Session Start: Tue May 19 23:56:39 1998
<Lightning> The Pirate still does not respond to us
<Waitstate> Damn it! Why wont they listen!
<Lightning> The pirate ship still does not respond to us, Cirrus reports their engine has already been disabled by the creature
<Waitstate> Do we have ANY ideas on how to combat that thing?
<Lightning> *turning to Wait*  Cirrus has reported again......
<Lightning> the Harkkian vessel's hull just collasped
<Waitstate> damn... any survivors?
* Admiral-Lilwall enters the Bridge "Hey all, what's happening?"
<Lightning> Cirrus picks up no lifesigns
<Admiral-Lilwall> survivors? what's happened?
<Waitstate> *sigh* tell him to stay with the cloud
<Waitstate> *to Lil* the current report is at your station
<Admiral-Lilwall> the cloud again? *taking his seat* now who took the heat?
<Waitstate> A Harkkian pirate ship
<Admiral-Lilwall> Isn't there a major trade lane in the nearby sector to that location?
<Waitstate> Umm... I'm not really familiar with that sector
<Stardrive> There is.
<Stardrive> If memory serves.
* Vanadis stumbles into the room, waken from her stasis sleep
* Blacknife enters
<Waitstate> Welcome to the bridge you two
<Admiral-Lilwall> *sigh* I wasn't for this option....but we have to destroy that creature before it hits that trade lane
<Stardrive> Easier said than done.
* Vanadis updates her data tracks
<Waitstate> Lil, take the 1st office's station, BK take the helm, Van, take Tac2
<Blacknife> Sorry for the down time
<Vanadis> Creature?
* Blacknife updates as well
* Vanadis walks over to Tac 2 and takes the station
* Blacknife takes helm
<Admiral-Lilwall> *takes his seat and turns to Vanadis*  A cloud like creature, that literally sucks the life energy from organic life
<Admiral-Lilwall> And not easy to deal with
<Vanadis> Organics...
* Vanadis frowns
<Waitstate> We havent yet determined if Cybertronian style life is totally safe from it yet
<Stardrive> We HOPE only organics...
* Vanadis checks her readings
<Stardrive> but who knows.
<Vanadis> Mhm.. nice electric output that thing has...
<Admiral-Lilwall> Perhaphs we should give Restore's theory a go, but with a twist
<Waitstate> *to Lil* Explain
<Admiral-Lilwall> instead of tranquilizing it, perhaphs give an over does of something?
<Admiral-Lilwall> stop it permanatly
<Stardrive> But what?
<Waitstate> We don't really have enough of anything on board to do that with
<Admiral-Lilwall> *to SD* That's something Restore would know
<Stardrive> We don't have any idea what will tranquilize OR kill it.
<Vanadis> Short-circuit it
<Stardrive> Short-circut it?
<Vanadis> Uhm.. yes :)
<Stardrive> It's not an energy creature... I don't think that's possible...
<Admiral-Lilwall> What about a high dose of oxyegen?
<Vanadis> It's a living organism
<Admiral-Lilwall> we know it doesn't like atmospheric conditions
<Vanadis> So you can fry it
<Stardrive> Oxygen...  If we can get it in a force field...
<Waitstate> Lil, I had considered that. We should ask Restore firt. Though she may not tell us out of "respect for life"...
<Stardrive> But how could we do that?
<Admiral-Lilwall> possibly....
<Vanadis> That would require you got it into the outer atmosphere of a planet, or built a forcefield around it
<Admiral-Lilwall> perhaphs we could launch a shield capsule mine along with the payload?
<Admiral-Lilwall> one second after the payload
<Stardrive> A what?
<Waitstate> A shield mine
<Admiral-Lilwall> then the mine creates a force field around the creature with the payload inside
<Admiral-Lilwall> or we try to drag it into a planet's atmosphere
<Stardrive> How big is that thing now?  
<Stardrive> Will a mine be able to create a big enough field?
<Waitstate> start calculating a space fold to the cloud's location, and begin running sims for the shield/oxygen idea
<Lightning> Scanners show it's still at size similar to when we first discovered it
* Blacknife calculates
<Vanadis> Have attempts of commincation failed?
<Admiral-Lilwall> unfortunatly yes
<Vanadis> Direct contact attempted?
<Stardrive> Then it's not growing?
<Lightning> It needs a larger 'meal' to grow
<Stardrive> It ate two ships...
<Admiral-Lilwall> our last contact with it, well....it wasn't pleased when we rescued its lunch
<Lightning> Negative...it only ate the crew of the ships
<Stardrive> You know what I mean.
<Vanadis> Did we send a prope into its systems?
<Waitstate> we did
<Lightning> Perhaphs there was only a small number of crew on the pirate ship?
* Vanadis checks on the data from the probe
* Blacknife watches comp and taps fingers
<Lightning> Cirrus reports the creature is again moving towards the trade lane area
<Lightning> this time at a speed similar to our warp 4
<Waitstate> eta to nearest population center for the cloud?
<Lightning> calculating....
* Blacknife waits for another command
<Lightning> two hours 20mins.  Civilian space station
<Lightning> population approx two thousand, there are small ships in the general area also
<Waitstate> at top IST speeds, can we reach the cloud on an intercept course before it gets there?
<Lightning> we should, but we'd have maybe only a few minutes to spare
<Vanadis> Folks... This thing needs organic DNA to coordinate its own body function
<Admiral-Lilwall> Well, whatever it needs it has to be stopped
<Waitstate> BK, plot an intercept course to the cloud, top speed. Cancel the fold calcs
<Lightning> Cirrus requests orders
<Waitstate> tell him to follow the cloud
* Blacknife plots and cancels
<Waitstate> Engage
* Blacknife engages
<Vanadis> organic life energy is like vitamins or hormones to humans.. without it, it can't function
<Vanadis> Welcome to the weeding... :P
<Admiral-Lilwall> Then how do we stop this thing
<Waitstate> we'll have to figure that out en route
<Vanadis> Simple
* Blacknife laughs
<Vanadis> we feed it with something that will make its digestion go poo 
<Admiral-Lilwall> We have to hit it while it's solid
<Admiral-Lilwall> and if what Restore estimated is right...the bigger it is the longer the switch between gas and solid form takes
<Vanadis> So you feed it with organics, and then blow it up?
* Vanadis ponders the idea
<Admiral-Lilwall> not something I'd like to do,
<Waitstate> me either
<Blacknife> Someone say Blow It Up?
<Lightning> *chuckles evil like*  Heh, unless we feed it a planet full of prisoners! heh
<Waitstate> Bk, I doubt explosives would be any more than a distraction to it
<Admiral-Lilwall> Hold on a sec, it will in solid form, just the trick is the actually get it when it's solid
<Waitstate> You have a point... Stardrive, get together with Blacknife. Have him rig you up with a bomb you can plant. Then you can fly out ahead of us and hit the cloud with it
<Blacknife> Yes!  Finally
* Blacknife rubs hands
<Admiral-Lilwall> Well, here's my idea, we simply try to catch it while it's in a solid form and give it an overdose of oxygen
<Stardrive> Hmm...
<Waitstate> It should be in solid form now...
<Admiral-Lilwall> let's NOT intercept....
<Admiral-Lilwall> but CHASE
* Blacknife puts ship on auto and gets up
<Admiral-Lilwall> it *has* to be solid to move
<Stardrive> Plant?  I'm not touching it...
<Stardrive> Blackknife... how much explosive can you fit in a photon torpedo casing?
<Blacknife> It's not how much...it's the how powerful
<Stardrive> What if it tries to chase us?
<Admiral-Lilwall> Well then? how powerful can you make it?
<Stardrive> That's what I meant.
<Blacknife> I can pack about anything then
<Admiral-Lilwall> *turns to SD* It can chase only one of you at a time
<Blacknife> short of nuclear
<Admiral-Lilwall> while another sets the job
<Stardrive> I was afraid of that, lil
<Lightning> Bah! If you are too afraid to do it -I- will do it myself!
<Blacknife> Well who goes with me?
<Waitstate> lightning: you can't... only SD has the nescesary warp drive
<Stardrive> If it does try to chase us, only I have a chance of out running it.
<Admiral-Lilwall> Then let it chase you if need be SD, then Blacknife can deliver the payload
<Blacknife> I have my own Nucleon Propulsion warp 
<Stardrive> And only I have a photon launcher.
<Stardrive> I can't fire aft...
* Blacknife grabs SD...
<Blacknife> well that's decided..let's go
<Stardrive> But we still don't know if it will chase us.
<Admiral-Lilwall> well between you two you better get something figured out because you're the only two capable of this
<Blacknife> I plan a distraction
<Waitstate> hmm... if you want to be SURE it chases you, take one of the Harkkians
<Admiral-Lilwall> if need be I'm sure the Freedom can draw its attention
<Stardrive> Get a torpedo casing and make the charge.
<Blacknife> Ok Wait.. thanks for the tip
<Admiral-Lilwall> *to Wait* Risky Wait, but I'll go talk with Capt Blh about it
<Stardrive> I'm sure the Harkkians will love that.
<Waitstate> If it gives a chance to destroy that thing, I bet they will
<Blacknife> I'll ask for volunteers
<Admiral-Lilwall> I'm on my way
* Admiral-Lilwall leaves the bridge and heads for Blh's room
<Blacknife> If there are none, I'll volunteer one myself
<Waitstate> Bk, you are under Stardrive's command on this mission, understood?
<Blacknife> Fine
* Stardrive disappears
<Stardrive> Darn holos...
* Blacknife gets torp casing..
* Blacknife makes charge
* Admiral-Lilwall meets SD and BK at the shuttle bay with a willing Capt Blh
<Blacknife> Oh goody a volunteer
* Blacknife transforms
* Blacknife opens cockpit
* Capt Blh gets in Blacknife
* Blacknife closes cockpit
* Stardrive transforms
<Lightning> Creature has entered visual range
<Blacknife> Uh...SD needs to lay the explosive
<Stardrive> I'm firing it at the thing.
<Vanadis> You got its attention
* Vanadis checks her readings
* Lightning puts the creature up on main veiwer, Cirrus can be seen following it
<Waitstate> do we have the oxy/shield mine ready?
<Vanadis> Ready and checked for
<Stardrive> Ok... Bk, make it chase you... I'll follow and hit it with the torp.
* Blacknife jets out with Blh
<Vanadis> Should be enough to blow up a fleet
<Lightning> My scanners agree with Vanadis, we have the closest organics now, it's turning for us... Cirrus requests orders
<Stardrive> And who knows what they're doing with the mine...
<Waitstate> Tell Cirrus to get out of there!
* Blacknife goes towards the creature
<Blacknife> Time to play chicken, Blh!
* Stardrive puts the mine in the launcher and flies toward the creature.
<Capt Blh> chicken? what is a chickeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! *Blh screams as BK accelerates to full speed
* Admiral-Lilwall welcomes Cirrus as he lands in the shuttle bay beside him, then returns to the bridge
<Waitstate> The 1st bomb should slow or destroy it. The oxy/shild should finish it off, if our sims were right
<Capt Blh> I...I thought it was meant to chase US! not US go after IT!
<Stardrive> [comm] Actually, both are correct.
<Blacknife> We need its attention first
<Blacknife> Chicken
<Lightning> The creature is diverting attention to Blacknife, it is altering course
<Blacknife> We play chicken
<Blacknife> It's a Earthen game
<Blacknife> See who flinches first
<Capt Blh> if you don't kill me with your crazy flying you tin plated madman you can tell me all about chicken later
* Blacknife does a high G turn
* Capt Blh feels ill and decides to close his eyes and hold on 
<Waitstate> [to comm] Bk! dont kill the man!
<Blacknife> Wait [to comm] Don't worry ...only a few scratches
<Stardrive> [comm] a shame you didn't pick me to go with Captain... I've got inertial dampeners.
* Blh passes out
<Blacknife> Here chic chic chic
<Stardrive> [comm] Will you get that thing to follow you in a STRAIGHT LINE please... I'll never get a good shot at this rate...
<Lightning> [to com] unless you want to be destroyed Blacknife you should commence your 'retreat' before you plough into the creature
<Vanadis> Yes.. and that *fast*
* Blacknife does a loop and heads for the ship
<Blacknife> [to comm] SD your turn now
* Stardrive fires photon charge
* Admiral-Lilwall arrives back on the bridge  "Cirrus is fine, how goes the plan?"
<Waitstate> Damage to the cloud?
* Stardrive fires mine
<Stardrive> It looks... sickly...
<Lightning> the torpedo slowed it down, the mine is having bizarre effects on it
<Waitstate> on screen
<Lightning> Creature's vitals, as we know it... are failing
<Vanadis> cybertronian fried chicken :P
* Lightning displays it on the screen
* Stardrive flies back toward the ship
* Blacknife lands with unconsious Blh
<Admiral-Lilwall> Ugh, not a pretty picture
* Blacknife opens cockpit
<Waitstate> [to comm] Bridge to medbay, Restore, get to the launch bay
* Stardrive enters the bay
* Blacknife grabs Blh
<Restore> on my way
* Stardrive transforms into robot mode.
<Vanadis> You should get the maintainance bot there fast....
<Vanadis> That organic created a mess there
<Admiral-Lilwall> Vanadis, arm a torpedo and finish the creature off, end its suffering
* Blacknife taps on Blh lightly
* Stardrive shakes his head.
<Waitstate> *to van* do it
<Capt Blh> uhhh are you out of your mind robot?!?
* Blacknife puts down Blh
<Blacknife> Yes
<Vanadis> Torpedos armed and ready
<Vanadis> Corse programmed
<Blacknife> Go back to your quarters...and thank you
* Capt Blh is assisted by Restore as he grumbles back to his quarters*
<Blacknife> SD, Well shall we?
* Vanadis looks aftr Blh and mumbles 'orgnics' with a disgusted expression
<Waitstate> Do I have to give an order for every little step? Fire the damn torps!
<Stardrive> Want us back on the bridge, Wait?
<Waitstate> [to comm] not yet... you may need to go out again if this doesn't work
<Vanadis> Hey... You play it carefully, Waity...
<Blacknife> I suppose I better make another torp
* Vanadis fires the torpedos at the creature, anger flashing in her eyes
<Blacknife> just in case
* the creature seems to wail as in worse pain before exploding into a billion pieces
<Stardrive> Or not.
<Lightning> A fitting end!
<Blacknife> yummy
<Waitstate> is it destroyed? and yes, I know what it looks like
<Admiral-Lilwall> Uhh, yes Lightning...very, tasteful
<Vanadis> I hope the space-wash is still open.. The ship is covered with that mess
<Blacknife> SD: Well now shall we?
<Lightning> scanners show no lifeforms of any kind except those of the space station next system
<Stardrive> I guess so.
<Lightning> It is dead 
* Blacknife walks to the bridge
<Waitstate> activate a nuetron sweep of the area. "Lets clean out the place"
* Stardrive follows
* Stardrive sits in his recliner.
* Blacknife enters
* Vanadis finishes scans, then turns to face Waitstate
<Lightning> sweep complete, remains are in a pod an on course for the nearest star, where they will be obilterated
<Blacknife> Great green globs of greasy grimy...
* Blacknife takes helm again
<Admiral-Lilwall> Well if there's nothing more Wait, I'll retire to my quarters and ready reports
<Waitstate> ok
<Waitstate> now let's see... where were we going before all this started?
* Admiral-Lilwall departs for his quarters
<Stardrive> If there's no one to hail now, can I go to my quarters...?
<Blacknife> Second star to the right...and straight on till morning?
<Vanadis> Wait... you maybe be the captain here... but you won't treat me like an idiot!
<Waitstate> SD: go on
* Stardrive waves goodbye and leaves the bridge.
<Lightning> nowhere, we where in standard orbit around Vexis IV
<Vanadis> Night, starry
<Waitstate> *turns to Van* I told you to do what Lil had said. You only halfway completed that order
<Vanadis> The torpdos were armed and ready to fire.
<Vanadis> If I start firing at will, then who needs a Capatain?
* Blacknife watches with interest
<Waitstate> You must learn to appriciate nuance in my orders. The wording should suggest whether I want you to set up the action and wait, or to finish the job altogether
<Blacknife> *to himself* Dang the others shouldn't have left so early
<Lightning> Ahem...Waitstate, a course heading?
<Waitstate> umm... Welken 4 I suppose. It's the nearest resupply post
<Waitstate> Set course and go
<Vanadis> Wait, I don't mind fighting on my own... and I'm more than capable to lead an attack.... but since this *is* a team, and you as the captain coordinate, it ws *you* who had to pick the right time.
* Blacknife sets and goes
* Blacknife continues to watch wait and van
<Waitstate> I mean now, ASAP. If I did not make that clear, then I apologise, but I believed that I did
<Blacknife> Van: Denk nicht auf Deutsch
<Vanadis> Captain, Sir...
* Vanadis spits out the words
<Vanadis> I think, I'll rather see for the survival of this ship and crew myself now, rather than wating for your decisions
<Waitstate> Pardon ME? I GAVE the order. You didn't follow it, for whatever reason. I was NOT indescisive.
* Blacknife continues to watch with more intense interest
* Lightning spins and looks at the command " perhaphs commander, this disscussion is best left for a non bridge time?
<Vanadis> I was given the order to have those torpedos ready to fire.... I played this according to the general regulations on ships... But I'll follow my own regulations from now on.
* Vanadis looks at lightening
<Waitstate> No. You will follow MY regulations.
<Vanadis> Yes, you may have a point there, lightbulb
* Blacknife glares at Lightning "You're no fun...let them argue"
* Vanadis looks at Wait
* Blacknife likes to see tempers explode
<Lightning> *glare BK* don't encourage my sense of 'fun' if you know what is good for you *returns to his panel*
<Vanadis> Ohhhhh... *dangerously calm* Of course, *SIR*
* Blacknife shrugs
* Blacknife watches again
<Waitstate> *calm, trying to be civil* I like a loose ship, where we don't require rigid protocols. I thought I had sufficiently communicated that I wanted you to do the entire action and not simply prepare to do so. I AM sorry for the misunderstanding.
* Admiral-Lilwall arrives in his quarters and begins on various reports regarding the last few days
<Vanadis> You say so, leading bot... Me, I'll do what is best from now on.
<Waitstate> That is a dangerous threat.
<Vanadis> I'm not threatening anyone
<Vanadis> You wanted more independant action, that's what you'll get, Captain
<Waitstate> I won't stand for mutiny, so I hope that isn't what you are implying
<Vanadis> Captain... Mutiny is far from my thinking. I'm a survivor
<Vanadis> *mutters* And the survivors make their own rules.
<Waitstate> *hears her last sentance anyway* So long as you follow MY orders.
<Vanadis> You'll see, Waitstate
<Waitstate> I do not like threats, and that sounds like a threat
<Vanadis> I'm not threatening anyone here, Waitstate. And now, with your kind permission, I'd like to return to my quaters
<Waitstate> What exactly are you saying then?
* Vanadis ignores Wait's last words and gets off the bridge
<Waitstate> *sigh*
<Waitstate> That went badly...
<Blacknife> You're telling me
<Waitstate> Computer, remove Vanadis from active duty shift
* Blacknife catches himself too late
<Waitstate> I don't want her on the bridge if I can trust her
* Vanadis returns to her quarters and gets out a recording device
<Waitstate> *computer acknowledged SFX*
<Vanadis> Voice code Vanadais, password: sludge Report: After spending some time in suspended animation, I found that there are good chnces to infiltrate this non-aligned society.
<Blacknife> So Wait if you want her off the bridge, why not the ship?
<Vanadis> cont: I hacked myself into their databanks and modified the data to our needs. so far, they didn't get any idea what is going on. Requesting backup according to plan Theta.
* Stardrive returns to the bridge and sits in his recliner.
<Stardrive> Where's Van?
<Lightning> ooooo the commander and her had a chat
<Waitstate> She left. I'm not sure I can trust her anymore.
* Lightning sounds smug and arrogant in his comment
* Stardrive messes with his console.
* Vanadis sends off her 'mail' with the usual ship's communication
<Blacknife> erg
<Stardrive> Ho hum... the hell?
<Waitstate> What is it?
<Stardrive> Not much... I've just never seen that kind of encryption go out of our comm system before.
* Vanadis then goes to the practice room, starting some workout, apparently to 'blow off' anger
<Waitstate> oh? lemme take a look at it
* Waitstate connects to the data net and examines the encrypted message
* Blacknife gets bored now....walks to the practice room
* Blacknife finds Van in pratice room
<Waitstate> hmm... looks like some form of public/private key encryption... not a familiar algorithm. Maybe Format has a penpal?
<Blacknife> Oopss
* Waitstate notices something while connected...
<Blacknife> I suppose that encrypted message had something to do with you
<Waitstate> Stardrive.. have you been doing a lot of work on the databanks recently?
<Stardrive> No... I've been... busy recently...
<Waitstate> hmm... they are badly fragmented. You and I are the only ones with unrestricted access, so I thought maybe it was you
<Blacknife> What did you send a bad message about the captain to a friend?
<Vanadis> no.. he just made me angry
<Stardrive> Nope... not since we rescued that stardock crew.
* Vanadis whacks the punchung ball
<Waitstate> maybe it was from the cloud... there were a lot of EM bursts. Maybe that caused it
* Admiral-Lilwall walks into the bridge and hands his reports to Wait, "Here ya go, I'm gonna go and enjoy the oil bath I've been trying to get to since before that cloud came along
<Waitstate> uhh... thanks [he says as Lil strides in, hands him the pad, and leaves in one quick motion]
* Blacknife shrugs
<Blacknife> Well you have fun....but not too much
* Blacknife leaves Van in the room by Van's self
* Stardrive goes back to his quarters.
Session Close: Thu May 21 04:35:25 1998