USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202012.18 Announcement: . This is the sixth sim in T'Lin's story plot (and it's really only now getting serious). Introduction: . The Penumbra was in orbit above the Mirror Universe version of the Kyrathian Homeworld. Damage Control Teams were still installing replacement parts to the dorsal starboard nacelle and all engines had been taken offline for the process. . An Away Team was down on the surface. They had been attacked by Kyrathian "mind slaves" of the Evil Vine (the Mirror Universe version of the Ivorez), and then cut off from their air support by an apparently impenetrable force shield. . After a harrowing fight, the Away Team had managed to regroup inside a small building, but even that wasn't safe and they had been forced to withdraw into a long tunnel. They had destroyed the entrance to that tunnel and could only hope there would be a way out at the other end. . The Away Team was hoping to get into a large, three-story structure which sensors showed housed some kind of strong antimatter fusion reactor, but it was engulfed in the Evil Vine, and patrolled by more than a hundred of the telepathically-enslaved Kyrathians. . Now, the Away Team consisting of several Marine Pathfinders (LtCol. Travis Patterson, MstGny. Derek Hines, Gny. Khal'Gon, and LCpl. Homer Kyle) and a few Starfleet Officers (LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry, Dr. Shadow K'Trevala, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, Lt. T'Lin, and Ens. Jackson Carshel) had stopped in the tunnels to regroup and check their supplies. . On the Penumbra, Capt. Zak Taylor, LtCmdr. Relok, LtCmdr. Jason Carter, and Lt. Katarina Hawke were on the Bridge trying to figure out how they could help the Away Team. On the Penumbra:
. Zak paced back and forth across the Bridge while Relok watched him from the Executive Officer's seat, his face calm. Zak turned to the Assistant Chief Medical Officer and asked, "Kat, do we have any signal on the Away Team's bio-signs?" . Kat chewed her bottom lip. She wanted to give good news but could only answer, "I'm sorry, Captain, but I'm not picking up any of their bio signs from inside the barrier. I could try the link to my brother if you like?" She and her brother, Denovan, were former Borg drones and shared a residual Borg interlink. . "Yes, Kat," Zak replied, "Do that." . Kat nodded at him and focused her mind, ~Den? Den, you guys OK? Anyone hurt?~ . Zak turned to the Vulcan Science Officer filling in as his XO. "Relok, how about you try Shadow?" As he asked this he muttered to himself, "Never thought I'd be depending on telepaths and Borg implants for comms." . Relok gave a slight nod and called telepathically, ~Shayana, where are you?~ . At the Helm, slightly bored with the ship's engines shut down and the autopilot maintaining their standard orbit, Carter fidgeted and grumbled, "I don't like this." He paused, then spun his chair around, "Captain, what HAVEN'T we tried against that shield?" . Zak moved to his seat and flopped into it. "We didn't hammer it with torpedoes, but without knowing where our people are, I didn't want to risk it." . After a moment of mental conversation with her brother, Kat said, "Captain, Den says that he's fine, but they're stuck in some tunnels trying to find a way out." She didn't tell the Captain that Den had actually said that he, Tabby, and Carshel were injured. Den had mentioned their injuries weren't life-threatening, and Kat reasoned the Captain didn't need to worry about anything less than that right now.
. Relok had also received a response, and while inside, relief had washed through him that the team was okay, externally there was no response. . About that time, the Turbolift doors slid open and a still dusty, sweaty, and somewhat disheveled CfWrnt. Antonio Sandoval stepped out, rushing over to the Reconnaissance Systems and calling out, "MAX, did you get anything on that shield?" . Officially, Sandy (as Sandoval was known) was not a Bridge Officer. While his rank was Chief Warrant Officer, technically he wasn't an officer at all. He was primarily a fighter pilot assigned to the various Delta Flyers. As Sandy stormed onto the Bridge, the Captain turned and smiled. "Welcome to the Bridge, Chief. 'Bout time you found your way up here." . Sandy waved the captain off and moved from Recon to the Master Systems Display. He called again, "MAX!" . The digital face of the Artificial Intelligence known as MAX materialized on the MSD. "I am here. That shield is using a variety of different algorithms. It is difficult to diagnose which matrix is in use at any given time." . Relok stood from his seat and moved to the rear of the bridge to the MSD. "MAX, I suspect that shield is being powered by that fusion core. That kind of power at the Vine's disposal could be ... difficult to overcome." . Sandy commented, "Overloading a Delta only collapsed the bubble to a smaller area. How many times can it shrink down and compress?" . MAX answered, "It is unlikely that the shield can isolate any further, but ... if I were the one controlling it, I would be compressing it on the parasite trying to worm its way in ... and let the antibodies do their job destroying it." . Kat interrupted by saying, "Captain, Patterson wishes an update, sir." She'd apparently heard the request from her brother over their interlink.
. Kat's earlier report finally sunk into the Captain's brain. He turned to her and asked, "Did you say they're in a tunnel?" He didn't wait for an answer before he blurted out, "That means they might be clear of that shield!" . Kat nodded, "Yes, Captain, but ... I still can't find their bio signs." . Relok turned back to face forward and said, "Captain, if they're no longer inside the shield radius ... can we try to hit it with torpedoes now, or just ... leave it be?" . Zak considered a moment, "Hmm ... maybe we leave it be. If the Vine thinks we've given up, maybe it'll leave them alone?" He stood a moment then said, "Kat, Relok, see if you can check on Mission Status. Are they still 'Go' for their objective?" He paused and then said, "Oh, and Kat, tell Den to tell Patterson that we can't break that shield from up here. If they can get to the core and ... well, turn the damn thing off, that would be helpful." . "Yes, Captain," Kat responded as she considered how to word the Captain's question and called to her brother over their interlink. Relok also relayed the same information through to Shadow over their telepathic bond. . MAX's face materialized on the Main Viewer as he said, "Captain, it is highly likely that the Vine knows the Away Team's exact location, and is funneling them into an ambush. . Zak groaned at hearing this. "Yeah, you're probably right, there, MAX. So ... what do we do about it?" . Sandy had turned with Relok and now banged his fist on the railing in frustration. Suddenly, he said, "What about WAR Drivers? They're designed to punch through shields. Wouldn't give us enough to get them out ... but it may give us enough to send them a resupply!" . Relok turned back to Sandy. "But, we don't know where to send he supplies. I'd hate to send them only for the Kyrathians to get them instead."
. Zak grumbled, "This is what I hate about sending ground troops. I have to sit here on my damn hands!" . Suddenly MAX said, "Captain, the Chief has a viable point, and I believe I can get their location through Nine's uplinks, if I were allowed to access them." . Sandy raised an eyebrow, "Wait ... the Borg interlink?" . Zak stared at MAX a moment, then turned to Kat, "Can he do that?" . MAX was the one who answered, "Affirmative. Each Borg interlink has an identifier that can be traced. It is how the Collective is able to keep track of what each drone is doing at any given moment. Considering there are only two Borg signatures, one of which is here and being used as the uplink ... I can accurately identify Denovan's location within a few meters, even in subterranean locations." . Relok tilted his head, "It is a logical conclusion, Captain." . Zak nodded, "If it's OK with Kat, then do it, MAX. But ... only if Kat agrees." . Kat nodded, "If it brings them home, then do it." . MAX transferred his face to the Auxiliary Medical Console where Kat was working. He said, "Nine of Twelve," Kat's former Borg designation, "I will need you to 'assimilate' my program from the central pedestal in order to access your interlink." . Kat looked at MAX and started for the pedestal, reaching out with one hand, Borg nanotubes beginning to extend before she flinched, "Wait ... won't the ship defend against it?" She'd heard about the time Den had tried to "upgrade" ship's systems with "more efficient" Borg subroutines for weapons and was shocked and nearly thrown across the Bridge. . MAX had transferred his face to the central pedestal. He smiled as he answered, "It would if I didn't deactivate the anti-Borg safety measures. You'll have to trust me."
. Kat simply nodded and extended her arm again to 'assimilate' MAX. As the nanotubes made contact, MAX's face flickered several times and then ... went dark. . Finally, MAX rematerialized but his face, normally a profound bluish color, was now strikingly greenish. He said, "Uplink established. Nine of Twelve, continue to act as transmitter and receiver. You will comply." . Kat gave a slight nod, "Of course," she said as she concentrated on her interlink with her brother. . MAX called to Den, ~Den, can you hear me?~ After a moment MAX said, "I have relayed a message to AEGIS on the Cerberus. It is not flight-capable, but the WAR drivers are online. I am sending the appropriate alignment algorithms to Helm to maneuver the Flight Deck to the correct azimuth to fire from inside the Hangar, and punch the shields to deliver the resupply. The team is approximately 27.4 meters beneath the surface, and 223.6 meters from the initial target building at azimuth 073 from the southeast corner." . Carter's gaze flicked from MAX to the Captain. "Did I hear something along the lines of orbital bombardment via an improvised broadside?" . MAX's digital head nodded, "Affirmative." . Zak glanced at the green face of MAX, then back to his Helmsman, "Manuevering thrusters, only, Mr. Carter. We've still got folks outside working on that nacelle." . Carter grinned, "This is a first ... for even me. Aye, sir." He spun his chair back around and began the adjustment. "Alignment in 30 seconds." . Relok still stood at the railing behind the command seats. He said, "Sir, if we punch a hole in that shield, the Vine will almost certainly respond in some fashion." . The Captain just grinned, "I'm counting on it, Relok! Give our boys a chance to move maybe." . MAX announced, "Alignment confirmed. Opening Flight Deck doors. Hold steady, Mr. Carter."
. Carter grunted, "Yeah, yeah, depressurization, got it." . Zak said, "OK, MAX, let's see what two AIs can do for us. Fire WAR driver when ready." . MAX responded, "Overcharging the WAR Drivers." A second later he reported, "Round away." . Carter flinched, feeling the "bump" and said, "Damn! That thing kicks!" In the Tunnels: . The Away Team was gathered deep underground in a long narrow tunnel. T'Lin was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and her eyes closed. She was still struggling with the imbalance of her two katras, her Vulcan "souls", one her own and one the spirit of an ancestor who was her D'Vir guide. . Tabby, who squatted across from her, flicked his chin at her, "T'Lin sleeps an awful lot for being the warrior she is." . Patterson was on one knee peering down the tunnel. He responded without turning around, "Wouldn't you if you had two different entities fighting each other in your body?" . Tabby grunted, "You would think so." Then he added, "Try being Klingon plus Romulan! It doesn't make sense ... it never has." . They were taking a break. Hines was kneeling to one side of the tunnel, beside Patterson. Kyle squatted on his haunches in the rear of the group with Khalgon beside him. Den had sat down and leaned against the wall beside T'Lin with Carshel and Shadow opposite him. . While they had the break, Patterson checked over his gear. "Damn it," he said, "I'm down to my last 50 shots, and only one grenade left." . Hines checked his weapon as well and reported, "I'm down to 20 rounds, and a couple charges." . Kyle said in his Carolina drawl, "I gots a box left."
. Den coughed and muttered, "Well, that's not good." He'd been bleeding a little from the shrapnel he'd taken from one of the grenades. Shadow had patched him up, and his Borg nanites were working overtime to stitch him back together, but ... they'd been on the run a while after a harrowing fight and he was a little sore. He checked his phaser rifle and said, "I didn't take many shots, so I'm about full on one energy cell and two more on." . Khalgon had already emptied his WAR assault weapon. He said, "Completely dry. Guess I'll be carrying Den if anyone has to." He grinned at the ex-Borg then gave him a pat on the shoulder. "How you feelin', Chief?" . Den lifted his right arm. The fingers twitched randomly. He said, "Arm's being twitchy. Looks like it got hit with some." The arm was artificial, a Borg replacement, and much of the organic material that covered its mechanical framework was, indeed, ripped and bloody. Still, he smiled back at the Klingon-Nausicaan hybrid and said, "I think I can manage for the moment with the patching that Shadow's managed. Thanks, Gunny." . While they sat, Bevin, their Chief Engineer, was thinking about a way to recharge the power cells of the weapons. She usually carried spare batteries but they were for phasers, not the fancy WAR weapons the Marines favored. . Carshel, who had been nearly overcome with panic earlier, was finally beginning to calm down, though he was nearly deaf from the constant ringing in his ears from the grenades and the resonance of the shield impacts. . Tabby, too, was shaking his head and sticking fingers in his ears. "For frick's sake," he grumbled. . Suddenly, Den heard his sister's voice over their Borg interlink, ~Den? Den, you guys OK? Anyone hurt?~ . At the same time, Shadow heard the voice of Relok, his Shayana, ~Shayana, where are you?~
. Den answered his sister, ~I am hurt, as are Tabby and Carshel, but none of us are bad. And we're stuck down below in some tunnels, trying to find a way out.~ He looked up and said, "I've got contact with the ship." . Shadow sent the telepathic message to Relok, ~We're doing OK inside a tunnel, a few hurt - mostly hearing and some shrapnel - but nothing life-threatening, so far.~ . Relok's answer was ~I am pleased to hear you're all right, Doctor.~ But, Shadow could feel through their mental bond the relief in the Vulcan who tried so hard to suppress his emotions. . Shadow sent again, ~We're just peachy here, Shayana. I'm working on the injured but we might need to brush up on Sign Language a bit for some of our people.~ He glanced over at Carshel who was looking around with a confused expression on his face. He was clearly having trouble hearing the conversation. . Shadow turned to the young man, signing as he spoke, "Easy, Carshel, we'll get you fixed up when we get back to the ship." With his empathic healing ability, he tried to ease the tinnitus for him. . Patterson turned to Den, "What's the situation up there, Hawke?" . Den answered, "Checking, sir." He sent the message to Kat, ~Colonel Patterson would like an update on your end, sis.~ . Kat's mental message came back, ~Tell the Colonel that I said I'd kick his ass if he doesn't be careful down there. You as well, brother.~ . While they waited for Kat to give a report from the ship, Patterson gave a sigh and said, "All right ... Kyle, Hines, Bevin, Tabby, I need you guys to scout further down the tunnel. As it is we're out of options." He pulled his spare battery box and tossed it to Kyle. "Be careful." . Kyle caught the box and stowed it as he said, "Sho'nuff, boss!" . Hines gave a nod and lifted his WAR shotgun. "You heard the Colonel. Let's find a path home." . Hines and Kyle started in the lead, making sure it was safe for the other two.
. Finally Kat had a report for the Away Team and called her brother. Relok was relaying almost the same information to Shadow. ~Den, Captain wishes to know if your still 'Go' for your objective, and to tell Patterson that we can't break the shields from up here. If you can get to the core you should be able to turn the damn thing off.~ . Den answered his sister, ~We'll see what we can do.~ Then he turned to Patterson and repeated the message from Kat. Shadow repeated virtually the same message from Relok. Patterson nodded, "Yeah ... I figured as much." He paused, scratching his stubble, and then said, "But we're running low on gear and we don't exactly know where we're headed." . Patterson looked up at Bevin, "Think you can rig something up that'll get some juice back into these WAR batteries?" He handed her a couple of empty battery packs. . Bevin took the packs and answered in her strong Scottish Brogue, "Werkin an ait, Birdy." She produced several phaser power packs from engineering kit and started rigging up some kind of interface between them as she followed behind Hines and Kyle. . Tabby wandered with them, glancing around and muttering, "It's kinda dark in here." . As Hines and Kyle, somewhat ahead of Bevin and Tabby, moved further down the tunnel they came to a "T" intersection. To the left was darkness, but there was a light glowing off to their right. Kyle gestured, "Hey, Big'Un, you wanna go check out the dark and I'll take a look-see at the light?" . Hines glanced to his left into the darkness, then back to his right towards the light, then said, "Objective was some sort of antimatter core ... that thing would produce a lot of light and radiation. Kyle, medical tricorders can pick up on radiation, right? Anything on scans?" . Kyle pulled out a tricorder and took a reading. "Well, gollee! Ayup, there's a butt-load o' energy off t'ward that light."
. Hines smirked and said, "Alright. Kyle, you and I are gonna go that way and see what's up. Suits will help fight off the radiation. Tabby, go report back to Patterson that we 'think' we found the target." . But Tabby didn't hear him. He was tapping the side of his head again, "That ringing is IRRITATING AS HELL!" His voice went up at the last few words. . Bevin reached over and touched his arm to reassure him, but he flinched in surprise, then relaxed when he saw who it was. "Sorry," he muttered,"I ... um ..." he stumbled over his words, embarrassed. "I didn't ... hear you ... approach. I didn't ... oh, God!" . Tabby leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Tais ailraight," she said in her Brogue, "I innirstaind." . "No," he insisted, "It's not all right, hon. I have to hear everything, otherwise I can't defend those I care about like I know I should and could." He paused, then added, "It's a BIG problem!" . She stepped so she could gaze into his eyes, trying to make sure he understood what she said. "Thain lait me daifind ye lak tha Celtic wimmin daid fer thair men thrawaut tha aijis." . "I ...," Tabby stuttered, "what was that?" . Back at their stopping point, Den muttered, "We should have brought some ants." . Patterson chuckled, rising to his feet and reaching a hand to help Hawke up, "Yeah, and a lot of herbicide!" . Shadow asked, "Why ants, Den? I was thinking uncles." He grinned. . "Not that kind of aunt!" He smiled at Shadow, then explained, "Ants, you know like the little bugs. Because we could let them loose and follow them to the way out." . "Time and place," Patterson said, glancing around. "We've got one way out, and that's mission success. Check your gear and get ready to move." He accessed the commlink to the rest of the team, calling to Hines, "Report, Derek?" . Hines answered, "Got some radiation we're investigating. Take the tunnel and bear right at the light. Kyle and I are moving to investigate. Could be our target."
. Patterson looked back at Den, Shadow, T'Lin, and Carshel. "Like I said, MOVE!" . Carshel looked at him. "Huh?" Shadow grabbed his hand and began leading him down the tunnel behind Patterson. T'Lin grunted and pushed to her feet, plodding along behind them. . Den shrugged, "Well, great." He was moving kind of slow anyway, so figured he might as well bring up the rear. He switched his rifle over to his left hand, since his right was acting up still. He could still use the right arm to prop the rifle on his forearm for stability. . Kyle reached a brightly lit room at the end of the corridor and peeked in. "Hey," he said, pointing with his WAR rifle, "don't that look like some kind o' computer terminal or sumpin'?" . Hines nodded and answered softly, "Yeah, I see it." He gave a chin-point, "Perimeter secure?" . Kyle looked carefully then answered, "I ain't seein' nuttin', Big'Un! Get Tabbykins up here and see whut he can do, huh? Thar's another door over yonder, though." Again he pointed with his rifle." . Hines nodded, "All right, let's block that door for the moment. Don't want any surprises." He opened the commlink, " Tabby, T'Lin, got a computer terminal up here. Need a hack." . In the rear of their small party, Bevin was advancing, her bow in hand, an arrow nocked. At her back, walking backwards so he could see to their rear, was Tabby, his bat'leth in hand. Tabby murmured, "If I can't hear like I used to, I can sure as hell see just fine, right Hon?" . Bevin smiled then tapped Tabby's shoulder and pointed towards the doorway to the lighted room they were approaching.
. Tabby muttered again, "Once we are safe, I need Shadow to look at my ears." He heard Hines' comm signal but didn't make out what was said. He opened the commlink and said, "Huh?" He turned to Bevin and asked, "What'd he say? The frequency is odd." . The rest of the Away Team (Patterson, Den, Shadow, T'Lin, Carshel, and Khal'Gon) caught up with the Bevin and Tabby just as Hines responded to Tabby's question. "It's a big screen with a lotta weird letters and symbols. Walk your ass up here and take a look at it before I have Khal'Gon CARRY you up here!" . Khal'Gon grinned mischievously at Tabby. "Did you hear THAT, half-breed?" . Tabby looked up at the massive Klingon-Nausicaan hybrid, a look of devastation on his face as he responded, "No ... I ... didn't. He's too ... squeaky? Like sneakers on polished floors squeaky." . Bevin felt defensive of her future husband and explained over the open commlink, in her distinctive Brogue, "Taibby's ears war daimijed ain tha aixplawshun. I'm trainslaitin fer haim." . Khal'Gon chuckled, "Never thought I'd hear 'Hines' and 'Squeaky' in the same sentence!" . Tabby smiled at him, "I can hear you just fine, though, naturally. So far, everyone over the comms sounds squeaky as hell, and it's really irritating." . Bevin decided to use her telepathic abilities to improve her translation for Tabby and informed him, ~We need you to hack into their computer, dear.~ It was strange that her telepathic voice had no trace of the Scottish Brogue that sometimes made understanding her somewhat challenging. . "Ooh!" Tabby cooed. "Right, gotcha, just point to which one and I'll see what I can do." He lowered his voice and spoke just to Bevin, "Uh, I might need your ears though, hon." . She smiled back at him and sent him her thoughts, ~You got it.~
. Patterson, Den, and T'Lin had moved past the others and caught up with Hines and Kyle in the brightly lit room. The room appeared to be some kind of control room. But all the panels were distinctly NOT very Kyrathian! They were electrical panels and computer consoles, not plant fibers and nodes! . Den looked around and said, "Well ... that's different, and definitely not from here. Wonder who put all this down here." . Patterson moved into the room, "What've we got?" He asked of his advance scouts as he tried to access one of the terminals. . The rest of the team trickled into the room as well. T'Lin was moving as if in a fog, but headed over to one of the terminals, scanning it with a tricorder. Carshel was still confused and nearly stone deaf, but he saw computer monitors and figured he might could use them. Shadow hovered in the center of the room, watching Den with his injuries as well as those of Tabby and Carshel, and even T'Lin's imbalance, and sending telepathic yet subconscious feelings of security to try to keep them calm. . Hines stood in the center of the room, his eyes started following some of the exposed wiring from the computer console up the wall, trying to find their source. The wires went into a conduit that goes up through the ceiling. There was no way to trace it beyond that point, though. "Man," he grumbled, "These wires just don't seem to end." . Suddenly, Den stiffened. In his head, over his Borg interlink, he heard the voice of MAX, the Artificial Intelligence of the Penumbra's Reconnaissance Systems! ~Den, can you hear me?~ . "MAX? What the hell?", he both thought it through the Borg interlink and said it out loud.
. Patterson turned to Den, "Did you say, 'MAX'?" . But Den didn't answer right away. MAX was speaking to him over the interlink. ~I am currently downloaded to your sister's Borg Interlink. I am using your unique identifiers to pinpoint the Away Team's location through your signal, with your sister's consent. We are attempting to resupply your team.~ . Shadow moved over to T'Lin and gestured at the strange writing on one of the terminals. "T'Lin, do you have any idea what it is?" . T'Lin didn't answer. She just scowled slightly, trying to focus, and slapped one hand against the console table in frustration. Beside her, Carshel was trying to help. He asked, "What am I looking for?" Shadow moved beside him to help. . Finally, Den responded to Patterson's query. "Well, isn't that interesting. Patterson, I'm in contact with MAX. Somehow, they're using my sister's interlink to pinpoint our location, and are trying to get us a resupply." He smirked slightly as he thought about the computer program artificial intelligence hitching a ride on the cybernetic implants left behind from when both he and his sister had been assimilated by the Borg. ~That wasn't weird at all, nooo,~ he thought to himself. . Patterson raised an eyebrow at him and grinned, "I'm gonna need to read the reports on that!" . Lance Corporal Kyle, who'd been standing near the far wall where he'd found the other door, pointed at one display panel. "Hey, y'all, them big red letters could be some kind o' warnin', huh? Whatcha think it says?" . Carshel was looking in Kyle's direction but couldn't understand anything he said. He pointed at one ear, shook his head, and said, "Kyle, I can't hear you, show me, please." . Shadow suggested, "Can someone tie in a Universal Translator?" . Carshel now turned to him and did the same gesture, "I can't hear. Please show."
. Tabby looked over the consoles. "Hmm ... maybe some hot-wiring could work in our favor." He glanced at Bevin, "What do you think, hon?" . Den got another message from MAX and turned to Patterson, "MAX says that a resupply should be here in about 30 seconds, Colonel." . Shadow showed Carshel what they were looking for and the younger man studied the screen, a look of frustration on his face. "That isn't Kyrathian, the ugly bugs that hate us. That isn't what they speak on the screen." . Tabby had crawled underneath the console and pryed open a panel. "Welp," he said, flexing his fingers, "Time to plug this in and see if it helps. Otherwise, I'll get zapped to sheet again!" . With Tabby's help, they managed to get the Universal Translator plugged in and in a few seconds, they received a translation of the warning message: "Unrecognized contaminant in primary core."