----- Original Message ----- From: "James Craig" <jmcraig@sbcglobal.net> To: <chimera@ucip.org> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 11:08 AM Subject: [USS Chimera] SD240406.30 CO log, Col Bretam == Research station == Keylor stood quietly as he examined his surroundings. It had been a frantic pace for several minutes while he and the other in his little team moved blindly about the station trying to evade the intruders. They were lucky though, their alien counterparts seemed not to move as quickly as the humanoids that usually inhabit the cold metallic structure. He now was trying to get his bearings, trying to find his way back to the hallway where this detour had first started. Apparently, in the frantic pace of evading the intruders, no one had remembered to drag along Ens Carpenter. Keylor presumed she was still lying there, propped up against the wall where he had left her. His hope was that the intruders were too busy following Jason and Keylor that they would not notice Mercedes quietly sleeping. Keylor looked in to the haze that surrounded them completely now. With a single outstretched finger , he drew a mental map in the air in front of him. With some difficulty he tried to makes sense of where they had been, where they were and where they needed to go in order to recover their lost lamb, Mercedes. The station was a standard configuration with concentric circles , one in another, ringing the perimeter of the station. There were also several connecting corridors between the circles, but with the think haze obscuring their view, disorientation was inevitable. After several minutes of drawing on his imaginary chalk board, He looked back to his companions and motioned silently in the direction they would head off in. One by one they signaled they were ready and the little group moved off a silently as they could. Tom was cautiously looking out from the jeffries tube checking for any signs of the ghostly invaders. He and his companion, Sue were all to familiar with the lethality of the invaders touch, they had seen it first hand. Originally there were three f them, Tom Sue and another, Tammy had taken to the jeffries tubes for shelter. They had decided that the intruders were too big to fit in the tubes and were less likely to search for them in the tubes. It also provided the trio a way to move through the station, however slow, with relative safety. But the tubes did not go everywhere and once and awhile they had to venture out in to the hallways of the station t reach the next one. On one such occasion, they were surprised by a single intruder. In the end, their companion, Tammy paid the price and was killed by the touch of one of the ghouls. Feeling the coast was clear he looked back to Sue. "Ok. If I am right, we need t go down to the corner, turn left and go a few meters. Se should find our next access point there." He said trying to sound brave. Sue, noticeably shaken, nodded in compliance. Tom slid out form his hiding place and reached in and pulled out Sue. Together they stood up and began walking very fast to their next destination. Keylor had stopped at an intersection to get his bearings again. He and the rest of his team hugged the wall tightly, ever vigilant for the intruders. After deciding where to g next, Keylor motioned to his team and turned right, around the corner. Tm and Keylor collide with a thud. Neither of them fell t the floor, but both of them seemed to wobble in place, recovering form the sudden stop. Sue let out a piercing shot scream at the surprise of the green clad officer in front of them. Quickly realizing that what he bumped in to was not an alien intruder. Keylor quickly spoke, "Shhhh, it is ok we are here to help you.". Tom turned to console Sue and to get her to calm down. He held Sue tight, slightly rocking her. He then looked back at Keylor. "Thank goodness you are here. There are these things , intruders." Keylor nodded his head and interrupted. "Yes we know. We have run in to a few of them." He looked around as he spoke. His gaze returned to the man, "so where are the others. I though all of you were together?" he inquired. Tom looked at Sue and nodded to her, as she regained control of herself, he released her and then turned to Keylor. "Well at first we were, all except 3 of use. But 14 of us took refuge to the far side of the station away form the blue-green anomaly that had engulfed the station. Then one by one, or in small groups we each went our separate ways. Some choosing to find better hiding spots, some searching for provisions and some trying to make it to a life pod in hopes of escape. Some.", tom paused, "were killed by the intruders." Keylor nodded as he listened. Then it hit him, "14, and 3 missing? That is 17. I thought there were only 15 of you on the station. Tom nodded. "Aye there was. But shortly before the anomaly appeared we had a delivery of quantum torpedoes from star fleet. A lieutenant and a marine came on board with a shuttle and delivered the torpedoes. They were getting some food in the mess hall when this all started. They had found 12 of us on the far side of the station. " Keylor looked about. He pointed to his companions and signaled to his eyes with two fingers. He then pointed in several places for them to disperse and keep watch for any intruders. He then turned his attention back to Tom. "So where are these two, the star fleet officer and marine?" Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. The last I heard was they were going to try to make it back to their shuttle and try to fly out of here." Keylor nodded. The thought of the survivors being scattered about the station was not pleasing. This would mean that not only would Keylor have to find his people, but in the process find all of the surviving people form the station and the shuttle, which could take a while on a 15 level station. He placed a hand on tom's shoulder. "Ok you two stick with us, once we get everyone together we will get you off this station on to a start ship. Tome nodded and pointed to Keylor's rifle. "Does that kill them, the intruders?" he asked. Keylor shook his head no. "No, but is slows them down." Tom looked noticeably disappointed. Keylor motioned to his team. He gave the 'move out' hand signal and then pointed to the direction they were going to head. ==End log == Col Bretam Keylor Captain USS Chimera