Jon's commbadge chirps. "Jon, we've just lost an exocomp! 100 metres ahead and 5 metres elevation," announces Talja. "That'd be on the second or third level. Be careful!"

"Damn!" says Tony, "Which one?"

"Unit QXVR135," answers Talja. "Why?"

"Larry—He owes me ten credits," mutters Tony. Looking at Billy, he expounds "Been teachin' 'em Fizzbin."

[OOC: Billy's still dealing with personal stuff, so I've put him on "autopilot".] "Fizzbin? Ain't dat th' phony card game Kirk used ta 'scape from Jojo's mob? Yer a rat, Tony!"

The exocomp hovering nearby makes a disparaging noise to Tony. "Hey!" says Tony. "It's just a joke! Didn't they program youse with a sense-a humour, Shemp?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Sun 22 Dec 2019.

In reply to Lt (jg) Talja Groen (msg # 26):

Jon moves into the building, phaser rifle at the ready, in the direction Talja indicated. Since the missing exocomp was 5 meters up,  he looks up, checking if there an atrium with a balcony, or else stairs that lead up to a second story.

100 metres actually puts the loss of signal (LOS) site in the next building. The building in question is a cylindrical tower. The base is small, only about 25m in radius, with a larger (about 50m radius) second level. The 5m elevation places the LOS on the second level, and triangulating the coordinates puts them about 10m from the centre of the building.

"Geez, what a creepy lookin' old place," mutters Tony. "Looks like somethin' outta the Captain Proton holovids, only with better effects programmin'."

The entrance has a thick layer of dust covering the floor. Visible in the dust are tracks from a pair of standard issue Starfleet men's boots and a smaller set of Chirper footprints. The footprints lead towards a large open central area with a mezzanine. Coming from the mezzanine is a mechanical whine, as if from a drill penetrating a particularly resistant alloy. A flickering blue light can be seen, casting weird shadows on the surrounding walls.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 28):

Tony and Billy flank the entranceway while Jon takes a quick look inside. It is not Borg style to set booby traps or post active guards, but he looks for any signs of that anyway. He'd like to think that they will find only Dovan and the Chirper inside, but at least some other Borg must exist to convert them. He's feeling confident that there are not too many ... yet.

"Let's move in," he says if he sees no immediate threat.

Aside from the whine and the flickering light, there's no sign of anything untoward. Proceeding into the darkened chamber, the central area is indeed open to above, about 10m in diametre. There appears to be a mezzanine level, and the blur light is coming from this area. Shemp the exocomp is dogging Tony's heels as the group moves forward. Suddenly it makes a low bleeping noise. Tony stops and looks at the diminutive robot.


"What's up, Shemp?" he whispers quietly. Shemp quivers slightly, hovering in the air... Meanwhile, the whining noise abruptly cuts off and the flickering light disappears. Shemp begins backing away.

Jon glances at his tricorder and notices an electronic signature similar to a replicator in use. A bright red beam stabs through the murky darkness and a humming begins. The beam's source is about a metre off the deck... Something is moving up ahead, projecting a laser spotting beam. Several tiny blinking green lights can be seen below the laser emitter. Billy fires his phaser rifle and the figure stumbles to the deck.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 30):

Seeing the small figure fall, Jon holds his fire.

"Let's get some more light on the situation!" he says to the others, as he clicks on the light in his phaser rifle to illuminate the fallen figure. [OOC: Type-3 phasers have a built in light, do they not? If not then the statement is directed at Shemp, who probably does have a light in him somewhere. Oh, and Merry Christmas!]

[OOC: Yes, phaser rifles either have built-in lights or can mount one. The Type-3 Compression Phaser Rifle is as seen in Star Trek First Contact (interior scenes) with a built-in light.)


Tony and Billy both engage their lights. The partially assimilated Chirper lies silent on the deck. Although he does not have the many bionic implants of a full Borg drone, he does have some, presumably adapted from materials scavenged from the high-tech city surrounding the Chirper enclave, he does have the waxy appearance of typical Borg physiology, though retaining he greenish tint of Chirper physiology. There are the usual telltale lights internally monitoring his systems and the eye appliance but no armoured carapace of prosthetic limbs.

"Damn!" says Tony. "These li'l buggers're normally cute as hell, but this is turning my stomach. Betcha the Doc is just as bad, and I think he's probably armed wit' at least a Type 2."

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 32):

Jon taps his comm badge"Clare to Dr. Adonidas. We have found, and stunned, the missing Chirper. He's not completely transitioned yet!" says Jon. "We should get him to a medical facility right away! No signs yet of Dr Dovan."

Jon checks his tricorder for any indications of Dr Dovan, to confirm (or refute) the truth of his last statement.

"Roger, Mr. Clare," answers Adonidas. "Transmit the coordinates to the Thames and have Zed do a site-to-site transport of the subject to my location. I'm also beaming Ms. Dahlakino over so she can bring her own senses to bear."

Tony relays the coordinates to Talja and the little Chirper disappears on a torrent of blue sparkles. Seconds later, Dahlakino appears in a matching torrent of blue sparkling energy.


Nathan had met Dahlakino in passing, but this is his first good look at her. She is a tall humanoid woman with turquoise skin not unlike Troyians, but hairless and with a pair of large fleshy tentacles sprouting from her head and trailing down her back. Dahlakino has until now been working with Professor Lake and the Lintilla clones but her psionic sensitivity to something she calls the Force may well make her uniquely suited to the current situation. She pulls a device which Billy notes looks a lot like a century-old universal translator from her belt and holds it as if it were some sort of weapon.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:23, Sun 29 Dec 2019.

Dahlakino says, "Can someone bring me up to speed? What in the name of the Force are these Borg everyone's so exited about? I understand they're a race of cyborgs, hence the name, but beyond that everyone is acting on sheer terror without much pattern. Cyborgs are pretty uncommon in the Empire, aside from people with medical prosthetics."

"Same here," says Tony. "We don't know who or precisely when, but it seems that several centuries ago, probably in the Delta Quadrant, someone got the big idea that everyone'd be better off if we all had cybernetic implants, just like a bunch'a losers called the Nazis decided to create a so-called master race through genetic manipulation. However, where th' Nazi's augments or genetic supermen, failed the cybernetic augments took over like a robotic hive-mind called the Collective and began assimilating other species!"

Dahlakino looks shocked. "You mean the Borg are like a droid army with biological bodies? That's... disgusting!"

Tony replies, "Droids—that's what you call robots back home?—As opposed to androids like Cdr Data and the Kapecki, which are like robots but designed to be just like people?"

"An...droids? Those are very rare—really just a story to scare younglings with—infiltrator droids we'd call them; rumoured to have been used by the Empire but so easily detected by the Force sensitive as to be nearly worthless," says Dahlakino.

"However, regular droids are even rarer here in your Federation than are androids in the Galactic Empire," she concludes glancing at Shemp.

"Damn! Larry—another exocomp, or droid as you'd call him—Dovan knocked 'im outta service 'r maybe even assimilated the poor li'l guy! You're a roboticist, right. Maybe if we can find him, you can get him back in working order—'long with Doc Dovan, of course!" Tony activates his tricorder.  "Scanning for Larry's boridium power cell—lessee atomic number 121, atomic mass 317—30 grams 15 metres below us and moving straight down!"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Wed 01 Jan 2020.

In reply to Dahlakino (msg # 35):

"Down?" asks Jon. "Shit! Must be in a turbolift or something. That's underground. What in the sphere is below this building?"

"No," says Dahlakino. "I'm detecting the use of a repulsor-lift—what you would refer to as an anti-grav—and two intelligences—one humanoid and one droid—both being controlled by millions of tiny machine intelligence subunits forming a greater whole. This would seem to be part of the Borg collective as you call it. Most fascinating," she concludes, sounding almost Vulcan. "They are in an air-duct. I sense a great number of ventilation shafts and tunnels beneath this structure. Part of the structure of the Sphere, I'd say..."

"Hey, Jon," asks Tony, "How many sets of gravity boots we got on the Thames?"

In reply to Dahlakino (msg # 37):

"I am sure we have enough, Tony!" answers Jon, as he taps his comm badge. "Clare to Thames. Our ... quarry has taken to the air shafts underneath this facility. We need grav boots to pursue."

Jon turns to Dahlakino "Can you tell where they might be heading?" he asks her. "Perhaps we can head them off using the transporters. Also, don't get too fascinated. Borg are dangerous and will convert you into one of them before you know what is happening."

"The voices of the machine gestalt are so loud as to almost drown everything else out, but I'm getting a vague image of six-pointed star," Dahlakino frowns. "Does this symbol have any meaning for any of you?"

Jon's commbadge chirps. "Gröen here. We have a standard complement of nine pairs. I'm beaming down a pair for each of you."

A couple of metres away, five pairs of Starfleet issue gravity boots shimmer into existence. The Away Team quickly don the boots, which immediately adjust to fit the wearers. Shemp, of course needs no such aids as his anti-grav is built in. [The Skill governing grav boots is Personal Equipment (Grav Boots) or (Environmental Suit). If neither Specialisation is held, the base Skill applies.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Thu 02 Jan 2020.

In reply to Dahlakino (msg # 39):

"OK, let's go!" cries Jon. Then he looks around uncertainly "Ummmm, where is the entrance to the air shafts?"

Tony points at his tricorder, "Um, my guess would be upstairs where they were grinding and cutting."

Billy concurs. "Probably cutting their way inta th' shaft. That'd be the exocomp doin' that."

Together, covering each others' backs, the Away Team floats up to the mezzanine. There is a hole cut into the wall large enough for a humanoid, cut using an industrial type tool. Tony notes, "Yep. Larry could'a whipped up a cutting bit with his on-board replicator. Usin' that damn thing Dovan could be a full-fledged drone by now!"

The ventilation shaft is a tight fit, only a metre across. The lights from the rifle mounts illuminate it, showing cobwebs and a lot of wiring trunks. Tricorder readings show that the wiring trunks are mostly inactive. The air is relatively fresh and a light breeze comes from below. Shemp makes an inquiring noise and Tony nods, so Shemp enters the fissure in the wall, blue sensor beams checking the way beneath him.

Nathan knows that Dovan has no tricorder, but it is possible that the nanoprobes may have built one into him by now. He may or may not have a phaser—all medical staff were armed. According to Tony, Larry's replicator is not programmed to create a phaser, but Borg programming could rectify that.

[OOC: the tight quarters means that only one person at a time will be able to proceed. You'll have to decide the order of march, and likely sling the rifles, using wrist-beams and Type II phasers.]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Sat 04 Jan 2020.

Lt Nathen takes the items Dr. Adonidas give hime and waits to be transported to a new location.
The Betazoid is unusually quite.

In answer to Tony hello.
Hi Tony I am alright.  Had better days but I get through.

On the arrive of Dahlakino Lt. Nathen is clearly fascinated by her.
He listens and takes notes of her talking about The Force.
It seems to be something like his Psionics abilities but he get feeling it cover more than what normal Betazoid could do.  He was going to have to spend some time with her if he could.  However now was not the time or place for such things.

Lt Nathen was pleased they found the little chirpper.
When the little creature was taken away.  He add over the com.
Please keep me update with how little chirpper doing and let me know when you try give his mind back to him.  There could be so back lash and effect to chirpper creature so be careful.  I need to be ready.

Otherwise Lt Nathen happy to follow the others.

Then Lt Nathan has an idea.  It going take time for us go down the shaft.
He turns to Dahlakino.  Does your abilities allow you to sense where Dr. Dovan is.  Would you be able to connect with my mind and direct me right to his mind.
If I can get right to the location of his mind with mind maybe just maybe I can find some dormant part of his mind a can wake up.  This could back fire but could give us idea of what they planning or even stop him.  A spy within his own mind.
I have no idea if our ability are compatible but it maybe worth a try.  What do you think Dahlakino.
Lt Nathen rolls up his sleaves.  Physical contact between us.  Holding arms and hands would make bond stronger.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Sun 05 Jan 2020.

In reply to Lt. Nathan Pierce MD (msg # 42):

Although Jon can hear Nathan and Dahlakino conferring, he is not really clear about what Nathan is proposing. Jon and Tony are instead looking at the shaft and are concerned with more immediate matters.

"Shemp's already appears to be on the trail," Jon says to Tony. "I can go in next, unless you want to stick close to Shemp."

Tony shrugs. "Dunno, boss. Maybe you should go first 'cause Dovan might get an itchy trigger finger. Jus' ta' be safe, eh?" He winks. "Nah, I'll go first. 'Less you wanna..."

He steps into the hole and floats downwards with a saucy wave.

Meanwhile, Dahlakino puts a hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. I mean, I can give you an impression of my senses, but I can't give you a lifetime's worth of experience. Jedi training usually begins before puberty, when one is still a youngling, and can last a decade before one is a Padawan—a formal apprentice." As Nathan's face falls, she continues, "However, when we get done with this, I can run you through some exercises to determine your Force sensitivity preparatory to teaching you some of the basics."

"However, you can take this," she hands him her phaser rifle. "I know Starfleet healers typically eschew them, but I prefer to trust to this," she says, gesturing with the translator-looking item. "A more elegant weapon, less clumsy or random than a blaster. H'mmm, it's our turn." She motions Nathan toward the opening as Billy steps in.

[OOC: Order of march is Shemp, Tony, Jon, Billy, Nathan and Dahlakino following up with her lightsabre.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Wed 20 Apr 2022.

After descending approximately 100 metres, the team finds themselves in an air distribution chamber with small vents leading off. Shemp is scanning a section of wall panels. Approaching the wall, Tony says, "Hey, guys, Shemp has detected a hot spot! Looks like something has been welded shut from the other side. My tricorder reveals a large open space beyond the wall."

Moving closer, Jon can see a thin line of melted metal along a seam line. Next to Nathan, Dahlakino has just landed and steps forward. "Let me see," she says and holds up the device in her hand. It suddenly makes a whump noise followed by a low hum as a metre-long spear of glowing blue light erupts from a disc on the end.

"Da fuq?" asks Billy.

"It's a light sabre," she explains. "Think of it as an energy sword." She stabs the glowing blade into the wall and deftly carves out a 1.5 metre disc of alloy which thuds to the deck. "Careful, it's hot." she cautions and steps through the hole. The chamber beyond is a tunnel with tracks along the lower surface.

The tunnel is lit up with a dim glow, and brighter panels are visible at positions along the walls. A warm breeze comes from the left, and looking in that direction a vehicle of some sort can be seen receding into the distance.

"Geez, looks like they took the A-train." mutters Billy. "Now whadda we do?"

Jon notes one of the glowing panels about 20 metres away has a small sphere above it. It looks to him like one of the computer interfaces reported  by the crew of the Kitchissippi, which is confirmed by Tony who replies, "Hey, maybe we can get the Avatar to fill us in where they went!"

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 45):

Jon thinks the light sabre is the coolest thing he's ever seen.

As they walk towards the computer interface, Jon says "Maybe the Thames can track them from the surface." He taps his comm badge. "Jon to Thames!" he says, and waits for a response.

"Thames here. Your signal is very faint, Jon. What can we do for you?" Talja's voice is slightly static-distorted. "Are you beneath the surface?"

Upon Jon's confirmation, Talja notes that there's a lot of carbon-neutronium in the construction of the Sphere. When he asks about tracking the subway car, she demurrs due to the interference.

Tony points out the Sphere interface and says, "Why don't we just ask the Avatar?" Talja agrees that the Sphere Computer should be able to help.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:31, Tue 07 Jan 2020.

In reply to Lt (jg) Talja Groen (msg # 47):

"Can we be sure that the interface has not been infected by the Borg?" Jon asks, shrugs, and then answers his own question. "One way to find out, I suppose!"

Jon walks up to the console and activates it.

The team walks the 20 metres to where Tony'd spotted the Sphere Computer interface. Nathan and Billy had read the reports and seen images of it, but at first the interface just looks like a crystal ball embedded in the wall. Tony, who'd been on the mission to the Gamma installation says, "Computer activate."

The crystal sphere lights up with a swirl of multiple colours and a face appears. It appears to be baseline humanoid, but is not a Kapecki. It is a male Caucasian of middle age with gray hair and a gray-tinged ginger beard, wearing old-fashioned horn rimmed spectacles and a nondescript orange jumpsuit.

The Avatar blinks three times, giving the impression of just having woken up and intones, "Can I be of... assistance?"

Tony answers, "This is Lieutenant Jon Clare. He wishes to ask you for information." Turning to Jon, he says, "You're up, boss. It's your nickel."

The Avatar replies, "Starfleet Lieutenants are accorded Researcher Access Level theta. Proceed..."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:56, Fri 10 Jan 2020.

In reply to The Avatar (msg # 49):

"Ahhh, ahem," Jon is a little nonplussed by the interface. He'd read about it but has never encountered on before. "Ummm, what can you tell us about the transport that left this area just a moment ago, and the its occupants?"