In reply to Relic GM (msg # 115):

Can I hear that?

"Help me Father"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:25, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

Nope. All you can hear is the psychic scream.

Shione picks herself up from where she has tumbled down the stairs, She wipes the hlaf-clotted blood from her mouth and eyes. She finds Nyle standing over her, and he helps her to her feet. <I know my daughter,> he says. <Butt heads with her and you'll just wind up with a headache. You'll need to try another tactic.>

Painfully, Shione makes her way back up the stairs and once again finds herself facing the door with its heavy steel chains.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 117):

<Ok, thanks> She raps lightly on the door

"Hi Cassy. Can you come out and play with me? I have nobody to play with and I'm lonely.
Please let me in so we can play together?

A childish voice scream angrily <No! go away, you... bad person! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!>

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 119):

So Shione sits in front of the door and weeps. Her mind is completely open,no barriers and she is projecting her pain about not having a sister.

<*sob* But I love you and I want you safe. Look into my mind Cassy. I am hiding nothing from you. Look and see my true feelings>

And she weeps

The chains on the door no longer looks so formidable. Experimentally, Shione touches the chains and they feel warm, like flesh, and fall apart in her hands. the door opens slowly. A blue light comes from inside. Stepping inside, Shione see that she's in a room with no definable shape. Delicate traceries of bright blue light chase themselves over the darker blue spaces between them. A pre-pubescent girl lies in the fetal position sucking her thumb and sobbing. She quivers with her crying. She looks up at Shione, her eyes puffy and full of tears. <Who are you?> she asks tremulously.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 121):

She approaches cautiously and sits in front and then reaches down caressing the child's face

<I am your long lost big sister and I am here to take you Home, little Cassy.
Safe and warm home, with Mom and Dad waiting for us. Please let me carry you home safe. No one is ever gonna hurt you ever again. I promise.>

And she holds out her arms beckoning to the child, ready to hug her and carry her out of this awful place. And she lets Cassy see that, in her mind.

Cassy looks doubtful. <I have a sister? Do you know where Mommy and Daddy are? I'm lonely...> She steps closer to Shione and clutches her waist. Shione notes absently that she's wearing a nightgown emblazoned with an image of Flotter from the children's holodrama series Flotter and Friends. Nyle and Melisandra step out from behind Shione and the three of them share a group hug. Shione finds her eyes brimming with tears. Deanna speaks. <I think it's time for us all to return to sickbay.>

Shione once again finds herself in Sickbay. Nurse Ogawa is passing a medical scanner over her.

At the ICU bed, Crusher and Adonidas are standing over Cassy's still form. Deanna stands up and walk slowly over to them. Consulting briefly, she returns and says to Shione and the Duls, "Cassy is in REM sleep and all her vital signs have returned to normal. Dr. Adonidas thinks she's figured out what happened to Cassiadora, but she wants to confirm her diagnosis before filling you all in." She opens the door and ushers them all out into the waiting room where Argent, Tony and the rest are eagerly awaiting their news.

Sormok turns to Shione and says, "My daughter, I would speak to you in private."

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 123):

She is a little shell shocked, but answers"Good .Thank you Deanna" SHe gets up, looks for a moment at her sister and the walks out into the waiting room.She will be alright."She tells them
"She is in normal sleep now and the Doctors think they know what happened but they need time to verify. And I need to speak with my Father, so you can wait here, or enjoy the ship's hospitality. I will make sure you know when she can have visitors"

She turns to Sormock, and speaking in Vulcan, bows. " I too would like to speak with you" and follows him to wherever he has chosen

Sormok guides Shione to a small private lounge. There, he takes a square dark blue candle from a cabinet, obviously placed there by him earlier, and turns down the lights. He lights the candle and orders from the replicator. "Computer two Vulcan spiced teas, and a dish of sliced favnit." The order sparkles into existence and he sets them before Shione. Sipping his tea, he says, "I am most impressed with you, my daughter. I have been informed that you resent my lack of involvement in your life and thus you harbour some animus against male Vulcans." He passes Shione the dish of favnit, which turns out to be 5mm thick slices of a stalk of some plant, about 50mm in diametre. Though the scent is spicy, the yellow fruit is very sweet, a sort of cross between lemon and pineapple. "I find this regrettable. Although your resentment of my lack of involvement is understandable, such prejudice is illogical. Your record with Starfleet is outstanding, and your loyalty to your fellow officers is most commendable. Most persons would have returned Cassiadora's hostility, but you embraced her as family and sought to help her. You overcame your step-father's defensiveness where his daughter was concerned and arrived at what promises to be the basis of a good relationship. Were I given to primitive emotion, I would say I am... proud... of you." He sips his spiced tea. Shione finds the aroma of the steaming beverage enticing, and finds that it tastes mildly of cinnamon and ginger.

"I have only met your mother a few times. during orientation for the experiment which led to your birth. Conception was, of course accomplished in vitro. The aim of the experiment was to see if Vulcan and psionic non-Vulcan mating would produce psionic offspring and, if so, how they would develop. Unfortunately, not long after your birth, the project was cancelled due to a change in bureaucratic and political priorities I was opposed to this cancellation, but at the time I was considered young and my influence was marginal. When you arranged to come to Vulcan to meet me, though my research was at a very important confluence of events, I made certain that certain personages among the Science Council were aware that the experiment was a sucess by publically acknowledging you and assifning my personal aide as your guide and tutor to, as the Terrans would say 'rub their noses in it.'" He finishes his tea and takes a slice of the favnit. "If you are willing, I am going to suggest, now that my influence has waxed, that the experiment be resumed and that you be tested for to confirm the viability of Vulcan/Betazoid interbreeding. The tests will mostly be done wherever you are stationed at the time by both Vulcan and Betazoid psionicists and psychologists, but my require you to travel to Vulcan for some of the more... intensive tests. Would you agree to participate? This would also allow us to define our... relationship."

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 125):

Shione is polite and does already know of, and enjoy the spiced tea, though she had never tried favnit. She murmurs favourably as she tastes it.

As he finished Shione gathered her thoughts to respond.
" Yes as you have noted I do have issues with Vulcan males, especially those who I noted have taken one look at my ears, and showed what could only be called disdain for my obvious mixed heritage.

It is not illogical Father when as a person of two races, I see the marginalization occurring with others as well. That was the inherent flaw in the experiment, as the cancellation left myself, and likely any others who participated, left out of Betazoid society, and treated as half breeds and pointy eared freaks.

Shione speaks those words in the same tone as had often assailed her ears in the past.

Father, both Betazoids and Vulcans have a strong cultural and societal tendency towards honesty in all things. This results in prejudice not only on Betazed, but as I have found in pure Vulcans, especially males. So I simply treat them with the same disdain as I have received.

Thank you for your compliments, and I am pleased that you have acknowledged pride in me. I have sought just that from you for all of my adult life.
 Cassy represents a life that I have no experience with and I am eager to have a relationship with her.she shrugs
"Will it happen? I can only wait and hope for the best"

She draws a deep breath " I will tell you in confidence that I have received from Captain Picard an offer of a position of leadership here on the Enterprise, and I do plan to accept it. I will be confirmed in a few months as the Chief of Security here. So my feelings towards other such as those with whom I have had issue, will need to be amended, so as not to cast aspersions upon this ship and it's crew.

As to the experiment however, I do have two conditions for my cooperation and support going forward.
One, that the rearing and raising of all offspring, be in a nurturing and positive family environment, which is more likely to produce adults who will be a credit to both races from which they come.

She then stands and moves a few steps in front of her Father." My second is as important and completely personal".

She opens her arms in his direction "All my life I have longed for a fatherly embrace from you. So Father; please stand and draw your daughter into an embrace and hold her for at least a minute. I want a hug, Father."

She stand ,waiting
This message was last edited by the player at 22:11, Mon 10 Apr 2017.

Sormok replies calmly, "And yet you show no intolerance towards Betazoids. Vulcans suppress their emotions. If any Vulcan felt any such disdain, you would never have noticed it. Your appearance is well within Vulcan norms. Your ears would only betray your heritage to another Betazoid, whereas your obvious emotionalism tends to causesome Vulcans, both females as well as males, to maintain a distance. Vulcans find any open show of emotions extremely uncomfortable and in poor taste. This may be what you have misinterpreted as disdain for your heritage. As a child, Ambassador Spock was the subject of derision from other juveniles who had not achieved the peace that comes with the full embrace of Surak's teachings, but any adult Vulcan who acted in such a manner would be shunned by Vulcan society." He pauses. "Should the programme be reinstated, it will be in the evaluation stage to assess the sole product of the experiment—you, my daughter. Any further interracial breeding would be done solely at the discretion of the individuals in question, and it is only logical to assume that they would raise their offspring together, as you have suggested and as Sarek and Amanda did with Spock."

At Shoine's request for an embrace, Sormok pauses and says, "This... is not... something that comes easily to Vulcans. Mothers may embrace infants, but embraces between adults is something that only comes in the throes of ponn farr. However, as it seems to mean a great deal to you, I shall endeavour to... try." He opens his arms and allows Shione to embrace him, only slowly softening and returning her embrace as if afraid of breaking her. Shoine feels a feather-soft psionic touch on her mental shields, <Greetings, my daughter.> An image swims into her mind of the Vulcan IDIC symbol along with a newer understanding of its meaning: "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations." For the first time Shione knows what this phrase means to Vulcans. After what seems like a millennium, Sormok releases Shione and steps back. He takes both Shione's hands between his and whispers, "Peace and long life, my daughter."

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 127):

" My intolerance for some betazoids is well known there. My foster parents are Gammazoids, An acronym I despise and I let anyone who uses it know that. Just as I did when Nyle used it once.It simply doesn't exist in Starfleet as Betazoids look Human and don't stand out like we do.
As regards my showing of emotions, I never learned early enough not to.

She sits back down, a contented smile on her face " IDIC, I think I understand, thank you my Father.
Alright if Captain Picard is agreeable I will consent and I am glad that I am the only one.
Not because I want to be unique,but I have often worried about what others might have suffered."

She and Sormok sit and talk for a time, about little things for a change.She speaks about losing someone she loved on the Haida and of her relationships with people here on Enterprise.

"Will you be travelling back to Vulcan with this ship?"

Sormok begins, "I will..."

The intercom beeps and Dr. Adonidas says, "Pardon my interruption, Councillor Sormok. Lt. Kurasa, please report to sickbayimmediately. Cassy is awake."

At the door to sickbay, Athena Adonidas is waiting for Shione. "Please come with me to Dr. Crusher's office, Lieutenant," she says.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 129):

Shione stands and smiles at Sormok. "We will have many chances to speak Father.Thank you for all you are doing for me"

She enters sickbay, follows Athena and sits where indicated "Yes, what is it?"

Dr. Crusher says to Dr. Adonidas, "Athena, you made the discovery, I think it's fitting if you tell them what you found."

Nyle and Melisandra look attentively as Athena begins. "Well, it was actually Nurse Ogawa who gave me the first clue. She discovered, while reviewing Cassy's lab blood work, an anomalous trace chemical in Lt. Dul's bloodstream. Upon researching the chemical, I found that it was sometimes associated with a fungal strain called (she recites a multisyllabilic name with Greek and Latin roots), which is known to have psychotic effects in some animals. It is unknown when or where Lt. Dul aspirated these spores, but it seems to have been before she arrived at Starbase 21. We have reviewed the transporter logs from the Cuyahoga and Starbase 21, and have determined that Starbase 21's transporters logged a reading consistent with the spores, but since they were not in the Federation-wide database of harmful organisms, the transport computers did not flag them for the biofilters. By the time she arrived at the Gamma Station and beamed over, her adrenal surge on realising that she and Shione were sisters has created the perfect stimulus to activate the spores and the biofilters eliminated the active fungus in her system. Unfortunately, the fungus had infected the left amygdala, which is a part of the limbic system within the brain, responsible for emotions, survival instincts, and memory. Luckily, this was in time to prevent the fungus from causing irreparable brain damage, but she began having a psychotic break which progressed as she became more and more frustrated with what she perceived and Shione's insubordination. When Shione refused her jusdgement that Commander Olivaw be arrested as a prisoner and instead recognised his diplomatic credentials, Lt. Dul's break with reality became complete and—well, you've seen the results. Dr. Crusher has just put her in an induced coma and is going to perform a neurosurgical procedure this afternoon to repair the damage."

Beverly Crusher continues, "The procedure will take a couple of hours and will involve replacing the left amygdala with a replicated copy of her right amygdala using a process developed by Dr. Toby Russel. Recovery will take about a week, and Cassiadora will be as good as new. She may, however, suffer retrograde amnesia going back as far as the initial adrenal surge, so she may not remember anything after Athena's revelation of her sibling relationship with Shione. She may also suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Deanna will be involved in helping her deal with her initial anger and denial, and we'll take it from there. Shione, Melisandra and especially you, Nyle, will be instrumental in bringing her through this crisis. Of course her regrettable actions during the First Contact with the Kapecki will be struck from her record and everyone on the mission will be advised on how to best deal with the whole incident by Counsellor Troi. Further, Dr. Adonidas is being promoted to Lieutenant Commander and a Counsellor is being assigned to Dyson Base as well as a Doctor of Lieutenant, junior grade assigned to each of the three outposts."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Tue 11 Apr 2017.

In reply to Dr. Athena Adonidas (msg # 131):

"Wow. Indeed, good work Athena. Congratulations on the promotion and getting more staff.
I'd say this crisis certainly highlighted some issues, but overall it was handled very well, with what resources you had at the time."

She stood up."I have a meeting to attend soon, but Mom,and Nyle, I would be happy to host you for a dinner in Ten Forward tonite. I think I will have a busy afternoon, so I will contact you later, alright?".

She bowed to the Doctors." Thank you both and Nurse Ogawa as well for your excellent work"

She exited the room and tapped her Comm Badge "Lt Kurasa to Captain Picard and Commander Ryker.
Sirs, I have an answer to Captain Picard's offer and if possible, I would appreciate seeing you both and also updating you on today's developments. Would that be convenient?
Kurasa over"

[OOC: Sorry, I'm out all day. Continued tomorrow.]

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 133):

[OOC: Well, Dave's feeling a bit under the weather, so I've got the time.]

Doctor Crusher corrects Shione, "Ten-Forward was on the old Enterprise. On the E, the lounge is on Deck 9 aft. It's called the 300 Club, after a speakeasy in New York during the Prohibition run by a woman named Texas Guinan. Our own Guinan finds it amusing."

Melisandra links arms with Nyle and says, "We'll meet you at 1830 tonight, dear. Have a good afternoon."

Picard answers Shione's call, "Very well, Lieutenant, I'll see you in my Ready Room."

Nyle raises an eyebrow and asks her, "Offer? If I may ask, what offer is that?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:23, Wed 12 Apr 2017.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 134):

"Thank you Dr and Captain. Yes sir I will be right there.
I'll tell you at supper Nyle"

She makes her way to the Bridge and nods to the on duty crew.
If Cdr Riker is present she will ask him if he can sit in on her meeting with the Captain.

She will ring the Ready room chime

The XO is not visible on the Bridge when Shione arrives. When she signals at the door, Picard answers, "Come." When she enters, Riker is sitting across the desk from the Captain. He gestures to a chair and says, "Be seated, Lieutenant."

Picard glances up from his LCARS console and says, "Ah. Lt. Kurasa. As I indicated earlier, Lt. MacKinnon will be transferred in 90 days. To take over his post, you're going to need to undergo some advanced training—Department Head Training, Bridge Officer Certification and aa Advanced Tactical course. That's a lot of work in a very short period. Are you prepared to take on this challenge?"

Riker continues where Picard broke off, "If you do accept this posting, we will be transferring you to the Enterprise crew roster effective immediately. This will mean that you will lose your new command after only two weeks. To save time, the Kitchissippi will transport you back to Starbase 21 for your training, which will take 9 weeks and the Enterprise will pick you up on completion, after which you will complete your Tactical training on board. We'll be staying here for a few weeks to complete some of the upgrades to Dyson Base's new installations. You'll  be in command of the Runabout on the way there, bringing your command duration to a full three weeks."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:33, Thu 13 Apr 2017.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 136):

This post will move to Private messages to allow the crew to get back involved

Shione was on cloud nine and had to slow herself down when she almost collided with an Engineering Ensign who was carrying some environment suits.
Hmmn She's cute, wonder if....

" I am so sorry, here let me help you" she stammered nervously as she bent to assist in reassembling the pile of suits she had been carrying.

"Uhm, Hi, I'm Shione Kurasa and I will be back serving on board, in about 2 months. I wasn't watching where I was going and I'd like to buy you a drink later tonite to make up for almost knocking you into the bulkhead." The words came out in a nervous jumble.

The Ensign returned the smile and once she had the pile organized, started to walk away. As she did she looked back, remarking with a grin
 "I'm Clarissa, and I'm off shift at 2100 hrs.I can meet you at 2130 in the 300

And off she went leaving a gobsmacked Lieutenant.

When she gathered her thoughts she tapped her comm badge."This is Lt Kurasa to the crews of the Cuyohoga and Kitchissippi. Please meet me in 15 minutes in the lounge next to Sickbay. Kurasa out"

In reply to Shione (msg # 137):

15 Minutes later in the Lounge

Shione took a minute to look at the faces of the crews before composing herself.

"I did not want you to hear about this from someone else and I haven't told anyone else yet."

Ok here goes nothing

"Effective immediately I have rejoined the Enterprise crew and in about 40 hours the Kitchissippi crew will be taking My Father and I to Starbase 21 so I can begin my 9 weeks of training.
I will be replacing the current Security Chief here, a post that I am very familiar with having served as Lt Worf's second before I was sent off to Command school.

This is a personal decision and does not reflect on any of you. I feel that my "celebrity" status combined with the personal issues that came up during the Gamma base exploration would only get in the way of the mission that you all signed up for.

Any Questions?

Tag Argent
This message was last edited by the player at 21:04, Thu 13 Apr 2017.

He wasn't sure what to think. He'd only been serving with Shione for a short time, so there really wasn't any great friendship that had developed. Perhaps the correct term was 'comrade-ship'... He liked her. He respected her. And now she was... leaving.

"So you'd rather be a little fish in a big pond rather than a big fish in a little pond," Argent said to her. "Well, congratulation again, Lieutenant. I expect you'll have some grand adventures on the Enterprise."

"So how is Cassie now? What will happen to her?"

In reply to Lt.(jg) Argent Merawdr (msg # 139):

"Thanks Argent.
Ok She is being operated on this afternoon. They are actually replacing a part of her brain with a copy replicated from a previous Transporter scan.

Apparently it is a practiced procedure and Dr Crusher says she may be up in a week.
There could be some memory loss, but they won't know until she is awake.

Her record has been cleared and there will be more medical access in the sphere and a Counsellor as well, so something good has come of Cassy's tragedy"

She grins at Argent's fish comment. "Ok so let me get this straight. A cat is making fish jokes? haha.
But seriously I will be one of the senior officers on the Flagship of the Federation.
Far from being the Big fish I agree, but as close as I ever intend to come.