"Uh, negative, Sir. So far all I've accomplished is to shut down the jump sequence and two pairs of security bots, and that was the best I could do with them. Dealing with the black hole is going to be ... tricky. Dr. T'lah's assistance would be extremely helpful in achieving that."

OOC: I don't remember, or perhaps this was never covered. The station isn't currently manipulating the black hole, right? It just tilted it to its new dangerous angle, right? Simply destroying the station wouldn't rotate the black hole back or save the planet, it would just destroy the station.

Right? ;)

D'rala nodded at ch'Pertha's suggestion.

"The suit should be perfect--or, as close as we can get."

She gave Doctor T'Lah a smile meant to comfort. "Moving you is gonna hurt, but we'll keep you as steady as we can."

She listened to the exchange happening over the comm, before turning back to T'Lah."If you want to make things right, you can help us with this. Do you know how to use this thing?"

"Mcreeg is..dead?" she repeated after JavKer through quivering lips, her mind refusing to believe it was so.  She suddenly found it difficult to breath in the stifling environmental suit. Better take it off before she’ll faint.

Removing the helmet immediately improved her condition.  Physically, at least.  She wiped the sweat off her brow, and tugged an errant lock of hair behind her ear.   Thinking about Mcreeg now, when it was still unclear if they were still in danger and with T’Lah requiring immediate medical assistance, was unwise.  But she couldn’t avoid conjuring the image of the young boy in her mind, and with that, came the tears.

“I’m sorry” she sniffed, and took a deep breath “..let me see what I can do to help you move T’Lah”

OOC: The black hole is currently manipulated by the artifact.  So, destroying it WOULD stop the rotation and save the planet.

T'Lah did her best to nod in return to her XO's reassurances. "Pain... is irrelevant... and in this case, perhaps... deserved," she rasped.  Then she forced herself to focus.

"Somewhat... I know... enough.  Safest way... is destroy this artifact... but... crime against science," she managed.

"But... is too dangerous otherwise?"

Tsolo manages to get himself upright, and perhaps he can carry put an order.

ch’Pertha’s immediate goal was to get the two groups unified at one place ... then
shut down the Artifact Planet in a way that completes their mission: to save this solar system, and the endangered planets out there.

He’s also intent to keep everyone still alive, alive.
He tried not to show his distress at the fate of Mcreeg.

The Science Officer disciplines himself not to go exploring through the computer system or try to seek out the system controlling the black hole's movement. Instead, he waits patiently and just watches for security alerts. At least, that's what he thinks he's doing.

Working together, T'Lara and D'rala are able to rig a stretcher out of a space suit and - with ch'Pertha - lug T'Lah back to Control Room D.

In control room D, Decker carefully monitors for security alerts, but so far, nothing has appeared.

T'solo has managed to gain his feet and JavKer is standing over the fallen Mcreeg.

Because he has to know for himself, ch'Pertha kneels beside the fallen Mcreeg, and checks him for any vital signs.


Still unsure, Starfleet Command, have we completed the task we were sent here for?
or is the planet outside still on course for annihilation?

D'rala sat with her wounded Commander in their new location, making sure the wmoman remained stable.

"Do you know how to destroy the artifact?" she asked her.

When ch'Pertha went to view his fallen teammate, she stayed silent. This place had taken too many lives, and D'rala knew the sting of it.

OOC: The planet is still on course for annihilation. Or, rather, the black hole's radiation jet is still crossing the path of the planet's orbit. The station is actively pointing it that way, so we have to either turn off/alter that system or destroy the station in order to save the planet.

Decker left the station and joined D'rala and T'Lah. "I'm reasonably sure *I* can destroy the station. I'm hoping, with the Doctor's help, it won't come to that. Doctor T'Lah, can you help me reorient the black hole back to how it was?"

While he was talking, he pulled out his tricorder and ran a diagnostic scan on the wounded Vulcan.

00:07, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 37 using 3d20 with rolls of 4,19,14.  Medical scan of T'Lah - Reason(12) + Science(5) + Testing a Theory.
That should be Reason(12) + Medicine(4) + Testing a Theory. Target was 16 instead of 17. Same result.

A medical scan of Dr. T'Lah showed the Vulcan was gravely wounded.  Her heart had indeed been pierced, and she'd lost a lot of blood.  She'd been shored up by desperate medical aid, but if she wasn't removed to a proper sickbay or hospital soon, she would likely not make it.

"I... will try," T'Lah said with determination in her voice and eyes.

Two ways you guys can play it:

1. Blow the station's positional stabilizers and go home.  The planet will be spared, but the station will be swallowed up by the black hole and lost.

2. Try to re-orient the black hole using the station.  This will be an extended task (the numbers I'm coming up with now).  There will be a time limit.  If unsuccessful, the planet is crispy, although it's possible the Independence might save some (most?) of the inhabitants.  Dr. T'Lah will be of great assist, but helping may cost her life.

Your call!  I'll be crunching the numbers... still getting back to speed.

OOC: Don't we have time to try and re-orient the black hole first, and if that fails, then blow the positional stabilizers?

"Ltn Commander Decker", ch'Pertha stood, "Blow the station's positional stabilizers.
Anyone else who can aid him in doing so with efficiency and alacrity, do so.
Everyone else, prepare to leave".
They were on a countdown now, with wounded to evacuate:  and ch'Pertha wasn't wasting any time saving this artefact.
Doing so wasn't in their instructions: but saving as many of his people (here), and those on the planet (below) was now his concern ... and his authority to do.

"Those who can, set your Tricorders to read whatever you can along the way ... the data will be of value to our scientists later".

No.  By the time you'll know if you can reorient the black hole or not, it will be too late.  The destruction of the station won't prevent the radiation jet from bathing the planet at that point.

T'Lara got a lump in her throat looking at Mcreeg's body.  She averted her eyes, and tried to focus on the conversation.  Destroying the station might be the best way to save the planet, but it would be nice if they found a way to leave rather than getting sucked into a black hole together with it.

"T'Lah; how did you get here?  I seem to remember you saying Abyss station didn't have any operational shuttle craft remaining"

Decker's face falls, but he shakes it off after a moment and nods, "Yes sir. If I may, there's absolutely no way of knowing how much time we'll have after I disruptive the gravitic field holding this thing intact. It could be minutes. It could be seconds. I suggest that most of the party head out first, taking the Doctor, of course. Myself and one other...perhaps Lieutenant Commander JavKer will stay behind, give you a little time, and then trigger it. Hopefully, unencumbered, we'll be able to get to the shuttle on time."

D’rala nodded along with the conversation. She set her tricorder to record as many details of their surrounding as possible, and made sure T’Lah’s impromptu stretcher and field dressings were ready to move quickly.

“There has to be a way to rig this artifact to blow but hold off long enough for everyone to get back to the shuttle,” she said. “We’ve lost enough gold starfleet personnel on this thing.”

D’rala looked to her Commander. “You said you know how to do this—how do we set it up with a time delay?”
This message was last edited by the player at 06:07, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

OOC: OK, this has dragged on a bit due to my RL distractions.  Sorry gang.  Am going to wrap this one up so I can start the next mission, and bring along our new player, who will be playing Petty Officer Amamiya Azami, a field medic.  But there will be time for a few more posts in this thread before we close it up!

T'Lah, barely conscious, revealed that she'd gotten here by beaming aboard the Independence under false pretenses with her two Ithik 'friends' - and then stealing one of the Indy's shuttles!  It was in the bay, undamaged.

To her XO's questions, she replied, "There is... a way.  I will tell you."

And she quickly did, freeing them to act.

"Of course I'll stay and help," JavKer said to Decker. "Not like you could do it without me."

Decker grinned slightly, "I could argue that point, but I'm afraid that will have to wait until we're back on board ship." Then, more seriously, to the XO, "How long of a delay do you want?"