed to speak carefully. He noticed Beckett’s slow shift in posture, and knew that the best he could manage at this point was to prevent the situation from turning actively hostile. He wasn’t sure how these people had dealt with their wayward citizen, but Dantius was getting the impression that the king would treat him and the rest of his team the same way if he became too displeased with the situation.

• Commander Massana, XO

The old man who had greeted them looked up towards the ceiling and then timidly approached the King. “If I may intrude. Some of their party were left on the surface, under supervision. They have requested to bring in further personnel. They too claim to be here in a humanitarian capacity.”

The king pondered. “So, Massana, Beckett? How am I to receive this news?”

-GM

For the moment, Maria kept silent. This was Massana’s show.

Lt Beckett, COS

“That depends upon what you are considering to be news,” Dantius said, still trying to discern what relationship the old man had with the others in the room. “If you are referring to the rest of my crew currently on the surface, then I am surprised that you did not already know about them. As to the request for additional personnel, I trust who I left in charge, but he is not aware of your desire for our immediate departure. All members of our crew have a certain level of general capabilities, and so the removal of four members of the team may be hindering the tasks we typically undertake in responding to a general distress call.”

He was almost inclined to let Beckett speak for the sake of not feeling like the success or the failure of this mission was entirely his responsibility. Admittedly, as the Executive Officer, the mission’s success was technically something which he needed to control. He was wary of sharing too much information, and he caught himself before he continued to speak.

“And still, I wish to know - how are we to inform others regarding future distress calls, regardless of what we say in our official report regarding the distress call which brought us here?”

• Commander Massana, XO

Maria caught the look and tilted her head for a moment. “We’d have to have something that was… ” She paused for a moment then studied the commander, then glanced back at the king, then back at the commander. Moving next to him she murmured so as not to let her voice carry beyond his ears. “The simplest solution is to consider them a sovereign colony in Federation space with a Do Not Contact request. The Federation generally honors the matter. The other option is we set up something damn scary in the logs. A terrible plague, for instance, and warn everyone off with a hazard beacon.”

Lt Beckett, COS

“No, no, NO!”

The lights went out for just a second, and when they came back on, The King and all his advisors had gone. Only the Memorial crew and the old man who greeted them remained.

-GM

Dantius was curious, but given the sudden appearance of the five, their sudden vanishing was something which he had anticipated, if not desired.

“I suppose we were not as cautious with our words as we should have been,” Commander Massana said, keeping his tone as flat as possible, albeit his accent did not make that entirely possible.

He turned to the old man. “Well, we have met the King and his council. Who are you, and why did you not depart with them?”

• Commander Massana, XO