RPG.avioc.org

Stonn stood by the chair. He had sat in it since his promotion, but the activity that now filled the bridge was too much for him to be sitting. The Vulcan hoped that his Human colleagues would not interpret his position beside the chair as some kind of fear or nervousness to take command. But knowing Humans the way he did, Stonn was sure that some probably would.

Around him, the senior officer staff had all taken their bridge positions. Pushkin and Anderson manned the helm; Grahm stood at tactical; the new science officer, Sorek, was behind him and adjusting his console; and Downer sat where Townshend once worked, his earpiece in and listening to broadcasts from local traffic around Earth. The Columbia had cleared all moorings and was beginning its departure from dry-dock. Pushkin applied only a fraction of impulse power to start forward momentum and soon the sleek vessel was outside of the massive framework and was swinging about to lay in a course away from Earth.


She had a long way to go to get to her new assignment in the Kalandra Sector - over 40 light years - which would take almost all of their first two months on duty. Their first stop would be Trill where Dr. Tam would be returned home and then the Columbia would make the final ten ligt year jump to the Katyon Cluster. The cluster was a unique opportunity to study stars in close proximity and how their affects on one another impact space around them. But before even this, the Columbia needed to be run out to make sure that all of her repairs were sound enough to no longer need to be anywhere near a space dock.

The bridge awaited for their captain's orders.

---

:ooc: Just a reminder - if your PC is not on the bridge, you cannot interact in this thread. You will need to open a thread in whatever section of the ship your PC is located, or I will do it as I add story narrative regarding your PC. Of course, your PC can communicate to the bridge via intership comms.

This said, it does not mean that your PC is not on the bridge, I only mentioned those PC's that would normally be there.

I am going to be taking the ship to the Katyon Cluster within this thread - it won't be like our Run Silent game before where there was a series of adventures on the way. But before I do, I would like to see you guys do some interacting to bring the characters together.

Dylan looked around the control room as everyone worked at their stations as he monitored the radio traffic and the ship's systems. Nothing of note on the first front and everything was running smoothly on the second. The Captain stood at the ready...well his perogative, he supposed.

"Captain. Starfleet wishes us a good journey and the area is clear for departure. All systems are online and operating normally."

Grahm chimed in with his own report of station, "Though we are at normal alert, tactical shows a green board, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Downer; Mr. Grahm," Stonn replied. "Navigator, please set a course to take us out of the system and then engage cruising speed to Trill."

Stonn then sat down stiffly in the Captain's chair and thumbed the ship's intercom as he looked at his old science station. Change was the natural order of things, he remembered.
"All stations, please monitor your systems during shakedown procedures and prepare your reports. We will be underway momentarily. Captain out."

He turned back toward the viewscreen. "Helm, if you please."

:ooc: Alright fair warning, this post is rather long...but don't expect it from me everytime I post in this game as I spent all night and day writing this thus far.  Mainly during commercials of the olympics but regardless I would like feedback on the post to see what you guys think about it, thanks.


Sorek was sitting at the science consol looking at the instruments and familiarizing himself with the layout as the captain the only other Vulcan on board as far as he knew issued a general order to prepare reports.  A logical course of actions.  He thought and surmised as he punched in a few keys and had the computer bring up all infomation it had regarding the ships final destination, that of the Kayton Cluster.

As he waiting for the computer to respond he began calculating the amount of time it would take the ship to arrive at not only Trill but the Kayton Cluster when suddenly memories of his childhood on Vuclan came to mind.  Being one of only two that he knew of half-vulcan's he was rediculed without relent while growing up on Vulcan for having a human mother and Vulcan father.  His mother was a former Starfleet communications officer once serving as a liason on Vulcan to help build relations.

By the age of nineteen against his father's wishes he joined Starfleet to try and help his mother build the relations between human and Vulcan.  Preferring rather than the communications career that his mother followed, he insteas went the path of scientist and spent the majority of his firs four years out of the academy on Earth's spacedock as an instructor in science classes and occassional test programmer.

Now here he was nearing age thirty and was finally given a post on a starship, havin earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander he was placed as the ships head science officer formerly a position filled by the now commanding officer Stonn.  He looked back at the Vulcan briefly in time to see an iregularly dressed man who logically had to be a medical officer conversing with Stonn, he thought little of it and turned back to look at the information the consul had brought up about the Kayton Cluster.

After reading it over he turned back toward the Commander, and finally spoke up.  "Sir I have the information available from the ship's database on the Kayton Cluster.  It is located in the Kalandra Sector, and covers an area approximately two light years by two light years.  Due to the close proximity of the stars in the area it should prove to have radical fluctuations of not only gravity, but radiation and gravimetric shear. 

Due to the effects of radiation we may experience problems with our transporters as well as our tractor beams.  Of note the star KC-9 being larger than most is has a higher gravitational pull and is causing some of the gas from nearby star KC-8 into it.  This is having the effect of making KC-9 more active and rotating much faster causing massive jets of gas out of the cluster at fascinating speeds.

While none of the planets are habitable they are a source of valuable minerals and metals.  It should also be noted that due to the number of stars in the cluster and the gravitational pull there are an incalculable number os debri and dust particles causing a halo of sorts to orbit the area.  This will provide problems in closing in on the cluster and require a good amount of piloting skill to avoid."

He then relaxed slightly allowing himself a bit of reprieve from his logic as his human emotions showed for a second as he almost smiled at having given his first of what was sure to be many reports as a starship officer.  He quickly recovered from this however and resumed a stoic sitting position waiting for further orders or for further need of his skills.

Mr. Anderson, Billy to his friends, finished setting the proper astrogation and spoke out, "Course to Trill has been laid in Mr. Stonn." He then turned to Pushkin who gave him a nod, "Going to cruising speed Warp-6, sir."

With that, Alex hit the commands on his console that brought the ship first to full impulse, which allowed the ship to clear the Sol system in mere minutes. Second, Pushkin toggled his command that took the ship to supra-luminal speed. On the screen the stars momentarily stretched and then disappeared as the ship entered subspace at warp factor six.

They were on their way.

:ooc: For any new players, feel free to look through the Columbia deckplans that are on the drop-down menus above to familiarize yourself with the ship's layout.

Shawn, I do not necessarily want to make a big deal of roleplaying out the shake down, but you can run pre-programmed 'tests' against each department that you'd like to see how the ship and crew react.

PM me with the tests you want to run and the order and I will PM back details along with giving story narrative to the players.

Quote from: tomcat on Feb 15, 2010, 02:03 PM
:ooc: For any new players, feel free to look through the Columbia deckplans that are on the drop-down menus above to familiarize yourself with the ship's layout.

Shawn, I do not necessarily want to make a big deal of roleplaying out the shake down, but you can run pre-programmed 'tests' against each department that you'd like to see how the ship and crew react.

PM me with the tests you want to run and the order and I will PM back details along with giving story narrative to the players.

:ooc: Yeah, I just mentioned the shakedown for flavor, figuring it'd be SOP. Doesn't sound very fun. ;)

Stonn watched as Anderson, the ship's new navigator, efficiently entered the course. A satisfactory performance, especially for a first time on a new ship with a new commanding officer, he thought. Pushkin, as always, was a reliable helmsman, and the Columbia was underway as smoothly as anyone could have hoped.

"Thank you, Mr. Sorek," Stonn replied. "The cluster should provide ample opportunities for valuable scientific observation and study."

   As Pushkin slowly throttles the ship up to Warp 6,  he pays attention to the ship and its reaction to the controls.   He scrunches his mouth, frowning to himself.  Is she feeling a little sluggish? All that work better not slow up the old girl.  I had her right where I wanted her.. He thinks to himself.   

    He looks up and back towards to their new Captain.  "Warp Six, Sir."

At warp factor six, it would have taken the Columbia thirty-seven days to make it to their first destination - Trillius Prime. The actual time was forty-two days, as Stonn had taken good advantage of the length of the journey to run the starship through many shakedown tests.

From emergency stops and warp factor eight accelerations to simulated system breakdown and malfunctions, Pushkin, Anderson and Ramos were taken to measure. Downer was also hard pressed to deal with the emergencies, having to handle ship power allocations and losses to simulated complete decompressions of entire decks. The new doctor was then handed his challenges as the tests created injured personnel, and so 'Doc', as he liked to be called, was made to race about the ship with his medical teams to give aid. Finally, Grahm had to set aside his thoughts and feelings for Townshend when Sorek announced that the Columbia was ambushed by three Orion pirate ships, the ship's computer creating the 'attackers' and reacting to the human controller. Photon torpedoes were loaded into tubes by the ship's auto loaders, though none were actually shot. The imaginary phaser fire and torpedoes struck both the Columbia and her foes, but in the end Grahm turned the tables and brought the starship to victory.

The Columbia herself had been put through the stress of the tests. Her warp core was brought to high speeds and she was thrown about with evasive maneuvers, but she held together with only a few real breakdowns. Ramos had his teams quickly respond to the incidents, but after the five days of rigorous training, the engineer brought his report to Stonn. The Vulcan looked down the status reports, structural stress reports, and power management. All looked to be well within the standards that were to be expected of any starship in both normal operation and under emergency situations. Stonn handed the PADD back to Ramos and ordered full speed to Trill.

One month and a half after leaving Earth, Tam looked down upon his homeworld. The purplish-blue color of her oceans were clearly visible out the forward port, which the doctor now looked. The Columbia had just made standard orbit and would remain there long enough to deposit its charge back amongst his people.

"Transporter room 4 calling for Dr. Tam. We are ready to beam you down, sir." Tam looked up at the intercom that just spoke. It was time for him to leave. He exited the forward science labs, his duffle in hand, and made his way to the transporter room. Upon arrival, he saw his crewmates standing there waiting to say goodbye. He had become good friends with many of them, and there were some there that he had just learned their names.

Grahm walked up to the Trill and shook his hand. "Been a pleasure, Doc. Thanks for everything - you took good care of all of us." Tam knew what John was hinting at - it was very evident to most of the old crew the feelings that Grahm and Townshend had for one another. The Trill doctor remembered the days that the tactical officer had spent bedside of Jess, helping her recover.

Tam went through the rest of the old and new staff until he came at last to the two Vulcans. Stonn stood rigid, as was his nature, his hand up in the characteristic fashion of Vulcan greeting. "Dr. Tam... it has been... a pleasure to serve alongside you. Live long and prosper." Tam smiled to himself at the term used by the Vulcan, "Same here, Stonn. Live long and prosper." With that, the Trill walked into the transporter room, climbed on a pad, and disappeared. Moments later, the crew got back to their jobs.

Twelve days passed.

Anderson, having just come on duty and taken his position at navigation on the bridge, called out, "Mr. Stonn! The Columbia is about to drop from warp. We are currently one light year outside of the Katyon Clusters sphere of influence."

On the main viewscreen, real space suddenly appeared and the image of countless stars and space clouds could be seen, but prominently in front of all, the cluster of stars shone brightly. Sorek enhanced the view, zooming in for a better look at the galactic chaos that raged within the area of the close proximity stars.

"Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Anderson," Stonn replied. "Though, on the bridge, Captain is a more appropriate form of address."

Stonn didn't personally care much, of course, but Starfleet rules were rules, and the fact was that requiring officers to defer to their superiors in rank often created more efficiency in a crisis. He had observed it in the past.

"Mr. Sorek, please commence initial scans of the cluster."

   Pushkin was more than happy to put the Columbia through her paces.  He wanted to make sure any kinks or faults that the engineers back at Spacedock could be worked out.  He gradually starts to get his more familiar smile to his face when he pilots the ship.   He knows how she moves, how she responds and she was responding properly. 

   He made sure Columbia was graceful as she pulls into orbit above the Trill homeworld,  gliding through the traffic with ease.   He waited until she was parked before joining the rest to say goodbye to their former Doctor. 

   And they were off.   Pushkin smiles to himself as he watches the sensors and the controls as they head for the uncharted Star cluster.  Who knows how their gravimetric  interference would effect the ship.  It would be a challenge.   They pull into position, his eyes glued to the slightest problem to the old girl. 

:ooc:

Katyon Cluster rules:

Unless I give a different TN for a particular test, it can be assumed that a Helm, Tactical, or Sensor test (don't forget to check the ship sheet to see what bonus comes from the ship itself) is TN10. The TN will fluctuate based on the proximity of the ship to the cluster per the following chart:

	Helm /				Shield
Distance	Navigation	Sensors	Deflectors	Damage	Strength
Extended	+0 TN	+0 TN	+0 TN	0	-0
Long	+3 TN	+2 TN	+3 TN	0	-0
Medium	+5 TN	+4 TN	+6 TN	1	-1
Short	+7 TN	+6 TN	+9 TN	3	-2
Point Blank	+9 TN	+8 TN	+12 TN	5	-3

I will let you guys know when you enter a new proximity band.

The cluster is rife with high-levels of radiation and gravity can fluctuate at different levels based on proximity to each star. Finally, there is a large quantity of dust and asteroids/planetoids and planets that halo the cluster. This natural screen of particles make transiting within the cluster very dangerous.

I will roll for Rictor for the sensor request that Stonn made, but if we can keep things going that would be cool.

Sorek runs a sensor test
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Sys Ops +8, Specialty +2, extended range w/sensors +0 = +10
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+10: 4,2,+10  Total:16 Superior Success

---

Sorek activated the Columbia's full array of sensors and swept space around and in front of the ship with countless bandwidths of radiated energy, as well as allowed the massive palettes to absorb every type of radiation that was emitted by the surrounding sector of space. On his overhead monitor, a three dimensional box appeared with the cluster laid out and the stars floating within. Distances, radiation levels, heat, and gravity was all listed in relation to each star. Finally, smaller objects that were planetoid-size or greater floated in a huge orbit around all. Smaller particles were too inconsequential, or were too numerous for the ship's computer to plot them without the final image result being a blotted out rectangular square of space.

Stonn sat in his chair, wheeled around to face the science station, and reviewing Sorek's intial data scan on the monitor above his head. Mr. Grahm spoke out from Stonn's right, "Captain, based on the readings, the Columbia is at no particular threat from radiation at this time, but it might be advisable to go to Yellow alert and bring shields online."

Columbia data reads: KATYON CLUSTER
Star brightness ranges highest 0 to lowest 9

KC1: M5 V - Red Giant 5Brightness Main Seq
KC2: G2 V - Yellow Dwarf 2Brightness Main Seq
KC3: M7 V - Red Giant 7Brightness Main Seq
KC4: G1 V - Yellow Dwarf 1Brightness Main Seq
KC5: M5 V - Red Giant 5Brightness Main Seq
KC6: M4 V - Red Giant 4Brightness Main Seq
KC7: G2 V - Yellow Dwarf 2Brightness Main Seq
KC8: B1 Ib - Blue Supergiant 1Brightness
KC9: G3 V - Yellow Dwarf 2Brightness (being crushed and purged of hydrogen by KC8)
KC0: M7 V - Red Giant 4Brightness Main Seq

---

:ooc: I need a Perception test TN 18 from Stonn and Sorek, and a TN 22 test from all other PC's.

Check: Stonn's Perception +2 (TN 18)
Roll(2d6)+2: 6,4,+2 Total:12 - FAIL

Lt. Downer fell into routine manning his station and configuring messaging and procedures to his liking. Activity ramped up on the ship as they approached the Cluster, but comms were limited to standard communications and shipboard operations remained normal.

Perception test, TN 22
Roll 2d6 +1, 2,5 +1 = 8 -fail

 :ooc: Sorry I haven't been online much this week...and the amount of time I was online was spent checking e-mails and such.  I'm getting ready to head out of town for the couple of hours...probably until late tonight.  I'll get a post up in character when I return home...and hopefully be able to check in regularly and post when need be.  This also goes for the Clone Wars game.

Check: Sorek's Perception -1(+3 if Listen) (TN 18)
Roll(2d6-1) 5,4,-1 Total: 8(Fail)(11 if Listen check...still Fail)

The sensor data began to spread to each bridge station, as it related to that station. Grahm looked at the readings and watched as the radiation levels within the cluster spiked to deadly levels. He quickly made status checks of the Columbia's shielding and saw that the starship might not be able to compensate for long exposures within the cluster. The tactical officer was not sure if they would even enter into the mass of stars, but if so, he would have to make some adjustments to the shields. Perhaps Ramos could look at these numbers and offer up some thoughts.

"Captain, based on the readings, the ship could be in danger based on how deep we penetrate the cluster. I am going to need to work with Mr. Ramos to make some modifications to allow for extended exposures."

For Pushkin, the readings were displayed as gravitational stresses and windows, kind of like a picture of a ball of yarn with wrapped pathways of low and high gravity. The helmsman's mind immediately began to see routes he could follow and weave the ship into cluster. It would take some serious piloting, but he could make egress.

Across the bridge from where Grahm sat, Downer now sat in Jess Townshend's station. The new comm officer listened with his earpiece to the sound of the stars. The massive balls of gas not only gave off light but also radio frequencies in a constant hiss that was unique to each star. He amplified the sounds so that others around him could hear the hypnotic sound.

SSSSSssssssssSSSsssssssssssssSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSS......... sssssssssssaaaaaaaavvvvvve usssssssssssss..... SSSSSSSssssssssss

---

:ooc: The bridge crew may give me an Observe (Listen) test TN 12

Grahm's Perception test:
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 22 Perception +2 = +2
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+2: 3,6,+2 Total:11 FAILED

Grahm's Observe (Listen) test:
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 12 Observe +7, specialty +2 = +9
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+9: 5,4,+9 Total:18 SUPERIOR SUCCESS

Lt. Downer ran some filters to ensure the sound was clear and unaffected by background noises. He input a sample into the computer for further analysis.

Downer's Observe(Listen) Test
TN 12, Observe +1 Listen Spec. +2 = +3
Roll(2d6) +3 = 1,5 +3 = 9 fail

"Eh?" Grahm lifted his head up from the tactical display and glanced to Downer's station. He felt goosebumps rise on his arms, "Did you hear that?"

  Pushkin looks back to his controls as the information starts appearing.  He scrunches his mouth as he looks at the cluster's effects upon the ship.  He starts to study the scans carefully for a path through the heavy radiation and gravity that the stars are throwing out.  He turns his head as the noise is piped through the speakers. 

Pushkin's Observe (Listen) test:
TN: 12, Observe +1 = +1
Roll(2d6)+1: 5,5,+1 Total:11  FAIL

Sorek sat looking at his station as the ship neared the Kayton Cluster.  After a few seconds he tilted his head to the side and concentrated trying to make sure there was nothing audible that was escaping his keen hearing, a gift from the Vulcan half of his heritage.

Check: Sorek's Observe(Listen) ++3 if Listen (TN 12)
Roll(2d6+3) 5,4,+3 Total: 12(Success)

Stonn's Observe (listen) test:
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 12 Observe +3, Keen-hearing +4 = +7
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+7: 4,3,+7 Total:14 SUCCESS

---

It was evident to Grahm that only the two Vulcans had also heard something in the hissing static - or at least thought they heard. The other bridge crewmembers only had a confused look. Standing up, John walked over to where Dylan sat, "Run that back."

As Grahm was of higher rank than Downer, the comm officer did as he was told, not waiting for further instruction from the ship's captain. He pressed a command on his console and tracked back on the sounds he had been playing and then allowed them to re-play again.

SSSSSssssssssSSSsssssssssssssSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSS......... sssssssssssaaaaaaaavvvvvve usssssssssssss....

"There!" Grahm burst out causing Downer to kill the playback. "Did you hear that? I think I hear someone, or something, saying save us."

Downer listened again and recorded and ran the transmission through filters to clear it up and isolate the portion of interest, shaking his head with annoyance that he missed the message the first time. He compared it to the computer database to see if it could match origin, location or any other distinguishing characteristics. As that ran he tried to lock down a bearing on the transmission, though with the intense radiation of the cluster it might be tough.

(System Ops use per Starfleet Operations Manual)
Downer's System Ops(Comms) test:
TN (unknown) System Ops +8, Comms Spec. +2 = +10
------------------------------
Roll (2d6) +10 = 5,5 +10 = 20  

Downer waits on the computer analysis of the message as he tries to get a bearing on the source of the signal. Could it be a lure? A trap? He thinks to add a a few filter routines that will look for patterns in the message as if it might be a recording. Maybe someone is trying to draw them closer. He increases the scanning spectrum in case some comms are happening at an unusual frequency.

A transmission from Starfleet comes in on a priority channel, but he has to fight to maintain a lock. He gains enough for clarity and then goes white at the message. He pauses a moment before hitting the delay to play it back again over his earpiece as he tries to confirm the source is not some further trick coming from the Cluster.

Authentic...his voice is hoarse as he calls for the Captain, the bridge crew discussing courses of action to deal with the Cluster anomaly. "Captain...Captain!...Message from Starfleet, sir. You...you best listen to it on speaker."

He struggled again to isolate the message from the background before bringing it up:

Quote
This is the President of the United Federation of Planets. Do not approach Earth. The transmissions of an orbiting probe are causing critical damage to this planet. It has almost totally ionized our atmosphere. All power sources have failed. All Earth-orbiting Starships are powerless. The probe is vaporizing our oceans. We cannot survive unless a way can be found to respond to the probe. Further communications may not be possible. Save your energy... save yourselves. Avoid the planet Earth at all costs. Farewell.

John's initial reaction to the alert was to think of Jess. Her last station was aboard the Earth Spacedock, and all he could do was wonder if she was safe. Then the rest of the situation cascaded into his mind like a tidal wave - that not just Jess and the spacestation, but the entire population of Earth was in jeapordy.

He turned to look at Stonn, realizing that with all the power of the Columbia at his beck and call, he was unable to do anything. He hoped the Vulcan had an answer.

   Pushkin continues to listen, trying to hear if there was anything in the static.  He shakes his head to himself, looking back to his control, making sure the Columbia was keeping still.  He turns and looks over his shoulder as the word of the priority message comes through. 

    He scrunches up his mouth, trying to remain professional at his post.  As the President's message is finished, he turns to look to the Captain.  "Helm is operational and at your ready, Captain." He says simply. 

 :ooc: Sorry if I'm responsible for holding up the game, but I am awaiting a PM from Tomcat as to what my Observe(Listen) test gave me information wise.

:ooc: I will not always PM you with what came of the dice rolls... sometimes they are failures and your PC has no idea anything happened at all. Other times I will give you the results in the narrative as is quoted below, from a post above.

Anyway, the actual hold up is not hearing from Shawn in over a week, and as captain, the ship is kinda hanging on his posts.

Quote from: TomcatIt was evident to Grahm that only the two Vulcans had also heard something in the hissing static - or at least thought they heard. The other bridge crewmembers only had a confused look. Standing up, John walked over to where Dylan sat, "Run that back."

As Grahm was of higher rank than Downer, the comm officer did as he was told, not waiting for further instruction from the ship's captain. He pressed a command on his console and tracked back on the sounds he had been playing and then allowed them to re-play again.

SSSSSssssssssSSSsssssssssssssSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSS......... sssssssssssaaaaaaaavvvvvve usssssssssssss....

"There!" Grahm burst out causing Downer to kill the playback. "Did you hear that? I think I hear someone, or something, saying save us."

Quote from: tomcat on Mar 09, 2010, 09:16 PM

Anyway, the actual hold up is not hearing from Shawn in over a week, and as captain, the ship is kinda hanging on his posts.

:-[

:ooc: That won't happen again. I sincerely apologize.

***

Stonn sat silent for a moment; though it seemed longer for him then for the humans on the bridge as he postulated different theories as to what was occurring in the Cluster. All that was put aside, however, when Starfleet's message was relayed over the ship's speakers.

It was almost unfathomable. Something of that much destructive force, arriving at Earth undetected? Were this probe and the odd message from the cluster somehow related? It seemed unlikely, but Vulcans were taught as youths that coincidence was often just a pattern yet unnoticed...

"Mr. Pushkin, what is our ETA to Earth at maximum warp?" Stonn heard the order to stay away, and frankly, intended to obey it. But he also intended to keep all avenues open to him.

While he waited for Pushkin to calculate, he turned to Downer at communications. "Mr. Downer, we must isolate the frequency of that message and determine who is sending it, and from where. Mr. Sorek can tie in his station to triangulate if necessary. The sooner, the better, gentlemen."

He could feel Grahm's overwhelming emotion from across the bridge; it was disquieting. He wondered how long the tactical officer would be able to maintain his composure.

With a quick, "Yes Captain," Downer got to work. Glad to have a task to focus on he modified his procedures from analysing the Cluster message to include the one from Earth. He let the computer continue working on the Cluster message with the parameters he set earlier:

Quote from: Cluster message test
(System Ops use per Starfleet Operations Manual)
Downer's System Ops(Comms) test:
TN (unknown) System Ops +8, Comms Spec. +2 = +10
------------------------------
Roll (2d6) +10 = 5,5 +10 = 20

as he requested resources from Sorek's science station to start up an independent process on the Earth message:

Downer's System Ops(Comms) test on Earth message:
TN (unknown) System Ops +8, Comms Spec. +2 = +10
------------------------------
Roll (2d6) +10 = 6,2 +10 = 18 (+3 from Courage if necessary)

Verification of distance and bearing were his primary objectives, but he continued applying subroutines to search out any anomalies in the messages themselves.

   
       Pushkin rotates his chair back to the console to bring up the calculations up quickly for the Captain.   The direction isn't the problem, he knows which way to go.  It is just to find out the new time at going maximum warp.   
     

  Pushkin's System Ops (Flight Control) Test:
  TN (unknown) System Ops, +13, Astrogation +5 = +18
   Roll(2d6)+18: 2,6,+18 Total:26 

:ooc: You were sent a PM, Seppun, just so you know.

Sorek turned his chair toward the captain's location and upon hearing his name mentioned and the orders given indirectly toward him to help triagulate positions he nodded his head slightly.  He turned his attention back to the science terminals and began going through the neccessary calculations and procedures.  All the while he was preparing to give not only his information to Stonn but to transfer it to Downer's station as was requested.

In the back of his mind he kept considering the logical solution to this problem.  It was clear they were ordered here for a reason, but the fact that something or someone had caused an apparent problem back at Earth while a problem was happening in the Kayton Cluster somewhere did seem highly unlikely.  Perhaps one of the signals was infact a decoy, or meant to be part of a much larger disaster such as destorying a planet might incur.

He quickly shook his head, realizing that the later of the possible reasons was as unlikely as time travel.  However logically it was a possibility, he turned his chair back toward Stonn.  Captain, might it be possible that one or both of the stress calls could be diversions for another larger probelm.  Perhaps we should contact the nearest starfleet ship and find out what they have heard if anything.

:ooc: Not sure whar rolls are needed to do what I've described above, but I assume the following are at the minimum needed.
System Operation(sensors) and Computer Use(retrieve???)
If you want me to roll one or both of these let me know and I'll roll them...also if need be let me know what else to roll and I'll roll it.

Downer worked on the analysis of the signals, sharing info with Sorek as needed to speed the process. The computer locked down the location of the original distress signal and it appeared to come from KC1, the closest star to their present position.

He prepared to inform the Captain when another transmission came through. It caused him to pause as he considered it again. Well, a Starfleet posting was what he wanted again...it was rarely boring.

"Captain. Another transmission has come through. It's Admiral Kirk, sir. And, uh...I'm not really sure what to make of it. You best read it."
Downer converted the message to text and sent it to the Captain's reader:

Quote
Starfleet Command, this is Admiral James T. Kirk on route home to Earth. We have intercepted and analyzed the call of the probe. It is our opinion that only the extinct species, humpback whale, can give a proper response to the probe. Do you concur with this opinion? Starfleet Command, do you read me? If you read me, we are going to attempt time travel. We are computing our trajectory at this time...
[signal fades out]

"And results are back on the first message. It's definitely coming from the Cluster. Near KC1. The red giant ahead of us, sir.".

Downer sent the results of the location scan to Sorek so he could focus his instruments if desired.

    Pushkin finishes up the calculations in getting back to Earth.  He looks up to inform the Captain of the information when the message of Admiral Kirk comes up on the screen.  He lifts up his eyebrows at the message.  "Humpback Whales? Time Travel?"   He shakes his head before looking to the Captain.  "If we can sustain Warp 8,  it would take 13 days, Captain."  

    He turns to look towards Downer before going back to his console, bringing up the information on the Red Giant in question.  He already begins making the calculations in getting to the Giant safely to give the Captain the option.
 

"Thank you, Mr. Pushkin," Stonn replied, his face an emotionless mask despite the horror that now unfolded in the Sol system.

Thirteen days was far too long; whatever was going to happen at Earth would be long over by the time they could get back; logically, they should follow Starfleet's orders and keep investigating the Kayton Cluster in the hopes that they may find something of value there.

As for what Admiral Kirk was doing (wasn't he returning to Earth for court martial?), time travel was tricky, even if the former Enterprise captain had managed it successfully before. Regardless, it was out of Stonn's control, so he simply hoped that whatever Kirk was trying turned out well... and without damaging the space-time continuum.

Although, if he did, Stonn would never know, seeing as he'd be affected by it as well. While he would love to ponder such ramifications further, he set them aside and focused on his role.

"Admiral Kirk is attempting to rectify the situation on Earth," he said to the bridge crew, hoping that the mention of the legendary officer might provide some comfort. "As you know, Kirk has built a career on finding success in even the most unlikely places, and Starfleet could not hope for a finer officer to take command of such a difficult situation.

"The Columbia is too far away to assist Admiral Kirk, and our orders stand. We will monitor the situation on Earth as best we can, and continue to investigate the signal originating in the Kayton Cluster."

He turned to Pushkin once more.
"Mr. Pushkin, if you have the latest coordinates from Mr. Downer, please proceed toward the source of the distress signal at safe cruising speed given the radiation and distortion in the Cluster."

He stood and walked over to Grahm.
"Given the threat against Earth, the distress signal here, and the capricious nature of the cluster itself, I think it prudent to signal Yellow Alert. Please notify all personnel."

"Aye, Captain, Yellow alert," replied Grahm. He turned back to his tactical console and tapped a command.

The Columbia's status alert changed from the soft green to a flashing amber. There was no klaxon that sounded like red alert, but immediately the ship became active throughout - sleeping personnel were awoken and stood ready; the ship's weapons were armed; and Downer began to immediately reallocate all non-priority ship functions. The Ops Officer knew the protocol well and began to run a level-4 diagnostic of the ship. Lastly, the shield grid came online and the Columbia was blanketed in the protective energy field.

In the meantime, Pushkin and Anderson commenced to plot a course into the Katyon Cluster, towards KC1.

---

:ooc: I will be back with another post to give you guys some test rolls I need.

 :ooc: Okay... this is going to work the way a real ship would, where one person relies on the success of another to make sure they can do their job. Pushkin at Helm will need to get reliable data from Anderson at Navigation, who in turn needs solid data from Sorek on Sensors. Now I know that Star Trek is notorious for the LCARS system allowing every station to be what it needs to be, but we're dealing with 23rd century starships and we want to make this fun and give everybody something to do. But... I do not want to bog down the game and have people needing to wait for another person to post before they can do anything. So...

   
• With each post you make, I want you to include your related test for your station and header each test sequentially (i.e. Sensor Test #1, Helm Test #1, Nav test #1, Deflector test #1, Sensor Test #2, etc.). I will then go back through the tests for that Sequence and see if any problems arose. These problems may be given to you via PM, narrative/dialogue, or they may remain secret until I reveal them.
• Tests that you want to make that have no part in the ship's safe ingress do not need to be numerically ordered, but they will be impacted by a character's Action Allowance if these actions are all occuring at the same moment (if this needs further explaination, let me know.
• Standard test TN's are as follows and can/will be modified for ship status (i.e. damage), failed tests by fellow PC's, proximity to the cluster (based on table below), and I am sure there are more things I may come up with!  ;) >:D

   
• Helm/Navigation tests: TN 20 to plot course in asteroid/planetoid field
• Helm/Navigation tests: TN 10 to plot course in clear space
• Sensor tests: TN 10 to get proper navigational readings; other test TN's will be determined by table 7.2 on page 102 in the NG
• Deflector tests: TN 10 to keep shields from taking damage from radiation

	Helm /				Shield
Distance	Navigation	Sensors	Deflectors	Damage	Strength
Extended	+0 TN	+0 TN	+0 TN	0	-0
Long	+3 TN	+2 TN	+3 TN	0	-0
Medium	+5 TN	+4 TN	+6 TN	1	-1
Short	+7 TN	+6 TN	+9 TN	3	-2
Point Blank	+9 TN	+8 TN	+12 TN	5	-3

Downer kept monitoring the ship systems as others performed their tasks to make sure resources where being used as effectively as possible while keeping an ear open for subspace chatter. He initiated the level 4 diagnostic to establish a baseline to measure the ship's performance against. It was a lengthy computer-assisted test, but he used all of the tricks he knew to speed it along.

Downer's System Ops (Mission Ops) test for diagnostic
TN(unknown -extended test?) System Ops +8, Mission Ops spec +2, level 4 - +2 comp assisted = +12
-------------------------
Roll (2d6)+12 = 6,1 +12 = 19

As the program ran and data prompts filled the screen, Downer received another message over the comms. Again it caused pause, but he couldn't waste time pondering it. He informed the Captain of the new message and broadcast it to the bridge:

QuoteTo United Federation of planets and all Starfleet personnel, this is the President. We are securing from our planet-wide emergency. By the efforts of Admiral Kirk and his gallant crew, the probe has been given a response and has ended all critical transmissions. Earth atmosphere is returning to normal and interrupted power is coming back online. Though we are still standing ready, the crisis at this time seems averted.

The implications of time travel were best left to scholars. A crisis averted that let them focus on their present mission was welcome news. Downer was sure some great stories would come of the exploits of the Enterprise, but for now he turned his full attention back to the Columbia.

:ooc: As I told Don...

Trying to use Star Trek canon as a backdrop to your story, to create extra excitement can be pretty pointless at times!

Kirk and company return to Earth with the whales at the end of the movie at the same time that their transmission fails at the beginning of the movie, stating that they were attempting time travel!

Oh well... crisis there averted, so now you guys can go about the mission at hand...   ;D

Sorek sat at his console looking at the instruments, trying to determine the original destination of the transmission from with the cluster.  The problems with the cluster and his instruments would have been frustrating to almost anyone else, but his upbringing on Vulcan allowed him the fortunes of having little to no emotion.

He took a deep breath and began reading his monitors trying to determine with mathematical accurateness and logical conclusions included the information he was seeking.

:ooc: I'm not entirely sure what else if anything should be included in my dice rolls as I've only played one other game where I got to actually do anything on a ship and that was shortly after the game was released.  If I'm missing something please let me know and I'll include it in further posts.
System Operation(Sensors) #1
Roll(2d6)+8: 5,4,+8 Total:17 +2 specialty bonus = 19

:ooc: Good post Rictor, that is what I needed! I did add your specialty bonus to your roll.  ;)

Seeing as I am not getting anything from any other PC's, I can only assume I confused everyone. So, I will make the first series of test rolls and feed any important results. The ship is currently at extended range to the cluster, but will be moving into each band with each test roll and so the modifiers will apply. The ship is in clear space until it enters Medium range and then it will enter the asteroid/planetoid halo that encircles the cluster's stars.

Anderson's navigation test #1
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Sys Ops +11, Specialty +2, Cluster mod +0 = +13
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+13: 5,4,+13 Total:22 SUCCESS

Pushkin's helm test #1
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Sys Ops +13, Specialty +2, Columbia mod +1, Cluster mod +0 = +16
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+16: 3,3,+16 Total:22 SUCCESS

Grahm's deflector test #1
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Sys Ops +13, Specialty +2, Columbia mod +3, Cluster mod +0 = +18
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+18: 1,6,+18 Total:25

---

QuoteU.S.S. Merrimac NCC-1715
Constitution-class Starship
Commission date: 2268
Re-fit date: 2278
Disposition: Disappeared with all hands on five-year tour of duty within the Alpha Quadrant, 2282

Downer ran the required protocols to authenticate the IFF code, but knew there was no known precedent of one ever being fabricated. The computer challenges proved the ID. 'The Merrimac!', Wow, he knew a few officers assigned to that ship and its recent disappearance had only just slipped to a Category Two Starfleet priority. He certainly felt to be the harbinger of strange news today, "Captain Stonn. IFF beacon received, sir. USS Merrimac."

Downer kept the report short and to the point. Everyone on the bridge would know the IFF signal was a close proximity broadcast and would definitely know the status of the Merrimac. He continued monitoring the ship Ops to head off any issues as the systems were challenged by the harsh Cluster environment.

"Excellent work, Mr. Downer," Stonn replied.
The Columbia would have to traverse the Cluster carefully and engage in rescue operations, once they had ascertained the status of the vessel and the reason for its disappearance, of course.

"Helm, please set a course for the Merrimac's last known position, taking the most direct route possible that keeps interference with sensors and communication to a minimum. Coordinate with Mr. Sorek and Mr. Downer as necessary to maintain clear signals. We do not know why the Merrimac was disabled, and caution is advised."

He turned to Grahm. "Maintain yellow alert and please notify Engineering that we will be proceeding into the Cluster for recovery and rescue operations immediately." Stonn intended to evaluate Grahm closely on this mission; he was the most senior bridge officer on the Columbia, excluding himself, but Grahm was often the most emotional, as well. He did not doubt the man's dedication or professionalism, nor his standing under Captain Darkan, but now that he was captain, he preferred a more... detached demeanor from the person in charge of the ship's weaponry.

Stonn had not requested any personnel additions or transfers upon his promotion, even though it was traditional for captains to do so; he trusted that Starfleet had made the most logical decisions possible regarding personnel assignments, and accepted that. But now that they were underway, it was his duty to constantly evaluate the ship's personnel, and where possible, help them improve as officers. He had to decide if Grahm was still the right person for the role.

:ooc: My poor tac officer is being scrutinized.  ;)

Great posts!

---

"Aye, captain," answered Grahm. He tapped his comm on his panel, "Mr. Ramos, the ship will be entering the Katyon Cluster within the next ten minutes, or at least within its outer sphere of influence, to conduct recovery and rescue of the starship Merrimac. Please have a party ready on standby to transport to the Merrimac and be ready for shifting power needs. There is a lot of radiation within the cluster. Grahm out."

Grahm then looked over to Downer, "Mr. Downer, contact sickbay and inform Doctor Sherman of the situation." The tactical officer turned to his console bringing up the duty roster for his department. He browsed down the names to see who had just come on duty and saw it was a Lt. (j.g.) Devon Phillips. He tapped his comm once more, "Lt. Phillips, please report to Commander Grahm on the bridge."

As the turbolift ascended to the bridge, Lieutenant, j.g. Devon Phillips couldn't believe the awkwardness of the situation, and so close to almost running late for his duty shift...*Can't believe that conversation with Jessica ran that long that I almost forgot that I had duty shift...Never been this...* He swore to himself that he would in the future try and be more attentive when it came to his scheduling, and would apologize to the Commander for any disrespect and delays that he may have caused...Taking a deep breath, and getting his composure, as the turbolift stopped, and the doors opened to the bridge, he walked in, preparing for what awaits him.."Lieutenant Phillips, reporting for duty Commander..."

Grahm was busy when he heard the voice behind him. He turned to see a bright looking, young officer wearing the standard uniform of Starfleet's Security department. The fact that Phillips may have been running behind did not seem to be an issue, so he relaxed a bit as Grahm began to speak.

John knew many of the personnel on the ship, but with the change over of staff at Earth Spacedock, there were some faces and names that he had not yet put together. "Devon... new to the ship? Right? Well I am sorry if we have not had a chance to talk directly." Grahm moved onto the business at hand without waiting for any reply, "Phillips, I need you to form a landing party to support both Chief Engineer Ramos's team as well as Doctor Sherman's. The Columbia has identified a missing starship within the cluster and we do not know the condition yet of the ship or the crew. I want phasers issued to your team along with communicators. Lastly, depending on the shape of the Merrimac, we may need to also prep with EVA suits. Any questions?"

John looked back to his console and then back to the young officer waiting to see if he had any comments.

Downer relayed the message to sickbay along with some parameters of radiation levels within the Cluster. He continued to ensure power demands were balanced and all prioirty systems were functioning at expected levels.

Additionally, he tried to correlate the IFF transmission with the earlier message to see if they originated on the same bearing and range.

Devon looked at the Commander, trying to hide his excitement, and his curiosity at already given the honors in setting up a security detail for the mission...But growing up on Belle Terre, and the dangers that he constantly faced, growing up on a colony world, brought a lot of alert signs to the forefront. "Commander--," he began to respond, "--I do not wish to undermine your decision in selecting me to prepare the landing party for the mission. But shouldn't we have first a security detail go over to the ship? Securing it, before sending over other department personnel? We don't exactly know what we are dealing with over there, and I don't want to risk people until we have the situation well in hand, Sir..."

John smiled at the Lieutenant, "The idea is sound, Phillips. Your security team will be the first to beam over, but we will also be relying on Mr. Sorek to provide with information as well. I am not going to have you and your people beaming over into a blind situation. But get down to the transporter room on Deck 7, and prepare the equipment you will need. I estimate we will be in range of the Merrimac in about 20 minutes."

Stonn overheard the discussion between Grahm and Phillips and noted the young officer's boldness in questioning his orders. Phillips had handled it with delicacy, and had shown initiative in his desire to ensure the safety of his shipmates. The young man had made an interesting first impression on his new captain.

Stonn made a mental note to look further into the lieutenant's record when he had an opportunity.

   
    Pushkin keeps a steady hand upon the controls, making sure the Columbia doesn't get hit by the worst effects coming from the Nebula.   He wonders for a moment if it is possible for anything to live out here before shaking his head to keep his focus upon the controls.   He listens up as the signal is finally received and deciphered.   "A Federation ship, huh? It must got too close and got dragged in." He says out loud to himself.   He nods his head to the order. "Aye, Sir.  Heading into the Merrimac"


Pushkin's helm test #2
TN 10 Sys Ops +13, Specialty +2, Columbia mod +1, Cluster mod +0 = +16 
Roll(2d6)+16: 4,6,+16   Total:26

:ooc:   Sorry,  I will admit, I got confused.  Was I suppose to go first with the test?  Was I suppose to wait? 
   

"Aye, sir," Devon replied, nodding respectfully, dismissing himself, heading to the turbolift. Once inside, he tapped the lift comm panel. "Security? This is Lieutenant Phillips. I need a security detail in full EVA gear, Deck 7, transporter room. In ten minutes. Also inform Commander Sorek, as well...Ten minutes people...Phillips out.."

Quote from: seppun1 on Mar 24, 2010, 09:35 PM:ooc:   Sorry,  I will admit, I got confused.  Was I suppose to go first with the test?  Was I suppose to wait?

:ooc: It is okay Seppun. The order that people post their tests is irrelevant to me, as long as the tests are numerated. I have no problem if you roll all your dice rolls at once and number them. I will put the tests, along with the success or failures into the narrative as the story moves.

:ooc: The Columbia moves into the next distance band from Long Range to Medium Range, which is the band that the Merrimac's beacon is eminating from (Long range mods will apply for this group of tests, but from here forward all range mods and TN will affect tests based on Medium range. If you have questions, feel free to ask me...

Sorek's sensor test #2
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Cluster Mod +2 = 12 Sys Ops +8, Specialty +2 = +10
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+10: 1,6,+10 Total:17 SUCCESS

Anderson's navigation test #2
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Cluster Mod +3 = 13 Sys Ops +11, Specialty +2, = +13
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+13: 3,5,+13 Total:21 SUCCESS

Quote from: seppun1 on Mar 24, 2010, 09:35 PMPushkin's helm test #2
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Cluster Mod +3 = 13 Sys Ops +13, Specialty +2, Columbia mod +1 = +16
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+16: 4,6,+16 Total:26 SUCCESS

Grahm's deflector test #2
(http://rpg.avioc.org/boards/Themes/default/images/dice_a.gif) TN 10 Cluster Mod +3 = 13 Sys Ops +13, Specialty +2, Columbia mod +3 = +18
-------------------------
Roll(2d6)+18: 1,4,+18 Total:23 SUCCESS

---

The Columbia pressed closer as the crew prepared to rescue the survivors of the Merrimac. Doctor Sherman and the medical team that he organized made the quick walk from Sickbay down the hall to the transporter room. Inside, Phillips and his team had already arrived and were in the process of donning EVA suits. The security personnel made room for the medical team as they filed in so that they, too, might get ready.

:ooc: Just a little insight as to how you guys can handle your staff/fellow shipmates. The Columbia has a crew of 360 and all the PC's are either department heads, or at least officers that have authority over any junior in your department.

Each department on the ship is broken down with the number of personnel at the following link:

Columbia details (this can also be found in the House Rule/PC Sheets section under Character Sheets etc.) (http://rpg.avioc.org/columbia.htm)

If your department counts seem out of whack to you (i.e. number of nurses in the Med department), let me know. You will not hurt my feelings if we need to tweak the crew dispositions.

Some NPC's have been named on the Columbia details page, but if there is no name, you are free to make up the NPC crewman's name, gender and race as you please - just do me a favor and keep the races restricted to what we saw in TOS or the original first four movies... I don't want any races that have not yet been met through the Bajoran wormhole, etc.

If there is an NPC in your command, you will use all of your skill stats divided by two (rounded-up) to calculate any skill roll that you want them to perform.

Any questions, just give me a shout.