The Voyages of the Penelope and the Yydryl

The chief had a team of engineers working on the communications problem when all of a sudden the engines just stopped.

"Sir" said an officer "weve had to shut down the engines, we have a small leak coming from one of the quad drives. Its not serious but its gonna take a while to fix it"

"How long?" said John.

"24 hours, but thats not all, the quad drive is linked to the shield generator"

"and.." said John not fully understanding what he meant.

"It means we have to take the shields offline, whilst we fix the quad drive"

"No shields for 24 hours and stuck in the middle of nowhere" replied john, "the captains gonna love this" he thought.

With the communications link still offline john picked up a data log report (a small piece of paper). He turned it over and wrote a message to the Captain on the back, explaining everything.

"Ensign, take this to the bridge and give it to the Captain" he said pushing the piece of paper into the Ensign's hands.

[edit on 24-3-2009 by John Q]

Captain Luder was still shocked that a communications officer seemingly disappeared into thin air. He finished talking with Seeker and retook his position at the command station.

The lack of any kind of decent sleep was starting weigh on him and he stifled a very visible yawn.

Just then, he heard a voice next to him.

"Sir?"

Luder turned to look and saw a very young ensign standing near the command station, holding a data pad.

"What is it, ensign?"

"A message from engineering, sir." The ensign handed the pad off to Luder. Luder frowned.

"Manually transmitted?"

"Sir, the communications are down between here and engineering due to the battle." The ensign looked nervous.

Luder read the pad and felt the color drain from his face.

"24 hours without shields? Great..." Luder started to say something else then stopped... they were legitimately stranded here for the time being.

"Thank you ensign!" Luder smiled. The ensign looked bewildered and left, headed back for engineering.

Returning to the storeroom was simple, everyone was so busy preparing to go after the Captain made it easier to walk the Ship undetected.
Entering the portal Silo found her place behind the plastiscine crates and sunk gratefully to the floor her head fallen back over her shoulders.
She was tired, she was hungry, her head still hurt, and she didn’t know what to do.
Her fingers clutched at Carpet, relaxation flowed over her as they began to talk.

“So we’re leaving to go after Captain Cadbury. Is Silo going too?” The Mille-being asked gently, sensing Silo’s dejection.
“I don’t know but logic says they need all the help they can get. The Crew is thin, they don't know each other and they're going up against some of the filthiest life forms you can’t even imagine. If you can call them life forms.” A bubble of hysterical laughter burst from Silo’s lips, her voice raw and full of emotion.
The Mille-being didn't say anything for a while, only stroked Silos fingers crooning in comfort.

“Does Silo know anything about the Mossian-Slea nuns?”
“No more or less than anyone else, why?”
“We’ve heard rumors Silo, they might be involved somehow...” The voice falling off in her head to nothing.
Silo sensed it wasn’t so much that Carpet was being vague as the Mille-Being didn’t have any more information.
She filed the thought in her memory to examine later when she wasn’t so tired.

“This is going to be trouble Carpet, I kid you not. We’ll be lucky if we all don’t end up slaves to the Betelgeusians.”
The soft warming strands under her fingers startled and clenched in fear.
“Betelgeusians?”
“Yeah. Just my luck huh.” Silo snorted in derision.
“Just our luck indeed.” The Milli-Being reminded her wryly.
“You’re right Friend, I forget your life is in jeopardy too.” Silo looked down and scratched her fingers in apology and affection over her friend.
"And because we're your friend you will stay and try to help."
It wasn't a question, the Milli-Being already knew of Silos resolve.
For a while they sat in silence giving and gaining creature comfort from each other the silence compatible and rejuvenating.

“Wait! Carpet what was that you said? Something about there being a Verbalizer outside the Captains quarters. Has anyone listened to it yet?”
“No, not yet Silo, Carpet paused. “Acting Captain Loam hasn't made it clear if he’s going to claim the Captains quarters as his own or leave them for when the Captain returns. Space etiquette gives him a choice.”
That the Mille-Being used *When* and not *If* the Captain returned gave Silo a spurt of hope.

“Maybe I should give it a listen before it resets for Acting Captain Loam. I dunno if it would erase any messages left for or by the Captain, but we can’t take that chance.”
Jumping up with new found energy Silo saw Carpet was one step ahead of her.
They'd formed a path on the floor before her leading out the storeroom door.
From there she knew it would take her to the kidnapped Captains quarters, and the Verbalizer.

Silo followed the path, hope propelling her forward towards what just might be a clue to the puzzle of the Captains capture, and kidnapping by the Betelgeusians.


[edit on 24-3-2009 by silo13]

As Studious walked he relived all the events that had taken place up till this point. The Colonel was preparing for the inquiries into this incident that would surely come.


[edit on 24-3-2009 by Studious]

The buzzing and urgent siren of QA's quarters had been going off for sometime, but QA had been able to block it out, due to her most important secret mission she was actually on and doing through her mind.

As QA began to awaken from one small part of her mission, she thought back on how she had been recruited and programmed from birth to do exactly as she had been doing for hours.

QA had been born at that exact moment and exact time that the Rulers of the Rigellian had specified would be the baby born to communicate through all minds and control lives through "communications"

The Rigellian Rulers found my parents and as my mother gave birth - confirming I was born at the exact sec, time and date that the Rigellians had specified was needed. How many more of me were out there, that had been unlucky enough to have the exact second birth needed for the communications, or others may call mind control and altering of memories throughout the whole universe?

I never had a normal life - I was taken away from my parents at birth and lived in a deep underground bunker, my room of which I was never allowed to leave was a 20 by 20ft square. Black walls with very low lighting is all I had ever known. The Rigellian Rulers said that was what would help my mind in concentration.

I was hooked up to wires on my head - all my life, I had no contact with others except for those who brought me food or those who added more programs being fed into my head.

The 30 wires hooked onto my head at all times, fed every language known in the universe into my brain, even the most obscure languages were taught to me, via the wires.

While some wires were feeding languages to me, others were enhancing my brain to be able to control all situations near and far. Everyday I learned and meditated and had my brain made into a walking talking machine.

I had no idea what life was outside my cell, wasn't this the way everyone lived? Though my handlers would come in to feed or add more information to the computers hooked to my brain, there had never been any conversation than what was necessary. I did not know how to communicate on a personal level as I had never been taught.

My life of 60 years was only blackness and mind enhancing time, I was not allowed to think of anything else, except "communications" with others through brain/thought control. I was assigned various task over time in my room - to control this person or that person, my handlers would inform me if I completed the task or failed. My failings would get me no food for days, whereas my completions would award me a few minutes of time away from the wires. But those failings had happened long ago, as my time count, it had been 20 years since my last failing.

The day, my handler walked in after 60 years of my life in my black room to tell me I had been assigned to a very important mission, because I had now completed my "education", and I could for the first time leave my room.

Another part of my teachings were, not to question the Rulers of Rigellians in anything I was assigned to do. This assignment on board a ship called Yydryl was something I was told to do - so I was leaving my "safe room" for the unknown.


What was life like outside the room? My handlers had never taught me that, I only knew communications through mind control.

As I was led out of my room, I was shaky - though I had complete control of my mind in all situations, yet there was a very small microscopic part left of a normal thought in my mind that had me questioning if I could survive outside the only thing that I knew and had given me comfort for 60 years.

The ride up on the elevator took 5 mins, though the speed was at 500 machs, I had been hidden that far underground. I had been programmed to "know" what an elevator, ship and all things normal looked like, I had never experienced them. I did not betray my stomach butterlies upon the ride to the surface, nor did I betray my thoughts and feelings (the few that had been left in my brain) as I stepped out into an unknown world to me for the first time.

I did not have time to stop and feel nor experience the outside world, I was immediately taken to the ship Yydryl, and placed into another black room, of which was made especially for me and my assignment as the Aliens Communications Specialist onboard.

Though my senses had been assaulted with smells and sights in the moments I had in the outside world, before being placed back into a "comfort' world, I did not have time to appreciate nor reflect on those.

I had been born and programmed for 60 years to "communicate" that was and is all I know, though not through speech but through the mind.

For the past hours in my new room onboard the Yydryl, I had been controlling the crew aboard the Penelope. Before I began that task I had Nimitz under my control. These were all assignments from my handlers, which were fed to me through the special computer in my room with the wires that hooked up to my mind. Everything was done exactly as I was commanded to do.

The Rigellian Rulers wanted civil war and chaos through the Universe, so they had me control the minds of the Nimitz, which I found quite easy, as it was only around 15000 people I had to get mind control of. That was nothing compared to the 50000 assignment I had at one time in the past. Which enabled the Rigellian Rulers to take over a part of the Universe they had wanted.

The Rulers who controlled me , was the 'shadow' government of the Empire, these were not the ones everyone else knew, they were hidden. But they were the rulers and controllers behind every chaos event that happened, and I was one of their vehicles to enable the chaos.

I did not fully understand everything I was doing, was it normal? So I thought, as it was the only "normal" thing I had done all my life.

Through my control over the Penelope, I had taken over the Weapons Control Officer - "Seekers" mind and had him blast the Nimitz into pieces easily. The rulers were going to be pleased with Nimitz now gone and the civil war and strife they wanted was now in play.

As for Fook - my handlers needed him dead and had instructed me to have him killed - but also make the Captain and the crew question their sanity in doing so. This would help the chaos situation and their questioning their reality.

I took control of Nenothtu - as he was the Chief Security Officer, as instructed and had him kill Fook, through no control or memory of his own. He only remembers seeing Fook on the bridge just moments before, along with everyone else. The memory altering control I had, was one of the first things I had been assigned to learn as a youth and Communications Expert.

I had now set into play, all the situations my handlers needed in place.

As the buzzing sounded more and more urgent - I was called to the bridge of the ship by our interrex Captain Loam.

I slowly made my way up, as I was experiencing a thing I only knew from name as "carpet" type walls for the first time, I was taking it all in. As I was walking following the arrow signs and directions on the walls to the bridge, I passed by another crew member, through my mind - I instantly knew the crew member's name was Antar and she was the Medical Officer. I nodded as we passed, as I have no idea how to relate nor talk to others, that was another programing detail left out or considered would ever be needed in my life, nor my work.

But to be assigned to a ship, and not just work through my room underground, there must be something of very high importance for me to do. I am positive, I will be given the information when I need it.

I walked into the bridge and straight to who I knew instinctively was the Interrex Captain Loam.

I stood before him, introducing myself and reporting to duty,

I told him my name was Questioningall, though he could just refer to me as QA. My name was given to me by my handlers - as they wanted everyone I controlled in my communications to question their reality at times - Which no one else knew the true meaning behind my name. I let the Captain know I was the Communications Specialist onboard (though he had no idea, how much of a communications specialist, I really was).

Captain Loam looked at me quizzingly, I could tell he was thinking "Where the heck have I been for hours, when they had been buzzing me". I was not going to volunteer, I had actually been working and creating havoc and chaos in other areas of the universe, as I was assigned to do.

I stood at attention, listening to Captain Loams instructions for me, also he would never know, his instructions actually take a second seat to my handlers instructions.





[edit on 24-3-2009 by questioningall]

Originally posted by Scurvy

"Antar are you able to communicate with the ship? If so we could be able to determine where the Captain's energy signal was last sensed upon the vessel."

"The signature came from right here on the main deck, it does not however read clearly as to the exact location. My best guess would be close to the intercom systems main computer."

antar walks over to the coms computer and waves a flat red crystal over the entire area.

"Yes here sir! It appears he had enough time to attempt to make a private message before being abducted."

"This is Captain Cadbury of the Star Ship Yydryl, our ship is under attack from an unknown frequency. It is etheric of nature and the Yydryl coms do not register it's exact location. I can only speculate the signature is that typical of the Betelgeuse Underworlds X30 Ethereal transport pod. Hydryl send for...

"That is it, and it makes perfect sense if they used the X30, virtually undetectable dematerializing transport pod. Gwarp they only work half the time it was really poor technology 500 L/Y ago, and most of the time the subjects that they attempt to transport end up lost in particle matter along the way or immersed into something solid when they arrive."

"The Captain is in grave danger if he survived the transport, it is without a doubt he wont be for long!"

"Have any of the other crew members attempted to contact us yet for beamups?"





[edit on 24-3-2009 by antar]

Seeing antar busy with her red crystal and knowing not to interrupt her when she is in a meditative state, Whisper decides to take some action.

Her tentacles flailing outwards as she spins around to head out to the hallways and explore the scent she came upon on deck six. Perhaps there is a connection to the Captain Cadburys disappearance. Having received Captain Loams directives to search the secured Alpha 3 and Delta 7 logs and found nothing, she decides to visit the hard drives deep within the ship to see if they have been compromised.

Unlike antars prolific sculptures, Whisper actually senses something soothing while stroking the ships interior with her tentacles while moving stealthily through the ships corridors. Whisper chooses to slide along the ceiling, avoiding any detection from a possible nefarious crewmate or an unknown entity seeming bent on stopping the Yddryl from performing its mission.

Feeling guilty by being passed out during the abduction of Captain Cadbury, Whisper is fiercely resolved to finding the answers. With stealth and determination, she slithers along the ceiling, many eyes peering into the darkness, her senses missing nothing. She searches.


[edit on 3/24/2009 by Whisper67]

[edit on 3/24/2009 by Whisper67]

It was an unusual sensation to have a being appear before her very eyes yet undetectable by anything other than her vision.

antar walked calmly over to QA and introduced herself.

"Greetings Qa, welcome to the Star Ship yydryl. I am the ships Empath and Chief Medical Officer." "You may call me antar."

With a slight tilt of her head antar realized that Qa saw her for how she truly appreared. Never before had such a meeting taken place. Wondering why she could not 'sense' this special being standing vulnerably before her by nothing more than her physical stance.

"I have heard about you from birth, but I never expected to meet you, you are the Oracle of Time and Space, am I correct?"

A swirling, overwhelming sensation filled antars heart region and she began to weep for what the New Comms officer 'allowed' her to sense.





[edit on 24-3-2009 by antar]

I knew one of my handlers were aboard the ship, though I was not sure, who was assigned to watch me and program my computer at times for my "updated assignments".

I controlled those in other parts of the Universe in masses, only when I was hooked up to my wires, which enhanced my brain power of communications 1000 fold.

My control of minds off my wires were on much smaller scales, and I found it harder to control those of "higher minds" as I was finding out from being on the ship.

I found there was blockage to getting into others minds onboard. Though it was not something I wanted to do, as there was no reason, I had a few times just tried for the fun of it.

There was a certain wall I could not get pass.

I was making my way back to my black room, understanding what Captain Loam wanted from me, letting my mind wander, again wondering why I was assigned to the ship and able to experience a world I had never known before.

Antar who I had passed before came up to me and introduced herself, I had never experienced a friendly introduction before and was not sure how to react.

I instantly knew Antar was of higher mind and of "great' soul. I had some moments of regret, I had never myself known of this in my own life. I had been programmed and trained, that is all I knew.

I felt a deep connection, though the meaning I was not sure?

As I turned away and around the last corner before my room, I saw another crew member making her way across the ceiling of the ship. I stopped and knew this was Whisper, there was something, strong about her and immediately comprehended both her and Antar were good of heart and mind.

Could I learn something from them?

I pondered the question, as I entered my room.

There flashing on the computer that I hook up too was a Red light with "update" information -...........


Edited _ after reading Antar's post... had been writing before she posted.

[edit on 24-3-2009 by questioningall]

Scouting deck six, crew quarters, before heading down to the depth of the ships interior to check the hard drives Whisper first smells an approaching entity. Long inhale, deep through the tiny nasal passages which appeared merely as slits, ‘Ah yes, Regillian blood.’

Not having met or even familiar with many of crewmates besides antar, Whisper attempted to be still and blend in with the ceiling, becoming part of the interior. As far as Whisper was concerned, every crew mate was a suspect until this mystery could be solved. Any crewmate could be guilty, any but antar, of course. She was still amazed how this abduction could have occurred without the knowledge of antar. Dark forces at work on the Yddryl, darker then even Whisper.

She was seen! Whispers normally excellent skills of deception and cloaking were not effective on this crewmate. She read the nametag on the uniform as the Regillian passed by, QA. Ah yes, a cruel, wicked silvery toothed smile passed over the oily lips of Whisper. Not personally familiar with QA, she was aware of the program this particular Regillian had lived her life within. A conditioning which she herself had been a party to and helped design a hundred years ago. Thinking about it just made her want to drop by her own quarters and tap into one of her bottles. Ah, but work at hand. QA paused then went into her black quarters – both parties pretending not to see the other.

She cleared deck six but again, picked up on a foreign scent. She followed this curiously down to her intended destination of deep within the Yddryls interior.

By this point Scurvy was completely overwhelmed. Another tentacled Rigellian had been on the bridge shortly, just long enough to get her orders and be on her way. Scurvy assumed this was Whisper by the way she seemed to be always on the prowl of some unseen prey. She had nodded to him briefly upon entering the bridge and he had returned the gesture quickly, happy her gaze had not held on him much longer. Those eyes were piercing and they made Scurvy slightly uncomfortable. Chuckling under his breath he mutters to himself something about nice oiled up tentacles.

Another entity had come from seemingly nowhere, introducing himself as our interrex Captain, loam. At least this one seemed to know what was going on around here. He set to work instantly, assigning tasks to all those in presence. Scurvy liked the style of this new commander, no nonsense, to the point.

Originally posted by loam

loam entered the command bridge and simply began:

I am assuming command of this starship.

Officer scurvy, I need you to please modify the HIPD to deliver the maximum possible single-burst output. You can assume the target will be a large one. One shot is all that we will require.

"Yes sir, at once."

Scurvy wheeled on his back tentacle to face the door and exited the bridge, heading for his Weapons Control Terminal.

He was beginning to get irritated at the amount of times he was getting lost in this maze. Who the heck had designed this thing anyway? A hollow core? It looked snazzy but completely ineffective for one who is navigationally illiterate. Whilst making his way back from a wrong turn two decks ago Scurvy happened to pass by the Captain's quarters. The verbalizer installed outside his door had a blue light blinking on and off indicative of an unchecked message. This could be the clue they needed! He got that unshakeable feeling of eyes watching him but couldn't see anyone around him and was quite sure he hadn't passed anyone in the past few corridors. Shrugging he strolls over to the Verbalizer and punches in his security clearance code. He hears this message:

To all staff aboard the Yydryl,
This is Captain Cadbury. At this moment I am *he groans painfully* being dematerialized. I don't have much time. The Betelgeusian rebels are planning... *a load scream*... you can't allow them to get this ship. Cargo hold... there... find help... Sil... *another low groan*

Alarmed by the tone in Cadbury's voice Scurvy makes a copy of the message to show to the other staff later. Right now he'd better get to his terminal and make those modifications. If weaponry was needed then he would make sure the Captain had what he needed. Mulling over the most effecient way to draw the excess energy for the HIPD, and where to draw it from, Scurvy strolls away in the direction of his terminal.

Seeker took the Captain's suggestion seriously.

He canceled the projection of himself and set about learning the underlying systems of the Penelope's security network. Lists of cameras and scanners came online at his call.

Once he had cataloged all of the relevant systems, he bagan a diligent sweep of the ship, from bow to stern. He reviewed the recorded archives and was interested to find several periods of very convienient data corruption making the archives unreadable.

Seeker smiled inwardly. This was his element.

Let's see them corrupt an active scan.

The sweep was clean and clear until hte very last moment. The engineering sweep was completing when Seeker noticed an anomaly. An abnormal heat signature was showing up near the reactor cluster that powered the ship's drives.

Seeker dug deeper and determined that there was no locator on this heat signature, a device that all crewmembers were required to wear while onboard. Also, there was some moderate attempts at visual disruption in the reactor room.

Someone was in there that did not want to be found. The heat signature was close enough to be tampering with the drives.

Seeker quickly formed an alert to send to the Captain, Colonel Studious, and CSO Neno.

[ALERT CODE 2. Intruder detected by active scan in propulsion reactor bay. Attempts to block passive viewing have been registered. Intruder is NOT, I repeat, NOT wearing a crewmember locator. Suggest cursory sweep before damage can be done to the reactor. ALERT CODE 2]

[edit on 24-3-2009 by SeekerOfAUTMN]

"You heard the alert, now let's move it." The Colonel said urging his men forward.

Studious was concerned,

"Could anyone really have gotten aboard during the battle with the Centaurians? That seemed unlikely. Perhaps a stowaway? Someone who was always on board.

The Colonel thought about asking Neno for permission on this op but then thought, "no this is definitively one of those vital moments. If this guy is able to obscure his location by blocking scanning, he probably is listening to our communications. No sense telling this murderer an armed team of spec ops Marines is on their way."

With that Studious and his team raced toward engineering, toward the propulsion reactor....... and toward the intruder.


[edit on 24-3-2009 by Studious]

Thanks to the Milli-Being I found the Captain's quarters with ease.
Without Carpet I'd of spent days wandering the endless maze of corridors and dead ends.
The Ship was a head shaking marvel.
It seemed like her middle was hollow, the navigation of decks a labyrinth.
Just one more thing to wonder over, but later, for now I had to concentrate on the Verbalizer. The simplicity of it's stark configuration and blinking blue light left me mystified how it functioned.

I tried talking to it, Carpet laughed, I growled, then laughed too.
Reaching out to touch it my hand stilled.
My ears pricked up in alert, eyes swiveling on their stalks to look behind me as Carpet began tugging hard on my feet,
Someone was coming!
Uttering an expletive for letting down my guard I barely made full morph as a figure turned the corner continuing on it’s path to stop exactly where I’d just been standing!

A Long Arm!
I squeezed my inner eye shut, breathed slow as a cadaver and centered myself deeply in every molecule of the wall.
I'd never seen a Long Arm up close and this one was bigger and more grotesque than the one I'd seen earlier.
Putrid black and green covered with wispy little tentacles that sprouted randomly from it’s head like hair...
It glared at me with eyes born from every nightmare I’d ever had.
It’s breath blew so close the stench so overwhelming my stomach threatened to heave, the urge to run so overwhelming I would have leapt from the wall if I could have done so without touching the horrid thing blocking me.
Logic saved me.
There was no trace I’d been standing there only moments before.
I was perfectly camouflaged in my morph and Carpet had covered my two-skin and leg wraps fallen at my feet.
No, it couldn’t see me.
I was so relieved when the thing turned away towards the Captain’s door my knees nearly buckled from the wall.

And then I heard it.
A voice in pain.
I couldn't quite make out the words but it had to be the Captain as somehow the thing activated the Verbalizer!
The words were faint but desire to hear the Captain's message lost out over my loathing of the Long Arm.
I was NOT going any closer!

After what seemed a life span it turned to go, stopped, grunted and mumbled under it’s breath before continuing on it’s way.
Now I could listen to the message and get out of there!
My breath let out in a steady stream of relief and coming to myself I quickly thanked Carpet, slipped into my two-skin and began re-wrapping my feet and legs.

And that’s how it found me.

I looked up, froze and quit breathing, my mouth drying up to dust.
Advancing slowly towards me came the Long Arm I’d seen earlier passing the storeroom.
Black as Aragonian Tar its tentacles stretched out to the ceiling and sides of the passageway effectively blocking my path.
I was trapped.
By a web of horrid sliming tentacles.
Closer still it pulled back its gums to expose a foul set of evil razor sharp teeth dripping slime...

Then, inexplicably, it tilted it's head and smiled.

For the second time in as many hours I fainted.


[edit on 24-3-2009 by silo13]

"Captain Loam I would like to request returning to the Recovery Bay to take a look at the samples from VV."

Nodding his head in agreement antar wasted no time and returned to the RB.

Two of the ships droids were apparently struggling with the rejuvenation water fall in the corner of the room.

"Here we go, just connect this componet to the ships main frame and its's in place."

Always having loved the robotic droids and dreaming of the day when her parents invention of the Plantus Inmatus would become part of every variety of bot to gift them with the ability to evolve with conscience and effective thought progression.

The Beetleguisian Forces were against this as it would limit the ability to control the bots and therefore preprogram them to destroy life and freedoms.

Looking out the window she could see that the ship was leaving the planet, and the Rigel Colony.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/dbdfdb7cb7c0.jpg[/atsimg]

"We are coming Captain..."

Security Chief nenothtu scurried down the corridor towards the cargo holds in the furtive manner he was accustomed to, which made folks around him undefinably uneasy. Rounding a corner, he nearly ran headfirst into a Security staff member. The woman was nearly out of breath from running the corridors, searching for him.

"Sorry, Chief. A guy on the medical staff said you needed to read this, ASAP, before it hits the Penelope's InfoNet." She handed over a folded PAPER document.

Neno took the document, wondering what would prompt them to send him a hardcopy printout, instead of routing through the regular electronic channels. He opened it, and began reading an autopsy report on Cheif Navigator Fooks. As he read, his eyes shot wide open.

The Security contingent around him milled about, quizzical looks on their faces, Nenothtu looked up from the report, and roared "AIN"T YOU PEOPLE GOT A CARGO AREA TO SEARCH? GIT! NOW! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"

They ran off to comply, leaving neno standing alone in the corridor. He re-read the report. This just wasn't possible, it just WASN'T. Killing a man wasn't something one just FORGOT. Neno was far TOO aware of that. He knew that the past would come to get you in the middle of the night, and dead men had a nasty habit of taking on a new life, only to be killed over and over again in nightmares. No, you never forget the faces of the men you killed.

But he didn't remember killing Fooks. It was impossible. THAT would have been a fresh memory, for sure! Yet it wasn't there. Neno's shoulders slumped, even further than normal. He was well aware that 'science didn't lie'. yet for the life of him, killing Fooks wasn't a memory he had. Memories be damned, there it was in black and white. Residual energy signatures on the wound indicated that his personal sidearm had fired the fatal shot. Hadn't he just been on a search for the killer? How could he fool HIMSELF that badly? Perhaps the sojourn on Khalamzadar had damaged him more than he knew. Had there been others, then? How many people COULD a man kill, and not KNOW it? For the first time in his life, neno began to doubt himself. It was not a pleasant feeling.

Security Chief nenothtu took up his comm unit, and thumbed the activator. "Security Chief nenothtu to Captain Luder. I've got a MAJOR malfunction here. Sir, I'm formally requesting that you appoint Colonel Studious as an interim head of the Ship's Security Force. Please don't let him break them, I was just beginning to get 'em fixed."

Neno took a deep breath, and continued. "For the safety of the ship, I'm reporting to the brig forthwith. I also request a psyche evaluation as soon as possible. Sir, I hereby place myself under arrest."



[edit on 2009/3/24 by nenothtu]

Staring at the flashing red light and pondering what it was the Rulers wanted from QA to do. I sat down, yet from the corner of my eye, I saw a glint of something shiny, I had not noticed before.

I turned my head seeing a reflection of a wall from the shiny thing, I slowly and cautiously got up and walked gingerly over to the reflective surface.

As I got in front of it, I gasped.... I was seeing for the first time - who QA was in the way of looks. I had not been given that luxury before, as I had always only been allowed to go within my mind without any outside distractions.

QA took a step forward to look closer at "who I was", what I saw did not cause me feelings one way or another.

What I saw looking back at me from the reflective surface were tentacles coming out of my head and an elongated face with a small mouth, sharp nose, wide large eyes and some tentacles out of my cheeks.

I knew the rest of my body, as I had always been able to see it, QA now was able to put a face with my four legs and four arms.

Not wanting to be distracted anymore, I turned around to connect myself to my comfort wires. The wires were my life.

Once connected, the transmission came through of my updated next step required by the rulers.

QA was once again to take control of the Weapons Control Officer - Seekers mind of the ship Penelope. The rulers needed me to do an emergency memory alteration. They could not let him inform Captain mf_luger of the heat signature he had found on his ship.

I closed my eyes, concentrating as I found Seeker..... Communications Specialist QA then worked on his mind to change his memory. The memory change was to be "He found no heat signature or any problem with his sweep".

As I finished my task and opened my eyes, I hoped I had done it in time before he had, had the chance to tell the Captain of his find. The reflective surface had distracted me for moments........ were those moments.....wasted precious time, where I have ultimately failed my mission?

I understood, why I had not been allowed to see myself before, I knew it was a distraction that was useless and unneeded.

I sat back, worried for the first time in 20 years..... if I had failed.

Should I go into the Captains mind now and change his memory, or wait to find out if he was informed of the heat signature, by Seeker?

No, I thought it was best to wait, I was only to do, as I was told, I could not take any matters into my own hands and go into people's minds, unless I was instructed to.



edit by author request

[edit on 29/3/09 by masqua]

The Solis of her quarters was exactly where antar needed to be just now with all the challenges she had faced upon boarding the Yydryl. Feeling drug into chaos was something she avoided at all cost in her private life.

Checking the plasma converters for the connections to the water flow of the rejuvenation falls, a device which she found imperative on this type of mission as it had the recuperative abilities needed for severe injuries and broken limb repair. The patient would simply be placed in the flow of the electric water fall and the healing would be swift and complete in most cases.

The Rb was a bit more cold and sterile than what she preferred, but the ability to adjust was one of her strong points.

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Opening the the Ledstrom Tubes her worst senses were realized, that Visible Villain was not a cut and dry case of suicide, that he had struggled and faced great pain and agony prior to his demise.

"Ok time for nice cup of Mossian Tea. Maybe something even stronger.."

antar headed for the ships bar and some serious planning on how to rescue the Captain once we arrive to the dark planet.

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[edit on 24-3-2009 by antar]

Captain Luder started at the sound of the alert lights on the bridge. Seeker had ordered a full alert code two and announced throughout the vessel:

ALERT CODE 2. Intruder detected by active scan in propulsion reactor bay. Attempts to block passive viewing have been registered. Intruder is NOT, I repeat, NOT wearing a crewmember locator. Suggest cursory sweep before damage can be done to the reactor. ALERT CODE 2

Luder wasted no time. He jumped up from the command station and pointed at whiterabbit.

"You have the bridge, rabbit."

Luder ran out of the command center, pulling two security officers along with him. His objective was the massive engineering housing in the rear of the ship. With the communications down in there, the odds john heard the alert were negative. As an afterthought, he activated his personal comm back to the bridge.

Rabbit, sent an encrypted message back to UEF Command. Inform them of our current position. Inform them we have taken on an intruder and we are experiencing some type of . . . . anomaly. Tell them we strongly recommend NOT sending any craft to our vicinity until further notice.

Luder grabbed an energy pistol from a marine's hands as he headed toward the aft of the massive vessel. He yelled over his shoulder,

"Tell Colonel Studious to meet us in the engine room!"

About one hundred yards from the engine bay doors, Luder heard Neno's voice come across the comm.

".....myself under arrest..."

Luder stopped.

"What did you say, Neno?"

Nenothtu handed over his weapon and power pack to the desk attendant in the brig. The man looked up, questions all over his face.

"I'm under arrest, as of this instant. I'll be needing a cell" neno answered the unasked questions.

The Security man looked incredulous. "Where's the joke, boss? By whose authority are you 'under arrest'? You ARE joking, right?"

"Nope. I'm under arrest by my own authority. Give me a cell, NOW." The Security Chief a prisoner? And a PRISONER giving him orders? he wasn't quite sure what to do.

Just then, his comm unit beeped. Comms from the captain, asking him to clarify himself.

"I'm placing myself under arrest, Skipper. It seems that I killed Fooks, and I'll be hanged if I can remember it!"

neno reflected on his poor choice of words. Hanged indeed.