Shakedown #112"
By: Riaan, Operations Manager, [PST]
Kelly Forrester, Assistant Chief Operations Officer, [RNPC]
Stardate: 58203.08 0800
==OPS OFFICE==
Star Date 58202.8 0800
Kelly Forrester walked into the Operations office and noticed Ensign Riaan was already at work. This was good because she planned on delegating some of her upcoming workload. The Captain had decided that the ship needed a few Civilian positions filled. Since the Zion was a warship in active duty there were few civilians on board as a matter of fact Miranda was the only one. The captain had asked her to see to it that a ships barber was hired as well as a staff of 5 to maintain the mess hall. Unfortunately, the captain had taken the time to visit the mess hall and found that it was, true to its name a mess.
"Good morning Riaan," she said. "How are you?"
I am fine and how are you, as Riaan looked at Kelly smiling.
"I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a hand. I have a great deal of work to do when we get to Qul Tuq."
Sure that is not a problem.
"Great! I appreciate it," said Forrester as she handed a PADD to Riaan. "The Captain would like us to interview for 6 civilian positions once we return to Qul Tuq. He would like us to hire a ships barber, and a team of 5 to maintain the mess hall. One of whom will be the mess hall manager."
Yes I can help with those interviews. Riaan thought to herself that this could be rather tedious but it had its upside, she got the opportunity to get to know others also as to what they were like before the rest of the crew. She knew that each civilian could possible take any where from 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Riaan thought to herself maybe she just might get lucky afterwards and have a chance to enjoy shore leave on Qul Tuq after wards, but it was hard to judge at this time it was to early she would have to wait and play it by ear.
"Okay, then" said Forrester, "I also have some maintenance reports I would like you to review. If you could have a summary to me by 1500 hours that would be good."
Forrester handed Riaan a PADD. "I was wondering if you could also pull a double shift and take bridge duty on the beta shift?"
That won't be a problem replied Riaan.
Forrester stood up and dismissed Riaan with a nod of the head, "Very good ensign."
Riaan knew that she had plenty of time to get the report done and handed back to Kelly before reporting in at 1600 it was going to be a long night ahead of her and she couldn't wait till her shift was done at 0800 the next day to get some sleep.
Shakedown #137"
By: Favor, Medic / Morale Officer, [PST]
Stardate: 58203.08 0900
From: Ensign Favor, MWR Officer
To: Zion Crew
RE: My Name, And A Game
Let me be the first to say it: The game at the end of this memo is lame at best. It ranks only slightly above Shiga-ball in terms of being interesting. But it's all I've got. I don't have anything else.
So anyway, I have no first or last names. I have a single name. It's Favor. Favor is not my last name. It's not my first name. It's simply...my name.
My first name is not Personal. My first name is not Sexual. My name is simply Favor. I've heard all the jokes. I took the razzing at the Academy. You can't come up with a new spin on a tired old joke so don't bother trying. And if you DO try, if you DO decide to make a joke about my name, I'll start disliking you.
And...I like you! I really do! And it would make me sad to have to change my position on that. I don't handle change well. I don't handle it well at all. So, please don't put me in a position where I am going to have to change my feelings about you, and start disliking you. OK? OK!
I hate to keep beating, but the horse ain't dead yet. Don't make a joke about my name. I'll have to scowl at you and bare all my pretty white fangs in a menacing way, which promotes early wrinkling. So, don't do that. Don't make a joke about my name. I hate gnashing my teeth. I hate it when I do that! It's really hard on the molars, too.
OK, the horse is dead.
So, anyway, what's in a name? A Favor by any other name still smells as sweet, or so I'm told. My name could be Dung Heap and I'd still be the same person.
So if your name isn't who you are...isn't what makes you YOU...then what happens when someone STEALS your name?
Well let me spell it out for you, people. When someone stole MY name, I got BEEPING BEEPED.
This happened to me, twice.
The first time, someone stole my monetary account card back on Risa, and used it in a Glint Shop to buy a pipe used for smoking glint. I was outraged! Outraged, I say!
They never caught that particular BEEP, unfortunately. And, I did get my 160 fengo back that the BEEP spent on the pipe. Eventually. They really put me through the gauntlet. I kept screaming, "I'm the VICTIM here, people!" And they kept yawning and saying, "Sign here, sign there."
I had to sign a bunch of legal forms and then swear on a stack of holo-religious texts, that I didn't buy that pipe. But they did give my money back. "Your record is clean," they promised. Hmm, why don't I believe this? These were the same people who just authorized a glint pipe purchase using a stolen card. Why should I have any faith in them?
I am convinced that somewhere, in some computer, is the information that my card with my name on it was used for this dastardly purchase. This information just sits there...pending...Just waiting to leap out and mar my wonderful good name!
And that chaps me, let me tell you! That SO chaps me! Oh, if I could get my hands around the neck of the BEEP that stole my monetary card and used it to buy something questionable, let me tell you. Bad things would happen. I would break my Hippocratic oath. So I guess it's a good thing that they never caught the BEEP who did this. Good for him, that is.
Not too many things tick me off....well...actually that's not true. Here's a list of things that tick me off:
1. People touching my medical instrument. I believe you've been warned about that already.
2. People who fail to vote for Bev Peabody in every election.
3. People who make jokes about my name and ask me if my first name is Personal or Sexual.
4. People who eat too much ice cream out of the reincarnator (yes, yes, I know what it's called! I like the term "reincarnator" better than the REAL term! Work with me, people!)
5. People who lay around thinking up ways to make other people's lives a misery.
6. Authority figures.
Oh, forget it, I don't have all night! This list could take longer than I thought. But you get the idea.
Anyway, the SECOND time someone stole my identity, I thought to myself, "What is this person's problem? Does this person have nothing better to do than go around impersonating me? (see # 5 on the above list). What the BEEP is up with that?" (To coin a slang phrase!).
The second time, this BEEP was a friend of mine. She was someone that I actually knew and trusted. And the BEEP actually went around, pretending to be me! She used my real name and said it was hers!
Now she got "me" all wrong on several accounts. "You couldn't act your way out of a paper bag," I wanted to tell her. "You can try and try but you will never be me. It's just a goal that is too unreachable for you. You should just be yourself. No one will like you, because you're not a very nice person, but at least you won't look so pathetic, trying to be ME."
I didn't say this to her, but I wanted to.
First of all, she pretended that I like Shiga-ball. Well let me tell you, I don't like Shiga-ball. In fact, I hate Shiga-ball. It's boring. It's a boring sport. It's a boring game. I'd rather spend the afternoon drinking bleach, than spend the afternoon watching a Shiga-ball game. It's so boring that I won't waste the effort describing it to you.
Another thing this friend did while she was impersonating me, was to pretend that I ate fish sticks out of the reincarnator for supper. Can you imagine my utter contempt? Fish sticks as we all know are made up of leftover crud from the bottom of the fish processor. God only knows what's in them. Lips and BEEPS if you ask me. Personally, I wouldn't feed a fishstick to a starving cat in a lifeboat.
My name is pretty important to me. Would you like it if someone who SAID she was your friend, went around doing despicable things, all the while proclaiming, "Look everyone! I'm Ensign Favor (except switch this part out and insert your name here)! I like fishsticks and Shiga-ball!"
No, I didn't think you would. I didn't like it when it happened to me, either.
So this all begs the question of WHY. Why would someone assume another person's identity?
I am sure that you all are an insightful lot, and can come up with some good answers. I will give you one week. The person who comes up with the best reason as to why a person would assume another person's identity, will receive a free copy of "The Klingons Start A Prison Riot."
This will be the first of many contests that you can look forward to. I'm a little low on imagination in these troubled times, for fun things that we can do, but work with me, people. For the love of God, work with me!
Figuring out what makes others act as they do can be a mind-bender at times. Other times, the answer is surprisingly obvious.
End transmission
Shakedown #152"
By: Charles Atwood, Chief Intelligence Officer, [PST]
Jonathan Wright, Executive Officer, [PC]
Stardate: 58203.08 0945
=USS Zion - Intelligence Office=
After his meeting with the Captain Wright went to the Intelligence office to meet with Atwood. He found him in his office and entered. "Good morning Lieutenant. How are you today?"
"Very Well Sir, how may I help You?", said Charles
"The Captain and I have reviewed you personnel request for your mission. I want to stress to you that this is a clandestine operation. You will be in enemy territory and may need to move quickly. A team as large as you are suggesting would hamper that cause." In addition we simply cannot spare to send a doctor along on your mission." Wright paused and added "By the way, you might want to double check your records. The three candidates you have listed for doctors are not currently on the Zion."
"Well... Yes as you know we are currently going to Qul Tuq, Most of the candidates are there specially the medical personnel, and of course they are well trained in black ops, Sir", Said Charles trying to determine where the XO was going with this conversation.
"Surely you know that the Captain cannot authorize personnel that are not under his command to join you on this mission." Said Wright. "Also, it is important that you keep in mind that Jenkins somehow knew that the Kittyhawk was transporting our senior staff. It is also no coincidence that the Zion's warp engines malfunctioned There is possibly a spy in our midst. That is why the success of your mission depends on it's secrecy."
"Yes sir I'm Aware of that and I'm currently working on that particular issue, about the undercover mission I'm gonna use the misdirection factor. While I start giving a hand to the engineering compliment I will begin an investigation to uncover the mole", said Charles
"The Captain and I have decided that you may take one trained Intelligence officer with you." said Wright.
"Of course Sir The thing is that I would have left the other part of the crew in the cargo shuttle that I have selected for the mission and they are just dummies to fill the crew compliment and just in case something goes wrong I liked to have a medical officer on board waiting for us", said Charles trying to explain a little his plans for the mission.
"I see", said Wright thoughtfully. "Jenkins seems to be one step ahead of us. The less people that know of this mission the safer it will be for you. The contact that the captain has provided you will also serve as your contact back to us. He will be able to get information back to the Captain." said Wright. "Good luck Lieutenant, and be careful."
"Thanks sir I will and thanks for giving me the chance to prove my abilities as an intelligence officer in a mission so important as this one", said Charles while he saluted Commander Wright
Wright returned the Lieutenant's salute and left the agent's office. He relaxed a little after having spoken to Atwood. One of the hardest things that captains and sometimes XO's had to do was to tell a person's loved ones that they were dead. He hoped desperately that they would not have to do this for Lieutenant Atwood.
Shakedown #84"
By: Riaan, Operations Manager, [PST]
Brittany Lindsey, Chief Flight Officer, [PST]
Jeff Westfall, Tactical Officer, [PST]
Stardate: 58203.08 1000
Lt Lindsey was in the mess hall when she bumped into Ensign Riaan
Hello Ensign Riaan
Hello how are you doing today, ask Riaan to Lindsay?
I'm fine and yourself, asked Lindsey?
I am doing pretty good, replied Riaan.
So anything exciting happening today?
No, replied Lindsey. I got to fill out a report for the captain, but then my day will be clear after my shift if you want to do something
I am just grabbing breakfast then I have to create a report on how maintenance is progressing before I report to duty at 1600.
Ok, replied Lindsey.
After I have to get a bit of sleep I have to pull a double shift and wont be done till 0800 tomorrow but if I finish and have a bit of spare time before taking a nap that would be fantastic. Riaan walked to the replicator and order a toasted western with a coffee. So what are you having for breakfast asked Riaan?
Lindsey stepped up to the replicator and order scrambled eggs with maple syrup on the side and personal drink 3 please The computer gave her breakfast and her personal drink which was an old earth drink called Sprite.
Riaan and Lindsey headed over to a vacant table and sat down to eat.
Riaan looked at Lindsey and asked so what perked your interest in joining the Maquis Alliance?
Well really I had a choice whether to stay in the alliance or be a prisoner. I'm sure you would have chosen the same thing I did.
Yes I more then likely would have done the same thing and I don't blame you. Riaan left it at that not prying any further not being her business. So how long have you been a flight officer, asked Riaan if you don't mind me asking.
Most of my career replied, Lindsey. What did you do before that, asked Lindsey.
I hope you enjoy what you do, I understand some do it to please their parents, not me I found my own way. I was on the Panther basically a mercenary so you can understand why I changed career paths, I hope.
Yes I can see why replied Lindsey. I am just glad I could be on this ship though. It was pure luck that I got the post.
Jeff Westfall arrived in the mess hall, looking neat, but tired. His uniform was pressed, but his face told a story of lost sleep. Jeff walked over to the table and said to Lindsey and Riaan, "Hello, do you mind if I join you"?
Lindsey replied, not at all Ensign Westfall.
Sure have a seat replied Riaan.
Thanks, replied Jeff.
We were just talking about our careers, replied Lindsey.
An excellent choice, Lindsey, replied Jeff.
How has your day been going Ensign Westfall, asked Lindsey?
A little messy actually, I'm trying to diagnose some anomalies in a bridge simulator that I'm designing for the holodeck. *BUT* I'm using actual ship's log data as the basis of the performance/reaction--that's the part that's proving a little tricky, because there's not much of it at the moment.
You could try accessing other ships logs and use that as a point. I'd be happy to help you later replied Lindsey.
Actually I'd never thought of doing a merge. That's a great idea. Maybe if we can get together after hours, I could have you check out the flight systems. My specialty is tactical, so I don't know much more than the basics and strategic, so that would help me out."
Ok, replied Lindsey to Jeff that would be great I would love to help you.
Riaan looked at Westfall and asked so why did you choose to join the alliance and how long have you been a tactical officer.
Well, when the Federation went "off it's founding principles" as defined by the Charter of the United Federation of Planets, I was serving with Starfleet, we were away from base, and our Captain at the time, decided this wasn't morally right. The senior staff had a command conference, and they all agreed. There was a briefing of the crew, and to a man, all voted to "Forsake" The Federation.
Lt Lindsey Report to the Flight Office.
What's the problem there?
We have a small leak.
It can wait. I'll be there at 1130 ok Lindsey, out.
That's why I like asst. Chiefs, replied Lindsey.
Westfall grinned, "I know what you mean about that".
Well I better get going myself I have a report to do and submit at 1500 and I still need a nap especially pulling a double shift it has been great talking to the two of you, replied Riaan.
Yeah, thanks for the company Riaan, Jeff said.
You are welcome who know we maybe able to do this another day as Riaan got up and picked her tray up to return to the replicator before heading off to get the report done.
Ok I might as well get that Report to the captain to, replied Lindsey. I'll talk to you tomorrow about the bridge simulator after I get some flight logs from other ships. You might want to get some tactical reports too.
That sounds like a good idea. We can always drop the imports out of the merge as we get more of the Zion's.
Ok, unfortunately I have to be leaving. No telling what the flight crew did now. Have a nice day Jeff, replied Lindsey.
Let me know if you need tactical analysis of the flight log, replied Lindsey.
And you too, replied Jeff
Ok Ensign Westfall. Brittany got up and went to the Replicator with Jeff. "Computer Recycle."
Shakedown #128"
By: Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Stardate: 58203.08 1115
==Mess Hall==
Teilani walked into the large open Mess Hall, seeing several crewmembers that were not on duty. She walked over to the replicator and ordered "I would like some Appel jack pancakes with maple sirup. For my drink, I would like a bottle of pure orange juice."
When she had collected the meal she sat one of the small table's. As she ate her way through her breakfast, she began to wonder about the type of holodeck training, the choice of missions which were listed in the ships computer were not that interesting the way they were, however, there was a Klingon training session which looked interesting. As Teilani had a degree in holodeck programming it might be worth to spice up the already existing program. After she had finished her meal she went to Holodeck 8.
==Holodeck 8==
With their classic hissing and clunking, the holodeck doors opened to reveal the yellow-on-black emitter grid of the deck. It was a sight Teilani didn't even see anymore, instead her imagination supplanted it with images from the simulations she had created or participated in - often enough both at once.
Softly singing to herself she entered a number of modifications meant to spice up today's exercise program.
This was gonna be fun!
Computer start program: Dane1alpha omega 6
With a shimmer the holodeck changed and Teilani stood in the middle of the midnight deserts of Q'onoS with only a bow staff in her hands. She was looking left then right. Her 3 opponents were staring at her like she was a piece of flesh and it was feeding time at the zoo.
Teilani smiled, just one more thing:
Computer disable safety protocols Disableling safety protocols is not allowed, the computer responded. Override, Dane1alpha 237 Acknowledged
Teilani’s eyes darted back and forth assessing her opponents. The tall Klingon in the middle was carrying a Gin`tak, a wavy-bladed Klingon spear used in battle. He was smiling a toothy grin that said they could be friends after battle, but Teilani would rather cut off her own hands.
His two comrades weren't much more attractive. The one of the left was shorter but more muscular. He had a bat`leth, turning it over and over in his hands, preparing for battle, to split her spine if she would let him.
The Klingon on the right was a little more agitated, Teilani had already bested him when she first started this simulation. He was acting as scout and tried to take her down himself - a big mistake. Now his pride was wounded. He would be looking to liberate her head from her shoulders with his Kut`luch, the double bladed weapon was wielded by Klingon assassins for centuries. Teilani knew she had to avoid the serrated blade or it would inflict serious wounds upon her sleek human body.
"Bring it on, boys," Teilani said with a sneer. "I don't have all day! choSuj! tuHIvlaH! jISaHbe'!"
the 3 Klingons growled as the fight started with the 1st Klingon throwing out a few lazy jabs, which Teilani parried with ease. Was this the best they could do? They both danced around for a while, Teilani on the defensive. The workout gathered pace and after a further 20 minutes Teilani felt the sweat trickling down her back.
The 3 Klingons were putting more and more power into their jabs and were mixing in a few new attack patterns as well. They still hadn't caught her yet but her forearms where she had been blocking were beginning to hurt. It was then that Teilani changed her tactics. She ducked under another powerhouse straight right and lashed her left foot straight out into the taller opponent midriff. The Klingon whiffed and took a backward step but managed to cut Teilani’s opper arm. The sudden pain awoke Teilani, what was she doing?? Trying to get herself killed??
Computer end program and exit.
With a shimmer the surroundings changed back in the familiar yellow and black hologrid. Teilani looked at her self up and down and checked her opperarm, before she exited the holodeck. Hopefully she did not meet anyone in the corridors.
Shakedown #86"
By: Ian Hunter, Commanding Officer, [PC]
Stardate: 58203.08 2050
=Deck 2 Holodeck 3=
Hunter got up from the place near the brook where he had been sitting, trying to relax for a better part of a half an hour. It was a nice program, but it wasn't really designed entirely for him. He got up and looked around. The detail was nice, the brook along the forest's edge, the meadow, with all its flowers and of course the trees in the forest. "Arch" he said.
He turned around after the control center and door appeared seemingly at the beginning of a trail that went into the woods.
His eyes scanned the meadows. Hunter put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. "Chester! come on boy!" he called loudly.
A few moments later Chester emerged from a clump of tall grasses with a mouse in his mouth.
Hunter chuckled, "you got one today eh?" He didn't know of any other pets that had their own holo-sim. "Lets go" said Hunter stepping through the door. He watched as Chester pranced with his prey through the door. He pawed at the ground as the mouse vanished. Hunter smiled and shook his head, "you know you can't take it with you."
He reached down and picked up Chester and carried him back to his quarters.
=Captain's Quarters=
As the door closed, Hunter stood a moment in the darkness. He let himself be absorbed into it.
Even that didn't last but a few moments, Chester began to squirm. "Lights 40%" said Hunter putting down the dark tabby cat with a white belly.
Hunter went over to the desk in his quarters and quick looked at his messages and ship status.
He glanced at his agenda for the next day. Tomorrow was the memorial for the Kittyhawk victims. He would be glad to have that heartache behind him.
He decided to go to Miranda's for a night cap. As he walked down the hallway, He felt a little uncomfortable. The civilian cloths made him feel like he was being seen in pajamas.
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