Chapter IV: Prisoner Exchange

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Apr 25, 2019 6:34 pm
Lucky thing Moira recorded it, she figures.
[ +- ] Recap
She speaks in a low tone.

Commander, ah assure yeh, ah was just tryin' not ta be abrasive. Ah can kill all of 'em with tha push of a button if ah need ta. Figured it'd be a good gesture of faith with a failsafe. Ah've got fake plans that'll pass until they try ta run'em, an' ah've got a rig in tha medbay ta drop salt water on everyone if things go south. Since they're slugs. Tha normal biofilters are in place, too. An' ah've got a couple other tricks up mah sleeve.
OOC:
Trying two new creations.

EDIT: OH MY GOSH IT WORKED! For LF on the gun, I'm wondering about the handheld filter options.
Last edited April 25, 2019 6:38 pm

Rolls

Lasers - moving wall of biofilter to drop from the ceiling or scan the room - (3d6)

(421) = 7

Lasers - biofilter gun - (3d6)

(513) = 9

Apr 25, 2019 8:06 pm
Science Team

Abadis leans back in his chair a bit. "I see - 'Needs of the Many', how very utilitarian. I am having trouble justifying forcing a spacefleet officer to be infected and taken over by a Veron against her will but maybe to me, this just sounds worse than it actually is. You are the expert on this topic so I will defer to your opinion on this, Mr. Borealis." His eyes shift, no longer focused on Zephyr but looking at all three of you. "If there is anything you need from us - doctors, equipment, help - just ask." He lowers his voice slightly. "The captain can be difficult to work with, I know, but we're all here to help."
Apr 25, 2019 8:21 pm
lavtodd says:
Lucky thing Moira recorded it, she figures.
[ +- ] Recap
She speaks in a low tone.

Commander, ah assure yeh, ah was just tryin' not ta be abrasive. Ah can kill all of 'em with tha push of a button if ah need ta. Figured it'd be a good gesture of faith with a failsafe. Ah've got fake plans that'll pass until they try ta run'em, an' ah've got a rig in tha medbay ta drop salt water on everyone if things go south. Since they're slugs. Tha normal biofilters are in place, too. An' ah've got a couple other tricks up mah sleeve.
Cass reads, belatedly, the note Moira had sent, and watches the recording of the encounter. She sighs. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, lieutenant commander.

"Mezron, send a message to the Dove to please go ahead and prep some extra security shuttles as Capt. Thompson suggested, just as a precaution, with the understanding that we may not decide to deploy them And open a channel to the Four."
Apr 25, 2019 8:27 pm
Thank you Lt., we will talk soon I am sure Potential out

That conversation made Lorq's lobes itchy.

I think we should recount this conversation with the captain. Did either of you get the impression that the Lt. Was not on the same page we were on? Merengi are prone to distrust, so maybe it was me. Did either of you find anything off in the conversation?
Apr 25, 2019 8:33 pm
Cass, Alex

Mezron confirms your order and starts writing up a message to the Dove.
A few seconds later, the viewscreen lights up again to reveal the captain of the Four. He is not in usual seat. Instead you can see the medbay in which you were fighting the Zephyr-Veron and his ally earlier. Behind him, there is some activity but he is sitting on a bed, ignoring the other people behind him.
"Commander, good to hear back from you. We are finishing up our preparations and should be ready to proceed with the exchange in an hour. Would that suit your schedule? I commed you earlier to ask if there are any further details we need to discuss beforehand. I also had one of my people get in contact with your chief engineer to work out the technical details. I hope you don't mind.
Apr 25, 2019 8:35 pm
With a little more experience with the Verons, Alex tries to get a better read on how the Verons' thoughts and emotions might translate to their host bodies. With a few individuals to study, Alex watches what's going on to try and read the room while Cass speaks to the captain of the Four.

Rolls

Expert feelings - (1d6, 1d6)

1d6 : (1) = 1

1d6 : (1) = 1

Apr 25, 2019 8:37 pm
bowlofspinach says:
Cass, Alex

Mezron confirms your order and starts writing up a message to the Dove.
A few seconds later, the viewscreen lights up again to reveal the captain of the Four. He is not in usual seat. Instead you can see the medbay in which you were fighting the Zephyr-Veron and his ally earlier. Behind him, there is some activity but he is sitting on a bed, ignoring the other people behind him.
"Commander, good to hear back from you. We are finishing up our preparations and should be ready to proceed with the exchange in an hour. Would that suit your schedule? I commed you earlier to ask if there are any further details we need to discuss beforehand. I also had one of my people get in contact with your chief engineer to work out the technical details. I hope you don't mind.
Taking in the activity behind the captain, Cass asks, "I would have preferred to be in the loop, actually, captain. Your engineer requested all of our code for the reconstitution of your people housed in the biofilter. I'm a little taken aback by that, as it is something I would have expected us to negotiate over."
Apr 25, 2019 8:47 pm
Cass, Alex

"Well, I am surprised you feel that way about it. This is the technology we are going to be using to restore Veron people after all. You yourself said we would only have one shot at this. We are only trying to maximize our chances of success by having as many people look over this code as possible. There is a lot that depends on the outcome of this experiment." He pauses, his eyes firmly focused on Cass. "But I promise that I will clear any further attempt at communication from my ship to yours with you first."
Alex, even with your experiment, infected hosts are still almost impossible to read unless they want their emotions to be seen. You are unable to glimpse any real information from the captain's emotionless face.
Apr 25, 2019 8:58 pm
Cass holds his gaze steadily. "Captain, our biofilter represents the best deterrent to your species being able to infiltrate and take over our ships and bodies. I feel very confident in saying that we will not be sharing the technology to recover your people from it without a binding and mutually beneficial treaty in place. Please don't insult my intelligence by requesting it again. And yes, I would appreciate your clearing further communications with my crew with me first."

Glancing at the activity in the medbay and the bed on which the captain is sitting, she says in a more casual tone, "Are you about to undergo a procedure?"
Apr 25, 2019 9:47 pm
"I understand, commander. However, I hope you understand that that means that if anything goes wrong during the revivification process, I will be holding your ship personally responsible for it."
In response to Cass' question, he replies: "Not that it is any of your business but no, I am not. We are preparing for the exchange and my doctors are currently getting ready to perform the final examination of the chosen host. I am just here to supervise"
Apr 26, 2019 8:03 pm
In a dry voice, Cass says, "Captain, I suspect that pretty much anything that doesn't go exactly to plan is going to be laid at my doorstep, no matter what happens or why. I will approve a single shuttle of yours with medical personnel to be inside our cargo bay to attend to your revived people. We'll be in touch."
Apr 26, 2019 8:21 pm
Cass, Alex

"I am willing to share the blame if anything goes wrong - but not if you are unwilling to allow us to cooperate. We will need at least four shuttles, better five, in total to be able to perform surgery on all our people immediately after their revivification but we can agree on only using one shuttle at a time. Comm me again only once you are ready to begin the exchange."
Apr 27, 2019 4:51 am
Cass agrees and ends the connection. She looks at Alex. "Well, I'm excited. Everything has gone so well so far, this is bound to be a piece of cake, don't you think?"
Apr 27, 2019 6:24 pm
Machiabelly says:
Thank you Lt., we will talk soon I am sure Potential out

That conversation made Lorq's lobes itchy.

I think we should recount this conversation with the captain. Did either of you get the impression that the Lt. Was not on the same page we were on? Merengi are prone to distrust, so maybe it was me. Did either of you find anything off in the conversation?
"Yes, I got that impression as well Lorq. I'm beginning to doubt myself to be honest. Are we just acting under some sort of inflated sense of moral superiority? It seems that everyone is looking to me as their guide when it comes to how to handle these Verons, or what they may be thinking. I can't help but wonder if I'm putting everyone in danger."
Apr 27, 2019 9:11 pm
Lorq thinks before he speaks.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I am not looking for your guidance in how to deal with the Verons. I think the higher ups have a plan, and to be honest I think it is going to fail in the long term. I don't think the Verons will settle for anything except live hosts and will fight us on this.
However my job is to support the decisions made.


He takes a deep breath and gets back on topic.

Did you think the Lt. was feeling us out about a way to sabotage the exchange? If so, we should tell the Commander.
Apr 29, 2019 1:44 pm
"Hmm. I didn't get a sense that he wanted to sabotage, but it definitely felt like he was looking for an excuse to resort to violence. If you felt that way though, you should report it for certain."
Last edited April 29, 2019 1:44 pm
Apr 29, 2019 4:16 pm
Moonbeam says:
Cass agrees and ends the connection. She looks at Alex. "Well, I'm excited. Everything has gone so well so far, this is bound to be a piece of cake, don't you think?"
Alex twists her mouth in a parody of a smile. "Oh, swimmingly. We might as well go take a nap and wait for everything to just work out according to plan."

She rubs a hand slowly over her face, sighing. "It would seem to me -- mind you, I've no hard evidence, just a hunch -- that the captain of the Four is under additional pressure he's not making us aware of. Which is fair -- you are as well. Being the proxy for someone, or something, with much grander schemes than those we're aware of is never a comfortable position to be in."

"Maybe it's just the sunny optimist in me," she adds with a knowing, self-deprecating grin. "But I have a sense that if it were just you and the Captain free to work this out on your own, that it would work out to both sides' mutual benefit. The trick becomes understanding what those grander schemes are. If we even can."
Apr 29, 2019 4:29 pm
Cass nods. "I agree with your assessment. I have no idea what to do about it, though, other than to keep our eyes and minds open. That's harder to do when I feel like everyone but us has a secret agenda."
Apr 29, 2019 4:30 pm
Alex gestures toward Cass with one hand. "See? There's your answer. We need a secret agenda. If only to fit in with the other kids."
Apr 29, 2019 4:31 pm
"I don't suppose a desire for two weeks on a sunny beach counts."
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