USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202110.01
The Penumbra was in interstellar space within the boundaries of the Breen Confederacy. They had met with a Zhenkarian Corsaire, V'rot Ka'Gun, to whom they'd been directed by Admiral Sulyk through various Starfleet Intelligence connections, and with whom Col. Travis Patterson made 'an accord' to 'answer the phone' if and when Ka'Gun called. In exchange for this accord, Ka'Gun directed them to where they could find the Ferengi merchant, Galex.
This Galex is someone LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris knows, or knows about. He was the owner/operator of the Casino on the Plaza Royale deck of the ISS Reciprocity back when Captain Adam Android was in command. Tabby was born on the Reciprocity and spent the first few years of his life there. While Tabby doesn't have any personal memories of interaction with Galex (he was very young and the Casino owner wouldn't have interacted with a small child), Tabby did hear stories of Galex from his parents and his 'Uncle Adam' in the years afterward. He feels he knows Galex, well enough, at least, and knows they shouldn't trust him.
After finding Galex's luxury liner (basically a gaudy 'party barge'), they trapped it with their Grabby Hands dual tractor beams, punched a whole in Galex's shields using a highly focused tetryon beam, and then transported Galex off his ship and to the Penumbra's Observation Lounge.
Meanwhile, in Sickbay, LtCmdrs. Denovan and Katarina Hawke, were still having trouble with hallucinations caused by some kind of malfunction in their Borg implants. LtCmdr. T'Lin and Dr. Shadow K'Trevala came up with a blend of herbs and other medicines they think should treat the Hawkes' hallucinations, but there would be side-effects. The physical ones would be relatively minor, things like upset stomach, bad breath, moderate headache, maybe a little diarrhea. It's the mental side-effects that may be problematic: first, the Hawkes would lose their Borg interlink with each other while taking the medicine (this would be temporary); second, their other 'Borg abilities' dependent on the interface between their brains and their implants, may be 'impeded'; third, this medicine is a temporary solution to a problem for which they still hadn't fully identified the source. Den decided he would take the medicine first and see how badly the side-effects were, before subjecting his younger sister to them.
Cdre. Zak Taylor sat in the Command Chair with Col. Travis Patterson in the XO seat just to his right on the starboard side of the ship. In front of them were LtCmdr. Jason Carter at the Helm to the starboard side and LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris at Operations on the port side. Along the starboard wall were Cmdr. Relok and Lt. Jackson Carshel in the Sciences area, and on the port side in the Reconnaissance Area were SgtMaj. Derek Hines and SSgt. Will Davies. And Lt. Re'Libel Standin filled in for LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke at the Tactical Station at the port side rail.
Zak glanced at Patterson and said, "How about we have Khal'Gon insure our 'guest' is 'secure'?" He gestured towards the door that led to the Observation Lounge where Galex had been beamed.
Patterson smirked as he stood and began strolling towards the Lounge, "I think he already has."
Zak turned back to the front and said, "Tabby, keep a hold on Galex's ship with our Grabby Hands ... wouldn't want it drifting off or anything."
Tabby grunted, "That's debatable. But ... yes, sir." He verified the Grabby Hands had a firm grip on Galex's ship.
Relok turned and glanced over at Hines across the Bridge, "I've been trying to scan Galex's ship, as I assume you are as well. I'm getting a dozen or so 'sensor glitches' scattered around his ship."
But it was Tabby who responded, "I figured it would be like that, Relok. Lex is the type of guy where if he doesn't want you to know, you won't know."
Hines nodded and gave a sigh. "Yeah, it's a headache for sure."
Patterson stood near the door to the short corridor leading to the Observation Lounge. He turned back towards the Commodore and said, "Think we've got him sweating enough yet?"
Zak turned towards the Colonel and answered, "I'd like to join you with Galex, if you're OK with it. It's your show right now."
Tabby asked, "Should I come as well?"
Patterson nodded at the Commodore, but raised a hand to forestall Tabby. "I think the two of us need to have a chat with him for now, Tabby."
"Understood," Tabby said and turned back to his console.
Zak stood and moved to join Patterson, then turned towards the Operations Chief. "Tabby, you hang in here for now. We'll save you as a 'trump card' if needed. And ... you have the Bridge."
Relok, at the Primary Science Station, cleared his throat. "Ahem ... sirs?"
Zak glanced over and noticed Relok. "Oh! Sorry. Right, Relok. You're senior officer here, aren't you? The Bridge is yours. Relax, Tabby."
But Tabby responded with a noise, "Pfft. We both know it's MY Bridge, Captain."
Zak just smiled at him as he and Patterson stepped through the door and off the Bridge.
The old Ferengi, Galex, was grumbling in the Observation Lounge was MstSgt. Khal'Gon stepped from the corridor into the Lounge. Khal'Gon raised an eyebrow at him but remained silent, merely glaring at the Ferengi's back.
Sensing the glare, Galex turned and noticed the huge half-Nausicaan, half-Klingon glaring at him and gulped before muttering, "Oh, you're a big guy, aren't you? I'm guessing I'm supposed to be intimidated?"
Khal'Gon grumbled under his breath a moment and then said, "You're on my ship ... and I wasn't told we were expecting guests."
"Yeah, well," Galex answered, "I wasn't expecting to be on your ship, Big Guy. So, I'm guessing that Patterson fella has me stewing in here to prime me for negotiations. Well, I'm an old hat at this sort of thing, you know." He pulled out a chair and took a seat, propping his feet on the table.
Khal'Gon growled and took one huge step forward, slapping the Ferengi's boots off the table. "MY ship, not yours! You'll treat it with respect!"
Galex feigned injury, "Oh! My legs! I can't feel my legs!" Rubbing his thighs he continued, "I'm sure the Breen Justice Patrol would love to hear of my complaint against ... hmm ...," he glanced around the Observation Lounge, taking in the décor, then said, "the Federation, eh?"
Cdre. Zak Taylor and Col. Travis Patterson stepped through the door just in time to see the boot slap. Zak stepped to the side of the table instead of his usual place at the head, pulled out a chair, and took a seat.
Patterson remained standing. He said, "Galex of Ferenginar, we finally meet at last. I have heard a lot of controversy about you." He smirked and added, "You can stop with the theatrics."
Galex dropped his charade and said, "Finally! You owe me 250 strips of latinum for my time!"
Zak pulled out a PADD and made a note, saying, "I'll register the 250 as part of our negotiations, Mr. Galex."
Galex grunted, then asked, "So, what is a Federation Starship doing in the Breen Confederacy anyway? That's got to be a good story. I'd be willing to pay for it. Not much, mind you, but ...," he trailed off.
Patterson waved Khal'Gon off and the big Marine stepped back to a corner of the room, keeping a close watch on Galex. Patterson gave the Commodore a quick glance, then turned back to Galex. "Starfleet Intelligence sent us to the border of Breen Space to investigate the activity of the Typhon Pact, as well as reports of Zhenkarian Corsaires in the region. We detected a Borg signal shortly after, and we've come this far to gather further information. We've reason to believe the Breen have taken possession of Borg technology they do not understand ...," he trailed off as well.
Zak raised an eyebrow at Patterson, surprised at how forthcoming he was being with the Ferengi.
Galex squinted at Patterson a moment, then said, "Well, my lobes are tingling, so I think you're telling the truth, and without asking for a price up front. Stupid Hoo-mon."
Zak glanced at Patterson, then spoke up, "We have it on good authority that you might be involved in more than just profit-making out here, Mr. Galex."
Galex grunted, "I'm always profit-making, Hoo-mon. And just what authority is out here that you would call 'good' anyway? I don't think the Feds have been watching the Breen for years."
Patterson responded, "See, here's the problem, Galex. There are certain members within Federation High Command that are highly interested in our findings, and ... potentially ... would pay handsomely for anything we consider 'actionable intel.'"
Galex sat back, running a finger along one of his enormous ears. "'Actionable intel', eh? And what sort of action would the Federation be interested in in the Breen Confederacy, eh? And how much would it cost me with the Breen?"
Suddenly, Zak's commbadge chirped with a call from Lt. Standin, their Tactical Officer, "Comm ... um, Mr. Taylor ... we have something on long range scans I'd like you to see."
Zak glanced at Patterson and stood. "If you gentlemen will excuse me."
Patterson looked at the Commodore and gave him a quick nod and Zak left the room.
Once the door slid shut again behind Zak, Patterson returned his attention to Galex. "You're a businessman. You tell me."
Galex watched Zak leave, squinting in concentration, then turned back to Patterson. "Well, see, I have this contract with ... certain individuals ... to monitor specific activities in exchange for a regular stipend. And, your presence will complicate that contract. So ... you'd have to outbid my previous contract. Only ... I don't think you'll be able to."
Patterson's face took on a grim look. "You seem to underestimate the capabilities of Section 31, Mr. Galex."
Galex laughed out loud. "Section 31? They're a myth! But ... you're getting warmer. But ... I think we should probably end this dead-end negotiation before we're interrupted."
Patterson smirked then straightened and said, "Computer, seal the doors to this room, authorization Raven-3-1-5-3-9-Omega." The computer trilled a moment, checking the authorization code, then chirped that the room was sealed. Satisfied, Patterson pulled out the chair and took a seat. "Admiral Sulyk sends his regards, by the way."
Galex started slightly, "Sulyk? He's still alive?"
Relok nodded at Tabby as he moved to the center chair. "Mr. Tibris, can you assist Mr. Hines in deciphering those blind spots in our sensor feeds. Galex is hiding something and I'd like to know what."
Tabby groaned. "Do I have to? You have any idea what kind of a headache that'll be?"
Relok raised an eyebrow at him. "That's why I'm having you help Mr. Hines. I'm sure it'll be quite the challenge."
Tabby just groaned again. "That's the point."
A few moments later, Tabby said, "So how much do you wanna bet that Khal'Gon is going to pummel Lex? Anybody?"
Carter shook his head. "I wouldn't put it past him, but I also don't want the headache of dealing with legal concerns."
Relok responded, "I would be willing to wager against you. Two credits that the Commodore reins in Khal'Gon before he can deliver a blow."
Tabby spun, sticking out a hand. "Oooh! You're SO on!"
Another few minutes passed and Tabby let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'm no hacker! I plug things into places. What the heck are we looking at Hines?"
But Hines didn't answer, engrossed in trying to untangle Galex's web of false readings and sensor glitches.
Tabby glanced up at the main viewer where the image of Galex's ship floated in space. "God," he said, "that thing's ugly. It's lit up like a Christmas tree, it's bulky like a stuffed pig, and colorful like Easter threw up on it."
Relok glanced at Tabby's back and responded, "Now there's an interesting visual, 'Easter threw up on it'. Fitting, perhaps, but ... just ... strange."
Tabby laughed. "Something dad used to always say to mom when she got him new clothing. She likes colorful, he likes plain." He waved again at Galex's ship. "Bottom line: that thing's ugly, no doubt about it."
Another moment passed and then Hines flinched, blinking. "What was that?"
Tabby flinched too. "What? Show me?"
Standin didn't flinch, exactly, but he did turn and glance at Hines, then double-checked his own scans. "A ripple? Could it be a cloaked ship? Maybe ... who Galex was waiting for?"
Tabby barked out, "Report it to the Captain immediately, Standin."
Standin tapped his commbadge, "Comm- ...," he hesitated, stopping short of using his rank, then said instead, "Um, Mr. Taylor ... we have something on long range scans I'd like you to see."
Relok ordered, "Mr. Standin, re-engage the MIRAGE. Mr. Carter, give us some distance from Galex's ship. Tabby ... kill the Grabby Hands. Hines, watch his ship in case it decides to leave Galex behind."
Tabby said, "Oh, cool, I get to let go of this ugly thing! Okay." He deactivated the Grabby Hands and engaged the MIRAGE for Standin, then smiled in glee as the "party barge" started to drift slowly away from them.
Carter responded, "Aye, sir. Not really anywhere to hide, but I'll back us off a good distance."
Zak stepped onto the Bridge then and said, "Mr. Standin, what's up?"
Standin quickly reported, "Sir, there was a ripple on our long-range scans. Mr. Hines saw it first. I suspect it's who Galex was waiting for."
Zak stepped over to the Recon Area. "Show me, Hines." Relok stood from the Command Chair and walked over to join them.
Hines pulled up long-range scans to show what appeared to be a cloaked vessel holding station at the edge of their sensor range. "Haven't identified it yet."
Davies spoke up, "I might have an idea, sir."
Zak turned to the usually quiet Marine and nodded. "Let's hear it, Sergeant."
But, they didn't get to find out what the Sergeant wanted to say ... yet.
LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry-Tibris, the Penumbra's Chief Engineer, was checking out the Auxiliary Coolant Console that was making a strange buzzing and whirring sound. None of the readings were off, just the odd noises. She removed the outer casing and opened up the console and rooted around inside, finally discovering a cooling fan with a bent blade.
Ens. Al Thums, the Cajun who claimed to be under some sort of Voodoo Curse, leaned over her shoulder. "Well, whaddya know? Who'd have thought that a tiny bump on the outside of the console could bend a fan blade like that? My head's harder than I thought, huh?"
"Aye, Al," Bevin responded in her thick Scottish Brogue, "I ailwyes knew ye haid a haird haid." Just as she said this though, the tiny screw she'd removed from the fan slipped and fell into the console, tinkling and rattling as it fell deep inside the unit. Bevin dug through her tool kit for an extendable magnetic pickup to reach for the dropped screw.
Al chuckled as he tapped his head, "Yeah, well, it's probably all the scar tissue." He watched Bevin reach inside the console with the magnet, then asked, "Hey, that magnet won't upset anything else in there, will it? Like any of the switches or connections or ...," he trailed off.
Bevin gave a slight shrug. "Ait shaeldnae, I daisaigned ait tae be ainvisibil tae ailaiktrawnics."
Al squinted at her, wrestling with the accent. Finally, he figured out she'd said that the magnet shouldn't interfere with anything. She'd designed the tool to be invisible to the electronics.
Deftly, Bevin retrieved the screw and replaced the fan, then closed the console back up. The annoying whir was gone. Until the next thing Al touched messed up!
LtCmdrs. Denovan and Katarina Hawke were in Sickbay after having been relieved of duty due to hallucinations caused by malfunctioning Borg implants. Dr. Shadow K'Trevala and LtCmdr. T'Lin had devised a "drug cocktail" that should reduce the hallucinations, but the side-effects were troubling, so Den had decided to be the "guinea pig" and take the medicine first before subjecting his younger sister to them.
So, Den sat on the edge of a biobed with Shadow carefully keeping tabs on him, while Kat lay curled up around her pillow on the adjacent biobed, half asleep. Kat murmured in a little-girl voice, "I don't wanna go to school! Five more minutes, Mommy!"
Shadow stepped over and gently stroked Kat's hair, reaching out with his empathic abilities to project calmness and relaxation. Kat settled down a little, hugging the pillow close.
Shadow stepped off and picked up his lap harp and began plucking a soft lullaby.
Den gave a sigh. "Well, that's working, a bit." Whether he was referring to the medicine, or Shadow's empathic projection wasn't clear.
Kat tossed, rolling over, "Mom! Tell Den to stop pulling my hair!"
"Tell her to what?" Den asked. Then he said, "She's not here, Kat."
Kat stretched out on the bed and rubbed her eyes. "Of course, Mommy's here, Den." She yawned and laid back down, closing her eyes to go back to sleep.
Den sighed and slipped off the bed he was sitting on, stepping over to Kat. He bent and kissed her forehead. "If thinking that makes you feel better."
She peeked with one eye. "Love you, Denny," she said softly.
"I love you too, Kat," he answered. "And, you're fine," he added.
Kat responded, closing her eyes again, "Mom and Dad may not be physically here, but they were taken into the collective too, Den, just like me. But ... they weren't on the same cube as me."
"I know," Den responded. "They are always there, but ... you should know what I meant." Then he stiffened, looking around Sickbay. "Well, crap!" They didn't know exactly what he was reacting to, but ... they were sure to find out soon!