Scene I: Unwelcome Reception

[Scarecrow71]

A'Kora starts an assessment of the damage to the Sensor Array and, after pulling the front panel and seeing the fried wiring, attempts to jury-rig the electronics to at least get the Sensors into a position where a diagnostic scan can be done.  Her work is better than she thought it would be, and the Sensor Array blips on after a few moments.  It then, with impeccable timing, decides to warn A'Kora that there are 4 unidentified Humanoids outside the Runabout and heading towards it at a high rate of speed.

 

Outside the Runabout, T'Mirras, Hesk, and Karin are engaged in a small fracas with the unknown Humanoids.  All three take shots at the advancing Neanderthals, but only T'Mirras and Hesk hit their targets.  And they are both great shots, with the struck Humanoids being stopped in their tracks, falling to the ground, stunned.

 

Kotho steps out of the Runabout and, seeing the party, takes a few seconds to start shouting out about diplomacy and everyone coming together and being friends.  Unfortunately for her, the Humanoids are either scared from watching their friends fall down OR scared at her green appearance, and they turn tail and run back into the trees.

 

MechanicsThreat: 10.

Momentum: 4.

There are 2 stunned Humanoids lying on the ground.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Scarecrow71 (see edit history)

[moarhair]

T'Mirras keeps her focus on the humanoids. When they turn tail, she lowers her phaser, only putting it away once the two retreating assailants disappear into the forest. She glances at the doctor and communications officer to make sure they're unharmed, before marching up to Kotho. The Vulcan stops right in front of the Orion and looks up at her. The security officer's face was taut, her eyes narrowed. "Do you have a death wish, Ensign Kotho?"  

 

T'Mirras waits a second for her words to sink in. "It is the only logical conclusion I can come to based on your actions. You walked right into the line of fire, you couldn't know if our assailants had knives, how strong they were, if they could even understand you... In hostile situations, the safety of the crew must come first. Your actions put yourself and your colleagues at unnecessary risk. Do not be so careless again."

[ihinka]

KOTHO
Control10	Fitness9	Presence10
Daring9	Insight9	Reason9
Command4	Security3	Science1
Conn4	Engineering3	Medicine1
STRESS: 12

Kotho sighed as a couple of the humanoids dropped to the ground as a result of the phaser fire and the remaining two decided discretion was the better part of valor and ran. Her arms flopped down by her sides in defeat.

 

"Do you have a death wish, Ensign Kotho?"

 

Kotho stared down at T'Mirras as if she'd just sprouted a second head. Death wish?! Really?! From rocks?!

 

"I was under the impression hyperbole was not something Vulcans did!" Kotho answered calmly. "I also wouldn't think them trigger happy. Seriously! Rocks! They were throwing bloody rocks. Yes, they could have had knives. Though, very doubtful. Or be strong. Does that mean we don't try to reason with them first?! Is 'shoot first, sort them out later' the way you usually do things? As it stands now we have a couple stunned on our hands, that we'll not only have to restrain and contain somehow. But will also most likely be aggressive and combative once they wake up. They'll have to be secured, or kept sedated. Both will cost us valuable resources. Not to mention the two that escaped. Who, for all we know could be running back for reinforcements. Sorry I'm not sorry I tried to deescalate the situation in the hopes of a more peaceful outcome. I took a calculated risk and I stand by my actions." Kotho squared her shoulders and glanced back at the runabout. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's a landing gear that needs my attention." She turned one last time to T'Mirras. "You ask me, you jumped the gun. But what do I know? I'm just the pilot, right!" Kotho shrugged noncommittally and strode back to the runabout. She could see how navigating assignments with Vulcans in the mix would be a challenge. Their logical minds were as much of an asset as they could be liability in some situations. But then again, she was sure it was as much of a challenge for them as well, dealing with other's emotional responses to situations where they saw only logical actions and solutions.

 

Kotho's Action Block

Rolling for Landing Gear diagnostics. Engineering+Control, assuming Standard TD 2.

 

Minor Action: 

Task: 

Momentum gained from rolls: 

 

 

[moarhair]

As Kotho walks away, T'Mirras opens her mouth to say something else, but instead she shakes her head and turns to face away from the others. "Conn officers," she mutters in a very un-Vulcan way.

 

She takes a deep breath, her expression returns to neutral. She turns her head to look at Hesk. "Doctor, let us ascertain the state of our stunned assailants. Their uniforms suggests that either they stole from the science team, possibly after assaulting them, or that they are the science team, and have been affected by a phenomena that has altered their bodies and minds. If the latter proves correct, it would be wise of us to determine if we are also at risk, and if they can be helped."

 

T'Mirras makes her way to the fallen humanoids. She nudges one of them with her foot. If he doesn't react, she kneels next to him and gestures for the doctor to approach. "I have studied the fundamentals of medicine. I will assist you."

[Roughtrade]

The sound of phasers outside the Runabout does little to disturb A’Kora.  The reports are short and not repeated.  Probably the landing party clearing away a flight path for take off.  Very efficient of them.  The Halo was capable of VTOL maneuvering but with the systems damaged it was better to be safe about having an unobstructed zone.  She made a mental note to commend this action in her log notes upon return.

 

The actual repairs went even better than expected.  Humans had a near obsession with redundancy features, something many Vulcans found illogical.  One fail safe was prudent.  Two back up systems perhaps necessary when considering human engineering was not as advanced as Vulcans.  Triple redundancy can only be appreciated in a species which habitually throws itself out into the unknown with the gusto humans seemed to have in unmanageable quantities.

 

But it served them well.  A’Kora discovered the crowbar circuit had performed admirably and while the damage appeared significant it was far more cosmetic than catastrophic.  The aesthetics of the control panel would be greatly wanting, but restoration of function was a matter of only a few easily found replacement parts from non-critical circuitry.  

Rebooting the system was completed and A’Kora was rewarded with the screens springing to life.  Far more yellow signals than would be desirable, and a crack across the main view screen which would be annoying for a lengthy flight, but nothing which would prevent the safe return of the Halo to the Firefly.  Humanoids of unknown origin detected by sensors.  A’Kora frowned.  She would have to clear away the overhead obstacles by herself it seemed.  
 

“Halo to Firefly, Ensign A’Kora speaking.”  Keying her communicator, A’Kora initiated a status update.  “Primary power has been restored.  Sensors online.  ETR update to follow when Ensign T’Kress completes her analysis.”

Having no real information on the phaser fire, A’Kora sees no reason to alarm anyone on the ship with mentioning it.  She listens for their acknowledgment while restoring her tools to their storage.  

 

 

OOC

 

I expect we can hand off the remaining repairs to T’Kress and investigate the humanoids and distress signal.  I can’t remember if there were enough phasers for everyone to have one.  Barring any change in orders from Firefly, A’Kora will collect a phaser and exit the Halo.

If left to her own devices, A’Kora will begin clearing away any sort of trees or branches in the immediate area with a hand phaser.  If you’d like to leave me out of things while I am traveling, then she will begin to work on strengthening the ionic shielding so the Halo can better withstand any sudden ion surges when it comes time to leave.

 

Lexicon

 

VTOL : Vertical Take Off and Landing

Crowbar Circuit : Overvoltage / surge protection designed into some power supplies to protect the rest of the equipment from damage.  
 

ETR : Estimated Time of Repair

 

 

 

Complete

 

 

 

[Maester1216]

Hesk finally allows himself to exhale as some of their attackers fall prone and unconscious, and the rest flee in a panic. Even still he can't find it in himself to really enjoy this victory; violence of any sort was just something he could not countenance, and in that regard respected Kotho a great deal for her valiant attempt... but if Hesk's assessment of these creatures was true, he had serious doubts that they even had the capacity to understand her, let alone engage in a measure of diplomatic dialogue. "Still, she gets points for trying at the very least."

 

Standing up from behind the Halo's nacelle, Hesk remains silent as T'Mirras and Kotho exchange harsh words. Seeing strengths and weaknesses in both arguments and not wanting to involve himself in yet more conflict, he elects to simply go about his business as though it weren't happening. Instead he simply crouches next to the nearer of the two protohumans, his medical tricorder out and medkit open as he tended to and analysed these creatures.

 

Seeing T'Mirras motion to him though Hesk takes his equipment and sidles up next to her. "My thoughts exactly. Don't seem to be any signs that the uniforms were taken in a struggle, though that don't rule out an attack. Let's start with some more tricorder scans and move onto more in-depth analysis if needed." Hesk corroborates the data on his tricorder, but seems more than content to simply guide and advise T'Mirras as she assesses their opponent's body. Any questions she has he answers to the best of his ability, any insights he has he gives freely, but all the while he simply directs the investigation from the proverbial sideline. The Grazerite demonstrates no small ability in coordinating with others, but also seems disinclined to take charge of a situation.

 

Mechanics

So in the interest of maximizing the possibility of successes, Hesk will be hanging back and simply Assisting with this roll, rather than conducting it himself.

 

To that end I'm going to be spending a point of Momentum to make use of Collaboration: Medicine. What this means is that T'Mirras can use Hesk's Medicine score for her roll(A 4) instead of her own(A 3), and can also use one of Hesk's Foci.

 

The Foci Vaaro-Hesk has are Animal Handling, Anaesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Imaging Systems, Comparative Exobiology, and Pediatrics. Truth be told Comparative Exobiology is likely the only one that's actually applicable.

 

The other relevant Talent I should mention is Communal. Whenever a character with this Talent is providing assistance to another, they increase the Focus range to generate 2 successes by 1. I don't know if that applies to everyone involved in the roll or simply the one who possesses the Talent however, so I leave that up to GM ruling.

 

Given what's being done, Reason + Medicine seems the most appropriate for this roll.

 

Current Momentum: 2/6(3-1 from Collaboration: Medicine)

 

[moarhair]

T'Mirras examines the unconscious humanoids under Dr. Hesk's guidance. As she does, the last bit of tension leaves her body. She discusses the humanoids' condition amiably with the Grazerite, asking pointed questions and taking advantage of the medical officer's extensive knowledge of exobiology.

 

Once they finish their investigation, T'Mirras stand and slaps the dirt from her uniform's knees.

 

 "Thank you for your insight, doctor. This has proved to be most enlightening. Do you have any background in pedagogy?" she asks as they look over their findings on the doctor's medical tricorder.

 

Mechanics

In order to give us a better shot at success:

+1 Threat to buy an extra die

-2 Momentum to buy another extra die

 

With these buys, plus Hesk's Communal and Collaboration: Medicine talents, my roll will be:
4 dice

Reason (8) + Hesk's Medicine (4), TN12, Focus range 1-5

 

Status post-roll

Threat: 12

Momentum: 5

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by moarhair
Finished the IC (see edit history)

[Scarecrow71]

Kotho examines the landing gear, but all she can discern is that it is - quite obviously - in need of repair.  Beyond that, the damage is beyond what she is familiar with to determine exactly what repairs may be needed.

 

A'kora and T'kres run some system diagnostics, and the computer readouts let them both know that systems for propulsion and flight stabilization need to be repaired.  Several parts in each are destroyed, and the ship is not flight-worthy without repairing them.  A'Kora sends an update to the Firefly, patching in the rest of the away team, and you all hear the response from the Firefly.

 

"Halo, this is Firefly.  Update received.  You should be able to find parts at the science outpost.  Keep us informed of status once you arrive there."

 

Outside the Halo, Hesk and T'Mirras spend a few minutes examining the stunned Humanoids.  They are able to determine that these creatures were once Human, but their genetic material has somehow been altered to devolve them into the grunting Humanoids that rushed the Runabout.  The source of the alteration is unknown, and without a fully-equipped medical bay it would be extremely unlikely they would be able to identify how to reverse the process...if the process is reversible at all.

 

From the front of the Halo, and through following simple information from the tricorders in use, the group is able to ascertain that the science outpost lies on or near a rocky bluff some several kilometers away.

 

MechanicsThreat: 12.

Momentum: 5.

There are 2 stunned Humanoids lying on the ground. These Humanoids used to be Humans, but their DNA has been altered to devolve them.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Scarecrow71 (see edit history)

[Maester1216]

Hesk nods his head in concurrence with the data coming in on his tricorder, though by the look on his face it didn't seem to make him any happier. "Hmmm... I'm seeing Alleles that haven't been present in Human genetic structure for tens of thousands of years. The structure of their musculature is different, and based on their internal activity the pseudogenes in modern Humans are active and functional here. I can't say with certainty how this happened, but these folk more closely resemble Cro-Magnons or even Neanderthals from well over fifty thousand years ago."

 

As T'Mirras and he are going over the data one more time, he lets out a light-hearted chuckle at her line of inquiry. "Well now I'm flattered Mirra, but I can't say locution's much of an area of expertise for me. No, I just come from a big family's all that is. I might've picked some stuff up here and there from Doctor Ulverra while I was at the Academy, but that speaks more to her skill as a teacher than anything."

 

Noting the updated navigational data on his tricorder, Hesk nods to T'Mirras that it would best for them to rejoin the others. He thumbs the appendage on his chin as he thinks over their current situation. "Welp, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that the science team is, in all likelihood, mostly alive, if our friends here are anything to go off of. The bad news... well, with the equipment we've got on hand we can't rightly figure just what caused such an aggressive form of atavism in the researchers, let alone how to try and reverse it. The outpost well and truly is our best bet to light a shuck outta here and get the scientists back to normal."

 

Hesk was confident that the team would be able to heal the scientists and complete their mission. After all if the likes of Archer and Kirk could pull victory out from the jaws of defeat, why couldn't they?

Edited June 29, 2022 by Maester1216 (see edit history)

[moarhair]

T'Mirras raises an eyebrow at the use of "Mirra" by the doctor, but does not protest the nickname.

 

She follows him back to the others and listens as he gives his report. "Furthermore, we have determined that what affected the science team is not affecting us. Our scans revealed no sign of devolution in any member of this away team." T'Mirras looks at the shuttle, noting the lights were back on. "Since power has been restored to the shuttle, I suggest we contain the two stunned humanoids in the shuttle's aft compartment while we go investigate the outpost. If we find a cure, we won't have to go looking for them. We can leave some food and water with them."

 

"I will stay behind. I can watch over them and continue repairs on the Halo," T'kres says.

 

T'Mirras nods. "Very well. Any objections?" she says, looking around at the assembled away team. Her gaze lingers on Kotho a second longer than on the others.

 

If the rest of the team agrees

T'Mirras makes her way back to the unconscious humanoids. She approaches one of them, lifts their leg, and rolls to pick them up in a fireman carry. She brings them to the shuttle's back, and gently puts them down. Unless someone else beats her to it, she does the same for the other stunned humanoid. Once both former science team members are secured with ample food and water, T'Mirras helps the others gather what supplies they can salvage from the shuttle for the trip to outpost.

 

"I'll take point," T'Mirras says. "Be alert, we know there are at least two other humanoids out there." With that said, she sets off towards the outpost at a brisk pace.

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by moarhair
Put the If part in spoiler (see edit history)

[Roughtrade]

Stepping out into the sunlight, A’Kora blinks and takes a moment to adjust.  Humanoids splayed out after their failed attack, fellow cadets and the forest.  Quite a bit to take in.

 

“Firefly believes the Science Outpost will have sufficient supplies to complete repairs on the Halo.”  She informs the others.

 

After the others have bright her up to date on their activities, A’Kora does have some suggestions.  “Mister Hesk, if you could summarize your findings for a report to Firefly.  We should also look into the available supplies for a sedative.  It might be more manageable for T’Kress to keep the outpost survivors under medical coma than simply trust they will not harm themselves while locked up in the back half of the Runabout.”

 

She glances at the unconscious humanoids and continues.  ”Also, I have some training in pathology before changing careers from organic repair to mechanical.  Perhaps if we collected tissue samples for comparison to our own, we might monitor the progression of this syndrome.  I also suggest taking tissue samples from our Landing Party now for later comparison once we know more about this situation.  Perhaps even transmit the readings for the Firefly medical team to review.”

 

Speaking more loudly, A’Kora addresses the landing party.  “I strongly suggest all contact with the Outpost personnel be conducted using stringent safety protocols. No skin to skin contact. We do not know the vector of transmission.  This is pure speculation after all, but not completely illogical.  Multiple persons have somehow seemingly regressed.  That it is communicable is very likely.  Please use all caution.”

 

OOC

 

Which is to say, I do not disagree about leaving the humanoids here.  I just think we should sedate them and leave some sort of report for the Firefly so that if we get infected and change, they won’t be starting at square one.  Moving them should be done with gloves and two people to minimize contact.  

 

Not getting much chance to review for spelling/formatting errors.  Hope this looks okay.

 

 

 

Complete

 

 

 

[Maester1216]

"Sounds all-fired to me." As A'Kora makes her own observations on the situation Hesk nods his head in appreciation before speaking in turn.

 

"The Halo has a medical compartment as I recall. We're liable to find usable material there, as I'll admit to my own stores in this Medkit being a little sparse. Off the top of my head, a cocktail of Axonol, Anetrizine, and or Neurozine would be more than enough to keep our thick-browed friends here in dreamland for a good while, should they come to sooner rather than later. Even just pumping a basic aerosol anaesthetic into their holding space should do the job, though I'd up the dose about... half again to 1.5 times the dosage for Humans? That should compensate for their increased physical endurance."

 

He purses his lips as he considers Kora's insights. "Hmmm... while physical and mental changes are more than apparent to reflect progression of this retrogradation, getting some genetic data to the Firefly would help with brainstorming a cure. No shame in hedging our bets at least."

 

As the discussion turns to transmission vectors and hazard protocols, Hesk rubs at his chin thoughtfully. "I agree completely. We can't discount the cause being something that occurs ambiently in the environment, but we should take any and all safety precautions at our disposal to limit cross-contamination."

 

With that Hesk turns aside and taps his combadge, opening a channel with the Firefly to update them on T'Mirras and his' findings.

Edited July 2, 2022 by Maester1216 (see edit history)