7:01:07 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Hiya folks
7:01:12 PM MajDougMcKnight: Evening.
7:02:13 PM TKirr: Which one did you just watch?
7:02:27 PM MajDougMcKnight: The one with the cute little fat
monsters.
7:02:43 PM TKirr: Heh yeah... kinda sorta.
7:02:45 PM MajDougMcKnight: I know they're past that in the UK,
but that's the one the Scifi Channel showed Friday.
7:03:01 PM TKirr: Yeah there are currently 3 more
7:03:14 PM MajDougMcKnight: Ah. And have you managed to see them?
7:03:20 PM TKirr: Yeppy
7:03:37 PM MajDougMcKnight: Nice. So I take it you know something I don't about the Rose
thing?
7:03:43 PM TKirr: Not really, no.
7:04:02 PM MajDougMcKnight: Ah, well...how's Donna working out
then?
7:04:32 PM TKirr: Heh, my husband says they're quite a match
7:05:14 PM MajDougMcKnight: They're definitely hilarious. I just have a tough time picturing
Donna "blending in with the locals".
7:05:24 PM MajDougMcKnight: I mean, even by the TARDIS crew's
usual standards.
7:05:41 PM TKirr: Yeah
7:06:05 PM TKirr: She hasn't quite mastered it yet... hehe
7:07:18 PM LtCmdrBusard: Um...hello?
7:07:19 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Hiya
7:07:20 PM TKirr: Sorry about last week... was sorta moving
7:07:31 PM LtCmdrBusard: Hey. Sorry, thought there might be a glitch.
7:07:38 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Last week's sim was cancelled,
read yer email, Vulcan!
7:07:49 PM TKirr: Um, I do.
7:08:05 PM LtCmdrBusard: You were moving too? Wow, it was just a moving week, I guess.
7:08:46 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Ah, well then. :v:
7:09:57 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Okay, we're ready to go!
7:10:01 PM LtCmdrBusard: Woo!
7:10:28 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Mr. Shelev, care to give the
brief?
7:10:53 PM LtCmdrBusard: :-(
7:11:08 PM cmdr shelev: no
7:11:27 PM MajDougMcKnight: WB
7:11:38 PM TKirr: Huh... wonder what caused that.
7:11:50 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Shelev did it.
7:12:32 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Shelev, mission brief! ::hits him
with a riding crop::
7:12:49 PM cmdr shelev: argh
7:13:02 PM cmdr shelev: So we're going to the ass end of nowhere
7:13:28 PM cmdr shelev: Because the comedy duras house are being
dorks and we're afraid they're going to try to claim another part of space.
7:14:25 PM cmdr shelev: there is nothing there except weird
space waves but the federation wants to keep it mostly because they don't want
to be pushed around by the comedy villians of space
7:15:05 PM cmdr shelev: I think that's all we need to know for
now
7:15:14 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Well then, questions?
7:15:24 PM LtCmdrBusard: Will there be explosions?
7:15:35 PM cmdr shelev: at the rate this sim goes?
7:15:41 PM cmdr shelev: probably next year
7:15:42 PM MajDougMcKnight: Do we have any intel on what forces
the Duras dorks might send?
7:16:06 PM cmdr shelev: Whatever the other houses didn't want.
7:16:15 PM cmdr shelev: hell there's probably some TOS cruisers
mixed in there
7:16:57 PM cmdr shelev: They have lots of them though
7:17:04 PM cmdr shelev: birds of prey are cheap now
7:17:18 PM LtCmdrBusard: O.O
7:17:22 PM VAdm Blackthorne: I have one in my garage that I'm
fixin' up.
7:17:27 PM MajDougMcKnight: Kay. But it's just us as far as Star Fleet goes?
7:18:16 PM cmdr shelev: Yes. As Jason eloquently put it, why
waste an entire fleet to just stand around waving a flag
7:18:41 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Sovereigns are a pretty damned big
GO AWAY sign.
7:18:53 PM cmdr shelev: Though this is my plot so I will likely
forget some things and have to do retconning, just roll with it
7:19:06 PM cmdr shelev: I place AWESOME over ACCURATE any day of
the week
7:19:20 PM MajDougMcKnight: Can't argue with that!
7:19:29 PM TKirr: Hehe
7:19:40 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Okay then, any further questions?
7:20:13 PM cmdr shelev: why does outlook suck so bad
7:20:23 PM VAdm Blackthorne: dongs
7:20:56 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Folks, this is a friend of mine
and Shelev's that'll be watching us tonight.
7:21:04 PM MajDougMcKnight: Howdy.
7:21:07 PM Grazzle Desanda: Yo.
7:21:08 PM LtCmdrBusard: Heya.
7:21:17 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Okay then.
7:21:19 PM VAdm Blackthorne: BEGIN SIM
7:21:21 PM VAdm Blackthorne: BEGIN SIM
7:21:22 PM VAdm Blackthorne: BEGIN SIM
7:21:52 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::in the flag office, looking out
at the utterly boring space:: This is exciting.
7:22:35 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::muttering about Zuriyev owing
him one as he enters the bridge::
7:22:36 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Stands at his bridge console,
viewing the results of a boarding drill, scowling at how obviously unnecessary
this flagrant attempt to kill time was.::
7:22:42 PM MajDougMcKnight: We need more rookies.
7:23:00 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Report. ::to whoever the hell has
the bridge::
7:23:19 PM cmdr shelev: Absolutely nothing.
7:23:35 PM cmdr shelev: ::Klingon news TV is playing on the main
viewer because really who gives a shit about stars.::
7:23:51 PM LtCmdrBusard: ::Busard was in Engineering. No reporting for her!::
7:23:53 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Either Admiral Zuriyev knows
something we don't, or he owes me money and is keeping me out here because he
doesn't have it.
7:24:36 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::looks at the viewer:: Anyone
speak Klingon?
7:25:17 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Glances up:: I think they're reviewing the latest
crappy opera.
7:25:31 PM cmdr shelev: The subtitles are not working for some
reason.
7:26:06 PM TKirr: ::at Science, doing her best to ignore the
main viewer as she studies her console::
7:27:08 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Are the warp core diagnostics at
least finished?
7:29:18 PM TKirr: Yes, sir. ::passes him a PADD::
7:29:35 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::takes the PADD and finds
everything perfectly normal, according to Busard's report::
7:29:45 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Well, how is the latest crappy
opera then?
7:30:05 PM cmdr shelev: They're going to top of the... whatever
klingon hours are news
7:30:49 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::sits down in his chair:: Well
then, bring on the entertainment.
7:31:50 PM cmdr shelev: ::A map of klingon space shows up. It
has lots of fractured lines in it, though a time-lapse shows many lines are
starting to meld back together.::
7:32:29 PM cmdr shelev: ::One tiny area right across the border
from where we are is turned red and arrows point from the larger regions around
it into the tiny pissant area.::
7:32:38 PM cmdr shelev: I don't think we need subtitles for
that.
7:33:28 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Oh. Grand.
7:33:39 PM VAdm Blackthorne: I get the feeling Zuriyev didn't
tell me everything.
7:34:07 PM cmdr shelev: Look on the bright side, that's the
OTHER side of the nebulously defined border that only came about nearly 10
years ago.
7:34:45 PM VAdm Blackthorne: The nebulously defined border even
crosses through that nebula.
7:35:27 PM cmdr shelev: If you weren't kidding about that, I
would tell you never to make a joke like that again.
7:36:28 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::his brain slips out of gear
trying to sort that sentence out:: T'Kirr, show the Captain the nebula.
7:36:55 PM TKirr: ::pulls it up to the main screen::
7:37:09 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Frowns as his console beeps:: It's not the nebula that's interesting.
7:37:20 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> There is, in fact, a nebula.
There are also explosions on the other side of it.
7:37:44 PM LtCmdrBusard: (Yay!)
7:37:46 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::looks to McKnight:: Report.
7:38:01 PM MajDougMcKnight: It's about on the edge of our
effective long range sensor resolution, but we're picking up weapons fire.
7:38:49 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Yellow alert, we wait to see who
wins.
7:39:05 PM cmdr shelev: ::Pushes the big "just alert enough
to be annoying" button.::
7:39:06 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Takes a closer look:: Eclectic
engine signatures. Looks like a
combination of capital ships and smaller fighters.
7:39:56 PM LtCmdrBusard: ::Looks up from totally not playing pong on the main ship's
computer. As she looks up, the computer wins:: Aw man.
7:39:58 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Starts trying to pick up some
transponder signals to see if he can't identify who's fighting.::
7:40:16 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Any data on the classes of those
ships?
7:41:36 PM MajDougMcKnight: Yeah...I'm picking up a couple Vor'chas,
some K'Tingas, the obligatory Br'el class...wait, that can't be right.
7:42:01 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Gesundheit.
7:42:21 PM MajDougMcKnight: Sir, I'm picking up Galor Class
ships.
7:42:31 PM TKirr: ::perks eyebrow::
7:42:41 PM cmdr shelev: What the hell is that?
7:42:50 PM MajDougMcKnight: ...What, seriously?
7:43:00 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Cardassians? How.
7:43:58 PM cmdr shelev: Aren't we on the wrong side of space for
that?
7:44:07 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Maybe they're mercenary.
7:44:14 PM MajDougMcKnight: Your guess is as good as mine. All I can tell you is that our position
as impartial observer's getting more and more tenuous all the time. Guess what general direction the
fight's drifting.
7:44:33 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Naturally.
7:45:22 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Time estimate until we get dragged
into this?
7:45:24 PM MajDougMcKnight: Okay, I've got some transponder
codes. Some of those Klingon ships
are definitely Duras...the ones getting outside help, unfortunately.
7:45:57 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Puts up a display on the main
viewer::
7:45:59 PM VAdm Blackthorne: T'Kirr, is anything tactically
interesting about that nebula?
7:46:50 PM TKirr: Sensors are having no trouble penetrating it
if that's what you mean.
7:47:09 PM TKirr: ::double-takes a side panel and squints::
7:47:29 PM MajDougMcKnight: And to answer your question, if the
current trend continues and we just sit here...I give it ten minutes.
7:48:18 PM TKirr: I'm getting an unusual rise in Lepton
readings...
7:48:22 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Try to get a positive
identification on each and every ship in that battle, I want to make sure that
if we end up shooting, we end up shooting the right things.
7:48:32 PM cmdr shelev: Prep some fighters. Don't launch but I
want them ready.
7:48:32 PM TKirr: And it's not coming from the battle.
7:48:54 PM VAdm Blackthorne: That qualifies as something
interesting about this region of space.
7:49:26 PM cmdr shelev: ((lepton? is it making ice tea?))
7:49:42 PM TKirr: ((Best way to wake up))
7:50:33 PM TKirr: ::rustles up some pilots and gives them an
auditory nudge towards the fighter bay::
7:51:02 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> First stray shot comes close
enough to Atlantis to be worrisome.
7:51:07 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::eyes the ruckus on the viewer::
7:51:25 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Red Alert, all hands to
battlestations!
7:51:40 PM cmdr shelev: ::Presses the REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING
button.::
7:52:20 PM cmdr shelev: I hope Zuriyev doesn't mind picking a
side here because it looks like we're getting one anyway.
7:52:41 PM VAdm Blackthorne: The one thing to know about
Klingon politics is that House Duras is Never Right.
7:53:08 PM LtCmdrBusard: ::Grimaces, and gets her engineers back to work before moving to
her own station, keeping track of power levels.::
7:53:30 PM cmdr shelev: Well, we could always shoot the
non-klingons and be pretty sure we're on the right side.
7:53:38 PM cmdr shelev: As weird as that sounds...
7:53:40 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Highlights the smaller group of
ships green:: Those ships have
active transponders identifying them as not Duras.
7:54:16 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Are they losing?
7:55:07 PM TKirr: EnsLogan> ::sways from the turbolift
towards Science, rubbing sleep from his eyes::
7:56:09 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Studies it for a moment:: Actually...they're holding their own,
for the moment. They're
outnumbered, but they have move Vor'chas, so the firepower just about evens
out.
7:56:56 PM VAdm Blackthorne: As soon as one of the Duras ships
crosses the border, target it.
7:58:38 PM TKirr: ::console beeps insistently::
7:58:57 PM MajDougMcKnight: I've already programmed a manual
firing solution on the nearest ship, sir.
No active sensor lock of course.
7:59:16 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Stand by weapons.
7:59:22 PM TKirr: Lepton readings exponential... Admiral, I
think a... wormhole is opening!
7:59:48 PM VAdm Blackthorne: On screen!
8:00:02 PM TKirr: ::splashes it across screen::
8:00:26 PM cmdr shelev: (( THE ICE TEA HAS BOILED ))
8:00:57 PM MajDougMcKnight: ...huh.
8:01:00 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> The fight stops for a minute.
8:01:07 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Back us off from it.
8:02:21 PM MajDougMcKnight: Do...do we have any idea where the
other end of that thing is?
8:02:27 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> Both sides just sort of stop
and look at the strange thing that has occurred. Here they were, pounding the
snot out of each other over an arbitrary quibble [cont]
8:03:00 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> and in the meantime, the
Universe has decided to demonstrate how tiny and insignificant both sides
really are in the grand scheme of things.
8:03:09 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> Then they start shooting at
each other again.
8:03:41 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Commander, prepare a class five probe.
8:03:53 PM TKirr: Aye, sir.
8:03:58 PM cmdr shelev: (( obligatory probe joke ))
8:04:09 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Fire.
8:05:01 PM TKirr: ::fires the probe and zooms in on the opening,
rimmed by coalescing brown swirling in a deep purple funnel, where the prove
disappears::
8:05:12 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Shrinks the wormhole display to
put the battle back up on the other half of the screen:: I assume the order regarding Duras
ships stands?
8:05:37 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Yes, Major.
8:06:04 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Any telemetry coming back?
8:06:13 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::eyeing the battle::
8:06:55 PM TKirr: Judging by the levels of magneton energy, I
would say it is definitely artificial... and the strength and direction
indicate... possibly somewhere in the Delta quadrant.
8:07:36 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Notes a Bird of Prey skirting the
edge, and paints it with an active sensor lock they won't fail to miss. A very clear "Nuh uh."::
8:07:45 PM TKirr: ::stares up at the image in awe::
8:07:55 PM cmdr shelev: Bo
8:07:58 PM cmdr shelev: BoP> :(
8:08:16 PM VAdm Blackthorne: A wormhole from the Delta quadrant
and a Klingon spat about to spill over.
8:08:39 PM VAdm Blackthorne: What else can go wrong?
8:08:50 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> A Borg sphere comes out of
the wormhole.
8:08:54 PM TKirr: ((...you didn't JUST say that.))
8:09:17 PM cmdr shelev: Ok, do we have a justified reason to
retreat yet?
8:09:22 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::eyes go wide::: Evasive
maneuvers! Shields to modulating frequencies!
8:09:53 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Doesn't wait for the order. He simply spams on the torpedoes.::
8:10:16 PM TKirr: ::plays with shields::
8:10:52 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> The torpedoes get shot out of
space. Also, the fighting has stopped. Again. While both sides turn around and
try to decide whether to flee or be Klingon or ignore the 900 pound gorilla in
the room.
8:11:15 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Send out a hail to the Klingons
that their assistance would be appreciated in dealing with this problem.
8:11:24 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> Space tumbleweed.
8:11:25 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Gets on the comm to
security:: O'Grady! Tell Montrose's team to break out the
projectile rifles!
8:12:13 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> The Borg sphere fires a very
organized set of beams. Every single Duras ship - and ONLY Duras - gets blown
to the promised land.
8:12:51 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::sees all the highlighted ships
disappear:: Now wait just a damn minute.
8:13:06 PM TKirr: ::wonders wtf is going on::
8:13:10 PM MajDougMcKnight: ...I'm going to say this now, before
it's completely overlooked by the greater weirdness. But that sphere's way tougher than the ones on record.
8:13:23 PM VAdm Blackthorne: How tough.
8:13:23 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> Everyone on Duras's side runs
the fuck away.
8:13:43 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> The rest of the Klingons run
off in the same direction. No one is shooting anymore.
8:14:10 PM TKirr: What of the Cardassian signatures?
8:14:26 PM MajDougMcKnight: That thing intercepted a full spread
of torpedoes, enroute. When was
the last time ANY Borg ship managed that?
8:14:52 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Good point. Send a call for
reinforcements to Starfleet.
8:15:33 PM MajDougMcKnight: Believe me, on it.
8:15:41 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Now why isn't it shooting.
8:15:50 PM LtCmdrBusard: ::figures she'd be more useful on the Bridge at this point, so
after finding a suitable replacement, goes up to take her station there.::
8:16:04 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> A Borg Moebius Strip comes
out of the wormhole and almost bumps into the sphere.
8:16:20 PM MajDougMcKnight: Given what it just did to multiple,
admittedly already damaged capital ships?
Not complaining.
8:16:32 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Now what the hell is that.
8:16:39 PM MajDougMcKnight: Uh...uh.
8:16:57 PM cmdr shelev: Uhm... it's confused.
8:17:19 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> Borg sphere is hailing.
8:17:33 PM MajDougMcKnight: We're...being hailed, sir.
8:17:39 PM TKirr: ::blinks::
8:17:47 PM VAdm Blackthorne: This better not be the same speech
we've all heard before.
8:17:49 PM LtCmdrBusard: ::enters quietly, sitting at her station and trying to deduce
exactly what the hell is going on.::
8:18:00 PM MajDougMcKnight: On screen?
8:18:21 PM VAdm Blackthorne: ::nods to McKnight and faces the
viewer::
8:18:45 PM MajDougMcKnight: ::Presses the button::
8:18:51 PM TKirr: ::watches in rapt attention, like everyone
else::
8:19:56 PM cmdr shelev: ACTION> On screen, blackness. The
viewer compensates until a portrait fades into view. Assimilaton normally
quells most mortal races. This one just got more pissed off.
8:20:33 PM cmdr shelev: Borg Klingon> I AM GENERAL KOROK.
TAKE ME TO QO'NOS. LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!
8:20:46 PM TKirr: ::brow perk::
8:20:47 PM cmdr shelev: PAUSE SIM
8:21:10 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Yeehaw!
8:21:12 PM TKirr: ::pauses::
8:21:12 PM MajDougMcKnight: Well...there's a twist.
8:21:53 PM LtCmdrBusard: Part of my brain just broke, I think.
8:22:01 PM cmdr shelev: Welcome to my DMing.
8:22:41 PM TKirr: lol
8:22:43 PM VAdm Blackthorne: That was exactly the reaction we
hoped for, if I recall correctly.
8:22:58 PM MajDougMcKnight: So...what's with the Moebius Strip?
8:23:04 PM cmdr shelev: I thought it would be funny?
8:23:10 PM VAdm Blackthorne: stupid lunch idea
8:23:22 PM MajDougMcKnight: Ah. I feel stupid to have asked.
8:23:23 PM LtCmdrBusard: Well, it IS sci-fi.
8:23:39 PM VAdm Blackthorne: It went from Borg trapezoids to
dodecahedrons to that.
8:23:57 PM cmdr shelev: ok your homework is to make a list of
the worst parts of town to take our reprogrammed t-800 to
8:25:13 PM LtCmdrBusard: Well crap.
8:26:02 PM cmdr shelev: If people are disappointed in this arc,
complaint department is <-- thataway if you're on mac or --> thataway if
you're on windows
8:26:30 PM LtCmdrBusard: What if you're on Linux?
8:26:35 PM cmdr shelev: ^
8:26:39 PM LtCmdrBusard: RIGHT.
8:26:45 PM VAdm Blackthorne: LINUX
8:26:45 PM TKirr: I'm guessing ---v for LCARS
8:26:53 PM cmdr shelev: nerd
8:29:11 PM VAdm Blackthorne: So there you have it.
8:29:37 PM MajDougMcKnight: Right, well. Thanks for another fun sim, plus arc,
Shelev.
8:29:48 PM MajDougMcKnight: But now, I believe I shall go
procure dinner. Night, folks.
8:30:00 PM cmdr shelev: the relative silence tells me that this
was either a horrible idea or an interesting one
8:30:00 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Night Mike
8:30:07 PM cmdr shelev: there are no good ideas that come of
this
8:30:25 PM LtCmdrBusard: Include pie and all will be well.
8:30:29 PM LtCmdrBusard: And thus, I depart!
8:30:55 PM VAdm Blackthorne: Night!
8:30:59 PM cmdr shelev: aight I'm out