Kyle giggles.

"We usually have wine or soft drinks with dinner, but if you are after a Guinness, the Scholar's Arms just down the road serves a good pint if you'd care to join me after the meal."

Meanwhile Henry is pointing out the features of the ancient hall to the Admiral. Shields displaying the arms of past Masters and notable scholars bedeck the wood-panelled walls in between portraits of solemn-looking fellows in academic robes. There is a minstrel gallery (which to Appigan's eyes would make a good sniper nest) but it's dark and appears unused.

Wait staff in black uniforms scurry out with the first course, a seafood salad. It's excellent.

"Well," says Appigan thinking through the options, "Guess I'll have to go with a ginger ale then."

By habit Appigan goes into the salad targetting the high nutrional value items. Namely the seafood and very little of the greens.

He is enjoying being in the Oxford dining hall. However the gentile tastes of the academics make him wish for heartier fare.

To keep in the conversation he asks the grad students what they are working on. As they start talking about the complicated matters he asks some questions for more details. He may not understand the details but absorbing a little bit more knowledge moves him along.

The tone onThe tone on his hand held chimed letting him know a reply had come in... Instinctively slipping his hand into his dress coat to extract the ultrahigh hand held. Deftly flipping it open with his thumb and scanning the text. Absently a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, This was what he hoped, ESN Command will be sending a ship to investigate the matter. the next few paragraphs stifled his good thoughts, In essence it would send a ship but which one wasn't revealed... He'd have to return to the Hermes and hoped to get some intel from the Bridge, otherwise he may have to request a temporary transfer.

Opening several other messages he found one from JAG  with some details about the matter.

Bidding the others well he headed back to the Police Station Thanked the constabulary for allowing him to park the Hammer in their car park. purchasing several tickets to their annual ball as for their kindness. Within ten  minutes he was above the stratosphere and nearing the Hermes


To the Hanger Deck-->
This message was last edited by the player at 02:49, Tue 17 Apr 2012.

The grad students were quite happy to explain their work to Appigan. Quite a mixed bag, another tall gangly fellow called Ben Twistan who was a political philospher, a rotund female astronomer, two mathematicians, a theologian and a medical researcher were all chipping in quick-fire. All seemed to have a surprising grasp of each other's specialties, but weren't above explaining things in straightforward terms so that a non-specialist could understand.

The one common feature was that none of them had any interest in actually going and fighting Demons themselves. The theologian, Ralph Udal, said that Henry's action was quite unprecedented for a member of the college, even if his motivation was to study the 'blasted creatures' rather than to kill them.

The Master, Professor Sir Francis Getliffe, engaged the Admiral in conversation. A physicist by trade, he had done some defence research in the past, something to do with lidar and long-range sensors; and he was curious about the capabilities of modern battleships in that respect.

Several other members of the High Table were quizzing Henry who, it appeared, was to give a lecture in the morning about the current state of knowledge about Demons. He was scribbling notes even as he ate, a bit startled at the amount of interest that there was.

"Well I wouldn't say its completely without precedient. Compare it to the controlled condition studies done at a zoo versus the field work of Jane Goodall with the gorillas. Many thought gorillas were aggressively violent rather than making defensive displays as Jane finds out.

Away from the field you have conditions for lab experiments, reptition needed to get exact quantative data. Until you actual interact with the animal in its enviroment you are missing the context. Until the forward field work is done, in situ, there isn't a true understanding.

Frankly, I consider it the same with the Angels. There is alot they've not educated us on about themselves and their internal politics. I've seen some of those first hand. Even heard an Angel saying she should have just shot the other one.

Like to know a bit more about what that was all about too."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:15, Tue 17 Apr 2012.

"Field study is one thing," said Udal, "But actually enlisting - even as civilian staff - is quite unusual."

The female astronomer chipped in "Not quite as unusual as you might think, Ralph. All you need are books and a place to pray for your research, some of us need access to equipment or places that can be difficult to just, well, do for yourself. I wouldn't mind a ride on a starship myself, even though I probably won't see much more of the universe... they move such a tiny distance in comparison to what's out there."

"Your not famililar with the Hermes and her sister ships then. They carry a city inside..."

Appigan starts about a topic he's the expert on. Staying to the open knowledge non-classified he describes in the detail the civilian inhabited areas with the schools, daycare and parks. These supporting the non-military part of the inhabitants such as offices, labs and private ventures.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:19, Wed 18 Apr 2012.

The grad students listened, fascinated.

One of the mathematicians says, "Wow! I never realised that they were so big..."

Twistan looked distainful. "You are always impressed by large numbers, Steve. Waste of money if you ask me!"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 13:12, Wed 18 Apr 2012.

Appigan laughs.

"Kinda like it was a waste of money to sail to the New World?? There is a whole lot more worlds, stellar events, creatures, plants and thoughts on other worlds then there is on this highly explored one. Why you can hardly go anywhere on Earth without stepping on someone else's boot prints.

Aren't research topics today very, very long phrases in order to find some micro niche to develop? Like hydrodynamic compression effects in barnacle mating while attached to a ship. Think about it... there will be whole new fresh branches of research. Things like Godall's first-in work of being right out there.

There was also the 1960s with the space program. It was that go-out-there drive that lead to the computers we all have today. Some of this though isn't short term or even in one-life-time paybacks to be "worth it". One thing is certain we are out there now. Like on Mars. Mankind isn't the sort of species that stops once it finds new places to go. Its something that was part of surviving the ice age."

"Exploring can be useful, I grant you," said Twistan. "But trust the military to want something vast and expensive to do a job that anyone who was actually paying for it could do more economically."

The looks on the other grad students' faces suggest this is an old argument that has been aired here many times before.

"You see," said Udal, "The only thing, well people, that Twistan thinks are more selfish and wasteful than the armed forces are politicians. Yet he IS one!"

"Not much of a student of history there. The new world was found by Government funding, Colombus by the Portugese crown and Cabot by the King of England.

So is most of today's research grants... and Universities like Oxford, they use government funding. Its the big investement, the real long term, that governments do better than private industry.

Don't worry though I'v been around enough to know some like to complain about police until its their own home being robbed."

Appigan shrugs.

"Anyway, we wouldn't want everyone to come. Somebody needs to stay here to do the boring stuff."

Twistan was about to open his mouth again when the Master rose.

Dinner had been and gone almost without noticing, so animated was the conversation. The Master intoned a Latin grace that Udal whispered nobody understood these days, not even him, and the High Table retired to take port.

The rest were left to their own devices. Several of the grad students proposed a trip out to the local pub, and offered to take Appigan along to have a glass or two of Guinness. Twistan declined, to most people's relief.

Things gently wound down, with Steve the mathematician ensuring that Appigan got to his guest room for the night.

Appigan was looking forward to the pub. However, he remembered that part of being here was to make sure Christie was safe. He heads over to the High Table.

"Doctor Christie, Were you going to be presenting material tonight? If not some of the students where going to a pub. Perhaps we could join them. Otherwise I look forward to hearing your work."

There was an emphasize on the we implying he wouldn't be wandering far from the Doctor.

"Well, I did promise to buy you a drink, Mr. Appigan," said Henry. "But the Admiral is my guest too. Um. Excuse me a moment..."

He went and had a muttered conversation with the Master, then came back.

"That's all right. Sir Francis is happy looking after the Admiral and has given me leave to go to the pub. I don't give my lecture until tomorrow morning. Do you wish to attend?"

"Yes I would. What with being upclose and personal with the stuff, nice to have the theories behind it."

Appigan gives a beaming smile.

He heads with them to the pub.

At the pub Appigan gets ahold of that guiness he wanted. Classic English chips (fries) join the fare.

He adds to the conversations comparing life in the "wild" forests of Northern Ontario Canada to living among the multi-national population of the Hermes.

Next Morning

Henry was up bright and early, eager to deliver his talk and rather startled to discover that it was a full formal University Lecture to be delivered in the Sheldonian...

Catching Appigan beforehand, he said, "They've scheduled the lecture as a formal event, you'd better wear this to blend in," handing the man a black gown. Henry himself was in doctor's scarlet, quite resplendant.

The hall was packed, word had obviously got out.

Henry took the podium, looking nervous.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have to honour to present some very preliminary findings about the alien race popularly known as Demons, gathered during service as a bio-tech in the ESN, to whom I am grateful for funding... and the opportunity to travel in space and to actually meet a Demon face-to-face!

Settling, Henry displayed a series of anatomical slides, beginning with what he called 'gross morphology' (that most folks would call the external appearance) and going on - with an apology to the squeamish - to cover the results of dissections of the various forms of Demon.

"That covers the anatomical findings to date," he continued. "Now, as you may know, there are various sub-groups which differ not only in appearance but in behaviour, indeed in their role in Demon society..."

   way back   were a few of   the Vid reporters, and  some newspaper folks...mostly science page  folks, but  they  were very interested  in  the further pics of the Demons   and  the upcoming  discussion.

  Off to the  ring wing of the  Building , were a few   who were  allowed  in, by the government...One  fingered  a gold  ring on his hand as  he watched and  Listen...a  yonger  woman with  dark sunglasses  was a  few  feet away with her  Com  unit on.

Appigan smiles.

"This assignment has given me the most outfit changes! Feel like I'm a Hollywood star with a wardrobe trailer following me around."

Appigan puts the black over top of his brown offduty clothing. The belt was on his pistol and knife. His suitcase with the rifle and dress uniform where still locked in the trunk of the air car. The big medical satchel was there too. The air car was waiting in the parking lot. If nothing else it gave them an escape vehicle.

In the lecture hall he didn't expect nor ask to sit up close. The prestige scholars would be there. He did badger about getting an aisle seat. While the lecture was going on he was getting engrossed about the knowledge coming out. Noticing the 'government' people he was concerned about the woman. However, there wasn't anything too bad about it save for the phone.

Appigan gets up and walks back to one of the few Oxford security guards.

"Excuse me, I'm Appigan ESN. I'm a little concerned about the woman with the cell phone. She could be distracting people or making an unapproved copy of the lecture. Do you allow phones or recording devices in the lecture hall?"

Appigan is waved over by McGuinness, Udal and Twistan, who have all turned out to hear the lecture and who have kept him a (aisle) seat.

The University porter whom Appigan approaches says, "Sir, we encourage the recording of lectures. But we don't like disturbances." He heads off in the general direction of the woman indicated.

Meanwhile, up on the podium, Henry has launched into a description of the hierarchy of form as described to him by the Demon he'd conversed with on the Hermes. The middle of the hall, where the Natural Sciences faculty is sitting in a block, is absolutely riveted, drinking in every word.

The Master of All Souls, Sir Francis Getliffe, is listening intently as well, although the University Vice Chancellor (in a gold-laced black damask gown) has nodded off and is snoring quietly.

Content that the security is well enough for the unfamiliar situation he returns to sit with the others. There he listens to the ongoing lecture.

  The Guard   moves  up tot he  area  where  the woman  witht he  com unit  are.  He taps her  softly on the  shoulder, at first, her  eyes  narrow   , but a smile  appears on her  face. She says something into the Com Unit  and Nods  in the  direction  behind them....Both the guard and the woman  are gone  for  a bit...but the  woman returns, with com in hand.

"Recently," says Henry, leaning forwards on the podium as he gets into the subject, "I had the opportunity to talk with a member of the form called a Wisp..."

The screen behind shows a video clip of Lovre ,who is saying ..It is...the way..we takle what we need...to make  our race...powerful...  we sweep..through the void...

Henry continued, "This Wisp, a female called Lovre, explained that they do not distinguish between animals that are food, breeding partners, or beings with whom they wish to open civilised, diplomatic discourse. They'll do any, even all three at once, with the same species at the same time in the same place."

  Sometime before the battle with the Black fleet....

    There three Vans Broke off from the  airport,  they went at breakneck speeds. The sun was getting low in the Highlands...

 Behind the Vans   three  air cars, had to break off, one each, following the VAns.

 There  bursts of  Pulse  fire lighting up the  semi-darkness, and flashes of  hard Ammo muzzle fire.

  Muzzle  fire flashed  from the  back of the Vans as well, the Middle Van tilted as its wheels  went out,  rolling over  as the air car  zipped by, pumping  more rounds into it. The  Belly exploded  fire spread from the , little-used  ..gas  vehicle.

 The air  car hovered  for closed to 5 Minutes, then peeled off  back the way it came, as   headlights  from a Village  down the  road appeared  and was  getting closer...

  the   Van that went to the  east,,, managed to take out the aircar that was following it., it  drove off as fast as it could handle, vanishing into darkness , as it also neared a Village.

  The  LAst Van Turned broad side, as   some  people   jumped  out and Pumped the  air car full of rounds, it crashed into the van, , The people  who had  jumped out   came over  to inspect the bodies of the aircar people they had Killed. One of them said something in an old tongue, and they took the  wallets and Ids of the Dead aircar  people.. they Van folks   ran into the heather as they saw headlights  coming up the road... as they ran, the leader COMed ..It is done...she should be safe, for a while at  least, we lost the people from Van  2...the bloody bastards took them out... Van 1, and  ourselves took out The  EDT  BAstards that tried to take us  down... my team is headed to the loch to be picked up...

 (( sometime  after the recon team turned from the green Moon))

  Hello, I am Greta Willhouse and Welcome  viewers to the Fleet News  . Today, we are adding a bit  from the Delta  Fleet!

 the camera  shows  a very good looking  black woman , standing by a Glass Podium  as she flicks  pictures a screen.

  Conitnuing with  his efforts to  stablize The Black  that surrounds  the Sol System.  Fleet Admiral Hack has  been making efforts to Break The  Truad triangle...that, Overlaps the  Beta Triangle..

 Vids of the  Beta  triangle with the   Carrier/stations hignlighted..and the  Triad  Triangle   forming, with  the Nivar tip in the  middle of the beat triangle....the Hilltites to the  far right  of the screen , outside that Beta Triangle... and the Hyrians   to the far  left, outside the   Beta triangle.

 ..Thus far? The Delta Fellet has  suppressed the Hillites, and serverly hamstrung the Hyrians...

 Vids  of both being show, both from orbit.. and  gun cams..

 ..now, it seems  its the Nivarian's turn, as the Delta Fleet has  captured , what is called, The Black Moon..and  is about to signa treaty with the Cavet..or...governor.. of what we call The Green Moon..not  all information on this ...momentous task .. is available... but  we have the footage from the ESN Media vids..of the battles that have taken place..... With the Green Moon about to sign a treaty, and Nivar under blockade... it should not be long, before the last leg of the Triad Triangle, is destroyed.