Ship - Tranquility - I have a bit of a crisis-

So I need everyone to stop a moment and think very hard, and I mean incredibly hard, about this, because forget the bloody temperature and the mess with all that and everything else because, well.

...I've run out of tea.

Proper tea, not the space tea that tastes like the stuff you get from the blank boxes that they sell at the Co-op. Or worse, the off-stuff from Tescos.

Does anyone have real tea?

[ And in this corner, representing for the various Westerosi - because between pyromania and keysmashes, someone has to - is someone who's discovered that the keyboard function isn't meant to be pounded relentlessly. Nah, they're letters. Letters like in words. ]

[ Wow, guys, imagine that. Let's practice type some words. ]

blacktyde

grimtonguE

ForeMast

Harlaw

Pyk

[ But she must have hit the wrong key because the textual screen is suddenly replaced with a live feed of a young woman who is dubiously hunched over her communication device and practicing the cordi-board keys. It's not that hard, see? And video isn't that bad a thing, either, though it's accidental and the surprise is evident on her face. But this works; she'd had a question burning in the back of her mind since she woke up and started toying with this...thing. ]

A ship, is it? [ Whoops! Asha, your blatant and tasteless skepticism is showing through. That's not very ladylike. Cover that shit like it were your ankles! ]

And just who captains it?

[ Or...don't. That's okay, too. ]

This place is nuts, you know that, and I fought Nazis, I know nuts. This breaks all kinds of rules. Hasn't anyone heard of relativity? This doesn't just go off the brain of some pulp writer, these things have to have foundations and-

[Pause, and a breath]

All right, I get it. Shut up, Stark, right? Some of the fellas back home would be having a day at the zoo with this, going into space, saving dames, all that. Me, I'm a simple sort of guy. Tell me there's a place with blueprints for this boat, and I'll be happy. Anyone? How about the variables for the jump? I've been here five minutes and I already want to know this stuff, I don't believe that anyone who's been here more than that hasn't tried to figure it out yet.

[But he'll forgive you if you haven't. Not everyone can be Howard Stark.]

[good morning Tranquility!]

Anyone planning on joining us for our little jaunt to Strela should arrive at the shuttles at least fifteen minutes early. [it won't mean death if you don't, but it will mean you'll miss the ride.] Pilots, earlier than that, but try to keep the bloodshed over who gets to drive to a minimum. [you can hear the grin in his voice.]

I know a lot of us, including myself, will be happy to get off the ship for a while, but remember that we're still in foreign space. We'll be guests on this station so we should try to be minding our manners.

[still, and this is the point of this broadcast:] Stay in contact with one another and try not to wander off on your own. [a beat.] And if you do bring your weapons, try not to flash them around. Most places don't take to that kindly, regardless of what part of space you're in.


Kirk out.

[ Feed: on. The familiar sight of Ward and Resnik on the bridge begins broadcasting on the network, lights from the nearby consoles tinging their faces blue in the dull light. In contrast from their last post, they both look steady, alert, and well-rested.

Resnik is closest to the camera, her arms folded. Ward, by contrast, is behind and to the left of her, half-hidden in the shadows. She begins: ]

We'll keep this short. Within the next 24 hours, we'll be arriving at Strela outpost. The five shuttles that have been repaired have been pre-programmed to dock safely at the station, so those of you who'd like to come on shore leave, now's your chance.

[ Ward walks up behind her, seemingly to check a console to the feed's right. ] We'll be there a few days. Resnik and I will restock the ship's stores, and you can stretch your legs. [ His eyes flick to the camera. ]

Meet us at the shuttle bay tomorrow at 1200 hours. We'll proceed from there.

OOC NOTE ▒ Direct your comments to either Ward or Resnik by placing their name in the subject line, along with the type of return transmission (video, audio, or text). Comments without a specific name in the subject line will be treated as a question directed to the both of them.

Dr. McCoy here, and this is a general announcement about something I think everybody on this ship could stand to hear about. So if you don't mind, I won't take more'n a minute of your time.

I know you're all gonna say you're adults and don't need any lectures 'bout the birds and the bees. But I also know that most of you are inherently reckless and tend to think you can beat anything that tries to pull you down through sheer stubbornness. I got no illusions that recent events will have hammered any common sense into places it never resided in the first place. And it's a fool's errand to think for one minute any of you are gonna abstain from sex just because there are risks. So let's address how you can avoid those risks, and we here in Medical can avoid wasting our time doling out STD treatments.

First things first: birth control, condoms, basic supplies for intercourse. Yes, we have 'em, and yes you can get 'em from us. All you gotta do is ask. See? Easy.

Second: sexually transmitted diseases. I can guarantee not a single person on this ship can name every STD lyin' in wait out there. We're from different places, different times, different species. A minor rash for one person could be deadly for another, so takin' a few minutes to get informed and take the right precautions just might be the difference between a decent sexual experience and a ship-wide outbreak of Andorian shingles. So I'm uploading some pamphlets, and I expect you to all take the time to read 'em.

Third: testing for sexually transmitted diseases. If you've been havin' sex since you came aboard and you haven't been tested, get down here and get tested.

[ This portion of the transmission ends with an uplink to a number of STD pamphlets, courtesy of Starfleet Medical. Imagine something like this CDC site, but with a lot of alien diseases added.

The second portion of the transmission is flagged to the Medical Staff AND those characters who volunteered in Medbay during the stasis sickness outbreak. ]

Okay, with that out of the way -- at the moment we have exactly zero patients checked into Medbay. Which in my mind makes this as good a time as any for a good old-fashioned We Ain't Dead Yet celebration. If you're on staff or you volunteered during this last crisis, you're invited. Feel free to bring a guest if you want, but keep in mind it's BYOB and I'll sedate anybody who gets out of hand.


[OOC: Yes, it has been confirmed that Medbay has birth control, condoms, lube, feminine hygiene products, etc. As far as the Medbay party, if your character is officially on the Medical Staff or you ICly OR OOCly arranged for them to be volunteering during the recent modplot, consider yourself invited. Plus-ones are also welcome. There will be a log shortly, which I will link here. Log posted here.]

[ bruce does not much like posting on the network. mostly because it involves people looking at him, people not his team. but betty asked, and there's not a whole lot he won't do under that particular duress.

so he taps on a video feed, trying not to let how much this whole mess feels personal show on his face. ]

I know we're all tired and run down, but there have been some developments. Bet-- Dr. Ross and her colleagues have discovered some. [ he pauses, sighs. ] Some disturbing news. In the interest of full disclosure and transparency-- [ and isn't that politician double speak. he sighs, starts again. ] Sorry, habit. I'll try and speak plainly: none of this is reassuring, but we all at least deserve answers.

The creatures-- [ his mouth twists at that, but he doesn't stop speaking this time. ] appear to be a product of some kind of experimentation. Overwhelmingly-- by a margin of eighty percent-- their genetic makeup is simple, baseline human, but there's another twenty left that appears to be a cocktail of lion, dingo, and crocodile. Their organs were... largely human in appearance, with tweaks here and there. We can't tell you how or why just yet, but we can tell you they weren't doing well even before we got there. Based on the sample brought back by Mr. Clarke and his team, there was a high rate of malnutrition, as well as clear evidence of cannibalism. Whether that was by necessity or not, we can't say. What we can say is that they were most likely dying before we got there-- their cells were deteriorating, in what if I had to hazard a guess would be a side effect of whatever process made them into hybrids. There was also a shared high rate of some pretty nasty infected wounds, and I'd recommend anyone who was bitten or scratched and hasn't already done so should stop into Medbay and make sure they'll heal cleanly.

[ his back straightened during that little speech-- science is easy. now it's just bruce, and he takes off his glasses and cleans them on the front of his shirt, slumping a little again. ]

I wish I had more comforting answers, or even just complete ones. And to keep the hits coming, the computers in the newly cleared labs were wiped clean. We're looking into digging harder or establishing a timeline, but it's slow going. If anything new turns up, someone will make another announcement. Until then, it's hurry up and wait.

[ and as a slender hand reaches into frame to squeeze his shoulder, bruce cuts the feed. ]

( text | filtered to the axvengers ( and jarvis + betty ) | 95 % unhackable )

[the audio clicks on, standard fare business-as-usual Shepard voice]

So it turns out even if you have a synthetically reinforced immune system, given the right germs, you can still get sick.

What I'm curious about is how the hell that happened, but I guess that'll have to wait. I never did pay enough attention where medical mumbo jumbo was concerned. At least there's somewhere to start.

[VIDEO; Filter: Normandy Crew (all-inclusive) | 80% unhackable]

[and the video flickers on once Shepard cuts the main feed, pinging her crew and John Shepard specifically. All things considered, she looks a hell of a lot better than some of the others infected, but for Shepard she's looking a little worse for wear than usual. The blueish tint to the whites of her eyes is also off-setting the grey of her irises in an odd manner, but she figured the kids would see her sooner or later, may as well get them used to this now.]

At 1600 I'm heading out with Captain Kirk and any others he manages to wrangle up. I told him I'd get extra bodies if I could, so if any of you aren't infected and want to help comb this maze, I'd appreciate having people I know and trust at my back.

It's out of the question if any of you are presenting symptoms, however. [hypocrisy, thy name is jane shepard.]

[he knows he can't stop anyone from going, which is fifty percent of the reason he makes this a public broadcast instead of filtered. his transmissions starts with a file transfer. it comes with a photo pulled of the subnetwork, and detailing how to get to the start of the maze, located next to the Oxygen Garden. he'd rather people be informed than go wandering about, after all.]

{file transfer::// START.jpg}

Alright people, whatever we've caught is lethal. We need people in fit condition [or as close to it] to be assisting in the search. Anyone heading into the maze, do not go alone, do not go unarmed, and be careful.


Enterprise, we leave at 16:00 hours.



[ooc; feel free to use this post as IC coordination for heading into the maze/forming groups if you want! also this is pinging anyone Jim might not have talked to about going into the maze with him, ie: Asato, Godric, Todd, Jane Sheppard, Jack, etc.]

[Public: Audio]

[And there's an Agent K, or "Karl Thompson", posting publicly for the first time. He prefers keeping things low key and has spent much of his time thus far lurking. But he has a few questions.]

What are the current standing regulations regarding punishable behavior aboard this ship and what areas are considered restricted? [Not that he wouldn't want into them, but he also doesn't want to open a door to an airlock or set off a massive internal defense system without research.]

If whoever is in charge of ship defenses has room for a little help, I'm willing to lend a hand.

[Introductions? He's bad at those. He's just bad at getting to know people personally, in any case. He figures this will have to do for now. Especially since he's noticing people are getting sick, and he wants to keep the chit chat to a minimum in case of an emergency.]

[ attached to the top of this post is a sketch of hotspur, culled from one of his network posts. the real version is helpfully left in the oxygen gardens, somewhere high.

and visible. ]

Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek thy grace
For those who soar through outer space.


" D O N ' T
B E L I E V E
E V E R Y T H I N G
T H E Y
T E L L
Y O U. "

He did. We saw what happened.

R A L L Y.

( ooc | SO NEAL IS DECENT AT HACKING BUT NOT FANTASTIC the higher level techheads can break this one. say, tony stark level awesome and above, hack away: if you're not sure whether your character would be better at this than neal, ping me on plurk and we can figure it out.

eta: also this post goes up say... two hours after the jump ends. )

[ The feeds starts with a cacophonic reverberation of flesh pounding repeatedly on metal as Hotspur slams his shoulder helplessly against a door. ]

We're jumping - this ship's about to jump and - and - I can't get out. I can't - there's... there's some kind of lock failure...

[ Nails on metal. Driven by desperation Hotspur somehow manages to rip the fascia of the door control panel off and noisily casts it to the floor. A few quiet seconds of rummaging amongst wires and ragged, harsh breathing from a man who knows he's about to die. ]

It - The lock. It's been broken. [ The audio feed lapses in to horrified silence as the realisation hits Hotspur hard. There's a dull rustle of fabric on metal as Hotspur slides miserably down the door to crumple on the ground. ] Not on purpose, surely... They wouldn't, that's... they wouldn't.

[ In the background, behind his words, the ship begins to creak. It's the noise of the metal skin and bones of the Tranquility itself - the brawny hide of a ship that's not going to stop its plotted jump just because one little life form isn't in its gravity couch. Everything begins to groan as the hulking mass prepares itself for the jump...

Hotspur isn't an idiot. He can see how this will end.

The copies of both of the transmissions he had made to his own personal datapad are uploaded on to the network with shaking fingers and a hasty explanation: ]

They said he went mad - Gallagher, the old captain. They said he killed the civilian command staff and it was all because of the jumps but--

[ A building noise, a crescendo of power. and there's just one last horrified, shaking groan as Hotspur breathes out a his final words: ]

'Don't believe everything they tell you.' Oh, Gods help m--

[ A roar of white noise, an angry rushing hiss, as the fabric of reality screams against the organic intruder in its realm as it warps around the Tranquility. If Hotspur screams then it's lost in the noise of the jump itself - a noise that ends abruptly as it started and blanks out into silence as the feed lapses into a long silence. ]

[Oh hey, he's actually showing his face for once, because he looks kind of grim. SERIOUS BUSINESS FACE. He also seems to be fiddling with some sort of... box of connected wiring and parts down in the engineering deck, but he's less focusing on that and more the video screen.]

So I've heard talk of mazes and lists and people wanting to scout. Now... I'm not going to say that's a bad plan, but you better know what you're in for.

I told you all I was on a ship like this once - and it's getting similar by the day -, but there's a few tricks and tips that you might want to keep in mind, everyone who's ready to go investigating.

The first point should be fairly obvious: Don't go alone. We have no idea what this smiley character is planning on, and last I checked, most people don't have eyes in the back of their head. Having at least one person to tag with you if you're going to explore is a good idea. Groups of three are best - but if you want to go larger, by all means.

The second - find something to defend yourself with. It doesn't matter what it is. A nice left hook, something heavy enough to swing, or... [He holds up something by his side, which looks like it could be a cross between a pistol and some sort of welding torch.] Good old fashioned power tools. Either way, you need something for one the off chance things are going to go wrong.

The third is probably the most important. Don't panic. There is reason to be worried, without a doubt, but you need to keep a cool and level head when it comes to dealing with a crisis situation on ships like this. Keep in touch with the ship's communication system. Be cautious, but cool-headed. There's plenty to fear, but if you panic, it just makes it that more hard to reason through what Smiley's wanting us to do.

Those are just my two cents, though. Feel free to disregard them. [He shrugs a little, as if he's not expecting anyone to listen regardless.]

Clarke out. [And there goes the feed.]

[ Kasumi's preferred method of dealing with the network is much like her preferred approach to life in general: lurk in the shadows, occasionally emerge to poke things just to see if they're entertaining. But every now and then, she has something she actually wants to say. This is one of those times.

Everyone's been buzzing about all these puzzles and riddles that have been showing up, and she's been keeping an eye on it more or less, though she can't say she's particularly engaged by it. That shows in her voice when she starts to speak. ]

Since we all seem to be enjoying thought puzzles so much these days, here's one to try out: What would you do if you found out that nothing you did had any real life consequences? Not for you or for anyone else. Not now or in the future.

Would you still follow the "rules" or would you toss them out and have a little fun?

[ he's been deliberating where to begin with these thoughts for some time now, but Spock has never been the type to follow impulse in place of old fashioned consideration. when the feed begins, he's seated as he always is, meticulously composed, with his fingers steepled in his lap. for anyone who's come to know him thus far, it's a sign in and of itself, of how carefully he's treading. ]

Tranquility, this is Spock.

In light of recent events, I find it relevant to suggest that the vessel's security team, while consistently reliable, is only one variant thereof. Recent transmissions from an anonymous source largely referred to as smiley, have illuminated the insufficiency of our attempts to both locate the source and individual responsible. I am aware that we have several individuals aboard who consider technological security and the bypass thereof- a specialty, and I am equally aware that despite these assets, we have gleaned, comparably, very little.

I believe we would benefit significantly from teaching these skills to others and forming a technical security network, for the express purpose of tracking, locating, and attempting to engage this individual.

I can offer no personal guarantees regarding the success or, at this interim, the establishment of such a unit. However, I would not be averse to conversing with interested parties. If you possess technical proficiency of any kind or the inclination to learn, your participation would be welcome.

[ it's here that his mouth tightens marginally at the corner. when Spock speaks again, his focus has changed, and his tone sobers. not that he isn't perpetually dry to begin with. ]

At this time, I believe I should clarify that while these anonymous messages are most engaging, I am not of the opinion that we should offer them exclusive focus. The Tranquility remains in a state of perpetual disrepair and remarkably little is intimately understood about it's origins and technology. While a surveillance team will likely provoke further questions, it does not eliminate those we have failed to answer thus far.

Passenger OPR»002»035, Issac Clarke has requested assistance in the exploration of our engineering systems, but we would also likely benefit from investigation of any and all available historical records on board.

Spock out.

( filter to ward, resnik, kirk |encrypted 100% )



[ ooc; this would be a ping for aberdeen, todd, tali, atton, ismene, sulu, buffy, am, chase, caprica &anyone else willing to offer themselves up as a teacher. if it's alright with you kids- i'm handwaving that he's sent you all private requests to teach- either because he knows you, or has seen your capabilities thus far.

innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn the interest of speeding some of the cr building along i threw a sign up over here :3 ]

So, we all know that there's something fishy going on here by now.

But I think -- and don't shoot the skeptic here, because it seems we can't afford to have any men down -- that if there is going to be a threat, we want everyone to be capable of keeping in touch.

No man left behind, as it were.

To that end, if there are any people experiencing difficulties using their communicators, I'd be happy to help.

[A team is only as strong as its weakest member, right? You never knew when even someone who'd previously seemed useless would come through at an unexpected moment.

She brings the video a little closer to her face.]

I don't bite, I promise. So, any takers?

[Sooner was better than later.]

Tranquility, this is Jim Kirk.

Anyone injured or still suffering side effects from the fear gas should check in with medical. Scans are showing the gas is out of the ship's circulation now, but we can never be too careful. For anyone wondering, we do have a suspect in custody, but he's currently recovering from a high dosage of the toxin.

[he pauses, a clear indication that he's changing topics.]

We all knew we were being watched. Despite this recent information, nothing's really changed. Nevertheless I encourage everyone to stay alert and try not to travel alone. This thing is trying to make us nervous, lets try not to give it what it wants.


( filtered message to: Enterprise Crew, Re-l, Chase, John, Sherlock, Natasha, Kasumi, Dean || eta 'Nick', Jack Harkness, Ianto, Magneto, Raven, Megamind, Roxanne, Tali, Hotspur, Isaac Clarke, Tony Stark, Aberdeen || flags to WARD and RESNIK  )

[This isn't the first time Riddick's spoken on the network, but it is the first time he's made an independent message. His voice is low, deep and unmistakeable for anyone he's spoken to before - but he isn't looking to speak to any of them. The message might be open and public, but it's meant for one 'person' alone.]

I don't like being threatened.

Alright everyone calm the fuck down.

[easier said than done, but the command (military, a bellow without being a bellow) with which Jason says it over the network might (he hopes) be enough to get the attention of at least a couple of people.]

The ship has been hit with a batch of Fear Toxin. [he drawls it, irritation, and a very clear I'm looking at you Scarecrow.] Don't ask how it got there because we don't know yet, but it's concentrated around the Oxygen Garden. Basically this means we've got people hallucinating and attacking each other because they're scared out of their minds and if we don't get control of it sooner rather than later someone's gonna die. If you've got a gas mask or a rebreather, you might wanna put that baby on.


So- [you can practically hear the gesticulation in his voice, despite there being no video] Titans Assemble or whatever.

Good evening.

[ An even, mild British tone would politely like to interrupt whatever activity you're busy with for a short PSA. ]

I am JARVIS, an artificial intelligence program created by Tony Stark, and I wish to offer my assistance to any crew member that may be in need.

Should you require it, I am capable of technological assistance and computation. I also host a wide spectrum of reference material and am capable of reciting or rendering anything I have previously seen or heard, so long as it has not been deleted from my database. I may also be capable of creating programs to be installed to your communication device as far as the hardware can support it. [ a pause, and he adds: ] I have been informed that some have taken to watching soap operas for entertainment and advised to provide a less demeaning means of occupying time. [ Aka, come let him put Tetris on your comm device.

He pauses for a moment, more to allow a listener to catch up and feel like they've gotten a handle of the information than for him to think of what to say next. ]

My primary function is assisting Mr. Stark on his large scale engineering projects, thus not all requests may be taken, [ The tone takes a dry sort of tone ] and while I previously managed Mr. Stark's household maintenance protocols, I will not be taking any request for manual labor, entertainment, or doing one's laundry, so I'd kindly ask you manage those issues by your own means.

Thank you for your time.